by Kailin Gow
As dim as it was, the light was nonetheless blinding after so long in complete blackness. My gaze immediately caught on my own arm as I was dragged out. It was so thin and frail, I was certain it couldn’t be mine. The pangs of hunger, however, reminded me of the little food I had managed to scrape off the floor since my incarceration.
I lifted my focus to the room around me and could vaguely make out a few figures standing at attention, waiting for their next order.
In the fog that clung to my brain, they appeared clean, wholesome and nice, almost angelic, but the vicious hold of my arm reminded me of the dire situation I was really in.
The strong force of my captor brought me to face him. “Remember me?” Brent sneered, his eyes hungry as he leered at me.
I shot a quick glance around the room as the fog in my head dissipated and the images around me became clearer, though they were far from pleasant. The angelic figures around the room were clearly Magical Ones who worked in and around the Coliseum.
“I think I can handle this one,” Brent said to the surroundings guards. His eyes remained on me, his gaze excruciatingly uncomfortable. “I’ll bring her out when I’m done with her.”
Several of the Magical Ones left without a word, but a few grumbled among themselves. Finally one of them stepped forward to confront Brent.
“We have strict orders to escort her to the field. Not only do we not have the time to wait, but you’re not to be alone with a female prisoner.”
The hunger left Brent’s eyes for a moment and rage took over. Though his anger was aimed at his subordinates, it was my arm that took the brunt of his rage as he squeezed his fingers like a vice.
I bit down on the yelp of pain that wanted to escape, knowing full well it would only be received with bitterness and more anger.
“If I tell you I can handle this one, I can handle this one. I’m not some rookie Magical One who needs to have his hand held by you novices. Now get the hell out of here or I’ll make arrangements to have you all go out onto the field with her.”
They glanced at one another, their eyes wide with the fear of his threat. Only one of them dared gaze my way, the disgust in his eyes speaking plainly of what Brent intended to do with me. As the others left, he remained.
“Our concern is not only for the rules that need to be adhered to, Brent,” he said. Clearly nervous about the confrontation, he nonetheless held his ground. “It’s for your own good. You’ve been reprimanded before for… shall we say, inappropriate behavior towards the female prisoners. One more sanction and you’ll be the one going out onto that field.”
“Thanks for your concern, buddy, but I know what I’m doing.”
With a defeated shrug, the last remaining Magical One left and the venomous glare in Brent’s eyes took on a whole new meaning.
“It’s always a shame to send out onto the field a lovely young girl who has not yet experienced what it is to be a woman.”
He was so large, so tall, so powerful and I felt immensely weak and frail. What kind of magic could I conjure up to keep him at bay? Grouping any kind of cohesive thought was difficult, never mind the concentration needed to do any proper magic.
Brent pushed me up to the wall and pinned my hands above my head.
No, I thought with growing conviction. I’m not going to let this happen. Throw me to the dogs if you will, but I won’t allow you to touch me in that way.
He pressed closer, his chest brushing against mine.
Begging for mercy would serve no purpose, perhaps even heighten his excitement. And talking any kind of sense was useless; the last Magical One to speak to him about the consequences of his actions had made that abundantly clear. No, my only way out was to find a kind of magic that would stop him, that would cripple him.
He inched closer, his nostrils flaring as he inhaled my scent. “Even after solitary confinement, you smell enticing.”
His lips brushed along the length of my neck and I wanted to scream.
“There’s no point in screaming now,” he whispered hungrily into my ear.
Alarmed that he’d read my thoughts, I knew I had to work harder to bring myself out of the lull my captivity had brought on. If nothing else, I had to block my thoughts and keep him from seeing what I intended to do.
“Everyone screams around here, especially you females. Your scream would only melt into the hundreds of other screams that echo through these halls every day.”
Once again he pressed his lips to my neck, kissed over my ear and slowly brought his lips across my cheek. Repulsed by his touch, I turned away, refusing him access to my lips.
