by J D Abbas
Standing, he pulled off his shirt and tossed it onto the chest. “Don’t want to get all your muck on my clothes. It’d be a pity to ruin them.” Then, never taking his eyes off her, he pulled the knife from its sheath. The glint of the metal sparkled in his eyes. “This is going to be fun. Thrashed as you are, I’m sure you still have some good working parts.” He grinned as he tore back the blanket.
That was the last Elena knew. She was gone.
Chapter 37
“I need your help,” Celdorn told the children as he stood near the altar in the Sanctuary of Light with Yadar Toreno, gazing upon their shattered, hollow faces, praying for wisdom.
The benches in the holy place were half-filled. For as many children as were there, it was hauntingly quiet. Most stared at nothing in particular, their eyes vacant, lifeless, a jaded and all too mature callousness replacing the innocence of childhood that would never be theirs.
“The men with you have been asking many questions because we need information so that we can assist in finding your homes or other safe places for you. We want to make certain you won’t be hurt anymore. I know some of you aren’t from this village. We’ll do our best to find your homes, if they are suitable to return to.”
His eyes swept over the children; he saw not a flicker of hope in any of them. Some snuggled against the men who had become their companions and guardians, clinging to them as if afraid they might be snatched away into the shadows any moment. Others made it clear they wanted neither to be touched nor interacted with in any way. They had survived alone, and they would remain alone. The sorrow in the room took residence in Celdorn’s chest, creating an ever-increasing ache. He took a deep, laborious breath and forced himself to continue.
“I’m also asking you to be very brave. It would help us to know the names of any of the adults that were at the camp. I know you’ve been told not to disclose names, but your captors are dead now and cannot hurt you.” None of the children looked up. “I especially need to know about a man named Domar, father of Giara.”
A boy, who looked about thirteen, stood up. “I know them.”
The other children turned and gaped at him with horror. There was a collective intake of air and then stillness as they held their breaths.
“No!” a girl whispered.
“Domar was at the camp,” he added, ignoring the objection.
Celdorn stepped closer. “Which building was he in?”
“The main one, nearest the river.”
“Which room?”
“The one I was in.” Several of the children gasped and hid behind their Guardians.
“Which one were you in?”
“The upstairs one.”
“Which one?” Celdorn pressed him, sensing something not right.
“I don’t know. The back right one, I think. I was pretty scared, but I’m sure it was Domar. I’m from the village. I know him, though I have not seen Giara for a while. Do you know what’s happened to her, where she is?”
“I don’t,” Celdorn lied. “Thank you for being so brave. Does anyone else know any of the names?”
No one spoke or moved. Celdorn glanced around. Many of the children had climbed into the laps of their Guardians or were hiding under their cloaks. Terror pulsated in the room. He looked at Elbrion, who stepped toward him.
“A presence has entered the sanctuary,” Elbrion whispered in his ear. “It is evil.”
“Do you know where it is? Or what it is?”
“No, it is cloaked to me. I know it is here because I sense the children’s fear.”
Celdorn was puzzled. “What do I do?”
“Do not ask any more questions. Focus on finding care for the children.”
Celdorn nodded and said aloud, “I want each man who was at the camp to talk with Yadar Toreno, along with the child assigned to you. Share whatever information you’ve learned. If you have anything else to report, not concerning the children, speak with me.”
The Yadar approached Celdorn. “There’s something wrong here. Can you feel it?” He kept his voice low.
“You’re astute. Elbrion feels it as well but can’t find where it emanates from. I don’t sense it myself.”
“The children know its source,” the priest said. “Ask one.”
Celdorn noticed a small boy curled up in the lap of one of his men in the front row, sucking his thumb. Celdorn approached him and knelt down. “Are you frightened?”
The boy’s head bobbed.
“Do you feel something here?”
He nodded again.
“What is it?”
After scrutinizing him, the boy slowly removed his thumb and leaned toward Celdorn. “It’s one of the bad ones,” he whispered.
“What bad ones?”
“The ones who hurt us.”
“One of the people who hurt you is in this place?” Celdorn’s alarm rose, though he tried not to frighten the boy further.
“He’s hiding.”
“Where?”
“Inside someone else.”
“How can he hide inside someone else?”
“I don’t know. They just do it.”
“Can you show me who he’s hiding inside?”
The terrified boy snuggled back into the chest of his guardian and thrust his thumb back in his mouth, shaking his head vigorously.
“We’ll protect you.” Celdorn motioned for the man holding him to stand. He turned so that the boy could look around the room. The boy remained curled in a ball as his Guardian held him in his arms.
Elbrion came and stood with them. “Is he in one of the big people?”
The boy shook his head.
“In one of the children?” Celdorn feared the answer.
Burying his face in the Guardian’s chest, he nodded.
“Which one?”
The boy suddenly turned to him, his face filled with relief. “He’s gone.”
“What?”
“He is correct. The others are no longer afraid,” Elbrion said.
“But no one left the room. How can this be?” Celdorn’s frustration mounted. “Do you know which child he was in?”
