Blessed by Sapphires (A Dance with Destiny Book 2) (37 page)

Chapter 44

Shabriri

(shah-BREE-ree)

I woke, chained by invisible magic to the stone slab my Guardian brother lay silent upon. I dared not speak, guarding my thoughts fiercely. I ran my trembling hand up Vittorio’s unmoving form until I found his beautiful face. His strong brow was furrowed, yet eyelashes tickled my palms, squelching my growing fears.

“You live.”

Only his eyelids fluttered in response to my words. His tongue remained frozen with the rest of his body.

“I will see you free, this I swear. No matter what happens, no matter what you hear… When the spell upon you is broken, get back any way you can to Vanahirdem and see yourself healed.”

His eyelids gave no response.

“Swear it,” I whispered, demandingly.

Ever so slowly, I felt his lashes close and open again, only once.

“Vittorio, my love, you
must
do this thing. You must promise to live. Live for me if not for yourself. I will gladly and willingly pay
any
price, but only if I know you’re safe. Reassure me now, my most beautiful of brothers, for I do not possess the strength to see this through on my own. I must borrow my will from you, dear one. Do you understand? You must do what I beg of you. If you do not escape, my sacrifice will be for naught.”

His lashes fluttered against my palm once more.

“Gratitude, sweet warrior. Your promise gives me the strength I did not possess to face what I must. If you vow now to live for me, then I swear to you, Brother… I will stay alive until the day you hold me in your arms once more as we dance under our waterfall. I promise to live for the day when my vision is returned and I can look upon your face, your most beautiful face, as you steal a kiss from me proper. I want to see the look in your eyes when I punch you. No matter what happens to me, Vittorio, I have no choice but to live through it. Promise me you will move heaven and hell to make it back to Vanahirdem. For when I return, I may be alive, but I will be broken… horribly broken. That’s when I’ll need you, Brother, and only you. We are the same, you and I. You must live today so you will be able to mend me tomorrow.”

I kissed his unresponsive lips and wrapped my tethered arms around him as far as I could. When I felt his hot tears against my cheek, I squeezed him harder.

“I love you, and I know you love me more. I don’t have to hear the words with my ears… I feel them in my soul.”

I kissed him once more and sat down upon the filthy ground, trying to assess a formidable strategy. My guarded mind raced through the scrolls Valadrog had laid out before me. Every demon, every realm, every vile detail flashed through my desperate mind.

What did he say? Shabriri… Shabriri… Now I remember! He is Shabriri, demon god of blindness, twin brother to his sister Shibta, demoness of disease and plague. Oh no, demon of blindness… That’s what he meant—

“What did I mean, little one? What’s your fragile mind trying so futilely to hide from me? Do you think I will underestimate you again? No, my love. I will not be at ease with you anymore. You can only move now because I allow it to be so. Soon, the walls in your mind will bow before me and I will gain complete control of it as well. You have much to look forward to, dear one. Before I am done, you will beg for my arms to embrace you, for my lips to caress you. You’ll even long for the pain you know I will bring you. You will mount me of your own accord and curse the name of your helplessly chained dark husband.” He laughed, wickedly so.

“Lies. It will all be lies.”

“Perhaps, but you will
think
them truths. You will believe you love me. That’s all that matters.”

“You would want a woman to
think
she loves you? You would rather lie to your own heart?”

“Heart?” He laughed hysterically. “Heart? I have no heart, child. Have you not been paying attention? I have no heart. Neither do I have a soul. With no heart and no soul, there can never be things such as love nor compassion, understanding nor mercy.”

“Oh, but you
do
have a soul,” I hissed. “Deny it all you want. It may be black and it may be putrid, but you have a soul. Your vile sister’s wouldn’t be writhing in the bottomless pit of hell if this were not true.”

I never sensed his movements, but his hand around my throat was instantly apparent.

“I shall have to teach you to hold that fiery little tongue of yours. Which would you prefer? Punishment until submission, or shall I just cut it out of your impudent little mouth?”

Cut it out if you think it’ll do you any good. But you will never escape my words. I will scream them at you with my mind for all eternity!

“We shall see.”

His lips burned like fire. I tried to pull away but he held me there. Such power I had never conceived. His forked tongue forced my lips apart. I gagged from the horrid violation.

His desire was obvious and his breathing was labored when next he spoke.

“I will wait no longer for Apollyon’s response. I will have you for the first time, now. It won’t diminish your worth to him. I will refrain from damaging your flesh too badly. But I
will
know you.”

Shabriri grabbed my ankles, pulling me flat upon the ground until my tethered wrists caught and I could go no further. I heard the muffled grunts of my imprisoned brother, but there was no way he could stop this demon. I had pushed him too far and he would exact his pound of flesh in return. I tried to fight, but with my wings pinned behind me, my hands tied to the stone, and the powerful demon holding tight my ankles, I could do little more than squirm… and speak.

“If you do this, you will lose any hope of ever seeing your sister again. I gave a vow to my husband and I have not broken it. If you violate me, Apollyon’s wrath will
not
be quenched.”

The demon heeded me not. I shivered from his vile touch, even cried out, pleading with him to stop when his disgusting tongue began exploring my trembling body.

“Please, God… Help me,” I whimpered.

“God cannot hear you in Spadroon. But your cries turn me on all the more. Continue, please. I love the little noises you make. My mouth’s watering just thinking about all the delicious sounds you will compose in but a few moments.”

From then on, I kept my prayers within the fortress of my mind as I continually begged for mercy. Shabriri spread my legs and pressed his weight upon me as my tears flowed back, soaking my hair. Vittorio grunted and struggled, but there was no hope left to stop this demonic violation.

