Son of Corse (The Raven Chronicles Book 2) (10 page)

              “Enough!”

              Senyan’s voice brought her back from the edge of hysteria. Looking towards the bridge, Senyan stood over the desiccated husk of Corse.  He raised his head, leveling a frosty gaze at her.

              The look was enough to give her pause.  Arwenna straightened herself as best she could, still trying to stay as far away from Bohrs as possible.

              “She’s your toy, Bohrs.  I don’t care what you do to her; just keep her out of my sight.”  Senyan waved a hand dismissively; his attentions already back on the demonic remains at his feet.

              Panic flooded through her as Bohrs dragged her across the bridge and towards the network of terraces.  Arwenna struggled, twisting her arm as he forced her through the maze of hallways. Grasping at anything she could, she attempted to break his hold. Each time she failed, his mocking laughter echoed in her ears and fueled the desperation coursing through her body. Hopelessly lost, she didn’t notice the strangely opaque door until she was shoved through it.

              She fell to the floor with a thud, her knees scraping painfully against the surface as her momentum carried her forward. Before he could grab her again, she spun around and rose to her feet.  He hadn’t entered the room. Leaning against the doorframe as he was, there was no way Arwenna could possibly make it past him.

              “You don’t scare me, Brother,” she spat out defiantly.

              The sound that came from him wasn’t quite laughter.  “I know that, Sister dear.  I also know what does scare you.”  Bohrs straightened slightly, resting a hand on the knob to the door.  “Corse created this room for you.  It will keep you safe, and alive.  You can not harm yourself in here.  Anything you might need will appear as soon as you think of it.  The room itself will sustain your body, so you can’t starve yourself to death.  The one thing it will not do, Arwenna, is talk to you.” 

              Fear gradually began to grow within her.  She took a step away from him, swallowing hard.

              “That’s what you fear the most, Arwenna.  Being alone.  It’s why my mother had to spend her nights with you over her husband.  It’s why you travel with people watching your every move.  I have no intention on forcing myself on you.  I don’t have to.  There are only four people that know where you are.  Corse is under my command now, Senyan doesn’t care, and Irini can’t do anything he won’t let her do.  And then there’s me.”  He walked towards her. Arwenna backed away, only to find herself in a corner. She flinched as he stroked one of his fingers across her cheek. “I’m going to leave you alone. I do plan on coming back, when I feel you’re ready to be reasonable.  For you, that could be months from now. It depends on how the planning goes.” 

              Arwenna swallowed the overpowering fear that roiled inside her. Her mind recoiled from the fate he was leaving her to. Even with everything she knew he would do to her, had done to her, this was a torture she wasn’t prepared to face. She watched Bohrs walk back towards the door. “When I return, I expect you to do what you know I want.  If not, I’ll have to leave you alone again.  Perhaps for a few years.  Think about it.”  With that, he walked through the doorway. The door shut behind him.  The sound of the lock turning echoed throughout the room as Arwenna slid into a heap on the floor, weeping silently.

Chapter Fourteen

B
arek woke with a start, one hand reaching for his sword in the dark.  The room was familiar.  He was with Y’Dürkie’s clan.  He sat on the edge of his bed, resting his head in his hands.
It was a dream
, he told himself.
Just a dream. The
wedding’s tomorrow and this was all a dream
.  The thought felt hollow, wrong.

              A movement caught his eye.  The door to his room opened silently.  Mialee stood in the doorway, fear written all over her face. The hope that he’d imagined faded. “Where’s Y’Dürkie and Hugh?” he asked, reaching for his boots.

              “Getting ready.  Lexi’s here, she says she’ll get us to Joss.  He and Sera are back at the cottage.”  Mialee’s voice trailed off.  “Barek, how can we get her back?” 

              Barek stood up, grabbing his sheathed sword at the same time. He glanced at Mialee as he donned the weapon.  “I don’t know yet.  But I’ll die trying.”

              The main courtyard was almost deserted.  Lexi stood next to Y’Dürkie and Hugh, the blue aura that constantly surrounded her now tinged with red.  Barek had seen her mad before, but never this mad.  The fury in her eyes rivaled a barbarian in the middle of a battle rage.  Y’Dürkie’s face registered the same determination Barek felt.

