Syn

I couldn't describe the amount of pain my body was going through. It wasn't the worst, but as the moments passed, it was getting there. I could feel myself slipping at times. My mind just wanted to shut off and give into the sleep I was so desperately craving, but I couldn't leave her.

None of that pain, however, compared to the violent shudder that ran through my body as I heard the word 'sex'.

Directed at Queen.

I trusted her. I knew her. I was positive she didn't do anything with him-- at least not when he wasn't Aiden. I had come to terms with that part. We weren't together.

The way he spoke about it now made it sound like the time he was referring to preceded that.

Her silence didn't help calm my nerves. Was there a time before?

"Tell him." He pushed her. "If you don't, I will. And you won't like the way I explain it, sweetheart."

Sweetheart suddenly became another pet name I crossed off the list because of him. Even Princess was at fucking risk because of the fucker.

I heard Queen clear her throat and I stayed silent, prepared to hear the worst.

"When I was with Dimitri..." her soft voice started and I froze. Anywhere his name was concerned or mentioned was a bad story. He absolutely destroyed her. "When he started...you know..."

"Maybe he doesn't know," Aiden pushed and fury infiltrated every fibre in me.

I knew her intention. I wasn't a fucking idiot. Queen hated the word and I did too, along with everything that came with it.

"You should be more clear with your words," he told her.

"When he started raping me," she said flatly. "It happened more than once. More times than I can count or want to remember--"

"Stop talking" I gritted out. Not because I didn't want her to tell me, but because this wasn't the time nor the place. She was being forced. She wasn't ready.

I wanted her to talk to me about it because she was ready to stop carrying the weight of what happened alone.

Because she wanted to.

Even if she never told me I'd be fine with it. I didn't own the rights to that memory and neither did he.

She wouldn't say another word. I knew he wouldn't lay a hand on her. That was why he blocked our connection before torturing me. The only thing he could hold over her was me and I was fine with whatever punches or kicks he would throw. I'd lay my life down on the line before I allowed another choice to ever be taken from her.

"Is your pride hurt already? We're just getting started." He laughed. "Queen, continue."

"Don't," I said it again. My voice was more stern than before.

I heard him stand and walk around me. He fisted my hair, forcing my head up as he pressed the blade against my neck. "Do you need more motivation, Queen? Speak."

"Let him do it," I said. "He will do it anyway. Don't share on my behalf, Princess. I'll survive."

He pressed the tip of the blade into my neck and I winced- a sound I so desperately wanted to fight because I knew it would make her-- "I thought it was Dimitri- well Sebastian, the entire time," her voice lacked it's usual depth as she continued, "but he- I guess he was Dimitri a couple of...I'm not sure how many times."

My entire body went still. She couldn't be telling me that. "He..." I said, needed clarification. Urgently. I didn't want to press, but I had to know what she meant by he. Because I had mutilated every person who so much as touched her against her will. Was there a stray? Was it him?

"Aiden," she finally answered and my jaw locked. The vein in my head was a second away from snapping.

I tilted my head, trying to find some sense of relief. Out of all the things that happened tonight- the thought that there was a person who did that to her...and he was still alive.

It was gut-wrenching.

"Consensually?" I cleared the lump working its way into my throat.

I heard a movement come from her and I knew what she had done, but I needed to hear it. "I can't see you, Queen. I need you to tell me. Did he touch you with your consent?" I prayed it was.

I was fine with an affair. It'd hurt, but I much preferred it to the alternative.

"No..." she answered me.

"Well to be fair," he began behind me. "It wasn't my place to ask or not ask for consent. I had a role to play. It wasn't like I truly wanted to. It was against my will too."

I heard enough. I lost it.

I found the strength to stand, taking him by surprise as he held his arm around my neck. But I was taller, much taller. With him still behind me, I slammed back into the wall. He was crushed between the concrete surface and me. The knife clattered to the floor and I kicked it away before turning around and wrapping the chains that bound my wrists around my fists.

I could make out his figure through the slits in my swollen eyes and I slithered the chains around his neck. And dropped to one knee, pulling. His body twisted and turned until he was suspended in the air by his neck. His body thrashed against the chains and he clawed and kicked at my back. I didn't loosen my grip in the slightest. This wouldn't be enough to kill him, but it was a taste of what was in store for him.

I gave the chain one more harsh tug and I heard his neck snap. His body fell limp and I let go, letting him fall onto the hard floor. At least he was considerate enough to put down plastic. I kicked him in the stomach, sending him flying back against the wall and to the floor once again. Fucking prick. The moment we got out of the place I was burning it down. Fuck the cabin and fuck the woods, forever. She had a bad feeling when we first arrived and I told her to face her fears.

Never fucking happening again.

A paralyzing throb shot through my skull, the affliction sending me reeling as I groaned in pain. That one hurt. I wasn't supposed to be exerting myself at all, much less in here. But I couldn't control myself. If I kept on like this, something would burst in my head and I wouldn't wake up from it.

