A Gift for the King Read online

  Everywhere she looked, there was dirt. The road was dirt; the cement sidewalks were covered with dust and looked like they hadn’t ever been swept. Not a plant grew in sight within the confines of the city. There was no grass anywhere and the only greenery she could see was far off in the distance.

  It was a terribly wretched scene, one of abject poverty. Trying to keep her head down, Lana tried not to gawk, and instead stared at her feet. Tears came to her eyes as she heard women and children crying, while fathers watched silently. Humans, even Erassans, shouldn’t be forced to live this way, under the tyranny of Lord Nero whose only concern was conquest. It was very clear that he cared little about his own people.

  She wanted to save them all.

  Her fists clenched as tears ran down her cheeks. There was nothing she could do now, naked, with only Morgana for company, but one day, she would save them. She would give them a taste of what real freedom felt like. It didn’t matter that she had no idea how she would possibly do this, but she knew, someday, somehow, she would help the desperate subjects of D’Lormere.

  When she eventually looked up from the ground, she realized that the two of them had reached the edges of the city. Having not seen a soldier or D’Lormere citizen, Morgana turned to her and quietly told her it was now time to run, so that they made it to the woods as quickly as possible.

  Morgana took off, and Lana quickly followed, trying to ignore the hurt of stones and sticks as she ran across the ground, still in her bare feet. Her freedom was worth whatever pain she had to get through to attain it again. But then as she ran, she realized she wasn’t just running for herself; she was running back to Dante, the king of Legeari, to the man she had been too afraid to admit her real feelings for.

  She hoped he would forgive her for what she had done, for running away from him, even when he had warned her that being in public meant he would treat her different than in the privacy of the castle. She yearned for his arms again, holding her, caressing her, even spanking her. No matter how angry he was with her, she would endure his wrath, in hopes that one day they would be able to build something again. All she wanted was to be with him again, and for him to embrace her, to tell her she was safe.

  Finally reaching the cover of the trees, Morgana and Lana slowed to catch their breath, and looked back to make sure they weren’t being followed. With a sigh of relief, neither saw anything. Morgana knelt under a bush and pulled out a pile of clothing.

  Lana nearly moaned with happiness at the prospect of covering her body for the first time in days. She took the small bundle from Morgana, and opened it to reveal a simple green shirt and brown pants, perfect for traveling. There was even a small pair of shoes that fit perfectly to her feet, making the idea of walking much easier.

  Lana quickly dressed, as did Morgana. The clothes felt soft against her body, almost foreign since she had been naked for so long. After Morgana dressed, she walked over to Lana and placed her hands on her face, meeting her eyes once again. Feeling her face shift under the sorceress’ power, she calmed, knowing she was herself once again.

  “Dante is not far. I want him to see you as you are.”

  “He traveled all this way for me?”

  “Yes. You should have seen him. He was wild with worry, so much so that many wouldn’t approach him for fear of him lashing out. As soon as the news that you had been taken reached him, he came for me, and we followed your scent far into the wilds. Tala was instrumental in being able to find you.”

  “Is he angry with me? Where are they?”

  “Follow me. We have only to walk a little ways. Dante is looking forward to your return.”

  Lana noted that Morgana hadn’t fully answered her question as to how Dante felt about her. Nervous butterflies circled her belly as she thought about what he would do to her when he first saw her. Would he march her straight to the carriage and spank her silly for disobeying him? Would he hug her, and whisper about what he was going to do to her? Would he kiss her? Had he missed her?

  Lost in her thoughts, she followed Morgana deeper into the woods. It was terribly quiet, and the two of them did not see anyone else on the road. After what must have been about a fifteen-minute walk, they entered a large clearing. There was nothing there, but Morgana stopped in the center of it.

