A/N: Hello to the new readers! Please leave me a review - it's so good to hear feedback, especially from fresh faces! Hope you loves enjoy the update! XOXOX
Chapter 19
"Again!"
Queen Abaddon's voice roared above the fight, and Bloom's gaze ran red as she assessed her remaining opponents. Red with rage and fury...or red from the blood that had run into her eyes from a nasty head wound she had sustained at some point during the bout. The pain had sharpened her senses, focused her energy...for a time.
Now, the pain was starting to take its toll.
Bloom was lagging, slowing down, and the Queen had noticed.
Queen Abaddon was not happy, her lips pursed in a thin line, her red eyes narrowed to slits as she watched her daughter with the utmost scrutiny. The attention made Bloom's heart thunder as the pressure built. There was so much on the line, so much to prove and so much to lose in this one fight. Her mother rarely came to watch, and each time she did Bloom felt like she had to impress the succubus. Felt like she had to put on a show.
The thing was, Bloom was supposed to be getting better. She was supposed to be getting faster, stronger, more agile. But all Bloom managed to do was get more frustrated and injured, a vicious cycle that led to many trips to the infirmary and far too many ruined weapons. It was no secret that the succubus queen was still waiting on Bloom to manifest into some Dragon Flame-fueled warrior, the savior of the people of Eros.
It was a large roll to fill, one Bloom knew she was not ready to take on.
But it didn't matter what Bloom wanted. This was expected of her. It was her duty, as the heir and Princess of Eros to become their champion.
If only someone had told her feet that.
A spear to the shins sent Bloom tripping and spiraling to the ground, eating a face-full of dirt as she landed.
Fuck, that hurt. Something was definitely sprained, if not broken. No part of Bloom's body wanted to move from where it had fallen, but the longer she stayed down the worse it would wound her reputation. She did not want to be seen as the weakling who cried over some skinned knees. Really bad skinned knees...and burned forearms...plus all the other slices and bruises collected across her limbs.
Bloom was a walking canvas for pain.
Biting back the sting of dirt in the wounds, Bloom picked herself back up. Something cracked - was that her elbow? - on the way but it was of no consequence. She swallowed the discomfort alongside her pride and turned to where her mother stood.
Only to find the spot empty.
Abaddon had left. She had just...left. No concern, no worry about her only child's wellbeing. She just left, like it was too painful to watch Bloom fall, like she was an embarrassment, like she was a disappointment.
No...this would not stand! The beast would not have it! Bloom would not have it!
"Halt!" Bloom commanded her fellow trainers. The succubi stopped in their movements to reposition themselves for battle, stalling at the command of their pupil.
Bloom threw down her own spear and shoved past them. Abaddon's grand cape could be seen trailing just past the edge of the arena, so Bloom followed.
"My Queen!" She called, figuring a more formal approach would win her more favor than screaming 'MOM!' like a petulant child...even if that was what she really wanted to do. That, and strangle something.
Thankfully, the cape stopped, and when Bloom turned the corner she could see her mother waiting for her among her sea of followers. That may not have turned out to be a good thing, however, as the succubus queen looked just shy of murder. Well, that makes two of us, Bloom thought wryly before briefly bowing.
"Why have you followed me?" Queen Abaddon demanded, her tone cold. "You have training to complete."
"You left before I had the chance to speak with you," Bloom replied, remaining calm even if she wanted to spit, what does it matter? All I ever do is train.
"We may speak after you have finished your training," Queen Abaddon decided, taking Bloom's opinion out of the mix. It did not matter what the conversation may be about; she had already deemed it unworthy of her immediate attention, and that only further upset Bloom.
"This is urgent!"
That was not enough to sway the queen, who was already turning to go. Desperate to be heard, Bloom resorted to the one thing she did not want to do.
"I don't just want to be your warrior! I want to be your daughter!" Bloom outburst, hating how needy she sounded in front of all these creatures. But it was true. This whole year on Eros and not once did she feel like she belonged. Not even in her closest moments with Azazel - the only creature who understood her and he was her slave for the Dragon's sake - did she feel like she had a true home, and it all stemmed down to her desperation for her mother's love, approval, something, anything at all.
Bloom did not want to end up like so many succubi and reach the point where murdering one's sire seemed more appealing than building a relationship with them. She had already lost one set of parents; she did not want to lose another. And yet, in times like these, when she was cast aside and reduced to an inconvenience...Bloom started to fear for the worst.
