CHAPTER 24:
We're All Mad Here
Something wet was hopping across her forehead, sighing and muttering as it bounced back and forth, back and forth. She could feel something trickling down her face. It tickled and she raised a hand to wipe it away, stopping when she felt another warm hand close to her head. 'That's not mine...' Senses on high alert, she put a vice-grip on the forearm and the body attached to it jumped in surprise.
Her eyes shot open with a low groan, her brain pounding an unrelenting rhythm in her head. The person's image was blurry around the edges and as she blinked rapidly in the dim light, it slowly swam into focus.
"Hey you." It said, dipping the washcloth in a bowl beside the bed. The person wrung it out with one skilled hand and continued to dance it along her forehead. Sheila blinked.
"Hi..." She croaked, her throat on fire.
"Can I have my arm back now?"
Sheila furrowed her eyebrows and it motioned towards its arm. She blushed and reluctantly let it go. "Sorry. I thought you were someone else..."
Tyler rubbed his arm with a tiny smile. "It's okay. I'm just glad you're finally awake."
Sheila wiped the sleep from her eyes, yawning. "How long have I been out?"
He shrugged. "It's almost 2 so a couple of hours, but I heard food poisoning can do that to you."
"Food poisoning?" She swallowed, the tangy aftertaste of bile stinging her sore throat. Her mind brought forth an unclear image of her hunched over, retching, while Reid rubbed her back and smoothed her hair from her face. 'How odd.' She thought, turning her attention back to Tyler when she realized he was speaking again.
Tyler nodded. "Yeah, you got sick at the dance and we decided it would be better to bring you here where we would be able to keep an eye on you."
"We?"
"Me and the boys."
Sheila ran a clammy hand across her still damp forehead. Shaking her head, she tried to recall the details of tonight but for some reason, up until she left the dance floor with Tyler, her memories were blank. Black and endless in their nonexistence. She frowned. She remembered the song. The way she moved. Sweat dripping along her body as she laughed. She concentrated harder. Rain. So much rain. And thunder. The lightning was bright and scary. The wind fierce. She brought up a blurry image of dancing with Caleb, but beyond that... It pained her to try to remember...
"Where's Caleb?"
Tyler sighed and swung his legs over the side of the bed, pulling his body further from her, his shoulders hunching forward. He was silent for a few moments and she took the opportunity to finally stop and look at her surroundings. This was not the dining hall and this was certainly not her dorm room.
The room was vast, long in its length with a writing desk and matching bookshelf in the far corner, next to a door she guessed led to a bathroom. Two huge, curtainless windows sat to the right of the bed, a dresser and a full length mirror on the wall opposite them. The bed she awoke in was comfortable, blankets and pillows piled high on the king size mattress, an old medieval looking canopy sheltering her in from high above. It was simple, modern and yet sleek and mysterious. The room contained no pictures, no posters or stereo. Nothing to suggest that it belonged to anyone. Just another forgotten room in a mansion she guessed.
"Caleb's not here right now. He's..." A pause. Deep breath. "...out."
"When will he be back?"
He shrugged. "I don't know..."
She sat further up, leaning against the fluffy pillows when the room started to spin a bit. She groaned, a light sweat breaking out across her skin. "Where am I?"
"His house."
She gestured to the pillows. "Is this his room?"
Tyler turned and gave her a tiny smile, but quickly looked away again, a red blush creeping over his cheeks. "Uh no..." He coughed nervously. Sheila frowned.
"What? What's wrong?" She reached for him, her hand brushing his shoulder tentatively. It caused him to jump and scoot away, the movement so fast he fell off the bed with a thud. Sheila leaned over the side, her hair spilling forward over her shoulders and nearly touching the floor as she reached for him once more. "Tyler? Are you alright?"
"Yes." He squeaked. "It's just-... The blanket... Please pull it back up." He was literally twitching, his skin red and sweaty.
