Author's Note: A huge thank you to InsanityisReality for being the most amazing BETA!
Hope you all enjoy and please don't forget to leave a review!
Power's Seduction
Valerie walked along marble floors, her fingertips trailing along the smooth curve of a jade column. The flickering flame of a torch on the wall was the only light to guide her way, its brightness glittering off gold embedded in the walls. Though the illumination was minimum, she still managed to find her way, as if her body knew without telling her. A huge archway yawned above and swallowed her up. The only object she could make out in the room beyond was the huge bed with silver silk sheets that reflected the moonlight. She made her way towards it; the fabric was cool to the touch and slippery between her fingers. She sat on it and closed her eyes, allowing the pleasant sensations of peace to simply wash over her. How long had it been since she'd had proper rest, or rested enough that she wanted to dream? It was a nice reprieve.
She felt the mattress sink under a heavy weight beside her. A warm hand enclosed around hers without hesitation. Valerie's eyes flew open. She could just make out the hulking form of Shendu sat beside her. Clearly, she could see the glow of his red eyes, piercing and bright in the gloom. There was a moment of apprehension, but it melted away. She let him hold her hand.
"Valerie," he whispered her name, like a sigh of relief to see her again. She remembered the last dream they'd shared, when he'd held her during the struggle. It was a secret to want it, something unspoken. But when he tugged on her hand, she did not resist and allowed him to pull her into his arms. He enclosed them around her, the warmth of his skin dispelling the cold gooseflesh she hadn't even known she had.
"Thank you… for what you did," was the first thing she could think of to say. Even if it wasn't really him, she still felt like she needed to say it.
"Permit me one thing," he leaned back, and cupped her face between his huge claws. "One little thing – a reward… Allow me one kiss."
Her mind must know him so well that she couldn't even dream of him being chivalrous and simply holding her with the purest intentions. No, even her dreams knew he always had something he wanted, some angle he was working towards. It almost disappointed her. And yet, as his words echoed around the dream, his voice slipped into her mind in a similar way it had when they'd been alone in the vault. It soothed and stirred her into being, it warmed something deep inside with its silky tones. And this was a dream. No one would know what happened here.
So, when he slowly leaned in close, when his breath washed over her face, she did not move away. The curiosity was piqued, and his voice still slithered inside her head. She didn't care if his fangs glinted in the light, or that his green scales were just about visible when he was this close. His lips descended on hers, slow and gentle. He pressed them to hers, and Valerie could've sworn she felt a mild electrical shock spark between them. His hand slipped around to cup the back of her neck, tilting her head as he sank his claws into her hair. Valerie let him lead, merely closing her eyes and living in the moment, responding to each sensation as it came to her. His kiss was warm soothing with just a hint of something far wilder hidden beneath the surface. She felt something wet flick against her top lip, and she gasped inaudibly. Shendu seized the moment and plunged his tongue into her mouth. His taste was like woodsmoke, and his tongue expertly danced with hers as she rose to meet him. The sharp edge of his fang rubbed against her lip, adding a tiny thrill to her veins. He delighted and teased her, and she moaned as this secret came spilling out of her bubbling to the surface until she couldn't possibly hold back the truth of it any –
BEEP-BEEP!
Valerie jolted awake as her alarm blared right beside her ear. She looked all around, disorientated, heart hammering. It took her a moment or two to recognise her own room, her own bed. A sheen of sweat covered her brow and back, the sheets were tangled between her legs as if she'd just suffered a terrible nightmare. As she began to calm, Valerie sank back into the mattress, slamming her hand on the damned alarm clock to get it to shut up.
