Where Angel fears to tread
"I guess all we can do is try not to lose." Madelyn told us as we pulled away from the cemetery
I sighed and thought I'm better off on my own.
Damon put his hand on my knee again, only a little higher. For that I elbowed him twice in the gut.
"Stop messing with her." Julian scolded.
Damon flashed him a menacing look, "Julie, do you really want to make me mad?"
Julian smiled with a sudden mood swing, "Not really."
"Good now mind your own business." Damon turned to me, "You and me have to come to an understanding."
No we don't.
"You are a weak little half human. Meat. I am a vampire, your superior."
I smirked, no you're not.
"I can and will kill you if you keep trying to hurt me." He told me with more than a hint of danger.
"Damon, please stop." Madelyn asked with a pained expression.
He kept watching me but replied, "I'm not your lap dog like Jules, Olslin. I can do whatever I want."
Madelyn was silent for a moment, probably thinking of what to say and couldn't think of anything.
An eerie silent enveloped the car for the rest of the trip. Despite saying the contrary, Damon did do as Madelyn asked and stopped provoking me.
What a lovesick puppy dog you are.
As we pulled up in my drive Jasmina stood outside waiting for me. When everyone piled out, she stormed up to me.
"Where have you been?" She demanded angrily, "The house is a wreck and Branton is missing." Then she noticed we had an audience.
Immediately her demeanor changed into the sweet demure woman as she viciously gripped my arm.
"You can imagine how much we were worried." Jasmina said to me but was all eyes for Damon and Julian.
"Oh yes, I can imagine." Joan said falling for her act. Her roots were showing under that brown dye.
Jasmina released my arm and flung herself shamelessly into Damon's arms. "And without a man in the house, I'm *so* frightened."
What a slut! I thought ducking my head so when my jaw dropped it wouldn't be seen. I looked up a bit to see my thoughts echoed on Madelyn and Joan's face. Julian was smirking like Damon was.
"I'll be honored to protect you." Damon said and was led inside the house. Just great, now he can get into the house whenever!
"That girl is such a strumpet." Julian said in amusement. "I can't believe Damon is giving her the time of day."
Madelyn caught my dirty look and replied, "I think he had an ulterior motive for going with her."
I saw Joan picked up her cell phone and from the tones she dialed it sounded like my house.
"Oh Morigan! I just heard about Branton." Joan said gushing with sympathy. "Why don't you and Jasmina come to my house for awhile."
"I'll love to come but 'Mina is.. entertaining a guest." I heard Morigan say.
"Oh they can come too." Joan told her immediately. "I don't want to exclude anybody."
"All right then I'll tell 'Mina when she's done, I mean." Morigan laughed nervously and hung up.
Joan hung up, "Julian, Madelyn, see if you can also spend the night with me."
"I'm sure we can." Madelyn said to Joan as I walked into the house and shut the door behind me.
As I scrubbed the floor and cleaned the dishes, I couldn't miss the sounds of Jasmina entertaining Damon. From where I stood in the kitchen, it sounded like Damon was doing the entertaining.
What a moron, I thought as I sank my hands in the scalding hot water. A lecherous, blood sucking, antagonistic moron!
I nearly jumped out my skin when I heard Damon's voice in my head.
Tisk tisk, such ugly words, he purred.
I set up mental blocks immediately, something I should have done from the moment Damon appeared.
An hour later, Damon came down followed by a very satisfied Jasmina and Morigan. They were discussing going to Joan's while Branton was missing and Damon was whole-heartedly agreeing.
As I prepared dinner, Moria came home and everyone sat at the dinner table to discuss Joan's idea and to introduce Damon.
"He's one of Branton's friends, isn't that right." Jasmina said coyly.
"Something like that." Damon replied as I shot him a dirty look from the kitchen.
"That is so nice that you came when we needed you." Moria told him.
I wanted to gag. How can this oversized balloon with her salt and pepper hair and watery blue eyes fall for this crap?!
"My friend Joan Riley has even invited us all to stay at her house until Branton is safe." Morigan piped in.
Moria cooed as I came in with a pot of spaghetti and sat it in the middle of the table.
"You didn't set the table yet, Angel." Jasmina growled restraining herself in front of Damon. What she really wanted to say was "Set the table you worthless piece of dirt!"
I ducked my head and rushed back inside the kitchen when I really wanted to tell her where to shove it. I quickly snatched up four plates, four forks and for revenge only three knives. I knew Moria would just scream that she had to cut her foot with the same knife that spread butter on her bread.
I swept inside the dining room and quickly set the plates and silverware in front of everyone before returning to get myself a plate and fork. By the time I returned, everyone except Damon was eating their meal and yes, Moria was complaining about the knife.
"Angel can be so forgetful at times." Jasmina said shooting me a nasty look. Then she stood up, "Oh my no drinks. Angel and I'll go get them." I knew what was coming as I returned to the kitchen with Jasmina behind me.
Once we were out of sight, Jasmina roughly gripped my arm and dragged me down to the one place I feared. The basement closet.
I was silently screaming as she shoved me inside the dank closet and sent the deadbolt home. I scratched viciously at the door, refusing to scream aloud and give myself away. The darkness pushed at me from all sides.
Above I heard Jasmina tell everyone that I was tired and went to bed then began flirting with Damon once more.
My mind was too confused to know to let my shields down and contact someone. Anyone, even Damon if I could. Everything was stifling and filled with the scent of human waste.
A word came to me in the darkness, claustrophobia. This was my greatest fear, the one place I feared to go. The oubliettes, a place to put people and forget their existence.
Special thanks go to Laurell K. Hamilton for telling the readers of "Narcissus in Chains" what an oubliette was. I didn't know I created one!
