by A Muse
There was a fuss around me. Clothes being yanked from my body. Hands moving over my flesh. The sound of rushing water from somewhere. I gasped as the hot water touched me. Shaking my head strong hands held me under the spray. I could see the red running the drain. I could feel my mind slowly coming back to me. The hunger was lifting and I took in my surrounding. I was in a shower. The person behind me was Ban. The demon who murdered my family.
Turning around Ban pushed me into the wall of the shower. He was looking down at me. A look in his black eyes was something I couldn’t read. What was it? What did he want from me? His long slim fingers reached out pushing into my hair again. I could feel his hand move from my hair to trace along my jaw. His thumb touched my lips pulling down the corner.
“Why are you here?” I asked looking up at him. Why had he come here? Why was he helping me? He held up his other hand and I could see the chain that held a ring on it. The silver band dripped water as Ban held it up in the air. I knew the ring well, it had been a part of mine since the day I died.
There were four jewels evenly spaced around the band. A ruby, an emerald, a diamond, and the last stone was a sapphire. Between each stone was words carved in gold. The words weren’t in any language humans knew. Inside of the band, only one word was carved. Ban.
I reached for the ring, but Ban yanked it away from me. My fingers pressed down and I watched as Ban leaned closer to me. He unfastened the chain before placing it around my neck. Reaching up I touched the ring at the end of the chain. It heated softly, the same way it always seemed to when Ban was nearby.
“You're letting your hunger control you, Natsu. You almost lost something important. Stop denying what you are.” His body pressed closer to mine. I squeezed my eyes shut against the memory of him. The last time I met Ban was five years ago. He had killed my sister-in-law.
“What am I?” I asked looking up at him. His fingers dragged down my chest catching my nipple. I hissed out the pleasure it causes. I could see that perfect smile on his face.
“You’re a demon, Natsu. Start acting like one.” I was a demon. I knew that. I died at the hands of this man. When woke up three days later wasn’t the same boy I had been. I was different. I was a demon now. My fingers reached out towards Ban. My palm spreaded across his chest.
I begged to live and Ban still killed me. Now I was hungry all the time. I wanted blood as the hours went by. I didn’t know how to pull myself from the fog of hunger. By admitting what I was? I shook my head. Even if I was a demon, I was something more. I was something different. I wasn’t like Ban. I had been human once.
I could feel his fingers grab my chin. He made me raise my head to look at him. I could feel his body rubbing against mine. It awoke a new desire inside of me. One that had nothing to do with blood and everything to do with the burning need to touch Ban. To be touched by Ban.
“Natsu, one day you’ll understand.” What would I understand? That there was no use holding on to what I once was. That my human life was over and I needed to be a demon. I hated demons. How could I be something that I loathed?
“I’m not like you.” I refused to be like him. Or maybe I was just lying to myself. After all, I had killed everyone in this place. Yet I felt nothing for their deaths. The guilt that should have crippled me no longer existed inside of me. I was hungry. They had been my meal. I didn’t feel guilty about the cow who died to make my burger. Why should I feel guilty about the human whom blood I drank? Was it the same thing?
“You’re right,” Ban spoke and I looked into his black eyes. I was right? “You’re so much more.” He leaned down pressing his lips to mine. Under the spray of the hot water, I could feel myself yield to him so completely.
My eyes snapped open and there was a weight against my shoulder. My eyes shifted to see strawberry blonde hair. My lips pulled up into a slight smile as I brushed some of Soji’s hair out of his face. He shifted in his seat beside me snuggling up closer.
Why did this make me happy? Why was the fact that he was sleeping peacefully against me . . . familiar. It felt as if something was pulling at my brain. It demanded that I remembered something important. Every time I tried there was only the fog and the haze of going in and coming out of the hunger.
The memories I had of my clarity only Kaleb and Ban was there waiting for me. So why did something inside of me want to remember Soji? It didn’t make sense, but few things in life ever do. My eyes shifted from Soji to the front of the car.
