Chapter 23
Chapter 2 3
Elpis
“Toast? Keyon?” I shrieked. There was no response, just small lurches as Toast struggled with something. I couldn’t help it; what was left of my composure shattered. I screamed at the top of my lungs as we fell, having no idea how far we were from the ground. I couldn’t take this again! Not again!
Toast seemed to right himself and flap haphazardly until we came to a brutal, rolling crash. I fell inside his grip and was knocked back into his hard palm, dazed and disoriented. Crawling back to my feet, I wobbled and tried to balance myself, but everything whirled. I felt around the back of my aching head and drew my fingers forward to find blood. Oh gods.
I couldn’t hear Toast breathing, and I wasn’t sure if I was feeling a pulse beneath me through his thick skin and scales. Was Toast ok? How badly was he injured? I tried to push against his claws to get out, but my progress was slow, torturous. When I finally pried his fingers apart, I whimpered at the sight of my unconscious—but still breathing—mate. My eyes swam with tears; it pained me so deeply to see him hurt.
I squeezed out to find a number of dragons landing around us. Most of them seemed off-balance and ended up running into their comrades, who snapped irritably at them. Despite the anxiety that overtaxed my heart, I was deeply and bitterly pleased to find most of them nursing blackened burns that exposed muscle and bone. Many had torn or broken wings, and a handful were missing limbs outright. My mate would have slaughtered this Inferno under normal conditions.
In that moment, with how they all stared at me, I knew I was going to be taken. As one male approached, I did the only thing that came to mind, which was to hastily leave whatever I could of myself for my mate. I bit my arm until I drew blood, then wiped it on Toast’s hand. I yanked out some hair and draped it as well. I even spat. It was a stupid idea, and I doubted any of this would heal him, but I had to try something, and my brain wasn’t working particularly well after that impact.
“Go away!” I shrieked mindlessly at the male and the surrounding dragons. I couldn’t leave Toast and Keyon’s side! What if they killed him while he was unconscious? I ran pathetically around Toast to avoid the approaching shifter, keeping what I hoped was a healing hand on my dragon—loathing how weak I was. Once I was grabbed, I kicked, shrieked, and headbutted, but he didn’t loosen his grip. He didn’t seem stable, though, and even tripped a number of times.
He threw me roughly toward a dragon who caged me in a blackout grip like Toast had. “You touch him again, and you’re dead!” I screamed as loudly as I could, going out of my mind with fear and fury. “Do you hear me? I will kill you all!” They were all unnervingly silent and gave no reply.
I bared my teeth and kicked at my living cage, my blood boiling in my heart and ears. I could only hope they were too blind and injured to focus on Keyon and would just head home. I tried to feel which way the dragon lurched and took my best guess.
“They took me north!” I screamed to my unconscious mate. He couldn’t hear me... not through his forced sleep and my living cage. “ North! North! North!” I repeated the shriek until I felt him completely disappear. I didn’t even know I could feel his presence until it was gone. I clutched at my heart, already aching from emptiness.
I screamed in rage once more and felt around for anything that could hurt this dragon. I bit flesh and yanked at scales, reckless in my fury. My cage lurched as the dragon shook me around in its grip to punish me. I grabbed my head and groaned as my body surrendered. Stumbling over the uneven floor of fingers, I threw up and fell unconscious.
A violent jerk woke me, and I found myself being slung over a shoulder, the impact stealing a lungful of air. Winded, I tried to smack the head of my kidnapper but could only manage a weak flop. Gods, my head was killing me. I looked down to note that the male holding me had four feet. No, that couldn’t be right. I tried to focus my vision, then gave up, closing my eyes outright. I was too dizzy. My stomach also hated this position.
His stomping on dirt turned into stomping on stone. A door grated open, and his steps multiplied into echoes. I peeked through my bravest eye to find us walking down a dark hall with stone walls. Even with my cloak, it was uncomfortably cold and damp. Little clusters of moss grew greedily around patches of light that broke through the damaged ceiling, and I could hear the occasional drip of water plip and echo. This place looked like it’d been in its prime far too long ago.
