Lycer's POV
My eyes were red, I could feel it. The first day or so I cried. At this point, I'm worried she's dead. I don't know how long it's been now. Several days? A week? I don't know.
I don't even understand what happened. One minute, Christopher and Malum were here. It was the usual and I wanted it to end. Then, she was convulsing and practically foaming at the mouth. I could feel my heart in my throat as I yelled for answers that never came. Malum yelled at Christopher, or at least his voice felt loud to my ears. Then Christopher was gone and Celestial was in Malum's arms. I felt my throat go raw at my many attempts to ask what was happening. Then she was gone.
I tried to remember reading that book in my father's office as a kid. I tried to remember if I would be able to tell if she died. If our bond would snap at all.
The door creaks open. I throw myself to the bars, ready to scream at whoever came in. But in comes Ian, looking terrible. His right eye is bruised and swollen. A cut dots his also swollen cheek and his lip. I can see discoloration on several spots of his arms and he has a slight limp to his step.
"Ian!" His eyes find mine, they're red and puffy. "Where is she? Is she okay?"
"C'mon," he says lowly. He unlocks my cell, grabbing my arm and tugging me out. "Don't fight, please." His voice cracks and he clears his throat, looking away as he wipes at his face.
"Are you -- are you okay?" I don't fight. I follow him out of the cell block. He doesn't answer.
We approach an all too familiar door before he turns to me. "I'm so sorry." He refuses to look in my eyes.
"Is she. . . Where?" The pit in my stomach sinks when he gestures to the room. "No." I practically throw myself at the door. I can't think of a time in which I've wanted to enter this room. The door opens with a creak and a slam.
Celestial is strapped to a chair on the other side of the room. My chest rises and falls. I run to her only to have both of my arms grabbed. I elbow the experiment to my left, getting it right in the chest. It doesn't lose its grip. The other pushes me down, kicking my legs out from below me. My knees hit the ground as I feel shackles being placed on my wrists. I tug at them but it does nothing. "Let her go!" If she hears me, she doesn't show it. Her head is lulled to the side, her cheek pressed into her shoulder. The straps holding down her arms and legs look tight, digging into her skin. "Celestial!" Her eyes lazily scanned the room, stopping to look at me. I pulled at the shackles.
"Are you ready now, boy?" My head whips to the door where Malum strides in. One of the experiments comes in behind him, a case in hand.
"Ready for what?" I stop pulling at the shackles, my breath coming out in waves that lift my shoulders. He walks to the other side of the room. "Don't touch her!"
He ignores me, putting his hand on her cheek. "She's pretty, you know." Looking back at me, his hand slips into her hair. He yanks her head back. She lets out a small groan. "Too bad she got stuck with you as a friend. All you've brought her is pain."
"I never did shit! You sick fuck!" One of the experiments behind me puts a hand on my shoulder.
"I need you to contact your father."
"I can't!"
"You won't."
He turns to the experiment with the case. The experiment opens it; I can't see inside. He pulls out a knife, medium sized and of some regular metal.
I pull at the shackles, pushing back against the experiment with a hand on my shoulder. It just sinks its fingers harshly into my skin, pushing me back down. "I fucking can't! Don't you touch her!" The next item to be pulled from the case has my breath catching in my throat. Malum pulls out a sleek silver blowtorch. My heartbeat feels like it's in my throat. "Don't," I whisper, desperation filling me. "Don't do this!"
He merely glances at me as he ignites the torch, bringing it to the knife. He waits until the metal turns a hot red before switching it off. The entire time I try to fight. The experiments on either side of me force me to stay down. Malum takes his time walking over to Celestial. He hovers the hot metal over her face; the heat gives her a slight stir. Her eyes open just barely and I can hear her breath catch.
"Celestial!"
Malum continues to hover the knife over her skin, pulling it down over her chest, her stomach, and her legs. When he reaches her thighs, he presses the metal into her legging clad skin. I pull tight against the shackles as she suddenly becomes much more aware, a scream tearing from her lips. He flips the knife over. It takes with it pieces of burned fabric. He presses the other side of the knife lower on her thigh. Her screams ring through the room, echoing in my ears. He pulls the knife up, switching the torch back on and reheating the metal. Celestial cries, pulling at her restraints with no luck. "How do you contact your father?" His tone is calm and it infuriates me even further.
"I don't!"
"Shame." He's quick this time, putting the knife against her other leg. I wince at her scream. I can't. Celestial. I'm meant to protect her.
My own skin begins to heat. I'm shaking.
He flips the knife over, strings of the fabric following the turn of the blade.
"Lycer!" My name manages to leave her lips between screams. Her eyes lock on to mine.
Years of pent up frustration build. Years of grief for a life I thought was over. Years I thought I'd never see her again and now, here she is. She's hurt, screaming in pain. Because of me. Because of him.
An old familiar feeling begins to ignite inside of me. My breaths come out harshly through my nose. My bones begin to snap and realign into place. Fur shoots out of my arms, legs, chest. The experiments beside me back away; I think I hear one of them trip but I can't really tell. The shackles break as my wrists turn into another shape.
Malum pulls the knife away now, it clatters to the ground. He backs away from Celestial just as my bones finish reforming. My head comes up to his shoulder, that much is clear even across the room. I don't know if he's ever seen my wolf form before. A growl rumbles in my chest.
The two experiments launch themselves onto my wide frame. I easily shake them off, one getting thrown against the wall with a groan. I turn to the other, sinking my teeth into its shoulder and shaking it like a toy, only spitting them out when they go limp. The third experiment, the one with the case, seems to have fled the room. Only Malum still stands there, staring at me. "Incredible," he whispers. I lunge for him. He drops to the ground, just barely escaping my teeth. I turn to him, ready to lunge.
