Chapter Nine
Days passed, and Lana was forced into the role of a human slave to Lord Nero. She had been bathed of the dirt that covered her body, but she was required to remain naked. Nero invaded her head multiple times a day, and each time she thought she was going to die, the agony was so great, so terrifyingly strong. Hopelessness took over her. She became a walking shell, serving the man dinner and pouring him wine, even allowing him to touch her without a word. Her head constantly hurt so much that she hardly noticed each time he grabbed her nipples and twisted them, just to remind her that he owned her—mind, body, and soul.
Sometimes, Nero woke her up from her sleep by investigating a painful memory, or planting some sort of wicked terrible dream in her mind. Each time she woke up screaming, only to find him watching her with a sordid sense of glee. This man was a true monster. Not even sleep allowed her to escape him.
Thankfully, she was left alone in his tent for much of her time. Nero was called off on important business often, but he was never fully absent from her head. There was always a tiny shred of him within her, listening to her thoughts, tugging at her despair. The worst part about it was she never knew when he was there and when he wasn’t. Sometimes, even if he wasn’t with her in person, he’d invade her mind, and she’d fall to the ground screaming in pain. The other human servants who occasionally served his tent would quickly disappear when that happened.
On the rare moment that Nero left her to her own devices, she wondered how Dante and Wes were faring, and if the disappearances and deaths that occurred in Eriborough had stopped now that they had traveled deep into the kingdom of D’Lormere. She missed Emma’s kind, but friendly gaze. She missed Tala’s soft fur, her gentle voice speaking into her thoughts. In such a short time, all of them had become her friends, and she had stupidly ruined everything by trying to escape; all she had done was successfully place herself in the hands of the enemy. Crying for what felt like the millionth time, she hid her face in her hands, and didn’t even notice when another female slave entered the tent.
Strangely, the woman didn’t come in with a goblet of wine or a dish of food, nor did she begin to clean or rearrange things like the other servants did. Lana slowly realized this, and jumped when she looked up and realized the woman had knelt down right in front of her. She was naked, just like Lana, but something otherworldly looked at her through violet eyes. Red hair surrounded her face in beautiful cascading ringlets. High cheekbones accented flushed cheeks that curved downward into plump pink lips. Her mouth was arched into a soft, empathetic smile. Any other time, Lana would have been impressed with her beauty, but she had felt so little emotion since being captured by Nero and his men. She had been so alone.
“You are Alana? Yes?”
Lana nodded slowly, a bit confused. She hadn’t been referred as anything but simply the term human since she had been taken from her hiding spot in the woods. Nero had made sure her identity was a secret, that she was nothing but his slave, and that he was her master.
“I can save you. I can give you back your mind, but you have to trust me.”
Pushing her body backward, raw terror broke through her. It wasn’t possible for her to be safe again.
“He’ll know,” Lana cried, her hopeless tears falling anew. “I can never be safe.” She tried to push herself away from the strange girl, hoping Nero wasn’t in her head, that he wouldn’t punish her for speaking with her. Beginning to panic, she tried to put some distance between the two of them, but paused when she heard the woman speak again.
“Dante sends his love.”
“What?”
The woman put her hands on either side of her face, holding Lana’s eyes steady with her own. She thought about escape, but held back, trusting something she saw in those violet eyes. Something within her began to stir, but she couldn’t identify it. The longer she stared into the stranger’s eyes, the more that bizarre feeling surged within her. There was something about it that seemed awfully familiar, like what she felt when she stared at that strange, unnaturally colored fire.
In response to that strange feeling, she began to realize the woman’s powers were sifting through her head. Lana almost panicked, before realizing her mind was slowly becoming her own again, as though the curtains that had kept her mind shrouded in darkness were opening to the brilliant light of the sun. When Lana’s mind was healed, the woman let her hands fall away from Lana’s face. For some unknown reason, she knew she was free, and that Nero was no longer deep within her mind any longer. The pain had all but disappeared.
“There now, Nero is gone from you. That won’t protect you forever, but it will be enough so that we can get you far away from this place, so that he cannot wrap his tendrils back around you.”
“Who are you?”
“I am Morgana, sorceress to Dante, the king of Legeari. I am here to rescue you.”
“Am I really free of him? He can’t enter my head again?”
