Chapter 136 DRAIN

Chapter 136 DRAIN
The southern nobles gasped at my bold words, and they muttered among themselves about my terrible disrespect. The High King did not look angry, and he just waved his hand to dismiss the struggling guards.

"Let her stand for now," the King told his men, and he stood up from his dark throne. "Her stubborn pride will break very soon, and she will beg to kneel before this day is over."

He walked down the stone steps, and he stopped right in front of me to inspect the heavy iron chains. He reached out and touched the solid lock resting against my bruised wrists.

"The southern magic inside this metal is very strong, and it blocks your silver fire from reaching your hands," the King noted. "You are just a normal mortal woman right now, Bellatrix."

"You need heavy chains to steal my power, because you are too weak to fight me in a fair duel," I challenged him. "You hid behind your soldiers in the canyon, and you are hiding behind these iron bars now."

"A smart ruler never fights his own battles when he has loyal subjects to bleed for him," he answered smoothly. "I control the vast armies, and that makes me the most powerful man in the world."

"You control them with fear, and fear always turns into rebellion," I warned him, and I stared right into his dark eyes. "My people will never stop fighting your soldiers, and Vladislav will never stop hunting you."

The High King laughed at the mention of Vladislav's name, and he shook his head in amusement. "Your vampire mate is currently bleeding out in the northern mud, and he will not survive the royal poison."

"He is stronger than your poison, and he knows this palace better than you do," I shot back without hesitation. "He helped build these walls, and he will tear them down to find me."

The King lost his amused smile, and a brief flash of real anger crossed his pale face. He hated hearing about Vladislav's ancient history, because it reminded him of his own past failures.

"Take her down to the lowest level of the underground dungeons," the High King snapped at the silver guards. "Lock her in the dark cell, and do not give her any food or water."

The guards grabbed my arms again, and they dragged me away from the black platform. The southern nobles parted to let us through, and they watched me leave the throne room with silent stares.

We walked through a hidden door near the back of the palace, and we started walking down a very long spiral staircase. The bright sunlight disappeared, and damp stone walls replaced the tall glass windows.

The air grew incredibly cold as we descended deeper underground, and the smell of wet dirt filled my nose. Flickering torches provided the only light, and the orange flames cast scary shadows on the stairs.

We walked down hundreds of stone steps, and we finally reached the bottom floor of the massive royal prison. A long hallway stretched out in front of us, and heavy iron doors lined both sides of the dark path.

Loud groans and cries echoed from the other cells, and I knew this place held the King's forgotten political enemies. The guards marched me past the occupied rooms, and they dragged me to the very last door at the end of the hall.

One of the silver guards pulled a large iron key from his leather belt, and he unlocked the heavy door. The metal hinges shrieked loudly, and the guard pushed me hard into the freezing dark room.

I stumbled forward and fell onto the hard stone floor, and my heavy chains clanked loudly against the ground. The guard did not say a single word, and he slammed the heavy iron door shut behind my back.

The lock clicked into place with a terrifying sound, and true darkness filled the small room. I pushed myself up into a sitting position, and I rested my aching back against the cold stone wall.

I wrapped my arms around my knees to preserve my body heat, and I shivered in the damp underground air. I was locked in a cage deep beneath the enemy capital, and I had no way to use my silver magic.

The harsh reality of my situation finally caught up with me, and a few hot tears spilled down my dirty cheeks. I missed the smell of the green pine trees, and I missed the warm sunlight shining over my northern valley.

Most of all, I missed the safe feeling of Vladislav's strong arms wrapped around my shoulders. I wiped the tears away quickly, and I refused to let the despair ruin my focus in the dark.

I needed to stay alert, so I started feeling the stone floor around me with my bare fingers. I searched for loose rocks or sharp metal scraps, but the guards kept the cell incredibly clean and empty.

Hours passed by in the freezing darkness, and the loud cries from the other prisoners eventually faded into an eerie silence. The heavy iron chains cut into my wrists, and the lack of water made my head pound with a dull ache.

I closed my eyes and tried to sleep, but the sudden sound of heavy boots echoing in the hallway jolted me awake. The footsteps stopped right outside my iron door, and a bright orange light spilled through the small barred window.

I looked up from the cold floor, and I saw the High King's face staring at me through the thick metal bars. He held a burning torch in his hand, and the flickering fire illuminated his cruel smile.

He wanted to see me suffer in the dark, and he wanted to break my spirit before he stole my power. He leaned closer to the iron door, and his dark eyes locked onto mine through the narrow gaps.

"Rest well tonight, Bellatrix," the High King said, and his cold voice echoed in the quiet hallway. "My magic users will start draining your silver fire at dawn."