For a terrible moment, Bloom thought that the succubus was going to lash out, all the barely-contained fury lining the woman's face chasing fear into Bloom's bones. But then, Queen Abaddon sucked in a breath, shut her eyes, and breathed out, "Come with me."
The Queen turned so quickly that she spun up dust in her wake, the entourage of guards and courtesans parting as she left. They stared beady red eyes at Bloom, glaring as she went to follow. Whether they were outraged on their monarch's behalf or simply jealous that Bloom got a private audience was uncertain. All Bloom knew was that, at this very moment, she was wildly unpopular.
Once they were alone in some part of the palace Bloom did not recognize, the Queen turned on Bloom with eyes and a voice full of fire.
"How dare you defy my will like that!" Abaddon snarled, sharp teeth bared and deadly. They were meant to inspire fear, intimidate. Had Bloom not been so hopped up on adrenaline and anger, they might have had a greater affect.
"Forgive me for wanting to speak to my own mother without making an appointment!" Bloom fired back, knowing that just saying something like that could subject her to public lashes or a sentence as a slave. Her fears were muted, however, when the beast was in control.
"I am your queen first and mother second, always," Queen Abaddon reminded rather unkindly. "Perhaps you are still stuck in the mindset of the human world, and for this past year I have given you every benefit of the doubt, but your whims are trying my patience."
"Do you know what is trying my patience?" Bloom challenged, puffing her chest and wondering where the hell this bravado was when she needed it in the arena. "That I fight and I train and I bleed because you tell me to, every damn day, and for what? For what?! I just as many scars as half your soldiers and I'm still not enough! The least you can do is tell me why!"
"I push you because I want you to be greater than I ever was!" Queen Abaddon roared, grabbing Bloom by the upper arms so tightly that her claws sunk into her skin and drew blood. "I want you to be the greatest warrior queen Eros has ever known."
At some subconscious level, Bloom knew that to be true. The succubus had all but mapped out her great and ever-expanding plans for Bloom once her true strength and skills settled. But to have it thrown at her with such intensity was startling.
The beast calmed, leaving Bloom's voice vulnerable and unsure when she asked, "Do you really believe that I can do that?"
"I do," Queen Abaddon replied firmly, shaking Bloom once. "But only with time, and training."
The Queen released Bloom and took a step back, surveying her progeny. This time her gaze did not feel as much like failure, more like a reassessment. Bloom also took the time to reassess what she knew about her mother.
Perhaps the succubus only knew how to communicate through one method: war. Perhaps this was the only true language she spoke, and through her twisted actions she was truly trying to make Bloom into the best succubus version of herself. It was a brutal, demanding way to show faith and affection, but the succubi were not a cuddly race. Bloom knew that they could be cold, but this cold? She could have sworn that some affection was allowed between kin. Wrathis was far kinder to Bloom; not in the way she expected a father to be (not in the way Mike was, she almost allowed herself to think), but kinder than her mother. But maybe affection was not a luxury afforded to royalty. Maybe, in order to stay strong all the time, Abaddon had to banish her feelings.
Even if it wasn't true, they were comforting thoughts that Bloom could tell herself. She needed something to hold onto.
"I will train as hard as you wish," Bloom said, willing herself to remain strong and hold herself upright. That was, after all, what her mother expected to both see and hear.
"That is more like it."
Finally, Bloom felt like she had done something right. The tension eased somewhat now that she knew that Abaddon had been pleased.
"Oh, and daughter mine," Queen Abaddon chimed on her way out, her tone anything but sincere on the last two words. "Disrespect me in public like that again, and suffer the consequences."
Anger surged through Bloom like a tidal wave. But it was not until her mother was safely down the hall that Bloom unclenched her fists and shoved one into the nearest wall.
So much for mending relationships.
The fight was too easy. Predictable even.
To be completely honest, Icy was getting bored with it. A flick of her wrist, wave of her hand and it was all too easy to blast fairies into oblivion, and that was without the aid of the Army of Decay. The ones that were left were hardly fighters, the stragglers who were too scared to take a stand when Alfea fell and spent the first bouts of battle hiding behind rubble. They were pitiable even. Icy almost felt bad for them as she repelled their magic, ripped their wings, and ravaged their comrades.
