The Labyrinth King (The Labyrinth Series Book 1)
Page 22
She lifted a finger, an immaculate sharp nail dripping red. She took the nail and strung it down on the heartsbane on both wrists, shredding them in one deft swoop. It broke away from my wrists and fell down through the mist.
My power slammed back into me suddenly, making me stumble forward. The enchantress was immediately on high alert. Strength returned to me.
The woman in front of me had stopped singing. She was staring at me. I realized just how dangerous a creature stood before me. A siren. She had entranced me, she could have killed me, but she hadn’t.
My lips trembled, and I prepared my power for a fight, pulling her up. My sharp teeth and talons emerged, my eyes focused in on her, my mouth widened in a snarl. My skin glowed a deep pink. I steadied myself, ready for her to pounce.
Instead, she bowed deeply.
“My Queen, you are the best of us. What are you doing on this ship?” she said, her voice as smooth as her song.
“I—I was taken captive by these men,” I said, dimming my powers and returning to my normal state. Queen? What did she mean by Queen? Was she sent by Alder?
“You don’t have to fear them anymore. Please, come with me. I’ll take you to safety, my Queen,” she said. Then she walked right past me and dove into the water below.
I thought of my options. I could leave now with her. Or I could get my dagger back and take my sweet revenge. I couldn’t see her through the mist.
“One second! I have to grab something,” I yelled out to her, hoping she heard me.
I guided myself to the captain’s nook, using my hands to navigate the thick mist. I reached the door and felt for the knob. It turned. Unlocked.
I opened it swiftly. The red-haired man sat at his desk reading a map, completely unaware of the attack that had just occurred on his men. He looked up at me, expecting to see one of his men. The shock on his face when he saw me was priceless.
I shifted into the enchantress faster than I ever had. The talons grew long and sharp, my teeth coming out in an instant and my mouth ripping open wide. My vision narrowed in on the veins on his neck, pulsing rapidly with fear.
The fear, it leaked out of him as he took me in for all of my might. I grinned at him. He clamored back against the desk.
“How— How did you get out?” he stammered, reaching around wildly for a weapon.
“Hmm, not so brave now, are you?” I said to him, stalking forward with my dagger smile. His hands clasped a knife on a shelf, extending it out with shaking hands.
I slammed into him, my talons reaching into his chest and pushing him against the ship’s wall. I slashed across his face with my other hand. Deep gouges formed on his cheek as he screamed.
He slashed the knife toward me. I caught his wrist before it hit me, my instincts too quick for him. I ripped it out of his hands.
“Go ahead and fight, I like a fighter,” I purred, throwing his words back at him.
“Please, spare me,” he cried. His pupils massively dilated, the fear seeping from him and filling my power with more bloodlust.
“Do you remember what I promised you?” I asked, pushing my talons deeper into his chest. Dark blood leaked out and dripped to the floor as he screamed. I ripped them out of his chest. He sunk to the floor, clutching his chest. I took his face in my clawed hands, forcing him to meet my black gaze.
“This is for the way you looked at me,” I said. I took my talons and gouged his eyes out. Blood splattered across the walls and down his face. I savored the taste, the sweet fear saturating the air. He screamed.
“This is for what you said to me.” I said. Then I ripped his tongue out, more blood splattered out, filling his mouth. He gurgled on the blood as it spewed down his throat and over his chin.
“And this is for touching me.” I said. I took his hands and twisted each finger backwards, one after the other, hearing them crunch and break. He moaned tongueless screams, blood pouring from his mouth.
Then I took him by his throat and lifted him up into the air, the enchantress strength in me making it easy to hold his weight with one hand. I looked at him, taking in every detail of his injuries. Soaking in every drop of his terror and gushing blood. I had the urge to lick the blood as it dripped down, to drink it. But the urge to kill him now was stronger.
I crushed his throat, then dropped him. He fell to the ground with a crash.
The sweet taste of his death danced around me like a cloud and into my mouth, filling me up. I breathed in it, inhaled every drop of his warm, delicious death before allowing my power to sink back into me. I relished in the feel of my power inside of me again, free to bubble up as she pleased. I smiled to myself, satisfied.
My dagger and its sheath still sat on the desk. I picked them up gingerly, my bloodied hands staining the leather. I strapped it to my thigh and walked out of the door.
I went back to the rail where the siren had left me and took one last look out into the fading mist of the boat. The men’s bodies were scattered on the ground, visible now as the mist evaporated. They were contorted, like they had just crumbled where they stood. They were deathly grey, emptied of their blood. Not a single drop spilled, the siren had drank them all. She must have had lots of practice.
I turned and saw her bobbing in the water, waiting for me.
I dove in after her.
When I surfaced, she was already waiting for me on a nearby rock outcropping. I swam over to her and climbed onto it. I turned and looked back for the ship but did not see it, the remaining mist hiding it from view.
I looked down at my soaked body. The blood of the red-haired man had washed off of me in the swim. For that, I was thankful.
“Did you kill all those men by yourself?” I asked her.
