I'm back with a new chapter and I am sooo sorry it has taken me so long to get an update out. A special thanks to The Corrupted Typer for my first review. Seeing reviews, even it's just one for this story for now, really encourages me. So please readers and followers give me your thoughts, advice or anything else. I'd love to hear what you think of my story and stuff.

WARNING: This chapter has descriptive violence and some heated romance ; ]


Chapter Three

~Nalaena~

It's been around eight days since I've been captured. Every day from that moment seemed to drag. During those eight days, Zakain has been putting me through hell. Using so many instruments on me I've already lost count of how many he already used. I'm so bloody now and hurting everywhere, sweating profusely. Most of my clothes are gone, torn away. Only strips of cloth hang loosely on my body. They barely cover me from his prying, sadistic, leering eyes.

I pray every moment to my Goddess that I'll be set free soon, be rescued somehow and to give me strength to continue to defy Zakain. I don't think I can take this for much longer though. My will is weakening, Zakain is slowly breaking it down. I have to stay strong and defy him until that happens. I wonder is Daeren thinks I have left without him or if he knows I have been captured. This always keep going through my mind.

In the short time that I've known him I think I'm starting to fall for him. There was just something about him that makes me smile instantly. I can only think of him now, dreaming of him constantly when I'm not screaming in agony because of Zakain. I start to dream about Daeren again. In my dream we're by the lake again. He's holding me close to him from behind and I turn to look at his face. Leaning our heads towards each other, our lips are just about to touch.

The dream is ripped from me as pain lances across my back. Blood curdling scream after scream comes from my mouth as I'm hit by something several more times, Zakain has returned with his offer. Marry him or suffer until I give into him. Lifting my head takes more effort than it should as I try to search for him in the room, but the room is too dark for me to see much of anything. Then he appears from the darkness like a nightmarish monster, grinning evilly. My face curls in disgust as he approaches me. Zakain's face contorts to an angry glower, hitting me across the face with the handle of the instrument that he was hitting my back with. He chortles and hits me again harder, causing blood to come out of my mouth with a splatter.

"I don't know why you're being so stubborn, my dear. You'll eventually give up. So just save yourself the pain and give in to the inevitable."

I spit on his face as an answer, showering his face in red droplets.

"You stupid girl!" He roars menacingly as he hits me hard in the stomach, knocking the air from me.

I whimper in pain as I go slack from all the effort I'm putting into keeping my head up, head drooping to my chin. I stare at floor, mind whirling. Isn't there any way I can escape from this? I would do anything just so I could feel no more pain at his hands. Zakain lifts my head up by my chin and making me look into his eyes.

Enticingly, he whispers, "All this pain will go away. Just say you'll marry me and I'll free you from this. I don't want my future bride completely mangled before the wedding."

"I'll never marry you, you monster!" I hoarsely whisper back.

"This is useless! Quit denying the inevitable! You will be mine, you ARE mine whether you want to be or not!"

Snarling at him, "I will NEVER be yours. I will fight you until my breath leaves my lungs. I'd rather die than be conquered by a monster like you, Zakain."

He saunters up to me and trails his fingers down my body as I shudder in disgust. His touch, his smell… just everything about him is disgusting and I can't stand his touch. I try, to no avail, to get as far away as I possibly can from those evil hands. He laughs as he grabs me by the hair, biting and kissing me on neck. I struggle hard, trying to get him away from me as he laughs again. Walking away momentarily he comes back with a glove on that has jagged dull knives that are still sharp enough to tear skin. My eyes widen in fear as he gets closer. He runs his hand down my side, I feel the serrated knives of the glove tearing my skin. I start screaming in agony with abandon as he laughs maniacally.

I must have fallen unconscious because cold water and a rough sponge jolts me back awake. Jerking my head to the side I spot a friendly face and weakly smile at the woman who scrubs me down that is obviously very new here. Sadly, she smile back at me and says nothing at first. I know this woman well and she's the only female spy under my father's orders. She looks around checking to see if anyone is near us and then speaks to me, giving me my first ounce of hope.

