by Lia Davis
“It’s worse if you fight him,” Kathleen whispered. “They don’t like the cold.”
“Shut up, slave!” A loud clang echoed through the dungeon as one of the familiars banged on the bars.
I didn’t remove my gaze from the malum and he continued to stare back at me. My total focus was on the creature, watching as the guards unlocked my cell. They removed his chains but left the collar around his neck. I figured it helped keep control over the creature.
The familiars shoved the beast inside my cell, shutting the door behind him. He growled and stumbled forward.
Panic made my heart thump harder as the familiars locked the creature inside with me. I expected the familiars to leave, but they just stood outside. They were going to watch the show. Nice.
Sick bastards.
Slowly, I slid off the cot. No need to get blood on the place I’d need to sleep. I didn’t want that malum anywhere near me. However, Kathleen was right. If I fought him or ran, it’d be a million times worse. What surprised me was how still the creature was. He just stood there, watching me as if waiting to see what I’d do. Was he under a spell or drugged?
He stood easily two feet taller than me. His head had been shaved, which I found interesting. Maybe he was bald when he was changed.
I inched closer and stopped within arm’s length. His chest rose and fell. His nostrils flared again. Then he lunged, fisting his hand in my hair, pulling so my neck was exposed. I cringed as a deep growl rumbled through him as his other arm wrapped around me right before he latched onto my throat.
Pain made me gasp when his sharp, pointed teeth sank into my skin. Every muscle in my body seized. I closed my eyes and wished for it to be over with soon. Each slow pull of his sucking of my blood seemed to take too long.
He pressed his body into mine and I forced myself not to gag. When I felt the hard ridge of his erection, I panicked. Fear rushed within me, sparking my magic to life. I pressed my hands to his bare chest and called the ice. He growled and jerked slightly, but didn’t extract his teeth from my throat.
“Don’t think about taking anything from me other than my blood.”
He stiffened his body, then relaxed. Just then the pain from his bite lessened. Had he understood me? Clearly, he didn’t feel compassion. Did he?
Just in case, I kept my hands on him at a cool temperature as a reminder I would protect myself if needed. After a few more moments, I felt myself grow weaker. I tapped my fingers on his chest. “Time to stop,” I whispered.
He grunted and held on tighter. Crap. He was too lost in the feeding. I tried to reason with him, knowing there was a big chance he wouldn’t understand. “If you drain me, I die. I won’t be here the next time you need to feed. Is anyone else as willing?”
He slowed his sucking, then stopped. My heart skipped a beat. He understood. That was interesting. It must have something to do with whatever the familiars gave him to tame the beast he would be out in the wild. Could Crystal control the malum?
A thought entered my mind as the malum extracted his teeth and loosened his hold. After another few moments, he turned to the cell door, keeping his eyes on the floor. Sorrow drifted on the air and I wasn’t sure if it was his or mine. Probably both of ours.
I stumbled back to my cot, too weak and tired to stand. The bite tingled as my magic sealed the punctures. I still needed to get out of this damned cell and find my family. Tears slid down cheeks as I lay on the hard cot and closed my eyes.
I woke with a start, shooting straight up in my cot. At first, I didn’t recognize where I was. Then the memories of being put into a magical sleep and waking up in this cell flooded me. My family was being held somewhere else.
And the feeding. I shuddered. It could have been worse. Much worse.
Taking a shaky breath, I sat back, pressing against the wall. It was warm in my cell. At least warmer than I was used to.
The sound of the door at the end of the corridor opening made me listen. With no windows, it was hard to tell what time it was. That led me to believe we were underground.
Pounding of heavy boots drew closer as did the growling of another malum. I remained on my cot where I was shadowed from the light. There were four familiars escorting a pissed off malum. He yelled out, his words not English. Instead, they were a cross between baby babble and monstrous sounds.
