THE CONFLICT #2

CHAPTER 15

EMMALINE

My eyes flutter open, taking in the low ceiling that looks to be curved from stone. I groan from the pain caused by moving my sore limbs. How am I even alive right now? I should be dead after the amount of magic I used. Magic I didn't even know I knew how to use. A lucky break I guess. I need to be more careful.

“Ouch!” I moan, trying to lift myself up.

But I can’t. It feels like something’s holding me down. Maybe I’m just too weak, I think as I attempt to roll my head to the side trying to look around. There’s something around my throat I realise. My neck is held firm. I feel panic rising as I become aware of the restraints around my wrists and ankles.

“Hello!” I scream, struggling. “Hello!”

A door behind me opens and I quieten my struggles, “Who’s there?”

I hate the sound of fear in my voice. I tremble with my overwhelming emotions, fear and panic are my worst enemies here. Phobos’s pretentious face comes into my view and my breath catches at his remarkable features. A cold kind of beauty. He tilts his head to the side, his shoulder length hair falling over half his face as he inspects me, like I am an object he isn’t sure he wants.

“Why am I restrained?”

The corners of his mouth lift ever so slightly into a smirk, “Because you are dangerous.”

He moves from my sight and I struggle in a fertile effort to free myself. Panic courses through my body as I thrash on the stone bed, achieving only to cause pain to my limbs. I feel like a child again, scared and alone in the forest with nobody to help or save me from my nightmares.

“Don’t leave me like this!” But his sobering chuckle scares me more than being left to rot down here alone.

“I’m not going anywhere just yet.” He purrs as I hear the door swing open again. “I have a few questions for you.”

This is an interrogation I realise. He wants information and as Zelus’s War Lord, I should expect nothing less.

“Do you know what this is?” He asks, holding up a vial of golden liquid.

The golden liquid appears thick and cloudy. I shake my head, I have a feeling that whatever it is, I’m not going to like it.

“Think of it like your truth serum. We couldn’t exactly copy the truth serum without harvesting from our own kind. Instead, while trying to duplicate the effects, we stumbled across something else. We call it the Liebane. It’s a serum that causes you pain when you lie, well you think you are in pain anyway. It picks up the body's little signals when lying and as a result attacks the part of the brain that tells you that you are hurt. It can drive a person mad. Interesting isn’t it?”

I cry out in surprise when he sticks the needle into my arm, injecting the gold liquid into my bloodstream through the vein.

He pats my arm once the needle is out, “Sorry about that.” He coos while tears spring to my eyes thinking of the pain to come. “Shall we start?”

I keep my mouth shut. If I don’t lie, the serum won’t hurt me.

“Tell me your full name?” He asks as three faces pass through my line of sight.

I train my eyes on the passing people, my mind flying to wild conclusions. I gap in shock as I recognise Max, Duke Goodman’s youngest son, bruised and tired, being dragged along.

“Max!” I call to him, “Max! Are you okay?”

He doesn’t respond but I see his eyes narrow, like he isn’t sure I’m really here.

“Tell me your name?” Phobos asks again as I watch the two guards strap Max to the stone wall.

“What are you doing to him?” I demand, terrified for him as he gaps in horror at me.

I see Phobos nod at the two guards. One steps closer to Max, grinning eagerly as his fingernails elongate, turning into black claws.

“Don’t touch me!” Max snaps, as the guard places his claw at the start of Max’s shoulder.

The guard slowly drags the claw through Max’s skin. That’s when Max starts screaming.

“Tell me your full name?” Phobos repeats patiently.

I cry in terror, looking away from Max as his screams fill my ears, “Emmaline Divinus.” I force it out of my mouth.

Phobos smiles, satisfied. Max’s screams stop, replaced by his ragged breathing. I turn my face to see a straight line of blood down Max’s torso to his pants line. The cut is deep, the flesh curling open on the sides. I feel my stomach turning, the sickly movement makes me squeeze my eyes closed. I turn away, scaring at the ceiling instead.

