Chapter 2

    I woke up to pure darkness, my eyes hurting as I tried to adjust them to the change of lighting, and my head hurting because something had knocked me out hastily. I groaned and shifted, realizing I was lying on hard concrete, something that was unbelievably uncomfortable and unsanitary. I lifted myself up into the sitting position, feeling dizzy for a moment, and then got up onto my feet. I put my hands out in front of me and turned to see in the distance, two torches lighting up part of a hallway. It was also just enough light to let me see the bars that disconnected me from the exit.

    I stumbled forward, mainly because my head still hurt, but also from extreme shock. Who had brought me here? I wrapped my hands around the bars, hardly believing they were there. Then reality hit. I rattled the bars and screamed, trying to get someone or something to notice.

    "Let me out!" I screamed. "Let me out of here!"

    "You are a noisy one," I heard the same voice I had heard before say. The voice came from just in front of me and a little to the left. I looked over, the little bit of light illuminating a silhouette of a figure. The voice was masculine, so I assumed it was a male. He was sitting up against the wall, one of his legs crossed over the other.

    "Let me out of here you stupid rotten animal!"

    "Now that was just immature," he said again.

    "It's also immature to lock someone in a giant bird cage," I snapped back, already annoyed with this person, or whoever they were. "Now will you just let me out of here? I did absolutely nothing wrong!"

    The figure stood up, moving into the light. He was devilishly handsome, with golden brown hair that accented his olive skin. He had the same facial features as me, a rough look, with a sharp jaw line and blue eyes with black stripes through the iris. He was wearing a dark blue t-shirt and ripped jeans stained with blood.

    "You've got a point," he said pointing at me. "But you're still not getting out of here."

    "Why the hell am I here?"

    He shrugged. "Purposes that you shouldn't care about. They don't really concern you personally, just your race."

    "My race?" I asked.

    "Sure, you know, humans."

    I gulped, not wanting to show my fear, especially not to my captors. "What are you then exactly?"

    "Demons." His answer was short and simple. The tone in his voice also told me he didn't want to talk anymore. Then I could hear sharp tapping start far away, coming closer and closer. Soon another figure was outlined, a young woman’s form. She had long blond hair that flowed to her elbows, and she was wearing a long white gown, showered with diamonds and intricate patterns. On her feet were heels, which explained the tapping sound. As she got closer I saw that she had the same tattoo on her arm that I had, but it was slightly different. Instead of two pairs of eyes at the bottom, there was only one.

    I also saw that behind her skulked a black panther, the same one I had seen form into a human, or what I now knew as a demon. It's eyes looked at me, and it wasn't a nice stare. It was more of the way a predator looked at its prey. As they neared my cage, the panther formed into the demon boy. He was wearing the same clothes; jeans, converse and a torn black t-shirt. His black hair fell in his eyes, shielding their unusualness. He was walking in a protective way beside the girl, and I immediately got curious as to whom she was.

    She stopped just outside my bars, so I retreated back, afraid.

    "Christian," She snapped.

    The boy with the brown hair bowed quickly before walking up beside her.

    "How is our prisoner?"

    "Fine. She's just been asking a few questions about why she's here."

    "Typical of a human," she mumbled beneath her breath. She took a deep breath. "What is your name girl?"

    "Constance," I said, hoping my voice didn't tremble as much as I thought it did.

    "What an unusual name. Your age?"

    "Seventeen."

    "Come here so I can get a look at your face." She motioned with her hand.

    I walked slowly towards the part of the cage the light illuminated. When I stood in front of her, she looked at me for a moment before turning and slapping Christian across the face. He cried out in pain.

    "What was that for?"

    "You insolate little...ugh! Did you even think to check her eyes before bringing her here?"

    "Check her eyes? What are you talking about?" He asked, rubbing his hurt cheek.

    "Her eyes are blue with black stripes! She's a demon!"

    "What?" That voice was mine. "You're crazy! I'm not one of you! I'm not crazy! I don't want the human race gone! No! I'm a human!"

    "You only think you are." That voice came from the black haired boy. "You must have been raised there, not knowing about us or our world. Just because you aren't like us doesn't mean you aren't one. It's clear. Your features are exactly the same as ours."

    "That's a coincidence!"

    "Sorry sweetie," Christian said with a heartless smile, "But it isn't a coincidence." He continued to rub his injured cheek.

    Then something hit me. They didn't need me anymore. I was one of them, which means they had to treat me as one of them. I wasn't the human they were trying to get.

    "So you'll let me out of here?" I asked enthusiastically. "Since I'm not a human, you'll let me go?"

    "Let you go?" The black haired boy laughed. "Just because you're one of us doesn't mean we trust you. We're not idiots you know. You'll probably go back and tell everyone about us, and seeing as what happened only a few hours ago at the park, they'll be crazy enough to believe you."

    I turned to look at him. "You’re monsters! You killed people!"

    "You seem shocked. To tell you the truth I'm a little shocked that you would even care."

    "That I would care? I grew up with them! I loved them!"

    "No," he snapped, moving closer to my cage. "You don't love them, and you never did. You didn't know them. Humans are too selfish to care about each other. They may seem like an honest friend, someone who would risk their life for yours, but when the time actually comes, they become a coward and run. Humans don't care. They just want to save themselves."

    "You don't know anything about us," I growled. "People who really and truly love each other would risk their life for that person. You want to know why? Because life isn't worth living without them. So stop making stupid assumptions about my-"

    "About your race?" He interrupted. "About who you thought you were?"

    "That's enough Rayne," the woman cut in. "The girl isn't worth your breath." She turned towards Christian. "I want you to stay here and guard her. She stays in this cell until further notice."

    Christian bowed as she turned and began to make her way back up the hallway. The boy named Rayne followed her. Christian then sat back down against the wall, continuing to rub his cheek.

    "Why do you let her do that to you?" I asked, not even thinking about what I was saying until it had already come out of my mouth.

    "Because she's our queen. She has the highest power, and can do whatever she pleases."

    I sighed and plopped down where I was, leaning my side against the bars, facing him. "I still don't understand why you can't let me out. I mean, you don't have to let me back out in the human world. I could just live here, like you guys."

    "You think we trust you here either? Who knows what you could do. You grew up with the humans; you 'loved' that race. Even if the real thing that you were threatened to kill them, you would side with them. It's pure logic. Besides, I’m amazed you haven’t gone into immediate shock at the fact that you’re a demon."

    "I have to learn to live with the truth sooner or later," I mumbled.

    "Yeah well now is not the time. So can you please be quiet? I would get more peace with the queen around."

    I mocked him silently and then stared at the wall in front of me. I didn't want to sleep. I was too afraid that something would happen while my eyes were closed, but even if I had wanted to, I couldn't. My body and brain were wide-awake. The adrenaline must still be pumping through my veins, I thought. I exhaled a long breath. It was far too late to be hoping for a miracle.

 

Reviews

[r]

I knew she was a demon, as soon as they said Christian had the same stripes in his pupils that she has.

Amazing! Love it!