Sikes stepped angrily forward, raised his arm, and slapped Dresdia with the back of his large, rough hand. The crack of flesh on flesh echoed in the cold air. Dresdia’s head snapped back with the force of the blow and she dropped to the hard ground. She went limp as she landed and tumbled.
She lay there for a moment, stunned. Dresdia groaned and her eyes fluttered weakly open. The cold raindrops were bringing her back to painful consciousness. Her face ached horribly where Sikes had struck her. She could feel hard, sharp rocks pressing into her back from where she lay on the ground.
“That’s my authority, bitch!” Sikes snarled, a cruel smile curving his thin lips as he rubbed his stinging hand with the other. Sometimes women had to be taught roughly what their position in life was. He looked down at the girl’s more than ample, heaving breasts. He would show this one who was in charge!
Dresdia looked up at the hard faced man and then dropped her eyes quickly as he glared with lust-filled eyes down upon her. She didn’t even try to resist when he grabbed the front of her blouse and pulled her roughly to her feet. She was too terrified to speak. Dresdia stood paralyzed, shocked by Sikes’ unexpected actions. With dread, she waited for what was going to happen next. She knew she was powerless to stop him.
“Don’t aggravate me again, bitch,” snarled Sikes, ripping Dresdia’s shirt open down the front, exposing her pale breasts in the flickering firelight. Seeing the firm mounds of enticing flesh, Sikes eyes widened with anticipation. God this woman was gorgeous! He felt his lust grow, casting all caution to the wind. He gazed at the girl’s breasts, plainly visible in the faint firelight.
Obedient as a puppet and paralyzed by fright, Dresdia held her arms at her side lest he strike her again. She averted her eyes, feeling the man’s rough, callused hands pawing brutally at her. The pain was nearly unbearable, his touch intolerable and utterly humiliating. She knew that if she didn’t do something quickly she was going to be raped. What could she do? Her mind raced as she tried to think.
Sikes bent his head down, ran his tongue over her breast, and then bit her with his teeth. “You like that, don’t you bitch?” Sikes growled heatedly.
He undid his cloak and then reached for the belt on his pants, his fingers working with the fastening. “I have something for you, my little bitch,” his whisper was harsh, demanding, his desire racing out of control. “It’s about time someone made a real woman out of you!”
“What will your mistress say when you deliver damaged goods?” Dresdia managed to croak out, repulsed and frightened at the thought of her body being violated.
The feel of Sikes hands and mouth upon her breasts had been nauseating. She knew there was nothing Lynol could do to save her from this moment. Only by playing on Sikes fear of Jalene did Dresdia stand a chance. “What will she do when she finds out what you have done? Your men will talk; they will tell her! She will sacrifice you to the dragon as well!”
Sikes stepped back, paralyzed briefly by indecision. For a moment, he had forgotten about the sorceress back home and the High Priest Storn Daes who waited. In the distance lightning flared and a cold, steady rain began to fall. An omen, Sikes thought. If I possess this woman, I could very well end up as dragon food! God, her breasts had felt so soft, her body so enticing! For a moment, he hesitated; she was almost worth taking the risk. Taking one last, longing look at the woman’s exposed breasts, fighting to bring his raging desire back under control, Sikes said hoarsely, “Go back to your tent, bitch; your fate rests in Draydon!”
Retreating hurriedly to the tent, Dresdia went inside where the other frightened girls asked what had happened. Dresdia skimmed over Sikes’ attack, leaving out several of the more embarrassing details. Dresdia tied her shirt back together the best she could. She knew she’d come within just a few seconds of being raped. Dresdia felt terribly weak and faint as she realized the dangerous situation she’d been in and still was.
Sikes stood in the rain looking angrily at the captives’ tent. He realized just how close he’d come to making a serious mistake. The hissing fire, as the cold rain fell upon it, drew Sikes attention back to the weather. It was raining and turning cold. A few snowflakes were mixed in with the falling rain. Sikes walked back to the fire, noticing that the bacon he had been cooking earlier was completely burned. He kicked the skillet off the fire and looked up defiantly into the cold rain and snow that was falling. They still had a long trip ahead of them.
