Chapter Eighteen: Hexes, Relationships, and Bad News
~Amaya's POV~
"I'm surprised you agreed to go on a date with me." The boy across me smiled in that mischievous way I loved. I couldn't help but smile in return as dread ran down my back.
"My friends sensed that I was being a bit too harsh on you." I replied. Something wasn't right here. My hand reached out for the Iced Tea. "And maybe I was curious about you Damon Waylon."
"Thanks." He smiled. "I know I was getting kind of annoying."
"Annoying? You stuck post-it's to my door, my mailbox, and my car. I figured why not give you a chance before you found out where I worked." He chuckled. That sound made me shake as fear filled me. I frowned. Why should I be scared of one simple human?
"So how do you like New Orleans?" He asked.
"The city is enchanting." I looked outside at the populated French Quarter. My eyes landed on a man with black hair and equally black eyes who stared back at me. My heart thudded paingfully against my chest as I forgot about Damon, our date, and the city. I was only focused on the man who seemed to make my skin tingle.
He opened his mouth.
"Amaya?" A hand on mine made me jump and look back at Damon. Who looked completely different now. His once good looks were ragged and faded. As if he had spent untold years in prison.
My body jolted as my memory seemed to kick in.
"You…" I whispered as Damon grinned.
"I was wondering how long it would take you to remember. Too bad, I was enjoying our date."
"Let go of me." I whispered pulling my hand back. His eyes darkened as he reached out and touched my other hand.
"I will never let go of you Amaya." Iron shakles rose up from the table and wrapped around me as I watched in horror. The second the iron touched my skin I screamed in pain. "I'm sorry about this, my love. But I need to get the demon out of you."
"I'm not a demon!" I screamed.
"Oh but you are." I felt something sharp graze my cheek as I flinched. "My lovely demoness. I will make sure that you are free of the demon who controls you. You don't have to worry. I will set you free so we can be together."
"Noo!" I shrieked as something hard wrapped around my neck, ankles, and waist. "Let me go! Please!" He laughed as the pain seemed to consume me in terror. I could feel my magic retreating as the iron bands burned my skin.
"Amaya…" I whimpered in pain. A hand gently touched my cheek forcing me to look up into dark eyes full of something I couldn't decipher. "Amaya don't let him do this to you."
"Itachi…. Help me…" I whispered before the chains seemed to tighten.
"Leave her be." Damon snarled. "She's mine!" Itachi ignored him and pulled my face up to his again.
"Amaya wake up." I screamed as the iron burned hotter. "Wake up Amaya. It's just a dream."
"Itachi!" I screamed as the pain seemed to reach a peak. Laughter filled my ears as my wrists, neck, waist, and ankles burned.
"Amaya! Wake up!" I gasped in pain as a bright light pierced my eyes. My eyes flew open as I jack knifed to a sitting position. I screamed in pain as my flesh seared. My eyes were blind from the light. I could see other blurs that I assumed were the ninja but I was a little more concerned with looking at my wrists.
They were burned black with red sparks that looked like a branding iron had just been pressed against my skin. I whimpered in pain moving away from whoever was near me as fast as I could. I fell off the bed and onto the floor and screamed as my other body parts burned.
"Amaya!" I flinched as a hand held me up firmly but gently.
"Maya it's okay." A hand under my nose had me sniffing the familiar smell of my sister. "It's okay Maya. You're safe. You're not with Damon; you're home with me and the kids."
I gasped as someone moved me.
"She's been badly burned." A hard voice announced. My eyes adjusted to see Itachi holding me up protectively. Kakashi and Nagato were examining my ankles as Melody made sure to keep calm by providing her scent.
"What's wrong with her?" Voices started to blend in with each other so much that I only caught the ones that had been repeated more than twice.
"What happened?"
"She started screaming out of nowhere."
Melody left my side and ran somewhere. Although I was guessing what she was going for since she returned soon enough and ran her hands over me with a Rune Stone.
"What are you doing?" Sasuke asked. Melody shushed him. When the Rune lit up around my waist Melody pulled my shirt up. From the hisses I heard I was guessing it was bad.
"What is that?"
"She's been hexed." Mel growled.
"What do we do?" Nagato asked.
"Itachi pick her up." Melody ordered. "Kisame, Kakuzu, make sure the kids don't see. Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi make sure no one is around the house or anywhere near it. Sasori I'm going to need your help. Deidera, call Analia and Ariel. Itachi follow me."
I whimpered as Itachi picked me up. I'm sure it was meant to be gently but I didn't care. The burns stung like hell. I floated in pain as I was taken somewhere. I could feel it as we descended the stairs but the steps, no matter how gentle, hurt. I could feel tears coming down my face but I was powerless to stop it.
