Kasadya (Hellhound Awakened) (20 page)

“Speak to me!” he kept going. He was disturbing me and in the process pissing me off, this was my quiet time.

“Be quiet demon, take your death with honor,” I replied, still looking at my sword and feeling it.

“I’m not a demon hellhound; I’m a fallen, look at me,” he said. I stopped and took in a breath. I have heard a lot of crap from next door all the times I’ve sat here and waited, but a demon calling himself a fallen, was a first, so I looked up at him and froze.

“I am not a demon. I’m a fallen male, a vampire fallen,” he said, but I was struck dead on the spot. Standing on the other side of the bars was an almost exact copy of Chax. Oh my freaking soul, how is that possible?

“I ask again, how did you come to be here? It is impossible for them to take a hellhound. You should not have been taken captive,” he said, his eyes the same as Chax’s but so sad. So, so very sad.

“Who are you?” I asked, looking at him in shock. Where as Chax’s hair reached just below his ears, this guys hair fell below his shoulders.

“My name is Caim De Luca,” he replied, frowning at me.

De Luca, that was Chax’s name; is he family? Can it be? I don’t recall anyone saying that Chax had a family member taken, hell I hadn’t even asked such things about him, not that I would have gotten answers.

“Are you family of Chax De Luca?” I asked still looking at him, he closed his eyes as if in pain.

“Yes, Chax is my brother, is he well?” he answered, opening his eyes to look at me. OMG he was Chax’s brother!

“He was okay before I came here, I don’t know if he still is. How did you end up here?”

“I was taken by Thalia in my third year of service, how did they get their hands on you?”

“A girl from
The Hellhouse
was in a trance, and I was worried for her and tried to help. But the moment I touched her, to stop her from walking off like that, she shifted here taking me with her.”

He closed his eyes again and leaned his head against the bars
.
“How long have they kept you here?” I asked, knowing full well that Chax was centuries old, hoping this guy was not.

“Centuries,” he whispered, his eyes remaining closed.

OMG, he has been here centuries! Then it’s true, there is no hope. I might as well let him kill me and end my torment. I closed my eyes and let my head fall down, so this is defeat, now I know what it feels like.

“If you ever get your cuffs off while here, you would be able to shift back. I also know that if you can take your masters head, you break their chant and you can shift.”

I looked at him, why give me hope when there isn’t any? I’ve tried a million times to get the cuffs off, and Draco doesn’t give me opportunities to kill him
.
“Why do you give me advice, when it is impossible?” I asked him.

“Because I want you to kill me.”

Dread filled me, I can kill a demon any day, but not a fallen. Never
.
“I’m Sorry, I can’t,” I replied, and looked as the sadness in his eyes grew more.

“Hellhound, I have lived in this torment for many years. The only thing keeping me alive is that I would not fall by a demon’s hand. What I have endured in this place, I would not even give to my greatest enemy. I beg you, end my life and set me free. End this,” he begged, his eyes filled with sadness. He looked so old, so tired.

God my heart broke into pieces, this male is breaking me. He looked at me with those sad eyes, begging me with them. Is this my future, begging someone to end my suffering? Will I also stay here and fight for my life for centuries? Well at least I could give him peace, while there is none for me.

“I will Caim,” I replied, and then the mute guy shifted in offering his hand. I stood up and looked at Caim. This poor male has survived so long just to meet such an end.

“
Pax vobiscum
, Caim,” I said, meaning “peace be with you”. He smiled at me, grateful for the mercy I was about to give him. I felt a tear fall down my cheek, this is so wrong. This male deserves so much more.

“Vale, hellhound,” he said and stepped back as Thalia shifted in to take him to his death. Taking my swords, I walked over to the mute guy and took his hand, shifting to a fully packed arena. The crowd was mad, the noise deafening. The guy released my hand and Draco came to stand next to me.

“Tonight you become the
Bellator
, hellhound,” he said, and walked to take his seat with the blonde guy and Thalia. Caim stood in front of them looking at me, smiling. My heart was breaking. The blonde guy took a stand and spoke to the crowd, driving it even crazier. Caim and I just looked at each other.

