“It hurt like a bitch,” I answer truthfully. “That fucking cow removed some of my bone to study it.”
He places a hand on my forehead. “I’m sorry that happened to you, but trust me, when I say it could’ve been worse.”
“Do they do that kind of stuff a lot?”
He nods. “Unfortunately, yes.” He runs his hand down my face, gently cupping my cheek. “We are nothing more than test subjects in the humans’ eyes.” He rubs his thumb across my cheek, and it makes me uncomfortable. Suddenly, he stiffens, removing his hand as if it’s on fire. His face flares up. “My apologies, Alinthia. I didn’t realize what I was doing.”
“Forget it, Tav.” I’m guessing he’s starved for affection, but I had wondered if something was going on between him and Ellya. No one would blame them for forming a connection in a place like this. It’s got to be an incredibly lonely existence. “Could I ask you something?”
“Of course. Anything. Anytime.”
“Is there anything going on between you and Ellya?”
The glyphs on his skin go crazy, swirling up and down his arms and over his face. “No!” he splutters. “She’s like a sister to me.”
“Okay. I just had to ask. You too are close and … yeah, shutting up now.” I’m being a nosy bitch, and it’s none of my business. I don’t know, maybe I just crave normalcy, and talking about this shit helps remind me I’m still me. “Sorry if that was rude. I didn’t mean to pry.”
“It’s okay. I guess I can see where you’re coming from. It might seem logical for us to strike up a relationship, but it’s never been like that. For either of us. And, quite frankly, her support and friendship is way more important to me.”
I nod. “I understand that. Friendship should always be cherished, above anything else.” Thoughts of friendship raise nasty truths to the surface. “The girl I thought was my best friend betrayed me. She’s the reason I’m here. I don’t think I’ll ever get over it. Now everything we shared feels like a lie.”
“That’s awful. Why would she do something like that?”
“I don’t know the ins and outs, but it appears she had to make a choice between me and her brother, and she chose to protect her brother.”
“That sucks.”
“Don’t I know it.” I lie down on the bed, yawning. “Can I ask you something else?” I desperately need to switch the subject. He nods, although he looks a little jumpy this time. “You said before that your father told you about the secret society, but if you’ve been in here since you were a little kid, how was that possible?”
He rubs a hand over his chest, and the glyphs mope about his skin, like they are laden with grief. “Before we fled Nantor, my father embedded information in my mind. It was a precautionary measure, in case anything happened. He wanted me to remember who I was, where I came from, to know my family and our heritage.”
I sit up, butterflies scattering in my chest. “You know how to unlock information hidden in your mind?” His brow puckers as he nods again. “Oh my God! I’ve been trying to find a way to unlock the hidden memories in my mind. My parents did the same only they entrusted some highly classified information to me, and I can’t access it. Can you help me?”
He scratches the back of his head. “Do you have the key?”
“Key? What key?”
“In order to unlock hidden memories, you need a special key to open that door.”
“Like a physical key?” I frown, wondering how the hell that works. It’s not like I have an opening in the side of my skull for the key to fit through.
“It can be physical or mental.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Mine is a word. I just blank my mind, close my eyes, and say the word in my head, and I unlock the master file. Then I can sort through the sub-files and access any of them whenever I like. In order to seal the file, and close off the messages, I just repeat the word.”
My euphoria dies a rapid death. “I don’t have a word. Or, if my parents left one for me, I don’t know it.”
“It doesn’t necessarily have to be a word. Sometimes it’s a hidden symbol or tattoo in the vicinity of the mind that needs to be tapped to gain access. Or it can be a numeric code or a special device you place on your head. It really depends on which form of communication your parents chose.”
I flop down on my back. “Well, damn it all to hell. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to access the intel. I have nothing like that.” And why is it no one else thought to mention this to me before? If Zorc is so anxious for me to extract the knowledge on how to kill Arantu, you’d think he would clue me in on this little fact.
