Chapter 2 #2
I clasp my hands in front of me, ignoring the sneers and snide remarks whispered behind me.
The Allaji consider me the enemy, the queen who would rather watch them starve than offer the assistance of my people.
It turns out the promise Esmeray made left quite the impression on them.
She won their admiration when she signed into a treaty with Zek, ending the Allaji attacks on our kingdom and awarded him my people to work his fields against their will.
When they learned I killed her, they believed I sentenced them to death by starvation.
They don’t hold back when reminding me daily of their hatred in one way or another.
With several deep breaths, I attempt to block out their words. They see my actions as a direct offense against them, but I know it was an act of love. I would do anything to keep Kyron safe, including falling from grace. In the end, I find peace knowing Esmeray is dead.
My heart stops racing and the anxiety rising inside me dissipates. I exhale a long breath, letting calmness blanket me.
My efforts are short-lived.
The set of doors to the side of the room swing open, and Zek enters with his speckled hawk wings framing his body.
His tan trousers sit low on his hips and every hulking muscle of his arms and chest is on full display.
Dark blond curls brush his shoulders and resting on top his head is a golden crown fashioned to look like leaves.
The crown symbolizes his status as king, but it’s the jagged green stone hanging from his neck that makes him the most powerful being in this room.
The shifters take a knee, and I follow their lead.
They don’t bow their heads. No, they proudly hold them high as their king climbs the steps of the dais.
Zek lifts the stone from his chest for everyone to see, his wings unfurling in a dramatic display.
The Theria is the Sacred Gift the Statera bestowed upon the Allaji ruler.
Zek now holds the ability to shift into the most powerful beast on air and land, and his people recognize him as such.
They pound their fists to their chests two times in a sign of unity and respect.
My hands remain at my sides.
Zek tucks his wings in until they vanish and sits upon his throne.
His electric blue gaze sweeps over the room as we remain bowed and silent.
When those around me shift to relieve the pressure on their knees, a smug grin consumes Zek’s face.
The asshole enjoys the power play. The people here would kneel on the hard floor for days if he ordered it, eager to please their new leader.
“You may rise,” he coolly says.
As everyone stands, the king’s attention turns to me. His face lights up like a child excited to play with his favorite toy. “Raelle, my pet, you look stunning in your queenly attire. Come sit with me,” he says, patting the arm of his throne.
I fight not to roll my eyes as I move beside him.
Resting my ass on the edge of the chair’s arm, I fold my hands onto my lap.
The reverence shown when the king entered transforms into amusement.
I stare past the crowd to the wall in the back of the throne room. I won’t let these people see me cower.
Zek slides his arm around my waist and pulls me closer to his side.
His fingertips bush back and forth along the tender flesh running down my back.
The simple gesture is meant to trigger the memory of the only time I retaliated against him.
He had placed a possessive hand on me, and I didn’t hesitate to slap his face and spit a few choice words.
I can’t recall if my hand stung after I hit him, but I will never forget the Allaji angrily chanting for blood.
I’d disrespected their king, and he had to assert his dominance over me.
Niko, Zek’s lead enforcer, had stretched me over the front of the throne until I gripped the head of the carved hawk.
He held my hands in place while the fabric knotted at my back was removed, giving the court a clear view of my unmarred skin.
I can still hear the whip as it sliced through the air before cracking against my spine.
Zek left five bloody slashes on my back.
One for each of my fingers that slapped his cheek. I’ll never make that mistake again.
I force my muscles to relax, remaining as still as stone while he strokes me like a beloved pet. In a low gravelly whisper, he says, “It could be worse, Elle. I could have you sitting at my feet like a dog instead of perched on my throne.”
“I’d rather sit on a hundred needles than next to you,” I say through gritted teeth.
“Oh, how you flatter me with your declarations of love.”
My gaze darts to him for the briefest second before returning to stare blankly at the back of the room. “If you really want to know the true extent of my feelings for you, hand me a dagger and let me run it through your black heart.”
