Ria
I woke up feeling as shitty as before. My arm and nose were no longer bleeding, but I still felt some phantom pain whenever I touched them and to make things better I was trapped inside a cell with no way out.
The only door was made of solid metal and there weren't any windows I could escape through, which if I thought about it made sense taking into account the fact that we were underground.
I had no way out and nothing to do, so I begun regretting all my life decisions.
I shouldn't have saved Arsheus when I had the chance. I shouldn't have trusted him. I should've gone to the angels with the tale and told them all about him. Maybe that way I wouldn't have been betrayed by him having no way out.
I was so stupid.
I twisted around and stared at the moss. At least seeing some plants was nice. That was the only upside to this whole situation.
While I was staring at her moss and at the few grass blades coming through with the mission to count them all out of pure boredom I heard the heavy metal door creaking.
Fuck!
Had they come because they regretted letting me live? Were they here to finish me off?
I was immediately on guard, and up, glaring at the door.
As it slowly started opening the light came through and hit me in the eyes.
For a second I was blinded by the brightness, too light for my eyes used to the darkness. I couldn't do anything as Arsheus walked leisurely to me and held my neck in his hands, choking me.
Fear gripped me and I thrashed. I was so afraid I didn't even care about the fact that he didn't seem to be pressing my neck that hard or that we had made a deal and he now needed me alive. I didn't remember any of that at the moment, too panicked to think straight.
" Stop it!!" Arsheus's commanding voice in my ear made me flinch and stop out of pure self preservation instinct.
I stayed still in between his arms, not daring to look at his eyes.
" What do you want?"
" You and I made a deal" Arsheus's voice was filled with disdain as he whispered closer into my ear. " I still need you. I won't kill you.... yet"
Without giving me time to react and rethink all my life choices that had led me up to this moment Arsheus held my neck and dragged me outside. I tried to resist, but his hold was too strong and whenever I stopped walking my oxygen would be cut off, which meant I had to keep walking even against my will.
I was beginning to get tired of being his little doll. I was so tired of it all.
Arsheus was lucky there were no spirits nearby, because if there had been I wouldn't have said no to blowing everything up and making a mess, even if it meant dying. I was that tired.
Arsheus dragged me to the same room from yesterday. The one where they had ruthlessly betrayed me and tried to kill me. He didn't even seem guilty as he looked around the room, ignoring the spirits perched on top of the table glaring at us.
He might have forgotten, but I hadn't. He had betrayed me and tried to kill me. I was never going to forgive him. I was going to make his life hell.
" Now" Arsheus let go of me and walked up to the spirits, not feeling an ounce of fear. Now I was certain he couldn't see the spirits. " Tell me all you know about the angel's fortress"
He looked at me seriously as he pointed at the capital, a city big enough to engulf multiple of the smaller ones.
I didn't know shit about the fortress, but since I wanted revenge lying wasn't a great deal.
" It's brimming with guards" I could say that much. He probably already knew. " They never stop patrolling and protecting the main castle where the rulers live" I had no idea if that was true, but it sounded believable.
" What's their weakness?" Rin looked at me with disdain as he asked. If I would have hesitated to answer if he had asked nicely, I thought he could imagine what I would do now that he hadn't even said please, but I had to speak. My neck was still kind of purple and bruised from when I'd refused to follow Arsheus a second ago.
I thought on the spot. I had no idea what their weakness was, I hadn't even gone to the capital before, but they seemed sure I knew, so I could make something up.
" On the day of the festival all their defenses will be down. You can enter the castle then"
Both of them tilted their heads and looked at me.
" What do you mean?" Arsheus's voice was dark as he asked me.
I took a deep breath and leaned over the table, ignoring the spirits on top as I picked up a blue figure and placed it on the outskirts of the capital.
As soon as the figure was in place I backed away, shivering. I fucking hated spirits.
" During the festival everyone is focused on the people and not on the castle. Everything's so chaotic that you'll have no problems sneaking in"
Arsheus looked at the figure and then at me. He smirked darkly before setting the red figures in he capital.
" When's the festival?"
I all but collapsed when I heard him asking a follow-up question. I had just made up all that shit. The festival thing was true, but it was the opposite. The guards focused more on the castle since it was so chaotic.
If they went in when I had told them to they would die. Something tugged at my chest, but I ignored it. I was happy they were going to die. I really was. They were finally getting what they deserved. I couldn't be sad, not even if there was a time when I had considered them friends, not even if Arsheus had saved my life.
I had saved his too, so now we were even.
" Next week"
Rin's face darkened when he heard the date.
It wasn't that hard to figure out what the festival was for. It was a celebration of the angel's victory during the great war.
I was sure it'd be hard for them to see everyone celebrating the deaths of their families and comrades.
