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Quiet providentially, Angel's neighborhood has been situated in a quiet and dull place opposite the ancient, abandoned factory, which failed to attract any investors and has been currently serving as an unhealthy playground for the younger children at daytime and for the pack of wild dogs at night. Alex was waiting for them on the porch, poorly masking his unease with a frown. Approaching sunset molded his features into eerie harmony, gave him so vivid the appearance of the archangel as those rays were bathing him in golden light. Westchester made Erik learn a few things — among those the phenomena of deceptive appearances might be… or rather was the crucial one.
"And I was afraid, you'd be another hour late," venomously spat the teen.
"Shut up, Alex!" Raven's slow boiling fury and weariness laced every word, threatening to shatter the fragile barriers of patience. For some inexplicable reason, Erik understood perfectly clear the undercurrent of her thoughts and emotions so similar to his own.
Desolate — that's what first came to his mind when he stepped inside the dusty place, where Angel and her mother used to live, which now stood empty, but strangely loud —little sharp noises filled the air, as if the entire house was hissing intruders to them. Visibly bracing himself, Alex followed them and tightly shut the door, cutting off the lively children's voices from across the narrow road.
"There's a barrier outside the house, which has been established about a month ago," he huffed, noticing the twin disbelieving looks, "What? Do you think the little bastards from outside wouldn't have crawled in the house if they knew that nobody lives here anymore?"
"Charles has told us that once the palavering… er… something gets discovered, the magic vanishes."
"Did you check everything?" asked Erik before Alex had the chance to ridicule Raven's mispronunciation of the demonic creature's name, which was not really important right now.
"We did!" so Darwin helped him as well.
The body in the basement was dried like a mummy, but, by all means, it was Angle's mother —unless demon had wasted time to redress his victim before sucking out her life. It was partly a relief, that the girl herself was nowhere to be found, and that confirmed Erik's suspicions, that Shaw must have been holding her elsewhere — the peculiar feature of the Malphericks, the demons which stole faces and never mix it with shapeshifting, was that they had also taken away the memories of the victim, feeding on them until there was nothing left and all this time pretending to be the person they have been slowly killing day by day. Erik has heard of the demons doing it for months, putting the humans in the magic-induced sleep and living with their prospective families as if nothing has happened. As for Angel, well, Erik was personally not sure how keeping her alive was beneficial for Shaw. Furthermore, Charles has offered an idea that the Malphericks were mildly telepathic, thus the ability to impersonate someone so flawlessly and convincingly even for people who knew the victim really well. So, even taking this new idea into consideration he still doubted…
"Is there a chance that she's alive?"
"Why do you ask me?" Erik was not truly surprised by the question; he was just not ready to answer it.
"Because, unlike Charles, you're a jerk who doesn't care that we'd lost our friend and you'll tell the truth," drawled Alex.
Don't kill him, don't kill him…
In Charles' absence the mantra has lost its effectiveness.
It was Raven who punched Alex in the stomach so hard, that he doubled, gasping for air.
"Raven!"
When distant steps and the obligatory door bang had signaled her departure, Erik has offered a mocking salute to red-faced, wheezing Alex. Way to go, pal.
"Brace yourself for worse," simply said he, "because antagonizing each other is definitely not a sensible road to survival."
Profanities left Erik unfazed; he has recognized that painful, vehement anger, the desire to hurt verbally if not physically as it was the only way to get the semblance of outlet and let the monster inside calm down for the time being. He used to be there too.
"Come on, I don't give a damn what the hell has happened between you two, but," he glanced at Alex with what he hoped was a cold expression, "don't you dare upset Charles."
The irony of the situation has been finally caught up and Alex blinked at Erik a few times, before leaning on the wall. Unexpectedly, he started laughing, very loudly, so Erik has fought the urge to remind him that they were standing near the corpse, for fucks sake, until he has heard the tell-tale sound of the stifled sob. Without uttering a single word, he turned around and went up the stairs, something telling him that leaving is a marvelous decision right now.
The kid will be alright in time.
Maybe.
