Kingdoms of Lies and Intrigues (Return of Vesna book 2)

Chapter 14 Whatever Happened to Eve?

Havah waited until everyone had gone to bed before she slipped out of her private chambers and walked the corridor of the wing she once occupied. Everything remained unchanged. Damos certainly did not cross this line.
There had always been that strange silent agreement between the two of them where one never crossed the line. Now the tables were turned, she was absolutely vulnerable to his command, yet he still seemed to listen knowing that the part of her that was Fae would never lie. Was he aware that the part of her that was unseelie was ripped away?
It had happened right before the games began. King Soldar had summoned the unseelie who participated in the mellenial games to a private chamber , and gave each one the means to ruin the seelie except her. When everyone left the room he ordered her to stay and what he eventually did to her.....the excruciating pain that ripped the unseelie side of her would never be forgotten. It was like stealing part of her soul. What happened next was the stuff of nightmares.
They had dragged Loot's broken body in front of her, unconscious and on the brink of death,when he did the unthinkable, he smashed that unseelie part of her into Loot. It was agonizing to watch as Loot reanimated into the worst part of her cursing them both to eternal damnation.
Broken and shamed she had vowed there and then that her one task; to bring the seelie that would curse him to oblivion, before him but she would have the upper hand.
The demon part of her that remained, the one he supposedly thought to do his bidding was the one he commanded to destroy the seelie that would end him. But, he didn't count on one thing, demons had a will of their own. As soon as she was released, she had sought Knut to heal and plot her own death that she might escape, but fate had its own wicked plan.
Now she was back where she began, this time she was going to turn the tables before she allowed King Soldar to use her as a weapon against her friends. First she had to get her message across, her one hope that would quicken the path to Mangalene.
Reaching her destination she remove her dagger and cut into her palm, taking her index finger she drew the symbol on the door with her blood. The wards melted away as it opened shutting it behind her to avoid any intruders.  She stared at the ceiling with its glass dome, the night sky with its brilliant light cast light into the room which had remained shrouded in darkness.
It was a circular room, it's gray walls tall and blank except for scones, flicking her wrist, the scones came to life illuminating the floor where a symbol of two triangles crossing each other lay embedded on the marble ground.  She stood at the center of the symbol and hummed the chant, her voice soft and clear as ribbons of smoke sparked to life.  They started flowing upward into the open circle at the center of the glass dome. She stayed there for a few more minutes summoning the soft breeze to carry her message across to the other side, the edge of Erinthar.
She left the room quietly, leaving it shrouded in darkness. As she turned to make her way back to the others she almost yelped with a start as she saw Caspian appear before her.
"What the......?"
"I followed you," he answered by way of explaination.
"Vesna's tits! Are you insane, the guards could have followed you?" She uttered wrathfully glaring at him
"You must have put them to sleep to escape. I took my chances."
"Now is not the time to be cocky!"
"What's in there?" He asked curiously eyeing the door.
"None of your business," she spat as she started to walk around him.
"Is he keeping the royals here in the dungeons?"
She turned back to look at him balefully "Some of them maybe. We should get back to the others.  You need your rest."
"I'm not tired," he replied. "What I am is curious. Any way I can persuade you to visit the dungeons?" He raised a determined brow.
"Are you insane? Do you have a death wish?"
"Not when my people are in danger," he stated.  She didn't respond instead she continued to walk down the hallway when she felt her arm yanked back bumping into Caspian's chest. "Havah you know I will not be able to rest until I know who's in the dungeon."
"You mean if she's here." Havah muttered knowing fully who exactly Caspian was worried about.
"She among others.  We have come for a purpose and I just want to make sure they are okay.  I mean your brother may not visually exhibit the mark of a mad demon but I need to know for sure that they are safe."
Havah closed her eyes for a brief moment struggling with the desire to deliver a lethal blow into his thick head but he did have a point.  Summoning her patience she looked into his face and nodded. "Alright, you do have a point."
She went close to a wall and started feeling around it with her hand until she pressed her palm hard against it and suddenly the wall gave way into a circular opening. Calling him forward she pointed to the steps leading below.
"Let's go an find out."
