Chapter 46: Oh Ye of Little Faith

*TW: Mild torture.*

Ravyn POV

Melisande smirked as Ravyn doubled over in a choking fit. "Ravyn Rolfe speechless! Oh, if only those fools at the witch circle could see you now."

Ravyn couldn't breathe. 

Jude. They were strangling him!

Lilia spat, "Half the witch circle wouldn't be shocked to see you like this, Melisande."

"Over half," Dane snarled.

They might as well have been speaking in an unknown language. Melisande stalked over, and her fingers dug into Ravyn's chin, laughing at the eyes that stared up at her full of loathing. 

"The mighty Ravyn Rolfe Faolan. Darling of the Wildefell Witch Circle. Mother of a wh*re who joined the worm-infested wolf shifters. And just as stupid as any human, blindly trusting a former lover and worthless man who betrayed you once."

"He was the one betrayed and abused," Ravyn spat.

Dane's teeth snapped, biting the air as if it was Melisande's throat, and he howled loud enough to make the stones on the floor quake. "You'll pay for this, witch."

Melisande savored her power. "Oh no. It's you who'll pay for mating with a slut, because her mother has no brain and has put you, your slut, her father, and Ravyn's mate in my power."

Lilia shrieked. "How dare you?"

Melisande stared at her with contempt. "You CHILD. Your precious pack will regret the day you mated outside your wretched species. And how long do you think the wood elves will be your friends if they think that even one of their trees is in danger? And I hear that the orcs are already beginning to think like the machines they love when they see your packs in chaos. After all, you forgave that scum Crimsontail and his slut."

"LIES," Dane roared. 

Ravyn steeled herself for a long, drawn-out, painful mental torture session. "Where are Daxius and Jude? And even Marieke? I know this wasn't her idea, given how you blackmailed Mars."

Melisande wasn't going to tell her, but Ravyn didn't care. Her neck and throat burned, and her body felt like it had been struck by lightning. She felt Jude's rage and sorrow like driving rain. 

This was all their fault.

If only she hadn't agreed to go with Daxius. 

If only she hadn't been so hungry for answers.

"It doesn't matter." Melisande's nails drew blood. "Because you'll all spend the rest of your lives here–and beg me for a merciful end."

"WHY are you doing this?" Ravyn spat. "Could you really be so delusional as to work with the Dark Goddess and Hades' followers?"

No, this wasn't her fault. It was Ravyn's responsibility to escape and free her family and Marieke. But Melisande was like a deadly spider luring people into her web.

"I don't sense it, but then, I've been fooled before," Lilia muttered.

"I'll enjoy crushing that arrogance from all of you," Melisande smirked. "Don't make it too easy for me. I love breaking spirited beasts."

"She asked a good question," Dane butted in. 

Melisande released Ravyn and toyed with Dane next, kicking him in the solar plexus. In his weakened state, he crumpled, and so did Lilia, who clutched her stomach.

Please, Goddess, let Lilia's pregnancy, more certain than ever in Ravyn's eyes, remain unknown to Melisande. Ravyn had to play the best game of chess ever.

"How does it feel to know you'll lose your pack over your slut?" Melisande purred.

"You know nothing about our pack." Dane burned her with his wolf eyes. "Whoever you serve, they're no match for the entire Shifter Federation. They'll rain death and destruction on you."

"And risk exposure?" Melisande laughed.

"You've kidnapped the Alphas and Lunas of two packs," Dane growled. "This means all-out war like nothing this world has ever seen."

And Ravyn had a realization that turned her blood to ice. "Dane … that's what she wants."

Lilia muttered a prayer to the Moon Goddess.

Melisande smiled cruelly. "I'm counting on the shifters to commit mass suicide."

* * * * *

Melisande POV

Oh, but Hades enjoyed this. Especially since none of the fools had stumbled upon the obvious reality. 

Even Cyran hadn't detected his former master in this pathetic woman's form. A sign that his precious family had weakened him. Pity. That was why Cyran killing him hadn't released him. Cyran's compassion had prolonged Hades' torment. But Hades would show mercy to his former pupil and give him a second chance. He would make Cyran his dark creature again. Maybe the deaths of so many of his family would make him hollow and Hades could control him.