  Lana watched as the woman put her hands together and bowed her head, whispering words that Lana couldn’t hear. Morgana threw her hands up high in the air, and suddenly it seemed as if a blanket was lifted, bringing Dante’s men into view. The clearing was filled with people and beasts. There were lions, wolves, and horses, and as many as fifty men. Morgana’s magic had shielded Dante’s camp from view, hiding them from the enemy behind an invisible shield, which even she could not see through.

  Lana noticed the carriage in the far corner, and that was when her eyes found Tala, and next to her, Dante. She met his eyes and smiled, thankful to see his face again. Forgetting herself, she ran to him and threw her arms around his waist, tears of happiness streaking down her cheeks.

  “I thought I’d never see you again,” she said, emotion catching in her voice.

  He wrapped his own arms around her and held her close. She could hear his heart beating in his chest, and knew it was beating for her. Snuggled close in his arms, she never wanted to let go, and came to a stark realization.

  Having spent days in the enemy camp under the torture of Lord Nero’s abilities, she had been alone, with no hope of any rescue. She had been left with her pain and hopelessness, only to be broken by moments of happiness when she thought back to her memories of Dante. Sure, she had been gifted to Dante as his personal slave, but it hadn’t been so bad. He had spanked her, but after each time, he had held her so tenderly. Even though her bottom had burned terribly, it had awakened something deep within her, some desire she had never known she had before. Something within told her that she needed him, and she hoped he needed her equally as much.

  She loved him. Deep within her mind, she prayed he loved her too.

  “I didn’t know if you were beyond rescue, Lana, and it terrified me.” His own voice was surprisingly thick with emotion as well. Lana looked up at him, into his eyes. She saw within them a deep hurt, a muffled anger, and an elation that overpowered them all. He was happy to see her, just as she had hoped he would be.

  “I’m so sorry, Dante.”

  “You and I will deal with that later, upon our return to the castle. Know that when we do, I will punish that bottom of yours so thoroughly that you won’t be able to sit for a week.”

  A jolt passed through her at his threat, and words momentarily left her. When she finally found her voice again, she nodded, accepting her fate without question.

  “Yes, sir. I will take whatever punishment you think I deserve.”

  “Your submission honors me.” He paused, putting his hands on her shoulders and holding her away from his chest. “I want you to ride Tala with me. She is going to get us back to the castle as quickly as possible. When the enemy realizes you’re gone, they are going to come looking. And we need to be back safely in Eridell to avoid that.”

  Lana shivered, remembering Lord Nero’s agonizing touch, his abilities rifling through her memories, causing unspeakable pain and torture. She remembered being woken up with the same mind-bending pain. Then there was Lord Nero’s story about Julia, and what he had done to her and Dante. Knowing she had to tell him everything about what happened, she swallowed down her terror and looked up at Dante.

  “I was held personally by their leader, someone whom you will remember with much disdain. I am sure of it. His name is Lord Nero, and he told me about the unspeakable things he’s done to you.” Pausing, she took a deep breath before continuing. “And he told me about Julia,” she said, her voice trailing off to a whisper.

  A wild look passed over his face, his anger growing by the second. His eyes glowed from the beautiful ice blue Lana had come to know and love to a brilliant, angry, blood red. It was
almost like he had transformed into an animal. She almost stepped back on instinct, but held her ground and stood still in his arms.

  “What in God’s name is that bastard still doing alive? He should have died, back on Earth, ages ago!” he roared out with disbelief. Anger seemed to seep from his every pore. Lana could see his pain, deep within his eyes, hidden by layer of wrath. She grabbed his hands and pulled them into her chest. Kissing his knuckles, Lana waited for him to calm. When she brought her eyes up to meet his again, the sizzling red had dimmed to a soft glow, his regret showing all over his face.

  “My pet. I apologize for losing myself like that. I can only imagine what he did to you while you were trapped in his care. I know what he’s capable of.”

  Lana shook her head.

  “He’s different from what he was before. He’s no longer a simple human. The D’Lormerean nobles captured him on Earth, and made him into something unnatural. He called himself a Soul Eater. He kept me prisoner in his tent.”

