Dahlia: A Novel of Dark Desire

by Viola Calvary

  “Who led this attack?” Her voice was a growl, low and full of aggression. No one responded, they didn’t need to. As unsettled as they were two of them thoughtlessly glanced in the direction of a scarred, wiry man whose arms bore heavy tattoos. She pointed at him and he slumped over, sobbing.

  She felt the fear in the room turn electric. “Do you want to know what happened to the last prisoners we took?” She pulled her memory of the screams from that day and allowed it to whisper into their minds.

  “The best part?” She spoke to them, her voice carrying over the screams as she looked around. “No one here did that to those men. They all had a trap set in their minds before we captured them. It went off, ripping their psyches to shreds when they failed to return.”

  She paused, “Have you had a superior work inside your mind? All those men are dead, do you want to die like that?” She let the statement ring in the air over the screams then stopped them, the silence was as deafening as the screams had been.

  “I was able to save one man during the slaughter,” she motioned to the guards. “Bring him in.”

  They hauled the man, whimpering and giggling to himself, into the room.

  “Once it starts, this is all I’ll be able to save of your mind, if I even care to try. So I have a one time offer: I will give you each ten minutes to spill your guts to me and drop your mind’s shield. If you give me anything useful then I’ll take a few minutes to look for that trap and attempt to remove it before it detonates. I don’t know how long you’ve got but I can pretty much guarantee that if either of you don’t take my offer you will be dead so it’s not like you can return to your commanders anyways.”

  “So,” she spat out, “who’s first to volunteer to save his miserable skin?”

  There was silence for a moment then a one man struggled up and addressed her, his head bent low in defeat, “I believe I can offer you something useful. I don’t want to die like that.”

  “Good. Guards, escort him to the room.” She pointed to the second man. He flinched. “You, rack your brain and come up with something that will save your life. If you’re fast enough a guard will bring you to me.”

  Dahlia prowled back out of the room with Borreal behind her.

  “That was very effective,” he said to her. “Once you’re done we’ll turn them over to someone else to interview. I’ve called for a member of my team who can detect lies if their shields are down.”

  “Once we have an idea of what happened, we can visit the man I placed in my trap,” Dahlia said coldly. These idiots had invaded her home, they could die screaming for all she cared right now.

  Borreal placed a hand on her arm for a brief moment, “They don’t deserve your pity, but neither do they deserve your anger. They are merely pawns. Let it go and you will not give our enemies power over your emotions.”

  He was right. She settled herself, let her rage burn cold and searing for a moment more and then it was gone.

  She faced the door as the first prisoner was brought in. He was chained to a ring in the middle of the room where she faced him.

  “I want to know what your mission was, who sent you, and any future plans you know of. Drop your shield and start.”

  The man dropped his shield. Defeat, shame, and fear radiated from him. She watched him lightly with her ability to catch any indication if he began lying.

  “We were given a metal construct by our captain along with instructions on where to find you. We were to slip in, embed the construct in your skin, and then escape. We were to take you with us only if possible but our primary objective was to report the effects.”

  “We were told that the construct should neutralize your abilities so long as it stayed on you and cause intense pain. We were told that if you were not alone then we should attack quickly, neither you nor he should have had sufficient close combat skills to hold us off without time to focus and summon additional fighters.”

  Gods, Dahlia thought, he’s talking about Traedon. Not only that but they’d have been right if the men had been able to block her abilities before the fight started. Both she and Traedon relied heavily on their abilities to summon additional fighters when they were outnumbered. It was a powerful strategy but difficult to use in close quarters when caught unawares. She felt her skin crawl at the idea that their enemy had been watching her so carefully.

  The prisoner went on, “We were to retreat back and meet with another member of our party who held a tool that could get us out should we be pursued. We were not given any more information about that tool or the construct we were to use on you. One member of the team did not enter the room so he could report back even if the rest of us were captured.”

  Dahlia kept a neutral expression on, “And what was your commander going to do with this report.”

  He lowered his head even further, “I don’t know. I suspected it would be handed off to part of the research team. I heard that other reports from attacks on your force have been given to them.”

  She dismissively brushed at the sleeve of her wrap, “Anything else?”

  “I’ll tell you anything you want to know about our force,” the wretched man offered.

  “Thanks but you can give someone else that information. I suppose you’ve given me enough to make it worth my time digging through your head for that trap. I’m a bit angry with you for interrupting my night so this probably won’t feel pleasant. Try not to scream.”

  She plunged sharp probes of energy into his mind and felt around for a familiar trail. The prisoner groaned and shifted uncomfortably but did not cry out. She found what she was looking for, isolated it, cut through the root, then released energy through the bands she had crafted before. She felt the trap come alive and consume itself.

  She turned to Borreal, “There was a trap in his mind, same as the others. I removed it.”

  She heard the prisoner let out a sob of relief and Borreal had the guards take him to another room for tactical questioning.

