Bloodless Dreams

Chapter six: Pain

Evangeline

Finally, after so long, my capture came into the room to begin his games of deduction and torcher. He flicked the bright light on, making me squint. He laughed at my discomfort and walked over to me, running his pointer finger over my skin. I gave him no response. This is how it will go. He will hurt me, and I will be blind to it. I have to be strong, at least until Harland finds me. 

“So, my little human, where shall we start today?” I ignored him. I kept my eyes trained on the door behind him. “Will you submit? Will you carry my children?” 

From the corner of my eye, I can see him growing angry. I took a silent, deep breath, preparing for his strike. Instead, he punched me in the stomach, knocking the air from my lungs. He grabbed the back of my head, lifting my face, I smiled at him adding fuel to his fire.

“You will learn to be submissive; you will learn to obey every one of my commands.” He lowered his face close to mine. All I can smell is sour vinegar. My stomach started turning, threatening to expel anything that remained. “You will learn to love me.” 

“I will only love one man.” I looked at him in the eyes. “I will only allow man to rule my world. You are not he.” 

“Stupid girl.” 

He punched me in the face, I can feel my cheek bone crack on impact. I can smell the iron from my blood. The pain. The pain is so much, but I remained strong. I will not cry in front of him. I will never show weakness in front of him. “I will enjoy breaking you and I will love reforming you into the perfect companion for me. The perfect mother to my children.” 

“That will never happen.” 

I spent the next five hours in pain. After he finished beating me, cutting me, and threatening me he had his men take me down from the chains throwing me back into the room he called mine. I laid on the ground and let the tears fall softly, soaking the carpet. I did not make a noise in fear he or one of his men would hear me. Curling into a ball on the carpet, I cried myself to sleep into a dark world where all my demons waited to welcome me home. 

How did my life go from being on Earth living in a normal apartment with a normal job? I miss my mundane life. I miss the simplicity.

*        *       *       *

Harland’s

I watched through the beast’s eyes, we are flying through the woods, keeping the Croten’s scent until we arrived at a small wooden cabin. There are no guards, no one is watching. The beast gave me control back; I burst through the door to find it empty. Only a small glowing panel adorned the room. 

“Vorigon.” 

My brother came into the cabin straight for the panel. My other brothers stood guard around the cabin waiting for the Croten to come back, to show their ugly sunken faces. I took a deep breath trying to center myself, I can only smell her. I can feel the beast stirring again. He wants out; he wants to find her. He and I share in this want. No, we share in this need. 

“We will have to go back to the house. I cannot access their coding without my own software brother.” 

“How long?” 

“I do not know.” 

I turned to look at him; I know the beast’s eyes have replaced mine. Viktor took a step back, holding his hands up. 

“Please, brother. I want to find her too.” 

I nodded my head and forced myself out of the cabin. We went toward our house when I smelled her. When I smelled her blood in the air making me stop dead in my tracks. I looked to Deacon, who smelled the same thing. 

“Steady brother. We need to focus on finding her.” 

“We need to work quickly.” 

“He won’t kill her.” Vorigan said. 

“You are right, brother, he will not kill her. But that will not stop him from hurting her or worse.” 

Viktor nodded his head in agreement. He understands what is going on. He understands what King Avden wants from Evangeline. We all understand. We got into the house and went straight to King Kachelsis room to tell him what we found. I am the last to enter the room and I stood in the back trying to keep the little composer I still possess. 

“Did you find her?” King Kachelsis asked. 

“Yes, my lord. We found the entrance Vorigon is going to work on a way in.” 

“We cannot let him impregnate her.” 

An involuntary growl escaped my lips. All eyes went to me. They all had the same confused expression on their faces. 

“What gives brother?” Deacon asked. “You have been a mess since Viktor came to you.” 

“It is nothing. Just figure out how to get in their compound.” 

“No, Harland. What is it? You have been acting different since Evangeline appeared in that field.” Phaeron stated. 

“Nothing.” 

