And now he was tormenting her. She wouldn't cry.
Melissa stepped forward holding up her cupped hand. She gave Ava an apologetic look, and with watery eyes, she blew a white dusty substance in her face. Ava recoiled, but once she inhaled the powder, an uneasy, queasy feeling settled in her stomach. She felt the poison pump through her veins. She clenched her jaw shut to keep from getting sick, but she kept salivating. Her insides heaved, and she threw up. Some of the Cimmerians laughed or gagged. The drug made her weak, and she hated the lethargic feeling. She hated that her friends were forced to torment her. But she deserved it.
She backed up against the stone wall, smashing her head against it. She saw a flash of white. Her vision blurred and her head pounded. She felt warm blood trickling down her nose, over her lips to her chin. She knew Gillian manipulated her. Ava kept hitting her head against the wall, and once her vision cleared somewhat, she could see the squeamish look on Gillian’s face.
Finally, the head bashing ceased.
A small tornado formed directly around her, spinning so fast, it began peeling off pieces of her skin. She remembered when Havok had done that to her during her coma. Or maybe Havok had forced Jeremy to do it. The searing pain shot through her body. Even though the tornado was loud, she could still hear the sound of tearing flesh, and the loud cheers and whistles from the Cimmerians.
The tornado stopped, and Ava let the shackles hold her up. Drool dripped out of her mouth, and her hair got caught in it. She felt like her arms would tear apart from her body, but she couldn’t stand up. Every one of her muscles was useless. She didn’t know how much more she could take. But she deserved the punishment after killing thousands of innocent people. She looked up and saw Thomas. The worrisome look in his blue eyes scared her. Her eyes watered. Nothing could prepare herself for the pain she was about to endure. She braced herself, and dreaded what was to come.
Flames appeared around his hands, and she shut her eyes tight. She waited only a few seconds until the flames devoured her. Searing pain knocked the breath out of her. She jerked violently, hoping to escape the fire somehow. Burning prickling sensations tore from her heart to her extremities, leaving an agonizing singe in its wake. Her skin smoked as tears leaked from her eyes.
Ava heard nothing but the fire burning in her ears. The earthshattering screams. She clenched her fists and her teeth. The pain wouldn't stop. Every inch of her throbbed. It was too much, and she closed her eyes.
CHAPTER TWENTY
SOLACE
Ava had been moved to a cell, though quite painfully. She couldn’t stand to be touched or to touch anything. Benjamin sat outside to prevent her from healing herself. She was completely naked, and didn’t dare budge from the protective ball she had curled her body into. She clamped her mouth shut, and tried to prevent her body from shaking from the pain, but it was no use. Her skin had been burned off, leaving her in a reddened, bloodied state, with synthetic fibers melted to her. A fever had set in, and she felt sick to her stomach. She could still feel the fire in her throat and lungs each time she breathed.
She wasn’t sure how long she lay there before she heard the squeak of a door and footsteps.
Benjamin shot to his feet and straightened his back. Given his rigid stance, Ava guessed Havok had entered. She couldn’t move to see, but she saw two sets of shoes at her door.
“Greetings,” Havok said. “I can’t imagine what that must have felt like.”
Peter or Katarina must have been with Havok the whole time, protecting him from feeling the same pain.
“Have you learned your lesson?”
It took Ava a second to be able to bring words to her lips. “Yes.” Her voice was hoarse.
“I know you are still in a great deal of agony. But this is what happens when you do not follow the rules. You will obey me and your leaders. Do you understand?”
“Yes.”
“I cannot have you recklessly massacring these cities and getting members of your own army injured. You are lucky that you can heal.”
Ava breathed hard, even though it hurt. She closed her eyes, hoping for relief soon.
“Benjamin will stay here for another few hours. Your punishment will end soon. I do hope we never have this conversation again.”
Havok and his protector left, and Ava let the tears fall. She cried out as the salty water seared her tender flesh. It was too much to bear, and she succumbed to the pain.
***
Ava opened her eyes at the sound of the squeaky door. Pain immediately consumed her, and she assumed she didn’t have long before she passed out again.
“’Bout time,” Benjamin said, and then got to his feet. “She didn’t make a peep.”
“You can go,” she heard Xavier tell him.
As soon as Benjamin left, Ava willed the water from inside to seep through her pores. The healing water surged inside her veins and slowly, her body mended itself. She bathed in the comforting warmth as relief overcame her. All the aches and agony vanished. She leveled her breathing and relaxed.
Xavier opened the door and dropped some clothes next to her. He then closed the cell back. “Are you okay?” he asked, turning around to give her privacy.
She didn’t answer. Instead, she grabbed the clothes, and quickly pulled the basic black shirt over her head. Then she put on the black jogging pants and slipped her feet into the shoes.
He sighed and dropped down outside her cell. “Why did you do it?”
“I was just doing what we were supposed to do.”
“Why did you snap? I thought you said you were okay.”
“Why do you care so much? You just put me through hell. I don’t even know who you are. You were so nice a few weeks ago, and now you’re cruel.”
“What about you? Why did you turn off your emotions? I knew something wasn’t right with you after New Orleans.”
