“As you wish,” Kier said grimly, grasping on to Adam as the Horde King shoved him away. I watched in silence as Adam turned a look of panic in my direction.
“Go; I’ll be okay,” I told him, and blinked back tears as Kier tightened his grip on Adam and sifted them both out of the room.
Chapter Two
I shivered, as the Horde King’s guards took up positions around me in case anyone else tried to save me. My hands were bound by magical chains. The tingle of the spell that they had been enchanted with was palpable against my flesh.
“Remove the necklace, and replace it with mine,” The Horde King demanded in a tense tone.
My mother stepped up hesitantly and removed the thin necklace with the ruby on it that had kept me from just sifting away. She then replaced it with one he manifested and handed to her. It was thin platinum, bearing a small silver disc with what must be an insignia for the Horde etched into the face. I barely glimpsed it, before it rested against my throat. When she had finished placing it on me, she stepped back but lifted her hand to cup my cheek reassuringly.
“We have much to discuss, Alazander. Your guards can watch my daughter while we go over the agreements. Entertainment and a feast will be provided for those guests who wish to indulge,” my father said with a note of deference in his voice as he sidled up to stand beside my mother. I could see he was keeping his eyes down, so the Horde King wouldn’t see how much this entire situation was angering him.
“You think I should keep up my end of the agreement after you so boldly broke the one we had?” Alazander growled angrily. My father’s eyes snapped up to meet the Horde Kings. “That I wish to remain for feasting and entertainment after I was forced to wait more than twenty years for what you should have willingly brought me then?”
“I’m willing to give up a few more things to secure peace, if that is your wish. The war, however, needs to cease. The good of Faery must be considered, and each Caste must be willing to make sacrifices for the greater good.”
“Show me what you propose,” Alazander demanded as he indicated with his hand for my father to lead.
“Let me start the entertainment, and we can discuss it over the feast that has been prepared for tonight. There will also be Humans for those of your breed that can feed without killing.”
Feast? I blinked, surely they wouldn’t…my father snapped his fingers, and side doors opened and a large group of Humans, who looked very well-kept, walked out and stood in a line. The men and women kept their eyes downcast and their posture stiff. A buzz of nervous excitement seemed to surround them.
“What the hell?” I asked before I could think better of it.
“They are guests in our kingdom that my brother brought back here. They requested to come to Faery. They are happy, and never mistreated here, Synthia. I’d like to keep it that way,” he said as he narrowed his eyes on the Horde King.
As far as I knew, the Blood Fae didn’t go into the human world very often. Or, that was what I’d been told. But then, the Horde King had been missing, and well he’d just popped up in time to claim me. Fae fucking games.
“Your daughter will be seated beside me, my guards will stay both beside and behind us while we indulge in your celebration,” the Horde King said, pulling on the silver chain that was secured to my wrists. I went willingly to him until I was inches from his chest.
This seemed to satisfy him, and I followed him a few short steps to where a long table with a rich crimson coverlet materialized before us. Ornate, high-backed oak chairs surrounded the table, and he indicated that I should be seated in a chair that was pulled out with magic, next to the largest and most ornate chair that seemed to dominate and preside over the rest of the seating arrangement. I took my seat as he expected, and it wasn’t until the Horde King noticed my father waiting, that he narrowed his eyes on me and spoke to his guards.
“To me,” he said barely above a whisper, and a contingent of his guards decked in black armor sifted to him, “five of you protect what is mine. The others come with me.”
I watched as he and the rest of his men walked with my father to another table that had also not been there as I’d been presented to the Horde. My father unrolled a giant scroll across it, and he and the Horde King began discussing the terms. I wondered with a queasy feeling if it had been one of those parchments made from the skin of traitors, or if it was made through less painful means. I scooted up against the main table, which seemed to please my new guards. The table continued to “set” itself as large gold chargers and gold cutlery appeared before us. Well, that was a good sign that at least there would be more than Humans for dinner.
I hid my hands under the table, and quickly gave a nudge at the bodice, popping the toothpick dagger out of place and lifted the skirt of the dress, to discreetly slide the dagger out. I held it in my hands briefly, before dropping it to the floor, and kicking it away from myself, and down the length of the table. There was no way in hell I was getting busted with that thing by Alazander. He’d just suck the air from my lungs, and I’d be unable to use it on him, and be utterly fucked in the process.
“Synthia,” Madisyn breathed with a look of horror in her eyes. She’d been the only one to notice what I’d just done.
“Not like that,” I shook my head, knowing the guards were listening to the exchange.
She lowered her eyes and exhaled slowly. “Is he to your liking?” she asked.
“He is what Liam said he was.”
She started to reply to my words, but a scream tore through the room, shattering the calm that had settled over it as the Horde began selecting Humans. I was instantly on my feet, but rough hands shoved me back down into the chair I’d just left.
“Stay seated,” a rough voice said as startling gray and aqua blue eyes held mine.
“He’s hurting her,” I snapped.
“She’s feeding him,” he retorted. “She will scream in pleasure soon enough, Princess.”
