Jack blinked, trying to focus his gaze, reminding himself what was at stake should his limbs fail to obey. He saw William lying on his back just a few feet away, bloody, exhausted, and choking weakly on his own blood. He watched as Conrad approached and, with a sharp kick, shoved William onto his side, allowing the blood to spill from his lips. It was a cold gesture, but the fact he had done it ensured Jack understood how much William must have risked for him.
His limbs felt like lead but, as Alex stood over him, a flashlight illuminating the area with its pain-inducing illumination, he drew everything he recalled. They were sketches created from unsteady lines, an aerial view, a picture of the house, Ashley. He only hoped it would be enough. Shadows swam before his gaze and he heard the tip of his pencil crack as darkness finally devoured him.
Vincent smiled as he led the selected bidders upstairs where his Tabus were awaiting, nicely packaged, like china dolls in their over-sized boxes. This location was his pride and joy. It was one of the many discreet houses belonging to his clan, but this was the one he favoured. Its interior had been specifically designed for these events. The ground floor held a large foyer greeting area, where the papers for the silent auction could be found. A grand double doorway at its rear opened into a magnificent banquet hall, where, after the biddings had closed, he would take his guests to feast on both the best of the clan’s enslaved donors and decadent foods. But upstairs was where the real magic happened. Upstairs, instead of bedrooms, was what he liked to call his maze of mirrors.
The corridors snaked around, but, in place of bedrooms, he had outfitted the entire floor with winding corridors of mirrors, where, at staggered intervals, boxes created by two-way mirrors placed the available Tabus on display. His clan trimmed and dressed them, selecting their attire carefully to ensure they looked their best. After all, trappings made all the difference, and he presented them beautifully with all their information displayed on the outside of each holding cell.
The cells themselves were forged from the strongest substance he could acquire. While inside appeared to be a prison created solely from mirrors, his patrons enjoyed the anonymity of exploring his wares from every angle. Often, Tabus were purchased not only on the strength of their unique ability to withstand the opiates forced into them, but because they were appealing to the eye. The bidders were buying a servant to satisfy all their vices, which is why he ensured they were broken, ready to serve. All except for one. Not that it mattered; those who would have the means to acquire her would be able to handle an unbroken breeder.
Breeders were identified easily at the age of fourteen, their scent becoming compelling to any preternatural. It was at this age that they would be purchased by the council and sent to a training facility. Two years later, they would be ready to serve their purpose. Finding a breeder this old, and with Elder blood, was unprecedented. He expected great things from her, and cooperation and subservience were not necessary for the role she would play.
“Now, if you could make your way back, you will find the bidding cards with the appropriate reference numbers in place. The auction closes in one hour. For those of you who were issued the platinum badges, if you could wait with me for a moment, there is one more product.”
When everyone but the three carefully selected Elites had disappeared, he smiled, speaking again. “Before we continue, there are some terms and conditions attached to the sale of this magnificent creature. Mainly that the victor allows resale to the other bidders once the duty is complete. My fee is twenty-five percent of all sales, as well as certain… ‘special privileges’, shall we say?”
As he spoke, he led them through the winding corridor of mirrors to the isolated cell where his Elder blood breeder was displayed.
“Is this for real?” questioned Thaddeus, his eyes examining the digital statistics displayed, while his fingers traced the large scar across his left cheek.
“I have confirmed it myself. Now, it was brought to my attention that the council ruled that none of your clans be allowed access to any known breeders, due to your various indiscretions. What you see before you is an unregistered preternatural and, as you can see, she has very interesting chemistry.” Vincent gestured towards a secondary sheet. “Even should she be caught in your possession, she lacks the breeder markers, meaning you can feign ignorance.”
“Are you certain this creature can provide offspring?” Thaddeus questioned, moistening his lips eagerly. Vincent could tell by his longing gaze that, even if she couldn’t, she was still of interest to him. She was just his type; pretty.
“I would place my entire power and fortune on it.” He watched with satisfaction as they studied her figure, taking in everything her feminine form had to offer. “Of course, there is one drawback, which I am certain you gentlemen will be bound to enjoy. She isn’t broken. Now, if you’re ready to adjourn, you’ll find her bidding card along with the others.” He chuckled as they made a hasty retreat back toward the main lobby.
He lingered a moment longer, enjoying watching her struggle against her bindings just as the lucky winner would, and felt a pang of envy towards the one who would become her owner.
Chapter 15
Alex drew his car to a halt on one of the back roads leading to the mansion. William and Jack had been secured carefully in the back of his vehicle, neither showing signs of waking. Although, from what he had observed, he would be surprised if William would ever find the strength to wake without aid. He had expended himself beyond his tolerance even before throwing himself to the mercy of the henge. It had been a brave but foolish thing to do. The henge gave power, but it also exacted a cost.
