Throne of Blood

by Amber Cook

  "What?" Her voice came out in disbelief before she started to laugh. The sound was crude to listen to, as if nails were being dragged down a sheet of metal. Adira very rarely laughed, but she couldn't contain herself.

  "Me? I think you have it all wrong. I am nothing more than a vessel for these Orbs. I'm a body that they can move around and orchestrate how they please. I cannot wield the Orb's power. Since the Orbs were planted in me, I was taught that I'm nothing more than a food supply to them. They consume my body, and, in return, they keep me alive as they feast on it. To believe that I am of significant importance, that I have a say of the power that courses through my veins, is laughable. My blood is not my own; this body does not belong to me. When the Orbs use me, they will finally kill me when they believe they can leach no more. That is my purpose."

  As she began to spew out words, Adira noted that the human's face did not falter as strongly as she had hoped. His brows had darkened, but she could still see the glimmer of hope in his eyes. He truly believed she had some type of purpose. No matter what she said, she would not be able to sway his mind. Seeing this only made her feel more on edge, and Adira's eyes narrowed.

  "I'm only going to give you one more chance. Let me leave here with the Fifth Pillar's Orb, or you will regret it."

  "Then make me regret it. I'd like to see what you could do. If you believe that you can not use the power of the Orbs, then what reason do I have to be afraid of a measly demon?" The bite to his words, combined with the increasing pressure of his fingers digging in her flesh, made Adira flinch. She shook his hand off of her.

  "Don't touch me."

  "As long as you are like this, I can do whatever I please with you." As those words left his lips, Adira's ears began to twitch. She could hear something to the side of her, but she was unable to strain her eyes to look at it. Each harsh movement she made resulted in a jarring pain that coursed through her body. As long as she was in this Realm, she would be rendered useless. It would take days and an ample enough amount of souls to mend her body. But, she didn't have days. She only had hours, minutes, seconds, before something would happen. She wasn't worried about dying; the Orbs would never allow that to happen. She was concerned about the glimmer in this man's eyes and the lust that reflected in them.

  Her fingers curled in the ground beside her. She had never thought she would ever call out to Ravana, to beg him to save her from this man, but the thought popped into her mind. She snuffed it as soon as it occurred. Consulting him would do nothing. If she called upon him, willingly, Ravana would expect something in return. The only option she had was to escape from this man and return to the Demonic Realm to heal. Maybe then she could hide away until her injuries were healed. If Ravana brought her to her father right away, Adira could only imagine the torture she would be put through. No, this time, it wouldn't be torture. This time he would break her.

  "Get away from me." She whispered beneath her breath, but her words did not hold the bite she wished. They wavered, and she no longer starred into his eyes. Fear crept into her throat, images flashing in front of her opened-eyes. She could see everything. She could nearly feel Kace's warm, thick breath against the nape of her neck. She never wanted to feel it again.

  The man sat back, smirking at her shackled frame. "Your injuries are not healing."

  Adira did not reply. However, her eyes slanted toward the Fifth Pillar's Orb. She could not see it very well, but she could feel its presence. She could hear its words softly on the dying breeze.

  "Stay here."

  Adira's eyes lifted at this, "Why would I?"

  "If you would like your wounds not to be reopened, then you will do as I say. The stitching on your arms...its exquisite work, isn't it?"

  Adira's eyes widened, a chill racing up her spine.

  "Whoever sewed them up is quite masterful, almost as if they have experience doing it. Looking at the stitching, it seems to follow a similar pattern. The muscles on your body have also shifted to make up for the thick scar tissue. I've seen similar things on other demon's bodies. I would have never expected for the Demon King's daughter to be skinned alive so many times to cause such extensive damage."

  Bile burned the back of Adira's throat as he said those words. Without the cover of her clothing, her body was laid utterly bare for him to see. She never wanted anyone to see those scars, especially such a despicable human as him. With her teeth gritted in frustration, Adira couldn't help the words that spilled from her lips.