The boy would say no more. He sucked vigorously on his thumb and stared into the distance. The other children were moving again as if it’d never happened.
“Well, I guess we’ll continue with gathering the information then.” Shaking his head, Celdorn turned to Toreno. “Hopefully you’ll get more cooperation in that endeavor.”
To his men, he said, “You may bring your children to meet with Toreno now.”
Celdorn walked to the side and tried to study the children with an objective eye, which was difficult. Pacing back and forth, he worked to make sense of what was said. Celdorn looked for the child who’d told him about Domar. The boy hunched next to his Guardian, eyes fixed on the ground. Something about him seemed peculiar, but Celdorn couldn’t put his finger on what.
~
Celdorn could endure it no longer. Disturbed and restless, he moved to the courtyard and paced, his boots pounding the rock slabs. He was struggling with a maelstrom of thoughts and emotions, desperately in need of some privacy to regain control and sort them out.
The depth of agony and terror among the children was bone chilling. His body felt bludgeoned by their continual silent screams, pounding at his heart like a battering ram, demanding entrance. As he looked into the deadened eyes of the little ones from the encampment, his mind kept drifting to Elena.
He wondered how she was faring, regretted leaving her again when she was still so vulnerable. Elena felt safest with Elbrion and him, he knew that, but he had no other choice. It frustrated him that her world was being turned upside down, and he wasn’t there to help her through it.
What is wrong with me? How did this girl get so far under my skin?
Celdorn scrubbed at his beard. He’d never wanted to be a father. The life he lived made it impossible to have a family. Since Kyola, his men were the only family he cared to have, his heart
too damaged for much else. Yet this girl had crept in there, aroused feelings he didn’t know were possible. He wanted to protect her, provide for her, care for her. He knew some of his men looked up to him as a father figure, but that was different. They didn’t depend on him in the same way. What if he opened up that part of himself only to find himself incapable, deficient? What if he failed her? What if he aroused the hope she so desperately feared and then crushed it? It would probably cripple, if not destroy her. One father failing her was bad enough.
Domar. So he was indeed dead. Celdorn wondered why he felt no relief. He’d wanted confirmation. He’d gotten it. And yet, he still felt unsettled. Perhaps Haldor was right. Perhaps his wrath demanded the pleasure of killing the man himself. Admittedly, it would’ve brought him great satisfaction to have made him suffer. He’d be more at ease if he could see Domar’s dead body and confirm he was no longer a threat—like the mother.
Celdorn ran his hands through his hair, trying to loose the thoughts. He didn’t like the hatred burning in him, yet he didn’t know how to release it. He shifted his focus to the work at hand.
Elbrion joined him as if summoned.
“Any word from the men?” Celdorn asked, avoiding the subjects that consumed his mind.
“I have not spoken with anyone. I was otherwise engaged before we met in the sanctuary.”
“I’m going in search of the others. Will you ride with me?”
“No, your place is here for now. Your men know where to find you when they have news.” Elbrion studied his friend. “What are you fleeing?”
Celdorn glared at him. He wanted to tell Elbrion he was wrong or out of line, but they’d been together too long for such games. Instead, he searched his soul. “The helplessness... I have this urge to do something, anything, when in fact I know there is nothing I can do to mend these children. I see the damage inflicted by perverse, out of control men, and at the moment I’m ashamed to be male.”
“As Elena told you, and we confirmed with our own eyes, women are equally capable of such depravity. It is not the fault of our gender.” Elbrion laid his hand on Celdorn’s shoulder. “There are good people of both genders. Many of them are in there,” he nodded toward the sanctuary, “doing what they can to right the wrongs done to the children.” He paused. “We have done what we can for today. You should send the men and children to their beds and get some rest yourself.”
Celdorn wanted to argue with Elbrion, but, again, he knew he was right. He was bone weary, and so were his men. “I’ll be in the room Drahmil set up for us. Would you please send the men and children to bed?”
“Certainly. I will join you shortly.” Elbrion left to carry out his task.
Chapter 38
A tall woman with long, ebony hair pushed past Elena and ran through a doorway. She stared at the woman’s backside, confused. Celdorn had said there were no women in the keep.
With a start, Elena realized she was no longer in Kelach but in an unfamiliar entrance hall of some sort. There was a door in front of her and one on either end of the rectangular foyer, none as tall as those in the keep. She glanced down and saw no support on her leg and felt none of the familiar ache. Her knees wobbled and her head started to spin.
How did she get here? And where exactly was here?
On her left, rusty hinges creaked as the door slowly opened. A girl, not more than five years old, appeared and motioned for her to come, then she turned and darted back through the opening. Confused and not knowing what else to do, Elena followed.
The doorway led to a long, dusky corridor with heavy wooden doors on either side. It looked similar to the place in her memory where Elbrion had taken her. She glanced at a door on the left. It was closed. It could be, she thought, but this hallway was much noisier. Children’s voices sounded from every direction, as if a great deal of activity were going on, but she could see nothing, no one.
