In the Palace of Lazar (12 page)

She tossed and turned in bed, trying to sleep as Donte directed. The hushed voices of Donte and Malachi behind the door pulled her attention. She wanted to be with them. Being in this dusty room, alone, reminded her of all the pain she had endured since leaving the harem. Her mind brought her to the brink of madness, and she had to distract her thoughts. She got out of bed and padded her way to the living room, hoping Donte wouldn't mind. She paused in the cobweb-filled hallway to hear what they were saying.

"Our brothers plan to meet us there," Malachi said.

"I hope they have better luck at finding the harem safe. Have our men found any of the women in this commune?" Donte's voice sounded tired as he asked the question.

"Not yet. After finding Maysa's body, it does not look good."

"What about this man Briar speaks of? Have you found his body based on her description?" Donte asked.

"I do not believe so. Our men killed five, but none of them appear to be him."

"The allies need to arrive soon. Jaden is stronger now. With the fall of Lazar, they now have our resources, our horses… everything that once belonged to us," Donte said.

"We will get it back or die trying. Once we all reach Casen, we will regroup and conquer. When do you plan on going?" Malachi asked.

"Briar is beaten, but holding up well. I think she can make the journey to Casen tomorrow."

"I will stay behind until the allies reach us. I will meet you and our brothers there soon."

Briar stepped into the room. "Brothers?" she asked confused. "Casen?"

Donte and Malachi turned in her direction the minute she entered.

"What are you doing out of bed? You were told to rest," Donte said with anger tinting his voice.

"I can't sleep. And besides, I'm fine." She took a few steps further into the room. "What were you discussing?"

Donte glanced at Malachi who nodded.

"Casen is the name of the commune I told you about. The one we are relocating to." He took a few steps to her and placed his hand on her lower back. "Now back to bed."

Briar shrugged away from his touch. "What did you mean when you said 'brothers'?"

"Tell her," Malachi encouraged.

Briar looked into Donte's stormy eyes. "Tell me what?"

Donte took a deep breath. "Malachi and I are brothers. We are two of the four brothers that reigned over Lazar."

She looked at Malachi and then back at Donte. "I don't understand. Why the secrecy? Why would you not admit to being one of the brothers to anyone… to me?" Her voice faded off at the last part of the question.

"I will not speak for my brothers, but for me, it was because I enjoyed observing. I enjoyed overseeing the training of the harem. I could see truth in each of the women, see their true intentions."

"But we were being trained for the brothers… for you. Why wouldn't you just make it known you were one of them?"

Malachi piped in. "Keeping our identity private was a decision we made when we built the palace. We wanted to build the allure, the mystery, but not actually be removed from the daily activity. The unknown created myths and stories. It was a way to see the loyalty of the harem and all involved." He walked over to the couch and sat down. "Protecting our identity helped protect the palace. In a merciless world, we guarded ourselves from assassinations by concealing who we were."

Studying Malachi, she now realized she had seen him before. He was one of the guards that had caught her and the girls in the hot spring.

"And right now, our secrecy has worked to our advantage. Jaden has no idea if any of the brothers are alive or dead. They have no idea we are planning a counter attack," Donte added.

Malachi nodded. "No one, other than a few members of the harem, knows what we look like."

Briar nodded in understanding. Her mind blurred with the onslaught of information.

Donte walked up to her and placed his hand in the familiar spot on her back. "That is enough for now," he said in a low voice.

Briar looked up into his stern, but concerned, eyes.

"We have a long journey tomorrow and you need to regain as much strength as possible."

"I've trekked through the desert many times, Donte. I can handle one more."

"Briar, this is not a conversation I am going to have. Leave us now and go back to bed."

She shook her head. "I'm fine." She limped toward the couch and almost sat down when she heard his voice, freezing her in her tracks.

"Briar, to the room, now!"

"But…"

"This instant."

She looked at Malachi as if he were going to step in and plead her case. He stood with his hands across his chest with the same firm expression as Donte. Realizing she wasn't going to win this battle, she turned and quickly made her way back to the room—Donte following close behind.

