by K R Leikvoll
"Please stop!" I whined, trying desperately to get away.
"You taste like him, too," she groaned as she forced her lips on mine. The horrid taste of my own blood filled my mouth to the point where I wanted to retch. Her spade tongue licked my lips before she pulled away and moved back to my throat.
"Just let me go," I said faintly, resisting her against the chains.
"I always knew you would come back," she purred like a cat. She rubbed her bloody face all over my neck. "You told me we would be together again. I did not think out of any of your lies, there was a single truth. I've missed you too much to bear."
I felt her lips running against my neck again.
"You're fucking crazy," I responded. It took so much effort to talk with how much my voice shook. She finally returned her gaze to my eyes. Her hands wrapped around my throat below the collar.
"Make the girl shut up! Make her shut up!" she screeched as she clamped down harder. I was fading away. I weakly grabbed at her face as my reality started to flee from me. Was she really going to choke me to death?
The answer was no. I wasn't at all aware of how much time passed between passing out and waking up. It could've been minutes or days; the darkness had been so dense. But I came to, I always did. The chains were rubbing me raw. The collar weighed enough to keep my head lowered toward the ground.
When I finally looked up, I was greeted with the view of Lazarus on top of who I assumed to be Lydris. He looked like a completely different person. His body was somehow healthy again, not skeletal. He had cut his beard off and even seemed to have washed himself. They were both naked, forms moving against each other. Lydris was gripping her waist, attempting to look into her eyes, but she focused on the ceiling rather than him.
"I love you," he whispered, stroking her cheek. She knocked his hand away. "My beautiful Queen."
Lazarus covered his mouth.
"Stop talking," she hissed. He pulled her closer to him. I could see blood running from her fingertips where she had covered his mouth. He let out muffled moans under her hands, only putting up with it for a few moments before he rolled on top of her.
"I'm the only one that's ever told you that, you know," he said, trying to lean in for a kiss. Lazarus turned away. He bit into her exposed neck in response.
She laughed, I assumed to mock him, which in turn just made him move against her harder.
"Could you at least put me into a different room?" I managed to barely breathe out. Lazarus reached her hand toward me as if she was trying to grab me.
"You don't want to play?" she purred, attempting to crawl out from underneath Lydris. He aggressively held her still. I wanted to tell her that I didn't want to watch that shit anymore, but anything more complex than lying there was too much for me. When Lazarus started staring longingly into my eyes, I decided to look at the floor. Insane bitch! Whatever she wanted she couldn’t have.
"Should we take a turn with the girl then?" I heard Lydris say after minutes of moans and slaps. Scuffling against the stone drew my attention out of my daze. I could see his still nasty feet moving toward me after sliding off of Lazarus. I saved my strength until he crouched near my face.
"Go to hell!" I yelled, bashing my head into him as hard as I could. It knocked him back a foot, but it only made him laugh. Lazarus accompanied the laugh as she slowly made her way behind me. This wasn't really going to happen, right?
"I love it when they fight," he whispered, running his disgusting hands along my skin. I struggled against my chains until Lazarus put her arms underneath mine and pulled me into her grasp. I had spent too much energy with the head bash to fight. Blood was starting to force its way from my various puncture wounds from resisting. Maybe if I lost enough blood, I could pass out again... please not this. Lydris gripped a tear in my pants. Anything but this.
"It has been too long since we touched, skin to skin," Lazarus whispered in my ear. She moved her hand up and down my shuddering side. Lydris was beaming at me as he ripped off the rest of my pants. Lazarus slowly put me into a choke hold with one arm and pulled me close. "Remember when you did this to me? I know you do; you loved it too." She started ripping my shirt. Tears rushed down my face.
"I don't know who you think I am, but I'm not them! Please don't do this to me," I pleaded to them. I refused to act out when Lazarus forced me onto my stomach. Pools of my blood formed quickly on the ground from my shoulders. I closed my eyes. If they killed me soon, at least I'd be free.