Staring at the ceiling, she laid there, mind spinning. Whatever line had been drawn in the sand before, that last dream had completely smashed right through it. It was like a barrier that shouldn't have been crossed. She tried to put the genie back in the bottle, cursing her traitorous brain for conjuring such a wrong dream! But it was no use, the memory – even if it'd only been a dream – lingered, of what it had been like to kiss him. Her fingertips trailed along her bottom lip, swollen from where she'd bitten it in the night. Despite all logic, there was no feeling of wrongness in her. Instead… the more she thought about the dream, the more it invoked feelings of want inside her that refused to be ignored. How long had it been since she'd been kissed like that? How starved was she, just to be touched, that even now she wanted to go back to sleep, to slip right back into the dream…
She threw off the covers and thrust herself into the day ahead. She needed a distraction, to forget the entire thing ever happened. Unfortunately, she had little to choose from. After everything had happened with the Shadowkhan a week ago, the Chans and Tohru had decided it was time for them to go on vacation. It was Jackie's idea, as a way to help Jade recover from the trauma she'd been through, the girl had seemed tired, strung out since she'd woken up. So, the family had taken a trip to China, first to visit Jade's parents, and then to see Uncle's hometown. They'd left Valerie in charge of the store, but it didn't need that much management (seeing as they never got a customer). They weren't due to come back until tomorrow night. Valerie wondered if it would be a good idea to organise a big meal for them for when they walked through the door… yes, that could work. Help take her mind off things.
In the meantime, she might as well continue to practise on her chi-abilities. Uncle had left instruction on how to do this with as minimum risk as possible. Since being forced to use it more in recent events, Valerie argued with herself that she should learn its full capabilities. After all, if she'd been as powerful as Shendu had always promised, then maybe she could've stopped Tarakudo before he became too dangerous.
Nat was sprawled across Val's sofa, reading a magazine and trying her hardest to look like she wasn't subtly spying on Valerie across the room. Just like when Nat had previously stayed in San-Fran, she was crashing with Val for a place to stay. The blonde was sat on the floor, a paper cup on the coffee table. She held out her left hand towards it and attempted to summon to life that coiling serpent that lurked inside her spirit. The broiling energy that lay within, the key that opened the door to a lightning storm was within her grasp. Valerie had been hysterical with emotion when it had burst out of her before – that much she could discern for herself – but she wanted to see if she could snap it on with only a thought, like how Shendu did.
"Maybe you should say: wingardium leviosa," Nat commented, her eyes darting back to her magazine when Val glanced up and trying to look uninterested.
Valerie resisted the urge to stick her tongue out. "Careful. Or I might just slip out a: Petrificus Totalus."
Nat frowned. "What one's that?"
"Body-binding curse that also shuts you up. Would give me some peace and quiet to concentrate."
The red-head glowered and stuck her nose back in her magazine. Val hid her amused smile, but didn't quite understand why she suddenly felt so put out. She tried to shake it off, to get her zen-mode back. But Nat couldn't go a full minute without putting in her opinion.
"I don't know why you need to do this," she grumbled.
"I'm tired of being the useless one," Valerie admitted in a quiet voice. "Imagine what I could do to help if I could control this."
"That's assuming you can. And you shouldn't need to resort to this kind of thing. You don't know what you're messing with."
Valerie tried to smother the sting she felt. "Being the other-half of a demon sorcerer, I think I should know enough."
"Isn't that justification enough for you to not play with this?" Nat shot her a withering glare.
That was it. Valerie shot to her feet, suddenly upset and angry and defensive all at once. "Alright, what is your problem, Nataline? You got something to say, then just say it!"
Throwing away the pretence of reading, the demon-slayer threw her magazine on the coffee table, knocking over the paper-cup in the process. She stood as well, hands on her hips in an uncanny impression of Val's mother whenever she was angry and preparing to scold her daughter. "My problem? This." She gestured vaguely at Val's left hand. "All of this. The demon magic we're all too happy to play around with."
"Not too long ago, you were fighting alongside a demon, now you want nothing to do with any of them again?"
"Demon-stuff should stick to demons. People should stick with people-stuff. You don't mix the two, Valerie, that'll end in disaster."
The blonde scoffed. "Like what? I accidentally singe my fingers?"
"Damn it, Val! This is not a joke!" Nat burst. "You take my advice: whatever this demon-magic is, lock it up somewhere inside you and throw away the key."
"You don't think I didn't try that at first?"
"Obviously not hard enough – because you're trying to use it willy-nilly now!" she began to pace, combat boots trampling the carpet. "This kind of thing sucks you in, Val. It's a temptation. First, it's to give you an edge, or just to help out. Then you start using it a little more and a little more, because you don't see the consequences at first. And then one day, you not only don't see the consequences – you don't care! This is the seduction of darkness. I mean, look at the mess we just got out of because of Jade!"