Not bad that she did it. Bad that they never even stood a chance.
And then there were the Winx. Those pesky girls who just would. Not. Die. They were the ones Icy craved to destroy. But, of course, they managed to slip through the cracks of their terrible defeat, sneaking back to their secret base to lick their wounds and try again.
Let them come, Icy thought viciously. They will not get so lucky next time.
They were close to the end, and it was only a matter of time until Icy got her hands around their throats. They were already getting sloppy. They had even managed to leave one of their own behind.
"Good, you're awake," Icy crooned as her prisoner came to, a pair of dark eyes blinking blearily as they adjusted to the low light.
The girl looked like complete and utter shit, though to be fair, she did just receive the beat down of a lifetime. Her dark hair was wild and matted with dirt and blood. Her face was more bruises than clear, dark skin, and her bottom lip was puffy and split. Icy almost felt bad for chaining her to the wall, iron shackles on both her wrists and ankles. She only hoped that she hadn't damaged the girl too badly, or else it would make this interrogation go much more slowly.
"Fucking Musa," the girl spat once she gained full consciousness, pure loathing in her voice. "I never should've agreed to this fucking fight."
"Yes...I hear that one can be very persuasive once the lips between her legs get talking," Icy said with a smirk, picking at her nails in faux-disinterest while not-so-secretly pleased at the rise it stirred in her prisoner.
"Fuck off," the girl snapped, positively feral.
Icy chuckled, a dark and amused sound passing her lips. It made the fairy tremble. For all her bark, she had such little bite. Icy could only hope that the girl had more luck with intimidation when she was at full power instead of forced to her knees in submission.
She reached one pale hand down and curled her sharp nails underneath the girl's dark skin, yanking her chin up until teal eyes met crystal blue.
"I want to make you a deal."
The girl tried to jerk away from the touch but failed. "I don't want anything from you, witch."
"Oh, but I think this will interest you," Icy assured, ignoring the insult in favor of playing the game. "You have something I want, and I have something you want. Say, the location of a certain succubus."
All the struggling stopped. The girl took on a begrudgingly curious look. Satisfaction bloomed in Icy's chest as she felt the conversation turn in her favor. She would get this girl to cave and do her bidding. It was only a matter of when.
"I'm listening."
"It's simple. You give up those pathetic rebels, and I'll tell you exactly where to find your sex demon."
Immediately, the atmosphere in the room shifted, and Icy knew she had struck the right nerve. Icy had heard a lot about this fairy in particular, about how her mission to destroy succubi was obsessive. No doubt, this bait was tempting. As curious as the girl was, she was also skeptical, one dark eyebrow raised in suspicion. "How do I know you're telling the truth?"
"Because my sisters and I were the ones who portaled her off Magix."
"Even if you did portal her, there's no promising she'll still be there."
"True," Icy agreed, though she seriously doubted the succubus was going anywhere. "But you'd still be one step closer to finding her than you are now, and I doubt you'll be getting any better offers."
The girl's lip curled in distaste and she remained silent as stone. It was evident that she was torn between wanting to thrash Icy and help her. That was an affect Icy and her sisters tended to have on people, but Icy always got her way. No matter what. She was willing to wait for it.
Finally, the silence was broken with a resolute huff.
"Tell me, and I'll give you what you want."
"Ah ah ah," Icy tutted, waving a finger back and forth in front of Aisha's nose. "You'll get the location when, and only when, I have those miserable pixies by the throat. Count yourself lucky that I'm sparing your life instead of just slaughtering you like the rest of them."
"I'm so lucky," the girl glowered, her gaze hate-filled but determined. "Fine. I agree to your terms."
"See, that wasn't so hard," Icy praised, satisfied. "Maybe there is some witch in you after all."
Icy waved her hands and the shackles disappeared.
"No witch," the girl denied, rising to her feet and brushing the dirt off her clothes. "I work for myself. Those girls got me into this mess; they're not my friends. Whatever happens to them, I don't care."
"Spoken like a true witch," Icy continued to goad. All she got was a sharp glare in return. Smart, she noted. At least this fairy knew when she had been beat. "Now go. Fetch those annoying little pests and bring them to me. I don't care how you do it, just do it fast. My sisters and I will be waiting."
Icy could hardly contain her glee.
By morning, the last of the Resistance would be dead, and the whole of the Magical Dimension would open at her feet.