I stood up straight and headed towards the door. 

“You will answer your brother's warrior.” King Kachelsis scolded. 

“Maybe he just wants a piece of her first. Do not worry, brother, I will share with you when I am done.” Damian said with a straight face. He knew exactly what he was doing. 

“You will not touch my mate.” I growled along with the beast. I felt my eyes shift to his and we are both trained on Damian. 

“Calm brother, I just needed you to say that out loud.” 

“This is good. Particularly good, you will produce excellent warriors.” 

I looked to our King. “I will not mate her. She will remain safe once I get her back, but that is it.” 

“What? But you have a chance at true happiness, why not take it?” Vorigon asked, surprised. 

“I will not risk harming her. I am unworthy and I am over this conversation.” 

I turned and left the room. I knew Vorigan intended on following me. Ever since I saved his life, that faithful day, he has been loyal and overbearing. He means well, but he can be annoying about it. 

*        *       *       *

Vorigon

“I am going to work on the software.” 

“Brother, he will be okay.” Phaeron said. 

“How? He has a chance at true unbridled happiness, and he refuses.” 

“Do not fear warrior I will not let him refuse once she is here safe with him.” 

“Thank you, my King.” I took a deep breath and looked back to the King. “I cannot let him fail; she can give him back the freedom I have stricken from him.”

“You have done no such thing; Harland is proud to take the punishment if it means you his brother is safe.”

“Does not change the guilt I feel. If I fail him again, I do not think I can live with myself.”

“Then do not fail him. Do not fail Evangeline.”

I left my King and my brothers in the room alone. I need to work on breaking that code. I cannot fail Harland, not after the sacrifice he has made for me.

*        *       *       *

Evangeline

I laid in a puddle of water watching my blood swirl around blending with it. I am numb from my toes to my fingertips. My mind is running wild with the thoughts of what has happened to me… Racing with the thoughts of what will continue to happen to me… I am alone…

Day after day is the same. They take me into the room of pain, torcher me, and then take me back to my room. In order to stay strong is to remember the world outside of this hollow hole. I think of the tall trees covered in bright green moss with long icicles hanging from the branches. The large boulders scattered along the landscape. The way the snow clings to the grass, coating it in a blanket of ice. The sound of birds chirping, singing their beautiful melodies. How I long to be back outside, to breathe the fresh air. 

“My lord, it has been nearly five months.” 

“And your point being?” I heard their King say behind my door.

“She will not concede as you wish.” 

“She will. I am close, I can fell it.” 

He does not understand how right he is. I kept strong thinking Harland would come from me. But it has been so long since I stopped hoping. I am destined to live in this dark hole of misery until I take my last breath. I have dreamed of that day. Would it be by my own hand? Or would the sunken face King take it? The thought of death makes me smile and cry. How did this happen to me? I miss my apartment, the small open space holding my comfortable bed overlooking the city. I miss cooking on that small stove, and I miss the winters. I would leave the windows open, letting the snow flurried air into my warm apartment.

I can feel my tears falling down my cheeks as the memories of my simple mundane life flashed through my mind. Can a wish come true if someone wishes hard enough?

“My little human, are you alright, dear?” 

I looked up from my hands to see the sunken face King staring back at me. His hands folded across his chest; a hopeful look spread across his face. I looked back down at my hands and remained quiet. 

“I would rather have supper with you this evening. I grow tired of beating you.” 

My inner monologue yelled at me to just submit. I am hungry, cold, dirty and in pain. I do not know how much more I can take before I fully break. Why not just give in now? 

“My King, you must come now.” 

“What is it?” 

“The Marked are here.” 

“They cannot gain access to this compound let them try.” 

“My King they have. They are inside and we need to get you out now.” 

“Get the human.” 

A few of his men came over to me gripping my arms, I let all of my body weight hang hoping to slow them down. It is no use they are stronger than I expected. They followed the King down the hall towards a staircase when I heard him. 

“Evangeline!!!!” 

