The Labyrinth King (The Labyrinth Series Book 1)

by L. J. Serafin

  I walked forward towards them. The people pushed against me, but I weaved on.

  I felt my power surface up, the enchantress begging to be formed, I held her at the edge. The lavender scarf whipped behind me in the wind. A dark pink glow emitted from my skin and I saw people’s eyes widen as I passed them. They parted, making room for me with fear in their eyes.

  Finally, I reached the end. The six men in black hoods stopped as they saw me. Blades drawn.

  I kept my enchantress features hidden as I emitted my power forward towards them. Six people were a stretch, more than I had ever done before. It obeyed, but the push was difficult. It hit them each simultaneously. The blades loosened in their hands. I smiled, withdrawing my dagger behind my back as I stalked forward to them.

  Suddenly, I felt something wrap around my wrist. My power disappeared, snuffed out like a candle. I turned with a growl, pulling my wrist back against those hands. The yellowed eyes of a large, red-haired man met mine, his black hood pulled back as he snarled back at me.

  Then the world went dark.

  Chapter 38

  You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.

  Kidnapped again. This was fucking bullshit.

  Light came to me. I was on a boat. I could feel it rock beneath me as I sat. My arms were tied behind my back around a pole. I could see men walking around the ship, pulling sails and tying knots. They chattered to themselves and hadn’t noticed I was awake.

  The sun was lowering in the sky, becoming evening. My view from the pole was limited, only the ship’s deck was visible. I couldn’t see over the sides, couldn’t see how far we had traveled. Labyrinth City could be right behind me, or it could be miles away already.

  The anger rose in me quickly, my power pounding through me to turn me into the man-eater. I was DONE being picked up and carried off like some fucking damsel.

  A man stepped in front of me. He was tall with red hair and a scraggly red beard, the man who had bound my wrists.

  I bared my teeth at him in a growl as I lifted my powers.

  “Did you think we wouldn’t be prepared for your gifts?” he said, laughing as he looked down at me with vivid black eyes and yellow teeth. A large dragon sigil stuck to his chest, glinting at me in the sunlight.

  I felt her right at the precipice of coming out. My teeth and talons right at the edge of releasing. But she was stopped, halted.

  “What the fuck did you do to me.”

  “Heartsbane. A rather useful herb, stops a witch’s powers right in its tracks.” He smiled and pointed to the ropes that were tying my wrists behind me. I pulled against them, pulled against the pole, but it did not budge. My powers did not budge. They sat in me, clawing at my throat, trying to force their way out but unable to be released. Fire coursed through my veins. I would rip his head off with my teeth when I was free.

  “Where are you taking me?” I spat at him. He knelt down, his grisly face too close to mine. His breath smelled of whiskey. His eyes travelled down my body, taking me in at his own delight. I nearly retched with disgust, my lips snarling at him as he stared.

  “To where the Blessed One has requested we take you,” he said, his voice glazed with treachery.

  “We attacked your precious hidden city. My brothers are burning it all down as we speak. Not nearly enough retribution for what you and your beloved Labyrinth King did to our brothers,” he said with a smile.

  I buckled against my ties, if I could only break the ropes. I pulled and pulled, but they didn’t give.

  “I’ll kill you for this. I’ll rip your fucking throat out with my teeth like I did your brother. I will shred every man on this boat to pieces and bathe in their blood,” I growled.

  The man stood up and laughed again. He wasn’t afraid.

  “Oh yeah? How do you propose to do that? Look around, you’re chained to a pole. No one will hear you scream out here. No one will care what we do to you.”

  “The Labyrinth King will come for me.” I kept my head held high as I spoke.

  “This ain’t a fairytale sweetheart. That bastard king could send his whole fleet to look for you and would still never find you. No one is coming to save you. You’re just a chained witch without her powers, a fucking whore.”

  I screamed at him and arched against the restraints, kicking my feet out, feeling my enchantress so close. So close, yet so far away. He stepped back, dodging my kicks. My thigh was dagger-less, taken from me by the captors.

