Dark strings

Captured

"Tighten her restraints." Alaric barked at a couple of minion minions. They had strung Annika out to drain her energy. They had to be careful around her or risk being caught in her control gaze. It had happened once before. That's why she's out here. With her energy low she can't hold a gaze. The minions grabbed the chains that help her and pulled them back, so she wouldn't be slumped. Alaric approached her, slicing her arm with his blade. "Always a tough one. Aren't you Annika?" Annika raised her head, looking towards Alaric "I won't give in to you or Nicolas. So if you going to kill me do it already!" She spat in his face. Alaric wiped it off and snarled at her "Not yet my pretty. That will be Nicolas's honor. I'm just here to take your every scream." He motioned to his minions "Shake her up a bit then give her a dose of electricity."

The minions took the sides of the iron slat she was chained to and shook it violently back and forth. Alaric walked away letting out an evil laugh. He walked up the stone stairs and into Nicolas's office. His office had a tapestry hanging on the wall, depicting the rising of hell. It was the only thing that had color in the room. The room gave off an uninviting feel, being made entirely out of stone from mountain. Nicolas stood looking out the window, his hand behind his back. "Nicolas? Will she and the children be enough to give Qirach a sustainable life force?" Nicolas turned to face Alaric, an evil grin on his face. "Don't worry about the children. I've just caught wind that there is a new perfect in the land. I also know that they are traveling this way. The children will be his snack once he wakes up."
"Are you sure they are a perfect? They could be powerful twins. Perfects are so rare that-"
"Fool!" Nicolas said cutting him off. In all his rage he backhanded Alaric in the face "Don't you think I could tell the difference! They are traveling with Cornelius. He brought them to save his wife. What he doesn't know is that they are key to the spell. I'll kill Annika to make him suffer for all he's done to me. As revenge for shoving me into that portal the last ten years."
Annika's screams pierced the room. In each scream you could hear pain and the will to live. Nicolas placed a hand on Alaric's shoulder "I love when they scream. Don't you?"
"Yes my lord. It makes my heart bleed with joy."
"Good. Now go see to the preparations that are left and then to the children."

Yes. Annika would be his revenge. Hearing her screams gave Nicolas great satisfaction. Cornelius had deterred  his plans once, but not again. Annika would be the bait. That fateful night twelve years ago he had almost rid Cornelius of his daughter.

The little girl with long brown hair was running across the courtyard towards her brother. Nicolas threw his knife at her,landing it in her left shoulder. She fell forward, landing on the snow covered brick. Her hair was sprawled across her back and on the snow. She was going to be a great little gift for Marge. She loved little girls. Marge loved the way they tasted. When Nicolas was approaching the girl, fingering another knife when her brother appeared next to her. A look of horror on his face as he pulled the knife out and threw it on the ground. The boy had rolled the girl onto his lap, the blood pooling onto his pants. The boy had tears forming in his eyes. How sweet. The boy thought she was dying.
"Mother! Father! Salina needs help!" How powerful children can be. Nicolas felt his mental call for help. Nicolas started walking faster towards the boy. He was going to take the boy as well, Marge hasn't had a boy before. All of a sudden Cornelius appeared in front of the children.
"Nicolas," Cornelius said angrily "why are you doing this?"                                      "These little parasites are yours? Well the girl would be a nice play thing for Marge. You know why I'm here Cornelius, you wouldn't help me. We were friends and because I have a dream,you won't help me. Tell me what kind of friend does that make you?"  He spoke in a tone that made him sound insane. You could see the crazy rising into his eyes.                           "Nicolas! You know I can't condone your actions. Can't you see that Marge is manipulating you. Ever since you found her on the mountains. She's polluted your once pure thought. Now you would kill children and turn them into play toys. Trying to raise the spawn of satan is crazy and I wouldn't help. You have signed your own death certificate."   Nicolas was becoming furious. What Cornelius thought as truth was nothing more than a lie he tried shoving down Nicolas's throat. Marge didn't manipulate him. He manipulated her. Cornelius was wrong. Cornelius had signed his own death certificate. Nicolas raised the knife he was holding and threw it at Cornelius. He had somehow dodged the knife that was flying for his head. Next thing Nicolas knew, it was just him and Cornelius in what seemed to be a small black room. He could feel his head start to spin "Oh no you don't Cornelius. I won't be caught in your mind trap."   Cornelius stepped forward "Was it that obvious?"
"I know you Cornelius. Your tricks won't work on me." Nicolas had lost sight of Cornelius. It was getting to him. He was having trouble telling where Cornelius was. And which figure was the real Cornelius. He was spinning in circles, his hand on his head. If he didn't make a move soon he would go crazy. Nicolas ran towards one of the figures. "What about this?" Cornelius's voice echoed in his head as the small box disappeared. Nicolas stops in his tacks, turning to face the real Cornelius. When he caught sight of Cornelius it was to late. Cornelius had kicked Nicolas on the chest with his fur covered boot, knocking him into  a blue void. Nicolas screamed has he fell into the eternal void. "Never hurt my family again." Cornelius said closing the portal for eternity.

It had taken time but he had figured a way out. It was hard and perilous work that had almost killed him a dozen times. He had underestimated how powerful Cornelius made his portals. Once Qirach was raised Cornelius would be the first to die. Qirach would be under the control of Nicolas, enabling him to rule the lands. Nothing would be able to stop him once he succeeded. Except a perfect. But once he sacrificed them, he couldn't be stopped. The only thing more rare than a perfect was a child of a perfect. In the dark world they were considered similar to the fountain of youth. Same kind of power. The child would have to be devoured for you to obtain its life force and all its magic. Which was far greater than that of the greatest of witches.

Nicolas had descended down the stairs and into the dungeon. He had at least twenty of the most powerful children from the land down there.
"Won't you let us go?" Said one of the brave children. "You are so hopeful. Nothing will save you from your fate. In about a week you will be in service to the greatest power of all. You should be proud."