A/N: I'm very disappointed with the number of reviews I've been getting. I
really makes me less willing to write this particular story, so get
cracking people. I welcome flames as well, if they're intelligent ones, so
go ahead, whatever you all think about my writing, tell me!
Disclaimer: All Anne Bishop's, none with her permission, but I don't have any money please don't sue, it would just be a waste of your time
Father
"Father, there is a meeting I wish for you to arrange for me."
"And who would this meeting be with?" Saetan asked, leaning back in his chair as he stared into his son's hard gold eyes.
"A certain Dea al Mon man. I don't know where he can be found. His name is Sinori."
"I will speak to Titian about it. She would most likely know where to find her kinsman."
"I don't think Titian will know where this one can be found."
"I see." Saetan mused Lucivar's words and came to his own conclusion. "Does she know about this request?" he asked.
"Yes, father. She wishes to see him before I destroy him."
"Then I will let you know when I find him."
Lucivar glanced at Malayian who sat next to him, her body so taught that Lucivar ached in sympathy. She sat rigidly on the soft chair, perching on the edge of the seat as she waited to enter Saetan's study. Saetan had agreed that the study was a proper meeting place, and he would wait outside with Lucivar in case there were any problems. Lucivar had argued with not being allowed to be in the room when Malayian met her father, but she had insisted that she would speak with him no other way.
The seconds moved by slowly. Malayian was having trouble breathing. For the hundredth time she ran over the possibilities of reactions he would have to seeing her, from apologies to violence. Her mind felt trapped, as though she couldn't force herself to think of anything else. She remembered the last time she had seen him and shuddered. She couldn't do this.
Malayian turned to Lucivar. His face was a twisted combination of worry and anger. He was not going to back out of his own resolve. Malayian looked toward the door again. She couldn't back down either. She'd never be able to be rid of him if she didn't do this. She needed to know that she was stronger than the man who had been controlling her life for all these years.
The door opened and Saetan stepped out. He nodded to Malayian.
"He's in there."
"Can you do this?" Lucivar asked her.
Malayian didn't respond. She stood up and walked into the room without looking back.
It was odd how he looked just as he had on the day that she had killed hi. Same pale face and wiry body that she had come to hate so much. His face was even twisted into that cruel smile that had glared down at her. The red lips that had told her to do such dreadful things. And yet, he was smaller than she remembered. He seemed almost weak sitting in the enormous chair, as though he were a shrunken version of the man she had once known.
He had obviously not been expecting her to walk through the door, and when he saw her Malayian could feel the change in his emotions. His cautious confidence disappeared as he realized that his meeting with the High Lord of Hell was no honor. She could even feel fear begin to taint his psychic scent. It filled her with strength to know that he feared her now.
He tried to cover up his uncertainty. "Malayian, darling." He walked forward, arms spread to embrace her.
"Don't touch me!" she spat out, pulling away from him, putting Saetan's desk between them.
His voice was poisoned honey. "I would hope, *dear,* that you don't hold grudges. I certainly don't." He pulled his down his sleeve, revealing a small nail mark on his wrist.
"I don't hold grudges, *father.* I hold scars."
Senori moved around the table and approached Malayian, who clenched her fists so hard that her nails bit into her skin. He put his mouth close by her ear. By force of habit Malayian did not pull away. She could almost felt he psychic threads twisting about her wrists.
"You hold only the scars you gave yourself, my dear." His whispers sent shivers of fear up and down her spine. "You enjoyed what we did. I gave you pleasure."
Malayian closed her eyes and clenched her fists at her sides, telling herself over and over again that he had no control over her and that she was safe. She was stronger than him now. But as always, the words meant nothing. They melted into nothingness as his fist gripped her wrist and shoved her back up against the wall. She felt paralyzed and couldn't fight back, her body taught with frustration.
"You will go out there and tell the man who invited me here that you have forgiven me. Because you have, haven't you?" The words wound themselves around Malayians mind like serpants, sliding around her barriers, forcing the lie to become the truth. She distantly felt the wish to fight back, to call out for help, but his words took away any hope that she had. Suddenly she was a little girl again, lying face down on the bed as he lay on top of her, whispering his poison in her ear. She was standing in front of her mother, begging to leave only to be told that she was a silly little girl who didn't know what she was talking about.
Her mind reminded her of Lucivar as Senori's tongue flicked out and traced her jawling. But he just saw him standing as her mother had, telling her to stop making up stories. She saw his looking at her in disgust, telling her she was sick to imagine her own loving father of doing such things. The thought made her stomach lurch. Better to be quiet than to earn his revulsion.
