Seven Wardens Omnibus

by Skye MacKinnon

  A chilling laugh filled the air and her heart sank. There was only one person that was going to be...

  WORKED IT OUT, LITTLE KELPIE?

  Macey shuddered, and the world went black.

  She jolted upright, taking in the dark cell around her. She was relieved the weird dream was over, not quite so much over her surroundings. After a few blinks, memories came rushing back in, and it all slotted into place.

  She was a prisoner.

  This was her cell.

  The Voice had her.

  "This is hopeless." Her voice came out as a whine and she instantly hated herself for it. She wasn't the kind of woman who'd just take what she was given. She could sort this out. She wasn't sure how, but damned if she was going to wait around to be saved. Her Wardens would have a field day if she did that.

  "I'd hardly say hopeless." The small squeaky voice broke through her inner misery, and made Macey jump. She glanced around the room a few times, trying to find where it'd come from. This voice hadn't sounded hostile, but what did she know? Nothing was as it seemed, according to her recent experiences.

  "Where are you?" she asked quietly.

  "On the windowsill," the voice replied instantly. Looking in the direction of the tiny window, that definitely wasn't big enough to warrant the name, Macey gave her own squeak of surprise.

  "You're a mouse." It was smaller than one of her hands, with dark brown fur and intelligent eyes.

  "Thank you, Captain Obvious," the mouse replied. "Though I much prefer Luch."

  "Is that your name?"

  "Of a sorts. It's what you can call me." It scratched behind one of its ears with a paw, studying her intently.

  "Why am I talking to a mouse?" she asked herself quietly.

  "Better than talking to yourself."

  And why was the mouse such a smart ass? She was hundreds of times bigger than he was, even with her tiny stature.

  "It just seems unlikely."

  "Says the walking, talking, water horse," it replied.

  Macey growled low in her throat. "Don't call me a water horse."

  "Don't call me a mouse then. I told you, I prefer Luch." It seemed pretty serious, and she didn't want to annoy the only thing she could talk to in this place.

  "Okay, I'm sorry, Luch. I'm just grumpy from being imprisoned and all."

  The mouse, no, Luch, chuckled. "You're not the only one. Though I think the other woman is nearly mad. She rocks a lot." Luch frowned.

  "Other woman?" Macey perked up. While being imprisoned herself wasn't exactly a good sign, if the other woman was Amber, then she might be able to turn this around. Being in the same place as the person she was trying to rescue was a good start. Even if she technically needed rescuing herself.

  "Yes, red hair, very skinny. Too much so for my tastes."

  Macey ignored the last comment. Not quite wanting to think about what kind of tastes a mouse could possibly have. But Amber didn't sound to be in good shape. And in the Voice's tender care, that wasn't a good sign. She tried to work out how long the Lightning Warden had been here, but she didn't recall Izban or Sharrara mentioning a specific time frame.

  One thing was for certain though, Macey needed to get out of here quickly. She needed to find the other woman and get her out too. And try not to go too crazy. If talking to Luch didn't already make that too late.

  "There's two men too. Whiny ones. I got bored of them, so I'm glad you're here now."

  "So where are we, exactly?"

  The mouse shrugged and Macey tried not to laugh despite the seriousness of the situation. Watching a mouse shrug was one of the most hilarious things she'd ever seen.

  "I was born here, never left the place. You're in the dungeon, and there's about twenty floors above you. It's a big castle, from what others say." He shrugged again. "I've never seen another one, so couldn't tell you if that's true."

  "Twenty floors? Yes, that's definitely big. Now, can you help me get out of here?"

  "Nah, I don't get involved. It's not worth the trouble."

  Macey sighed. Of course, it couldn't have been as easy as that. Otherwise Amber wouldn't still be here.

  "Come on, don't you want to see the world? You could come with me."

  Luch shook his little furry head and jumped down from the window sill, somehow managing not to hurt himself. "You're not the first to try and you won't be the last. I like my tail intact, so don't ask me again."

  He ran over the uneven stone floor and jumped through the bars at the other end of the cell.

