The Prophecy Of The Wolves I - The Beginning
~ Chapter Twenty-Two ~

Liliana stared at Max wide-eyed as he opened her cell with a cruel smile that promised nothing but pain. He rushed to her and yanked her arms behind her back. He held her firmly as Martin quickly stuck a needle in her arm and gave her a sedative. She thrashed against Max’s arms until the sedative took its hold on her. Her body went leaden, and her mind became foggy.

Max carried her to a cell down the hall and easily strapped her to the work table he had inside. He lifted the table until she was fully upright and smirked as he folded his arms over his chest. “I have to admit I was starting to think this day wouldn’t come,” he said in a gravelly voice.

Liliana was breathing heavily from fighting off the sedative. “I never wanted to see your face again,” she said quietly.

Max chuckled. “I’m honestly surprised you didn’t hunt me down after what I did to you and your parents.”

Liliana glared at him. “I’ll be honest. I was hoping you were already dead. And even if you weren’t, you aren’t worth the time to hunt. Surely you would have pissed off someone else, and they’d get the job done.”

Max shrugged. “No one has been able to catch me yet,” he said with arrogance.

Liliana scoffed. “That would be because you’re a coward who has everyone else take the fall. You run when you realize you’re going to lose and make others die in your place.”

Max’s face contorted with rage as he raised his hand and hit her. Liliana moaned in pain as her head whipped to the side. She tasted blood in her mouth as she said. “This proves my point further. You didn’t even give me a chance to defend myself. Instead, you gave me some weakening sedative and strapped me to this table.”

Max growled at her as he went to the table of tools he had in the corner. “I’m going to enjoy this,” he said as he walked up to her with an electrocution stick.

Max tortured her mentally and physically for the rest of the day. He told her everything about the death of her parents. He spoke as if it were a movie that he thoroughly enjoyed.

While Max was choosing another weapon to use on her, a soothing, melodic voice sounded through her mind. ‘Be at ease, young Liliana,’ the voice said. ‘My name is Eileithyia. Your mate and Artemis asked me to help you protect your children.’

Liliana frowned. ‘The doctor said I’m pregnant with one child,’ she said in confusion.

Eileithyia sighed. ‘You’re pregnant with twins, but the bigger of the two is hiding the other,’ there was a pause before Eileithyia continued. ‘Now I need you to stay calm. I’m going to put a protective shield around your womb. So no harm will come to your twins. The shield will remain until the war is over or until they’re born.’

Liliana couldn’t help the sob of relief. ‘Thank you so much.’

Eileithyia sighed again. ‘I wish I could help you more, young one.’

‘This is more than enough,’ Liliana whispered. ‘This is everything.’

Eileithyia left her mind, leaving her alone with Max again.

The torture had her blacking out several times. Max used the electrocution stick to leave burn marks all over her body. Including her temples. He used several wicked knives to cut varying sizes over her body. Finally, he used a whip to leave her back a rugged mess of torn skin and blood. He indeed did his worst. He was even going as far as breaking one of her legs.

When Max had finished, he threw her back in her cell. Liliana moaned as she tried to peel her eyes open. She knew that she was back in her cell. She didn’t know what was going to happen next. She could only assume one of two things would happen. She would be left in her cell until Max was ready to torture her again. Or Atlas would be sending her to Tartarus. She didn’t even have enough strength to raise her head as she heard footsteps coming down the stairs.

Atlas chuckled as he took her in. “Mm. Now that is a masterpiece, Max,” he said as he folded his arms over his chest.

Max smirked. “Only the best for the king,” he said in pride.

Atlas tilted his head slightly as he studied her. “Do you think she’s ready for Tartarus?” He questioned rhetorically.

Max responded anyway. “Now would be a good time to send her there. She has hardly any strength left, and I’m almost certain she won’t be able to heal that well in Tartarus. You know, magic draining energy down there and whatnot.”

Atlas nodded. “Indeed,” he sighed. “Alright. Fetch Samson for me. It’s time for her to join Jacques in their eternal prison.”

Max darkly chuckled as he made his way upstairs to get Samson. It didn’t take them long to return. “You needed me, sir,” Samson said as he stood beside him.

Atlas nodded. “Yes. Put her to sleep and then send her to Tartarus to join Jacques. Max has done his job rather well.”

Samson nodded and looked at Liliana. He quickly put her to sleep before sending her to Tartarus.

Atlas smirked. “Now, the world shall be mine.”

Atlas left the empty dungeon and made his way to his office with that smirk on his lips.

Jacques didn’t know how long he had been in Tartarus. The days blurred together when there was only darkness and fire. There were only the screams of those suffering in the deepest depths of Tartarus. He was sure Atlas hadn’t told Liliana he was down there. And if he had, he hoped that she wouldn’t come for him. There was no way out of their prison. Atlas had made sure of that.

