Damian has returned from wherever the bloody hell he's been hiding himself in. What is he doing here? Does he know about my test? If so, how did he find out about it? I'm glad to see him and all, but out of all the days he could have dropped by to visit, why did it have to be today?
"I leave you alone for forty-two years and you're almost dying. Can I do anything without you getting into some death like situations?" Damian remarks with a smirk and walks over to me.
"Correction, I wasn't alone. My family were here as well, watching me die without you. You're ruining it by being here." I banter with a soft chuckle. Except, that chuckle resulted in receiving a massive headache on the left side of my head.
"And here I thought I taught you everything there is to know about not getting yourself killed. But, I guess you need your babysitter now more than ever." Damian laments with a fake sigh. His usual smirk forms on his lips and I would be lying if I said I didn't miss it.
"You can insult my brother at another time, Damian. Right now, he needs to rest." Luka speaks up, interrupting our little reunion.
Without warning, another headache forms on the left side of my head. I suppose the headache from earlier didn't subside, rather I ignored it when I was speaking to Damian. Now it's just pounding against my head as though it's demanding my attention. Some rest would probably help me, but I have to know how I did on the test.
"Not until I know what happened. . . Did I pass?" I ask, looking around for Acantha.
I found her standing next to my mother who has a worrisome expression while Acantha's seems to be more like fear. Did I fail the test? I don't think so since I don't feel as though I have gone mad nor are any of my limbs missing. So, what seems to be the problem? Why are Acantha and my mother staring at me as though I have returned from the dead?
"Well? Can someone please answer my bloody question?" I demand and attempt to get up from the ground. Thankfully, both Luka and Damian assisted me in helping me up on my feet. But, only to help me stand.
I stagger towards Acantha with determination set firmly on my face. She looks up at me, only to see her face paler than she normally is. I have to know why she's staring at me like that and so I ask her once again, "Did I pass the test, Acantha?"
"Y-yes. . . You passed. . . I think. . ." She murmurs quietly, but refuses to look my way.
"You think? What do you mean, 'I think'? I'm alive and I don't know about any of you, but I don't feel I have lost my head or any of my limbs. Did I pass or not?!" I repeat my question as frustration slips out from me.
My mother was the next person to speak up, "Garrick, love, you weren't conscious for five hours. . . We thought you were dead. . ."
Five hours?! Why did that test caused me to be unconscious for that long?! The conversation I had with the two other versions of myself was no less than a couple of minutes. Even then, they were doing most of the talking. Mostly my vampire side trying to persuade me into killing my demonic self. Could that conversation really last five hours?
"Then, why do you think I passed the test?" I ask to anyone who could answer my question.
"We think so. . . The circle didn't kill you and the magic from it went into your pentagram, but you weren't awake afterwards." Acantha muses softly.
"If that's the case, then I'll be taking Garrick out for some fresh air. We have a lot of catching up to do and I don't think he's up for telling any of you of his test. Right, Garrick?" Damian declares while he walks to my side.
"Er. . . Right, I suppose it would be nice to get some fresh air and catch up on your whereabouts." I answer slowly since I wasn't entirely sure if that's what I wanted.
"Then it's settled! I'll bring him back before his bedtime!" Damian explains and drags me away by the arm to who knows where.
Luka came in between us, but Damian assured him that nothing would happen to me. Of course, that didn't convince him otherwise. So, I stepped in and promised to return in a few hours or so. After that, Damian leads me through my house until we were finally outdoors where he took off sprinting toward the city of London.
After running for awhile, Damian comes to a stop at some dirty and run down neighborhood that I swear could have killers lurking in the shadows. Not that it'll do them any good; Damian and I are practically invincible to any weapon they could have. Except possibly silver for me, but it has be made entirely out of silver.
"Why did you bring me here? And a wretched place of them all?" I demand after taking in my surroundings.
"Because here, no one will ever know that you drank from one of the slums that live here. Or tear down a few buildings if you get frustrated." Damian answers coolly as he walks ahead in Oxford Street.