  "Wait!" Macey called, but it was too late, the mouse had gone.

  Time passed very slowly. She knew the Voice would return. She knew she'd only be alone and undisturbed in this cell for so long. Of course, she'd tried opening the door to her cell, but even with her kelpie strength it didn't budge. And of course, she'd tried to use magic, but it was as if she was trying to grasp air, her magic just wouldn't listen to her commands. It was different from having it locked up inside her. She could still feel it, but she couldn't get a hold on it. No wonder Amber hadn't escaped yet. She'd been wondering about that. From the few things Izban had told them about Lightning, she was strong.

  Macey paced from wall to wall, counting her steps. The cell wasn't very large, six steps in each direction. The tiny window was the only source of light, and it was beginning to get dark outside. She'd tried to look out of the window, but it was too high up. There was no furniture she could have used to stand on, all she had was a filthy blanket she'd avoided even touching. It was a stereotypical dungeon, except that she didn't even get a bucket to do her business in. There was a small hole in the floor in one of the corners and Macey dreaded having to pee through there. Nobody had given her any water or food so far, so at least she could deal with that problem later.

  Although her stomach was starting to make itself noticeable. Somehow, she didn't think she'd get proper food here, but right now, she'd be grateful even for some bread.

  She sat down in the middle of the room which seemed to be the cleanest bit of the floor. It was getting cold in the cell, but the blanket wasn't tempting her yet. She could almost see the fleas living in it.

  It was strangely silent. No shouts, no talking, not even footsteps. Knowing the Voice, she had expected tortured screams, but of course she was glad she didn't have to hear those. From what Luch had said, there were at least three other prisoners, Amber and two men. Were the men connected to the Wardens somehow? Was one of them Air, perhaps? But according to the prophecy, Air was the last of the Wardens to join them, and who knew if it even was a male. It could be another woman.

  How long had she been here now? Macey wasn't sure. It could have been hours or days; after her dream experience earlier, she knew she couldn't assume anything in this place. Maybe this cell wasn't even real. Maybe she was still with her men, locked inside her mind, the Voice making her think that she was imprisoned. Everything was possible, and that scared her. She'd always been able to rely on her senses and her mind, but right now, she couldn't trust herself.

  There was a noise in the distance and she jumped to her feet. Better be ready.

  Footsteps were coming closer, but they stopped before they reached her cell. The sound of a door opening gave her hope. Was someone letting them out? Were her fellow Wardens here to rescue them?

  "Get up," a rasping voice said in the distance and her hopes evaporated into nothing. That didn't sound like someone friendly.

  "Get up, I said!"

  The sound of a slap on bare skin made Macey shiver. So, it wasn't just mental violence the prisoners here had to endure. Now she was hoping the man wouldn't come to her cell. She'd rather go hungry than be beaten.

  Something - perhaps someone - was dragged along the corridor, away from Macey. She didn't hear the cell door close, so she assumed whoever had been in there was now with the man. Soon, silence fell again. The last light outside disappeared and Macey was left in darkness, cowering in the middle of the cell, trying not to think of wh
at was happening to the other prisoner.

  Chapter 2

  Waiting was torture. Macey laughed at the thought. Could she really say that ever again, given what she'd been hearing during her stay here? It'd been a couple of days at the most, probably not even that, and yet she was sure she'd be affected by this for the rest of her life.

  When her Wardens had kidnapped her, she'd been annoyed at first. But ultimately, they'd treated her with nothing but respect and kindness. More than that when they were...

  No. Those thoughts weren't for here. She wasn't going to sully the memories by thinking about them in this godforsaken place.

  "Put off, put off, and row with speed,

  For now's the time, and the hour of need!"

  Macey sang to herself softly, her voice shaking with the strain. Remembering one of the old songs her mother used to sing to her was helping to drown out the screams and the pleas. She was suddenly very glad of her mother's love of folk songs.

  "One of the men was singing that," a familiar voice said, and she looked up to find Luch perched on the windowsill. She shouldn't be surprised, he only really disappeared when she tried to press him further on things.