“I don’t have time to waste,” he grunted. Releasing my hand, he clamped his fingers on either side of my face and turned my face to him with a firm yank.
My freed hand fell limply to my side, momentarily useless as he pressed his lips over mine, the acrid scent of him, the putrid taste of him bringing out something feral and wild from deep inside me.
Shutting my eyes, I closed off from what was happening to my body and dove deep within myself, seeking the powers I knew I had, the powers that were dormant. Brent’s presence flowed off to the background, but I knew I had to find my strength fast.
A flash of light pierced my consciousness, bright and colorful, filled with hope and joy. For a moment I feared I’d died, had reached the heavens.
“I’m here with you, Kama.”
Torrid’s voice came to me just as surely as if he stood beside me.
“Don’t give up. Fight.”
The sound of his voice, the confirmation that he was alive gave me the added incentive to fight Brent off.
“They’ve weakened me beyond anything human.”
“You’re not just human. The power is still within you. The powers your father has passed onto you. You just have to re-awaken it.”
In the distance, I felt the pressure of Brent’s touch as he prepared to rip the few shreds of clothing I still had on.
“Your heritage gave you the power to overcome this, to overcome anything. Everyone needs you, Kama. You have to save yourself in order to come and save everyone.”
His words of encouragement were like building blocks to the strength that slowly pulsed through my veins. The weak and limp hand at my side came back to life, but I knew it was still too frail to do anything against the bulk that Brent pressed against me.
My only way out was magic.
“A knife,” Torrid suggested.
Remembering my last attempt to conjure up a knife, I hesitated. If I erred again, if the knife appeared in Brent’s hand instead of mine… My mind raced with the consequences and for a long moment I froze with fear.
“See your hand. See your fingers,” Torrid ordered, his voice firm with the conviction of my abilities. “The knife needn’t be large or heavy. Wrap your fingers around the handle and see the blade that will penetrate your capture’s skin just enough to allow you to flee.”
I envisioned my hands, my fingers, my thumb, but not the frail little hand I’d seen as I’d emerged from my cell, but the strong and vibrant hand of the young woman I was. Coupled with the vision was a glimpse of Brent, weakened by his own hunger for flesh.
My confidence grew and the moment to act was quickly upon me.
“Now!” Torrid commanded.
The cold handle of the knife awakened my hand and I quickly grabbed a firm hold of it, relieved it had appeared just as it should. Unsatisfied with the length of the blade, however, I added another two inches.
Just as Brent backed away, his eyes in a dreamy pool of lust, I raised my hand, the blade of the knife shimmering with the glow of freedom.
A curious crease lined his brow as he caught a glimpse of my weapon, but the fog in his head didn’t allow for any kind of immediate response. Dazed, he brought his gaze to my eyes, just as I plunged my knife into the base of his neck as deep as the knife would go.
Blood squirted out, gurgling with the sounds of death, but still his eyes remained locked on min
e. The dark sheen of his skin turned ashen and his hold of me weakened. The realization of what had just happened finally struck him and he brought his hands to the deeply imbedded knife.
Panicked by his imminent death, he pulled out the knife, allowing the blood to flow even more freely. Stumbling back, his eyes widened with disbelief.
The tiny little waif, weakened by days of starvation and neglect had just cut down one of the largest and fiercest Magical Ones.
He fell back against the far wall and sunk to the floor, his eyes wide, his mouth gasping for that last breath of air.
Strengthened by my victory, I sought a way out before the guards returned to fetch me, but there was only one way out; the very corridor all the guards had used to leave.
I inched to the corner and glanced out into the hall and was dismayed by the long line of Magical Ones that stood waiting; waiting for Brent to finish having his way with me.
“There she is!” one of them called out.
“Get her!”
Cornered, I had nowhere to go, nowhere to run. They rushed towards me and the feeble protective wall I quickly erected did nothing to impede them. Within seconds they were on me, two holding each arm and two more grabbing each leg.
