~~**~~
Simion continued running as fast as he could, but not fast enough. He could feel it in the air. The uneasiness and how the night was totally silent as if it were afraid. The beautiful moon and stars which had shown brightly minutes ago were hidden behind the shadow of stormy clouds. His mother and sister were in trouble and all kinds of thoughts ran through his head.
Why?
Why couldn't he run faster? His eyes momentarily glanced at his feet and back up to the footpath. The cold sharp air he inhaled burnt through his nostrils, as it left his mouth in pants. His heart was like a wildling in the depths of the forest beating against his ribcage and adding warmth to his body. That seemed to be the only thing keeping him in check.
So much so that he could hear it pumping blood through his veins. Every second that passed he pushed himself to run further. His legs were on the verge of giving up, but he wouldn't have it. They were in danger. They were in danger the moment he decided to go out with Lacy. In fact, fuck that.
The whole city was in danger the moment she set foot here, posing to be some innocent little girl who'd spent her life moving because people guessed correctly about her and her family. He'd left them home, alone, whiles he was dining with the devil. Kissing her and thinking of- Ugh.
But he had to thank her. He realized now how self-centered, ignorant and sex-crazed he was basically in short; a man-whore. All those girls he'd played could have been worse than what Lacy truly was, but they weren't. At that time he was lucky. But now, it had come crashing down and it did so with venom. And the fact that he knows now what Lacy is, made him terrified to find out who his mother and sister were with.
"If only I had wings," he whispered as he continued running through the clearing. In an instant, his feet lifted off of the ground breaking his rhythm, only to tumble to the ground with a huge thud as his chest broke his fall.
"Mm...guh...fu-" He used his arms to assist him in getting up, but his shoulders felt heavy causing him to slump back down. He lay on the ground feeling powerless, and the fact that he wasn't able to get up, was slowly shredding his heart. Simion's legs were beyond salvaging and his temples were threatening to explode as he slipped in and out of consciousness.
Tears welled up in his eyes as pain throbbed through his body. He was about to do the most terrible thing he could have ever done. He was about to give up. Simion knew that he had to save them but he just couldn't; his body had given up on him. Maybe it was just better to lay here and wait for Lacy to finish him off on her way to his house. It was a better option than trying and trying again, only to fail in the end. ," and without another word he plunged into the realm of darkness.
The earth began to rattle as if there were a thousand horses galloping. The winds grew in anger as it picked up leaves, twigs and stones in its path. The scariest part was that not only was it coming in full speed, but it was headed Simion's way and there was something forming from within…a figure.
Obsidian black hair draped over a pale scarred face, electric green eyes swirled in existence as sparks of grey electricity oozed out of it. It seemed to have been summoning power from the earth's elements, but why?
If Simion valued his life, he would have gotten up to run, but he was unconscious. He wasn't able to sense the danger which was heading his way. The wings-which he was oblivious to- had begun flapping like crazy on his back.
As the figure approached, it stretched out its hand and dove into Simion, forcing the wind it had gathered in its palm into his chest. No sooner had it done that than Simion's body elevated off of the ground. His eyelids shot open exposing grey eyes swirling with the color green, strong grey wings mounted over his shoulders as they stretched triumphantly; and his mouth shot open. A loud gasp escaped his lips as the air flooded his being once more.
Five seconds later, the green in his eyes slowly seeped out into the night, as his body descended to the ground. Energy glowed through his eyes as life flowed through him, accompanied by a pair of scrunched eyebrows and a lump forming in his throat.
The sound of unexpected flapping caused him to turn his head slowly. A pair of spectacular grey wings towered over his broad shoulders as he blinked in awe. The Grey in his eyes searched the perimeter for any evidence of what brought him back from consciousness- as well as the reason why a pair of wings was now attached to his back- but there was none.
"You wished for them you dumb ass," he smacked his forehead with his palm and began laughing as memories came flooding in. "Holy shit!!" He grinned approvingly, before freaking out like a teenage girl who just got asked out by her crush, "Well slap my dick-"
Before he was able to finish his sentence, he remembered his father's words.
"Simion, I need you to head back home and help your mother and sister, they're in trouble."
"Shit, shit!! Okay, okay. Simion," he panted as he began to lecture himself, "you're in a crisis here."
He looked back at his wings and smirked, "Problem solved."
