The Sun Goddess of Cargills Castle

by Neisha Nilsen

  I turned to Cichol with death eyes. He was least trustworthy in my books. At least Bres had never lied to me… yet.

  “Oh that’s right I forgot. Cichol isn’t very trustworthy either is he?” He clucked to me. “He tricked you for years!” His laughter filled the room again. It was evil, there was no humour in the sound. He slapped his hands on the table and the plates of food jumped and clattered back down on the table. Cichol didn’t budge, this must be a normal occurrence around here, but I jumped back and slid my chair back.

  “Don’t make me stand up and get you” he said calmly as he continued eating. It was a threat.

  Cichol grabbed some food and put it in front of me. “Eat.” Again no emotion! I hated him and he was going to pay.

  I slid my chair back and took a bite of my roast meat. My eyes nearly rolled back in my head. It took all my will power not to moan out loud - It was good. God it was good. I kept eating.

  “Good isn’t it?” Bres chuckled.

  I nodded my head but choose not to talk. I still couldn’t figure this man out yet.

  We ate in silence for a while. Bres and Cichol polished off the last of the food. I sat on my little chair unsure of what was going to happen next.

  The plates were cleared away and the table taken away. Cichol stood up and walked towards the doorway. He turned and stood guard. My saliva dropped to the back of my throat as I felt a rush of air and a large hand clamp around my throat. I tried kicking my legs at the assault but they just hit air. I was being held up by my throat and I couldn’t reach Bres with my arms or my legs, he was too large. He was holding me out as far as he could. My throat burnt and I started to claw at his hand. He didn’t budge, I wasn’t hurting him. I could feel my face blowing up and flashes of light in my eyes. This was it, this was my death.

  Then he dropped me. I landed in a pile on the ground. I grabbed my neck and sucked in as much air as I could. It burned on its way down but it was better than having none at all.

  “Remember before when I said I had a problem? Forgive me, I should have said problems - plural. It was true I was hungry, but my other problem is this… you!”

  I hung my head still grasping for air. I couldn’t respond and I didn’t care. I already knew I was the problem.

  “You are my number one problem at the moment. You hold the light that’s been plaguing me for an eternity.” He whined dramatically. “I can smell my ex-wife on you, and it’s making me sick. Her light is in you. I want it and I want to extinguish it, burn it out. I want it GONE!” He walked around me in circles. “But therein lays the problem. I could just kill you… but that won’t work would it. No, that would mean your light would just go to somebody else.”

  “What I need to do is to kill you, yes, but as I kill you I need to trap her light that is entwined in your body.” He stopped and crouched beside me. “Or maybe I could just keep you here for forever, that way I know I have her light and she can’t get it. But eventually you will die, because you are human and that’s what happens, and then it will all unfold again.” He stood up. “What do you think Cichol?” he stopped Cichol answering. “I already know what he wants. He wants you dead!”

  I flinched. “Yeah well, I kind of figured that out already.”

  His evil laughter filled the room. “She speaks, and she is funny. Cichol, you never told me she was funny.” Cichol stood still and glared at me.

  “What Cichol – cat got your tongue?” I teased with sarcasm dripping off my tongue. “Not man enough to answer for yourself?” I could see the veins popping out of his neck. It was working. I was getting under his skin.

  Bres watched with amusement. “I do believe Cichol, that she may hate you more than she hates me.”

  “It would appear that way.” Cichol replied between clenched teeth. “If that’s all, I’d like to rest now.”

  Bres waved him away. “Yes of course, go my champion. Rest.”

  Cichol left without even looking my way. I didn’t know what I expected but it hurt. He was leaving me here in this prison and worst of all with Bres, who was so unpredictable he could kill me at any moment. It still didn’t seem right. He was the one that I used to phone when I was upset, when I needed a problem solved… he was my Hayden. But not anymore – He was Cichol, the commander of Bres’s army of Fomorians.

  “You can rest too. I need time to figure out what to do with you.” He walked out of the room leaving the table and chairs where they were. He never looked back as the prison door was locked behind him.

