Venomous Monster

**Natalie POV**
***Trigger Warning**


Through the haze my mind was swimming through, it became difficult to hear any words he spoke to me. The only noises registering on the dark forest path he was dragging me on were a symphony of bat screeches, the light wind blowing leaves, and the low tone of Anti-Santa’s triumphant gloat. I was certain he was explaining what was about to happen to me. Rapists seemed to enjoy the terror that came with their words.
“Teensy Assassin.”
That shined through the fog like a lighthouse’s beam. Diana loved to use those exact words to belittle me like I was an insult to Mom’s name.
My heart skipped a beat, and my head became lighter. Reality was morphing with memory, and my mind was gone, leaving my body behind.
Just like years ago, when calling me by that name, a hand snaked its way to my chest, teasing under my breasts. The hand that was old and wrinkly was suddenly replaced by a cold one with firm slender fingers and acrylic nails. Izzy was no longer safe in the Prince’s chambers but bloodied and battered in my mind. I could hear her screams again as my boobs were freed from the tight dress. Those damned nails dug into my flesh, scratching me, claiming me like property. The old mark on my hand started itching and burning like the Final Guardian never released me from Darren’s daughter, the one he cherished.
The drug was…drug? No, I was still marked by Diana. Her orders were absolute, no matter how much I wanted to disobey. Stand there and do nothing. When it’s over, find whoever is hurting Izzy. Soothe her screams and hold her. Protect her. She must be close.
Something soft tickled my bareback. Bare? When did Diana do that? I should have at least been able to see her move, but where was she? Everything out of the small slits I could manage was blurry. Soft gray clouds shrouded Diana’s body. An odd kindness, but one I was grateful for. I didn’t want to watch the glee in my sister’s eyes as she toyed with my pink nipples.
My body drew tight like I was a bow being strung with each tug at my hardening extremities. Dread filled me at the low chuckle near my ear. I couldn’t make out the words, but it sounded masculine. His odor and sweat made me more nauseous than Diana’s mark returning. Quietly I muttered the word endure over and over again. This caused the man’s body to shake from laughter.
Was he the one making Izzy scream so loudly? Pointing my chin towards the sky, I prayed the smelly man would keep talking. I had to memorize his voice.
Wind blew the grass along the sides of my face. This was the first time I had been tortured by Diana outside. A tiny giggle left my dry lips. Being outside surrounded by my element, would ease any suffering Diana bestowed on me. And once she was done, I would easily take care of him. No one would find his body with the grass and dirt swallowing up his corpse. *Ow!*
She bit down on one of my nipples. That wasn’t like her. Or maybe the man was helping now. Good, Izzy was being left alone. I nuzzled my head back into the grass. It smelled much better than the disgusting man aiding in Diana’s torment.
Something familiar was crawling through the thin tunnel of my consciousness when Diana pressed a sharp nail near my sore womanhood... Wasn’t she dead? There was an attack…An attack? Yeah, she went to offer herself to Trevor. He killed her.
Oh, this must have been revenge for being with my true love. I was sore because of him! And he didn’t hurt me after. Diana was mad I ignored her warnings about him and Princess Aileen. Came back from the dead. I’m not Casper-ette; she is! At least I got to be with Trevor. Sissy will probably kill me this time. Take me to hell with her since every nerve in me felt like jelly.
One of my attackers darted out their tongue and licked near my lips. At least whoever was done chewing on my chest. *Mmmph!*
A kiss? Someone is kissing me besides Trevor? His tongue is gross and thick. Drool from his large mouth dripped down my chin. No, that’s not right. No one was allowed to kiss me. Diana ordered that. It showed too much affection. Wait, she ordered that! I can fight back until a different demand is made.
Both my arms weighed so much though! It took all my strength just to lift one. Haha! I had done it. One of my arms was pushing the man away!
Diana shoved it back down, caging both my hands above my head. I bit my lip, quashing a whimper from escaping. I think she snapped my wrist, but I had no time to continue wondering. More pain exploded from my cheek. The man’s voice was saying some stuff angrily, and I felt some blood drip from him onto my stinging cheek.
“Teeny assassin has some fight left, huh? You should feel honored you get to belong to a wealthy royal advisor. I may actually keep you. It’s better than the whorehouse.” It was the man’s voice, but Diana’s words. If my given name from her was enough to chime the bell in my mind, the next one was a blaring alarm. “When those drugs wear off, you’ll be so much more fun than Izzy.”
Teeny Assassin…Diana…Princess Aileen… Royal Advisor….Drug…Izzy…
*He raped Izzy!* Rage blasted the drug away from my wavering psyche, letting my demonic nature take hold.
No feeling came back to my limbs, courtesy of whatever drug I had consumed, but my mind was returning. Through the fog, Diana’s image disappeared, leaving only the fat Anti-Santa and me. Seeing his wicked wide-mouth open to lick his lips forced me to shudder. As badly as I wanted to close my eyes and ignore what he was doing, keeping them open proved as…incentive. Little by little, my body was listening to me while still maintaining the charade. The fingers on my right hand were able to curl in the dirt, feeling the element become like an extension of my limbs and aura. It was refreshing. A shame the advisor was running my bliss.
“Tch, your head is clearing already? Well, no matter. That’s just a little side effect. Seems the reject assassin can’t move. That was the important part. Keep you weak like her.” Izzy was not weak. She’s stronger than this man would live to know. He scratched my inner thigh near my nether region but thankfully withdrew from the area. “Tell me, how does it feel to be given as a gift to your sister and your Dad not caring? A little birdy told me he was considered a demon lord. He must have truly been a monster to get such a nickname. Then again, he cared for his other daughter, didn’t he. You were a disgrace like your supposed brother, apparently.”
