Protect (The Guardians Book 1)

by K. B. Wheelock

  “Time immemorial we have stood, the children of those who came before. We accept those who are provided into our arms. Forever to carry the mark of our ancestors” He pulled the glowing iron from the fire and stepped up to stand above Rose. “You are one of us, you serve at the behest of the one who lays claim to you.” And he pushed the iron onto her spine between her shoulder blades. Rose screamed till her throat was raw, tears pouring down her face. Other screams mingled with hers, screams of pain as the crack of the tails could be heard, shouts of joy from the cloaked figures.

  “She has been accepted, she is one.” The cloaked figure stepped down and went to the men. Their gasps of pain loud in the now quiet room. “Which of these shall die, and who shall serve?”

  The quiet muttering turned to shouts. “Challenge, challenge, challenge”.

  “A challenge you want. Then a challenge it shall be. To the death.” The robed figure went to a darkened corner of the room and rang a gong. It reverberated through the room.”

  Quickly the hooded figures spread to the edges of the room as glasslike dividers rose to surround Gris and Keyne. The only opening was the doors that they had entered through, a trio of guards blocking any chance of escape. Gris and Keyne were pushed into the center of the open space, the ties binding their wrists cut. The three guards at the end of the room walked forward, as one they stretched their necks and from one minute to the next they were gone and in their place stood three beasts. Each was eight feet tall slightly hunched over, spikes protruding from their round head and down their back and tail. From their backs sprouted black, bat like wings. Their fingers had turned into foot long claws, their feet and legs more like that of a lizard. Gris and Keyne stared in shock. Neither had ever seen a creature like these.

  The robed figure started a rhythmic pounding with his staff. His voice rang out “This is a fight to the death. The last one of you standing shall live and serve for the rest of your life. Oh, and whatever measly powers you think you have, those cords around your neck nullify them.” Gris and Keyne looked at each other, feeling true fear for the first time. They had no weapons besides their hands and were facing enemies that had the upper hand. Even if they were to win, there was no way they would be able to escape.

  The beasts approached them, spanning out so that they would surround the men. Cheers and stomping started around the room, bets being placed. One beast lunged at Gris, jumping at the last minute so that his tail knocked Gris over, cutting deeply into his shoulder. He landed next to one of his brothers, who followed with the same move over Keyne. The three played a game knocking the men over before they could fully gain their balance. Blood streamed down their chests, soaking the ground so that it was even harder to stand. Pain clouded Keyne’s eyes, and he knew that this was a losing battle. If they both died, there would be no help for Rose.

  Making a decision, Keyne cried “Brother, forgive me” and hurtled himself at the beast closest to him. The beast jumped, hitting Keyne in the head with his tail, one of the spikes embedded into his temple. The light left his eyes as Gris screamed.

  The beasts changed back to men and walked away, not caring that they had taken a man’s life. Gris ran to Keyne, but there was nothing he could do but honor his sacrifice with a vow to kill those who killed him and to protect Rose. The glass sliders receded back into the floor. Two guards grabbed Gris and dragged him to the fire. Another guard took a knife and cut the length of the right pant leg, revealing Gris’ thigh. A guard took each arm and leg and held Gris down as the cloaked figure approached.

  “Through sacrifice you live, the life you knew is gone. You live to serve, forever marked as one.” He took the iron and thrust it into the back of Gris’ leg. “Forever your speech is gone, forever silence shall reign.” The man sprinkled a powder over the burn and a red smoke rose into the air.

  “It is done!” He clapped his hands. “Take him to the cell. Tomorrow his life begins. Bring the food and wine, let’s celebrate.” The arena floor had been cleaned, Keyne’s body removed, and tables were being brought in to be set around the room. Slaves in white sheaths brought in platters of food and jugs of wine.

  * * *

  Rose watched as Gris was dragged out of the room, his leg on fire and silent angry tears running down his face. I will escape and make them pay. Keyne’s sacrifice will not be for nothing.

  Chapter Eleven

  Rose awoke to find herself on a soft bed, blankets covering her to her waist. As she moved, her back started to scream in pain, memories rushed in, and tears blurred her eyes. Keyne was gone, and she was a captive. There was no hope. The door to the room silently slid open. A woman came in carrying a tray of food, followed by a black-cloaked figure. A soft voice instructed the woman to set the food on the table. She complied and then left.

