The Horror of Our Love

by StakeTheHeart

Love is a powerful feeling. It can mend the most broken of hearts, but what if those broken hearts shouldn't be mended? What if strengthening such a black heart only gives rise to something worse, and with the added threat of two? Sometimes love can take a dangerously dark turn.

9. Part 3: Freed

The cover for this series comes from Cursed along with its sequel Possessed. It was commissioned by amairevenge over on tumblr. Go check out all the awesome artwork! I'm proud to say that I've added to this universe with one last adventure. Enjoy!

---

It was dark and cold. The kind of cold that seeped into her bones. She hadn't felt such a chill since she first met Jade. But Jade was so warm now. So then why was it so cold? She walked through the apartment, the lights off, but the moonlight coming in from outside was just enough to see by. It was too quiet. Unnaturally so. She tried to call for Jade but there was no answer and her voice only echoed back at her. The house felt empty. Where was Jade? She inhaled, gathering air so that she could call for Jade again, but instead, she choked on it when claws grabbed at her from the shadows. Pale hands tipped with sharp black nails. She was yanked back into a strong, familiar, embrace. She spoke Jade's name once more and a menacing growl responded. She was thrown to the ground brusquely and attempted to right herself but she was shoved back to the floor as soon as she got her legs under her.

She looked up to see Jade advancing on her, eyes black and irises glowing gold. Her sharp teeth were bared and ready. The pointed ears and proud curve of her horns were on display. Tori tried to call to her, but she didn't react, her gaze blank. Only hunger and hate glinted back at her. She panicked, scrambling to her feet. Jade let her run a few feet before she was caught again. She lunged and brought her down easily, her cold body pressing her to the floor. Strong legs held her in place and an iron grip trapped both her hands above her head. The growl that erupted from Jade was fierce, animalistic. She grabbed her by the jaw and exposed her neck, teeth tearing into her throat seconds later. Her scream was wet with blood and the metallic scent sat heavily in her nose and on her tongue. Her vision swam and she wondered how Jade could turn on her. The pain seemed to leave her numb as her eyes fell closed…

Then I was suddenly wide. I jolted from sleep with a cry. I felt teeth on my neck and instinctually my fist swung out. My knuckles met a strong jaw, earning a surprised grunt from my attacker and a whine from my own mouth. My hand throbbed but I was successful. I rolled out of bed and almost didn't catch myself in time when I reached the edge. I stumbled to my feet and looked back to see Jade rubbing at her face.

"Fuck, Vega. What was that for?" she grumbled, eyes flicking to me. Glowing yellow eyes. The eyes that haunted my nightmare.

"You bit me," I accused, a hand flying to my neck. I paused when I felt no wound or blood.

"A little love bite, maybe," Jade corrected. I let out a relieved breath. It was only a dream.

"Are you going to come lay down or are you afraid I might finish the job? Because between you and me, I would rather finish," Jade continued suggestively, voice like silk despite the light teasing. I hesitated. The dream had felt so real. Slowly, I shuffled through the dark and climbed in bed next to Jade who automatically enveloped me in her arms. She nuzzled my neck then dropped an open-mouthed kiss.

"What has you so on edge?" she purred, no doubt distracted but also concerned. I fought off a pleasant shiver in order to answer.

"It was a bad dream," I replied.

"About?" Jade further questioned, kissing under my ear.

"You," I responded. Jade stopped, meeting my eyes. It was easy to see her thoughtful gaze in the dim lighting. Her eyes were like a soft candlelight.

"What about me?" she inquired, oddly still.

"You attacked me. Tore out my throat," I told her, a hand coming up to skirt her lips where deadly fangs were hidden. Jade's breath wavered, both at my touch and the idea of sinking her teeth in flesh. I knew she would never hurt me, but I also knew that she missed hunting whenever she felt like it. She told me she was happy with me. Deliriously so, but there was that dark part of her that seemed to have gotten restless in the three years since we settled down together. Her control had been slipping lately. She got riled easily, her demand for rough sex became more apparent to curb the demon's appetite. She had left bruises and scratches on me before, but never would she have dared to bite harder than a nip after that first time. She thought she had that side of herself in control, but it seemed that she needed to try a little harder. Maybe she should step out more often and do some hunting?

"You know I would never do that. You're mine. I wouldn't destroy what's mine," she stated, holding me close. She was careful to be gentle, not possessive. She even pressed a soft kiss to my lips.

"I know. It just felt…so real," I whispered, unsettled by the lack of emotion I had seen in the dream Jade's eyes. Even when we first met there was clear rage, pain, and sadness. But in my nightmare, it had just been blank. Cold. Unfeeling.

"Dreams can be like that sometimes. How about I let you get back to sleep? You need to be up in time to catch the plane," Jade reminded me, releasing me to slip out of bed. I huffed out an exhale, having completely forgotten about our trip. Castor had gotten news of a job out in Europe. London, England actually. I always wanted to go there. And now I would. My help was requested at an old mansion where strange things have been happening. The realtor who wanted the place sold was having trouble. The history of the place was long, and it didn't really have a sparkling past. Multiple deaths, both tragic and natural, took place there leaving behind otherworldly inhabitants that did not want to leave. At first it was only sightings and misplaced objects with the first two people interested in it.

After that, the spirits drove away anyone trying to buy it with harassment, thrown objects, and downright frighting displays. Some had gotten hurt but none of the recent incidents were serious. Professional help was needed, and so when Castor got the call, I was his recommendation. I eagerly took it when I heard the pay was high because of the amount of paranormal activity involved. Jade wasn't on board. She was instantly defensive, protective of me. She didn't like the idea of me trying to confront a group of malicious spirits. Especially ones that were slowly growing more and more aggressive. She said it sounded too much like her own bloody history she carved through my family line. She started out small and got worse. She didn't put it past these spirits to seriously hurt or even kill the next buyers. She warned me not to take the job. If I was truly going alone, I probably would have turned it down, but I had Jade. She would keep me safe.

"Are you going to stay out long?" I asked, rolling on my side and getting comfortable.

"No. I'll be back before sunrise," she replied, walking away. Her exit was silent as she disappeared into the surrounding darkness. I snuggled down into the blankets, trying to relax without the comfort Jade's presence provided. I eventually fell back asleep and didn't wake up until Jade returned. She sent me back to sleep a little longer with a kiss to my neck. Her arms held me against her, and I pressed closer. She had gotten so warm, sometimes even burning hot when we were making love. She was no longer that cold, hateful being she was when we first met. She learned to open up and let the human side of her flourish.

But she wasn't entirely human, something I was reminded of when I smelled blood on her like I did now. Like I did when her rough kisses fleetingly tasted of smoke and ash. There was never a trace of blood on her when she returned but I could always detect it just under her comforting scent. I pushed my worry for her out of my mind and tightened my hold on her. She shifted in my arms, a hand coming up to run through my hair. Her hand pressed to the nape of my neck and pulled me to her lips, kissing me feverishly.

"We shouldn't go," she husked, staring into my sleepy eyes. The anxious and pent up energy I had recognized before jumped across my skin like static.

"You keep saying that," I mumbled, rubbing at her side.

"Something's wrong. It doesn't feel right," she muttered. To herself or me I didn't know. I was also unclear if what she was feeling was something within herself or about the trip.

"Jade? Are you okay?" I asked, reaching up to turn her face toward me. Her eyes were still glowing, uneasy but bright. She was usually calm after going out but this time it didn't seem to help. She slowly shook her head and closed her eyes.

"It wants you, but I can't let it have you. I haven't felt this way since we met. I don't want to hurt you, but I don't know what to do to stop it," she rasped, jaw muscles clenched tight once the words were forced out. My heart raced, fear resurfacing for the first time in years. Fear that she really did want me dead. I ran a hand over her pained expression, and it relaxed a little.

"I've noticed. Whatever is happening with you, we'll figure it out. I'm not worried. I still trust you. We'll get through this together, as we always have," I assured her. She let out her held breath then leaned in to kiss me hard. I deepened it, cupping her face in my hands. Her fangs nicked my tongue and blood colored the exchange. She snarled, yanking away, and pinned me roughly to the bed. She easily held me in place and climbed over me. Her inner demon flashed across her features, leaving behind the subtle changes it inflicted. The ones she never bothered to hide from me. But this time she stared down at me like I was her prey. I grabbed her by the shirt and yanked her down, initiating another hard kiss. Her nails dug into the bed on either side of me when my hand took a brief tour of her body. I slipped into her pants and brushed against her, smirking when she gasped into my mouth. She was already so worked up, her body rigid with arousal.

"Tori," she panted, breathing hard on my lips. I worked steadily, watching as her pleasure mounted. She shuddered and her back bowed, her face buried in my neck. I increased my speed and groaned in her ear when her hips started to buck into mine. The tearing of fabric met my ears seconds before a deep growl and then her teeth were sinking into my shoulder when she came. I bit back a cry of pain, pressing deep into her in retaliation. She moaned into my skin but didn't let go, clamping down tighter while riding out her climax and its aftershock. I slipped from her pants and pressed at her taut stomach. She was breathing heavily through her nose and had yet to let go. I soothed her, stroking her stomach under her shirt, and running a hand through her hair. Only then did she slowly relax her jaw. I winced at the burning pain. She lapped at the blood then nuzzled at my neck.

"I…I could have…I want to…" she stammered uncharacteristically. My hand slid around her side to her back and pulled her down to rest against me. My other hand brought her mouth to mine, kissing the blood from her lips.

