Elira awoke several hours later, panting and out of breath. Her heart was racing, and she had an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. It was still dark outside and the clock on her nightstand read one fifteen. She was wide awake, and the uneasy feeling hadn't subsided any, even after her breathing had gone back to normal. Elira decided she'd venture downstairs to get a drink, so she climbed out of bed and made her way to the kitchen. As she passed the living room, she felt a cold breeze. Elira knew she had made sure all the windows were closed when she went to bed. The uneasy feeling intensified and Elira's heart rate picked up again.
She started to back away from the living room and inched her way towards the phone. She was shaking uncontrollably; whether from the cold or fear she did not know. She turned around to grab for the phone and a large hand clamped down around her wrist like a vice. Elira screamed and another hand covered her mouth in an attempt to shut her up. She looked up at her capture and all the blood in her body turned to ice as she was met with two familiar yellow eyes. Another scream bubbled up but was muffled against the hand over her mouth.
"Stop making so much noise." The voice was deep, masculine, and sounded very angry. "What do you want with me?" Elira asked, though the hand over her mouth made her question difficult to understand.
"You'll see" the man said darkly. Elira could almost hear the smirk in his voice and decided she did not want to find out what he wanted. She began thrashing and struggling in an attempt to get away. She kicked at her captor's shin and bit down hard on his hand until she tasted blood. The man swore and his grip loosed enough for Elira to escape. She stumbled over to the cutlery and pulled out the largest knife she could find for defense. The man held his bleeding hand against his mouth, turning his lips red, and glared coldly at Elira. He made a grab at her but she slashed out with the knife and he pulled back with a hiss.
"Stay back!" she yelled, brandishing the knife in front of her. The man smirked and with blinding speed, grabbed Elira's wrist. He twisted until she dropped the knife, then pinned her arm behind her back.
"You'll regret that" he growled into her ear. Elira didn't doubt that she would. I'm going to die Elira thought before the world went black.
~~~
The first thing Elira noticed when she regained consciousness was the searing pain in her head. She let out a soft groan and tried to hold her head, only to realize she couldn't move her arms. Elira opened her eyes, fighting back a wave of nausea as she did so. Once the urge to vomit passed, Elira scanned her surroundings; she was in a dark cell, the only light streaming in from the hallway. The only furniture in the room was a thin mattress on the floor to her left. Elira sat on the cold ground, her legs bend underneath her. Her arms were chained overhead, and her wings were tightly bound tightly behind her.
Footsteps down the hall drew Elira's attention and she watched the cell door until it slid open and someone walked in. "So, you're finally awake. How are you feeling?" a female voice asked. Elira was too afraid to speak, so she didn't answer. The woman walked over and bend down in front of Elira. "I expect you to answer when you are spoken to, as will your master."
"Master?" Elira's confusion seemed to please the woman because she grinned, revealing sharp incisors.
"You were captured to be sold in the auction; we'll get a pretty penny for you too I bet." The woman stood and began walking away. "I will be back to collect you when it is time." The woman shut the door behind her and with that, Elira was alone again. All she could think about was who would want to buy her, and for what. A dozen horrible thoughts ran through her head before Elira decided she didn't want to know. She would find out soon enough and dwelling on the unknown was pointless, so she distracted herself with happy thoughts of Tyna and Sandra. She pictured the three of them laughing and having pizza like the other night. She imagined Tyna fighting Elira's captors to get her back, and Sandra hugging her once she returned home. Those thoughts brought tears to Elira's eyes, so she ditched that idea and decided to try and rest instead. It took a while, but she finally slipped into an uneasy sleep.
~~~
Elira wasn't sure how much time had passed before the woman returned, but this time she wasn't alone. A group of men in black robes, their faces covered by masks, accompanied her. "Here she is, as promised."
"Very good, I must say I am shocked you were telling the truth. Finding an Angel, let alone capturing one, is quite a feat. And on Earth, who would have guessed." One of the men spoke, sounding pleased. His mask was different from the rest, and his cloak was white instead of black.
"How much do you think she'll sell for?" The woman asked, anticipation in her voice.
"It's hard to say, I'd guess a few hundred million." The woman perked up, Elira could tell she was trying to contain her excitement. A few hundred million? For me? Elira was astonished someone would pay that much money for another person, and the fear of why someone would want to buy her came rushing back.