"Your father and Daeren is working on a way to save you dear girl. I just started working here just so I could get close to you and let you know. Don't give up, kitten, help is on its way. You poor girl. I hope they get here sooner than what I was told, Nalaena, and get you away from that snake."

"Daeren is helping Father? How much longer must I wait for my rescue? I don't think I can last much longer under this torture."

"Yes, Daeren was the one that let us know. He noticed you went missing and immediately came to your father. From what I was told, dear princess, it'll be a week or two before you can be released."

Tears start flowing down my face as I quietly cry out in despair, "I can't wait that long, I'll be broken by then, Nivala!"

We hear a door opening and Nivala gets back to scrubbing roughly as I wince in pain, we both are silent when Zakain appears once more. Narrowing his eyes at Nivala, he dismisses her. Curtsying, she hurries from the chamber glancing back at us for a moment before she disappears from my sight. Shaking in cold and fear, Zakain comes closer to me.

"Seems like my worthless brother and your father are on their way here to rescue. Pointless, really. Because they won't win. It won't matter what they throw at me, it'll just be swatted away like flies just like those spies that came in here a few days ago. Pathetic really. Anyway, my scouts have reported seeing activity near here. I wanted you to know. But don't get your hopes up, dearie, because they won't get you out and they will be destroyed, squashed like bugs by my forces."

"Your brother?" I ask, confused.

"Yes. Don't you know who he is? You've spent some time with that pathetic, whiny upstart."

"Who do you mean? As far as I know, you don't have a brother."

Hysterically laughing, "Oh, poor Nalaena! He didn't tell you?! The fool! Sweet Nalaena, Daeren is my brother. He's my half-brother though. But we're still bound to each other by our father's blood. He is my father's illegitimate child by some local woman who died years ago, during a winter raid, before your grandfather had taken over as Demon King."

Shock overwhelms me, "That can't be true… there's no possible way you two are brothers."

"Well it is true, believe it or not. To be honest, this is perfect. Because now I can finally kill him. He's been a bur in my side for a long time now, both mine and my mother's side."

"What does your mother have to do with this?"

"Can't tell all my little secrets, now can I?"

Outside the chamber a commotion commences and Zakain looks towards the door irritably. Striding over to the chamber door, he opens it and starts yelling. Rushing back in angrily, Zakain approaches me with eyes glittering with anger. I close my eyes waiting for the blow that never comes. Opening one eye slightly, I see that he's just standing there smirking.

"Looks like they're here already, hurrying to their deaths. I shall enjoy this immensely. Like I said earlier, don't get your hopes up. They will lose horribly and shall die agonizingly painful deaths."

My head slumps forward and I close my eyes, tears dripping to the floor. I can hear his laugh echoing in chamber as he leaves, slamming and locking the chamber door. Hopeless, my situation is so hopeless. So much for my resolve. I honestly don't know how much more of this I can take from Zakain. Tilting my head back as far as I can, I scream out in frustration. Slumping back, I dangle helplessly from my chains that have me raised two feet above the ground.

From here I can hear the battle taking place, every now and then there's a loud booming sound. Possibly rocks or something of the sort hitting the side of Zakain's fortress. Dust falls down on me from the ceiling and I feel my chains from above give a little. Looking up I could see that they're loosening due to all the shaking from whatever's hitting the fortress. A little bud of hope rises in me as it gives just a tad more. Slowly, painfully, I start thrusting my wings and lifting myself. Flying outwardly I pull as hard as I can. Tugging one more time in sync with the blasts it gives away and I hurtle to the floor. My side hits the concrete floor hard, screaming out as pain lances through my hip and shoulder. As I try my hardest to get up I crumple back to the floor, gasping for air.

After laying on the floor for a while I'm finally able to push myself to a sitting position. Breathing fast through my nose and gritting my teeth, I carefully stand up. Stumbling, I make it to the door and peek through the bars and I see no one. I whisper for Nivala but she doesn't answer, most likely long gone. I'm somewhat free from my chains but not free from this room. If only I could get out of this room I could probably escape.

