CHAPTER ELEVEN
DEMONS AND HOME
JULI POV
"So before we leave out, how do we kill them again?" Sighing I brushed my hair into a ponytail as I looked at Lee in the mirror.
"Max said that all demons are different and it depends on his abilities but we should try cutting off his head or fire to start." I made eye contact as she grimaced. I grinned and gave her an air punch in the arm. She smiled and tugged my ponytail as I popped from the locker room to the gym floor where the guys were waiting. Picking up my new leather jacket off the floor I winked at Max.
"Alright gang let's do this. Remember we may have to get caught to breech his security and find out how many we need to get out. Ana's on point since her powers are better for this one. Now someone grab Ricki and help him out since he can't port."
..........
The smell hit me first as I looked around to see dead bodies littering the streets. Sighing I wiped my forehead as the heat hit me as well.
"Alright guys lets concentrate and get us a demon. I know this is bad but we have to stop this guy. Ana you're on point." Nodding she squared her shoulders as Jared patted her on the shoulder.
"Just think Aunt Leslie is probably four months pregnant now. She's probably throwing all kinds of crap at him." Ana giggled and I sighed as I reached for Max's hands. She was so in love with him. We'd reached an alleyway when Ana stiffened and jerked Jared's staff from his hand and whirled to the shadows to the left of the alley. I spun as I felt something behind me and realized we were surrounded. Making eye contact with Max I fumbled and missed hitting the short troll in front of me. He grinned and made a hand motion then the world went black.
..........
As I slowly gained consciousness I could hear Mel raging in the background.
"You spineless bastards. You let us go now. Powers or not I'll kill you. I'll..." Gripping my head I sat up as the room spun.
"Mel shut up." She whirled around as I tried to move my left knee and discovered I couldn't. "What the hell happened?"
"Apparently the Wazaar knows how to steal powers. That's why we all went unconscious like that. And since they dragged us here they probably damaged your knee. I woke up halfway here and beat some ass until Wazaar grabbed Lee and said he was holding her as collateral until we calmed down. Paling I gasped as Mel touch my knee.
"It's a ripped ligament. You'll only be able to stumble on it until Lee gets her powers back. She's the best at healing." Glancing at Ana, who was the one that had spoken, I saw she was sitting on the floor across from me.
"He'll keep us as toys but the guys..." Ana looked up pale as hell but determined. I was so proud in that moment.
"He'll kill them. But we still have the plan. No powers or not it will still work. Nodding I hugged her as I looked around and realized we were in a cell with a lantern sitting in the middle. We could see where we were at but not outside the cell. Ana jumped up as I saw someone opening the door. She clinched her hands into fists but didn't move as a girl walked in holding a lantern. Outside the door six demons stood glaring at us.
"Follow me." Glaring at her I walked past the demons as they surrounded us Ana paused looked up at the biggest demon there and snarled.
"If my family is hurt I'll kill him with my bare fucking hands." Pausing she tilted her head and looked at the demon as if considering as she bit her lip. I grinned as she shrugged.
"Never mind I'm going to kill all of you anyway." Straitening her spine she walked past them to us as we all went through the door that the girl stood at. We walked in to a room with a large bathtub as she shut the door behind her, leaving the demons outside except for one. She gestured towards the tub filled with water as the demon spoke.
"Master says get clean. Put on your new clothes. He says you'll be beautiful concubines. He also has a wonderful surprise. Hurry now and Nia here will explain the rules." With that he turned shutting the door behind him. Nia walked to the bathtub as the lock clicked on the door. She said nothing as we all stared at her. Her eyes were green and her skin was the color of milk chocolate. She was very beautiful as her black hair flowed down her back. I didn't understand why she was putting up with these demons. But I bit my tongue everybody had their reasons.
"I'm Juli. This is Mel and Ana." I gestured forgetting my knee and almost fell on her. She set me up against Ana glaring daggers at me.
"Take off the clothes and get in. He will want you soon." I started to speak but Ana beat me to it.
"That's it? You just go along? Screw that he has my sister and our family." I placed a hand on her arm as she looked at me.
"Just take off your clothes and get in. We can't do anything here." I glanced at Nia who was glaring those daggers again. We settled in the bathtub as I struggled not to bump my knee. Nia sighed got a mixture from the side of the bathtub and lifted up my knee to place the mixture on it. I looked up at her as the pain faded away.