“Not without direct eye contact. He would need to implant his power back within you.”
“Really? He can’t hurt me anymore?” Lana still looked terrified, thinking all this was but a trick, but she slowly realized that she no longer felt Nero in her every waking thought, his touch letting her know he was there. She was really, truly free.
Morgana shook her head, her auburn ringlets moving back and forth. She inspected Lana’s face, concern in her eyes.
“You’re safe with me.”
“Dante sent you?”
“Yes. He told me you were very important to him.” She paused, investigating Lana’s features. “I have to change you, the way you look, your face especially. I have to make you look different so that we may escape.” Without waiting for Lana to say anything, Morgana met her eyes and placed her hands over Lana’s face. The skin experienced the sensation of being molded like clay, and moments later Morgana removed her hands.
“Am I different?” Lana wondered out loud, pressing her fingers onto her face.
“I transformed your face so that no one will recognize you. Now come, we must walk out of the city, and no one can know who you are. The soldiers guarding the tent have all studied your face. They will not expect that Dante has me up his sleeve,” she said with a soft grin.
Lana simply nodded and rose with Morgana, deciding to trust this stranger, who had done nothing but help her thus far. The two of them strode out the tent. She almost spooked when a pair of soldiers stopped them.
“Now what do we have here?”
Thankfully, Morgana was prepared to deal with the soldiers. With a calm expression, she touched one of the men’s shoulders before allowing her hand to drift down his chest. His eyes followed her hand as she brought it dangerously low, to the cusp of his hips.
“Orders from Lord Nero. This one is to be prepared to be examined, so that she will be ready to present to the rival territory as a gift.”
Lana knew so little about D’Lormere, but said nothing, hoping her quiet submissiveness played the part well. The two men looked back and forth between them, their suspicious glances fading with each moment. The man Morgana touched stared at her hungrily before remembering his place.
“Lord Nero would like me to bring her to the bathhouses at once.”
“Carry on then. Make sure she gets there safe, or it’ll be your tight little ass on the punishment block.”
“Yes, soldier,” Morgana said demurely, dropping her head in acquiescence while still carrying a teasing smile across her lips. With a final look, the soldiers continued their rounds as Morgana and Lana walked in the opposite direction quickly, but not fast enough to raise suspicion.
Each time they were approached by soldiers, Morgana used the same technique. The simple mention of Lord Nero terrified most of the soldiers, and a few of them left the girls quickly after his name was revealed. As Lana walked through the city this time, she was able to fully appreciate the desolate sight that met her eyes.
Except for the area that housed Lord Nero and his men, the rest of the city was in shambles. Building after building looked like they should be abandoned, yet she saw people moving around within them. Most had no windows, and cloth hung within the frames. She thought about how cold it must be at night without glass to block the winds. Many of the buildings didn’t have true doors. Some were made of wood and others made of brick, but both were disintegrating with age. Some of the wood looked rotten, and planks were nailed to it in order to keep the walls from falling apart. Each structure was so run down that Lana was surprised many of them still stood.
Dressed in rags and filth, humans slept on the streets. Erassans occupied most of the buildings, and she even saw a couple of Erassan men kick a human out of the way in order to walk on the sidewalk or enter one of the doors. Each face she gazed at had a look of sadness and despair so deep that she couldn’t even begin to understand their pain. Even children that she passed on her walk were quiet, concentrating on work to be done for the day, or where to find his or her next meal. It was all incredibly sad to see.
Everywhere she looked, there was dirt. The road was dirt; the cement sidewalks were covered with dust and looked like they hadn’t ever been swept. Not a plant grew in sight within the confines of the city. There was no grass anywhere and the only greenery she could see was far off in the distance.
It was a terribly wretched scene, one of abject poverty. Trying to keep her head down, Lana tried not to gawk, and instead stared at her feet. Tears came to her eyes as she heard women and children crying, while fathers watched silently. Humans, even Erassans, shouldn’t be forced to live this way, under the tyranny of Lord Nero whose only concern was conquest. It was very clear that he cared little about his own people.
She wanted to save them all.
Her fists clenched as tears ran down her cheeks. There was nothing she could do now, naked, with only Morgana for company, but one day, she would save them. She would give them a taste of what real freedom felt like. It didn’t matter that she had no idea how she would possibly do this, but she knew, someday, somehow, she would help the desperate subjects of D’Lormere.
