by Bone, K. L.
His chest was streaked with lines of blood. A thin, silver blade was clutched in the hand of the beautiful creature who laid upon him. Sandra’s gaze followed the bloody lines from the man’s open chest to his face and found herself staring into his dark gaze.
The whips whistled through the air, pulling Sandra again from the strange vision. The room had fallen to silence as the man chained on the table gave a deep moan. Sweat poured from his skin, mixing with the ever increasing amount of blood which had began to run from the table in a constant stream. She searched her memory, but no answer came. The whips struck again, and this time, he was unable to suppress his screams. Sandra’s heart cried out at the sound, yet she did not know why. Another scream shattered the room and she had to resist the urge to scream with him. She closed her eyes, but it was only to see the same man, being slowly cut by the blade of a woman Sandra had never seen before.
The whips again rose in the air. Without thought or understanding, she took several steps forward before breaking into a run. Before the guards realized it, Sandra reached the table and threw herself across the injured man. The whips crashed against her body, cutting through her blouse and sinking into the thin flesh of her back. Her high pitched scream rang through the room, echoing down the halls before finally reverberating back towards her with an almost living force.
Blood slid across her back, running down to mingle with that of the man tied beneath her. Her back felt like it had been lit on fire. As a second stroke came down upon her from half of the whips, the guards had moved into the next stroke before realizing what had happened. The second stroke slid past the ragged tatters of her shirt, pulling more flesh from her body. Her vision swam. The pain was nauseating.
Regald bolted to her side. “Sandra,” he whispered in horror.
She heard his voice as though from a distance. “No more,” she said as the world began to dim. “No more.”
Chapter III
Sandra awoke in complete agony. The lines of ruined skin burned with fire from the antiseptic which had been slathered over the open wounds before her back had been bound in thick, white bandages. She started to rise from the bed where she had been laid facedown, but then thought better of it as she experienced a searing pain with the contraction of each muscle. She took several deep breaths before trying again, this time moving more cautiously.
Slowly moving herself to a seated position, Sandra found herself facing the deep green of her fiancé’s eyes. At just over six feet, Prince Darek was a handsome man. His skin held a healthy bronze tan which matched his sandy brown hair, just a shade darker than blond. He wore a pair of black slacks with a long-sleeved royal blue shirt that was kept closed with buttons of silver which matched the simple silver chain he wore loosely around his neck.
“Sandra,” Darek began. “What? Why?” He shook his head, but seemed unable to continue.
“I don’t know,” she answered. “Darek, I really don’t know. I just… Is he still alive?”
“Yes. He was returned to his cell after you fainted.” A hint of anger entered her fiancé’s voice. “You threw yourself over him and you don’t know why?” He shook his head. “I know you can’t remember much of your past, but this…”
“Look, Darek…I don’t know!” Her voice sounded strained. “I don’t know what I saw. I don’t know who he is. I don’t know why I threw myself over him.” She jerked upright, then regretted it, hissing in pain.
“Look, stop,” the Prince said. “Lie back down and rest. I’ll send someone in to give you something to help with the pain.” He stood swiftly from his seated position and walked towards the door.
Sandra sat quietly on the bed. When she managed to find a position that was bearable, she attempted to close her eyes, but did not find the quiet dreams she longed for.
Instead she found herself back in the garden, the roses so vivid in her mind that she could smell their sweet aroma. A light breeze slid across her skin, moving her hair slightly in its gentle breath. She opened her eyes and stared across her fiancé’s room. She could still smell the roses.
Chapter IV
The past was a forbidden subject, even in the privacy of Mara’s mind. Yet she could not prevent her thoughts from wandering into that forbidden realm. It had been nearly eight hundred years since Mara had first taken her vows, foreswearing her life to the service of the courts. The day she had achieved the rank of Sub-Captain within the Ciar Guard had been the proudest of her life. But it was a rank that she would hold for only a few short years before tragedy would force her to leave the court and swear the remainder of her life to the Order of the Black Rose.
