 
# Damned

### Blood Cursed Vol. 2

By

### J. A. Ironstand-Nelson

Copyright © 2016 Jessica Ironstand-Nelson

http://www.jaironstandnelson.com

# Dedication

For Pierce.

.

# Table of Contents

Dedication

Table of Contents

Legal Notes

Chapter 1. Raven

Chapter 2. Cortina

Chapter 3. Kati

Chapter 4. Del

Chapter 5. Denny

Chapter 6. Malak

Chapter 7. Emery

Chapter 8. Ares

Chapter 9. Durin

Chapter 10. Lazette

Chapter 11. Ares

Chapter 12. Malak

Chapter 13. Del

Chapter 14. Fig

Chapter 15. Marv

Chapter 16. Kati

Chapter 17. Malak

Chapter 18. Del

Chapter 19. Raven

Chapter 20. Roman

Chapter 21. Val

Chapter 22. Ares

Chapter 23. Kati

Chapter 24. Emery

Chapter 25. Malak

Chapter 26. Kati

Chapter 27. Del

Chapter 28. Fig

Chapter 29. Del

Chapter 30. Ares

Chapter 31. Gio

Chapter 32. Del

Chapter 33. Kati

Chapter 34. Ares

Chapter 35. Cortina

Chapter 36. Ares

Chapter 37. Kati

About The Author

Other Books By The Author

# Legal Notes

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

All characters in this book are fictitious and resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

ISBN: 978-0-9947397-5-9 (Paperback)

# Chapter 1. Raven

The demon only came out at night. The sound of its footsteps through the dry leaves was undeniable. There was a crunch and a drag rustling the forest floor's tinder about. The cool autumn night air that was playing about the half bare tree branches was gone. The only sound left was the crunch and drag and the breathing; the nasally, wet, growly breathing. Raven pressed her back up against the tree squeezing her eyes shut. She inhaled slowly through her nose and out through her mouth even slower as she tried to still her thumping heart.

Nothing bad will happen. Malak will not let anything happen. Kati will not miss. We have done this before. It will be fine.

Every step the demon took unraveled Raven's nerves. She heard it inhale deeply and panic started to settle in further.

The demon said in a deep taunting tone that sounded as if a man and woman were speaking in unison, "Little girl, little girl, I can smell you. Are you afraid? Do not be. I just want a taste."

The images of the children's remnants flashed in Raven's mind. The little girls were the ones the demon liked best. The last one it took was only five and so sweet. An orphaned girl named Myra. She had red curly hair like Opia and had just lost her first tooth.

Raven rolled the little girl's tooth between her fingers and put it back in her pocket. She placed her hand over the cut she had given herself on her other hand. It burned with her sweat getting into it.

The demon had caught her scent quickly. Raven felt guilt as she thought about the children. She should not even try to feel badly about her pain. The children went through worse. If they had been faster the night before than Myra would still be alive. Who was to know the demon was going to gnaw its own foot, that was caught in the bear trap, right off. The way its screams echoed through the trees reaching the village was something that scared Raven so badly she had not stopped looking over her shoulder since. She hoped the other hunting party was successful with the aptly named _Demon of the Lake._ Raven was glad she had chosen not to go with Del's hunting party. She hated water. Now, as this demon closed in on her, she was not so sure.

A stone hit her shoe and she jumped. Raven pushed off the tree and made a mad run like they had practiced earlier. The moonlight was just barely enough for her to make out the path. One foot in front of the other, she ran as fast as her legs would allow. The blood rushing through her ears drowned out any noise the demon may have been making. She hoped it was behind her and did not want to look back to see. She looked up and saw Kati loose an arrow almost right at her. Somehow Raven managed to run faster as she realized the demon had to have been right behind her.

Up ahead was the tree with the arrow carved into it. Raven took the final few steps and jumped making her body stiff as she went straight into the ground where it had been dug up earlier. She picked up the shield that was placed at the bottom of the tiny pit, made just for her, and held it above her head. She listened for any sound. The pit became very hot quickly and Raven started to feel anxious as she had not prepared herself for this.

Please kill it. Let it please be dead. I cannot breathe.

The sound of Emery whistling was a relief. Raven pushed the shield up and out. Dirt cascaded down her sleeve as she reached up. She closed her eyes and swatted the falling dirt from her face. A hand found hers and pulled her up. She opened her eyes and saw Malak staring at her, holding a lit lantern.

Malak asked, "Are you all right?"

Raven replied, "I am fine. Is everyone fine?"

Malak pointed behind her. Kati came into view, limping. She had one arm over Durin's shoulder and he held her with one hand on her stomach and one around her waist. She clutched her bow in one hand. Raven gasped when she saw Kati's pant leg, bloody and torn.

Kati said, "Took me right out of the tree. Even with a damn arrow between its eyes. Had to get one last taste of flesh before it went to hell I suppose."

Denny came out from behind them holding up the head of the demon. Its wide jaw and long gaping mouth was bloody. The pale wrinkly skin was jagged at the neck where it was removed. An arrow was stuck in its forehead right between the pitch black eyes. The face could have been mistaken for a normal face except for the mouth. It reminded her of the dungeon master and its chattering teeth. Raven stared at it and shook as she looked upon its pointed teeth gleaming in the lantern light.

Denny was inspecting it and said, "Fascinating. It appears to have teeth all the way down its throat. No tongue. There are small glands between the teeth where, I am guessing, saliva comes from to assist the swallowing of food."

Malak said angrily, "They were children, not food."

Denny said, "We consume blood all the time. We do not identify the blood as man or woman. We call it blood."

Raven wanted to vomit as she thought of the poor children facing the demon in the night. Being dragged from bed and taken to its cave to be eaten. The smell of the rotten flesh was one she would never forget. When they dragged what was left of the bodies out of the cave, Raven almost could not do it. Kati told her not to look away when she did. She told her to look at the dead children and remember that they needed to destroy every last one of the demons. Kati had told her to not mourn but to be angry and use the anger to get revenge for the innocent.

Emery and Vio emerged from the dark, dragging the demon corpse. Emery yanked the head out of Denny's hand as he walked by. He threw it into the tiny pit, along with the body. Raven stepped back when Denny walked over and emptied a bottle of liquid onto the corpse. Emery took Malak's lantern and threw it hard, down into the pit. Glass flew up and a fire burst out. Malak tugged at Raven's hand but Raven took a step closer as she watched flames engulf the demon's face. She had to see it burn.

The walk back to the village was silent except for the curse words Kati let out under her breath. Raven felt badly but they could not take any blood with them. It would have distracted the demon. The cut on her hand was burning. Dirt had gotten into it. When the lights of the village came into view, Raven felt relief that they could bring a peaceful sleep to those who still had little ones. Her legs ached and so did her stomach. She had not eaten since they dragged the bodies out the day before. One half of the clearing the village housed itself in, had a graveyard in it. When they first arrived it had only a dozen graves. She felt like bursting into tears when she saw there were now an additional thirty-three tiny mounds. Thirty-three little lost souls. Fig was patting down the last grave when he noticed them.

Denny said, "Go get my things, Fig. We need blood."

She watched as Fig ran toward the biggest hut, that was in the very middle of the village, surrounded by fifty or so smaller huts. They walked by the house of the old woman who had taken care of Myra. The old woman was in her doorway watching them. Their eyes met and Raven nodded and turned away when she saw the old woman cover her mouth with tears in her eyes.

They were near the village leader's hut by the time Fig had the blood in hand. He handed it to Denny who handed it to Kati. They walked into the big hut and the old village leader was sitting by the fire, staring into it, deep in thought. Muriel was cooking a soup over the fire, stirring away. Val was sitting on a stump and wringing her hands. Barabel's Maryanat face was tear-streaked and dirty.

Raven was glad she did not have to bury the children. She walked over to where their beddings were and she lay down beside her Grandpa who was snoring softly. He rolled over and opened his eyes.

Ed said, "Raven, you look exhausted. You are paler than usual. You should eat."

"Do not worry about me, Grandpa, I am sleepy is all."

He rolled back over and Raven closed her eyes. She opened them when a hand brushed against her cheek. She turned and looked at Malak's strained face, holding out a small vial of blood to her along with a damp cloth. Malak said softly, "Me and Fig are going to retrieve what was left of Myra so we can bury her."

Raven shook her head and pushed the vial away but took the cloth _._

_I want to feel the pain of this cut. Someone needs to remember these children_.

Raven wiped the dirt out of the cut. She handed the cloth back and turned away when Malak went to touch her face again. She lay back down, closing her eyes, finding herself unable to shake the feeling of despair that lodged itself deep in her chest. It made her heart feel like it was beating too hard and that she was not getting enough air even as she breathed in deeply. She wanted to sleep but was frightened to dream something awful.

Her heart hurt when she thought of them finding only half of Myra's torso and leaving it near the cave just before dusk. She had hoped with all she could that they would find the little girl alive. She should have known that hope only led to disappointment. That had proved to be true over and over. She felt an anger deep inside of her. They had escaped evil only to keep running toward it. She wanted to blame Maryanat for all of this but she knew there would always be evil even without the demons loose.

She thought of the armed men they had come across two summers back. They had been searching for a demon who had been laying waste to villages in a valley. Men, women, and children were being slaughtered like chickens and pigs. Raven had wished it had been a demon but it was not. It was men. Men who wore a shield and armor and killed in the name of a ruler who wanted to send a message to the villages, a message that everyone was to pay tribute and taxes, no matter how poor. It made her ill and reminded her of those who killed her parents and so many others. She took pleasure in seeing them all die. Her heart slowed at that thought and she finally let herself drift off into slumber.

# Chapter 2. Cortina

"It is in the water with you!" Gretchen screamed with her blonde hair bouncing as she waved her arms about wildly.

Cortina stared up at Gretchen and held her head as pain shot through it.

What the hell happened?

Broken glass lay around her. She sat up and looked around the long boat and realized only her and Gretchen were aboard. She spotted Gio swimming toward the fishing boat. She struggled to remember what was happening. Suddenly it all came flooding back. She looked around her scrambling to find the breathing apparatus' Ares had thrown to them inside the glass jar.

Cortina said, "Gretchen, help me, hurry. The boat is going down."

Gretchen shrieked and got down on her hands and knees sifting through the glass with Cortina. Gretchen said in a high-pitched voice, "Found one. Here."

Cortina took it and placed it in her mouth. Cortina found the one meant for Gio as Gretchen found the last one and just in time as the boat was nearly full.

Cortina instructed, "Go to shore. Do not look back. Just swim, Gretchen. Do you hear me?"

Gretchen was wide-eyed and asked, "Why? Where are you going?"

"That way," Cortina replied as she pointed to where the fishing boat was rocking in the waves. Cortina dove into the water seeing the tail of the giant lizard whip out near the fishing boat.

_Gio, you idiot_ , Cortina thought as the icy water chilled her straight to the core.

She tried not to think about the lizard as she swam after Gio. A leg cramp made her scream and flail in the water. Suddenly she felt something slimy creep around her leg. The breathing apparatus fell out of her mouth and she watched it sink as she tried to grab it. It was gone. She thrashed about losing the other one. Her other leg was now tangled in the weeds that surrounded her just beneath the surface. The more she struggled the more it pulled her down. Her head went under before she even had time to cry out for help.

Are you serious? Am I drowning? Please do not let me be eaten by the demon.

Cortina held her breath for as long as she could. Her chest felt like it was going to explode and that was it. She inhaled water and coughed out the last of her air. She watched as the blue sky above dimmed. The feeling of water filling her airways was the worst feeling she ever felt; even worse than the torture. If they had drowned her down there instead, she would not have bothered to keep living. A feeling of peace overwhelmed her racing mind and then there was nothing left except the sweet caress of the dancing weeds tickling her.

***

Pain seared her lungs as she spat out water. The air felt like fire as she choked and spit up more water. She rubbed her eyes and saw Ares knelt beside her, head looking back, saying, "See, Del, it is not an actual kiss. It is only called a kiss."

Del was now kneeling, cradling Cortina's head peering down at her. Del said, "You looked like a sweet angel in the water."

Gio said, "You are daft. She looked like a monster. Eyes wide open, staring up with arms straight up."

Cortina sat up and lay back down as the pain that was in her head earlier was now worse. Cortina snapped, "Did you have to throw the jar so hard, Ares?"

Ares said, "Apologies. Next time you should just all take the breathers beforehand. I told you they would come in handy."

Beau asked, "How did Corti drown then?"

Cortina shook her head and said, "I dropped the _breathers_. Did we get it?"

Del said, "Oh yea. We did. Well actually, Opia did. Who knew such a small woman could throw a harpoon that hard. Stuck in really well. We were able to pull it to shore and we let the villagers kill it. They gave us some of its teeth."

Cortina asked, "Can we go now? If I have to eat another fish for dinner I will go back in there and drown myself."

Del said, "Well, they kind of want to throw us a celebration before they pay us. They already have the girls and Marv over there. It might be nice. I mean, we do not really need to leave until day break tomorrow. Otherwise we will have to stay overnight at the meet up spot waiting for the others."

Cortina said, "Damn it all. Does anyone have any blood?"

Gio handed over a vial and Cortina drank it. The pain in her head subsided and they slowly walked along the shore laughing about this and that.

By the time they reached the village it was dusk. Cortina looked upon the smiling faces and merriment was apparent. When they arrived at the village square she saw Lazette was telling a group of men about how Opia hit the lizard straight in the chest when it jumped out of the water at them. Opia's face was nearly as red as her curly hair and she was leaning up against Gretchen. Marv was surrounded by young girls who were begging him to play them a song. Torches burned brightly and a whole pig was being roasted over a fire, to Cortina's delight.

Cortina watched as Del turned to bow to Beau and laughed as she overheard her say, "Does me lady care for a dance?"

Beau picked her up by the hips and spun her about before putting her down and saying, "No. Your lady wants a drink."

Ares eagerly said, "I will dance with you."

Cortina watched as Del playfully danced with Ares as he tried to pull her in close. Instead she twirled and laughed.

Gio whispered to Cortina, "She will be fine. You do not need to watch her like she is a child. She has not had any nightmares for almost a month now."

Cortina sighed and looked at him to say, "Well, none she told about."

Gio said, "Would you like to dance with me?"

"Look at us. Look at me. My hair and my clothes are muddy."

"You look like an angel."

Cortina laughed and said, "You said I looked like a monster."

Gio replied, "I meant you are a monster."

Cortina smiled and she began to dance with Gio as Marv started to play a slow song on his fiddle while Opia sang softly. Cortina stared into Gio's eyes and she felt so peaceful. It had been only four years but they had managed to kill over fifty demons. With the one today and the one from Kati's hunting party that would make it fifty-five. If that man had been telling the truth, that meant they were over a quarter of the way there. She leaned her head against Gio's chest and listened to his heart beating. She had never been happier.

#  Chapter 3. Kati

"Is this meant as a jest?" Kati snapped as she held the paper in hand.

They had arrived at the meeting spot a while ago and there was still no sign of the others. There was only the arrow with the note tied to it. Not just any arrow. It was one of hers. The black rose she carved and pushed ashes into was there right in the middle. She looked around suspiciously at the hills that were all around the open fields. She turned and rubbed her finger against the only tree around, where it had the arrow in it. Wood splinters pinched at her skin. She stepped back and looked over her shoulder wondering if who was playing with them could be watching her at that moment.

Kati paced and Denny said, "I do not think it is a jest. It would have to have come from one of us and the others are not here yet and you were the first one to get here. Someone has been watching us. Following us. They know who we are."

Val said, "Of course they know who we are. Everyone knows who we are. We are famous demon hunters. People talk you know."

Kati snapped, "Shut it, Val, or I will shut it for you."

Vio said, "She is right. Last time Durin and me went for supplies a priest came and gave us a loaf of bread. Said we were doing God's work. I had to stop Durin from telling him we have demon blood in us."

Barabel said, "And the Andriels all have those weird eyes except Lazette. And you all look unlike anyone I have seen with your dark eyes and black hair...and...I am uncertain but there is something about you all, I just cannot put my finger on it. You all look alike too. You would be easy to spot even from description."

Kati said, "Yea and you with your creepy face and creepy skin."

Malak said, "Kati."

Kati said, "Sorry, Barabel. It is going to take me longer than this to get used to your face."

Barabel said, "I do not even like looking in a mirror. I hate it."

Kati said, "None of this explains the note though. It is signed Mary. Who is the only Mary we know?"

Durin said, "It could be a religious thing. You know, Mary, mother Mary."

Kati said, "Oh, Durin, please do not say those two words together ever again."

Ed said, "Look! They are here."

Kati looked over to where the sun was rising and spotted the outlines of the others on two carts. When they were close, Del jumped down and ran over asking questions of their kill.

Kati handed her the note and Del started to shake when she read it. Del stammered, "She is d-d-dead. She is gone. This-this-it cannot be."

Kati said, "It is someone with that name or someone who knows what happened. Someone who was able to get close enough to us to take an arrow of mine."

Del asked, "Are you sure?"

Kati handed her the arrow and Del stared at it. The others gathered around and they all began to discuss it all over again. In the end Kati said, "We need to lay low for a while. We need to buy new property and just stay there for a while so we can figure this out.

Beau asked, "What does the note say?"

Kati remembered that he could not read and she read it aloud, "Demons killing demons. All demons to die. Mary."

Marv said, "Let me see the paper."

Kati watched him take it and was puzzled as he smelled it then licked it. Marv said, "The ink is made from blood. Demon blood. And the paper is honeyed. There is only one place I know that uses honeyed paper. The House of Iron. It is a guild of men and women who worship Gods of this religion founded in 548. They are borderline insane."

Denny said, "How do you know all of that?"

Marv said, "May told me when she was showing me how to make honeyed paper. You can basically use anything for ink on it. It is really quite-"

Kati said, "What did she say, Marv?"

Marv continued, "Her grandmother was a part of it. Then her grandfather convinced her grandmother to abandon them."

Kati asked, "Solal? Do you think he told them? Do you think he joined them after he was told about us? I told you we should have killed him."

Lazette said, "That bastard. How else would they know? I should have wrung his skinny little neck before he ran off on me."

Denny asked, "Where is this House of Iron?"

Marv said, "In the mountains. Hidden."

Kati said, "Del, get the book out. It is time to start putting it to use."

Del nodded and took to digging in one of the trunks on the wagon. When she returned there was a feather in her hair and a black smudge on her face. Kati took the book from her and watched on as Beau licked his thumb before using it to wipe the smudge away while Ares took the feather from her hair.

Kati shook her head as she thought of how these two men were always looking out for her sister. Del had been one of the strongest people Kati ever knew and when she was finally free of the castle she could not have been more different. The prior Del would have slapped Beau's hand away and pushed Ares face back before he even got close. Instead, Del carried on as if it were a part of life now.

Del asked, "Are you thinking of using that finding what you lost spell?"

Denny said flatly, "That is only if we had prior knowledge of something they took. It does not work on people if you are thinking of Solal. It is great for finding where you all stash my spirits on me but not for finding a place we have never laid eyes on."

Kati skimmed through the pages. "Budina Alchemy," she read aloud. Kati read through it and learned that it could be used on an object and when in contact with the wearer's skin, gave the power to turn liquid to solid and solid to liquid with one word. Kati looked up and suggested, "Maybe we should use some of these sometime. There is probably something in here we could use to get those amulets off your necks. It must chaff your neck, Ares."

Ares said, "These? We can take these off whenever we want."

Kati watched him pull his off and Del did the same. Kati asked, "Then why do you wear them? They are ugly. At least change the leather out."

Ares answered, "They are perfect. They are friendship necklaces. We wear them so whenever we are apart we can feel close to one another."

Del said, "I forgot I was even wearing this."

Ares looked hurt and Kati said, "But you are never apart."

Del put hers back on and said, "I never thought of it that way. I like that, Ares. Friendship necklaces. Yes."

Kati shook her head again and continued looking through the book. "Dragona Kloverkin," Kati read aloud. "This one works by charging an obsidian shard and stitching it into your palm. With it and a series of words you can start fires. I think I will definitely keep that one for myself."

Emery said, "The last thing we need is you able to burn things at will. There would not be enough water in the world for your sudden bouts of rage."

Durin said, "Yea. The first thing to burst into flame would be Val."

Val said, "Yes. He is right."

Kati quickly carried onto the next interesting spell and read it out. "Grey Gardens. Interesting. Says that you can use it on your fingernails. After that all you do is scratch anything, say _Grey are the eyes of death_ and it will wither and die. Plants, animals, people. Even turn regular items into ash. Why did not we read this earlier?"

Cortina chimed in with, "Because last time we read it we ended up ruining eight lives and being trapped for twenty-five years."

Gio said, "Speak for yourself. My life was not ruined. Now I get to live eternally for you."

Kati sucked her teeth and rolled her eyes.

Del said in a tiny voice, "Can we stop talking about what happened?"

Kati watched her do her whole breakdown she always did when she remembered the castle. Del had her head down and her hands near her ears as if to cover them. She started to pace. When Beau reached for her, Kati jumped when Del slapped his hand away. Del stopped and turned to face him. Del said in a deep voice, practically spitting the words, "Keep your damn hands off me. Do not ever touch me," before running off into the field.

Ares said, "I will go get her."

Kati said harshly, "Leave her. We do not have time for her shit right now." Kati watched as Ares shook his head and went in the direction of Del.

Kati did not realize she was humming until Cortina started to hum along with her. When she stopped Cortina stopped.

"Here we are!" Kati exclaimed, " _The Rose of Deadfall_. When you really want someone dead, this will help you find them through dream. We need a rose, blood, and a volunteer. Lazette, do you really wish Solal dead?"

Lazette said, "He was the only man I ever loved but he broke my heart. Of course I want him dead."

Kati put a blade of dry grass in the book to mark the page before closing it. Kati said, "It is settled. Now we need a rose."

Denny whipped a vial from his vest and cheerfully exclaimed, "And blood!"

# Chapter 4. Del

"Come back!" Ares shouted.

Del closed her eyes and opened them blinking rapidly.

Is this real? I cannot breathe.

Del turned and watched as Ares was catching up. She pulled out a knife and threatened loudly, "Do not come any closer!"

Ares stopped and put his hands in front of him before saying, "Really? Again? You promised you were not going to stab me again, remember? That shit hurts."

Del cautiously put the blade away remembering how badly she felt the last time she thought he was not real. He kept twitching every time he saw her after that for a good while.

Del said, "I am sorry. I keep feeling like this is a dream. I feel so happy and then I feel so afraid. Am I insane?"

Ares told her the hurtful truth as he never lied to her, "Yes. You are insane. I wish I knew how to help you. We all do but all we can do is be here. I am here. I will always be here. This is not a dream."

Del sat down and put her head in her hands as she explained, "I still have these dreams, nightmares. When I am awake, it is almost like I cannot tell if I have truly woken."

Ares sat down in the grass and stared at her sympathetically. Del hated it. This was not her. This _was not_ how she wanted to live with everyone; they were either angry or feeling sorry for her when she could not tell if she were really there.

Del sat down and forced herself not to cry. She had cried enough over this. Time had gone by but it was not getting better. Even if she lied about not having nightmares, it still did not make it true.

Ares asked, "If this were a nightmare, something bad would happen, right? Nothing bad has happened, besides the letter, but it could be anybody named Mary."

Del said, "This is how some of it was. Down there I mean, in the dungeon. I would have these dreams or illusions or what you will that we escaped and I would be so relieved. Then it would turn ugly and grey. My brothers and sisters would start attacking me and saying terrible things. Things you cannot take back. Laughing as I cried. Sometimes you were there. The rest were there. Worse things than that happened."

There was a silence followed by the sound of Emery yelling for them that it was time to go. Ares stood up and helped her up. She tried to pull her hand away when she was on her feet but he held it and said, "If you have trouble remembering if this is real then all you have to do is see if you are wearing this."

Del pulled back as he reached for her chest. He held up the amulet on the necklace she wore.

Ares continued, "You did not have this down there. I gave it to you when I saw you again. If you are wearing it, that means you are here and you are real. This is real. You do not have anything to fear anymore. I have your back and you have mine, right?"

Del nodded and pulled her hand away to hold the amulet in both hands. Del said, "Yes. You are right. Thank you." Del felt her heart slow to its normal beat and the anxieties in her chest dissipate.

When they arrived back at the wagons there was only one left.

Beau asked, "Where she stab you this time?"

Del watched Ares lift his shirt and twirl as he walked smiling smugly. Beau shook his head and they jumped on as the wagon started to move. Del sat between the trunks on one of the seats. Ares lay down on the floor, where there was room, and closed his eyes smiling.

Beau said, "We are headed to Mailin."

Del corrected him with, "Milan."

Beau said, "Yea, that is what I told you."

Del heard Ares about to comment but she kicked him and asked, "What is in Milan? Are we going home?"

Beau replied, "A rose. They need a rose. They said Leo had planted some on the estate near the walkway. We shall see. All I remember him planting were those red things with the thorns. I still do not trust him."

Del opened her trunk and pulled out the linen that was at the top of her clothing and carefully unfolded it, revealing a rose.

Ares sat up and said, "Hey Beau. Hurry up to the others. This one here had a rose for some reason. Where did you get that?"

Del observed Beau look back and say, "Where is it?" Del waved it at him and he said, "Oh. I did not see it right away," before he turned back and quickened their pace.

Del looked at Ares and he asked again, "Where did you get that?"

Del answered, "That one, what was his name? Oh, Christian, the young boy with the scar on his lip. He gave it to me."

Ares said outraged, "A young boy? He had chest hair like the beard I used to have. I do not even have chest hair. A boy. What a pervert."

Del laughed and said, "How did you even see his chest? You are the pervert. Were you spying on someone bathing again? It is starting to become a problem if you are even spying on boys now. When I told you to stop being lecherous, it was meant to apply to all, not just women."

Ares had a furrowed brow and he reached to take the linen from Del's lap and placed it on his face without saying a word while Beau laughed.

Beau remarked, "Spying on boys. That is funny. He was spying on you too you know."

Del felt her jaw drop and she kicked Ares as he sat up shielding his face. He protested, "I was not spying. I was checking on you. I swear it was harmless. Beau was there too."

Beau said, "Yea, stopping him from watching."

Del shook her head and said, "You two are terrible people, just the worst. Really, you are. I am riding with my sisters. Hurry up. You better get there fast. I am starting to feel as if this is a nightmare. I might just feel threatened enough, to say, I do not know, stab you both again."

Ares said, "Hey, hey, hey that is not funny."

Del turned to him and said, "Oh, apologies, did you see me laughing?"

Ares stood up and went to sit by Beau before he said, "Hurry, she is not jesting."

Del smiled and dropped it when Ares looked back at her. She continued smiling when he turned away.

# Chapter 5. Denny

Denny flashed the old fat woman more coin as he carried on, "We only need the room for one night. Not all of us need to even be in it as long as the young lady there with the blonde hair gets to stay in it. We will pay extra for setting our tents up in the back, even extra for using your well, extra for using your, uh, facilities."

Denny held back a shudder as he pictured an outhouse buzzing with flies and the stench. He did not understand why anyone would want to collect such useless excrements.

The woman eyed him suspiciously as she snapped, "No," for the third time.

"I do not understand why you do not want to make coin?" Marv asked, trying to sound charming.

The old woman pulled out a stack of crinkled papers from behind her counter and slapped them down hard, shoving them towards Denny. Denny picked the stack up and flipped through them growing angrier as he found drawings of all of them. He read the top and it stated, _Demons. Wolves in sheep's clothing. Not to be trusted._ At the bottom was a stamp reading, _House of Iron._

Denny handed them to Marv and replied, "You were right. House of Iron." Denny rubbed his eyes with one hand and leaned his head back turning to the open door. He did not even want to show the others as he could picture Kati burning the old woman's inn down. When he turned back around to try and explain to the old woman, he barely had time to squeeze his eyes shut as she made a throwing motion at him with a small bottle in hand. He felt its contents hit him in the face and leak into his eyelashes.

"Ah what the hell?!" Denny shouted as he felt more droplets hit his face. He rubbed his eyes and waited for it to burn as he spit some out that leaked into his mouth. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his face.

He heard the old woman say, "I knew it. You are the demons they warned me about. You get out before I burn you all with this blessed water. I have more than enough to send you all back to hell."

Denny opened his eyes to see Marv leaning over the counter reaching for the bottle she held. Marv took it away and tossed it out the door as Kati stepped in.

"What the shit is going on?" Kati asked.

Denny sighed and handed her the papers. He turned to the old woman and said, "You are an old fool. That is nothing but plain water. I hope you spent a fortune on it you idiot. If it was blessed to repel demons know this, it was your unpleasant attitude that has repelled me. I am not a demon and neither are any of them. If we were demons, we would have waited for you to sleep and came upon you to devour your heart in the dead of night. We are, however, demon hunters. You better pray to your Gods that a demon never decides to roam these parts because I will remember this and we will wait until it eats you before we send it back to hell."

The old woman started to yell profanities as Kati started in on her questioning of who brought the papers.

Denny held Kati's arm and pulled her out into the night. He told her to show the others and that he would give the old lady a serum that would make her speak the truth. Denny shouted to Malak to bring paper and something to sketch with.

When he returned the old woman was whipping water at Marv who was on his stomach on the table reaching at her growling a throaty growl.

Malak said in a shocked tone, "Marv, that is no way to treat a lady!" Marv stood up looking embarrassed and straightened out his clothing. The old woman whipped water at Malak and he shielded his face asking, "Is she possessed?"

Denny answered, "Maybe by stupidity. No. She is just doing what she thinks is proper. Attempting to send us back to hell with well water."

Malak said, "That is new."

Denny instructed Marv to grab the old lady and he poured half a vial of serum into her mouth. It did not take long before they walked out with the drawings. They gathered around as Denny held up a lantern revealing the pictures.

"Recognize anyone?" Denny asked.

"Is that-" Raven started before Barabel cut her off with, "It is Dion."

Lazette said, "And that little shit Solal."

Denny knew he had recognized the woman with the hair like Raven's from the last masquerade ball. Denny said, "Idiots. Calling themselves demon hunters yet employ one."

Barabel said, "She is not a real demon."

Beau said, "Are you sure? Last time I seen her she acted like one. Ate the last kill that was brought to her. That is the last time I saw her before the ball."

Kati said, "Let us burn this old bitch's place down before we leave."

Emery told her, "Nope. Get back on the wagon. Cannot be looking like the bad guys when everyone from here to who knows where thinks we already are."

Denny said, "Do you think they know where we live?"

Del said, "They know exactly what we look like. I doubt there is little left they do not know."

Lazette whined, "Does this really look like me? The nose is huge."

Kati swiped the paper from her and said, "Dead on. I cannot believe how well they captured your face. Unbelievable. Truly remarkable."

Malak said, "Kati, do not be so mean."

Opia said, "Does my hair really look so awful?"

Denny took the papers and handed them to Malak and told them, "No more looking at the pictures. The girls are becoming insecure. We need to focus."

"I am not insecure!" Kati protested, "Maybe Lazette is but do not pool me into the same pond as her."

Denny laughed and said, "I just saw you combing your hair with your fingers."

Raven said, "He is right. I am starting to feel ugly right now."

Malak took Raven's face in his hands and told her, "Do not say that. You are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen."

Durin tugged at Kati's hair and said, "I love your hair, it always smells like sweet tea."

Ares laughed and exclaimed, "Quickly men, say something nice to the lady next to you before they start putting on makeup like whores, I mean Val."

Denny smirked as he watched Del turn to Beau and say, "Your eyes are like big brown marbles that shine brightly in the moonlight."

Del reached up and poked Beau in the cheek as he said, "Your lady likes compliments," before they all started to laugh.

Ares asked, "Why is there no picture of me?" Before anyone could answer, Ares answered himself with, "Old gal probably kept it. I mean, look at me. Who would _not_ want to look at me?"

Denny said, "All right. Let us go back to the riverbank and set up camp. Sorry Lazette, you will just have to hope you sleep well enough outside. It is actually not as cold as I imagined tonight would be. Feels quite warm compared to earlier."

***

Denny sat watching the fire burn down to the last half of the last log. He drained what was left in his wineskin and felt fuzzy and sleepy. Ares appeared rubbing his eyes as he sat down next to him. Denny asked quietly, "Having trouble sleeping...again?"

"Yes."

Denny handed him a vial from his pocket and said, "Just give her two drops." Ares laughed nervously and was about to speak when Denny told him, "Thank you. If that is the only thing that stops her from screaming in the night I am glad to help. I would rather they all believe she is getting better even if I know the truth. So thank you. I will not tell, not even her."

Ares smiled and stood up walking away into the dark.

Denny walked by the tents with his lantern and heard Beau whispering, "The-the-word-"

Next Fig whispered, "Worm. The worm."

Beau said a little louder, "That is what I said," followed by Durin saying, "Shhh, I think that is enough for tonight. I am exhausted."

Denny found his tent he shared with Marv and Emery. They were sleeping soundly. Denny sat and pulled off his boots. He took off his vest and carefully laid it over his boots before blowing out the candle in the lantern.

Denny was dreaming of drinking a cup of cider when a scream roused him. He sat up in the tent and reached around for his lantern. He lit it and put on his vest. Emery stood up and stumbled falling close to Marv as he sat up. They bumped heads and Emery let out an aggravated noise with Marv yelping holding his head.

Denny was barefoot and saw that the dawn was very close. He walked over the cold wet ground and spotted Del emerging from her tent, swaying, nearly falling over, followed by Ares, who grabbed onto her elbow.

Denny walked by and hissed to Ares, "What do you not understand about two drops? Cannot you count?"

Ares quickly responded, "It _was_ only two."

Denny took the vial from Ares and saw it was the pure shade and not the lemon grass one that he usually gave. He felt ashamed for having been drunk last night and mistakenly giving the wrong vial, but the shame quickly dissipated when he told himself they could not truly die. Without saying more, he followed Kati, who entered Val's tent. He followed her in and saw Lazette was sitting up, taking a drink of water from Val.

Kati said, "Do you know where he is?"

Lazette said, "I saw him. He was here. He came and he looked at each and every one of us as we slept. There is more of them than just him and that woman."

Denny asked, "How many more?"

Lazette said, "There was a dozen of them at least."

Kati said, "Go tell everyone else. They could still be here watching us. They seem to dislike us. They could be here to kill us."

Denny said to himself, "Why would they watch us sleep. They could have done what they wanted last night."

Another scream pierced the air making Denny turn around, feeling aggravated. He hurried out of the tent and saw Muriel back out of another tent, falling on her behind. She pointed to the tent that Opia, Barabel, and Gretchen shared. Denny felt as though time slowed to a crawl. His feet would not move. Kati shoved him when she pushed past. Denny finally snapped back into it with Marv snapping his fingers in his face.

Marv said, "Denny, Denny did you hear me?"

Denny shook his head and asked, "What?"

Marv asked back, "What do we do?"

Denny looked at him as if staring at him for the first time and asked, "What happened?"

Marv was shrugging and said, "I cannot even explain. Come see."

Denny walked toward the tent and saw everyone was gathered on the outside with Kati holding open the entrance. Everyone was either looking on holding their mouths or with their heads turned away.

When he walked closer, he saw what offended them. The entrails of the three girls were strewn about the ground in their beddings and the walls of the tent. He moved his eyes to meet the eyes of the three girls as their eyes stared a dead stare. Their heads were in a row removed from their bodies that were dismembered. He stepped in and saw that in a pot in the middle of the tent were three hearts. Denny knelt and began to instruct people to get as much blood from the cart as possible. Denny called Marv in and told him to start to gather the innards and try his best to sort them to match the bodies. Fig offered to turn and use his sense of smell to help. Kati and Beau dismantled the tent to make room.

Malak came running up and said, "They took all of our blood. They replaced it with demon's blood. Durin and Vio are turned looking for any nearby people."

Denny stopped what he was doing and told Kati, "Go and make sure they do not get caught by these lunatics. Malak, you go get Emery to follow. Get Cortina and Gio to go to. Stay together."

Denny's hands shook with rage as he waited for Fig's wet nose to tap onto which heart belonged to Opia as he held her red hair in his hand while cradling her bloody jagged neck.

Marv said quietly, "It is like a puzzle. I like puzzles."

Denny shook his head and thought to himself, _I do not know how you ended up so like me._

When they were nearly finished shoving this and that back in place Denny said, "It is all right if we do not get everything back exactly into place. We are able to regenerate quite a bit thankfully. Try your best to sew the parts to connect the mouth to the stomach."

They sewed silently and by the time Denny was finished one Marv was done the other two.

"Denny!" Kati shouted.

Denny got up and ran to meet the group as Vio dragged back someone by his teeth. The person screamed and Denny walked over filled with joy as he saw it was Solal. Vio dropped his arm from his teeth and walked away. Kati said, "He told us where to find their House of Iron. We also managed to kill that pig, Dion. The others Lazette talked about were long gone according to Durin's nose."

Denny stared blankly at Solal and said, "Bring him and a bowl and the tree tap."

He turned and walked toward the dismantled tent. When he arrived, he saw Marv opening the girls' mouths and shoving tongues in. Marv noticed him and said, "These were in the bottom of the pot in the pooled blood. Good thing I checked...or maybe it would be better if they had no tongues so they would not be able to speak."

Denny shook his head slightly at Marv, when Marv looked at him for an answer, as if Denny would even take the suggestion into consideration. Marv had been nodding his head, thinking, but when he saw Denny shaking his, he shook his too and went back to doing as he was. Denny left him to it and went over to Solal. He proceeded to jab the tap into Solal as he screamed. Emery held him in place while Lazette held his head.

Lazette said harshly with tears pouring from her face, "Look at what you did. This is what you wished for me? You married me and left me and now you have come to kill me and my family? You do not get to look away. You look at what you have done and then you can go to hell."

Denny told Marv to bring the pot over. He dumped it and traded it out for the bowl. He told Marv to switch places and went to the closest girl. He hoped what he was trying to do would work. He poured the blood down Gretchen's throat and was never happier to hear a woman scream out in pain.

Denny laughed and stood up to hug Marv. They patted each other on the backs and proceeded to feed the three until they were whole again.

Kati asked, "Where is Del?"

Beau looked around and asked, "Where _is_ Del? And Ares?"

Denny's happiness was short lived as he watched Raven peek into Del's tent then look over shaking her head, shrugging.

# Chapter 6. Malak

"I found them!" Raven shouted.

Malak ran over the small embankment to see Ares and Del splashing around the small stream. He arrived just in time to see Raven step in and out of the water quickly. Raven looked over at him and said, "It is freezing."

Malak jumped down onto the soft gravelly sand and called out, "Del! Ares!"

Malak was not very puzzled that Del did not seem to hear him but was concerned when Ares did not look up as if he did not hear them at all. He walked over to the water's edge and kicked off his boots. When he stepped into the water his feet hurt from the cold and he caught a glimpse of Del's face as she knelt in the knee deep water and splashed it up toward her face with her eyes closed. Her lips were bluish and her skin pale.

Kati yelled from behind Malak making him jump, "There is something wrong with Beau and Emery! They just fell and started twitching and staring off into the sky. Durin and Fig were trying to get them up but they will not stop! I do not think they are messing around. What the hell Ares? It is cold out here! I do not give a shit if Del wants to act stupid and freeze but all your doing is encouraging her if you freeze too! Let us get back!"

Malak waded over to Del cautious to touch her. Her gaze met his for a moment but it was as if she did not see him.

Raven asked, "What is the matter with them?"

Malak waded over to Ares instead and tapped his shoulder as he cupped water and bought it to his face smiling. His lips were blue too. Ares sat back in the water and Malak reached forward as he laid back in the water with his head going under. When Malak brought him back up he coughed and spit water out in his face. He noticed that the whites of his eyes were yellowish and bloodshot.

"Poison, Raven. Poison! Go get Denny!" Malak shouted as he positioned himself behind Ares and pulled him to lay back on the bank. He went and did the same to Del and felt sick as he saw the veins on her face were starting to appear very dark. When he laid her beside Ares, he jumped to his feet when pinkish foam was starting to form at the corners of Del's mouth. He found a nearby stick and broke it in half before wedging it between Del's teeth. He felt ill upon seeing that she had already chewed part of her tongue and was starting to twitch. He did the same to Ares, who started convulsing.

Where the hell is Denny?

Denny's voice shouted in the distance, "Malak! The water Malak! Do not drink the water! If you can hear me, come quickly!"

Malak looked around and saw his sister convulsing violently while Ares was now only starting to twitch, with blood starting to come down in streams from his eyes and ears. Malak tried to swallow but his throat felt too tight and his mouth too dry. He ran toward camp and hoped that Denny had some idea what to do.

