Prisoner of the Night Princes Read online

  The Nightlands Book One

  Prisoner of the Night Princes

  Copyright © 2019 Lora Darc

  All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including, but not limited to, photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing by the author.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, places, locales and events are either a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, places or events are purely coincidental.

  Cover by Lora Darc

  Stock Photos: Depositphotos

  Chapter One

  Tick... tick... tick

  Danielle turned in the bed. She moaned softly, her brows furrowing, mouth set into a frown as she twisted under the sheets.

  Tick... tick... tick

  Her eyes fluttered open and above she saw a painted ceiling. A kaleidoscope of the night sky. Danielle moaned again and sat up.

  In front of her was a large dark green door, she stared at it for a long moment until she heard the ticking and her eyes shifted to the dark corner of the room.

  A man sat in the darkness. A lanky, faceless man. Danielle’s fingers curled and tightened around the silk sheets, heart dropping in her stomach. Have I been kidnapped? She thought. The man stood slowly and was tall, too tall, as Danielle saw him walk towards her and tower over her. When the light hit him from the decorated lamp by the bed, Danielle gasped.

  The man put up his hands in defense and Danielle stared down at them. They were made of metal and shined silvery bright. His face was the same, like a metal mask with three openings for his eyes and mouth.

  “Do not be afraid, Mistress.” Came a low, wispy voice, like a static recording, from the man’s mouth. “I will not harm you.”

  Danielle didn’t know whether to believe him. Covering his strange metal body, he wore a dark, thin shroud that fell to his feet, opened slightly at his chest revealing more metal. At his neck, she could see copper gears sticking out. She could hear the soft ticking coming from inside him. He was more machine than man.

  “Where am I?” Danielle whispered, her eyes flicking over to the door. She could run for it, but she didn’t know what lay beyond.

  The machine man lowered himself onto the bed beside her. He lifted his hand up to her face, but Danielle flinched away and so he dropped it to his side.

  “The Palace of Night,” he said.

  Danielle peeled the covers from her and saw she was wearing a sheer, gauzy black dress that fit to her form; under it, a string of pearls, sewn together to make up a delicate set of connecting ropes that fell along her breasts, across her waist, and between her thighs. She suddenly noticed the feel of the smooth white balls along her skin, rubbing across her nipples and along her core, all the way up her backside. Danielle squirmed a little and flushed. “What have you done to me?”

  “These clothes were all we had for a female, I’m afraid.” The machine man stood up and went across the room to a table sitting in the corner. Danielle took in more of the room, noticing murals along the walls of beasts, gnashing and clawing up at the night sky. She shivered. The metal man came back and held up a strange purple, glass orb that was cracked on one side. “Do you remember this?”

  Danielle took the orb and turned it carefully in her hand. She frowned as the image of a rainy beach flashed in her mind. “It seems familiar somehow…”

  “It is the key that brought you here. To this place. None have come here in nearly five hundred years. Certainly never a human woman.”

  Danielle’s eyes flashed up at him. “And what is this place?”

  The metal man twisted around and gestured to the shadowed murals on the walls. The lamplight made the beasts dance in the yellowish glow. “The Palace of Night is home to my master and his brothers. The princes of the Nightlands. Gods of Darkness. Would you like some tea?”

  Danielle was taken aback, but she shook her head at the offer. She felt strangely calm despite being told she was in a palace somewhere she never heard of that was home to... god princes? Though her heart pounded, she kept herself composed, knowing it was better to not lose her wits. Clearly, she was in the home of madmen who thought they were royalty. “I’ve never heard of this place, which country is it located in?” Not that she expected a clear answer.

  The metal man shook his head. “No country, Mistress. The Nightlands sits outside your world. It is all but one world of its own.”

  Danielle wanted to laugh, but she was afraid of how the man might react if she did. Truly insane, I’ve been kidnapped by a psycho.

  She handed the orb back to the man. “You say this orb is a key? How? Can it get me back home?” Better to play along, then look for an escape.

  The man shook his head. “I’m afraid it can’t send you home, for it has been broken.” The man pocket the orb. “You broke the key when you fell here.”

  Danielle shook her head. “Fell here? I don’t understand…”

  “You must have found the key in your world and turned it. That is how you open the door to this world and ventured in.”

  “No, that can’t be, I would remember that.” Danielle was losing her patience. Her fear—like a faucet she couldn’t turn off—was spilling out more and more, putting her on edge. She sprung from the bed and for the door. It was locked. Of course.

  “Let me out. Let me out or I will—”

  “Soon enough. I will tell you how to leave this place. But first, you must lie down and let me explain. You don’t understand yet.” The man hadn’t moved from beside the bed.

  Danielle whirled around. “Understand what?” An edge of venom grew in her voice. The pearls along her body rubbed against her skin as she moved, making her nipples tighten and a dull ache grow between her legs. She hated to admit they felt good.

  “You are in danger here,” the man said. Danielle grew still.

