Betrayal 112
17 Your Pain Her Punishment
Jasmine POV
Goddess, I hate that batard. I wish I had killed him instead of Jiselle. Watching him be so
cruel to Drake has my stomach churning. I’m hoping he will follow me and not take his anger out on Drake. “Mommy, why is daddy being so mean to Drake, Daniel asks as soon as we get
in his room.
My son is so sweet and nothing like that monster he shares DNA with. I bend down and cup his cheeks. “We will talk about it later. Right now, I want you and your sister to stay here. Don’t
come out until I come back to get you.”
He nods, and I kiss the top of both their heads. I come out of the room, locking the door
behind me. He has never hurt our children, but I don’t trust him not to use them against me. I
slide the key into my pocket and head back toward the living room. “Jasmine” he bellows the
minute he steps into the door. I step out of the hallway and his eyes look angrier than I’ve ever
seen them. I prepare myself for whatever is to come as he moves toward me.
Being pulled into his arms is not what I expected. I stand stiffly as he holds me. “You thought I
came here to punish you, didn’t you? Why would I do that, my love? You haven’t disobeyed me
again. The only one that will be punished today is that pathetic mute,” he says. I try to pull out
of his arms, but he holds me tightly. “I want you to remember the consequences of you or the
children spending time with that slave. I won’t hurt you or them. I will hurt him,” he says into
my ear.
“Please David, don’t do this. He did nothing wrong,“I plead. “He was born. He had my brother
for a father. Just that alone is enough. Now I’m going to go down to the cells and punish him
for trying to be part of my family. If you continue to disobey, it will be him who pays the price.”
He finally releases me and I step back. I feel the same tingle I felt in my office. “How can you
be so cruel? He is your blood and a child.”
“He is nothing to me. Making sure that people know their place isn’t cruel. It’s maintaining the
order of things. I was always meant to be king and with you as my queen. The goddess f**ked
when I say if he didn’t need to be alive he wouldn’t,” he says. Bile rises in my throat at what he
has just admitted. I have always suspected but to know he killed his own brother makes me
sick.
“Now
you
need to remember you are mine and I expect your obedience. I won’t hurt him if you do as your told,” he says. I feel the vines itching to be released. He isn’t Jiselle. If this doesn’t
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17 Your Pain Her Punishment
work, and he ends up killing me, it will leave my children and Drake alone. They will be completely at his mercy. I have to believe the goddess will protect Drake. I know he can’t kill him or, like he said, Drake would have been dead long ago.
“I love you Jasmine. You are my queen. That boy is nothing. You need to stay away from him,” he says before he turns to leave the room. I fall to my knees and sob. Once I get myself together, I take a chance to call for Vincent. I won’t be able to go to Drake after they hurt him, but I’m hoping Vincent will help me. I let him in as soon as he arrives. “My queen, you called
for me.”
“Vincent, you have always been kind to me. I believe you are a good elf. I need to ask
something of you.” He simply nods and I wonder if this is a mistake, but I push forward
because I have no other options. There is no one else I can trust. “The king is taking Drake to
the cells. I’m sure that ba**ard Jared will be involved. I need you to make sure someone tends
to his injures, please“I say, unable to stop the tears from falling.
“My beloved works in the hospital. When they finish, I will make sure he is tended to. My father told me stories about the true king and Drake. I will do everything in my power to protect him
and you, my queen.” “Thank you, Vincent. Please be safe and make sure your beloved stays
safe.” “I will, my queen” he says before leaving quickly. I head for my children’s room. I need to
hold them and pray that my son will be taken care of while I can’t be there for him.
Drake POV
When Jared left, I wondered how long it would be before David returned. The longer it took, the
more I worried he was hurting Jasmine or the children. I stare down at my hands, wishing I
wasn’t so useless. Wishing there was power flowing through me. As the heir to my father’s
throne, I should have gained my powers the day I turned eighteen.
As the future king, my powers would far exceed that of my ba**ard uncle. His only power is to
control the elements and the veiling he was able to place on me because he was never meant
to take the throne. I should be able to control the elements, delay death, create the veil, and
control the mind, but I’m powerless.
I’m not sure how he managed to suppress my powers, but it has to have something to do with my parents‘ death and whatever he took from my father that day. The opening of the door that leads to the cell breaks me out of my thoughts. A smiling Jared walks toward me, followed closely by David. My eyes search his hands despite knowing he said he would use a whip or
belt to hurt her.
He chuckles, and my eyes snap to his. “You don’t have to worry, nephew, my bride is untouched. Your pain will be her punishment for caring about a nothing like you.
I’ve realized
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17 Your Pain Her Punishment
that is far worse pain than anything my belt or whip could do to her,” he says. Despite knowing what I’m about to endure will be painful, hearing that Jasmine is alright settles the torrent of guilt that has been raging since he followed her from the dining room.
Jared opens the cell door and they both step inside. “String him up,” David commands. I don’t even attempt to fight Jared. Once my arms and legs are secured, David circles me. “Your name should never pass my son’s lips. He is the next king of our kind and will have nothing to
do with a slave like you.
I’ve already informed my queen, but let me make this perfectly clear to you. If my children or queen visit you or even breathe your name, it is you that will bare the brunt of my anger. I
know what you’re thinking and let me be clear. I may not be able to kill you, but I can torture
you enough that you will wish you were dead” he says.
I keep my face impassive, not giving him an ounce of fear. I may not be able to speak, but I
will fight with all I have in me to not give him the one thing he wants most, my fear. “Cut his
shirt off so we can begin,” he says. Jared grabs a large pair of scissors, slicing through my
worn shirt. The two pieces fall to the floor and anger flashes in David’s eyes. “I see you have
been working out slave. Do you think strength is any match for magic? Do you think that
becoming stronger will keep me from causing you pain?”
I don’t answer, keeping my gaze focused on the wall behind him. A hard slap across my right
cheek has my body pulling against the restraints. I move my head back, not acknowledging
the ba**ard or the pain on my face. “He is a tough guy, Jared. I guess I shouldn’t have been so
kind to him over the years. I thought treating him like he was nothing would be enough. Now I
see we should have brought him down here more often. Should have made him suffer the pain
I wanted to inflict on his useless father,” he says.
I clench my fists, but my focus never leaves the spot on the wall. Strike after strike from Jared
reminding me of my disrespect. David grabs something from behind me. The minute the whip
makes contact with my skin, my body stiffens. I bite down so hard on my tongue I’m sure its bleeding. He lands four more strikes before he comes to stand in front of me. “It’s too bad you
can’t scream. I’d like to hear your cries of pain and begging,” David says.
I train my eyes back on the spot, refusing to meet his eyes. “It seems he hasn’t had enough
Jared. Maybe a few more strikes from the whip will have him hanging his head like a good
slave.” “I think your right my king. I don’t think he knows his place yet,” Jared says. He pulls his
hand back and the whip connects with my chest. The bite has my body pulling against the
restraints again. Three more strikes across my stomach, and I’m starting to feel weak from
the blood loss.
Maybe he will accidentally kill me. I close my eyes and pray that this life ends, and my next
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will be full of happiness. That I will have the chance to see my parents when I meet the goddess. Anything to escape this evil ba**ard. Jasmine, Diane, and Daniel’s faces flash in my
mind. What will losing me do to Jasmine? Goddess, please help them escape this place the
way that I couldn’t. Don’t let them continue to suffer. It’s the last thought I have before the
darkness takes me under.