by E J Pay
“Hmmm…” he says. “Seating is a bit limited here.”
Demetrius trembles and bows. “I will have the servant woman beaten for her carelessness,” he says.
“Nonsense,” Abraxas replies. “That will only make it harder for her to work tomorrow. Just have another chair brought and make sure the oversight is not repeated.”
“Immediately, sir,” Demetrius says with a bow so low his robes nearly slip from his shoulder. He leaves the room, running down the hall to find a chair suitable for his master. Abraxas walks to the side of my bed. He pauses there and regards me for a moment.
“I see so much of your brother in you, Pearl.”
The fire in my soul burns its way to my heart. I let the flame of my hatred reach my eyes.
“Careful, Pearl,” Abraxas says to me. “I understand there is someone who lives or dies by your movements.”
I think of Gileaus and it is the only thing that keeps me sane in this moment. Demetrius returns to the room with a red, cushioned chair for his master. A guard following him has a golden footrest in his hands. The chair and footrest are set by my bedside so Abraxas can be close and comfortable as he interrogates me. He sits and leans back in the chair, his hands on the arms, and lifts his feet to the footstool. Demetrius stands quietly beside him, ready for any order.
“Some refreshment, Demetrius,” Abraxas says. Demetrius bows and gestures to the guard in the room. The guard bows in return and leaves the room to find a servant to carry out the orders.
“It will be attended to immediately, sir,” Demetrius says. Abraxas smiles at the ready faithfulness of his servant.
“Demetrius tells me you can do remarkable things, Pearl.” I am silent and only return a stony stare to the murderer at my bedside. Demetrius, however, is anxious to have his master answered at all times.
“Yes, Master Abraxas,” he says. “She can manipulate the elements and move them and make them grow just by the sheer force of her will.”
“But that is not all you can do, is it Pearl?” Abraxas asks me.
Demetrius looks up at my face. His nervousness soon gives out to contempt for my silence. He raises his chin. His nostrils flare.
“Answer him, girl. Or you will not see Gileaus today,” he says.
“Ah, Gileaus,” Abraxas oozes. The sound of Gileaus’ name on Abraxas’ lips makes my blood boil within me. “I have heard his name mentioned. It sounds to me like he is the perfect motivation for our little sorceress. Have him brought immediately.”
Demetrius bows low.
“At once, sir,” he says. He runs from the room. I keep my lips sealed as Abraxas sits alone with me in the room. In a moment, the refreshment Abraxas asked for comes into the room, carried by Namaah. Our eyes meet and she can read the scream I send. Her breath is shallow and short as she serves the fruit and cheese and bread to Abraxas.
“I understand you are an accomplished cook as well, Pearl,” he says to me as he eats the food. Namaah’s eyes flick to mine as Abraxas addresses me as Pearl. It is the first time she has heard this name.
“Perhaps we will have you cook for us,” Abraxas laughs to himself. “No, no. I only jest. You are too valuable to be sent to the kitchen. No, Pearl. I have much bigger plans for you.”
Scuffling from the hall makes its way to our ears and we all look to the door. Demetrius enters, a broad grin on his face. Behind him, three guards bring in a fighting Gileaus. My heart leaps within me and I smile. If he is strong enough to fight, he is being cared for. Demetrius has kept his promise.
“Ah, this must be the young man in question,” Abraxas says as he stands and walks to Gileaus. Gileaus kicks and thrashes.
“Gileaus, please!” I call out. “Please calm yourself or they will hurt you.”
“No, no my dear,” Abraxas assures me. “Gileaus remains unharmed as long as you do what is asked of you.” Gileaus’ eyes grow wide and he turns to me.
“Athena, you can’t!” he calls out.
“I said I wouldn’t harm him, but that doesn’t mean I will tolerate his interference,” Abraxas hisses. “Gag him.” The guards wrestle a gag over Gileaus’ mouth. All he can do now is send messages to me with his eyes. And they are pleading.
“Pearl,” Abraxas says, turning to me, “I would like a demonstration of your mental abilities please.” I pause only for a moment before answering.
“Who would you have me practice on? I will not enter Gileaus’ mind,” I assert.