  The cloaked figure reached scarred hands to his hood and pushed it back revealing a man who though not traditionally handsome, demanded that you look at him. Unwavering steel-blue eyes stared at her, raven locks curled around his head. A scar curled from his ear to just under his eye. He took his cloak off, and set it near the table. He had a white shirt, open at the neck, and tan pants. In the waistband of the pants a long thin ribbon of leather was looped. Rose looked at it in fear.

  He sat down on the bed next to Rose and reached out to touch her hair. She shied away. “Don’t. I do not want to have to punish you. Your role here is to do what I say, whatever that is. Do you understand?’

  Rose didn’t, but she nodded anyways. The memory of the punishment she had received for talking fresh in her mind. From his pocket, the man pulled a small jar out. “Lay down please so I can see to your back.” She obeyed, and he gently touched her back, spreading a cool ointment over it, silencing the fiery pain. “Thank you,” Rose said without thinking. A loud crack was followed by a line of pain across her bottom.

  “You do not speak unless asked, not to anyone. It is the trainer’s choice to use the potion on their initiate that stops speech. I chose not to, but if you continue to disobey, I will.” Rose nodded her head. The man pushed her skirt up and put a small amount of the ointment on the red line. “Now come break bread with me.”

  She slowly climbed out of bed, the fabric she had worn yesterday had ridden up, and she blushed. Quickly, she smoothed it down and went to the table. She looked around the room in curiosity. It was much different than the first room she had seen. The walls were still that odd hammered stone, but this room was much larger. The table and chairs sat across from the bed, in a small alcove between the fireplace and door. On the other wall a small pool filled with water sat next to a door that she assumed went to a bathroom.

  On the table was a platter with simple food, small loaves of bread, some sliced fruit and cheese and a pitcher of wine. Rose couldn’t remember when she last ate, and the sight of food set her stomach rumbling, loudly agreeing with her need for food. She quickly put her hand on her bare stomach and glanced at the stranger in embarrassment. He just pointed at the chair. She sat and greedily attacked the food.

  “My name is Roj. You are here for me to train in our ways. While training you are also here to do what I ask, no matter what I ask. I am not a mean man, but I am strict and will not hesitate to punish you, and the punishments we have devised can be . . . exquisite” Rose looked at him with fear. He nodded and continued as he walked to the door. Putting his wrist against it, it slid open, and a woman entered. She wore the white sheath of the other women she had seen, but around her waist was a black scarf. Following her was Eulle. Rose trembled in fear at the site of him

  “Paolina will teach you the ways of our people. She will also receive any punishment you receive, so think twice about all of your actions. Do not try to escape, the only escape is death.” With a smirk he continued, “Eulle will accompany you anywhere you go. He is an extension of me, an order from him is an order from me. If I am not in this room with you, he will be. Do not disobey him. Your punishment will be his times five.”

  Rose trembled. The
food she had so quickly eaten threatened to reappear. She gulped and tried to calm herself. Roj clapped his hands, and Paolina scurried over and picked up the tray of food and went to leave. Roj grabbed Paolina’s arm and pulled her towards him. He trailed a finger along her jawline and leaned in to whisper something to her. She nodded once, her eyes glazed. Roj nibbled her ear and trailed his finger down her back. With a gentle slap on her backside he released her arm, and she left with the tray, followed by Eulle.

  Rose glanced at the bathroom then at Roj. He saw her look. “Your first lesson will be a few signs. You may use these when you need to communicate, but you do not use your voice unless a member asks you to speak. For using the facilities, you make a fist with your thumb between your first two fingers and turn your wrist back and forth like so.” He demonstrated. Rose quickly copied his motion and was rewarded with a smile. “Yes, you may.” She rushed to the room and went in. Minutes later she appeared, smoothing down the skirt.

