The heavy door swung open, creaking loudly in the absolute silence that greeted us. The man took advantage of my shock, easily prodding me through the massive beauty of the vast, stone hall in front of me. In awe as I gazed around, I focused first on the large stone pillars that supported the magnificent architecture of the vaulted ceilings. Designs in precious metals decorated the floor, the patterns mesmerizing as the torchlight reflected off its surface. Gemstones were embedded tastefully on every surface, creating accents around the gold and silver beneath my feet. I had never seen such decadence in my life. I imagined only the halls of the demon overlord himself could be as grand! My eyes shifted, and then I noticed the people.
They lined the velvet rug we walked down, silent and inhumanely still. I kept my gaze solidly ahead, my cheeks warm as I blushed under their scrutiny and from the sight of so many half-naked male bodies. Like the man behind me, the men shined oddly, their skin a kaleidoscope of different colors that reflected off their bare chests. My eyes lingered on their sharply defined muscles and the scars proudly adorned with various tattoos and jewelry. Some of them wore vests, but most stood in nothing but leather pants and boots. Did the women behave in a similar manner? I shifted uncomfortably, noticing with a jolt that I didn’t see any females. I glanced at each face, but it was true. There were no women.
“Are drakens an all-male species?” I tentatively asked.
The man ignored me.
“D’Arcy!” he shouted.
Another man was at our side in an instant, his eyes slithering over every inch of me. His blond hair was long and intricately braided, just like the man who’d brought me here. His eyes were ice blue, sitting high above a protruding, beak-like nose. I immediately didn’t like him or trust him. He carried the same rotten air as Crullfed.
“Please ensure she is ready for the ceremony. I will not wait,” my man grunted, and he disappeared into the crowd.
Wait, he was just leaving me here? One of the men near me took a half step forward, his eyes undressing me with a fierce intensity. I took a step back towards the man named D’Arcy despite my better judgement, and two other men grabbed the first one by the chest and hauled him backward. My pulse raced. Was I not welcome here? Why were they acting this way?
“A bit dirty, isn’t she?” D’Arcy’s voice was dry with no trace of warmth or mirth.
I flinched. Had I traded Crullfed for an overseer just like him? Where did my man go? I felt my first pang of regret at my decision to come here.
“Wren,” I said, pretending he had asked my name. It was a trick I had picked up from the breeding house. If you pleaded ignorance, it was harder to find an excuse to beat you. The man named D’Arcy bowed mockingly.
“Allow me to escort you to your chambers, Wren.”
I nodded frantically, eager to get away from their watchful eyes and shimmering skin. I didn’t even register what he’d said. My mind was racing with the number of men surrounding me. Lord Crullfed’s face flooded my mind, and my hands shook with anxiety. The only man who’d been kind to me was gone, and I was on my own.
“Drakens of Dark Haven! We have a guest!” D’Arcy declared loudly.
The hall broke out into cheers and shouts of joy. I shrunk further into myself, afraid of the attention. I was more aware than ever of the stains on my dress and the rat’s nest that was my hair.
“The ceremony will commence in three hours! I remind you all to remember the rules governing our guest, lest anyone gets foolish and finds themselves dead . . . or worse, disqualified.”
It sounded like a terrible joke, but no one in the hall laughed. There was a deadly seriousness that was more concerning than the words “guest” or “ceremony”. I had no idea what he was talking about, but I wanted nothing to do with it. I turned to bolt, but sharp claws dug into my shoulder, warning me to behave. I went still. What was that word he had used? Draken? I’d never heard of them. Were they some type of demon? I clamped down firmly on my panic as images of my gruesome death ran rampant across my thoughts. Never again would I pick fruit with the other girls during harvest time, the large field out back the only place we were truly free to gossip and whisper our hopes and dreams. I would miss the quietness of the stables, with only the soft sounds of the horses to punctuate my dozing. I would even miss Clarice, as grumpy and mean as she could be. She was the closest thing to a mother that I’d ever had.
“The games begin tomorrow. Good luck to all,” D’Arcy finished.
D’Arcy grabbed me by the elbow and rushed me quickly down the hall, taking so many twists and turns that I knew there was no way I’d be able to find my way back without help. He stopped in front of a blank, stone wall and pulled down on an iron ring. The wall retreated about a foot and pivoted inwards, creating a narrow hallway.
“In.”
