Caged Fire

by L M Preston

  A surge of heated fire pulsed through her blood. The power was addictive and hungry. Her vision took on a red haze. She kicked her free foot until it landed a blow on the creature’s face. She pressed her heel to the beast’s face, making it jerk in the opposite direction.

  The cyclops grabbed her arm and threw her.

  “Ahh!”

  EmVee relaxed her body, hoping to limit the damage she saw coming. She crashed, and the cement wall pounded her back. The wind was knocked from her. Pain lanced her chest and injuries.

  The creature picked up her rod and threw it at her. EmVee rolled out of the way. “Thanks!” she spat and noticed blood from her nose hit the ground as she bent to pick up the rod. She stumbled to her feet then righted herself.

  The giant charged at her. She grasped the rod in both hands and let the fire within her consume her. A surge of supernatural strength invigorated her. She swung the rod like a bat, hitting the creature on the side of the head with so much power it fell on its knees.

  EmVee kneed its chest. The creature picked up her discarded knife and rammed it into her stomach.

  She staggered, eyes narrowed, then she lifted the rod and stabbed the sharp edge into the creature’s neck, shoving the weapon down through to its gut. With a gurgle, the cyclops’ clawed fingers grabbed at the wound as if to push the gushing blood back within. Its giant eye closed, and it toppled over in a jumbled heap.

  The pink haze from her inner power surge flickered. Dizziness and fog consumed her. EmVee held her head. Unable to stop herself, she fell backwards.

  “Hold on. I got you.”

  EmVee could have sworn she heard Kayson’s voice. A distant memory, or maybe a dream, surfaced in her haze. “I should’ve chosen you.”

  Kayson chuckled. “I know.”

  Darkness claimed her.

  “She’s waking up,” someone whispered.

  The hard surface under EmVee felt like a rock. She put her hand on her forehead then moved it over the scarf covering her red hair to the fake ponytail that was somewhat lopsided.

  Blinking, she opened her eyes to see Kayson’s above her.

  “Ouch.” She hurt all over.

  “Hey.” Kayson put his hand on her forehead. “You’re healing well. I can help you do it faster, but it might make you uncomfortable.”

  EmVee frowned. She didn’t feel anything outside of the throbbing mass of pain that was her body at that moment. “How?” she said with a hoarseness to her voice.

  “You could bite me; my blood could heal you faster. Silas did that to heal me. I could try it on you.”

  EmVee shook her head. “No, thank you.” She didn’t want to see any more blood for a long while.

  Kayson shrugged and stepped away. EmVee sat up. He placed one hand on her back and the other under her arm to help her stand.

  She ignored the tingle of his touch through her achiness and discomfort. EmVee wanted to curl up into a ball and climb into Kayson’s lap. She steeled herself against the desire. Instead she fisted her hands and focused on the floor and not slipping onto it.

  “Did I win?” EmVee blinked to bring the room into focus. It was basically a cement cell with a decorative iron door that allowed air in through the iron designs in the shape of tulips.

  “Yeah, in a big way. To the death.” His eyes studied her. “You did good holding back.”

  “Thank you. I guess with all that’s happened, I’ve been practicing the art of controlling my rage impulses. But...” EmVee sighed and leaned into the crook of Kayson’s arm for some warmth and to brace against the aches of her battle.

  “Is there something else you had to fight against? Another symptom?”

  “Hunger.” She closed her eyes. “Not for regular food, for flesh. I wanted to rip him apart.”

  Kayson hugged her close. EmVee let him because she felt nauseous from the vulgar impulse of the addictive compulsion that overtook her earlier.

  “Fight or flight? The more you fight it, the less it happens. I never gave in to it. Now, it is part of the buildup for the fight.”

  “He turned me into a monster. What if I…we…become like him?”

  “No. We will make sure it doesn’t happen. We have each other. Silas is not around to try to rule us.”

  “It scares me.” EmVee raised a shaking hand to cover her eyes. “I don’t want to turn into someone I hate.”

