by Mia McKimmy
If she had the strength to rescue Cy, she’d have to ask Alpheus to bring her some synthetic blood. After Cy was safe, she would starve Vind’s evil spawn from her body. She’d need to give Cy her blood in order for him to escape. She’d just give him enough to end her life. Problem solved. Cy would never consciously drain her. If she could get to him, cut her wrist and hold it to his mouth, his natural instinct to nourish his cells would kick in. She’d be dead before he came around enough to know what had happened.
Chapter 38
By the time Riana left the bathroom, she was beginning to feel better. But more than that, she had the rest of the plan resolved. She quickly combed and braided her wet hair, dressed in jeans, a sweater, and a pair of black leather boots with sharp, pointed heels. Not much for running, but they might be the only weapons she could find.
Riana picked up the phone and called the kitchen, relieved when the butler answered.
“Alpheus,” she said using her sweetest voice. “Would you mind bringing some coffee to my room?”
“Yes, madam, would you like something to eat?”
“No food, thank you, but I’m feeling rather poorly today. Would you mind bringing some of your synthetic blood?”
Alpheus released a breath. “I am relieved you will take nourishment, madam. I will be there momentarily.”
A few minutes later Alpheus entered the room with a silver tray and placed it on the table by the window. Riana’s mouth watered as the aroma of fresh brewed hazelnut filled the room. It was her favorite blend, and Alpheus always made sure she had plenty. But the decanter of blood called to her most.
“I came to check on you at breakfast and lunch. You slept so soundly, I chose not to wake you.”
“Well,” she said dryly, “the reason I slept so long is your boss found some way to drug me.”
Alpheus poured a cup of coffee and a large glass of blood. He set both at the small table in front of the window. “I am sorry, Madam Riana. He does tend to get carried away at times.”
“Get carried away…is that what you call it?” Her voice rose several octaves. “Do you know he has Cygan in the basement and has beaten and tortured him to the brink of death?”
The butler stared at her wide-eyed, as if she’d spoken a foreign language. “No, madam, I did not.”
She could tell his surprise was genuine, which was a good sign.
“Trust me, he’s there.” Riana picked up the cup of coffee, her hands trembling at the thought of telling Alpheus what happened last night. But she had to if there was any chance of him helping her. If he didn’t agree to help, she would have to hurt the old man, and she really didn’t want to. He was the only person who’d shown her or Lily any kindness.
She lowered her head and looked into her coffee cup. “Alpheus, last night Vind did something to me, I don’t know what, but it made me think he was Cy. He took me to a fertility pool and then to Cy’s cell. He had sex with me while Cy was shackled to the wall watching. When I came to myself, he said I was pregnant with his child.”
Riana looked up when a gasp came from the butler. He was pale and his hand held his chest. If he weren’t Sivadian, she would’ve sworn he was having a heart attack.
She grabbed Alpheus by the arm and guided him into a chair. “Are you all right?”
“Yes…I will be…in a moment.” Sweat trickled from his brow, and his respirations were way too fast.
Riana ran into the bathroom, poured a glass of water and wet a cloth. She sat on the floor in front of his chair and wiped his brow. Then handed him the water and waited for signs of recovery.
Alpheus took a long sip of water before he spoke. “Madam, you were under a witch’s curse. Last night I saw him with the witch he uses for spells. But I didn’t know what he had planned.”
That masseuse did have something to do with it. Riana stared into the butler’s gray eyes. “Alpheus, I need your help. I know how much I’m asking of you, but I need for you to let me out of this room. Cy’s in bad shape. Without help he’ll not survive much longer.” Tears blurred her vision. “Please, Alpheus. You once loved him, too.”
“I love him still.” Guilt lay heavy in Alpheus’ voice. “I have overlooked Master Vind’s activities in the past, because of my promise to the queen. To watch after him was her wish… and my punishment. Over time, he has become mad with revenge. I have always tried to anchor him to reality, but as of late, it has become increasingly difficult. However, he must be stopped. My queen would not stand for this. I will not stand for this.” He laid an unsteady hand on Riana’s shoulder. “I will do whatever it takes to save Master Cygan. What must I do?”