"Shh, I'm sorry Amaya." Itachi murmured into my hair as I sobbed. "It'll be okay. You're going to be fine."
"Itachi put her on the table." Melody ordered. I cried out as the cold wooden table hit my back. Itachi didn't move once I was lying down. He only grabbed my hand and held it tightly. Which, I was thankful for since I needed to squeeze something.
I could feel Mel moving around and pulling things out but I was more concerned with the fact that someone dared to hex me.
"Hidan mix these two together and put a bit of water in it with sage. Make sure it's a paste. Sasori hold her down. Kakashi, Nagato wrap these around her ankles. Itachi get her wrists." I could feel the small strings Sasori was known for wrap around me but they didn't bother me as I felt something cold wrap around my burns. And that, hurt more than I thought possible.
I screamed so loud I was sure my throat was going to be sore tomorrow. My body jerked and struggled against the strings holding me to the table but all except for my torso, they were locked down.
"It's done." Hidan's voice yelled to be heard over my screams. I sobbed and looked to the side to where I thought Itachi was.
"Stop! Itachi HELP ME!" I screamed. I felt his hand tighten on my arm but he didn't reply.
"Take the rags off." Melody ordered.
"They're coming, un."
"What are you doing?" Kakashi asked as Melody touched my temple.
"Trust me you're going to be thanking me for this." I felt something like a cloth settle over my mouth. My throat seemed to constrict enough to not allow me to scream but I was still able to breathe. "Done."
"What the f*ck was so important-"
"Amaya?" I jerked as someone touched the burn on my left leg. My vision cleared enough for me to see Analia and Ariel looking at me in concern and fear.
"What the f*ck?" Analia yelled.
"Iron burns." Ariel murmured. "What happened?" She snapped relieving Kakashi of his duty
"Someone hexed her. I need help." Melody snapped out. I felt Analia and Ariel move to help Melody apply the salve on me. I screamed and cried as they touched me but they didn't stop.
"Itachi, you're going to have to move." Analia said. His hand tightened on mine and I reciprocated, clinging to him.
"No. I'm not leaving her." Itachi growled.
"Easy lover boy. If we don't do this now she's going to be in pain for the next few days. It's either five minutes of agony or five days of screaming and b*tching. You're choice."
"Itachi." I whimpered managing to get a glimpse of him. Ana might be a pain but she had a point. I'd rather go through a few minutes of pain to heal then wait and heal the human way. I felt Itachi hesitate before he leaned down and pressed his lips to mine.
That simple action was enough to make me almost forgot about my pain as I finally processed the wonderful feeling of his smooth lips. I almost wanted to delay the Healing Circle to savor this. But unfortunately he pulled back.
"Be careful." Itachi snarled out as he let go of me.
"We will." Ariel said.
"She is my sister you know." Melody grumbled. I felt a hand touch my leg and my arm on both sides as another pair touched my shoulders.
"Are you sure?" Analia asked.
"I'd rather use my last magic reserves to help my sister then use it for my own gain." Melody announced.(1)
"Then let's begin." I stared up at the chandelier as they started to chant.
"Heal her soul."
"Mend her body."
"Break this wrongdoing, break this hex."
"Heal what we see."
"Cleanse her body and soul."
"As we wish it, so mote it be."
I was wincing as I felt my skin knit back together but as my sister's chant became faster and the magic obeyed to do their wish I felt my skin heal a little too fast. I screamed as I felt something press against my mind. Someone was trying to counter-act the good magic to hurt me. They wanted me to bleed and feel the pain.
I thrashed against the bonds that still held me against the table as I felt someone else. Someone's emotions.
Glee.
Satisfaction.
Irritation as my sisters healed me.
Anger as it worked.
Fear that something was going to be found.
Fury.
That last emotion was so strong that it broke the silencing spell Mel had placed on me. My back arched as I screamed as loud as I was able to. I didn't realize my eyes were closed until pain against my eyeballs had me opening them. But even then I didn't want to see anything. I didn't want to feel this.
"SO MOTE IT BE!" I could hear whoever had managed to hex me scream in pain as the healing magic reached her/him. I felt the backlash of their feelings as if it was my own. But thankfully the connection between us was wiped out.
My torso dropped back onto the table as I breathed a sigh of relief.
Just before I passed out I felt arms wrap around me and tenderly kiss my forehead.
"Go to sleep Maya." I nodded already following Itachi's suggestion.