He's still infuriating as ever. . . I ponder angrily and ran up to him before he could've disappeared from sight. "Tell me now!"
"Always so angry and demanding. It's no wonder why you have me as your only friend. Unless, I'm still the only one who considers you as a friend?" Damian taunts, taking a left into Mount Street.
"I'm only this way because you're always hiding something. Even if you are the only friend I have left." I state as I follow after him to hell knows where.
"That's right, the guardian of angel of yours returned to heaven. Didn't he? Have you seen him lately? After he left that is? He has shown up to save your skin again or did he kept good on that promise of his?" Damian inquests with a smirk on his lips and his eyes practically gleaming with mischief.
"No. . . You know that he hasn't ever since that blasted ball." I growl lowly, slowly losing what's left of my self restraint.
"That I told you as a friend to not go to. But, you never listen." Damian reminds in an aloof like attitude. What the bloody hell is up with him?
"Enough of your mind games, Damian. The only reason I'm still here with you is because I know you're the only one who will tell me what happened to me during that test. I know no one will tell me so you're all I have left. Please, tell it to me frankly. What happened to me? Why were Acantha and my mother afraid when I gained consciousness?" I ask and lay a firm grip on his forehead as a way to put a halt in his walk in the middle of Whitechapel Road.
Damian releases a sigh before he mumbles, "You weren't yourself, Garrick. . . When I arrived, you were in a trance and started talking to yourself. Something about choosing who to live and killing someone else or nothing at all. You would just sit there staring at your pentagram. I didn't know what that meant and your mother was about to cast a spell to release you from that trance when you started screaming like you were being tortured. After a few minutes, you collapsed."
"Then I woke up after a couple of hours." I finish for him which he nods in confirmation.
"Exactly. What did happen in your test?" Damian ponders and tilts his head a little to the side.
"Nothing like I expected it to be. I saw myself as two different versions, one with a pair of green eyes and the other with a pair of crimson eyes." I reply, remembering the two of them persuading me into choosing only one half of myself.
"You were having an identity crisis?! Don't tell me you killed one of them! What are you now? A vamp or a demon?!" Damian demands furiously while his eyes narrow into what looks to be a hateful glare.
"Both! I'm still the same hybrid my mother and father have worked tremendously to conceive!" I snap with the same fury as him.
Damian's glare softens just enough to remove the glare from his hazel eyes and replace it with the mischievous glint his eyes normally hold. "That's some relief. . . Anyway, how are your siblings? I see the twins look colder than ever which is ironic since Aidan has pyrokinesis and all. But, how are they? A pain in the ass?"
"They're a delight. Luka found himself a contractor awhile back. Lily is growing at a steady pace. The twins are different matter. . . As far as I know, they continue to consume souls instead of offering contracts." I reply solemnly.
"I know a few demons like that. It's just a lifestyle that we can choose. But, I'm surprised Luka found himself a contractor. I always thought he would follow your footsteps and be soul free too. How did he get his contractor?" Damian asks and takes another turn up to Brady Street.
"He said he was drawn to him. . . His contractor's soul called to him and that's where he found him. After that, they created a contract and Luka claimed him as his." I answer, following after him.
"Drawn to his soul. . . I see, I heard about demons saying that and I only experienced that once in my eternal life I lived. Have you been drawn yet, Garrick?" Damian questions as he turns his head slightly to face me.
"I can't say that I have," I admit honestly. I haven't had an experience as that before. . . And I highly doubt I will. . .
"If you did, what would you do? Form the contract or ignore it?" Damian ponders before turning up to Buck's Row.
"Ignore it perhaps. I'm not sure. . . I don't eat souls so forming a contract with someone would be moot." I respond while my eyes sought a small crowd of humans standing around a particular spot on the right side of the street. All of who have their heads looking down.
What could be so interesting to be staring at the ground? If it were money or gold or some other thing of value, they would be at each other for the item. But, they're just looking at the ground. Are they observing something? Is that why everyone has their eyes stuck on the ground? It must be something captivating if all of their attention is focused on it.
