Selene's body throbbed.

She had been in an out of consciousness for she didn't know how long as Enico cut her up and beat her over and over again. It was as if he were dissecting her, studying her, but every once in awhile his anger got the best of him.

The times in between them were the worse. When she didn't know when he was going to strike next or where or how hard.

She had coughed up blood the last time he hit her. He had only laughed.

As she came back to her senses, she expected him still to be standing in front of her like the last thing she had remembered. But he was gone.

Her cage was closed, locked. Her cell empty, not even his tools on the table. He would be back, but for now, she let herself slump down and hang.

She was so tired.

It felt like an eternity she had been here. An eternity of pain and suffering, of Enico's menacing smile and sinister laugh. With every cackle, she could feel her sanity slipping away.

She had to escape this place.

She had pulled at her shackles until her wrists and ankles bruised and bled. By now, her blood had almost glued the metal to her skin and whenever she moved, she ripped out hair. she had even attempted to break the cage door open with her head, but only succeeded in slipping open her forehead. No matter what she did, she could not get out of these bonds.

But she would not give in that easily.

She told herself that when she first woke up in these chains, and even after everything he'd done to her...

"I will not yield," she whispered hoarsely.

She told herself that over and over again as her eyes stared at the floor, at the puddle of her blood that stained it.

"I will not yield."

A breath.

"I will not yield."

A breath.

"I will not y--"

The cell door creaked open. In walked her tormentor.

"Did you miss me, my pet?"

She said nothing, her eyes still on the puddle of her blood. Her mouth still parted from speaking.

He opened her cage and tilted her head up with a finger. Her eyes met his black and gold ones and she felt a strange feeling come over her.

So he finally decided to touch her mind.

With a finger, he traced the lining of her lips gently as if he were a lover, smearing the blood across her dirty face. She felt no alarm as he did so, the hold on her mind telling her this was normal. That she wanted this.

"Look at my face, pet. Do you see this scar?" he said as he continued to touch her face, her jaw, her collarbone, "You were the one that did this to me."

She was looking at him, yet didn't see him. She didn't even hear the question. All she felt was his finger as it traveled over her skin so soft compared to what he had done to her before.

"It's time to atone."

Then he let her head drop but kept the hold on her mind.

As he did something she couldn't see, he stroked at her mind. Deep down, where he couldn't reach, she fought and hissed at his touch. But that part of her was powerless to the other part that wanted nothing more than to sleep, nothing more than to feel a soft touch again.

That's when she felt it, the heat.

Her head shot up, fear and panic giving her a new energy.

In his hands, he held a red-hot metal brand. And the look in his eyes told her exactly what he was going to do with it.

She began to pull with everything she had against the chains that held her, reaching down for that magic that no longer answered to her.

"No," she pleaded, "don't."

He just smiled at her, that smile that she would never forget, the smile that haunted her even now whenever she blinked.

He stalked closer and closer, the metal still sizzling.

She began to whimper, and sob through clenched teeth. She would do anything, anything at all, for him to stop. Because she knew that when that steel touched her, she would know what Lily felt all those months ago. She would know what her death felt like. And in the heat of this dungeon, she could barely stand it already. But if that touched her, it would be over. She would break.

"No! Please! Stop! Stop! Stop!"

But he did not. He halted right in front of her cage and reached in with his free hand to careers her face from her chin and up her jaw. Then he wrapped his fingers in her hair and yanked forward, bringing her face so close to his.

"Keep those eyes open," he whispered.

She couldn't breath; she was going to die.

Then he lifted the brand to her face and let it hover over her skin for a moment, letting her feel its heat so close. It was unbearable.

She struggled with everything she had to get away, but his grip didn't budge and the irons cut into her wrists until she fell the muscles tear.

With one movement of his hand, he pressed the brand against her cheek.

Blinding, searing, gruesome pain wracked her body. Her mouth stretched open as she screamed and screamed, unable to escape the pain that froze her. He drove it deeper and deeper into her face as the skin peeled away and bubbled and melted.

And she could do nothing but scream.

She would not yield.

She would not yield.

She would not yield.

Yield.

***

"Papa!" a sweet voice said, young and lively. The patter of feet on the wood floor sounded as a child raced across it

"Papa," she called again, her voice echoing in the darkness.

