Burning Vengeance
7.

Fay reaches for Alarik, sleeping soundly next to her on the bed, but the man presses the knife deeper. "Don't."

She freezes, putting her hands up. "Okay. I won't." In one swift movement, the man takes her wrist and pulls her from the bed. He shoves her through the door. Once they're out in the hallway, the candlelight reveals her attacker's face. "Theo? How dare you attack me!"

"Sorry. I couldn't risk you waking the king."

"What would possess you to come in there, hold a knife to my throat and-"

"I'm getting us out of here. We're escaping."

"What, but how?"

"I heard your voice in the hall last night. I was.... in one of the other rooms." Theo hides his face and her heart twists in her chest. She can't imagine what he's gone through. "Xander had me brought down here. My punishment for shoving him off of you."

"Theo, I'm so sorry."

Theo shakes his head. "It's okay. In the end, it was a good thing." He holds up his knife again. "I was able to swipe this off of one of my Masters when he was sleeping. I picked the lock with it and found my way to you. Now, if we're careful, we'll be able to get out of here."

"Theo, that was smart."

"I learned from you. To survive here, we have to be smart." He takes her hand, tugging her toward the exit. "Come on, this is a brothel. No one's asleep for long." But she hesitates, looking back at the room where Alarik sleeps. "What are you waiting for? We have to go now."

She thinks back on all the kindness Alarik has shown her. About how she's seen him suffer under the weight of his crown and his curse. "I can't, we have no plan."

"Fay." Theo steps into her line of sight, pulling down his shirt. There, on his shoulder, is a horrible brand freshly burned into his flesh. "This is what they do to us. They hold us down, mutilate us and claim us as their property."

"Theo...."

"You were the one who stood up to them first. She showed me that we don't have to die like this. Are you with me?" She nods and takes off with Theo, whispering a silent apology to the man she's left behind.

They sneak from corridor to corridor, moving in the darkness, until they make it to the front door. "This is it. Our only way out."

"Let's go."

They sprint for the door. When her hand is on the metal latch, she feels a giant shadow wash over them. "What do we have here? Two little slaves out of their cages?"

They turn and look up at the hulking guard. He cracks his knuckles dangerously. Theo trembles at her side. "What do we do, Fay? We're trapped." Blind panic grips her as the guard advances. Squeezing her eyes shut, she flings the door open and takes off at a dead run. "Fay!" She hears Theo's voice, but it's too far away. She looks over her shoulder. Theo is in the guard's grasp, being hauled back into the castle.

At long last, she reaches her town, running in the direction of her house.

Suddenly, a fierce dragon's roar cuts through the mountains and her Dragon's Mark burns. Alarik's confusion, betrayal and anger rush through her. She blinks back tears.

~W~

The sun rises as she arrives back at her house, bursting in through the front door. "Mom? Dad? Gemma?" She sprints from room to room until she comes to the study. There, she finds her family, staring at her in utter shock.

"Fay, is that really you?"

"Yes, who else would it be?"

"Oh, my God. Fay." Her mother claps her hand over her mouth, her whole body trembling.

Fay wants nothing more than to fall into her mother's arms, but she keeps her guard up. "I didn't think it was possible, but I.... I made it back." Tears blur her vision. Her mother walks to her and grips her shoulders. Shocked and overjoyed, she reaches for her. "Mom?"

"Fay..... you..... you stink of dragon!" She shoves Fay off of her.

Fay skids across the floor. Her mother grabs Gemma and backs away. "What did you do to get away? Fuck every last one of them?"

"N-no, I-"

Her father grabs her by the back of her neck, forcing her to her feet. "Look at you, stumbling in here in nothing but undergarments, dripping with sweat and dirt and Gods knows what else." He squeezes her neck hard. "Have you no shame? Dragon whore."

Her mother spits in her face. "You should've been the one who died, not your brother."

Her family's words shatter something inside her. In its place, a boiling rage rises. "You are right. I am a shameless dragon whore."

"Disgusting." Her father squeezes her neck so hard she's sure he'll break it. "You know what's worse? I bet you loved every minute of it." He throws her across the room.

She hits the ground, trembling. "Forget you guys. I have people I still need to save." Struggling to her feet, she turns and runs out into the center of town. People stare at her as she stumbles into the square, breathless. "Listen, everyone. I escaped the dragons. I've seen what they're doing there." The people hesitate to stop and listen, looking at her with fear and doubt. Doubling down, she jumps onto the stone fountain. "The human slaves are treated worse than dogs in that castle! You will hate yourselves for turning a blind eye!" Her words make the crowd stop. They look up at her. "If we band together, if we stand and fight, I'm sure we can-" a sharp blow to the back of her head steals her words. Her knees buckle, her vision blurs and she blacks out.

