Out of the Night: Escape

We walked out to the parking garage, to Adam's bright red sports car. It was one of those cars that assholes rev the engine as they race down the freeway. I hated these cars. But I got in, and as we pulled out I spotted Damiens car still parked in the far corner.

I felt slight remorse for stealing the car, but it didn't last long as I remembered why I was forced to steal it in the first place. I was still waiting for the feeling of relief to hit me, the feelings of freedom and safety. But I just couldn't summon them. In fact, the closer to leaving town I got, the more stressed I became. It was like my instincts knew I was leaving Damien and the bond between us was trying to turn me back around.

I was so consumed in my own thoughts and stress that I didn't notice where we were heading until we crossed a bridge... in the wrong direction.

"Um, Adam? I think we missed a turn back there. The train station is on the other side of the river." My heart started racing. I looked over and Adam just kept his eyes on the road. Shit.

My hands went to the handle of the door. Locked. I searched for the lock switch and found it was missing. Shit. Shit.

"Who are you?" I demanded. "Did Damien send you?"

Adam glanced over, smirking. I was quickly coming to hate that beautiful face. "I think if Damien knew where you were, he would have come for you before now. I was hoping he would, but it looks like I'm just going to have to get his attention another way."

Breaths came shallow and fast. I whispered my question again, "Who are you?"

His left hand came off the wheel, crossing over his right extending it for a handshake that I did not take. "Nice to meet you May, I'm Adam. Damien's brother."

My eyes widened. "He... you're his... brother?"

"Well, I call him my big brother." Adam smirked again. "He would probably call me demon spawn, or a cursed little shit. In fact he's called me much worse! But I wouldn't want to offend your lovely ears." He put his hand back on the wheel, unbothered that I had ignored it.

"I thought his brother died a thousand years ago..." I tried to remember everything he had told me about his past. He had had a human brother who had been killed by a plague. That's what he had said.

"Oh, yah! Now that was a human with an ego. I'd forgotten about him. Ha! It's crazy to imagine Damien being a part of that maniacal family." Thinking about Damien's past was amusing him, like he was looking back on fond memories.

"So... you're not his brother?" The road was racing by and I was considering trying to break the window, but my curiosity was winning out over my survival instinct.

"Not by blood, no. We had a mutual maker back in the day. An absentee father who abandoned us after some rough beginnings."

"Dagr." My disgust saying the name surprised me.

"Ah, so you've met! Good! If daddy's in town, then our family reunion will be easier than I was anticipating."

"What do you want with me?" I was still confused about my own involvement in all of this, but I was sure it wouldn't be good.

"I'm just looking for an audience with Damien." He looked me over with that stupid smug look on his face. "I think he's still upset about the last time we were together. Man holds a grudge. Refuses to meet with me. He's also incredibly possessive. You are much prettier than his last pet. And much more pleasant to be around."

We pulled into a garage that was in total disarray. At least three cars hung from the ceiling, partially disassembled. Tools littered the floor. Oil smeared everywhere. A head popped up when the car pulled in. What looked to be a shop mechanic waved at us before returning to his work.

"If you stay calm, I won't hurt you. I just want to talk to Damien."

I nodded slowly.

"Ok, good. Let's go upstairs."

Adam got out of the car and came around to my side, unlocking the door to let me out.

I kicked the door open, pushing Adam back, and made a run for it.

Not even two steps toward the exit, an arm wrapped around my waist, yanking me off the ground. "Let go of me!" I yelled, kicking and squirming, not wanting to be a prisoner once again.

"Just. Calm. Down." He grunted, trying to hold me still. His voice sounded deeper than it had just a moment ago, more like a growl than a voice.

"HEELLPP-" My scream was cut off abruptly by a large hand over my mouth which I bit into as hard as I could. He grunted, but didn't let go.

Then I remembered how it had felt in the counsel chambers, how I had burned Dagr when he had touched me. I focused on the feeling again now and was surprised at how quickly the magic responded. Damien's magic pulsed out of me, hitting Adam square in the chest, sending him a few feet back, letting me go. I both heard and smelled the sizzling of skin.

His knees hit the ground and his breathing went ragged. A deep rumble vibrated from his throat and I took a step away, preparing to run. His whole body contorted, arching in on itself. His skin was suddenly covered in a dark fur and he had grown three times larger.

