Rise of Darkness (The Watchers Book 2)

by M. Lee Holmes

  Clunk’s grip on her loosened and he allowed her to lift her head out of the water. She gasped desperately for air but before she could cough out all of the putrid water, he pushed her head under once again.

  Clunk continued this dance until the warden ordered him to stop. He let Rhada fall to the ground and she lie on her side, gasping and choking. She vomited the water that had filled in her throat.

  Warden Daren began snapping his fingers at the giant and Clunk obeyed the command. She cried out when he pulled her off the ground by the chains but she kept her eyes closed tightly. Clunk dropped her on the table and released her chains. Her arms and legs dangled off the edges helplessly; she could not move them even if she wanted to.

  Daren stepped to the edge of the table and stared at Rhada’s shaking body for a moment. Her eyes were tightly closed but her mouth was open. Every few moments a shudder would run through her and a soft, pleading moan of pain would escape her parted lips. He smiled at the sight of her. This was the only enjoyment he ever got- the moment when he knew he had broken his prisoner. He would leave her like this for a while, perhaps feed her a hot meal; give her some fresh water, only to torment her again when the time felt right. He had to give a little to lift the prisoner’s spirit in order to break it again.

  He turned his eyes from her pale face down to her chest and watched each shallow breath she took. He could feel stirrings within him, stirrings he did not know he could feel for a woman.

  Of course, it had always been the men that he had his pleasure with. He liked watching them writhe underneath Clunk’s firm grasp. He liked hearing their desperate pleas as he unbuckled their trousers and kicked them aside. But never had he considered doing this to a woman.

  It matters not the gender, so long as they are at my mercy. He chuckled to himself, knowing that Rhada would have her turn. But first, she must be broken completely.

  “Clunk!” Daren turned to his servant. “Remove the chains.” Clunk shuffled over to Rhada and fumbled with a large set of keys he always kept on his person. When he found the right key, he began loosening the shackles and let them fall to the floor with a clang. Daren stared with a growing desire for her as blood dripped from her wrists and ankles. He wanted to reach forward and grasp her flesh in his hands- to strip away the remainder of her clothes- but he would wait.

  She is special. She must be handled properly.

  He leaned over her and listened to her labored breath for a few moments and realized that she had lost consciousness. He turned and waited for Clunk to follow him out of the torture chamber, allowing her to rest in peace.

  When Rhada woke, she screamed. A wave of pain flowed over her and she shuddered and fell from the table she was lying on, smacking into the hard floor with her shoulder. Tears came to her eyes and she rolled onto her back, no longer fighting the desire to cry. But her tears did not last long; the dehydration she suffered made her body feel as though it was full of sand.

  The door opened but she did not turn to look; she had no desire to see Daren or the ghastly creature Clunk. She only wondered how much longer her torture would last. What more can they do to me?

  The sound of glass touching the stone next to her made her open her eyes and turn her head. The strange man that lit the sconces was there, setting a plate of food and a glass of clear water next to her. She did not wait for him to leave before grasping the glass and greedily sucking down its contents, spilling much of it down her front in her haste. She ignored the screaming pain in her wrists and arms and began shoveling the food into her mouth, not caring what it was she was eating. She thought, for a moment, that she tasted duck and potatoes, but the taste did not matter to her. When it was gone, she lay on her back and closed her eyes, falling back into a heavy sleep.

  Daren was making his rounds, smiling at the peering eyes that watched him from their cells. He took count of them and when there was not a pair of eyes at the door, he would walk up to the peephole and look inside. Every prisoner was accounted for, as usual.

  He knew very well that some were trying to hide from him. They had come to know what was in store for them should he set his interests upon them. He would order the giant to open their cell and drag them to the torture chamber. The fear in their eyes when he chose them was enough to satisfy him. But though his needs were satisfied, he always found more joy when it came time to torture his pets.

