May opened her eyes.
The black beast stood above her, fangs bared and mouth agape in a twisted snarl; she felt hot breath tickle her hair, and saw the smeared crimson on its tongue and teeth. Lua released a feeble growl, still huddled safely in her arms as she lay pressed against the floor.
The demon hissed. Stumbling back, she glimpsed a silver arrow wedged deep in its shoulder. Its crimson eyes widened, and for the briefest of seconds it looked her straight in the eye. She caught her own reflection, staring back at her from its dark irises; saw the tears stained on her cheeks, and the unstoppable trembling of her hands.
Another arrow hit the demon, this time in the chest. Finally it pulled back, snarling, and quick as lightning it lashed through the wall, passing through as though it were nothing but air. All that was left was the thick blood smearing the walls, and the familiar pitter-patter of the rain on the roof.
May didn't realize how hard she'd been holding her breath. Finally she exhaled, her rapid heartbeat beginning to slow.
"…Joint suicide…"
"What a shame…"
"It really is a tragedy."
Police sirens blaring, and harsh onlookers sharing hushed gossip between one another, May tried not to catch the eyes of those watching. Those whom were once her neighbors and friends now stared at her as if she had just committed a terrible crime; some held pity in their gaze, whilst others looked disgusted.
She wanted to yell at them. All of them. They didn't know the truth.
Her…her parents hadn't committed suicide.
She knew they hadn't.
Burying her nose deeper into Lua's fur, May desperately attempted to forget the world; this had to be a dream. Soon enough she'd wake up, and her mother and father would be standing over her, smiling warmly, chiding her that it was time for breakfast and that she really had to stop sleeping in…
She choked back a sob.
"May."
Slowly she looked up.
And shivered.
It was the only other witness to the event – the only other one whom had seen the demon. The lady who had shot those arrows straight at it; in many ways this woman was her savior, though she hardly felt like one.
Why wasn't she telling the police the truth? Surely they'd believe her.
"I'm so sorry…about what happened to your parents." Kneeling down, she flashed a smile. "I was your mother's sister. You mightn't have heard of me – we weren't exactly close. But – I always promised her that I'd look after you if something were ever to happen to her."
May looked away.
"Um…here." She pulled out a photo; on it were three smiling faces. One face caught May's eye – a silver-haired man, cigar hanging from his mouth, and green eyes shining brightly. "That's my boyfriend, Hollis. You'd like him. Oh! And that's a…well, a friend of ours, I suppose you could say. Ash. He's the same age as you. I'm sure you'll get along just fine."
"Why didn't you tell them?"
May couldn't help it; clenching her fists, she glared at the woman with all the anger she could muster. "You saw it too! You saved me! So why didn't you tell the police the truth!"
The woman seemed taken aback. "I-It isn't as easy as that-"
"Why not? You're an adult! They'd believe you! M-My parents were killed by that demon! You know that, right? What I saw…its real, isn't it?"
The woman's shoulders drooped. For a while she remained quiet, staring at May with an unreadable expression. Then, with a solemn sigh, she nodded.
"Yes. It's true."
"Then why-"
Suddenly she pressed a cold hand to May's forehead. "My, my. You're running a fever. We really do need to get you home." Pulling herself up, she extended a hand. "Come on. Now's not the time for explanations."
May sniffed. She desperately wanted to argue further – she needed to know – but weariness weighed down her heart, and in many ways she just wanted to sleep and sleep and sleep – to forget all that had happened, to erase it straight from her mind, and to be back with her parents within her dreams.
She grasped the woman's hand.
"May…"
"No good. She's knocked out!"
"Aw darn. At this rate she's gonna fail her finals…"
Just a few more minutes…or…another five hours…
"MAY!"
Something like a fist hit May's head, and she awoke with a startled yelp. Lurching upwards, before she could even begin to recover her forehead connected with Dawn's.
"Ouch!" Dawn stumbled back, eyes wide and rubbing her temple. "Jeez, May, that hurt!"
"H-Huh…?" For a split second everything seemed foreign and strange; the blurry faces of her friends before her, the looming blackboard up front, the teacher organizing her work space…
And then things zoomed into focus.
"H-huh? When did I get here?"
Misty had to stifle a giggle. "Duh! We walked to school together! Don't you remember?"
