Feathers and Blood (boyxboy)

Chapter Nine

The first time I awoke, I found myself in a very annoying cell even smaller than my room in Phobos' palace. I was alone. The second time, I was still in the cell, but I could hear voices hovering over me, snarling and hissing. It didn't sound very human, but sleep overtook me before I was able to hear what they were saying. The third time I woke, I was being dumped on the floor of what I gathered was Johanna's throne room.

"Ooh, joy!" she squealed as I scrambled to my knees. She was seated on a majestic bronze chair that fit in well with the red and black tones of the great room. "And here I was, thinking you would never wake up!"

I moaned in protest; my head hurt so much, as did my neck. I tried to remember what had happened before I was thrown here. Aaron had bitten me...

Two demon guards (one male and one female) rushed forward and forced me to my feet, ignoring my protests. As I shouldered away from them, I locked eyes with Johanna of Envy for the first time. She was pretty, with honey colored skin and green eyes. Her hair looked like it was on fire - no, it was fire. That was the attribute she had that made her a demon, I realized. She was fairly tall and was well-curved, but I noticed she wasn't especially beautiful. There was something she was lacking, although I couldn't quite place it. And it had nothing to do with the fact that she was missing a particular piece of anatomy for my tastes. Despite the hair, she just wasn't... striking.

"What am I doing here?" I asked hoarsely, making her grin.

"The war's about to start, silly!" Johanna replied. "I can't have my little brother at full strength; I had to weaken him somehow."

I groaned in frustration. "What is it with you demons?" I snapped. "Phobos doesn't care about me! He's just using me, he doesn't actually like me! And I hate him. We're not in love or anything!"

Johanna scoffed. "Oh please, do you expect me to believe that? After everything he did for you?"

"He didn't do anything!" I shouted. "I'm even started to wish he'd left me in Hell."

The male guard next to me quickly stepped forward. He was young and handsome, with long blond hair, but something about him made me distrust him especially. "My Queen, Aaron informed us about Jesse Libélula and his memory loss, remember? Phobos took it away for some reason or another."

I froze. Phobos did what? But Johanna only sniffed in disdain. "Still, there's no need for the little cockroach to be ungrateful, Antias. He deserves... punishment."

Her words didn't even register. "Hold on," I blustered. "Phobos didn't take my memory. He said he had no idea..."

The female guard laughed. "Well he lied, little cockroach," she purred. "The Shadow is known for his lies, especially concerning his long list of boy toys." Her green eyes glittered malevolently, and I noticed they weren't human shaped at all; they looked like those of a cat.

"Nemesis," Antias warned. "The list isn't that long. It's only been going on since... the Trojan War." They both burst out laughing like total jerks.

I couldn't even bring myself to be angry at Phobos. If anything, my hatred for him now felt justified. Yet at the same time, I didn't like Johanna any better, and at least I felt safe in the Ring of Fear.

"Jesse?" Johanna asked softly. "You must be shocked. Do you want to know what happened when you were alive? I can tell you... Jess? Sweetie?"

Something in me clicked. No one ever called me Jess, no one except -

"My name is Jesse," I snarled. "And no, I don't want to listen to your lies."

Johanna's face darkened. "Fine," she hissed. "And here I was, trying to be nice to you. Antias, take him back to his  prison cell."