Chapter Six

It was dark outside. The moon was high, almost full, but no less bright. The luminosity woke Aang from what was the best sleep he had had in a long time. He had never felt so warm. Taking a deep breath, his nose detected the scent of ocean mist and lavender. It was a strange yet comforting smell that he wanted to bury his nose in.

The warmth seemed to emanate from under him. Opening his eyes, Aang was confused for a moment before his gaze landed on the girl. Panic surged through his body, tensing it, thoughts going rampant, until he remembered where he was. Katara and Sokka, two people who had let him into their home, sheltered and fed him, were going to help him look for his parents.

The panic eased away from him, though his heart was still pounding a bit. Releasing a shaking breath, Aang slowly sat up, not wanting to wake Katara. He remembered why she was there in the first place. There had been a nightmare, one that still scared him no matter how many times he had had it. It was the moment he had been taken before the mistress, that very first time.

He had known then that she was going to do something terrible to him, but at the time, he'd had no idea of the horrors she had cooked up.

(***)

The men pushed him to the ground, his knees hitting marble so hard he winced. There was a gag in his mouth that prevented speech, but he still had his eyes. With them, Aang showed the person before him how much he hated all of them. He was fifteen and never had he felt such sorrow and hatred. He had no idea where he was or what these monsters wanted, but he wanted to get out of here.

The woman before him was coldly beautiful, with eyes that raged like fire and a generous mouth in a sharply angled face. She wore a red and gold dress that was embroidered with dragons shooting fire up from the hem of the gown, to her sides, over the shoulders, and ending at the open cuffs of her sleeves.

Around her slim throat was a string of diamonds that gleamed under the firelight. This place was like a palace, only there were gaslights and torches instead of electrical. The marble under him was onyx inlaid with gold. Bronze statues of dragons reared their head, staring down at him with gleaming ruby eyes. Wherever he was, it was obvious that everything was nothing short of expensive.

The woman stared at him, touching her lips thoughtfully. The cut of her gown pushed up her ample breasts, which only made him angrier. Did she think herself to be a queen or something? It made Aang sick to think about what she could possibly want with a child. She circled him, her black hair swept up in a braided bun, diamond clips and a fire shaped tie keeping it together.

She faced him again, and he could see the satisfaction burning in her eyes. That was the first he heard her voice, low and malevolent. "Good work, boys. You have brought back a beautiful piece of flesh." She lowered herself to ground, and Aang could now see that she had a slit on the left side of her dress. He could feel his breath quickening, but not in lust. He was afraid of what she could do. His hands were bound, and even if they weren't, there was no way he could fight any of these idiots. As the woman examined him, Aang could feel himself having to fight to bash her head against his. He didn't think it would accomplish anything. There was a feeling that the action would go punished.

A slim, pale hand reached out to his face and Aang flinched, not wanting this creature to touch him. But it was a futile effort. Her sharp nails dug into his cheeks and chin. She looked in his eyes and smiled. "What gorgeous gray eyes you have, boy." She caressed his cheek, almost lovingly, but disgust rolled in his stomach at the blatant desire in her gaze. "Boyish features slipping into one of a man," she murmured.

Aang jerked himself away from her hand with a grunt. She chuckled, as if his reaction was a joke. "Oh, I see now. You want the gag removed." Her hand reached to his face again, going behind his head. "In this, I will grant."

The knot was released, and the red cloth fell the floor. Aang breathed harshly through his mouth, trying to get rid of the smell of her perfume, which smelled strongly of grapefruit. After coughing a few times to clear his dry throat, Aang rasped, "What do you want with me?"

The witch smiled at him, eyes raving unholy flames. "I simply need you, Aang."

He looked up at her in shock. "How do you know my name?" he demanded.

Almost immediately he was kicked down, causing him to clench his teeth in pain. One of the guards, a burly man with angry-looking sideburns, yelled, "You will show respect to her Highness, you filth!"

