Eddie had expected Richie to walk back in, but he was unfortunately met with the pair that had taken him the night before. As much as he hated every single Tenebrian he'd come in contact with, Eddie really wished it was Richie with him instead. Somehow he seemed less evil and hostile than the other Tenebrians.
The one that Eddie recognized as Patrick kneeled in front of him, a sinister smile on his face. "We hear you haven't been in the mood for talking," he said in a dark voice, running his fingers up Eddie's arm and resting his hand on the back of his neck.
"Do not fucking touch me," Eddie snapped, trying to pull away.
It had nothing to do with Patrick being a Tenebrian and more so to do with the feeling of unease Eddie got whenever Patrick and Henry were alone with him. He figured they were closer to the Tenebrian description he'd been given in Luceat: hostile, dangerous, and deadly.
"Hm, you shouldn't talk to us like that," Henry said, pulling a switchblade out of his pocket and handing it to Patrick, who exposed the blade and pressed the flag of the metal to the side of Eddie's neck.
"Do you know what it's like to live with a spade on your arm, Luci?" Patrick asked, and Eddie shook his head, eyes screwed shut. "Well, it sucks. Very few rights, and people like you make rules for us without ever considering that we're living people, too. How'd you like a taste of your own medicine?"
Eddie opened his eyes at that, giving Patrick a questioning look, his fear also obvious. He was too terrified to speak, and he felt Patrick reaching for his arms, cutting them out of their binds.
He grabbed Eddie's arm, the one with the arrow, and smiled at it after he'd unwrapped the bandaged surrounding it. "Let's make this mark a spade. What do you say, Luci?"
Eddie did not want to feel another knife in his arm. Before he could think of the consequences, he slammed his foot into Patrick's groin and scampered to the back of the room.
Patrick groaned in pain, and Eddie could hear footsteps coming toward him. He hid under a table but it wasn't long before a hand grabbed him and slammed him to the top of the table.
Eddie's eyes met Henry's, which were narrowed in anger and hatred.
"We were going to ask our questions and leave, but I think that's a little too easy," Henry growled, grabbing Eddie's neck so tightly that there would be bruises left behind.
Henry took out his blade and pulled up Eddie's shirt. "You're going to be marked as one of us and you're going to know what it's like to feel like an outsider," he snarled, lowering the tip of the knife to Eddie's chest.
Eddie screamed loudly, tears streaming down his face, but he was silenced seconds later by Patrick, who shoved the old rope in his mouth. It made Eddie's jaw ache, but nothing compared to the horrid feeling of the knife touching the soft skin of his stomach.
This time it was even worse though, because there was no Richie to come save him. He was sobbing and crying, struggling even more when he felt the blade cut into his skin. His throat was raw from screaming into the rope.
"Shut up you fucking slut, or I'll make it even deeper," Henry hissed, pushing the knife even further to prove his point.
Eddie sobbed into the rope but tried to be quieter. He felt his head getting fuzzy because of the pain, and he could've sworn that someone else ran into the room, yelling. It wasn't until the knife was pulled away that Eddie realized that there was someone else in there with him.
At first he panicked, terrified it was someone else to come hurt him, but the angry yells made him somewhat hopeful. His mind cleared up and everything came back into focus enough for Eddie to see that Richie was standing in front of him, yelling at Henry and Patrick.
"He's ours! We caught him!" Patrick yelled, but stayed at a distance from Richie.
"So what?! He's here and that means he belongs to Tenebris! Donald has said he's to come with us, so back the fuck up!" Richie shouted back, despite being smaller than both Henry and Patrick.
Eddie had no clue why Richie thought he could protect him, especially since the other two looked livid and were a lot bigger.
"I was told to get information!" Henry snarled, holding his knife and pointing it at Eddie. "Let me do my fucking job."
Richie held up his own knife, and Eddie was surprised to see Patrick and Henry back away, cowering at the sight.
"You both know I'm the best hunter in all of Tenebris. If you don't leave now, I can slit both of your throats at once from thirty feet away. You know I can, so get out of here," Richie said, watching the other two exchange a glance before running out of the room.
Eddie whimpered when Richie turned around, clearly scared of him. "It hurts," he whispered, referring to the cut on his stomach.
"Shh, I know," Richie murmured in response, cleaning the wound. It would leave a scar in the center of his stomach for sure, but Eddie would be okay.
Eddie knew well enough that Richie wanted to actually help him, so he didn't try to say anything snappy or aggressive while Richie worked. After he finished, Eddie expected to be tied up again, but Richie led him out of the room he'd been trapped in for the last day.
He was seated at the table, Bev and Stan from the night before sitting across from him and glaring menacingly.
"Here, eat," Richie said, sliding Eddie a plate of fish and bread.
Eddie knew that this must be more than what they had most nights, so he accepted gratefully, thanking Richie and the other two for the meal, all of whom looked surprised.
"Have you eaten?" Eddie asked, looking over to Richie who, even sitting, towered nearly six inches over him.
"Growing to care about me Eds?" Richie asked, nudging Eddie gently. He was smiling, but it quickly fell when he noticed Bev and Stan shooting him confused and annoyed looks.
"No, I just feel bad if I'm taking your food since you don't have much anyway," Eddie mumbled, not making eye contact. If it was just him and Richie he may have rolled his eyes or scoffed, but with Bev and Stan around, he felt like a cornered animal.
"Finish up, would you?" Bev snarled, tossing Richie a piece of cloth. "Gag him when he's done so we can get going."
Eddie looked up at Richie. "Where're you taking me?" he asked nervously.
Richie glanced around the room and saw Patrick and Henry sharpening their knives and packing their bags. They kept looking over at Eddie with menacing looks, so he grabbed Eddie's arm, showing the pair he wasn't leaving him alone.
Bev caught his eye and gave him a look. They'd know each other long enough that they could speak with their eyes.
"Don't get attached. He's not one of us," Bev's expression spoke as she grabbed her bag.
"Let's go, Lucantian," Richie said flatly, not meeting Eddie's eyes.
