Her Shadow, Watching.

~*'One'*~

''"Please, protect her.. Please.. Take my life, and save her!'' The sobs of a dying woman as she begged for her newborn's life, her soul started to flicker like candle light being drowned in wax, the flame dimming until it was no more, extinguished by the thick, yellow wax which dripped down, eventally drying until it seemed like it was stopped in time.

''I hope you know this will keep you from the gates of the afterlife, Esther.'' Jaifianuhn purred, his dark shadow form began to take a human shape as his eyes glittered with pure hunger. Hunger for the soul that threatened to disappear before him.

''I don't care!'' Esther stage-whispered, her eyes gleaming like liquid fire. Her baby was premature and she couldn't breathe. It was believed that she wouldn't survive through the night, But Esther was determined that one of the creatures of the void would help her, for a price... The price of a hearty meal to keep them powerful for decades to come. "Will you actually help her, demon? Of are you like the rest of them... Lying, flea-bitten mutts?" 

    The demon leered, his teeth growing visible in his shadowy face; His canines sharpened as he prepared to devour her soul in exchange for protecting her child. He was starving, plus, contracts were a pain, but it was a nice change to work for his meal for once in his eternal life.

"I'm surprised that you would taunt a demon, Esther. Now. Shall we begin? Give me your hand" He told her as she reached a shaking hand out. A thick bracelet with several different religious artifacts dangling from it. Jaifianuhn shrunk away from it as his power began to drain slightly. It was slight discomfort as his form quivered with the effort to replenish the dark matter that formed his body.

"I'm not a religious bat, I wear this because of the hex, demon." She defended herself to a demon (Who was he to judge? He's a void creature!) as she  pulled it off and threw it to the other side of the room, Jaifianuhn nodded eagerly, growing hungrier by the minute, "Don't look at me like I'm a meal." Esther snarled at him. Her anger amused him, it was much like how a cornered animal snaps at its predator who loomed over it in the most beautifully cruel way.

"The deal is set then, I shall protect her until she is able to fend for herself?" Esther set her glare on him, even though her light soul started to dim by his endless bounds of dark matter. She was weak, but her determination kept her alive.

"My soul isn't that cheap, demon." She hissed like a serpent, her feline eyes narrowing into slits. "Protect her until she dies of natural causes! Make sure she's happy, and when someone gives her a hard time, end them." He held back a chuckle at her tone. She was furious. She knew she was yelling at one of the things that could end her with the snap of a finger. It seemed funny how set she is on protecting the life of a child she's barely known. Though, he guessed it was human instinct to protect your infant. Even at the cost of your own life. It was a selfless choice, yes, but Jasper didn't quite understand it. 

"Yes, Ma'am. So, the deal is set?" His voice held back laughter as it echoed through the room like thunder. Her vision faded to black as she could only see his silhouette in the gloom. "I hope you know that after this is made, you shall remain in the void to rot."

"Are you deaf? Yes! It's set! I don't care!" Her fear made her cranky, he laughed out loud once again, shaking his head slightly as they shook hands, his dark smoke-like talons wrapping around her little pale hand as they sealed the deal.

  Then her soul began to glow, a light red glow in her chest. Warm feelings flooded over Esther as her life flashed in front of her. Her soul dimmed at the rough patches of life and brightened brilliantly at the most joyous parts.

  "Will it hurt?" Her voice wavered.

   "A bit, I'll be as gentle as I can." He walked forward, his form was really coming together, her eyes filled with tears. The blue in her eyes shining with happiness and determination. He held out a dark claw of a hand, and her soul was ripped out of her body. Esther screamed, feeling the pain and agony of being soulless. Her soul pulsed with a message as she whispered her final words.

    "D-Delilah.. Take care of her.." She chuckled, a weak puff her air as she stared at the demon with hatred in her eyes. "Demon." She spat the last word before her blue eyes lost all color and she was dead.

   He devoured the soul, feeling his power grow. The soul shattered into dust, which he blew away as the world lightened to a woman laying in her hospital bed. Stone-dead with tears trickling down her pale face much like the way the candle wax was on the candle. Her sand-blonde hair lay around her head like a halo

Jaifianuhn kept his promise, after-all. They shook on it, it was done. It was her life for her newborn daughters. Jasper appeared into the nursery and watched as the baby began to breathe on her own, her soul glowing brightly as Jaifianuhn pushed some of her mother's energy into her, helping her survive/

Her little infant eyes burst open and locked on the demon looming over her, surprisingly, she didn't cry. She just looked up at him with her unfocused eyes and cooed.

"Hello, Delilah." He spoke clearly, "Your little infant soul is pathetic, good thing I'm here to protect you, huh?" Jasifianuhn was a bit amused at how Esther would give her soul up for this ugly infant. It was a deep purple and wrinkly, but it seemed humans had compassion... Or maybe it was more egotistical in his eyes, as she gave up her soul to keep her flesh and blood alive. 

Jaifianuhn watched Delilah grow at an accelerated rate. Now, he didn't enjoy it, but it was a change from sitting in the void. He was watching when the child's custody was given to her grandmother, he watched her grow chocolate brown hair, and grow from a dreadfully ugly infant into a ruddy-cheeked tot.

She wrapped her pudgy hands around the walls of her playhouse, looking directly at Jaifianuhn. He chuckled dryly as a wail ripped from her little throat. She shook the bars of the little prison that kept her from investigating the lingering demon. Her Grandmother was in the livingroom, she fell asleep watching The Price is Right.

He lifted her out of the playpen, making sure not to injure the child with his strength. She grabbed him back, his eyes widened as she pulled herself upright then took a few shaky steps. Her blue eyes were set on his shadow-form as she fell on her rump, there was a silence as Jasper waited for her to start wailing and screaming.

She didn't. Delilah began to laugh, her eyes crinkling up as she smiled. Delilah giggles truely expressed her childish joy and made Jaifianuhn ruffle her chocolate brown hair. He paused, realizing how soft he's turning for a baby. A Human baby. He lifted the little girl in one hand, staring deep into the eyes she inherited from her mother. 

Something was stirring in his soul as he looked at her.

"What have you done to me?" He was horrified. He was beginning to feel some strange feelings. She was frankly adorable, and he wanted to protect her. But that was the contract, right? He placed her back into her playpen, where she began to cry again, wailing for him.

  "That's enough contact for you." He didn't want any connection to her. "Now, play with your playthings before-" Her grandmother walked into the room and he disappeared. The child stood in the playpen, looking into the shadows of the living room with watery eyes.