Forever Caged [Complete]

Chapter 16: Spell


When next Reyvn awoke, the first thing he felt was sharp, stinging pain everywhere, and his back was stiff and sore. He rolled onto his side, and whimpered. Dammit, what happened this time? He looked out the window, and saw that the sun was setting. He shut his eyes as the light made his head throb, and slowly tried to sit up. That made his head hurt worse, but he knew he needed to wake up. He realized he was back in his bedroom, and gave a small sigh of relief. He looked down at his hands, seeing he was clean. Bandages were wrapped around his arms, and they were stained with blood in many spots.

Reyvn remembered everything that happened this time. Counting Rendell's wounds, receiving them double, Arna disrupting them, and the strange chanting that demon bastard did as he sliced up his back. Clearly Rendell hadn't been nice like Lesara and bothered with pain-killers, because his entire upper body was on fire. He hugged himself, shuddering. He remembered begging Rendell to stop, or kill him at the end of the torture. He'd hoped when he'd passed out, that he had finally died.

His head fell into his hands as he started to sob, berating himself for being so weak. Why did he let other people hurt him so much? Why didn't he ever fight back? Why did he let Koumori break him, even though he'd always known better? He hated himself for being this way, wished he were stronger. He couldn't bear this pain for the rest of his life; he wouldn't. It was either he learn to fight back, or die.

He knew he had another half. There was another person in his head, someone who protected him and made him stronger at the mere taste of blood. Maybe he could make this half...become whole with him. So he'd stop having holes in his memories, and so he could fight back without fear. He'd have to try when he got the chance.

Rendell was sitting on his bed. Perhaps he'd been a little too harsh? No... The boy was merely property at this point, his to do with what he pleased. But still... maybe he should be a bit nicer if he wanted to keep him alive. He looked over at the redhead asleep in his bed. Arna had fallen asleep earlier, and Rendell had carried him here. Perhaps he could use him as bait? Ideas for tomorrow's games were already buzzing around his head.

Reyvn glanced at the clock. It was already six...How long ago did he pass out? He sighed, and went to his suitcase. He pulled out a soft, dark green loose shirt, and slid it on carefully. He then found a pair of soft breathable tan pants, and slid those on too. He sat back on the bed and reached for his book. He was glad to see Rendell hadn't touched it.

Rendell kicked Arna out of bed, and Arna landed with a thud and an "Oof!" He gave the demon a dirty look, but was ignored, then told, "Go check on Reyvn." Knowing better than to wait around, Arna promptly left. He found his way to the sun room, and knocked on the door. "Reyvn? Are you in there?"

Reyvn's head shot up at the sound at his door. "Arna?" He set his book down, still open, and went to open the door. His eyes widened at the sight of the redhead, and it was all he could do not to throw himself at the other boy. He glanced behind Arna to make sure Rendell hadn't accompanied him, then grabbed his wrist and pulled him into the room before shutting the door. He wrapped his arms around Arna's shoulders, shaking.

Arna was caught off guard by Reyvn's actions. "Hey! What happened? Are you ok?" He gently put his arms around Reyvn, and held him for a moment. "Did he do something to you?"

Reyvn held back the fresh tears that threatened to spill out again, and released Arna. He stayed close, feeling as though Arna could keep him safe for the time. "Get me out of here," he whispered strongly, staring into the other boy's eyes.

Arna's eyes went wide with terror himself. "I.... I don't know if I can... That's why I'm visiting." He pulled Reyvn back into his arms. "He does things to me too sometimes, so I'd get it really bad, but I thought I'd be able to come by. Look." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a flat flask. "I brought some of that pain killing salve that Master likes. I thought you could use it."

Right, Arna was a servant too. He'd get hurt if he saved him. Reyvn sighed, letting Arna pull him back into an embrace. "Thank you," he said softly when the redhead produced the flask. "Can you...put some of that on my back? He did some...kind of magick to me, and it's on fire."

Arna winced. "Did he stab at you? Cripes that hurts." He made to pull off Reyvn's shirt, and then slowly undid the bandages. "One of the few things I like about freckles. They hide scars well." He began pouring copious amounts of the cream on Reyvn’s back and rubbed it in gently.

Reyvn winced, bits of the wounds coming up when Arna peeled off the bandages. He fought to keep control and not break down again, forced his body to remain still. "How bad is it?" he whispered.

Arna raised his eyebrows. "Not too bad actually. You didn't even bleed through on your back." He emptied half the flask on Reyvn's back alone. "There, better?"

