Beguiled (Book 2 Immortal Essence series) (10 page)

Tortevia roared inside my head.

8.
Virtual Insanity

The walls of
our tomb
shook
,
sending chunks of dirt and rock down on my head. I spread my feet apart for balance.
Readying myself
for whatever Ramien saw fit to throw at me next.

At least that was what I told myself. Until Zaren, Michael, Palmo, Dervinias, and a very pregnant Cheverly appeared.

I closed my
eyes;
worried Ramien
did
something
to trick my mind
. When I opened them, the group was still there
, looking as surprised as me
.

“Are you real?” I ran to Zaren and wrapped my arms aro
und him, feeling for myself
he was solid. And, more importantly,
making sure
he didn’t smell like dried chrysanthemums.

“Venus,” Zaren sig
hed,
relief softening his features. He wrapped
his arms around my waist
.
“I’ve been worried.”

I
fought
the tears stinging my eyes, hugging
Zaren tighter. “I knew you’d find me.”

Zaren huffed. “I’ve been looking.” He moved me out of his embrace, keeping hold of my arms. “But
I have no idea how I got here
.” He looked around the room. “Wherever here is.
One second I
searched
th
e shoreline, the next I was in this room
.” He noticed
Michael. A fierce
resentment
strangled his features. “You. I should’ve known you were involved.” He
went for his sword.

Michael lifted his hands surrender. “Zaren, old buddy. Long time no see.”

“How can you joke at a time like this?” Zaren
snarled
,
each word
filled with exasperation.

“Trust me, it isn’t difficult for him,” Dervinias said. I noticed
he had a
protective arm around a crying Chev.

With Zaren nearby I didn’t go over to Michael. It wouldn’t be fair to either of them. But I was glad to see Michael’s
hazel eyes sparkling with life again
. No blood trickled down his beautiful face. In fact, he looked good as new.

I knew Ramien possessed the ability to alter time, shift reality. Was that what the people in the room were.
A shift, or alteration in time.
Zaren didn’t smell like Ramien. I pinched him.

“
Ouch,” he whispered
. “What was that for?

“
Just m
aking sure you’re you.
”

He pressed his lips to my forehead.

“I’m here, Princess. Always.”

An argument broke out between
Dervinias and Michael. Chev
walked over to a corner, and stood with her large belly facing inward. Palmo looked slightly amused.
Such a child.
And Zaren
searched the exterior wall, calculating
his next move.
A Formytian through and through.

When Ramien appeared, Zaren and I were the only one’s who noticed. His sickly smell preceded him
, which prepared me
. Zaren
rushed to my side, placing
an arm around my shoulders
. We watched as
Ramien
evaluated
the
scene before him
.
His dark eyes
shone
with joy.

He feeds on
suffering. That’s what
Sadraden
said. Was
he
feasting
on their suffering
now
? I turned my gaze to Michael.
If he knew his father
arrived
, he didn’t act like it
.
I worried about what his promise to Ramien was. He said he’d do all Ramien asked. What did that include?

Finally Ramien clapped his hands, the sound like thunder
. The others turned, noticing him for the first time
. “Settle down, lovelies.
It’s time to start the party.
”

“Who the hell are you and what are we doing here?” Dervinias asked, getting in Ramien’s face.

Ramien’s features hardened. He obviously didn’t like to be
challenged
. A strangled cry came from Dervinias and he went down
, his hands and knees slapping against the dirt floor
. Chev noticed and ran to him.

Zaren drew his sword, but remained by my side, cautious as ever.

“Vinny? Vinny? What’s the matter?”

The
skin
under
Chev’s eyes
was
dark
, her hands covered in bruises. Was Dervinias beating Chev? If
he was
, he could rot here for all I cared. In fact, I figured he could rot here anyway. He’d killed Michael’s mother, and who knew how many others. Staying here
an
eternity would be
easy compared to what he really deserved. Death. A
nauseous
thought spread through me as I thought about Ramien torturing his soul.

But what about Chev?
How was she here?
Why
was she here?
And with Dervinias?
And w
hy did she look so pregnant? It had
onl
y been six weeks since I left E
arth. By the size of her stomach, it
appeared as though she’d
give birth
any moment.

Ramien stopped doing whatever
he did
to Dervinias. The
blond
kelvieri
gagged, rolling onto his back,
gasping for breath.
He looked s
tunned. Served him right.

Chev cradled
Dervinias’s head, stroking his brow with her fingers
.

Michael watched Chev with curiosity, but I didn’t see any jealousy. He probably wondered why she was
t
here as well. Was she not
a
human either?
A random thought flitted through my mind. How many humans were actually
human
?
A crazy notion.

“Thank you all for coming,” Ramien began
, pulling me out of my thoughts
.

“Like we had a choice,” I snorted. Ramien glanced my direction and I clamped my mouth shut.

