by Sarra Cannon
I followed his gaze toward the entrance to the dungeons. Six rows of cells stood between me and the stairway out of this hell, and guarding those stairs were six vampires dressed in black cloaks, their faces hidden behind black masks. Only their red eyes showed through the masks.
I backed toward the bars of the closed cell, but there was no escape. Four of the guards marched in my direction.
Frantic, I looked around for any way to escape. In the cell diagonal to me, another young girl stood just a stone’s throw from the bars. She was not locked in chains like mine, but from the looks of it, she had been here much longer.
Her eyes were ringed with bruises, as if she hadn’t slept in weeks. Her body was nothing more than skin and bones, and I wondered if they’d even been feeding her.
“Move a muscle and I'll torture every young witch in here,” Fallon said. “Starting with her and moving on to the younger one next door. I'll make you watch as they scream.”
This girl looked to be no more than fourteen or fifteen years old and she had sandy blonde hair that fell all the way down her back. It was matted in places and greasy, but I could tell that it had once been beautiful. She had been beautiful.
Marks on her neck and arms showed that she had been feasted on by vampires. More than one by the looks of it.
I thought about what Fallon had said. How they punished witches by draining them over and over.
I couldn't stand to watch them hurt her or Annabelle. Not for something I had done.
As the guards approached, I locked eyes with the girl, memorizing her face and her features and swearing that if I ever made it out of here, I was taking her with me.
Two of the guards grabbed my arms as Fallon wrenched the keys out of my hand.
“I’ll take those,” he said, straightening his clothes and lifting his chin. “Take her to the preparation chamber. The maidens have their work cut out for them today.”
I didn’t struggle. With so many of them, I knew it was a waste of energy. I needed to save whatever I had left in reserve for a time when I might have a real chance for escape. I would keep my wits about me and look for any opportunity to run or hide.
As the guards guided me past the cells, I looked inside each one, searching for my friends from Venom.
I saw other witches who looked abused and weak, but there was no sign of Lyla and the others. Had Fallon been lying just to rile me up? God, I hoped so. I could face my own death if I had to, but I wasn't sure my heart could handle watching them die.
I peered into the final cell and saw a young mother lying on the floor, a child no more than two clutched in her arms. Their eyes were closed, the mother's body curled around the infant.
Don’t ever wake up, I whispered to them in my head. There is nothing here but nightmares.
Empty Of Life
The preparation room was through a large wooden door at the end of the hallway, opposite from the stairs.
As soon as the door opened, a rush of steam escaped from the room. My skin moistened with heat and I turned my head away, finding it difficult to breathe.
It was like walking into a steam-bath.
The guards pulled me deeper into the room, and I saw the source of the heat and steam.
A huge tiled tub took up an entire corner of the large room. Three steps led up to it and a woman dressed in a pristine white gown with flowing white hair sat on the top step with her hand dipped into the water. She turned as we entered, and I gasped.
Where her eyes should be, she had black holes, completely empty of life.
I yanked my arms from the guards’ grasp and backed away, but they had already closed the door behind us. One of the four guards looped a thick chain through the lock and secured it by melting the metal together with his bare hands.
My chest tightened. There was no getting out of this place.
A second woman in white appeared through the gathering steam. She took my hand and led me to the center of the room. Her skin was ice cold, and I shivered, wondering what kind of creature she was.
With a single nod from her, the four guards who had brought me here shifted to smoke and disappeared through a small crack at the bottom of the door. I was glad to see them go, but I had no doubt they were now stationed outside the door, waiting.
And I wasn’t exactly happy about my present company.
When I looked up, two more women in white had joined the group. They began pulling on my clothes, tugging my pants down and lifting my shirt over my head.
“Get your hands off me,” I said. I tried to step back, but that wasn’t easy considering my pants were now down around my ankles.
I pushed at their hands and tried to pull my pants back on, but there was only one of me versus four of them.
They didn’t say a word or show any expression. They stripped me naked in seconds. I lifted my hands to cover my breasts, but they grabbed my arms and pulled me toward the steaming water.
From the amount of heat coming off that bath, I did not want to go anywhere near it.
“Stop,” I said, fear filling my heart. I pushed my heels against the stone floor and struggled against their hold on me, but they were abnormally strong.
I managed to yank my arm away from one of them, but when I did, she turned her hollow eyes on me and I froze.
I couldn’t move at all and when I tried to speak, my lips would not part. I reached up to touch my mouth, screaming on the inside. I couldn't pry my lips open. Something she had done to me had completely sealed them shut.
I shook my head violently as they continued to lead me to the bath. They forced me up the steps. I bent over, pulling back with every bit of strength I had, but it was no use.
The maidens arranged my feet on two orange stones embedded into the tile and backed away. I struggled to lift my feet, but they were locked on the stones. I couldn't move.
The four women in white moved to spots at each of the four corners of the square-shaped pool.
They moved in perfect unison, lifting their hands into the air. My body straightened, as if I were a puppet on a string. I lost all ability to control my own movements.
