Chapter 10

Learimarkless

"Less! You son of a bitch! Why would you do this?! I could kill you right here! I may, since you're too much of a!.."

"Enough," he says, cutting me off. That makes me even madder. "Well, Leary, it turns out you're not a liar after all." He smirks to himself. I growl.

"Though she is still a demon. I think I'd rather be a liar," Kara comments. Oh, how I'd love to cut open your huge breasts and find out if there's silicone in them. I'd really enjoy to burn all of your hair off and permanently mess of your nose job.

"Shut it you fickle bitch!" I hiss at her. Kara goes a bit tense.

"Don't worry, as long as you hold her she can't do anything," Less assures her.

"That's what you think. The moment I'm let free from here I'm going to jump to your homes and paint your walls with blood."

Kara presses her lips together, seeming uneasy with this confrontation. She should be.

"You will do no such thing, Learimarkless." My full name sounds awful coming from Less. It sounds like a swear word, a dirty phrase.

It was given to me by the Council so that they could reach me whenever they wanted, but it doesn't sound all that demonic. I've finally gotten used to it, I almost even like it. Why does he have to make it sound so hideous?

"After all, you are under our power."

Am I? My mother never is when she is summoned, the few times it has happened, but she can also step on holy ground while I can't.

"You have to let me go some time, you can't keep me here forever!"

"That's what you think, but when the sun comes up, what will it matter? You're not going to be thrown into the ever-after like the other demons, this is your side of the lines after all."

Oh, no. He's right. That's bad. That's really bad.

"What do you want? What is the meaning of this?"

"Why do I need a reason? You're the one who's been lying to everyone! You're the demon here!"

Al

My breathing has never been this panicked, this ragged, this worried. I've never been like this before.

"Is he okay?" I hear Ivy whisper to Rachel from the other side of their kitchen.

I hold onto my mug of tea tighter, the warmth reassuring against my bare palms. I've never needed something so benign to give me peace of mind, I've never needed anything, because I've never been this troubled, and honestly, I don't think anything could really reassure me at this point.

"Yeah, I guess so." Rachel sets her mug against the counter, reminding me of the harsh smell of coffee I had smelled upon my arrival. "I'm actually not really sure what's wrong with him. I've never seen him like this before."

Because I've never been like this before. I've never cared about anyone. Not even a little. They are simply pieces in the game of life, and occasionally I'm a bit sad that I will not be able to use them again, but I don't really bother with caring.

I can't think of her like that, not Leari. She got under my skin so quickly. It took her only days, she pulled the rug out from under me, hit me out of my gravitational orbit. I fell for her hard.

She's a bright, warm, and cunning young girl. Who thinks both for other people and herself. She loves her family, but she'll do whatever it takes for her to be happy.

She's so lovely. She's got such a respectable body, slim and well-proportioned. I've felt it, I've had a moment to explore it, and I found nothing that I didn't love about it. Love?.. No, that's impossible. I can't love her. I'm incapable.

I'm incapable of love. But for that girl... The one who's missing. Oh, fuck.

I take a shuddering breath, trying to cast away the images of her being torchered in some basement, or being ordered to do something that will crush her heart.

"Maybe we should do something, he looks really upset," Ivy continues.

"It's Al. He'll be fine. There's really no point in getting upset about this anyway."

I snap. "No point!" I stand, my chairs legs scraping against the floor. I leave my mug on the table. "There's no point in worrying about what could be happening to your daughter?! Aren't you her mother?! She's fifteen! If whoever summoned her finds out she can't use curses she'll be completely defenceless against them!"

"Al, calm down," Rachel tries to tell me.

"Don't you dare tell me to calm down! You have no right!"

Something seems to click in her head, something that has taken a very long time for her to sort through.

"Al... you really care for her, don't you?"

"A little late Rachel," I scuff, glaring at her. "Now can we please do something." My voice has a very odd tone. What is it exactly? It's soft, and foreignly tender.

"Al." Se comes closer. I'm surprised to find that she touches my shoulder, and it doesn't bother me. "Lear is a very strong independent girl, she'll be alright. There's nothing we can do, so please, sit still."

Learimarkless

I wait, feeling unbelievably helpless. They can't keep me here forever, I remind myself. Sooner or later Kara will become tired, or hungry, and the circle will fall, letting me free.

Less comes back down the stairs, the sound echoing dully against the walls.

I sit up a little, trying to look dignified, and trying to regain some of my anger.

"Has she been behaving?" Less asks, not even glancing at me. Am I that little of a threat?

"I guess so, but Less... why are we doing this? She's gone to school with us since elementary."

Less narrows his eyes at her. "Are you questioning me Kara? Well, fine. If you want to go, then go. I only need her here until tomorrow night anyway. I can keep her here."

"Less... I..."

"Shut up Kara! You don't ever think, ever! Just shut the fuck up and hold the circle until I get the chains!"

Oh. That's how he's going to keep me here. That's right, I can't jump the lines, and I'm no match for him. What's happening tomorrow night that I need to be here for?

Al

It's going to be getting light soon, and my nerves have reached what I believe is the limit.

"I want to go to the Council," I announce, needing to say it out loud to make sure I'm not going mad.

"Al, no," Rachel quickly dismisses.

I exhale loudly.

"Why don't you just summon her back?" Ivy asks.

"Ivy, it's not that easy," Rachel tells her.

"Why not?" I ask, thinking it over.

"Well... because... okay, fine. You have a point."

"Let's give it a shot." I stand and go for the center of Rachel's engraved circle.