Bound by Prince of Darkness

Hidden History

King Kai felt a surge of dread as he carried Maya's limp body out of the chaotic crowd and her soft breathing was the only sign of life. He moved swiftly, his mind racing with fear and confusion, barely registering the concerned whispers and frantic movements of those around him. His mate, Elena, pale and trembling, followed closely behind him, her eyes wide with panic.

Kaia, their eldest daughter, was right on her mother’s heels, her mate Maxime beside her, steady and strong. Axel and Kaian trailed behind, both equally concerned, though Kaian’s expression held an extra layer of confusion and frustration.

The family entered a private room adjacent to the ballroom, away from the prying eyes of the guests. Kai gently laid Maya down on a plush couch, her delicate form barely moving. Elena’s panic escalated, and she clutched her chest as if trying to keep her heart from shattering.

“What is happening?” Elena's voice trembled as she looked at Kai, her eyes begging for answers. “What’s wrong with our daughter?”

“She told me her back was burning before she fainted,” Kai replied, his voice strained with helplessness. He could feel Elena's fear mirroring his own, intensifying the desperation in the room.

“I’ve got this, step aside for a moment,” Kaia interjected, her tone firm despite the anxiety bubbling beneath the surface. She stepped forward, her movements purposeful as she approached her unconscious baby sister. With a deep breath, she gently rolled Maya onto her stomach and unzipped the pale pink dress that had looked so perfect on her just moments ago.

Kaia gasped as the fabric fell away, exposing Maya’s back. Her voice wavered as she uttered the words that no one in the room expected to hear. “What is this?!”

Kai and Elena rushed to Kaia’s side, their breaths catching in their throats as they looked down at Maya's exposed back. Their eyes widened in disbelief, and Elena’s scream of denial echoed in the small room.

“No!!!!” Elena cried out, her voice raw with horror and disbelief. She staggered back, clutching Kai’s arm for support as she fought the urge to collapse.

Kai’s arms instinctively wrapped around his mate, his own heart pounding with terror. He was too shocked to speak, his eyes fixed on the sight before him.

Two vertical lines of golden runes were etched into Maya’s back, glowing faintly in the dim light. They seemed to pulse with a strange energy, casting an eerie light across the room. But what truly sent waves of panic through the family was the intricate black tattoo on her back shoulder, which unveiled a name written with elegant letters: Tay.

Elena felt her stomach churn, bile rising in her throat as she stared at the mark. She knew what it meant, the implications that came with it, and the unbearable guilt and fear that accompanied the realization. Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably, her body shaking with sobs as she became inconsolable, the weight of the secret they had carried for so long crushing her spirit.

Kai stood frozen, his mind racing to comprehend what he was seeing. Never in his life had he felt more powerless, more helpless, than he did at that moment. His role as protector, as King, as a father, meant nothing against this ancient, dark magic that had claimed his daughter.

Kaian, his expression torn between confusion and anger, stepped forward, his voice demanding answers. “What is happening? Someone tell me what on earth has happened to my sister?! What are these things on her back, but most important, who the hell is Tay?”

The room fell silent, the only sound being Elena’s sobs. No one had the words to explain, the courage to face the truth that was now staring them in the face. The future they had envisioned for Maya was suddenly overshadowed by the dark, inescapable reality of the demon’s claim on her.

Kaia, still kneeling beside Maya, clenched her fists as she tried to process the situation. Her heart ached for her sister, for the innocence that had been stolen from her. She turned her gaze to her parents, searching for answers, for some kind of reassurance that they could fix this, but all she saw in their eyes was fear and despair.

Finally, Elena, her voice barely above a whisper, spoke, her words carrying the weight of years of secrecy. “It’s the contract... He’s come for her.”

Kaian's voice was laced with confusion and anger as he demanded, "What contract? Who is he?"

Elena took a deep breath, steeling herself for the truth she had kept hidden for so long from her youngest children. The weight of her secrets pressed heavily on her, but there was no more room for silence. She looked at each of her children, her heart aching, knowing the pain her words would bring.

“When I was pregnant with the two of you,” she began, her voice trembling, “I was kidnapped by demons, hunted, and taken to the Underworld. I managed to escape, but it wasn’t without a cost. I realized too late that no one leaves the Underworld without paying a price. I was already tortured by demons, and I knew it was only a matter of time before they caught me again, before I lost everything, my life, my pregnancy.”

She paused, her hands trembling as she recalled the horrors she had endured. The room was so quiet that even the sound of her breath seemed loud. “It was a twist of fate, or maybe it was destiny, that led me to a superior demon as I was fleeing. In my desperation, I made a deal with him, the soul of my unborn daughter, in exchange for my safe return.”

The words hung in the air like a death sentence. Kaian’s eyes widened in disbelief, his confusion quickly turning to fury. “How could you!” he screamed, his voice cracking with rage. “You sold my sister's soul to a demon?”

Before Kaian could say anything else, Kai intervened, his voice strong and authoritative. “Kaian, don’t raise your voice at your mother. You have no idea what she went through, what she sacrificed to keep you both alive. At that moment, we didn’t know she was carrying a daughter. All the healers and doctors told us she was carrying a son. It was a shock when she gave birth to not one, but two children.”

Elena nodded, tears streaming down her face. “All these years, we tried to shield Maya. We sought help from every supernatural being we knew, even from demons who were trapped. But nothing worked. The contract I committed to is unbreakable, not even by the Devil himself. We hoped, prayed the Gods, that he would forget about her, that maybe she was hidden from him. But after tonight’s events... it seems that we were wrong.”

Kaian’s face twisted with anguish and anger as he struggled to process the revelation. “You’re saying that my sister belongs to a filthy demon?!”

The tension in the room escalated, voices rising in heated exchanges. Kaian’s rage was palpable, matched only by the despair in his parents’ eyes. The argument spiraled, emotions flaring as the reality of the situation sank in.

But then, Kaia, the eldest daughter, who had been silently observing, stepped forward. Her voice cut through the chaos, calm yet filled with urgency. “Everyone, please... she’s waking up.”

All eyes turned to Maya, who lay on the couch, stirring from her unconscious state. The room fell silent, the heated argument forgotten as they watched her slowly regain consciousness. Her face was pale, her brow furrowed in pain and confusion. The runes on her back still glowed faintly, a haunting reminder of the dark fate that awaited her.

Maya's eyes fluttered open, and she blinked up at the faces surrounding her. She could feel the tension in the room, the worry etched into their expressions, and the faint remnants of the burning sensation on her back. But more than anything, she felt the overwhelming fear and sadness that emanated from her mother.

“Mom? Dad?” she whispered, her voice weak. “What... what happened?”

Elena knelt beside her, brushing a stray lock of hair from Maya’s forehead, her tears barely held back. “Sweetheart, I’m so sorry...”

Maya’s gaze shifted to her father, her siblings, sensing the weight of something terrible, something she didn’t yet understand. “Why... why does my back hurt? Is it part of my dragon transformation? Did I have any cool abilities?” she asked, full of hope.

Kaian’s fists clenched at his sides, his anger barely contained as he watched his sister, so vulnerable, so unaware of the truth that had just shattered their world. He wanted to protect her, to shield her from the darkness that now loomed over her life.

But how could he protect her from something he couldn’t even fight? How could any of them?

Kai’s voice was soft, yet it carried the burden of a truth that could no longer be hidden. “Maya, there’s something you need to know...”