by M. R. Polish
I took a deep breath. It was still ragged, but I finally got a full intake of air. If I could survive someone kidnapping me—twice—find out that I came from a family of wolves and witches, then I could survive this. I would figure this out.
Sitting up, I decided to see what damage the fall did to my body. Running my hands down my legs and torso, I grimaced as I hit sore spots, but nothing seemed more critical than bruises. My head was another story. It pounded fiercely.
I placed my hands at my temples and focused energy on my headache. It was harder to do use my magic than how I’d become accustomed to, but the throbbing ceased. I decided to try another spell. I had to help myself. After many minutes, I conjured a small orb of light centered in the palm of my hand. I flinched as it faltered and went out. I shook my hands out and tried again. Small glimmers of light flashed, but nothing wanted to stay. I pushed all the energy I could feel into the light, watching it try to glow. I didn’t understand why it was so hard for me to get such a straightforward spell out.
The tiny sparks of light tried to brighten the darkness. I assessed my surroundings the best I could. I was unmistakably underground, but I couldn’t see too much. A small hole was in the side of the rocky earth several feet away. I ran toward it, and then stiffened. A bright light floated toward me, lighting the blackened room, much brighter than my small orb.
It was easy to see clearly now as if I stood in daylight once again. I looked around me; the dark abyss I fell into was nothing more than a large pit in the ground, like an old prison cell dug hundreds of feet into the earth. Tiny rocks fell from above me and dirt sloughed off in piles by the crude walls.
A figure walked with the light. I wished with all my might that this was a dream, and I would wake up and see Jarak’s face at any moment.
“There is no reason to be afraid my dear Esmerelda.” A soft singsong voice floated through the air.
I gasped and took a step back. A beautiful woman with long blonde hair stepped out from behind the light.
A smile lit up her face, and she wrapped her arms around me. “Esmerelda, you’ve grown into a beautiful woman. I’ve waited so long to see you.” Tears streamed down her face as she released her embrace.
I wasn’t sure who this woman was, or when we’d ever met before, but I sensed so much love from her that I didn’t want to move away.
“I wish I could be with you always, but I can’t.” She frowned. Her face looked stained with tears.
“Who are you? I don’t understand.” I backed up a little, unsure of who this woman was.
“My darling Esmerelda, I’m Moriah, the witch who gave you the gift of spirit. I don’t have a lot of time in my spirit form, so listen carefully. Don’t let Nicholas ensnare your mind. Fight him at all costs… I also came to give you another gift.”
“Another gift?” I couldn’t imagine her having something for me.
She came in close, laying her hands on my cheeks. “It’s a gift of knowledge.”
“Okay.” My shoulders drooped; it was hard to hide my disappointment. What I truly needed was a ladder to get out of here.
“Those around you are not who they appear. Take no chances. Only a few are true and will help you. The one who finds you first is good. Many heartaches are about to come into your life, but what you will have to do is for the best.”
“That’s like asking me to finish the lyrics to a song I’ve never heard. I don’t understand.”
“Esmerelda, you need to escape. You are in the earth under Nicholas’s house. It’s a deep void and magic is hard to use, but yours is strong. Stronger than any I’ve seen, but it’s why it was so hard for you to create light. I’m also having a hard time with the lighting spell. It will fade quickly.” She swallowed hard. “There is nothing to draw energy from, so be careful.”
She smiled. “I’m losing strength as I speak and I don’t have much time left down here. I will see you again but in true form. A Seer already foretold what will come.”
I couldn’t process anything she said. “I don’t understand. A Seer?” My head began to hurt again, so I rubbed my temples, trying to alleviate the throbbing pain.
“They are distinctive immortals, only the purest of hearts, and they are usually connected to a witch in some way. They help see the future, so we know what to do. That is how all five of us witches knew to give you our gifts.”
I stood there, soaking it all in. I watched the light flicker and stared into her azure eyes. “What about Nicholas?”
