by Ann Cory
"I am sure she'd love to see you again, as well."
Graff walked up and threw his arms around her.
"What is this all about?"
"Thank you. I have been lost for so long, I had forgotten to live. Stay strong, dear friend. I hope we will see each other again soon."
"I would like that."
"Good bye. Be safe."
Minna patted him on the back and waited until he left. She looked toward the door as if it were going to open by itself and become a portal to lead her on the wrong path. If this didn't work, and she were caught, she would follow through with her original plan. She hoped it wouldn't come to that.
Slowly she opened the door and looked out. The hallway stretched in both directions, each side leading to a flight of stairs. Quietly she walked and checked each door as she passed. She descended a flight of stairs, and at the end of another hallway, she stopped. From one of the rooms came the sound of a man moaning and groaning. She couldn't tell if he was in pain or not, but she didn't want to risk finding out. Minna hurried down several more flights of stairs until she reached the doors. She slipped outside and kept low, her eyes scanning for the slightest movements.
From her window she remembered seeing a garden path that looked as though it led straight to the base of the craggy mountains. Without any guards, the castle grounds were quiet, deserted, but she knew better than to think she was alone. Blagden had eyes everywhere, eyes that couldn't be seen.
At the end of the path, she ran with all the strength her legs could muster. She was out of breath by the time she came to the black cave-like castle, at the bottom of two ashen hills. A cool breeze swept along her face and the branches of dead trees reached out to grab her. The hairs on the back of her neck stood straight up. Minna had the oddest sensation someone or something was watching her. Sounds of low, deep panting filled her ears and made her tremble. She looked around and couldn't see anything. She didn't know how many slaves Blagden had working for him, or how dangerous they were.
Bravely she continued on, ignoring the fear that crept behind her in unseen shadows. She knew better than to enter the castle from the front, so she went around back. Dead trees and plants littered the yard. It smelled putrid, like decaying flesh. The panting sounds continued, becoming louder. She forced herself to keep going.
Off to the left she noticed a trapdoor. That would be her way in. Minna descended the stairs, her eyes adjusting to the change in light. Water dripped from the stone ceiling and the stench was enough to make her stomach churn. The further down she went, the more certain she was this would lead her straight to the dungeon.
Each step echoed, no matter how softly she set her foot down. Anyone below would have plenty of time to catch her. She'd come this far, it was too late to back out now. She held her breath and hoped no one lurked in the darkness. At the bottom of the stairs, it was very dark and she had to feel her way inside. She heard rats squeaking and crawling along. Minna had to bite the insides of her cheeks to keep from screaming out. Keep going, keep going, she commanded herself.
The darkness lasted longer than she liked. It was some long corridor or tunnel. Whatever it was, she hoped it would get her to where she wanted. She kept following it until she came to a dimly lit room. Her heart pounded as she looked around. Shackles hung from walls, ropes swung from the ceiling, and several wooden blocks with dried blood lined the floors. She was definitely in a dungeon.
A large iron cage stood in the middle of the room. It was big enough to house a beast. Two of the bars were misshapen like they'd been pulled apart. She stepped forward and tripped over something, sending her to the cold, hard floor. Minna looked back at what had been in her way and noticed a wooden crate, torn to shreds. She was certain Derik was here at one time, but he wasn't now. Had Blagden moved him? The thought of searching the whole castle didn't appeal to her, but she didn't have much choice. She started to stand and heard a rustling sound.
"Derik," she called. "Is that you?"
"Minna."
Startled to hear a voice from behind her, she jumped. Before she had time to turn around, a heavy object came down hard at the base of her head.
* * *
After his third try, Derik had finally pulled the bars apart wide enough to get his body through. He smashed through Lessier's crate to help him out, and had a wild image of tearing the wolf apart. A single strike to the stomach. Or perhaps the head. Blood and innards flowing freely, a tasty morsel to stave off the impending hunger that never truly left.
He shook his head, struggling to ignore the desires of the beast-like creature's mind and concentrate on his own. He couldn't lose himself now. Lessier gave him a stare that suggested he'd read his mind, but Derik chose not to say anything about it.
Together they left the dungeon and crept up the stairs. At this point, he needed to trust his longtime enemy to defeat the other enemy. Whatever ill feelings he'd been harboring weren't important now, if he even still harbored them. His priority was rescuing Minna.
They crawled along the musty corridors until they found a way inside the castle. It was dank and barren inside. Surprisingly there were no guards around to see them. At least not that Derik could tell.
"I am glad to be out of that tomb," Lessier said.
"I didn't like it any better than you. I suggest you stay close to me. Blagden appears at the most undesirable of times, and his powers grow stronger every day."
Lessier snorted. "As if I trust you to save my hide. It seems to me that even in your monstrous form you are still no match for his amulet and powers. I will look out for myself thank you."
"I wasn't suggesting you weren't capable or strong enough. I was only warning you to watch your back. You misunderstood."
"I have misunderstood many things it would seem. How have you not been able to take down Blagden all this time? I would have maimed him long ago if he turned me into such a mammoth killing machine."