  The next one only offered additional tactical information and confirmation for some of what the first man had told her. Dahlia removed the trap in his mind and released him to the men Borreal had assigned for additional interviews.

  She turned to Borreal as the second man was taken away. “I have a strategy now for their leader, let’s visit him.”

  Borreal nodded and walked with her in silence to her office where Dahlia once again removed the mirror containing a door to that part of her labyrinth and placed it on the table. She touched Borreal’s hand and took them both into the maze.

  The leader of the intruders appeared a short distance from them and they saw him stumble through the fog, dazed and disoriented. As they approached the tears on his cheeks became evident and the fear in his eyes flared brightly as he saw them. It bespoke how disquieting he found the maze that, rather than running into the mist, he dropped to his knees before them and bent his head.

  Dahlia altered the projection he would feel from her from predator to benefactor. “Do you know who I am?” she asked the man.

  He nodded, his head still bent, “Puppet Master.”

  His reply surprised her. She was not used to hearing that title outside of a select number of people within the force. The connection was not common knowledge.

  And he seemed fully cognizant. This man must have been much stronger than the archer to have no breakdown of his sanity from his time in her maze. He hadn’t been there long though.

  “You may call me Captain DeMorra and, though I doubt you’ll accept this unquestioningly, I am going to offer to help you.”

  The man did not move, did not respond.

  Dahlia continued, “I have already saved the two surviving men from the traps your commander allowed to be placed in their minds. I will offer you the chance to keep them safe and save yourself. Let me show you what your commander forced me to witness last time your men were unable to return to him.” She gestured and the scene around them changed. They were dropped into her memory, watching
in the holding cell as she and Lenoi struggled to save one man while the rest screamed. The man fell to his elbows and placed his palms over his ears to block out the screams. It didn’t make a difference.

  “I had to face this and worse,” she said calmly, her voice carrying above the scene. “Are you a lesser soldier that you cannot stand to witness what your commander has done? I entered one man’s mind in attempt to save him and experienced the destruction first hand. Would you like to see that?”

  The man shook his head miserably, “No, no, you lie, you killed these men. They warned me, warned me you could make me see, hear, and feel things that were not real...force me to think they were true.”

  Dahlia stopped the memory and the maze reappeared. “They were right, I can. Here, in a world I control, I could break into your head and dismantle your mind piece by piece and even their trap won’t activate and kill you here without my say-so. So ask yourself, why would I bother bargaining with you?”

  “I don’t know,” the man moaned in despair.

  “Because I wouldn’t wish that death on my worst enemy. So I’m giving you a choice. You can either take your shield down and talk to me or I’ll let you watch your men die then rip your psyche apart and pull the pieces from what’s left. My only goal is to protect myself and those around me. The choice on how I do that is yours. I hope you don’t make me rip you apart, I don’t enjoy tormenting a defenseless man.”

  She watched the man on his hands and knees panting and shaking his head. She really, really didn’t want to deal with the scarring breaking his defenses would cause her but time was short and she’d rather break him than have Borreal and herself go into this blindly. She hoped he’d take her offer. She reached out lightly and pushed on his fear of death, making it weigh stronger in his decision.

  “O-okay,” his voice was shaking, “I know enough to see you’ll get what you want whether I give it or you take it. I don’t want to die like they did, especially if that was my superior that ordered it done. The gods will judge if you’re lying to me.”

  “Very well, drop your shield.”

  The man grimaced and the whispers she heard floating around him became clearer, his fear and disgust for his situation became tangible. She’d forced him into an unwinnable position. The only reason he was capitulating was that he was convinced she’d get the information with or without his consent. He would betray his friends and his superiors, the only option he had was whether he wanted to save his own life and those of his soldiers.

  “Who ordered this mission?”

  “My captain, Soone.”

  “Don’t play games with me. He put you on the mission, who ordered the mission?”

  “I don’t know but I suspect it’s Dr. Ahriman, the metal disk we used to neutralize you came from his labs and he was responsible for whatever may have been placed in our minds. We were told it was simple tracking and memory wipe if absolutely necessary.”

  “You suspected it was more.”

  “Yes, but I did not question. I have some psychic abilities, I’m gifted in shielding.”

  “You were the one who shielded the men before entering my room.”

  “Yes, obviously it wasn’t enough, you woke sooner than I’d hoped.”

  Dahlia control her anger, he was likely the one who had hit her when her shield went down, too. “Why was I targeted?”

  “I don’t know for certain, our main objective was to place the construct on you and report back. Capturing you would have been secondary.”

  “What is Ahriman’s lab researching?”

  “It’s kept extremely confidential, something for the emperor.”

  “Give me a guess.”

  “Something to do with military power. Since you were targeted I would guess it’s either something you could prevent or something they’d need from you.”

  “What else has Ahriman shown interest in?”