  "Sorry?" She wasn't quite sure what he meant.

  "The song you were singing, Queen Mary's Escape from Loch Leven, if I'm not mistaken." He sounded very sure of himself, especially for a mouse.

  "What about it?" she asked, nodding her head.

  "One of the male prisoners. He was singing it. Well, humming more accurately. According to the other man, he shouldn't even try the singing."

  Macey perked up. That sounded a lot like how Bruce and Jerry would act. Bruce loved to sing under his breath but couldn't to save his life. And if the song he'd been humming had been Queen Mary, then it seemed likely that the men in question were her brothers. And if they were...

  "What do they look like?" she asked eagerly, hope welling up within her for the first time. She wasn't sure why. There was probably just as little she could do with her brothers down the hall, as she could by herself, but it was something to strive for. And hopefully, if it was them, she could get to the bottom of how they were involved in it all too.

  She really shouldn't get her hopes up.

  "Men," the mouse said, running its paw over its ear and scratching.

  "Not what I meant. Do they look like me?" she asked, heart pounding in her chest as she waited for the answer.

  "They're the same shape without the..." The mouse made a gesture around its chest, clearly intending to mean boobs. Despite herself, Macey laughed before firmly clamping her hand over her mouth. She didn't want the guards to hear her, or they'd likely come to investigate. Something that wasn't likely to end all that well for her and would certainly mean that Luch disappeared off to wherever he hid when he wasn't with her.

  "No, I mean hair, eyes, voice..." she trailed off, now worrying she'd completely got the wrong end of the stick. It'd wouldn't be good for her mentally if she thought she could save her brothers only for them to turn out to be complete strangers.

  That was uncharitable. Saving strangers wouldn't be a bad thing. Quite the contrary. But it also wouldn't be the same as saving her brothers.

  "I suppose so, yes. But they're a little bit...bigger than you."

  "Taller?" she asked eagerly. "Wider? Stronger? Are they kelpies too?" Why hadn't she thought to ask that sooner? Luch had known what she was, so it was to be expected that he knew what others were imprisoned here too. Her mind strayed to Amber again. She wondered what she was. It seemed unlikely she was just another mage, not from the way Izban was talking about her. But Macey couldn't think of any creature connected to lightning. Maybe her education was lacking in that respect. It wasn't like it affected her people at the bottom of their Loch.

  "Yes, yes, not anymore, and I think so. But their aura is a bit funny." Luch scrunched up his nose in a rather comical gesture.

  "Funny how?"

  Seconds seemed to drag as Macey waited for him to answer. But just when he was about to answer, the loud sound of boots thudding against a hard floor filled the room, and she froze in position. Luch did the same on the windowsill, while exchanging worried looks with her.

  "Go," Macey mouthed to him, and he nodded, waving goodbye with one paw and turning to disappear into the wall. Macey cocked her head to the side. Her life really had taken a turn towards the weird recently.

  She waited with baited breath as the boots approached, and something deep within her gut told her that this time she wasn't escaping. This time, it was her turn.

  Macey's blood turned to ice, and panic began to build within her. Even if there wasn't anything she could do, her fight or flight instinct kicked in. She wasn't naive enough to believe she was stronger than the guards. The Voice really wouldn't leave security in his prison to off chance. They'd outnumber her, and they'd probably be more powerful than her. Their magic likely wouldn't be blocked either.

  That just pissed her off. How dare the Voice kidnap her. Her men would be worried sick. And hopefully on their way. It'd save her so much time if they were already here and she didn't have to find them when she escaped.

  Plus, she'd need Flint and Cam to get her brothers back to the Loch. No matter how to blame they were or weren't, she wanted them out of the way.

  A scratching sound in the door confirmed Macey's fear. It really was her turn. Despite every instinct telling her to turn around, she refused. If this was going to be her last day, then she was going to give at least one last act of defiance.

