Taken

I Meet...

Before I could break free, we were sucked into the portal's shadowy depths. When everyone landed, Damon grabbed me from Zaen. Exhausted from my long day and feeling slightly sick from the portal, If not for Damon supporting me, I'd have fallen flat on my face. "I forget how hard portals can be on humans. Sorry about that." Damon whispered apologetically. I shrugged, too tired too come up with a sarcastic response. "Alright, new arrivals this way. One at a time, you know the drill." The voice echoed off the stone walls, and the realization sunk in that we were underground. Stone columns lined either side of the passage, which lead to two giant doors. The doors themselves were made of a black wood, with intricate designs carved into each door. Each design was dyed with a stained blood red. As Damon and I were last in line, I watched as one by one, the wolves and their prizes went in through the doors. Too soon, it was our turn. "Damon Ravenwing, this way please." I had yet to identify the speaker of the voice which had been echoing around the room, but there didn't seem to be anyone else in the room except for Damon and I. Damon led me down the hall and before the doors shut; he whispered, " Be strong, *nee anata*." With a final boom, the doors closed behind us like a tomb being sealed shut.

*nee anata*: my darling in Japanese :)

"Welcome back, my raven warrior." The voice slid out of the shadows like a serpent, and sounded like grave soil being poured into the grave. "Let's have some light, as I'm interested to see what you've brought." I shuddered to my very bones at having to meet this creep face to face. A sharp clap and lights of burning red flame flared to life instantly. What I saw surprised me, for a seemingly ordinary man sat on a blood red throne made out of human skeletons. The man himself seemed to be cloaked in living shadow that contrasted with his almost white skin. His eyes were twin blood rubies, with shaggy hair that was so dark a black it looked almost blue in the firelight. Two fangs peeked out from beneath his top lip as he half- smirked at my awed expression. ' Wow, just wow.' Damon cleared his throat, breaking the trance I was in. "My lord, I have brought the mortal girl, Claire to be my new mistress." ' Wait, What?! Lord? Mistress?! The he- ohmygod, if Damon's a demon that means that this dude is actually the King of Hell, Lucifer himself!!!''

'I must say, for a mortal female, she is quite lovely." Lucifer's voice broke into my thoughts. I dimly heard Damon respond, "Yes,my lord, she's also quite special to me. She has the marital marks." My mind flashed to the tattoos I had woken up with that Saturday. 'Those are marital marks?, for demons?' I couldn't understand why demons would need to find "the One". I almost giggled at the thought of it. Almost. I was startled out of my thoughts when Lucifer asked me, " So little *âme perdue, where did you two meet?" "Well, he showed up in Dane, at my religious highschool on Halloween." Upon hearing that my school was religious, Lucifer let out a harsh laugh. "Dane, huh? Last time I was there was to crush the living daylights out of it. Remember, Damon, I believe you were the commanding officer for that raid." I stiffened, stunned. "Yes my lord, my group were the front lines in the attack on Dane." Damon smoothly replied. "My lord, if I may say so, but it has been quite an eventful day for the mortal, and I still have much to do." Lucifer calmy flicked his eyes over to me before replying,"Yes, she does seem quite fatigued. It would be a shame to break such stong spirit before the time is right. You may go, my raven one." Damon lead me away towards a door that was half hidden by shadows, and I numbly followed him, my head whirling with everything I had been through in the past 24 hours.

 *âme perdue: 'lost soul' in French