Chapter Four

CHAPTER FOUR

Reality creeps into my mind bit by bit. The first thing I feel is that my hands and feet are both tied to a chair. My hands are tied behind my back, and my feet are tied to the legs of the chair.

The second thing I realize is that the chair is metal, bolted to the ground, and I’m not tied by rope. No, I’m restrained in leather cuffs, which will make freeing myself a hell of a lot more difficult.

Next I open my eyes, and see through blurred vision that I’m in a gorgeous house. Lavish furniture surrounds me, and a crystal chandelier hangs above me. Under other circumstances I would admire this house quite a bit.

“Oh, you’re awake! That’s surprising. I only knocked you out about two hours ago, and the drug keeps a normal person out for at least eight hours, but most often ten. But then again you aren’t a normal person.”

“You bastard” I mutter as the last of my haze lifts, and Arken comes into focus. He’s siting at the far end of the room, kneeling in front of the fireplace. He turns from his task of stoking the fire and drills his eyes into me.

“Actually, I was born a nobleman, thank you very much. If the lord of darkness wasn’t your father, you would be deemed a bastard. But there’s no need for unpleasantries.”

God, he really must worship Lucifer like no other. He is branded with a pentagram, which is rare. It’s the symbol of the highest status of a demon.

“I’m going to make sure you die a slow, painful death” I inform him while testing how much give my restraints have. Not very much.

His response is a wide smile. “Believe, me, Ambrosia, torture is my greatest turn on. Why do you think I was sent to retrieve you? I’m just about immune to pain, and I expected you to be a lot harder to get. Didn’t think you would walk straight into my trap like you did. Though you did put up a nice fight in the end.”

I vow to myself that I’ll find a way around that. If nothing else, holy water is bound to hurt beyond measure. Along with salt from the dead sea.

“Ever felt holy water injected into your bloodstream? Or Jerusalem salt poured down your throat? We’ll see how immune to pain you are then, you dick” I yell at him.

“God, I’m going to enjoy fucking you so much. Don’t worry Ambrosia, you’ll end up loving it. After hundreds of years of life I know how to give a mind blowing orgasm.”

“Somebody would have to be turned on for that to work.”

He stops to think for a few seconds. “Actually, they don’t. After a certain point your body starts to respond to pleasure, even if you mind doesn’t agree.”

I know he’s right, because I’ve had to do extensive research on sadists and masochists to get inside of the minds of the kinky, misogynistic supernatural freaks I hunt. Some genuinely get off on making women orgasm despite their protests- just to feel like they’ve defiled the woman’s innocence and morality. I’m not going to lie, I never thought that I would be subject to that.

“Why me, Arken? You can go after any woman.”

He snorts like the answer should be obvious. “Well, for starters, you’re Lucifer’s daughter. Second, you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever come by, as well as intriguing. Third of all, I’ve felt many things over the centuries, but rarely love. I’ve loved you since you were born, however.”

I didn’t know a demon could feel love. I thought he was kidding earlier.

“You have a really interesting way of showing love. Trying to fuck me? Drugging me? Tying me to a chair?”

He shrugs like it’s nothing. To him it probably is. “Sex was just tempting with you. Drugging you served the purpose of you being quiet during transportation. Tying you up is for the sake of you staying put, but I won’t lie and say I didn’t enjoy it a bit. And anyways, why do you think I would opt torture to give you screaming, torturous orgasms instead?”

“Because you’re a sadist and want to see my mind lose touch with my body and for me to feel disgusted by myself and defiled by you.”

If I didn’t know any better, I’d think his eyes just turned sincere. “In part, yes, but also I always hoped that the king of darkness would gift you to me. I am, after all, his second command.”

I exhale loudly. Of course I’m dealing with the most powerful demon in existence, and of course he wants to marry as well as rape me. That is absolutely perfect. It also explains how he still managed to overpower me even with me reciting the two strongest prayers in all of history.

“You know, I don’t think your father would mind if I had a go at you right now. We still have a little while before he shows up.”

Perfect. Lucifer’s planning on paying me a visit. I try to ignore how Arken’s gaze is glued to my breasts.

“It’s not polite to stare, demon” I bark.  

He ignores my comment and steps forward, kneeling in front of me, and starting to sensually run his hands up and down the insides of my thighs. With every upward motion he gets more and more dangerously close to my underwear. I try to squirm to get away from him, but the bonds hold me snugly. His response to my struggle is a chuckle, and running his hands up even higher, this time gripping my inner thigh just an inch away from my panties.

“Is this your idea of a turn on? Rape?”

“It’s not rape, Ambrosia. It’s just some fun bondage play. In any case, you of all people know that demons never take no for an answer.”

His hand creeps up higher and higher, and he runs it along the crease of my thigh before moving it to my lower abdomen, where he stops when a smudge of makeup comes off on his hand.

