by Allison West
James wandered around the dark room, his hands on the walls. Light filtered in from the tunnel, just enough to help them not walk into one another. He stopped beside the wall. "There's a door." James rushed to the tunnel exit. "Kali, where does the door lead?" he asked.
"Don't open it!" Her voice carried through the tunnel. "It's hidden outside, but if the mainlanders are nearby, we'll all get infected."
Aria grasped James' hand, wondering what their next option would be? With so few elite, were they better off finding the mainland and befriending those people or trying to build a home for themselves here, on Amity Island? It was evident there was more to the world, with the ships coming into port, wanting to take over the land.
Aria tugged on his hand, leading him away from the small crowd of their comrades. "What do we do?" she asked. "This is crazy." How long could they stay cooped up inside a cave or pit? Even if they did drive off the mainlanders, would more eventually find their way and try to wipe them out?
It was clear from the stories Aria had heard that the elite in the lair were probably all dead. Could there be survivors? She doubted there would be enough to offer them protection. Besides, the people on the ship, who were once the invaders, would be the ones forced to offer the elite protection. With their numbers greater than the elite, how much longer would the balance of power last? Aria didn't want to wait around to discover what came next.
James leaned close, his breath tickling her ear. Swallowed in darkness, Aria knew that Kali had been forced to extinguish the flame. She climbed through the tunnel next, to come and join them.
"We can't stay here forever," James said.
"What do you suggest we do?" Aria asked. There was a disease ravishing anyone who came into contact with it. Should they risk infection? How long could they hold out beneath the ground in complete darkness? If they so much as tried to escape through the door in daylight, everyone would see.
He dropped a kiss beside Aria's ear. "We sneak out and run. I have a bad feeling, Aria. We need to get out of here and fast."
Her stomach tensed. A bad feeling? He'd seen the smoke outside. Aria had seen it as well. Had he heard the screams of the elites being burned to death? They were across camp, but it didn't mean they couldn't be heard.
The room, though dark, was filled with whispers and murmurs through the night. Eventually, the sounds settled until all Aria heard was her own breathing. James squeezed her hand, a signal that it was time.
He kept a firm grasp on her hand and led her to the door. The door clicked and opened, bathing them in a cool breeze and moonlight. Aria slipped out behind him and quietly secured the door as best she could. From the outside, it looked like the side of a hill with grass growing. There was no handle and no sign of a door.
The full moon made the night look bright after being cooped up for hours in pitch black. Aria clung to James, her hand never leaving his grip as they skirted through the forest. Did he know where they were going? Aria didn't even know what the plan was, other than to find a way off Amity Island. It didn't seem possible, since the boats were infected and the mainlanders were searching for them.
Was this a mistake, escaping the pit and cave? There was no going back now. Trying to get into the pit could get them killed if mainlanders were watching the gate. Besides, they weren't going to risk the lives of those inside the pit, hidden safely in the darkness.
James kept his voice down, in case anyone was nearby. "I heard Kali and the elite talking before I caught up with them outside." His expression was grave, and Aria's heart clenched.
Had he heard them discussing the fire and the deaths of their comrades?
Wandering through the darkened forest, her feet crunched on broken branches and she stopped, trying to be cautious not to alert anyone of their presence. She heard it before she saw anything, the sound of a horn blowing and the beat of a drum that increased in tempo and pace, much like the way her heart beat right now.
The smoke from earlier had cleared. There was no sign of anyone, but she knew the mainlanders mustn't be far.
An arrow whizzed right by her head. Was it a dart? "Run!" Aria screamed, dashing through the trees as she narrowly missed a second one.
Whoever was after them, seemed too far away. Unless they forced James and Aria in the direction they wanted them to go? She couldn't be certain of anything except the fact she was still alive. How much longer would they be able to survive?
Stepping out from the shadows, Sienna and four guards, two on each side of her, brandished bows with darts.
