Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder

Chapter 1376 - 131 : Dark Resistance

*Zara*

My heart broke as Noah and I locked gazes. I saw the anguish as he realized that I had chosen to go with Malphas, but I also saw the grim understanding in his eyes. He knew he couldn’t follow me and that I was doing it to save Briella. Our little girl had been without both her parents for far too long.

Even as I was enveloped in darkness, my wrist gripped in Malphas’ violent hand, I felt a strange sense of peace. Noah was alive. He had made it out of the gruesome battle, even though he and his warriors had been ambushed. I could breathe a little easier knowing that my mate had survived.

I was also anxious to see my baby and was hopeful that I seemed to be just another step forward in that direction. I knew it was foolish to trust Malphas, but I also knew from Niva that the dark sorcerer was a bit desperate, apparently needing my powers to achieve his goal.

Malphas pulled me through the darkness, his hand tightening on me. I felt a strange weightlessness as we floated through the black nothingness. I mused briefly that this wasn’t my first time traveling through this very space. I had done so as a baby, cradled in Niva’s arms. What a strange turn-around this was.

My eyes rounded when we emerged from the dark into another dim but extravagant world. I was stunned speechless briefly as I gazed up at the ominous obsidian palace that lay before me. It was made of dark stones that shone like gemstones. The towers were tall and spikey, their tips reaching upward toward the dark blue sky.

There were a plethora of stars, but they somehow seemed far away, much further than they appeared in Crowstar or Drogomor.

“Welcome, my dear, to my fortress realm in the mystical Embervale dimension,” Malphas said, spinning me around so that I was facing his palace fully.

I shied away from him. He had the tone of a husband who was about to carry his wife over the threshold on their wedding night. I swallowed audibly as I was pulled along behind the towering dark-red sorcerer.

Despite my fear, I couldn’t help but initially be dazzled by the strange realm’s alien beauty. The sky, although dark, was mixed with breathtaking colors like indigo and streaks of violet. The clouds were a magical dark blue and just as fluffy as the ones at home.

It looked like Malphas’ palace sat in a remote part of the world. There were no other buildings anywhere, just an expanse of dark, exotic plants with black and dark purple flowers. A sea of violet-colored thorny branches filled the river surrounding the large castle.

My awe very quickly turned to dread as we entered through the tall wooden doors of the palace. Somehow, the inside was even darker than the outside with shiny black walls adjourned with twisted paintings and decorations.

A woman dressed in a tight-fitting blood-red dress met us in the grand entryway. She had straight black hair down to her waist and a pale face. Her dark eyes appraised me with so much judgment that I almost narrowed my eyes at her.

Malphas pulled me in front of him. “Ah, Triva, excellent,” Malphas said in a low voice, practically purring. “I leave Lady Zara in your care. See to it that she is cleaned and dressed properly to my liking. As discussed, she may see the child but only under strict supervision. Is that all understood?”

Triva ducked her head respectfully, curtseying. “Yes, my lord. Of course.”

Malphas nodded and then glowered down at me. “Lady Zara has sworn her loyalty to me. If there is even a hint of rebellion in her, you are to alert me immediately.” He narrowed his dark, soulless eyes at me. I was unable to suppress a shudder.

Malphas left without another word, leaving me alone with Triva.

“Come, Lady Zara,” she said, a hint of mockery in her voice. “I will show you to your quarters.”

I had little choice but to follow her, anxious to see Briella but doubting that this woman would be sympathetic toward that.

I was led up a spiral staircase, leading up to what had to be the tallest tower in the palace. It felt as if we had been climbing forever by the time Triva finally stopped at a nondescript dark wooden door. She opened it and gestured for me to enter ahead of her.

As soon as she shut us both inside, she whirled to face me, her eyes glinting and jaw clenched. “Listen, you little slut,” she seethed. “You don’t deserve the position Lord Malphas has gifted you with. I don’t care if you were destined to be his bride or not.”

I just stared at her, stunned at the overwhelming jealousy in her eyes. I blinked at her and then slowly shook my head. “But I don’t want–”

She cut me off. “I might have been tasked with watching over you, but I will not bathe or dress you or tend to you like I’m some kind of maid.”

I raised my eyebrows. “I understand. I don’t expect you to.”

“Don’t expect anything,” she snapped, swiping her slim hand through the air between us. “But I will be watching you, Lady Zara. One step out of line, and I will alert Lord Malphas, and he’ll likely do away with you and your precious daughter.”

“Briella,” I managed in a choked voice. “Where is she? I was told that I would be allowed to see her.”

My heart sank when Triva smirked at me. I wondered if this had all been a trick.

She wrenched open the door of a nearby wardrobe and violently threw a garment at me. “Clean yourself up and put that on. Failure to obey will only lead to severe punishment.”