Shit. I don’t know how demons respond to self harm, but I can’t imagine it being positive.

My self destructive spree started when I was about twelve, and the truth of my heritage really hit me. I’d always known my heritage, but never thought too deeply on it. When I finally took the time to think it through, I started hurting myself out of the knowledge that I’m an abomination and shouldn’t be alive. For every day I lived I would put a cut on some part of my body, to remind me of the fact that I don’t deserve to walk this earth. My collection started adding up quickly, and not much later Oak found out. He and I had a chat, and he sent me to see a therapist who was aware of my heritage and the existence of the supernatural world, and tried to help me. I did get better and more stable for a bit, but on my fourteenth birthday I relapsed and tried to kill myself. I have a nasty scar on arm because of it. After that things really did get better, at least during the day time. However, since my suicide attempt, a couple times a year I self harm in my sleep. I guess even my subconscious agrees that I’m an abomination.

About three weeks ago I woke up to find a pool of blood on my bed, seeping from six deep gashes in my lower abdomen. I ended up patching myself up and not mentioning it to anyone. Not even Moss.

Because of me wanting to keep it a secret I’ve been wearing water and smudge proof foundation over the cuts to avoid drawing attention by changing my normal wardrobe of crop tops to modest shirts.

So every morning I put a clear bandage on my cuts, and foundation on top of it. I have such an effective routine that nobody will be able to tell or see unless they rub off the makeup themselves, which Arken has just done.

“What’s this?” Arken asks, examining the smudge of foundation that’s now resting on his finger.

“Nothing” I say too quickly.

He stands, walks over to the corner of the room, and returns with a tissue box. Ever so gently, he begins wiping off the foundation- revealing the bandage underneath. Then, slowly, he start’s peeling it off.

“Don’t” I whisper. He ignores me, lifting the bandage all the way off. Upon seeing the cuts he looks into my eyes.

“What’s this?” He demands.

“Fight with a vampire a few weeks ago” I lie.

He doesn’t buy it. “Don’t lie to me, Ambrosia. Vampires don’t leave marks like that. Not even the sadistic ones. Believe me, I would know. I helped create them, after all.”

“What the fu-“

“So tell me the truth. Did you do that to yourself?”

I nod, slowly. “I need something to ground me, and remind me that I’m a living abomination and don’t deserve the happiness of this world” I bark at him.

“Fates, Ambrosia, why would you do this to yourself? You’re a miracle, not an abomination. You can’t mark your skin! It’s a horrible thing to do!” His voice steadily gets louder and he yells the last bit. He precedes to rake his gaze over my body, running his fingers along every cut he finds, which when you’re looking for them- are many. Most of them have faded to the point where you need a microscope to see them, but demons have heightened senses.

Once he’s done he shakes his head before meeting my eyes.  

“There are six hundred and twelve scars on your body, Ambrosia,” he says- eyes full of sorrow and pity. This demon really is proving to care for me.

What I say next surprises me more than it worries him. “And room for a few thousand more” I say with a bright smile.

I scare myself with how genuine I’m being when I say it.

Suddenly, the room gets a chill over it. Arken springs away from me. And, without a doubt, I know that my father has arrived. He’s a blur of speed, and is kneeling in front of me before I can blink. When I see him, however, I can’t seem to stop blinking

I expected him to be disgustingly ugly and demonic, but he is the absolute opposite. He is the most gorgeous man I’ve ever seen, other than Trigger, and his eyes shine bright emerald- just like mine. I really thought they’d be just red. But what surprises me most is that there are tears in his eyes. Does Lucifer actually love or care for me?

He reaches out a hand, and strokes my cheek. I flinch away, which elicits a smile from him. He stands.

“Seventeen years I’ve searched for you, Ambrosia. Seventeen years I’ve searched for my baby girl.”

I can’t help it- I start trembling out of fear. “I’m not your baby girl.”

He steps back. “Oh, but you are. You know, seventeen years is a blink of the eye for me. But these last seventeen years have made me feel things I haven’t felt since I was cast out of heaven. Sadness, longing, but most of all- burning need. I’ve needed to find you, and it has eaten away at me every day. Arken, untie her. My daughter will be treated with dignity until I command otherwise.”

Until he commands otherwise, huh? I suppose that will be soon when he starts torturing me.

“Father” Arken salutes before untying my restraints. I stand abruptly, backing away from Arken and Lucifer, both of who now stand in front of me.  

The next thing I know is Lucifer has grabbed a hold of me and pulled me into an embrace. My attempts to push away are vain, and simply silenced by his comforting whispers. The angel of darkness, whispering in my ear that he loves me and has missed me. The king of hell hugging me, and treating me like a father should treat a daughter. My mind instructs me to be disgusted, but the rest of me isn’t so sure.

