by Indra Frost
Stepping through the witch’s door was like stepping into another realm. After all, that was exactly what it was. This place existed outside of normal space and time, and I wondered if the guys would feel the change. The inside was far larger than should have been possible, and I knew that it was due to an expensive and complicated spell that Clara maintained constantly.
People walked around, talking softly and I looked at the space that was once as familiar to me as my own hand. There was a designated training area, a familiar sight to my eyes. This part of the room contained fighting rings and equipment, and the walls were decorated with cruel-looking weapons. But there was also a sunken area filled with cushions and pillows. This was a place where deals were struck. Magic pulsed through the area, and I knew there were many spells at work here, and even with everything that was happening this place brought me comfort, and almost made me feel safe. Selasi and Greg seemed so far away in this moment that I started to relax.
I again wondered what the guys would think, and wondered if they would notice when they crossed realms. The entire place was in a separate dimension, it had no physical presence in our world. It was a literal safe haven from what was going on, and while I was here, the contract had no hold on me. Something I hid from Greg at all cost.
Walker was the only one that seemed to notice, he looked more closely at the doorway once he was through.
I would have laughed at the expression on his face, but as soon as I entered, the pain caused by the brand disappeared.
It was gone so quickly it threw me off balance, and the relief was so immediate it was almost painful. I tripped over my own feet, my legs almost giving out as my head went light. The change was so abrupt that my body didn’t know how to handle it.
Clara reached out from where she was waiting, her arms wrapping around my waist. It was the only thing that kept me on my feet. Everyone in the room looked at me, and I glared at them as my cheeks heated up in embarrassment.
“Thanks,” I whispered, even as my legs tried to stay in their new gelatinous form.
She squeezed me in response.
I hated to seem so unsteady, but Clara’s place was neutral ground, which meant that if I had to lose control of my own body, this was the place to do it. There was no fighting allowed outside the ring. I hated feeling, and looking, weak, but I wasn’t going to think too hard about it when I knew I was safe.
Walker came up to my side, looking concerned. “Are you alright?”
I looked at him, his whispered words of concern hitting me right in the chest. I wasn’t sure why these men seemed to get to me, but I didn't like it.
“I’m fine.” I forced my legs to hold my weight and took a deep breath, enjoying being pain-free.
For as long as I stayed, I would take advantage of this. I wouldn’t be able to stay long, not if I wanted Clara to be safe, but I wasn’t going to waste this time, either.
I looked at Clara, sweeping my hand to indicate one of the doors. “Would we be able to use a room?”
She eyed me, the question clear, though she didn’t speak out loud. I thought about my answer, then eventually nodded. There would be no reason to keep her out. Besides, it was possible that she would have information that would be helpful.
I stepped away from her as she started barking orders to some of the people in the room. They all had a rune on their neck that glowed brightly, an indicator that they were with Clara. They were all here voluntarily, and the rune was a good way to keep them safe should they ever venture outside. The rune was a form of protection far greater than I could ever be to them, as Clara wasn’t known for being kind to those that went against her. Though some of them were still put under my watch if they had to go into more dangerous parts of town.
Raum was known for pushing his luck, though the troll was still afraid of Clara.
Greg, Raum, and Clara each owned a territory in this part of the city. This was the part that no one wanted to pay to repair, and they took advantage of that. They held their territories through cunning, and brute force, trying to one up each other and gain more ground, though they hadn’t succeeded. Clara, I knew, would win without a doubt if she ever tried, but she wasn’t interested. Instead she focused her attention on trying to better the lives of those within her area, but she didn’t think anything about using illegal means to do that.
Some of the Supes watched on with curiosity, but they didn’t say anything. I smiled and waved at one of the men that was waiting at the side of one of the rings, gear on and ready for a fight. He seemed unassuming, but he was one of my favorite people in the world. If I thought of Clara as a mother figure, Ralph was like an uncle.
He smiled and waved back. He was rough looking, though still cute in my opinion.
A growl sounded from behind me and I turned, surprised at the sound. Blayze looked angry for just a moment, then he seemed to snap out of it and looked just as surprised as I was at the sound that had escaped him.
I briefly wondered if they had a history. Ralph wasn’t a saint, but the confused look on his face as he also watched the hellhound let me know it was unlikely.
I shook it off and gave Ralph a shrug when he looked back to me. He came off as rough, but charming. He had a friendly demeanor, but he was the biggest threat in this room, outside of Clara herself.
Clara led us through the door directly across from us, and I smiled when we walked into the room. It was my favorite part of this entire place. It was set up like an apartment and I looked around the modern space with joy and envy. The space was open concept with the kitchen to the back right of the entryway. The living room and dining room held corresponding pieces, so everything flowed really well. I knew from experience that the queen-sized beds in the rooms were the most comfortable that money could buy.
I sighed as I looked around the space, and Clara had a small smile on her face that quickly faded as she looked over our rag tag group.