~W~

For a long time, there is only darkness. Voices drift in and out of her haze.

When she comes to, she is in the vast, crowded throne room of the dragon castle. And she's chained to a post. "W-what?"

"So good of you to join us, Fay." Her body goes cold. When she looks up, Alarik is nowhere to be found. The one who sits on the throne is Xander.

"Xander, it's good to see you too. I'll love seeing Alarik's reaction when he finds you on the throne."

"He'll never know. I'll handle this little matter without bothering His Highness." She struggles against her chain, trying desperately to loosen them. Xander chuckles, leaning forward to watch her twist and squirm in the iron chains. "You're putting up even more of a fight than he did."

"He? You can't mean-"

"Fay...." Theo groans as guards drag him forward in similar heavy chains. They throw him on the ground.

"He was brought straight to me when the guard caught him. I'm sure you'll be happy to have him back, Celeste."

"Yes, I've missed him." Her throat tightens as Celeste slinks out the crowd and picks Theo up by his throat, squeezing.

"Nnngh!"

"No, this is barbaric. Stop!"

"Mmmm, I don't think I will. This little traitor deserves to suffer. After all, running away was his idea. Wasn't it, Theo?" Celeste digs her nails into Theo's neck, breaking his skin. "Wasn't it, Theo?"

He writhes in pain, tears streaming down his face, completely incapable of breathing. "Nngh!"

"Aw, looks like he's running out of time. Too bad."

A trickle of blood runs down Theo's throat.

"You're right. It was all Theo's fault." She hangs her head, unable to meet his eyes.

Celeste chokes him until he passes out.

"Well, are you going to finish him?"

"Hmm, no. I think I'll keep him alive. There's more fun to be had with this little traitor, after all."

She thrashes and screams at Celeste and Xander chuckles. "So entertaining. I see why you asked for a high price on her."

"I'm glad you like her, my lord." She goes rigid when he hears her father's voice. He steps forward, along with her mother and sister. "We took one look at her and knew you'd want her back. For a price, of course."

"Dad, you deserve to burn alive for this. Die screaming as you smell your own flesh cook, you psychotic-"

"Shut your whore mouth, Fay." Her father grabs her bruised cheeks and painfully pulls her to his sweaty, tomato-red face. "I swear, if it weren't for the dragon cock you'll have to suck, I'd sew your mouth shut right now."

"Just say the word. I have the needle and thread."

Tears of loathing rise in her eyes.

"Now, now. Let's not be hasty." Her heart pounds as Xander rises from the throne, walking toward her. "She can still perform her duties without her tongue." He wraps his hands around the hilt of his sword.

Fay kicks out from beneath her chains, slamming her foot into her father's shin. "Gah! You'll pay for that! Come here!"

The doors slam open with a deafening BANG and everyone stops. "What the hell is going on here?" Alarik storms into the throne room with all the rage and force of a volcanic eruption.

"Your Grace. I've just seen to it that your property was returned, after the unfortunate escape attempt."

"Is that so?" Xander's hand leaves the hilt of his sword. He backs away with a polite bow as Alarik nears her. He takes her face in his hand and tilts her chin up. Holding her breath, she slowly looks up at Alarik. Behind his stern gaze, she can still see the softness she's come to know from him. "Who do I have to thank for returning my slave to me?" His thumb brushes the fresh bruise on her cheek. "Especially in this condition?"

"That would be me." Her father steps forward, puffing out his chest. "We were just discussing a fitting punishment for her. Perhaps cutting out her tongue, or-" with inhuman speed, Alarik reaches out and grabs her father by the throat. "Wha... what's the meaning of this?"

"You dare presume to damage my property without my permission?"

"N-no, I-"

"This isn't the first time, either. I've seen the scars. The cuts and bruises and burns on her body."

"She deserved it, every single time!"

"What I deserved was love."

"Love? Don't make me laugh. You deserved-"

"Know what I think you deserve?" Alarik snaps his fingers. Guards drag out a massive cauldron of boiling, molten gold. "A proper reward. More gold than you could ever imagine."

"Really?"

"Oh, yes." With a bloodthirsty grin, Alarik raises both her mother and father over the cauldron.

"No! You can't do this!"

