Coven, page 19
There was a moment of complete silence. When she finally spoke, Dylan’s voice was vicious. “You won’t have to worry about kicking that bastard’s ass, Em, because I’m going to rip him to shreds for what he’s done. Gracie, it’s time you communicated with the genius loci now that we’re here. I imagine there’s not much by way of flora and fauna in this realm, based on what we’ve seen so far, but are there maybe any non-violent animals you can reach?”
Just then, they heard heavy footsteps coming down the corridor from the direction where they had come. “Don’t forget, we’re cloaked,” Sam whispered almost inaudibly. “They can’t see us. Just don’t move or make any sound.” Four Unseelie Fae came down the hallway, their massive forms moving swiftly. Thankfully, the corridor was wide enough for the witches to press their bodies against the stone wall, leaving plenty of room for the Unseelie to pass. The Fae walked down the corridor a short distance then turned down another one, disappearing from view.
“And one of those fuckers had their hands on my mate?” The ruthlessness in Dylan’s voice increased as she stared after the Unseelie when they’d gone. The other three witches felt the rise in thunderous power coming from Dylan, and Sam reacted swiftly. “Dial it back, fam, before one of those assholes realizes that something isn’t right,” she hissed, gripping Dylan’s arm tightly. “We can’t afford to give our position away and you are broadcasting everything you’re feeling right now. She’s fine.”
Dylan clamped down on her out-of-control emotions, took a deep breath, then let it out slowly.
Grace gave Dylan a minute to completely calm herself before she said, “I’m going to scan for any spirits of place in the area. I’m not hopeful I’ll reach anything, but here goes nothing.” She focused her energy in much the same way that Emmaline had and went completely still.
About ten minutes passed silently before Grace opened her eyes. Even in the dim light, they could see how pale she was. She waved Em away when Em asked if she was okay. “I’m fine. But, holy shit. Okay. Let’s talk about the less important stuff first.
“Number one, there is nothing living here as far as flora or fauna goes. No plants, no trees, no flowers, nothing. The entire realm castle is filled with little but stone, wood, and metal. Even the landscape surrounding the castle is only sand and dirt. No water, except for some drinking wells. There was nothing there for me to communicate with from that perspective.
“There are also no benevolent animals here. There are a few creatures around that I would compare to hellhounds, but they sure ain’t friendly. Other than that, no dogs, no cats, no horses, no cows or fowl, nothing like that. We struck out on the animal front, too. But…” If possible, Grace grew paler. “Down at the end of this corridor is a place where I believe they prepare food and perform other chores, from what I could sense. The walls are simply oozing baneful black magick and the genius loci there is corrupted. Sensing human spirits directly is not part of my magick, but there are definitely human souls in that room from what I can tell, because of the atmosphere. Most importantly, I could sense a piece of the Field surrounding the room, so I decided to take a closer look at it.
“That fucking Field is sentient, people. It has a rudimentary consciousness, although it lacks the ability to distinguish bad from good. All it knows is that its job is to strip the magick from anything that touches it. Therefore, that’s exactly what it does.” The witches froze in the face of their discovery of the secret of Trom-Laighe.
Dylan felt like her senses were overloading. “Sheridan is the only witch we know of whom the Field won’t affect. That must mean that if Sheridan would touch it—theoretically—her connection wouldn’t register as magickal, so the Field would ignore her. Which would make sense, considering part of her ability as an Incantatrix is the capability to nullify any magick that’s been cast near her if she chooses.”
“Wow. This is huge,” Emmaline whispered. “Does that also mean if someone casts a spell to make us appear as Null, it will fool the Field, too?”
Sam rubbed her brow as she thought about it for a minute. “Doubtful. That would only be a surface spell and, since the Field is sentient, it can most likely read someone more deeply than that.”
Emmaline huffed under her breath in disappointment.
