Chapter Eight
Lana cried softly to herself, her hands bound behind her back, her feet tied together, effectively keeping her from running or escaping in any shape or form. The rope chafed against her skin, cutting into her circulation. She had been thrown into some sort of wooden cart, which had been rolling away from everyone she knew for hours. For all she could guess, she was miles away from Dante, never to see him again. Never to touch Tala’s soft fur, never to see Wes’ teasing smile or Emma’s quiet friendly gaze for the rest of her life.
Despair rolled through her body as she struggled vainly against her bonds. Nothing about this was all right. In all likelihood, she was being led to her death, in order to stop whatever confusing prophecy the shadow man referred to.
The only thing that kept her sane was thoughts of Dante, how much she missed him, his touch, his desire, his dominance, and most of all, the care and devotion he had given her. Now that she had run away from him into the deep woods, far away and straight into the hands of the enemy, did the gravity of her mistake begin to fully sink in and tears welled up in her eyes. Lying on her right side, her wrists bound by merciless rope, sobs wracked through her body.
If only Dante would hold her and tell her everything was going to be all right. She wanted to kiss him and tell him how much she regretted running from him, much she wanted him, and how much she loved him.
She loved him. She really did.
The realization came over her suddenly and she held it close to her heart. If she ever got the chance to see Dante again, she swore upon her life that she would tell him exactly how she felt. Never again would she ever run from him. She did everything to hold onto her love, as it was the only thing keeping her from going insane with hopelessness.
The journey continued for days, as the cart traveled deeper and deeper south. She was given water in a bowl and forced to lap it up like a dog, and some sort of disgusting slop was offered to her in the same way.
The trip ended about a week later, when they arrived in a dirty-looking city. All the buildings were thrown haphazardly together, with none of the finesse she had observed in Eridell. She could only guess she was deep in the kingdom of D’Lormere, leaving the kingdom of Legeari and Dante far behind. The Erassans that held her captive practically dragged her through the streets. What was left of her human slave outfit had long ago fallen apart, so that that now she was completely naked, but covered in dirt like an animal. Onlookers watched with little care, with barely a passing glance. She guessed that the brutal treatment of humans here must commonplace, and nothing to raise an eyebrow at.
They forced her into a massive royal tent and left her lying on a carpet. It was soft in comparison to the wooden planks she had been sleeping on for days.
Exhaustion threatened to overtake her, but she forced her heavy eyes to stay open. Deeply fearful, she knew she was about to meet someone very important, and she had to stay vigilant on the off chance that she made it out of this alive.
She licked her dry lips, and pushed her weak body up off the floor so that she was in a kneeling position. Her muscles protested at this little bit of effort. Days of travel and mistreatment had taken their toll. She was incredibly frail, and she knew it. Pushing further, she forced her body to stand, before she took in her surroundings.
She could tell she was in the dwelling of someone very important. Gold coins were scattered everywhere. Opulent fabrics were draped all over, and luxurious furniture had been placed throughout the tent. Standing in the center, she realized she was as naked as the day she was born. For the thousandth time, she wished she had just climbed into the metal carriage days ago, inside of running away straight to the enemy.
Hearing voices outside the tent, she looked around for something to protect herself, but found nothing. Quivering, she held her head high, telling herself that she was ready for whatever they threw at her next. Noticing the fabric moving at the entrance of the tent, she prepared herself, hoping she wouldn’t encounter something worse than the shadow man.
With a swish, a very large man entered the tent. He was shirtless, showcasing a very tan chest with muscles bigger than she had ever seen before, even when compared to Wes or Dante. His arms were huge, biceps bulging before her. As he stood tall, she gasped as his face came into view. Heavy gold jewelry lined his nose, and a gold chain connected to his ear, tracing up the entire length of it. It was impossible to count how many gold hoops studded through the cartilage of his ear. His head was completely shaved. Simple tan-colored pants hung loosely around his hips, and black shoes surrounded his feet. Parts of him reminded her of a human; portions of him made her think of an Erassan; and other things were completely foreign. Black tribal tattoos marked the overwhelming majority of his flesh, including the top of his head, casting an ominous glow about him, but that wasn’t the thing that Lana really focused on. That wasn’t what unnerved her to her very core.
There was no white in his eye, no colorful iris. The entire eye was black, almost as though he was the devil himself. She forced herself to stand tall even though she wanted to shrink away with every fiber of her being.
The man sat down in a chair in front of her and simply looked at her from head to toe. Lana realized she must be quite the sight, covered in dirt, not a stitch of fabric on her body. But still, she continued to stand tall, drawing from an unknown source of strength somewhere deep within herself.
A dangerous grin grew on the man’s face, one so malignant that it turned Lana’s legs to jelly. Silently, she waited for him to say something, to do anything. Deep inside her, every instinct told her to run, to escape from this man, to get away from whatever strange power he held. There was something recognizable about him, some sort of familiarity that reminded her of the raw terror that burned through her at the sight of the shadow man. Holding her head high, she stared at the alien man and hoped for the best. Clenching her fists, she stood, ready for him to do his worst.
His eyes perused her body, taking in her legs, her hips, her breasts, and pausing on the king’s tattoo, which stood out against her pale skin. Finally, he looked up at her face and released a sigh.
“It’s amazing how much you look like the spitting image of Julia. If she were standing next to you, I bet I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference.”
“Julia? Who are you talking about?” she replied, trying to keep a sense of bravado in her voice when she still just wanted to cringe away. Her skin tingled as he gazed over her. She felt like a baby deer about to be attacked by a lion. Each moment she stood in front of him, her unease and confusion grew.
The man’s grin grew even bigger until he began to chuckle. His shoulders lifted up and down in amusement at her bewilderment. She glared as he laughed at her, but waited silently for him to finish.