Denny met him near camp and Malak was stunned to see nearly everyone was laid out in a row like the dying had been laid out in a war he was once part of. Durin and Cortina were just finishing dragging Kati among the row of twitching or convulsing bodies. Denny shoved wooden spoons into his hand.

"Please tell me you did not drink from your wineskin this morning," Denny said with a hint of panic that struck Malak as unusual.

Malak shook his head. Denny's tone had quickened Malak's heartbeat. He saw Raven was starting to shake. He rushed over as Ed wailed stroking Raven's hair. Malak inserted the spoon between Raven's teeth and looked up at Denny who was shaking his head with his hand over his eyes.

Malak waited for Denny to say something or do something but he just stood there with his hand over his eyes. Malak finally realized that Denny did not know what to do. He stood up and yelled to Cortina, "Take Durin to the water over there and bring back Del and Ares!"

Cortina's eyes were wide and she nodded. Malak watched them run where he pointed and he turned to Denny.

Malak was about to ask what he was afraid to when Denny said, "They took all of my vials and poisoned our wineskins."

Malak asked with his voice shaking, "What are we going to do? Denny? What do we do? What about your vest?"

Denny looked at him and said, "Do not you think I thought of that? I do not even have an antidote for it."

Malak sat on the ground and felt like someone had punched him in the gut. If he had anything in his stomach he would have puked. Malak grabbed onto Denny's pant leg as he paced. Malak said, "Ashes."

Denny replied, "They are not dead yet, Malak. It is not a disease; it is a poison."

Malak stood up and grabbed Denny's collar before he said, "Soot. Every time we do a séance I throw up ashes. It is as if it takes everything straight out of my stomach. Denny get some clean water, now."

Malak stumbled and watched Denny grab a bowl. He ran away toward the river passing Durin and Cortina who were dragging the limp bodies of the last two back. He shoveled the soot from last night's fire into a pot and when an ember burnt his flesh he did not slow down. He gathered as much as he could as fast as he could. He ran over to the row of them and knelt between Ares and Del who had nearly stopped moving. Denny stumbled nearby and Durin pulled the bowl from him just in time for Denny to hit the dirt.

Denny said sheepishly, "Luckily I never drink water."

Malak rolled his eyes and Cortina handed him a ladle and cups. He immediately began making a mixture of the soot and water hoping as hard as he could that this was going to work. He handed the cups to the three trying his best not to think of how foolish this was and that it would more than likely do nothing but take their minds off of the reality of the situation.

Malak took the ladle and used the piece of drift wood sticking out of Del's mouth to pry her jaws open enough to slowly pour the thick black water in. He listened carefully as she swallowed it in tiny gulps. His hands shook as he moved onto Ares. He moved onto Raven and had to ignore the names Ed was calling him. He slowly poured in the liquid and handed the pot off to Cortina.

Malak sat and pulled his knees to his chest, wringing his hands. He whistled through his teeth and swore that he would find this House of Iron and make certain it burned to the ground. Malak turned to his left when he heard cursing. He stood up and rushed over to where Durin was kneeling with his lap full of puke. He was rubbing Kati's back as she was now on her side puking and curled into a ball.

Malak ordered, "Turn them on their sides before they choke to death on their puke." He started to grab onto the furthest arm and yank them onto their sides quickly as some started to puke.

Denny patted him on the back when all were sitting up looking disheveled with black chins and mouths. Denny shouted, "Do not drink from your wineskins before cleaning them very thoroughly!"

Malak watched his brother's back as Denny disappeared into his tent.

"Praise Denny for not drinking water," he overheard Opia say before Durin said, "Malak. Thank Malak. I think Denny choked. Not every answer can be found in a bottle."

Malak did not feel that anyone should thank him. He sat and started to wonder what was up with Denny today. It was as if he gave up so quickly. Too quickly. Malak went into Denny's tent and saw him shoving a note into his vest.

Malak asked, "What was that?"

Denny turned and replied, "Nothing. Nothing at all."

Malak crawled over and demanded, "Show me."

Denny quickly opened the lantern and lit the paper on fire before Malak could grab it. Denny looked over at Malak and said, "It was mine. My poison. A poison I made that I had no antidote for. One that I have been carrying for a few thousand years. My pride kept me from throwing it away because I thought I could find a cure for anything. Now they have it. I am a fool for carrying it around all this time. It is fine in very small doses but anything larger could be devastating. I have seen it because I used it to kill a few times. Experimenting."

Malak said, "There is a cure now."

Denny took a drink and said, "Maybe that is why I am so upset. All this time I thought it was some frail mixture. A symphony of extracts. All it turned out to be was the simplest of them all."

Malak told him boldly, "Write it in your journal. Do not blame yourself. The House of Iron will burn to nothing but soot and we will see it through together."

# Chapter 7. Emery

The house was in a heap of smoking rubble when they returned. Everyone had been quiet about the sight until they reached where the house once stood.

Kati screamed, "Our belongings! All of it! The pickles, Del! The pickles!"

Emery reminded her, "That is why we kept the good stuff under the garden."

They walked around to the back and the smell of pitch was undeniable.

"Did they really need to burn my tomatoes?" Ares asked.

Denny was on his knees by the last broken pieces of the lattice covered walkway that previously held the grape vines.

Val said in a very high-pitched voice, "The peppers. The peppers that came from so far. Why did they have to destroy them?"

Beau said, "Is anyone else worried about the two people that were living here?"

Fig replied, "Yea, what about Seline and Leo?"

Kati snapped, "If they were stupid enough to let this house get burnt down then I do not even want to see them, if they are still alive."

Vio said softly, "Kati, do not-"

Kati said callously, "Do not start with me. You do not know what it has been like all these years. This was the nicest, biggest house we ever lived in."

Emery shrugged and said, "I preferred it when we lived back overseas in the forest. I never had to see much of anyone, including you, Kati."

Emery picked up a shovel and began to toss dirt over his shoulder. Beau joined in and in no time the hidden doors began to show. Emery leaned over and brushed dirt aside. Emery threw the shovel down and stepped out onto the grass. He murmured the word, "Shit," under his breath as he wiped the sweat from his brow.

Beau stuttered, "D-d-denim. That almost sounds like your name Denny, I think it is for you."

Kati read it aloud, "Demons killing demons. All demons to die. Mary. How did they know it was here? When I find Leo and Seline I will destroy them with my bare hands."

Emery threw his blackened handkerchief to the ground and went to help open the heavy oak doors that lead to the underground tomb they had obtained the property for. He lit the torches on the wall. The steps were slick with damp moss and the smell of mold was strong. He passed by the stone funeral beds stacked four high on each side. There were four more like this on each side along the walkway leading to the room at the end. The bodies lying along the walls in the stone chambers looked untouched to his relief.

Emery heard Malak say, "Do not desecrate the dead. Take it easy. Just reach over carefully to get your belongings. Kati, I am looking at you when I say this for very good reason."

When Emery reached the door at the end his fears had been realized. He had laid the lock to the same side he always laid any lock to. It was now definitely more to the other side. He reached up high and pulled the loosened rock out and felt for the key. He quickly unlocked the door. He saw that the weapons were lined along the wall and nothing was out of place except for a pile of clothes on the ground.

Kati came up from behind with a torch and she leaned down to touch the clothing. She picked up a hat and showed it to him. He watched as she picked up a pile of greyish dirt and spilled it on top of the clothing while next picking up the necklace that Seline never took off. He instantly felt the anger that was under the surface come up through.

Emery yelled, "Shit! When I find them they will wish that demons found them first! Pieces of shit!"

Emery walked out of the room but looked back to watch as Barabel saw what Kati was sifting through. She held her hand to her mouth before letting out a cry.

Barabel wailed, "Seline. My cousin. No. That cannot be her."

Emery stopped and leaned up against a wall.

Denny said, "These ashes do not appear to be from fire or any substance I know. Durin, when you and Fig brought those two men for Leo and Seline to kill, did you watch them kill them?"

Durin said, "No. We left them tied in the cellar by the kitchen. I tied them myself. This could not have been them."

Denny said, "That is not what I am concerned about. Seline was fantastic with a small blade and Leo always had his shovel. That was a month before the summer solstice. It may be possible that-"

Cortina interrupted, "There is a note here. It reads, _Look upon what you will become. You are meant to return to ash and cinder. Death of a demon can be quick and painless. Do yourself a favor and leave the people to live and accept your death for if not we will deliver it for you. -Mary."_

Denny sounded annoyed when he said, "My theory is confirmed. Leo and Seline did not in fact complete their kill before the summer solstice. At least one question is answered. This is what we will become when we should choose not to kill or perhaps happen upon being deterred from killing as I suspect happened here. Marv, are you writing this all down?"

Marv replied, "Yes. I even drew a picture."

Emery spit and stood up to leave.

The last thing he heard was Del asking, "Do you really think it is quick and painless?"

# Chapter 8. Ares

Ares suggested, "Why do not we go to the orphanage since we _are_ here? I want to show those nuns I was not only going to be worthless. I want them to see how good looking I turned out. How charming I turned out. How I have shoes now. Did you know they kicked me out when I was thirteen?"

Del said, "That is sad for you but no. I am going with Beau to show him this place that makes the best desserts you could ever taste. We have not much time, you know? Otherwise, you know I would say yes. To hell with those nuns, come eat sweets with us!"

Ares shook his head determined. He looked at everyone splitting up and going to do their business. Denny had left already with Emery and Kati to see their contact for blood and took Durin and Vio with them to help carry the supplies. Lazette and Opia were at the carts with Cortina and Gio. Gretchen and Barabel were going to find fruits. Fig and Marv were disappearing in the crowds. Val was staring at him while she walked away with Muriel. Ares chased after Raven and Ed as they followed Malak.

Ares called out, "Raven!"

He was happy to see her turn as he ran up.

Ares pleaded, "Please come with me. Please."

Raven had a puzzled look on her face when she asked, "Where?"

Ares quickly said, "The orphanage! Do not you want to see all the people you saved? I mean, Ed saved?"

Raven shook her head and Malak said, "Ray, let us go see. We were just going to draw pictures of people. Orphans would be perfect subjects. It would be a delight for the children to have a visitor. You and Ed can probably put a really good show on for them."

Raven nodded and smiled at Ares to tell him, "Sure."

They neared the orphanage and Ares felt pity when he noticed that it looked dingier than last he remembered. He was actually glad they kicked him out, forcing him to return to the beach where he was saved, in hopes someone would show up and save him or tell him he was a really important person and take him to do something great. He turned and looked at Raven and was happy he left his beach to follow her to the festival that day otherwise he would not have been where he was now.

When the orphanage came into view, Ares grabbed Raven's hand as he saw that Malak had stopped to stare at a building while holding Ed, arguing when that type of building came into existence. He walked through the gate, feeling excited and nervous all at once.

Ares said to her, "You look so scared, it is just a bunch of little kids and old-"

"Ares Blackwater!"

The voice made him cringe as he turned to see the woman his nightmares were made of. He stared at her with her permanent scowl that had made her mouth into a constant pucker ever since she had become a nun. Her small frame was shrouded by layers of clothing. He could not understand how such a sweet woman could turn into this. When they were in their village she would always make sure to kiss the head of every child before it was time to sleep. She had reddish blonde hair last he saw, now it was pure white. He supposed watching your husband and only child be slaughtered in front of you would do that.

Wala continued with a hard slap on his face and yanking his arm pulling his hand from Raven's with a high pitched, "How dare you come back here with her of all people! I told the other women it was her that freed us and they would not believe me and you knew and never said a thing! And holding her hand in love nonetheless! You grew into a wicked man!"

Ares held his face and could only muster a small noise before Raven said coldly, "Touch him again and I will ensure I take back the gift of a blessed life I granted you."

Wala looked at Raven staring down his nose and spat, "Disgusting. You do know that is your brother? Protecting him like that. Walking in here in love. Filth. Nothing but filth."

Raven snapped back, "That is not my brother you old wench and I am not in love with him."

Malak showed up and held his hand out to shake Wala's before realizing something was wrong. Malak asked quietly to Raven, "What is happening?"

Raven started when Wala said sharply, "This one here, Ares, came here with this one in love to rub it in our lord's face. Sick."

Malak grabbed onto Ed as he started to talk and twirled him around humming and dancing while saying, "This here is my wife and this here is my friend, Ares."

Wala snapped, "Liars I see. Brought a young boy who has been touched in the head as well. Let me tell you something your mothers should have told you. Ares, you washed up on the shore with your father and my cousin took you in. You remember, your mother? The one who died protecting you when you were fighting back? I said you and your father were strange. Him and his one blue eye, one green. Hair black as both of yours. Are you really that stupid? Who else in the village had black hair? Then your father having a child with Haro. He should have done the right thing and kept his demon spawn with him. That is what you are you know? Pure demons. The storm that brought you in was one no one would have survived. Demons of the sea, that is what you are. Why do you think we call you Blackwater? When we came upon you on the shore you were partway in the water with a black aura around you that could only be seen in the surrounding water. Leave here and continue your disgusting demon incest elsewhere."

Malak shook his head without looking and said, "Touched in the head."

Ares followed Malak as Malak turned and took Raven's hand. They walked away and did not say a word until they saw the others.

Ares went up to Del as she shoved a sweet small ball into his mouth. He chewed a chocolate ball before telling "Raven is my sister."

Del said quietly, "She is more my sister now. If you were serious about being family, you can be our brother."

Ares said even quieter, "Del, stop. This woman who was from our village said that my father was Raven's father and that we were sea demons."

He watched as Del nodded and took his hand. She led him to Denny as Malak and Raven just finished telling what happened.

Denny cleared his throat pacing while placing his bottle down before he said, "Time has come as I always thought it may. Emery will you please go stand over there with Kati? I do not feel like being damaged tonight. My suspicions have come to a conclusion. I always thought there was some connection with us being immortal and the Andriels being as they are. When Mother and Father were taken and hid us, I doubt any would remember but Kati, we hid and I was the only one to leave to see if it was clear. I followed, like a fool, to see if I could help Mother and Father. When I arrived it seemed Father had helped them himself. He was drenched in blood. I could see the blood glistening in the light of a torch held by a young fellow who had come to retrieve us with the other dozen sent by the King. His arm held it I should say. It was severed and lay some ways from his body. Father stood in my path and hugged me stopping me from continuing. I fell into him feeling safe before realizing what I had seen. You can see it on cathedrals now, a shape of a winged saint. He was so beautiful even torn to shreds. Mother was finishing her kills of the men in her own fantastic form. Our mother was a demon while our father was an _angel_. Next thing I knew she lunged at me and nearly ripped out my throat instead ripping out Father's. I pulled her head back and severed it from her body. He fell with his heart in her hand. It happened so fast. I feel guilt still. I did not tell for I did not want these children I was responsible for hating me. As time went by I did not want them knowing our father, an angel, died at the hands of our demon mother. Truthfully I did not know what they were at the time. I thought I had killed my mother and father while I was mad with grief or that I had dreamed it all after finding them dead of an animal attack. When I realized later on what I saw was truth, I did not want my siblings hating my father or my mother so I said nothing. I never wanted them to hate anyone."

There was a short silence as everyone took it in. Fig asked, "Is that why you drink?"

Ares watched Denny put his head down and smile before Denny picked up his bottle to take to a wagon, disappearing as he lay down.

Kati said, "That makes sense. I knew we were not normal. Probably why I like to burn things."

Gio spoke next, "This House of Iron knew what we did not before we did. Maybe they have knowledge that could be useful."

Malak said angrily, "We shall see what knowledge we can extract from their bodiless heads and their house in cinders. It does not matter what we are. I do not feel any different. If my mother meant to kill my brother and did in fact kill my father I am only saddened I was not there to sever her head myself."

Ares could tell that Malak was hurting as he yanked his arm from Raven when she tried to comfort him. They all loaded up the wagons and started toward the mountains.

Ares nudged Del when she was nearly dozed off. Del responded by yawning and sleepily saying, "I knew about it before you know. Denny told me when he was deep in drink. Slurred it to me, I should say, but I knew. I knew for a long time. That is why I keep expecting you or Raven to die. I figured that the blood curse only effected certain people but I could not be sure. Now I am. All of us have demon blood in us. Beau, Opia, all of us. The one that made the curses knew what she was doing. She never let us know. She pretended it was all by chance but she was the real demon hunter. She hunted those with demon blood and turned us all into what we are. Murderers. Just like real demons. Forced to live forever by killing. I am tired of killing. Maybe it is a good thing we can die so easily."

Ares said, "Stop talking like that. You do not really want to give it all up, do you? Think about your brothers and sisters. How would they feel if you let yourself die? What would any of us do? I do not know if you see it like I do but the rest of us would be lost without you six and I do not think there would be a five or even a four if one of you died. You are like puzzle pieces. You all bring to the table what the next cannot. Without you all together what use are the other pieces?"

Ares watched as Del turned away and slumped over a crate. Del mumbled something Ares could barely make out but it sounded like she said, "That is not how Durin sees it."

The air was starting to get the familiar chill with the sun gone down over the horizon. They stopped in a clearing, hidden by forest, that Malak claimed only he and Del knew about. There was a giant boulder in the middle of the clearing. There was almost immediately a fire going and tents popping up while the smell of roasting duck filled the air.

Ares felt queasy when he heard Barabel throwing up. He knew it was her by the sound she made at the end of each gag. He had just finished feeding the horses and took his lantern to where it was coming from. She was near the bush line, bent over, leaning on a tree with one hand. Val was rubbing her back and holding her hair back.

When Val noticed Ares, she straightened herself out for a moment before she leaned on a tree and placed a hand on her hip. He noticed that she used her other arm to pull her shirt tight by bunching it behind her. He rolled his eyes before asking, "Is she sick? Should I get Denny?"

Val said, "She had too much to drink. Been crying over her ugly cousin, Seline."

When Val said that Barabel stood up straight and swayed slightly before blubbering and wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. Ares stepped over and took Barabel by the arm. Ares jumped when someone placed their hand on his arm. He turned to see Gretchen staring at Barabel with her usual concerned face. He let Barabel go after Gretchen positioned herself under Barabel's arm. He was about to follow the two back to camp when Val pulled him back hard. She pinned him against a tree and all he could think about was whether or not he was standing by the puke tree.

Ares snapped, "What are you doing?" Ares could barely see as he had dropped his lantern and the light had gone out. Before he realized what was happening Val was kissing his neck and unbuttoning his shirt. He grabbed her by her shoulders and pushed her back.

Val said angrily, "What is your problem? It is as if you do not like girls. I know you are not with Del. I can tell. Is it boys you like? Is it one of those men over there?"

Ares stood speechless at her reaction to his rejection trying to make out her face in the dark.

Val said quietly, "All right then," before she pushed him hard and was on him again as he stumbled backward trying to keep balance with only his upper back against the tree. He realized it was the puke tree as his one foot slid. He grabbed onto Val's shirt and heard a tear while she giggled and now had his shirt wide open.

"Ares, I need to ask you...oh my, apologies," Del said with a tone that went from loud and happy to quiet very quickly.

Ares saw Del standing there, holding her lantern they had decorated together with stones they had collected over the few years they were friends. Her eyes were wide and she turned walking away quickly. Ares pushed Val away and slipped falling onto his knees. He got to his feet and chased after Del.

He caught up to her and tried to laugh when he started with, "That was not what it looked like. You have to let me tell you-"

Del smiled at him and he could tell it was forced as her chin twitched. Del said confidently, "No need."

Del turned away and Ares said, "You were coming to ask me something?"

Del replied, "Yes. I was coming to ask you to sleep in Denny's tent but you will probably sleep in Val's or something. My sisters and I are going to sleep in mine for the night, like we used to. Just for old time's sake."

Ares reached out to Del's shoulder when Beau came over and said, "Come eat before there is nothing left. I cannot stop eating this tuck. It is one of the best things I ever tasted."

Ares looked at Beau and nodded. When he turned back to Del she was disappearing into her tent. Ares felt like he had been slapped in his face. He wanted to take back the past few moments of his life and wished he had not gone over to see Barabel but knew if he could go back he would have gone to check on her anyway. He was certain Del was upset but he was not sure if it was at him or if she was in one of her moods again. He sat by the fire and ate without saying much. All he could do was stare at the fire.

Malak was telling a story about the first time he and Del went out on their own for a few years. He was talking about the first time they hunted and both put an arrow into the same duck and ruined the meat somehow but Ares was having a hard time concentrating.

Beau was laughing when he nudged Ares to say, "Did you hear that? Del waded into a pond to get a duck and screamed the whole time because there were water spiders. What is wrong with you? That is funny."

Ares nodded and took a lantern to behind the boulder. He was about to relieve himself when he noticed there was something carved on the rock. It read, _Delvin Aborduna Malak Aborduna 1357_. He took out his knife and started carving in front of Del's name. When he was finished his name he put a heart between his and Del's. He carved the year above his and put his knife away. He finished his business and when he came back onto the other side the fire was out and all was quiet. He found Denny's tent and felt saddened when he discovered his bedding was by the opening. He quietly made his bed and laid down to rest after he placed his puke covered shoes outside.

Ares spotted Durin walking by with a torch lit and Denny said from behind him somewhere, "Get some rest. You and I go on watch in a while."

Ares lay down and closed his eyes.

# Chapter 9. Durin

It had been mostly quiet but for the sobbing Barabel. She fell asleep quick which was what Durin hoped. Gio and Cortina were up on the boulder. He could see they were playing cards by lantern light. His bad eye ached. He pulled out his patch and covered it carefully. He thought about Kati and Vio. He knew they had drifted apart after they were free but no one had officially said if they were no longer together.

Vio still bought her gifts and gave her flowers he picked here and there. He had not seen them kiss or embrace in almost three years. He would have asked Kati himself but he did not want to be rejected. He pulled out the tiny flower she had worn in her hair all day. He was the one that put it in her hair. It was set out on the logs by the fire after Kati had gone to sleep.

Kati was touchy on any subject these days and he knew Del was to blame. He thought of how she was before when they used to visit them on their island. How Del would tell him off when he was being cheeky and how she showed him how to skip stones. He had been embarrassed when he realized she was watching a grown man try and fail. Del had just come over and threw a stone that skipped five times in a row. She never even looked at him that time. Only put a pail of stones down and talked about how you need to let the stone go at the right time and right angle. The arguments they used to have on how to pronounce certain words with Del always being right.

Durin's thoughts wandered back to how she was now. It angered him that she was different now. Almost a new person. The screams and night terrors she had angered Kati and him more than the rest. The rest felt sorry but he did not. She should just forget all the bad and be normal. He had tried to start an argument with her last month when he told her she should just leave. Durin had found her alone by the water staring out tossing stones that hit the water and sank. He told Del the words she had once told him about skipping stones and her answer was, "What is the point? They all sink anyway."

Durin's answer to her had been, "You are not getting any better so what is the point of you staying with us? You are never going to be the same if you keep letting yourself fall back down into that dungeon. Why continue the torture by hurting your family?"

He had expected her to snap at him but all she did was let the stones fall from her hands and wade into the water and float without so much as a glance at him. The past month she had not had one nightmare. Kati was happier which was all he really cared about. Durin was hopeful his words had some effect on Del. Maybe she was getting better finally.

Durin found himself sitting by the opening of Del's tent, rubbing his good eye. He was startled when Denny picked up his lantern and nodded at him. Durin was relieved he could finally rest. His feet ached and he pulled his boots off and started rotating his ankles. Denny walked into the woods and the lantern's light swayed this and that way. He watched it circle to the right of him before it disappeared from his sight. Durin nearly growled from being startled when behind him he heard Del murmur, "Stop, please. No. Stop."

Durin quickly crawled into the tent because he knew what was coming next. Just before Del screamed he covered her mouth. She thrashed and before he could think he was on top of her pinning her with his free hand around both of her wrists above her head to stop her from clawing at his good eye. He whispered into her ear, "Shhhh it is all right. It is just a dream. A bad dream."

All he could think of was Kati waking up to the sound of Del screaming and Kati throwing a fit that would wake everyone else up. He could hear that she was still trying to scream as be continued by saying, "It is Durin. Stop it. Calm down. It is really me. Remember the stones. You showed me how to skip them?"

Durin was relieved when her muffled screams stopped. He lifted his weight slightly. Her body was still tensed and he wondered if Ares had stirred. He uncovered her mouth and was weary to let her hands free as he recalled that Ares and Beau had both been stabbed on more than one occasion. He fumbled in the dark and managed to light a lantern. Durin found it curious that she was alone in the tent. He looked down at her and saw that she was as startled to see him as he was at the situation. He realized his eyepatch was around his neck. He fixed it over his eye.

Durin whispered to her, "Are you going to stab me? Where is your knife?"

Before he could react she had her hands free and flipped him on his back. She was on top of him with her knife to his neck.

Del leaned forward until her face was touching his and whispered, "Are you afraid of me, Durin? If you had not told me it was you I was about to take your head off. I thought you were one of those freaks come to do me like Opia and the other two."

Durin was surprised and lay there speechless. Del leaned back and took her knife away from his throat. Del turned her head and made a move to get up. He reached and took the knife and was now on top of her.

Durin leaned close to her face like she had and whispered, "I am not afraid of you. I just did not want you waking anyone."

Durin had no idea why he did what he did next but he kissed her neck and tossed the knife aside. He found her hands unbuttoning his shirt and he pressed his mouth against hers. Del kissed him back then turned her head and whispered, "Stop."

Durin felt flustered and tried to get up but she yanked off his eye patch and pulled his face to hers. Durin felt for the lantern and brought his hand down on the candle. Through his closed eye he could see the light was out.

# Chapter 10. Lazette

Lazette opened her eyes and it was still dark out. Her heart was racing and her lantern's candle had burned out. She stood up and strained to see the other light that should have been on. She ran to see if Fig and Muriel were hidden by the boulder as she could not see them.

"Dammit," Lazette whispered under her breath. She ran back to where she had fallen asleep. Picking up her lantern she tried to light it. There was only a melted pile. She looked and saw that Del's tent was the nearest. She crawled inside and found the lantern. Lighting it up immediately she was puzzled to find Durin was shirtless sleeping on the only bedding there was in there, tangled in Del's blanket. Lazette shook Durin and he looked the way he did the first time she saw him murder someone, when he sat up.

Lazette hissed, "Where is Del and Ares? Are you drunk? This is not your tent."

Lazette shook Del's lantern at him. A stone fell off. She was waiting for him to answer when he pulled his pants from beneath her hand. He motioned for her to turn around. Her face burned when she realized he had been naked.

Durin said gruffly, "Del must be sleeping wherever Ares is. There was no one in here when I went to check on everyone at the end of my shift."

Lazette did not bother to look back when she crawled out saying, "Come help me. I will check on everyone. I do not know where Fig and Muriel are. Can you check if they fell asleep in the woods?"

Lazette peeked inside the tents and she started to panic when she was at the last one and still had Fig, Muriel, Ares, and Del unaccounted for.

_Kati is going to kill me,_ Lazette thought nervously.

Durin ran up and said, "Fig and Muriel were tied up. They are coming. Said that some people came and shot them with darts."

Lazette saw that he was holding up a dart with a white feather. Lazette said, "Those are Malak's sleeping darts. Durin, Del and Ares are gone. I cannot find them. Wake everyone up."

***

Lazette felt guilt when everyone was standing by the fire. Morning was just appearing. Fig and Gio had just returned.

Fig said, "I lost their scent by the river. They must have taken them by boat."

Malak said anxiously, "There is a canoe that Del and I left hidden there. Some of us can use it to follow them."

Kati said angrily, "That was well over a hundred years you left that boat there. It will be rotten and useless."

Denny clapped his hands together loudly when chatter broke out. Denny stood up on the log pile and shouted, "Everyone get packed up! We head out now! We know what to do and where to go! Be hasty!"

***

The sun was high when the mountains came into sight. Lazette sat quietly and tried not to think about what was happening. She was doing good to push it out of her mind when Kati said, "I do not care what anyone says, I will torture these people to death slowly and painfully when we find them. They better not do anything to my sister. This is the last straw. When this is over we are retiring and we are just going to live our lives. To hell with mortals. Let the demons and Gods sort them out."

Lazette said, "Yes. I agree. People of this world do not understand us because they fear us. I know because I used to be one of them. We are monsters not for what we are but for how they see us."

Kati said sneering, "If they want monsters we will give them monsters."

Malak said, "Kati, stop. This is not helping anyone. We will do as we set out to do and once that is done you will see. People can change."

Durin was next with, "We are not monsters. Monsters look like you and I. They walk around hiding behind religion and a smile. They are those who harm others and commit atrocities then hide them by dressing fancy and drinking wine with others like them. Those are the monsters. Fake laughter. Fake sincerity. Us, we do not hide. I do not. We are ourselves. They can label us however they like. We know who we are and that is good enough for me."

Denny rode up to the wagon on a horse and said, "I am putting together a timeline. Who was the last to see Del? I take it that it was you, Durin? You were sitting outside of her tent the last I saw you. Did you peer inside?"

Lazette said, "He said-"

Durin interrupted with, "She was there when I checked. I am unsure when she was taken."

Denny said, "Last to see Ares was I. We were on shift with Val. We were relieving Durin, Gio, and Corti."

Kati sounded aggravated when she piped in, "Not you too. Corti sounds so odd. Damn Beau."

Denny continued, "Ares said he was going to check on everyone and get Lazette, Fig, and Muriel up. Lazette, where did Ares go?"

Lazette thought back to her sleepy state and tried hard to recall. She said, "I was last to be woken. Fig and Muriel were already walking toward the woods. Ares stood with me for a moment asking about what he should do...I do not know...something about him and Del having a misunderstanding. I told him to be truthful and if he needed to say something he should just say it and not let things be misunderstood. I think. I was tired."

Lazette looked at Durin. He was shifting in his seat and looking at the ground.

Kati snapped, "Lazette! When was the last time you saw him? It is not a hard question!"

Lazette continued, "Sorry. I took his lantern and walked him over toward Del's tent. Oh that is right. Last I saw him, I left him at Del's tent. Durin, you said-"

Durin cleared his throat and said, "I slept in Del's tent with her. Ares was not there when I was getting ready to go to bed. She started having a nightmare. I did not want her startling anyone since everyone was jumpy over this House of Iron. I woke her up and told her she was having a nightmare. I talked with her for a while and I must have dozed off. I do not remember Ares coming in."

Lazette felt her face flush when she realized Durin was lying earlier. She stared at him and Durin made eye contact for a second before pulling the front of his shirt as if he were hot.

Denny said, "So it is possible that Ares woke up Del and they went somewhere to talk. That puts us less than half the light of day behind. That is better than twenty-four years."

Kati mumbled, "First Cortina gets taken. We go get her. Then Del gets taken. We are going to get her. I swear if I get taken next this will officially be a curse. A hex. Why do these things keep happening?"

# Chapter 11. Ares

"Wait!" Ares chest burned as he ran by the riverside. He watched Del paddle and continue to ignore him. Ares pleaded through his hard breathing, "Stop this. The others will be worried to death. Please. I am not going to let you do this."

Del stopped paddling and looked at him. She shouted, "I told you to go back! This is for best! I am a burden! It is better this way! I left the note for them! You should not have taken it! You should not have followed me!"

Ares stopped to catch his breath. He put his hands on his knees and took deep breaths. He could feel himself getting angry now. He had chased her all morning. It was noon and his stomach ached with hunger.

I should have left the note. What do I do? I need to let the others know she wanted to leave on her own. I cannot let her.

Ares stood up and walked down the bank to keep pace with her. He said, "You are a coward. You do know that? You should have told them to their faces instead of writing a note. You have over five thousand years of history with them. The least you could have done was give them an explanation."

Del laughed and said, "I never said I was not a coward. Do you not see? I am not me and it is killing me. It is killing me to see pity and anger in their eyes. I am a reminder now of how bad it can be to be immortal. They have more family than they need now. I wish you would let me go."

Ares went closer to the water and said, "I see you. I see you. You do not see you. When I look at you I feel like this life is not so bad. I see them too. They look at you and they see you. All you need to do is look back at them. See them. See me. Please come back. I do not want to carry you back but I will."

Del smiled and said, "Goodbye Ares. Do not worry about me anymore. Go live your life. Go kiss Val and let her know how beautiful she is. Poke fun at Beau the way you like to until he tries to catch you. Braid Kati's hair the way she claims only you can. Tell your jokes that make everyone laugh."

Ares called out, "She kissed me! I tried to push her away. She is insane. Is that why you had Durin in your tent? To get back at me? I know you did not have Kati and Cortina in there. I checked all the tents before I came to ours. I did not see him but I could smell him. He hangs out with Kati so much that he smells of her rose oil. Did you and him-"

Del shouted back, "Tell him goodbye for me Ares!"

Ares stepped into the water and stopped to pull off his boots. He had never been angrier. He was startled when he noticed the water around his feet was black like a cloud of soil. It moved outward in a snake like fashion. He stepped out of the water and it disappeared.

_What the hell_?

Ares stepped back in and saw it again but he did not care. He swam toward the boat and Del paddled faster. He neared the canoe and heard a crack while seeing Del look down.

Del snapped, "Damn it all. This stupid old boat."

Ares was nearly to the boat when a black spike shot up near where Del was seated. He saw two more and they almost appeared to be ice. The canoe stopped and Del stood up. Ares hoisted himself into the canoe and was horrified by how close the spikes were to Del.

Ares murmured, "What is this?"

Del pointed to his hands and said, "I think it was you."

Ares looked down at his hands. His fingertips were black. Ares said, "What is happening to me?"

Del slapped Ares arm and shouted, "Why did you do that?! Why will you not let me leave?!"

Ares looked up from his hands as the canoe started to take on water. The spikes were gone and the water turned back to the clear it had been. His hands were now back to their original color.

Del whined, "My stuff, Ares."

Ares had an idea and he stuck his hand in the water and was astonished as the water around them turned black and a path of the black water led to shore. He watched as it turned to ice.

Del said quietly, "I did not know you could do that," before she stepped onto the ice. The boat had stopped sinking and he tossed her bags onto the hard black surface.

Ares said, "I did not know I could do that either. I just thought it and it happened."

Del snapped, "So you also thought about stabbing me with black ice spikes?"

Ares shook his head as they walked slowly on the ice. He said, "I just wanted you to stop."

Ares turned when he stepped on shore and the ice was still there but the black was nearly all gone. A bug bit his neck and his vision blurred. The last thing he saw was one of Malak's darts sticking out of Del's neck as she sank to her knees.

# Chapter 12. Malak

The House of Iron stood tall and wide in front of them. It was nearly the size of the manse they had. It looked as though it had been abandoned for at least a century. The ancient writing on the stone archway told they were at the right place.

Kati's scream pierced the air. Malak turned to see her thrashing about stomping and throwing things. A knife whizzed by his head and he covered his ears. Durin bear hugged her from behind and she kicked back. He released her falling to his knees holding himself. Denny walked by draining his wineskin. Malak turned to Raven while holding Ed. He gave her a look and she nodded. He hoisted her up to a window. There was the sound of creaking wood and the doors opened. Raven emerged coughing as she fanned dust from herself. The sound of something breaking made Malak turn to his right. There was a broken statue of what could be made out as a gargoyle. Malak looked up to see Cortina peering down.

Cortina shouted, "Sorry!"

Malak shook his head and watched her lower her rope ladder down.

Cortina disappeared and came back into view to yell down, "There is something you should see! All of you should see!"

Denny walked over to the ladder and motioned Malak to come over. Denny said, "Malak go up and draw whatever it is she is talking about. We do not need another temple incident."

Malak felt nervous to climb and told Denny, "Last time I was impaled."

Denny nodded looking up the rope ladder and said, "Yes but not because you fell through the roof."

Malak took his drawing kit from Denny after placing Ed onto the ground. He felt slightly dizzy as he started up the wobbly feeling ladder.

Behind him Denny called out, "Cortina! The roof may be unstable! Go back a ways! Both of you, do not stand close to one another!"

Cortina peered down at Malak as his sweaty palms gripped the rungs tightly. Cortina yelled down, "What?!"

Denny started again and Kati yelled viciously, "Get back! You and Malak cannot stand in the same area or you will fall through you idiot!"

Cortina yelled back down, "I already knew that!"

Kati started cursing behind him and Malak looked down. He was halfway up and he felt like he suddenly weighed twice as much. His forearms shook and his knuckles were white when he looked up to continue climbing. When he reached the top, he saw that there was a walkway around the edges of the roof. The roof was gradual to a pointy tip. Malak looked on as he circled.

"There is a see through roof," Cortina said excitedly.

Malak saw her laying on the roof where dusty glass was in place of the stone. Malak said with a voice that was shakier than intended, "What am I looking at?"

Cortina slid down and pointed over to a scope that was mounted on the ledge of the roof. He walked over and studied it for a moment before realizing it was in a fixed position. He knelt to peer through it. He saw that it was pointed to a building that was surrounded by forest to the west of the mountain.

Cortina said, "I think it is a clue. Why else would it be pointed there?"

Malak was drawing what he saw. His hands started to shake when it was time to get down.

Cortina shouted, "Just go! Stop being such a wuss. Go down so I can get down. It is not like you are going to die."

Malak was almost to the ground when he felt the ladder rope loosen and the next thing he knew, he was on his back looking up at Cortina. Malak yelled, "I do not care if you are a girl! I am going to slap you and no one is going to stop me!"

Denny emerged from the doorway and said, "Come quickly. We found a note."

They were all gathered in the center of a large room. It had dusty bookcases and furniture here and there. It looked like it may have been grand once and grand again with the right lighting and proper cleaning.

Kati shoved the paper into Denny's chest when he walked up to her while saying, "She was planning on leaving, that selfish bitch."

Denny read aloud, "To all of you. It is my wish to leave. I have come to the decision that I am no longer an asset and no longer a person fit to be by your sides. It pains me to do this but I must for it pains me even more knowing I can never be what I was. I tried and am failing. I have been taking medicines for the past month and lied about being better. Do not follow or look for me for within the next summer solstice I most likely will not kill and therefore will see you in the next life. To Kati I leave the spell book and you may hate me for eternity. I will not blame you. To Malak and Raven, may you live a happy life together. To Cortina and Gio the same with the addition of one last thing for Cortina. You are still a whore. I jest. To Denny, I like you better when you do not drink but I find it amusing when you do and you would not be you without a drink in hand. Emery please keep Kati from burning things and smile more often. To Lazette, I do not think you are stupid. To Vio, I like your tiger the best. To Marv the same as you are practically a reflection of one another. To Ares I leave my lantern. To Beau, I leave my favorite book as I have faith you will be able to read it one day. To Fig I just wanted to call you Figaro once as I know you forbade anyone years ago. To Ed I leave the memory of me showing you my chest once. I jest. I want you to have my small curved blade. To Opia, Barabel and Gretchen I leave you with my family and friends. I have not known you long but I hope you stay around to get to know them. They are not so bad. To Muriel I leave my personal recipes. To Val I leave you my prized lip color that you stole off of me last year. To Durin I leave an apology for inadvertently drugging you with a powdered worm that I had at the entrance of my tent. I was not expecting anyone except the House of Iron to feel its hallucinogenic effects. I hope you did not have a nightmare. I love you all and expect you to respect my wishes."

Malak shook and felt tears coming to his eyes. He did not care, he let them fall and he kicked over a chair.

Emery came up to him and Malak was ready to fight but was surprised when Emery hugged him. Malak sobbed uncontrollably as he wanted to see his sister one last time so he could slap her and talk some sense into her.

Denny asked, "Do you think it is a forged letter?"

Durin said, "She mentions Ares in it and he is gone too."

Kati was pacing and nearly crying when she snapped, "Why would she leave us? Why would she do this to me? She promised me. When we find her she will not hear the end of this. Stupid. Stupid."

Cortina said, "Maybe she could change her mind?"

Denny replied, "She is a prisoner. She may not have a choice as to change her mind. We need to find them. The sooner the better. Malak, give me the drawing. I want to see if it has any clues."

Beau stammered, "Del. She-she would-would not do that to me. She would have said-said something to me."

Kati screamed, "Suck it up big guy! I never thought she would do that to me! Guess what? We are all standing here with her suicide note! She already decided to leave! Let her! To hell with her!"

Malak handed over the paper and said through sobs, "The scope up there is fixed in place. Only overlooks one place."

Denny clapped his hands together after handing the drawing back. He said calmly, "Everyone pair up and take a look around. We will search here first before we go down to the other place. Check for hidden passages and anything that may look out of place. Any maps you see, bring them to me. Any notes you find, read them. Hurry now."

Malak took Raven's hand and they went to the first door down the hall which happened to be a kitchen. They came up empty handed. Malak followed Raven when Denny called to everyone. They entered a map room.

Denny was there staring at a map on a desk. He looked up and shook his head. Denny asked, "Anything? Anyone?"

Vio said, "The note was stuck under a piece of furniture. Do you think Ares or Del put it there as a clue?"

