11 Chapter 11 (1/2)
Lilith was instantly down at my side. ”Jaycie. Jaycie, are you okay?” After a couple of seconds, the pain that shot up my leg is gone, I am breathing hard. ”Jaycie, what happened?” Lilith asked. There is genuine concern in her eyes. She looks worried for me. ”What the hell was that?” I look around. The eight other girls are staring at me. The one guard that had been nice is looking behind me, towards the dead-end hall. There are two more at the far end who are making there way toward me. I look behind me, and there he stood. Daren was staring down at me, with a wide smirk on his face.
In his hand he had some sort of contraption. It was a small and black. It was some sort of spring-loaded device that would shoot something out of it. I look at my leg and there is a red disk on my calf. All around it was red as well. I feel my anger consume me. This had only happened to me three times in my whole life. I turned into someone completely different. And every person who had made me get this mad, died the same day. I turned into a stone-cold killer. Nothing could stop me. Not even Wilker.
”Oh, Jaycie. I didn't even see you there. I was just looking for the boss. I wanted to show him my newest device. I guess it works better than I thought it did.” He is speaking as if it was an accident, but I automatically knew it wasn't. I stand up, wiping the red thing off my leg, using my powers to soothe it. The guard took a step towards me. ”Ma'am, why don't you leave?” He asks. I just shoved him back, grabbing his sword expertly. He had been standing with it away from me, but I was an assassin. I knew how to get it. ”If you don't want to die, I suggest you back off.” I say to the guard. Then I turn back to Daren. He is still rambling on about his mistake.
He notices the sword in my hand and pales slightly. ”Put that down before I send you back to the mirror room.” He says to me. I keep walking towards him. One step at a time. My face is completely blank. My steps equal, each one taking me forward enough to make him go backward. ”Jaycie, stand down. Now.” He said. I hear a guard coming up behind me, and I swipe the sword back without looking. I hear the guard fall to the floor, and the light splatter that hits my calves tells me he is dead. ”What's wrong Daren? Are you scared?” I ask. My voice it cold, not anything like it usually is. ”Jaycie. Last chance.” He says.
I give him a smile that had literally made grown men run from me. ”I didn't need a first one. You are already dead.” I say. Then I lunge. He blocks the sword that is coming at him with his arm. I feel my blade sink into it and he yells out. I pull if out and go for his neck again. He blocks this one with his hand. The blade sinks into his palm and comes out drenched in red. I keep sinking my blade towards his neck, and he keeps dodging and blocking with his arms, which are in streamers.
This last attack from him brought me out of the fear I was in from the mirror room. I couldn't stop attacking. I couldn't stop my blade from striking. I am about to bring my blade down when I feel the cool bite of steel against me neck. The point of a single bladed sword is pressed against the back of my neck. I laugh. This is any easy attack to make, but you have to know how to follow through. This guard obviously didn't. ”That attack did nothing for you.” I say. Then I spin, the point scratches my neck, but doesn't cut it. I duck under the blade as they try to hit me. The hilt of my blade hits the guard in the knee, shattering it, then my blade ends up in his heart, hilling him.
When I stand back up, I spear Daren in the gut. He gasps out. Then falls to his knees. ”You...you...” He is at a lose of words. Blood is spilling out. I smile down at him. ”You should have steered clear of me.” I say. He growls lightly at me. ”I hope you go to hell.” He says. I smirk and kneel next to him. ”Want to know a little secret?” I bring my head down to his ear so only he can hear me. ”I have already become the queen of that realm. They are just waiting for me to get there. And when I do, I will kill you again.” I stand up and fear glazes his eyes, then they lose their life.
Next thing I know, hands grab me. My arms are being pulled back, but I only stare at Daren. When I realize why I am being pulled back, my stone-cold killer falls. I look around as if just coming back to where I am. Then I pale. I had let it take over again. I struggle against the hands, but a needle enters my neck, and my head falls back, as I go unconscious. When I wake up, I am back in the mirror room. My fear immediately starts to cover me. I start shaking and pulling at the shackles. It only takes a few minutes for me to start screaming. After a few minutes, I catch my composure. I stop moving, stop screaming, force myself to stop shaking. I force myself to calm down.
I stay like this as long as I can, then I hold my breath and slow my heartbeat until I feel myself fall in sweet oblivion. It is a weak move, but I can't stay awake in this room. When I wake up, I am still in here. I hold my composure for as long as I can before I break down. To many memories come up. The first time I blew up, and about killed Wilker, because he tried to stop me from going after the one who caused it. Having to watch Lavren die. Almost dying at Zachery's hands. Everything. I am crying, screaming, shaking, fighting the binds. I yell until my vice goes hoarse. Until I can't speak any more.
