Alright, not quite a week, but this one was a toughy. It's shorter, but I tried to pack it as full as I could with content to make up for the length. Next chapter will most likely be the last so get ready! Big thanks to lovinghobbits, okaloosa, camomila3, Trinabear for following/faving/reviewing, it pushed me to get this one out as quick as I could. Now, onto the story!

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Darker Places

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"Del, wake up baby girl." The voice should've been soothing to her, should've roused her from sleep with a smile, but all she felt was crushing despair.

"You've already used her three times." She growled, burrowing further under the moth eaten scrap of blanket as the shade of her mother faded into the darkness of the room around her, only to be replaced by the smug face of Sarumon.

"I must confess to having run out of new faces to torment you with. This could all be over in an instant if you would only tell me what I wish to know dear girl." He was careful to keep his voice light and conversational as he knelt beside her, brushing the dirty hair from her face. "A new bruise? The guard was instructed not to harm you. I will speak with him." He said, placing his hand fully against the ugly swelling around her right eye. She knew that this "healing" was how his power took root in her mind, but she'd grown too weak to push him away.

"You know that I won't break this way. I'll die before I give you knowledge of my world." She spat, trying in vain to jerk out of his grip as the soothing heat began to seep into her skin.

"I think you truly believe that. But others have felt equally resolute in the past, only to bow to my will in the end. You will be no different my child. All I ask is that you submit to me, allow me to end this nonsensical suffering." He withdrew his hand, remaining on his knees beside her. She drew in a breath, turning her head to glare into his lying eyes.

"Bring it on old man." She smirked, feeling the pressure of his power pressing her back into the filthy mattress.

"You will regret this insolence." He hissed, sweeping from the room, the door swinging closed behind him with a resounding thud. She allowed a few moments to ensure he'd really gone before she drew in a shaky breath and allowing the tears to fall. She had no way of knowing how long she'd been gone. His magic robbed her of her sense of time, making each torture session and phantom visit bleed into the next so that it felt as if only a day had passed.

"I should never have fallen asleep that night." She whispered, berating herself yet again for thinking she'd ever be safe in this tower. She had been so careful in her examination of the room, not even considering that sleep would be what sealed her into this spell formed hellscape. But, the moment she'd woken the following morning, she found the truth of the "room" that had been prepared for her.

It hadn't been the pleasant place she'd been shown, but was instead a cell with nothing but a bucket and straw filled mattress, and that had been where she remained. Her guard, the orc she thought had died, would visit her daily, asking her inane questions about Thranduil and the workings of her world, only to resort to physical torture when her stubborn refusal proved too much for his miniscule patience.

This had been her schedule, every day, for however long it had been since she'd been brought here. She knew the odds of Thranduil coming for her was slim to none, he'd not exactly been enthused about the idea of her to begin with and probably viewed her absence as a blessing, if he thought of her at all. She felt her heart constrict at the thought of him sitting in his rooms, content without her, after everything they'd been through, but it was the only explanation she had for why she was still here.

"Del. We must hurry. Get up." His voice floated to her from the doorway, just as it always did, and she steeled herself for everything she knew was to follow. Sure enough, at her lack of response, soft footsteps echoed around the tiny cell and she felt a warm hand descend onto her shoulder, holding it gently. "Please. We do not have time." He whispered, leaning down and placing a chaste kiss on her cheek.

"What color are my eyes?" She asked, refusing to look up at him.

"Your eyes? Del we must go now, we have no time for silly questions." He said, laughing softly. It made her heart ache to hear it, knowing the true sound of his laughter and longing to hear it just once more.

"Answer me and I'll go with you." She said, still refusing to move.

"Your eyes are blue." He said, pulling gently on her arm.

"Wrong." She hissed, swinging her arm back to connect with the phantom's jaw, sending the body sprawling and dispelling the image to reveal her guard, holding his jaw and glaring at her.

