Kyrie stared at Lady feeling her mouth move but no sound would come out. Her heart beat loudly as her breath came in short gasps as if she had been running.
"Is he...is he..." She couldn't bring herself to ask as she felt tears spring to her eyes and the lump in her throat tightened.
"Dead?" Lady asked somewhat impassively. "No. It might be worse."
"Worse than dead." Kyrie responded back. "What happened?"
"I asked Dante for help, you know like I do when I need it." Lady began. "It was just a routine thing, take out the demon and grab the artifact but I didn't know what the effect on Dante would be...that mirror."
"Mirror?" Kyrie questioned back hearing Lady's voice falter somewhat. The woman gave a nod in response.
"It mirrors your inner self." She explained. "So the demon that grabbed it wasn't physically powerful but had a lot of inner strength I guess. Once it had the mirror it became crazy strong."
"Okay...so the demon overpowered him?" She asked trying to piece the puzzle together.
"No Kyrie. The demon was no match for Dante, he handed its ass to it on a platter." Lady replied aloofly. "It was the mirror. I didn't know the effect it would have on him since he's a half breed."
"It reflects a persons inner self to them." Kyrie said as the gears turned in her head. "Dante's inner self is a devil."
"Yes." She replied uneasily.
"But Dante has control over that part of himself. He still knows who he is when he transforms." Kyrie stated.
"Only because he has his humanity." Lady said. "The mirror took it and trapped his human side away in it."
"I can save him." Kyrie said walking over to the desk where her weapons sat.
"Kyrie the only person who may be able to get near him is Trish." She said slowly and gently. "He's a very powerful devil and was extremely aggressive at that."
"He's my mate." She replied curtly. "He'll know who I am."
"And if he doesn't he could kill you." Lady said.
"No he'll be able to sense it." She said. "At least I'll be able to calm him down until we can come up with a plan."
"Trish is on her way." Lady said. "Why don't you get a hold of Nero and Patty, we can use all the help we can get."
Once the group was together and filled in it was decided that Trish and Lady would go ahead to scope out the area that Dante had last been seen.
"He won't go far from the mirror." Lady said. "It has a hold on him."
"Well he could just take it with him." Trish replied.
"No it was bound by magic that neither one of us could break." She said. "We couldn't move it or break it. That's how we're in this predicament."
"So let's go kick the old mans ass." Nero said holstering Blue Rose.
"I can't believe that Dante needs our help." Patty said. "It's weird."
"Get over it." Trish stated. "Dante's always been there for us when we needed him most. At the worst parts of our lives, he saved all of us and now we have to return the favor."
"Agreed." Lady said with a nod. "Patty once we find him you have to use your amulet to bind him. Nero, you provide back up for Kyrie so she can try and get to him."
"What will you two be doing after you find him and let us know." Kyrie asked fearing the answer.
"We'll worry about that if we get to that point." Trish replied.
The elder two of the hunters exited the shop with the three younger not to far behind. Kyrie let Patty drive Dante's car while Trish, Lady and Nero opted for their bikes.
"It will be okay Kyrie." Patty said feeling the woman's severe distress. "Dante can come out of anything. He's strong. Sometimes he just needs a reminder."
Kyrie didn't answer opting to stare out the window as the sun set below the horizon. She rubbed absently at her wrist feeling the swelling come back as she did so.
She stared off into space remembering a few hours before when they had showered together and what Dante had said to her before he left.
Patty abruptly stopped the car causing Kyrie to come back to reality. She turned her attention to where Lady and Trish had stopped a few feet away from them.
As they exited the vehicle static clung to their clothes and skin heavily as if it had sucked all the air out from around them.
"Oh yeah, that's Dante's power alright." Trish said softly. "Lady and I will be around if things get out of hand. Nero stay where you can grab Kyrie if you have to. Patty, don't get to close, just enough to activate your pendant."
They dispersed with Lady and Trish hiding in the shadows. Patty went ahead cautiously with Nero and Kyrie behind her. They could hear a howling akin to a wild animal as they drew closer.
It didn't take long to find Dante. He stood in front of the mirror screaming and growling at it. His talons raked down it as purple energy crackled from it and sparked around him.
"I think he knows what happened." Patty whispered. "He's trying to get his human side out."
"That or he's trying to get the mirror so he can take off." Nero chided.
"Stay here until I say it's safe." Patty warned. She took a tentative step closer feeling the heat from her pendant. Dante was much to powerful to be vanquished by it but she could hold him in place for a limited amount of time, it would just take a lot of her energy.
Dante glanced over his shoulder sensing it. In a flash he turned causing Patty to stop in her tracks. He let out his wing span in a threatening manner as he growled a warning.
"Hey Dante." Patty said eyeing him warily. "It's me, Patty. We're here to help you." She clasped the pendant in her hand holding it out to him.
He let out an enraged yell as Patty spread her feet apart to get better footing. She gritted her teeth as she fed her energy into the amulet and Dante became immobile. "Sorry Dante. Kyrie, go, there isn't time!"
Kyrie felt bound to the spot. She had seen Dante in his devil form on a couple of occasions but he had always been in complete control of himself.
As he stood before her howling and attempting to thrash around she felt sick to her stomach. He was scared and in anguish. She didn't know how she knew but she felt it coming off of him.
She thought about what he had said to her, about her voice. She had practiced that song for countless hours until her voice had become hoarse.
After that day she hadn't sung anymore since the church that she had believed in betrayed her but she still knew the song. Maybe it could help, maybe it would stir up the memories in him again.
