Death is no more an escape than it is a curse.
My ability has proved that time after time. The endless loop of living on past death, in any of its forms, is a torment in its own right.
I can’t die. No matter how many times or ways he tries, it always ends up the same.
With pain, and rebirth, and suffering.
When Death calls, it isn’t soft and sweet nor a slumber of silence and serenity. It’s violent and cruel, ripping apart the seams that keep us whole.
I’m no longer whole anymore. King made sure of that.
Our sessions are not bonding time between stepfather and daughter, but a way for King to release his monster and set him free.
I’m just his prisoner, caged in his hotel, and called upon when he needs someone to inflict pain on.
My body is a mangled mess, as bits of broken bone and muscle lay scattered beside me. My legs no longer move, my spine twisted and tore open.
The small room around me, once an immaculate white, is bathed in my blood. The deep red draped across the walls and fixtures like a splattered art piece of horrors.
Today’s session is just as hard as all the rest. The agony is no less painful, the darkness no less silent.
King sits in his chair, sharpening another of his blades, patiently waiting for my ability to kick in so he can start over.
He never lets me fully heal before he begins again, only letting my body repair enough that I don’t pass out until he decides. And one drop of the new little olive-green concoction that he created slows down my ability to a near halt.
I pant through the pain, my ability sluggish as it fuses my spine back in place.
“I’ve decided to play nice with the outsiders.”
Outsiders.
Manhattan homes some of the most powerful shifters. From Dragons and Wolves, to bears and serpents and all those in between.
Over the years King formed alliances and then swiftly betrayed them, taking over their lands and territory and naming it his.
King played the long game, inviting all those who had no place left to go to live in his new city that welcomed them all.
Brooklyn, The Bronx, and Queens are all now under King’s rule. Together they form the Cardinal Three, with Brooklyn being King’s main base and the place he likes to do most of his dealings.
Humans, demons, witches, and shifters of all kinds, are welcome in the Cardinal Three, but on one condition…
Follow King’s rules.
The supes thought it was a good deal until they found out King placed a magical “tag” on them.
It not only tells King where you are but also stops you from coming or going. If you try leaving without his permission, the tag is activated, and you die a horrific death.
King wants all of New York under his control, his need for power, absolute.
Staten Island stays off the grid, homing most of the demons, vampires, witches, and warlocks and any other supe who lean towards the dark side. It will only be a matter of time before he goes after it, too.
But it seems Manhattan is next on his list.
“For now, we will form an alliance. The terms have been agreed.”
An alliance that he will break, just like all the rest. The alphas are fools to agree to anything King asks.
King stands, slowly making his way over to where I lay on the floor. Puffing his cigar, he bends downs and stubs it out in the open wound in my thigh.
I bite down on my lip hard, holding in the curse that wants to damn to hell and back the twisted fuck in front of me.
“You will mate to the five alphas of Manhattan a week from now, sealing the alliance and bringing me one step closer to my goal.”
Fire burns through my veins as my pain gives way to rage. The fucker could go to hell if he thought he could sell me off like some brood mare. I was his punching bag, his prey, but that piece of me has always been mine.
My choice.
One I fought hard for.
King smirks, seeing the defiance in my eyes. “I had a feeling you might try to give me trouble with this. That disobedient nature of yours, always so hard to stub out.”
He bends down, pressing the dagger to my throat. “You will go through with this or your sweet Alana will pay.”
He slices the blade down my chest, pulling a sharp gasp from my lips, but all I can focus on is his threat.
I couldn’t let anything happen to her. She was all I had left, and we were so close to getting out of here.
If everything goes to plan, we’d be out of here in less than a month.
King continues to slice and slash the dagger across my body, leaving no skin free.
I turn into my happy place, one where Alana and I are finally free and far away from King. A place I’ve taught my mind to go, when the pain becomes too sharp, too endless, with no way out.
“Disobey me on this, and I will make sure Alana will know the depths of my anger. One she will never heal from.” A cold laugh reverberates around me.
“Maybe I’ll give her to one of my associates to play with.”
No! Not Alana!
King laughs, seeing my distraught look, knowing he’s won and will get his alliance.
Alana doesn’t deserve anymore suffering. I’d do what I have to in order to keep her safe.
Getting bored with the blade, he stabs it into my bleeding leg and let’s go, laying into me with as much force as he can. Each punch ripples along my body, pulling a sharp gasp from my lips.
The edges of my vision darken, the room tilting and spinning around me as it all becomes too much. I feel the dark pull of slumber as it reaches out to me. The room around me, disappears as I get dragged under.
“Kiarra… Kiarra, baby, we have to go.” I startle awake as my mother’s worried face appears before me. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I watch as she rushes around, frantically packing some of my clothes and favourite possessions.
“Hurry, honey. Get dressed. We’re leaving.”
Getting out of bed, I throw on some clothes and shoes, wondering where we’re going.
King, my new stepfather, normally just takes him and mother away while Alana stays here, but maybe this time, we’re all going.
Thinking about King sends an icy shiver down my spine.
There was something not right about him. His eyes held a darkness. Even with the pleasant smiles and fancy clothes he wore like a second skin.
“Where are we going?” Glancing out my bedroom window, I see it’s still dark out.
“Someplace safe.”
Safe?
“Will we be back for my birthday?” It’s my thirteenth birthday this weekend, and the guys promised me a surprise. I didn’t want to miss it.
She stops what’s she’s doing, coming over to me. Leaning down, she rubs the side of my cheek, bringing a smile to my face.
My mother was beautiful. Long dark hair and green eyes that remind me of those jewels that shine. Many say I look like her.