I quit struggling and tried to concentrate on something beautiful, anything at all. I saw the dainty pink roses covering our tiny cottage. I saw the magical cove Vittorio had gifted me. I even saw the beautiful gemstone streets I’d envisioned in hell. I saw Vybius’s magical amethyst eyes, and then Vindicus’s bright azure hair and warm, loving smile. I relaxed.

This was but one moment in time, then it would pass. But these pleasant things would remain with me forever. When Shabriri bit down upon my neck, I forced myself to delve deeper within. I heard Valadrog’s booming voice as it mellowed out while trying to impress upon me the history of demonology. I started repeating his words aloud as they returned to my memory.

“Shabriri… briri… riri… iri… ri.”

He gasped. “What did you say?”

“Jenevier Olesia Embarr, daughter of God and of man, I have been warned… Beware of Shabriri—Shabriri… briri… riri… iri… ri!”

I shouted the incantation with all my might. The demon hissed, drawing back for but a heartbeat. The ground beneath me rumbled and my tethers snapped. He leapt upon me, pinning me down once more.

“I
will
have you!” he hissed.

I fought him and scratched him and kicked at him.

“Shabriri… briri… riri…iri… ri, I bind thee within thy watery trap, my sight you will not steal. From your dazzling gaze let me be wrapped, from your blight I will be healed.”

I will never forget the grating sound of his long horns scraping against the granite I’d been shackled to… it rattled in my teeth, caused my very bones to quiver.

The demon’s roar was deafening as he fought my spell and withstood my slashing blows. Holding still my hips with his clawed hands, he was determined to accomplish his loathsome quest.

First, I felt extreme heat on my face. Then a rumbling beneath, growing louder. Dust filled the air, choking me.

I heard Vittorio’s mighty growl as
his
spell was broken. He leapt upon my tormentor, knocking him off me. I rolled onto my side, coughing and gasping for air. The heat intensified as if a raging fire were only inches from my face. I could hear Vittorio and Shabriri wrestling on the ground, snarling and snapping and biting.

I got to my knees, crawling away from the raging inferno I couldn’t see… and the mighty battle I couldn’t help but hear.

Oh, Vittorio.
My heart wept…

I reached for the feathered pinions, scooped them up, holding them tight against my chest. The cacophony of horrific sounds was overwhelming. I could no longer distinguish one from the other. I buried my face in my brother’s silky wings, rocking back and forth on my heels as I released control and cried my eyes out. My strength and rage were gone, the demon had drained them from me… broken me. I sat upon the ground now, a scared little girl again.

“My love?”

I felt the gentle hands upon my shoulder and heard the soothing voice near my ear. I smiled at the comforting memory.

“My love? Anicee, can you not hear me?”

“Yes, dear husband. I can hear you.”

“Are you well? Did he hurt you?”

I could hear the tears in his voice and I wished nothing more than to look upon his perfect face.

“He tried to hurt me, but I promised you… I promised not to betray you.”

“You could never betray me, loveliest of Angels. Now, come with me.”

“If only it were so… I should never have left you. If I have the chance again, I will cleave to your side and you will never be free of me.” I laughed through my tears. “You would tire of me being constantly underfoot.”

“I could never tire of you, my beautiful Anicee. I’m only sorry I couldn’t come to you sooner. Will you not stand? Can you not? Are you injured, my love?”

“I-I can st-stand.”

He laughed. “Why is it when I’m near you, your tongue forgets its duty?”

“Near me?”

I slowly stretched forth one trembling, bloodied hand toward the voice that could not possibly be real, could not possibly be
here
, and felt the silky metallic hair of an Angel.

“Vindicus? Are you real?”

He laughed. “There are legions upon legions who wish it were not so. But, yes. Yes, I’m real, my love. I have come for you. Now, take my hand and let us leave this place.”

He took hold of me, helped me stand. I willingly followed him. Dream or no, this was better than anything I could have possibly hoped for.

“If I am dreaming, may I never wake,” I whispered.

“If this be a dream, then I am blessed beyond measure to spend it with you.”

I halted my feet, pulling back against the tugging on my arm.

“What about Vittorio? I won’t leave without him. If he remains, then so do I. Dream or no, I will never leave my treasured brother.”

“If I were a wise man, I would leave him to rot simply because he loves you too much, and I am an
exceedingly
jealous creature. But I am neither wise nor am I a man. So I will take him with us.”

“Aye, wee rabbit,” Vittorio rasped.

My giant Guardian was already draped across the Hell Prince’s shoulder. His voice was like sweet music to my ears.

“Ahh, beautiful brother.” I smiled. “I love you.”

“Aye, an’ I love ye more.”

“And that will be the last I wish to hear upon the subject,” Vindicus said through a growl. “Jenevier, hold tightly to me and be careful. The ground is uneven here.”

Honestly, I still wasn’t sure if this was real or if my mind had simply snapped and I went where my heart was… while my body still lay upon that filthy ground being mounted by the Demon of Blindness. I held tight to my brother’s mangled wings, buried my nose in them because they
were
real. I could trust that fact.

“Vindicus?”

“Yes, my love?”

“I don’t understand how you’re here. How is it you are freed from hell? I do not wish to shatter the dream, but I’m struggling with the reality of it.”

“I know you are. I promise to explain everything when I have you safely back in Vanahirdem.”

“In Vanahirdem? So… you’re leaving me again?”

I only received silence as his answer.

“Vindicus, I don’t belong there. I am too changed, too different. I went back to Ashgard, but I’m even
more
out of place there. I can find nowhere to call home, nowhere I can be normal and happy.”