Burning Flame

Chapter Eleven

Siege paced the bare stone room, his eyes impatiently searching the empty walls and the frustratingly idle double doors.
Where is she? That damned hound can't get anything straight!
He cursed and whipped his tail at the nearest wall. The spikes all along his tail drove into the stones and left deep gashes within the wall. The sound was an agonizing screech that made him cringe but the end result was worth it. Now he had something to look at, even if it was only a few deep scratches.

Some of his rage had faded after the attack on the wall but he still waited impatiently for the moment he both yearned for and feared.
It was the type of fear that was an uneasy gnawing at the mind and the heart. It made him anxious and it unnerved him to the very core. And yet, the yearning seemed to overpower everything else. It kept his fear quelled and it only seemed to make him stronger. It kept the fire in his eyes and the strut in his step.
The sound of distant voices and footsteps could be heard. Siege quickly readied himself for the arrival. He planted himself in front of the door with his heads held high and his muscles tense beneath his scales.
Suddenly his middle head flicked out a mulberry colored tongue. It shivered in the air for a few seconds before disappearing back into his mouth.
Siege closed his eyes and relished in the taste of the air when she was nearby. He could picture her now; sleek golden body, determined red eyes, and wicked grins that would make his spine tingle.
When she walked in lead by Jararracca, he wasn't exactly sure what to feel.

Her scales were dull and various scratches lined her thin frame. He could see the slight bulge that each of her ribs made under her muscles and scales. She had her wings open slightly and he could see scratches along the vulnerable wing membrane.
At least her eyes still held a certain shine, even if it was a little dimmed.
Jararracca cleared her throats and Siege turned to her in exasperation.
"Thank you, Jararracca. You are dismissed."
When she didn't move he hissed at her impatiently, making sure that she knew he didn't want her there.
She eyed Dettra with one last hesitant glance before dropping the chain and turning to leave. She shoved the doors open and made her way out into the corridor. The doors slammed shut behind her.
Siege turned to put his full attention on Dettra.
She glared back at him, the same fiery spark that he remembered returning back into her eyes.
"What do you want now?!"
Her eyes dared him to respond, to give her a reasonable answer for his visit. He smirked with all three of his heads.
"What do you think?"
"That's not an answer."
He walked closer to her and bent his necks down slightly. Their eyes were dead even now.
She kept his gaze, her red eyes angry and glowing.
"No. Not now...not ever," she hissed.
He frowned and a low growl crept up the back of his throats.
"You're making this more difficult than it has to be."
"Good. Maybe you should get the hint to stay away."
He leaned in even closer and she could feel his breath on her face.
"I don't think that will ever happen, Queenie."
She cringed.
"Don't call me that."
Her voice was a low, demanding rumble.
He growled, but it was light and quick... almost teasing.
"Or what?"
A sly smile made its way across his middle head's mouth.
Her eyes narrowed to slits and she snapped at him, her jaws barely missing the edge of his snout.
She pulled back to look at his expression only to see that he hadn't even flinched.
She sighed.
"Just leave me alone. Can't you see that I don't want you here?"
Siege pulled away.
He narrowed his eyes and bared his teeth.
"Stop lying to yourself! Stop lying to me! You want me just as much as I want you!"
He hesitated, his breathing heavy and his eyes gleaming. Then he continued in a low hiss,
"Admit it."
"Admit what?"
Siege threw his heads back in exasperation and he released a spine-chilling growl.
"Why must you be so frustrating!"
Dettra snarled and grabbed the end of her chain. She thrusted it in front of his middle head's face.
"I'm not the one who's standing here pestering someone who's been tied up in chains!"
His body tensed and the scales all over his body bristled. His tail whipped back and forth and his eyes sparked.
"THATS NOT MY FAULT!"
She screeched and cringed away from him, her body tight and ready to spring.
"ITS NOT MY FAULT THAT YOU'RE HERE! DON'T YOU DARE BLAME ME!"
She smacked him, her talons raking across the already scarred side of his face. He roared and stumbled backwards, blood running down his middle head's cheek and onto the stone floor in a dark red puddle.
He stopped for a moment to put his claws up to his scarred face. He kept it there for a second before taking it away and inspecting it in shock. Blood soaked his talons and ran down onto his hand in a dark wave.
He met her gaze with a shocked and betrayed stare. She had to look away.
He kept staring at her and his jaws clenched and unclenched. His tail flicked idly back and forth and his wings twitched anxiously.
Finally he spoke, but it was a low, hoarse whisper.
"That wasn't even why I came here."
Dettra met his gaze again, her faces void of any expression.
"What?"
"I didn't come here on my own terms."
Suddenly she started to laugh, her voice bitter and condescending.
"Of course you didn't!" she sneered, "So what does the high and mighty Inferno want from me? An apology? Please!"
Siege growled and shook his heads.
"No. I'm being serious here, Dettra."
She stopped laughing. Her body tensed up and she narrowed her eyes.
"What is it?"
Siege shifted uncomfortably and looked at the wall.
"Well... do you have any outside connections? Are you able to go against the magical protection placed here?"
Dettra scoffed and pulled at the chain again.
"If I did, do you honestly think I would be here listening to your crap right now? In this hell-hole? Yeah, right."
Siege rolled his eyes.
"You could've just said yes or no."
"Well I didn't. Why do you need to know this anyways? Why is it so crucial when you know damn well that that's not the case?"
"That's confidential."
A wicked smile crossed Dettra's mouths and she started to laugh.
Siege cocked his heads to the side and his brow ridges furrowed.
"What's so funny?"
Dettra laughed even harder until she was practically hysterical.
"You don't want to tell me that Inferno and Magma are afraid of me! They know exactly what I can do, and they're scared!"
Siege said nothing and instead of answering her he began to walk towards the doors.
Dettra's laughter died down and she turned to watch him leave.
"Where are you going?"
Siege turned one of his heads when he reached the doors.
"Isn't it obvious? I'm leaving."
"Aren't you going to harass me more?"
Siege laughed sarcastically and went to push the doors open.
"I have all of the information I need. And you need time to figure out exactly what you want."
He started to push the doors open but then he turned his scarred head back to face her.
"Oh, and one more thing. Just remember that I can get you out of here... Insidious isn't here to save you now."
Before she could respond he was past the doors and out in the corridor.
For a moment there was nothing but silence and she stood there, numb and unwilling to move.
Then she heard a familiar howl and a weak yelp from the corridor. She hung her heads and closed her eyes.
Poor Jararracca. How did it come to this?
She shuddered and tried to fight back the tears. She had to be strong. She had to survive.

Siege stood outside of the visiting chamber, his eyes on the crumpled heap before him. He could see the labored rise and fall of her breathing, so she had to be alive. He just had to take his anger out on someone.
He put his hand back up to his scarred face. The bleeding had stopped now, but he could still feel the deep gashes that Dettra had left behind.
He didn't even try to heal them.
Let them see my scars. I've been through hell and back...everyone should know.
He looked down at the heap one more time. Then he turned and left Jararracca lying in the middle of the corridor. She whimpered and lifted one of her heads to watch him leave. Then she slowly got to her feet and limped into the chamber.
That's when she met Dettra's gaze, and she felt her heart drop into her stomach.
Dettra's eyes held so much pain and heart break that Jararracca could hardly stand to keep her gaze.
"I need to go back to my cell," Dettra whispered.
Jararracca nodded and began to lead her out, this time without the chain to keep them bound.