Chapter Seven

While my sleep may have been soft and comforting, waking up was a completely different story.

I woke up feeling heavy and drowsy. My head throbbed as if Thor were in my skull beating at it with his hammer. I felt the ache straight through to my bones. It was almost like someone had dumped me off the side of the cliff and threw some boulders down on top of me as an added measure. I felt cuts oozing blood near my shoulders. It confused me. Usually a short nap would heal my wounds, but they still felt fresh and sore.

I regained my feeling back first, shifting my arms, only to find them shackled out in front of me now. The shackles were ice cold and heavy. I felt the same heaviness clasped tightly around my left ankle when I shifted my legs. It took me a moment to realize I was laying down on my side. The next sensation was cold hard ground beneath me, pressing against my bare skin, each little grain imprinting itself on my skin. I sucked my breath in sharply as chills spread over me, goosebumps prickling my skin at the realization that I was completely naked. I drew my knees up close to my chest, curling up into a ball to try and escape the cold that nipped at my bare skin.

Next, my sense of hearing came back very slowly. The muffled sounds of men talking, some sort of spicy food sizzling on a stove, papers fluttering, and a crow cawing eerily in the distance, signifying that I was in a room. A tent maybe? Judging from the cool breeze and the faint sound of a thick material flapping backed my suspicions. I swallowed at the harsh dryness of my throat, my lips so chapped that it was like they were sealed together.

Unfortunately, something coarse and black was tied tightly over my eyes, preventing me from seeing anything beyond it. I saw maybe a faint glow of light from a small slit beneath the blindfold, but that was it. And through that tiny slit, I saw that the glowing came from gold shackles on my wrists. They were chained together by only a foot of links. I tilted my head, trying to see if there was anything else I could make out, but the slit was just too small.

I tilted my head back, sniffing deep to take in the scents around me. The cold hard dirt beneath me confirming my suspicions of this being a tent. The smell of smoke and spices, blood and body odor. I smelled wood and water from somewhere, and something that smelled like a heated mechanical device. That distinct odor you'd get if you sniffed the underside of your laptop, or the fan of your video game console.

I listened to the sound of footsteps nearing the tent and held my breath, ice cold terror spreading up inside me as I suddenly remembered what happened.

The dream. The vehicle. Jaques, Dev, Anza, and Thorn. Had that really happened?

I remained absolutely still as I heard the sound of a flap being opened and heavy booted footsteps thump inside the tent. A man's weary sigh came. I could hear weapons clinking and jingling from a weapon's holster. The rich scent of leather and alcohol combined with something akin to sulfur. I held my breath, listening to the footsteps move past me, further away, maybe six feet away or so. I heard papers rustling, a desk drawer open, then slam shut. A desk made of wood, and if I could guess by the scent, maybe mahogany.

"Don't pretend to be asleep," A man's thick Greek accent chuckled, "I can hear that pretty pitter-patter heartbeat of yours." I recognized Julius's voice and anger coiled hot in my stomach. I wanted to find the asshole and sink my fingers into his throat and rip it open, to bathe in his blood and sever his head. The bloodlust was so potent that I almost gagged on it. Even worse, my throat and lips were so dry that I couldn't speak.

"Oh, right," Julius mused and I listened to his footsteps move closer, but not close enough to be beside me just yet, "You're probably thirsty." I heard him pick something up that crinkled under his grip, and it sounded like a plastic water bottle. I frowned in confusion, then gasped sharply as cold water rained down on my head like ice bullets. But I savored the feel of it gliding across my lips, unsticking them and I parted them to take the water into my mouth, desperate to ease the dry sting in my throat.

"I like you like this," Julius murmured and I stiffened, listening to him get closer, then the sound of a bed creaking under his weight as I realized he was sitting beside me, if not just a few inches higher on the bed that was next to me, "All bundled up nice like a gift." I felt his fingertips glide across my cheek and anger tore through me. I snarled and snapped my teeth at him, but he just barely managed to withdraw in time. He chuckled.

"That fire inside you is delicious. I wonder how long it'll take to douse it." He mused.

