Immortal Ties

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

• Calder •

I closed my eyes for a second, just a second. At least, that's what it felt like before I was startled awake by a screeching metal door opening. I straightened in my position on the dirt clad floor of the cell and saw through sleep deprived eyes a man shoved inside by one of the human looking demons. The door clattered shut once more, leaving the battered man with me.

It was only when he collapsed on the floor seconds later that I realized he was like me. He was sick, his body ailing and malnourished. I had only seen this once before. It had happened to Gabriel when his powers were momentarily taken away for betraying the Council. The withdrawal from magic had left his immune system to fend for itself, causing the cells to break down, unable to fight the simplest form of a cold.

But it was much worst. The pain and agony our bodies suffered were limitless as if the powers from above were punishing us for the transgression.

Another round of coughing brought me back to my sense. My eyes traveled across the cell to the man who lay curled up against the wall, his back to me. The green article of clothing that I had seen before was a cloak. His cloak. He wrapped it around his chilled body, shivering despite the warmth of the earth.

"Who are you?" I asked, softly.

The man turned his head, dark eyes assessing me for the first time.

"I don't know," he said. He shook his head and sat up, facing me. "I don't remember."

"Can you tell me what happened to you? Did they...?" I couldn't finish the sentence, knowing that there was a likely chance that the demons had used the sword against him. But even if they had he would have kept his memory. There was nothing in my teachings that pointed to the sword taking away memories.

"It's a blur," he said slowly. "I was in a battle and then I was plunged into darkness. The next thing I knew I was here being dragged away and..." He cringed as if trying to remember caused him physical pain. "They think I'm dead. They have for years."

"Who has?"

He shook his head, cradling it in his hands. When he spoke again his voice was dark and low, his eyes staring blankly ahead. "They said the time has come. It is almost upon us. The voices – they speak of the prophecy being fulfilled. She will fall after centuries of protection. Nothing will stop them."

"What prophecy?" Whatever the demons had done to him was more than they had bargained for. Leaving him defenseless had caused him to somehow be in tuned to something far greater than he could possibly comprehend.

I waited for him to answer, but my question was lost to him. He gave no sign of recognition that he had even heard me. Whatever had grasped his attention had an iron hand locked around his mind and body. Trying to get him back to the here and now I asked, "Do you know your name?" He blinked and looked widely around him. I followed his gaze but nothing was around us. When he finally turned back to me he shook his head sadly and look down as a coughing fit seized his body.

"Here," I reached forward and helped him lay back down on the ground. Shudders racked his body as anger surged through mine. What could they possibly want with us? Who was this man, who looked only a few years older than I. He was one of my missing brothers – that much I was certain of. Why else would demons have taken him if he wasn't a Keeper? He was someone who had been presumed dead, a fallen warrior, someone who had a family.

I positioned myself adjacent to him, ready at hand if he needed anything. The next few hours were going to be agonizing. No other pain could compare. I tilted my head back, resting it on the hard, cold stone. Shadows danced along the wall, the fire crackling with life high above my head. It was times like these that I was envious of Lucas and Nole for their physical manifestations of magic. What good was telepathy when I was a prisoner. For all I knew I could be in fucking Persia and I wouldn't even know it.