** A/N: Herro! :3 The picture to the right is of Savlian. I still can't YouTube links to work...any help? :( I hope you guys enjoy the chapter; please vote and comment! :))
~Holly **
I unwrapped the towel from around my head, letting my semi-wet hair tumble to my shoulders. I was wearing torn black skinny jeans, a rose colored camisole, a black leather jacket that was just long enough to cover my chest, and high lace-up black leather boots (yeah…they’re kind of an obsession…). I was supposed to spar with Reese today, and figured I should dress like I normally would if I were going on a mission. How fun was this going to be?! I’ll definitely be kicking his ass!! I went downstairs, quickly made myself a bowl of cereal, and then went back to my room to research my powers. I also went to the library I had discovered yesterday while exploring, which was more than helpful. I had the power of darkness, including magic of the night, which is probably why I have connections with cats, dogs, owls and horses. My sources didn’t tell me how I could use my powers, but I remembered what Dean and I had practiced yesterday, and I went outside to give it a shot. I came up with some drills for myself, and was fascinated and impressed with how quickly and easily things were coming together; in no time, I’d be in full control of my powers, which would give me something else to kill the undead with! After about an hour, I began to feel the effects my magic was having on me, and went back inside. The castle was unusually quiet, and I didn’t hear or see Dante, Dean or Reese anywhere. I figured I should take this time to talk to Savlian, but realized I wasn’t in a big hurry to leave, so I looked for the others downstairs. When I came up empty-handed, I shrugged and went back to my room. As I turned the knob to my door, I noticed a flower. Its flexible stem was wrapped around my lever-style door handle, and I carefully unwound it. I stared at the lily in awe; not only was it my favorite flower, but it had black petals with dark purple toward its center, branching out and subtly becoming a delicate lavender before turning black. I couldn’t help but to smile, and I wrapped it around my amulet’s case after I opened my door. I assumed it was from Dante…but was he going to act differently around me? Did he think we were officially together? Or was he just being sweet? I shook my head and decided to clear my thoughts before sparring with Reese. I plugged my ipod into my laptop to charge, clicking on one of my playlists to listen to. “Breath” by Breaking Benjamin sounded good to me, and I took a deep breath before singing. “Well, here goes nothin’…” I muttered, preparing myself. To my surprise, I had a voice…and a good one at that. Not to brag, but I was pretty awesome, especially since its been around twelve years! I was also surprised that singing actually did clear my head. Great…this meant Dean was right about two things; that I could sing and that it was relaxing. I sang “I’m Not an Angel” by Halestorm, “My Heart, Your Hands” by Dommin, and “Misery Business” by Paramore before I heard scratching at my door. “Turn the knob, Chi!” I called, turning down my music. A minute later the door opened, and I smiled as I outstretched my arms to him. “Good boy!” I cooed, scratching him behind the ears. “Doesn’t Dean ever pay attention to you? I’m surprised you’re not starved!” Chi stood up on my legs, and I ran my fingers through his liver-colored fur, which had strands of black throughout. His golden-yellow eyes were always piercing, and could make a grown man flinch. About ten minutes later, I shut off my laptop, grabbed Babylon, and headed to the training room. Chi followed me inside, and I closed the door behind us. It looked a lot like the armory, minus the weapons, and with only a few windows. There was also gymnastic equipment, and even fencing gear. About five minutes later, the door opened to reveal Reese. I grinned, leaning to one side. “It’s about time you showed up; I’m glad you could make it!” “Ha ha! Anyway, you ready for me, girly?” I laughed, then quickly ran forward with Babylon in hand. “Whoa!” Reese took out his sword right before I would’ve sliced him. They clashed together, black and silver, and the noise echoed throughout the room. “Come on! I thought you would’ve seen that comin’! Bein’ this great fighter, and all…” I teased, rolling my eyes. Our swords clashed together again, and I did my awesome, self taught flips and trick moves. After sending Reese on his ass five times, I pulled out Sin and aimed it at him. Chi ran and lunged for Reese, standing on top of him and snapping his large jaws. He pinned the flailing Reese, baring his teeth and letting a low, menacing growl escape him. ”Ah! Okay, okay! Just don’t kill me, or let me be this dog’s dinner!!” “Chi, come,” I ordered, spinning Sin around my finger before placing