The Parts We Play

Twisted Every Way

Krel had made some sort of breakthrough, he thought. One moment of realization, one moment of equal parts terror and confusion and ecstasy, and his acting seemed suddenly full of a purity and joy that infused his prior gentle and stately manners and elevated his performance.

As of yet, realizing he was in love with Cara had only done him good. Offstage, too, the newfound lack of denial serving as a social barrier in his mind allowed him to be even kinder and better than he already wanted to be with her. He hadn't even known he could treat someone with the warmth and easy camaraderie he shared with Cara now. It felt like loving her had only made their friendship grow, and the idea made him rather pleased with the whole thing.

He didn't realize his quiet attempts to be closer to her hadn't gone unnoticed- and that they'd prompted suspicion.

They walked home from rehearsal one evening with Douxie and Irene just ahead, laughing quietly and talking together. Cara was listening to them in happy silence, an arm hooked loosely through Krel's and her head leaning on the side of his shoulder.

The cultists swept in upon them without a moment's warning.

They'd clearly been waiting for the little quartet, settled silently into bushes along a secluded part of the route home. They popped up on all sides, tackling Irene and Douxie first and pinning their hands and covering their mouths to prevent any magic.

Cara didn't have enough time to even shift her stance before she took a blow to her upper back, dropping to her knees and gasping for air as two more cultists grabbed her arms and pulled them up and out to the sides.

A ring of cultists formed quickly around Krel- not touching him, but poised with swords ready, forcing him to remain still.

One of them- the leader of the ambush, by the looks of it- approached Cara and bent somewhat.

"So small a creature to hide secrets so big," he murmured. "After you turned him down, Gage did some research. And the results, well- they were so very interesting." He began circling her. "You're an alien, first of all, which also makes you a liar." He kicked her sharply in the back, and she arched reflexively in pain, yelping.

"And furthermore," the cultist continued, "the Purple Queen of the Sirenlands has granted you the title of Queen Among the Stars- reserved for your kind's warriors of both elite skill and high station, once granted to your legendary royal Seklos."

"I'd actually forgotten about that," Cara noted, a bit cheekily, and she earned a kick in the stomach that made her wheeze and double over.

"That means," her captor continued, "you're an intruder on this planet, and a liar, and a powerful threat."

"You're too kind, really," Cara growled, voice dripping venom. She clearly expected to be struck again, but the cultist only laughed.

"Gage said," he said quietly, "you ought to be taught a lesson." He glanced around. "We agreed that the lives of your King and your sister would be adequate punishment, but since we've got him, we'll kill the wizard too."

Irene gave a muffled shriek, and the cultist covering her mouth yelped and shook his hand out, clearly bitten.

"I'll FEAST on your BLOOD I'll-" Irene was cut off by a fist to the face as the cultists frantically suppressed her.

Cara went wide-eyed and began struggling. "What- no! No, you can't do this-"

"Swords away," the cultist ordered the circle around Krel. "Draw it out. She'll learn nothing if he doesn't suffer."

"No!" Cara pleaded, only to gasp as one of the men holding her kicked her side.

The cultists descended upon Irene, Douxie, and Krel, each helpless as blow after blow rained down on them.