"Fuck you!" I snarled, rolling around and lifting my arms to try and hit him, but his grip snatched the chain between my wrists and I was torn up off the floor and I felt Julius's hot breath in my face. My stomach shrank at the horrid stench of blood and meat. I felt like I was going to be sick, but there was nothing to vomit up. I slammed my head into his instead and he cursed, dropping me to the floor. I tried to get up and move away from him, but he caught me by the back of my head by my hair and wrenched me back until I could feel myself against his chest and between his legs.

He didn't speak to me now, just tightened his grip in my hair. His hot breath blasted against the back of my neck, causing the hairs there to stand on end. My skin crawled in repungence at his presence, and this time, I tasted a bit of bile in my mouth when I felt a hard bulge pressing against my lower back. I hissed and swung my elbow around to hit him over the head, causing him to laugh as he caught me and twisted me around.

A second later, his lips closed over mine and my eyes widened in horror. His fangs sank into my bottom lip and I started to shout at him, but he took advantage of that and shoved his slimy wet tongue into my mouth. I instinctively bit down and he cursed, tearing back and shoving me back onto the floor face first. I rolled over quickly, breathing hard. I heard him get off the bed and his boots thump.

"Maybe I'm being too selfish," Julius sneered suddenly, making my heart leap before I barked in pain as I felt the rough underside of his boot come down between my legs and grind down on me so hard that tears of pain gathered in the corners of my eyes, "Maybe I should share my gift with my men. After all, without them there to scatter your brain, I'd of never gotten my hands on you." A cold chill stole up my spine as I shifted uncomfortably, feeling his hot gaze raking over my body. I shuddered and rolled over, trying to get out of his sight and at least under the bed, but he caught me by the chain between my wrists and tore me up onto my feet. My legs felt like Jell-O and I stumbled, almost falling on my face, but Julius caught me and shoved me somewhere else. I almost expected to land on the bed, but instead smashed into the hard dirt floor. I felt the shackle on my ankle go taut, signifying that I'd reached its limit.

I rolled over to kick at him, but he caught my leg and shoved it aside.

"Don't worry," Julius assured with a dark chuckle that made my throat constrict tightly, "We'll make it a night to remember, little prince." I heard his heavy footsteps move away, and the moment he was gone, panic settled in. I frantically rubbed my face against the dirt until I could move the blindfold up at least halfway so I could see through my right eye. I blinked rapidly at the assault of the dimly lit tent. It was maybe just over twelve by twelve. To my right was a small twin bed on a metal frame, down beside it being a long golden stake slammed into the ground where my chain was connected to, then a small bucket that smelled foul. To my left were two large folding bookcases that housed dozens of books and scrolls. Just beside it was the large mahogany desk decorated with papers and files a plenty. Behind me beside the bed was a nightstand and a small back exit with a Chinese designed box that looked like it was being used as a wardrobe.

I blinked frantically and saw the opening in front of me had been closed.

How long would he be gone? When would he be back?

I wasn't about to stick around to find out.

I reached up with trembling hands and managed to push the rest of my blindfold of my face, recovering from the numbness in my arms. I cast it aside and moved to pull the shackles off, only to find that they wouldn't budge. I tried to blast them off with my powers, but it only caused them to glow. I swallowed hard, remembering vaguely the woman I had tried to rescue in the mountain pass, the one who told me that I couldn't break the shackles. They were created by the god killer, one I'd only thought was a legend. With frantic gasps borne of pure panic, I tugged desperately at the shackle around my ankle first. I could fight with my hands shackled, but not my ankle. I pulled desperately at it to try and get my ankle through, but it was only causing my ankle to bleed and throb in pain, but I didn't care. The adrenaline from my desperation made it numb as I looked around quickly for a way to slide it off my ankle. It was my damned heel that was getting in the way.

I rolled over to the nightstand, but I could barely reach my hands to the edge of it. I jerked at the shackle on my ankle, but it only jingled in response. I cursed, peering over the edge of the nightstand, but the only thing there was a half empty water bottle, a rolled up newspaper, and reading glasses. I tried to reach the China box, or the desk, but it was no use. The nightstand was the closest thing and even that was out of my grasp.

