Chapter 16

They had won the next day's marathon, leaving the town without any more incidents. Hika had remained quiet despite her realization that it wasn't completely her fault. No one was as loud as they had been on the trip to the meet however, so her silence wasn't seen as anything weird.

When the girl returned home and her family found out what had happened with the demon, their actions were as if someone had come in and cut Hika in her sleep. She locked herself away for a day in mourning for the innocent that was dead. She then opened her eyes the day after and was cold and hard to everyone but Charlie. Charlie seemed to be the only person that could get through the tough exterior that the half-demon had created around herself.

Edmund watched her continuously, not finding the occasional glare from her at all frightening like she intended them. He would only smile and go about his business. A week after she had returned from the track meet, a diary of sorts was left in her room. When she opened it, she found legible and delicate hand script in it.

I was with Edmund today when we came upon a bat demon attempting to capture me. I had to laugh with Edmund. To think a demon would have the gall to try and take me away from Edmund. While we are friends and the occasional lover, Edmund holds my expertise on weapons above all others in his ranks. He would never allow another demon to steal me, even if there was the possibility that I would want to go with them.

I believe that this demon—Kuronue I believe his name is—was simply fickle in the head. The moment he saw me without my face guard he started to hit on me. Not that I cared really. I can truthfully say I have no feelings towards any man. Even Edmund. While he is great as a lover, I do not feel the emotion that so many of my race calls love. I hope Edmund realizes this and will not keep me from doing as I please. I may be a woman, and a human, but I have a mind of my own and whatever I decide should be what happens. I will not allow anyone to dictate what I do.

Deshiri

My 1302 day in the Makai

The young woman could not figure out what this book was doing in her room, but she found herself unable to put it down. She found in its pages a woman much like herself—she was with one man and then another man came into the picture and she found herself falling for them. She started to skip over the names and simply read the girls thoughts on different things. It was as if this woman was reading her thoughts and putting them out on paper. She kept the book with her no matter where she went, reading a little here or a little there.

Soon she found that she could focus more on Charlie when they were with Kuronue and Inane. The tips that Deshiri had had when dealing with Ed and Kur, as the two men were nicknamed after the opening entry, helped her focus on the man that she had started to fall for.

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Hika was visiting with Kuronue, Charlie, and Inane at the restaurant where they had first gone as friends one day when Edmund had had enough of watching. He stood outside the restaurant, across the street, watching them laugh, eat and joke about. He was tired of watching them be happy despite Bleathe's attempts at breaking Hika. Edmund decided it there on the sidewalk that he'd make them remember everything.

He took a deep breath and leaned back against the lamp post to his right. This gave him a look of a man waiting for a ride and thus, made him less conspicuous. Slowly he drew on his power so that the creatures inside the restaurant would not feel his plan. Drawing upon it slowly he sent it flowing into the two he wanted to suffer. In his mind, he drew a series of locks that would unlock the moment that their lips would meet another's lips. When he opened his eyes he had a smile that would send chills down anyone's back and he walked off, a woman joining him as they walked. Her long dark hair reached her knees and she was smiling with a matching look to his.

"You have your orders Bleathe," he said, "Get her and take her to the clearing."

The woman stopped as the man kept going and bowed a little before turning to look at the restaurant and disappearing quiet literally from view.

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Kuronue was laughing as the girls had a staring contest. So far they had both blinked two or three times as he and Charlie tried to distract them. Kuronue was making a spider motion up Inane's shoulders, chuckling as she tried to get away from the 'spider'. Charlie was attempting to tickle Hika, making her cringe away as well, though there were giggles coming from her. Kuronue felt something itch at him for a moment but put it out of his mind as he continued to play with Inane.

Finally Hika couldn't get any farther away from Charlie and keep her gaze locked with Inane and she looked away, breaking out into a laughter that rang of gentle happiness. She turned and playfully slapped Charlie's hands away before snuggling in close with him. Kuronue watched this only for a second before he was pulled down into a kiss with Inane. He was enjoying it until it all hit him at once.

Memories from hundreds of years came slamming into him. He pulled back from Inane and blinked a few moments, staring down into her deep eyes. As he breathed in the memories of Deshiri returned to him. As his heart beat the memories of Yoko and the band of Thieves returned. As he blinked the memories—all of them—returned to him of Hiromi.

"Kuronue? Are you alright?" Inane asked, reaching up to touch his cheek as his happy face slowly disappeared to become a pained one. Charlie and Hika turned from about to kiss as well to notice Kuronue's stunned features.

Kuronue blinked and seemed to break out of his stupor. When he looked over at Hika there was a look of confusion and at the same time a thousand years of memories in his gaze as he stared at Hika. He noted the arm that Charlie drooped around Hika's shoulder and the way she was curled up contentedly under it.

I can't. She may be Hiromi, but I can't take her away from that. She gave me her information. I have no more claim on her, Kuronue thought as a sadness appeared in his gaze and he looked away, focusing on Inane again. As if to prove this to himself, Kuronue bent in and kissed the girl again, as much as it hurt to realize that he may never have Hiromi's lips upon his again or her body touching his.

"Sorry, I was just—Dylan," he said softly, naming the boy that had been shot at the meet. "I couldn't help but think about how the demon so easily killed him. I'd hate to lose you Inane."

As he said this, a young woman with long black hair appeared next to their table with a bright and easy smile on her lips. "Hi there, I don't mean to pester you all, but I need to speak with Inane. It's about our project in school, remember Inane?" she asked. Her voice was light and airy as her dark green gaze locked on Inane's eyes. Without being sensed by Charlie, Kuronue, or Hika, she slipped half of her power into the human and made Inane nod and seem friendly with her.

"I'll see you all later. I really need to get this project done with Bleathe here," Inane said with a bright smile as she turned and walked arm with arm out of the restaurant with the girl before any of her friends could offer to go with them.