Reyvn started picking at the bandages wrapped around his arms. "Yes, thank you." He winced, the deep wounds in his arms limiting his mobility and making the pain worse when he tried to peel off the bandages. He frowned. "I didn't bleed because he burned me." He shuddered, and had to stop what he was doing. His blood ran hot, and his body was tense, and he could feel the small trembles running through him. He'd never felt so angry in all his life. He was mad at Rendell for this treatment, and even for hurting Arna.

Arna began to put the salve on the cuts on Reyvn's arms. "Wow, he got you good. What did you do?"

Reyvn let out a sigh, and slowly began to explain. "He asked...me to show him what Koumori used to do to me. And I did. Made me count all the cuts I gave him this morning...I don't even remember clawing him." He shuddered, then hissed when Arna touched a particularly raw wound. "But...For every cut, he gave me two." His head fell forward, bangs shadowing his eyes. "And then he did that to my back after he came back from talking to you." His voice lost its gentleness, growing a little deeper. "Can I ask you a couple of favors, Arna?"

Arna drew his hand back when Reyvn hissed. "He did all that, huh? When I end up staying the night, I just pretend to sleep when he comes in. It usually works." He then stilled and could feel the color drain from his face when he heard the change in Reyvn's voice. "Uh... sure. I'll try and help. What do you want?"

Reyvn was silent for a few seconds, still staring at the floor. He kept his voice low. "I need you to tell Master Lesara what Rendell's done to me. He said he'd get Rendell if he hurt me. And...see if you can't get permission from the lions to enter the library and find a book about magic symbols. There should still be one on the desk I work at. Maybe if you tell the lions I requested it, they'll let you pass. I need to know what this thing on my back is."

Arna gave Reyvn a sideways look, then said, "Alright. But we have to keep Rendell from knowing it was one of us that told. Maybe I can lay the blame on Cherry." Arna's face visibly sagged. "She's been so mean lately. I think she's in cahoots with this guy." He then had an idea. "Hey, do you have anything I can draw on? Maybe if I show the lions, they'll know what that symbol is. They won't let me in at all, but it won't hurt to ask. And if not, I can ask that drug lady."

Reyvn's head snapped up. He stood quickly, and picked up the paper pad and a pen from the bookshelf and went to hand them to Arna. "I think Cherry's just being Cherry," he said quietly. "But maybe she won't be so bad if she gets in trouble for once."

Arna nodded and started sketching Reyvn's back, making careful note not to miss a single mark. "You think so? She's always into something or another, and gets hurt, and Master thinks that that should be lesson enough... There." He turned the paper around to show Reyvn. "I think he's too nice, but he will defend what's his."

Reyvn sighed, sitting still as Arna sketched. "I don't know. I just don't want either of us to take it from Rendell for this." He took the paper from Arna, studying the drawing for a moment. His eyes widened, recognizing some of what he saw. "This is..." Images flashed through his head; a small hotel room, blood smeared all over the walls, strange symbols written in the thick red liquid...And his mother's body, mutilated on the bed. A similar symbol was carved into her stomach, but more intricate. Reyvn hadn't understood at the time. He hadn't even understood that she was dead, until he touched her cold face and she didn't respond. Reyvn shook his head to clear the memories, and shut his eyes.

Arna put the paper down and gently put his arms around Reyvn. "I'm going to spend the night here since Cherry is being weird. Do you want me to visit you? I can come by every day." He began petting the boy's hair. "I can even show you some good hiding spots. Rendell's a bit of a night person, so now wouldn't be best, but maybe in the morning?"

Reyvn let himself lean into Arna, resting his head on the other's shoulder. "I would like to see you every day," he said quietly, "but I don't want you to come if you don't think it's safe.

Arna smiled and flexed an arm. "I put up with Cherry and man eating plants. Nothin' scares me!" He leaned down and kissed Reyvn's cheek. "Ok, that's a lie, but still." He decided that he would see Reyvn every day. It would provide a brief distraction for the demon if nothing else.

Reyvn gave a small smile, and wrapped his arms around Arna. "Thank you."

Arna stayed and held Reyvn quietly for a time. He was just about to doze off with the boy in his arms when a loud rapping on the door startled him. He sat bolt upright as the door swung open.

"What are you two doing?" Rendell said.

Arna stammered, "I w-was just giving Reyvn his orders for when he came back home. N-nothing else."

Reyvn echoed Arna's actions when he heard the noise at the door. He turned quickly to face Rendell, so his back wasn't displayed. Somehow he felt that Rendell would not be pleased that the salve had been applied. He gave the demon a small nod to confirm what Arna told him.

