Rebellion (Risen Series Bk1)

My dreams were haunted by images of rotting corpses, blood splattered walls and the screams of the dying. Memories of being pinned down by Airell as he took me while his followers laughed and waited for their turn played like a grotesque movie reel. Even as awareness crept back, I swore I could feel his hands like vices around my wrists. A shuddering breath left me and when I inhaled, I knew I wasn't in the incense heavy rooms that belonged to my maker.

"Shylah, please say something. Please," a voice sobbed in the darkness.

Groaning in answer, even trying to open my eyes had pain shooting through me. Sucking in a breath, my chest burned as it heaved and a whimper slipped past my lips. Slowly, feeling came back to me with tingling fingers and toes, and cramping muscles. My eyes peeled open only to see more darkness, another breath helping me get through my body's agony.

"Thank the Gods," Anna sighed in relief.

I chuckled, pushing myself painfully up against the wall. No chains kept me locked in place but in all honesty, they weren't needed. I had no energy. Once again my skin was sticky with blood. It fell like saw dust from me as I rubbed at the crusted red on my hands.

"The Gods can't see us here. We're in the seventh ring of fucking hell," I muttered, glad to have the wall to support my exhausted body, "What happened?"

"You don't know?" Anna gasped, aghast.

Another chuckle left me. The last thing I remembered was worrying if Airell was going to have his way with me but I didn't know if he bothered to after I passed out. There was no fun forcing yourself on someone who couldn't fight back, not for my maker. Small mercies. Shifting and sliding my hand between my thighs, there wasn't the usual tell tale ache that let me know Airell had taken what he wanted to pleasure himself in my body. The fact my clothes were still mostly in tact as well had me relaxing.

I didn't want Anna to know what had happened anyway, I didn't need her worrying. Not when there was little she could do to help, she was suffering enough as it was.

"How long ago was I tossed back in here?" I asked, rubbing my face to try and get the circulation going.

"Shylah..."

"It must have been a while ago if I'm awake now. I lost a lot of blood," I mumbled, sliding my fingers to the crusted up wound at my throat, hissing as it stung.

He'd done a good job. It was a surprise he hadn't torn my whole jugular out, not that it would have killed me. He'd done far worse before throwing me in a cell to heal in the dark. If it weren't for the fact I'd fed from him before he'd attacked, I may have been suffering a lot more, forced to feel the needle prick stings as my skin knitted back together.

"A few hours ago maybe. You were covered in blood, please tell me it wasn't yours," she pleaded, her voice wavering.

Another humourless laugh, "It was. I washed off all the blood that wasn't mine before I made the mistake of pissing off Airell."

"Shylah," Anna sighed again and the clinking of chains let me know she was moving.

"Have you been fed, have they given you water?" I asked, closing my eyes.

"Yes, I have water left. Do you want some?" She replied, the sound of her shifting again followed by the crunching of a plastic bottle.

I did want some, badly. My mouth was dry to the point my tongue was sticking to the roof of my mouth, but I didn't know how long we'd be here and I didn't know when I'd manage to win favour back with Airell. It could be a while before he'd allow me to do another task in return for Anna being cared for.

"You should save it," I ordered, "Only drink it when you really have to."

Inhaling, I could practically smell the sickly scent of worry coming off her. My eyes finally began to adjust to the dark enough to let me see the barest outline of my friend hunched opposite me.

"Are we going to be here longer than you thought?"

I didn't want to answer that and in all honesty I didn't have an answer to give, "I don't know, Anna."

Salt saturated the air.

My heart clenched for her as she began to cry, soft sobs muffled behind her hand as if that'd be enough to stop me from hearing. I couldn't bear it. I'd promised I wouldn't allow anyone to harm her but I'd given no thought to how she was coping emotionally because I was so used to being able to close off my own feelings. But Anna wasn't me. She wasn't closed off from the world, she was human and she loved and felt and grieved.

As soon as that thought passed, I knew the lie it hid. I wasn't what I fooled myself and others into believing because as my friend cried her fear, I felt my own. I wanted Atanas to break through the door and whisk me away to freedom where nobody would ever hurt me again. Letting my head drop forward as my own tears began to fall, pain flared. The healing wound where Airell had torn open my throat opened at the strain to let blood drip down my already ruined clothes. The coppery scent invaded my senses and my body was starved to the point that even the smell of my own blood had my fangs descending to press painfully against dry lips. It flicked a switch in me.

Rage boiled up until it burned red hot through me. I'd had enough of this, enough of being scared, beaten, used, enough of crying and breaking down and being weak. That's when I decided Airell would never taste my blood again, never take pleasure in my body again.

