Queen of Fire and Shadows

Part 15

Connor

I cringe as red hot poker slides right through the man who was chained up next to me's arm. He screams and writhes in agony. "That's enough." A deep, throaty voice echoes around the metal room.

The bald man holding the poker steps back from the sobbing victim. He grins maliciously and sniffs the air. His white t shirt is stained with oil grease and maybe blood. "That's the stuff." He sighs. I gag. Who—what kind of person takes joy in torturing and burning other people? It's sick and twisted. Clearly this man has some sort of damage to the head or doesn't have the mercy gene. 

First he walked into the room and asked who wanted to leave. I didn't answer because I've been taped up. But a man spoke up and the torturer walked up and opened a flask. He went and poured a vile of something blue and swirling into it, the person went limp and the man opened his mouth up, a white mist flew out of the dead man's body and into the flask. Clearly I wasn't the only warlock in the building. Then he stuck a poker into the other man's arm.

"Connor Freed." The bass voice chuckles. I look around, not quite sure where the noise is coming from. "Why did we have to reacquaint ourselves this way?"

A figure steps into the lantern light and I can't help but drop my jaw. "Jacob?" I ask, shell shocked. "What the hell are you—what are you doing?" Jacob brushes his silver white hair from his eyes and smiles hostilely. His fangs reminding of the vampire I was 'helping'.

"What did you do with—with the vampire?"

Jacob smiles more evilly this time. "Oh—a small release spell—but for now...I have a job offer for you." He walks forward, his black, pea jacket swirling around his ankles.

"How would you like to help me get rid of the Reynard children?" He asks. His one red eye watches me. The other ice blue and standing out—glowing in the dull light. "Why?" I ask, wanting to know what I'm getting myself into. 

Jacob's face morphs into a grotesque image. "Because," He spits. "I have had it with bloodline of those two traitors. No more I say. I will have the heads of those two—two oblivious idiots." He breathes heavily. Then something flashed in his eyes. "Now that I think about it—I'll keep the girl to myself, she will replace her dirty blooded mother and I'll make her watch everyone she loves die in front of her. Powerless." Jacob starts to pace back and forth. His polished shoes clicking against the steel.

"What happened to you?" I ask, slightly shocked by how bloodthirsty he became in only fifteen short years. Apparently, this is the wrong thing to say.

He stops pacing and rounds on me. "WHY NOT?!" He shouts. "Isla was my wife! My Queen! Then he went and stole her with his flickering magic and stupid—so stupid—dragons." I blinked as the angry, feisty words poured form his mouth.

"William was never hers! I said the words! I TOOK THE VOW!" Spit is flying in specks onto the walls. His raging eyes are full of painful memories, rushing through.

"And yet—even after I devoted my life to her! She still went to him! Taking his side—giving him CHILDREN!" After all those angry words and pain-filled emotion. I flinch as his face falls to a blank, vacant look. Like a lightbulb switching off.

"So, since she caused me so much pain—I'll take those rotten bastards of hers and turn their life to a living hell. Just as she did to me. I gave her EVERYTHING! I even brought her to the surface!" His face has, again, become contorted. "But that was my mistake, it why she left. She fell in love with the surface." Jacob rubbed his hands together.

"But now she'll never see the surface again." I cringe and knew exactly what he is implying.

"I always wondered who killed those two." At least I know who to fear and who obey.