"Jade is a little girl, and I am a twenty-four-year-old woman!" Valerie shot back. "I'd like to think I have enough of a maturity level to think these things through."
"No one is invulnerable. If you ask me, your hubby is rubbing off on you."
Val's spine shot straight and her expression became thunderous. Her mind flashed to the dream, and she hurriedly tried to cover up the traitorous thought with what used to be a knee-jerk reaction. "You take that back!"
"Then stop this!"
"Or what?" Valerie sneered. "What will you do? Kill me?!"
Nat was so shocked by the outburst she had to take a step backwards. She blinked at Valerie, almost wounded, as if she couldn't understand how she could ask such a question.
But she was too upset to take notice. "I'm not an idiot, Nat. I know exactly how power can corrupt people. But you know what? Back in the alternate reality, Shendu showed me that there is good and bad in everyone."
Regaining her composure, Nat snorted. "Doesn't apply to demons. Hint is in the title."
"But maybe that's not completely true–"
"It is."
Valerie's anger threatened to explode, and she felt her left palm begin to tingle with the promise of lightning. "Fine!" she whirled around and snatched up Nat's sword that had been leant against the wall, holding it by the blade out to the slayer. "If you're so sure, then seeing as I'm technically part-demon now, just go ahead and get it over with!"
Nataline looked horrified. "Don't be ridiculous!"
She went to snatch it away, and in the flash of movement, the sharp edge of the blade sliced through Valerie's skin. A flash of heat bloomed from the cut, and Valerie yelled. She clutched her hand, expecting to see a huge gash – the pain was so intense! But when she looked down, it had barely scratched her. So why did it hurt so much? Why did Valerie feel like her hand was on fire? Nat saw what had happened and tried to see. But Val pulled away and stormed towards the kitchen, cursing under her breath. She ran the cut under the tap, and felt a little relief.
"I don't kill my friends…" Nat mumbled in a wobbly voice, having not moved to follow Val.
The blonde rolled her eyes. "You ever stop to think that maybe violence isn't always the answer?"
"It's all I know,"
"Then learn a new way," she shot over her shoulder unsympathetically. "Maybe next time, think about how it might be better to turn someone good rather than kill someone evil. Jackie always said the greatest victory is the battle not fought."
Nat said nothing. With one final wash of her hand, Val shook off the water droplets and stormed back into the living room. Still fuming, she snatched up her coat and shoes and marched towards the door. "Never mind, I'm going out."
She left Nat standing there, all alone and confused. The demon-slayer had no idea what to do. Should she go after her friend or not? Those words kept repeating in her mind, the human blood on her blade glared up at her. Her mind jumped to thoughts of Drago. What if he were no longer evil? Was there good in him – he was half human after all. Imagine what he could do if he were no longer evil? Seeing as the uneasy truce between him and the Chans was technically still in effect… Was it possible?
Jade felt like her skin was too tight for her.
She'd tried to ignore it. She didn't get sick very often. But there was this weird feeling, as if her insides were too big for her body. Her blood felt thick and heavy, and her heartbeat couldn't calm down. There was this energy inside her she couldn't expend, like she'd eaten waaaaaaaay too much sugar. Though she'd tried to put it off, she eventually went to her father, a doctor, and had him look her over. He said that there was physically nothing wrong with her – in fact she was in perfect health. He said it might be due to stress, that maybe American schoolwork was putting too much pressure on her. Jade had sunk that ship before it even began to float; no way would she let her parents make her leave America, leave Jackie!
So she pretended to be fine. Pretended to not feel like she wanted to claw her own skin off because it felt too constricted. Pretended to not feel guilty whenever she looked at Jackie or Uncle or Tohru, and wonder how many awful things she'd put them through. And most definitely pretended NOT to be suffering from nightmares each and every time she closed her eyes.
