A VERY DARK tale (#Wattys2016)

Chapter 39

My own heart sunk deeper, but it was not because of fear. It was of recognition. I raised my hand willing for the object that Oengus threw to miss its aim, and spun around myself. It was a small army knife, and as it reached the windshield, it bounced back and successfully flew straight to my hand. I grabbed the knife on the move, feeling as the blade scratched my skin.

The car's brake screeched to a stop, but nobody moved. I closed the knife, glaring at Oengus.

"What the hell, Stacy Ann?" he glared back.

I squeezed my fist tight holding my blood from spilling on the ground and headed to the car.

"Since when are you defending fera?" he asked me mused.

"Since the moment when I recognized him as mine," I replied not turning to look at him.

"What do you mean yours?" he stirred to walked after me.

A few more cars were coming this way. I could hear the noise approaching. This time, my senses flared and what I could remotely call panic, chilled me from inside. It seemed that Oengus sensed the same thing and wordlessly followed me to the car.

I opened the passenger side and jumped on the seat shutting the door. With a scowl, Oengus opened the back door and hopped into the middle, sitting right behind me. Astus coldly glanced at him into the rearview mirror and pressed the gas pedal to the floor, speeding away.

"Astus," I purred, amazed at my own happiness at seeing the loyalty of my fera.

"Mistress," he purred back.

"Oh, I see what is going on here," Oengus piped up. "You stole one of my subjects, successfully employing Astus under your beginning."

I shrugged my shoulders. "He recognized me as his patron. What could I do? Tell his fera that I wasn't interested. Besides, my inner guidance kind of connected with him."

After a few moments of silence, Oengus made a clicking sound. I glanced at him into the side mirror, locking our gazes. "It's deeper than I thought," he uttered under his breath, and my arm shot out on its own accord, blocking him from harming Astus.

My personal shield flared to life, stinging Oengus. I fought back three of his attempts feeling anger rising in. Finally, he sat back in the seat with concern written in his eyes, rubbing his skin from the burning sensation that has left after the encounter. I rubbed my wrist too, feeling the same burning sensation. "So much deeper," he uttered and fell silent.

In four hours we arrived at a small gas station. It was one of the cheap once that had motel nearby with rooms basically smashed one into another. There was no café or diner nearby. Only two vending machines with sodas and cigarettes.

Astus parked the car by one of the gas pumps and wordlessly stepped outside to fill up the tank. He shut the door behind him and headed for a small kiosk. I watched his retrieving back until he reached the kiosk's door.

"We should get out of here," Oengus hissed through his teeth.

"Why?" I asked calmly glancing at him through the side mirror.

"He took the ignition key with him," he replied knowingly.

"But he is my subordinate," I insisted.

"But he is also a fiend," he bickered back.

"And who do you think I am?" I turned my head and looked at him straight into the eyes.

"You're partially me and partially a spirit."

"And who are you?" My eyebrow cocked.

"Beelzebub?" he offered. "The Prince of Damned. The soul collector."