The Dark Kingdom Anthology

by Krissy V

  Another set of footsteps echoes around, and a sharp voice calls out, “Should you two be standing around here gossiping?”

  “No, Sir,” they answer together.

  “Leave. Now,” the third voice commands, and I recognise something about the timbre.

  I wait for them all to leave, but the man with the firm voice stays where he is. After a few moments, he calls out, his voice softer. I know that voice. “You can come out now, Riley.”

  Exhaling slowly, crawling out from under the sheet. “Dr. Saith...Please don’t be mad.”

  He helps me to my feet, his arm warm against my skin as he supports me. “I’m not mad, but we need to get you back. There will be repercussions if they find out you’re missing.”

  The concern in his voice makes me aware of how lonely I am, and I wrap my arms around him, pulling him into the hug I need.

  “I can’t go back!” I sob into his chest. He smells like fresh laundry with the aroma of coffee lingering, probably from this morning.

  “You have to,” he whispers gently, stroking my hair.

  “Why? Why do I have to?”

  “Because people will get hurt if you don’t.”

  I shift away and look up at him; there is a gleam in his grey eyes that I don’t recognise. There is something else, something he’s not telling me, and I’m afraid. “Like you?”

  He nods, and that makes my chest ache. I don’t want Dr. Saith to be hurt because of me, he is the only one I trust. But I think he’s a prisoner here, just like me.

  “It’s just temporary, I promise.”

  Frowning, I say, “I’ll go, but on one condition—you need to explain what is going on here.”

  I don’t expect him to agree, but he does. “Fine, but not here and not now.”

  Chapter Six

  A few hours later, Dr. Saith comes into my room with his clipboard and begins checking my blood pressure and my temperature. He casts glances over at the mirror before shifting so that he has his back to it.

  “Spill,” I whisper as his fingers press against my wrist as he makes a note of pulse.

  He clears his throat before murmuring, “We haven’t got long. The Eden Enterprise is a privately funded project that offers perfect companionship.”

  He won’t look me in the eye as he says ‘perfect companionship,’ and I feel the hairs on my arms prickle. I can feel the furrows on my forehead as I frown at his words. “Like a dating service?”

  He coughs nervously and begins to fiddle with his pen and clipboard. “No, more like a…”

  It dawns on me when he struggles to find the right word. A nicer word to describe what it is he does here. “It’s human trafficking, isn’t it?”

  He rubs the back of his neck. “If you want to reduce it to that, then I guess it is.”

  I lean back, thinking about what I’d seen earlier. “And the glass coffins?”

  “They are pods, where the valuables are kept until they are ready to be sent to their new homes.”

  Valuables.

  He means human beings, kept in a box on ice until their new owners wanted them.

  In a small voice, I ask, “Is that what happens after Seven?”

  “What do you mean?”

  I take his hand in mine and look into his stormy grey eyes as I voice my fears. “Will I be sold once The Council has had their fun with me?”

  “No.” He squeezes my hand, a determined look on his face. “I won’t allow it.”

  Turning away, I know that his words are supposed to comfort me but instead I feel like he’s trying to fight the inevitable. We both are.

  After a few moments of silence, I decide to change the subject. If I was going to be sold, I needed to know as much as I could so that when I left this place I could escape from my new owner. “I want to see my pod. I must have one, I mean, that’s where I had come from when you said I had re-awakened, isn’t it?”

  He stands, letting go of my hand with a pained expression. “Not today. Tomorrow, if I can…”

  I nod and watch as he leaves. He makes me feel safe, but that feeling is always fleeting. It cannot last.

  Chapter Seven

  When I wake, there are more than two hands on my body. I freeze before relaxing into the gentle caresses. I’m lying on my side, aware that the room is dimly lit, but before I can move to look at their faces, something covers my eyes.

  “We’re going to blindfold you so that you won’t be bashful when you share yourself with us,” a voice murmurs in my ear behind me.

  “Us?”