Jacques felt that not even Hades would be able to get them out. He knew that he would be dying in Tartarus. He had accepted it. As long as Liliana was safe, he would endure every single day.

Jacques was sitting against the cave wall he had found when he felt it. A stirring in the air pulled him out of his cave. It was a stirring he hadn’t felt since Martin had tossed him into Tartarus. He limped to the cave entrance and carefully studied the area around the cave he had thankfully found empty.

Jacques frowned when he saw a flash of light. He had been in the dark for so long that he was momentarily blinded. He blinked a few times before his vision returned. And his heart stopped dead in his chest. Then, as the light faded, a body appeared. It wasn’t just anyone’s body, but Liliana’s.

And whoever had sent her put her in the middle of a manticore nest. Jacques ran to her as fast as he could, the atmosphere of Tartarus taking its toll on his speed. As he got closer, he felt a small piece of his heart shatter. She was unconscious and couldn’t even defend herself.

Jacques was still too far away when the manticores strolled out of their caves and stalked closer to her. They all seemed to lick their lips in hunger at the same time. Jacques forced his legs to go faster as the manticores crept close enough to Liliana that their noses were touching her body. He finally reached her with a final push, and nothing but sheer will kept him on his feet. He quickly kicked all of the manticores away from her and pulled Liliana into his arms.

Jacques didn’t have time to look her over for injuries, but he knew that someone had hurt her from the moan of pain that slipped past her lips. He had no choice but to grip her tightly as he raced back to his cave.

Jacques could feel the manticores catching up to them and wasn’t sure what to do. But, unfortunately, he had no magic, and he’d grown weaker daily. He hoped the manticores stopped chasing them once they reached the cave.

Unfortunately, the manticores didn’t stop. They chased them into the cave and cornered them at a dead end. Jacques could only cover Liliana’s body with his own as he waited for the manticores to strike. He could feel a pair of talons whispering over his back before disappearing. He spun around and stared in shock as the manticores withered on the floor, completely enveloped in white-hot flames. “What the hell?” Jacques muttered to himself.

“It seems my ancestors had significant magic,” Liliana mumbled behind him.

Jacques quickly knelt next to her, finally looking her over. Tears shamelessly slid down his face at what he saw. Cuts and burns of all shapes and sizes covered every inch of visible skin. Her pants had been torn and shredded, so they were shorts with the rest in tatters. Her shirt was torn to pieces, exposing her bra and skin. “Oh, little one,” he whispered as his heart shattered further. “What happened to you?” Jacques asked in a broken voice as he helped her sit up.

“Atlas happened,” Liliana muttered as she leaned back against the wall. Only to hiss in pain and scramble away from it.

Jacques let out a rough exhale. “Let me see all of it,” he said quietly.

Liliana turned so that her back was to him. Yes, the cuts and burns over the rest of her body were horrible, but her back was the worst. After the whip had slashed across her back so many times, it was nothing except a mess of shredded flesh. “Oh, little one,” he said in anguish.

Liliana sniffled. “I fainted several times, but he threw ice water on me to keep me aware of the pain,” she shook her head, causing her long hair to skim across her back, sticking to the blood that was still flowing from her wounds. “That wasn’t the worst of it, though,” she sniffled again. “He told me about how my parents died. He described every last bit in detail. He told me everything that had happened and what he had done to them. How they fought against him and probably would have been able to last until Ryan and the others got there. If it hadn’t fought dirty and killed them.”

Jacques listened as he studied her back and all the other cuts and burns. His heart was shattering as he listened to the pain and terror in her voice.

“He told me about what they did to my parents after they died. How they tore them apart,” Liliana sobbed as Jacques moved to sit in front of her. “He took their wedding rings. I picked those rings out for their anniversary when I was three. Evelyn had helped me.”

Jacques gently caressed her face. “I wish I could heal you, little one, but I haven’t fed in weeks. I don’t have enough,” he said as his voice cracked.

Liliana shook her head but moaned as it made her dizzy. “It’s okay, Jacques. I’ll be fine,” she whispered as she leaned against his chest.

Jacques lightly ran his fingers through her hair to try and soothe her. They sat silently for a few minutes while they both collected their thoughts. “We must figure out a way to get out of here,” Liliana finally said.

Jacques sighed heavily. “I don’t think we can get out of here,” he said quietly. “At least not without help anyway.”

Liliana groaned in pain as she leaned her side against the wall. “I can try and contact Artemis. See if she can help,” she clicked her tongue. “I can also try to teleport us out. But I’ll need to rest a bit before I try. I’m so tired,” she mumbled.