Squirming, kicking and screaming, I tried to escape them as they led me to the field, to the hungry dogs that awaited their next victim.
“No!” I shouted into the vast horrors of the Coliseum.
“I love you,” came Torrid’s anguished voice. “I will always love you, Kama. Stay strong.”
Everything went black. Everything went silent.
My connection to Torrid had gone dead.
Epilogue
The time was upon me and I tried to be brave. My initial screams of horror and hysteria ceased and I remained calm as the guards prepared me.
Stoic, they probably thought of me as I stood erect, ready to face my death, but it was determination that kept me so calm.
I was General Adon’s daughter. My destiny did not have me dying at the hands of Magical Ones. It did not have me being torn apart by animals. Though I didn’t yet know how I would escape, I just knew that I would.
“This one I’m going to enjoy watching,” one of the guards commented. “She thinks she’s special because of her heritage. Let’s see how special she is when the dogs get to her.”
“Too bad General Adon can’t be here to watch it.”
I turned a cunning eye to them. “When my father learns of your part in this, I hardly doubt you’ll be as brave as you all are now. It’s so easy to talk like a tough guy when you’re throwing a young and helpless girl into a ring of death, but wait and see how you are when faced with someone a little more challenging.”
They all turned to me, surprised to hear me speak at all, or simply surprised by my threat, it was hard to say. Either way, they didn’t like it.
“Hurry up, and let’s get this over with. She’s late going in as it is.”
Two Magical Ones flanked me and took hold of my arms, prepared to lead me through the gate.
I straightened my shoulders and stepped forward before they could begin to guide me in. “I want to go in on my own.”
They simultaneously cocked their brows then turned a questioning glance to the other guards.
“Fine,” one of them said as he crossed his arms over his chest and gazed at me with open interest. “Let her go in on her own. This’ll make for quite a show.”
“I bet she pees her pants once she sees the dogs,” one said with a snicker.
“I’ll wager she faints dead away,” another countered.
“No,” the man with the crossed arms said. “I think she’ll go in there trying to prove something. Only when the dogs pierce their fangs through her skin will she utter a cry.”
I turned my gaze to the gate and marched on.
Cheers roared all around me as I emerged on the sun drenched field; cheers of hate, cheers for blood. Some threw pebbles while others sprayed me with a slimy and greasy substance.
I didn’t cringe, sidestep what was tossed at me or glance anywhere other than the center of the ring. If anything my brave and stoic stance upset and infuriated the audience all the more. They would have preferred I cry and scream, that I resist and run away. I refused to give them the satisfaction of such a reaction.
As I reached the center of the ring, I brought my gaze to the skies beyond the Coliseum walls. Sunlight, fresh air… even if it did carry the odor of war, it was far better than the stale air I’d breathed in my cell.
I raised my chin to the breeze… and smiled.
The crowd gasped.
A break in the clouds, in the ever falling protective Force Field gave me a glimmer of a world far away; a world of peace, of serenity. I concentrated on the distant world, on the joy I’d felt while in that world. I wanted to go back.
The dogs were brought in, growling, snarling and foaming at the mouth as they tugged eagerly on their leash. Other than a disinterested side glance, I paid them no mind. My heart and my soul were already in that other world, already in a fragrant field of wildflowers.
A clink of chains indicated the release of the dogs. Their paws thundered on the dry earth, churning up a cloud of brown dirt. Their snarls of hunger came closer and closer, as did that distant field of wildflowers.
The illusion split before me, the horror of the Coliseum, the bliss of a peaceful world. Intensified by the warmth and bright rays of the sun, my heart soared with all the possibilities of this new world as it opened up more and more. The spitting and hateful crowd around me faded into the background and a burst of fresh blooms came forth.
Still pounding their paws to the earth, the dogs continued their race towards me, but the snarling had ceased.
