The room was pitch black.
Sage didn't know where she was. She couldn't tell if she was sitting or standing, alive or dead. She couldn't see, or hear, or feel anything. She tried to walk but she couldn't sense any motion of her body moving. She must have remained like that for what felt like months or even years, the seemingly never ending state of non-existence. Finally she began to hear a sound, she could feel a sense of warmth against her skin and she blinked she saw the traces of what seemed to be a fire burning in the distance. The ground beneath her was suddenly vibrating rhythmically, almost like breathing and a hot, bitter smell reached her nose.
Without thinking she felt herself walking forward, towards the only source of light in the distance. As she got closer, the smell became stronger and the vibrations beneath her feet were more pronounced. She could hear the breathing of whatever it was getting louder.
Without warning the sounds and smell had complete gone, and she found herself in front of a small fire burning on the ground in front of her. It illuminated her immediate surroundings. There wasn't much she could see all around but in front her she could make out what looked to be large metal pillars, side by side, seemingly extending into the darkness. As she stepped closer it became clear that these weren't pillars at all, but seemed to be more like large, solid metal prison cell gates.
Confusion made its way across her face as she stared, it was pitch black beyond the cell and she couldn't make out anything within it. The silence was deafening.
Suddenly a laugh echoed from beyond the gates, getting louder and more pronounced as the seconds passed. Soon it was too shrill for Sage to bear and she collapsed to the floor, clutching her ears in pain. The bitter smell had returned, wafting through her nose as a metallic taste filled her mouth.
'Oh my...'A cold, familiar voice taunted, the sound seemed to echo on forever.
'Well if it isn't my favorite guest, you've come to visit me? My, oh, my... WHAT DO I OWE THE PLEASURE?'
The voice had gotten louder and suddenly colossal, dark red eyes stared through the metal gate, blinking. Sage couldn't see the rest of the creature but if the size of it's eyes alone were anything to go by, the creature must have been the size of a 3 storey building.
"I...I'm...why am I here, I didn't choose to be here." Sage said, moving backwards as the blinking red eyes continued to watch her.
'Oh don't be such a pessimist, my dear. You almost sound like you aren't happy to see me.' The voice was cruel, with a fake edge of hurt.
Sage tensed, her jaw clenched in pain.
"Get away from me..." She moved backwards.
The eyes blinked at her.
Suddenly the light was gone, she could no longer see. Startled, she began to run in any direction she could. She didn't make it far before she collided with something cold and heavy. As the small fire began to return she could see again, and with horror she realised that she was on the other side of the date. Terror creeped through her as she realised that what she had thought was a gate was in fact not a gate at all, but a cage, a large cage that appeared to have no beginning or end.
'How does it feel being on the other side?' The voice suddenly taunted.
Through the metal poles she could make out the same red eyes now staring at her from outside of the cage. This time, the eyes were a lot smaller as the thing began to step closer to her. Sage could see that it had taken the size of a regular person. It had no face, sage could only make out the outline of it's body, now a humanoid shape. Everything else was pitch black expect from the eyes.
"No...No please" Sage begged in horror as the demon began to walk way. "No, please, let me out!"
The thing ignored her desperate cries, its figure fading away as it walked further into the distance.
"No! No! Don't do this! Let me out!" Sage gripped the metal poles, trying uselessly to break them apart. "No!" She screamed.
"Let me out!"
/
Sage woke with a start, propelled from her bed. She could feel her thrumming heartbeat through her throat as she tried to breath, her chest rising and falling heavily. Her face was pale as she collapsed on the floor, gripped with fear. A knock sounded on her door but she was unable to respond, trembling as she remained on the floor.
Thomas walked in cautiously, he had sensed his adopted daughter's panic. He saw the girl sitting on the floor, she was shirtless, trembling violently as she sat in a pair of shorts. All the blood had drained from her face and she was very pale, making her tattoo appear to stand out even more than usual.