"Yes, my dear?" a man's voice said back.

Is that...? Selene wondered, Arthur?

The scene materialized in front of her.

A child, younger than Lily, barely grown into the boots she wore, her dirty dress covered in mud. Long white hair cascaded down her back, red eyes sparkling in excitement. She ran up to a large man; it was indeed Arthur.

What was she seeing?

The child held up a stone to him, the surface glittering with quartz.

"Look what I found!"

She was practically squealing in excitement.

"Ah, yes,' he said, his voice soft, "this stone is as beautiful as your hair."

She giggled and ran off, no doubt to find more rocks.

Selene was confused. She had never called him father. And he had never been this kind to anyone, especially not her.

What's going on? she thought.

The scene changed again, the smile on Arthur's face disappearing in mist.

Who was showing her this?

It was so similar to the Willow's visions, yet it could not possibly reach her down here.

The landscape in front of her was familiar. Her home, the cottage's wood not as old as she remembered it. Gwen, younger and happier with a swollen, pregnant belly, emerged from the door, a basket of dirty laundry on her hip. She called for Cedric, her voice lighter than it used to be.

There was no reply to her call.

She called again, nothing.

She must have thought nothing of it because she turned her attention to the laundry.

Selene could tell something was wrong. It was too quiet, no bugs chirped.

The wind died.

It picked up again and carried a scream.

Gwen jerked her head in its direction, the forest.

Arthur burst out of the house in a panic, but not before Gwen had dropped the laundry and began sprinting towards the lush, ominous trees.

Selene's perspective changed to the woman's, her panic overwhelming.

Bursting through the trees, she called frantically for her sons and her daughter. She could not lose them, no matter what.

"Selene!" she called, "Lucius!"

She placed a hand to her large belly, her worry strangling her. She could hear her husband's voice in the distance, calling for their children as well. A faint call sounded. She trained her ears in that direction.

"Mother!"

It was Selene; she didn't sound hurt or frightened.

Relief washed over her like a wave. And she hurried in that direction.

"Please be with your brothers," she prayed.

Suddenly, the light grew dim, as if someone had covered the sun with a cloth. Thought it was mid-day, it felt like twilight.

Magic was at work here. Evil, foul magic. "Selene?" she called again.

"Mother," the girl called back, still happy and chipper.

Gwen followed the call until she saw a glow between the trees. She raced for it, knowing Selene was there. And something was with her.

She burst through the bushes to a sight that filled her with horror.

Selene stood her legs dirtied and feet bare. All around her were sprites who danced and chittered. Their skin glowed with repulsive magic, like a trap snapping closed.

But the worst part was Cedric.

He lay next to Selene, limp and still.

This was a ritual; the sprites were going to kill or enslave her children.

Without thinking, she grabbed the closest stick or branch she could find and began swatting at the small devils.

Their cheerful music turned to panic as they sprinted and jumped to escape her reach. In her fury, she was merciless as she kicked, stomped, and hit them. As long as they stayed away forever.

Selene was crying, grabbing at her mother's skirt, begging her to stop. They had already tainted her.

The scene changed for the last time, Cedric lay asleep in his bed. Selene sat up in hers. Both parents, a doctor, and his assistant stood in the children's shared room.

"The boy will be fine. He just hit his head and needs rest."

"What of our daughter?" Arthur asked.

"I cannot help her. You will need to seek out a mage for that," the doctor said.

"Where in Uriel's name will we find a mage?" Gwen asked him, worry in her eyes. But also something else. Fear.

"I have a friend at the King's Institute. I can send a raven, but I don't know what her price will be," the doctor said as he packed up his things.

His assistant, a young woman, let Selene fiddle with a few herb leaves to keep her occupied.

Gwen glanced over at Selene, who had placed the leaves in her hair like a nymph.

"We have no money," she said.

Then it ended.

Selene was washed back into her own body, in her cage. Her welts, cuts, and burns throbbing with every breath she took. She silently thanked whoever had given her the images. Even if they had confused her, it offered a haven from the pain she felt. Let her escape to a simpler time when someone actually loved her.

She had never known they cared for her like that, even when she was not their blood. She had always thought they hated her simply for being different. But now she knew that she'd done something as a child, something terrible that made them separate her from the other children.

