Note: You can change font size, font face, and turn on dark mode by clicking the "A" icon tab in the Story Info Box.
You can temporarily switch back to a Classic Literotica® experience during our ongoing public Beta testing. Please consider leaving feedback on issues you experience or suggest improvements.
Click here
Evo laughed, somewhere beyond the blinding wall of magic that assaulted her. Anna gritted her teeth. Not again. She reached inside herself, grasping at the black fire there, if she could not stop the energy at the source, she would stop its handler. She shifted the form of the shield, bringing it to a point before her so that the magic flowed around her like water from the bow of a ship. She aimed the point at the laughter and threw herself into a run, charging through the power even as it beat back at her. She smashed into Evo when she reached him, sending his body back into the wall behind him.
The man's head hit the wall with enough force to disorient him, breaking the focus of his spell. The onslaught of power abated but the collars were still alight with the energies of those who wore them. She had to break his connection to them somehow. She rushed at the thin man who was struggling to stand. She grabbed him around his throat, cutting off his air and delaying him as her power flared out, looking for a way around his control of the collars. There had to be something that tied them to him so profoundly. She felt the magic surge once more, coming for her as Evo clawed at her hands, desperate to get her off him. And there it was, right beneath her fingertips. As the powers around her pummeled the shield she had formed at her back, she found that Evo's glittering necklace was rendered of finely woven runes made of pure energy.
Anna called out as the magic pushed at her own defenses, burning her as it pushed her shield ever closer to her skin. Evo glared at her, his own energy coming to pull her hands back as he siphoned off power from the others. She felt a shudder against her magic and realized he was draining the others, pulling more power from them than they could survive. She could not beat him with strength alone this time. She had to be smarter than him, use his weaknesses against him.
Whatever it was it would have to be fast, already he was rising up, overpowering her, the gleam of victory in his twisted expression. She screamed into his face, rage at him, at Orlith and the king, the sick men who dared enslave and abuse others. It burned inside her; she would not fail again. Evo watched her face, satisfaction painted on his as he overcame her strength. He was so intent on her that he didn't feel her power thread itself into the spell at his neck, forcing its way in and around the tightly organized runes. He grasped her wrists and pried her grip from him. He rose as the swirling energies ebbed their assault, instead flowing into him, making him ever stronger.
She looked up as he grinned cruelly down at her. "Did you really think you had more power than I do?" he said and with that he threw her across the room with the force of all seven of their energies. He put so much of the combined magic into this push that it was able to pull her thread tight, strung as it was between any tiny space she had been able to find in those frenzied seconds. The blow sent her body across the room, and with it the end of her magic. The runes at his neck were pulled apart, sliced and unraveled by the force of her magic against his.
Anna smashed into the far wall of the room. The impact was immense and she fell, stunned to the ground. The air in the room changed, the crackling feeling of magic faded but left a void in its place. "No!" came a strangled cry from across the room. "No! No! No!" she could hear the panic in his voice and it stirred her onwards. She compelled herself to stand and looked up at the desperate sorcerer. She saw him pulling at the threads of their collars, but he had no access to their power directly anymore. The others looked ragged after the pull on their powers. But they were still bound to his commands, the collars intact despite the destruction of the weapon.
She laughed, it was a small one, given the pounding in her head, but still triumphant. Evo turned his furious eyes to her. She felt him try to direct them through the collars again, still seeking a way to fight her off. She laughed again, shaking her head as she sent her magic in after his orders, chasing them out of the metal. Fear began to replace anger in his face and she decided she liked it better.
"It's over Evo. Whatever weapon you built your king is gone. There will be no more slaves, no more collars." The man backed away from her, growing smaller with his fear. Anna advanced on him, intent on silencing the control he so desperately sought.
She was about to say something further when her bare foot met a sticky spot on the floor. She looked down before she could stop herself. The floor had been hastily cleaned but the stones were still washed with blood that clung stubbornly to the rougher surfaces. The coppery smell stung her nose even as she darted back, the feeling of it clinging to her sole.