I held my breath to not draw attention to myself. I didn’t think they’d bring another one of the creatures to feed on me so soon, but I wasn’t naïve, either. Familiars didn’t feel compassion or anything else. They were as much slaves to the princess as the rest of us.
Studying the familiars holding the reins on the malum, I noticed the one closer to my cell looked like my father. His hair was now white, like all familiars after being changed. Sadness threatened to cripple me.
My heart lurched and tears flooded over my cheeks. I sprang from my cot and ran to the bars. “Dad.”
He stopped and stared at me. Or right through me, it seemed. I tried again while reaching out to him through the bars. “Dad, it’s me, Ro.”
He narrowed his gaze, and I swore a spark of acknowledgement lit up within his now crimson depths. Still, he said nothing. Oh, gods, please, Dad, you have to remember. The other familiar beside him, nudged his arm. “She’s a blood slave, crazy. They will say anything to get you to free them.”
With a nod, my dad turned and continue farther down the hall.
“No. Dad! It’s Ro.” I cried and slid to the floor, still holding onto the bars, my face pressed against them.
I sensed Kathleen move closer to the bars separating us. “Did you recognize the malum?”
What? “I didn’t pay too much attention to him. Why?”
“One of the first tasks of a newly changed familiar is to escort a malum to their first feeding, especially if the malum is family. It’s a sick test the bitch puts them through.”
The malum was male. Now that I though back to when they first appeared, something clicked. The sound of the beast’s voice was familiar. I frowned. Was that Tae? My heart broke all over. Tae was a malum? I had to get out of there. I stood and examined the lock. Placing my palms against the locking device, I let my ice magic flow into it. Even though the iron weakened fae magic, I’d never been crippled by it as much as most.
I pushed my power into the metal. Ice covered the lock, working from the inside out. Once it was frozen all the way through, I jerked the lock downwards as hard as I could. It broke. My heart fluttered with hope.
After opening my cell, I darted down the hall toward the door the familiars had come from. The hall seemed to stretch for miles, even though I know it didn’t. Every cell I passed had at least one person inside. Many had two or more. Why was I put in by myself?
The prisoners I passed appeared weak, or their spirits were broken. While most glanced at me, others avoided eye contact and cowered away. Because you’re an ice fae, just like Crystal.
At the door, I stilled my breathing to listen. I didn’t need to open the door and run right into familiars. I wasn’t sure how many Crystal had. Pressing my ear to the wood, I held my breath and focused. Silence sent a shudder of relief through me. When I was sure it was clear, I opened the door and eased through into another hallway.
This was shorter. I tiptoed past a few wooden doors. Curious, I opened one and frowned. It appeared to be a storeroom. I eased inside and closed the door behind me. Shelves lined the walls on either side of me with food and supplies. There were blankets, sheets, and pillows on two of the shelves. Another door was on the other side of the room. Beside the door were a desk and filing cabinet.
I went to the cabinet and opened the top drawer. There were a few files in the front and behind them were books. I picked one up and thumbed through it. Handwritten notes were scribbled on the pages. Some had drawings. I didn’t understand them so I placed it back into the drawer and shut it.
The handle to the door I came through rattled. My heart pounded as fear burned my gut. I exited
through the door next to the cabinet just as the other door opened.
I raced down the hall noting the cells I passed. Glancing at a few made my heart hurt. This section was for the children. Many of them huddled in the corners of their cells. Their clothes from what I could tell in the low light were worn and dirty.
A groan caught my attention, forcing my heart to drop to my feet. I stopped in front of a cell that had a little girl curled up in the center. Fear caught in my throat as I recognized to pink floral dress she wore.
Ameria.
3
I stumbled into the bars with blurred vision. My lungs burned as I fought to breathe around the pain of seeing my baby sister on the floor, unmoving. Gathering my strength and courage, I pushed all the pain and sorrow into a ball, then added it to the stream of magic traveling through my veins to my hand.
