Angel's Weren't Meant To Be Slaves. Welcome To Hell, Master. *Completed*

[51] This Can Never Be

*Victoria’s P.O.V.*

And so I watched.

I watched as the man that I had started to grow deep feelings for was given 50 lashes across the back. On the outside I looked collected and emotionless, you could even say that I was indifferent or perhaps even satisfied with the work being done. But not so deep on the inside I was hurting. I had thought that I was done with him the day I left his home but seeing him here again sparked something within me. It hurt me to see him hurt.

My father had told me that it would be my job to keep him alive until the prophecy but that I was able to inflict as much pain on him that I wished. As part of my own personal revenge of course.

But I couldn’t do it.

As soon as the Haedus demon finished its work, it bowed to me and wordlessly left the room and closed the door behind it, engulfing us in silence. You couldn’t hear the screams from here.

Keegan had been cuffed at the wrists and made to stand facing the jagged rock wall with his arms spread out to the sides and chained to the wall. It had been better this way… I couldn’t see his face as it contorted with pain in every lashing that ripped a yell or grunt of pain from his throat.

Instead, I could see all of the damage that I had done to him. He was bare from the waist up except for the large welts, cuts and blood that now covered every inch of skin I could see. Instead of inflicting more pain onto him, I was torturing myself…

It looked as if he could barely keep himself up on his feet as he leaned against the wall and his head hung to the side in exhaustion.

My footsteps echoed throughout the small holding room as I walked towards him. Reaching forward I gently ran my fingertips across the side of his back that wasn’t cut up. His breathing was rough and sounded labored but he was still able to flinch away from my touch. I don’t blame him though. He knows the true purpose of my touch and that I no longer wore the collar. My touch is not meant for anything good….

“Shhhh…” I tried to calm him in my most soft and soothing voice, “I am here to take care of you. You need not worry… Just relax.”

As if my words were enough to calm him and make him trust me, he didn’t flinch away when I reached out to him again. This time, I ran my fingers up the side of his back, watching out for his cuts and letting them trail down his arms to the cuffs. Opening them, I held on to his wrist and gently brought it back down to his side, as I’m sure it must be stiff and sore from being forced up in that position for so long.

“Do you think you will be able to stand? I’ll undo the other cuff and there is a small bed just to your left waiting for you…”

After he nodded, I quickly did the same to his other side; smiling a bit as I felt his muscles relax under my touch just ever so slightly. When the cuff was removed, I half expected his knees to give out beneath him and have him drop to his knees. But instead he held his own and let me guide him to the bed and slowly laid face down on the thin mattress. I had to admit that I admired his strength.

A bowl of cool water and a pile of washrags had been placed beside the door. Keegan had passed out as soon as his body hit the bed and his muscles mostly relaxed. Quickly going over to grab the bowl and bring it closer to him, I got started on cleaning his wounds and watching over the Angel Hunter who still somehow had my heart.

***

It wasn’t until a full day had passed and night began to fall once more before Keegan finally awoke again. I had stayed with him the whole time, but I would never tell him that…