The Mountains Blade

Chapter Forty

Chapter Forty- A Caged Girl

Avelina was not taken to the kings chambers as she expected. Instead she was drug down grimy steps. Down, down, down. Her heart thundered in her chest. She was not like her sister, she was not Elwyn. She was anything but a warrior. 

The hem of her white dress quickly turned an oily grey. As the air grew cooler, her breath came out in puffs of white. 

She was terrified. She regretted her choice to leave home. Why had she ever left? To save Elwyn, she told herself.

Avelina grunted as she was hurled into a cell. It was dark and cold but she could feel her knees skid across the mud slicked stone. 

She felt her skin burn as the burlier of the two guards, a green eyed blonde male, lugged her up by the wrists. She bit back a hiss. Her flesh felt like it was peeling off as they clamped cold metal shackles on her. Avelina, despite herself, pulled on the metal chains. 

The other guard, dressed in dark green leather pants and a solid black breast plate over his matching tunic, slammed his fist into her jaw. 

Avelina gaped, blinking dumbly as her vision spotted. 

The male whose long black hair was braided behind his back, bared his teeth, spitting at her feet. 

Avelina curled her feet into herself, tears burning her eyes, pain throbbing against her skull. She knew the chains were spelled to keep her healing magic at bay; the sting of her face worsening as the male, again slammed his iron fist into her jaw. 

Pain bloomed across the entirety of her face and she stilled, afraid that any movement would encourage him to further his cruelness. 

The blonde haired male spewed a slew of curse words and pulled his fellow guard back. 

"Damn it, you're going to get us killed for touching her."

The dark haired guard turned his attention to the other. 

"Damien, her kind is the reason that our families have been slaughtered. Her mother is one of them. A human." The male snarled, nostrils flaring as he focused his slitted eyes onto Avelina. 

The heir wished to sink back and become one with the wall. She knew that some humans had crept inside the border, armed with dark magic that made them shadows. They were made by the shadow leader, decaying beast set on killing any non-human. 

Avelina tasted her salty tears as they slipped over her perfectly pink lips.

"I am a Nephilim, I am to be queen of Goldmoon. I would never hurt-."

The heirs words were cut off as a steel toed boot crashed into her ribs. A resounding crack echoed in Avelina's ears and she wished horribly for her healing abilities. She had never, not once in her life felt such agony. 

"Rust, stop!" Damien shouted, dragging the dark haired male from the cell, slamming it shut with his elbow. 

Rust shrugged him off and Avelina watched his expression. It was haunted, angry, cold. 

Avelina's lip trembled, her breaths stabbing into her chest. 

The heir watched as they paid her no heed and left up the dark staircase. 

Her vision had adjusted enough to notice that the floor wasn't slick with mud but rather blood. Her breath hitched, stopping completely, trapped in her lungs. 

Avelina began to tremble scrambling back against the wall as she noticed the slump of a body. It was a female with beady brown eyes, her dark locks were matted with what Avelina knew was blood. 

Avelina choked, the scent of rot burning her nostrils. The girl was younger than her, pale ghostly skin, mouth parted slightly, flies buzzing around her so loudly in the silence. 
Avelina spit and shook her head to try to rid away the insects. 

She had never felt so debased, so lonely and afraid. 

Her hands clamped onto the chains and she dared not waste her energy trying to free herself. She could already feel her body weakening. She should have listened to her parents, she should have stayed home and been an obedient heir. 

~

It may have been hours or simply days but Avelina stared blankly up at the ceiling. Her eyes were puffy from crying, her body ached, her lips were chapped and the smell of the girls corpse filled the air.

Avelina sat up, her body going rigid as she saw both Markarious and Opal were brought towards her. 

The blonde guard, Damien,  who had been somewhat kinder bee lined for her cell. 

Avelina grit her teeth and braced herself, darting between Damien and the group who had to physically drag Markarious down the steps. 

He was a large male, furious. His eyes had landed on Avelina, seen her state and he had gone berserk. 

The blonde guard stalked into the cell and grabbed a fistful of her red locks. Avelina lurched forward as the Damien threw her back against the wall, his hands wrapping around her slender throat. 

Avelina gasped and Damien moved to the side to give Markarious a perfect view of his silent threat. 

"Get into the cell." He snapped to Damien. 

Avelina glanced at the blood leaking from Damien's now crooked nose.  Makarios's hands were bloodied, his hand grasping onto another guards throat, from where Avelina had been raised she could see another male in the hallway leaning against the walls. She knew he was dead. His blood was painted across the walls, his eyes staring off, mouth agape in silent horror. 

Avelina trembled, her eyes snapping to Markarious. 

He averted his gaze, a look of shame crossing his handsome features. 

Damien tightened his grip around her throat and her vision dotted. 

She wanted to sink into the darkness, to swim away from the pain and blood, the rough stench of decay burning her senses. Every breath ached. 

Markarious took in a deep breath and Avelina opened her eyes as she heard the shifting of bodies. 

"Let her go." Markarious growled. 

Damien laughed darkly into Avelina's ear. 

"Get in your cell and I will."

Avelina heard the shuffle of feet and Damien dropped his grip on her. 

She clattered to the ground like a broken China doll. She watched Markarious disappear around the corner to another cell and wished for bars between them instead of the solid concrete wall. 

Avelina cried, tears leaked out of her eyes and streamed down her pale cheeks. 

Damien rolled his eyes at her and left her back in the darkness of her cage. 

~

Avelina could have spoken to Markarious if she wanted but she could find no words. 

None, as she stared at the corpse of the girl feet away from her. Her eyes stared hollowly upwards and maggots had began to climb from a hole in her cheek. A corner of Avelina's cell now reeked of vomit as a result. 

She barely registered as a guard came into her cell holding a shiny syringe. She had no desire to stop him, as if all hope had been sucked out of her. She had never seen so many bodies. So much pain and bloodshed. She had never hurt this much before. 

She looked into the cold eyes of Rust as he stalked toward her. He grabbed her limp arm and drove the syringe into her flesh. His eyes flashed with surprise as if he had expected a fight. He had met the wrong sister. Avelina had lost her fight before it even begun.