The Dark Kingdom Anthology

by Krissy V

  Dark Sovereignty

  Prologue

  The rain pours down just as my tears do. My breath is caught in my lungs as I try and wrap my head around this day. A wail shrills through the air and I turn just in time to find Talia, my step-mother collapse to the floor. Everyone rushes around her, making sure she’s okay. I can’t move, I’m rooted to the spot.

  Three days ago, I lost the only person who loved me. I lost my only parent. My dad had a heart attack, he was only fifty-four.. He was healthy and active, he watched what he ate and yet, here we are, attending his funeral. I’m surrounded by people I don’t know, all of them worrying about Talia and her daughters, yet no one has even glanced at me. I’m mad but, at the same time, I’m grateful. I couldn’t bare all the pitying looks that they’ve been throwing Talia and the girls. I’m fifteen, and I’ve lost both parents, I have no family left.

  “I’m sorry for your loss.” A deep husky voice calls out. I turn to see a man standing against the wall smoking a cigarette. “Your dad was a good man, one of the best in fact.”

  I stand up, my legs wobbly beneath me but I manage to take a step toward the man. “You know my dad?” I shake my head, “You knew him?” My voice is soft and uneven but full of hope. Hope of having a little bit more of my dad in my life.

  He nods, “Yes, I’ve known your father since I was a little boy.” His voice sends shivers throughout my body. “I knew your mom too.”

  “You did?” That’s something I don’t know much about. My mom died years ago and dad never wanted to talk about her.

  His lips tilt slightly as he pulls in a drag of his cigarette. “Yes, I knew your mom. You don’t know who I am?” he questions, his eyes alight with humor.

  I frown, “No, I’m sorry. Should I?”

  He shakes his head, “I suppose not, it’s been years since I last saw you; saw your father. I’m John.” His eyes glance over my body, “You’ve grown a lot.”

  I feel vulnerable, I know that look, the darkening of his eyes and the way he keeps staring at me. I shake it off. “Yeah, I have.” I respond unsure of what to say.

  “There you are.” Another voice calls out and I look past John to see Markus Princeton, my father’s business partner. “Yoreli, I’ve been looking for you all day,” he says pulling me into his arms. He’s the first person to do that to me. He’s the first person to hold me since my father died. “How are you holding up?” he asks me. I swallow, not wanting to answer because if I do I know that I’m going to lose it. “You’re going to be okay,” he says softly, tightening his arms around me.

  “Thank you.” I say as I take a step backward, his arms loosening around me.

  “You ever need anything, Yoreli, please don’t hesitate to call me.”

  I nod, knowing that I’ll never make that phone call.

  “Ready?” he asks John and I’m wondering how they know each other.

  “Yeah, dad.”

  Oh, John’s Markus’ son. No wonder why he wondered if I knew who he was. Shit, how did I not know who he was?

  Markus reaches out his hand and gently touches my face. “Fifteen and so strong already,” he says before letting go and walking away.

  “Fifteen?” John repeats once his father is out of earshot. “You’re fifteen?”

  “Yes, is that a problem?”

  His jaw tightens, “It’s a fucking huge problem.”

  “What?” I gasp, what the hell is wrong with him?

  “Reli, I’m thirty-one,” he grounds out. He shakes his head and I watch as he turns and walks away.

  For some reason, having him turn his back on me hurts.

  I slowly sit back down on the step and wait for when everyone else is gone. I want to go upstairs, crawl into bed, and stay there for an eternity.

  Chapter One

  The bindings bite into my skin, every night it's the same. It's been this way since my dad died. I can't even remember a night that the monster hasn't entered my room and bound my wrists and ankles.

  "Tell me Yoreli, how much do you want this?" It's the same question asked each night.

  I pull against the bindings, they're definitely going to leave marks tonight. The monster hasn't been this vicious in a long time. Something must have happened today, a bad day at work?

  "Yoreli, how much do you want this?"

  I fight once again pulling at the bindings, my nostrils flaring as I try to breathe through the pain. This ball gag isn't helping matters.

  "You love when I do these things to you." The monster’s fingers run up my body toward my breasts.