"Just relax," I whispered tiredly, rubbing her back. I could feel the unbalanced thrum of pent up arousal coming off her. I knew it wasn't all geared toward sex and pleasure. At least, not any kind I would like. This was the third time she lost control in the last year. The first time scared me and made her retreat into herself. She refused to go near me or touch me until she had settled. The second time she tried to bite but stopped herself. This time she did, and she almost did more than that, but I wasn't going to give up on her.

"I wanted to tear into you so badly. What's happening to me?" she questioned, tone conveying how lost she felt.

"I don't know. But we'll figure it out. We can look through your father's book and try to find answers, okay?" I reassured, meeting her eyes and brushing my thumb over her cheekbone. She didn't look convinced but nodded all the same.

"You know I love you, Vega. You're mine," she declared, resting her forehead on mine, tender once again. I could feel her coming down from whatever it was that caused her to lose control. She was finally starting to relax.

"I know. I love you too," I replied, closing my eyes. She let out a sigh then got out of bed. She left and came back minutes later. She carried bandages, rubbing alcohol, water, and pain medication. She had me take the pills while she tended to my shoulder. She then gave me a new shirt to wear and put everything away. When she returned, she helped me change the sheets on the bed then climbed in to curl around me protectively. I didn't know what time it was, but I knew it was late. I fell asleep to her steady breaths against the back of my neck, a hand rubbing at my hip. I woke up early the next morning. Jade was nowhere to be found so I got ready without her. I changed my bandages after a shower and pulled on clean clothes then moved all my luggage to the living room where I found Jade lounging on the couch. She was sprawled on her back, an arm hanging off the side and brushing the floor. Her father's book laid open on her stomach.

"Ready?" I asked, stopping next to her. She grumbled and opened an eye, yellow iris glowing.

"Still not feeling good?" I asked next. She scoffed bitterly and sat up, the book sliding closed. She caught it before it could fall.

"That's an understatement. I only found a single entry. Small and useless. It's more notes and rambling than anything concrete," she shared, leaning forward and setting the book on the coffee table.

"What did it say?" I questioned, taking a seat next to her.

"When he studied me in the past, he took note of my…rough patches. He thought I was regressing, losing touch with my humanity. He believed that at my most hostile moments it was the demon's influence on me, an influence that couldn't be silenced once it became restless," she explained, brows creased.

"So, it's useless to fight it? There isn't anything that can be done?" I remarked.

"In the past I just let it do what it wanted. I never understood why it chose to rampage when it did. My father thought that it was content until something set it off. Like a trigger. It could simply be my anger, it's hunger, or possibly something else entirely having an effect on it. It responds defensively and I'm just along for the ride," she continued. I frowned.

"Do you think there's something setting it off this time?" I concluded. She hadn't been outright enraged for a long time now so it couldn't be that. Her sporadic nighttime hunts kept it fed so it couldn't be that. It left only one option. Jade's brows creased further, thoughtful and frustrated.

"Most likely. What's causing it though?" she wondered.

"Your guess is as good as mine. But maybe getting away for a while will do you some good?" I told her, getting to my feet. She sighed, doubting it, and stood to pick up the luggage. I learned long ago not to stop her from helping me. Her strength could carry more than expected and she didn't like when I tired myself out. It was for my health as well as hers, a mix of self-preservation and concern though she wouldn't admit to it. I didn't take offense. The great thing about Jade was that technically she didn't exist. To everyone else I was traveling alone. It saved on paying for an extra plane ticket and food. Once I was on the plane, I slept most of the time. I wished I didn't have to eat because plane food sucked. I was never a fan.

Around eleven hours later we touched down in dreary weather conditions. The lack of sun and the increase of rain was not something I looked forward to. Jade checked in with me every so often up until I found the small flat Castor rented for the duration of my stay. He felt like it was going to take more effort than usual, so he wanted me to be comfortable while I worked. It was an added bonus that it was close as it could be to the mansion, so I didn't have to go far to get to and from there every day. As soon as I was alone in my room Jade reappeared. She paced, her eyes taking in her surroundings. She reminded me of a caged cat, hackles raised. She already looked anxious.

"It feels strange," she growled, her ocean eyes starting to burn yellow once again. I ran a hand down her arm and intwined our fingers. Her clawed grip tightened on my hand.

"Strange how?" I asked, curious. She scented the air and tilted her head as if she could hear something. I tried to listen, but it was relatively quiet except for the light pitter patter of rain.

"Something's here. In the city. I can feel it," she mumbled, body still. She went from caged panther to spooked rabbit. Suddenly, her eyes lost their otherworldly glow and she cringed, her hands flying to her head. She cried out in pain and stumbled.

"Jade? What's wrong?" I called, steadying her.

"Stay away from here!" she snarled, baring sharp teeth. But she wasn't talking to me. She faced the empty room. I grabbed at her arm, but she shoved me away and ran, disappearing. I stood alone, feeling lost. I looked around the room, trying to understand what happened. What set Jade off? I couldn't feel anything weird and nothing looked out of place. There weren't even strange sounds. I knelt by our bags and dug through until I could find Jonathan West's book. I had some time to kill before I would need to sleep. I was expecting a call from the realtor sometime tomorrow.

I set to work, getting comfortable on the bed. Jade and I looked through the book so many times and still hadn't really solved anything, but I was desperate to help her, so I tried again. I ended up falling asleep and jumped awake when the book was removed from under my arms. I opened my eyes to see Jade standing over me. She closed the book and set it aside, turning back to me. I watched her move mechanically and questioned her with a concerned frown. Her face was paler than usual, and shadows hung under her eyes. Her guise was down, and her inhuman gaze was focused on me in a way that made me shiver uncomfortably.

"Jade, what-" I began to ask, but she silenced me. Her hands grabbed at the front of my shirt roughly, nails scraping skin and tearing cloth. She pressed me to the bed and straddled me, dipping down to brush my nose with hers. She paused, eyes closing and breaths heavy. She seemed hesitant but I could feel the tension in her body, like she was holding herself back. Finally, she leaned in the rest of the way and kissed me hard. Her teeth cut my lip and she was quick to suck it in her mouth, tongue running over the small wound. She let go and scattered kisses across my jawline and down my neck. Her hands palmed by breasts roughly and I groaned. It must not have been enough for her because she was bunching up my shirt the next minute to touch bare skin. One hand parted to drift lower, unbuckling my belt and popping open the button of my jeans.

Her other hand joined to yank them down just enough to get what she needed. She didn't waste time, taking me fast and hard. I moaned and she swallowed it, lips commanding mine. I met each thrust of her fingers, encouraged by the tight grip at my hip. When I reached my release, it shot through me and I arched my back, neck exposed. Her nails dug into my hip, opening old wounds. She growled low and then her teeth were at my throat. At the last minute she deviated, pulling back just as her jaws snapped shut. The points of her teeth dragged furrows across my neck, but she had pulled away before major damage could be done. I gasped and held a hand to the new wound, pushing her back with a hand to her chest. She moved away, squeezing her eyes closed. She licked her lips then her eyes opened to stare down at me. They were black with only a ring of golden yellow irises. I gasped at the new addition.

"It wants you. I have to go," she panted, hungry gaze still zeroed in on my throat. I swallowed and she looked away. It took her a moment to focus and then she was out of bed. I grabbed at her wrist before she could go, staring at the sharp nails of each finger. Blood smeared the tips of her fingers from my hip. I was lucky she didn't lose control when she was touching me. That would have been unfortunate. Which was probably why my hip got the most of it.

"Take your time. Relax. Focus. Come back to me," I whispered softly, worried for her. She seemed to calm down a little. She took a deep breath and nodded. Only then did I let her go. She was gone a second later. I cleaned myself up and changed, laying back down. I ran my fingers over the new bandage at my neck while I stared at the ceiling.

"She's getting worse," I said to myself, morose. I couldn't ignore it anymore. I closed my eyes and rolled onto my side, hoping sleep would come fast so that I didn't have to think about it. The next morning, I was woken up by my phone. Someone was calling me. I reached for it and stared bleary eyed at the screen. I wasn't familiar with the number but answered anyway. I was expecting a call from the realtor.

"Hello?" I grumbled sleepily.

"Is this Victoria Vega?"

"Tori, yes, that's me," I replied, wiping at my eyes and clearing my throat.

"Hello, Tori. I'm Brendon. Castor gave me your number so I could contact you."

"Yeah, he told me you would," I acknowledged, sitting up. I winced at my tired body's complaining.

"I just wanted to check in and set a meeting time."

"Oh, um, I just woke up. Sorry, I'm still not used to the time change, but I'd be happy to meet with you in the next hour," I told him, glancing at the clock on the wall.

"Perfect. Let's just cut to the chase and meet at the mansion now so I can show you around."

"Okay. I'll just need the address and I'll be right over," I said, pushing myself to my feet. I found a piece of paper and a pen, jotting down the address once I told him I was ready. Then he hung up, leaving me in silence. I groaned and stretched carefully.

"Who was that?" Jade spoke from the door. I jumped, startled by her sudden appearance.

"The realtor. He wants to meet at the mansion soon so he can show me around," I replied, moving to get dressed. Jade watched, quiet. It was odd. I expected her to be a little more invested in who I was talking to. I left her alone. I had to get ready. Besides, she would come to me when she wanted. There was no use forcing anything out of her. I pulled on my shoes and lastly a warm jacket.

