Dark and Light (A Kindred Tales Duet)

“Meaning they feed only from pain?” Alli asked, frowning. “They must be sociopaths too, then.”

Rachel’s voice dropped to a whisper.

“Having a Master who feeds only from pain can break you for life—especially if you’re an Immune and you don’t have even an ounce of Calm in your system to dull the effects of their torture.”

“It can? Do you know someone that happened to?” Alli asked.

The other girl’s lovely dark eyes were sad.

“It happened to my big sister. She was taken by a pure sadist—a Kru’ell One who lived only to feed on pain. Because she had no Calm in her system—or rather, the Calm she did have wasn’t affecting her—the torture made her crazy.”

Rachel’s voice wavered. “He Stung her, you see—their Stings still work on us, even if their drugs don’t. Stung her and made her beg to be tortured—beg for the pain. It broke her. She…she took her own life when he was done with her.”

Rachel swiped at her eyes, which were suddenly filled with tears.

“That’s terrible!” Impulsively, Alli took her hand and squeezed. “I’m so sorry, Rachel.”

The other girl squeezed back gratefully.

“Thanks. It was a few years ago now but I still miss her so much. And…and I’m so afraid the same thing is going to happen to me.” She shook her head. “I thought I would be passed over because my family serves here now—we work in the Overlord’s gardens. In fact, my father is the Head Gardener.” There was a touch of pride in her voice but then she looked down at her hands. “Turns out I wasn’t passed over after all, because here I am.”

“Hopefully you’ll be okay,” Alli said, wishing she could say more to comfort her. “Maybe you’ll get a Master like Kane. One who only feeds from pleasure.”

“I hope you’re right.” Rachel swiped at her eyes again. “I just hope I don’t get someone like the Overlord himself.”

“He’s a sadist, is he?” Somehow the news didn’t seem too surprising—especially since Kane had told her that the head Kru’ell One had killed twenty other warriors to get his position.

“I was in the kitchen once, bringing in a basket of fresh vegetables. It’s right below his bedchamber and I heard one of his concubines screaming.” Rachel shivered. “She was begging him to stop whatever he was doing but he was just laughing and laughing that deep, hoarse, horrible laugh of his. I kept hearing it—laughing and screaming and begging and no one else in the kitchen was even batting an eye because they were all Calmed.” She put her arms around herself and held herself tightly. “I had to pretend it didn’t bother me either, but inside I was screaming right along with that poor girl. I wanted to run and hide, but I knew the guards would wonder why I was acting so frantic.”

“So you had to hold it all in—everything you were feeling—and just pretend to be a zombie,” Alli guessed. “That must have been so hard.” She squeezed Rachel’s arm comfortingly. “I’m so sorry!”

Rachel sighed.

“If only I could get away from here—go and find the Resistance. My big brother and I were going to leave, but the day before we had planned to sneak away, I was swept up and taken down here.”

“But can’t you get away?” Alli asked. “I mean, isn’t there anywhere to run to once we get out of this bunker? The Harem Compound, I mean,” she added, seeing the other girl’s look of confusion. “You must know this whole area pretty well since you work here, right?”

Rachel looked indecisive.

“I know my brother would want me to try. He told me he wouldn’t leave without me when the guards came to take me away. But I don’t see how it’s possible now that I’ve been singled out as a prospective concubine.”

“Maybe nobody will choose you,” Alli said hopefully.

“Then I’ll be stuck down here forever, pretending to be Calmed like all the rest of them.” Rachel nodded to the many blank faces of the women sitting around them.

“Well maybe once you do get chosen and they take you back up, you’ll have a chance to get away,” Alli suggested. “You must know all the ways in and out of here.”

“I do but…” Rachel shook her head. “I wouldn’t get far, I’m afraid. Especially not if I’d already been chosen—my Master would come looking for me. I’ll just have to take my chances and hope the Kru’ell One who takes me isn’t a pain-only feeder and that the feeding is short.”

“Do they let you go then, once it’s over?” Alli asked.

“Oh yes—a Kru’ell One doesn’t feed on the same concubine more than once,” Rachel said. “Sometimes they let you go afterwards—back to your regular life. Of course sometimes…” She hesitated.

“Sometimes what?” Alli asked.

“Sometimes they send you back down here—to wait until another Kru’ell One takes a liking to you. I’ve known some girls who stayed down here for months or even years until every single one of the Oppressors has had a turn at her.” Rachel shook her head. “If that happens to me, I think I might do what my sister did. I won’t be able to stand it!”