Mind bogged down by exhaustion, and brain aching with the onset of a headache, May placed a finger to her chin. Oh right…
She vaguely recalled tossing and turning all night, mind filled with the bills she had to pay and that damn demon that had gotten away and –
And then finally admitting that she wasn't going to get any sleep tonight, and deciding to work the rest of the night-time hours on her sword technique.
"Heheh." Sheepishly, May scratched the back of her head and glanced down at the floor. "Yeah. Last night I worked late at the theater y'know. So…now just seemed like the perfect time to take a little nap."
Suddenly she became aware of the throbbing bump on her head. Iris stood beside her, frowning, hand curled into a fist. "School isn't a place for sleep! Keep this up and you're going to fail your exams. You have no idea how hard I worked to tutor you; you can't let it all go to waste now!"
Dawn sighed. "There she goes again. Iris, lay off. You know May has that job at the movie theater. She's just tired."
Iris shot Dawn a poisonous glare, her cheeks puffed out in an almost pathetically childish pout. "You'd be mad too if you had to pull all-nighters trying to tutor this girl! Last time she barely scored above 50%! You know how bad that is?"
"C'mon guys." Misty glanced between Dawn and Iris, shivering slightly at the crackling atmosphere between the two. "Now isn't the time to fight. Let's just…get along!"
As their bickering faded to the background, May couldn't help sighing. This was getting ridiculous.
In a way Iris was right; if she kept falling asleep during school hours she'd definitely fail her finals. But between assuming adult responsibility, Demon hunting and balancing a job at her local movie theater, school just seemed like the least of her worries nowadays.
I guess I just have to study harder…The thought of more late-night studies, tutored by the passionate Iris, was enough to make her groan.
"Students…Students…!" The quiet voice of the teacher tried desperately to rise above the idle gossip of the students. Finally she slammed a ruler hard against the blackboard. "Students!"
The class snapped to attention. At once Dawn and Misty took their seats, Iris at the back. Up front the teacher looked upon her class with a blank expression, seeming just as tired – if not more – than May. "We have a transfer student today," she drawled, "now I want you to be nice. He's not from around here and he's transferring very late in the year. So…let him join one of your cliques. Or something. You can come in now!"
The door opened.
May yawned, eyes closed and head pressed close to her desk; maybe, just maybe, she could catch a few more winks…
"Wow. He's cute," she heard Dawn whisper.
"Don't let Paul hear you say that!" laughed Misty in reply.
"What? It's just the truth!"
"Huh…?"
May lazily opened her eyes.
Her breath caught.
No.
No way.
No way in hell.
Immediately she sprung upright in her seat.
It…it wasn't possible. It couldn't be.
There before her was the very same demon from the shrine. Minus his demonic features, he looked like just a normal, everyday teenager.
From his grassy hair and baggy clothes, to his sharp red eyes and cocky smirk – no, no, she had to be mistaken. Maybe it was just a bizarre coincidence. Yeah – it had to be that. What else could it be?
But…she could never forget that face.
Her knuckles tightened.
The boy walked to the very front of the class, every step poised and confident. "Well now," yawned the teacher, "why don't you introduce yourself?"
He smiled, that same cocky smile he'd flashed her atop the shrine. As if he thought himself the greatest gift to mankind. "Hey. My name's Drew Hayden. Nice meeting ya." As if to add to his sickening charm he pulled a rose from his pocket, and handsomely threw it at a girl in the front desk. She caught it, blushed, and hastily looked away. Drew chuckled.
"Very nice," the teacher muttered; "now then…where should you sit."
Oh God please.
May's eyes slid to the empty desk beside there, as if conveniently placed there by the power of some anime cliche.
I beg of you, I'll never doubt your existence again if you do me this one favor…! Please don't have him sit next to me!
"Oh. There. Besides uh…the girl with the red bandanna-thing." The teacher pointed straight at May. "There's an empty desk beside her. You can sit there – um…your name again?"
Before he could reply, the girl whom had caught his rose looked dreamily at him. "His name is Drew."
"Right…Oh, and Drew! It's your first day so I'll let you off. But tomorrow, you cannot come to school with contacts. Um – school policy and all."
Drew threw her a strange glance. Cocking his head, he said, "contacts…? What're those?"
The class laughed.
If the teacher were actually someone whom cared about her job she may have reacted harshly to his statement. Instead, stifling another yawn, she shrugged. "Whatever. Just don't come to school with them tomorrow."
As Drew strode past the teacher, May tried to desperately shrink even further beneath her desk. God, you have forsaken me.