But where had Selene truly come from? She wondered whose blood ran in her veins.

Not that it mattered anymore. Death was already whispering in her ear, sweet things like sleep and safety.

But she would not listen, not until she was bathing in the blood of Icarus.

She faintly heard the cell door open and close again as Enico left. And finally, she was alone.

***

Nothing. Silence.

It was as if Selene was already dead. As if the Angels had rejected her and she could not take her place with them.

But Selene knew she was not dead. She was no longer that lucky. No longer did she bother to free herself; she would never leave this cage.

So, she hung there and waited. Waited for either death or for her captor to come back to play with her.

He would take her hair this time, she knew.

Yet, she no longer cared.

So, she waited.

And he did come, but he was not alone.

She glanced up at him, no longer possessing the strength to lift her head. There was Enico staring at her with a grin plastered to his face. Behind him stumbled in a young boy, bound and gagged and behind him...

... Walked in the terrifying woman who had caught Selene.

She was wrapped in rags and twitched every so often as if going through withdrawal. If Selene had the strength, she would try and fight against her chains.

She knew what they were going to do to that boy.

They knew exactly where to hurt her.

She only lifted her head.

"So she opens her eyes," Enico said, "I've missed you."

He approached her cage, stuck his hand through the metal bars, and stroked her cheek.

"I have almost grown bored of you," he whispered, "and I can't let that happen. Not yet. So, I've brought a show for us to watch."

He turned to the young boy and demon woman. The boy's eyes were wide with fear, his entire body was shaking. He knew what trouble he was in. He knew what was about to happen. One look at the monster behind him was enough of a clue.

Enico pulled up a chair next to Selene's cage and sat as if getting ready to watch a play. That's all this was to him. A show.

He motioned towards the boy and said, "you may begin now."

The demon woman immediately lunged forward and sank her fangs into the boy's neck. He began screaming.

That sound.

It was too much like...

Selene pulled against her bonds, just slightly. It was all she could muster.

"What's wrong?" Enico asked from beside her, "You like what I brought in, don't you? How many other chances will you get to see a vampire feed?"

A vampire.

Selene thought they were a myth. But as she looked now, she knew that the monster in front of her was as real as the chains around her wrists.

The boy's screaming had stopped; he was going into shock as all the blood was taken from his body. Pleading for Enico to stop would do nothing, Selene knew. There was absolutely nothing he wanted more than for her to watch. She didn't know if he could stop the vampire anyway now that she was in such a blood craze.

So, she looked at the boy, into his wide, fearful eyes.

He was asking for her to help, begging her. She couldn't. Not in these chains, not with these injuries.

So, she kept her eyes on his and told him one thing silently, over and over again.

You are not alone.

Then the light left his eyes and he collapsed into the dust.

The vampire launched herself forward, faster than Selene could follow, and crashed against her cage. She bared her bloody fangs at her and hissed, still on a blood high.

Selene merely stared at her, too tired to do anything else. Too focused on the small corpse at the front of the room.

Enico rose from his chair and grabbed the vampire by the back of her neck, throwing her into the far wall. The stones cracked with the impact, and she stumbled, shaking the daze from her head.

"I quite enjoyed that," he said.

Selene wanted to claw his eyes out, burn him to ash, drive a dagger into his heart, but all she could do was growl at him, "I will kill you."

Enico laughed, the sound like a low rumble, as if he found her funny.

She stared at the young boy's sightless eyes, her mind empty except for hate and sadness.

Enico walked to the rabid vampire and clamped a muzzle over her face before she could completely come back to her senses.

"I think that's enough for now," he said as he approached her cage.

He ran his hands through her dirty white hair once more and whispered, "Brings back old memories doesn't it?" he glanced over his shoulder to the corpse, "of your little friend Lily?"

Selene lunged forward, her chains snapping taunt and her teeth bared as she growled at him. She was barely human anymore. Nothing but an animal.

He chuckled as if he was thinking the same thing. He left the cell without another word, leaving the boy's corpse for Selene to stare at and dragging the vampire out by a chain on her muzzle.

Then nothing. Silence.

Except for the dead boy in front of her.

And for the first time since she had been captured, Selene let herself cry.