CHAPTER 2

ESCAPE

“Stop struggling, I’m not going to let you go.” He tightened his grasp on his shoulders and pushed forwards. “I’m going to change your prejudice on us Angels.”
“No, don’t! I need to prove my worth. I will kill you. I need to,” Lex panted.
“We’ll see.” 
“Hmph. I will make you regret ever catching me. I’ll finally be accepted.” He looked at his clawed hands and the blood which marked his black talons. Lost in his own desire of blood, he jabbed his talons at his captor who quickly grabbed his hand whilst still holding onto his shoulder. “Come on now,” he said to Lex whom reluctantly complied, knowing he had no way of escaping. Yet.

The Angel shoved Lex into a cabin in the woods, surrounded by trees and the fog which levitated just above the ground, clouding the scenery which people crave. He grabbed a hold of his wrist and knelt down, staring right at him. Lex’s eyes swayed, the Angels shape which reflected in his anguished eyes became a shadow of nightfall. With their eyes level with one another, the Angel kept his nerve, his lips a straight line on his face.

“Call me Anouke."
“Um… Anouke?”
“Good.”
Lex didn’t say anything more.

“Hmm, now—what to do with your prejudice on us.”
“Nothing,” Lex replied in a huff, disinterested. Anouke smiled sorrowfully and looked down, Lex also averting his gaze. “Seems as there is nothing you can do for me, I’m free to go, right?”
“I didn’t know I’d caught a humorous Demon. Though, one with a poor taste in comedy,” Anouke joked in a serious tone and took a breath of air. “Now, how am I supposed to keep such a restless demon contained, hmm?” Anouke asked thoughtfully, tapping his chin with his index finger, his other hand still gripped tightly on Lex’s shoulder.
"You don’t,” Lex growled.
“I just wanted to ask, but… why do you keep such a strong hatred to us Angels?”
“That’s none of your business!” Lex snapped, throwing his head to look at Anouke with resentment – crave of blood permeating his eyes and he divulged his incisors at him. The bridge of Lex’s nose scrunched up as he snarled from the bottom of his throat.
“My, my,” Anouke exhaled. “You haven’t told me your name,” Anouke said and nodded his head at Lex as if giving him permission to speak.
“And you don’t need to know it,” Lex murmured.
“Oh, please! Of course I do, it’ll help our conversations. Wouldn’t you agree?” Anouke said, white hair falling over his intense eyes like snowflakes tumbling down the air.

Lex gave him a surreptitious glance and pondered for a second, lips shaping into a lackadaisical pout. “Lex. My name is Lex.” Anouke lethargically smiled.

“Lex,” he said as if he was testing how the word sounded and felt against his tongue.
“I like it!” Anouke clapped like he just finished watching a performance.
“Can I sleep now?”
“Sure, sure,” he said hurriedly, a sly smirk tugging at each corner of his mouth. “But, how do I know you won’t escape?” He looked at Lex and let go of his shoulder carefully. “Lex,” he added.
“Guess that’s a risk that you’ll have to take.” And Lex gave an impish simper back.
“No, I don’t think so. I’ll have to bind you.”
“What the?!” Lex hollered. “No way!” He shrieked. “I’m not letting you do that.” Lex folded his arms. Anouke’s smile disappeared and he grabbed Lex’s wrist with a great force.

Lex yammered. “Let go, you crazy bastard!” He squalled. “I didn’t even want to be here in the first place.”
“Just let me do this and it’ll be over. What do you say?” Anouke pestered. Lex tried to peel his fingers off his wrist, grunting as he did so. “If you’re so determined to force me to stay, why don’t--” he paused and thought, “You’re an Angel, right? Use magic or something.” Lex was testing him. A shadow fell over Anouke’s eyes. His grip tightened on Lex’s wrist like he was threatening to shatter the bone if he carried on testing him. There was something disconcerting in his eyes once the shadow lifted.

Lex wasn’t giving up and swung his elongated grapnels at Anouke’s arm with the fingers enclosing ever so tightly on his wrist. Anouke let go of his wrist to avoid the jab. “Apologies,” Anouke said sincerely, “I’m unsure of what came over me.” Lex held his wrist which then fell limp at his side as he dropped it from his hold. “Whatever,” Lex muttered. He thought back to the shadow that fell over Anouke’s eyes when he’d asked about the usage of magic.