“Nicholas will take you from here sometime, to torture you. When he does, you need to draw energy from everything around you, then and only then, to protect yourself. Use it against him, hold nothing back.”
The glowing orb faded, and I could see only her face. The light flickered like a candle. “I’m— too weak—Esmerelda.” Her figure faded as her light went out.
“Moriah!” I cried in panic.
I fell to the ground. I crawled on my hands and knees around the darkness. I couldn’t feel her anywhere. “Moriah!”
No response.
Tears ran in torrents down my face, landing on the clay dirt beneath my fingers. Losing all hope, I laid down, exhausted.
Tiny stabs of pain fluttered up my legs as if a million fire ants made a home under my skin. Screaming, I frantically smacked my thighs to kill whatever attacked me.
“Get off! Leave me alone!” My shriek bounced off the dirt walls of my dungeon, heard by no one.
I wasn’t sure how long I lay there on the cold unforgiving ground, but the tiny pin pricks from earlier had ceased, leaving me to feel agonizing, pulsating throbs all over my body. Has a day gone by? My stomach growled in response. It had been forever since I last ate anything.
Remembering what Moriah said, I tried not to reach out with my energy, trying to conserve what I had left. I pushed up on my hands and knees, ignoring the sharp stinging in the palms of my hands.
“I hope you’re comfortable.” My heart skipped a beat. I knew that voice—it was the same one I’d heard before Goliath threw me down here.
I strained to see who it was, but it was complete darkness.
“Do you know who I am?” The voice asked.
“No.” My voice surprised even me with its rough hoarseness.
The whole underground brightened as if we were outside. I squinted and brought my hands to my face, shielding my eyes from the light.
Once my eyesight adjusted to the brightness, I lowered my hands. I tried not to notice all the dirt encrusted to my skin and under my nails. The wetness from my tears made the dirt stick to me like mud.
I looked around but couldn’t see an escape. The only entry I saw was that of the open hole above me that seemed to go up forever.
A dark figure walked toward me. Where he came from I wasn’t sure, I strained to see behind him, but it was nothing but a dirt wall. “I’m Nicholas. We need to talk.”
So this was the famous Nicolas. “Then talk.” I replied tersely.
“I will give you a choice. Work for me willingly, or be forced.” He stared into my eyes with his muddied brown ones. I shivered, feeling extremely vulnerable.
“Wow, that’s some choice. I choose neither. I’d never work for you.”
He backhanded me across my face, making me fall. It stung and made a ringing in my ears.
“I have ways of making you,” he seethed.
I sat back up. It was slow going, but I did it. “I’d rather die.”
“That will be arranged in due time, my dear, due time.”
A deep sinking feeling overcame me. Would Jarak find me before he killed me?
I decided to push the boundaries, “You won’t kill me. You need me. I can fill in the gaps you create.”
That perked his interest. “What do you mean?”
“I’ve already done it.”
“Do tell my sweet one.” He squatted down and offered his hand to help me up.
I spit at his palm. “Why would I tell you anything?”
/> He clenched his jaw. “Fine, I guess we’ll talk later.” He stood, and an evil grin spread out on his face. “I’d hate to leave you all alone. What kind of host would I be? Oh, and I wouldn’t be so sure that I need you.”
I cringed inwardly, wondering what plans he had. He snapped his fingers, and black shadows crept along the walls and ceiling of my earthen cell. They moved in unnatural movements, jittery and shaky.
I scrambled to get back up. Nicholas laughed. “I’ll see you later, my sweet.” He disappeared, leaving me with the dark spirits. I spun around. They were all around me, moving in closer.
I kept turning in a circle, watching them. When the light faded and the darkness returned I screamed. Something cold touched my arm. I hysterically swatted at it, shaking it off. I knew the shadows where everywhere but I could no longer see them.
There was something on my foot. I couldn’t see it, but I looked down and kicked out vigorously. Low moans filled the underground cavern. “Leave me alone!”