He scrubs a hand over his smooth chin. “It must be somewhere. Your parents would not have sent you away without the means to access the information they gave you.”
I sit upright again, my hip protesting the sudden movement. “Holy hell. It’s in the capsule I traveled in! It’s got to be.” My eyes widen and then drop. “But I’ve no idea what my Earth parents did with the capsule. If they kept it or if my mom even knows where it is.”
Thinking of Mom, and how freaked out she must be at my, our, disappearance, adds another layer of stress on my shoulders. My emotions are veering all over the place, like a rollercoaster, soaring and dipping wildly with no end in sight.
“Well, at least it’s a starting point.” He looks quietly contemplative.
“What else are you thinking?”
“Maybe the secret society has the key. Finding them should be our sole priority once we get out of here.”
I arch a brow. “What about Zorc?”
“I say we ditch him once we’re free and locate the secret society by ourselves.”
“I thought you worshipped the ground Zorc walked on?”
“I worship the ground you walk on. Definitely not Zorc. He’s a snake, and I don’t trust him.”
“But you said—”
“Everything I said previously was for Ellya’s benefit,” he says, cutting across me. “She idolizes him. The only fights we’ve ever had have to do with him. For such a smart girl, she sure can be dumb when it comes to that male. I hate him as much as I hate the humans. Maybe more so. He sold us out. Without his support, the humans would never have captured us.”
A shuddering breath leaves my lips. “I’m so glad we’re on the same page. The only person Zorc gives a shit about, besides himself, is Jentarr. The rest of us are expendable.”
“Which is why we need to get you to the secret society. They are the only ones who can truly protect you and keep you safe. They are the only ones I trust.”
“Please tell me you know how to find them.”
His blue-green eyes twinkle. “As a matter of fact, I do. They’re in Egypt. As soon as we flee this compound, that’s where we’ll go.”
CHAPTER 11
Dane
I wake early, as I do every morning, scooting to the edge of the bed away from her. Nausea rolls through me, wave after wave hitting me, ramping my self-loathing to new heights. I stupidly thought I’d just be a number. One of the many participants of her harem. But I was stupidly naïve. Alandra hasn’t let me out of her sights since I agreed to this madness. Keeping me chained to her side, and her bed, from the instant I left my brothers.
I hate it.
Every touch.
Every look.
Every comment.
Every second in her presence has me itching to peel the skin from my bones and bathe in a vat of hot oil. The pain couldn’t be any worse.
I turn on my side, away from her, looking out the window.
“You awake, brother?” Beck asks in my mind.
“Yes.”
“Do you think you can make it to the window undetected? I’d like to see the outer grounds.” I’ve been projecting every room, every passageway, every part of the castle, to Beck, only shielding him from the stuff he shouldn’t see—the myriad of ways Alandra finds to humiliate me. The things I’m coerced to do to her in bed. Squeezing my
eyes shut, I ward off the hideous images and carefully slide out of the bed. I force my eyes to her naked frame, acid churning in my gut. The only blessing is that she sleeps like the dead. Unconcerned that I could strangle her in her sleep. Because she knows I’m weakened without my full abilities and that I’d never risk my brother’s lives, no matter how much I wish she was dead and how badly I long to be the one to do it.
I fiddle with the blocking bands around my wrists as I pad softly to the large window. It wasn’t enough that Alandra and Zorc have been messing with our abilities, they had to impose these Tianore bands on us too, to be able to inflict pain at the push of a button. At least they aren’t active, but she refused to remove them completely. I guess she’s worried I won’t toe the line and that I’ll do something to embarrass her.
I was hopping mad when Alandra gleefully explained how Zorc had secretly installed monitoring chips inside us at the same time our translation chips were implanted. All along, the blank spots in our abilities have been down to them manipulating us. The guys were furious when I told them. We are at a loss without our unique gifts, and I hate feeling blind and so out of control.