When she eventually looked up from the ground, she realized that the two of them had reached the edges of the city. Having not seen a soldier or D’Lormere citizen, Morgana turned to her and quietly told her it was now time to run, so that they made it to the woods as quickly as possible.
Morgana took off, and Lana quickly followed, trying to ignore the hurt of stones and sticks as she ran across the ground, still in her bare feet. Her freedom was worth whatever pain she had to get through to attain it again. But then as she ran, she realized she wasn’t just running for herself; she was running back to Dante, the king of Legeari, to the man she had been too afraid to admit her real feelings for.
She hoped he would forgive her for what she had done, for running away from him, even when he had warned her that being in public meant he would treat her different than in the privacy of the castle. She yearned for his arms again, holding her, caressing her, even spanking her. No matter how angry he was with her, she would endure his wrath, in hopes that one day they would be able to build something again. All she wanted was to be with him again, and for him to embrace her, to tell her she was safe.
Finally reaching the cover of the trees, Morgana and Lana slowed to catch their breath, and looked back to make sure they weren’t being followed. With a sigh of relief, neither saw anything. Morgana knelt under a bush and pulled out a pile of clothing.
Lana nearly moaned with happiness at the prospect of covering her body for the first time in days. She took the small bundle from Morgana, and opened it to reveal a simple green shirt and brown pants, perfect for traveling. There was even a small pair of shoes that fit perfectly to her feet, making the idea of walking much easier.
Lana quickly dressed, as did Morgana. The clothes felt soft against her body, almost foreign since she had been naked for so long. After Morgana dressed, she walked over to Lana and placed her hands on her face, meeting her eyes once again. Feeling her face shift under the sorceress’ power, she calmed, knowing she was herself once again.
“Dante is not far. I want him to see you as you are.”
“He traveled all this way for me?”
“Yes. You should have seen him. He was wild with worry, so much so that many wouldn’t approach him for fear of him lashing out. As soon as the news that you had been taken reached him, he came for me, and we followed your scent far into the wilds. Tala was instrumental in being able to find you.”
“Is he angry with me? Where are they?”
“Follow me. We have only to walk a little ways. Dante is looking forward to your return.”
Lana noted that Morgana hadn’t fully answered her question as to how Dante felt about her. Nervous butterflies circled her belly as she thought about what he would do to her when he first saw her. Would he march her straight to the carriage and spank her silly for disobeying him? Would he hug her, and whisper about what he was going to do to her? Would he kiss her? Had he missed her?
Lost in her thoughts, she followed Morgana deeper into the woods. It was terribly quiet, and the two of them did not see anyone else on the road. After what must have been about a fifteen-minute walk, they entered a large clearing. There was nothing there, but Morgana stopped in the center of it.
Lana watched as the woman put her hands together and bowed her head, whispering words that Lana couldn’t hear. Morgana threw her hands up high in the air, and suddenly it seemed as if a blanket was lifted, bringing Dante’s men into view. The clearing was filled with people and beasts. There were lions, wolves, and horses, and as many as fifty men. Morgana’s magic had shielded Dante’s camp from view, hiding them from the enemy behind an invisible shield, which even she could not see through.
Lana noticed the carriage in the far corner, and that was when her eyes found Tala, and next to her, Dante. She met his eyes and smiled, thankful to see his face again. Forgetting herself, she ran to him and threw her arms around his waist, tears of happiness streaking down her cheeks.
“I thought I’d never see you again,” she said, emotion catching in her voice.
He wrapped his own arms around her and held her close. She could hear his heart beating in his chest, and knew it was beating for her. Snuggled close in his arms, she never wanted to let go, and came to a stark realization.
Having spent days in the enemy camp under the torture of Lord Nero’s abilities, she had been alone, with no hope of any rescue. She had been left with her pain and hopelessness, only to be broken by moments of happiness when she thought back to her memories of Dante. Sure, she had been gifted to Dante as his personal slave, but it hadn’t been so bad. He had spanked her, but after each time, he had held her so tenderly. Even though her bottom had burned terribly, it had awakened something deep within her, some desire she had never known she had before. Something within told her that she needed him, and she hoped he needed her equally as much.
She loved him. Deep within her mind, she prayed he loved her too.