  CHAPTER 17

  I had no idea how long I’d been in this dark and dingy prison for. The days all merged into one. I hadn’t seen Hayden, I mean Cichol again since our last encounter and quite frankly I didn’t want to. I hated him so much I wanted to punch his face in. How dare he betray me… he had been my best friend. Even though I didn’t see him, I did see Bres, daily. I cringed whenever I heard his heavy slow footsteps heading towards my prison cell. I never knew what mood he would be in and it terrified me. Would it be nice Bres or evil Bres? Sometimes he’d feed me, sometimes he’d beat me. My body was black and blue and my face was swollen, I couldn’t even see out of my left eye from my last beating and for that he gave me no explanation, he just walked through my prison door and kicked me in the stomach, then threw me across the room. I heard a crack as I hit the solid rock wall of my prison. It was my elbow, the pain was intense I nearly passed out. I didn’t show him my fear and I don’t think that would have mattered, he kept going using me like a punching bag. When he finally left, I crumpled in a heap on the floor. I felt for my elbow and pain shot up my arm and I cried out in pain. Tears rolled down my face. I don’t think I’m going to survive this. There was no light where I was being held, and I guaranteed that was on purpose, there was no fire, just damp coldness. I could draw no light to myself, no flame to defend myself with, no heat to keep me warm. I felt completely lost and beaten.

  I thought about my family constantly and hoped they were okay. If they were okay they would be worried about me. I should have been back from Kate’s holiday home in Brighton by now. They would have called the police and everyone would be out looking for me. Why did I follow Uar? I should have stayed where I was, and none of this would have happened. I’d be at home, happy and probably still friends with Hayden because he would have still been lying to me and I’d be none the wiser. I was happy, warm and loved there, why did I leave? Uar didn’t know where I was, I knew that now. The guards seemed pretty adamant that no one was coming for me. No one knew where Bres’s armies were – no one. Somehow I had to get out of this situation by myself and I had no idea how to. I’d hardly eaten anything let along drink anything. My elbow was fractured, I was sure of it. I felt feeble and weak against these Fomorians. I had no more tears left I needed to fight, I needed to find my strength within myself and fight.

  Bres had called in a witch called The Crone to help him capture my light. I cringed, that meant my end was near. If they figured out how to capture my light, then I was dead. I had to get out of here. I heard my guards talking about me and the progress of the Crone’s work, they didn’t seem to care I could hear them and I suppose it made no difference, they knew and I knew I wasn’t ever leaving this cell alive.

  I heard Bres’s familiar footsteps and cringed. God, what mood was he in today? I cradled my elbow. I couldn’t stand another beating.

  “And how is my favourite guest of honour today?”

  I spat at him.

  He laughed at me as he opened my prison door. I backed away. “Now now, no need to be like that. I have great news. Wonderful news in fact.”

  “Yeah, and what’s that? You finally fixed your shower so I don’t have to smell your stink every time you come for these friendly visits.”

  I regretted it the instant I said it and clenched my teeth. He pinned me with his death stare. I could see a storm brewing in the depths of the dark blue ocean of his eyes. He clenched his fists. I closed my eyes waiting for it, waiting for the punch or
kick, whatever punishment tickled his fancy today. But nothing came.

  “No matter” he said. I opened my eyes and the storm in his eyes had faded and I was faced with gentle waves. “It doesn’t matter my dear Brigid because tomorrow I will be taking the light from you.”

  I took a sharp intake of breath.

  “Yes Brigid, take in the air around you, gulp it down.”

  My eyes were turning feral, I had to get out of here and out of here now. I knew what he meant, tomorrow I’d be dead.

  “You may not get to breath it in for much longer, so please be my guest, suck it up, feel it in your lungs, in your heart. Feel it keeping you alive… for now – Ha ha!” His booming evil laugh filled the room with dread and truth.

  My head was spinning. I had to get out of here and it had to be now. He’d turned his back on me while he laughed and why wouldn’t he, I was no threat to him, look at him. He was huge and powerful. I was a little girl compared to him. I couldn’t even harness my power in this dark stinking prison.

  “I have asked the witch to keep you alive, I find you amusing and besides... I need a new slave, but she seems to think that you would not survive the process. I did argue with her for a moment, but then I realised… I didn’t really care.” He threw his head back and laughed again.