Emiko was driving with Rai in the passenger seat. Fang was behind me in the last row of the truck. My eyes locked with Emiko’s through the rearview mirror. I could see the hatred she held for me as she glared. It only made my lips twitch as I leaned over pressing a kiss into Soji’s forehead.
The smaller boy shifted around again before lifting up. He rubbed at his eyes before yawning. We had been on the road for nine hours. The Soul Demon Azul should be near the town we were heading to. After we killed Azul, I would get Rai back home. Then . . . Then I wasn’t sure what my plans were.
“How was your sleep?” I asked and Soji smiled. He opened his mouth to speak, but his eyes shifted towards Emiko. I could see the horror on his face as I turned to look as well. Emiko was so busy glaring at me she didn’t see the demon in the middle of the road.
He wasn’t moving as the car barreled down the road towards him. There was a set of large horns on the top of his head. Tusk jolted from his mouth. He was huge, at least eight feet tall and just as wide. More importantly this wasn’t just any demon. It was the same demon we made this trip for.
Emiko didn’t stop. What was she thinking? Maybe she was going to run the demon over. It had bad idea all over it. There was a moment when nothing seemed to happen. Then the car flipped. The sound of breaking glass and crunching metal was deafening.
I grabbed a hold of Soji using my body to protect him as best I could. I could feel the car hit the ground and roll once, twice, three times. When it stopped, there was silence. All of it felt like a lifetime but in truth it all happened very quickly.
Our bodies and things had been tossed around the car. Most of it was thrown from the car. I could feel the warmth of blood running from my arm. The scent of blood mixed in the air giving me a clear picture that everyone in the car had suffered from some kind of injury.
There had been a rumor that Azul stalked one of the roads close to the town he was said to be in. They said he ate anyone who was unlucky enough to find themselves crossing his path. I didn’t think we were unlucky at all. I liked it when we didn’t have to hunt for our prey.
“Everyone okay?” I asked kicking out the door that I had been sitting near. Soji and I climbed out of the hole stumbling back to our feet I touched my shoulder. My blood coated my fingers when my hand came away. I would heal it later right now I needed access the damage.
Soji had a few cuts, but it seem that I took the worst of the beating. I could hear the others still in the car moaning in pain as I turned around. Azul was walking towards us. I growled at him threatening him to stay away. I knew that he could sense my powers. He knew that I was the stronger demon of the two of us.
There was another groan as Emiko was crawling through the window. Her nose was broken probably from getting smashed in the face by the airbag. I rushed to the other side of the car to see Rai. She was alive, but her seatbelt had her trapped in place. I couldn’t see how Fang was at the moment.
“I’ll take care of the demon.” Soji spoke as he reached into his pocket pulling out a cross. I frowned at him. Didn’t he know that it was just a lie? A cross wasn’t actually going to do anything against a demon. It was all just myths from old movies made when I was still human. Soji was a white mage though, maybe a cross in his hands would actually be dangerous.
“Get the others out the car.” Soji went on to say. I looked at him and then at the demon who was edging closer to us. Could he take on a demon by himself. My eyes shifted to Emiko, but I didn’t think she was actually going to be much help in
this fight. I should have been fighting with Soji. It was dangerous for him to try to take on a demon alone.
“I’ll fight the demon. You should help the others.” I told him moving towards Soji. I couldn’t let him fight a demon alone. I was supposed to protect him. This probably wasn’t Mother Fate’s idea of protecting the white mage. Soji smiled as he turned around. Standing on his top toes he pressed his lips to mine.
Kissing me deeply for a moment he pulled away from me. He turned away pressing a kiss to the cross that he held in his hand. I wondered if Soji believed in God. The church his people were in had many Gods. My family was never big on going to church. We worship at the football stadium or on the sofa in front of a tv. God never had a place in my life when I was human. After all where was God when Ban came into our home and murdered us all.
The cross in Soji’s hand started to glow a soft white before it seemed to change. Soon there was a sword in his hand the handle of that sword was the cross that he had drawn from his pocket. Was this his power? I never actually saw a white mage fight before.
