“Was the life force between Sarah and Victor adequately destroyed?” another priest asked.
“Yes,” Ethano said. “I’m sure of it.”
“She is still connected to Victor’s life force though,” a priest said. “That is why this hasn’t worked.”
“But she can’t be!” Ethano roared. “I told you I disconnected it myself, and I never make mistakes.”
I knew the connection was broken, because Victor had died, and I was still alive—even if I didn’t want to be without him.
Ethano waved his hand toward me, and I was gently brought back down.
Liz yelled obscenities at the priests, and a small, yellow ball of light blazed toward her from Ethano’s hands. As it hit her in the chest, she screamed and immediately slumped over.
“Liz!” I yelled, but she didn’t respond. My Immortal vision allowed me to see the rise and fall of her chest, even in the dim light, so I was sure the fiend had had put her in some kind of deep sleep, the way Victor had with my friends when I was running away from him a year before.
The invisible ball that held me prisoner descended until my feet landed on the ground with a thud. As the walls around me dissipated, my body was suddenly paralyzed. I struggled to move a finger or anything at all, but I was totally at the mercy of Ethano. I hated the way he could control me. He laid a hand on my forehead and lingered there for a minute. I had no clue what he was doing, and a million scenarios crossed my mind. A wave of heat rushed through my body as my breath caught. He was doing some kind of mumbo-jumbo, and I wished I knew what it was. Or maybe it’s better not to know.
He smiled. “This is even better.” He turned his gaze to a priest who was standing next to him. “Get me the Book of Maldara.”
The priest nodded and hurried off, then returned with a thick tome. He began thumbing through the pages like a madman, then stopped and smiled widely. “Yes! We could have never anticipated this.”
The priests gathered around as their faces lit up. “Are you sure?” one said.
“I’m positive,” he said with certainty.
Ethano met my gaze, an evil smile curling on his lips. “You never cease to amaze me, Sarah.”
I wanted to spit in his face. I had no idea what he was talking about, and I really couldn’t have cared less. I was fighting to speak, and with one wave of Ethano’s hand, I felt the muscles in my mouth free up. I swallowed hard. “I want to see Victor one last time. Please? Is that too much to ask?”
His cold eyes met mine. “Too late. Your king is dead.” He almost smiled when he said it.
How could he delight in my pain? His words tore at my heart, and I turned and rushed over to Victor on the altar. I cupped his cheek and wept. He looked so sweet and serene, almost as if he were merely asleep. “Victor,” I said, “I love you so much. I’ll always love you.”
“Touching,” Ethano mocked in the background, and many of the priests joined him in heartless chuckling.
Ethano continued with his speech, but I tuned him out. More tears rolled down my face. I wasn’t one to cry, but I was losing all control. Emotions overwhelmed me as I slowly stroked my love’s raven-black hair.
Suddenly, strong, unforgiving hands gripped me from behind, yanking me away.
“No! Give me one more minute,” I spat.
“Your time is up, my Queen,” Ethano said. “You were supposed to die tonight, but it seems destiny has saved your life.”
“Let me bury Victor,” I begged. “He deserves a proper burial.”
“You needn’t worry. He will get what he deserves, and he’ll have your sister to keep him company.”
His callous words hit me full force. “No! You can’t kill Liz too.”
“Their deaths will appease my anger toward you, a perfect vengeance.” He lifted his hand up, and Liz floated softly to the ground.
I rushed over and wrapped my arms around my sister. I could feel her chest rise, but I took little comfort in knowing she was still alive, only for them to kill her.
A crackling sound made me spin around just in time to see Victor lighting up into a million particles, then disintegrating right before my eyes into a pile of dark ashes.
I gasped, completely numb and shocked, unable to fathom what my eyes were taking in. “Wh-at just…what was that!?” I screamed at Ethano.
“Cremation is the best way to go, don’t you think?”
I lunged at him, but he held a hand up, paralyzing me once again.
“Don’t worry. You will not have to stay here, where he finally got what he deserved. I will take you away, to a special place where no one will find you,” he said.
I struggled, to no avail. “Why?”
“Because you possess something I want.”
“What!?” I screamed.