Riana placed her hand on his arm and breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Alpheus. You don’t know what it means to hear you say that. Where is Vind now?”
“He’s in his room getting ready to go into town. He will leave at dusk and go to the airport to pick up the general and his wife for the wedding tomorrow. She is pregnant and can’t transport so they are flying in. It will take him around two hours to go to the airport and back.”
“As soon as he leaves, come get me. Then call the guard and tell him to come to the kitchen to pick up snacks, or whatever will get them to leave the cells. While he’s there, ask him to get something from the pantry for you, where I’ll be waiting. If everything goes as planned, I’ll knock him out. Can you get your hands on some anti-transport strips?”
“Yes. There are some in Master Vind’s bedside table.”
“Can you get a couple of pairs to prevent him from transporting out of the pantry?”
“Yes, madam. I will have them when I come for you.”
She took a deep breath to blow off tension before asking the next question. “Alpheus, would you transport Cy out of here? I’ll give him blood, but he’ll still be too weak to leave on his own. Also, if Vind figures out your involvement, I’m afraid he’ll kill you.”
Alpheus’ chin lifted in the air. “I am not afraid of dying. However, it will be my honor to transport master Cygan. I only wish I knew how to get that thing off your ne—.”
“It’s okay, Alpheus,” she interrupted. Riana reached and pulled the butler into a tight hug. “Thank you,” she whispered.
***
Riana had paced the room for forty-five minutes before Alpheus finally returned and unlocked her door.
“Master Vind has left, and I have prepared food for the guard to pick up.”
He handed her the strips she’d asked for. “I got extra, just in case you need them.”
“Thanks, Alpheus.” Riana stuck them in her pocket, and hesitated as fear flashed in the butler’s eyes. She placed her hands on his small shoulders. “I need for you to stay as calm as possible. If they sense your fear, they’ll become suspicious and pay close attention to their surroundings. Can you do that for me, Alpheus?”
He stood a little taller and tugged his jacket straight. “Yes, madam.”
They left her room and headed down the hall. A back set of stairs led to an entrance directly inside the kitchen.
Alpheus handed Riana an extremely large meat-tenderizing mallet. “This should take care of the task at hand, madam.”
She shook her head and smiled. “More like brain trauma.”
When the guard entered the kitchen, Riana stood behind the pantry door with the mallet pulled over her head. She gripped the handle tight, her pulse pounding a rhythm in her fingertips. As heavy footsteps came closer, fear widened her pupils, ready for her attack.
On the other side of the door, a head of dark hair came into view. He bent to pull a fifty-pound bag of flour from a bottom shelf. Riana brought the steel mallet down hard, using every ounce of strength she possessed. As the mallet made contact with the back of the guard’s head, a loud crack rang out. The guard went face first onto the floor. She watched for movement, ready to whack him again. He never even twitched. Riana released a breath, and quickly pulled two security strips from her pocket. She secured his hands behind him, and the
n removed the electronic key-cards attached to his belt.
Riana looked up at Alpheus standing in the doorway. He held an iron frying pan over his head, ready to help her if the guard got up.
“It’s okay. He’s not moved a muscle.” She stepped over the body sprawled across the doorway. “That’s one big guy. I can’t believe he went out with one hit.”
Alpheus closed and locked the pantry door. “Master Vind always places the largest guards at the cells.”
“You know the old cliché, the bigger they are the harder they fall?” Riana asked. “It wouldn’t surprise me if there’s a dent in the floor beneath him.” Although, her surprise attack was the only reason the mammoth went down so easy. If he’d seen it coming, things would have gone a lot differently. “Can I hold on to this?” she asked, holding up the mallet.
“Certainly,” Alpheus replied.
