DESCENDANTS (THE DESCENDANTS SAGA) (6 page)

-11-

“H
ello Mari, Sugoi, to what do I owe this pleasure?” Sollara asked.

Mari lost her outward projection of calm and snapped at the girl. “Listen, you smug little vixen. If we want to come talk to you, we will come talk to you! Stop acting all high and mighty. You are nothing. In fact, you are less than nothing!”

Sugoi picked up where she left off. He stomped over to the girl, yanked her hair and forced her to her knees in front of Mari.

“You will apologize to Mari, you insolent little brat,” he growled. Sollara twisted her face in pain but refused to show weakness by crying. This only acted to fuel Mari’s rage towards her. Sugoi started to laugh, and Mari allowed herself the pleasure of releasing her feelings by kicking Sollara in the stomach. She doubled over and started to heave, her hands wrapping around her middle. The sight of the girl hurting made Mari feel invincible. Sugoi forced her upright by her hair and pulled so hard that her scalp started to bleed. The smell of her blood threw them further into their frenzy.

Mari began pacing back and forth, trying to clear her mind. She normally was a bully, it suited her, and she figured there was no reason to stop her habits now.

She slowly turned to get a better look at Sollara. The girl did not cower but firmly held her stare. Breaking her was going to be tougher than Mari had thought. The challenge would make for a fun game
, a
game that desperately excited her.

“Sollara,
child
, do you know that I am not your mother?”

“Yes, I know. I always figured I was better than you! I couldn't imagin
e being born of your filth!” the girl
boldly spat.

Her response took Mari aback, and for a moment she was speechless. Sugoi, however, reacted and lunged forward, punching her in the shoulder. They could hear the sound of popping bones, and it frantically energized them. Mari wanted more; she wanted Sollara to suffer.

“Sugoi, darling, why don't you tell the little wench about her mother and father?”

He smiled at Mari, fully willing to play her games. Then he bent down and put his face as close as he could to Sollara’s
.

“You see Sollara, right after I finished torturing your mother in front of your dying father….” he paused to let her soak in what he had just said. “Don't worry, I made sure to make his last image of her one he wouldn’t forget, even in the afterlife. An added bonus is that the whole time Mari was there, and she held you to her chest just to deepen your mother's pain. Yes that is right, your mother could watch her husband die and her child embrace the bosom of her enemy
—
all the while being brought into the throes of death by me.” He grinned while his memories took him back to that time.

Sugoi continued, “Where was I? Oh right, after I finished with her... I told her I was going to kill her and I was going to take you and raise you to be my own. Your mother screamed your name with her last breath as I cut her throat.” Sugoi began laughing maniacally. The horror of what Sollara had been told overwhelmed her and made her physically ill. She bent forward and vomited all over Sugoi. She smiled at his look of disgust
—
that was the wrong thing to do. Sugoi smashed her face down into the ground.

“Rip her blouse from her Sugoi and use it to clean that filth off her face. I can't have the smell of her bile ruin my tasty snack,” Mari growled.

He did as commanded and tore Sollara’s blouse off her, leaving her
undergarments
exposed. Her precious body was covered in new bruises and smelling of vomit. She used all her strength in a last moment of defiance and pushed herself up off the floor onto her feet. The child was starting to get on their nerves.

“Enough of this!” Mari screamed as she outwardly forced a wave of energy towards Sollara. The wave hit her and pinned her to the wall, her feet hanging about a foot off the ground. Sauntering over to the girl, Mari stood glaring into her eyes, focusing on every feeling of hate that she had for her, hoping that it would be displayed in her glare. Then in a last moment of defiance, Sollara spat in her face.

With calculated calmness, Mari wiped the spit off her face and forced Sollara’s head back. With her mucous and saliva covered hand, she covered the girl’s mouth and nose making sure to equally distribute the saliva back to its source. She then pulled out Alexander's dagger, and with grace and fluidity, sliced Sollara’s throat.

Sollara’s eyes widened with shock before they rolled back into her head. The smell of her blood began to overpower Mari and Sugoi’s senses. Mari had to leave for fear she would suckle her dry. So she let go of her and let the girl’s broken body slump to the floor. Looking down she watched the blood ooze from Sollara’s throat and blend nicely with the color of her hair.

-12-

O
n their way back to Mari’s chambers, they came upon one of the waiting maids. “Go get Asima and one of the other slave girls. I want all her blood drained and stored in bowls. When you are done, bring it to my chambers. I do not want one drop spilled
—
do you understand me? And do it now!” she ordered.