  “Come, sit here,” Roj patted the bed. She slowly walked over and sat down. Roj moved so that he was almost touching her. His hand landed on her upper thigh, and Rose trembled. Roj ignored her reaction and, instead, started to move his hand in small circles on her thigh. “We are the Reditus Coelus. A select group who have been given gifts by the Gods. We mainly inhabit these halls, but we also have lives above. While in these halls, we wear our cloaks. No one but the slaves see our faces. Above, we do not ever speak of these halls. If someone comes too close, as you did, they become one of us, they become a slave, or they die. An initiate wears purple at all times, a symbol that tells the others you are not to be touched, it also signals that you have magic. A slave wears only white and the scarf of the Lord he/she serves, and is fully human. The guards may or may not have magic, they are assigned to certain Lords to guard them and their initiates.”

  “Now to your duties. Women do not have a place here outside of what her Lord allows. Your job is to satisfy the needs of the Lords, whatever those may be. My job is to train you so that you can take your place in our society. You will learn decorum, to serve at banquets, to anticipate what is wanted, and to direct the slaves you may eventually rule.”

  “Your dress will equal your rank. Until you have learned our ways and earned our trust, you will wear what you have on. This serves two purposes. When you are in the halls it lets others know that you do not know our ways, it also deters escape as you will never be unaccompanied while wearing this. If you are ever alone, you will be stopped.

  “Once you have learned our ways and trust, you will wear what Paoline wears. A white sheath with a sash the color of the Lord you serve. That will be what you wear until the day you are chosen, if you are chosen. On that day you will wear the clothing your Lord chooses in his color.

  “For the first week you will not leave this room. You must learn that your body is not your own, that your wishes are those that I give you. You exist only to please. Move up and sit at the top of the bed.” Rose sat staring at him. He slowly pulled the cord at his waist out, and she quickly moved to the top of the bed. “See that was not so hard. When you are spoken to you do as you are told without hesitation.”

  For what seemed like hours, he gave her random directions. Telling her to position herself this way and that, to stand here to stand there. None of it made sense, but when she did not move fast enough or position herself as he said that small cord would come out. Tears coursed down her cheeks at the pain, but each time he would put the ointment on the red line, and the pain would subside. “Pain is a useful tool. It instills discipline, it tells us when we are doing something that can cause harm. But pain can also bring pleasure. That will be your next lesson. I must leave now. Food will be brought to you, and Eulle will be outside the door.” He pulled Rose to him, kissed her roughly˜biting her lip hard enough to draw blood–and went to the door, he turned to look back at her, “Pleasure and pain, Rose, pleasure and pain.”

  Rose sat on the bed, her fingers against her lips, tasting the blood that his bite had left. She looked at the door and wondered what was going on. She prowled the room, which took all of five minutes. There was nothing here to occupy her. No doors, no windows (Well, why would there be? She was underground.), nothing she could use as a weapon. She laid down on the bed, staring into space. Thoughts swirled around in her mind, but the one thing she kept telling herself was she would escape. The light in the room slowly dimmed over the next few hours.

  The door opened again, and Paoline came in with a tray of food and a pile of purple cloth. Eulle followed her and stood beside the door. Paoline mimed eating, and Rose went and sat down. The simple food was good, but she had no appetite and pushed the food around more than she ate anything.

  After a while, Paoline touched Rose’s hand and pointed to the other room. Rose followed the other woman into the bathroom. Paoline mimed undressing and pointed at the pool. She then placed a towel next to the pool. Once she saw that Rose was doing as asked, Paoline moved to the doorway where Eulle was standing and sat on the floor. Clearly Rose was supposed to take a bath, privacy wasn’t an option. Going with it, she stepped into the pool and reclined with her back to the door. Closing her eyes, she imagined she was home in her apartment, soaking in her own tub. Would anyone miss her? Would anyone be looking for her? Hopefully, her father’s lawyer would think something was wrong and alert the authorities.

  A soft touch on her arm startled Rose from her dream. Reality came rushing in, crushing her with a feeling of hopelessness. Paoline gestured for her to stand and handed her the towel. Rose took it and dried herself off, thankful that she was being allowed to do something for herself.

