DARE THE DEVIL

My friends or the criminals

Russel rushed into Sloan’s manor in

horrid steps at Aziza’s call. His heart was racing and he was panting terribly

at the way he moved. He was exhausted just like everyone else. The last three

months had been exhausting and tiresome, it showed on his face. Nothing looked

good anymore and he looked like he had aged a few more years in a few months.

If he was not working a spell, he was searching for portals, searching for

Damon and trying to make sure that Aziza never left a bloody trail in her

bloody rampage. He hated it, but at least, she was not killing innocent people

and that was more consoling. Whatever the case was, she was more like a

daughter to him and he had to be there for her.

“Whoa…” Maddie moved out of the way

before he could step on her the moment she opened the door and he walked

in.

“Easy,” she pointed out and shut

the door as she followed behind him.

“Where is she?” he stopped in the

middle of the sitting room and looked around for the famous red hair.

“On her way down,” Sloan answered

and arranged the table.

“Come and have a seat, you look

like you are about to die,” she cast Russel a wary glance before heading back

to the kitchen to get more of the dishes she had prepared. With all that

happened, the three of them were the only ones in that big house and being able

to take care of it and keep things homey and orderly seemed to be more work

than working in the office. But so far, they were keeping up with it, they had

to, for the sake of their friend.

“I wish I was dead,” Russel turned

to the table with ease and sat down just as Maddie lunged in one of the seats

there as well.

“Don’t say that.” Sloan returned

with the last set of the dishes and sat down.

“I didn’t know that she called you

over. She returned just over a few hours ago,” Maddie began to help herself

with some scrambled eggs.

“She called me over hours ago too

and she sounded urgent like something happened.” He answered and took over from

Maddie as he began to munch down on the food like his life depended on it.

“Something urgent?” Sloan frowned.

Recalling that nothing extraordinary happened. Even her bloody look wasn’t so

strange anymore. And ever since she went to her room, she had not come out. If

she did, she would have known since the entrance of her room was at the back of

her closest. He nodded his head in response and chewed. Sloan sighed heavily,

hating the way things had turned so terrible over the past few months. She was

worried for her friend and her boss and every other thing that had happened in

her life and she wondered what could have been so urgent.

Aziza came running down, looking

better and more enthusiastic than the way she was when she returned. It was a

beautiful side to see. Her hair had been packed in a pony tail and it was

getting all the way to her butt. But her attire never changed. She was still in

leather pants, jacket and a black sleeveless inside. She added a few more

accessories like a big belt to her waist and gun holders, with daggers as well.

“Don’t’ bring those to this table,”

Sloan voiced out before she came close. But as usual, Aziza ignored her. She

picked a seat beside Maddie and took off the belt on her waist. She placed it

gently on the table, right beside her and sat down. Sloan glared at her while

Maddie got up from where she sat to sit beside Russel. It was safer with him

than with Aziza with or without weapons.

“What was so important?” Russel

went straight to the point, as he ate. While he stole glances at Aziza whose

pale face was getting him worked up.

“And have you been drinking blood?”

he added. Sloan, who had a mouthful suddenly found it hard to swallow.

“Nope….”

“You have been depriving yourself

of that, haven’t you?” he frowned. Knowing Aziza, he knew that her vampire

counterpart would always want to drink when she was angry, almost dying, or in

a very weird emotional state. And ever since the day of Damon’s disappearance,

she had been in all kinds of miserable state that should push at her vampire

side to want a drink.

“There is no need for that,” she

sighed.

“Just as you don’t have to keep

killing and spilling blood,” Maddie chipped in.

“They are criminals Maddie,

terrible once who has raped, killed, butchered and even robbed old ladies. I

pick the most terrible and dirtiest of them all. I am doing everyone a favour,”

she explained. Sloan groaned, swallowing hard on what she chewed but their

point of discussion was making her stomach upset and the thought of blood was

getting her uncomfortable.