“What do you expect? I was angry. And I had just killed an entire town of people.”
“I know it’s not easy. Especially now that he wants us to do this more often. Maybe I can convince him that we should focus on adding more to the army for a while.”
“Don’t do it on my account. He wouldn’t be happy with you anyway.”
“Look, I know all of this may seem traumatic for you. But just try to turn on your emotions. It’s no way to live as an emotionless person. I know.”
“Are you going to let me out of here?”
“I want to, but Havok wants you to stay another night.”
She nodded and rested her head against the cool wall. “Well, you’d better go and make sure his highness is okay.”
“Don’t be like this, Ava. I’ve seen who you can be. Don’t lose yourself.” He stood, and when she didn’t say anything, he left.
Ava stared at the ground, and tried not to think too much about being in a cell for doing what she was asked. She didn’t want to think about what her friends went through the night before. She hadn’t meant for to get them injured. She hadn’t meant for them to have to torment her. She couldn’t imagine it was easy.
She watched the shadows cross the floor as the day sluggishly turned to night. It was quiet, wherever she was. She didn’t think she was in the chamber with the rest of the cells. At least no one said anything or made a sound.
The door groaned open, and Ava assumed it was Xavier again. Then she saw long blond hair and a tall, thin body materialize. Melissa. She looked freshly showered and wore a clean black shirt with jeans and boots. But Melissa looked exhausted, like she had been sleep deprived or starved. She made her way toward Ava. Ava expected her to yell or get angry with her for what she did.
Instead, she frowned. “How are you?”
“Fine. Why are you down here?”
“I came to check on you. No one knows I’m down here. Invisible and all.”
“I take it everyone else hates me. Otherwise, they would’ve come.”
She took a deep breath. “They couldn’t come.”
“Sure.”
There was a silence between them.
“Why are you emotionless?” Melissa asked.
Ava turned to her. “Why do you think?”
“It’s an easy way out.”
“I don’t care. You think I want to experience all the emotions that you all are after what we’ve done?”
“You deal with it, Ava.”
“Maybe I don’t want to.”
“There’s more to it, though. Link and Nicole told me you weren’t yourself the night you all went to find recruits. They said you enjoyed it, and that there was this immense fury rolling off you. They said you kept making comments about how much you wanted to kill the Ephemerals.”
Ava rolled her eyes and sighed. “It’s all an act. You know that.”
“No. This was different. It’s like you’ve let something else take over. Is it because you’re linked to Havok? Are you letting his thoughts and feelings consume you?”
Melissa was always astute. Ava forgot how much sometimes.
“That’s what happened, isn’t it? You turned your emotions to stone, and his took over.”
Ava crossed her legs and her arms. “I saw what happened, Mel. Ephemerals killed his family. That’s what they do. They kill.”
“Not all of them and you know that. Your father is one, Ava. You love him. He’s not evil, and neither are most of them. You fell in love with one. Or have you forgotten all of this?”
“I was brainwashed.”
Melissa’s jaw tightened. “Turn. Them. On.”
“No.”
“What about our plan to end all of this?”
“I decided I don’t really want to end it. And besides, I’m just not ready to die yet.”
“You know we can get Maggie’s help.”
“Are you kidding me? She’s stuck at Havok’s side constantly.”
“Okay. Say we can’t figure out the curse. Are you really going to spend the rest of your time sulking and being a bitch to everyone?”
“It’s a little hard to wanna be happy about everything or live life to the fullest these days. I’m a killer.”
Melissa rolled her eyes. “You don’t have friends? Or someone who loves you and would do anything for you?”
Ava looked away. She missed her friends. And Gabriel. She missed feeling something. Anything but anger. “I can’t handle what we did. It’s too much.”
Melisssa crouched down next to her with the cell bars in between them. “I know. But we have each other, Ava. We knew what we were getting into. We are here to put an end to this. No matter what it takes.” She put her hand on Ava’s. “You’re one of my best friends. I can’t lose you. And you’ve been gone for almost two months. Whatever happens, we will save you, Ava.”
Tears blurred Ava’s vision, and she lowered her head. She drew her knees to her chest, and hugged them. Her emotions flooded her just like the tidal wave that engulfed New York. It punched her hard. Warm tears rolled down her cheeks, and she hid her face in her arms. She felt Melissa’s hand on her shoulder and tried to calm herself, but it was overwhelming.
“It’s good to see you back.”
“What have I done?” She met Melissa’s green eyes.
“Hey, don’t focus on that. Focus on our plan. Use all of this experience, or whatever, to fuel your anger. Just don’t let it be Havok’s. You gotta somehow block him from your mind.”
She nodded and wiped the tears from her face. “Thanks, Mel. I’m sorry I got you shot. And acted like a bitch the last month.”
“Don’t apologize. It’s all in the past.”
“How can you be so quick to forgive?”
“Because Ava. You are my friend. We are all we have left. I know you. And I know who you are.”
“It was so much easier to deal with all of this if I just turned it off. Blocked it all. I never expected his rage to consume me. And I never expected them to punish me. Or to have you all torture me.”