Garreth, Phillip, Mathew, Brendan and Regald had once formed the core leadership of the Black Rose. They had followed Mara without thought or question into what some would come to call the greatest victory that any immortal court would ever hold over another. Philip had been her second in command. Philip, who would forever walk along the sparkling ocean sands in the deepest recess of Mara’s memories.
As the limousine pulled up in front of the tall black gates of the Arum Court, Mara ignored the driver’s rush to reach her side and opened the door to the long, dark car. She had made this trip unaccompanied, which was unusual for one of her rank and title. Yet, in this instance, Mara felt she should attempt to keep a low profile. It would not do to voice her fears if they proved unfounded.
Mara entered the grounds of the Arum Court quietly, offering the two men guarding the door a smile as she approached. “Hello,” she said to the two men in black jeans and loosely fitted, long sleeved red shirts. “My name is Mara Sethian. I am here to speak with Captain Regald.”
The guard closest to Mara removed a phone from his pocket and called who Mara assumed to be someone in the palace. A few moments later, he motioned for her to follow him through the iron gates and into the doors beyond. They walked in silence down the long, wide corridors, painted in deep reds and royal blues and lined with famous paintings along the walls. Walking briskly, Mara passed through corridor after corridor before finally coming to the darker, stone hallways of the Arum Court Dungeons.
Dressed in a crimson shirt tucked neatly into slacks with his silver sword hidden in a black leather sheath, Captain Regald stood against the stone wall with a troubled expression. His blond hair was cropped short and his eyes were closely knit together. “So, it really is you,” Regald said to the Captain he had once served. “I had half hoped it was an imposter, so that I could have cut their tongue for lying.”
“Now what could possibly have put you in a cutting mood? Has someone done something they were not supposed to?”
“Now, Mara,” Regald said in a light tone that did not match his hardened expression. “Surely, whatever happened here did not rise to the level of warranting your personal attention.”
Mara looked into his green eyes. “So, he is here.”
Regald sighed. “I expected they would send someone. But I did not know it would be you.”
Mara considered him for a moment and then said, “Liar.”
Regald nodded. “Yes. But it is the expected answer.”
“Where is he?”
“I had to follow orders, Captain Mara.”
“Oh no,” she shook her head, keeping her tone as calm as possible, motioning to the small black rose etched into his crimson shirt. “You know better. You would never have carried out these orders.”
He cleared his throat. “Orders were given…”
“Then perhaps it is time to start following the orders of someone who knows what is good for you.”
“What are you doing here, Mara? You came for Edward? You can’t even be in the same room with him! He’s not…”
Mara’s sword was at Regald’s throat before he knew she had moved. “You will not speak a word against Captain Edward. Not in my presence.” Her voice was far too calm. “Do you understand me, Captain?”
“Yes,” he replied, working hard to remain perfectly still under Mara’s silver blade.
“In a cell, my Lady.”
“Take me to him.” She lowered her sword and sheathed it as silently as it had been drawn. “Take me to him, now.”
“As you wish, Captain Mara.” The Arum Captain turned, motioning for a pair of nearby guardsmen to open the tall stone doors which marked the entrance to the dungeon cells beyond. The man on the left side of the doors, also in a dark red shirt, stepped forward.
“I would be honored to escort Captain Mara, my Lord. I was about to take new bandages down anyway.”
Mara’s heart skipped a beat at the word bandages. “I would be grateful if you would, Nolan,” Mara said to the man who had spoken. She had met the younger man almost ten years earlier. He was one of Mara’s favorites among the Arum Guard. He was a tall man of pale skin, green eyes and dirty blond hair.
Nolan moved to the desk on the far side of the room and grabbed several stacks of bandages before walking back and entering the doors to the dungeons. Mara followed closely behind him, her wide black heels echoing across the stone corridor. A chill filled the damp air surrounding them, causing Mara’s black shirt to cling to the pale skin. As they rounded the corner, Mara paused.
“Nolan,” she said, her voice crawling along the silent walls surrounding them. “How bad?”