If it wasn’t for Maddox, I’d have lost it by now. Every night, without fail, he connects to me, and we spend ages reminiscing over past escapades. He never asks me about the crap I’m living through, and I’m grateful. I respect the fact he knows me well enough to know I won’t open up about that shit. Instead, he focuses on reminding me of happier times. His recollections of funny shit we’ve encountered as we searched the galaxy for Alinthia help distract me from this nightmare I’m living and remind me why I’m doing this: ultimately to protect Alinthia. To try to find a way out of here that doesn’t involve her riding to the rescue. Because I’m terrified of what they have lying in store for her, and I can’t let that happen.
I press my forehead to the window, looking outside. Luckily, Alandra likes to sleep with the drapes open, so I have a clear view of the spectacular scenery below. I’ve never been to Xzanthar before, but all the rumors I’ve heard are true. My eyes scan the exterior environment, projecting it to Beck as I sweep over the landscape. The city is magnificent. Built from dust with blood money from Arantu’s plundering escapades through the galaxy, it’s obvious no expense has been spared.
Arantu’s castle rests in the mountains on an elevated site that is heavily guarded. Armed guards roam the perimeter of the castle walls, and a group of five or six laugh and joke as they man the gate. Inside, there are guards at almost every corner. The more I discover, the more despondent I grow. I honestly can’t see any way of escaping this maze-like building without getting killed. There are too many guards, and too many corridors, yet I refuse to give up.
Alinthia can’t come here. It’s far too dangerous. For her and for us. I won’t let them use her as bait and then see her either kidnapped, tortured, humiliated, or killed. That is not happening on my watch.
As my eyes roam over colorful forests and the glistening purple river below, I vow to continue doing whatever I can to keep her away from here. Protecting her is the only way I’m able to play the role of concubine, even as it slowly chips away at my self-worth and my will to survive.
“Let me see more of the city,” Beck quietly asks, pulling me back to the moment. When I’m projecting like this, I’m projecting everything, unable to shield my mind, so he’s privy to most of my inner thoughts.
Focusing on the task at hand, I peruse the stunning city resting the other side of the river. It’s still early, and there are few signs of life. Tall high-rises composed of shiny materials glisten under the radiant glare of the piercing orange sun, its ascent gradual as the planet slowly wakes up. The obnoxiously tall buildings are interspersed with more modest structures of all shapes and sizes.
The industrial jungle is broken up by an abundance of parks and flowery features. Beautiful crystal-like trees tower into the skies, in every color imaginable, their vibrant hues reflected in the sky above, like a multitude of colorful streaks through the early morning sky. Spiraling highways crisscross miles above the city. Traffic is light and I only spot one public hovercraft commencing its journey. Beck’s emotions feed through the connection linking us. As the only artist among us, it’s clear he’s getting off on the view.
Behind me, Alandra stirs, and a heavy pressure settles on my chest with the acknowledgment of what comes next. Alandra is insatiable and a complete control freak when it comes to what she wants. As someone who never relinquishes control in any aspect of my life, most notably in the bedroom, having to submit to her every twisted demand is akin to the worst form of torture. I feel physically ill every time I have to touch her.
“I’m sorry you have to do this, Dane. I hate it.”
“I’m okay.”
“Don’t lie. I know what you’re thinking, what you’re feeling.”
“I can’t articulate it, Beck. I’m clinging on here by my fingernails. Let’s just figure out how to get the hell away from here and sooner rather than later.”
Before I lose the will to live.
“What are you doing all the way over there?” Alandra purrs, and I instantly shut off the connection with Beck, reinforcing my mental shields. My brother doesn’t need to see this shit. His guilt is already astronomical.
“Looking at the city. Is that a crime?” Reluctantly, I turn to face her, planting a cocky grin on my face. I’m not sure if Alandra is buying my act, because she’s as good an actor as I am, but she seems pleased that I’m willingly giving in to her every demand. I work hard to try and maintain my usual arrogant façade so there’s some semblance of authenticity.
