by Jill Cooper
Everything else had been taken. Her memories, her knowledge of self and who she was. There was no identity, but only flashes that made up who she was. She couldn’t control these flashes; they came and went, leaving behind regret and a sense of betrayal.
A great battle, with dragons charging in the sky over a city far more advanced than the ones Temptress was used to. Men wore battle armor and drove machines of great power—flying mechanical birds—and fought for something greater than Temptress had knowledge of.
Great temples and fortresses where men cowered, and a long journey that never allowed sleep, a journey that would never end.
Temptress was on such a journey.
The red-cloaked ravengers in the sky welcomed her home. She dismounted her horse when she entered the tower and saw him to the stable. In the center of a room was a twisting staircase that went up hundreds of feet. Temptress dropped her robe, revealing only her black metal armor, then climbed the stairs, her feet clanking up each step with a deafening noise that traveled with impunity.
The prison cells were filled with people, those not protected by the walls of cities and homesteads. Temptress searched for someone, but she wasn’t sure who, she just knew she needed to find someone. Temptress only knew she had a vendetta against the one named Creighton and one day, she would find a way to the Civilized Lands and a way to end him.
She headed to visit her great conquest, storming toward his prison cell, but first she watched as a group of ravengers grabbed a man in a cage. He fought against them, screaming, clawing his fingers into the dirt of his cell floor. His strength was no match for her beauties and Temptress smiled as they dug their fangs into his body.
Soon, they’d be done. Soon they’d reduce his life force to ash and he would become one of the next ravengers. Her beauties, her babies; they would be family.
They would do her bidding.
One of the ravengers separated from the others, wiping his skeleton hands free of the man’s blood. What is it you need from us, Mistress?
“I need an army. One that will oppose Creighton. Things are in motion, things are moving, it’s our time to strike and claim what he stole from us.”
The ravengers nodded in agreement. And Temptress continued up the spiraling staircase toward her throne room. Overseeing a bunch of ravengers wasn’t her idea of a kingdom, and for centuries Temptress had been waiting far too patiently. The time was now to strike and seize control, bring order out of the chaos and unite against the destruction of Creighton and the civilized.
Passing her pewter throne, Temptress came to the prison cell containing her new toy. Temptress unlocked the door to George’s cell and watched as it swung open under the mercy of her magic. In the back corner, George sat, arms wrapped around his knees, head ducked low, but he wasn’t asleep. Even from the prison door, Temptress could hear his breathing and the quickening of his heart.
She entered without a word, twirling the staff in her hand until it pointed out straight at him. When she was within striking distance, George lifted his head. His eyes caused her pause because they held defiance and might. More than she’d expected from a common civilized man.
“Do what you will to me, but I won’t answer any questions. I won’t do anything that you ask me to because the mission is greater than her. It’s greater than me.”
“How much is your soul worth to you, George Tippin?” That caused him to pause, but instead of answering, he lowered his head down back to his arm. His strength would lead him to cower and be afraid of her, Temptress knew of that. She had seen it before, in a memory she could barely reach.
Fine then, if George wouldn’t answer, then Temptress would be forced to do her worst. “Abby Taylor sends her regards.”
And with a mighty thrust of her staff against his flesh, she got to work on destroying a man’s soul.