Soon they were back in her chambers, and Mari flopped down on the animal skinned couch next to Sugoi.

“Well darling, we are done with that child and soon we will be held above all of the other Descendants, and I will be resting on the seat of Empowerment. With you by my side, immortality will nev
er taste so good,” Mari beamed.

By the way she was talking, he knew he had proven himself. Acting on his new-found delight, Sugoi licked remnants of Sollara's blood off Mari’s neck and then seductively licked his lips, telling her with his actions what his desires for her were.

“For one who is fewer in years than us, her blood has nicely ripened. I think I will enjoy supper tonight,” he smirked.

“I have never been so wanting,” she whispered in his ear.

Mari ripped the shirt off him and starting kissing his body. He soon mirrored her heightened need for passion and took her on the couch. His hands crawled over her skin, clamping firmly on her delicate flesh. He dragged his teeth across her shoulder causing small red lines to appear. Their new sense of power brought forth dark and twisted emotions. They did not want the power that killing Sollara had given them to fade. So instead, they took it out on each other; to them the pain was worth it. It made them feel alive and invincible.

Normally he avoided being with Mari at all costs. Rather, he freely offered himself to the servant girls. But this was different
—
this time he wanted her. They ravaged each other, not caring if they drew blood or left bruises.

It was their second hour into making love when they heard a knock on the door. Mari tried to ignore it at first, but whoever it was, was persistent.

“What do you want? Can you not see the door is closed?” Mari pushed Sugoi off of her and sat up.

“I am sorry my lady, but we have a problem,” the servant girl whispered.

It was obvious by her shaky voice that whoever was at the door was scared, and for good reason. Mari was not in the mood to be interrupted.

“Stop talking like a mouse and spit it out! It had better be good if you want to keep your head,” she snarled.

“Yes, my lady... it is Sollara. Well you see… that's the problem. It's not Sollara. I couldn’t find Asima like you told me to, so I took two others with me, and when we got to the room where you told me I would find Sollara – we found Asima instead, bled out on the floor! And then, just as I was on my way to see you, Asima’s body shifted, and her form changed. Someone I do not recognize lies dead in Sollara's room,” she blurted as she paced back and forth before Mari’s door.

“It can’t be!
” Mari screamed. Crawling off the bed, she threw on her robe and was out the door in mere seconds. She pushed past the shaky girl and ran towards Sollara’s chambers. Sugoi quickly followed after her.

Mari pushed open the door and barged in. She could not believe what was before her. The lifeless body, slumped in a pool of blood on the floor, was in fact not Sollara.

“But this can't be! I saw her die! I was the one who slit her very throat! How can this be
, Sugoi?” She couldn't breathe
—
dreams of immortality were slipping beyond her grasp.
Sugoi did not answer. He went over to the corpse and turned it over so they could see the face. Mari gasped and Sugoi stood with his mouth gaping as they looked upon an unexpected face. It seemed like forever before he got up the nerve to speak.

“It's Aurora!” He turned to the slave girl for clarification. “When you entered the room you said it was Asima here, are you certain?”

“Yes, my Lord, we could see her face plainly. It was not until she shifted that she
convulsed into that position.
It was very scary my Lord. I have never seen anything like that.”

Mari finally understood. “It has been Aurora, hidden in form as Asima, all these years,” she panted, her breath was still not coming easily. “Where is the child?” No one heard her. “Where is the child?” she yelled. She started to hyperventilate and collapsed on the floor. Sugoi rushed to her side.

“Not all is lost. Aurora is also an Elemental. We can feast on her blood, and we will have the same result.”
She looked up at him, the anger in her eyes displaying that his attempt to calm her did not work.

“We will find that bitch child, and when we do, she is mine!”

-13-

B
efore the meeting of the Descendants and after Asima told Sollara that she had not hurt Lark, Sollara went back to her room and found Lark waiting for her.

“I am so glad to see you, Lark. I thought for sure Asima would have your head.”

The Lark flew over to her and dropped a piece of paper in her lap. She gently unfolded the paper to reveal a note from Asima.