He smiled, enjoying the unknown secret he was holding for ransom.
“Stop paralyzing me,” I said.
Ethano grabbed a fistful of hair and yanked. “Do you promise to act like a lady?”
I simply glared at him, refusing to answer such a question. I wanted to tear him apart, and I was sure that wasn’t very ladylike.
“Tell me, Sarah, how did you ever manage to melt the ice in Victor’s veins?” he asked.
“As I told you before, my love life is none of your concern,” I spat.
“I guess he was redeemed by the right woman, even if he did have to steal you away from poor, love-struck Frank by forcing you to marry him. But I have to wonder, are you warm enough to melt the ice in my veins?”
“I might be able to thaw ice, Ethano, but I cannot penetrate stone.”
“Hmm…” he said, scratching his chin. “You might be right.”
“You’ll pay for this,” I seethed. “I promise you that.”
“You shouldn’t be sad about living without your strong warrior by your side. You won’t be alone, Sarah.” As he moved toward me, I inched back, but he closed any distance I was attempting to put between us and whispered in my ear, “I promise to keep your bed warm in Victor’s absence.”
By his smug smirk, I could tell he was enjoying every moment of seeing the anger explode on my face. “My heart isn’t a playground,” I spat, “and neither is my body.”
“Your heart? That makes no difference to me, as that fickle thing isn’t what I’m after.”
I sucked in a trembling breath at his threats.
He ran a hand down my cheek. “I will destroy your happiness, and you will feel the wrath of my revenge every night for the rest of your life.”
“You can break my heart, ravage my body, and destroy my soul, but you’ll never take away my dignity,” I said, collapsing to the floor.
“She’s quite upset and weak. Get her some water,” a priest said.
Another hooded priest handed me a mug of water, but I threw it. “I don’t want anything from any of you. Let Liz go! Let me go.” I inched forward, glaring. “Let me go bury my husband in peace.”
Victor was dead, and Liz was scheduled for the next early departure, but I wasn’t going to let Ethano take my sister away from me. I didn’t have my Immortal powers under control yet, but I still had my smarts going for me, and that had gotten me through some pretty tough situations.
As I glanced around the temple room, an idea struck me: Controlled fire was the only light in the room. I looked at the candles, torches, and oil lamps, wondering which would cause the most intimidating inferno. I had no doubt that Ethano and his black-clad friends would be able to put it out, but I hoped it would be just enough of a distraction for me to get away. All I needed was to get their eyes off of me. I knew if Liz and I could get out of the church, we’d have our powers back. I opted for the oil lamps, nothing more than a wick sticking out of a container of animal-fat fuel. If I can just knock a few over, those elaborate curtains would go up in smoke.
As much as I wanted to rip Ethano’s throat out, I had to play along and pretend I’d submitted to him. I had to let the idiot think he’d won, even though I would forev
er think him a loser. I knew if I resisted in any way, I’d be paralyzed in a heartbeat, and then none of my plans would matter.
Ethano grabbed my jaw. “What should I do with your sister?”
“Please let her go,” I begged. “If you promise not to kill her, I’ll do anything you say.”
“Anything?” he said, running a hand down my face and licking his lips. I found his insinuations grotesque, but it was safest to play along. “Anything.”
He smiled wickedly, placing an arm around my waist and pulling me closer. “I know you will.”
It took everything I had not to vomit.
“It’d be my pleasure to bed Victor’s whore,” he said, leaving a trail of kisses down my face and neck. “I will delight in your first surrender to me.”
I cringed at the thought of his lips—or anything else of his—against my skin. I took a deep breath to calm myself and surprisingly refrained from slapping him or tearing him apart. Ethano had some kind of sick fascination with me, and I was almost positive it was rooted in some competitive thing between him and Victor. I had no doubt that if I didn’t find a way out, he would rape me before dawn, and my stomach churned and my flesh prickled at the thought. “This is…inappropriate,” I hissed, pushing him away, unable to play the charade any longer. “Should you be acting like this in front of your priests?”
“You need to get one thing straight.”
I turned my face and looked away. At that point, my grieving heart couldn’t have cared less about any of his lectures.
