Chapter Eleven:
Precious to Me
The butler blinked, surprised, when the young lady requested him to have a seat, but obliged.
"Now, I'm sure you have an idea of what I wish to speak to you about, Mister Sebastian."
"Yes, I suppose you wish to speak to me of that, my lady," he responded.
"Yes, that mark. What makes you think you can do that to me without my permission?" Raven demanded rather brusquely.
His head tilted to the side. "Doesn't your very presence here suggest permission? Why would you even be here in London if you hadn't given your permission?" The demon rose a delicate eyebrow. "Do you not know what that mark symbolizes, my lady?"
"What, that you want me?" Raven replied rather sarcastically. She truly believed that, if anything, all the demon wanted from her was her soul.
The demon's eyes narrowed for a moment. "It means that you are mine."
Both of the girls' breaths caught in their throats at the demon's growl. It sounded... possessive. It sounded... dangerous.
Kyra swiftly stood. "AW, HELL NAW!" She nearly screamed, grabbing Raven by the arm and starting to pull her away before stopping dead in her tracks. She turned and looked at Raven and knew that she had done it again. The demon rose an eyebrow at the language, confused and amused. 'Aw, Hell naw,' she had said. He said nothing as Raven glowered at her friend, her mouth opening to speak. He admired the sight of her: so assertive, blunt and to the point.
"What did we talk about, Kyra?!" Raven scolded. "I told you I am not a rag doll to be dragged about by my arm. I am an adult who can decide for herself if and when I desire to leave the house, and then do so on my own power. The way you have been grabbing me lately hurts! You do know you are stronger than me yet you keep grabbing me so roughly, you just don't know how that makes me feel!"
Kyra's head drooped throughout the scolding, several "I know"s escaping her lips as a mumble throughout. "I am trying, but it is hard. You know what he is," she said, tears gathering in her eyes. "And you heard him just now! He wants your soul!"
A gloved hand appeared in Raven's sight and Sebastian gently tilted her head up with two fingers to look at him, gazing into her eyes. "No, I do not." His voice was ever so gentle as he spoke, his thumb nearly caressing her softly blushing cheeks. "You are mine, but not like that. That is not a contract seal. I would never harm you nor try to devour your soul. You, my kitten, are precious to me," he glanced at Kyra for a moment. "As are you, I suppose."
Raven swatted his hand away from her face and took several steps away from him. "If this is not a contract seal, then you need to tell me right now: what exactly is it?
"Oh, little kitten, I thought you knew," he frowned. "You are my mate. My mark on you is one of protection. Its purpose is to strengthen our bond. Without it, I could not heal you. The seal was and is an absolute necessity and it is of the utmost importance that you have it."
"I am your… what? No, no…" Raven shook her head, taking yet another step away from him. Her lips pursed as her thoughts were racing and she felt her heartbeat quickening. "Uhm, Kyra... I think you should wait for me in your room. Mister Sebastian and I have more to talk about than I thought. This cannot be…"
"Raven, that is what the book meant! I understand it now!" Kyra exclaimed as if a light bulb had just gone on in her head.
"Kyra, please just wait in your room. I will be up shortly," Raven retorted rather curtly.
"Yes, ma'am. Don't worry, I can find my own way to my room," Kyra sighed as she sauntered out of the room, closing the door behind her.
Raven nearly jumped when she felt a hand gently touch her back. "My little kitten, please have a seat," a soft voice purred in her ear. Without hesitation, she whirled around, smacking his hand away once more.
"Don't you 'kitten' me! You go sit down, over... there!" She snapped, pointing at the seat he had once occupied. "And you no touchy! This-" she gestured to herself and the space around her body, "- is a hands off zone! I am here only to talk."
Sebastian blinked, surprised. Oh... his little kitten had fangs... Fangs that he preferred bared at Kyra rather than himself, though the way she was trying to order him around was rather adorable... He decided he'd humour her this once and did as she demanded. She took a seat only after he did.
"How could you put this on me without my permission?" She demanded. "I want a clear understanding of your actions."
"My Lady, if I may," he bowed his head. "I marked you so soon and without your permission both for your protection and, most importantly, because you were on the verge of death. You had a very serious head injury and would not have lasted much longer. The wound on your abdomen surely did not help the issue, either." He spoke matter-of-factly, crossing his legs. "If I had not marked you, I could not have healed you. It is not as simple as whether I even wanted to mark you, but rather if it was necessary - and it was."