The hall opened into a colossal circular chamber. Murmurs and scraping told me that there was a crowd wandering over to my kidnapper. “You’re back, Meino,” a male said in a sharp, forceful tone. “Was the lead accurate?”
I scrabbled at his shoulders when he hoisted me over them, but he still tossed me painfully onto the stone floor. I yelped and was tempted to rub my bruised bottom but not in the company of these loathsome strangers .
“Who are you bastards?” I yelled furiously at a giant dragon but quickly realized that it was an enormous stone statue. Too mad to be embarrassed, I wobbled to my feet to try to deliver my glare to the right person.
“They removed her collar,” Meino said. “She may be ruined. The beast is still asleep, though.”
“Don’t ignore me!” I protested and turned to punch Meino for calling me ruined, but he brushed my fist away like I was an annoying hatchling. I tried to kick his shin, but he just held me at arm’s length, which was possibly longer than my legs. The more I felt like a harmless toy, the angrier I became.
“I can see that,” the sharp voice remarked, ignoring me, and I squinted to watch a different dragon-shifter approach. I bared my unimpressive teeth, and the shifter studied me for a moment. I glared right back, willing my vision to try to focus on his features. Short grey hair and four small black eyes—no, two. Two beady black eyes beneath two straight brows. Those were eyes that didn’t look like they ever missed anything, and they unnerved me.
The nostrils on his large, aquiline nose flared, and he shuddered. “She’s in heat. Get her into a cell before one of our own tries to rut her, please. When is Mantegazz arriving?” he snapped, turning to face another shifter. My blood turned cold at the word ‘rut,’ and I shrank into myself, no longer wanting to draw attention.
“Someone’s fetching her now. Should be an hour,” they replied tersely. Two males grabbed a wrist each and dragged me from the room.
“I’ll get the kit,” a different shifter said from the large room while I was being forced down a new hall.
I had many things on the edge of my tongue that I wanted to yell, but my life as a slave came rushing back to me when I saw the cell. I became paralyzed by fear, knowing that the ‘safety’ I’d experienced at Adelmar’s mansion wouldn’t repeat here. I wasn’t even remotely protected now. Death and rape were two very real possibilities. This place was going to make me fight for my life.
Did I want to tell them I wasn’t a precious virgin anymore? No, they’d just kill me like the collar had intended. If it made me useless, I’d still pay with my life. I snapped out of my paralysis and struggled against the two males’ grips. When I started kicking, one of them lost his patience and slapped me into a daze. Then they pushed me into the cell, and I fell into a pile of hay.
I fought tears and bared my teeth in frustration. I turned to watch the males depart but shrunk away when three more rounded the corner. The one in the middle had a case, and I paled when I saw that the other two were carrying large jugs and some clear tubing.
They’re going to kill me, I thought and crawled into a corner of the cell to vomit. Drained dry.
Soon, my beast mumbled.
Soon is too late, I thought sadly to myself. I didn’t know if it was worth talking to her again. My hope was drying up, and that alone made me feel like dying.
I still couldn’t give up and did everything I could when they opened my cell. I kicked, spat, wrestled, and headbutted. I bit and screamed, but none of it mattered. I was weak, and I hated myself for it. Perhaps they’d allowed me to thrash as much as I did because it sucked the fight out of me. I lay panting on the hay, watching tearfully as they slit down my wrist and shoved the tube in to catch the red blood that poured out in a heavy stream.
After about fifteen seconds, my body pushed out the tube, and the skin healed shut. I laughed bitterly at their frustrated faces, and they cut into my skin again. I gritted my teeth harder and wailed from the agonizing incision. “Tell Franco this will take a while,” the one placing the tube said. I froze at the name.