“I assumed as much,” Abraxas says. “I already have a substitute.
“You will practice on Demetrius.”
Chapter 30
Demetrius is chained in the chair now. Two guards stand on either side of him. The smirk that I have seen so often on his face is hidden now. But it lurks beneath the surface. The guards are unnecessary. Demetrius will stay because he is going to enjoy this.
“Now, Pearl,” Abraxas addresses me, “I have seen what can happen when you are set free. Theodis’ body was buried on my land after you destroyed him.” There is a flicker of fear in Demetrius’ eyes. He didn’t expect that my power to kill would be used.
“But I don’t want to go that far…today,” Abraxas continues. “Instead, I’d like to see you sway Demetrius’ mind.”
I look at Abraxas for an explanation.
“I have written your instructions so Demetrius won’t know what is coming.” Again, the smirk appears on Demetrius’ face. Abraxas turns to his manservant who hands him a piece of parchment. Abraxas opens it, goes over its contents and hands it to me.
You will convince Demetrius that he has lost favor with me. You will turn his mind so any secrets he is hiding from me will be shared readily in an attempt to regain my favor and trust. Do well at the task and you will be rewarded.
I set the paper on the bed next to me without looking at Abraxas once. Instead, my attention is focused on Demetrius. He is leaning forward in his chair, eager for the display coming his way. He hopes for physical pain, but he will receive none from me.
Instead, I reach toward him with my mind. The emotions I want him to feel exit my body in tendrils of green that only I can see. It is fear. Fear of discovery. Fear of death. Fear of loss of station. Fear that he has lost his place in the house of Abraxas. The smoky tendrils snake toward Demetrius, slithering through the air and into his mind and heart. At first, he smirks openly. But as the fear takes hold of him, his expression changes. The smile leaves. He raises an eyebrow, creases his brows, and begins to breathe with short, shallow breaths. Sweat beads on his forehead. He grows pale. He looks about him, darting his gaze from one person to the next. His eyes meet the guard at his side and he shrinks into the chair. All the while, my own eyes never leave his face. I send him every fear I have within me.
Finally, his eyes sweep the floor until they see the feet of Abraxas. Demetrius pauses as he focuses on the leather sandals before him. He takes in the gold border on the purple robe then brings his eyes and head slowly up the body of his master, absorbing the deep purple wool before him. As he reaches Abraxas’ face, Abraxas raises his chin, his eyes downcast on Demetrius. Demetrius pulls at his chains, forcing himself to his knees, his guards pulling on his restraints to keep him by their side.
“Master, please,” Demetrius says to Abraxas, “Please forgive me,” he begs. His hands are in a prayer mode before him, fingers clasped - suiting a prisoner begging for mercy.
“What is it I am to forgive you of?” Abraxas asks. I pour deep blue tendrils of honesty into Demetrius that his only desire is to be completely open with his master.
“My lies, Master,” Demetrius pleads openly.
“And what lies are those, Demetrius?”
“I am the reason Juri, Captain of the guard, is dead,” he confesses.
“What is this?” Abraxas asks. “Was Juri not killed at the hands of this girl here?” He gestures toward me and Demetrius’ eyes follow. His eyes meet mine again and the strength of the emotions I send to him is increased ten-fold. His face tu
rns red and giant tears roll down his cheeks.
“She did kill him, Master,” Demetrius sobs, “but it was my design. My device that brought it about. Juri was weak. I knew I could get more information with him out of the way.” He turns his face back to Abraxas, relief rushing over him when he is no longer under the power of my stare. “Juri suspected that the medallion she wears has some kind of mythical power. I did not believe him at first, I thought him foolish, led astray by a young and pretty face. But once the guards fell prey to her mind games, I thought there must be truth to it.”
“And?” Abraxas asks.
Demetrius darts a brief glance my direction, fear striking his face the moment our eyes meet. Good. Feel that fear, Demetrius. It is well deserved.
“I had to be sure of the truth before I made my plans,” Demetrius answers. “I tried putting extra pressure on the boy. He is weak, Master. I knew there must be a way to make him talk.”
“Do you mean Master Gileaus?” Abraxas asks.