She sat on the bed and looked up at him. "I'm sorry, I should have stayed in bed," Briar said quietly. "I didn't mean to disobey you, but I just can't lay here and not have my mind race."

"You need your rest. The journey through the desert, to the next commune, is not going to be an easy one. I need my sweet desert nomad to be rested."

Briar studied her palms and nodded.

"How is the wound on your side?" he asked.

"It's wrapped. I really am not injured as bad as it appears."

Donte nodded his approval. "Good."

"I'm stronger than you think."

Donte nodded again. "Have you lost your submission? Has your strength suffocated the surrender you once had?" he asked quietly.

"I'm afraid I am not the harem girl anymore."

Donte studied her. "No, indeed you are not. But I need to show you that there is power in compliance. It takes more strength to submit."

"How will you show me that?" Briar asked, pulling her knees up to her chest, hugging them tightly.

Donte's stern blue eyes found hers. "I think you know the answer to your question."

Briar nodded, as Donte sat at the edge of the bed and patted his leg.

She understood the sensual invitation and removed her clothing without having to be asked. Letting her clothes pool at her feet, she laid her nude body over his lap in silence.

"I'm ready to submit to your discipline." Briar clutched the sheets of the bed and closed her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she relaxed her body into his muscled thighs. She had missed the sensation of giving herself to Donte and his firm hand.

The sound of the first spank echoed in the sparsely furnished room. Her surprised gasp followed. Keeping quiet for the sake of Malachi would appear futile. No doubt the man in the next room would know that Donte was spanking her bare behind. Shame fueled by the sting of the continuous spanking sent her emotions spiraling. Tears threatened to fall, but for some reason, she couldn't let them release. A wall blocked the flow.

After a few spanks more, Donte paused and rubbed her heated flesh. His hand parted her legs and found the wetness the spanking caused. He rubbed his finger along her silky folds, collecting the signs of her arousal. With a slick finger, he pressed against her rosebud until the puckered flesh opened. He drove his finger past her anus and let it rest in her depths.

"I know you have had to be a fighter, Briar. I know you have had no choice but to allow dominance to take over. I am so proud of you for being able to do so. But I do not want you to lose that softness I have grown so fond of."

As he pumped his finger in and out, Briar allowed the wall to crumble. A deep wave of erotic submission took over. She belonged to him. Donte gave her the gift of surrender back. The tightness left her body. The tension disappeared, and she once again felt like the safe, secure harem girl she thought she had lost in the desert.

He continued to spank with his free hand at the same rhythm of the thrusting finger. In and out, spank after spank, Donte demanded she give her body and soul to him. All the ugly, all the death, everything that threatened to eat her alive seemed so far at the moment. Her mind drifted to a place of refuge.

Her body hummed by the time the spanking ended. She didn't fight this one. She didn't beg for him to stop. Although the spanking hurt, it wasn't what she would consider a punishment. She needed it. Her body craved it. Her soul required it to heal. Donte spanked, allowing her to feel an emotion she thought she would never feel again… safe.

Her world was spinning hard upon the axis of desire. She wanted him more than anything. "Take me, Donte. I've been saving my virginity for you this whole time. You could have taken my purity at any moment. Why? Why didn't you?"

He pulled her off his lap and pressed her wanting body against the bed. In fluid motions, he removed his clothing before her eyes. "I only take what is mine."

She licked her lips in anticipation and spread her legs, beckoning. "I am yours. I have always been yours."

His eyes darkened. "Yes, that is true. You are mine and will remain mine always."

He lowered his nude body on top of hers and pressed his mouth firmly to her moistened lips. Claiming her mouth, sending warning bells of what he would be claiming next, he moaned against her gasp.

"It will hurt, Briar. I promise you I will be as gentle as I can and replace the sting with pleasure."

"I'm ready," she whispered. Their eyes caught and held. "I have craved you. I have desired you. I have wanted you from the very first day I saw you."

"And I you," he growled as he spread her thighs wider with his legs.

His hand that had just delivered pain, now lowered to her pussy to deliver pleasure.