"Damian, what are they looking at?" I ask as we continue along Buck's Row and the crowd of people coming closer.
"A body. Someone probably turned up dead and they're wondering what they're going to do with it." Damian inputs without sparing a glance towards the people.
That must mean someone killed an innocent person or they collapsed dead from something. . . I thought to myself and stare at the small gathering for another minute. As I was tearing my gaze from them, there was a figure hanging by the ledge of the rooftop from the building the humans are close to. My eyes focus on the figure and see that it was a young man barely holding onto the edge.
Upon seeing the young man, I felt a tugging sensation within my heart in his direction. In seconds, I transform into my raven form and fly up to the rooftop before reverting back to my normal form. The tugging feeling from earlier only grew stronger as I stride towards the edge, looking over to see the young man struggling to keep his grip.
The male takes notice of me and yells, "Please, help me!"
"How did you end up there? Don't you know it's bloody dangerous to be up here? Why were you risking your life?" I interrogate. Why am I not helping him?
"Help me up, please! My arms can't hold on for much longer! Please, please, please! Help me up!" The young man begs, tears beginning to cascade.
"Alright, alright! I'll help you, but you have to tell me why you were risking your life first." I compromise, though I know I'm at no authority to be negotiating with him under these circumstances.
"Are you mad?! I'm going to fall!" The human snaps and to prove himself, he uses his other arm to try and hold onto the ledge. I shouldn't be risking his life like this!
"Answer my question! What's so important that you'll get yourself almost killed?!" I demand while I lean my body a little over to the edge, my eyes glaring down at him.
"I'm a reporter! I'm trying to get a look at the dead woman everyone is looking! Now, please! I beg of you, help me!" The human confesses at the same I felt my demon eye widening.
He's special. . . I must save him! I thought as I grab hold of his arm and pull him up from the ledge in manner of seconds. I drag his body by the waist at a safe distance away from the rooftop and set him down so he could regain his breath. He takes several breaths in and out, my enhanced hearing picking up on the rapid beating of his heart until it reaches at a steady pace.
"Thank you. . . Thank you for saving my life. I don't know how to repay you for saving me. Thank you," He thanks with a soft smile that shows nothing, but gratitude.
"You're welcome." I reply and sit next to him. That's when he begins to laugh.
"I'm sorry! It's just that I had given up on anyone finding me up there that I was ready to die and join that dead woman below. How did you know I was up here?" The young man questions with a tilt of his head.
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." I answer, looking down at my lap.
"Try me." He challenges, curiosity clearly seen in his eyes.
Nodding my head in response, I release a sigh before revealing a secret that could change the way he sees me, "I'm not human. . . I'm a vampire-demon hybrid and I believe your soul drew me to you."
". . . You must be daft! Demons and vampires don't exist!" The human shouts and tries to stand up.
I quickly follow his lead and took hold of his sleeve, summoning both my vampirc and demonic powers fully. My left pupil dilates, signifying the crimson glow it must be in, while my fangs extract themselves from their hiding place inside my gums. Looking down at the human before me, I notice his eyes bulging in what appears to be fear and also amazement. Does he find me fascinating?
"My God. . . You were telling the truth. . . Wh-what do you want with m-me?" He stammers quietly. There's only one thing I want from him.
"Form a contract with me." I answer plainly and hope he doesn't try to run. If he did, I might have made the biggest mistake of my existence.
*Nickole's Note*
Hey, guys! I'm back and with another long chapter! I don't have any announcement to make, so let's get the Fun Facts out of the way!
1. The picture above is of Jasmine Gastrell and her model is portrayed by Alyssa Framm.
2. The streets mentioned here are real and so is the woman that the human mentioned as well! I won't be telling you why because you'll find out in the next chapter!
That's actually it. I'll introduce the human Garrick saved in the next chapter. As always, I hope you guys liked the chapter and I will try to get the next chapter up as soon as I can. If you guys have any questions about when I'll update the next chapter or why I'm taking so long, please check out my activity page for more information. Until then, I'll see you guys next time! Enjoy~