Rendell nodded, and turned to Arna. "Looks like you'll be staying a while. There's a storm and the bridge back to your master's has been flooded." He turned and before closing the door, said, "Dinner will be ready soon." As soon as he was out of earshot, Arna swirled a finger around his ear and said, "He's kind of cuckoo."

Reyvn sighed in relief when the demon left without trouble. He looked at Arna and made a face. "You haven't seen crazy until you've seen Koumori." He stood and climbed into bed. "Are you going to dinner?"

Arna shook his head. "I know better than to eat what that crazy eats. It might be because I'm huma, but his cook's food makes me go all weird." He sprawled out on the bed and stuffed his arms under a pillow. "Those plants there are safe though. The maid keeps them. I think she calls the one with the red fruit 'strawberries.' They're super tasty." 

"Really? The food didn't bother me any last night." Reyvn picked up his book, marked his spot and moved to set it on the nightstand. Thinking better of it, he got up and tucked it safely away in his suitcase. He then carefully lay down on his side next to Arna. "But...I'm also not huma." He sighed, closing his eyes. "I don't think I'll be eating tonight either."

Arna jumped up off the bed and went to the strawberry plant. To his delight, there was one particularly fat berry that was a nice bright red. "This one's ripe. And look! It's as big as my palm!" He plucked it to show Reyvn. "There's lots of other stuff in the garden too, if you don't wanna eat with Rendell."

Reyvn watched Arna, and didn't understand how the redhead could be so...chipper. "Is the garden safe to go to during the day?"

"Oh yeah. The only person awake during the day is the maid who tends to the plants, and she's real nice. The security measures don't really work during the day." He took a bite out of the strawberry. "Dunno why though. Here, try it. You'll feel better."

Reyvn sat up, and took the strange red fruit from Arna. "What security measures?" He turned the strawberry in his hand, inspecting it before biting into it. "Mm!" It was sweet, and tart, and juicy all at once. He didn't much like the seeds that stuck in his teeth, but he did like the taste.

"The statues at night come alive and walk around to keep guard of the place, but by day they turn to stone." Arna inspected his berry and grinned. "Hehe, it looks like me."

Reyvn munched down the remainder of the strawberry in delight. He swallowed, then said, "Why, because it's red?

Arna's cheeks puffed out. "I'm not red! I meant its seeds look like freckles!" He inspected his reflection in the dusty window before turning back to Reyvn. "Am I really that red?"

Reyvn couldn't help but grin. "No, but now that you mention it you do resemble a strawberry."

Arna nodded. "Ok, I'm a strawberry. What kind of fruit are you?" He walked to Reyvn, inspecting him closely. "After we figure that out, wanna do something?"

Reyvn leaned back a little from Arna. "I don't know, what's really pale with black?" He made a small noise, and slid off the bed. He picked up the flask and capped it, then handed it to Arna. "You should hide that before Rendell sees. We were lucky he didn't notice it earlier." He turned, and started cleaning up the useless bandages strewn over the floor.

Arna slid the flask back in his pocket. "Hmm... I dunno. I was thinking maybe a peach?" He bent down to help clean up the bandages. "Don't move too much or you'll open some of those back up."

Reyvn stood and tossed a clump of them into the waste bin near the door, and let Arna get the last of the mess. "I know," he replied quietly. He turned to face Arna again. "Why a peach?"

Arna thought about it for a moment. "It was just the first thing that came to mind. They're pale, soft, kinda squishy, really sweet, but there's a hard pit in the middle. Kind of like you." Arna poked Reyvn's tummy, careful to avoid the long slices there.

Reyvn flinched back from Arna's poke and made confused face. "You think I'm sweet?"

Arna nodded. "Yes." He licked Reyvn's cheek, and said, "Mmmm, delicious!"

Reyvn's face contorted and he stuck his tongue out in disgust, then stepped back from Arna. "Ew!" He wiped at his cheek until he was sure all the spit was gone.

Arna laughed. "Aww, you're grossed out by a little spit? It's a good thing Master has you working inside." He straightened up. "So what'cha wanna do?"

Reyvn sighed, letting his arm fall to his side. "I don't know. I'd like to avoid Rendell as long as possible, but I don't want him getting mad because I'm hiding." He made sure to keep his voice quiet, because he felt like now that it was dark, the man could every word he said.

Arna thought about it for a minute. "We could go to the library. You seem to like reading a lot, and it'd be quiet. He might even have a book on that," he pointed to the paper on the bed. As he finished saying that, Rendell's voice echoed up the stairs. "Dinner's ready!"

