So here is the next installment. This one is longer than the last, so hopefully you all enjoy it!
Quick, but random question. Does anyone play words with friends? My sister and I just started playing (totally late to the game, eh?) I'm becoming addicted but also annoyed. I'm a word lover. Words are amazing. But trying to think of a word when you have letters like X, B, R, U left is frustrating. sigh.
As always, I appreciate your reviews!
SerenityMorrison- I just want to say thank you! I think you've reviewed all of my stories? Don't worry, more Serena and Darien to come!
Annamae Tessaro- Thank you for the feedback about the -ing! I honestly didn't even notice! I currently don't have a proof reader, so any help in that area is greatly appreciated!
R3iga1004 and Foxchick1- Thank you! I hope you enjoy this next chapter!
Nikkali44- Thank you! Its good to be back and to have the hubby back! :D
And to those who privately messaged me, asking when I'd be updating-THANK YOU! I apologize profusely for the delay but I hope these next chapters make up for it!
Наслаждайся! (uhhh...is this right?)
Danke Sehr!
-LAla
P.S. How do you say thank you in your language and what language do you speak? I'm so curious about languages and cultures! Please share.
Raye had expected the demon to move right up towards her and in another whirl, drop her off outside her work. She didn't expect him to shrug and walk back inside his room; a low whistle emanating from his lips. Why was he so relaxed around her? She was part of a powerful white witch coven. One that would hunt him down to hell, if she disappeared.
With a frustrated sigh, Raye followed him out and saw him standing beside the open door to the bedroom.
"What are you doing?"
His blue eyes lit up as a smile formed across his lips.
"I'm doing as you requested and taking you home."
Lifting a dark brow, Raye eyed him sideways, her mind reaching out, trying to gauge if he was being truthful or not. When she felt a touch back, she quickly withdrew.
"Aw, come on now. I'll let you touch mine if I can touch yours."
His suggestive words had Raye blushing profusely as she marched past him and out the door, afraid to even respond to such a statement. His only response was to laugh as he shut the large door behind him.
He beckoned her to follow him as he lead her back down the hallway she had ran earlier.
"Why are you leading me through the house?"
"How come you're not limping anymore?"
Raye refused to look down as they came upon the stairs. Eyeing him, she realized that she couldn't divulge a clan secret. One demons or the underworld in all, would try and steal.
"You didn't answer my question, demon."
He paused at the top of the stairs, his body posture still relaxed as he smiled at her. It automatically placed her on the defense as it seemed genuine. But, thinking back to her younger years and the classes her grandmother would teach, she knew demons could be deceptive. Their inability to care is what made them dangerous. Raye always prided herself on judging character and the fact that he had her turning back and forth about his own, and she didn't even know him, was terrifying.
"I have a name. Have you contemplated using it?"
His response brought her back to reality and so glaring with everything in her, Raye crossed her arms. Damn demon.
"No. And at this point I don't even recall it. Take me home. Now."
His smile widened and without any further questions, he started down the stairs. Raye hesitantly followed, seeing the other demons from before at the bottom, circled around, hissing and staring openly at her. Their unnatural eyes seemed to glow the closer she got. One seemed brave enough to step forward, and while she would never admit it out loud, having Jaxs-the demon there, gave a small amount of comfort. Flinching internally, Raye chastised herself on the thought.
"Master, why have you brought a white witch into our sanctuary?"
Without even answering, Raye watched him cock his head to the side, his smile completely removed as he regarded the she-demon before him. If she didn't know any better, he seemed annoyed. When he spoke, Raye couldn't help but take a small step back from him, his words verifying exactly the kind of monster he was.
"What I do is none of your business. Question me again, and I'll make sure you never use your tongue."
With a flick of his wrist, he beckoned her to follow him, and while normally such an action would have caused Raye to fight back, considering who she was, she realized it was best not to argue. At least not right now. His promise to the she-demon had a shudder running through her bones.