"Syn, what's going on?" She yelled out, concern and fear laced into that pretty face and I shook my head.

"Nothing," I rasped and she struggled against the chains on the floor. "I'm fine."

I back down to my knees. Standing didn't help. Doing anything but dangle here, didn't help.

I heard her scream something but I couldn't make it out. Everything was getting fuzzy. "No!" She screamed before I felt two hands pressing into my skull.

"You like the headaches?" He sniffled harshly and forced out a bitter laugh. "I'll give you all the headache you want. Love, I suggest you say your goodbyes."

What felt like lava began to sear through my head and my eyes rolled to the back of my head. I didn't scream before, but I did then. Something deep in me managed to find an escape and let out a guttural cry. His fingers worked like a battery, sending electric flames through my brain.

I could hear Queen screaming, begging him to stop.

Through it all, I never feared death. In truth, I didn't. But I knew it wouldn't come today.

I trusted her.

I saw a glimmer of her power earlier. She turned rain into fucking blood. How she did it, I had no idea but I was a mere second away from death.

She just needed to trust herself. Even if it was a fraction of how much I believed in her, it would be enough.

The trust I had in her was infinite.

The light above us flickered as Aiden began chanting, but he hesitated. I felt a brief relief as he became distracted. He wasn't the one responsible for it. Blood poured down my nose, my head feeling like it was on the brink of exploding. "W-what are you doing?" I heard his voice tremble.

I felt the lights above us flicker off one by one until we were completely basked in darkness. Aiden completely let go of the grip he had on my head and it dropped down weakly as I took deep breaths. I couldn't help but smile a bit though.

The sound of chains dragging against the floor echoed against the walls of the small room. I heard a small rumble of a growl as locks un-clicked. Then it was complete silence.

"Queen!" He screamed, panicked. "I will kill him. Do you hear me?! I will slaughter this man!"

The crinkling of the plastic followed. It was a quiet sound, but it was getting closer and closer as the seconds passed. I felt the sharp claws on my thigh first, gently trailing up until I felt her hand glide past my print. The hand swept up the button up my jeans past my navel and up my abdomen, making me stifle a wince. The wounds were still fresh.

Another growl and the room flashed a quick bright red.

Horns.

"Where the hell are you?" I heard Aiden yell from behind me, but I couldn't bring myself to focus on him- which I should've been. He was still very much a threat.

But her hands on me, roaming. The pain was a distant memory and so was he.

Her fingers, one by one wrapped around my throat. The delicacy of her fingers contrasting with the scraping of her claws was a maddening mix. She took a long sniff, starting at my chest and moving her head to my throat. Her long curls tickled my chest.

Then she blew out a breath.

The heat flushed against my neck and a shiver ran down my body.

Then I felt a wetness at my throat that made my cock fight against my jeans. Not the time, to say the least. Get a grip. Then, a long tongue licked a trail up to my ear and I opened my mouth, breathless.

Then from my ear to across my lips.

I leaned in, my body craving the lingering kiss and she moved back.

I took a few breaths, calming myself as her fingers slithered away from my neck with the same finesse they wrapped around it.

Another low growl filled the room, shining the room red again-- one shorter than before. And I saw her face. One eye a glowing red and the other a charcoal black as she tilted her head at me.

She was fucking beautiful, my girl. No matter her form.

I felt her hands again, this time cupping my face. I closed my eyes, leaning into her touch. The pounding ache in my head was assuaged with a coolness that flooded my body- it was freezing cold. I sucked in a breath for warmth and when I exhaled, her lips were on mine.

She claimed the air leaving my lungs and her softs lips pressed into my own-- the kiss messy, exhilarating, and addicting as her tongue moved against mine. She tasted the same, sweet as always. Then she was gone too soon, taking with her whatever air I needed to breathe.

Fuck.

Her hands moved away from my face slowly, her claws being what last thing I felt as a growl infiltrated the space. I was prepared for the flash of red this time. I took her in. Naked and bloody; black swirls and symbols painted her brown skin. She moved away from me, silent on her feet as the room became dark again. But not before I caught the sight of something else- wings and a serpentine tail that grazed my side as she walked behind me.

I swallowed. Tail and wings...I considered for less than a second before shrugging a bit. I would've been just as smitten if she had three heads and just that.

I heard Aiden curse before a gargle came from his throat. The room pulsed a red light and I saw his body fly to the opposite wall. He chanted something, making a small whimper come from Queen. Quick pattering hit the plastic on the floor and the room pulsed with red again as she grabbed him from the floor by the neck and held him up. His feet lifted off the floor and just like that, we were shrouded in darkness again.

I tried to make out shapes and movements in the dark, but she was too fast. The room would flash red and they'd be in another spot. From the corner of the basement to the corner of the ceiling. Growling, his screams, her whimpers that did something wild to me every time I heard them. She was hurting him. A lot more than I managed to, but he was hurting her too. Just as much, if not more.

