His voice reminded me of a song. I let out a breath, sinking into the feeling of the bed. My body ached, my heart was pounding in my chest, but I could slowly feel myself letting it all go. I looked up at him, my breath hitching as I stared into his third eye.
“Irene,” I whispered. “Irene Ellis.”
“Good girl,” he said, offering me a fanged smile. “And what are you?”
“A human,” I said. “I’m just a human.”
He cocked his head, humming still. “Are you certain, little dove?”
“I am,” I croaked. “I didn’t even know monsters were real until…until that thing took me. From New York.”
I started to shiver, but he shook his head slowly, still petting me. “No, no. Let’s not shiver or cry. Focus on me.”
I swallowed hard, drawn into his dark gaze. He was mesmerising, and I wanted to please him.
“Tell me everything,” he said.
My voice trembled as I spoke, but I still spilled everything to him. “My sister and I went to my parents house because we were going to sell it. They died a year ago in a blimp crash, and since then, we haven’t been there. Florence’s fiancé, George, also came. They had tea and I was supposed to drink some and I didn’t—” I let out a choked breath, blinking back tears. “I went to bed, but I woke up to hear screams. I went downstairs, and a monster tried to grab me but I ran into the living room… My sister was on the floor. There was blood. George had wrecked all of our furniture and had torn into different things my father had there. He then went on about the dove, and if I knew where the other was. I had no idea what he meant. We had automatons in our home growing up, but the dove was made by my grandfather. I never met him though. Then George sent me with that monster, and I ended up on an airship.”
“That’s not where it ends,” he said. “Continue, Irene.”
His words were colder now, his tone commanding. I felt another flicker of sharp pain and I gasped, squeezing my eyes shut for a moment.
“What’s your name?” I asked.
“I will tell you when you finish your story. You agreed to be a good girl, Irene. Tell me what happened next.”
“I don’t know,” I whispered.
It was true. All I remembered was darkness. I remembered someone opening a door, and nothing after that until I was standing at the open door of the blimp, bodies behind me slumped on the ground.
The pain increased and I cried out. I started to arch up, but he leaned over, grabbing my wrists and pinning them above me.
“I thought you were going to be good for me, Irene,” he said, his voice breathy.
I squirmed against him, pain bursting through my body. He straddled me now, pinning me beneath him. We struggled for a moment, but ultimately he held me still.
I stared up at him, wishing I could die. I didn’t want anymore pain.
“Stop hurting me,” I cried.
He let out a low growl, his expression warping into something much more monstrous. Gone was the angelic beauty that had lifted me from my cage, replaced by a devil that wanted to flay me open. A melody began to echo in my mind, a song growing louder and louder.
“I’m protecting you right now,” he snarled. “I’m keeping the others from interrogating you, and they won't care if you scream or beg. They’ll hurt you much more than I will, little dove. They’ll break your wings over and over until you can’t fly. Do you understand?”
The song grew louder and louder, my body feeling like it was about to be ripped apart at the seams.
“I don’t know what happened!” I screamed, letting out a panicked cry. “I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know.”
He leaned in, his lips lifting in a snarl. “I don’t believe you. There were monsters and men dead on that ship when it landed. You are just a human, you claim, but you managed to escape an airship run by the Rippers. A human can’t best Jack.”
“I don’t know,” I cried. “I don’t know.”
“You have to know,” he growled. “You have to, Irene.”
The pain increased and I let out a shrill scream, panic now fully gripping me. I couldn’t trust anyone, and I had been a fool to relax just because he had a gentle touch at first.
“Stop,” I cried, trying to shove against him. “STOP!”
The song abruptly stopped, the pain disappearing with it. He let go with a gasp and then leaned back, staring at me with an expression I couldn’t read.
He moved off of me and I rolled to my side, curling up despite the pain.
This was a nightmare. I wanted to live one moment, but then the next I wished for death. I wished for all of this to end.
At least if I died, maybe I’d see Florence again.
The thought made me sob. I curled deeper into myself, hugging my knees.
I felt a hand touch me and I immediately flinched, trying to roll away, but then his arms were wrapping around me and lifting me with infinite gentleness.
“Little dove,” he sighed. “Just cry.”
I sobbed. I sobbed and sobbed as he held me, and then I realised he was carrying me.
“My name is Charles,” he said softly.
I was being lowered back into the box.
“No,” I gasped, holding onto him as he pushed me down. “No, no.”
“I will come back for you. I promise.”
“You can’t leave me here!” I screeched.
He slammed the lid of the box down, returning me to the darkness despite my screaming. I kicked, shoving up against it as hard as possible until I couldn’t stand the pain anymore.
“I will come back,” I heard him say. “I promise, little dove. I promise.”
“FUCK YOU!” I screamed.
I was met with unyielding silence, a prisoner of eternal darkness once again.
Chapter 4
New Pet
Charles
It had been three days of me taking Irene out of the box, asking her questions, and putting her back in. Not only did her story never waver, but her haunted gaze became more and more angry. I had expected her to cave, to sob, to beg and beg and beg but no.
No. She was stronger than we had expected.
Strong— and able to resist my songs.
No human had ever resisted my song.
None.
I was an Unseelie. A creature that was ancient and twisted, beautiful and deadly. I was made to torment, created just to drive mortals mad. To trick them into being pets for our court or even food.
I kicked open the door to James’ office, slamming it shut behind me. The walls of the house rumbled, the wood door frame splintering from the force.
James was sitting at his desk, his eyes never lifting to meet mine. He was pouring over a massive map of London, one that helped keep track of our territories. Since our stunt at the Thames docks, the Rippers had torn into us in a way that stung more than the three of us cared to admit. Between my interrogations with the human, I had taken my frustration out on some of the brave little Ripper cunts that had set foot onto our soil.
I was growing frustrated. I was being driven mad. Because between all of the violence, gore, and torture— all I could think about was her.