In the Palace of Lazar (Harem Book 1)

by Alta Hensley

  Elbi weakly nodded even though she wasn’t sure that she would be.

  Malachi unraveled his arms from around Elbi’s shoulders and walked to a group of his men. As one of Malachi’s men wrapped her in a light blanket, she glanced down to the other women being assisted by some of the men. The only woman who wasn’t crying or clinging to someone for comfort was Mistress Tula. Elbi saw her sitting there in her ragged clothing, burying her feet underneath the sand. She’d pick up fistfuls and let the grains of silica sift between the gaps of her fingers. Mistress Tula didn’t look relieved as much as just introspective about the whole matter. She was a woman of few words, but something seemed off.

  Elbi crouched to her side. “Are you all right?” she asked.

  “I am not dead,” Mistress Tula replied sharply. She pulled on her clothes with her superior dignity returning. “I am not sure I know how to be afraid anymore.”

  In front of them, Malachi and his militia readied their horses to leave. Mistress Tula only grabbed another handful and eyed it streaming down her wrist.

  Elbi found her own tattered silks and wrapped them around her body. “We’re safe now,” Elbi tried to reassure. She stood up and dusted off her knees. “Malachi and his men will keep us safe. We can go back to the palace.” Her words trailed off when she glanced over at Malachi. Some of his men herded the women and assisted them onto the horses.

  “We are not safe. Your naïve optimism will get you killed,” she warned. “Do not think for a second that Jaden will let this end with today.”

  “Maybe they’re scared of—”

  Mistress Tula didn’t even give her a chance to finish. “Elbi, everyone is scared. We would all be a fool not to. But I assure you that Jaden is not through with us. They will return.” She then finally trotted off to join the other women preparing to leave.

  Elbi, overcome with fear once again, made her way toward Malachi. She had to have faith. She had to believe that Malachi and his men would keep her safe. She had to, or go mad with the darkest terror she ever knew. As she approached, Malachi lifted her onto a horse and handed the reins to her.

  “I will be walking right beside you, so do not worry about how to ride,” he said as he scanned the group making sure all were secure and ready. He made eye contact with Elbi and gave a reassuring smile as he patted her leg. Malachi gestured with a single wave. “Move out!”

  Chapter Two

  The brutal sun baked the skin on their backs as they trekked through the utter ruins of a world squeezed dry. Elbi held her arm at her brow, bathed in sweat, shielding the sun from her face. She locked her eyes on Malachi’s flapping leather jacket covered in streaks of dried blood. To her, he struck a gut feeling she couldn’t quite put into words. Somehow, she just knew everything would be all right. Malachi led the crew, his gleaming sword dangled from his belt. In his hand, he tossed a dagger around between his fingers. Elbi’s eyes narrowed on the way his dark hair rested on his tan neck. It curled slightly at the end and shined brightly under the sun’s rays. He had several days worth of facial hair, only adding to his rugged, mysterious allure.

  She wondered if he remembered her as she remembered him. She had only been called to his chamber once when she was at the palace, but that encounter was one she would never forget. The memory of his touch helped her cope with the blazing heat.

  * * * * *

  He had summoned her to his chamber, and she arrived in the silky, golden gown he instructed she wear. He was dressed down in as much as he could be; a belted tunic, undershirt, and trousers in the palest blue, green and brown. As soon as she arrived, he gestured for her to close the door, but he didn’t turn to face her. She stopped a few feet away after doing as she was bid. Hesitation tangled at her feet before she finally knelt before him.

  “Yes, sir?”

  “Good girl.” He finally turned to face her, but his expression was somber, verging on grim. “But you took too long to say it.”

  “My apologies, sir. It will not happen again.” Elbi ducked her head repentantly and stared at her hands, folded as they were in her lap.

  “See that it does not.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  The silence that hung after her words was painful, and she fought the urge to lift her head and look on his face. It was only when he closed the distance between them and touched her chin with his fingers, that she was permitted to look.

  “It has been brought to my attention that you are removing your anal plugs during your training.”

  She tried to look down at the ground so she wouldn’t have to see the disapproval in his eyes, but he held her chin in place, glaring into her blue eyes.

  “You will be expected to wear the plug for as long as we deem, and now you will be expected to wear an even larger one. Do you understand?”

  “Of course, sir. I understand.” It wasn’t that she truly hated wearing them or that they hurt. It was that she hated how aroused her body became and there was never a release. Her pussy always dripped in need, and the hunger for touch–any touch–almost was too much to endure.

  He didn’t so much as smile. His fingers dropped from her chin and without the support, her head simply dropped forward again. Her breath caught in her chest and everything went dim around her. Elbi felt terribly faint and her fingers tightened in the folds of her gown, desperate to clutch something, anything at all for support.

  “I must punish you for your disobedience, Elbi. You agree, do you not?”