I could feel someone's fingers in my hair before I was even fully awake. The fact that someone was touching me had never really been a favorite of mine, but this particular someone only made my stomach twist in a very pleasurable way. I liked him touching me. Or more specifically, my hair.
My eyes opened slowly to get used to the sunlight that was streaming in through the sheer curtains. I could vaguely smell something good being cooked as well as someone yelling and someone else taunting loudly. I looked up slightly to see Itachi's eyes.
"Hi." I murmured. His eyes widened a fraction.
"Hello."
"How long was I out this time?"
"Almost all day." I nodded noticing a change in him.
"What's wrong?" He gave me a look.
"I should be asking you that." I raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah well you look like you've just faced death again. I on the other hand I feel fine so what troubles the mighty Uchiha?" A frown slipped onto his beautiful face.
"I'm not mighty. I'm simply a ninja. Someone hexed you." I nodded slowly. When he didn't continue I decided speak.
"Someone always ends up hexing me. It happens, I might not like it, but it happens in my line of work." Very rarely since I retired. Itachi's eyes seemed to tighten. I watched warily as his hand gently stroked my cheek. His eyes seemed to be watching me in case I decided to suffer a mental break.
"I'm a ninja. Hexes aren't something that I usually have to deal with. You sounded like you were being tortured before we woke you up. And the burns didn't exactly help to calm me." So he was worried... Well I feel horrible.
"Yeah I'll admit, that's the first time anyone's ever done that that ruthlessly." I sighed."But I was healed. I'm fine now." I didn't get a chance to see anything as I was instantly buried against Itachi's chest. Not that I was complaining.
"Healed? The way you screamed... I'll never be able to get that out of my head." I patted his back before a thought occurred to me.
"Itachi... Do you like me as more than a friend?" I got my answer when he tightened his arms around me. I bit my lip before tentatively hugging him back. "I'm sorry I scared you. I didn't mean for that to happen. I wish you'd never have seen that nor that you remember that."
"Hn." Thanks for the support. I thought dryly before deciding to go on.
"You kissed me. I can't really remember much from my little episode nor do I really want to, but I do remember you kissing me. I... Thanks for that. I know I pulled away from the last time we almost kissed and I know we've had that happen before, but... If you haven't noticed yet, I'm kind of a mess." He snorted before pulling back. I looked down. "The last time I entered a... Serious relationship, I... It didn't end well. I-"
"You don't have to tell me." I looked up quickly. Itachi looked completely serious as he stared back. "If it's not something you want to remember than you don't have to."
"I know." I nodded. "But I think you deserve to know. I feel like I'm stringing you along and I don't like being a tease. Well actually that's not entirely true, but it isn't fair to you." I took a deep breath before letting it out. "My longest relationship was with a human named Damon. I thought he was perfect and I really loved him... Four years ago I ran away from home to try and see how it was to be a human. I wanted to know what life was like away from my family and their expectations. To not have to worry about being the eldest child and eldest grandchild. I didn't want to be the perfect example of a role model. The pressure was too much and I was afraid I'd screw up somehow. So one night I called a friend and asked for a favor." I wasn't looking at Itachi now. I just stared up at the ceiling reliving everything.
"I left that night. I took what I thought I'd need and never looked back. I made it to New Orleans. That's a long way from here. And New Orleans was basically a party for any supernatural person." I smiled. "I liked it there. The sounds, the music, the people. They were all so happy and carefree. They didn't worry about rules. They had expectations but they also knew when to have fun and cut back. It was everything I'd wanted and looked for. I stayed there for a year just learning and enjoying life to its fullest." I sighed. "And then I met Damon. He was an idiot who'd lost his violin in the bar I was working at. I felt sorry for him so I used a little magic to help him out. He asked me out then and there but I said no. So he came in everyday after that and asked me out. I always said no. Until my other friends starting harping on me that I was being rude and I should just give him a chance. So I did. He was funny and cute but the thing that got me was the fact that he didn't let anyone determine his fate."
"He didn't know about witchcraft and about my family. Nor was I willing to share. At least not until he caught me doing magic." I sat up carefully knowing Itachi would help get me comfortable again. He didn't disappoint. "I was healing this little boy who'd gotten hurt while playing in the park. Children always seem to be able to sense us and if their in trouble, they know where to find us. This little boy had tracked me down and asked me to heal him so his mother wouldn't get mad. I did as he asked. Just as I sent him on his way, Damon showed himself. He'd been watching since the boy had asked me to heal him. And since his parents were Anti-witch, he ran away from me."
