ELORA
After spending so much time with the king as we planned the raid, it was unsettling that I hadn’t set eyes on him in days. Of course, I could feel his commandeering presence in the palace but he hadn’t summoned me.
I shook my head, reminding myself that he didn’t need me. I was just his mistress. But I couldn’t fight the nagging feeling that perhaps I had done something wrong. The last memory I remembered of him was the night we shared my bed.
Was the king still furious about the incident?
But why should he be?
Wasn’t it a duty for me to bear his child?
Running off after that night raised so many questions but with many moons spent as the king’s mistress, I knew it was useless trying to decipher the king’s thoughts towards me.
I’d been trying to find justification that that night had actually happened but so far all I had had were the love bites but even they had faded now.
Could it be a figment of my imagination?
“I brought a book.” A familiar voice said pulling me out of my moping.
It was my guard, Gael.
In the last few days, he was more friend than guard. He accompanied me as we escorted the rescued slaves that decide to head to Blackfoot’s and had made the journey quite fun for me.
We were in the small courtyard attached to my room. Nobody usually used it and I was glad because it meant I could sniff the beautiful hibiscus flowers without anyone intruding.
I smiled at him as he settled in one of the raffia seats opposite mine.
“It looks interesting.”
“I have heard so much about it. Nobody seems to shut up about this book… Do you mind?”
He walked over to me and handed me the book.
“Do you want to share?” He asked running a hand through his hair.
This time, it wasn’t packed in his usual bun but left down his neck. He shook his head to straighten out the tangles and ran through it again. His voluminous, silky hair made one want to run a hand through it.
His fingers ever so lightly grazed over mine but he went on talking about the book like the action didn’t happen. I couldn’t help but notice how bright and enthusiastic he was. It was almost childlike.
From what I gathered so far, he enjoyed sharing and listening to stories, the same as I did, so we usually had fun debates about poetry and our favorite classics.
“Of course. I’m excited to know why it’s so popular.”
I took the surprisingly heavy book, admiring the leather cover and gold embossing.
I started reading and it was quite different from what I usually read but engaging, nevertheless. As the title had suggested, it was quite a ‘rash’ book. Something one without someone to warm their bed would enjoy.
I cleared my throat and continued reading in my clearest voice.
“He too had bared the front part of his body and she felt his naked flesh against her as he came into her. For a moment he was still inside her, turgid there and quivering.” I grimaced.
Gael cleared his throat and shifted in his seat. I could help but glance at him. He hadn’t gone back to his former position so he was seated by me.
“… Then as he began to move, in the sudden helpless orgasm, there awoke in her new strange thrills rippling inside her. Rippling, rippling, rippling, like a flapping overlapping of soft flames, soft as feathers, running to points of brilliance, exquisite, exquisite, and making her all molten inside…”
Gael was still. I dared to look him in the face as he was staring dead at me. His jaw was set and his ink-black eyes were even darker.
“… It was like bells rippling up and up to a culmination. She lay unconscious of the wild little cries she uttered at the last–”
“Elora! Elora!”
Lucy’s voice came, startling me so I dropped the book.
She ran towards me looking totally unlike the put-together woman I knew. Her hair was disheveled and her face was messed up with blood and tears.
What had happened?
My mind raced to the evening that she was badly beaten up by the king’s step-sister.
Had she been beaten once again?
“What’s wrong, Lucy?” I asked rushing to meet her. “Are you hurt?”
“No. No. I…”
“It’s okay. Talk to me.” I rubbed small circles into her back, managing to calm her for a bit.
“I didn’t know– Kano followed the rescued slaves to Blackfoot’s…”
“Yes?”
“I didn’t know– I begged him to check my brother.”
“Didn’t know what?”
“I didn’t know that your siblings would be hurt…” She cried.
What?
I stood up abruptly.
She staggered as I knocked her off in my haste to get up.
Gael stood up too.
“Lucy? What did you say?” He asked, urgency evident in his tone.
“What trouble? What’s happening, Lucy?” I screamed.
“I’m so sorry… I didn’t know that they’ll be hurt so bad!”
“Where are they, Lucy!” Gael bellowed.
There was no time to question her as we were not going to get anything from her. I pushed my way out of the courtyard and ran towards the staff quarters. I had never run as fast as I did. It was as if I was being propelled by an invisible force but I knew it was the drive to protect my siblings at all costs.
“I tried to stop them! I’m sorry. I couldn’t,” Lucy cried behind me.
Stop who?
Why was she so sorry?
Just a stone’s throw away from the quarters, I heard a chilling scream.
It sent shivers down my spine because I knew that voice anywhere. It was Olivia.
The sight that appeared before me was startling. Olivia was tied up in a shack and my brothers were just by her also tied up. Their faces were bloodied and swollen.
What the hell was going on?
Why were they tied up?
What had they done?
Surrounding them were palace workers still dressed in their uniforms. It was a mob.
Blows and kicks were being rained down on Bennett, Brian, and Olivia.
One smacked Olivia right across the face and she belted out another chilling scream. I raced towards them and pushed the man away.
The other man leaned forward and I saw the blow land on Bennett’s face, leaving his lip bloodied up.
The mob of workers didn’t stop hitting. Brian fell in front of me, hitting his head on the cobbled ground. His eyes were swollen. A couple of blows landed on my head, causing my ears to ring loudly.
“Get the fuck away from them!” I shouted, and for a moment, I pushed back the angry mob.
“You children of traitors. You do not deserve to be here with us!” Someone screamed and the other bellowed in agreement. “You do not belong here!”
“Look at her! Brazen enough to act as if she cares about the slaves. You do not deserve to be the king’s mistress. Ugly bitch!”
I waved whatever they said off. It was nothing I hadn’t heard before.
“Leave my siblings!” I warned. “They have done nothing wrong! They don’t deserve this, they’re innocent!”
“Innocent you say.” A mean-looking woman with a nose too big for her small face sneered pushing forward. “The true innocents were those girls you and your slaver father tortured and killed.”
“We’re innocent!” I cried, “Please your issue is with me. Let my siblings go.”
The woman laughed hysterically.
“Did you ever let anyone go when they begged you?” She asked, stepping forward menacingly. “I’m guessing the answer is no.”
“I won’t let you hurt them,” I growled pushing my siblings behind me and letting some of my wolf strength out. My claws and fangs lengthened.
“Resistance is futile, bitch.!” Someone else spat. “We have heard everything you and your father did to slaves and you don’t deserve to live!”
The rest hollered. The woman leaned forward, launching the stick she had in hand, letting fly hard toward us.
I grabbed it halfway, blocking the attack, and not letting it hit Olivia. She struggled to take it back.
I breathed through my teeth. Blood ran from my mouth, as I tried to shake off the dizziness from a previous hit to the head.
“You should also go through torture!” She yelled.
“Please let them go.” Lucy cried.
I growled pulling the stick from the woman’s hand, breathing hard from between my teeth. I would let lose my wolf if I needed to.
“This is none of your business.” The mean woman spat, pushing Lucy outside and locking the door behind her.
I saw the gleaming silver rod before it struck Brian, pushing him out of the way and taking the full brunt of the blow at the side of my head. I was disoriented with pain but I fought through it, not wanting them to hurt my siblings. Blood leaked from the wound, running down my face right between my eyes.
My head went blank for a moment, as only one thought remained.
I would fight to my last breath to keep them safe.