It scares me. It messes with my thoughts. I will not allow myself to give in to the fatherly affection I’ve always craved, it will end up with me turning into the princess of darkness, which I plan on working my hardest to avoid.  

I decide to do something that I rarely allow myself. I let my eyes bleed red, and harness the strength that comes to shove away my father. He stumbles back, confused, before stopping cold. He stares at me intently. I feel like he’s staring into my soul.

“Fucking hell, your eyes.”

I didn’t think Lucifer swore, so it takes me back a bit. Then, to my surprise, he breaks into a brilliant smile.

“This is wonderful. It means I won’t have to torture darkness into you, I’ll just have to convince you to allow it to come forward. This is truly incredible. Do you understand how perfect this is?” He asks me.

I stay perfectly still, and command my eyes to go back to green. I feel them do so, and feel myself relax ever so slightly. Whenever my red eyes come out, I do feel a surge of scary power and darkness come with them, so I try to not do it unless absolutely and completely necessary.

“And exactly what makes you think that anything will make me let it come forward?”

“The spirit in her is incredible. For the love of demons, I beg of you to gift her to me. I’ll effectively break her for you.” Arken says to my father.  

Lucifer turns towards him, pride in his eyes. “Of course. You’ve done well, Arken. You will have the opportunity to encourage her dark side to come out.”

The smile that spreads on Arken’s face is beyond terrifying. It’s a smile that somehow promises pain, pleasure, love, and kinky as hell sex all at once. I have no intention of sticking around to see that promise played out.

“As lovely as this conversation is, I’m going to go ahead and end it now. So here are your options.”

My father snorts. “You’re giving me options?”

“Yes, daddy dearest, and you will listen. Option number one: let me go. I’m not going to lie, I have every intention of still killing you at some point in my life, Lucifer. However, I will be the first to admit that I have no fucking idea how to kill you, neither do I think I am currently strong enough to do it. Option number two: don’t let me go, and you will experience more pain than you have in a rather long time.”

A though slips into my mind. “Can you feel pain, Lucifer?”

“I am your father, and you will address me as such” he growls. I roll my eyes and snort in response.

“Of course I can feel pain. But very few people get the chance to inflict it upon me. They’re normally dead before they can raise a hand.”

I nod. “Interesting.”

What I do next I have only done one time in my life, and the results were me and everyone else in the room getting very hurt.   

I was surrounded by ghouls. They circled me after trapping me in a room full of mirrors- one of the ways they would play with humans before eating them. I held a knife in one hand, and my other hand was broken from punching every mirror I possibly could. I felt fear like I never had before. I knew I was vastly outnumbered and outpowered. So I allowed my survival instincts to kick in. I vaguely remember seeing my eyes turn red in a mirror before a burst of anger shattered every glass object in the room, impaling all of the ghouls, and unfortunately, myself. Though it was a messy tactic- it was very effective.

This is the same situation. I’m outnumbered, and outpowered.

“Father, Arken, it has truly been lovely to meet with you. However, I have your creations to hunt and kill, so I must be going now. I wish you luck in finding me, but can guarantee that I’ll be long gone within the next hour.”

Before they can respond I turn the red of my eyes on, take a deep breath, and let all of the depraved anger and rabid darkness in me out with a single burst of energy. Every glass object in the room shatters, including the chandelier, and the shards fly at and bury themselves in Lucifer, Arken, and I. The glass is almost like a windstorm, splitting the room in half. Thankfully, my half is the one with the exit. Ignoring the pain shooting through my abdomen, I slip out the entrance, and I run. I don’t stop running. I’ve always been an excellent runner and have had a perfect sense of direction regardless of my circumstances, so I follow my internal compass to the city. I run at speeds that easily surpass cars. I run so fast that to a human eye I would be a blur of speed.

I run for an hour until I get to my apartment building, and bang on Moss’s apartment door- he’s right next to mine. The door swings open as soon as my first hits it the third time.

“Oh god, oh fuck. OAK, SHE’S HERE! Amb, come inside. Fucking hell, let me get you a blanket or something. Shit. Shit, shit, shit, your eyes. What the hell happened?”

My uncle runs into the room, draping a blanket over me.

I’m not only out of breath, I’m on the verge of a panic attack. Between labored breaths I get out a short explanation.

“Arken, The guy I went home with, is Lucifer’s second in command. He drugged me and took me to a house an hour outside of the city. Lucifer was there. He called me his baby- he treated me like a daughter. I released the same power that I did with those ghouls a few years back and ran.”

My breath turns more and more shallow.

“I had to pull from my darkest power to escape.”

The world starts spinning before me. I’m loosing oxygen. It’s only at that moment that I look down, and see that my feet are bare, and there are several glass shards sticking out of my body.

“Fuck” I mutter, just before I fall to the floor.