A Golden Heart Page 3

  Clever.

  The demon females turned to point their halberds toward the door. Medorah slithered toward the demons, looking as if she had a slight limp. The guards placed Medorah between them as if protecting her from what was inside. The door shut firmly behind them, the metal bars bending and shoving without any assistance from the outside like they were an extension of the volcano. The beasts guarded their entrance with a ferocity Vashti had never seen before. She realized, there would be no way to get through without assistance or an escort.

  Vashti sat back against the cooled lava, pushing her head firmly against the rock. She stared into the trees. She couldn’t go toward the far side of the woods; the snake-people would easily capture her. They might only have a tail, but Medorah moved quickly with the single appendage, and Vashti knew snakes held venom. She was at a disadvantage in the Forest of Bijou. She didn't know the terrain or the animals there like Saphira did, making her chances of survival low.

  In front of her, the shouts of the auctioneers trying to find her through the forest occasionally reached her, making her time to make a decision tick down. Another option would be to go over the volcano, but spewing lava was a hindrance. She could become trapped and stuck in the cooling lava for eternity.

  Yeah, I don't think so.

  That left the entrance to the volcano. Curiosity pulsed through her.

  Why were weapons needed? Why was a secret code given to a ruler needed to enter?

  Secrets. Secrets. Secrets.

  They were one of her weaknesses. She didn’t have any weapons on or around her to use, but she couldn’t stay where she was. Someone was bound to find her soon since she wasn't exactly concealed.

  Vashti thought about calling Odesha with the bloodstone she had given her, but her sister didn’t normally carry a weapon, and she wouldn’t be able to go back with her. Odesha had a new husband and ice magic. Each were strong enough to defend Odesha, so the bloodstone would be wasted.

  Bloodstone.

  I have two! Esmerelda had a large weapon when I last saw her.

  Vashti ripped at the buttons on her black shirt, moving aside Odesha’s bloodstone, to look down at the small stone hanging in secret beneath it.

  It pulsed with life as she pulled it free like it knew she was ready to use it.

  Vashti didn’t hesitate and whispered, “Esmerelda, I need you now.” It wasn’t a flowery request, but it would work. Esmerelda would come, but Vashti wouldn’t be killing her since she had kept her promise. She would use her help.

  The body of Esmerelda materialized in front of her, her pirate outfit on full display, but her feather that she had worn on top of her head was gone. Instead, Esmerelda wore a jeweled eyepiece engraved in flames. Thrusting her sword at Vashti, Esmerelda ordered, “En guarde, moi capitan!”

  Vashti held her hands up beseechingly. “Remember me, Esmerelda? I’m Vashti from Merdi.” If Esmerelda didn’t remember her, it would add another problem to the growing list.

  Esmerelda blinked owlishly, raising her eye patch to look Vashti up and down. The covered eye sat perfectly in its socket.

  She is still crazed.

  “Ma cherie, je m'excuse. Esmerelda had forgotten this part. Esmerelda surprised she dressed as so this morning, but grand!”

  Esmerelda’s words made no sense to Vashti.

  The pirate suddenly began ripping frantically at her large satchel pulling a variety of weapons and armor to lay at Vashti’s feet.

  “Esmerelda did not know which ma cherie preferred. Esmerelda ne vois pas in the volcan.” She smiled winningly at Vashti and showed her the offerings she carried with her as if seeking approval. Vashti wasn’t sure if Esmerelda knew she was speaking in mixed languages or not, but she wanted clarification.

  “What do you mean you can’t see into the volcano? How did you know I needed all this?” Vashti’s confusion continued to mount as Esmerelda stared blankly into Vashti’s eyes.

  “Courir vers la droite. La tempête comes. Courir, Saphira.” Esmerelda shook her head, her eyes focusing on Vashti again. “Pardon, ma cherie? Have a grand time. Remember. Run to the right.”

  Esmerelda’s form began to fade while Vashti tried to understand what the strange woman was saying. Vashti felt like she was swept into a whirlwind with nothing to hold onto when she spoke to Esmerelda.