Sheila looked down at herself and realized that the dress she wore to the dance no longer covered her body. Instead it lay discarded at the bottom of the bed. "Oh!" She blushed, scrambling back into the bed and pulled the covers protectively against herself.
Tyler rolled his eyes skyward. 'Great. Now her cheeks are as pink as her nipples...' He got up from the floor with a sigh and made his way to the dresser. Opening a drawer, he pulled out a faded blue button up shirt. He inspected it thoroughly before handing it to her behind his back with a muttered "Here you go." Sheila accepted it with an amused, yet thankful grin and easily slid into it, the fabric draping over her petite frame.
Sheila breathed deeply in, the shirt smelling of oranges and cinnamon. She smiled. "Thanks, Tyler."
He nodded. "You hungry?" She grimaced, clutching her stomach, the thought of food sending a chill down her spine. She shook her head with a frown. "Oh... Right... Food poisoning..." Tyler sighed. "Join me anyway. It'll do some good for you to get up and walk around."
"Okay. Sure." She scooted to the edge of the bed, adjusting the shirt around her legs as she stood.
Tyler held out his hand and she slipped hers comfortably into it. He smiled, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. "Ready?" She nodded, not meeting his eyes, then frowned. "What?"
She shook her head. "Nothing. I was just wondering..." Tyler raised his eyebrows, prompting her to go on. "Did you-" She sighed. "Did you undress me?"
He blushed, then shook his head. "No. I, uh, assumed you did it." He said quietly.
Sheila's frown deepened. "I'm sure I would've remembered..." 'Or would I... I don't even remember putting the dress on...' She tried to rewind her night again but every time she got close to any detail that seemed significant, a sharp pain lanced through her head. She winced. 'Oh fuck that. I'm not getting a migraine just because my memory lapsed!' She looked at Tyler, who had stopped in the bedroom's doorway, staring at her intently. She gave him a wide smile out of instinct and he pursed his lips. After a brief staring match, he finally started walking again, shaking his head with a scowl on his face.
Sheila let out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding and rolled her sapphire eyes skyward. 'Great... Now the guy thinks I'm a TOTAL nutbag!...'
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The Danvers' house (or should she say mansion) was vast and dark, the occasional lightning bolt lighting up the hallway as they passed the tall windows. She saw in those few seconds ancient looking portraits of family members and alumni, the frames huge and gilded as they hung forgotten and dusty in the wallpapered hallway. She ran her fingers lightly over the tops of polished tables adorned with silk runners, vases of fresh flowers and symbolic statues decorating every other one. Rubbing her fingertips together to rid them of the slight dust, she smiled, her eyes falling upon a picture of a 7 year old Caleb crying, a rainbow haired clown standing next to him, birthday cake falling in clumps from the young boy's hair as Pogue, Reid, and Tyler stood on the other side of the table laughing.
Sheila picked up the frame and ran a finger over the birthday boy, sighing. Lost in thoughts of where the boy could be right now and if he was truly okay, she almost didn't hear the noise as she put the picture back on the table, the muffled cough of an unknown house occupant reaching her ears from somewhere behind her. Light she hadn't noticed before spilled into the hallway illuminating her bare feet from a slightly open door across the hall. Frowning, she glanced up and down the hallway, Tyler's retreating form turning a corner without noticing her departure from his side.
Curious, she took a step forward and brushed a hand along the edge of the door, pushing it open as she held her breath. The room beyond was a small, private area, dimly lit, the air somewhat foggy and held the faint traces of citrus. Sheila could see a bedroom through an open door on the other side of the sitting room, the vast bed pristine and untouched.
She threw a quick glance behind her before stepping further into the room, the hallway still empty and occasionally lit up by a rogue lightning bolt, no sign of Tyler anywhere.