"Gather her and meet us upstairs." The men nodded and walked towards Elira as their leader and the woman left. The men unchained Elira and pulled her to her feet, where they re-chained her arms behind her back and ushered her upstairs. The men pushed her through a door that led outside, where a large carriage waited. She was crammed inside and chained to a bar under the window. Some kind of sack was placed over her head, blocking out her vision and muffling all noise.
The carriage began to move and Elira sat in silence, thousands of thoughts racing though her head. Where were they taking her? Why her? What was going to happen to her? Would she ever see her family and friends again? The thoughts were maddening and soon tears streamed down Elira's face, wetting the material over her head. After a while her tears subsided, leaving her with a throbbing headache. She closed her eyes against the pain and soon was rocked to sleep by the carriage.
She wasn't sure how far they had traveled before she was jarred awake by the carriage coming to a halt. She was uncuffed and herded out of the carriage, unable to see or hear, causing her to stumbled as she was pushed along. Eventually, they stopped and removed the material over her head, causing Elira to blink against the sudden brightness of the room. "Now to get her ready." Only a few of her captors remained in the room with Elira, and one placed a collar around her neck, the metal was cold against her skin. "If you try to run, you will be shocked" the man explained, holding up a small remote. "Understand?" Elira nodded. "Good. Unchain her." Elira's arms and wings were freed, a sigh of relief escaping her lips as blood flowed back into her extremities. "Now, disrobe." Elira's eyes widened and she instinctively took a step back, earning her a small shock. She yelped and clutched her neck. "That was an order, do not make me repeat myself." Elira reluctantly stripped off her top and sweats, leaving her only in underwear, and she crossed her arms over her exposed chest. "Put this on." Elira was handed a short gown and a cloak with a hood. She quickly pulled the gown over her head then pulled the cloak around herself, tying it in the front. "Now, her wings." Elira was confused until two men walked over and guided her wings through slits in the clothes she hadn't noticed before. Once her wings were all the way through, the men held them tightly together as two more men secured a steel cage around her wings, immobilizing them.
Another collar was placed around Elira's neck, this one with chains that connected to cuffs that were placed around her wrists. One of the robed men held the end of the chain and pulled, forcing Elira to step forward. "It is good to see you are complacent. Come" he pulled on the chain again and Elira followed as he led her out of the room. They walked down a long, dimply lit hallway for what seemed like ages before finally coming to a large double door made of wood. Two men opened the doors and Elira was pushed into a dark room which she realized was the back of a stage. There was a thick black curtain through which she could hear a man talking, calling out numbers. A line of other people in chains led by men in cloaks took up the length of the room, but Elira could barely make out what they looked like.
"Behave, I do not want any trouble from you" the leading Elira said. She nodded, knowing better than to cause trouble; she was severely outnumbered, her wings and arms were restrained and a shock collar was around her neck, what else could she do but cooperate? "Good."
Elira looked around at the other captives. It was hard to make much out in the dark but she could tell some of their silhouettes were off. Elira was trying to figure out what she was seeing when a girl with ears and a tail walked through the curtain. She was dressed in the same cloak and gown as the rest, and she gave Elira a nervous look as she passed. Elira still didn't really know what was going on, but she could tell it wasn't good. What good could come out of selling other people? Human trafficking if illegal, Elira thought, but then she remembered the glowing eyes of the man who captured her and the cat girl, and realized it wasn't human's they were trafficking: at least, not just humans.
She was lost in thought and before she knew it, Elira was next. "Move it" her captor said. Elira stepped around the end of the curtain and was led to the center of a large stage looking out over a huge room full of people. There were no lights in the crowd, making it impossible to make out much beyond silhouettes, some of which were not human. A spotlight fixed on Elira and a gasp rippled through the crowd.
"Here we have a very rare gem, an Angel. She was found on Earth and brought to us. I'm sure many of you would love to get your hands on her, so let's start the bidding at a hundred thousand, shall we?" Elira's eye's widened as the announcer spoke, and her shock only grew as the bids quickly increased. "Four million, do I hear five million?" The announcer continued to call out numbers, but they blurred together. That much money for me? Elira thought. That couldn't be a good sign, or could it? Someone who would pay that much for her wouldn't let anything bad happen to her, would they? "Sold!" the announcer yelled. Elira hadn't heard the winning number, but she didn't think it mattered.
