Chapter 86 – The Entrance to Hell
LETTICE.
This damn child lasted longer than I expected, and by doing so, she would delay my plans. Couldn’t afford to linger that long as I needed subjects, people who would obey me, especially now that a large part of my army got butchered. I would hold Victoria Gallagher accountable for this! She will not get away so easily!
Teresa was, for most of the procession, unconscious, but it was incredible how quickly her blood regenerated. Much faster than Sonia’s. At this rate, I will soon have the invincible army I long for.
Just when I left the room, I came face to face with Noah. The grimace on his face was the equivalent of horror. He heard Teresa’s muffled voice from the torture table, like a whisper, but she still had the audacity to shout it at how much her condition allowed it.
“Noah ... please...help me…!” she tried to grab his attention, but in my son’s eyes, the flame of revenge was already burning.
It probably shocked him what he saw around him. All those demons were slaughtered all over.
“Mother, what happened here? And what is Teresa doing at that table?” His voice did not tremble, which assured me that Noah had returned to the team he was supposed to be in from the beginning.
“A slaughter, my dear, a slaughter. But the person who did this cannot even imagine what I have prepared. My vengeance will be merciless,” I added, full of hatred, when Victoria’s face appeared in my mind.
“Don’t tell me Teresa did all this, I don’t think so,” he laughed lightly in the corner of his mouth, looking over my shoulder directly at the table where she was lying.
“No, not at all. Teresa will be in history soon. She has a unique role in this entire story. And even the key role!”
He was still looking over her shoulder, but I could see no regrets in his eyes. Now all I had to do was leave him in charge of the dungeons and go hunting. I needed volunteers from the village at the bottom of the hill. “Son, I will take some sentinels with me and go to the village. Please stay and watch things here. For nothing in the world should you pay attention to her lamentations? Got it? Don’t fell into her trap”
“You can leave with no worries. I will remain in charge!”
My son’s devotion could only make me happy. He was with me, and that was all that mattered. As long as my army will rise from its own ashes, I will be invincible.
Should I stay so carefree? Of course, I should! Noah was not like the traitor of Neveh. I took an army of about ten demons and set out for the village. Northford.
I never attacked this village, as I didn’t even need to. I kept people under strict surveillance. They were always at our disposal and always when we needed; they served us without objections.
Whoever dared to flee for any reason was killed on the spot. There was no room for negotiation.
Upon entering the village, the terror spoke for itself. They murmured, scared, and squealed where they could. Useless humans, they had no escape. However, I gave them the chance to volunteer themselves. Otherwise…
“My good people.” I started climbing the small stage created precisely for the executions of the disobedient.
The locals were coming out of the houses and gather in front of me. “Hard times are coming upon us, so I will give you the chance to write history. Northford will never be the same. You know who we are and we always looked for the middle way when it came to this village. I never attacked you, nor your families. I did not take your wives from your homes and even less; and certainly, I did not kidnap your children from your breast. Now we need your understanding and cooperation. Don’t take my children into account. They are harmless ... for now!” motioning to those ten demons standing by, waiting for my orders. I could already see their frightened looks and how they gazed at each other, wondering what I meant. I was going to clarify them now. “The dungeons and the castle were attacked last night. Those who attacked killed my demons mercilessly, some leaving them in agony.” I paused, looking at their terrified eyes.
“Lady Lettice, we did not attack you!” a local dared to clarify the situation.
He had taken a few steps forward, but withdrew as soon as he looked into my angry eyes.
“I am aware of that. I have accused no one. By the way, I know who it was and will pay dearly for this courage to face me. But as I was saying, I came among you to offer you the voluntary chance to join me and my army of demons. I will reward you with eternal life!”
And then there was silence. A silence I didn’t like. The same peasant came out in front.
“Lady Lettice, I speak on behalf of all. I am sure of that. That means turning us into ... these…” he asked, looking scared at the demons who were already guarding them all. “Does that mean giving up our lives voluntarily, our families, and becoming outcasts for an eternity?”
The words of this carver will cost him dearly. With just one glance, I signaled one of the demons and he immediately immobilized him, to the horror of those present who did not dare to move. He brought him in front of me.
The way he trembled really amused me. I stuck my sharp claws in his neck without hurting him ... yet. This will teach him who is in charge of their lives.
“All your lives are mine! You have no right over them and if I say they belong to me, then they belong to me,” I shouted, as if for everyone present to hear and fear.
The murmur between them intensified, and they were already trying to distance themselves. My demons had taken an attacking position behind them. They were so pathetic if they thought they would get out of this with their lives.
With a sudden movement, I quickly lunged forward towards the neck of the individual who was standing in front of me. And with an immense amount of force, they ultimately succumbed to the weight of my pressure and cracked.
His blood was so warm and his eyes stared at me in horror, feeling all the pain in my fangs that went even deeper. I brought him to the brink of fainting, falling at my feet. He struggled in pain, to my delight and the terror of those watching.
The women screamed and covered the children’s eyes and the men stood in front of them for protection. However, they had nowhere to go or hide from me and my demons.
To end the ritual, I made a slight cut on my wrist and I dropped a few drops of blood into the mouth of the one who was giving his last breath.
He turned into a werewolf tormented in pain in front of everyone and the screams intensified. Once the transformation was complete, a howl came out of his chest, frightening those present.
That was when everyone tried to run away wherever they could see. But my demons stopped them and started doing their job.
“Attack them!” I ordered the beast next to me, pointing to his family, who were stunned, with their faces full of horror.
This man who was no longer a man but was under my command rushed without thinking to his family, who was gazing at him in horror and pleading eyes. In one bite, he threw them on the ground.
The whole place resembled a hell in which all souls struggled to die. But I came to their aid. I walked through the bodies in agony and dripped eternal life into their mouths.
As my blood touched their lips, they instantly transformed, and I ordered them to spread the terror. I could hear the screams all over the valley. Until they stopped and only you could hear only howls. The village was out of breath.
They were all subordinate to me. The last order made everyone follow me. “Let’s go! I have another surprise for you, my newborn babies!”
Returning to the castle, I locked these unfortunates in the empty dungeons. They were to receive the last treatment. Oh, Edgar! Had you known that this serum would establish a new order, it is highly possible that you would not have created it.
Noah was in my office. I was a little angry that he was not near the brat in the torture chamber.
“Hey, you’re back! You gave an impressive performance, down there, in the village. The screams have been heard all the way up here!”
“I came back and you are not where I left you. Those screams were useful,” I replied, satisfied even if he broke my word and came to the office.
“Don’t be scared. She has nowhere to go. You tied her up, remember? And she is so weak that she can barely keep her eyes open!”
It did not surprise me at all. As long as she gave me what I needed, it was ok. The serum existed, but if I mixed her blood, we would become invincible. What was about to happen one less insignificant life meant nothing, especially the one of the pathetic Teresa!