by Noëlie Frix
She went back to her room to find the chandelier now shone with light and waited, looking around but finding nothing of relevance. A soft knock at the door pulled her out of her thoughts. It swung open smoothly and revealed a man standing in the doorway. He looked to be in his mid-twenties, with a square face, brown eyes and hair. He was unremarkable, human, Heka realized. Not the person whom she had talked with earlier, this was a butler or servant of some kind, dressed in a plain white shirt and gray pants.
“Good evening, madam,” he said in a soft and rather feminine voice. “I am to show you to the dining room. Would you please come with me, madam?”
“Only if you stop calling me that,” Heka replied.
“What would you prefer, madam?”
“Heka.”
“That is a form of politeness I am not familiar with,” he replied quizzically.
Heka laughed, “It’s my name!”
“Oh, pardon me! But I may not display such familiarity…miss?” he tried.
“Miss is better, but I’d still prefer my name. And for goodness’s sake, smile a little. I’m the prisoner here and I’m a thousand times cheerier than you.”
“I’m a prisoner too and you have no idea what awaits you. I do,” he replied somberly.
“Well then, let’s go meet this frightful fellow, shall we?”
The man couldn’t help his lips from curving upward into a narrow smile at Heka’s easygoing, good-natured conversation. Technically, he was only allowed minimal dialogue with this detainee, but she would not give him a moment’s respite, talking all the way down the long, brightly lit corridors. What surprised the butler most was the topic of conversation. She never asked him about his master, her capture or the place she was at. Instead, she asked about him: his name, his hobbies, his life, whether or not he had a family…all questions which no one else had ever bothered asking him.
“You know, I believe you’re the only person who’s ever shown me some genuine interest…and kindness,” he said when they stood not ten feet away from the dining room. “Thank you, miss.”
“No problem.”
“How can I repay you?”
“Call me by my name!” she said smiling.
“I will. Enjoy your evening, my lady. Sorry! Goodbye, Heka,” he smiled briefly then turned around and left her standing in front of the tall wooden door. Another servant opened it from the inside, and, as she stepped in, he stepped out, closing the door as he did so.
The room was fairly large, with a long oak table in the center, a crystal chandelier hung above it. It was well lit—torches were spaced evenly along the wall and two fireplaces on opposite sides of the table shone with flames, bringing warmth and light to the room. There was another small side door from which she guessed the servants walked through to bring the food. Two sets of plates, utensils and glasses had been set out, facing the two velvet-upholstered chairs sitting at each end of the table. All this, Heka took in with a quick glance. Then her eyes came to rest on the other person in the room, standing from his chair and making his way toward her.
She thought she mustn’t have been too far from the truth when she guessed Spirit because a lot of things about him reminded her of the two she knew. His eyes were a deep, unsettling purple, his face pointed and narrow with thin traits and a haughty, smiling mouth, his high forehead was brushed by straight, dark brown hair which fell below his ears. He was taller than her by at least eight, maybe ten inches, and though lean, strong muscles clearly showed through his crisp gray suit which fit him like a glove. He walked up to her, taking confident, graceful strides, almost as though he were dancing.
“Good evening,” he said, throwing her a dazzling smile of perfect white teeth.
His warm voice, the slight purple aura she detected around his person and his perfection were all reminiscent of Aapol and Myegi. But there was also something distinctly different about him, though what, Heka couldn’t tell.
“You look beautiful!” he exclaimed. “Absolutely gorgeous.”
“Thank you. You are not bad yourself.”
“That dress is perfect for you, did you know?”
“I didn’t. But apparently you did,” Heka retorted.
“Yes. Well, let us not stand here all night,” he offered her his arm which she took and led her to the table where he pulled her chair out and gently, but with no difficulty, pushed it back in. He then went to take a seat himself. “We have much to discuss, but first, I am sure you must be hungry.”
“I am indeed.”
As if on cue, the side door opened and servants filed in with steaming dishes.
“How long have I been out?”
“Only a few hours,” he reassured her.
Warm soups, fishes, different meats, tomatoes, corn, beans, pasta, potatoes and rice were laid on the table, served, then the men and women departed, until only one remained.
“Is there anything else you require, master?” he inquired politely.
“Not at the moment, but bring us dessert when we are finished with this. Make sure we are not disturbed,” he ordered.
“Very well, sir.”
On his way out, he brushed up against Heka and whispered two words, so quietly that, had her hearing been normal, she would not have heard them. Be careful. Yes, she would be. Everyone she had seen feared her host, her captor, the seemingly affable man sitting in front of her, cutting his meat calmly, as though that were the only use he could think of for a knife.
“So Heka, what do you think of your new home?”
“I think this prison is very closed in.”
“Closed in?”
“Isolated,” she nodded.
“What makes you say that?” he asked.
“It’s underground. There are no windows anywhere, the only source of warmth comes from the fires. The smell was another indication, not in the rooms but in the hallways.”
“You truly are something special,” he said with a smile.
