by Zoey Ellis
The women hesitated for a moment before speaking. “You are in no condition to be questioning me, Your Majesty.”
“I am king,” Malloron said sharply. “And I want to know your purpose here.”
The woman held his gaze. “It has nothing to do with you.”
“So you admit that you are here under false pretenses? How well do you know Amara?”
“Please lie back down,” the woman insisted, gesturing to the table. “It will be worse if you are too active. It will cause the deterioration to quicken.”
Malloron’s gaze sharpened. “Tell me what you know about this kind of bond.”
The woman held his eyes but did not say anything; she didn’t even move. If she was an Omega, she would definitely be aware of the damaging effects of the one-way bond if it happened the wrong way. Amara had, Cailyn had, so it seemed to be something the Omega Mothers had been keen to tell the Omegas about.
“Tell me,” Malloron demanded. “Or I will tell my brother that your presence here is a lie.”
“You’re going to tell him that anyway,” the woman shot back at him.
“I owe him nothing,” Malloron spat. “I don’t give a shit what you’re doing here as long as it has nothing to do with me, Eiros, my rule, or my Omega. I don’t have to tell him anything, but I will if you don’t tell me everything you know.” He pointed in the direction the girl had disappeared in. “How is it that you are able to make a potion that minimizes the effect on my brain? Clearly you have experience with this before. Tell me.”
The woman took a breath and sighed heavily. “I will tell you. But please lie back down.”
When Malloron didn’t move, she shook her head and clicked her teeth. “At least sit, Your Majesty,” she said gesturing to the table.
“Why do you care?” Malloron shot at her. “It doesn’t matter whether I stand or sit.”
The woman’s eyes hardened and she shook her head. “It is typical that one of the strongest Omegas I know had to fall for the most stubborn and arrogant Alpha in the known Lands,” she muttered, as she moved to sit on the couch slightly behind her.
Malloron’s breath hitched. Not only was this woman an Omega, but she seemed to be implying she had a history with Amara and knew her personally. At least she thought she did; Amara certainly hadn’t fallen for him. Still, he inched back to the table and sat down on it. The pressure in his mind lightened even further until it was almost as though it wasn’t there. How was that possible? He kept his eyes on the woman, waiting for her to explain. “What is your name?”
“Kyus.”
“How long have you been with my brother?”
Kyus leveled him with a stare. “I can tell you what I know about the bond or I can tell you about what I’m doing here. Not both.”
Malloron narrowed his eyes at her. He could demand information from her about both if he wanted, but in all truth, he only really cared about one of them. His brother could deal with his own messes from now on—if he still lived after today. “Tell me about the bond.”
“I have only dealt with it once,” the woman began. “I worked as a medic among some of the small villages in El Yareth quite a few years ago. It was with an older Alpha who didn't realize he was biting an Omega—he thought she was a Beta and did it without her consent.”
“What happened?”
“I examined him quite closely and got him to explain to me everything he was feeling, since it was the only time that I had ever witnessed this happening. He said at first there was a painful pressure around his mind that was squeezing in on his brain, causing him to lose concentration and focus, even making him unable to move his limbs. Then, it mellowed out once the bond settled, but he suffered an enhanced experience of the Omega’s emotions. As the days when on, the Omega’s emotions increased in his mind until he couldn’t bear it. I tried to ease it with potions, spells, and healing magic, and some of them did help, but eventually the pressure became too much for him. Near the end, he also reported feeling the bond in his chest, but that was a much milder experience than what he felt in his mind.”
“Where was the Omega during all of this?”
“She had left the village. She never intended to be paired with him, but he wouldn’t accept no as an answer. So when he tried to force the bond, she felt regretful over his circumstance, but she firmly believed he was to blame for it and she would not sacrifice her freedom to help him.”
Malloron clenched his jaw. There was no way he was going to allow his Omega to have that kind of disrespectful attitude. “How long did he last?”
“A week,” the Omega said solemnly. “But only half of that was with all of his senses intact. I suspect if the Omega had been with him, he may have lasted longer.”
Malloron exhaled harshly. He only had a few days. “That potion your servant used on me,” he began. “How long will that last?”
“It may extend your ability to be coherent for a few days,” Kyus said. “It will limit both the pain and the emotions you feel from your Omega, making you more comfortable, but ultimately it will not stop the final result.”
So he needed to find Amara and force her to bite him back. He needed a plan.
“I can assure you that if you rest for an hour, you will be able to think clearer,” the woman said softly, after a long moment of silence. “And then you can decide what you want to do. Nothing will happen to you while you rest.”
Malloron eyed her. “Why are you helping?”
The woman shrugged. “The Western Lands benefits with you as king.”
That was a surprising answer. It was strange that this Omega thought so differently from Amara. “In what way?”
Kyus held his gaze. “Your primary concern is about yourself and your rule. There are indeed negatives to that, but also positives. It allows a certain amount of autonomy and self-regulation for the people in the Lands when its rulers are not paying attention.”
Malloron nodded slowly, though he was unsure how positive that was. He pushed himself back on the table, preparing to rest for a little while in the hope that he would be able to think clearer within the hour. “I need my assistant,” he said to her and he lay back. “Send for him from the castle.”