“Get over here, and get on your knees,” she demands, rolling over onto her back and flinging the covers aside. I force my body to move to the bed. Pain cuts through me at every step. No part of my body is immune from the effects. She spreads her legs wide, boldly confident in a pampered way, the actions of a woman accustomed to getting what she wants. I doubt she’s ever heard no in her entire life. She urges me forward with a flick of her fingers. “You know what I like. Get to it. Work me with that sexy tongue of yours.”
I shut off every conscious part of myself as I kneel between her thighs, thinking about protecting my brothers and the only woman I love while I pleasure a woman I hate with every ounce of my being.
Lunch is usually an elaborate affair attended by at least thirty people. Arantu surrounds himself with a wide network of supporters, so there are always a huge amount of people milling about the castle at all hours of the day or night. He rarely pays me any attention, and today is no different. “Growing rather fond of this one, are we?” a stout man with vibrant blue hair and a rotund belly says to Alandra halfway through lunch, pointing at me and chuckling as he sends her a knowing wink.
“I thought Fingyl was your favorite,” his skinny female companion adds, motioning toward the male kneeling at Alandra’s other side.
When he thinks no one is looking, Fingyl glares at me. It’s not the first time. It seems he was her favorite pet until I arrived, ousting him from pole position. Little does he know how willingly I’d trade places. Alandra yanks on the chain around his neck, tugging his head back. “There is no room for jealously in my harem.”
“I apologize, oh beautiful one. It won’t happen again.”
Alandra taps a slim finger off her chin. “No, it won’t, and I know exactly how to ensure it doesn’t.”
My insides twist into knots at the wicked, gleeful tone in her voice, but I look straight ahead, focusing on the chubby feet squashed into unsuitable sandals across from me. My knees are numb from spending so long in this position on the cold, stone floor. A cool breeze flits over my bare back, and the edge of the leather loincloth rises.
Kneeling at her side during meals, barely dressed, waiting for her to feed me scraps like some kind of wild dog, is the most degrading aspect of this entire experience.
How males line up to join her harem is beyond me.
Why would any m
ale subject himself to this humiliation?
I don’t care who she is. No female is worth this.
I’m only grateful that she keeps me in a chair by her side at official meetings, but that’s just another form of humiliation. She usually gropes and fondles me, forcing me to do the same to her, knowing we’re on an elevated stage and that every set of eyes is on us. Everyone knows I’m part of her harem and exactly who I am. I learned that lesson the first day when I was subjected to all manner of crude jibes about Alinthia. Forced to listen as Arantu’s men discussed in great detail what they plan to do to her once Arantu has her in his control. They spoke loud enough to ensure I heard every word, every promise, and it took colossal willpower not to attack them with my bare hands.
I replay that discussion in my mind several times a day to remind myself why I’m doing this. How important it is that we succeed. I cannot let Alinthia come here and risk that becoming her fate. She will not be subjected to that. Not as long as there is breath in my body and that of my brothers.
After lunch, Alandra makes me and Fingyl trail behind her on all fours, and my humiliation is complete. This is a new first, and it’s not one I like.
Fingyl sends menacing glares my way, letting me know exactly what he’ll do to me should he ever get the opportunity. I’d welcome the fight. Use it as an opportunity to vent all this pent-up rage. And he’s not the only one who has it in for me. A few of the others in the harem, both females and males, would relish the opportunity to take me down a few notches. It’s another reason why I’m constantly on guard.
“Wait here,” Alandra commands when we reach a heavy metal door. We haven’t been over this side of the castle before, and I’ve been projecting it all to Beck. “On your knees,” she barks when I attempt to stand up. She shoves me down to the ground. “Where all scum belong.”
The Warrior Princess: A Reverse Harem Paranormal Romance (Alinthia Book 3) Page 8