It worked for a little while. All throughout their stay with her parents and then the mini-adventure they had searching for Uncle's old hometown, she managed to keep it together. She was a little quieter than she usually was, a little more reserved. Even Jackie started to notice. But for the most part, she managed to act completely normal. The only thing that she could really complain about were the nightmares. Dreams of Hsi Wu, of his voice, of his horrid grin, taunting her and saying horrible things. It was getting to the point where she wanted to avoid sleep altogether.
But now they were on the plane home. That feeling of tightness was getting a little worse, but Jade tried to ignore it. It felt like a constant electrical shock was zapping through her fingers. Realising she still had a few hours to kill, Jade tried to settle for sleep.
Oooooh Jade!
The girl sat bolt upright, eyes wide. She tried to slow her heart. The burst of fear made something want to explode out of her like a reflex. She shook her head. Wow, sleep must be really getting to her if she could slip into nightmares that quickly.
Who says this is a nightmare?
Jade's blood ran cold. No. No, no, no, no, no! This wasn't happening. She was NOT crazy. She was NOT hearing voices in her head! Especially not his voice! It had to just be a trick, she wasn't sleeping enough, or something! Fingers digging into her temples, she tried to massage out the headache she could feel coming on.
I told you the universe would push you to me. Now I'm inside you. And there's no way to get me out.
Her entire body began to tremble so hard she thought she'd throw up. Her ears popped. Her skin grew pale. She had to tell someone. She should reach over and tell Jackie right now. NO! She'd just gotten out of trouble because of Tarakudo, what would he think of her if he found out she was possessed by another bad guy? And a bad guy who happened to be a demon and who was apparently her Other…
An idea popped to life: she needed to talk to Valerie.
God damnit, Nat! Valerie thought to herself with a hiss.
She'd attempted to shake off the demon-slayer's words. She'd tried to distract herself with going to the mall, and then a bookstore, but nothing worked. She kept thinking over and over again what the redhead had told her. Was it true? Was this power slowly corrupting her? Would it turn her evil? Her mind flashed to the future-Jade, the one who had been made cold and bitter, apparently from Valerie's future betrayal. Was Valerie doomed to fall into a self-fulfilling prophecy? Was she going to turn on her friends to release Shendu and birth his half-demon spawn?
A pang of guilt stabbed at her stomach for thinking of Drago like that. After everything he'd done helping with the Shadowkhan, she shouldn't think of him that way. Since the moment she spoke to him, she'd been unable to deny the connection she felt to her future-son. And Drago obviously felt something for her, otherwise he wouldn't worry over her as much as he did. But the sad thing was, Valerie recognised he might be as doomed as she was. What if her corruption meant he was also bad right from the start? She wanted to believe that there was good in him, he had half of her in him, surely there must be something redeemable for her to salvage! Possibly, with this uneasy truce until the next demon-chi awoke, she might be able to find him again, might be able to convince him to the right side of the moral compass.
But what if Valerie could save him, save herself, save all her friends from their bitter future, if she didn't have this power? Yes, she still believed that it might be able to help her and her friends; but if getting rid of it served a greater purpose? She'd take that road without hesitation.
Before her mind could think further on the matter, she was already making her way towards Section 13. None of the agents or guards made any move to question her as she made her way through the base. She was known by all of them, deemed safe and unthreatening. Would it be this easy for a corrupted-her to break Shendu out of prison? She didn't want to think about that.
Jade had rubbed off on her a little too much, for all it took was a little patience for her to sneak her way into the Vault when the guards were on rotation and the security cameras were sweeping in the opposite direction. The blonde wondered whether to remind Captain Black in the future to upgrade these systems – they seemed to get worse every year. The vault was cool, the air stinging the back of her throat with the bite of artificialness. Half way across the vault, she stopped at the rack containing the Talismans. The cut on her palm from Nat's sword hadn't scabbed over, even though it had been a couple of hours, but at least the pain was less. On a whim, she picked up the Horse Talisman, and held it in her cut palm. The warmth she felt probing at her core from the talisman's power reached out to her, and she willed it to close the wound. However, it felt as if the talisman couldn't touch the area, as if it were being blocked.
And then Valerie felt like an idiot. Anti-demon-magic, remember? She scolded herself. Apparently, that applied to demon-made talismans also. She put the talisman back. Guess it would need to heal the old fashioned way.