I ripped my arm from his grasp and practically ran into the mysterious secret passage. D’Arcy rolled his eyes at my dramatics and followed behind. I emerged into an elegant and blessedly bright sitting room that was covered in candles and plush upholstered chairs and couches. Like the parlors I had cleaned in Lord Crullfed’s household, the large space was organized into several small sitting areas. The furnishings included beautifully carved wooden chairs lavished with a myriad of exotic furs and velvets in blues and black. A fireplace hummed happily against the far wall. There were two doors on the opposite wall. I wondered vaguely who lived here and how much time I had to clean it before they returned. For all its opulence, it appeared unused, neglected even, if the fine layer of dust lingering on most surfaces was anything to go by.
“This will be your chamber for the duration of your stay. The first door on the left leads to your private chamber and bathing area. The door on the right is locked, and I suggest you keep it that way. Be bathed and dressed in two hours.”
I whirled around, surprised. “I am to stay here. Why?”
He shot me a look, one that silently asked if all humans were this stupid, or was I a special case?
“Mr. D’Arcy,” I said tentatively, “I haven’t really been told much about my purpose here. What’s going on?”
I snapped my mouth shut, not wanting to earn any more ire than I had already invited.
D’Arcy studied me closely, and I braced myself for his criticism. Servants weren’t chosen due to their great beauty, after all. My brown hair was common, my eye color unremarkable, and Lord Crullfed had always delighted in telling me how utterly underwhelming I was.
“You may call me D’Arcy, no mister.”
His fingers clasped together underneath his chin, but I wasn’t fooled by his demeanor. This man screamed predator. Every inch of his body was tightly controlled aggression in a much different, more threatening way than my man. I willed myself to remain calm. Not all men beat women when they were alone, did they? The man who took me from Crullfed hadn’t.
“What’s a draken, D’Arcy?”
He grinned, flashing a set of fangs I had missed before. I’m sure my face went white.
“I would tread very carefully, Miss Wren. Drakens are very instinctive creatures, known to act irrationally first and wash the blood off later.”
My heart thudded painfully against my chest. I didn’t think I’d done anything wrong, but this man reminded me a lot of Crullfed in that he didn’t need a reason to be cruel.
“I’m . . . I’m sorry.”
D’Arcy laughed, a loud booming sound that held little warmth or empathy.
“Did Benedict explain nothing to you? What a stupid, little creature you are.”
I kept my face carefully blank. Bullies thrived on seeing just how much their words affected you, and D’Arcy seemed no different. If he aimed to make me feel small, he didn’t need to try so hard. I was used to it.
He stepped closer, one hand reaching out to me. I didn’t like the nasty gleam in his eyes.
“Allow me a kiss, and I’ll tell you why you’re here.”
I blanched and took a half step back. The women at the breeding center exchanged their bodies all the time to make their existences more bearable, but I didn’t think I could do it. I shook my head and took another step back.
You’re not a slave. You are an enslaved person.
Well, I wasn’t either of those things anymore, was I? Shouldn’t I start acting like it? Submission had been survival at the breeding house. But here? The rules seemed different. Frustration gave way to anger, and my mouth opened.
“No.”
It was the first time I had ever said it to a man, and I was terrified. D’Arcy flashed me a wicked grin, and my stomach twisted in fear as he seized me by the back of my neck. He traced the path from the top of my spine down the curve to my shoulders, gliding along my skin and squeezing none-too-gently. Oh no. It was finally happening. A man had grabbed me, and Crullfed wasn’t here to beat him off.
“There hasn’t been a female in Dark Haven. Ever!” His nose buried itself in my hair as his hands tangled in it, teasing. It wasn’t nice and secure like it had been when my man had done it. This was harsh and intimidating.
I tried hard not to flinch. It had probably been months since my hair had been last washed. I hoped there were bugs in it and it would disgust him enough to drop me. I closed my eyes and wished I were somewhere else. If I fought him, it would only last longer and hurt more. At least, that’s what the other women had always told me when it came to dealing with pushy men.
Their advice didn’t do anything to help the sheer terror racing through my veins now that I was face-to-face with one. I tried to move away, but he grabbed my jaw and held it tightly.
“Drakens are a race that has always kept to itself. The less the world knows about us, the more dangerous we are. You’d realize that if you weren’t so brainless.”
It was hard to focus when his fangs were so close to the pounding vein in my neck, and his hands pulled painfully on my hair. He lifted my chin up, and I didn’t fight him as his other hand rested gently against my breast. There wasn’t anything I could do against him.
