Chapter 4: Questionable Motives

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Dresden or ANY other character of The Dresden Files. They belong to Jim Butcher.

*POV: Desirea*

I looked at where the wizard had made his exit. I figured that the little idiot couldn't possibly screw this up and I need the wizard in a good mood anyway. Heaven and hell both know I don't need him asking the big questions given I had agreed to answer any question he asks. I just sat there waiting on him, it was the only thing I could do granted that my partner wasn't going to let me stand for the world on a silver dog bowl for him. It's times like this that I wonder what the wolf's angle is. Now don't get me wrong, I love the loyalty of the spirit being but something's just been a little odd since he became assigned to me. Orohmatsu just continued to growl at the Fu dog, teeth bared and ready to fight him to the death for me. My attention moved from him when the little demon came flying across the room from the direction of the bathroom. A soaked, red wizard, only wearing a towel, came running from the same location. I sighed. Apparently, I was wrong. Little Kemuri dashed for the wolf thinking that he would supply shelter. I buried my face in my hands in frustration as the wolf seized the small demon by the throat and slammed him hard into the cold stone floor. I was the first to speak.

"Kemuri, what did you do? The wizard is RED!"

Kemuri squeaked as the wolf bit down harder in just as much frustration as me. The wizard answered the question.

"I just wanted a little bit of heat and he was doing fine until I complimented him. Than the shower nearly cooked me. I feel like a pork roast."

I couldn't help it. My inner smartass showed itself for a moment.

"Add the carrots and you're ready to serve. Though I bet you taste like shit."

I grinned as I said that. Harry looked like he was about to say something. Then, shaking his head, he walked back into his room. The dog had his own grin between short little scruffs that sounded a lot like laughter. It amused me and Orohmatsu allowed him to come closer, but still eyed him with suspicion that only can come from an over protective wolf spirit. Mouse plopped himself in the floor at my feet with his head on my lap. As I started to scratch his ears, an envious wolf, which by this time had let go of the little demon, jumped on the couch and tried to force the dog's head from my hand growling as he went. I rolled my eyes at the display and proceed to pet them both. Within moments, Harry came back out into the living room, dressed in his usual attire of sweat pants and a simple tee shirt, holding a bleached human skull. Looking at it, I noticed a worn blood seal start to glow on the top of its head. It was my seal. I immediately looked up at Harry. Judging from the wizard's face he couldn't see it. Harborth of Bainbridge took notice of me a good bit faster than I expected though the content of what he said was however very expected.

"Desirea, YOU BITCH!" the skull exploded at me. I was unimpressed. "WHAT DID YOU COME TO TAKE FROM ME THIS TIME? YOU….YOU...OVER SLIMED NEWT!"

I spoke without thinking.

"You'd think that four and a half centuries in a skull and you'd learn more updated insults, sorcerer."

The eyelights of the skull turned a deep scarlet red. He went to say something and I felt the irises of both eyes start to turn their usual shade of liquid ruby. I did not have enough patience to deal with the victim of a past mission. Harry noted our responses and spoke next interrupting the skull rather rudely.

"SO, I take it you know each other. Well than this introduction is going to be short. Bob this is who I was telling you about."

Still petting Mouse, my eyes shifted from the wizard to the skull. When I met the skull's gaze for the third time, I narrowed my eyes at him. The skull flinched before responding.

"This is the lovely lady that jumped in front of a truck to save your life? That you've been tending to now for three days?" his voice echoed the skulls hatred for me.

I stared at the skull with a great dislike. Now don't get me wrong, I understand the skull's hatred for me greatly given I was the one that put him there. It's just he is packed full of a lot of different information. Information that could and probably would get the wizard killed. I couldn't let that happen and live to see the end. So, he's a heavily weighed threat to the mission, and, for now, I don't like him at all.

"Yes Bob. This is her." Harry's words sounding of great embarrassment as he spoke.

I found myself laughing at it. My voice ringing back at me from the small corners of the room. I couldn't help but find it funny. The great Wizard Dresden was embarrassed that a girl took a hit for him. There was a moment of silence before Harry spoke again.

"Ok given I've heard the word Desirea associated with you multiple times, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that's your name. Am I correct?"

I looked up at Harry before responding.

"It's a name. Just may as well be mine to you."