Evo used her distraction to throw himself towards the door, knocking over chairs and sending the contents on his tabletops scattering and crashing to the floor in his haste. Marek, pale and worn looking but still defiant, stepped forward and barred his path, a few others behind him.
"Out of my way!" he snapped, the words seeking purchase in his spell. Anna snapped her head up and crushed the command with her fury. The round dark woman stepped forward and slapped him with all of her might. Evo stumbled back from them.
Anna sent her power out to him, indelicately enough that it smashed into his body before wrapping itself around him and hauling him back to the center of the room. She practically threw him at the small platform she had been so well acquainted with on the far side of the room. The chains sprang to life and welcomed his limbs into their iron hold.
She stalked over to him, watching him snivel in fear. "I'll give you whatever you want, I'll speak to the king, I'll help you take over, anything you desire." He rattled on in desperation, "you could be queen, and I will help you, I'll do whatever you need to secure the throne." She cut him off, gagging him so she would not have to hear his voice again.
"You have nothing to offer me, or anyone else for that matter," Anna turned her back to him and looked at the others in the room. There were seven all told, their collars ringing in her mind as she continued manipulating the spells inside them, keeping Evo's commands from them.
Serena came over to her, her cheeks wet with tears. "Anna," she said in her soft, purring accent. She stepped forward and took her hand, "I knew it would be you. I knew it."
Anna shook her head a little. "It has to be you Serena," she said with a small smile. "You have to break the spells in these collars. I will lend you my power but you must guide it." A smile spread across Serena's beautiful face, pushing her tears aside. The older woman laughed in relief. Anna smiled but she could not mirror the emotion.
Serena went over to the others, hugging each of them in turn. Anna watched as the group came together around the woman. She was their center, their rock, and they had formed this bond together from their misery. She had done that for them, made them feel a connection in their imprisonment. And now they could come together in their freedom, the hope they had inspired in each other finally coming to fruition.
Anna's eyes fell back on the stained floor.
The room quickly filled with excited chatter of the newly liberated. Serena pulled the boy over and they set up three chairs. Anna settled herself into one as they took the other two and they joined hands. Serena beamed at them before she took a deep breath, closed her eyes and began to undo the spell.
Anna watched fascinated at how Serena worked. Her magic was so organized, so controlled. Anna had emulated her when she'd destroyed Evo's spell but she was a novice in comparison. If Evo's spell had been tied to his soul as their collars were, he would have been pulled apart with it. Serena took small bits of Anna's power and fitted them into tiny spaces in the spell, linking them together before dragging them out, and layer after layer of magic fell away as if it had never been there. By working from the outside in she spared the links to their cores until the spell was at its weakest and with the barest push it unwound from them, truly freeing them at last. There was no force, no unsustainable expenditure of power to pry the collar apart, just a methodical dismantling of the spell.
When she finished, Serena released Anna's hand and looked at the boy. "It's done, Innis. There is nothing left in the metal." The boy began to cry, pulling on the inert thing, clawing at the remnant of his pain. Anna reached up her hand and grasped the collar, feeling it shudder and crumble beneath her grip until it flowed away like dust. The boy turned to her, the same looks of gratitude as he'd given Serena.
"Thank you," he said to her, hiccupping through his sobs. He flung his arms around Serena, still crying.
Serena patted his back, motioning to the pale girl who hovered nearby to take his place. "It's alright, Innis, it's over. Now be brave, I must see to the others."
It took hours of painstaking work to undo the spells in the collars. Anna watched each one, carefully taking in Serena's technique, learning the intricacies of the spells. The first rays of light were breaching the sky when it was finally Serena's turn. Despite the enormous drain on their energy, the others were waiting for her, too excited and relieved to sleep for long during their first night free.
She smiled at Anna before she took both her hands. She was tired, the work was taking its toll on her, she squeezed Anna's hands in gratitude before she began to disassemble the original collar that hung around her neck. Anna noticed quickly that Serena was not pulling this spell apart as she had the others. It was as if she were taking it apart at the seams instead of truly unraveling it, so that it could be closed up again. Understanding her aim, Anna only cracked the metal, allowing the collar to slip off the woman's neck when the spell was finally inactive.
