This is work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
* * *
Copyright© Yumoyori Wilson, 2018
All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
The publisher is not responsible for website (or their content) that are not own by the publisher.
This eBook/Paperback is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook/Paperback may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient.
* * *
Cover Design by Cover of Darkness (Premade eBook covers)
* * *
Editing by
Ms. Correct All's Editing and Proofreading Services
* * *
Format: Gina Wynn
Contents
Acknowledgement
Blurb
Trigger Warning
Prologue
1. Born Into Lies
2. Trial Of Lies
3. Raised In Lies
4. Reapers Of Beauty
5. Humble Home And Instant Connection
6. Passion And Out Of My Shell
7. Chance At A Double Life And Assignment
8. Taste Of Freedom
9. Connection Between Two Worlds
10. Xia No More And 1001 Lies
Coming 25th November 2018: One Thousand and Two Lies
Wish For Me Sneak Peek
Wish For Me Blurb
Wish For Me
About Yumoyori Wilson
Books by Yumoyori Wilson
Acknowledgement
Thank you for purchasing 1001 LIES.
* * *
Thank you to all my amazing supporters for being awesome and encouraging me to write every day.
* * *
Special thanks to my inner circle and true friends who are always there to push/motivate me to be better. You know who you are, and I couldn’t be more grateful for your continuous love and support <3~
* * *
Special thanks to my amazing Alpha Team. You continue to work marvelously together, and I couldn’t be more grateful to have you on my publishing team.
* * *
Thank you to my amazing BETA Team for so being so epic and lively. You make this journey A LOT easier and I’m grateful to have all of you in my life.
* * *
Thank you to my amazing editor, Missy, who made this one of the smoothest releases I’ve had in my career so far. Your hard work and determination helped keep me on track <3
* * *
Special thanks to my amazing Mom for blessing me with the gift to write and supporting me in all aspects. I pray to continue making you proud as I strive towards success.
* * *
Finally, I thank God for giving me the strength to achieve my goals. Without Him, I would be nothing.
Blurb
Lies.
* * *
Words of deception that assist in manipulating a person, group, lover, or foe. With each lie that leaves our lips, a plot morphs into a quick exchange, and the result? Death.
* * *
Some call us Reapers of Beauty. Others think we assist the Angel of Death. Assassins? Murderers? The list of what we term ourselves is endless. To us, this life is nothing but a job. One in which we have no control over what we do or who we kill. That was how I’d lived my life for 25 years, and I presumed it would always be that way...until last night.
* * *
It was an easy assignment. A task I was confident in executing. Yet his stunning eyes pulled me in. His addictive aroma made me sigh in bliss. Those silky strands of hair felt so nice to touch, and those lips held a level of satisfaction that made my body hum for more.
* * *
A forbidden attraction that led me astray. Or should I change that to attractions?
* * *
A thousand lies. That is all it takes to become a Reaper, like me. For the sake of protecting this mysterious group of men from my master who wants them dead, it's time for me to play the game and turn the tables for the sake of freedom.
* * *
Will I survive? Maybe not, but I guess I'll die trying.
Let’s begin...One Thousand and One.
Trigger Warning
Please Be Advised:
1001 LIES - Reapers of Beauty
* * *
is an 18+ Series that contains dark themes which include sexual assault, child abuse, and/or violence which may be triggering to survivors.
Lies.
We all commit one, at least once a day. Sometimes twice, or even three times. Others can do a minimum of ten and others a hundred.
There are some individuals in this world whose entire lives are based off these little lies. Lies that help to keep those individuals at the top of the success charts, or that are fabricated to maintain their freedom long enough to be proven innocent or guilty.
Some people chose this life. Others have no choice for the sake of staying alive.
As for me? My option was neither.
I didn't decide to become a Reaper of Beauty. Nor did I inevitably choose this path to save myself or my loved ones. No...I was born into this world.
Born as the first reaper child to be brought into this man-made universe of lies and corruption. Some would say it was a blessing.
I was raised around luxury and was taken care of not by one woman but many. I was given the finer things in life, wearing the richest clothes of our culture and eating food worthy of royalty.
I'd been taught by the highest trained masters from swordsmanship to alchemy, combat, and archery. I'd learned the best ways to defend myself as well as the deadliest methods to rid the world of an enemy.
