by Mia McKimmy
Yesterday she’d asked Alpheus how long he had worked for Vind. She was surprised to find out Alpheus had been with Vind since the division of the race, and had worked for the royal family as Vind and Cy’s caregiver before they’d left Sivadia. There was sadness in his voice when he asked how Cy and the queen were. As far as she could tell, he was the only person in this house of horrors with a conscience.
Some of the tension drained from Riana as Alpheus took Lily by the hand and safely led her from the dining room.
Vind turned to her, his brows pulled low. “Why did she suddenly throw a tantrum?”
“That was no tantrum. Lily is a child. You can hardly expect her to handle stress like an adult. She’s scared, being held against her will, and threatened by you. Considering the circumstances, I think she’s holding it together extremely well. You don’t like children much, do you?”
Vind handed her a glass of brandy before he answered. “No, not really. I do not find them conducive to my environment.”
Do you think?
“Would you like to enlighten me as to why you want to have a child with me?”
“I never said I wanted a child. I need an heir, pure and simple. Your bloodline will ensure that my heir will become the greatest warrior ever known.”
Riana snorted. “You’ve got to be kidding. I’m about as un-warrior-like as they come.”
“Ozeas is your father. Your bloodline has produced the most celebrated warriors throughout Sivadian history. In case you haven’t heard, you’re descended from noble blood. I have waited a long time for the right person to produce my heir.”
Vind took a seat in the chair across from Riana. “Before I discovered Ozeas was your father, I planned to take all the females at the compound. I soon realized all I needed was one. By taking you, Cy and Oz will have every Protector in the world searching, which will make it relatively easy to trap and kill them all. Once the Protectors are dead, my men will have access to every female in our race. So there was no need to take the other girls when I can accomplish all of my goals with one.”
Riana’s disgust for Vind rose. She never realized it was possible to loathe someone that much. “Even though you believe I have a strong bloodline, I hate violence. What makes you think a child I produce would not take after me?”
He regarded her with a sneer. “Simple. You will not raise him. He’ll be brought up by me, and I have ways to tap into the meekest of personalities. Trust me, he will become a warrior, or he’ll die.”
Heat radiated from Riana’s face. Her disgust meter went through the roof. She took several deep breaths, attempting to tamp down her emotions. She still had questions and wanted answers.
“Before we left the compound, you said something about Cy living your life, and you refused to allow him to be happy while he did it. What does that mean? Or is it just another of your delusions?”
“It came to my attention that the crown rightfully belonged to me. My parents deemed me unfit to rule and gave my throne to Cygan.”
“You’ve never wondered what would make a parent do something like that.” Her tone was as dry as sawdust.
“I do not care why they did it,” he snapped. “That title belongs to me, and I will take it back. I thought my brother would never care more about another person than he cared about destroying me. Now that he does, I possess the ultimate weapon to destroy his life. The way he destroyed mine.”
Riana lifted her chin and stared into Vind’s eyes. “Cy has not destroyed your life. You’ve done that all by yourself. You know what I’ve always hated about people like you?”
Vind’s gaze narrowed. “Are you sure you want to finish that sentence?”
Riana cocked her head to one side. “Sure, why not. Nothing is ever your fault. I’m sure there’s some reason in that…psychotic mind of yours for every despicable thing you’ve ever done. Miserable people create misery. Have you ever been happy a day in your life?”
Vind turned and looked out a large picture window overlooking the garden and surrounding mountains. “Speaking of happiness,” he said, ignoring her question. “We are to be married in three days. The ceremony will be held here. My top generals and their wives will attend, along with a few friends and associates. The night before the ceremony, my guards will accompany us to a fertility site.”
Riana’s heart raced at a dizzying pace. “You can forget about a fertility ceremony,” she said between gritted teeth. “I will not open myself up to absorb the life light.”