"It's a remedy that heals pain. Do not try to fight. I did and it did not work. He made me watch, as your fixing to do, as he kills off your family. He will save the smallest and weakest one and use them to keep you in line. If you fight he uses his powers to find your weaknesses'. After he's done he invades you, he takes your innocence and he keeps you here. He has my three year old brother on a chain and makes him dance for his entertainment. I fight him every time but he won't kill me because I want it. I stepped out, my knee no longer hurting, as I slipped on the black dress Wazaar wanted us to wear. Glancing at Anya I twisted my hair into a knot.
"He'll die tonight powers or not. Nobody messes with the twins." Nia said nothing.
.........
We stood in front of him, waiting. Lee knelt beside him on all fours, she seemed calm but I could feel her raging inside. Ana and Mel were silent beside me as the guys were ushered into the room. They were ordered to bow before their master but they all refused, even Bubu. He was determined to help this time. I winced as they were struck in the knees until they finally fell.
"Ana, I never got to say I love you." My head jerked as I struggled to keep my eyes from looking at Jared. He couldn't touch our twin abilities. Ana spoke back to Jared before I could.
"I love you too. Stop, don't change your expression and keep your head down, I can feel your smile. He took our physical powers that we attack with but missed our twin abilities. We can be a lot more organized now but Ricki, Max, and Mel won't be able to help. So here's what we'll do...." I gritted my teeth as I realized Ana would have to take the brunt of this but I didn't say anything. I watched as Ana relaxed her shoulders and slinked over to Wazaar. Her eyes smoldered as she sauntered closer then slid into his lap. He blinked but didn't push her away as she slid a hand down his chest. Then with a look of pure lust on her face she kissed him as I stepped forward and placed my hand in Wazaar's.
Sighing I felt Raven's teeth biting into me but I growled low in my throat. I knew Wazaar had figured out what we were doing and was using my fear to stop me. It wouldn't work this time. I was better than this and I was stronger. Fear only fueled my resolve it didn't control me anymore. I felt fire curling in my hair as I drew my powers from him back into me but it didn't hurt me. But it hurt him when it slid down my arm and leapt onto him.
He screeched as he burst into flames along with his minions. There were a few that didn't burst into flames but they were still in shock when the boys leapt on them. They were so pissed they didn't even use their powers. They just beat the shit out of them and then fried them. I slid sideways as the adrenaline high wore off and I felt how much of my powers I had used. Max killed his last demon that had rushed in from outside and swept me up before I hit the ground. Ricki went over and broke the chains on Nia's brother. When she started sobbing and clutching him to her I let go and passed out.
..........
We sat on a beach taking a moment while Lee healed Nia and her brother, Will in shifts so she wouldn't crash like I had. Mel had managed to heal the bruises and cuts on Lee since she couldn't do herself. I glanced over at Nia where she sat beside Ana. I wasn't sure where they wanted to go yet.
"How did he get you and Will, Nia?"
"Our father was a loved man in our village. Then one day he fell in love with an American woman that was traveling. They fought side by side to hold the demons off along with the village. They even succeeded until Wazaar came and you know the rest." Ana looked over as she spoke up.
"So where will you go now?" Nia looked surprised at this.
"With you of course we owe you a debt." I rolled my eyes as they started to argue but got distracted when Max sat down beside me and started kissing me. I distantly heard Will talking to Ana.
"Are Juli and Max stuck, sister?" Ana laughed as Nia answered him.
"No that means they love each other." I heard Will make a noise then he grunted.
"That's really gross, sister." They laughed as Max and I continued on.
BACK ON THE ISLAND
LESLIE & THIRD POV
"Luke where is my pink shirt?" I froze in horror when I realized I was crying again as I rummaged through the dresser drawers for my shirt. I paused in my search to place a hand on my stomach as Coner kicked me in the bladder. I had two months left and I was a big as a beach ball. I'd be really glad when he got here. I ignored Luke as he entered knowing the rest of the family was hiding from me. Apparently it was Luke's turn to baby sit me. I finally turned my head to look at him then I gasped when I saw it wasn't Luke. I almost fell back as he reached out a hand to steady me.
"Matt?" His eyes were still the same bright blue as he grinned at me and gave me a gentle bear hug.
"We never got to say goodbye. Coner thought you needed it. Besides I had to make sure Luke was taking care of you."
"Damn right and did you say that my unborn son thought I needed you?"
"Yep." Then Matt smiled wide and turned to see Luke standing in the doorway to the bedroom. Spreading his arms he spoke.
"Did ya miss me?" Luke grinned and did some manly guy hug that began with a complicated handshake. That was new. Then I remembered the reason I had needed to talk to him.