'Her Highness' moved over to him and touched his arm, caressing the muscles that bulged under his skin. Aang saw him looking over at her, though he could tell there was nothing innocent about that look. She purred, "Now, now, Chan. No time hurting the new toy."

Toy?! The bitch made him sound like something to be played with. Anger, white hot and surging, made his heart pound harder than ever. He yelled, "Let me go! You have no right to keep me!"

The three adults looked down at him, the last one looking almost sympathetic, though he did nothing to stop this torture. It was like he was afraid of Her Highness doing something inhumane. At this point, Aang didn't care. He wanted out, and his hatred and fear was coming out loud and clear. He was starting to understand why he had been brought here. There was nothing more horrid than the idea of being a 'toy' for someone.

The woman came to him, grabbing his arm and lifting him to his feet. She had more strength that he had thought possible. She came in close, her cloying smell making him feel nauseated. She murmured, "I'm afraid you will be here for the rest of your life, Aang."

Aang glared at her. "I'm not some toy," he growled back, wishing, for once, that he could hit someone.

Her gold eyes narrowed, though it was in a more thoughtful manner than a furious one. "You have spirit. I like that."

"I don't care! I don't give a damn about what you like or dislike. Let me leave and I won't say anything about this to anyone." He had to get out, or else he knew someone was going to hurt him. If lying meant freedom, then he had to take a chance. He would find some way to let the authorities know about this place. Who knew how many souls lived here, in need of change and light? Someone had to help

She touched her mouth, leaving him standing on his own, though his knees and thigh throbbed from where he had fallen. "Pretty convincing, Aang, but I know you're lying about that last part. As soon as you are free, you will try to reveal our location." Leaning in close again, her lips brushed his ear as she breathed, "Perhaps you need a little help in understanding how things are done here."

He jerked away from the foul woman. "I know what this is about. You are hoarding people here for your sick amusement, you fucking slut!"

The mistress frowned, raised her hand, and slapped him so hard across his face he saw stars. Aang fell to the ground with a pained grunt, gritting his teeth against the agonizing burn. She lowered herself to the ground, gripped his hair, and forced him to look at her. Aang was panting rapidly as her anger became clear.

She snarled, "I will make you pay dearly for that comment." Smiling cruelly, she reached for his belt, tugging on it slightly.

Fear froze his heart when he realized what she was about to do. Aang tried to pull away, but she was stronger than he was. That, with his hands tied behind him, there was no escape. But that didn't stop the cry from emanating from his throat. Twisting, he screamed, "NO! Don't touch me! Leave me alone!"

She was about to say something, but that was when the dream started to fade until everything turned black.

(***)

Looking at the girl laying fast asleep, Aang knew he had time to think. Since he had escaped, there was an awful feeling in his stomach that something was going to go wrong. What if the mistress was trying to find him, even now, after two weeks? If she found him, what would she do to this little family?

Just the thought made him shudder. Throat clogging with emotion, he looked away from Katara, heart aching. "What the hell am I doing?" he whispered to himself. Who was he kidding? There would be no possible way he could be family, no matter what Katara had told him. If they were in danger, he had to face facts. No longer could he stay. Not even a day had passed and already he was raring to go, to get away before Sokka and Katara got killed. The thought of them dying because of him made his stomach heave, but he swallowed it down. This was not the time to fall ill.

Slowly getting out of bed, Aang silently moved away from the bed, picked up his pack, and opened the door. The sounds of someone playing a video game reached his ears. He looked over and saw the door a few feet away from his was ajar. The sounds were coming from it. Looking away from there, Aang was about to move down the hall until the sounds paused.

The door opened and Sokka's face appeared. He smiled when he spotted Aang. "Hey, man," he said softly. "How are you feeling?"

Other than nauseated? "Um...okay, I guess."

Sokka's blue eyes looked at the pack and the smile disappeared. "What are you doing?" he asked, leaning against the jamb and folding his arms, brow raised.