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The library was the place where everyone could seek refuge from everyday concerns, so no wonder that all the kids and Hank have been here tonight. The doors were closed and gentle, warm lamplight created surprisingly nice atmosphere inside the enclosed room. Feel it Erik did, as soon as he sat beside Charles, who leaned into his personal space without a second thought, but this peace, he mused, won't last for long…
"Basically, that's all what we have for now," Hank put the book back on the desk and Erik reached for it with his good hand.
"Okay," Raven started counting, "Shaw has got four, this succubus has stolen one, we've got two."'
"And the helmet," added Sean.
"Plus the helmet," agreed Raven, "but we're still at a disadvantage, right?"
A smile graced Charles' lips nonetheless, tiny but hopeful, and then he gently shook his head.
"We've not given up yet, my dear."
"There's something I don't understand," Alex, who has been silent up to this moment, spoke up, "If the entity of the demon is hypothetically so powerful, how is that vampire going to control it. Just ask — please, can you be so evil to destroy the world and wipe the humans off the face of the realm," his imitation of the Shaw's pleading voice made Raven and Sean snicker.
"We don't know for sure," slowly said Charles, "but the ritual, the description of which was stolen from the library, a regrettable loss in these circumstances, although not as terrible as the other though…" Erik realized that he's meant Angel and put his hand on the top of Charles'.
"The ritual must tie the demon to the will of the one who has called it…"
"Maybe, we should pack the relics and go somewhere else, somewhere safe," Sean looked at Erik and nodded to himself, "or Erik can go alone, it's dangerous for him to stay here any longer. We'll manage, we've been doing it for years."
"Absolutely not," drily said Erik.
"Okay, don't be mad," stammered Sean.
"Erik is not angry with you, Sean. And as for the estimated time of the ritual, again, remember that I am not sure exactly, but the full moon is rising in two days. This time," Charles looked up from the book, "we attack the enemy's quarters."
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"I don't know, the spell we've been working on with Alex has to protect the premises from intruders, but Azazel, the teleporting demon… Erik, are you listening to me at all?"
"I am," hummed Erik and pulled Charles onto his lap in one smooth move that had the latter press his lips to Erik's in a wet, perfect kiss. His good hand rested on Charles' hip, pinning him closer as Charles had wrapped both hands around his neck. The tongues and lips moved in a wonderful synch, while they've been devouring each other. And every time was like the first time.
"You didn't tell me about your dreams last night," murmured Charles when Erik pressed their foreheads together in attempt to catch a breath.
"Same shit," his voice sounded harsh even to his own ears.
Don't worry, I won't let you die.
"Erik," Charles tentatively slid one hand lower, caressing his shoulder, his forearm until he took Erik's hand in his and moved it to his belt buckle, "I thought, that maybe… you want to…" he shifted, raising honest blue eyes and peering at Erik; so close, the raw power of that gaze was overwhelming.
"I'll consider your offer, Charles. In the meantime…" his hand was suddenly slapped as Charles sulked at him, the expression obscured by lowered eyelashes. He must be hiding that shy, satisfied smile, which was one of Erik's favorites, because he was the only one allowed to see it.
"You're an impossible man, Erik Lehnsherr," it was followed by the pleased gasp when Erik did a quick job of unfastening Charles' belt and pulling down the zipper.
"I want you so much. You, Charles, have no idea what I'm going to do to you. Remember what I told you before, once I get you in a decent bed — I won't let you out of it for a week. At least."
"You shouldn't be exaggerating, my friend," he stammered when Erik nuzzled his cock, the thin fabric of the boxers the only barrier between the skin to skin contact, but it was enough to draw a nice, loud moan from his soon to be lover's lips. Gods, he wants to consummate this relationship right now, to make Charles his, as he very well must be, because he's never felt this before…
"I've always imagined having sex with you in your bed, but mine will also suffice," said his mouth without any premise from his brain, while Erik was busy undoing the buttons of Charles' shirt, and he nearly kicked himself for the lamest line anyone could come up with in this situation.