“I know,” Heka replied. “So are you, it seems.”
“More so than you can possibly imagine.”
“Since you mention it, would you help me do a little less imagining and a little more knowing?”
“Perhaps. Would you care to tell me what you know first?”
“More than you know about me.”
“I doubt that,” he smirked.
“I don’t,” Heka said simply.
“Well prove it…if you please.”
“You know my skills, my name, the cold hard facts about me.”
“The names of your friends, your family, the wars you’ve fought, the people you’ve killed, your enemies,” the man added.
“But you do not know me. You do not know what I like and dislike, what I feel, what I stand for, my fears and tastes, my personality. So in truth you really do not know me.”
“And you know me?” he said dubious. “When my name remains a mystery to you.”
“I know your kind too well. Power hungry, cruel, bloodthirsty. Egotistic, with a major god complex. Either easily angered or not, that depends. A plan to rule the world, directly or indirectly, to kill lots of innocents to reach your ends. How am I doing so far?” she said sarcastically.
“Not bad,” he smiled. “Not bad at all. The way you said it wasn’t exactly kind, but aside from the tone, you did well. However, you do not know what I am capable of.”
“Well, why don’t you tell me? As well what you are and what your name is?” Warrior asked. “And why in the world I am here?!”
“My name is Chaos, or Seth. I am a Demon. Your guess at Spirit was good as we are closely related. A little like regular Immortals and the Elementals. To the two attributes you weren’t sure about, the answers are that I am not that easily angered, and I want to destroy the world indirectly. Which brings me to your question regarding your presence here.”
“You want my uncle to win the war,” Heka realized. Chaos raised his eyebrows impressed.
“Indeed. Your presence up there endan
gered Marcus’ success. The outcome of the war wasn’t clear, even to me, but with you out of the picture, the other side stands a better chance.”
“And since their goal is the destruction of human civilization that means a chaotic future will ensue in which you will be able to thrive and rule.”
“Very good. It will also give me plenty of slaves to use and torture if I get bored,” he smiled cruelly. “You’re even better than I expected.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” she scowled.
“You should. Do you like the food?”
A little surprised by the question, Heka told him that she did. Despite everything, she had to admit that this situation was thrilling because unlike most she’d been in.
“You are still missing a small piece of information,” Seth declared, though the way he said ‘small’ sounded like he was making a joke.
“Why else am I here, then?”
Before he answered, servants walked in to take away their plates, which Heka realized were empty, then brought desserts. Delicious looking pastries, ice creams, chocolates and candy came to cover the table.
“Three days on a diet like this and I’ll find myself going obese, even with the workout I impose myself,” she chuckled.
“Your metabolism would get rid of it quickly enough,” Chaos countered and Heka grimaced. Even if she acted nonchalantly, she didn’t like his vast knowledge of her. “This is your new home, now.”
“If you think I am going to stick around, you’re wrong.”
“No. I am planning on marrying you,” Chaos declared pompously.
Heka exploded into laughter. Seth started and looked at her, incredulous. This was not the reaction he had been expecting.
“What’s so funny?” he inquired.
“Ah, ha, whoo,” she breathed. “The fact that anyone in his right mind, friend or enemy, would never, ever ask me to marry them. Not unless they had a death wish. I’d be torture!”
“Not to me. You can’t hurt me unless I let you, a bit like with the Spirits,” he explained, taking her statement literally. “Plus, think about it; our union would be the most powerful ever seen. You would be my queen. Our children would be those of War and Chaos. Unbeatable.”
“Children?! If you want War’s children, you need my uncle, not me!” She started laughing again.
“Laugh all you want,” Seth sneered. “You don’t have a choice.”
“You always have a choice. But I really can’t understand anyone willfully asking for my hand.”
Tears were streaming down her face and she was barely containing rising hiccups. Seeing Chaos’s aura flare purple calmed her down though, and she struggled to regain her composure.
“Hrmm, sorry about that.”
“It’s fine,” he said through clenched teeth. “You will marry me and be my own treasured possession forever,” Seth promised. “Think about it, you’ll have everything you want.”
“I don’t want to be married, especially not to you. And you don’t want me,” she spoke the last sentence coldly. Using her powers, she shaped her silver cuffs into a sharp blade which flew toward Chaos’s heart. He didn’t even flinch and flicked it aside with a small wave of his hand. The action had lasted two seconds, no more.
“Nice try,” Seth gritted his teeth. “But that hasn’t changed my mind regarding you. Though I’d rather not have my future bride try to kill me…and fail miserably in her attempts.”
“I’ll just have to try harder next time. I don’t belong to anyone and I’m certainly no one’s possession.”
She saw Chaos’s jaw tighten with contained anger, “You say that, but if your friend Jason was to propose to you, you would marry him!” he exclaimed frustrated.
“No, I wouldn’t. Not yet. And I am more likely to propose than he is,” she smiled slightly but, seeing his hands tighten into fists, decided to change tactics. Sometimes a forward assault wasn’t the best solution, she reasoned. “Maybe we can make a deal?” she proposed.
