121 The demon (part 7)

Elizabet walked down the hall looking into each of the cells. The cells lined both sides of the hall and each had a being or two chained within. Her eyes hovered over the humans that lay within. Elizabet thought about how she felt when she saw them, did she care? They appeared so weak and pathetic. She scoffed at them, they deserved it she thought. However, the fire that she had was nothing more than a flicker, was she truly angry still?

Elizabet took the stair case down at the end of the hall. She opened the dimly lit hall. The hall looked the same, lined with cells. As she walked down this hall, she looked within the cells as she had on the floor above. She loathed humans, but this was far more shocking then anything she thought possible. But was this appropriate? Did the humans deserve this?

As Elizabet walked down the hall, she realized that there were not just humans within these cells, but creatures similar to herself. Elizabet noticed a wood nymph and water nymph chained within a cell. What?

No, they just wanted to make the humans pay. They wanted the creatures to rise above and rule. But, she didn't want to hurt creatures that had been ostracized by humans just as she had been. He had never spoken about this to her. When did this become what they were about?

Elizabet noted that where they had been chained their skin was raw and red. The food they had been provided was covered in maggots, some of the creatures and humans were so hungry they were consuming the barely edible food. The creatures did not meet her gaze. They kept their eyes downcast and submissive.

"What?" Elizabet mumbled to herself unable to comprehend the sight in front of her. Could she free them? Could she convince Atchen that this wasn't what she wanted? This isn't what they had discussed her view never changed, when did his? She wanted the humans to pay, but even his treatment of them was beyond what she could fathom.

Elizabet thought of how to approach Atchen, but her body's response told her what she already knew. She may have loved him, but he had never loved her, not really. Maybe there was a part of him that enjoyed the fact he could share the suffering of others with, but it certainly wasn't love. Elizabet knew that if she brought it to his attention she too would end up in the cells.

She paced along the cells unsure of what to do. She couldn't just go back to him and pretend what she saw wasn't here, could she? Elizabet shook her head, no that was not a possibility. She wandered to the far end of the hall. Her feed were moving even through her she wasn't fully aware.

All the captives, the prisoners, avoided eye contact with the succubus, there was one cell at the far end on the left that met her eyes.

Elizabet stopped, frozen with disbelief. This woman looked worse than many of the other captives, but there was a fiery determination in her eyes. Her body was cut, torn, and bruised, but she held herself with a dignity that was absent in all the other captives.

Elizabet blinked, the woman still had her eyes trained on the succubus. Elizabet took a step forward and touched the iron bars scanning the woman. The woman stood up, while her gaze exuded authority and strength, her body betrayed her. She struggled to stand up, her legs struggling to maintain the weight of her own feather-thin body as well as the chains that kept her bound to the wall.

Elizabet watched as the woman stood up to her full height all the while maintaining her gaze. The succubus was the first to break eye contact and she glanced to the side her eyes surveying the prison. Elizabet took a step back and then another and another and she eventually found herself at the stair well.

As Elizabet exited the prison she had a vague plan formulating in the back of her mind. She walked freely through the front entrance and turned to the lead guard. "How long has this place been here?"

"For quite some time Lady Elizabet. Long before my time." The lead human guard spoke.

Elizabet observed the man in front of her, he had to be middle aged. So over 20 years, but it could definitely be more.

Elizabet nodded and the men bowed to her. She headed towards their home. He had kept that secret from her, why? She asked herself. Did he know that she would have found it terrible? She recognized some of the humans as those she had fed off. Did it start as a place to store humans for her consumption? She wanted to ask Atchen, but she knew she would have to go about it correctly or else the consequences would be far greater than she would be willing to pay.

Elizabet ended up deciding against asking him anything about the secret prison. She continued the charade. But the sparkle that she had once felt had disappeared. She now saw him for what he was. She noticed all of the red flags that she should have identified before, but she was too love struck to take noticed.

A week later, Elizabet headed back to the lower level and to the prisoner. Just before she had left the last time she spoke startling her.

"Hello Elizabet." She had said which made her nearly jump out of her skin. "My name is Hattie." That alone is what sent Elizabet out of the prison last week, but no, this week she was prepared.