The Monster's Stratagem (Lesbian Story)

54: The Other Territories

"Planning on killing me anytime soon?" Zaque spat, his voice was weak and hoarse with disuse.

Dawn leaned back against the opposite wall of the cell, having had the Protectors open the door to allow her inside. "Do you want to die?"

"I'm not scared of death."

"You will be." Her smile was small at first before stretching outwards manically, slipping back into the hysteria that gripped her whenever she was faced with the torment of her past. "I'm not sure the news reached you down here, but I paid your mummy and daddy a small visit recently."

Zaque froze with such a stillness that even his shackles did not so much as clink. "What did you do to them?"

"Nothing, yet." She delighted in his obvious fear. Zaque had clearly never felt threatened before, having been rather comfortable in his position of power. "Your mother was quite distressed at your disappearance."

"Don't touch her."

"I wouldn't dream of it." This was true enough. Dawn had not, in fact, dreamed of harming the woman. She had no qualms against her, no score to settle. "Your father, on the other hand, will be killed."

"Why?"

"Why? You seriously have the nerve to ask me such a question?" She asked incredulously, more baffled than angry.

"If this is for having the monsters capture you and for banishing you, then just kill me for your petty revenge and get it over with."

"It is true I'm angry that I was deceived, but I am not acting solely on my behalf. You have risked the lives of my sisters, almost killed my ally by your own hand, and are responsible for the kidnapping and torturing of many Monstra. Do you really think I will sit back and let that slide?" She asked with an almost joyful tone. She honestly and innocently wanted to know whether Zaque thought this was acceptable. "You're not upset about your actions, you're just upset that you got caught."

Zaque did not refute her words. "What are you going to do to me?"

"That depends on how much information you are willing to share."

"What makes you think I will share anything?"

"With the same tactics of manipulation you used against me." Dawn leaned forward, eyes sparkling with vengeful satisfaction. "You have people you care about. Are you willing to let them die for your cause?"

"You can't hurt my family." He said confidently, before wavering slightly upon seeing Dawn's expression. "They are still free within Kings Grave and you are here."

"Kings Grave is precisely where they need to be." She mused, thinking back to the one trick she had told no one of. She needed to wait for the opportune moment, if it ever arose. However, she had recently begun to think that it was more and more viable every hour that ticked past. "But you are a fool to believe that I cannot hurt them from here."

Zaque saw nothing but sadistic delight in her, and believed immediately that she was telling the truth. Dawn was quite good at bluffing. "Don't hurt them."

"Feel like talking now?"

"What do you want to know?"

Dawn had to be careful with her questions. She did not want to ask the wrong thing and betray how little she knew, and yet there was so much she needed to discover. "The tunnels that hold all those little beasties, how far do they stretch and where do they lead?"

Zaque's smile was not kind, almost reminiscent of the one he had given Dawn in the forest the day she declared him her enemy. "Everywhere."

If what he was saying was true, then that explained the ones in the west, and also in the Cave of Beginning. If they led everywhere, then the Territories had a colossal problem. It would not be a simple matter of finding the holes and destroying them, not if there were multiple enemies able to infiltrate at a moment's notice with weapons to incapacitate the Protectors and common folk. That caused Dawn to think further, wondering if they kept the beasts in the tunnels for a reason.