Reyvn nearly jumped, and if his wings were still out they would have ruffled. He forced himself to calm, and looked worriedly at Arna. "...Should I join him, or will he be upset if we just go to the library?"

Arna shrugged. "You can if you want to. He's calm right now, so he might not mind. He flips his lid easy though, so lay low for a while." He grabbed Reyvn's hand and led him out into the hall. "Which way?"

Reyvn let Arna pull him out of the bedroom, and looked both ways for any sign of the demon. "L...library," he whispered.

Arna led him down the hall to a light wooden door. He turned the handle, and the door silently swung open, revealing a neat, pristine room. There was no dust as was in Lesara's library, and the only source of light was dim lanterns. "This is the library," Arna said. "I can't read too well, so I don't know what all's in here. I suggest being careful though."

Reyvn followed the redhead, and peered into the room. It was smaller than Lesara's but much, much cleaner. "Careful of what?"

Arna shrugged. "I unno. Maybe he has some whackjob books like Master? I remember once he brought home a book with a strap and I didn't listen and opened it. Almost bit my hand off, see?" He held his wrist to Reyvn's face, showing him the dotted line of scars.

Reyvn's eyes widened. "That's what those books do? Eat your hands?" He shivered. "Good thing I haven't opened one yet." He waited for a moment, glancing around before walking into the library.

"Well, not all of them," Arna said. He found what looked like a comic book and plucked it off a shelf. He opened, it, turned red, and put it right back. "Don't touch that one."

Reyvn watched Arna, somewhat amused. "Pictures aren't pretty?" He began browsing the shelves, reading their labels. Alchemy, Botany...He skimmed lower, and didn't find anything that interested him. He moved to the next set of shelves, and red tinged his cheeks as he caught a title. 'Advanced Domination.' There were books 1-8 on that shelf, all very thick. He recognized the series, and the man who wrote it. Lexuta Lockehart was the author. He was also related to Koumori, and had visited the old mansion several times as far as Reyvn could remember.

He shook his head and moved away from that row. How freaking popular was that Maz Veran, anyway? Lexuta had always creeped Reyvn out, moreso than Koumori ever did. He always wondered if Lexuta was who taught Koumori all of his torture methods, and once he'd seen these books, he was certain of it. He quickly moved along and found the section on dark magick.

Arna followed along, picking books off the shelves, blushing, then putting them back. "Maybe this wasn't the brightest idea I've had." 

"Maybe because you're looking on the shelf labeled 'Erotica,’" Reyvn responded coolly. He found a black book with metallic gold printing that he really couldn't understand, but pulled it out anyway. He scanned the label on the cover, sighed, and cautiously pulled it open. When nothing seemed to happen, he started flipping through the pages.

Arna looked shocked. "There's labels? Where!" He darted this way and that, and when he found something he liked, he plunked on the floor with his find and became absorbed with it.

"Right here," Reyvn said as he lifted a hand. He pointed at the words carved into the shelf, skimming through his own book. He quietly pulled up a chair from the nearest table and sat, rushing through the book as he looked for a symbol that was the same as the one on his back. He hoped Rendell would take his time with dinner, because he did not need to be caught reading this book of all things.

Rendell had finished with his dinner, and sat, thinking for a moment. He couldn't quite recall how the rest of the spell he was using on Reyvn went. "Lucky me," he said to himself. "I happen to have a book on it." He pushed his chair back and went towards the library. When he got there, he noticed the door was cracked open. Upon peering in, he noticed Reyvn pouring over a book, but Arna was nowhere to be seen.

Reyvn's back was to the door, but a sudden tension came over him. He could feel the weight of Rendell's presence, and slammed the book shut as he turned his head to look at the demon. He was glad the chair and table obstructed the view Rendell would have, and quickly shoved the book back in its place. He stood and turned to face the man, feeling his body grow cold and tense. "Master Rendell?"

"You didn't come down to dinner," he said coolly as he strode towards him. "Not feeling well?"

Reyvn shook his head slowly, keeping his eyes on Rendell. "I...was feeling kind of ill, so I asked Arna to show me the library." He decided then he didn't want to get Arna into any trouble for this.

Rendell glanced at the shelves, and noticed one book was not in its proper place. "What were you reading?"

"I don't really know what the book was... The symbols just looked neat, and I wanted to see what was in it." Reyvn’s voice came out steady, if a little scared. Not too bad he guessed

Rendell picked up a leather bound book, totally missing the one Reyvn had. "Was this what you were reading? It was out of place." He flipped through it quickly. "Runes are simple to learn. Lesara will no doubt show you." He pointed to the door. "Leave. Go do something; I have some researching to do."