She was led back behind the curtain and through the double doors. Her mind was reeling as she walked down the hall and back to the room she was first brought to. "You will wait here for your new Master to collect you" the man said before leaving. Elira rushed to the door and tried the handle but it was locked. She looked around for a window or anyway out, but she knew it was useless; there is no way they would leave her unguarded if there was any way she could escape. She sunk to the floor and sobbed into her knees until her head ached. She closed her eyes against the throbbing in her skull, and soon slipped into darkness.
Elira wasn't sure how long she had slept before the sound of footsteps and mumbled voices woke her. She slowly stood, her head still aching. The door opened and a man walking in, accompanied by the white cloaked man from before. "A lovely prize you have gotten today, sir" the cloaked man said. The other man chuckled as he regarded Elira.
"That I did" the man said. He was short and round, dressed in a satin, and carried a golden cane. His face was round and clean shaven, his hair light and neatly combed to the side. His eyes were small and blue with lines at the corners. "Come" the man commanded with a grin, which fell when Elira didn't move. "I said, come" he repeated, and a wave of electricity shot through Elira. She screamed and fell to her knees, holding herself and panting as the pain subsided. The man walked across the room to stand in front of her. "On your feet." Elira did as he commanded, her arms still wrapped around herself. "Good. I expect you to listen." Elira nodded, not meeting his eyes. "Good girl. Now come, we must get you out of those dreadful rags." The man turned and walked out of the room. Elira sullenly followed.
Parked outside was a sleek black limousine. A tall, sharply dressed man opened the door and the fat man climbed in, Elira following behind him. "Once at the mansion you will bathe and change. You'll be given a room and dinner, then you will sleep. I expect all of this to be done without incident, understood?" Elira nodded and the man grinned. "Good. You may call me Master Clancy or Sir." Again, Elira nodded, she had no energy to respond. "You will be referred to as Angel, that is all." Elira was fine with this, she didn't want this man knowing her name. Clancy chatted the whole drive, but Elira had stopped listening, she didn't care what he had to say. She wanted to go home, but she knew that wasn't possible, not yet anyway. She'd comply with Clancy for tonight, regain her strength, then find a way to escape.
Elira wasn't sure how far they had driven, but at least two hours had passed since she was loaded into the limousine. Now they drove through an iron gate and up a large drive to a mansion larger than any Elirs had ever seen before. She was escorted out of the vehicle, up the stone steps and through the massive front door where they were met by a young woman dressed in a maid uniform. She was a pretty girl with long brown hair and big brown eyes. Two cat ears poked through her hair and a long, slender tail snaked out under her skirt.
"Welcome home Master" the girl said, bowing.
"Hello Cat. This is Angel, show her to her room and get her cleaned up" Clancy said before disappearing into the massive house.
Cat straitened and smiled warmly at Elira. "Welcome, I am Cat. Come with me, I'll show you to your room." Elira followed Cat down a hallway which was varying shades of brown with gold embellishments. A red rug ran the length of the hall and up a grand staircase. Elira followed Cat up the stairs and down another hall. "This will be your room. Feel free to undress and shower while I fetch you some clothes." Cat bowed her head before turning and disappearing around the corner. Elira walking into the bedroom and looked around. Inside was a wooden dresser, a matching nightstand, a twin bed with white covers and another door which led into a small bathroom. There was a standing shower with glass doors, a sink, a toilet and a mirror. Two white towels hung on a golden rack and a white robe hung from a hook on the back of the door.
Elira undressed and took a quick shower, not wanting to be that exposed for too long in. When she went back to the bedroom, she found clothes neatly folded on the bed. She changed into the short, white nightgown and lace undergarments before crawling into the bed. She was too tired to think, it had been an excruciatingly long day and all she wanted was to sleep and forget everything for a little while. She got her wish, falling into a deep sleep almost immediately.
Elira woke the next morning to knocking on her door. She grumbled and slid deeper under the covers, ignoring whoever was pounding on her door. "Five more minutes" she mumbled sleepily, not remembering where she was.
"Miss Angel, it's Cat. Are you awake?" Elira bolted upright and looked around the unfamiliar room. No, she thought. This is my room now. Tears started forming in her eyes, but Elira quickly wiped them away. She had to stay strong.
"I'm awake" she called as she stumbled out of bed.
