Numen (Draft 3)

Chapter 5

I could barely remember what happened the night before because of the amount of drinks Gabe had forced down my throat, but when I awoke the next morning in my hammock, still in jewellery and a loincloth and my asshole sore, the memories rushed back. Connor had layered a bunch of blankets over me, and I pulled them closer as a chill came over me.

"Ari?"

I glanced at Connor in the swaying hammock beside me but recoiled. He had deep cuts on his forehead and face, glass in his hair, his bottom lip was cut up and his glasses were cracked.

"Connor! What happened to you!?"

"This was last night... I don't know how much you remember... After I dropped you off here, I tried to go back to grab Leo and Fern, it wasn't safe for them there, but he attacked me before I could get near. Ari- I'm so sorry..."

He broke down into tears and sobbed into a handkerchief.

"I should never have brought you to that horrible place... I should've known better. It was my fault that that happened to you and Leo... You shouldn't- Shouldn't have had to go through with any of that, why can't any of them see that you're an Angel too?! Why don't they care!?"

I took hold of the pulleys for the hammocks and lowered us both down. I pulled him straight to the bathroom and sat him on the edge of the bathtub while I rifled through his cupboards for tweezers, antiseptic, and dressings.

"Ari, I'm fine..."

Carefully I picked out glass that was still stabbed into his skin and carefully removed each shard from his hair, and then I dabbed some antiseptic on his wounds and covered them with Band-Aids. I also did the cuts on his arms and neck.

"Alright your turn..."

He carefully removed my jewellery, chains and collar and dabbed at a few wounds I'd received, but hadn't noticed, from Gabe and Leo. I had grown comfortable enough to remove the loincloth with him in the room and he silently passed me the underwear and some comfy pants we'd previously gotten from the store. He shoved a t-shirt over my head as well as a warm hoodie and helped fix my messy wings through the holes. Then, he hugged me and gave a me good and proper squeeze.

"Never again. Okay? You don't understand how sorry I am for how chaotic and horrible this week has been for you. Next time, when I can get you back, I promise it will be a week of relaxation, fun, and smiles. No more of this hell... Please forgive me..."

I hugged the old man back and felt him relax against me.

"It's not your fault. This would've happened to me either way. But thank you, for being my first friend... I'm really looking forward to 'next time'."

Connor chuckled and finally smiled at me.

"Soon. I'll get you back as soon as I can. But I really am sorry..."

"You know what you can do if you really want me to forgive you?"

"What can I do?"

"Take me out for breakfast?! I'm craving pancakes!"

He helped me up off the bathtub and opened the door.

"Pancakes it is then."

We walked down the Hub and The Golden Walkways, and again he left me unrestrained. As we exited the CT and my alert went off, he rubbed a comforting circle on my shoulder as he hobbled.

"Do you know if there's any way you can be made an Angel citizen again? Or at least only be a domestic slave and not have to do any of what you did last night..."