DARE THE DEVIL

Maddie's protest

Sloan slammed the door open with so much urgency, Maddie was spooked.

“What is going on?” she asked for what seemed to be the fifth time already. Yet, just as the other time she had been asking, Sloan’s excitement didn’t let her reply. She instead started looking around the house for something. She poked her head through the kitchen, but when she found out it was empty, she turned to the stairs and started running.

“Are you kidding me?...” Maddie gritted her teeth.

“Hey…” she began after her.

“You might fall, take it easy…” she scolded and started running to catch up with Sloan too. If it mattered to the other, she didn’t show. Sloan ran all the way to her room and straight to her closest. She stopped and stared at it while she panted deeply for breath.

“Aziza…” she called out.

“Aziza…” she called out again, wanting so badly to see those flaming red hair and beautiful face. But no response came back to her. Just then. Maddie walked into the room, also panting for breath.

“Wait….” She bent down, placing her hand on her knees as she spoke with a hoarse voice.

“She is the reason we have been running like crazy bitches?” She stood up and stared at the back of the other who was still looking at her wardrobe, hoping that Aziza was at the other end of the door.

“Have you gone crazy?” Maddie snapped when Sloan still gave her no response. Work had been going perfectly fine and smooth all day. Sloan had acted rational, like nothing extraordinary happened, not even when someone like Flossie Roxwell met her. She never explained to Maddie what the meeting was about and was rather composed and indifferent about having a meeting from such a famous and highly powerful individual. Seeing this, Maddie thought that nothing extraordinary happened till she was pulled out of the office the very second the clock clicked and indicated that it was time to leave and return home. Sloan had bursted out of her office and without giving Maddie any prior notice or time, she had dragged her out and in such haste, drove like a mad person all the way back to the house without explaining a thing.

“Aziza…come out…” Sloan still ignored Maddie and paid her utmost attention to the closest. What she had to say was very important and it had taken a lot of effort to simply sit still and wait till the end of the day's work. It was important she saw her friend face to face and pass on the information she had.

“You really think that she would be home?” Maddie sighed, refusing to take offence by Sloan’s behaviour and sat down on her king sized bed. Only then did Sloan stop her attempt. She knew that her scary friend would not be home at such a time of the day, yet she hoped. Slowly, disappointed, she turned to the bed and sat down beside Maddie.

“What did Flossie say to you?” Maddie asked again, knowing too well that it had to do with her.

“She said she wanted to meet Aziza. She has something to tell her.”

“After so many months have passed.”

“Hmmmm.” She sighed and placed her hand on her chin.

“I don’t trust her and her entire family.”

“Me too. But Aziza is the only person that can find their son, so maybe, just maybe, they might need her help this time around.” Sloan fell backwards and laid on her back.

“They knew where he was all this while and didn’t think of asking for help. Why now?” Maddie shook her head. She refused to believe that they could have good intentions in mind. Not when it concerned Aziza. Even she wanted to kill her friend most of the time. She was just simply intolerable, talk more of what a stranger could do. They would want to tear her to pieces.

“Maybe, she is worried. Maybe, they have no idea where he is. She is a mother and is bound to be worried about the son she raised.”

“Wasn’t she worried before?” Maddie wasn’t buying it.

“Seriously?” Sloan shot up from where she was lying and gave Maddie a nasty glare.

“Would you prefer she goes about, aimlessly, joblessly, murdering people without a life purpose aside from getting her mate?”

“Can’t you see that she is suffering and needs all the help that she can get? Mrs. Roxwell is willing and might be that help that she needs.” She breathed out heavily. Watching her friend drown over in sorrow and self destruction was not a good sight. Aziza could act unfeeling all she wanted, but she knew her, she had seen her pain and it was unbearable to keep watching while being unable to help. Maddie went silent and lowered her gaze. Of course, she knew what Sloan was talking about.

“Let's just give mrs. Flossie a chance, shall we?”

“Trust or not..she might be the key.” Sloan fell back on her back.

“Moreover, you don’t think they can easily defeat Aziza in a fight, do you?” she grinned. Maddie turned to her and shuddered at the image of a bloody mess Aziza could easily make.

“You are right.” She confirmed and sat up from where she had been sitting

“She might not return tonight though…” she added and tried to imagine how the night might go down. The images were just too bloody, so she shook it off.

“She no longer moves around with a phone or cell.” Sloan mumbled.

