I don't own Slayers.

Chapter VI

Crap.

She couldn't breathe, couldn't think. It was happening too fast. Nothing was suppose to happen like this. She was just suppose to steal an object, not get kidnapped by a man she could barely see in the light.

She couldn't control her eyes as they stared blankly at the man before her. The moon briefly touched upon his hair, causing it to illuminate an ethereal shade of white. His eyes were shaded by the darkness and his hands were rough and calloused. He held his hand over her mouth, ready to smash her face in if needed. He wasn't in the mood to play any sort of games with her as he forced her arms into rope.

Damn him! Lina thought with all her might. She wasn't going to be a sitting duck. She felt in her wrist guards for the sharp blades that she always kept there, but his hands were already there, stripping her of her much needed weapons.

"Nice try, Lina."

Lina shivered at the voice that emerged from the darkness. It was Gourry's.

===

Zelgadis had trouble sleeping.

It had to be in the middle of the night as the moon's light drifted through the curtains of his window. It fell in waves across his bed and skin. Zelgadis stared down at the light upon his skin and grimaced. He quickly retreated back into the darkness.

He had had trouble sleeping for the past few weeks, since he had first felt a strong presence on the astral plane. What was it exactly? He didn't know. He remembered feeling something close to it when he was a young boy, but it could also be nothing more than a feeling that could be easily mistaken for indigestion. Zelgadis gave a little burp.

He shook his head as he slipped out of bed. Staying in there wasn't going to help him. Maybe, he thought to himself, he could get a bit of work done, just until he got sleepy.

Making up his mind, he quickly got dressed and was out of the door in no time.

===

Gourry was hurting her. His hand gripped her long red hair and pulled it back. Lina let her head drop back to minimize the pain that he was creating. "You'll do as I say, got it?" he hissed into her ear. With his other hand, he held a long double bladed dagger. He struck it against her back drawing a bit of blood, as well as Lina's wrath. He shoved her through the door way.

The lights were all snuffed out bathing the hallways in nothing but darkness. What Lina hated most was that she realized that Gourry always did have the better eyes. He could see in the dark way better than she could which gave him a slight advantage. But, he's also an idiot which should give me a bigger lead, Lina mused to herself.

She tried to remember the layout of the place. Is there a way to lose him? Think! Think! She could feel herself start to panic. Not now! she cried out in her head. A doorway…close…ACK! Forget this!

Lina rammed her heel on Gourry's foot.

The man, unaware of the young girl's thoughts, was surprised by the attack. He jumped back, grabbing his foot and dropping the blade with a huge clatter. "Ow! What did you do that for, Lina?"

He sounded almost like he use to…but it could also be a trap.

Lina wasted no time. While Gourry was destracted, she swirled around on her toe and landed a kick to his face. Off balance, Gourry fell through a nearby window. Hearing the shards of glass break, she took off down the hallways, running blindly as fast as she could. She didn't know what it was, but she felt that Gourry wasn't the Gourry that she knew and that she had to get away as soon as possible.

After a few twists and turns, Lina ran into a dead end. Suddenly, arms encircled her waist and she was shoved against the walls. Lina's knee flew up quickly, but was blocked by a leg. She felt a hand clamp down on her shoulder, the other on her mouth.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"MMPPH?"

The hand left her mouth and she stared dumbfounded at the entity. "Zel?" she asked once again. Lina dropped her head and began to calm her nerves. "You know this is going to cost you, right?"

Zel pressed her against the wall with his body, his lips brushing against her ear. She could feel his warmth and unconsciously leaned closer toward him. "Keep very still and very quiet." Zel whispered in her ear. His breath stirred the hairs near her ear, tickling her skin. "I hear something."

Not realizing how tired she was till then, Lina's head began to droop. Relinquishing her body to the fatigue that she felt, she leaned her head against his shoulder. Hey, he was more than a capable head rest. She immediately felt him tense up but didn't really care.

"Don't do that," he hissed in her ear.

Lina snorted, feeling sleep start to consume her consciousness. "Why?" she hissed back.

"Because--"

Light flooded the halls, causing Zelgadis to squint momentarily. He slowly turned around and met the squinting eyes of Xellos Metallium who looked a bit amused by this predicament.

"What do we have here?" Xelloss asked.

Zelgadis tried to move away from Lina but she was already asleep and drooling on his shoulder. "It's not what you think." He sighed as he turned to pick her up. "Someone's after her," Zel finished.

"You knew this would happen if we brought her into it," Xelloss replied with half a smile. "That didn't stop you from searching her out and convincing Phil to use her for this project." He turned on his heel to go back to his rooms and stopped in mid-step. "Are you going to tell Lina her real role, Zelgadis or will you let her find out on her own?" Before Zel could answer, Xelloss was gone.

Zel stared down at Lina's face. She appeared to be dreaming as her eyes began to move under her lids. She looked so peaceful, so happy that Zel momentarily felt bad about what would happen in the next couple of days. She was going to go through the most stress and sadness that any person would have to go through. She would have to face demons, face monsters, face her fears…

"Damn."

End Chapter