"If it matters so much," blinked at him Charles, bewildered, "we can go to my room. Is this some sort of ritual where the place plays a very important part or did I…"
"Sorry," Erik wanted the earth to open and swallow him whole, "I meant to say how beautiful you are," his hand travelled from Charles' collarbones to his exposed chest, stopping to rub at the hardened nipples and swallowing the sweet moans with his mouth, "how amazing you are, and how much…"
Abruptly, Charles has stilled, as tense and white as if the hand of death has just reached out and touched him with icy claws.
"Erik," he gritted out, "someone has breached the barrier!"
Goddamn. Fucking shit! Erik grabbed the jacket from the floor and dashed to the door, Charles followed behind, shirt buttoned up and the look of determined concentration plastered to his features.
Too soon! Erik, swore to himself — fuck, his arm has not healed yet. Crap!
"The laboratory," Charles has knitted his brows, yellowish light flashing through darkened eyes, "I'll go and check. Please, wake up Raven, her room is next to the library."
Grimly, Erik nodded and ran up the stairs, taking two at a time and regretting his inability to fly or teleport. Near the library he stopped, lack of armor nagging him like an extremely persistent white noise, until his legs had carried him to the wall with the sacred sword, which fit his hand like nothing else.
He ducked in time to save his head from being separated from the body but not quickly enough as the strong appendage twisted around his sling and Erik has felt a pull, which sucked all air from his lungs. Motherfucker! He drew the broken arm closer as his sword flashed down at lightning speed, cutting the thing in two. Having lost his balance, Erik took a step back from the wailing demon — take that, asshole, there must have been sensitive nerve endings in that tail! His foot slipped on the wet ground and the cold sweat broke down his back when Erik took in his surroundings. With a cry he pounced at the red demon, but it was too late.
Oh gods! Heavy, panicked gasps left his mouth, and white clouds were hanging before his face like omens in the freezing air, while he was standing on what appeared to be the river bank, and the only known river nearby was the one in the park, which embraced the town from the west and that meant Erik was eight miles away from the mansion, from Charles. Disgusted, he threw the tail, still twitching in his grip to the side, dumbly noticing in his petrified state the black bloodstains on the whiteness of his arm sling.
Snap out of it!
Erik bit on his lower lip, hard.
Running through the park so fast that his legs were burning and his lungs strained to accommodate some air, had miraculously helped him to clear his head.
He dashed across the street and a couple of drunkheads whistled at him, some girl shrieked machete, but Erik's mind refused to focus his attention on bystanders, and secrecy, and nothing except running. The fat man in the baseball cap has finished parking next to the convenience store when Erik took his chance to push him from the car and snatch the keys from clumsy fingers. He drove to the estate like a madman, the car grumbled and wailed as he pressed the gas. Half an hour or more has passed? Not sure anymore… Damn!
He didn't notice the smoke until the last turning which finally revealed the massive structure to his eyes and his heart missed a beat.
Kicking the front doors open he stormed inside, expecting the fire, dead bodies, Shaw, but there was nothing. The smoke, though, was coming from the left wing and Erik rushed up the stairs and along the corridor, heart pounding somewhere in his throat. Everyone, please, be okay.
The smoke was coming from the library, as well as the sounds of someone crying. Through the open doors Erik has seen the mess which was previously the most valuable collection of the sacred literature in this hemisphere thrown to the floor, the blackened, burnt shelves stared at him with reproach, smoke slowly dissipating, as Sean was viciously fighting the remnants of fire with a blanket.
Raven was huddled next to the overturned desk, Alex's bloodied head carefully positioned on her lap, her blue hands pressing the cloth to the wound on his side.
Sean has nearly jumped out of his skin when he noticed Erik and then cried out:
"Raven, he is here! Erik is alive!"
"Erik," she has gulped down the sob, "Can you help me with Alex?"
Sean assisted them in moving Alex to the couch. The injured teen was deathly pale and Erik liked neither the weak breathing nor the unsteady pulse he had felt for, after gesturing to Sean to go get a clean blanket and bandages and call the ambulance, damn it.
"Raven," he gripped her shoulder and shook — she is shocked, he needs to be calm, but persuasive.
"Where is Charles, Raven?"
She pressed both hands to her mouth, rocking back and forth. Tears were streaming down her face, when she sagged in Erik's grip.
"C-can't find him anywhere, Erik… We can't find him! Oh god…"
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