Sacrifice of the Septimus: Part 2 (Afterlife saga Book 7) Page 8

  “You have?”

  “Yes but first you must memorise the instructions I give you as getting out of here will be the easy part, but finding your way to the palace above will be the biggest challenge you face.” At this point I wanted to say ‘Yeah no shit’ because even coming through that stone bridged maze was enough to make my head spin so I was more than thankful that she had thought ahead.

  “You can’t be found with this so memorise it and then burn it otherwise they will know you have been helped,” she said pulling a small scroll from under her sleeve and slipping it into my hand. I unfolded it and frowned looking down at the ancient text I couldn’t read.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked knowing by my frown that there was a problem.

  “I can’t read this.” I told her looking up from the tiny piece of parchment in my hands.

  “I don’t understand, do you not read?”

  “Not this, no.” I said making her frown.

  “But the King likes his Concubines to be educated.” If it was any other time I would have been offended at the assumption that I was a dumb blonde but I didn’t have time for this.

  “I can read and write but not this language,” I told her holding it open for her to see.

  “But you speak our language flawlessly, so I just thought…” She let that sentence trail off and I felt like rolling my eyes knowing how strange this must have seemed. But what could I say, that Ranka had worked her magic Voodoo on me to make it so the English my brain told me I was speaking was obviously coming out as ancient Persian. In the end I just shrugged my shoulders and said,

  “I don’t know what to tell you.” Thankfully she got the hint and after giving the curtains a quick look to check that the coast was still clear, she knelt down beside me.

  “I will help you.”

  I received a quick lesson in what was left and right in something that looked like lots of little arrow symbols which they obviously used as an alphabet. She explained that the grouped arrows next to each left and right was the number of turns I was to make. It took me a while but I thought I’d got the hang of it. She told me that she would return once everyone was asleep as it was her job to collect the empty plates when the evening meal had been eaten. She would tell Parmida that I hadn’t finished mine when she last checked, which she knew would mean her being ordered to collect it once I was asleep.

  Then when she returned she would strip out of her tunic and into my clothes, lying on the bed covered pretending to be me. I agreed but only if she let me tie her up and make it look as though I had forced her into doing this. I wasn’t surprised that she didn’t argue with this part of the plan, not considering what the punishment might be for her if she was caught helping me.

  After this I couldn’t relax as I waited for the servant girl to return. At least I had something to keep my mind occupied, if only for a short while. I decided there was no way I would be able to memorise all the turns I was supposed to make in time and I knew I couldn’t take the scroll with me as she had warned. So in the end I did the next best thing I could think of. I split open one of the pomegranates with the sharp knife provided and used the juices to draw marks on my arm. I decided to do this on my upper arm so that they would easily be hidden under the tunic if I was found. Hopefully, even if the worst should happen and I was caught, at least no one should know what they meant.

  My code was simple. I would start near my elbow and draw a red line across to symbolise a turn. My left would indicate to take a left turn and a right line would indicate to take a right. So that it didn’t get confusing I decided to leave a gap in the lines I made so that I would know it meant for me to look to the other arm for my next move. Then I would simply lick the lines clean at the end. In theory it seemed like an easy system to follow but I didn’t really know how it would work until I was outside of those big double doors and free from the Harem.

  “It is time,” the girl said after creeping back through the curtains and once again checking that she hadn’t been followed. I had to wonder if this would have worked for her sister and couldn’t help but feel a sadness for her.

  But instead of showing these feelings I said the one thing I wasn’t sure was entirely true…

  “Alright, I am ready.”

  Chapter 43

  Hidden Truth

  I wasn’t sure if I was ready for this but what choice did I have? Not only did I have my friends counting on me but also what of the world I’d left behind? I had no clue what faced me when I finally made it back just like I had no clue what faced me once I made it through those doors…or should I say if I made it through those doors.

  I noticed that this time my new friend was wearing a wrap over her head that kept her hair from view and it was the same style which some of the other servants often wore so this wouldn’t look out of place. She nodded down at my body and I knew it meant it was time to get undressed and switch. I hurried knowing time wasn’t on our side as we didn’t want the guards to get suspicious. It was only when I had finished that I looked up to see the girl looking down at herself in what I can only describe as awe. I gathered that this was the first time she had ever worn anything as fine and expensive as the silk she was now wrapped in.

  “It suits you,” I told her and she jumped a little as I had obviously jolted her from her secret moment of desire. She blushed and looked away as if feeling ashamed of something she didn’t want me to know.

  “I need to tie your hands and legs together,” I told her, feeling guilty but knowing it was also for her own good. I picked up one of the fancy cushions and ripped off the gold trim from around its edges knowing it would do for a makeshift rope. Then I wrapped it around her wrists and ankles before asking her to try to get out of it. When she managed to slip one hand free I redid it, knowing this time the best way to tie it so she couldn’t break free again. Then I helped her lie back against the cushioned bed and covered her up so at first glance you wouldn’t be able to tell it wasn’t me.