"I was so afraid I'd ruined whatever life I had built in New Orleans, I almost left that day. I should've to." I sighed. "But Damon found me at the last minute and told me that it didn't matter. That he still loved me and that I was still the girl he'd fallen in love with." I ran a hand through my hair. "Back then I was a little more naive. I didn't really understand what I was doing nor did I believe that anyone would ever betray me or hurt me. I got a very rude awakening. Damon gave me a lot of jewelry that I didn't really need or want. He gave me a lot of attention, affection and what I believed to be love. I was so happy for a few weeks. And then I started to get sick."
"I didn't realize it at the time but Damon had made sure all the jewelry he gave me had iron in it." I looked at my wrists and rubbed them lightly. "Iron, to witches, is very poisonous(2)." Itachi's silent gasp let me know he knew where this was going. "After a week I was so weak I couldn't lift a chair. After another week, I couldn't stop coughing. By the end of the month I didn't look like myself. I was in pain 24/7. I think the only reason I even lasted that long was because I didn't wear the jewelry as much as Damon hoped. By the end of another week, I had called my aunt Lisa. She came and got me and brought me back."
"I was in the hospital for two weeks before they figured out what was wrong with me. By that time Damon had started to look for me." I was silent for a few minutes as I figured out how to continue. "The doctors told me that due to my exposure, my magic was almost depleted. Iron had nulled my magic almost into oblivion. I couldn't feel it anymore. And that scared me more than anything. I'm sure you've read about what happens when a witch loses her magic?"
"Yes." I nodded.
"I can't explain the fear and hopelessness I felt. It was almost enough to make me kill myself. The doctors gave me a week. If my magic didn't return by then, I was lost. Thankfully, my magic did return. Though its never been the same. I can't do certain things anymore. But I'm just happy I can still cast spells again. And as for Damon, he eventually tracked me down and tried to kill me. He told me I was a demon and that my magic was something that was used for evil. That was why he'd made me wear the irons. To stamp my magic out of me." It was silent as I finished my tale.
"He broke your trust." Itachi finally said. I nodded.
"It was my fault. I'd never believed the stories about how some humans didn't like witches. I just assumed some witches made it up to scare us."
"You shouldn't have gone through anything like that." I shrugged.
"You can't change the past without altering the future. And in this case, I don't think I want to alter anything. I never would've met you guys." Itachi just looked stunned. "What?"
"... You are the strangest witch I have ever met." I smiled.
"Wasn't I the only witch you've ever met?"
"Hn." I rolled my eyes.
"Thanks for that." I leaned back so I could face Itachi since my waist was still stinging.
"What you said before," I met his eyes to let him know he had my attention. "About us and a relationship." Yeah that one sentence was enough to have me looking away. He merely moved my head up to look back at him. Boy do I feel like Hinata. "I know how I feel about you. Would you give it a chance if I asked?"
"Uh..." Would I? The better question was, could I? But then again, how many girls had Itachi freaking Uchiha ask them out? "Are you sure? You should know what I'm like after almost two months."
"I do. You're funny, sarcastic, a smart-ass, smart, dangerous, beautiful, patient, understanding, and a good cook. You're the only person, besides Nagato, who can control a group of children known as the Akatsuki." I had to smile at that.
"Would you be calling yourself a child there Itachi?" He rolled his eyes. I took a deep breath. "It's not going to be easy you know. I'm a witch."
"I'm a ninja. You kill demons I've killed people. We're both killers."
"You have a point there." I admitted. "But if you're sure you want to try this then I'm game. But you gotta ask, officially." He chuckled before looking at me so seriously I almost raped him right then and there.
"Amaya Black, will you go out with me? Will you be my girlfriend? Will you let me kiss you?"
"You're very specific you know that?" I snickered before answering. "Yes Itachi, I'll go out with you. I'll be your girlfriend as long as your faithful, and I'll let you kiss me as long as you're a good kisser."
He immediately leaned down and kissed me. I tensed slightly, but only for a brief second. I slowly kissed him back and even managed to close my eyes. For me that was a challenge. Heat raced through me as I suddenly became so very aware of Itachi and his body. (Not that, that was much of a challenge.)
His warm hand cradled my head as his tongue licked at my mouth. I didn't even have the chance to tease him before he managed to break in via biting my bottom lip. I gasped, letting him deepen our kiss. My arm wrapped around his neck as my other arm grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him closer. He didn't just come closer as he almost climbed on top of me.
From that point on all I was aware of was the burning desire to keep kissing this annoying man and making sure that we never separated. (Yeah he was a good kisser.) I could've gone on like this forever and loved every second of it. I was very determined about that too.