She gestured to the couches that were set up in the living area. There was also an accent chair, but that was Clara’s place to sit. The guys must have known that instinctively as Copeland, Walker and Jesse all sat on the bigger couch, while Blayze and Reed joined me on the love seat.
I sighed as it tried to swallow me as I sat down. Between the couch and the respite from my pain, my eyes were starting to get heavy. The lack of sleep and the aftereffects of adrenaline were taking their toll. I forced them to stay open, pinching my arm to try and keep myself alert.
Jesse gave me an odd look as I did so, the others looking around the space. Walker and Copeland started to talk softly, and I didn’t bother to listen in. I didn’t care what they were saying in that moment.
Clara opened the door and spoke to someone on the other side, then after a moment she sighed and excused herself. After a while the silence and comfort of the familiar room started to get to me. It was getting harder and harder to keep my eyes open, even pinching myself wasn’t working. I reached up to do it again when I felt a hand land on my own, stopping me.
I looked up, intent on telling off whoever was touching me, but my eyes met the gold of Jesse’s and I paused. Whatever I was going to say was washed away by the coolness of his gaze.
“You shouldn’t hurt yourself.” His quiet admonishment had me staring at him in shock.
Something in my heart squeezed, his words hitting a sore spot that I hadn’t even known was there. I didn't know how to respond to his kind and caring words. Similar to what happened with Walker earlier, I wasn’t sure what to do. I opened and closed my mouth, not able to think of a witty comeback.
The sound of the door shutting saved me from having to answer him. Clara walked back to her chair and I looked away. He gave my hand a squeeze before releasing it. His gaze shifting back to the other men who were staring at him.
I looked down to the bruises on my arms, seeing them in a new light.
I was so used to pain, so used to physical touch meaning violence, that having someone that seemed to care about my phy
sical well being threw me off. A lump formed in my throat as I looked down at the self-inflicted bruises, the memory of bruised and bloody skin superimposed over my arm. Sights, sounds, and smells all seemed to come out of nowhere to remind me of the things that I had experienced. Most of which had been done with the knowledge and encouragement of my father.
He used to sell me to demons, knowing full well what they would do to me, and he didn't care. Coming earth side and learning what a real family was supposed to be like made what I went through so much worse. Physical pain was horrible, and though my skin didn't scar, the mental scars that I had were much deeper than any of the physical cuts ever were.
Clara cleared her throat and I looked at the floor, not able to meet any of their eyes when I wasn't sure I would be able to hide what I was feeling. Taking a deep breath, I got myself back under control, reminding myself what we were here for, and what was at stake.
“Alright, I have food coming and then we can get down to business.”
I nodded, knowing better than to argue with Clara.
The guys followed my lead and they all seemed to focus on the task at hand. I avoided looking at Jesse, even though I felt his eyes burning into the side of my face multiple times.
"So, what are you guys planning to do about Greg?" Clara asked the guys.
Reed cleared his throat and for a moment I worried he wasn't going to answer.
"He's been on our radar for a long time, but until recently we weren't able to make any headway on making a case. A tip came in about a week ago mentioning that he may be getting into something more nefarious than drug running and underground fighting, so we are trying to make a concentrated effort of stopping him before he can escalate."
I hid my surprise, but aside from the few times I had tried to call, I wasn't aware that anyone else was willing to go against the minor demon. A part of me was glad to know that some other brave soul had been willing to step up when I couldn't, to take him down.
Clara hummed her agreement, but I could tell she had more questions.
"And what do you plan to do with Alyth?" She asked, her eyes going hard.
Again, the conversation wasn't going where I thought it was, and it was getting harder to keep my face devoid of emotion. Clara was family, or as close to it as I got, but I hadn't expected her to be concerned about me. Because that's what it sounded like. It sounded like she was worried about me.
"We don't intend her any harm, but we could use her help to get into the fights and try to get the leverage we need to take him down. If we can catch him doing something illegal that gives us enough cause to look into him deeper, and I'm sure once we start doing that, we're bound to find enough to put him away and keep him away. And since the judgements on Supes are so much higher, there’s a chance that the push for a death sentence may come into play."
I had to bite my cheek to keep the wince in, releasing it as soon as I realized what I was doing. Jesse's voice was telling me not to cause myself pain as it ran through my head, and I peeked over at him from the corner of my eye, looking away quickly when I found him already looking at me.
I looked away from him and met Clara’s gaze. She was the only safe person for me to look at right now, the emotions running through me a confusing mix I couldn’t separate.
As soon as our eyes met, it felt like I couldn’t look away, like I was falling. A weight seemed to settle on my mind, and my vision and hearing started to fade. I was aware of the spell she was using, but I didn’t fight it. It would have taken more energy than I wanted to expend, and for as much as we had been through, I still trusted her enough not to freak out.
My eyes started to droop, and no matter how much I tried to force them to stay open, they wouldn’t listen. I didn’t pinch myself again, knowing that Jesse was watching me, but it was hard when I wanted to make sure that I heard everything that was going on.