“What kind of sick shit—”
“Is there a problem?” Alazander said, taking the seat beside me. He settled in easily, even though his giant wings should have caused him some issues with taking his seat.
“He’s hurting her,” I answered, unsure of how he would react. This was the creature that sent his own victims back to their families broken and in pieces.
The victim in question chose that moment to start screaming in pleasure. I couldn’t stop the blush that heated my cheeks, or the bulging of my eyes as I watched the couple fornicate against the wall, oblivious to everyone watching them. I watched, unable to tear my eyes from where the Fae was drinking her blood as he thrust his need between her thighs. It was hard to tell if he was actually Horde or one of the Blood Fae from my vantage point.
“She seems to be finding pleasure now,” the Horde King said with a twinge of amusement in his dark eyes.
I tore my eyes away from the couple and looked at my hands clasped tightly together in my lap, to stop the involuntary quaking. The men behind me snorted and laughed as more cries of pleasure erupted around the room. This was so not cool; definitely not a dinner party I’d ever sign up for.
“Gather the Elite Guard, we’re almost done here,” The Horde King said in a soft voice to the guard that stood closest to him.
I sat silently, watching those around us; I wasn’t winning the fight against my nerves as the room continued on as if this wasn’t what it was. A sacrifice. My only hope of escape had been dashed, and it was almost a relief to know he would be safe from this monster before me. I needed to come up with a plan for escape, and see it through before I was officially screwed.
I wasn’t prepared when he picked me from my chair and sat me on his lap. My entire body trembled from his touch and the electrical pulse that slithered, and kissed my every nerve ending. I wasn’t fast enough to stifle the moan that those electrical currents created. His men snorted, and seemed to exchange knowing looks. Crap, with everything that had gone on over the past two days, I m
ust have used up every ounce of energy I had stored up when I fed from Ryder last. Hunger blossomed from my stomach to my panties, or was it the other way around?
His hand moved down to play across the flesh of my leg that the dress revealed. He was testing me, seeing how willing and receptive I was to his touch. I looked up and met Liam’s tortured look that was visible in his haunted eyes. I had the strangest urge to reassure him that I was fine, even though I really wasn’t.
Liam kept stealing looks at the Horde King that looked like a combination of hatred and confusion, until the Horde King narrowed his eyes at Liam, causing him to quickly avert his gaze to the charger in front of him. This just seemed to be getting worse.
I exhaled slowly for courage as the Horde King continued to stroke my flesh, luckily where no one else could see it. His other hand slid up my back until it was resting on my neck—once again showing me how easily he could control my fate. So be it. I’d be damned if he did it here, though. I could see Liam struggling against the urge to jump across the table.
“I’m hungry,” I whispered through the growing lump in my throat.
“Dinner will be served shortly. The cooks have prepared a feast of pheasant, quail, roast, and boar for us, as well as delicacies from the Dark Forest, courtesy of the Dark Knight,” Madisyn said with her eyes firmly on me. Lovely. I guess it was fitting that in Faery you would have hokey names like the Dark Knight who comes from the Dark Forest. There was probably an Enchanted Forest and a Mount Doom around here somewhere, too. The servers were setting up trays, and bringing drinks around to those who had a place at the table.
“Not for food.” Not good! It came out quickly. Crap. Involuntary statements like that, combined with everything else my body was doing to me, meant I was going to need to feed very soon.
“We’re done here, anyway. It’s time to take you to the Horde Kingdom, and I’m sure you are in a hurry to settle into your new home as well,” the Horde King replied, releasing his hold on my neck, but not removing his fingers from my thigh.
“Good,” I said softly, moving my eyes away from him to scan the crowd. Where the hell was my knight in shining armor, and why was he late? I hadn’t planned on him saving me, but I’d at least expected to catch a glimpse of him before I went to the Horde’s stronghold.
“I’m glad to see you willing to serve me,” he replied with his mouth against my ear.
I gulped down air as if I couldn’t get enough. I turned to look one last time at my mother as the guards easily helped me to stand on my feet. The crowd was oblivious to what was going on until the king growled loudly. The entire assembly of the Horde creatures that had come turned to him, dismissing those they had been feeding from without a second thought.
“Say your goodbyes; you have one minute,” he said quietly in my ear, and then moved toward his guards to allow me to move away from him.
He didn’t have to tell me twice. I moved toward my family and hugged my mother tight. “I’m going to be okay,” I whispered quietly reassuring them.
I smiled at my father, and quickly stepped back to give the Horde King no reason to be upset with me. If I was going to escape him, I was going to need to earn his trust to do so. I didn’t want a huge goodbye either, seeing that I’d just been reunited with them and for the most part we didn’t know each other. Even though I understood why I was being given to the Horde, it still upset me that within one day of meeting them, we were here with the freaking Horde, and I was being given to their king.
Alazander held his hand out for me, which I accepted hesitantly. As soon as he sifted me, I wouldn’t be able to get away from him for a while. Grudgingly, I moved in close enough that he pulled me the rest of the way into his arms, and pressed me against his chest before he unfurled and swept those huge wings down, and launched us off the floor and toward the vaulted ceiling high above us. I was flying! I held onto him tighter without meaning to, and he smiled with approval as I did so. It had nothing to do with him, and everything to do with the fear of falling, or being dropped.
