by Jeff Hale
Terry entered the room, the door sliding shut behind him. He made a motion to one of the guards, who hit a button on a device on his belt. The monitor in the corner flickered to life and I could see Serena’s bedroom. She was lying on her bed, naked, while Kevin had his way with her. Elation surged through me that she was still alive, followed by seething fury. I lunged towards Terry again, falling to the floor again as my right leg refused to respond.
Terry reached down and picked me up with one arm and sat me on the cot. He held my head in place, making me watch in horror as Kevin continued to abuse Serena. Then Terry pulled a cell phone from his uniform pocket and speed dialed a number. I could hear a phone ring in the bedroom on the monitor. Kevin pulled away from Serena, then stood and walked out of camera sight. She lay on the bed, only the faint movements of her chest betraying the fact that she was alive.
“Go ahead and turn on your monitor,” Terry told whoever was on the other end of the phone, presumably Kevin. “Let the girl watch for a change.”
I heard Kevin give an affirmative response, then a few moments later he came back over to Serena. He pulled her up so that she was sitting with her back against the bedframe, then turned her head while he pointed at something. She didn’t respond for several seconds, her eyes staring vacantly at whatever it was he was pointing at, then she blinked hard a couple of times, bringing her hands to her mouth as she sucked air in sharply.
“Rick?” she called out weakly and the sound of her voice just about made my heart break.
“Good. Now, she can watch me hurt you.” Terry lashed out, striking me multiple times in multiple locations. The impact from his right arm felt like how I imagined getting hit with a bulldozer might.
Searing pain went through me as he drew an iron blade across my chest and I couldn’t help but cry out. I heard Serena scream my name from the monitor and I knew that I couldn’t let her see me suffering. Even as he dug further into my flesh with the knife, I sucked in air through my nose, forcing myself to breathe evenly, pushing the pain down. MAGE was thorough when training their field agents. They knew that there were ways to cut AEs off from the Aether and they made sure their field agents were prepared for torture resistance and survival during such a time. I pushed inward, ignoring the external pain, forcing myself into a deep, meditative trance. Terry could do just about anything he wanted to me, and I wouldn’t feel the pain, or react.
I wasn’t sure if he realized what I had done or not, but he became frustrated at my lack of response and began to become more creative in his techniques. At times I would come out of the trance briefly, but I refused to give in to what was happening. I saw the monitor a couple of times and saw Serena watching on in horror, heard her begging Kevin to make Terry stop.
Eventually, he did. After the door closed behind him, I sagged down onto the cot, my hold on the trance breaking. Agony flooded my system all at once, almost sending me into sensory shock, and I turned my face into the thin bedding to muffle a scream. He hadn’t left a part of me untouched, cuts and bruises all over my body, in places I didn’t know I had places. I wasn’t entirely certain what he had done to me, and truthfully, after what they’d done to Serena, I didn’t want to know.
I curled in on myself on the cot, and this time I didn’t bother to hide anything. I screamed in pain and rage, rage that I knew would need an outlet soon. It had to. Without an outlet… my mind just wasn’t going to be able to hold on much longer.
Especially since it was being fueled even further as I watched the monitor. Travis was torturing Serena again. Later, Erin and Tiffany both worked on her, playing ‘Good Cop, Bad Cop’ of a sorts. Erin tried to pleasure Serena while Tiffany inflicted more merciless pain. I didn’t want to watch, but I couldn’t seem to tear my eyes away. It fed me, stoked the rage. Made me alive, made my anger stronger, gave me fodder for the thing that seemed to have awakened inside of me. The thing that Merlin had warned me about.
“Don’t worry. We’ll get out of here, and together we will bring this whole operation down around their ears,” a familiar voice spoke from somewhere nearby, although I wasn’t exactly sure where.
“Malachai?” I asked, barely getting the word out.
“The one and only,” Malachai replied sardonically. “I have a plan, but you’re going to have to be ready at any time. Got it? You can’t lose yourself. I don’t know what they’re doing to you over there, and I’m not sure I want to know, but just hang on for a bit longer.”