It was a privilege given to me because I would be the best Reaper our master could ever ask for. I'd be easy to manipulate and would do anything, and I mean anything, to get his praise and adoration.
All of that began with one lie.
As a Reaper, you have to prove yourself, and that was decided by the number of lies you committed. One, ten, fifty, or even hundreds appeared to be more than enough to prove one's loyalty, but our master wasn't like others.
He declared that it took one thousand lies to gain his trust and until then, you would slave your life away until you reached that moment of glory.
Being born into this world meant that I was a step ahead of everyone. I wasn't taught lying was wrong by those who raised me. They supported my mischief, and such “bad behavior” rewarded me by getting me closer and closer to the final four-digit number.
Closer to gaining my Master's everlasting trust.
Living this life was all I knew, and I had accepted the reality that it would be all I would ever know. Until one fateful night; one in which I celebrated my 1000th Lie. The task was so simple with my comrades at my side, but I soon realized the price.
I never worried about failure, because I had never experienced it. But what I had no knowledge of...was love.
Only four steps mattered, or that was what I was taught.
Love that seems to silence the room.
Passion that pulses between the individuals of interest and pulls them into a trap of confusion and growing lust.
Desire that resonates through the body, rendering the need for pleasure unbearable.
Temptation to do sinful actions that remained in the bedroom.
I thought I had the steps down pat, but that all changed when my eyes landed on his.
At first, there was only one who made my heart skip a beat. Then there was number two, who made my body warm with tingles. Three came along so swiftly he made my mind whirl, and four, he was a trickster, and that only excited me more.
Four men so dangerous in the game of lies and in their ultimate goal of war, but who were they aiming to challenge?
My Master.
It was my turn to decide what I truly wanted.
Continue my new life as a Reaper of Beauty? Or fall into the lovely battle of lies and, ultimately, war.
YOTAKO NATION, JAPAN - MONTH III, YEAR 2075
"Please, Master! I meant no harm. We tried! We lied to the best of our abili-"
I had to stop myself from flinching from the loud slap that rang through the throne room, which was really our Master's bedroom.
He'd been laying on the bed enjoying the luxury his money and power gave him: three naked women on his bed, seemingly unconscious and worn out.
Even though I was six years old, I knew what the Master loved. Sex. Money. Power. And most importantly:
Control.
Some would say a six-year-old shouldn’t know the meaning of any of these things. Or the significance. I guess, an average six-year-old wouldn’t need to. However, I was taught very quickly that I wasn’t like any other child and I’d have to “grow up” fast to stay alive.
That meant learning things that adults were supposed to learn through experience, and not by forceful watching.
The girl next to me trembled and tears welled up in her eyes. She knew what she'd have to do thanks to her mother's failure. If she wanted to become a Reaper of Beauty, she'd have to give our Master the control he demanded.
"Your purpose was to seduce him long enough for my men to get a hold of those documents and you failed! I could send Xia over there and she'd return with what I needed faster and she's SIX!" Master snapped and with a flick of his wrist, the woman in question was on the ground.
She trembled on the floor as she pressed her hand against her now red cheek. Tears continuously streamed down her face as her eyes shone with fear and desperation, and all I could do was stand there with a blank expression.
Emotions showed vulnerability around my Master. I was trained from the moment I could walk that my emotions should be locked up and not put on display in the Master's presence. He didn't care about our pain, sadness, or happiness. He cared about his plans being accomplished, or in other cases, the pleasure he delivered to us in bed. That’s what he stated, over and over again.
I knew that I'd one day be like those women on his bed, their bodies splattered on the rich silk fabric after hours of pleasing our Master.
I didn't know what to expect, or if it was actually as these women made it sound like, but whenever I was forced to stay in his room for "learning purposes," the women put on a show of moans and a complicated word I didn't like saying. Orgasms?
I personally thought sex was disgusting. There was nothing beautiful about it. Sweat, screams, and painful slaps were all I saw.
To be honest, I'd only seen one woman who had made the interaction rather beautiful. She was who I idolized; the woman who I wished to become one day.
She'd been the best Reaper of our small unit here in Yotako, and the Master adored her like a work of art, readied to be displayed to nobody but him.
He never slapped her or used ropes or whips. He worshipped her, and that was what I wanted to be. To not be a pawn in our Master's plans, but to be the girl he'd need and cherish like he did that woman.
"I'm sorry, Master. I- I..."