All at once, it seemed as if they found me. A cold heaviness fell upon me, and I couldn’t stand up, falling to my knees from the pressure. I pictured Jarak’s face. “Help,” I whispered to his image.
Maybe death would consume me, and I wouldn’t have to live like this anymore. Tears streamed down my cheeks as the evil spirits covered me, their mass forcing me to lie down. I squirmed and tried to get them off me, but it was no use. Without my magic, I couldn’t defeat them.
A bright light illuminated the darkness. I was drowsy, waking from another unconscious state. How long were those creepy things over me? They filled my head with visions. Things I never want to see again. Blood, searing pain, and sorrow.
I tried to sit. My muscles ached and burned with each movement. The light got brighter. It came from where Moriah entered earlier, and I grew hopeful. Maybe she found a way to come back after all.
All thoughts of a rescue faded when I heard the heavy breathing and a grunt from a man. “So we meet again Sweetheart.”
I was only briefly aware of gasping as I recognized him. His face became clear through the light. It was the same man from the airport.
From my sitting position, I scuffled backwards, trying to make space between us. My hand ran over a jagged rock, slicing it open. I winced as sharp pain shot up through my palm, into my arm.
He laughed. “There’s nowhere to go.” Then he walked even closer. “Are you ready to talk to our master yet?”
I could taste the nasty bile rising in my throat. I tried to swallow, but my mouth was too dry. “He is not my master,” I seethed.
He threw a bottle of half-drunken water at my feet. I pretended not to notice it, never taking my eyes off him.
“I’ll let him know how you feel.” He walked away, taking the light with him.
I sat in the dark all alone once again. I waited for the shadows to consume me, or the bites of the unknown to return, but there was nothing. I licked my lips. They were dry and cracked. I had no way of knowing how long I had been underground, or how long it had been since I had a drink.
On my hands and knees, I felt around in the dirt, searching for the plastic bottle. I needed something to help keep my energy that faded fast. I hit the bottle with the tips of my fingers and cursed under my breath when I heard it roll across the ground. I pushed myself forward and carefully pat the dirt this time so I wouldn’t send the water rolling again.
Finally, my hand rested on the familiar shape of plastic, and it crackled under the weight I used. Grasping it securely, I sat down and unscrewed the lid. I hesitated before bringing it to my lips, knowing it was only half-full. My kidnappers could have put anything inside the water, poisoning it. At this point, it wouldn’t take much to kill me. I could feel my magic slipping, and I was weak.
The warm liquid didn’t taste bitter as it ran down my parched throat, so I drank greedily. Only a small trickle of water dribbled down my chin, which I wiped away with the back of my hand. I tipped the bottle so I received every drop it contained, not wanting to waste any more. I didn’t think it would come in abundance any time soon, and I’d hate to have them take it away and not get any more either.
I threw the empty bottle, but I never heard it hit the wall. Instead, I heard it tumble and roll when it hit the ground with an echo. Where did it go? It should have hit a wall. I stood up, with my arms outstretched, feeling my way in the darkness.
I scuffed my boots in the dirt, afraid to lift them and trip over unseen rocks. My hands brushed the dirt of the wall. I ran my hands up and down feeling all the rocks and things that I believed were roots—I prayed they were roots.
I walked around with the wall, feeling every inch I could with my hands. I sidestepped and about fell when I pushed with my hands, but there was no wall. My heart leapt with excitement. This had to be how the man brought me water and how Nicholas came to see me. This had to be a way out. I reached out until I could feel the cold earth and followed it out.
A small glare of light brightened my dark world. It was still very distant, but it gave me hope, and I moved faster. I was able to make out certain shapes of rocks and of the tunnel. An incline went all the way to the surface. It wasn’t much taller than I was and about as wide as both my arms spread out.
The ground got steeper with each step I took. I was so tired, but the excitement about escaping helped me gain a second wind. I looked up and had to squint from the brightness. I was almost there. My heart raced. It was open, not closed off.