"Feeling better?" I asked Jade, turning to her. She was still leaning in the doorway, eyes downcast and arms crossed. Her inhuman features were hidden, giving her a somber appearance.

"No, but I feel more focused than before," she answered, looking up at me. Her eyes looked sad. Lost was the fiery drive I always expected to see. It was like she was ashamed. I stepped up to her and wrapped my arms around her middle, pushing open her arms so that I could press against her. She settled her own arms around my waist. I buried my face in her shoulder and breathed in, expecting the smell of blood, but it was just her. I pulled away to look at her.

"You didn't hunt last night," I stated. Her expression hardened. She was bothered by something.

"I tried. I had a target, but I didn't want to. I didn't feel the need once I was removed from you. So I just took a walk," she explained. My brows knit, curious and concerned.

"You only felt like that after leaving?" I checked. She nodded.

"It doesn't have to mean anything," she said hastily.

"But it does. I cause you to act out. You're fine when you aren't around me," I remarked, stepping away from her.

"Vega, you aren't causing whatever this is," she assured, grabbing firmly at my upper arms.

"How do you know? Since this started you only ever lose control of it around me. How do you explain that?" I pointed out. Her hands fell to slide down my arms, taking me by the hands.

"I just know it isn't you. I can feel it, like an outside force. It just happens to affect me around you," she replied, earnest. It was like she wanted to believe it just as much as me. Or maybe she did believe it and I was the cynical one this time around. I shook my head and met her eyes. Cool blue eyes flecked green. Jade's normal eyes. I hadn't seen them in so long. I wondered if the gloomy weather would bring out the blueish gray.

"I'll take your word for it. Come on. We have somewhere to be and I need to eat before getting there," I said, slipping past her out to the small living room. Jade followed at a distance all the way to a local café I found on my phone. I took my time eating while watching people come and go. I could feel Jade nearby, but she remained hidden. It wasn't like her to stay quiet for so long. It also wasn't in her nature to feel bad about her condition. She embraced it long ago. So why was she being so hesitant with me now? I pushed the thought aside, paid, and left. I pulled out my phone again to find the mansion. It was situated further out of town than I expected. When I hailed a black cab, I asked about it. The driver knew exactly what I was talking about and went on a longwinded anecdote about the many stories people had about the place. I could feel Jade's irritation at the man and smiled. That was more like her.

"Here is good. I'll walk the rest of the way," I told him, paying and getting out. I could see it in the distance at the end of a winding road. Trees and shrubbery surrounded it, mostly skinny and sparse without proper care. He bid me good luck and drove off.

"I don't like it here. It reeks of darkness and decay. Something holds authority over this place, and I don't think it's wise to enter," Jade cautioned. I looked over to her, posture rigid. A grim frown colored with the barest hint of worry sat on her face. I couldn't feel whatever it was she sensed, but just looking at the place made me shiver uncomfortably. But where would I be now if I hadn't stepped into my parent's house and confronted Jade, their killer? Where would I be now if I hadn't weathered Jade's past and truly came to love her? This was just another step we were taking together. We would get through this. It might even help us figure out what was going on with Jade. I started forward and Jade followed closely behind me.

"What are you doing?" I finally asked when we were crossing the lawn.

"I'm watching your back," she answered simply. I scoffed.

"Do you really think there's anything out here? I mean, besides some wildlife that wouldn't dare to approach me with you here," I responded. I looked back at her when she didn't reply. She wore a displeased scowl, and her eyes shot a glare at me.

"What?" I asked.

"You keep making light of this when I've told you before how dangerous it is here. Why won't you take me seriously?" she hissed, eyes flashing.

"We've run into angry spirits before, Jade. We handled it just fine. This isn't any different," I retorted. She growled and I took a step back when she advanced. At the last minute she stopped so that we were toe to toe. Despite being around the same size she seemed to tower over me. Little warning bells were going off, but I didn't want to back down. We stood staring at each other, unwavering. I didn't know how much time passed like that. The challenge ended when Jade let out a loud exhale, stepping away.

"If you step into that place and don't survive, I'll lose you. God knows he wouldn't give up someone like you. And then I'll be cast down with the demon that's keeping me alive as was promised by my father," Jade said, eyes averted before flicking over my shoulder to stare at the looming building behind me. I wanted to tell her that I would be okay, but when I opened my mouth she disappeared. I sighed and turned to face the mansion, seeing that the door had opened. Brendon stepped out. He must have been the reason Jade left. At least, I told myself that there wasn't any other reason behind it. I strode forward and climbed the creaking stairs, offering a hand.

"Miss Vega, nice to finally meet you," Brendon greeted, taking my hand to shake.

"Castor told me you have a bit of a problem here. Mind telling me the most pressing issues first?" I asked him, pulling away.

"I'm sure you already know all that. Let's go inside," he mentioned, gesturing to the grand door. I nodded and followed him in. That first step across the threshold was like déjà vu. Cold and dead, just like the inhabitants.

"There's a living room, dining room, kitchen, five bedrooms, three bathrooms, a roomy attic, spacious basement, and a backyard that shares land with the woods," he said, leading me through the foyer to a room off to the side.

"You aren't trying to get me to buy it are you?" I joked. He laughed.

"Just telling you how much ground you have to cover," he amended. I looked around, noticing old designs.

"How old is it?" I asked.

"You know, I'm not sure. I have documents of its history going back a hundred years, but its architectural design choices come from an older time. Over the years, paperwork must have been lost," he explained, stopping to turn to me.

"All right. I'll take a look around and see what I can do. I'll keep you updated. Do I have a time limit?" I wondered, hoping it wouldn't take too long, but just in case I wanted to make sure.

"Not at all. Take all the time you need. Come by whenever you can and keep me posted. Here's the key and half the payment up front. You'll get the other half when the job is done," he said, handing me a roll of money and a key. I took it from him, examining it.

"Locks have been changed over the years," I commented.

"Yes. A few things have been upgraded and added to keep the building inhabitable. The last to go are these terrible rumors and stories," he commented, glancing around the room.

"Do they hold any truth?" I questioned.

"Well, I'm a skeptic myself, so I don't think there's anything to worry about, but there has been deaths and murders here. If there are spirits, I haven't seen any. But good luck to you. If there truly isn't anything then you've got an easy paycheck, I can get everyone off my back, and someone gets to own a mansion. Win-win for everyone," he said with a bright smile. I shrugged.

"Sure," I agreed just to get him to leave. The sooner I started, the sooner we could get out of here and I could figure out what was going on with Jade.

"Then I look forward to hearing from you," he concluded, brushing past me to leave. In that short span of time when his shoulder briefly touched mine, I sensed Jade's suspicion heighten. I turned to watch him leave, the door snuffing out the meager rays of light once it closed.

"I don't like him," Jade stated, staring at the door.

"You don't like anyone," I replied, moving to take a tour.

"No, something is different about him," Jade pressed, tone strained.

"Different how?" I asked, stopping in the kitchen.

"Usually the people we meet who need our help are scared, panicked, and at their wit's end. Did he seem at all worried to you?" she suggested, distrust in her tone. Now that I thought about it, he was very calm. In fact, he didn't believe anything strange was going on. He only called me in to dispel rumors about the place.

"You're right," I agreed. Jade smirked, happy that I agreed, but it dropped. She canted her head, listening.

"Whatever he thought, it was wrong. There's someone here. A few, actually," she mumbled, turning in a slow circle.

"Do you know how many?" I inquired, feeling apprehensive.

"Ten? Twelve?" she guessed.

"What?!" I exclaimed. She held out a hand to silence me, frowning in concentration.

"There. The room right above us. Someone's crying," she shared, pointing up at the ceiling. I tried to listen, as I always did, but I didn't hear anything. Instead, I followed Jade up the stairs, a hand running along the smooth wooden banister. We reached the second-floor landing and walked straight to the room. The weird thing was, the closer we got, the more I could hear crying. I stopped Jade, grabbing her wrist.

"I can hear it," I whispered. She raised a brow.

"You never could before," she mentioned. I nodded.

"I know. I don't know what it means," I replied, unsure whether it was a bad thing or not. Jade slipped from my hold and laced our fingers together, pulling me close. Her protective behavior was making me lean toward bad. We started forward again. At the end of the hall, Jade pushed open the door. A young woman sat on a moth-eaten bed. My eyes widened. Jade's hand tightened on mine. Usually, Jade would direct me to the spirit and then let me approach on my own because most didn't react to Jade well. But this time she showed no intention to leave. We stepped into the room, pushing the door further and causing it to creak. The young woman stopped crying, lifting her head to look at us.

"Who are you? Why do people keep walking through my house without permission?" she bemoaned.

"We're here to help you move on," I answered.

"Move on? Where? I live here," she refused.

"I'm afraid you don't anymore. You passed away. Do you remember that?" I explained gently. She turned away to think, fresh tears building again when she remembered.

"I was sick. I thought I fell asleep," she recalled. I frowned, sad for her.

"I'm sorry. You can move on and rest peacefully. You don't have to stay," I said, moving closer.

"I don't?" she responded, confused.

"No. You just look for the light and walk into it," I encouraged.

"But he said there wasn't a light," she replied. I faltered.

"Who said that?" I asked her.

"The man that was here," she answered. The only man that was here was Brendon. But she couldn't mean him. He didn't even believe in spirits. How could he have ever talked to one?