“Franco?” I asked after I caught my breath. “Was the one who spoke out there Franco?” Franco, the notorious slave trader, and the purchaser Adelmar risked pissing off to save me as a child? I guess it verified that these were the same people. How patient they’d been for me. How important was I to them? What was I to them ?
The male didn’t answer. Like the rest, he ignored me like I was an inanimate object. “If you’re going to kill me, grant me a dying wish, and at least tell me why you’re killing me,” I begged sluggishly. “Please… what harm would it do?” Fighting aggressively wasn’t working, so I’d try a different approach—that is, if I could function through the shock. If I couldn’t tug at their heartstrings, then I’d resort to another tugging activity I’d rather not bring back into practice.
The male was quiet for a moment, then muttered to himself, “I don’t need to disclose anything to an ingredient.” I frowned at being called something so degrading, though I’d prefer insult to injury any day.
He cut my wrist again to insert the tubing, cursing irritably at having to redo it every fifteen seconds. I winced at the pain every time, and even though I knew I could push out infection, the tubing hadn’t been cleaned in front of me, and I grimaced at the thought of something dirty getting shoved under my skin.
I changed my tactic, giving in to my last resort. “Nay, you don’t, but you could disclose something to an ingredient with breasts and a practiced hand…” I breathed, looking up at him through my eyelashes. I knew not to lay it on too thick. I tried to sound innocent and hesitant. Males had always seemed to respond well to it.
“Heard she was a pleasure slave…” one of the other men said in a low voice.
“Franco said not to touch her,” the third said, but he didn’t sound adamant. The male collecting my blood dropped the tubing and cursed again. Making my move, I reached to brush my free hand against his thigh.
“Can someone please hold her down? She’s in heat, and I can’t fucking focus.” He growled while cutting my wrist again. I looked over at the jug, ignoring the two idiots bumping into each other to help hold me still. There was only an inch of blood in there. At least my body was fighting an internal battle to preserve my life, and I decided to save my energy to let it do just that. It bought me time. There had to be something else.
Very soon, my beast said in my head, and I wondered if that was soon enough, after all.
The male continued to struggle with collecting my blood and eventually sat back, glaring at his supplies. He looked at my other wrist and said, “If I keep opening that other vein, can you two collect it in that second jug?” The one holding my other wrist nodded and was handed some tubing. Both of my wrists were slit, and they started draining both.
I shuddered at the discomfort and coldness, and my eyes watered from pain and panic, but I tried to hold back my tears. My body needed all the water that was left. I doubted that even I could heal from nothing. Soon, I broke into a cold sweat, becoming overwhelmed with pain and shock.
Several hours passed, and they’d collected a decent amount, but it didn’t seem like nearly enough to kill me. “What is your progress?” a sharp voice asked, and I gazed bleakly over to see Franco standing by the cage. He was quiet. I didn’t like that.
“Slow,” the male spat bitterly. “She heals too fast. Her body just spits the tubing out.”
“And you’re resisting her heat?” he intoned harshly.
“Yes, Franco,” he said with an aggrieved sigh. “She hasn’t spiked yet, but it’s getting worse. I’d like to see you focus with an erection.”
“I see you have at least enough for Mantegazz to make a first attempt. You’re all dismissed for the night. Wait until her heat passes. I’m not risking it,” Franco ordered dispassionately.
“Attempt at what?” I asked tiredly, doubting I’d get an answer. As expected, Franco turned and strode off while the three males gathered their gear, hurrying to leave. No answers. I sighed and shivered from the chill of blood loss. Then I crawled into the hay pile but backed out when I smelled mold. I hated the musty stench and ended up settling on top of the drier fodder.
“Attempt at losing their humanity,” a familiar voice croaked from the neighboring cell. I let out a bizarre combination of a yell and a squeal, nearly startled out of my skin. Still though, I was struck by disbelief, and I shuffled toward the voice, unable to trust my ears alone.
