Page 166 of A Vow of Wrath and Ruin

Erissa turned to the mercenaries. “You look a little worse for wear. Let me fix you up before I send you on your way.”

The mercenaries exchanged questioning glances.

“I promise you; your reward is here.” She gracefully glided to a large chest in the far corner of the cabin. Caiden swore it hadn’t been there before. She kicked the chest engraved with the seal of the Highlands, a hawk carrying a snake in its talons. The top sprung open, and a pile of gold and jewels sparkled inside. “My word is good. Now, let me mend you.” She held out her long, elegant hand. The mercenaries’ eyes glimmered with a lust for gold. Without hesitation, they both held out their hands for Erissa to administer whatever potion she’d brewed.

The hairs on the back of Caiden’s neck stood on end. Something was off… well, more off than things already were.

Erissa attended to the woman first.

“Kita, is it?”

The female mercenary nodded.

“Here, drink this. I need you relaxed if I am going to heal your wounds.”

She handed them both a vile of valerian root, and they slugged it back. Instantly, they swayed before falling to the floor with athud.

“Idiots,” Erissa said under her breath. Slamming the chest shut, she crossed the room to a hutch with a wooden latch, where she pulled a jar of worms. The slimy creatures slithered around in the putrid water.

Caiden and Aelia exchanged worried glances.

“What are you doing?” Baylis asked.

“You’ll see.” Using a long pair of tongues, Erissa gently pulled one of the wriggling creatures from the jar before setting it on one of the gashes on Kita’s face.

Caiden could only look on in horror as the creature wriggled its way into the wound, disappearing beneath the skin.

The mercenary shot up, gasping for air. “What did you do to me?”

“It’s a control worm. I traveled to the Land of Myst to get them and bred them with my blood. Only I can control them, and therefore you.” She placed another worm near Alwin’s eye, and the worm slithered in.

Caiden spat bile onto the floor.

“Oh, Prince. Don’t be so dramatic,” Erissa said.

“Do… do I have one of those things in me?” Baylis examined her skin, looking for any sign of the worm.

“No, I didn’t need any magic to control you. Just a handsome king.”

Alwin’s eyes flung open. “What in the Trinity is this?”

“It’s a parasite. Designed to make you obedient. Normally, I would’ve just glamoured you, but glamours don’t work as well on magus, and I wanted to test these out.” She set the empty jar back on the shelf. “You’ll be under my control now.”

Both mercenaries’ mouths fell open in shock. Their wounds healed.

“Rise,” Erissa commanded.

The mercenaries’ eyes glazed over, and they did as she instructed. They stood like soldiers, straight and stiff. No emotion graced their faces.

Caiden couldn’t believe his eyes. These mercs were completely under her control. Was this part of her master plan? How many of these did she have? He only saw two, but there could be more. The Land of Myst was known for coming up with horrible creatures. They created the wraiths, after all. His skin tingled with fear, but there was nowhere for him to go. His body was too battered and his magic depleted.

“Excellent.” She turned to Caiden. “Now for you, Prince.” She paced the room. “I have been thinking about how I was going to repay you for this.” She waved a hand over the mutilatedside of her face. “Sure, I could cover it with a glamour, but I want people to know what you did to me. For centuries, people have underestimated me because of how I look. Sweet, innocent, Erissa. No one knew my power. No one saw my potential. Except for Crom.” She stared off into the darkness, looking but not seeing. “He saw me when I was broken. When I was nothing, he lifted me up from the gutter and turned me into this. Crom made me more powerful than I could ever have imagined.” Sparks sputtered at the ends of her fingertips.

Caiden didn’t know what to say. He wasn’t sorry for what he did. She deserved every bit of retribution she got, but there was something sad about her.

Erissa continued, “I couldn’t save him. Those last moments replay in my head over and over and over on a continual loop. I have watched him die every night in my dreams for a thousand years. Each time, I think I can save him. But I can’t.” She bit her lip. “It is a punishment from the Trinity, I know, but it does not make it hurt any less.”

“I, too, lost someone,” Caiden’s voice cracked. “Someone very dear to me. I know what it is like to lose the one you love. The pain never really goes away. You just notice it less as time goes on.”

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