(The Dark Servant)Midnight Matters by A. Ellas (young adult books to read .txt) 📗

the prince,” Jisten declared. He sat down on the cot and stretched.

“I have rites,” said Rak. “Send the mastigi if you need anything.”

Chapter Nine: Midnight Turmoil

Jethain opened his eyes when Murson and Avontos entered. This didn’t bother either priest, for they knew how to control him. Golden light flared from Murson’s hands and both Jisten and the death hounds slumped. The firemane was nowhere in sight, the joint of beef gnawed clean and abandoned.

“Hey!” Jethain said and hauled himself to a sitting position in bed. “Those are my friends!”

“You have been reduced to calling monsters friend?” sneered Murson.

Avontos strode over to Jethain and tried to touch his forehead. Darkness flared around Avontos’ fingers. He shrieked in pain and stumbled back.

“What are you doing?” Jethain scrambled further back on the bed. “Don’t touch me! Jisten!”

Murson tried to grab Jethain’s shoulder. Again the darkness flared, and the sun priest snatched his hand back as if it had been burned. “What is this? Why can’t I touch you? Tell me!”

Jethain focused on the priest. “I’m not telling you! Leave here! Guards!”

Murson raised both hands and golden light flared, arching towards Jethain. Darkness formed a shield that the golden light splashed off of. “Impossible!” roared Murson. “What has the evil one done to you, prince?”

“It’s called protection,” Jethain said. “Protection from purging.”

“ Yo u must be purged,” declared Murson. “We must purge the evil out of your body so that you can bask in the glorious light.”

Avontos crooned, “Come back to the light, our prince. You want us. You do. Listen to your heart.” He stroked Jethain’s thigh through the covers.

“Stop that!” Jethain scooted away, horrified to feel attraction. His gaze fell on the captain. “Jisten!”

Murson casually glanced at the captain, knocked out on his cot. “If you want him to wake up, you will remove whatever the dark one gave you.”

Jethain made sure that Jisten’s chest was rising and falling. “

Araken

!”

“It’s midnight. Your pet priest will not answer you now. His devotions to that foul excretion he calls his God are more important than you.” Murson passed his hands over Jethain from head to toe without touching him. He paused over Jethain’s chest and smiled coldly. He fished a square of golden silk out of a pocket and used it to grab the pendant, snapping the chain as he yanked it off.

Bolts of green lighting cracked down upon Murson and Avontos as a roaring swirl of black fire covered the prince. The two sun priests were thrown against the wall by the power’s release. Avontos screamed in pain, but Murson grimly chanted, wrapping the pendant in layer after layer of golden silk. The lightning storm faded away until not even a whisper of the power remained.

On the other side of the palace, Rak’s chant faltered in mid-refrain, his head turning towards Jethain’s suite. Black fire roared up, accepting an offering only partially ready, releasing Rak from his duty.

Jethain lay limp, unconscious, and vulnerable. “Purging and blood-letting first this time,” ordered Murson. “We need to be done with that before the dark one arrives. I have a surprise planned for him.”

Avontos shoved the tube down Jethain’s throat and poured the purging wine in as Murson nicked Jethain’s arm vein and let the blood pour into the collection vessel.

The tube was extracted once the purging wine was in and Avontos positioned the basin skillfully as the prince upchucked the contents of his stomach. Murson let the collection vessel fill for a time, then pinched off the artery and held pressure. “Wipe him down and proceed with the purification. The prince needs our light more than ever.”

Avontos wiped the traces of vomit from Jethain’s face, positioned the prince’s legs, adjusted his clothing, and thrust in. “He’s tight, but he doesn’t feel as good as the dark one. And it’s not as fun once he’s unconscious.”

Murson stepped to an advantageous position by the doorway. “I know, it’s unavoidable this time, but I hope you’ll agree it was worth it in the end,” he said. He had a golden slip leash ready, the collar part extra-large for the moment. “I am going to collar the sex slave, so we’ll have him to pleasure us when we’re done with the prince. Now, be noisy with the prince, so the dark one’s attention is on you.”

“The slave trainer ordered him to obey you the same as he, and ordered him to allow me to purify his mouth whenever I wanted to.” Avontos thrust with extra vigor, reaching the place that made Jethain gasp and moan.

“Agreed, but I don’t know how long that order remains in place. Such things tend to fade with time.”

“If he disobeys you, we can beat him again. I greatly enjoyed that.”

“I’ll let you have first turn,” Murson promised. “Now calm yourself so you don’t climax too soon.”

Rak ran from his suite to Jethain’s, the path between the two memorized now. He stopped in shock at the sight of Avontos between Jethain’s legs, pumping vigorously. The prince had a blank expression on his face while Jisten and the death hounds were unmoving lumps. The firemane was nowhere to be seen. Rak called his staff and launched himself at Avontos.

Murson expertly tossed the golden lasso. Rak’s lunge was aborted as the noose snapped tight around his neck. The staff which had just appeared in his hands vanished again as his powers were cut off. He turned to attack his captor.

“Kneel, slave,” Murson ordered.

Rak’s eyes widened at the sight of Murson. He trembled with rage, but he did kneel, stiffly obeying Hasaviz’s control-spell reinforced commands.

“Strip.”

Rak began to undress, but several difficulties presented themselves. “May I stand?” he asked. “And will you release the leash?”

Murson’s laugh was nasal. “You may stand but I will not release the leash.”

Rak pulled off his boots, socks and pants and then got his robes off over his head. He pushed the fabric off himself and it settled heavily on the golden leash.