Limbo (Part Two)

Chapter Two: A clever ruse

A/N: Okay so @AlishaAdvani was the first to guess the song last chapter so she gets the dedication, but @BrendaDaher and @angelasnyder5206 also got it right. :)

Chapter Two

I watched in horror as Moroi advanced, my earlier confidence gone. Now that my head had cleared and I was no longer feeling the bloodlust and rage, I was quite certain I wouldn't win another fight against him. He was a centuries old vampire, and from the strength he displayed during his escape, I knew that I was no match for him. I was pretty sure I had just gotten lucky the last time.  But I might just be able to bluff my way out of a fight.

"Do you really want to go another round with me?" I asked, crossing my arms and narrowing my eyes. "You lost the last one, remember?"

He smirked and twirled the long piece of metal he had broken off his cage between his hands.

"But I don't have to fight with you," he replied, his golden brown eyes darkening. "I'm just going to shove this piece of metal through your heart and be done with you once and for all."

I backed as far into the cage as I could; only stopping when my back collided with the stone wall.  I glowered, sliding down and curling my knees into my chest.

 "Coward!" I snapped. "You're like the Draco Malfoy of vampires. Only he had a few redeeming qualities and you don't have any."

He aimed the spear-like piece of metal at me and replied, "I have no idea what you're talking about, so just shut up and stop moving so I can stab you."

"Yeah, right! Like I'm going to make it easy for you!"

I scooted along the wall, back and forth, keeping my knees in close to my chest and my back to the wall. We looked like we were playing some demented game of pin the tail on the donkey; only I was the donkey and there would be a lot more cleaning up involved if he won.

"What exactly do you think you are doing, Moroi?" the Goblin King's asked as he emerged from the shadows.

In the blink of an eye Moroi had swung the metal around, attempting to impale Dietrich. I cried out in warning, but it was unnecessary. Before Moroi's spear could hit its mark dozens of goblins came swarming out of the dark and wrestled him to the ground.

"Are you well, Alethea?" the Goblin King asked, stepping over Moroi and peering into my cage.

"Yeah, I'm alright," I replied, standing and brushing myself off. "Please tell me you're going to kill him now."

Dietrich frowned. "Ah, alas, I cannot."

I glared at him. "And why not? You said you would!"

"His followers are causing quite a problem for me, so I'm afraid we have to let him go."

"Are you freaking kidding me?" I shouted, and shoved him through the bars. "If you let him go he will kill me!"

"You're damn right I will," Moroi threatened from his place on the ground.  One of the goblins hissed at him and knocked his head against the rock to try and shut him up.

"Now, now," the Goblin King placated. "I saved you from him this time, did I not? And for a price I will protect you from this moment forward."

I sighed and pressed my palms against my eyes. "For what price?"

Dietrich grinned a broken-toothed smile and cocked his head to the side. "Why the secrets of the journal, of course."

"If I tell you there is no reason for you to keep me alive," I replied. "What's to keep you from killing me?"

"Oh, Aleeeetheaa," he crooned, reaching a hand through the bars to stroke my hair. I tried to jerk away, but his enraged hiss stopped me cold. His eerie smile grew wider at my submission and he whispered, "I won't kill you. I like you. You're so.....different."

"No offense, but I have a hard time believing that," I replied, my voice hoarse and barely more than a whisper. "You would say anything to get what you wanted."

 "Are you calling me a liar, Alethea?" he asked, his tone quiet and deceptively calm. I could tell from the crazed look in his eyes that I had to choose my next words carefully.

"Sorry. It's just, I haven't met many creatures here who were very trustworthy."

"Well, it's time we changed that isn't it?" he responded, once again back to his chipper self.

"I guess."

"So. Tell me all about this journal and I will set you free and keep you safe. Deal?"

"It's not like I have much of a choice," I replied.

He frowned and shrugged. "Of course you do. We always have a choice. Your choices are stay in this cage and rot or tell me about the journal."

"Fine. But you have to swear that you will let me out of here and keep me safe from him," I said, nodding toward Moroi who growled at me, "and his vampire buddies."

Dietrich nodded with a wink. "I so swear."

Knowing I couldn't tell them the truth, I took a deep breath and lied for all I was worth. "It's a sigil type spell. It basically allows a person the same abilities the demons have – to absorb souls from purgatory and become more powerful. I was going to use it to gain power and defeat Moroi."

The room was so quiet for a moment I thought everyone in it had dropped dead. Of course, technically they already were, but it was taking me a while to get used to the fact.

It didn't take long for chaos to erupt. Moroi roared and threw off the goblins holding him. He sank his teeth into the closest goblin's neck and managed to drain it dry before the others could even figure out what was happening. Dietrich was shouting orders, which didn't seem to be doing any good to anyone and for the most part was causing more confusion. I quickly resumed my place against the back of the cage.

As most of my days had been going lately, things had just gone from bad to holy-crap-we-are-all-going-to-die. I wasn't stupid; if Moroi's followers were causing Dietrich trouble there was no way the goblins were any match for an enraged vampire king.

When there were no more screams and sounds of a struggle I looked up from my knees to gauge the damage. Moroi stood at the door of my cage dripping with blood that was obviously not his own. I swallowed hard and prepared myself for the worst.

"Where is it?" he snarled at me, his fangs glistening in the low light.

"Where's what?" I whispered back, unable to think about anything other than my impending demise.

"The journal, you simpleton! Where is it?"

"How should I know?" I snapped in return. "The goblins took it from me."

In a display of the strength he had gained from his poor goblin victims, Moroi yanked my cage door from its hinges in one pull. I felt my claws and fangs elongating in preparation of the fight we were about to have.

"Get up," Moroi snapped. "You're coming with me."

I blinked. "Say what now?"

"I said, get your ass up off the ground. You are coming with me to find that journal and then you're going to help me use it."

I wanted to shout for joy. He had fallen for my ruse. If I could just  keep him in the dark until the sigils were up then Roran and my family would be safe. Not to mention the demons would no longer be able to steal souls from purgatory. But I had to play it cool. If I let my guard down even for a second he could realize it was all a trick.

In an attempt to keep my excitement from him, I glared instead and asked, "And if I won't help you?"

"If you refuse I'm going to torture you so badly it will make your first trip here seem like paradise."

"Well, alright then," I replied. "I guess we had better find you that journal."

...

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