I looked back down at my ankle and returned to jerking desperately at the shackle. The blood from my ankle was making it slippery. I twisted and tried to wedge my ankle out, but it was no use. The only way would to get free of it would be to break my ankle. I clenched my teeth, scooting closer to the bed. I grabbed a wad of the coarse blanket and stuffed it into my mouth, grabbing my ankle. I took a deep breath, shutting my eyes tightly before twisting sharply.

Pain exploded up my leg and I choked on the blanket in my mouth, blinking back the tears of pain. I waited a moment, chest heaving as I sucked in gulps of sweet air before I bent my broke ankle and wedged it through the shackle. This time, I couldn't stop the tears as they blurred my vision as I pulled my foot through the shackle. I almost cried out with joy as my foot made it through with painful effort. I reached up and wiped at my eyes, using the bed to push myself up to my feet. I leaned my weight onto my other foot and limped over to the desk, trying to find a weapon of some sort, but the sharpest thing there was a letter opener. I took that with me and went to the China box, opening it up and taking out what looked like a poncho made of navy velvet. I pulled it on over my head, then flinched as I almost stepped own on my broken ankle.

I took deep breathes, then made my way to the back exit of the tent, pausing there as I held the letter opener tightly in my fist, making my knuckles sore. I reached up with a trembling finger to part the flap there and peer out. There were very few soldiers on this side, and the military vehicle sat about fourteen feet away. My instinct told me to run to it, hop inside, and drive even though I'd never driven anything in my life. I'd never even been on a bike before, let alone a truck. But I'd rather take this chance to learn...

But what about the keys? They couldn't possibly be stupid enough to leave their keys in it. And my magic was inaccessible because of these damned shackles. I debated trying to wedge my hands out of them, but the ones on my wrists were far tighter than the one that had been on my ankle, and even with my skills, I couldn't fight with two broken wrists and a broken ankle. Even with my magic, it'd take some time to heal broken bones. At least four hours, and I didn't have four hours.

It was already dark out. Torches were set up all around the camp to provide light as well as the moon that was wide open and full, like an ever watchful eye in the sky. I swallowed at the sight of it, wondering if it really looked the same in Hell as it did here in Hades.

I shook my head quickly and focused on the truck. I couldn't high jack it. If I didn't know how to drive it, I couldn't hotwire it. And I didn't have my magic available to me.

The truck was out of the question.

I looked around and saw a few more tents. I could vaguely hear a woman screaming from one of the tents and my stomach twisted hard. There were other people who'd been captured here...

My heart bled. I had to get them out of here, but at the same time, if I wasted time trying to save them, I could endanger myself and then we'd definitely never get out of here. If I could get out, get back to Tiploca on the other side of the mountains, I could get the men gathered up and launch an attack on the camp. That was the only way I could save all of us.

But getting out of here was the problem. I couldn't take the vehicle, and I was in no shape to go running anywhere.

A cold lump began to form in my throat the more I tried to see ways to get out, only to have something get in the way and prevent it. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to teleport, but nothing happened. I tried to heal, but nothing happened. My magic was completely useless. Worse still, it almost felt like the shackles were cutting off my energy because the longer I stood there gripping the letter opener, the more nervous and queasy I began to feel. It was like my power was not only being barred, but weakened. I had to move faster.

The moment that thought crossed my mind, I could hear footsteps moving toward the main entrance of the tent. If I bolted out now, I'd be captured again. I ducked back to the main entrance of the tent and held myself against the side beside the entrance, gripping the letter opener in my hand tightly.

The first man entered and I didn't wait a second as I lunged out and sank the letter opener into his throat. Blood spurt into my face and I seethed as the man choked and gurgled blood. I tore the letter opener out as he sank to the floor. To my disappointment, it wasn't Julius. It was just another soldier of his, but better one than nothing.