  Daren always picked a prisoner at random. They tried not to make eye contact with him and kept their mouths shut, as to not draw his attention. He liked the way they cowered in fear as he passed, wondering if he was just making his usual rounds, or if his intentions were of a more malicious nature. And he knew they could hear the screams of the new prisoner. He knew they were listening. He knew it would make the few women who resided in the cells anxious. Daren never chose the women for torture; he left them alone. He simply wasn’t interested in them. The sound of a woman’s screams echoing through the halls was undoubtedly unsettling to the six who were behind bars. The thought made him chuckle.

  He turned and began making his way back to the stateroom. As he walked, he pulled a small lock of black hair from his robe pocket and placed it at his nose, taking in the scent of ocean water and sweat. It was her sweat that saturated the hair- her thick, luxurious hair. He had given most of it to Gunston, his manservant, who promised he could glue the strands to a perfectly molded piece of leather, but kept this small handful to keep in his pocket for good luck.

  When he entered the stateroom, his ears were met with the thundering sound of Clunk’s snoring. The giant was curled up in his corner, sleeping the day away. Daren replaced the lock of hair in his pocket and walked over to Clunk, gently shaking him awake.

  “Our prisoner has had enough time to recoup. I wish to string her up again.” Clunk groaned as he got to his feet, his giant bones cracking with each slow movement. He followed Daren out of the stateroom, down the dark corridor to the torture chamber.

  Rhada was sitting with her back against the opposite wall and her legs curled up underneath her. Her body was shaking and when she looked up at Daren, her eyes filled with fear and her shaking intensified. Daren sighed as he stared down at her and felt a small shudder of desire run through him. It was the fear in her eyes that drove him mad for her.

  “Clunk, make her stand.” The giant sauntered over to the prisoner and pulled her up by the shoulders. Rhada released a small whimper of pain as she was forced to her feet and Daren felt that he would lose all control at the sound. He walked over to her until he was close enough to touch her and reached out with a shaking hand. He placed his fingertips on her cheek and saw her tense in repulsion- it almost made him laugh with glee. He ran his fingers down her cheek, to the corner of her mouth and over her perfect, pink lips. He bit his lower lip as the fear in her eyes turned to hatred. There was something terrifying in her gaze. He knew she was a dangerous person and was all the more glad that Clunk was there, keeping her under control. He had the feeling that even injured; she could kill him if given the opportunity. Her power only increased his desire for her. He lowered his hand down to her chest and could feel her heart beating furiously beneath the flesh. He cupped her breast lightly and pulled away quickly, as though touching something forbidden. He ran his fingers down her side, feeling the hard muscles underneath, then to her thigh.

  Rhada wrenched herself free of Clunk’s grasp and with a tight fist, struck Daren on the jaw. He cried out in pain and fell to the floor, clutching at his aching face. She is so strong! He was surprised at her strength and wondered for a brief moment if his jaw was broken.

  Clunk bellowed in rage and grasped Rhada by the back of the neck. Her eyes widened in fear and she tried to struggle against the giant but it was no use. He lifted her off the ground and threw her as though she weighed nothing. She hit the opposite wall and crumpled to the ground. Where her head hit, there was now a large gash that dripped blood into her eyes. Clunk practically ran to where she lay and lifted her off the ground again. T
his time, he had her by the throat and she gasped and choked but could not take a breath. He walked over to the table and slammed her down onto it, letting go of her throat and grasping her hands in his right hand and with the other, he pushed down on her chest, trying to squeeze the life from her. Her face turned red then purple and her eyes became panicked.

  “Enough Clunk!” Daren shouted after shaking away the pain of Rhada’s blow. He stood and continued rubbing at his jaw and walked over to Rhada. Clunk had released her and she lay sprawled over the table, breathing heavily.

  “Chains!” Daren commanded and Clunk obeyed. He grabbed the shackles dangling from the table and secured her wrists then moved to do the same with her feet.

  Daren moved slowly around the table, smiling sadistically at her when he stopped in front of the tools hanging on the rack. He did his best not to wince from the pain of her blow as his lips spread into a teasing grin.

  Daren had his favorite tools, of course, and amongst the spears and daggers and hatchets was a small carving knife, serrated at the edges to give the victim a most considerable amount of discomfort. He lifted this knife from its holder and stepped back to the table.

