In Flames, Destined Series Volume 1

by Elissa Daye

  “You assume that I do not choose to be here. I do. There is no shame in being here. You will learn quickly that the art of desire can be a fulfilling life. Some choose to leave when the right person makes an offer. Until that time you must resign yourself to your station here. Sometimes it is safer here than the outside world. No matter what gifts or insights we may have.”

  “What is my station here?”

  “Whatever Newyn decides. You’re one of the three new virgins that have just been purchased. You’ll be surprised to hear that we do not get many of your kind here. For now, you will watch and learn until Newyn can think of a way to make the best profit from your virginity. Now eat.”

  Lysandra looked over at the food that Lelah was offering her. There were many different things to choose from, but her stomach churned threateningly. She yearned to return to the life she had been taken from, but she knew that there was nothing waiting for her there anymore. She could still remember her last glance at her mother before the light had faded. Lysandra was cruelly reminded that her mother was dead, which meant that the kingdom was no longer hers. That, as Lelah said, her life before was over and the only thing that mattered now was how she chose to survive.

  Chapter 6

  It was soon clear to Lysandra that escape might seem possible to her if she actually had some kind of control over her Adrianic magic, but in many ways she was like an untrained child. Her mother had just started to teach her a few basics, so she was very much like a fish out of water without her training. Adrianic magic was an old magic that was passed down from generation to generation, from mother to daughter, whose ancestors were the women of Lena. These women possessed many different abilities, from the art of healing to the ability to harness energy from the world around them. She was already able to access these abilities, but she had very little control over them. She wanted to be angry with her mother for leaving her so inept to defend herself from the world around her, but she remembered that her mother had wanted Lysandra to hang onto the innocence of her youth as long as she could. It was her mother’s attempt to shield her from the world that would make it absolutely impossible to get out of this situation.

  There were a few things that were finite about her situation. She had no idea what the consequences would be if she attempted to escape, nor did she know what kind of security was set in place. She knew she would have to bide her time here until the way out exposed itself to her. Lysandra also knew that Lelah was only to be trusted as long as she stayed out of her way. To draw any attention away from Lelah could be a drastic mistake, for this woman craved the power she had at Ghelli House. It was clear that Lelah liked being in charge here. That was the real reason the woman had chosen not to move on. It was greed and power. Lysandra would not do anything to take that away from her.

  Lysandra ran a comb through her long hair and winced as she snagged a tangle or two along the way. She looked into the mirror in front of her and nibbled her lips in consternation at the girl in front of her. Why did keeping the knots out of her hair require so much effort? Her arms were starting to burn from holding them up too long. She was not used to doing her own hair, as her maid Moessa had assisted her daily. Moessa had been with her since she was a little girl and she had grown as attached to her as her own mother. Tears filled Lysandra’s brown eyes, for she imagined poor Moessa had been mutilated and scarred by her uncle’s men.

  The fragile child she had once been no longer stared back at her. She would never be that child again. She looked down at the filmy white dress she was wearing. It held an air of innocence, as if underneath it all she truly had been untouched by the cruelty of the world, but her brown eyes showed the pain she carried deep within.

  Why had Uncle Simeon attacked her home? He had a smaller keep of his own; it was not like he needed Elkliss. Her father, Viktor Pralus, was the Great Bear of Elkliss. Viktor had been the eldest child and was destined to be the ruler of Elkliss, something Simeon had coveted for years at a distance. Lysandra did not know Simeon well. She supposed that he stayed away because her mother Alycia would have seen clear through the image he projected to the world, right to the darkest part of his mind. If Lysandra had been in his presence for more than a few minutes maybe she would have been able to foretell that his thoughts were not honest. Now she would never know.

  Lysandra dropped the brush and her eyes fell away from the face in the mirror. Would it really help to dwell on the past right now? Even if it had happened weeks ago, it was still her past. Her future lay ahead of her, but she was unsure as to what it would bring. She closed her eyes hoping to picture what it might hold, but all she could see was the back of her eyelids, like black curtains cutting out all the light.