“Sollara,

I have come up with a plan for us to escape. You must trust the Lark. I have told him to take you to where we are going to meet. Trust no one in the Deep Kingdom. Hide whenever you see anyone passing. We have only one chance to live like a family on the Surface. As soon as Lark gives you this letter, you must leave. I have already packed what you will need, and I have placed it in a carry bag under your bed. Remember, all you have is your soul. I love you Sollara. Hurry! -Asima”

She looked from the letter to the Lark and back again. All she could do was stare. She was going to be free. She was going to go back to the Surface. Asima had a plan! It was the most exciting thing that had happened to Sollara since she went to the Surface for that brief moment of bliss. She quickly grabbed her bags from where Asima had hidden them and ran round her room stuffing them full of anything she could get her hands on. She did not pack for practicality, as she was sure Asima had already done that. When she had stuffed her bags to their limit, she exited into the corridor with the Lark flying behind.

“Just a minute, Lark,” she said as she ran into the library. She couldn't bear the thought of leaving her most treasured book, the book about a magical kingdom that was full of mystery. Its words had been like medicine to her soul while she had lived here. Opening her bag, she pulled out a dress and used it to wrap the book. Carefully she shoved it back down into the bag. She also grabbed a handful of golden coins and precious stones that were piled on the table and put those in her bag as well. She didn’t know what would be needed when they got to the Surface, so she wanted to be prepared.

She had been following the Lark for hours and still hadn't breached the mouth of the Deep Kingdom. Until now she had never realized how far under the Surface they were. She wanted to ask Lark how he knew his way. And how was he able to avoid the patrol and the Hellhounds? But she kept quiet, not wanting to make any unnecessary noise. Whenever they did come near to Sugoi and Mari's servants or one of the patrols, they hid in the shadows, and she held her breath until they passed.

After four hours of hiking up what seemed like thousands of stairs, through dark stone passageways, and up the steep limestone inclines, she was exhausted. Her pace started to drag, and Lark was getting nervous. He kept flying behind, trying to encourage her to continue. With each step she took, she wished that they would miraculously come upon a stone pond, but unfortunately that was not an option. Sollara had to take a break
—
she just couldn't
keep
this pace. Leaning against the cold stone wall, she placed her hands on her knees and tried to steady her breathing. The Lark impatiently flew around trying to get her to move.

She didn't notice the sound of the guard's boots against the stone floor until she saw him come around the bend in the corridor.

Terrified, she shoved herself into a shallow crevasse nearby. She barely managed to jump out of the guard’s sight in time. As he walked by her, she could smell the stench of sweat and hear his armor move and shift. Her heart was pounding so fast she was worried he would hear it. He paused. Turned around and came to the spot where she was pressed in between the wall
and the rock. Turning her face. S
he pushed as far as she could deep into the crevasse in hopes he would not see her.

He was just a few feet in front, looking straight into the gap.

He was so close
—
he must see her. She forced herself to hang on to hope. It was dark enough that his position in front of her could just be a strange coincidence
.

But despite her hope, she did not believe in coincidences. Knowing that he must have seen her, she decided to turn herself in, in hopes Mari would go easy on her lashings. She was about to step out of the crevasse and reveal herself, when the guard did the unexpected
—
he dropped his pants.

She was so afraid that a scream made its way to her throat; biting her lips she buried her face in her arm to muffle her cry. He was going to try to do something inappropriate with her, and the thought of it made her sick. She knew that if he forced himself on her, she was too far away from anyone to be heard. She opened her mouth to scream but was silenced by the sudden feeling of warm liquid pouring onto her feet.

When the shock of what was happening finally registered in her mind, she was absolutely repulsed. She couldn’t believe he was actually emptying his bladder. Of all the crevasses she chose to hide in, he had to pick hers to desecrate. Despite her disgust, she was relieved to know that he did not see her.

The humor of the situation made it hard for her not to laugh. As before, she bit her lip and forced her face in her arm to muffle any sound of laughter or gagging that could escape. But the strong smell of urine in a confined space began to burn at her throat. She tried to swallow saliva to stop her pressing need to soothe it. But it was no use. Her body worked against her. Sollara began coughing and could not stop. The guard instantly became aware and noticed her feet.

“Come out of there at once,” he growled

She pressed her body back into the crevasse as far as she could, fear gluing her tight against the stone surface. But it wasn’t far enough, for with ease the guard reached in and grabbed her, yanking her out.

“Well, well, well, Miss Sollara. Hmm
—
should I return you to your parents? Or
—
have my fun with you first?”

“You wouldn't dare! They would have your head!” she snapped, faking a sense of confidence.

Instantly, she realized she had spoken too loudly. The echoes of her threat made their way down the corridor, catching the attention of the other guards. She could hear boots pounding against the stone floor as they headed toward her. Sollara started desperately kicking and screaming, trying to get out of his grasp. She knew her only hope of escape was growing ever smaller with the other guards’ approach.