I growled in response. I was ready. It was ready. I felt suddenly like I was being watched and I glanced up. A man stood on the other side of the glass. He was a couple inches short of six foot and his longish hair was a red so bright it was almost fiery. He was wearing a black suit and his eyes burned orange with an inner power. Azryel. Next to him, speaking to him in a low voice so that I couldn’t hear her, was Baba Yaga, but she didn’t look like she had in the hut. Instead she was wearing a hooded robe of black velvet and a gem encrusted burgundy cloak. Her face was young, attractive even, and she had flowing golden-brown hair. She stood tall and proud, a staff held loosely in one hand. They both scrutinized me for several moments, and then Azryel approached my cage.
“I see him, mistress,” he called back softly to her. “You were right. The king’s soul resides within his.”
“Then it is time. His corruption will allow you to do what you need. Remember to take the Phoenix’s power as well,” she commanded.
Azryel nodded, and opened the door to my cell. “I do believe that it is time for us to have a little fun together. Don’t worry, this won’t hurt,” he said, and everything went black.
TWENTY-ONE
Valencia
Things had changed.
I had changed, the world had changed, and everything that Merlin had warned me about had come crawling from their nooks and crannies and into our world and turned it upside down. The Barrier had fallen and spun the world into a new age, and with it, myself.
Something inside me had awakened.
After my father was killed by Aerick and my mother deemed an unfit parent due to the mental stress of what happened to her, Merlin had adopted me. Part of me wanted to feel bad about it, wanted to miss my mom, but I couldn’t disagree with the judgment. I moved to Colorado to be with my adoptive father and that was where I first met Merlin. He explained to me what I had seen, what I had experienced, and told me that I would need to learn about the Aether myself because it would soon become important. Then he took me to England to study.
I’d never felt safer in my entire life, except maybe when I was around Aerick. Maybe that was why I had always liked Aerick, despite his rebuffs of my flirtations; he always made me feel safe, especially when a good portion of my life made me feel so unsafe thanks to my father.
Of course, I found out he wasn’t really my father. He’d beaten me for that, when he’d found out that my mom had cheated on him and I wasn’t his child. Oh, he’d hit me a few times before that, when he was angry or I’d misbehaved, but never like that day. Aerick had saved me, and while he had looked at me a bit differently after that, it wasn’t in a bad way.
I got the idea he might have given me the chance I had always wanted with him. But I couldn’t do it. Aerick had a white knight complex and a part of me deep down knew that he would think he could protect me better if we were together, and I didn’t want that burden for him.
Now, though, I could protect myself just fine. I was a Sentinel, just like Aerick. Well, maybe not ‘just like’. I was an ArchReaver instead of a Paragon. ArchReavers had access to universal elements as well as the primes, and though I did have access to the prime element of water, my strengths lay in celestial and shadow energy. Merlin’s adoption of me had been twofold; to train me in the Aether, and to protect me from yet another Sentinel, a madman named Malachai. There had been more of us out there, unknowingly waiting to waken with the fall of the Barrier, more than just me and Aerick, and Malachai had murdered any other Sentinel that he had come acr
oss in an attempt to increase his personal knowledge and power.
I had concluded my training in the safety of Merlin’s sanctuary, learned everything that he could teach me, but Merlin told me there was still more for me to know. Things I would need to find another teacher for: Aerick. Merlin told me that Aerick would finish my training, and that he would need my help against Malachai. When I asked him if Aerick was still in Las Vegas, he said he wasn’t sure, but that I should contact The Phoenix, who made his home there. If anyone knew how to contact Aerick, it would be him. I knew my adopted father better than that. Merlin probably knew exactly where Aerick was, down to the square foot. But if he wanted me to follow this path to Aerick, then he had his reasons.