They descended the stony steps that seemed endless until they reached the bottom of the winding staircase. Following behind her, alert to anything that would catch them by surprise.  The sound of their breath the only noise as they passed through a cavelike structure that had an arched ceiling.  The rocks were jagged and sharp until they reached a place within the cavern that had massive arched opening leading into cells.  The tunnel was dark and damp, the cells within were dark and murky, the only light came from lit scones emebeded against the rocks.
"This is the dungeon," he stated, it wasn't so different from the ones they had in Pretoria only they had more light.
"Be careful, of you think those bars on each cell are empty your sadly mistaken.  Many demons and other creatures reside within." She whispered softly.
"For how long?" He asked
"I'm not sure, the first time I came here I thought they were empty until I made the mistake of going into one."
"Where are the guards?" He asked as an after thought.
"Each cell is warded which is why we don't go close.  The wards act as an alarm and the once the guards materialize there's no stopping them from killing us both."
Caspian nodded understanding, he just wanted to make sure he had the lay of the land and knew exactly where the royals were being kept.
Havah reached out with her energy trying to read each cell when the stopped on the tenth cell and she turned to her right. The cell was dark from where they stood but he could hear something, a slight moan coming from within.
"Who is in there?" He asked
Havah summoned a soft light  at the very back of the cell, far enough that her magic would go undetected. Once the light cascaded and grew brighter it took all of his will power not to go further and touch the bar. There on the floor was Mirasol, leaning against her were two boys. Darren and Nero were fast asleep in her arms, she too seemed deep in slumber. Her face was slumped to one side, dirt caked around her eyes and smudged on her cheek. An angry bruise ran the side of he mouth were blood crusted.  He itched to kill the one that marred her flawless face.
On the other side of the wall was another male, presumably one of the abducted royals. He recognized the boy as coming from the kingdom of Mullbroke its heir.
Havah immediately doused the lights a frown marring her brow. "Satisfied" she whispered before flicking her wrist and they were back in the hallway of her wing once again.
The guards she had spelled to sleep remained inert in front of the door to her room, their snores echo inch around the hall. Caspian stood in front of the door, hesitating before he turned to her, many questions rioted within his head as he tried desperately to put them in some coherent form.
He had been crushed as soon as he spied Mirasol on the floor with the two boys, her face was dirty, her clothes in tatters. At least they were alive, he could only guess at the horrors they had experienced under the unseelie. Clenching his fists he reeled his anger in presenting a cool demeanour.
"Your leaving tomorrow which means I will have to protect the rest. What's my guarantee he won't attack us while your away."
She understood his concern all wrapped up in smoldering anger, there were so many questions left unanswered however time was of the essence. " He will not challenge you. Your ancestors put a curse on Damos that would make him useless if he attempted to hurt you."
"Him, but certainly not the other demons that surround him."
"No one in Erinthar dare challenge the grandson of a mangalese cheiftain for to do that would insight war. Irinthar can not afford that." She stated firmly, her good eye flashing brightly. "He won't do anything.  The worst he can do is throw you all in the dungeons so expect that while I'm away and pray to the gods for your mother at my triumph in finding Vesna."
He looked at her for a long moment before turning to enter the room.
Havah released a sigh or relief before attempting to follow when a sharp cry caught her attention. Like a beacon the sound beckoned her to walk passed the corridor rushing down the steps. A grip of fear encased her heart for she knew that voice that cried out as she drew closer to the suit of apartments that led to her brother's parlor.
Two guards stood just outside the door eyeing her with disdain. She lifted her head eyeing them both with the same sinister expression.
"I've come to see my brother," she announced boldly. They remained unmoving as they continued to watch her "I didn't realise this was a staring match. Well? Go on, announce my presence"
"The prince is with the Nocturis" one of them said.
A sliver of fear slithered all the way up her spine as the cries grew more intense. "Im sure Morok wouldn't mind my presence"
The guards looked at each other nervously before one of them acted on her request. Opening the door a fraction she caught a glimpse of a figure seated on the floor a dark shadow hovered above her. Unable to wait, she pushed passed the guards and watched in horror as she witnessed Morok bent over a familiar female form. It was Eve!
She lunged further into the room aiming to reach her friend but an invisible force shoved her hard against the wall. The impact knocked the wind from her lungs and nearly left her shattered but she managed to slowly rise. Darting a furtive glance around the room she found Damos, his back to the mantel as he stood watching.
