Smoldered Flames: Part I of the Edonia Series

Valeri

Betrayal

Such a dark and twisted word. It makes your blood sour like death. Makes your insides want to curdle. It leaves a rusted taste after consuming brackish water. I’ve been betrayed by many people, but Stanley takes the cake. It’s either by stupidity or laxed in trust on my part that this happened. I should’ve slit his throat when I had the chance. No, better yet, I should’ve gouged his eyes out, fed them to the crows and made him wander around a desolate island for the rest of his days.

Had it not been for his intentional fuck up, I wouldn’t be here slaving away. I wouldn’t have had the humiliation of meeting my “true mates” and risk getting rejected. But I guess it beats getting cast to hell, am I right?

Hunters Marc Wilson and Eric Tyell. They are among more than a dozen of corrupted Hunters in King Broderick’s pockets. Don’t get me wrong. Both Hunters and Enforcers are annoying as hell. But when you see a Hunter on your trail? You‘d better run.

******

Several months before my arrest, Marc and Eric swaggered in my club as if they owned the place. They knew the rules: NO HUNTERS ALLOWED. But they still progressed, permeating the air with their vampiric scent. I hate when my rules aren’t abided. It turns my clients into a nervous wreck and disrupts the erotic atmosphere.

They demanded to speak with the owner of the place and gave a bullshit excuse as to why they were there. In the state of my mind back then, I couldn’t tell you their reasoning. I had them follow me to a small office in the back of the club, away from prying eyes. I allowed one of my soldiers to witness whatever was going to take place. I sat down in the only available seat in the small room, my soldier stood behind me at an angle to where I could see him with my peripheral. The two Hunters stood a couple of feet away from the desk, a perfect place for prey. Tensions were higher than ever.

“We’ve heard several complaints…” Marc began.

I raised my hand to silence him. “Cut the bullshit, Wilson. Hunters don’t handle complaints. They dole out punishments. So who is to be punished today?”

Eric’s face hardened at my no-nonsense tone. “You are, Helena.”

The soldier beside me slowly reaches for his holster. “Watch your tone, Hunter,” he growled softly.

I glanced briefly at the young soldier before facing the Hunters. “Now, now boys. That’s enough.” I let out a sigh. “What have I done to offend the Executives?”

Marc frowned. “It isn’t the Executives you have offended. It is King Broderick.”

Icy hot rage boiled my lungs, but my face gave nothing away. “I guess he wants to finally clean up his mess, eh?” I produced a small laugh.

“You could say that,” Eric smirked as if he had me cornered. Little did he know…

As they continued their monotonous conversation I eased my hand to a small button at the corner of the wooden desk. Once it clicked, a serrated metal cage came down on them. Their protests soon turned to screams of agony when steel bladed fans rained down, shredding their bodies like a meat grinder. Their blood splattered along the desk and my face. I smiled, as I inhaled the remnants of fear and hate.

“You couldn’t make it last longer, Alpha?” the soldier laughs.

I crack a small smile. “The Hunters are a small matter. I thirst for Volias’ blood.”

“I would serve it on the grandest platter of all Edonia, if it would please you Lady Helena.”

I gave the soldier a nod of appreciation before I silently summoned my pet. Only, he didn’t give a look of total devotion back then. His eyes held a look of utter hatred and disdain. I commanded him to clean up the mess and I went on about my night.

*****

Had I known then what I do now, I would’ve ended his life. He sold me out. Stanley is the only one who does my laundry, who cleans and maintains my loft. He is the only one, besides myself, that I allow full access to my little sanctuary. How else were the Executives able to gather so much evidence against me.

Flashes of memories race through my mind again. I grip my head and silently wail in the night. The dream. The dream of her in the very beginning before I woke in that cursed cell. She wanted to say something. To warn me.

That isn’t all Stanley has done. He was getting paid big bucks to send Hybrids to their doom on this island, known as the Lost Isle. I cut off his tongue and bound him to me for all time. Even then, that wasn’t enough. I’m done being merciful. I have let others walk over me, use me and abuse me. I’ve suffered 3 millenium for my gullible ways. I was so eager to please my triad mates. They kept me at arms’ length for their vile plans. But I wasn’t a willing sacrifice. I was forced to become one. It didn’t matter that they threatened to kill the only person that cared about me. After the ritual finished, they killed him anyway and there was nothing I could’ve done about it. I wallowed in my grief and anger for three thousand years. Until… until a flaming entity gave me a key to escape. I’m left with a mark of my savior at the side of my ribs as a reminder. It gives me hope, despite the darkness that surrounds me. Despite the pent up rage that gathers in my chest.

