Immortals After Dark 10 - Demon From the Dark

frighten me," Malkom said. "I know much about torture."
    "Then I'm about to teach you more."

Chapter 30

    Carrow was still shaking from her earlier encounter with Malkom when they dragged him by, half-dead, hours later. The whites of his eyes were fully red. Blood streamed from his nose, ears, and mouth.
    What had they done to him? Her tears welled once more.
    He thrashed to get free, to reach her cell. His voice a weak rasp, he said, "Bound forever, wife ? Is this what you wanted me for?"
    Though he resisted, the guards subdued him more easily, hauling him away, back to his own cell.
    As soon as they were out of sight, Ember said, "Wife? The witch is hitched !"
    Naturally, Ruby had peeked out, witnessing the exchange. "Who was that?"
    Ember delighted in answering, "He's your new stepdad. Or rather, your stepdemon."
    Portia cried, "Felicitations!"
    "Carrow?" Lanthe slanted her an arch look. "Surely you didn't ..."
    Ember laughed. "Yes, do deny it, witch."
    "It was one of those demon proclaiming ceremonies," Carrow hedged.
    Lanthe relaxed. "So it doesn't count."
    Again, Carrow recalled Malkom's expression the first time he'd called her "wife." He'd gazed down at her with such pride, as if he'd carried a treasure. ... "It counts," she said. "I don't deny it--or him." Even if Malkom was lost to her.
    Lanthe gasped.
    Ruby frowned with confusion.
    Ember snickered, and a haze fell over Carrow's vision.
    Malkom's torture, and Regin's as well, these last days of misery, imprisonment with these evil bitches ... all too much to take. With a strangled yell, Carrow launched herself at Ember, clocking her in the nose.
    Blood spurted, but Ember rebounded, screaming thickly as she delivered a blow to the side of Carrow's head. Her ear sang. Damn, that sorceress was fast.
    "Stop this, witch!" Lanthe snapped.
    Too late. Carrow had already jabbed her fist against Ember's throat; at the same time, the sorceress popped Carrow in the mouth, splitting her lip.
    "Portia, do something!" Lanthe said. "They're going to gas us."
    "Stop!" Ruby suddenly cried. "Something's coming."
    Lanthe grabbed Carrow, yanking her back. As Portia dragged Ember away, her gaze darted all around them, even above them. "The child is right. Evil flies to us on a foul wind."
    "Evil flies to us?" Carrow dabbed the back of her hand over her bleeding lip. "Really? And on a foul wind, no less!"
    "There's a malevolence nearing us, witch," Portia said. "You can't feel its fury? Your girl did."
    Carrow did feel it then. The air around them was thrumming. But from what?
    Down the corridor, the ghouls wailed their uneasiness. Gnomes hissed, and a centaur's hoofs clacked against the stone floor.
    An outraged bellow sounded. Chase's? He was probably furious that Regin hadn't been destroyed completely.
    Outside the storm grew fierce, rain pounding the roof and even the walls.
    Ember wiped her nose, muttering, "I hate rain." She would.
    Lanthe glanced from Carrow to Ruby. "Just in case ... get ready to run ."
    Carrow helped Ruby put on her boots, then hastily donned her own.
    The lights flickered, the feel of power ratcheting up a notch.
    "RIIIIINNNNNNGGGGG!" some being shrieked.
    Icy fear slithered up Carrow's spine. "What the hell is it?"
    Lanthe mouthed, "Don't know."
    The lights wavered once more, then failed altogether. No backup electricity fired. No emergency lights alleviated the pitch-darkness.
    The facility was completely without power. Which meant no gas would disburse to sedate the prisoners?
    Carrow jumped when more screams sounded.
    "I hear others of our kind," Lanthe said. "Some of them have their sorcery back."
    "Then why aren't they escaping?" Carrow asked.
    "None would have the ability to break the glass yet, even without a torque," Portia said. "Unlike Ember and me. I've already felt a lovely granite monolith deep in the earth directly beneath us. I'll raise it, rupturing this facility from the inside out. Anything I can't break, Ember will burn."
    Lanthe said, "Carrow, hold on to Ruby. Tight."
    "Got her." She swooped the girl into her arms.
    "RIIIIINNNNNNGGGGG!" Whatever it was neared them.
    Whispers sounded among the inmates, two words repeated: "La Dorada."
    When even the two evil Sorceri looked unsettled, Carrow asked, "Who's La Dorada?"
    Lanthe answered, "A sorceress, the Queen of Golds--and of ... Evil ."
    Which meant she could manipulate evil better than anyone.
    "She walks in apocalypse," Ember said. "I hadn't thought it'd be this soon."
    "I have