-1Dangerous Games

The enchantments surrounding the Malfoy Manor seemed to be powerful enough to, at the very least, prevent the demons from materialising straight into the dungeon and killing the both of them before they'd even had time to realise what was going on. The downside of this however was that they were forced to wait and listen to their impending doom thunder down the stairs.

Draco backed back across the room, his pale eyes wide and transfixed on the foot of the stairs where he awaited for the first glimpse of the demons to appear. He was not entirely sure of what he expected to see and a part of him was curious, history and legend had always told of demons being grotesque and evil looking creatures; he knew now that this was certainly not true, Rayne could all but pass for human or a witch at the very least, but a small part of him that had loved the tales still expected to see a slavering hoard of monsters come rampaging around the corner.

A nudge of his shoulder told Draco that Rayne had headed forwards as he backed away leaving them standing shoulder to shoulder in the centre of the room. She stood tall and steady, portraying a sense of calm, though her crystal purple eyes were showing far too much white and the shallow quickness of her breath belied the fear that was coursing through her. She may be able to stand strong in the face of death, but to stand fearless was beyond even her power.

Power…, "Damn!" Rayne muttered, wishing she knew of some way that she could get hers back in the few short moments she had left, perhaps she could have at least protected Draco. "Is there nowhere here you can hide?" She hissed hurriedly, surprised at how calm and controlled her voice sounded.

Draco shook his head, "No, nowhere. I guess we're in this together." He muttered. He was unable to hide the shaking in his voice. The questions he'd been asking himself earlier seemed now to be futile. He liked Rayne sure enough but had he been prepared to put his life on the line for her? Hardly, but it seemed too little to late to have made such a decision and now he was stuck facing death and feeling what? Resentment? Could he really resent Rayne for this situation or could there be someone else that could be blamed. Draco risked a glance away from the stairs and caught Rayne's eye, no it hadn't been her fault, not really But how could his father have been foolish enough to put them all in danger like this. Was he really so proud to not see the danger they were in, had been in since he brought Rayne there.

For a heart wrenching moment Draco knew where that resentment really stemmed from. His father who he so respected and looked up to had summoned their very undoing fully believing that he, they, could benefit from them and now he was nowhere to be seen. Just as the proverbial shit was about to hit the fan he was safely out of the way and his only son was left wondering where his champion was this time. Always Draco had been able to rely on his father, no matter what the problem or issue was he'd been having, to come riding to the rescue, but here, ironically in his own home, Draco had very little hope that Lucius would come to help him this time.

Rayne caught his glance as Draco looked towards her, he looked troubled; thinking far too hard in what was such a hopeless moment. If they'd have had time she would have liked to ask him to spill his thoughts to her, but she was fighting with her own dilemma; how could she save him? It seemed she had come to terms with her own impending death but she could not allow Draco to die because of her. When she had grown so sentimental she couldn't quite say, but she cared something for Draco that she never thought she could feel for someone, not even another demon; they didn't buy into many human emotions and compassion was certainly not anywhere on the radar. But she felt something so close to this for Draco, how could she die with his own death resting on her conscience?

But the two of them had no more time to consider their own silent issues as a string of figures emerged from the foot of the stairs, filling one half of the room and blocking any small hope of an escape route from the teenage pair that stood trembling, side by side, awaiting the inevitable.

Draco had expected them to round the corner and slam into them like a fist, after their violently loud entry their quiet and solemn gathering on the dungeon floor seemed unusual. A outsider could perhaps have seen the situation as calm; but to any that could feel the thick, choking tension that filled the room knew different.

Their assembling before the two of them did however did give Draco a chance to take in their appearances. All of the legends proving to be false, Rayne was indeed not the only exception to the false images that had been painted of demons in the past. Draco looked over them, his pale grey eyes flicking nervously from one demon to another but coming to linger on the man standing in the foreground, exuding confidence, power and menace; this was quite obviously the man in charge.

Draco studied him without particularly meaning to, he seemed immense; not simply in height and size though these were certainly formidable, but he seemed to fill an unnatural amount of space as if the low ceilinged dungeon was far too small to contain him. Power seemed to leak from him in cloying waves, could he kill them without even raising a finger to touch them.

