Into the Ashes [The Arcadians 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

by Laurie Roma

  “We will worry about this later. It’s not your fault, Malik. Nor is it yours, Damos and Kell,” Raven said in a loud voice that she made sure carried before her mates said anything. “We still trust and value your service to us and the kingdom. Now, let’s eat!”

  She knew she made the right decision when Tristan rubbed his hands up and down her arms and kissed the top of her head. The crowd departed and people started taking their seats at the long tables. “Why did you laugh, little one?” Tristan asked. “That was not the reaction I was expecting from you during a confrontation.”

  “Vadar is the name of an ultimate bad guy back where I’m from. It just seemed fitting that he had that name.” Raven smiled apologetically at Malik, Kell, and Damos and was glad when their stoic expressions softened. She lowered her voice. “I don’t want to hear any of you apologizing for them anymore. Your younger brothers are assholes, but that doesn’t mean you can take the blame for what they do. That doesn’t solve anything. As I said before, you can’t pick your family…that’s why friends are so important.”

  “Thank you, my queen,” Malik said softly. He and his brothers bowed their heads as Nyla hurried forward.

  “Oh Raven, Selina has always been a little strange, but I never thought she would do something like this. She and I have never truly been close, but…it is just…ever since I mated her older brothers she has been corrupted by Koreth, Vadar and Brynt. So, in a way it is my fault. And after Kadan rejected her, she has changed even more.”

  Kadan’s eyes widened. “I did not reject her.” He shot a quick look at Raven. “That does not mean I ever wanted her. I mean I did not even realize she was interested in us.”

  Raven and Nyla shared a look. Men. Sometimes they were so oblivious.

  Savitar drew her attention as he took her hand. “I heard what she said,” he said softly. “Thank you, mate.”

  Raven sighed. “You don’t have to thank me, Savitar. I love you. I will defend you to the death, even from jealous idiots who run their mouths.” She went up on her toes and Savitar leaned down to press his lips lightly against hers. “Now, feed me. I’m hungry.”

  Kadan, Savitar and Tristan chuckled as they led her to the dais where they sat down at the head table. Raven was relieved to see that the altercation didn’t ruin the celebratory mood and the party was back on track. Nyla, Damos, Kell and Malik joined them at the table with several other warriors and their mates. They enjoyed each other’s company as they began eating while a few males began to play drums and some weird sort of flute thing in the corner of the room, adding to the festive ambiance.

  After the meal Raven stood up, but Kadan took her hand before she could move from the table. “Where are you going, little goddess?”

  She leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to his lips then whispered in his ear. “I’ll be right back, I have to pee.” He chuckled then began to stand to go with her, but she pressed down on his shoulders. “Nope, you aren’t coming with me. That was not code for sex.”

  He frowned at her. “Do we need a code for sex? Although that would be a wonderful use of our time, I am not comfortable with you walking around here without us after what happened.”

  She rolled her eyes. “They’re gone. This is my home, Kadan. I’ll be right back. Besides, one of my shadows is going to be following me anyway.”

  Kadan looked over at Tirk, who had jumped up from his seat and hurried over the second he saw Raven stand. “Fine then. Hurry back.”

  Raven rolled her eyes again then walked away from the table with Tirk by her side. “Don’t you and your brothers ever get bored following me around?”

  “Nay, my queen,” he said, his glowing eyes alight with amusement. “You are most entertaining and we are never bored around you.”

  “Gee, thanks,” she said with a chuckle as they turned down the corridor, heading to the closest bathroom.

  “My queen, I have been meaning to ask you. Can you—”

  The sound of Tirk’s breath leaving in a whoosh had Raven turning just in time to see him fall to the ground, a sword sticking out of his back. She didn’t have time to scream before something slammed down on her head and the world went black.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Raven woke slowly, her head throbbing so painfully that she fought back a wave of nausea when she tried to move. She was laying on the cold, hard ground in an extremely uncomfortable position, but remained still as she tried to figure out what the hell happened. The grogginess dissipated quickly as memories flooded back and she remembered watching Tirk’s bloody body fall to the ground. Her eyes popped open then closed quickly again as the contents of her stomach threatened to make an appearance.

  “Are you awake, my queen?” a soft feminine voice asked to her right.

  Raven forced her eyes back open and turned her head to look over at the bruised and battered young Arcadian female chained up next to her, wearing nothing more than a scrap of cloth. “I’m awake,” Raven said softly then let out a painful groan as she struggled to sit up. As she moved, the chains attached to the manacles on her wrists and ankles rattled.

  “Stop! They will hear you!” the female cried out softly, terror filling her voice.

  Raven slowed her movements, trying not to make any sound as she sat up fully to brace her back against the rock wall. She looked around and saw that she and the other female were in some sort of cave, attached to the rock wall by the chains.

  Shit.

  The cave was lit with a few torches giving off dim blue flames and there was a crude, carved-out doorway that led into a larger cave, but Raven couldn’t see beyond that. “Where are we?” Raven whispered, her voice rough from her dry mouth and throat.

  “This is one of the rogue camps,” the female replied. “I am Mila.”

  “My name is Raven.”