  Kayson moved her hand from her eyes. “It’s because you pushed yourself the most with him. And we’d been fighting so long. Truthfully, it’s why I forfeited myself in the second round. It was getting hard not to rage.”

  “When do we meet him—Afanas?”

  EmVee let Kayson massage her neck lightly. She shouldn’t, but at this point, she didn’t fight him. Fatigue and sharp pains teased her body. She felt as though her muscles, organs, and even her bones were moving around inside her. It hurt like nothing she’d experience before, and she had a high tolerance for pain. Years of training as a semi-pro boxer honed her skill at fighting through physical discomfort. All that made her body feel alive, but his hands made her want more, things she shouldn’t. Kayson’s touch was like a warm compress of soothing sustenance that she wanted to feel everywhere. EmVee moved aside, out of his reach, at that thought.

  He must have sensed her discomfort. “Feeling better?” He dropped his hands to his sides.

  “Yes. Afanas agreed to meet with us?”

  “Not until the fighting is over. There were still eleven girls left to fight when you finished.”

  “He has to give us the name of the Flesh Dealer he works for. It’s likely a Soul Thief since they do the recruitment. Rocky’s notes said he thought Afanas had a connection in The Void that funded experiments on magicals. They’d supposedly stole prospects from the hospitals.”

  EmVee sighed. “That’s just evil.”

  “The core of the magic that creates them is. The capture of those talented is the key. It leads back to the main funding source for the club: your father’s gym. The Flesh Dealer is a stepping stone. If we discover the identity of the secret investor in The Void, we may be able to find its creator and free every human and creature there.”

  “Do you think my family is still there—in the Void?”

  Kayson shrugged. “I don’t know. It won’t be easy for us to get back in there. We would have to get a ride, or an escort, then escape the escort.”

  EmVee sighed. “What do you mean by escort?

  “The only beings that have the power to find or come and go freely from the Void are the Soul Thieves and Soul Trainers. Soul Trainers prefer to be escorted by their male protectors. The other way is by strong magic, the kind that created The Void in the first place. Otherwise, we’d have to use some of the more dangerous and unreliable methods. Those I don’t know of too well even though it’s how I got out. Rachel’s good for that. I can’t seem to reach her.”

  “How do you know all of this?”

  “Research, my father kept journals, notes, and diaries of it. After my mother left, he was obsessed with getting out and getting in. I even asked him how we got there. He told me he and Mom were in a car accident when I was an infant, and this man appeared out of nowhere, placed his hands on the car, and the last thing he remembered was waking up in the woods. My mother and I were still asleep.”

  “Interesting.” EmVee coughed and took the cloth bandage Kayson handed her.

  “Do you remember how you got there?”

  “My father drove us. There was one point where the rest of us were sleeping. Then when I woke up, we were in front of our house.”

  Kayson frowned. “Do you think your father is a Soul Thief?”

  EmVee laughed brokenly. “Not a chance of that. He would’ve told me. Besides, if he was, why would he return there?”

  “Many reasons. You…” Kayson studied her face then took her hand.

  “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

  “Never mind. You would tell me the truth, right? We can’t help each
other if we aren’t honest.”

  “I know.”

  “I’ve got to go find Luspardan. Lay back down. You’ll heal faster.”

  EmVee gave him a weak smile. “Okay.”

  She waited until he left the room then dug into the crease of her jacket and inside her two bras she’d used to keep her breasts steady. It was tucked within a pocket inside her bra. Hesitantly, she touched a finger to the Soul Trainer’s charm Megan had given her back in The Void, a necklace with a glowing stone framed in silver.

  The charm, it had to be her way back in.

  They walked from the arena and the imposing twin outer structures to Afanas’ portion of the castle. This side of the castle must be where they lived. EmVee remembered seeing two castles connected by a bridge upon them entering the Vampire Province. The other castle held the arena where they’d fought. This one must be more private. There was a chill in the air that EmVee couldn’t shake. The structure was completely overdone for EmVee’s taste. It appeared to be a bad replica of the worst vampire movie she’d ever seen. This vampire was definitely full of himself even if he was something like a king of this place.

