Captive: Part One of The Akeldama Chronicles Read online

  Did that happen?

  No…and I would rather not dwell on it.

  Hopefully, she hadn’t seen that though.

  Drawing on my nearly depleted well of pride, I tsked and flashed a mocking grin at her silhouette. “I had to try anyway.”

  “Of course you did…” she murmured consolingly, and a brief flash of white penetrated the darkness, showcasing her grin.

  I narrowed my eyes at her. “That’s a lot of sarcasm for one person.”

  Sienna laughed as best as she could between body quaking coughs.

  Out of nowhere, my stomach gurgled loudly; echoing throughout our shared hell and forcefully demanding that I feed the beast.

  Sienna’s foot disappeared, and the clink of chains followed by the sound of a body scooting across the cold stone floors made me tilt my head questioningly in her direction. The fire glinted off her chains as they stretched taunt with her just out of eyesight. I couldn’t see any defining features, but her body was a little clearer. It was still heavily shadowed, but I could make out the subtle lines of her body. What I could see left me feeling nauseated.

  First of all, I would bet everything I had that she was naked. I could make out every little curve and dip that made up her form. The coughing made more sense now. The dungeon had to be in the low forties, if that, even with the small torch lit. No wonder she was sick.

  Secondly, she was horrifyingly thin. The ridges of her ribs were evident, even through the mask of darkness, and her stomach concaved inward in the space below her ribs but above her hips. She looked almost skeletal.

  Her arm separated from her silhouette and rose slightly. “Catch,” she said, tossing something at me. I instinctively caught it against my chest before I even knew what it was.

  Glancing down at the object, I gaped. It was a small, red apple. A little too ripe, given the many soft spots, but still…

  Since I had been here, no one had brought us any food or water. No one had taken us to relieve ourselves. Nothing…

  And I had been here for hours, if not a full day already.

  Immediately, I began shaking my head. “I can’t take this from you. You need it more than me; you’re already sick.” I threw it back to her.

  She simply tossed it right back. “Eat it. I have another.”

  “Truth?” I asked suspiciously. I had a gut feeling and I knew better than to disregard them.

  “Yes.” She responded quickly; too quickly.

  My stomach chose that second to rumble again. She sighed, exasperated and said, “Hurry up and eat it. When you’re done, throw the core into the shadows. No one can find out that we had that.”

  Frowning, I lost the fight against temptation and took a big bite; asking between mouthfuls, “Why can’t anyone know?”

  For a long moment, she didn’t answer and I figured she wasn’t going to. Then, she whispered softly, “Sometimes…even monsters have hearts.”

  With my confusion evident on my face, I inquired. “What does that mean?”

  When no answer came after several minutes, I shrugged and finished off the apple before discarding the core like she had requested.

  2

  KILIG

  (n.) Tagalog: the feeling of butterflies that you get when you’re talking to someone that you find attractive.

  ARAMIS MORGAN

  I pocketed the lady’s coin purse from the table, without her notice, smirking at the easy lift. I shook my head incredulously; these nobles would never learn.

  The overly plump woman had left her purse lying in plain sight, and didn’t even have the wit to watch it as she giggled at her flock of preening peacocks. The perverts besotted with her overflowing bosom were next to useless; they couldn’t even lift their eyes enough to notice me walking off with her purse in my possession. On principle alone, she deserved to have her money stolen.

  I chuckled lowly and emptied her purse, stuffing the coins into the numerous hidden pockets lining my coat. Once her purse was empty, I threw the overly jeweled bag onto the floor for someone else to find and continued walking towards my intended target for the night.

  Lord Henry was deep into his cups, gambling his wealth away with other drunken nobles at one of the many card tables lining the walls at tonight’s festivities. Since tonight was the King’s birthday ball, everyone was more than a little tipsy; which in my case, meant that everyone here was an easy target.

  I had already stolen enough to see me and my sister comfortably through the coming winter. Now, I needed something more challenging, which is why I chose Lord Henry. Even deep in his cups, the man was a shark. The Gods had given that man a gift; he could turn anything into gold.