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Tyler turned the corner, knowing full well that Sheila wasn't following him anymore and threw himself against the nearest wall, breathing hard. Bending at the knees, he slowly slid down the wallpaper and placed his head on his knees. 'Holy shit! I feel sick...' He took a few practiced breaths that he learned from his family's doctor because he, unlike Reid who was so easygoing, had a tendency to worry... ('Tyler Sims, you are a worrier.' Dr. Owens would say. 'And if you don't learn how to breathe properly in those situations that severely stress you out, you're going to end up face first on the floor, passed out cold due to lack of oxygen...')
'Fuck you, Dr. Owens.' Tyler thought bitterly. Finally the feeling to throw up subsided and Tyler lifted his head. Staring at the far wall, with its now dancing patterns and 3-D colors, he swayed a bit on his feet, the dizziness returning. "Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit." He said in rapid succession, rubbing his face.
"What the fuck...?" He groaned. Holding onto a nearby end table for support, he pulled himself to his feet and peeked around the corner. Sheila was nowhere to be seen, a pool of light from an open doorway suggesting that she had gone into the Madam Danvers' bedroom. He bit his lip, looking towards the other end of the hallway and contemplated going to Reid.
Shuffling his feet to the right, he took off down the hallway at a dead run.
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An old record player was singing softly in an otherwise unoccupied corner of the room, Tony Bennet's 'The Way You Look Tonight' making her smile. She rounded the corner of the love seat positioned in the middle of the room and found the source of the noise that had drawn her into the room in the first place.
Sheila paused in surprise. The woman was strewn elegantly across the cushions like some discarded jacket, her curled dark hair covering half her face. Sheila saw that she was fast asleep and upon seeing the half empty bottle of alcohol sitting beside a glass topped off with ice she figured she was passed out drunk. The woman did not stir, her breathing light, the swatch of silky fabric she called a nightgown rising slowly with each breath.
The woman's face was red and splotchy, a box of tissues and several of its contents used and crumpled on the floor. She had been crying. And for reasons that were beyond her, Sheila (for a brief moment) wondered why. Why was this woman, who seemingly had everything (gorgeous house, expensive car, society at her feet), crying?
Sheila sighed and threw another look over her shoulder. Not hearing any thunderous footsteps of panic and rescue coming down the hall she walked over to the tiny sofa as quietly as possible and kneeled down, picking up scattered tissues and placing them in a waste bin next to the coffee table.
She clinked the glass stopper of the bottle back onto the intoxicating substance and placed the glass full of ice in the bathroom, feeling the woman shouldn't wake, see the glass and alcohol and feel tempted to drink her problems away again.
Shuffling into the bedroom, she pulled a throw blanket from the edge of the bed and lightly placed it over the mysterious woman. Sheila straightened and looked at her. No, not looked. She openly stared. She sighed and bent over to brush hair from the woman's sleeping face. Unwillingly, thoughts of her mother entered her mind and guiltily a thought came to her. She wished that her mother was still around. She sighed again, the deep breath of air brushing across the woman's cheek as she let it out.
But she knew her mother never would've been happy if she stayed. In fact, she probably would've turned out just like this woman.
Cold.
Sheltered.
Beautiful, yet always crying in private.
The glint of gold caught her eye just as she turned to leave. Sheila leaned closer to Sleeping Beauty and saw a locket around her neck, tucked away in the dark waves of hair. She zoomed in on it with her preternatural eyesight and saw a cursive 'E' on the front of it.
'Lockets must be a really popular gift around here...'
She thought as she instinctively raised a hand to her own neck, feeling her way around her neckline for her own locket she recently inherited. All she felt was bare skin and upon making contact she undid a few buttons on the borrowed shirt to make sure with her own eyes that her hand was not playing tricks. She furrowed her eyebrows, lost. She had put it on before the dance she was sure of it.
But was she really...? Everything up until now has been static thoughts. Nothing real, just a bunch of fuzzy images. Chewing her bottom lip with worry, she was so absorbed in her own thoughts that she didn't even hear the man enter the room.