“L-Lord Adelmar?” I whispered, grabbing the iron bars with both fists. In the next cell, he was just a lump of clothes in another pile of hay. His familiar chuckle hit my ears, and he sat up awkwardly. Something was wrong with the way he moved.
“I’m deeply disappointed to see you here, little sunrise. I thought I’d left you in good hands,” he said with a shake of his head. It was him, my old owner. He was in poor shape, looking wan and bruised.
“I came to destroy them,” I muttered, rattled by his appearance. “I wasn’t expecting an entire crowd of murderers, though. Why are you here?”
“Oh sunrise, that is so stupidly cute.” Adelmar snorted with derision. “I doubt you’re alone, but I won’t pry. No, I’m here because Franco hates me, and he needed someone he hated.”
“Why’s that?” I asked, too curious to be insulted. Adelmar held up a shoulder, but the entire sleeve of his coat was empty. I gasped and fought roiling nausea. “The bastard took your arm?”
“Indeed, he did,” Adelmar uttered darkly, staring at his missing appendage. “We’re both ingredients, it seems.” He sighed. “Witches are so troublesome.”
“Yes, I’ve met your Gunel,” I replied. “She’s the one who told me to find the witch here.” Adelmar’s eyes lit up at the mention of the woman.
“Ah, my dear Gunel. How is she these days?”
“Cranky,” I said shortly, and he laughed quietly before falling into coughs. “She told me what you did,” I added and wiped my hands nervously on the bars. He sobered and tilted his head.
“I imagine she did,” he murmured but didn’t add anything.
“I won’t ever forget the torture you put me through, but I will thank you once for saving my life,” I said, hating the words as they left my mouth, but they needed to be said. I could move on now… if I survived this pl ace.
“Apparently only saved it for a little longer than they’d originally planned,” he replied darkly.
“Why’d you sell me, then, if I was so safe at your mansion?” I asked bitterly.
“Oh, you weren’t. Franco’s men had been sniffing around, and I knew it was only a matter of weeks before they found you,” he answered. His willingness to share emboldened me to ask more questions.
“But to a male? Gero would have killed me with that curse! You knew about it!” I accused.
“Oh please.” Adelmar scoffed. “I did my research. I knew that the famously good-hearted and very chaste knight general would take you in, especially when I dangled you in front of Gero. At first, I thought it was good fortune that Prince Cyneric offered to connect us with a deal. Unfortunately, Sir Keyon and I’d been played.”
I giggled and rested my head against the bars. Perhaps I was going mad, but I couldn’t stop laughing. My nerves were shot.
“What’s got you so amused, sunrise?” Adelmar inquired, curious.
“He’s”—I gasped and whispered between bursts of laughter—“my fated mate.” I snorted and smacked my hand against the bar, convulsing with amusement. Adelmar started laughing with me, and we both succumbed to madness.
I pulled my long hair back and showed him the mark Keyon had left, snorting again. Adelmar sobered and waved at me. “Put that away!” he hissed. “Don’t let them see that!” His gaze cut to the corner of the room as he listened for footsteps. When none came, he relaxed and pressed his lips together.
I crawled back to the hay and lay down on it again, but I was starting to feel warm. I knew what that meant, and I covered my face with my hands.
“You need to try to keep your wits about you,” Adelmar warned quietly. “If they discover that scar, they’ ll use you and kill you.”
I didn’t reply, but I’d do the best I could. I couldn’t afford to go wild here. I buried my bottom half in the damp hay, grimacing at the state of it but accepting the solution.
Need food, my beast demanded.
There’s no food, I replied miserably, resting my head in my arms.
Dry grass has food for blood. Make more.
Can I even digest that?
Don’t know… better than not. Need something. Anything.
I picked up a twig of hay and wrinkled my nose. The fresher blade smelled sweet, but I doubted it’d taste very good. I popped it in my mouth and chewed slowly. It was bland and difficult to soften, but I worked at it. I grabbed another piece and ate that too, hoping I’d be able to digest it. It was less edible than a salad but more edible than a stick, so why not try.