"We thought you were dead!" Aria said, surprised to see the commander still alive. Aria felt the wind knocked out of her. Kali insisted that the lair had burned down.
"Then you should be relieved to see me," Sienna said.
"I am." Aria felt shocked, but she didn't dare correct the commander. Her stomach tensed. Why had Kali insisted that everyone in the lair had died? "Did you escape the fire?" Aria asked. Perhaps she had found a way out before the smoke and flames got to her?
Her brow furrowed, a hint of disappointment on her face. "There was no fire. I really thought you'd catch on faster, Emerald. Letting you become one of us, was part of our entertainment. Lock her up."
"Wait!" Aria screamed, trying to break free of the two men who grasped her arms and lifted her feet off the ground as she kicked and flailed in an attempt to get away. "I've been loyal to you. I've followed your rules, done everything asked of me by your people and the tribe."
The commander ignored her pleas. She stepped closer to James. Fear clenched at Aria's stomach. What would she do to him? Had he been part of her games? Why had she been chosen among everyone in their group, because she had green eyes? Tears threatened her vision, but she wouldn't let Sienna get the satisfaction of seeing her cry.
"James, you have a choice," Sienna said, smiling smugly at him. "Join the elites as my companion, or face the die with Aria, where one of you may be forced to kill the other."
Aria's eyes widened, and she stopped fighting the guards. "James, go with her!" It's not that she wanted him to be with Sienna, quite the opposite. The mere thought of Sienna putting her hands on his bare skin nauseated Aria. However, the choice being that or him facing a possible death, there wasn't any question what he should do.
"No." His jaw tightened, and his nostrils flared. "I will never be with you, Sienna."
The commander laughed and clasped her hands together in front of her. "So you'll kill her instead?" The smile only grew wider on her lips. "Wonderful! The celebration will be magnificent with you two at the center of the festivities. You are the talk of the tribe."
"What about the mainlanders, the disease, and the fire that killed the elites?" Aria asked. Had it all been lies to mislead them?
Sienna stepped closer, and the guards gripped Aria's arms tighter, showing her who was in charge. "The mainlanders are all dead. That prop plane that crashed must have been from a neighboring island. Such a pity. As for the disease, well, that was a long time ago." She didn't elaborate. "The pirates you despise so openly, those are my men patrolling the seas. We couldn't let you leave. You are fresh blood, and we like that for our evening entertainment. You'll see how much fun it is, for us."
"You're sick!" Aria screamed and lunged forward for Sienna. Aria startled her, forcing her to take a step back, but she regretted her action. The guard took his weapon, slamming Aria across the face in punishment. Her cheek burned, and her lip felt fat and swollen.
"Sick? No. The sick are the ones who wished genocide on our world. We are paradise. There's nothing wrong with voyeurism, Aria. Some of our members in the pit even enjoy the attention." The commander turned toward the guard. "Raise the gate. Show our guests what we'd do in the event of an actual attack."
Another guard pulled a small box from around his neck. He flipped the device open, and a bright red button sat in the center. Pushing the button, a siren sounded and a metal gate rose from the ground. The metal gate had a daggered blade at the top t
o deter anyone from climbing the fence.
"Why do all this?" Aria asked.
Sienna stepped farther away from Aria, her fingers grazing over the metal gate. "We get bored here so easily. Occasionally, we kidnap natives on the neighboring islands, but it's rare to find an emerald. We didn't lie about our doctrine. Had you been born on Amity Island, you would be an elite. Too bad you're not a native."
"Lucky me," Aria said under her breath.
Sienna faced the guards who kept Aria from running. "At noon, we'll dress her and put her in the flat along with her precious boyfriend," Sienna said. "That is, unless you've changed your mind?" Her hand reached out, resting it atop James' bare chest.
A hint of anger and jealousy stirred within Aria. She wanted to leap forward and rip Sienna's arm away from his body. She was not to touch him, ever. Aria's cheeks burned with rage.
"Never," James said. "We live together; we die together."