Raven held up a hand. "Wait just a moment... From your wording, I gather that you planned on putting this mark on me from the moment you saw me but had to do it sooner than expected in order to save my life. Why did you want to mark me?" She was very confused and frightened.
The demon sighed, closing his eyes for a brief moment and folding his hands together on his lap. "That would be because you are my mate, little one. It is what we do."
"Alright, then. You've said that twice now. What is a mate to you?"
Sebastian sighed once more. "Honestly, now, I did not think this would be an interrogation. Very well. I suppose you know absolutely nothing about what is happening to you, then? Has your augury told you nothing?"
"... What the heck is an augury?"
OoO
Kyra's mind was completely focused on what Sebastian had said to Raven on her way back to her room.
"You, my kitten, are precious to me."
By the time she had reached her room, she had come to her conclusion.
She had decided that, although he is a demon, he was, in some way, in love with Raven. By no means was this a normal kind of love - she didn't believe demons could love in the same way as humans - but in his own way. Kyra could only think that this was the absolute weirdest situation ever and it could only ever possibly happen to Raven.
'I mean, yeah, I miss my mom, but I wouldn't miss this for the world! I mean, seriously, the experience of a lifetime and it can only be had... if you are friends with Raven.' She mused, falling back onto her bed. 'Oh, how I wish I had watched more of that show, now.'
OoO
The demon hummed, his eyes piercing into his mate's, studying her closely. "You truly have not a clue."
"Tell me, then," Raven replied, repressing an uneasy shiver that threatened to course through her. "Stop beating around the bush. It will be easier if we get all of this out of the way now rather than later."
He hummed, closing his eyes for a moment once more. "An Augury of Fate can be many things, my lady. It takes form in the shape of something that holds meaning to the human who would be a demon's mate. It is meant to hold some form of information which will aid the human through this process in some way."
Raven sucked in a deep breath. "So my augury would be that weird book."
He smiled, tilting his head to the side in affirmation. "I see we are getting somewhere. I am sure this book has told you at least something about this situation, has it not?"
In response, Raven reached out and picked up a black book from under the table between them and set it on her lap. "It has said some strange things. The first page had strange writing in another language and instructions. Following them brought Kyra and I to London. The second page told us where we were and the date. After that gave us addresses, and after that told us a cat needed to be rescued and told us where," Raven listed. "The latest page has, once again, confused me."
"Might I ask what it says?"
In response, her eyes narrowed. "Of course, but only after you have answered a previous question of my own. What exactly is a mate to you?"
The smile disappeared from his face. "Back to that, are we?"
"Indeed, we are, and I do believe it very much concerns me," Raven replied. "I want answers to my many questions, and you have them."
"Very well," Sebastian sighed. "What is a mate to me? The question you ask of me is a rather difficult one to answer, as the answer itself highly depends on you."
The demon paused for a moment, a thoughtful look crossing his face. Raven patiently waited for him to continue.
"I honestly did not ever expect that I would have the great honour of having a soulmate. I had never given it any thought. I had only heard rumours of such a thing ever happening and thought it utter rubbish, yet here you sit before me, asking me what you are to me..." A smirk found its way to his lips at this. "I find that rather amusing." A thoughtful expression graced his face once more as he rested his chin on a hand. "What is a mate to me...? An eternal companion, perhaps? The one and only being I will ever have by my side for eternity? The only one I expect to ever be able to trust completely? Yet this is only if I play my pieces correctly, and only if a little human like you is able to handle a demon such as myself. It is more likely that you will never be able to accept me, which would be a rather disappointing outcome. No demon of my stature has had a successful bonding with his mate. There are only three close to my stature who have claimed to have found their mate, yet none of them have one by their side," he mused. "Ah, please do forgive my rambling. It seems I have gotten a bit off topic."
Raven said nothing, merely staring at him as if willing him to continue speaking.
"I suppose that, to me, you are a potential companion. You are someone I hope will be with me for the rest of my eternity. It very well might not turn out as such, however, it is my intent that this be what you are to me."