  “What’s your name?” I asked her not realising until now that I still didn’t know. She gave me a sad look I couldn’t read and then told me in a quiet voice,

  “My name is Farrin.” I nodded, then I tied a piece of silk over her mouth, leaned in close and whispered my farewell,

  “Thank you Farrin, I wish you well my friend.” Then I pushed myself up, secured the wrap around my head and grabbed the empty plate. I had to make sure none of my hair was on view seeing as the blonde would have been a dead giveaway in this place. Then after one last deep breath I placed the plate up on my open palm as I had seen the rest of the servants do and looked down at the floor as I ducked through the curtains.

  I held my breath until I made it far enough away from the two guards who hadn’t bat an eyelid at me leaving. In fact, it was almost laughable on how easy that had been. I then followed what the other servants did and walked towards the double doors with our empties in hand and waited for the guards to open them for us. Still keeping my head low, I walked through trying my best to copy exactly what the girls ahead of me did and it was only when I heard the doors close behind me that I let my shoulders relax.

  I hung back for a moment as I watched the short line of servants ahead of me turn down the side, which I’d learned from Farrin was where the kitchens were. But I didn’t need the kitchens, what I needed was the exit to this marble watery maze that looked as endless as it had the day I walked in here with Ranka. This had me wondering what Ranka would think of my disappearing act and I could only hope she thought the reasons behind it were ones of self-preservation. After all, that wasn’t far from the truth all things considered seeing as I had been threatened with waking up to find a knife in my back more than once.

  But the truth was, I wasn’t running from Draven’s bitch flavour of the decade but more from Draven himself. Which had me thinking…

  Just how many times had I run from Draven in the past? And did that mean that this was simply history repeating itself? Well, considering te
chnically it hadn’t actually happened yet, I think asking myself that question was enough of a minefield to give me a year’s worth of headaches.

  So, shaking these impossible questions from my mind, I looked down at my arms and knew that at the first junction I was turning left. I rubbed my thumb through it telling myself that I had already made that turning and didn’t want to get confused. I would then lick away the evidence when I knew I hadn’t messed up somehow. The worst part about this was every noise seemed to echo throughout the huge space that was mainly stone pillar after stone pillar, no doubt holding up the foundations of the palace above. I could tell that this place was secret and had probably been built this way by supernatural means as just looking at the incredible structure compared to the one above and they looked years apart. Actually in truth it looked more like something I would have expected to find in Heaven than this time in Earth’s history. Zeus automatically came to mind and no wonder considering the fallen temple I had witnessed for myself back when I was taking that not so delightful trip into Tartarus.

  It also reminded me of Draven’s temple back in Afterlife and how different that also looked compared to the rest of his home. I guess now looking at this place that it had been nothing new and I had to wonder just how many of these secret places Draven had built throughout his many years upon this Earth? Well I could only hope that, unlike the temple I knew intimately, it didn’t have the same horrors hidden behind prison doors as Afterlife did. After all, Draven might have been playing at human King but he no doubt still had a job to do amongst his own kind and that usually meant having some supernatural prison of sorts.

  I shivered just thinking about it and suddenly it felt as though I had a million eyes all watching me. I stepped quietly along the marble footpath seeing no one walking in the same footsteps but my own reflection in the surrounding water. It was an eerie place that was for sure and not one I fancied getting lost in anytime soon. I decided to quicken my pace and found myself once more pulling up my sleeve and looking down at my arms to figure out my next direction. Once I made my choice, I swiped a thumb through the line and carried on, only the second I moved I heard footsteps coming from in front of me. I panicked and hid behind one of the marble pillars, holding my back against it and trying not to breathe.

  I waited for the echoing sound to trail away into the distance before chancing that it was all clear. I peeked my head around and half expected to see a face staring back at me. Thankfully though there was nothing but the still unnerving room that apart from myself was empty. I closed my eyes and gulped in the air I needed before turning back around only to open my eyes and scream at the hooded figure before me.

  A man’s hand shot out and covered my mouth, pushing me back against the pillar with the force of his action. I froze as the mystery man stared down at me with his face still hidden by the hood of his cloak. However, he was not happy that I was doing the same so with his other hand he snatched off my wrap and threw it away angrily where I watched as it floated down into the water.

  For long moments neither of us said anything but just stared at each other, although he was the only one who could see my face and what it showed was obvious…

  Fear.

  “Please don’t…” My plea was cut off when the sudden sound of guards echoing through the underground cavern came charging our way and I knew there was nothing to be done now. My escape had failed. The man in front of me startled me as he quickly grabbed me by the arm and dragged me out from behind the pillar and into the view of the guards. Then, as if furious with finding me hiding here, he yanked my arm and swung me at the closest guard. Thankfully he caught me before I slipped into the water, which is where my body had been heading.

  The guard seemed as surprised as I was by the action but quickly resituated himself within his ranks and held me firm, not letting go of his prisoner. I soon found out that it didn’t take half as long to get back to the harem as it had taken me getting away from it. I had no idea what faced me when I got there but from the looks of all the guards surrounding me, I didn’t think it looked good. In fact, it looked as if I had been caught out a lot sooner than I first thought. Which had me worried for Farrin…had she been discovered sooner than we expected?

