Cherish (The Guardian Series Book 3)

by K. B. Wheelock

  Esson stomped back up the stairs to resume his search. If he couldn’t get into the Empyrean Realm, then he’d find that damn box. If he’d known that Luke had taken the box, he’d have searched harder for him. Then finding out that he’d unwittingly brought the prophecy to life . . . The one part of the prophecy that he’d done his best to not let known was in that box. He’d killed the oracle and all the acolytes to make sure that no one would ever hear of it.

  There were three doors leading to rooms to search. The first room he looked into was just a bed and chair. The movie posters on the wall led him to believe it was Keyne’s room, but he didn’t see any sense in wasting his time there, maybe if he didn’t find what he was looking for he would come back to it.

  The second door led to a of frilly pink room filled with toys. He doubted that she’d hide the box in the twins’ rooms. Children, no matter what species, were not known for being kind to possessions. Instead, he turned and went into her room. The pale-pink walls made him want to vomit. Could she be anymore cliché? Her bedspread was a light gray with pale-pink roses at the bottom, a rose-colored throw lay over that.

  At the end of the bed, a large wooden chest sat. On the top was engraved a Celtic knot with a flowering rose in the center. He went to open the chest, and a jolt had him pulling back. His hand reached out again, and just as it touched the wood a stronger jolt had him taking a step back. With a growl he quickly grabbed the lid and went to lift it but was shot backwards into the wall.

  He shook his head and screamed his rage until his voice was hoarse. “What has that witch done this time? How is she keeping me from it?”

  A quiet voice had him turning to the doorway. “That witch has protected what’s hers, and you shall not have it,” Rose said.

  Esson lunged towards her, but as his hand touched her shoulder, Rose shifted into her mouse form and scurried under the bed. Roaring in anger, Esson flipped the mattress off the bed, knocking the side table over and breaking the lamp. He peered through the slats on the bed and couldn’t see the mouse.

  “Looking for me?” Rose asked. Esson turned his head to see her leaning in the doorway to the bathroom. He pivoted, using his wings to steady himself and then speed him to where she stood. His arms were outstretched, his fingers and claws ready to squeeze her throat. And then she was gone. He looked for her, flipping the dresser over, and a chair. But he couldn’t find her in either her human or mouse form.

  “Where are you, you little witch? You can’t leave here. I know the secrets to getting into the Empyrean Realm.”

  Rose changed into her human form, standing on the opposite side of the room. “Why? Why do you want me and the girls?”

  “You’re the answer to everything! Through you, I can rule not only the demon realm, but the human and Empyrean realm as well. And I know just how to make you do as I ask.” He spun on his heel and started out the door.

  “Wait!” Rose called. “What do you mean you know how to make me do what you ask?”

  Esson turned and looked at her, desire and disgust waging for purchase in his mind.

  “Didn’t you see your lover laying on the floor? Bloody and bruised? He lives as long as you do what I ask!” He could see the pain the choice was causing her etched in her face. But he had something else that he knew would break her spirit, make her his.

  “Though you may not want him after what he did. Opening his wings in battle, not a care in who he hurt, who he killed,” Esson said, glee filling him as he saw her realization dawn.

  Her arms wrapped around her body, as if holding her together, and she bit her lip.

  “Those piles of ash all around the living area. One of those is your savior, the traitor Cullen. He betrayed me by taking you from my castle, and then he betrayed you by leading me here.”

  Rose gasped, a tear slipping down her cheek.

  He could see what his words were doing to her, and it gave him strength feeling her pain. “Why I didn’t think of it before, I don’t know. But all I have to do to go to Empyrean and take the girls, is to have the blood of one of you. THAT Brownie would’ve made it so that you and your family would always have a way to get to her home.” Esson turned to leave as if Rose was nothing more to him than a stranger on the street.

  He heard a movement behind him, and then Rose was tearing at his wings, ripping one with her hands. He screamed in pain and backhanded her against the wall. Black blood dripped onto the floor. It had been years since someone had dared to injure him, to touch him.

  Rage billowed up from the depths of his soul. He stalked to where she lay and grabbed her by the neck. Tears streamed down her face as her wings emerged with a bright-white light.

  He laughed through his pain at her attempt to save herself. Even in his hatred of her, he couldn’t keep his body from reacting to her. Her blood called to him. He reached into his pants pocket, pulled out a collar, and quickly snapped it on her neck before she could think to shift.

  “This time, your wings won’t save you.” He held the collar so that it pulled on her neck, the fear in her eyes feeding his soul, making him stronger. “Over the years, I have played with the Angiron. Given it new properties.”

  He held up his hand where a gold and silver laced ring rested on his finger. “Just a small ring, and I’m immune to your Guardian light. You can no longer hurt me. And now with it around your pretty neck, you have no powers.” He laughed, the sound echoing through the room.

  “Now, open the trunk,” he said, pushing her towards it, his tail hitting her across the bottom.

  She moved forward and bent down to touch the lid, her finger resting on each of the points of the Celtic knot and then placed her whole hand on the flowering rose. A hiss sounded through the room, and she opened the lid.

