Dark Lord

by Corinne Balfour

  “Grow up, Triniti. This childish stunt you pulled caused someone to die,” Payne said.

  She was aware of moisture filling her eyes and it embarrassed her. No one ever saw her cry. “I know I made a mistake.”

  “I hope the rest of us will not have to pay for your mistakes.”

  She thought Payne was being a real pain in the ass. “You’re not being fair. I did not harm anyone; it was the Countess who murdered the concubine.”

  “Do not use the word murder with the Countess, Triniti. Did you know that she ordered your execution and your brother had to talk her out of it? Say nothing about the Countess. Let Jules work on your release and do not say anything that will cause the Countess to order your execution again.” Payne left the room then, leaving her alone in the tower room. She glanced about the room, seeing nothing but white walls with chipped paint. The small cot had only a ratty mattress and there were no sheets or blankets. She shivered with the cold and began weeping again in despair.

  ***

  Devereux attended his first Swordbrother meeting in the falinn, their special meeting area in the mansion. They were supposed to be preparing their bodies and minds for the Countess’s pleasure, but they were not about to conduct themselves like pampered whores. Since he was new, he intended to observe rather than take an active role. He had not even been initiated into their order.

  “Grand Master, we need to have this meeting, but Payne cannot leave his guard post,” Vane said.

  Prince Caspar, the Grand Master of the Flourdan Brothers of the Sword, nodded and gestured for Vane to take a seat. “We need Payne to be present when we initiate Devereux. For now, we’ll operate as if Dev is already a member and we’ll have the proper ceremony for it later. We need to discuss how we can obtain proof of Nefertiti’s alliance with the Romans. We also need to know who else is involved in this conspiracy. The Queen would like to know as well, as she had ordered that no additional tribute be paid to Rome.”

  “We know that she tried to send a tribute of peasant girls along with some gold,” Vane said. “We rescued the villagers, but we were unable to discover any more, as the eunuchs escorting them escaped.”

  “Could the eunuchs identify any of you?”

  “No. Our features were concealed by hoods,” Vane said. “It is strange how the Countess has not mentioned the eunuch attack, though. Any ideas on how to get into the treasury or the war room?”

  Caspar lowered his head in deep contemplation. “She may even keep such information in her private chamber. We need to gain entry to all those areas and somehow remain undetected. Dev, have you developed any hybrid abilities, such as invisibility or instant teleporting? That would be helpful.”

  Dev considered whether he had anything remotely similar to it, but he did not believe he did. “I don’t think so. I haven’t tried to do those things and I’m not sure how to go about trying. What if I teleport into a wall or the bottom of the sea?”

  “Try making yourself invisible,” Vane said. “I’ve heard that some Asstrumnians can do that.”

  Dev concentrated on becoming invisible and he watched as his right hand disappeared. He concentrated some more, but the rest of his body remained visible. “Not good enough to help.”

  “It’s promising,” Caspar said. “Keep practicing. What else can you do?”

  Dev remembered how he had influenced Nefertiti with his suggestions. “I may be able to persuade or even compel people to do things.”

  “You must practice that skill and develop it,” Caspar said. “If you could get people to reveal information to you, that would be useful as well. Let us adjourn this meeting. We cannot linger here much longer, as the lords will surely be missed if they are unable to participate in Nefertiti’s quarterly circus.”

  Devereux thought about the hybrid in Sebastian’s dungeon. She could be the key to learning how to use his hybrid abilities, providing the female cooperated. Sebastian would ensure Helsina’s cooperation, as his friend was determined and ruthless when it came to achieving his goals. That ruthless streak ran through Amalie as well, although she kept it hidden most of the time under her sugary demeanor. Dev wasn’t ruthless and he wasn’t by nature a killer. Sometimes he wished he could be as ruthless as the others and not care who he hurt to get what he wanted. He was hardening in some ways. In the past, he would not have considered using a female like Helsina just so he could gain knowledge. Now, he couldn’t contemplate not doing it. Hybrids used their bodies and minds as weapons. He could do the same once he learned how to do it. He had to find some way to turn his weaknesses into strengths because that was the only way he would survive. He would not be left defenseless should anyone decide to hunt him.

  As he left the falinn, he took the lengthier route to the main hall. He was in no hurry to attend Nefertiti’s notorious circus. He knew that technically, the lords were not supposed to explore the entirety of the lower floors of the mansion (or the upper floors for that matter). He preferred to scope out the areas, never knowing when such information may be useful to him later. While wandering the hallways, he spied Briella. She narrowed her eyes at him and walked in his direction, stopping inches in front of him. “We meet again, my lady.”

  “You are in an unauthorized area. Are you lost, Lord Langley?”

  Her high and mighty attitude grated on his nerves. “I am guilty of trespassing. Will you arrest me? Will you tie me to your bed and use your whip on me – again?”

  She frowned in irritation. “I’ve never had you in my bed and that whip that you refer to was not mine.”

  “Yes, your memory is more accurate than my own. I was tied to the Countess’s bed when you used the whip on me. I recall seeing you to your own bed once, but I did not join you there. Such a pity.”