  I hate when it does things to me. I don't call the monster by its name. Never again, the last time I did I got fifteen lashes with the whip. It broke my skin and made me bleed, it was the most painful experience I've been dealt by the hands of the devil. Wearing clothes hurt; I couldn't wear a bra for three weeks.

  Pain hits me when the bastard twists my nipples. It's a game; see how long it takes to make Yoreli break. To have me a sobbing mess before the devil will have its way with me. Apparently I'm more compliant once I'm broken.

  Teeth sink into the skin of my rib cage. I don't cry out, I don't dare; for fear of the ramifications that it will cause. I close my eyes as a lone tear falls. Yet another scar to add to the collection I already have. It's a never ending barrage of abuse, I don't see a way out. My days are dark and my nights are stuff only nightmares are made of.

  "You're a tough cookie to break this evening, Yoreli. But don't you worry, I'll have you begging by the end of it; just as I always do."

  I'm twisted; as much as I don't want this to happen, by the end of it I'm writhing in pleasure. Wanting more, begging the devil to bring me over to the other side. I'm so fucked up, because when it ends, I have no idea what is pleasure and what is pain. I'm broken. That's the only excuse I have for it.

  "Give it up, Yoreli." The hardness in the devil's tone tells me that this is just the beginning. Things are about to get worse, a hell of a lot worse. A blindfold goes over my eyes and I bunch my hands into fists, I hate the unknown and this bastard knows that.

  My scream fills the air as the boiling hot wax hits my skin. Monster, that word reverberates through my brain. I will the tears not to fall, not to let this bastard know that I'm close to breaking because right now, I am.

  "That's it, give me more."

  I shake my head, I can't, I won't.

  "Oh ho. Lookie here, Yoreli playing hard to get. You know how much I love it when you tease me."

  No, God no.

  The devil's fingers are at my pussy, I squirm trying to get away but I know that it's no use. The devil wants to play and I'm its favorite toy. Right now I'm helpless, sprawled out for her to do as she pleases. For her to show me just how much she hates me.

  "Yoreli." Lust coating my name, "You know how much I love it when you fight me, you are mine to do with as I please and right now, I want to finger fuck that pussy of yours."

  I cringe at her language, she's so vulgar. I hate her more than I have ever hated anyone in this world. I'm destined to be her plaything and there's no hope for me. I've been her toy for almost two years now, no one has saved me and no one ever will. Who's going to want to help the virgin orphan?

  As soon as her tongue flicks my clit and her fingers fuck my pussy I submit, I can't help it. The pleasure takes over and I'm lost in the moment. I'm withering silently wishing it’ll end as she continues to fuck me with her mouth and fingers. Tingles start in my spine and begin to build. God, please let this be over. Just as quickly as the orgasm began building it's taken away.

  "Come on, Yoreli, you didn't think I'd let you get away that easily, now did you?" She taunts, the bed dipping as she gets off it. She's not far away though as her nails scrape across my breasts. My nipples pebbling at the touch, "You're going to love what I have lined up for you this evening."

  I doubt it.

  A buzzing noise filters through the room, fear and anticipation spread through my body like a wildfire. The buzzin
g gets louder, my body bows off the bed when the vibration touches my clit.

  "Relax, Yoreli, let the pleasure take over." She places a hand on my leg, a slight caress before adding pressure. She's making me comply with her wishes; to be still while she has her wicked way with me.

  Tensing my body so that when the next vibrations come, I won't move. I need to come, I need my release, yet displeasing her will only make this torture worse. Prolong the agony and break me even further, although I'm not really sure that's possible anymore, I honestly believe that I've reached rock bottom.

  I cry out as she thrusts something hard into my pussy. Pain rips into me as she moves it in and out of me. Tears slip out of my eyes, I hate when she does this. "Oh my poor little virgin, yet to have a man fuck you." She laughs, "This is what a man would do to you if one could ever love you. He'd fuck you so good, you'd be screaming with pleasure. You don't have a man so a dildo is going to have to do. Because who would want you? Who would want an orphan with no job?"

  I think her words are what hurt me the most. I know that she abuses me but no one has ever cared enough to find out what's going on. Once she thought a teacher of mine was getting close to the truth so she pulled me out of school. That was the day I lost all hope of ever getting away, until that moment I had dreamed of ways of escaping. Now, I'm only allowed to leave the house when she's with me. Even then those days are few and far between. Sometimes it's better to stay home and be alone.

