Angel of the Damned

AotD - 15

No wonder my father liked you.  You're different.

“Can you get me out of here?” Ebony asked.  Suddenly back in reality she gasped and saw a young boy standing at the doorway.  Ebony sat up straighter and smiled.  Elijah stood and left. She waved the boy in and he stayed in the doorway. "I won't hurt you," she said. "Come in."

The boy's face erupted into a smile and he turned a bright red color. "I never expected the Goddess to deam me important enough to speak with.”

Ebony smiled and motioned him in again.  He entered and sat down beside her.  “Tell me about the Goddess,” she instructed.

He looked confused.  “You do not know about yourself?”

Ebony shook her head and laughed softly.  She reached up and tapped the wrap around her head, offering the boy a gentle smile. “I hit my head, I don’t remember things as well as I should.  Can you fill in the gaps in my memory?”

"Of course," the boy said. "It was prophesied that a black haired, silver eyed Goddess would be found amongst the lava fields and that she would release us from our bodily forms and take us with her to heaven.  The descriptions vary, but they all agree that she would be very beautiful with black hair and silver eyes."

Ebony began to process what she had just heard but six words seemed to stick out.  They ran through her head constantly, release us from our bodily form.  The words brought a chill to her spine and she looked to the boy. "How am I supposed to release you?"

The boy reached into his pouch and withdrew a short rock dagger.  He rubbed the blade between his fingers and smiled. "You are going to bleed us dry from the throat.  How hard did you hit your head?"

Ebony forced her response out, "Pretty hard." Her mind raced for a way to get out of this but it all relied on her ability to walk.

How about you let me out?  I'll get us out of here. Mercy said.

Go away damned whore, you're the reason we're in this mess. Ebony retorted and mentally shoved her vampiric side as far back as she could.  But she continued to pester, over taking Ebony's thought processes and babbling on anything except how to get out. I said go way!

You know, I quite enjoyed Gabriel, where is he?  He was a fighter. Mercy made images of Gabriel's bloody, broken body flash in Ebony's mind.  She began to feel the hot, sticky blood on her hands.   She shook her head clear of the thoughts and the stickiness vanished.

Shut up and get out!

Make me. Mercy sneered but thankfully went silent.  

Ebony could practically imagine her vampire side sticking her tongue out and striding away.

"Are you alright?" the boy asked.  Ebony realized she had become tense with her jaw set and her fists clenched.  She quickly relaxed, hoping to pass it off but knew it wouldn't work.  The boy lifted the wrap from her head and ran his finger over a tender area of her skin.  Having not seen her face since she woke up, Ebony assumed he was tracing the wound.  He smiled as he lowered his hand and cringed as a slit appeared on his forehead, blood sliding down it.  Ebony reached up and felt smooth skin under her fingers.

“You shouldn’t have done that,” she said.

He shrugged.“The goddess shouldn’t have a scar to mark her face.  It’s unsightly and you’re too pretty to have one,” the boy said.  He looked down for a moment and ran his thumb over the edge of his dagger, biting the corner of his lip nervously.

“What is it?” Ebony asked.

He looked up at her, his face shocked. “I, I was just wondering,” he said and then looked down, too embarrassed to speak.  His cheeks flushed red.

“Wondering what?” Ebony asked tentatively.

“I was wondering if you would release me now,” he mumbled and held the dagger out to her.

Ebony stared at the proffered stone dagger.  The edges stained red with and the intricate rope work that made up the hilt spattered in blood.  It was a short dagger, not very long, maybe three or four inches but it would definitely get the job done.

I’ll do it! Mercy shouted giddy.  Ebony felt the control of her hands and arms slip and she instantly tried to regain control.  Before she could regain control, her arms, acting seemingly of their own accord, snatched up the dagger.  Once she had the dagger, Ebony finally reasserted full control over all extremities.

“I couldn’t,” she said and went to give the dagger back.  The boy’s hands snatched the her hand that contained the dagger and drew it across his throat.  The sharp edge slicing easily through his skin and his blood sprayed across her face.  He smiled before collapsing, blood gushing endlessly from his neck.  Ebony cried out in shock, dropping the knife and pushing away from the body.

You know, I am kind of hungry. Mercy tried to reassure control and Ebony snapped her control down moments before Mercy gained control.

No! Ebony asserted.

You know, I won’t wilt away to nothing. I am not going away. Mercy said.

Ebony looked to the door and saw Elijah standing there, holding her rosary and a wrapped twisted wooden staff.  He walked over to her and knelt down, picking up the shoes.  He slipped her feet into them and quickly laced them up.  Ebony slipped the rosary around her neck and took the staff in a weak grip.  Elijah took her and led her out of the room.