But another thought pressed heavily on her mind – just what was he doing here?
As he came closer, she could feel the slight, sinking ebb of his presence; it wasn't as strong as when he was in his half-demon form, although it was still unmistakable. She felt the familiar itch in her palm; the desire to materialize her weapon, slice it right through his chest, exterminate him then and there –
"May right?"
She met his dark, glowering red eyes. For a moment the two paused, glaring, trying desperately to search for something, anything, in each other's faces.
Then Drew smirked, and from his bag he pulled another rose.
"I do hope we get along."
"Aww," Dawn swooned behind her.
The entire class was looking.
She didn't want to take anything of his. He could have his stupid rose.
But –
Suppressing a grimace, May forced herself to swallow her disgust. No. She wouldn't make a scene in front of the class.
Instead she forced the slightest of smiles.
"Yeah. Let's."
As Drew took his seat beside her, and class began, she couldn't help sneaking another glance at the boy.
Maybe…maybe it was just a coincidence? Maybe she was just being paranoid?
Drew caught her eye.
And then, with a twisted grin, he flipped his bangs and flashed her a venomous glare.
May quickly turned away.
Under her desk, she squeezed the rose in her hands.
The stem snapped.
She knew that, in human form, demons could be seen by normal humans. She understood that many whom had taken to possessing bodies often used this as a means of walking around the human world, taking note and scouting for a victim. She'd dealt with a few of those before. After all, there were demons everywhere – both in the Spirit Realm, and her reality.
But never before had she encountered a demon at her school.
"That mysterious transfer student is so cool!" gasped Misty, "if I weren't already in a relationship, I'd so be a part of his fanclub!"
"Me too," swooned Dawn, "those cool red contacts…and his red roses to match! I think I'm in love!"
"Guys," snapped Iris, exasperated, "we're meant to be studying! Keep the boy drool for later, kay?"
They were sitting outside in the schoolyard, Iris aggressively speeding through homework and Misty and Dawn looking all starry-eyed as they gossiped about the newest transfer student.
"Let's get along."
May scowled.
"So what do you think of him?" Dawn was looking at her expectantly, eyes narrowed and a sly glint alight in her orbs.
"What do you mean?" May muttered, gulping down the last of her sandwich.
"You know…I think he might be into you, if ya know what I mean."
"I don't, actually."
"Ugh! You're so dense! C'mon, May, you're the last of us who's single! You gotta start dating someone."
"Ahem." Iris glanced up from her math sheet. "Need I remind you that I'm single too."
"You don't count. I mean, let's be real. You're practically married to your homework."
"Just because I want to succeed and get into a good university doesn't mean I won't ever snag a guy. I'm just…waiting is all."
Misty giggled. "Waiting for senpai to notice you?"
Iris blushed. "S-Shut up!"
"Anyway." Dawn turned back to May, whom was idly trying to mess with her hair. Damn it – she thought their silly argument had allowed her to escape an awkward conversation. "Maybe you should ask him out? You'll have to do it before his fanclub does though!"
"Ah. Yeah, no thanks. I think I'm good."
"Why not?" asked Misty.
Well, apart from the fact that he is certainly no human – and that he's a self-righteous ass who probably – no, definitely - needs an attitude check… "Yeah, he's just not my type."
Iris happily clapped. "Good going! You've got to focus on getting better grades anyway!"
"Yeah," May added, "that too."
"Fine." Dawn rolled her eyes. "At least I tried."
As Iris, Misty and Dawn continued their gossip and idle bickering, May felt herself once again lost in her own little world.
That demon…
Perhaps if she cornered him somewhere quiet. Then she could finish the job, and they could all move happily on with their lives.
But –
Why her school of all places? What was he planning? He knew she was a Hunter, so what? He didn't seem at all surprised to see her in class…Was there something she didn't know? Was he just messing with her?
Ugh! Damn it all!
She was going to exterminate that demon! But not before tearing some answers from him!
School couldn't have gone any slower that day.
Throughout every class Drew was there, flipping his bangs and tossing roses at every attractive female he met. At lunch May stalked after him, keeping at a safe distance; every time he looked at a human she was expecting something to happen. Anything. Maybe for him to possess a new body, or – or to bring some sort of catastrophe that demons were known for causing.
Nothing happened though.
It was as if…he was trying to be a normal teen boy.
