Midnightstar (Creatures of the Lands Book 5)
Page 20
Jade gasped. The Strength? The legendary power of some fairies to control the Lands, and everyone in it? That must’ve been how Aravon got the Ortusans to cooperate with each other. Nobody else ever could, until Aravon forced them to, and eventually Sanctus Cruor had grown so big he hadn’t needed to use the Strength, because Ortusans had started to come of their own accord.
“I could kill three bears at the same time and you know it, without even hinting at the Strength,” Aravoni retorted.
“Prove it!” Carmilya hissed.
“Oh, I will.” Aravoni turned to one of the guards, completely forgetting about interrogating Jade. “Bring me three bears. Big bears.”
“Right away, your highness.” The guard bowed and left immediately, off to fetch the bears. Aravon leapt off his throne, falling down to the floor and landing squarely on his feet. A drop like that should’ve broken his legs, but the Bloodluster brushed it off casually.
“You won’t be able to do it,” Carmilya taunted, stepping off her throne as well to fall beside Aravon. Now that the Bloodluster was closer, Jade could see the deep caramel streaks that ran through her dark hair.
“Carmilla...” Jade whispered. The Ortusan from her father’s stories. It had to be. This was the false wolf, turned Bloodluster, who had lured Kia and her friends into a coven long ago in an attempt to kill them. How Carmilla had managed to meet Aravon, Jade had no idea, but now they had teamed up and managed to control every Ortusan in the Lands. She wasn’t a god, either.
“Yes, I will,” Aravon retorted. “I’m stronger than you ever were.”
“You’re still a child,” she replied. “I have lived for hundreds of years, and know the true nature of everything. I have the wisdom of age.”
“Funny. You act like some sort of dimwit,” Aravon commented.
“You little pipsqueak!” Carmilla dove forward and tackled Aravon, taking his long hair into her hands and yanking it tight. “I’ll kill you!”
Aravon screamed and lashed out at her with his claws, digging into her arms. “Get off of me!” he shouted, picking her up and throwing her across the room. She was pitched into a table and vase, which both crashed to the floor. None of the guards made a move, as if Aravon and Carmilla physically fighting was something that happened every day.
“I hate you,” she growled from her place on the floor. Aravon walked to her and reached out a hand to help her up. Surprisingly, she took it.
“The feeling’s mutual,” he replied, daggers shooting out of his eyes. He stared at her intently, and she stared back, until Aravon lunged forward and placed a kiss upon Carmilla’s lips.
Carmilla jerked away, slapping him hard across the face, raking his cheek with her claws. “How dare you!”
Aravon didn’t say a word, just stared up at her silently. She locked eyes with him, practically daring him to blink, but he didn’t. Without another moment’s hesitation, she grabbed the front of his shirt, ripped him to her side, and kissed him back.
Ugh. What is up with these two? Jade thought, looking at them in disgust. They were still attached to one another when the guards returned with three bears wearing shackles and collars attached to long chains.
“We can come back later,” one guard muttered, beginning to turn around.
“Get off me!” Aravon yelled, pushing Carmilla to the floor. “And you! Get back here!”
Carmilla stood up and brushed herself off, smoothing her gown. “I don’t think you can do it,” she said, her voice taking on the condescending tone it had held earlier.
“Get ready to be wrong,” he replied.
Aravon watched the guards carefully as they dragged the three bears to the center of the room. “These are large bears.”
“Yes sir, you asked for three of the biggest, remember?” a guard answered. “Shall we unshackle them?”
Jade suppressed a snicker as Aravon stared at the creatures. He glanced to Carmilla, who wore a smug smile on her face. “Yes. Unshackle them.”
The guards set to work and the bears, realizing they were being freed, began to get antsy. They moved back and forth on their feet, pure rage boiling within. They didn’t say anything, but it was clear they wanted revenge.
“Stop this madness!” Carmilla snapped loudly. “Just take them out of here!”
“No! I must prove my superiority!” Aravon barked back.