  “The princes don’t know yet of your presence... But when they do, they will want to take you for their own. They are hungry and your soft flesh will be like heavenly fruit to them.” The man stepped a little closer. “When I found you lying on the ground in the courtyard, I knew you weren’t like the others. Those human men who came long ago, seeking power; wanting to take it from my master and his kin. But, in the end, all were torn to pieces, tortured.” The man walked slowly towards her. “And the Princes laughed.” He came to stand beside her and gestured back to the bed. “Please... I don’t want to see the same happen to you.”

  Danielle stood uncertain. Even if he were lying, she knew now she couldn’t leave the room. Hesitantly she walked back to the wide bed and sat down on the edge. Better to hear him out. The room was strange and unworldly. The ceiling was painted with a vibrant, starry sky that even Van Gogh would envy. The beasts along the walls looked like nothing she had seen before in the real world. They seemed to stare at her longingly, with dagger teeth and fiery eyes. Beyond them a storm brewed.

  A Storm. A storm had just passed along the coast. She had been walking the beach watching it pass. The trees behind her were swaying. Leaves were thrown along the beach. The scent of pine and sea was in the air. The crashing tide. The distant thunder…

  Danielle put a hand to her head and shook. “I remember the beach now. I was walking along it and…”

  She had seen it in the sand. A purple glow among brownish-white. The orb must have washed up on shore. Who knows how long it had been floating out in the vast ocean until then. She had picked it up and remembered how light it had been. Like the glass orbs on pedestals she had seen in her aunt’s garden. Or the bulbs on her Christmas tree. Only this particular orb glowed brightly from the inside. A flickering light that seemed attuned to the lightning flashing nearby.

  She had observed it carefully and remembered noticing a thin line cut along the whole circumference. It seemed instinctual to try to turn it, like some sort of puzzle. When she did, the lightning had shot out. Afterward, she could only remember an intense roaring noise followed by an endless, strobing light. And then darkness.

  “You remember now,” the man said.

  Danielle felt cold. “Yes. God, yes, I remember now.” She crossed her arms over her chest, realizing only then that her breasts could be seen despite the black fabric. “You aren’t lying then are you?”

  The man shook his head.

  “So I fell here and in doing so broke the orb. And now you’re telling me this is a palace within a place called the Nightlands and I am a prisoner here?”

  “I am afraid so.”

  Danielle trembled and stood up. She paced the room. “You mentioned you would tell me how to leave this place. Please, tell me how.”

  The man stood by the door watching her carefully. “There is another door within the palace. It is sealed by powerful magic. Though the princes rule this world they also once stepped into your own a long time ago and caused much chaos. They were thrown back here and the door was locked tight. This annoyed them, but they made do. They held parties and ate and drank and slept with lovely nightwomen to their fill. Ruling and devouring all they could.” The metal man took the orb back out; no shine came from it. “Then the orb was made by one who liked to play with powerful magic. He meant it to be a communicator between them and your world, but somehow it got lost there instead.” He pocketed it once again and moved to the side of the wall with the mural behind him. “Then the first man came.”

 
The machine man placed his hands behind his back and Danielle stopped pacing to stand by the bed.

  “At first they had welcomed him,” he said. “They saw he was seeking magical knowledge, and the orb had come into his possession. They were intrigued and so didn’t move to toy with him just yet. But then the man was caught trying to steal from one of the princes. His death was... impressive.”

  Danielle’s throat turned dry and she suddenly felt weak. The walls of reality were beginning to set in as she slowly realized this wasn’t some madmen’s fantasy or even a dream. She fell back on the bed.

  “After that,” the man continued, “the orb again disappeared and not long after another man came... And then another. And another. The Princes didn’t trust them and knew they all came for one purpose and that was to steal their power. The princes gave them pain and humiliation instead. No human has ever left this place intact.”

  “These were all men though you said?” Danielle asked after the man went silent.

  “Yes.”

  “Then, maybe if they see I’m not here to steal their power, that it was an accident, they will let me go.”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “Why?”

  “As I said before,” the man said, “You are a rare and exotic circumstance. You may not be a man but you are still human and it is humans they do not trust. You will still be punished. But... in a different way.”

  A cold shiver ran down Danielle’s back. “What kind of punishment?”

  The man didn’t respond.

  “You mentioned they will want to take me for their own... do you mean?”

  The man nodded. “They will want to play with you.”

  Danielle grew quiet. Her hands were clenched into tight fists on her lap. She looked down and saw them shake.

  “So the sealed door, It is the only way out now?”

  “Yes, that is correct, Mistress. You must find the keys to unlock it. The princes grew tired of being locked from your world and so made a set of keys, each containing a bit of their power that, if used in unison, could break the seal.” Out of another pocket, the man drew a tiny pouch. Approaching her he presented it to her and Danielle took it. Inside she found a vial with a dark red liquid, a tiny dagger no bigger than her palm, and a thin silver candle.