"Okay, well I know for a fact that there is a light and you'll be welcomed beyond it," I promised. She looked from me to Jade then stood up and walked over. She stopped in front of us, bringing sharp clarity to how pale and tired she looked.

"Is she your friend?" she asked with a gesture to Jade.

"Yes," I answered.

"He felt like her. Only worse. Be careful," she warned. Before I could ask her what she meant, she seemed to have found the light and walked off through the bed, disappearing.

"He felt like you," I mumbled, turning to Jade who offered no comment. She was busy thinking.

"She could have been referring to the demon, but then the man must have one too. But did she mean Brendon or someone else?" I wondered.

"What are you doing in my house?" a deep voice boomed behind us. I spun around to face a burly man stomping toward us, fists clenched. Claw marks crossed his wide chest, and several had torn up his right arm. Jade bristled.

"We came to help you cross over," I told him.

"Lies. You want me to fall to hell," he accused.

"No! Not at all!" I denied.

"Your friend is not to be trusted. She'll trick you. They're all the same," he seethed. I glanced at Jade and she sighed, disappearing. I walked toward the man slowly, hands raised.

"She's not here to hurt you. Who told you we were coming to send you to hell?" I questioned.

"The beast with many eyes. He lives in the shadows and pretends to be human. But he isn't. He's a demon from hell sent to devour our souls. I've been running ever since he killed me," the man ranted, strangely small in appearance once his voice turned brittle and cracked.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that, but I'm here to assure you that whatever you were told wasn't true. There is a light waiting for you. If you look for it, it will appear. Go into the light where it's safe," I urged. His troubled eyes searched the hall, lightening in relief a minute later. He walked through the railing and across air, fading away.

"Now that I can see and hear them this will be easy. We already have two down," I commented when Jade returned.

"I still don't like it. Those spirits were scared of someone or something," she refused.

"We'll keep an eye out then. Let's go look for more," I suggested, determined and hopeful with two spirits helped. An hour later and no one made themselves known. I groaned and flopped on a covered couch, coughing at the dust cloud I caused. Jade stood nearby, arms crossed. I studied her stern scowl. She hadn't deviated from her human guise. The spirits we met already were familiar with what she was, so she didn't need to hide from them. Was she hiding from me?

"I think we should call it a day. You helped two. If no one else wants to show themselves we could be here all day waiting," Jade advised.

"One more hour," I bargained.

"No. Too much time in here is harmful. Or do you not remember how we met?" she reminded me. I huffed out a sigh but nodded.

"Okay, you win. Let's go and come back tomorrow," I accepted. She took me by the hand and pulled me off the couch. She didn't let go until we were outside and I was locking up. I called the taxi service and had one drive out while I started down the road to meet it halfway. It was Jade's idea to get me out of there faster. She left me when the car pulled up and I got in. The drive back seemed to go by faster than when I arrived. I paid and then got out to head in. The sky was already dark, so it didn't take much to darken it further. Night fell earlier than I was used to, leaving me to watch British tv shows until dinner.

I ordered in and happily tried the local food while Jade commented unnecessarily on the show. I was glad she was pretty much back to her old self. She started to relax, and as long as I didn't bring up why we were here, she was fine. Which left me to brainstorm on my own. I was curious about the mysterious man the woman saw and the beast the man saw. Were they the same thing or different? And the even bigger question, was the man Brendon? And if it was, did that mean he was the beast? Or was he just the man and the beast was something else entirely?

"This is so confusing," I whined. Jade glanced at me from her place curled up on the other side of the couch. I missed having her close but her bad mood had affected her willingness to cuddle.

"How? It's a baking competition. What's so confusing about that?" she replied.

"No, not the show," I dismissed. When she understood what I meant, she frowned.

"How can you still be thinking about that?" she complained.

"How can I not?" I rebuked, getting irritated.

"Because you're putting yourself in danger! Can't you see that? Maybe there are spirits that are lost and confused, but maybe there are angrier ones that are hostile and could hurt you. Why risk that for them?" she questioned fiercely, leaning closer to stare me down with glowing yellow eyes. Her grip on the couch cushion tore holes with her sharp black nails. I could see the points of fangs when she talked. Her horns materialized from shadow and pointed ears stuck out from her dark hair.

She was back to the way I most associated with her. She let her guard down with her frustration. Not that I didn't appreciate the sentiment but seeing Jade 'declawed' in a matter of speaking just to make me feel comfortable did the complete opposite. Seeing her as a human for the sake of not scaring me was forcing her to be someone she wasn't. I didn't like seeing her that way. I wasn't afraid of her. Even now when she started to lose control, she didn't scare me away. I wanted to help her even more.

"Jade, I sought you out for my family. I wanted to destroy you for killing them. I really did. But then I saw the real you, and I had a new goal. I needed to take care of you like you deserved because you were hurting from what those people did to you. Just like those trapped souls are now. It didn't matter what you were or what you were capable of doing to me. Once my mind was set, I stuck to it. And I couldn't be happier. Because I love you. All of you," I asserted, reaching up and holding her face in my hands.

She stared back at me softly with devotion and love then surged forward to kiss me with urgency. I wrapped my arms around her neck and pressed her close with a hand at the nape of her neck. I fell back with her on top. We made love right there on the couch. She was slow and methodical, never once losing herself. She was present until the end when we laid tangled in each other, Jade's smoldering warmth keeping me safe from the chill. I fell asleep minutes later with a smile on my face. The next day I woke up to Jade kissing down my neck, a hand running along my thigh.

"You'll sleep the day away if you don't wake up," she murmured in my ear. I stretched against her, laughing when she took advantage. She gently buried a hand in my hair and kissed me hotly, our legs intertwining. I groaned and pulled away.

"No distractions. Food and then work," I reprimanded lightly.

"That's what I'm doing. Food…" she began, nipping at my lip.

"…and then work," she whispered, a finger running down my stomach to fall lower. I caught her by the wrist before she could do anything that would break my resolve.

"Fine," she grumbled, releasing me. I got up and dressed, practically running out the door. I wanted to be able to get over there with enough daylight to spare. I didn't like the idea of being there after sunset. Once I had eaten, I was on my way back to the mansion. I unlocked the front door and entered with Jade close behind. The atmosphere still felt cold and hostile.

"It feels worse. How is that possible?" Jade observed, her critical stare taking in the immediate area.

"I don't know. Things tend to calm down after a few move on," I replied, taking the stairs. I got lucky up there last time so I might as well start there. I explored each room, coming up with nothing other than a pressing sense to watch my back. But Jade already had that covered. I left the upstairs room and made my way back down, walking through the hall to the dining room. The long table was pushed to the side of the room, draped with a cloth. Jade came up next to me and growled.

"Can you feel that?" she inquired, scenting the air. I did. The temperature had dropped, and I could feel something lurking in the room.

"You shouldn't be here. Leave," a voice echoed through the room, yet I saw no one.

"We're only here to help," I replied.

"And you're telling me that she's here to help too? I doubt it," the voice responded, bitter. I glanced at Jade and she rolled her eyes.

"You seem to have a problem with what I am. Have you met anyone like me before?" Jade asked.

"Yes. He visited often. I thought he was a friend," the voice answered, coming from our right. Jade and I turned, but judging by her agitated expression, she didn't see anyone either.

"What did he do?" I continued the conversation, watching and waiting. Jade circled me protectively, pausing at my side.

"He murdered me," the voice answered. A woman appeared right in front of me. Her bloody face was slashed to ribbons and so was her body. Startled, I stagged backward while Jade took offense. I was about to call her off when she blocked a swipe from a knife aimed at me. She smacked it aside and it skid across the hardwood.

"Leave us alone! You're not welcome! We won't allow your kind to drag us to hell!" she screeched. I covered my ears and Jade flinched. The pitch was unnatural. A clammy hand covered my mouth and yanked me back against something cold and solid. Jade hissed and spun around.

"Let her go," she ordered, eyes above me. The spirit holding me hostage must have been really tall.

"You go. She stays," his deep voice rumbled, like thunder. In response, Jade bared her teeth and lunged. He was quicker than I thought he would be. In a flash, he shoved me aside and was ready to attack once Jade was close enough. He met her head on, fist swinging. Jade neatly dodged and almost floored him with a punch of her own. He stumbled but remained standing. He was a big man, capable of brute force. His throat was a mangled mess of bloody flesh. I was so distracted by the scuffle that I didn't realize I was in danger until a sharp pain blazed across my back. I jumped away from my attacker to see the bloody woman.

"He said he would leave us alone if you stay with us and banish her," the woman cried, manic. She raised the knife and I backed away.

"Who?! Who's hurting you?!" I demanded.

"Tori!" Jade called, eyes on my injury.

"I'm fine!" I yelled back. Jade barely avoided a crushing blow, focusing back on her fight. It allowed me to focus too. Which was fortunate because the woman was after me again. I kept out of reach of her wild slashing, catching Jade dodging and attacking out of the corner of my eye. I was driven apart from her, stuck in the hall.

"Whatever he told you, we aren't here to hurt you. We really are trying to help. We can protect you from him if you tell us who it is," I pleaded with her.