  I smiled in anticipation and rounded the last column, feet away from the gambling tables. I cleared my throat and inhaled deeply, ready to announce my presence.

  “You should be ashamed of yourself, Sir,” a lyrical voice said with bemusement.

  I froze, shocked. My eyes widened, and I glanced to my right, at the extravagant plants in the corner of the ballroom. I eyed the plants, searching for the woman that had spoken. She was hidden well within the greenery.

  I hid my shaking fists in my coat pockets and put on my most seductive smile; the one that had never failed me. “My Lady, I would compliment your attire but to do that I would need to be able to see you first.”

  I made sure to speak in my lowest tone to give my voice a husky quality. Then, I leaned back against the column in a nonchalantly seductive pose, waiting for the mysterious woman to giggle or give some sign that she was besotted like every other woman out there.

  Tense silence and then, “did you honestly expect that to work? I can’t tell.”

  I frowned and looked back at the plants. “What are you talking about?”

  A lovely, pale, green eye, several shades lighter than an emerald, peeked through the densely layered leaves and eyed me with unveiled contempt. “The charm you turned on in an attempt to make me forget what I saw; you couldn’t honestly have expected that to work.”

  Swallowing thickly, I surreptitiously glanced at all the escape avenues within reach. I could vanish within mere seconds, if the need arose. Then, I noted where all the members of the King’s Guard were stationed and calculated my chances of escape. Sighing, I closed my eyes; I was safe. I had enough time to escape should I need to.

  And, that is exactly what I should be doing at this very moment, but it felt like my feet were chained in place. I couldn’t leave right now even if I wanted to. I felt the hands of fate crawling all over me.

  Frowning, I bent closer to the green eye and whispered conspiratorially, “It always works, Dove.” Then, I winked slowly in invitation.

  I was starting to get curious. It had been several minutes since I had stolen the coin purse, yet this mysterious woman hadn’t alerted the guards. And, for that matter, what sort of woman hides away behind the greenery at a celebration. She should be out there, fighting for the perfect spot to preen for her future husband. This woman was proving to be quite the puzzle.

  “Well... now I am officially nauseated,” the woman muttered derisively.

  Offended, I jerk upright and glared in her direction. What was wrong with this woman? Ever since I was thirteen and my master sold me to the local brothel, women had been falling at my feet. Even when I escaped and was no longer a whore, women flocked to me. I could say the corniest bit of rubbish and they would giggle as if it was the height of hilarity.

  But this woman…

  She…

  Frustrated, I dropped the charm and snarled, “Are you saying that I am nausea inducing? Are you blind or…or demented? Woman, have you seen this face?” I questioned, gesturing to my perfectly symmetrical features and pale blue eyes.

  Numerous women had likened me to gods and other creatures of mass beauty. How dare this woman say I made her nauseated! She should feel honored to be in my bloody presence!

  That one unobstructed eye rolled exaggeratedly, infuriating me. “Don’t lose you
r marbles. You’re pretty enough, even if slightly unhinged.” I glared. “I was simply referring to your lack of charm. I can’t fathom how anyone could fall for that.”

  I started to say something but then rethought it and shrugged. She had a point. I had even made a game of it once; to see how corny I could be and women had still fallen for it. I had decided to give them the benefit of the doubt though, and just assumed that they had stopped listening to me and were just admiring my beauty.

  Otherwise, there were a lot of witless women out there.

  “It is what it is, My Lady,” I said with a roguish grin and started to walk away, hoping she wouldn’t catch on.

  “So, are you planning to return the coins that you stole from Lady Miriam?” the persistent female asked without pause.

  I sighed and threw an arched look over my shoulder. “Exactly, who are you? I am dying to know the woman that has more wits than the rest of the nobles in this room combined.” I sneered sarcastically.