Raven pondered over this for a moment. "I'm only human, though, Sebastian. How do you expect me to be your companion for so long? I will grow old and die within a century."
Another smirk grew on the demon's face. "This is where the troubles lie. There are only two ways for a demon's mate to have their lifespan lengthened to match their mate's. The first is for both to come together in a spiritual harmony, to completely accept one another," he informed her, leaning back slightly into the chair. "It is a rather romantic notion, if I do say so myself. The other way is not so pleasant for the human. Should they be incapable of mutual true acceptance, the demon can simply overwhelm his mate with his aura, and, rather than their souls exist in harmony, it would be one of chaos and despair. I do believe any human would simply break if such a thing were to occur." His head tilted to the side as he gazed at the young lady before him. "The latter is rather easy to do, but I must say I would prefer the former. Do you not agree?"
Raven's hands were clenched into a fist, resting on her lap. She let out a shaky breath. "It does seem to be the... better option."
He smiled gently, his head cocked to the side. "I am glad that you agree."
"What you just explained actually makes what the book said a bit more clear, and I have the feeling that I know the answer to what I am about to ask, yet... I will ask it anyway." Raven opened the book to the sixth page. "This page has a mark on it, identical to the cover of the book and the cover page. Underneath it, it says something I believe is meant to be advice: 'A symbol of protection, a symbol of unity. Fear not your fated companion. True acceptance will not harm thee; true acceptance will protect thee,'" she read aloud. "Protect me from what, exactly? From... you?"
"Possibly... however, it could also be interpreted otherwise. As I have said, I never truly believed in this idea of mates; I thought it was only stories. The stories do say that demons'mates are hunted by other beings who do not want us to have a soul mate. I do not know if this is just a story or the truth. I am trying to find that out now. I am not trying to frighten you, just to inform you. Understand that this situation is new to me as well," Sebastian replied dryly.
"... Oh," Raven muttered, her head drooping. "... This is ridiculous. Sebastian, I don't think I can do this and I think it is best that Kyra and I leave. I am sorry, Sebastian, but this is such an impossible situation. I don't want to be anyone's mate. I am not ready for this," Raven said as her bottom lip trembled. She felt as though she were about to break and saw no way out.
The demon's lips pursed and his eyes narrowed. "My little kitten, that is not possible. If the stories are true, that would put you and Kyra in danger, and we simply cannot have that, now can we? This is not even to mention that you two have no place to go, no home to hide in, and no way to find sufficient food or shelter, or the fact that you are wanted by the yard as witches."
A strange sound escaped her throat as she paled and squeezed her eyes closed. "We still have to deal with that..." She muttered.
"Indeed," Sebastian replied smoothly. "I fear that you have no choice in that matter, but wait! I can give you a choice." Sebastian said softly, as he walked up to Raven and put his face very near to hers, a devilish smile on his lips. "The choice which I will give to you is a very important one. It will determine how you live your life and how our relationship will be forged."
"And what is this choice, Sebastian?" Raven asked, sounding much more confident than she felt.
Sebastian knelt down on one knee so that he could look into her downturned face. "First, you must understand me, and know this to the core of your very soul. I swear on my name that I will do everything within my power to never purposefully hurt you or Kyra. I will protect you both to the very utmost of my being. I will never lie to you. I will do my best to ensure your happiness, for both of you. As I now know how important Kyra is to you, she is now just as important (albeit very annoying) to me. Now, do you understand this? If you were to leave, it would be for nothing, as I would have to go with you." Sebastian stared into her eyes, searching to see if she truly understood what he was saying.
"Yes, I understand this. I need to know. What choice I do have?" Raven demanded.
"Of course. I will give you time to make your decision, however, if you attempt to leave or do something else just as foolish, the choice will be made for you. That, I promise you." His eyes narrowed, his gaze like steel, conveying the sincerity and gravity of his words. "Now, you have two options: be mine, or make me yours. I know that this is going to be difficult for you," he smiled, "but I do have patience. I will endeavour to make this as easy and pleasurable as possible, if you are willing to try and do the same. I am patient and will wait for your decision. I only ask that you make the decision within a reasonable amount of time," Sebastian spoke softly, the corners of his mouth just slightly upturned.