I turned my head to see Harland and his brothers running down the hallway towards me. He came for me. 

“Quickly my King, we have to get you to safety.” 

“Do not let them get her!” 

White hot pain shot through my throat. I placed my hands where it hurt most to see blood. So much blood. I looked up to see Harland racing towards me, dropping to his knees and scooping me into his arms. Pain, his face is so pained. 

“Please nethae stay with me. Keep your eyes open.” 

“I knew you would come for me. I was strong.”

I gave him one last smile and closed my eyes, drifting into a utopia. Bright rays of sunlight bathing bright green grass and tall trees. Brightly covered flowers and bright blue skies. Is this what heaven looks like? Is this where I can finally rest? 

“Welcome Child.” 

I turned around to see a tall bald man wearing a tan robe that dragged on the ground behind him. 

“Is this heaven?” 

“In a way, yes.” 

“Who are you?” 

“I am the Splintered Oracle. I speak for Selene goddess and creator of all beings who reside in the Phetterea.” 

“Why am I here if I am not a part of that world?” 

“But you are, child.” 

“I do not understand.” 

“Come walk with me. I will explain.” 

I stood up and started walking alongside him. The grass is so soft between my toes and the way the wind wraps around me is like a warm blanket begging to comfort the pain I had gone through. 

“You are destined to be in this world. You should have been here when you turned eighteen, but fate intervened, so we had to wait for her to allow you passage.” 

“Why am I meant to be here?” 

“You are one of the chosen female humans to mate with our strongest warriors. To bare their young and to protect their hearts.” He looked down at me. “You are to return his soul to him.”

“What if I cannot for fill these wishes?” 

“Do not worry yourself, child, you will do fine. It is your warrior we fear will not do as well.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“The warrior you are destined to be with, the one you hold part of, is going to be a challenge. You see, he does not feel like he is worthy of any form of love or happiness.” 

“How am I supposed to help him see?” 

“Do not worry yourself with that child, Selene will handle that. Our goddess can be very persuasive.” 

I looked up at him, still not fully understanding everything that is going on. But I nodded my head in agreement, regardless. 

“Bring her here.”

The voice boomed across the meadow, disrupting the trees, and making the flowers shy away. I looked to the bald man and then in the voice's direction. There is a woman so big there is no possible way she is human. Her skin glowed like a lightening bug and her hair seemed to move on its own. Her eyes, a bright blue that bore through you into your soul. The Oracle took my hand and led me to the woman. I stood there confused and terrified as the Oracle let my hand go, walking away in another direction. 

“Please sit.” 

I sat down on the grass and looked at my hands. What else am I supposed to do? 

“We have handed you a life you did not ask for.” 

I looked up to see she now smaller and not glowing. I nodded my head and shrugged my shoulders. 

“If you truly desire to go back to your world, I will send you home. But know this, if you leave this place you can never return, I will not allow you to live a life going back and forth between two worlds and your mate will never truly know peace.” She walked over sitting next to me placing her hand to my shoulder. “We are asking a great deal from you I know this, but it is all important. You are what he needs, even if he tries to push that away. You are what your sisters will need when they arrive in this world. You are what your sister will need in the near future. It is time to have all my chosen daughters return to my realm. But I will not force any of you to stay here if you are unhappy.” 

“I am scared. Not of the fate you have laid out for me. I am afraid King Avden will find me again.” 

“Hmm. Do not fear that. He thinks you dead and I can help you stay inviable to him and his followers.” 

I looked up at her and smiled. “I would like that.” 

“So, you will stay here with your warrior?” 

“What is his name?” 

“Sweet daughter, you already know.” She stood up and held his hand out to me. “It is time to return are you ready?” 

I took her hand and stood in front of her. I smiled softly. “I am ready to go home.” 

Her eyes started glowing again, and there is a bright flash of light, then darkness. I can hear voices talking around me, but I cannot make out any of it. I laid there and tried opening my eyes, only to be sucked back into the silent darkness. I pray I wake soon.