"Who are you?"
The voice made her jump and her eyes flew instinctively to the woman sleeping on the couch. Sheila let out a relieved breath, Sleeping Beauty still passed out. The man reached out and clapped a calloused hand heavily on her shoulder, making her jump again. A lick of Power heated her skin where the man touched her. She gasped when he spun her roughly around. Thankfully her feet cooperated and didn't cause her to stumble.
"And what the hell are you doing in here?"
Sheila forced her eyes up even though every cell in her intuitive brain was yelling at her to run away. Fast. When they finally locked with the hard gaze of the older man, her face crumpled into terror and confusion. Her hand flew to her mouth and was quickly followed by a scream.
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Tyler entered the game room with hurricane force wind (Category 4 to be exact), the heavy double doors swinging open and banging against the wall with a loud thud. Reid threw him a disdainful look and took a swig of his iced tea.
"What's your problem, Baby Boy?"
Tyler held up a finger, his eyebrows furrowing together as he tried to catch his breath. "I heard-" He sucked in a lungful of air. "-her thoughts..." He caught the water bottle Reid threw at him deftly with one hand and pulled a long drink from it. He took another deep breath and let it out with a 'Thanks.'.
Reid had gone back to his pool game and threw Tyler a casual sidelong glance. "What?"
"I said I heard her thoughts."
"Who's?"
"Sheila's."
Reid blinked. "So?"
"So?" Tyler ate up the distance between them in a few long strides. "What do you mean so?"
"I don't know why you're trippin'. I read people's minds occasionally. Haven't you ever done that before?"
Tyler swallowed some more water. "Yeah, but on purpose. This time..." He shook his head. "Never mind. Forget it."
Reid stopped fooling around with the billiard balls, already bored of pushing them around halfheartedly with the end of his cue stick. He looked at Tyler. "What? Just say it."
"That's just it. I don't know how. I-" He paused, collecting his thoughts and tried to form them into coherent ones so he didn't look completely helpless and insane. "I was in the bedroom waiting for her to wake up and then she did and-"
Reid laid his cue stick across the green tabletop, knocking a few balls around as he did so, and came around to Tyler. He placed his hands on Tyler's shoulders and forced his boyfriend's gaze to lock with his. "Go on, baby." He whispered encouragingly.
Tyler nodded. "And we were on our way out the door, right, and I grab her hand and suddenly all these thoughts and memories come flooding into my head. No Power. No pain. They just came effortlessly. And they were all hers. I stopped and looked at her, you know, to see if she could hear mine. I even said her name in my head a few times but she didn't react-"
"Why would she?"
Tyler shrugged Reid's hands from his shoulders and turned away. "I don't know." He said, growing annoyed by Reid's condescending tone and that pitying look he kept giving him. "I do know that it didn't feel right... My hand felt like it was on fire, Reid... And the really freaky part?" He turned and looked at Reid, his eyes wide and childlike. Reid's hard gaze crumpled. "That's not the first time it's happened. I mean I've never heard her thoughts before but sometimes when she touches me..." He cleared his throat. "Does it ever happen to you? Do you feel odd when she touches you too?"
Tyler's eyes had grown hopeful. Hopeful that would Reid would say 'Yes' and confirm that he wasn't just imagining things. "Reid?"
"Every time..." Reid whispered, so low that Tyler asked him to repeat himself. "I said every time... I feel it every time she touches me..."
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Gorman Twoberry resisted the urge to place his hands over his ears, furrowing his eyebrows at the girl's strange behavior. He shook his head when she finished screaming and took a step towards her, slinging the soft leather Ralph Lauren backpack over one massive shoulder. Sheila watched the movement with alert eyes, her gaze catching the word Baril on the top flap.
"Now was that absolutely necessary? Did you really have to do that, Ms... Hmm..." He paused. "I'm sorry but who are you again?"