“He’s a sick, twisted man, Ava. Don’t fall in line with his path. For now, let it go. Focus on the plan. Something that will get you through this, so you don’t dwell on the things we’ve done. That’s what I do. I concentrate on the plan and remind myself every day that we will survive, and when it’s over, Lance and I can live happily ever after - a normal sane life.”
“I hope you do,” she said, trying to keep the sadness from her voice. She wanted that with Gabriel, but knew it was impossible.
“You will, too, Ava. I gotta go.” Melissa reached through the cell and gave her a one-arm hug. “Try to get some sleep.”
She didn’t want her best friend to leave, but she knew she had to. Ava watched Melissa make herself invisible. The door opened and closed like a ghost had been there.
Hours passed, and a memory came to her. As she focused on it, she didn’t recognize it. It was like a dream, or maybe it was another vision. She closed her eyes, and let it take over.
Havok paced inside his room. Soaked from the long journey to and from Caprington, he worried over how he would tell Savina and Colden the truth. They had grown up believing Ephemerals were good, because he had taught them that. But he was wrong. He clenched his teeth as Lenorah’s face flashed in his mind. He curled his fingers into fists. Why had they killed her and Esmerelda? They were his life. And the vile Ephemerals took them away from him.
There was a knock on his door, and he sighed. “Yes?”
Veronica opened the door and closed it behind her. “What bothers you, Corbin?”
He shook his head. “I cannot tell Savina and Colden.”
Her eyebrows furrowed. “I do not understand. Do you not want them to know the truth? They need to know, Corbin. Savina is engaged to one,” Veronica spat.
“It would not affect them the way it does me. Their roots are deep with the Ephemerals. They need to experience it firsthand.”
“How do you suggest that?”
Corbin never wanted to hurt his children. They had been his only family for years, but he couldn’t bring himself to tell them about Lenorah and Esmerelda. He needed to expose the truth in a way that affected them. He needed to let them see the evil. See how quickly Ephemerals turned their backs on them. Then they would gladly join him and his family.
He gripped the edge of the mantel. “I will have my man tell the villagers of Savina’s witchery.”
“Why only her?”
“They would not believe Colden is one. He is a powerless witch.”
“What will you do if they do not side with us?” she asked.
He didn’t answer. He didn’t know what he would do. He only hoped they would soon feel his rage. His anger. His need for revenge.
Ava opened her eyes and looked around. She was still in the cell.
It angered her to know Havok wanted Savina and Colden to experience the hate firsthand. But what did she expect? He came from a long line of sick, twisted Enchanters. Even if Havok had told Savina and Colden, she knew they would still protect the Ephemerals. They had only killed Enchanters out of fear, and out of what Havok’s family had done to them all those years.
It was so easy to let his rage consume her. So easy for her to kill all those Ephemerals. She was so disappointed in herself. This wasn’t the Ava she strived to be. She had become a revolting monster. She was stronger than that.
It was all because her mother gave up on her. She couldn’t understand why her mother had done that. And she never would. Maybe the thought of having a child repulsed her. Maybe she was just a coward and had no reason. Ava hated that she always obsessed over the same thoughts when it came to her mother.
Ava had to fight back. She had to be stronger when it came to her emotions, and allowing Havok to take over. She was the Water Enchanter. She was better than Havok, and she would prevail.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
THE MORNING AFTER
The next morning, Xavier released Ava. She was weak and hungry. She probably looked worse than she felt.
Xavier escorted her to her room. “Get cleaned
up,” he said, his tone much softer than the previous days. “We’ll go have breakfast.”
She nodded, though she didn’t want to go. She didn’t feel like being around anyone. She wanted to sleep. But she needed to eat.
Ava closed the door and went straight to the bathroom. She turned on the shower faucet and peeled off her clothes. She wiped the fog from the mirror and recoiled at her awful appearance. Her copper hair was so matted and frizzy. Her gray eyes were worn and puffy like she’d been on drugs. She didn’t look eighteen. More like twenty-eight.
She wanted to punch her reflection. What had she become? She didn’t even know who she was anymore. She’d been lost to the emotionless creature that dwelled inside her. Maybe Melissa was right. Focus on something good to get her through the days. But every time she thought of Gabriel, it just made her sadder.
Ava took her time showering; letting the water console her as it had many times. She thought about Gabriel and wondered if he was with Eve. She hadn’t seen him since the night of the first massacre, which had been weeks ago. She missed his smile, his beautiful eyes, and feeling his arms around her. She longed to hear his voice or feel his soft lips against hers. She needed him, but she would have to persevere without him.
Dressing in a simple white button down shirt, black leggings, and boots, Ava was ready. As she reached for the door, she saw a tall man walking toward her with confidence. His hair was white-blond, and his eyes were a vibrant green. He looked too young to be a leader, but Enchanters’ ages were deceiving. His lips were set in a wicked grin. They weren’t in her room. She didn’t know where they were. And Ava wasn’t Ava. She recognized the man though. Devon Maunsell.
“It’s done,” Devon said. “She’s dead.”
“Good,” Ava answered with a deep throaty voice. Havok’s voice. It was another vision. “And the child?”
Under an Onyx Sky (Elemental Enchanters Series Book 4) Page 14