“We have to go away for a bit, but you’ll see the guys again someday. I promise.” I frown, not wanting to be away from them for too long. They were my best friends.
“Mom?”
“Come Kiarra, we need to leave now.” Taking my hand, she pulls me down the hall.
A shadow walks out, surprising us. “Reyna?”
My mother jumps, squeezing my hand, but relaxes when she sees who it is.
“Alana, it’s just you.”
I look up to find my mother’s friend, a soft smile on her lips. Alana had become part of the family these last couple of years and was always there, watching out for us.
Like a fairy godmother, she appeared when we needed her the most.
Alana and my mother murmur about something when I spot another shadow down the hall. One taller and darker. It sends goosebumps up my arms.
“Mom?” My voice is small and terrified of the tall, dark form in the doorway.
“Who is that?”
My mother’s body turns stiff, seeing the dark figure too.
“It’s okay, honey. It’s all going to be okay,” she whispers to me, but I can hear the tremor in her voice. She’s just as afraid as I am.
I pull on my mother’s arm just as I’m yanked back, a rough hand placed over my mouth, as someone drags me backwards out through the hall.
“No!” My mother whips around to reach out and grab me, but I’m too far away.
“Did you think you could escape me?” The dark shadow comes into view.
King.
The horror on my mother’s face mirrors Alana’s.
“Just let her go and I’ll go with you.” Her voice gets quieter the further the man drags me away and around the corner.
“It’s too late for that.”
She screams out just as a thump hits the floor. My body freezes before thrashing wildly. I bite and kick and scrape my nails down the man’s arms, trying to get away and back to Mother. He grunts, dropping me for a moment.
I rush back toward her, finding her lying on the floor. Alana is crying somewhere but I can’t go to her yet.
“Mom?”
She’s not moving. Why isn’t she moving?
Her eyes no longer shining, stare blankly ahead.
No!
Leaning down, I push her shoulder gently, trying to wake her.
“Mom… Mom! Please wake up! Please…”
“There you are…”
King’s cruel face comes into view. His men grab me once again.
A hard whack comes from the side, knocking me to the ground, just as darkness greets me…
Time flows back into itself, creating the infinite loop once again.
I jolt awake, my heart restarting like an electric shock. Gasping, I open my sticky eyes, now covered in hard blood.
I shake off the last fragments of an old memory and glance around. Where was I?
The room. But I was alone. I release a harsh breath. He’s gone.
At least, until next time.
What day was it?
King’s little serum slowed down my ability, making it work at a crawling pace. I was nearly healed, so it had to have been at least a couple of days since I passed out, considering the amount of damage I had taken.
Testing my body, I stand up on shaky legs.
Covering what I can of my destroyed and bloodied clothes, I stumble out of the room; the guards ignore me as I make my way past them.
Most of King’s men are just like him, cruel and vile. The older guards have been around longer than my six years here and are well aware of King’s little sessions with me. It’s no secret to any of them, nor do they care. Some even like to join in when King allows them.
Moving faster as my body regains strength, I ignore the sneers from King’s associates and turn into the service hall.
Those that live in the ostentatious hotel, do so because of King. With its extravagance and colossal height, it’s become known as King’s Tower.
The place to be if you are powerful enough to impress King. He allows them the position of power but likes to keep them under his watchful eye, so they don’t step out of line.
Power is everything to King. He would do anything for it, even bargain with the devil for it.
Usually, most supes would steer clear of me, knowing my association with King. They either think I will get them killed or realise how little King cares for me and try to see how far they can push me.
Not that I care. I usually give them a wide berth.
Most of the supes that live here are not the kind to make friends with—vampires, warlocks, demons, shifters, and even corrupt and powerful humans, all live or spend time in King’s Tower or the club below it, Prestige.
And I have to live here with them. Permanently.
Or at least until I finish getting what I need to break the damn tracing spell King has on me and Alana.
King has everyone magically tagged in the city. No one enters or leaves without his knowledge. But he created a special tag just for me on top of the one everyone else has.
I can’t leave King’s Tower.
Ever.
I tried once and paid for it for weeks. After that, I learned my lesson, knowing I wouldn’t make it out of here without one hell of a plan.
One I now had set in motion. I just needed to stay focused.
Glancing around, I open the small side vent and quickly move aside my stash of small potions and food to pull out some clothes and throw them on.
The stash was accumulated over the years, steeling here and there from some of the guests in the hotel and then trading whatever I stole for things with actual use.
Potions. Food. Cash.
King’s sessions were never planned and most times my clothes would be destroyed. Having back-up clothes and other personal items hid around the hotel helped.
Heading back towards my suite, I keep my head down and ignore the guards and supes hanging around to move quickly past them.
I didn’t need to become anyone’s target tonight, not with how weak I still was. I need to keep my head down and stay focused.
Stepping into my suite, I lock the bolts in place while retracing the protective barrier I traded a witch for.
It wouldn’t stop King or any powerful Supe from getting in, but for any underlings or someone just wanting to break in, it did the job.
Looking around the modern apartment, you would never think that I was dirt poor or being physically and mentally tortured by King. My outer appearance always showing what King wanted to portray to outside the Cardinal Three. A spoiled daughter who gets whatever she wants.
It isn’t until you look closer do you see the truth. My cupboards barely hold enough food to feed a child, my fancy walk-in wardrobe full of high-end fashion, is barely worn, only touched when King decides it.
The place is clean, too clean.
No homely touches or feel from it are added, with a white and grey colour scheme, giving it a cold and clinical feel.
This wasn’t my home and never would be. It was just another piece of the cage in King’s Tower, a cage that I would soon be free of.