If not for William’s actions, it was doubtful Jack would have survived. He had never witnessed such an intense and violent reaction to a Perennial henge before. He had believed the healer would have been sufficient to create a balance, especially given what he had been doing to his sister. He had been wrong. William had been expended, on the brink of unconsciousness barely a moment after Jack had entered trance. Such energy-burning suggested there was some manner of warding protecting wherever his sister was being held. Jack had been trapped, suffering in a realm of perpetual pain as his mind tried to break through, and his refusal to fail saw the energy begin to shred him from the inside out. If it hadn’t been for William throwing himself into the centre and taking his friend within his arms while he, too, pulled upon this ancient source of power, Jack would have died. But his actions had come with a cost. The healer’s body had been injured, perhaps irreparably.
As he had sat there, embracing his friend, channelling the henge’s power to push Jack through the barrier of pain and repair the shredding damage of the raw energy, their skin had started to heat, leaving Alex with no choice but to use his own abilities to cool their flesh. When Jack had finally broken through, William had been hanging on by a thread, his very pores bleeding as he refused to surrender until his friend was safe. This alone earned him a small measure of respect. But only a small one.
If not for William, Jack would no longer be with them, and any hope of finding his sister in time would be lost. Alex turned his vision from the rear view mirror, bringing his focus back to the here and now.
“Are we close enough for you to do your thing?” he asked, looking towards Tess, who nodded, pulling her laptop out. “Back-up is still an hour away. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that waiting is not an option. Even my own squad have a thirty minute ETA. I don’t like this.”
He tuned his focus to Conrad. “You’re still green, but I know your kind pack a hell of a punch. Given the type of auction, I’m expecting vampires, so that’s nothing your withering light can’t handle if things go south. If you didn’t have that in your arsenal we’d have to rethink. But, for the most part, our intention is solely retrieval. My team will handle the rest when they arrive. For now, we focus on Ashley, on bringing her home.”
“Withering light?” Tess questioned. “What type of shifter did you say you were?”
&n
bsp; Alex felt himself frown at her question. Surely she knew her friend was an ifrit, the most powerful fire elemental in existence? One such as himself would surely not allow that misconception to stand. They were a proud race, after all.
“I’m ready,” Conrad confirmed, clearly skirting the topic.
When the silent auction closed, Thaddeus waited eagerly for the good news. He knew no one could have beaten his offer. He had wanted an offspring, a real heir, for centuries, but his clan’s actions, both before and after the treaties, saw they suffered the harshest punishment. His direct line was cursed with infertility and forbidden from ever acquiring a breeder, along with all the other families who rebelled against the united council.
Preternaturals had difficulty naturally reproducing outside a soul bond relationship and, while their lifespan was extended, often only a single heir could be sired. To be rendered infertile was the second harshest sentence as it robbed the entire bloodline of the chance to parent a child. While a breeder could conceive even with such a curse in place, the blacklist meant their line was fated to be extinguished. Even vampires had a lifespan. They were not immortal like old legends suggested; their time was just prolonged greatly compared to many other races.
It didn’t help that his clan was constantly being caught in breach of the laws. It wasn’t his fault humans were so weak that they needed to be treated with a delicate touch he didn’t possess. He enjoyed the sound of their pain, their screams. It wasn’t his fault they had to fight, that he broke them. This opportunity had been too good to refuse. That breeder would pass on her Elder blood, and, combined with his own patriarchy genes, they would create an unstoppable hybrid and a sovereign from his own line, and thus any curse bestowed upon them would have to be rescinded since their clan contained a Elder blood scion.
He couldn’t help but think Vincent had something else in mind as well. The other two family heads were in the same situation. He glanced down the list, hardly able to believe his luck. Assuming he was the winner, the agreement stipulated that after the first child was produced, following testing to confirm if the Elder blood remained, he had to sell her on to one of the approved families. All of which had stances opposing the council.
As everyone filed into the banquet hall to celebrate their acquisitions, there was one auction not announced for all to hear. Wondering if he had somehow been outbid, he was about to join the small gathering when he felt Vincent’s hand on his arm, pulling him aside.
“It appears congratulations are in order,” Vincent announced, presenting the contract on his device.
Thaddeus was certain the smile upon his lips had been answer enough as he pressed the appropriate place, leaving his mark, and confirmed the necessary transfers. When the transaction was complete, Vincent handed him a large iron key with a knowing wink. “It was a pleasure doing business with you, my good man. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have other guests to attend to and, from your expression, it appears you are eager to become acquainted with your newest acquisition. Can you find your way?”
“I can indeed.” Thaddeus smiled his predatory smile and slipped away. He had waited too long for a day like this, and he wasn’t going to waste another moment.
Ashley startled awake, certain she was being watched. Her arms ached and her shoulders and wrists burnt from supporting her weight while she had been unconscious. Forcing her legs beneath her, she felt the pain explode as her arms moved, causing her knees to weaken.
The last thing she remembered was being dragged in chains from the room and showered down. At one point during this humiliating ritual another dart had found its way into her skin. Now she was here. But she had no idea where ‘here’ was. No matter where she looked, only her reflection stared back. The dark circles she knew were present had been expertly disguised by smouldering make-up. She stared at her reflection for a moment, wondering if it was truly herself who looked back. The hair, the make-up, the clothes, everything was such a contrast to her normal self. It was then she realised why she had been dressed so sensually. The words returned to her. The one who had fed on her and held her close as she fought weakly, had discovered what she could do. She was being auctioned.
