Chapter 41: A Horrifying Revelation

Elric glowered from the corner of the chamber. It was dark but he could see just as well as in daylight. He had never spent this long in his dragon form and his sharpened senses bothered him.
Ishild kept him in the drawing-room at night since he was too large for the upstairs corridors. He had tested the bonds that tied him to her nightly. They still held just as strong.
He let himself fantasize about killing her and that weakling son of hers. The thought of Kingsley putting his hands on Saffron sent a bolt of rage through him, but it faded as quickly as it came. He could do nothing with these bonds on him but he would die trying to get to Saffron.
“Saffron,” he thought. “Hear me, somehow.”
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The moon was barely visible through the thick, snow-laden clouds. Saffron lay in her cold bed, staring at the sky. Tomorrow she would be forced to marry Kingsley and live forever as a slave of him and the corrupted queen. Whatever hold Ishild had on Elric was strong and she feared that it would not be able to be broken.
Her eyes and throat were sore from crying. Even when she was almost killed by the Baron, she hadn’t felt nearly as helpless. She had known Elric was alive and that was enough of a comfort for her. Now…now he was trapped inside of his own body, made to be a slave to a mad queen. She sighed heavily and rolled over, burying her face into her damp pillow.
She wanted sleep to take her, to plunge her into a blissfully unaware blackness. “Saffron. Hear me.” She bolted upright and looked around her room. It was empty. She could have sworn she heard Elric’s voice. It had sounded as if he had whispered it right into her ear. With a helpless sob, she lay back down, her hands clenched in front of her heart.
“Elric…Elric...” she cried.
“Saffron?” She froze as his voice drifted through her mind. “You can hear me?”
“Yes? How?” she thought.
“I…I don’t know. I’ve never tried to communicate with anyone in this form before. Are you alright?” his “voice” sounded deeper than his speaking voice, but it was a warm comfort to her.
“I am fine. Do you have any notion on how to get out of this?” she asked, nibbling on her thumb.
“I haven’t a clue, I’m afraid. I cannot even move unless Ishild wills it. She possesses great power,” he replied sadly.
“It is quite extraordinary, isn’t it? Perhaps I can…I don’t know. Figure something out?” she responded.
“You are the bravest and most intelligent woman I have ever encountered and I don’t believe even that is enough.”
She felt a sob grow in the back of her throat. “I’m scared, Elric.”
“I know. It does appear to be grim but I won’t stop fighting to save you. Until the last breath leaves my body, I swear it. I love you, Saffron.”
The sob escaped her mouth and she stifled it with her fist. Swallowing hard she thought, “I love you too. I would rather die than live without you.”
“Don’t say that, although I appreciate the sentiment,” he said with a humorless laugh. A light knock rapped on her door.
“Someone is here,” she replied and felt a shiver of fear snake through her. Was it Kingsley, here to claim his right to her? Ishild here to entrap her the way she did to Elric.
“Be careful,” Elric growled and she could swear she felt a rush of heat sweep over her.
“I will,” she replied and pulled on her dressing gown. The knock sounded again.
“Hello?” she said aloud. She couldn’t open the door if she wished to; it was locked from the outside.
“Can I come in?” she heard Kingsley asked.
“I suppose so,” she said and took a few steps back from the door. She heard the key twist into the lock and he entered. He was fully dressed and had the smell of snow about him.
“Were you outside at this hour?” she asked, forgetting for a moment the current situation she found herself in. She hated the way that a flash of heat flared deep inside of her as his mouth quirked.
“I was. Mother had to feed,” he replied bitterly and tugged off his gloves. “May I sit?” he asked politely. She gestured towards the chairs in front of the hearth and they sat opposite each other. A small fire was banked in the corner of the large fireplace. She stirred it with the poker and added a log. After a few moments, flames began to grow. Kingsley nodded gratefully and stretched his long pale fingers towards the heat.
“What did you mean by feed?” Saffron inquired, studying his beautiful profile. He turned his shocking blue eyes towards her. They seemed clearer than usual.
“Ah, that. Yes well, it is rather disturbing. You sure you want to know?” he asked, his gaze unwavering. The traitorous heat in her body responded to him and she averted her eyes but nodded.
“Very well. To possess the power that my mother does, a sacrifice is required. Most practitioners will sacrifice an animal. Some daemons accept this blood pact while others…well they require something more precious. More valuable to the owner. They will request a soul,” he said flatly. Saffron gasped.
“A soul? I thought that was just a tale to scare small children away from magic?” she replied, her hand at her mouth. He shook his head.
“My mother sacrificed her soul for her gift. What the daemon had failed to tell her was that the longer a human body is without its soul, the less human it becomes. She needs flesh and blood to survive. She can usually make do with animals but when she uses a large amount of her power, she needs to replenish it.”
“She…eats human flesh?” Saffron asked, her stomach lurching.
“Not quite…she sacrifices the body and drinks the blood.”