by Erin Trejo
“What? She had what?” I growl, my jaw clenching so tight that pain shoots through my face.
“She had blood dripping onto the floor from under her robe.” I storm past him, shoving him out of my way as I go. I don’t get far when he grabs my arm and spins me around, shoving me roughly against the wall.
“Whatever it is you’re planning to do, think about it. He has eyes on her, Kellin.” His words burn deeper than any flame inside of me. I swallow hard and nod my head once. Rory takes a step back from me as I run my hand through my hair.
“This isn’t working fast enough, Rory.”
“Don’t you think I know that? We can’t make a move until we know we have a safe place to take them,” he snaps. This is a mess. It’s all a mess. If he hurt her, if he hurt Rose, I will kill him with my bare hands. I will slit his throat and watch all that is evil consume his soul.
“Fuck!” I roar, tugging my hair.
“Just calm down. We keep playing our roles, Kellin. We can do this.” I nod my head. I know we can, but my father is moving at a pace I can’t keep up with. He’s doing things, acting irrational in his decisions, and that’s putting me in a place I don’t want to be.
“I need to go see her,” I say, shoving away from the wall. Rory nods and walks the opposite direction not needing to be involved any more than he already is. I head straight for the slaves’ rooms. I pull my hood over my face as I move. Once I’m there in their wing, I stop in every room. The dining hall is being cleaned but she isn’t in here. I move to the kitchen, the study, the classrooms. She isn’t in any of them.
When I climb the stairs to the rooms, I head straight for hers. Pushing the door open, her bed is neatly made as it should be, but the bathroom door is slightly open. I pull my hood from my head and walk slowly toward it, pushing it open the rest of the way. There, sitting in the bathtub naked is my Rose. My withered Rose. She’s no longer herself. No longer the girl that talked back to me and made me tremble with fury. Her knees are bent, her arms wrapped around as blood flows from her wrists and into the white porcelain below her. She’s rocking herself back and forth, staring at nothing.
“Rose?” I say her name, but she doesn’t look up at me. I step closer, knowing that she could snap at any moment. “Rose, look at me.” It’s a demand and one that she follows. She raises her head and our eyes meet. A sick sinister smile curls her lips.
“You’re here.”
“You’re bleeding,” I respond.
“I was in the temple, kneeling at the altar.”
“What did you do, Rose?” She didn’t. There’s no way she did it. She doesn’t believe in this shit. I shake my head slowly as I move even closer.
“I kneeled there, and I felt powerful. Everything felt powerful. The energy buzzed around me and when I was presented with the knife, I took it. I offered myself, Kellin. I offered myself to Satan,” she says almost sounding like a robot. I reach for her, pulling her out of the tub and slamming her body roughly against the wall.
“What the hell did you do, Rose?” I scream in her face. She laughs manically. They did this to her. They broke her. Damn it, why wasn’t I here? What did they do to her while I was gone? Anger morphs into something more as I look her up and down. Bruises cover her once perfect flesh, cuts, dried blood, fresh blood. There are bite marks that aren’t from me. Fury doesn’t come close to what I’m feeling. Rage just isn’t a strong enough word. I take a step back, but Rose counters my steps. She reaches out, grabbing me by the front of my robe and pulling my body against hers.
“Don’t leave me, Kellin. I need you now,” she says, her eyes never leaving mine.
“You’re hurt. They hurt you.” I hate the way my voice sounds, like I’m weak. Yet I am. I’m weak when it comes to her and I don’t know why.
“You’ll hurt me more if you walk away from me right now.” Those words burn like acid through my skin. My heart nearly jumps out of my chest and the thought of leaving her slowly leaves my mind. I reach down and lift her in my arms, carrying her to the bed. I lay her down gently and move to lock the door. Rose lies there, those big beautiful eyes burning a hole through me.
“What can I do, Rose?”