"So! We've taken to stalking now, have we?"
May scrambled back, eyes wide. Before her stood Dawn, hand covering her mouth, desperately trying to cover up the fact that she was laughing her heart out (though failing miserably at it). "Jeez May! There's nothing wrong with having a little crush!"
"I-I told you, I don't like him! At all! I'm just…"
"Just watching him dreamily from a distance?"
Just trying to protect you all, she almost snapped in reply, though quickly she managed to bite her tongue and keep herself quiet.
"Whatever, whatever," Dawn sighed, wiping tears of joy from her eyes, "keep telling yourself that. I'm here though, if you ever need any advice."
Lunch passed without so much as an injury. And so, by the end of the school day, as teens were packing their bags and preparing to walk home together, May saw her chance.
Drew was staring, fascinated, at the pile of homework the teacher had given him. The closer May walked the more she wanted to be sick; that swampy aura that surrounded him made her stomach roil.
"Hey," May said. He looked up, and smirked.
"Hey. Want to walk home together?"
Her eyes widened. He'd taken the words right out of her mouth.
From the corner of her eye she saw Misty and Dawn strike a triumphant pose. "Go for it!" they mouthed.
They're never going to let this go, aren't they?
"Sure," May replied. "I wouldn't want you to get lost on the way. By the way, where do you live?"
Maybe it was just her imagination, but May swore she caught a spark of annoyance alighting in his red eyes.
"I'm…around. I think you know where though."
"Yeah." May smiled, though this time it was a genuine one. "I'm pretty sure I do."
As they walked out of class, almost seeming like a couple by how close in proximity they were, Iris, Dawn and Misty looked on from their seats.
"Wow," Dawn sighed, "there's so much sexual tension between those two!"
"Really?" Iris said, "Because it kinda looks like they're being passive aggressive to me."
"Oh, Iris, I know these things! They're in love!"
Iris rolled her eyes, and resumed speeding through her English work. "Whatever. May better not forget to study though! Jeez, she's such a kid!"
They walked in silence for a long while, both unsure in the direction they were heading although May naturally took the lead. Soon the sun was dipping just beyond the faraway mountains, smearing the horizon bruised purple and sharp crimson. Streaks of waning light reached out from the last remnants of the sun, shimmering serenely in the dying sunlight of the sky.
May turned down an alley. A rat scrambled out from the gloom, and she could hear a cat hiss as a garbage pan clattered to the ground. Deep shadows washed over her feet, and discarded rubbish crackled underfoot with every step. The city was never a clean place to visit.
"I know who you are," she finally said, turning around to face Drew. He stood silhouetted by the sunset, his eyes gleaming a darker red than ever before.
He grinned. "Oh, I know you do."
"So…why? Why did you come to my school?" She pressed a hand to the alley's wall, and felt the chipped texture and slimy mold beneath her palm. She swept her hand away, and from thin air sparked her weapon. A long, double-edged sword stretched out, a muddied grey and brown, miraculously formed of brick and wood. She grasped her hands tightly around the hilt, and pointed the blade right at Drew's chest. "You just want to mess with me? Is that it?"
He snorted at that, and jumped back a foot; quickly he flipped in mid-air, and when he landed he looked exactly as he did up on the shrine; with his curling horns and lashing, arrow-hooked tail. "Please. Not everything revolves around you." From his pocket he pulled another rose and held it to his nose. "No," he sighed, "I just want to observe your kind. That's all."
May felt her muscles bunch; she strode quickly forward, never faltering with the grip on her sword, never taking her eyes off his. "Don't joke. You're a demon. You can't help yourself. Everything you do is cloaked in evil."
"Ah, really? What a shame. And I thought humans were rather interesting."
May paused. "Interesting?"
"You are such a strange breed. Forgive me if I wanted to learn more about your species." Shrugging, Drew tossed the rose to the ground; rats squealed and scurried as it landed in the shadows.
This was…weird. Shaking her head, May poised herself. No – he was lying to her. Demons were only interested in the destruction they could cause; they were not…not…
She bit her lip.
"You know," said Drew, with another obnoxious flip of his bangs, "you say that I'm nothing more than a demon. But by that logic then you are definitely no human."
"W-What are you saying?"
"You know what I mean." He began to circle her, frowning slightly, as if he was attempting to analyze her. "You can see us in our demon forms. You walk between two realms. You have abilities and gifts that are nothing short of the supernatural." He stopped right in front of her, closer than ever before. "I might be a demon, but you are definitely no human."