  Vashti grasped at Esmerelda’s hand, trying to hold her there, and began to babble, “I don’t understand! Run to the right when? What storm is coming? Why should Saphira run? Is she in danger?”

  So many questions, but the pirate didn’t seem to want to explain. Esmerelda shook her head, mouthing the words, “I can’t hear you,” spinning her finger on the outside of her ear.

  Vashti continued to talk over the strange gesture trying to reason with her, whispering loudly, “Yes. Yes, you can still hear me, Esmerelda. Esmerelda!” If she spoke any louder, the men from the auction running around in the Forest were sure to hear her, but she felt desperate for any type of help.

  The pirate pushed her eye patch down and winked with the uncovered eye, fading from view.

  Vashti shook her head at their conversation, looking for the storm in the sky that Esmerelda had mentioned, but the ash from the volcano skewed the visibility. Saphira could survive a storm, even in a forest. Vashti only hoped Saphira could survive the men that held her captive.

  The fresh weapons and armor gleamed up at her from their pile, pulling Vashti back to the problem she now faced. Fastening the straps of the armor over her tattered clothing made her feel safer. Vashti was lucky she had worn a garment, provided by the Incendie, that had been made resistant to the fire she had unleashed on the box earlier.

  Being naked would make this ten times worse.

  Esmerelda hadn’t brought a helmet, but if she needed one, Vashti was sure she could find one. It wouldn’t be needed if the guards made her wear the black cloak that they had provided Medorah. The helmet wouldn’t fit underneath the hood. Vashti grabbed the assortment of weapons and fastened them to the various loops and buckles designed to hold them.

  The weapon she was most interested in, lay at the bottom. The long whip with inscriptions crafted in the handle had been placed underneath the others. When she touched it, she remembered the last time she had seen Rainey.

  A fire whip from the Incendie Tanssijja.

  Vashti’s friend, Rainey, laid in the bed beside her, staring absently at the ceiling. She held a cool cloth to her blackened eye, trying to make the swelling go down before they had to return for more lessons.

  “I can’t believe you challenged her again, Rainey! How many times have you questioned her dictations? Most of us do, but we keep it to ourselves. You have to learn some restraint.” Vashti tried to counsel the young woman for the hundredth time, but it never seemed to work.

  Rainey hated the Incendie teachers, but that one especially held a special place in her heart.

  Rainey mused, “How should I kill her in the future, Vashti? Would you stand with me? Against me? Let’s negotiate a truce now.”

  Rainey’s eyes swung to Vashti, all the while contemplating the disheveled golden beauty as she waited for her answer.

  Sighing, Vashti sat on the bed. “You always think of death. And you have a pact with each person here! Always negotiating. You know I would always stand with you over anyone. Especially her.” She hated her just as much. Eye twitching in amusement, Vashti added, “Maybe a fire whip? She hates that the most.”

  Rainey burst out laughing, wincing when her eye began to throb in pain. Reaching out a small hand to hold tightly to Vashti’s, she whispered, “I will always stand with you, my friend. If you ever need me, I will be there.”

  Wiping a stray tear from her face at the memory, Vashti finished securing the whip to her side. There was no time now to be sad over the past. She had run from the Incendie for a good reason, and Rainey would understand that.

  It was time to face the volcano.

  Then she would find the men that took
Saphira and become what she had been trained to be.

  An assassin of the Incendie Tanssijja.

  Chapter 5

  Vashti stood before the great metal doors of the dark volcano, waiting for entrance, just as Medorah had before her. The training she had endured took over, sharpening her senses, her breaths decreasing as a calm state washed over her.

  Be strong. Be fierce in the face of the beasts waiting on the other side. She wouldn’t die here.

  I will survive.

  The bars pushed aside, the mighty doors swinging open. The two demon guards marched forward, their deadly halberds yet again at their side. Vashti looked at them coolly, feigning calm while her heart hammered with new nerves. They came to a stop before her.

  “State your business,” the demoness ordered. They both eyed her tattered gown and scratched face curiously, but didn’t ask for details. The one speaking turned her nose up with dismissal.