It was a long host of hallways before the came upon an elevator door and when it swished open, by him just moving his hand, Raye paused.
"Where are you taking me? You just keep leading me through this mansion and have yet to tell me whats going on. I refuse-"
"I'm taking you home. "
Raye stepped back as she eyed the small box he expected her to get into with him. She'd be trapped, fully. Everything about her teachings and trainings warned her this was the worst idea to date.
"Can't you just, I don't know, do your demon thing and drop me off?"
His smile returned full force as a small chuckle escaped his lips. He closed his eyes and shook his head; he seemed to be trying to stop himself from laughing.
"I could, but, I feel you've had enough of my magic mixing with yours for the day, plus,"
He stepped into the elevator and titled his head to the side, watching her with such curiosity, it made Raye even more weary.
"I like your company. Shall we?"
Lifting a brow, Raye realized she wanted to reach out again and read his mind, or at least see if he was being honest. Instead, she nodded her head on the direct approach.
"You're taking me home? No games? No illusions? Actually taking me home?"
He lifted his hand as if he was taking a boy scout pledge, "I Jaxson, vow to take you, Raye, home safely."
Raye felt her own hesitation as she stepped into the elevator with the boyish demon. As the doors closed, a certain feeling washed over. One that terrified her to the soul. It felt like the end.
"Can we call the police yet and say she's missing?"
Serena looked hopeful at Ami as she chewed nervously on her pinky nail. It was seven pm and with no response for the past hour and a half from Raye, had them all on edge.
Ami smiled back sympathetically as she patted Serena's knee, as she sat on the coffee table before her, "No, she has to be missing twenty four hours before they'd even consider her missing. Besides, Mina and Lita went to check on the car. I'm sure she just got stuck in a meeting or something."
Serena nodded as she eyed the storm outside. Why did it feel like something was wrong? Regardless of the reassurance, nothing removed the pit that had settled in her stomach. Trying to get her mind off of Raye, Serena looked over at her ever composed cousin.
"Hey Ames, you're working tomorrow, correct?"
The flush of pink that stained Ami's cheeks was enough. Serena pounced.
"Are you going to see that hunk of a doctor again?"
"Sere, I.." She watched her swallow and knew how difficult this was but she probed further.
"I what, Ames? He's cute, successful and most importantly for you, he's smart! I don't see the problem."
"He's my senior at the hospital. It would be fraternizing, plus, " her voice lowered, "why would he be interested in someone like me?"
Serena's eyes widened at the idiocy her normally intelligent cousin didn't posses.
"Why wouldn't he be interested? You're gorgeous, Ames! You have soft, black hair. Big, beautiful blue eyes. Personality AND intelligence! Plus, you're an amazing person, inside and out! Any man would be lucky to have you!"
Ami blushed deeply at her cousin's praise. But her thoughts moved back to the parking garage where he had kissed her. Asked her to go home with him. She was behind on experience, always placing her studies above everything else.
"What if he just wants to use me? Like what Mina said, some guys like easy girls. What if he sees me as an "easy girl"?"
Serena's face was contemplative for a second before the biggest smile spread across her lips.
She stood up triumphant as she waved a hand in the air.
"Then you freeze him and unfreeze him as you kick him where the sun doesn't shine!"
Ami looked up at the woman before and couldn't stop the laugh that came out.
"Oh, Sere, you know I couldn't use my powers on an innocent."
"Well, personally," Serena plopped back down on the couch, "if a guy just tries and gets one thing from you, he's not innocent."
The apartment door opening brought both of them snapping their heads around to see who it was.
Lita came in first, a grim look upon her face.
"Her car was still there. Her office was closed."
Mina slammed the door behind her. Her body posture rigid as she fought back her own frustrated tears.
"Something is wrong. I can feel it. Do we have granny's old scrying crystal?"
Ami shook her head, "Granny said she didn't want us to take it, just in case. As its tuned into our bloodline. If someone else got their hands on it…" her voice trailed off as Lita sat down beside her, tossing her long legs onto the coffee table.