“I need you, Kellin. I need you to make it all go away,” she says softly. Her eyes are filled with tears, tiny drops clinging to her lashes. I shake my head and shrug out of my robe when she stands and comes toward me. She reaches for the hem of my shirt, pulling it over my head and tossing it to the side. I let her do what she wants, what she needs. She unhooks my jeans and shoves them to the floor with my boxers and I kick my shoes off for her. Her hands come to rest on my chest, her nails digging into my flesh. I gasp as she moves to press her body against mine.
“We need to clean up your wounds.” She shakes her head no and drops to her knees. Before I can stop her, she wraps her lips around my cock and swallows me whole. My hands knot in her hair as she sucks and swirls her tongue around me. I didn’t come in here for this, but fuck, she feels too good to stop. I growl the harder she sucks, and my hands tighten, urging her on. Then my hips pick up the pace. I fuck her face harder than I did her little body until I can’t take anymore. I pull myself from her lips and drag her up by her hair. When she looks up at me with those swollen lips and puffy eyes, I lose myself. I lift her, grabbing her hips roughly before spinning around and slamming her against the wall. Every ounce of my willpower is gone as I thrust into her. Rose kisses me so hard that I can feel all her pain. I can taste it, and fuck, do I want it. I want to take it and inflict it. I want to calm it and empower it. It’s a sick contradiction that I’m stuck in the middle of.
Each plunge inside of her feels right. What the hell is wrong with me? Why am I falling into this girl the way I am?
“I’m going to fucking marry you, Rose. You’re going to be mine,” I growl as I fuck her harder.
“You can’t,” she pants as her teeth run along my neck. Fire races through my veins making me take her that much harder. Her body is being pounded between me and the wall and she accepts it. Every ounce of pain, she takes and makes her own.
“Why? Give me one good reason I shouldn’t keep you forever?” I growl and roll my hips. We’re both on edge, so close to falling over, and when the words leave her mouth, I come hard.
“I have a date with death.”
Fourteen
Rose
I’ve hidden from Kellin for a week. A week of no contact with him. A week of wishing he was here. A week of wishing I was dead.
The red robe taunts me. The blood red calling to me like a new drug that I can’t help but feign for. Even worse is my addiction to Kellin. He’s my high, he’s my next hit and I crave him more than the air I breathe. It’s wrong, I know what he is but I’m just as much a monster as he is these days. I find myself drawn to the temple, to the altar more and more, trying to figure out what brings me there to begin with. Maybe I’m brainwashed or maybe I’ve been inside this hell for too long, but whatever it is, I can’t seem to stop it.
“What are you doing here so early?” I look over my shoulder at Don and my insides tremble. He hasn’t come near me, not after what they did to me.
“Am I not allowed to worship?” I ask, keeping my tone even.
“You are but I’ve never seen you do it before,” he says, eyeing me. Sick bastard. One day. One day I will hand deliver him to the Devil myself.
“That’s because my head wasn’t all in before.”
“And it is now?”
“Yes.” The answer is simple even though the way I arrived at it isn’t. I’m still on edge. I’m still not completely sure, but when one hell is traded for another, you learn to live with what you have to work with. I am living even though that number on my back is like a clock ticking down.
“Very well. Please don’t let us interrupt you,” he says when I notice the other elders behind him. My skin crawls as they pull their masks on and move onto the stage. I look back down at the fire, the black candle in my hands and wonder what
I’m really doing. I’m not a devil worshiper. I’m not a person of God. I don’t really know what I am at this point. All hope seems to be lost and I’ve found myself grasping at anything I can get my hands on.
“Why are you so early?” I look up when I hear Kellin’s voice, but his gaze isn’t directed at me. He’s staring at his father. The menacing blue seems even icier than usual.
“This is a special evening, Kellin. Were you not aware?” I lower my gaze to the flame of my candle and try to zone out but it’s useless. With Kellin anywhere in the room, I’m suffocating. His presence is one that is not to be ignored. Even if I wanted to, which I don’t, I can’t.
“No, I wasn’t aware. What’s the occasion?”
“6106 has given herself to the dark side. That in itself is reason to celebrate, but not the only reason.”
“What’s the other?” he asks as I slowly raise my head. My gaze stays on Kellin as his is on his father’s.
