Sinners of Magic (25 page)

Forusian placed his hands
behind his back and inspected his prisoner. With a meticulous step
he circled the elf, like a snake circling its prey.

Arhdel paled, but his eyes did
not betray the dread that was rising in his gut.

‘
So we meet
again,’ said Forusian, under hooded eyes. A smirk slid across his
tight lips. ‘I didn’t expect you back so soon. Tell me, did you
enjoy my hospitality so much that you just couldn’t wait to come
back and taste more?’

Arhdel pulled at his shackles
and he winced when pain pierced his cut wrists.

‘
Oh, behave
and stop that,’ said Forusian, sounding irritated by his prisoner’s
attempts to break free. ‘I hear you have been snooping around my
castle uninvited; not something one does really, is it? A little
birdie’s told me how you’ve stumbled upon my little secret. That’s
a shame, you know, because now I won’t be able to let you
go.’

‘
You had no
intentions of letting us go!’ Arhdel roared, still pulling at his
chains. ‘That’s why we’re down here!’

‘
Ooh my, we
are a little touchy today, aren’t we?’ Forusian teased, enjoying
Arhdel’s outburst. ‘A right little tiger you’re turning out to be.
Still, not to worry, if you cooperate with me then I promise I
won’t give you too much of a painful, slow death; however, if you
do decide to be tiresome and difficult, then I will pay back the
favour by torturing you for at least a week, so, tell me, what will
it be?’

‘
Go to hell!’
Arhdel shouted, his fury rising. ‘I will tell you nothing you piece
of scum.’

Forusian’s smile dropped.

‘
Mmm, that’s
not really a good start, is it? Perhaps I should concentrate on the
boy, maybe try and loosen his tongue?’ he said, turning his eyes to
rest on the tongue slicer. ‘It’s your choice, Arhdel, how shall we
play this?’

‘
Leave the
boy alone,’ Arhdel hissed, gritting his teeth, ‘your fight’s with
me.’

‘
Now, that’s
not quite true, is it? You’re in this together, partners so to
speak. So, tell me, why are you both here? Did you accidentally
stumble over my secret or were you sent as a spy?’

Arhdel turned his head and
stared at the wall, knowing his silence would seal his fate.
Forusian’s face changed to a fireball of anger. He moved towards
the warrior with fury burning in his eyes and he came so close to
his face that their noses were almost touching; Arhdel noted he had
minty breath and he couldn’t help but give a chuckle.

‘
I asked you
a question and I expect an answer,’ Forusian shouted; his hand flew
under his tunic and a second later he held a knife to Arhdel’s
throat.

‘
Cat got your
tongue, eh?’ he asked, with a devious smile. ‘You’re not so cocky
now I hold a blade to your gullet.’

‘
Tell him
what he wants to know!’ Matt shouted, unable to keep quiet when he
saw the flash of steel. ‘It doesn’t matter if he knows why we’re
here.’

‘
Wise boy,’
said Forusian, flicking his gaze to the cage. ‘He’s a bit brighter
than you, isn’t he, Arhdel?’ he scoffed, sliding the blade out of
sight.

Arhdel clenched his fists.
Hatred for the evil king seeped once again through his throbbing
veins, his blood curdling at the thought of what atrocities
Forusian was planning to do to them.

‘
Alright,
this is your last chance,’ Forusian warned, finally losing his
patience. ‘If you don’t cooperate with me this instant then I’m
going to persuade you the hard way.’

A dark shadow crossed his face,
changing his handsome features to a vision of pure ugliness.

‘
I’m up for
it, are you?’ he growled, loosening his tight-fitting tunic and
freeing himself from the bounds of the bright, crested
fabric.

Matt stared down from his cage
and watched in horror as Forusian took a coiled whip down from the
stone wall. The whip was curled in a spiral of leather and Forusian
unravelled it before he gave it a flick with a twist of his wrist,
making it crack when it hit the floor. The ‘thwack’ of the whip
when it connected with the ground made Matt almost quake in his
boots.

‘
I’ll ask you
one last time,’ Forusian roared, circling the whip around his head
like a lasso. ‘Tell me what you are doing here!’

