Quinque

Quinque

Captured

            “Azazel, she isn’t your to claim yet.” The deep voice came from my left and I immediately tried to shove myself away from it. It wasn’t the voice I wanted to hear.

            My body jerked but cuffs were locked around my wrists and I noticed then that my hands were bound behind my back and chained to the wall behind me.

            I blinked open my eyes and everything came back to me in a rush. These men had taken me. I gasped as I remembered Nox yelling for me and seven pairs of eyes locked onto me.

            They were massive things with wings that tucked behind their backs and I felt the desperate hunger that radiated from them all. Terror made my heart race and I struggled to move away, but I was going nowhere.

            One of them with eyes black as night chuckled at my efforts. “You will not get away, beauty.” He grinned, flashing his teeth in a menacing smile.

            I struggled to rein in my fear before I became mindless and finally spoke. “What do you want with me?”

            As one they moved forward and I felt sharp claws brush against my cheek. A scream built in my throat but I swallowed it down, knowing it was pointless.

            Another spoke, this one with wings that I could barely look at the color of a setting sun. “You have such light in you. We will find out tonight if you belong to one of us.”

            I didn’t understand. “What?”

            Another with harsh tattoos that covered his entire body, rolled his eyes down at me, “She better now be mine. Can’t accuse this one of being very quick on the uptake.” He rested his hands on his hips and my eyes followed down the curve of a huge sword that was strapped to his hip.

            I swallowed loudly and his eyes gleamed with amusement.

            “Baraqiel, shut the fuck up.” The one with the sunset wings said and then turned his attention to me. “My name is Samiel, sweet.” His hand came forward and grabbed one of my braids. Another with wings that emitted shadows and darkness came toward me and, without preamble, ripped my pants from me, leaving me in nothing but my underwear.

            My head started to pound and I was lost for a while as suppressed memories crashed through the steel wall in my mind.

            Hands on my body... sharp laughter... groans as a body heaved over me... agonizing pain as a knife sliced over my stomach and dug down through me...

            I felt tears tracking down my face and felt a body wedge itself between my legs. I came to with seven pairs of eyes staring at me in fascination.

            I was above them, hovering off the ground with my arms out to my sides, the chains on the ground below me. I heard a growl so menacing it raised goose bumps on my arms. Electricity flowed through me and I realized that the growl was coming from me. My mouth snapped shut and I lowered to the ground, my feet touching cold concrete.

            But my electricity didn’t leave me as I expected it too. And then I was pissed. How dare these creatures take me from my home, my dogs, and the man I had only just begun to explore?

            My teeth lengthened in my mouth, turning into points, and my shoulder blades burned and cracked, jamming my shoulders back.

            One of them whistles low and I recognized him as the one called Baraqiel, “I take it back, she’s mine.” He licked his lips and lunged for me. I hissed at him as his hands locked around my waist and pressed my body against his. His lips were at my ear, “I always wanted a Valkyrie for my woman.” My hands shot up to his face and my claws raked down his skin, drawing blood and leaving skin and tissue under my claws.

            He released me and I felt a savage thrill go through me. I like hurting him, wanted to hurt all of them, like they had planned to hurt me.

            “She’s a wild one. But we can break that in her.” One of them ran his gaze over my almost naked body but my attention was caught by the door behind him.

            I few over the distance and backhanded him across the face. He went spinning and my hand grasped the door knob and ripped it clean off. The door swung open and I flung myself through it.

            A bellow sounded from behind me. “Ah, Io, you won’t be getting away that easily.”

            My name startled me and made me trip over my own feet. But I recovered quickly and tore down the dimly lit hall.

            Then I felt a sharp sting in my neck and my hand flew up to it. I yanked it out my skin and stared dumbly at it.

            A tranquilizer dart?

            My mind swam and my muscles started to shut down. As I collapsed onto the ground they formed a ring around me. I reached forward as black dots clouded my vision and pulled my deadened body farther down the hall.

            They went with me, simply watching my futile struggle.

            I gave a growl of frustration as dread settled in my belly. I felt a hand on the back of my head and warm breathes at my ear.

            “When you wake, Io, you won’t want to fight us. Most women can’t resist the call of us, but the man in your heart blocked our considerable charms.” He caressed down my naked back but I had no strength to move.

            I muttered his name as I felt myself sinking into the blackness.

            “Nox?” The hand vanished from my back. “You don’t mean that dark Prince Lennox of the Shadows?” I heard a curse behind me.

            “That heartless bastard will never see you again, Io.”

And I went out, dead to the world.