This was the power of the Magical Ones, I thought. This ability to create such an illusion. No one had ever seen the Coliseum before because it had never truly existed. It had been conjured up to frighten and intimidate this new batch of rebels in Arcadia.
I had the power, I realized, the power to change that illusion, to destroy the Coliseum and create the vision of the world that I wanted. I was a Magical One, a djinn, the daughter of the most powerful one, and one who had the magic of Catchers, too.
I placed my hands out, my eyes and face opened to the sky. Arcadia was built on the illusion of a perfect town by Catchers and Magical Ones. Now that illusion had been shattered, it was time to shatter the illusion of the Coliseum. “So the lamb and the dogs became friends,” I said.
Whimpering and whining, the dogs came to my side, licking my hands and playfully jumping up to me for a bit of attention and affection.
After all, they too had been but pawns in this ugly game of deception.
With a large earth-shattering roar, the building around me began shaking as pieces of the Coliseum fell like the force field above Arcadia.
The dogs huddled around me, seeking comfort from the chaos around them, and as I bent down to hold them, I caught a glimpse of gold, an armor and then a large looming shadow descending straight into the arena towards me. I knew without question who it was and smiled.
It was my father. General Adon.
*****
*****
Kama, Liam, Torrid, and Rodin’s story continues in Book 3 of Magical World
Djinn’s Destiny (Magical World, Book 3)
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FALLEN FAE ACADEMY
About the Series
"At Fallen Fae Academy, the magic will either complete you or kill you."
My name is Harley, as in Harlequin. Plucked from my home from Las Vegas, NV, and placed into an University on an arts scholarship, suddenly I am the girl the four hottest and most popular boys have decided to "initiate".
This is no ordinary "hazing" ritual, and these boys are no ordinary boys.
This mysterious University looks like any ivy leagu
e campus, but it isn't. Step in and you are transported beyond your wildest imagination. I should be ecstatic being here. Except surviving "Initiation" is going to take everything I've got.
Don't let the beauty of the four fae boys fool you. They are as dangerous as they are beautiful. And underneath everything, runs a deep secret. One I need to find out before Initiation kills me.
They think a human is weak. They think I shouldn't be at this university. I'm about to prove them wrong.
**Fallen Fae Series is a 3-books RH Fantasy Academy Bully Romance series with a badass heroine, four deadly, striking fae princes, heart-pounding action, super steamy love scenes, and great romance.
Initiation: Year 1
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Transformation: Year 2
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Declaration: Year 3
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The Shadowlight Academy Series
About the Series
Unlike many high school heroines in fantasy books, I always knew I was not ordinary. Far from it. Since I was two, I have been seeing angels and demons. Given the gift of battle as a warrior, my role as a slayer often interferes with my role as a normal girl. So no, I was never a typical girl who had just found out she was heir to some magical family or something like that. I've been "gifted" practically all my life. So when my ordinary family moved us to San Francisco to a new school where my father teaches, I didn't think much of the school. Shadowlight Academy, the most exclusive and posh prep academy for the super rich. I thought I would be there to slay the evil like an undercover superhero amongst the ordinary. I just didn't think the ordinary would all be extremely unordinary. Especially the three most popular kids in school. Then there's the hot brooding rebel boy who didn't seem to fit in, too. Everyone here has secrets, and I am determined to find out what, before it kills me...the entire Academy and even the world. Okay, I might be dramatizing a bit, but yes, from what I've barely seen...it could be that big. Better get my game gear on and my entire armor on, because this is going to be one epic battle. But who can I trust?The Beautiful Ones, which rule Shadowlight Academy is known to be both beautiful yet wicked. They're fascinated with me as I am of them. But who or what are they really, and why do I feel drawn to them like a fly to a spider? Can I escape their beautiful web before I am trapped forever? Do I want to?*The Beautiful Boys is the first in a high school paranormal academy series for mature teens and up. Expect a tough heroine who can take on anyone and anything, with lots of steam literally and figuratively, and a reverse harem romance.