Unfortunately, he was accompanied by another soldier, who stupidly barreled in head first. I caught him in a headlock and snapped his neck, shoving him to the ground. I stepped back and accidentally leaned my weight on my broken ankle and seethed in agony. I stumbled to catch my balance when a pair of muscular arms caught me from behind. I resisted the urge to scream in rage so as not to alert more guards, not that that would help considering they already seemed to be alerted of my attack.

I flipped the letter opener in my hand and slammed it into the man's kidney. He yipped like a struck puppy and dropped me. I rolled across the floor and got to my knees by the desk, facing both entrances as two more soldiers came in after me. Right behind the one who entered through the main entrance was Julius and my bloodlust grew.

I snarled at lunged at the first soldier, who caught me around the waist and slung me to the bed, but I bounced right up and slashed his throat open before whirling on the second one, cutting him across the face before kneeing him in his unprotected groin. Thank goodness he didn't have his armor on, otherwise, I could've shattered my knee cap. I whirled around to face Julius, who smirked at me.

"You just killed a handful of well trained soldiers with a broken ankle and the god killer's restraints. You are a feisty one, aren't you? Come now," He held his hand out, giving me a chiding stare, "Give me the weapon and I can make this so much easier on you." I curled my lip at him and slashed at his hand, slicing it open. He pulled his hand back sharply, staring at the blood that oozed from his palm before he brought it to his mouth and ran his tongue along the cut. I cringed in disgust, then watched as he pulled his hand away to reveal that the cut was slowly healing. Skin shot across the opening in his skin and sewed itself together so quickly that it was any wonder I could see it. I blinked, then looked at him as he smiled again and held his hand out.

"Give me the weapon, little prince, and I'll make sure I'm the first one who gets to fuck you, huh?" He asked, crooning as if he were speaking to a dog, but his words sent chills through me, goosebumps stinging my skin as I swallowed hard.

He intended to...? Was this real? Was this even happening? How could this be happening?

I was a soldier. They were soldiers.

We were fighting each other, granted, to the death, but to capture and do such a horrid thing? They were supposed to torture me. Rip my fingernails off, break my bones, starve me. I'd trade all of that for what he intended to do.

Rage surged hot through my veins and I snarled at him, lunging to stab him in the chest, but he swung his arm around and blocked me, then caught my wrist and tore me up against him, his other arm going around my waist and pinning me to his chest. I writhed frantically to get away from him, trying to twist the letter opener so I could sink it into the side of his throat, but he tightened his grip on me and sneered into my face.

"Just for that attempt, I'll make you take my friend and I at once." He seethed, then slammed his head into mine so hard that my ears rang and I slump to the floor breathlessly, feeling a numb hand across the dirt before reaching up to sink it into my hair, clutching the side of my head. Pain erupted sharply near my temple and I felt something warm and wet there. I pulled my fingers away and saw the bright red blood glaring back at me. I blinked rapidly and tried to at least make it to the bed to get beneath it, but Julius caught my ankle and tore back.

A scream erupted from my throat at his harsh grip on my broken ankle, even worse as I was dragged across the floor. Julius tore me so I was between his legs as he stood over me, his red eyes narrowed down at me. He lunged down and yanked the poncho off, so I was completely naked again. He grabbed a handful of my hair, then pulled me across the ground. The pain racking my body prevented me from fighting back until I felt something cold and hard clasp around my ankle. Agony swept through me as I looked down to see him locking the clasp back over my busted ankle, but he'd tightened it so now it crushed my already broken ankle. I wheezed for the pain, rolling over onto my side, breathing hard.

"Looks, like I can't leave you alone for more than five minutes," Julius mused down at me and I spat at his feet, making him snort and step back before he turned to cup the side of his mouth, "Uriulus! You and the others may enter!" My eyes widened and heat crept into my face at the thought of being seen by more people without my clothes. It wasn't that I wasn't well-built, because I was. But to be seen by so may people I'd never met before? And knowing what they planned?