He roared and I tried to turn too quickly, tripping. My hands cushioned my fall when a large socket wrench caught my foot. I turned over quickly, shuffling back.

A massive black bear stood where Adam had been kneeling. It roared, hot breath and spit hitting my face. Solid red eyes connected with mine and the infuriated bear charged, raising a paw tipped with five 4in razors. I raised my arms to try and shield myself, even though I knew I didn't stand a chance. Claws ripped through my right arm, putting me on my back. My head hit the concrete hard, dazing me.

Silence, followed by a large *thud*

Blinking away the stars, I sat up and saw the bear laying on its side. The mechanic stood over him, gun in hand. I shifted back, bumping another metal tool that rung out against the concrete.

The mechanic ran over and bent down, taking my arm in his hand. After a moment of looking for a wound under all the blood, he looked at me, confused.

"Are you ok? Did he get you?"

"Yah- I mean, no. I mean... I'm fine-"

"But all the blood, is it his?" He looked concerned, looking back at the bear that was quickly shrinking in size.

"Did you kill it?" I asked, looking at the long barrel of the man's gun.

"No! No, it was just a tranq. But if he's injured-"

He ran back over to the bear, which looked much more like an unconscious Adam, and searched his body, looking for the source of blood.

I shakily stood up, using the distraction to carefully pick my way through the workshop as quietly as I could.

"HEY!"

The rough voice belonged to a now human looking Adam who was standing back up. He pulled the gun from the mechanic's hands and aimed it at me.

"Stop right there or I WILL shoot you!"

He was still angry and stalking toward me.

Fuck this, I was sick of being used like some pawn.

I ran.

I felt something hit my back and within seconds I was back on the floor, world fading to black.

"Those were dosed for a 500lb bear, Adam! That could kill her!"

"Oh, she'll be just fine, Manny. She's more powerful than she looks..."

...

I was on a couch in a dingy living room that someone had clearly tried to modernize, but ran out of either time or money. My hands were tied together with an iron chain that was locked to the back of the couch.

Sitting opposite me was the mechanic, still holding the gun, watching me warily. My clothes were soaked with blood again (sorry Melissa) and the lack of windows made it difficult to determine how long I had been out.

Adam hadn't been there when I woke up. Instead it was just the two of us, sitting in silence, staring each other down.

I decided to break the tense silence by taking a shot in the dark. "Do you care that he was fucking my roommate every night, waiting for me to come back to our apartment?" I was mad. Frustrated that I was once again being held captive.

The look on Manny's face told me I had hit the nail on the head.

"He did what he had to," Manny said, not sounding so sure about that.

"He had to have sex to keep an eye on an apartment? Sounds to me like he just got bored and didn't really care who it was or who he might be cheating on. And now you're helping to keep me hostage? Is that really the kind of loyalty he showed you?"

"Shut up!" Manny adjusted his grip on the gun, standing and walking to the kitchen. He got a glass of water and after a moment's thought, poured another.

The chains rattled when I took the glass he offered me. He was careful not to touch me and quickly stepped back to his own chair. I drank the water thirstily, mouth still dry from whatever tranq had knocked me out.

Our staring competition was broken at the sound of keys rattling in the doorknob.

Manny stood when Adam walked in. "Well?"

Adam noticed that I was awake and gave me an annoyed look. "He agreed to meet. I'm going straight there." He approached me and dragged me off the couch by the chains toward the door.

"Going there?" Manny sounded shocked and worried, following behind us. "Are you sure it's a good idea to meet him on his own turf? Is that safe?"

"I'll be okay. Stay here and I'll be back later. Don't wait up."

"Adam-"

"Manny! This is what I've been waiting for! I'll be fine."

He pulled me through the door as Manny watched us head down the stairs.

Back in the garage, we got into the same red sports car which had a new collection of scratches and holes that looked suspiciously like bullet holes.

...

"Manny seems to really care about you."

We were heading out of the city in a much too familiar direction. I tried to distract myself with conversation. The doors were still locked and the chains still bound my hands.

"Don't." Adam was in a sour mood, which was surprising, considering it looked like he was getting what he wanted.

"I just mean-"

"You don't know anything about us. Focus on your own dysfunctional relationship."