  She frowned further and glanced about the hall, seemingly concerned that others would overhear their conversation. “You cannot speak of such things. Do it again, and I will borrow Nefertiti’s porcupine whip and strike you with it.”

  “Please, not the porcupine whip. I prefer the soft leather whip that you used once before. Where shall I present myself for your punishment? In your quarters?”

  “Your suggestions are tasteless and offensive to me. Cease immediately, else I will have no choice but to take action against you." Her face filled with anger as he laughed at her. “This is no laughing matter, Lord Langley. I was just appointed the new safety officer and I’ve been given additional authority to ensure proper levels of safety are maintained at all times.”

  Dev inwardly cringed. Her new promotion would only accelerate the rate at which she would become poisoned by her sister’s influence. She would lose all decency and her soul would become as rotten as Nefertiti’s oozing, sore-ridden flesh. “My apologies. I had no idea that your station had been so elevated. Congratulations on your accomplishment. The Countess will be certain to mold you in her image. In no time flat, you will become the best bitch that you can be.”

  “Goodness, Dev. There’s no need to be so hostile with me. My only goal is to ensure safety, so how is that a bad thing for Avenal? Given the recent events, one would think a safety officer was needed here.”

  “Will you protect me from harm if the Countess wants to strangle me during one of her bondage games? How will you ensure safety? Will you be close at hand to provide CPR when I fall unconscious in the Countess’s bed? Will you breathe new life into my chest just so that I can complete the sex act with Nefertiti and give her pleasure?” Briella looked uncomfortable by his questions, which pleased him for some reason. The idea of her facilitating these unwanted sexual encounters between the Countess and the harem lords turned him cold.

  “Nefertiti has decreed that an expert be acquired to advise her on erotic matters and a trip to Eros is in the works to hire this expert. My job is to ensure safety, not to stand guard at Nefertiti’s bedside. You never answered my question as to your presence here.”

  “No, I didn’t.”

  She looked at him with frustration. “
Well? What were you doing trespassing down this wing? Were you hoping to visit one of the concubines in their beds? I must tell you that it will not be allowed. You are not to fraternize with the concubines under any circumstances.”

  He had not realized he was in the concubine dormitories. He wondered if she was jealous. “A male has needs, you know. Nefertiti’s too repulsive to meet them, but perhaps you will do in her stead.” The shock filling her face was entertaining to watch. She yanked him by the arm and started tugging him down the hall. Unfortunately, she did not tug him into a vacant room and have her way with him.

  “I do not trust you and I’m going to personally escort you to the main hall.”

  He allowed her to escort him, liking the feel of her hands gripping his flesh. He spied the mark on her throat, still visible despite her attempt to hide it under a high necked robe. The bite he had given her was related to mating and the hybrids had mentioned some sort of mating bond. Did that mean that he had unwittingly bound himself to this female? Would he actually die if he did not mate with her? He didn’t feel like he was dying. Due to his Flourdan mother, he did not share as much alien DNA compared to the other hybrids. The effects of the mating bond may be less severe, especially since the female he had bitten was not a hybrid. He could only hope he would not be impaired by any mating bond. He had enough problems without having to deal with uncontrollable physical urges. Despite his attraction to Briella, he had no intention of taking her as his lover. Keeping such a forbidden affair a secret would open himself up to all sorts of potential problems. When his needs became too great to ignore, he intended to seek physical pleasure outside Avenal.

  Chapter 4: Circus of Depravity

  Nefertiti hosted a circus four times a year at Avenal. It was not a normal circus and none of the villagers were invited. The affair was rather notoriously known as the Circus of Depravity, an event that one could only hope to see when one was in the home of the Deranged Dominatrix. The Countess forced the male and female concubines to dress as animals and perform tricks. A tightrope was strung in the center of the room. It was not elevated very high off the ground, but anyone who lost his balance and fell would fall straight into the watching crowd. Some of the ladies were known to cop a feel whenever a gentleman they admired fell into their grasping hands. The lords were all forced to participate wearing tiny loincloths that were decorated with a furry red ball in the center. According to Nefertiti, it was supposed to represent the nose of a clown. This year, she had also requested that they all wear curly red haired wigs. After they walked the tightrope, they would be forced to juggle their loincloths, which of course would leave them wearing nothing but the clown wigs.

  Briella did not know what to expect when she was ordered to attend the circus, but it did not surprise her that it was going to be another obscene spectacle. An ordinary circus with real acrobats and dancers would have been better, but normal and ordinary were not words associated with Avenal since Nefertiti had become the Countess. She knew it was terrible of her, but she couldn’t stop herself from laughing when she saw the lords in their ridiculous clown suits. The tiny loincloths decorated with the furry red balls were a bit out of place on the hardened warrior bodies of the lords. Their grim expressions reflected their displeasure as they moved through the crowd in their unusual attire. Jules had apparently been sent to guard Triniti in the tower so that Payne could participate, but Payne did not seem happy about being relieved of guard duty. He fell off the tightrope and ended up sprawled all over Portia Fairley. Miss Fairley acted like a God had fallen into her lap; she fawned over him and kept referring to him as “your lordship.”