My heart lodged in my throat and went to grab the blanket off the bed, but Julius caught my wrist and spun me around, backhanding me across the face, leaving me dazed for a moment. It was long enough for him to strap the blindfold back over my eyes. I went to reach up and tear it off, but he slammed my hands down and I felt something cold and metal clasp around my throat. It felt like a collar. Panic rose inside me and I tried to yank it off, but bringing my hands up had been a mistake. I felt Julius clasp a chain between the chains connecting my wrist, and leading it to the collar on my throat, hooking it so I had limited mobility of my hands.

I tried to kick him with my good foot, but he caught it and tipped me over so I was on my back. I went to wrench my leg away, loathing this position, but he tightened his grip on my ankle and lifted my leg higher. I hissed in pain, trying to bat at him with my shackled hands, but to no avail. Humiliation pooled hot into my stomach and I felt hot angry tears prick my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. I clenched my teeth and stopped moving.

"You are such a difficult little thing, aren't you?" Julius chuckled.

"Why are you doing this?" I seethed. Julius barked a laugh that sent a chill down my spine. He let go of my leg, but a moment later, I felt him hovering above me. Fear constricted my throat and I held my breath, feeling his hot breath blast against my face.

"Hades gave me full permission to do whatever it is I please when I capture Hellions. And up until now, I've been selling them as slaves to both my men and other creatures here in Hades. It's brought me in quite a lot of profit... But you? I don't think I've ever been attracted to a man before, but something about you is just incredibly beautiful. Almost like an angel. Granted, I'm still going to sell you to my men for a few thousand drachma for twenty minutes, but you'll always belong to me. You'll be my first whore." He laughed. Chills crept through me as I clenched my fists.

"Don't do this," I started, trying to keep my voice steady, "It's cruel and disrespectful. I'm a soldier. You're a soldier. We're fighting in the same battle--"

"Oh, please," Julius laughed, "I don't fight this battle for Hades. The only reason it appears that way is because he lets me have what I want if I fight for him. Tit for tat. And I don't give two shits if we're both soldiers. You're a spoiled little prince. You're one of Lucifer's beloved children. What would he think if he found out that his pampered prince had become a two cent whore?"

"You're disgusting," I snarled, my temper mounting, "That's sick! You're psychotic!"

"That may be so, but I'm a rich psycho with a beautiful whore. If that's what being psychotic means, then, baby, let me go crazy." Julius's laughter rang in my ears as he shoved my head to the side and his mouth met my ear, taking my earlobe between his lips. My skin crawled in revulsion and horror rose in my throat as a scream as I pushed at his chest, but he refused to budge. Even worse was that, by now, I was positive these shackles were draining my energy because not even shoving him would make him move.

I squeezed my eyes shut as the full reality of what was happening began to sink in.

I was about to be humiliated. I was going to be ruined, destroyed, broken, sullied. I couldn't even think of all the words to describe the grotesque scenerio that Julius had planned for me.

The realization of the situation renewned my vigor and I fought hard, biting and clawing at Julius until I could smell his blood, but even that didn't stop him. Pain assaulted me from his every touch. Everything burned and stung. My breath became sharp cries that were muffled through the pounding of my heart in my throat, the blood rushing through me and pumping my adrenaline into overdrive. I wasn't even focused on techniques anymore. Just frenzied movements to try and get him away from me, but in the end...

My whole body ached. My hips felt shattered, my backside stung, my spine ached. I felt like something was inside my skull trying to get out for the pain of it all. I could feel hot blood running a path between my legs, mingling with the hot fluids he'd poured into me.

Worst of all was the mental anguish. First came all the questions.

Why me? Why did this happen to me? I had done what I was supposed to. It was my job to stand in battle and fight. I knew that the moment I had signed up to become a soldier. I wanted to defend and protect. I wanted to be the person that Thorn had been for me when I was growing up.

The night those creatures tried to kidnap me from my bed when I was a child. I remembered the cold breeze from the window chilling my skin, having my thick quilt torn back from my head and meeting a pair of sinister green eyes and a mouth wide open with razor sharp teeth. I'd been so scared that I pissed myself and the creature had hauled me out of bed. If it hadn't of been for Thorn, I would have probably experienced this horror at an earlier age.