Unable to stay awake any longer, I fell asleep just as a knock sounded at the door.
I woke up in a dark, familiar room. The soft bed and the familiar smell a dead giveaway that I was in one of Clara’s rooms. Voices were talking outside the door and, embarrassed, I sat up, my head still fuzzy with sleep. I couldn’t believe I fell asleep in front of them. Or that the witch had put me to sleep. That bitch.
It wasn't smart or safe to fall asleep in front of others, but I was with Clara. She wouldn’t let them hurt me. I didn’t know what her goal was with putting me to sleep, but I knew that I needed it. That didn’t mean I would forgive her just like that. There were still too many unresolved issues between us for that to happen.
Forcing myself to my feet, I was startled to find that my legs were unsteady and sore. With a fortifying breath, I shoved down my embarrassment and opened the door to head into the living area.
I paused in the opening that led to the area to watch the others gathered there. It was nice waking up to see them all still here. But it also made me nervous because of what it meant. I couldn’t afford to lose sight of the end goal and what it would mean.
I sauntered over and looked between them. It was going to be a choice between who I wanted to be squished between, Jesse, Copeland, and Walker? Or Reed and Blayze? Clara was watching my dilemma with a smile from her perch on the chair. I glared at her, but then looked again to the two couches.
Eventually, I walked over to Jesse’s side and sat between him and Copeland. Shoving my way between them and wiggling until they gave me enough room to sit. Copeland shifted a bit, but he wasn’t able to move much, the look on his face priceless as he looked down at me with surprise. I had practically sat on him when there was more room on the other couch. I just gave him a wink to hide how uncomfortable I was, and I was hoping my actions would throw him off enough that he didn’t notice my embarrassment.
Jesse, for his part, didn’t do much other than scoot further towards the arm of the couch. I settled closer to him and watched as he watched me out of the corner of his eye. Walker snickered from further down the couch.
Copeland gave up trying to find a comfortable way to hold his arms and brought them up to lay on the back of the sofa. Leaving more room for my own arms to spread out. I let one rest on his thigh, ignoring his gaze and trying to hide my smile. I was having way too much fun messing with them.
Reed and Blayze were watching, an odd look in their eyes. I wasn't planning to be around them much longer, I was taking advantage of having them around, while I could.
“Back to what we were talking about…” Clara said, her brown eyes intense, even as laughter filled her voice.
I'm not one hundred percent sure what she was laughing at this time, but I would bet it was me. I almost smiled at the memory of all the times she had done something similar. It used to get on my nerves when I thought I was the butt of all her jokes, but it taught me not to take myself too seriously, and that I need to take the good where I could find it. Even if I ended up laughing at myself.
"So, what's the plan?" Reed turned to me.
His look was an indication that I should be saying something. But I had just walked into the room, and I wasn’t sure what they were talking about.
"I'm going to need more to go on here."
A hint of pink touched his cheeks, and as handsome as he was, the color lighting up his face suddenly made him more real. He wasn’t just an angel anymore, or a piece of eye candy, he was a being that had feelings and could be embarrassed, and that just made him more dangerous.
I had thought I was doing well, mentally keeping them at a distance, even if I admired their looks, but that didn’t seem to be the case anymore. If I didn’t find a way to put a stop to my wandering emotions, I was going to end up with more than just my soul at stake. Soon it would also be my heart.
"Right," He rubbed the back of his neck and looked between me and Clara. "What do you want to do about Greg?"
I looked to Clara, trying to hide my fear. Had she told them about the contract?
The subtle shake of her head told me she hadn'
t, and I felt an odd sense of relief and guilt. It would have been much easier if she had. At the same time, it would have made me more vulnerable to them. I didn't know what they would do if they knew that I was weaker, and in pain, while the brand was still in place. There was also the small matter of my death.
"What happened with Hairy after I left?" I turned back to Reed, waiting to hear what they had done after I had run out of the room.
"It was odd," Reed started, his eyes going distant with the memory. "It was almost like he snapped out of a daze. He remembered what he had said, but didn't understand it, and he didn't know where it had come from."
Reed shrugged, but I had an awful feeling about what that meant. I looked at Clara, some of her own horror leaking through the blank expression she liked to wear. This was new and unpleasant information for the both of us.
"What else?" My voice was a rough bark, but he didn't react like I had expected him to.
Instead of getting his hackles up, he shrugged it off and looked between me and Clara. I felt Jesse shift next to me, turning a bit so he could study my face.
Every time I looked at him, I could swear he was seeing more than I wanted him to. More than I was willing to share. I kept my gaze firmly on Reed, not wanting to give him something he could use against me later. Instinct told me he wouldn't do that, and the little time I spent with them said the same thing. But I knew better than to let that sway me into trusting them. I could only rely on myself.
"We talked about the gym and other members. You, in particular," He met my eyes, looking worried.
I wondered what Hairy had said that would cause that expression to cross his face.
"He really doesn't like you."
"Oh," I said, shoulders relaxing.