“Oh, but I think you will. Lily will come along to ensure your cooperation. If not, she might not make it back in one piece. Even if Lily dies, I still have the means to ensure I get an heir from you. My scientist recently developed a procedure to mature female eggs for fertilization. I can harvest your eggs and have an heir without you. However, experts tell me it’s important for a child to have the nurturing of its mother during early development.” He tilted his head and peered down his nose. “If you continue to defy me, I may have to reconsider. The quicker you realize I always get what I want, the better off you’ll be.”
Riana fought back tears, unwilling to let Vind witness her weakness. She gulped the remainder of her brandy and slammed the glass down on the table, and then left the room.
Vind had ripped her life and happiness from her. If he succeeded in killing Cy and the Protectors, it wouldn’t just be her life destroyed. It would affect everyone on Earth. The Sivadian and human races would come under a dictatorship that would make Hitler look like an altar boy.
As she climbed the long staircase, tears blurred her vision. With each passing day, hope fell away from her like the leaves she’d watched float to the ground from her balcony at the compound. What she wouldn’t give to be back there, wrapped in the security of Cy’s arms. Instead, despair wrapped around her like a living entity, pulling her deeper into its bottomless pit.
***
After Lily reached her room, she emptied the food from her pocket and looked for Iggy. He wasn’t there yet. She knew if she made Vind mad enough, he’d send her to her room.
Before long, Ms. Rizzo unlocked her door and came inside. “Master Vind would like for you to come help him feed his pet, Miss Lily. Afterward, I will bring hot cocoa to help you sleep.”
“Riana said I should stay away from you. I’m not helping him do anything.”
Ms. Rizzo gave her an arched stare. “Child, this is not a request. When Master Vind tells you to do something, you will obey. If you refuse to cooperate, Riana will pay for your disobedience.”
Lily didn’t want to make things harder for Riana. She’d heard Riana crying herself to sleep at night. “Fine.”
She jumped down from the tall bed and followed Ms. Rizzo to the end of the hall. They got on an elevator and went one floor up. When the door opened, Lily hesitated and peered down a dim-lit hallway. It reminded her of a spook house Kyra once took her to. “What kind of pet is it? Why would it be up here and not outside?”
Lily flinched when the women grabbed her wrist and yanked her through the elevator doors. “Come along child, and stop asking questions.”
At the end of the hall they entered a large room. Vind stood in front of a glass enclosure covering one end. He watched and whispered to something inside.
Lily stopped several feet away and looked, but the only thing inside were plants and trees. She locked her knees as Vind reached back, grabbed her arm and pulled her forward.
“Come out, Salvador,” he called. “There’s someone here I want you to meet.” Vind placed his hand on the back of Lily’s neck, his grip painful as he pushed her closer.
Lily’s heart raced when an enormous, gray and black snake slithered to the edge of the glass.
“No, Salvador,” he crooned. “The child is not your dinner, although I do have a treat for you tonight.” Vind squatted, forcing Lily to look into his black eyes. “He does enjoy the occasional child.” He turned back to the snake. “However, he knows it is only on special occasions.” He
said the last two words loud, as if he were scolding the snake.
Her knees trembled as the snake came closer. “Can he talk to you?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact he can. We have a bond, because I’ve fed him my blood since he was young. It made him incredibly large and strong. Not to mention, smart,” he boasted.
Lily’s face reflected in the snake’s glassy eyes, as he moved his nose back and forth over small holes in the glass.
“Do you know what he’s doing?” Vind shoved Lily against the glass.
She gasped in a large breath and held it. Unable to speak, she shook her head. She had no doubt Vind was about to put her inside the cage.
“He is memorizing your scent,” Vind said. “Once he has it, he will never forget who you are. He’ll be able to find you anywhere inside the castle. He will fantasize about how good you will feel sliding down his throat, and how content he’ll be while you lie inside him and digest.”
Vind pushed a button on the wall. The monstrous snake whirled around and slithered toward the end of the cage. A small door slid into the wall, and a baby lamb came through. As soon as it saw the snake, it turned back toward the door to make an escape. But, Vind pushed the button again. Both Lily and the lamb jumped as the door slammed shut trapping it inside.