Thorn had looked so cool back then. He dressed in the older style battlesuit, which was more of a brown color than the black it was now. The armor was heavier too. He had killed the kidnapper before he could even take me off the property. And even though he was coated in blood and breathing raggedly with a rage so potent that I could feel it heat the cold night air, he dropped down on his knees and gathered me in his arms, whispering that everything was going to be okay, that he'd always be there for me if I needed him.

Thorn was the reason I had become a soldier. I wanted to make other people feel the same way he made me feel. Safe, protected, loved. I wanted to use my powers to help people. I wanted to see them smile in relief. I wanted them to feel so safe that they wouldn't panic if they left their doors unlock. I wanted them to feel so safe that little twelve-year-old boys didn't have to run around with tazers to protect themselves.

And I wanted to be able to protect myself. As a child, I was smaller than I was supposed to be. By the time I was twelve, I looked like an eight-year-old. I hated it. I hated it when people looked at me and saw the tiny adorable son of Lucifer. They always underestimated me, always saw a defenseless child, and I was so tired of people seeing me as something small and insignificant. I molded that need to be stronger and used it to motivate myself to become a soldier.

Each day during training, even if my knuckles split open and my heart felt like it was going to burst out of my chest, I kept telling myself to go on, keep going, don't stop until you reach your goal.

I had gotten to the point where I could fight Thorn and we'd be even matched. I'd finally gotten as strong as my big brother. I moved on from him to the Sins. In the beginning, Dev flipped me on my back each time and pinned me. Then a few years later, I was thrilled to find that I could pin him down in just a few minutes.

I'd gotten so strong that my father promoted me to his general. I led armies across vasts terrains. I fought the Norse. I fought the archangel Michael, my uncle. Granted, our battle never finished because Lucifer intervened, but I had done well up until he showed up. I fought countless other species, other races, in other situations, and all of them I managed to come out on top.

And suddenly all of it was sucked away.

All those centuries of hardwork, blood, sweat, and agony. All of it was crushed flat under the iron fist of a demented vampire. For once in my life, I wasn't coming out on top.

And this wasn't just a training session where I'd get another chance, where my opinion would help me to my feet and we would try again until I got the hang of things.

I had lost.

I wasn't the powerful soldier that spent years training to fight, to defend, to protect.

I was back to being that insignificant child that cringed away whenever people tried to pet me like I was a doll sitting on a shelf. And it hurt so much that I could barely stand it. Only a sliver of dignity prevented me from weeping at the pain and humiliation that mutilated my soul.

I felt so used and dirty. And I knew no amount of soap would be able to clean this filth from my skin, from my soul. It was branded in so deep that nothing would ever clean it again. I was tainted.

"You taste so good," Julius's voice was hoarse and I tried to ignore the way his hands slid up my bare chest in painful gropes, "Blood and sweat, misery and woe. Never has it tasted sweeter." I felt his mouth latch onto my throat and I clenched my teeth, trying to bash him in the head, but he caught my wrists and flipped me over so I was on my stomach. He hooked his arm around my waist and tore my backside up so I was completely exposed. Humiliation flamed in my face and I could feel the heat of it spread through my system. I ducked my head, trying to hide from him, but it didn't matter, because I couldn't go anywhere.

My ankle was broken. My powers were completely drained. Even my natural energy was being depleted to the point where trying to lift my arms was like trying to lift ten tons of cement with my bare hands. I was chained with these cursed shackles made by a god killer that I swore I would hunt down and kill if I ever got out of this.

That thought chilled me.

If I ever got out of this...

Would I ever get out of this?

Yes, I told myself desperately. Yes, I would. My family wouldn't leave me here. Dev wouldn't leave me here and certainly not Anza. They would come get me. They'd be here any minute, any hour, any day...

Any time now, that tent would open and Dev would walk in and take me home. I'd be able to hide under my blankets in my room, listening to the Black Sea churning outside, the clear scent of it wafting up my nostrils.

I wouldn't be here forever.

I'd make sure of that.

Even if it killed me, I would get out of here.