So here I was, standing in the parking garage of a night club called the Velvet Flame. I hit the keyring lock on my shiny new car, a gift from Merlin. It was a Camaro, black with silver highlights. It had been waiting for me at the airport here in Vegas, with a simple note ‘Love, Dad’. Just one more thing to add to the list of everything Merlin had done for me in the past. I owed him more than I could ever repay, not that he would ever let me.
I walked down through the parking garage and around to the front of the club. The place was empty, closed for the early morning. The front doors were still unlocked though and I went inside. There were a couple of janitors gathering up leftovers from last night’s crowd, but they ignored me, intent on their work. Behind the bar to my left was a young woman, a cute blonde, cleaning glasses and stacking them on the counter. I walked over and stood in front of the counter. She looked up briefly.
“Sorry, honey. We’re closed,” she said absent-mindedly, reaching for another glass.
“I’m here to speak with Lucien,” I said in my most business-like tone.
She gave me a slow once over that took in my front laced, black leather corset, and tight fitting black leather pants. My long hair was also black, naturally so, but I’d added the blue and purple highlights. “I’m sure you are, honey. Lots of girls want to speak with the owner,” the girl said, meeting my bright-blue eyes again. Her own eyes were blue and she was giving me a look that spoke to her dislike of who she thought I was.
“It’s okay, Lily. I’ve been expecting her,” a man’s voice spoke. There was something to the quality of that voice, something raw and primal. “Pleasure to meet you, Valencia. I’m Lucien, and we have a great deal to discuss I believe.”
I turned to look at the owner of the voice. He was a slight man, almost fragile looking, but the power I felt coming from him said that he was anything but fragile. He was dressed in a black suit with a bright-red shirt, his hair long and flowing, and silver despite the fact that he only looked to be in his mid-thirties. He gestured that I should come with him, so I followed him through a set of crimson velvet curtains. There was a mirror on the wall on the other side. I did a quick double check as we passed it, made sure my dark eye shadow and lipstick hadn’t smudged and my hair still fell in straight waves to my lower back. I was still presentable, despite the long plane trip, and I had the feeling that being anything less in this entity’s presence was unacceptable.
His office was a back room, but inside looked nothing like one. The décor was impressive: a stone desk inlaid with gold hieroglyphics, and two matching stone chairs for guests, all set in the middle of what appeared to be a bird filled tropical jungle. Exotic birds chittered overhead, flitting from tree to tree along the walls.
“Have a seat, if you would,” Lucien said, gesturing to the chairs. I sat down, the stone more comfortable than it looked. “Now, I believe that Merlin sent some information along with you?”
“Yes.” Merlin had secondary motives for sending me to Lucien. “He wanted you to know that the girl was pulled from Purgatory, and it’s a pretty safe bet that it was Azryel who put her soul there after he killed her. Merlin figures Azryel wanted to keep her there for safe-keeping and to torture her.”
“Interesting. I wonder what that demon is playing at. Apologies. Is there anything you needed? Food? Drink?”
“No thanks, sir. But… if you could tell me how I could get in contact with Aerick so I could be on my way?”
“In a hurry?”
“A bit, yes. I’m not trying to be rude, I just haven’t seen him in over a year,” I pointed out. A very long year in which both of us had gone through a major overhaul. I wasn’t the same little sixteen year old that Aerick remembered.
“Not at all. I understand. Here.” He took out a pad, wrote something down on the top sheet, and handed it to me. “That should be the address to his apartment, which he shares with his friend. If he isn’t there, try the second address, which is his office. The third address is another friend. He could very easily be with her, though given their recent falling out, I’m not sure, but it is worth a try.”
“Thanks.” I tucked the paper into my cleavage. “I should be on my way now.”
“Tell him that Malachai hasn’t been seen since our last encounter, if you would. He will know what it means.”
“I will. Thanks again.”
Lucien gave me a smile, nodding, and I stood and left the room.
Uh-oh, sounds like Malachai already found Aerick. I was happy to hear that Aerick had survived the encounter. From everything Merlin had told me, Malachai was not only oodles of danger, but he was psycho-killer insane, too. I exited the club and headed back to my car, then drove to the apartment address Lucien had listed first.