That was the last thing I wanted to do. I tried a different topic.

"What are you? You aren't a vampire. Are you like a Were-bear or something?"

"Hehe, I guess you could say that." His mood lifted a little. "Ever heard of a Berserker?"

"What, like the roided-out vikings?"

"That's what the history books say, but they were more than just vikings. They were a whole species of monster with rage issues and shapeshifting abilities. Most got killed in some war or another but Dagr found one 900 years back. Ripped out its spirit and shoved it into my body. The thing controlled me for almost twenty years before I was able to get control of myself again. I'm pretty sure Dagr had already decided I was a failure and planned to kill me before I managed to escape."

"Wow. That's... intense."

"Yup."

We drove for a while in silence until he asked me a question.

"So, what kind of monster are you?"

"Monster? I'm not- I'm just human."

"There's no way you're just human. A 'just human' can't pack a punch like you did."

"Oh..." I wasn't exactly sure how much I should tell Adam about Damien and I's bond so I decided to keep quiet. Thankfully, Adam didn't push it.

...

When we pulled into Damien's estate my stomach felt like it was full of rocks. It was so unfair! I had come so close to getting away and I just kept getting dragged back.

I was pulled stiffly along by Adam. I noticed he kept his hands off me this time, leading with the chains.

Damien was waiting for us, and he looked furious. When I felt the rage billowing off of him I stopped in my tracks. Adam gave me a tug but I stayed where I was.

Our bond was fully intact and his emotions hit me like a brick wall. It had never really been gone, just in the background as I tried to distance myself, but now it was coming full force and I was powerless to stop it.

Damien strode toward me. I took a step back, terrified of his anger, but the chains kept me from going too far. Suddenly he was in front of me and I yelped when he grabbed me by the throat, squeezing until I could barely breathe.

"Where. Were. You." His voice was quiet and even. I started to shake. My mouth opened but nothing came out.

"Geeze, relax brother. She just stopped by her apartment to grab a few things."

Damien ignored him, his eyes boring into mine. They weren't maroon today. Today his eyes were black. He squeezed harder until my air was cut off. My chained hands wrapped around his wrist, desperately trying to pull it away.

Damien didn't look at Adam when he finally acknowledged him. "You can go."

"Oh, you might have forgotten, but we actually have a meeting scheduled. Things to discuss. Maybe we could find somewhere a bit more comfortable?"

I gasped for air when he let me go. Coughing, I doubled over, trying to catch my breath. This would only end poorly, he was pissed.

We were led by Damien into the living room where he poured himself a drink without offering anything to Adam. He then sat in his chair, keeping his eyes on me the whole time.

"Why the chains?"

"Because your girlfriend packs a mean punch! I didn't want her shooting lightning at me again."

Damien's expression remained fierce, but I felt his bubbling of pride at that.

"Or to lose control again when she did. The beast didn't like that at all."

Damien absently rubbed his right arm. "Yah, I felt that. What was your plan if you had killed her too?"

Adam laughed nervously, "I never killed anyone you cared about. Not directly. But this is off the subject at hand. I'm here to talk about daddy dearest."

Damien took his eyes off of me and I could breathe again. "What about him?"

"I'm going to kill him, and you're going to help me."

"Even if you knew how to kill him, why would I risk it?"

"Because he's a dick! And he deserves it! After everything he did to us, and everything he's done to countless others. You really want him walking around on this earth, threatening to enslave us again?"

"I found my way out." Damien's eyes landed back on me.

Adam looked at me too and struggled to understand. "Is she a weapon or something?"

"No, she's my life bond."

Adam's eyes widened in surprise. "Huh. I never thought you would try that again. Not after the last one-"

"Don't talk about her!" Damiens anger shifted toward Adam. "You killed the first woman I ever loved and it would be very unwise of you to talk about her."

Adam raised his hands in mock surrender. "To be fair, a bloodsucker killed her. I only introduced them after she begged me. And infatuation blinded you, brother. She was horribly uppity and privileged. Not good company at all. If anything I did you a favor."

"Leave." Damien growled, slamming his glass so hard on the table that it shattered.