              “I’ll come with you to get Joss.  Hauk’s going to take Sera and keep her safe until you get my cousin back.” Lexi drew a deep breath. “Corse’s magic in that lair of his is too strong. There’s no telling what’s already happened down there. And Hauk and I cannot get directly involved, or the world would cease to exist.” She stared at each of them. “What Corse wants can
not
come to pass.”

              Barek scowled.  “Do we really need the elf, Lexi?  I can’t say I expect him to help much.”

              Lexi leveled a steely gaze at him.  “It’s not your decision to make, Barek.  Even if you don’t want him along, Arwenna’s going to need him to be there.”

              The air around him grew warmer, shimmering with light.  The landscape blurred past him. Just as swiftly as it began, the light faded.  Arwenna’s cottage was a few feet away. A green light surrounded it. 

              The door opened.  Hauk walked out, bathed in the same green aura that surrounded the house.  Barek recognized the sleeping child being held by the God. 

              “I’ll take my granddaughter someplace safe.  I tried to explain that to Joss, but he isn’t able to hear much right now.”  Hauk’s voice was just above a whisper.  He looked at Y’Dürkie, nodded his head once, and then disappeared.

              Lexi led the way into the house.  It was much as Barek remembered it being as they left for Y’Dürkie’s wedding months ago.  Lexi’s heavy sigh made him look towards the bedroom.

              She’d pushed the door open, giving him full view of the interior.  The elf sat on the floor, a jug of wine hung casually from his fingers. Judging from the way he sat, Barek knew he had to be drunk.  Something inside snapped.  “I’ll deal with this,” Barek growled at the others.
Striding purposefully into the room, he slammed the door behind him.

              “By the Gods, you’re pitiful.  Arwenna’s being held by a demon and you’re more interested in getting drunk than trying to help her.”  Barek didn’t even bother to hide his disgust.

              Joss kept his head down.  “Go away, Barek.  I’m not in the mood.”

              It took two steps to get to Joss. Barek hauled him up by the front of his tunic, glaring into his bleary eyes.  “Not in the mood?  You think she’s in the mood to do what she had to promise just to get her daughter back?  You think Corse is going to give a damn how she’s feeling?” Snarling, he shoved Joss away from him, tumbling across the bed and into the far corner.

              “I’ve kept my opinions about you from her for some time now, elf.  Because she loved you, and I didn’t want to hurt her.  No more.  I’m going to go back down there and bring her out, one way or another. And I’ll tell her how you were more interested in getting drunk than doing a damn thing to help her.”

              Barek’s words visibly shook Joss. Joss raised his head, murder in his eyes.  Barek steadied himself, expecting the charge that came at him.

              He easily sidestepped Joss, throwing him into a dresser. Joss came back at him, his fist swinging wide of Barek’s face.  Barek caught Joss’ wrist, twisting his arm behind his back before shoving him down towards the floor. “You’re a waste of my time, elf.  And hers,” Barek spat out the words, turning back toward the door.

              Something hit the back of his head.  Whirling around, Barek barely had time to react as Joss charged at him once more.  He felt the boards in the wall splinter as his back crashed into them.  A deep growl grew in his throat as he broke free of Joss’ hold, throwing him back down to the floor.

              Chest heaving, he looked down at Joss.  It wasn’t a fair fight, and they both knew it.

              Barek stared at Joss, now crumpled into a ball. “Do you have any idea how much it hurts, knowing she’s there.  Knowing what’s happening to her, and not being able to stop it?” Joss’ voice was a whisper.

              Looking down at Joss’ beaten form, Barek knew exactly how he felt. He’d been right where Joss was now, after their wedding.  On the floor of his house, so drunk he wasn’t able to stand, and mourning the loss of the woman he loved. His only comfort was knowing she wanted to be with Joss. 

              Carefully, Barek leaned against the dented wall and crossed his arms. “Now you know how lost I’ve felt since the day you walked into the tent.”  Joss’ head whipped around, staring Barek with understanding.  “The only difference, Joss, is that at least I knew she wanted to be with you.  I’m pretty sure she doesn’t want to be where she’s at now.  What I need to know from you is if you’re going to come with me to get your wife back, or if you’re going to stay here and feel sorry for yourself.”