“Hold onto me,” he whispered heatedly.
As if I was going to let go?
I felt the weightlessness of sifting take hold, and closed my eyes.
Ryder wasn’t coming to save me, not today at least.
Chapter Three
The Horde had followed, sifting in behind us as we materialized into an enormous room where even more creatures awaited us. The room was dark, and the walls were a light gray stone. Huge glass chandeliers hung from the high ceilings on metal poles that held them firmly in place above the tables, and threw soft flickering light against the stone and assembly of the Horde creatures that were present. All I could guess was that it was some sort of great hall or a gargantuan meeting hall of some kind. I was still wrapped in the electrical hold of the king as he shouted off orders in a language that I couldn’t understand. This was odd, as so far I had understood all of the different dialects that the High Fae spoke in Faery. I seemed to be included in those orders as I was quickly pulled away from him by two of his guards, who took me down a long winding stairway that led to a richly decorated room.
The room leapt to life as the door was opened and I was pushed through the doorway by one of the guards. The stone walls of the vast room sparkled like crystal was embedded in it, and reflected the many candles that were scattered throughout the room. I stumbled but easily caught my balance and turned toward the guards.
“Give me your hands,” the first one said through the black material that covered the lower half of his face. His gray and aqua eyes searched mine briefly before he stepped forward and grabbed for the thin delicate chain.
He guided me in the direction of the oversized bed, which had to be the biggest Fae bed I had seen so far. Made of oak, and I mean oak trees, each of the four posts was a slender tree that soared up and intertwined its branches with the next tree. Silvery sheets adorned the mattress, with an array of assorted pillows pushed against the headboard in varying shades that matched the wall and sheets.
“Get on the bed; on your knees and face the door,” he ordered. I moved on to the bed as he had ordered and sat back on my knees. He looked up and whispered something under his breath, which caused a chain much like the ones attached to my wrist to appear. He attached it to a chain that hung high from the ceiling. He pulled the chain and suspended my arms above my head. It looked like the Horde King liked his playthings tied up and helpless. Shit. It would be just my luck, which at this point was no luck at all.
“Sit up higher,” the guard ordered, and I shifted until I was sitting upright on my knees.
I watched him materialize and place thin cuffs much like the ones on my wrists, around my legs, just above my knees. The chain he attached to those cuffs was then secured to the two posts at the foot of the bed. I swallowed as I realized what they were for. The other guard came in, also dressed in the same black armor, his face hidden for the most part behind a black cloth.
“Ready?” He asked the first guard.
“She’s ready,” he replied, flashing me a look with those gray and aqua eyes. I’d never seen eyes like his, but they looked as if they belonged in this silvery room. “This is only temporary; running is a bad idea where he is concerned,” the guard told me softly.
One guard pulled, and then the other. They pulled until my arms were high above my head, but there wasn’t pain from it. Then, they started to pull on the chains attached to my legs, and didn’t stop until my legs were spread wide apart, and I was completely helpless to do anything but watch them.
“He will be in momentarily to feed,” the second guard said as they left me, dressed in all of my finery on the bed, and sifted from the room.
I felt hot tears rush to my eyes, but I refused to allow them to fall. Instead, I raised my eyes to a huge chandelier that had crystals hanging from it that reflected the candlelight into every imaginable color of gorgeous, dancing prismatic patterns. It was beautiful, and could easily be a focal point while I en
dured the Horde King’s attention.
I would have to endure him long enough for him to think I was subdued. Hopefully he would forget all about me once he had his way, and I could leave this place and never look back. First, I had to gain his trust to ditch the chains, since, like the necklace, they probably kept me from sifting.
There was nothing else inside the room; not at first glance, anyway. I could just make out shelves, but couldn’t bring the items on them into focus. I was squinting when Alazander sifted in.
He stopped briefly to examine me, and then held his hand up, and a glass goblet rimmed in gold and filled with a light blue liquid appeared in it. He smiled and took a long sip before he brought it down and held it against my lips.
“You will drink,” he said after I just stared at him blankly.
“Okay, but shouldn’t we get to know one another before you tie me to your bed?” I asked, hoping to find a clue as to his intention beyond his need to abuse my body.
“What would you like to know?” he asked.
“Why me?”
“Why you, what?” he asked me back.
“Why did it have to be the first born daughter of the Blood King that you took?”
There was more to this than I was seeing. The Horde King wasn’t stupid, and this wasn’t about petty grudges. If it had been, he could have easily demanded my sister, but he hadn’t. He had waited until I’d been found, which spoke volumes about what he needed me specifically for.
“What if I took you because I could, and because you were his first daughter? There were other reasons, but nothing you need to worry yourself with,” he replied as he sat on the bed and glamoured away his black silk pants effortlessly. I blanched as he sat naked before me. The man was freaking huge. I was fighting to keep my eyes from revealing my inner panic. I had to remind myself to breathe as he moved closer to me.
Escaping Destiny Page 2