Several minutes later, Sikes turned in, closing his tent behind him, the rain and snow was coming down even heavier. They needed to be up early in the morning, and they couldn’t travel quite as fast with the prisoners. The trail would be muddy, and it would probably be cold as well. Several of the men were riding double with the prisoners, and it was evident that most of these frightened young girls had never been on a horse before. The going would be slow, and they had a timetable to keep. Sikes didn’t want to keep Daes and Jalene waiting.
The full fury of the storm struck just after midnight, cold rain pelting down and the snow turning to ice. The wind howled, shaking the tents. Great jagged bolts smashed from sky to earth as lightning and thunder walked hand-in-hand down from Firestorm Mountain. Sikes watched from his tent as lightning lit up the night sky. Not a good omen at all, he thought. He felt as if death itself was coming from the mountain. Gathering his blanket around him, he lay down and tried to sleep.
-
Dresdia sat just inside the entrance of the tent where she had been carefully watching the leader out by the fire. She was relieved when he’d finally retired to his tent. She held in her anger, but it was harder to rein in her despair. She hugged her arms to her chest, shivering, and not just from the cold. It was freezing in the tent, and the girls were now huddled even closer together for warmth.
Dresdia had managed to quiet the other girls down and convince them of the importance of helping her carry on her masquerade. She’d stressed repeatedly the importance of no one revealing that she wasn’t really Lynol. The girls hadn’t understood why it was so important, but they had agreed not to say anything.
The rain and ice were coming down hard outside, and the tent was leaking like a sieve. The girls squirmed around trying to find a dry spot to sleep. It was cold and dismal; now on top of everything else it was wet as well. Dresdia wondered if Lynol was responsible for the storm. Perhaps she was trying to slow them down so she could catch up and rescue them before they reached Draydon. Dresdia fervently hoped so.
For a long time, Dresdia sat deep in thought. She knew that by now Lynol would know what had happened. She had all the confidence in the world that Lynol would rescue them. Her father, Kalvin, and Damon would help and between the four of them, with Lynol’s sorcery, she suspected Jalene would soon be in for a big and nasty surprise. Wrapping a blanket around her shoulders, Dresdia lay back on the cold, hard ground trying to get comfortable. Soon she fell into a restless sleep. In her dreams, she saw a demonic dragon standing on the ancient sacrificial altar looking down on a helpless girl chained to the upraised stone platform. The girl was herself!
-
In Galvin, the last of the temple guards and the red robed priest had been gathered. The priest had panicked when he saw Lynol and the glowing amulet she wore. It only took Lynol, Aldin, and her father a short period of time to learn everything the priest knew about the dragon sacrifices. All it had taken was a quick show of Lynol’s powers and the priest had cowered fearfully before her. The apparition of a dragon hovering above his head had loosened his tongue very quickly. He’d pleaded with Lynol to show mercy. He knew full well from watching Jalene just what sorcery and a dragon could do.
“We leave early in the morning,” Lynol said after listening disgustedly to the priest. They’d learned more in the last few hours than they had in all previous years combined since Jalene had taken over Draydon. “It will take the guards with the prisoners at least two full days to reach Draydon on horseback. I don’t think there’s any way we can catch them before they
reach Draydon. They have too big of a head start.”
Lynol had tried to use her sorcery to sense where Dresdia and the temple guards were, but for some reason, she hadn’t been able to. That worried her greatly. She wondered if her own fear was blocking her from finding Dresdia.
“Dresdia will help keep the other girls calm. She knows we’ll be following shortly,” Aldin said, his face creased with worry over his daughter. God only knew what she was being forced to endure at the hands of the men who had taken her.
“Dresdia is a strong girl, Aldin,” spoke Damon, comforting his friend, knowing what was going through Aldin’s mind. He was extremely worried about Dresdia, they all were.
“They won’t harm her,” added Lynol, wishing Dresdia wasn’t in danger. “As long as they think she’s me, they’ll do nothing to her.” Lynol hoped this was true based on what the priest and Par had said.
“Jalene wants a Sylvar for the sacrifice!” Aldin stated angrily. “We must get to Draydon before she summons Gilmreth!”
