by Raven Storm
Contents
ONE
TWO
THREE
FOUR
FIVE
SIX
SEVEN
EIGHT
NINE
TEN
ELEVEN
TWELVE
THIRTEEN
FOURTEEN
FIFTEEN
SIXTEEN
SEVENTEEN
EIGHTEEN
Books By This Author
Books By This Author
Acknowledgements
THANKS
SNEAK PREVIEW
ONE
TWO
Copyright 2020 Raven Storm
All rights reserved
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
ISBN-9798702955742
Cover design by Amanda L. Matthews
[email protected]
ONE
I didn’t ask to be kidnapped, but I wasn’t exactly protesting it either. That night I’d been having a good cry in the stables, my usual hiding place when Lord Crullfed had gotten too heavy with his hands or his cane. Not that I cared any; I was thankful the beating was shorter than normal. Crullfed had cut our time short, rushing off to see another one of the girls who was supposed to leave within the hour. I assumed he’d sold her, as was common with the prettier slaves.
The quiet of the night was soothing; the exact opposite of the breeding house, which was always filled with the cries and moans of women struggling to bring new human slaves into the world, only to have them ripped away and sold at auction to the training houses. The training houses would raise them, turning a tidy profit by renting or selling the humans as they got older. A vampyre or demon would pay top dollar for a well-trained human with the right lineage and looks. I had neither, as a human of unknown origin dropped on the doorstep twenty-two years ago. My unsuitability to be a broodmare or expensive slave was just fine with me; being a servant was much more of a life than many other humans could boast. Within the breeding house, I was mostly protected. Outside, humans were prey.
When the Overlord won the Demon Wars, he and his allies took over the entire continent, as far as I knew. Slaves aren’t exactly educated, so my knowledge is limited. I know our bit of land is called Dorea, but that is all. Hundreds of years ago humans had ruled, hunting down warring bands of lykos, wolven creatures that could pass for humans if the timing of the moon was right. We lived in fear of the vampyres, whose bloodlust was unquenchable, and the demons who kept finding their way into our realm repeatedly. Crullfed was lower ranking vampyre, but the demons found him useful with his wealth and lands. Other humans who had something to offer were left in peace if they cooperated. I know things weren’t always this way due to Clarice; the elderly nursemaid who looked out for most of the birthing mothers and younger servants. She claimed there was a time once when humans held dominion over the world and hunted down starving vampyres in packs. There were no demons with their magicks and powers, and the other magical creatures left us alone, or so she’d said.
Dorea was a land that stretched far to the mountains in the north, and with valleys and forests to the south. The west was cut off by the deserts, making travel and trade in that direction impossible. The land flattened to the sea on the east, and that was the entirety of my knowledge.
I leaned against a ladder, debating on whether to sleep in the hayloft or not. If I spent another night there, I would likely oversleep and be late for my morning chores. That meant another beating, and the vicious cycle would continue. I reluctantly turned to head back into the house, wondering if I still had any salve left in my tin.
It was any wonder I was still alive, really. Most of the breeders here only lived thirty years or so, then they worked like dogs in the fields until they dropped dead. Crullfed would purchase a fresh, young body to take her place. By comparison, my life was luxurious; it was all I could really hope for. Humans were slaves to be used and discarded.
A fresh set of screams pierced the night, floating through one of the second story windows. I winced; Lucretia was much too early to be giving birth now. If the baby died, she’d be whipped, and likely sent to the fields. It wasn’t her first miscarriage. I turned to go, and that’s when I saw him.
He wasn’t trying to hide, and that was what kept me from running. His body was backlit by the moon, so all I could make out was his towering figure, easily dwarfing Lord Crullfed by two feet. He was devoid of any weapons, though that didn’t mean anything in a world ruled by creatures. I took a step back, wondering if I could outrun him. With the length of his legs, I doubted it.
“Do you have business with the Lord?”
