Chapter 11 Tell Me Everything

As I got ready, I kept thinking of what to do next. Even though I've spent about two days here, I really haven't managed to look around or find anything out about my mother. I know she's been here before, or I have, because this place is so familiar. Like an imprint forever stuck in the back of your mind, just out of reach.
                    So I was ready in converses that were snug, skinny jeans with the cute chains dangling from the hoops, and a black top with playful skulls overlapping eachother in a faded way. They smelt like a fresh breeze and felt comfortable. And with that, I set out.
                    In the corridor, I knew I'd know this was mine, since it was more modern and clean. When the rest of the corridors were filthy and chalky and dim. I wondered down the corridor, past the shower room, and continued until I seen another door.
                    I came closer to the door, hearing no talking or shuffling, so I opened it. And I walked in as if it were my own. Then I stared at what I strangely seen, making me feel a little too sick.
                   I moved closer to turn the light on, to fully convince myself this is what I was seeing. And I smelt it more than seen it. The smell of rough, sweet chemicals peeked up my nose, the sharp smell making me wince. There was light lab tables that you'd find in the science class back at the academy that acted like skirting boards around the large room, some dotted in the middle of the room. And on top of them, beakers and test tubes in racks full of different kinds of liquids. Some dirty looking, others looking pretty blue and butterfly orange. I walked further and picked a beaker up called new demons.
                    "This is where they make stronger perfume for demons?" I put it down, since I was currently shaking and didn't like the thought of dropping the glass beaker incase it melted the floor. When I looked down, I seen the floor was clean and so were the walls. A plate white ceiling with low bulbs making other little beakers bubble with the liquid. It was like being in some mad-hatter's science lab for evil and catastrophic ideas.
                     I literally leaped out of the room, insanely glad to be out. I felt my heart beat so hard against my ribs I thought the bone'd crack. But as soon as I was out of the range of smell and bright lights, I couldn't see the door that was opposite the science lab.
                     It was a beautiful arched oak door, with medieval classic hinges that lined the whole door two times with thick steel bolts. A round and perfect knob and the wood seemed recent. I edged closer, my breathing harsh and quiet as I propped my ear to the door. I heard no talking, but I didn't want to let myself in incase I was face to face with a nasty, ugly demon pet that was chained to the floor and disfigured.
                      Just as I was about to walk away with limbs that felt like led, the oak door opened with a creak.
                      "Wow," I heard Byron's silky voice muster around me like death, I shuddered and stood with my back to him. "I mean, I know you assassins are ninja like," He chuckled and moved closer to my back, his fingers moving my wet hair from the back of my neck. The cold felt like a blade cutting my flesh, it made me grit my teeth. "But I didn't know you were a stalker."
                       "As if, Byron." I bit back, turning within a flash to him. He was at least two inches from my face. I felt his icey breath on my skin. I pictured a bound Byron on the dirty floor, with my sword in my hands as I stood over him with a deadly smile on my face.
                       It made me smile, and seeing his smiling face twist into curiousness and annoyance, I felt victorious. "I was just looking around since I am a captive here."
                       "You're my bride-to-be," He whispered and stepped back, looking me over. I felt a tick waver in the muscle of my eyebrow, and he spotted it. "So soon you'll be fitted for your wedding dress." He was the one with the triumphant smile on his face, and I wanted to kick myself.
                       "Yes," From what I endured earlier, I have to play along and delay this creep so my Clan can come and save me. "I will soon be your wife." I made a disgusted face, if I seen myself, I would've spat out laughing.
                       "Don't make that face." Byron said sternly, and he didn't sound so amused. So I stopped and smiled ironically happy, then skipped down the corridor. And before I could piss him off more, I gladly flicked my middle finger up behind my back for him to see. "Funny, Amelia." Then I heard his door shut quietly.
                       "Well," I chirped to myself, my damp hair bobbing beside my ears. "This should be fun."

                              

After I heard Ammie's voice, it disappeared as soon as it came and I was staring into the yellow eyes of the demon boy. He'd spotted me and jumped in front of me and Alyson like a panther.
                     "S**t!" Alyson shrieked and dashed to the side while I felt the demon boy's slimey breath on my skin. He hissed like a snake and I felt my insides turn, my ankles rubbing together. Before I could raise the crossbow to his gut, he lifted his hand like a claw and snapped it out of my hand, gliding over the road.