  “I know.” Mila smiled at her weakly then winced at her cut lip. “They have spoken of little else since you were brought here.”

  “How long has it been since I was brought in?” Raven asked, shifting to try and relieve the ache in her back and neck.

  “It was several hours ago. I was worried that you would not wake up at all. Your head was bleeding a great deal.” Mila hugged her knees to her chest, trying to cover as much bare skin as she could. Raven noticed that Mila was covered in bruises from head to toe and her heart went out to the other woman.

  They had to get the hell out of here.

  Like five fucking minutes ago…

  Raven touched the back of her head. She felt the dried blood matting her hair but found that the wound had already healed. Savitar, Kadan and Tristan would be frantic if she had been missing for hours. Raven closed her eyes and reached out to her mates through their bond only to come up against what felt like a smooth, solid wall.

  “Something’s wrong,” she whispered.

  “If you are trying to reach your mates it will not work,” Mila explained. “We are several miles outside of the Citadel in a cave located in the heart of a mountain made of almost pure iron. For some reason this mountain range blocks all forms of blood bond communication.”

  Who the hell knew that iron was the kryptonite to the mating bond.

  Raven breathed out slowly, trying not to panic. She was a cop, damn it, she needed to act like one. “Okay, who exactly are ‘they’ and why the hell are they holding us here?”

  Mila’s chains rattled slightly as her body shook. “They are rogue males that live outside of the Citadel. They are horrible, vile creatures who kidnap females and use them as bartering tools.” She paused then whispered, “They hold us in here until they have…visitors that want to trade for something.”

  Oh god, I’m going to be sick.

  Raven’s heart pounded in her chest like a frantic drum beat. She swallowed back the bile that tried to force its way out. Hell, at least she wasn’t naked. “How long have they had you?”

  “I have only been here a few risings, but when I was brought in I saw another cave with around ten other f
emales,” Mila whispered.

  Oh my god…

  “The first night I was brought here I could hear the screams. It was terrible, until a few hours later when they came for me. Then I discovered the true meaning of horror.” The chains on Mila rattled again. “I turn eighteen in two weeks…”

  Raven tried to reach out to comfort Mila but the chains binding her wouldn’t reach. Anger surged through her at the thought of what the young woman had been through. The light dusting of hair on her arms stood up as her skin prickled with an electrical charge. She had to get past her anger and focus on trying to figure out how to get them the hell out of there. “I’m so sorry about what happened to you, Mila. Believe me when I say I know how you feel. I promise you, we will make them pay.”

  She took another calming breath. “Can you tell me how many rogues are here and why are we being kept separate from the others?”

  “There are about twenty-five rogues in total that I have seen, but I do not know how many are here right now. Most of them are resting now, but they take turns keeping watch. You and I have been taken for a specific reason, or I should say for specific males. I lived in the Citadel with my brothers. A few nights ago I heard a conversation about a plan to kidnap you. My brothers were talking to their best friends. I could not hear the entire conversation but I heard enough. I went to a friend of mine to figure out what to do, but did not know she had been part of the plot.”

  Tears streamed down Mila’s face. “She told them what I had heard. My brothers gave me to their friends and I was brought here. We are to be their own personal slaves.”

  “Like hell we are,” Raven snarled. “Who are these bastards?”

  “You watch what you call my brothers,” Selina growled from the open doorway. She walked into the cave, wearing Raven’s circlet on her head.

  Fuck, Raven thought. She should have known it was Selina. This bitch was bat-shit crazy topped with a heaping dose of loony. She’d be getting her damn crown back…after she killed that psycho cunt.

  Selina walked right up to Raven and slapped her hard across the face. Raven yelped as her already aching head slammed back against the rock wall. “You stupid human. You think you can humiliate me and get away with it?”

  Selina stalked away, pacing the small enclosure. She spun back to stab a finger in Raven’s direction. “You stole them from me! This kingdom should have been mine! Now, I will claim my rightful place on the throne.”

  Raven laughed loud to cover the sound of the chains rattling as she tested the strength of the manacles around her wrists. Damn it, the thick metal had absolutely no give to it. “Seriously? Do you honestly think my mates would trade me for you?”

  “I do not need them,” Selina sneered. “I would have taken them as mates after my brothers killed Savitar, but you screwed up my plans. Now they will all have to go.”

  “You think you’re going to kill off all three of my mates?” Raven asked, incredulously.

  Selina smiled. “We will and then my brothers will take the throne with the help of the rogues.”

  “Keep dreaming, bitch.”

  Selina let out a scream of rage and came at Raven again, slapping her over and over again. Pulling up her leg, Raven was able to land one good kick to Selina’s middle and the other woman fell to the floor as her breath left in a rush. Selina got up and ran at Raven again, wailing manically but was jerked to a halt as Brynt came into the room.

  “Calm yourself, sister.”

  “She hurt me!” Selina wailed as she threw her arms around her brother.

  Raven could see the irritation flash across his face as he patted his sister’s back. “I thought I told you to leave them alone until we were ready.”

  Selina bowed her head and pouted like a child. “But I heard them talking and they were saying such vile things—”

  Brynt sighed. “Go make sure that the room is ready. I will be there shortly.”