Marv clapped his hands and exclaimed, "Wait! Show me the letter!"

Malak watched as Marv opened Denny's vest and pulled out a vial.

Kati demanded, "What are you doing?"

Marv pulled the paper as she tried to grab it. He poured the contents of the vial on it and went to the nearest lantern, holding it up to the light. Malak went closer as they gathered around. There was writing on it that appeared between the lines.

Marv started to read it out, "I do not know if you will find this. It is the fifth day since we last seen you. We are leaving at nightfall. We hope this message reaches you. We are locked in the cellar. There is a passageway under a hatch that is inside of the fireplace. We overheard them talking about taking us west and up the coast to another of their hideouts to the north. They have two others captured. They are using us to lure you all together to kill us all at once. There are fifteen from what we could gather. They know all about us. They keep talking about this person named Mary and how she had given them orders in an ancient book that had writing magically appear from time to time. The last message they received was over three years ago. It had to be Maryanat. This must have been her backup plan if we ever escaped. Watch your backs. They are all insane and willing to die serving this demon they believe is a God. -Ares and Del."

Denny said, "No need to check the other place. Time is of a singular matter. We need a boat. A fast boat. Kati, is there not a ship named after you that sails up and down the west coast?"

# Chapter 13. Del

The sound of the ship creaking as it sailed would have made her feel at peace any other time. Today it made her queasy. Del's stomach turned as another knot in her stomach formed. She was now on her knees holding her stomach puking into a bucket that Ares held under her face. He patted her back and made gagging sounds himself. The shackles they wore on their wrists and ankles limited their mobility but at least they were close enough to touch. The two girls sitting on the other side of the ship laughed.

Ares shouted, "Shut your mouths! What do you think is so funny? You are in the same situation as us!"

Del thought back to what they had said earlier. About how they had been captured shortly after Beau and escaped the castle at the same time they did. They had been kept hidden by Maryanat, in a mirror, only being taken out to hunt down people like them. Descendants of demons or angels or Gods or whatever they were.

It made Del sick to think how there were others like them that had been turned into beasts and terrible forms for Maryanat's army. They all had been nearly normal once and now there were so few left. It made her even more sick when she realized Maryanat used her powers and spells to trick a group of mortals into being her backup plan if she should ever be taken out of the game.

Del sat down with her back against the wall. She wished that Ares had not come with her. She rather that she be the only one captured. She wanted to die anyway. Now she was not so sure knowing these people would not stop until they fulfilled their made up prophecy. Apparently, they were trying to stop mankind from being overrun with demons, who were to end all life. Del tried to reason with them and explain the truth but all they said was she was lying. They did not even directly talk to them. All they did was talk about them to each other referencing them as _the demons_ and talking as if they were not there.

Ares had tried his powers once but they made sure he would not have access to water. He had to have his hands bound behind his back and Del had to feed and give him water when it was time to eat. It was as if they were animals. Kicked and pushed instead of asked to go here or there. Del counted the days in her head and it was four months of sailing now with three weeks of traveling by horse and cart.

"Land! Captain, land!"

The shouts from above made Del feel grateful for land as sailing was making her ill as of late. Maybe it was the imminent feeling of losing to these nuts. She wanted her brothers and sisters to live. She knew they would not stop until they found them and these people were everywhere. It was like some secret society. The people they met on the way were innkeepers and farmers alike. They all had the marks on their wrists. Light spilled into the darkness and made Del's eyes ache.

The man named Roman, who seemed to take pleasure in pushing them around, climbed down smiling. Del refused to look him in the eye when he walked over and yanked her up by her arm. Ares stood and made a motion for him but was kicked back down.

Del shook her head at Ares and Roman leaned in close to Del to whisper, "That is a good dog."

His breath reeked of onion and wine. His greasy, black, curly hair touched her face and she pulled back. His hair was nearly to his shoulders and he had a scar on his right cheek. Half of his teeth were gold and he was only a few inches taller than her. He wore a red cloak like the rest and had chain mail with an eagle on her chest-plate. He looked like a knight but was far from it. He had a sharp jaw and eyes that were near black. Del hated him the most.

Roman grabbed her by her hair and smelled it while she found herself smirking, knowing she had thrown up in it. Behind him the loud woman, named Thralice, emerged with her broad shoulders and hour glass shape. The tattoos covering her arms and neck were nearly always visible as she only wore a chest and back protector over her sleeveless shirt with leather armguards that had silver colored skulls holding them in place on her forearms. Her tight brown pants were tighter than Del would ever wear her clothes. She had metal shin guards that Del found herself admiring once in while whenever she got them to her face.

They had a depiction of a hooded skeleton holding a skull in one hand and a flower in the other pounded into it. It was not the image she admired so much as it was the smoothness and time that was put into making the image. She envied the time and energy that was put into it and wished she had done something close to perfection with the time she wasted in this life doing things that were just good enough and never finding it necessary to go beyond.

Thralice pushed Del back and said to Roman, "I warned you about getting too close to these creatures. Beautiful as they may be they would not think twice about devouring your flesh and eating your heart. You think you would have learned by that extra smile on your face."

The two unshackled them and bound their hands behind their backs. When they emerged from below, Del was the first to see daylight. She squinted her eyes and saw the same statue of a lion on the beach that she had seen when they first set sail.

The fat, old captain named Lop, because of his lopped off ear, shouted, "I thought I told you to blindfold them!"

From behind, Del was roughly blindfolded and the last thing she saw was the woman with the brownish blonde hair who seemed to be their leader. Her name was Aviva. She was stone faced and her green eyes pierced any that she looked at. Del felt a yearning inside of her that made her want to tear her eyes out and shove them down her throat. She thought of the others and hoped they would find them sooner than later so they could destroy these maniacs together.

Del pushed the thought of them being misled to head north out of her mind. These people were smarter than first anticipated. They meant to let them overhear the false claim they were being taken north. Hopefully the others would come back as she felt they were going to be returned to the catacombs that led every which way below the House of Iron. Del felt uneasy as she knew she only had a few months to complete her kill or die.

# Chapter 14. Fig

Fig shifted in his seat uncomfortably. Kati was leaning up against the bar wearing a very revealing outfit. He was waiting for her to get her answers and wished it could have been anyone but him in this situation but the rest were all over the countryside looking for answers. Kati handpicked him for his wolf form and he was not about to let her down again. They were to meet up the next day with the others in London to pool information. There had not been any further attacks on them.

Going up and down the coast had been a waste of time. They had cleared out a few dens but came up with scarce information. It was going into spring now and there had been many arguments. Tomorrow they would decide what the next move was. There were whispers that the House of Iron had another main outpost overseas but Denny wanted to be certain before they took such a long journey. When the next summer solstice came, Kati had expressed she would leave the others and do as she pleased.

They all had been talking about it amongst themselves. Fig did not like the idea at all. They were vulnerable apart. Any one of them would be easy targets for the House of Iron at that point. Maybe it was the leads that led nowhere that made the inevitable arguments tomorrow feel daunting. Maybe it was the fact he was watching the woman he had been smitten with for decades sitting in the lap of a man dressed in fine clothing. He needed a drink.

Fig stood up and made his way up to the bar. An arm grabbed him around the waist and as fast as it pulled him to sit, he stood up and turned. In front of him sat a large woman who was laughing raucously and slapping her knee while two other women she sat with giggled. They had powdered faces and circles of bright pink on their cheeks.

_Whores,_ he thought bitterly before remembering they were in a brothel.

"You are not planning on just watching all these women here tonight are you? Rule is that if you are to be here you need to purchase one of the ladies for the evening."

Fig turned to face the owner. She had a voice as smooth as velvet and skin like porcelain. She even looked like a doll with her whitish blonde hair piled high and held together with metal pins that had red roses at the ends that appeared to sit on her hair, complimenting her red lips. Her brown eyes were cold and held a dead stare even though she smiled sweetly at everyone.

Fig knew this woman named Heidi was all but sweet when it came to coin. One of the patrons tried to claim the working girl he was with was paid while she claimed she was only given half her wage. Heidi had taken him to her back office and he never returned and no one noticed or seemed to care.

When Fig went to the outhouse out back he recognized the man's gloves, that had an embroidered J.H. on them, hanging over the seat inside. He had lowered his lantern only to find the man's face half sticking out of the pool of shit with a rose pin stuck in his eye.

Fig smiled at her and said, "I am just waiting for the lovely girl over there with the black hair and red corset."

Heidi's smile widened and she casually said, "That is our newest girl. Just started at sundown and managed to pull in more than an evening's work of the next best girl here without even leaving the room. That man she is with paid for her for the whole evening. I can see you have expensive taste in women. Perhaps I can interest you in one of the other petite girls here?"

Fig felt himself backed into a corner and he looked around the room for a moment before asking, "Can I get a drink first?"

Heidi laughed and took his arm in hers and walked him up to the bar. Heidi snapped her fingers and the barmaid with the broken teeth came over and smiled. Fig forced a smile as he stared at her jagged teeth. Heidi said, "This man wants a drink. See to it that he picks one of our girls thereafter and if he does not, send him to me."

Fig put a coin down and took the glass of dark liquor. He lifted it to his mouth and turned to check on Kati who was now sitting across from the older man running her fingers up his arm slowly.

The barkeep said in her raunchy hoarse voice, "Madam said you were to pick someone or go and see her so do it."

Fig took the drink back in one shot and felt its burn. He looked around and noticed that there was no one left to pick as the establishment was full of men chasing women upstairs or sitting with them, drinking heavily and laughing.

Fig walked over to the back office and knocked on the edge of the doorway that held no door but instead a silken sheet. Upon entering, he saw that Heidi was leaning back on her desk drinking from a green glass bottle. She set it down and came up to him and kissed him. Fig stood shocked and did not know what to do so he wrapped his hands around her waist and kissed her back. His eyes were wide while hers were closed.

Who knew she was so feisty?

Heidi ran her fingers through his hair and he noticed she had lace covering her wrist. The House of Iron worshippers and followers they had come across all had a tattoo of an eagle on their wrists.

Fig felt a surge of panic flood his senses as he pushed Heidi back over the desk. At the same time, she had wrapped her legs around him and he fell nearly on top of her. He leaned forward over her and kissed her as he thought of what to do next. He grabbed her wrists and kissed her all over her face and neck praying for the strength to do what he knew needed to be done. He ran his lips up one of her arms as she made small noises and gasped. He pulled up the lace covering and stared for a moment at the small eagle before he pulled her up and started to take the pins out of her hair. He tossed them aside while trying to hide his expression of being terrified and excited. He had found a clue and now he had no idea what to do with it.

"Fig," Kati whispered from behind.

Fig felt his body tighten and he quickly twisted Heidi up and managed to grab both of her hands as she reached for her hair. Fig grabbed her by the back of her head and smashed her face against the desk. Heidi fell onto the ground in a heap while Fig stepped over her.

Fig quickly said, "She was the one being feisty. Not me."

Kati's face scrunched with confusion and she gave her head a shake, shrugging, as if she had no idea what he meant. Fig shrugged too before he beckoned Kati closer. He showed her the eagle on the woman's limp wrist.

Kati whispered, "The man I was talking to has one too. I am willing to bet most of the people in here have one. She is waking up. We need to get her out of here so we can question her. Knock her out again."

Fig swatted at Kati as she shoved him and he whispered, "How the hell are we going to get by all those people? There _is_ a backdoor but we have to go out in the hall-"

"Madam!"

Kati said, "Shit," as Fig looked up and spotted the jagged-toothed bar wench backing out of the room and out of sight. Fig watched Kati shrug and then a man shouted, "Come out of there now you murderous slags or we will come in there and string you both up!"

A woman's voice yelled out, "Them are thieves they is. Come to rob our Madam and all of us."

Another man shouted, "Come out! You do not know who you are dealing with. This establishment is protected by the House of Iron. They will have your heads for this. You picked the wrong place as your target."

Fig was nervous as he stared at Kati who only rolled her eyes. Kati stood up and kicked Heidi in the face as she moaned and tried to move.

Kati whispered, "We only need one of them alive. Do you think you can pretend it is a full moon tonight? Otherwise we may not get out of here with a prisoner."

Fig nodded and he motioned Kati to turn around. He stripped and handed her his clothes as she shoved them into a bag. Kati started to tie up Heidi as the men and women grew tired of waiting. Fig started to turn and tried his hardest not to yell out in pain.

Kati called out in a mocking voice, "Just a moment. We will be right out and you can string us up. Oh no, what have we done? We are fools to think we were a match for a handful of whores and drunks."

Fig was now standing at the doorway ready to do what he had to. He glanced back at Kati who was standing with her blade in hand and the rose pins in her hair. She nodded and Fig jumped out and took the first person he met down. He ripped out his throat quickly and screams erupted. People tried to make it to the front door but he was there before they even got close. He ripped limbs off and felt a couple of bottles stab into his flesh as they tried to fight back.

Kati was up on the stair railing stabbing men and women as they tried to flee down the stairs. She tossed them back over her and slit throats faster than he had ever seen anyone kill. The sound of glass breaking from upstairs made him growl deep in his chest. He burst up the stairs and found a window broken and dead whore, who had clearly been used to smash the window, laying below it. He peered out at a man running into the darkness. He could smell his blood as he leapt out the window. He caught up to him in no time and ripped his throat out before bounding back as Kati's scream pierced his ear. He panicked and when he was close he saw that the finely dressed man had cut open Kati's throat, just barely.

The man looked at him and said, "I should have known you two were demons. You watching her like you did with your eyes the way they are. I thought perhaps you were merely a fool looking to eat the heart of an innocent, but as it turns out, she is your demon whore. I just wanted to make sure that-"

The man fell and Fig growled as Heidi was standing behind the fallen man breathing heavily as she dropped the neck of the shattered bottle she had just hit him with. Kati turned and backed up until she was against Fig. He felt pure pleasure in feeling Kati pat his head. They both watched on as Heidi dropped to her knees with a mouth opened wide and start to eat the flesh of a nearby whore. When she was done eating off the woman's face she stood up. The cut that had been on her face from Fig smashing her head against the desk was gone when she wet a handkerchief and wiped her face.

Heidi came closer and Fig growled at her and stood between Kati and Heidi.

Heidi said flatly, "Relax, dog, if I wanted either of you dead I would have killed you when I smelled you camping out in the woods nearby. You are one of the children no doubt? My name is, well you know my name. I was in that psycho's other dungeon. I was not like the others. I did not belong there. I do not know if you know him but I am Beau's sister. It took me forever to get in with the House of Iron. I had been waiting for this man here, Frank Whitekern, for a very long time. I did not think you two would be a problem but I underestimated that clearly. This man knows when the next meeting of the heads of the House of Iron is. I planned to destroy every last one of them."

Fig was shocked and he whined and nudged Kati. Kati said, "Do not take this the wrong way but I do not believe a word you say."

Heidi said, "That is fine by me but I will question this man before I let him go. You are welcome to join me in the questioning or wait in line. I did not do all I have done to have a small girl and her pet come along and wreck it."

Kati snapped, "We know Beau and if you are really his sister why do you have blonde hair? You look nothing alike."

Heidi tilted her head back and laughed before saying, "You will see tomorrow. This hair is from a plant the House of Iron has. A tablet taken before bed. It is to change appearance. The hair and eye color anyway. I took it off a dead man that came here when he said I looked familiar. Apparently, it is something they take daily, if need be, to escape. Comes in handy. I cannot wait to get rid of this color."

Fig followed Kati into the back room where the bag was. Kati threw it down and he saw why. The truth serums were all broken.

Fig stayed in the back room when he heard Kati walk out and say, "Fine, we will see, bitch."

When he came back out after dressing, Kati and Heidi were already questioning the man who was just now starting to scream out in pain. Kati had her knife and was prying up his fingernails as Heidi paced and asked him the same two things; when and where.

Fig poured himself a drink as he stepped over the bloody bodies and tried to push it out of his mind. A hand on his ankle startled him as he looked down and saw a woman choking on her own blood. He knelt and saw she too had an eagle tattoo. He helped her sit up.

The woman looked at him and coughed out, "If I tell you, will you turn me?"

Kati was now standing by Fig and she said, "Yes. We will do as you ask if you tell us."

The man in the chair yelled out, "No! Do not tell them anything! They will burn down your village, they will kill all-"

Fig heard a smash and saw that Heidi had broken another bottle on his head. Fig said, "Tell us."

The woman said, "Promise me first that you will bite me and turn me into a demon like you."

Fig looked up at Kati who nodded. Fig said, "I will."

The woman told them the where and when and Kati severed her throat very deeply once they were done getting the information.

Fig said quietly, "These people are so very poorly misinformed about us."

Kati said, "Anyone stupid enough to be a part of the House of Iron is an idiot and they all deserve to die."

# Chapter 15. Marv

Denny had his feet up on the table and was very drunkenly telling Marv about a special serum that could make someone smell like shit.

Marv replied, "There are plenty of other ways to smell like that. Why would anyone ever want that?"

Denny said, "It is very subtle. Do not look like that. It is to hide yourself from an animal. It is only temporary until you sweat it all out. Ask Kati, she swears by it. If we ever need meat on short notice it works wonders. Could probably walk right up to an animal and break its neck with your bare hands."

Marv looked around the smoky tavern. It was meant to be higher class but everyone acted the same when drunk. There were still women and men that laughed too loud and fights that broke out over misinterpreted words and misunderstood glances. Marv wished he had went to bed when Raven and Malak arrived with the cranky Ed. They had only eaten and left to one of the rooms next door. Beau and Emery were up at the bar having a chugging contest. Muriel and Lazette had just left with Opia to put her to bed. They were still waiting for Durin to return with Gretchen and Barabel. Fig and Kati would most likely be late tomorrow, as usual. Gio and Cortina were gone to a play to investigate the playwright.

Vio sat back down at the table and dropped a heavy coin bag. Val came next with a bottle. Marv was growing anxious at the thought of the meeting tomorrow. No one had any leads so far and everyone was starting to act as though it were a lost cause. They had gone up the coast asking questions. It was nothing but a waste of time.

Vio poured the table a round and Marv drank it reluctantly and listened to how Vio had won at the tables in some private club that he and Val infiltrated. Marv knew that it was Val's less than ladylike ways that were responsible for infiltrating.

Marv said loudly over the music and talking of drunks, "That is great, Vio. Maybe we can use that to buy some information."

Vio said, "I do not see you laying into everyone else about them enjoying themselves. Just because the situation is less than favorable does not mean you need to be sullen and prissy all the time."

Marv looked at Vio who had just whipped a coin at him. He closed his eyes and waited for it to hit him. When he opened them Durin's recently tattooed hand was out in front of his face holding his palm with the coin in it. Marv took the coin while Durin sat and took off his eyepatch to rub his face down. He snapped his fingers and waved at one of the barmaids. They brought over a bowl and cloth shortly after.

Marv asked, "Where are the girls?"

Durin drank down his glass and said, "Met Lazette and Muriel outside. They took them to their room. Before you start into me, little brother, we came upon a group worshipping. They all had the eagle tattoos. They all claimed to be new recruits and when separated and questioned they all had the same story. None talked. None knew anything. There was ten; now there are two. They are chained and we hid them where no one will find them just in case any of you want to try your hands at torture. The truth serums we had must be spoiled because no one revealed much."

Durin took a bag off his shoulder and handed it to Marv. Marv peered inside and saw it full of the vials.

Marv leaned in to speak with Durin. "You do realize that we are becoming just what the House of Iron thinks we are."

Durin took another shot and said, "Maybe _they_ should not have started this. The one _they_ follow is the one who made us. _They_ can figure that out in the next life if _they_ do not want to believe in this one."

A bottle smashed the wall behind them and Marv twitched. He pulled a passed-out Denny under the table and watched as Emery picked a bigger man up and slammed him onto the ground. Beau was laying on his back with blood trickling down his face.

_Not this again_ , Marv thought, exasperated.

Marv dug into Denny's vest and pulled out a couple of vials before retrieving the correct one. Just then Marv heard the table bang above them. Someone had been thrown down on top of it and Marv felt a drop on his head. He touched his dampened hair and brought his fingers into the light to see it was blood. He quickly scrambled out from under the table and saw that it was the bigger man who was strangling Emery, who was still managing to punch the big man in the face. Blood gushed from his nose and onto Emery's face. Emery had his head turned to the side.

Marv screamed in almost a womanly manner, "Stop!"

Marv pulled at the bigger man's arm to loosen the grip and was tossed off. He stumbled backward over a chair but not before seeing Emery now had the man in his previous position and choked him while shaking him up and down. Marv stood up and a bottle smashed near his head. He looked and saw Val, who was covering her mouth and shrugging. She pointed behind him but not in time.

Marv felt someone hit him in the back. He fell onto his knees and looked at the leg of a chair was broken off and beside him. He picked it up and rolled onto his back. A grubby looking man with a dirty face and yellow coat had a broken chair above his head, readied to hit Marv again. Marv struggled to regain his composure enough to fight back but his back had him twisted in pain and all he could do was toss the broken leg, missing the man completely. Suddenly the man grabbed for his own throat and was pulled backward.

Marv got to his hands and feet in time to see Cortina fling him over her body. She shook out her handkerchief and placed it back in her pocket of her fancy dress before curtsying to him. Cortina suddenly leaned back over the table that was behind her and lifted her legs in the air and back over her head to disappear. A chair smashed where she had just been. From under the table a small knife flew out and Marv saw the man, who had been trying to attack her, fall to his knees holding his stomach.

Marv crawled to under the table and yelled, "Thank you!"

Cortina did not say anything instead nudging him toward the still passed out Denny who was now in plain sight as the table he was under lay flipped upside down beside him. Around them, fists and bottles were flying. Things were being broken and the women that were not with them, were screaming. Marv picked up Denny by an arm while Cortina did the same. She helped sling Denny onto Marv's shoulders and Marv's legs felt like they would give out but he made it to behind the bar.

Marv sat Denny up and covered his own head with one hand while using the other to fish the vial from his pocket that he had taken earlier. He opened it and put the vial under Denny's nose. Just then Denny's hand reached up above his head and grabbed a bottle. Marv shook his head as Denny took the top off and tried to take a swig. Marv instead gave him his water filled wineskin and drank deep of the liquor bottle himself.

Cortina jumped over the bar and sat down to say, "We need to leave. Apparently they are bringing authorities of some kind."

Marv reminded her, "We are in a place that has no windows and one entrance. How do you suppose we accomplish that? Should we kill them all? That will help us stay hidden since that is what people who are trying to keep to the shadows do."

"Stop! In the name of the King!"

Cortina slapped her forehead and mumbled, "Shit."

Marv banged his head back against the bar and wished he had not as pain shot through his skull.

Durin said in his usual rough demeanor, "I do not know any Kings. I know of only people who parade around in crowns. I call them amusement."

Emery shouted, "Let us leave and we will let you live!"

More shouts of threats from both sides turned into a mass of noise and Cortina crawled out to take a peek. She returned and whispered, "There is only two of them. Who knows how many outside."

Suddenly there was the sound of struggling and yelling. Marv covered his ears and tried to think. Val stepped backward and was up against the wall before she looked down, noticing them. She motioned them to look. Marv stood up and looked. Kati was dragging in a guard while a white haired woman was dragging in another. Fig had a guard up against the wall and was growling a deep growl at his face while still in his normal form. The other guard was on the ground with his head nearby. The patrons that were inside were all lifeless as the others stood by them breathing heavily.

Marv clapped his hands and clasped them together before saying, "Good work everyone. That is just the way to announce we are here in London. Kill a tavern full of people and, what the hell, kill the guards too."

Kati pointed to Marv when she turned to Durin and asked, "Who let him drink? He is such as ass when he drinks. Just like Denny."

Marv looked as Beau dragged over two men and tossed them at Marv's feet. They were still alive just barely.

Beau said, "There are you and Corti's kills for the year."

Emery tossed two more and said, "And Val and Denny's while we are at it."

Marv shook his head and said, "This is not right."

Kati said, "Look at their wrists." Marv did and saw they all had an eagle tattoo. Kati said sharply, "These guards have them too. They were most likely going to kill you all. Can I ask whose idea it was to come here?"

Denny stumbled by and fell to one knee with only one eye open. Denny slurred, "A nice guard at the city entrance recommended it."

Fig tossed the guard he was holding onto the middle of the floor with a huge gash in his throat and an arm missing. Fig said, "These guards have them too," as he waved the arm at them.

Marv and the other three did their kills and when they left, Kati was the last to run out as fire burst out of the door behind her. Kati turned to admire her work and say, "I am getting good at this. Really good."

Durin and Vio went to get the sleeping girls and they made their way to the city's south entrance. Beau hugged the girl with the white hair and Marv was too drained to feel happy that he had been reunited with his sister. He tried hard to be excited that they now knew they had a chance to find where Del and Ares were. He could not even be mad that it was most likely overseas as the rumors went. They would have to hope they were able to travel discreetly as they were learning that there were many people involved with the House of Iron.

When they made camp, it was early in the morning and Marv fell asleep before he could even change his bloodied clothes.

# Chapter 16. Kati

Denny paced back and forth. Kati's stomach growled.

Denny stopped and turned to her, "We only have two months to find them and that is if they are even there. I do not exactly picture them letting them make their kills in time."

Kati said quietly, "We wasted time going up the coast. This is the last place we can look. The whore's information _has_ to be accurate. The harbormaster confirmed that four ships set sail all flying the House of Iron sigil. We cleaned out nearly every den, every meeting place, every training ground they were using. They will be there. It is only a few day's walk I bet."

Denny said, "I have been waiting for the past month to get close to where we need to be. This voyage took too long. We barely have any supplies left. All that food that spoiled after the first storm? Such a waste. If they are not there...we will not make it back overseas. Maybe that is a good thing. We should lay low over here until everyone that might know us dies."

Kati assured in her fiery tone, "They will be here and if they are not, then we turn around and try harder. No laying low."

Kati turned away, angered at the notion that if Del was not there then that was it. Denny had been overly worried ever since he ran out of any spirits or wines less than a month into their voyage. It was the worst trip across the seas she ever had. The winds were cold and the storms were bad.

Kati watched Raven run up the beach and wave at her. She ran to meet her and Raven said, "We are ready to go. Everyone has their supplies and their weapons. I split up the food that was left and all we can hope is to gather a few things on the way to eat."

Kati forced a smile and watched as Raven turned to run back down the beach. Kati could not help but feel like there was a giant knot in her stomach. All the leads led different places and she was feeling an impending doom as she knew this could be a shot in the dark.

When she arrived at the wooded area near the ship, Fig and Durin were waiting for her. Kati put on all of her gear and was ready for anything. Durin motioned for them to go ahead and he followed behind.

The walk was long and when they reached the first checkpoint Denny was cursing at Emery for pushing him down a small embankment.

Emery yelled, "I did not push you!"

Denny pushed Emery and he stumbled backward down the embankment. Emery crawled up and tackled Denny onto the ground.

Beau pulled him off and Marv grabbed Denny by the shoulders to shout, "No one pushed you Denny! Get hold of yourself!"

Kati kicked the ground and stubbed her toe on a stump. Fig tried to touch her and she slapped him away. Kati pulled out her wineskin and threw it at Denny. Kati blew up with, "Here, take it! I was saving it for when we see our sister again but since you cannot seem to function without it, take it. It is my gift to you, you bloody drunk!"

The rest of the day was silent. No one talked or asked to stop. They all carried on like they were walking to their own burials. Maybe they were.

The next day was much the same and the next. On the fourth day they had run out of water and food. The sun was high and the sweat from walking was worse with the warm, dead air. Kati bumped into the back of Raven which resulted in her biting her tongue and pushing Raven forward who only turned to give a dirty look. Kati was about to erupt when a scream started out front. They all rushed ahead to find a small clearing and what appeared to be a well-traveled footpath.

By the time Kati caught up, Val was throwing her bag down hard and shouting, "I do not need this!"

Vio reached for her bag and Denny kicked it away while shaking his head at him and shooing him back. Kati watched on as Denny paced closest to Val who continued by half screaming, "I am not doing this anymore! I am leaving! I should never have come along and went anywhere with you!"

Val was breathing heavily and turning in a circle with her finger pointed outward. Her face was dirty with hair a mess. Kati could only imagine they all looked the same. Even Kati was too tired to care about this woman's breakdown.

Val sobbed and said pleadingly, "Would any of you honestly say you would be doing this for me? I do not even know Del or Ares except that Del is a weak, insignificant bother to you all. I do not understand; I really do not."

Denny put his hand up to the crowd, that watched the spectacle, to stop any from speaking as he paced with his fingers on his cheeks, pinching his mouth and head slightly downturned, indicating he was listening and thinking.

Val continued with an ugly crying look on her face, "And a man who no one barely knows."

Raven said angrily, "That is my brother."

Val laughed and said callously, "You did not even care for him before you found that out. This is madness. We are going to all get ourselves killed and for what? I should have hightailed it somewhere and found a man to take care of me. I should not be walking. I should not smell like an animal. I am free and I am leaving."

Denny stopped and looked at her to ask, "And where exactly do you think you are running away to?"

Val spat harshly at him, "Anywhere but here. I will take the damn ship if I have to. Anything to get away from here."

Vio piped in, "Why does not someone just take her back and wait with her?"

Heidi raised her hand and said, "I will."

Kati said unenthusiastically, "We do not even know you. Beau does not even know you. Like we are going to trust you not to try and leave us."

Beau stepped forward to yell, "That is my sister! I do know her and I do trust her! What? You do not trust me now?"

Emery now stepped in front of him and then there was a burst of arguments and chest to chests while tensions rose.

Kati ran her fingers along her blade and closed her eyes as she sliced open her thumb slowly. She tilted her head back and smiled as if feeling refreshing rain pouring down when Denny yelled louder than he ever did before for everyone to shut their mouths.

Kati opened her eyes and watched Muriel try to grab onto Val who started to storm off. When Val passed by Denny, he surprised Kati by grabbing Val by the throat. No one moved and Kati found it in her to smile a bit. Denny was now behind Val gripping her throat, holding her one arm behind her back. He had a look on his face that Kati never saw before. He looked like he could snap her neck. Val gasped for air and had a reddening face, clutching onto Denny's arm with her free hand, as Denny started to turn himself and her to look at everyone.

Denny said with a shaking, anger-laden voice, "Look around you. These people are all you have now. If you like, you can leave _after_ we get our sister and Raven's brother back and you can let yourself be the next victim of this cult. Until then, you will finish what you started with us and you will do it with a smile on your face and a mouth shut. You will be grateful we decided to let you be our friend. You will pretend that you want Del and Ares back and you know why? Because if it were you in their place, the only person that would ensure we did this all for you would be that weak, insignificant, bother, Del."

Denny let her go and she fell to her knees grabbing at her throat choking for air. Denny turned and picked up her backpack. He tossed it at her and said cruelly, "You are only going one of two places today and that is with us or to hell and that goes for all of you."

Kati was pleasantly surprised by her brother's new found attitude and smiled a huge smile when Val nodded. Everyone got back in line and continued until nightfall, in a better mood than they had been for the past few weeks. They made camp by a river and Kati had never been happier to bathe in cold water. She did not even care who was looking as she stripped off her clothes and washed her other two sets she had brought.

The water felt warm after being in it for so long. Kati wrung out a long shirt and put it on as she left the water. A fear hit her chest hard when she realized it was quiet. Not even the sound of laughter or arguing. Kati wanted to play it off as everyone still feeling the effects of watching Denny snap.

The lights that signaled where Kati needed to head were suddenly going out and her heart started to race. She put her clothes down and pulled her small blade from the leather holder while tossing the holder aside. She would rather look like her nerves were on edge, while everyone was turning in for the night, than be ambushed by the House of Iron.

"Do not come any-" was all that Denny managed to yell out before he made a funny noise.

Kati felt a surge of rage shoot through her chest that made it feel like she breathed in ice and tiny fairies, if they were ever real. The last light ahead was out. Kati dropped to her knee when she heard someone behind her. The sound of struggling was now apparent when the small breeze, that rustled the trees making them sing a soft song, was missing. She listened for anyone that might be sneaking up on her but there was no one nearby to be heard. She carried on, cautiously.

Kati was now by one of the tents when she overheard a language she had not heard since they left this shore.

The man said, "I counted myself when they came ashore. There is one missing."

A woman's voice came next that sounded gruff and unladylike to say, "I counted too. They are all here. Angan, stop roughing the girls up or I will tell and I know you have no favor left to keep your ugly head on your ugly body."

Laughter broke out and Kati spotted a light come on followed by more as torches started to file past. Kati crouched and readied herself to take the nearest one out when a hand bunched her hair. She took the knife and tried to swipe back to spill the attacker's insides. Instead, another hand pried one of her fingers, pulling it back almost to the point of breaking it.

A familiar voice filled her ears with, "Leif, perhaps it is you that cannot count and that could have cost any one of you your life."

Kati fell to her knees when Gunnraudr threw her forward. She saw that all the others had a person holding them by a rope tied to their necks. They were bound on the hands and gagged. Denny was just now coming to after a rounder short man with a large red beard put him down. She turned and sprang to her feet to face the tall, blonde Prince from Scandinavia who should not be alive.

Kati looked at him with an anger that made bile rise to her throat. It had been this arrogant brute of a man that caused her and her family to leave in the first place. When they left there was a bloody battle on the shores between him and his older brother and father. He was down on his knees when she last lay eyes on him, before she turned to look out on the open sea promising to never look back. To top it off, that was four hundred years ago and he was a mortal.

Gunnraudr Varekson looked at her with an amusing smile as he made hand motions for the people behind her to stay back. Kati tossed the knife from one hand to the next and waited for her opportunity to strike him. Gunnraudr was still laughing highly amused, which made Kati grow angrier. Her stomach growled and her vision blurred for a moment. She had not eaten or drank since the day before and it was taking its toll. Her exhaustion from the sudden excitement set in.

Gunnraudr finally spoke to Kati to say, "My people were to bring you to me today before the light left. They are slower than I thought. I had runners coming to and from the shore ever since I saw one of you. Sadly, she is not here tonight among you. No matter, it was you I was interested in seeing again, now here you are. You look as though you see a ghost."

Kati eyed him and asked, "When did you see her?"

Gunnr laughed again and answered with, "Lost her I see. You will not find her here. I would have tried a little harder to get her away from the people she came with if I had known you were coming after. The people that brought her fled like scared children after we slaughtered their first ship. The one she was on fled after another ship sacrificed themselves. We would have chased them down but I cannot set foot onto the sea. I have already revealed too much, but no matter. You will not be leaving here any time soon and I suspect you have all the time in this world as do I. You look surprised. Did you think you were the only who knew secrets of the world? My deal may not have been as sweet as yours but I am still here, Kati, and so are you."

The whole time he was talking Kati noticed Raven crying louder and louder through her gag and so did Gunnr as he snapped, "Why is that girl crying?"

When everyone shrugged, Gunnr ordered someone to take her gag out. Kati cringed when she called out for her grandpa. Gunner looked at Kati and asked, "What is she saying?"

Kati told him, "She is crying for her doll."

When Gunnr told everyone they all laughed before Gunnr said cruelly, "She will have plenty of other things to play with later. Tell her that."

Kati looked at him seething as she knew it would be pointless to try and get anything helpful from him. Kati made one last attempt at resolution with, "When did you see my sister, Gunnr, please?"

Gunnr looked at her and his laughter stopped as well as everyone around when he barked, "You will call me your King, like everyone else and if you say my name again I will cut out your tongue and shove it somewhere you will not enjoy."

Kati wanted to stab him and cut away at his flesh, but she was weak from hunger and marching all day. She knew she did not have the strength. If they were to have any luck of getting away from this man and his people, she knew that she needed strength. Even if she managed to kill him, his people would cut them all down where they stood and carry on to go destroy whoever and whatever they pleased. She found it peculiar that he could not set foot onto the sea.

Kati's mind wandered to many things as she had her hands bound and was made to walk back to a village. Kati looked around without really seeing as men, women, and children came to gawk at their new prisoners. Her brothers and sister all had the same look. There were not many things in the world they feared but there was a reason they left this land in the first place and it was now sitting on a throne made of wood, wearing a crown of gold, and drinking from the antler of an elk while instructing his people to get his _guests_ ready for a feast to be held the following day.

The small cabin, all of the girls had been shoved into, was crowded. The large woman, named Leif, cut their bindings and brought in clean linens. They were instructed to go out in pairs, under her watch, to bathe in a bathhouse. When it was Kati's turn she grabbed onto Cortina and dragged her out.

When they were seated in their tubs of steaming water, side by side, Kati hissed to Cortina in their oldest tongue, "Do not show fear, do not cry. We escaped before, we can do it again."

Cortina dunked her head underwater before emerging, forcing laughter to say, "Our brothers bought our freedom by selling the location of _him_ to his eldest brother and father. Chances are, they are dead. I do not remember immortality running in their family."

Kati said calmly, "There is more of us. If we fight back, we might get out of here. What we did to him would be betrayal to him. He never easily forgave before. In fact, he never forgave before, and that was a long time ago. That was four hundred years ago. How is he still alive?"

Cortina said with no hope left in her, "Maybe he is alive just to get back at us for what we did."

Kati threw a sopping washcloth at her and said, "What we did? All we did was try and escape him. He wanted a wife and all I wanted was a ship. If I could go back I would have made sure to kill him before we tried to steal the ship. That way he would never have kept me and you and Del prisoner and sent our brothers away on a boat only to set it on fire as it sailed away. He was out of his mind then and time has not made him wise, it has made him worse because now he feels powerful and we need to think of something fast. Del's year is coming up quickly. If what he said is true, they went back overseas. I do not even know what to do anymore."

Cortina laughed and clapped and said, "Smile and laugh, that big butch thing is looking at us. Calm down. We will get out of this. You need to stay calm so we can get as much information as we can when we can. You know how he is. He loves to brag. Let him. Bite your tongue. You are right, there is more of us. We have Raven and Ed-"

Kati said, "Ed, I forgot about Ed. They do not know about him. Quiet, do not say his name. We just need to wait."

Kati watched Cortina's eyes widen and look behind her. Kati turned in her tub to see Gunnr was standing in the doorway of the bathhouse. He walked over and crouched near her tub. Kati pulled away as he dipped his fingers inside to flick water at her.

Gunnr laughed as he stood and said, "Calm down. I would have done anything to have you as mine. Would have. I am happily coupled. Happily. Have been for over three hundred years. Near four. Heidi, would you come in? You too, Beau."

Kati felt a knot in her stomach and fluttering in her chest as two men brought in Beau, still bound and gagged, forcing him down on his knees, followed by Heidi, who came in freely to stand by Gunnr. Gunnr pulled Heidi close and Kati wanted to take out both of her eyes.

I knew there was something about this woman.

Beau struggled but they held him in place followed by a whack on the back of his head that brought him onto his face where he stopped moving. He made eye contact with Kati for a moment before casting eyes at the floor.

Gunnr turned to Kati and said, "This is mine. My Namuk. This is not her body of course. She did a hell of a job though impersonating this one's sister. Possession. It is a hell of a handy thing. Namuk my dearest, you were right. You picked the stupidest looking one of the bunch. I still cannot believe you made him think you were his sister. What is the matter, Kati? Thought I was just a stupid brute? It was actually Namuk's idea. After we killed those people with the eagle tattoos we found pictures on them. I thought at first it could not be you but then I saw Delvin. She looked so pathetic in chains. They were carrying her. Looked like she was near death. Was not even the slightest bit aware. I thought my chances were gone when they took her and the others they had back on board and sailed away but my dear wife pointed out that of all the pictures, Delvin's and the other prisoners' were not there meaning they only had them. You are all like lost children. Cannot be without each other but I had to be sure so we sent Namuk into a body of one of the eagle tattooed peoples to ensure you would make it here sooner than later. I hate waiting. Namuk, go and fetch your body. I miss it."

Kati felt overwhelmed when she realized they would have been so close to Del if this man before her would have just stayed dead.

Why would anyone help him be immortal? He could not have been one of the children.

Kati watched Heidi crumple up on the floor and Gunnr pulled out a dagger. When she sat up to scream Gunnr silenced her with a swift slice to the throat. Kati did not flinch as she seethed with anger.

Beau made a noise and struggled more before Gunnr thrashed the blade at him, splattering blood on his face, before saying through gritted teeth, "That girl was just a girl. No relation to you. We picked her out by chance. Used trickery to make her appear as you are. You really are stupid."

Kati said, in the language Beau knew, "She was just a vessel for this man's woman's soul to lure us here. She was never your sister."

Gunnr stepped closer to wash his blade and his hands in Kati's bathwater. She pulled away as blood swirled in the now barely warm water. Gunnr looked at her with his head cocked to say, "What is the matter? I thought you demons lived on the flesh and blood of us? Get some rest. Tomorrow is going to be a big day. Lots of festivities."