“I’ve decided to take another wife. As you know Ebony isn’t producing as she should and that has given me reasons to take on another.” I can feel the shiver as it crawls up my spine like icy fingers.
“Who is it you’re taking now?” Kellin asks, his teeth gritted.
“6106. She seems to be the best choice for the position, and the fact that all the elders have already had their way with her, I don’t see reason to wait.” The growl and roar that comes from Kellin shocks me. But what shocks me even more is when he lunges for his father. Standing to my feet, I rush toward him trying to stop him. I know what his father will do to him and it kills me inside. Before I can reach him, I’m grabbed and pulled away. I scream, I fight but it’s no use.
“Let me go!” I scream louder until Rory whispers in my ear.
“Calm down.”
“What are you doing? Why are you helping them?” I snap as I wiggle and try to free myself from his grip.
“I have to play my part, Rose. If you fucking care at all about Kellin, then calm down and follow my lead.” I debate his words. I know that he and Kellin seem close and all, so I decide to play along. I nod my head as he lets go of me. When I look back up at the stage, Kellin is being held by the elders and Don is adjusting his robe. The look in Kellin’s eyes is deadly.
“This was supposed to be easier than this!” Rory roars and everyone looks his way. I step away from him trying to get some space as I let this all play out. There’s a ball in the pit of my stomach that won’t go away. Kellin’s eyes move to Rory’s, but the look is off. It’s not as if he knows what’s happening. Could Rory be lying to me?
“Is anything in our world ever really easy?” Don asks as he stands taller.
“You can’t have her!” Kellin growls.
“And why not? As far as I remember, I’m the King here, not you. I will decide who becomes my wife.”
“I thought that was Satan’s doing? Or was all of that a lie too?” Kellin’s words are strung with hate, and the more I look at him, the more I understand. He doesn’t truly believe all of this. He can’t. If he did, he wouldn’t fight for me.
“Lies? Is that what you call our faith now? Do you no longer believe in the darkness that has created us?” Don’s voice thunders through the room, authority oozing from his pores. A chill runs down my spine as I take them all in.
“I still have my faith,” Kellin growls, his face reddening even more. He’s beyond angry.
“Then do tell me why I should not take 6106 as my wife?” Just the thought alone has bile rising into my throat. He wouldn’t keep me around long, that much I can be sure of. I will never and could never give him what he wants, he just doesn’t know that yet.
“Because she’s to be my wife.” The look in Kellin’s eyes is scarier than I’ve ever seen before. There are times when I look at him and wonder if he isn’t too deep into this world, into the dark side to ever get out. Now is one of those times.
“Is that so?” Don muses as he walks closer to his son. “And what made you change your mind on taking a wife? A slave?” The word irritates me more than it should, but being a slave? No, that’s something I was for a majority of my life, and even though I play the part right now, it doesn’t mean I will be held here forever.
“Satan showed me himself,” Kellin answers quickly. His face is a mask that I can’t read. Is he serious?
“Very well then. Who am I do deny the Unholy what he desires? This doesn’t come without a cost, Kellin. You’ve slipped. Your beliefs have been misplaced, and after seeing her reaction to you, I don’t think either of you have fully been broken.” I don’t miss the hiss that escapes Rory’s lips or the flash of darkness in Kellin’s eyes. This isn’t going to be good. I can feel it.
“I was born on that altar. I have taken life just the same, all in the name of Satan. Who the hell are you to decide when I’m broken?” Kellin asks, clearly trying to keep himself in a calm state.
“I am the King. Take them to the basement!” Hands grab me from behind, but I don’t try to fight. Don glances over, a sick smirk on his face as I am dragged backward. The men holding Kellin do the same, but he freely walks with them. Just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse, Don makes sure they do. The thought of anyone hurting Kellin sends a rush of hatred through my veins.
We’re led down the stairs in silence and both of us are tossed into the same cell. The door bangs shut just as Kellin roars. At first, I think it’s a good thing we’re together but then reality hits and I know nothing with Don is ever that easy.
“This is bad,” I whisper.
“You have no idea how bad.”