  Dante’s eyes grew wide in recognition, followed by a sincere sense of sadness. His hand drifted to push the hair out of her face, and tenderly cupped her chin.

  “I wouldn’t wish that kind of torture even on my most hated enemy. I’m so sorry I couldn’t keep you safe from him, Lana.”

  Bringing his lips down to meet hers, he kissed her deeply. She kissed him back as his tongue delved deeper to intertwine with hers. His hands wandered through her hair, hungrily pulling her body so that it was even closer to his. When he finally pulled away, Lana was left breathless and heated with desire, her body reacting almost violently to his hungry touch. She wanted more, she wanted all of him. At that moment, she didn’t care that she was gifted to him as a slave; she needed to please him, needed to feel his touch all over her.

  What she wouldn’t give to have already arrived back at the castle, lying in their bed together, him fully claiming her as his. Instead, she was in the center of a clearing in the woods, with the entire royal guard watching her quiver with desire from a simple kiss. Trying to calm her erratically beating heart, she placed a hand on her chest. When her breathing calmed, she cuddled back into his arms.

  “Can we retire to the carriage, sir?” she whispered, still quite shaken from his touch. He nodded and knelt down to pick her up. Her legs being as weak as they were, she didn’t fight. With one arm around her upper back and another under her knees, he carried her to their little traveling home as if she were light as a feather. Her head cradled on his shoulders, she smelled his neck, taking in his dark, but spicy scent. It was an intoxicating blend that did little to help her already desperate state.

  He climbed the ladder and opened the door with almost no effort. She hadn’t realized that he was so strong. There were so many things about him she wanted to know, and so many things she needed more information about. He entered the carriage and walked to the back, placing her on the bed that awaited them. His eyes found hers, and the heat emanating from them almost made her melt.

  Chapter Ten

  Lord Nero sat back and enjoyed himself as one of his naked servant girls fed him grapes and poured him a generous portion of red wine. He was sitting in a meeting with the nobles of D’Lormere, and one of the old men was droning on and on about the current state of the kingdom’s army. Lord Nero very nearly rolled his eyes in exasperation, knowing he had it under control, and didn’t need to be questioned by old men who didn’t know how to rule in the slightest.

  Lord Nero had been the one to conquer new lands, to take over territory within the divided kingdom of Legeari, and to kill those who were no longer necessary. Looking around the table, he began to wonder if these men were even worth the hassle. With a sigh, he realized he probably shouldn’t kill them yet. Many of them provided extremely generous contributions to the army, and to Lord Nero himself. No, now was not the right time.

  He would kill them after he took the capital city of Legeari, Eridell. A wicked smile crossed over his face at the thought of the ancient treasures he could find there, and the power held within the city. Closing his eyes, he thought about the untapped power of the human sector of the city, especially in the Hall of Magic. Such a waste, he thought. Once he took over the city, he would enslave the free human population and use their powers for his gain. He wanted to see every single human in chains, bowing to him and begging to serve him.

  A shiver raced down his spine at the thought. Feeling himself harden in response, he opened his eyes and realized the old man was still talking.

  This was exhausting.

  How was he supposed to lead the D’Lormere army, and listen to these old timers? It seemed to be almost cruel and unusual. He picked up his goblet of wine and drained it down in a large gulp.

  Lord Nero gestured for his servant to bring him more wine.

  The tall blonde walked his way, her tan curves almost gliding toward him. Her bust swayed with her hips, and his eyes shifted down to the dense curls of blond hair between her thighs. She did her absolute best to avoid any sort of eye contact with him, and proceeded to pour him more wine. Upon closer examination, he realized she was trembling in his presence.

  With this realization, he found himself hardening again. With but a thought, he narrowed his eyes and entered her mind. Her body stiffened, well aware of his intrusion. He investigated her memories, focusing on memories of Earth, of childhood sadness, and a particular difficult time for her at some point in her later years, sometime during her education.

