Through the halls of the coven, the sound of Vad’s screams was currently on the increase. Like the sound of wind whistling through cracks in the walls, the sound would fall and rise in the same way that gusts would ebb and swell. Asha had ordered Vad’s torture to be scheduled regularly, vacillating him between periods of intense pain and periods of restless relaxation.
While they now worked on Vad again, the sound of his screams echoed through the halls and was heard clearly in the Great Hall, where Asha sat on her throne.
Leaning forward to apply her piercing eyes to Eta, who knelt before her, Asha said, “If Lucian can’t get Lina back, then he’s no use to me. Tell Lucian that I dispose of those things that are no longer useful to me. I can’t tolerate waste. I need intelligence—useful intelligence. Do people know about the pen? Are they planning something? What? When? Where? I need to know immediately.”
“Yes mistress,” Eta said bowing, “I’ll deliver your message.”
“Deliver it with emphasis,” Asha said, “Make it memorable.”
That evening Eta infiltrated Lucian’s estate once again. For a man of such wealth and prestige, his estate was surprisingly unprotected. She was able to manipulate the latch that locked the shutters outside his daughters’ room with ease, and she stepped inside.
It was obvious that two young girls occupied this room. It had two matching four-poster beds and toys and dolls spread out on the floor, including a wooden horse on wheels and rag dolls decked out in fine clothes. Carved animal figurines hung on a string beneath an overhanging shelf, on which were displayed a collection of colorful stones.
Upon entering the room, Eta walked to each bed in turn and restrained each of the two girls. She did this by gently opening the curtains to each bed, gagging the girl within, turning her over onto her stomach, and tying her hands behind her back. With the two girls thus subdued, Eta held onto both of them and led them by force into their parents’ bedroom. That room was locked, but Eta was able to break open the door with a swift kick.
Lucian and his wife both abruptly woke and rose from their bed at the sound. When they looked at Eta with their two daughters, gagged and tied, they shouted plaintive calls. Lucian tried to muster a commanding voice, and he said, “What are you doing with my daughters? Let them go this instant. I order you.”
“I’m just here to deliver a message,” Eta screeched.
“Just tell me the message, in God’s name,” Lucian shouted at her, “Why do my daughters have to be involved?”
Eta continued speaking as if Lucian had said nothing, explaining in articulated words, “In the coven, we have a great many humans meant for food stored in a blocked-off section we call ‘the pen.’ Not all of them are ready to be slaughtered. Many we want to keep and hold onto for a while. So, to distinguish those ready to be slaughtered, we stain the backs of their hands with red ink when they’re ready. Allow me to demonstrate.”
At this point, Eta forced one of the girls to the ground, and held her down with one knee. Eta pulled out a small dagger from her cloak, prompting Lucian to call out “No,” and try to run forward and stop her. Eta deftly kicked Lucian away with her foot and continued with her demonstration.
Eta dug the knife into the little girl’s skin and carved a line in the back of the hand; then she carved a crossing line to form an X. The little girl squealed a high-pitch scream as she kicked and squirmed. Eta applied herself to carving anther X into the opposite hand. Large drips of blood bled out from these four gashes, down her hands and wrists. Eta followed by carving the same pattern into the older sister’s hands, accompanied by the same screams and protestations, which Eta ignored.
Finished, she stood the two girls up and turned them around to display their hands to their parents.
“I think you understand what this means. I’m only here to deliver a message, but Asha asked me to make it memorable, so I pray you won’t forget, lest I have to return and apply more emphasis.”
“No, no,” the two parents shook their heads. Eta related the message in Asha’s exact words, and Lucian earnestly promised, “I will find out everything I can. I can tell you already that they know about the pen. They know there are hundreds. And I saw Andrei and Flaviu, the captain of the guard, conferring confidentially.”
“Find out more,” Eta said.
She dropped the two crying girls to the ground and walked away. The parents leaped forward to hug their girls and untie them, unable to restrain their fitful sobs.