“No! They will be returned to their cells immediately,” Carmilla retorted. The guards just stood where they were, unsure of what to do, the bears half-shackled and waiting.
“What are you waiting for? Set them loose!” Aravon ordered.
The bears tore out of their chains before the guards could get the last of the shackles off. They ambled towards Aravon as fast as they could, mouths foaming, roaring their rage. As they drew closer and closer, an expression of fear came into Aravon’s eyes. The first bear who reached him he dispatched quickly, using his claws to rip out its throat, but as the other two drew near Aravon raised his hand and cried, “Halt!”
The two bears immediately stopped what they were doing and stuck to the ground, as if they’d been caught in quicksand. They appeared angry, but couldn’t move, groaning and growling their discomfort.
So it’s true, Jade said, dread filling her bones. He does have the Strength. We’re all doomed. She wondered why Aravon didn’t use the Strength to make her tell him where her brother was, but she figured it must not work that way. He could make creatures do what he asked physically, but he couldn’t make anyone tell him something they wanted to keep secret, otherwise, he would’ve done it by now. How inconvenient for him.
Aravon turned to the guards. “Take the beasts away. I don’t want to look at them any longer.”
The guards did as told. Only when they had been shackled once more did Aravon set them free from their magical bond.
As if it was her fault that he’d cowered from the bears at the last minute, Aravon glared at Carmilla. “Why did you have to spoil the fun like that?”
“You were the one who cheated.” She watched as the guards dragged the dead bear off, leaving a bloody trail on the floor. She licked her lips hungrily.
“Because I knew you couldn’t handle watching the fight,” Aravon bluffed.
“There was murder in their eyes,” she responded.
“We can’t die,” Aravon retorted. “They wouldn’t be able to hurt me no matter how hard they tried.”
“What if we aren’t as invincible as you think?” she questioned. “We may be Bloodlusters, but we can still be killed.”
“What are you talking about?” Aravon shook his head. “We can’t be killed, no matter how hard anyone tries. You’re being ridiculous.”
Carmilla stared at the pool of blood on the floor. “You’re right.”
She seemed to remember that Jade and the gray wolf were still in the room. Waving her hand, she cried, “Take these two to the dungeons, until we can devise a way of getting what we need out of them.”
A guard standing close by brutally snatched Jade off the ground. Another guard grabbed the gray and both wolves were dragged back down the same hallway from before, and then another, darker hallway, carpeted in a dark purple. The only light came from small groupings of fireflies that had been trapped in glass globes in various spots on the walls. Huge doors locked with thick chains lined the hallway, and the sound of screaming could be heard from behind most of them.
The guards dragged them to a door about halfway down the long hall, taking off their shackles and throwing them inside a dank room. Jade fell upon the gray wolf as they tossed her in, and the door snapped shut.
Chapter Sixteen
All the Pretty Little Colors
“Get off of me,” the gray wolf whined. “I’ve been through enough.”
“Sorry.” Jade clambered to her feet and looked around. “It’s not my fault they dropped me there.”
“I guess I can’t blame you.” The gray wolf licked absentmindedly at her wounds. “I’m Kaliska.”
“This whole place is terrible,” Kaliska groaned. “And the monsters who built it are even worse. I was just minding my own business trying to find food, and they grabbed me. Apparently some idiot wolves were trying to masquerade as Ortusans.”
“I’m no idiot,” Jade growled.
“So you’re the one that got me into this mess?” Kaliska snapped. “Why don’t you just tell them to let me go, since I wasn’t involved in this scheme?”
“I don’t think they’ll listen to reason very well, in case you haven’t noticed.” Jade flopped onto her stomach. “I’m fairly certain they’d eat me before listening to what I have to say.”
“It doesn’t mean you can’t try,” Kaliska muttered, placing her head on her paws.
“I’m sorry you got pulled into this mess,” Jade replied. “I wanted to save my brother, so I let myself be captured so he could get away. I would’ve helped you, too, but it seems it’s too late for that.”
“It’s not like I have anywhere to go,” Kaliska whimpered. “Snapfoot doesn’t care about me like I thought.”
