DARE THE DEVIL

Doing something right

Russel sighed and leaned into his

seat. It was more of a relief that she could see visions, but he knew how that

worked. Never complete, hard to interpret and definitely never leaves a clue

till it finally happens. It was not going to help in finding Damon, but at

least, he called out to her.

“Are you sure it was him? You might

have been stressed out recently, worried, and might have channelled your

thoughts to him that you think you heard from him." Sloan didn’t want to

raise anybody’s home high and end up feeling hurt at the end of the day. His

disappearance was already taking a lot from them all.

“I know what I saw,” Aziza

answered, calmly, controlled, sure.

“It might not have been, Ivy…I

don’t want you getting….”

“I said I know what I saw,” she

snapped. Her demons raging and taking control almost immediately. Her eyes

flashed with that familiar darkness and red ring around her very dark pupils

and her nails itched for her claws. Their hearts skipped a mile at her sudden

show of anger but it was exactly what she had been talking about. Her pets were

unstable and the need to hurt others because they were hurting was

overwhelming. With a lot of effort, she lowered her gaze and pushed them back

to the back of her mind. When she raised her gaze, they were gaping at her,

with fear and confusion.

“I know it's him.” she mumbled,

feeling guilty at what she had brought to their lives.

“Well…” Russel cleared his throat,

shaking off the terrible feeling of death she could so easily incur by simply

showing her powers.

“Let’s hope you can get more

visions soon. At least you heard from him, isn’t that important?” Aziza sighed

and lowered her gaze again. She recalled the way he sounded so down, so pained,

so hurt. It struck her chest with fear and pain and her pets whimpered at the

thought of their mate in danger. It simply was not enough to hear from him like

that, it just wasn’t’ important enough. She had to see him.

Breakfast was rounded up. And Sloan

and Maddie had to go to work. With Sloan driving, they drove to Roxwell empire

where Sloan was still the VP.

“Do you think he is alive?” Maddie

could not help but ask as they drove along. She went ahead to take off her nose

rings and extra earrings on her ears to look the part of an office clerk.

“I don’t understand this mate thing

more than what we have been told and if Aziza is sure that he is, then he is,”

Sloan responded as she turned a corner.

“Who do you think took him then?”

“I have no clue. But I am sure it's

someone from their world.” It was strange how she had become friends with a

demon and still stuck by her after everything.

“I think the Roxwell’s know what

happened or where he might be,” Maddie sighed. She remembered that day Damon

disappeared right before their eyes. The cops had taken them away immediately

and Aziza was torn between running for her safety, going in search of Damon or

looking after them. Maddie recalled screaming at her to go. Fortunately, she

did and she had looked for Damon all the time they remained in jail and were

being questioned. However, just as Damon predicted, things went as it was

supposed to and Aziza had come to them when they were released, looking

battered, shattered, broken and exhausted. All those days and night, she had

run the city mad. What was more shocking was that, the very next moment, his

parents had reported that he went on sabbatical due to how depressed he was.

“We never realised how terrible

things had been for our son till recently. He wants some kind of peace, some

time off the whole scandal and nastiness and we fully support him. From now on

till he returns, our company will be run by his subordinate. Thank you so much.” Were their words.

It was suspicious that they could

easily accept his disappearance without any form of question asked. Aziza didn’t

take it and had gone to question them. But they adamantly said they had no idea

and even accused Aziza of taking him. It was a lot of drama and manipulation

with the way they turned things on Aziza. She never got to deal with them

anymore. She was too busy looking for her mate, venting her anger out on the

world and fighting off the cops and those damn hunters.

“I think so too. They are too calm

about this,” Sloan nodded her head.

“Why wouldn’t they just tell Aziza

about it then?”

“They hate her. I would too if

someone as her suddenly showed up and turned my family upside down. I might

even do worse than hating her and would want her far from my son too.”

“He might be in danger. Are they

not thinking about that?” Sloan frowned and thought for a moment about Maddie’s

words. It was true the Roxwell family were acting like everything was so normal

and peaceful for them when the son they had for years disappeared with a man

who had dark eyes without a trace. He literally puffed into the air. They could

be doing this to keep a face for the public since they were super rich and

powerful but why turn down the help of someone who really cared for their son

and chase her away when she had a better chance of finding their son. They were

acting strangely calm and cool about everything and it was three months

already. Something was definitely wrong.

“I think they know that he is not

in danger.” She spoke up and took a glance at the side mirror. Her frown

deepened when she noticed that they were being followed again. They were still

out to get Aziza and put her behind bars. And had been following them like this

to find out if they would meet her up.

“They won’t stop, will they?” she

grumbled. Maddie followed her gaze and looked at her side mirror too to

understand what she was saying.

“No, they won’t. Not with Aziza

creating so much havoc.” She answered.

“Well, at least, it’s the cops.

Better them than those hunters, vampires, werewolves or the likes of her.`` The

thought of those beings made her shiver as cold ran up her spine. She still

remembered her ordeal with the vampires. She shook, shaking off the scary

feeling and focused on driving.

“I think Aziza should pay the

Roxwell’s another visits.” Maddie went back to the discussion at hand.