  One by one the lords walked the tightrope. Briella couldn’t help but notice that Devereux was not present. That was extremely unusual; being a no show was not allowed. She could not blame him for balking at the thought of participating in something that would be so degrading and debased, but she wondered where he had disappeared. She had looked forward to his performance, despite the indignity of it. She had seen little of his naked body since the night that he had been tied to Nefertiti’s bed. The male could not even fake obedience. She had actually caught him wandering the female halls, probably in search of feminine flesh. He had been unconcerned at being caught in an unauthorized area. He had claimed that he had needs. He would not be satisfying any of his personal needs any time soon. She would post additional guards on the wing housing the concubine dormitories to bar any unauthorized visitations. He would have no choice but to forgo his physical needs, just as she had been doing for years. It was not like he could die from sexual deprivation.

  She scanned the crowd, searching for him again. She didn’t care what others said about him. She knew that he was a hybrid. Maybe he made himself invisible to escape the circus. There was no telling what the male could do with his hybrid genes and his being a member of Nefertiti’s harem wasn’t the best idea. Engaging in intercourse with a hybrid could be dangerous to one’s health. Who knew if such a thing was safe? Hybrid seed might act as a toxin in a human’s body. It was possible that the different physiologies would be grossly incompatible. If Dev was part hybrid, then matings between hybrids and humans must be possible, but that didn’t prove the matings were safe. She could test him out, ensure that he could mate with a woman without the woman suffering any ill effects. It would be the right thing to do. She really should investigate the long-term effects as well and ensure a human woman could tolerate the use of a hybrid male body without suffering any negative effects years down the road. How to convince the Countess that the need was pressing? Who was she kidding, Nefertiti would never agree to such a thing.

  “Where is Lord Langley?” Nefertiti asked. “I do not remember him taking the rope. He cannot be allowed to disrespect me. Prince Alyntine, fetch him at once.”

  Alyntine left to search for his wayward nephew. The juggling events continued for another half hour and then the circus was over. The lords were allowed to dress in short tunics and they discarded their wigs. The party continued in the small salon. Nefertiti indicated that she would reveal a new sculpture. She led them toward a table and unveiled a rather hideous design of a naked man in the embrace of a large winged insect. The insect possessed the face of a woman and it was kissing the man. The Countess smiled and pressed a kiss to the statue. “This is the dronusfly queen and she is openly fornicating with the Asstrum male.”

  “What does the sculpture symbolize, Countess?” Audrelia asked.

  “It is a reminder to all of us that the people of Asstrumnia are truly alien. The hybrids mate with the dronusfly queens and create huge winged aliens.”

  Briella had never heard of the dronusfly and she wondered if such a thing existed. “How do you know this?”

  Nefertiti produced a scroll from her robe. “The scholars obtained this document from the archives, lost for centuries. It depicts such a creature and it describes how the winged aliens ravaged much of Flourda. There is another document that shows a diagram of a winged alien ravishing a former queen of Flourda. It shows also that the poor queen conceived a winged infant that was so grotesque that she went insane from the sight of it.” She passed the documents around the room so that the ladies could peruse them. “Ladies, I tremble at the sight of these images. What I am about to tell you is much worse. I debated whether to keep this information from you, to share it only with my top advisors. I decided after the deepest soul searching that I should disclose this terrible news to all for your own protection. It is terrible news. The oracle of the Flourdan court has seen a terrible future for Flourda. The winged beasts will attack and ravage every lady of good birth. The females will be ravished and the males will be devoured by flames. A great winged beast will sit upon the Flourdan throne and will rule for nine hundred years. The armies of Asstrumnia will descend upon us and they will devour us with their teeth, then those alien hybrids will take all of our estates and businesses. Any Flourdan survivors will be enslaved, but it is doubtful there would be many survivors. In my ha
nd, I have the oracle’s vision of our future.” She passed around the oracle’s scroll.

  There was much wailing and crying in the room as the people absorbed the news. “So, the Asstrum myth is not a myth at all, is it?” Portia asked. “These alien hybrids exist and they are about to invade us? Why now? There have been no alien abductions or attacks on Flourdans.”

  “The alien threat is real,” Nefertiti said. “I do not know why they will invade our lands. The oracle is never wrong, so it will happen.”

  “When is this to occur?” Audrelia asked.

  Nefertiti walked away from the statue. “It will be within the year. They will come. That is why we must join forces with the Romans. They can help us defeat the hybrids. There is no other solution, no other option. The Romans have great armies and we need the might of Rome to aid us when the aliens come for us.”

  Dev walked toward the sculpture and studied it carefully. He stared at the Countess with suspicion. “Does the Queen support an alliance with the Romans? I am not so sure of that. What would the Romans get out of this alliance and what would the Flourdans be expected to give up?”

  Nefertiti glared at him. “I did not ask for your opinion on the matter, Lord Langley. I have a complaint to issue against you. Where were you during the circus? I do not recall seeing your performance.”