"Very good. There are clothes in the dresser. Get dressed for breakfast, I will wait here to escort you."
"Okay!" Elira looked through the drawers, finding nothing but nightgowns, silk undergarments and maid uniforms. She sighed and changed into one of the uniforms which consisted of a short, black and white dress with an apron, a headpiece and silky white stockings. She found a few pairs of short black heels next to the dresser, so she slipped them on and met Cat outside her room.
"Good morning, did you sleep well?" Cat asked politely.
"Yeah" Elira replied. "How did you know my size for the clothes and shoes?" Elira asked. "They all fit perfectly."
"Master was given an information sheet on you from the Black Market. I am unsure how they got the information, but he gave it to me to ensure you got the right sizes" Cat told her as they made their way to the kitchen. Elira trembled, not wanting to know how the people at the Black Market had gotten so much information about her. Elira followed Cat downstairs and into a large kitchen. "This is normally where you'd get breakfast before beginning your duties for the day, but Master has requested your presence in the Dining Room" Cat explained as she showed Elira around the kitchen then down a hall to a large room. The walls were the color of honey with dark brown trim. A beautiful chandelier bathed the room in dim light and below that was a large table that seated about twenty people. At the head of the table sat Clancy. He grinned when he saw the girls walk in. Cat bowed and Elira followed her lead. "Good morning, Master. I have brought Angel as you requested."
"Good girl. Now leave us." Cat nodded and left. "Come" Clancy beckoned and Elira did as he commanded, too aware of the shock collar still around her neck. He motioned for her to sit beside him. "How do you like your room?"
The question surprised Elira, she doubted he actually cared, or that her answer actually mattered. "The bed is comfortable" she replied.
"Good" he answered. He stoked her cheek and she forced herself not to flinch away, she didn't want to upset him. "You have very pretty eyes" he complimented. "And such smooth skin, like porcelain."
"Thank you" Elira replied, not sure what else to say. Luckily, she was saved by a waiter walking in and serving them breakfast.
"I hope you like waffles" Clancy said.
"Yes, I do" she answered truthfully, though she wouldn't have told him even if she didn't like them.
"Excellent!" Clandy said enthusiastically. "Dig in then" he said with a smile. That was one order Elira has happy to obey. They ate in silence for a while, though Clancy kept rubbing her thigh. She forced herself to ignore it, no matter how difficult it was. Once they finished, he got up and excused himself. "I have business to attend to. Be a doll and take the dishes back to Cook in the kitchen."
"Yes Sir" Elira replied. She figured she'd stay on his good side while devising an escape plan, she hoped he wouldn't suspect anything that way.
"Good girl" he said with a smile before leaving the room. Elira gathered their dishes and carried them back to the kitchen. Cook was a tall man with a wide build, Elira assumed he had once been quite muscular, but now he looked deflated. A scar ran down the right side of his face, contorting his otherwise handsome features. He had blue eyes and his black hair was pulled back in a tight bun at the nape of his neck. He smiled at her as he took the dishes.
"You must be Angel, nice to meet you. I'm Cook and I'm the Chef here, which I'm sure you knew already given my name." He chuckled before continuing. "I'll be making your meals, so don't be afraid to let me know what you like."
"Thank you" Elira said, returning his kind smile with a shy one of her own.
"No problem" he said with a wink.
"No flirting" Cat said as she walked into the room, arms crossed over her chest.
"Yes Ma'am" Cook said with mock remorse. Cat simply shook her head and turned her attention to Elira.
"Come, it's time to learn your duties." Elira said good bye to Cook before following Cat out of the room. Her duties consisted mostly of cleaning and laundry, which was easy enough. The only part she wasn't too sure about was when Cat said "anything else the Master sees fit." That scared Elira. She didn't want to know what else he may want her to do.
Elira spent the next few hours helping Cat clean the first floor before; the mansion was massive and by time they finished Elira was exhausted. She trudged up the steps and to her room, stripping and hopping in the shower immediately. The hot water running down her body felt good but she was too tired to really enjoy it, so she washed quickly before getting out and drying off. She tied her hair in a towel and changed into one of the provided nightgowns, then crawled into bed. Despite how exhausted she was, it still took a while for her to finally settle down and fall asleep. She dreamt of her family, and what Clancy could possibly have in store for her.