  “Number Four and Number Five,” another voice whispers, and I feel the bed dip as someone lays in front of me. “We just want to make you happy…”

  The man facing me pulls me into a kiss, hands tangling in my hair as he explores every inch of my mouth. I’m being devoured, and I don’t have the will to resist. The man behind kisses my shoulder and down my back as his hands explore every dip and curve of my body. He grabs my ass and my hips as though he’s trying to memorise the shape of me.

  With my eyes covered, everything is heightened. I can’t anticipate the next move, the next kiss, the next touch—I can only feel. Hands massage my breasts, squeezing and pinching my nipples as I’m rolled onto my back. The person who is behind me moves down my body before settling between my legs, spreading my thighs so that the muscles begin to burn a little. A warm mouth claims my nipple, while fingers taunt the other one. It’s like a sensory overload as fingers enter me, and my orgasm builds. The one between my thighs licks my clit, dragging his tongue over the sensitive nub slowly, and I can’t help myself as I reach down and fist my hand in his hair.

  The groan that leaves me as he begins to lap at my pussy and fucks me with his fingers at the same time is almost feral. A bite on my nipple takes me to the next level, and I can feel the wetness between my legs. I’m desperate for their touch, even though I should be afraid. I haven’t had sex with two people at once before...unless I have? My body is accommodating and enjoying the attention more than I can comprehend in the moment. My hips buck and rock as I come, the orgasm hitting me hard, but they don’t stop. Instead, using his fingers, the one between my legs spreads my slick wetness down, lubricating my ass.

  “What are you doing?”

  “That was only the appetizer, Riley, now the real fun is about to begin.”

  “You’ll be in control. Use us and abuse us, Snow.”

  Strong hands help me climb on top of one of them, and as I slide myself onto his cock, I moan softly. He feels so good inside me, when had I become such a dirty creature craving this feeling? I roll my hips without thinking, and a growl below lets me know that it feels just as good for him as it does for me.

  A hand at the bottom of my back guides me forward, and I put my hands down on the silk sheets to steady myself. The man beneath kisses me, his hand cupping my face while the free hand squeezes my breast. This guy is definitely a tit man.

  Pressure behind me makes me tense, but it’s forgotten as the kiss deepens, distracting me. I can feel the other one enter me slowly, and while it burns, it also makes me feel incredibly full and content. His hands grab onto my waist, and with a final push, I know he’s all the way inside.

  “Are you ready?” he asks, his lips against my shoulder, and I nod. Because I am.

  They’ve both stayed still and are waiting for me to begin moving; like he said, I am in control, which makes me think we’ve been here before. The trust I have in them is not something that can be shared with strangers.

  I move my hips slowly, trying to find a rhythm that works in this position, and when I do, it’s like I’ve collided with pure pleasure. There’s something so carnal about having two men inside me at once, and that’s only made stronger by the groans and grunts that fill the room. I want to sit up, but I’m not sure how to shift my body since I’m blindfolded. It’s like they can read my mind as the man beneath helps support my arms, while the one behind wraps my hair around his fist and pulls me back. His lips cra
sh against mine as I keep moving, faster and faster as the sweat starts to trail down my spine.

  Hands run over my skin, fingers exploring me like I’m uncharted territory, and once again I’m overwhelmed. I can barely see straight, let alone think clearly. Is this what the doctors meant this morning when they said Four and Five would ease me in? Because this is bliss, and I feel like I’m able to tackle anything as the most intense feeling begins to build. It’s like every cell in my body is supercharged, and it just grows more powerful with every touch. I can feel as the body beneath me begins to tense, but the fingers digging into my hips reminds me that there are more than just the two of us here tonight, so I shift my weight a little. The man behind me grabs both my arms and holds them behind my back, changing the angle for us slightly, and that seems to do the trick. I move a little faster as I’m swept up in the tornado of sensations, not caring that it makes my tits bounce or that I must be pulling a ridiculous face as I come. I cry out as my body trembles and shakes of its own volition, my orgasm dominating everything. Two masculine noises quickly follow, and I know that I pushed all of us over the precipice.