Sheila blinked, bringing her shaking hand away from her mouth. The man took another step towards her, his face finally catching the light. He was tall, that's for sure, and she had to tilt her head further back to look into his eyes. They were an odd shade of brown (In fact, in this light, they almost looked red...) and were sunken slightly into his head. He was also very thin, the skin on his face stretched across his skull, making his features more prominent and eerie.
She swallowed. "I'm, uh..." 'Don't answer the question! There's something not right about this guy!' Her mind screamed its warning, her voice quivering on her answer. She took a deep breath, hoping to calm her nerves, and almost gagged, the sour stench of a backed up sewer burning her throat. Sheila looked at the man before her, her now watering eyes widening. 'He smells of Death...' She didn't know how she knew that but she felt that this was one thought she could not ignore. She coughed, the smell choking more air from her the closer he got.
Gorman sighed. "Look, I didn't mean to scare you. Kids come and go in this house all the time and-"
"Who are you?" Sheila interrupted, surprised at her boldness. "Your eyes, frightening as they may be, aren't white, so you're not a Creature. And as far as I can tell, you're still alive, so you're definitely not a Dybbuk. And you're talking, so that crosses out the whole Darkling thing..." 'Why the fuck am I rambling?! He could kill me!'
The man blinked down at her, a sinister grin twisting his face to a new level of creepy. A chill ran down her spine, her adrenaline going into overdrive. Her eyes flashed in warning, the pupils expanding slightly to consume just the blue middle parts. "Who the fuck are you?" She said in a no bullshit tone.
"Who am I?" Gorman slid the backpack off his shoulder and set it on the ground by his feet in slow, deliberate movements. His eyes never left hers and she stumbled backward as he came towards her, his body tense and intimidating like a lion about to pounce on an innocent lamb. 'She's here, alone and unprotected? God, this is too easy! Look at her. So small and weak...'
His voice grew louder and sounded like rocks tumbling in a concrete mixer. "Who am I?" He lunged at her, the question a mere growl leaving his lips.
She let out a loud 'Yip!' of surprise and threw her hands out in front of her. "Don't come any closer!" Her eyes flashed, her survival instinct overriding her fear. "I'll scream again I swear!" Sheila looked around the room, quickly searching for a weapon of any kind. She cursed. Her Powers would have to suffice. She straightened herself to her full height and clenched her hands into fists. "Just answer the question and I might second guess Banishing you."
Gorman threw his head back and laughed hard. Sheila shuffled further away from him. His body shook with banked Power, his laughter merging into a malicious growl. "Banish me?" His voice had changed completely. It was deeper and had the faint traces of an echo, like several voices were talking at once. "There are forces at work that have been in play since before this little Covenant was born." He spat. "You, Reid, Tyler, Pogue, and Caleb-" The last name was nothing more than a bark. "-are merely pawns being shuffled around and manipulated because of James' mistakes."
'There's that James again...' Sheila took that new information with a grain of salt. "Well this has been lovely... Really it has but-" She pulled the energy from the air surrounding her as she spoke, molding it into a good size Banishing ball. "I don't feel like getting harassed, mauled, and/or killed tonight so I'm just going to take care of you then go, okay?" She brought the ball forward, her eyes going complete black, and took a deep breath.
Gorman saw her hesitation and sent out a spell of his own. An Eraser spell, to be exact. It wouldn't do much good for her already altered memories but he had no choice. The Powerlust was too great when she was around and admittedly, he got a bit carried away with the whole Glamour and "Boo!" thing.
Sheila's spell dissipated, an unseen wind making her hair swirl around her head. She wobbled on her feet, having this sudden urge to take a nap. She shook her head and looked around her, her eyes returning to their beautiful blue. 'Where am I? Where's Tyler?'
Gorman almost felt sorry for her. He placed a hand gently on her shoulder. "Madam, are you all right?" His previous malice disappeared and was replaced by the decrepit, butler routine.
