Page 7 of A Broken Promise (the Freckled Fate #1)

7

T he guards opened the heavy doors and led me into another hall. I was thankful it wasn’t Dimitrii. I didn’t think I could’ve handled him right now. Not when my mind, mixed with agony and strength, barely stayed afloat.

The guards were quiet and distant and so was I. They were much less patient with me than Brita, almost racing across yet another hall. Tripping a few steps, I winced at the piercing pain in my side as I quickly caught myself.

The throne room was much brighter than I remembered. Now, in the daylight, large stained-glass windows, stretching high up the walls, lit up the large room in bright colors. Walls and ceilings melted together into the large dome above. Great wooden beams lined the gray stone walls. Tapestries on the walls depicted beautiful hunting scenes, engraved in ornate, golden frames.

The large table in the center of the room was now decorated with skulls of large animals, serving as vases for full blooming flowers. The contrast of the mighty dark table with white skulls and gorgeous colors of the flowers imprinted in my brain. Soft, yet harsh, and so beautiful. Most chairs were gone, leaving only two, placed opposite of each other. My eyes paused as they ran over two large, ivory plates on each end of the tables. Only two .

I took another deep breath as we stopped. I didn’t remember seeing them yesterday but there were small lounge couches spread across the room, just big enough for two people to sit on them. They were covered in luxurious red velvet with small pillows on top of them, embroidered with gold threads. The soft furs thrown across the floor pleasantly tickled my feet.

But no décor could change the heavy air in the room. The anticipation of waiting for the Lord of Death to arrive.

Lord Inadios stood still, ignoring my arrival and admiring one of the oil paintings. His sausage-like hands gripped tight his carved cane. It seemed like his neck was nonexistent with his face melting into his chest. His hair was thinning out with a large bald spot on the top of his head, yet he brushed over the remaining hair to try and cover it up. The hair itself was yellow, greasy, and laying in thin strands just past his ears. He wore a tight suit with pants that looked too short and exposed his hairy ankles. His dark brown vest was unbuttoned, showing the mustard color shirt stretched tight underneath.

In such a room of luxury and contrasting beauty, he stood out like a thorn.

But so did I.

He turned around, his cane squeaking under the heavy weight of his body as he made a few steps towards me. The guards tightened their hold on my leash.

“So, girl, do you have magic yet?” he growled, glaring over me.

In all my thoughts and plans of survival, I forgot they thought of me as a Creator.

As a lower tier Creator, I should be able to change colors and shapes, but I couldn’t even stand right now, much less try to perform magic I didn’t have.

“I am so sorry my Lord, but I am still bound by the Magnesium in my blood.” I bowed deeply again, tugging on my leash just a bit. I didn’t drop on my knees for him this time, aware that I wouldn’t be able to get up. My eyes stayed on the ground, breaths shallow and small.

Meek and obedient and a good slave. A slave. That’s who I am, I reminded myself, though images of ripping out my leash and choking them all with my rope flashed through my mind.

“Hell on you, girl.” He scoffed and took a large sip from his golden goblet. His fingers were covered in large heirloom rings. His wine-laced breath reached me as he huffed again and muttered something I couldn’t hear.

The loud knock this time came from the door across from us. I straightened up, keeping my face still as Dimitrii walked in. He angrily glanced over me; my eyes narrowed as I looked back straight at him. My large mark across his cheek was covered up with a bandage. He hid it too well for anyone to notice—anyone but me—as he walked with an almost unnoticeable limp. I forced my mouth still, fighting the corners of my mouth from spreading into a wicked grin at each of his steps. Good, his foot hurt too.

Dimitrii approached Lord Inadios and quickly bowed.

“My Lord, scouts confirm he is approaching with his battalion.”

“How far now?” Lord Inadios didn’t even look at him as he took another sip of his wine.

“He should be here within the hour.”

“I want your best guards stationed in here at all times and send someone into town for the whores for his soldiers. Double down the guards by his room, too. I want to know everything he does and says to anyone.” He barked the orders at Dimitrii.

“Yes, my Lord,” Dimitrii quickly replied and promptly walked out of the room. Lord Inadios unevenly walked up to the pedestal and loudly thumped into the wooden throne. The wine in his cup spilled a little on the bright white fur at his feet, though he didn’t even notice.

“And now we sit and wait for the Lord of the Death to arrive.”

The hour went long, each passing minute harder than the last. My legs felt like they’d filled with lead, and my arms and neck itched at the coarse, tight rope around them.

But that was nothing .

My mind produced its own kind of torture. Thoughts about everything quickly overwhelmed me to the point that it was easier to not think of anything at all; to shut the steel doors in my head. To try and keep the flood of thoughts from drowning me and leaving me in sheer panic. So, I just stood there, motionless, watching specks of dust floating through the air.