Derik kept his cool. Anything Lessier said was bound to infuriate him. It was for Minna that he tolerated him. "Because he knows what to threaten me with. The one thing he holds over me is Minna, and he used my love for her to keep control, along with the amulet. He fed my mind with visions and words that suggested Minna was unwell. Once he claimed she was dying, and other times he implied she was locked away somewhere. I didn't know what was truth and what wasn't. She is precious to me and I did not want to put her at risk."
"But one strike and you could decapitate him."
"And one word from his lips could conjure up a spell to destroy her. I weighed both sides and Minna won out every time. When he wasn't planting ideas in my head about her, he was using me to destroy people. Believe it or not, I couldn't always overcome the beast's thoughts. It takes a lot of energy to separate the two."
"I would have done things differently."
"Enough. It doesn't matter now."
"I wouldn't be here right now had you acted like a man."
Derik didn't want to waste energy on a discussion that would go around and around. "Think what you want. But don't think that I can't sense that you would harm me the moment that it suits you."
"We need to save Minna, get the amulet from Blagden, and then destroy him for good. You and I will have to keep our personal vendettas to ourselves and work together as a team," Lessier countered.
"How very noble of you. However, I don't have a personal vendetta against you. While I have never forgiven you for the pain you caused my family, there has never been a time where I would have sought out to harm you. One death was enough. Shh, wait, I see someone."
Up ahead, Derik recognized Blagden's servant coming toward them.
"Who is it?" hissed Lessier.
"The one who fed us earlier. His name is Graff, I believe. He can be trusted."
"How do you know?"
"Because he has always been kind. You there, if you have come to place us back in the dungeon, we will fight you every step of the way."
"What? No, no, no. Where
is she?" Graff looked above and around them, a worried look on his face. "Isn't Minna with you?"
Derik tensed up. "Why would she be with us?"
"She went looking for you several hours ago. She came to get you out. I heard Blagden say he was coming to play the two of you against one another for amusement and I had to come and make sure she was out of danger. Please, you have to find her; he means to make her his bride tomorrow. If he finds out she has left the castle, he will do something terrible, I just know it."
"That stubborn woman, she is too brave for her own good. Imagine her coming to rescue me while we are on our way to save her." Derik shook his head, worry surrounding his heart. "Come on, we must go back."
Lessier blocked his way. "Are you crazy? We just came from there. I didn't see her."
Derik wasn't about to let a wolf decide Minna's fate. "We have been walking for some time. I hope we aren't too late!"
"I am not going back, and neither are you."
Lessier opened his mouth and bared his teeth.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Minna opened her eyes and found herself on the floor, locked inside an iron cage, her ankle chained. Her clothes were severely torn and revealed more flesh than she cared to show. She shivered and looked around.
"Ah, my naughty bride-to-be awakens from her sound sleep." Blagden squatted down to her level and smirked at her from the other side of the bars.
Her vision was fuzzy and the back of her head throbbed when she tried to sit up. "I don't understand, what happened?"
"Take it easy, my dear. That was a nasty spill you took, and I must say that had I been quicker, I would have gladly cushioned your fall."
"I'm sure you would have. I didn't fall. Someone came up behind me and hit me over the head. I gather that was you."
Blagden bowed with a smug look on his face. "Can't have my woman snooping around a dungeon. There are a lot of sharp instruments in here. I wouldn't want to see you break your neck."
"Not unless you did it yourself."
"I wouldn't do it myself, of course. I have many unsightly minions to do my dirty work for me. They aren't here right now, but if they were, you could have been in a lot of danger."
"Why?"
"They are always crawling around looking for a fresh, young woman to feast on. From what I understand, they have great taste. Woman flesh is their favorite."
She didn't know how much longer she could continue the verbal sparring. Slowly he was wearing down her defenses. It was what he wanted, a submissive bride. Somewhere inside she needed to pull herself together. "You are despicable. I demand you tell me where Derik is."
"Ah, I see you still have a little bite in you. How sweet. You know exactly where he is."
"No, I don't." She was beginning to wonder if he didn't either.
"Do you really expect me to believe you? All fingers point to you letting the beasts out to come hunt me down."
Minna shook her head. "I don't know what you're talking about. I haven't seen him since you locked me away. The cage was empty when I got here."
"Are you telling me the truth?"
"I have no reason to lie at this point."
"I am sure you want me to believe that. Women cannot be trusted. You are all deceitful things who are too aware of the power of your sex."
Her body trembled at his words.
"I don't know where he is, and it would appear you don't either. You might want to watch your back."
"I'm not worried. There are many things lurking outside that won't let them escape."
"Them?"
"Yes, your friend, the wolf."
"He is still alive?"
"Yes, for now. We have ourselves a dilemma. Since you cannot be trusted to stay inside your room, what shall I do with you?"
Minna bit her tongue to keep from saying something that would only get her into more trouble. She needed to get on his good side. Whether Blagden cared to admit it or not, he was easily swayed—for the right price.
"You could let me out if I promised to be good."