“I think we should go down there to see how many slaves are being held in that room,” said Dylan. “We won’t be able to go in there because of the Field, but the entranceway is large enough that we’ll be able to see everything clearly from the corridor. From what Eolande told Em, there are ten human slaves—if we count Frannie and Mary Lyn—and a large handful of Seelie Fae and other non-human creatures.
“Let’s assume about twenty to thirty in total. I also doubt every single slave in Trom-Laighe is in that room either—some of them are probably elsewhere in the castle performing other tasks—but at least we can get a partial idea of what we’re dealing with. It’s weird we haven’t sensed anyone else besides the guards and the captives yet, but I’m not going to worry about that right now. I have another question, incidentally. If the slaves were stripped of their magick and turned Null when they first came to Trom-Laighe, why is the Field still necessary to contain them? You would think the Field would no longer be needed, if that were the case.”
“An excellent question, Number One.” Grace smiled without humor. “Something I do believe I need to dig into a bit further once we have an even better understanding of what we’re up against. Although I have a sneaking suspicion that because some species—like Seelie Fae—can regenerate their magick, the Field is constantly active throughout the realm to keep them Null.
“When you next talk to Sheridan, ask her if she has any idea why that would be and if my suspicion is correct. In the meantime, fam, let’s get our asses moving. I have a feeling once we find out what the real goal of Michael O’Rourke and Cassius Deimos is, the entire game is going to change.”
Chapter 15
Her heart thundering in her chest, Sheridan looked around the huge, murky antechamber where her father had escorted her after she’d awoken. A swirling vortex surrounded her by six feet in every direction as she walked, which Michael told her was a part of the Field and would strip her magick if she touched it.
“I am sorry this is necessary, my daughter,” Michael said smoothly when he’d come to get her, “but until we both come to trust each other, I cannot allow your magick to be unrestrained without any type of barrier. Your Fire flame magick will work just fine unless you touch the Field in any way, because it will strip it from you and only I can restore it. I am immune to it, you see.
“I have also sent the witches and warlocks who normally occupy this realm to other Dark realms until we have reached an understanding and you have accepted your place here. Only the Unseelie Fae guards remain. That is for both your protection and theirs.” Good to know, Sheridan thought to herself.
“Now, it is time for you to meet Cassius Deimos, the demon who oversees Trom-Laighe. He is impatient to meet his new Dark Sorceress.”
Sheridan had decided her best course of action would be to act fearful of Deimos, although in reality he was no threat to her. She would resist them a little bit at first, because complete compliance upfront would be too suspicious, but she wouldn’t let her struggle against them last for too long. Sheridan would give the appearance of resisting initially until it appeared it had dawned on her fairly quickly that she was “outmatched.” Because of her performance, it would seem readily apparent to both males that she’d realized her best course of action was to obey.
She stared at the creature sitting on the massive throne at the head of the room as her father escorted her closer. Well, aren’t you a butt-ugly motherfucker, she thought to herself, slowing her steps and dropping her eyes to make it appear like she was afraid. Although she did feel some trepidation whisper its way down her spine, she knew she was the strongest thing in the realm and would easily be able to protect herself.
Michael stopped them right in front of throne, sinking to his knees and gesturing for Sheridan to do the same. “My Lord, this is my daughter, Sheridan Sullivan. She is an untrained Fire witch of considerable talent, and I have brought her to you to serve as your Dark Sorceress, according to your wishes.”
“Sorceress?!?” Sheridan burst out as if forgetting herself for a moment, pretending she had never had that conversation with her father. Without actually getting to her feet, Sheridan straightened up on her knees, glaring at her father and Deimos balefully. “Look, this whole Fire witch thing is completely new to me. I can’t be anyone’s Sorceress when I don’t have the slightest idea what I’m doing. That’s absolutely ridiculous. I have no idea why I’m even here.”
“I apologize, my Lord, for my daughter’s unseemly behavior.” Michael yanked her back down so she was sitting back on her heels again. “I ask your indulgence for a little while because this is all foreign to her. Her training will begin immediately so that she understands what will be expected of her. Sheridan was raised by her mother as a Null human unfortunately, so her capabilities and understanding are nothing short of abysmal.” Fuck you, asshole, Sheridan snorted to herself derisively.
