Connected by the Soul
Valek was sitting at the desk in his office going through the several dossiers of various prisoners. He narrowed his eyes at one particular man who was charged with slaughtering his wife. Gruesome, he thought as he scanned the details. Valek couldn't imagine hurting an innocent woman. As a master assassin who is loyal to the Commander, he would of course eliminate those who posed a threat. Valek simply did not have time to waste on innocent lives.
He closed the folder and exhaled sharply through his nose, but couldn't help but feel something troublesome stirring within him, an instinctive feeling that something was amiss. Furrowing his eyebrows he stood up, trying to think of what could be wrong at that moment. He briskly walked out of his office and locked its door. Turning on his heel, he headed straight for the Commander's office. The door was ajar but Valek couldn't hear any strange disturbances in there. He looked out the window. The sun was just setting. Valek's thoughts shifted to Yelena. Dinner had already passed and Yelena had the rest of the day free. Curious, he went to his suite and swiftly unlocked the door.
"Yelena," he called tersely. He knew she would answer if she heard him call. He looked inside her bedroom to see a small stack of books on her bed and her nightclothes. Valek wondered if Yelena was in the kitchen chatting with Rand again. He tried to brush it off but this feeling kept prodding him. Sighing, Valek lithely made his way down to the kitchen, only to find Rand alone brooding over a difficult recipe.
Very strange, he thought. He exited the kitchen and proceeded down the hallway. He stopped, a bad feeling welling in his soul. He looked at the staircase at the end of the hall and felt himself getting warmer.
-----
All she could hear was the familiar sound of heavy chains rattling. She felt herself in a very uncomfortable position. Yelena opened her eyes slightly to see a huge figure before her. She was hanging from her wrists chained to the dungeon ceiling.
"Didn't I tell you to stop your training?" Nix said, his rank breath washing over Yelena's face, causing her to wince. Nix smacked her once, yielding no reaction from her. Growling, he brandished a knife in front of her.
"Such a pleasure doing long overdue work on Brazell's behalf," he smirked. He roughly lifted her chin and drew the knife deep in her flesh. Yelena yelped. His grin widening, Nix grabbed her tattered uniform stained with the blood from her neck and tore it off her body.
"No," Yelena protested weakly. Declothed, Yelena hung with less stamina needed to scream for help, let alone defend herself against Nix. She knew what was going to happen. Using the last of her energy, Yelena squeezed her legs shut, hoping to spare at least this part of her exploitation.
"No you don't," Nix said disdainfully. Yelena held her legs together with all her might, but still Nix parted them with ease, bruising her skin in the process. Yelena could feel her muscles failing. He forcefully plunged his filthy fingers inside of her as she cried out in pain. She realized the more sound she made the more she was egging Nix on. She tried to keep quiet, noticing too late the streaming tears covering her face.
Nix wrenched his bloody fingers out and lifted them in front of her. They gleamed with blood and sweat. The disgust and fear Yelena felt compelled her to scream with all her might. Bad idea. Nix slapped the bloody hand across her mouth, almost stifling her.
"Shut up, shut up," he growled. Yelena could feel more bruises forming. Nix grabbed her side and dug his fingers in her flesh. "Another sound out of you and your stomach will be squished between my fingers." Nix's glare was unyielding.
Suddenly the sound of shuffling feet could be heard from a distance. Nix's eyes once again bore into Yelena in warning to be quiet. His hand still clutched her side. She tried moving around to release herself from this grip, rattling the chains above. He grabbed her hair and pulled, ceasing the sound of clanking metal.
The source of the unknown noise walked closer. Soon it began to sound like two sets of feet. Men from General Parffet's unit emerged and sauntered closer, seeing Nix ahead. Nix's eyes lit up as an idea came to mind.
"I'll be back," he said to his men with a vicious sneer. The men mirrored the same expression as Nix stepped aside and the men moved closer to Yelena. Yelena clenched her muscles, but knew it would be of no use. Out of options, Yelena sent out a mental plea of help. She didn't know what she was doing or who would respond, but she hoped someone would find her.