Before I could protest, she turned and slammed the door. I heard the unmistakable click of a lock and knew that I was trapped inside the room.

I looked down at the dress that Triva had thrown at me and swallowed hard. It was a tiny black dress made with a lot of lace and see-through fabric. I lifted my head from the frightening outfit and found myself in a luxurious room with a plush bed, an expensive-looking desk, and bookshelves filled with leatherbound novels.

After some exploring in the pretty room, I found that there was an attached bathroom with blood-red walls and gold fixtures. I took a much-needed shower and then put on the tiny dress. I glanced at myself in the full-length mirror and felt my face turn red. It was just as revealing as I feared. The lacey hem rested at mid-thigh, and the neckline was extremely low.

It hardly left anything to the imagination as form-fitting as it was.

I must have spent hours just sitting at the window and looking out at the strange alien realm I found myself in. I jumped up and whirled around when the door swung open and Malphas stepped inside.

“Come,” he ordered before turning his back on me and walking out.

He had barked the single word that I feared what would happen if I didn’t obey. We climbed up even further to another door similar to mine. My heart flew into my throat when Malphas opened the door to reveal a nursery with black furniture and dark purple drapes.

In the middle of the room, cradled in a black lacey bassinet was Briella, her eyes open, her lips pursed as she gurgled.

A sob flew from my throat as I raced inside and scooped Briella up in my arms. She was just as perfect as I remembered with her round cheeks and tuft of wavy hair. I pressed my nose against her head, inhaling her sweet scent.

“You get one hour,” Malphas said from the door. “And be warned that these eyes have walls. Any suspicious activity, and you will be punished severely.”

It was a short but blissful hour as I cuddled Briella close to me. She looked healthy and well cared for. It had me questioning Malphas’ motives, but I was grateful all the same for whatever reason he saw to it that my baby was taken care of.

I was too relieved to question it too much.

After the hour was up, Malphas returned and had to physically drag me from the room after I set Briella carefully back in her cradle. He shoved me back into my room. My blood froze when he closed himself inside with me. He lifted his hand, causing a shadowy glow to cover my skin. I felt something stir inside of me and suddenly felt drained. I fell to my knees in front of him.

“What did you do to me?” I choked out.

“Do not fret, my dear,” he cooed, lifting me easily and tossing me on the bed like I weighed nothing at all. “I’ve simply dampened your magic to prevent any rebellion that might be tempted to sow its ugly face.”

He had done more than that I learned in the coming days. I was allowed to visit Briella several times a day, but each time for a measly hour. I adjusted to the solitary days in the luxurious prison tower, finding meager comfort in tending to Briella several times a day. I made sure to hold her for the whole hour each time, savoring each second.

At night, alone in my bed, I started to have vivid dreams about my mother, Amara, and her first love.

I saw the dashing young light priest through my mother’s eyes. He had shining green eyes and a sweet smile. His name was Adriel, and my mother was madly in love with him.

I watched with a warm heart as Adriel caressed my mother’s cheek and murmured his undying devotion to her.

“We will always be together,” he vowed.

They attended a gorgeous starlight harvest festival together, their hands linked nearly the entire night. Amara’s eyes were wide and bright as she gazed at the handsome light priest. They sat with their hips touching as they enjoyed the festival food, Adriel pressing a sweet dessert to my mother’s shy lips.

My mother and her lover laughed and smiled at one another as the festival went on. They shared stories of their childhoods and dreams of the future.

“You are my light,” my mother said to him, pressing her forehead against his.

“As you are mine, my sweet angel,” Adriel murmured, kissing Amara lovingly. And then, he jumped up from the bench they were occupying, his arm going out to shield Amara as Malphas stepped out of the shadows.

Malphas’ eyes were dark with jealousy as he unleashed a dark shadow that completely consumed Adriel, killing the light priest instantly.

My mother wailed with anguish as Malphas dragged her away.

The last devastating image in the recurring dream was of Amara, her stomach swollen with child, weeping as she screamed for Adriel to return to her.

I woke with tears streaming down my cheeks each night, reliving my mother’s tragic memories over and over again. I knew then that Malphas didn’t just dampen my powers. He also caused nightmares to resurface by dampening the protective charms on my back.

I prayed desperately for Noah to come and rescue both Briella and me. Each time I woke with the new dawn, my hope faded just a little more. I continued to cradle Briella whenever I could, nurturing and shielding her, instinctively determined to spare her from sharing my mother’s fate.

One day, while I held Briella close, I could feel the hold that Malphas had on me start to weaken. I meditated for hours each day once I felt the resistance, pushing against the dark energy that Malphas had placed inside of me.

I would continue to fight. I wouldn’t rest until I got stronger and got Briella out of this horrid place.