Master turned around, and his gold silk robe trailed behind him as he moved to the wall. The little girl who was the same age as me, sobbed harder, knowing exactly what was about to happen to her mother as Master approached the wall filled with weapons that he used for punishment rather than "artistic display."
"Please, Master. Please! I can make it right. Send me back. I'll get the documents." The woman begged as she pressed her hands to the floor and bowed her head over and over again.
The girl next to me stepped forward, but I grabbed her wrist. With a swift turn of her head she glared at me, those venomous green eyes filled with anger and desperation.
"You'll die," I whispered.
"We're his best Child Reapers. He won't kill me!" she snarled, tugging her arm out of my grip as she ran towards the woman who was no doubt her biological mom.
I remained in my place, knowing well that my Master had mercy for no one. He didn't care about rank. If you fucked up, it was all about what would benefit him in the end. Your life was nothing to him.
Master picked up the sword he wanted, a sharp katana with the finest silver. Just by the way it glittered and shone in the reflection of the lights above, I knew it was brand new and never used. Which meant it was sharp and deadly.
He walked towards the woman and the little girl who was called Yang. She was six and had long blonde hair and green eyes. She wasn't born into this world like I was, only brought in thanks to her mother. Which was exactly why I knew she'd made a grave mistake.
Master reached where they both stood, the woman begging Yang to move out of the way and go back to where I stood on the sidelines. Yang remained where she was, a stubborn glare on her face as her wide stance was locked in and her arms were spread out in a protective manner. Stubbornness only got you killed.
Master stared at the girl, and instead of anger, he grinned. "Yang. Are you opposing my decision?"
"Master, Mother doesn't deserve to die! She has never failed before. There must have been a mistake of some kind. Let her try again. In fact, send me! I'll retrieve the documents in her stead," Yang declared with boldness.
"No, Yang. Stop. Go back!" the woman cried, her sobs and whimpers echoing around the room. I frowned, hiding my hands that slowly clenched into fists behind my back.
This was the part I hated. The way a simple attachment could destroy everything and leave you with nothing. I wasn't going to stand there and say I wasn't hurt by what I was currently watching.
Yang's mother had also raised me, just like many of the women who were Reapers of Beauty. Her loss would upset me, and I would shed a tear. Just not here.
Yang was considered my friend. There were five of us: Minsu, Minso, and Minju who were triplets, Yang, and myself. Yang and I were the youngest, while the triplets were eight years old.
Age meant nothing when you failed. Our punishment was sex, torture, or death. Since we were too young for option one, two and three were the only options we had left.
Master appeared deep in thought as he stared at Yang. "How will you please me then, Yang?"
"I'll do anything, Master," she replied with confidence. He grinned and removed his robe, allowing it to fall to the floor.
"Give me a blowjob then," Master demanded.
I looked away, not wanting to see any of the events that were about to occur. I wished I had the power to cover my ears as well and block out the sounds.
Yang didn't understand him like I did. If she hadn’t interfered, Master would have spared her mom. Maybe a slash or two, or if he was really upset, he'd cut a limb off for safe measure. Her interference only put a target on her back, and I didn't think she'd survive this, either way, thanks to her emotional move.
I turned my head back when Master's grunts stopped and he sighed in relief. Yang was on her hands and knees, catching her breath.
"It's a shame, really," Master began, and Yang looked up at him in sheer fear. "I wasn't going to kill your mother, Yang, but you assumed I was."
Yang gawked at him and looked at her mother, whose head was down in shame. Master looked at me. His vivid golden eyes met mine and he smiled.
"Xia. You knew I wasn't going to kill Yang's mother, didn't you?" he asked.
"Yes, Master. You would have
punished her and sent her back to retrieve the documentation you wished for."
Master nodded with a broad smile, the soft lines of his face making him look genuinely proud of my response. Yang, on the other hand, looked shocked and her gaze slowly met my blank expression, her green eyes filling with tears. For a second I could see her inner rage, those eyes narrowing at me like I was the reason she knelt before the Master.
That's how life always was. Try to stop someone from their own downfall and receive the hate and blame when they didn’t listen. Even though I was only six, I'd received enough hate.
Though Yang was my friend, those eyes proved that we wouldn't be if she survived this. I was now the reason for her approaching agony, and I had to hold back my sadness.
One Thousand & One Lies (Reapers of Beauty Book 1) Page 1