it in its holster. Chi reluctantly stepped off of Reese, eyeing him until he was back at my side. “Goddamn! Where’d you learn to fight like that?!?!” “Self taught, Baby. Oh, and I’m not up to teach.” “Shit, if I were that flexible, I’d probably-” “I don’t wanna’ know!” I hastily interrupted, laughing as we walked out of the room slowly. “I bet you could even beat Dante’s ass!” “Why? Does he fight?” Reese nodded. “Swords and pistols, just like you. But I think you’d be an even match for him…” “Really? What’s his deal with fighting??” “I dunno; a long story I couldn’t tell ya’. You should ask him.” I grabbed some left over Chinese, giving some to Chi since I didn’t see any meat or dog food. He of course ate it happily, and I wondered just when was the last time he ate? I decided to practice my magic again after I was done, and Chi followed me outside. I was only out about fifteen minutes when thunder shook the sky. I looked up, blinking when a cool raindrop fell into my eye. “I like the rain, but now??” I muttered, turning when Chi lifted his head. His ears were pricked and he began sniffing the air like something was wrong. It was almost as if someone had hit the “Rain” button on the Earth, for the sky opened up and it began pouring before it even had a chance to rain. The dirt quickly turned into mud, and just as I began to run inside, Chi began barking wildly. I followed his gaze, my eyes widening once I saw Dante limping up the driveway. “Chi, get help!!!” I ordered, and he bounded away as I ran to help Dante. “Hey Sweetcheeks…” he rasped feebly, flashing me a weak, sideways grin. He was crawling on one arm while the other hung loosely at his side, barely able to carry the weight of his large sword. “Dante, what the shit happened?!?!” The urgency was clear in my voice, and I stooped to meet his level. He was just about to slip and fall flat on his face when I ran over and supported him with my shoulder, which wasn’t an easy task. Dante was all muscle, and while I was a strong girl myself, it was definitely going to be difficult helping him up the stairs. “C’mon, I can do this myself!” “Not now, you can’t.” “I can! Look, I’m fine…” He pushed himself forward, desperately trying to stand. He fell onto the ground, just shy of a mud puddle. I skidded over and lent him my shoulder again, helping him to his feet. “Satisfied? It’s okay to ask for help, ya’ know. I-I didn’t want to admit I needed help the first time we met, but I’ve come to terms with that now…” I said with a shy smile. Dante cracked one himself, and I hated how much color his face had lost. “C’mon. It’ll be forever until Reese gets here,” I muttered, helping him to the castle. “Reese?! I might as well leave my life up to Rebellion!!” He spat, looking down at his sword. I followed his gaze, noticing he was wounded and bleeding from several places. We were right in front of the castle door when Reese’s head popped out, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape. “Nice timing, jackass! It’s not like we needed help or anything,” I hissed, the both of us soaked and dripping. Reese supported Dante’s other shoulder and we slowly made it up the stairs and to his room. It was on the same side of the hallway as mine was, but three doors to the left. Reese turned the handle, and we rested Dante on his bed, his eyes closed as he came in and out of consciousness. I sat on the bed beside him, looking over his wounds. “Reese, go get some gauze and disinfectant.” He turned to me, hands in the air. “What do I look like? A retriever?!” “You have a big head like one! Now go!!” Reese’s mouth hung open as he ran down the hallway, and I heard him fumbling through the bathroom cabinets. I carefully slid Dante out of his jacket, him stupidly-but hotly-having no shirt on underneath, as always. I hated the slash marks and gouges that covered him, and it was even worse that I knew exactly what they were from. “He’s a…demon hunter?!” I muttered in disbelief, turning when I heard Reese plodding down the hallway. His arms were overflowing with bottles, ointments and gauze pads, and he dropped them all on the bed by Dante’s feet. “Reese! I said to get gauze and disinfectant-not to go and rob a CVS!!” “Well, do it yourself, next time!” He shouted, and I rolled my eyes. “You are one bad retriever!” I retorted, and he stomped out of the room as if the whole joke didn’t make sense. “Yeck! You have fun cleaning him and getting AIDS!!!” I laughed, shaking my head. “Oh, c’mon Reese. You’re not afraid of a little blood, are ya’?” I called, laughing as he turned around and made a face. I began dabbing and pouring disinfectant on Dante’s wounds, bandaging up the severe ones. “How’d you let this happen?! You look like a piece of meat,” I growled, looking over as Chi padded in and shook himself. He sat beside me, panting a smile and watching as I cleaned Dante up. “Are