The restraints were a single chain attached to the metal shackles on her wrist and secured into a locking wall plate above her head. Yanking the chains, she tried to twist, to pull herself free, but it was to no avail. Panic welled and fear churned, adding to the nausea. She had to get out of here. Turning, she placed her feet to the wall, using all her weight as she pushed and strained, hoping to break something. But no matter what she did, no matter what she tried, she was trapped. The only thing she achieved was to cause the throbbing in her head to intensify due to the abrasive sounds of her chains as she fought against them. Exhausted, she allowed herself to rest for a moment.
That was when she heard it, the sound of the mirror before her sliding open. Her pulse quickened as a darkened corridor briefly flashed into sight before someone stepped inside, leaving the door to slide shut behind them. Her panicked gaze absorbed his every detail at once. The smart-casual clothes had clearly been tailored to fit his hulking frame, his collar remaining unbuttoned so the cords of his thick neck muscles were visible. His dark hair was the colour of pine cones and mirrored the shade of his eyes. He lifted his hand to stroke the short stubble that didn’t quite conceal the large scar across his cheek. But the most threatening thing about this imposing figure was the way he advanced, his hungry gaze greedily examining her every curve as the sound of his hurried hands unfastening his belt echoed through the silence.
Her breathing erupted into panicked sobs, the heaving of her bosom through the corset eliciting an appreciative growl from her captor. Turning her panicked gaze towards the chains, she tried to find a way out, a weak point, something she could break. She fought and struggled, using her entire weight to once more pull down on the shackles, but her attempts only amused him and she could hear his breathing quickening as he stood appreciating the display for just a moment, before closing the remaining distance between them.
“You’re certainly easy on the eyes. Our child will be glorious,” he whispered in her ear, pressing his body against her.
Without thinking, she turned her head, her teeth sinking deep into his throat, latching on, refusing to let go. He howled in agony as her jaw locked. His blood trickled down her chin and she tried to tear the flesh from between her teeth. Her breathing froze as he drove his fist into her stomach, forcing her to release him. Her body trembled until finally, she pulled in an agonising breath through a pain that had made the world around her dim.
He staggered backwards, his hand pressed to his throat, cursing her, but it was the amusement in his eyes that scared her most. She knew she couldn’t stop now. Bringing her knees up, she used the chains to support her weight as she thrust her legs forward to connect with his stomach, forcing him back, away from her.
“I’ll enjoy making you pay for that.” He spat, causing his blood to stain the mirrored tile floor.
His hands fastened around her throat before she could even plan her next move, pushing her up the wall. Choking, she gasped for breath, using every inch of the space she had to twist and push, to try to manoeuvre away, to gain enough space to lash out again. But his grasp was suffocating her and she knew that if he didn’t release her soon, she would fade into unconsciousness.
“You’re mine now, understand?” He released her, pressing his lips to hers aggressively as he reached up to release the chain from the locking plate above her head. With a sharp tug, he sent her tumbling to the floor, allowing the restraint to fall from his grasp. Pushing to her knees, she gasped for breath and tried to crawl away towards the place where she had seen the door. The loose chain dragged across the floor between her hands, the sweat on her skin causing her to slip and slide upon the smooth surface. She screamed as she felt his hand clasp her ankle, dragging her back towards him.
Kicking and screaming, she tried to free herself as he flipped her o
ver, positioning himself above her, his weight pinning her down. Her fingers brushed the cold metal of her necklace as she fought against him. Far from deterring him, her blows seemed to be encouragin, but she knew that to stop fighting was to surrender to this brute’s will.
He was bigger, stronger. She cried out as her left wrist was pushed to the floor above her head, lashing out with her other arm, trying to swing the chain between the two restraints around his neck. But he was quicker. Her muscles burned as she strained against him, her fingers finding the cool chain of her necklace just as he thrust her hand above her head. He secured both her wrists in a single grasp, pinning her helplessly, his other hand now tugging at her clothes with a look of sheer elation on his face. He was enjoying every moment of her fearful struggle, unaware of her necklace breaking.
The sound was inaudible, the breaking of a single link. The heat she had been trying to call up engulfed her with force as he tore open her corset. She screamed as she saw the fire envelop the room, but hers was not the only cry. He wouldn’t scream for long. He wouldn’t run. Her fire engulfed him as her body pulsed with fire, melting the flesh of her attacker. He backed away, howling in agony, but he was trapped with her now, and the fire wouldn’t still, it was hungry, enraged, and something inside her would not rest until everyone felt its fury.
Something inside her pushed through her core, taking control, relishing its freedom with a gleeful wail as the screaming figure before her turned to ash and still the power kept coming. The flames burnt hotter, leaving her body in an endless stream, melting and shattering the mirrors, destroying the ceiling, until an explosion shook the very foundations of the building. Everything her fire touched fell to its power, and everything that burned only seemed to provide more fuel. She knew then that she couldn’t control it. She couldn’t seize this primal force and thrust it back within herself. The fire poured from her endlessly. She could feel its hunger, its need to burn fiercely after being contained for so long.
Salvation's Kiss (Tales Of Mython Book 1) Page 20