"It's too late for us. It's too late for you too," she responded, her one working eye flicking over my shoulder. I shivered at the feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach. I spun around and tripped back into the wall at the sight of the man behind me. His bottom jaw was torn off, blood running down his front. He wielded a machete which was swinging down on me. Out of nowhere, Jade charged into him. She slammed him back into the opposite wall, pinning him. The long blade came down with a solid sound that made my stomach heave, cringing at Jade's cry of pain. It was a sound I had never heard before. I always thought Jade was the toughest person I could ever meet, and here she was, overwhelmed. She gripped the man's wrist and forced him back, pulling the blade free from where it was lodged in her shoulder. Once he was shoved away, she blinded him with a slash of her nails across his eyes. He screamed and pawed at his face, giving her time to retreat. She bulldozed the woman to the floor then scooped me off the ground just as the bear of a man from earlier slid into view through the wall.

"We have to go," she panted, running for the door. I clung to her, watching over her shoulder as the three spirits gave chase. She raised her arm and threw herself at the door, breaking the lock and shattering the wood under the force. She kept running even after she cleared the property, not stopping until we were halfway down the road and I was telling her to slow down. She fell into a jog that then became a fast walk. Eventually, she stopped altogether. She stood there, breathing heavily, her dark blood painting us and falling in droplets to the dirt road.

"Jade…" I whispered, holding a hand to her face. I hadn't noticed the bruises before. Her brow was split, she sported a black eye, and her jaw was discolored.

"You're hurt," I stated, unable to believe it. She closed her eyes and nodded.

"I know," she breathed out, tired. She gently set me down then moved to sit at the side of the road. I stared at her, feeling a mix of conflicting emotions. Disbelief that Jade was forced to flee. Frustrated that the spirits wouldn't believe us. Sad that Jade was hurt. Worried that she was mad at me for not listening to her warnings. I slumped under the guilt, hugging my middle.

"I'm sorry," I muttered. Jade glanced up, confused.

"Why?" she responded, truly puzzled.

"For not listening to you. Maybe this was a mistake. We should call it quits and go home," I advised, walking over to sit next to her. I cringed at the torn skin of my back flexing with the movement. She shook her head.

"You know I could have forced you to abandon it at any time, but I didn't. I was just as curious as you to solve this. But you know, we didn't come out of it empty handed," Jade remarked, turning to me. I arched an indignant brow at her.

"How was this not a failure?" I asked.

"After what you went through with me, I thought you would piece it together," she responded calmly, eyeing me with expectation. I let out an exasperated sigh at her cryptic reply but tried to think about what it meant anyway. I replayed the recent events, and suddenly, I understood what she meant.

"I was able to see and hear them. Then they were able to physically attack us. Which means someone is giving them that strength," I stated.

"Yes," she agreed.

"Could it be the man or the beast they mentioned?" I wondered.

"Most likely. It's also possible that our realtor friend either knows more than he's letting on or is the man-beast they keep ranting about," she speculated.

"But if that's who's giving them the strength to materialize then wouldn't they be working with him?" I pointed out.

"Not necessarily. They could be forced against their will. If they're tormented and confused souls that just want to pass on then that could be fueling their rage," Jade explained.

"Right. Then there's only one thing to do," I said.

"Go home. We shouldn't get involved," Jade concluded. I frowned at her.

"No! We can't just leave them like that!" I refused. When Jade didn't change her mind and merely stared stubbornly at me, I tried again.

"Right?" I whined, losing steam. Jade sighed and shook her head, resting her hands on her bent knees.

"Jade, this is where you agree with me," I hinted.

"When have I ever cared about anyone other than you, Vega?" she inquired, looking back at me with absolutely no interest in the situation.

"Please? For me?" I pleaded, resting a hand on her uninjured shoulder.

"Don't do that," she growled, hunching her shoulders and turning away.

"Do what?" I replied, feigning innocence.

"You know what," she accused, shooting me a glare that would send anyone else running for the hills.

"So, does that mean you'll help me?" I continued to press, knowing my begging and pouting would slowly wear on her.

"Are you going to do it anyway whether I agree or not?" she grumbled.

"Yes," I answered, resolute.

"Then I guess I have no choice," she sighed, running a hand through her hair. I grinned and leaned into her side, wrapping my arms around her.

"You know I love you, right?" I told her, sincere. I could feel her rigid form start to unwind and she let out a long exhale.

"Whatever," she mumbled halfheartedly. I turned her already healing face to mine and kissed her.

"Let's get some rest and think of a game plan," I said, pulling out my phone. She simply rolled her eyes and fell back in the grass to wait while I called a cab. Explaining my appearance to the driver that arrived was a bit difficult, but I managed to convince him that I had gone to an early Halloween party. Once I was dropped off, I tried my hardest not to show pain when I got out of the car and made my way inside the rented flat. I showered and came out to see that Jade was mostly healed and cleaned up.

"How do you do that?" I inquired, passing her the supplies to tend to my back. Luckily, the old wounds were healing well so I could focus on the newest one. Jade started right away.

"I have powers beyond your comprehension, mortal," she replied, teasing. I shook my head fondly at her response and pulled on my shirt when she finished. I put everything away and headed back to the room, looking forward to a restful sleep. Jade playfully tackled me on the bed when I returned. I laughed and wrapped my arms around her neck, bringing her down on top of me. She studied me with a soft gaze and brushed aside my hair, her hand cupping my jaw and her thumb running over my cheek.

"I haven't wanted to purposely cause you pain since you freed me from that prison. Unless, of course, if you plan to leave me," she murmured, brushing my bottom lip before leaning in to kiss me.

"Of course," I laughed, breathy with the familiar intoxication I only ever felt with her. My mind idly replayed the day while I traced her nose and jawline. Her eyes fell closed, savoring my touch. An epiphany struck and I voiced it aloud.

"Hey, what if whatever is affecting the spirits at the mansion is also having an effect on you?" I realized.

"Hmm. That would explain the random bouts of lost control. I never had that problem so frequently before. But it didn't start here," she reminded me.

"Oh, that's true," I agreed. She thought on it a little longer.

"But maybe that's because whoever started this is also behind my lost control. What if they've been following us? They could also be the one to bring us here and it's all a part of their plan," she elaborated. It sounded like a possibility and I was quick to accept it as a fact.

"What plan is that though?" I questioned. She shrugged and fell on her back next to me.

"That, I don't know," Jade admitted, scowling at her own answer. I found her hand between us and gave it a squeeze.

"We should ask around and look into the rumors and stories. Maybe someone will know something. We could even see if Brendon works from home or an office. If the latter, then we could check it out," I planned.

"What are you? An investigative journalist now?" she questioned, unenthused by the idea. Probably because she hated when I got too involved with people. It meant she would have to help them in some way or help me out of trouble.

"I have many talents. Some you could only dream of," I jested with a sly grin.

"I'm sure you do," she said, tone skeptical. I glared, offended.

"You don't think I have talent?" I asked, playing at hurt. She scoffed.

"Does getting into trouble count?" she jeered.

"Rude," I grumbled, rolling over to give her my back. She pulled me against her and chuckled in my ear.

"I love your compliments," she teased, kissing under my ear. A tingle traveled down my spine and I pressed myself flush against her.

"Oh, shut up. I'm trying to sleep," I shushed her. She harrumphed but didn't comment further. I smirked, basking in the rare compliance. It took me several minutes to relax enough to sleep. Jade helped me along with a hand on my hip, a thumb drawing circles into my skin. When I focused on that I was able to drift off into sleep. The next morning, I woke up bright and early with the help of several alarms. Jade made fun of my ability to ignore most of them while I got dressed. I pointedly ignored her.

"Let's start at my favorite little cafe," I said, striding down the sidewalk. Jade scoffed.

"It's the only one you know," she commented. It was a good thing I hadn't entered yet so I could shush her without garnering stares. I played the tourist card and asked around for local spots of interest, starting at the café and branching out to other shops or people hanging around in the nearby park. If no one brought it up, I did as casually as possible. I asked about the stories and the rumors. I got various accounts of murder, suicide, accidents, accidents that were probably murder, suicides that were probably murder, and plain old natural death. Police were called in for the accounts of foul play or suspected foul play, but nothing was ever found. There were no suspects. Looking into Brendon's workplace didn't get us anywhere either. He worked for a real estate business but he worked from home so there wasn't an office to snoop around in. I felt like we were going nowhere until I sat down at a bench to rest. An older gentleman was seated at the other end.

"He looks old enough to have seen the Revolutionary War," Jade joked, laughing cruelly. I sighed. If only I could glare at her. Chances were, she already knew what my reaction to that was anyway.

"How old does that make you?" I whispered, sounding casual, but I knew she was aware of what I was implying.

"Hey, I'm not that old," she snapped.

"Funny. You've yet to tell me how old you are. Let's see. I found photographs from your past. The first photograph was invented in the eighteen twenties so you're at least two hundred years old," I estimated. I heard her mumble something.

"What was that?" I encouraged.

"One seventy," she corrected grudgingly. Wow. Not as old, but still. My surprise must have been apparent because she growled.

"Just get on with it and ask the old codger what he knows!" she hissed, her irritation hanging in the air around me. I shrugged and turned to get the man's attention. I asked about the mansion and told him I was interested in it. He advised against it and was kind enough to tell me the deaths that made it to the news. Solid evidence that deaths had actually occurred there. He then went on to mention the first one he had heard about and when it might have started. It turned out that the mansion had been a cursed hellhole for around eighty years, maybe more. It was just what he remembered. I thanked him and went on my way.

"Eighty years? No wonder it's a local legend," I muttered under my breath.

"I have a bad feeling about this. We're in over our head," Jade cautioned once again.