"I guess all we can do is try not to lose." Madelyn told us as we pulled away from the cemetery
I sighed and thought I'm better off on my own.
Damon put his hand on my knee again, only a little higher. For that I elbowed him twice in the gut.
"Stop messing with her." Julian scolded.
Damon flashed him a menacing look, "Julie, do you really want to make me mad?"
Julian smiled with a sudden mood swing, "Not really."
"Good now mind your own business." Damon turned to me, "You and me have to come to an understanding."
No we don't.
"You are a weak little half human. Meat. I am a vampire, your superior."
I smirked, no you're not.
"I can and will kill you if you keep trying to hurt me." He told me with more than a hint of danger.
"Damon, please stop." Madelyn asked with a pained expression.
He kept watching me but replied, "I'm not your lap dog like Jules, Olslin. I can do whatever I want."
Madelyn was silent for a moment, probably thinking of what to say and couldn't think of anything.
An eerie silent enveloped the car for the rest of the trip. Despite saying the contrary, Damon did do as Madelyn asked and stopped provoking me.
What a lovesick puppy dog you are.
As we pulled up in my drive Jasmina stood outside waiting for me. When everyone piled out, she stormed up to me.
"Where have you been?" She demanded angrily, "The house is a wreck and Branton is missing." Then she noticed we had an audience.
Immediately her demeanor changed into the sweet demure woman as she viciously gripped my arm.
"You can imagine how much we were worried." Jasmina said to me but was all eyes for Damon and Julian.
"Oh yes, I can imagine." Joan said falling for her act. Her roots were showing under that brown dye.
Jasmina released my arm and flung herself shamelessly into Damon's arms. "And without a man in the house, I'm *so* frightened."
What a slut! I thought ducking my head so when my jaw dropped it wouldn't be seen. I looked up a bit to see my thoughts echoed on Madelyn and Joan's face. Julian was smirking like Damon was.
"I'll be honored to protect you." Damon said and was led inside the house. Just great, now he can get into the house whenever!
"That girl is such a strumpet." Julian said in amusement. "I can't believe Damon is giving her the time of day."
Madelyn caught my dirty look and replied, "I think he had an ulterior motive for going with her."
I saw Joan picked up her cell phone and from the tones she dialed it sounded like my house.
"Oh Morigan! I just heard about Branton." Joan said gushing with sympathy. "Why don't you and Jasmina come to my house for awhile."
"I'll love to come but 'Mina is.. entertaining a guest." I heard Morigan say.
"Oh they can come too." Joan told her immediately. "I don't want to exclude anybody."
"All right then I'll tell 'Mina when she's done, I mean." Morigan laughed nervously and hung up.
Joan hung up, "Julian, Madelyn, see if you can also spend the night with me."
"I'm sure we can." Madelyn said to Joan as I walked into the house and shut the door behind me.
As I scrubbed the floor and cleaned the dishes, I couldn't miss the sounds of Jasmina entertaining Damon. From where I stood in the kitchen, it sounded like Damon was doing the entertaining.
What a moron, I thought as I sank my hands in the scalding hot water. A lecherous, blood sucking, antagonistic moron!
I nearly jumped out my skin when I heard Damon's voice in my head.
Tisk tisk, such ugly words, he purred.
I set up mental blocks immediately, something I should have done from the moment Damon appeared.
An hour later, Damon came down followed by a very satisfied Jasmina and Morigan. They were discussing going to Joan's while Branton was missing and Damon was whole-heartedly agreeing.
As I prepared dinner, Moria came home and everyone sat at the dinner table to discuss Joan's idea and to introduce Damon.
"He's one of Branton's friends, isn't that right." Jasmina said coyly.
"Something like that." Damon replied as I shot him a dirty look from the kitchen.
"That is so nice that you came when we needed you." Moria told him.
I wanted to gag. How can this oversized balloon with her salt and pepper hair and watery blue eyes fall for this crap?!
"My friend Joan Riley has even invited us all to stay at her house until Branton is safe." Morigan piped in.
Moria cooed as I came in with a pot of spaghetti and sat it in the middle of the table.
"You didn't set the table yet, Angel." Jasmina growled restraining herself in front of Damon. What she really wanted to say was "Set the table you worthless piece of dirt!"
I ducked my head and rushed back inside the kitchen when I really wanted to tell her where to shove it. I quickly snatched up four plates, four forks and for revenge only three knives. I knew Moria would just scream that she had to cut her foot with the same knife that spread butter on her bread.
I swept inside the dining room and quickly set the plates and silverware in front of everyone before returning to get myself a plate and fork. By the time I returned, everyone except Damon was eating their meal and yes, Moria was complaining about the knife.
"Angel can be so forgetful at times." Jasmina said shooting me a nasty look. Then she stood up, "Oh my no drinks. Angel and I'll go get them." I knew what was coming as I returned to the kitchen with Jasmina behind me.
Once we were out of sight, Jasmina roughly gripped my arm and dragged me down to the one place I feared. The basement closet.
I was silently screaming as she shoved me inside the dank closet and sent the deadbolt home. I scratched viciously at the door, refusing to scream aloud and give myself away. The darkness pushed at me from all sides.
Above I heard Jasmina tell everyone that I was tired and went to bed then began flirting with Damon once more.
My mind was too confused to know to let my shields down and contact someone. Anyone, even Damon if I could. Everything was stifling and filled with the scent of human waste.
A word came to me in the darkness, claustrophobia. This was my greatest fear, the one place I feared to go. The oubliettes, a place to put people and forget their existence.
Special thanks go to Laurell K. Hamilton for telling the readers of "Narcissus in Chains" what an oubliette was. I didn't know I created one!