“Of course, a girls’ gotta eat,” she said flippantly, examining her nails as she spoke. “And I would have killed them quicker had I known they were holding you captive, your Majesty.”
I thought about correcting her, that I was no queen, but figured it was probably best to allow this siren who had chosen not to kill me to believe whatever she wanted.
“So…” I started, unsure how to make small talk with a blood sucking siren. Then again, wasn’t I basically the same thing?
“You said I was the best of us. What did you mean by that?” I asked her.
She let out a melodious giggle. “I meant what I said. You are the best of us all, the best enchantress who has ever lived. You could bring a thousand men to their knees with a single wink,” she said with a laugh, as if I was being silly.
“How do you know this?” I asked her.
“You’re coming has been foretold for a hundred years. We have been waiting for you, you will save us all. The men who think they run this world will bow down before you. Every single one.”
“I haven’t been near strong enough for that yet. I struggled with only six men. How will I ever become that powerful?” I asked her.
“My Queen, you hold the power within you. It’s already there, you just have to accept it. Once you learn how to wield it, there’s not a man nor woman in this world that could stop you. And when you come into your reign, I hope you will remember me, the siren who helped save the Queen,” she said with a smile. Her crimson lips curled over sharp red stained teeth.
“And what is your name, then?” I asked, trying to make myself sound like royalty, mimicking how Alder and Benci had talked in the city.
“Sierra, of course. The infamous Siren of Caligo Sea,” she said proudly, brushing her long fingers through her hair.
Caligo Sea. I wondered how far I was away from Labyrinth City. I wondered what was left of it after the Brotherhood attack. I prayed the red-haired man had been exaggerating.
“Sierra, I was taken from Labyrinth City. How far away am I from it now?” I asked her.
Her eyes shot up in surprise. “Labyrinth City? That is very far my Queen, you have travelled many miles. It would take weeks to walk back on foot.”
My face dropped in disappointment.
“Do you know where the tower is? Are we close to the center?”
“I wish I knew my Queen, but I don’t. No one knows where the center is, it’s hidden.”
I nodded at her words, thinking of my options now.
“Sierra, can you help me get to land?” She smiled widely again.
“It would be an honor.” She dove into the grey water.
I followed behind her.
Chapter 40: Leo
The Archpriest would not let me accompany the unit for the attack on Labyrinth City. Nor would he allow me to be in the group that would take Valeria. I still had a part to play. I could not reveal the truth to her yet. I gritted my teeth as he gave the orders, wishing I could be there when they laid siege to the city.
Instead, he laid out another plan. A few brothers would take her and then I would rescue her when they reached land fall across Caligo Bay.
He hoped she would be vulnerable then, given the combined emotions of my heroism and hopefully her having missed me these past several days. Vulnerable and open to my advances, open to accepting the ring from me.
I wasn’t convinced. He didn’t know her like I did, didn’t understand how difficult she could be. Her emotions for me were constantly up and down. The separation between us had allowed extraneous factors to enter the equation, namely the Labyrinth King himself. But Valeria was not the type of girl to just fall in love in a few days’ time. Hell, I had been trying for the past five years and she still didn’t know what she felt for me.
I would play my part, but deep down I knew it was already lost. I would have to convince her to put on the ring another way. A bloody way. And she would hate me for it.
I used the hidden portals between the citadels to reach the one nearest Caligo Bay.
The brothers there were anxious, but welcomed me with open arms.
“Here comes the hero!”
“The man who fucked the cursebreaker!”
They were indulgent and treated me as if I had already won the war. I couldn’t stand them, couldn’t listen to their cheers and taunts.
I stayed in the dorms, needing solitude as I prepared for the final parts of this mission.
When we were seventeen, Valeria asked me to come with her to the river. She was anxious as we walked down to a secluded spot. We laid down in the tall grass, letting it hide our bodies from view of the town.
“Do you believe in God?” Valeria asked. We were staring up at the stars, watching the lights twinkle above us.
“Of course. Who would have made all of this?”
“Magic made the Labyrinth. Couldn’t magic have made the entire world?” she said, her fingers tugging nervously at her shirt hem.
“Maybe, but if magic made this world, then it was cast by someone. Wouldn’t that be the equivalent of God?”
“Maybe. But what about the afterlife? Did a warlock create that, too?”
“If we are saying one made this world, then I don’t see why not? Why are you asking me this, Val?”
“I-, do you think my parents can hear me? Do you think they are watching me?”
“I don’t know Val, we don’t even know for sure that they are dead.”
“It’s just, sometimes I can feel eyes on me. Like someone is watching over me somehow.” She reached her hand out to mine, clutching it tightly as she spoke.
I turned to my side, looking at her face. She had tears in her eyes. They glistened in the moonlight.
“If your parents are watching you, I promise you they are proud.” She turned on her side too, looking at me as a tear slid down her cheek.
I reached up and wiped it away softly with my thumb. Her lip trembled. I trailed my thumb down and brushed it. I wanted to kiss her so badly. We had kissed a few times before, even made out a few weeks ago against the wall of her alley. I thought about her constantly, thought about those lips and how they felt against me.