  His power caressed that particular memory and brought it back to life, forcing the girl to relive each and every excruciating moment. His smile grew as her fear and despair reached dizzying new heights.

  By the time he realized it, the girl had been screaming, her hands held fiercely to her skull and she had fallen to her knees, pain overwhelming her tiny body. His power drew on her pain, and gradually made it worse, more sharp, terrible, and awful. Her voice grew hoarse from her screams, her pain not ending until Lord Nero decided it did.

  Finally, he grew tired of the girl and withdrew his power. She sagged in relief, her breathing ragged. Keeping her eyes on the ground, she struggled to rise and walk to the side of the tent, ready for any requests that she might serve the members of the gathering.

  Lord Nero sighed, relishing the afterglow of taking the girl’s memories, of giving her pain, and the strength he felt.

  Someone at the table cleared his throat, and he realized the room was silent. His little adventure had clearly not gone unnoticed, most likely due to the servant girl’s loud screams. He smiled, enjoying the thought.

  A commotion at the front of the room distracted him, and he watched as servants entered and whispered to each other.

  His blond servant girl stumbled to meet the others, before receiving the information they passed on. As she looked quickly over in the direction of Lord Nero, he saw a look of nervousness, if not abject terror, pass over her face as she nodded and made her way back toward him.

  The entire room continued its silence, the old men watching as the blonde knelt in front of Lord Nero and bowed her head. A scratchy voice emerged from her throat, still hoarse from his power minutes earlier.

  “Lord Nero. I have just been informed that the woman you were keeping hostage in your tent has somehow escaped. The guard has begun a search for her, and will not rest until every bed is upturned and she is found and adequately punished.”

  Shock registered across his face. No one had ever escaped him. A dark look passed over his features. She would suffer deeply for her treachery. He searched for the girl, this Alana, with his power, spreading his tendrils far and wide to enter her mind from afar. The more he searched, the more he realized that he was no longer in her head. He no longer had any way to control her.

  He frowned. Whipping his hand around, he slapped the servant girl across the face with such force that she was thrown to the ground.

  “How could this happen?” he roared.

  She lay on the flo
or, unmoving, terrified of his next move. Lord Nero stood, kicking her out of the way as he purposefully walked to the entrance of the room. Turning back, he looked at the nobles, knowing now was the time to assert his dominance and take what was rightfully his. The kingdom of D’Lormere was ripe for him to take, and so was the kingdom of Legeari. He would throw everything he had at them, technology, Erassans, and humans alike.

  “We march for the city of Eridell first thing in the morning. Gather all weapons, including the ones powered by dark matter. It’s time the capital of Legeari felt our true power,” he said, his smile growing bigger by the second.

  Chapter Eleven

  Lana sat on the bed and looked up at Dante, her desire for him stronger than ever before. She touched his cheek, tracing his jawline with her fingers. A deeply sensual growl emerged from him before he crushed his lips into hers with a need that nearly rivaled her own.

  He pressed her back down on the bed, his body covering hers. Grabbing her hands, he pinned them over her head. Lana moaned at his control over her, his body and hands keeping her in place as he ravaged her lips with his own. His kissed down her chin, before softly kissing and licking the sensitive skin of her neck. Her hips rolled in response, a jolt traveling from her throat deep into her very core.

  Coming into contact with the collar of her shirt, Dante released her hands and quickly pulled it over her head, leaving her breasts free for him to caress. He took each one into his hands, rolled his thumb over her nipples, and smiled as they hardened in response.

  “Put your hands up over your head and leave them there. If you move them, I will spank you for it. My palm has been itching to turn your delightful bottom to the most delicious shade of red for quite some time now.”

  Hesitantly, Lana followed his directions. She crossed her wrists together, hoping that it would remind her keep them there. The thought crossed her mind to disobey him, but for the moment, she decided against it.