He chuckled heartily. "I don't trust you."
She stood up and gave him a coy look. "My whole reason for coming here was to break the news of my engagement to Derik. Gently. I wanted a chance to tell him goodbye and let him know I was over him. Too much time has passed and I was under the impression things could go back to normal. I see I was wrong."
Minna saw his expression change and knew she was on the right track.
"Is that so? Hmm. I'm intrigued, but I still don't believe you."
"When I got down here, I was alone. The bars were stretched apart."
"Yes, I had to take care of that. Magic is a useful tool. You came to say goodbye, did you?"
She forced herself to give him a suggestive look. His eyes reflected surprise and arousal.
"Yes. I did. To hear the news from someone else would have only hurt him and I…wanted to spare his feelings. He's been through so much. I didn't want him to suffer any more than he already has."
Blagden walked around the cage, looking her up and down. "You are a very caring woman. I like that. Tell me why I should believe you."
Minna shrugged her shoulders. "You forget that Derik and I loved one another with all our beings. We shared something very special. I felt it only right to let him know that our love no longer meant anything and that I was going to spend the rest of my life with you. I didn't want him to think there was still a chance."
"Do not take me for a fool," Blagden spat.
He reached out and gripped the ends of her hair tight in his fist. Minna fought the urge to pull away.
"You are dangerously beautiful." He pulled her close and fingered her nipples through the top of her dress. "You are seductive in that luscious skin of yours. I cannot deny that the thought of taking you in the twilight hours makes my cock grow hard. It has been a long time since I have felt such lust for a woman. But your words do not sway me. I can see right through those deceitful thoughts of yours."
"You are wrong." She leaned forward into him, jutting her breasts out so they peaked above the torn material. Her lips were close to his, with only the bars between them.
Blagden clasped his fingers tightly around the amulet. "My dear, this source of power I wear around my neck is enough to take down any man I choose. It is also enough to make a woman do anything I want. Would you care to try?"
Minna stared at the amulet in fear. Perhaps she was only getting herself into more trouble. As much as she wanted to believe herself strong enough to survive anything, she was no match for him.
"You would dare use that on me? The woman you wish to be your bride? I have done nothing to threaten you. What cause would there be to control me?"
"Oh my precious beauty. I can think of many things."
The feral look in his eyes made her want to cower into the corner, as far from his reach as possible.
"I enjoy the empowerment that having total control gives me, especially when it is over a human."
"Will you not give me a chance to prove my feelings for you?"
"And what feelings are those? Earlier you spouted that your love was for only one man. All of a sudden you have feelings for me? Don't waste my time."
"It is true. I thought about it. You can offer me so much. I want the beautiful dresses and to live in glorious castles. It is a life I've only dreamt about. You are the man who could give it to me."
He sneered. "Then you won't have any difficulties marrying me."
"None at all." She swallowed down the sour words.
"In case you are trying to toy with my emotions, I think I will leave you locked up in here. That way I know you cannot get out."
Minna knew it wouldn't be easy to get him to do what she wanted, but she kept on. "Please, no. I do not like to be caged up."
"Then, my little wild cat, you should learn to stay where you are told."
She lowered her lashes and pressed her breasts closer to him. "I promise to stay from now on. Der
ik will find out one way or another that I have decided to marry you. There is no other reason I need to leave your castle chambers again."
"Mm. The vision in my head of you chained to my bed is most pleasing. I would want you there to tend to me whenever I wanted. But be warned, I plan to have many mistresses."
"If that is your wish. Far be it for me to argue with the one who shall be called my husband."
He let go of her hair and let his fingers fall down around her breasts.
"So tell me how you were able to leave your room? Did that idiot servant of mine let you out? Did you promise to suckle at his filthy loins in repayment? I should have known Graff would fall for your feminine charms. They are hard to resist. Tell me, what is it like to lay with the dirty slaves?"
Minna fumed. "No one helped me out and I don't trade sexual favors."
"You will learn to. Once you are my bride, I will use you as a pawn to bring down the other kings. One at a time. You will be their distraction."
"I thought you wanted me for a bride. I don't care to be your sex slave."
"Bride. Slave. They are one in the same. Either you do as I order, or you will do so by way of the amulet. I am being generous in allowing you the choice."
She tried one final time. "Please, let me out. I promise not to leave again. You have the upper hand, and I have nowhere to go. I don't like being trapped in here. The cage frightens me."
Blagden walked around the iron bars, studying her trembling form. He licked his lips. "I cannot wait to feel my cock pulsing inside your delicious nectar. When I take you, it will be with a fury."
Minna smiled. "Your words excite me. Won't you unchain me?"
"In time, chains and bars won't frighten you. Instead, they will make you learn your place. Say please and I will consider it."
She pressed her lips together. "Please."
"Very well, I shall grant my bride her request. You may go free from here, but you will go back to your room with an entourage of guards around it at all times."
"Thank you."
Blagden circled his hand around the jewel and a beam of light streamed along the bars, melting the iron as if it were butter. The chain around her ankle broke free.