"Are you afraid to give me your name?" Harry asked monotonly.

"No. I just can't give you my name."

"Why?"

I felt my frustration building. I had hoped for simple questions but this is just ridiculous.

"I cannot inform you of that."

Harry looked at the skull and it nodded. I felt my furry build as I watched this. He was using the spirit as a lie detector machine. Harry noticed the change in my expression. He quickly spit off another question.

"What are you?"

I looked up at him with a blank expression. I honestly didn't know how to respond to that question. I had been called a demon my entire life, but knew that in this realm I was much more than that. I was a guardian spirit of sorts but was neither good or bad given I aid both sides. With this I answered the only way I knew how.

"What do you believe I am?"

"I don't know. That is why I asked. Are you going to answer my question or not?"

I looked down at the floor. I couldn't really answer the question. I didn't know how. How do you answer the question of what you are to the beings that you've protected and tortured? The things that you've helped and hurt.

"I am a demon yet an angel. Mortal yet not. Dead yet not. Good yet Evil. I am no one yet some one. Thus are the Demons of the Council of Elements."

He paused before speaking again.

"Council of Elements?"

I grinned before responding

"All you need to know is that we exist. Past that, information would kill you. It's best that you not know everything."

"How where you able to hold me in a circle? I'm physical and from this plane. How were you able to hold me?"

Desirea grinned at the simplicity of the question. It so far was the easiest one she's been asked.

"How do you believe circles work?"

"They're barriers to hold back other beings from the Nevernever. Given they don't have a physical body, they can't cross it."

"Not entirely true. The circle is a barrier but it is a barrier of Will's. Each circle is an issued challenge to the being you're trying to hold. Should you try to hold someone of weaker will than you, like the skull in your hand, it will hold. Though, should you try to hold someone like me who has more power than you and knows how to throw it around, the circle will break hitting you with the blast of my energy used to break it."

"Sweety, I've been able to hold back things with much more power and hit a bit harder than you can dream about."

"Yes, but they were as you say not from this realm correct?"

He paused at that. "Yeah, What about it?"

"So not only were they focused on getting out of the circle but they were also trying to hold their form. Divide a beings power and it would put him as weaker than you. And Dresden, don't think for a moment that just because you're still breathing that I'm weak. If we could gain another to put in your place, I would kill you in a heart beat."

He frowned as another question burned behind his eyes.

" Then why did you save me?"

I looked up at the wizard with a serious expression on my face and as honestly as I could without giving away too much information answered him. Irritation lined my voice as I continued to try and end my interrogation.

"Because you aren't worth a damned thing to me dead. Now I believe we're done here."

I go to stand and he asks another one I wasn't expecting.

"Will you stay here?"

The skull and I both looked at the wizard in surprise. I debated the question multiple times to even odds. For if I stayed it would be easier to pry the wizard the way I wanted but it would also open to a whole lot more questions as well as if I lost my wits him dead. No matter the situational issues I couldn't stay here. I bring myself back to the conversation to realize I was in total agreement with the skull.

"Harry, are you mad? Has the years of getting hit in the head made you stupid? You can't ask her to stay. She's nothing but trouble. I should know."

"How would you know?" Harry asked with the look on his face that stated he had made up his mind. I would answer the question before Bob could even open his mouth the words rolling out a calm cool venom.

"Because I'm the one that cursed him to his own skull all those years ago. He committed a taboo and his punishment was clear. I just carried it out. I take it like all humans he still doesn't see what he's done wrong." I smirk a little at the skull as I finished my statement. I knew the spirits sins better than anyone here and I was willing to fight him about it. I continued my phrases.

"If you like sorcerer I can issue the other punishment that you were looking at getting. I've been in need of a good meal lately."

The lights in the eye holes grew white and wide with fear. I grinned again as I saw this. Harry on the other hand wasn't going to be swayed away from the question so easily.

"Will you or not?"

"No."

"Why not?"

My irritation grew as I sat there talking to the wizard. I couldn't stay. There just wasn't enough strength in me to hold back how I felt about him and his lineage. The great dragon of Peace, Tai Lau was killed by the Merlin, and I could never forgive him for that. That attack would be the motivation that fueled his younger brother, Lau Fang, into tearing apart my family and forcing me to kill my only brother. I had been granted power in the slaying of my older brother, but at the terrible cost of killing the last member of my family. For this hatred for his very bloodline, I couldn't stay for fear of ripping the very heart from his chest.

