Creature watched as Bruno walked towards the door, “Leave the door open as I am sure the Fay would like to have some fresh air, and do be sure to tell Victoria to bring the pris…, uh Fay some food and fresh water, as I am sure they are hungry. You can bring the bedding and wash supplies, but Bruno, make sure she carries them in, I want your hands free at all times.”
Now that Bruno had left, Creature turned back to the Fay. “See, I can be gracious, and to show you just how gracious I can be, I will even arrange to have fresh clothing brought down for all of you.” Folding his hands together in front of him, Creature smiled showing a better view of his slightly elongated two front fangs. “How would that sound?” No one spoke, but some nodded their heads. “Good, good. Then it shall be arranged.”
Starting to turn and walk away, Creature turned and stopped. “I will even have the cell room cleaned…of course you will have to clean the inside of your own cell, precautions you know, but I’m sure it would not be much of a sacrifice for you. Now, if you would excuse me, I have some things to attend to so I must be going. Do enjoy your meal though.” Then without a look back, Creature found his way to the door.
No one dared say anything with the door open. Percy sat back on his cot trying to understand the evil man’s ways. Nay, not man, if he had been a man once, no part of that had been left in him any longer. Now he was just a vile creature that fit his namesake. Now he was just a vile bloodsucking sadistic walking dead vampire, and the Fay were nothing more than his livestock. They were nothing more than animals waiting to be slaughtered.
Chapter Ten
An hour later, Victoria came down to the room with the items requested by Creature. Bruno had been down just thirty minutes before to clean the table that had earlier held Theron’s decaying body. After all of the items, including sweats, briefs and T-shirts along with socks had been handed out to each Fay, Victoria brought around bowls of hot stew. Percy took his from Victoria but not once when he did had she met his eyes.
Percy looked down at the stew in the bowl and was sure it was the same stew from earlier in the week. He sighed to himself, “Some things do not change.”
Instead of leaving the room as she had always done, she sat in a chair next to the freshly scrubbed table. Percy watched her as he ate his stew, there really wasn’t much worry of Bruno catching him, as Bruno as always was too busy ogling Victoria.
Percy let his spoon rest in the bowl. “Victoria, her name is Victoria!” he thought to himself with a dawning realization.
Victoria sat with her head down, making sure not to make eye contact with Percy. “Oh how it was hard not to.” she thought. She wanted to look at him so badly; she had not dared to look at him even once for fear that her uncle would harm him. Three more Fay had died, and she surely felt that it was her fault for summoning them to this place; all because of…she took the amulet from under her shirt, yanking the chain gently to reveal it. As she held it in her hand looking at it, she could feel several eyes on her. She lifted her head slightly and looked from the corner of her eye, first one way and then the other. All eyes were on her, no she realized, not on her but on the amulet itself.
Later that night when the door had shut and locked to the large room, the Fay began to freely talk again, but quietly.
“Did you see the medallion?” said one
“Could it be?” said another
Percy spoke up then, “It is the Fae Medallion, I have dreamed of her wearing it. It was the very same night that I came to this place; I think it may have something to do with why we are all here.”
“As we all did.” said Magnus, “Except none of us were able to see the medallion itself, that is until you Percy. How is it that you have been here, and even after I recited the story of it, not once did you mention seeing it?”
“I guess I had not thought much about it before. My mother and father would tell me what stories they knew of the Fay that had been passed down to them. My father keeps drawings in the Great Library of Knowledge that he would show me of treasures that had once belonged to the Fay and was connected to the legends of old. One was of a medallion, but no one really knew the story of how it had been lost or what had ever happened to it. Much of the knowledge had been lost through the years, which is until you filled in the details for me.”
“Aye, I cannot believe I did not see this before. The line you descend from Percy, what is it?”
“My sire name is Lion Gate, but you are already aware of that, you yourself recognized who I was when I came here, the Prince of the Fay lands.”
“Nay, your name boy, the line you descend from, what is it?”
Percy looked at Magnus with a questioning look. “Archer, I descend from the house of Archer.”
Gasps rang out all around him, and all eyes were on him.
“The Archer, you are the one. The prophecies ring true. The Seer and guardian have returned!”
Percy shook his head in disbelief, “Nay, long have I believed the prophecies but to say that I am the one? How could you think that I was?”
“You are the one that the prophecy foretells; you Percy Prince of the Fay lands are the guardian of the Seer, the guardian of the Lady, Victoria. It must be true, for you descend from the house of Archer, the golden Fay warrior, the mate to the Seer that possesses the Fae Medallion.” said Magnus
“Are you saying that Victoria is the Seer from our legends? And you think that I am this legendary golden warrior?”
“Nay, I do not think Percy, I know that you are. I had my suspicions before, seeing the Lady Victoria with the medallion, and now you who bare the blood of the house of Archer; I have no doubt of whom you both are. You are both our salvation and freedom from this place. The days of earth magic will soon return!”
“I have no special powers of which you speak of Magnus; none of the Fay has possessed such a power in ages. I am only a few that possess a long lost line that which our legends are associated with…and who happens to be imprisoned the same as you.”