"We're stronger than you. We may lose some good shifters, but we've beaten Hades, the Dark Goddess, and the Deathwolf."

Dane Cresta just didn't know when to shut his mouth.

The Dark Goddess whispered seductively in Hades' mind, "You could shut it for him."

"I have more than leashes and chains, you know." Melisande reached into the satchel she carried and pulled out a plain silver alloy muzzle–the kind humans used on dogs. "Too much spirit and I might use this on you or Jude."

The momentary pain in Melisande's fingers didn't matter. There was something intoxicating about holding the instrument of your own death in your hands and daring it to kill you. 

Dane's eyes blazed with contempt, but he said nothing.

"Shut his mouth," the Dark Goddess whispered. 

The Deathwolf joined the chorus. "Shut his mouth. Shut Jude's mouth. That'll teach them to be human-lovers and wolf traitors."

"No. Let me break them my way. Whatever else they are, they're wolves, and they deserve at least some dignity," Melisande/Hades thought.

"Fair enough," whispered the goddess. "But don't hesitate to use whatever tools you have."

Melisande re-focused on her guests. "These aren't just ordinary silver muzzles that humans put on their dogs to force them to behave. They're enchanted objects that a Bracknell ancestor created during one of the shifter-witch wars in a bygone age. They're called muselières."

And he never thought the accursed devices would come in handy against his own kind. 

"I don't want to have to use them, but a little pain can be the most effective teacher," Melisande added in a honeyed voice.

"It clearly hasn't worked with you," Ravyn said in a strong voice. "Once again, where are Jude and Daxius? What have you done with Marieke?"

Dane looked like he'd happily leave Marieke at Melisande's mercy, but he demanded answers, too.

Melisande pondered whether to try and lure Cyran here deliberately.

If the Crestas mounted a rescue, Cyran might be among them. Perhaps she could write a ransom demand–but no, that would give the Crestas an excuse to hatch a rescue scheme. Just let them come, and risk their furry necks without knowing anything. Cyran would follow because he'd sold his soul for his family's acceptance. HE needed rescuing.

Melisande smirked. "Marieke knows what's best for her. As for Jude and Daxius, be good, and you'll be reunited with them soon enough."

"And THIS is why you wanted my father?" Lilia burst out, her blonde hair streaming out in all directions and her eyes huge with hostility. "What are you going to do with him and Jude?"

"All will be revealed," Melisande said, savoring her power over them. "All your questions will be answered. But information like that isn't free."

"What do we have to do?" Dane had his head up, and he regarded her with wary respect.

She tried a kind and even generous tone. "For now, Marieke will bring you food. I suggest you eat–you're of zero use to me dead."

"That's comforting," Lilia said dryly. "Do we get the chains off at any point–assuming we're good?"

"Eventually," Melisande purred.

Hades thought privately that there were other ways to chain people. More effective ways, and so powerful that his servants never even realized they were shackled. Just ask poor, lovesick Marieke. The Evenhide Pack would shackle her guests, and stubborn shifter morals would chain every wolf by the time Hades was through with them.

Marieke pushed open the door and peeped into the room. "Master, I've done as you wished."

Rotating her body so that they couldn't see her triumphant smile, she left the room, feeling for the first time that she was winning the war.

* * * * *

Dane POV

Thank the Goddess no one could see him humbling himself this way.

Was this what Cyran had to do when he put himself in Hades' hands once again after escaping his control? It felt worse than the chains or the muzzle that Melisande taunted them with.

"I'm going to turn her into a block of ice," Lilia growled. "It wouldn't take much."

Ravyn blew out a breath. "Dane, I don't know how you controlled yourself. You too, Lilia. I'm astonished at myself."

"Unlike her, we have something worth fighting for," Dane said with passion. "And we have Jude and Daxius to fight for."

"And–" Lilia hesitated. "And a little help may be coming our way."

Dane grinned at his clever mate, who found a way to mention Duffy without tipping off their captors. "The Moon Goddess sends help in unexpected and mysterious ways. I hope she'll be quick about it." 

He sobered, wondering what their pack were doing, whether Jiro's spy network would find them, and whether even Kyon might break down and send warriors. Bram Faolan certainly would!

"We can't risk the kind of war Melisande wants," he said in a gravely serious voice.