Gripping the lock in a tight hold, I poured the ball of magic and emotions onto the metal. Ice covered it and seeped inside. With one last blast of my anger, fear, dread, and sorrow, I jerked the lock free from the door. It opened and I rushed into the cell, stopping to hover a hand over her small body. “Ameria?”
She groaned again and her lashes lifted. Her mouth opened, but no sound came out. That was when I saw the marks on her arm. Needle marks. No! Tears fell in fat drops and my bottom lip trembled. Not her. “What have they done to you?”
“Malum…bite…familiars change…me.” Between each word she coughed. Her tone was scratchy and low. It made my heart hurt even more.
I pulled her into my arms and rocked her back and forth while sitting on my knees. I hugged her close, not bothering to fight the tears falling. Heart wrenching sobs escaped me.
The floor under me turned to ice and spread in all directions. My emotions affected my powers. I tried to rein them in but couldn’t focus on anything but Ameria. My baby sister.
She was so pale and sickly. Like one of the bastard malums fed from her. When her eyes drifted shut, I tried to wake her with a light tap on her cheek. Fear slammed into me. She couldn’t die. “Ameria, please wake up. Stay with me, baby. Please. We’ll find Tae and freeze the air.”
Her lashes fluttered then stopped. Her skin grew cool and for the first time in my life wished I were a fire fae. Fire could heal. It could take away the cold consuming her tiny body. But could it heal this?
I knew that answer. Whispers in the villages and mountains said once you were injected with the changeling serum, you would grow dark like the familiars, insane like the malum, or die. Very few survived, sane.
Ameria went limp in my arms. Her breathing ceased. Sobs shook my shoulders as I cradled her head to my chest and continued to rock her. Anguish sliced through me. My ice magic rose to the surface and I had to fight to control the rage. My father was a familiar and didn’t recognize me. My baby sister was dead.
A siren sounded through the dungeon. Dread and fear scorched my insides. Sniffing, I glanced around with blurred vision for a place to hide. Damn the whole cell was frozen. I had to get out of there.
Standing, I cradled Ameria closer and moved to the door. The sound of footsteps stopped so I peeked round the bars. When I didn’t see the familiars, I eased out, pulled the cell door to, and hoped they didn’t notice the broken lock. It really didn’t matter, ice covered the floor.
Crap. There was nothing I could do about it now.
On silent feet, I rushed down the hall, passing more cells. The prisoners, all kids. My heart ached for them all. What could I do? If I freed them, they could die trying to escape. More tears rolled down my cheeks. I couldn’t help any of them.
I had to get myself out and find a way to free them.
Voices echoed through the dungeon, sending my pulse into high gear. I came upon an empty cell and entered. With Ameria lifeless body pressed tightly against me, I sank back into the shadows, flattening my back to the wall.
I noted that I had backed into a space between two walls inside the cell. Interesting. I hadn’t seen it when I came in. Glancing at Ameria, my heart ached all over again. What was I going to do?
I sank to the floor, still holding her. It wasn’t like me to give up. I had to get help. But who and where?
Then I remember the village in the North Mountains Tae mentioned. Was it worth the risk to see if they truly were building a resistance?
With blurred vision, I took in Ameria’s pale features. I stroked her cheek and blew out a ragged breath. “So sorry, my sister. I’ll have to leave you for now. But I promise, I’ll be back.”
I kissed her cold forehead and eased her to the floor. “I’ll be back for you.” My words were barely a whisper as I touched her small, round face. Taking a shaky breath, I drew in the last bit of strength I had and called my power. Ice formed around Ameria’s body, preserving her remains for when I could make it back for a proper burial.
I stepped out of the small space and sealed it up with a thick sheet of ice. This level of the dungeon was cooler than the one I was placed in.
I left the cell and moved farther down the hall until I heard the familiars’ footsteps thundering down the corridor. Their voices echoed from every direction. It was hard to tell how many of them were yelling.
“Search everywhere. He has to be inside the palace still.”
