Searching for the Answers

by Paige Orr

  I know it’s stupid to taunt the people who hold my life in their hands, but it seems to unnerve them and I need them to be off their game, if I’m going to be able to find a way out of this. Finally alone again, I let the tears that I’ve been holding back fall. I will not be weak in front of those bastards, but It’s okay to have a few minutes to just break, before I have to push all the emotions down. I have to be clinical about this, if I ever want to stand a chance. Forcing the tears to stop, I finally give in to the need to sleep, and close my eyes.

  Lilith

  My eyes flicker open at the sound of voices around me, and I try to take stock of my injuries. Thankfully I can't feel the blood trickling along my skin, but my whole body feels like a giant fucking bruise. I’m hanging limply by my arms, unable to feel my fingers anymore, and my legs feel weak and lifeless. I know that I don’t have the energy to escape. All I can really do is wait and hope that they really don’t want me dead, dead bait won’t get you very far after all. If I am bait, then at least I shouldn’t have to wait long for my guys to show up, by now they probably already know who has me. Gabriel’s ego is too big for him not to brag about taking me, and the only way he can lure Aiden and Aziel in is if he tells them that he will trade me for them. I know for a fact my guys aren’t that fucking stupid though, which means they will have a plan to get in, get me and get out.

  I know the guys must be pissed at me for being so fucking stupid, for the second fucking time. I didn’t take Gabriel’s threats seriously and that was my mistake. He might be an elitest arsehole, but he’s still an Archangel, he has plenty of people under his thumb, and he’s powerful. That doesn’t mean I’m going to just lay back, and let him think that I’m fucking scared of him. Everyone has their weakness, and Gabriel’s is how he thinks he’s untouchable, yet speaking poorly of Sarah, or making him out to be weak causes him to lose his cool. Which means that if I push hard enough, I will find a way to make him crack. I just have to figure out which buttons to press.

  As I’m lost in thought, I begin to hear whispers in my mind, which sound like Tunrida. It’s at that moment that I remember she’s still with me, even if she can’t help me right now. I know that it’s because of her that my magick isn’t overwhelming me. I try to catch what she is saying to me, realising that it’s like she’s standing far away from me, causing her words to float to me broken apart. “Your… blade… can… kill… him. Remember… your… dream. I… can… release… the… power… to… take… on… Sarah’s… appearance… use… it… against… him… to… buy… time!” A sick smile covers my face as I feel the magick rushing through my veins, and following my instincts, I begin to mutter what I need to say under my breath.

  “Ex te mihi protege me a dolor et nomen tuum invocabimus. vultum tuum, ut non fatuus sit, qui nocebit mihi.” Tingles begin to spread across my skin, growing in fever until it’s almost like my skin is burning, melting away to leave another image in its place. I breath through the exertion of using my magick while so weak, and hold my breath, waiting for my captors to notice the difference. Finally I get the reaction I’ve been waiting for, when I hear Gabriel’s garbled intake of breath, and forcing tears to fall from my eyes, I bring my eyes up to his.

  He rushes towards me, and the panic in his eyes gives me a sick joy. I make my bottom lip tremble, as I open and close my mouth a few times, acting like I’m struggling to find the words I need. He rushes across the room, to a table that wasn’t there the last time I was conscious, snatching a bottle of water, and running back to my side. I suppose it’s nice to know that he at least was going to give me water, but I can’t get lost on the little details around me. He tilts the bottle to my lips, and I greedily gulp down the water, choking it down, and finally letting my weakness show.

  “D-Dad, W-Why are you doing this t-to me. I-I swear. I didn’t mean to let her get so strong. I didn’t even know she could make me take her place, but why has it taken you so long to notice. C-Can’t you tell the difference between me and that abomination? I always did what you told me when it came to Lilith, I promise I didn’t know what she had planned, please d-don’t hurt me anymore.” I trail off in a whisper, as more tears fall from my eyes, and I dip my head in a sign of submission, hoping he’s too blinded by the images of his daughter beaten like this, to see through my terrible acting.