“She might kill them,” Sloan shuddered

at how she had become worse over the months.

“They are Damon’s parents. She

would have a little more restraint because of him.”

They arrived at the company that

had neither changed or faded due to Damon’s absence. The workers within worked

harder than before and were pushing harder than before just to get things done.

They walked past the receptionist who bowed her head at the sight of the VP of

the company altogether. She smiled warmly at her and went straight for the

elevator and up she went. The office was busy just as usual and once they saw

her, they bowed in respect. Maddie found her way to her office and she walked

into hers. The moment she got in, she sat down and adjusted her blazers. Work

was the next thing in mind and she went into it immediately, till a knock came

through the door.

“Charles here, ma’am,” the

familiar, annoying, whiny voice of Damon’s secretary came and she sighed

deeply. It would not have been bad to let go of the secretary once she took

over. But that would have been so unfair and her conscience wouldn’t have let

her. He pushed open the door, seconds later and came in with a stack of paper

in his hand and a smile on his face.

“What can I do for you, Charles?”

she asked immediately, without raising her gaze from what she was doing.

“The contract for the upcoming

projects has all been adjusted and the investors have requested a meeting.”

“Drop it and leave if that’s all,”

she came off aloof, just like Damon, only less. He smiled and did as he was

told, but that was not the only reason why he had come to her. Her assistant

could easily relay the messages he had to her. He had a different reason for

being there.

“What is it, Charles?” Sloan pushed

back the need to groan and waited for him to speak. He had an itchy mouth and never

knew when or how to shut it till he spilled what he had to, so she waited.

“The deaths are increasing by the

day,” he began and she halted in what she was doing.

“That red hair is still out there

and doing a lot more damage than she had done to our boss’s life,” his voice

turned cold and angry. He definitely had a thing against red hair. He always

had.

“The cops are taking care of it,

are they not?” She continued with what she was doing.

“It doesn’t seem to be enough.” He

paused and looked at the woman who sat behind the desk for a while.

“Have you really not seen her ever

since. You two were very close and you can clearly see that she is a plague

that should be rid of.” He finally spilled what it was he had to say and again

she had to halt what she was doing. Slowly, she raised her upturned eyes to

meet his. She had a lot of replies formulated in her head, and none of them

were good. She was even going to warn him to clear off the red hair’s back or

he might die next but she didn’t. They were playing a part and keeping her

safe, hidden and a secret was one of them.

“Leave…” her voice turned icy and

so did the warmth in her eyes.

Almost immediately, Maddie came

walking in hurriedly with panic written all over her face.

“Mrs. Roxwell is here,” she entered

immediately, without minding the presence of the secretary. On cue, he turned

to the door, ready to stay away from those Roxwells as much as possible.

“What is she doing here?” Sloan’s

frowns deepened with the headache she saw coming her way.

“I didn’t bother asking her. You

know, for the sake of my job,” Maddie retorted.

“Let her in then,” Sloan sighed and

relaxed against her seat.

In the next minute, a beautiful

figure came walking in with poise, grace, elegance and pride. She got up from

where she sat and bowed her head in respect to her, then offered her a seat.

“Good morning, Mrs. Roxwell,” she

backed down and stared at the woman who had gone thin in her eyes.

“How are you my dear?” Flossie went

on to ask in a friendly and sweet manner.

“I’m good, ma’am.”

“I must say, I was shocked when I was

informed that you came.” She entered honestly and the other gave her a smile.

“You are not in trouble of any

kind. So, you don’t have to worry. I just wanted to see the one behind the

success we have been having recently. We lady have to stick together you know

and I love a hardworking woman,”

“Thank you, ma’am.”

“But I do have a question to ask.

It’s been killing me for the past three months and I am sure that you have an

answer for me,” her smile faded away into a sorrowful look and Sloan’s heart

quickened.

“I know you knew the red hair who

protected my son.” She began and looked Sloan straight in the eye.

“I never got to figure out why she

was so devoted to keeping him safe. She never asked for money or anything huge

but she was consistent even when we were totally against her and making her

life a living hell.”

“Don’t you think it’s a bit late to

want to find out the answer to that now?”

“It is…. but I need consolidation

for what I am about to do now. I need proof that I am not making a mistake in

trusting her just a little.” Flossie answered sorrowfully.

“Your son, Damon, was not just a

prince who had to return home to her. He was her mate, her only soulmate, if

you know what that means. And they had met each other and even dated themselves

for a while in the past.” Sloan answered, seeing a need to. It might help with

the answer Aziza was looking for and she found no harm in filling the woman who

had been a mother to Damon ever since he was an infant in.

“Her dedication to your son was and

is purely out of love, ma’am. True love that can never be taken away or

replaced.”

Flossie breathed in heavily, feeling

something heavy lift off her chest at the confirmation she so needed. It was

too late, and she should have found out earlier but her stubbornness, her lies

and secrets had completely torn them apart and Damon had been lost in the way.

Tears of guilt, pain, depression

and loneliness fell down her cheek but she wiped it off quickly and kept a

poised expression with determination written in her eyes.

“Can you let Aziza know that I have

something to tell her.”