Aria wanted to scream at James for being such an idiot. He was potentially killing himself, or her. She couldn't fight him in the flat. She wouldn't. Perhaps he had another plan, something else he'd concocted to get them out of here. At least they'd be caged together, right?
Chapter 5
"Have you ever had sex in a jail cell?" James asked.
Aria shot him a look that said she wasn't amused. "Seriously? How can you think about that right now?" Her cheeks burned, and not only from embarrassment. She fumed. The fact they were caged like animals didn't help, and for what reason? As entertainment for the elites.
Aria leaned against the cold metal bars. They were back in the pit. The one place Aria thought they were getting away from. The smoke that had been trailing from the gates at the door had long since dissipated.
Were the crew and passengers from the ship still down below in the cave? There was no way to find out. Sienna wasn't likely to tell them, and they had no visitors. How long would the commander force their people to sit in the dark, waiting out a disease that didn't even exist? Kali must have known what was going on and had been in on the arrangement.
"I want out!" Aria screamed, shaking the iron bars, but it did little good. There was no escaping the tribe. Sienna left the fence up around the community as far as Aria could see, as the guards dragged them back to the pit.
"Relax," James said. He stood behind Aria, his voice calm and even.
How was he not upset and screaming to get out of here? Aria wanted nothing more than to leave Amity Island, steal a boat, and get as far from here as possible. "I can't relax," she said and spun around to face him.
He stood close. James leaned in, his hands finding the cold metal bars as he pinned Aria against the jail cell. "Maybe I can take your mind off the situation."
"How?" she asked, staring up at him. Even though they were alone, she felt as if they were being watched. How could she not think that the elite were up to no good, after betraying them? They'd lied to Aria and James repeatedly. What would they do to the rest of the crew and passengers on the ship after they were dead? Would they continue to believe the mainlanders were hostile?
James grinned. "How do you think? I asked you a question earlier, and you didn't answer me."
"What question?" Aria frowned.
"Have you ever had sex in a jail cell?"
"Oh, that." She laughed. "No, James. I've never been in prison before, until today."
"I have," he said.
Aria coughed, hearing his answer. "You've had sex in jail?" That, definitely wasn't something she would have expected from him. Then again, maybe she should have. "Let me guess, she was one of your special girls from the palace and did something to disobey you or your father. So, you went down there to make it up to her?"
He shook his head no, the smile never fading from his face. "Good guess, but no." James leaned in, brushing his lips against Aria's. "No sex was involved, but I've been arrested."
"For what?" It was hard to believe one of the princes of Brayleigh had ever been in handcuffs.
"Promise not to laugh?"
"No." Aria grinned. "Tell me." Her fingers grazed over his bare chest. Covered in dirt from climbing around the tunnel earlier, he needed a bath. She probably didn't look any better.
"Who's in charge?"
"Sienna," Aria said and laughed. If he expected her to answer that he was the alpha, well, right now, they were both locked up in a prison cell.
James leaned in and took a taste from her lips, biting gently on her bottom lip, tugging at the sensitive flesh. He growled under his breath, releasing his teeth from her lips. James' fingers moved over her stomach and down her back. His hand pulled her from the bars long enough to find her rear and swat it.
"Hey! What was that for?"
"Sienna may think she's in charge, but who is the one who is going to make you come, all from a simple touch?" he asked and let his fingers fall down her waist and between her thighs. Aria wasn't wearing much, thanks to the Knight Tribe, just a sheer piece of fabric wrapped around her intimate areas.
He pushed the material to the side, stroking her pussy. Two fingers slid between her folds, making her wet. His lips found hers, kissing her as he maneuvered his thumb to swipe across her clit.
It didn't take much for him to make her wet. She moaned in his arms. Her eyes slipped closed, and her fingers dug into his arms. "Don't stop," she whispered. He didn't need to prove a point, and she hoped that wasn't on his agenda.
"Then tell me I'm right," he said. "Who's in charge?"