Tentatively she took a step forward hearing the notes ring out in her head as she kept her gaze steady.
"Listen to my voice calling you, calling you out of darkness." She began to sing. "Hear the devils cry of sin, always turn your back on him."
Patty closed her eyes tightly against the burning pain that shot up her arms permeating her muscles. It made her weak and all she wanted was to let her arms rest at her side.
She willed herself to stay as she was, Dante had never given up on her, she wasn't about to let him down.
"With the wind you go and still I dream of my spirit leading you back home. I shall give my gifts to you, while you're gone and watching on." Kyrie continued edging closer to Dante.
He had spotted her advancing towards him. He bared his fangs at her as if daring her to come any closer to him. Kyrie maintained her gaze on him moving slowly.
Gently she reached out her hand to him with her palm up to show him that she had not ill intention towards him. "The light in your eyes, an angel of dark, fighting to ease the shadows sight. Hearts will glow, the heavens will play, leaving behind all the things in the end."
Nero stood his ground as well some feet away from her. His devil bringer stung like mad as it pulsed and throbbed. He could feel Yamato thirsting to be let out as it clamored against its bonds.
It had been a long time since he had heard Kyrie sing. Her voice brought to the surface many memories that at the moment weren't prevalent to their situation. Even still he allowed himself some nostalgia as he stayed alert.
"Listen to my voice calling you, calling you out of darkness." Kyrie sang as she was now only a few feet away from her lover. "Hear the devils cry of sin, always turn your back on him."
As she finished the song she found herself standing in front of him. Her hand had settled on his arm softly. He glowered at it but remained immobile. "Dante, my Dante. It's Kyrie." She said loud enough so he could hear her.
He sniffed the air around them as if something had caught his attention. Kyrie pulled slightly on the fabric of her dress to expose the mark he had given her. "See. We're mated. Dante, my sweet boy."
He strained against the hold on him crackling the energy around them. Kyrie could feel the electric jolts as he broke away enough to inspect the wound more closely.
Patty let out a sharp yell causing Nero to be by her side. Her skin was clammy and grey as she breathed heavily.
"I don't...know how much longer...I can...hold this for." She struggled out. Nero grasped her hand in both of his feeding his energy into the amulet as well.
An immense pain engulfed his bringer as he did so. "Nero no!"
"Patty it will be okay." He winced at it as his talons glowed more brightly than they ever had. "You'll just owe me later."
"Right." She replied with a small smile returning her attention back to the matter.
Dante sniffed at the wound flicking out his tongue to taste it. Similarly the way he had done that morning he licked at it possessively. She could feel it coming off of him in waves, he was claiming her as his.
She brought a hand up to rest behind his head as her other hand crept up his arm slowly. She could still see her mark on his flesh. She edged closer laying a soft kiss against it and nuzzled against him.
"You want to stay with me, don't you Dante?" She whispered. He let out a screech as the mirror behind them began to crack.
A red mist poured out and engulfed him knocking Kyrie back a few feet. She laid on her back with the wind knocked out of her. As she struggled to breathe she attempted to scramble to her feet only managing to clamor to her knees.
Dante stood in his human form for a moment before crumpling to the ground in a heap. Similarly Patty did as well dropping her pendant. Nero held onto her tightly as she lost consciousness.
Kyrie crawled over to Dante as quickly as she could cutting her bare knees in the process. She grasped his head placing it in her lap and shook him slightly. "Dante. Dante."
He groaned as if he were in pain. Kyrie swiped a hand across his sweaty brow feeling the heat of what felt like a fever burning his skin.
He opened his eyes a crack noticing her once he focused his eyes. His mouth moved as he tried to speak and fight passing out. Kyrie lowered her ear to him to try and listen.
"You wore...the dress...I like." He whispered softly smirking.
"Just for you." She whispered back. With in seconds he lost consciousness. Trish and Lady ran up smashing whatever pieces were left of the mirror.
"How is he?" Lady asked compassion in her voice.
"Feverish." Kyrie replied.
"We have to get him back to the shop." Trish said. "I can make an infusion so he can be comfortable."
"He'll be alright though?" Kyrie questioned feeling uneasy.
"I honestly don't know." Trish replied.
Nero loaded Dante and Patty into the back of Dante's car leaving Kyrie to drive. She glanced back in her rear mirror keeping an eye on the pair.
She would have preferred to stayed with them in case they needed immediate attention but with the other three bringing their motorcycles she didn't have a choice.
Screeching to a halt in front of the shop Trish, Lady and Kyrie managed to get Patty into then office and on the sofa. Nero used his devil bringer to drag Dante in and up to his bed.
"Old man, you have got to lay off the pizza." He huffed rubbing at his talons once Dante was secured and not at risk of falling on the floor.
Kyrie set to work peeling the layers of clothing off of him. His skin burned hotter than it had before turning her fingers red where she touched him.
"Nero I need you to grab me all the ice in the fridge up here and the mini one in the office." Kyrie said hearing Nero sprinting down the stairs.
Dante stirred fitfully as if he were uncomfortable. Much to Kyrie's horror she was able to keep him still by holding down his shoulders.
"Oh my poor baby." She said softly laying a soft kiss against his cheek. "I'm sorry that this happened to you."
His eyes fluttered open at the sound of her voice. She watched as he tried to focus on her but was unable to. She grasped his hand squeezing it tightly. "I'm right here."
"Kyrie." He said his voice sounding thick and slurred. "You...I heard you. Singing...it was...so nice...to...hear..."
Kyrie watched as his eyes rolled back in his head and he let out a shuddering breath before he was completely still.