My heart ached for the tall, blond man left to survive alone in those steep mountains on the horizon. I needed him more than anything else right now. Involuntarily, my eyes filled up with extra moisture. I swallowed and blinked rapidly. I wouldn’t let myself cry. Not here. Not now. I had to shut Viyak out completely. Forget his kind smile and the messy beard. Forget the veiny, thin forearms that kept me warm at night. Forget the never-ending hopefulness that followed him. I had to forget it all because if I allowed one more thought of him, one more memory of him, I would not be able to endure anymore. I would fall apart.

I bit the inner bottom of my lip hard enough to leave a mark. Pain was grounding me to now, to this stuffy room, to the painful deep breaths.

My heart skipped a beat as the large doors across the room suddenly opened with a loud thud. Lord Inadios's snoring abruptly stopped and he rapidly stood up.

Like crackling thunder after lighting, nine men marched into the throne room. Their steps—a destructive melody—beat in unison. A deathly march.

Destroyer soldiers wore dark gray, almost black armor, covering them from head to toe. Large swords weighted them down around their hips with round shields behind their backs. Their heads were covered with the same armor as their bodies, helms of dark gray molded together to outline and protect their jaws and noses yet opening their faces for clear vision.

As one, they stopped without a single breath, their presence filling up the room. Four men up front followed by four behind, and between them all was him .

The Destroyer General .

As if commanded by a thought, they took a perimeter formation, making way for the Destroyer General to walk past them. Unlike his soldiers, his armor was obsidian black. Darkness so abysmal, it consumed the light around it. Tungsten so rare that only a Destroyer's raw fire could forge it.

He didn’t have a shield; instead, two huge sword hilts peeked out from behind his back. Made from platinum, they shimmered in the morning rays of sun; a shimmer mixed with red glow from the dark, diamond-shaped rubies that topped the sword pommels. The gems’ sharp ends pointed outwards, creating a bloody halo. As if the God of Death himself arrived amidst measly mortals. His long, midnight black cape flowed behind him like a shadow as he approached Lord Inadios.

Blood chilled in my veins and I could feel the entirety of my soul tremble in his presence. The breath itself caught in my lungs, unwilling to let go.

Lord Inadios nervously fidgeted with his fingers and feet, knocking over the wine goblet. The gold metal made a few loud clicks against the stone floor as the cup rolled down the stone pedestal to the Destroyer General’s feet. Lord Inadios chokingly coughed.

Piercing eyes of the General slowly moved from the goblet to Lord Inadios.

A reaper that has come to collect.

“Lord Destroyer General, welcome!” Lord Inadios bowed as low as his round waist allowed him, his voice trembling. There was nothing left of the cocky, pompous Lord from the night before. It was as if he had completely evaporated; now a mere rat, cornered by a mighty snow leopard.

“Lord Inadios,” the General replied, his voice husk, commanding; so crisp that I could feel it slicing my bones down to the marrow. He didn’t bother to dismiss the still-bowing Lord.

“We are so pleased you have honored us with your visit, great Lord Destroyer General,” Inadios whined back, his face turning bright red from all the blood pooling up as he still bowed.

“Even miserable rats like you, Inadios, need a visit once in a while.” The Destroyer General waved his armored hand, releasing Inadios from his bow.

“My Lord Destroyer General, we are truly blessed in your presence,” Inadios screeched again. The Destroyer General ignored him as he sat on one of the small couches not too far from the pedestal, his large, armored figure filling the seat made for two. His soldiers remained standing so still that I wasn’t sure they were breathing.

“Sit, Inadios, before your disgusting face hits the floor,” he ordered.

“Yes, Great General. Thank you, my Lord,” Inadios replied as he sunk into his chair. He looked so small and so miserable right now that somewhere deep in my heart, I felt bad for him.

“I see you’ve cleaned up the place since the last time I visited,” the General nonchalantly mentioned as he took a slow scan of the room.

“Oh yes, my Lord, I have taken your advice and made sure the manor is up to your standards.”

The Destroyer General chuckled. So callous. Hairs on my neck stood up, as if life itself dwindled at the sound.

“You are a funny man, Inadios, to assume this shithole is ever going to be up to my standards.” He paused; his eyes glanced over the white skulls on the carved table. Inadios froze. I could almost smell his panic, his fear, as the General continued. “Maybe you should try again but this time start fresh… after I turn this hideous rock to ashes.” The Destroyer General paused, his words echoing through the room, as a small white and silver flame appeared at the sway of his fingers.

The Cleansing Fire.

My heart stopped. Fully stopped. So did time. I could see the small specks of dust freeze in the air, as if sensing it too. The little droplets of sweat on the Inadios’s face pooled in horror. I didn’t dare look at the General, but my blood churned at the presence of that silver flame. I could feel it burning me even far across the room.