  “Yes.” The word barely squeaked out, breathless and aching. She looked up into his stern face, and the tears that had built in her eyes finally dared to stream forth. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have—”

  “Disrobe now. Go stand in the corner.” The command shook her nerves, and Elbi uttered a small moan of fear mixed with aroused anticipation.

  “Now.”

  She shuddered and removed her clothing as fast as she could, rushing to the corner as he demanded. She could smell the dust mingling with her tears. She could feel her breath bounce off the wall against her face and hear the quivering of it all the more keenly.

  It felt like an eternity before his hand came to rest on the back of her head. He stroked his fingers through her hair and whispered in her ear, “You are a good girl, Elbi. I will be much easier on you this time because of your obvious submission. But from this moment on, I expect you to obey the rules of the harem.”

  He swatted her naked ass as she remained in the corner. The first searing spank shocked her, but the second and third weakened her legs. He continued to spank as her face remained inches from the wall.

  “This time, I will only use my hand against your flesh. But if you remove a plug again, you will feel the sting of leather.”

  She cried. Not because of the hurt, but because she desperately wanted to feel his warmth beneath her by being placed over his knee. Standing alone in the corner was far worse than any spanking ever delivered to her before.

  “Please… please, sir!” The sniveling wasn’t comely and she knew it. He reminded her of it by withdrawing his hand and walking away. She could hear him move across the room, could imagine him turning his back to her. She started to cry even harder and the weight of his silence only made it worse.

  He returned and stood behind her. His body so close that she could almost feel his heat. Elbi gasped when he grabbed her butt and spread her cheeks. He placed a moist finger at her anus and pressed firmly, but not entering. “If I wanted to claim your ass right now, could I?” He pressed his finger past her tight entrance.

  Elbi tensed and bit her lip to not cry out.

  He thrust his finger deeper. “The purpose of the anal training is to prepare you so you can give your body in any way we choose without unnecessary discomfort. We demand your pleasure as much as we demand ours.”

  Elbi nodded because finding words were impossible in her heated state.

  Malachi pumped his finger in and out a few more times and then withdrew it completely. He quickly replaced his fi
nger with the cool glass of a butt plug. He inserted it in without pause. The stretch to her anus caused her to clinch, only elevating the biting sting

  “You are dismissed, Elbi. You must continue with your training to fully be a harem girl. The ability to submit is truly an art. Remember that. Return to the harem.” His dismissive command stabbed at her heart.

  She wasn’t sure how she was going to walk out of the room, but she managed to. Just barely. She staggered up and went for the door at a near run, all the while pawing at the loose wisps of her hair and the tears that streaked her face. She didn’t look to see him— but she didn’t want to. It would have hurt entirely too much. His lack of comfort, or a soothing embrace, was by far the worst punishment she had yet received.

  * * * * *

  Yes. She most definitely remembered Malachi.

  Ever since they started the journey, he walked beside her horse but never said a word. She couldn’t take the silence any longer.

  “Are we heading back to the Palace of Lazar?”

  Malachi gurgled water in his mouth then spat in the sand. “The palace was captured by Jaden.” His words were like a punch to the gut. “We have another commune set up until we build up our forces and take it back.”

  “What about everyone else? The rest of the girls? Are they okay?” She was scared to ask the question. Scared of what the answer might be, but she had to know.

  Malachi placed the dagger he had been playing with back in his pocket. “Some are. Some lost their life. We will know more when we all gather at Casen.”

  “Casen?”

  “It is the commune we have been preparing for quite some time. It is in no way as nice as Lazar, but it will provide us with what we need for now.” Malachi’s eyes gazed at the mottle of violet bruises covering Elbi’s pale skin. “We will be able to provide medical care to those who need it, food, water and shelter.”

  A dry wind blew loose strands of Elbi’s filthy blonde hair. “Will Jaden come for us there?” Tears filled her eyes.

  Malachi drifted much closer to her side. “Eventually, I am sure. But I promise you that if they do, we will be ready this time. Vengeance will be ours.”

  Elbi gazed at the rough cracked skin on Malachi’s hands. “Are we at war? I remember hearing stories as a child of great wars with no winners.”

  “There will be a winner in this one.” His voice, so low and cool in tone, sent a shiver through Elbi’s body.

  “I’m scared,” she couldn’t hold back the tears any longer. Her cherished palace was gone, and she was no more than a desert nomad, walking the wasted dunes one day at a time. Her dream had been shattered and now, with the thought of war, her nightmare of an existence had returned. She didn’t want to live the life of her childhood again. Small, overcrowded communes infested with plague, hunger and hate— Vostok was just one of many.

  Malachi’s fingers curled tight on Elbi’s fragile leg, and he looked up into her teary eyes when she flinched at his touch. “I will make sure you are protected from this point on. I know you have been through a lot. More than I am sure I know, and more than I want to know. But I will never let you feel that fear again. Do you hear me?”

  “You won’t send us away like before?”

  “No. Never again.”

