Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 85552 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 428(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85552 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 428(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
“You feel it too?”
“Yes. It’s pretty hard for me not to feel it.”
“Hmmm.” He released me from his grip. “We’re on the ground now.”
I landed on the sewer’s surface and waved my hands to feel where I was.
Then the area illuminated around me as several candles were lit.
At least ten human faces glowed within the candlelight. Some seemed old. Others were children.
A female vampire with broad shoulders and wide hips stormed toward us. Her brunette curls bounced as she marched my way.
“Did I hear correctly?” Her silver eyes bore into me. “This one is a domina?”
Who is this?
I glanced over my shoulder at Xander.
“Yes.” Xander nodded. “She’s a domina, and if you’re mad about that, then talk to your idiot husband.”
Ty dropped to the ground. Red stringy liquid splashed around his feet. “Look at the girl, Victoria. She’s not the money-hungry type like most dominas.”
“I can’t believe you brought her here! Didn’t we all agree we wouldn’t save anymore dominas?” Victoria raised her hands. “She’ll get us all killed. There will be guards all over the city tomorrow. Dogs will be sniffing the sewers.”
“They won’t notice for at least a month,” I assured her. “The Quiet King left the city. The guards don’t do nightly bedroom checks or perform a roster when he’s gone.”
“I’m well aware of what the guards do.” Victoria narrowed her silver eyes at me. “I used to manage the castle.”
“Oh.” I widened my eyes.
She leaned her head to the side. “How long will the king be gone?”
“Two to four weeks.”
No one said anything.
Candlelight danced around us.
Our shadows bounced and wavered off the moist walls.
I remained still, scared to piss her off anymore.
A baby cried on my right. The mother stuck her dirty nipple into the wailing baby’s mouth. The little one latched on and closed his eyes. His hands formed into tiny fists and rested on his mother’s breast. He must have barely been two months old.
They all live down here?
“I do not know.” Victoria crossed her arms over her chest. “This domina will get us killed.”
“Darling, we won’t get caught,” Ty countered.
“Come on.” Xander clasped onto my wrist and guided me around the others until we were several feet away from them.
He led me to a wall adorned in a mural that resembled the Statue of Creation, but with several changes.
Here, the Quiet King sat on a throne of skulls just like the real statue, but this time the skulls were very tiny, suggesting they came from infants.
On the real statue, the two moons lay in the king’s lap.
In this mural, it looked like two mounds of brown crap piled on his leg.
And instead of adoring dominas lovingly gaping at the king, naked women were covered in scars and chained to his feet. Violence and horror were etched in their eyes.
Well, I don’t think this group supports the king.
Several feet away, Victoria began to pace. “If they catch us and she’s with us, we’ll die.”
Ty shrugged. “We always run risks.”
Xander got in my way and blocked my view of them. “Rest your feet.”
I sat down and strained my ears to hear more of Victoria and Ty’s conversation.
“No, Ty. If we are caught without her, then we would just be slaves to the kingdom.” Victoria walked off into a darkened passageway. “You’re not a royal guard anymore, Ty. Stop trying to protect dominas and—”
“Now that’s quite enough!” Ty marched after her and slammed a black steel door behind him.
Oh, no. What is my presence going to do to everyone?
The other humans whispered to each other. Raggedy clothes hung off their frail bodies. Most of them were women and children. The few men in the group had wrinkles on their faces and graying hair.
I leaned Xander’s way and kept my voice low. “Are they all the Quiet King’s slaves?”
“Pretty much. The women were born into slavery. The men were imprisoned in the castle dungeons for petty crimes.”
“How did they come up with the money to—”
He held up his hand to stop me as he remained standing. “I never charge slaves.”
“Dominas are slaves.” I stretched my legs. “You charged me.”
He smirked. “Dominas are willing slaves. Human women hoping for fame and luxury.”
“You’re wrong. Not all dominas desire fame. Many are trying to save their towns, their families.”
“Hmmm.” Xander seated himself down on the bloodied ground beside me. “Are you hungry?”
“No.” Things crawled in the crimson liquid, but I couldn’t tell what they were, just that it was something smaller than an inch. I took comfort in the fact the creatures were tiny and tried to think about anything else.
“Is Victoria right?” I put my view on him. “Will these women and children be murdered if the guards find me with you?”
“Don’t think about it.” Xander focused on his thumb as it circled around his index finger.
I leaned back on the wall behind me. “That’s not an answer.”