* * *
My face was burning as I awoke on a hard surface. My senses seemed to crash back into me all at once, and a whimper escaped my lips, sounding unreal in the deafening silence. My vision was clouded black; the black quickly dissolved into tiny dark specks. Thick, long shapes came into focus, and I almost cursed as I realised they were the metal bars of the disturbing cage I had seen earlier. I knew I’d been unconscious for hours, estimating that it was well after dawn. There were no windows in the dreaded basement to confirm this, but my body felt drained and weak, and not only because of the after effects of the foul poison. My power had buried itself so deeply, I could not reach it. I was fragile, helpless, and going to suffer. Rightfully, I should have been sleeping, dreaming of moonlit lakes and erotic encounters with attractive males, as when the sun rose, I became almost like a mortal. But now I’d been caught on a simple job by a creature that wasn’t supposed to be up and walking around. That was something I’d have to ponder.
I sat up and touched my face, feeling my damaged cheek. Bloodied slices were now an addition to my already scarred face.
“Sunshine is finally awake,” said a male voice with an English accent.
My head snapped up and my eyes locked onto the figure sitting comfortably in front of the cage. The gargoyle was perfectly still and looked like an eerie statue. It was a magnificent being and looked far more impressive and dangerous than the pictures I’d seen in the past.
I realised the voice hadn’t come from the beast, but from someone behind it. I raised myself, using the bars for leverage, and peered over the bulk of stone. I clutched my side as blood started to pour out of the wound I’d forgotten I had. Boy, this was just a super day.
There were four of them, all standing and staring directly at me. I was the centre of attention, something I utterly despised.
“Oh, she doesn’t look so good,” the voice said, this time with obvious amusement.
I looked to the owner of the voice and eyed him with hatred. He grinned back at me, which made me growl pathetically. He was of medium height, with scruffy brown hair that fell about his eyes. He stood with his arms crossed and legs apart, showing off confidence—and an ego. His beauty was obvious: boyish features with what looked like a well-defined body under his tight white t-shirt and blue jeans. His eyes held a glint of promise and passion. When I looked at him I could instantly tell what he was. I almost choked back vomit at the thought. His kind had that effect on me.
Incubi and succubae roamed this world in great numbers, but they weren’t much of an issue to my kind. They posed little threat and were considered pests, like cockroaches. Something to squash under your foot. Their only weapon was seduction, and only humans—weaklings to such things—fell victim to that.
I swallowed, my head starting to throb. “How did you know?” I asked.
The incubus looked to one of the others. This one was tall, standing with his hands clasped. He answered instead.
“Let us just say we got one step ahead,” he replied, his Irish accent filled with fake charm.
He was pale, his black hair tied back. He wore a blood red shirt with black trousers, making him dark and handsome. He held dominance in the room, and he intentionally let his power trickle out into the air, for my benefit, obviously. I also knew what creature this one was. There was one tell-tale sign: he wasn’t breathing.
Vampires were an interesting species and more of a worthy foe than most, especially the old ones. The youngsters were unstable at best; most of them succumbed to their hunger and turned feral, needing to be put down. The few that controlled themselves became powerful elders of their species, such as this one standing in front of me.
“It is about time,” I replied, forcing a smile, which soon faded at the thought of my failure. My eyes then fell upon the creature in front of me. “Though you had aid, of course.”
“We did what we had to do,” said the only female in the group, her accent unfamiliar. She was of medium height, with long red hair and a body so unlike my own. She bore the appropriate feminine curves, the dress she wore arching out in multiple places to accommodate them. If it weren’t for the pendant that hung from her neck, I wouldn’t have been so sure of what she was. But, of course, the pentagram made it quite obvious. Witches were humans who embraced the ways of earthly magic. Magic in this world was nothing compared to ours, and was often exaggerated, but it was still dangerous in the right hands.
“Indeed, we had no choice,” the vampire gritted out. “Your people are...relentless, to say the least.”
There was silence, then, during which I mulled over the situation. My backpack lay across the room, on the floor, little white stones surrounding it. I raised a brow, realising this was the red-head’s doing. I could connect to one of the devices in the pack without being near it, but couldn’t now because of the barrier around it. It was an amateur version of the barrier outside.
I lifted my chin a notch, looking over my captors. The only one who hadn’t spoken stood in the shadows underneath the stairs. I couldn’t see him clearly, but he was tall, and I couldn’t sense anything off him.
“Killing me,” I said carefully, “won’t even put a dent in our populace.”
It was true enough, ever since the decision was made to procreate in this world. Our race had to survive, of course, and our offspring grew quickly, followed by a prolonged adulthood. The elders did their utmost best to keep our young untainted by humanity, but they would never know the wonders of our home world, only the destruction of this one. That is why we had to save it.
Suddenly, the gargoyle in front of me began to shimmer. I blinked, unsure of what was happening. The once statue-like beast was now morphing, its shape contorting, becoming tall and thin. The wings shrunk and folded away; stone coloured skin turned to a healthy olive; the horns atop the gargoyle’s head melted down, becoming short, fluffy hair.