Serena rose and placed the broken thing around Evo, ignoring his furious eyes as he screamed through his gag. The others were still and quiet as they watched the two women work, Anna sealing the metal, Serena weaving the spell back into place. When it was done, Serena held the other end of the spell lightly, the portion that imbued the carrier with control of the subject.
Anna looked up at her, "why do you not bind him?"
Serena's gaze didn't leave the imprisoned sorcerer before them. "I cannot stand to bind him to me. We will give you three days as you asked, but I will not carry this burden," she motioned to the shackled man, "for much longer."
Anna looked up at Serena, a question in her face, one she could not ask and one Serena would not answer. They moved away, leaving Evo there and joining the others who looked at them expectantly.
"The king is gone," Anna spoke in soft tones, "I cannot say more than that. In three days' time General Rafia and his troops are due to take over the city. The war in the East will end once they learn of the king's fate and Rafia's coup. All I ask is that you help me maintain order here until the troops come. After that I will help you get to wherever you need to be. If anyone gets wind of what has happened before the General's arrival, they will surely try a takeover of their own."
Marek looked at her sharply, "How can we know we can trust this Rafia?"
Anna shook her head, "I cannot assure you from personal knowledge."
"Then how can you stay here? Under whose influence have you chosen this course of action?" The older man Anna had just met this night, Wreg, spoke up. He was the eldest of the group, perhaps fifty or more, his once black hair streaked with grey and his light skin lined with wrinkles. They were all eager to be free of this tower. She couldn't help but sympathize.
"Someone I trust." She spoke the words before she understood the truth behind them. It comforted her to say it aloud and to confirm it within. "I do not want to get you mixed up in these politics if you don't have to." She turned to Serena. "Does everyone need to remain in order to keep suspicion from anyone who might come to call on Evo?" Anna knew implicitly that Wreg and the others would accept Serena's judgment.
The woman shook her tumbling curls. "Usually we are visited only by the king and with him his advisors. Evo's work is not common knowledge to most. A few government officials who know of Evo also visit on occasion..." She trailed off as Anna suddenly snapped her head up, her eyes focused on a point beyond the walls of the tower.
Someone was in the king's suite; she could feel them just beyond the door. Servants moved about, preparing for the day to begin. One came close to the door, tentatively listening to the sleeping chamber beyond. Thinking quickly to deter them from entering, Anna withdrew the sounds of snoring and replaced them with amorous groans and the smacking of flesh. The servant on the other side of the door jerked away and hurried from the dressing chamber, closing the door behind him. That would have to do for now, but she was unclear how she was going to keep this up for three days. She was sure the king would not simply disappear for that length of time.
"I need help," she confessed as she focused on the others again. "I do not know how to control the king's servants or the court. Can you help me?"
Serena nodded, "Of course," she started. "I can weave illusions with Innis's help. We can create an effigy of the king. Wreg was a clerk in the Chancery here, familiar with the court, and can help us." Serena looked at the old man with a smile. "Wreg, how would you like to wear the face of the king?"
The older man sighed but chuckled as well, "I suppose it's better than my most recent adornment." The others laughed as well, a sound that seemed to surprise even them. Anna smiled.
"I will stay," Marek said. "I can dress as a servant and move around the grounds to see if anything is amiss. Ian can join me," he gestured to the man at his right, a tall awkward fellow around Anna's own age. She recognized him as the other one who had been present when Dev was killed. The thought was like a blade running through her chest. She pushed it down and forced herself to listen to Marek. "We could both use a bit of time to stretch our legs," Marek was saying with a smile.
"I can help with that," Alona, the small round woman beamed up at him, Anna had discovered she was bubbling with energy, her access to magic far outstripping the others. "My talents lie with sights and sounds, I will cast a net wide and let you know if I hear anything."
Anna nodded in thanks to them.
Serena toyed with the connection to Evo. Anna was still in tune with the woman's magic and could feel her dangle it as if it were a dirty rag in her fingertips. "I will stay here and make sure Evo performs for anyone who comes. Rosli, will you stay with Innis and me? I could use help to begin undoing some of these projects."