  My body goes limp, and the man behind lets go of my arms and gently lowers me forward. I rest my head of the other man’s chest, the steady sound of his heartbeat my companion as I slowly come back to my body.

  They shift me slowly so that we’re laying on the bed and I am sandwiched between them. My blindfold is still firmly in place as a hand comes to my hip, while another rests on my leg.

  “Please,” I beg. “I need to rest.”

  A gentle kiss on my forehead and another on the back of my neck surprise me.

  “Take all the time you need, we’ll be here,” a voice whispers in the dark.

  Chapter Eight

  The next morning I’m sore, but it’s not in a bad way. I feel like I was worshiped on another level last night; but in the cold, artificial light of day, the details of my captivity come flooding back. Why did I keep giving myself so willingly? Why did I succumb to the pleasure when I should be fighting for freedom? Why did I feel grateful that Number Four and Five were patient with me when the others had not been?

  Edith and Janet escort me to the shower like usual, and when we return to my room, Dr. Saith is already there waiting. Their faces pale when they see him, and they immediately bow their heads.

  “We’ll be running some extra tests today, so Riley will be joining me.” He hands them his clipboard and guides me back towards the door.

  “Yes, Sir,” they say in unison, still not looking up from their feet.

  Was Dr. Saith a bigger influence around here than I’d originally thought? Did that mean that he might have the power to help me after all? I try not to get my hopes up as I follow him back to ‘The Garden’.

  We wander amongst the pods and my chest feels tight as I get glimpses of the people beneath the mist.

  “The Council of Seven are scientists, doctors and businessmen who came together to create the perfect companion, like Eve was made for Adam,” he explains as we walk.

  I laugh sarcastically, “Didn’t they read the rest of the story? The fall of humanity isn’t a happy ending.”

  He pauses for a second, “That’s true, but imagine if Eve had been pliant, mouldable and Adam could decide exactly what he wanted in a partner? Then there is no temptation because it’s perfect already.”

  I say nothing as we continue to weave between the sleeping bodies, my fingers touching the glass of each one in a silent prayer as we move. We eventually stop and there are several empty pods lined up against a wall in front of us.

  I know which one is mine, I don’t need him to explain it to me. It’s the one with an ornate silver apple embossed above where my head would rest. It’s why they call me Snow White, the poisonous apple marking me as different from the rest. The Council’s Plaything.

  “So, this is my glass coffin…” I murmur as I approach, brushing my fingertips against the apple.

  “It’s a cryo pod,” Dr Saith says firmly. “It keeps you alive and healthy, suspended in your current state.”

  “Is that what the mist does?”

  “The mist is a concoction of drugs that we use to keep the companions sedated and calm. The cryo pods actually fill with this milky liquid—you can see it if you look close enough. That is a serum with nanotechnology and a few other things, to help to keep the body in a frozen state.”

  I try to ignore how passionate he sounds about the pods because it makes me feel like a guinea pig who has escaped and is hiding underneath the wardrobe, watching as they try to lure me back into my cage.

  “How long?” I ask as something nudges at my memories.

  He begins to pace as he talks “Well, the pod can be used for as long—”

  Holding a hand up, I silence him. “No. How long have I been here?”

  If these pods could be used to store people, in a suspended state, and I had been ‘re-awakened’ from one, then how long had I been here? Clearly long enough to warrant my own customised glass coffin...

  “A while.” His eyes lock with mine, and he watches me carefully.

  I narrow my eyes, “A month? Six? A year? Two?”

  “More.” He takes a step closer, but I take one back. I need some distance between us as I process what is going on here.

  “How old am I?” I push, knowing that I am not going to like the answer—that is, if he gives me one.

  He coughs nervously. “Twenty-two.”

  I growl. “And how long have I been kept at twenty-two?”

  “A while.”