"Wait! I'm sorry!" Adam started getting desperate. "Just hear me out. I know we have history but that's why I can trust you, you can trust me. We are united for a common cause. Dagr is still a threat and I'm guessing him being in town again has you uneasy. Let's end this once and for all. I found a book, a grimoire that's older than dirt itself. I know how to kill him, Damien, but I need help. My magic isn't strong enough for this, but together...."

The word hung heavy in the air.

A deep sigh heaved over Damien's shoulders.

"I'll think about it."

Adam stood with a smile that would make you think Damien had already killed the dark mage. "Great! I'll be back tomorrow with the book and my research! We can finally put that old skeleton in the ground, where he belongs!"

The butler showed Adam to the door, and Damien and I were finally left alone. The rage had calmed down a little bit, but his anger still simmered just under the surface. I sat in silence, awaiting my fate.

He motioned with one hand, "Come."

I slowly stood and walked over, dreading whatever he was about to do. He looked at my chained hands, inspecting the lock. "Why did you leave?"

I scoffed before I could stop myself. Seriously? He couldn't think of one reason I might have run? I stayed silent in my annoyance.

His face hardened and my shoulders fell. That was the wrong move.

He stood so quickly, I was over his shoulder before I could make another sound. We moved through the halls until we came to a door I recognized. My fight did nothing to slow him down as he put me down on the leather chair, strapping down my legs, torso, and pulling the chain so my hands were over my head. He attached the chain to the back of the chair so that I couldn't move them back down.

When I was totally immoble, He moved behind me to the bar out of my line of sight.

"Please, Damien, wait." I tested my restraints even though I already knew they wouldn't budge. Dread filled my stomach, leaving a sour taste in my mouth. Fear was winning out over my stubborn anger. "You know why I left!"

"Tell me," He growled, still out of sight.

"I was afraid! I was kidnapped, brought here against my will! None of this was my choice, Damien. None of it!"

"None of it? I recall you begged me for quite a few things."

My face reddened at the reminder of our passionate sex. I had begged a lot.

"You know that's not what I meant," I breathed.

He finally appeared in front of me. In his hand was something that looked like a long stick.

"You might have arrived here under nonideal circumstances, but that is not why you left." He adjusted the leg rests, pulling them apart until I was spread wide. He hadn't removed my clothes and my leggings kept me from being fully exposed.

"I-I don't know what you want from me, Damien," I pleaded. His face remained impassive as he ran his hands over the tool he had brought.

"I want the truth, May."

The cane struck my thigh, and I screamed. The leggings did nothing to cushion the sting. It struck me again on the other thigh, leaving two matching welts.

"Why did you leave?" He asked again.

"I was scared!! I left because I was afraid!"

"Afraid of what?"

"You!" I spat.

He struck me again, overlapping the previous welt.

I cried out, but I knew it had been a lie. I wasn't truly afraid of Damien, even if he did scare me sometimes. No, our bond always assured me that I was protected.

"Why were you afraid?"

"I don't know!" I cried. "Please, Damien. I don't know!"

A volley of lighter strikes peppered the inside of my thighs. I tried to close my legs but the straps held them firmly in place. I was panting hard, head pressed into the chair, eyes closed tightly, brow wrinkled in pain. I nearly screamed when a hand was roughly pressed up against my pussy. The lips were swollen and sensitive and we both felt the moisture that had soaked through my leggings.

"Why did you leave me, May?" His voice was insistent, the anger seeming to have mostly subsided. His eyes were no longer solid black, having faded back to a deep burgundy. They were still dark, but for a different reason now.

I was still panting, but it had turned into a pant of pain laced pleasure as he moved his hand over me. I blinked away tears that blurred my vision and finally admitted to Damien and myself what I knew deep down.

"I was afraid that if I didn't leave now, I never would. I had to go, Damien. I'm sorry."

Damien nodded, gently rubbing his hands over my hot thighs, rubbing away the stinging marks. I hissed at the initial touch on the sensitive skin.

"And did it make you feel better, leaving?" He sounded cautious now and wasn't meeting my eyes.

"No, it felt like I was trying to tear myself in half. The further I got the more wrong it felt."

He nodded. "Yes, it did." He met my eyes again. "We are bonded for life, May. Whether you like it or not, we belong together. We are stronger and safer together, and apart we will both fade away until there is nothing left that matters to either of us. It's just the way it is."

Stepping away briefly, he returned with another tool. A leather flogger.