I gaped, now realising what was happening. The incubus snickered as he watched my reaction, but I didn’t look at him. My eyes were glued to the creature. Wet, cracking, and slurping noises emanated from it. My whole body went numb as its back straightened and it took the shape of a human. The man was thin and very tall, with short brown hair. A pair of big, thick-rimmed glasses appeared upon his slightly pointed nose. He wore a grey suit and black shoes; I had no clue if they were the expensive sort or not. He looked at me with shimmering grey eyes and bowed his head in a polite nod to me. I narrowed my eyes in return.
“Apologies, miss, for the—” He gestured to my face. “Could not be helped.” He smiled, then, showing little pointed teeth.
I opened my mouth to respond, but I could form no words. What could I say? Torture and death awaited me unless I escaped, which was impossible at the moment.
“Let me introduce myself,” the gargoyle continued in his polite manner. “I am Bob.”
This group had to be utterly insane. Actually, I believed all beings that lived on earth were. My race had come to save them from their own foolish ways despite these “supernatural” creatures having banded together to stop us.
“And over there is young Harrison, Liam, Ivy, and Samuel, who is standing at the back.”
I looked at them in turn once again. The one named Samuel had yet to show himself. I wondered if he was simply a human or another witch. Was he frightened?
“And who might you be, miss?” asked Bob...the gargoyle.
I took a silent breath before answering. “You think I would tell you that?”
The well-mannered smile never left his thin lips. “No, I suppose not.” He took a loud, deep breath before glancing at his friends. “Harrison, be a good lad and get me a chair.”
The incubus nodded and turned, heading for the stairs. Stairs I’d failed to reach hours before. I closed my eyes briefly and scolded myself. It was time to forget the failure and think of a way out of this mess. Delan would have told of my silence by now, but whether rescuers would be sent was unknown. I highly doubted it.
&nbs
p; Moments later a black chair was unfolded before me and the incubus returned to stand with the others. Bob gracefully sat down, lifting one leg to rest on the other. “We have many things to talk about,” he said to me.
My hands fisted at my sides. “I will not tell you anything.”
Bob shook his head, his features changing as he turned serious. “I have no intentions of trying to make you talk, my dear. In fact, I am simply going to talk to you.”
I took a few steps back until I was against the wall of the cage. This was not the torture I had expected, but here it was all the same.
“About ten years ago, a King announced to his people that their world would soon be destroyed by forces unknown. But all was not lost, he told them, as he had found a way to another world. And so, the people descended upon this other world in hopes of finding a new home. What they found, instead, was a selfish race destroying it. That is familiar to you, yes?”
It was not only familiar, but it was my life. I merely stared at the storyteller.
He turned his head slightly and nodded. This was obviously a signal for the others to leave, as they started to head for the stairs. I finally caught sight of the one that had hidden in the shadows. He was tall and quite muscular, with tattoos covering his arms. His black hair was short and his skin pale against his black clothes. He was unlike anything I’d ever seen. His dark beauty astounded me. He glanced at me and I had to look away. I don’t know why I showed submission to him, but it ticked me off.
Once they were gone, Bob continued. “Ah, but let me tell you another version, shall I? The King was a greedy man and discovered a new world through means of dangerous magic. Consumed by the lust for power, he tricked his people into thinking their world would soon be destroyed. So he came here, hoping to rule and enslave humanity, while his own world is safe and sound.”
I bit my tongue to keep from screaming at him. His words were poison, lies meant to trick me. They cut into my skin like so many tiny blades. Blood filled my mouth and I swallowed, suddenly feeling exhausted. My wounds wouldn’t heal until nightfall, and my energy wouldn’t return until then as well. I slid down the wall until my rear rested on the floor. This was going to be a long day.
Bob leaned closer in his chair. “The creatures here are only protecting their home, my dear. What your King has started is a war. It has got to the point where my kin are being awoken from their slumber. When will it end?”
“It would not have started if humanity had valued what they had,” I said. “And what they had was a beautiful home, which is crumbling because of their actions.”
“It would have started anyway. Your King does not share, I am told. As for the destruction, yes, you are right. But let them get on with it. They have free will, after all. And they are the most intellectual beings. You have surely seen their technology.”
Anger burned through me. “They rip down nature and hunt species into extinction. They only care for money. They make things that destroy their atmosphere—”
“Yes, blah, blah,” Bob said, cutting me off. “They are guilty of that. That does not mean they should all be killed or enslaved. Let them live their lives as they see fit.” He adjusted his glasses atop his nose and I wondered if he actually needed them. “And your home is not destroyed.”
“You lie!” I spat as vehemently as I could.
He tilted his head and sighed. “I knew it would go this way.” He stood and slid a bony hand into his jacket, withdrawing what looked like a tattered book. He stared at it for some time, then looked at me. “I am the keeper of this book, and I have had it for centuries. I give it to you, now.” He stepped up to the cage bars and bent to place the book in front of me on the floor. I didn’t move; it seemed like too much of an effort. My eyes just rested upon the mysterious reading material.
“In your own time,” he said as if understanding my needs completely. He then turned and left the basement. I was alone at last, but instead of searching for a way out, my eyes drifted closed and I fell into an unwanted deep sleep.
I didn’t know what would happen to me. Would I die? Bob certainly wouldn’t let me go, that was for sure. I could only brace myself for what was to come.
Lies and Deceit (Book 1) Page 3