Page 7 of Claimed By Night

Poor thing’s so high, she probly thinks she’s on a ship somewheres.

“Yes, you’re quite the sight to see, aren’t you?” Anona ask as she release one o’ the girl’s hips in order to brush her matted an’ filthy white hair away from her face. It one o’ them faces you don’t forget. Her skin’s pale an’ the shape o’ her facial bones is a perfect heart. Her eyes be large, fringed with black lashesthat match her arched eyebrows. Her nose be real small, an’ her cheekbones look like they’d stick out when she smile. I ain’t seen an angel before soze I can’t comment on what the others look like, but this one kinda reminds me o’ a faerie. Her mouth’s the color o’ a rose an’ she got some plump lips. Even with the dark circles ‘neath her eyes, she be stunnin’.

“We’ll get you fixed up in no time,” Anona prattle as Godwin appear at the doorway, carryin’ the metal tub o’ warm water. “In the middle of the room,” Anona say to him an’ he obediently place the tub to her specifications. Then, he look from Anona to the angel an’ it like his brain just stop workin’.

He standin’ there, lookin’ like a bigger fool than I already given him credit for.

“You can leave, Godwin,” I tell him as I push ‘gainst the back o’ his tiny, dumb head, an’ he finally remembers hisself an’ trudges toward the door.

Meanwhile, Anona busyin’ herself with removin’ the girl’s ripped an’ dirty clothin’. Once the girl is nekked, Anona jist look at her in the mirror, a small smile turnin’ up the corners o’ her mouth. It’s a smile, sure, but it real ugly-like. She cup each o’ the girl’s big titties an’ nods.

“These will make your clients very happy,” she say. “Myclients very happy. How lucky I am.” Anona’s eyes follow the shape o’ the girl’s stomach ‘til they rest on the thatch o’ white hair ‘tween her thighs. Anona bite her bottom lip an’ look like she thinkin’ ‘bout somethin’ real hard. “I wonder just how far my luck extends,” she say as she move her hand from the girl’s titty down to her thighs.

The girl, meanwhile, is comin’ in an’ out o’ awareness. Just now, her eyelashes drift down an’ her head slouches forward, like she be asleep. Or dead. Hopefully not dead.

“If you’re intact,” Anona continue. “We’ll have an auction for your virginity.”

Usin’ her index finger, Anona parts the girl’s lips an’ inserts her finger inside. The girl don’t even flinch. The smile on Anona’s face drop a little when she pull her finger back out.

“Seems someone has already gotten to you.” She look put-out. “Oh, well, you’ll still command a mighty sum.”

She lead the girl to the bath an’ help her settle into the water. Then, Anona turn to me. “Flumph, bathe her and do something about that hair. I want her stunning for tomorrow morning. Trim the hair over her mound, as well. Feed her by hand if you must, but see to it that she eats every last bite on that plate. Then, she needs her beauty sleep.”

“Yes, mistress,” I say as Anona start for the doorway. I flutter ‘round to watch her leave an’ notice she shut an’ lock the door behind her. I ain’t worried ‘bout bein’ locked in, my hands’re small enough to fit inside the lock an’ I be a master locksmith.

When I’m alone with the girl, I take a deep breath an’ begin washin’ her, feelin’ sorry for her all the while. Yeah, Anona saved her from whatever the hells was followin’ her but now, her life will be this—bein’ whored out to whoever bids the highest. Day in an’ day out. I wonder if, once she be coherent, she’ll wish she was dead. If she evergetcoherent...

What happen next shock the livin’, lovin’ hell outta me, an’ I still can’t really believe it happened. I dunno if I hit a magic button or what, but no sooner do I think ‘bout the misery o’ this girl’s new life than fuckin’ wings sprout out her back!

White, feathered wings twelve feet long! An’ they sprout right where the markings are! Markings that supposedly reveal she had her wings burned off. But burned off they ain’t! ‘Cause they be flappin’ right in front o’ me, sure as mine are flappin’ right back!

“Thunder butterfuck!” I say as my heart start poundin’, an’ I look back at the door to make sure no one comin’ in. Anyone seethis angel with wings an’ it’s an immediate death sentence for her, right here an’ right now!

“You gotta put them things away, girl!” I whisper right into her ear. Her wings jist beat back an’ forth like a dumb dog excited to meet me. “Girl!” I insist. “You gotta hide them things or you gonna get killed!”

I dunno if she hear me or if it jist be coincidence, but as soon’s the last word is out my mouth, the girl’s wings fold up an’ disappear into her back, leavin’ jist the dark black tattooed markings.

When I float back ‘round to the front o’ her, I notice her head’s slouched forward an’, by her breathin’, it seem like she sound asleep. I just hover in the air for a minute whiles I try to figure out what the fuck shit I should do.

If I tell Anona ‘bout the girl’s wings, she’ll kill her ‘cause she knowsthatedict ain’t something she can mess with. Or maybe she’ll try to burn the wings off herself, which’ll jist mean a longer an’ worser death for the poor thing.

I sigh when the answer come to me like one o’ them nasty burps that remind ya o’ what ya ate for lunch.

I gotta go to the Shadow King an’ tell him we got ourselves a real angel down at the tavern in Precinct Five.

Fuck me.

CHAPTER THREE

DRAGAN

Shadow Realm

“What do you want, sprite?” I ask the irritating creature as it flits before me, buzzing incessantly like a bloody mosquito. At its full height, it stands just above my ankle.

Frankly, I’m shocked as fuck to see it here, in the dark realm and in the middle of my throne room. But here it is, all the same.

“I… oh shit… I got me some big… I got big news,” it answers in a tinny voice, its breathing so erratic it can barely get the words out. Its wings beat madly, creating a hissing sound and causing the tiny thing to shift up and down, back and forth.

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