Among The Darkness

Twelve

Tabari and Bowyn brought Arabella back to the palace to get her cleaned up. Tabari could not believe that his sister was here in King Bowyn's kingdom.

Once Arabella had taken a bath and ate a meal, she was taken up to Tabari's bedchamber so they could talk. Bowyn sits down on the overstuffed couch while Tabari and Arabella sit on the edge of the bed. 

"How the hell did you make it past my pack border?" Bowyn questions harshly. 

"Bowyn!" Tabari exclaims. There was no reason to be rude to Arabella. Especially when she was in obvious danger when she quite literally ran into them. 

"It is okay, Tabari," Arabella says softly. "The man who you arrested, his name is Hammel."

"A fitting name," Bowyn comments. "The fat bastard could barely walk without wheezing."

"I was sold to him when I was nine years old. My mother allowed it to happen." 

"Oh, Bella," Tabari murmurs. He pulls her into a tight hug which she happily returns.

 Arabella missed her brother so much. After she realized that her mother was insane, she thought about how much she missed her father and her two brothers. They were what made her life bearable. And when her mother accused her father of raping her, she was taken away. Left alone with her psychotic mother. 

"After Hammel bought me he tried convincing me that I was his mate. That we were meant for each other and that I should give in. To not fight. But even I knew that both mates have to be of age before you can tell. Hammel kept me locked inside his mansion for years. He was a nobleman so he was very wealthy. I was chained by my ankle in whichever room he wanted me to be on that day. He made me clean and cook for him and do many household chores. I was not used to doing such tasks and I was bitter while I worked. 

"Hammel never touched me inappropriately. He said he was waiting for me to be of age because he wanted to respect the laws. Like buying a little girl was lawful. We are not like humans who allow cruel things to happen to their people. We try to be ahead of their foolish laws. But laws, unfortunately, do not stop people from harming others. Hammel would hit me with a closed fist if I did not perform a chore the way he wanted. He would make me bathe him and have me undress slowly in front of him. He terrified me. He sent a request months ago to enter your kingdom to visit another noble. A cousin I believe. That is where we had been staying for the last week. I finally gained his trust enough to go outside. I knew that I had to wait to ask him until I had a plan to successfully escape. I was going to run until I could not run anymore. Fortunately, I spotted the guards and thought I would be better off arrested than with Hammel. And now here I am. All because of a man my mother wanted help from a man and would do anything to receive that help." 

"A man? What man," Bowyn asks. 

"I do not remember the conversation they had in detail but she wanted to use the man's help to get revenge on our father and his mate." 

Tabari gasps. His family could be in danger! He needed to find out more about this man. 

"Do you know the man's name?" 

"Yes. He was a King. Blake, I believe." 

Tabari's eyes widen. It was no secret what happened between Blake and Asmodeus' kingdoms. They were at war for years. Greyson's father Blake had promised a bloodbath when he next met Asmodeus. The kingdom had been quiet for years to the point of suspicion.  Now that he knew Blake was planning something with Angelica, he had to alert his uncles of a possible ambush. 

"Arabella, I am so sorry for what happened to you. It pains me knowing that you were at the hands of an awful man for the past seven years."

"It was nothing like what you went through, Tabari. No child should have to go through that. You-," Tabari puts his hand over Arabella's mouth.