"Yes father," she heard herself saying, eyes still squeezed shut. A voice in the back of her mind yelled at her to stop him as he reached under her shirt, caressing one breast. Another part of her mind told her to open her eyes. Some inner strength allowed her to do that much.
Her eyes open, Malayian suddenly realized that for the first time she was looking directly into her father's eyes. Within them she could see madness swirling about. Reflected in his eyes was a world of broken visions and hazy lust. He wasn't seeing her, she realized. Within his eyes, for the first time Malayian could perceive the web of lies that had held her life in its vicelike grip. Somehow the knowledge of his madness gave Malayian the strength she needed to break away from his deceit.
With a hard thrust of her arms backed by the power of her new Gray Jewel, Malayian thrust Senori across the room. He slammed into the opposite wall with a bang that shuddered the whole room. A picture on the wall fell to the ground. Malayian held her father trapped against the wall, binding him as he had so many time done to her, arms and legs spread out like a butterfly held down by pins. She walked slowly towards him, a feral look in her eyes.
In the room outside of Saetan's office, Lucivar jumped to his feet in alarm.
"Sit," commanded his father.
"But…." A stern look from Saetan calmed Lucivar's protests.
"She needs to do this. Let her take her revenge."
A few minutes later Malayian stormed from the room, her eyes aflame with anger. She pulled up short as Lucivar stood again in concern, but he kept his distance, knowing not to anger a witch on the killing edge. Saetan also stood, more slowly, watching Malayian carefully. Slowly, bit by bit, Malayian slid away from the killing edge and the tension in the room eased to a bearable level.
"I'm sorry for the mess, High Lord," she said finally. "I believe that you might wish to find an alternate place to conduct you business for a while." Saetan nodded, thankful that he had removed his important papers from the room before Malayian's encounter.
Malayian's eyes flicked to Lucivar.
"There is nothing left for you to do in there. I…um…I think I need to be alone for a little while," she told them formally before racing from the room.
Lucivar went over to the study and opened the door. He stepped inside and saw the writhing remains of Malayian's father and fell to his knees as his stomach rebelled violently at the sight.
A/N: It seemed an Anne Bishop sort of ending. She tends to have rather violent deaths for the evil, but do comment on it so I know what the rest of ya'll think.
Disclaimer: All Anne Bishop's, none with her permission, but I don't have any money please don't sue, it would just be a waste of your time
Father
"Father, there is a meeting I wish for you to arrange for me."
"And who would this meeting be with?" Saetan asked, leaning back in his chair as he stared into his son's hard gold eyes.
"A certain Dea al Mon man. I don't know where he can be found. His name is Sinori."
"I will speak to Titian about it. She would most likely know where to find her kinsman."
"I don't think Titian will know where this one can be found."
"I see." Saetan mused Lucivar's words and came to his own conclusion. "Does she know about this request?" he asked.
"Yes, father. She wishes to see him before I destroy him."
"Then I will let you know when I find him."
Lucivar glanced at Malayian who sat next to him, her body so taught that Lucivar ached in sympathy. She sat rigidly on the soft chair, perching on the edge of the seat as she waited to enter Saetan's study. Saetan had agreed that the study was a proper meeting place, and he would wait outside with Lucivar in case there were any problems. Lucivar had argued with not being allowed to be in the room when Malayian met her father, but she had insisted that she would speak with him no other way.
The seconds moved by slowly. Malayian was having trouble breathing. For the hundredth time she ran over the possibilities of reactions he would have to seeing her, from apologies to violence. Her mind felt trapped, as though she couldn't force herself to think of anything else. She remembered the last time she had seen him and shuddered. She couldn't do this.
Malayian turned to Lucivar. His face was a twisted combination of worry and anger. He was not going to back out of his own resolve. Malayian looked toward the door again. She couldn't back down either. She'd never be able to be rid of him if she didn't do this. She needed to know that she was stronger than the man who had been controlling her life for all these years.
The door opened and Saetan stepped out. He nodded to Malayian.
"He's in there."
"Can you do this?" Lucivar asked her.
Malayian didn't respond. She stood up and walked into the room without looking back.
It was odd how he looked just as he had on the day that she had killed hi. Same pale face and wiry body that she had come to hate so much. His face was even twisted into that cruel smile that had glared down at her. The red lips that had told her to do such dreadful things. And yet, he was smaller than she remembered. He seemed almost weak sitting in the enormous chair, as though he were a shrunken version of the man she had once known.