“Go on.”
“You won’t set me free and I won’t marry you. That’s the predicament we find ourselves facing, right?”
“Apparently,” he took an apple and bit harshly into it.
“We could have a fair fight of sorts. Over the course of three days and using all means necessary, except locking me up…and torture,” she added, remembering her recent encounter with Death. “I’ll try to find a way out, and if I do, I win, which means you let me go and don’t join the struggle that’s brewing above. You try to convince me to stay, seduce me if you will, and if you manage it, then I’m yours…for all eternity,” she grimaced. “And of course, we can also have fights of strength…I’d gladly do that with you.”
“You would rather fight me than marry me?!” Now it was Seth’s turn to laugh. “I accept your challenge. If you find your way out, I’ll let you go. But no one has ever resisted me before.”
“There’s a first for everything, right?”
“Obviously,” Chaos groaned, as no one had ever dared challenge him before.
“Not that I don’t trust you,” Heka started, “but I’d rather have something a bit more substantial and binding than just your word.”
“You don’t think I’m an honest man?” He noticed the look on her face. “Very well,” he opened his right hand and a small, strange purplish knife with intricate carvings along its hilt and blade appeared. Seth took the knife to his left palm and carved a symbol into it—a simple spiral with a sharp S running down the middle. “Of course, for this to be binding, it has to be two sided.”
Crap, she thought. He had tricked her into making her side of the argument binding as well.
“Fine,” she groaned, realizing he would never let her go otherwise. He walked over to her, took Heka’s right hand and gently carved the same symbol with the sharp knife. Seth brought his palm to hers, mixing their blood—Warrior felt a brief burning sensation where the knife had touched her—it passed as soon as Chaos left her side to sit back down.
“Satisfied?”
“Not really,” she replied truthfully. Seth just grinned. “So how many of your kind are there?” Warrior asked curious, afraid for the answer.
“Only a dozen or so.” He noticed the relief painted on her face, “You needn’t worry about us. I am one of the worst three, and we generally don’t like to mess with the world. We create our own homes, like I did here.”
“Good to know. I must admit your home is nicer than most evil lairs I’ve visited,” she joked.
Chaos chuckled softly and smiled. He was truly dazzling, too beautiful. And when he wasn’t exposing his sickening and insane personality, Seth was probably the most affable host ever…but it was all a very convincing facade, an act to hide his true nature. They talked for a while longer, until Heka started yawning.
“I’ll show you back to your room. Which will stay open, as per our agreement.”
“Thank you. And thanks also for a wonderful dinner,” she said with fake politeness.
“No problem.” He stood up gracefully and gallantly offered her his arm once more. She took it graciously and he led her down the hall. Seth made Heka laugh. He knew what to say and do, evidently experienced in the art of seduction.
“Good night, dear,” he kissed her hand lightly and turned away, leaving her standing in front of her previous cell.
After washing her face with warm water and slipping on a soft satin nightgown, she walked back toward her bed and looked at the cut in her hand—as opposed to all other wounds, this one was not healing quickly, still blood red, though not painful. As she sat, realization hit her.
Sembor! she called. No answer. SEMBOR! she thought loudly.
Heka? Sembor’s surprised voice sounded very faint, but she had definitely heard it.
Can you come?
No. I can barely hear you. Where are you? What happened?
It’s so embarrassing, Heka exclaimed frustrated.
You got captured again, didn’t you?
Yes! By a Demon. We keep finding new creatures on this adventure; I’m getting a little sick of it.
No, you’re not. You think it’s exciting, Sembor countered, knowing his soulmate very well.
Okay, she admitted, but I am sick of getting captured. Just tell the others I’m alright and I’ll be back soon…hopefully.
I’ll let them know. And I’ll tell them they should keep training, I suppose.
Thank you. Their connection had gotten stronger so Heka communicated with him for another couple of minutes, inquiring as to how he was doing and informing him the only clue to her location was that it was underground.
A while later, Warrior lied down with the strange feeling she wouldn’t sleep for very long.
Chapter 26: Sleepless Night
Heka woke up as the pressure in the bed changed. She felt a warm hand slip beneath her nightgown and rest on her stomach.
“What the hell?!” she shrieked and jumped back, feeling Chaos’ hand leave her skin. She hadn’t heard or felt him until he lied down next to her. A shirtless Seth smiled lustfully at her.
“‘All means necessary’,” he whispered, edging closer to her.
“Are you insane?” She rolled onto him, pinning down his arms. A gleeful look crossed his face as he rolled with her and it was his turn to hold her down. His powerful thighs straddled her waist, exerting painful pressure and effectively immobilizing her, his hands dug deeply into her shoulders. Chaos was much heavier than she was, and Heka had trouble bringing oxygen into her lungs. Her shoulders hurt from the sheer weight and pressure Seth forced upon them.