"Well, I want to know where the hell she is. This isn't like her. She's always on time. ALWAYS. Everyone is positive they didn't miss a text or a phone call?"
All four cousins stared at each other and nodded.
"I checked at least a hundred times."
"I checked and rechecked."
"You looked through my phone too, leets. Nothing."
Lita nodded. This was beyond frustrating. It seemed all of their encounters with men this week, men none of them knew anything about, was the trigger point to Raye not coming home.
"Do you think this has anything to do with the weird encounters we've all had, minus Ames, of course."
Lita looked around at her two blonde cousins. Serena looked confused with a mix of concentration. But when her emerald eyes landed on Mina, warning bells went off as her cousin looked fully focused on her hands.
"Mina? Do you know something?"
Her golden blonde hair shifted slightly as she bit her bottom lip, her cerulean eyes refusing to make eye contact.
Ami seemed to catch on as well.
"Mina?"
With a frustrated groan, Mina collapsed into the arm of the chair she was occupying. Her fists were bunched in her lap as she shook her head.
"I can't..I can't say."
"What do you mean you can't say? Raye is missing. You better start talking!"
Mina looked up into the heated emerald eyes that were now directly in front of her, towering over her.
"I…."
She swallowed. Would he know? Would he find out if she told her cousins in the safety of their own home? He couldn't possibly find out, right? And would he truly hurt her cousins? He mentioned something about punishing her…Mina shuddered and the kind of torture demons were known to inflict. But, if she didn't say anything and Raye was in the hands of him or someone else, her cousin's very life was endangered. But if she said something, the other three would be endangered as well.
Biting her lip, Mina looked around the room at two sets of blue eyes and finally back up into a flaming emerald.
"I wasn't fired. The company was bought out by another one. The guy who came to collect, he…" she swallowed again, "I confronted him. He threatened me, us. If I said anything he would punish me."
Dark auburn brows knitted, "And?"
Mina sighed as she slouched back. She had a feeling he would know. But without Raye, they were weakened. But, Mina thought, if they lost Raye, they would be forever broken.
"He's a demon."
"I'm beginning to think all of your encounters were."
Two blondes and a brunette shifted their eyes at Ami. She sat poised, seeming to take everything in.
"Think about it. Serena thinks her new job is run by a demon."
Serena huffed, "If he's not a literal one, I'd guess figuratively too."
Lita rolled her eyes but Ami continued.
"Lita, Raye couldn't sense you when you went out on your date. Mina, you were threatened by a demon. And Raye, well, I'm beginning to think the man she encountered was a demon."
The three were silent as Ami finished. It seemed to make sense. Or was Mina the only one to truly encounter a demon and the rest, well, just normal male encounters?
Lita scrunched her face in concentration, thinking back to her date. She had felt like she was in trance throughout it. She could easily admit that she was a romantic at heart, easily swayed by words. But truly thinking about it, she had never given in to a guy so easily. Sure, she had only slept with one guy before, but she hadn't taken that step until they'd been together over a year. Everything about her date now felt like bile forming in the back of her throat.
"So how do we find Raye with this knowledge?"
Mina's inquisitive question brought Lita out of her musings.
"I'm going back to her workplace. Perhaps we missed something in our first search. Ami, will you come with me?"
Ami nodded and stood quickly as Serena and Mina sat, awaiting their orders.
"Serena, considering…you know. I think you should stay here. We'll place a protection spell before we leave."
"And me? What can I do?"
Lita thought for a moment as she looked outside.
"I don't think you should go alone anywhere. Stay with Serena?"
Mina stood quickly, her fists balled, "I can protect myself better than the rest of you! Besides, I can check other areas Raye visits. See if anyone has seen her."
"Mina, I think you should stay with Serena."
Ami's soft voice carried over the tension that seemed to be building.
The blonde nodded as she watched the other two put their coats on.