"Eh-hem!" Itachi and I quickly broke apart. I tried to school my features into an innocent look but I failed spectacularly. Itachi on the other hand looked very good with his mussed hair and slightly swollen lips. Oh god I almost pulled him back to me. Not that that was a bad thing but my sister wanted my attention. Speaking of whom.
"You couldn't have waited a few more minutes?" I asked. She smirked.
"Nope. Besides," She glared at Itachi who only looked amused. "He was supposed to let me know when you woke up."
"I would have. But I was distracted." He answered smoothly.
"So I saw." She drawled. I chuckled before throwing the quilt off me and sliding to the edge of the bed.
"Did you want something Mel?" I asked as I tried to stand. Itachi was instantly beside me helping me balance myself. Mel only looked amused before shaking her head.
"Yeah, Ana and Ariel are waiting for you in the Library. We need to talk about whoever put a hex on you." I frowned as I remembered that little detail.
"I'll be downstairs after I shower. I don't like smelling like sickness." Itachi let go as I finally got used to standing. "The brats?"
"Yeah, I took the kids to school. I figured they shouldn't be around in case they woke you up." I rolled my eyes as a shout sounded from downstairs.
"Hidan and Naruto are worse than they are."
"True. But hurry up and get downstairs. The ninja have been unbearable since you did a Sleeping Beauty routine." Mel growled. "I swear if Sasori asks me to check on you one more time I'm going to turn him into fire wood." I had to laugh at that image as I walked to the bathroom.
"Fine, I'll be down as soon as I can." I promised.
"Come on Lover Boy, you can hover over her when she's done showering." Mel snapped. Itachi glared at her before I snickered.
"Go with her." I said. I could feel his glare so I turned around to look at him. "I'm going to take a shower and change. I'm not going anywhere else. I'll be downstairs in fifteen minutes. Promise."
"Hn." He nodded but didn't move until I rolled my eyes and kissed his cheek. Ah, to finally be able to do that. I hurried to the bathroom before he could pull me into another make-out session. Not that I'd protest but I needed to think about a few things before I allowed Itachi to pull me into another haze.
Mainly the things that concerned me the most. How the hell had someone managed to hex me? And the question of the hour, why had I dreamed of Damon twice in one month? I wasn't stupid nor did I think a little paranoia should be ignored. I was going to be calling Andromeda today.
I needed to know. Damon was supposed to be in an Asylum, but I knew that you could always break out of those if you planned long enough or had help from the inside or outside.
I don't know about the Hex but I knew for a fact that Damon had four years to work on an escape. That was my greatest fear more than anything. Some girls had possessive boyfriends, others had abusive boyfriends, but Damon took everything to a whole new level. Because of him I'd almost lost my magic. Because of him, I'd almost committed suicide and left everyone I held dear to me. Because of him, I'd lost faith in a lot of things, trust being one of them.
Yeah, I was so going to call Andromeda today. Better to risk being paranoid than being stupid and uniformed.
When I came into the living room I was prepared to have everyone question me and wonder how I could be so stupid as to let someone hex me. (I have honestly no clue how that happened.) But instead when I was clear of the stairs I was treated to this.
"AMAYA!" Naruto jumped up and glomped me hugging me so tightly I felt the breath leave me.
"Na-ru-to…" I gasped.
"Don't scare us like that again!" Naruto let me go and I greedily sucked in a much needed breath. "Are you alright? Do you need anything?"
"Baka!" Sakura hit his head causing him to cry out.
"ITAI! Sakura, that hurt!" Naruto whined.
"Did you have to hit him that hard?" Sasuke asked, nodding at me (Uchiha's and their lack of words.) "Do you know how many precious brain cells he has left? What if you just killed the last of them?"
"Hey!" Naruto yelled in indignation as Sakura giggled. I smiled and ruffled Naruto's hair. Which was hard since he was a little taller than me.
"I'm fine Naruto. But for future reference, can you please allow me to breathe when you hug me? I'm not a ninja."
"Oh, sorry." He muttered sheepishly.
"About time you woke up." I turned my attention to Hidan and Deidera who were glaring at me. For some insane reason I felt like I was a teenager again and my parents were scolding me.
"Do you know how f*cking annoying it was to hear these f*ckers whine?" Hidan asked indicating the rest of the ninja who glared at him. "I had to deal with their sh*tty moping for eight f*cking hours."
"I'm sorry." I said. Hidan blinked looking surprised. I glared at him. "I'm sorry I scared you and caused you to go on a cussing spree. I didn't exactly intend to get hexed. I'm sorry you had to see that."