  "Nothing is ever as it seems. I'm not the demon you believe I am. I am not something that can help your cause. Your kind is nothing more than filth; why would I help you? I would be lying if I said my father did not do this to me, but you know what? After years and nights of being skinned like this, I know how to do it as well. The moment I free myself of these shackles, I will flay you in front of me. I will take my time separating flesh from muscle. I'll keep you alive- alive so that you can feel the agony of skin splitting. And, when you finally want to let go, I will devour your body in front of you. I will keep you alive until you are nothing more than a dying, beating heart and a skull. I will make you experience pain unlike anything you've ever felt."

  Hearing those words made the man's face whiten. He stood on his feet, putting plenty of distance between him and Adira. Even though before he had an air of confidence, that was now all leeched from his face. Adira could see the slight tremble of his hands by his side, and that brought her delight.

  Without saying anything more, the man left. The forest around Adira was quiet, save for the gentle sway of the leaves overhead. The cool breeze was comforting to her chilled body, and Adira's eyes turned towards the Orb.

  The Fifth Pillar's Orb was dormant. Its glossy surface seemed at ease, but the occasional bolt of light was still noticeable. Even though Adira could feel it, almost as if it were breathing and touching her, a few feet separated them. With the restrictions, she would not be able to feel its smooth, cool surface against her uncovered flesh.

  Adira wasn't certain what to say. There were so many questions she had wanted to ask the Orb, but she did not imagine talking to it while shackled. The Orbs were always more receptive to her words when they were beside her, pressed against her flesh. Even though she could see the Orb, she could not feel his slim fingers pressing against her nape. Even though she had seen the man leave, Adira was not sure if he had entirely gone. He could still be lurking around, waiting to listen to Adira's loose lips. She cast her eyes towards the Orb and began to communicate through the invisible thread that tethered them together, no matter how many miles separated them.

  "I never expected for you to be in the hands of a human." Adira started. At first, there was nothing on the other side of the line. She felt as if she was talking into a bottomless pit, but she heard a sigh. The Fifth Pillar's Orb could try and defy her as much as it wanted, but it would never be able to turn her away.

  The Fifth Pillar's Orb was a secretive one, just like its master. Although Adira did not know if the accusations against Drystan were true, she knew that every word the Fifth Pillar's Orb spoke was. Even though sometimes it did not directly tell her the truth, it never said a lie. It was always cautious of what it disclosed and, even the people closest to it were viewed as untrustworthy.

  "What I do is not determined by you."

  "I never said it was. By all means, you are your own creature. I have no control over you." Adira would not add the comment that hung on her mind. According to the man, that was not the case. "Were you stolen against your will? If so, then help free me, and I'll bring you back to the Fifth Pillar. Or did Drystan do this?"

  The line went dead, almost icy cold.

  "You do not need to be afraid of me. I am your servant. Whatever you tell me, I will not mention to anyone else." She communicated, trying to coax the Orb back. There was a small bite on the line.

  "Drystan only listened to me."

  "Why? Why did you command him to let you over to the humans? How can you sta
nd to be by these repulsive creatures?"

  "They would say the same about us."

  "Me? Repulsive? I take that as a compliment." Adira could not help the cheekiness of her words. "But, there must be a reason that you ordered Drystan to do this. If you tell me, then I may be able to help."

  "How could you help?"

  Adira shifted, grimacing as the cuffs irritated her wrists further. She tried to make them jingle. "Come on, don't play with me. We both know these little cuffs are nothing for you. If you wanted to, you could break me free from these. But, it seems you don't want to. It's almost as if you want me to be in the hands of this human. What is your agenda? What are you using Drystan for?"

  Silence again. Adira gritted her teeth and continued to push further. "Did you hear the meeting the other day? Drystan was not present; he is suspected of aiding the humans. Every day, we get closer to war with them. The fact that you are in their hands is a large threat. You are a power that we have tried to hide for many years. If it's found out that Drystan handed you to the humans, they'll call for his execution on the spot. Kace and Legion are already searching for a suitable replacement. He won't be able to counsel with them; there will be no hesitation. Are you willing to risk your companion?"

