Silent Soul

Chapter 2: Coven

Rorick

I looked up at the night sky as the leeches lifted my cage, not bothering to be careful as they jostled me around. I snarled a warning, knowing it wouldn’t do much but refusing to roll over and show my belly to anyone. One of the guards hit the bars and hissed.

“Shut the f**k up mutt.” He spat as he bent to lift the cage. I watched them struggle a bit and chuckled.

“Lift with your legs, not your back. Hate for you to slip a disk.” He snarled again before letting his side drop, earning annoyed grunts and hissing from the other four before jabbing the cattle prod he loved to use into the cage. I expected this, quickly grabbed it and pulled back as far as I could in the cramped space forcing him to fall forward. I reached my arm out and grabbed his throat as I laughed and squeezed, the others shoving their cattle prods in and electrifying me from all sides. I snickered through the pain, the electricity not hurting me as much as they assumed as I used to be able to wield it, before my muscles burned and released him.

“f*****g prick,” I muttered as pretty boy stepped out of the car in front and started snarling at them.

“What the f**k are you idiots doing?” He snapped. His bright blue eyes were narrowed on his men before looking at me in disgust. I chuckled and puckered my lips as I made kissy faces at him. He spat at me before raking his long pale fingers through dirty blonde hair. He adjusted his tux, smoothing everything out before waving his men to follow him.

“Ignore the damn mutt. Damage the goods before we gift him and I will have all your heads.” The men all focused on their work, my buddy muttering under his breath and stealing annoyed looks at me as I kept my eyes on him with a smile. It was at this point I expected my wolf to say something smart before grief washed over me at the reminder that I was completely alone.

Lycanthropes don’t have their beast's voices in their mind. I let my mind drift to that painful night I had no choice but to murder a part of myself as we approached a large fifteenth-century castle. I had woken up and only heard enough to know that I was no longer dead, that a necromancer had brought me back, and that I was no longer a werewolf. I was a much older, much stronger creature with a far more volatile temper. When my wolf attacked my mind it was a fight for life as I struggled against my greatest friend and companion. He was mindless and mad as he tore my sanity to shreds. I don’t know how I survived, but when I did there was nothing but silence. I awoke in a rage and in some sort of cave system in who knows where. I fought my way through witches with some rogues here and there before these assholes entered just as my strength was failing. I had gotten no more answers as they drugged me and dragged my ass to who knows where days later.

I looked around me, the countryside was beautiful with rolling hills and snow-capped mountains in the distance. There was not a town or city in sight and I suspected we were not on the human plane anymore but in the Noctem Relm, or Night Relm. Escaping this place required either a spell or knowing where the rip was from one plane to the other.

I watched us approach the castle, large wooden doors with solid iron rivets opened up to reveal a glamorous entry. There were tapestries draped along the walls, each one with the Dracul house crest on them and two grand staircases that curved outward from one another in a mirrored dance. I snorted as I looked at the glamor, the vampires flaunting their wealth and Royal blood. Even though my family was not fit to rule, they were at least humble.

“Someone has small d**k syndrome,” I muttered, earning myself another poke from a cattle prod as Laurence glared at me over my shoulder.

“Word of advice, keep your mouth shut in front of the King. Piss him off and you will regret ever being born.” Knowing that wasn’t possible I snickered.

“Aw, worried about me, pretty boy?” I cooed at him. “I’m touched. Really, I will save you a dance.”

He chuckled darkly at me as he looked forward.

“No, I just want to enjoy the torture, I don’t want it to end too soon.”

We walked through the space between the stairs and into another large set of doors and into an even more magnificent ballroom. The scent of vampires, humans, witches, and I believe elves hit me, assaulting my sensitive nose as we entered the room filled with them. There was music playing and performers swinging from the ceiling in acrobatic tricks and displays. Everywhere I turned I smelled fresh blood and noticed the wine glasses were filled with it. My stomach rolled at the disgusting diet as they walked right through the crowd. They parted around us like water, all looking at me in amusement and curiosity. Some hissed or sneered as we passed and I smiled at them, baring my teeth.

We approached the front where six thrones as on a slightly raised stage. The one on the right middle was the largest, with intricate gold carvings and jewels while the one in the middle left was smaller but just as grand. The other four on each side were even smaller than the second and not as beautifully decorated but just as grand. Currently, one of three seats was taken.