Kati covered her mouth when he left and screamed into it. She thrashed her arms in the water and wished she had used some spells or remembered some to use right now. If she had known, she would have memorized them. She begged the spirits to help make certain the spell book that was in her pack stayed hidden but she knew they would get their hands on it. They were probably going to go back at first light to dig through all of their things and burn what was not useful.

Cortina whispered, "He had an amulet of the Wolf God Daemon."

Kati tried to figure what it all meant as her stomach hurt badly from hunger. She needed to rest and eat as well as everyone else. They did not prepare themselves for this and she cursed Namuk as she now realized all that moldy food she tossed overboard was more than likely not moldy. There were no more words spoken as they dressed and returned to their dwelling. They were thankfully the last to bathe and told the others that Heidi was really just a member of the House of Iron and about what had been living inside of her.

At least the beds are comfortable and we are mostly together. Please, Ed, do something.

Kati fell asleep as she watched feet pass by from under the door as a fire cast shadows. There were over a hundred people in the village, including children. Kati sighed as she knew all evil men were once children.

# Chapter 17. Malak

The floor was hard and the hay itched. The thin cotton tunic and the farmers' pants did not do much to shield his flesh from it. Malak was happy they were clean but wished the clothes fit better.

Malak stood up and paced for the hundredth time. It had been quiet for a short while except for the short bouts of laughter every now and again from outside of their prison. Malak figured it was from the drunken night watchmen that he could see walking around outside the cramped cabin as he peeked between two boards. They had placed them with the spices and drying racks full of sage and other plants. There was nothing worth eating but Beau tried everything nonetheless.

They had left them with only one pail of water to share, after they all had been washed roughly by two round women who dumped buckets of cold water on them. If Malak knew they would only have one bucket of water to share he would gladly have taken his wash bucket and drank it instead of being clean. At least Denny had the decency to split the water amongst them equally, even when Emery and Beau argued they needed more because of their size.

Malak's lips were dry and his hunger pangs had turned into one long hunger ache. He sat down and leaned his face against the wall, where the space between the wooden planks was the largest. He looked out at the torches and houses wondering which one the girls were in; which one Raven was in. He hoped that Ed had a plan because they sure did not. The last time he had seen Ed was at the camp when they were getting ready for sleep. He had said he was going to climb up in the highest tree he could find and see if the temple they were searching for was close.

Malak knew he was really going to spy on any girl who let their guard down. He was too tired to argue with him. Hopefully Ed had hid and hopefully he could use the same method he had used to kill the ship full of murderous robbers, on these barbaric slobs.

As Malak watched the men with the spears and swords and axes continuously walk about the village, he started to doubt Ed had the skillset. One downed man and another would find him in moments which would lead to chaos as they would be blamed. Malak knew what would happen then as he remembered what had happened centuries ago, after they tried to break Kati out. This man was cunning and spiteful with a tongue full of lies and a head full of ways to best the next move you made before you thought of it.

Malak had always considered him and his family to be one step ahead to keep them from being caught and that was true for the most part. What was more true was the fact that they were tired. They had always been looking over their shoulder, while trying to be five steps ahead, that living was never living. The more normal they tried to appear, the more evil men and women and forces picked up on their scent. It was becoming a maddening world that Malak knew was only getting more so.

Malak sighed and found himself laying on his stomach, head rested on his hands with palms on his cheeks, waving his feet like he used to do when he watched the rabbits playing in the field, the fish jumping up at the bugs, or the fire crackling while he listened to stories that they would sometimes tell each other about Mother or Father from a very long time ago.

Denny startled Malak into sitting up quickly when he said quietly, "You should rest while you can. Who knows what the daylight will bring. We may need our strength if the dog decides to bare its teeth early."

Malak asked in a hushed voice, "Do you have a plan? Anything?"

Denny was sitting up against the wall and said in a low voice, "Even if they turn and we manage to get weapons they will put their heads on spikes while impaling us for fun. We are weak from hunger. In truth, we are weak of the flesh in the way that any man is. If you do not eat or drink enough, the body does not function. If you do not rest, the mind is tired. If you do not exercise your hands to kill, then they forget. These people are skilled and trained in an animalistic fashion. Every day they practice how to kill and maim. They do not have souls or remorse like us. It is a game, a conquest to them. We will be a joyous memory to them in torture and death and this man has a personal vendetta. He thinks we stole what he claimed as his and he thinks we betrayed some unspoken pact by bringing his father and brother to kill him. And he is now on level ground in the ability to not age. I do not know how and unless you have some fantastic story to tell me from you and Del's adventures then for all we know he could be better at eternal life than we are. He could very well be invincible."

Malak spoke in a tired voice, "I do know of one story. There was a man who fell in love with a woman who was his match in every way. He loved her more than any single thing in his life. He loved her even when she took her own life. He could not let her go though, so he travelled to the Underworld and he went with the intention to make a bargain with the Gods there. His proposed bargain was that if he could have his love back and live the full life he and she were meant to that he would send to there a hundred souls. The Gods made him a different deal. The deal was that he could have his love back with the chance to fall in love all over again but that he would have to send a thousand souls. He made a blood promise into a glass that he and the Gods would drink of. What he did not know was that it was a thousand willing souls. What he also did not know was that the body his love would come back in would not be hers and that she would not recall him as she was brought back after being tossed into an abyss of darkness in the Underworld as punishment for taking her own life. He could not make her love him or keep her from screaming. She begged to die to the point he did as she asked. Afterward the Gods would not let him die because he owed them what he promised. He became mad with what he had done and he could not give them the thousand willing souls besides the one. Story goes that he could not stand his own reflection so he took a shell and cut away his skin and chunks of flesh. He stopped eating and he ripped out his throat, for his own voice angered him. All the sound he makes is an unnatural wheezing and he roams at night so no one can see him as he preys on those who wish to take their life. He offers them a way out so he can offer their soul to the Gods. It is the only way he can collect his dues."

Denny sucked his teeth and said, "I doubt Gunnr could ever have loved anything besides himself. Beau said he has a wife anyway. It has to have something to do with her. She possessed a body. Maybe it is her that kept him alive this long. A witch perhaps? A demon? It does not matter if she is a witch. We do not even have the book. For all we know they have it. We should have armed ourselves with some spells but I did not want to. I feel like there is a stigma attached to the book. Look where accidentally reading a harmless looking spell led us. We do not know what we could be unleashing by trying any other. Rose of Deadfall started to turn Lazette's hair slightly pink in case you have not noticed."

Malak whispered, "I noticed. Everyone noticed. I think that is why Kati kept making excuses not to use it. It mostly contains evil and I almost feel like the knowledge leaked from the other side is all tricks. You get something and even with the blood sacrifices you still have to pay your own personal dues."

Denny said shortly, "Enough talk. Let us rest."

Malak stood on achy feet and found his pile of hay. He lay down hugging it and dozed off in mere moments to the sound of slight snoring.

# Chapter 18. Del

"Get up. They are coming back down."

Del had forgotten where she was after Ares' voice woke her. She opened her eyes slightly. There was a faint light coming through the tiny caged window that was nearly all the way underground. A wild wind that blew through a few days back lifted the dirt and debris away for at least Ares to see outside.

The damp dark room they were in was the width of three bodies and the same lengthwise with the ceiling low where you had to turn your head slightly when standing. The halls were taller but they had not exactly received a tour to know how far the twisting trails, made of the strange, carved stones, went.

Ares was in the far corner and Del was in the corner by the door. If they really wanted to they could lay on their stomachs and barely touch fingertips with outstretched arms.

The girls they came with were across the hall and they only started talking to them shortly after they arrived back here. Maybe it was the realization that the solstice was two months away. They admitted they had not bothered to kill anyone because they had a ritual of waiting the last day. They claimed at first it was to give them a rush like a child stealing candy for the first time. Later they admitted it was because they could not stand killing. Their facade of not caring and being mean broke down almost every day. It turned out they were sisters named Hectavia and Syvillia, daughters of a woman named Livia who poisoned their stepfather accidentally. Del managed to gather they were some sort of descendants of demon of rot and death. She also gathered they were Romans. Del had been trying to piece together things about her and the others in her mind as they had nothing to do but think.

Ares' voice snapped her out of thought as he asked, "Are you awake?"

Del lazily sat up and pressed her back against the wall stretching slowly. Del yawned the word, "Yea."

The hinged flap at the bottom of the door lifted with a creak and a plate slid in with the key that unlocked Del's chains that were around her neck and foot.

A rope came in next with the familiar, "Hurry up. I do not have all day to watch you feed him. It smells disgusting down here."

Del unchained herself and went to tie Ares' hands behind his back. He held her hand for as long as possible. She fed him the stale bread and beets before the man with the gruff voice that always fed them shoved a bowl of water through the small door. Del listened to the same threats as she gave Ares the water. When she was done she untied his hands, chained herself back up and waited for the man to come in and retrieve the key and rope. He did his usual check on their chains. Only once did Del try to not chain herself and that only led to Ares and her being strapped until their backs were spilt and raw. Without blood, all they had were scabs and scars.

Ares mumbled, "They are stupid. I tried to tell them I can only use it on flowing water. Not dank, old well water."

Del ate her food slowly as she listened to Ares talk about the way the tops of the trees looked. It was quite a ways from the House of Iron. It seemed a long walk through the catacombs to get to where they were. It was a left, a right, a right, walking straight past intersecting tunnels, turning left and then left again.

Del tried to remember but they had only walked down this far once. The time they were put down under the fireplace was for only a while and they were placed in the room second right to the first hall. She had not the slightest clue to how intricate the layout of their prison was, but knowing they were now on a mountainside let her know that there were vast amounts of rock and dirt above them. The thought would have made Cortina mad with fright. The thought made Del smile for the first time in days.

Ares stopped his version of the _Mermaiden's Seafarer_ and said, "You are smiling."

Del was laying on her side using her arm as a pillow when she said, "Just thinking of my sister."

Ares said, "You were not even listening to my story."

Del felt a tiny rock hit her hand and she said, "I was listening. I know the story. It is the fourth time you tell it. Each time, the mermaiden becomes more well-endowed in her chest and I simply do not wish to hear about it."

Ares laughed and said, "She does not. I am _simply_ putting more emphasis on it to make the story more intriguing. I am trying to keep you entertained."

Del listened to the sound of the wind blowing by the window and closed her eyes. She sighed and took a deep breath. The smell of their own feces and piss made her angry. How could they treat them like animals? They were merely pawns and playthings. Anger was now turning to hate when she thought of how they would sometimes get drunk and come down to taunt them. It also made her sick to think of the two girls across the room and how they had only recently started to entertain the men for extra food or water. The girl named Syvillia had the nerve to claim that what she did with the men ensured they still received food. Ares had said terrible things to them when they suggested Del and Ares do their part.

Hectavia claimed Roman asked after her on more than one occasion, though it was gossip from one guard to another. The sisters claimed there were lavishly decorated rooms above them, that were also underground, that housed the men and women of the House of Iron. They said they saw a dining hall full of portraits of the slain demons and all the great men and women who killed them. They talked of huge bedrooms with silken bedsheets and warm comforters made of wolf. Del had experienced enough fineries in her life to know they would never come close to having dignity and company of friends. She would not leave Ares if she could help it.

Del must have fallen asleep for the sound of unfamiliar footsteps on the stone hallway made her stir. Her heart raced when the quick, hard steps stopped on the other side of the door.

Del whispered, "Ares," and strained her eyes in the dark room to see him. Her heart skipped a beat when she made out an empty cell. The light coming through the tiny uncovered portion of the window was a dimming blue. The sound of keys jangling frightened her knowing she was alone. Her voice caught in her throat when she tried to call out to Ares.

What the hell is happening? How could I have slept all day hard enough not to hear him being taken?

Del reached for her throat and yanked at the chain as she realized it had to have been the food. She pressed her back against the wall and put as much distance between her and the door as possible. She ran her fingers along the wall behind her until the stone she had hid the pork bone behind moved. She strained her fingers by pulling at the slippery stone. Her fingers were numb and cold.

When her aching fingers found the bone the sound of the door unlocking made her clutch it so tightly it sliced into her palm. The door opened slowly and the light from a torch made the back of her eyes hurt. She shielded them and waited for whatever was coming.

When she focused her eyes, the way Roman was smirking as he crouched in front of her made her feel on edge. When he reached for her foot to unlock her chains, she twitched and his smirk faded.

Roman said softly, "I have not seen you in a month and you offend me by shying away?"

Del looked at him in the eye and spat, "Where is my friend?"

Roman's face turned sour and his answer was to roughly yank her chain when he unlocked it. As soon as he unchained her neck she kicked him in between the legs as hard as she could and stabbed the sharpened bone into his neck where the armor split. The chain was on his neck in moments and the keys were in her hand. The torch had gone out when he dropped it onto the damp floor. She felt around his waist and pulled out a blade the length of her forearm before he gripped onto her wrist. She immediately bit down on his hand and the feeling of his blood hitting her throat made her ill knowing who it belonged to. She spit it out at him. She managed to yank off a tiny blade and backed out of the cell as he called out to her. Del's heart raced while skipping every other beat. The feeling of locking the door was exhilarating.

Del opened the cell across to find it empty. She listened for any other sound besides Roman calling out and felt like crying when she heard Ares. His voice was coming from a few doors down and her hands fumbled while trying to unlock the door. When the right key turned she pushed it open and fell to knees to hug Ares. She unlocked his chains and they held hands as they entered the hall.

Ares said, "Why did you not kill him? He is going to bring more men down."

Del said, "Better they be down here than up there for us to kill. Ares, we need to kill them all."

Ares grabbed her wrist and pulled her back to hug her. Ares whispered to her, "If we do not make it, I want you to know something. I-"

Del pushed away from him slightly and said firmly, "Stop it. We are going to get out of here. We need to find our way out. Kill them all."

Del pushed the longer blade at him and gripped the small blade in her palm.

Ares would not loosen his hug when he said, "Just let me say it. Me and Val. There was nothing. I would not lie. I know you keep telling me not to talk about it. I just need to know you believe me."

Del said sincerely, "I know. I believe you. Just focus. We need to get out of here. This is the only chance we have. The best chance."

Ares let her go and asked, "Hectavia and Syvillia? Should we?"

Del wanted badly to say no because she knew they were not like them. They were weak and would slow them down but she was still her. Del said, "Quickly. Listen for them. They could be anywhere. Listen for men to come. Remember the way they come from. I cannot remember the way out. We were still drugged when they brought us down."

They crept along the walls and Del heard a muttering coming from the door they passed. She pulled from Ares to press her ear against the door. She was certain it was muttering. The dark made finding the keyhole hard but it was luck when the first key she tried opened it. Inside there was a window clear of any debris. Moonlight spilled in and the shape of two people tied on either side of the room made her step quicken. She was close to the one on the furthest wall when she tripped over something on the floor.

Del found herself sitting in a wet puddle and when she brought her hand to the moonlight, she saw blood. Ares pulled her up to her feet and she saw there was a body. Her stomach dropped when the body was that of a child. It moved slightly and made a muffled noise. Their intrusion seemed to have woken the girls as they now lunged at the child. Del found herself on the one that was closer and before her thoughts processed, instinct took over. Warm blood spurted onto her face as moonlight revealed it was Hectavia or Syvillia. Del had not seen either of them since they revealed their names and it was hard to tell now. The girl's eyes were wide and she grabbed for her throat that was now split wide open. Del turned to see that the other sister was at the end of her chain reaching for the child just as Ares picked up the small body.

Del realized it was Hectavia she had sliced when Syvillia said with outstretched arms, "You do not understand. It is mine. Give it to me. It is supposed to be dead! You do not know the things I did to get it. They promised. They promised me and Hectavia each a mortal to kill if we did what they said. They lied. They brought only one and said whoever killed it would be able to leave this place. Give it to me!"

Del found herself standing between Syvillia and Ares who had the child. Del had her knife pointed at Syvillia when she said on the verge of tears, "And you would take the life of a child for your own? It is a child! Not an it. You have lived a long life and that child has lived but a breath and you...look at what you did. Look at yourself. Do not put what you did out of stupidity on this child. You should have known better than to trust them. They will kill us all no matter what they say or what we do. This...this just makes it easier for them. It makes everything they fear about us realized. You...we were coming to save you. You can rot here until the solstice sun comes to claim your flesh and turn you to ash. Then you can burn in hell."

Del found her stomach twist one final twist before the beets came up on her. She stood and puked onto the ground with it splashing at her feet. She did not realize she was shaking until she reached back to grab Ares' hand. The girls both argued, pleaded and cried. Del was disgusted realizing Hectavia must have licked the child's blood from the floor to regain her voice that was so surely taken from the deep cut Del had delivered. Her ears buzzed and blood rushed straight to her head as she thought of how truly evil the House of Iron was. To throw a child to two desperate dogs to fight over. Two sisters. Del pushed the thoughts of what it could have been the girls had to do to become so far gone. It did not matter. They would all pay now. Ares led her out of the cell.

After continuing down the corridor for what seemed forever, the girl's pleas were no longer in earshot. Ares pulled her shoulder stopping her from continuing. She was about to speak when his hand covered her mouth. She snapped back to the here and now to see that there was torchlight coming from around the corner. They went back a ways and turned at an intersection. Del pressed her back against the wall and found her focus was not on the task. Ares must have sensed it because he was placing the small limp body in her arms and taking the keys.

Ares whispered to her, "Wait here. I will be back."

Del reached for him but he was gone. The child could not have been more than two. Del shook her head to try and focus as she placed the child on the ground. She put her ear to the child's chest and heard the heart was beating. It was a slow beat but there was still life. She found the wound were the blood was coming from. There was an open tear on the child's side and she felt even more sickened when ribs moved far too much. The breathing was shallow and Del ripped her shirt. She took the child's shirt off and used it to pad the area while using the piece of hers to tie it in place.

The child coughed and let out a whimper. Del picked the twitching body up and held it close to her. She started to hum as she rocked the child. Her eyes closed as tears burned them. The sound of footsteps coming made her pick up the knife and open her eyes. She shuffled backward and held her breath. Torchlight casting dancing shadows made her heart skip. When the figure turned the corner she was relieved to see it was Ares. He exchanged the torch for the child and motioned her up.

Ares said, "There was two of them. They had food. I doubt anyone heard Roman. I put them in a cell. Dead. Put these on."

Del was handed a pair of boots and Ares had some on as well as a belt with a long sword and a shorter one. She pulled out the shorter one after pulling on the boots. The feel of something against her bare feet that was not cold and wet made her feel like running.

They walked down the corridor and Del took the keys. There was something bothering her. She opened the nearest cell and the smell of rot hit her like a swat in the face. She walked in and there were two piles of ashes and clothes on either side of the room by chains. There were also the remains of a man. It looked like most of the flesh was gone, but what was left smelled terrible.

The next cell contained much the same but the skeleton was old and that of half her height. The next few were empty and then the last one contained four piles of ash with one single skeleton propped up against the wall as if they died sitting. They appeared to be as small as the child they had. Del felt relief as she knew that these immortals had the decency the others lacked. She hated the House of Iron more than Maryanat. How could they do this to children? Tears came to her eyes as she thought of how sad it must have been for the child to starve to death. She hoped the child had company of the four before dying. It pained her to think the child died after they did.

Ares said softly, "After we kill them all, we will come back and bury the children and others who did not deserve to die. I promise. We need to get going or we may have one more grave to dig. This boy is on the verge of death, Del."

Del turned and asked, "How do you know it is a boy?"

Ares said, "He looks like a boy. Look at him."

Del looked and could not stand it as she saw scratches and bruises anywhere flesh showed.

They rushed through the tunnels and Del felt her knees buckle. She watched the tunnel in front of her as it appeared to jerk this way and that. She inhaled sharply as a pain shot through her chest with her lungs burning. She fell to her knees and gasped as every breath felt like swallowing fire. The last thing Del could make out was a figure coming up the tunnel swinging a smoking incense holder back and forth.

***

Del felt like she was reliving an awful nightmare when she woke on the cold, hard floor. She felt her chin tremble when she touched her neck to find that the chain was back in place. Her throat and nose burned. Her only solace was that Ares was back in a cell with her. He had not woken or perhaps was laying still like her, quietly defeated. She whispered to herself, "I do not want to die."

# Chapter 19. Raven

The morning was tense as they sat at a long table eating in front of the King. He sat on his wooden throne and they all sat in a row facing him. He was higher up than them on a wooden platform with a backing that held two flags. Raven barely noticed what was on them. The open area was unsettling as the people from the village gathered to watch them. It was more unsettling as the King watched them eat while staring intensely at Kati.

Namuk sat next to him on the arm of the throne. She would whisper into his ear and they would laugh together. She had long straight black hair. Her skin was a toasted brown and her cheekbones were high with a pointed chin that always seemed to be raised as she looked down her long nose, that had a slightly pointed end, when she stared at anyone. Her eyes were a reddish brown and the black paint she wore in a band across her eyes made her appear scary. The crown she had was made of a beaded strip of cloth. Her hair had seven feathers hanging down among them, from the crown, tied to it with leather and beads made from shells. She wore a leather dress that also had feathers and shells hanging from it. If Raven had only just laid eyes on her she would have thought her a Goddess of the forest. She had a fluid movement to her when she walked and ate. Her stare was cold when she looked at them and soft when she stared at her King.

Raven found it strange that they were husband and wife as they could not be more different. He was rough while she was smooth. He had fair skin and light hair. His beard was only long at the chin and in a few small braids. He had blue eyes and his crown was gold metal. He wore cotton and leather and fur. He carried an axe and large hunting knife with him. His posture was relaxed with one leg on the free armrest. An arm held Namuk around the waist when she was near. He had gold plated armguards in place over his forearms. His face was weathered but he looked no older than Gio.

The plate in front of each of them was modest. There was a piece of bread, a dollop of lard, a piece of smoked fish and a few raw radishes. Raven was grateful to have jugs of water across the table. They had to be refilled three times. Everyone ate cautiously and looked at each other without talking. When they were finished the serving girls cleared all away.

The King whispered to Namuk and she nodded her head and disappeared from sight. He started talking in his strange tongue while smiling and every now and then the large crowd laughed. Raven could not find the nerve to look at the crowd once it had reached a certain amount. She had always found it easy to be the main attraction in a crowd but without Grandpa she was intimidated. She had been seated next to Cortina and Val. Malak was fifth to her right. Raven had prayed that this was all a nightmare. She went to sleep wishing to wake up with knowledge this was all a dream.

Grandpa, where are you? Please be all right.

Thoughts of Grandpa being burnt by the sorceress Queen Namuk kept popping up in her mind. Kati had told them all she witnessed and all she knew. It was horrifying knowing that Heidi was possessed by the sorceress this whole time. She could have thrown any one of them into the sea on the voyage over. A nudge snapped her back to the table.

Cortina said quickly, "They are splitting us into teams. You are with me, Durin and Beau. Stay close to me. They said they are taking us to a labyrinth. We need to find a flag colored black."

Raven nodded and felt like the fish was not sitting well. Her face must have revealed that when Cortina said reassuringly, "We are going to be all right. We just need to do as he says until we have an opportunity."

The King stood when they all stood and announced something that made his people all make some barbaric hooting noise while stomping their feet.

Kati and Val stepped forward and Raven watched nervously as men came with two long, freshly debarked trees. Kati and Val lay on the ground and Raven watched as they were tied to poles that were laid by them. Raven noticed that there was a footrest nailed to each pole. After they were tied Namuk came and had a bowl. She spoke strange words and stuck her hand in a bowl. She placed her hand on Kati's face and then Val's leaving a red handprint. When she stepped away the men kicked the sand aside and revealed two holes that were covered with boards that other men removed.

Kati was stone faced and Val looked frightened. They were lifted and the poles put in place. The King was amused with himself as he walked over to the poles. He seemed to be making jests as he looked upward pointing at Kati as she was tied standing in place. He shook the pole and laughed as raucous bellowing surrounded them. Val was crying when men and women started to pile wood and twigs around the bottom of their poles.

Cortina leaned in and whispered, "He said they will burn if any of us decide to run or do not do as told."

Raven stood watching and the King must have dismissed them with the next word he spoke as Cortina grabbed onto Raven's hand. Cortina stopped and faced the King when he started to talk again. Whatever he was saying Raven found that he was really enjoying himself. He practically spat the words out.

Raven watched as Denny walked around the table and kneeled in front of the King. A woman came and handed Denny a flagon and he stayed kneeling with his head down while the woman retrieved the King's drinking horn. The King held it out and spoke. Denny stood up and poured the King his drink. The King spilled it onto Denny's shoulders slowly while the villagers cheered and laughed. It made Raven feel sick watching Denny with his bowed head pouring another drink for the bastard King.

Cortina said, "And now Denny is his brew boy. He is to serve the King his drink all day and is not allowed to take a sip. He very much hates Denny and knows how to hurt him."

The walk through the sandy woods seemed long but the morning mist still hung. Raven had trouble swallowing as her mouth was dry. They came to an opening in the ground. In the distance the ocean was visible with the smell of salt wafting inland. Seagulls cried out and a warm breeze rustled the tufts of grass poking up through the sand. Raven inched closer to the edge of the giant hole and stood close enough to look down. There was clear bluish-green water down in the opening. It was a ways down but no further than the height of six Emerys. It was larger than first expected. There were parts of a stone structure sticking out of the water in some places. It looked like there was over a dozen entrances. It was the size of ten of the warships she once saw at the harbor.

"What is this place?" Raven murmured.

Namuk had tagged along to oversee and she answered, "It was a covered stone maze erected by an ancient tribe. They used it to find the smartest, fastest warriors to protect their leader. They built it on unstable ground that eventually sank. The water comes from the sea. Underneath somewhere, there are tunnels that lead to the sea. If you are lucky you might meet a shark face to face."

Raven felt a rush of panic hit her chest when Namuk pushed her forward. She felt momentarily weightless and then the water hit her hard. Her breath escaped and she floated to the top to thrash. An arm pulled her around her chest and she gasped for air. She was pushed onto a part of the stone that stuck out. Raven turned to see Malak's worried face. She hugged him while he stuck from the water bobbing. Raven saw that the rest were either jumping or already in the water.

Namuk yelled down, "Change of plans. There are no teams. A ladder will be dropped once you find all the black flags. You do not have much time. I put them in there myself and I have to say, you had better hurry because they are well hidden. Hurry now or I will have you all forced to eat every single morsel of flesh from Kati and Val."

Raven saw Namuk disappear and the bystanders look down waiting for them to enter.

Cortina shouted, "Everyone knows what they are searching for? Remember where you are and do not go too far if you cannot find a hole or space for air!"

Raven slid into the water and felt dizzy. She hated water. She entered and followed behind Malak. Her breathing was becoming ragged and panic was starting to get the best of her mind. She entered the nearest entrance and started to thrash when the tunnels were mostly dark. There were parts where you could stand partway out of the water and places that were completely underwater with no air. Raven held her breath and took the first left into a dark underwater section. Up ahead she saw light and felt better.

Raven was nearly there when a black flag slowly waved at her in the water. She reached her hand out and screamed out bubbles when it disappeared quickly and a giant eel lunged at her in the water. She pulled back as it moved faster than she could. Its teeth looked like jagged coral with its yellow eyes staring at her. She put her hand up to shield herself when she watched a black rod come from beside her and stab the eel up through the opened mouth, shutting it. Blood swirled like a cloud of dust and the eel twisted and was gone. Raven's chest burned and vision blurred as she turned to get back to the shallow area. She expected to see whoever helped her but there was no one in sight. She saw a shallow area ahead and kicked her feet hard.

I cannot. I cannot take it.

Raven had exhaled her breath long ago and now it was too much. She could not help herself when she did the only thing she could for relief. She inhaled the salty water and waited for the choke of death. Instead it felt like she had breathed in the freshest air ever. Her vision unclouded and she continued to breathe freely.

Am I dead?

Raven kicked her feet and found the shallow area. When she exhaled, water poured out and air replaced it. She coughed out the last remaining drops and stood, feeling disbelief. Raven saw that Malak had returned from wherever he went. He clutched a flag and asked breathlessly, "Did you find one?"

Raven shook her head and told of the eel and the water breathing.

Malak said, "Come, we need to regroup and tell the others. Raven, you might have to find the flags. I nearly drowned getting this one. I had to go back three times after taking breaths. It is like Namuk set us up to fail. Can you do this?"

They gathered above the maze on the exposed stones and the only other that had a flag was Muriel. Raven noticed there was barely anyone watching anymore.

Raven counted the heads of the ones in the water before asking, "Where is Vio?"

The others started to either panic or say, "He might be lost," or "He will come up soon."

Raven felt as though he should have come up by now. Raven said as quietly as she could so only they could hear, "I can breathe underwater and I think I can do something strange with my hands. It sounds odd but I can. It must have something to do with being the daughter of a sea demon. Everyone find a place to wait by the entrances, hidden. I am going to find the flags. There are eels on top of sharks here."

Raven felt regret after she spoke. Everyone looked relieved and Raven knew it was her turn to step up. No one else could do this but her.

Vio, please be fine.

Raven hugged Malak and kissed him. She reassured him when he held her hand tightly. Raven took a white rock and went under the water. She started on the right side and marked each wall with an arrow pointing out the right way. It did not take her long to find the next eleven flags. That left two more. Namuk was not lying when she said they were well hidden but breathing underwater made it faster.

Raven swam through a narrow passage and found herself in a larger space. The feel of something brush against her foot made her look down. There was a drop that turned into a dark abyss. It made her freeze when she realized it had been a shark's fin that brushed her foot. She backed into the way she came and she heard a scrape. She turned and realized that she had bumped a rock that shifted it so that the entrance she came in closed to the size of a fist.

What do I do?

Raven turned and saw the shark was eating small silver fish that zoomed by. Raven tried to stay still as she hoped sharks could not sense fear. As if it read her thoughts it whipped its large body around and almost came right at her. She grabbed onto the rock behind her and pulled herself down. It did not miss a beat as it veered down. Its mouth revealed a thousand jagged teeth. Raven put her hand up and saw four tiny dagger-like black shards shoot at the shark. They hit its face and it turned and swam away before taking off into a tunnel opposite her.

Raven turned and searched for an opening. She swam through the closest passage and found a flag attached to a rock on the pathway that ended. She went back out into the open area and found one other opening besides the one the shark took. She swam into it and found it twisted this and that way. She scraped her rock here and there.

Raven came to a split with one passageway lit from openings and another dark. She swallowed her fear as she thought of the last flag and took the dark path. Time was a factor and the thought of Val and Kati roasting and having to eat them was enough. Raven swam into darkness and noticed movement ahead that stopped her. She started again when she saw it was legs. Raven felt relief wash over her fear when she saw it was Vio. Raven came up out of the water into the air pocket and coughed slightly.

Raven said, "Please tell me you have a flag."

Vio said, "Yes. Thank the Gods. I would kiss you but you are married and a child."

Raven asked, "I presume you came from that way? Do you think you could hold your breath?"

Vio said, "Yes. I just...I panicked. I saw a shark. At least what I think a shark is, and I...I did not know what to do. It was over where I came from. And there was one that way."

Raven assured him, "I can take care of it. Show me the way you came."

Raven followed Vio and he stopped every now and then for air. When they resurfaced they all held up a flag while Emery yelled up. When they returned in time for noon, Namuk looked furious. The King laughed and ran a finger along Namuk's cheek. She responded by jerking her head away. Raven felt uneasy when the King grabbed Namuk's face pinching her mouth open with one hand drawing her face in to kiss her. She pulled away so hard that when he released her she fell onto her backside. Namuk stood up and the King turned to laugh. No one else laughed but him.

Kati and Val were brought down. Raven watched as the King called Kati over. When she was close he leaned forward and grabbed onto her wrist pulling her roughly. He turned her and sat her down after repositioning himself to be turned slightly to face Kati with one leg swung up over the armrest and against her back, and the other for her seat while he slouched. The King was picking food up with his fingers from a plate that Denny held. The King took a piece of something Raven could not make out. He brought it to Kati's mouth. Kati opened her mouth and ate the food while the King licked his fingers after feeding her each time. He never took his gaze from Kati and that made Raven queasy when Namuk returned and tried to wait for the King to acknowledge her.

Namuk even went as far as to go to his ear and say something. The King did not even seem to notice which made Namuk motion for a chair to be brought. Raven was embarrassed to watch as the Queen sat beside her husband, who gave all of his attention to another right in front of all they ruled over. Raven tried to picture Malak doing that to her but she knew that would never happen.

The plate placed in front of her had very little again. There was the bread, the lard, some boiled roots, and a small portion of meat with gravy. Raven ate slowly even though all the swimming had made her terribly hungry. Cortina passed over her bread and Raven took it, eating it quickly so no one would notice. Raven could have guessed no one would as they were all watching the King and Queen and the inappropriate display. Kati stared forward as the King offered her his cup. Kati took it and sipped. When she handed it back the King took her hand and pressed it to his face cupping his own cheek with her hand.

Cortina whispered, "This is how it was like before but he did not have a woman then. I feel as though he is obsessed with her. Also, no one but the King or his equals shares from his cup. Absolutely no women. Very disrespectful to his men and his wife."

Kati said loudly, "Is there something you wish to share, Cortina? The King commands you speak it out for all to hear."

Cortina stood and said, "Only that I cannot wait for the feast. It is an honor to participate in the festivities."

Kati called out, "In the King's tongue."

Cortina spoke their strange language and all carried on. The plates were cleared and now a show was to be put on. Raven stood when the rest did and they moved to either side of the King's platform. The poles that were erected earlier were now placed for Raven and the others to sit. A circle was marked with the branches and twigs from the would-be pyres. Raven was curious upon watching men and women gather in the circle. The King announced something and the villagers gathered around quietly.

Cortina leaned in to whisper, "He is putting on a play about what happened to him when we escaped here the first time. He named it _Undefeated_. Clap when everyone else claps."

Raven watched and the sound of drums signaled the start. A man, who had a crown, was walking around the circle with a woman dressed in a white dress. The woman and man stared at each other and had big smiles painted on masks they held over their mouths. Raven guessed that was supposed to be the King and Kati. Two women joined in and walked behind the man and woman while holding knives up above their heads.

They had painted faces that made it look like they had smiling faces too. They also held masks to their face that gave them the appearance of a jagged toothed, black eyed demon. Every time the fake King and fake Kati turned to look at them they put the mask and knife behind their backs. Everyone would laugh each time. Raven figured that was Del and Cortina.

Next was the fake King handing out gifts to the small children that entered the circle and the two with the masks scaring them away. After much booing at the two women, the crowd cheered when the fake King put them in chains. There was something happening next that resembled a wedding.

Partway through, the fake King was about to behead the two women, after over-exaggerating finding the knives and masks. As he was about to, padded arrows hit him. Three men wearing a contraption around their waists looked funny as they were supposed to be ships. Two threw arrows at the King. One came and gathered the three women and took them away while the fake King fell to his knees.

Someone started to dump bits of white on him. He shivered and fell to his face. Next, a woman painted like Namuk, with a leather dress on, came and held his head in her lap. She kissed him and everyone cheered. When it was over the King clapped and everyone joined in. Raven clapped and looked around at the confused faces of the others and the angry faces of Malak, Emery and Cortina. Kati looked annoyed and Denny just had a slight smirk on his face. He noticed Raven looking and went back to expressionless. Raven was startled when a horn blew. There was another announcement from the King.

Raven looked at Cortina and felt horror as she looked terrified before saying, "He is pitting us against one another until death."

# Chapter 20. Roman

The pit glimmered under the demon bone chandelier that hung above the room. The five chairs on the raised, enclosed platform, near the one side of the room, made it easy to see the stone pit with all the men and women surrounding. The railings around the other three sides of the pit were crowded and the one in front empty as everyone knew better than to get in their way. The two doors on either side of the pit opened. When they were closed it was hard to tell where they were as they had no handles on the inside and were always barred from the outside.

Roman stood when anticipation got the better of him. Thralice nudged him in the back of his knee with her foot and he felt it buckle. Roman looked back at her scowling and said, "What the hell is that for?"

Thralice belched and said, "Get the hell out of my way. I want to see too. I do not give a shit if it _is_ your birthday. We are all equals up here."

Roman sat down and exhaled loudly as he watched two men enter to clean the dried blood and guts off the pit's stone floor. He looked to his left as Thralice was finishing the last of her ale before letting out a loud belch. Dante was next to her and he had a glare on his face while slouching with one arm extended on the rest of the chair and the other on the further rest bent at the elbow with his finger pushing into his eyebrow, blinking his dull grey eyes hard. He was flicking his fingers and knocked his five gold rings against the wooded armrest.

Roman watched as Dante stopped to brush his messy hair out of his face. Dante paused and looked at the grey hairs mixed with the black and pinched them between his fingers. The streak was a reminder of how easily a demon could hurt you with their bare hands. The hair started growing out that way after Dante's wounds healed from their first mission out to take down a Class E Demon. They were only fifteen and that was half their lives ago.

Dante looked annoyed when the boy, that was not yet a man and not quite a child anymore, tried to hand him a cup of ale. He snatched it, sloshing most of it onto the floor before turning to chew out the boy everyone called Yu. He was from across the sea where emperor's ruled and everyone wore dresses. Even here he wore his clothes funny and his hair up in a bun like a woman.

Roman admired that his face showed not a smidgen of emotion while he was being yelled at like a small disobedient child. He watched as he bowed and poured another cup for the always angry Dante. The only time Roman saw him smile was when Dante was near inebriated with a woman on his lap. Thralice belched again and Yu filled her cup.

Dante took a long sip and said, "We are not all equals here. Lop's son should not be allowed up here. Gives the wrong ideas to the rest of the people here. We are the sons and daughters of the Council of Five. Roper better get his skinny ass off Aviva's chair before she sees him."

Thralice said loudly, over the increasingly loud chatter of the room, "Daughters. I do not see any daughters here unless you see Aviva anywhere."

Roman knew Aviva would not be present tonight. She was a day's ride away pleading with the Council to overlook him as the next Head of Council and move onto her. It went a circle and his family was next. With him being an only child he had no competition. Aviva's family was the second next and as her family's only heir she could only hope to have a child to take Roman's place after he died or if Roman met an unfortunate end before the ceremony. It was just the way it went.

Dante said back, "You are a woman whether you like it or not."

Thralice put her feet up on the railing and said, "Woman or not, I am more of a man than you will ever be. I could bet you anything I own, I have had twice as many women in my bed and they have all been twice as fair as any of you ugly bastards here. Especially you, Roper, you ugly little shit."

To his right, Roper did not seem to pay any mind to Dante or Thralice. Dante was right about Roper being skinny and Thralice was probably right about him being ugly. Roman smirked at the thought of how the man was clumsier than any other he had ever seen. What he lacked in other areas he made up for in quick wit and humor that seemed to make him a favorite not only among women. But who he sat with was questionable to even him, if they fell among the ranks of men and women; to him they were barely even men or women anymore, not with all they had done.

On the far right sat Hector. Roman found himself scowling at him as he watched him run his fingers back through his thick, light brown hair, staring down. Roman followed his line of sight to see a serving girl walk toward them through the crowd while looking up at Hector. She tripped on her own feet and fell to the ground smashing clay jugs of ale. Roman rolled his eyes as he saw Hector sit forward in his chair as if he were going to help before he sat back and threw his arm forward to signal he had tired of her. It sickened Roman that the man went through young girls like a scribe went through quills. He figured Hector would have been labelled a rapist by now if he was not blessed with the looks he had.

Hector may have looked strong and brave but Roman had seen firsthand that the man was always the last to enter a fight. He was always afraid to get scarred or hurt; this made no sense as he was an excellent swordsman and an excellent fighter. Hector had been given strength and physical aptitude with no heart. It made Roman sigh as he thought of how no girl had ever turned Hector down and how he was never in any lack of them. Roman found it curious that he had called on the two demon sisters from the cells on more than one occasion.

Roper had said it was not the first time that Hector used the prisoners from the cells and claimed to Roman he only noticed now that the one named Del was down there to turn his interest there. Roman considered Roper one of the only people he trusted. The three heirs of the Council of Five surrounding him favored Aviva ever since they found out Roman did not share the flesh of the man who raised him. It was seven years ago that the Council decreed Roman a true son of the man named Zavian, that he called father. He acted as surprised as everyone else and claimed even to Zavian not to remember he was not truly his but he did remember. He remembered everything.

Things will change around here as long as I can stay alive among these wretched snakes.

Hector must have felt daggers being thrown at him as he turned to meet Roman eyes with his own hazel ones.

Hector said coyly, "Do not look at me for a birthday kiss. Why do you not look over at your Demon Queen? Maybe she will give you one, _if_ she survives."