"Lycer?" Her whisper is small and croaky. I back up until her restrained hands can just barely touch my fur, glancing back at her only momentarily. When I look back towards Malum, he's gone. The door is left open and I can hear shouting coming from him in the hallway.
I turn back to Celestial. Here, I can see her skin on her legs is already beginning to blister. Her leggings are melted into her legs, some of the fabric completely gone. I nudge my head against her hand.
Eyeing the straps holding her down, I realize to undo them I'd have to shift back. The shouting from the hallway grows louder, steps coming in our direction. I don't have time. I'm careful to grab the bottom of the straps. I tug and she groans. I whine, watching her head loll away. I glance back towards the door. No time. I'm harsher this time, yanking at the bindings. They tear against my teeth. I jump quickly to the other, repeating my action, trying to drown out Celestial's moan of pain. I nudge her with my nose. Her eyes just barely open. I gesture back, hoping she'll get what I'm trying to say. She shakes her head ever so slightly. I nudge her again, pushing her hand until it falls on her lap. She hisses as her fingers comes in contact with one of her injured legs. She softly reaches for me and I kneel down. C'mon Celestial. If she fully understands, I don't know. But as soon as she has the tiniest grip on my fur, I pull forward. She tumbles out of the chair and onto my back. She lets out a groan but still sinks her other hand into my fur.
I barge out the door just as experiments begin to flood towards the door. Celestial pulls herself closer to me with a groan and a sharp cry. Hang on, I chant to myself over and over as I ram through experiments.
My next issue comes quickly. I have no idea where to go. I turn left then right then left again, unsure if I'm going in any sort of clear direction. The experiments come in large swarms. One comes straight for me and I knock them aside. Another I push straight to the ground, pinning them with my paws. I'm quick to pick them up between my teeth and throw them to the thinning crowd behind me. Another left turn.
The experiments gradually begin to thin as I gain speed in the winding hallways. I continue to barrel through lefts and rights until I come to a dead end, doors on either side. Celestial still manages her grip on my fur but I can feel blood trickling down my fur where her shoulder meets mine. I turn in a circle, unsure of where to go. What to do.
"Hey!" A whispered yell comes from around the corner. Ian rounds the corner, panting. "Goddess, do you know how long it took me to catch up to you?" I growl, not wanting him to come close. He holds up his hands. "I came to help." My frame remains crouched, ready to bolt but my ears perk up. "I'm- I'm done helping him." His face is still red, bruised, and blotchy. I hear shouting echoing down the hallways and I know I have no time to question. I walk towards him with a hesitant stride. "Follow me."
Ian is quick to head down back the way I came. Celestial groans as she begins to slip from my back, her hold loosening. I stop and let out a small bark in Ian's direction. He turns, seeing Celestial's position. He approaches me cautiously and helps lift her back onto my back. "I'm so sorry but you need to hold on now. Okay?" Celestial doesn't respond but she holds back onto my fur.
The shouting comes again. Choruses of 'this way' and 'they went that way' quickly catching up with us.
"We'll have to be quick." Ian leads us down two long hallways until I see a door coming at the end of one. "That's the exit." Ian runs in front of us and I follow diligently, careful not to go too fast in case I throw Celestial off of me.
"Hey! Where do you think you're going?" The voice comes from behind us, just one. Ian stops, switching places with me.
"Karlin," he says simply. "Let them go and I'll give you no trouble."
"Like you have anything left to give," he snarls. Karlin is a familiar face but disgusting nonetheless. The veins on the left side of his face protrude from his skin, his eye seemingly sinking into his face. He steps to Ian, pushing his disturbing face towards him. "Your sister dies and you're so quick to betray us?" Ian is quick to swing at the guy. The two tumble to the ground in a splay of limbs and thrown hands. Eventually, Ian shoves him away. "Traitor!"
"I was never with you!" Ian spits and I'm sure it's blood soaked. He looks back at me. "I was never with them," he admits, defeat clinging to his every word. "I was with her. And now she's gone." I step back, Celestial suddenly feeling heavy on my shoulders. Ian's sister. . . "So have at me!" He turns back to Karlin and lunges, knocking the experiment to the ground. The two tumble back down just as I hear the shouting coming from around one of the corners. "Go!" He shouts at me. My eyes widen as I take a step back. "Get as far as you can!" A fist meets his chin and he falters back.
I turn, Celestial on my mind. I approach the door as fast as I can, ramming into it. Celestial lets out a small shriek as she clings tightly to my fur. The door breaks inward, falling to the ground into a small room. A kitchen. I step through slowly, confused. This is where I'd been all this time? Looking back, it seems we broke through a pantry or cabinet of some kind. The whole room seemed very. . . Cute? Before my confusion can grow any further, I hear a sickening crunch come from behind me. Looking back, I see Karlin standing over Ian, blood seeming to be smeared all over the former's hand. Ian doesn't get back up. Karlin spits on Ian and shoots his head up. He smiles, his teeth smeared with his own blood.
I don't take any more time to look. I turn, dashing through the room and into a cutesy small living room. The front door is close and I make a mad dash for it. Hold on, Celestial, I chant several times in my head as I prepare to knock down another barrier. The door falls with a heavy thud and suddenly, there's mud below my feet.
I can hear Karlin behind me now, approaching quickly along with the shouting of many more experiments.
No time to take in my found freedom, I make a mad dash for the tree line.