His arm pulled back ready to
strike and Arhdel’s skin glistened with uncontrollable sweat. The
soldier closed his eyes, ready for the first lash to strip his back
of its flesh, but Matt was shouting for Forusian to stop and Arhdel
shook his head in despair.

‘
Please,
don’t hurt him!’ Matt begged, when the whip gathered speed. ‘I beg
you, if you stop what you are doing, I will tell you anything you
want to know.’

A whoosh filled the air when
Forusian ignored his words.

‘
I swear I
will tell you everything,’ cried Matt, his voice rising in
desperation, ‘even about Crystal!’

Forusian’s
arm froze in mid-air. The boy had said
her
name and his brain slammed on
the brakes, just in time.

‘
Who are you,
boy?’ Forusian demanded, lowering the whip. ‘Tell me now, before I
strip the skin off your friend’s back!’

‘
Matt, my
name’s Matt.’

Recognition crept over
Forusian’s face.

‘
Surely
you’re not the same Matt who is the mortal friend of Crystal?’ he
gasped aloud, dropping the whip to the floor.

Matt nodded, looking
forlorn.

‘
So, YOU are
the friend she speaks so highly of?’ he asked, when his curiosity
ignited. ‘This is all extremely interesting and I have to say
changes all my plans. Pity, I was so looking forward to seeing
Arhdel scream a time or two this night,’ he added with an
exaggerated sigh.

‘
Well, well,
well, this really has dropped a spanner in the works,’ he
continued, refastening his tunic and heading for the
door.

‘
You’re not
leaving us down here to rot, are you?’ Matt shouted, shaking the
bars of his cage. ‘Hey, come back here and another thing, where’s
Crystal? We know you have her hidden someplace.’

‘
Don’t you
fret, she’s just dandy,’ Forusian replied, sounding smug. ‘I’m
afraid, however, that you’re going to have to be my guests for a
little while longer,’ he said, securing the bolt.

‘
You can’t
keep us down here forever!’ Matt shouted, kicking at the bars in
frustration.

‘
Pull
yourself together, lad,’ said Arhdel, when he saw how angry Matt
was becoming. ‘It’s no use getting upset; we’ll be here until he
decides what to do with us.’

Matt accidentally bit the
inside of his mouth.

‘
But what if
he doesn’t come back? Isn’t there some chance we could
escape?’

Arhdel sighed deeply.

‘
No, lad, not
this time. Look at me, my wrists are shackled and you’re twelve
feet in the air. There’s no escape, we just have to hope that the
end is quick, I’m just sorry I got you into this mess.’

‘
It’s hardly
your fault,’ said Matt, shaking his head in despair. ‘I wanted to
help get Crystal back; I knew the risks when we set out for this
place and I only have myself to blame.’

‘
You’re too
kind, boy,’ said Arhdel, with sincere regret. ‘You knew nothing of
Forusian and what he’s capable of. I should have known better than
to take you along, but now it’s too late and again, I apologise for
everything you may have to endure by his hand because of
me.’

Matt dropped his head onto his
chest when Arhdel’s words began to sink in.

‘
We’ll get
through this,’ he said, with conviction. ‘Somehow I just know we’ll
get away from here.’

‘
Well, don’t
hold your breath,’ said Arhdel, shaking his head, ‘because
inevitably you may not live to see it.’

*

Forusian raced up the steps two
at a time, his thin wispy legs struggling when he reached the very
last stair. He extended his fingers and clasped hold of a chair
sitting close to the entrance. He couldn’t decide whether his
breathing was tight due to the exertion he had just displayed or
the immediate flurry of excitement he felt deep inside. He just
couldn’t wait to tell Crystal the good news.

He flinched when he thought
back to the night she had refused his marriage proposal and his
eyes turned to slits. Thanks to the arrival of the boy, that was
all about to change. He chuckled softly whilst he made his way back
to his chamber. If she tried to turn him down again he would warn
her of his intention to kill the boy.