He grabbed my chin as if he owned me, then tilted my head to meet his gaze straight on.
I swallowed at the dangerous glint in his eyes.
“I am in charge now, my Queen,” he said, moving my hair over my shoulder. “I get what I want. If I desired to ravage your body on top of that altar this very second, I would do it.” Grabbing a fistful of hair, he pulled my face forward, crashing his lips into mine.
When he forced his tongue into my mouth, I pounded on his chest. The thought of him defiling me right where my husband had been murdered only minutes before sickened me.
He broke the kiss, his eyes wild. “Submit to me, or Liz dies,” he demanded.
As much as I hated ultimatums, there was no way I was going to let him kill Liz. He leaned in for another kiss, knowing he had the upper hand, and I sucked in a trembling breath as he placed his lips once again on my lips. As much as I wanted to puke, I didn’t fight him as he kissed me roughly, forcing my mouth open with his tongue.
“You submit easily,” his voice said, rolling across my mind.
I didn’t, and I knew he’d only said it to anger me.
He broke away and stared at me as if deciding what he wanted to do with me.
At that point, I began to think death might not be so bad. If Ethano kills me, at least I’ll be reunited with my Victor. I knew it was selfish to think only of my happiness with my sister’s life at stake. What about Liz? And what about my parents, back at my castle, worrying and waiting? How could I make them go through another funeral for Liz?
“Ethano!” a priest called. “Look what we found.”
A distraction? Thank goodness. I let out a tiny sigh of relief as I tried not to vomit from Ethano’s touch.
“We’ll finish this later,” he whispered in my ear.
Fat chance. I was dead set on finding a way out before he ever got me back to his bed. Spots flooded my vision, and my knees shook. “I-I need to sit,” I said. Emotions swept over me like a hurricane as grief held me tightly in its strangling, suffocating, icy grip.
Ethano motioned for a priest to lead me toward a long bench against the wall, then rushed over to the others.
When I looked back at the altar, I noticed that Victor’s ashes were gone. A tear slid down my cheek as sadness flooded through me. The priest must’ve took him. Now I’ll never be able to bury Victor—or keep him in an urn by my side.
Another priest handed me another glass of water. This time, I played along and took a sip, knowing that if Ethano suspected my plan to escape, he’d hurriedly throw me into that vegetative state. He must have thought me calm, as he continued looking at the book with the priests, who were getting more and excited by the minute over whatever they were looking at. No time better than the present, I thought and made my move.
Since there were no oil lamps near me, I slowly stood and scooted the candles next to the curtains. I then hurried back to my seat and watched as the material caught on fire. I slid back into my seat, as if the fire had happened naturally.
Within seconds, the fabric was ablaze, and the billowing curtain of smoke and fire made all the priests rush over in a panic, shouting.
Playing the part of typical damsel in distress, I screamed hysterically, “Put it out or we’re all going to die!”
A priest led me to the other side of the room. “Stay calm, Highness.”
I glanced into Liz’s terrified eyes as she grabbed my arm. I was more than relieved to see that she was awake and okay.
“Great distraction,” she whispered. She took a deep breath as she glanced around. “The doors are blocked by Immortals and soldiers. We’ll never get through.”
“Who needs doors? I say we jump out the window,” I whispered. “Now!” Without waiting for Liz’s response, I jumped to the windowsill about ten feet above me. I bit my lip as I teetered, precariously close to the edge. With one hand, I clung to the wall and kicked the stained glass window with all my might, delivering a mighty blow. The window shattered with a boom, glass spraying outside, onto the grass below. I peered out into the night, exasperated. There were no trees to shimmy down, no ladder, no rope, and nothing to aid our descent. Without hesitation, I climbed out and grabbed Liz’s hand, and together, we took the plunge.
Chapter 6
After we landed from our jump out of the church window, I scrambled to my feet and raced through the night, pulling my sister along with me. Thunder softly rumbled in the distance, and the wind picked up, blowing long strands of hair across my face.
We were almost off the grounds when I suddenly bounced off of something and was thrown back with a jolt. I stumbled but caught myself before I fell. “Wh-what’s going on?” I peered around me but didn’t see a tree or a wall or anything that would have caused such a collision.