Again, Demetrius risks a glance my direction. Again, his fear only grows. He turns, pale, back to Abraxas. He nods in the affirmative and Abraxas laughs openly.
“I have never seen you so afraid, Demetrius,” he laughs. “Please continue.”
Demetrius sinks lower to the ground, letting his hands sink into his lap, drowning them in the folds of his robes. His head bows beneath the weight of his fears. Yes, Demetrius, continue.
“I put extra pressure on the boy, Master, but he refused to speak.” Of course he did. Gileaus wouldn’t shrink before anyone, especially not if it meant saving me. “In his sleep one night,” Demetrius continues, “his guards heard him whisper her name and something about the hamsa. It was enough evidence for me to try.
“Juri was taken by the girl. Her power was alluring to him, but her physical beauty only added to his tenderness toward her. He wanted to give her a gift, something to soften her heart toward him. I knew the fate of the estate guards and I knew the boy worried about the hamsa. So, I encouraged Juri in his desire to impress the girl. I know power is only strengthened in metal, so I told him where he could find a chain of iron and gold. One beautiful and unbreakable.
“I knew the strength of the girl was limited, Master. She hadn’t killed any of the guards at Spiro’s estate. She can only do so much at once. I instructed the guards who went in with Juri that day that if he should fall, they MUST get the medallion on her neck. I sent enough guards to finish the job.”
“Indeed...,” Abraxas muses to himself. “I believe it was Juri and three other guards who were killed in the incident, was it not?” Abraxas looks at me. I turn my eyes back to Demetrius.
“Yes, Master,” he mumbles from the floor. “Three guards.”
“And once you were sure of your plan to get rid of Juri,” Abraxas continues, “how were you able to learn more about the girl?”
Demetrius shrinks backward now, shame rendering him mute for a moment. Abraxas nods to one of the guards. The guard shoves Demetrius in the back, forcing him to fall on all fours. He is shaken from his stupor and answers his master, head bowed, voice quivering.
“The boy would not cave to pressure, Master. I tried everything I knew to get him to tell me the strength of the girl’s powers, but it was no use. He refused to speak. So, I decided to try a different tactic,” Demetrius whispers. “I decided to put pressure on the boy by hurting the girl.” Abraxas’ face darkens.
“Did you?” he asks, low and rough.
“Yes, Master.”
“What did you do to her?”
Demetrius is reluctant to share his part in my suffering, no matter the outcome. I am a valuable prisoner to Abraxas. If I am harmed, his plans are ruined. Not to mention I could easily destroy Demetrius. He looks at the ground as he moves his head in my direction. But he will not look me in the eye. The blue tendrils grow thick as I force the truth out of him.
“I had her food poisoned, Master.”
Abraxas takes a threatening step forward, yelling, “You did what?! Don’t you know you might have killed her?!”
Demetrius lays himself completely prostrate on the ground, begging for clemency.
“Please, Master. I know it was foolish. I wanted only to get the information you would need about the girl. I knew I wouldn’t kill her. But I had to convince the boy.”
In one fluid movement, Abraxas runs at the prone Demetrius, his foot making contact with the man’s ribs. He then stomps on his back twice. I lose my concentration in the outburst, wincing at the sudden attack. A low chuckle escapes Demetrius’ lips.
“Insane fool,” Abraxas mumbles as he paces the room. “You could have killed the most valuable asset I have.” I regain my composure and send the fear and honesty back into Demetrius. I want to know everything.
“The power to kill wasn’t all I learned from the boy,” he moans from the ground. Abraxas pauses his pacing.
“Well, what else did he tell you?”
“He was very anxious that I shouldn’t hurt the girl. Once he saw that I would follow through with my threats against her, he started giving me information. The more he gave, the better she was treated.”
Abraxas bends down, grabbing a handful of hair, lifting Demetrius’ head from the ground.
“Out with it, man,” he says. “What did he tell you?”
Demetrius rolls to his side, looking up at Abraxas standing over him. I cannot see his face, but I send as much honesty as I can in his direction.
“Well, she can manipulate minds, as you can see. She kills without the hamsa around her neck. She ran from her home in Argos when her twin died.” Abraxas huffs at this information. He knows I ran when Dom died. He killed Dom.