you my wolf now, or something? ‘Cause if you are, I’m changing your name to something way cooler!” He just smiled and sat by me as I finished up. I gazed over Dante for a few minutes, my thoughts racing. I threw his coat on the rack by his door, sitting beside him tentatively. I moved some of his wet hair away from his eyes, taking a closer look at his amulet. I gently held it in my hand, turning it every which way to inspect it. I remembered what I had come across in my research, and my eyes widened. I abruptly looked up at his face, shock coursing through me. “You’re…You’re a demon?!” I asked myself, wondering how I hadn’t known before. His amulet was the only one of it’s kind, but it had certain characteristics that told me it possessed demonic power. It still didn’t change my feelings for him…it was just surprising. I’ve come across plenty of good demons, but none that actually hunted their own kind. Since he was laying on his black comforter, I maneuvered his white sheet out from under him, covering him up to his waist. I slipped off his boots, put his sword by his bed and his guns on his nightstand, caressing his face before shutting off the light and closing the door behind me. Chi padded after me, and we went to hang out in my room. It was still raining and thundering, only now, there was lightning added. I sat in my windowsill and watched the rain for what seemed like eternity, and Chi sat on the floor beside me. I pet him with a smile, his golden eyes shining in the dull light. “I never had a pet before…” I murmured, giggling as he licked my hand. A gust of wind had blown the rain to hit my window, and it sounded like a barrage of machine gun bullets. Chi yawned and I smiled, nodding in agreement. “Tell me about it, pooch! I’m beat! I’m going to sleep…I dunno about you,” I muttered, quickly getting changed into a robin’s egg blue nightgown. The bust and around the bottom were made with delicate lace, and it came far above my knees. It was tight and hugged my body nicely, and I quickly brushed my teeth and threw my hair into a messy ponytail before heading back to my room for bed. Chi was gone, and I figured he went to spend the night with Dean. I shut the door and turned off the light, the quiet pattering of the soft rain comforting me.
My door creaked open slowly, barely making a sound. I figured Chi had changed his mind and wanted to sleep with me instead, and still very much asleep, I mumbled some jiberish to him. When I heard footsteps and not Chi’s nails on the floor, I turned over, still out of it. I then saw a man’s silhouette coming towards me, and sat up as fast as I could. Was this another nightmare?!? I so wasn’t up for the crying, frightened girl routine tonight! I kicked toward where the man’s face should have been, surprised when I felt his wrist catch my foot. I tried to loosen his grip, but with the awkward way I was turned, I ended up flipping myself on my back and onto the floor, which was the last place you wanted to be in a fight. He stood over me, but I couldn’t see him since my adrenaline was pumping like crazy, making it hard to focus. I didn’t have to see who he was to know; I knew Savlian would try something like this!!! He didn’t sit right with me from the day we met!!! “JACE!!!” I stopped thrashing around, desperately trying to see through the dark. He was kneeling over me, his arms resting gently on my shoulders. I stretched backward and turned on my lamp, eyes wide when I turned back around. “D-Dante??!” We stood up and he smiled, taking a step toward me. “What’s gotten into you, Sugarpants?” I glared at him, taking a step back. He looked a little hurt, and I crossed my arms over my chest, feeling too exposed. He had no idea of my past!!! It wasn’t just me who would be offended if some guy creeped in her room in the middle of the night…right?!?! “Hello, Jace!!” He took another step toward me, and I held my hand out to stop him, crouching slightly into a defensive position. “What’s wrong??” “YOU!!! Why the fuck would you creep into my room in the middle of the goddamn night, you fucking psycho??!!” Hmmm…now that I think about it, he was probably just coming in to thank me for earlier. I may have gone a wee bit overboard… Dante looked taken aback, almost hurt, and he put his hands to his chest. “What the hell’s your problem?!?” “Just go,” I snapped, turning toward the wall. “No.” I whirled to face him, narrowing my eyes. “Uh, yes!” Dante leaned to one side, raising an eyebrow. “I can be stubborn too, Babe.” “Good for you,” I growled, pushing him toward the door a few seconds later. He didn’t move much, and laughed at my attempt. “Look, I’m not movin’!!” I sighed, still a little shaky. If he didn’t leave soon, I was probably going to start crying. He wasn’t helping the situation by being a stubborn asshole. Dante noticed and came over, gently rubbing my arm. “D-Did I