  There were many vampires roaming around the castle. EmVee could smell them. The overbearing odor of rotting flesh hung on the dampness of the castle. The thought that she could’ve considered these creatures beautiful and alluring repulsed her. The hall was grey, possibly made of large rocks. It reminded her of Demi’s tomb turned tiny home. The walls were adorned with large paintings trimmed in gold. She’d swear they all were vampires in the pictures, but they oddly seemed familiar. Some even appeared to be historical figures she remembered from history books or as sculptured art she’d seen at the galleries that she’d walked through with her mother while on their family vacations. The curious thing about the paintings was that at the foot of each of the vampires, there was an animal with distinctly human-like expression of sadness, anger, or disdain. EmVee guessed that the animals were shifters. She wondered why none of the shifters were werewolves.

  Luspardan shuffled ahead of them as male and female vampires and humans that had various skin tones and features fluttered around them. All were rushing to watch the meeting planned for the victors of the tournament. EmVee admitted that every one of the vampires was beautiful. At least what she considered beautiful. Dark skinned like her father and golden like that of her mother as well as other exotic hues littered the masses. There were times, despite the stink, that she actually had the desire to reach over and touch one of the creatures to make sure they were real.

  Then she noticed that others started to come through several thick wood doors that weren’t vampire. She scented the humans, but an underlying smell seemed alive or almost carbonated like the difference between a flat soda and a freshly opened one. There was a distinct difference in the prospective Soul Trainers and Thieves that set them apart from the other humans she’d scented since her attack by Silas. Unfortunately, their smell attracted her and made her gums tingle. It wasn’t as though she had an uncontrollable desire to attack; it was as if something within them smelled good, almost as though she may want a taste. Another side effect of Silas’ obsession, she guessed. At least within EmVee, it wasn’t a temptation that made her want to act on it. Her mouth didn’t water, too much, and like any other addictive substance, if you didn’t taste it, you were fine.

  Luspardan captured her wrist in his hand. “Don’t gaze at them too long. They’ll lure you into dispelling all your secrets. If that happens, we won’t escape alive.”

  “You mean you won’t.” Kayson chuckled. “We’ll survive.”

  Luspardan frowned.

  “I’ll protect you.” EmVee smiled down at him and tugged her wrist out of his grasp.

  “Aye, I know ye will.” Luspardan snorted at Kayson. “I know this Afanas. He can’t be trusted. Wait until the group disperses before we ask him your questions.”

  EmVee crossed her hands under her chest and waited as the girls and guys who won their challenges filled the room. The vampires seemed to be holding back to let them enter.

  The room was huge. The infamous Afanas sat in a large, ornate gold chair on a two-level stage. The top level was where his huge chair sat with two females, one on each side of him. His bronze complexion, thick muscled chest, and shoulders moved a fraction in impatience. His piercing brandy colored eyes tracked her. The curious stare made EmVee hope he’d hadn’t found something strange about her. In a quick moment, his eyes blinked down at Luspardan, and she realized that the observation was likely because of their previous relationship. At least she hoped so.

  EmVee followed Luspardan’s lead and held back from the other humans in the room. They slowly made their way up the lower tier of the stage. She swallowed, feeling Afanas’ eyes on her again, and she couldn’t help but be drawn to him. His eyes were hypnotic, his skin smooth and youthful, seeming to place him around her age, maybe under twenty. He had a dimple in his chin and long lashes that gave him an almost feminine appearance.

  Kayson grasped her hand, linking his fingers between hers and tugging her back. He whispered in her ear, “Don’t be seduced by him. He’s got to be my father’s age.”

  “Huh? He’s not; he’s around my age,” EmVee whispered back, her gaze catching a flicker of anger in the vampire’s observation of them.

  Afanas clapped his hands and stood. The thick cape of deep red, gold, and various jewels framed his black and gold trimmed fitted suit with tapered pants that were tucked inside black boots.

  The vampires joined the clapping as if in congratulations.

