Throne of Crimson (An Otherworld Novel) Read online

  Copyright © 2021 by Penn Cassidy

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. Printed in the United States of America

  Editing by: Nice Girl Naughty Edits

  Formatting by: Inked Imagination Services

  Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  What’s Next?

  Author’s Note

  Follow Me

  Blurb

  Blood, iron, and chains... Death, desperation, and grief... This is my new reality. This darkness that eats me up from the inside out. When I woke up in this strange place with the memory of glowing red eyes in the shadows, I just knew I was never going home again. I fought my way out of one prison only to be bound again, this time to three creatures who claim I belong to them. Who claim I have a job to do.

  I'm just a broken woman who's never felt a loving touch, and all I want is to claw my way out of this nightmare. But the world I once knew no longer exists and turning a blind eye would mean the end of so many lives. The choice I have to make isn't simple, and it's going to be bloody.

  Trigger Warning

  This is a reverse harem, why choose, PNR romance with heavy triggers, violence and sexual content not suitable for anyone under 18.

  Disclaimer: Throne of Crimson was previously published as a short story under the author's pen name, KM Raya, titled: The Witching Hour. It has been entirely rewritten as a full length novel as part of a three book series and has very little resemblance to the original source material.

  “I would never die, but if I did, it would be from a creature.”

  Anon

  I wondered if I could get away with sprinting from the room.

  In the very back of the lecture hall, I was already mostly ignored by the professor up front. There was no reason to be here anyway, it was the last day of college before graduation on Saturday, so what more he had to teach us was a fucking mystery to me.

  Every minute or so, I glanced at the exit down below. It called to me, and I was quickly losing my resolve to play the part of a good student.

  My head was pounding, and nausea clawed at my stomach, making me both sweat and shiver at the same time. Hopefully, I wasn’t coming down with something. That’d be just my luck— get sick right before I was supposed to pack up and leave this wretched place.

  The clock up above the smart board ticked loudly. Too loudly, actually, drowning out the voice of the professor and the whirr of the air conditioner. Rubbing at my temples, I squeezed my eyes tight, but nothing helped. I was regretting even showing up for the lecture at all. Half the class didn’t bother to show. They were the smart ones.

  I rubbed my sweaty palms along my lace tights and fidgeted with the hem of my black dress. Leg bouncing, my leather boots squeaked on the hardwood flooring. After another agonizing moment of counting the clicks of the clock hands, I came to a decision. I was getting out of here.

  Standing from my chair on wobbly legs, I gripped the table for support, trying not to fall and tumble down the theatre style stairs. All heads turned to me, and the professor stopped speaking, adjusting his glasses.

  “Miss, are you alright?” he asked, a hint of concern in his grandfatherly voice.

  Some of the students were snickering awkwardly, but most of them looked just as concerned as the professor as I hobbled my way down the stairs. Sweat was dripping down my forehead now, and I knew I probably looked like shit warmed over with mascara running under my eyes and hair plastered to my pale skin.

  Luckily, this was a senior level class, so like me, most of the students were over the age of twenty-one and mature enough to stay silent. I was glad for it. I was already sort of a sideshow around here. Nobody ever said anything to me, but I knew I was the token weird goth girl who didn’t exactly blend with these mountain hipsters of the Pacific Northwest.

  I didn’t bother responding to the professor, I just kept going, my one goal to reach the door out to the cool night air that awaited me. The room seemed like it was closing in around me, and breathing was a struggle. The old man reached for me but pulled back as if afraid to touch my arm. His blue eyes were filled with worry.

  “You should get yourself to the nurse,” he suggested.

  I nodded vacantly as I breezed by him. Leaving my class behind, I slammed through the door and out into the fresh air. It hit the sweat on my cheeks and neck, sending chills washing over me. I groaned, catching myself on a stone pillar as I took deep breaths in and out.

  Something was wrong. I could feel nausea building, crawling up my throat, and it was an unfamiliar sensation given the fact that I’d never vomited in my life. It was a feat I was actually really proud of, but right now I knew that if I didn’t do something quick, I was going to blow chunks all over this pretty walkway.

  Pushing off the pillar, I sprinted, heading towards my dorm room. I still lived on campus since I wanted to save as much money as possible before I moved in a few days, but at least I had a single this year. It was clear across campus, about a ten-minute walk.

  Luckily, it was practically a ghost town tonight. Most classes had already let out for the summer and seniors were long gone, ready to put college far behind them. Graduation was in two days and I didn’t even really feel like going to that. I wondered if I didn’t show up, would they mail me my degree? At this rate, I’d probably curl up on the bathroom floor for the next few days and miss it anyway.

  Five minutes passed as I made my way past the old library. I clutched my stomach with one hand and leaned on the aging brick for support as I rounded the final corner before my dorm would come into view.