The human approached her cautiously. It wasn't the first time Sage had had this type of episode, it would have been ignorant to call them night terrors. These were far worse.
He slowly made his towards the young werewolf, trying not to make any sudden movements as he slowly sat down next to her. He didn't speak or touch her, just sat beside her, letting her know he was there, that whatever she'd just experienced wasn't real. After ten minutes or so, he could hear her breathing begin to slow and could see the blood return to her face as the panic faded. Slowly, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder without speaking, feeling as her trembling began to slow down. It took a few more moments before the werewolf was completely calmed and Sage was fully aware of her surroundings. She let out a long breath.
'Thank you, Thomas' She wanted to say, before realizing she was still unable to speak out loud. The bearded man nodded kindly at her, understanding what she was trying to say.
"It's okay, Sage." He said, his eyes soft as he looked at the werewolf. Compassion shone in his eyes. It hurt him that he couldn't do much more for her to prevent her "night terrors", he knew it had something to do with the other part of her. With a sigh, he let her go as she got up.
"Breakfast is ready on the table. Will you be okay to go into school?" The man inquired. Sage nodded. She needed the comfort of seeing her imprint.
Thomas smiled kindly. "Take your time and join us when you're ready."
She nodded again and he left, shutting the door behind him as Sage rubbed her eyes, her silky hair tousled and already getting too long.
She had a shower and got ready quickly, putting on a grey turtle neck long sleeve shirt to cover her tattoos and a pair of dark jeans before making her way downstairs.
The smell of hot pancakes wafted through the house as Sage entered the kitchen, seeing Jayden and Zack play rock paper scissor to determine who had to do all the clearing up afterwards. They turned as they noticed her, both twins breaking out into large grins.
"Sageee," Zack drawled with a grin. "I was just telling Jayden here about how I'm obviously going to be the best man when you and Rosalie get married."
"Like hell you will," Jayden countered. "You don't even have the balls to ask the girl you like out, Sage needs a true ladies man as the best man, that's obviously me."
'huh?' She gave them a confused look as they continued their bickering, unsure of the meaning of what they said. She could see Thomas shake his head by the counter.
"Ignore them, will you?" He muttered, a small smile on his face as he brought her over a plate of hot pancakes and syrup with bacon and fried eggs on the side. She smiled back as she sat down, making a sound of approval as she took the first bite. Thomas did know how to make a good breakfast.
"So, it goes without saying that you're going to ask Rosalie to the school dance next week," Jayden grinned at his sister. "So you're coming with us to Port Angeles after school."
"Yup," Zack agreed, nodding. "A couple of us are going; Me, Jayden, Bella and Angela. We're going to get the gear."
"All the necessary babe-magnet equipment for the dance," Jayden explained, wiggling his eyebrows as he buttered up a slice of toast. "New clothes, shoes, cologne... Plus Zack's just hoping he'll finally stop being a chicken and ask Angela out at some point today."
The other twin's face turned red as he glared at his brother "Shut u-"
"I better get going," Thomas interrupted, eager to get away from his sons' bickering. He grabbed his car keys and buttoned up his rain coat as he took turns ruffling their hair.
"Thought you took the day off work?" Jayden asked through a mouthful of bacon.
"I did." The man grinned. "I'm heading over to Charlie's - we're driving up to La push together for a day of laid back fishing."
"That's Bella's dad. Him and dad go waaay back." Zack explained to Sage as she nodded.
"Make sure you guys aren't late for class again." Thomas said seriously, a stern parental edge in his voice. "I'm sick of getting phone calls from Mr MuhCloud complaining about how late you've been this week.
"It's Mr McChlough, Dad." Jayden laughed as he adjusted his glasses. "And we wont be late, I swear."
Thomas has stared at his sons suspiciously before snorting and making his way out with a final round of goodbyes.
They got to school uneventfully. As promised they arrived on time - barely, making their way into the parking just as the first bell rang.
