The Familiars [Book 1]

Chapter 16

                  

(Valor'Cutzpah POV)

They threw me in the cell and closed and locked the door. 'Your girlfriend has got it coming for her!!!' laughed the merman. 'What is he going to do to her!!??' I yelled grabbing the bars of the cell. 'Oh! He's going to make her bleed and scream in pain! He's going to make her beg for her life! He's going to break her strong spirit until she's a bleeding mess lying on the ground!' laughed the merman.

(Artemis POV)

When I woke up, I was lying on the bed. But I was chained to the bed. 'What! Where!' I yelled trying to sit up but the chains stopped me. 'Good! You're finally awake!' laughed the king of the merpeople. 'What do you want!!??' I yelled at him as he swam over to the side of the bed. 'Oh you simply can't give it all to me yet but I will soon have what I want!!' laughed the king. I tried to pull against the chains holding me down but my magic wasn't working other than the spell helping me breathe in here. 'Try all you like but it won't work! Your my prisoner now!' laughed the merking.

(Do not read if you don't like crazy weird scenes!!! And sorry for all the swearing if you read on!!!!)

The merking turned around and swam over a table behind him. He picked something up in his arms and swam back over to my side. Then my eyes widened when I saw what he was holding. 'Please! You don't have to this!' I begged. But the merking just smiled and put his hand on the lid of the box. 'This box contains leaches. But these only feed on your life essence' smiled the merking. Then he opened the box and a whole heard of them swam out onto my skin. I cried out in pain as they latched onto my skin. They all began to feed and almost instantly I felt weaker. 'What happened to the women that Eldrax gave you?' I gasped. 'Oh! Those girls! They were given to me years ago! We changed them into mermaids for the time being to hide them! Otherwise the dragons would track down the girls to here!' laughed the merking. 'There must be something you want!' I gasped as a larger leach latched its small jaw onto my collarbone. My body jerked in pain and my back arched in agony.

'Only to see you scream and bleed! I want to break your spirit! To show you pain and suffering!!!!' laughed the merking evilly. I cried out as the leach on my collarbone fed more on my life essence. My body writhed in agony and suddenly I let out a blood curdling scream.

(Valor POV)

'What did she ever do to you?!' I yelled at the merman and he laughed. 'Her parents and brother wronged us! Now we are getting revenge!' Yelled a merman swimming into the room. 'Her brother? Thomas?' I asked and the merman shook his head. 'Not the boy she grew up with. Her twin brother has been locked up in a cell for a couple of years now!' said the merman as he sat on a chair. 'Why!?' I asked. 'Because...Twins of dragons are not even physically possible. Usually one twin devours the other while in the womb but somehow they were both born. So one contains half of the magic the other was meant to have. So if she managed to escape from here, and found her brother. One of them would have to devour the other's life to gain their magic and power. But that would never happen!' smiled the merman. Then all of a sudden I heard Artemis screaming. 'Artemis!!!!' I yelled smashing my fists on the bars.

(Artemis POV)

'Do you remember the day your brother and parents betrayed us? Or did your mother erase your memories?' asked the merking sitting down beside me. My throat was hoarse from all my screaming. 'I, I don't remember...' I whispered. 'How...?' I added looking at the merking. '10 years ago, when you were 5 years old. Your parents came here with you and your brother and Eldrax. They spent a couple of days here but one night...

FLASHBACK>>>

10 years ago....

'King Markus!!! The dragon king and queen have stolen the crystals from the crown!!!' yelled a mermaid. 'Arrest them and bring them to me!!!' yelled the merking. The king and queen of dragons was swimming away from the merkingdom when suddenly an ambush was coming straight for them. The king and queen hid their son and daughter in a small cave with the crystals and they swam away to lead the merpeople away. 'Brother! I'm scared!' cried the little girl. 'It's ok...We have to get out of here!' whispered the boy. The boy led the girl back into the open water and suddenly they heard a scream and they turned their heads and screamed. 'Mummy!!! NOOOO!!!!' cried the little girl. The merpeople turned their heads and saw the small kids and swam after them. The boy swam with the little girl following until they got to the surface of the water. They scrambled out and sat on the shore.

END OF FLASHBACK>>>

'Thomas isn't my brother?' I whispered. 'No. He was just watching you grow up and protecting you until Eldrax could come and take you. He was just a spy for Eldrax' replied the merking as the leaches detached themselves from my body. 'You're very strong aren't you? Maybe the legend is real and Eldrax was lying to me...?' mumbled the merking. 'Eldrax has lied to everyone.....He has kidnapped mates of dragons so that the dragons do as he says and Eldrax has probably told you some made up lies about me....There must be a way we can have peace. Or you could join our side in the war...?' I whispered. I licked my dry and cracked lips and the merking thought this over. 'How do I know you're not lying?' asked the merking. I smiled. 'You'll just have to trust me....' I whispered closing my eyes. 'And what about the women that Eldrax gave to me? Do you want to take them back?' asked the merking as he unchained my wrist from the bed. 'Yes. I need to bring them back to their mates' I replied as the merking unchained my other wrist and ankles. I sat up but I felt so weak that I had to grab the edges of the bed to steady myself.

'You must leave tonight. My men sent a message to Eldrax of your presence here. I'll tell the guards to release your mate as well' smiled the merking gently. I smiled and nodded. I stood up on shaky legs and I steadied myself.

(Valor POV)

'The king has ordered us to release the boy!' yelled a merman. They unlocked the door and I swam out and up the stairs. I followed Artemis's scent until I came to the room behind the throne room. I knocked on the door and Artemis opened the door. I immediately wrapped her in my arms and she weakly wrapped her arms around my neck.  She was pale and ice cold. 'Are you ok? Did he hurt you!?' I asked as I led her over to the bed and she sat down. I sat down beside her and I took her hand in mine. The current grabbed hold and the colour started to slowly return to her face. 'I'm fine. I'm just a bit tired...' said Artemis softly. 'We need to get all of the girls out of here before Eldrax comes...' said Artemis as she collapsed into my arms and I held her tightly against my chest. Somehow he had drained a bit too much of her life essence and she was a bit weak but since i was feeding her she was regaining some of her strength. I picked her up bridal style in my arms and I swam out with her in my arms.

'The Merking is gathering all the girls in the throne room. I can open the portal back to the cave...' whispered Artemis weakly. Her eyes fluttered closed and I hugged her closer to me. I slid my hands under the shirt she was wearing and I splayed my hands on the small of her back. More electricity flowed through us both and Artemis made a small sound of pleasure. I couldn't help but smile. She was mine. She was so perfect. Ready to give her life to save all these dragons, mermaids and humans alike. She was going to make a great queen when we stopped Eldrax. We arrived in the throne room and all the mermaids in there looked at us. 'Is that Artemis!?' yelled a mermaid as she swam over. 'I helped her mother give birth to Artemis' said the mermaid answering my question before I could ask. Artemis sat up slightly in my arms and clicked her fingers. 'The spell on the women will break once they step through the portal and they'll be free to go' said the Marking. All the girls nodded and started swimming through when all of a sudden there was a large roar that Artemis and I recognised immediately. Eldrax.