“She worked at an inn for several years,” he continues. “Until Spiro kidnapped her. She has been working in their home ever since.” Demetrius is silent. He lies on the floor, breathing heavily. Everything is out. Everything he learned about me is out. I pull back the tendrils of emotion and fall back on the pillows. They are soft and inviting after all I have expended and all I have taken in.
Abraxas turns to face me.
“Nicely done, Pearl,” he says to me. I do believe you really got him to tell the truth. I should beat him for his sneaky behavior, but I honestly think he would enjoy it too much.” Demetrius chuckles from the floor.
“Get him out of my sight,” Abraxas says to the guards. “Take him to the solitary dungeon room. Give him a bucket of water and leave him for a week.” Then turning to me he says, “It won’t kill him and he will enjoy the pain of starving, but at least I don’t have to listen to him laugh over it.”
The guards both bow to their master and bend down to take Demetrius. More guards help them carry his laughing, heavy body out of the room. But Abraxas isn’t foolish. He still keeps several guards with him. He walks over to me, leaning over the pillows, and takes the chain of the hamsa into his fingers. He hovers over me so I can feel the heat of his breath on my hair.
“Juri may have been a fool to try to put this chain on you himself, but he certainly had the right idea,” he says. His fingers are like ice in this hot room. My energy is depleted. I do nothing to pull away from his touch.
“Hmmm…” he says. “You were just a scrawny thing when I last saw you. I can see why Juri would want to impress you.” I turn my head away, disgusted. “Oh, you don’t need to worry,” he continues. “I won’t be using you that way. At least, not as long as you do your part.” He drops the chain from his fingers and stands, moving toward the door. He stops near his manservant before leaving the room.
“Be sure to send an excellent meal to her, very hearty,” he says. “Bring young Master Gileaus in to dine with her.” Abraxas turns to face me.
“You and your fiancé will be fine, untouched, and protected, as long as you do what I ask of you, Pearl. You will rise to power with me. I want this for you. But know this, try anything, and I mean anything, and both you and Gileaus will pay for it.”
I am too tired to respond. B
ut his message comes through perfectly clear.
Chapter 31
Weeks go by and Gileaus is healing. As promised, we are fed and untouched. Abraxas brings in a couple of prisoners, seeking the truth from them. Nothing earth-shattering comes from these interviews. It is all petty grievances, the theft of a small item from Abraxas’ estate, stealing from a fellow tenant farmer or servant. All of these infractions against Abraxas carry punishments: repayment for the item, a beating from the guards, whipping. Abraxas is exacting, but not as brutal as Demetrius.
I am becoming more familiar with my abilities. I can see truths before they are spoken, I can really read minds. I keep this new ability to myself. Each time I perform obediently, Gileaus comes to my room for a large meal. We are never alone so we cannot communicate freely. But Gileaus is not the only ally I have in this fortress. I have Namaah.
When Namaah is sent to feed me or bathe me, we exchange information silently. We are careful to hide our discourse from the guards in the room (there are always many guards). She tells me that Gileaus is being treated well, other servants who were captured have willingly entered as servants in the fortress. Those who refused were sold or put to death. Namaah is also allowed into the secret meetings Abraxas holds. As was the case with the Spiro estate, she knows more secrets than anyone else.
Abraxas has been meeting with emissaries from Sparta. The city I lived near when I worked for the inn has been a thorn in Greece’s peace for centuries. They are known for desiring independence and power and are often at war with other Grecian cities. Abraxas hopes to sway the Spartans to support him in his bid for power. He is just another in a long line of politicians trying to overtake the history of the world. But Abraxas has been more successful than most. He has found the right combination of allies, sorcerers and secrets. I am not the only person with magic he has in his arsenal. There is someone in Jaffa who Abraxas visits periodically. Someone who advises him on what to do and when. Someone with power. He returns from these visits with potions and powders that he uses to his advantage. Namaah has not yet learned what these potions and powders do, just that they are brought into the fortress. But her eyes and ears are keener than most. They have to be. She will learn what is happening soon enough.