  I took my opportunity and jumped on his huge back, I yanked at his long hair and bite the side of his face. I was going for his ear but I couldn’t find it through his masses of hair so I clamped down hard on whatever my teeth connected to.

  He roared and ripped me off his back. I slid across the cold floor as he came bounding towards me with heavy footsteps. Blood was on his cheek. I hadn’t gone too deep, but deep enough to make him bleed. He threw his head forward and head butted me. A wall of black blocked my brain as I heard his evil laughter bounce off the walls as I blacked out.

  My head was pounding. I went to put my hands up against my forehead but they wouldn’t move. I jerked them roughly forward. Something was holding them back. I tried to open my eyes. I definitely couldn’t see out of my left eye now, it had completely swelled over. God I must look a sight at the moment. I cringed as a wave of nausea hit me and I threw up on the floor beside me. Once I got myself sorted and started to think clearly I realised my hands had been bound behind me. He’d tied my hands up – argh! Great, just great. There was no way out this, I was going to die. I had given it my best shot and it wasn’t good enough. What was I thinking anyway, as if I could defeat him and even if I could what would I do then, just run out the prison’s front doors… I don’t think so. I was a goner. But hey, at least I had tried. At least I can die knowing that I’d tried. Oh my god my parents, they are going to be devastated. I’m going to be one of those missing children that never makes it home. They will never know if I’m alive or if I’m dead. This will break them. And what about Uar and the Gold Belts, I’d let them down. I hadn’t finished what I’d come here to do, I hadn’t released their Mother. They were going to be bound to this broken place forever, enslaved and diseased. And poor Zeg, what was he going to do? Would he go back to my house or would he stay with Uar. I hoped he’d go back home and look after my family for me. Was Zeg even alive? I was broken and bruised, I had no more tears left. I was going to fight to the end, I was not going to make this easy for them. I sat up and swung my legs around to stand up. Great! Bres had my ankles shackled in metal chains. I wasn’t going anywhere in a hurry. I looked up as I heard the clink of the lock to my cell.

  It was Cichol. At first my heart fluttered with relief, my friend was here, thank god, something familiar. But then I remembered it was all a lie and he was the enemy and wanted me dead. He was the reason why I was here. “Great, to what do I owe this pleasure?” I spat on the ground and saw an outline of blood in my saliva against the grey stone.

  He saw it too. He waved the two guards away. “Leave us.”

  They bowed and walked away, locking us both in.

  He walked slowly over to me and knelt down in front of me. I felt ashamed of my pile of vomit and my appearance. I knew he could smell it and I shouldn’t care but I did. He touched my forehead gently above my swollen eye. I flinched. “Don’t.”

  “Brig, I’m sorry.”

  “Ha, sorry - are you kidding me right now.” He kept kneeling taking in my appearance. “Yeah take a good look. You did this to me. This is your fault.”

  “No this is your fault. If you had listened to me you would be back home lying on your safe and cosy bed talking to me on the phone. You would be safe, you would be with me.”

  “Yeah about that… I remember you telling me that you were my protector?” I raised my eyebrows to emphasise my statement. “What happened Cichol, I believed you. I trusted you. You promised you would let nothing happen to me.” I laughed looking down at my appearance, “clearly that hasn’t happened.”

  He frowned and stood up. He gently lifted me off the cold floor. I resisted him but there wasn’t much I could do with my hands and legs bound. I jerked as the blood come back in to my left leg. I tried to nudge him with my shoulder but he held me steady. “That still holds true” he whispered before he kissed me. I tried to head butt him and push him away but he held me steady and kept kissing me. I could hear the guards laughing and shouting encouraging disgusting words at us. I tried to bite his tongue but he didn’t budge he took the pain and carried on. He held me hard against his body, I couldn’t move and then I felt it. I felt his hands unbinding my hands behind my back as he gently shoved something metal in my mouth with his tongue as he continued to kiss me. I stopped resisting.

  “Keep going” he whispered quietly between our lips.

  I knew what he meant. I was to carry on this show so the guards wouldn’t know he was helping me. I started grunting and resisting again.