In one of the smaller chairs to the right of the second chair was a beautiful young woman. She looked no more than twenty-five, with deep blue eyes of sapphires and long golden hair. She was painfully pale with blood-red lips and dressed in an intricate ballgown of pale pink and black. Glittering jewels decorated her dress, ears, neck, and hair as she looked at me with a smile. Next to her was a woman who looked younger but sat in the grander seat of the smaller five. She looked to be early twenties and could be the sister of the first woman. Her eyes were the same shade and her hair a paler gold and dressed in a gown that matched her hair. She turned her head, pausing what she had been saying to the other woman when the men approached with me.

From the largest chair, a man stood. He had a narrow nose and sharp chin with long brown curly hair. He was dressed in what I could only describe as a King’s uniform, looking like he stepped out of my high school history book as his dark eyes looked at me before flickering to pretty boy. I leaned back in my cage, looking as calm and uncaring as possible while I was listening and looking for anything to get me out of this damn mess.

“Your Highness,” Pretty boy said, nose so far up the king's ass he could claim land there. The guards shifted, setting me down and not very gently as I glared at them, a smug look on my favorite asshole’s face.

“Laurance,” The king said with a smile, flashing white teeth and fangs. My eyes raked over all of him to see what I feared on his right ring finger. There sat the Dracul family crest, and I knew I was looking at Dracula himself. Or, at least, his son. His dark brown eyes, almost onyx, fell on me.

“What treats do you hold for me this time?” He questioned with a dark smile. He approached me, not close enough to grab to my disappointment, and sniffed before wrinkling his nose. His eyes widened as red started to bleed into his irises.

“A werewolf?” His eyes returned to Pretty Boy as the dude all but jumped like a teenage girl to show me off. I rolled my eyes. So far up his ass.

“We raided a witches' coven with rumors of a Shade. Instead, we found this mongrel.” Way to f*****g paint the picture in your favor. I was already escaping and smearing the blood of all those witches along the walls… At the very least he could give credit where it was due.

Dracula stepped closer, my hand itching to reach out and grab him, craving violence I could not contain. “You are far from home mutt.” He laughed. I got comfortable, or at least tried to make it look like I was, and rested my forearm on my raised leg with no room to stretch out. My joints ached from being stuck in a bent position and I knew it would take a few minutes for me to even stand up properly, but I let a chuckle slip out in defiance.

“And you are way past your expiration date.” I grinned as I watched his smile disappear and his eyes turn dark in anger. Yup, I poked the beast. I again waited for my wolf to complain, tell me I was an i***t, but again, silence. I fought to keep my face composed as I mourned my wolf. Instead of saying anything back he waved his hand at us like I was little more than a pest. Slightly irritated that he did not retaliate as I was really looking for a fight, the men walked us back through the crowd and exited the ballroom.

I was taken into a different hallway that led into a long corridor. At the far end was a heavy wooden door. Two guards standing there nodded to the men before pulling it open. The smell of death crept up through the open door and only got stronger as we entered in went down. I was pulled into a room that was wide open, the center had chains that were attached to the solid stone floor. The cage was dropped to the floor, throwing me into the side as I snarled at guards.

“Hey, watch the merchandise!” I snarled.

“I’m getting f*****g tired of that mouth mutt!” My favorite guard snapped. He grabbed the cattle prod and smiled.

“And Laurance is not here to stop me.” He muttered. I grinned, not bothering to hide my enjoyment. I had been playing it up and making it seem like the cattle prod hurt with each electrical zap. If I still had my powers it wouldn’t have in the least since electricity and fire were my strongest abilities. Since losing my wolf though, I could barely make the lights flicker, though my durability and pain tolerance was far higher. I haven’t been able to fully test it, but my theory is that it is close to a Bear’s. It’ll be fun killing this asshole in the name of science.

“I’ve been waiting to dance.” I grinned. The cage door was unlocked and he was preparing to shove the prod in to zap me as one guard grabbed me from the open door to drag me out. I kicked, hitting the door and causing it to fly open and knock over the one guard while I grabbed the prod that was thrust in by my dear friend on my right, and a third guard on my left. I yanked, pulling them into the side of the cage as I laughed and rolled onto my toes and launched myself out of the cage. I slammed into the guard dumb enough to open the door and stand right there. I looked him in the eyes as they grew wide and grinned as the blood lust filled me.