"I told you, I'm not giving up," I argued.

"That place is condemned. The only way to do any good would be to destroy it, and I don't think you want to be arrested for arson," she retorted.

"I won't if we can make it look like an accident," I suggested.

"Vega," Jade snarled. I shivered at the tone of her voice, the rumble coming from a place deep in her chest. It only ever happened when she was either really angry or very aroused. The short of it was, I wasn't as intimidated by it anymore.

"Stop it," Jade suddenly scolded.

"Stop what?" I replied, eyes on my feet.

"Stop thinking about that. I can feel your excitement and it's distracting," she remarked. I could practically see the smirk on her face from her tone alone.

"I'm not thinking about anything," I mumbled. A blush started in my cheeks at being caught red-handed.

"You're blushing," she said, a feather light touch caressing my cheek. I blushed harder.

"I'm cold. Humans do that," I forced out.

"That's a terrible excuse," she dismissed.

"Well, it's…you know…shut up," I whined, pushing my hands in my pockets and stomping forward with my head down. I heard her chuckle in amusement while I grabbed a cab back to the flat. I wanted to spend a day to relax and hopefully get enough rest so that I could return to the mansion. Jade loved the idea and enjoyed the down time too. We kept our conversation topics away from it, talking about anything but that. The shows we found on tv were entertaining enough and we even fought over and made bets on the competition shows. It was nice to do the things we normally would, had we not taken a job so removed from home. But all good things didn't last. When the day ended, Jade took me to bed. She kissed me languidly and held me against her, savoring the moment. When she pulled away, leaving me dazed, she pressed her forehead to mine.

"Your pathological need to help others better not get you killed, Vega. I can't lose you," she said, voice pained and a little scared. It surprised me to hear the vulnerability. But of course, Jade was still somewhat human, and humans were vulnerable. Jade was only good at hiding it.

"I know. You don't want to lose your ties to the world," I said with a nod.

"No. Not just that. I don't want this to end. I've fought to live for a very long time. I've killed to live. But finding you, being lucky enough to be accepted by you despite what I am, that is what keeps me alive. Living through you and with you has made me happier than anything I've experienced in my actual years of living. You've given me something no one else has. I love you, Vega. You're stuck with me until the day you die and hopefully beyond that," she promised, locking eyes with me. I smiled and hugged her tight. That was how I eventually fell asleep. Wrapped in her embrace. When I woke up, Jade was still holding me. It was rare when she stuck around through the night. She disliked staying still for too long.

"What time is it?" I asked.

"Too early to get up," she answered.

"Jade," I complained halfheartedly. She hummed a laugh and tightened her hold on me.

"Rest. You'll need it," she ordered. I rolled my eyes but got comfortable, easily falling asleep again. The next time I woke up Jade was gone. I sat up and saw her sitting at the end of the bed, her father's book in her hands again. I crawled over and draped myself across her shoulders, looking at the open pages.

"Found something or just looking?" I asked.

"Both," she responded. That perked me up like no coffee could.

"Seriously?" I made sure.

"As the plague," she replied, handing me the book. I shifted to sit next to her and held it in my lap.

"I was trying to figure out the reason all this was happening and came across an entry in the book. Remember those sigils your family used to keep me trapped in their house?" she began, pointing one out. I nodded.

"Whoever is behind this is using them. He has to be in order to contain that many spirits. I kept looking and my father mentioned a ritual. Here," she continued, flipping a few pages to stop on a rough sketch of a portal of some sort.

"What is that?" I asked.

"I'm guessing a connection to Hell or the Underworld or whatever people call it through the years. It's where I went to join with the demon and where I came out when the ritual was complete. I never asked my father how he did it. I only knew that it took his life to complete it. But it says here that trapping spirits to use as a power source is part of it. A sacrifice of your own life force is needed too," Jade said.

"So you think he's gathering a power source to open this portal? But for what? And why target us? If we hadn't gotten involved he would have succeeded," I pointed out.

"Exactly why he had to make sure we would never get involved. Imagine, he's been working on this grand plan for years, and then he hears of someone who could ruin it all. I can guarantee that he's been watching us. He had to have heard about you somewhere and tracked us down. Remember how I felt someone back at the house? He's been influencing me this whole time, trying to break us apart or get me to kill you. Anything to stop us from finding out," Jade explained.

"Then why call us here in the first place if he could take us out at home?" I wondered. Jade took a moment to think.

"He must have killed the original realtor. He had to be the one to call us first before he was replaced with the fake one," she realized.

"What? But you said he had to have been working on this for years," I recalled.

"Right. He had to have owned the mansion. Having ties to otherworldly forces have kept him alive well past a normal human. He must have had to give it up at some point and play dead, only to come back as a different person and take over again any way he could," she clarified.

"Oh my god," I whispered, appalled by the depravity involved in such an act.

"Then what happens if he gets the portal open?" I asked, scared of the answer. Jade turned back to the book.

"It's just a door, a means to an end, so any number of things could be done once it's open. My father only ever used it to save me. Who knows what this man-beast is after, but it can't be good. We have to stop him," Jade vowed, determination set in her clenched jaw. Her eyes glowed gold, bringing my attention to them.

"Your eyes have changed. Did you know that?" I mentioned, reaching out to brush at her cheekbone. She turned to me.

"Whatever he did to mess with me must have awakened the demon from its dormant state. Every time I lose control I feel it grow stronger. That's why I had to get away. I thought it would take over and kill you," she confessed. I shut the book and got up to put it away. When I came back, I stopped in front of Jade.

"Your will is stronger than anything I've ever seen, Jade. When I said I trusted you, I meant it. No one can take away your control," I told her, moving to stand between her legs. I rested a hand on her shoulder. The other weaved through her hair. Her hands slid over my sides, pulling me close once they settled on my back. I pressed against her and leaned down to kiss her, my mouth open and hot on her own. She groaned and reached down to help me straddle her, all the while continuing the kiss. Once my legs were wrapped around her waist, she picked me up and carried me further onto the bed. Our bodies aligned and my hips lifted at the feel of her solid yet soft frame fitting with mine.

Her tongue snaked from my mouth when she pulled back to lavish my neck with nips from blunt teeth. Then she was sucking at the sensitive skin, wanting to leave a less permanent mark. I moaned and arched under her, the minor pain doing nothing but exciting me. She laughed at my reaction and dragged her hand over my chest to my pants. She skimmed the bare patch of skin between my shirt and pants then pushed my shirt up. I finished pulling it off, followed by my bra, while she dragged off my pants. Her mouth was back on my body, kissing up my stomach to take a breast in her mouth. I groaned loudly, fingers in her hair pulling slightly. The knot in my gut tightened as I writhed under her. Her other hand dragged equally blunt nails down my side, stopping to play with the band of my panties.

"Don't you dare tease me," I warned, panting with pent up frustration. She chuckled and grinned slyly at me.

"I would never," she mocked in playful feigned innocence just as her thigh pressed up against me. I bit back a cry and rolled my hips in response. She kissed my chin then my stomach then my navel. She paused to slide off my panties then kissed my inner thigh. She parted my legs wider then her lips and tongue were on me, no longer teasing. I gasped and bit my bottom lip, grabbing at the sheets. She was so thorough and knew me so well that I quickly unraveled under her ministrations. I moaned at the swipe of her tongue collecting my release, unable to rest once her fingers replaced it.

They slipped in with ease and I shot right back up. She leaned over me to watch as I came, determined to stare back into her golden irises. I marveled at her sense of calm, her pleasure simmering just under the surface, and yet she held her human guise without effort. All except her eyes which stayed trained on mine. I gripped at her back, nails digging in when she coaxed another orgasm from me, and this time I squeezed my eyes shut, whimpering. I was getting tired. She kissed me, slow and steady. Loving. Her fingers slid out, wet hand resting at my hip.

"Looks like you were right," she muttered, her nose brushing mine. Her voice was husky and deep, her arousal coloring every word.

"Aren't I always?" I panted, smiling.

"No," she responded flippantly. I laughed and pushed at her shoulders, switching our positions. She complied willingly, allowing me to undress her. I took my time touching her, drawing out each act of pleasure. Not to tease, but to worship. She patiently enjoyed each stroke and caress, groaning when my mouth joined my hands. She pulled me close when she finally let go, moaning my name in my ear. I whispered my love for her in response. Afterward, I rested my head on her chest and hugged her. Her heartbeat sounded like an echo, as if it was coming from some far-off place. My eyes fluttered closed, focusing on the sound. It was peaceful, laying together enjoying the feeling of utter contentment. The silence was broken when my phone rang. Surprisingly, Jade didn't complain or growl. She merely lifted her warm hand from my back to allow me freedom to get it. I reluctantly slid out of bed to answer. When I saw the name, I put it on speaker and returned to bed. Jade raised a curious brow but said nothing.

"Hello?" I greeted.

"Yes, hello. Just checking in. It's Brendon."

Of course it was. I had to tread with caution. Now that we were sure of his intentions I wondered if he was just as aware of ours.

"Hey, Brendon. Everything is going fine. Two down. I hit a bit of a snag when I went back so I decided to take some time off to let things cool down before trying again," I informed him.

"I can see that. I didn't think property damage would be included in your work."

Damn. The door. I forced a sheepish chuckle.

"Sorry about that. Sometimes they can get a little out of hand," I told him, glancing at Jade. She shrugged, not at all sorry.

