Chapter 8

"Ah, Raphlaun, welcome back."

I cringed.  It was Valency.  I opened my eyes and stood.

"Aemy, I'm glad you could join us."  Valency was lounging in a black throne on a raised dais.  Shadow people were all around us.  THey constantly brushed up against me, sending numbing cold through my entire body.

"Why did you bring me here?" I asked, forcing myself to forget my spasms.

Valency smirked.  "Wouldn't a brat like you like to know."

I couldn't say anything.  The chilling shadows were too distracting to come up with something to say.

Valency waved his hand dismissively.  "Take her to the tower."

Raphlaun grabbed my shoulder and pushed my out the door.  "Come on, Princess.  You heard the orders.  Move!"  He shoved me through a moonlit courtyard.  I tripped over the side of a fountain and fell into the luke warm water.  I could see the moon in all its glory above me.  I could only ponder later why there was a moon and not a sun.  

"Princess, get out of there.  You don't need a bath."

I glared at the shadow.  "But it's warm."

"Watch out for the piranhas," Raphlaun said coldly.

I stood immediately, then laughed.  "The water's going the wrong way!"  I exclaimed.  It was going up into the baby cherubs, not out of them.  I couldn't be bothered with hungry piranhas:  There was a phenomenon.

I felt a nudge on my ankle and looked down at the adorable little piranha.

"Feet me!" it said in a deep voice.

Another on swam up.  "Me too!" This one had a squeaky voice.

I inched toward the side.  "And what do you eat?"

"Salad!" a third one said with a relatively normal voice.

"Avocado!"the deep one purred.

"Pumpkin Pie!" the squeaky one cheeped.

I raised an eyebrow at Raphlaun.  "They're vegetarian piranhas."

Raphlaun growled.  It was unusual to see and hear a shadow growl.  "Get out."

I plopped into the water and sat indian-style amid the piranhas.  "I'll stay here, thanks."

Instantaneously, I was hovering a foot or so above the water, struggling for air and chilled to the bone, the cold emanating throughout my body from Raphlaun's hand at my neck.  He was squeezing the air from my throat, and he squeezed tighter.

"Don't dare defy me,"he whispered.  "You could be mutilated in minutes."

"Raphlaun!"

He dropped me and spun around.  I fell across the fountain wall and thrashed with pain from my spasms.  I fell into the water, still spasming, and I fel the piranhas snuggle up against my body, consoling me.

"I commanded you to take her to the tower.  I did not mention torture."

I peeked over the wall, my spasms calming down, and I could have laughed.  Raphlaun was cowering at Valency's feet.

"I'm sorry, *title related to my lord here*" Raphlau whispered.

Valency waved his hand.  "I don't want to hear excuses."  He looked over at me.  "Are you quite done splashing around?"

I shook my head.

Valency raised an eyebrow.  "No wonder you are a favored child.  Come!  Now!" he barked.

I stood and shook my head again.

Valency sighed.  "Such a silly child."  He thought for a moment and spoke.  "Dnam mocit ahtl laodt sum yea."

"What did you say?" I asked.

"I might tell you if you be a good girl and come with me."

Against my will, my body walked to him.  "What did you do to me?" I asked, alarmed.

"Don't speak," he commanded, and I couldn't utter a word.

Raphlaun had slipped away.  I was all alone with this man, and he was the one with the power.  I might as well be dead, if imaginaries could die.

Besides the fact that Valency's realm was very dark, I found it to be beautiful.  There was an enchanting quality about it.  The moon was large and ominous, a silver puddle in the black sky.  The pinprick stars danced and swirled in the sky like that one famous painting animated for a dizzying dance.

I saw no shadows in the courtyards and hall we walked through.  All of the buildings were built with large, smooth, gray stone.  A few were carved with what looked like pictures to a story.

"You are quite pleasant when you don't speak, child,"Valency sneered.  

Since I was clearly still under his spell, I did not reply.

Valency chuckled as we started up a staircase.  It was a maddening staircase, circling for what seemed like forever, until abruptly, we reached the very top where a door was set into the cold stone.

The door opened obediently, and Valency shoved me inside the small room.

"Enjoy," he purred before slamming the door.

I suddenly had complete control of myself.  I tried the locked door to no avail, and I turned to survey my prison.  It was a small circular tower room, like every movie I had ever seen.  I suppose I shouldn't expect new creativity from thrown away imaginaries.  I went to the glassless solitary window and looked over what must have been the entire Realm of Nothing.  I saw the paint sea and the plateau.  I saw the golden castle in the clouds.  I even saw things I didn't know were there; forests, mountains, plains of mystical grandeur, towns and villages and the tops of cities.  I looked over the land for a long time, taking in and remembering the geography, hoping it would not change.  I would certainly need to know where things might be.  

I frowned.  How would I escape?  I didn't have time for this.  I turned to look at the interior, undecorated stone.  The only objects were a bed with a worn sheet.  There was not a thing else, besides the dirt and grime.  I ran my hand around the stone wall.  There was no hope there.  The door no usable knob on the inside, only a continuously turning brass knob that seemed to have gone insane ages ago.  I turned back to the glassless window and set my arms on the windowsill.