*Brother?*
“Well, I’m ready to see what you have that seduced the Prince so easily. He seems to care more for you than that Izzy whore. All she ever did was cry and snivel when I pounded into her. It’ll be a real pleasure seeing your spirit become dull and lifeless. When it happened to her, she got so fecking tight. Will-”
I slammed my fist into his dirty mouth. Recarad flew back several feet until his back met with a tree. Despite the fact my muscles weren't in sync with my mind, they were moving on instinct. A growl resonated from deep in my belly. My target might as well have had a spotlight illuminating the darkness around him to my murderous gaze. The sweat I had smelled was potent even from this distance. I could see the drops glistening from under his brow, down his arms, and along his rose-colored face. Crimson droplets trailed down from a crooked nose.
The tree’s bark punctured into all four limbs, the way I should have pinned the assassin had I let instinct lead over any morals I subconsciously clung to. I closed my eyes this time to enjoy his screams. I heard a loud snap from the whale freeing one of his arms. The spike in his heart rate told me how pleased he was with his minor accomplishment. I almost felt pity when I let my wind loose and forced the wood deeper into his other three limbs.
Somewhere in the back of my head was a tiny voice straining to be heard over my bloodlust. Justice, not revenge. Then the man started begging for me to have mercy; I was sure Izzy had pleaded similarly. A snarl escaped my lips as I made my way over to him.
*BANG!!!*
Sharp pain throbbed in my shoulder. I grabbed my fresh wound, glaring at a trembling Recarad. In his hand was a gun. Not waiting for a second bullet to be fired, I charged forward and threw the gun behind us, returning the favor for my snapped wrist in the same motion.
“Demon…YOU’RE ACTUALLY A DEMON!” He screamed out. “HELP! LUCIFER’S MINION IS HERE!”
I slammed my hand over his mouth, knocking his head back on the tree. “Izzy is not weak.” The first true words I had spoken to him. He blinked, surprised he was still breathing. Under my palm, I could feel his lips curling. “Talk; don’t scream for help.”
There was no need to explain what he was to tell me. King Ulrich’s lesson: stay silent, and people will feel the need to fill the space.
“Izzy is weak. She gave up on Prince Trevor so quickly. But you, you weren’t so easily swayed. So I devised a plan to get Trevor to sleep with Lydia. Worked wonderfully. Trevor believes it and wants to marry her as is right. King Ulrich has agreed. And you were supposed to be killed or come back to Krennan with me as my whore. Izzy could make me quick coins here. The bitch heard too much when I spoke with my…ally.”
“Who hired him?” I asked, barely stopping myself from cracking open his skull.
“He and I have come to an agreement. My help in exchange for Lydia’s marriage with Trevor. That’s all I know, devil.”
I maneuvered his face to be level with my crimson eyes. “The gun?”
“A weapon gifted to me by the assassin.” He grinned at me, showing his teeth. The front two were now missing. “And now, monster, I am done answering your questions.”
“You’re the monster.”
He was in no position to avow anything or smile. My hands wrapped around his throat. It would be easy to crush his windpipe.
“Every one of you from that other dimension had a file my associate kept on this glowing box. I read them all.”
I saw no point in his current change of subject except to stall. My hands tingled, desiring nothing more than his life’s blood to spill.
“You were going to be used as an assassin like your Mother until it was said you refuse to kill. The magic box also stated a year later you started murdering in the shadows to protect Izzy. When I first read all that, it worried me, but more was added early today. Do you know what I read?”
*Kill him. Kill him NOW!*
“You were slipping back into your old self. You fought the assassin and hesitated to end his life. TWICE. The poor little demon couldn’t commit murder any longer.”
Demonic instincts, bloodlust, and anger were a deadly combination, and this man was mocking me.
“You won’t kill me; rather, this will be your final resting place. It is a pity; I was hoping to see your crushed expression when those you are at war with yourself over, those you trusted above all else, betray you.”
I was sick and tired of being lied to. The tree reacted to my anger. Recarad yelled in agony, shouting profanities at me as a jagged piece of the tree stabbed into his gut.
Using my elemental power to skewer him wasn’t something I was proud of. If not for the drug, I would calm my bloodlust and finish the advisor off level-headed. Since that wasn’t an option, I’d settle for ending him now. I twisted my feet. The ground below me hugged around my ankles snuggly. Just one sway of my arm and my wind ability would give him an instant death.
“It’s not hard. Pull the trigger, aim, and shoot now!”
My head whirled around too late. A shot rang out as pain exploded in my left leg. My teeth ground together to hold back a scream and take in my new enemy.
“Demon!” Princess Lydia shouted with her shaking fingers on the trigger of Recard’s disposed gun.
Recarad laughed at the wobbling form of his princess. He really was a monster. “Aim for the evil heart. That special weapon can hurt even a demon. One more shot; Prince Trevor will be yours, and you’ll never end up like your poor brother.” Recarad laughed the most joyful and triumphant I had heard. “I’ll handle the rest of our teensy whore assassin.”
A venomous monster infecting Lydia once again.
The bloodlust vanished, staring at my rival. I hadn’t any time to speak up to Lydia. The drug pumped through my veins with every beat of my heart. The clouds came back as my body went limp. The only thing holding me up was my ground ability.
“You are a true demon!” Her voice was shrill.
The gun’s final shot rang out.