"Well, I guess it can't be helped then. How long do you think it will take you to clear everything out?"

Geez, these were people not furniture, and I wasn't just some mover hired to throw them out.

"I couldn't say. These things take time," I answered, unwilling to give him any information.

"I see. Well, let me know when you make more progress."

"Sure. Can do," I said, trying to remain polite.

"Good-bye Miss Vega."

"Bye," I replied, hanging up. I turned to Jade, matching her peeved expression. His callous way of referring to the trapped souls made us all the more determined to do everything in our power to foil his plans. So we prepared for the fight ahead. This time, we were ready. I stepped up onto the wide porch of the mansion an hour later. I stared at the broken front door with Jade by my side. She looked focused, senses on alert.

"Could he have placed traps?" I guessed.

"Yes, but if he did then he would be making his intentions clear, and I think in regard to that, he's still in the dark about how much we know," she replied.

"I hope you're right," I said, opening the door. It hung a bit off its hinge and creaked when it moved. We stepped inside the cold house and I shuddered at the weight of the spirits' suffering. Jade walked ahead of me, scanning.

"Now that I know what to look for, I can try sensing the sigils," she said, all her attention focused on our surroundings. She slowed to a stop, lifting a hand to run it along the wall.

"What is it?" I asked.

"I'm not sure. I feel something here, but it leads somewhere else," she answered, dragging her hand a little more.

"Follow it," I suggested. She kept going, following the walls up the stairs and higher still. She looked up at the ceiling, spying a trapdoor.

"The attic," she said, pointing. I groaned.

"The attic. The basement. Somewhere dark and unnerving away from anyone who could stumble upon it," I griped. Jade silenced me and jumped for the string. She pulled it down then yanked on the old ladder folded inside.

"Would you rather stay here alone or follow me up?" she asked, already knowing my answer.

"I'll be right behind you," I grudgingly responded. She began climbing and true to my word I was right there with her. We came out in a room that didn't require us to crouch. In fact, it was a foot or so higher than our heads. I knew Jade could see perfectly in the dark, so I took her hand to stay close. I was nervous to be so blind but felt safe as long as Jade held my hand. She pulled me along to the back, pushing aside objects to get to the slanted wall. I heard the soft sound of her hand running over the wood. Suddenly, there was a dim glow that twisted and turned over the wood, forming a large sigil. It must have reacted to Jade's touch.

"So it's true," I said, staring at it.

"There's more," she mentioned.

"What do you mean?" I inquired.

"I can feel them surrounding us. There's more just like this one, but I can't pinpoint where," she explained. A scream full of rage came from under us and then the scream of a banshee answered it. I cringed at the sound.

"Our friends are looking for us," Jade commented bitterly, pulling me back to the ladder.

"Wait, we're going down there?" I asked, slightly panicked.

"You wanna stay up here, cornered?" she rephrased.

"Dammit," I cursed, having no choice but to take the ladder down. We just reached it when the huge man from before launched through the opening. He caught Jade by the neck before she could go on the offensive and slammed her to the floor. The force of it threw her straight through to fall below in a shower of splintered wood. I jumped through the new opening to escape him, bracing for the fall, but Jade was up and ready to catch me. I fell into her arms and she set me on my feet.

"Great minds think alike," she jested, pushing me aside the next second to get me out of the way of an incoming knife. Jade dropped her human guise and charged, slamming into the woman and sending her flying.

"Look out!" I warned, but the man had already swatted her aside. She hit the wall hard enough to bust a hole in it. Jade fell to the ground and I ran over to help her up.

"I'm fine," she protested, yet she hissed when she straightened out her back. I glanced at the damaged wall and gasped.

"Jade, look," I said, pulling her around by her arm. She spotted the edge of a circle and reached out to tear the wallpaper away, revealing more.

"The whole house is covered in them," she realized. The man came at us again and Jade caught his fist. She swung him around and threw him at the wall. He screamed when he touched the sigil, repelling him with a force that threw him through the railing of the stairs. He didn't get back up. The woman hesitated, backing away and disappearing.

"Yeah, you better run!" I shouted. Jade grabbed me by the arm.

"Vega, don't instigate," she reprimanded. Everything fell quiet again, leaving us tense.

"We need to start a fire. Find something flammable," she ordered, rushing for the kitchen. I searched the cabinets, finding nothing. Jade looked under the sink to find the same results.

"The stove," she suggested. I ran over and spun a dial. The fire came on.

"Yes! Now if we just snuff out the fire and let the gas run, we could-" Jade planned, cut off when a sigil burned red hot on a wall to her right. She jumped away in time for someone to step through.

"Brendon," I stated, scowling.

"So you figured it out, did you?" he questioned, not at all bothered by it.

"How long did you know?" Jade demanded.

"After the last call. Miss Vega sounded too stiff for such a bright personality," he replied, glancing at me.

"This place is coming down whether you like it or not. Preferably, on your head," Jade promised scathingly. He laughed coldly.

"You sad, misguided, wretch, letting this human order you around. And for what? Love? Please," he sneered. Jade growled under her breath, hands clenched tightly at her sides.

"Don't let him get to you. He's trying to make you lose focus," I warned her, a hand on her arm. She tensed at my touch, but her blazing gold eyes stayed locked on Brendon.

"I'm going to make her lose a lot more than that," Brendon promised, his grin curling with sinister intent. Jade let out a rumbling growl, throwing off my hand. She turned to me, baring her teeth. I backed away.

"You're doing this to her," I accused, glaring at him.

"Because I know how to persuade the monsters of the world. I can thank Jonathan West for letting my father join his little club. He didn't hesitate to teach me so that I could follow in his footsteps," he replied, raising a book similar to Jade's own.

"She isn't the monster here," I told him.

"Not yet," he said, grinning with triumph. Jade sprang forward and I let her grab me. She threw me back against the wall and held me there. I stared her down, unruffled. I had already dealt with this danger many times before. Jade didn't scare me. Because she loved me. No matter how lost she was she always came back to me. Her clawed hand gripped my throat, tightening for just a second before loosening again. She froze, pulling away. Recognition returned to her eyes and she stepped back, letting me go.

"I told you," I said with a proud smile. It was my turn to shoot Brendon a triumphant grin.

"You tried to control me," Jade spat, turning to advance on Brendon. He growled, his own eyes a fiery yellow.

"I'm not done yet," he muttered, snapping his fingers. The room shifted and then I was in a different room entirely. It was one of the bedrooms, dark with barely any light getting in from the window. I was alone.

"Jade?" I called, looking around. I tried to get the door open, but it wouldn't budge.

"She can't hear you. I locked her in the basement, very reminiscent of the time spent locked away for years by your family," Brendon explained, stepping out from the shadows. I kept my distance from him.

"How do you know about that?" I asked, defensive.

"I know all about you, Victoria Vega. I know all about her too. Her past. Her rebirth. Her rampage. Meeting you. Falling for you. It's sick how you preach doing good deeds then fall into bed with a thing like her. She's stupid to allow you under her skin. To allow you control when she's capable of so much more. It's pathetic," he derided.

"If offending me is all you've got then you better find something more effective," I retorted. He laughed, amused.

"Oh, this is just a warm-up. I can't wait to show you the highlight of what I'll do to you for getting in my way," he threatened.

"Jade will get out. And when she does, she'll kill you," I warned him.

"As long as I get to flaunt your dead body in front of her first!" he roared, demonic features twisting his face and body. His skin turned the color of gray granite, long horns curving out from his forehead. His eyes were an electric yellow, glowing without any white. Like Jade, his teeth and nails were sharp and his ears became pointed, but unlike Jade, spikes jutted from his shoulders.

"I'm almost at my goal and I will not let you stop me. I will become the strongest demon on the face of the Earth and kill anyone who defies me," he snarled, voice warped by the creature he became. I fought to ignore the energy in the air, the power he radiated.

"Jade will find a way to stop you," I told him, set in my resolve. If I was going to die, then I was going to die believing that Jade would do the right thing.

"I'll kill her first before she gets the chance," he stated simply, turning to draw a sigil on the wall with his nail.

"No!" I shouted, picking up a discarded chair and slamming it across his back. It shattered but did no damage. He spun around so quick, claws flashing, that I didn't even register that he slashed my shoulder. I staggered and collapsed, my body going into shock.

"A little to the left and I could have torn out your heart or your throat. Now sit there and be a good little mortal while I crush your heart instead," he said with a laugh. He opened the small portal he conjured and roared in surprised rage when Jade leaped through, her claws dragging across his face. She landed on all fours and stood up. My vision swam, but I knew what I saw was real. Jade's skin was a mixed shade of blue and black. Her hands curved into true claws and so did her feet. Instead of two pairs of fangs, all her teeth were razor sharp. Her face held a feral appearance, and her eyes were black and gold like before, trained with deadly precision on Brendon.

"You've seemed to have upgraded. Bravo," he congratulated sarcastically. Jade growled, animalistic with rage.

"Jade isn't here anymore. She let me have control so I could kill you for threatening my existence," the demon with Jade's face responded. It was her voice, but it was mixed with something else. Something altogether inhuman. Brendon cackled.

"You foolish thing. She stupidly gave you control and you're wasting it fighting me when you could join me," he responded. The demon Jade shook her head.

"I've experienced an existence rife with sex, blood, and violence. Just the way I like it with little to no rules. It's a life no other like me has achieved without paying a price and I want to keep it that way," she snarled. She wasn't wrong. I tried to curb her desires, but ultimately, she always got her way. And I let her.