Another tug at my heart. Like the last one I ignored it and kept my face blank. They didn't deserve my pity. They didn't even deserve my attention and still I couldn't help it but think that life was unfair. They were good people, mostly.
Well, whatever. They would be corpses soon enough. I had made sure it would be so, and still something inside of me was begging me to reconsider. I shouldn't listen to that tiny voice. Nothing was an excuse good enough to let them betray me.
" Fine" Arsheus sighed and ruffled his hair. I had noticed he liked to do that when he was specially stressed out. Why I knew what that bastard did when he was stressed was beyond me. I shouldn't even listen to him, and yet...
" What do you want to do?" Rin's question pulled me out of my own mind. I noticed I was doing that a lot lately. I needed something to focus me or I was going to end up doing this when it was less convenient and end up dead.
" Let's go there in two days. We can check out the surroundings and make a plan"
" I think that's....."
I tunned both of them out. They were so engrossed in their own conversation that they didn't even notice I was slowly backing away.
I didn't remember the passages that led outside, but I was sure that with lots of luck I would manage to get out. Now all I needed to do was run outside while they were still too engrossed in themselves.
I kept an eye on them as I walked away.
This was working!
I was finally going to be free.
When I reached the entrance I turned and bolted.
Wrong choice.
The moment Arsheus heard me running away he appeared by my side, looking down on me.
" Trying to run, were you?"
I wanted to deny it and avoid his anger, but he had caught me red handed. I had no excuse.
" So what if I did?" He needed me. He needed me. I kept telling myself that as a mantra as I spoke my mind.
" I'll have to make sure you don't try to run away again" Arsheus's smile was manic as he grinned, showing me all his sharp fangs.
What was he planning to do? Was he going to break my legs so that I couldn't run away anymore?
My mind begun conjuring scenarios in which I ended up dead or maimed while Arsheus smirked from above me with his red, bloody hands.
I quivered in fear, afraid of his touch.
" I don't know what you're imagining, but it'll be worse"
I closed my eyes and flinched. I was right. He was going to kill me.
To hell with it all. My eyes darted over to the spirits. I was going to speak and wake them up when pain erupted all over my body.
It felt as if someone was taking out all my organs and putting them back inside. Everything hurt and my blood was on fire.
I fell to the floor, twitching and writhing. From above me I could see Rin smirking.
Motherfucker.
I didn't have any strength to curse at him. All I could do was scream and writhe as Arsheus looked down at me from above with a frown. He was just a blurry figure as my eyes filled up with tears and the whole world shook, but I could still see the anger in his eyes.
So he still wasn't satisfied with this level of pain.
I hated him.
I tried to twist my head and call to the spirits time and time again, but they were too far away and my body was too busy convulsing on the floor to listen to me.
One second I was writhing in pain, cursing Arsheus and all his ancestors and the next the pain was gone.
I slowly got back up with shaking legs. I didn't know what that had been about, but I was alive and that was all that mattered.
I needed to run. Now.
With full control of my body I moved my head and opened my mouth, making eye contact with the spirits. As I had previously said, with hell to it all. They were going to pay.
" Don't speak"
Despite my will my mouth closed up.
I tried to move my lips and speak, but something pulled at my heart and mouth, making me silent.
What the fuck?
I stared at Arsheus as he looked down at me.
" Now tell me. Are you going to betray us?"
I wanted to lie my way out of this and say that I wasn't, but my body didn't listen to me.
The words I had been trying to hide escaped from my mouth as if they had a free will.
What had they done to me?
" I do"
Arsheus's face darkened as Rin scoffed.
" I knew it"
Arsheus glared at Rin and then at me.
" Then I guess we'll have to teach you some loyalty"
My blood run cold as fear spread all over my body.
What was he planning to do?
" Get down on your knees"
I couldn't stop my body from obeying him as I dropped to my knees against my will. I wanted nothing more than to kill him, but there was no way for me to do that. I was like his doll now. His real doll. He controlled me with a single word.
" What did you do to me?"
Arsheus smiled and pointed down at my chest while speaking.
" Now you won't be able to betray us anymore. You should've thought it better before you went against us"
Through my shirt I could see a glowing seal on my skin. The more I tried to refuse his orders the more it shined.
He had ensnared me with magic.
Bastard!
" Let me go"
I wanted to cry and scream in frustration. It was all so unfair.
" Why would I ever do that?" Arsheus's smile was cutting as he looked down at me.
He leaned in close, crouching down on the floor.
" From now on you're my little doll. Don't expect anything from me"
I wanted to scream and run away. I wanted to rip his face off, but my mouth remained sealed. He didn't even need to utter the command for my body to obey it. It was a scary ability.