  Esson pushed her aside in his haste to get to the box. Looking into the chest he saw the box that he’d been looking for. “Finally!” He reached in and picked it up as if it was the most precious thing in the world.

  “That nephew of mine took this from me before he fled our realm. Hiding it with you was genius on his part. But now it’s mine again.” He ran his hands over the box as if touching a lover.

  “It’s a box. Nothing more. What’s so special about it?” Rose asked.

  “When we’re home, and you’ve been properly reminded of your place, I shall show you! I’ll show the world what it means for a demon to rule. With what’s in here and you, nothing can stop me!” Esson laughed maniacally as he wrapped his tail around his niece’s waist and pulled her to him. His forked tongue, whipped out and licked the tear that ran down her face. “Let’s go home.”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Rose

  Esson dragged Rose through the streets. She shook in fear, unable to shift or access her wings. Even her ability to hear thoughts was gone. She didn’t know if she could stand being captive again. Maybe death would be a better option. But then she thought of the little one within, her hand itching to touch her stomach. But something told her that if she did, her life would be forfeit. And she had to do everything in her power to stay alive, not just for this little one but for her girls.

  She reached up to wipe her face, wet with the tears she shed for her girls and her men. Cullen was gone, no chance of him being resurrected. She didn’t know if Niall lived or not. Her girls would be safe in Empyrean, but they’d grow up without a mother. Her heart broke for all that she was leaving behind, but if it saved the world, saved her girls, she would sacrifice herself. Pushing her grief and heartache down into a box in the deepest part of her mind, she steeled herself for what was to come.

  She looked around as she ran to keep up with Esson’s long legs as they ate up the sidewalk. She tripped to avoid running into a man walking his dog, but neither the dog or the man acknowledged Esson or Rose. She wanted to scream, to call out but suddenly it was as if her throat was sealed shut.

  “Don’t bother trying. I am the Lord Demon. My powers are much more than you can imagine. No one can see you or hea
r you—well, if you could speak that is. Did you really think that some magical potion made all those people in Moberly unable to speak? No, it was me,” Esson gloated, looking over his shoulder at her.

  She grabbed her throat and tried to scream, tried to push more than air through her vocal chords, but nothing happened. She pulled away from him, trying to stop their forward movement as panic over took her. She didn’t think she could do this, that she was strong enough to withstand whatever he planned.

  “Stop pulling and come,” Esson said with a yank of his tail.

  Rose stumbled and fell to the ground, catching herself with her hands. She winced at the pain that burned where her knees had hit the pavement. She looked up, feeling the heat of Esson’s gaze on her.

  He pulled her close enough that she could feel his hot breath on her cheek as he whispered into her ear. “Remember, my dear grand-niece. That there’s a fine line between pleasure and pain, between ecstasy and punishment. If you keep resisting me, we’ll see how fine that line is for you. I’ll find ecstasy in your screams, whether they are from pleasure or pain.” He bit her ear, drawing drops of gold blood. He hissed as the blood touched his tongue. Rose cringed at the pain, and the smell of burnt demon flesh. “Yes, pleasure and pain.”

  Rose steeled herself to follow Esson. She could do this, she’d be strong for her girls, no matter what. Somehow, she’d ensure that her daughters continued to grow in a world of love, and that hate would never win.

  Esson turned and dragged her down the street. “We must get to the portal and back to my home. Then I’ll show you what that box means and what your life will bring.”

  Looking around, trying to figure out where Esson was taking her, Rose followed him. She started to shake as he turned down the dirt road. She knew the only thing down that road was an ancient graveyard. In the very center was a large mausoleum. She hated graveyards, walking over dead bodies. Plus, they suggested Vampires, and she really didn’t want to know if those were real.

  Mausoleums were dark and full of dust and cobwebs. Cobwebs meant spiders, and she hated the things. Just thinking of them made her skin crawl. She could do this—face her fears for her daughters, for humanity.

  “Let’s go.” Esson jerked her towards the mausoleum.

  Of course, he’d have to choose the most clichéd spot for a portal. She wondered what he could’ve used to protect this portal from the humans, or maybe he didn’t care if they came to the demon realm. She wished she could ask him, but he still controlled her voice.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Rose

  Rose shook as she stepped through the portal into an Obsidian room. The few torches that were lit barely penetrated the dark, the black walls absorbing the light. How could she be back here again?

  “Enver will be thrilled to know that you are back, and your daughters will not be able to protect you this time.”

  Rose shook even more at his words. Enver had been one of her guards the last time Esson had her. He’d bring her food that was inedible, and the last time that she’d seen him he’d tried to harm her. The twins had protected her with their powers, even as they grew in her womb. She tried to speak, but nothing came out.

  Esson smiled at her. “I like you like this, unable to speak. Except for when I wish to hear your screams of pleasure or pain, I’ll leave you like this. It’ll have the added benefit of you being unable to bewitch another one of my men.” Esson pulled her behind him and continued to speak. “Now where should I keep you, my dear niece? I want you near me at all times, but the rooms on my wing are much too grand for you. No, I think the dungeon would be best. At least, for now.”

