Halfling (editing in process)

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Aria could hear voices as she faded in and out of consciousness. She got glimpses of what was happening, but couldn't make sense of it all. Lucien was screaming at Elizabeth to heal her. Elizabeth had done all she could do, and had told Lucien that if he would take the magic blocking cuff off Aria's wrist she would heal faster. He had hit Elizabeth. Aria's vision faded and when it came back again, Elizabeth was face down in the bed next to her screaming. Aria locked eyes with her for a moment, horror moving through her as she saw wrinkles began appearing on Elizabeth's face at a rapid pace, aging before her eyes, faster and faster with every second. Aria blacked out again, when she opened her eyes Elizabeth was nothing but a husk, her skin stretched over her bones too tightly, her beautiful golden hair barely clinging to her scalp, her eyes were dull and lifeless, her features etched in a permanent look of terror and agony. When she opened her eyes again Elizabeth's corpse was gone, Lucien having taken her place on the bed. He locked eyes with her, his gaze sharp.

"Where is our son Aria?" He questioned, his voice soft, but his tone deadly.

"Not... Son. Daughter. Daughter... And you'll never find her." Aria gave out a bitter laugh.

Lucien growled low in his throat and made a move to hit her, but stopped, a sound of frustration leaving him.

"No matter. You will heal. You will grow strong enough. We will keep trying until I get the son that I need. We have plenty of time now that I have you back here. And let me assure you, when I find Payne and those elves that have been keeping you hidden from you, I will slaughter them all. I can do so much to Payne, I will give that brother of yours to the succubi, and that lovely dark haired maiden he fancies... I think I will have my fun with her, just like that elf that came with you."

He got off the bed and turned his back to her.

"And what about our daughter?" Aria questioned, unable to keep the question from slipping from her lips.

"I have no need for a daughter. I have you to give me as many sons as I want that can increase my army and still fight for me. The lesser demons can have her."

Aria let out a soft groan of horror, her vision fading as Lucien left her alone in his bed chambers.

She stayed unconscious for a long time after that. She could hear Payne's voice in her head, screaming for her, pleading with her to tell her that she was okay, but Aria was unable. She couldn't move, couldn't speak, and simply tumbled through a black oblivion, which terrified her more than anything else. She contemplated for a while if she was dead, if she was resigned to the fate of nothingness for eternity. The thought scared her more than turning into a lesser demon.

To her relief, she did wake. A soul slave sat at her side, a plain looking woman that looked to be in her early thirties. Loose rags covered her body, her brown hair falling loosely down her back. She jumped up as she heard Aria groan and moved to help her sit up.

"Master Lucien has instructed me to be your caretaker until you are well again. He instructed me to bring you something to eat." The woman said quietly. "And he told me to tell you that if you refused to eat that he would force you."

The woman quickly offered her a platter of fruits, meats and some water. Aria thought her stomach wouldn't be fit to eat, but she found herself ravenous as the smell hit her nose. She forced herself to eat slowly, drinking as much as she could. She needed to get strong again. As she ate she saw the magic blocking cuff on her arm, the demonic metal looking right at home with the tattoo-like marks that went up her arm. She looked to her other wrist, her mother's bracelet dead, the cold metal making a chill go down her spine.