DARE THE DEVIL

One of you

Aziza’s gaze narrowed and her thoughts stilled. Unlike the raging beast within, she became confused for a moment and doubtful of what her eyes saw.

Nikko sighed, knowing exactly why she suddenly gave him that look. He had suspected for a while that something was wrong with him, he had seen signs and Aziza just confirmed it.

“I will explain everything,” he slowly raised his hands in the air.

“I promise. You just have to give me enough time to speak.” He surrendered. The darkness within his tone disappeared and brightness returned. His cool and soft voice sounded hoarse and somewhat desperate. Sloan and Maddie gave Aziza a nod of their head in approval. He had after all helped in rescuing her and a lot more things. If he wanted to put them in danger, he would have gained their trust and betrayed them by bringing their head in a platter. Which would make him a hero for the hunters. He had not done any of that, yet at least.

“What if it’s a trap?” Aziza flashed them a glare. Disapproving how easily trusting they were.

“The hunters are literally outside, waiting. And one of them just found out that I live in this house with you guys. Do you honestly think we are safe?”

“I’m no longer one of them.” Nikko entered, taking a step forward. Aziza flashed him an icy glare, stopping him on his track.

“They thought I died in the fire. To them, I am dead and gone. No one knows I am still alive except you three. You don’t have to be worried anymore, I am no longer a hunter,” he rushed.

“And you expect me to believe that how?” she crossed her hand over her chest and mused. She truly didn’t believe a word he said.

“And how did you escape the fire?” Maddie entered. They had seen the result of that fire and it was massive. A lot of people didn’t survive and with what Aziza said, Nikko was a hunter, there on a mission. He shouldn’t be alive either.

“She spared me,” he smiled warmly. His eyes glowing a bright blue and the back of his ears turning red with that revelation. Aziza paled and she dropped her hands to her side.

“No, I didn’t.” she protested. Nikko’s ears turned redder and a visible grin appeared on his lips. Sloan and Maddie stared at each other, seeing the shift in the air.

“She sure did.” He turned to them.

“While she went around killing everyone on the spot without hesitation. She hesitated when she came to me. And instead of ending me, she tossed me into the very car the Roxwell’s were in. “ he turned to Aziza, the grin still on his face, revealing the handsome side of him.

“I honestly thought she was mean. I thought I would die the moment my back hit that car. But when I saw the fire rise, and my colleagues being burnt. I just knew, I knew she did it with all of her intentions.”

“That still doesn’t explain anything,” Sloan frowned.

“No, it doesn’t” Aziza flashed him another glare.

“The fire got to a lot of things. But it was almost like an invisible circle was drawn at the very place the Roxwell car was.” His eyes grew with excitement.

“Fire did surround us. But it never got to the car, neither did it come near till it was extinguished.” Aziza frowned and tilted her head to the side at the thought of that fateful night. She was sure she remembered where the car was, and the Roxwell were kept inside with guards surrounding them. The fire could have easily gotten to them with the screams and explosions she heard. Then realisation dawned on her.

“Are you saying that the Roxwell’s are alive?” her eyes widened and relieved filled her heart.

“Yes, but don’t get too excited,” Maddie groaned. A smile caressed her lips immediately and joy overwhelmed her, followed by the thought of Damon. He would have definitely killed her or hated her if she went on a killing spree and killed his beloved human parents.

“Don’t get too excited, they’ve been going about inciting the crowd that is already against you.”

“I think they should have been dead. It would have saved us a lot.” She added.

“Maddie…” Sloan slapped the back of her hand.

“Ouch..” she groaned and glared at her.

“It's true.”

“Should Nikko have died too then?” Sloan glared back at her.

“Of course not…” Maddie gasped, hating the very thought.

“I think he would die anyway,” Aziza started towards him, resuming the very discussion they had.

“Wait…I still have more explaining to do.” Nikko took a step back.

“What more could you have to say?” Aziza tilted her head to the side, watching him move away slowly in fright.

“I think I am like you…” he voiced out. She froze in her step immediately.

“What?”

“When the hunters started going after Damon. I found out it was because he was not human and they found a way to make him one so they would feel less threatened by your kind.”

“I started feeling somewhat strange and I wondered how many people, people of your kind that they might have done that to.”