              Barek watched Joss closely. Judging by how slow he was in rising, Barek knew that Joss was going to be bruised for days. “Do you think we have enough time for me to change my shirt?”

              Sniffing the air, he laughed slightly.  “We’ll make time” he replied.  Barek opened the door and reentered the living area, leaving Joss alone.

              From the looks on everyone’s faces, they’d heard the fight.  Barek eased his large frame into a chair.  “He’ll be out in a minute” was all he bothered to say.

              Lexi nodded. “We’ll pay a visit to Duke Ramberti, apprise him of the situation. After that, I’ll be able to get you to a river that owes its life to Lake Brahl. Everything past that is up to you.  Hauk’s going to keep Sera safe, and has left me to keep any reinforcements from following you.”  She glanced at Barek.  “Please don’t take any side trips.  The longer she’s there, the more likely…” her voice trailed off.

              Barek grunted.  “Yeah, I know.” 

              The bedroom door opened, admitting Joss emerged.  Looking at each of them in turn, Barek rose and met them as they gathered in a circle around Lexi.  The room blurred around him once more.

Chapter Fifteen

A
rwenna noticed the mattress first.  Gradually, the bedding entered her consciousness.  Sitting up, she turned her head sharply towards the corner where she vaguely remembered passing out.  How she got from there to the bed, she had no idea. The windowless room that was now her prison wouldn’t give up any secrets.

              Her stomach growled. Before she even realized how hungry she was, a trencher filled with steaming food appeared on a small table.  Arwenna hesitated, even as the noise in her stomach increased.  Corse had built this room for her, to keep her alive and healthy while she bore him a child.  There was no reason to fear the food.  Even though Corse was imprisoned within the stone, Bohrs still wanted her very much alive.

              Arwenna rose from the bed.  The floor was covered with soft furs.  The room was a comfortable temperature, another thing most likely carefully contrived. Crossing to the nearby table, she tentatively reached out for her own magic.  With Corse now imprisoned in the gem, cracks were forming in the barrier between her and her magic.  The trick was to stay sane until she could fully harness it again.

              She ate slowly. The food, though well prepared, held little taste for her. As she ate, she took a good look around the room. She’d been so overcome with fear and hopelessness when Bohrs first shoved her into her prison that she’d not taken stock of her surroundings. It was well furnished, with everything she might hope to need.  Books lined one wall, giving her ample options. The idea of reading anything a demon would find interesting turned her stomach.  She dropped her fork.  The sound of it echoing in the silence of the room startled her. Pushing the trencher away in frustration, she leaned back in her chair.

              She tried to calm the fear rising again in her stomach.  Bohrs had finally found the one thing she feared the most.  Arwenna hadn’t been alone since the night her village was raided. The terror of huddling behind a rock for hours, alone in the dark, left an indelible mark on her soul.  Even when she’d risen high enough in rank at the monastery, she preferred to sleep in the dormitory over taking the small private cell that was hers for the asking.  After she’d fallen in with Barek and the others, they never slept in separate rooms. There was too much danger lurking about for that
. 

              She didn’t raise her head again for several minutes, not until she knew she could act rationally and not out of panic. She had time.  Bohrs promised he wouldn’t be back for months.  It would give her the opportunity to put something in motion after considering all the possibilities. If she didn’t go mad first.

              Her gaze fell on the door. She rose, crossing the short distance to the entry
.
She ran her fingers around the edges, feeling for any hinges or gaps she could use to work the door away from the frame. Arwenna tried twisting the knob, not expecting it would be that easy. It was locked tight, from the other side.  No doubt Bohrs had the only key. 

              A light breeze chilled her fingers near the bottom of the knob.  Arwenna dropped to her knees.  Tilting her head sideways, she noticed a small keyhole just underneath the plate that held the knob in place. Her heart skipped a beat.  She’d watched Mialee pick locks for years. Maybe, just maybe, she could find something to do the same on this one.

              She sat down, her mind busy with ideas.  The room was designed by Corse to give her what she needed, but not something that could help her escape.  Then again, the power used to create the room had been channeled into something else.  Her own magic was coming through, slowly.  The wards placed on the room wouldn’t hold unless Bohrs had the presence of mind to remind Corse to reinforce them. A smile crept across her face. She’d have to strengthen the magic keeping their small home safe, once she returned.