Jacques pressed a kiss to her temple, careful of the burn mark on her temple. “Get some rest, little one. I’ll watch over you,” he said softly.

Liliana nodded. “I’m going to try and talk to Artemis first. Hopefully, she’ll be able to help.”

Jacques kissed her temple again before letting her rest.

Liliana leaned against the wall next to her as she closed her eyes. “Please, Artemis,” she prayed. “I desperately need your help. Jacques and I are in trouble.”

It took a few minutes, but she finally opened her eyes to replace Artemis’s meadow. Liliana felt tears of relief slide down her cheeks. Artemis stood before her with Hades, Apollo, Jake, and Isabella.

Liliana sank to her knees as sobs wracked through her, causing her body to shake and tremble.

Isabella rushed to her side with Jake right behind her. “Oh, my baby girl,” Isabella said sorrowfully.

Jake held both of them in his arms but quickly yanked his arm away from Liliana when she cried out in pain. “What happened, butterfly?” He asked with torment and heartache in his eyes.

Liliana reached for him and grasped his shoulders tightly. “Atlas had me captured and tortured before he had a warlock put me to sleep and send me to Tartarus,” she wiped her face and sniffled. “They dropped me right in the middle of a manticore nest. I was still unconscious. Jacques saved me. He was in a nearby cave and saw me appear. Thankfully I woke up just in time. I burned all of the manticores that had chased us into the cave,” she let out a moan of pain as Jake looked over her wounds. “Jacques wanted to give me some of his blood to help heal me, but he’s been in Tartarus for weeks after being tortured like I was, so he was already drained when he got there. I’m worried that he might not make it,” she shook her head. “I want to rest and then try and teleport us out.”

Hades shook his head. “The barrier of magic they have around the area you’re in prevents you from teleporting,” he explained sadly.

Liliana bit her lip and yanked on her blood-soaked hair as she tried to think through the pain and panic coursing her. “Do you know where the barrier ends?” She questioned after a few minutes.

Hades nodded and summoned a hologram map of Tartarus. “They didn’t make the barrier that wide. But they did manage to put it in one of the most dangerous areas,” he pointed to a spot that seemed close yet far from the cave Jacques had carried her to for safety. “It’s not too far from the cave you’re currently in, but a couple of obstacles are blocking your path.”

Liliana raised her arm to run her hand through her hair but hissed in pain and dropped her arm. “What obstacles are there?” She questioned in exhaustion after she caught her breath.

“Well, first, there’s Cerberus. You’ll have to replace a way to get past him. He never misses a thing,” Hades explained. “Then there’s the river Lethe. Or river of oblivion and forgetfulness,” he clicked his tongue. “Once you get past those, you’ll also have to break the barrier to get out and be able to teleport home.”

Liliana shook her head and grumbled in pain at the dizziness. “I’m not going to be able to teleport if I have to break through the barrier,” she said roughly. “Going through all that will be for nothing if I can’t teleport us out,” she mumbled more.

“Father would kill us if we got involved more than we already are,” Apollo said in agitation.

Hades suddenly smiled widely. “But he can’t prevent a demigod from helping.”

Liliana let a small smile of acknowledgment slip onto her face. “Roman can teleport,” she said softly.

Hades shrugged. “It’s not exactly teleporting. It has the same result, but instead of using light and magic, he uses the shadows and darkness and a bit of magic to move through the world and dimensions.”

Liliana waved him off and let out a soft cry of pain. “Same thing Hades,” she muttered as she leaned her forehead against Jake’s chest. “Do you think you could get the message to him?” She asked without lifting her head. “To meet Jacques and me here,” she pointed to a spot on the map. “In about two days. We should be there by then.”

Hades nodded. “I’ll make sure he’s there and ready to get you and Jacques out,” he promised.

Liliana sighed heavily. “I don’t think Jacques or myself will make it there, though. Jacques needs blood, and my body is torn and broken up. I can barely move without being in immense pain.”

Artemis closed her eyes and summoned Asclepius, the god of healing and Apollo’s son. He appeared in front of them and smiled. “Hello, father,” he said to Apollo. “Auntie.”

Artemis lowered her head a bit in greeting. “I apologize for interrupting your day, but we need your help,” she said quietly.

“Anything for you, Aunt Artemis,” Asclepius said with a chin dip.

“We need you to heal Liliana just enough for her to get through Tartarus. Also, ensure that she has enough blood in her system for Jacques and keep herself stable,” Apollo explained.

Asclepius nodded and went to kneel behind Liliana. “Holy shit. What happened to her?” He asked in horror.

Apollo just shook his head at his son. “Can you heal her enough for her to get out of Tartarus with Jacques?”

Asclepius nodded. “Yes. I can do it. I can also make sure she has enough blood for her to help Jacques.”