"Thank you, un!" Deidera grinned throwing an arm around me. "He's been cussing at everyone and everything. Not even Kakuzu could make him shut up, yeah."
"F*ck you she-male." Hidan grumbled.
"Dick!"
"Pansy."
"Ass-hole."
"Motherf*cker!"
"Up tight religious bastard!" I edged away from their arguing to their calmer and sensible partners who only watched them with a bored eye.
"They've been like this since you passed out." Kakuzu grumbled.
"So has everyone else for that matter." Sasori informed me.
"I know. Melody said she was going to turn you into firewood if you kept bugging her about my health." I grinned at Sasori who only looked bored.
"If I hadn't then the brat would have been worse."
"Uh-huh." I grinned and quickly reached out to flick his nose. "Keep up the 'I don't care' routine Sasori. I'm starting to believe you feel more than you let on."
"I'm a puppet. I don't feel anything." He argued. Kakuzu grunted a snort which made me chuckle.
"If you didn't feel anything then how can you feel irritation at Deidera? How can you feel anger at keeping people waiting or people keeping you waiting? If you can feel that, I have hope that you can feel more than you let on." Sasori only glared at me. "You may be a puppet but you're still human. Otherwise you'd just be a blank puppet who only thought about killing."
"And maybe I am."
"Nah. You can keep Keira entertained by showing her a puppet show. I think you enjoy being human and feeling emotions." Kakuzu intervened before Sasori could retort.
"You'd better go see Nagato. Your familiars were extremely worried about you." I nodded and walked out of the living room where Hidan and Deidera had pulled Naruto and Sasuke into a fight.
Kisame was waiting for me in the hallway.
"Hey Kisa." I greeted.
"About time you woke up kid. I thought Itachi was going to die alongside you." I refuse to believe that the redness on my face was a blush.
"Nice to see you again too."
"You know, despite my relationship with Memphis, I'm not sure if I can trust you. If we'd been back in our world you would have just been another ninja. One I would have had no qualms in killing." So we were going to do this now huh?
"That's nice to know." I said sarcastically. He shrugged.
"You should know about my loyalty. I frankly don't see what has Itachi so captivated in you other than your powers. But Itachi is my friend. Though he may have betrayed Konoha, I can honestly say that he is one of the good shinobi. And I've only meet a handful of that kind of shinobi in my life."
"So why are you telling me this now?" I asked curiously.
"I'm telling you this because I believe that Itachi has fallen for you. And if that's the case then you should be warned." He came in close and smiled ruthlessly, allowing me to see his shark teeth. "If you hurt him in any way, I will hunt you down and kill you. No matter what Memphis and Keira may want."
"Your warning is duly noted." I said as calmly as I could. Those teeth looked like they could do some serious damage. "But what makes you think that I would hurt Itachi?"
"I have a feeling that you aren't the most committed person." I nodded sagely.
"In any other relationship I would agree with you, but… I believe Itachi is different than anything I've ever experienced. I like him, and not just because he's hot. But I like his sense of honor and his heart. I promise that I will kill myself before I hurt him."
Kisame and I engaged in a staring contest for a long minute. I'm pretty sure that it would have gone on forever if it hadn't been for Yahiko shouting.
"OI! KISAME! Stop staring at Itachi's girlfriend and let her in before he Tsukuyomi's your ass."
"As if he would." Kisame called. The intense staring session was gone but Kisame's warning and my promise were still lingering in the air. I nodded at Kisame before walking past him and into the Library.
"About time." Analia called from behind the desk.
"I was only unconscious, not dead. Now get your ass out of my chair." I growled.
"Yeah she's fine." Ariel sighed before kicking Analia out of my favorite leather chair. (What? It was soft and fluffy.)
"It's good to see you awake Amaya." Konan said warmly. I smiled at her appreciative of the paper flowers that were in a paper vase on my desk.
"Thanks Konan." I settled into my chair and glanced around the room. Yahiko and Nagato were sitting on the loveseat while Konan was behind them leaning against the book case. Itachi was sitting in the chair by the window watching my every move. Kakashi was leaning against the book case by the door, no doubt listening in case someone came in. Mel wasn't here so I assumed she was running around outside. (Werewolves can only spend so much time inside before they have to run free.) Analia and Ariel were sitting on the table under the window.
"We need to talk now." Ariel said clearly.
"We've been explaining what a hex is and what it can do but so far they only want to know one thing. How were you hexed?" Analia asked seriously. I sighed.
"Truthfully? I have no idea how I could've been hexed." I caught Ariel's disbelieving stare. "I'm serious, I didn't feel anything or even notice anything off."