  Rhada’s eyes fell upon the blade and she stiffened. She said nothing through her heavy breathing and Daren was glad for her silence. It was not her words he was after; he wanted her screams.

  “You are going to pay dearly for that little stunt.” Daren said and Rhada turned her eyes back to him as he lifted the knife and brought it to her face. He pushed it into her flesh and ran it along the cheekbone. Rhada made no sound or movement as the blade sliced, the jagged edge ripping her skin to shreds. She just stared at Daren with her piercing eyes and breathed deeply, sucking air in through her teeth. He moved the blade to her other cheek and did the same, watching the blood as it ran down her face and spilled onto the table.

  Why is she not screaming? He wondered. No prisoner had ever suffered an attack from his razor without at least a pitiful moan. But Rhada was silent as the grave, burning through his skull with her harsh stare. He lowered the knife to his side and stared back at her, wondering what he could do to make her squirm. Then it dawned on him- it was obvious really. She has been trained to endure pain. Every High Protector must have been prepared for a situation like this. And Rhada was no different.

  He replaced the knife and turned to the giant. “Clunk, break her toes.” Clunk obeyed. He stomped to the edge of the table, grasping her left foot in his massive hand. He held all five toes between his thumb and forefinger and with his considerable strength, pulled them at an excruciating angle. Daren heard them crack under the pressure of the giant’s grip.

  To Daren’s disappointment, Rhada still did not cry out. She winced and gritted her teeth, but no sound of anguish escaped her lips. Clunk moved to her other foot and repeated the process. She squeezed her eyes shut and lowered her head to the table, letting out a small moan, her chest began to heave with each, labored breath she took.

  That’s better. Daren thought. Though it was not the scream that he so craved, her pain was plainly visible and that was enough to satisfy him for the moment.

  Daren reached down and grasped a chunk of her hair and brought his nose in close enough to sniff. It smelled the same as the hair in his pocket but the scent of blood was now present.

  “I told you, you belong to me now.” He whispered into her ear. “One more act of defiance from you and I shall cut off your hands next, then your feet and your tongue.” He stood and left the chamber, signaling for Clunk to follow, leaving her alone.

  Chapter 40

  Rhada dreamt she was standing in a garden; but instead of a beautiful garden, filled with roses and green shrubs; it was a garden of corpses. Their bodies had been flayed and lay in heaps all around her. Their heads had all been removed and planted into the black dirt. Their eyes were all fixed on her as she moved through them, trying to step over and around. They cried out in agony and begged her to kill them.

  Something stirred in the room. She turned her head and opened her eyes just enough to let in a little light and as she did so, the pain returned in unbearable waves. She closed her eyes again, choosing to be amongst the buried heads rather than the torture chamber.

  Fog rolled in over the field and gathered into a thick ball, taking shape into what she knew was a man. And then there he was, standing before her, with pale skin and eyes the color of the gray darkness of the sky. He stared at her with a harsh gaze, one that would have made any man tremble in fear. But Rhada only stared back, no longer fearing the Lord of Death. There was nothing more that could be done to her to make her afraid. She only looked at him with curiosity, feeling a strange sensation of kinship between them. When he looked at her, he looked at her with knowing eyes- eyes that resembled her own. He knew who she was; he knew her mind, her thoughts. It was a bond they shared, one that she had not felt with anyone before, however unwanted it was.

  Amag’mar raised a hand and pointed a finger at her, and as he did so, her pain returned. She cried out and fell to her knees, becoming once again aware of the burning wounds on her cheeks and the pulsing pain at her toes; the circles of pain on her wrists and ankles that made her feel as though she were on fire; and her bruised chest where the giant had tried to crush her.

  Then Amag’mar fell to his knees as well, shaking just as she shook. She knew he could feel it too. Her pain washed over him just as it washed over her and it crippled him. He writhed and cried out and the buried heads all joined in their song of agony.

  Rhada was vaguely aware of waking. She wondered briefly how long she had been asleep and when she opened her eyes, she was greeted with the sight of the strange man’s face, leaning over her with needle and thread. He was jabbing the needle into her cheeks, not caring that he was striking the bone beneath. She shuddered and closed her eyes, gasping each time the needle was pushed into her flesh.

