The Angelus Brothers Chronicles - The Golden Hind

CHAPTER EIGHT

Kaia glanced up, it had only been a few days since they had last fed her but the trapdoor over her head was open, the idea of being fed again so soon made her feel a small jolt of excitement for the first time in forever. Changing back to her human form, she stood up and waited for the food to be thrown down but frowned when the dim light above was blocked by a figure. She watched in a mix of apprehension, excitement, and fear as first one, then a second and third figure began to be lowered towards her. The third carried a lamp; the light hurt her eyes and dazed her a little, but still, she watched them. Was it her sisters? Had Artemis finally sent someone to save her? Maybe they had just grown tired of her being down here and were finally going to kill her. In some ways, the last option didn't sound like a terrible option. She was tired of her existence, tired of her solitude. 

"Get back to the wall." The scratchy, high-pitched voice boomed in her ears after so long with only muffled footsteps and whispers. 

"I said back against the wall."A boot kicked out and connected hard with her face. By the time Kaia picked herself back up after the hard kick, the three Fae were on the ground and surrounding her. Two of them grabbed her by the arms and hair, holding her firmly in place as the third, holding the lamp above his head, came at her with a knife. Squinting in the light, she watched the outline of the fae and blade come towards her and began to struggle against the ones holding her. But, aeons of starvation had left her too weak to cause them more than the most minor inconvenience in holding her. 

"Keep it alive." Shouted a shrill haughty female voice from above. "Just take enough blood to cover the blade." 

"Do we need it once we have the weapon?" A man's voice this time, suave and smooth sounding, like velvet. 

"I like to have a backup." Replied the female voice. 

The blade bit into her skin as the fae sliced across her bicep, then began to wipe the blade in her blood, coating the cold metal. A small grunt escaped her lips as he pressed the side of the blade hard into the wound and chuckled nastily. 

The fae with the knife backhanded her across the face hard as the three fae moved back to the ropes, she was knocked to the ground where she stayed for a moment.

Fight suddenly returned to her as she saw a slim chance of escape; she leapt to her feet and grabbed the foot of the nearest fae. He kicked her hard, making her fall back and spit blood on the cold damp floor. 

"It still has fight in it after all this time? I've known souls to break in meer days isolated like that. I might be tempted to purchase the whole animal from you. Not just a little blood." Laughed the male voice. 

"I don't like your cock that much lover; that is my most powerful weapon. You're lucky I even told you I have her; her own Gods think her kind extinct." Came the shrill, haughty reply. As the fae reached the trap door, a loaf of bread was thrown down, and then the door closed. As it boomed shut, Kaia let out a scream so angry and primal, it made the unknown figures above begin to laugh loud enough for her to hear in her isolated prison.

***

The trapdoor high above opened with a clang, standing up Kaia waited for the food to be dropped, the only upside to the recent attack was them seeming to remember her existence and feeding her a little more often. Well maybe if she was a weapon they needed her a bit stronger? Whatever the reason, she was enjoying the more frequent meals. Only a week or so between feeds was sheer luxury to her. 

But as she stood and waited for the food to be thrown down, something else started to be lowered slowly towards her. As it got near the bottom the doe could make out it was a person of some description, contemplating it must have been a more important one than her as she had just been thrown down she moved back to her rocks and watched as it was dropped the last couple of feet and the trapdoor closed.