Crow of Flame

Chapter 23

Ambrose

When we got back to her room, she didn't even check on Nicholas. She didn't speak, she didn't look at anyone in their eyes, she just laid on her bed. Orion followed us into her room. She was still in her red dress that made her look sexy and strong. She looked distraught and out of sorts. "Crow are you alright?"

"I feel slimy." She said softly, "I feel like I don't own my body anymore, my skin isn't my own."

"Crow, what can I do?" I asked.

"I don't think there's anything you can do Ambrose..." she said. "I want out of my skin... I want to burn it away until all that's left is blissful nothingness."

"That's sadly poetic Crow..." I said.

Orion was standing still, "you have captivation?"

"Yes."

"Why would you let him do that to you if you could have resisted the captivation?" Orion prodded.

"We had to get Nicholas out... I couldn't just leave him in that environment. He obviously wasn't well."

"That's very noble Crow." He said softly. "I'll be sure he's hidden away from Poseidon, given a position here. He will be safe."

"Thank you." She said. And then she cried and her flames engulfed the bed and grew frost from how cold they were.

I wasn't even surprised when her eyes turned white and she began to glow. "Are there any etherial flames here?" I asked Orion as he pushed the door shut.

"They should appear in any room she walks in." He said gesturing to the fire place, "It's the way Arastoo works."

I laughed as I lifted her from her bed, "of course she told you it's name." I placed her in the fire place, "I hope this works..." I trailed off.

"What's happening to her?" He asked, "Is this because of what happened with Poseidon?"

"Could be," I replied. "She's having a vision. I don't know what brings them on, but last time Kronos put her in the etherial flames and I could see it." I took a breath as the misty images began to fill the room.

Sapphire was chained to a wall, her hands were above her head and her ankles had heavy silver cuffs on them. She was wearing a shirt that had been sliced down the middle revealing a black lace bra. There were cuts along her collar bone and down her sternum. They looked fresh, though no blood was dripping from them. Her hair was loose and hanging over her face as her head hung low. She was leaning her weight on the chains.

Looking around, I could see walls of blue grey stone, a tiny sliver of a window, a table of what looked to be torture instruments, and a single door. Her head snapped up as the door opened . Her blue eyes were raging and flames sparked in her hair as Poseidon stepped in.

"Oh little Sapphire." He mused as he moved towards her, "you should have taken our offer."

"I would never work with you..." she trailed off. I could see her fighting to keep her voice strong, but she looked so tired. How much of her blood had they taken?

"You know, more comfortable arrangements can be made if only you'd promise not to fight us." His voice was slithering to her as he ran a finger down her jaw. I saw a look of fear in her eyes before she bit his finger clean off. Blood splattered from the wound and it covered her porcelain skin. "You bitch!" Poseidon screamed. I watched a smile grow onto her face and she laughed. "You think this is funny?" Poseidon asked with a menacing tone.