Blood Of Fire (The Blood Burden Series) (22 page)

"Then don't start acting like a
possessive jerk.  Slade may be a little pushy but he can help us stop this
war."

Luke threw his hands up in the air as he
walked to the door, "You can't really say you trust him after all he has
done to you.  He's the one that had you locked up for Loch.  He deceived you
for his own gains, Nicole."

Nicole stood her ground; her chin held
high, "He's not that person, Luke.  He's on our side."

Laughing darkly Luke opened the door to
walk out.  He stopped in the doorway and then turned back, "Tell me one
thing."

"What," she crossed her arms
over her chest.  Her anger was starting to give way to fear of losing Luke
again.  She had just gotten him back, the real Luke, the one that she had back
in Alabama and she didn't want to let him go.

"Did you really hate it when he
kissed you that night?  The night he was drunk and pinned you against the glass
of your balcony door?"  His jaws were flexing with tension as he spoke,
"I watched you kiss him back.  Slade knew I was there and that I couldn't
reach you so he let me watch as you went weak in his arms."

"I…" Nicole's voice trailed
off as she tried to find the right words.  Her heart was thumping in her chest
and her throat was closing on her.  Maybe she did enjoy Slade's company more
than she wanted to admit to anyone, including herself.

Luke turned his back on her as he ran
his hand across his face, "Save the excuses, Nicole.  Just know this, you
can't have both worlds, you will have to choose."  He slammed the door
behind him when he left.

Nicole sank down onto her bed, the bed
she had just shared with Luke, and stared down at the rumpled sheets. 
"Damn it, Luke."

The pain was gone in Sage's arms and
replaced by an unsettling numbness after countless hours of hanging from her
wrists.  Her head lulled back heavily leaving her staring up into the chains
that looped over a wooden beam.  Aimlessly her mind drifted, wondering how many
thousands of years these shackles had been used to hold prisoners until the
moment of their judgment.

Laughing at her train of thought she
reached back into her memories for the last time she was wrapped up inside her
own head.  She was trapped now, unable to reach outside of this room into
another mind, by the charm that enclosed the dungeon.  This must be the first
time since her mind reading ability surfaced that she was truly alone with her
own thoughts. 
Such a boring place inside my head
, she thought.  She was
always in the know before anyone spoke, ahead of the crowd and a seer of dark
secrets. 
Maybe that's why I'm really here.  Not just because I wouldn't send
Nicole away but because I know too much
.  Her mind kept bouncing around
ideas as to how things got this bad but they all came back to two people: Teya
and Loch.  They were both greedy and power hungry in Sage's mind.

But what could she do now as she hung
from chains?  This was a situation that she had seen end exactly the same way
each and every time
—
death.  There
was no swaying the Queen once she had you imprisoned.  Teya's mind was made up
the second she ordered those cold cuffs to be wrapped around her wrists.

A dry laugh escaped Sage's lips,
"Bring on the judgment, I'll die with my honor before I betray this
kingdom."  She yelled out finding strength in her own words.  Sage was
prepared to die today because in her heart she knew she was doing the right
thing not only for Nicole but also for the future of her people.  Nicole could
change things if she could find the belief in herself.  Sage knew it in her
heart that Nicole could rule this kingdom and put a stop to this war if she
could only keep her safe for a little while longer.

The sliding of a metal plate in the door
drew Sage's attention to eyes peering through the hole.  Normally that would be
all the opportunity she needed.  Just a split moment of direct eye contact
would let Sage drill into her target's mind making him a puppet, but her powers
were as useless as her numb arms that were allowing the tips of her toes to
scrape the surface of the dirt floor.

"Quiet in there," demanded the
guard.

"Or what?  You're going to string
me up," Sage taunted.  "I don't think it can get much worse for
me," she mumbled.

Instead of the guard sliding the plate
close again he turned his attention down the hall.  Sage could hear the
approaching footsteps just before the door opened.

"Sage, my dear, you look dreadful,"
crooned the queen as she gathered her long, eloquent dress up in her hands so
it hovered above her ankles before her shoes hit the floor.  Her nose wrinkled
from the putrid stench of old blood and rotting flesh that lived in the walls
and in the soil floor of the dungeon.  "I really wish you hadn't pushed me
into this.  You are too valuable to this kingdom to waste away in this horrid
place."

Sage glared at the queen, "I'm
enjoying the peace and quiet."

Teya looked back at the guard,
"Leave us."

When the door closed Teya stepped closer
to Sage, taking in every inch of the confined woman's hardened face, "You
have such a strong spirit. So loyal.  Believe it or not I do find that a
wonderful trait."

"It seems to be a trait you are
lacking in," spat Sage.

"Ah, my dear, don't you see?  I am
very loyal but my loyalty is not wasted on a silly girl who dreams of playing
queen.  My goal is to protect our kingdom's future."

"By getting rid of the true queen
so you can keep the throne?  Sounds a little bit like you have some
self-serving goals, sweetheart." Sage shifted slightly trying to watch
Teya as she circled her slowly but all she could manage was a glimpse in her
peripheral.

"I guess it might seem that way to
you.  Maybe I give you too much credit."  Teya stepped forward putting her
face within inches of Sage's.  A dark grin bared her perfectly white teeth as
her eyes narrowed, "How about I give you one last chance to make things
right for your people?  You wipe Nicole's mind and I'll forget all about you being
a traitor to the kingdom."

Sage spit like a venomous snake in
Teya's eyes causing the queen to take a step back, "You make me look
however you want to.  I will not betray Nicole."

