My father was a ruthless man. He wouldn’t change his mind. No amount of coercion would be enough. Vraul knew this and stood ready, his body tensed for the first strike.
“Do it,” he roared as the first crack exploded into the air seconds before meeting the toned musculature of his back.
Blood appeared in a thin line as his skin reddened and a welt rose to the surface. Vraul never cried out.
How could I inflict such pain on another? My heart was broken and accompanied by anger and frustration, sickened by my own choices, but disgusted by my father’s vicious temper and vile rule.
“Again,” my father roared, and I lifted the whip.
The cracks of the leather hitting flesh, the blood spattering, and my loud sobbing filled my mind until I felt almost numb. Sinking to my knees, I couldn’t inflict one more lash.
Crying so hard my teeth rattled and my body shook, I dropped the whip to weep into my hands. “I can’t. No more,” I begged, “please no more.”
Vraul grunted as the droplets of blood continued to trickle down his back and onto the rock-strewn floor. His cheeks were pale as a light sheen of sweat covered his naked torso.
“Twelve lashes remain. They must be given to complete the sentencing.”
Vraul grumbled under his breath but was unable to fight. He sounded like he was choking as he tried to speak. It was too much.
Resigned, I faced my father. “I will take the final lashes,” I whispered, yanking off my top and tossing it aside. Lashed to one of the other crosses in the room, I held my head high as I felt a cool whoosh of wind seconds before my back erupted in fiery pain.
I screamed.
Every nerve on my back felt scorched and burned, twisted and ripped apart.
“Ari!” Vraul’s gruff voice yelled my name but I couldn’t respond.
The lashes fell in quick succession as I screamed until my voice was hoarse. Thick drips of blood slid down my skin and ran into the raw flesh as my forehead met the wooden beam. Every single breath I inhaled or exhaled was agony.
My eyes closed as a wave of pain so intense and horrific it stabbed my body in a dozen places all at once. I knew I wouldn’t awaken for a long time.
“Vraul,” I managed to whisper, knowing his pain was a hundred times my own, “I’m sorry.”
6
Evan
Ari was here. I felt her presence. The light perfume she wore combined with her natural scent and it filled every crevice of my room. She didn’t appear, but I knew she was with me. I can’t explain how her warmth and energy connected since it didn’t make sense, but I knew what I felt was somehow real.
Stifled by the empty room, I left and began pacing the length of my balcony. Sunset wasn’t far away. Ari only visited me in the passing hours between dusk and dawn. I never saw her in the light of day. If I believed in supernatural beings or paranormal monsters, I might have wondered if she was a vampire or some other dark creature.
Ari held a powerful allure and seemed at home in the shadows. I was fascinated by her energy and enthusiasm for life. Her smile could brighten my entire day and often chased the melancholy away. She was the one thing that got me through the long tiring days of heavy labor and fatigue. When she wasn’t with me, I longed for her return.
There were only three things in this world I truly cared about. My mother was the first. Ari had become a close second. The third was my bike.
As darkness fell and Ari didn’t arrive, I became restless. The only cure was an hour on my motorcycle and the open road. Once I was assured my mother was comfortable and had everything she’d require, I let her know I’d be gone for a few hours and to call me if she needed anything.
My father used to feel restless like this and insist on going for a ride. He often claimed the fresh air, the thrum of the motorcycle’s engine, and the peace of escape were his only coping mechanisms. I never understood what he meant. As a child, comprehending the stress of adults is nearly impossible so it didn’t make sense that my dad would need to escape me and my mom.
His foul temper and short fuse didn’t help my desire to connect with him.
Now that I was an adult, I understood the need to find your own space. Maybe I was more like my father than I cared to admit. I’d never be the drunken angry man he was, but my need for escape, speed, and wide-open spaces were as vicious as his own.
The only thing he ever gave me of value was this motorcycle. I still don’t know why he left it. My mother has told me numerous times that he wanted me to have it, but that Harley had been his only happiness. When he left, I couldn’t go into the garage for years. It was ironic he could love an object so greatly but couldn’t find a way to love or connect to his own flesh and blood.
Stars appeared overhead as I revved the engine and zoomed out of my garage, zipping along the highways until the rush hour had long ago dissipated. Keeping the beach on my left, I climbed higher into the hills and tilted into each turn as I luxuriated in the wind and freedom. Hours later, I returned home, parked the bike, and headed inside. The ride helped but it never completely chased the ghosts of the past away.
I dropped my helmet and gloves on the couch and headed upstairs to check on my mother. As the door opened, I realized the light was on and rushed into the room.
“You’re still awake?” I asked with concern. “Are you feeling alright?”
“Yes, Ev,” she assured me, using my nickname, “I had trouble sleeping.”
“Can I get you anything?”
“No, I’m fine, but I’d like to talk for a bit.” She patted the mattress and I sank down next to her, picking up a glass of water as I held it to her chapped lips.
She dutifully took a sip before I placed it back on the bedside table. The chemo left her weak and the medications didn’t help with her dehydration. It was a constant battle to keep her body balanced.
