Fang and Feather
Chapter 2
by Slyphs
I couldn't move. The boy was nuzzled into my neck; biting into it. Just as quickly as he had pinned me he suddenly let go with a hiss. I felt myself falling and could do nothing to stop it.
"What are you?" he said as everything went black and silent then there was screaming.
It seemed far off at first but slowly it grew louder. My vision slowly returned and everything came into focus. There was a man in front of me and we were in the alley still. His hand was on my shoulder and he was saying something, but I couldn't hear him over the screaming. I couldn't figure out where it was coming from but it was close.
I took a deep breath and the screaming stopped as I did. I let the breath out and the screaming started again and I realized it was me. I shut my mouth and dared not to open it again. It was silent for a moment than the man in front of me tried speaking again.
"Are you okay?" He asked. An image flashed through my mind, the boy. That's what he had asked me. I almost started screaming again but managed to keep my mouth shut tight.
"You're bleeding," the man said, "Are you hurt?" Another image, the boy pinning me to the wall and biting into me. Again I forced myself not to start screaming again. Things started to spin and I felt faint. Everything went black again.
I woke up in a bed but it wasn't mine. I sat up and looked around the room. I was in a hospital. There was a dull throbbing pain in my neck and something covering it. I touched it and found it was some sort of bandage. I tried not to think of why it was there in fear that I would start screaming again.
"Oh, good you're awake," someone said. I looked to the door to see a young woman entering the room. She wore nurses scrubs. "Feeling a little better now I hope. The officer that brought you in said you wouldn't stop screaming before you passed out."
"Where am I?" It hurt a little to talk but it wasn't to bad.
"In St. Rita's Hospital," she told me, "You had some nasty lacerations, but they looked worse than they are. You a lucky kid. Now I need to ask you a few questions." I nodded and she continued. "Your name?"
"Tysael."
"And your last name?"
"I don't have one, I live at the orphanage."
"St. Louise's?"
"Yes."
"Okay I'm going to get in touch with the orphanage," she told me, "You just sit tight and another nurse will bring you lunch shortly."
I ate a little, hospital food is never as bad as they make it out to be, than the orphanage matron came to get me. She was a nice, regal lady but if you ticked her off, well Hell hath no fury.
A doctor checked my neck before I checked out. He was shocked to discover that the lacerations were no more than mere scratches now. I over heard the doctor talking to another about me as the matron filled out some papers.
"He was lucky," the other said, "There was another victim found last night too. He wasn't as lucky."
"Yes the wounds looked worse than they really were, but they weren't just little scratches when he came in and what about the shirt he was wearing? It was covered in blood, if it was all his he should be dead or in something of a critical condition at least."
"Well his blood work came back normal and the police took the shirt so I guess we'll never really know for sure."
As the matron finished the paper work and handed it to the receptionist I saw the second doctor leave the first's office.
"What where you doing out of the orphanage that late?," The matron asked once we were in her car and driving back to the orphanage.
"I couldn't sleep and decided to go for a walk," I lied. I didn't want to get the others in trouble.
"How did you even get out in the first place?" she asked, " The main entrance was locked and I doubt the night watchman let you out." She never lost her temper, but her voice could make rocks sweat if she willed it.
"I went out the service entrance in the kitchen," I told her. At some point in my life I discovered the best way to lie was to use half the truth. She gave me a side ways glance. I knew she made it a habit to check all the doors at night before bed and in the morning when she got up. We had locked the door behind us when we left and I was sure the guys would have locked it when they got back. There was no way I could have locked the door from the outside without keys, Roy had them not me, or help, which I said I had none.
"Well whatever happened last night you were lucky you weren't killed," she said finally after a short silence, "I suppose we'll have to think of a suitable punishment for you."
"Yes ma'am," I mumbled.
I was grounded to start and was sent immediately to my room when we arrived at the orphanage. I was told that more would follow. My neck still hurt a little and what had happened, whatever that was, still hadn't entirely sunk in. I laid on my bed and tried to remember every detail.
It had happened very fast but I remembered the boy. He had been my age and maybe about the same height. His hair was dark and about neck length. He had seemed so pale. I guess I had drifted off to sleep at some point because I suddenly found myself in the alley again staring at him.
'What are you?' He asked.
'I don't know.'
'Your blood burns me,' he said, 'you're not human. Why were you sent here angel?' 'Angel?'
"Tysael?" My eyes opened and Roy was standing over me. "Are you okay?" he asked. I nodded. "You slept through dinner. I sure if you run down there right now you can still get something." A quick glance out the window told me the sun had set not long before.
"I'm not hungry," I told him.
"What happened last night?"
"I got confused in the commotion I guess."
"I thought you were right behind me, I swear."
"I know. It's okay." There it was again, that hope that he really did love me and not just the sex.
"So you're okay?" He asked. My neck was fine now and the bandage had been removed at the hospital. He probably didn't have the slightest clue of what happened to me. Probably just thought I got picked up by the cops and that the matron had picked me up from the police station.
"I think so," I replied.
"Good," He said as he picked me up and then carried me to his bed. "I didn't get to have my fun last night." He smiled as he set me down on his bed and began tugging at my pants. my hope for his love died again as I let him.
We were soon both without clothes and there was that familiar pop of a cap then the very unfamiliar sound of something crashing through the window. Someone suddenly stood between me and Roy.
"He's mine," the person hissed and Roy was sent flying across the room.
The person scooped me up in their arms and jumped through the window with me. At first I thought we were flying but then we began to fall. There was a thud as we landed than the feeling we were flying again. As we fell, landed, and flew again I realized two things. The person caring me in there arms was no bigger than I was and that they jumping and rebounding off walls and roofs. They mostly kept to the shadows but as my eyes adjusted I realized it was the boy. I struggled in his arms but his strength was inhuman and held me close to body to prevent escape.
Eventually we came to rest on a ledge. It jutted out from a sheer cliff just out side the city limits. He unceremoniously dropped me and stood over me as I shivered from the lack of clothes in the early night breeze.
"What do you want with me?" I cried. I was unsure of what could happen. His face was impassive but his eyes betrayed something else. I would almost swear there was tears in them but he quickly blinked them away.
"I know what you are now," he said as he kneeled down. I was afraid and the idea of freezing to death now had a new meaning. He leaned in close and put his hand on my shoulder. It was like ice. "Nephelim," he whispered as his lips touched mine.
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