The men from the breeding house either didn’t notice me or quickly lost interest once Crullfed threatened them. Drakens must be different because of the way they’d all stared at me in the entrance hall, the way the man who took me from Crullfed’s had watched me earlier, and the way D’Arcy was currently devouring the sight of me, all spoke of obsession. Desperation.
And that was the most puzzling and terrifying aspect of them all.
D’Arcy pushed my mouth against his, muffling my cry of pain. It was night and day compared to my captor, his touch had been giving, but D’Arcy was simply taking. I whimpered as he licked along my lips and quested further into my mouth. I refused to part my lips, instead going limp in his arms, forcing him to hold me up. His fangs tugged against my bottom lip, and I worried if they were sharp enough to cut me. A groan tore itself from his throat, his fingers splayed against my neck.
Then he was gone, and I gasped with fear. He chuckled darkly as the passageway behind him opened revealing my man dressed more formally than before. He wore a black and royal blue cloak that was pinned at the shoulder and a pair of unadorned leather boots. His purple eyes framed his high cheekbones. His full lips were pulled back in a scowl aimed at D’Arcy.
“An interesting specimen you’ve brought, Benedict,” D’Arcy said.
The man (Benedict?) took one look at my terrified face and transformed into a . . . creature. He was still him, but iridescent scales covered his upper body, changing to a deep purple around his waist and back. They faded down into black, glinting obsidian with sheens of green against the torchlight. Hard spikes protruded from his back, white ridges that I was hesitant to call bones, but wickedly sharp and rigid. Black wings hung from his shoulder like a heavy cape, the tips a dark amethyst color that matched the sheen of his scales. Claws extended from the beds of his nails, and purple scales curled around his neck. Faster than I could blink, he had D’Arcy by the throat, his wings spread wide.
“You don’t touch her without her permission. Or are the rules only for others?”
D’Arcy’s self-assured demeanor vanished, replaced by a slithering, skulking sycophant.
“Understood, my king.”
King. King? My man (named Benedict?) dropped D’Arcy to the floor, and the other man disappeared in a wisp of black smoke. I gasped. Did Benedict do that to him? Those purple eyes swung to me, and I lost my battle with my dwindling courage. I fled to the door D’Arcy had indicated as my bedroom, slamming the door behind me. I didn’t breathe again until the deadbolt clicked in place.
“Leaving so soon?”
I shrieked as Benedict’s voice came from behind me where he was sitting casually on the largest bed I’d ever seen. My back pressed against the door, my hands twisting uselessly at a knob that wouldn’t budge because I had just locked it. At least he seemed human again.
Benedict smirked at my flustered face and in one fluid motion pushed himself off the bed and leaned towards me. “Do all humans smell so bad?”
He was too close to me, and my adrenaline was still racing after D’Arcy had his hands on me.
I didn’t think. I just reacted. My hand flew out and smacked him hard on his mouth, an automatic fight or flight response from my body.
He jerked back seemingly more in surprise than pain, putting a hand to his lip and laughing at the blood that welled there. My eyes went wide as the cut vanished before me, and in moments there was no proof I’d ever hit him to begin with. I cringed as he bared down on me, sliding down the door and putting my hands over my head.
He took one look at me and immediately stepped back.
“Did it make you feel better?” he asked, his voice light and humorous.
I narrowed my eyes and raised my head. There was a flicker of something in his eyes that wasn’t all anger.
That flicker combined with his tone gave me the courage to talk back. “I’m not sure. Maybe I should try again?”
He laughed, a loud, booming sound that was the first bit of true emotion I’d seen from him yet. He smiled, but it was the look you gave to a child who said something amusing or to a clever little pet.
“What did D’Arcy do? You’re white as a sheet.”
I tried to move, but he blocked my path. He leaned in closer, his nostrils flaring.
“I can smell him all over you.” The playfulness was gone from his demeanor.
I kept my eyes trained to the floor and focused on breathing. In, out. In, out. After a moment he let me go, practically throwing me from him.
“Get a bath and get dressed.”
He left, and I had no where to go with all of my pent-up adrenaline.
I allowed myself only moments to gape wordlessly like a fish, my mouth opening and closing but no real sound coming out. These . . . drakens were utterly terrifying, but he had yet to do anything to hurt me. He’d done the opposite. He’d taken me away from Crullfed, gave me a room, a potential bath, food, and defended me from D’Arcy. Sort of.