"Crap its him!" Zack ducked behind the convertible as he spotted the tall, stern looking man known as Mr McChlough (or Mr Cloud as he was sometimes called) a distance away already hunting for latecomers.
They raced through the parking lot, avoiding being seen as Zack pulled Sage along. With a sigh, Jayden high-fived his brother as they made into the main building without detection. He knew his father was serious about not wanting anymore late reports from school and he couldn't risk being grounded when there was a major party coming up in a few days.
Sage rolled her eyes at their shenanigans, accepting their high fives before they parted ways to go to their classes. Sage pulled out the crumpled sheet of paper that contained her schedule from her bag. Biology. If she recalled correctly, this was one of the only classes she shared with Rosalie. The knowledge made a grin spread across her face as she practically ran to her class.
A familiar woodsy scent hit Rosalie's nose and her eyes snapped up to the door of the large classroom as Sage rushed in, her tousled wavy hair flying in every direction. Green eyes met her topaz ones as the werewolf flashed a lopsided grin.
"Excuse me, Miss Vison, do you plan on taking your seat anytime soon?" Mrs Rory snapped, her heavily botoxed faced unable to form a proper frown as she looked at the tall girl with irritation in her eyes.
Sage rubbed the back of her neck in embarrassment and made her way to her seat as she realised she'd just been standing in the front of the class staring. The vampire smirked at her as Sage took her seat beside the blond.
Rosalie could see that a lot more silver strands had appeared on the other girl's tousled shoulder length hair, creating a shimmering contrast against her silky black waves. Her hair also seemed to have grown slightly longer overnight.
"Your hair turns silver..." The vampire remarked, speaking in a volume only Sage could hear.
The werewolf looked at her sheepishly. 'It does that...' She said, her voice quiet as usual in the vampire's head.
'The closer it gets to a full moon, the more silver it gets. I think it just helps werewolves remember to prepare themselves, reminding us that the full moon is approaching even if we can't see it. It'll go back to normal afterwards.' Sage explained.
Rosalie nodded, fascinated by the information as her fingers gracefully entwined with a few silver strands, causing the werewolf's face to redden. Her hair was soft, silky to the touch as Rosalie ran her fingers through with a distracted expression. She was aware that her feelings for the dark-haired girl had been growing steadily over the past few days, and her resistance to them was beginning to wilt.
"Miss Hale, if you're done fondling the new student, I suppose you could explain to the class what is meant by a sensory modality." Mrs Rory snapped suddenly, drawing sniggers from the rest of the class.
Without looking at the teacher, Rosalie replied, her voice smooth. "A sensory modality, also known to as a stimulus modality, refers to the sensation that is registered after a stimulus is perceived. For example, the temperature modality is registered after heat or cold stimulates receptors on the skin." As if to illustrate her point, she brushed her fingers over Sage's neck, eliciting a shiver from the werewolf.
Mrs Rory frowned, disappointed at being unable to fault the blonde.
"No touching in my classroom." The woman finally grumbled through gritted teeth before turning back to her white board.
Rosalie rolled her eyes before complying and pulling her fingers away from the werewolf with a smirk. They were both aware of the stares they were receiving from the rest of the class, she could practically feel the gossip circulating, but Rosalie couldn't care less.
The lesson went by quickly and uneventfully, and it wasn't long before the school bell rang, signalling the end of the class.
Rosalie stood up in a fluid, graceful motion, glancing at the young, messy haired werewolf beside her. "Tanya, Emmett and I will be going on a hunting trip for the rest of the day." She said.
"We're going up north to visit Tanya's family in Alaska, we haven't visited in some time now - but it shouldn't take too long, I will be back long before the sun goes down."
