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Chapter Two
Cara
We walked for what felt like forever, weaving through alleys and down streets lined with condominiums and apartments, until we finally approached what appeared to be a gated community of sorts. The farther we walked, the more expensive the living accommodations became until we started walking past houses that were far bigger than I had ever seen here on Dryac.
The roads weren’t abandoned here though. They were guarded. Heavily.
Men in full combat armor patrolled these streets, fully armed with neodymium weapons that appeared to be outfitted with automatic rifle mods that prepped them for war. Men like these didn’t come cheap.
“Do you live out here?” I ventured finally, too curious not to ask.
“I do,” he answered. He didn’t explain any further than that and I silently glared at the back of his head.
Dick.
I looked away from him, studying our surroundings even more closely. The mansions were spaced out, maybe on acre lots or larger. Each one was different, some made of brick, others made of stone, and some made of a special type of mud only available here on Dryac. The shit was like cement but held steady for centuries. At least, that’s what I’d read on cyber anyway.
Bane led me down the block until we reached the end of the road and I looked up at the house in front of us.
It looked like a goddamn castle.
It was made of stone. Standing at three stories, it rose well above us and I gasped as I lifted my head to take it all in. There were two towers on either side, circular and with large arched windows complete with semi-transparent glass. Lively dark green vines climbed the walls, rising all the way up toward the roof. Soft little daisy-like flowers bloomed in the evening sun, bright white against the darkness of the stone.
Who the hell was this guy?
I glanced back toward him, taking in his confident demeanor. He led me through guarded gates, looking far too comfortable to be walking through all on his own. At least ten armed men lined the entryway and he strode through them like he owned the place.
Maybe he did.
Maybe I’d been abducted by the richest person on Dryac.
It could be worse, I suppose.
Maybe I had another option though. Maybe there were better things I could sell contained within these walls. Expensive things. I bet there was jewelry, centuries-old silver or gold, even platinum. I wondered if I would find ancient gemstones.
On the black market today, tanzanite was the most profitable. Those mines had dried up well over two thousand years ago. As we walked toward the big castle, my mind raced with things I might find and sell. Things that would set me up for life. That would set my family up too. For good.
I’d have to keep my eyes open for what I could find.
We approached the front door, a massive wooden structure that was at least two stories tall. It was carved with what appeared to be ancient images, some of them sexual, some of them more spiritual. I had no idea where any of it originated from.
The sound of turning gears and pumping steam sounded loud to my ears and the great door swung slowly open for us. Bane led me inside and then I heard the wooden door shut behind me, the sound ominous and menacing at the same time.
Once inside the castle, it was almost like stepping back into ancient times. Iridescent light bulbs shone above us on an opulent chandelier, a plush burgundy carpet beneath our feet. To either side of us was a dark cherry wood staircase, lavish and clearly expensive. Wood like that had to be imported from one of the forest planets, which came with quite the costly price tag. Along the walls were cloth tapestries, depictions of ancient eras several thousands of years ago before the discovery of space travel. I wasn’t sure, but I thought they originated from a simple planet that used to be inhabited by humans long ago.
It had once been known as Earth. It had gotten destroyed at least a thousand years ago. Something about climate change and the ice caps melting and flooding the entire planet. I was hazy on all the details, but science had never been my specialty anyway.
Bane cleared his throat and I raised my eyes to meet his. Even though I’d seen them out in the sunlight, I was still slightly taken aback by his feline-like pupils. They seemed larger, more dilated than before. I cocked my head to the side, studying the color of his irises. Here in the bright light of the incandescent bulbs, they looked blue, but I had thought they were green before.
“Take your boots off here,” he asked, pointing to a spot beside the door, all while giving me a bit of slack on the leash attached to my chains. I glared at him for a quick moment before he caught my disobedient gaze. Turning away, I knelt down, unbuckling the laces. Then I sat down on my naked backside and pulled them off my feet, leaving my socks by the side of my boots. I was careful to keep my gaze on the floor, hiding my wince of pain as I did so.
When I was ready, I rose up to my feet and met his stare, fully prepared for whatever was about to happen next.
“What are you going to do with me?” I asked, doing my best to appear strong and unafraid.
He didn’t answer; instead, he just tugged me forward until I started following him again. He led me up the stairs, past several closed doors until we reached what appeared to be a bedroom. A large four-poster bed with a dark red canopy was the centerpiece of the room. There were several sitting areas with soft-looking couches, adorned with plush pillows and blankets. The dark cherry wooden features continued into the room, as well as the soft carpet beneath my toes.
“Kneel,” he demanded, and I stared back at him, my upper lip rising just a hair in a challenge. “Don’t make me ask twice,” he added then. I expected him to strike me or punish me for my hesitation, but he didn’t.