“It was bad,” came his reply. He then turned to glance at her. “Really bad. He…” Nolan’s eyes gazed directly into Mara’s. “I’ve seen worse, but it just…wasn’t good.” He turned forward again and Mara followed him down several more turns of the dank labyrinth. They finally came to a large stone door which Nolan opened with a jingle of silver keys.
They entered the room quietly. Edward’s still form lay on the cold slab of grey stone, covered by a thin blanket. Nolan walked around the table and knelt down to address the injured man. “Captain Edward.”
“Nolan,” Edward said, acknowledging him. The single word was enough to make Mara’s breath catch in her throat. Her gaze slid over Edward’s still form; the long ebony hair, the pale skin and the toned muscles. Then Nolan slid back the blanket, revealing the long strips of pink bandages that covered the entirety of Edward’s back.
“Just going to change these,” Nolan told Edward who did not move from his still position. Carefully, Nolan pulled back the blood-soaked layers, revealing the ravaged skin beneath. Edward’s back was covered with long, precise bloody streaks. The flesh open like a raw steak split by a butcher.
Mara remained still, her heart thundering in her chest at the sight of Edward’s injuries. Edward hissed as the thick, white salve was both removed and reapplied to the long, open cuts. Fresh blood seeped to the surface of several wounds as Nolan began to re-cover the injuries, dying the thick strips a faint pink.
When he was finally finished, Nolan pulled the blanket back over Edward’s body. “Forgive me, Captain. You have someone who would like to see you.”
Edward started to rise when Mara said, “No.” She drew a deep breath. “Please, Captain. Do not rise on my account.”
Edward froze. The muscles in his back visibly tightened. Several moments of dead silence filled the room. Then Edward said, “Mara.”
She walked forward slowly, her heels shattering the silence surrounding them. When she aligned herself with his vision, Mara lowered her gaze to meet Edward’s for the first time in six hundred years. “Mara?” His voice held a tone of disbelief.
She stared into the darkest eyes she had ever known. Her voice was a strangled whisper. “Edward.”
“What are you…” He did not finish the sentence. “You are here. You came.”
“Of course I came.” Hot tears rose to the surface of Mara’s eyes. She closed them and was haunted by the image of the woman who had stood by Edward’s side all those years ago; the long dark hair, the violet eyes. Mara fought back the unexpected emotions and shook her head to clear the vision. She opened her eyes. “I am taking you out of here, Edward.” She turned towards Nolan and commanded, “Assist the Captain to his feet.”
Nolan did not question her order, but instead moved to Edward’s side and helped him rise, allowing Edward to lean against him. “Mara,” Edward cautioned. “You can’t just walk out…”
“Watch me.”
They walked unhurriedly down the dungeon corridors. Halfway down the tunnels, Edward began to stumble. Mara caught him, moving to his left side, opposite of Nolan. The doors opened before them and they walked out of the cold hallway and into the room beyond.
“What are you doing here?” a guard Mara did not recognize asked them. “Why is he out of his cell?”
“Because he is coming with me.” Mara searched the room for Regald, but he was nowhere to be found. She leaned Edward against the stone wall before turning to address the unfamiliar guard. Mara pulled a small, rose-shaped badge from the silver chain she wore under her shirt and flashed it at the guard. “Black Rose.”
The man took half a step back in surprise. Then he bent to one knee, lowering his gaze toward the floor. “Forgive me, Captain. I did not realize.”
“Help us out of here and consider it forgiven,” Mara told the kneeling man. He rose instantly and assisted Nolan in supporting Edward. The foursome walked slowly down the colorful halls beyond before finally emerging into the sunlight. The limousine in which Mara had arrived was awaiting her return. Nolan helped Edward into the car before sliding in after him. Mara gave a brief word of thanks to the other guard before entering the limousine herself. When they reached the palace gates, they were waved through—no questions asked.