CHAPTER THREE
AMARA
Her cell was cold and damp, with only one flickering broken lamp swinging from the ceiling. A sour, stale odor filled the air, but she was unable to determine the origin because she could barely see into the corners of the room. There were no windows and no indication of where she was.
Brecc used the Ancient Tongue to force her into a large building, down into the cell, and then locked her in. But she had no idea where she was.
When she had been transported out of the castle to where Malloron had bitten her, she’d had no idea where she was being taken to—she’d been unable to see anything; no landmarks, no buildings, nothing that would give her an idea where in the Western Lands she was, and she still had no idea.
She kicked and struggled in resistance while drifting into the cell, but after being unbound and left alone, she kept as quiet as she could. She didn't want to give Brecc any excuse to enter and fulfill his promise to rape her. It was bad enough knowing that it was what he planned; she didn’t need to invite it. Her main priority was to find a way out of there.
But after examining every inch of her cell, and finding nothing but stone brick and a completely enclosed and secure space, Amara paced the length of it to determine its size. At eight feet wide, it was almost too large for a single prisoner, and Amara suspected others would be tossed in with her eventually, but that thought did not appease her. She had to use magic to get out.
She knew she was stronger than any of Brecc’s Talent-crafters—all Omegas were. They were all taught to use the Talent in a way that was more powerful than Talent-crafters in any of the Lands. However, most of their training involved learning how to avoid conflict or escape—certainly not to fight multiple Talent-crafters at once. Amara had managed to fight off
Brecc’s previous Talent-crafters because she was using the tenebris and could see magical energy. She had no idea if she could do the same now that her vision had returned, but she could try.
Standing with her back against the cold, stone brick wall, Amara sent her awareness out to connect with magic. Her heart dropped when she realized she couldn't detect any in the vicinity, certainly not within her cell, and she couldn't feel anything past the surrounding walls, which was impossible. Magic existed everywhere, which meant Brecc had cast some kind of spell so the cell blocked it out. She suddenly realized that the wild magic that had surrounded her in the carriage had disappeared.
She exhaled in frustration. Brecc had likely purposefully prepared this cell for her based on Malloron’s grandfather’s research, knowing of her magical skill. She clenched her fists in annoyance—he had clearly planned well, but he couldn’t know everything. She stilled. Would he know how she viewed magic through the tenebris? Malloron insisted that her experience with the tenebris was unique, that his grandfather hadn’t experienced the same thing with his Omega test subject. Hopefully that would mean they wouldn't be able to anticipate her using magic in that way.
Amara closed her eyes and tried to visualize magic as she had seen it through the tenebris, but she couldn't quite visualize it exactly as she remembered it. The magic that had entranced her when she was unable to use her eyes had moved in a very specific and unique way. Each unique vibration almost danced, in both complete harmony and total discord with the other energies of magic that it shared space with and yet was never out of place or out of sync with each other. Its beauty had been so free, so natural; it was difficult to imagine it in such a dark and desperate place as her current surroundings, but she had to try.
She had no idea how long she was in the cell for, but it seemed like she spent hours focusing on this one task, and soon she dropped to her knees from the mental exhaustion.
Unfortunately that was when the door opened.
Brecc entered the room slowly and stopped just inside the door, ensuring to lock it behind him. His neck had been redressed with a new bandage, but blood still saturated the dressing. His cold eyes ran over her as she crouched against the opposite wall.
For a moment, all was still except the swinging lamp that cast sharp shadows across Brecc’s face. Then he spoke, murmuring something she didn’t quite catch.
A sudden drowsiness fell over Amara and she slumped onto one hip and then dropped onto her side. Shocked, she tried to push herself up, but her limbs were too heavy and a deep sleep beckoned. Brecc’s eyes glittered as a delight spread across his face and she suddenly realized how much she was at risk.
Panic gripped her as Brecc stepped forward. She could only see his boots from where she lay, and even then her eyelids were desperate to close. She watched him step closer and closer, and her panic jumped in intensity with each heavy thud.
Brecc crouched down and his smug face came into view. “You know,” he gurgled disgustingly, as his eyes traveled down her body, “I may be open to keeping you alive if you satisfy my needs. It wouldn’t hurt to have you as a weapon to protect my interests, and a moist hole to keep me from needing Malloron’s chambers.”
Amara tightened her mouth and pushed all her energy into responding to him as fiercely as she could. “Fuck you.”
Brecc’s eyes darkened and, reaching forward sharply, he grabbed her breast. “You will,” he sneered. She winced as he kneaded her hard. “Multiple times, if I feel like gifting you.” His hand moved down to her thigh, squeezing as he edged it under her tunic. “Do you know what I like the most about Malloron’s chambers?” He pushed his fingers into her panties, and Amara tried to recoil from him but her body wasn’t responding. “The ones who fight,” Brecc sneered. “The ones who are frightened and try to get away. The ones that howl in pain the whole time and continue to fight because they think it’s still possible to get free. And that defeat in their eyes when they realize it’s not possible? Makes me hard.” On his last word, he shoved his fingers into her and she screeched at the pain that shot up through her. Brecc chuckled, but something was changing in the air. Desperately pulling on whatever she could, the revolving magic that usually surrounded her when she was distressed suddenly burst into existence, slicing Brecc’s arm.