Roman looked forward while trying not to let the anxiety show on his face. He snapped his fingers at Yu and drank down his drink that burned like fire and tasted the way oak smelled. He turned and grabbed his silver chalice with the yellow stones that held his own private reserve of dark ale that neared black.

When Roman turned back, he saw that the two demon sisters were on opposite corners with the girl named Del opposite her lover with the black hair; Ares.

They were all tied to chairs and out cold. He watched as Del was chained by the wrist to one of the demon sisters and the man she called Ares chained to the other sister. The men in the pit had put the chain in through a metal ring secured to the wall between each of the chained pairs. Next the bag was placed in the center. Roman adjusted his shirt to hide the bandage that covered the injury Del had given him with the bone. If they had not wandered into the part of the catacombs that had the noxious gas in it, then they might have reached more people to harm and kill.

Thralice laughed and said, "Look at the bag. I wonder if it is a girl or boy in there. Dante, want to make a bet? I bet it is a girl. How long do you think they will last before the demons rip her apart?"

Roman shifted uncomfortably in his chair as he thought of the other men and women that probably bet on the child's survival and whether they were girl or boy.

Only a few more years and this will all change.

Roper leaned close to Roman and said, "Looks like the sisters are coming around. Why did you have them dressed up in those clothes? What a waste. Fine clothes like that should be worn on real women where you can appreciate it."

Hector said as if he had his own private jest, "He had them dressed like real people because he wants to imagine his Demon Queen as someone he can have. I, on the other hand, do not care what a woman wears or if they are not even a real woman, as long as they look like them and have all the parts you need a woman for. You cannot tell the difference when you have them beneath you or you are beneath them or behind them or against-"

Roman snapped, "Enough. What you do to poor _girls_ or poor people that look like _girls_ is your own business. You can say woman all you want Hector, but the rest of us are not blind. Some could be your daughters but I have the feeling that would not bother you."

Hector said slyly, "Some could very well be. Some might even be yours. You are only a year younger. Here is to your thirtieth year, Brother."

Roman did not bother to look as he raised his glass and did not bother to hide his utter disgust.

Thralice clapped and shouted, "To our brother and next leader, Roman Godrov, our own little Transylvanian!"

Roman felt his lip curl as he took a long drink from his cup. He watched as the sisters started to pull at their bindings. He heard one of them call out, "Syvillia! You stupid bitch! You should have let me kill it! I am your younger sister! You should be looking out for me!"

The crowd was getting louder and Roman anxiously awaited as the child in the bag finally escaped. It was a boy that looked to be three or four. He stood and cried as he stumbled. He must have been drugged but not nearly enough. One of the demon sisters let out a screech before they both started to thrash in their chairs.

Roman drained his cup and lifted it to be refilled. He watched as a couple of men threw knives into the pit. One woman tossed in a club. The jagged ledges around the pit made the people of the House of Iron brazen. Roman knew better than to get close to the pit. Even though the demons in the pit would lose their hands before being able to climb out, all they would need is one good throw of a knife to kill any one of them. The girl named Syvillia had a foot free and she rocked back and forth until her chair fell back.

"Why are the other two not awake?" Roman thought out loud.

Hector let out an obnoxious throaty laugh and said, "Because I gave those two a little extra."

Roman turned to look at Hector, who was clapping and pointing, enjoying this _event_. He was about to get up when Thralice gripped the back of his neck to turn his attention back to the pit. Syvillia was nearly free as she had smashed her chair against the wall. Pieces of it lay around her. Her sister had taken a different approach as she was coaxing the young boy toward her. The child was rubbing his eyes, dressed in tattered clothes, taking a few steps toward the girl as she shuffled over to the knife. Next she started to jump up and down in her chair, trying to get free. The boy backed up and the crowd grew louder.

Roman started tapping his foot. The sisters started screaming at each other but it was hard to hear what they were saying. Syvillia was free and yanking at the chain. Roman watched Ares slowly tipped over in his chair, when he was pulled across the floor by the thrashing Syvillia. Her sister kicked the knife to the wall closest her and was standing with her arms still tied to half the chair. She ran backward into the wall and threw the ropes to the ground. She picked up the knife and was close to the boy but he was just out of reach when she realized her hand was chained to Del's. Roman did his best to keep still because he knew the others would be watching. He was already accused of being a demon sympathizer for suggesting they try to find something for the small children of demons to do until they came of age. Even the new recruits scoffed at the idea.

_Demon blood is demon blood no matter how young,_ Zavian always reminded since then.

_If only you knew, Father_.

Bile came up in the back of his throat and he coughed slightly into his clenched fist that he was tapping against his pursed lips.

Dante said haughtily, "Sight making you sick Roman? I hear they do worse things to children of their enemies in your homeland."

Roman lifted his cup and sat up straight to say with a sneer, "Just waiting for that bitch to get up. I want to see them try and kill each other over the meat. Bitch deserves worse than what she is going to get in there for this." Roman pulled his clothing down to show his bandage off.

Hector laughed and shouted, "That is more like it Brother," as he switched places with Roper while patting Roman on the shoulder. Hector leaned in close and said into Roman's ear, "If you like you can take her to your room later. I can even get someone to bring her to you. We shall keep it between you and I."

Roman looked at Hector and masked his contempt with all he could muster before saying, "No thanks Brother. I have a very special something waiting in my room for afterward. A girl from a land where all they do is learn how to pleasure a man."

Hector shrugged and said, "Hm. Maybe you can send her to me after you are satisfied."

Roman looked forward and watched on anxiously as the sister with the knife was holding Del's chained hand while raising the knife high above her head, readying herself to bring it down _._

# Chapter 21. Val

The food on the plate looked awful. Val's aching fingers picked up a piece of bread and swiped it across the lard and gravy. Without hesitation, she opened her mouth and shoved the greasy bread in. The feel of the fat on her tongue would have made her gag any other time but she chewed and swallowed. The food was better than the food she was forced to eat to survive in Maryanat's castle and the painting where only a blackberry bush and nut tree grew by a stagnant frog filled pond.

Val looked at her blistered fingertips. Denny had somehow convinced the King to make it a three-day celebration with the death fights to take place in an arena by torchlight during the feast on the sunset of the third day. They had spent all afternoon building the arena. It was to have walls as tall as one and half of Emery, enclosing a circular fighting area. The seats around the outside were what would take long. They were all ordered to help. All except Kati and Denny. Val could not even find it in her to feel envious of Kati on the King's lap all day. The way the man looked at any one of them left an eerie feeling in her making her chest feel cold. There was something unsettling about the way he stared. He had the eyes of a man who was always thinking and not of things that one should think.

"Stop it."

The sound of Emery's voice snapped her out of her daze. Val realized he had her palm pinched between his fingers. She looked as he ripped a piece of his clothing from his shirt and wiped at her stinging fingers. Next he wiped at her lips. He showed her the cloth and it was spotted with gravy and blood. She pulled her hand away and brought it to her face. The blisters on her middle and pointer fingers had burst. Clear liquid mixed with blood pooled in the raw area where the flaps of skin separated from flesh.

Emery said in a low tone, "Not time to start losing it. We are only halfway done. Probably have some shit games to play tonight."

Val nodded and stared at her bloody fingers as she realized the blisters had busted on both hands. Tears started to well in her eyes when her stomach growled. Only half of the food she had was eaten and the thought of having eaten part of it mixed with her own blood made her stomach lurch.

Emery said reassuringly, "Hey, not here. They will make you eat what you throw up. Drink water."

Val watched her shaky hand nearly knock over her cup. Emery grabbed it and put it to her mouth. She drank. Next he picked up her bread and shoveled what was left on her plate onto it. Val looked around and everyone was finishing their food staring down except Cortina who was looking over with a sympathetic half smile and a raised eyebrow.

Val could not even muster a sly smile or even a cocky look. She instead opened her mouth when Emery shoved the folded in half bread piece toward her. She opened and chewed hurriedly as he fed and gave her water. When she finished, she looked at Emery who had his usual partially angry expression as if it were painted on. He nodded and she nodded then he went back to finishing his food.

A slap on the table made Val jump. She looked to see Namuk was responsible. She glared at Val and then each of them in turn. Val wished she could not understand them but she did. They spoke one of the languages Maryanat made her learn over the many years of captivity.

Namuk was drunk when she slurred, "We have a special event planned for tonight. All will be joining in except for the brew boy and the ugly girl."

Val looked down at the table and watched as an ant crawled onto her plate. Its tiny tusks waved about and its horns wriggled as it found a tiny crumb. It picked it up and shoved it toward its horns that shredded it to tiny bits.

Namuk said in her strange accent, "You will be searching for dolls made to resemble you. The search starts at sundown and you will have until sunup. They are hidden in the Forest of Ichlikachiwa. Do not worry about going too far and getting lost. The woods are protected by my barriers. I am the only one that can allow you to enter those woods and you can only leave at the entry point after you have found your likeness. Happy hunting or should I say hiding. Just to make things fun for me I put a few friends in there a long time ago. I doubt they will be too happy to let you leave. Do not worry, they only come out at night."

Namuk's laugh made Val's heart jump around so hard she sat up straight. Val watched her walk away. Cortina, Malak, and Emery started to tell the others around them what the next game was. Marv made an unimpressed noise as he stood. Val looked over quickly when she heard him yelp. One of the village guards had whacked him with a spear handle on the shoulder. Durin and Gio were trying to stand and shouts broke out.

Emery stood up slowly and Val jumped bringing her hand to her mouth when a guard brought his spear handle hard onto Emery's shoulder. Emery reached up and grabbed it as if anticipating. Beau started to get up but Emery pushed him back down. Next he turned and snapped the spear tossing the part with the metal point to the ground in front of the dismayed guard. Emery walked calmly over to where the guards readied spears at Durin who challenged them while Gio helped Marv to sit. Emery stood between Durin and the guards. Cortina was telling Gio to sit.

Emery said in a low angry voice, "Sit Durin. Gio, listen to my sister or I will take it as you no longer have use for those flaps on the sides of your head. Marv, get out of line again and I will beat the life from you for putting the rest of us at risk."

Val watched the Andriels sit and Emery make the guards twitch when he threw the other half of the spear down into the ground hard enough for it to stick into the ground between him and them. He walked back over and sat down.

The King's voice boomed, laden with excitement, as Val turned her attention to see him begin clapping, "Let us save those tempers for the fights. My woman has asked you all to join in the next festivity. You all may follow her."

Cortina said to them all, "Come, we have to follow Namuk."

Val followed as the group walked quietly toward Namuk. They passed closely by the King's throne platform. Val stared at Kati who had a solemn look on her face. The King held strands of Kati's hair and brought it across his moustache. His eyes met Val's and he smiled creepily at her with an intense look in his eyes that made her immediately look away.

Val could feel for Kati as she knew what it was like to be treated that way by a man. She had been nothing more than a pretty face and a warm body to share among the men of the clan that captured her after the wars. That was before Muriel found her, beaten and bloody, left for dead as a girl of twelve after it was apparent she would become two mouths to feed. Val swallowed hard as she thought of the lifeless body of her child being placed in the fire by Muriel so the wolves in the woods would not get it. Val never did forgive her for saving her. After that it was all downhill to where she was now. In two days' time one of the others would be pitted against her and if it were any but Muriel she was sure to die or at least sustain injuries that would cause death in a mortal.

What the hell are they going to do when they realize we cannot die?

Val had a knot in her stomach as she thought of how Namuk knew what they were and probably knew how to kill them without the summer solstice curse.

The sun setting painted a beautiful picture across the slightly clouded sky. The evening air was settling in around them. Val hunched her shoulders as she walked silently, shivering from her sweat soaked thin shirt that was now icy cold. The guards surrounding them, as they walked one person behind the next, said things quietly to each other. Val overheard one of them say they were not feeling well while another accused him of being afraid of the woods at dark.

Val wanted to keep her eyes closed each time she blinked. She stumbled and feel into Emery once and his annoyed look was enough to make her certain not to keep her eyes closed too long. The rope against her skin was chaffing and burning. She twisted her wrists that were tied closely together. They ached and she stumbled again when the guard beside her walked too closely and bumped into her. This time when she bumped into Emery he pulled her under the arm and she was now in front of him. For the first time since they left she noticed that Fig and Durin had metal rings around their throats. Lazette and Marv did as well from what she could see as she peered up ahead around Beau. She reached up at her neck and knew she did not have one.

Must only be the Andriels.

They were stopping ahead and getting in a line in front of Namuk as she glared at them. Val looked down and made it a priority not to make eye contact with her. They were made to kneel down in the dirt. The edge of the forest was very near. There was an archway made of tangled branches and had dolls strung up all about, hanging down. Val noticed the dolls were made from sticks whitened from the sun and wind.

They rattled when a wind came through making a whistling noise that came from the trees as they shifted and creaked. The whistling noise died and was followed by another whistling noise as if in response. This one was different. It went higher and ended in a yelping noise and knocking on the trees before it went quiet. The hair on her head pinched as she shivered. Val looked up as Namuk let out a small, snarky laugh.

Namuk had a finger on her chin as she paced back and forth while saying, "You will come out here after you collect your likeness. Once you enter that is the only way you can come out. The fate of the other two, back with my King, depends fully on you. The guards will be here until sunrise. If you do not make it out, your likeness will find its way to here and string itself up like the others that did not make it. Any of you that try to take your spirit animal form will lose your head. I would be careful not to trip either. Those spikes on the inner collar are very sharp. Pigs."

Beau commented, "I do not see any barrier."

Namuk said sounding annoyed, "There are bones of my people stuck in the ground marking off the forest where once you enter you cannot leave unless I want you to. One more thing, that noise earlier, that meant they are hungry."

Beau asked, " _Who_ is hungry?"

Namuk walked away and called out, "The Ichlikachiwa, shadow people, form changers. Almost like the child eaters you say you hunted."

Val was roughly pulled up by the guards who cut her ropes away. Next they shoved her into the dark path through the archway. She looked around in panic as she was the first in. She fell to her knees and hands when someone was shoved in next.

Cortina's voice next to her ear said, "Come, clear the way."

Val felt as if she were in a daze with a buzzing in her ears as Cortina pulled her up and forward. She turned and watched the others come through. The blood rushing through her body made her face burn. Malak hit the invisible barrier with his hand at first, then his shoulder, trying to leave, before he stumbled back after four useless tries. Val watched the white dolls sway as the last entered. Val murmured with a sick realization, "They are made from bone."

Cortina said in her assured tone, "We stay together. Look around for anything we can use for torches or spears, pointy sticks that are sturdy. Emery, make a fire. Beau, Durin, Vio, Gio, Fig stand guard. Muriel, Opia, Gretchen, Barabel, Lazette find sharp sticks with me. Malak and Marv, get stubby branches for torches. Everyone, rip off what you can spare of clothing. Need something to burn. Val and Raven, find dry kindling we can burn. If anyone finds sharp rocks put them by where the fire is being made. Hurry, we need light."

The dreamy blue of the sky was dimming into a darker shade up above through the trees.

Val spoke before she could stop herself, "Who put you in charge?"

Everyone else was doing as they were told and Cortina, who was already walking away, stopped and turned to say harshly, "No one did but if you look around I am the next eldest with experience that did not come from being boarded up with an old freak for most of my life. You are welcome to go out and find your doll by yourself. Maybe you can rub your body on the demons, like you do to everyone else that you want something from, and maybe they will not eat you and they will help you find the doll. It is up to you but if you do not help you can get lost."

Val nodded and willed her tongue to keep from speaking. She knew silence would be her better friend than talk at this point. Val knew helping out would be the only way they would ensure the demons would not devour her. She snapped her fingers and pain shot through them, emanating from her newly raw exposed skin. She shook her hand and started to feel around the ground for dry sticks. After making a pile, she stacked them onto her arm and cradled them like a baby. When she climbed to her shaky feet she looked around and felt panic rising.

Where did they go?

The sound of a stick cracking behind her froze her feet in place. She gripped one of the bigger sticks in hand and whipped around to find she was alone. Darkness had settled in around with streaks of moonlight passing through the trees above with beams here and there hitting the ground.

I do not remember the trees being so close together.

Panic flooded her senses and the only sound she could hear was her heavy breathing. A hand touched her shoulder. A scream caught in her throat and came out as a sound similar to a cat getting killed. Val turned with eyes widened to an extent that she could not blink or close them even slightly if she tried. Emery's face was close to hers with his features surprisingly softened. Val was about to open her mouth to speak when he kissed her. She felt his hands through her hair at the back of her head. He gently squeezed his fist bunching the hair up. Val dropped the sticks and ran her hands over arms. He pulled at her hair harder and pain shot through her head. Val put her hands up against him and pushed back but he roughly pinned her against a tree. A branch stabbed into her back and her scream was muffled out as Emery forcefully pushed his face into hers. Val's blood ran cold when she heard Emery call out her name in the distance.

# Chapter 22. Ares

Ares woke, back in chains, back in a cell. His throat and nose burned. He did not move. There was no point. Their only chance to escape had been thwarted and wasted. His eyes adjusted to the poorly lit room with the eerie bit of moonlight creeping through the small window he had been looking out for the past countless days. It had given him hope to be able to see outside but now it made him angry at the truth that they were not going to get out. He stared forward and could make out Del laying on the other side of the cell, from the corner of his eye. He held his breath and listened for her breathing. He let out his breath after he heard her soft breathing.

"I do not want to die," Del murmured in her sleep.

Ares gave his head a shake and snapped out of his dark thoughts. The bit of moonlight was shining right on her face. He reached out to her without moving his back from the wall knowing he could not touch her face even if he really tried. She always talked in her sleep. The first night she called out Durin's name. She never said what she dreamed of him. The next night it was for Kati, the next it was for Malak. She would tell him the dreams she had of her brothers and sisters. The memories of them. She only once called out his name and woke in a panic. She told him she dreamed she never fell off the cliff with him. That she watched him fall and hit the rocks below only to be washed away forever by a wave, taken back to the water where he came from.

"Why will you not come with me?" Del's voice said from the darkness.

The clearness of the sentence startled him. The sound of the chains drag across the floor for a moment made him twitch. Ares took a moment to realize it was his own chain and movement that scared him.

Ares said softly, "I did. I am right here, with you."

Del said, "I was coming to ask you to come with me that night. I saw you with Val and changed my mind."

Ares swallowed hard and said, "I would have come with you anywhere. I did come with you. I am right here."

Del was no longer visible in the small beam of moonlight when she said, "I do not want to die. I do not want to be alone." Ares felt her sorrow as her voice was cracking and he knew she was crying. She continued, "I know I wrote that letter and I left but I wish I never did. I did not want this. To leave them. Durin said to me that I should leave. Said I was not getting any better. Said I was just torturing my family being around them."

Ares felt anger rising in his chest upon realizing why Durin had been in her tent. He went there to tell her to leave.

He must have waited until she was alone to tell her.

Ares was about to speak when Del said between sniffling and quiet sobs, "I am sorry. You tell them I am sorry when you see them, Ares. Tell them I am sorry."

Ares protested, "You tell them, Delvin. We are going to get out of here together. It is going to be-"

Del said in a calmer voice as if to mask her tears, "Tell them for me, promise me, please Ares."

Ares said in a quiet tone trying to mask his fear, "Del, they are coming for us. They will get us out."

Del was quiet for a while before saying, "The solstice is so close. It is two full moons away. It will be here in no time and I will not give into their games. The children? I will not."

Ares cut her off and said, "I will be here. I am not leaving you. When that time comes I will be here and we will die together. You do not need to be afraid."

Del's voice grew louder and she said pleadingly, "When it comes, I am going to be gone but you will still have time. You will still have a whole year. They will come for us Ares, but I have a feeling they will be too late. I know it. I can feel it."

Ares protested, "I am not leaving you."

Del said at the end of a sob she had tried to cover up by muffling it with her hand most likely, "It is not up to you. You killed two people. I will die here. You may be able to escape or they will come and save you but I am going to die. Just listen to me. Let me say what I need to."

Ares gave in and said, "I am listening."

Del paused and said, "Remember this. Tell Malak that he is a good man. He always felt he would be a boy forever but the age he is stuck at has nothing to do with what is in his heart. Let him know he is such a good man. Emery. You tell him to smile once in a while for me and not to pick on Malak so much. Tell him that the one time he thought Denny ate his piece of cake that it was me. Cortina. Tell her I am so happy she has found someone she can love forever and to never stop being her. Tell Kati I am so sorry for leaving her. Tell her to please not be angry. Ask her to forgive me. Tell her she can have all of my belongings, even the red scarf I would not let her wear. And Denny, can you tell him I have all of his sketches of Mother and Father? I found them and I kept them. They are in the red bound book. Tell him not to blame himself because I would rather it be me dead than anyone else. Tell them I love them. Tell them I did not suffer. That I was happy here with you, Ares, even if it is not true. Tell the others they are all good friends and that I hope they cherish the good memories of me. Tell all of them I will miss them and I love them and I will watch over them from the afterlife. There is so much more. So much more but if you can remember anything I said just tell them I am so sorry and not to mourn me and that I love them so much. So much. I am so sorry."

The feel of a bug biting his neck made him bring his arm up to swat it but it was as if someone was holding onto his arm then his whole body. Del trailed off and the room became a fuzzy blur as light spilled into the room and figures surrounded him.

"Syvillia! You stupid bitch! You should have let me kill it! I am your younger sister! You should be looking out for me!"

Ares' head felt like it was filled with water and fish that were picking at the back of his eyes. It took all of his strength to open his eyes. They fluttered shut when the lights from above hit them. The sound of a roaring crowd brought his mind out of the darkness. He tilted his head back to see men and women peering down at him. Straight ahead there was a raised area with five people sitting, watching. Then the faint sound of crying made him desperate to focus as the room started to dim.

Syvillia screamed, "Come here! Do not go near her! Little boy, come here!"

Hectavia shouted, "Shut your mouth you whore!"

The whole room turned sideways and the pain of the floor connecting with his skull made him yell out. White spots decorated his sight. He blinked and tried to get up, only now realizing he was tied.

What the hell is going on?

Ares tried hard to focus and realized they were in a pit surrounded by people who were not friend.

Del.

The sight of Del tied to a chair across the room made him feel relief but for a moment. His wrist felt like it was going to snap as he saw Syvillia was pulling rope from her ankles with a chair burst to pieces around her. He looked across the room to see Hectavia was almost free and something caught his eye. Light glinted off a metal blade. Then the sight of a small child sitting on the floor crying made it apparent what was happening.

He pulled at his bindings, trying to free his hands but they did not budge. He arched his back as hard and far as possible. The restraints were tied tightly. His fingers felt numb. He stiffened his body as hard as he could one more time and heard a snap. His foot had broken the chair leg off. He used the free foot to kick at the other chair leg. A crack and his other leg was free.

Ares looked up just in time to see Syvillia above him with a sharp pointed chair leg raised above her head, ready to bring it down. He kicked as hard as he could at her knee and felt it give. A snapping noise followed by a piercing scream made his head feel like splitting.

Ares managed to get on his knees and to his feet before he stumbled sideways and hit the floor. His arm broke free and he felt ill when he looked at Syvillia, who was sitting, screaming as her hands hovered near her bent back knee.

Ares stood and pulled the last tied rope from his wrist. He saw it was chained and followed his sight down the line through a metal loop and straight to Syvillia's wrist.

Across the room Hectavia was walking toward Del, who was still unmoving. She had a knife in her hand. Ares went over to Syvillia and kicked her in the face. She stopped screaming and Ares looked up to see Hectavia was only a few steps from Del. He did not want to do what he was about to but he stomped on Syvillia's hand twice before pulling the chained cuff from her wrist. He threw the chain toward the ring and ran across the room.

Hectavia had just reached Del and had her hand grasped on Del's chained hand. She raised the knife and Ares felt his heart skip. He tried to think what to do as his body reacted before he did. He pulled the chain he was attached to forward and gripped it between his hands as he tossed it over Hectavia's head. He pulled back on it while meeting her back with his knee. She dropped the knife and grabbed back at his face and hair. He lifted her off the ground. He turned away and hid his face behind her head. The crowd went wild and some booed while most cheered. She thrashed and he felt like letting her go but knew she would stab him the next chance she got.

"Please Gods, forgive me," Ares whispered to himself as he yanked hard on the chain to hear a crack before Hectavia went limp. Her hand, that had a handful of his hair, slowly fell away and he dropped her to the ground gently. Ares looked at his hands and threw the chain down as the crowd cheered louder. The sound made him sick and tears filled his eyes when he looked to see the child was against the wall crying an inaudible cry drowned out by the crowd. The sound of his heart beating filled his ears with a constant ring that made his head want to explode.

Ares went to a knee and picked up the knife. It glinted from the lights above and he stopped at the angle that reflected back his eye. His brow was furrowed with flecks of blood decorating his skin. He realized he was doing exactly what they wanted as the sound of the crowd flooded back into his ears along with Del's voice.

Del shouted, "What are you doing?! Look at me!"

Ares looked up to Del who was struggling with a terrified look on her face. He blinked and went toward her as she pulled her head back. He cut her hands and legs free.

Before he could help her up she grabbed his wrist that held the knife and shouted, "Give it to me!"

Ares pulled free and tried to explain himself but Del responded by twisting his fingers to wretch the knife free. The look on her face made his chest feel tight when she pushed him aside. Ares turned to reach for her. When he watched the scene unfold, he took a step back. Del had her arm outstretched and past her Syvillia was on her side with the knife sticking out of her chest, the boy by her, a sharp piece of wood in her lifeless hand and a pool of blood forming. The crowd clapped, hooted and one gruff sounding woman shouted, "Double my bet on the girl!"

Ares looked up as a fight broke out. One woman pulled the hair of another and a man was trying to get between them. Del was now pulling the blade out of Syvillia's chest and wiping it on her dress. She looked back and said something that Ares could not hear. He covered his ears and closed his eyes as he spun in a complete circle. The nightmare was closing in and the taste of vomit filled his mouth.

How could these people bet on us? On the child. This is madness.

The feel of a tug on his shirt snapped him out of his bewildered panic. Del's face was painted with concern. She had the crying child in her arms with his head cradled against her chest, one arm under his bottom, one holding the knife while pressing his ear from hearing the crowd. The long dress she was wearing was now ripped up one side to her thigh with blood from the knife on it. The pale pink of it with the tiny pearls beaded beautifully about it made it look like she might have been out somewhere fancy. Hectavia had been dressed in whitish green while Syvillia was in an ocean blue. He looked down only then noticing they had dressed him in black pants, a white shirt and a black vest. The materials were fine and he figured it was some sort of jest to them.

Del took the hand that held the knife and Ares saw it get brought toward his neck. He closed his eyes and waited. The feel of her cold hand against his face made him open his eyes. He looked at her as a tear rolled down her face. The sound of the crowd was dying down after much shouting.

Del said painfully, "This is not us."

Her chin trembled and he reached up to hold her hand so that it stayed against his face. He felt a tear roll over his hand and was startled to know he was crying. He reached out and pulled her close to hold her. The child's crying lessened. He put her head against his chest and ran his hand over her hair before he kissed the top of her head.

Ares forced himself to sound confident and strong when he said, "We are not them."

Del said, "There are too many of them. We cannot leave him."

Ares said, "I know. I wish I knew what to do right now but I do not. I am so sorry."

Del shook her head, crying, and stepped back from him to say, "Do not be sorry. Do not dare be sorry. They are the ones that should be sorry. They will be sorry, Ares, they will all be sorry."

Ares felt pained to see Del choke out the last words knowing that she was right earlier. She was going to die here and she was scared. There was nothing he could do to help it.

Ares listened to the room and realized it was near quiet except for the clapping of one person that had just started. It echoed off the walls of the big room. He looked up at Roman. He was the one clapping as he walked down from the raised platform and over to the railing that surrounded the pit.

Roman said loudly, "How so, demon-bitch?"

The crowd laughed and Roman motioned for them to quiet down. He leaned up against the railing looking down at them.

Ares yelled, "Go to hell!"

Roman said harshly, "No, you will go to hell!"

Del handed the child to Ares and walked holding her head high to the center of the pit. Del said in a loud unfailing voice, "Hell? I have not done one thing in this world to any one person that did not deserve it. The men and women I have killed deserved it. They were murders, rapists, sadists, not unlike you all here."

The crowd broke out in shouts and Roman called out, "Shut it! I want to hear what this bitch has to say."

Del continued while turning to point at them all, "Call me what you will but make no mistake for when I die I will not go to hell and if for some reason I do, I will be prepared for this place is hell! Do your worst and I still will never be what you are trying to make me out as. Look around you. Forcing others to kill children in exchange for their lives and still killing them. Those people were cowards but I am not and neither is he and we will not give you satisfaction by doing what you want us to."

Roman laughed, followed by the rest. When they were done Roman said happily, "Well, you were right about one thing. This place is hell and darling, I am the devil." The crowd hooted and laughed. Roman continued, "But you are wrong if you think for a moment that we cannot make you do what we want."

The brown haired man that was sitting on one of the five chairs stood up and shouted, "Someone get down there and start by cutting off the fingers and toes of the demon in black. Let us see how far that big mouthed bitch will let us get before she gives in and takes the child's life."

The crowd cheered and Roman quieted them again so he could shout out, "Does not look like you have much to say now, demon-bitch, or do you?"

Ares noticed a few move in the crowd and leave through a door. He took a step toward Del but she put her hand up to stop him.

Del pointed at Roman and said in a calm unwavering voice, "I knew a man like you once. Proud to be full of hate and evil. He even thought himself the devil, just like you. He had me and my sisters captive and you know what my three brothers did?"

A door swung open on the inner wall of the pit and Ares stepped toward Del. She stopped him again.

Del spat out harshly, "They saw to it he cowered in fear when they brought the real devil to meet him. That was only three. What do you think twenty will do?"

Ares reached out when Del quickly brought the knife up and slit her own throat. She crumpled on the ground with the blood pooling from a wide gaping gash in her neck. Chatter broke out as one of the armored men reached him. Ares saw the blunt end of an axe followed by bright flashes of white before darkness flooded his mind.

# Chapter 23. Kati

"Eat. I will not say it again. Only damn woman I ever said anything twice for."

Kati looked at Gunnr and then picked up a chunk of fish. She studied it for a moment and closed her eyes to take a bite. She chewed feeling the stinking juices cover her tongue. She opened her eyes and stared hard at the man who was the cause of so many nightmares for so very long. He sat across the two-person square table staring at her, studying her with his eyes that held so much thought behind them. She was glad he kept whatever he was thinking to himself.

She swallowed as much of the stagnant spiced, stewed, cold cod as she could. As soon as it went down, the dryness of it from being chewed so long made her gag. Gunnr slammed his cup down on the table but she was not startled, even though she was certain he would have no problem tossing the table aside and backhanding her for less.

Gunnr had his head down while still looking at her when he half stood, hands on the table, shoulders back, ready to pounce or throw the table as he threatened quietly and viciously, "Throw that up and see what happens. Do not try me. I will make you eat every last drop of what you spew up."

It took every ounce of strength not to claw at his unblinking eyes but she managed to swallow and was somewhat relieved when he sat back down and shoved the horn full of ale at her. Kati took it and happily drank back what was remaining to get the taste of fish out of her mouth. When he picked it up he shouted, "Boy! Get in here!"

Kati looked up as Denny entered Gunnr's quarters. He walked in and Gunnr ordered him to close the door behind him. Denny knelt and poured more drink into the horn. Kati looked at Denny who did not look at her. He had a drained look on his face. Kati knew he did not eat since the morning and had not drank a drop of even water. She felt like hugging him even though she rarely hugged anybody.

Denny stood and Gunnr grabbed the jug from him, placing it on the table. Kati looked around the room. A bear pelt was laid out next to bed. The bed had white and grey furs sewn together for a blanket. The pillows looked flat but there were many. Next to the bed was a giant clam shell with a bunch of sage bound with leather. Something shiny caught her eye as light caught it when it spun slowly. It was a coin of some sort that was attached to the sage bindings. Kati bet it had the symbol of the Wolf God Daemon.

The smell of burned sage lingered in the air. Above the bed was a round decoration resembling a spider web with beads instead of bugs caught in it and feathers hanging down on leather strips. There was also a large wash basin in the room with three trunks off in the corner. A small table was in the next corner with a shrine on it. The same shrine Gunnr had in his room last time she was with him. The sight of it made her angry remembering the long agonizing year she was captive.

Gunnr slapped the table and Kati turned her attentions back to him. Gunnr said slowly, "Do you think your brother is hungry?"

Kati looked at Gunnr who had his body half turned toward Denny. She looked up at Denny who stared forward without looking at her. Kati knew better and shook her head.

Gunnr laughed and said, "Your sister is a mean one is she not?" Denny did not answer and Gunnr yelled loudly, "When your King asks you a question you best answer!"

Kati felt anxious as Denny turned to Gunnr and said flatly, "Yes, my King, my sister is a mean one."

Gunnr had a blank stare as he looked at the two big rings on his hand that rest on the table. Without warning he stood and punched Denny in the cheek. Kati twitched when Denny fell on the ground clutching his face. Blood started to seep through his fingers down his hand and onto the floor.

Gunnr laughed to himself as if someone told him too many funny stories and he had barely any laugh left. He looked at Kati and pointed back at Denny who was now glaring up at Gunnr. Gunnr finished his laugh and said, "I was going to say he could eat his teeth if he was hungry but you two did not play along and I missed his mouth."

Gunnr sighed and tilted his head up toward the ceiling. He jumped a bit and touched the ceiling. Gunnr looked over at Kati with a look in his eyes that she hated. He sat down and motioned with his hand for Denny to leave. Gunnr called out, "Yorp! Take my brew boy and lock him in the drying house! Then make sure no one comes in here."

Kati took the jug and managed to take two big gulps before Gunnr pulled it away. Kati thought fast and asked, "How are you alive? Tell me and I will tell you about me."

Gunnr said, "I do not want to hear about you."

Gunnr stared at her and turned his head slightly to the side and sat, pulling his chair close up to the table. He used a foot to hook under her chair and pulled her as close as possible to the other side. He reached over and ran the fingers of his one hand over her shoulder to her fingertips. Just when his fingers left her skin, he roughly grabbed her hand, squeezing it hard and she did her best not to show on her face how much it hurt. He propped his head on his other hand and his grip lessened.

Gunnr said, "After you left me to die by the hand of my brother and father, I closed my eyes and prayed to my Gods. I prayed for the strength to face my death. I prayed for some horrible trick to be played on my father and brother, to spite them. I prayed to be spared that day and promised I would sacrifice my brother and father in the name of the Gods. They answered my prayers. The strength given to me made my father change his mind about taking my head off because he saw defiance where I was strong. He said he would hang me in front of what was left of my men. Said I would lead them into the next world as their _King_. Then the Gods made it so the rope broke when I was to be hanged. They thought I was dead. Left me to rot on the ground while body after body of my hanged men piled on me. So you know what I did? I waited for night. I took a dull blade and cut my father's throat and my brother's throat while they thought they were safe. I woke them of course so they could see it was me. I fulfilled my promise to the Gods and bled them dry in their names. I fled before the morning but I became lost. It grew cold and I was near death when a tribe found me. They saved me. I was weak and getting stronger. I learned things from them. When I finally was able to walk, I went for a walk alone and saw a woman. She was beautiful. She ran and hid. I saw her a few more times as we moved following herds of animals. I thought she was one of them but I never saw her at the feasts. I asked the Chief who she was. They told me her name was Namuk. Said she was the shaman's daughter and that she had great power in her. Told me a sad tale. She was cast out. Her wolf had died when she was only a young girl. She had a brother. He had great power too. She wanted to bring her wolf back so she did but what it cost her was the life of her brother. They cast her out to die. She survived and followed them keeping her distance for years. That is when I realized she and I were alike. So powerful that it scared people. Made people jealous. They did not understand. I finally caught up to her one day and I told her that her and I were alike. Then you know what we did? Her and I took the lives of those that hurt her, that shunned her. She then split their remaining years with me and that is how I am sitting here right now. Who knew the secret to being a God in the flesh was killing? If I ever feel that I am aging all I have to do is sacrifice in my name. One catch is we cannot leave the land. We are bound to it. Everything has a price. The people you see here I found on the shore. They had come following my father and found me instead. My Namuk worships the God Daemon. Who do you worship?"

Kati looked at Gunnr, disgusted by his absurdities, and said spitefully, "No one."

Gunnr sucked his teeth and he stood up. He disappeared from Kati's sight and she felt her need for air increase.

Gunnr started to rub her shoulders softly and Kati sat as still and stiffly as possible. He started to squeeze her shoulders and neck harder but she did not make a sound. At that moment, she would rather have died than given him the satisfaction of knowing he was hurting her. She bit the inside of her cheek and thought of her bed at the manse that was now burnt. How soft the pillows were.

Gunnr's hot breath against her neck made her cringe as he dug his fingers into her shoulders. His breath found her ear as he whispered harshly, "No, you worship me."

# Chapter 24. Emery

"Val," Emery said as he heard her laugh.

Emery held the torch out in front of him and spotted the edge of Val's dirty brown tunic before it disappeared behind a tree.

Emery was growing frustrated and losing patience. He had been trying his hardest to keep as calm as possible. Being angry was taking its toll on his starving body. The food they gave him was barely enough to keep walking. His heart had been having bouts of terrible pain and hard beating throughout much of the labor filled day.

This girl and her games, they need to stop, especially at a time like this. Denny will take off her head if she keeps it up, if we ever get out of here.

Emery thought of his older brother, remembering how heartless he could be when he was not dulled by drink. He could have been a tyrant under the right circumstances. He wondered to himself if Denny had anything up his sleeve. He hoped he would at least kill that bastard, Gunnraudr, if they planned on making them chop each other to pieces in death fights and eventually really ensure they died.

Emery let his anger get the better of him when he shouted, "Val!"

When he reached the other side of the tree there was nothing. A wind blew through rustling the trees before the air went dead. He used the moment to strain his ears to listen for Val. He turned completely around when he heard the sound of a twig snap.

Emery was startled at first then angry when he spotted Val looking at him from behind a tree, a few steps away. He took two steps forward and stopped when the light from his torch reflected in her eyes. There was something off about the way she was staring. Where there was usually a burning stare with eyelids half closed were two dull eyes wide as could be. The slight upturn of her mouth, as if she had something only she knew about you on the tip of her tongue, was replaced with a cold, expressionless, blank slate.

Emery urged himself to take another step but his feet were unmoving. He started to say her name when he heard his own voice with a sliver of unease which stopped him from finishing. Val stepped into full view and Emery knew immediately something was wrong when she seemed to twitch into place. A slight wind picked up again blowing toward him. The smell of rotted meat hit him in the face as he now realized that what he was staring at was not Val. The wind picked up and blew hard on the flame of his torch dimming the light before it went out. Panic and darkness flooded Emery's senses to the point he held his breath and covered his neck from instinct of being around evil entities; they always went for the throat.

Emery stepped back stumbling over a root and found he could see as beams of moonlight shot through where they could. The feel of an ice cold hand with long slender fingers startled him as it started to creep up his pant leg. Another hand gripped onto his ankle causing him to yell out in pain. He kicked and connected with its shoulder causing the sound of a sickening crunch to fill the night air. He shuffled back until he was against a tree. He watched as the dark shape started to pull itself forward, with one arm, across the ground.

Emery picked up a nearby branch and snapped it in half. He felt the ends to ensure they were sharp. He was ready. When it passed through a well-lit patch of ground the sight of it froze Emery. Its yellow eyes were opened so wide the flesh on the sides of them were split open revealing bone and pinkish meat. The skin was black and uneven as if it were a charred piece of meat. The mouth was hanging open with strips of rotten skin and meat hanging from it. The tongue was the only normal looking thing as it flicked it slightly. Emery shivered as it seemed to grow longer when it came out of the gaping mouth. It stretched so far it could have contended with his forearm. The end of it was now tapered off in a point. Its teeth were crooked, yellow, and looked the size of his. Reddish, brown slobber leaked onto the ground in a thick syrupy stream from its mouth.

Its shoulder bone was sticking out where he kicked it. It suddenly popped back into place and now the creature was dragging itself with two hands. It stopped and looked at him revealing all of its teeth as the mouth opened wider. The sound that followed was chilling. It seemed to be gurgling, wheezing, and speaking all at once when it made a word that sounded like his name. A scream caught in Emery's throat when it suddenly sprang to all fours and moved very quickly toward him.

"Emery!" Val screamed out in a panicked, strained voice.

The sound of Val's voice snapped Emery out of his fear causing him to lunge forward. He brought one stick up and the other down meeting the creature in the head, shutting its gaping mouth. He pulled the sticks toward him, twisting his body to get out of the way, finishing by throwing it hard as he managed to get upright to his feet.