"It's complicated."

"Why?"

In pure fury I screamed at him.

"BECAUSE IT'S PERSONAL! OK?"

"How is it so personal? You don't even know me."

"It's a long story and you wouldn't understand. You mortals are all the same. Fighting and killing everything that goes against your own sense of order and to hell be the consequences. What you don't realize is things that live much longer than you remember those acts and seek power to dish out revenge. In their wake things get thrown out of line and more revenge is born. A vicious cycle of killing until the balance is thrown off so much to destroy the earth and all its realms."

The spirit of Harburth bowed his head and spoke.

"It's about the Dragon of Peace, isn't it?"

I nodded. Its all I could do for the moment with the fury and sorrow lining up in my eyes. Harburth continued what he had to say.

"to a bit I understand your feelings, but Harry had nothing to do with that. If your mission is not to kill him then, the best way for you to fight these feelings and rise above them is to stay."

I glared at the skull and I could feel my eyes once more fill completely in a scarlet.

"I'm not staying."

"And what should happen if Harry were to run into trouble? He is well known for doing that. Given most of his trouble is high end, he'll be dead within the week should you go."

I sighed as I admitted defeat. The damned skull had a point. Here goes nothing.

"I guess you have me at a cross roads. I'll only stay on one condition."

Harry raised an eyebrow at me before asking me to name it. I answered.

"You don't question my motives and you listen to what I have to say as if it were the voice of god. Cause like I said you aren't worth a damn to me dead."

He agreed.

*Pov: Narrator*

The following morning was interesting at best. Desirea the night before out of exhaustion fell asleep on the small bed in the only room in the place. She awoke to one Harry Dresden latched on to her waist. Thinking very little of it she rolled over onto her right side and went back to sleep. She awoke the second time in a flash. Harry in his sleep had moved his hand into her crotch and began kissing her neck. Startled and confused she turned herself around to confront him about this invasion of personal space only to be kissed passionately in the mouth. Shocked she just laid there blinking at him. Dresden, realizing that this wasn't a dream opened his eyes to study her face. Embarrassed at what he'd just done he immediately rolled away from her thinking about how stupid he had become for not catching himself sooner. Desirea blinked a few times as she laid there.

Had this mortal just kissed me? She thought to herself. Her mind followed back over what had just happened and she found herself wondering what his mouth tasted like. She tried her best to bring her mind back to its normal logical self but it was too late for that. The kiss had lit a fire in her soul that had not been there in years and she was bound to quench it. She pulled herself in close to him taking in his very masculine smell. It intoxicated her even more. Her right hand wrapped around his ribs and begins rubbing the skin just around his navel. He moved at her touch and she froze. Harry turned to face her. His eyes were full of confusion and pure solid need. When his eyes met hers, she grabbed him by the hair and pulled him into a hard warm kiss. Before he could register what was going on, she parted his lips with her tongue and took herself a taste.

He tastes good! Her mind was lost to her. Lust for the wizard had consumed her And she continued to kiss body seeming to press into him demanding more. If he didn't know what she wanted before, he knew it now. The wizard's hands grew lower down her shirt and stopped on her pants. In Harry's mind he knew what he wanted and by this point knew that he could get it from her. The thing he couldn't understand is why he stopped. Why he couldn't unbutton her pants and take to his hearts desires. He pulled himself from her kiss to see her eyes burning with a want for him. Desirea fought him to lock her lips once more on his, hungry for his very essence. He fought back keeping her from him. She grew frustrated but remained patient. He had to let his guard sometime, she thought to herself. When his muscles relaxed she took hold of the opportunity. Using the might of a demon, she pulled him to his back. With grace and a surgeon's precision, she wrapped her legs around the wizard's hip bone, pressing gently on the thing that told her that he wanted this too. He brought up his hands to move her only to have them forced down on the soft surface of the bed. She leaned in and kissed him again. The surge of energy and need flowed from her lips and into the wizard. She had won.