  “The original Puppet Master. People, not soldiers but civilians, with minor powers resembling yours and his have been rumored to disappear and sometimes turn up wandering about with no memory, their personality changed. The story has spread that the Puppet Master has returned and would remove potential rivals but a few soldiers have seen people taken into Dr. Ahriman’s lab. There are whispered rumors that say that he has promised the emperor great power and so those in command turn a blind eye.”

  “You were to meet someone in the trees who would help you escape, who?”

  “I was not told, no hint.”

  “A researcher of ours was taken, have you heard anything of him?”

  “No.”

  She looked at Borreal who came forward and crouched down to look at the man. “Is there anything else,” he said softly, “that you can tell us in exchange for your life and those of your men?”

  The man on the ground shook and stayed silent. Then, “I was given very specific instructions that you were to remain alive. He said he’d rather every single man be captured or struck dead than you be killed.”

  “Well that’s very interesting,” Borreal whispered. “Captain DeMorra, if you could please remove the trap and then return this man’s mind to his body.”

  Dahlia nodded, located the familiar pattern in his psyche, removed it, and destroyed it with ease through the band on her finger. She then sent him from her maze. The mists faded and she and Borreal were returned to her office.

  They returned to the holding cells in silence where Borreal gave instructions on the men’s treatment. Then they walked to Borreal’s office.

  “Can I make you some tea?” Borreal asked, his voice gentle.

  “Thank you,” Dahlia replied, wishing this was over with.

  Borreal poured two cups before placing the teapot on the table and taking a small sip of his.

  “Captain DeMorra,” he began, his voice soft, “you must know that I trust you.”

  “I do,” she replied.

  “But,” he continued, “you must also know that the idea of you being compromised is a fearsome thought and one that those who do not know you as well are likely to entertain as a worst case scenario.”

  Dahlia remained silent. She could be angry but why? What he said was true. There were very few captains that could hope to match her in a one-on-one fight. Those that could had no guarantee of winning, even with her abilities not fully mature.

  “Given that the attack was focused on you, that lends credibility to the fact that you are not compromised. Some could argue that it was staged to do just that but, seeing as you were only loosely connected before, that theory would not be taken too seriously. I tell you all of this to show you why this interview is not an interrogation rather than asking you to simply take my word for it.”

  “It is undeniable now that you have a part, however unknowing, in these events though. So it is necessary to search for a connection. I have read through the journal we recovered countless times and the only explicit connection to you that I can determine is the reference to your ability to amplify and project emotions that prompt responses in others and the account of your description of your labyrinth. Neither of those seem related to gaining power for the emperor’s troops to me but they are all I have to go on. It is possible that I am missing any other connection that is indirectly stated in the text. Is there anything else Dr. Ahriman focused on in your time with him?”

  “I was still coming into my full abilities then. My only other abilities were the manifestation of a puppet, which was never mentioned because Master Ko kept that close to his chest. Most people assumed I had a minor ability with illusions. My ability to perceive the feelings and thoughts of others he was aware of, but that is not remarkable. The strength of my abilities was also downplayed.” Dahlia answered as openly as possible. She trusted Borreal was on her side and she also believed him when he said fear would be a natural reaction when people found out that she was the focus of a recent attack that involved an enemy’s bid for increased power.

  “Given that your abilities to summ
on puppets and create a mental labyrinth are unique and he has been allegedly taking people with similar abilities I will hazard that the answer lies either in your ability to amplify and project emotions or to perceive thoughts and feelings. Both are useful but I cannot see how they would give power on the scale that would interest their emperor. Do you?”

  “No. Emotional manipulation is a potent weapon, but it is not an attack I would expect to warrant this level of interest or effort. Perhaps his intent was to capture me, break my mind, and turn me against this force? It seems rather simplistic and wouldn’t require the researcher or the journal. Did you discover what the researcher was working on?”

  “A number of things, I gathered, but he specialized in ancient artifacts that we hold.”

  “Is there any mention of a unique artifact in connection with the original Puppet Master?”

  “Not that I have heard of but it’s an interesting theory. I’ll have someone start reading through the stories. It’s frustrating that I haven’t been able to even start fitting the puzzle together. We should have all the pieces. You, the research into ancient artifacts, the journal that focuses on your ability to project and to perceive thoughts. If I knew which artifact…”

  Borreal pondered for a moment. “I will look closer into the researcher’s time before he was taken, though it will likely be futile. His connection with Macada could have happened at any time or ever through a third person. In the meantime, I cannot predict what he might do. A second attack seems unlikely since you’ve been alerted now and will be on guard but we cannot rule it out. I will have someone sent to place a physical ward on your window and door that activate when they are locked but I cannot do anything beyond that.”

  Dahlia chose not to mention her door’s lock was broken.

  He continued, “So far we have lost one researcher to them which is unfortunate and regrettable but not enough to deem this a high level threat. And that is even unconfirmed. Truthfully we still have no idea what happened to him. I’m afraid I must continue to play defense though we’ve gotten very little for all our success at it.”