  Selina turned to leave but Raven called out to her first. “I’m gonna get that crown back soon,” she warned in a frigid voice.

  Selina shot a glare at Raven before she stomped from the room. Mila cowered against the wall as Brynt stepped closer, but he only had eyes for Raven. He squatted down, staying out of reach, but Raven still felt violated as his eyes roamed over her body. She was damn glad she was still wearing her dress. “You may not make a good queen, human, but I will surely enjoy having you.”

  “I’m gonna kill you, you sick son of a bitch,” Raven snarled at him, lashing out only to come up short at the end of the chains.

  Brynt chuckled. “What can you do to me, human? You are chained like an animal and will be so until we are done with you.” He stood, staring down at her with sick lust lighting his eyes. “I do hope you survive this night, Raven. It would be a shame if we lost your beauty.”

  Utter dread filled Raven at his words. Dear god, what the hell were they planning to do with her? If she was immortal now, they could torture her endlessly before she got free.

  “Calm yourself, little warrior. You are not alone, I am here with you…”

  Raven wanted to sob with relief when she heard Lunaria’s voice inside her head, but she struggled to keep glaring at the asshole looking at her. Lunaria’s voice was faint and Raven had a sense it took a lot of power for the goddess to reach out to speak to her. She was grateful though, and just hearing the goddess’s voice helped Raven regain control of herself.

  “In a little while you will be shared by all the males here. Both of you will be,” he said casting a lecherous look at the terrified younger female. “Since Mila here still needs to learn the lesson of betraying her own.”

  “You’re one to talk about betrayal, asshole,” Raven growled, trying to bring his attention back to her.

  “The kings betrayed us all by taking you as their mate!” he snarled then he smiled at her, making her stomach roll ominously. “You should be glad I will be the first. Once Vadar gets here, he will not be as nice to you as I will. When we are through, if you are still alive, you will be knocked out and taken to a location far from here. When you wake, your mates will sense what has been done to you. It will disable them enough so we can kill them with little effort. If you die tonight your mates will not even care to fight back as the grief takes them. Either way, they will race to your aid and the palace will be left defenseless. Koreth waits with warriors loyal to us, ready to strike.”

  “You sick fuck,” Raven whispered, horrified.

  “You will see how I fuck soon, Raven.” Brynt chuckled. “If you do live past tonight, be comforted in knowing that we will not share you often. You will belong to Koreth, Vadar and I. When we are kings, we shall have a harem of females that belong to only us. Koreth would rather lead the assault on the palace than play with you now. But later if you survive, you will learn that you should be nice to me if you want me to protect you from my brothers’ more violent tastes.”

  Suddenly, he jerked Raven to him and crushed his mouth down on hers. Cupping her hand, she slammed it against his ear, hoping to pop his eardrum. Brynt let out a snarl and hit her hard, making her slam back against the stone wall.

  “You bitch!” he growled out holding a hand to his ear. By the way he swayed, it looked like she was successful in injuring him.

  Good, the fucker deserved it.

  “You will pay for that. Perhaps I should let Vadar have you first so you learn your place,” he growled, breathing heavy. “Both of you rest now, it shall begin soon and you will need your strength.”

  He left the cave to the sound of Mila quietly weeping. Raven closed her eyes, reaching out to Lunaria in her mind.

  “I am here with you,” Lunaria said softly, sending a sense of warmth and comfort through their link. “I cannot come to you, but it is almost dawn and I will send the last of my strength to Silas.”

  “What do you mean, the last of your strength,” Raven asked, alarmed.

  Lunaria laughed softly. “Do not fear for me, little warrior. I will need to res
t soon, but my lover awaits the dawn to come aid you. Can you feel the magic within you, Raven? You can save yourself…do not fear the change. Give into it and let the dragon spirit guide you…”

  Raven felt the Goddess of the Moons fade from her mind, but something inside her settled. She would not let Brynt and his group of fuckheads follow through with their plan. Since her mates had no clue where she was it was up to her to save herself.

  And she would.

  Feeling the current running under her skin, instead of fearing it, Raven embraced it. She tapped into the hidden power surging through her and fed it with all the rage and fear she was feeling. She felt on the brink of something momentous, but held it back, somehow sensing that the time wasn’t right to unleash the power within her.

  Not yet…

  “My queen? Raven?”

  Raven turned her head, looking over at Mila and heard her gasp. “What is it?”

  “Your eyes…they are glowing!” Mila gasped quietly.

  Well, hell. So much for holding things back. “Glowing like yours glow?” Raven asked, needing to know what she was dealing with.

  “Aye, but it is like green fire. They are beautiful, but…why are they glowing?”

  A slow smile spread across Raven’s face, and for the first time since she woke up in the cave, she took an easy breath. “Mila, I think I can get us out of here, but I need you to just trust me…”

  * * * *

  Four rogue males came for them about a half an hour later.

  Neither Raven nor Mila fought as the males unlocked the manacles and jerked them to their feet. During the wait, Raven had quietly told Mila what she had planned. At first the young woman had been understandably skeptical, but after a quick down and dirty explanation, tears of relief fell from Mila’s eyes.