  Just as it seems like he’s going to let me out of my chains, he walks through the door, and seems to look right through me. He turns to Gabriel, rolling his eyes, before telling him the truth. “Hey Gabe, I would have thought you were strong enough to see through a demon's glamour. This thing is not your daughter, look closer and you will be able to see that it’s still Lilith.”

  I hold my breath as Gabriel looks up, narrowing his eyes at me, before letting out an animalistic growl. With no time to react, I feel his hand lash across my already broken face, and I barely manage to hold back my scream of pain. “You dare use my daughter’s image for your own gain? You fucking monstrosity! You will pay for trying to fool me, child!” He slowly backs away from me, walking back to the table and motioning for the real monster to approach him. They speak in quiet voices, as Gabriel motions to different things laid out in front of them, and my blood turns cold at the sadistic looks on their faces.

  Gabriel leaves the room after that, and the monster approaches me with a pair of pliers. Immediately I know what’s coming, and I just hope he will be quick, because I can’t take much more of this. Please guys, I need you, I can’t fight them much longer.

  Lucien

  We are all gathered in the living room sitting in silence, trying to figure out our next move, as we all look at the table, where the letter we received yesterday is sitting. I can still feel the fear tightening my stomach at the words written to us, and I know that without a doubt, the guys are filled with that same fear. My thoughts wander to the day before, when we were still trying to figure out what happened to our girl.

  The guys and I are all sitting around the kitchen, arguing over who we think could have taken Lilith this time. I’ve never seen the guys argue like this among themselves, in all the time I’ve known them, and it’s more than unnerving. Silence descends upon us all, as the sound of the doorbell rings out around us like a gunshot. Aiden hops off of the counter top, rushing out of the room, and we all wait in bated silence, wondering if it’s her. When we hear his anger though, we all tense up, knowing our wishes haven’t been answered.

  Our eyes are glued to the kitchen door, waiting to find out what’s going on, when Aiden walks in with his arm around an Unseelie Fae’s throat. The Fae looks like he’s about to shit himself as Aiden throws him to the floor in the middle of the room, holding up a letter that none of us noticed before. “I fucking knew it! It was fucking Gabriel! Now he sends one of his fucking guard dogs, to bring us a fucking letter, he’s mocking us!” He rips open the envelope, pulling the letter from inside, and begins to read aloud to us all.

  “Dear Aiden and Aziel, just know that you have brought this on yourselves. I told you that I would always find a way to make you fall in line, and you handed me your biggest weakness on a silver platter. It helps that I had a bone to pick with my insolent granddaughter. But just know that she will only live, if you come back to your posts. Otherwise, I’m in possession of her worst nightmare and after he’s finished having fun with her, I will let him take out the trash. You see, I can be good to my people, if they're obedient. But since all you and your disgusting clans have brought me is disgrace, I’m not surprised that you thought you could disrespect me too. Now it’s time for your punishment, come to me alone, and what is left of your mate, will be left to live another day. Don’t heed my warnings, and she will die a slow and painful death. It’s your choice, Gabriel.”

  Aiden turns on the trembling Fae before us, grabbing him by the neck and pulling him to his feet. We can all see that he plans to kill him, but none of us have it in us to care right now, Gabriel will pay for what he has done!

  I snap out o
f the memory, glaring down at the letter, as plans spin around in my head. We’ve left our girl in that arsehole's hands for too long, and I refuse to leave her there any longer. Turning to the guys, I can see the same determination filling their gazes, and I know we’re all on the same page.

  “So, I think it’s about time we get off our god damn arses, and get our fucking girl back! I’m not sitting around here doing nothing, knowing that she’s getting fucking tortured, at the hands of some fucking angels. She doesn’t have access to the same magick she did when Michael took her, so she won’t be able to get out of this one on her own, and it’s our fucking job to protect her. We have to get her out of there, she must be fucking terrified, and we all know how brutal angels can be. She doesn’t deserve to have to wait around on us, she should be home right now, not being held captive.”