There has to be another way. I can’t do this. I can’t kill him. I looked at my swords and tried to think of a plan. I moved my knuckles over one, feeling the tingle, the chant preventing me from killing Draco, but enabling me to kill all those that I have met here. Oh my freaking soul!

My brain finally clicked into place. Of course, I can still kill another demon with them, so far anyone except for Draco. So that means that the chant is meant just for Draco. I can’t kill him, but I can kill her. Or try and take off his cuffs, this might just work.

I lifted my head and smiled at Caim, who smiled back at me. Then the blonde guy stopped talking and the crowd went silent. I transformed into my hellhound and Caim followed suit. During my time here I have also perfected my aim with my swords, using one to throw into a demon’s eye then the other to take its head; now I am going to test my skill to the limit.

I opened my wings and extended them to their full length, which was pretty big now, they have grown with my body becoming very big, lift off and flight was very easy now. I looked at Thalia sitting there a smile on her face. I pulled them close to my back, feeling the tips of them touching my boots. She is too close to Draco, and the chant might stop me. I have to go for the cuffs, so I advance to Caim, who was waiting for his death.

I moved fast, my adrenalin was pumping in me like mad, excited by my finding and ready to test it. Three steps from Caim, he dropped his swords and let his arms hang to the ground, he closed his eyes waiting for deliverance.

“Fight you worthless thing!” Thalia yelled at him, but he just stood there ignoring her.

Sorry Caim, not today! I raised both my swords, and a step before him, brought them down hard and fast, keeping my eyes on his arms to make sure the glide was accurate and not hurting him. The cuffs broke and fell to the ground, I looked up at him and he looked back at me totally shocked. “Shift!” I yelled at him, but he was just standing there. The air moved around me, and I knew the reinforcements were here to take us down
.
“Please! Shift!” I yelled at him, tears starting to roll down my cheeks, desperate to get him out of here. He looked at me and nodded, made a graceful bow and shifted to freedom. I closed my eyes, tears flowing freely now. I did it, I saved him.

A fist slammed into me from the side. Before I would have landed on the ground, now I just turned my head back and looked at the attacker, who was no other then Thalia. Perfect. “You swine, he was mine!” she yelled at me. I moved so quickly she didn’t even have a chance to try and punch me. Slicing her head off with one clean swipe, I kept my eyes on hers. Shocked, she looked back trying to speak again, then her head fell to the ground and I looked into Draco and the blonde guy’s eyes, standing behind her body, which followed her head down to the ground.

To hell with this, I’ll go out with a fight. I stepped back a few steps and braced myself. The only one here I couldn’t kill is Draco, the rest are so dead. Demons started to shift in around me, growling and huffing, ready to take me down.

“Stop!” the blonde guy yelled, and everyone stopped and looked at him. I just kept my eyes on the circle, watching for the first move.

“Thalia entered the battle arena and challenged the new
Bellator
. She has failed,” he declared, and nodded to Draco, who opened his hands taking my swords back. Crap! He left me standing there without a weapon but I still kept my stand. I’ll take them down, even if I have to use my hands to do it. The blonde guy came to stand in front of me, smiling.

“Draco, take our
Bellator
and get her changed, bring her with you,” he said and walked away, the others following him. Draco walked up to me with an Atlantic smile on his face.

“Well done, my hellhound, two for the price of one,” he said and offered me his hand. Well at least Caim is safe and free now, and hopefully Chax is still alive and well, to help him get back on his feet. I took Draco’s hand, and we shifted back to my room.

Chapter 14

The moment we were in my room, I let go of him and walked away. I felt him shift behind me and then planted myself at the table. The event of the whole Caim thing was running through my mind. I felt satisfied but my mood changed when I started to picture myself in a few centuries, ending up dead or not free.

The air moved and Draco stood to my right, I didn’t even look at him. I’ve learned that by ignoring him, I can piss him off instead, and took pleasure in it every time.