A blink. My heart resumed beating, now racing so fast that it was hard to breathe. The loose dress, even with the low cut and no corset, felt suffocating.

I needed to breathe, to calm myself, but I couldn’t .

“My Lord, Destroyer General…” Inadios began after a brief pause but didn’t get to finish as I dropped to my knees panting and gasping for air. My head was spinning. The guard jerked on my leash, forcing me to rise. The rope asphyxiated me even more.

I needed air, needed my lungs to work. I felt the tight reins of the self-control I held my mind with completely disappear as I spiraled down into the abyss.

There was one rule, and one rule only that Tuluma made me follow, that I had memorized before I even knew my name: to stay away from Destroyers; to run even at the slight flicker of their flames, their presence.

Like a frightened animal, I pushed the guard with everything I had and lunged towards the door, ignoring all instincts but one.

Run.

I wasn’t sure where or what, but I had to run.

Without even reaching the door, my rope got caught and yanked back so hard that I crashed all the way to the stone floor, brutally falling on my back. Warm liquid trickled down my head. The loud ringing in my ears joined blurred vision .

Breathe .

Breathe.

I willed myself, reaching for those reigns. Control. I need to control my rancid mind.

Two guards dragged me across the floor to Lord Inadios’s pedestal. They held me up tightly by my arms as I thrashed in their grasp, ignoring the mind shattering pain rolling through me with each move.

My mind locked on one thing.

Run.

Run.

Run.

“Care to explain yourself, Inadios?” The General’s firm voice now sounded closer; each cell in my body could feel his approach.

“Oh, my d-d-dear Lord D-d-destroyer General. Forgive your humble servant. I—I wanted to deliver a gift to you. This girl-this girl is a Creator, my Lord.” Inadios paused, looking for even the slightest hint of approval from the General, only to find stone cold loathing displayed on his face.

Inadios rapidly continued. “I know you prefer them much younger, my Lord, and I deeply apologize and regret I couldn’t find something more to your taste. But I beg for your forgiveness and plead with you to accept this Magic Wielder as a gift from me.” Lord Inadios motioned the guards to drag my trembling body closer to the General.

The musty air burned my lungs. Shoved by the guards, my broken body hit the floor a second later, my nose now inches from the armored boot of the General.

Breathe, I commanded to myself.

Just breathe …. Please . I pleaded, but I was locked out.

My mind, my body, my control was gone. As if a fire, pure panic burned everything within me.

I couldn’t breathe. I forced myself to open my mouth, gaping like a fish out of the water.

Large, callused hands roughly grabbed my face. The armor covering his hands was so cold, yet felt scorching against my skin. I winced, feeling the ghost of the Cleansing flame on his hand.

I closed my eyes shut as he jerked my head up, darkness soothing my soul.

“A Creator you say?” He stared at me. I could feel him piercing my soul with his eyes.

“I know she is quite displeasing to look at my Lord, I apologize. She doesn’t quite fit the type, but it was confirmed by the Kahors. She is indeed a Creator.”

“So, an unsuitable old Creator? Is that really what your gift to your master, Lord Destroyer General, is, Inadios? I find it a bit…insulting.” He still gripped my cheeks tight between his fingers. My eyelids quivered but righteously remained shut, even as I heard a loud thump. Inadios landed on his knees.

“Forgive me, my Master…” Inadios trembled. “Magic Wielders are so scarce these days, and especially children. They…seem to be finally going extinct. But I should've known better. Forgive me, thy unwise servant. I will dispose of the girl myself and will not trouble you. I migh t not have any Magic Wielders in my lands left, but I will find you the most beautiful children to your taste, even if it’s the last thing I do.” The General's grip loosed on my face slowly and he let my head slump down yet again. My short hair covered my pale face. I opened my eyes just briefly to see his boots turn silently to face Inadios.

“All I hear are excuses, Inadios, and you know how I feel about them. Or do I need to add another limp as a reminder?”

Inadios whimpered.

Bile burned my throat, turning my face shades of pale green. My lungs were still spasming, only letting gulps of air in.

I watched the armored boots as they marched away from me towards the wooden door, pausing near the threshold. His soldiers were still standing motionless across the room.

The General’s razor-sharp voice rumbled through the room as he decreed.

“I’ll accept the so-called Creator this time, but do not disappoint me again, Inadios…Orest and Broderick, bring her to my quarters.” He quickly glanced over the Royal guards by the door, trembling under his gaze and added, “Keep your useless dogs away, Inadios.”

My heart sank as two soldiers quickly approached me. I was so, so nauseous and the pain…gods, the pain was so unbearable. My mind was wrapped in a thick fog. They didn’t bother making me stand up as one of them threw me over their shoulder like a large flour sack and followed the Destroyer General out of the hall room.

This was too much.

All too much.