The sound of a woman whimpering confused him. The creature was out of sight when something caught his eye. A dirty foot connected to a leg that was slung over a fallen tree, twitched a few times. He heard the sound of crying followed by his name spoken in a muffled voice. Emery reluctantly crept closer and peered over the log.

"Emery," Fig said.

Emery turned to Fig, who was wide-eyed and out of breath. He was holding a torch and Emery felt a knot in his stomach as he heard more whimpering and gurgling come from the body. Fig passed by him and he turned and watched in a daze as Fig looked over the log. He watched him step back and bring the back of his hand to his mouth.

Fig looked at Emery and took a step back from him before saying quietly, "What did you do Emery?"

Emery stepped closer to the log to look at Val's blonde hair matted with blood. One stick was stuck in the top of her head with the other end protruding from her cheek close to her nose. The other stick was stuck up under her chin. The blood was still spurting out and the look of sheer despair was painted all over her face. She reached out a hand to Emery and he felt sick.

Emery stuttered, "No-no...Fig. N-no, that. She-it was not h-her. Fig, it is not her."

Fig was stepping backwards as Emery looked at him. Fig said, "It is her. It is Val. Emery, we do not have any blood to give her. She is going to be trapped in here. She cannot find her doll like this."

Emery said, "Fig, listen to me. It was not her. It was something else. It was a monster."

Fig said desperately, "It is dark, you are tired, hungry, scared, then you start seeing things that are not real. Emery, it is her. No, no, no. What did you do? Oh no."

Emery was starting to doubt what he saw when he remembered Val calling out. Emery snapped, "It was not her!"

The sound of Cortina's voice startled him when she asked, "Who was not her?"

Emery watched as Cortina pushed past him to look at the body that was now laying still. Cortina asked, "What happened?"

Fig said, "Emery-"

Emery snapped, "It was not her. It was a demon and then I stabbed it and then it, I do not know. It cannot be her."

Cortina said, "Then why is it dead looking like her?"

Emery was about to argue when in the distance Val shouted, sounding more desperate than before, "Emery!"

Cortina's face twisted in confusion as a look of realization spread on her face but it was too late. The creature with the form of Val sat up and yanked Cortina backward by the hair. Emery reached for her as she was pulled over the log. The creature still had the form of Val as it pulled Cortina backward through the forest. It reached its free arm up and yanked at the stick stuck up near its throat. The sound of the flesh ripping was terrible. Emery stumbled reaching for his sister's feet. The creature pulled her back as his fingers brushed her foot. He fell flat on his chest. It raised the bloody stick above Cortina's chest and she screamed, clawing at the fake Val's arm that held her hair.

It was too fast and Emery shouted, "No!" as it smiled bringing the stick down. Emery squeezed his eyes shut and waited for her scream. Instead was the sound of tearing flesh and a scream unlike any he had ever heard. It sounded like a cat getting stepped on and a woman and man yelling in unison. It ended abruptly.

Emery forced his eyes open and saw the body of the creature was now the charred flesh figure he had seen earlier. Its head lay a few feet away. The black wolf, that was Gio, nuzzled its nose into Cortina's neck as she sat up rubbing her head with one hand. She used her other hand to pull herself up to her feet gripping onto Gio's back.

Cortina looked at Emery and back to the creature's body that only then started to convulse. Cortina stepped back and Gio lowered his head letting out a deep growl.

Emery said, "I told you, Fig. I told you too, Cortina."

Cortina was busy feeling around Gio's neck.

The collar.

Val sounded closer as her voice pierced the air, "Emery!"

Emery turned and ran toward the direction knowing that she was probably seeing someone that looked like him. Gio ran past him in his wolf form followed by Cortina and Fig. Emery realized he was running slowly and limping from where the creature grabbed his ankle earlier. They did not go far before they ran into a bewildered Val.

Val was wide-eyed and when she spotted Emery she said, "I was calling for you. Why did you not come? You called my name."

Emery felt badly as tears began to flow freely down Val's face. He said, "I did. I heard you while one of them that looked like you was trying to kill me."

Val burst into tears looking pathetic as she wrapped her arms around herself while leaning against a tree. Emery was about to reach out to her when a long pink tongue came down and wrapped itself around Val's neck. She reached for her neck as her feet lifted from the ground. Emery watched in horror as one of the black charred creatures was upside down against the tree with its stomach flat pushing its hands to the bark slithering backward up the tree. Emery reached for her feet as they went up out of reach. A sharp pain shot through his ankle as he went to his tiptoes. He fell down and watched powerless. Cortina ran up the tree as far as she could and grasped onto a branch. She pulled herself up and climbed higher.

Fig shouted up, "Be careful!"

Emery stood up and watched on as Cortina climbed quickly. The creature looked stunned when she was now level with it. She held onto a higher branch and kicked at its tongue, just above Val's head. She did it again and the creature made a screeching noise when its tongue stretched further. Emery stood and waited as Cortina gave it a few more kicks and that was it. The tongue snapped but she continued to kick, this time at its head. Val fell toward the ground and Emery was not going to let her down this time. He got ready and let his body go somewhat limp when she hit his arms. He fell back hard and sat up with a groan, pushing Val onto the ground. She was choking and gasping for air. He gave her two pats on the back before standing.

Emery twitched as the body of the creature fell onto the ground beside him. Its head was smashed in with parts of skull on the ground around it. He kicked it over onto its back and his foot stuck into its flesh between the ribs. He shook it off his foot and noticed there was something in its ribcage. He motioned for the torch and yanked it from Fig. He leaned closer upon seeing that there was hair in its cavity. He passed the torch to Fig and pulled open the ribcage.

There was a doll made from bloodstained bone, held together with hair and string. Cortina reached for the doll but Gio pulled her back by biting a piece of her clothing. Gio sniffed the doll and circled to beside Emery. Gio sniffed Emery and then nudged him with his nose. Emery pulled the doll out realizing it was the one meant for him.

# Chapter 25. Malak

Raven shivered against him. Malak rubbed her shoulders, trying to keep her warm but it was not doing anything. He shivered staring into the fire.

Raven said, "I will try to get Lazette's collar off again when she gets back."

Malak replied, "As long as Marv and Gio can turn we will be fine."

Where is everyone?

Marv and Vio emerged from the dark. Marv sat by the fire holding his hands out rubbing them together. Marv said, "I could not find Fig or Durin to let them know to come get a torch and their collars off. Beau took my torch. He does not listen very well, does he? He found a tree that has two stumps. It looks like it has legs and he refuses to leave it before everyone has a chance to look at it. He named it Lyle in memory of the ghost that used to live in him, apparently. Where are the three girls and Muriel and Lazette?"

Malak said, "They needed to relieve themselves. Emery said to wait here. Went to find Val. She is probably sleeping somewhere. Durin and Fig might have met up with them or Cortina and Gio hopefully. Gio will find them."

Malak watched Raven finish taking the collar off Vio who rubbed his neck and stretched.

The moments went by and they seemed like they were taking too long. They only had so much time to find the dolls and they needed to stay together if there were demons about. They also needed the fire.

Malak stood up and said, "I cannot take it. Vio can you change and sniff them out? Marv, you may as well too. Let us go get the girls first and regroup here."

Vio nodded and disappeared behind a tree. Marv started to disrobe in front of Raven and Malak. Marv must have saw their faces because he said, "It is freezing out here. I am not leaving the fire until I am covered in fur. Covered in fur. You must be absurd to think otherwise."

Malak looked toward Raven. She was looking back at him forcing a smile. Her lips twitched and Malak rubbed her cheek.

They did not go far when Vio let out a deep growl and Marv started to pace below a tree.

Opia called out in a quivering voice, "M-Malak? Is that you?"

Malak looked up and spotted the terrified faces of Opia, Barabel and Gretchen.

Raven said, "Yes, it is him. What are you doing? Where is Lazette and Mur-"

Lazette said in a panicked whisper from above, "She is coming. Do not go near her. There is something wrong with her. She smells weird."

Malak turned, heart racing, to see Muriel coming their way through the trees. He heard Marv let out a growl. Vio skulked into the darkness until he emerged to the left of Muriel facing her. She stopped and looked at him. There was something odd about the way she moved. Her head jerked when she turned it. When she proceeded to come toward them, her head jerked forward and Raven squeezed Malak's arm.

Malak called out, "Muriel! Are you all right?"

Muriel said in a calm voice, "Nothing is the matter. I am tired. Can you come here and help me? I have something to show you."

Malak hesitated from the eerie calmness in her voice. The girls above were trying to muffle their crying. Raven let go of Malak and he stepped forward.

Is she possessed?

Malak stepped forward with Raven behind him. He watched as Muriel dropped to all fours. She started to make a noise similar to a crow calling. He let out a yelp as she crawled to a tree and sat down at the base only to shuffle up it in that position using her hands and feet. As she moved upward her skin began to turn black and lumpy. Her face changed with a long tongue hanging out. Her eyes turned yellow like an owl's. They were wide and unblinking. The way she stared left an uneasy feeling in Malak. By the time she reached a branch to perch on no sign of Muriel remained.

Where is Muriel?

As if Raven heard his thoughts she whispered in a terrified voice, "Where is Muriel?"

Opia and the others were down on the ground.

Barabel said frantically, "We do not know where Muriel is. She was standing watch while we peed and then that thing came up to us and it asked me to go see something with it and then when I did it tried to drag me up a tree making this awful noise."

As if on cue the creature let out an unnatural howl. It bellowed like a birthing cow and then laughed. They all stepped back and stared at the creature. Malak moved and it seemed to turn its head watching him.

What is it doing?

It sprang down from the tree headed for him. Malak had barely any time to shield his face when it jumped onto him. He fell flat on his back and flailed his arms. The feel of the skin when he grabbed its head was terrible with its crisp crunchy texture. He closed his eyes and pursed his lips together when its tongue reached his face leaving a trail of slime across it. There were shouts and then he felt a struggle on top of him. He felt arms under his shoulders pulling him up.

Malak opened his eyes to see Raven had one of the collars around the throat of Muriel pulling her backward with the help of Gretchen. Muriel was wheezing and reaching for Malak. He watched as Raven forced the collar closed. Blood streamed down from Muriel's neck.

Raven burst into tears and let Muriel go. When she did, Muriel rolled away and stopped to crouch and pull at the collar. Then she spoke. Muriel pleaded, "Help me, help me. Take this off. Why are you doing this?"

Malak stepped forward but Marv jumped in between. The tiger circled Muriel letting out its deep throaty response to the pleas. Vio joined in snapping at Muriel. She looked terrified and Malak wanted to help.

"She must be possessed," Malak said.

Cortina's voice boomed, "Kill it. There is a doll in its chest that is meant for whoever's form it takes."

Malak turned to see Cortina carrying a torch followed by Fig and Val helping a limping Emery. He held a doll as well as Val. The eyes of the black wolf reflected for a moment as it followed last.

Cortina walked past Malak and stuck a stick into the creature's face. The likeness of Muriel started to change revealing the charred looking corpse. It convulsed and let out a gurgling sound.

Cortina asked, "Where is Muriel?"

Malak shrugged and said, "I have not the faintest idea. They said she was keeping watch and disappeared. I think we should go build the fire up and stay close to it. Wait for Durin to show up. Maybe a group can go find Muriel. And someone needs to go get Beau."

Raven said, "Beau is by a tree waiting for us to go look at it before he leaves it. Also, I can probably get that collar off your neck Fig, if you want to change."

Cortina said, "We will go, and leave Emery, Vio, and Marv at the fire with whoever else wants to wait. Emery's not much help in his condition. We will go in a group for Beau and Durin and Muriel then we will regroup at the fire to wait for these things to come to us. They seem to be seeking us out. No going out alone. We need to know who is who. That last one talked and I would have thought it Muriel if I did not know better. Be careful if you see Durin or Beau. You can stay in animal form. Be best anyway. At least you can all feel warm and kill those things if they come. All right, who wants to drag this thing back?"

The walk back to the fire was creepy. Every sound they heard was followed by gasps and some small cries from Opia, Gretchen, and Barabel. When the fire came into sight it was apparent that someone was sitting by it adding logs. They looked at each other and stopped. Cortina signaled them to be quiet and motioned them to encircle.

Cortina called out, "Hello."

Durin quickly stood and looked around at them. Durin said, "I was worried you were all dead. Did you hear the noises? Or see those things? One tried to eat me. I managed to get away. It looked like me."

Malak stepped closer and saw that his clothing was covered in dark blood and dirt. He had no collar and was disheveled as if fighting.

Malak whispered to Cortina, "I cannot tell if that is one of those creatures' blood or real blood and Raven never took his collar off."

Cortina had her arm up signaling all to stay back when she said, "What happened exactly with the thing you seen?"

Durin let out a nervous laugh and said, "It is me. You can stop with the questions. I told you it attacked me, I stabbed it and I came here."

Cortina asked, "Why did you not change?"

Durin took a step closer and Cortina yelled, "Stop!"

Gio walked up circling Durin who was looking confused. The wolf sniffed at him. It stepped back growling.

Durin said, "It is me. What do you want? Want me to prove it?"

Malak said, "That would be nice."

Fig said, "Gio does not recognize your scent."

Durin said defensively, "I am covered in that thing's blood. All I can smell is it. What do you want?"

A deep growl turned Malak's attention to where someone was emerging from the dark. A second Durin was dragging a body. The second Durin breathlessly called, "Help."

Malak went over and helped him finish pulling Muriel into the firelight. She was out cold.

The first Durin said, "Do not go near him. That is him. That is the one that attacked me."

The second Durin said, "Why the hell are you talking to that thing? Kill it!"

Cortina shouted, "You two stay by the fire! Everyone, get back!"

The second Durin said, "I am not going anywhere near that thing. Are you serious?"

Cortina demanded, "Do as I say!"

The first Durin said, "What is wrong with you? It is me. It is me."

Malak noticed that the Durin that just arrived had a collar on and looked just as bloody and disheveled. Malak went over to Cortina and whispered, "He has the collar on."

Cortina said, "Both of you, get on your knees. Do not say a word. Gio, see if that is him."

Gio walked up to the new Durin and did the same thing. He stepped back growling.

Cortina said, "There is one thing you forgot to copy you demonic piece of shit and that is the collar."

The first Durin looked at the other Durin and said, "I took it off. It was dragging me up a tree by the collar and I managed to get it off. Something on it broke. And if I am a demonic piece of shit, so are all of you. It is me, Cortina. Fig, it is me. Your brother. Lazette. Stop this."

Cortina said, "Why did you not change then? With demons about? Or to kill the demon that attacked you."

The first Durin said, "It happened so fast that when I fell I just ran. It took me a moment to know the collar was off. When I did think about changing I figured I would find you all first. There are demons out. I did not want to be attacked by any of you before I could tell you I got the collar off."

Fig said, "Then change."

There was a pause and the first Durin said, "I-I cannot. I am trying. The collar stabbed me in the neck. Maybe it was poisoned."

Emery said, "Kill it."

The first Durin turned to the second Durin and shouted, "Dammit, I will show you!"

The first Durin jumped on the other one and there was a scuffle as Malak helped to pull them apart.

The second Durin said, "I cannot believe this shit. I cannot believe this is happening. Kill him already. That is not me!"

Cortina said, "Do it."

Malak picked up a sharpened stick and made a move toward the first Durin who had panic all over him. The first Durin said, "Stop. It is me. Malak, it is me. You are lucky I cannot change. I would rip-"

Fig swung and hit the first Durin with the blunt end of a stick knocking him out.

The second Durin said, "I cannot believe he is still trying to convince you all."

Emery shouted, "Shut up! Stop! Grab the collared one." Emery ordered them to be next to the fire. The one with the collar was kneeling again. Emery limped over and said, "Something is off."

The second Durin said, "Yea, it is all of you. It is me. I thought we established that."

Emery said loudly, "I am pretty sure I told you to shut it."

The second Durin turned his head to spit into the fire. It sizzled and Malak was confused as to why they were doing this.

Raven said, "I know. What if I take his collar off and he changes then we will know."

Emery said, "That is not good enough. What if they can change? They do have our real hair inside of them. They are form changers. I would regret causing the real Durin to get stuck here as I am sure you all would."

Cortina said, "Sure. Yea. You are right. We do not know for certain. They both look and smell and sound the same."

Lazette asked, "Do you think that they hold the memories of us?"

Emery said, "No. I do not believe. The one that attacked me only said my name. I think they learn from watching. Val, how about you?"

Val said, "It did not know much. It did not say much."

Opia said, "The one that looked like Muriel spoke in a calm tone. We talked to it before we realized it was not her."

"This one could be learning what to say right now," Cortina said.

Emery limped away and motioned them over to say in a low voice, "We can ask them questions. Something only Durin and us would know."

When the first Durin came to, he cursed and threatened Fig before Emery told him to quiet.

Malak asked, "Who are we looking for?"

Both Durin's answered at once, "Del and Ares."

Emery asked all, "Anyone mention those names?"

Barabel said, "I may have."

Emery asked, "What is Del's real name?"

There was a pause and the first Durin said, "Del-Del-dammit."

Fig exclaimed, "Ha! It is Delvin."

The second Durin said, "Delvin."

The first one said, "You just knocked the sense out of me Fig. Give me a moment."

Emery shouted, "Fig! Really? Keep quiet!"

Cortina said, "Everyone be quiet."

Lazette piped in and said, "I know one perfectly that only Durin and me know. When you slept in Del's tent and I woke you, what were you wearing? You only get one chance to answer. You first." Lazette kicked her foot at the first Durin.

The first Durin said, "Lazette," angrily.

The second Durin looked at the first and smugly said, "Nothing."

Before anyone could react Lazette raised her stick above the first Durin who squeezed his eyes shut. When she brought it down it went straight into the top of the second. He fell backward into the fire flailing before the skin melted away revealing the black charred flesh of the demon.

Durin fell away from the fire and shouted, "You are all the worst people I have ever met!" He stood and went off on everyone with, "You were going to stab me?! You were going to stab me, incapacitate me and leave me here to rot, alone?! I told you it was me! I told you!"

Emery said, "Calm down. We had to be sure. We were not going to kill anyone until we were sure."

Lazette said, "And I knew the real Durin would rather die than answer the question I asked. You should be thankful."

Cortina pulled the body out of the fire and pried open the chest revealing the doll. Durin took off his shirt and threw it into the fire. Malak saw there was a huge scar across his chest that lined up with the one on his face. He never noticed it before but then again, he had never seen Durin shirtless before or cared to see anyone shirtless for that matter.

Cortina said, "There is your doll Durin. I suppose you can leave and wait for us on the other side of the entrance."

Durin yanked the doll out and said calmer than before, "I am not going anywhere. Someone needs to stay and stop you all from killing each other. Are we sure everyone here is the real them?"

Malak said, "Your brothers have not growled at anyone besides the demons and you, so I think we are all us."

Muriel sat up and shrieked, "That is not Durin-"

Val knelt beside her and said, "Shhh, it is him and guess what? Come over here, we found your doll."

Malak talked privately with Cortina and Emery before deciding Emery, Val, and Muriel should leave because of their injuries. They would be better help waiting for them on the other side.

They walked them to the entrance finding Opia and Gretchen's dolls on the way and decided they would not be much help because of their fright. They had killed their likenesses quickly and effectively.

Malak stood and looked at the comrades he had left. Durin was cold and wishing out loud for his rotten shirt before Raven gave him Vio's. Barabel stood by herself looking awkward. Cortina put an arm around her and Lazette stretched her legs. The black wolf and tigers circled about cautiously. Raven bundled the Andriels' clothes in a shirt and tied it across her body. They carried on following Marv toward the tree Beau was sure to be at.

Fig asked Durin, "Why did you not have clothes on in Del's tent? That is not your woman. Everyone knows that she is Ares' woman. What were you doing?"

Durin said, "That is not your concern."

It is none of anyone's concern. Please stop talking, Fig.

Fig said, "You are feisty. Maybe too feisty. When we find Del and Ares, Ares will not like that at all."

Durin snapped, "Stop talking, Figaro, or I will stop you from talking."

Malak said, "Both of you should stop talking unless you want those creatures to hear us."

Malak thought exasperatedly, _And I appear to be the child amongst them_?

# Chapter 26. Kati

The door burst open and Kati could not be happier. Gunnr released his grip and her skin felt cool where his hot breath had been breathing his question to her mere moments before.

Gunnr said annoyed and loud, "What?"

A guard said, "I-I, you said that if-"

Gunnr slapped the near empty jug off the table and said with frustration, "What is it?!"

The guard stood tall and still and barked out, "You said if anyone tried to leave to bring them straight to you no matter the time or who they were."

Gunnr growled angrily and gripped the guard by the arm as he went outside. The door slammed and Kati heard a lock latching.

Kati took the moment to bunch up her sleeve into her palm and rub the place that the unwelcome closeness had left its feel on her neck.

I will kill you. I will kill you and be rid of you if it is the last thing I do.

The sound of arguing outside made Kati's heart race even more so when a scream followed.

_Cortina_.

Before Kati had time to imagine, the door burst open. She watched on stunned when a girl no older than Cortina was thrown through onto the floor. She fell on her side sliding then quickly got on her hands and knees to crawl to the wall. Once there she had her back against it and hands up, sobbing uncontrollably. Kati felt ill when saw she was heavy with child.

The girl had braids pulling her long dirty blonde hair back on the side with stiff curls and knotted hair on top somewhat smoothed back like most women here wore their hair. She had red rimmed eyes and snot glistening with her mouth in a stretched out terrible form. Sobs escaped and gasps followed.

Two guards entered ready to end either of them at any moment. Gunnr sauntered in and Kati felt like puking when he looked over at her as he walked. His eyes fell all over her and had a cruel feel to them. They finally fell back on the girl.

Kati looked up at the open door. She thought of running but the realization that the others would never see the light of the next day if she did washed over her, drowning that thought.

Gunnr asked calmly after the girls sobbing died down to almost nothing, "Where were you running to?"

The girl said boldly, "Anywhere. Away from you."

Kati restrained herself from mouthing, "Be quiet," from old habit. She watched on instead.

Gunnr pulled out a knife that was hidden on him. He began cleaning his nails when he stopped and pointed it toward the girl. He waved it, looked down and laughed quietly.

When he looked up he was serious when he leaned close kneeling on one knee with one hand above the girl's head. He was in her face with the knife pointed at her stomach. Gunnr spat, "And why do you think you could take from me what is mine?!"

Gunnr stood and turned. He stabbed the knife into the wall where he leaned his head for a moment.

Kati tried her hardest to understand.

His baby?

Gunnr said harshly, "If you do not answer me I will cut it out of you right here, right now, Katerina."

Katerina sobbed out, "Please. The seer said it was a boy. I dreamed it was a boy. It is your son, my King. You cannot-"

Gunnr stopped her short when he said calmly, "I can do what I please and we have no need for men. If it were a girl I would let you keep it. Everyone makes sacrifices here."

Katerina shouted angrily, "You bastard!"

Kati felt her stomach drop waiting for what would come next. Instead Gunnr motioned the guards to the door and placed his hands on his hips to face the girl.

Katerina continued, "If it is a girl, what will you do? Force yourself on the girl when she is older like you did to me? I am your bastard! My mother told me after my father died. You are sick and you will die and suffer for eternity and I will do whatever I have to, to keep this child-my child away from you and your whore wife's evil rituals!"

Kati jumped when Gunnr braced himself against the wall over Katerina. Before anyone had time to even gasp, he kicked her in the stomach. She screamed and shielded her baby. Kati was standing before she realized and Gunnr called the guards over. He made them hold the girl's arms out and he continued to kick her while she screamed. Kati was seething with anger and hatred as she watched her own hand pull the knife out of the wall. She had it raised when she turned to face Gunnr's back.

The screaming stopped. Kati did not care at that moment if they wanted to kill her or try to kill her or her family. All she cared about was taking this last life. She took two quick steps and was about to bring the knife down when Gunnr stopped and turned. He caught her arm and twisted it. She reached over with her other arm and tossed the blade to the free hand. She swiped at him and he moved. The sound of cloth tearing gave her a rush.

Kati gripped the knife and slashed at his arm. He released her and jumped back. The guards made motions at her but Gunnr stopped them, motioning them to leave. Kati moved with her back to the wall as she watched the guards drag the bloodied motionless girl out the door. He was smiling hard and Kati had seen this crazed look before. He was enjoying this because he knew how it would end.

Long ago when they first were captured he had the same look when Del attacked him. Back then she had managed to leave a bloody slash across his gut before his men stopped her. Kati felt despair as images of her sister's back being split open with a whip flashed in her mind. It gave her the extra push she needed.

Kati lunged at him and when he made his move to his right like he always did she followed and felt pure joy when his face flashed with fear. He lost his footing and fell backward. She connected him in the face with her knee and brought the other down on his neck but his hands stopped her from crushing his breath away. She raised the knife and knew she only had one chance as he was pushing her knee up. An arm caught her by the wrist and a hand wrenched her head back by the hair. She was pulled back and onto the floor hard. Her hair fell across her face and pain burst from the back of her head that chased her into darkness.

When Kati came to, Gunnr was standing and appeared to have just finished backhanding Namuk, who fell to the ground.

Gunnr yelled at her with spittle flying and a red face, "If I needed your help I would have told you to be here!"

Namuk spit blood onto the ground and spoke in a language Kati did not know. She spoke harshly and pointed at Kati. An argument erupted in the language with Namuk standing, screaming in his face. Gunnr looked enraged with a bright red face, nostrils flaring, and loud breathing. He was shaking with his hands balled into fists. He looked like he was about to hit her again when Namuk said something quietly as she confidently walked past him to pick up the sage and bowl that was knocked over in the commotion.

Namuk had the knife that Kati had been trying to stab Gunnr with. Gunnr's mouth was tight and he stopped looking so angry and had more of a defeated look. It quickly faded when he saw Kati staring at him. He glared and had his nose crunched on one side as his lip curled. He looked toward the door and left. She jumped when he slammed it shut.

Namuk was still fixing her side table when she said, "He is still in love with you after all these years."

Kati started to speak when Namuk said, "Do not speak. I am not an idiot. I know him. Probably more than you do. I do not blame you for trying to kill him. I can only imagine what he was trying to do to you. If I did not need him, he would be long dead. Just because I am telling you this does not mean we are friends. Let us get one thing straight, tomorrow you will all die. Maybe not right away but I will take out all of your hearts and keep them until as long as it takes for you to turn to ashes. Go. Now. There is no reason for you to not join your family. The guards will take you."

Kati looked at her and took her chance to say, "Let us get another thing straight. You will be the one dead. And that man loves no one but himself."

Before Namuk could speak, Kati left. Cool air hit her face as she stepped out into the night. The guards bound her hands together and they practically ran her to the entrance of the woods. Val, Emery, Muriel, Gretchen, and Opia were huddled to the left of the entrance sitting on the ground, as the guards rushed her past other guards, toward the door.

Emery looked surprised to see her and quickly said, "Only you can touch your doll. It is inside a demon that looks and talks like you. Find the group. Do not trust anyone that is alone."

Kati was shoved through the invisible barrier into the darkness. She cursed as she fell forward. She still had her hands tied and knew she had Namuk to thank for that.

Jealous cunt.

Kati stumbled in the dark when she came upon a dying fire. She kicked a glowing stick out and knelt. She managed to weaken the rope with it. Her arms ached when she finally had her hands free. The pain in her head was throbbing dully and annoyingly. The sound of a twig snap made her whip her head around and intense pain emanated from where it hit the floor earlier. Kati grabbed the back of her head and stood to scuttle to the dark away from the sound. She watched from a safe distance. The grey wolf's eyes reflected with the last of the fire light. It licked its lips and Kati began to think back to what Emery had said.

_Could that be a demon or is it Fig_?

The embers sizzled as the wolf shook its coat spraying water about. Specks flew at Kati and she shielded her face. She watched as it sniffed the air. Another snap came from the direction it had emerged and the wolf leapt over the fire remnants into the night.

Cortina emerged holding a torch with Gio, in his wolf form, by her side. Kati stepped out and said, "Is that you Cortina? Emery said-"

Cortina said, "Yes. Is that her?"

Gio came over and smelled Kati circling her before he ran back over and licked Cortina's face whining. Cortina wiped her cheek and walked toward Kati.

Kati said, "What is with the smell test? Tell me about the demons."

Kati listened intently and learned they were spilt up after convincing Beau that it was a demon that looked like him and not Lyle back from the other side to be his twin. They ran when the grey wolf and black wolf came after them followed by the tigers and black lioness. She heard that they too realized that the demons could change into the Andriel's beast form.

Cortina reached over and wiped at Kati's face and asked, "You did not happen to kill one did you?"

Kati shook her head and saw that it was blood that her sister wiped from her face. Kati said, "I saw Fig or maybe it was not him. The grey wolf. I thought it was water it was shaking off. It was blood. Whose blood? Where is Malak?"

Cortina sounded panicky when she said, "Last I saw, he was running with Barabel and Raven away from the grey wolf. Marv was changed and he clawed at its back. We chased after them and Durin cannot change. Fig was blocking the tigers from chasing them. Beau was running in a different direction with Vio going teeth to teeth with the other black wolf. The black lioness was on our heels. Clawed Gio on his back. We should not have spilt up but it was chaos. Now we have to be on the look for someone that looks like you, me, all of us except Durin. He has his doll. And also we only have until daybreak to find all the dolls."

Kati felt her heart bang against her chest thinking of the blood and wondering if it was Malak's.

Malak's voice pierced through the air when he shouted, "Run!"

Kati felt a moment of relief followed by the realization of panic in his voice. Her body jerked to run but her feet would not move. She could not until she knew he was all right.

Kati looked at Cortina who was wide-eyed and said, "We need to kill whatever is chasing them. We cannot run away all night."

Cortina said, "All we have is Gio."

Gio whined and Kati said, "We use what we have. Kill it."

Raven ran between them and stopped to look at them. Nearly out of breath she choked out, "We need to run."

Kati snapped, "Enough running."

Raven said, "Barabel. It got Barabel. She was on the ground. Malak went back to help her and he told me to run."

Kati nearly slapped Raven in her face but the sound of Malak calling out to them stopped her.

Malak said breathlessly, "Help. She. I. Cannot. Tired."

Kati and Cortina ran over as Malak collapsed onto the ground. Barabel slid from his back onto the ground. She was covered in blood with a bite mark on her leg and shoulder.

Malak finally stood and said, "I killed it. I killed it with a sharp stick into the back of its head. Not far. Need to remember so we can tell Fig."

Kati said, "So the wolf that was here at the fire was Fig. Damn it. He might have killed the Marv and Vio demons. He was bloody. Hopefully that only leaves me, Cortina, Gio, Lazette, Raven, Barabel, Beau, and you. Six people demons and two big beast demons. Need to find the others and regroup."

Barabel moaned and Kati thought of how they could possibly get hers. She was nearly dead.

Cortina said, "Let us get to finding again."

Kati found it strange as Cortina and Gio went past her and led the way. She thought to herself, _It should be me leading and they know that._

Kati hung back and took the last place in the line of people searching. Malak and Raven carried Barabel.

The sound of them walking had masked the person who came up behind Kati as an arm pulled her back by the waist and another clamped onto her mouth stopping her scream.

# Chapter 27. Del

The taste of blood in every crevice of her mouth was welcoming unlike all the other times before even though the pain came rushing back like an awful nightmare. The feel of her sliced throat pulling itself closed was worse than when she had slit it. Del let out a choking cry of agony. The whirring sound of laughter flooded her senses overwhelming them as she struggled to focus.

I dreamed of Kati and Malak.

The feel of the cold floor against her face, chest, and shoulder made her skin tighten. A warm hand gripped her shoulder roughly as she felt the dress' strap snap. A voice broke through the muffled noises she was trying to make out.

It said, "There she is! That got him going! I do not think he likes it when someone touches her!"

The cruel laughter filled her stomach with knots. Del managed to sit up. Her blood soaked dress was ripped and she did her best to hold it together.

Ares.

Del's head swam and she focused as she made an attempt to stand. She was pushed down and felt nauseous. Her sight focused as the loud drunken laughter surrounded her. The men and some women that had been watching up high were now all around. Del's heart sank further when she saw the little boy lying face down in a puddle of blood. She wanted to puke the blood she could still taste as the little boy's blood trailed straight to her. Then realization hit her hard as she looked further on at Ares. He was on his knees with his head down.

There was a taller man with light brown hair who seemed to be the one leading with cruel jests and saying horrible things about them. He was laughing and he grabbed onto Ares' shoulder shaking him. Ares' eyes met hers and she saw that he had a bloody knife by his leg.

The knowledge of what he had done filled her as if someone shoved rocks down her throat ready to push her into a deep lake. The rage she had for the men and women of the House of Iron she could live with because she had no choice. What Ares had done filled her with another kind of rage because he did have a choice and he chose her instead of the child. She swore then she could never forgive this. Before she could think of even fighting the men, who pawed and kicked at her, she was lunging at Ares.

You stupid man. How could you?

Del made it to him keeping low. She was on her knees and she slapped him. That seemed to snap Ares out of his daze.

Ares said, "Del. No."

Del was being pulled back as she shouted through tears, "What did you do?! You should have let them do whatever they wanted to me! They are them but we were us, Ares! Now you are nothing to me! Do you hear me?! Nothing!"

Del could barely hear herself over the drunkards and she only made it through the first two words before she could not see Ares anymore. He had been brought to his feet and taken away to the doors on the further side. She was roughly turned and pushed through the other doors by two men. She was in a state of disbelief and had never felt more alone. The faces of the men and women blended into a blur. She just held her dress up and did not even know who it was that covered her with a coat but the next thing she knew she was in a room away from the loud men and women.

There was little sound but for the screaming thoughts that were trying to float to the surface. She swallowed a lump in her throat trying to push the thoughts out and wanted nothing more than to die. What Ares had done was too much. The hope she held onto was stamped out and she wished he would have never followed her and been captured. She cried hard and tossed the coat onto the floor by the lit fireplace. She kicked a chair over and screamed. She did not care who heard or what they did. She had just lost her friend and as much as she wanted to blame the House of Iron she found herself thinking about Ares.

He had a choice. He had the knife and he had a choice and he chose the coward's way.

No matter what was happening to her, he should not have made the decision for her. She would rather have lay there lifeless while those men did whatever and she could have lived with that. She could not live with this.

Del put her head down at the table she was sitting at and sobbed until her head felt like it was splitting. Del was unsure how much time had passed but it was dead quiet and the fire was tiny compared to how it was. She looked around the room. It had a big bed that could have fit her and her sisters and the room could have fit at least ten of those beds. There was a bath basin and a wardrobe on one side of the room. There was a skinny window too small for escape with a desk by it. A quill stood in the moonlight and parchment was piled neatly near it. A pile of wood was beside the fire.

Over the fireplace was a mantle with candles and above it a mounted elk head. Its glassy eyes gave it a lifelike appearance. On either side of the bed were tables that held candles and bowls of fruit. The bed had a yellowed canopy that may have been white once. Four big wooden posts held it up. There was a trunk at the foot of the bed. Off in the corner by the door was a wooden figure resembling the upper torso of a man on top of a post. Beside it was a shield.

Del stood up wondering if the chest in the very corner held anything that she could use. She wiped her face with her hands and looked down at her dress. It was torn and falling apart with bloodstains on it. She went to the foot of the bed and saw there was a plain white dress laid out among the white and brown fur blankets.

Del took her hardened, blood crusted dress off, brushing and scratching the remnants of her and the boy's blood off, that had dried to her face, throat, and chest. She pulled the new dress over her head.

The sound of the door unlocking made her straighten the dress out quickly. She froze in place not knowing what to do as the man with the light brown hair entered. He walked in followed by a younger man who looked like those from a place she had visited once long ago.

The boy got to helping the man out of his armor and Del watched as he stripped down to only pants and boots.

The man said, "You, fetch me a cloth and water. Warm water this time."

Del looked at him and made no move.

The boy bowed and said, "Yes," as he finished straightening all of the armor out on the wooden figure. Del eyed the belt holding a knife and sword that the boy was buckling into place.

The man must have spotted her because he said, "Pass that back, you."

The boy quickly handed it back. The man took a key from his pocket and opened the chest she had been eyeing. He tossed the belt and weapons into it. The sound of it locking made her sigh. Del did not know what to say or do at that point. When the man came over toward the bed she moved and went to sit back by the fireplace.

The man sat on the bed and said, "Dammit, you. Could you be any slower? Water. Cloth. Now."

Del started to think that the boy may have been named Yu like a man she once met. _Yu_ left and Del kept an eye on the man. He sat on the edge of his bed, stretching his arms up above his head twisting his torso. When he was done he proceeded to pull off his boots.

The man said, "Girl, come here."

Del instantly felt anger and said, "Go to hell."

The man laughed, grabbed an apple, and leaned back on the bed resting on his elbows. The man said coyly, "I like you."

He rolled onto his side facing her, staring her in the eyes. He bit into the apple then without warning threw it at her. Del caught it before it hit her face and he said, "Eat."

Del looked at the apple. Where his lips had touched its red skin was evidence of slobber. The thought of his spit in her mouth made her shudder. She threw it into the fire and it sizzled with tiny embers swirling out for a moment. The man laughed even harder than before. Del turned back to see him lying on his back laughing. It made her sick.

Yu had returned and put the bowl down by the bed. He wrung out a cloth and tried to wipe the man. The man sat up and yanked it away.

The man said, "Build up the fire, bring us wine, and then you may leave for the night."

Yu said, "Yes, Hector."

Del did not like the thought of sharing wine or a room or any time at all with this man. She would rather have been in the darkest, dankest cell, alone than spend any more time with any one from the House of Iron. Remembering his smiling face when the young child lay face down in their own blood made her body fill with rage.

Del said hatefully, "Take me back to where I was."

Hector was almost done wiping his face and neck when he threw the cloth in the water and said less than amused, "And just why would I do that?"

Del stood and said confidently, "Because being chained in the cold dark sitting in my own piss and shit is legions more welcoming than spending another moment with someone like you."

Hector was still sitting when he said coldly, "Well, I think that is one thing we can agree on."

Del's heart skipped and started to beat faster. Yu had finished piling the logs in the fire. He scurried out and Del saw the door was still open. Her legs twitched and Hector must have read her intentions because he was up on his feet now. Del knew she should flee. Her chest heaved and she looked at the distance she needed to go. Hector was at the bed post closest to the door. They were both the same distance away. He had one outstretched arm hanging on the post as he leaned toward her watching her.

Yu came in with the wine, shuffling over to the table, placing the wine jug and cups down and Del made her move. She grabbed Yu and tossed him between her and Hector without looking. The door was partly closed and she stuck her hand out to grab it. As soon as she did, a hand roughly yanked her back by the hair. The hand did not let up the grip even when she lost her footing.

Del's hands found Hector's arm. She twisted and saw he also held Yu but by the arm. Del watched as he shoved Yu out the door and slammed it shut. Hector locked it with a key on a string. He placed the string and key around his neck and tossed Del hard onto the floor. She fell onto her hands and knees painfully on the stone floor. She had bit her tongue and blood filled her mouth, making her gag.

Hector's feet came into view in front of her. He grabbed her under her arm and pulled her to her feet. Del looked up at him in his eyes and waited for his next move. He looked angry then his features softened. Hector asked, "Do I repulse you so much that you would actually throw up?"

Del knew she should not but she spit as hard as she could onto his face. He squeezed his eyes shut in reflex and kept them shut as he used his free hand to wipe the bloody spit out of his eyes. What he did next really repulsed her as he licked the spit off of his fingers.

Hector enthusiastically said, "Mmmmm, I will take that as a yes."

Hector roughly yanked her toward the chair she had been sitting in. He sat her down and picked up the chair she had kicked over earlier. He put it next to hers and went over to the bed. He wiped his face and chest.

When he came back, he sat beside her and he put an arm behind her neck. She leaned forward so he would not touch her but he pulled her back. Del knew she would have no chance of beating him arm to arm. He had a strong physique and was more built than most men. He could snap her neck if he wanted. She sat frigid as he pulled her against him. He leaned forward and poured them each a cup of wine.

Hector picked up his drink signaling her to tap hers against his and said, "Drink."

The tone in his voice made her pick up the cup. She clanged her cup hard against his staring forward. She drank the sour wine quickly and slammed the cup down. It was the only thing she could do to show disdain. He poured another one for them and she drank it again.

Hector ordered, "Go wash off the blood by the bed. I cannot stand the smell. We had you washed with the finest bath oils for the pit and somehow you came out reeking."

Del wanted nothing more than to wash the blood away so she happily obliged. The water by the bed was dirtied with Hector's sweat from earlier. She was exhausted and did not care at this point. The water was cold and actually felt nice. She wiped her face with the cloth and then her neck moving down to her chest. She pulled the dress forward off her body to look down making sure all the blood was wiped away.