The pale girl looked at Serena with wide, excited eyes, the objects closest to her began to rattle where they sat before she gathered herself. "It would be my pleasure."
"But when this is over, Serena," Wreg said, "we all want this chapter closed for good." Serena nodded, silently accepting the task and the responsibility to see it done. Anna didn't envy her but she admired how easily she took the onus on her own shoulders.
"Thank you all," Anna said, feeling some of her burden lift. With the others to help her it seemed that she would be able to make it these three days until...what? She didn't know really. But Leonid had promised and she must hold onto that. The group began to break up and Serena caught her arm, pulling her aside.
"Anna," she started, "forgive me for saying so but you must protect yourself. I do not know General Rafia, but if what you say is true and the king is gone, then whoever aims to take over the throne will undoubtedly want to use you to gain legitimacy."
Anna nodded, "I know, but I have put my faith in this course of action. I promised to stay until Rafia arrives, and then we can all be gone, back to where we came from." Her voice caught in her throat. She would not be going back anywhere.
Serena laid her hands on Anna's shoulders. "Most of us do not have homes to return to either, but you have given us our freedom and we are forever indebted to you." Anna was going to smile back when a presence tickled the back of her mind.
Once more Anna's eyes focused on some far point, her heart beat faster in fear. Orlith was in the king's solar. She watched him pace, the servant explaining the king was indisposed. There was an impatience in his stride. Just feeling him through her sight chilled her to the bone. He was still hunting her, and she could not evade him forever.
"Orlith," she whispered without intending to, her face draining of blood. Serena looked at her sharply.
"Where is he?" she asked.
"Outside the king's chambers," Anna breathed, her mind still fixed on the threat. "The king promised Orlith he could have me when he was done." Her voice sounded hollow. "He's growing tired of waiting."
"I told him you did not have a day to live," Marek said, drawing closer to the pair. "He is no doubt worried about running out of time."
Anna looked at the man whose face was full of sadness. He knew what she had suffered better than most. "Why did you tell him that?" she asked quietly, looking down, away from the intensity of his regret.
"It was true," Marek continued, his voice soft but trembling, "I felt your body drained of all your power, I watched as your heart marched inextricably towards death. You should not be alive, Anna. Whatever power saved you is not one I can comprehend."
Her sadness mirrored his, "I wanted you to leave me, to let me die, every time you came to heal me."
"I know," Marek said, his voice thick with remorse. "I'm sorry to have participated in your torture." Anna moved towards him, she did not want his apology; she didn't want him to feel sorry.
She took his hand in hers, "I was wrong." He raised his eyes to hers. "None of us would be standing here if you hadn't."
"It doesn't change..." he trailed off as Orlith stole her attention again.
She focused her gaze beyond the room even as she squeezed Marek's hand, her face tight with fear. The northerner moved past the servant, into the dressing room and stopped just beyond the doors to the empty bedchamber. It made her sick, but she increased the sounds of sex from the room, adding in her own voice to assure the monster that she was still alive and responsive. Orlith waited another few moments, listening to the violent coupling, before turning and exiting the room.
She let out a breath she hadn't meant to hold. "I will have to deal with him now," she said to no one in particular.
"Can we help?" Serena asked.
Anna shook her head. "He is too dangerous. I have to do it." She followed him with her sight back to the dungeon he had been in the night before. It seemed isolated, deep in the castle, far from all the other prisoners and guards. A place they took someone who would never get out. She shivered.
She brought her attention back to the room and her eyes fell again on the stained floor. A deep, burning anger settled inside her fear of the man. He had tortured her and broken her down but he had killed Dev, and for that he would have to pay.
"Where is his body?" she asked, her voice low and dangerous.
Serena answered, "The soldiers took it, no doubt to the graves for convicts."
Anna nodded, still staring at the stain. If she was going to face Orlith she needed her rage to overshadow her fear. This was about vengeance and justice for her friend, and no time for the weakness Orlith had uncovered in her as he chipped away at her very being. The air crackled around her; she felt buoyed by the power fueled by rage, unconcerned at her lack of rest or that her body may be healed, but she was in no way recovered from her torture. Orlith would pay for Dev, then she would sleep.