Sheila looked at the man who had spoken. His face was worried and his eyes were kind. She nodded. "I don't know what came over me..." She slumped to her knees, cradling her head in her hands. "I'm just so tired..." The words came out muffled behind her palms.
"Gorman?" The figure stepped into the room, his body tense, his blue eyes questioning the scene before him. "What's going on in here?"
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Tyler shook his head. "It feels wrong yet so right at the same time. And then I look into her eyes and I get completely lost... And then in the span of a few seconds, she moves away from me and the spell is broken and I feel dizzy, like I sat up too fast or something..."
"Spell?" Reid tapped his fingers along the edge of the pool table. "You think it's a spell?"
"No..."
"Then why'd you say 'spell'?"
Tyler crinkled his forehead. "It's just a word, Reid."
"But what if it was?"
"What? A word?"
"No." Reid growled. "A spell."
"Oh..." Tyler shrugged. "Why would you think that?"
"Open your eyes, Tyler. Haven't you noticed all the weird shit going on? Isn't it kind of strange that Sheila happens to arrive at Spenser the very same day that it all starts?"
Tyler shook his head. "It's a coincidence."
"Remember what Gorman used to tell us at Camp Iwanahee?" He looked at Tyler, prompting him to answer. Tyler simply pursed his lips, annoying Reid even more. "'There's no such thing as coincidence. Not in this world. Everything's manipulated.'" Reid quoted. "Remember?"
"Yes..." Tyler said quietly, embracing the fact that maybe, just this once, Reid was right. He shrugged. "So what do we do? Tell Caleb?"
Reid shook his head. "No." This got him a cross look from Tyler. "I mean, no, not now. Maybe we should just wait." He sighed. "I don't know. Maybe it's nothing." He nodded, the gesture a desperate ploy to try and convince not only Tyler but himself as well. "Maybe Caleb's Ascension somehow threw our Powers out of balance and caused some inexplicable things to happen. I mean it was our first Ascension..." He plastered on a reassuring smile, gathering Tyler into his arms. "Don't worry about it too much, Sweetness, or you'll get those nasty little wrinkles on your forehead." And, as if dotting a period at the end of a sentence, he leaned forward and placed a kissed to Tyler's forehead.
Tyler pulled away with a small laugh. "You think that's all it is? Unbalanced Power?" Reid nodded and Tyler gave up. "Thanks, baby..." He leaned forward a bit and shyly kissed him. "Stay strong for me... I need you..." The words vibrated against Reid's lips, the kiss buzzing the blonde's brain out of whack.
Reid pulled the younger boy closer, cupping his face in his gloved hands, and deepened the kiss. Abruptly, he pulled back, making Tyler whimper. "For you? Anything..." He whispered, his ice blue gaze hard and yet full of love. "Anything for you..."
Tyler sighed, not wanting the leave the warmth of his boyfriend's arms. "I guess I should go and find Sheila. Lord knows what she's getting herself into..."
Reid nodded, reluctantly letting him go, and smiled. "The White Knight to the rescue again..." Tyler threw a smile over his shoulder as he exited the room.
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Gorman straightened as Tyler entered the room. "Master Sims." He gave Tyler a low bow. "I saw this young lady enter Madam Danvers' quarters and when I went to follow her I think I frightened her so much that she nearly fainted." He said this with a slight twinkle in his voice, eyeing Sheila on the floor. Her color had returned, which was good, but how can he explain that vacant look in her eyes. "She's a bit dazed but I think after sitting for a spell-" He laughed a little on the inside at his pun. "-she'll be fine. Perhaps some water will help."
Tyler nodded. "Thanks, Gorman. I can handle it from here." He said, dismissing the butler into the shadows of the mansion.
Gorman left without another word, sighing his relief. He peered down at the backpack in his hands. "Next order of business..." He smiled, fiddling the straps as he made his way down the hall.