There was a flash of brown; blood spurted, a clean cut running right across Drew's cheek. The clunky sword dropped back by May's side.
"Take that back."
"Excuse me?"
She lashed out with her sword. It slashed through the air, slicing clean through where Drew once stood. Skidding back, Drew swiped his hand over the concrete and before him, in a flash of gleaming silver, appeared his blood red katana.
May's eyes were blazing. For a second everything was blurry, as tears muddied her vision and blended all the colors and shapes together in one big mess.
She…she wasn't a monster.
She blinked away the tears, and jutted out her chin. "I'm nothing like you," she said, and much to her rage she couldn't keep the trembling out of her voice.
"No," sighed Drew. "No, you're much, much worse."
He leaped; red flashed before her eyes, and May spun out of the way just as he crashed to the ground. He tripped, and May lunged forward, just as Drew regained himself and held up his katana.
Their weapons met, and sparked. Drew held back, as May pressed further and further forward, her shoulders shaking, and her face burning, but never once relaxing her grip. The demon glanced about, before finally releasing his katana. Fast, he twisted out of the way just as May lost her balance and stumbled forward. Her sword nicked through thin air and fell clattering to the concrete.
Something smashed into her back, and a startled scream escaped her throat. Drew stood above her, eyes shining, chest heaving, looking upon the Hunter now sprawled on the ground.
"Huh…so that's it? You give up?" He poked her shoulder.
"Come on. I thought Hollis trained you. I'd expect more from his apprentice."
Still May said nothing. Drew huffed. Slowly he walked to her front, and kneeled down to pick up his katana. As his hands closed around the hilt, he caught a subtle movement out of the corner of his eye. Something blurred silver flew right past his gaze –
"H-Huh?"
May smiled. "You should know that a Hunter never gives up without a fight."
She shakily rose to her feet, wiping the blood off her skinned shins. Drew clenched his jaw and tried to rise to his feet to meet her; only to flinch and stagger back down, his shoulders shaking and his hands trembling violently.
Wedged deep in his shoulder was a bright, sharpened blade.
Black blood dripped down its sheen hilt.
He swallowed and tried to scramble back. This time there was no cockiness in his eyes; when May looked at him now all she could see was terror, so vivid, so bright that…
He looked like her.
No – no, she didn't want to even think of it.
He looked like her when her 12 year old self had stared that demon right in its red eyes. When she'd thought she was as good as dead.
"You're no human," he'd said, "you're worse."
Why…why did he have to look afraid? None of the other demons had.
She kneeled down to pick up her sword. Her heart was pounding in her ears, the blood draining from her cheeks.
She'd do it. For mom and dad and Hollis…it was her job.
One less demon in the world made earth just a slightly better place.
She pointed the blade right at his chest. She felt herself tremble slightly, as she felt the sword press against skin.
And he looked…he looked so human…
He glared at her. "What are you waiting for? Go on. Do it."
She gritted her teeth.
Raised the sword right above her head.
…
And there it was again.
That same shadow that had fallen upon them at the shrine.
Her eyes darted to the sky. Perched upon the tall building, horns curling from its head, bones' jutting from ragged feathers was that demon.
"Don't move." She almost forgot who Drew was for a second, and obeyed his command.
The bird tilted its head.
"Okay…listen to me. That…that demon isn't just any demon. That's a God of Death."
"Yeah…Yeah, I know that," May whispered back.
"I can get you out of here. But we're going to have to work together-"
"Like that'll ever happen."
"Fine." His eyes glinted. "Stay here and fight it then. But I know that that particular God has a pretty big hatred when it comes to Hunters."
The bird shifted again. Its eyes grazed over May and came to rest on Drew.
It screeched.
"Run!"
Drew stumbled to his feet and grasped her wrist in his hands. And then they were running. May heard a mighty flap of wings, and another screech. The shadow fell upon them again. Skidding around the corner, Drew looked from left to right, panic written all over his face.
"W-Wait, this way!" May pulled him out of the alley and right around to an apartment door. She crashed against it, only to yelp as at that moment the door swung open.
"What the-"
"Sorry!" She raced inside, Drew limping after her. The man stared at the girl curiously, and then peeped outside, though he could see nothing of what she was running from.
"What is this place?" Drew muttered, as they navigated the run-down halls and filthy lounges.