When I got there it looked like Aerick, or his roommate, might have been throwing a party by the crowd in front of the door. Dave was standing in the doorway wearing nothing but a pair of black boxers, blocking the entrance. Nina was standing in front of him, one hand on the door frame. I hadn’t seen either of them since high school and I was honestly surprised to see them together at all. I knew that Nina had cheated on Dave back in school. Nina had confided in me once, that and a whole lot more. I’d only done it because I had thought that Dave was trying to control her.
There were three other people on the landing, two guys and girl. I didn’t recognize any of them and none of them looked happy. The taller of the two guys stood next to Nina, his arms crossed over his chest, and I heard Dave call him Darien. His hair was short and black, the skin of his arms and face a natural bronze color that, coupled with his profile, was definitely Native American of some type, but not entirely. I guessed there might be some Mediterranean mixed in there somewhere, but whatever it was, the guy was gorgeous, his figure lean in black denim jeans and a dark t-shirt. The other guy was dressed in all-American white t-shirt and blue jeans, and was a little shorter, with shaggy dark-blonde hair. He was cute, almost like a puppy. Unlike the taller one, who seemed like a predator in human skin.
Much as I appreciated a good looking guy, it was the girl that caught my attention, though. Her hair was short and blonde, and a bit of a mess at the exact moment. She was curvy, and the strategically torn AC/DC shirt and equally strategically torn blue jeans were displaying quite a bit of skin, without actually showing anything. I noticed that despite his agitation, Dave’s eyes kept straying to her, and when he greeted her by name, it was Kris.
“What seems to be the problem here, boys?” I asked as I climbed the steps, doubly glad now that I had worn the flat-heeled Doc Martens. High heels were a bitch if you suddenly found yourself having to fight for your life. The door frame caught my eye; it was splintered and warped, and when I checked out the door itself I saw that the knob was twisted into an unrecognizable mess.
“Val? Is that you?” Nina asked. She leaned out around the dark-haired guy to look down at me incredulously. Dave turned to stare at me, his eyes going wide in disbelief, and the three I didn’t know all turned their attention to me as well. The cute blonde guy’s eyes seemed to have frozen on my heaving cleavage and I finished my way up the last few steps to stop right in front of him, trying not laugh in amusement. I sported a nice high C cup, and I’d had the corset made a size too small on purpose. Any form of distrac
tion could give me an edge if I needed it.
“While I appreciate the flattery, my eyes are up here, sweetie,” I said, pointing two fingers at my face as I walked past. Aww, how cute, he’s blushing. I winked at him and turned to Nina. “Yeah it’s me, Nina. In the flesh.” My gaze went from Dave to the dark-haired guy. Shifter. He had to be with the primal resonance that was radiating off from him. What the hell is a shifter doing breaking down Aerick’s door? “What’s going on here? No one looks very happy to see one another.”
Dave made a sour face, and it occurred to me that I was seeing more of Dave now than I ever had. Who would have guessed that the skinny guy would actually have a pretty hot bod? I did my best not to stare. “They won’t leave. I was just about to try to call Aerick’s office,” Dave said, glaring at the assembled group.
“And who, exactly, are ‘they’?” I asked, lifting a brow and giving each of the three strangers a questioning look. I’d heard two names, but that didn’t really tell me anything.
The dark-haired guy answered first. “My apologies.” He stuck out a hand. “Darien Torre.”
I shook his hand. It was warm, almost too warm. Oh yeah. Shifter. But he didn’t seem out to hurt anything, except maybe the apartment door. “Valencia Marcus.”
“And this is Alex,” Darien gestured to the blonde man, then his hand swung towards the girl, “and Kris.” They both smiled at me and Alex actually looked me in the eye this time.
I nodded at them both, then frowned. “So, why don’t you guys do what Dave asks and leave?” I kept my voice calm. Part of my training with Merlin was mediation. Time to put it to the test.
“We can’t,” Nina said, shaking her head. “I need something I left over here when we were still together. He won’t hand it over.”