  “These are tools to help you get past the princes if in dire need. Use them wisely,” the man said. “Unfortunately for the princes—and fortunate perhaps for you—they have been locked away in their own rooms and domains within the palace. When the last man came, before they could take his life, he had cursed them to be separated so that they wouldn’t be able to use their keys. The princes cannot leave their domains or cross each other’s boundaries in the palace. It will be up to you to find each of them- and where they hide-and steal their keys.”

  Danielle jumped up. “You can’t be serious. I have to go into their rooms?”

  “I’m afraid so, Mistress. Pray they are asleep and you can look for the keys without issue. If they are not… use the tools or hide yourself as best you can.”

  “If their rooms are locked how will I get in?”

  “Not locked. An unseen wall keeps them from crossing outside. You will still be able to open the doors or pass through, but they cannot.” The metal man went over to the corner where he first sat and picked up a small lantern beside the chair. The lantern lit up and he brought it to her. He also gave her a small, square piece of paper. “That is a map. When you look at it, you’ll see various rooms with a symbol next to them. Those are each of the prince’s quarters. At the center lies the great hall and there the sealed door. The palace is vast. You may lose your way. There are many hallways and corridors even the map doesn’t show. Some are so small not even some of the princes can crawl through them. Use those to your advantage if you find them.” The machine man went over to the door and Danielle heard the lock click. “Find the keys and when you do, make for the door. I won’t be able to assist you much more. If the princes find out I’ve helped you, they may disassemble me.”

  Danielle didn‘t move. She feared what lay beyond the door once he opened it. “What is your name?” she asked.

  The metal man turned his head back to her. “I go only as… Torq.”

  Torq opened the door and a cool wind blew past.

  The hall beyond was dim but, with the little light, Danielle could see it was long with a tall ceiling.

  Danielle still couldn’t move. “What if... What if I just stay in here? Couldn’t you bring me food? I could take time to maybe think of a different plan…”

  Torq shook his head. “I’m sorry, but there is no time. Other servants will catch wind of you and report to their masters. They will know about you and demand their servants come for you. This was only a temporary haven. You must go.”

  Danielle nodded reluctantly. With shaky fingers, she placed her map in her little pouch and tied it to her wrist. She then took up the lantern by its metal chain. Its light was a soft orange glow penetrating the blueish-black. She went to walk past Torq then stopped. “Why are you helping me?”

  Torq looked down and bowed his head. “I have seen what they do. When I found you I thought to give you to them like the others. But…” His hand reached up to her face and Danielle felt the coolness of metal touch her skin. “I couldn’t do it. You will still have to face them. But at least you have a chance.” He dropped his arm. “Now go.”

  Danielle thanked him and stepped from the room. Behind her Torq shut the door then lifted a hood over his head to hide his face. He walked off and Danielle watched as he slipped into the shadows and disappeared.

  Chapter Two

  Danielle stood alone in the darkness. She lifted her lantern up slightly, trying to see down into the dim hallway. Only the narrowest light penetrated the dark beyond. Above, skylights cast a white luminescent glow that fell down on to a blue stone floor. Past them, she could see nothing.

  Taking a careful step, she moved silently forward. The floor was cold on her bare feet. Torq hadn’t provided shoes and she wished she had asked before he had disappeared.

  Besides the clinking of her lantern and a soft drip of water nearby, there were no other sounds. Danielle tensed as her eyes searched the hall. Shadows rose above her and she feared one would sink down and consume her.

  If I freak out over every shadow, I will never make it out of here, Danielle thought. She forced herself to focus only ahead and keep moving.

  As Danielle made it to the end of the hall, she heard a rattling and a distant growl. She pressed her back to the wall and hid, then fumbled with the lantern, turning the knob in order to dim its light. She crouched there for some time, trying to ease her breathing and slow her heart. When she calmed down enough she took out the map. Carefully unfolding it, she lay it flat on the ground and placed the lantern beside it. She stared at it and frowned, tracing her finger along the paper.

  “It seems I am in the west wing here,” she spoke softly to herself. Thankfully, it looked like the part of the palace she was in currently was vacant and not owned by any of the princes. But a weathered symbol on the map showed the rooms nearby were. She stared at the symbol trying to understand who it belonged to.

  Another growl echoed along with the sound of something moving against a wall. Danielle jumped and stood up, quickly putting away her map and picking up the lantern. She snuck over to the edge of the hallway and peeked around the corner. Beyond was yet another hallway that was smaller. There was only black at the end and no light from above.

  Danielle shut her eyes, breathing deep. She turned down the way. The glow of the lantern barely penetrated the black forcing her to look down at the ground where most of her light fell. It was like trying to penetrate the deep ocean at night. Her little orange light was swallowed up only a few feet in front of her and barely touched the walls. Thankfully, there was nothing there of interest. The palace so far reminded her of an old European castle in medieval times. Water dripped down from cracks in the walls and there was a smell of mildew and decay. It was cold and musty. An icy wet that bit at her barely covered skin. Danielle could feel the pearls along her skin cooling, like beads of cold water, and it made her skin rise with goosebumps. The lantern gave little warmth.