"From the hex and the way the roots were buried, I'm guessing someone had to have hexed you a week ago. Maybe even two weeks ago." Analia said.
"You can tell that?" Kakashi asked.
"It's the reason she was screaming so long. The longer the healing session, the deeper the roots were. Normally a healing session is supposed to take under five minutes but this lasted ten minutes. And even then we had to use a lot of our magic to get it undone." Ariel explained.
"Did you feel anything when the hex broke?" Ana asked.
"I did…" I mumbled thinking back. "Someone was angry that you were taking the hex off and healing me. Someone wanted me to suffer and relished hearing my pain. And… something else…" I shook my head trying to rack my brains. "I know the word but I can't say it. They wanted something else…"
"Something other than your pain and eventual death? Whoever this person is they sure are ambitious." Ana commented lightly.
"Do you have something someone would kill for?" Nagato asked. I snorted.
"I'm a witch and a Black to boot. If it isn't my powers, the glory and fearsome reputation one would gain from my death or the relics I've hidden from the bad side then it's most likely something I've done to them or someone they know."
"She's got a point." Analia said.
"What do you mean the 'reputation one would gain from your death'?" Yahiko asked.
"Amaya isn't just a Black witch; she's also a part of our Death Squad." Ariel said. "She's Black Night, I'm Red Death, and Ana is Silent Ice. Together we've put away a lot of demons and even taken down some vampire organizations, Dark Witches, and even a few Level 4 demons."
"We were kind of like Black Ops." I explained. "The bounty on my head is probably a fortune. Do me a favor and never mention that little tidbit to Kakuzu. I have no wish to end up on the Black Market."
"The Elders trusted us to protect a lot of the artifacts that we ended up in possession of. Everyone knows that we are the Keepers of those Artifacts and that we've all hidden them away but if someone is going after Amaya then they probably want something Amaya took possession of and hid."
"The problem is after I hide the artifacts or destroy them I forget where I hide them. Standard issue so I'm not tempted to use those artifacts." I said. "I've hidden all of them but three."
"And what are those three?" Itachi asked.
"Not much in the way of being useful to a Dark Witch or demon. I have the Light of Af, The Grimoire of Ursula, and the Necklace of Aphrodite(3)."
"What about the…" Ariel trailed off. I shook my head.
"No. That is not something anyone should know about. The only one who knows about that is the women in the Black family and we've kept it safe for centuries."
"But you said it yourself, they were able to-" I cut Analia off.
"They aren't magical. That thing is still under my protection until I die or until another Black matriarch is given the task. And besides, Lilith was banished to eternity in Purgatory."
"Well just keep that option open." Ana snapped. "How many times has someone done that 'look here, while I take that over there' routine with us?"
"She's right Maya." Ariel said carefully. "Just put another protection shield around it just in case." I sighed.
"Fine."
"Oh, Andromeda called again." Ariel said suddenly. "She said to call her back and that it was urgent."
"Why am I not surprised?" I asked. "Oh well, I was going to call her back again."
"What is the Light of Af?" Kakashi asked as I dialed my superiors office.
"It's basically a staff that's supposed to channel the Angel Af's power. We're not exactly sure what it does but it's supposed to help you find whatever it is you're looking for. Problem is, only an angel can use it."
'Hello?' Andromeda's smooth tenor came on making me remember just why I was calling.
"Andromeda it's me, Amaya. I'm sorry-"
'Oh thank the goddess Amaya. I called you a week ago!'
"Yeah I'm sorry I had other pressing business after the Disturi attack."
'I remember that. But Amaya I need to talk to you about an emergency.' I straightened in my chair.
"What emergency?" I asked causing everyone to look at me.
'Amaya someone broke into the Asylum and helped five prisoners escape a week ago. This was right after the Disturi attacked you.'
"Which prisoners escaped?" I demanded.
'Emilio Ventura, Hylla Nightshade, Kristoff Ivanson, Damon Waylon, and Kenny Blanchard(4).'
"Oh sh*t." I muttered.
'I thought you might recognize them.'
"What's wrong?" Analia asked. I waved her off as a wave of dread overcame me. Why oh why did something always happen to me?
"Do we have any idea where they are now?"
'No. But you weren't the only one to be attacked that night. It took a while but we've been able to figure out that almost all of our Guardians were out that night due to some kind of interference. Many thought I had ordered them to do something or go somewhere-'
"But it was a trick." I said dully.
'Yes. By the time we figured anything out it was too late. We don't know where the five prisoners are but we do know that several of our Guardians who helped you bring them in have been attacked by curses or hexes. Others have been left to die by hanging from iron chains above a lake that had iron shavings in it.' I put my head down. 'Amaya if I were you I'd be upping your protection shields and keeping a careful eye on your siblings.'
