The Riches of Power

Stained Red

POV Paige

The only thing I felt was numb. Since my arrival Carter and I haven't eaten anything nor was water brought to us. I didn't move at all, I learned that it's just easier that way. I could faintly hear Kaitlyn's scream and Someone else talking. My eyes were closed and I was too weak to open them.

I began drifting between conscious and unconsciousness, then I realized I couldn't tell the difference. Even my dreams were being tormented. I had no idea how long I've been in this painful dreamlike state. Maybe an hour or maybe a day. All I know is that all of us were now in the hands of the demons and at this point I feel like we failed our mission.

I gasped as a bucket of water was thrown over me. My eyes fluttered open and all the pain returned, the mercy that the numbness granted had receded. I praised God as the water slid in through my lips, but it only caused me to long for more. I looked down the row of my friends, Axel on the end was just woken up by an ice cold gallon of water. "Lady Victoria would like to talk to you all in a few minutes, so I thought it would be good if you were actually listening. I had begun to shiver, besides the fact that the water was cold the air was cold around us too. The pain was back full scale and now I wasn't sure if the dripping water also contained some of my tears. Then I heard clicking, steadily growing louder. The door opened and Victoria clicked into the room, her dress had changed into a slender black, displaying her curves. Her long black hair flowed just above her lower back. A grin played on her lips as her eyes slowly make their way down the line

"Finally you do something worth applauding." She says but then her face turns as cold as stone and her lips form a tight line. "Why are they all scratched?" She fumed pointing to Kaitlyn and Raven. I move my head forward in an attempt to evaluate my friend's health. My body goes rigid when I see them. They both had large scabbed over spots along their bodies. Kaitlyn had a multitude of scratches that Raven didn't have. They had tried blood caked onto their bodies, not even the water washed it away. The water was now mixed with swirls of pink and red as it was sucked into the drain that was slightly in front of our sad line.

"Threats aren't always enough" Vinidon said a cruel half smile lay on his face.

"As long as they are alive and capable of standing on their own, then do whatever you want with them." She said sighing, still studying us. "Please listen to what I'm about to say." She yells louder, as if we weren't listening in the first place, how could we ignore. "For too long the creatures of the night have been obedient to one name. The only name that rules in the underworld, Lucifer. We are tired of it. He believes in a suffering that we believe is too easy on mundane world. We prefer the agonizing torture of weeks of lashes. The emotional tearing of the heart when a mother watches a child is murdered in front of her. The depression that is brought by a cheating husband." She pauses, a smile slithers onto her face at the thought. "You are going to help us do that, whether you like it or not. We are leaving tomorrow, be prepared."

POV Axel

She clicked out of the room. Many hours later no one has done anything. I glance over at Kaitlyn, I grimace at the sight. She has many punctures throughout her body which is covered in dry blood and scratch marks. Vinidon had left her alone for a while, Eric didn't show any emotion in his expression. I'm positive that he blames himself. But, all I could think was how glad I was that it wasn't Tara. She even passed out with me and we didn't have to feel as much pain as the others.

I pushed the thought away and looked the room over for the hundredth time. Vidon and Vinidon were cleaning the blood from their metal talons in the right corner of the room. In the left corner were two sofas opposite each other and one arm chair in between. There was a small coffee table in the middle of all three. The whole set up was very elegant and extremely out of place. The cushions were red velvet with a dark wood frame. The cement floor and metal walls of the ware house made it seem out of place in the large empty space. Elaina was sleeping in one of the sofas and Luke and Semias were talking. Luke had a whole sofa to himself. He looked like he was so bored that he was going to take a nap. Semias lounged in an arm chair his legs propped up on the coffee table.