“What’s on your mind?”
“I heard voices the other day coming from your room,” she began softly, “and sometimes I hear a feminine laugh.” She placed her hand over my own as our eyes met. “Are you dating?”
I gulped loudly, unsure of how to answer. There was no definition for what me and Ari were and so I didn’t know how to classify our relationship. “Her name is Ari.”
My mother leaned back and smiled. “You like her . . . a lot.”
“Mom,” I sighed, “stop.”
“You do,” she teased. “What’s she like?”
“Pretty, smart, funny, and when she’s with me . . .” I paused for a moment, “it’s like the whole world ceases to exist. It’s just the two of us.” Blushing, I cleared my throat. “She’s the most fascinating person I’ve ever met.”
“Oh, Evan,” she breathed, “I’m so happy for you. I worried you were too lonely.”
Deciding not to answer that, I smiled. “Ari makes me happy, mom.”
“Good. You need to experience life, not worry about caring for your sick mother.”
“It’s not like that and you know it,” I blurted, instantly upset. I hated it when she talked like that. “You raised me. I think I can look after you until you’re better.”
“Evan,” she answered with a sad smile, “you need to understand I may not make it.”
“I refuse to believe that.”
She sighed. “I know and it worries me. Either way, I won’t live forever. You have to accept that life is unpredictable.”
I wasn’t delusional. This was about believing she could beat cancer, not a philosophical discussion. “I never said I thought you would live forever. You just have to accept that I believe you’ll fight this and recover.”
Touched, her eyes filled with tears. “That’s why I love you so much.” She cleared her throat and something in her eyes made me feel wary. “I consulted an attorney and updated my will.”
Shoulders drooping, I opened my mouth to speak but nothing came out.
“There’s something that belongs to your father.”
Not my bike. No way. “I’
m not giving up my motorcycle. He left it to me. It’s a gift. I don’t have to give it back.”
“I agree,” she soothed, “But this is something else.”
“What?” I asked, full of attitude. Any mention of him made me instantly angry. “He doesn’t deserve anything. He’s the one who left.”
“We’re still technically married,” she pointed out.
I knew that. It didn’t make sense, but I guess my father wouldn’t agree to the divorce, probably because my mother was a nurse for years and made good money. His greed was astounding.
“You know where he is,” I accused.
“Yes.”
“Why? Can’t you find a way to cut all ties with him?”
“It’s not that simple. Ev, he has property that belongs to him here. It’s all outlined in the will. I want you taken care of when I’m gone and free to do as you please. The house is yours, but he will come for his things.”
This discussion was stupid. “I don’t care what belongs to him.”
She reached for my hand again and held it. “You have to let your anger and bitterness go, son. Let the past be the past and move on. You won’t find happiness until you do.”
I snorted. “Like he’s ever cared about either of us.”
“I love you, Evan. Someday you’ll understand. When your heart is no longer your own, when you love someone enough to forgive all their mistakes, you’ll realize I’m right.”
If I was honest, I think I already knew.
7
Ari
Moaning, my eyes opened. Sudden pain erupted along my spine the moment I dared to move a single muscle. I was lying on my stomach, my arms close but not touching. Something cool pressed against my skin as I hissed at the combination of agony and relief.
“I’m sorry, Ari, but this helps.”
Vraul’s voice was so low I had to strain to hear it.
“It was all my doing,” I answered, tears filling my eyes. “Are you in pain too?”
“No,” he gulped, “my healing abilities kicked in soon after I returned to my chambers.”
Confused, I couldn’t figure out why I was still in so much pain. “Why am I not healed?”
Vraul lowered his head so we were eye level. “Your father ordered all of your abilities stripped away. You must heal on your own.”
“What?” I asked, horrified. “How could he do that?”
“Easily, Ari.” Vraul lifted a hand to my cheek. “You’re being punished.”
“I understand that,” I replied bitterly, “but this is too much.”
“He doesn’t think so. You’re going to the surface, meeting humans, and risking exposure of our entire existence.” Vraul moved his hand and sighed. “You don’t seem to understand the cost.”
The cost? Was he talking about his punishment? “I’m sorry you were punished for my choices. That wasn’t fair.”
“I wasn’t talking about me.”
Frowning, I attempted to move and nearly screamed with the pain. Out of breath, I hissed my words through a clenched jaw. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“The Dresh, Ari. You think it’s going to go well for you when they find out you visit the surface so frequently?” I opened my mouth to argue but he continued. “Daemons lurk in the shadows. We live a life of deception. Humans are the enemy. When are you going to accept that?”
Sighing with disappointment, I wondered how I never noticed Vraul’s opinion on this subject before now. “I’ve never felt that way. The surface world has always called to me.”
“I know,” he answered with a low growl, “and now you’re injured, stripped of your ability to heal, and forced to learn the consequences of your actions the hard way.” His voice sounded bitter. “I wish you would try to understand how things are. I don’t wish to see you suffer.”
“And I wish you would see I don’t mean to start trouble,” I argued, “I just want to be happy, Vraul.”