The werewolf nodded, slightly disappointed at the thought of not seeing Rosalie for the rest of the day, but she knew from the vampires dark eyes that Rosalie hadn't hunted in a while and it was probably wise that she did. "I'll be back before you know it." Rosalie said, seeing the look on the werewolf's face, before reaching out to trail her fingers against the werewolf's jaw. Sage trembled against the touch, she'd noticed that Rosalie appeared to do that a lot. They departed ways reluctantly and Sage checked her rumpled schedule, realizing with a frown that it was an English lesson she shared with Mike and Jessica.
"Oh my god is it true that you're actually dating Rosalie fucking Hale!?" Jessica demanded in a harsh whisper, jealousy and shock evident in her voice as Sage took her seat. Jessica had heard the rumors and the human was both surprised by the fact that Rosalie - the most beautiful girl in school who no one had a chance with - was dating the mute new girl, but also by the fact that said hot mute girl wasn't all over her instead.
Sage bristled, choosing to ignore the question. Both Mike and Jessica had been hounding her throughout the lesson, demanding to know details of the werewolf's love life. In all truth, Sage wasn't even sure she knew what her exact relationship with the vampire was yet. Of course she was "helplessly" in love with her imprint, her soulmate, how could she not be? However the vampire was yet to make any actual declaration of her own or admit to any specific feelings she had for Sage, despite her recent shows of affection towards the wolf. She thought back to the night before when the vampire had kissed her, seemingly impulsively, and later on when Rosalie had called her "my wolf." The memory made the werewolf's heart beat faster.
"Oh shut up and mind your own business, you two" Angela's stern whisper broke Sage out of her reverie as the brunette scolded her friends. She'd been sitting behind them, watching as the poor girl was harassed by Mike and Jessica. She shot Sage an apologetic look. "Sorry they're so nosy sometimes," She sounded exasperated as Jessica huffed and Mike had the decency to look sheepish.
'Thank you'Sage wrote to her on her small board with a half smile. She really quite liked Angela, she wasn't like the other loud, unpleasant humans. Rather she was shy, soft spoken and sweet.
Angela smiled back at her, before lowering her voice a little to avoid being heard by the teacher. "Um, I don't know of Zack or Jayden already told you, but we were all hoping to head out of town today, into Port Angeles." The usual shyness had creeped back into the brunette's voice. "We were hoping you'd come with us, I mean there's not much usually going on in Forks anyway, we could show all the cool places we like to go to and just... hang out, you know? Bella's also helping me pick out a dress for the school dance."
Sage nodded tentatively. Cities were loud, crowded places and the idea of being surrounded by so many people and loud noises didn't appeal to her. But it was hard to resist Angela's pleading look, besides Sage needed something to distract her while Rosalie was gone for the day.
The brunette's face lit up at Sage's answer. "Great!" She said excitedly. "You'll love it."
The group deciding on taking two separate cars for their trip and meet up at Port Angeles. Sage went with the twins while Bella and Angela drove together in Bella's truck. The twins blasted out loud sounds from the car speaker which they referred to as "banging tunes". The noises just made Sage's ears hurt, but overall the trip wasn't too bad and it wasn't too long before they arrived at the polished, tourist city. Jayden pointed out specific tourist destinations to Sage as Zack drove, heading straight for the large city mall. They parked and waited for Bella and Angela who arrived a few minutes later before making their way into the large department store.
"Wanna come get a milkshake with me?" Zack asked Angela as they made their way into the store. His usual cocky tone was gone from his voice and he sounded shy as he looked hopefully at the brunette.
Angela blushed, stammering "S..Sure. I'll meet you in the dress store, Bella." She said as the other girl smiled at her. Jayden grinned at his brother, pleased that he was finally making a move, Zack had been crushing on Angela since they were in 6th grade.
The remaining three teenagers made their way across the mall, checking out various stores as they walked round. It didn't take long before Jayden had found an arcade and abandoned Bella and Sage to check out a couple of games, promising to meet up with them later on.
