After War Storm

Maria

I couldn't quite believe it. Ti's funeral had been ruined and I hadn't even had to lift a finger.

I was quite interested to see who had been the one to try to kill Mare so I casually made my way down to the dungeon to wait for Cal to appear.

The woman in the cell looked around 45 with pale blonde hair. I didn't know her though I was sure I'd seen her round the palace before.

I stayed hidden, and it wasn't long before Cal arrived.

"Samantha," he breathed once the woman had been brought forth from her cell. "I must say I was surprised when your husband came and apologised to me after the funeral. I was confused until he explained you were the one who tried to kill Mare."

The temperature in the room rose a couple of degrees.

The woman, Samantha, whoever that was, didn't say a word.

"Why did you do it?" Cal asked, his voice even and deadly. If I didn't despise him and everything he's ever done, I'd say it was a turn on.

"Like hell I'm going to tell you," she growled.

"Suit yourself," Cal muttered before I heard an agonised scream.

Cal called a healer forward who quickly dealt with the injury he had caused Samantha.

"It will take much more than a burn to get me to talk, Cal," Samantha said sounding angry yet there was a slight tremor to her voice. Very slight so not everyone would have picked up on it; but Cal would.

You know, I think this might have been the one part of Cal I could tolerate; his brutal and ruthless nature when torturing people.

I did enjoy bringing people pain.

"Why did you do it?" Cal repeated.

No answer.

Then another scream.

"Samantha, I have all night. I'm not leaving until you tell me why you stabbed my wife-" Then there was silence.

"She's not your wife, Cal," Samantha sneered. "She probably doesn't even love you. She only came back because she thought it was unfair to keep Ti away, right? It wasn't because she missed you, not because she loved you, just because she felt guilty-"

"Enough!" Cal yelled. Then his voice grew quiet as he spoke, making him seem much more threatening. "Listen to me. I don't care whether you walk out of here or your dead body gets carried out. Once you hurt Mare, I had no limits to what I would do to you. Now you will tell me why you did it, why at the funeral, and who you're working for because I doubt you decided to kill her of your own accord. Or you can refuse to tell me but I assure you, you will be in for a very long, pain filled night."

"If I tell you, will you let me go?" Samantha bargained.
"No," Cal answered simply. "Whether you tell me or not, you still attempted murder so you will stay here. The conditions you stay in depend on the information you tell me now."

"Dane."

Samantha only said one word. 'Dane'. I knew that name. But who was it?

"We'll talk again tomorrow," Cal said swiftly before telling the guards to lock her back in her cell.

As he walked out the door to the room, I stepped out of the shadows.

"Hello, Cal," I said and he whirled round, his eyes meeting mine.

I was in his head, though he didn't know. Unfortunately for me, the only thoughts he had were those of grief.

I'd done such a good job; Dad and Aunt Elara would be proud.

"Do I know you?" He asked.
"You know of me, you don't know me. Though we did meet once, quite recently actually," I answered.

"You're the maid I bumped into that said they were a slave to the crown."
"I'm not a maid, nor a slave, Cal," I said, batting my eyelashes, as he looked into my pale blue eyes.

Then his eyes widened as realisation flooded him. And he launched himself at me.

Well, he would have done had I not taken control of his movements.

"Maria," he spat.
"Ding ding ding. Correct, good job, Cal," I said in the most patronising voice I could managed.

"Let me go, you sick-"
"That's enough of that," I said, preventing him from being able to speak until I said so.

"You know, Cal, I've been wanting this for a very long time," I told him "To have you under my control, alone, ready for me to kill you. I wonder what Mare will do when she finds your dead body on your bed with a note from me on the side?

"You didn't think she'd be mad, do you? As Samantha pointed out, she's only here because she feels guilty. Believe me, I know these things. I've seen inside her head, seen what she thinks of you," I taunted.

"I've never wanted to kill someone as much as I want to kill you. Except Mare. But I will let her wallow in her grief for a bit longer, allowing her the maximum amount of pain before I kill her slowly and painfully. Maybe then your little family can be reunited in 'the afterlife' and you'll get your happily ever after. But let's hope not; who would want to deal with you forever?

"Killing Ti was easy. A quick little encounter with Cameron and she was more than happy to hand him over. But now it is time for you to die and I promise it won't be as quick."

I sauntered forward, pulling a knife from my pocket, about to begin, when two people appeared in the corridor.

One was a boy bright green eyes whilst the other I recognised as Cameron.

Just as I was about to take control do their minds too, a staggering force hit me and Is tumbled backwards, then to the ground, unable to hold myself up.

It felt like I was suffocating. I was being silenced but to a level I had never felt before; I could barely breathe.

"Don't kill her," I heard Cal say. "I'm going to have some fun before I do that."