Edward’s breath was shallow as he leaned back in considerable pain. “Mara, I…”
“It’s all right.” She soothed him. “Try to sleep. It will be less painful if you do.” Mara gave Edward the full weight of her gaze. “I’ve got you.” Edward closed his eyes at her words, allowing Mara to shift her attention to the younger man.
“Captain Regald left on purpose,” he informed her. “He’s too smart to put himself between you and the King.”
“If that was true,” Mara replied, “then he never would have touched the Captain of another guard. Especially not this one.”
“Come on, Mara. Should he really have known that you would come for him?”
Mara fought to draw a tight breath. She let it out slowly, her gaze shifting involuntarily to the man beside her. Her eyes closed of their own accord.
Edward stood in a crisp white shirt with silver buttons and ruffled sleeves. A beautiful young woman dressed in a pale blue gown stood gracefully on his arm, her long dark hair blowing softly in the wind. Her gentle laughter, the essence of joy.
Mara opened her violet eyes. “I will always come for him.”
Chapter V
Mara knocked on the tall stone door. A few moments later, it was opened by a man with sandy brown hair and matching eyes. In a bright red t-shirt and black slacks, the man offered a quizzical look that lasted for several long moments before recognition seemed to settle upon his tall frame. He stepped back, motioning for Mara to enter the room.
“Hello, Jake,” Mara said to the Sub-Captain of the Ciar Guard.
“See, I knew you would rather see me than Edward.” He flashed Mara his best smile.
“Actually, I came with Edward.”
Jake’s smile disappeared as though in slow motion. “Sorry…would you say that again?”
“I came with Edward.”
Jake gave a hard swallow and took a step back from the slightly taller woman. “Mara, what the hell is going on?”
“Edward was a captive of the Arum Court. I got him out. It’s a bit of a long story as to why. Nolan of the Arum Guard is here and he can fill you in on the details.” She drew a deep breath. “But the question that I want to know is this. What the hell happened to cause the Arum Court to think that they could take the Captain of the Ciar Guard hostage and not pay a price for doing so? Doesn’t matter what they believed Edward’s crime to be, this crossed a fucking line!”
&nb
sp; “Wait.” Jake put up his hands in the shape of a ‘T.’ “Where is Edward?”
“In the next room. He slept through most of the flight. They…” Her breath caught in her throat and she struggled to finish the statement. “They tortured him, Jake. Whips…” Mara twisted her head toward the bedroom door. “Let’s go see him?”
Jake nodded. The two walked out of the room and down the hall until they reached the Captain’s private chambers. Two men stood outside the door, both dressed in black from head to toe. The guards nodded as they approached, motioning them through a set of tall, stone doors.
Built deep into the mountains, the Captain’s chambers featured walls of pale grey stone. A large bed sat in the center of the room where Edward lay, covered with thick blankets which were used to fight off cold nights experienced within the mountain tunnels. Over the years, many members of the guard had moved out of these ancient sanctuaries for a more modern form of living. However, the Royal Guard steadfastly remained.
The room was lit by a large fire which provided both warmth and light to the vast room. Jake moved forward quietly while Mara remained in the back. When Jake reached the bed, he eased back the blankets which covered Edward’s ravaged back. Jake took in his Captain’s injuries for several moments before replacing the blanket.
“You know, Captain, our men have not had a decent excuse to openly engage the Arum Court in a few centuries. I don’t suppose you feel like telling me who, exactly, is responsible for these injuries?”
“We are not going to war over this, Jake. Do you hear me?”
Silence followed as Edward and Jake stared each other down. Then Jake asked, “Do you want to tell her instead?”
Mara stood on the opposite side of the room in tight jeans and a scoop neck shirt. Her long hair was pulled back and held in place with a thin, silver band. A silver rose mark was embroidered onto her shirt and a thick, silver necklace encircled her slender throat supporting a large diamond cut in the shape of a white rose. Even her violet eyes had a touch of silver near their center, a mere glint in the darkness. She stood perfectly still, her right hand on the hilt of her silver blade, hidden in a black leather sheath tied to her left hip.