  “That’s it Cichol, you show her who’s the boss.” One of them shouted.

  I bit his lip as he finally pulled away. He wiped the blood away with his hand as he released me. I fell on my bum again and did my best to keep the appearance that my hands were still tied behind my back. Easier said than done when you’re falling to the ground with your full weight pulling you down. I screamed as my elbow hit the hard ground. The pain was immense. He winked at me as he walked away and locked the door behind him. What just happened?

  ◆◆◆

  Once the guards were out of sight and the darkness in my room started to creep in, I knew it was safe to take the piece of metal that Cichol had given me out of my mouth with my unbound hands. It was a key. It was to unlock my legs that had metal bars around them. I still hated him, even though he’d helped me. But how was this to help me I wondered. I wasn’t sure where this was all going, but I could feel the warmth of survival flow through my body. I could possibly make it out of here alive after all. I worked at the lock for a good ten minutes. I couldn’t get the stupid thing open and then I heard a quiet click. Oh thank god. I looked around to make sure no one heard and when I was certain no one was there, I took them off. I rubbed my sore ankles making sure to keep them close to me if anyone came in. I really hoped Cichol wasn’t doing this out of some sick pleasure he may get of giving me hope before it comes crashing down on me. I dreaded what this witch was going to do to me and even if I did survive Bres would keep me. He would beat me and make my life a living hell just for his pure pleasure to see me suffer. I had to get out of this and I was wondering whether Cichol was giving me a fighting chance or whether this was another sick way of making me suffer.

  CHAPTER 18

  Bres had wandered into my cell as I as sleeping. I woke up to his scary handsome face inches away from mine, smiling wickedly at me.

  “Why good morning my little Brigid and how are you feeling today?” I could hear the sarcasm dripping off his words.

  I ungracefully tried to anchor myself off the ground pretending everything was still bound where they were supposed to be. I had put the metal cuffs back on but carefully left them unlocked. My hands though were loosely unbound and
I made a special effort to keep my back to the wall and my hands behind my back so he didn’t notice. “Is that a trick question?”

  He looked me up and down. “Your right, it was a trick question, because you truly look terrible.” Pain was shooting up my arm from my elbow, I couldn’t see out of my eye, my jaw hurt and I had a splitting headache. “But that does not matter, because today is the day. Yes, that’s right, today is the day I get rid of my wife forever!” He screamed the last word in my face. I cringed. I had no idea what today was going to hold. Was I getting out of here? Was Cichol going to continue to be an asshole and play mind games with me to the bitter end? I wasn’t sure, but I was going to try and get out of this alive. “You don’t look very excited Brigid.”

  “Well that’s hard when I can’t even move my face.”

  He smiled “Yes well, that may be the case but I thought it only fitting to give you a good send off, so… what would you like for your breakfast this morning?”

  I stared at him dumbfounded. What did I want for breakfast? This man was bat winged crazy! Why would he even care?

  “Come now, I’m extending more of my generosity to you. Have I not already been generous to you? I have feed and roofed you for the last month. I have even given you a couple of my guards to keep you safe. Have I not been generous?” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. He was loony tunes! He clicked his fingers and his guards pulled in a table and one chair. “No matter, I have organised a feast for you little girl, one to warm your heart. A last farewell as it may be.” He smiled at me and I actually thought it was sincere. Was this me he was talking to or did he think he was talking to his wife. Was there still something there, did he still feel for her? I saw it in his eyes. There was a softness there that I’d never seen before. Was it possible that he once loved her? “Now I know that you are unable to feed yourself” he stated as he looked at my bound limbs, “so I’m going to have one of my guards feed you. You don’t mind do you?” He didn’t wait for me to answer. He clicked his fingers again and one of the guards came over and roughly picked me up. “GENTLE!” Bres’s voice boomed against the walls, power vibrating the little prison cell. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Gentle please, show some respect. This is a big day, Brigid’s big day.” The guard nodded and loosened his grip. I cried out at the pain in my elbow. I tried desperately to keep the rope around my hands, if it fell off, I was toast. I was gently placed on the chair. “There, now eat little one, enjoy.”