A scream erupted in the cavernous hall, sending a chill up Elena’s spine. A primal scream, wrought with agonized terror. A child’s scream. The cold of the castle reached for Elena’s bones and froze her in place.
The girl ran back, grabbed Elena’s rigid hand and tugged. “Hurry,” she whispered, pulling Elena into one of the rooms.
Once they were inside, the girl shut the door and pulled the latch down. Elena immediately started shaking as she stared at what was before her. Though they had entered through an interior doorway, they were now in an open field full of vibrant red and yellow wildflowers. The afternoon sun shone brightly in a cloudless sky where birds flew back and forth between the large oak trees that bordered the meadow.
Elena squeezed her eyes shut and opened them again, thinking she must be dreaming, but it altered nothing. The blond girl took hold of Elena’s hand and led her to a rope swing hanging from a tree limb.
“Push me.” There was a playful lilt to her insistence.
Elena finally broke out of her daze. “Who are you?”
“Gia.” The girl flashed a smile.
“Th-that was my name when I was little.” The words stuck in her throat.
“I know.”
“How? Have I met you before?”
“No, but I watch you all the time.” She smiled again. “Come on, swing me.”
Elena stomped her feet on the ground, testing to see if this place was real. She met solid resistance. “Where are we?”
“In a happy place.”
“But where is this...happy place?”
The girl shrugged and tried unsuccessfully to swing herself. “Push me!”
Elena gave Gia a push while she tried to make sense of what she was seeing. “Can you take me back?”
“You don’t want to go back yet.”
“Why not?”
A pout pulled at Gia’s lips. “Because it’s not over.”
“What are you talking about?”
The girl paused to consider then gazed up at her. “Play while you can. We don’t have much time. When the rumble comes, you’ll have to go.”
The ground quaked beneath Elena’s feet.
“See, I told you. Now you have to go, and we didn’t get to play.” She huffed and glared at Elena with reproach. “Come on.” She grabbed Elena’s hand and led her across the field.
The door reappeared. Gia lifted the latch and led Elena back through the shadowy corridor. When they entered the vestibule, Elena saw a shadow, hunched and stumbling, move across the entry hall and pass through the middle door, leaving behind what looked to be a trail of blood. Elena’s heart caught in her throat.
Gia pulled her to the large double doors on the right. “Go through there, but don’t tell them I’m here.”
With that, the girl was gone.
Elena cautiously opened one of the doors and peered out. Before she stepped over the threshold, a deep, empty darkness enveloped her.
~
Braiden realized Elena had been sleeping for quite some time. Wondering if she was all right, he looked across the hall. Her door was closed.
He called to Giyon, who stood guard at the end of the hall. “H-have you seen the L-lady Elena up and around?
“I’ve seen no one in the corridor.”
“D-did you shut her d-door?”
“No, sir.”
Braiden walked toward Elena’s room.
Giyon joined him, looking concerned. “Is everything all right?”
“I d-don’t know.”
Braiden stood at Elena’s door listening. He heard nothing, so he tapped on the door. No response. He knocked harder and eased it open. “Elena?” She didn’t reply, but he heard crying. A sick fear gripped his gut. “Are y-you all right?”
When she still didn’t answer, he moved into the room. He froze when he saw Sasha lying sprawled across the floor at the end of the bed. If he hadn’t seen the rise and fall of her chest, he would have thought her dead—and that would have been two dogs who had died on his watch. “
It felt as if a hand gripped his throat as his gaze lifte
d to the bed. A lump of blankets was bundled up against the far wall, the source of the sobs. At the sound of his steps, the cries ceased, but her body heaved beneath the cover.
“El-Elena?” Braiden knelt on the bed and laid his hand on her side. Her body stiffened.
“Don’t touch me!” she cried.
Giyon peeked around the door, looking worried. When he noticed Sasha on the ground, he hurried inside to check on her.
Braiden pulled back from Elena, confused. “I-it’s me, B-Braiden.”
A shuddering sob. “Is...is Sasha dead?”
The question startled Braiden. “N-no. S-she seems to be all right, j-just sleeping. Giyon is trying to rouse her. Wh-what happened?”
“I can’t. I... Just leave me. Take Sasha and go.” When he didn’t move back, she yelled, “Go away.”
“N-not until you tell me wh-what’s wrong.” Braiden pulled on the blanket.
Like a wild cat released from a sack, Elena lunged at him, clawing at his face and arms, spitting, snarling, forcing him to withdraw. As soon as he got off the bed, she turned back to the wall, pulled the blanket over her head and continued her silent sobs.
Braiden stepped away from the bed, wiping blood from his face where her nails had raked him. When he looked down, he saw blood on the side of the bed—not his.
“El-Elena, you’re b-bleeding. Wh-what happened?”
“Leave, Braiden. I just want to be left alone.” When he didn’t retreat, she screamed, “I don’t want your help. Go!”
“All r-right, Elena, I’ll go, b-but I’ll come back later and ch-check on you.”
“Don’t come back. Just leave me to die.”