~~ 5 minutes later ~~
Trying to fly wasn't as easy as it seemed in the movies. He was inexperienced and that caused him to fall. Again and after all, movies were movies. Nothing was real, except for the part with Angels and Demons. What else was his father keeping from him, his sister and his mother? This wasn't the time to be worrying about that, but he couldn't help it. Simion slammed his palms against the ground in frustration as he forced himself up. This was his sixth try and he was getting nowhere.
"Come on man, patience. You can do this just," he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, "breathe-"
He tried again but instead of running to help him build up speed, he bent his knees slightly and focused on the sky. If running and lifting off wouldn't work, then this might. Simion evened his breaths and lowered himself a bit more before he jumped up. In an unexpected manner, he shot straight to the sky way too fast and way too high but he didn't mind. Not yet. The view was amazing!
He attempted to shift his wings as he moved his legs about trying to maintain his balance, but was unsuccessful. As a result, his speed began to decrease. Within seconds, he paused midway in the air before he began plummeting, his back facing the ground. It was as if someone forcefully punched him in the stomach, as his body arched.
With his arms outstretched, Simion's beautiful-frightened silver eyes stared wide-eyed into space as he screamed. He managed to turn himself over whiles trying to gain control of his wings, but it was difficult. Every passing second he thought of his mother and sister. Images of good times and bad times flashed through his eyes. Now, they were probably lying across the floor, dead, because he wasn't able to make it in time.
Because he wasn't fast enough.
It wasn't fair. They didn't deserve it. They both didn't deserve to die in such an inhumane way. They deserved better. They were always there for him when he needed them and now he wouldn't be able to return that gratitude.
~sixty seconds before hitting the ground~
His father... he was alive. He was finally able to see him after all this time, but it just might be the only time. Considering he might die if he didn't learn to control his wings. If he did then his father had a lot of explaining to do.
~From a distance in the trees~
Green eyes shimmered in the night.
A glimpse of a mouth and a background glittered with the silhouette of leaves; a bow and arrow in hand.
*Breaths in…breaths out. Breaths in and releases the arrow along with the breath-*
~~In the house~~
"OK! Ok, ok. I'll tell you. I'll tell you whatever it is that you want to know just-- don't lay another finger on her," Claris pleaded with the three men, tears washing the blood off of her face from the scars she'd obtained.
The demon torturing Ana smiled wickedly and walked in a circle around her. He ran the knife he held in his hand up Ana's left thigh and stopped at the hem of her mini skirt.
"Don't you dare mother," Ana warned looking at her intensely. "Don't tell him shit! Dem men don't deserve to know shit!" She seethed through her teeth this time looking the Demon in the eyes.
"Haha. Feisty! I love feisty," the Demon whispered in her ear as he held her face in his hand.
He stepped back letting go of her face. Ana looked up at him with defiance and determination after her spit landed on his nose. He closed his eyes in irritation and when he opened them, she regretted what she'd done.
He backhanded her so hard that she nearly cracked her neck as the chair threatened to topple over.
He did it again and again and again, until her muffled cries became screams which drowned the room with a mixture of Claris' plea to stop.
"Enough," his colleague warned. "Break her neck and you will have to answer to her when she gets here. You know how she gets when people meddle with her plans. Do that again and-"
'Her? Does he mean that-?'
"It would be you're doing," he spoke to Ana as she struggled to free her face which was in his grasp. "You have disrespected me enough tonight half-blood," his eyes trailed from her own to her lips as he knelt before her. He smirked wickedly and licked her mouth with his snake-like tongue, hissing in delight. "Such sweet, pretty lil lips…that's what Caribbean spice tastes like," he teased her as she continued to squirm under his gaze. "Do that again and I'll carve them from your face... do you hear me?"
Ana looked at him angrily. She knew she was in a life and death situation, but she couldn't help what came out from her mouth next. He'd dragged his nasty tongue over her lips, backhanded her so much so that the chair nearly toppled over with her. He'd made small cuts over her body and touched her inappropriately. For what it was worth in that span of a moment. She didn't regret it.
"Fuck you!"
The Demon looked at her a little longer and nodded with a smile accepting her challenge. He stood up and scoffed as he paced the room. Alright, she was gonna play that game. She was gonna play that game and with such a foul mouth. He stopped for a brief moment looking at her and began pacing again. Claris on the other hand frantically looked between him and her daughter.