Del wanted to cry because she knew what was to come. This was not the first time she had been in this type of situation. She bit her tongue and refused to give this monster the satisfaction of hearing her cry and knowing she was terrified. This type of man liked that sort of thing and it made her sick in her stomach. She tried to think of anything but the reality of what was happening to her at that moment. She had nowhere to run and did not know the place well enough to know where to escape. Del started to feel anxious and thought to herself that she would fight back and she would try and at least make an effort to get away from Hector.

Hector's voice made her ill as he asked, "Are you finished? Does not take that bloody long. Do you need help? I can come give you a washing."

Del dropped the soggy, stained washcloth into the basin and went to sit back down. When she did he resumed his position but turned his head towards her. She did not look at him and stared forward trying to remember what she had seen in the room and what could be used to hurt him. The clay jug in front of her was the easiest thing in reach. The candleholders looked metal and might work to bash his head in. The arm that was not around her shoulder moved in the corner of her eye and Hector gently ran his fingers along her neck.

Hector said amusingly, "Gets me every time. Remarkable. That is what I like about you girls. I could beat you bloody, give you some blood, and no one would know."

The last words he said reminded her of what Hectavia and Syvillia had said about her not knowing what they had to do to get the chance to survive.

Hector leaned forward until his mouth was against her ear and his hand inside the front of her dress, groping her while the other hand pulled her dress up slowly, revealing her legs. She did not move a muscle as he stuck his tongue in her ear and then sucked at her earlobe.

He whispered, "We are going to have the most fun I have ever had, tonight and every single night until the day you die."

Del could not take it anymore as he started to kiss her neck, licking it. She grabbed the jug, and with as much force as she could muster, smashed it against his head. Hector yelped and she grabbed the key and ripped it off his neck. Del's hands were covered in wine and shaking as she stuck the key into the lock on her second try. A hand grabbed her hair at the back of her head as she was turning the key. Hector pulled her head arching her backward and smashed her face into the wooden door so hard that Del saw a white flash and felt her face instantly swell. She felt dizzy and he grabbed onto her arm pulling it back and up high.

Del screamed out in pain and Hector said through gritted teeth, "Stupid bitch."

He stayed behind her as he turned them. He pushed her forward toward the table before he turned her to face him, letting her go. The table was against her and he was right in front of her. Del looked at him and he was smiling. She swung at him and he grabbed her wrist and squeezed it as she cried out in pain. He let her go and pushed her back onto the table. She kicked at him but he caught her legs and moved them apart until he was against the table leaning over her. She grabbed a cup and tried to hit him in the face but he grabbed onto both her arms and slammed them onto the table above her head.

Del cried out in frustration and yelled, "You bastard!"

Hector laughed and pressed his mouth against her face as she turned her head. He started to kiss her neck again as she tried as hard as she could to get away.

Del yelled out, "Get off of me!"

Hector stopped and let some of his weight off. He moved her one hand over the other and held her hands against the table with only one of his, freeing up the other. Del squeezed her eyes shut as he pulled his fist back. When he punched her in the face, white flashes burst into her sight and the pain from earlier intensified. He hit her again and she cried out. Again a fist connected with her face. Next he pulled her off the table roughly by one arm. She brought her free hand up to her face and felt warm blood gushing over her fingers. She coughed out bloody spit and tried to focus. She fell onto the ground and Hector pulled her up by her arm that he still held. Next he tossed her up against the wall face first.

Del sobbed and said quietly, "Stop."

Hector snorted and said, "And why would I do that when we are having so much fun?"

He pressed his body against hers pinning her. He gripped onto her dress at the back of her neck, choking her for a moment. She heard her dress rip and felt his skin on her exposed back. She heard him smell her hair as he nuzzled his face into her neck. He moved her hair aside and started kissing and licking her neck again grabbing at her everywhere. He stopped to bite her shoulder and she screamed out in pain. Del realized one of her eyes was swollen shut.

Hector's disgusting tongue found her ear again and he whispered, "Shhh, my dear, we are just getting started."

Del cried out and let her body go limp. She could barely stand, let alone fight. Hector grabbed her around the waist and brought her to the bed, throwing her roughly. He turned her so she was facing the ceiling before he straddled her and started to choke her while calling her a bitch and saying that no matter how loud she cried, no one was coming. The dimly lit room grew dimmer as she struggled for air.

# Chapter 28. Fig

Kati bit his hand but he held onto her.

Fig whispered, "It is me. It is me. Those are not them. None of them."

When the sound of the group died down, Fig let her go only to receive a blow to the head. He shielded his face and she kicked at him but he managed to back away.

Kati hissed, "How in the hell do I know it is you?"

Fig said, "Because it is me and that is why. Stop being so feisty."

Kati said annoyed, "All right. I believe you because the moment I hear you talk, it gets under my skin. And stop calling me feisty. How do you know it is not them?"

Durin stepped out from behind a tree limping and said, "Because they are coming up behind us."

Kati said, "They told me...they said...you were all attacked and scattered."

Fig was about to speak when Durin explained, "No. They tried to get us apart but we knew better. Fig said he could smell you. That is why we headed this way. Those things are smart. Smarter than at first."

Cortina appeared from the dark followed by the others. Gio was his wolf, Lazette had a collar, Marv and Vio skulked about letting out deep growls once in a while. Malak was holding Raven's hand who held Barabel's hand. Beau was last.

Kati asked, "The dolls?"

Fig talked first with, "Beau has his and Durin. They are going to help us. That is why they are still here."

Kati said, "Let us just get it over with and kill these damn things."

Fig wanted to walk beside Kati but she was by Durin as usual. They talked and talked.

Fig was cold and knew he would be warm if he turned but if Kati had to be cold then so would he.

Cortina was talking behind him saying, "I cannot walk anymore. I cannot. Gio stop it. I am not getting on your back. That is weird."

Malak said, "Just do it. If I could get on Raven's back and have her carry me I would."

Raven said, "He would. Believe me. No one thinks it is weird."

Fig wondered if Kati would ever get on his back and let him carry her. He was daydreaming about it when Kati held a hand up signaling them to stop.

Kati said, "Is that me?"

Durin said in a low voice, "Yep."

Fig stood beside Kati and before anyone said something he undressed and turned as fast as he could. As the demon spotted them Fig bounded and took her out in one bite. The head rolled stopping at Kati's feet. He dragged the body over by the creature's arm. Kati asked what she should do and Durin told her.

Kati retrieved her doll and cut Fig with her words when she said, "Did not think any of you would be so quick to want to rip my head off. Shows how little you know someone."

It seemed like getting the other dolls was so easy with Kati there to lead them. No one was afraid with her leading them because she was fearless.

There was still time to kill when they all walked out of the forest after stringing their dolls up. When they walked back into the village, Namuk came out of her house and glared at them. She roughly removed Lazette's collar.

Namuk led them to the table they usually ate at and sat them all down. She called out and someone brought over a blanket bundled up. Fig sat wondering what was happening now. The night was still dark but the torches burned bright. Namuk walked over to where Raven sat with her back hunched. Fig watched on as Namuk moved the blanket about until it appeared she was holding something getting ready to reveal it. When she ripped the blanket off she tossed the item at Raven so quickly that he could not make out what it was. Raven let out a scream that ended in a wail. Namuk laughed and clapped her hands. Everyone tried to see except for Kati who turned away and shook her head.

Malak said, "I am so sorry. I am so sorry."

Raven cradled whatever it was and sobbed out the word, "Grandpa."

Fig's stomach dropped and he felt sick. He had never liked Ed much but he Raven's grandpa. She loved him and he loved her very much.

Namuk had one of the guards take the black charred body of Ed away from Raven as she screamed. Fig watched as Malak and Cortina held Raven back when she reached out crying and screaming hysterically. The guard gave the burnt doll to Namuk who spat out harsh words before walking over to a fire that was built up and tossed the lifeless body of Ed into it.

They had been ordered to go to their houses, the girls to the one they had stayed in, and the men to the drying house.

No one spoke except for Malak who tried to ask Denny what happened to his face. Fig looked over curious to see he had a swollen cheek that had a deep gash entrenched with dried blood. Denny just lay there staring off not saying a word. Emery told Malak to sleep and they all lay awake from over-exhaustion not saying anything more. Sunlight started to shine through the cracks in the wall by the time Fig heard snoring and decided to sleep while they could.

It felt like only moments passed when the door creaked open and men started shouting. Fig was bewildered and his heart felt like it was going to beat from his chest when he struggled to sit up. His eyes wanted to shut but he forced himself to stand.

Gunnr walked back and forth spitting his words at them. He stopped here and there to point at them and sneer and say things roughly. When he came to Emery he leaned in so close he almost touched lips with Emery. He had to stand on his tiptoes and although Fig could not understand a word, he laughed before he could stop himself. This made Gunnr turn bright red and Fig instantly regretted it. Maybe it was from being dead tired or just not caring at that moment but he practically spit on Gunnr when he came face to face with him, all the while trying to stifle laughter. An elbow to the gut from Marv made Fig realize he had better shut his mouth.

Fig looked at Gunnr in the eyes and knew it was a mistake. All Fig could do was watch as Gunnr pulled his hand back to bring the back of it into the front of his face and nose. Fig did not have to open his eyes to know that the splattering sound he heard following was his own blood hitting Malak, who was to his left. Pain pulsated through his head and face. He felt the air hit his split open skin and urged himself not to touch it. He turned back certain not to look Gunnr in the eye again and to hold his composure. He tried to look forward but Gunnr, who was of his height, would not get out of his face. He knew more was to come.

Denny's voice broke the quiet with, "Gunnr."

What followed, Fig did not understand. It was in the tongue they used. Fig felt ashamed as he watched Gunnr walk up to Denny and kick him to the ground. Denny fell onto his hands and knees and Fig felt even more shame as Denny got a boot to his stomach and then one to his face as he tried to get to his feet.

Emery said something and Gunnr turned his attentions to him. Gunnr went face to face with Emery again and Fig was more than certain not to laugh at the sight this time. Emery said something solemnly and was backhanded by Gunnr. Emery did not even blink or turn away. He looked like he could reach out and snap Gunnr's neck any moment. Suddenly Gunnr turned away laughing. He made a motion with his hand and armed guards surrounded them forcing them in line. They were walked past the girls who were all preparing food with other women. They exchanged glances and carried on. Fig saw they were being brought to finish the fighting grounds. He had tools pushed at him and he got to work with the others.

It was not long before they took Denny to serve Gunnr again. After that Fig dare not look anywhere except at his work for fear Emery was staring at him, angry.

He had only meant to laugh because it was a sight to see someone in Emery's face besides Beau or Emery's sisters and not see Emery smash them. He did not know this Gunnr, but from what he could tell, even Emery would not directly challenge him.

It was near dusk when the arena was done. They were roughly pushed around and sat under the arena's seats. Fig sat next to Marv and Gio. No one said much until the girls arrived. Malak tried to speak with Raven but she just stared down at her hands that she wrung over and over in her lap.

When everyone was given a plate of food and the guards gave distance, Kati said, "They are going to make us kill each other. We cannot die. Not yet but there are things worse than death. Chances are they will make us cut each other to shreds before they take our hearts and bury our remains in the dirt. If this is our last moment, then know there is something beyond this life. This is not the end. We will see each other one day. It will be like a long dark dream and next solstice we will return to the ground as ash with our spirits set free. Do me a favor. Do yourselves a favor. Do Del and Ares a favor. Do not fear this. Do not cry. Do not hold back. I will see you all in the afterlife. Raven, Ed is waiting for you."

With that said, Raven let out a sob. Everyone ate solemnly. If Kati was saying her last words, Fig knew it was real. It would be their final meal.

# Chapter 29. Del

The sound of a cup being put down on a table roused her. Del brought a hand to her face and felt no swelling or cuts. The pain was gone and she was warm laying on her side on the fur blanket, covered with something. Her dress was on and she started to cry quietly, afraid to move.

A familiar voice said, "I am sorry, Delvin."

Del sat up. She was in a different room with a similar setup except for a bookshelf full of books. The sight of Roman sitting at his table by his fireplace drinking, staring into the crackling logs, set her off. The pity she felt for herself was overcome with anger.

Del got off the bed and saw that the coat from earlier was what was covering her. She tossed it onto the floor and went to the door and found it was locked.

Roman turned his attention to her and Del said with as much anger as she could, "You and Hector and everyone here are bastards. You are disgusting. Is this what you do? Take turns beating and raping women? Just kill me now. I do not want to wait for the solstice. I cannot live like this. I have struggled for over five thousand years. All I have ever tried to do is the right things, good things and all that ever seems to happen to me is pain and suffering and I cannot take it anymore."

By the end Del was sitting on the floor with her back against the door in tears. She knew that no matter what she said, the same thing that happened earlier would happen again.

This man she hated the most. Him calling her a dog and sniffing her hair, staring at her the way he did. She knew he would be worse than Hector. The silence and waiting was killing her. Del had stopped crying and was angry again as she stood. She walked over to the table briskly and slapped Roman in the face. He turned back to her and Del could not stand the look of pity he was showing her so she slapped him harder.

Del stepped back breathing heavily and screamed, "Stop it. Is this a game to you? You are truly evil. Just do what you are going to do and stop playing with me."

Roman said quietly, "I am not going to beat or rape you. I would never. As for the way I treated you, believe me when I say that was the lesser of what the others would have done. I am not going to hurt you. I have never beaten or raped any woman."

Del argued, "Oh I am a woman now? And suddenly you use my name? I would rather be called a dog by you than hear your voice call me by the name my mother and father gave me."

Roman poured himself a drink and turned his attention back to the fire and said, "You were not raped but you were beaten and for that I am sorry. You were not supposed to be in that room, you were supposed to be brought here."

Del could not believe what he was saying and how he was acting. This game he was playing was a terrible one. Del said, "Take me back to where I was. Back in the cell. Now."

Roman drank slowly staring off and looked at her to say, "I cannot. If I do, then Hector can do what he wants anytime. You are safe here. If you had not stabbed me earlier I would have been able to get you and that man out of here."

Del looked about the room and spotted his belt that held his knife. It was on a wooden figure just like Hector had. She walked over toward it and grabbed the knife.

Del turned toward Roman, who was looking into the fire again, and said, "You are lying. Take me back to where I was or let me go. Do it or I will cut your head off."

Roman did not seem to hear her when he said in a quiet voice, "I am sorry for the way I treated you. I apologize sincerely but please believe me when I tell you I did what I had to, to keep you safe. These people are bastards. Every last one and I cannot wait until the day I ruin their House of Iron. I have waited for a very long time and I am so close. So close."

Del snapped, "Stop it. Stop saying you are sorry. You are a liar. You are sick. What are you trying to do? What game is this? Do not think I will let you anywhere near me. I will kill you and then when I die, I will find you in hell and kill you again and again and again since I am surely going to hell. That is where demon-bitches go, right?"

Roman cleared his throat and looked at her before saying, "Delvin. I am going to save you because you saved me once. Keep the knife on you if you like but if you want any chance of getting free and seeing your family again then you will need me alive."

Del was confused and intrigued but refused to let her guard down. She circled the table and pulled the chair onto the far side of the table. Del asked, "What do you mean saved you?"

Roman pulled his chair up to the table and said, "Those children. I was one of them."

Del eyed him suspiciously and asked, "How are you still alive?"

Roman said, "I survived. I was put in that pit, they thought I was killed but I was not. I come from a line of people descended from a demon, just like you. The demon was one that ate life to keep living. The man who loaded up the children's bodies put me on the pile last. All I had to do was touch his skin and while he withered and died in front of me all of my wounds healed. I had no idea what I was but I knew that I wanted nothing more than to kill all the men and women of the House of Iron. I can remember the day they came and murdered my grandmother and all the people in my village and stole the children to bring them here. They all died but for me. I was only four but I remember it all. Shortly thereafter I was put in jail for stealing food and you and your family helped me escape the jail. The next time I saw one of the men from the House of Iron, he was coming to the orphanage to adopt a boy my age to replace the one he lost to sickness. I was lucky he had the same color eyes and hair as me. I have been here trying to fit in with these sick bastards and bitches ever since. They already suspect me and dislike that I am next in line. Dante's father is leader and very unwell. Once he dies I will get my chance to have their book in my possession and I will burn it. Then I will dismantle this place and make sure all the heirs of the Council of Five die with no one to take their place."

Del waited for him to continue and asked, "What book?"

Roman said, "I have only seen the book once. It is their most prized possession. It has countless blank pages that suddenly have writing in them the next day. Messages from somewhere. They are all signed by the name Mother Maryanat. The last one came through five years ago. It has drawings of all your family, except for your friend, Ares."

Del said coldly, "He is no friend of mine."

Silence filled the air.

Del finally asked the question she did not want to hear the answer to. "Did he kill the child?"

Roman said, "I do not know. I could not see and by the time I got into the pit you were being led away and all I could do was give you my coat."

"Maryanat. She is gone. She was insane. If only these people knew what a monster she was. She was a pure blood demon. The things she did. I will never forget them."

"You have met her?"

"She had me imprisoned for twenty-five years. Tortured me and my friend Beau for twenty-five years while she treated the rest like her children. She was twisted. She was a pervert as well. How old is the book?"

Roman said, "It is apparently over five thousand years old."

Del started to feel less uneasy and poured herself a drink. When she drank it she nearly spit it out and it burned all the way down. Del shuddered and asked, "What the hell is that?"

"Sorry. I prefer my drink strong. I can fetch you whatever you like."

Del eyed him and poured herself another drink before asking, "What kind of food can you offer?"

"I am going to get up. Please do not stab me. I will bring you a few things you will like. I will be locking the door so no one can get in. I will be back in a bit."

Del would not take her eyes off of him and tried to take in all she heard. She still felt suspicious but it seemed like this would be an awful lot of time wasted on an elaborate lie and he did not come off as the type to go that far. Try as she may to remember him it was not coming to her.

When he gets back I will ask him.

Roman returned with a platter that had meat, bread, honey, figs, and a pastry. Del ate the sweet lemon pastry and drank another of the fire drink. It did not burn as much as last time. When she ate a fig she could not help but think of her sisters and her brothers and the way she loved figs while they all hated them but kept them around for her. Before she could finish the fig she burst into tears and the pieces of the chewed fig fell from her mouth. She gasped and panicked when she sucked a piece into her throat. Del left the knife on the table. She stood and began waving her hands choking. When Roman stood she did not care and he came up behind her to pat her on the back. She struggled to get the fig out.

Roman said, "Cough. Cough."

Del tried to cough and he slapped her back hard once dislodging the fig. She had a coughing fit and sat back down and poured another drink. When she drank it she coughed even more before she was able to catch her breath. Del could not help it and laughed. She looked over at Roman who had a slight smile trying not to show it.

Del composed herself and said, "A while ago I never thought I would smile again."

Roman said, "Do not cry. There is nothing to cry over now. Be happy. I promise, I will get you out of here but I cannot until after the solstice. I will take you to where you want to go and if I can before then, I will let your family know. Last I heard they crossed the sea but they may return. I do not think I can get you someone to kill but I have something else. It is a tea. Apparently it suppresses any and all demon traits including the effects of the eternal life. They say it had worked on a man who was like you. They kept him alive through the solstice without him killing anyone. It is a very rare medicine that they grow here. I have gathered quite a bit of it. If you want. I am not going to make you."

Del nodded her head and replied, "Thank you."

Roman said, "I am returning the favor from twenty-six years ago."

Del pushed the food aside and felt less tense from the strong drink. She said, "I do not remember you."

Roman smiled and said, "I guess you were too busy saving all sorts of people. I would not expect you to. I was in Baron Ludodivego's prison when he first became a baron. We were slated to be hung the next day. There were women and men alike with me and a few other children. He would send for the women and children and I did not understand then but I do now. I was there for a days but it seemed a lifetime. Near starved. Beaten. Dirty. I was four. Your brothers and sisters and you killed the guards. The big one, Emery, smashed one guards head to a pulp. The drunk one slashed one of their throats very slowly. The girl, Kativa or maybe Cortina, she had a rope and strangled one. The other girl had a small dagger and nearly took one's head clean off. Your brother, Malak, used a poison dart. You waited until Malak used a dart to put one down then you stabbed their heart quickly. Then your brothers broke the chains on the shackles before you found the key. I was the first one you came to and your hands felt so warm. You smiled at me and freed me. I hugged you and you did not hesitate for a moment before you hugged me back tossing the keys to one of your sisters. You picked me up and carried me out. I remember the way your hair smelt. Like honey and fresh milk. You did not stop holding me until we got to the orphanage. When you said your departing words, you told me your name and asked mine. It was Yuro. You said you would come back and visit me."

Del smiled as she remembered and said, "I went back there a year later with a carved figurine of a wolf and one of a bear. They said you were adopted by a very nice man. I have those figurines at home in my box of my favorite things. That name is carved on the bottom of them."

Del drank a few more drinks with Roman as she shared stories of the past before she felt dizzy. Del asked, "Can you please check on Ares? Give him something to eat and clean water to drink?"

"I will. You should sleep. I will not be here when you wake up but I will leave you with everything you need. No one will bother you but the door will be locked until I come back."

Del did not reply. She just crawled under the blankets and drifted into the first peaceful sleep she had in the longest time.

# Chapter 30. Ares

The sound of footsteps made him anxious. He wanted to see Del. He needed to see her. What she had said last echoed in his mind.

You are nothing to me.

If he could only explain that it was the man with the light brown hair that slit the throat of the child. That it was _him_ that made the men tear the child from his arms, take the knife from her lifeless hand and hold him to watch the child be murdered in front of him. That it was that bastard who ordered another to force the child's blood upon her.

Ares stood and waited as the footsteps neared. The door opened and he watched Syvillia get chained to the other side of the cell. He could not even stand to look at her and he let out a disgusted noise as she could not look at him either.

The food that was brought down was different the next morning. There was fresh boiled eggs, clean crisp water and bread that was not moldy that had a thick layer of sticky honey. Ares found he could only take a few bites. He wondered where Del was and if she was eating the same thing or if she could even eat thinking that he had done that.

Syvillia said, "Give it to me if you are not going to eat it."

Ares looked across the cell and spit at her instead.

Distantly Hectavia shouted, "Syvillia!"

Syvillia shouted back, "Hectavia! I am here!"

Hectavia said loudly, "I am sorry. Please forgive me."

Ares wondered if Del was with Hectavia and said quickly, "I will give you the rest of this egg if you or your sister tell me if you saw Del."

Syvillia held her hands out to catch the egg.

Ares tossed it and she ate it like a starved dog before saying, "I came around in a cell by myself. And then just now they brought me here."

Syvillia called back to Hectavia, "I am sorry too. I love you. Is Del in there by chance?"

Hectavia sounded like she was crying when she said, "I love you too. No. Del is not here. Is Ares there?"

Syvillia looked at Ares, who glared at her, before she shouted, "No!" Syvillia whispered to Ares, "I do not want her to feel as though she is the only one alone."

There was silence before Hectavia called out, "I cannot believe us. I cannot believe us. That child. What are we?"

Ares watched Syvillia hang her head before she called back, "I know, Hectavia, I know."

Syvillia hugged herself and started to weep pathetically when she shouted out, "All that has been done to you and I, the Gods will not forget! They will not forget what we did either! Our time is come soon and may they be merciful enough to let us see Mother and Father before they send us to the Underworld to pay for what we have done! Do not be afraid, Sister! We shall die together and meet on Death's door, entering whatever fate we have set out for us, together!"

It was apparent that Hectavia was crying as well when she shouted, "Promise me! Promise me you will be there!"

Syvillia said loudly, "I promise. Just hold on for another while. Just forty-three more nights. We have been through worse."

There was a silence that filled the air for most of the day. Ares picked up the bread and ate it after he felt dizzy. The water he drank was cool and he closed his eyes thinking about the times he had spent with Del and her family. All of them. The Andriels, the three girls, his sister and even the others that had escaped the hidden castle. They were all family. His family. He smiled thinking of the way some would argue with the others about seemingly nothing. Things like the best way to build a fire, the best way to spice the food, who could throw a dagger faster, and even who could finish insurmountable piles of food faster. Beau had won nearly every time with Emery as a close second. The girls arguing over who took whose hair brush and whose hair was nicer. Del never seemed to argue with anyone but him. He wished he had told her sooner how he truly felt about her. He was sure if she had known, she would not have felt so alone that she felt the need to leave. Ares did not care that Syvillia could see him as he covered his eyes and started to cry. At first it was a soft cry that surprised him when it turned into a sob he never knew he was capable of.

Forty-three sleeps.

Ares could not stand the thought of Del alone at a time like this or with one of the men that Syvillia or Hectavia had been with. He was afraid to ask what they had done but it started to gnaw at him inside. He stopped crying and looked at the empty plate and cup. Without warning he slapped it across the room. It hit the door and made more racket than he would have thought. Syvillia twitched and Ares felt a tinge better followed by more than a tinge of guilt.

This is not us.

Ares said, "I am sorry. Sorry for hurting you. Sorry for killing your sister. I tried to save that boy but they killed him right in front of me anyway. Be glad you will die. I killed two men. I have to sit here and go through all of this for another year."

Syvillia said quietly, "Do not be sorry. You were right to kill us. We were not thinking straight."

Hectavia shouted, "Who are you talking to?"

Syvillia shrugged and shouted, "Ares! He is in the next cell! He said he is sorry for killing you!"

Hectavia shouted, "Ares! Do not be sorry! You were right to kill me. We were not thinking straight!"

Ares saw how similar they were. It was quiet for the rest of the day. They brought them another meal and Ares wondered if it was because they were going to die in forty-three nights. He wondered if they had found the bodies of the two men he had killed and locked in a cell. He thought of what they might do when he did not die. If they would make him go in the pit again. He wondered if the others would find them or get captured as well. Maybe they would all end up in here locked up like prisoners, awaiting their imminent deaths.

# Chapter 31. Gio

The smell of the food in front of him made his mouth water. He had listened to Kati's speech and longed to speak with Cortina in private. He needed to say goodbye. He ate the food slowly like everyone else. The skin on the undercooked pheasant was crispy with bits of feather still left singed and smelling of it. He personally liked the smell but knew Cortina hated it. He looked over at her and she was looking at Raven sympathetically. He admired how even in a time like this she still found the strength to comfort her friend. Even Kati's words to Raven were less harsh than she usually talked. Gio figured it was because they were facing an obstacle that they could not overcome. Maybe it was for the best they die. There was too much bad in the world for just them to handle. With every defeat of a foe, ten more would come out of nowhere. They made more enemies than friend.

Gio's mind wandered back to the days when they were younger and first met Cortina and Kati and the rest of them. Who would have thought they would end up here? _End_. He recalled reading books that always had that at the end. _End._ He often daydreamed of the adventures some of the characters would have had after that word. Today this was the end. No more adventures for them. He was not scared as long as Cortina was not. He treasured all the years he was able to spend by her side. He told himself that the words Cortina always said to him were true.

I have never been happier than when I am with you. My whole life.

The day he first arrived with his aunt, who turned out to be a murderous demon witch, always stuck with him. Denny showing Marv all of his specimens in the glass jars. Emery taking Lazette and Vio fishing. Kati letting Fig help her cook while she had tea with that witch, Laylin. Malak swimming with Cortina and him. Del showing Durin all the books she had. The way they all sat around a fire that night while Del read a story from her book that turned out to be one of many diaries of true events she kept.

Although Kati and Denny and the rest had been trying to conceal their true identities they were still the same people they were. Kati with her vicious temper balanced out with the powerful personality that drew everyone in. Emery with his no nonsense attitude and how he kept his brothers in line along with anyone who needed it. Malak with his sweetness and how he cared about the things all people cared about at his age that the rest had lost touch with. Denny with his laid back, lack of emotion intelligence and how he thought about all the things others would never have even pondered. Cortina and her cheekiness and bright eyed smiles with her sharp and rounded edges that bubbled over with laughs and jests. Even Del always caring for everyone no matter who they were and always making sure everyone was fine, putting others before herself. They were like pieces of a puzzle that made a distinct picture while the rest of them were just along for the journey.

Gio never had thanked them for accepting them the way they were. They were true friends. They never turned away anyone who needed help. They never once even had a problem about having him and his brothers and sister along. They just found countless ways to help them with their full moon curse. They acted like it was normal and Gio never realized until just then that they were never made to feel different around these people. He wished that he could thank them but it was too late.

The plates were cleared away and the guards came and took Emery and Beau away. The shouts and cheers that erupted above made him ill. He was thankful they would not have to see what was happening.

Gio knew he thought too soon when men came and led them to the pit. There were seats along the inner wall. They sat and Kati said to them, "They said we are to watch and not look away."

Gio looked around. Opposite on the raised platforms for the villagers to sit, were the thrones for Gunnr and Namuk. They sat looking pleased with themselves. Denny was pouring the last drink for the crowd. He walked over to Gunnr and Namuk and poured them each a cup. Gio could have sworn he saw Denny smile for a moment.

Gunnr stood and said something followed by Namuk who also stood and said, "Our King wants us all to toast and drink with him."

Gunnr turned to Denny and pulled him by the shirt so his face was near his.

Kati said, "He is accusing Denny of trying to poison him. He wants Denny to drink."

Gio could clearly see that Denny had been smiling and his smile now faded as he took Gunnr's cup and drained it. Denny poured him another and Gunnr turned back to the crowd. Next they were given each a cup.

Kati said, "He still thinks Denny is trying to poison him. What the hell would Denny even use? Lavender? Sage?"

They all lifted their cups and Gio heard the crowd make a loud chant. At the end everyone drained their cups except Namuk. She threw hers into the pit. There were children who looked no older than ten who drank along too. Namuk motioned someone over with a smoking bowl. She used her hands to swirl the smoke around her face and chest as if bathing.

Gio's heart started to race when Emery and Beau were ordered to choose from weapons along the opposite wall below where Gunnr sat. It was not long before Emery and Beau's swords clanged against each other. They looked like two giants moving slowly. Gunnr must have noticed too because he was shouting.

A guard entered the arena and pulled Val off of her seat. Val screamed as she was dragged across the arena. Gunnr spat some words and before Kati could say what was being said Val had her head taken off by the blow of an axe. The girls let out noises along with Malak and Vio. Emery was shaking angrily and so was Beau. Gunnr paced back and forth shouting. Suddenly he stopped pacing and Gio heard him say the same word twice. He paused and said the word again but a little different. Namuk let out a scream as she stood. She held her eyes and screamed falling to her knees. Gunnr turned slowly before falling forward onto his throne. He tried to stand but fell back down. He grabbed at Denny's pants. Denny burst into laughter and kicked Gunnr in the face. Gio looked around as people started to make strange, almost animalistic, noises falling around.

Denny was clapping now and laughing hardily. Kati stood up and the rest followed. Denny said, "My King, whatever is the matter? Something not settling well with you?"

Kati called out, "Denny? What did you do?"

Denny was too busy taunting Gunnr. Namuk was clawing at her face and screaming and crying. She followed Denny's voice and when she was close enough to him Denny grabbed her by her hair. She thrashed and Denny pulled her to her feet. He brought her to the edge of the arena and kicked her in the back. She fell onto the ground hard still clawing at her eyes, crying out.

Denny called out with enthusiasm, "Kati, a gift for you!"

Kati took Emery's sword and walked over to Namuk.

Denny looked out at them all and said, "What are you waiting for? Kill them. Kill them all. Except for the ones my friend Katerina is marking with ash on the face. Oh and no killing children. We are not monsters."

Gio spotted a girl who limped her way through the crowd marking people's faces here and there.

Kati had almost cut off all of Namuk's hair. Cortina was up high grabbing a torch. She brought it back and Kati set the pile of hair on fire. She stood and kicked the screaming Namuk in the face before spitting on her.

Denny continued his taunting of Gunnr who was next to fall into the pit. Denny jumped down and was brought a cup of blood by the badly bruised Katerina. He drank it and shook his head side to side as if cool water was poured on his head. His marked up face returned to normal.

Denny said to Gunnr as he crouched over him, "Why in the great wide sea would you ever trust food or drink around a-what did you call me? A poisons master?"

Everyone was too enamored to kill anyone as they watched Denny who stood and circled Gunnr, who was wide-eyed and looking as though he was having trouble moving or speaking. He reached for Denny who responded by snapping two of Gunnr's fingers back. Gunnr definitely felt that when he foamed at the mouth turning bright red.

Denny said calmly, "You would do yourself a world of good to keep your hands off of me and mine. You should have stayed dead."

Denny looked at them and flatly said, "Tie these two up. I want to see just what happens when they leave the land. I hope it has something to do with them bursting aflame or melting flesh."

Kati asked loudly, "Denny? What did you do?"

Denny climbed up and sat in the near dead King's throne. Katerina came up from the stairs behind the platform with a jug.

Katerina poured him a drink and he drained it before he said, "Me? All I did was suggest Katerina put the powdered ingredients on your food tonight after I had enough to ensure the poisoned ale would have no effect. As for the poisoning, that was a suggestion as well to Ed."

Just then Ed appeared from the stairs dragging the spell book. Raven was speechless as she clamored up the side and picked up Ed.

Denny said, "I knew they would be waiting for us the moment I heard Namuk talking in her sleep when she was Heidi. That language is rare. The biggest mistake she made was tossing out my barrels of spirit and ale. When I do not drink I cannot sleep and when I cannot sleep I listen and when I listen I hear everything and when I hear everything I think and when I think it is not about sweets or how to be kind; it is about the best way to hurt those who may hurt us. I did not tell because we needed to find Del. I instead devised a plan. Hardest part was carving a likeness of Ed in secret as well as counting on the smallest man with the biggest mouth to keep a secret and retrieve some of the rarest poison berries. Before anyone yells at me for anything I could not tell anyone. You would have given it away and we may have not held out until the poison arrived. Think about that. So shall we?"

Kati said, "Namuk?"

Denny said casually, "That is a little something I put in her dry burning mixture. Maybe someone should help out Val. Makes no difference to me."

Gio wanted to hit and hug Denny at that moment. He did as he was told and they killed most of the village. When they left, Katerina set the village ablaze. Katerina and the ones she trusted to live boarded three of the four ships with the children. They intended on going to their homeland with a map Malak gave them.

The last ship was packed for them and a small raft constructed to pull Namuk and Gunnr onto the waters they claimed they could not cross. Denny gave them a few drops from a vial after they were tied. Kati had words with them in the language he did not understand as well as Denny. Almost all of them spit on Gunnr and Namuk while they begged for their lives trying to bargain.

Denny let out a hateful laugh when the raft caught ablaze. Denny said, "Let us see how long they can scream before they die or their raft burns into the waters."

Emery walked up to Denny and pressed a bottle into his chest. Gio promised then to never say anything about Denny's drinking. He felt uneasy knowing he did not know a thing about the sober Denny.

# Chapter 32. Del

Del asked, "How much of this do I need to take?"

Roman jumped off the bed where he had been fixing the canopy Del had pulled down when she woke up in a daze from a nightmare she had. He walked over and pinched a bit in his fingers.

Roman took her hand and opened it sprinkling the crushed leaves into her palm. Roman said, "About...that much."

Roman went back to fixing the canopy. Del dropped the crunchy dry tea leaves into a clay cup and went to the fire to get the pot of boiling water off the flames. Steam was rising from it rapidly. She looked around for a spoon and grabbed for the one that was hanging over the fire without thinking. Pain seared her hand and she did not scream or let go. She stared at her hand that started to smoke too. It gave her a sick feeling in her stomach but she stood perfectly still, unmoving, because worse things would happen if she let go. Her heart started to race and the blood rushed in her body making her head whir.

The pain is nothing compared to the darkness.

Roman's voice snapped her out of the daze when he said sternly, "Let go."

Roman had her wrist and shook it. Del dropped the spoon and looked down at her burned hand. There were deep black marks with redness surrounding them. The pain was intense and pulsated a burning feeling that had been long familiar. She looked up at Roman, who must have been asking her something as he still held her wrist staring at her with a concerned look.

Del said, "I-I-I just...I forgot."

Roman grabbed a cloth from the table and wrapped her hand in it, leading her to sit at the table. He sat across from her and looked at her, studying her face as if it would reveal why she had done what she had done. Del had trouble focusing as she started to feel the sudden panic she would feel whenever she started remembering about all the pain and torture she had to endure for twenty-five years. She reached up at her neck for the necklace remembering what Ares had told her. The necklace was gone. She had had it in the fighting pit.

Del looked over at Roman and asked, "Where is my necklace?"

Roman said, "I do not know."

Del's throat was tight and her mouth dry. She tried to swallow but could not. She asked, "Can you get it for me? Please, I need it."

Roman nodded. There was a long pause before Roman spoke again to ask, "What do you mean you forgot?"

Del swallowed hard and said, "I told you I was kept under lock and key for twenty-five years by Maryanat. Every day was hell. My fingernails would be ripped off. Sometimes a hot piece of iron was used to burn them away. Sometimes I had to hold onto it and could not let go or worse things would happen. My hair. It would be pulled out. A few times all of it was pulled out one by one. Then the blood I would be forced to drink when I was wrecked. It would fix me just so the pain could start over again. It was only a few years ago it stopped and sometimes I just forget where I am and that I do not have to go through that anymore. Or at least I thought I would not have to go through that anymore."

Del realized that this was the first time she had said what she had truly felt out loud. All the other times she would break down before finishing or the others would tell her to stop. Even Ares could not handle hearing it all. Del continued until it was all out. She did not even cry. When she was done it felt as though she were lighter.

Roman pulled his knife out and cut his hand before Del could stop him. He let it leak into another clay cup.

He pushed it toward her and said, "You need to be very careful not to forget again. Once you start taking the tea, there will be no more fixing accidents with blood. I would tell you I am sorry about what happened but I get the feeling that you do not like people feeling sorry for you."

Del nodded and drank the warm blood. She pulled the cloth off her hand and used it pad the spoon. She scooped hot water over the tea leaves and let it sit for a moment before drinking it. It had a sweet aroma and tasted wonderful. It would not be hard to drink it every day until she could be free.

Roman was in and out all evening. He brought her a few outfits and water for washing along with food and drink before he disappeared until late into the night.

Del had fallen asleep and woke to the sound of a cup being placed down. She was laying the opposite way with her head near the foot of the bed. She looked over to see Roman was drinking again and had no shirt on. He had a bandage on his chest and shoulder. Del rolled off the bed and went over to see. She tried to lift the bandage and Roman stopped her by grabbing her hand. He had a look on his face when she pushed his hand away. Under the bandage was a gash the length of her hand and his shoulder was badly bruised.

Roman took a sip and said, "It is merely a flesh wound. Not deep. Nothing to worry about."

Del took the rest of the bandages off and a distinct smell hit her nose. It was of a common poison used to make certain the wound would become septic. She went to his desk that she had inspected earlier. She pulled out the medicines bag and started to mix a few things together the way Denny had showed them in case he ever needed them to patch him up. The salve was not as pretty as Denny could make but she knew the ingredients were right.

She put water on to boil and got a washing bowl. She tossed a few things into it and brought the items over to the table. She retrieved fresh bandages and laid them on the table. She burned the dirty bloody ones and carefully scooped water into the bowl. The powerful scent of the hot water mixed with medicines hit her nostrils, making her turn away.

Roman asked suspiciously, "What the hell is that? It smells like shit."

Del sighed and said, "Trust me."

Del dipped a bandage in and placed it over the wound. Roman breathed in hard and his face showed the pain he was in. She rubbed the wound carefully to clean it and help it from getting infected. She threw that bandage away.

Roman said, "Those can be washed and used again. You do know that?"

Del spoke as she worked, "What happened?"

Roman said through gritted teeth, "Hector wanted to spar. Called me out in front of everyone. He is angry with me for taking you away from him and angrier that you left a gash on his face that will make for a very pretty scar. He is very vain. Anyway, he said it was for fun. I let my guard down when we had finished and he hit me with a sword as I walked away. It broke my armor and cut me when I turned."

"The blade was poisoned then. This will hopefully work. This soupy, smelly mixture. Uh...you have to drink it. Um...the rest of it. You need to drink it or you will die."

"What? How do you know? You know for certain? Bastard. That bastard."

Del jumped when Roman slammed his fist on the table. Roman said, "I am sorry. I did not mean to frighten you. I will drink it."

Del finished cleaning the wound and packed it with the salve. She carefully bandaged it and helped Roman pour the mixture into a cup. He drank it and gagged. There was still another cup left. He drank it and Del nodded. She helped him to the bed and covered him up. She cleaned the table and made sure the bandages, that could have the poison on them, were all burned.