  “Lysandra?”

  Lysandra turned to the probing sound of Lelah’s voice. “Yes, Lelah?”

  “Follow me. Today you get a taste of Ghelli House.” Lelah looked as sultry as ever with her long hair slicked back behind her neck.

  Lysandra was slightly curious as to where she would be leading her. She realized she did not have a choice about her current situation and would just have to make the best of the cards that were dealt to her. She followed Lelah through the billowing curtains that separated their main chamber from the outside world. The flames from the torches along the wall made dancing silhouettes on the tapestries that paved the way down the hall. It was a long hallway that wound around one corner, then another. When Lelah reached a large wooden door, she turned to her.

  “Watch your step, guard your tongue. Newyn is watching from places unseen.”

  Lysandra blinked at her in confusion. What exactly was going to happen to her? She nodded at Lelah to indicate that she understood her words, even though there were so many questions bubbling just beneath the surface. When they entered the room Lysandra almost let out a shocked gasp. It took everything she had to not turn her eyes away as she stood transfixed on the performance in front of her.

  In the middle of the room was a large, round bed that was completely covered with bodies. The bodies were entangled like a necklace that had been tossed carelessly into a jewelry box, so tangled that hands became clumsy as they tried to pry at the knots that were forever melded into place. Man upon woman, woman upon woman, woman upon man, passion etched clearly on their faces as they pitched this way and that in a sort of dance that needed no accompaniment. The wave of sensual pleasure they rode was audible from the door.

  Lysandra could not help but stare, entranced at the spectacle in front of her. She stood frozen in time as she watched the sensual play carry out to its finishing act, her body stiff like a tree firmly planted in the ground in the midst of a hurricane. The room suddenly felt stifling as a hot flush ran up her neck and tickled her ears. Small beads of sweat burned holes in her skin, their telltale scars running down the length of her body, almost as if they were clearing a path for a lover’s kiss. When the grand scene before her was quiet, the eyes turned to the newcomer standing there, paralyzed by the voyeurism she had become party to. Lysandra longed more than anything to look away from their lustful gazes, but a sixth sense told her that this was indeed part of a test that she could not afford to fail.

  It was then that she noticed several rooms attached to the one in front of her, all separated by flowing curtained walls. Inside each room were other patrons of the Ghelli House, each watching the scene with the same intensity. Lysandra saw that the women from the bed were now walking over to the rooms with languid strides. When the men inside gestured for them to come closer, the women did so with small, seductive smiles, sways of sweat-covered hips, with breasts that were held up confidently in front of them. It was clear the night was truly just beginning for them as they gathered more men toward the bed in the middle.

  Lelah touched her arm and she was suddenly plucked from the hazy fog that had enslaved her thoughts. “Yes?”

  “Time to go.” Lelah ushered her out of the room and Lysandra followed after her. “Good. You are not faint of heart. What you saw th
ere was something that happens quite a bit here at Ghelli House. I wanted you to see what your life could be like here. What Newyn has planned for you could be much like this. I, however, have different plans for you.”

  “What is about to happen?”

  “You’ll see soon enough, Lysandra. For now, we prepare you for tonight. If you do well, your life may change forever.”

  Chapter 7

  Lysandra looked in the mirror before her, barely suppressing the anger at the outfit they dressed her in. Her breasts were bound taut against her body with a white velvet sash that left only four inches of material separating them from view. Her skirt was calf length and made from multiple layers of pale white chiffon that was wrapped around her white velvet-covered hips. The virginal white made her wicked disrepair even more tainted for, depending on how she turned, her skin could be viewed beneath the folds of the skirt. She did not like this, not one bit. It was like she was being served up as an offering to the ritualistic gods of pure, unadulterated lust and she had no other choice but to follow along silently.