"Oh…one of those really cheap apartment blocks. Uh, where do you think? Down below or to the top?"
Drew flinched, hand grasping the knife still wedged deep in his shoulder blade. "Why ask me? You're the one who brought us in here."
"Better than running stupidly outside."
"It'll find us. A few walls can't stop a demon God."
I know that. They came to the top of a staircase, breathing heavy by this point, eyes watering from the sheer exhaustion of it all.
Damn it, Hollis…Why aren't you here when I really need you most?
Maybe Hollis could take on a demon God. He wouldn't be able to kill it, but at least he could provide some sort of distraction or something; he was a Grade A- Hunter after all. And she was only a feeble Grade C. She'd barely be able to scrape the thing.
Drew collapsed against the walls, his breathing even more ragged than before. May sneaked a good look at him; he was far from the cocky demon he'd portrayed himself to be now. She almost felt sorry for him.
And…
In a way…he'd kind of saved her life.
In a really small, insignificant kind of way.
All her instincts urged her against it, but her heart said otherwise; cautiously she knelt down besides Drew, and felt around the knife dug deep in his skin. She frowned.
"I never had to use these before...They're more powerful than Hollis said they are."
The knives were made especially for Hunters; unusable by demon hands, and incredibly scalding and painful when coming into contact with demon skin. May had been warned against relying on the knives too much, though she had no idea why.
"Here." With a small huff of defeat she grasped the hilt and pulled. Drew choked on air and kicked back. "Stay still! You're making it even worse."
Finally the knife slipped out; slick black blood dripped from the blade, evaporating at once upon touching the floor.
Drew placed a hand to the wound. Already it was beginning to heal.
"Huh. And I thought I was as good as dead."
"One wrong move and you are…" May strode to the window and peeped out the foggy glass. She couldn't see the bird. She forced down a sigh of relief – now was not the time to be getting relaxed.
"Look," turning to face Drew again, she already saw him climbing to his feet, "I don't care what your deal is. When that demon is no longer a threat you can consider us enemies again."
"But for now you need my help." There it was. His trademark smirk. His attitude wasted no time in making a comeback.
"You could probably take it on better than I could. Maybe together we…"
"Yeah, no. That's a God of Death. I think I've pissed it off enough for one day."
She narrowed her eyes. "So wait. It's after you?"
He shrugged and turned casually away. "Perhaps. But make no mistake – I wasn't lying when I said it hates Hunters."
A minute wore on, painfully long and achingly slow. The ticking of the clock sounded as loud as the clang of gongs; one second, two seconds, three seconds, four seconds, five…
"Maybe it's gone," she finally said, to break the painful silence.
Drew sighed. "That thing never leaves me alone. It's a wonder I managed to escape it yesterday."
"So why is it after you?"
He waved his hand dismissively at May. "That's my business and mine alone."
"I think I have a right to know what I've been dragged into!"
"It's not my fault you attacked me in the alley. If you'd just walked home like normal we wouldn't be in this mess."
Another awkward silence fell upon the two, this one more tense and harsh than the other before. May began pacing and Drew kept gazing out the window, eyes scanning the sky for any sign of the God of Death.
"Is it true?" As May paced, she couldn't rid her mind of that one, insignificant question – "are you really fascinated by people?"
Drew sighed. "Is this really the time?"
"I've just…never heard of a demon like that before."
He turned his eyes back to the window. "Yeah, well," he muttered, "we exist." For a moment all was quiet once again.
Suddenly Drew lurched away from the window.
"It's here. Come on."
May's heart skipped a beat.
She pressed herself back against the stairway, Drew standing right beside her, his katana drawn and her sword poised and pointed right before her.
She wouldn't die lying down.
No. She wouldn't die at all.
She'd be damned if a demon would be the reason for her death.
The beak appeared first, followed by the lean head and beady red eyes; the creature practically seemed to melt through the windows, its feathers ruffling in a cool, non-existent wind as it finally came to perch before the two.
May clenched her teeth. She wouldn't be scared. She'd fight.
"Hey," by her side Drew shot her a cautious glance, "I have an idea."
At once paranoia seized her heart. "Yeah, like what? Use me as bait and run off while it's distracted?"
He rolled his eyes at that. Then, with a decisive slice of his katana, he slashed the palm of his hand.
"Hey! What are you doing?"