Del finally sat and had herself the rest of the fire drink. When she was done, her chest burned and head swam with fuzziness that made her feel as though she were floating. Del was startled to see Roman was still awake, staring at her. The dying fire was letting off little light. Del lit a candle and placed it in a holder before pouring water onto the fire, sizzling the room into near darkness. She placed the candle on the nightstand and lay down on top of the blankets. She did not have to turn to know Roman was probably staring at her.

Roman whispered, "Thank you for saving me, again. I owe you two lives now."

Del said softly, "You did save me once so far, from that pig bastard, Hector. Get me out of here and we will be even."

Del pinched the candlelight between her fingers and darkness left her mind to swim in a muddle of her thoughts. Del found herself thinking of Durin of all people. She remembered that last night when he kissed her. She knew she should have made him leave but could not help herself. She had felt so alone and the feel of his mouth and body against hers was too much. She wondered if he really believed that it was a hallucination or if he knew the truth that it really did happen. Her mind wandered to Ares. She could not forgive him if he did what she kept telling herself he did not do.

***

Del woke up with the dawn. An arm draped over her waist made her stiffen. She wanted to get up but did not want to hurt Roman's arm or wake him. He needed rest and she knew she did too. She slept hard until banging on the door woke her. She sat up and saw Roman was trying and failing to get his shirt on. He walked over to the door and Del rolled off the bed and hid herself onto the other side of the bed.

A woman's voice spoke when the door creaked open, "You were supposed to-my goodness, your arm. What happened?"

Roman said, "I know. Send my regrets to my father. I will not be out today. Hector took sparring a little too far yesterday. Aviva, could you have someone send up food and water and my drink?"

Aviva said, "Yes, of course Brother. I will let your father know. Should I send up someone to tend to your arm?"

Roman sounded annoyed when he said, "It is fine. Just badly bruised. I will be able to carry on with my duties in a few days."

Aviva asked, "Should I tell your father you will be receiving no visitors?"

Roman said, "My father has not visited me here for over three years. I doubt he will be any time soon. Food, please Sister. And have Roper bring it up. Thank you Aviva."

Aviva said, "Of course Brother. Rest. Get well. You are our next leader. Any day now. They say Lord Firax looks as though Death itself walks every step with him."

The sound of the door closing made Del relax.

Roman called out, "Del?"

Del stood up and walked over to the table.

Roman said, "You do not need to hide."

Del was confused and asked, "Why not?"

Roman cleared his throat and looked about the room to say, "Do not be angry with me. You were my birthday present. I had to figure something out so that they would let me keep you until you die at the solstice."

Del was angry but not at Roman. She stood and went over to the corner to grab a broom. She started to sweep and tried to think of something to say that would not sound ungrateful.

Del asked, "So should I look afraid and cower in a corner when they come? I mean, you play this part of being a cruel bastard. I do not want them thinking otherwise, do you not think?"

Roman walked stiffly to the bed and lay down before saying, "You are right. That would be a good idea. Maybe cry. Sit on the floor next time."

When the wiry man named Roper came with all Roman asked for, Del curled up in the corner sobbing.

Roman threw a piece of bread at her and told her to shut up. She wanted to slap him then remembered it was for show. Roper stayed for a long while and Del was getting stiff in her position. She tried to think of other things to block out what Roper and Roman said. Roper said perverted things and Roman laughed and they went back and forth up until Roman mentioned Hector trying to poison him. Roper told of the things he heard around the dinner tables. Aviva wanted him dead more than the rest. Hector may not have even known of the poison but who would really know. Roper was certain the four other heirs to the Council of Five were in on it.

When he left, Del got up and went over to the bed to lay down.

Roman said, "I am sorry about that. The things I said."

Del said quietly, "I know. I am just thinking about what is going to happen to me if they kill you before you set me and Ares free. I am thinking about where my family is. I hope to the Gods you are able to destroy this House of Iron. If you cannot, my family will never be safe from these snakes."

The next few days were quiet. Del helped with the bandages and drank her tea every morning. She did not notice a change in herself until she cut her finger. It ached and it was strange knowing it just had to ache and there was nothing she could do. Truthfully, it scared her. Roman and her talked every night over drinks and laughed at nothing sometimes. She found herself considering him friend even though a few days ago she had hated him so very much.

Roman asked one night, "You and Ares. Is he yours?"

Del shook her head and said, "He was my very best friend. The one person who did not give up on me like the rest."

Del felt guilty saying that and explained how the situation was before she had left and was captured. Roman was a good listener who said very little about what she spoke of. When he did ask questions about what she went through, hearing him say them aloud made her feel better for some reason.

***

The solstice was close. Del had been feeling anxious about it. Roman had been called upon early in the morning and had yet to return. She sat on the bed after cleaning the already cleaned room. She had polished the candleholders out of boredom. The books in the room did little to keep her attention. She found herself staring blankly at the pages.

The day went by very slowly. Del picked at the dried out bread that sat out all day. When dark came, she lay down forcing herself to sleep. She barely woke when Roman came in.

The next morning Roman did not say much but she found it strange that he had left her with the key.

Del felt uneasy when there was a knocking at the door. A note was slipped under and she read it. It was from Roman. He was in meetings and sent a kitchen girl to feed her and take dirty clothes.

Del reluctantly opened the door. The girl was dressed in a long flowing bright blue, silken skirt decorated with colorful beads with a slit in each side that went right up to her hips. The shirt she wore was but a strip that went from under her armpits to above her belly button revealing a flat stomach and shiny olive skin, drawing attention to her curvy body. Her hair was long, wavy, and black, falling to her elbow at least. She wore a balaclava and had the most brilliant eyes Del had ever seen. She wore charcoal around the rims of her eyes bringing out the greenish yellow color of her bright eyes that focused on her work. She changed the bedding and Del swept and gathered plates for her to take. After she took the _piss pail_ , as Roman called it, she returned and placed it back.

The girl spoke with an accent like the people, who were ruled by a man with a hundred wives, living in a palace surrounded by sands as far as the eye could see, when she said, "Is that all, my lady?"

Del found it strange to be called that, given the situation. She smiled warmly at the girl and said, "No, but would you sit with me for a while?"

The girl looked up at her for the first time and nodded. Del and the girl sat at the table and Del poured them each a cup of water. The girl would not drink.

Del said, "Tell me your name."

The girl said, "Aurora."

"How long have you been here?"

Aurora said, "Since I can remember."

"How old are you?"

"Sixteen."

Del asked, "Are you here on your own free will?"

Aurora shook her head and said, "I was sold to the House of Iron when I was a child."

Del drank her water and said, "Aurora. Drink." Del watched as the girl lifted her balaclava to reveal a blood crusted gash on her lip and a bruised mark surrounding it. She also had a bruise around her neck. Del reached out and lifted it after the girl had drank. Del asked, "Who did this?" Aurora stood and made for the door. Del stopped her and asked, "Who did that to you?"

Aurora leaned in close and whispered, "Lord Hilawulf. Not the elder. The younger."

Del shook her head and said, "I do not know who that is."

Aurora said quietly, "Hector."

Del felt anger rise and she demanded, "Is that all he did?"

Aurora broke down in tears as she told of how she was asked to bring him his dinner a few nights ago and how he did to her what he had tried to do to Del. Del felt guilt as Aurora told about how she was afraid to say anything. The other girls in the kitchen had similar stories about him and others from the House of Iron. She also told how the people who could do something about it only punished the girls for lying. It made her sick how these men could carry on like this. Del made Aurora promise to never be alone with that man again. She locked the door when Aurora left. She paced the room waiting for Roman and nightfall soon came.

A note came under the door and all it read was, _Lord Godrov has been sent away with haste. He will not return until high noon on the morrow. -Aurora._

Del started to feel panic. She knew they were trying to kill him and why he was sent away so hastily did not sit well with her. She tried to calm herself. She went to the door many times and tried to open it. She would put the key in, unlock it, and even turn the knob but she could not bring herself to do it. She looked around her and realized she was trapped.

Del lay down to sleep after trying to eat a few figs dipped in honey. She had no appetite as she worried about Roman and what would happen to her if he did not return. Del lay down on the bed clutching a dagger against her chest.

How would I find Ares and get us free?

Del did not know her way around and did not know how to escape. She thought of her brothers and sisters in this place. She thought of them going through any of this.

If they came here and were captured, what would happen to them? Is there a way to kill all these people who know so much about us? This House needs to be brought to their knees.

Anyone who followed Maryanat needed to be brought to their knees with their heads taken off.

Panic soared through her chest when a thought hit her, _Are my brothers and sisters here?_

Del got up and paced a while, thinking. She drank a few drinks to calm her nerves but stopped, knowing she needed to be on guard. She clutched onto the dagger she placed under her pillow as she dozed off.

***

The sound of wood splintering and men's voices woke Del, turning her blood to ice. She slipped off the bed and rolled under it, with the sound of the door giving way.

A slurring voice made her tense up. "Pass that light over, Dante, I cannot see where the damn bitch is. Hurry before she puts a knife in one of us." The voice was Roper's.

Dante said, "Why do I need to be here?"

Roper said, "Hector is giving us a lot of coin, remember?"

Dante barked, "You owe me half. You owe me more if she stabs me. She is not even here."

The footsteps circled the bed and Del looked at the two sets of boots in the torchlight. She was breathing hard and tried not to move as she waited for the two men to be on the far side of the room, to give her time to escape.

Roper said, "The bed is warm. She is here."

Del rolled from under the other side of bed when she saw they were where she wanted them. She felt like she was reliving a nightmare when a hand grabbed her hair. She turned and sliced at the man with the silver streak in his hair, who had to be Dante. He let her go and kicked her in the stomach. He was cursing and Del knew this was the only opportunity to escape.

Del stood, stumbling out of the door, and made a right upon seeing that there was a short hall that ended to the left. She heard shouts as she ran down a set of stairs, nearly falling forward. Del looked behind her. Dante was close. She threw the knife and it stuck into his arm as he shielded his face. He stopped chasing her and held his arm cursing, trying to pull the blade out. She missed a step and tumbled forward right at the foot of someone. They knelt and she recognized the boots. A hand grasped her under the chin forcing her to look up. Del tried her hardest not to look afraid as Hector smiled at her while holding her necklace in front of her face.

Del knew for certain she would die this night.

# Chapter 33. Kati

The ship creaked and groaned with its familiar sounds that never ceased but that was not what woke Kati. Kati sat up, crying from a nightmare she had. She could not remember what she was dreaming of and did not care to remember. If it brought tears to her, it certainly was not something she dared to recall.

She nearly went mad by noon. She had walked the ship a thousand times over and a thousand times again, pacing, checking on their supplies, counting all the heads, anything to get the thought of her sister from her mind. The solstice was drawing nearer and nearer with each passing moment and she knew the harsh reality of this was that Del could be somewhere else. They could have taken her elsewhere and with so little time that meant they were not going to make it in time. There was no time left and it angered her because they should have all the time in the world but they did not. Not anymore.

Kati walked up to Denny, who was sitting on a chair, passed out by the ship's wheel. She nudged him with her foot and he sat up straight taking a shot from the empty bottle he held onto. When he turned his head to see who woke him, he had one eye open, squinting.

Kati said, "Get up. Walk with me. Durin, take over." Kati walked to the far side of the ship with Denny next to her. No words were spoken until they were away from everyone. Kati said, "We are not going to make it. We are simply out of time."

Denny responded by puking over the side of the ship, leaving a long trail of foamy vomit down the chestnut brown wood. Denny wiped his mouth on his sleeve and said, "I know. If we had not hit that third storm that turned us around, we would have had a chance. If Gunnr's people were not on that shore? We would have found them. We need to prepare for the worst."

Kati was angry. Her anger was building and try as she might she could not control it. She wanted so very badly to kill all of those people. She wanted to go back and kill Gunnr again. She wanted to kill Namuk again. She wished they had time to torture them to death. Time. Time was drawing near. It was another two day's sail to the shore and another fortnight's ride to the House of Iron. At least Namuk had confirmed that the only other temple they could be at was the main one they had been at. It was below ground. Kati wished they had stayed and waited for them but they did not know. If only they knew. It was less than a fortnight until the solstice.

Please, Del, please have killed someone, anyone.

All Kati cared about was her sister. Ares was not her blood; he would be missed but not the way she would miss Del.

Please God, Gods, spirits, anyone listening, please let us get there in time.

Denny said solemnly, "We are going to try our hardest. You are the fastest rider but we need to be smart about it. We need to stick together and make sure no one gets captured. It would be pointless that way. They will be expecting us."

Kati wiped away tears and grew angrier. Kati snapped, "She wanted to leave. If she dies, it is on her head, not ours."

Kati walked away before Denny could respond. She went below deck and found her room was a still a mess. She had cleaned it before the last storm two days ago but could not find the energy to clean it again. She kept throwing things and breaking bottles out of anger anyway. What was the point when it would get messy anyway?

The room was small and cramped with barely any room but for a small bed and desk with a crate for a seat. The bed she slept in had just enough room for her stretching out with her arms by her sides. It made her feel safe being all cozy. She had put her belongings up above the bed on the shelves lining her room but they kept falling down. The table was still on its side with broken glass about. She brushed off the bed with her hay filled pillow. They had left in such a haste that proper bedding was not a priority. At least they had been given an unlimited supply of dry meat and fish by Katerina.

Kati lay down and thought of all the reasons why Del being gone was a good thing. She could not dwell on it. It made her cry and made her hate Del for leaving. She did not want to hate her and found it easier to look at this as a mercy kill. Guilt flooded her mind and she forced it out thinking about all the times her and Del had it out. She thought of the times they had said horrible things to one another and the vicious fights they had in the past. Del was not the eldest and had no right trying to dictate how Kati should live her life. All the rules would be gone.

Kati could not help it. She burst into tears and wanted so badly to see her sister. She wanted to hug her and tell her how sorry she was for all the fights they had. She wanted to tell her that it was all right that she was not the same and that she would stick by her side until she was better. It was too late. She was gone and would most likely be gone forever when they did get to her.

A knock at the side of her door startled her.

Kati snapped, "What?"

Fig pulled the curtain aside and entered.

Kati said, "I said, _what?_ I did not say come in."

Fig ignored her and started to clean up the mess. Kati knew there was no use being mean to him. No matter what she said to him he refused to leave her alone. He was always making sure she ate and listened to her complain without saying much.

Kati said shortly, "Answer me."

Fig put the table upright and placed the crate under it. He was kneeling scooping glass into his hand. Fig twitched and brought his finger to his mouth murmuring, "Damn it."

Kati rolled her eyes and sat at the edge of the bed. She took his hand and he tried to pull away. She yanked his hand hard and he looked at her frowning.

Kati shook her head and said, "I did not ask you to clean up. Now look what happened."

There was a deep cut that oozed blood. It dripped onto her long nightshirt she had been wearing over trousers for too many days to count. She used the bottom of it and wrapped his finger in it.

Fig said, "Your shirt."

Kati exclaimed, overly excited on purpose, "He speaks!" She held it tightly and checked on it after a while to see the bleeding stopped. Kati let him go and said, "There is blood around here somewhere in this mess."

Fig kneeled and gathered glass in his shirt and left. A few moments later he was back with a bottle of spirits and two cups. He sat down and poured them each a drink. Kati took hers and propped herself against the wall still sitting on her bed. She edged over closer to him to get another drink. She reached for the bottle and so did he. Fig's hand brushed against hers and he held his hand against hers a little too long. Kati yanked the bottle away and poured herself a drink and poured him one too. He stared forward at the wall and looked like he wanted to speak but she knew he would not.

To Kati's surprise Fig said, "I know you hate me. I know that. Just let me say what I am going to say."

Kati was quiet and she suspected he probably did not think he would make it that far in his speech. She waited.

Fig looked at her and said, "You said before that if Del is dead that you were leaving. I know you probably will not let me but I am going to come with you. Even if you try to run I will follow you. I love you. I have loved you since the moment I first saw you and you let me help you cook. I have always loved you and I will continue to even though you hate me and I know what I did is unforgivable. You can hate me forever but I need to be near you. Life is not worth living if you are not in it. That is all I am going to say."

Kati thought on what he said. It had been a very long time that she had been angry with him. Try as she may to let it go she could not. Seeing Val was a constant reminder and she did not hate him. She felt sorry for him.

Kati said, "I know. I know you will follow me and I will allow it but I will never love you back and I will never forgive or forget. Now get out."

Kati sat up drinking alone listening to the sound of the water. The moon was high and the stars bright as Kati gazed at them through the tiny window by her bed.

Durin's voice startled her when it came from the darkness saying, "I need to tell you something."

Kati looked and saw he was standing in the doorway. He sat down and cleared his throat. Durin sighed and said, "I told her to leave."

Kati's heart skipped and she sat forward. Kati asked with panic, "What?"

Durin sounded frightened when he said, "About a month before she left, I told her to leave. Said to her that she was hurting you all and that she was better off alone if she did not want to get better. I expected her to argue like we always do but she just agreed and that was all. I did not think she would because I told her to stay the night before she left but she did anyway."

Kati was shaking with anger as she said, "Get out. Get from my sight and stay as far from me as possible for I do not fear I will kill you; I will kill you."

She watched Durin leave and it was as if she were watching herself move. She stood on unsteady feet and followed him up above deck. Before she could stop herself she stabbed him in the right shoulder blade. He fell to his knees, arching his back, reaching for the blade. He gasped and struggled. Kati kicked the knife as hard as she could. He growled and Kati went and grabbed him by the hair.

Kati spit into his ear, "Do not dare growl at me. I hate you. I hate you more than the House of Iron. You had better pray that my sister is alive or you will be the next to die. Do you hear me?"

Emery shouted, "What is going on?" Emery pulled her off of Durin and she kicked and screamed.

Suddenly everyone was shouting and surrounding the scene.

Kati was crying out in frustration before Emery let her go. Kati yelled, "He told her to leave! He told Del to leave! He told her to leave and she did!"

A scuffle broke out between Emery and Beau as Emery managed to hit Durin once.

Denny appeared looking worse for wear. He rubbed his eyes and listened as Kati repeated herself.

Durin said in a pained voice, on his hands and knees, "I told her to stay the night she left. I slept and when I woke she was gone. I am sorry."

Denny was pacing around Durin, who was in the middle, as the rest made a circle. He had his finger on his lips.

Lazette said, "My brother was the last to see her and he told her not to leave. I am sorry Durin but I think it is time to confess. If you do not I will. Your very life could depend on it."

Kati watched on as Durin looked up at Lazette, shaking his head as he struggled to stay on his knees and hands.

Lazette said, "You leave me no choice. Durin and Del were together. If he told her not to leave, then she would not have left because of him. You read the letter. She wanted to leave. Have you ever thought maybe they made her write the letter so we would not follow? So we would let our guard down and they would come for the rest of us?"

A burst of chatter broke out and Denny put his hand in the air. When everyone was quiet Denny said, "Durin, is what Lazette said true?"

Durin coughed out blood and said, "Sort of."

Kati snapped, "Explain sort of!"

Durin said quietly, "It was just the one time. The last night. She wanted to. I wanted to. At least I thought she wanted to. That had nothing to do with this. I told her I would help her. I told her things would get better. I did not know until afterward that she was upset over Ares and Val. She did it to get back at Ares. Maybe it is Val who should have a blade stuck in her back."

Kati moved swiftly and landed a blow on Val's face busting her lips open. Arms surrounded her and pulled her back. She kicked Val in the chest. Val fell forward letting out a cough as she clutched her chest. Kati screamed, "So it was you! You are the one to blame! You disgusting whore! Why in the hell would you be so selfish? You broke them up and she left because of you!"

Denny whistled and everyone listened. He stopped and looked up. Denny said, "Kati. The year is somewhere around 1100. You were trying to kill a whole village for shunning us. You and Del had it out. Had a fight that ended badly. Who slit the other's throat?"

Kati was seething when she said, "I did."

Denny continued with, "And the last words you said to Del that night before we split up for twenty some odd years, what were they?"

Kati felt her chin tremble as guilt fell around her shoulders like a shawl. Kati said quietly, "I told her she was better off dead. I told her to do us all a favor and kill herself."

Denny continued with, "And when Del was locked up did you not begin a relationship with the man she has just broken up with?"

Kati glowered and wanted to hit Denny in the face. She wanted to hit them all.

Denny said, "Under the circumstances, are you not guilty as well? What if your words were the ones that made her ultimately leave? Did you ever tell her not to leave or not to kill herself after that time?"

Kati said through a clenched jaw, "No."

Denny paused for a moment before saying, "And you and Vio's relationship. Do you really believe that Del was fine with that?"

Kati heard enough and pulled free to go back to her room.

_To hell with them all. Del, you better be_ _alive_.

# Chapter 34. Ares

"Ares."

Ares woke, startled from the voice that cut through his dream.

Hectavia shouted, "Ares!"

Ares remembered he was dreaming about fishing with everyone. Even Del was there. Ares shouted angrily, "Yes, what is it?!"

Hectavia sounded as if she were in the next cell, "They...they must have..."

Ares grew impatient and snapped, "Spit it out!"

Hectavia's voice wavered when she said quieter than before, "Del. I am in the next cell with Del. They must have given me something. I cannot remember being moved."

Ares yelled, "Del! Del! Why is not she answering me?"

Hectavia said almost out of earshot, "I think she is dead. I cannot reach her. She is not moving. She is facedown with her head turned away. There is blood on her clothing. There is blood everywhere."

Ares heard his voice waver when he asked, "Are you certain it is her?"

Hectavia said solemnly, "Yes."

Ares looked around the cell and spotted a pile of bread, eggs, and dry meat along with clay jugs of water. By Syvillia sat the same.

Syvillia asked her sister, "Did they leave you with food and water as well?"

Hectavia answered, "Yes."

Ares stood and pulled at his chains and asked desperately, "Try to reach her, please? She cannot. She was here the whole time. Just...just...please."

Ares pressed his ear against the stone wall and listened to the sound of chains rustling.

Hectavia said, "I cannot reach her. I am sorry. Did they leave both of you food?"

Ares said, "Yes. Why?"

Hectavia said, "They only left some by me."

Ares sank to the floor and said to himself, "Please. Please get here in time."

It was only a few nights until the solstice. He looked at the marks carved into the stone and counted over and over.

Ares thought out loud, "They left. They are all gone. They left us to die here with only enough food and water to last until the solstice. They left us to die."

Syvillia wept quietly in the corner. Hectavia cried as well. The sisters did not speak for the rest of the day. The next morning came before anyone said a word.

Syvillia asked, "Do you think it will hurt? Dying? How will we die?"

Ares said calmly, "You will turn to a pile of ashes. I do not know how long it takes or if it hurts. That is all I know."

Hectavia burst into tears sobbing out, "I am afraid. I do not want to die. Not like this."

Ares had no heart as he said, "You will die. Both of you. Be glad you do not have to sit here for another year alone. Stop crying and die with what little dignity you have left."

Syvillia threw a small stone at him and shouted, "Shut up! Leave her alone! It is bad enough with what we have been through!"

Ares whipped an egg at her. It broke open on the wall beside her sending bits of boiled white this way and bits of boiled yolk that way. Ares said harshly, "What? What exactly have you been through? Not even a year of this? Before that, you were a little servant dog for the very bitch that caused all of this. I bet you did not give a shit when you were hunting demon bloods down for that bitch, did you? You know what this is called? It is called irony. Now that woman lying face down in the next cell, she has been through a hell of a lot worse. She has endured more pain than you will ever know and now she is going to turn to ash, just like you and Hectavia. Instead of crying and feeling sorry for yourselves you should be making peace and preparing to meet all those you have wronged in this life because they will be waiting for you when you die. Do me a favor when that time comes. When you see Del, let her know I will see her next year."

Both of the girls were quiet. Ares spit at Syvillia when he noticed her glaring at him. She would not meet his gaze after that.

***

By noon Ares' stomach ached. He forced himself to eat a bit of everything.

Syvillia started to speak, "Do you know what they did to us?"

Ares stomach turned and knotted as he regretted saying what he did earlier. He knew that she knew he did not want to hear this.

Syvillia continued in a cold tone, "You want to know what they more than likely did to Del before they locked her up?"

Ares covered his ears for a moment but he knew he needed to know. He needed to know what they did because if the Abordunas did find them or just him, they would want to know everything.

Syvillia said in a less icy tone, "They beat us. They raped us. They gave us their own blood just so they could do it all again. Not just any kind of beatings either. The ones that sat up high, when they chained us to each other for sport...the one with the brown hair? It was mostly him. His name is Hector. Once in a while it was the one with the grey steak, Dante. He was not as bad as Hector though. I do not think anyone could ever be as sadistic and evil as that man. He promised that he would give us food and that we would not die if we did what he wanted. If we did not fight back. I did not fight back, not even when he would beat my face in with his fist until both of my eyes were swollen shut. I could not even feel my face. Bite me so hard sometimes I thought he would take a chunk right out of my flesh. Choke me until I passed out. Pull my hair, drag me around. Throw me, kick me. I think he liked it when I screamed and cried. The things he would say. Terrible. Then he would rape me. Every single time I was not here, I was with him or Dante. Dante just liked to do what all men like to do. We were just free whores to him. He never hit me more than once or twice. And you know all that we were given was moldy bread and stagnant water and a single child to fight over. The morning after the fighting pit we started getting fresh bread and clean water. Makes you wonder what Del had to do for that, does it not?"

Ares felt the food he had eaten come back up on him. He was on all fours puking and Syvillia did not say another word. All he could do was sit there seething. He had tried to get out of his chains so hard that he had cuts on his ankles and wrists. He sat wishing that next year would come already so he could die. He knew that they were not going to find them down in the maze of cells. It did not matter anymore. He needed to die. This world was not worth living in anymore if the one person who made him feel worth a damn was going to die. He started to sob and did not care if Syvillia was watching or if she was getting joy out of it. This was not at all how he pictured immortality to be.

# Chapter 35. Cortina

"Land! I see land!" Cortina shouted.

Cortina's heart raced. She was up as high as she could be. She climbed down quickly, jumping when she was close enough. Her ankle twisted when she landed wrong. Cortina half ran while limping and shouting, "Land! Get ready! We need to hurry!"

Cortina kicked Denny's stool from under him. He made a gurgling noise followed by a cough. Cortina ran back to look down at him. She said, "Land."

Denny jumped to his feet and started shouting orders. The ship docked and they all knew what to do.

Cortina drank a bit of blood and they were off. Denny paid a local family to watch the ship and gave them more than enough coin for the horses they needed. The Andriels changed and were off up ahead. They needed to make up for lost time. They packed light and were armed as well as ever.

Kati was the fastest and when nightfall came, Kati was up ahead with the Andriels, all but Lazette. Cortina and Malak had the two mortals needed for Del and Ares. Denny went up ahead to catch up with the others. Cortina was nervous and knew they should not be out alone at any time but no one cared at this point. There was so much anger and pointing fingers that the air was heavy with tension. Even Cortina had a hard time trying not to be angry.

They made camp and were up early. They could not sleep. By the time they caught up to Kati, there was a fight happening.

Kati slapped Denny in the face hard. The second slap Denny caught and he pushed her back hard and turned his back to her. Kati jumped on Denny's back and he threw her over with them tumbling onto the ground. He sat on top of her stomach holding her arms against her.

Denny was crying as he pleaded, "Stop this."

Emery passed by Cortina and jumped off his horse. He pulled Denny off and picked up Kati tossing her over to Beau. Emery sounded angry when he asked, "What is happening?"

Denny brushed his clothes off and said, "I am to blame now. She thinks if I was a better leader that we would not be in this mess. She is right. I am just a drunk fool that none of you should follow."

Emery slapped Denny in his face and said, "Get ahold of yourself. We are wasting time. Everyone, move out." Emery turned his attention to Kati next and the way he shouted in her face, as Beau held her, made Cortina want to cry. Emery spat out, "That is enough. You want to put a face on the blame maybe you should take a look at yourself. Every single fight we have stems from you. If you do not stop I will cast you out myself. I have followed you and Denny everywhere, always, no questions asked, never saying a thing. Now I speak and you will know I mean it."

Kati was red in the face and looked scared. She shook Beau off and climbed on her horse, riding off hard up ahead. Cortina rode on and tried to catch up to Kati but it was no use. Cortina felt terrible inside. There had never been so much fighting before. She was afraid of what would happen if they did not make it in time or if they could not find them.

***

The day before the summer solstice was upon them. They rode hard all day. The horses were tired and they urged them on. Cortina's heart was beating out of her chest all day.

When night fell, they did not stop. They spotted some of the people walking the woods that led to the temple of the House of Iron. They had the tattoos and wore armor. They all knew if they rode all night they might just make it when the sun came up. No one said the truth. It was too late when the people who were guarding it were added in for time. They were not just going to let them in and show them the way. They would have to kill them all.

The first few people were easy to kill. The Andriels could see in the dark. They rode until the horses started to drop. Cortina ran and ran as hard as she could. Cortina could not help it anymore as she burst into tears, stopping, trying to catch her breath. Malak picked her up as she sank.

Malak looked her in the face and said, "Get up. Let us get these people there. Move it."

They put the two sacrifices on the last good horse and ran along with it until the sound of a horn slowed them. Denny came running out of the dark, up ahead, wild-eyed.

Denny said frantically, "There is at least two hundred. At least. They knew we were coming."

They tied the people to each other and made them run with them. As the sound of metal against metal and screams, shouts, and growls echoed off the trees in the night air, Cortina took to the trees. She went from tree to tree watching her breath come out in white puffs in front of her. Her heart beat hard in her ears. The moment she saw her sister on the back of a man, stabbing him over and over with a short blade, she found her courage. One of the wolves was tearing someone apart. She could not tell who it was as they were dripping in blood.

Cortina leapt onto the next tree and tossed one end of a rope on a sturdy branch. She spotted her targets and swung down on the other side of the branch, kicking one in the face while using the rope to loop the end with the noose around one man's neck. She ran up a tree and jumped up at the other end of the rope before it was pulled over the branch. The sound of the man strangling and the feel of his weight, as she pulled the rope as hard as she could, was satisfying. She tied it to a branch and ran by the man's twitching feet.

Next she pulled out her hunting knife with the hide ripper. She stepped and turned as a man tried to run a sword through her. She brought the blade backward beside her and into the man's gut. She pulled up, dragging the hook of the hide ripper fast. Warm blood and guts spilled onto her hands. She pulled the blade out turning to her right as an axe swung by her face. It was a woman a great deal taller than her. She was wearing armor with skulls on most of the metal, which was fitting as she would soon be dead.

Cortina pulled a dagger out from her sleeve and threw it hard. It hit the woman's eye causing her to drop the axe and fall to her knees cursing her. Cortina grabbed the axe and swung it in a complete circle connecting the blade with the woman's neck. Blood splashed up at Cortina as she pulled at the axe handle. It was stuck and she kicked the wide-eyed woman onto her back. Cortina stepped on her face and continued on, looking for her sister.

Kati was on her back with a sword stuck in her chest. The man responsible was pushing down on it shaking it. Cortina slit his throat from behind and pulled the sword out still holding the man's head. She brought the dripping wound close to Kati's face. Kati screamed out and then pushed the man away. Cortina helped her up and then took a blow to the back of her own head. She went down like a rock.

# Chapter 36. Ares

The sun would be rising any moment. He knew Del could not hear him but he had to say what he had to say. Syvillia and Hectavia had said their goodbyes and wept quietly, trying to sleep through it.

Ares spoke with a voice as calm and strong as he could when he said, "I did not kill that child. I would never. I hate that the last time you saw me that you were angry with me. I love you. I have loved you. I will keep loving you, even if you hate me. I know I should have said this a long time ago. I should have said a lot of things a long time ago. Like the first time I saw you, Del, you had this look on your face. You were concerned but you looked so beautiful. I know I told Kati she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen but that was a lie. You looked so serious that I was afraid to say anything to you. When you needed someone to ride with you to drive the wagon I thought I was the luckiest man in the world. You yelled at me and even that was great. And when you saved me from hitting the rocks."

Ares paused to wipe away the tears in his eyes and continued, "When you saved me I was so scared you were going to die that I kissed you and I lied when I said I kissed girls all the time. You were the first girl I kissed. If you were going to die I wanted to kiss you. That night I spent with you and your family, our family, it was the best night of my life. I, uh, I-it was the first time I felt like I was not alone. I was always alone before that. Now I am going to be alone again. You probably do not remember when that snake bit you but I do. I remember it all. Every step, every moment. When the snake bit you I thought I lost you. I lost you so many times and you came back. And I am losing you again here and I know you are not coming back. You are so close and I cannot see you. I cannot touch you. I cannot even kiss you goodbye. All I can do is say it. Goodbye."

The girls wept harder and Ares could not tell if it was because of what he said or that they were in pain. If they were, he could not stand the thought.

"Del! Ares!"

The shouting was faint but he was sure he heard it.

Syvillia said quietly through tears, "They made it for you."

# Chapter 37. Kati

Cortina fell forward onto her. Kati tossed her aside, promising to apologize later, as she stepped out of the way of a spiked mace. Her back hit a tree and she ducked as the man swung the mace right at her face. Wood splintered and Kati cursed as she, of course, got a piece of it in her eye. She blinked and stumbled forward, falling to her knees. She rolled onto her back and put her hands up as he was about to bring it down again. She blinked as the pain in her eye dissipated.

Great timing to get the hell out of my eye stupid wood.

The man twitched and dropped the mace right on top of his head. He fell to his knees and Kati rolled out of the way. There was a colored feather sticking out of a small uncovered portion of his arm. He started to convulse and bloody foam leaked from his mouth. Kati turned and spotted another man, who was about to stab Cortina, fall to his knees. Cortina sat up holding her head before she started screaming.

Kati looked up at Malak, who was in a tree, shooting darts into the men and women around them. Kati dragged a dead man near Cortina and urged her to drink. Just then, Fig was beside her growling. She turned and saw there was at least five men surrounding them. She looked up and Malak was gone, probably helping the others. Val jumped onto the back of one of the men. She ripped off his helmet and bit him on the neck. Kati saw the man's flesh turn grey as he fell to his knees. Val let him fall and spit on him, moving onto the next one like a crazed woman. She was faster than Kati had ever seen her. Her eyes looked bloodshot and she made sounds like a dog does when you try to take its food. The other men looked at her and ran.

Kati said, "Val?"

Val finished off the man she appeared to be eating and stood up. She cracked her neck and turned wiping the blood from her mouth. Kati wanted to say she should not bother as she was covered in it.

Val said, "Do not ask. I just realized I could do that. Denny said to go. You are the fastest rider and Fig's the fastest. Denny is already gone up ahead with Marv, Vio, and Durin. They have two people with them on a horse that Vio and Durin are scaring into the right direction. Go. We can handle this. There is only a dozen or so left."

Kati spotted Beau swinging someone by their foot into tree after tree. They were clearly dead but he did not stop. Kati jumped onto the bloody grey wolf and Cortina shouted, "I will find Gio and catch up."

The wind on her face froze the blood to it. In no time, she spotted Denny on Marv with the Vio and Durin snapping at the heels of a horse that had two bodies slung over it. They had bags on their heads and Kati immediately thought of the first time she saw Ares. The sky was starting to turn a lighter blue and Kati told Fig to hurry knowing they were going as fast as they could. The sight of the House of Iron made her tear up. She hoped there was no more people to kill. Fig did not slow down as the impending sun was moments away from rising.

Kati buried her face in his fur as he leapt up at a window. The sound of shattering glass filled her ears and she felt her body go flying off of Fig. She hit the floor and slid before getting up. She looked around her and the room was as it was before. Old dusty untouched furniture stood still in time. She ran to the fireplace and felt frantically on the floor for the latch. She found it and pulled up, straining her arms. The sound and give of the hatch opening was heavenly. She slid down the stairs and when she landed on her feet she had her knives out, ready. Fig followed and went out in front, sniffing the air. He broke out into a run and Kati followed close to heel.

Kati heard the others behind her. They passed a few doors but Kati trusted Fig's nose. He went right on the second corridor and she saw it led to two more corridors. They ran to the left and they were overlooking a dining hall to the left that was empty and silent. Kati swallowed hard wondering if everyone was out in the woods or if some remained.

Please be here.

Fig stepped aside at a door, waiting for Kati to open it. It was locked and she kicked at it. Pain shot up her foot to her knee. She kicked it again and stepped back letting out a frustrated yell. Fig went the other way before coming back, barreling into it. Kati heard a crack and Fig yelp. Kati pushed the door open and Fig ran up ahead limping. They came to a rug that Fig pawed at. Kati pulled it back revealing a cellar door. She opened it and there was a flight of stairs. She went down them, followed by Fig. He yelped as he ran and they took a left, a left and then Fig stopped, panting.

Kati urged him on, "Fig. We cannot stop now."

Fig limped to the right and Kati shouted, "Del! Ares!"

Kati listened and heard her own ragged breathing. Footsteps were coming up behind her and the sounds of Denny and Cortina shushing each other.

Ares' voice was like hearing a song sweeter than any other, before Kati realized what he was saying. The blood rushed to her ears and her heart skipped.

Ares shouted out, "No! No! No! Not now! Not yet!"

Kati felt like she was going to fall over. Her knees wobbled and the air became too thick to breathe. She walked in a daze toward where she heard him. Fig limped by her side. Kati knew they were too late. She was shaking like never before by the time they reached the cell that Ares was sobbing in.

The sound of Kati's own voice was startling as she said, "Ares, is she...is she..." Kati fell to her knees and hit the stone floor with her fist and wanted to hit someone.

Ares said, "She is in the next cell. To your right. She-I do not know."

Kati looked at the cell in front of her. It had a key sticking out of it. To her right, the same. She stood and watched her own shaking hand turn the key in the door to her right. She pulled the lever on the door and it creaked when she opened it. She stepped inside. There were two piles of ash. She went to the closest one and recognized her sister's necklace. She picked it up and sank to the floor, staring at the bloody dress and the grey ashes. Her heart was beating out of her chest.

The others sounded close and Kati stood up in a daze. She held the necklace and unlocked Ares' cell. He was in the far corner with his head against the wall, with a far off look. Kati used the key and unlocked his chains. He looked at her and she kept her eyes on the floor. All she could do was press the necklace into his hand and turn away.

In the hall she met Denny. She shook her head and walked away, using the wall as a support. Fig was beside her whimpering. Cortina passed by and ran into the cell as Kati looked back. The scream Cortina let out was unlike any scream she had ever heard from her sister. The black wolf, the tigers, and mountain lions were next. Val and Muriel followed, tossing clothes to the Andriels. Moments passed by slowly.

Kati heard Lazette begin to ask questions. Ares was yelling and cussing out Durin who was trying to explain and apologize. Raven, Ed and Malak were last followed by Beau, Emery and the three girls. Kati looked back at Malak who took it the hardest. He started crying harder than any of them. It was a cry filled with so much emotion that it brought Kati to tears. She sat against the wall before throwing herself at Fig. She buried her face in his fur and cried out in anger. Malak was trying to fight them all and Emery dragged him a ways toward Kati.

Malak yelled out, "Let go of me!"

Kati saw Emery hug Malak and he just stood there hugging Malak as he cried. Denny was sitting against the wall, silent. Kati watched him stand, dumping out a bottle he had with him. He went in the cell and came out after a while.

Denny walked by Kati and said, "We are going to give her a proper burial. That is the least we can all do before we do anything else."

Kati stood and spotted the two people they brought, kneeling a few paces away. Kati used her blades and cut their throats so they would bleed to death slowly.

***

The funeral was at dawn a few days later. Denny scattered Del's ashes into a lake that she always insisted on swimming in when they would pass by it. Kati could not remember what was said and did not want to hear it. She only listened when Ares finally spoke. He said what happened to him and Del and the last thing Del told him. It was too much for Kati. She turned away and checked the wagon, that she knew was already secured. Kati had nothing to say to anyone so she said nothing. When she left in a wagon with Fig, she did not even say a word or look at anyone.

After a while Fig said, "Are we going back? Next year? Denny asked us all to meet there next year to commemorate."

Kati said, "Maybe. Maybe not."

Kati was not sure if she could ever face any of them again. The pain was too immense and none of them would ever be the same. Nothing would ever be the same again.

TO BE CONTINUED

# About The Author

Jessica Ironstand-Nelson has been writing since she was fourteen years old. Her first book was started with one paragraph thirteen years ago. It stayed a paragraph until August of 2014 when she decided she wanted to write a book to see if she could. This is the second released book in a series that is planned to span eight books. You can find out more by visiting her website at the link below. Don't forget to leave a review. Thanks for reading.

http://www.jaironstandnelson.com

#  Other Books By The Author

Accursed: Blood Cursed Vol. 1

## Did you enjoy reading? If so, can you do me a favor?

If you enjoyed this book, then I would really appreciate it if you would post a short review. I do read all the reviews personally and would love to hear what you think.

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