Her eyes met mine, the loving eyes of an angel. They drew me in, physically pulling me to her. My hand was still on her cheek as I leaned over, placing my mouth on hers. Her lips were soft. They felt nervous at first but then pushed back. She kissed me harder, her fingers reaching up and twisting in my hair.
Her hand trailed down my neck and across my chest, her arms pulling me in closer to her as our kiss deepened. I wrapped my arm around her back, holding her tight to me. Her breath was soft and warm, her lips moving harder against mine now. I hardened, shifting my leg and hoping she wouldn’t notice.
I still felt so inexperienced. Was I doing this right?
I let my tongue out a tiny bit, tracing her lips. She responded eagerly, pushing me back on the ground. Her leg came over me as she rose and straddled me. Her lips were still on mine as she ground her hips against me. I squeezed against the pleasure. Trying not to come already.
“Val, um, if you keep doing that, I, uh,” I stammered, pulling back from her kiss.
She gave me a wicked smile. “Do you want to… you know?” she said.
“Here? In the grass? Someone could walk by…” My heart was beating out of my chest.
“I know,” she said, biting her lip. Her eyes flickered with desire. She was wild, so wild. I loved her so much.
I summoned every ounce of courage in me, fueled entirely by intense horniness, and answered her by flipping our position. I tensed my muscles, trying to impress her. Her eyes lit up as I took my shirt off. I sucked in and held my abs as tight as I could. Her hands raked over my chest as I leaned down and started kissing her again.
Her hands went to my pants, pulling them down. My dick hit the cool breeze and for a second fear shot through me that it would shrink. But then she shimmied her own pants off, kicking them off underneath me.
My heart slammed against my chest, my breath becoming ragged as I tried to capture this moment. To remember it forever.
She saw my eyes were wide and reached for one of my hands, leading it under her shirt. I gently grasped her breast and suddenly felt hot. Heat coursed through me, and an animalistic instinct took over.
She pulled me back down into a kiss as she opened her hips to me. I lowered down against her. She was wet, so wet. I was worried I was going to explode before I even got inside. I tried to push it down.
Toenails. Frogs. uh, math? I tried to think of anything except what was happening till the feeling subsided just enough. Her kiss was heavy, needy. I slid in slowly, her mouth gasping under me as I did.
That was it. All it took. That little gasp of pleasure from her. I pulled out quickly, but it was too late.
My face flushed, I was so embarrassed. I hadn’t made it a single pump. I wanted to run and hide.
But she put her hands on my face, pulling my gaze to her.
“It’s ok,” she said. No shame or laughter in her eyes.
“Sorry, when you gasped I- uh. I’m sorry.” I said.
She ran her fingers through my hair as she looked at me, like I was the only man in the world. It was just her and I. My Val, my sweet Val.
I would never let any harm come to her. I wanted to protect her forever. To be with her forever.
She reached up and pulled me in for another kiss.
It only took another minute or so of kissing before I was ready to go again. That time lasted longer, almost five minutes. I was proud of myself and utterly satisfied.
We laid in the grass, panting and giggling. She was lying on my chest, my arm wrapped around her bare back. We stared at the stars and savored the moment.
“Leo, promise me you’ll never leave me. Promise me you’ll stay with me forever, even if we get separated one day. Promise you’ll find me. I hate being alone, I hate it.”
I swallowed and looked down at her. Her beautiful, dark hair cascaded around her. Her green eyes shone in the moonlight as she looked up at me. I tightened my grip around her.
&n
bsp; “I promise,” I said, kissing her forehead. I prayed I could keep it.
News came from Labyrinth City the second day I was there. Our attack had burned several homes and shops. Three people had perished. But the royal guard had stopped them before they could complete the mission. It appears we had underestimated the security around the palace. Ten brothers went in, none came out. Another devastating loss.
I told the Archpriest we needed more time and training, more weapons and people. But he had not listened. The Brotherhood inside these walls differed greatly from the one I knew on the outside.
In Villam, the Brotherhood was much more… democratic. We made decisions as a group, discussing moves for days before doing them.
In here, you could not question the Archpriest without receiving several lashes for disobedience and disrespect.
The loss of the ten brothers had everyone on edge. The future of the Brotherhood rested on me, rested on if I would be able to convince Valeria to put on the ring. And furthermore, the future rested on her releasing the Blessed One as planned. Though we all should have been excited at the thought of his release, after all, it was what we had been working for all these years. In truth, it was terrifying. Change was always terrifying. Fear of the unknown, fear of what may lie ahead. Fear of what we would be unleashing.
That’s what they feared most. But what I feared, what really terrified me, was how Valeria would look at me when she learned the truth. How she would look at me when I betrayed her.
I promised her I would stay with her. Did she even remember that night? Sometimes she acted like it had never happened. She was so unsure of her feelings for me. It was never enough for her. She had consumed me whole and still needed more.
I waited at the citadel by Caligo Bay for three days total, the required time it would take for the ship to reach the designated stopping point, before setting out on a mapped path. I was relieved to be away from the brothers, away from their nervous chattering. Their constant discussions on the ‘what ifs?’.