I kept my eyes down on the floor, like I’d been taught since birth.
“Come with me.”
His voice was deep, the rough growl of a predator. I glanced up, noticing his eyes were amethyst; the color of Lord Crullfed’s favorite cloak and the color of grapes before the harvest. He stepped into a ray of moonlight, and I saw him more clearly. Long, black hair was held back by a simple leather thong, with bits braided intricately down the sides. He was bare-chested, though wearing dark leather pants tucked into leather boots. His skin shimmered oddly underneath the moonlight. He wasn’t a lykos, or a vampyre. He was also clearly not one of the male breeders leased to Lord Crullfed.
The man frowned when I didn’t move towards him, his eyes peering down at me as he leaned forward and grabbed my wrist. I swallowed back memories as bile rose in my throat; the only time a man ever touched me was to hurt me. His skin felt roughly odd against mine, and I tried to quell my panic. My heart thudded loudly in my chest and he exhaled heavily, irritated.
“You’d rather keep living here? This offer expires in five minutes, and then I go and grab the sobbing blonde in the entrance hall instead.”
The blonde was Bella, the one Crullfed had hurried off to see, leaving me bleeding on the floor. This man wanted me instead, over Bella’s classic beauty and extensive training. She could dance, sing, cook, and was rumored to have been trained in the bedroom arts as well. What did I have to offer besides the ability to polish the silverware or sweep the floor?
Guilt crept up my spine as I thought of stealing someone else’s chance to get away from Crullfed’s hands, but it was also a risk. This…’man’ was clearly not a human but wasn’t any kind of creature I’d heard about either. What if he planned to use me for some nefarious purpose? Clarice used to terrify the younger girls to keep us inside, going on about blood magicks and demon rituals. Her stories were full of blood and gore that kept us clutching to each other in fear. Fear always worked when it came to control.
“Please come with me,” he tried again. That word jolted me. You didn’t say please to a slave.
Lucretia screamed again, and I winced. His grip tightened on my wrist; his skin was hot against mine. His eyes studied me, neither demanding or threatening. The choice hovered before me, like a phantom breeze as it brushed my face.
“Alright.”
I didn’t try to pull away when he heaved me over his broad shoulders and took off running into the night. All I could do was grip onto his neck in terror as the landscape flew by underneath his feet, aimed directly north. Through the meadow behind the manor, and into the woods that lay beyond, jumping over streams, ditches, and gullies. He jumped, an
d suddenly we were in the air as a pair of black, scaled wings pumped hard on either side of me. We soared over the forest, headed straight towards the mountains in the north. Massive rock formations rose on either side of us, and before I could blink the mountains rose on either side of us. How fast had he run? How fast could he fly? A delighted roar tore from his throat as he flew higher, and all I could do was shut my eyes and hold on. The air blew wildly in my face as I clutched to him tightly.
“Are you sick?”
The wind had ceased to pummel my face, and I cracked one eye open. The world was dark, but thankfully solid under my feet. I turned and saw the mouth of the small cave we were standing in, and I peered over the edge. The world tilted crazily as I leaned over, and a pair of strong arms snatched me back, safely away from the edge. His eyes were unnerving; not only for their color, but for the hungry, starved way they appraised me. I noticed his wings were gone, and his back covered again by that odd, gleaming skin. I had never heard of a creature that could do that.
“I don’t—I mean—”
He rolled his eyes as I struggled to speak, and then had the gall to sniff me. I wriggled away as he held me in place, his arm a steel vice that clamped around me. He buried his nose in my hair then promptly dropped me as if I carried some filthy disease. Acutely, I became aware of the dirty dress I wore, and the pathetic house slippers covering my feet. Frowning, I hoped the brown splotch on the edge of my toe wasn’t blood from the previous day’s delivery. I wondered why I suddenly cared.
It was impossible to see anything in the pitch darkness. I lurched wildly to the side, unable to get my bearings, still woozy from flying. I put my hands out to the side, feeling solid stone walls to the left and right. It helped ground my mild nausea. The man was silent, stomping off into the darkness.