Aang looked down, knowing he was busted. "Look, Sokka..." He paused, unsure of what to say. "I appreciate it, but I don't think you guys can help me."

"Why not?" he asked lowly.

Aang swallowed, tightening his grip on the pack. "Well, you see, I don't think it's a good idea." Man, that sounded so lame he almost winced.

Sokka sighed before jerking his head towards his room. "Come in here, Aang. We need to talk." He went into the room as if believing Aang would follow.

Moaning, Aang looked into the hallway again, before sighing. Walking inside the room, he noticed that it was dimly lit, somewhat messy but not to the point of clutter. A smaller flat screen and gaming system dominated the wall opposite the bed, which sported a back and red comforter and sheet set. There were numerous video games from shooter, survival, and racing.

He looked at the television, which was paused on a game displaying a map of Los Santos. He recognized the layout. Mouth dropping open in astonishment, he muttered, "No freaking way!"

Sokka looked back at him as he sat. "You know this game?"

He looked at him, feeling some of his anxiety fade as he grinned. "Who hasn't? GTA V was one of my favorites a few years back." Looking back at the screen, he added, "I memorized the entire thing."

Sokka looked stunned. "The whole thing?"

Aang blushed in realization and mumbled, "Yeah. I have a photographic memory."

Blue eyes widened in shock. "No way," he breathed. "That's rare, Aang."

He shrugged, but smiling in a pleased and bashful way. He knew it was, and having that kind of gift can be cruel, but it certainly has its advantages. "I know. One percent of the population has it."

"So, you can remember everything you see?" he asked with a grin.

Aang's smile faded as dark thoughts plagued his mind. Memories surged to the surface and he grimaced. "Yeah. I never forget." Useful, yes, but there were downsides to it.

Sokka must have caught the dark look and frowned. "Sorry. I mean, whatever you went through before coming here..." He trailed off, taking a deep breath before gesturing him to sit.

Aang hesitated before complying. He sighed. "I can't help thinking about it, Sokka," he whispered. "My memory of what happened before, it can get to be too much, you know?" Lowering the pack, he added, "I mean, I wish I could forget, but even without the gift, I doubt I would have been forgetful about it all."

He knew it didn't make sense to Sokka, but he appreciated the silence as his new friend thought about his words. It was a while before he responded. "I know you don't seem to want to talk about it, but if you can, I would like to know what happened."

Aang breathed shakily, feeling sweat emerge on his forehead, though he felt cold. He didn't know what to do. He wanted someone to know about what happened, but how could he tell anyone? No one can know about what he had been forced to become since day one. If they knew what he had done, they wouldn't see him as a human but a toy.

The mistress had made it clear that he was her property.

Looking away, he whispered, "I can't."

Silence from Sokka, as if he was thinking about that two worded answer. After a few moments, a hand touched his shoulder. His first instinct was to thrust it away from him, but a deeper part, the one that longed for any interaction that wasn't sexual, broke through and made him sit still. Sokka said, "Don't worry about it, Aang. It's fine."

When he looked over at the older boy's face, he could tell Sokka was sincere. He smiled a little, though he felt like crying in relief. Luckily that didn't happen. "I appreciate that, Sokka."

Sokka was about to reply when the angel's voice called out, "Aang? Where are you?"

His heart went wild in his chest as a blush rose to his cheeks. "In here, Katara!" he called back.

Her beautiful face came into her brother's room, looking adorably rumpled in her clothes. The blush felt hot on his face as she sat down beside him. "Are you okay?" she asked, running her hand through his hair again.

He recalled faintly that this was the same touch that got him out of his nightmare memory. Aang subconsciously leaned into it. "Yeah, I am."

Sokka made a disgruntled noise, sticking his tongue out. "Would you stop with the oogies, Kat?"

