Planet Athion: The Complete Series by Angel Lawson

61

Kai

All other daysin the dungeon have the same feel; boredom, pain, frustration…but not today. Ever since I left the Master’s quarters the night before I’ve been wracked with fear. Fear. It’s not a normal emotion for me. Being a soldier, a Custo, it’s taught me to push aside that kind of energy, but this is different.

I’m not afraid for myself, but for Mercy. She’s strong and capable, there’s no doubt about that, but at some point we all have to be realistic.

The Master wants to not just own her but possess her. It goes against all my beliefs about women and how they should be treated. How they should be cherished.

“Does it seem quiet down here?” Alex says suddenly, pulling me from my thoughts. I struggle to sit. The lack of food and water make it hard to function.

“Maybe.” Now that he says it, I realize it’s true. The normal sounds of the holding area are minimal. Usually the guards come back and forth, pushing in our disgusting food and occasionally stopping for a beating. Doors open and shut. Chains shift and clank against the hard floors, but not today. I perk up. “What do you think it is?”

“I don’t know.”

Time passes and like most days I fade in and out of consciousness. It’s a welcome relief when I dream of Mercy, her smile and touch. I’m lost in the fantasy of her soft curves, the lift of her breasts, the taste of her tongue. I’d lay her on the bed on Damon’s ship, peel her clothing off slowly, climb on top of her and make love to her slow at first, then faster, rocking hard into her body, the headboard slamming against the wall, pounding, pounding, pounding—

“Kai!”

I jerk awake, my dick hard, mind fogged and confused. The pounding continues, but I run my hand over my face and know the noise is not from the dream I’d been torn from. It’s the door.

Alex and I both struggle to our feet, watching the metal door quiver with each blow. It’s not a knock. It’s a something bigger—stronger.

The blows land harder and the frame bends, each time a little bit more. Alex and I position ourselves defensively—not that we can do much, chained to the floor, but instinct drives us.

“What the fu—” Alex mutters as the door rips through the frame and falls to the ground with a heavy, thunderous crash. Down the hall, the same sound can be heard echoing off the walls, one door tumbling after the other.

Dust clogs the room and I clench the chain in my fist, ready to brandish it as a weapon. A figure steps in the doorway, massive and intimidating. It steps forward and one look at the figure’s face hits me like a battering ram and I fall to my knees just like the door, knowing this is the beginning of the end.