  “The victors! Finally, we have an assemblage of quality candidates to move on to the next level and to pay the yearly debt to our Warlord.”

  The women on either side of him went to opposite sides of the upper stage.

  “We don’t have the number promised, Afanas,” the tall woman with gold hair and green eyes stated. Her fingers moved to count the girls in the group of humans. “There is a limited number of Soul Trainers, not many females to go forward.”

  “No matter, I have a plan.” He dismissed her then eyed Luspardan. “A former recruiter once warned we’d have to get them younger and train them to become the warriors we need. Even if we have to use one of their own to steal them.”

  Luspardan stepped back. “I made that suggestion in haste. In anger. I would not advise that method.”

  EmVee frowned down at Luspardan. The thought of kids being kidnapped and trained to fight to the death made her ill.

  Afanas smiled. As sinister as it was, he was beautiful in doing so. The other female vampire, who was dressed in a form fitting dress, placed a hand on his shoulder. She, too, was attractive, and even though EmVee didn’t see women in a loving way, the female creature was hard to resist. EmVee wiped her hand down her face and shook her head, not liking the way the creature made her feel. Instead, she searched the room, seeking out the other humans who were being discussed as though they were cattle to be sold.

  A different scent wove its way toward EmVee. Kayson subtlety tapped her forearm with his finger, indicating to look left of them. There, on the edge of the upper stage, was a man who was dark-skinned with light brown eyes and a bulky form, the frown on his face unmoving as he stared at her.

  “Dear heart, the Flesh Dealer will take what we have. For now,” the other female vampire affirmed after bowing in front of the dark warrior.

  He smelled human but with a deeper scent of magic.

  EmVee licked her lips. Something about him made her want to jump onto the stage and take a bite. He was different than the other humans in the room.

  “I’m sure he will.” Afanas’ gaze rested on EmVee again.

  EmVee and Kayson hung back as Luspardan stepped forward near the throne. The two women had left the room under Afanas’ orders. EmVee was glad they did. She didn’t like the way the female vamps watched them, almost with deep hate. She didn’t understand it, other than the vampires hated the Soul Thieves and Trainers that ruled a
nd policed them.

  Luspardan said, “I am pleased my recruit was a victor today, but we need some information about the Flesh Dealer assigned to your Province.”

  “She doesn’t do the work. Her lover does. Why do we need to divert from the reason I allowed your audience with me?” Afanas’ gaze dipped to EmVee.

  Kayson stepped in front of her.

  Luspardan held up his hands. “I don’t understand. Is there something I can exchange for the information?”

  “Move, boy. You lost today. Therefore, I have nothing for you. But her…she is the one I want to speak to.”

  Afanas’ nose twitched. “You both have something different about you.” His eyes narrowed.

  “I, uh…may have given them a little boost, you know.” Luspardan rushed forward as Afanas stepped from his throne.

  Afanas hesitated a moment then turned his eyes, now tinged red, down at the dwarf. “You test me too much. If you weren’t of the protective race, you’d be done for hindering me.”

  Luspardan moved out of his way. “No, Afanas, I would never hinder you. I appreciate you allowing me to put forward recruits this year.”

  Afanas waved at him. “There’s been a shortage of viable candidates for the last twenty years. The numbers are dwindling to an extreme rate. Our overseer will punish the leaders in every Province if he can’t continue to exploit the humans with that—” He sniffed then narrowed his eyes at EmVee’s chest. “—special something, he enhances to create his enforcers.”

  Stopping in front of EmVee, he put his hand forward, his nails growing instantly.

  EmVee slid back out of his reach.

  “You have something in there, girl.” Afanas’ voice deepened.

  Kayson stepped forward. “You touch her, I’ll kill you.”

  Afanas chuckled. “Strong words for a human loser.”

  “I didn’t want the win. Why would I? Fight and become a slave to someone like you are? I’d say I did fine.” Kayson crossed his arms.

  “Who are you? To her?”

  Kayson cleared his throat. “Her protector.”