  The others nod their heads, and we watch as D gets to his feet, storming from the room. He comes back in ten minutes later, with duffel bags filled with weapons and a vicious grin on his face. We get to our feet, as he throws us each a bag, and Aiden goes to collect our own captive. Just hang on a little longer Lilith, we’re coming for you, and we will make them regret the day they took you from us! None of them will make it out of this alive!

  Lilith

  The sting of a palm, connecting with my cheek, jerks me from my restless sleep, as I thrash in my chains. Looking up I find Gabriel looming over me, and guards spaced out around the room, looking at me with hate filled eyes. Looking back to Gabriel, I find him with his head tilted to the side, studying me like a science experiment. “Well child, I’m sure it won’t be long now until Aiden and Aziel come crawling back to me, and we can’t have them missing the main event. You see those little fools really believe that I’m going to just let you walk away, after all the stress they’ve put me through to get them back where they belong. So when they finally get here, They will get to enjoy a front row seat to your execution. It’s almost poetic really. Isn’t it? They left their posts for you, so their punishment should be to watch your suffering.”

  My teeth grind, as I listen to his insufferable cackle, while he walks away from me, leaving the guards to unchain me and drag me along after him. I try to pay attention to the way they take me through the halls, looking around for any way out of here, and it doesn’t take me long to realise that they’ve been keeping me in what seems to be a dungeon.

  Finally they drag me into what I can only figure must be a massive meeting room, with stands surrounding the centre, where there's a raised dais with seven thrones. I’m dragged forward, until I’m flung to the floor in front of the dais, and I nearly jump out of my skin when the rattling of chains comes from above me. Looking up, I find a long chain, with a meat hook at the end of it, being lowered down, until it’s attached to my wrists, and then it’s raised again until I’m stretched out on my tip toes.

  Gabriel walks around me, surveying his guards handiwork with a fiendish smile. He slowly walks up the steps of the dais, taking his seat at the throne in the very centre, and looking down on like I’m nothing more than an insect. I bare my teeth at him, wondering what he has planned next. Hoping the guys get here in time, preferably before he gets bored and decides to kill me now rather than later. Unfortunately, all he does is scoff at my little show of aggression, as he joins him, standing behind his throne.

  As Gabriel opens his mouth to no doubt gloat some more, the sound of fighting starts up in the distance. Gabriel’s face drops into a scowl as he glares daggers down at me, before leaping from his throne, shouting at the guards surrounding the room. I watch as they all spread out, most of them covering the exits, and a small group including him surround Gabriel. A smile spreads across my face, at the fear I can see in the eyes of the men gathered around the room, but especially the fear I can see in Gabriel.

  The fighting gradually grows closer, and as the sound of a wolf howling meets my ears, I begin to hysterically laugh. Gabriel swings his eyes towards me, before stomping his way over, and punching me in the stomach hard enough for me to spit out blood. The look in his eyes sends chills through me, but I refuse to show any fear. If my guys are already here, then I need to try and reach Tunrida. They may be strong, but they're not strong enough to kill an Archangel.

  The only thing I can think of doing is angering Gabriel enough to make him try and kill me, then Tunrida will have no choice but to help. I know she's only trying to help me, but if anything happens to the guys because I can't get involved, then I would rather be dead. Laughing in his face, I give him my best ‘no fucks to give’ look, before goading him. “What was that you were saying old man? Wasn’t it something along the lines of, they’ll be good little boys and do as they’re told, then I can kill you in front of them as their punishment. Well, how's that turning out for you? That doesn’t sound like good little boys to me, in fact that sounds like seven seriously pissed off males in vengeance mode.”

