Darker Blood

Chapter seventy-three

Jungkook pov~

I dropped my useless school bag on the floor as I slumped on the couch with a sigh, my stomach full with human food for the first time in years. Jin was there immediately, speaking in a hushed voice so none of the others accidentally heard.

"How did the lunch go?"

I nodded, not lifting my head from the mass of pillows my face was buried in. The air smelt terrible down here, still stained from where Taehyung had been turned before we were able to force him into a shower.

"I love her," I spoke into the pillows.

"What did you talk about?"

I finally got up, holding only half of myself up by my forearms. "The same things as last time. Family and that."

He cracked a smile. "Good. Now, we wait for time to understand itself, and you can help that by taking out the trash."

I scoffed but got up anyway, slumping to pick up the bulging bag out of the bin, wrinkling my nose at the smell. Of course Jin, like any other mother, could get her 'children' to help with things as low as the daily chores. I didn't open my mouth to complain though, glad to have an action to occupy my thoughts that were in a flurry, both anxious and excited about the future I knew was going to come. My footsteps trudged down the steps behind the back door, a cool fresh forest breeze moving my hair into my eyes for a moment.

Just as I dropped the tied-off bag into the lonely bin, any hints of a warm atmosphere evaporated as a chilling giggle had me spinning around to face the worst demon there ever was.

Xierro.

"What are you doing here?" I snarled, trying myself to figure out why she would come here – what if she came in person to kill Yoongi again?

She stretched her long arms over her head, sharp nails glistening and piercing through the air itself. "You can relax, I'm not here to kill one of you. I never engage in sport without a warm-up."

"Then get out. You have no business here."

She gave me the most hurt look she could conjure in that moment, eyes dropping wide and bottom lip quivering.

"Gee, the thanks I get for coming by and dropping some important information."

I squinted at her, my nails starting to lengthen from my fingers defensively and automatically, the rage bubbling right out of my soul; I knew how strong she was, I knew her attack patterns, and if we fought, I would kill her.

"What information?"

That signature grin returned to her face, and my instincts went off, eyes analysing everything around us, not just her seemingly harmless movements, but the very trees and the sky for any movement or suspicion. Demons are only happy through suffering and traps.

"She's a tad more confident this time around, isn't she?"

I tried not to swallow hard as the freezing realisation pierced right into my soul. They knew.

"What are you talking about?"

Xierro smiled a toothy smile, knowing exactly how well she was tormenting me. "Come on kookie, you can't seriously expect us not to know when you wipe the board and try again."

I stayed silent, unsure which words to use, how to speak, racking my brain for any sign that they'd be in on the restart as well.

"We are a force stronger than the seasons, stronger than time, stronger than Sero."