"Donte…" she breathed, her eyes closing as she pushed her hips to meet his thrusting finger. Her juices coated his hand as he readied her.

He pressed his cock at the opening and whispered, "I want you to relax. Do not let the biting pain cause you to tense. It will pass." He placed kisses all over her neck with great tenderness.

Briar tried to do as he said, but as he slowly entered her, the pressure built until a sharp spark erupted inside her. She cried out as he pressed all the way in. He paused and kissed her deeply, not moving, allowing her pussy to accept his girth. He pulled away enough so their gazes met and united just as their bodies did.

"Slow, we are going to take this very slow," he whispered hoarsely.

He began to thrust in and out of her in graceful, sensual movements. Every move left her breathless, giving her a pleasure almost too much to bear.

His lips caressed the skin of her face as he murmured, "No person has possessed my heart as you do, my sweet Briar."

To feel his body take her so completely brought her to a level of joy that brought tears to her eyes. His tender movements moved in and out in such a slow dance of seduction she didn't realize the crescendo of ecstasy sneak up on her body. Without warning, her body exploded around his plunging cock as she screamed out his name.

"I am yours," she screamed against his chest. "I am yours!"

The sun reflected off the sand, nearly blinding Briar as she trekked the desert once again, this time with Donte. At one point, they stopped so he could wrap more cloth around their faces to prevent a sunburn from the scorching rays.

The scalding sand burned the bottoms of her feet, adding to the blisters she already had. Occasionally, a gust of wind blew sand into her face, and she was forced to travel forward with her eyes shut. The only protection she had from the sand blowing in her eyes was burying her face into the side of Donte's arm. She clung to him for support, even though she hated having to. Every time he took a step, the small sword in his satchel poked through the bag and nudged Briar's leg, reminding her that at anytime they could be attacked by Jaden.

"Are we there yet?" she whispered. She didn't know if he heard her or not, but he didn't reply.

They traveled for a long time, and Briar tried to estimate the minutes, but the heat was slowly sinking into her skin causing her head to pound. Her wounds started to sting and she felt her body fall limp against Donte.

The next thing she knew, she was on her back with Donte hovering over her. Her face was covered in liquid that didn't feel like sweat, and she realized that he had dumped the water from his flask over her face.

"You wasted all of that water on me." Guilt flooded her senses. He helped her sit up and she winced, gripping her side in pain.

He helped her take a drink of water, scanning her body. "How are you feeling? Do you still feel faint?"

She shook her head, even though she wasn't sure she would be able to walk if she tried. The cloth he had tied to her head hours ago—hours or days ago—stuck to her head with sweat.

Donte sat down on the sand next to her, their shoulders touching. Briar felt an added warmth come to her face and she tried to swallow, but her dehydration and the lump in her throat weren't helping.

After a short time, Donte helped her up to stand. "We need to keep moving," he said with a new sense of urgency.

"Why?" Briar struggled to regain balance, blinking away her dizziness. "Can't we just stay here a little longer and rest?"

Donte wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her next to his body for support. "Jaden's soldiers could be near. There is no telling where they are right now. We need to reach safety."

Briar nodded and held onto his arm. He pulled her along and she tried to walk, but the pain in her body was excruciating. Every bruise and every cut screamed against the heat of the sun.

"How long do you think it'll be until we find Casen?" she asked, feeling the sweat drip down her face.

Donte shrugged and kept a tight grip on her. "I do not know. It could be minutes, or hours, or days even."

"Or we might not find it at all."

"Do not say that," he said firmly. "We will reach Casen. I assure you."

She took a deep breath in through her mouth, but was greeted with sand filling every crack between her teeth. She grimaced at the gritty texture. She held her hand up to keep the dust from blowing into her eyes.

"We can do this," he said confidently. "With you by my side… we will succeed."

They walked until the sun finally reached the horizon, sinking. The moon made its appearance, and so did a cluster of stars.

"We will stop here," Donte announced.