Magnus laughed, “Nay, not yet do you have your power and magic, but when you and the Lady Victoria make your true connection, the Seer and the guardian will be once more.”
Percy was the one to laugh this time. “And how do you see me and the Lady Victoria making this connection? Bruno and Creature would rip off my hand or worse, having me stretched out laying a top that very same table as Theron was. Can you imagine the consequences for such an action? Nay, we cannot afford to lose one more Fay.”
“Did you not touch the hand of the Lady Victoria just a few days back?”
“Aye, I did. It was just a reaction to her beauty, I am sure it was the same need I felt in the dream, and when I had been willed here.”
“Nay, there is no will that has been pulling us since we have been here, just the sense of freedom in her presence. As for you my Prince, the pull you feel towards the Lady Victoria is the pull of a mate.”
“You keep referring to her as if she belonged to me, and now you call the Lady my mate.”
“Aye, she is your mate, and you Percy are hers. The prophecy destines that you both be together as one.”
The other Fay still stood staring at Percy; their look of sorrow had been replaced by hope. Percy gazed at them wondering what it was that they saw in him that he did not. The entire Fay were looking at him as if at any moment his flesh would turn gold, and in his place would stand a legendary golden Fay warrior. The guardian of the Lady Victoria, who tended to them.
Could she be the Seer? She did after all possess the medallion, and she had brought peace to them, but she had also willed them here. But why? Nay, he could not allow himself to believe what Magnus was saying. His parents did have the drawings in the Great Library of Knowledge of the Seer’s objects that they had possessed, and Victoria’s medallion was most definitely among those objects that he had seen. So then was it possible, could the legends really be coming true? Was it possible that he could also be the legendary guardian warrior that the Fay speaks of?
That would mean that Victoria was his true mate, his mate. Was that why he felt so drawn to her? Aye, he knew that he wanted her, he wanted to protect her…he wanted to make her his.
“Aye my boy,” said Magnus “you feel it, don’t you? You know that what I speak is true, your soul calls out to her, allow her soul into your heart. You must connect with her, answer her call and then you will both fulfill your destinies.”
Chapter Eleven
Victoria diligently prepared the pot of mush for the Fays morning meal. She sighed looking at the sight of the stuff, she was never given anything more than the sloppy looking gruel for morning, and only simple stews were allowed for mid and evening meals. Of course when her aunt and uncle had still ate from the food in the house; there had always been much better food to choose from. That of course had been before Bruno, the man as big as a house. He had come to live here and supposedly work with her uncle. She could not help but think where they ate or what they ate. She had always had her suspicions, but to believe something so horrid and evil brought chills to her spine.
All the same, they never ate any of the food they supplied for her, and neither did Bruno for that matter.
They never left the house, except as far as the front drive, and even then that was only to retrieve a new Fay when they would force her to call them to her. She had always known when a new Fay arrived, always during a Hunters Moon. At least she could wait for almost another year before that happened again.
Hearing the kitchen door open behind her, Victoria turned to see her aunt sliding the door back into position. Victoria knew never to speak unless spoken to, those were the rules. She continued with her work of preparing the food, careful not to make eye contact with her aunt’s eyes.
Her aunt leaned over to make sure Victoria was indeed following her orders. “I want you to use less meat in the stew tonight, you have been using way too much, very wasteful of you girl. The Fay can survive on broth for all I care; you give them more than enough already.” She made a tisking sound shaking her head at the same time. “Why, three meals a day, that’s just so wasteful.”
Victoria knew not to question her aunt’s authority, but she also would not question her uncle’s. Given the two choices, she would rather disobey her aunt before she would her uncle. “But…uncle…he told me to give them three meals a day.” Victoria still made sure not to look directly at her aunt.
Victoria didn’t have to look to know that her aunt was about ready to fly into a rage. “Are you so brave to argue with me girl?”
The truth was, Victoria was brave enough and had been becoming more brave all the time, but that was not something she was about to tell her aunt. “No Aunt Cecilia, uncle Creature told me…”
Bearing down on her, her aunt was furious. “You listen up and you hear me good girl, I don’t care what he told you, you will follow my orders and do as I say, is that understood?”
Victoria knew that if she did not abide by what her uncle had told her, she would be punished severely. If she was caught by her aunt Cecilia putting the extra meat into the stews that her uncle had requested, her aunt would punish her. She couldn’t follow both orders! “I will ask Creature if it is ok to lower the amount of meat.” Although she did hate doing that since they were barely getting anything to eat now.
Victoria could have sworn she heard a hiss come from her aunt, odd. “Are you saying that my word is not good enough?” her aunt got even closer, “Are you saying that you think you have grown a backbone enough to talk back to me girl?” Cecilia was angry now, her eyes flared and the room became utterly cold as Cecilia inched closer to Victoria’s face with each word she spoke. “You will do as I say!”
Victoria’s head shot up and she looked directly at her aunt, “But he will punish me!” She could see a slight grin form across her aunt’s face. Shock ran through Victoria as if she had been struck by lightning. At least ten to twenty years had been erased from her aunt. How could that be? Was she regressing in age?