  She tried to imagine she was somewhere else; that this entire place was only a nightmare. When that did nothing to comfort her, she tried to picture anything from her life previous to Stonehill that made her happy. There was not much. She thought of Bloodbinder and would have given anything to have the sword at her side, to feel its angry pulses running through her fingertips. With it, she could easily kill Daren. But she would do it slow. She would chain him to the wall and slip the tip of Bloodbinder into his flesh, enough to cause pain but not be lethal. She would cut off his cock for even having thoughts of touching her.

  But these are all silly fantasies.

  Her thoughts turned to the only other source of happiness she had felt; Mayvard. She desperately wanted to see him, to know that he was alive and well. She wanted his comforting words, assuring her that she did not deserve this punishment. He would understand. Mayvard always understood me. But thinking about Mayvard only hurt her more. Mayvard was gone; perhaps even dead and she would never know what his fate had been. She was aware of the strange man fleeing the room and she began to sob. She cried herself into a fitful sleep and dreamt of Amag’mar again.

  He stood in the midst of the head garden and bent down, grasping a head by the hair and pulling it free from the dirt. He turned it so that Rhada could see the face and she felt a pang of disgust and horror as Mayvard’s tortured gaze turned to her. Blood poured freely from his gaping neck, mingling with the dirt below, creating a muddy mess.

  Amag’mar threw the head and it landed at her feet. Mayvard stared up at her with his burning blue eyes and begged her to kill him, to end his suffering.

  Rhada fell to her knees and grasped Mayvard’s head in her arms. She held him close to her breast and gently stroked his blood-soaked hair, whispering that everything would be all right. Amag’mar laughed at her words. His laughter rang in her ears and pierced its way to her heart. She looked up at him and scowled.

  Fool! He said, gazing back at her with malice. It is too late to change things. Nothing will ever be right again; not for him, Amag’mar pointed at the head in her arms then he pointed a
t her; not for you.

  The other heads of the garden turned to her and began shouting; Rhada’s a fool! Rhada the dirty whore! Naked rat! She closed her eyes and cried into Mayvard’s hair. Then the heads began to laugh, echoing Amag’mar’s malicious chortle.

  Clunk was suddenly standing over her; she could hear his raspy breath and feel his rough hands grasping at her shackles. She screamed and opened her eyes, waking from the terrible nightmare that suddenly did not seem so bad in comparison to her current situation.

  Clunk had key in hand and one-by-one unlocked her shackles. He grasped the thin cloth of her shirt in both hands and pulled the fabric away in one long tear. He held the shirt up as he stood and let it fall to the floor in a flutter.

  Dirty whore!

  Rhada reached up with her hands and covered her naked chest. Warden Daren now stood over her and pulled her hands away, smiling down at her with his snake-like grin.

  “If I want to look at you, I will look at you.”

  Rhada, defeated, sighed and rested her hands down at her sides. She knew there was no point in fighting and in truth; she had known this was bound to happen. A man who was kept locked away for years in a fortress such as this, who seldom saw a woman, was a dangerous man. She would just close her eyes and endure it, just as she had endured the rest of her torture.

  Warden Daren frowned at Rhada’s sudden compliance. He had expected her to fight- or at the very least, struggle just a little. He wanted to see the fear in her eyes again. He wanted to hear her beg for mercy. He wanted to feel her tremble beneath him, but she just closed her eyes, turned her head and lay there like a lifeless doll. He groaned and stepped away from her, commanding Clunk to remove her pants as well.

  Maybe that will wake her up!

  But she still did nothing. She opened her eyes and glowered at Daren as Clunk tore away her wool pants. She lay there naked, but unashamed. She was prepared to let him do whatever he wanted, he knew she must have been anticipating this moment. Anger flushed in his face as his desire for her fled completely. He reached out and grasped her roughly by the shoulders, gave a tug with all his strength and let her fall to the ground with a harsh thud. She made a slight sound as she hit the floor; the sound of air escaping as it was pushed from her lungs. He pulled his leg back and kicked her as hard as he could in the side.