  Straightening her shoulders, she announced, “I am Vashti of Romule chosen by King Rion. We received your invitation, and I was chosen to represent.” She had thought of her story on her walk over and had decided to hide her real identity until she figured out what was going on in the volcano. It would make her a bigger target if she was royalty.

  Her father, King Desmond of Merdi, had not mentioned receiving such an invitation, but the King of Romule was always up to some type of trickery. The two kingdoms had fought against each other in the Blood War, but a shaky truce had been called, ending the War. Romule would have a better chance at being present, and the kingdom was full of demons and vampires of all origins to make her story more plausible.

  The two demons turned to stare at each other as if judging her. The one that had greeted her snickered.

  Yes, snicker away, let your eyes trick you into thinking I'm not dangerous. Medorah hadn’t received that type of response, but in fairness, my curves won’t give them much hope that I’m a fighter, if that’s what they are looking for. You are not the only one to underestimate me. If only you knew what I keep inside. It hungers to be free, silly demon.

  “What words do you give?” asked the guard forcefully, grasping her weapon tightly to strike her down if she said them wrong.

  Breaking away from her thoughts, Vashti hastily recited, “Only my life for strength, art, and sorcery do I give.”

  The guards nodded to each other, pulled out a cloak and mask to give to Vashti, and began to turn away as if dismissing Vashti. The items they had handed over were the same dark color as the ones that had been given to Medorah.

  “Do you have your weapon of choice?” The guard looked over Vashti, shaking her head in bewilderment at the odd assortment of weapons she carried. How was the fragile creature going to survive? It was plainly written on the guard’s face.

  Vashti nodded her head. Taking a deep breath, she braced herself for what she was about to enter. From the Forest to the fire. She hoped she had made the right decision.

  The guards pointed the way with their halberds to allow her entry and took up their positions. Vashti walked through the door into a dark corridor between the two. The guards guided her down the maze of halls, hundreds of entries lining them.

  Hallways snaked through off the main entrance as stairs creaked with the passage of other guards patrolling them. This place was much larger on the inside than she had initially thought. The smell of sulfur filled her lungs with every breath she took. Turning a corner, they came to a bridge over a giant room filled with food and drink on tables for the men below. The loud shouts and growls shook the narrow walkway. Vashti grasped onto a metal beam that ran across the bridge to keep her balance. She didn't want to fall to her death in between the drunk demons celebrating below.

  She didn’t have a fear of heights, but she didn’t want to draw attention to herself. She was here to hide and escape when the time was right. Keeping her eyes straight ahead, Vashti noticed the angrier guard raised a haughty brow in response to her reaction to the men. That small snicker made Vashti’s anger increase to a boil.

  I'm turning into Rainey. I keep thinking of different ways to burn the disrespectful guard.

  The demoness had started the small pit of fire to burn inside her. Vashti’s eyes would soon turn to a swirling golden pool of wrath, giving her secrets away. She kept them turned away from the guards for that reason only, not because she was frightened like they thought.

  A drunk demon shouting below them had their group halting their progress across the bridge.

  “Fresh meat, Cassira?!”

  The guards ignored the impudent demon yelling at them like they were used to it. The one behind Vashti pushed at her shoulders to continue on their path.

  “Stop.”

  Both of the guards tensed at that command and stood tall at attention. A shiver worked its way down Vashti’s back at the harshly growled word of one of the men below her.

  A monster from the deep.

  “Who?” the voice intoned.

  The voice sounded as though it hadn’t been used for a while, the scratchy sound pulled from a dark cave, echoing throughout the room. The guards turned Vashti around to face the hidden monster in the shadows.

  They made her face something from a nightmare.

  The guards bowed deeply. The now silent room faced the shadows, all heads bowed in respect to the being with the dark voice.

  The kinder one, Cassira, formally stated, “Vashti from Romule. She comes to compete by invitation and spoken rites, my King.”

  Vashti's body tensed, ready to bolt. She tried to see the hidden demon, secretly wanting to know what she would face here.