His deep smooth voice cuts through my running thoughts, “Do you understand the game Emmaline? If you lie, you cause yourself pain. If you say nothing, you cause Max pain. Or you can tell the truth, and no one feels any pain.”

I nod my head as tears run down into my red hairline. I understand. I understand his sick game well enough. I cough as the tears choke me. I feel his finger swipe at my left cheek, on the side that he stands. It's such a casual gesture. There is no compassion there.

“What are you?” He asks.

I clench my teeth, “Human.”

The words have just left my lips when a burning pain spreads throughout my body. I bite back a scream as waves of pain assault my body. It feels like my skin and muscles are being peeled off my very bones.

“It won’t stop until you tell the truth.” Phobos warns.

I cry out as the pain intensifies, “Valglarian!”

I scream, squeezing my eyes tightly shut against the raw pain. I have barely drawn new air into my lungs to replace the screamed out oxygen when I'm assaulted by regret. As quickly as the burning starts it's gone, leaving me numb. I take a deep breath, drawing the air into my lungs painfully. I feel weak. Pitiful.

“Valglarian,” He repeats, sounding surprised, “How did you come to live amongst the humans?”

The tears stream silently, more from outrage and helplessness than sadness or fear, “Novena found me when I was little. My parents I had then lived on the mountain near the palace in secrecy, but they were murdered, forcing me to look for help.”

“Why would they dwell so close to the humans?” He continues to question.

“I don’t know.” And it is the truth.

I might have my suspicions, but I honestly don’t really know. They aren’t my real parents. Well, it wasn’t my real father, not by blood even though I had loved them like they were. The story of how I ended up in their care has been evasive despite my contact with my actual father. Phobos plants his hands on the stone bed beside me, leaning on his arms as he decides on his next question. His muscle’s bulge through the thin tight black top he wears, and the smell of dark chocolate assaults my nose as I breathe in air. I can almost hate myself for admiring his form while he torches Max and me.

“The raven boy, what is he and who is he to you?”

I debate whether to tell him. He already knows that Corax can shift into a human and that I can use magic. What does it matter if he knows our life forces are connected? It’s not like he couldn’t just kill me now. I think of any possible reasons why I shouldn’t just tell the truth.

I swallow the lump in my throat, “He is a channel for my powers, a safeguard when I use too much of my lifeforce.”

“How is he a safeguard? How is he tied to you?”

“Our life forces are connected.” I answer.

Phobos looks displeased by that particular information, “How was he tied to you?”

I pale in horror.

"I, Emmaline Divinus, solemnly swear fealty to you. I swear by the fates that may be, therefore let it be so."

"I accept your oath. If you go against me I will know. Do not disappoint me."

I can’t tell him about my father. If I do and what he said is true… he'll know. He will find out that I’ve given information to someone else even after his threats. I don’t know if my bloodline will be enough to save my life.

“Please don’t make me answer that.” I beg.

Shame immediately assaults me. I remember listening to the werewolves the South Continere guards had captured beg, and thinking them pathetic. I can only imagine what Phobos must think.

He narrows his silver eyes in disgust, “Why?”

I bite my lip, teeth scraping over torn skin, “Because I probably won’t live much longer if I do.”

He laughs critically, “Because you will be a rat?” He hums in his throat, “No one can get to you here.”

“That’s not true!” I insist.

I have to make him understand. He has to understand what this would mean for me.

He sighs, “What’s your position in court?” He asks instead.

Another question that I cannot answer without exposing my father. I squeeze my eyes shut as Phobos nods at the guards near Max.

The words tumble out… “I’m Novena’s companion.”

The burning starts immediately.

Phobos tilts his head, “The Liebane doesn’t do half-truths.”

Some emotion on my face makes him grin devilishly, leaning down to rest his chin on his crossed forearms.

“Tell me your secrets Emma.” He whispers in a deep voice near my ear, tickling my cheek with his breath as the burning spreads rapidly, “What’s your position in court?”

The feeling of hopefulness is crashing, my growing anger is as powerful as the fear inside me, “f**k you!” I hiss between my clenched teeth.