Then another thought came to her, the realization of the true nature behind her aunt’s demands. “Oh God, you want him to punish me!”
Just as Cecilia’s hand went up in a quick motion to slap Victoria, Creature opened the door and came into the kitchen. Noticing his wives hand held motionless in midair, ready to strike his niece, Creature gave Cecilia an angry glare. “Do we have a problem here?”
Cecilia spun on heel to face her husband. “This little heathen thought she could get away with sassing me, I was about ready to put her in her place when you came in.”
Creature glanced over at Victoria. “Do we need to teach you your place Victoria? Have we so soon forgotten the price we pay for disobedience?”
Fear flowed over Victoria like a veil. “No, no I haven’t. I …I …”
Creature eyed Victoria impatiently. “Yes Victoria, do you have something to say? Spit it out then girl!”
Victoria looked at her aunt who was grinning at her, enjoying every moment of her torment. “Aunt Cecilia wanted me to cut down on the rations of meat I put in the stew. She said that it was wasteful, and I give them too much food.” There she had said it and it had felt good not to cower from her aunt.
Her aunt lost the grin that had been on her face, and her eyes glowed with a ferocious red anger. Victoria did not care if she was punished later by her aunt, she had stood up to her, and she would again if she had to. She did not know where that bit of strength had come from, but she held on to it and savored it for all it was worth.
Without warning, Creature struck Victoria across the face. “Wipe that smug look off of your face girl.”
Victoria stood upright and brought her body under control, and returned her facial expression back to that of a somber girl. Her expression might have indeed changed but her strength did not wither and remained intact this time. Her uncle had not stripped her of her strength with his vengeful punishment. Something had indeed happened, something that changed her from the cowering little girl that she once was. She was no longer that scared little girl that had come here all of those years ago, no, she was a strong young woman who had found the strength she needed to survive, and she was a woman who was more determined than ever that would fight to live.
Her uncle feeling that he had got his point across and put her in her place stepped away. Turning to his wife, he put his hand upon her shoulder and smiled. “I believe the issue has been resolved, let the girl get back to her duties. It is time for us to partake in our own meal.”
Not satisfied that Victoria had received a harsh enough punishment, Cecilia looked at her husband with a half-smile. “I should stay to …make sure her duties are carried out as ordered.”
“Ya right” thought Victoria, “You mean you wish to stay and carry out the punishment you meant to inflict upon me earlier.”
With a slight shake of his head, Creature ushered his wife closer to the door. “She knows her place my dear.” Glancing over his shoulder towards Victoria, “And girl, the orders I gave you before still stand, there will be no cutting back on the portions.”
If Cecilia had been mad before, she was downright fuming now. There was no doubt in Victoria’s mind that sometime in the near future there would be a punishment by her aunt. But Cecilia would not break her then just as she had not broken her now, she would never allow that to happen again.
***
Percy who was standing in his cell had been patiently waiting for Victoria to arrive, for he knew every morning that she would show at the same time. Although Percy did not have a watch around his wrist or a clock on the wall to tell the time of day, he had become very accustomed to watching the small window that was located in the far corner of the room. It had allowed enough light in to take a pretty good guess on the time of day. By the position of the rays that would make their way into the room from the sun, it had given him a fair guess to the time. Right now the sun was not fully up yet; the first signs of sunrise were just starting to show.
Watc
hing the window that was the only escape to the outside world, Percy could not describe or understand the feelings he was having. How could someone yearn so much for someone as he did for Victoria? He anticipated seeing her and looked forward to just even the smallest amount of time he could fit in to three times a day. The lady had made his stay in this place much more bearable. He thought of her beautiful face, her beautiful eyes, to him everything about Victoria was beautiful.
It had already been a month since Percy had first came to this place, not one time had Bruno and Creature came for him to drink from his blood. He was thankful for that, but he felt for the one’s that Creature had come to take. At least there had not been any more deaths, which was at least something to be thankful for. The Fay had been very careful not to upset Creature, and Percy had minded his ways as well, not to bring any more pain on the rest of them.
During the times that they were sure Creature and Bruno could not hear, they would talk amongst themselves always mindful to keep their voices low. Excitement and hope had begun to ring through the large room to each and every Fay, ever since that day they had seen Victoria with the medallion. It was such a delicate and small item that she had held in her hand. But it had been that very moment that the Lady Victoria had brought hope back to so many.
Now that Percy understood what the Fae Medallion and the Seer and guardian had meant to his people, he had to figure out if he himself was truly who the others thought him to be. He had to believe in himself as well as whom he really was. This is what Magnus had told him. Both Percy and Victoria would have to accept and believe, but did Victoria know who she was, or even understand what the very item around her neck meant?
There had to be a reason why Creature allowed her to wear the medallion, unless of course Creature himself had no idea of what the medallion really was either. It did not really matter anyways, to Creature or anyone else that gained possession of it would have nothing more than a pretty piece of jewelry. Magnus had explained that the medallion would only wield its power for the Seer, and it was up to the Seer to unlock the true power of the Fae Medallion.
Hunters Moon, The Fae Medallion (Seer's Of The Moon) Page 6