He had obviously not been expecting her to walk through the door, and when he saw her Malayian could feel the change in his emotions. His cautious confidence disappeared as he realized that his meeting with the High Lord of Hell was no honor. She could even feel fear begin to taint his psychic scent. It filled her with strength to know that he feared her now.
He tried to cover up his uncertainty. "Malayian, darling." He walked forward, arms spread to embrace her.
"Don't touch me!" she spat out, pulling away from him, putting Saetan's desk between them.
His voice was poisoned honey. "I would hope, *dear,* that you don't hold grudges. I certainly don't." He pulled his down his sleeve, revealing a small nail mark on his wrist.
"I don't hold grudges, *father.* I hold scars."
Senori moved around the table and approached Malayian, who clenched her fists so hard that her nails bit into her skin. He put his mouth close by her ear. By force of habit Malayian did not pull away. She could almost felt he psychic threads twisting about her wrists.
"You hold only the scars you gave yourself, my dear." His whispers sent shivers of fear up and down her spine. "You enjoyed what we did. I gave you pleasure."
Malayian closed her eyes and clenched her fists at her sides, telling herself over and over again that he had no control over her and that she was safe. She was stronger than him now. But as always, the words meant nothing. They melted into nothingness as his fist gripped her wrist and shoved her back up against the wall. She felt paralyzed and couldn't fight back, her body taught with frustration.
"You will go out there and tell the man who invited me here that you have forgiven me. Because you have, haven't you?" The words wound themselves around Malayians mind like serpants, sliding around her barriers, forcing the lie to become the truth. She distantly felt the wish to fight back, to call out for help, but his words took away any hope that she had. Suddenly she was a little girl again, lying face down on the bed as he lay on top of her, whispering his poison in her ear. She was standing in front of her mother, begging to leave only to be told that she was a silly little girl who didn't know what she was talking about.
Her mind reminded her of Lucivar as Senori's tongue flicked out and traced her jawling. But he just saw him standing as her mother had, telling her to stop making up stories. She saw his looking at her in disgust, telling her she was sick to imagine her own loving father of doing such things. The thought made her stomach lurch. Better to be quiet than to earn his revulsion.
"Yes father," she heard herself saying, eyes still squeezed shut. A voice in the back of her mind yelled at her to stop him as he reached under her shirt, caressing one breast. Another part of her mind told her to open her eyes. Some inner strength allowed her to do that much.
Her eyes open, Malayian suddenly realized that for the first time she was looking directly into her father's eyes. Within them she could see madness swirling about. Reflected in his eyes was a world of broken visions and hazy lust. He wasn't seeing her, she realized. Within his eyes, for the first time Malayian could perceive the web of lies that had held her life in its vicelike grip. Somehow the knowledge of his madness gave Malayian the strength she needed to break away from his deceit.
With a hard thrust of her arms backed by the power of her new Gray Jewel, Malayian thrust Senori across the room. He slammed into the opposite wall with a bang that shuddered the whole room. A picture on the wall fell to the ground. Malayian held her father trapped against the wall, binding him as he had so many time done to her, arms and legs spread out like a butterfly held down by pins. She walked slowly towards him, a feral look in her eyes.
In the room outside of Saetan's office, Lucivar jumped to his feet in alarm.
"Sit," commanded his father.
"But…." A stern look from Saetan calmed Lucivar's protests.
"She needs to do this. Let her take her revenge."
A few minutes later Malayian stormed from the room, her eyes aflame with anger. She pulled up short as Lucivar stood again in concern, but he kept his distance, knowing not to anger a witch on the killing edge. Saetan also stood, more slowly, watching Malayian carefully. Slowly, bit by bit, Malayian slid away from the killing edge and the tension in the room eased to a bearable level.
"I'm sorry for the mess, High Lord," she said finally. "I believe that you might wish to find an alternate place to conduct you business for a while." Saetan nodded, thankful that he had removed his important papers from the room before Malayian's encounter.
Malayian's eyes flicked to Lucivar.
"There is nothing left for you to do in there. I…um…I think I need to be alone for a little while," she told them formally before racing from the room.
Lucivar went over to the study and opened the door. He stepped inside and saw the writhing remains of Malayian's father and fell to his knees as his stomach rebelled violently at the sight.
A/N: It seemed an Anne Bishop sort of ending. She tends to have rather violent deaths for the evil, but do comment on it so I know what the rest of ya'll think.