------
Valek heard the casual sounds of soldiers guarding the dungeons as he descended the stairs. The men looked up at Valek and immediately moved aside. Valek heard the distinct sound of chains rattling down the dark murky hallway but it was nothing out of the ordinary in a dungeon to attract his attention.
Just as he was about to turn around, he had another wave of the same bad feeling. In one of the dungeon halls, two men walked past Valek, their eyes meeting his briefly. Belatedly, Valek noticed the blood on their hands. He took note of those two men whom he's never seen before. He absentmindedly thought of the day Brazell's men stalked the castle in search of Yelena during her first week as food taster.
Once more Valek questioned his sanity while walking back to the hallway that led to the staircase. Out of the corner of his eye, however, he spotted a figure hanging by the wrists on chains.
Valek's heart leaped, viciously startling him, as he realized who it was. He dashed down the hallway toward the cell and gasped aloud.
"Yelena? YELENA!" He rattled the locked bars of the cell. Her naked body hung limply. Black bruises were scattered all over her. A trail of blood leaked from a deep gash in her neck, but didn't compare to the horrific thick trail of blood running down from between her legs. Valek tore the lock picks out of his pocket and fumbled with the lock, taking longer than he normally would have to pick it. He threw open the bars and hurried toward her.
"Yelena," he whispered desperately. He cupped her face in one hand and with the other, checked her pulse. Her vein weakly pushed the blood through. Sighing with relief, Valek picked the lock on the manacles around Yelena's wrists. He released her, and before she could slump to the floor he caught her and carried her naked form up to the suite.
------
It seemed as though the attack was over but something didn't feel consistent. Yelena was laying on her back on something soft. Her eyes opened, wondering if this was what the afterlife felt like. She saw a figure hover over her.
"Yelena?" he called quietly. She was surprised and extremely relieved at the same time to find him with her.
"Valek," she exclaimed weakly, her voice rasping. She felt him lift her head up and force a few mouthfuls of water down her throat. The pain she felt just moments before perked up and started to throb. The worst pain was between her legs. She shifted about in Valek's arms, trying to find a position in which the pain can subside. A sharp cry came from her as the pain tore through.
She felt Valek lift her up slightly and place her back down, whispering something unintelligible. The ringing in her ears would not stop.
"Who did this to you?" Valek's strong impatient voice cut through the throbbing in her head. He held her shoulders firmly, trying to make eye contact. Yelena made a substantial effort to keep her eyes open.
"Nix," she said, clutching between her legs and whimpering. "And...and two other guards from Parffet's unit." The last word came out in a whisper as she collapsed in utter fatigue.
She felt Valek leave her side, followed by a shuffling of materials. The next thing she knew, there was a cold cloth pressed against her head and neck. Valek made another attempt to persuade Yelena into sitting up and drinking a cup of liquid he gave her.
She emptied the glass with a few weak swallows and then glanced at Valek. His expression had turned from relieved to livid.
"Wait here, I'll be back," he said with a voice that sounded as though it was stamped right out of metal. His jaw was set firmly as he pulled a blanket over Yelena and turned to head out the door.
Yelena drew the blanket close to her neck, wincing as the pain stung. The drink had allayed the throbbing all over her body, but even through her physical pain was put on hold, she was once again scarred mentally.
------
Anger coursed through Valek's blood. His breath was vigorous and came out in low growls. He stopped in front of his wall of arms and grabbed the smallest, and sharpest, knife. He fingered the darts strapped to his belt, reminding himself of their precise position.
He exited his suite and slammed the door shut, locking it with his key. He glided gracefully toward the dungeons where his targets were. Before going down the stairs, Valek paused, taking in deep breaths. Remembering Yelena's tattered and bloody figure angered him to the point to where he was breathing fire out of his nose.
He knew nothing could help him calm down now. In his mind he had the faces of those two men he had seen before. He ran down the stairs. The guards at the base of the staircase had the fleeting expression of confusion at seeing Valek visit the dungeons twice in twenty minutes but they stepped aside quickly.
Every soldier's movement caused Valek to turn sharply, eyeing them for a match of the faces he wanted. Valek calmed down temporarily, trying not to project his emotions onto the others and cause a disturbing aura.