  "Yoreli, are you with me?" she asks brusquely and I nod. "Why do I get the impression you're daydreaming?"

  I shake my head, "I'm not." My words come out muffled due to the gag that's in my mouth.

  "We'll see about that." She thrusts the dildo into me once again and pain shatters me. "This is how much I hate you, Yoreli; how much I wish you had died instead of your father." Once again she thrusts the dildo into me.

  My scream rents the air with the force of her thrust. "Stop." I beg but she doesn't listen, she continues to fuck me with the dildo.

  The bed dips beneath me as she moves, the dildo still fucking me as she flicks my clit with her tongue, once, twice, three times. Yet again, the lines between pleasure and pain are blurred and my orgasm begins to build. I cry out as I come, my breathing hard and coming out in pants. Shame fills me as I come down from my release. I feel dirty, used, and pathetic. I should be able to fight her off; be able to tell her to leave me alone but every time I think about doing it fear grips me in a choke hold. Where would I go? What would I do?

  Moaning fills the air and I cry, she's not finished with me yet, she's getting her fill before taking another turn on me. This happens once every couple of weeks and these nights usually last for five or more hours. They're endless torture. Tomorrow I'll be completely drained, unable to do very much. It doesn't matter to the devil, she'll be right back here tomorrow night taking even more from me, because the devil never sleeps.

  I close my eyes as I hear the wetness from her, she's pleasuring herself. She hates me but yet she loves to get off on making me come. I've always figured it was some sort of power play with her. She gets off on having me submit to her, her being the boss of me and doing as she pleases.

  Her moans get louder, more erratic, she's close to the edge. Fingers grip my neck, squeezing tightly. "You know what to do, Yoreli."

  I can't breathe, the darkness is calling me as she squeezes tighter. Those tingles are back in full force, I know it's not going to take me long to reach my orgasm. Her screams fill the air as she comes, "Yoreli, do it."

  I detonate as her fingers squeeze my windpipe. "Good girl." It's the last thing I hear before I succumb to the darkness.

  Chapter Two

  Birds chirping rouse me from my sleep. My throat feels as though I've swallowed a dozen nails and they've cut it open as they've moved down my esophagus. Opening my eyes, I'm relieved to be able to see, the blindfold is gone as are the bindings. The devil always looks after me when she's finished, she cleans me and pulls the covers over me. Doing that confuses me, she’s a bitch to me during the day, a devil during the night and then takes care of me while I’m passed out.

  Gingerly getting out of bed, I walk to the mirror wanting to see the damage she inflicted on me last night. To my absolute horror, I have bright red finger marks on my neck. Glancing down at my wrists, they're marred with blackish-purple colored bruises. I finger my bracelet, it’s silver with a tiny heart, I adore this bracelet, it’s the only thing I have in this world that I truly value. My dad gave it to me, it belonged to my mom. He bought it for her when they were dating and she wore it every day until she died. Dad had given it to me for my thirteenth birthday. I cherish it. It’s my reminder of my parents.

  Looking at my ankles I see they too are the same as my wrists. What stuns me the most is the burn that is on my stomach, it was left by the wax she poured over me last night.

  I jump in the shower, needing to scrub the remnants of last night off of me. It doesn't matter because it won't work, I'll still be dirty. I'll still be afraid because no matter what happens, the devil will be in my bed once again tonight. Once I'm out, I hear a bell ringing. Great, it's time to serve the house. Quickly throwing on my clothes, I rush downstairs and get breakfast ready, I need coffee, it's the only thing that can get me through the day. It's the first thing I do, put the coffee pot on.

  "Yoreli!" Zella shouts and I fight the urge to ignore it. It will only lead to more pain tonight.

  "Yoreli?" Anna cries, no doubt she's unable to dress herself this morning.

  "Coming," I call out so that they'll shut the hell up. I've ignored them before and they've gotten louder and louder. Which annoyed their mother, Talia. The woman who, at night, is my monster.