“What’s he going to do to us?” I ask.
“Us? Are you truly concerned about me, Rose?” His tone is angry, and it comes out harsh. Like how dare I have the audacity to care for him. That only pisses me off slightly.
“Why wouldn’t I?”
“You’re a number, 6106! You have no fucking idea what’s about to happen. Don’t you dare sit there and give a shit about me.”
“Are you saying that you don’t care about me? Is that what this is?” I have to ask, even if his words rip my soul from my body. There’s a tiny flicker of light in the corner from the single candle that burns. I walk closer to it, waving my fingers through the flame as I wait for his answer. When I don’t hear anything, I sigh and close my eyes. That’s when he comes closer, wrapping his arms around my waist, pulling me against him. I can feel his breath on my neck and the warmth soothes me.
“You have no idea what they are going to do to you or make you do for that matter. They have eyes and ears everywhere, Rose. You can’t mean anything to me, or they will make it worse,” he whispers as I swallow hard.
“Then let them. I can take it.”
Fifteen
Kellin
As I grew up, I learned that torture was normal. Hurting people, blood, sacrifice, that was all Satan’s way. I don’t remember the exact day that I began to look at things differently. Maybe it was when I saw my father passing money around like it was candy. Or maybe it was after I sacrificed my own mother. Something changed though and I started looking at our lives in a different light. One that made me question what it was we were and what we did. There were days that I didn’t want to participate in the rituals, and I was beaten within inches of my life. My blood was then offered up in a golden chalice for the fallen angel we pray to. Things didn’t always happen the way I thought they should. When my father would ask for blessings from Satan and they didn’t happen, it made me wonder. Although my father would never admit that Satan didn’t provide, the thought lingered in the back of my mind.
“Are you sleeping?” I ask softly, not trying to wake Rose if she is. I’m still unsure as to why we’re both in the same cell. I would assume my father has plans that will break the two of us in time.
“No.” Her single word rips through my chest. I didn’t want this for her. I didn’t expect him to take an interest in her, but she is something different and we can all see it. She isn’t lik
e most of the girls that come through here. Rose is a force all her own.
“I will only say this once because I’m still very much a sick twisted man, but I do regret the day I brought you into this place.” Those are words that are not easily spoken for me. Rarely do I regret my decisions, but the one that dragged Rose into this world, I will regret it until the day I die.
“I don’t.”
“What do you mean?” I continue to run my fingers through her hair where her head rests in my lap.
“I wouldn’t have met you. I’m finding that in some sick unconventional way, I truly love you, Kellin.” I close my eyes and take a deep breath. This wasn’t what I planned. This isn’t the purpose of her being here.
“Whatever they are going to do to you isn’t going to be easy. You do know that, right?”
“I know.”
“You have to be stronger than them. You have to fight because one day I will get you out of here, Rose,” I tell her. That’s the ultimate goal. She didn’t deserve this life. Not after the life she was forced to lead.
“The number. It’s my day of death. The day I’m supposed to die,” she whispers.
“What?”
“When I refused and fought against letting another man use me and abuse his power, I was marked for death. The tattoo was put on me so that everyone in the community would know. They all shunned me, stayed as far away from me as possible. I was like a plague.” Her words hurt. Here I thought we were pure evil, but they are just as bad.
“How did you get out?”
“We had free reign in the community. They thought that I was following the rules and for a while I did, but the more I thought about it, the more I didn’t want to die.” Her sob hits me harder than I thought it would. And yet I’m still on the edge. I want to hurt her; I want to mark her, but I want to save her all the same.
“Get up,” I tell her. Rose does as she’s told and sits up next to me. I reach for her, pulling her into my arms, onto my lap. Rose wraps her legs around my waist and her arms around my neck. I hold her against me, breathing her in. It isn’t long before the cell door is opened, and they step in. I press a kiss to Rose’s neck before shoving her out of my lap. Her body falls to the floor before she stands and straightens her spine. The hoods are over the men’s faces but I know exactly who they are. I eye each one of them as they move into the room. Black robes may hide their faces, but I know the true pleasure that lies beneath.