Chapter Six: August
1548 Words
August bit back her sobs as Adon finally peeled away from his subject.
Jessie’s eyes were closed and she wasn’t moving. The only indication that she was still alive was the shallow breaths she was drawing.
All August could do was stare at the growing pile of blood that flowed down the girl’s back. No matter what it took, she was going to make this animal pay.
As if he sensed her gaze he glanced her way with an easy smile on his lips. “Isn’t it beautiful?” Adon whispered as he ran a finger over the wings he had constructed.
“She’s an angel now. She can use these to fly up to heaven and serve Him. I’ve given Him another servant.”
“You’re sick,” August spat as she closed her eyes to escape him. His words hit her and her eyes flew open. “Wait, another? You’ve done this before? What happened to them?”
“I sent them up to Him since they didn’t want to use their wings.”
He sighed and shook his head. “Don’t you see? I’m doing his work. I’m freeing these women from their earthly bonds. I’m not allowed to give you wings.” He chuckled. “But it’s not like you need them.”
August bit back another sob. Her voice was hoarse from all the screaming she had done. Nothing she had said or pleaded for stopped his insanity. She felt like she had been Jessie’s outlet because the other girl hadn’t screamed at all.
He tested the tip of his blade and smoothed it clean. “How long should I give her to use these wings of hers? She needs to hurry.”
He scowled. “I hate when they pass out like this. It’s no fun if they’re not awake.”
August’s fist clenched as she once again wiggled against the restraints. How she hated him and everything he stood for.
She liked Jessie and she could have been her friend. But no, this werewolf had decided to use her as his very own easel.
He was walking over to her now and stood by her side staring down at her. “What do you want?” she demanded with a cough.
Adon played with her hair and chuckled as she shuddered from the contact. “I want you to scream for me again. That really hit the spot. Just one more cry?” He asked as he tightened his hold.
“No,” August fumed and closed her eyes to shut him out. “I won’t give you anything, monster.”
“Maybe if I play with Jessie some more?” He offered. She could hear him move away but kept her eyes clenched. She couldn’t give in.
“Open your eyes,” he called in a sing-song tune. “You’re not going to want to miss this. I wonder how much she can bleed before she dies. Or maybe I should just turn and eat her?”
This was enough to drag August out once more. “You wouldn’t dare.”
He grinned. “I’d do anything to hear you scream once more.”
“If I scream will you let her go? Just let her free, you’ve tortured her enough!”
“You’re going to just scream without having a reason to do so?” He snorted. “I can just keep getting toys and hearing that beautiful sound over and over again.” He glanced at August his eyes thoughtful.
“There’s something I haven’t done yet that might be fun, but she won’t survive it. Tell me, have you ever heard of the blood eagle?”
He made a little humming noise as he tapped his bloody knife against his palm. “It’s a Viking tradition.”
“Please,” August begged as she watched him walk back and forth. He was every bit the savage animal that Jessie had tried to warn her about. There would be no reasoning with this creature. There was no humanity left. “Just let her go.”
He continued on as if he hadn’t heard her.
“First, I’m going to start at the base of her neck and take this blade and cut all the way down to her ass. Then I’ll reach in and sever her ribs and pull them out, so they match her wings. Maybe that will help her fly away to His side. We can even take her lungs out and watch her suffocate, wouldn’t that be fun?”
August felt her heart racing as he stopped at the top of the bed and started to trace the line he talked about on Jessie as his eyes never left hers.
“Let her go,” she growled this time. Her hoarse voice managed to have an edge to it as she stopped struggling and outright glared. She was tired of pleading and begging.
As his knife started to descend she screamed again, but this wasn’t a scream of fear. This was a scream of pure rage.
A light filled the room and thrust Adon away and slammed him into the wall like a rag doll. His instrument of death clattered to the ground and spun out of his reach.
August looked around herself in awe. Her bonds were gone. She was standing and all of her injuries were healed.
She was a new person.
She took a step forward and felt an odd weight on her back. Puzzled she looked over her shoulder and her jaw dropped as she saw peach-hued wings attached to her. She shook her head and went to Jessie’s side.
The shallow breaths were still coming, but the girl still didn’t move. Biting her lip August put her hand on the girl and tried to control this energy that flowed through her.
Movement from the corner caught her eye and she watched as Adon’s eyes narrowed on her.
He started to laugh as he noticed her new addition. “There you are. I’ve been waiting for you.”
“What are you talking about?” August demanded as she watched as Jessie’s wounds knit closed.
“Did you forget there was a reason we took you? We knew what you were before you ever did. Now that you’ve unlocked it, we can take you to that stupid organization. Not before I get my dues though.”
“How could you know about this and I didn’t?” She demanded.
"Just because you weren’t awake doesn’t mean we couldn’t smell what you were. I’ve been searching for you for a very long time.”
He took a step towards her and smiled as she remained where she was. “Do you really think you can change that one’s fate? You’re a fool.”
“I won’t let you hurt her anymore.” She thrust a hand at him willing the power again and she grinned as the force left her and slammed him once more against the wall.
“Are you prepared to answer for your crimes?” She demanded her eyes flashing in defiance. “For every life you’ve ever taken I will punish you.”
“Sounds fun.” Adon agreed. “I like punishment.”
She howled and threw him again and again into the wall. He bounced like a ball as he was slammed over and over again. Blood trailed down his forehead as he got to his feet once more and still he grinned at her.
August glanced at Jessie and smiled in relief as she realized the wounds had all healed. “See? I win!”
“I feel like I’m winning.” Adon smiled. “Try to hurt me some more, let your rage out. I want to feel you lose control. Give me your anger. Make me pay for all those innocent lives I snuffed like a candle.”
August howled in rage and abandoning Jessie she blazed with power as she threw both hands at Adon and threw him into the wall pressing him against it.
“Why doesn’t it hurt you?” she demanded as she put so much force into the action that he couldn’t even breathe.
“I can’t feel anything but pleasure,” he whispered as he moaned from the abuse.
August dropped him horrified. “You’re so sick.” She went to Jessie’s side once more and worked on the restraints that Adon had used on the girl. “Jessie, get up, it’s okay you’re free. We can get out of here.”
There was a beep and a creak and the door flew open. August whirled to confront the new intruder but now it was her that was held up in the air by her throat. Her shoes scraped the floor as she struggled to escape the invisible hold.
Senna and Nathan strode into the room. “I sensed your awakening.” Nathan nodded to her. “This is not the way I assumed it would happen, but it’s sufficient.”
Senna kept his spot in the doorway as he held a hand stretched out and kept his grip on August.
He lowered her just a bit so her feet were on the ground and she could regain her breath. “Stop struggling.” He demanded his voice soft. “Please, we won’t hurt you.”
August nodded. “As long as you let Jessie go. She doesn’t deserve what you guys are doing to her. Adon is a monster, he needs put down like a rabid dog.”
“Adon is not easy to control.” Nathan agreed with a nod. “However this little stunt of his has unleashed your power. Unfortunately for you, that’s not going to be enough to stop us. You’re weak and untrained. You are our captive and in no place to make demands.”
He strode over to Jessie and before August could react she heard a sharp snap echo in the room. Nathan had broken the girl’s neck and made it seem he had snapped a twig.
“You’ll pay for that,” August promised as tears brimmed.
Nathan nodded as he dusted off his hands. “We’ll see about that, Ms. Foreman.”
- Writer