“Go refresh yourself and put this on. Lord Ballen awaits our company,” he commanded, and placed what looked like a dress on the table. Its cloth was hanging over the table edge, and yes it’s black and red Draco’s favorite colors.

“I don’t think so, demon. Now it’s time for some new arrangements,” I replied, and leaned back in my chair looking up at him.

“Since when do you have any type of power to negotiate arrangements with me? I’m your master, you are my pet.”

I smiled at him, waiting a few seconds for him to take it in; I could see the moment when he started to get freaked out by it
.
“I believe the terms of your first arrangement have been met, am I not the
Bellator
?” I asked, my teeth now filling out my smile. His eyes grew wide and he turned and walked to my bed
.

“Yes,” he replied, standing with his back to me. I know that all fallen, even demons, must submit to terms or in his case words; thank Vulcan for that delightful piece of info. For months I have been planning this moment. I knew it would come, and I knew that he would have no other option but to submit, but this time I have the upper hand.

I’ve refused a few times to fight until I saw Kali. He would then submit and bring her to me, to see for a few minutes to get me to fight for him. She was still in some sort of trance, didn’t recognize me, didn’t take in what was happening around her, just stood there looking at me like a zombie. And she was always in one of his black and something goddess dresses.

“The first arrangement will be that you release Kali and deliver her to me. She will stay with me in this room, and you will make the necessary arrangements regarding a bed and so on. And the word release means that you will release her from your influence, completely,” I said, still looking at his back and seeing the exact moment my words hit home.

“And if I do not?” he asked, turning around to look at me again.

“Then I will never fight again, just like the male tonight I will submit to my death.” I knew full well that would mean that he would lose any power he gained with me. And that he would have to start all over again, and the chance of him getting his claws on another hellhound was zero. He stood there looking at me, and he was mad; totally mad. Don’t care, this is my moment; this is why I stayed alive.

“Agreed,” he replied and kept his eyes on me; who was smiling at him of course.

“And Draco, if you ever touch her again the agreement will be broken, understand?” Now he was pissed, his jaws locking together.

“Yes, is that your only arrangement?” he asked and turned around, trying to compose himself I guess.

“No,” I replied, now leaning my arm over the chair’s back looking at my nails, which like always were in perfect shape, never broke a nail again after the third fight, wonder why?

“What is your other demand?” he asked, turning around to look at me again.

“I believe that you need me to accompany you to occasions like tonight, to show off your
Bellator
pet?” I said, looking at him again.

“Yes, it is required by our customs,” he answered, frowning at me.

“If you want me to accompany you on these little trips, I will first off not wear demeaning dresses like that, I dress in what suits me. Second, you will give me my weapons every time,” I replied looking at him, my serious no bullshit face in place.

“Your weapons, why would you need them?” he asked.

“Because demon, if your friends decide to attack me on these occasions, I will be able to protect myself. It’s not like I can kill you, true?” I replied, smiling at him again.

He walked up and down, thinking over the terms. Yeah, I know I’m cruel, have to be to survive down here. He stopped and looked at me again, his mind made up.

“Agreed, but you may only use them if you are attacked, understand?” he demanded, looking at me, trying to spook me with a serious face. Oh please.

“Understood, now let’s begin then. Release her and bring her to me,” I said, getting up to my feet to look him in his face. He stepped back a step. Yeah, you should be afraid demon, your number one on my “to kill” list. He shifted out without a word, and I went to my bed removing my jacket and sitting down, waiting for Kali.

He shifted back in with her, and she was once again wearing one of the stupid dresses, idiot demon. He then moved his hand over her face and stepped back; she was still looking at me, and I watched as the old Kali came back into her eyes, tears filling them up. She closed her eyes and sank down to the floor, where she burst out in full tears and sobbed like hell. I walked over to her, looking at Draco, so mad I struggled to keep myself from attacking him
.
“Leave us! I will be ready in an hour or so,” I said to him slowly, my jaws clamping together, pissed off beyond words. He nodded and shifted out leaving us alone. I bent down to the floor and closed my arms around her.

“It’s okay, he will never touch you again. I promise,” I murmured to her, trying to comfort her.