“It's really hard communicating with a blood sucker isn’t it?” Maddie sighed and started taking off her clothes so she could use the bathroom.

“Tell me about it…” the other giggled and sat up. When she saw Maddie, a frown appeared on her face.

“What are you doing?”

“I need to take my bath.”

“You have your own room.”

“Your room is bigger than mine,” Maddie took off her bra and turned to the bathroom.

“Yours is also big.” Sloan followed behind her and started taking off her clothes too.

“You can’t compare that to yours.” Maddie turned around and flashed her a glare.

“Don’t glare at me. It's my house.”

“Who made me lose my apartment again?” Maddie couldn’t help but bit back harshly as she walked through the bathroom door. Sloan halted, remembering the particular incident that made them move. But in her defence, it wasn’t all her fault. Yes, they helped a wanted criminal, but the wanted criminal was also wanted by other supernatural forces that were after their lives. That was why they moved.

After some minutes of glaring, she walked into the bathroom and shut the door. Maddie was already having her bath in the shower. So she joined her and together they started giggling.

BOOM

The door to the bathroom slammed opened and they shrieked, scared for their lives and holding onto themselves like their lives depended solely on it.

“You called me…” A familiar voice pierced their ears, as it passed through the steam and revealed who was behind their dilemma.

“b***h…” Maddie yelled, meaning every word that came from her mouth. She began cursing so furiously, her voice strained at the might of it.

“Hey…” Sloan used her hands to cover her mouth, mumbling her incessant cursing.

“That's enough..” Maddie still kept cursing but it came out more like mumbling. She was really angry. She almost had a heart attack at the way Aziza opened the door. When she felt it was enough, she quieted down and simply glared at Aziza who was standing by the door of the bathroom, looking bored with her hands crossed over her chest and her body leaning at the side of the door.

“Are you done?” her words came deadly, calm, bored. It was even more annoying.

“You almost gave us a heart attack.” Sloan glared at her and picked up her towel. She wiped her body clean and wrapped it around her chest.

“why are the both of you bathing together?” Aziza furrowed her brows at them. They froze, not expecting her to head in that direction.

“We are friends, and ladies alike. We can do whatever we want.” Sloan answered though her face was beginning to turn red. She couldn’t help but imagine the picture in that dirty head of hers.

“It's weird…” Aziza entered and turned to the bedroom ignoring the uncomfortable position that she had kept them in. Sloan turned to Maddie and gave her a glare before she followed behind Aziza. Maddie couldn’t help but feel annoyed, so she turned back to the shower to complete her washup. When she felt better, she came out of the bathroom, dripping wet since her towel was not available.

Sloan had already put on a jean short and was putting on a shirt when she came in.

“You are going to wet the floor Maddie.” She grumbled.

“That’s why we clean..” Maddie retorted and walked over to her closest. She searched for a robe and when she found one, she wore it. Then she turned over to Aziza. She was sitting on the bed, feeling less concerned and bored.

“Where were you?” she asked, going closer to her.

“You should know better than to ask.” Aziza retorted and leaned back on the bed. With her hands behind her back, she closed her eyes shut like she was in a deep thought.

“Why did you call me?” she went on to ask. Repeating the same question she had asked them before. Maddie and Sloan gave each other a wary and confused look, before they turned to her. It's true that they were trying to reach her, but they had not been able to.

“We didn’t call you. But it’s a good thing you are here. There is something I wanted to tell you,” Sloan recalled Flossie’s statement and walked over to the bed. Maddie immediately became apprehensive, knowing the exact direction their discussion would be going. She still was not in favour of letting Aziza go to the Roxwells.

“They still have no clue…They were so loud in our head a few moments ago, I almost got a headache…” Nisha sighed heavily and Nyx scoffed.

“You are a supernatural being, hiding in the body of your counterpart. What are you talking about headache…”

“She may have gone nuts.” Chandra chirped in.

“What is it?” Aziza ignored her counterparts as she usually does and paid attention to Sloan. Her heart was beginning to race inside her chest as she took on a serious look and sat down beside her. She just knew that what she had to say was very important and if it pertained to Damon, she was willing to do anything.

“We think the Roxwells know something about Damon’s disappearance. And they had in fact asked you to come see them.”

“Not them…just Flossie,” Maddie deadpanned, flashing Sloan a glare. Something simply gnawed at her, telling her that it was a wrong move.