I stopped and took a deep breath. My whole body shook, and it took all I had not to fall to the ground in exhaustion. Very slowly, I poked my head above the ground. It was like a basement of some sort. Cement walls with no windows. I twisted around and looked, but didn’t see anyone.
I pushed down with my arms on the dirt floor, crawling out of my earthen prison. On my hands and knees, I moved about two feet away from the hole I climbed out of and fell down. Lying there, I waited for my breathing to slow down. Every muscle in my body ached.
I could hear shuffling of feet outside the large wooden door. I stiffened, scared that my captors caught me escaping. As quietly as I could, I stood up and made it to the wall, pressing my back up against it. I spotted another hole in the ground and shivered. I never wanted to go back down there. I wasn’t sure I’d ever sleep with all the lights off again after that experience.
I listened, but I couldn’t hear any more footsteps, so I grasped the doorknob and twisted it, holding my breath the whole time. Pulling back on the heavy door, I opened it about two inches before I realized I wasn’t alone.
I screamed and slammed the door shut. There was nowhere to go. The door flung open, pushing and throwing me to the ground.
“I wondered how long it would take you to figure out how to get out. It took your mother longer. Very impressive, really.”
I sucked in a breath. There was no escape.
– Jarak –
The sun rose over the mountain for the second day since they took Es. I hadn’t even slept. Every minute of the day and night, I searched, following every trail I found.
The light filtered onto his broken hand as he lay on the cold dirt. A low groan stirred in his throat as he tried to roll over. His ribs were unquestionably broken. Each movement caused him agony. He groaned again, giving me pleasure. The hunter had been vicious, especially when he told me how he hurt Es before taking her to Nicholas. I tortured him in return, making sure no part of him was unharmed.
His bruised right eye was nearly swollen shut. I kicked his broken hand with my boots, making him flinch. “I asked you a question. Where is she?”
With his good eye, he gazed up at me but said nothing.
“Kick em’ again,” Ailaina hollered from the cave’s entrance.
I took a quick glance over at her. “I told you to stay outside.”
She planted her hand on her hip and cocked her head. “I’m sorry, it’s not your best friend who’s been kidnapped and could be dying. I have a right to go where
ver and torture whoever I want.”
I shook my head. It was pointless to argue with her, and if it weren’t so serious, I would have laughed at her. She was a feisty, stubborn woman. Movement brought my attention back to the guy on the ground. He laid his cheek down on the cold ground. His breathing labored from his injuries. He would die, but I needed my answers first.
“In—the ground.” It was all he said before he took his last breath. Ugh! I needed to know where Nicholas’s house was.
Movement from around the entrance made me look up from the dirt ball. Maztic strolled over. “The others are dead.”
I heard him inside my head, but I spoke out loud, not caring if Ailaina heard me. “So is this one.” I kicked him in the ribs for good measure.
Ailaina squealed, holding her stomach. “Is he dead?”
I nodded at her and tried to ignore how she looked sick, focusing on Maztic. “All I got was that she’s in the ground. Tell me you got something better.”
“Actually I got a great deal better.”
I grabbed Ailaina’s arm and pulled her with me. The light blinded my tired eyes. I put on my shades as we walked together in the bright sunlight. Three more bodies lay on the ground. Blood pooled around them, soaking into the earth.
I looked around, nodding in approval. “Good job.” As far as I was concerned, they all deserved it for taking her.
“I think I’m gonna be sick.” Ailaina bent over, and dry heaved.
I smiled, as a Guardian, I saw a lot of death, and it amused me to see how she reacted. “I thought you just said you wanted to torture people?”
“Oh shut up.” She wiped her mouth and stomped off to the car.
Maztic stopped, looking up at me. “She’s in Zona Alta, in Barcelona.”
That was close. How did I not know he was this close? Well at least I knew where to go, and we weren’t too far… About a couple of hours away. We’d already tracked these scum hunters to Andorra, just north of Barcelona.
