Daniel Taylor and the Scepter of Power (8 page)

“Then take Mike and get yourselves out of here. Go back to Anne. You’ll be safe there — there’s a charm on the cabin. If we don’t come back …” James’ voice broke. All of them knew that the chances of seeing one another again were basically nil.

James wrapped Marla in his arms. “I promised your mother that I’d take care of you. I can’t fail her again.”

Marla swallowed hard. She wanted to tell him that she was going to die soon anyway, but she couldn’t force the words out. Besides, that would just make everything more difficult. “I’ll go back up with Mike.” It was only a half-lie. She would bring him to safety and then return to help them.

As she let go of James, Silvan grabbed her and hugged her tightly. Marla cried tears of relief on his shoulder, whispering, “I’m so sorry.” It was her fault alone that they were in this shitty situation!

“Shhh.” Silvan stroked her hair. “Take Blondie and go. And tell my mom that I love her.”

Marla wanted to tell him so much, but she didn’t know how. She held him tightly for a moment. Silvan — her brother. At least now, at the end, she was no longer alone. How unfair it was that she had to die just now. But she would finally be reunited with her mother.

Marla remained with Mike in the dark passage, watching the others walk away until she could no longer make out their figures. The darkness enveloped them.

“Mike?” she whispered, tying the sweater around her waist so that she could create a light in her hand. Mike wasn’t next to her anymore. She found him several meters ahead of her, creeping along the passage.

“Mike!” she hissed, running after him, but the closer she came, the faster he ran away from her. “What are you doing?” Her heart was pounding wildly out of fear.

Mike looked over his shoulder but ran on, undeterred. “I’m going with them.”

Was he crazy? Why was he doing this? It was bad enough that the two of them were sacrificing themselves — Mike didn’t even have a weapon! She snuffed out the energy sphere in her hand so that Mike could no longer see anything. But unfortunately, they had almost reached the end of the ventilation duct. Marla could see a flickering orange light. Oh, no, Mike was running directly toward the main entrance to the hall!

When Mike stopped at the junction, Marla exhaled in relief. But her joy was short-lived. Mike stuck his head into the main tunnel and looked both ways. Before Marla could grab his hand, he had jumped down into the corridor located a few feet under the ventilation passage.

“Mike, come back!”

“I can’t.”

“Is Vanessa so important to you?” Her heart tightened. Marla was glad he wanted to save his friend, but he shouldn’t die in the process.

“It’s not just about Vanessa,” he muttered, sneaking further down the corridor.

What did he mean by that? Panicking, Marla looked around her. The corridor seemed empty. Silvan and James were probably already at the door to the great hall. Only the high lords and their associates, people like Sirina, used this passageway. There wasn’t much traffic here, since the lower demons had no access to this area, but someone might come along at any time!

Marla saw only one option: She would have to use her powers. Her hands closed around Mike’s arm. With all her might, she grabbed him and dragged him back into the ventilation duct. He just barely pulled his feet up in time before they hit the stone edge of the passage. Marla only let go of his arm once they had retreated a few yards down the duct. Breathing heavily, she sank to her knees.

“Wow!” Mike crouched down next to her. “You’re pretty strong.”

“Oh, that’s nothing,” she replied, trying not to let on how much strength that move had cost her. Marla possessed too little energy. She knew she wouldn’t be able to stop Mike again using force, so she tried one last time with words. “You have nothing to defend yourself with! That’s suicide, pure and simple!” She burst into tears from sheer exhaustion and despair. “Please, let it go.”

He pulled her into his arms, and she laid her head on his chest. With him, she felt at ease and secure. The darkness of the tunnel seemed like additional protection. Mike couldn’t see anything, but thanks to the tiny amount of light seeping in from the main corridor, Marla could make out his figure as a shadow in the darkness.

She clung to him. “I didn’t want any of this. I didn’t want them to come for Vanessa, and now we’ll all die.”

“I won’t allow you to die,” he said, kissing Marla on the forehead.

“How do you intend to protect me?” she sobbed. How had everything gotten out of hand? If only Mike would come to his senses! “Anyways, it’s been prophesized. You can’t do anything about it.”

“What are you talking about?” he whispered into her hair.

