Sealed in Ink ¤ l.h. [The Bound: Book One]

Chapter Eleven.

Chapter Eleven.

Michael came through the glass door, not bothering with theatrics or greetings. He glanced at Elle for less than a second before his dark green gaze stopped on Luke. With hands buried in the pockets of his old black leather jacket, he said "Okay. I'm here. What's the situation?"

Luke folded his arms over his chest and began explaining.

"Her mother was very sick and they couldn't afford her medication. She ended up signing a demon contract for her soul. He never told her what the price for the money she would receive was".

"That's against demon law," Michael said quickly, his forehead furrowing with stress lines.

"Exactly," Luke replied.

"So what do you want me to do?" he asked. He looked ready to do anything. Luke knew calling him was the right thing to do. Michael was one of the very few people that he trusted with his life. Even if they were as different as the sun and the moon.

"I need you to stay with her. I'm afraid that they'll get to her while I'm away. I know you can keep her safe." Luke's voice was serious, with no tone of doubt in it. Micheal nodded slightly.

"Are you going to find the demon?" he questioned. Luke sighed.

"Yeah, and I think I know who it was too," Luke told his friend.

"Alright. Go then. She'll be here in one piece when you get back. I promise".

Luke put a hand on Micheal's shoulder and gave him a half smile.

"I know. Thank you".

He then turned to Elle, who didn't look convinced at having to be separated from him. He cupped her face with both hands and touched her lips with his in a soft kiss.

Feeling the strain of leaving her in his chest already, he turned and left without a word.

~

It took Luke five hours and three interrogations to be pointed in the right direction to find who he was looking for. It was almost noon by the time he arrived at the old broken-down bar. The place was deserted except for one or two men that must have drank the night away.

"Long time no see, Luke." He recognized the voice immediately and glanced towards the concealed figure sitting behind the table at the far back of the bar.

"Darion," was all Luke said as a greeting.

He walked confidently to the back to meet with the demon. It had been a long time since they last met, but Luke was not surprised at the fact that he hadn't aged a day. There was no grey in his mane of brown hair. His eyes were still the that tone of grey-ish green and his mouth was set in that familiar cocky half smile that it always wore.

He was dressed all in black: a black leather vest, black leather pants and black combat boots. Typical demon apparel.

"What brings you here? Did you finally reconsider my offer?" the demon's smile only grew as he asked the questions. Luke's own mouth was set in a grim line.

"You know very well that I want nothing to do with you," Luke replied stiffly.

Darion arched an eyebrow at this. "Quite contradicting since you sought me out. Your words never did match your actions, huh?" His tone was calm, but Luke knew better than to trust a demon. They were deceitful creatures... and Darion was one of the worst.

"We have something to discuss. It's about a girl. She signed one of your contracts, unknowingly." Luke went straight to the point. He knew the longer he spent with a demon, the more chances of him getting screwed.

"If she signed there's nothing I can do," was the demon's response. He followed this by taking a swig of a beer bottle that he was holding in his hand. Luke groaned in frustration and took the seat across the table from Darion. He pushed a hand through his blond hair and tried to keep himself together.

"Darion," he tried to reason, "this is low even for you. Demon laws require for you to make sure the signer knows what is at stake when they sign. Surely you would get in trouble with your boss if he found out that you went around the law to steal a soul". He left the suggestion float in the air. Darion chuckled darkly.

"Is that a threat I hear, dear Luke?" He sounded unworried. Luke didn't like it one bit.

"It's just a suggestion," he said slowly. He was trying his hardest to maintain his temper in check, because Elle's life depended on it, but he was finding it harder by the second.

Darion saw right through the calm facade.

"It's Gabrielle, isn't? I should've know you'd get involved. There's rumours going around about you and her," the demon spoke amused. "The Sluaghs reported to me that they couldn't get to her last night. I presumed you had something to do with that. But I was hoping that you knew better than to butt in on demon business".

"I'm not going to let you kill her," Luke's voice was firm. His blue eyes were ablaze with a fire of determination.

"You can't stop it. The contract was sealed in ink, just like those tattoos on her skin. It's permanent. Her soul belongs to me now." Darion's words hit a nerve and something in Luke snapped.

"I will raise all hell, Darion. I'll start a fucking war on all of you low lives but I will not let you have her soul. I promise you that." There was power in his voice, but the demon was unaffected by it.

Darion's smile faded slightly. "They say that you can take the soldier out of the war but you can't take war out of the soldier, Luke. They say that once a soldier, always a soldier. Well, let me tell you something soldier: you don't have an army anymore. You have no captain or leader. You're alone and I'm not afraid of your feeble threats. If you want to take on me and the whole of hell for one miserable soul, than I cordially invite you to try. But know this, that offer to make you my partner, will be off the table, and you'll be a fucking nobody for the rest of your long and probably depressing existence. Is she really worth all of that?"

"Yes," Luke said without hesitation. With this he stood up to leave. He had heard enough. Darion was obviously not going to cooperate. He wold have to find another way to get his point across.

"I will see you soon, Darion".

"I'll be waiting".

And that was all that was said before he left the bar.

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A/N: So you guys got to see another side of Luke. Do you guys have any idea why the demon called him a soldier? I want to hear your theories :)

Thank you for 8,000 reads. You guys are the best.

I love you. Stay Awesome,

Liz.x