  It was darker on this side of campus and several of the lamp posts were either flickering out or dark altogether. Normally the darkness didn’t bother me. Actually, I preferred it. But right now, there was a weird chill in the air, and every few seconds my eyes flickered back and forth, darting from shadow to shadow, feeling as if I was being watched.

  Honestly, I was probably just being paranoid and feverish. I just needed to throw myself in an ice-cold shower, drink some herbal tea, and pass out for a day or so.

  I couldn’t ignore that feeling though. The hairs on the back of my neck were prickling. My dorm came into view, I just needed to pass through the little garden separating it from the old library.

  The art students took it upon themselves to place all of their weird sculptures in the garden, and there was a little path that ran right through it. On any other night, I’d have taken the time to sit on one of the many wooden benches that lined that path, breathing in the fresh night air and soaking in the solitude. But not tonight. Right now, it was just one more obstacle in the way of me getting home.

  Gravel crunched underfoot as I ducked around several sculptures. They were all huge, twisted and made of metals, marble, or even branches. They were pretty in an eclectic sort of way, and I was glad the school hadn't removed them. This garden would probably be the one place on campus I’d actually miss when I finally left.

  I was halfway through the garden when I felt it. The unmistakable caress of eyes on my back. Nothing physical had changed and nobody was around but there was no doubt in my mind that I was being observed. I came to a stop next to a dense rosebush, behind it was a grouping of tall trees creating a scraggly looking archway. I peered into the darkness, right through it to where a void of blackness sat.

  Stomachache forgotten, I couldn’t bring myself to leave. I should have. I should have turned away and sprinted in the other direction, straight back to my dorm. But instead, I found myself inching closer to that blackness, feeling like something was in there. I wondered if it was another student, maybe wandering around in the breezy night air for a smoke or something. Maybe it was a couple who’d snuck away for a late-night quickie in public. It wouldn't be the first time.

  As much as I tried to come up with excuses for this feeling, I knew it was something else. The sweat on my skin was dried now, leaving behind goosebumps. My heart raced as I stepped under the first section of arching branches. The wind picked up, howling as it lifted my long black hair over my shoulder. Again, I squinted.

  “Hello?” I called out, my voice surprisingly steady. “Hey, are you okay?” I tried to sound as casual as I could, hoping I wasn’t about to make a fool out of myself for the second time this evening if it really was just some random student.

  I was about to turn back around, convinced I was experiencing some kind of fever dream when the wind stopped. Not only the wind, but sound, too. The leaves on the trees stopped swaying and silence fell over me like a blanket. I could feel the unnatural stillness as if time itself ceased to move forward. Even my heart slowed down when it would have made more sense for it to race. Something was very,
very fucking wrong. But I couldn’t move.

  My eyes locked onto the shadows at the end of the trees and I watched as something moved. The darkness seemed to undulate like a black smoke, tumbling over itself, coming steadily closer. I froze, muscles locked up, my jaw tight enough to cause pain, but I couldn't look away. It looked like smoke and silk at the same time. Like something soft and liquid, growing until it was well over my head. It came closer, causing me to crane my neck back.

  Then, out of that smokey darkness, there were eyes. Bright red eyes that glowed unblinkingly right at me. The eyes were larger than baseballs, and they were unmistakably the eyes of a creature. I was frozen to the spot, staring right back. I should have been screaming. I should have been running for my life, but I had no such inclination. For some reason, I suddenly felt just a little bit warmer than I had seconds ago— like I was in a daze.

  It was the strangest sensation, the warmth that coursed through me. The creature studied me as I managed to scoot myself a little bit closer, reaching up as if to touch it. It didn’t move, didn’t breathe or make a single sound. I knew I must be losing my mind— finally experiencing that mental break I always knew was just on the horizon. Right now, I was probably strapped to a hospital bed, wrapped up tightly in a straitjacket and imagining this entire thing. There was no other explanation for it.

  I was face to face with the... thing, now. Close enough that if I extended my arm a little further, I could touch that silky blackness. But I didn’t. My hand remained hovering between us, but I never looked away.

  “Why are you here?” I whispered to the creature. I had no idea if it could even understand me, but I was too curious. “Are you going to hurt me?”

  No answer. I hadn’t really expected one anyway. The longer I stared at the thing, the larger it seemed to get. A curling, cold feeling spread through my outstretched hand, down my arm, and up towards my chest. It took a second to realize what I was feeling. Dread. Dread so deep and dark that I felt like it might consume me.

  Whatever this thing was, it wasn’t anything good. I’d never thought about what evil might look or feel like, but as I suddenly found myself staring it in the face, I couldn’t even bring myself to scream when it lunged for me.

  Fire.

  It ripped through me, down my arms, my legs, and boiled in my stomach, burning me from the inside out. Back arching, I opened my mouth in a scream, but nothing came out.