  Hearing Legion's name piqued its interest immediately. "They cannot kill him without a council present."

  "My father can do whatever he wants. You are foolish to think otherwise." Adira could feel the pain on the other side of the line. It buried itself into her stomach like a scorching knife, and she grimaced. "The only way to save Drystan is to return to the Fifth Pillar. I will create a lie to protect him."

  For a moment, Adira could feel the line soften. She could feel the Fifth Pillar's Orb begin to give in to her honeyed words. But that suddenly changed. The line fastened; the resolute became firm.

  "Whatever happens to Drystan, it is his fate. Everything he does, everything the Orb's do, is for one cause. It is the reason for our existence."

  Adira shook her head in disbelief, "What could be so important that you would willingly throw his life away?"

  The Fifth Pillar's Orb disappeared, vanishing from the line. Adira strained to see it, but it did not flash her a warning. Its twisting surface was chilling, and she was not welcomed. She clenched her fingers into her palm. If it would not listen to her, then she had no choice. She would have to fight out of here. She would have to do everything in her power to escape.

  Chapter 6

  A few hours later, he returned. Adira had closed her eyes, beginning to drift off, when she heard the twang of metal. There was a set of reins in his hand, and a thick mare followed behind him. Tendrils of long, curling black mane spilled down the crest of its neck, and its eyes pinned Adira down immediately. The moment they made eye contact, it reared up, going into a fit. It took the man a few moments to steady the mare, but she stood firm, billowing at Adira.

  Adira's slit eyes held the mares, and she couldn't stop the grin on her lips. It could feel her power already. It knew that she was not human, but something else.

  "Easy." He murmured to it, and Adira began to laugh.

  "Maybe you should heed its warning."

  "It's nothing more than a horse. What does it know?"

  "Ah, that's your first mistake. Humans are too foolish to see the true monsters that lurk within. Animals can see directly through us, and to the very depths of our soul."

  The man turned back to the mare, smoothing down her forelock. He didn't know if the demon was telling another lie or if she was trying to install more fear into him. He walked over towards where he had left his bag, sighing in relief as he saw the Fifth Pillar's Orb. Although she was shackled up, he hadn't been confident they would contain her. Having the Fifth Pillar's Orb near him again made his quivering stomach steady. He couldn't risk it.

  "What are you doing?" She asked, disinterested even if her eyes said otherwise. They were trained onto him like a hawk watching its prey. Beneath the weight of them, he truly felt like a mouse fighting for its life.

  "We need to move."

  "Move? Who says we need to? Why I have come to enjoy this little tree you shackled me to. After a while, the pain starts to disappear until you can no longer feel it. It's delightful. Maybe we should switch places, and you can try it."

  He shook his head, sliding the Fifth Pillar's Orb into the pocket of his pants. Hearing her words confirmed that he wanted the Orb to be as close to him as possible. There was something ensnaring with each word she spoke. "We don't have time. If what you say is true, then I need to reach the base before our times up."

  "Is that what you were doing?"

  "No, the base isn't around here. It's probably two day's ride, at least."

  Adira continued to watch him as he loaded the rest of his supplies on the singular mare. "Base? Are you talking about the war base that belongs to you humans?" She offered him a cheeky smile, leaning as far forward as she could. "If so, that is absolutely splendid! I'll be right near the crossing area for the Demonic Realm. Let's not delay then."

  "No, not there."

  "Then, where else?"

  He finally walked towards where she sat, wrists shackled around the tree base behind her. He reached forward, careful to put enough space between the two of them. He could feel the shallow breaths that escaped from her parted lips, chilling against his exposed skin. There was no logical reason for her to breathe, and yet she mimicked humans. If he saw her, save for the crimson eyes that were buried in her skull, he would have believed she was an ordinary human.

  "The Halls."

