Torment (Craving 2)

I stopped struggling. I knew at that moment he had the upper hand and decided, perhaps if I cooperated, I might, in fact, learn something helpful. I looked up at him and said, “Okay then.”

He laughed out loud and said as he carried me into the portal, “Good girl, damn, but I like you.”

We traveled together through what appeared to be a black hole, and it was damned uncomfortable.

I couldn’t move even if I wanted to, and the reason for that was this portal was made of Black Magic, a magic that would not sustain life for very long.

I was frozen, literally frozen, from the top of my head to my toes, encased in blue ice. I don’t think I have ever known such cold. Being immortal means I can live that way for a very long time—I think. But the pain of being frozen was, at first, excruciating until I felt numb.

Oddly enough, though my body couldn’t shiver, my teeth clattered against each other with a force that worried me. I don’t know enough about being immortal, being a magical being! I had so much to learn. Whatever made me think I could go up against an ancient vampire…vampires, and an immortal Dark Warlock? I am an idiot.

Beyland stepped out of the portal and set me on my frozen feet. The blue ice still held me in place.

He laughed and flicked a finger over himself. I noted with interest how he was not encased in blue ice like I was. Huh? He must have spelled himself to travel freely somehow. Nice trick, and one I needed to learn.

His little demon guards followed. They, too, were not encased in ice. I figured since they are Red Demons, their fiery temperatures protected them.

He immediately dismissed them, and I watched as they marched obediently out of the dimly lit, windowless room.

“Shall I allow you to unfreeze slowly on your own while I call for tea?”

I went into my Shama and found what I needed. I immediately dispelled the ice with a thought. Proud of myself, I stood with my arms crossed, dry and free of wet ice.

He laughed. “Very good, Bobbie Skye, very good. You are young, and if I allow you to live, you will be a great force one day.”

“Never mind that, where are we and why did you bring me here?” I get to the point all the while taking in my surroundings. The room had one table and a few chairs, nothing else.

“No sense dilly-dallying with small talk,” he said, and gave me a wink. “Oh, I do like you. I haven’t been so entertained in decades. Not in two decades, in fact. You see, your grandmother and I…bantered with one another quite a bit throughout our stormy relationship.”

Something about the way he said that made me uneasy. Why did he keep bringing up my grandmother? Damn, was he trying to tell me they were lovers? A sick feeling entered my stomach.

“Ah, I see from your expression you are…shall we say, confused,” Beyland said. “Very well, before we get down to business, I will allow you to ask me a few questions. You may start with anything you would like to know, but I don’t promise to give you an answer if I don’t like the question. However, take solace in the fact that I don’t lie. What I do answer will always be the truth—another reason your grandmother and I got on so well. She was always truthful with me.” He took a step back and removed his black cloak. Beneath the cloak he wore a black silk shirt with a high collar trimmed in gold, black jeans, and black boots. The gold hilt of a dagger protruded from the sheath that clothed the blade. The dagger was infused with Dark Magic and I could feel its pulse. Everything about him threatened death.

“Did you have something to do with my grandmother’s death?” I asked as my opening question.

“I regret to say that I did, though I did not realize Allora would kill her. In fact, had I known Allora’s intentions, I would never have put Lisa in Allora’s path. I curse that day,” he said, and something about his tone, about the glint in his dark eyes made me believe him.

“So, you were the one who told Allora about my grandmother?”

“Indeed, I was.” He actually looked away.

I shook my head. “Don’t pretend to care. You are a Dark Warlock…without a shred of love in you.”

“Don’t be so foolish as to think Dark Power obliterates emotions. My power comes from deep within. My power is unassailable and still, I was able and did love strongly.”

“But you gave my grandmother over to Allora!” I shouted as my hands formed fists at my sides.

“I did…you see, I was angry with Lisa at the time. I thought if she had to help Allora, it would hurt her to do so, and I wanted, at that moment in time, to hurt her…as she had hurt me.”

I closed my eyes and when they snapped open I yelled, “Could you have stopped Allora? Didn’t you know what Allora was?”

“I had no idea Allora would kill her, saw no reason for her to do so and incur my wrath. I didn’t even know what happened until months afterwards when my search for Lisa made me realize I could no longer feel her essence in the atmosphere.” He shook his head. “I confronted Allora…and found out my Lisa was gone forever.”

“Your Lisa?” I was furious now. “And you didn’t even try to punish Allora?” I demanded.

“Ah, it has only been twenty-two years, and in that time, I have caused Allora a great deal of pain. I have undermined her goals at every stage. You cannot know the evil I am capable of. I don’t want her dead. I want her to suffer for years until the moment I end her. Until now, I did not find a way for that ultimate torment.”

“Until now?”