As if they were summoned, two familiar faces were casually headed towards Valek's direction. Valek stopped in front of them. The two unsuspecting men tried passing him but Valek held his arms out, blocking them.
"So men, what out of the ordinary have you done today?" Valek asked, his tone slicing through the air. They knew what he was talking about, evident in their sudden expression that indicated they had just then adopted the "every man for himself" mindset.
With a roar, Valek grabbed the two by their collars. They desperately grabbed at their swords and knives, but Valek swung his leg and tripped them both. The rage that held Valek compelled him not to slit their throats just yet. He wanted to feel his knuckles crushing their bones.
The men were still grabbing at their waists. Valek launched a knee into each of their stomachs and pulled their hands away from their waists. He twisted their arms in absolute fury. They cried out in anguish. Nothing could make him stop the torture.
Soon they were dead. Valek had calmed down a considerable amount. He wiped his bloody hands on his pants, straightened his collar, and proceeded to search for one more person. His step was less erratic and he was able to think more clearly.
Valek paused, listening to the movements of the soldiers and the fidgeting of the prisoners in their cells. No, Nix was not around there. He took the stairs two at a time and walked to the courtyard where there were various people running laps.
"Nix!" Valek yelled. A panting Nix broke away from the running circle and stopped in front of him.
"Yes sir," Nix said, unaware of the boiling in Valek's blood. Valek held his face perfectly still and emotionless.
"Come with me," he told Nix brusquely. Valek led Nix to an empty corridor on the second floor near a window overlooking an unruly garden. Nix glanced at Valek nervously. He had heard of Valek's greatness in the art of murder but has never expected to be worthy enough to meet with him privately. Nix wondered if Valek had chosen him as an apprentice. He looked hopeful and ready for training.
"Nix, have you seen Yelena?" Valek asked in a sincerely curious tone, effectively wiping away that hope. Nix's face was drained of its color. He gulped. His heart rate sped up, but he tried to hold a straight face.
"Wha- what, sir?" Nix asked, choking on air.
"Yelena. My food taster," Valek repeated slowly as if Nix were mentally challenged. Nix's eyes widened as he saw Valek's own eyes change from curious to determined, his pupils dilating fully.
Valek nonchalantly whipped his knife out. He grabbed Nix by the neck and smashed him against the wall, holding the knife to Nix's neck.
"Do you know," Valek said casually, "how much of a pain in the ass it is to keep training food tasters?" Valek looked at Nix as though expecting an answer; his eyebrows were raised questioningly. Sweat started to roll down Nix's forehead.
The clean sound of metal slicing flesh rang through the air followed by a dull thump onto the grass from two stories high.
That garden needed to be tended to anyway, Valek thought. He looked at the blood on the floor and on the window sill, not fully satisfied yet.
-----
It was too quiet. Yelena still didn't know where she was. She slowly sat up and surveyed the view before her. Books were scattered about the place. An array of weapons hung on one wall. There were little piles of rocks on a desk and on the bookshelf. Next to those rocks were black figurines of animals carved out of stone. They seemed to glitter in the light. In the corner in front of her bed was another desk with some sort of machinery on it. She marveled at the fact that she had been laying in Valek's personal bedroom this whole time.
Yelena got out of his bed, an odd wave of vertigo hitting her. She steadied herself and paused, remembering with a frightful jolt that she had to taste the Commander's food. Slowly, she recalled tasting his dinner that evening, and sighed in relief. She hoped she wasn't imagining things. The gash in her neck and the muted pain all over her body was definitely proof enough. She had been coming back from the Commander's office when Nix had abducted and chained her up. Then he and his men beat and raped her.
The very thought brought on a massive stomach convulsion. Yelena wouldn't allow herself to vomit in Valek's room. She hurried out and dashed across the suite to her own room to pull on her nightclothes. She then tumbled out of the suite, securing the lock on the door, and made her way as quickly as possible to the baths.
She immersed herself in the warm water, rubbing the sweat, dirt, and blood off her body. Her sore muscles in her arms and legs relaxed. She let out a long breath. Her thoughts were on Valek and what he was doing at that very moment. She figured he was giving Nix exactly what he had asked for. She wondered how Valek found her. Maybe they were connected by the soul after all.