Briar didn't need him to say more. She let go of his arm and collapsed on the warm sand, thankful for a rest. They had traveled the rest of the day, gnawing on bits and pieces of food from Donte's satchel. In their food search of the commune before they left, they had found an extra flask of water, which they took turns drinking out of.

She laid back on the sand, thankful it was cooling off. But she knew that soon the desert would turn into a frigid wasteland. Despite that, she let herself rest for a brief moment.

That moment turned into a few hours. They were awakened in the middle of the night by the sound of hissing. Donte bolted upright and held out his hands defensively. Briar sat up just as quickly. At one point or another, she had crawled to Donte's side in the night to keep warm. She had been resting with her head on his chest. When he moved, it suddenly threw her to the sand.

"Shh," Donte commanded. He carefully stood up in one place and stuck his foot out to feel for the rock on which he'd placed his satchel.

The hissing intensified. Briar drew her hands to her chest. The hissing came from all directions and she didn't want to turn around, fearing what would be behind her.

Donte fumbled around in the darkness and found his satchel, drawing his small sword from it. He wielded the sword expertly. His hand remained steady as he glanced around in the complete darkness, no sign of fear in his expression.

The hissing sounded at his feet and he instantly stabbed the sword down. The blade struck the sand with such an intensity that the ground shook, but he held the sword still. The blade sunk into the sand about halfway and he yanked it out.

The hissing ceased.

"Get up," he demanded of Briar.

Briar did as he ordered, cradling her side. The wound had opened up a little in her sleep and it stung under her hand. Pain shot up her leg and she gasped.

"Are you all right?" Donte whipped around to face her.

"What was that?" she asked, surprised to hear her own voice shaking a little.

Donte let out a long breath and dropped his arms to his sides. "A snake of some sort. I could not see if it was poisonous or not."

Briar nodded and jumped when Donte reached for her hand.

"It is all right," Donte whispered as he grabbed her other hand. "It is just me. You are going to be fine. I killed the snake." He leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek. "We should get up and continue on."

They walked until the sun peaked over the horizon. She turned her head to look at the man beside her as they walked. The faint light of morning colored Donte's face in pinks and yellows and oranges, and all of his sharp edges seemed softer. His usually piercing eyes were warmer, kinder.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, making contact with hers.

Briar shook her head. "Nothing. I just feel safe being with you. Even now, I feel safe."

"We are far from safe," he mumbled as he undid the cloth from around his head and ran his hand through his hair. "But I promise you that I will protect you."

A gentle breeze fluttered through his hair, nothing like the gusts of wind that had plagued them hours before.

"How is your side?" Donte reached out to lift her shirt.

"I'm fine, I think," she said. She sighed, though, and winced when he helped her sit down on the heated sand. Donte scowled as he gently pulled the bandages off her side. The wound had opened again and was bleeding. The blood looked almost black in the dim light.

Donte removed the bandages and instead replaced it with the cloth he'd been wearing around his head.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Briar said through gritted teeth. The pain hurt and she tried to not show it, but it stung just as much as it had the moment the attackers hurt her.

"Stay still," he ordered as he fastened the cloth around her side. "Having an old bandage could infect the wound. Not that this cloth is much better. We need to reach Casen and attend to this immediately."

Briar remained silent. She sat back and looked down at her hands, rough and worn from wear and tear. She had a few calluses on her palms and fingers, and her nails were broken off.

The moment of silence expanded between them. Briar glanced up to see the sun rising gradually above the horizon, painting the sky in an array of colors. It looked almost like a watercolor painting, all the colors blended together with no telling of where one color ended and the next began.

"It's lovely," she murmured. She absently drew circles in the sand with the tip of her finger.

"I am gazing at something much prettier," Donte said quietly.

Briar froze, her heart skipping a beat. Donte stood up and walked to his satchel. When she turned to look at him, she found him wiping his sword, which was still stained with the blood of the snake he had killed in the darkness.

Briar shook her head and carefully got to her feet.

"What do you think you are doing?" He tucked the blade in his satchel and hurried to her, wrapping his arms around her torso.