  Rose wanted to cry, to beg that he not take her to the dungeons. If they were anything like the dungeons in movies and literature, she knew that she wouldn’t last long down there. But Esson didn’t stop as he opened a thick door. Beyond the door was a darkness that looked thick. Rose shrunk back, resisting going into the abyss in front of her.

  A jerk of his tail and a tug on her consciousness had her moving towards the stairs in a trance. Esson led her down the stairs. With each step, the darkness became thicker, drowning out what little light was available from the torches that were spaced along the walls. Esson stopped at the first landing and looked down the hall. Rose heard the moans of prisoners, but the lack of movement spoke more to her, instilling a fear in her that she didn’t know how to overcome.

  “Hmm, no I think this level isn’t the right one to teach you who truly rules this world and your body.” Esson continued to drag Rose down the steps.

  She could barely walk from fear, but her feet moved of their own volition. They continued down two more levels to the darkest hallway she’d seen. The torches barely pierced the darkness. She couldn’t hear any sounds, not even their footfalls as Esson took her to the last cell in the hall.

  “Yes, I think this will be the perfect room for you to stay. And I’ll let you have your voice here. This far underground, no one will hear you except for the rats and mice.” He opened the thick door.

  What little bit of the cell she could see had her shaking. Water pooled in the corner as it dripped down the rough Obsidian walls. Beside that puddle of water and a hole in the other side of the room, she couldn’t see anything to break up the rock floor. There wasn’t even a blanket.

  Rose began to cry. She could handle the dark. But not this dark. It was as if someone had poured black ink over the room. Not even a shadow could be seen. “Esson! Enver! please!” she cried out.

  Esson looked at her. She could just make out his features from the torch in the hall.

  “Beg, cry, scream. It’s all music to my ears. Soon, the light in the world will be sucked up by the dark, a plague over the nations, and I’ll be the one administering it.”

  He looked at Rose. “Enver will bring you your food, sometime.” And he shut the heavy door, taking the light with him.

  Rose screamed until her voice was hoarse, her throat burning. She pounded on the door of the cell until her hands were sore, and she could feel the blood dripping from them. Finally, exhausted, she fell to the ground and slept.

  Her shivers from the cold that seeped into her bones woke her. She’d never been so miserable in her life. She stood and tried to explore the cell. Her hand touched the door, trailing along the wall as she counted the steps until she reached a corner. Her other hand was outstretched in front of her to hopefully keep her from hitting her face against the wall.

  “One, two, three– OUCH!” She rubbed her hands together where she’d smashed her fingers into the wall. “Okay. Three steps from the door to the wall. Now how many steps to the next wall? She put her right hand on the wall again, her left held out in front of her.

  “One, two, three, four, five, six.” This time she stopped before she rammed her fingers into the wall. “That puddle was somewhere near this corner, wasn’t it?” She slowly trailed her hand ahead of her, feeling for the water that had trickled down the wall. Two small steps and she could feel the trickle of water. She brought her fingers to her mouth, sniffing them before she sucked the moisture off them. The little bit of liquid made her realize how thirsty she was. Her mouth was dry, and swallowing was painful.

  Slowly, she lowered herself to the ground and felt around for the puddle. She sniffed, but at this point she was so thirsty she would have drunk her own urine like that guy on the survival show did. Hmm, maybe that was an option, if she had something to collect it in. Shaking her head at the train of thought, she put her mouth to the water and greedily lapped it up. The baby needed her to stay strong, and she’d do whatever it took to make sure he was okay.

  Once she had drunk her fill, she carefully crawled around the puddle, wanting to be as careful as she could with the precious liquid. Standing, she put her hand on the wall and continued. “Three, four, five.” Her foot slipped into a hole. “Found the toilet,” She said to herself, and stretched her fingers out to touch the other wall. Working her feet around the hole, she turned a
gain, “One two, three, four, five, six.” Turning the corner, “One, two, three. Back at the door. Okay, so this room is about six by six steps. If I normally take 7,000 steps a day, I need to walk around this cell . . . 292 times. That’s not very doable.” She dropped to the floor. Just walking that little bit had worn her mental barriers down.

  “How do blind people do this every day? Not being able to see anything, having to touch everything to see where they are going? Here I’ve been in this cell for not even a day, and I want to claw my way out. I want to see the light, even shadows would be better than not knowing if my eyes are open or closed. And I’m talking to myself. All I need is a volleyball to make this into that movie.” Rose shuddered. How quickly your barriers fall. Could she really get through this?

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Rose

  She had no idea how long she sat staring into the darkness. She couldn’t even say if she’d been awake the whole time, or if she’d fallen asleep. But the sound of a key in the lock was loud in her ears. She jolted and pulled herself to stand. She wouldn’t let them find her lying around, looking weak.

  The door loudly creaked open, and the torchlight made her blink. She couldn’t see who stood in the door, but the voice that spoke made her skin crawl.

  “Your highness, how far you’ve fallen. He would have treated you like a princess. Now, you’re in a cell. And all mine.” Enver carried a tray in and carelessly set it in the corner, slopping a grayish liquid onto the bread. “As long as I don’t actually take you, Esson said I can play, and this time there is no one to save you.” He came towards her and pulled her to him, kissing her as one hand squeezed her breast.