"Ami and I will place the spell. We'll be back shortly. If you hear from Raye, contact us."
Both blondes nodded as the door was closed loudly. Within moments, both felt the wave of light that cascaded gently over the apartment.
"We need to find her, Mins."
"I know, Sere." Mina bit her lip as she moved towards the large sliding glass door that led out onto their balcony. Closing her eyes, she reached her hands out and touched the cool glass, her body humming as she focused her energy on touching Raye's power. She wasn't good at this; using a power that wasn't her main one, but she had to try. She just needed to know if Raye was alive. She just needed to know.
Raye let her eyes admire the inside of the car before they even exited the massive basement garage. A deep red material covered the vast majority of the car, with streaks of black and silver breaking it up. Overall, it was designed nicely. Taking her eyes away from that, she focused on her surroundings as rain pelted the windshield. The feeling of dread still lingered within her, and no matter what she did, she couldn't allow those feelings to escape. She was positive he would catch them and use them against her.
"So tell me about yourself."
The nerve of the demon beside her was beyond anything she had ever encountered before. He kidnapped her, held her captive, and now, even though he promised he was taking her home, which she still doubted, he wanted to know things about her? Did he expect this to turn into some Beauty and the Beast scenario? That'd she see his inner kindness and tell him everything he wanted to know? Ha! Well, he was in for a shock.
"I wouldn't have picked you as the quiet one."
Her snort was the only response. They were still on a long stretch of road; mature evergreens on each side as the moon shined brightly above. She prayed to her ancestors, their collective powers, to keep her safe.
"You were talking earlier. Well, demanding things earlier." He seemed to chuckle at his own words. "Perhaps you like demands more than questions? I think I can handle such a relationship."
She knew he said that to set her off but for the life of her, she couldn't stop the words that flowed from her mouth.
"I demanded that my kidnapper release me. I demanded that I be brought safely home. We are not in a relationship, nor will we ever be. what this, " she pointed between them, " is, isn't a relationship. This is a kidnapping. You are a demon."
"And you're a white witch. Does that mean a relationship is impossible?"
She watched as he seemed to relax fully; one hand gently holding on to the wheel as the other rested comfortably between them. He kept moving his bright blue eyes from the dark road to her. He didn't seem too focused on the road. Was he insane though? What relationship was he even talking about? Crossing her arms and legs, Raye stared back, refusing to show any weakness.
"What, you think I developed some Stockholm syndrome in the few hours you kept me prisoner? You honestly think a white witch would fall for a demon? Were you hit on the head as a child? Your delusions are laughable."
His smile was clear, even in the darkened car.
"I don't have delusions, my lovely little witch. And no, I don't think you've developed much for me, currently. But I think you will."
"You're insane."
Turning from him, Raye ignored anything else he attempted to say. As she watched the trees roll by, she realized she had never told him where she lived and just as quickly, she realized he probably already knew. Which meant his Brotherhood, as they called themselves, knew too. Which meant, as Raye narrowed her eyes at the drops of rain slipping across the passenger side window, that HE may know.
With a dedication that came from not only the bond of the Coven, but the blood-bond they shared, Raye vowed that if she did make it home, she would protect Serena at any cost. Closing her eyes, she wished, for just a moment that her cousins shared her abilities. That she could let them know that she was alive, for now. And then, like a flash of light, she felt it. It was subtle. She could barely feel the vibration against her psyche, but she felt it nonetheless.
"Mina."
She couldn't help but whisper the name. Mina was reaching out. Her cousins were looking for her. For what felt like the first time, Raye felt tears of joy spring into her eyes. The dread dissipated at that moment. If anything, they knew now. They knew she was alive and with everything in her she whispered back.
Alrighty! So, the next chapter will be moving the story along!
Some things to think about.
Poor Mina, she told! Do you think Kaedan will know?
The girls seem positive now that, at least the four guys, are demons. I wonder what the next encounters will be like.
Maybe we'll see some power usage?
-LAla
