Barely An Angel (Completed)

10~ In Due Time

It was midnight. The cold, silent atmosphere and the dim glow of fluorescent street lights were my only company as I tried to find my way back home. I had no idea where I was; where Demeille had brought me; but I could tell that it was somewhere in the industrial district. Tall buildings loomed overhead, taunting me, creating a maze that I could not find my way out of.

I had a piercing headache that made my head throb as I tried to find my way. While it wasn't as bad as it was before, it still made it hard to focus on where I was going. My head also felt foggy to the point where I could barely think at all, and my throat burned as though I had swallowed hot coal. It's a wonder I was able to escape from Adrien and Demeille in this state while leaving both of them unconscious. Of course, it was easier now that I'm a blackeye. The memories replayed themselves in my head, forever burned into my brain.

"There you go, that wasn't so bad, was it?" Adrien asked mockingly. I glared at him, rage bubbling up inside me.

"I can't believe you did this to me! I knew you two were terrible monsters, but I never thought you'd stoop this low," I spat. "I mean, what would your father think, Demeille?"

He laughed. "It was partly his idea," he said matter-of-factly.

Appalled, my mouth dropped open. I could still feel my rage, gurgling like lava now, building up until I was able to free my hands from the rope with which they were crudely tied and grab the chair out from under me, swinging it over my head to smack Adrien in the face. He fell to the ground, motionless. Demeille started after me, and I had to think fast because he was one step away, so I swung the chair upwards towards his jaw. It connected with a crisp thwack and his eyes widened in surprise before he, too, crumpled on the floor. I smirked to myself, thinking that the only benefit of being...a blackeye...was that I got to beat those two up.

I had no idea what being a blackeye meant for my angel DNA. I didn't really feel it anymore; I felt as though there was indeed a piece of myself that was missing. I continued to wander aimlessly through the maze of steel and brick buildings, hoping it would clear the fog in my head and bring some semblance of a normal feeling back. It was no use; in fact, it seemed like the fog was getting worse. But then I smelled it. Blood.

My head instantly cleared as I raised my nose to get a better sense of which direction the smell was coming from. When I got another whiff, I snapped my head in that direction and began walking towards it. My throat still burned, which I could only assume meant that I was going to die of bloodthirst if I didn't drink any soon.

The scent lead me to an alley, in which I could see a faint outline of someone. But it wasn't Demeille or Adrien; I was sure of that, as this person was much taller, and more muscular, from what I could tell. Still, I was a little cautious as I neared them, but aware that if I were to be in danger, I could easily outrun them.

"I know what you're smellin," the person's gravelly voice sounded as I was only five feet away from them. "It's not safe to follow that scent, not right now, anyways."

Shocked that this man felt the need to say something, I scoffed. "Yeah, and what makes you so sure that I couldn't defend myself if the occasion presented itself?"

He chuckled heartily. I was close enough to him now to see that he had a full beard and was wearing a black leather vest with worn-out jeans. "You wouldn't be the first poor soul that's travelled through this alleyway, following the delicious scent of blood until they meet their doom. You are, however, the first to stop and listen to me. Everyone else just ignored me and kept on walkin."

I was still unsure if I could trust this guy. "What's your name?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at him. With the faint glow of nearby streetlights I could see him smirk slightly.

"The name's Demitri. What about yourself?"

"I'm Ramona," I replied. "So, Demitri, how do I know that you're not driving me away from that scent just so you can have a kill all your own?"

He sighed. "Because it's a trap. There's a local gang, they call themselves the Fantom Fangs, real stupid if ya ask me. Anyways, they set up a trap every now and again using blood to entice any unsuspecting, thirsty blackeyes such as yourself, which I'm assuming you are, to come to their hideout so they can recruit you to their gang. It's been happening a lot lately, I hear they been tryin' to boost their numbers."

"Yeah, I'm a...blackeye," I told him, swallowing hard.

He smiled knowingly. "Newly turned, I'm guessing?" I nodded. "Yeah, it can be hard to adjust to a new lifestyle, that's for sure."

I changed the subject. "So, how do you know so much about what the gang does?"

He got a faraway look in his eyes; a sadness. "Because it happened to me and...a very dear friend of mine. He...didn't make it out."

"But you did," I stated. "How did he not escape? Did they kill him?"

He shook his head. "No, no, they've got this whole system, y'see. One of their upper-ranking vampires has the ability to clear someone's mind and plant any memories they want. That's what happened to my friend, Haze. I went after him because he followed that very same scent you were followin', and by the time I got there, he thought he was a full-blown member of the Fantom Fangs and had no idea who I was. In fact, he almost turned me in, but I escaped just in time."

"How did you escape?" I asked, genuinely curious.

Demitri shook his head. "That's a story for another time. I've already talked your ear off enough."

"No, it's totally fine. I don't mind," I assured him. "So, the reason you're here is to make sure the same thing doesn't happen to others?"

"Yeah, it is," he smiled. "The leader of the Fangs, Anton, he's ruthless. He'll go to any length to do any damage he can. Which is a wonder in itself, seein' as how nobody's actually seen his face, besides his few right-hand men that he sends out to do his bidding. I'm just doin what I can to save who I can. Words to live by, if you ask me."

I smiled. "I still wanna hear the story of how you escaped," I smirked.

"In due time," he chuckled. "But right now, I'm assumin' you need somethin' to take the edge off that burnin' thirst of yours?"

"How did you-," I began, my hand flying up to my throat.

He laughed. "Just a lucky guess, considerin' how you got here in the first place."

"Oh, duh," I rolled my eyes. "Know any places that won't get me brainwashed and recruited into a gang against my will?"

He smiled. "I know a few."

~

Hey guys! :) For those of you who read the first version of this story, Blade's name has been changed to Demitri. Just thought I would let you know, so that there wasn't any confusion :) Anywho, please let me know what you think in the comments, and press that little star button if you enjoyed this chapter. I'll see you in the next one!

~R.J. <3