I could tell it was Lydris' hands moving down my back to my thighs. I wasn't sure where Lazarus was, and I forbade myself to open my eyes. I wouldn't give them the satisfaction of my fear. I felt his disgusting fingers enter me. I tried to squirm away, but Lazarus held me still by my neck chain. A hand groped my breast.
"I bet Kirin wishes he could do this," he whispered in my ear as he pushed himself fully inside me. I didn't respond. I wouldn't respond. He wanted me to fight. Pain blossomed in my wrist as Lazarus bit down on my arm. She did her best to make it as painful as possible. I tried my hardest to choke back my scream. Lydris pushed my face forcefully into the stone. Lazarus went back and forth between my wrist, sharing my blood between Lydris and myself no matter how tightly I pursed my lips. Her strokes and touches were filled with some insane obsession I couldn’t understand.
I didn't care about the flames of sacrifice anymore. I wished desperately that I could will myself to use demonic power, but per usual I couldn't force it. Apparently being raped was not considered life threatening and it didn't want to help me. How useless. I would be too weak to fight whenever they decided to execute me—
Execute me.
When I had tried to commit suicide (or actually did), I had been so blinded by James' death that I didn't fear it. When the demons tried to kill me, I was terrified of it. Now? I was back to feeling like it was the only way out again.
Lydris bit me hard in the shoulder, right above my wound. I couldn't choke back that scream. How had they not sucked me dry? His teeth were so deep in the muscle that I thought he might rip my flesh off entirely. Either I would pass out or they would be done soon, I just had to go somewhere else.
The stone in that place looked so familiar to me when I was first brought in. It almost gave me déja vu, but I couldn’t focus on it. If Kirin was still alive, maybe there was a small chance he'd cut off their heads and rescue me. I'd make him take me home. Who cares if Praetis was burnt to a crisp; it'd be mercy for the rest of the universe.
"I thought you were afraid until you stopped struggling. You like this don't you?" Lydris murmured in my ear. Lazarus had detached herself from my wrist and was elsewhere. That didn't stop Lydris from continuing.
"Kirin will kill you. I hope you enjoy your last breath, you miserable fuck," I whispered, keeping my tone flat. He chuckled into my hair and wrapped his arms around me. His nails dug into my breasts. He moaned in my ear from my words as he thrust harder for an eternity.
"I love hearing your empty threats," he groaned before pulling himself off me. He took the time to spit on my broken body before he moved to Lazarus' side. The smell of blood was intense. I gave myself permission to cry, but I did my best to muffle myself so they wouldn't hear.
"I hope your last sacrifice was worth it," Lazarus said. The sound of a blade being drawn echoed against the stone walls.
"My love, I am only loyal to you," Lydris said calmly. "I would kill any being that you wished me to. I can't disobey the will of my demonic mother."
"I cannot trust you. You are a liability," Lazarus responded. "And I hate you."
I finally hesitantly peeked across the stone room. She held her long dagger in the air ready to cut his head off.
"Wait! What must I do to prove I am worthy to you?" Lydris yelled, flinching from her. I could see Lazarus' red eyes glow with temptation. She set her blade against his throat.
"Where is the temple in Himmel?" she asked with her head cocked to the side. It seemed more like a test question than anything el
se, but Lydris' chest was heaving in panic. I could see the fear in his eyes. I wanted her to cut his throat. I wanted to watch.
"It's… it's…" he stuttered. He gulped and ran a nervous hand through his hair. Lazarus gradually started digging the blade into his skin. He cracked once he realized she wasn't messing around. "It's in the northern wilderness, hidden under a tower on top of Light's Peak. Only the Divinus can enter the barrier. Eve sealed it."
Lazarus leaned her head close to his.
"There is not a place in the world you can hide from me, worm. Now, go get me a ship."
Chapter Fourteen
Lydris left in the ragged clothes he had scavenged relatively fast from the abandoned city. Lazarus had instructed her wolf to take him down the coastline to some ship they could potentially ambush. I was guessing that I was either going to be dead by the time Morgan returned, or I was going to be on that ship. Quick death or a slow one...