The creature lunged forward. Before May could react she felt something firm grasp her wrist; pain exploded from her palm as his katana sliced through paper-thin skin. She tried to pull away – as quick as a flash, Drew shoved her aside and leapt to the air.
The bird went crashing down the stairway. It turned around, red eyes burning with hate, only to scream as Drew slashed down with his katana.
He buried his sword deep into its feathered, bony back. Again the God of Death screeched, and lunged. Drew dropped to the ground, and the bird missed him by a millisecond. Its beak stabbed at empty air.
May stumbled to her feet, eyes wide; Drew was backing slowly away, as the bird turned to its back and seized the katana in its beak. It gave one, steady pull; Drew's weapon fell out. It didn't even leave a mark.
When it turned back to face Drew its eyes caught another figure running forward; silver sparked, and at once the bird jolted back with a scream. In its chest wedged the knife. With one mighty wing it struck the two on their sides, and sent them crashing into the wall.
"N-Now!" The bird was stumbling around, trying desperately to pull the knife from its chest. Drew reached out his hand, black blood still dripping from his clean cut.
In that moment May knew what he wanted.
"No. No, no, no. I – I can't."
"It's the only way!" The bird finally gave up on the knife. Its head twitched and it opened and closed its beak, as if panting heavily. In that exact moment May felt like that little twelve-year old girl again, huddling with Lua under the demon's twisted face, inches from death and paralyzed with fear.
"Mom…"
"Now!"
She didn't want to die.
She grasped his hand with her own.
…
"Contracts?"
Auntie smiled at her. "That's what we call a blood bond between a human and a demon."
"You must never do this," Hollis snapped, with one puff of his cigar. "It is the unbreakable contract between man and spirit. Demons know of this and they may try to tempt you into it. Do not accept. Never accept, no matter the circumstances."
"We've encountered Hunters whom have made deals with demons before," Auntie sighed, "and they become so corrupted by darkness…well…"
"In the end they might as well be demons themselves."
"Oh…"
May glanced between the two, confusion written on her face. That didn't explain a lot. She had so many questions! Like what did the contract entail? Why did it corrupt humans? What did it do to you? She desperately wanted to know – but soon Hollis and Auntie had decided that that was enough of that for one day. They moved on to another lesson, and it was never spoken of again.
Extra – 0.2
A Day In The Life Of Iris
Iris: My day begins at 5:00am! I get dressed and BAM! Time to study!
Iris: Homework during breakfast, homework during brushing my teeth, homework in the shower, homework on the bus…You get my drift. By the time I'm at school I'm as good as done!
Iris: My friends are always teasing me about it, but I like to think of myself as the mature one of the group. Also, there's no way in hell I'm gonna be upstaged by that pompous Georgia!
Iris: So yeah! That's my day and I'd say it's pretty fun!
Dawn: I think you're leaving out one important detail…
Iris: Oh yeah? What's that?
Misty: We all know of that wonderful senpai of yours that you just love to follow aro-
Misty: Ouch!
Iris: I-Idiot! It's not like I love him or anything! I just happen to admire his intelligence, that's all!
Dawn: Suuurreee you do. That's why I always catch you blushing whenever he notices you-
Dawn: Ouch!
May's friends are often bickering amongst each other. Though don't be fooled – they've all actually been friends since childhood!
Oh, and Iris has a penchant for conking people whenever she gets mad. She's a lot stronger than her small stature would let on!
A/N- Thank you for reading the second chapter of –Pact-! It means a lot, and seeing your follows and reviews really brightened my day! This chapter was longer than the last, but there's a lot more to write and the main plot is starting to reveal itself. I sincerely hope this chapter is good; I ended up speedwriting it at night haha!
Just to avoid confusion, the –Extras- I include at the end are just silly little scenes I'd like to add in the story, but have no place for. Think of them as really short, random character moments.
Lola – I agree! There aren't many supernatural contestshipping fanfictions – at least, not many that I've found. The supernatural is a fun genre to write for me. I'm glad you enjoyed the first chapter! Thank you for your review!
Scriptress – Your review made my day! I'm so glad you enjoyed the first chapter and I dearly hope this one lives up to expectation. Thank you so much for your kind review, it really meant a lot!
Every follow and review is awesome! It inspires me to write, and it's also a fantastic way for me to get feedback from you! Have constructive critique? A question? Just want to leave a short comment? Anything can be included in a review, so don't be shy and feel free to leave one!
Thank you for reading!