If Atanas didn't come for us soon, there would be nothing left of me to save. Airell would either have killed me for defying him or I'd become one of the Fallen. I'd already slipped when I had been made to kill for him, and now my own blood was making me hungry. I snorted, wishing for a moment that I'd done as I was told and stayed at Cala-Phort with Atanas before shaking my head because I knew there was no way I would have risked Anna's death.

I couldn't listen to her cry anymore. We both needed a distraction until I could get enough strength and ability to think to come up with a real plan of action.

"Did you know it was Yetholm gypsies that gave Airell the idea that being a king was his destiny?" I inquired, trying to get her talking.

She sniffed loudly and I forced myself to my feet, staggering slowly forward to slide down the wall beside her. Even those few steps had drained me to the point I was struggling not to pant. Tentatively, feeling unsure, I wrapped my arm around Anna's shoulder. I stilled as she pressed closer, cuddling tightly into my side. I was surprised by the warmth that filled me at having her close, at feeling for myself that she really was alright. At allowing someone to comfort and seek comfort in me.

She took another shaky breath before muttering, "No. Why would he get that idea?"

"He says your ancestors had a prophecy that the progeny of the King would rise. Atanas' only ever created Airell so..." I trailed off, letting it sink in.

Anna sat up quickly, her eyes squinting at me in the dark before she shook her head and wiped her face with a muddy sleeve.

"I know of the prophecy but it's been mistranslated somewhere. The original prophecy is in Romani, a dialect unique to the witches amongst our tribe. It's not the progeny of the King, it's the blood of the King. Sure, it could be referring to Airell, but it could be referring to you too," she explained, her features losing the tension that had kept it in a sullen frown.

"Me?" I gaped, suddenly feeling the need to laugh.

I didn't believe in prophecies as it was. It scared me to think that there were fixed events that couldn't be avoided. I thrived on my need for free will, I didn't want anything I did to have been predestined.

"You have Atanas' blood in you not only because Airell passed it on, but you've fed from him, placed a claim even if it was a temporary one," she continued, "you could be the one to rise and technically you have. In the eyes of Atanas' followers, you are our Queen and when we win, you will rise to be Queen of all vampires."

"We aren't mates, not officially, that lie got out so I'm no Queen," I argued, "And I don't want to be."

I couldn't look after myself and Anna, nerver mind an entire race of volatile beings who only followed the strongest, and I was far from the strongest.

"Sometimes we don't have a choice, Shylah. Sometimes we need to stand up and follow the path fate has for us to help the ones we love, and because we want to do the right thing. Atanas will be King and if you want to be by his side, you'll find you'll have to shoulder that responsibility,"

Her words were full of wisdom I'd never expected from her and I wondered if she was so confident because she shared some ability with her ancestors to see the future.

"I guess we shall see what the future holds," I murmured, smiling as Anna cuddled back into my side.

Her skin was cold to the touch, closer to my own temperature and that worried me. I could hear her teeth begin to chatter and she shivered, curling tighter in on herself.

"Have some of my blood, it'll help you," I offered, pushing up my sleeve.

She roughly pushed my arm away, "No. You're already weak, you can't lose anymore blood."

I sighed at her protest but I wouldn't let her argue and sunk my fangs into my wrist, flinching at the sting. Blood bubbled to the surface and I ignored the way my body protested.

"No point in it going to waste..." I baited, "It'll warm you up."

She hesitated a moment before leaning down, and even her lips felt like ice against my skin. I pressed my wrist more firmly against her mouth, urging her to drink and only relaxed once she did. The sloppy slurping noise as she fed almost made me laugh, it was clear she and Padraig hadn't shared blood often. Or perhaps vampires were just better at feeding quietly and more effectively. Why did my thoughts always drift to such meaningless thoughts at times like these?

When she pulled back, she wiped at her mouth and scrunched her nose. My eyebrow quirked up, "Not as good as Padraig's?"

She snorted, "It's sweeter. Stronger."

Well I wouldn't take offence to that and I'd remember to rub it in the Irishman's face.

"Do you think he misses me?" Anna suddenly asked, her voice quiet.

Again I wanted to laugh. How could she be so unsure of where she stood with her master?

"Of course he does. He was distraught when he found out you'd been taken, Anna. He loves you," I said, bumping my shoulder against hers.

She looked up at me with wide brown eyes, "Do you think so?"

I couldn't help but roll my eyes. When we got out of here, the two of them needed to have a talk. Despite what Atanas had told me about Padraig having arrangement only kinds of relationships, I wasn't so easily fooled.

The dreaded sound of footsteps had my head lifting and Anna's head whipped towards the door, her nails sinking into my arm. I hushed her and pushed myself to my feet only for her to try and pull me back.