I had been fading in and out of reality when Lazarus turned her attention back to me. I barely moved when she brought her dagger in my direction. She alternated between rubbing the steel and her icy hands on my legs.
"I understand," she whispered. I was confused. Understand what, exactly, psycho bitch? Her fingernails dug into my calf as she gasped. "I will not hesitate to carry out your will, Master," she said as if it were hard to breathe. Was she talking to someone else?
She stood up holding her head in her hands.
"What if it doesn't work?" she asked the air. She let out a pained grunt. I couldn’t see anyone else in the room with us. That bitch was absolutely insane. Whoever she was talking to must've left her hanging because she paced in silence for a long time.
I was startled when she suddenly looked at me menacingly. Lazarus walked behind me in quick strides and pulled me onto my back with the chains. I hit the back of my head hard on the stone—so hard everything was blurry, and I could hear ringing. Lazarus crouched over my face.
"We are finally alone. Looks like we get to have some fun," she cooed. She picked up the shiv she had been holding before and put the cold steel against my thigh. "Did you want to fuck my knife? I don't mind."
I shuddered.
"Please," I muttered. A slight sting on my leg was the result of my plea.
"I couldn't hear you." The blade dug in as she slashed deeper.
I cried out from the pain. "Please don't hurt me!" I said as loud as I could manage. Lazarus climbed on top of me and rested on my knees. She took the shiv and slashed it into my other leg. I managed to thrash against my chains. She giggled and stabbed the knife into my thigh with both hands.
"Fuck you, bitch!" I whined, letting out another pained scream. She twisted it.
Adrenaline coursed through me as white-hot pain erupted in my thigh. I desperately reached for it; my fingers barely brushed the handle. Lazarus used her fist to pound the handle, driving the blade further into my leg. The steel scraped my bone.
"Take it out!" I screamed, trying to grab it. I couldn’t breathe. "No more."
Lazarus heard my pleas and pulled the knife out. I let out another choked scream.
"Surely you would use demonic power to save your life," she whispered, stroking the blade against my face. My warm blood dribbled down my cheek. She leaned over me with a fascinated smile. When would I die of blood loss? The quantity covering and surrounding me dictated I should have already been dead. Was the stupid ring still trying to keep me alive? Lazarus put the tip of her knife to my throat.
"You used it to kill my precious naga. Will you use it now?" she asked, slowly digging the blade in.
A bead of blood slipped down my bare chest.
Behind her face, I could see shadows forming. I focused on them, hoping desperately it was Kirin coming to my rescue... but it wasn't him. It was something else entirely. A face within the shadows stared down at Lazarus. It was so familiar, but everything was hazy. I could see the being's red and black eyes glowing out of the pits of their sockets. I finally registered it as the being from eternity. Was he here to save me? I ignored the knife against my throat and looked at him with desperate eyes.
"Help," I whispered, trying to reach toward him. It was strange: he had appeared in a vision, then when time slowed as we fought the demon. Time wasn't slowed; I wasn't in a vision. Was he actually there? The being finally turned his attention away from Lazarus and down to me. He gave me a sideways look.
Lazarus lightly started cutting from the base of my neck down between my breasts. It stung mildly, but I still cried out. She cackled with excitement and continued the line into my rib cage.
"No more," I begged, reaching for the shadows. The ethereal being was paying attention to Lazarus again. There was no emotion in the being's soulless eyes. I wondered if Lazarus could see him too.
"I am surprised at your weakness, Nephilim. I expected the ring to be underwhelming, but not your demonic essence. The light must have polluted it," she hissed, stabbing the knife into my right arm. She stabbed with such force that I could feel it scraping my bones again.
"I'm choosing to fight!" I screamed at the being. Lazarus looked compelled by my words.
"Then fight! You are so boring!" she mocked me to my face as she pulled the knife out. The ethereal being shook his head with a disappointed expression.
"You are doing a terrible job so far," the being's voice whispered to me.