Liz reached out her hand and touched the invisible barrier. “It’s a force field.”
I blinked, unable to believe what was happening.
“I can break through it,” she said. “I just need a minute.”
I was amazed at how calm he was. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw Ethano’s soldiers rushing in our direction, and my heart raced. “We don’t have a minute.”
She gripped my hand tightly. “I know a trick, but we’ll have to work together.”
I nodded. “That’s never been a problem, eh, sis?” I said with a grin.
She continued, “Right. Anyway, we’re gonna make a giant, invisible wave—strong enough to knock down an army.” Then she lifted my hand. “Concentrate just like you would to create a fireball. Use that same energy, and I’ll do the rest.”
I closed my eyes and focused, and I could feel the energy in the pit of my stomach. As I tapped into it, tiny dots of light flooded my vision, followed by a wave of electricity rolling through me. It was so intense that I could barely hang on.
“Don’t lose the connection,” Liz said. “Hang on!”
Breathing deeply and focusing harder, I was able to merge my mind with the light. I clenched my jaw, and an all-too-familiar headache began throbbing in my head. I could see the outline of a giant wave emerging in my mind. When I opened my eyes, I actually watched it pick up in speed as it rolled across the grass and crashed into the soldiers and Immortals with intense strength. The connection broke, and I sucked in a giant gulp of air.
Closing her eyes, Liz touched the force field with both hands. She knew far more than I did, and I hoped she could break through it.
Next, a fireball whizz
ed past my head and crashed into the force field, dissipating into nothing but red energy. The soldiers were out for the count, but the Immortals weren’t.
“Sarah, stall them!” Liz said.
I darted forward and ducked behind a huge statue of an angel. I peeked out and took careful aim at my first target, who was standing next to an equally large statue of a priest. I let out an onslaught of fireballs with expert precision, and the Immortal stumbled to the ground. Another tried to sneak around the water fountain, but I kept him in my sights, threw my hand back, and delivered a fireball that took him out before he knew what hit him. Fragments of stone flew as water exploded. My breath froze in my throat as Ethano walked in my direction, his hands brimming with blue energy. “Hurry!” I yelled. “Ethano’s coming.”
I threw more fireballs, but he shot out streams of water that instantly fizzled them to smoldering nothingness. He stared into my eyes harshly, wearing a smug smirk. He was still a good distance away, but that didn’t make me feel safe in the slightest.
Suddenly, I couldn’t move my limbs; I literally couldn’t lift a finger because Ethano had paralyzed me. Pain exploded in my head as an invisible hand yanked my hair back.
“Submit to me,” he ordered sternly inside my head. “I won’t spare your punishment, but I’ll let your sister live.”
“Go to hell!” I yelled back.
An invisible force yanked my hair even harder. “You will pay for this,” his voice echoed in my mind. “Our deal is off, and now your beloved Liz will be executed before your very eyes.”
Deal? I wasn’t aware we’d made any kind of deal.
“I got it,” Liz yelled. When I didn’t respond, she knew what was happening: My body was under Ethano’s control. She threw me over her shoulders, and we traced a million miles an hour into the woods.
As I bounced on Liz’s shoulder, I swore I was going to puke all over her. “Put me down,” I said. “I’m okay now. Ethano’s power over me is broken.”
She came to an abrupt halt and set me down, then glanced around for the best direction to go. Finally, she pointed to the north. “That way.”
I took a few steps through the vegetation until I slipped and fell sideways, bursting through clusters of large leafed plants and down a rocky hill. Somehow, I needed to slow my descent. Reaching out my hands, I desperately tried to grab a tree, a log, or anything to stop my gravity-induced momentum. Rocks flew up from under me, and branches slapped my face, arms, and legs. I finally stopped rolling when my back and head hit something hard, a jolt that sent a series of shudders through me. I drew in a sharp breath and reached behind me, then ran my fingers along what felt like the bark of a tree. I rubbed my pounding head and blinked, groaning, stars spinning in my vision. I gazed up at the humongous green ferns looming over me. Soil was clinging to my clothes, hair, and skin.
Eternal Fire - Book 3 of The Ruby Ring Saga Page 6