They headed down the back hallway toward the cells’ entrance. “I need you to stay up here, Alpheus. Since they’re used to seeing you around the castle it will appear less suspicious. And you can deter anyone from coming down to the cells while I’m getting Cy out.”
“Yes, madam, I shall not let anyone pass,” he said, a hint of threat in his voice.
“Alpheus, I don’t want you to fight any of these guys. They’re much too strong, and you’ll get hurt. If someone approaches, come up with a reason why they can’t go down to the cells. Okay?”
“Yes, madam,” he said, not meeting her eyes.
He was up to some type of heroics. She turned to him when they reached the entrance to the cells. “Promise me, Alpheus,” she demanded.
“I cannot, madam. I must do whatever is necessary to help save Master Cygan. He is the true future king.”
Riana reached out and touched his arm. “I understand, but Cy wouldn’t want you to risk your life. If you get hurt, you can’t transport him out of here. You are his only hope, Alpheus.”
Chapter 39
Riana stepped lightly into the stairwell to prevent the echo of her boots. As she reached the bottom, it opened into a small room with a desk. She released a shuddering breath, relieved no guard was around. Four hallways led in different direction from the room. She entered the one with the heaviest scent of fresh blood. At the sixth cell her relief turned to panic.
Cy’s body lay on the cold, stone floor beneath the manacles. He was curled into a fetal position, his face still unrecognizable from massive swelling. “Cy,” she whispered. He didn’t move or open his eyes.
Riana’s heart twisted into a hard knot and tears burned her eyes.
Oh God, please let him be okay. She laid the mallet down on the floor and fumbled for the key cards in her pocket.
With around twenty electronic cards on the chain, she started the tedious task of eliminating one card at a time. This would take time, the one thing she didn’t have. But it was the only way to open the cell. Her need to get to Cy blocked out logical thought. Her hands shook so badly the keys fell to the floor. As she bent to pick them up, she caught movement from the corner of her eye.
Riana froze, and slowly turned her head. Vind’s second-in-command, Soren, stood at the end of the hall, wearing the bitterly cruel expression that never left his hideous face. He disgusted her on a level matched only by her hatred of Vind. Soren was so large he looked like a Mac truck blocking the hallway. Riana stiffened her back, preparing for the inevitable.
He might be big, and he’s definitely ugly, but I will not back down. He’ll have to kill me to keep me from getting inside that cell.
Soren’s threatening gaze fixed on her. “My, my,” he said, his tone vicious. “What have we here? When Dirk went after a snack, I didn’t realize it would be so fresh and appealing.”
As Soren stalked toward her, a surge of adrenaline kicked Riana’s heart into high gear. She grabbed the mallet and fell into a fighting stance.
Malevolent laughter echoed through the empty cells. Soren stopped a few feet away. “Do you really think you can fight me?”
She lifted her chin and stared straight into his glassy, black eyes. “You’re damn right, I do.”
“You have no idea how deep in this shit-pit you are, do you girlie?” Soren’s head tilted to one side as if considering his next move. “This is good. I love to play with my food. Escalating fear adds to the flavor.” His cruel lips quirked into a half-smile.
“You can’t harm me,” Riana said, sounding more confident than she felt. “If you do, your psychotic boss will be mad, since I now carry his heir. You know someone usually ends up dead whenever he’s mad.”
“I’ll have to remind myself not to drain you completely, then. Although, it is something I’ve dreamed of, since you let the child escape. She belonged to me,” he yelled, his anger mounting to the point veins bulged in his bald head.
“You disgusting bastard.” Riana screamed. She shuddered at the thought of what such a vile creature would do to an innocent child like Lily. “You will never lay a finger on her. I made sure of that,” she goaded.
Soren’s smile turned cold and wicked. “That may be true. However, the day will come when you’ve served your purpose. Vind will hand you over to me to play with, as he does with all the others. You are nothing more than a vessel for his child, and a means to inflict revenge on his brother. When that day comes, I’m going to keep you alive for a long time, torture you in every way imaginable.” He laughed, delighting in the image.