He? So they hadn’t discovered I’d left my cell? Odd. Was there no one watching every level? I filed that info for later and darted into another empty cell. I hoped I could wait them out. Then make my escape once they left.
More pounding of footfalls advanced down the hall. “The girl is out, too, and she took the child. Find them. If the male hasn’t changed completely, he’d help her.”
“Or kill her. The princess wants the girl alive.”
My heart pounded. The closer they got the cell, the more fear burned within. Images of my sister’s lifeless body flashed in my mind. Tears rolled down my cheeks again. She was gone.
The familiars stopped outside the cell. I held my breath. Don’t come in.
My heart stopped when one of them stepped into to cell and froze. Why did he stop? He stiffened the air. My blood went cold and my power raced in my blood. They could scent me? Not what I expected.
A low growl echoed through the space. “The female is here.”
Then two more stepped inside the small cell behind the first one. I was trapped. Two more familiars appeared at the door. And surrounded me. “The male is no longer in the palace.”
“Forget him. The girl is on this level somewhere. Seal off the exits.”
Crap. There was no escaping unless I was caught on purpose. But what would they do to me? My magic flowed within, waiting to be called on. Why they never bound my powers, I didn’t know. Had they not expected me to use it on them?
Their mistake.
I released a breath, slow and as quietly as I could. My gaze fell on my sister’s dead body, again, behind the wall of ice. While my heart ached and lungs burned from grief, I was running on fear and the need to escape this hellhole.
I’d break down later. When I was safe. When the Hollow was safe.
A familiar stopped in front of me then slowly turned. His crimson glare bored into me, searing all the way to my soul. Without giving him time to grab me, I blasted him with a stream of ice power, hitting him in the chest. He stumbled back and I darted around and out the cell door.
My booted feet pounded on the dirty stone floor as I ran toward what I thought—and hoped—was the exit. A few feet from the door, another familiar stepped into the narrow hallway, blocking my escape. I turned and came up short as two more guards rushed me from the other end.
Trapped like a rat.
There were no windows in any of cells so going into one wouldn’t do me any good. The only option I had was to surrender with the hope I could escape later.
I held my hands up. They instantly went on the defense and drew their swords. Closing my eyes, I sank to my knees and bowed my head.
When I heard them approach, I forced myself to remain still. The
n cool metal slapped over one of my wrists. My power dissipated to a low hum. Oh, no. They were muting my magic.
Damn. I had to come up with a different escape plan.
4
The familiars surrounded me. Two of them wrapped their large hands around my upper arms and jerked me to stand. Their fingers bit into my muscles, pinching the skin. I clenched my teeth, holding back a cry of pain as they dragged me through the halls of the dungeon.
They weren’t taking me back to my cage. Dread slammed into my gut. Where were they taking me? To Crystal?
After turning another corner, then stumbling up a set of stairs, they shoved me into a small, white, windowless room with a metal table, a cage barely big enough for me to stand in, and shelves lining the right wall. The table held an amber-colored bottle of liquid and a syringe.
My insides burned with dread and fear. I shook my head. No. I will not let them turn me. I twisted and jerked, trying to break their hold on me. Another jerk and I managed to get one arm free. Then I swung, hitting the familiar on the opposite side of me in his nose. A crack sounded just before blood gushed down his face. H screamed and released me to hold his nose.
Almost instantly, I whirled and kicked the other one in the balls. He crumbled to the ground. Not waiting around, I darted for the door and skidded to a halt when my father appeared in the doorway, blocking my exit.
My heart dropped to the feet and my chest tightened. Not him. Familiar or not, I wasn’t sure I could hurt him. Tears stung my eyes as I watched him move past me to the table. I should leave, make my escape.
“Dad…” He didn’t react to my voice. It was like he had no memory of his life or me. Made sense if Crystal was building an army of minions.
Tearing my gaze from him, I turned to the door and ran out only to come against two more familiars. They grabbed my arms and forced me back into the room. When they saw the two injured guards moaning on the floor, they cursed.