"Something troubling you?" came Shendu's voice. Val startled, having completely forgotten he was there.
"I-It's nothing," She willed the blush in her cheeks to go down, and stepped towards him. "I… Um, I didn't say thank you. You know, for all your help against Tarakudo." Damn it, now she couldn't get her dream out of her head again!
"There is nothing more to say,"
Val frowned, nothing more…? "Anyway, I… I came here because I wanted to ask you something. You see, I've been trying to learn how to cast magic. It seems this scar has granted some odd abilities."
"I did tell you so, in the other reality," he said. "But there's no need for explanations. I already know. I can feel it when you call on our connection to power your magic."
"You know? You've not said anything."
"You never asked. But you are now."
The smug amusement in his voice had her temper flare enough for her to snap out: "I want to know how to remove it."
Stunned silence. And then, a choked, almost offended whisper. "What?"
"This," Valerie held up her scarred hand. "Whatever connects me to you, I want to know if we can undo it. Cut it. Divorce ourselves."
"You can't." he snapped defensively. "Valerie, our chi's are linked now, as they have always wanted to, as they were made to. Now that we have combined our spirits together, nothing can undo it. Ever."
"B-but…" Valerie felt a sense of loss for a dreadful moment. How dare she feel relieved, even ever-so-slightly! "There must be some way. I cannot do this – cannot let it change me!"
"Change you?"
"This power… what if it steals away who I am, turns me into someone I don't want to be. Absolute power corrupts absolutely…"
"Valerie," Shendu called out softly, until her eyes were drawn up to meet his. "It is true, you now have access to all of my power, if you so wish it. But that does not mean you are immediately susceptible to instant evilness."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Because whilst I think you would be a lot more fun if you indulged in a darker side, I do not think I could tolerate it for an extended period of time. I adore the woman that you are. Brazen and aggravatingly stubborn, sentimental and foolishly good-hearted, vindictive and fiery tempered. And besides, your devotion to your father would never allow it."
She blinked, stunned into silence. Her heartbeat sped up in her breast, and butterflies gathered in her stomach. The corners of her lips wanted to twitch upwards in a smile, no matter how she tried to bite it down. Her fingers fiddled with the ends of her hair. "You think you know me so well…"
"Do you not know me?"
"Let's see: arrogant and nauseatingly smug, domineering and deceptively charming, lecherous and obliviously frustrating," this time she couldn't hold back her smirk as she did her best impersonation of his own voice.
"You forgot stonily handsome."
A snorting chuckle burst out of her, so sudden she had to clap a hand over her mouth.
"If it truly bothers you," Shendu continued in a softer voice. "I could teach you. The old man doesn't know enough to truly instruct you, and his text books could never hold the right knowledge to guide you."
"You'd do that?"
"If it meant I could talk with you more, than yes."
No hesitance in his smooth reply. Once more, Valerie felt her cheeks grow warm and her blood race a little faster. In all honesty she was touched. And with it, an urge was summoned back to life within her. She wanted to touch him, to show her appreciation for his comfort. Though she shouldn't, her body was impulsive and a traitor to her own moral sense. Cautiously, her hand reached up towards his stone face. Since when had she shown no fear for that frozen stony snarl with fangs bared and every horn and spike carved with exquisite detail? Since when did she resent that stone encasement because it meant she couldn't feel the reassuring warmth she'd felt in her dream? Her hand reached out and brushed along his cheek.
And she noticed the smear of blood she left behind from the cut on her hand.
There was a deafening BOOM and an explosion of light and air that threw Valerie to the ground. She cried out, frightened. Blinking her eyes, she tried to clear away the effects that had temporarily blinded her. When her ears stopped ringing, she was aware of an alarm blaring above her head, and when her sight slowly returned she noticed the red circling light of the sirens. Footsteps clobbered outside and shouting echoed closer and closer.
A deep reptilian rumble came like thunder right above Valerie. She spun onto her back and stared up in shock and horror. Looming over her in all his bronze and green glory, was Shendu, inspecting his arms as if astonished to see them again. His red gaze caught hers, and Valerie trembled at the smile she saw in them.