Sobbing through the agony as seconds turn into minutes and the pain doesn’t stop. Sweat collects above my trembling lips, across my forehead as I suffer. It’s a different kind of torture having Phobos next to me, watching my face and body tension and shake with the pain he is causing. He has almost a loving look on his face as he allows his gaze to memorise my features. It’s sickening how much he is enjoying this.

“You are doing this to yourself.” He tells me, his lips almost against my ear, almost touching me as he speaks so that only I can hear his words.

The effect is intimate. He wants to be the only one sharing this moment with me, “Give up Emma, no one can last in constant pain. Nobody. Eventually your body will crash.”

“You won’t kill me!” I grin through my pain, faking confidence, pretending at being brave when I don’t feel brave in the least, “because you suspect the same thing I do. So, I suggest you stop this.”

Phobos's face flashes an emotion other than boredom, indifference and smugness. He is genuinely surprised. Then annoyance. Finally replaced just as quickly with a stern mask, hiding his emotions from my view. He seems thoughtful as if he is considering what I’ve just said.

“What you are saying might be true,” I can hear the truth he’s hiding in his words, “but the serum doesn’t work like that. It won’t stop until you speak the truth of what you lied about.”

I can feel my face heating in rage, sweat running lines down my cheeks, into my hair.

“Fine,” My face crumbles, defeat a bitter pill, “The king uses me to get information from people using my powers. What I did in the throne room was a fluke. My ability is to persuade.” The burning still doesn’t lessen, “And I’m a spy.”

Phobos looks taken aback by my confession. I cry loudly with relief as the pain lessens and then disappears. I feel like I can breathe for the first time with ease.

I groan in torment as he continues without pause, without giving me a moment to catch my breath or clear my thoughts, “Are you working for the Valglarians? Who do you report to?” He asks, standing at his full height now, eager to hear the rest of what is stored in my head.

I shake my red head at him. Tears shamefully falling. The serum could kill me but so could this, you don’t break under torture and live. I would be useless, worthless. Weak in the eyes of so many. I dig into my energy in desperation. I feel my stores are low, the power running in my blood a light hum instead of a thunderous roar, instead of a swelling storm there is only the traces of what was once there. I have no choice but to try even if it could kill me.

I lock eyes with Phobos, willing him to listen, willing him to obey, “Leave me be.” I say the words slowly.

Each word laced with my energy, my lifeforce. I feel the energy drain immediately, sucking the life out of me. But Phobos only smiles like he knows what I’m trying. My attempt is too weak. Max’s screams fill the air again. At some point the guard gets creative and uses a hot poker. I close my eyes, trying to block him out of my mind, out of my consciousness. Rather him, than me, I tell myself again and again, repeating the words until they leave a bitter taste in my mouth. I realise I’m actually muttering the words, my lips letting them loose into my stone hell.

“Please Emmaline!” Max screams when the guard starts his sixth line, smoke rising from his burning skin.

The smell makes me want to throw up.

“Just tell him what he wants to know! Please!” There is much blood, running to his feet, I can barely look at him. “Please! Please!” He screams.

I must be a monster to listen and do nothing.

No, Phobos is the monster.

“You can stop Phobos.” I say, my voice sounding weak and pitifully. Resigning to my fate, “I’m a double agent. I reported to King Tabias when he lived, and I reported to my father when I was still in the South, he controls the spies for their king. He is the spy master.”

He seems satisfied, “Thank you for your honesty, Emmaline.”

"My honesty will be the death of me." I say.

He chuckles as if this is all a joke, as if I have said something funny, "Don't be so morbid."

I breathe a sigh of relief. Let it be over, let me be done. I cannot help the mercy cries to my father’s Gods. If they are truly out there, listening, let them hear me. Please. Then Phobos saunters over to where Max is pinned, bleeding, skin burning. The smell rotting in the windowless room. Phobos draws his sword to my horror as a scream catches in my throat.

His smile stops my heart, “Are you watching?” He asks before letting the sword swing, cutting off Max’s head with a terrible sound. It falls to the floor.