  "Bring me a cup of coffee, I'm parched," Zella demands and I sigh, just when I think I have their morning routine figured out, they change it up. They do it so that I'll always be at their beck and call, that they'll be able to berate me for not having their breakfast ready for them in a timely manner.

  "Bring me a ham and cheese omelette," Anna yells and I instantly begin making it. Today has started off crappy, it's one of the worst morning's I've had in a while. The girls are in rare form today. It must be the day to run Yoreli into the ground.

  Ten minutes later I'm walking upstairs with a tray of food in my hands, my side hurting as my clothes cling to the burn. "Took you long enough," Zella growls, grabbing a cup of coffee from the tray. Her brown eyes glaring at me, she’s already dressed this morning; in a tight dress that shows off her curves. Her blonde hair is tied up into a high ponytail. She takes a sip of coffee, stares at me in silence before nodding her head and walking away.

  I place the tray down on the dresser and take the plate to Anna who's still lying in bed. Her thick, black, curly hair is messy and splayed on the pillow, her pale skin is a vast contrast to her sisters whose is sun-kissed. "I could have starved to death."

  I bite back the retort of I wish, and pick up the girl's dirty clothes, needing to have them washed today otherwise they'll pitch a fit.

  "Yoreli, I'd like a cup of coffee too." Anna calls out as I'm about to leave their room.

  Placing their clothes on the floor by the door, I turn around with a smile plastered to my face and pick up the coffee I had made just in case she needed one. Anna is a feeble girl, she can't think for herself, she follows whatever Zella or their mom does.

  "Yoreli, I need my dress ready for this evening. I have a date." Zella informs me. A part of me twinges with jealousy whereas the bigger part of me is happy that she won't be around to inflict her bitchiness on me.

  "Yes, Zella."

  Her nose scrunches up in disgust, "When he arrives to pick me up, you are not to be in attendance. You are not part of this family."

  I nod my head and walk backward, "Of course, tonight is your night. I'll have your dress ready for you." Quickly picking up the dirty clothes, I rush back downstairs knowing that I have very little time before they call me once again. I put the clothes int
o the wash, knowing I need to get them done so I can have Zella's dress dried before tonight.

  "Yoreli!" My body shudders at Talia's voice. "Coffee. Now."

  "Coming." I yell back as I fill her coffee cup, grateful that I've managed to put the wash on before I was summoned.

  I place her coffee cup down on her desk, she's dressed in her normal corporate attire, a pencil skirt with a fancy blouse. "Yoreli, Friday, the girls and I are going on vacation. You are not to go anywhere while we are gone. Do you understand?" She flicks her blonde hair behind her shoulders. Zella is just like her mom, everything about them is the same, including their deep brown eyes.

  I nod, "Yes, Ma'am." I had forgotten they were taking a vacation. I’ll have a week without them, I honestly don’t know what I’ll do while they’re gone.

  She walks over to me, her heels clicking against the wooden floor. Her finger caresses the bruise on my neck, she tuts, "Someone's been a naughty girl."

  I stand still as I await my next instruction.

  "Yoreli, dinner is to be served at five-thirty sharp. Once it is served you are to go to bed. I don't want to see you for the rest of the evening." She turns and walks back to her desk, we're finished and I can return to the safety of downstairs.

  "Yes, Ma'am," I reply instantly, they won't be home until five, meaning I'll only have to suffer for thirty minutes. Maybe this day isn't as bad as I first thought?

  "Oh and don't think you're getting away with it that easily, Yoreli. I want this entire house cleaned. I want it sparkling." She raises her brow at me. "That is all, you have work to do, so do it."

  I race down the stairs, I don't have very long to have this house cleaned. The girls’ bedroom only gets cleaned once a week, it's the only time I'm allowed to. It's utterly disgusting and takes me at least two hours to clean. Talia is somewhat cleaner, her office is the easiest to clean as is the kitchen because nobody besides me ventures inside. The sitting room is another story altogether. I'm never allowed in there unless it's to clean and just like the girl's bedroom, that happens once a week. I'm always surprised by how dirty the girls are. I find food on the floor and dirty clothes. Talia very rarely spends time in there so she doesn't see how bad it gets. When she does though, that’s when I’m ordered to clean it immediately.