I picked up my chin and undressed, leaving my clothes in the empty wardrobe up against the wall. The room was full of such opulence that I hardly wanted to be near any of it, lest I blinked, and it all disappeared. Soft, thick rugs from animals I couldn’t name if my life depended on it covered the floor. Candles in sconces lined the walls and corners, and decorative stones and metalwork weaved into the walls like the floor in the great hall. The bed was an absolute work of art. It was canopied with thick velvet to ward off the chill of the mountain. Heavy curtains could be pulled back in favor of sheer gossamer curtains underneath. My face heated remembering how Benedict had sat casually on it.
Get a bath.
How? Where were the servants to bring the water? Where was the . . . I stopped, poking my head in a smaller room adjacent to my bedroom. Inside was a small garden, but indoors. Plants lined the walls, draping around a large marble pool in the center. It was already filled with water that bubbled up gently from the center, and the edges were lined with various bottles and ointments. Curious, I sniffed all of them and dipped my toe into the water, which was warm. What trick provided the amazing treat of warm water without a horde of servants? Maybe they had already been here and gone?
I scrubbed and washed quickly, using only drops of the oils provided lest they belonged to someone else and were not intended for me. The silk robe hanging from a hook nearby was close to my size, which only gave me more questions than answers.
I padded back to the bedroom, surprised to see an outfit already set out on the bed. I examined it, my face flushing. This . . . garment couldn’t be considered a dress, could it? The color was pleasing enough, a purple so deep it was nearly black, like the coloring in Benedict’s creature form. The length was also acceptable, flowing well past my ankles and ending in a small train. The material itself was nothing more than translucent gauze, and I frantically searched around the bed for more clothing. I found nothing.
I stalked to the wardrobe in the corner and grabbed my work dress. I made quick work of ripping off strips of fabric, which I fashioned into a rough band and tied around my breasts. I took a nearby blanket and wrapped it around my waist, tying it off with another strip. Finally, I put the sheer gown overtop and was at least somewhat covered. At the last moment, I retrieved my knife from my old dress and tied it to another strip, fastening it to the other ties. The gauze material practically floated against my skin, but I couldn’t believe I was meant to wear it alone.
Perhaps going topless was a cultural thing, specific to the drakens? I wondered what the women—
I stopped, my brain freezing as I realized something very, very important, that Benedict had ignored when I’d asked in the great hall about the women. Or rather, the lack of them. There were female drakens, weren’t there? There had to be. Every species had females, didn’t they? Come to think of it, I never heard mention of any female demons. D’Arcy had said there had never been a woman in Dark Haven before. My kidnapping suddenly made a much more agonizing, awful sense. Had I just made the biggest mistake of my life?
“Are you ready?”
A bang on my bedroom door caused me to jump, and I hurriedly unbraided my hair, letting it flow loose around my shoulders. I raced over to the wardrobe and grabbed the black traveling cloak hanging on the right. I flung it over my shoulders, sighing in relief as it covered the shape of my body. I did appreciate the new pair of leather boots next to the bed and slipped them on gratefully. With a bit more confidence I opened the door, only to find Benedict pacing. His eyes gave me a brief once-over, lingering at the crude modifications I made with clothing. I gave him a challenging look in return, and he rolled his eyes.
“You’re late.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but he had already grabbed me and tugged me through the passageway. I planted my feet on the stone floor, afraid. He growled and yanked me towards him. I flew into his chest, banging my head against the hard planes of his body.
“It would be cowardly to back out now.” His eyes judged me, finding me clearly wanting.
I wanted to smack him again or at least talk back now that I knew I wouldn’t be punished for it. My mind whirled with confusion and an odd rush of adrenaline. Things were black and white at the breeding manor. I had no choices, no moral quandaries. D’Arcy reminded me of Crullfed, and in a way it was almost comforting. I knew what to expect and how to act.
But this man? His anger was different. It was challenging instead of vindictive. Curious rather than punishing. Did he want me to fight back?
Well, if he didn’t beat me for physically striking him earlier, he likely wouldn’t for talking back. I licked my lips nervously.
“It is difficult to be cowardly when you have no idea what is going on, especially when the man who kidnaps you doesn’t even offer his name!” I said, my voice rising to a shout.
His eyes widened, then narrowed in suspicion.
“You don’t know who I am?” The shock in his voice was genuine and about the only thing that snapped through my torrent of rage.
Both of us relaxed, letting go of each other. I studied the floor, just to have something to do that didn’t involve looking at him.