  He spat down at me, almost hitting me in the face.

  “Go ahead and fight, I like a fighter,” he said, his gaze lustful. Nausea rolled over me, fear and revulsion coursed through my veins.

  He walked away with a laugh.

  I threw my head back against the post in frustration, fear clenching down on my throat. I took in deep breaths, tried to push down the rising anxiety. I tried to close my eyes and pretend I was somewhere else, anywhere else.

  Alder would come for me, I know he would. He would have some way of finding me. But how long would it take?

  The men sneered at me as they walked by, their faces ruddy and eyes dark as they made lewd comments and grabbed themselves in obscene gestures.

  I gritted my teeth and closed my eyes. I would die before I let any of them touch me.

  They came around midnight, a group of three. They whispered amongst themselves and laughed as they untied me, my hands no longer bound together, and dragged me up to a standing position. They smelled of liquor and sweat. They stumbled as they took my arm and pulled me across the ship deck. The fact that they were drunk would make this easier. Their biggest mistake, however, was untying me in the first place.

  Though the heartsbane around my wrists still kept my powers at bay, I had survived for twenty-one years without them. And I had faced men worse than this.

  They led me to the front of the boat, near the edge of the ship. I smiled. They had made this all too easy.

  They let go of my arm, laughing with each other and comfortable given they outnumbered me. I turned around and looked at them dead in the eyes.

  “Gentlemen, there’s no need for the roughness. I will let you do whatever you want,” I said to them, fluttering my eyelashes and flipping my hair with a toss of my head. Their pupils widened with anticipation.

  Regardless of the access to my power, I knew how to manipulate men. Especially stupid, horny, drunk men.

  I arched my back a little and raised my chin high as I walked towards the first one, my hand reaching up to his chest.

  I watched him take a deep gasp of air as I leaned forward.

  Then I slammed my knee into his groin. As he bent forward, I pushed him back hard against the low rail. He tried to catch himself, but fell backwards into the water with a splash.

  The other two were shocked, giving me a millisecond advantage before they moved. I slung my arm around in an uppercut on the first man and then lowered myself to miss his lunge. His body weight slung him forward as he lunged. It was simple enough for me to let him roll over me. His body weight toppled him over and he hit his head hard on the rail. He slumped, blood trickling out around him.

  The third man tried to grab me, his hands reaching around my abdomen. I turned my body and slammed my elbow under his chin. His head snapped back and he lost his grip. I turned and kicked him right in the chest, pushing him over the low edge and into the water.

  That was simple enough. I huffed.

  The other men were below deck, sleeping. I heard the red-haired man give out the assignments earlier. These three were supposed to be running the ship. But the others would notice soon enough. I needed to get off the ship now.

  I looked over the railing, searching for land in the distance, but only water appeared on either side. I clenched my jaw and prepared myself to dive into the water.

  But my dagger.

  I couldn’t leave without it. And I would need it to cut the heartsbane off my wrists as well.

  I looked to the back of the ship where the door to the c
aptain’s quarters lay. The red-haired man had been going in and out of there all day. It would be where my dagger was. I was positive.

  I had a choice. A very risky choice. But without my powers, without my dagger, I was just as vulnerable off this ship as on it.

  I tiptoed across the deck, thankful for my years of thievery and highly developed abilities to sneak around. I walked over to the door and jiggled the knob slightly. It was locked. I reached into my hair where I kept my hidden pin. I thanked myself for being smart enough to ensure I always had it on me.

  I stuck the pin in and jiggled the lock. A few seconds later it let out a telling pop as it released the latch.

  The door swung open. It was a regular room with a large wooden desk. The dagger was sitting right there on the top of the desk. I almost giggled with my good fortune as I slunk in and grabbed the blade.

  I was so happy that I didn’t hear the man come in behind me. Not until he shut the door.

  I spun around, pulling the dagger out of its sheath and holding it defensively in front of me.