scare you that much?” There was humor in his voice, but seriousness could be detected…it sounded much more like concern. When I didn’t answer, he smiled with a shrug. “Sorry!” “Don’t say it if it doesn’t mean anything,” I hissed, moving away from him. “Jace, what the hell?!!” “Stop acting like you know me so well!! I barely know you!!” Dante stared at me intently, something new in his gaze that I couldn’t quite place. “What are you talking about?!?” I felt the warm fluid arise in my eyes, and I quickly turned away from him. “Just get out!” I shouted, pointing toward the door. He laughed, taking a step toward me. I stepped back, and he sighed in frustration. “You scared of me, or somethin’?!” I didn’t answer, falling back into my painful memories. I remembered all of the times before, and when I thought about it, they didn’t seem so long ago, which was alarming. Dante just stood and watched me, and I could hear my pleas and cries under the various voices of men from the past. Those nights had filled me with misery and shame-two emotions which I had become numb to for years. “Jace!” I turned, guessing he had been calling my name for a while. I couldn’t stop the tears that streamed down my face, and Dante moved in front of me with inhuman speed. He wiped them away, and I sniffed as I slowly met his gaze. “I-I know that you’re a demon…” I blurted, staring deep into his eyes. He looked surprised, but shrugged it away, like I would’ve found out sooner or later. “And I know what you were doing earlier. I know what you are…” “Really? How’s that, Sweetness?” He asked, his voice ringing with buoyancy. “Because I do the same.” He stared at me with wide eyes for a few minutes, but laughed shortly afterward, looking me over. “What’s so funny?!” I asked coldly, figuring he thought women couldn’t handle themselves. “I’d sure love to see that ass in motion! I never thought I’d be jealous of anyone, but boy…those are some lucky demons…” I smiled weakly to him, scratching my arm in discomfort a moment later. I knew he was going to ask me why I had been so hostile, and I wasn’t sure what to tell him. The truth would be too personal, and even a little weird, but I didn’t know how to lie about it. “So can I ask what was wrong earlier??” I turned my gaze to the floor, flopping down on my bed. “The truth is…I wasn’t sure whether what was happening was a dream or reality. I-It’s happened a lot before…” “What has?” “Men creeping into my room and…’using’ me.” The atmosphere grew serious and awkward, and his cheery attitude was immediately extinguished. His gaze rapidly turned to sadness, and anger so intense, that it was tangible, and I briefly wondered if it would cause him to unleash his demonic form. “W-What?” He asked a few minutes later like he hadn’t heard me, and I wasn’t up for repeating myself. His gaze had gone cold and what I thought was hatred, and I thought the spot he was staring at on the floor would soon catch fire. “Do I have to explain what ‘using me’ means? I cleaned up the language to makes things a little less awkward,” I muttered sarcastically, rolling my eyes. He didn’t move for quite some time, which was beyond strange. I knew he was a demon, and that his muscles didn’t get tired and all, but some common courtesy would be nice! “So…how do you feel?” I asked, changing the subject. His wounds already looked ten times better, and I envied his quick healing abilities. “Fine. Thanks, I guess…” he murmured with a smirk, repeating what I had told him the first day we met. “Sure, take my lines!” I teased, and we smiled until his gaze lingered over the flower. “So…you got that, huh?” He asked, suddenly looking bashful. “Well, that’s kinda’ obvious. It’s in here, isn’t it? Plus, it was on my door…” Dante laughed, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. “Why’d you get it?” I asked gently, looking up at him slowly. “Well…I figured since the other day and all…” “So…what’s that mean?” Dante paused, rolling his eyes and throwing his hands into the air. “Look, it’s a flower, okay?! I came in here to thank you…Ya’ know, to be nice and all. See ya’ around, Dollface.” He quickly left and closed my door, and I giggled at his awkwardness. I knew he would never admit that he actually liked me. My door opened a second later, Dante poking his head through. “Oh…and I’m sorry for scaring you,” he murmured, meeting my gaze for a long moment. I dipped my head to him in appreciation, and he bit his lip quickly before continuing. “By the way…you look amazing. And your hair…it looks cute like that,” he muttered, rushing out a “Good night” before shutting off my light and leaving for good. I smiled and bit my lip timidly, unconsciously touching the end of my ponytail. I shook the schoolgirl act away, thankful no one was there to see it. I fell back to sleep around 1:45 AM, having no nightmares and virtually staying still…