"Bad move." He growled, lumbering to his feet and squaring his shoulders. She just mirrored his posture, intent on making this fight lat as long as possible. The more tired he was by the time he pinned her, the less she would have to endure afterward.

"Not from where I'm standing, Ugly." She smirked, assuming the only fighting stance she'd found that worked for his usual bull rush. She'd no sooner planted her feet than he was speeding toward her. She stepped to the side, flippiing him over her knee and slamming him into the hard floor. Her reached up to grab her leg, but she danced out of his reach and took another solid stance across the room.

He rose with the strange kind of grace that seemed unique to Orcs and rushed her again, hooking her around the waist this time. She felt the wall behind her and jumped, bracing her legs against the heavy masonry and pushing forward with all the strength she could muster, effectively acting like a spring, pulling him off his feet and pressing his face forcefully into the wall.

He roared as blackish blood erupted fro his mouth and nose, splashing across the wall and robbing him of his grip for a moment. Del took this opportunity to shake him off and scramble to the other side of the room, readying herself for his next charge. But it never came. A bolt of pure energy shot down her spine, rooting her to the spot and stealing her breath.

The orc turned to face her, murder on his face as he drew a wicked looking knife from his belt. Del struggled to move, her vision starting to blacken around the edges as she slowly suffocated, her eyes darting around the room, trying to find the wizard she knew was responsible for this.

"Del. I find myself tiring of this game. I will have the knowledge you hold, or I will be done with you, but I am done waiting." His voice floated around her from all directions and she felt herself beginning to vibrate with panic and fury. The restriction on her oxygen supply was removed just as the knife sliced into her shoulder. Her scream bounced off the walls around her as the Orc took his time piercing her flesh.

"You will pay." He snarled, a smile creeping across his lopsided features.

It seemed to go on for hours. He would stab her and then treat the wound, ensuring he never hit anywhere that would fatally wound. After each attack, Sarumon would ask her to divulge even one fact of her world, just one, and the torture would end. It sounded so good to her in that moment that she found herself almost agreeing, if only to make the pain stop. But just as she was about to break, Thranduil's face would flash in her mind, disapproving and stern, and she would find her strength again.

"Fuck you all!" She screamed as the knife sunk into her stomach.

Thranduil had never been more afraid in his many years. The battle was over, the dwarves had reclaimed the mountain and the dragon lay dead at the bottom of the long lake, but still now Del. Tauriel had searched the reaches of the forest, going so far as to examine the skeletal remains of Dol Guldur, but could find no trace of the woman.

From what they could gather, a single orc had come for her and taken her away, but the trail seemed to simply vanish at the edge of the forest, disappearing into nothing, and leaving just as much to go on. He'd reached out to Gandalf and Radagast both, hoping against hope that they'd returned to themselves just as he had, but had heard no news from either wizard.

"My lord. I believe I know where she's gone." Tauriel said, approachiing his throne with haste.

"Tell me." He all but shouted, hope sparking in his mind for the first time in months.

She didn't even have the energy to whimper as she was dropped roughly to the floor, the orc stepping away from her, sheathing his knife at his belt and snarling at her weakness.

"Del. Can you hear me?" Saruman's voice echoed around her.

"Fuck you old man." She growled, spitting blood from her mouth.

"I am finished with you. Do you understand me? You are of no use to me. I will not come to you again. Your guard will not come to you again. You will be left alone." His voice had a ring of sincere pity to it that should have caused fear to blossom in her chest, but she was too exhausted to care.

"Aww, no more visits? But I was having so much fun." She snarled, pulling herself onto the mattress, hissing as her wounds screamed in protest.

"You should have cooperated." His voice was barely above a whisper as it faded away, lining up perfectly with the slamming of her cell door.

Alright, that was hard to write. Let me know what you thought by using that fancy review box down there! Seriously people, reviews are like food for an author so speak up! Either next chapter or the one after will be The End for this one so PREPARE! Anyway, see you guys in the next one.