“We will, Aldin,” replied Damon, putting his hand on his friend’s shoulder. “It’ll take time after they arrive to organize the sacrifice, Jalene will want to organize a spectacle once she thinks she has a captive Sylvar.”
“We will make it in time to rescue her, I promise,” Lynol assured Aldin, wishing she felt as certain as she sounded. They just had to get there in time. If anything happened to Dresdia, she would never forgive herself.
Lynol turned and gazed for a moment at Firestorm Mountain, the weak moonlight from the quarter moon reflecting dimly upon the snow-covered peaks. Earlier a small storm had formed over the passes, but it had recently faded away. She’d used her sorcery to strengthen and guide the storm over the lower passes, hoping to slow down the temple guards who had Dresdia. She also knew that Dresdia would know who had sent the storm. It was the only way she could think of to send her best friend a message.
She thought of the sleeping spell of Malcon’s which was running ominously through her head. Lynol wondered just how all of this would end. What will it take to stop Gilmreth? Lys and Malcon had failed; could she do any better? Now Dresdia’s precious life depended on her prowess with sorcery. Lynol prayed that she was safe. What the priest had told them about Daes, Jalene, and the dragon had been horrifying to say the least.
Daes, Lynol thought. After what she had just heard from the priest and the temple guards, she wondered if this man might not be Adam Grayson after all. If he was, then her trip to Draydon would turn out to be extremely dangerous indeed. Could she really stand up to one of the greatest sorcerers of the Golden Age? Lynol was thankful for all of her training, but she wondered if it was enough.
With a chilling realization, Lynol knew that everything was at last coming together. The prophecy would soon be fulfilled, one way or another. The prophecy at the sacrificial altar was coming true in its entirety. It was all about to be played out in real life. Lynol shivered, feeling the cold fingers of destiny walking across her back. She wondered worriedly just how all this would end.
Chapter Eighteen
Jalene stared contemptuously at the captives from Galvin, her eyes roaming piercingly over the nervous, frightened young women. With inner satisfaction, she looked at the stunning young blond that Sikes had nervously identified as Lynol Sylvar. The young woman stood defiantly, seemingly unafraid under Jalene’s piercing gaze. She had a slight, dark bruise on her face. She’d obviously fought with her captors. Excellent! She didn’t want a spineless girl for the sacrifice, especially if she was a Sylvar! This girl would go before the dragon without the influence of Baelen’s drug or additional inducement from her sorcery. She would truly face the dragon and the ramifications of what it meant to be sacrificed.
“Excellent work, Dalden,” Jalene commented satisfied, turning to face Sikes, who stood nervously behind her. “These girls are exactly what I wanted. Take them upstairs and turn them over to Baelen, and tell the priests to have them cleaned and fed. We want them nice and healthy looking for the ceremony tomorrow night.”
“Yes, Milady,” replied Sikes, feeling relieved that his transgression with the Sylvar woman hadn’t been revealed. He gestured to the attending guards and the young women were led to the stairs.
Jalene watched as the girls were led out and hustled upstairs where they would be placed in individual holding cells. A Sylvar, she thought excitedly; she actually had a Sylvar! This sacrifice would ensure her continued control over Gilmreth. The dragon, under her prodding, would remember his ancient enemy. Gilmreth would recognize what Lynol Sylvar represented. A chance for vengeance, an opportunity to extract retribution for the pain and the long sleep Malcon Sylvar had inflicted upon the dragon. Surely the dragon would recognize what she’d provided and return to following her commands.
“They will make perfect sacrifices,” Adam stated, his voice cold and emotionless. He stood slightly behind Jalene where he’d been waiting quietly. He’d looked at the captives, knowing they would satiate the dragon at the next sacrifice. Once well fed, the dragon would be more susceptible to the Stone of Loraine, especially if it was in the right hands.
Adam still believed Gilmreth could be controlled by the Stone of Loraine, but not by Jalene. She was too weak! She allowed her emotions to control her actions too often. The stone only magnified the power of its possessor, and Jalene was far too weak to wield it properly. In Adam’s hands, the Stone of Loraine would show its true power!