I ate as much as I could stomach and moved my focus to my heat. I pressed my thighs together and pushed my hands against my sex, as if I could keep it from sharing my state. I yearned for Keyon to relieve me, but that only made me think of how I’d been torn from him. Was my mate ok? My heart ached fiercely, deeply, wishing we were safe at the cabin together and that none of this had happened.
I squeezed my eyes shut and writhed in the hay. I wanted to take my clothes off, but I resisted. When my mind called for a male, I just focused on Keyon. He was my male. He was my only male.
“Wow!” another familiar voice exclaimed, accompanied by slow footsteps. “They were not exaggerating.” My dread sank deeper into horror, and I grimaced, gagged. I could practically hear his greasy double chin wobbling.
“What are you doing here, Gero?” Adelmar asked in mild surprise. “I thought you hated Franco. He was your biggest rival.”
“Oh, I do. I hate the bastard, but you know what they say about keeping your enemies close.” Gero chuckled. I suppressed a moan and turned toward the wall, unable to look at the disgusting creature outside of my cell. I could barely focus on the conversation he was having with Adelmar. I was getting a headache on top of my heat spike.
“I heard what he was cooking up and simply had to pay a visit.”
“Surprised he let your ugly mug in,” Adelmar muttered.
“Well, I mean, I did tip him off about Elpis’s location,” Gero said smugly. I scowled into my fist. How’d he know? When had we gotten near him? “Who better to put down the knight general and catch her for me?” I stiffened at his words. What?
“Catch her for you? You can’t possibly be thinking he’d give her to you,” Adelmar snapped.
“Oh, I don’t want to take her away. I just want to take her,” he leered. “I volunteered to check her purity since I was the only one familiar with her. The guards should be at my guest chambers in about thirty minutes to escort me here.” He snorted with laughter and said in a sing-song voice, “I got here early.”
“Franco won’t only kill Elpis, Gero, but he’ll kill you too,” Adelmar warned.
“No, I’ll be long gone. I get to taste what I’ve been craving and ruin Franco’s plans! This might be the greatest moment of my life!”
Adelmar laughed darkly. “Not a high bar, especially for a dragon.”
Keys jangled in the lock, and I jerked into a sitting position. I was panting and burning up, but Gero revolted me down to my very soul. I wouldn’t let him have me.
“Scream, Elpis!” Adelmar shouted, and I opened my mouth to do that, but Gero lunged at me. I stumbled out of his way and bashed into the cage wall I shared with Adelmar. I shrieked as Gero rushed again, but I felt Adelmar’s hand snake through the bars and push me to the side. His clawed hand snagged Gero’s coat, who snarled and shrugged off the garment, not wanting to waste time wresting it from the other prisoner’s grip .
When I screamed again, it was due to a sudden, cracking pain in my skull. Gero cornered me as I staggered and moved his hand to cover my mouth. I struggled to orient myself through the agony so I could defend myself. A piercing shriek in my head had me lashing out in reflex, and I stomped blindly on Gero’s foot. Then I kicked him in the shin and rammed into him. A haze took over my senses, and it wasn’t long before I was drenched in blood. I stared down at Gero’s lifeless, mutilated face and stumbled back, hyperventilating.
I screeched at the top of my lungs when several bones dislocated for no reason. Once I collapsed, that was the end of what I thought pain was. A new kind of pain was everywhere. It penetrated so deeply that I lost sight of everything else. I didn’t know my name, I didn’t know what species I was, and I didn’t know if I was alive or dead. All I could feel was pain and my body parts moving around as though carried by thousands of ants.
I felt some semblance of form take shape, but it didn’t feel like what I’d known my entire life. The pain receded, and all I witnessed was myself returning it. Males flooded the cell and tried to restrain me, but I saw nothing but blood and none of it was mine.