A Nonhawk soldier stood on duty
and when the king approached he pulled back the outer door to allow
him access to the main corridor. Forusian felt a shiver of
contentment. Before the moon was full he would have Crystal as his
wife, of that he was sure. He wanted her by his side and he was
damn well going to have her too. He stepped inside his chamber and
quickly changed his clothes. He would go and see her, tell her his
good news, strike whilst the iron was hot.

His nerves were taut with
anticipation when he called for the guard to saddle his horse. He
moved to the window; the wind was blowing, the night heavy, but he
was thankful to see there was no rain. The moon was hiding between
an array of thickening cloud but in a few days it would be full for
all to see.

Forusian smiled and the evil in
his heart deepened. It was only a matter of time before he became
the most powerful magician in this world and once the marriage to
Crystal was consummated, she would have to bend to his will and
then there would be no holding him back...

Within minutes his horse was
saddled and two of his most trusted bodyguards were ready to ride.
By his side he carried the Sword of Truth, a blade he had stolen
from the body of a dead goblin murdered by his own hand many years
ago. The sword was enchanted and it would protect the bearer
against any other sword or dagger. Forusian very rarely went
anywhere without it.

The night was eerie and the
riders rode like the wind, covered with black masks and long, dark
cloaks to help them blend into the darkness.

Forusian’s mood was euphoric
when he finally arrived at Crystal’s hiding place. He scanned the
surrounding woodland for spies and when he thought it safe he
climbed inside the trunk of a large burnt tree, his bodyguards
close behind him. Once inside, he took a flickering sconce off the
wall and used it to guide his feet along a narrow path. Tree roots
sprouted unevenly under the soil of the floor, making it hazardous
underfoot, and he cursed aloud when several times he almost
tripped.

At the end of the tunnel was a
door. He had used magic to keep it closed from unwanted visitors
and it creaked loudly when it opened. He found Crystal sitting at a
small table. She looked up, startled by his sudden appearance; she
had not expected to see him tonight.

‘
My dear,
there you are,’ he said, as though he had merely stumbled upon
her.

‘
Good
evening, King Forusian,’ she replied looking wary. ‘What have I
done to deserve this honour at this time of night?’

Forusian gushed, not hearing
the sarcasm in her voice.

‘
Oh, my dear,
I have had the most wonderful day, I really have.’

He came to sit by her side, the
guards positioned outside the door.

The room was small, but
adequate for one. It looked very much like a tree house, but was
underground. There were two rooms at Crystal’s disposal. The first,
her living quarters, was sparse but habitable. There was no fire to
keep her warm, but a small stove lay hidden in the corner. The only
other door in the room led to her bedroom. This room was smaller
than the first, having just enough space for her bed and a water
closet. It was extremely basic, with one woven rug on the
floor.

‘
I hope you
don’t mind being down here too much,’ he said, feeling a twinge of
claustrophobia. ‘I know it’s a little
cramped
.’

Crystal squirmed in her
chair.

‘
What’s
wrong?’ she asked, sensing that something was playing on his mind.
‘Has something happened?’

‘
I have heard
people from the ordinary world like a brew called tea,’ he said,
playing for time. He jumped up and walked over to a hand-carved
dresser which held a few pieces of crockery.

‘
Shall I make
us some?’

He looked to see if she was
interested in his proposal and his smile dropped when he realised
she wasn’t the least bit keen. He reached for the tea set anyway,
which was painted in a deep-blue design, and placed two cups with
saucers down on the hard, wooden dresser. His actions were clumsy;
he clearly had no idea what he was doing.

Whilst he busied himself, his
mind whizzed with his ideas. He so desperately wanted to tell her
about the boy he had dangling from his ceiling, but now he was here
he didn’t want to upset her. He wanted to use him as a weapon to
get her to marry him, but looking into those beautiful
sapphire-blue eyes made him feel weak. He felt a disconcerting
emotion when he realised he wanted her to marry him of her own free
will, almost causing the cup to fall when he lost
concentration.

‘
Shall I help
you?’ she asked, getting up and moving to his side. She reached out
her hand and took the teapot from the shelf, accidentally brushing
her hand against his. The shock of her touch forced him to pull his
hand towards his chest, the power from her skin so immense that he
thought she had physically burnt him.