“Wait...Snapfoot?” Jade perked up. “Is he a leader? No older than me?”
“Yes. He’s the leader of my pack. Or what used to be my pack,” Kaliska said sadly. “He told me I was a waste of space, so I left.”
“The Snapfoot I know wouldn’t do that,” Jade said, shaking her head.
“What was he to you?” Kaliska asked sharply. “A mate that got away?”
“He’s my brother. I haven’t see him in ages,” Jade replied. “It seems like forever since we were last together.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. Losing family is always hard.” Kaliska stared at stains on the wall and fell silent.
Jade tucked her head into her tail and tried to sleep, but it eluded her. She was far too anxious about what the Ortusans would do to her when they returned.
After a while, Jade was pacing again. She was unable to sleep with the sounds of those suffering plaguing every corner. The screams of what she believed to be a rabbit were louder than any other creature. He would cry out in pain, his voice never forming actual words. Jade listened closely, hoping that he could tell her something that could help her get out, or at least of what her fate would be, but all she heard were his tortured cries.
“Would you please stop walking around like that?” Kaliska complained. “You’re making me nervous.”
“I’m trying to think of a way out of here,” Jade replied.
“Can’t you just admit that there is no way out?” Kaliska snapped. “We’re going to die here.”
“Sorry that I like to think positive.” Jade sat down, her spirit crushed by the negativity of her cell mate.
“Thinking positively only got me hurt,” Kaliska said. “It caused my mate to get killed, and my second pack to reject me. I’m done with being positive. It’s time to be realistic, and accept our fate.”
“There has to be a way out of here,” Jade mumbled. “They didn’t kill us right away, which means they don’t intend to. At least, not for awhile.”
“All they want to do is torture us so they can figure out where your friends are,” Kaliska muttered.
“They won’t get anything out of me,” Jade growled. “You can be sure of that.”
“Why would you defend the wolves who left you behind?” Kaliska asked. “Why stand by your brother when he ran out the first chance he got?”
“He ran because I told him to,” Jade said. “I let myself be taken so he wouldn’t get caught. He wouldn’t leave me here.”
“Why?” Kaliska questioned. “You had a chance to live, and you let it go. Why?”
“Because that’s what you do for your family,” Jade replied. “You give your own life, so that they may live.”
Jade perked up her ears as the sound of foreboding voices drifted to her ears. “That’s Aravon! He’s coming to get us.”
“Now the torture begins,” Kaliska said, wobbling to her feet. She didn’t look very strong. Jade doubted she’d last long.
“I’m sorry you got dragged into this, Kaliska,” Jade said softly. “I really am.”
“It’s not your fault. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Kaliska replied. “I don’t blame you, considering all you did was give yourself up.”
Jade went to respond, but the door to the cell opened wide to reveal the grinning, cruel face of Aravon. “So, are you two going to talk? Or are we going to have to do this the hard way?”
Both wolves sneered at him. “The hard way really is the only way,” Jade growled.
Aravon’s face twisted with rage. He grabbed both of their scruffs and lifted them into the air, his sharp claws digging into their pelts.
“You’ll talk,” Aravon hissed. “And I know just the way.”
Aravon dragged the she-wolves through the hallway, scaling down two flights of stairs to an area deep within the palace. The only light in this part of the palace was a few tiny candles, with barely any wick left to burn. Jade wondered if she’d ever see the light of the sun again.
He took them to a large, wooden door. Screaming animals were carved crudely into its surface, and wax from the candle above dripped onto their upturned faces. Aravon kicked the door in easily and threw them inside.
Jade went tumbling head over heels and landed on her side, Kaliska collapsing beside her. Aravon walked inside and shut the door. “Oddvar! Get some light in here!”
“Right away, master,” a raspy, broken voice answered. Six candles at the back of the room came alive as an odd-looking Ortusan shuffled into the room. He was missing teeth, and his knees were bent the wrong way, quivering as they struggled to support his hunched, crooked back.