He was aware that Angels disliked using their magic since they were never taught how to properly use it as younglings – he didn’t know why they were never taught, though – but the shadow that sagged over his eyes was something else.

Since the ‘incident’ was now over, Lex had a look around the home, spying for any escapes. There was nothing. Anouke had took Lex to a petit cabin which was surrounded by nature and had branches of ivy crawling up the walls and the windows, acting like blackout curtains as they embargo the light which strives to find a way through. I really have no way out; the only thing I can do is kill him if I want to get out of here, he told himself, trying to obtain the reality. Lex noticed how homely and cozy the cabin felt – something he never felt when he was actually at home with his father. If this wasn’t an abhorring situation, he would have actually felt comfortable here.

In his home where he was raised, it was always cold like there was a draft skulking from under the doors. Although Lex didn’t want to think about that, the thoughts and realism of what his father did bypassed his mind.

The singular talon against Lex’s frail skin. The rush of blood through his body, colder than the feel of ice against delicate fingertips, freezing his whole body at the sight of his father. The string of words full of: despise, pity, carelessness, insensitivity and such brutal things. The verbal and physical abuse. That was why Lex had to kill the Angels; to make it up to his father and to be certain no such thing like that happened again. Lex had his mind made up. He was going to slaughter Anouke if it was the last thing he did. Father wants him dead. I’ll make sure I attain that wish.

Snapped out of thought by the cackle of fire, Lex winced and held his hands up, but when what he thought would happen didn’t, he pulled his hands away from his face and looked forwards. Anouke was tending to the fire, nudging the burning wood so the fire could augment. Lex exhaled a long, shaky breath. He was still high on guard, his bulky claws still prolonged and premolars hankering to sink into the feeble flesh of his victims.

“I can assure you I won’t attack you, Lex. Not again – I don’t know what came over me back then,” Anouke said suddenly, turning around to face Lex who was unveiling his carnassials. “And you won’t hurt me either,” he added with certainty.
“Be as credence as you want, you can’t always be watching me,” Lex scoffed.
“No, you’re right. But I can bind you.”
“The hell, bastard?” Anouke shushed him by placing his index finger on his own lips.
“Uh-uh. No squabbling anymore,” he removed his finger from his mouth, “Please just do as you’re told…” his voice trembled.

Lex recalled the shadow over his eyes and the sheer amount of strength he contained – and Lex new that the grasp on his wrist wasn’t Anouke’s full power. But he wasn’t going to comply. “No way. I have my own freedom so--”
“Angels had their own freedom, too. But you butchered them, robbing them of that.”
“Because I had to!” Lex’s voice cracked.
“I won’t bind you, then. Please just don’t leave.”
“’Kay,” Lex said; voice emotionless.

Lex walked to the other end of the living room, Anouke’s cold voice hanging like notes in the air around him. Anouke fixed Lex one last look before opening a door to the left of him and walked out of the room in silence. Okay, now’s time to escape. He looked around. He stalked over to the condensed window and remarked that the ivy branches which crawled up the flaking house walls were like the sakura branches on Anoukes robe. He tried to push the window open carefully, trying to make as little noise as possible but it wouldn’t budge.

He reeled his leg up and launched a kick at the corner of the window and it cracked a little and made a fairly loud noise as his foot pounded against it. Anouke made no sign of movement in – presumably his room – where he walked off to. Lex, growing impatient and sullen, started to vehemently repeat kicking at the window. He groaned as his leg flailed about. The branches of ivy cackled as they snapped, leaves soaring down to the ground. Lex checked outside the window, looking right and left, making sure to stay discreet.

He looked up, seeing the very top of the roof. He couldn’t see behind it but decided it was safe to escape. He took a few steps back and vaulted through the open window, a gust of wind threatening to slam it shut. He rolled in the air and on the last spin, his wings prowled out of his back. He glided in the balm air of the night, the cool and calm winds felt tropical against his face.

He noticed his wings failing to oblige to his commands and his body fell through the tropical-feeling air as he crashed against the ground, face scraping against thorns and branches sticking out of the ground like obstacles. He exhaled the breath he was unconsciously holding. Lex pushed himself up and looked around only to be greeted by Anouke. They both frowned at each other. Lex looked at his wings which were bound together by thick branches of ivy. How did I not even feel it on my wings?

