9. Rain

Wearing a black silk dress with thin straps over my shoulders, a plunging neckline and a high slit in the front that nearly exposes me. It has a slight train at the back, and a black upside down cross necklace around my neck and hanging between my breasts. My hair is down, and my feet remain bare as I walk into the main room.

It’s just how it was the first night. All the followers are here, candles are lit and as I look over to the front, my father is standing there. My handler pushes me forward as we make our way through the crowd until we reach the table and stop just before it.

“Tonight we welcome Principessa Oscura to The Chapel, officially. Once the evening commences, she will be standing by my side as my new wife, in the name of the Dark One.”

The room erupts, and they all chant back to him, “In the name of the Dark One.”

A chill runs over me, not because I am impressed and moved by this performance and loyalty, it’s because I am fucking terrified with no way out.

My father walks down the steps from where he is standing and walks to face me on the opposite side of the table.

“On the table,” he insists. Accepting defeat, I do what he asks and pull myself onto the long wooden table, and lay in the same spot my mother did. Briefly, I hope I will feel her, considering this is where she had taken her last breath, but I don’t. I feel nothing.

“Member Conrad, come forward. It is time to give her wings.”

This is the first time I have heard a name being used. And wings? What is he talking about?

A hand wraps around my right wrist, holding it down so I can’t move my arm. I wait for the same to happen to the rest of my limbs, but it doesn’t. Instead, I hear a buzzing sound filling the quiet space. Glancing over, it’s a tattoo machine.

I’m getting my bat wings.

The taking is The Chapel’s initiation.

The needle pricks my skin as I look away. This is my first tattoo and it isn’t a terrible pain, I actually like it. It’s soothing—the sound of the buzzing machine and the needle pricking my skin. As I focus on that, time passes rapidly and the next thing I know, we are done. As he places his machine down and removes his black latex gloves, I take a peek. It is just like the one I saw on that guy at work. It looks like two wings are breaking out of my skin, just the outline and a bit of the inside are inked on me.

“Good job, Principessa Oscura. Now, let the taking begin.” He shouts into the room and declares. Unsure of what is next, the hand wrapped around my wrist now moves my arm above my head. Another hand joins and does the same to my left arm. My father walks to the foot of the table and signals for a couple others to join him. As they stand with him, they take the fabric of my dress and rip the slit to my stomach, exposing me completely to them.

The taking.

It makes sense now. I am the one they are taking.

“Keep your eyes open. If they close, it will only last longer.”

I want to scream. I want to fight. But it’s of no use. There is only one of me against all of them, I wouldn’t make it out of here alive if I tried.

A hand caresses my bare skin, moving slowly up my leg causing my toes to point and my body to stiffen. Just before the hand reaches my inner thigh, something changes.

I feel him.

He’shere, but where? My eyes shift, trying to look around me without being noticeable. The feeling gets stronger with each passing second. Hope. I latch onto it, and I am not letting it go.

“Oh, stepdaddy dearest.” A new voice taunts the room.

It’s him.

My breathing becomes more rapid in anticipation. The room remains quiet. I want to move my head to see what is happening, but I resist. I don’t need the attention back on me.

“Elijah, what is the meaning of your dramatics?” My father questions, unamused.

Elijah? I like that name.

“You gave her to me. I delivered both names to you on a silver fucking platter. After you promised me I could keep Rain! Now tell your goons to get their fucking hands off of her.” His voice is dripping with venom.

“The Dark One has since changed his mind. This is not something any of us have control over, I am all but a vessel for him to communicate through.”

I can hear footsteps getting closer. The connection feels stronger as he gets closer.

A million questions are racing through my head that I want to ask. That I want to scream about. But that isn’t a priority right now; not getting raped by these vile human beings and staying alive is.

My eyes shift as I hear Elijah step next to me and stop. He is in all black, but not like the others, he has no robe, instead I think its a hoodie. My eyes try to wander up where I see the shine of his piercings and his floppy black hair. Ink peeks out on his exposed neck, and he has some sort of markings on his face.