“You leave their bodies in the

street and in the worst forms possible. You bring home a trail of blood that I

have to clean. You don’t have to do all those,”

“What should I be doing then?”

Aziza’s gaze flashed red in hunger and rage.

“Don’t threaten me,” Maddie snapped

at that look in her eyes right before it went back to normal and the table

became quiet. For a while, no one said anything and the air remained so tense,

it was hard breathing properly. Sloan dropped her cutlery, finally deciding to

not swallow anything anymore since she felt like throwing up. They succeeded in

ruining breakfast and the images of dead bodies and blood didn’t leave her head.

“I feel like I might burn down the

entire world with how rageful I am,” Aziza began with a lowly voice.

“I fear I might hurt people that I

shouldn’t with how terrible my pets are handling things.”

“I fear I might hurt you guys if I

don’t vent on the criminals out there,” she lowered her gaze.

“So, pardon me, if I chose to

butcher them than to kill you.” Again, the table went quiet and mixed emotions

ran through everybody.

“You are getting pale, you look

almost dead, and exhausted. You also need to rest,” Russel took over, breaking

the silence and changing the choice of topic.

“You also look dead. Don’t you

think you should rest as well?” she bit back and relaxed into her chair.

“I wish I could. But you would have

my head if I stop searching for even a second,” he mumbled. She had grown worse

than before.

“Consider what I would do to myself

then if I enjoy the pleasures of blood and life when my mate is still out

there.” The table went quiet immediately and they all turned to her.

“Is that what this is?” Maddie

entered.

“You are punishing yourself for his

disappearance. It wasn’t your fault, Ivy. And we all know that.”

“It was,” she shut her eyes tightly

and recalled that event.

“I let my guard down. I had been so

caught up with him, with myself, with the stupid feeling in my heart that I

didn’t realize that something had gone wrong.” She spoke like she was simply

speaking to herself.

“Aziza….”

“Nothing matters anymore till he is

found. Not even me.” She opened her eyes and sat up. Her gaze was straight,

clear, focused, almost like she just had an awakening. Everyone stared at her,

unable to come up with the words that should make it okay anymore. Unable to

find the appropriate sentence that would make it better but the worry in their

heart was as big as the house they were in.

“Which brings us to why I called

you here,” she added. Sloan relaxed into her chair and glared at her. First

off, she ruined breakfast, secondly, she was not eating and thirdly, they were

going to have a meeting during breakfast.

“Why don’t you have something to

eat first?” she couldn’t help it.

“Not hungry,”

“When was the last time you ate…”

“I’m not hungry.”

“Let’s do this,” Maddie entered.

“Eat and you will have all our

attention. Don’t eat and we won’t care about what you have to say.”

“Is that a threat,”

“Yes,”

“Now eat.” Aziza glared at her for

a while, but she knew they were right. Food was as important as blood. Annoyed,

she picked the dishes before her and ate as much as she could within seconds.

“Now…” she dropped the fork she

held and everyone gaped at her.

“I saw Damon…” their eyes went wide

and they paid all attention to her.

“He called out to me….”

“It’s confusing, but I think I had

a vision. It was a dark room, simply dark and he called my name.” Her voice

shook but she steadied it and looked at Russel who could have a better

explanation of what was happening since he was a witch.

“A vision?” he asked, knowing she

never had such.

“Yes, I think it’s part of my

abilities that were unlocked within the past few months.”

“Yes, it is,” Nisha, her more

childlike demon confirmed through her thoughts.

“You have never had visions

before…” Russel frowned. He still had no idea of what she could be capable of.

“I have.” She responded sharply.

Recalling the first time she had ever opened her eyes in the human world and

the vision she had of Damon, then the second time Damon fainted from not taking

his pills. She told him about the times she had them and how it came. He nodded

his head as he listened and finally agreed that it was part of her remarkable

abilities.

“Did you see anything other than a

dark room?” he asked.

“No…just a dark room with a single

lighted candle. But…” she paused, recalling how it felt.

“He was there…I know.”