Coiled and ready, Riana pinned him with a deadly stare. “Not if I kill you first you pedophile, piece of shit.” Hoping to catch him off-guard, she leapt the distance between them and kicked straight out with her foot. She aimed for his eye with the heel of her boot, but he jerked back just enough that she missed. The ball of her foot connected firmly with his chin, jacking his head back. She twisted in the air and landed in a low crouch.
Fire flashed in Soren’s eyes.
Riana pulled from the knowledge Cy had drilled into her during their nightly sparring sessions. As Soren neared, she pivoted around and slashed out with her foot, making contact with his chest. The force of the blow reverberated up her leg, but did little to slow him down. He lunged for her and missed as she hit the floor, rolled to the side and came out behind him. He was stronger and a far more experienced fighter. Her best hope was to land a few lucky kicks and cause as much damage as possible. Since she had nowhere to run, getting away was out of the question.
I am so dead.
As Soren turned, she whirled around on the floor, braced her back against the wall for momentum and kicked out with both feet. The blow made contact with the side of his knee. Flesh and bone gave away under the power of her kick.
Soren screamed in frustration and pain and hit the floor. He grabbed Riana’s foot and jerked her toward him, twisting her ankle with each drag. Still holding the mallet, she swung it through the air, attempting to connect with any body part she could. Soren blocked her swing and sent her only weapon skidding across the floor.
Riana ignored the pain shooting from her ankle to her hip. She kicked wildly with her free leg, attempting to loosen his vise-like grip. Panic took over, causing her kicks to be ineffective. She took a deep breath, and Cy’s voice came to mind from their time in the gym over the past few weeks.
Eyes, throat, groin. Riana pulled her free leg all the way to her chest and concentrated on Soren’s right eye. With her mule-like strength, she aimed the stiletto heel at her target and released. Bulls-eye!
Soren roared, turned her loose and covered his eye with a large hand. Blood gushed from the socket like a flood through a drain pipe. As a doctor, Riana knew she’d just destroyed his lacrimal artery and optic nerve. Still on the floor screaming, Soren blindly grabbed for her.
Riana scooted back, looked for the mallet and spotted it inside one of the locked cells. As she attempted to stand, pain shot through her ankle and it gave way. She scampered on hands and knees over to the cell and flattened her body against the floor. She stretched her arm through the bars,
but her finger tips only brushed the handle. Her head jerked toward movement behind her. Soren was getting up. Riana crammed her shoulder beneath the lowest bar and her fingers inched the mallet close enough to grip. She jerked it to her.
A loud thud echoed through the cells. Riana spun around and drew the mallet back, ready to attack.
Soren had gotten up, but slipped in the blood and fell. Blood from his injured eye flowed into the other. He blindly swung his arms through the air, attempting to grab her.
Riana glared at his bloody pants. She’d already busted one of his knees. She needed to ensure he remained immobile. Riana eased closer. With all her might, she brought the mallet across the shin of Soren’s good leg.
He bellowed, and his beefy hand gripped onto her arm like a vice.
Panic shot through Riana. With her free hand, she swung the mallet and struck Soren’s temple. Hard.
“I’m going to kill you, bitch!” Soren fell back and yanked her on top of him.
Riana gripped the mallet tighter and played a game of ‘whack-a-mole’ on Soren’s face. Bones crunched with every downward swing.
Fear mixed with rage took Riana to a place she’d never been. She didn’t care that his face had turned into a flattened, bloody mass of tissue. She didn’t care that he no longer gripped her arm. She didn’t care about anything but destroying the monster beneath her.
Through a red haze of fury, Riana heard a distant voice call her name. Gentle hands squeezed her shoulders. She flipped around, the bloody mallet drew back ready to strike, and looked straight into her father’s eyes. Riana froze, dropped her weapon and threw her arms around his neck.
Oz lifted her and held her tight. “It’s okay, honey. I’m here. You’re safe.”
Riana pulled a ragged gasp of air into her lungs as Oz held her in his arms like a small child.