Looking around I see nothing to help me, not even something to cover up my body with. So whoever ends up coming to free me from this room is going to see me naked. Sighing I go sit against the farthest wall from the door. I try to sleep but am unable to because of the battle that is commencing outside. Curling my legs up to chest, I wrap my arms around them, covering myself up some. So now all I have to do is wait to be released from this room and I'll be free of Zakain. I seriously hope they get here soon, all this room holds is horrid memories.

Eventually I pass out, completely exhausted. Zakain doesn't come back and I never wake up to an unknown sound. Several hours pass and I finally wake up, looking around, confused. I hear a thunderous commotion outside and I guess that they've broken through the defenses, fighting men inside the wall of the fortress. Eagerly I wait for someone to come down the hall to let me out of this chamber. I peer through the bar and see no one at all. Starting to give up, I move away from the door until I hear a shout. I rush back to the door to see a man go flying in the air and a full manifested demon right after him, looking down the passageways deciding which way to go. The demon starts going down the wrong hallway.

I scream at him, begging, "WAIT! Please don't leave me here! I'm down here! Please don't go!"

The demon stops and turns around, running down the hallway that I'm in.

"The last chamber. I'm in the last chamber!"

He runs at full speed down the hallway, stopping at the door peering through the bars of the door. I look into the demon's eyes and they're silver-white. It's Daeren, he's actually here. I start crying tears of joy and relief. But it's short-lived as Zakain in his full demon appears down the hallway. I gasp in horror and Daeren looks at me confused.

"Behind you, Daeren!"

He turns around in time and dodges a glancing blow, but just barely. Daeren returns blow for blow as they go full out. Watching them fight is amazing. They're both going so fast, their hands and feet are blurs. One of Zakain's punches sends Daeren into a wall and Daeren's kick jets Zakain down the hall. Zakain rebounds back towards Daeren, only to be caught by the neck and held high. Daeren roars in Zakain's face ferociously, spittle going all over his face. Zakain looks down calmly at Daeren, a malicious smile spreads across his face as blood drips down his neck.

Daeren slowly walks down the hallway until he gets to the end, I ask him, "Daeren? What are you doing?"

"Nalaena, get away from the door now."

I barely get out of the way when Daeren smashes through the door with Zakain and on through the wall of the chamber. I dash to the hole they made to see them disappear into dark grey-black clouds. A flash of lightening lights the clouds and a thunderous roar follows soon after. All around are signs of battle, cries of pain and shouts of mercy or help. From above I see flashes of wing and roars of pain from either Daeren or Zakain. I do not know which is winning. I scan the area quickly and snatch a cloak, wrapping it around me. Up above a battle commences ferociously.

I look away from the angry sky as rain starts to pour down fast and hard. I scan the bloodstained field for friend and foe alike, specifically for my father. A thunderous roar that makes me jump and my heart race sounds from the sky after several flashes of lightening web through the clouds. Another roar sounds from afar, one I know very well even though I've heard it only once in my lifetime. My father's roar echoes throughout the air from ahead of me.

"Father…"

Slowly, I trudge along, making my way across the slick muddy field. Constantly I scan for anyone, mostly for the enemy. I do not want to be captured again, I would rather die than let that happen. Climbing up a slippery slope, I trip and stumble several times, falling at least twice and hurting my hip that I damaged while getting my chains free from the ceiling. I try to get up and fail to do so as pain shoots through my hip, making me stifle a scream. While I'm lying there as the pain subsides, I breathe fast and uncontrollably through my nose with my mind racing. When the pain is tolerable I slowly, ever so carefully, get up using the leg with the undamaged hip first.

Out of breath, I sit on a stone that was from Zakain's fortress. Not too far from me is a spear sticking straight up in the mud. The rain hasn't let up at all, so now the mud is at least ankle deep. Wrapping myself in my muddy cloak, I doze for a little bit until I hear something from up above. Gazing above I see something hurtling in my direction and before I can even move, someone is impaled on the spear that's near me. I scream in terror and I panic, scrambling away as best I could. The man dies upon being impaled and is so unrecognizable I can't tell if it's Zakain, Daeren or some random soldier. Someone else, most likely the person who threw the other into the spear, lands behind me. Immediately, I tense up waiting for something to happen.