  She remembered just a few weeks back when she had looked in her own mirror at Elkliss, brushing the fallen leaves from her brown locks. The fresh air from her daily jaunt with the children of Elkliss had colored her cheeks with a pleasant blush. Her brown eyes had sparkled that day. How she had loved gathering up the leaves into large piles and jumping into them with the young ones around her. Her father had always told her she should grow up, that she should stop such childish antics. Somehow, she knew he would have taken back his words if he would have had insight to the future that would haunt their family.

  Lysandra looked back into the mirror again, seeing the smoldering brown eyes staring back at her. The charcoal that lined her eyes made her lashes seem dangerously long. The shadowy powder placed dramatically at sharp angles around her eyelids made her look intense. Crushed berries stained her lips crimson as her pinched cheeks glowed in the firelight. The innocent child of Elkliss no longer existed in this shell. She knew it was time to grow up for, like it or not, her adulthood would begin right now.

  “Very nice, Lysandra. They’ll eat you alive.” Lelah placed a hand on her shoulder. “Now do turn around. I must inspect every inch of you. Newyn requires every woman to enter the main hall with great attention to detail. We can’t have one hair out of place.”

  Lysandra felt Lelah’s eyes move over her, like a spider viewing prey that squirmed for its life in a deadly web. “Now for your hair, my dear.”

  Lysandra winced as a comb jerked through her hair maliciously. Hot, blinding white light raced across the darkness when she closed her eyes. She had never had her hair wrenched so painfully before. Lysandra could not understand why Lelah felt the need to pull her hair so tightly when she ran the comb through it, but she knew better than to utter a word of protest. When Lelah finished she saw that her hair had been combed severely away from her face and wrapped in a bun at the top her head. Small tendrils of hair managed to escape as they curled delicately around her face.

  “That will have to do. Tonight you will be serving drinks to our patrons with the other virgins. Come.”

  Lysandra followed Lelah and watched how every sway of her hips was a provocative dance even amidst the room of women, reminding them that Lelah was queen in this palace. No matter how wicked the walls were painted, this was Lelah’s kingdom. Lysandra felt the small beat of a timid pulse rising up her throat as she carefully followed after Lelah. She was not surprised to see the other two virgins waiting in the hallway for them. Lysandra had heard their names called out earlier, Karyn and Angela. Both women had golden honey hair, had come from the same town, but while they looked similar there were no family ties between them.

  Lysandra continued to walk behind Lelah and was not surprised that she led them to a much larger room than the other night. There were several groups of men lounging around the room, each being entertained by Newyn’s lovely women. There were hidden alcoves all around and erotic sounds echoed forth from the curtains blocking her view. Women danced like flames whipping angrily in the breeze while a staccato drum rhythm thumped fiercely around them. It was difficult not to be drawn into the cadence of the moment as she saw the flesh rise and fall in different rhythms around her. She knew that she was young and still very naive, but she had always been curious about the passion between a man and woman. This was certainly passion being strummed to a fevered pitch before her very eyes. Her heart pounded in her chest like thunder teasing rain clouds on a dark, rainy afternoon.

  Lelah looked closely at her face and Lysandra’s eyebrow raised in question. “Try not to stare at the patronage. If you do they may think you are available for entertainment. That is not your purpose within the main hall this night. You are not to speak, even if spoken to. Simply pour the drinks and keep every cup overflowing.”

  It sounded simple enough, but it proved quite difficult. The men were extremely drunk and randy, so much so that anytime she got near any of them they could not seem to keep their hands off her. Lysandra ducked, dodged, swerved, and swayed, but the men still reached out to pull her near. When a hand got too close she would place a cup inside of it, bow politely while averting her eyes, and then dart away as fast as possible.

  Lysandra could feel Lelah’s eyes burning holes into her back. Her jealous rage was easy to interpret. Lysandra did her best not to fail the challenge put before her, but Lelah’s wrath was certainly not making it any easier. The other virgins were not having to ward off as many advances. Lysandra did her best to dodge the hands that groped at her so viciously. She was not quite familiar with the opposite sex, but she had assumed that most men would have easily tired of this cat and mouse game. She found herself feeling more wary of her situation by the moment.

