Of Feathers and Fire - Book 2

Chapter 13

Willow's POV

I lay on something hard and cold, almost like metal but it was soft. My head hurt from the blow and I thought that maybe this could be death.

Maybe I met my peace with falling? But I don't remember slipping?

I pried my eyes open to see a faint light coming through the ceiling and then I gently sat up. I felt lighter and then the pain hit me like a runaway train, I looked around me and saw blood everywhere.

I couldn't feel my wings and I reached over and felt holes, deep wet warm holes where they used to be and then it hit me, they have been cut.

I let out a screeching cry and the tears started flowing freely from my eyes. The anger bubbled and toiled and licked my skin.

The pain and the anger all mixed together and I felt the one thing I thought I would never feel...evil.

I reached for my mark and it was ice cold, did they kill Hunter? Then I remembered how I had slapped him across his face and I felt myself grow paler.

''Hunter...'' I breathed out and I supressed the pain in my back and with shaky hands I reached up and felt my horns, they were thankfully there.

I stood up and looked around, a small toilet and basin and a door. It looked worse than a prison cell and the smell, don't get me started on that.

''Lady...'' a heard someone say as I heard sniffing in the distance

I stood still and couldn't make out the voice, it was foreign

''Lady your bleeding'' the voice said again

I could feel the blood pooling around my feet, I hadn't even noticed

''Yes it appears so'' I said biting my lower lip

''Phoenix?'' he questioned

''How did you know that?'' I asked worriedly

''My dear I have eaten one before'' he said ''but not by choice''

I pulled my nose

''My father was cruel, shot one down many many years ago and called me over to finish him off, needless to say I landed up here serving the black market''

'''Sold into slavery?'' I questioned

''Yes ma'am'' he answered ''I clean up the messes in the cells, see to any creatures pleasures to inflict pain and suffering to keep them strong and...''

''And?''

''And I feed the prisoners'' he continued ''so if you don't mind ma'am I need to come in and clean the blood''

I backed up into a corner and turned my face away from the door

''Yes'' I answered in almost a hush tone

I heard the door start to unlock and open

''don't try and run'' he said softly ''the guards wouldn't hesitate to kill you''

I heard him step in and heard his claws tap the floor with every step. I was too curious for my own good and turned to see a man, well what was left of one, his lower half was that of a wolf and the top that of a man. He stood tall and he had slashes all over his bare torso and his legs had gashes in them.

''I'm a half breed ma'am'' he said with a smile

I looked up at his face, there was a scar covering his face running from the middle of his forehead across his eye and down past his lip. He had a few scars on his neck and his arms over covered in scars.

I couldn't help myself, I reached up to his face and he pulled away without hesitation

''I'm sorry mam but no one can touch me'' he sighed and then I noticed the collar around his neck ''I can only be touched if you wish you inflict pain''

I saw horror flash in front of his eyes and then he sighed

I retreated my hand to my side

''Willow'' I said lowly

''Keenan'' he said with a vibration

I started at him and him at me

''Ma'am can I clean your wounds?'' he finally said breaking the ice

I turned away and waited for the pain but then I felt something else, I felt him running his tongue along the holes and then a few times inside. I felt sick and disgusted but I could feel my skin starting to close, I felt it tightening.

''All done'' he said proudly

''Thank you'' I said softly

''I best clean the floors'' he said and took the mop from outside the door and brought it into the room

''You licked me'' I said turning my nose up

''That is how we heal ma'am'' he said moping ''we can never get sick or spread disease from one to another''

I guess I felt a little better

''Keenan'' I said softly ''why don't you fight back?''

His muscles tensed and then relaxed

''Pain is pain Willow'' he said staring straight into my eyes, his eyes were a light brown colour that matched his hair ''you got to get along with it in here''

I sighed and retreated back to my corner. He was done and I heard him walk out and the door close and lock, I slouched into the wall and cried. I cried so much.

''Hunter...'' I said through my sobs ''I love you''