Page 3 of Dark Captivation

“You didn’t ask them.” I laughed, trying to sound unperturbed.

“I’ve seen all of them before. No need to look so worried. I won’t bite you.” He assured me, smiling warmly. “If you don’t have a ticket, I’d be more than happy to help a pretty little lady like yourself find the ticket booth.”

He took my hand without asking and shouted for the passengers to hear. “Be right back, folks.”

‘This really isn’t necessary. I’ll probably just take a taxi.” I tugged at my hand, but his grip was firm. He walked us down the sidewalk and passed several demons, none of which were a guard.

“A taxi, at those prices? Nonsense!” He chuckled. “A bus ticket will only set you back five derecko. The taxis round here will take notice of your accent and they’ll scam you real good.”

A ticket booth with a sign that read, ‘Demon City Public Transport Authority’, stood about six feet ahead.

“Really. I don’t need a ticket; I’ll just be on my way.” His palm, now moist from sweat made it easy for my hand to slip from his grasp. “Look, I know you're just trying to help but I have to go.”

I left the driver behind me looking for guards.

A sweaty hand ensnared my shoulder.

“Didn’t you hear me? I said I’m fine.” I cursed, turning around to stare daggers at the driver. Sweat glossed over his face as he gave me a funny screw faced look that I didn’t understand.

“Hu- hurry!” He stammered, “Grab her before she gets away!” The driver yelled, flapping an arm up and down.

A gang of green, leather skinned demons descended on us like vultures to a fresh carcass.

“This one’s pretty cute. She even smells like the forest.” One of the green skinned demons reached a hand out and combed it through my hair.

“Get your dirty fingers off me before I make you eat them!” I snapped, glaring at him murderously.

The four of them laughed like my threat was a joke.

“What the hell is this? You said you were taking me to buy a ticket.” I demanded of the driver.

“You’re a far way from home, little she-wolf. My ‘thraxy’ friends here just want to have a chat with you.” A dark shadow crept over his face as his smile grew menacing. “Once they're done, I’ll give you a ride for free, okay? Wherever you wanna go.”

“Fuck off.” My foot launched into his belly, knocking him onto his ass.

I shifted to the balls of my feet and took off through a gap in the demons.

A sea of strong arms grabbed me, overwhelmed me on all sides, pulling me under.

I screamed and kicked, bit and scratched, but there were too many of them. They moved with lightning speed, carrying me toward a red sedan parked on the sidewalk.

I yelled for the palace guards. The bones in my back cracked as I initiated the shift. Mellow’s voice whispered, but before she could howl, something hard and heavy clunked me in the skull once, twice, and by the third time, I couldn’t move.

All I could do was watch as my limp body was thrown into the back of the sedan. The driver ran off somewhere unseen as the other three demons crammed into the car and drove us away.

Something clacked, stirring me awake just in time to feel a cloth strap around my forehead.

The room spun and I was surrounded by three dark, shadowy figures.

Furious and ready to kill, I tried to reach for one of the shadows.

My arms were caught on something, and I couldn’t move.

I was strapped into some type of contraption. Both my hands were tied high above my head. My feet were tied together and strapped below me so that my body was pulled tight, stretched out like a rubber band. There were wheels and cogs attached to a pulley system on my right, buttons and knobs on a control panel to my left. “What the fuck is this?”

This thing looked like some type of medieval torture device, the kind you’d expect to see in Dracula’s castle.

“Let me out!” I roared as dark shadows descended, coming into sharper focus. It was the three leathery skinned demon’s from earlier.

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