  Well I was about to find out because the double doors were right ahead of me and opening up like doomed fate spreading its arms wide ready to swallow me whole. I couldn’t help but look back to see the hooded man still following and he must have seen the panic on my face as it wasn’t something I was trying to hide.

  Who was he anyway?

  Well I was sure to find out as we walked through the doors and he followed us all back into the harem. This was the point that my mask of bravery slipped back into place as all the girls had come out of their rooms to see what all the commotion was about. It was humiliating but I knew it would be even worse if I showed my true feelings especially when included in that audience was none other than Queen bitch face herself. Hell, even that sadistic smile was enough to set my veins alight with rage. I ignored her sneers and raised my head up showing her no shred of fear and hopefully disappointing her sick and twisted mind.

  The room was surrounded by not only the harem girls but also the servants and guards making this a real spectacle. And stood there at the centre of it all was Parmida looking close to spitting fire she was that mad. But right now I couldn’t care less about receiving another lecture or a smacked wrist because I simply felt drained in every way possible. I just wanted to crawl into my little room and pretend that curtained door was a steel door barricading me off from this barbaric world. But what I didn’t yet know was that it was about to get a whole lot worse and a whole bucket load more barbaric!

  I was just wondering why the guard hadn’t yet unhanded me even though I was now considered safely back within my marble cage when I noticed he looked to the hooded man. And it was when he nodded that my nightmare really began.

  “But the healing…” Parmida protested, now looking extremely worried, but a silent hand shot up and abruptly put a stop to her concerns. Concerns which quickly became my own, especially when the one word I was now focused on was ‘healing’, which could only mean one thing…punishment.

  This was when things started happening very quickly and before I could do anything to try and stop it, my hands were yanked forward roughly.

  “NO! Get off me!” I shouted and pulled my weight backwards which only managed to cause me more pain from my earlier injuries. My hands were quickly tied in front of me which only left my legs to try and defend myself with as I kicked out at anyone near to me. I was actually surprised that I wasn’t being hit back as I got a few in the shins hard enough to cause them to jump back or grunt in pain. Well I wasn’t going to let this happen without a fight that was for sure!

  At one point I broke free by stamping on a foot and then when his hold loosened I pushed all my weight into him sideways and knocked him out of the way. Unfortunately for me though this escape was short lived as there were just another four of them there ready to catch me. All the while the hooded figure just stood watching this whole scene play out with his arms folded.

  In fact, when one grabbed me around the waist to pull me back, I cried out in pain from my injured ribs and he looked ready to intervene for a moment. He unfolded his arms and took a step forward but as soon as they had me back under control he went back to watching, telling me he was only going to aid them, not me. For some reason this got me so mad that I couldn’t help but scream out at them all in anger as everyone in the room did nothing to help me,

  “Enjoying the show everyone!?” I wasn’t sure but I thought I saw some of them flinch or look away in obvious guilt. But it wasn’t the rest of them that I was interested in…it was the hooded man. I didn’t know what it was but something in my gut told me that he was someone I knew but not just that,

  He was someone I trusted.

  I don’t know how I knew this or even if I was right but I couldn’t help but feel it somewher
e deep in my soul. But it didn’t matter as whether I trusted him back in my time or not, I wasn’t there now and that man obviously didn’t yet know me. Which only meant one thing, he wasn’t here to help me, he was simply here to watch as I was dragged back to the wall where one man was throwing chains and shackles over one of the torch hooks. This caused my panic to double as I knew once they got me into those things then they would be free to do anything they wished to me.

  “Parmida stop this, tell them!” I shouted, pleading with her but she just looked away as if ashamed that this was being allowed to happen. Well great help she was! Fine, I would do it myself.

  “The King would never allow this! He wouldn’t hurt me!” I shouted trying everything to get them to stop and something in this worked because suddenly a voice boomed from behind us all.

  “STOP!” I felt a huge sigh of relief as I would know that voice from anywhere.

  “Draven.” I uttered secretly, knowing I was saved. The guards took their hands off me as they had been about to raise my wrists to the bands of steel. I turned slowly and looked around expecting to see their King of Kings looking as furious as he sounded but he was nowhere to be seen. This was when the truth started to sink in and my heart right alongside of it.

  The one who had caught me.

  The hooded man…

  He was Draven.

  Chapter 44

  Tested Hearts

  In that surreal moment of half disbelief and crazed reality the look I gave Draven was one that spoke volumes, even if he didn’t know who I really was. It was as easy to read in my eyes as the whispered ‘It can’t be’ from my lips and that was my crushed heart and now battered soul.

  It was done.

  It was finished.

  It was over.

  And I had failed for good this time. Because how could I love a man who was about to give the order for my torture? How could I lie with this man and be expected to give him the piece of myself that I had only ever reserved for one man? Because having sex and making love were two entirely different things and with Draven, even at the hottest and wildest of times, it had always been done with the deepest of love between us. I could give a lot in my life but I couldn’t ever taint the love I had for him, not even to save the world…because I just didn’t know how.