“Happiness isn’t as important as security,” he argued. “Do you wish to be destroyed by the Dresh?”
“No,” I choked, tears filling my eyes and trickling down my cheeks. “My freedom has been taken away. How would you feel if you lost everything you cared about?”
He flinched, his body language proof that Vraul knew what I meant. “I do not have the freedom of pursuing what I want. My duty is to the High Court, your father, and to you.”
“What if you could be free? What if you were able to go wherever you want? Fall in love? Visit the surface world?”
His reply was clipped, frustration evident. “Only legion visit the surface world. That’s the way it’s always been. The rest of us belong underground among our own kind.”
“You don’t really believe that.”
“Does it matter? In the end, I must obey. I am the Daemon of Masochism. My path is clear.”
Vraul’s words didn’t match his tone or the intensity deep in his dark eyes. The amber flames I was so used to seeing were dull and barely flickered. He was upset, and nothing I said today would matter or change the current situation.
Hell wasn’t a place of torment for lost or corrupted souls alone, daemons also endured our own form of torture. The High Court ruled with an iron fist and the threat of the Dresh was constantly present. As much as I cared for Vraul, I realized I was truly on my own. My overseer, brothers, and father would never listen or change their minds.
I had to think of a way to break free . . . and leave forever.
“You’re sad,” Vraul observed as I lay on my bed, staring up at the ceiling and completely apathetic to anything he said.
Over the last few weeks I’d spoken little. My anger and frustration had reached its peak, but the worst was missing Evan. The lack of connection was brutal. I’d been completely cut off from him since that day we were both lashed and although my body was healing my resolve had only strengthened.
“I highly dislike it when you ignore me,” he growled.
I still didn’t say anything. It wasn’t worth my effort.
“Ari,” he begged, his tone softening, “don’t cut me off.”
“Vraul, I don’t have anything to say.”
“Listen, I have an idea. It’s risky though, so I don’t think I should tell you.”
Sitting straight up, I leveled him with my stare. “Out with it.”
“I know how you can get your daemon powers back.”
“Don’t take all day here,” I joked. The suspense was nearly killing me.
“There’s a witch. She’s powerful but there’s a catch.”
He was far too hesitant. “Well?”
“She’s Dresh.”
My jaw dropped slightly. “How do you know a Dresh witch?”
Vraul leaned back against the wall, folding his arms across his chest. “I know a lot more than the High Court or anyone else thinks. The witch’s name is Ursal. She visits the Court often. In fact, she’s here for several days.”
“Do you think she would help me?”
“I don’t know, but its worth seeking an audience. Your father won’t return your powers anytime soon and I hate to see you so forlorn.” Vraul pushed away from the wall and approached me, his hand resting on my shoulder. “You need to be sure you want to do this. If we’re caught, we could both be executed.”
“I’m sure, but Vraul, why would you risk another lashing or worse?” His sacrifice didn’t make sense. Vraul could tell my father or ask to be reassigned. Why did he continue as my overseer?
“You’re my best friend,” he answered immediately, hugging me close against his side. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you.”
If I was less excited, I may have asked for more clarification. Instead, I hugged him back before he left the room with a conspiratorial wink.
A day later I stood in the Dresh witch’s private chambers. Ursal swept into the room fifteen minutes later, her long dark tresses flowing to her waist as she spun and sauntered forward with a swish of her generous hips.
�
�Ari, is that correct?”
I nodded, briefly bowing as a sign of respect. The Dresh were rumored to be particular about manners and I was desperate to make a good impression. “Yes.”
She laughed lightly, placing one hand on her hip. “I hear you seek to regain your lost favor.”
“Yes,” I repeated, “I need my shield ability back.”
“Only your shield?” She was shrewd and calculating. Saying yes would increase the cost of her services.
“Yes, of course I’d like all my powers back.”
“Good. May I ask why you need them if you are confined to the Underworld?”
Here was where it got tricky. I didn’t want to confess my relationship with Evan. “I miss the surface. I long to return.”
“For the surface or your human lover?”
How did she know about Evan? I blushed. “I miss him.”
A devious smile curved her lips. “I can help you, but the cost is high.”
She knew I was curious. Why not tell me instead of playing this game? “Please tell me.”
“You will have to remain a shadow. Your essence will remain between two worlds, neither spirit nor flesh.”
“Will I be able to leave the Underworld and see Evan?”
“Oh yes,” she answered happily, a small chuckle escaped her violet-tinged lips.
“And I’ll be able to speak to him?”
“Of course!”
“I’ll do it,” I replied without hesitation. “When can we begin?”
“Now,” Ursal replied as she approached a table laden with potions, draughts, various ingredients, and colorful items that twinkled in the firelight.
Several minutes ticked by as she mixed different items together, exclaiming with joy when she was done. “It’s all finished!” A triumphant look crossed her face. “Take this back to your room. Drink once you’re ready to leave. Remember, once you do so this is irreversible.”
“I understand. Thank you, great Ursal,” I gushed, rushing from her chamber and nearly knocking into Vraul as he stood guard.
Kingdom of Salt and Sirens Page 63