"Then I'll crush you in my claws like everyone else who dared to cross me," he responded. He crouched in a large circle on the floor, beginning to chant. The trapped souls appeared, floating around him. The sigil burst into flame, and with the growing fire, he too began to grow. He became a solid wall of muscle and spikes, no longer resembling a human in the slightest. The monstrous beast opened six fiery eyes and roared, lifting four strong arms. He charged but Jade held her ground, waiting. He kept approaching, destruction imminent. Jade's eyes shifted to land on me.

"So you're the human she loves so much. I can't say the same. I can promise that she and you will get through this. But I'm not doing it for anyone but myself. I meant what I said and I'm a selfish creature. Stay down. I'll send him back where he belongs," she vowed, launching from the ground on agile feet to meet him halfway. He managed to grab her and send her flying on the first attempt, but it didn't keep her grounded. She dodged the flurry of fists and claws, only receiving large slashes from her shoulder to her hip and horizontally across her back before she was finally close enough to land her own attacks. Her smaller claws sliced across his chest and down his back when she vaulted over his head and clung onto his shoulders, clawed feet digging in. He tried to reach for her, but she kicked off his back to land behind him. He turned to charge again but she was already attacking, blinding him. He staggered, arms swinging wildly.

She watched him struggle, smirking, then shot forward to corkscrew through the air with a claw held out. She carved effortless through his large torso and she came out into a roll on the other side. She got up, covered in his dark blood, and looked back just in time to see him shrink and collapse, a human torn in two. Almost immediately everything fell quiet. The spirits faded away and every burning sigil was left smoking but there was no more fire. The house seemed to brighten, and I found myself laying in a strip of sunlight coming in from the window. Blood spread under me, staining the cream-colored carpet. I was getting dizzy and my eyes threatened to close. The demon Jade walked over swiftly, leaving behind unnatural footprints painted red. She crouched down to study me, like a curious kid who found a bug.

"G-give her…back," I gasped through the pain and fatigue. She smirked.

"Don't worry, I will. It's too much work to be out here anyway. It's much more fun sitting back and watching her sort through everything. But now that the bindings Jonathan West put on me are removed, I might visit whenever you two need me. For now, I think Jade would appreciate a quick trip to the hospital. I wouldn't want my generous host to lose her heart and soul now, would I?" she teased, picking me up. She held me in her cold, hard embrace and stepped into a portal. Freezing cold pressure knocked the air from my lungs and then the warmth of the sun greeted me. I looked up to see Jade looking back at me. Shame, sadness, and worry softened her blue green gaze and then all I saw was darkness. The sound of a steady beep prodded me from sleep. I lazily opened my eyes and saw a hospital room. My body ached in protest when I tried to sit up. Everything hurt.

"Don't. I really couldn't stand it if those nurses came back in here to fuss at you," Jade whispered, a gentle hand on my chest. I relaxed into the pillows and turned my head enough to see her. She sat in a chair next to the bed, shadows under her eyes. Her hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail, her clothes were rumpled, and she was so pale.

"You look terrible," I croaked. She sniggered and rolled her eyes.

"You don't look too good either, Vega," she shot back.

"What the hell happened?" I questioned, closing my eyes.

"Hell indeed," she commented with an exhausted sigh.

"You…weren't you," I tried to say, opening my eyes to look at her.

"No, I wasn't," she confirmed.

"Why?" I asked simply, just wanting to know. I wasn't disappointed with her. I wasn't mad. I just wanted to know what happened and make sure she was okay.

"When Brendon separated us, he locked me in a room covered in those sigils. I couldn't get out. I could feel you slipping away and I couldn't even break through a simple containment ward. That's when the demon spoke to me for the first time since we were bonded. I guess it never found a reason to until then. It promised to save you if I removed the bindings on it that prevented it from taking control. So, I did," she explained.

"How did you know it wasn't lying?" I wondered.

"I could feel it. We share the same body. I knew that it got something out of the exchange and so it would keep its word. And it did. You're alive," Jade continued with a relieved smile, reaching out to hold my face in her hand. I leaned into her touch with a smile. She laughed without humor and pulled away with a shake of her head.

"I always thought the demon in me was something weak and needy. It always wanted to take and never had anything to give. It turns out it was stronger than Brendon's own demon and it's pretty powerful. It's a good thing it's also lazy and loves being spoiled. That kept it complacent all this time until Brendon riled it up," Jade mentioned.

"And the trapped spirits?" I questioned.

"Gone. Without power behind the sigils they found freedom. If they moved on, I don't know. But at least they weren't stuck there anymore," Jade answered.

"I guess that's better than nothing," I allowed. I fidgeted, brows furrowing at the burning pain in my shoulder.

"How long have I been out?" I wondered.

"Three days," Jade replied.

"Three days!" I exclaimed, eyes shooting open to stare at her incredulously.

"Vega, he almost took your arm off. I'm surprised you hadn't slept longer," she told me.

"Are you okay?" I checked. She stood and lifted her shirt, revealing her toned stomach marred with claw marks that were now scars.

"Same body, same damage. I just healed fast enough that it wouldn't kill me," she explained, dropping her shirt to sit back down.

"Is the demon asleep or dormant or…how does that work now?" I questioned next. Jade's weak smile fell.

"I can still feel it nag at me as always, but it doesn't care to do anything other than that. The only difference is how loud it's gotten. There isn't a barrier between us anymore. Imagine hearing your noisy and inappropriate neighbor next door and then imagine having to live in the same space. More annoying, but we understand each other better with the direct communication," she tried to explain. I nodded.

"So is it able to experience things through your senses?" I inquired, more and more curious by the new development.

"To a certain extent. Why? Are you worried it's watching us when we're together?" Jade taunted, smirking devilishly.

"No! Well…yes. That's private!" I denied at first, only to just come right out and admit to it.

"Don't worry. It can't. But we do still share emotions. There's a reason I always seem to want you so badly all the time," Jade stated, smiling when my blush worsened.

"Well I'm glad you've come to an agreement about something," I mumbled, averting my eyes.

"We both want to keep you safe. If you die, we lose touch with the world. It wants to remain here and so do I so your survival is important to us both," Jade pointed out.

"Then let's agree to never take on anything more than a few wayward spirits," I settled.

"You were the one insisting on helping!" Jade exclaimed.

"Yeah, and we did. Now let's never do it again. Deal?" I accepted, moving on. Jade scowled at being brushed off but agreed.

"Deal," she said with a nod.

"Good. Now I'm calling a nurse in here to get the doctor. I'm fine to go home," I announced.

"That's up to the doctor," Jade corrected.

"Look, I didn't lose an arm. The stitches are holding. I'm fine," I dismissed, hitting the call button. Jade let out an exasperated sigh and sat back in her chair with crossed arms. The doctor came in after the nurses checked on me and cleared me to go. My arm had to stay in a sling for the next month before I could start moving it freely again. But with all that out of the way, I was able to go home. I contacted Castor and told him I finished the job, but the realtor had disappeared, so I didn't get my other half. He offered to pay me the rest and I took it after telling him I was going on vacation. I needed the rest and down time after what we went through.

Jade and I enjoyed our time together in Paris for a few days, spending a bit of the money there. Most of it was saved for our return home. We arrived back to a packed mailbox, a letter standing out among the junk mail, bills, grocery sales, and subscription notices. The company who employed Brendon and owned the mansion had sent it in response to the one I left them mentioning that I did my job but couldn't locate their representative. Their letter was an apology that I hadn't been properly paid for my services. They asked to deposit the rest of the money directly in my bank. I wasn't going to turn that down and accepted. I was then paid twice the amount we originally agreed on.

"Holy shit," I cursed, gaining Jade's attention.

"What in the world got you to speak such filthy words? I thought I was the only one able to do that?" she playfully asked, walking over to sit next to me. I showed her my phone, bank app opened to the transaction history.

"Wow. They must have been really happy to have that old mansion back. They paid you and didn't even complain about the damage we caused," she mentioned. I almost forgot about that.

"I'm sure they could fix it," I said with a wave of my hand, eyes on the large number that had just been added to my bank account. An idea blossomed and I grinned.

"Jade, let's get a house and start our own ghost hunting business!" I exclaimed, moving so suddenly I cringed at the pain shooting through my arm. It was out of the sling but was still healing. Jade held me steady, a lightly scolding frown on her lips.

"Our own house and business?" she repeated. I nodded enthusiastically.

"And maybe, well, you could be my partner. For everyone to see," I hesitantly added. She stared at me with an expression of shock before smiling happily. She pulled me into a long kiss.

"I would love that," she stated once we broke apart. Her eyes sparked yellow and I knew someone else was just as pleased with the news. It took some careful studying, but I was starting to notice the subtle reactions.

"This calls for a celebration. I think my arm should be healed enough," I hinted, hooking a finger in the collar of her shirt to pull her in. She had been adamant in giving me the time to heal, but I knew she was just as impatient as I was to pick back up on one of our favorite past time activities. A knowing smirk pulled across her full lips, fangs in full view.

"I always liked the way you think," she purred, pushing me on my back with a smoldering kiss. I dropped my phone on the coffee table and ran my hands through her hair, deepening the kiss. Jade was my curse and my salvation personified. She had taken everything from me but gave it all back and made up for it too. I loved her to hell and back, and I knew that nothing would ever come between us.