“You mean to tell me that Dante never told you about the love of his life? His Julia? And how she could be your living twin if she were alive today?”
“My twin? How is that possible?” Lana felt as though someone had poured a bucket of ice over her head; cold disbelief raced through her.
“Oh, this is delicious. Watching the confusion and pain glimmer over your face is especially pleasing. I wonder if it will be as delectable when I’m in your head, feasting on your memories and your dreams.”
“What are you?” Dread coated her features.
“I used to be human just like you. Before I was taken to this planet, for reasons that soon became clear to me. D’Lormere is a military kingdom, and they created the man you see before you today. Some call me a weapon; others call me an experiment gone wrong. But I am a Soul Eater. I feed on the pain that survives deep within your thoughts and memories, and it makes me stronger. Your pain allows me to access the magic hidden deep within me.”
Lana took a step back, realizing just how dangerous the situation was becoming. For the thousandth time, she wished she were back in Dante’s arms. Her eyes flickered back to him, her arms hugging her torso as though they offered some form of protection.
“Who is Julia?”
“You mean, who was Julia, emphasis on the ‘was.’ Well, you see, she was the woman I killed long ago.”
“What do you mean?” she pressed, horror apparent in her tone.
“Dante and Julia were destined to be married when he was a prisoner in the gladiatorial games. His master wanted to breed him and pass on his powerful genes to future slave generations. Dante and Julia were lovers, and Dante fought for their freedom, but never attained it. That could never be allowed. I was his master. I could never let that happen.” He paused, watching her face, with some sort of strange happiness on his.
“The Erassan people found him and prepared him to leave Earth. They forbade him from taking his lovely little future wife, believing she would be a distraction in the early years of his rule. So, Dante did the only thing he could think of, and told her that he didn’t love her, that she would be better without him. He broke her heart. And left her behind, hoping she would move on. Only he should have known better. I had always been a cruel master.”
“What did you do?” Lana whispered, her revulsion suddenly overwhelming.
“I owned the two of them. I decided who lived and who died. Since I assumed he had run away and cruelly left his lover to suffer at my hands, I did what any games organizer would do. So, in a spectacle like none had ever seen, I placed Julia at the center of the arena, surrounded by beasts, and charged the gladiators with her rescue. Unfortunately, none of them succeeded, and the beasts killed her before any of them came close. I watched her die in the jaws of a bear. Not long after her death, D’Lormere found me and took me as well.”
“Did Dante know?” Her voice was barely audible, her disgust clearly apparent.
“The Erassans told him about her death when he arrived here on Terranovum, but there was nothing he could do about it. What I wouldn’t give to taste that grief, to have seen his face when they told him of her fate! But now… now I have you, the spitting image of the long dead Julia. When my shadow self saw your face, and his tattoo, hiding away in the shelter of that tree, I knew I had to have you.”
“What do you mean, your shadow self?”
“When I have procured enough painful memories, I become a shadow, enabling me to hide in the dark and stalk my prey. It is one of my many powers that being a weapon of D’Lormere graciously gifted me.”
She narrowed her eyes, the pieces slowly coming together.
“So you’re the reason for the people disappearing from Eriborough, and you’re the reason there were dead Erassans. You devoured them and left their bodies behind.”
“I did.”
“Why?”
“We have need of humans here. And the Erassans? They were a delectable snack in order to keep my power strong. They gave me extra strength.”
“What do you need me for?”
“Well, little one, I can’t wait to devour his pain when he sees what has become of you, when he sees how I have broken you. Through your demise, I will prevent what is foretold by prophecy, and D’Lormere will rule Terranovum. The kingdom of Legeari will be no more.”
“No matter what you do to me, it won’t change him. He doesn’t care for me.”
“Now, even I know that’s a bold-faced lie. You have a face that he could never forget. Just because of that simple fact, he already loves you.”
He rose from the chair to his full height, standing before her. Brushing her knotted hair out of her eyes, his fingers drifted down and lingered under her chin. It took everything she had not to recoil from his touch.
“What’s your name?” she asked, her voice quivering.
“My name is Lord Nero, but for you, I will be known as your master.”
Lana nodded, unable to utter anything due to the fear coursing through her. He grabbed her chin and looked deep into her eyes. She felt his power begin to dig into her brain, through her memories, tasting her pain. Burning agony bloomed through her skull, starting from between her eyes, spreading outward. Then, all she knew was terrible pain. Awful screams emerged from her throat as he invaded her head, until hoarseness was all that was left. She wanted to pass out, but he forced her to stay conscious.
When he finally looked away from her, Lana didn’t know if he had been in her head for seconds, minutes, or even hours. The pain was all she knew. Her limbs weak, she collapsed to her knees in front of him. Holding her head in her hands, she rocked back and forth, tears trailing down her cheeks. Surprised, she touched her face. She hadn’t even realized she had been crying. Even though he had withdrawn his power from her mind, it still felt like he was there, and maybe a portion of him was. It felt like her freedom of thought was no longer her own. The burning ache lingered in her head, making her believe that he was indeed always existent in there.
His smile confirmed that he was undeniably still present in her mind.
“You’re right, Lana. Your thoughts, your memories, and your dreams are all mine. I am the ultimate information gatherer. My abilities make interrogating an enemy obsolete. The D’Lormere Empire ensured that when they created me.”
Looking up at Lord Nero, she fully realized the gravity of the situation she was in.
She was vulnerable, kidnapped by this terrible all-powerful evil beast, and no one was coming to save her. No one knew where she was. She was his prisoner, without any chance of escape. Despair washed over her, and her tears began to fall anew. She was utterly alone.