Never Enough Time | Huskerdust

Chap 36 - Enough

Valentino holds me in his hands when I wake up. There's a pounding in my head so I sub my temples.

"I'm glad you're okay, amorcito, you took a hard fall." Valentino rubs my shoulders, soothing my aching muscles.

I blink before pulling my shoulders away from him "I'm fine. Leave me alone." Valentino growls, pulling me closer to him.

"What's wrong with you?" Valentino pulled me up with one of my arms, getting close enough that our breaths mingle.

"Why are you touching me? Where are the others?" The last thing I remember is planning our fight against the angels... "What am I doing here?"

Valentino blinks, "What do you remember?" When I blink in confusion, he roars, "Adam!" The leader of exorcists sits nearby on a couch eating a snack, boredom clear on his face.

"What?" Adam's annoyance is obvious as is Valentino's anger.

"I thought you said the machine would make people forget things!" Valentino rushes toward Adam, wrapping his long fingers round Adam's throat. "You lied to me."

Adam snarls, his raw, golden power flowing, shoving Valentino off of him, "Don't you dare accuse me of fucking lying, you bitch. The only reason you're still alive is because of me." Valentino bears his teeth, letting go of the angel.

"Fine, but that doesn't change the fact that he knows."

Adam would never admit when he was wrong or out of knowledge, and neither would Valentino so they both just stare each other down.

I watch the two glare at each other and also watch as they don't notice the door open to Sera. I draw back from her when she takes a step towards me, then looks at the two who are frozen in place, not daring to loose eye contact in their mental battle. Sera sighs, rubbing her temples in frustration before looking at me. She looks me up and down with a disapproving look and I glare at her. She just raises a brow and says, "What are you still doing here? Shouldn't you be out at the show?" Her posh accent is foggily familiar but I can't place where I heard it before. When I don't answer, her eyebrows furrow before her eyes widen into shock, "Oh, you're remembering." She mutters to herself, "That was faster than it was supposed to." She side eyes me and I scoff. She turns to the two men, "Stop arguing and get out there, you're supposed to be talking to everyone."

Valentino and Adam both turn to us. Valentino watches me out of the corner of his eye while Adam scoffs, "Please, I was just heading out. This motherfucker—" Sera death glares the angel, "—doesn't understand why the beams aren't working anymore."

The Seraphim rolls her eyes, "You didn't know either." She pauses before continuing, "The beams only make people forget for a short time, hence the reason you had to keep using it. The machine is still a prototype and we're testing it." She shrugs as if it were obvious.

"So it doesn't work anymore?" Valentino growls.

"No, it still works, just not as well on him—" She jabs a finger in my direction and cross my arms in annoyance, "—but it will still make him forgetful, just not to the full extent."

Valentino sneers, "So what's the point of having it?"

Sera thinks for a moment before continuing, "It's useful to have the others forget and since your so set that Anthony is by your side instead of in a cage or dead, it doesn't matter what he remembers as long as he keeps his mouth shut."

I clench my fists, "Which he won't," I snap. I'm tired of them talking like I'm not here. Sera's head snaps towards me and I stare at her with the same intensity she gives me, "I'm not going to stay fuckin' silent, you do know that, right?"

Adam begins to speak but Valentino cuts him off, a smirk forming on his lips, "Oh, I won't have to worry about him keeping quiet. He'll shut up if he thinks that his new little family's in danger," Sera and Adam share a confused glance, "not when his lover is in my prison on the brink of death."

I seethe in anger as I watch his smirk turn to an all out grin of pure evil, "You wouldn't dare. He's stronger than you."

Every step he takes closer is a step I take back until I'm against the wall and he's caressing my face with a soft hand, "Is he?"

...

"Oh, shit," Adam laughs when the doors to Husk's cell open to his bloodied state: his left wing torn off and his right dislocated in a way that can't be fixable by his healing alone. He's covered in bruises and claw marks, Angelic Iron burned through his fur and right into his face. Husk hardly moves when the doors opens, his golden eyes dull and drowsy.

"Husk!" I cry out, trying to move towards him, but Valentino holds me back by my hair.

"Who's the more powerful one now?" My eyes blur with tears, makeup washing away with them. Adam's laugh echos in my head while Husk continues to bleed out, his healing not fast enough for his wounds. The white room is stained with his blood and I choke out a sob.

"Why?" When Valentino doesn't answer I shout again, "WHY? Why would you do this?" Valentino holds me in his arms and I'm too weak to pull away.

"Because you're mine, Angel Dust. Mine."

Suddenly, it's not sorrow I feel, it's pure anger. I stagger away from him, webs crawling out from my feet, "Does it make you feel proud that you beat him with the help of a machine and not by yourself? Does it feel good to know that by hurting him you hurt me too?"

Valentino's eyes shine with frustration before it settles and changes to a sly smile that makes me regret my words, "Oh, my dear Anthony," He takes a step towards me and I take a step back, almost tripping over Husk and the blood— oh, the blood— I think I'm going to be sick, "I've never cared about you. You're amazing in bed and you always abide to my commands. That's why I did this. You're the best in the business. Being able to sneak around without being noticed, having an eye for beauty, and always succumbing to my will because you think I love you, ha!" Fear sparks in my eyes before I can control it but he notices. "But don't worry, I'll love you better than this freak."

"I don't want your love, asshole!" The webs crawl towards Valentino but he quickly shoos them away with his smoke.

"Oh, I know."

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A/N: Oh, shit- Fuck Valentino, man.

Word Count: 1,138