Harry gave up on his control, pressing himself closer to her. She loosed the grip on his hands only to find herself on the floor of the room. Harry, full of just as much want as she, joined her. Little kisses trail their way down her neckline as she opens herself to him. Locking his lips once more around hers he tears the button from her pants sending it against the opposite wall and allows his hand to do as it had wanted to earlier. He reaches a hand in to rub gently marveling at the fact that she was very well cleanly shaven. But that didn't last long. He hungered for her and longed to hear every sound that left those soft lips as he took it from her. Stars and stones, is this how Thomas feels? Harry found himself thinking briefly before he pushed the thought from his mind. A few fingers moved and began to stroke the opening he longed to fill and a moan, half surprised half primal need, escaped her. He shutters at the sound and looks down at her, eyes reading of how he wants nothing more than to make her do it again. His arousal grows as the sounds from her grow in pitch until he can't stand it anymore and moves on to fight with her pants. Thinking it to be quicker, she burned the cloth from her body, catching the wizard off guard and snaps him back into his own mind.

"Hells bells! What was that?" he exclaimed with more shock than horror though both were evident on his face. Desirea shook her head. She regained her senses and with it the need for the wizard vanished. She looked up at the wizard with the same cold eyes that she had been marking him with since she met him. Calculating, she took in what had just happened. Ashamed and a little disturbed, she scooted out from underneath the half-naked wizard. Harry tried to break the silence again.

"Umm. What just happened?"

Desirea, still trying to grab ahold of herself, responds coldly.

"A mistake. One that would have cost us both and I won't be making again anytime soon."

Harry lifted himself from the floor. Never before had he been called a mistake by a woman. It burned at his core as he fought to regain lost composure. Desirea stood and walked out into the living room. Harry watched her leave. His hurt began to show on his face. He walked out to join her in the living room only to see Orohmatsu standing in front of Desirea baring his teeth in anger. Harry didn't know what they were talking about but he could tell the wolf was upset with her.

"What were you thinking?" the wolf growled into Desirea's mind.

"I don't know and who are you to question my motives?" Desirea barked back. Her frustration with the wolf replaced her shame from her actions a few moments ago.

Orohmatsu glared at her. A dark secret rolled behind his eyes. He shook his head and walked away from her. His own irritation getting to him, he looked over his shoulder to lock eyes with her once more.

"I'm leaving Desirea. If you need me you know where to find me."

With that the wolf was gone. Harry, not understanding what going on and still upset with her, asks about the wolf leaving.

"Where is he going?"

"I don't care." Desirea said realizing her conversation with Orohmatsu was childish. Harry was taken aback by her attitude to the wolf and everything really for that matter. Not two days before, the wolf had fought Mouse, his two ton mammoth dog, until he bled defending her. His anger with her got the better of him.

"Forzare!" Harry shouted at Desirea. His will hit her about as hard as the Mac truck did, sending her out the hard steel security door. It broke off it's hinges as she hit and kept going. His wards fell down as they touched her skin and there was a loud low thud when she hit the brick wall on the other side. Her eyes rolled to Harry as he walked to the door frame. She could feel the heat of the sun burn just below her skin which told her it was just past three. Her eyes turned as red as the setting sun as she stared him down. He raised his blasting rod that he had stashed by the door for times like this.

"Feugo!" he shouted at her but nothing happened. He stood for a moment baffled. The fire magic had always worked for him in the past. The Shinryu stood up. A smirk crossed her face as she threw a ball of fire as blue as the sea at the wizard barely missing him. Ducking, the wizard ran for the stairs. Desirea, still not wearing anything, followed him tailed closely by Mouse. The large dog wasn't stupid. He knew that she wasn't going to kill him on purpose but he wanted to be sure that Harry wouldn't kill her.

"Arctis!" Harry roughly yelled as they reached the backyard. The ice melted as it hit burning welts on her skin. Desirea screamed in pain. Drawing from her aggravation she pulled a fire ball as hot as the sun and threw it at him. Harry was ready for it this time.

"Vento Riflettum!" the ball turned and hit her. She stepped right through it shrugging off the attack.

Harry now nearly out of breath focused his will on one last attack. He knew the spell well but had only used it as defensive magic. He pulled energy from the environment around him and in fused it with his will, shaping it into a wall.

