Eternity with The Shadow King
Captive of Shadows | Book 5
Bailey Dark
Copyright © 2020 by Bailey Dark
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Thank You!
About the Author
FREE Preview - Her Shifter King
FREE Preview - Stolen by the Fae King
Subscribe & Claim Your Free Book!
Chapter 1
Briar
Drogaem's laughter echoes across the empty throne room. I sit quietly, my hands clutching the arms of the chair I am held down to.
Even without his maniacal laughter dragging up my spine like needles to my nerves, the castle is unfamiliar. It has always been a dark and rather quiet place, but with him at my side, it's cold and unfriendly.
Between the bellowing bouts of Drogaem's laughter and the deafening silence of the castle, an even more painful event beats me down. Kane is proud, and he will not give in to the pain that Drogaem subjects onto his body. With every slash, cut, or whip, I can feel Kane's strength diminishing. But he doesn't yell out. He doesn't scream or cry. If he did, I'm not sure that I am strong enough to withstand the torture it brings me to know the pain he is feeling.
Watching it is too much already, and Drogaem is not about to allow me to look away. In fact, the entire reason he has me sitting here is to witness the torture and feats of pure evil and cruelty he inflicts on to Kane. Naturally, Drogaem feeds off the pain and torment of others, but especially Kane's. It's an added bonus to know that he's destroying me one callous act at a time. As a human, I am naturally naïve. I'm not able to fully imagine the depths of barbarity that a creature like himself is capable of. Before he had risen into his body, I thought that I had covered every avenue that could be possible in order to protect myself and prepare myself. Still, I hadn't even scratched the surface.
"And to think, the souls of this pathetic city actually believe you are someone to be feared," Drogaem says as he taps his fingers against the black steel of the throne next to me. "And your little human here, she actually had faith that you'd be able to save her. Humans were always stupid, anyways."
I don't move a muscle. I sit on the throne in the tight black dress that hugs my curves and flows to the floor. I'm thankful for the high neck and the bit of lace that peeks from beneath the bell sleeves, covering most of me. The crown that sits atop my head is dense, made of thick metal, intertwined like barbed spikes. No pins are needed as it pushes down on me, keeping me pressed into my chair and my neck tired and wobbly. But Drogaem insists, and these days I don't have much choice in anything.
I stare across the empty room at the adjacent wall where my beloved, my betrothed, is chained. His arms reach up over his head to each side, shackled with thick metal cuffs. His legs are spread as well, large chains wrapping around them, keeping him in place. At this point, they're almost pointless. If I were to release him, he would do nothing but fall to the ground. He lifts his head here and there, fighting against the frailty of his body, but once that small bit of energy expels, he slumps forward again.
My heart aches, and my teeth clench as I stare at the mangled wings hanging from his back. The flesh is torn, and the bones protrude, leaving nothing more than scraps of flesh and blood caked to Kane's back. It gives Drogaem great pleasure to break him. It makes him feel more potent, powerful, but I see it as nothing more than a weakness. He is breaking the one being he knows can destroy him.
I am not sitting still just to avoid Drogaem's wrath. My body may join the stillness of the castle, but my mind and soul are busy at work. I try to push the sadness away from myself, remembering that the light of hope is still within me. With the spell and everything I've seen, I can tell that the light barely flickers, but it's still there. With every slice of malice that Drogaem produces, I do my best to use it as motivation to nurse that light of hope back to a flame and eventually to a roaring blaze.
Drogaem lets out a long sigh. "I grow tired of this pathetic example of what has been ruling this world in my stead. I'm sure with a little bit of rest, though, and some food, I'll be more than happy to continue later."
I don't let the relief show on my face, not even a little bit. I refuse to allow Drogaem to know that anything he does or does not do gives me pleasure. I know that it won't be long until the torture resumes, but at least for a few moments, a few hours even, Kane will rest. My hands clutch tighter to the arms of the chair as Drogaem stands and walks down the steps. I keep my eyes on Kane, refusing to acknowledge Drogaem unless I'm forced to.
My teeth clench harder as Drogaem grabs Kane's chin and lifts his head upward. Blood trickles down his face, and Drogaem clicks his tongue. "You're no fun when you're not fighting back."
Drogaem unlatches Kane's arm cuffs and turns, walking away before Kane hits the ground. He doesn't look at me and instead walks across the throne room floor and out into the castle. I