"I see," Raven replied, her back rigid as she forced a neutral expression on her face. "Thank you for your patience. I do need time. Please advise me when you think I am running out of time if I haven't met your deadline. This will take a great deal of thought," Raven said in a very businesslike manner. "I believe I need to rest now and will go to my room. We will talk again soon, of that I am sure." Raven said as she began to rise to leave, but was stopped by a gloved hand pressing gently on her leg, keeping her in place.
"Yes, kitten, of that I am also sure," Sebastian agreed, "yet there is one more thing I would like to ask you before you go."
Raven bit her lip, her skin paling as nervousness bubbled in her chest. "And what might that be, Mister Sebastian?"
A hand pressed to the side of her head on the couch and one finger tilted her chin up once more as the demon leaned over her, staring deeply into her eyes. "My dear little kitten... Who is Tyson and where can I find him?"
OoO
The door to Kyra's room swung open and Raven marched in, swinging the door shut behind her.
"Oh, Kyra!" She gasped as she swiftly walked to her and threw her arms around her friend. "I need this hug right now," she said softly.
"You are going to be okay!" Kyra assured Raven, wrapping her arms around her friend and gently rubbing her back. "I am sure this is going to be okay."
"How can you be so sure, Kyra? He says I am his mate, and I have no choice of saying no. How is this okay?" Raven whimpered.
"Because you are so important to him, I think in his own way - yeah, I can't believe I am saying this either - he loves you. That is why it is going to be alright. You are, by far, the most intelligent person I have met! The way you watch and listen, then think over all the facts before you make decisions. You are the reason this will be okay!" Kyra exclaimed. "And because I am here to help you as much as I can."
Raven smiled at her and said "Well, that part I knew. I am so glad I am not alone in this. Well... he did offer me an option to make a decision over something. It is rather like a riddle, I think."
"He talks like the book?" Kyra sighed, exasperated. 'If he talks like the book, we are doomed.'
"... Sort of? He said either I become his, or I make him mine. What in the world does that mean? He also said that we cannot leave, and I am possibly in danger from unknown entities that he isn't sure are real. He said that is from stories he has heard but doesn't know if they were true. He said this is new to him also, so I guess we have to just do the best we can. Any thoughts, Kyra?" asked Raven.
"Well, I can tell you this! That is rather self-explanatory! You can answer him now! You make him yours! That will give you more authority over the entire situation, and you need that. Make him yours!" Kyra insisted.
"Do you think that is the difference? That the power or authority in our relationship will be the person who makes the other one theirs? I thought of that, but it could be more, don't you think? I don't know... I am just so tired right now. I cannot think straight," Raven sighed as she leaned on her friend.
"Well, you are probably right. I'm sure there's more to this than what I am picking up, but somehow I'm sure that I'm right on this. You must make him yours, and then learn as you go with the rest. Do you want to go to your room and go to bed now?" Kyra asked, hoping her friend would decline, as she was full of adrenaline from all this happening.
"No, not yet. It is too early. I need to think about all this, but... I don't want to right now," Raven admitted, sighing and closing her eyes.
"Yeah, we need to relax a bit. It's been a long, long day," Kyra agreed. "Want to sleep with me tonight?"
"Yeah..." Raven muttered. "Strange thing, too. He asked me about Tyson."
"REALLY now?!" Kyra perked up, her eyes wide. "What did he ask?! What did you tell him?!"
Raven grumbled something unintelligible before sighing. "He asked me who exactly he was and where he could find him. I told him I didn't want to talk about it. I don't even know how he knows about Tyson... Right, though it's probably because he's a fucking demon..."
"It's rather interesting that he is asking," Kyra mused. "Maybe you should just get some sleep. You've been through a lot today, what with almost dying and finding out you're a 'fucking demon's' mate."
Raven sighed. "Yeah, you're probably right."
Kyra helped Raven out of her corset and petticoats and cuddled a bit until she fell asleep.
Once she was sure her friend was asleep, a smirk grew on her face and she carefully slipped out of the bed and out her door, turning to close it. She turned around and jumped, her eyes wide as she stared at the butler who had not been there just a moment ago.
"Well-" Kyra began, falling silent when the butler held a finger to his lips, telling her to be quiet as he gestured to the door and then to follow him. She smirked and nodded, and followed the demon down the hallway.