  Lysandra walked away from the main hall to gather more drinks for the patrons of Ghelli House. She kept her eyes down low and did her best to leave unnoticed. When she made it to the end of the long wall a hand grabbed her from behind.

  “My, my, what do we have here? I don’t believe I’ve had the chance to taste these goods.” His hands roamed over her chest, large bears paws compared to the petite frame of her body. She could feel his breath blow sickly sweet fumes on her face. She bucked against him and made her best attempt to get away, but his hands were too strong. She felt her anger rising quick within her and the air around her began to crackle ever so slightly. Only those in tune with the elements would notice the change that danced in the air around them. A small blast of light hit the candelabra on the shelf behind them. It fell over slowly and knocked her assailant on the back of the head. He released her instantly and grabbed his head. The instant he let go all the candles around them were snuffed out, leaving them standing in darkness.

  Lelah had been watching the whole scene unfold before her eyes. She leapt to action, grabbed Lysandra’s arm and guided her swiftly back to the women’s rooms. “Stay here. I will deal with you in the morning.”

  Lysandra bit her tongue. There were many things she would have loved to say, but given her circumstances she really could not defend herself. She was the property of this establishment even if she had not been born that way. She had no rights as far as the world was concerned, for she had no parents to protect her and no way to prove her lineage. Since her uncle was now the lord and master of Elkliss she was absolutely nameless. It was almost as if she never existed. There was nothing she could do and when she looked in the mirror the young face that had reflected back at her was no longer composed. Tears formed in her eyes and a bleary black trail carved lines into her face. She swiped away the tears that threatened to completely ruin her makeup, but only ended up marking herself further.

  She pulled her hair down and let it cascade down her back. Oh to be one with the wind, to enjoy the calm, peaceful tides of Elkliss. She closed her eyes and wished to hear the gentle hum of the ocean as its waves misted the shores. To run up and down the dunes, toes digging joyfully into sand that was hot to the touch one minute, th
en freezing cold another. To hear the laughter of her parents as they followed far after her, never moving fast enough to keep up. She reminded herself that her roots dug deep inside the earth. She felt the joy of her memories bleeding through the misery carved into her soul. When she opened her eyes a small slice of peace had returned back to them, for remembering who she was had given her a sense of peace she had lost.

  Chapter 8

  When Lysandra awoke the next day she found Lelah watching her closely from the bathing pool. Two other women were bathing her as she stood regally among them. When she saw Lysandra looking her way she gestured for the women to leave her. The way her dark brown eyes were fixed on her, Lysandra knew that she was indeed trying to get her attention. Lysandra stood, made her way over to the pool, and bowed before Lelah at the edge. “Is there something you need?”

  “Sit, Lysandra. Let us chat.”

  Lysandra saw the severe angle of her eyebrows and knew that she had done something to upset her. An image popped in her head. It was another woman, much like Lelah. She was being dragged out of Ghelli House as Lelah stood in the sidelines smiling like a cat that had just discovered the cream. Lysandra already knew that Lelah was a jealous woman, but apparently her addiction to control could be very dangerous for anyone who stood in the spotlight. Lelah was the type of woman who made sure everything worked in her favor. Lysandra would have to watch her step to not attract any attention away from Lelah, for if she did there was no telling what the woman would do.

  “You must be careful, Lysandra. Your kind is not easily accepted here.”

  My kind? Was Lelah talking about the fact that she was a woman of Lena or was her jealousy rearing its ugly head? Or was that a threat for exposure? She was half afraid to ask for clarification, for questioning Lelah’s words would be viewed as insolence. It was clear to Lysandra that Lelah had the power to make her life miserable. “I’m sorry.” She dropped her head apologetically and lowered her eyes to the ground.