                      "I wouldn't if I were you, boy!" He snapped in my face, I gritted my teeth and tried not to think of the rotting stench filtering up my nose. I seen Alyson walk sideways in the corner of my eye, I knew what she was doing and decided to go along with it.
                      "Now!" I kicked with my good leg, hitting the guys shins while Alyson clicked her heels and blades popped out the front, she pounced on the guy from behind. Grunting as she did, and used the base of the handgun to dig in his head.
                      "Idiot!" The demon boy snarled. I was about to duck and crawl away since the pain in my stomach was throbbing, but the demon boy managed to boot me in the face.
                         Pain welled on my nose, I sat back clutching my face, almost whimpering. "S**t, s**t s**t." I breathed while Alyson was fighting on his back, the demon boy whirling around on his feet, trying to get Alyson off.
                         I got to my feet and began to jog to the middle of the road. The night air bit at my skin, causing my teeth to shatter. I made it to the middle, but the sound of Alyson's scream drew me back.
                        As I looked, I seen her body fly in the air. It was in slow motion, like expression was unrecogniseable. Her wild ponytail spun around, gun clattered to the ground. Her body smashed into a bush to the side, the demons glowing yellow eyes landed on me.
                        I felt my pulse quicken and actions become faster but slurred. Before the demon lunged on me, I dove to the floor, picking up the crossbow and aimed within seconds. The shiny black arrow shot through his shoulder. He was wounded as blood splattered, now was my chance.
                        I leapt to my feet and ran towards the horrid decaying smell. I jumped and booted the demon, and he fell to the ground in a heap. His head bashed of the concrete and I stood over him and shot again through his arm. I heard and seen it break through flesh, but the best bit was that the arrow went through the road, pinning him to the floor.
                        "Stay." I demanded ironically while he just wriggled like a worm, I set off to the bushes. I could smell the dank mud and green, I shifted from foot to foot and seen her blonde hair tangled in branches. "Alyson?" I asked more to myself, and I seen her head rise and the bush quivered.
                        "Ow." She said flatly. I dropped the crossbow and grabbed her arm and pulled her up. "That really hurt." She felt cold and her smile was cute and small.
                        "The impact of the thorny bush," I said chirpily and got her out. She stood before me and began patting out the grubs and leaves from her legs and hair. "Or the landing?"
                        "Funny." She droned, giving me a look. But in her eyes, I could tell she was grateful for my help, her blue eyes glistened, cheeks profoundly more pinker.
                        We walked back to the end of the road and spotted the tired out boy, even his eyes went back to their normal color and browsed the starry sky. I could smell the nose-dropping death smell surrounding him.
                        "You." I gritted my teeth and stood a few feet away from him, cautious that we were in a neighbourhood still. "You gotta give us some answers."
                        "No, I don't think so."  He said happily, twiddling his thumbs and started whistling without a care in the world. How I'd love to kick his head in, that'd make my mood the more bearable.
                        "Alyson, help me lift this guy." She nodded and went to the other side of the pinned demon. I gripped the arrow and pulled it free from the ground. Alyson had another idea up her sleeves, though.
                         She unleashed a dose of D-nip and blew it on his face. The demons pupils dialated and grew yellow, the black dots becoming cat eye slits. His muscles twitched and nose scrunched up like he was smelling a bad smell...At least he couldn't smell what we were smelling. The powder danced in the air for another second or two before he attacked the air, licking his fingers like a child would do with melted chocolate. Then Alyson dabbed some on herself and made eye contact with the demon boy.
                          "Alyson?" I asked impatiently. "What're you..."
"Trust me." I found that hard to believe when she was making herself live bait. Before I could blink, she was sprinting down the road and around the corner with the demon hot on her heels, literally. Alyson's heels echoed through the street and I began to run after her.
                          Alyson, you moron! I thought to myself as I seen her disappear around the corner. You can get yourself killed!
                         I stopped by the corner, the air in my lungs sparse and throat burning hot. I heard a clang and I walked the rest of the way around the corner.
                          I didn't know an alley was behind this row of houses. But a large moon rested in the sky behind Alyson's brave figure, standing with her gun in her hand which I thought had been on the floor.
                         "What did you do?" I breathed when I stood beside her, the demon's head rolled from side to side, his legs and arms sprawled on the dirty deck.
                         "Hid behind there," She pointed to a wheely bin by a wooden door that must've led to a back yard. "And jumped out and hit 'im in the face with the gun when I heard his footsteps." She smiled triumphantly and looked down at his passed out body.
