Under the Rose

Chapter 8 | Into the Lion's Den

"I want to leave. Now."

"We will. We have things to do, first."

I leaned deeply into Caus as a man walked by. At first, I thought he was human, but then his eyes flashed and he snapped his teeth teasingly at me with a toothy grin. Caus hissed at him, his fangs extending dangerously as his eyes turned to their eerie goldish color. Right in front of everyone. But I looked around and it seemed not one person even cared. In fact, there were a few people laughing, some of them human. What the hell was this?

"I want to leave," I almost screamed, feeling a frantic kind of urgency build in my chest. I elbowed Caus in the ribs, hard, planning to make a beeline for the front entrance. I didn't want to be here anymore than I wanted to be near Caus. I couldn't explain the atmosphere. It was heavy, laden with a kind of energy that just made you want to let go of everything, especially your right mind. It was dark and dangerous, and I wanted no part of it.

"Elliot," Caus said soothingly as he caught my arm. It was a strange sound. It was a very soft call, but I could hear him perfectly over the blaring music. I turned to look at him, confused and a little dazed. It was like I was tipsy, even though I've had nothing to drink. I was instantly calmer, my eyes feeling slightly droopy.

"What are you doing?" I whispered, swaying a bit on my feet.

"Just helping you relax."

"Stop it."

He stepped towards me when I leaned a little too far forward, letting my head land on his chest. He stood there as my hands traveled his arms, trying to pull myself together enough to find my feet. His hands caught mine and guided them to his neck. If I was in my right mind, I would surely combust with the amount of embarrassment I felt. I didn't understand what he was doing.

"Don't think about anything and just relax. It's okay," he said gently, removing his hands from mine around his neck to place them on my waist. "What are you afraid of, Bear? You're safe as long as you're with me."

I shook my head, feeling so dizzy I could fall over. He seemed different. Sweet and gentle but mocking. I knew this was him luring me, but I was too spaced out to do anything about it. Was this his intention? "Why did you bring me here?" I mumbled, my hands sliding clumsily to his chest to grip the lapels of his leather jacket. "Why show me all of this?"

"Well, you wanted to know more about demons and what to avoid, so I've decided to give you a hands-on assignment today. While we're here, I might as well tell you a few things you may want to know." He stepped closer, if that were possible, and began to sway a little. The beat of the music made me react, causing me to slightly sway with him as he continued his questionable teachings. "There is a hierarchy among us. There are your lost souls, Shades, demons and Sins and many more. And I'm close to the top of that power structure. Only few could challenge my will, and most of those few cease to exist. You are probably very well-known in the Halls of the Void, considering I haven't had a human represent me for some time. Any demon would think twice before approaching you. So, believe me when I say I'm the only one that can even touch you."

I looked up at him, even more confused and downright lost. "I don't understand any of this. What's a Shade? What does it mean?"

"A servant of a Sin, which is me. You are that shadow, my Shade," he answered honestly. "There are many things we have yet to do, and I can't have you running around clueless. Which brings us back to this lesson I've planned. Maybe if you know how to handle yourself, you won't run from every demon that looks at you with hunger."