The duke jumped back, yanking his hand out of her and howled, cradling his arm.
Amara’s eyes widened as blood spattered to the floor and Brecc yelled a series of curses as he bent over, his face contorted. Eventually, he straightened, glaring at her and cursing as he watched the magic swirling around her, protecting her. She held his gaze, relieved that he couldn’t get to her, but confused at the magic’s existence in the cell. Whatever this magic was, it was clearly powerful and not something Malloron’s grandfather had discovered or taken into account. Thankfully, it was dangerous enough to protect her. She just needed to ensure it remained strong, but was highly aware that it hadn’t ever been something she could control.
“You may be protected now,” Brecc snarled, spittle spraying from his mouth, “but it won’t last when you sleep.” He leaned forward. “And when you do, you will wake to me ripping you apart from the inside out.”
***
“What are you?”
The rough, rugged voice penetrated Amara's drowsiness. She groaned, curling into a tight ball, wincing from the lingering soreness from Brec’s rough treatment, but when the sour stench around her registered, she forced herself awake. Pushing herself upright, she peered over to the door of her cell.
A large, wide figure stood in front of the door. From its size and shape, it was most definitely not Brecc, but the lamp that hung in the middle of the ceiling was now still, and the man was mostly swathed in darkness. “What are you?”
Amara didn't recognize his voice, but he sounded like he was older. She leaned against the wall behind her, slightly shivering. The coldness of the stone floor had seeped into her bones and she wrapped her arms around her knees, trying to capture as much warmth as possible, but her eyes never left the figure. “Who are you?”
“I am asking the questions,” the man said bluntly. “I want to know what you are.”
“You should know that,” Amara snapped. “You are holding me prisoner here. Don't you know what you have imprisoned?”
“All I know,” the man shot back, “is that you are supposed to be the one who destroyed Brecc's house. You are supposed to be some kind of magical weapon that is dangerous to the entire Western Lands.” He swayed and took one step forward, his boot clunking down and echoing in Amara's ears. “But what I see is a young woman who looks as though she has been drugged. If you want my help, you will tell me what you are.”
Amara glared at him, though her shaking increased. “I never asked for your help, and I doubt you have any say. Brecc is the one who is in charge of this whole situation.”
The man's head tilted, and even though his face was shadowed, Amara could feel his eyes scanning her. “This situation is bigger than you. It concerns the entire Western Lands. If Brecc was in charge, I wouldn't be in here at all.”
Curiosity trickled into Amara. “Who are you?”
“Tell me what you are first.”
Amara's mouth tightened and she pulled her knees closer to her chin. When the silence stretched too long, the man let out something between a sigh and a growl. “Give me an answer, girl,” he said, exasperated. “I may be able to help you.”
“You will not,” Amara confirmed.
“Brecc is determined to fuck you,” the man said harshly. “He’s been spewing about it for the last few hours. The only reason why he isn’t in here now is because of his injuries. Is that what you want?”
“Why do you care?”
“Because that is not my priority about this whole situation,” the man said sharply. “I want to know if you are a weapon created by King Malloron and if so, I want to know what you can do and what he has instructed you to do with regards to the Western Lands. I don't g
ive a shit about Brecc fucking some young girl, but I will not accommodate such an activity when there are more important things that need consideration.”
Instantly a number of things clicked into place.
She hadn’t wanted to reveal that she was an Omega, but this man was concerned about something more. He mentioned a couple of times about her being a weapon—something that Malloron could have created. That meant he didn't know anything about the tenebris or how it worked, and yet had probably heard about her abilities… most likely that she destroyed Brecc's house. If this man thought of himself as being on equal footing with Brecc, he was probably one of the other rulers.
All of these things gave her options, but if she said the wrong thing, her situation could get even worse than it was now. This was the chance to demonstrate that she had the skills needed to negotiate. Regardless of how poorly Malloron thought about her understanding of the Western Lands, she had undertaken research before she arrived, and had continued to collect information from Omegas who were more knowledgeable of the workings of the Lands. She didn’t believe that the people of the Western Lands couldn't change their behavior, like Malloron did. It was possible, but only if somebody tried by offering honesty and truth. It was a risk, but maybe it didn't have to be.
She peered up at the man, examining his figure more closely. This man was clearly an Alpha. Based on her research, there were five rulers who were Alphas other than Malloron. The only ones who would be concerned about the threat of a ruling power were Duke Valinor or Duke Airey, and neither had a definable accent like some of the other rulers.
“What is your connection to Malloron?” he repeated. Whoever the man was, he was clearly becoming impatient.
“I'm not his weapon.”
“Then what are you?”
Amara straightened her back, keeping her eyes on the man before her. Both dukes held similar physiques, but Valinor was the one who controlled the wealthiest territory after Eiros, and he was the one who would have the most to lose if the balance of power changed. She had to take the risk. “I am his queen.”