“What brings the master to my chamber today? The master is never here,” Oddvar said, cocking his head to one side and giving a ghoulish cackle.
“I need information from these two flea bags.” Aravon pointed to the wolves. “I know you can make them talk.”
“Ah, yes. I can get information for the master.” Oddvar smiled, showing his three rotten, remaining teeth. “What must you know?”
“I can ask the questions. You just do what you do best,” Aravon replied with a nasty grin. He latched onto Jade, throwing her at Oddvar’s feet. “We don’t have time to waste. This one first.”
Oddvar bent down to look at her. “You are a pretty one, aren’t you?” Oddvar asked, cackling as he stroked her head. “Such a pretty coat your fur would make.”
Jade snapped at him, but he was faster than he looked. Oddvar snatched her with one hand and held her muzzle closed with the other.
“This one is rather difficult to deal with,” Aravon said, raking her with his eyes.
“I can break her, master.” Oddvar picked Jade up, carrying her to a long, stone table. He strapped her onto it with rough strips of leather, pulling a knife from his jacket. “Such a shame that I must ruin this perfect pelt.”
“I don’t care, as long as it works,” Aravon hissed, glancing at Jade. “You know what I want, so if you tell me now, we can stop this.”
“Let him do what he will,” Jade growled. “You won’t make me talk.”
Oddvar cackled, lowering the knife to her flesh. Jade bit back a scream as Oddvar sawed away at her fur and skin, exposing bloody bits of muscle along her spine.
“Anything to say now, deary?” Oddvar asked.
“Not a word,” Jade replied through clenched teeth. She looked to Kaliska. The gray wolf was huddled in a corner, her face buried in her paws.
Oddvar held a candle above her. Jade screamed as a drop of hot wax fell at the base of her neck, singing the exposed flesh.
“What a pretty scream,” Oddvar said as he dangled the candle above her. “Let’s hear it again, shall we?”
He tipped the candle over and the red wax fell in tiny
drops upon her back. She could smell the burning flesh as the wax melted away at her wounds, the remnants of the candle mixing with her blood. Jade screamed again, but she uttered no words for him.
Oddvar continued his task, laughing as he poured the wax upon her, putting out the flame of the candle on her skin. Jade dug her claws into the table, yapping and howling like a pup, her body going rigid.
“Anything you want to tell me?” Aravon asked.
Jade didn’t answer. She simply laid there, letting the tears fall from her eyes.
“I don’t have time for this!” Aravon said, losing his patience and stomping out of the room! “Let me know if they say anything useful!”
He stormed out, leaving Oddvar to his work.
“It seems I need a new candle,” Oddvar said, throwing the remnants of one to the floor, grabbing a candle with purple wax. “This is a pretty color.”
Jade stared at Kaliska, begging for help. The purple wax fell, and Jade’s voice rose up in screams once more.
“What are you hiding for, darling?” Oddvar asked, stroking her face. “Tell Oddvar, and the pain will go away.”
Jade whimpered, but said nothing. Unable to take it anymore, Kaliska rose to her feet. “She won’t talk because she doesn’t know!” the she-wolf shouted, growling at Oddvar.
“What do you mean?” Oddvar turned to face her, a twinkling curiosity in his eyes.
“She doesn’t know where they went. Only I know that,” Kaliska replied bravely, taking a few steps towards Oddvar.
“Are you going to tell me?” Oddvar asked, his voice raspy and low as he sunk into a crouch.
“I don’t think I should,” Kaliska said. “It’s supposed to be a secret, you know.”
“Oh yes, I know,” Oddvar hissed, grinning lopsidedly. “But I also know how to make you talk.”
“Go ahead and try,” Kaliska growled. “You won’t get a word out of me.”
“That’s what you say now.” Oddvar reached for Kaliska, but the wolf lashed out her fangs, digging them into the Ortusan’s hand. Oddvar let out a hideous scream, grasping his wrist and sinking to the floor. He coughed, spittle trickling from his foul lips before collapsing onto the ground, twitching once or twice before he died.