“I didn’t know if you were beyond rescue, Lana, and it terrified me.” His own voice was surprisingly thick with emotion as well. Lana looked up at him, into his eyes. She saw within them a deep hurt, a muffled anger, and an elation that overpowered them all. He was happy to see her, just as she had hoped he would be.
“I’m so sorry, Dante.”
“You and I will deal with that later, upon our return to the castle. Know that when we do, I will punish that bottom of yours so thoroughly that you won’t be able to sit for a week.”
A jolt passed through her at his threat, and words momentarily left her. When she finally found her voice again, she nodded, accepting her fate without question.
“Yes, sir. I will take whatever punishment you think I deserve.”
“Your submission honors me.” He paused, putting his hands on her shoulders and holding her away from his chest. “We will ride back to the castle as quickly as possible. When the enemy realizes you’re gone, they are going to come looking. And we need to be back safely in Eridell to avoid that.”
Lana shivered, remembering Lord Nero’s agonizing touch, his abilities rifling through her memories, causing unspeakable pain and torture. She remembered being woken up with the same mind-bending pain. Then there was Lord Nero’s story about Julia, and what he had done to her and Dante. Knowing she had to tell him everything about what happened, she swallowed down her terror and looked up at Dante.
“I was held personally by their leader, someone whom you will remember with much disdain. I am sure of it. His name is Lord Nero, and he told me about the unspeakable things he’s done to you.” Pausing, she took a deep breath before continuing. “And he told me about Julia,” she said, her voice trailing off to a whisper.
A wild look passed over his face, his anger growing by the second. His eyes glowed from the beautiful ice blue Lana had come to know and love to a brilliant, angry, blood red. It was almost like he had transformed into an animal. She almost stepped back on instinct, but held her ground and stood still in his arms.
“What in God’s name is that bastard still doing alive? He should have died, back on Earth, ages ago!” he roared out with disbelief. Anger seemed to seep from his every pore. Lana could see his pain, deep within his eyes, hidden by layer of wrath. She grabbed his hands and pulled them into her chest. Kissing his knuckles, Lana waited for him to calm. When she brought her eyes up to meet his again, the sizzling red had dimmed to a soft glow, his regret showing all over his face.
“My pet. I apologize for losing myself like that. I can only imagine what he did to you while you were trapped in his care. I know what he’s capable of.”
Lana shook her head.
“He’s different from what he was before. He’s no longer a simple human. The D’Lormerean nobles captured him on Earth, and made him into something unnatural. He called himself a Soul Eater. He kept me prisoner in his tent.”
Dante’s eyes grew wide in recognition, followed by a sincere sense of sadness. His hand drifted to push the hair out of her face, and tenderly cupped her chin.
“I wouldn’t wish that kind of torture even on my most hated enemy. I’m so sorry I couldn’t keep you safe from him, Lana.”
Bringing his lips down to meet hers, he kissed her deeply. She kissed him back as his tongue delved deeper to intertwine with hers. His hands wandered through her hair, hungrily pulling her body so that it was even closer to his. When he finally pulled away, Lana was left breathless and heated with desire, her body reacting almost violently to his hungry touch. She wanted more, she wanted all of him. At that moment, she didn’t care that she was gifted to him as a slave; she needed to please him, needed to feel his touch all over her.
What she wouldn’t give to have already arrived back at the castle, lying in their bed together, him fully claiming her as his. Instead, she was in the center of a clearing in the woods, with the entire royal guard watching her quiver with desire from a simple kiss. Trying to calm her erratically beating heart, she placed a hand on her chest. When her breathing calmed, she cuddled back into his arms.
“Can we retire to the carriage, sir?” she whispered, still quite shaken from his touch. He nodded and knelt down to pick her up. Her legs being as weak as they were, she didn’t fight. With one arm around her upper back and another under her knees, he carried her to their little traveling home as if she were light as a feather. Her head cradled on his shoulders, she smelled his neck, taking in his dark, but spicy scent. It was an intoxicating blend that did little to help her already desperate state.
He climbed the ladder and opened the door with almost no effort. She hadn’t realized that he was so strong. There were so many things about him she wanted to know, and so many things she needed more information about. He entered the carriage and walked to the back, placing her on the bed that awaited them. His eyes found hers, and the heat emanating from them almost made her melt.