  I watch the anger fill him, until his face turns purple. He lets out a screech of frustration, before raining blows down on my already broken body, while I just laugh at him through the pain. After ten minutes of this, he steps away from me, out of breath from attacking me, and I stand up straighter spitting blood at his feet. I can feel Tunrida getting closer to the surface, but not close enough to truly reach her, so turning to my next target, I address him. “So fuckface, It seems you still get off on hurting people who can’t fight back, get your little dick nice and hard does it? You know, I heard Sarah talking about how she only fucked you because you were daddy’s little bitch and that you had the smallest cock she’d ever seen. That might be why the only way you can get your dick wet, is tying a bitch up and taking what you want, you fucking disgusting waste of oxygen!”

  He is different from Gabriel in the fact that he doesn’t roar out his frustrations, but if you watch him closely enough, you can see his eyes ice over. Before I can say anymore to rile him up, he’s in front of me with my hair wrapped around his hand, sneering down at me. I should have known that talking about his dick would have been enough to make him lose that much needed control, guys really can’t handle that shit. He snakes his other hand around my throat, cutting off my airway, causing me to jerk around in my chains to try get him off of me. I can feel myself getting closer and closer to passing out, but thankfully he doesn’t want to end his fun yet, as he let’s go of me, looking like he finds a sick pleasure in me gasping for breath.

  I knew he would be the hardest for me to handle, but with each attack I’m closer to reaching Tunrida, and when I finally have access to her, he will wish he never did all shit he did to me. He removes a knife from the sheathe on his hip, bringing it up to my throat, and causing me to go deathly still, so I don’t end up slitting my own throat. He snaps his fingers over his shoulder, causing one of the guards to leap forward, handing him his own knife. He looks at me with a perverse smile, as he begins to hack into my skin, while I try my best not to move, or give him the reaction he’s looking for. I wipe all expressions from my face, staring at him coldy, before giving him a sinister smile. As he continues to slice at me, I decide to taunt him some more, throwing him off his game.

  “Oh you silly, silly boy. Thanks for the help, but when she comes out, she won’t take mercy on you. She remembers all the things you’ve done to us, and she will make your death as painful as possible. If I was you though, I would stop concentrating on little old me, and focus more on my mates, because I can assure you that none of these brain dead little soldiers will be a match for them.” He pulls the knives away from me, as fear begins to seep into his eyes, before he whirls towards the door, throwing out orders for Gabriel to be surrounded. Now, let the fun begin!

  Lilith

  I slump over in my chains, trying to catch my breath, before pushing to reach for Tunrida again, when suddenly Taehyung's wolf crashes through the door releasing an almighty roar. Closely behind him, the others stream in through the hole he made, in their demon forms. I watch happily as my wolf begins ripping the
guards to shreds, and a phoenix flies through the air, causing fire to shoot up in its wake. Sam stands at the back of the rest of my guys, with his eyes closed and his hands joined in front of him like he’s praying. I don’t have long to be confused about what he’s doing, when the guards that I’m pretty sure were dead begin to stream into the room, attacking their own people.

  The next to catch my eyes are D and Lucien, as they shift to their demon forms, and flap their massive wings to hover in the air. Different colored smoke begins to drift from the guards, heading for them, only for them to breath it in, causing the guards to drop one by one. Beside them, Aiden shift to his true form, and the sight of his griffin before me is fucking stunning. I don’t know much about the powers he has, but the beast itself looks deadly, as its sharp claws begin cutting guards in half.

  I scan my eyes around, looking for the last of my mates, and my heart rises into my throat when I can’t find Gale anywhere. I’m beginning to panic, at the thought of him dead somewhere in one of the many corridors, when I feel hands on my face. I look around wildly, trying to figure out who the fuck is touching me, when I hear his voice. “Shh babygirl, it’s me. Remember your lessons with Sam about what each of us can do, and things will start to make sense. Now, I need you to act like you can’t feel me, I’m going to try and deal with the guards closest to us, and then I’m going to get you out of these fucking chains. Just know that even if it looks like we are losing, we know what we’re doing, we have a plan. I love you, babygirl. Please hang tight for us.”