"I feel better," she said. "We need to keep moving." Briar didn't want her weakness to be the reason for their failure. She needed to find her strength.

"Are you sure your side is free from pain?"

Briar paused to look at him. His angled face was covered in worry and concern.

She nodded with a weak smile.

After a few minutes of walking, she rested her head against his arm, allowing his strength to help carry her on.

The sun rose higher and higher, and Briar used this to gage what time it was. As soon as it stood overhead, she knew it was around noon.

They proceeded to walk as the sun moved across the sky. The gusts of wind grew stronger, throwing Donte and Briar back and forth. Sand littered the sky, as well as other little bits of debris. When the wind became too strong, Donte pulled Briar to his side to keep from losing her.

Several hours later, night fell and Briar didn't hesitate to completely collapse.

"Are you all right?" Donte asked, swooping to her side.

"Just tired," she said through a vicious yawn. "The heat really takes a lot out of you."

Donte sat down beside her. "You should have told me if you needed to rest."

In the near-darkness, the desert didn't look so threatening. The darkness brought a light breeze, not biting gusts of wind, and cooler temperatures, not scorching ones. Briar dug her hand into the sand and found cooler sand below the surface.

Donte rummaged through his satchel. "Here, eat."

She took a scrap of dried fruit from him. He pulled out his near-empty flask. He took a small sip before handing it to Briar.

Donte breathed in deeply before letting it out in a heavy breath. "We better find Casen soon."

"I know," she murmured. She pulled herself to Donte's side. "Can we start a fire? It's getting cold."

"No," he said flatly. "As much as I want to, we cannot. We cannot risk showcasing our location to whatever else is in this desert. Jaden is looking for us right now, and we can't draw them a map to where we are by building a fire."

Briar nodded and buried her face into his shoulder. "But we won't get attacked by snakes tonight, will we?"

He chuckled, a noise she had missed hearing. "I hope not."

"If we do, you'll save us again," she said. "Hopefully."

"Hopefully?" Donte repeated with a chuckle. "I will risk my life for you, Briar. Now get some sleep."

"Maybe we should continue on," Briar protested, but a yawn escaped her lips. Despite her protests, she fell into a deep sleep against Donte.

The sound of clopping suddenly made her sit up. Two horses appeared in the distance and Donte quickly got to his feet. He scrambled for his satchel and dug out his small sword, wielding it in front of him.

When Briar saw the sword, she gasped and turned to look where he was looking. There were two Jaden warriors.

She ran to her own satchel and pulled out another small blade, raising it and letting the faint light gleam against it.

"I'm ready to fight," she said as she pulled herself to Donte's side.

Before he could protest, the warriors approached them, weapons hanging from their belts. Without a word, one of them catapulted from his horse, wielding a lengthy sword.

Donte matched it, and the sound of blades colliding rang through the air. Briar jumped out of the way, only to see the second warrior running at her. Her small blade didn't compare to his sword and she wished that Donte had better weapons.

For now, all she could do was duck and avoid being stabbed. The soldier grabbed her and shoved her to the ground, knocking her small blade out of her hand. The man pinned her to the sand, and reached for her fallen blade.

Then, Donte shoved the warrior out of the way, shoving his own blade into the warrior's neck. Briar grimaced and turned away, only to see the first warrior rising from the ground and bolting in their direction. She rolled out of the way just as he swiped his sword at Donte.

She scrambled to her feet as Donte engaged the first in a battle of colliding blades. The sound of metal meeting filled the air. She stood there helpless, not sure how she could help Donte fight the remaining soldier. She closed her eyes in panic, wishing for the violence to go away. Metal striking metal pierced her ears, followed by a grunt from a man.

When she opened her eyes, she saw the warrior on the ground, bleeding from a gash on the throat. Donte stood where the warrior had been moments before, his blade bloody. He was breathing heavily, scanning the two bodies that bled on the sand.

"Did they hurt you?" Donte asked, scooping her up into his arms.

She shook her head faintly.

He held her for a moment, rocking her back and forth, kissing her on her head repeatedly. She could feel his heartbeat against his chest, his breath ragged.