  Everything felt heavy, dark, and burning. My head, my skin, my teeth… everything was in agony. Cracking my eyes open sent a fresh wave of pain through my face. It was like trying to blink after having sand poured in your eyes. I kept blinking though, tears pouring out and washing them clean.

  I tried reaching up, attempting to rub my eyes, but quickly jerked back unable to bend at the elbow, feeling the unmistakable grip of cold metal wrapped around the skin of my wrists.

  Eyes clear but bleary and burning, I was able to look around, shadows coming into focus. I was in a completely unfamiliar room. It was dimly lit with flickering torches on each of the four stone walls. The torches were oddly shaped and wooden with little wrapped netting at the top, like something you’d see in an old castle. I scanned the darkened ceiling, but I didn’t see any regular light fixtures, just more grey stone and wooden beams overhead.

  Underneath me was a hard mattress covered in disgusting, stained sheets. My skin hurt so badly I wanted to peel it off just to make the pain go away. It was like a sunburn dialed up to a million.

  The bed was positioned dead center in the large room. My feet were bare and bound to the bedposts just like my arms. I was spreadeagle and unable to break free, but as I strained my neck forward, I realized I was still wearing the same outfit I remembered putting on for class. My short black sundress was in place, my lace tights still intact. The only things missing were my boots.

  Panic was taking over as I thought about the implications of my position. Clearly someone had taken me. I thought back to that moment, trying my hardest to remember… I could recall leaving my night class with the world’s biggest headache… but everything after that was a mess of confusion.

  Think, think, think! I tried to remember. I knew it was there, tucked away in my head, still spinning as memories attempted to break through.

  Thirst was the next form of agony that ripped through me. It hit me out of nowhere, as if feeling had only just returned to nerve endings other than my skin. My mouth was incredibly dry, and it made me smack my lips together. They were peeling and cracked so badly that I could taste blood on them.

  How long have I been here?

  Where the fuck is here?

  It could have been hours or days for all I knew. There were no windows in the room to make any sort of judgement as to what time it was or where I was, and it was even more disorienting. Given the odd architecture, I thought briefly that I could have been in some kind of old building on campus. But I couldn’t recall any building I'd seen in my four years there that looked like this.

  Something rumbled through the room, cutting the silence in half. I stilled, heart lurching as I desperately searched the space. It took me a second to realize the rumbling came from me. My stomach gurgled and clenched as hunger pains and cramps seized me. Hunger, along with the strongest thirst I’d ever felt had me nearly dry heaving.

  I once again thought back to the last thing I could remember, fighting to see past the burning pain crawling over my skin and the sensation of my stomach ripping itself apart. I wondered if anyone would bother to look for me. Probably not.

  I didn’t have friends, family, or even acquaintances really. It was just me. I was in foster care my whole life and ended up with a foster family in their late sixties near the end of it. They were okay, but we didn’t talk much. The day I turned eighteen, I’d told them goodbye, left for college, and never looked back.

  So, beyond the college coming to check and see if I vacated my dorm room in time for the next school year, I assumed there wasn’t anyone who might report me missing. The realization had a hollow feeling open up inside me.

  That was the thing about being alone. Being truly alone was something you had to get used to quickly. When there was nobody there to catch you when you fell, or to bail you out if you messed up; you had to learn how to dig yourself out of tricky situations. I’d been doing it since before I even realized I was an orphan.

  As I laid in silence, contemplating how bleak my situation was looking, I was hit with a sudden sense of awareness. It washed over me in a wave of familiarity that had the rest of that night coming back to me in an instant. I suddenly remembered leaving my classroom in a rush, sprinting for my dorm, but stopping in the garden. Red eyes had watched me... beckoned me. And then, there was nothing.

  I felt that same sensation right now. The feeling of eyes on my skin. I looked around the room but saw nothing but shadowed corners and the flickering of the torches on the grey stone. There wasn't much sound either with there being no windows or vents. All I could hear was the thumping of my own heart. Even the sound of my heart was wrong, I realized quickly. I tried to count my pulse, but it wasn’t right. Unless I was losing my mind, which I was still betting on; my heartbeats were way too far apart.

  A rush of cold air hit me, and I shivered. It blew like wind, though I already knew there was no natural source of it. Then the smell followed. It wasn’t a bad smell, but it reminded me of a campfire in the snow. It smelled like burning cinders, icicles, twigs, and foliage. In any other situation I might have actually enjoyed the smell.

  Movement from the corner had my body freezing in place as I held my breath. I stared at the dense shadows, watching with wide eyes as the darkness began to undulate. I immediately recognized it for what it was. It was the same thing that had found me in the dark black of the school’s garden. Whatever it was, it was alive. It was a creature made of midnight, and I knew I should be terrified.