This is how I spend the next however long. When I can't stand the staring, I just make myself pass out. Every now and then, my parched throat is no longer dry when I wake up. After a while, I can feel my stomach aching in hunger. Eventually, I can't make myself pass out any longer. I am forced to stay awake. I can only fall asleep when my body needs the sleep. After however long they wanted me to be in here passed, I hear the door open. It was in front of me this time. They did that to make sure I never knew were the door was.
It was the guard who had been nice to me. The one I didn't kill. He came and crouched in front of me. ”It is time for you to get back to work. They have some very important guests.” I don't look up, don't acknowledge him at all. He unlocks the cuffs, and whispers something to me. ”I need you to get up and go into the hall. After that, I can help you.” I flinch from him then wince as my muscles yell at me. ”It's okay.” He says. He steps back and says, ”Stand up.”
I force my legs up. I wobble and start to fall, but he comes close enough for me to grab onto his arm. Then we walk out the door, and into the hall. He closes the door, then puts his hands on my shoulders, the joint were my arms connect. I try and pull away, but he says, ”I won't hurt you. You are okay for now.” I feel powers run through my soothingly. My shoulders relax, and slowly, he let's his hands go down my arms, soothing all the muscles. Then he works my back. I don't say anything, and he just works his magic, literally. When he finishes my back he says, ”I suggest you do your leg muscles before you have to go to the reception room.”
I heal the cramped muscles, them turn to him ”Why are you being so nice?” I see pain flash in his eyes. ”My daughter use to be in your place. She died because one of the guards got to...rough with her.” He turned from me and walked off. I followed, though my legs were still slightly wobbly, so it took me slightly longer. When we got to the door, I was staring at the floor. Xalem quickly said, ”Sit down. I will talk to you when they leave. Don't get up, of look up. You know the rules. Trust me, you don't want to break them.”
Without so much as making a single comment, I kneel, sit, fold my hands in my lap, and stare at the ground. I am siting there for only a minute before the guests walk in. I can hardly see them. One is taller, I see a hint of black hair. He walks with the confidence I use to walk with. I see the glint of blades at his side. The boy next to him looks kind of farmillar, but I can't tell who it is because my line of vision ends. They walk up to Xalem and start talking about a deal.
They are planning on taking someone hostage. Someone important named Prince Azeel. Xalem is holding a tour of sorts in three months. Inviting him and his nine brothers to look around, see his kingdom. They are taking the king to be from a place I had only seen on maps and using him as leverage to get more money. I soak in every detail of the plan as the continue to speak. The younger one doesn't speak at all. He just listens. Like when Wilker brought me to a deal to learn how to make them.
When they finish, I hear the steps come closer towards me. Xalem's voice booms across the room. ”Jaycie, stand up and come here.” I stand up and turn. I get a better look at the two me, even though I keep my eyes on towards the ground. I see the younger on stiffen up. He hides his face from my eyesight, but I don't understand why. As he passes me, he whispers something, that I almost miss. ”Be careful here. They will kill you if you mess up too much.” The voice sounds familiar, but I can't place it. I keep walking until I get all the way to Xalem. His wife is siting there staring down on me. She looks at me as if I am worthless.
”Jaycie, look at me.” Xalem says. I look up, but don't meet his eyes. ”Do you think you can refrain from slaughtering any more of my guards?” He asks. Usually this would spark some sort of flame inside me, but it doesn't get me. I just stare blankly. ”Yes Sir.” ”That's good. Now that you have calmed down a little, I would like you to meet my wife. Sairyia, meet Jaycie. Jaycie, meet Sairyia.” I slightly nod and Sairyia practically yells at me. ”Yes. How could I forget the one who tried to kill me?”
I flinch and she laughs. ”It looks like she is finally house trained. I thought it would take longer.” I frown. Xalem is the next to speak. ”Jaycie, you are her personal...assistant. The girls will show you were everything is tomorrow, and then you are all coming here at noon. Be ready and behave.” I nod. Xalem raises his voice, ”Ladies, you may go. My beautiful girl follows them to the dinner hall. They will show you around tomorrow.” I nod and turn, but not before seeing the killer look at Sairyia gives me because he called me his beautiful girl.
I walk out with the other girls. I see the guard follow us. When we get into the dinner hall, it has ten places set with food on the table. We all sit down, but before I can, Lilith comes up to me and hugs me. I stiffen up. ”Jay, I am sorry. You shouldn't have been punished that long. A week is crazy. I am so sorry.” I frown at the name and at the fact that I was in there for a week. I would think I would have had an accident, but obviously the only gave me enough water to keep me from dying. When she sits down, I sit next to her.