I wanted to be strong, but my heart pounded against my ribs in terror. What were they going to do to me?
The maidens reached down and each one grabbed a small vial of clear liquid from the steps of the pool. One by one, they poured the contents of their vials into the water.
The first vial made the water begin to move and swirl violently, as if a current ran through it.
The second vial calmed the thrashing, turning the water to a crystal clear blue.
The contents of the third vial spread through the water like a dark disease, making it thick and muddy.
As the fourth maiden poured her vial into the pool, the entire surface of the water burst into flames.
Air. Water. Earth. Fire.
They had called the four elements, drawing power from the world around us.
Moving in unison once again, the four women pushed their palms down, sending my body forward into the water.
I cried out as the flames licked my flesh. I passed through fire into mud, sinking deep down into the thick muck.
I couldn't draw a breath. I was completely submerged, my lungs burning with the need for air.
Just when I felt like I couldn't take it anymore, a hand grabbed the top of my hair and pulled my head from the mud.
The flames were gone and I gasped for air. I clawed at the mud, desperate to find my way out.
But the hand that held me pushed me back under. The mud turned to clear, cool water that cleansed my skin and took the sting of pain from my burns.
Soon, the pain in my lungs returned, and I struggled to find my way above the surface of the water. My hand reached up and grabbed the maiden's wrist, but I was losing strength rapidly.
My body went limp as I blacked out. I regained consciousness when the woman lifted me back up, allowing only the top of my head to rest above the water.
I op
ened my eyes and gasped for breath, not knowing how long I had before she pushed me back under again. I held on to her wrist as my legs kicked wildly beneath me. From the edge of the pool, she stared with unseeing eyes.
As I kicked, the water swirled and moved, waves lapping the sides of the pool. The maiden released me and the undertow pulled me under.
I tumbled head over feet, losing all sense of direction. Black shadows oozed from my skin, turning the water around me black as night. I kicked and swam and begged for it all to end. I held my breath for as long as I could before the pain grew too great.
My lungs screamed for air and I couldn't deny them any longer.
I finally gave in, sucking in with one final desperate wish for life.
Fighting The Darker Side
Air, not water, entered my lungs and I sat up, startled.
All four of the women in white stood around me. They placed their cold hands on my bare shoulders and pushed me back down. Black vines grew from the stone, wrapping around my arms and legs to bind me to this spot. One final vine slithered around my neck.
I stared up at the ceiling, focusing on anything other than the empty sockets of the maidens' eyes. I took in the circular chandeliers that hung from the ceiling. Instead of modern light-bulbs, they held dozens of lit red candles.
I closed my eyes against their light. I’d been burned enough for one day, thank you very much.
A soft hand touched my leg and my eyes flew open again. I struggled to sit up, but could barely lift my head to see what she was doing to me. The vine choked me, and I fell back against the stone, not wanting to deny myself air.
A woman in white hovered over me, studying my body. She leaned over and I heard a sloshing sound, but couldn’t tell for sure what she was doing. When she came back up, she had a cloth in her hand, covered in a white paste that dripped thick blobs back onto the floor.
She spread the white paste along my entire body, having no sensitivity to my privacy or shame. She covered me and when every inch was painted white, the four maidens lay their hands on me. Their mouths did not move, but I could hear a faint chanting in my head.
The spark of power that still burned deeply in my core flashed warm, my body somehow reacting to whatever they'd put on my skin. My body heated, growing feverish. I alternated between cold chills and flashes of intense heat as the fire of my power spread through me, rising from the core of my body to the surface of my skin. I screamed as the heat consumed me.
Rage tore through my heart and dark visions appeared before me. I saw the world's evil flash before my eyes. Children tortured. Women drained of their blood and discarded like trash.
Shadows swirled around the room, racing across my skin, turning the white paste a dark, oily black.
The darkness in my soul grew, but I stubbornly clung to the light.
I understood now what these preparations were meant to do. They were meant to bring Solomon's darkness to the surface of my soul. They were drawing the black heart of him out so that the part of me that had come from him would be fresh and strong for the ritual.
With each horrible image, I forced thoughts of love into my heart. I thought of Katie. The way the sun felt on my face on the first day of spring. I thought of Lyla's friendship and her willingness to risk her own life for mine.
I thought of Mary Anne. A crow witch who had defied her family to save a friend.
I thought of my real mother. Somehow, despite how hard they had tried to keep her from me, she had found me. She had risked everything to lead me to the one person whose strength might keep me safe from evil.
And finally, when the darkness threatened to eat me alive, I thought of Rend. Tears of love and loss flooded my eyes, keeping the horror at bay. Fallon had said we all must be true to our nature, but Rend had spent years fighting the darker side of his nature in order to bring hope to those who had none left. He had found a way to hold back the monster inside so that he could make love to me.
As I felt the darker side of my own nature struggle for control, I knew it would never win. Not as long as there was love in my heart. Love and hope.
