Chapter 23: "I told you not to move!"

Rain woke up shivering in her cold cell, after having had another dream of her fantasy Werewolf. Rain knew she should listen to the voice that told her the male was her mate. Unfortunately for that voice, she was more concerned about making sure the escape of her and all the others she was taking with her, went off without too many complications.

This morning all the slaves would be ordered to do one last cleaning and set up the provisions needed for the Toxic Haze Renewal Ritual. Slaves would be locked back up in their cells before the sun even went down, along with any servant who would not be an active part of the Ceremony. This was to prevent any undo accidents.

Like accidentally empowering one of those slaves or servants with enough magic for them to cause damage and escape. Another is the magic taking the lives of those who were not properly connected to the spell, wasting ‘good’ death magic. Any death within the Black Magic Coven needed to be used for the ‘good’ of the Black Magic Coven. 

Rain was not surprised, when one of the Black Magic Coven medics came to verify that she would live. The day after, what Rain was calling, the Breeding Banquet. On the second day after the Breeding Banquet, the same Coven Medic said she was good enough to return to her duties as a slave.

Now Rain was working alongside her fellow slaves to finish all the chores they were ordered to complete for the Ceremony. Rain was avoiding running into Sarah or any of her half sisters. Rain knew that all four would be executing their plan soon. 

Rain had been delivering clean linens to her mother’s Solar room when she overheard Bonnie get permission for her and the other Witches and Warlocks not taking part in the renewal Ceremony, to go to the Silver Tree Canyon compound for the next month.

They were also allowed to take as many of the high level servants that they needed, the only servants who voluntarily served the Black Magic coven. This meant that none of those Rain was taking with her on her escape would be taken away with Sarah and her half sisters.   

What her mother did not know however, was that by granting that permission to Bonnie, she had made it easier for her Clan’s escape to go unnoticed until well after the end of the several days long Ceremony. Rain gave them up to two weeks before they were discovered missing.  

Rain only hoped that when their disappearance was discovered, it would disrupt her half sisters and Sarah’s plans to kidnap Alora. Enough so that they would fail and Alora would be safe. Rain was shaken out of her thoughts at the sound of the basement door crashing into the stone wall next to its opening. Then the stomping of feet as the high level servants of the Black Magic Coven came down. 

The one in front was a truly loathsome male, he was here because he was addicted to the sex magic of the Black Magic Coven. This male also liked to abuse the female slaves, rapping them when he got the opportunity. So far, his attention on Rain had been thwarted, but the longer she stayed here, the risk of that happening became higher.

“Wake up you mongrels!” The male shouted in a loud and braying tone, banging on the bars with a metal cane. “Time to get to work!” 

One by one, cell doors were slammed open, chains were removed and clanged to the floor. The male came to Rain’s cell and looked at her with a fervent desire in his deep brown and black colored eyes.  

“Well, well, well.” Lucius purred, causing Rain’s stomach to twist in disgust. “It seems your brief break from doing chores is over.”  

Lucius was seven foot two, and very thin with lean muscle, milk pale skin. His hair, parted down the middle, was a long wavy deep brown that hung to his chest. Lucius was dressed in his usual uniform, a pair of black straight leg trousers, a white fitted long sleeve button up shirt, a black tie in a Windsor knot, a dark charcoal gray vest, and a black morning coat. 

Lucius circled slowly around Rain, looking her up and down as he did. When he came to a stop in front of Rain, he propped the metal cane on the floor and rested his hand on the round metal ball on top. Lucius’s hands were bare, his black nails a stark contrast to the white skin covering long lean fingers.

“It also looks like you will be entered into the breeding program once the Renewal Ceremony is over.” Lucius kept his voice low, so only they could hear. He walked forward, and Rain took a step backwards at the look in his eyes.  

Lucius was angry the moment Rain took that step backwards, away from him. “Don’t move!” He ordered sharply.

Rain felt it was a good thing that they had already taken her father away to perform his chores for the day. Otherwise, Dominic would risk punishment to intervene with what Lucian was doing now. Rain forced herself to stay still and obey Lucius’s order. 

Lucius got up close to Rain, lifting one hand and stroking her cheek. a shiver of revulsion ran down Rain’s spine. Inside Rain, Hope was growling and wishing she could just bite this sick smelling male’s hand off. Rain unconsciously shrank away from Lucius’s touch. Unfortunately, it had her receiving a slap across the same cheek Lucius had just stroked.

“I told you not to move!” Lucius hissed angrily, furious with Rain for daring to reject his touch.  

Rain forced herself to hold still again, reminding herself again she could not afford a beating today. Reminding herself tonight was the night she was leading her Clan to freedom. Hope held herself back, suppressing her growls so they would not inadvertently slip out of her humanoid. 

Lucius bent down and with his lips just brushing against Rain’s ear, causing another shiver of revulsion to travel down her spine, said, “They’ve already started the application process for breeding you…and I’m first in line.” 

Rain nearly vomited all over Lucius right then and there as her entire being rejected the touch of this vile being. Rain gritted her teeth to keep from verbalizing her disgust. Rain would allow Hope to come forward and rip this male to shreds before she would ever let him touch her in that way.

“Ah, it seems you can learn to be obedient.” Lucius circled around Rain again.  

It took everything in her not to turn with him, to keep him from being at her back. Instead, she became hyper aware of everything, every little vibration in the air as he moved. Lucius did not realize that every beat of his heart, every breath he took in or let out, every silent step he took, even the movement of his blood through his veins, was sensed by Rain and Hope.  

Rain felt it the moment he shifted to come up behind her, then abruptly he grabbed the hair on top of her head in a fist and bent her back. With Rain’s neck now exposed to Lucius, he bent down and bit her, biting down hard where her shoulder met her neck. He bit till he drew blood and a scream from Rain, then Lucius tossed her away from him, causing Rain to fall to the ground painfully. 

Slapping a hand over the bleeding wound, Rain looked up and watched as Lucius wiped at the trail of her blood smeared at one corner of his mouth. With an arrogant smirk Lucius glared down at Rain with satisfaction in his gaze.  

Rain, one hand to the wound at her neck, crawled backwards away from Lucius. Rain trembled from her fear, and the continued suppression of her instincts. Everything in Rain was screaming for her to kill this abhorrent male now.  

*‘I have to hold it together, just for today, the very last day!’* Rain frantically reminded herself.  

Lucius was getting angry again, watching Rain make a desperate attempt to get away from him. Lucius was waiting patiently to make his next move, waiting for the rest of the slaves and the servants to leave the basement.  

Finally, just as he backed Rain into a corner, Lucius heard the sound he had been waiting for, the heavy clang of the basement door closing. Consequently, for him, that’s when Rain’s trembling began to stop. Without a witness to watch over them, Rain searched her mind for what to do.  

*‘Can’t kill him, they would notice, he’s too high level and is participating in the renewal ritual, his disappearance would be noticed immediately.’* 

“Now is this not better…all alone…no one to disturb us.” Lucius purred, his words breaking through her thoughts, twisting Rain’s stomach, and causing something violent to rage within her.  

“Let’s just call today…a practice run…shall we?” Lucius purred while smiling in a cruel and sadistic way.  

The moment Lucius bent to grab Rain, she threw her spell at him.