"Guess it's just you and me, huh?" Bella asked with a smile as she glanced at the quiet werewolf who seemed to be lost in thought. Sage looked at her with a small half smile. Bella could see that she seemed uncomfortable in the buzzing environment, lots of people going in different directions with friends and family.
"Though, I wouldn't be surprised if Edward was nearby. It took a lot of convincing before he would even consider letting me out of his sight and come on this trip without him. Ever since last year's incident he's been extremely protective, more so than he used to be." Bella admitted with a small smile. "It's sweet really, but I hate feeling so vulnerable. I dont need to be protected all the time."
Sage nodded in understanding. She had smelt the vampire the entire time but she hadn't commented. Edward was keeping his distance and she could understand his protective instinct.
"There's a small coffee shop over there, it's a bit quieter." Bella offered, hoping to make the werewolf little less uncomfortable. Sage nodded gratefully and followed her as they made their way into a small Starbucks.
The sensation hit Sage as soon as she stepped in. The smell reached her first, it was a strange foreign scent, not entirely repulsive but somewhat unpleasant and sickly. A cold, nauseating feeling creeped up her throat and stomach as she felt a stinging sensation - almost like the feeling of sharp fingers crawling up her arms.
Then she saw him.
The man looked to be in his mid or late twenties with a completely flawless and crisp appearance. He was clean shaven, dressed in a mint white dress shirt with pressed black trousers and shined shoes. He could have easily been mistaken for a model with his defined cheeks and strong jawline, his sleek, dark brown hair, styled neatly into a pompadour. He wore black sunglasses and sat at a table with his legs crossed elegantly as he sipped coffee from a paper cup and appeared to read a newspaper. It was rather odd, and entirely obvious that he wasn't reading the paper in his hands at all seeing as he hadn't taken off his sunglasses.
His face was turned away from her but Sage could feel his eyes, watching her closely.
"Sage?" Bella inquired, concern in her voice. She had felt the werewolf freeze and tense up as she appeared to stare at space in the corner of the room. "What is it? What are you looking at?"
She followed the werewolf's gaze but all she could see was an empty chair.
"Well, well... What do we have here, hmm?" The man suddenly cooed. He had a classic English accent and spoke in an apathetic tone. He hadn't moved or turned to face her, and his face held what could only be described as bored expression.
The werewolf was frozen, she couldn't move or even think. She knew exactly what the man was. It was the first time she had come face to face with a purebreed demon.
Suddenly the man stood, in a quick fluid motion. He was tall and long-legged with a slim build. He stretched, yawning in the process before approaching the werewolf.
Sage felt herself bristle, her heart rate shooting up as she prepared for the attack. From the confusion on Bella's face she knew the human couldn't see what she saw. Fear for the human's safety came over her as her muscles tensed and her eyes shone gold, ready to defend herself and protect Bella.
Sage could hear her heartbeat drumming loudly in her ears, increasing in volume as the man got closer, and closer until... he... walked right past her.
The man didn't even glance her way as he stepped past the cafe doors and left.
Sage's head snapped back in complete shock.
wtf?
She couldn't comprehend what had just happened. Had she been mistaken? No, no she was definitely sure - the man she'd seen was definitely a demon. She had felt it in her veins, she couldn't be mistaken.
It didn't make any sense. Demons were dangerous, rage-filled, uncontrollable monsters, forever hungry for blood and death.
Bella grew concerned as she watched the werewolf's face change from horrified to staggered as the seconds passed. She touched Sage's arm slightly, concern in her voice.
"Sage...?"
The werewolf's eyes were gold as she snapped back to reality, pulling her pocket notebook out in a rush and scribbling words down. She ripped out the sheet to hand to Bella.
Bella, please do exactly what I say. I want you to call out Edward's name. He's nearby and he will hear you. When Edward comes, go and find the others and stay together, I need to make sure they are safe. Please don't ask why, just do it.