"You eluded us for longer than expected Rayne, I am surprised." The demon at the front of the group spoke, his voice reverberating around the room in deep, resonant tones. "Not one of us believed you had the power, let alone the intelligence to escape us. But nonetheless, we have found you now."

The voice drew Draco's eyes to the mans face, he looked a surprising amount like Rayne. His feature harder and more definitely male of course but they had the same crystalline eyes, the same nose, same mouth though his was outlined by a Vandyke beard which stood out stark and black against his oh so pale skin. Could the man come to kill her really be Rayne's own father?

"And look, your little friend is here too. How….quaint." He spoke again, an unpleasant smile coming to his lips as his eyes finally caught sight of Draco stood beside Rayne.

Rayne swallowed hard and looked up into her fathers face, she shoved the fear that would quaver her voice and make her body tremble to the back of her mind. Stand strong in the face of death, some might think that the situation couldn't get any worse but Rayne knew better; fear would do nothing but lead to more problems. She needed to believe that she could at least save Draco but the demons before them would use any fear she showed to their own advantage, so be brave. It was her only option.

"So you found me," She said flatly with a nonchalant shrug, surprising herself a little at how unconcerned she really did sound. "That's fine, I won't run anymore."

The smile that was painted across her fathers lips widened into a sinister grin. He threw back his head in a shimmering curtain of raven black hair and laughed. It was a cold and biting sound that made Draco shiver as if he had been plunged into a bath of ice, displaying no hint of the mirth that should come with such a burst of laughter. "You could hardly run from us here Rayne, you know that as well as I do." He lowered his eyes and locked his gaze with Rayne's, the smile melting from his face and a frown appearing in a movement with such fluidity it was as if his face was made from finely moulded liquid. "What are you planning?"

"Nothing." Rayne said, her voice just as blank as it had been before but there was a new, dark glint in her eye. It was true she had nothing planned but he didn't trust her, that could be an advantage. "Honestly, I don't think I'm in much of a position to be planning anything right now." She added, the slightest hint of sarcasm leaking through in her tone.

"You were always sly and conniving Rayne, perhaps not particularly wise but certainly cunning. You could have hardly forgotten just how well I know you," He said, arching his dark eyebrows, "Why don't you do away with the innocent act and just tell us now what you have planned, it will help things to run far more smoothly from here on."

Rayne even ventured to allow a small snort of laughter to escape her at his words, was that really how he'd always seen her? Must have been otherwise why else was she the one elected for this dumb and futile mission in the first place. "No act, I just like any one else can see quite clearly when my time is up." She said sweetly. "Perhaps I am more wise than you take me for father. Wise enough to know that facing all of you, here and now I am in fact quite powerless." She emphasised the word powerless, although she didn't want to give away the exact truth about what had happened to her power a few choice hints couldn't go amiss. "So in order that things can, as you put it, go more smoothly from here on I will not fight you." Her face at this point fell into a grave but blank mask. "I accept what is to happen, what needs to happen, and have no argument to the contrary. I will go with you quietly and willingly so there will be no need for any… unnecessary bloodshed."

"Unnecessary bloodshed?" He laughed with a shake of his head. "My girl I think you've been up here much too long. The day a demon would rather take the easy way out and not see blood spilt is the sign of their own downfall."

"Maybe so, but you must agree that when the blood is to be your own the situation rather looses its appeal." Rayne sneered. "So could be please put an end to this display of banter, thrilling that it is, I'd rather not delay the inevitable any longer." She began to step closer to the cluster of demons inwardly quashing the squirming fear that was writhing in the pit of her stomach. Was this really a good idea, why not simply keep on talking? But if she left things any longer would she still be able to save Draco and at least die with some sense of dignity.

At the thought of him she turned her head for a split second and caught his eye. He'd been quiet for so long, his pale face was solemn and grave but carefully hiding the terror he must be feeling, maybe he too knew the importance of keeping a brave face. As their eyes locked he raised his hand as if to grab Rayne's, maybe to keep her from going to them, but he quickly thought better of it and dropped both his arm and his gaze. Rayne's throat clenched and she swallowed hard to choke back the tears, no crying would be very very bad right now, as a demon there was never really a good time for tears.

Quickly she turned back to face her father and the rest of the Blood demons he had brought to back him up, hoping that their little exchange had gone all but unnoticed, the glint that shone in her fathers eye however told her otherwise.