And trust that somewhere, Rend was out there trying to find his way back to me.
Sacrifice Me
I woke from the fever dream with passion burning in my heart.
I would not give up. They had tortured me for hours, but I knew they could never break my spirit. I had too much to live for.
All they had done was teach me that my strength knew no limits. My capacity for love could not be destroyed.
I would fight until there was no fight left.
My body ached all over and my skin was raw and sensitive. The maidens had removed the black paste while I slept, but the vines still bound me to the slab of stone.
The ritual grew closer now. I could feel it.
I took deep, calming breaths, the darkness inside never far from the surface. Its dark fingers scratched at my heart, begging for entry. But I would not let it in.
After what seemed an eternity, the four women in white appeared again. With a wave of their hands, the vines drew back. The maidens lifted me from the stone, lowering my feet to the floor. They spread a sweet smelling oil across my skin and dressed me in a simple black gown that flowed to the floor. They brushed my hair and took care with each aspect of my appearance, readying me for death.
In some cultures, human sacrifice was a religious ritual, offering up a human life to appease a god or spirit.
But the idea of being sacrificed in order to give new life to my own father felt so backwards. So against the natural order of things. What god would demand such a sacrifice?
But there was no god here. Only monsters and devils. This was a house of pure evil, and I would not allow myself to become their sacrifice.
As the maidens dressed me, I vowed to find a way to put a stop to the Devil's plans. Even if I died in the process, I could not let him complete the ritual.
When they were finished, the women in white led me toward the wooden door and knocked once.
Smoke seeped in from beneath the door and a faceless guard appeared. He studied me, nodded to the women in white, and then lifted the chain binding the door, crushing its links in his fist until it turned to silvery dust in his hand. He opened the door and motioned for me to move.
I knew by instinct that he was not allowed to touch me. I was a holy vessel now, a sacrificial lamb led to the slaughter.
I contemplated running, but wondered if that would mean having to go through all those horrible preparations again. It would buy me some time in case Rend was still trying to get to me, but I wasn't sure I could push against the darkness and pain much longer. Its presence was heavy inside me.
No, I needed to save my energy. I would wait and keep my eyes open for any chance to put an end to their plans.
The four guards from earlier positioned themselves around me in a square—two in front, two behind. We walked down the row of cells in the dungeon. I studied them one last time, looking for my friends.
The young girl I’d locked eyes with earlier had retreated to the back of her cell, lost in the shadows somewhere. There was no sign of Annabelle. Had they taken her? Killed her? How long had they been torturing me?
There was also no sign of my friends. Only strangers whose fate was similar to my own. These women were all nothing but blood and fuel to these demon vampires. Nothing but meaningless sacrifices.
I walked up the steps, leaving the dungeon area for the first time since they'd brought me into the Devil's castle. The guards led me down an even longer hallway to a circular staircase that seemed to go on forever. I counted the steps as we went, to occupy my mind. Anything not to think about the fate that awaited me once we got upstairs.
I lost count at one hundred when my knees buckled and I collapsed onto the steps. The guards shared a nervous look. I pressed my hands against the dirty stone step, smiling up at them, sure that my gown and cleansed skin would be marred with dirt and blood.
&
nbsp; But when I stood, every inch of me was still pristine, as if the preparations had put an invisible barrier around me to keep impurities out.
Or to keep the darkness in.
At the top of the long staircase, the room opened into a large chamber adorned with intricately woven tapestries and oversized wooden furniture that dated back centuries. The guards led me past suits of polished armor and weapons that seemed to be created for giants, not men.
What was this place?
The ceilings were high and the guard's footsteps echoed as we crossed the chamber and entered another hallway. They took me through several rooms before we reached a narrow hallway lined with a deep red carpet.
The guards stopped, motioning for me to continue alone.
I held my ground. They couldn't seriously expect me to walk freely to my own death. But something propelled me forward against my will. My bare feet rose from the stone floor, hovering for a moment above the ground. I moved forward through the narrow hallway, the bottom of my gown trailing along the red carpet.
I kicked my legs and reached out for anything I might grab onto, but the room at the end of the hall beckoned me forward. Just before I reached the large wooden door, it opened, revealing a room lit with thousands of red candles that hovered in the air above.
My hands fell to my side, no longer under my own control.
As I entered the room, fear crashed over me like a mighty wave. The heavy door slammed closed behind me, leaving no escape.
The red carpet continued all the way up through the great ritual room. All along each side of the carpet, hundreds of vampires stood in rows, here to witness my death and the rebirth of one of their founders. They were dressed in black cloaks, their faces hidden under thick hoods, only their red eyes visible through the shadows.
I floated forward, my body trembling as their red eyes watched.
As I passed near the front of the crowd of vampires, a row of trembling witches caught my eye and I gasped, tears springing to my eyes.
Lyla, Misty, and Shay were bound together in chains, along with the child who'd been in the cell across from mine. They all wept as I passed by them, and I prayed that somehow, we would all make it through this horror alive.