"Are you just going to fucking sit there?" I yelled at him desperately. Lazarus stared at me in disbelief before chopping into my thigh again. I couldn’t stop the scream that escaped my lips. The being disappeared in a cloud of smoke faster than I could react.
"Am I being too slow for you?" she replied with a fanged smile.
My body was done. I felt myself going into shock. I couldn't move my right hand—which bore the ring, I might add. It was only a matter of time before the blood loss killed me. I wondered if it was her plan, because she hadn't noticed I was passing out. She began to flay me starting at my knee. Another detached scream echoed through the room. It didn’t register as my voice in my mind.
I refused to look as she started to pull my skin off. I didn't think it was possible to feel this much pain. I wailed so loud my throat failed me. My left arm weakly pulled at her. Please... if I am the Divinus, help me. Or at least let me die. Enough of this senseless violence. She moved to my other leg.
"Please... no more," I begged softly. Lazarus started sawing her knife into my flesh. The pain was too intense for me to comprehend. My vision went black. I gladly let myself slip away.
I was surprised to find a bright star waiting for me in the darkness. I had hoped maybe I was dying. I had hoped maybe James was there for me on the other side of death's door. Instead? Another damn star. The pressure of my wounds pulled against me even there. I had a hard time reaching for the light. As if it noticed my struggle, it dropped like rain. It hit my forehead in a bead where my third eye would be.
Everything came back into focus, and I was relieved to see that I wasn't in the dark room anymore. The release of not being in pain washed over my body. I was forced to sit up as if I had been shocked by electricity. I was in a white, stone room filled with windows, surrounded on all sides by people. It was a mix of men and women of different ages and species. Each person was wearing the same white robes despite any other differences. All were focusing on something in the front of the room while writing notes.
At the front, Eve sat basking in the light. The orange glow danced over her pale hair and made her skin sparkle. She was like the human incarnate of a unicorn. It made me uncomfortable; I couldn't see the similarities between us at all. She was sitting next to a very elderly looking man with long pointed ears. His wispy white hair was almost as light as hers. I could feel the aura of the light around him as well. He seemed to be conducting some kind of interview.
"And when did you master the relic?" he asked her. All of the eyes in the room were glued to Eve, waiting to write her words. She blushed and let out a small laugh from behind
her hand.
"I doubt I will ever truly master it," she began. The man continued staring at her, waiting for her to go on. "In my experience, I did not mentally control it for the entire first year of bearing it. It was self-preservant only. However, after I had experienced enough visions to determine the message of the light, and read the Scroll of Fates, it responded unwaveringly."
"And could you state the message of the light for my colleagues, Divinus?" the man asked her.
"The message of the light is different for every Divinus," she said, shaking her head no. "It is a singular message that helps us guide the light to its next step. Often it goes hand-in-hand with your fate." The crowd wrote various things in response. I stood up and walked through the crowd toward my mother. I tried to touch her hair, but my fingers passed through it like I was a ghost. I wished horribly she could see me.
"Certainly you could tell us your message, Divinus," the man said with a raised eyebrow. I could see Eve swallow nervously. It looked like she got crowd anxiety like me at least.
"My message... was that I am the final light. That is what has allowed me to master the relic quickly," she said hurriedly as if she didn't want to speak about it. The crowd seemed very intrigued. Everyone was murmuring various questions; some even looked uneasy at her words. Guess she didn't get the memo that I was the last Divinus.
"Ah, well, back to the main topic. I thought you could show us simple healing," the man said, catching her apprehension. He took out a beautiful knife from his waistband. It was so shiny I doubted it had ever been used before—quite possibly a ceremonial knife. I was mildly surprised to see him pull back the sleeves of his robe and cut himself across the wrist. The cut was deep, too. He was careful to keep his blood from staining his white robes.
"When I use the relic to heal, I try to think of a soothing ray of light. The relic works as an extension of my will, but conscious thought does help coax it. It is done like this," she instructed. She hovered her hands over the man's cut.