"Looks as if your little friend would rather you not go Rayne. Would he fight to keep you safe?"

Damn, they'd finally started paying Draco some attention and if he was there looking for a fight and would not get it from Rayne perhaps they would try and force it from Draco. She glanced back at him and then shook her head. "No, he would not. He is not fool enough to try such a thing." She said, her words trying to convince herself more than anyone else. "Nor does he have any amount of power worthy enough to give you any sport."

"You sound as if you are trying to protect him Rayne." He said suspiciously.

"Perhaps a little part of me feels some sentiment for him still yes, but I merely state what is fact. He is a wizard and young, there is little within his magical repertoire that could do any damage or pose any threat." Her voice remained blank and she carefully avoided turning to look at Draco as she spoke, she could not say such harsh and hurtful things and watch his reaction to her words, right at that moment she needed to say it and mean it.

"Oh my my Rayne, it seems that your little friend is not too impressed with the things you've just said. Could it be that you are lying to me?" He asked stepping closer to Rayne. As she had been speaking he had not been watching her; he had been watching Draco closely over her shoulder, gauging his reaction, and from the scowl that he saw settle over the young wizards face he knew that this boy was the key to Raynes' undoing. He reached out a hand and grasped Rayne's chin, raising her eyes to meet his identical pair. He frowned as he held her under his severe gaze, "Or… is it not me who you are lying to?"

Rayne scowled as he held her chin, his fingers digging almost painfully into her flesh. She moved, wanting to sweep his hand away from her but he quickly grabbed her by both shoulders and turned her roughly to face Draco. He dropped his gaze and looked away from her, melting Rayne's scowl from her lips her anger being replaced with a crushing sense of guilt. Her father may have not grasped the truth but he'd caught on to something and now that Draco had caught his attention it seemed that he was not simply going to let the matter drop.

"Could it be that you had this boy fooled, that he though he knew the real you, and now it seems that some home truths may have come to light." He hissed in Raynes ear as he forced her to look at Draco.

She knew that she had not lied, that Draco knew the truth. He may not have known for long but he had demanded the truth from her and she had willingly given it. But as she stood there and gazed at him, the look painted on his face, she felt almost convinced that she was still lying to him. Her father believed it and it seemed that Draco believed it too, but now what worried her the most was what her father was planning. Her moment for a quick and easy death had long since sailed, he was enjoying these games. Every demon was a sadist at heart, another's pain was an empowering emotion and Rayne could feel the demons around her floating on the power trip herself and Draco were feeding them, the more they played the better the trip would be and Rayne was dreading just how far they would push them.

Rayne shook herself free of his grip and took a step further away from him, closer to Draco. "I'm not lying, to anybody." She said stubbornly, looking between the both of them but casting a longer, more earnest glance at Draco; willing him to believe her words. But her hopes were not set too high, after all she'd been lying to him since they'd met why should he believe that now was any different? She could hope that he still felt something for her and that her words had gotten through to that part of him but the look on his face chilled her to the core. "He knows the truth." She finished quietly.

"Really?" He asked sceptically. "He knows why you came here? How you were sent to be the destroyer of them all, to undo their race from the inside and yet still he chooses to be here, by your side?"

"I know." Draco answered for Rayne. His voice was quiet but his tone was sure and certain. He kept his pale gaze cast carefully away from them as he spoke, as if the words would not come if he had to look directly at Rayne. "I made her tell me the truth. And I may not particularly want to be here but I am here all the same."

"So you aren't here in some gallant gesture to try and protect my daughter then?" He stepped around Rayne and began to pace in a circle, the young couple at the centre still not able to meet each others gaze. "But then why exactly are you here?"

"Because I live here." Draco replied in a biting tone, becoming angry at the patronising questions. It wasn't the answer Rayne's father had asked for, not really, but Draco wasn't planning on having an in depth discussion about the confusing mess of thoughts and emotions that had been plaguing him since they'd come back from the demonic realm.

"Oh because you live here." He exclaimed, throwing his head back and letting a burst of laughter spill over his lips. "You decide to spend your time down in this dingy little dungeon, with a girl who you supposedly know is about to die because you live here." His tone was disbelieving and dripping with sarcasm. He rounded on Draco, placing a large, pale hand on each of his shoulders and leaning down to hiss into the boys ear. "Now you know that is not the answer I want to hear."