“I went through our records. I never realised how much I was curious or why I was that curious over the situation when I was simply a hunter who shouldn’t mind that. But I found records of supe, non humans made humans and my name was part of that restricted file.” His face fell and his heart tightened inside his chest. He had known nothing all his life aside from the fact that he was a hunter. They were his family and he was theirs. He knew nothing else and had no one else. Even the family he thought were his people were truly not his family. They were simply care takers, partakers of a lie so perfectly formulated. It was heartbreaking when he found out that he was not even human and he was being used to end his kind.

“I found out after your escape from prison.” He stared up at her and caught the sympathetic look in her eyes before looking away again.

“I stayed out of operations and simply observed. If Damon took drugs that kept him human, I knew we had no such thing and I had to find out how I was being made human.” He sighed heavily.

“It turned out that it was from the drug administration given to us. It's said to make us stronger, more equipped to face your kind,”

“It wasn’t. It was simply a way to subdue what I was. What I am,”

Everyone gaped at him, shocked at the turn of events. That wasn’t what they had expected to hear and it had left them speechless.

“How did you…?” Maddie went closer, feeling her heart ache for him. She knew what it was like to be treated differently, to be lied to and all his life had been a lie. His story could definitely not be fabricated. It was too good to be and there was no need for distrusting him anymore.

“How did you escape them?”

“I didn’t.” a lump appeared at his throat when he recalled how they caught him.

“I had been caught and threatened to be terminated if I didn’t continue with them and as a human. For the sake of my life, I had to pretend to agree and to test my loyalty, they had sent me out on the field again.”

“For Aziza, at the Roxwell mansion.” He turned his gaze to her. His blue eyes dimmed and he lowered his gaze again.

“For the record, I only just came there. I believed I would die once you saw me. I could imagine how angry you would be if you saw me there as a hunter. I was ready to die but I was never going to hurt you with my bare hands.”

“Not in my life, not ever.” He lifted his gaze again, meeting her very confused ones with determination laced within it. He was willing to be killed by her, but he was never going to make the mistake of hurting her again.

“I have a question,” Aziza couldn’t believe all she heard. But she believed that look in his eyes. Somehow, it pulled her and told her that he was speaking the actual truth. He was not going to hurt her, he had never done that and had been nothing but a helper and a friend when everyone and everything tagged her a killer, a murderer, a curse.

“Were you ever in any of the operations carried out by the hunters against me?” she just had to be sure. His eyes dimmed and he lowered his gaze immediately, recalling that night. He could still perceive the smell of blood, the smell of rain and the bodies that had been chopped by her bear hands. And lastly, when she was cut down. Guilt stabbed him just as it had stabbed him that day and the pain of watching her lose her life when he was unable to do a thing about it made it kill him within.

“Just one…” he mumbled, knowing she would hear. Her eyes glazed and the feeling of betrayal resonated within.

“Which?” her voice turned strangely harsher and her demons rose. Hurt slowly stung from the dept of her being. And to simply imagine that he knew, he knew who she was, what she was and had pretended to like her, to accept her, to keep her safe whereas, he was willing to stab her right at the back when she was not looking.

“At the alley…” Nikko answered, hating himself and that very night.

Chandra growled, knowing it was the day she was supposed to have her first shift. The day Aziza almost lost everything including her life because they had cut her down at her weakest moment.

Sloan and Maddie had no idea what day they spoke about or what happened that day. But they got to understand a bit and knew it was bad.

“My duty to the hunters overwhelmed me. I really didn’t want to hurt you, but I was clouded by my duty to them.”

“I’m sorry for ever doing that and I promise you, I regretted it.'' He tried to salvage the situation. Meaning every word he said.

“Of course you did. You need my help now, don’t you?” she growled at him. Her eyes went darker and bloodier as she stared at him. Russel had come to her aid that day, if not for that. It would have been over. So quickly, so easily, the hunters would have won.

“No…” Nikko took a step closer, needing to explain that he really meant everything he said. Yet his words meant nothing to the woman whose eyes went darker and dimmer. A surge of energy slowly surrounded her, mixing perfectly, with the rage that boiled from within. Tingling, warm sensation spread all over her skin, bringing with it sparks, sparks of fire and confusion. But the moment his feet touched the ground, the moment he inched closer, his ankle twisted.

“Arrrghhh….” He yelled, falling harsh on the floor, accompanied by sounds of bone breaking.

Sloan and Maddie gasped and ran to him. But Aziza paled and took a step back. The warmth disappeared and her eyes lightened up.