“D’Arcy called you Benedict. I assume that’s your name?” I glanced up warily to find his head cocked to the side, studying me intensely.
“Yes. And you are Wren.”
I pushed forward, wanting, no needing, more answers. “And you’re all . . . drakens?”
He blinked slowly. My gaze went to the floor, unable to stand his fiery, judgmental glare.
“Why me?” I finally managed, still unable to figure out what this handsome, strong creature would possibly want with me.
“You were there. I chose you.”
He made it sound so simple.
“And the ‘cying blonde? What about her?”
He snorted, an animalistic sound that reminded me of the horses back in the stables.
“She was a deal with Crullfed. A human female sacrificed to the drakens. In return, I released a debt he owed me. I took you instead.”
How did he do that, answering my questions only to create more?
“But why?” I couldn’t put into words why this was so important, why it mattered that this man, this . . . draken had chosen me over a beautiful, young blonde who could likely fetch a small fortune at any auction.
“You said yes,” he said with a finality that quelled any other questions I had.
I tripped as he yanked me forward again, wondering if all drakens were this pushy or just men in general. He gave me a second shove, and my temper snapped. I was not a dog or a cow, and I would be damned if I were led to my slaughter like one.
He raised his hand over his head, and I instantly panicked, thinking he was going to strike me. My knife was free from its tie at my waist and buried in his shoulder a second later. I didn’t have time to regret my actions as he whirled around, hissing in pain. Stars exploded against my eyes as he threw me into the stone wall, more by reflex than intention if the moment of panic on his face was anything to go by. I fell as my vision swam, stunned by the blow. He pulled the knife from his shoulder, his lips thinned in displeasure. The wound healed over and was gone before the knife clattered on the ground. If I’d done this at the breeding house, I would be dead without question.
“What the fuck?” Genuine upset bled through his voice, and I think that was what I found most bewildering. Benedict meant to intimidate by hauling me up roughly, his fangs glistening inches from my neck. The world kept spinning around me, so the effect was wasted.
“Thought . . . you were gonna hit me.” The words were slurred, but I was proud I’d pushed them out.
He froze, then his face showed a flash of horror before going blank. Maybe he didn’t believe me.
“An extreme reaction.” He snarled mildly, and set me down roughly on my feet. “Walk, then. And just . . . no one here will strike you. No one.”
His hand lingered on my face, brushing my lip with his thumb. I nodded furiously to appease him, but I didn’t believe him. He was just one being in a sea of those who could easily hurt me. You shouldn’t make promises you couldn’t keep.
I tried to walk. I really did. The first step went fine, but on the second I veered wildly to the side and almost collided with the wall again. He huffed in irritation and picked me up. Before I could protest, his nose was buried in my hair, sniffing.
“I bathed,” I protested, my eyes crossing as my head continued to pound. Nausea curled its way up my stomach, and I fought against it.
“Can you pull yourself together or should I carry you? You’re concussed.” He must have smelled something bad because his imperious tone held a sliver of worry. Relief flooded through me because it confirmed something important. Despite this man’s prickly exterior, he did want to protect me.
I wriggled and he set me down again. His heavy arm came around my shoulder, and carefully he helped guide me forward.
“You’re the first one I’ve ever hit back if it makes you feel better,” I was talking mostly to distract myself from the nausea.
His expression relaxed, and for the briefest moment one corner of his lip quirked up. Then it was gone, replaced by an irritated sigh. “If you were truly afraid, then I am sorry.”
Sorry. Sorry. I almost fell over in shock as he gave me no time to respond, instead pushing me forward. The hallway ended, opening back up into the great hall. The men roared upon seeing us, and my heart dropped in my chest as I stared out over a sea of creatures. The men from before were gone, instead replaced with creatures like Benedict. Their odd, shimmering skin made sense as their scales glinted at me. The creatures all ranged in shape and color from reds and yellows to greens and blues. Bright colors gathered at their wrists and neck, reaching down their backs and blending seamlessly with darker colors on their wings and lower body. Their hands ended in sharp, black claws, and hundreds of fangs flashed at me as I gazed out from my vantage point on the raised dais. They stood spaced apart to give each other room from the spikes on their spines.
“My people,” Benedict rumbled proudly from his place beside me.
I choked down my reaction as he shifted into his own draken form, his obsidian, purple-tipped wings lightly brushing my shoulder. A moment later D’Arcy was there, and the strange ceremony began.