Lily turned her head away.
No, no, no! I can’t watch this!
Vind’s grip tightened painfully on her neck, and he forced her head back toward the cage. She covered her eyes with her hands, and he pried them away.
“You will watch this, or you’ll be next.”
Lily’s heart pounded, and tears blurred her vision as she watched the lamb pace the length of the wall, searching for the nonexistent door.
Suddenly the snake was on him. It pinned the lamb against the wall, and latched its fangs into the side of the lamb’s neck. Lily released a loud sob while her mind screamed, no!
“He’s draining its life-blood. Since he has my blood regularly, he craves it, the same as I,” Vind said, as if he were proud. “He will not kill him. He prefers his victims to be aware of what is happening, but too weak to put up a fight.”
It didn’t take long before weakness overcame the lamb and its legs crumpled. The snake then clamped its huge mouth over the sheep’s head, and slowly started consuming it. Each time Lily averted her eyes, Vind’s grip tightened around her neck. Then he’d push her face against the cage again, a non-verbal threat to put her inside with the snake.
“Why are you doing this?” Lily cried.
“Because I am growing tired of you defying me,” he said through clenched teeth. “It’s time you realized who you’re dealing with. If you keep it up, and don’t do as you’re told, this,” he motioned toward the snake, “will become your fate.” Large tears flooded Lily’s cheeks.
I’m as trapped and helpless as that poor lamb.
After the giant snake consumed the lamb, it was nothing more than a bulge inside of a monster. The same way Vind would consume her and Riana if they didn’t get away.
Lily heard her sister’s voice, and what she said the day their parents died. ‘We are strong Lily, not weak. We will never allow ourselves to become victims again.’ At that moment, Lily decided to let Vind think he had broken her will, if that’s what it took. She was more determined than ever to find a way for her and Riana to escape the monster standing beside her.
When Vind finally turned Lily loose, her neck ached where he’d squeezed. He instructed Ms. Rizzo to take her to her room. Lily kept quiet and her head down on the walk back. When they arrived, hot cocoa waited on her bedside table. Ms. Rizzo stood over her and waited for her to finish. She gulped down the warm beverage so the woman would leave. Exhausted from the ordeal, Lily curled into a ball on the bed, and drifted off to sleep on a tear-soaked pillow.
Chapter 29
Iggy changed into ferret form to wake Lily. The last thing he wanted was to frighten her, so he nudged her face with his cool, wet nose.
Lily’s lids fluttered as if they’d been glued together. “Iggy,” she whispered. She ran her hand down the fur on his back. “I tried to stay awake and wait for you, but I got too sleepy. I brought you lots of food from the evening meal.”
“Good, I’m starved. It took me a while to find a way inside. I had to wait until the kitchen staff opened the back door before I could get inside. In fly form, I’m so fast no one can catch me,” he bragged, telepathically. “I’m going to change back to my natural form to eat. It’s easier when you have thumbs,” he snickered as he jumped off the bed onto the floor. “Would you mind throwing a blanket over me while I change?”
Lily did as he asked and placed her blanket over him.
Iggy summoned his true form, and then popped his mop of blond curls from beneath the cover. He laughed at the wide-eyed look on Lily’s face. He wrapped the blanket around him and sat on the bed beside her.
While he ate, Lily told him a horrible story about an enormous snake and the guy holding them hostage threatening to put her inside the cage. Then she told him about her sister, and everyone at the compound. By the time he finished eating, Lily’s lids were heavy and he could tell she struggled to stay awake.
“Iggy,” she said sleepily. “Will you stay here with me tonight?”
“I’ll stay and make sure no one harms you. Sleep sweet, Lily Magnolia.”