  The shadows seemed to part as horns came into view first. Arching forward, the sharp points were menacing, ready to pierce anything that crossed their path.

  The face that appeared was from a type of demon she had never been exposed to. Bony ridges spiked the prominent parts of its face. The muscles bunched and rolled over large arms as he leaned forward on tree like legs shoved in armor. The shadow she had thought he had been hiding in was actually his wings, spiked with the bony points, flaring out to encase him protectively. Long ropes of hair hung loosely to frame his face, feathering down to his shoulders.

  The throne he sat on was almost the size of her father’s throne room.

  Winged guards stood around him, stone-like, their stance protective to anyone who approached.

  But he is the one they should be afraid of. This monster is much bigger than any demon I’ve seen. This one is dangerous. Made in hellfire.

  The demon king inhaled deeply as his pointed nose flared. Vashti was surprised smoke didn’t come out like a dragon. He kept his eyes locked on his prey, never moving from her. Vashti’s golden eyes swirled with defiance, a never-ending pool of the purest heat as she stared back at him, refusing to cower.

  The other guard shoved her harshly. “Lower your eyes to the King!”

  Vashti’s golden eyes turned molten at the command, the anger nearly spilling to the surface before she lowered her head and gazed to the ground. Her brother, nicknamed the Dark Prince, would never let anyone live that dared to do something so bold as stare at him as she had just done to the demon, they claimed to be their King.

  The growl released from the King shook the room. Some of the demons she could see below her feet under the bridge slats moved backward from the throne. Vashti didn’t blame them. With a swipe of his sword, this demon could wipe out half of them without effort.

  From the corner of her eye, she noticed the King moved back to the protective shadow of his wings. The head guard on the right side of the king leaned closer to hear his words. The entire room held its breath, waiting to see what their ruler ordered to be done with her.

  The winged guard turned back to look at their small group, ordering firmly, “Continue, Cassira.”

  Cassira bowed her head, replying, “Yes, General Gorius.” Vashti didn’t turn her head again to look at the shadowed demon. But she could feel his gaze the entire way, seari
ng into her back. She would have to be very careful. The King’s interest had been piqued.

  The rougher guard shoved Vashti harder than she had before when they moved out of view of the demons.

  “How dare you disrespect the King, common whore?” she yelled loudly in Vashti’s ear. Cassira gasped, pulling Vashti away from the angry demon.

  “Hush! You know the Horde can still hear us. Do you want us both killed?”

  The angry demon huffed, moved away from Vashti, and started to walk down a shadowed hallway. She stole a final look over her shoulder, staring hard at Vashti as if memorizing her face.

  Well, there's another one I should be careful around. Vashti was going to have to learn how to blend in fast.

  “Stay far away from that one. Her future was not the one she envisioned,” whispered Cassira sadly. Cassira had dark eyes, a sculpted face, and chiseled horns. Slightly taller than Vashti, with a muscular form, Cassira was unique to look at.

  “I don’t understand,” questioned Vashti. She was trying so hard to control her temper with these demons, but she was soon to explode. These half-worded explanations weren't to her liking.

  Cassira sighed and pointed ahead. “I’ll explain as we walk, but we must hurry. It’s about to begin. You, of course, know this is the start of the trials from the invitation. The women that come from far and wide by invitation don’t always pass the trials. The ones that fail become guardians. Or if they have lived their life in Balkan, they can volunteer. It must be one or the other.” Cassira smiled in remembrance. “I was a volunteer. I do not want a mate, and joining the guardians was always my wish. The angry guard that turned her malice toward you, Uruti, lost in the trials, becoming so injured she had to withdraw. To the guardians it was.”

  “What is a guardian?” Vashti asked. She had never heard of the title before in other kingdoms.

  “A guardian has many functions. We help with the children, help guard the Horde, and do mundane tasks we are assigned. We do whatever needs to be done. These trials sort the weak from the strong from the applicants. Ah, here we are now! Stay in the back for now and follow the instructions. We are beginning.”