“I’m a white mage, Zero. I have been performing exorcisms for too many years to count. This demon won’t be a problem. You need to help the others. I won’t be strong enough to pull them out.” He had a point. I doubt he would have the strength to pull anyone from the car. Letting him fight alone still left a bad taste in my mouth.
“If only Ban could see you, Zassago.” I growled when Azul used my demon name. Names were powerful things. For some lesser demon to speak that name it made me want to rip his head off his shoulders. “Letting a human fight for you, coward.” I laughed at him. I wasn’t a coward. I trusted in Soji. If he thought he could kill Azul alone, I would put my faith in him.
Soji bounced lightly on his feet before rushing towards the demon. I pulled my attention from him long enough to rip the door from the truck. I grabbed the seat belt that was pinning Rai and ripped it away from her. Scooping her up into my arms I pulled her from the truck and sat her beside Emiko.
Glancing at the battle that was unfolding Soji was flipping away as Azul swung his massive fist at the tiny boy. I noticed that Soji was quick on his feet. He moved around Azul like a bee buzzing around a human’s head. Only this bee had a very deadly sting. I could already see the wear the battle was having on Azul. He was bleeding from a few wounds and having a hard time keeping Soji still long enough to actually hit him.
I saw Fang kicking out the back window of the car before he crawled out. He was holding his arm to his chest as he stumbled away from the car slightly. Maybe his arm was broken. I couldn't tell. He met that we all were alive and out the car now.
Azul was down on his knees trying to catch his breath. Soji was still as well, his hand folded around his cross as his head was bend. I could see his lips moving in a silent prayer. I would have questioned if now was really time to pray but I could see the pinpricks of light that were surrounding Soji.
“Soji!” Emiko yelled out. Azul was rushing towards Soji as his head was bowed. The demon was nearly on him as Soji lifted his head up. He pointed his cross at the rushing demon. All the pricks of light flew towards Azul. I could see the light all pass through the demon’s body. Azul stopped looking over his arms and legs as if trying to see what damage had been done. I couldn’t see any damage. What was Soji doing.
“This is the strength of a white mage.” Azul tossed his head back laughing at Soji. “Your magic is a joke.” Soji only smiled at the demon as he tucked his cross back into his pocket. This battle didn’t seem to be over yet. So what was I missing.
“Amen,” Soji used a clear loud voice and Azul stopped in his tracks. His whole body started to glow white and then he exploded. Instead of blood and body parts spilling over us and the road there was only dust. One of Azul’s tusk hit the ground. It was the only proof that the demon had been here. “He’s been purified.” Soji spoke walking towards us.
I watched as Soji’s hand started to glow with his powers. He moved his hand over Emiko's face healing her. He moved on to Rai healing the cut that was on her leg from where glass stabbed into her. Last he ran his white light over Fang healing the broken arm that he had received in the crash.
“I can’t heal your shoulder, Zero.” I was a demon so I highly doubt our powers would mix well. I shook my head. My woman would hear within another hour or two. Soji had stood up before his eyes rolled into the top of his head. I grabbed him before he could fall holding him in my arms.
“He used too much energy. He needs rest.” Emiko said and I cradling Soji to my chest. Our car was trashed, but the town was only five miles away. Nothing like a long walk to clear your head.
SIXTEEN
It had been a little over eight hours and Soji was still asleep. We had gotten three rooms so Soji could have his own to rest in. Emiko and Rai were in another and for now Fang had the room we were meant to share by himself.
I laid in the bed Soji was in. He looked so peaceful in his slumber. Still I was worried about him. How much longer was he going to be sleep? How much longer were we suppose to wait before we worried? I guess it was too late for that. I was already worried about Soji.
Had I failed once again? Squeezing my eyes shut I rolled off the bed walking towards the window. I could see the world that was spread out under us. No matter what town, what city we were in it all looked the same. There was always the drunks that stumbled down the street. There was always the working girl that looked for her John. Always the junkies looking for their next high.