The words had no sooner left his mouth before Lily slipped into a relaxed sleep. Iggy sat on the bed and plotted his revenge on Vind for scaring someone as sweet and innocent as her. Someone inside this place had already harmed her. He’d sensed it while playing with her in ferret form at the garden today. When he had climbed onto her stomach, he’d felt her pain and a definite injury. He swore to remain with her and find out who it was. Then they would pay just like the bald guy would for killing his brother. But first, he had a snake to take care of.
He covered Lily with the blanket and changed into a fly. Iggy traveled the vents to the next floor. The scent drew him to the exact room. He stopped in mid-air as he saw the massive viper inside the cage, stretched beneath thick vegetation. The bulge of the lamb was still evident.
Good, that should slow him down a bit.
Iggy flew around to the small door leading inside the cage. In order to get inside, he changed back to his natural form, then pulled the door open and latched it. As he crawled through the opening, he used his own weight as a gauge and changed into a ninety-eight pound hedgehog. Besides being a most effective snake killer, the quills would protect him from the viper’s poisonous bite.
The snake turned and slithered toward him. Iggy tightened the muscles in his body that lifted his quills. He launched toward the snake, and tucked his legs into a tight ball, rolling his massive body over the snake’s head. Bingo! His quills penetrated one of the snake’s eyes, and blood ooze from the wounds where each one made contact.
Iggy’s breath came in quick gasps as he circled the snake, choosing the exact angle to inflict the most damage. He propelled his massive body toward the snake’s head, aiming for its remaining eye. When Iggy straightened, the snake flung its head from side to side, blood spraying from both eyes. Without a moment to spare, Iggy pounced on the snake and latched his long teeth behind its neck. A satisfying crunch vibrated through Iggy’s jaws, and he separated the viper’s head from its body.
Take that, you monster! You will not be eating Lily!
As Iggy glanced at the blood running down the glass walls, he felt a moment of satisfaction. Then he thought about how mad Vind would be when he saw the dead snake. If he connected it to Lily, she might be in even more danger. But who would believe a child her size could kill a giant snake? He’d just have to make sure none of this fell on her. He’d sworn to protect Lily and that’s what he’d do.
He changed back to a fly and hurried to Lily’s room. As Iggy flew through the vent, a female who worked in the castle had Lily’s sleeping body in her arms. She strode out of the room, and Iggy barely made it through the door before
it slammed shut. He lit on the woman’s shoulder as she waddled down the hall and stopped in front of an elevator.
Where on Earth was she taking Lily? Using telepathy, Iggy yelled for Lily to wake up. She was so sound asleep she couldn’t hear him. He had no choice but to stay with her. If he went after Riana, he’d lose them.
The woman got off the elevator on the top floor. She entered a large room that smelled like antiseptic, and laid Lily on an exam table.
Iggy zipped from one side of the room to the other. He had to do something, but what? He didn’t want to leave Lily to go for help. He froze in mid-air when the door opened.
A man in a white lab coat came into the room. “Hello, Ms. Rizzo. How has she been today?”
“She’s fine,” the woman snapped, her tone filled with disdain. “She is becoming somewhat difficult. Master Vind is losing patience with her.
The man in the white coat rubbed his chin. “I guess the drugs we’re using to put her to sleep could cause some irritability. Maybe I should adjust her dose,” he mumbled to himself.
Iggy’s wings accelerated, and he zipped from surface to surface. If he didn’t change from a fly soon he would draw attention to himself. He flew up to a vent in the ceiling so he could see what was happening and still move around undetected.
The woman removed Lily’s underwear and placed her feet in stirrups on each side of the table. The man sat on a stool at Lily’s feet and pulled a rolling table over to him. It held a tray of surgical instruments.
Iggy panicked.
“Oh crap, what are they doing to Lily? I have to stop this, now!” He shifted into a hornet, flew down, and circled the man’s head. A bald spot on top gave Iggy the perfect bull’s-eye. He picked up as much speed as possible and sat down stinger first with everything he had.
Before the man had a chance to react, Iggy nailed him two more times, once on top of each ear. He shot back to the vent and watched the man flail his arms in the air, wincing in pain.