  Paoline pulled her over to the mirror and dressed Rose in the purple fabric. Gently, Rose was pushed onto a stool. Paoline gently piled her hair up, glided a pencil over her eyelids and applied a jasmine scent to her body. Stepping back, she smiled and turned to the doorway. Rose stood up and followed. Roj had returned while she bathed, “Thank you, Paoline, you can go back to your chambers. Eulle, you are free for the night.” Paoline nodded her head, and Eule bowed, they both quietly left.

  Roj strode forward and began to circle Rose. Stroking her back, her arm, her chin. “Now we need a name for you. Your life begins here and now, so a name must be given.” He came to stand in front of her and whispered “Zera, for you are reborn.” And he leaned into her. She stepped away from him and suddenly was jerked towards him, fingers digging into her arms. “You do not step away from me, you do not move unless given permission. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?” His voice rose as he spoke. Zera nodded her head. “You seem to not have learned from earlier. He roughly pulled her to the bed and threw her down. He pulled her arm up over her head and put it into a manacle attached to the wall. “You will see that your only purpose is to serve and obey. Tonight, it will begin.”

  He walked around the bed and opened the drawer next to her bed. He pulled out a small jar and opened it. He took a small amount of a white cream out and with one finger trailed it down her from her ear to her chest, just under the edge of her top, stopping before he touched her breast. Fire erupted on her skin, causing her to cry out. “You must learn to master your tongue as well as your actions.” With a flick of his wrist, a crack of the leather cord sounded and her thigh burned. Tears ran down her face as fire, and pain raced across her body. “It’s exquisite, this pain. You want to move to release the pain. But you cannot, or you will be punished.” He traced his finger down her other side, from her ear to her chest. The hand that was free clenched the blanket underneath her, as she held her body stiff. Roj leaned over her and kissed the path he had laid out with the cream. Where his lips touched the fire receded. “Yes, Zera, punishment can be exquisite. Pain and pleasure.” He stood up and adjusted his clothing. “When I return, I hope you have learned your lesson.”

  Rose cried herself to sleep, thrashing on the bed. No matter how she moved, she couldn’t extinguish the fire that the cream had created. Her arm ached from being held above her head.
When she slept she dreamt of falling, being caught and carried through the air. Peace infused her and the feeling of being safe and secure. Words whispered in her mind, letting her know she was not alone. When she awoke the smell of peppermint and maple surrounded her, and she knew she would survive and escape. She would not let them break her. They could not lay claim to her mind, that was hers, and she would protect it. I will be Zera...for now.

  What could have been hours or minutes later, the door whispered open, and Eulle escorted Paolina and Opalina into the room. Paolina carried a tray with a piece of bread and a cup of warm milk on it. She brought them to where Zera lay on the bed. Zera quickly ate the bread and drank the milk. When she was finished, Eulle came over and released her arm. Paolina pointed to the other room, and Zera quickly obeyed. She really needed the facilities anyways, so obedience was an easy choice. Opalina and Paolina followed her into the room. Paolina mimed bathing and the ritual of preparing her began again. Eulle stood in the doorway watching her every move as Opalina scrubbed Zera’s body, his hand stroking the cord in his hand over and over. Once her body had been deemed appropriately cleaned, Opalina left, and Paolina pulled her to the stool and sat her down. Her hair was twisted and pulled, a gold chain wrapped through it. Paolina had her stand and put the jasmine scented stick to her ears, her wrists and breasts. She wrapped the purple cloths over her again and stepped back. With a nod she left the room. Zera followed her out and Paolina pointed to the chair. Zera sat, and Paolina went to the door and left.

  Eulle remained, his eyes raked over her body, and fear filled her. He smiled a cruel smile and came behind her, pulling her to stand and pushing her towards the door with his body, his enjoyment at her distress obvious. It whispered open with a touch of his wrist, and he stepped back from her, pointing out the door. She stepped out and stood in the hall. Eulle stepped beside her and started walking. She did not immediately follow, and his hand went to the cord at his waist. She quickly ran to his side, and he grinned. They took many twists and turns until they came to the chamber that she had been taken to last night. Unlike before, the fireplace was empty, the room cold and forbidding. Three cloaked figures stood at the table in front of the fireplace. She shook in fear as Eulle’s body crowded her, silently pushing her forward.