Glancing behind me, I only see legs. So my eyes travel up to the man's face, I'm shaking in terror, praying that it might be Daeren. My eyes encounter familiar cobalt blue shining brightly and fill up with tears that slip down my face one after another. Daeren gingerly lifts me into his arms. Grimacing, I hiss out a breath from the sting of my cuts on my back. Daeren frowns down at me, looking at me questioningly. I shake my head vigorously, toughing through it, and lay it on his chest. Looking closer at the dead man that's on the spear, I realize that it's Zakain. Carrying me, Daeren lifts us into the air and heads to my father, I assume.

We reach a room that completely empty and Daeren sets me down, going to go draw a bath. He says nothing to me and I look at him confused. Glancing at me, he gives me a small smile. Lowering my eyes, I stare absentmindedly at my pilfered muddy cloak and filthy hands. Daeren shuts the water off to the huge bath that could hold at least three demons comfortably and slowly approaches. Anxiously, I watch him get near me and pull the cloak tighter around me. I didn't want him to see my damaged body nor see my naked.

"Nalaena…" He whispers.

Averting my eyes from his searching cobalt blues, "What?"

He sighs, "I know this is awkward for you, but you need to get into that bath." Pausing, he laughs, "Besides, you're absolutely filthy."

Blushing, I hiss at him through gritted teeth, "I know that. But I won't get out of this cloak until you're in the hall."

Daeren's face grows hard, "I am never leaving you alone in the place, not even for a second. Nalaena, Zakain's forces are still out there looking for you. For some reason, even though Zakain is dead, they want you. I have an idea why but I don't know why SHE would want you…"

"Who is this "she"?"

Closing his eyes, "His mother."

"Your stepmother, you mean?"

Eye snapping toward me, "How do you know?"

"So it IS true! You never told me!" I hiss at him.

"Is what true?"

"That Zakain is, was, your brother!"

Sighing, "I was going to tell you, but it never came up and I never got a chance to tell you."

"You should have told me when you told me about him!"

"Why should I have told you? You had and have no right to know about my past! He was part of that past."

"When that "past" ends up involves me as well, I think I do have a little right to know."

"Enough!" Daeren's roars, approaching me quickly, "Now, get that cloak off of you so I can carry you to the bath!"

"I don't need your help! I can get there myself!" Forgetting about my injured hip, my leg collapses beneath me as I try to walk to the bathroom. Gasping due to the sudden sharp pain, I fall into Daeren and my cloak falls away when I try to catch myself. Daeren wraps his arms around me to catch me, putting too much pressure on my back. I cry out as his arms goes up my back, rubbing against my torn skin. Tears slip out and fall on him.

"What's wrong…?" His voice fades as his eyes fall upon my ragged back, he inhales sharply, "Oh sweet Goddess, Nalaena…"

Sweeping me up in his arms once more, he carries me swiftly to the bath and lowers my tattered body into hot water. Hissing and arching my back, my nails dig into him as the water comes into contact with my open wounds. Sobbing openly now, the heat numbs my skin and I relax letting the water soothe me. I turn my face away from him, wishing that he never seen my body like this. Several more tears fall down my face silently as I watch the steam swirl in circles.

"Nalaena, look at me. Please."

"No." I hoarsely whisper.

"If you won't look at me, at least let me get that mud off of your back."

I ignore him and float deeper into the pool, dipping all of me under the water. Coming back up, I encounter a bronze muscular chest. I jump and my eyes shoot up to his. I glance to the left and see a cloth in his hands.

"You're not going to back down on this are you?" I ask irritably.

"Correct."

"Ugh. Fine."