The time had probably come to tell Mike the truth. “I didn’t want to say anything in front of the others, but … an oracle predicted my death. You should know, because … I love you.”

“Marla …” Mike took her cheeks in his hands. His impetuous lips found her mouth, and his kiss was full of passion.

Marla returned Mike’s wild attentions in kind. She longed for him, longed to be close to him, longed for their intimate conversations.

Marla’s heart grew heavy. She would have liked to experience so much more with Mike. “Let’s go. I have to know that you’re safe before I die,” she said between his caresses. Tasting, touching, and smelling Mike was simply heavenly. Would she miss that when she was dead? Would she feel anything at all?

Breathless, Mike took a step back, holding her head firmly in his hands. “When I learned that you were a demon, I felt hurt. I thought you were toying with me, but now I know: Your feelings are real.” He searched for her eyes in the darkness. Were his eyes shining? “Please, don’t talk about dying. I’ll come with you!”

Marla let out a sigh. What luck! Mike had regained his senses! She embraced him exuberantly.

“No one’s going anywhere!” An all-too-familiar voice suddenly echoed through the tunnel. She was grabbed by the shoulder and torn away from Mike. “Today truly is a good day to die, you abomination!”

It was Metistakles! “No,” she whispered. Why did it have to be him? Marla was effectively paralyzed. The enormous expenditure of energy had weakened her body. Metistakles had her in a stranglehold, one arm wrapped around her throat from behind. She could neither breathe nor speak.

“Marla!” Mike cried. He stood up, keeping his back to the stone wall. “Who’s there?” Hands outstretched, he searched his surroundings, but he couldn’t quite reach them. “Marla?!”

She floundered about, struggling for air. Finally, Metistakles loosened his grip.

“Please!” she begged, panting. “Let me make a portal for Mike, and then I’ll go with you, my lord.”

“You won’t do anything of the kind, you little whore!” Metistakles growled, dragging her out to the main corridor.

Marla clutched at his arm. What was he intending to do? Her pulse was pounding in her ears — Metistakles was cutting off the blood supply to her brain. Marla desperately gasped for air.

Mike stumbled after them, feeling his way along the stone wall. “Marla!”

“Stay where you are, Mike!” she wanted to call back to him, but only a croaking sound escaped her lips.
Please go away, don’t follow me!
she tried to send to him mentally. She didn’t know whether Mike could hear her — in any case, he didn’t react.

Metistakles couldn’t break his vow. He wouldn’t kill Mike. But he might torture him. And then there were always the others, and what they could do to Mike. Mike was lost.

Please, lord
, Marla begged Metistakles telepathically.
Do with me what you will. I’ll remain fully conscious if you wish, but please let Mike go!

“Fully conscious?” He stared at her with greedy eyes and loosened his grip again.

Marla gasped for air in a panic. Tears were clouding her vision, and her head pounded.

“You won’t hide yourself away?”

“No,” she whimpered as he pulled her further down the corridor. “Just let Mike go, please!”

He let out a sinister laugh. “First, I’ll have to see whether you keep your word, bitch. Then … I’ll consider it. Perhaps.”

He dragged Marla down the long corridor, not toward the hall but in the other direction, toward her chamber. Mike ran after them, struggling to keep up.

“Marla!” he cried. Despite his desperation, he looked determined and above all enraged.

“Shut up, scum!” Metistakles turned toward Mike. With a wave of his hand, the demon threw Mike against the wall.

“Mike!” Marla tried to break free but couldn’t manage it.

“You be quiet as well, whore. Don’t you dare spoil my fun!” His grip on her tightened immediately. Now Marla understood. Metistakles didn’t want the others to find out how he had tortured her!

Metistakles shoved her into her tiny room, directly onto the bed. Panting, she slumped against the hard mat and gingerly felt her throat. It hurt to swallow, but she could finally breathe again.

Mike stumbled in after them, and Metistakles shut the door with the power of his mind. Mike shook it, but it remained closed.

Metistakles sniggered. “Watch what I do to your
girlfriend
, human scum.” He sat down next to Marla on the bed. Never before had his eyes shone with such a crazy gleam. Metistakles lengthened his talons and sliced off the remains of Marla’s sweater.