Katara glared at him, wiping out the smile that had adorned her face. "Oh, shut it, Sokka. Like you don't shoot the same looks at Suki."

"Suki?" Aang asked, amused at their banter but somehow puzzled.

Katara smirked at him, dropping her hand, which he wished she hadn't. It had felt good. "Yeah, Sokka's would-be girlfriend if he just told her how he felt."

Sokka rolled his eyes. "Look, you know how this is, sis. At least I didn't go for someone like Jet."

Aang raised a brow at the blush on the girl's face, jealousy coursing in his blood. Who was he? She said hotly, "I was fourteen! How was I suppose to know that he was a jerk?!"

The idea of anyone with her before him made his stomach clench, but he pushed it aside. Until now, no one had known he was around. He had no claim to her. Still, if this Jet guy had hurt her, Aang wanted to punch his lights out.

Sokka shook his head. "Whatever. Anyway, Aang, now that my dear sister had brought her up, I would like you to meet Suki. I think you two would get along just fine."

There was something about that name that seemed familiar, but for the life of him, he couldn't exactly recall where he had heard of it before. Willing the thought away, he shrugged. "Sure. I guess that would be okay."

Sokka slapped his knees. "Great! Her aunt owns the cafe I work at and she'll be there tomorrow. Well," he amended, looking at the clock that read midnight, "later today, anyway." He yawned, stretching his arms up. "Man, all this talking had tired me out. I think I'm going to hit the hay. Would you guys be alright by yourselves?"

Katara folded her arms, frowning. "What are we, twelve?"

Aang chuckled, feeling like every burden he had shouldered was alleviated, at least temporarily. "Come on, Kat," he teased, standing up. "Let's leave the growing boy to his nap of love."

Sokka glared at him playfully as Katara blushed and laughed. "Airhead," he grumbled, laying down and shutting everything down. "Bye, guys."

"'Night, Sokka," they said, smiling and chuckling as they left.

Katara close the door behind her. "That was mildly embarrassing as well as entertaining."

"Yeah," Aang agreed. "I like your brother. It kind of makes me wish I had a sibling."

She chuckled. "It does have its perks." The smiled slowly faded as she grabbed his hand in a light hold. Electricity zapped up his arm. He looked at her mesmerizing eyes as she asked, "Are you okay?"

Feeling suddenly drained, he rubbed his eye with his free hand. "Yeah, but I'm still kind of tired."

Katara yawned hugely, blinking. "Me too." She tugged on his hand. "Come on, let's go back to sleep."

He stopped her from going. A thought had struck him. "Wait, Katara. You can go in your room now."

She frowned at him in worry. "But you had a nightmare before. I can't leave you alone, knowing it might happen again. You need sleep."

It was true, but he was starting to feel guilty about keeping her in one place. Though it scared him slightly to sleep alone, the idea of Katara being around made that fear manageable. "I'll be okay, Kat. I know I'm safe, like you said." He touched her cheek without thinking. Her skin was warm against his palms. There was a tingle that he wasn't sure what to make of, but it was pleasant. "I'll be alright."

Katara searched his gaze before sighing. "Well, if you're sure..."

He smiled and gave a single nod. "Yeah, I'm sure."

She smiled back and squeezed his hand before letting go. "Okay, Aang." She reached up and kissed his cheek. "Goodnight." She turned and walked away before he could say anything, but he was almost sure there had been a blush on her face. His certainly felt like a furnace.

Once she was in a room a little ways from Sokka's, he went into his guest room and collapsed on the bed, a goofy grin on his face. All thoughts of leaving had vanished from his mind. The warmth from her kiss lingered. He reached up to touch the spot.

Maybe he was overthinking things. Maybe the mistress had stopped looking. Maybe he could start over, whether he found his parents or not. The only thing he knew for sure was that his heart was slowly opening up to this family. He was feeling the shattered pieces of himself fall back into place little by little.

For once, as he fell asleep again, Aang felt unafraid of the future.