"You are." She would do whatever he wanted. He didn't have to ask twice.
"Good girl."
Aria's hands dragged down his chest over the steady beat of his heart. She had one destination in mind: his cock. Her fingers trailed a path down his stomach, feeling his rigid muscles under her touch.
One hand reached out to stop her, the other momentarily paused as he sank his digits inside her pussy. She clenched onto him, wishing it was his rock-hard cock inside of her. "Let me touch you," she said, biting down on her bottom lip. Her center throbbed, begging for release, and James was taking his time, being sweet and going slow. That wasn't what she needed or craved right now.
"No." He stared down into her emerald eyes. He was the alpha. Aria was his submissive. She didn't mind relinquishing control for him; in fact, she liked it a lot.
Aria whimpered, and her fingers reached out against his command, moving farther south on his body across the path of hair just below his navel.
"Aria," he said with a hint of warning in his sharp tone.
She chose to ignore him, going for her desired destination. Let him stop her. Did he even have the willpower to say no? Her fingers moved beneath the leather flap, grazing his erection.
James growled, and his fingers slipped out of her pussy. Before she had time to contemplate what he was doing, they were on the ground, and she was bent over his knee. He removed the fabric wrapped around her, the makeshift dress that she wore. James got a good look at her ass and her slick pussy.
"Enjoying the view?"
His hand came down hard, and she grimaced. This time, no one watched them, unlike when he had been forced to spank her at the palace. Now he was doing it because he wanted to. Aria's heart stirred at the feeling of James taking control. It had been too long.
His hand came down again, and she was sure he'd leave a bright red handprint on her porcelain skin. Did he realize how turned on she got from his dominance? Aria didn't dare tell him; that would take away from their little game. This one, she liked, compared to Sienna's hostile choice of entertainment.
"Are you a bad girl for everyone or just for me?" James spanked her again, and she clenched her cheeks together. The sting grew painful with each swat.
"Just for you," she said. Was that what he wanted to hear? His hand came down again, and this time, she was sure wetness from her pussy must have been seeping down onto his lap. Could he see her pink, swollen flesh glistening in the prison cell?
"Next time I give you a command, yo
u will accept it." James swatted her bottom again.
Aria's eyes slammed shut, moaning from the sensation. Her clit felt as though it were on fire. Her labia throbbed to be touched, and James decided to take his time punishing her, for what?
"Did you hear me?" Another spanking to her bare bottom. "I told you not to touch my cock."
The insides of her pussy pulsated. The mere mention of what she wanted inside of her forced a groan as he spanked her again.
"But I wanted to," Aria whined. "It's not fair," she muttered under her breath.
He heard her, landing his palm against her crimson cheeks, with another spanking. "I could go all day," James said.
"Fine. No more touching you. I won't ever touch your cock again." Aria felt desperate for release. Had that been what James wanted?
"I don't think you could handle that. Now, stand up and spread your legs," his voice commanded, and Aria did as he instructed. "Turn around." He pointed at the bars. "Hold on."
Aria gripped the metal, her fingers wrapped around the length like a cock in her fist. "James?" She glanced behind her. He stood, his cock at full attention, and he hadn't let Aria suck or stroke him. "I want to touch you," Aria said.
"And you will, but not right now." He stared at her rear, probably admiring the red blush he'd given to her cheeks.
"Do you like my red ass?" she asked, wiggling her bottom.
He swatted it, though this time, he was much more playful. It still didn't take the bite out of the sting, since her flesh felt raw. "I know something you'll like better than being spanked." His fingers slipped back down between her folds, feeling her wetness. He stroked her, slipping two fingers inside her pussy as she clenched down and thrust her hips, seeking more.
James' lips found her neck, sucking the sensitive skin as his fingers continued thrusting inside her, trying to make her come.
She felt so close, tinkering on the edge, her muscles clenched, and her toes curled.
James slipped his fingers out.
"Bastard," she muttered under her breath. Why had he done that?