"Please sh-she didn't mean it," Claris intervened for her daughter who was possibly the only child she had left, since Simion had not returned. He shouldn't have gone out. He shouldn't have! First Anadron and now him, she couldn't make space in her heart to loose Ana too. If she tried in any way to start making accommodations, she'd die.
Claris spent every minute she could protecting them from the secrets she and Anadron kept running from. She thought that by hiding her family away in plain sight would do the trick but it hadn't. They'd found them and it was too late. Stupid plan right? But at that time it made sense. At least they lived in peace for a generous amount of years.
"Mo-"
Before Ana could finish her sentence, her assailer appeared in front of her and with one vicious sweep of his long nails, he ripped her gilet apart. The buttons fell to the ground and Ana yelled again.
"You piece of shit! I swear ill 'F' you up for this!"
He ignored her and held her skirt from the top and ripped it open. The fabric fell to the floor like a feather in the wind. In an instant she knew she'd pushed him too far, heck she knew that from the start when she'd stabbed him with her dinner fork. Now she sat naked in the eyes of her mother and the demons. The wind blew through the window and she shivered.
She had no more dignity left and he made sure of that. Regardless she couldn't make it evident to them that his plan worked. Ana had to remain strong for her mother.
'Great job Ana, great job,' she mentally thumbed up herself and before she knew it, he had already undid all her binds. He was about to grab her ready to fling her over his shoulder, but she started dancing around in her chair like someone crazy for Coco Puffs.
"Wait. Wait what are you doing- don't touch me!" She thrashed around and with her hands untied she was lucky enough to score a few scratches on his face, "Get away from me! Ahh! No!"
He changed his mind and traced his fingers down her cheek as he inhaled her scent, unfazed by her unmannerly behavior. Were half-bloods always this feisty especially if they had Caribbean blood? There was only one way to find out and he was intent on getting the answer.
If he was going to do this, might as well make it memorable. He walked behind her and whispered in her ear, "Go to your mother." Ana whipped her head back looking at him stunned as she started shaking involuntarily. "Go," he stared her straight in the eye and shivers ran down her spine.
This time his voice was hard and threatening, but it meant that he'd let her free right? He and his buddies realized that they were wasting their time trying to pry information from her mother by torturing her, but it did make her wonder. Did her mother actually know what they were talking about or was it part of her plan to get out of here. For all the former could be true considering her mother kept dangerous secrets in her closet from her children.
She thinking that keeping her and her brother in the dark would protect them was a big mistake. In order for them to be safe and protect themselves, they needed to know what they were hiding from and this very moment was proof. She had no idea how to handle this and how to defend herself. She understood why her parents did what they did, but they were stupid to think they could live happily ever after without problems like these.
With steady movements she got off of her chair and it creaked in the dead silence. Step by aching step she went to her mother and the two other demons in the room looked at their colleague questioningly. He ignored them and kept his eyes on Ana, examining her body.
When Ana was sure that they wouldn't stop her, she ran to her mother and started untying her binds. Claris looked at Ana quizzically wondering why their capturers had decided to free them. What were they hoping to gain from this?
She didn't trust them but for now, the feeling of not being bound anymore was a relief. It was too soon to be singing glories. They-he was up to something and that point was proven when Ana was about to hug her. Ana was grabbed by her hair and dragged across the room.
"Ana!"
"Mama!" Ana screamed and she kicked her legs violently. Her skin reddened as new cuts were formed along with wounds which were fresh and on the verge of healing worsened. Tears blurred her vision as she held his hand trying to unglue it from her hair, but it was no use. "Ma," she squeaked through tears as the other two demons held Claris back.
Claris punched one of them in the gut, kicked the other in the balls and ran after Ana-who was now being dragged up the stairs. Just before Ana rounded the corner, she saw one of the demons yank her mother's legs beneath her. She could have sworn her mother broke a bone because of the impact.
"Ana..."
The demons restrained Claris to the floor as she kept crying out Ana's name. Her arms were being held behind her back as they retied her bonds. When they were done, one of them banged her head against the floorboard knocking her out.
Ana screamed and thrashed around more violently, the trigger being what those two pests did to her mother downstairs. The demon let go of her to check for open rooms but that was his mistake. Ana saw that as an opportunity to run like hell and she did. Midway down the steps she heard the clumping of his footsteps behind her.
He held her legs and dragged her back up and into a dark room. Her nose got dislocated and blood started pouring out. With his free hand he slammed the door shut muffling Ana's screams.