Teya wiped the wetness from her face
with the back of her hand, then without hesitation, she slapped Sage across the
cheek causing her body to sway from the chains like a helpless punching bag.

After a moment Sage trained her cold
eyes back on Teya, "Is that the best you've got?"

A dry laugh cut through the space
between them.  Teya raised her hand as she continued to laugh sending a single,
dark thread of power rushing to Sage, "I've only begun."

Sage shook and swayed trying to put some
distance between the snake-like darkness and herself but it was no use.  It
wrapped around her bare ankle causing a gasp to escape Sages' lungs from the
contact.  A chill as cold as a December's wind danced underneath every spot where
the evil power touched her.  But, unlike last time, it was not hurried or
rushed to confine and subdue her.  Now it moved slowly and calculating as it
curled its way inch by inch up her legs.

"Do you really want it to end this
way, Sage?  All you have to do is say you will send Nicole back to her life in
Alabama.  You know it is what she wants."

Kicking her leg in attempt to dislodge
the coiling black mass had no effect so Sage let out a frustrated scream,
"Fuck you!"

The door to the dungeon swung open,
"My queen, is everything alright?"  The guard who had let Teya in
passed a confused look between the queen and Sage.

Teya waved a hand at him dismissively,
"Go back to your post.  I'll summon you when I'm ready to leave."

"But your majesty
—
"

"Go!" Teya's voice echoed off
the stone walls.  The guard quickly closed the door.  Teya turned her hard eyes
back on Sage.  "Really?  Is that how you address your Queen?" Teya
gave another flick of her fingers and the power sped up its ascent, wrapping
around Sage's waist then becoming as thin as a worm to shoot two threads up
above her hands and lock onto the cuffs that held her.

"You're a coward and they will see
that.  You're lucky that you’re the only one who can use powers in this room or
I would make you my lap dog after I beat the hell out of you." A wide grin
lit Sage's face but her eyes stayed cold and dark. "I would make you like
it too.  Convince you that you enjoy licking the dirt from my feet."

"Such a powerful woman,"
teased Teya, "Too bad in here you are no better than your useless
brother."  Teya took in a deep breath as she tapped her chin with a
finger, "But I am a fair Queen so I'll grant you that one last
request."

Before Sage
understood what was happening she hit the floor.  The black power had released
her bonds then retreated back to its master leaving Sage to try to pull herself
together before the Queen attacked.  She had to buy some time because she
couldn't feel her arms yet, "What are you doing?"

"You wanted a chance to, oh how did
you so delicately put it? Oh, yes,
beat the hell out of me
, so I'm
giving it to you." Teya took a step back leaving about ten feet between
them then gave a taunting curtsy. "Now is your chance to have what you
want, dear.  Don't waste it by sitting on the floor like the fae trash you
are."

"What's the point?  You'll use your
magic to kill me before I can reach you." Teya was pushing her too fast. 
Sage could see the calculating look building behind the queen's eyes but her
arms were just starting to tingle as the blood rushed back into her limbs.  She
rubbed the chafed spots around her wrist then held them up, "This isn't a
fair fight either way.  I'm wounded and weak from hanging for almost two
days."

"Are you afraid you will lose? 
This is the chance you wanted Sage and I'll even sweeten the deal for
you." Teya pulled her long hair back and started working it into a braid
as she talked, "You beat me and you go free.  As far as everyone outside
of this room knows you are away on a mission so no one ever has to hear what
happened.  You'll be able to go back to life as usual."

Sage could hear the deceit behind Teya's
words but knew the alternative would not be much better, "If I don't win?
Then what?"

Teya shrugged her shoulders as she
released her hair into a long white braid down her back, "Then no more
fighting me.  You do what I ask and remain my loyal servant for all of
eternity."

Sage pushed herself to her feet dusting
off her dirt covered hands on her sweat stained yoga pants, "And I can
assume your first command when I'm your servant will be to wipe Nicole's
mind?"

No answer came from Teya.  A grin turned
up the edge of her lips as she motioned for Sage to make her move.  She knew
Sage wouldn't walk away from this gamble for revenge no matter how high the
stakes were.  She had her right where she wanted her.

Circling to the right, Sage kept her
eyes on Teya while she tried to figure out what to do.  She needed to end this
fast before the queen had a chance to take advantage of her weakened body and
lack of powers.  Sage studied the walls behind Teya as they continued their
dance, looking for a weapon or an escape, but before she could spin out an idea
Teya dashed forward, leaping up into the air and coming down with her elbow
with precision.  Sage managed to keep the blow from hitting her in the face
with a quick lunge but still took a hard hit on the shoulder.

Sage fell to one knee but pushed herself
back up with as much speed as her drained body would allow.

"Come on, Sage.  You're holding out
on me." said Teya as she took a step back giving Sage room to recover.

Turning to face the queen as she
struggled to regain her balance she laughed, "Let's take this to the
training field so it's fair."

Teya went for Sage again but this time
with a sweep of her legs knocking Sage into the dirt, "You will fight me
here or you can cuff yourself back into those chains right now," she
growled then kicked at Sage's ribs.

With surprising speed Sage caught Teya's
leg and yanked her down into the dirt.  A cloud of dust swirled around them as
Teya struggled to regain control but Sage swung her arms as fast as they would
obey and hit the queen in the face sending deep red blood trickling down from
her nose.  She swung again but Teya shoved using her power to send Sage across
the room to land under the chains that had been holding her.