  “Why won’t you give me a straight answer?” I snarl, frustration growing as my head begins to pound.

  He steps forward again and grabs my wrist, checking my pulse. “Because there are some things you cannot know. They will interfere with your programming and could damage your brain.”

  My thoughts catch on a word, and I repeat it out loud. “Programming?”

  Dr. Saith looks shifty again as he runs a hand through his hair. “Some of our buyers are very...specific about what they require. So, with some careful conditioning and training, we can provide the perfect companion.”

  “That’s what you did to me...isn’t it?” I murmur as I touch the silk lining the pod. “It’s why I can never resist.”

  He nods. “While you do not retain your memories, your subconscious along with your body remembers what you cannot.”

  “I’m a living sex doll.” I laugh bitterly.

  “No, it’s not like that,” he tries to reassure me. “You are different.”

  “How?” I shout as I gesture to the full pods, where bodies lie waiting to be used and abused. “How am I any different to the others?!”

  “Because we never altered your personality or your thought processes. We just made you more receptive to The Council.” He pulls me into a hug as I sob, his hand rubbing my back in an effort to soothe me.

  “How many times have I done this?”

  He sighs sadly. “Riley…”

  I swallow back some of the tears. “What happens if I remember? Will I go mad?”

  Minutes pass before he finally mutters, “Something like that…”

  “How can you do this?” I ask as I look up at his face.

  The corner of his mouth turns down as he brushes away my tears with his thumb softly. “It’s not something I chose lightly, but it was the better of two evils.”

  I tiptoe and cup his face; he looks so broken in this moment. “I’m sorry, that’s not fair of me. I know you wouldn’t willingly be choosing to be here, but I can’t stay here. I need to leave.”

  “And where will you go?” He’s asked me this before, and I didn’t have an answer then either.

  “Anywhere, please...I can’t stay here…” Fresh tears fall.

  He groans. “Tomorrow. I have to leave the compound tomorrow; I might be able to take you with me, but you’ll need to be ready.”

  I nod, pressing my lips gently to his. I don’t know wh
y I do it. I guess it’s because he is my saviour, and I need him to know that. I need him to understand how much this means and that I am willingly putting myself in his hands. The kiss is my choice and not something he programmed me for. He walks me back to my room, and I take a deep breath. I just need to get through tonight.

  Chapter Nine

  I’m dragged out of my bed by a broad muscular man in a half mask. He throws me over his shoulder and carries me across the room.

  “Where am I going?” I ask with a squeal as he slaps my ass.

  “St. Andrews Cross.”

  I rack my brain, but I don’t know what he’s talking about. “I don’t know where that is.”

  A snort makes me pause, and a feeling of unease creeps up my spine. When he places me down, he binds me to a wooden cross, my wrists and ankles held in place with leather straps. I see a small trolley next to the cross, and I wince at the assortment of tools gathered there. The spikey-looking pinwheel with hooked ends in particular makes me shiver. How did they even get the cross in here without waking me? Wait. They sell humans that they freeze in time with nanotechnology, why am I doubting their abilities?

  “What’re you going to do?” I whisper as he holds something metal over my nipple, and I yelp as it clamps into place.

  “Hurt you, but I promise you...you will love it,” he growls as he attaches another metal clamp to my other nipple, the two now connected with a silver chain.

  “How can I love pain?” I screech as he tugs on the chain, sending a wave through my body.

  He laughs as I squirm. “You know the safe word.”

  “No, I don’t!” I flinch as he grabs a red vibrator from his little trolley and flicks it on. “Wait! No! I don’t know!”

  He smears lube on my exposed pussy before holding the vibrator against my skin; there’s nothing gentle in his touch, and the pulsing from his toy against my clit is unrelenting. He pulls on the chain every few seconds, and it makes me arch my back as the pleasure spreads through my body. My hips move of their own accord as I try to shift away from the pressure that’s building. The orgasm he tears from me is harsh and unforgiving, making me shout out as I come.