              If she returned.

              Biting her lip, Arwenna scanned the edges of the room and its contents, hoping for some sign that the illusion was fading. It took her several minutes, but she finally found the proof she longed for.  High up on the wall, a single strip of wallpaper wavered and then disappeared, leaving a bare patch of stone.

              She took a deep breath, praying that her idea would work.  Closing her eyes, she focused her thoughts on the same type of lock picks she’d seen Mialee use so many times.  She kept her breathing even. The picks took on a life of their own in her mind as she began to see every little small twist or cut in the various implements. Just when she felt she had the image perfectly, something small dropped onto her skirt.  Opening her eyes, Arwenna smiled.  A kit lay in her lap. 

              Not about to waste time, she pulled various pieces out of the case.  Some she instantly discarded as obviously too big for this lock.  Starting with the pair she felt were the best candidates, she rose to her knees and began to attempt moving the tumblers in the lock.

              It went slowly, mainly from her inexperience. Mialee made it look so easy.  Arwenna began to get a better appreciation for the skill involved.  She tried to keep her attention firmly fixed on the lock, only pausing momentarily to shift her stance or stretch her neck whenever her muscles began to protest too loudly.

              Time ceased to matter to Arwenna as she focused herself on the task at hand.  She wouldn’t have known how long she’d been at the lock anyhow, not in that room.  Gradually, she pushed aside one tumbler at a time.  The final one came loose with an audible ‘click’ and the door swung slightly open as it was released.  Arwenna gave in to the small rush of excitement that cascaded over her, permitting herself to smile.  Gathering up the picks, she placed them back into the case and slipped it into a small pocket under her skirt.  There was no telling if she might need those again.

              Very carefully, she edged the door open enough to peer out.
 
A twisting stone hallway loomed in front of her.  There were precious few places along it where she could find cover if she needed it.  The open archway at the far end led downward
. 
She remembered that much from when Bohrs had dragged her to this room.

              She slid through the doorway and closed the door behind her.  With luck, Bohrs wouldn’t know she was gone until she was well away from here.  She ran as quietly as possible down the hallway, flattening herself against the stone next to the staircase.

              Arwenna closed her eyes. Her heart hammered in her ears. She was surprised how much it scared her, to sneak around without her friends there with her. 

              Moving as quietly as possible, she maneuvered through the twists and turns of the keep, trying to locate the few landmarks she remembered. She was certain she was almost to the final staircase when she stopped dead.

              The passageway before her was long.  There were no doors on the left, and the final staircase was at the opposite end. To her right, however, the stone stopped halfway up, forming a rail overlooking the room below. 

              “How long do you plan on leaving her in that room?”  Senyan’s voice surprised Arwenna.  Flattening herself against the wall, she slid down the stone until her head was lower than the railing.

              “Doesn’t matter, really.” Bohrs’ voice echoed through the hallway. The clink of glass against glass, followed by liquid being poured, was muted. Enough so that she could pinpoint their location in the room below the balcony beside her.  “She’s going to think it’s an eternity even if it’s just been a few hours. Her fear will do that for me.”  Footsteps, followed by the sound of someone settling into a chair.  Arwenna glanced to her right.  The balcony rail wasn’t high enough that she could move at a crouch and not be seen.  She’d have to crawl, and do so quietly, if she wanted to make it across without being heard.

              “Where’d you find the spell, anyhow?  I thought Corse was impossible to kill.”  Bohrs’ tone was conversational.

              Senyan snorted. “The same book that had the spell I used to bring you into your new body.  Corse didn’t bother to read the whole book, or he’d never have put it in my hands.”  He paused. “It was full of all sorts of interesting spells, some so old the creatures they were designed to control or eradicate have been extinct for ages.”

              “What’s the next step?” Bohrs asked.  Arwenna sorted the pieces of the puzzle in her head.  Senyan was the one in charge, Bohrs was his second. That might prove useful later on.

              “We wait, for now.  I don’t care what Corse made her agree to, Barek and the others will come back here and try and rescue the bitch.  They won’t know Corse isn’t what he used to be, and I’d prefer they didn’t learn it until it was too late. Most of them will need to die.  Barek might see reason, and I can convince Mialee she has other options.  She’s easy to manipulate. It’ll be up to you when you want to kill Arwenna. She does have certain potential alive, so don’t be in a rush to do that.”

