Falling For Them: A New Adult Reverse Harem Collection

by C. L. Stone

  I read it out loud to Sota. “Why is she doing this?”

  “I thought that would be obvious,” he said and put the kimono down on the table delicately.

  I raised my eyebrows curiously at him. “I helped her, but I thought she was with the emperor getting inspected. She wouldn’t have time for this.”

  “It must have gone well,” he said. “She was able to send this along.”

  I touched the delicate silk between my fingers. The material shimmered. I was in awe of her generosity.

  I hoped she did well.

  Sota left the room again and brought back the cage with the Taka singing inside.

  He put it down on the table and turned to me. “Mizuki,” he said quietly.

  I started to get undressed, thinking he wanted me to hurry things along.

  He approached me, taking my hands into his. “I just wanted to tell you, from this point on, things will change.”

  “I know,” I said. “I feel changed.”

  His blue eyes locked on my face and his lips twitched. “I mean you will have to make choices as to who follows you into the Immortal City. I hope I’ve done a good job.”

  Did he doubt it? “You’ve done so much for me,” I said. “You helped me get here, and believed in me when I didn’t.”

  “I tried to instill confidence. Sometimes I didn’t succeed as well as I should have. Ryuu sometimes did more than I could.”

  I suddenly understood that he was worried I thought Ryuu would make a better escort. I squeezed his hands. “He learned from you, too,” I said. “It was from both of you that I’ve even gotten this far.”

  He seemed pleased with this. “I’ll go where you ask me,” he said in a deeper voice. “Even if it’s back to your home.”

  There was a moment between us where we were silent. This wasn’t the place or time, but I knew deep inside that I’d find another moment alone with him, and I’d do more than hold his hand. My heart warmed at his face, smiling for me.

  He helped me dress. The kimono seemed like a dream. The moment I finished applying my makeup and had completed my transformation, I was like walking starlight, delicate and beautiful.

  12

  SELECTED

  After getting dressed, the girls were told to approach the gate of the Immortal City. A tent had been constructed.

  Only twenty of us were left after the initial inspections. I couldn’t believe it.

  The men had fewer, although Ryuu still remained among them. He shared a glance with me but we didn’t dare step out of line, fearing we’d be eliminated.

  The sound of the dragons slithering filled my ears. The day was warm, and the sun shown in the air. Behind us, a crowd had formed to look on as elegant men and women were brought to the gate. They were held back by guards.

  I hadn’t known this part would be so public.

  One of the guards told us to form a line and to enter.

  The red tent was not as tall as the gate, but sat up right next to it. Servants held the fabric opening to allow us through.

  Once we entered, we were to kneel on the floor, and we would go through the final inspection. Our escorts would come in to join us in the back.

  I glanced behind us, finding other escorts waiting. Sota was among them.

  Ryuu appeared nervous, rubbing his hands together. I motioned to him to stop fidgeting and he did.

  We entered the tent. Two thrones had been set up at the far end of it, close to the gold gate. The tent was big enough to hold us all easily.

  It was strange to see the gate this close. I wondered why the tent was built so we were shielded from the crowd and so close to it. What did this mean?

  I wondered if someone was selected, that they would enter the gate immediately, and the tent was to block anyone else from seeing inside. Would it happen just like that?

  I examined the gate. Like the wall, it had dragons on the outside, only these didn’t move. There were also other creatures like phoenixes and tigers and bears, all very lifelike.

  The Taka on my shoulder hummed but I reached to tap his beak. Now wasn’t the time.

  Once everyone was inside the tent, the entrance was closed. The sound of the dragons at the wall silenced. We were told by the guard where to kneel, called by name to be told our place.

  As I’d practiced, I knelt onto the brick path before the thrones and the gate. Looking around, it was like a fantasy, with fine looking people dressed in expensive clothes and painted to perfection. Even Ryuu wore makeup to smooth his complexion. All handsome or beautiful. All perfect.

  Silence filled the room. We waited.

  My nerves threatened to shake my body, and I did my best to think of Sota. It helped when I could look at Ryuu, but his position was behind me, and made it harder to look at him.

  When he met my eyes, I saw a determination I hadn’t seen before. It inspired me.

  My knees began to feel sore as we waited. The guards remained around the room, watching our every movement. I wasn’t the only one with a pet on my shoulder. Others had the occasional bird or a monkey or some other animal. I had the only Taka. Each animal was disciplined, as silent as everyone else.

  A guard in a more ornate robe than the rest, moved to the center of the room ahead of us, near the two thrones. We were told we would see the emperor in a moment, along with his chosen high empress, the woman that would soon be his future highest-ranking wife.

  We were taught the appropriate etiquette to proceed. They would enter, and we would bow low to the ground on our knees. When told to rise by name, we would approach them both, and recite to them both wishes of health, longevity, and eternal happiness. We were allowed to speak one additional line, something to express who you were.

  I had my lines prepared, and I went over them in my head. I was nervous to speak in front of the emperor. One shaken word, and I was sure I’d be dismissed as easily as girls prior to this moment had been.