“Get your paws off her, you dirty bastard!” Mike yelled, trying to lunge at the demon from behind. Metistakles didn’t even turn his head as he mentally slammed Mike into the rock wall.

“No!” Marla’s heart skipped a beat. Mike sank to the floor but immediately attempted to get up again.

Metistakles muttered a charm, and Mike froze in place. Only his eyes moved frantically about.

“Mike!” Marla cried through her tears, about to run to him, but Metistakles used the same charm on her. Marla could no longer move an inch. Now the demon would do his worst, and she couldn’t even retreat into her mental safe room. She had promised.

“Watch, human. Look closely at what I do with my slave.” He put his claws on her chest and pulled them downward. They cut deep into her skin.

Marla wanted to scream, but no noise escaped her lips. The pain was almost unbearable. It felt like Metistakles was disemboweling her. Black spots danced before her eyes, and she thought she might suffocate — she wasn’t able to gasp for air, just take the shallowest of breaths.

Please, someone, help me!
she begged in her thoughts. In response, she heard only Metistakles’ cruel laugh. She had long suspected that he had managed to block her thoughts from reaching others.

“I enjoy torturing her. I enjoy her suffering and her fear — it gives me strength,” the demon told Mike. “Mutilating her beauty brings me great pleasure.”

Again, he brought out his claws, this time on her cheek. Sharp as razor blades, they carved through her skin.

It took Marla all her willpower not to withdraw into her fairy-tale room. The pain was unimaginable.

Snickering, Metistakles turned the talons in her cheek and tore the wound open further. Marla tasted blood on her tongue as it ran down her throat. She couldn’t even swallow; all she could do was move her eyes and take shallow breaths. Her pulse raced, and as Metistakles pushed himself into her head, every nerve in her body seemed to explode. He delighted in her anguish, sucking out all the negative emotions within her. Then he lay on top of her, holding her in place with his weight, and tore his claws out of her cheek.

She was close to passing out from fear, disgust, and pain. It would destroy her if she could see how Metistakles was abusing her body. But since she was going to die anyway … She was also doing it for Mike, the one person she loved more than anything in the world. Had her time come? Would Metistakles finally kill her?

She was glad that tears were blurring her vision, as she couldn’t close her eyes. All she saw before her was Metistakles’ face. He licked the blood from his talons. His irises were glowing. “You taste so good when you’re terrified.”

He turned his head and grinned down at Mike, who lay frozen on the floor, eyes wide open. How awful it must be for him to have to look on helplessly!

Metistakles was so cruel, so very cruel.

Would he keep his promise? Marla cursed — she had forgotten to make him take an oath!
Perhaps …
is what he had said. Mike was lost, she was lost. Was this the end, here and now?
Please forgive me, Mike! I love you so much!

Metistakles had heard her thoughts and dealt her a mental blow that actually stopped her heart for a beat or two. Then he pressed his taloned hand to her stomach again.

No, please, no!
she begged him mentally, but all she could hear in response was Metistakles’ evil laughter ringing through her head.

Marla only wanted it to end quickly. However, she knew Metistakles well, and she sensed that he would delight in her misery for as long as he could.

Suddenly the door flung open, crashing against the wall so hard that it splintered into pieces. It had almost hit Mike. Out of the corner of her eye, Marla saw Obron storming into the room. Even in her paralyzed state, she could feel the rage emanating from him.

“What are you doing to my daughter?!” he cried, tearing Metistakles off of her.

The demon scrambled to his feel and faced Obron. “Only what I’ve done so often before!”

Her father seemed to have been rendered speechless for a moment. He merely stared at Metistakles.

The other demon grinned slyly. “I’ve tortured her so many times, and it never bothered you before!”

Obron’s brow furrowed. The astonishment and confusion on his face transformed into boundless anger. His eyes glowed. “I thought you were merely giving her lessons! I had no idea that you were abusing her! Why did I never hear of this?”

Marla was amazed. Her father had a heart? Why had he never come to her aid before? But Marla thought she knew the answer. She had retreated into her mental world, detached herself from her body in order not to endure the pain and humiliation. Therefore, Obron had never been able to sense what Metistakles was doing to her through the mental connection! The demon had likely also shielded her mind from others.