Anouke placed a hand on his hip. “Come on now, you didn’t really think I trusted you enough to be left alone and unbound, did you? How foolish of you.” They trekked through the bleak woods, weak and damp branches crunching beneath the heavy footing of the two supernatural beings. “By the rate you’re going, Lex, you’re going to end up having the humans find out about us. You’re being very reckless and way too careless.”
“Not bothered. I’ll kill anyone who sees me,” Lex explained truthfully.
“Yeah… Yeah, I should have known you’d say something like that. Look, if you’re going to be in your winged form, like right now, then don’t go near the humans land. Well, actually, don’t go near the humans land at all, your tail is enough to see you’re different.”
“Shut up,” Lex shrugged Anouke’s hands off his shoulders and walked towards the cabin independently.

“Ah, what can I do with you?” Anouke said, tone cheerful as he sighed, placing his fingertips on his forehead. As they entered the cabin, the fire had started to decease. Lex walked in first and sat on a battered black couch, watching the crackling fire, eyes sparking with fear as his fascination drew him to glare at the burning flames. Lex was finally able to tear his eyes away from the fire to see that Anouke hadn’t entered the house and was gone from sight.

I can try escaping again. He had a look around, the only option the window again. It had been slammed shut by the wind and slightly more cracked than before. He pushed it open with a gentle force and it made no noise except for a minor crunch. He looked outside the walls again, turning to face either way, looking for Anouke. Where the hell has he gone? Lex asked himself. He turned right, looking at the beige walls, the paint breaking off. He hopped out the window, pulling his legs up to his chest and arms spread out like his wings were.

Like before, when Lex had caught Anouke with placing his two feet on the spine of his back and pushed down, Anouke had done that right as he charged out of the window. When Lex looked up and saw Anouke, he realized that he was holding a ton of firewood. Ah, so that’s where he went. They both sighed synchronously. Anouke looked distinctly uninterested and unsurprised at the prospect of Lex trying to escape again.

“Let’s get inside now,” Anouke insisted. “I’ll tend the fire.”
“Yeah… Yeah, okay,” he replied, unsure of how he could depart from the cabin without Anouke knowing. Anouke turned to Lex with strained a smile. Lex observed his face, and looked into his halcyon eyes. The smile didn’t reach his eyes. Inside, back on the marred, leather couch, Lex sat down and dropped his head into his hand and sighed. “You know what you did to my brothers, Lex. Why’d you do it?” Anouke turned away from the fire to look at him – he didn’t even have a strained smile on his face. This was serious.

“I didn’t have a choice.” Lex said defeatedly.
“That’s not an answer.”
“It’s enough of one.”
“Why are you so stubborn? It’s a simple question.” Anouke grumbled and Lex dropped his shoulders, looking down at the carpeted floor. “It’s not stubbornness.”
“Then what is it?” Anouke catechized.
“Gah, nothing. Forget I said anything. You’re pissing me off.” Lex placed his hand over his face, covering his eyes as his fingertips slid through his hair. He closed his eyes, eyelashes tapping together like they were trying to make a silent melody. Anouke turned away.

“Sure, whatever,” he said as he put the fire poker down. The incandescence of the fire flashed across Anoukes face. “I’ll be getting no sleep ‘cause of you. Make this easy on the both of us, yeah?” Anouke offered with a conciliatory voice. There it was. That smile again. Strained. His eyes told how he really felt. He was discommoded for sure.
Lex got up from the tarnished seat. “I’ll leave you to it,” he whispered, barely noticeable over the crepitate of the singing fire. But, Anouke heard it.

Lex wandered around the house with a vexed emotion clawing through his skull. He paced around the living room where Anouke sat tending silently to the fire. He’d been doing this for a while now. About five minutes or more. A draft slinked through the gap beneath the door, whistling. “I thought you were going to leave me to it,” Anouke sneered. “Your pacing around is distracting and stressing me out.”

“Ha, not that it bothers me, but for an Angel you’re not very philanthropic," he said with irritation despite saying he didn't care about it. His teeth were grinding together, jaw clenched.
“Because you’re not going to be very easy to change.”
“If I’m infuriating to you, how do you think I feel?”
I’ve never had prey escape before… You won’t make it out alive, Anouke. I’ll get you. Whilst Lex grew more agitated and his thoughts grew more frequent, a shadow fell over his hollow eyes. He stared down Anouke with a raving look, but kept his pent-up anger inside.