"I can and I will." Alarik looks at her, his whole body craving vengeance. And she can't deny it, she craves it too. "These people don't deserve to breathe the same air as you, Fay. Not for one more second. Give the order."

She looks up at her parents, feeling every cut, beating and burn they ever dealt. Remembering how she screamed and they laughed. "Let them go free. They don't deserve this."

"What, really?"

"You can't mean that, Fay."

She falls to her knees, the chains bearing down on her like a weight. "It's the decent thing to do, not what they deserve. Please let them go."

Alarik grits his teeth in frustration. He lowers her parents to the ground and shoves them toward the door. "Go. Before I change my mind."

They run out the door. Her sister, Gemma, tries to follow them but she is held back. "No! Tell them to let me go too!" Gemma wails and shakes her head.

"Gemma, just be quiet for once."

"I will not be quiet, you evil bitch!" Gemma shoves her to the floor, scratching her face. "Tell them to let me go too! Or I'll take out those pretty eyes of yours, you-" she's hoisted off of Fay.

Alarik holds her at a distance while she kicks and screams. "Let go, you psychotic-"

"Keep talking and my punishment for you will be that much more creative."

Gemma shuts her mouth. Fay looks up at Alarik in wonder. "We'll make her a slave, I think."

"What, like Fay?"

Her heart lurches. She can't stand the idea of Gemma being near her. "Your Highness, she'll make a terrible slave for you."

"You are my only slave, Fay. This girl will be a washer. The lowest of the low." He tosses her to the guards. "She'll be living in the bowels of this castle for the rest of her miserable life, scrubbing everything. And I do mean everything."

"That's disgusting! I won't-"

"You will. And you'll start with something extra special." Alarik turns to Fay. "What do you think? Should your sister clean the toilets first, or should we lower her into the sewer itself to clean the shit off the pipes?"

Fay looks at her sister. The girl who called her the brother killer. The girl who tortured her right alongside her parents. "Master, please have her fold some laundry first."

"You're sure?"

"Yes. Becoming a slave is punishment enough, especially for someone as vain as Gemma."

"What did you just call me?" Gemma is dragged away and finally, the room falls silent.

Xander turns to her with a dangerous smile. "Your slave did run away, Your Grace. I suggest we-"

"I know how to handle my own property, Xander." Alarik's words slice through the air like a razor, his eyes flashing blue. Xander bites his tongue. Alarik lifts her in the chains, hauls her over his shoulder and stalks out of the throne room.

When they reach his chambers, he throws her on the bed and roughly removes her chains. "Hey, what's your problem?"

"What's my problem? I woke up to find you gone, Fay. Gone."

"I had to leave."

"You didn't just leave. You ran from me." He pulls the last chain from her body and turns his back to her, his shoulders knotted and tight. "Why, Fay? Why did you do it?"

"Can't you understand? I'm nothing but your possession here, a slave."

"A well-treated one."

"That's not enough when you won't always be around. What happens to me after your birthday? If I don't die too.... what will become of me here?"

Her words make him stop. He's silent for a long time. "I.... I need to think."

"Wait-" before she can stop him, Alarik throws his door open and leaves, locking her inside.

Moments later, the lock slides free and the door opens again. But it isn't Alarik standing in the doorway. "Oh? All alone in here, Fay?"

"Celeste, you're like the plague."

She answers with an amused chuckle, gliding into the room like she owns it. "Says the little leech who just sucks and sucks."

"What did you call me?"

She drags her fingers through her hair, her sharp nail scratching deep. "You heard me, little leech. What's got Alarik so entranced by you, hm?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, yes, you do. Don't play dumb. Take right now for instance." Her finger travels underneath the thin gold chain that is Fay's collar. "For what you pulled today, do you know what any Master would've done?"

"Thrown me off a cliff? Oh wait, you tried that already."

"Answer the question seriously, or I'll throw you off another one."

"They would've killed me."

"Close, but not quite. See, we have punishment reserved for our least respectful slaves." Fay shivers as she wraps her arms around her, the woman's face just inches away. "We take their collars off.

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With that, Celeste removes her collar and shoves her. "That's right. And you might think that's a good thing, but let me be clear." She grips her arm hard and drags her toward the door. "A collar means you're property. That you belong to a dragon. Without one, well... anyone can use you. Any way they want."

"Wait!" Fay fights her, but she's too strong as the woman pushes her out into the hallway.

"Good luck, little pet. No slave has ever survived a whole night uncollared." She slams the door in her face.

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