Yelena pulled herself out of the bath water and dried herself off. Just then, the door creaked open.
"Filthy rat," Margg grumbled as she entered with a pile of clean laundry.
"Margg I have no time for this right now. Fuck off." Margg's face dropped in surprise. Yelena's voice had surprised even her. She eyed Margg intensely as Margg bared her teeth and walked away. Yelena returned to her current task and dried herself off when she realized the pile of linen Margg temporarily left. She grabbed some from the pile and went back to the suite.
-----
Valek stopped by his office to retrieve a vial from his cabinet. Next to the vial he wanted, the White Fright, or Butterfly's Dust antidote, stared him in the face. He shut and locked the cabinet and hurried to his room. It was jarring, the range of feelings that had coursed through him that evening. He finally found out how much he really cared about Yelena. This prospect both thrilled and disoriented him. He never thought he'd find a woman whom he would so want to dedicate himself to. He had always thought that keeping the Commander safe would cover that part of life for him.
Valek pocketed the vial and continued toward the suite. He opened the door and strode to his room to find his bed empty. He lifted the sheets to reveal plain white bedding, no blood or dirt stains, as if she was never there. He sprinted out of his room and into Yelena's, where he found her soundly asleep. There was a pile of cloth in the corner. Valek suspected she had changed his sheets.
He sat on the edge of her bed, inhaling deeply. He was surprised to find the scent of lavender instead of sweat. He gently pulled back the covers to inspect her bruises. She was already in her nightclothes. He kept on breathing in her scent, and soon he found himself lightly stroking her face. He moved a strand away from her eyes.
Yelena's eyes fluttered open. She would have never expected Valek to sit so close to her, let alone touch her face. However, she had subconsciously recognized that this was the touch she had been aching for from him. She was surprised.
"Valek," she whispered. His fingers slid down her cheek slowly and across her lips. She kissed them. Valek's eyes softened as she parted her lips against his fingers. He stared at her in amazement, witnessing his feelings for her reciprocated. Unwillingly he broke his gaze from her.
"I need you to drink this," he said, pulling out the vial from his pocket.
"More pain killers?" she asked, chuckling weakly.
"Something like that," he grinned. He watched her gulp down the contents of the whole vial. She handed him the empty container and he set it down on a nightstand nearby.
"How is the pain?" he asked.
"Much better since I took that shower."
"Why didn't you wait for me to come back?"
"I...didn't want you to come back to a mess." Yelena shut her eyes tightly, imagining how she must have looked and smelled. Valek's expression grew troubled at Yelena's embarrassment. He thought she certainly did not deserve to feel that way.
She felt his lips kiss each of her eyelids. "It's alright," he murmured against her forehead. Her muscles relaxed at his warm breath on her skin. He felt Yelena's hands snake around his arms, pulling him closer to her. She moved aside and he lay down next to her. He gently cradled her in his strong arms.
Yelena pressed her sore body against Valek's, feeling an overwhelming sense of security. She inhaled his clean, musky scent, completely different from the vile stench of those three vicious men. She buried her face in his chest.
Valek heard Yelena draw in a sharp breath. He looked at her face to see a single stray tear making its way down her cheek. He wiped it away and met her eyes with concern.
"Thank you...for--," she sobbed. Valek shook his head and kissed her forehead.
"Don't cry, love." A strong upwelling of emotion took hold of both of them. Valek kissed her lips, running his hand gently up and down her back. Yelena's fingers clutched his hair. Their bodies were carefully intertwined and a warmth radiated from them. His lips trailed to her neck, gently kissing her bruises. He wrapped his hand around her waist and pulled her closer.
With the liquid she had just drunk, Yelena would lose her immediate memory and thus not remember the events that happened that evening by the time morning arrived. She wouldn't even remember the time spent with Valek in her bedroom. Valek still needed time to debate his feelings for Yelena and his loyalties to the Commander, and find the overlaps between them. So with each kiss, Valek eagerly began to mend the scars of Yelena's heart and soul piece by piece.