So much.. So much information rushes through my brain, and I can’t quite grasp everything. I grip my hair with my hands, attempting to pull it out. I thrash around as voices spin around and around inside, outside. My silent screams are heard. Arms and hands grab onto me as I fight my demons.

“Valeri!” someone shouts. I ignore it as my memories consume me. Someone restrains my legs as I kick out at them. Another restrains my arms to prevent my nails from clawing out.

“Valeri, you must keep quiet!” a familiar yet strained voice says.

My vision clears and the old croon’s face fills my sight. Lines crease her face as she scowls in mine with furrowed brows. Finn, along with a few others, have my arms and legs gathered in their arms.

“I’m alright guys. You can release me now.”

They look at me with uncertainty before releasing me with reluctance. I gather myself before standing on my feet. I mask my face of guilt. It’s getting old though. The dreams of the black werecat haunting me have stopped, but the memories I cherished plague my dreams and prevent the others from getting any decent amount of sleep.

The old croon comes to my side. “It seems your memories have come a tad bit early for my likin’,” she comments quietly.

I eye her bracelets before meeting her gaze. “And what can you do for me in your state?”

“Not a bit o’ nothin’, I suppose,” she shrugs.

I scoff and walk off. “Of course.”

Finn runs after me, gripping my biceps. “Valeri, that wasn’t nice. And highly selfish.”

I yank my arm out of his grasp and whirl to him. “She’s always in my business. I need to get the fuck out of here!” I snarl.

“Don’t we all, Val.” he says lightly. “But that still doesn’t give you a right to go attacking everyone who cares about your welfare. Especially when your screams keep others from sleeping.”

My anger wanes a little at that. Despite what I saw, I shouldn’t have taken it out on her. “You’re right.”

Finn hazel eyes gleam with earnestness. “Would you like to talk about it?”

I open my mouth and then close it, shaking my head. “It’s too much at the moment.”

He nods his head. “I understand. I’m here if you ever want to talk.” Finn is a sweet guy. It’s odd that he doesn’t bear as many marks as the rest of us. But then again he is one of the sweepers that clean up right after the rest of us tear down the Earth.

Just then, the thick metal doors swing open. We line up at the entrance. The whipmasters take attendance while the guards stand by. One of them catches my gaze and a shiver runs down my spine. There was something..sinister about him. Most guards are careless. Some are even like soldiers and are armed to the teeth. But this guard? He looks at me as if he wanted to devour me. As if I’m a little rabbit, and he, the wolf. I don’t like it. Not one bit. The tall guard winks at me and a wave of sickness crashes through me.

“Are you alright, Val?” Finn asks, disrupting the web the mystery guard seemed to cast over me.

“I’m fine, you?”

“Yeah…,” he visibly shakes, “that guard gives me the creeps.”

“Same… ”

After we receive our tools, we traipse in silence to our destination. Finn begins sweeping one I’m drawn to a section away from the center of the deep Earth. The whipmaster is away and out of eyesight. I get an odd sense of giddiness as I begin to dig quick repetitive successions. The feeling of excitement gathers in my chest as time flies by and the sun begins to set. A dark material, vastly different from the light terrain, shows up . I gasp in wonder at the soft leathery feel against my hand. A small leather pouch that can fit the palm of my hand was buried deep into the earth. But not just any pouch.. It is a miniscule version of my leather bag!

It occurred to me then. That thick leather book said whenever you make a dimension out of a personal belonging, it will appear whenever you are in need. No matter how far you are away from it.

I look around for possible witnesses. I’m in the clear. I open the small pouch and a cold metallic double sided pyramid tumbles out. Inside it is a swirling gem in the hues of the galaxy. My breaths become rapid as a memory pours into me. I brace myself for horrors, but it’s brief.

A soft pale hand puts the key of Phasmarale into my hands. “This will guide you to safety. It will give you a world of life and fertility.”

“How do I use it?”

The hand disappears in a cloud of smoke. “You are the key.”

This is the key to getting the hell out of here!

While I had this thought, someone shouts nearby. “We found something here! It looks like a tomb!”