  A light lyrical laugh flowed over me causing me to shudder. “Is that truly what you wish? You want to see my face and know the identity of the one who witnessed your thievery?” she asked teasingly.

  Slight shivers racked my body. I had never heard such a carefree and honest laugh. I had heard girlish giggles and coy chuckles, but I had never heard something so pure. “Yes. Show me your face,” I demanded, needing to put a face to that joyous sound. I no longer cared that she had witnessed my crime.

  “As you wish.” And then, she brushed aside the heavy foliage and stepped through. The first thing I saw was her dainty little toes. Smirking because no noble would be caught dead without their shoes at the King’s birthday ball, I relaxed further, thinking it must be a servant.

  Then, I noted the lavish material that made up her dress and frowned. It was a pure white color that highlighted her pale skin marvelously; making her appear almost ethereal. It was made of a silken material that clung to the most perfect curves that I had ever seen.

  I let out a shaky breath.

  Her hair was a reddish-brown color that couldn’t decide whether it wanted to be straight or curly. Instead of the lavish, intricate styles the other women in the ballroom wore, her hair fell to her waist, free from restraint. My hands clenched in earnest desire for probably the first time in my life. I wanted to tangle my fists in that lovely mess.

  I tore my eyes away from her hair and looked at her face. I had left the best for last and I was not disappointed. Her features rivaled my own perfection. Her jawline and cheekbones were sharp, and her nose had a delightful little curve at the end. I smiled as I took in her bow shaped lips that were curved in a slight smirk and ignored the sudden punch of desire that tore through me.

  Then, I lifted my eyes to meet hers…and felt the blood drain from my face. I stumbled back; fear making me lose my ability to speak as I stuttered out. “Y-y-you- you’re…”

  With a mischievous smile, the princess said playfully, “you should be more careful with what you ask for, no?”

  *******

  “Aramis!” The harsh slap of an open hand hitting my face jerked me away from her. I woke up swinging, nailing the bastard in the face.

  “Bloody hell!” Soren roared, leaning back and cupping his bleeding nose.

  I glared at the gentle giant, who wasn’t quite so gentle anymore, “Why the hell did you wake me?” I snarled; desperately clutching the remnants of my memories and cradling the vision of her face close to my shredded heart.

  Choking on a sob, I got up and headed for the bottle of whiskey sitting on the desk, but Soren clasped one of his oversized hands on my shoulder, stilling me. “That must wait, Aramis. I need you sober.”

  “I function better drunk,” I said, slipping out of his hold and grabbing the nearly empty bottle. After downing the remaining contents in one go, I met his glare with one of my own.

  Soren closed his eyes and sighed heavily. “It would kill her to see you like this.”

  Rage consumed me, and I flew at him, punching at him repeatedly, cursing as he blocked every hit that I threw. Eventually, I ran out of energy and slid to the ground. I rubbed my eyes with my hands and dragged my hands through my tangled hair. “She’s already dead.”

  Soren inhaled brokenly and knelt beside me. “You don’t know-”

  “It’s been two years, Soren! She’s dead!” I screamed in his face before burying my face in my hands. “Why can’t you see that? It’s been two years…”

  Soren grabbed my hands and roughly pulled them away from my face. With his own rage etched into his face, he snarled, “I don’t care how long it’s been. She’s not dead, not until I see proof with my own eyes. She’s. Not. Dead. Do you understand that, Aramis? You can sit here, wallowing in your misery; but I will be out there, searching for her and if you loved her, you would be too.”

  I glared through bloodshot eyes, whispering, “I love her more than life.”

  “Then, get your ass sober because I need to borrow the diabolical mind that Sienna fell in love with. I need you to figure out a way for us to send a spy in as a palace guard,” Soren said, slapping me on the back before standing to his feet. He walked to my storage chest in the corner of the cavernous room and pulled out some fresh clothes.

  I stumbled to my feet and began stripping. “How can you remain so optimistic?”