The creature on the throne regarded Sheridan contemplatively as he tapped his claws on the scarred armrest. “I sincerely hope you are right, Michael. Thus far, I am not the least bit impressed with your daughter. A mouthy brat who has no idea of what her place is.” Deimos snapped his fingers. Four Unseelie Fae appeared, their expressions menacing, as they took their positions on either side of Deimos’s throne. Sheridan let her eyes grow enormous.
“You see, Sorceress, this realm belongs to me.” The look on the demon’s face was ice cold. “Everything here lives because I allow it. When anything dies here, it is because I have willed it. Henceforth, the food you eat, the clothing you wear, the very air you breathe, is my gift to you. Your continued existence depends upon your service and your obedience to me.
“Your father has asked for my indulgence, but I am not inclined to give it. It is better for you to understand immediately what your role is here, what my expectations are, and what the consequences to you will be if you do not obey me.” Deimos snapped his fingers once more and one of the Unseelie stepped forward. The Fae fixed his eyes unblinkingly on Sheridan, his cruelty and menace apparent.
“This, Sorceress, is one of my Nightmares. If you do not come to heel and behave in the manner expected of you, you will find yourself spending the night with him in a cell. Short of killing you, I will place no limits on what he can do to you as your punishment. Unseelie Fae are fascinated with human females, and it has been far too long since they have been able to spend any time in the Earth realm. I do not think one small recalcitrant human girl would be any match for a creature such as he.” Sheridan felt a huge ball of anger form in her chest at the implied threat, although she was careful to hide it. She dropped her eyes again and let herself visibly shudder, her anger fueling her reaction.
“Do you understand me, Sorceress?” Sheridan nodded, pretending she had gone mute in fear. “I believe we have come to an understanding then. Michael, how long until I can avail myself of her Fire flame power?”
“Not long, my Lord. Despite her inauspicious start here, she is quite bright and will require only the most rudimentary training before she is useful to you. Only a matter of a few days.”
Deimos rose from his throne and prepared to depart. “Make it so. I will expect a report from you in the morning as to her progress.” He turned to go. “I hope for your sake your daughter is all you claim she is, Michael. Both of your lives depend on it.” Without another word, Deimos disappeared.
Sheridan could feel her father’s displeasure from where she was kneeling. “That was foolish, Sheridan,” Michael hissed in ire. “You are extremely lucky he did not discipline you more severely. You have no rights here, save for those he gives you.”
“This is the realm you swore to me would be a place where I would make friends and be happy? Really?” Sheridan hissed back, letting a bit of temper escape her now that Deimos was gone. “Instead, I find myself threatened with assault by one of those…those…” She took a deep breath to calm herself, only half pretending.
“You will make friends here. And you will be happy. As long as you understand that Deimos is Lord here, and everything happens according to his whim.” Michael’s voice was back on an even keel. “Once you have been trained, your only task will be to perform the Fire flame magick he requests of you. Otherwise, you will be free to do as you please.”
Sheridan gave a short laugh of disbelief as she got to her feet. “I’m no better than a prisoner in this place.”
“You need to realize you are in a position most other Dark witches would kill for, Daughter.” Michael rose to his feet as well. “Food, clothing, shelter, trinkets, servants—it will all be provided to you without question. The witches and warlocks here will be your mentors, your teachers, and your friends. The Unseelie Fae will be your own personal guard and will not be a threat to you as long as you do as you are told.
“As the daughter of the second-in-command of Trom-Laighe, and the Dark Lord’s prized Sorceress, you will have a power and standing that is unimaginable, Sheridan. Today, you have learned a very valuable lesson about what it means to defy him. But, if you are no longer defiant and do exactly as he expects of you, you will have a very, very good life here.”