  The red-haired man chuckled.

  “Oh, I’m going to enjoy this,” he said, walking closer to me.

  I debated which was more useful, using the dagger to attack him or using the dagger to cut the heartsbane. I only had a millisecond, I had to choose NOW.

  He lunged for me, grabbing me by the neck in an instant. I had been too slow.

  His grip tightened as he lifted me up, the tips of my toes barely grazing the ground. I stabbed into his arm with the dagger but he didn’t even move. Didn’t even flinch. I grasped at his arm, breath escaping me as he just smiled up at me. My thoughts clustered, black seeping in the peripherals of my vision.

  He let go, and I fell to the floor, gasping. He reached up and pulled the dagger out of his arm as if it was a splinter. He tossed it aside. The blade clattered as it hit the desk.

  Then he took his thumb and ran it through the blood that was leaking from his wound. He knelt down over me as I lay on the floor, still trying to catch my breath, my neck aching in pain. He took his blood covered thumb and grabbed my face, smearing it across my cheek. I tried to pull away, but his hand on my face kept me still.

  “Now what should I do with you…” he said, his voice dark and evil.

  My heart beat wildly as he looked at my face. I could not let this happen. Could not let this happen to me.

  “Please, please don’t.” I begged. The words felt like poison in my throat.

  He smiled as his hands went down to my shirt, grasping the threads between his fist.

  “HELP, PLEASE SOMEONE HELP ME!” I screamed, knowing it was useless, but I couldn’t help it. I pushed away from him with all of my energy, tried to wriggle out of his grip. I swung my arms and kicked my feet. Tears leaked down my face, fear rising up and taking over all of my instincts.

  “I told you. No one will hear you.”

  Then his face went white as a ghost as a deep voice boomed through the room.

  “Take your hands off of her. Touch her again and I’ll gut you like a fish.” I searched around the room but saw no one.

  He dropped his grip on me and turned around, falling to his knees with his arms outstretched forward.

  “Blessed Dark One, I am sorry, forgive me,” he said, his head touching the floor as he begged the invisible entity for forgiveness. His voice shook in fear, shook in terror.

  “Return her to the post, and tell your men if any of them, including you, touches her again, I will flay you alive and let the maggots eat your flesh for all of eternity,” the voice said. It was vaguely familiar… was it Daemion? My heart fluttered wildly in my chest.

  “Yes, my Lord. Thank you, my Lord,” he said. He stood, keeping his head low as he grabbed me. My skin crawled at his touch, but he just walked me back to the post and tied me up. He left in a hurry, not breathing another word to me.

  My neck spasmed in pain. My body ached and shook as the fear receded. Heavy tears dripped down my face. I felt stupid. I should have left the dagger and escaped when I had the chance. The night could have gone so differently. I could be free by now. I closed my eyes and screamed, throwing my head back in agony against the pole.

  I thought of that voice, the dark voice of my savior. Why? Someone who demands child sacrifices was suddenly against rape and torture? It didn’t make sense, but I was thankful. So thankful.

  I cried myself to sleep. And when I slept, I dreamt of those ice-blue eyes watching over me.

  Chapter 39

  We sailed for another two days. They only unhooked me twice a day to let me use the facilities and eat. The heartsbane cuffs stayed strapped to my wrists, keeping my powers subdued.

  Each night I laid awake in fear, fear of the men and what they could do to me if they wanted. But they didn’t. They didn’t even acknowledge me, terrified by Daemion’s threat.

  The sun was blinding during the day and from my position I could not see where we were going. They would not answer when I demanded to know.

  My back and shoulders ached from leaning against the hard pole, from the position they kept me in. I felt myself growing weak from lack of sleep and food. Sometimes I could barely keep my eyes open, but the second I fell asleep fear would rip me back awake. I was nauseous and dehydrated, exhausted and starving.

  I spent hours thinking about what happened, thinking about my mistakes. I could have escaped. I would never get the chance again. I thought about Daemion’s voice in that room. It still didn’t make sense. Thinking about it made my hands sweat, my heart flutter, my breath catch.