“Tisk, tisk, tisk. You never stand in front of an opening door.” I chastised. I kept my arm on his chest and with the other hand turn his head to the ground and snapped his neck with a frown. That was too easy. It wasn’t a challenge. It didn’t even get the satisfaction of hearing his hear stutter to a stop because it was dead before I broke his neck. I looked over my shoulder at the other two as they scrambled to stand, the fourth standing behind the cage, frozen in place like a scared little boy. I laughed as I stood up to my full height. It was such a relief to stretch all six foot two of me instead of being cramped in that damn box.

I looked at the men, my favorite snarling at me as he bared his fangs and pulled a blade from his belt. He charged me and I lifted my arm until I blocked his s***h. I grinned as he tried to pull away and I grabbed his arm and pulled him back to me as I lifted my knee to connect with his ribs. I heard them break as I drove my elbow into the back of his head. The third ran up and threw a left hook. I leaned forward so it carelessly flew over my head and leaned back up to head-butt him in the nose. Blood gushed out as he cupped his face while my friend tried to stand up. I swung my leg out and kicked him, sending him flying into the wall and watching the stone crumble as I laughed.

The fourth finally shook himself out of his surprise and tried to launch at me over the cage with inhuman speed. For a werewolf, I would never be able to track that movement. As a Lycan, it was too easy. I grabbed him out of the air and used his momentum against him, spinning as I slammed him into the wall behind me and threw punch after punch into his face. He stopped moving, nothing more than a bloody pulp as I turned to the last two, one still cupping his nose, the other trying his hardest to stand as he coughed up blood.

“What the f**k are you?” Broken nose muttered. I smiled wide as I stalked toward him. He tried to struggle as I grabbed his arm, twisting it back until it broke, barely registering the thundering footsteps approaching as I enjoyed myself. I leaped for the last one, baring my teeth when something cracked against the back of my skull. Lights bloomed across my vision as I turned only to have something hard hit me across the face before I could see anything. I collapsed, sounds fading and distorted as I laughed.

Only way to take me out was a cheap shot huh? I laughed to myself as everything was blurry. My vision threatened to fade as I tried to shake it off. I felt someone grab me, dragging me across the floor as I thrashed. The bite of a needle and a jolt of electricity in my back ripped a roar from my throat as I felt the cool metal of chains clamp down on my wrists, ankles, and neck.

My vision started to come back as I swiped at the guard dragging the last of their men out of my reach to towards the exit. I stood, moving to run when the chains held me back, keeping me a good six feet from the door. I could feel the wolfsbane and silver in the chains keeping my strength in check.

I grinned at them as the lock clicked shut, blowing them a kiss on the other side as I watched them. To them, it looked like I was simply antagonizing them as they dragged away their dead and wounded, baring their fangs at me. In reality, I was carefully inspecting my cage. Thick iron bars ran floor to ceiling on two sides, the front, with the only door to the hall, and my right side where there was another cell, and at least five more in a line. To my left and behind me was solid rock, laced with wolfsbane, and silver, and I caught the faint scent of Juniper. There was probably Blackthorn laced in there too, two plants that were toxic to vampires and held the same effect to them as silver and wolfsbane to us. In the floor was a single drain that was too small for my hand to fit inside. A simple straw mattress was on the floor, just in reach for me to lay on and a bucket on the other side to relieve myself. I watched the guards carefully, most scurrying off while only a few lingered to watch me before slowly drifting away to their duties. When I heard the last one leave.

I slid down the rough stone, feeling the sharp sides cut into my back as I sat down and propped my arms on my raised knees.

We’re in some real s**t this time. I muttered to my wolf and received no response.

“Fuck.” I groaned as I forgot again that he was dead. Murdered by my own hands. Pain blossomed in my chest as I finally had a moment since waking up to mourn the loss of my other half. I tried to remember how I awoke in that cave. It was all a blurry mix of pain, fear, and confusion. All I remember is my wolf turning on me, trying to rip my mind apart. I could feel that my sanity didn’t make it out entirely intact. The smile curving up the edges of my lips just thinking about the possibility of my mind being fractured beyond repair was enough to let me know I didn’t make it out of that fight mentally stable.

I remembered voices, two women I think, speaking about my transformation into a Lycan, the first in centuries. I looked around my cell another time, taking in everything.

Okay, the plan is to find a way out, get back to the Day Relm, find the witches that made me turn and rip out their throats for killing my wolf, then get back home…and finally kill the rest of my pathetic family.

The chuckle that bubbled up from my chest only confirmed my early thoughts.

My sanity died along with my wolf…and I’m enjoying it.