Lost in Darkness

Chapter 27-Bound by Body, Bound by Soul

Chapter 27

Cole's POV

At last, I was free! That stupid client had spent hours complaining about what I hadn't done. As well as what I had done. Apparently, I wasn't doing things properly, and the snotty bitch had taken up hours of my precious time. Time that I could be better spent with Raven. 

I dropped into to Starbucks to get her a chocolate muffin. I knew how much she loved them. But the line seemed to stretch on forever as I tapped my foot impatiently. 

By the time I was driving back to the apartment, it was dark, probably about 6 or 7 in the evening. I'd brought her a coffee as well to make up to her for being late. She was probably dying from boredom right about now...

But when I opened the door to the apartment, something was wrong; I sensed it right away. There was a tension in the air that hadn't been there when I'd left. And the house was curiously silent, not even the sounds of the TV disturbing the eerie quiet. 

"Raven?" I called, chucking my keys on the side table and walking straight through into the living room, putting the coffee and muffin on the coffee table. She didn't reply. "Raven, you here?"

When I still got no response, I began to get worried.
'She's probably just asleep,' I tried to convince myself. 'Or maybe she just popped out to the shop. Just because she's not answering doesn't mean there's anything wrong Cole!'

After I poked my head into every room in the flat, I found she wasn't here. Where the hell did she go? And why couldn't I get rid of this feeling of foreboding? As I entered the living room again, I stood in the middle of the room, like an answer would just magically appear. 

"She's not here," a male voice said. I froze for a second, before spinning around to face him. 
"You," I whispered in shock, my balls fists slackening as I took in the all too familiar face.
The demon chuckled. "I admit, I thought the first thing when I first saw you with our dear Raven. I didn't think I would see you again after that little incident." My blood boiled at how casually mentioned how he'd massacred my parents right in front of me. 
"You mean the incident where you strangled my parents with your bare hands?" I seethed, my vision turning red. It took all my strength not to jump across the room and attack him with flying fists. The demon pretended to think for a moment before smiling a brilliant, dark smile. 
"Yes, I do believe that was them," he said offhandedly, shrugging his shoulders. 

"Where's Raven?" I gritted out, deciding to change the subject before I lost my head. I'd already lost my parents to this prick. I wasn't about to lose Raven to. 
"Oh, here and there," he answered dismissively, gesturing with his hands this way and that.
"Tell me where she is!" I yelled, grabbing the nearest thing to me, which happened to be a mug Raven hadn't put away, and threw it with deadly accuracy at the demon's head. Laughing, it side-stepped. The mug flew past him and shattered against the wall.  
"Temper, temper," it tutted, shaking its head at me. I growled, but managed to refrain from chucking further objects at it. Barely. 

"What the fuck do you want?" I asked, thinking that was as good a question as any. And suddenly, the demon's whole demeanour changed. It looked tired, weary, less like the crazed man ready to kill and more like an actual human being. 
"I just want peace. Happiness. That's all I ever wanted," it murmured, gazing off into the distance with sad eyes. For a moment there, I actually felt sorry for it. Until I remembered what it was and what it had done. 

"And how, exactly, is kidnapping Raven supposed to achieve this?" I demanded, fear coiling in my stomach. What if it wanted to keep her for itself? Like as a pet or a slave? I'd heard that sometimes demons did this. 

The demon's eyes suddenly blazed with hatred and fury. "Because of her. Her fault. All of it." 
"Who, Raven? She doesn't even know you!"
"Not Raven. Her," it muttered vacantly. Then its lips curved into a grin. "But I think you'll find she's very well acquainted with me..."

My muscles tensed. "What have you done to her, you sick bastard?" All of a sudden, he was right in front of me, hand patting my cheek briefly. It was gone before I could even flinch at the revulsion bursting through me at its cold touch.  
"All in good time Coley Kins," it whispered from behind me. Behind me? 

That was the only warning I got before an object, maybe a lamp, was smashed against my skull. My world quickly morphed to black. 

***

When I woke up, my head was throbbing. It felt like a brick has been repeatedly flung at it. I tried to sit up, but found my movements restricted by something. Where was I? Why couldn't I move properly? 

And then it all came back to me. My eyes flashed open in alarm, taking in the dull room around me. It was really dark. A lone bulb hung from the ceiling, flicking on and off. There wasn't a single window on the white walls and the floor was more like the uneven concrete of a playground in a school, dullish grey in colour. There was an arch that lead out to what I assumed to be stairs or a door of some kind. Either way, it was the only visible exit. 

Raven sat in the corner, huddled into a ball, head on her knees. I could see the chains that shackled her. Anger ignited in me. How dare they bind her this way? 

I went to move over to her, but found something heavy pulling me down. Glancing down to my body, I realised that I was also bound. I suppressed a growl. I yanked on it, testing the strength, but all I managed to do was hurt myself. The chains cut into my skin like a knife, so I quickly stopped when I saw blood begin to seep from my wrists.  

At the sound of my chains moving, Raven glanced up. Her beautiful eyes widened. 
"You're awake!" she said, smiling at me. My heart melted at the sight.
 "How long have I been out?" I grumbled, propping myself up against the wall. Raven moved over to me but the cuffs prevented her from being properly able to reach me. I shuffled along so that we could hold hands, craving more and loathing the chains that prevented it. I wanted to take her in my arms and tell her everything would be alright. I wanted to protect her from the danger that was sure to come. But I couldn't, and it was killing me.  
"A good few hours. I'm not really sure. You can't really tell the time here..."

I smiled sadly at her. "I'm sorry I let this happen."
Her eyes narrowed. "Say that to me again, and I will personally kill you. Lucius is to blame for this, not you."
I frowned. "Who's Lucius?"
"That demon. Dark hair, dark eyes. Ringing any bells?"
"Him? You know his name?" How the hell could she possibly know that demon?
"He... He's the one who k-"

"Ah good, you're awake," interrupted another voice. We both looked over to the archway to see the demon. Well shit.  

***

Sorry, I know this is short and you had to wait ages for it. But I have writer's block :'( And it annoyed the crap outta me! I'm so close to finally finishing my first book and then I go and get stupid writer's block! I mean geeze!! 

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this little chapter :) Vote, comment, fan, etc, etc. 

OH, more good news! I recently reached 200 fans! SO YAY ME!!! :D Thanks to all you guys out there, you rock so hard, it's insane! ;P 

Anyways, I'm pretty sure that the next chapter will be longer.... I'm hoping anyway. But I'm not making any promises. This is literally just the first draft of this story and I sorta just go with the flow on it...