  The truth was, I was terrified about what had happened, about what had almost happened. I had never felt fear like that before, never felt helpless. I had always been in control. It was my one rule and how I coped with the things I did. The loss of it terrified me. It stripped me naked and left me bare, fear skittering through my nerves with painful rakes. My skin felt tight, uncomfortable.

  At first, I couldn’t even look at the red-haired man. I avoided his gaze at all costs, trying to shut out the memory. But then the fear began to harden. It turned to rage. I would murder that man for what he had done. Murder him for the fear he made me feel. He would feel that same fear before I killed him, before I dug my claws into his chest and pulled out his heart.

  By the third night, I did not cry myself to sleep anymore. Instead, I imagined all the ways I would kill him.

  The next morning, the mood had shifted on the boat. The men stopped their chattering and seemed to look over their shoulders as they went about their chores. I couldn’t see where we were, but I could feel an unusual chill in the air. The sun was hidden in the sky by thick clouds. The grey mood sent prickles down my spine.

  The red-haired man also seemed on edge, eyes darting off the edge of the ship as he paced the deck. He finally went into his room, shutting the door behind him.

  Eventually, one of the men came to release me for food and to use the bathroom. As he stood me up, my legs felt weak. I could barely stand. My joints were stiff from lack of use. I prayed we would dock soon.

  We walked to the part of the ship designated for the bathroom and I looked over the edge. The water was grey and a thick mist clung to it. It seemed a storm was approaching or something much more sinister.

  “The water looks dreadful. Is there a storm coming?” I asked the man.

  “No.”

  “Well then, why is the water grey?”

  “Stop asking questions,” he said as he shoved me into the bathroom.

  I finished, and he dragged me back to the pole, handing me a piece of bread to scarf down before he tied me back up.

  “Can I please have some water?”

  “No.”

  “I’m dying of thirst please, my throat is on fire.”

  “I don’t give a shit.”

  I sunk against the pole as he waited for me to finish eating before tying me again. Fatigue and dizziness washed over me. I needed water.

  But then I heard it.
<
br />   Singing.

  It floated through the air, filling every ear, turning everyone’s attention to the water.

  The singing was hypnotizing. It reached down into my soul and pulled me forward. Pulled us all forward. I stood up, energy filling me as I walked to the rail of the ship. The men were walking too, all of us drawn to look out into the water.

  Mist thickened around us in seconds, engulfing our entire ship. I could hardly see a few feet from me. The water was hidden. The men disappeared into it as it lay over our ship in a thick blanket.

  This could be my moment to escape. I gripped the railing, prepared to propel myself over it. But something prevented me. I was frozen against the rail, unable to move.

  The beautiful singing became louder, filling up the space around me. The power inside of me was fighting hard, begging to be released, but the heartsbane wrapped around my wrists kept her bound.

  The singing was close now. It sounded as if it was coming from the deck of the ship. I heard screams start around me. But I couldn’t move, I didn’t want to move. I wanted to keep listening to the sweet sounds.

  The thick grey mist surrounded me, the screams becoming closer, but so was the singing. I closed my eyes and sucked in a deep breath of the mist and song, breathing it in like it was a drug.

  The power in me was fading, disappearing down as the song engulfed me.

  I opened my eyes and saw her, a beautiful woman. Her long hair was blonde and flowing in the sea breeze. She had eyes a stunning burgundy red. Her skin was a shade of sea-foam green. She wore nothing but seashells as she walked towards me out of the mist. The shells clung to her body, shimmering as she sauntered closer with long legs. She was singing, crimson red lips beckoning me forward to her. I stepped closer, reaching out with my hands for her. I wanted to touch her, wanted to run my hands along her seashells, to tangle my hands in her hair.

  She stopped walking, her voice still singing. But her eyes had gone to the heartsbane wrapped around my wrists. She eyed it peculiarly and gave me a once over.