"Matt. Nicole's in Limbo. Her son, Max is dating Juli, our daughter." Matt laughed.
"I wondered why I hadn't seen her in Heaven. At least she's happy. Personally I like the quiet in heaven. After my exciting life you know." With that he was gone back to where he had come from, his laughter echoing in the air. Luke smiled and walked across the room to gather me in his arms. I shivered as heat flushed my skin. For a moment all I felt was his mouth on mine then he was pulling back to speak.
"Could you put a sound proof shield around our son, please?" Laughing I nodded as he pulled off my camisole. Then his mouth was on my breast and I was moaning. Then suddenly he was inside me and we were one person. One heart pounding softly. One body intertwined.
..........
I found myself dreaming of Matt and Joey. Brothers bonded by both blood and spirit. I saw their deaths again as if were happening now. Joey's blood rolling down his neck as Raven slid the knife across. Matt taking Raven to his death with his fire. Jules being stabbed with the same knife that had killed Joey. His dying wish made to protect me. Then Lucas, who had killed me so many times in an attempt to save me. Me, always in my heart looking for him to come back. To hold me even after he'd killed me because I knew I had done the same to him in many of our past lives even though he swore he'd always killed me.
I remembered the second life where I had loved him but I married his father thinking it would stop the deaths. Instead it had only brought Luke's death. I remember consummating our marriage in the little hut as I felt Luke's eyes burning into my soul as he slept across from us. We were human and subject to mistakes but that was the one that had made me the chosen. I was my test to see if I even had love within me to give.
.........
I woke screaming and sobbing as the memories assaulted me. I turned to see Luke's dark blue eyes probing mine. I knew he was seeing my dream as I had seen it by using his powers. I shuddered at the thought of him knowing as he pulled me close and held me there until I finally fell asleep again
*********
Joey sat at the waterfall with arms wrapped around Diane. His thoughts close to what Leslie was dreaming. He missed his family, had lost them so close together that sometimes it paralyzed him to know his girls were out there. He should have locked them in their room. His eyes narrowed at the thought as Diane laughed softly in his ear. Her tongue reached out to lick his earlobe as he turned his eyes toward her.
Her twilight hair blended in with the darkness but she was still perfection. If anything happened to her.
"You were thinking of looking the girls up again." Then her blue eyes narrowed and she glared at him then smiled wickedly. "Then you thought of locking me up in my room but I have other ways you can tie me up." He shuddered as her body pressed against him and her tongue licked his lips. "Remember the dungeon." His mind when blank as he shoved her to the ground and she moaned underneath him.
*********
Asa sat cross-legged on the roof as she struggled to clear her mind but it came back to him. Always to him. His chocolate brown eyes that would stare into her seeing all her secrets. His tan arms picking her up as he thrust into her over and over again. His wheat colored hair being pushed back with his hand as he laughed over some joke she had played on him. Even if she tried to forget him there were the boys, men now, who looked just like him, and they were identical.
She felt the tear splash on her hand as she realized she was crying. Raising a hand she angrily wiped it away. He hadn't even said goodbye after seeing the boys born just faded out like a dream. She had times where she doubted if he'd even been there. And it wasn't as if she could pop into the real world and find a guy. How couldn't she when she loved him? Her eyes popped open and she realized she had finally lost it.
"You haven't lost it. I'm here." She turned to see his face as her hand raised to make sure he was real. Then she drew her hand back and knocked the crap out of him forgetting where she was at until she started to tumble off the roof but he grabbed her hand.
"Just as feisty as ever I see." She winced as his voice made the scars on her soul throb with sorrow. His smile faded as he sat her back down beside him.
"You have to let me go Asa. I died and I can't come back." She opened her mouth to say Leslie's friends popped in every once and awhile but he stopped her.
"You can't handle me coming and going and you know it Asa. Your soul is bleeding as we speak. It's killing you so I came to help you, one last time. As the father of our children. I know you miss me but you don't love me anymore you love the idea of me. You're so scared to try again your pushing away what you could have. Go out, pick a place to stay and help someone. It's what you want to do. The others are here because it's their home but it's not yours and you know it." She tilted her chin to glare at him then burst out laughing.
"You came back to save me. This is the second time you've done that. I don't need saving. I need you to stay up there. I can take care of my damn self." He blinked at her knowing she used to be quiet and timid but not anymore. She would never admit how much he hurt her again. And she would do exactly as he'd suggested, dammit. She realized he's disappeared again but it was okay now she had something to look forward to. Adventure and hopefully some serious maiming.