He clicks his tongue in disapproval. “Now, now, pet. You wouldn’t want to upset my court again. They’re vicious when it comes to defending their king.” I hiss as he drags his fingertips along a scar. “And trust me, you don’t want to be tending to wounds today. Niko is coming to visit after all.”
The mere sound of Niko’s name sends a chill through me.
He is a sadistic asshole. The only time I’ve seen a semblance of a smile on his face is when I glanced up at him through tear-filled eyes as my body endured the lashings Zek gave me.
Niko enjoys his moments standing before the court and updating Zek on the status of the Cyffreds working the fields.
His eyes never leave me as he gives each gory detail of the punishments he has administered.
He doesn’t care that my people only steal grains to fill their starving bellies, or that they work nonstop from sunup to sundown without proper sleep or water.
He revels in their pain and knows his words slice me deeper than the whip ever did.
The doors of the throne room burst open, and a mammoth of a man enters.
His bare chest and arms bulge with muscles, like someone inflated him until his tanned skin was so taut his veins protrude.
A short brown beard covers his face, and his hair is sheared close to his head.
The only sign of his animal is the coat of fur dusting his chest. He stalks down the aisle like the bear he is and falls to his knee before Zek.
“Your Majesty,” he says in a voice so deep it rumbles through the room.
With a flick of his wrist, Zek says, “You may rise, Niko. My pet is eager to hear today’s update.”
Niko glares at me, no doubt imagining all the ways he would enjoy torturing me, before he rises and addresses the king. “The situation in the fields is worsening. The Cyffreds are not producing crops fast enough, and we cannot supply enough food to all the villages.”
I lift an eyebrow and quirk my lips. It serves them right.
My people are not miracle workers. The land is depleted of nutrients needed to feed the plants.
Maybe now the Allaji understand that the damage they’ve caused will take decades to reverse.
On the other hand, if they haven’t learned their lesson up to this point, they probably never will.
Niko matches my feisty expression and continues saying, “Which has led to a problem. Our people are sneaking into the bunkers at night and snatching the workers. It appears they have acquired a taste for the Cyffreds. At this rate, their numbers will be non-existent in months.”
My heart plummets to my roiling stomach.
The Allaji are devouring my people, literally eating them.
If Niko is correct, they will have killed more than half the Cyffreds who once lived in Lucent.
Thousands gone because of their uncontrollable desire to consume.
I have to fight the urge to expel my breakfast onto the floor.
Zek runs his index finger over his mouth and shrugs. “We’ll find a way to replenish them. Do you have any other matters to discuss, Niko?”
“Just one, Your Majesty.” He looks back at the doors and calls, “Bring in the Cyffred.”
My fingernails bite into the backs of my clasped hands as I brace myself for the horrors to come.
Never has a Cyffred been brought in from the fields.
All I’ve ever been able to do is listen to the devastating retellings of their punishments.
With a chance to stop it, no matter how pathetic my attempt, I won’t sit silent.
Two guards with meaty arms and broad chests drag in a bloodied man.
They have shackled his hands in front of him, and his shirt is sliced open from the lashes of a whip.
Short red hair stands straight up on his head, coated in dirt and blood.
He attempts to get his bloody bare feet under him, but they slip on the polished wood floors.
He falls hard on his knees, the crack causing my teeth to gnash.
The guards continue yanking the man forward until they stand below us. I take in the long, red scraggly hair on his face before meeting his swollen blue eyes. My breath hitches, and I sway on my perch at Zek’s side.
“Ulric,” I gasp.
My friend is battered and weak, but he is alive.
I’ve thought about him every day since the Allaji took him.
The struggle to keep my thoughts hopeful has been hard.
I never asked about him, fearing that Zek would use our friendship against me.
The king has already ordered the harm of too many of my people. It appears my efforts were in vain.