"Aquilevatus" the curtain of water came up quickly but before he could use it Desirea struck. Linking the index and middle fingers of both hands she formed a circuit. As she pulled them apart, a band of lightning bounced across the connection. Focusing on her goal, she brought the fingers back together and shot the bolt from her right hand. There was a load crack of thunder as it hit the curtain and struck Harry with enough volts to knock him back. He hit the ground and went still. She proceeded to walk over to him puzzled. She had been careful not to put enough energy behind it to kill him. Mouse infuriated leaped at her. In reflex, she threw up a wall of flames to defend herself from his teeth. The Fu dog hit it and yelped in pain. The smell of singed fur flowed into her nose making her eyes water. She studied her surroundings for the first time. Though the fight had been quick the sun was nowhere in sight. Instead, heavy clouds lined the two horizons making it nearly pitch black. She noted that calmly and looked to the wizard thinking to take him back inside before the rain could fall.

As her attention went back to Dresden, a small group of beings started to gather around him. She knew that they weren't people by their heat signature. People just don't get that cold. She ran at the growing crowd knocking one of them to their side. It hissed at her. Her eyes locked on to its eyes to see two black coals staring back. Red court vampires. Lovely. She thought to herself. She jumped into the middle of the crowd to land gracefully on one downed Harry Dresden.

"You're not worth one Damned thing to me dead!" she yelled looking down at the wizard. She took a fighting position and let out a deep low roar. She was not going to be moved from this spot even if it killed her. The group backed up and a single vampire stepped forward. She was a small being with long black hair that flowed down to her waist. Her features were thin and flowing from her slender oval shaped face to her small feet wrapped inside expensive Prada shoes. Her walk was almost as graceful as Desirea's, showing off her fully scoped hourglass figure. She greeted the battle ready Shinryu with a forced courtesy.

"Good evening, Warrior. I know not what you are but I do hope we can come to a trade for the wizard. We have wanted his blood for some time now."

Desirea smirked at them before responding coldly.

"I have my own plans with him. So, he is not for sale. If you wish to fight me for him, all of you will die."

The vampires face went cold.

"You who brought him down would dare die to defend him?"

"No I would dare kill you to defend him. As I said he isn't worth one damned thing to me dead!"

With that Desirea placed her hand on the ground burning a circle around the fallen wizard. It sprang to life as she stepped out to greet the mob of vampires. In the last moments before she was attacked, Desirea reaches into the air to pull a sword from it. The silver Chinese broadsword showed through with its own radiance from its silvery tip all the way down to its warn ruby in the hilt. The masses went for the wizard as the leader sprang for Desirea. In one motion she had the demon's neck in her mouth and pinned her to the ground. Fighting her vampiric enemy, Desirea shoves her blade into the beings chest. She screams in agony releasing her hold on the demon's throat before it hits her. The demon's blood was a poison and she didn't have long. Glaring down, the creature moves for another attack on Desirea for it to end fruitless. Desirea tries to move her arm to slice the vampire in half only to have her right lung implode on itself. Violently, she begins coughing hard under the weight of the vampire throwing more blood on the beast. The vampire brought up her hand and slashed open the demon's left side. Desirea's vision starts to tunnel as she sees Mouse lunge for the vampire on her. She looks over to see the other vampires trying to break through her circle. Upon hitting the circle, the group went up in flames. Screams and curses filled the back yard. The fight with the head vampire waged on as she threw the Fu dog from her. Blood flowing from her side as she does this, Desirea stands in front of her. The vampire in fury lunges for her again. This time Desirea is ready for it. Reaching up with her left hand, Desirea draws her sword from the vampire's chest. Dodging the blow she spins using the force of it to bear on the beings neck. The vampire was no more. By the time the last vampire's head rolled across the ground, the sun was starting to set and the clouds had moved on.

Soaked in her own blood, the demon looked at the fallen vampire then proceeded to walk to the circle. With a shot of her very core fire, she broke it. Watching her world begin to go black she brought her thumb and index finger up to her mouth and blew. A sharp high whistle ripped across the new silence. Orohmatsu appeared in a flash and she passed out on the spirit wolf's shoulders. Looking at Mouse they both proceeded to take the two back into the small basement apartment. With a puff of air, Mouse rearms the wards and falls asleep on the small rug in front of the door. Orohmatsu, after dropping off Desirea in front of the couch, drags Harry by the coat to his small bed room. With the day's work done, the wolf lies down beside the demon and follows suit with the dog.