Forty-Four- Nox

Chapter 44

Nox

The morning after the fireworks, I awaken to the beating of wings and I look up. Twenty feet in the air, and lowering, is a griffin.

This is for Wren, a combination of two animals? C'mon, it's obvious.

“We can try to fight it, but we stand less of a chance, so, just in case I don't get he chance later, bye Wren.” I say casually. He looks at me like WTF is wrong with you?! I'm wondering the same thing. I've become almost numb since Ray was taken, the one thing that made me feel was when Jasper finally saw the truth, and kissed Bry.

The griffin lands, it's lion hind legs landing first, then the eagle fore arms. Even though it's head is an eagle's head, it roars a lion's roar. It's huge wings beat in a challenge and Wren bursts into a white lion, colliding with the black one in a storm of claws and teeth. But all too soon, Wren is being carried away in human form, and there's nothing we can do about it, especially the blood that seems to rain from a wound in his stomach, leaving a trail across the country side.

“And then there were four.” Ash whispers.

“Guys, this sounds really horrible, but why don't we follow the blood, see if we can find him?” Airborne suggests.

“I guess so.” Bry says, dejected. We set off in the direction the griffin flew. Following the drips of blood on the ground. We only travel in one direction ahhh! I love them! The whole way, so when we reach where the blood stops with no sign of a griffin or a damaged Wren, we turn back around and head back to camp, where we sit in silence, wondering who is next.

The next day is the same, silence and paranoia, when Satelles appears. This is for me.

“Bye guys, see you later.” I say, walking calmly and steadily toward him, though inside I'm begging for mercy and shaking, hoping he won't kill me. Or whip me. I hold on my wrists and he takes them and teleports away, and that's that.

We appear back in the Malum's throne room in Maine. Malum sits in the huge chair his hands pressed to his temples.

“Nox, Nox, Nox... I thought when I gave you this mission you could carry it out, not get sucked in by their happiness and rainbows. Not be deceived by love.”

“Do you even know what love is, Malum?” I spit. I was only ever permitted to call him 'sir' or 'master' but he is no longer my master. Satelles holds my hand behind my back, restraining me. “Love is something that can defeat you.”

“Sure, sure...” Malum says, picking at his cuticles. I struggle against Satelles, and my hair falls into my eyes. He twists my arms to the point just before breaking, and I cry out.

“Master, maybe the whip will remind him of what he was trained. OR maybe our newest addition...?” Satelles sneers.

“Oh! Yes! Yes!” Malum claps like a little boy getting a puppy. “Bellum, please come here.” Black double doors swing open and I look up.

Ray stands in them, her eyes glassy, clothed in black, and a gun in her hand.

“Please don't call me that.” She says in a robotic voice. Even brainwashed, she's defiant.

“Do you have Nox's personal whip?” At my name her fingers jerk, and her eyes focus for a second, then glaze over again.

“Yes Master.”

“Release him Satelles.” Satelles does as he's told, but not before twisting my left arm further, it snaps like a twig, and I roar in pain, the arm dangling at my side like a scarf, useless.

I'm a lefty. F**k.

“Whip him 100 times Bellum.”

“Don't call me that. And of course, sir.” Ray says, walking toward me woodenly. She takes off my shirt which jostles my broken arm and I cry out. She stands in front of me, so I can see what she does. I tremble on the floor. I thought I had escaped this. This is in my dreams almost every night, the torture. The pain.

She brings the whip down on my flesh and I groan loudly. Her arm twitches and she drops the whip, then picks it up again, and shakily hits me again, cutting a new scar on my back, which is criss-crossed hundreds of times by white lines.

“Count.” She demands. She hits me again, I arch my back, practically screaming 'three'. Tears are streaming own her face, and her eyes switch from glassy to focused back and forth, and the whip shakes so much she can barely control it.

“Four.” I groan as she brings it down again. This goes on until 82, where I pass out from blood loss and pain, but she continues, still crying, the brainwashed part of her unsure why.

I come to at 167, Malum must have told her to keep going. Malum and Satelles are no longer with us, we have been moved to my old room. It is dark now, and she is going incredibly slow, “Ray.” I moan, “Stop, please.” She screams and drops the whip, holding her head with both hands as if to keep it together, to keep it from splitting in two.

“Ray, don't do this. Ray. Ray. Ray.” I chant, the name brings her forth from the mind control slowly.

“Ray, I love you.” I whisper, just loud enough so she can hear me, and she collapses, sobbing, rocking back and forth in pain. Tears stream down my face silently too, because I know I have to cause her more pain to get her to wake up. I sit up, and more blood rushes down my back, the world spins, then steadies itself as I gather her in my arm, cradling her with my right hand. Her right arm still feebly makes the motion of whipping, but with no whip. I kiss her forehead as she cries, shaking her head back and forth trying to get the confusion and pain out. I kiss her nose and a fresh stream of tears runs down her cheeks. I kiss the hand that is still whipping, and it stops. I kiss her jaw, I kiss the tears off her cheekbones, but I avoid the lips.

My heart pulses, trying to make up for the lost blood, but it just streams down my back and pools onto the floor relentlessly. Her cries calm down and ten minutes later, her eyes flutter open, piercing, with the mini suns shining up at me.

“Nox?” She whispers, her throat hoarse.

“Ray.” I manage to choke out, and then I black out again, falling backward into the pool of blood.

Author's Note

in love with this chapter, I'm just absolutely in love with it.
reviews please!!!!

Reviews

[Sylvana]

Ah, well we have a problem here then. I'm in love with it too... and soo... ;D
Really, beautiful job with this chapter. It was heartbreaking, but sweet how Nox managed to get Ray out of her trance (at least I think he did in the end?).

So, does the group not help the one person who is about to be taken away? I noticed a pattern how they just stand and watch. do they not help because they think they can't do anything? It's sad how they all lost hope, how they're all waiting for themselves to be taken away. I wonder who will be the last one left (my guess is Briar-Rose).

[shawlyn]

Hi Sophie,
Another well written chapter. You always put together a scene which visually and emotionally stands out for the reader. From 'whip him 100 times' onwards, this does it for me. Well done and keep it up.
Regards
Shawlyn

[Wild Willow Blue]

Very well done, indeed. I was a bit lost at the beginning, there, but you were able to lasso me back into the story. Everything made sense towards the end, and I wasn't lost anymore. I was so into this chapter, but you ended at the right point. Great work.

[Amanda]

Resolve that whole kissing scene s**t, sista. And I hope at least one of the couples makes it out. I bet Briar-Rose will make everything better. and Please don't crush my dreams again. That hurt, dude.