“Yes, they will,” answered Jalene looking at the now empty stairs. “According to Sikes, Gilmreth didn’t attack Galvin at all.”
“I just wonder where Gilmreth went,” said Adam, looking at Jalene with his dark blue eyes. “Where did he feed that night he was supposed to go to Galvin?” Adam was intensely interested in the actions of the dragon.
“Sikes said the village wasn’t harmed at all,” replied Jalene, turning to look at Storn. “He must have fed elsewhere. Sikes reported that Par has almost finished subjugating the populace. They’re sending back freight wagons loaded with food and other supplies, which should arrive in a couple of days. Evidently the area around Galvin is quite productive. Par thinks we should keep the village intact and allow it to produce food for our city.”
“So the dragon didn’t attack Galvin at all,” Adam commented in a level neutral tone, his mind turning to other thoughts and plans. “When Par returns, perhaps we will know more. For now, we have our sacrifices. As for the food idea, if Galvin’s farms are highly suited to grow food, we can make it our main settlement on that side of the mountain.”
“I still wish I knew why Gilmreth wouldn’t attack Galvin. What can the dragon be so afraid of?” Jalene spoke quietly, more to herself than the man she still knew as Storn Daes.
“They found nothing out of the ordinary in Galvin?” Adam asked, still feeling uneasy about Gilmreth not obeying Jalene that night. He felt like he was missing something, but he couldn’t fathom what it was.
“The guards found nothing; no threat. I just don’t understand why Gilmreth didn’t obey,” Jalene answered with a mystified look upon her face. “It has to be a distant memory from the days of Malcon Sylvar. Perhaps the Sylvar girl knows something. I may have to question her in more depth later; this is a mystery I want solved. Gilmreth shouldn’t have disobeyed me!”
Adam’s blue eyes stared contemptuously at Jalene. His face maintained its neutral look, but his thoughts didn’t. He would also like to know why the dragon hadn’t attacked Galvin. Something about this entire episode made Adam feel deeply troubled. Nevertheless, his plans were proceeding. At this moment, there was nothing that could endanger them. This minor problem wouldn’t be allowed to affect what he had envisioned.
“Preparations will be completed by noon tomorrow. Everyone is being ordered to attend the sacrifice,” Adam continued, folding his arms across his chest. “Food is already being prepared. It will be a feast fit for a coronation.” His coronation, he added silently.
Jalene looked at Storn. The
priest stood next to the wall of the large room adorned in his black robe and red cape. She stared at Storn for a moment, wondering if the priest had any idea of just what she had planned for the sacrifice. He had no inkling that his life could be measured now in hours and not in days!
She felt a calmness sweep over her mind as she realized that soon all of her dreams would be realized. After tomorrow night, Gilmreth would be under her control. Daes and Sikes would be disposed of, and the people would be completely obedient to her and only her. Baelen would make an excellent replacement for Storn. He would never dare to challenge her authority. He was weak and fearful of her, and he would be very easy to control. Later on, she would deal with Anton Par with Daes and Sikes out of the way; Par should be relatively simple to dispose of.
“Have all the arrangements been made, will all the people be able to see the sacrifices?” she demanded heatedly, her eyes meeting Storn’s. She wanted to make certain the entire city of Draydon realized the special significance of this sacrifice.
“People will be allowed to observe from the top of the buildings and be packed into the outlying streets and parks,” Adam replied, his eyes meeting Jalene’s and holding her gaze unwaveringly. “Everyone will be able to see and hear the sacrifices. The dignitaries of the city will observe from the high towers as usual.”
“Just see that nothing goes wrong!” Jalene warned, her eyes flashing the threat. “This will be our greatest sacrifice, and I don’t want anything to interfere.” Jalene turned and strode out the door.
Yes, tomorrow night, she thought, everything would fall into place. It would be the beginning of the next phase of her rule. Storn would cease to be a problem. After Lynol Sylvar was sacrificed to Gilmreth, the High Priest would follow. Storn would pay dearly for his growing insolence. A deadly smile spread across Jalene’s face as she visualized the end of Storn and the true beginning of her rule of everything left of humankind.
Gilmreth the Awakening Page 46