                         "Good work, kid." I gently punched her arm in affection, even though she'd give me evil looks since I called her a 'kid'.
                         After a while, me and the Clan grouped together and were in an abandoned shop in the backstreets. The room was filled with dust and creepy crawlies, the bulb was missing and a lot of cardboard boxes. A lonely counter with empty bottles of drink littered along the wooden floor that was layered with dirt and carrier bags. The only light was the one Danny had, and it was neon glow sticks he cracked and chucked around the room carelessly.
                         Just me and Alyson, Clair and Amy and Mike had one demon captive with us, while Danny and Sarah had brought two. We had them tied to old chairs and one tied to the broken door frame. The smell of musty old days drifted like mist, while it was hard to trudge through the one inch muck on the ground.
                         "Wow." Clair tried not to crack a smile while peering at Alyson's thorny hair, leaves fell out like a waterfall. "You look...Festive. Earth Fairy?" Clair and her humour had always landed her in a fight or agrument, but since Alyson had been thrown in a bush earlier, she let this one slide...But not so gracefully.
                         "I knew you couldn't handle a boy demon." Alyson grated her eyes over Clair's demon girl captive. Her black skirt torn and one heel broken. Long blonde hair scraggled and make-up smudged with blood splattered on her face, easily seen as hers from a graze of a gunshot wound on her arm. "Bet it was like a cat fight between you two."
                         "At least I can throw a punch." I pinched the bridge of my nose, even though I cared for these two dearly, I really considered hog tying them myself. "Looks like you've been berry picking."
                         "Hush!" I snapped, silencing Alyson and Clair altogether. Everyone looked at me and waited for my next command.
                         Okay, since they all got their demon, it may as well be them to get some information out of them. Helped me from doing it one by one like a service.
                         "Right, start asking questions about Ammie's kidnapping." I rolled my hands around to complete the gesture. "The hit on her, why they took her-"
                         "Could it be a total waste if we don't try 'Good cop Bad cop?'" Amy sheepishly raised her hand like a child. Maybe it's not a total waste, yet we are dealing with demons that are living in human bodies.
                         "Try it, but don't expect it to succeed." I smiled at her, which she winked back playfully at and turned to her demon boy with Mike.
                         Everyone's backs turned and talking/yelling/whispering/mumbling commenced. Even though it doesn't work, I narrowed my eyes towards the demon boy in front of me. He was placed by the scruffy window facing a brick wall.
                         We placed him in a seat with large amounts of duct tape wrapped around his ankles, waist and behind the seat, his hands duct taped together. Being strapped to a chair by force, he looked reasonably calm, weirdly. He just looked around and seemed open, yet I know we wouldn't get much out of him
                         "What's your name?" I asked when I began pacing around him, he just followed my gaze like a cat would watch a mouse.
                         "What's yours?" He smiled wickedly, flashing his teeth.
"Let us not play little games." I said more braodly, trying to stand straighter. Failing from the wound on my gut, it felt like the stitches would pop out of my skin if I stood like a plank.
                         "But I like games." He then diverted his eyes to Alyson who just crouched by his side a few feet away, her handgun ready. "Won't you tell me your name?" He smiled at her, eyes dipped.
                         Alyson gave me a sideways glance and I nodded. Seeing no harm in her name being said aloud. But the demons that kidnapped Ammie wanted me dead. I didn't know if it was better that way, but I couldn't risk it. For Ammie's sake.
                         "Alyson." She spoke quietly. "Now why don't you tell me yours?" She smiled back, just politely.
                         "Is this Nathan?" The boy didn't move his head from Alyson, but his eyes flicked over to me menacingly.
                         I gave Alyson a pleaing look and she nodded.
I really think whoever took Ammie wanted me dead, and want it to be confirmed. But if whoever knew I was alive and my heart still beats, they could harm Ammie, or force her into something, or lock her away in a stinking cave for all I know.
                          "He died." I said, but I gave it away. I didn't just avoid his glare, but my voice choked on the last word. I had to practise my lying skills, but it's not everyday you chat with a demon.
                          "Liar." His smile turned savage. "You're Nathan. This'll go down well, especailly for your girlfr-"
                          "Where is she?" I picked up his last words and couldn't get Ammie out of my head. All I seen were her huge brown eyes in front of mine, her head over mine. The pain in my chest, not my thigh or by my stomach, but in my chest. Where it hurt to see Ammie so scared and fragile that she looked breakable. It killed me to see her like that and do nothing.