Demons walked the earth. Magic was no longer just in books; it was something real, something tangible. Yet some things never change. I guess it was a testament to human nature. This was what I was clinging to. These people were who I so desperately wanted to be.
Pressing my forehead against the cool glass I could feel a weariness pressing down on me. My day of sleep had come and pass. I couldn’t remember the last time I slept. Before Shu was lost to us. Before we went hunting for the Blood Demon Kenji. That felt like a lifetime ago. Look at how much changed in a matter of months. How much more will change in the months to come.
I failed again. I was supposed to protect Soji the same way I was supposed to protect Shu. The same way I was supposed to protect Rai. It seemed like lately I was incapable of doing the things I was once good at. I couldn’t beat Kenji and Ban. I could have beaten Azul, but Soji wanted to fight him. He did a wonderful job but now he was paying for it.
Was this really my fault this time? I shouldn’t have let Soji fight. He was a mage though;when you are on a team of Demon Hunters every member countered. Our other members couldn’t fight and I had to get them out of the car. Soji was all we had. I didn’t know that his powers would use so much energy. So now what?
Now we wait.
“Zero,” a soft voice spoke and I turned around to see Soji behind me. He looked tired. How could someone sleep for so long and still look completely drained when they rose?
Reaching out I yanked him forward. I pressed him against my chest holding onto him. I was . . . happy he was okay. I didn’t want to lose another person that I cared about.
Soji’s arms wrapped around me. Bending down, I pressed my face into his neck. He smelled so sweet. His scent should have made the hunger press down on me, but I felt no desire to eat Soji. I just wanted to hold him, to welcome him back to the land of the living.
“How are you feeling?” I asked as I pulled back from him long enough to look down into his blue eyes. My hand cupped his cheek and he reached up grabbing my wrist holding my fingers against his flesh.
“A little tired. I didn’t realize I used so much energy. It was a careless mistake. I’m sorry for making you worry.” I shook my head. Even if I had been worried, it was all okay now that I knew he was fine.
“I’m just glad you’re okay.” It was the truth. I wasn’t even sure why it meant so much to me for him to be doing okay. I just hated seeing him so . . . weak. I hated seeing him in that bad. It pulled at something in th
e corner of my mind and threaten to rip a hole in my memories.
“You watched over me the whole time?” Soji asked his blue eyes seemed to be searching mine for something. What was it that he was trying to see? He reached up his fingers brushing under my eyes. I felt as if he was looking through me. Why? What was it that he wanted from me?
“Soji . . .” I started, but his fingers moved down my face. He pressed them against my lips halting my words. His eyes burned into mine. His fingers slowly lowering from my mouth. What was he doing? Why did this feel so . . . intense?
“I see you. I see your soul. I see the thin thread that links you and me together. In this life and the next one and every life we ever had and ever will have. I see you. And I love your darkness, and I love your light. But most importantly I love you, Zero.”
He . . . saw me. He loved me. We only knew each other for a few weeks now. How could he love me? Why did when he say the words it felt different from when Ban says them? What was I suppose to say to him? Telling him that I loved him seemed . . . fake.
I wanted to do something. I wanted him to know that I felt something towards him. His fingers were tracing over my face. I could feel them moving over my eyes, my nose, my mouth. His touch was gentle. It was so much different than the way Ban touched me. Yet it made me want in the same way Ban seemed to.
Leaning down, I pressed my lips into Soji’s. His mouth opened for me and my tongue slipped inside. Twisting them together I pushed my fingers into his hair. Backing him up towards the bed I could feel his fingers running up my chest. I paused long enough for him to pull my shirt over my head.
Tossing his shirt away I lifted him up so that we could move farther onto the bed. Pressing my mouth to his neck I flicked my tongue out. Tracing patterning on his skin, his fingers pushed up my chest. I could hear his heart racing from my licking. His bulge pressed against me and it made me growl deeply in the back of my throat.