Some of the tension left Reyvn's body when Rendell pulled the wrong book, and was glad his memory let him put the book he had read back in the right place. "Yes, Master," he said quickly. He moved around the demon, and reached down to grab Arna's wrist. "Come on," he said before pulling the redhead out with him.

Arna stumbled after him while Rendell pulled out the black and gold book Reyvn had before. He looked up what he needed, tucked the book under his arm and retreated to his room quietly. Meanwhile, Arna was trying to overcome a case of the shivers. His skin was white, making his freckles look darker. "Oh man I hate that, his aura always makes me feel like I'm gonna die."

Reyvn shut the door behind them once they entered his bedroom, and he went to go sit on his bed. He sighed, placing his head in his hands. "That was too close," he said softly. "I was certain he'd catch me looking at it. What do you think he was looking for?"

Arna shrugged and sat next to him. Being too tall to lean his head on Reyvn's shoulder, he settled for setting his chin on the requiem's head. "Don't stress so bad over it. You got away alright. Right?"

"I guess so. I think he has something planned though." Reyvn frowned, resting against Arna. He sat in silent thought for a few moments, then reached for the paper with the symbol on it. He studied it for a time before saying, "Does this look incomplete to you?"

Arna shrugged again. "It looks a little top heavy. Could be missing something." He looked down at Reyvn. "Why?"

Reyvn's eyes turned a darker shade of blue as they narrowed. "I recognize this...From when I was little. And I found it in that book. I had to shut it when Rendell came in, but... I think maybe he didn't finish carving it into me this morning."

Arna's eyes went round as dinner plates. "You mean he's gonna cut you more? Wait..." He thought about it for a minute. "When you were little?"

Reyvn went very still. "My mother," he whispered. He shuddered, and shook his head quickly. "I think Rendell forgot something, and that's why he needed to come to the library. For that book I had. I still can't read it, but I can feel its magick. It's...like a link, and a shield at the same time."

Arna nodded, then shook his head. "I don't get it. I never was good with magick." He smiled a little and propped his chin on his elbow. "Come to think of it, I've never been very bright. But cheer up. The cool thing about all bad situations is that they end sooner or later. Hopefully sooner." He turned to Reyvn, and gently touched his cheek. "And I'll be here to help you with it."

While Arna was trying to cheer Reyvn up, Rendell was looking for the blade he had used that morning. 

Reyvn blushed a little at the gentle touch against his face and looked at Arna. He gave a small smile before wrapping his arms around him in another hug. "Thank you, Arna." His wings emerged, staying small, and somehow they seemed blacker. They didn't reflect the dim light from outside, but rather seemed to swallow it.

It was Arna's turn to blush. "It's no biggie. You could use the help, and I don't think you'd survive another throw-down with a knife." 

Rendell was pacing back and forth across his room. He was thinking of a way to keep Arna from blabbing. He knew that the marks would disappear if Reyvn lived, but Arna knows. Lesara would tear him a new one of he ever found out.

Reyvn's wings twinged and he jolted upright. He suddenly became very scared, but didn't get why. He gazed up at Arna, his expression stern. "I think you need to find some place to hide from Rendell tonight. Leave at dawn. I... I don't understand it, but I know we don't have much time before he comes for me again."

Arna's freckled cheeks puffed. "Nothin' doin'. I don't want to leave you alone." There was a light tapping at the door, and Arna almost flew out the window in fright. From the other side, a soft, feminine voice spoke. "Mister Reyvn? Master Rendell would like a word with you."

Reyvn's heart jumped into his throat, and he swallowed it back down when he heard a woman's voice on the other side of the door. "Coming," he called to her. He looked at Arna again, and whispered quickly, "Please, Arna, if you want to help me then do as I ask. I'll survive, but you might not if Rendell catches you."

"Rendell won't touch me. Master would eat him alive. I'll wait here for you," he said stubbornly.

The maid spoke again. "We'd best hurry," she said calmly.

Reyvn sighed, frustrated. He expanded his wings, and plucked a small piece from one of them. It was soft and fuzzy-looking, like a living shadow. He gently placed it on the back of Arna's head, where it dissipated. "That should keep your mind safe. These things are like shields." He gave Arna a small smile before going to open the door. He looked down at the petite woman, and said, "I'm ready." He folded his wings carefully, and gave Arna a final parting glance before following the maid down the halls.

----------

Weeeeeeee...

You're in for a quite a ride after this.