Draco flinched at his touch, Rayne could see him fighting the urge to throw off his grip. Instead he cringed and shuddered, Rayne had the feeling that if it could have his skin would have crawled away by itself to escape the demons touch. She had to wonder whether he would flinch in the same way if she tried to touch him now, it wasn't something she really wanted to find out because she feared what the answer would actually be.

"Can't we just leave him out of this." Rayne said suddenly, stepping forward as if she would rescue Draco from her fathers grip, but the look in those eyes twin to her own stopped her. "Please. You want me and here I am, please just let Draco go back upstairs don't make him a part of this."

Those amethyst eyes flicked between the young couple, taking them both in. They both looked so very pathetic it was sickening. He sighed, straightening up, and finally let go of Draco; the tension visibly spilling out of the boy as soon as the weight of those pale hands left his shoulders. "Don't make him a part of this?" He repeated Rayne's words slowly. "Well you see Rayne you've left me in somewhat of a predicament here, I'd very well let him go along and live his life but my issue is with the information he now holds inside that little blonde head of his."

Draco frowned, "What do you mean?"

But Rayne knew all too well what her father was getting at, she shook her head and glared at him enraged by the way things were going. "You bastard!" She exclaimed suddenly, "Always with the fucking game playing, why does it delight you to play with people like this?"

"How dare you speak to me in that tone." He hissed, advancing menacingly on Rayne. He towered above her, appearing successfully intimidating. He could taste her fear on his tongue, sweet and slightly bitter, feeding his power and raising his pulse. Things had just become more interesting, but he still was not ready to kill her, not yet.

Rayne felt her throat clench but she forced herself to look up at him, she would not show him that she was scared and her anger was helping her be successful. Anger was one of those wonderful emotions that could override everything else you were feeling at the time and right at that moment Rayne was grateful for the searing heat that was coursing through her veins. "No, I will not blindly take it anymore." She shouted, stepping away from him so that she did not need to crane her neck to meet his eyes, "You did not realise what sending me here would cost you, all of you, and so you come back with the intention of not only making me pay for what went wrong but to get your pound of innocent flesh in revenge too. Blood is not the solution to everything why do you think that this will make everything okay again?"

"That you even need to ask that question Rayne is more than proof enough that you are too far gone to save." He replied darkly. "You are right I did not know what sending you here would cost us, cost me. And if I could take it back…"

Rayne tutted disbelievingly, she shook her head and turned away from him. The movement may have placed her facing the other demons but it was a definite improvement on looking up into those lying crystalline eyes.

"You think I want to lose my only daughter?" He raged towards her turned back. "You think that being sent here to do this is a pleasure for me?"

"Isn't it?" She asked, her back still turned. "If it is not then you've become a far better actor in the few short weeks I've been away."

"This is my punishment." He bellowed, the room seeming to swell with the sound of his voice. Determinedly he stalked around to face Rayne and roughly grabbed her by the shoulders. "I am being punished for creating this mess by being the one sent to murder my own daughter."

"And I am here, I give up." Rayne said shrugging off his touch, which he dropped reluctantly. "I won't make this any harder than it needs to be. But why keep on with the games? Why bring Draco into this?"

"You know why, he knows too much we cannot risk any further exposure."

"Yes he knows because I told him," Rayne frowned as she looked up into his eyes. "But what if he hadn't? What if he knew nothing? I know what you were planning."

He tried to look down at Rayne as innocently as he could manage, it was a difficult look to try and fake and Rayne wasn't at all fooled. "You would have made me stand there and tell him everything." She screamed pointing toward Draco. "You would have had me condemn him, make his death my fault."

He sighed which became almost a hiss as a scowl settled over his face. Too much time had passed and he was now tired of talking. "His death is your fault." He uttered in a low dark tone.

Rayne saw him move in what seemed like slow motion, each gesture took an age to perform and yet her own limbs felt like lead and she simply couldn't move fast enough. She watched as he whirled to look towards Draco, the power building and beginning to crawl over her skin like a thousand marching insects. She knew what he was going to do but she wasn't sure she'd get there in time to stop him. She saw him raise a hand, watched as Draco's eyes widened as he realised what was happening. The power began to glow in her fathers fingers and Rayne forced herself to move. She flung her body forwards like a dead weight, her limbs still resisting, and smashed into her father.