Bella's eyes widened as she read the scribbled note, but she didn't question the other girl. She nodded and did as she asked as Sage rushed out through the cafe doors, panic in her eyes as she tried to determine the direction the man had taken. As long as there was a demon was lurking around this place wasn't safe, not for anyone. She ran faster, trying her best to keep in a human speed so as not to draw too much attention to herself. She turned a corner and soon she could make out the man's tall, slim form in the distance. He seemed to be making his way outside, walking in a slow and very relaxed pace. Sage felt a bit of relief at the sight - at least he was going outside, that would minimize the potential harm to all the people inside the mall if she could stop him from getting back in.
She lost him for a short while as she tried to push past the huge crowds of people walking in all directions. As she made it outside, running past the mall entrance and through a small pathway to her right. He was nowhere to be seen and she stood there, turning in circles as she tried to find a trace of him. She thought she spotted the figure in the far distance, walking towards a wooded area. She went after him, her heart banging in her chest, fighting the urge to shift until she was out of sight of nearby humans. She didn't know what the demon's intentions were for being here but she knew they couldn't be good, and she was determined to stop him.
Soon she found herself in a secluded part of the surrounding woods. She approached a clearing, the demon nowhere in sight.
She was hit by the familiar sickly, creeping sensation on her skin as a voice suddenly spoke very close to her ear.
"How peculiar."
Sage jumped away, turning around in a swift motion as she growled. The growl building in her throat quickly changed to a confused noise as she didn't see anything or anyone. She turned around in circles but to no avail.
"You know, it's usual to expect people to run away from me, not after me." The man's dry, apathetic voice sounded again, and this time Sage could see him about 20 feet away to the left of her. He had taken off his sunglasses and he stood leaning against a tree in a lazy manner, with a bored expression on his face as he read from the newspaper still in his hand.
The werewolf felt her confusion and shock grow as the seconds went by. The man didn't move, still reading his newspaper with a look of disinterest as he yawned. He pulled out a cigarette from his pocket and lit up before pausing.
"Oh, where are my manners." He said dryly, his expression emotionless as he reached into his pocket to pull out another one. "Cigarette?" He offered.
The werewolf just stared at him dumbfounded. She couldn't make sense of this situation. She had expected a severe attack, she had expected to confront a beast trying to rip her apart. Not the same tall man who seemed to be bored if anything at all.
"What's the matter? Demon got your tongue?" He chuckled dryly at his own joke as he took a tug from his cigarette, blowing smoke.
He watched as Sage stared at him with a mixture of confusion and apprehension.
"Who gave you permission to be here? Surely you know that it's a serious crime for a fledgling to be caught out of the realm without permission?" He spoke to her like she was a child being scolded, his voice dry and condescending. "Did my father send you? I'm getting rather tired of all you messengers of his pestering me. I'v said this before and I will say it again, I have no intention of returning to his service anytime soon, tell him that."
He seemed to grow irritated when Sage didn't respond. "What is your name, fledgling? What is your bloodline?"
"Ah, I see." He said, a thoughtful look crossing his face. "A demon really has got your tongue. You must be young yet if you haven't even learnt to speak." He folded his newspaper and stood up straight.
Great. He thought. He had no interest in dealing with fledgling demons running around. His father really had to put a leash on all these young demons being let loose everywhere, what kind of example was he setting? This fledgling would most likely be severely punished when she was caught out of bounds. Oh well...
He put out his cigarette, and turned around to leave, sparing one last bored look at the girl. Then it dawned on him as he finally noticed the werewolf's eyes.
This was no ordinary fledgling.
"Don't tell me..." He said to almost himself as he eyed Sage. "A Maledictus? A hybrid?"
He hadn't realized it earlier, but now it was obvious looking at the girl.
He eyed Sage, his face emotionless. "How interesting..."