After a few more deep breaths, Sheila stood and gave Tyler an embarrassed smile before sidling up next to him. She did not meet his questioning eyes, knowing he was angry with her, his fists were clenched at his sides.
"You shouldn't be in here." It was a command and for a moment she was hurt that he would use such a tone with her.
"I- I'm sorry..." She stammered. She shrugged, not knowing what else to say, and followed him as he turned quickly (and quietly) from the couch and swept gracefully out the room. She threw a last glance at Sleeping Beauty and clicked the door shut behind her. "Tyler?" Her voice was soft, pleading. "You can't be mad at me."
Tyler barked out a laugh. "I can't?"
Sheila shook her head and puckered out her bottom lip, her eyes going innocently wide, false tears shimmering across their sapphire surfaces. "No..." She sniffed and his frustration quickly faded away, his face breaking into a small smile.
"You don't fight fair." Tyler reached out and took her hand, tugging her away from the room and the mysterious woman.
Sheila grinned. "Never said I did."
"I thought you were right behind me. What were you doing in there anyways?"
"I..." She thought about her answer. 'What was I doing?' "...don't..." 'Remember...' She wanted to say the last word but knew if she did it would get her another round of questions from Tyler. She sighed, a lump in her throat forming as she fought hard to hold back her tears. "...know... I don't know."
Her naked feet padded quietly over the lush carpet as Tyler led her to a far corner of the house, Eminem's 'Superman' getting louder as they approached. The walls seemed to vibrate with the back beat of the song and Sheila could hear muffled noises on the other side of a set of heavy wooden doors.
"So who was she?"
Tyler gave her a sidelong glance and sighed deeply, tugging open a door. "Caleb's mom." He went into no further details, his tone of voice rough and final. Sheila's mouth opened to respond but he pulled her into the game room before she could.
Upon seeing who it was, Reid immediately stopped his combo shot and walked over to the stereo, turning the music down to a dull thrum. He stared at Sheila and opened his mouth, but shrugged and closed it quickly. She gave him a tiny smile, her eyes passing between him and Tyler, who had taken a seat by the far wall, chewing his bottom lip, leaving her to stand in the doorway alone and exposed.
"Hi." She said quietly, bowing her head to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.
A moment of silence passed before Tyler cleared his throat. "Get her something to drink, would you, Reid?"
"Oh no. You don't have to. I can get it myself." She padded quietly to where Reid stood, two pairs of eyes watching her curiously.
Reid scratched his head with a gloved hand and shrugged at a door across the game room. "Kitchen's through there. Help yourself." Sheila smiled and nodded her thanks. They watched her practically glide across the room, her grace and gentle presence bringing a slight smile to Reid's lips. She paused with her hand on the open doorframe, her body turning a little in their direction. "I'll be right back." Her eyes flashed golden for a brief moment, her body flushing in a quick heat. "Play nice, boys..."
Fumbling for a light switch, Sheila entered the kitchen, the iridescent bulbs flaring to life as she made her way slowly to a random cupboard. Opening it, she pulled a glass from a shelf and stood in front of the sink, watching the whirlpool of water go helplessly down the drain. Cursing her succubus half to hell once again, she shook her head and felt the faint glow of her golden eyes ebb away.
She slipped her cupped hands under the chilly fall of tap water, filling them to the brims of her fingers and brought it up to her face. The splash of water was a shock to her flaming hot skin, leaving a sizzling trail of steaming water as it made its way down her throat and disappeared into her shirt. She let out a tiny 'Mmm' of approval, tipping her head back and rolling her neck slowly on her shoulders.
Sighing deeply, she stood over the sink for who knows how long, her shoulders hunched and her eyes closed, just listening to the sloosh of the water swirling down the drain as she contemplated her sanity.
A/N: Took me long enough, huh? Here's the deal: I have the next 3 chapters already written so the faster and more reviews you guys give me, the faster I'll post the new chapters. Sound fair? Then what are you waiting for?! Hit that review button, baby!