“Where are we going?” I dared to ask. My fear of the unknown was greater than my fear of him. He sniffed, impatient.
“This passageway goes underneath the mountain.”
If I wasn’t so anxious, I might have rolled my eyes. Obviously. His voice was getting further away, and I blindly reached out in panic, catching the tips of his fingers. He wouldn’t let me die before I could be of use to him, would he? He grunted in irritation and hefted me over his shoulder again, muttering something about humans and their weak eyesight.
“Maybe if you would have worn some decent shoes—”
“I’m terribly sorry, the next time you kidnap me I’ll be sure to be properly prepared!” I froze as soon as the words left my mouth, unsure what his reaction would be. To my relief, he merely snorted in amusement and kept walking. I hung lamely over his shoulder, quickly bored with the endless expanse of darkness behind me. Were we going to some secret, underground ritual chamber? Why was I better suited to his purposes than Bella? Was he some sort of humanoid demon? The questions wouldn’t stop, and I had no way to distract myself from my racing thoughts.
He stopped suddenly, breaking me from my dark musings. There was a loud metallic sound, and the floor underneath us groaned, lurched, and moved. He dropped me heavily, and I crossed my arms as the walls shook around us, refusing to reach out again to my captor to steady myself. After what seemed like a lifetime, a door rose in front of us, and the movement ceased. I sighed in relief as flickering torches lit the way, however dim they were.
“There is one last thing before you enter the great hall.” My head tilted to the side, curious. If I had to guess, he looked...nervous.
“I can’t have you walking into the hall injured.”
I froze as I felt his hand brush my lip; he was close enough that I could feel the heat from his body. I shivered unconsciously, and he jerked forward without warning, his teeth biting down onto my bottom lip. He muffled my cry as he seized my mouth, his tongue tracing the outline of a split lip I had honestly forgotten about. It was over as quick as it began, and he drew away with a burning look in his eyes. My fingers danced across the skin, but no trace of the injury remained. What magick could heal with a kiss? It couldn’t be bad magick; not if it helped, could it?
“There would be a revolt if I brought you in there bleeding.”
Bleeding humans were quite common at the breeding house. In fact, it was rare for someone not to be. My captor handed me a small vial, and my fingers clasped the cool glass in reflex.
“Drink this; it will heal your back. I doubt you want my tongue all over it.”
I cringed and blushed, unnerved by his bold words. How could he possibly know about my back? He glared at me until I drank the vial, and I grimaced at the bitter, metallic taste as it went down. I shrugged my shoulders, pleasantly surprised when the sting of the cane marks disappeared. I stood straighter, feeling fully relieved and pain-free for the first time in ages. He pushed me ahead of him as the iron gates parted, revealing a heavy wooden door with iron slats. I stumbled forward, my legs heavy.
“Wait!” I protested.
“What is it?” He demanded, back to being irritated by my presence. I twisted my skirt in my fingers, noticing how damp my palms were. The guilt was suffocating, and I had to at least come clean to him, if I were to truly take Bella’s place. He needed to know I was nothing special; a nobody slave with nothing to offer to anyone.
“Why am I here?” I whispered, refusing to meet his eyes. “You could have had Bella; she’s a great dancer, singer… I can’t do any of that.”
Silence met my declaration, and I risked a glance up. His eyes were narrowed, as if he couldn’t tell if I was serious or not. Then his features smoothed out, and a cruel smirk curled his lips. The massive doors opened, and he shoved me forward.
“Welcome to Dark Haven: home of the drakens.”