  After speaking our lines, we were to remain silent for further questions or instructions.

  No one dared to speak.

  Time passed while we still waited. Guards mostly stayed against the wall, and occasionally crossed the room, passing us who knelt.

  Someone shouted for us to bow.

  I did immediately, and pressed myself to the floor, not daring to raise my head at the noises coming from the gate.

  “Presenting His Majesty Emperor Tai and Her Majesty Future High Empress Apricot.”

  I swallowed my surprise, grasping the floor with my fingers. I heard nothing but shuffling feet and then the whisper of silent footfalls I recognized as Apricot’s.

  She did it! I couldn’t believe it.

  Silence fell before us again. All were waiting for their names.

  Many were called. I panicked, thinking I’d forgotten what to say.

  I glanced up from my bow, finding Apricot looking at me. She seemed calm, and refined, like royalty. I tried to breathe deeply, and follow her example.

  One by one, men and women were called to speak to the emperor and Apricot. They recited the lines they’d been told, wishing them health and happiness. After, most recited their names, their rank if they had one, and any occupation they had prior to being registered. After saying this, most were told to bow again.

  My body stiffened when my name was called. I was sure I’d fall to the floor in a faint. I had no rank or occupation. I stumbled over what I would do.

  I rose slowly as I’d been taught, and I recited what I’d been told.

  “Ten thousand years of health,” I said. I raised my eyes to meet their faces, a daring move, but Apricot had told me to show confidence in this moment, and to look at him directly, to make him believe I meant what I said. “Ten thousand years of life. Ten thousand years of happiness.”

  After that, my mind froze. I knew what to say and my voice caught in my throat. Seconds passed. I was getting dizzy.

  And then suddenly, the Taka began to recite what I’d just said.

  “Te
n thousand years of health,” he said, similar to the tone I’d taken, though smaller. He repeated the two other lines.

  The room fell even more silent than before, as if no one dared to breathe. I couldn’t believe it. It had been as clear as if he were a person standing next to me.

  Suddenly, the sound of the wall increased within the tent. Soon I could hear nothing except their writhing, the sound of stone grinding against stone.

  It was so loud, I couldn’t hear what was said to me, but the head guard made a motion for me to kneel.

  From that point on, I couldn’t hear anything. People spoke, rising to greet the emperor, and yet all I could hear was the wall.

  I panicked. What did this mean? How could I continue without hearing anything?

  I waited, watching as best I could from my kneeling position. I could see Ryuu rising, saying a few things, and then bowing again.

  Once the introductions were completed, the emperor held up his hand, and gestured to the gate. He spoke but I didn’t hear what was said.

  The others rose, and each stood before the golden gate. They got close enough that they could reach out and touch the gate if they wished.

  As each person approached the gate, they waited a few seconds, before a guard said something to them, and they walked out of the tent. Nothing happened. One girl fainted, and was carried out by her escort. Were they being dismissed? Told their occupation and future rank? I had no idea.

  I glanced back at Ryuu. He seemed panicked, with his eyes wide. What was going on?

  The stone dragons moved louder. I couldn’t see them, only the gate, but I could picture their writhing increasing in speed.

  Soon, it was my turn to approach the gate.

  I rose, feeling the Taka’s feet on my shoulder. I threw a small glance at Apricot, who seemed eager, on the edge of her throne.

  I approached the gate, getting nearly nose to nose with one of the bears depicted in the carvings.

  Suddenly, all I could hear was the sound of the humming dragons, in tune to the song I had started a few nights ago. One of the dragons sang the lines. The voice was deep, and rumbling.

  I must be dreaming, I thought. I must have fainted waiting for the emperor to make his selection. None of this made sense to me. I had no idea what to do.

  Sure that I was making a fool of myself, and sure that I might have been going crazy after all, I gave up. I surrendered to the insanity I was sure was taking over me.

  I sang, and completed the song the dragon started. The Taka sang with me once I’d begun, matching my words. The Taka, myself and the dragon completed the song.

  To have nothing is to have no distress.

  To have nothing is to have every path to follow.

  To have nothing is how we all end up.

  To have nothing is to have everything.

  And everything is the world at our feet.

  Suddenly the golden gate presented an open doorway, tall enough for someone of my size to enter. From the other side of the gate, light shone as if the sun were directly behind it.

  I didn’t know what to do, until the Taka on my shoulder flew up above me and then headed toward the door.

  The brightness blinded me, I was so close to it. I could see nothing of anyone else around me.

  I’ve gone crazy.

  I stepped through to see where the Taka had gone.

  13

  FAVORED

  Inside the gate, the bright light continued. White light was all I could see.

  I stumbled on rock and grass, and then found myself on the other side. The golden gate appeared closed behind me. The doorway I’d walked through had vanished.

  In front of me was a pathway that wound through magnificent gardens. There were buildings beyond made of gold and marble and other fine materials. Statues of animals and people were stationed around the gardens.

  The one thing I knew for certain was that I was inside the Immortal City, a place that was rarely seen by anyone on the outside. How did this happen?

