Rolf dragged Axel to the dungeon-he knew every step by

heart now.

The only uncertainty was what punishment they would inflict

on him this time.

Water dripped from the ceiling and light peaked through

cracks in the walls- a taunting the prisoners.

Rolf pushed one of the cell gates open and shoved Axel in

with such force that he flipped over and hit the wall.

He spit blood and heard the door shut, but when he stood

and turned the last person he wanted to see stood before

him-Vylette, Angelina's lady in waiting, and his stalker. Ever

since Axel had been brought into slavery, she had tried to

seduce him every way she knew how, and unfortunately

was one of his usual tortures. One corner of her mouth turned

up as she watched his reaction. She walked towards him

and he backed away the closer she came. When his back hit

the wall she came so close that their noses almost touched.

She didn't scare him; he just didn't want to be any closer to

her than he had to be. Vylette cocked her head to the side

causing her midnight black hair to fall over her shoulder.

"Axel, why do you always run? You always end up back here,

with me to deal with. Your friend Toby is a good boy. He

always does what he's told." She slid a long nail across his

cheek, and as before with Angelina he slapped her

hand away. Her black eyebrows came down over her black

eyes and from beneath her cloak she pulled out a long knife.

The light that poured in through the cracks bounced off the

blade and metal hilt. It was an ancient knife, passed down for

generations. The King's own private sword maker had

created it, welding the hilt in the shape of a dragon

and making the blade so sharp that it could not be touched

with out cutting the skin. The King had a witch place a spell

on it so it would never dull, and it worked. Every time Axel ran

Vylette used it to give him new marks in new places.

Needless to say there was not an inch of his back

that did not have some sort of design traced in it. Vylette

smiled. "You know Axel, there is a way you can avoid this

punishment," she said toying with the collar of her dress and

stepping even closer to him-if that were possible. "I don't

know why you've rejected me all these years," she whispered

in his ear. "Am I not pretty enough?" Her lips grew full as she

pouted. Axel tried not to grin. Vylette was beautiful-there was

no doubt about it, but he would never sleep with her. It went

against everything he had grown to stand for in the seven

years he had been there-human freedom, never submit,

never give in. "Sorry sweet heart," Axel said crossing his

arms and leaning his head back a little farther. "I'm not

gonna play your game." The black eyes filled with fire and

Axel felt the blade fly down his chest.

She grabbed him by the shirt and threw him on the ground;

all the air rushed from his lungs as his back hit the stone.

Then, she fell on him, pinning his legs under hers and his

arms with her hands, her face only a few inches from his, the

knife cut into his bicep. "One day Axel," Vylette said. "You'll

see." She leaned forward and kissed his neck softly. She

brushed her tongue across it, then sunk her teeth in, gnawing

at the flesh to cause more pain. But he kept his mouth shut,

biting his lower lip to keep himself quite. /Never let them see

ya suffer, / he thought. Between that and the knife grazing his

arms Axel knew he'd need a few days to recover.

That meant only one thing; he'd have to be babysat by Toby

and Sterling.

/Great. /