"Don't worry Andromeda. I have a few friends who would rather die than let anything happen to me and my siblings. I'll be coming in tomorrow. I want to see exactly how these guys got out."
'Understood.' I was about to hang up when a shout called me back to the phone. 'It's good to have you back Amaya.'
"I wouldn't count on that just yet." I said before hanging up. I took a breath before I snapped and shoved the phone off the desk.
"Hey! What the hell did the phone do to you?" Analia yelled. A hand on my shoulder caused me to take a much needed breath. My hand reached up and grabbed Itachi's.
"What's wrong?" Ariel asked.
"Analia, Ariel, do you remember Emilio? What about Hylla? Kenny? Damon? And Kristoff?" I growled out Damon's name as Ana and Ariel stiffened.
"What about them?" Ana growled, probably thinking about Emilio and his deadly charisma.
"Andromeda just told me that… they escaped from the Asylum with some help."
"WHAT?!" I cast a silencing spell so they could rant and scream as much as they wanted. I really didn't want to listen to that.
"It seems like the five people I've put away, have escaped. And are coming for revenge." I muttered.
"What can we do?" Nagato asked seriously. I flashed him a grateful smile.
"I'm going to need you to help me keep an eye on Keira and Memphis. And to make sure that no one comes within the houses perimeter without us knowing."
"What are these five capable of?" Kakashi asked.
"Emilio is a Sedai. He can talk you into doing something for him and you will, no matter what you want. Hylla is the strongest Wikka I've meet who excels in hexing and voodoo. Which now that I think about it is probably the only person who could have hexed me without me knowing. Kenny… is a Necromancer." I winced. "It took a lot to bring him in and a lot of death to finally subdue him. Damon is just a human, a smart one who's very creative with iron and torture. He was also my ex-boyfriend. And Kristoff… he's a Nephilium. Borne of human and angel. And one hell of a fighter."
"You took them all in?" Yahiko asked.
"Yep. My fellow Guardians have already been attacked. Now those two," I pointed to Ana and Ariel who were still freaking out. "And I are in danger. You're ninja, I'm pretty sure you know how to weaken someone."
"By attacking their weakness and using it." Itachi murmured.
"Keira and Memphis." Kakashi growled. I nodded.
"Well, it does seem like this won't be boring." Yahiko said. I had to chuckle at that. Oh boy was everything going to be interesting.
GM NASAI: I hope you all had a good Christmas because I did. If you didn't then here you go. {Hands out a cookie}. On my budget that's all I can get. :) So I hope that you all liked this chapter and that is was good. Because I really had a hard time figuring out how to even start this. So I decided to just move along and not go over some mushy things. I can always put up an omake for those. LOL.
After 17 chapters, I finally got in some good ItaXAma in there! I hope you all like it. While Itachi is very sexy he is kind of hard to write without going OOC. So I hope I did a good job here. Oh I had fun writing that one! :)
(1) Melody- As a werewolf I decided to give her a reserve of magic that she can use whenever she needs. To either get out of the odd wolf trap or to help someone. It all depended on her. And I do think that she was a good sister to use the last of her reserves to help heal her big sister.
(2) Iron- I decided that although Iron is poisonous to witches I can make it sort of like an allergy. No two people have the same allergy and if they do it's at different levels. It just depends on how powerful a witch is. The more powerful a witch the longer they live, the less powerful a witch the faster they die. Get it?
(3) The Artifacts- I made these up, obviously. Af is supposed to be an Angel of Light. Ursula, I think we all know who this is, if you don't then try looking for her arch-nemesis, Ariel. Ironic isn't it? And then there's Aphrodite's Necklace. I figured I'd rather have the necklace than the girdle. Who wants to go around with a metal/leather girdle that probably won't go with anything in your everyday closet?
(4) The use of these names is purely fictional and something I made up on the spot. If this really is your name then I apologize for using it. But on the other hand if it is you name then kudos, you are either a human or you have badass powers that landed you in jail.
**Okay, onto reviews. I am disappointed on the lack of reviews. I liked the reviews for Chapter 16, obviously. But I do believe that you all like having a challenge or some incentive. So, I'll make you guys a deal, Give me five chapters for this and I promise I'll put an omake of Kakuzu and Keira in the next chapter. Whatever you want I'll do. Give me ten and I'll write an omake of Memphis and Kisame flooding the kitchen. :) Mwahahahahaha. Thank you for reading and please review!