“The fuck did you do to your face?” Father shouts, and his voice echoes all around us.

Elijah doesn’t respond. I see the corner of his mouth smirk. “If any one of you tries to stop me, I know where you live. I know where your kids go to school and what your spouses get up to while you are here. And I will kill them all without a trace if you fucking try to stop me.” He says matter of factly.

My nostrils flare as my heart races. My body wants to tremble, but it takes every bit of willpower to prevent it. The adrenaline of not knowing what will happen next has hit me, fear and anticipation riddle through me.

Father is first to speak. “You have no idea what you are doing right now. How you will have to pay for this, Elijah. He will make sure you do.”

“Would you shut the fuck up old man? I am not afraid of you or your Dark One. Pull my name next from the fire. It doesn’t fucking matter to me.” Elijah declares. As he does, I see his arm move up rapidly. There is a wooden bat in his hand, which he slams down on the table just above my head.

My body jolts from the shock and loud noise.

“Get ready, little bat. We are going home.”

I take that as my cue. Its time to move. Slowly I do, getting up with caution, unsure if someone will force me back down. Sitting up, my eyes take in the room. The followers are still surrounding us, observing what is happening before them. Elijah is challenging their Master, the vessel of their Dark One. And none of them are doing anything. Either out of shock or curiosity. Either way, I will take it.

“And mom, you are a fucking coward.” He adds.

She must be in a robe and mask, as I cannot tell where she is. But surely she cannot be too pleased about her husband trying to take on another wife.

My dress is torn, exposing parts of me that I wish were not on display. As I get off the table, I grab the torn pieces and try to tie a couple of them together quickly to limit the vulnerable feeling that has taken over me.

Once I do, I look up to see the most beautiful set of eyes looking back at me. They are blue with specks of brown in them. Enchanting.

His face is decorated with black ink, like a skeleton. The black bits around his eyes, nose and temples are all shaded, leaving the rest of his skin exposed. His mouth has black lining on and around it. As I continue to examine him, I know he won’t hurt me. The trust is instant and unspoken. His energy speaks to mine, which is enough for me.

Elijah reaches out his free hand, and I take it. Instantly, my body buzzes as if it weren’t alive until now. A fresh wave of energy ignites inside of me. I feel connected to him in ways I have never felt before towards another person.

Looking at his other hand, the bat is now hanging in his grip, the wood has a slight chip in it and is stained red. My eyes move back to my father, and the followers who were up until recently were touching me, but I didnt say anything. I refuse to give them any more of me, they do not deserve it.

“Little bat, we can go now. They won’t hurt you,” Elijah coaxes me, and his thumb rubs the top of my hand. I nod in response, refocusing on him.

“Follow us, and you’re dead. Try to find us, dead…” My father interjects, “We get it. Your childish games and antics will catch up to you. The Dark One rules within you as much as it does me.”

“No one rules me, but me. I humor you. Remember that.”

Elijah starts to walk away, pulling on my hand and bringing him with me. We don’t make it far before I hear someone rushing behind me. It all flashes before me quickly. Elijah, without letting go of me, maneuvers himself so he is now in front of me. His arm, along with the bat, is in the air before it comes down with full force, connecting with the person’s head.

You can hear the impact, gasps of shock fill the area.

“Your family will be dead before you get home tonight. I will make sure you find them.”

The person on the ground hasn’t moved. Unsure if they are dead or alive, Elijah turns and continues walking us out. The followers part for us, clearing a path to the exit. As we walk through the long hallways, neither of us speaks. A part of me is unsure if this is real or if I have become delusional. Either way, I will take it.

A black car is parked at the entrance, engine still on.

Elijah walks me to the passenger side and opens the door for me. I get in and he closes the door behind me. I do up my seatbelt and curl into myself on the seat as he gets in. As we begin to pull out of the area, it’s dark and hard to tell where we are. Both of us stay quiet as we make our way down the backroads, the only thing lighting the area are his headlights. Then unexpectedly, his hand grips my knee and says, “Little bat, you are mine now.”