  She wouldn't scream either. No matter what they did to her. Okay, that one was a lie. There'd no doubt come a point where she'd have to scream, but until then, not even a whimper would cross her lips.

  "Time to go, Princess," a male voice sneered. It was the same guard she'd heard before, and dread joined the panic.

  Instead of letting him drag her, she turned around and looked him in the eye. "Okay, lead the way."

  "Oh no, that's not how we do things here. Stretch out your hands."

  She only hesitated for a moment, but it was enough for the guard to backhand her. Her cheek was burning and she instinctively covered it with one hand - which the guard used to grab her by the wrist and put a bronze cuff around it.

  A shiver went through Macey. Bronze. Oh no. People thought iron was painful to supernaturals, but that was a rumour the fae had spread to protect themselves. In fact, it was bronze they were allergic to. The fae more than most other supernatural species, but for kelpies, it was almost as bad. It didn't hurt physically, but it blocked their magic and their ability to shift. The Voice really had to know a lot about kelpies to use bronze cuffs on her.

  Momentarily distracted by the empty feeling spreading through her chest, the guard took her other hand and clipped on the other cuff. He attached a thick rope to the shackles and without another word, started to walk out of the cell, dragging Macey behind him.

  She was weak from days without food and struggled to catch up. The fear of being dragged across the dirty ground was all that kept her going.

  They passed rows of cells. It was too dark to see if there were any prisoners in there, but if there were, they stayed quiet.

  Just when Macey thought that she wouldn't be able to walk for much longer without collapsing, they reached a staircase. Without warning, the guard grabbed her around the waist and threw her over his shoulder as if she was a sack of potatoes.

  "Oi!" Macey shouted but it came out as a whimper. She'd not had water since yesterday and her voice was suffering.

  In response, the man hit her hard on her bum. She whimpered again both in pain and humiliation. So far, none of the guards had touched her, but it looked like this particular one might be different. And right now, she was completely at his mercy. With her hands shackled, her magic blocked and not able to shift, there wasn't much she could do to defend herself should he start to grope her.

  He didn't put her back on the ground when they reached the end of the staircase, but inst
ead continued to carry her on his shoulder. His bones were pressing into her abdomen and it was getting harder for her to breathe. She was almost hoping that they'd reach their destination soon, even though she knew it would probably be worse than what she was going through right now.

  They - well, the guard - walked along a bleak corridor before turning right into a courtyard. Macey was expecting to see daylight, but instead, white mist surrounded them. It seemed even thicker than what she was used to from the Staran and it smelled strange... like something was rotting close by. Decay. She started breathing through her mouth, but even so she could taste the wrongness of the mist.

  The guard dropped her unceremoniously in the centre of the courtyard and bound the rope connected to her shackles to a pole next to them. She felt as if she was a dog being left behind while its owner did their shopping, and tears of humiliation burned in her eyes.

  How the waves did she end up here? And how could she escape?

  THERE IS NO ESCAPE, LITTLE KELPIE.

  The Voice was booming in her head, louder than ever. She instinctively wanted to cover her ears, but her hands were cuffed.

  "What do you want?" she asked feebly, realising how pathetic that sounded.

  OH, NOTHING IMPORTANT. ALL I NEED IS YOUR SOUL.

  He laughed and Macey thought her head would explode. It hurt so much. Stars were dancing in front of her eyes and her ears were pounding. She was almost hoping that she'd faint from the pain. At least then she wouldn't have to be conscious during whatever he was going to do with her.

  NO, YOU WILL STAY AWAKE. YOU WILL FEEL PAIN, YOU WILL FEEL FEAR. I NEED YOU TO SUFFER OR YOU WON'T BE ANY USE TO ME.

  "Why? How is that going to help you hurt the Staran?"

  She was feeling a bit like she was in a film by now. Keep the bad guy talking in the hope that he'll reveal his evil plans. Even if that meant taking those secrets to the grave.

  IS THAT WHAT YOU THINK? THAT I WANT TO DESTROY THE STARAN? OH LITTLE KELPIE, YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW WRONG YOU ARE.