TWO
The heavy door swung open, creaking loudly in the absolute silence that greeted us. My captor took advantage of my shock, easily prodding me through the massive beauty of the vast, stone hall in front of me. Gazing around, I was in awe. Large stone pillars supported the magnificent architecture of the vaulted ceilings, while designs in precious metals decorated the floor, the patterns mesmerizing as the torchlight reflected off its surface. Gemstones were embedded tastefully, creating accents around the gold and silver beneath my feet. I had never seen such decadence in my life; only the halls of the demon Overlord himself could be as grand! My eyes shifted, and then I noticed the people.
They lined the velvet rug we walked down, silent and inhumanely still. I kept my gaze solidly ahead, my cheeks warm as I blushed under their scrutiny, and the sight of so many half-naked male bodies. The only male I’d ever seen regularly was Crullfed, and the men that came through the breeding house to impregnate the women. Like my captor, the men in front of me shined oddly, their skin a kaleidoscope of different colors that reflected off their bare chests. My eyes lingered on their sharply defined muscles, and the scars proudly worn with various tattoos and jewelry. Some of them wore vests, but most stood in nothing but leather pants and boots, like my captor. Did the women behave in a similar manner? I shifted uncomfortably, noticing with a jolt I couldn’t see any. I looked through each face, but it was true: there were no women.
“Are drakens an all-male species?”
He ignored me, shockingly.
“D’ARCY!”
Another man was at our side in an instant, his eyes slithering over every inch of me. His blonde was hair long and intricately braided like my captor’s. His eyes were ice blue, sitting high above a protruding, beak-like nose.
“Please ensure she is ready for the ceremony. I will not wait.” my captor grunted, and he disappeared into the crowd. One of the men near me took an involuntary half-step forward, his eyes undressing me with a fierce intensity. I took a step back towards the man named D’Arcy, and two other men grabbed the first one by the chest and hauled him backwards. My pulse raced. Was I not welcome here?
“A bit dirty, isn’t she?”
D’Arcy’s voice was dry, with no trace of warmth or mirth. I started to deeply regret my decision to come here.
“Wren. Allow me to escort you to your chambers.” I nodded frantically, eager to get away from their watchful eyes and shimmering skins. I didn’t even register what he’d said, my mind was racing with the number of men surrounding me. Lord Crullfed’s face flooded my mind, and my hands shook with anxiety.
“Drakens of Dark Haven! We have a guest!”
The hall broke out into cheers, and shouts of joy. I shrunk further into myself, afraid of the attention. I was more aware than ever of the stains on my dress and the rat’s nest that was my hair.
“The ceremony will commence in three hours! I remind you all to remember the rules governing our guest, lest anyone gets foolish and finds themselves dead, or worse, disqualified.”
It sounded like a terrible joke, but no one in the hall laughed. There was a deadly seriousness that was more concerning than the words ‘guest’ or ‘ceremony’. I had no idea what he was talking about, but I wanted nothing to do with it. I turned to bolt, but sharp claws dug into my shoulder, warning me to behave. I went still. What was that word he had used, draken? I’d never heard of them. Was it a type of demon? I clamped down firmly on my panic as images of my gruesome death ran rampant across my thoughts.
“The games begin tomorrow. Good luck to all.”
D’Arcy grabbed me by the elbow and rushed me quickly down the hall, taking so many twists and turns that I knew there was no way I’d be able to find my way back without help. He stopped in front of a blank stone wall and pulled down on an iron ring. The wall retreated about a foot and pivoted inwards, creating a narrow hallway.
“In.”
I ripped my arm from his grasp and practically ran into the mysterious secret passage. D’Arcy rolled his eyes at my dramatics and followed behind. I emerged into a blessedly bright sitting room covered in candles and elegance. The large space was organized into several small sitting areas, like the parlors I had cleaned in Lord Crullfed’s household. The furnishings included beautifully carved wooden chairs, lavished with a myriad of exotic furs and velvets in blues and black. A fireplace hummed happily against the far wall, with two doors on the opposite wall. I wondered vaguely who lived here, and how much time I had to clean it before they returned; it looked unused for all its opulence, with a fine layer of dust lingering on most surfaces.