"Stay calm, no matter what happens, okay?" I whispered, untangling myself from her grip, "Don't do anything stupid."

She gave me a wild nod but whimpered when I stood. The door swung open and bright light filtered in, blinding me momentarily. I squinted until the sting of light lessened and crouched protectively in front of Anna. Airell walked in with another vampire in tow that I didn't recognise. His warm honey eyes flicked over the both of us and he stood strong by Airell's side. This wasn't one of his usual lackeys, he was muscled and well fed. One of his main soldiers perhaps.

"I'm disappointed in you, Shylah," Airell sighed after long minutes of silence, folding his hands behind his back, "I really thought you understood this time."

Snarling, bearing fangs, I moved my body so Anna was out of his view, "I do understand, very well."

He chuckled, his eyes darkening as he walked the length of the cell and I followed his every move with careful eyes. The monster in him was lurking just beneath the surface, I could feel his fury boiling away. The other vampire watched too, leaning casually against the door with a hand on the hilt of a sword. I didn't have time to think of the oddity of that.

"I think you need a lesson in what happens when you misbehave. I've tried to be kind, I've fed your witch, made sure she has water, and yet you continue to question me. I struggle to see what it is about our arrangement that you don't understand," he drawled, "So I've brought in a friend to help."

He smirked, nodding at the vampire by the door who stiffened slightly. Huge muscles bulged with the movement and I couldn't help the way my stomach twisted in fear. I wouldn't be able to fight off this vampire.

"I've learnt my lesson, I understand," I repeated, unable to stop from imagining the feel of bones breaking under his hands.

Airell glared, stomping his way towards me until he stood a breath away. His head lowered, hot breath fanning over cool skin as he hissed beside my ear, "Did I say you could talk?"

Cleaning my jaw, I shook my head and did my best to look submissive. His eyes were narrowed dangerously as he pulled back, green eyes almost glowing under the shadows that fell across his face. My fingers trailed up his chest in gentle strokes and I looked up at him with wide eyes.

"I'm sorry I angered you, master. I promise it won't happen again," I murmured, my voice dropping low.

His muscles bunched beneath my touch. Trailing my hands back down, I faltered as my fingers touched the cool metal of a blade tucked into the back of his suit trousers. Airell grabbed my wrists before I could act, his grip unyielding. I hissed as bones crunched under his fingers, white lights of pain flashing before my eyes.

"Nice try, Little Bird. I'm proud of you," he smirked.

I was already expecting the blow that came to my gut and had me choking, doubling over. Anna screamed, yanking at her chains but I gave her a look that begged her to stop. I didn't want Airell giving her the same attention he gave me. The next hit, this time to the side of my head, had my vision blurring.

Black crept in the corners of my eyes and I staggered to hold myself against the wall. Fingers gripping my hair reminded me why I'd cut my long locks off when I'd run away the first time. Sharp pain encompassed my scalp and I tried to stand to ease it but my legs were jelly beneath me. A knee to my chest had ribs cracking and blood clogged up my airway. Blinding agony stole my breath, my chest contracting to protect my lungs.

Airell released my hair and I dropped limply, groaning and choking, unable to think past the thrum of pain throbbing through my entire body.

"Chain her back up. Tomorrow I want her brought to my rooms. I need her...pliable before we move again. We're running out of time." Airell ordered his soldier who grunted.

I didn't resist as I was grabbed and dragged back over to the wall opposite Anna. The world was spinning around me and I wasn't entirely sure I was even conscious. My wrists were cuffed back to the wall and my head lolled weakly to one side. Airell blocked out the light from the corridor, standing like a tall shadow of black in the doorway. The beating had been worth it, he'd changed his mind about whatever it was he'd had planned, or at least decided to save it till later.

When he finally exited the room, all fight left my body.

I jumped as the unknown vampire leaned down low and whispered, "Don't worry, my Queen, they're coming. Be ready."

"Who are you?" I gurgled, disgusted by the amount of blood that bubbled past my lips.

He smirked, dimples appearing and I think I mumbled something about it being cute. The vampire quickly peered over his shoulder before looking back and gripping my shoulder tight. I didn't dare hold onto any amount of hope, wondering if this was some cruel trick that Airell was playing on me. Had he ordered this vampire to make me believe we were to be saved?

"Just be ready," he repeated, "Libertas," lifting a vial of liquid red up in front of my face before placing it on the floor beside me.

Before I could ask anything else he was back on his feet and running for the door, slamming it shut behind him. Libertas. Atanas really was coming, he must have known I'd have doubts but that word cast them all away.

Yet still I found no ounce of joy in that because my eyes were glued to the vial of blood that taunted me.