As Asclepius lightly laid his hand on her back, no one said anything else. He closed his eyes and let himself flow into her body. He went through her body, partially healing the worst of her wounds while ensuring he replaced some of the blood she had lost. When he had finished, he blinked and cleared the slight fog from his mind. “Okay. Her wounds are still there, but I partially healed the worst of her injuries, mainly her back. I also replaced some of the blood that she had lost so she could help Jacques. She should be good to go.”

“Good,” Artemis said. “We can’t keep her too much longer. Zeus will replace out and punish us,” she looked at Liliana. “I am so sorry, Lina, but I must send you back.”

Liliana sighed heavily. “I know. It’s okay. I should get back to Jacques. He wasn’t looking too good when I closed my eyes.”

Artemis gently caressed Liliana’s face. “We will be with you every step of the way.”

Liliana nodded and embraced her parents, thankful there was no longer much pain in every inch of her body. “I love you guys,” she whispered.

“We love you too, butterfly,” Jake whispered before pressing a kiss to her forehead.

Liliana closed her eyes, and when she opened them, she was again in that cave in Tartarus. She looked around and found Jacques leaning against the wall next to her. She shook his shoulder. “Jacques,” Liliana softly said. “I came up with a plan to get us out of here,” she said.

Jacques groaned and fought to open his eyes. “A plan isn’t going to do us much good if we can hardly move,” he grumbled.

Liliana touched his shoulder. “I spoke with Artemis. She had Asklepius heal me just enough for us to get out of here.”

Jacques sighed heavily. “You should go. You can’t carry me through Tartarus,” he said tiredly.

Liliana shook her head. “I’m not leaving you here,” she said firmly. She held her wrist out to him. “Drink,” she ordered.

Jacques tried to push her hand away. “No. I’ll make you weak.”

Liliana looked into his eyes and softly said. “Trust me, Jacques,” she held her wrist out to him again. “Drink.”

Jacques quickly exhaled as he grabbed her wrist. He held it gently yet firmly as he lowered his head to it. Then, before changing his mind, he carefully sank his fangs into her wrist. His instincts kicked in as soon as the first drop of blood hit his tongue. He couldn’t control himself as he took in mouthfuls of her blood, replenishing what Jacques had lost over the couple of weeks he had been in Tartarus.

Jacques gulped down mouthfuls of her blood quickly. Then, he continued to drink until a soft, gentle voice said. “That’s enough, Jacques. Let go.”

Jacques gently pulled his fangs out of her wrist. He licked his lips as he looked into her eyes. “Thank you, little one,” he said lovingly as he tenderly caressed her fave. “I can’t remember the last time anyone did that for me. Especially when I had gone so long without blood,” he looked into her eyes. “I could have killed you,” he whispered.

Liliana shook her head. “I know you would never hurt me, let alone kill me,” she gave him a bright, loving smile. “You love me too much.”

Jacques chuckled as he pulled her into an affectionate hug. “I do love you very much.”

Liliana kissed his cheek as she pulled away. “Are you feeling better now?” She asked in concern.

Jacques nodded. “Much better. Thank you, little one,” he laughed softly. “It seems that you saved my life this time.”

Liliana giggled. “Don’t worry, Jacques. You know I would do anything for you.”

Jacques kissed her forehead. “So now, what is this plan of yours?” He asked as he pulled off his jacket and took off his long-sleeve button-up shirt. He handed his shirt to Liliana before putting his coat back on.

Liliana grinned as she carefully put his shirt on. “Okay. So I’m going to rest just a bit, and then we need to get going. First, we have to get past Cerberus and the river Lethe. Not to mention any creatures that we may come across. Then once we get to the barrier, I need to break it. Or at least a part of it, anyway. Roman will be waiting on the other side and will teleport us home,” she explained as she carefully rested against the wall next to him with her head on his shoulder.

Jacques nodded. “Sounds like a good plan. However,” he said with a raised eyebrow as he looked down at her. “How will we get across Cerberus and the river Lethe?” He questioned.

Liliana bit her lip. “Cerberus is easy. He’s just another dog. I tamed Orthrus and the seven hellhounds. So it shouldn’t be too difficult. As for the river, well, I haven’t thought of anything yet. I’m going to sleep on it. Wake me up in about three hours.”

“You need more rest than that, little one,” Jacques said softly.

Liliana ran a hand through her dirty, bloody hair. “It’s all that we can afford right now. We need to get to Roman in two days. We don’t know what other obstacles we’ll come across. So we need to get going as soon as possible, but I need some rest,” she explained.

“Okay,” Jacques said with a sigh. “Get some rest. I’ll wake you up in a few hours.”

Liliana laid her head on his lap and was instantly asleep.