              Arwenna took a deep breath to steady her nerve.  She rearranged her skirts so they’d be out of the way and cautiously started the slow crawl towards the other side.  Much as she wanted to learn more, she didn’t have time to waste eavesdropping.  The silence from below spoke volumes. Bohrs probably had as many questions as she did, but was waiting for Senyan to volunteer the information. Bohrs had learned the value of patience when they were children.

              “No matter how you think of her, Bohrs, Arwenna’s still of divine blood.  She’s the product of Hauk’s way of meddling in this world.  Any child she - or I for that matter - produces is going to have access to magics that have the potential of making the world break in half.  Corse wanted to tap into that, and so do I.”

              Fear rose in Arwenna’s stomach at Senyan’s words.  She was halfway across the gallery, but the other side seemed even farther away.

              “Don’t give me that look.  I much prefer to let you train her, have your fun first.  It’ll humiliate her beyond reason if you order her to obey me over you for a short time.  And she’ll be so much more grateful to you when I let her return.”

              Arwenna shuddered involuntarily. She resisted the urge to vomit. She wasn’t ready to take on both of them, she knew that. She crawled the last few feet, moving into the relative safety of the shadows on the far side of the open gallery.  Brushing off her skirts, she glanced behind her.

              “You expect me to share her, after all.”  Bohrs’ voice had an edge to it, one that Arwenna had learned to fear as a child.

              “I expect you to do as you’re told!”  Senyan roared.  “I didn’t bring you back for your own pleasures. There’s still a war to be fought, and I don’t need you distracted by some woman!” Arwenna heard something shatter violently. She stood and smoothed out her skirt. She’d seen Senyan lose his temper before, and she didn’t particularly want to see that again.

              She threw one more glance over her shoulder towards the balcony. Her feet moved forward before her head did.  Arwenna turned her face towards the arched doorway only to stop midstep.  A shadow stood where nothing had been there before.

              Irini stepped forward, her pale face marred by black lines moving underneath the skin.  Arwenna waited.  Irini looked at her, the sadness and pain in her eyes making Arwenna want to weep. 

              “I won’t leave you without ways to deal with your appetite, Bohrs. You’ve got your bastard’s mother, for one.  I’m sure we’ll have lots of chances on the road to Almair for you to find more toys and indulge in your favorite pastime.  I’ll make you a deal. Don’t get between me and the place of my birth, and I’ll give you something now to play with until Arwenna’s more amenable.”

              A shadow crossed Irini’s face as Senyan called out her name. She gave Arwenna a weak smile and nod before moving aside. Arwenna returned the gesture before descending the stairs.  She stopped in a small alcove not far from a door she knew would lead to the room Senyan and Bohrs were in.  She dared another glance at Irini.  Fear marred her once-beautiful face as she put a hand on the door latch.  Arwenna flattened her back against the alcove, amazed as Irini’s face became a mask as she moved the latch.  Her feet found speed once the door was closed.  Irini’s screams chased Arwenna down the dark passage.

              A hand pulled her roughly into a dark alcove.  Another one covered her mouth.  Arwenna struggled against the hand holding her.  “It’s me, Arwenna.  Anthones.” She stopped struggling.

              His hand moved away from her mouth as he spun her around to face him.  “You need my help to get out of here.  Can you trust me enough for that?”

              “What of your mother?”

A haunted look rose in his eyes, speaking of things he desperately wanted to forget. He whispered, “She’s dead. I had to. What he had done to her…” Arwenna had first-hand knowledge on what some of those things probably were.               

Swallowing her irrational fears, she nodded once.  “You lead, I’ll follow.”

He reached for her wrist, hesitating for a moment.  “Know that I wish you no harm, milady.  Should I cause you pain during our escape, it is not intentional.”

Far more gently than she anticipated, Anthones took her by the wrist and slowly maneuvered her arm behind her back.  His other hand drew a dagger and kept it pointed towards her side. His voice, low and insistent, tickled her ear. “Let me talk, if we are questioned.  Whatever I tell you to do, you must do.  We’re both dead, or worse, if they don’t believe us.”