Ethereal - Part Two

Chapter 32 - Conversations in a Cell

My eyes slowly fluttered open. I was in a dark cell of all places. I don’t remember much of what happened after I saw a man turn himself into a demon, besides getting injured on my head of course.

I reached my strong hand up to my aching head but found that I was restrained. Both of my hands were actually chained to the wall behind me. “Fuck this” I said in irritation and narrowed my eyes to make out anything in my surroundings that could help me break free.

A short wooden bench was across the cell from me and although I was comfortable for now seated on the floor, my ass and my legs would soon start to cramp. Nevertheless, I wouldn’t be able to even reach the bench, so I have no idea why I was wasting time in day dreaming about sitting on it.

Furthermore, in the room was a few stones but they too were out of reach. I checked both my sides. On my left was two shards of glass. They would be useful in defending myself against an attacker. So, I decided to reach for it. I shifted my weight to my left and tugged on the chains.

The chain was linked through a metal ring and was connected to my other wrist, so I pulled as much extra chain as I could to the left side and strained my body to try and reach the shards of glass.

“What do you think you are doing?” I heard a soft voice speak and instantly stopped moving. I cleared my throat and spoke confidently. “Nothing. Who are you?”. The woman didn’t answer me. Instead, she slowly walked around the cage and trailed her fingers along the cell as she walked.

I watched her closely, just as closely as she watched me. The woman eyeing me had a long flowy black dress on with long sleek black wings, a dark blue tip to her feathers. She had a heavily bejewelled headpiece that covered most of her head and forehead.

“I am Lilith, Queen to Lucifer”. I involuntarily sucked in a breath and whispered. “Zeir’s sister”. Her head tilted at my words and then she nodded her head once. “Yes, Zeir’s sister. And you are Nephilim. The one whose blood will onset the new and more advanced race of our demons”.

Again, I studied her, her movements and her face. She had similar features to Zeir’s, but where Zeir had warmth and care in his eyes, Lilith had power and secrecy in hers. And I was yet to decide if she was evil or not.

“My Queen, you are here?” I heard Thoren ask in surprise. Lilith turned her head to where Thoren was standing and then turned it back to me. “Yes, I wanted to see…her”. “My Queen, she is not much to look at, not in comparison to you. And I must ask you, have you obtained permission from the King to see her?”.

Lilith swirled on her heel to glare at Thoren. “You dare ask me if I have permission to be here!? Within the cells of a dungeon in my own castle?”. Thoren stiffened for a second and then shook his head rapidly.

“Forgive me my Queen, I simply asked as she happens to be an important prisoner”.  “Are you doubting my reasons for being here, slave!!”. Thoren’s eyes widened as he realised that he had just made things worse, while I smiled in satisfaction.

“No, my Queen, let me explain myself…”. “I will hear nothing! But let me give you a piece of advice, slave, you keep your mouth shut and your head down and you will last here. If you do not, you will accompany one of the many empty cells in here. Do you understand me?” She yelled and only after Thoren nodded did she leave.

“Well, that was entertaining” I said with a bright smile on my face. Thoren walked close towards the cell and bared his teeth at me. “You keep your mouth shut”. I rolled my eyes and let out a bored sigh.

One other thing that has been troubling me, besides my incapability to reach for the shards of glass; my tummy. I was starving. I don’t know for how long I was out before I woke up in that dark and gloomy room and then again here, after I was injured and then woke up chained to a wall. But it felt as though I hadn’t eaten for a day or two.

I thought of asking for food and water, something simple to eat, but my pride wouldn’t allow me. I just couldn’t do that to myself, I would rather be weak and hungry. In any case, even if they gave me some food to eat, it would probably be poisoned or rotten.

Although, something at the back of my mind convinced me that if they wanted me for my blood, they wouldn’t be poisoning me. “I asked you a fucking question!!”.

I pressed myself further into the wall when Thoren yelled at me. I didn’t even hear him the first-time round, I was so caught up in my own thoughts. “What?” I asked him in an agitated tone. I’m sure I wasn’t sitting here on the cold concrete ground for too long, but I already started to feel paraesthesia in my legs.

Thoren banged his fist on the metal bars of the cell I was in and I jumped, not expecting it to happen. “I will not say this for a second time. What did you speak to Lilith about?”.

I frowned at him and rolled my eyes. “Why the fuck do you want to know?” I asked and repositioned my legs to allow a better blood flow through them that would hopefully stop the achiness I was feeling.

“Mira, it will not do well for you to test my patience”. “I doubt you could hurt me in any way. Besides I do believe that Lucifer needs me to be well and unharmed until he decides to bleed me dry”. Again, Thoren banged his fist on the metal bars.

Huh. So maybe he was being honest with me that day in the bathroom when he said that Azriel wasn’t the only Fallen with anger issues. “You know, Kaz is going to be so pissed off when he finds out it was you that dragged me here”.

“Do not speak as though you know my brother. Whatever I did, I did for him”. “Yeah, I fail to see how joining the greater demons of Hell can prove to be fruitful”. “You will when you witness the destruction of Earth. While the rest of the mortals die, Kazier and I will be here, safe from the devastation. Actually, what am I even saying, you will not be around for much longer”.

My heart skipped a beat then. But still, I continued speaking to him. “This is not what Kazier wants. He would rather die with the rest of the Fallen than join hands with the Devil. He will tell you this himself when he and the rest of them come for me”.

Thoren started laughing like a damn maniac then. I narrowed my eyes at him in surprise and shifted away from the side he was on. “You speak so highly of my brother, Mira. Do you even know why someone as sweet and charming as him was cast out of Hell?”.

A spot in my abdomen tightened and I moved my knees together to help with the discomfort. Thoren placed both his hands on the cell’s bars and placed his face between them. “Kazier raped our brother’s wife”.