This was very interesting indeed. He'd never come across a hybrid her age before. They were often killed as children as soon when they were discovered for what they were, to prevent them from growing into their full potential. How this hybrid had managed to survive so long was a mystery. Her inner demon had manifested to the point that he'd mistaken her for a pureblood. No wonder the girl hadn't seemed to understand what he had been saying earlier. Still, that didn't explain why she had followed him. As interesting as the situation was, he had better things to do.
Sage couldn't make sense of the situation. He didn't attack her, nor did he seem to have any interest in doing so. How could this be possible? Demons were supposed to bloodthirsty, vile, dangerous unrestrained creatures, she knew as much from her own experience. Granted, she'd never actually met a full blooded demon before; they tended to dwell in their own separate civilization (the "realm" as he'd called it). This man was not the image she'd had of his kind. This man was calm, controlled, bored even. It didn't make sense.
"I suppose I might as well sort out your little speaking problem if we are to have any sort of meaningful conversation." The man said after a few moments as he began walking towards her.
She tensed immediately, stepping back defensively as she prepared herself for whatever attack he was planning.
"Oh don't be such a child," He spoke condescendingly. "Do you want to speak or not? I have other things to do."
He watched as the werewolf deliberated with herself, distrust clear in her face as she watched him. Sage just stared at the man. Was he really offering to help her talk?
He continued to approach her again, stopping only a few feet away as he eyed her up and down with an uninterested expression.
"Don't worry, fledgling, it'll be over before you know it."
Before she could blink, his hand shot forward and he grabbed her throat. It wasn't a choke hold, but searing pain unlike anything Sage had ever felt shot through her entire body. She let out a gargled sound as she felt heat spread through her body. She could feel her tattoo burn against her skin, spreading across her neck as that cold, familiar feeling creeped through her.
No... God, no, She thought as she felt the mental chains holding back her demon loosen. What was he doing to her? She felt a laugh echo through her head, getting louder as panic rushed through her. She could feel the sensation of her demon overcoming her.
'Finally,' The familiar cold dead voice sounded in her head.
No this couldn't be happening, he was releasing it.
Her vision began to blur and she could feel herself going under, the cage she'd spent the last 8 years building to hold the darkest part of her coming undone.
"Don't get too excited, demon." The tall man's voice suddenly broke through her pain and just as quickly as it had started it all stopped.
She collapsed on the ground, her chest heaving as she tried to breathe.
It had stopped.
Just like that.
The chains holding her inner demon were suddenly back in place, secure as though nothing had just happened. Sage blinked in shock, staring up at the man who still looked uninterested as ever. He had returned to his spot leaning against the nearby tree as he continued reading his newspaper, waiting for her to catch her breath.
"What-how...?" She began. She felt herself freeze. Her eyes widened.
That couldn't have been right. No, she must have been losing her mind. She was hearing things.
She scrambled to her feet, her mouth parted as she stared at the man in front of her with complete shock.
"How.. how is this happening?" She couldn't believe it. The words had left her mouth.
She hadn't thought them, she hadn't written them. Nope, they'd actually left her mouth.
She was speaking. The man looked at her with the same bored expression, completely unaffected by what had just occurred.
He lit another cigarette.
"Now that you are capable of talking, I'll ask again - what is your name, fledgling?" He said without looking at her.
"S..Sage.." The werewolf spoke, still getting used to the feeling of speaking out loud. It was strange and she was too overwhelmed by the shock of it all to think clearly.
The man watched the tall, dark-haired girl for a few moments.
"Well, Sage," He finally said dryly. "It appears that you have a lot to learn."
He straightened up from his lazed position against the tree, dusting himself off as he took another tug of his cigarette.
"Call me Jason." He said.
A double chapter update for you guys!
Sorry it took so long to update, I was working on chapter 10 and 11 at the same time as I wanted to be able to upload two chapters at once.
Some key terms and definitions
Fledgling - the term used to describe 'young' inexperienced demons.
Realm - the society/civilization that most demons dwell in. Also known as the dark realm but not quite the same concept as 'the underworld'