                          "Ooh!" He hissed, leaning to me, the smell of week's old rubbish loomed over. "I knew it was you!" He chuckled hoarsly.
                          "Where is she?" I spat. Crowding in front of him swiftly gripping Alyson's gun from her palm. She looked at me oddly and stood behind me. I aimed the tip of the cold metal gun just in the middle of his temple. His smile was venomous, just as his pupils warped into slits. His muscles grew taught under his clothes, as if he'd transform before us.
                          I heard the others stop what they were doing and felt their stares, but I couldn't care less. I wanetd to rip this guys throat out painfully and slowly. He pissed me off so much I would gladly make him walk back to the place were Ammie was held captive and attack from there.
                           "I said," I gripped the scruff of his dirty blue polo shirt, my fingers locked in their claw like hook. "Where the hell is she?" I narrowed my eyes, forehead to forehead with this creep.
                           I could feel the burning sensation in my thigh and gut, it travelled up my nerves like electricity. But the thought of finding Ammie was more important. I couldn't live when she could be sweeping floors doing hard labour, or locked away and being starved. It was unruly. It was insane.
                            "Ha." He said quietly. "Do you think she's alive?" He uttered from the lack of oxygen from his shirt closing his throat airway. "Or dead?"
                            With that, I couldn't take it. Anger built up like a firework through my bloodstream. I could see flashes of white and extreme blue behind my eyes.
                            I cracked the handle of the gun off of his head, a thick thud sprung off the walls. Making everyone go silent and look at their demons who looked at me with fear or anger.
                            The demon's head lolled to the side, his eyes briskly shut. I moved away in a foul temper, I could imagine my ears glowing red. I needed a drink.
                            "You b*****d!" A female demon shouted, I could hear a bit of movement behind me. As I turned, I seen the demon girl by Clair's feet wriggle in duct tape.
                             She was strapped to a door frame on the gritty floor. The wall attached to the frame was partially missing, giving Clair the advantage to wrap the duct tape around. Yet, it looked like weak wood, like it would give way any minute. But keeping her in line was trustworthy Clair, her machine gun held to the girls head obliviously.
                             "Don't you dare hit him again!" She sputtered, her blonde stringy strands in her eyes and trapped in her mouth. She smelt like posh perfume, but sweat and mucky waters lingered off of her just as much as her perfume.
                             "Let her go." I said towards Clair without breaking my stare with this girl. Clair looked at me suprisingly and shrugged her shoulders, she clicked her heels and was ready to slice the silvery tape.
                             "What are you doing, Nathan?" Sarah came closer, but Danny held her back. Her expression read worried and curious, but Danny knew better to keep her away when I'm in one of those moods.
                             I heard the tear of thick material break and a spine tingling scream rattled the room. Her blonde hair a wave of confusion just as her claw like fingers streched out to get me. I stood, rooted to the floor. Unmoving.
                             When I heard her feet slap off the floor just a foot away, I held out my arm, strong and steady like an iron pole. There, I held her by the throat. Her shrieks became painful and scared, just like her pitiful attempts to claw at my hand.
                             I drew her to her male friend beside me. I made sure she could see him, she yelped but tried to look away, gasping for air. Alyson knew what I was playing and helped. She held the girls chin and anchored it in view of her friend's beaten face.
                             I'm coming across as mean and evil, but I'm just playing the wild card. If this lad can't tell me anything, with just a pinch of anger and realisation, I can make his girlfriend tell me something.
                             "Look at him!" I yelled in her ear, flinching seemed as a good sign. But I did feel insane. "Do you wanna end up like that?" I said quieter incase I freaked out everyone, I know I was freaking myself out. I couldn't help but pity this demon girl, just blandly using her for answers. But if I couldn't get one word from this guy who just kept going. I could make an effort and make her spill the beans.
                             "No!" She yelped, beginning to cry. She was trying to squirm her way out of my lock. Trying with all her might to try and bit my fingers, which didn't really work at all. I admit, I tried not to crack a smile. It was just like a child having a tantrum. However, no child goes through this.
                             "Then," I pulled her back and was suprised to see real tears form around her eyes. Her cheeks red and puffy, my hand blotched with blood and peeled skin. Damn, that stings. "Tell me where Amelia Hale is." It wasn't a question, but a demand.
                             "With our Lord."