  Soren held out my clothes, waiting for me to take them before answering in his deeply accented voice; the northerner coming out in full force. “Because if I stop hoping for even a second, I will never recover from the depths of the despair that will devour me…”

  I finished dressing in silence, both of us locked in our own morose thoughts. Pondering the memory that I had relived in my dream, I smiled softly and asked, “Did she ever tell you about the first time she and I met?”

  “Nyet,” Soren answered in his native tongue.

  “I had just stolen money from one of those noble heifers and she caught me.” I laughed at the memory of how shocked I had been to see the princess standing before me without shoes.

  “Did she turn you in?” Soren asked with a knowing grin, crossing his thickly muscled arms over his broad chest.

  “Of course not,” I scoffed and headed for the door. “She just scared the thief out of me.”

  Soren snorted and shook his head. “And... how long did you refrain from thieving?”

  I smirked, looking back over my shoulder to meet his gaze. “About a day… I snuck into her bedroom the next night to bring her some flowers that I had stolen from the visiting diplomat’s chambers.”

  Soren threw his head back with a boisterous laugh and followed me out of the room.

  3

  SANGFROID /säNGˈfrwä/

  (n.) composure or coolness shown under trying circumstances.

  SIENNA AKELDAMA

  Why did Cassius throw this man into my cell with me? In the entirety of my captivity, I hadn’t seen a single person aside from Cassius and a handful of guards. He’d taken great care that no one would realize I was still alive. So... for him to allow this man to share a dungeon with me made absolutely no sense.

  I wouldn’t complain, though. It was nice to have someone to talk to; not that we had done much talking thus far. Still… I’d spent far too long alone in the darkness with only my thoughts and regrets for company.

  I gazed curiously at the man highlighted by the torch’s flames. While he couldn’t see me because I was conveniently outside the meager fire’s reach, I could see every part of him. Like me, he was naked.

  Cassius thought it funny to have us freezing in the drafts prevalent in the dungeons. It was simply another form of torture for him. And, the bastard did love to torture. Fortunately, I had grown used to the frigid temperatures a while ago.

  Unfortunately, this man could not claim the same as was made evident by a certain part of his anatomy. He was shriveled something fierce. Yet…he was still a sight to behold despite the cold circumstances. I snorted with amusement and shook my head,
looking away from my male companion.

  My dear husbands had long ago laid waste to any sense of modesty that I’d had. Unlike the rest of my peerage, I was not a fainting damsel who couldn’t handle the reality of the human body. I was not some blushing virgin.

  Thinking of Aramis and Soren brought a rare smile to my lips. They had changed everything. Both foreigners, they’d settled in my father’s kingdom to create better lives for themselves.

  Neither was of noble blood.

  Soren was a coveted blacksmith. His work sold before it could even touch a shelf; he had commissions that would keep him busy for years to come. His weapons were the best in the market and highly sought after. But, it was the whimsical little gifts that he always surprised me with that touched my heart the most. From jewelry to art, he always took the time to make something for me.

  He was a big bear of a man and at first glance, his rough appearance and deep, guttural voice made everyone fear him to be a beast like all men from the northern kingdoms were rumored to be. He liked for people to have that misconception; saying it kept the riffraff away. Yet… in reality, he was the sweetest man I had ever met despite his gruff exterior.

  He was nothing like the nobles that I’d grown up with.

  Humble and kindhearted...

  Aramis, however, was the complete antithesis from Soren. Whereas Soren was tall, dark and intimidating to look at, Aramis was effeminate in appearance. He was barely a head taller than me and just as slender as I was. Well…as I used to be. He had long blonde locks that every woman in my court sighed over with envy.

  But, his appearance was merely a mask for the coldly, intelligent man that lay within. He played the court like a pro even though he had the social status of a servant. He and his sister had escaped slavery when they came into this kingdom under new identities.

  He and Soren had bonded over their immigrant status and developed a friendship. Together they had devised a way into my heart even knowing that it could mean their deaths. However, neither one had to try too hard to gain my affection because I was already just as fascinated by them as they were with me.