"Stop him! " she bellowed
Damos turned to slither a gaze in her direction. "You know this female?"
"She's a friend." She whispered balefully. "Damos, you need to tell him to stop!" Gripped by the macabric scene, she took a few steps forward feeling her bones knit together where they had broken from the impact. Ignoring her pain she dragged her body closer until she came across the invisible barrier that separated her from the Nocturis. He lifted his head briefly, his eyes the color of crimson, blood trickled down the sides of his mouth smirking as he saw Havah.
"I can't stop him." Damos replied coldly, his eyes riveted back to the scene ignoring Havah's frantic face. "We made a deal, he was to take the prisoners from Loot and for his part in succeeding Morok would take her," he pointed to the prone form on the floor.
"Why? I told you I would bring back Vesna," anger lashed through her, desperate for the moment to end but it was too late. The Nocturis had all but drained all of Eve's life. Her fair hair dangled from his arms like a curtain, her eyes already closed. The skin on her face as pale as marble as she struggled for her last breath.
"This didn't have anything to do with what you promised. NO one backs away from a deal with the Nocturis, it is what it is."
Unbidden tears fell away from her good eye as she saw her friend die right before her eyes. "What prisoners?" She said in a cracked voice.
"Two women and two boys. I believe you saw them in the dungeons when you took your Mangalese friend for a visit."
She flinched at the gravely sound of his voice.
"At least this is only one human female, a queen or some such royal." He said dismissively as if Eve's life meant so little.
"Is this what awaits the rest of my party?" She asked savagely for if this was the case she would take them all into Mangalene and have them protected there.
" I made a deal with you Havah, they will remain untouched. This was entirely a different matter."A cruel smile twisted Damos lips as he drank from his goblet.
"You say he took them from that idiot who parades himself as Loot, what will be their fate?" She asked thinking of Mirasol and the two boys locked away in a dungeon. "Don't tell me they are safe from Loot. He will come for them."
"He can try but he won't succeed." Damos replied firmly.
If it was meant to comfort Havah, fool her into thinking of her brother's noble assurance, she wasn't convinced.
"I need more than just your words brother. I need you to commit that statement into a magical bond." Her gaze lifted to Damos as she said this.
"Alright," he gave an exasperated sigh. "I bind the prisoners under my protection until you return from Mangalene bearing Vesna. So be it." A slight invisible wind rented the air briefly sealing the magical promise.
She returned her gaze back to the prone form of Eve who was now prostrate on the floor. The barrier that contained her and the Nocturis lifted, she immediately ran to her friend's side cradling her head in her arms. The Nocturis hovered behind them, ignoring the blood that dribbled down his chin.
"Her blood, soooo warm and fresh. This was a feisty one fighting until the very end." He nodded to Damos attempting to take Eves body but Havah wouldn't let him. Unsheething her sword she faced the Nocturis
"You drained her, you killed her! You don't get to take her away!" She bellowed whipping her blade at the Nocturis but like a flash of wind he disappeared only appearing right behind her befor flicking his wrists until she was knocked back against the wall. Her sword clattered to the ground as she remained paralyzed.
A blood curdling laugh left the Nocturis lips before he gathered the body of Eve into his arms, cradling her gently against his body.
"I'm not done yet!" He said malevolently before disappearing from the room like a puff of smoke.
Havah was released from the enchantment, moving her limbs she managed to gather her strength and face Damos.
"Where is he taking her?"
He shrugged. "I don't understand his fascination with her. I suppose it has to do with her spirit. You know the Nocturis Havah, they are not one to trifle with. Besides, shouldn't you be resting, you have a long journey ahead."
Her whole being was infused with anger as she stared down at her brother, hatred like she'd never known gripped her heart as she faced him. What he just did, giving her friend over to that monster as a bargain was unforgivable. She would be counting the moments until she met him again and when that did happen,when her journey was completed she vowed she would come for him. Even if he was a demon prince, his court would not be able to save him from her wrath.
She slipped out of his parlor, walking purposefully back to her wing, her thoughts shifting to Evaline with the hope that once Damos did get his hand on her, he would be in for a big surprise.