Hell Hath No Fury

Chapter 4

I Am Already Dead

Zephon's hand struck my face again. My mouth filled with blood this time but only temporarily.

It was dark in the dungeon, with the smell of stale blood and death. My arms were bound above me in chains and my dress now lay in tatters at my feet. The pain in my arms was intense, having to support my whole body weight.

"I don't know why Kain keeps you alive," Zephon taunted, "such a waste of good torture. No tears, no whimpering."

I spat at him, blood still tainted the saliva although the wound had already healed, "Kain has taken everything from me Zephon. You have nothing left to threaten me with..."

Zephon raised his arm to strike me again when Kain's voice echoed throughout the chamber.

"Zephon! I told you to keep her detained; not beat her to oblivion and back." Zephon lowered his arm and looked at me, at my nakedness which hung so vulnerably before him. He walked towards the door of the dungeon. He passed me and very quickly threw his elbow into my jaw. The sound was sickening, bone against bone and once again my mouth started to bleed, there was more blood this time and it dribbled out of corners of my mouth.

Zephon left the dungeon with Kain watching. When he had left, Kain walked over to me.

My face would've been a beaten mix of black and blue had it not been for the healing powers vampires possess. Kain stood in front of me and looked me up and down like some kind of piece of meat.

"How is it that even after Zephon tortures you, that you still look so beautiful?" he asked. He raised his hand to my face and wiped my blood from my mouth. I jerked my head back. I could no longer bear his touch. He stood closer to me and raised his hands to my own shackled wrists. I could feel his hot breath on my cheek and his chest pushed against mine so I could feel his heartbeat.

Kain undid my shackles and I fell to the floor at his feet. Broken, exhausted and numb. I did not care that I was naked before him, I would not give him the satisfaction in seeing me cry or beg for mercy again.

My wrists were stained in blood from the chains that had held me. The metal had cut into my flesh as I had been suspended for so long. My back too was covered in crimson fluid, although the gashes from the whip Zephon had used were already healed.

Kain looked at my blood soaked and naked body, "I think you disappointed him," he was referring to Zephon, "usually he so enjoys torturing women, but you're lack of response must have infuriated him."

I struggled to my hands and knees and spat my bloodied saliva onto the dungeon floor. I began to slowly crawl away from Kain, the further I could distance myself from him the better. I reached the dank wall and using my hands I clawed my way up, steadying my legs against the cold stone. I turned to face Kain, my hair fell over my face and was long enough that it covered my breasts at least.

"Is this where you say 'Vae Victus', Kain? Woe to the conquered?" I whispered harshly.

"Woe to the conquered? No my dear child, for you know that you have the upper hand," I was confused by this, my head span, "you managed against the odds to save your son. To truly conquer you, I would've told my guards what you had done with the child. I saw you push him downstream, but I told no one."

"And you have shown this act of mercy, why?" I spat back at him.

"Don't forget Morganna, I also commanded that your life be spared too."

"My life is meaningless now, Kain. You have taken everything from me. This emptiness I feel, that is my eternity now. There is nothing else you can do to me. You might as well kill me now."

Kain only laughed again, "I prefer to keep you alive, it would please me."

"Then this is my Hell, Kain," my head sank "If you will not release me from this existence then I will do it myself."

Kain did not approach me, he merely raised his arm, but the choking sensation around my neck was very real. He was using his telekinesis to hold my throat and lift me from the ground. His yellow eyes were angry as he started to walk over to me. He had only raised me above the ground enough to look him in the eye but it might as well have been ten feet for my larynx was being crushed under the pressure of his grip. My hands reached for my throat and I clawed and the invisible pressure in vain.

"What a waste that would be," although he was being sarcastic, the anger in his voice never faded, "I told you once that you are the Mother of all Creation. One day, Morganna… that may be of use to me," he relinquished his invisible hold and I fell to the floor once again. I coughed and struggled to breathe. I tried to look up at Kain, but my vision had started to blur and my head felt light. I slipped into unconsciousness at his feet…


I'd heard screams in the night. Raziel's haunted screams. He cried my name this time and I had sought desperately for him in the mist. However, just as before, his hands always slipped out of my grasp. I woke myself with a short cry.

I awoke with no pain, only a sense of longing. My eyes readjusted to my surroundings and I found myself back in my bed, in my bedchamber, in my Clan territory. I pondered for a moment if it had all been another horrible nightmare, but as I tried to rise from the bed, I still felt dizzy. I noticed that I was fully dressed in an emerald green dress with long sleeves. My last memory was lying naked at Kain's feet; I dreaded the thought that he had dressed me while I lay helpless and oblivious to his touch and had put me to bed like a sickly child.

I managed to get a sense of balance and walked over to my vanity table. Everything had been cast aside, I assumed in the attempts to find me previously. I sat on the small chair and looked in the mirror.

At that moment there was no doubt that what had happened was real. The flesh around my neck was bruised, a painful purple colour, blue around the edges. Kain's grip had been so strong that it could leave marks like this on vampire skin, I sat astonished, lightly tracing my fingers on the marks, I was not able to remember the last time I had seen myself with an injury like this. I looked at myself for a minute longer then turned away from the image of myself.

I looked around the room which I could now see was utterly destroyed. Nothing had been left untouched from the frantic searches. My chamber door had been broken from the outside and now lay in splinters across the floor, the flag which had provided our escape had been torn down, and revealing the passage beyond, for the door leading to the caves was nothing but broken parts now. And in the corner lay the overturned cradle my son had slept in only the night before… I walked over to the cradle and lifted it up and placed it in its correct position. I reached into it and took hold of a white piece of woollen fabric. I held it up to my face and inhaled. It still smelled of my baby boy, and Raziel's scent too was upon the soft material. I held the fabric in both hands and looked down at it. I started to walk back to my bed when something on the pillow caught my attention.

The piece of parchment paper was lying casually on Raziel's pillow. I walked round and cautiously picked up the parchment. The letters had been written by a hand I knew and the characters were scrawled in blood. Only Kain wrote in such a fashion. I swallowed hard which hurt my already pained throat. I looked around and although I was sure no one was in the room, I knew that Kain must've brought me and this note here.

My vision was still slightly blurry and it took me a moment to read the small but oh so delicate writing.

Sweet Morganna,

I trust you slept well after your ordeal, for now the true torture begins…

As you can see, you have been returned to your home safely. You are very much alone now, and I intend for you to stay that way for some time.

I have seen to it personally that any items you may have used to dispatch yourself with have been removed. Even the path to the Lake of the Dead has been closed to you.

You will remain here alone for as long as I see fit.

One day Morganna, I will come for you. And on that day, you will give yourself to me, willingly.

He had not signed the parchment, but it was obviously him. I reread the text again and sighed. There was no use in checking whether the note had been right about my options for release or escape. If Kain had seen to it personally, then there was no doubt that he was telling the truth. I wished to tear the parchment up and burn it, but Kain would not have been so foolhardy as to leave me the instruments to create a fire.

What did he mean that I would give myself to him willingly? After all that he has done? I crushed the parchment in my hand and threw it across the room; this did nothing to relieve my anger or my sadness.

I fell to my knees, still holding my son's blanket. I looked to my right and saw the crumpled mass of fabric that has once been the flag that hung over the secret door. I reached for it and spread it out on the ground. Raziel's insignia was clear, although the fabric had been torn in several places. I lay down on the flag and wrapped myself in it. I cradled the white blanket in my hands and started to weep.