I felt the knife scrape against the ground. Someone had managed to pick it up and it couldn't be her. My answer to that thought was answered when the light flashed red and he plunged the knife into her side. She screamed out, the sound a mix between a growl and a vibration that made the room shake.

She was in pain.

I yelled out something incoherent. Something between a "leave her alone" and an "I'll kill you". Maybe both.

I tugged against the chains, trying to rip them from the ceiling, but I knew it was useless. I had spelled these things myself.

The red flashed again and Aiden stood over her, knife in hand as she writhed on the floor. He took a step toward her and a growl left my lips before I could stop it. "Queen, get up!" I hated being on the sidelines, but it was all I could do right now. So she'd have to take cheerleader for now.

Fear couldn't even begin to express how I felt when I saw him standing over her.

I was petrified.

When the red flashed again, she was gone from the spot and relief flooded my chest as Aiden looked around in confusion. When the darkness came back, I felt her behind me. Trembling. Low growls vibrated against my back and she wrapped her arms around me. I was glad that even like this-- stronger than I'd ever seen, she found her safe place with me. As if I could protect her from the big, bad, monster when she was the only one capable of killing him.

I blew out a breath and whispered, "You're okay, Princess. You can do--"

A knife stabbed into my gut. That damn knife. He twisted it and I let out a howl. Not from the pain, but more from the surprise of it.

Everything in the room went haywire. Her growling turned into a more sinister sound as her hands left my skin. I felt the chains snap and my body fell to the floor. I winced on my side, reeling from the pain of the knife wedged into my gut. Fuck me for showing him how to use it.

I saw her fly over me when the light flashed again.

She was on him. Claws working at his face and body. She pounded his head into the cemented ground, making the floor shake. He tried to fight against her, but it was useless.

He hit a nerve.

After a few moments, he became deathly still. I watched her blow a cloud of black smoke onto her claws, and flames emerged from the tip of her talons. She plunged it into his chest and he screamed out, moving his hand to her chest to push her off. When she didn't budge, I watched powerless as he used his last remaining strength to force his hand into her chest.

"No!" I screamed, pulling at the knife in my stomach. My eyes became wet and my head throbbed as I rolled over and pushed myself onto my knees. I hunched over, palm against the floor, my other hand on the blade of the handle. I pulled, a cry escaping me. It was coming out, but not anywhere near quick enough.

I heard Aiden cough and I looked over through blurry eyes. Tears dripped down to my hand as I pulled with all my strength. The headaches didn't matter anymore. All the pain would become minute if the worse happened.

He coughed up blood, smiling as he looked up at her. "I-if...you won't love me. You'll..you'll die with me." Her blood dripped out of her mouth, onto his body. She blinked a couple of times, but she was fading. I bawled, pulling out the knife completely and crawling toward the two. Her whimpers became a raspy lull as the seconds passed.

She was only a few feet away.

But I was too late.

He pulled her heart out of her chest and I screamed-- louder than I ever thought possible as rage and fear flowed through me. When I heard her body fall to the floor with a soft thud, I knew the worst had happened. His heart rested in her hand as he lay lifeless beside her, but it was meaningless. My head pressed into the floor as I cried. I gave myself one breath this time before reaching for her.

There was a buzz from up ahead and the lights flickered on.

She was in my arms. Still. Too still. Cold. No wings, no tail, or horns. Just her.

Lifeless.

I held her in my arms, and my head pressed against hers. "No, no, Princess. Wake up. Please." My voice was broken. I held her cheek, tapping. "Please."

She was just sleeping.

She'd wake up soon enough.

I filled my head with these thoughts, fooling myself into thinking the thumping in my head was her heartbeat.

"You need to wake up," I begged her, my teardrops falling onto her smooth skin. "We're supposed to get married soon, baby. Please..."

No answer. I knew there wouldn't be one.

I just couldn't stand it.

I hugged her body, holding it tight against me. I just screamed. Screamed into the silent and empty void. The lights above us burst- falling to the ground around us as I held on tightly.

A sobbed wracked my entire body.

I didn't want to live anymore.

There was no point in anything if she wasn't here.

Take me instead.

"I can't do this." My body shook with sobs as I pressed my lips into her hair.

I cursed God, the heavens, my father...every single thing responsible for bringing her to me and stripping her away. The pain was unbearable.

I damned the world, knowing there was nothing good left if she ceased to exist. Blood would stain the streets of every realm in the universe. Stars would implode, sending meteors and fragments hurling toward the Earth. The skies in every realm would fall, crushing any and everything beneath them the moment I let go of her. Hell would cease to exist-- I would cease to exist in that moment.

I yelled, my rage shaking the ground as I called for retribution. I shouted every vulgarity- my mouth spewing venom toward nothing yet everything.

The Heavens...

They never listened, but they'd hear me today.

I didn't- I wouldn't stop until the Heavens answered me.

And eventually, somebody did.

꧁꧂

Author's Note

Who, Syn?!😭