“You are in Helker.” He glanced pointedly at Cheverly. “You’re no longer on Earth, my dear.” He drew in a deep breath. “I smell the humanness of
you. But you’ve been altered, you’ve been . . .
” Ramien’s eyes lit up in surprise. “Dervinias, you sly traitor, she’s carrying a child which stinks of you.”

The
rest of us
gasp
ed
.

“
She shouldn’t be alive
,” Zaren interjected
. “A
normal
human would die during
intercourse
.”

Ramien nodded. “Yes. Yes.” He clapped his hands again. “This is impressive
, a most unique situation
.”

I glared at De
rvinias. “It’s the one
law of the Universe, you arrogant al
ien. We aren’t to mate with
species of other planets.” Zaren gave my shoulders a squeeze
.

Tears filled Chev’s eyes, but I saw she knew I spoke the truth.
I wasn’t
nearly
done
with Dervinias
. “I guess rules mean nothing to you though, right? You’re too good f
or them? Is that why you killed . . .
” I paused and
regarded
Michael. His jaw was clenched in anger. With a
frustrated
sigh, I shut up.

“S
o full of righteous indignation, dear girl. You must be exhausted.” Ramien chuckled maliciously. “What do you suggest we do with him?”

I grumbled u
nder my breath
.

“
Intriguing,” he
nodded. “
Don’t worry. D
ervinias will get what’s coming
to him
.” His smiled turned cruel. Dervinias looked like he wanted to say something, but he didn’t.

“
You’re all here for a reason
,” Ramien went on to the group though he still focused on me. “What those reasons may be is my concern. Figuring them out
might save
your lives though.
”
He stepped closer
. Zaren placed himself in my path, but
Ramien flung him away like he was nothing more than an irritating gnat.
His Ostwallow sword clanged to the ground.

“Zaren,” I whispered, but kept my
attention on the monster
.

“You
made
a deal. Agreed to my terms,
”
Ramien
said forcefully.

“
Let them go.
I didn’t agree to this.
” I
indicated the others in the room.

Ramien’s face softened slightly. “Had you known the terms beforehand, would you have disagreed? Your parents’ souls
would remain in Helker. So would Sadraden’s. Could you enjoy your life
above
knowing they were in Helker succumbing to gods know what at my hand.” He smirked. “
These . . . guests I accumulated as part of our game.”
He pointed to Zaren, Michael, and Cheverly. Palmo and Dervinias. “
And
your sister, Amberlee. She’s close to becoming mine. I can smell her
.

“I get it,” I shouted
, forcing down the bile rising in my throat.
Then lowering my voice, I continued, “
But I don’t understand it. What do you hope to gain by me becoming your wife? I’ll never love you.”

“
Love is such a mortal word. I have my reasons for desiring you.”
Ramien brushed his cold fingers against my cheek.
I froze, disgusted by his innuendo.

“It’s about sex?”
I was shocked. Sickened too, but mostly shocked. “You’d hurt those I love for-for sex with me?”

He burst out laughing. “I’m sure I
will
t
ake great pleasure in your body.
” Michael darted f
orward, but Ramien held him off
with the flick of
his wrist.
“We’ve already been through this Michael. Do not try my patience again.” Michael stopped, leaning heavily against a wall, his eyes closed. The ferether went on,
“
It’s more
. Much more.”

Ramien
moved so everyone could see him
. In a voice loud enough for everyone to hear, he said, “The terms
of our contract
have changed. If you want your parents to leave Helker, you must become my
wife,
and
complete three tasks.”
Then he gave me a pointed look. “I can’t guarantee everyone
in this group
will live. The blood of a kelvieri is like nectar to some of the
beasts
down here.”

I thought of the spider-like
insects
I saw
in the Room of Souls, their milky eyes, and the clicking of their fangs.
“No, please. I
’ve
agree
d
to become your wife.
I agreed.
”

Ramien held up a hand. “Silence!”

A nervous hush fell over the group.

Ramien
placed a hand on my shoulder. I tried to push it off, slap him, or grab Zaren’s Ostwallow sword and use it to cut
Ramien
to pieces, but I was no longer in control of my body.
Ramien took me over—again. And i
t was really starting to piss me
off.

Like a puppet on strings, he moved me so I stood directly in front of him.

“
Of course you
did
,”
Ramien
cooed. H
is putrid breath blew against my cheeks
.
I wanted to ga
g, but my body wouldn’t respond.

“
And o
nce you
decided
,” he went on, “you became mine, and I can
do
anything or make you
do
anything I want.
I thought I already proved this point. But, perhaps I should let the others see the control I have.
”
To
demonstrate
, he forced my hands to touch his chest, making them
slowly
glide
toward his
pants. I heard
Zaren fight
to get to me, but Ramien held hi
m
off
. When my hands reached his waist, he
made
me wrap my arms around him so my body pressed against his. He turned my face upward, and smirked. “Anything I want.”