" I want you to tell me what you know" Arsheus turned to face Rin instead of me. Did he hate me so much?" Without lying"
Against my will I told him my previous plan was bullshit and that they would die if they did that.
When I finished my story Arsheus didn't even seem faced, as if he knew something like this was going to happen. As if he had expected me to try and betray them, which was bullshit. If they hadn't betrayed me first I wouldn't have tried to get them killed.
" Well then. We'll have to try, right?" Arsheus smiled darkly as he looked me in the eyes.
What did he mean?
They would die if they tried.
I was going to warn them when I thought about it twice and closed back my mouth. It was better for me if they died due to their own stupidity. It wouldn't be my problem that way.
" And you're going to accompany us"
What? No.
No!
I wanted to scream and complain, but my body didn't listen to me.
After dropping the bomb that I was going to die alongside them due to their own idiocy Arsheus looked unfazed as he got back up and snapped his fingers, beckoning me like a dog.
Fucker!
" Come on. Follow me"
I couldn't do anything but loathe Arsheus a little bit more as I watched how my body got up against my will and followed him like a little lap dog. I had completely become his doll now and I hated it. Rin, on the other hand seemed to be slightly amused by the situation while Arsheus looked bored and used to it. As if I was always meant to be his little bitch.
Motherfucker.
I tried to call to the spirits but nothing came out of my mouth.
I couldn't even speak without his permission. I was going to kill him.
As my body did what it wanted without my consent I was in my mind, killing Arsheus in a thousand different ways, relishing when his blood hit my hands.
I had to get my hands on one of the angel's weapons. Normal daggers didn't do shit against him and I guessed swords or other sharp objects didn't do jack shit either. I could try to strangle him or beat him to death, but with my physique it was way more likely that I would be the one who ended up dead. I had to stick to sharp objects.
I had to get one of the weapons that actually worked against demons and it had to be a small one. The incident with the sword had taught me I couldn't even hold one, so those were out.
As I walked I begun formulating a plan. I would go to the capital with them and pretend to help and when they least expected it I would stab them with a dagger with magical powers stolen from the angels.
My plan just had one little flaw. I had to obey everything Arsheus said and I highly doubted it would let me hurt him, much less try to kill him.
I could try and if it didn't work out I could alert the authorities as a last resort. They were out to get me, but I was sure a demon general, or whatever his position was within the demons, would be more impressive that little old me.
I was just an unfairly treated angel.
My train of thought was distupted as I stopped on my tracks, amazed when my body responded to me for the first time in over half an hour. I no longer felt the urge to do something I didn't want to.
Had the seal disappeared? Did it have a time limit?
If it did it would be my salvation.
Since I was conscious again I looked at my surroundings.
I was in the middle of a lavish room, half of it covered by an enormous bed and the other half filled with everyday necessities like a table and a wardrobe.
What the fuck? Why was I here?
Arsheus was in he middle of the room, looking at me with disdain and a hint of amusement in his eyes as he threw a pillow my way.
I barely managed to catch it in my arms before it fell down to the floor.
What was his deal now?
" What do you want me to do?"
" Nothing" Arsheus's voice was honest as he laid down on the bed and closed his eyes.
What? If he wanted nothing to do with me then why had he brought me to what looked like his room?
I rolled my eyes and walked to the door. Whatever. He was a weirdo.
I didn't even manage to take one step when I felt the now familiar tug in my chest and my body stopped obeying me again.
" Where do you think you're going?"
My body turned to face him against my will and my reasons spilled out. I didn't really want to keep it a secret, but I disliked the fact that he had taken it from me.
" I don't plan on staying with you. I was going to go find my room"
" No"
That simple word shattered my spirit.
Was he going to assault me? Was that why he had really left me alive?
I wanted nothing more than to cover myself and run away, but my body remained still.
" It's not what you think " For a second I could've sworn I saw Arsheus blushing. I blinked and it was gone. " I just want you to sleep in the same room" Why? Why did he want that? Did the control magic have a limit of how far away we had to be for it to work?" You can sleep in the bed" Arsheus patted the spot near him in the bed. I refused to do that.
I couldn't even shake my head one second and the next I found my voice again, the control gone.
" No thanks. I think I'll go read a book"
" In the middle of the night?"
Was it nighttime? I had been so long at the cell that my inner clock was broken. It could very well be night but I didn't feel tired.
" So what?"
" Get some sleep" Arsheus patted his side of the bed again.
Yes, there was no way in hell I was sleeping with him.
" I won't sleep with you"
Arsheus shrugged from the bed.
" Suit yourself. You can sleep on the floor"
I was going to do just that.
I picked a good spot on the corner of the room and laid there, the pillow under my head.
" Good night"
I didn't answer Arsheus. I just closed my eyes as the hard floor hurt my back.