  Elbi nodded, her lips slightly parted. No one had ever told her she mattered before. Even in Malachi’s cold roundabout way, he had made her feel special. She believed that he truly would try to keep her safe. Foolish maybe, to have such faith in someone, but what choice did she really have? Women of the communes didn’t have many choices, she had learned that at a very early age.

  Being at the palace gave her a life she never imagined. Silks, satins, jewels and luxury filled her daily life. Food and water were never a want, and comfort was never a need. The Palace of Lazar was her heaven. She cried harder at the thought of it all being gone.

  Malachi effortlessly hopped on the back of her horse without even having the horse stop. He wrapped his arms around her. “You will be safe, I will be sure of it. Dry those tears,” he soothed softly in her ear.

  She nodded her head and sniffled back her tears to the best of her ability. His embrace gave her the strength she needed. “Thank you. I’m sorry for being such a burden. I know you need us all to be strong.”

  Malachi stroked her matted hair. “You are strong, Elbi. You are much stronger than you know. There is no shame in being afraid.” He tightened his grip around her. “Press back against me and rest.”

  Elbi leaned back against his weight and wondered how much longer they’d travel before reaching Casen. Intense exhaustion throbbed deep in her lower back. In comparison, Malachi didn’t seem an ounce uncomfortable after nearly marching for five hours.

  Her lips parched, she felt sick to her stomach, battered and browbeaten by the sun. Drops of sweat ran down her arms. Her vision clouded and the ringing in her ears escalated, all the signs warning her that she was about to faint.

  As if he too saw the warning signs, Malachi put a flask of water to her lips. The cooling burn of water moistened her mouth. Elbi coughed into her fist.

  “Malachi,” rasped Elbi. “You don’t need to waste your water on me.”

  “How are you feeling?”

  “My throat... it’s so tight.”

  Malachi ever so gently held the back of Elbi’s head. Her hair waterfalled through his big meaty fingers. “Drink up,” he told her.

  Elbi struggled to lift her arms and sip from Malachi’s flask. The lukewarm liquid shot and stung her throat.

  Elbi stared up, crumpled in Malachi’s arms. Her hair swung in a tangly disarray, her clothes in tatters, but she felt safe. Safely wrapped in Malachi’s embrace on a horse in a war torn desert.

  He looked at the sky, squinted up ahead, and then back at the sky again. “We will need to stop and hold up here for awhile. You will have to bundle up. A sandstorm is coming.”

  “But what about Jaden? What if they catch up to us?”

  “Jaden’s army will not find us here. When I said I would let no one hurt you—I meant it.”

  Elbi breathed deep, her small waifish body contorted in Malachi’s grasp. He dismounted from the horse, carrying Elbi through the crowd. He gave the commands to his men, and his militia dropped their weapons and belongings ready to set up a temporary shelter. They all saw to the rest of the women as if each girl had been assigned to them.

  Slopes of sand blew in the air. Looking out to the huddled masses, Elbi saw each of them wore something wrapped around their faces. They hunkered down in the dead center of a sandstorm. Inhaling sand at this speed would scrape like gravel along the lining of your lungs or suffocate you in your sleep. Blasting wind this high in the dunes would keep anyone—Jaden army or not—at bay. Elbi sat next to Malachi, wriggling her toes in the warm sand.

  “We will return to Lazar,” he said as he drew a picture in the sand with is dagger in his hand as they sat and waited for the storm to fully hit.

  Elbi glanced down at an outline of a palace with sun rays bouncing out of its borders. “The Palace of Lazar,” Elbi replied. “It was the only home I knew.”

  Seconds later, the drawing vanished, blown away by the wind as the gusts picked up speed. The eye of the storm had reached them.

  Malachi pressed his body protectively against hers and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “The storm will hopefully pass soon. Close your eyes and press your face against my chest.”

  She did as he ordered. The smell of leather from his clothing, and the essence of his body titillated her senses. The sand beat against her frame as Malachi tried to pull her into him even closer. The sound of blowing wind conquered any sound. She couldn’t even hear the horses that circled all the men and women providing at least some minimal protection.

  “Keep your eyes closed!” he yelled above the howling wind.

  She tightened her eyes more and burrowed her face even deeper against his chest. The wind shook her body so hard that if it weren’t for Mal
achi holding her firm, she thought she might blow away. She remembered being told a story as a child of nomads being torn to shreds by the desert wind. The gory tale was told often to children to deter them from leaving to explore for something better. But sitting here, huddled against Malachi, she couldn’t help but wonder if the gruesome stories were indeed true.

  Malachi positioned his body so his covered lips were against her ear. “It is passing! Hold on just a little longer!” He rubbed her back reassuringly.

  He held her like that until the worst of the storm had passed. When it finally subsided enough, he pulled away to examine her. “Are you all right?”

  She removed the fabric from her face and nodded.

  He stood up and surveyed the entire group. After seeing that everyone had weathered the storm, he gave his commands. “Let us continue on. Casen is near!”

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