  Adira's lips froze the moment she heard those words. Her eyes widened in shock as he continued to fumble with her shackles, but hearing that name took away the strength in her arms. Although she had never been to The Halls, she had heard multiple times of it. But she had thought it was just a silly war story. The stories said that any captured demons would be taken there, their corpses dragged. It was the main location for demon experimentation. If she were going there, then there was only one reason.

  Adira didn't know how true it was, but she had once heard from Legion that humans were conducting experiments on demons. Demons contained an unparalleled strength that humans lacked and, if they wished to live, they needed to find a way to defeat it. This concept of survival was what created The Halls, as well as the experimentation group.

  At first, they would take on any low-ranking demon. It was hard enough to hold one hostage securely. The small amounts of Demonic Energy could even cause significant damage to them at the time. They began with simple things like learning how to identify a demon, figuring out how they used their Demonic Energy, and how their bodies functioned. When they got an adequate supply, they focused on how to kill demons.

  In only a few months, their limited amount of knowledge was expanded. They began to hunt demons that wandered into the Human Realm, bringing them back to The Halls for experiments. Months passed, and their knowledge increased. Even they were beginning to figure out how mid-ranking demons worked. The next time a battle began between demons and humans, they stood on an equal playing field.

  Adira did not know of a single demon that had made it to The Halls and had survived. All of the stories she had heard were about the horrid things demons had done to them. The experiment, the torture, all of it was for their petty agenda. Going to The Halls, especially with the Orb close by, would be catastrophic for the demon race. She couldn't allow that to happen.

  "Ah, that won't be necessary." She began, but she was silenced as a burlap sack was pulled over her head. He tied it off around her neck, ensuring that it was secure. She tried to wiggle out of it, but her movements were stopped when she felt iron slide across her windpipe. It was similar to what was on her wrists. "You sneaky son of a bitch. Let go of me."

  "No can do. I need to get there as soon as possible."

  "Ah, but with this bag over my head and how you closed it, however will I breathe?"

  "Don't think I'm stupid. You're no
t a human. Even if you mimic one, you don't need to breathe."

  Adira rolled her eyes, "That's totally reassuring. Here I thought you were some idiot as dumb as a rock. I'm glad to know at least you have a brain."

  Even though he could not see her face, he could imagine the cocky grin she would have. The thought of her looking like that only made his skin prickle, irritating him further. Even with the burlap sack over her head, he would be a fool to think that it could limit her sight. Adira didn't know if he realized it, but she would make him believe so. She fumbled forward, throwing her hands out to regain her balance. She could feel the shackle on her throat pulled tighter, and she turned her head in the opposite direction of him.

  "Do you not know how to treat a lady?"

  "You're a demon." He said with venom, sharply pulling down on the iron. She hissed through her teeth, eyes cutting up at him. It took her a few moments to regain her breathing.

  "Your manners are almost as terrible as my own kind." She grimaced, and he did not waste a moment longer, swinging up onto the saddle on the mare's back. The end of her shackle was in his hands, and her face soured.

  "Do you mean to tell me that I have to share the same saddle as you?" Her words were doused in disgust, and he shook his head, snickering.

  "If I am really some vile, disgusting creature-"

  "I'm glad you admitted what you are." She chimed in, a broad grin on her lips beneath the sack.

  His fingers clenched down; his face became a puckered red as he fumed in anger. "Then I'll show you what you think I am. Forget riding; you can walk."

  Adira stared at him for a few moments before she broke out in laughter. She tried to cover her mouth, shaking her head. "What a horrible person you are, truly. That does not compare to the torture I have gone through my whole life."

  His face soured, his lips immediately becoming pursed by her words. In a blink of an eye, he turned around, digging his heels into the mare's flanks. Her eyes widened by the sudden pressure in her side, her nature already frantic with the demon beside her. Wasting no time, the mare rocked back on her haunches, launching forward. Adira was thrown, the clasp of metal around her neck dragging her along. She tried to catch her balance but was thrown on her knees, falling onto the ground. The mare, wide-eyed and alert, only reacted further to the sudden noise.