Sighing, I turn my back to him. He runs the cloth gently down my back, getting the muck off of it. A few times I hiss through my teeth as he runs the cloth over extremely sensitive areas on my back, opening some of the new wounds again. When I no longer feel the cloth I dip low into the water. Turning my head, I glance back and see he's standing at the doorway with his back to me. Water drips down his body from his wet clothes. He must feel my intense stare as he looks back at me. My eyes widen and I snap my head back, facing the bathroom wall, chiding myself. Crap! He caught me staring!

"Nalaena?" he inquires.

"Yes?" I squeak out, blushing furiously.

"Do you need any more help?"

I'm quiet for a moment, "I could use some help actually washing my back."

Behind me, I hear water splash softly as he nears me. Taking the cloth again, he puts soap on it and scrubs softly. Squeezing my eyes shut as I feel the stinging sensation from the cuts on my back, a lavender scent flows around me. Taking the cloth back from him, he goes to the steps of the bath and I finish up washing my body quickly, moving onto my hair. After I completely rinse off, he approaches me one more time.

"Are you done or would you like me to put new, clean water in?"

I debate with myself for a moment, "I think I'll get out."

"Good. Now we can start the healing spells."

"What? Since when do you know healing magic?"

"My mother taught me before she died."

"Oh. I-I'm sorry."

"It's okay. She died a long time ago."

He picks me up and carries me to a bed with no blankets. Setting me down, he has me lay on my stomach. Daeren starts to chant and an emerald glow appears, surrounding the entirety of my body. His chanting mesmerizes me as the magic works on my body. The low baritone of voice lulls me to sleep and it's a dreamless, peaceful sleep. A welcome change after what I've been through this past week.

A few hours later I wake up to a sheet draped over me and I groggily sit up. Searching the room, there's no sign of Daeren. Getting of the bed, I wait for the pain to announce itself and it never comes. I rush to a mirror and examine myself. There's not even a single scratch on my body. Daeren did an excellent job of healing my wounds. Spotting a light coming from the bathroom, I head over there as I secure the sheet around me. Peeking through the door all I see is steam swirling and dancing, but I can hear his humming from within the bathroom. Shaking my head, I go back to the bed.

What in the world am I thinking?! Geez girl! Get it together! But…. I owe him so much and ooooh… he's so gorgeous. My heart starts to pound as I turn back to the bathroom door, debating if I should dare to go in that bathroom. Laughing softly to myself, I think I am falling for this man. But… a bud of doubt pops up, does he care about me, let alone like me in the same way that I like him? I nibble on my lip nervously as I think, I mean, I've been thinking about him nonstop for the past week. Then there's him still going to my father, letting him know that I disappeared. Of course his reason for going there after noticing my disappearance could be so his brother wouldn't gain any more power. But then why would he go along with my father to rescue me from Zakain's clutches?

"Nalaena?"

I jump at the sound of his voice, breaking me from my reverie. Instantly, my eyes go to his face. His cobalt blue eyes pin me in my place only for a moment. Letting my eyes wander his body, I blush when I notice that he's only in a towel. Water drips down his face to his chest and on down from his hair.

"Are you okay, Nalaena?"

"Yes." I whisper, starting to climb back in the bed like a coward.

Before I realize it, he catches my hand and pulls me to him. Our bodies collide gently as I unintentionally let out a soft gasp. Wrapping one arm around me, he holds me close. The heat of his body seeps through the thin sheet warming my skin, making my heart race faster than it already was and I begin to crave his touch. His other hand caresses my cheek and then winds through my hair, pulling me closer as he leans in at the same time. As if my hands have a mind of their own, the slide up his chest. One continues on into his hair, our lips touch. His lips are warm and gentle but demanding. A soft moan escapes me and he deepens the kiss.

His hand that was winded through my hair, travels down my cheek to my neck and on down, wrapping it around me as well. My arms curl around his neck, pressing my body closer to his wanting more contact, he lifts me up. His kisses travel down my chin continuing down my neck as I tilt my head back. Another moan bubbles from my lips as he bites and sucks gently right above my collarbone. Stumbling, we land on the bed and his scorching skin comes into contact with my ice cold, making me gasp. He catches my gasp with passionate kiss, making me desire him more and taking my breath away.