The two of them started to walk back to Sheridan’s chambers. “I know you think you miss that coven in the Earth realm. It is understandable. They did a very good job of making you feel needed and wanted, especially Dylan Bellamy. I have long been aware of how charming and warm she can appear to others.” Michael’s lip curled.
“However, she and the others were only out for what they could get from you, Daughter. I hope you one day come to realize that what you saw was no more than a false façade, and they were not truly your friends. You were also alone there and had absolutely no one to protect you from those such as they are. I promise you have my word it will be much different here.”
Sheridan let her head drop as she walked, making it appear she was deep in thought. When they had arrived at her room, Michael stopped. Taking down the barrier of the Field that surrounded her chamber, he then stripped off the small piece that surrounded her, after which he indicated she should walk into the room. When she was inside, Michael pulled up the room’s Field barrier again.
“Despite the Dark Lord’s impatience to have you trained as quickly as possible, I believe it will be more beneficial if you would take the rest of this day to rest. Your health is important to me, Sheridan, and you have had a grueling day so far.” Sheridan barely prevented a snort from escaping her. “I have not yet assigned you a personal human servant, but I am going to do so immediately, so we make sure you have everything you need. Someone else will be along with a supper tray for you in a bit. Rest and I will see you in the morning.” Michael then disappeared through the door to the gloomy hallway.
The Fire witch looked around the room, which she hadn’t had a chance to inspect earlier when she’d first woken up. It was a decent-sized chamber, with a large bed and several armoires and chests that looked like they were in good shape. With a pang, she thought about her beautiful apartment in the Earth realm as she pulled open the door to the largest armoire. A collection of gowns and cloaks in black velvet greeted her eyes, with several pairs of black leather boots lining a side rail.
“Right, because velvet is the perfect fabric for someone who deals with hot fire all the time,” Sheridan snarked out loud sarcastically before she went over to another table that held all manner of hair accessories and makeup. “Jesus, don’t tell me this loon is going to make me wear makeup all the time, too. Unbelievable.” As she was rolling her eyes, she was startled by an unexpected knock at her chamber door.
“Come in,” she called, aware that she couldn’t open the door without touching the glowing Field that surrounded the room, keeping up the pretense she believed the Field would affect her adversely. The door swung open to one of the Unseelie Fae, who was escorting a human woman in a gray gown, with pale, flaxen hair braided down her back, light green eyes, and a drawn look.
“Mistress Sheridan?” the woman inquired politely in a soft voice, to which Sheridan nodded. Witch, her senses told her, despite the fact there was no feeling of power emanating from her. The blonde stepped a little further into the room after the Fae had deactivated the room’s Field. “My name is Rose, and I’ve been given to you as your personal servant. Welcome to Trom-Laighe.”
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“I can’t even believe what I’m seeing,” Sam hissed as the New Moon coven witches reached the entrance to the enormous chamber at the end of the cold stone corridor. Mindful of the glow of the Field that stretched across the entranceway, they peered inside to see all manner of creatures performing a myriad of tasks in separate areas of the room: cooking, ironing, shining boots, washing dishes. Eerily, the tasks were being done in total silence. No one chatted, no one laughed—it was as if every ounce of life had been sucked from them, leaving robotic automatons in their place.
Several Unseelie Fae holding whips were standing at the edges of the room, supervising the beings who were clearly captive slaves. Ensuring no one slacked off or tried to communicate with each other, the Fae guards kept their cruel red eyes fixed on the workers, a slash of their whips coming down occasionally to move a captive along faster.
Suddenly, an enormous clang rang out as a slave who looked like a small naiad dropped a tray of bread. Frantically, she dropped to her knees to pick up the miniature loaves as the guards immediately started whipping her back, punishing her for her clumsiness. “How is she even alive?” Grace gasped in horror, tears running down her face as she saw the gray pallor and wasted frame of the water nymph. “Her life spark has almost been extinguished! We need to get her out of here as fast as possible, or she’s not going to make it.”
