"tough choice ch 2" by Connie Jay Mentira

“The prisoner is fully conscious and has recovered his memory.”

Artemis shoved Damien forward, his eyes cold and empty and his lips pressed into a thin line. Damien stumbled and bumped into the stone “bed” that was in the middle of the dark room of Douler. He whimpered and straightened with a glare at Artemis and a pleading stare at Anita. She smiled under her cloth and winked, before stiffening at Officer Walstrom’s side. He glared at the prisoner, sneering.

“Decided to talk, eh?”

Damien snorted and straightened, his arms tied behind his back, his eyes flaring oppressively and his teeth bared. He spat.

“Do you think I have much of a choice?” he growled.

Walstrom stepped forward, his hand raised. Artemis jumped in front of his assault, his hands up. “Will you stop with all of the beating?!” he shouted.

Walstrom huffed and took a step back, circling around the slab of stone and placing his hands flat on its cold surface. Something gleamed near his hand, and Artemis winced. Damien followed his eyes and he gasped.

“What is that?!” he howled, stepping back.

Walstrom smiled evilly, picking up the blade and turning it over in his hands, testing its weight and dragging its sharp edge across his thumb. A drop of blood formed on the invisible fault of the cut. Damien cringed into Artemis, seeking comfort from him. Artemis sighed and gently pushed him forward, murmuring,

“Just stay calm.”

Damien whirled and yelled, “You don’t understand! That knife is poison to my kind!”

Artemis cocked his head, but pushed Damien softly. Damien whimpered and turned his head. Walstrom sneered and pulled Damien forward by his hair. Artemis jumped and pulled his hand away, smacking it down on the stone slab with a scowl. He glared up at him.

“He will talk. You don’t have to slit his throat or pull out his hair. He. Will. Talk.” he growled, shoving Walstrom’s hand away.

Walstrom straightened up with a surprised look on his face, and he put his fists on his hips.

“What brought this on, Bates? You’re not this…”

“Bold? Brave? Does it matter? You don’t treat my prisoner this way! He is my prisoner, as you assigned him to me, so you do NOT treat him that way!” he started to shout.

He turned on the startled Damien. He jabbed a finger into his scarred chest.

“If you want to keep your tongue, start talking!”

Damien raised his eyebrows. He turned to Walstrom.

“I don’t know anything.”

Artemis tangled his fingers in his hair and yelled.

“This is ridiculous! How do you not know!?”

Damien scowled. “I was never with my father when he was meeting with his soldiers. He never let me join in their discussions. And now I will never know.”

Something glimmered in his eyes. He scratched his nose and glared at Walstrom, his teeth bared.

“Because my father is DEAD, along with my mother and any-one else who was near to me!”

He stopped ,and his legs buckled and he put his wrists to his face, a strangled moan breaking from his throat.

“Elise, my dear little sister. Lizzy, oh, no…”

He groaned. Artemis sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He glared at Walstrom.

“It is apparent that the prisoner is unable to recall any tactics. He needs more rest and time to…recover his memory.”

He finished the sentence with a sigh. He shook his head and picked Damien up by his arm. He glared at his sister.

“Do you think you could bring up some breakfast for me and him?”

Anita smiled and nodded, tapping her index and middle fingers to her forehead in a salute. Artemis sighed and turned on his heel, pulling Damien with him. He dropped his arm and walked beside him slowly in the halls, his eyes flicking over the velvet tapestries that hung on the stone walls and gleamed in the sunlight from the large glass windows on the opposite wall. He sighed again and looked at his “prisoner”, who was smiling broadly.

“Were you faking?!” he asked in astonishment, doing a double take.

Damien shrugged and nodded, chuckling. Artemis lowered his eyelids and rolled his eyes. Damien laughed, veering to the left into Artemis’ room, wriggling his wrists, loosening his ropes and letting them slip off his hands. Artemis chuckled, shaking his head. Damien fell onto the bed, leaning into the pillows and sighing. He stared at the ceiling before flicking his gaze to Artemis, who stood silently, his head tilted.

“Why did that old, rusty knife scare you so much?” Damien shuddered and let out a shaky breath.

“Did you not smell the chemicals on that thing? A special type of oil was used to make knives like that for my kind.”

He closed his eyes and sighed again. Artemis blinked and turned to the door, smiling at Anita, who stood silently with a tray of food in her hands. She pulled the cloth down under her chin, revealing a angry pink scar across her chin. Artemis grimaced.

“I brought toast and a,” she chuckled. “ Blood orange, for your prisoner.”

Artemis rolled his eyes and said stiffly,

“Ha ha, very funny, hand that over.”

He jerked the tray out of her hands and closed the door swiftly, locking it quickly. Damien opened his eyes and sat up with a smile. Artemis tossed the orange to him with a smirk. Damien’s hand flew up and caught it speedily. He rolled it in his hands before peeling off the sour, oily skin and pulling away a bright red piece of fruit. He sank his teeth into the tender fruit and juice spurted over his lips. He closed his eyes and raised his eyebrows, spitting out a tiny seed.

“It’s okay, pretty sweet.” Artemis sat down beside him and nibbled on the toast, crunching happily. Damien kicked him lightly.

“Why were you so ‘manly’ down there?”

Artemis raised his eyes to Damien’s face.

“I don’t know.”

Damien smiled and leaned toward him, smirking. His breath was sweet with the orange’s juice. Artemis leaned slightly away.

“I think it’s because-“

Artemis put a hand to his mouth, scowling. Damien peeled back his lips and sank his teeth into the sensitive skin, making Artemis yelp. Damien toppled over him, laughing and squeezing his arms around his neck. Artemis chuckled, sliding a pillow to his reach with his foot. He tucked it under his head and smiled at Damien, who had a insatiable lust in his red eyes. Artemis groaned.

“Not again!” Damien shrugged, lightly dragging his finger across Artemis’ throat.

“Do you want me to talk, or not?”