  I waited, unsure what I was doing on this side. Perhaps this dream continued.

  I pinched myself, and felt the pain at my arm. As far as I could tell, I was awake.

  A noise like rocks falling to the ground spooked me, and I turned.

  From the dark wall, out slithered one of the dragons. It was as thick as a horse, and as long as several houses. It approached me, its wild face looking fierce, its tongue flickering.

  Surprisingly, it sang the song I’d just completed. I repeated it, following along with his tempo.

  The dragon changed form. Suddenly it was a man standing before me. He was tall, with common Kuni features, dark eyes and dark hair. He was young, about my age, with smooth skin at his cheeks. His light skin seemed to glow. He was handsome, with thick lips and a kind, but powerful expression.

  He spoke in the same deepness as the dragon had sung. “You are my mistress,” he said. “And I belong to you.”

  I didn’t speak for several minutes, shocked at his sudden appearance and still baffled as to how I had gotten here. “Who are you?”

  “I am of the wall,” he said. “You are now one of the Favored.”

  “Favored?”

  He nodded. His robe was as black as the stone wall and made of fine velvet material, and was dotted with gold animals like the gate. “A line of imperial ancestors has selected you to perform the duty of the Favored. You are to serve the emperor directly, and to help him identify those worthy of his court.”

  I placed a palm over my heart, and my knees trembled, threatening to give out from under me. “How could I perform such a task?”

  “With my help,” he said. “I am yours.”

  “Did the emperor pick me?”

  “The emperor does not pick the Favored. He knew this. The special position he sought from trusted people was to present them at the gate. You were chosen.”

  Overwhelmed, I took a step back, my knees knocking against each other. I held my hand close to my face, wishing to hold my cheeks, yet they were covered in makeup.

  The dragon approached me with a small smile. “Your selection means you live here. You’ll be given a palace. You will remain here forever. You may choose who follows you.”

  Suddenly the Taka appeared, and sat on my shoulder. It whistled the tune I had sung before.

  “Is there anyone else you would like?” the dragon asked.

  “Ryuu,” I said quietly. “And Sota.”

  Behind me, the gate glowed.

  Ryuu and Sota appeared.

  The dragon stayed by my side. I wondered if he was a hallucination, but Ryuu and Sota came to me and addressed him formally.

  My hearted pumped wildly, and I turned to look at the grounds around us. It seemed a dream.

  That was the beginning my life inside the slithering walls of the Immortal City, and how I became the Favored.

  And that is not the end of my story.

  About the Author

  CL Stone Writes About Hot Guys And Awkward Situations.

  www.clstonebooks.com

  Love is Not Lost

  SAMPLE

  Nikki Bolvair

  Prologue

  I was young once. The world was my playground. I could do anything, be anyone. I was innocent and naïve. In my perfect world, I didn't know about loss or pain. I didn't know that in a matter of moments, someone I loved could be taken away from me. My young mind couldn't comprehend the changes that were forced on me. I guess my parents couldn't either. Life changes people, sometimes not for the better.

  I could hear their screams again in my mind, my father's and my mother's. My father was drunk, yelling at my mother, never remembering that his only daughter lay in her bedroom not far away.

  It hadn't always been like that. We were a happy family once, but it all changed.

  I was ten. I remember being hysterical. My older brother, my hero, my fearless protector, my best friend.

  Gone.

  He wasn't supposed to leave
me. He wasn't supposed to die. But he did, and his death left ripples, like the wavelets of a pond, which could not be smoothed. It wasn't long after that night, the night we lost him, that my family began to spiral.

  My father drowned his sorrows in a bottle.

  Time slipped by, and I was thirteen, with most of the happy past forgotten. The fighting, even though it had started off tame, never lessened. Over the years, it only got worse. They were going to kill each other. This wasn't how love was supposed to be. This wasn't a family. This couldn't be my father. How could…

  One hit. He was her husband.

  One hit was all it took. He loved her once.

  One hit to kill his wife. He was my daddy.

  One hit to lose his life. He used to kiss me goodnight.

  I don't remember. I don't remember what happened after he hit me the first time. I blacked out and then woke up without parents. I hurt everywhere.

  What happened? Did I kill him?

  1

  -Three years later-

  I sat in the back of the police car as red and blue lights glowed, piercing through the night. I was upset. Why was it that no matter what I did, how honest I had been in the past, when it came to a ‘problem’ or an ‘issue’, I was the one they first accused or questioned. That's right, blame the foster child.

  I looked out the window of the police car and saw Officer McIdiot standing just outside, talking on his radio. I'm sure telling my dear, dear foster parents that they had found me.

  It wasn't like I had really run away; I just didn't want to stand there while I was accused of something I hadn’t done.

  But that didn't matter, I was just a foster child, one with a past, one that might have killed her father as she tried to protect her mother, but no one could prove anything.

  I sighed as I looked out the window. I just wanted someone to believe me, to not label me. I just wanted to be normal. I looked down to my fingers, twisting them.