Creatures of the Dark

Kai was on his knees before Damian who looked more like a demon now than he ever had in hell and he was pissed. Kai was battered and bruised so far. “You psychics thinking that you can just take souls back as you like and upset the balance.” Damian sneered. “Your grandfather should have told you what would happen.” He goaded.

Kai looked up at him and he spat out some blood. “I didn’t do it on purpose.” He coughed out before Damian threw something at him and it stopped just in front of Kai - it was Damian’s demon blade.

Autumn's eyes widened, gripping onto the trunk of the tree in front of her to keep herself from stumbling, from cowering at the sight of the demon that stood over Kai. Barely able to take in the words, and slowly continuing to try and get closer without being seen.

On the opposite side, Alessia stood between two older oaks. Her arms crossed over her chest as she watched with a unimpressed frowned, having agreed to come with Damian to learn what his day to day looked like, and clearly not being impressed by it.

The day had been pretty busy up until this point when the demon needed to feed on souls. A hungry demon was an angry demon and a very possessive one over the soul that they had claimed. “There is a price to pay for messing with the natural order Kai.” Damian reminded him. “A life for a life.” The top of the blade pressed against his neck.

Kai looked to him. “I’m sorry for what I did.” He told him and he forced himself to his feet. “I didn’t ask for this gift, take it from me, but believe me when I say I didn’t know what I was doing and I did not intend to mess with things.”

"No..." She breathed, just above a whisper and just above for it to be notice, Alessia's gaze moving towards the tree line and resting upon the girls figure.

"Damian." Alessia warned lightly. "We've got a witness."

“Well you did say you were thirsty.” Damian reminded her looking over to where Autumn was. “Friend of yours?”

Kai looked at him with a straight face. “No please just let her go.” He begged.

Autumn swallowed, taking a cautious step put of her hiding place. With a roll of her shoulders, and straighten of her spine she strode across with a confidence that was not naturally hers, nothing more than an act. Stopping only footsteps away from Kai and Damian, letting a steady gaze meet Kai's to try and give him something familiar to calm him, directing quietly at Damian, "I don't know who you are, but I suggest you drop the knife before this gets out of hand."

Damian looked to her and he laughed. “Sorry little one but the supernaturals are talking.” He told her, the knife moving from Kai to her.

As the knife moved Kai grabbed her arm and managed to position her sligjtly behind him. He wasn’t going to risk her getting hurt.

"Do I look like I care what you are?" She retorted, even as Kai pushed her behind. Taking half a step forward so she was almost beside him, hand gripping tightly onto Kai's shoulder to squeeze in silent comfort. "You - you want souls? Is - is that what you want? There are plenty... plenty you can choose from. Leave his."

Alessia frowned, walking forward until she waw stood beside Damian. Inspecting the two.

Kai watched Autumn managing to stay just that little bit in front of her to protect her from him.

Damian laughed. “Life for a life sweetheart and your little partner here broke the rules.” He told her. “But I could always take yours.”

His words had Kai tensing and he put himself further in front, pressing more against the blade. “No she stays out of this.”

"Kai." Autumn barely whispered the name, "Take a step back, you'll end up slitting your own throat if you get any closer. You- N- No. Step back."

Damian smiled darkly. “You die for a human?” He asked.

“Always for her.” Kai told him.

"P- please don't. Please n- no..." Autumn sobbed then, though her words were directed to Damian. "Everything ha- has changed. Everything ha- has changed the past few weeks, thi- this...h- he is the only thing that feels safe. Please... plea-"

Alessia took in a breath, physically flinching at the pleas. Recognising herself and Damian in the pair.

Damian seemed to recognise it too and he almost drew the knife back before his demon took over and this time he sliced the knife across Kai’s neck slitting his throat almost as easy as if he was made of butter. “Messing with the balance is a deadly game,” he told her. 

Kai gave a choked noise as his throat was slit and he collapsed to his knees before them.

"Kai! Kai." Autumn screamed, moving quickly. Falling onto her knees almost as he did, body moving without her knowledge to wrap her arm around his shoulders ans bring him into her. Her other hand moving to press as much as it could on the wound to try and stifle the bleeding, "K- Kai... Kai hold on. H- hold on. I've got you, I- I'll get you help you just need to hold on. Okay?"

Alessia turned entirely away, lifting her hands to cover her face as she stepped forward away from the scene. Her own heart pounding, unable to hide the upset.

Damian looked to them and then to Alessia as he cleaned his blade. Something suddenly shifted with him and the demon persona disappeared and he took Alessias hand shifting their dimension so that Autumn and Kai couldn’t see them. “I know I said I’d give you a week but I’m sorry I can’t.” He told her. “Babe come here please.” He opened his arms to her

Kai tried to say something but all that came from his mouth was blood. His eyes stayed looking at her

"Sa- save them. Save them. They are us... " Alessia's voice broke, despite her attempts to keep it steady. Pulling her hand away from him, not to reject but so he could get on with her request. "What is the difference? Th- the way they look at each other. They are us."

"Kai..." Autumn sobbed the name, tightening her arm around his shoulder to bring him in closer to her. Ducking her head to touch her forehead to his, "I - I love you. Okay? I - I love you and every single woman you have dated in the past has been fucking stupid to not see you. Your parents monsters to call you all they have when you are one of the most outstanding people. I - I - st- stay with me. Stay with me. We ne- need more time, stay." Voice dipping to gentle comfort, "I'm right here. It's all going to be okay, I'm here."

Damian looked to them and he looked back to her. “Go and hunt.” He told her. “To perfect the balance a soul needs to be taken.” He reminded her. “Once I have a soul to balance things I can give him back his life.”

Kai pressed his forehead to hers forcing his eyes back open. “I love you too…” the words were not all there and were very disjointed but he still told her how he felt

"Ssh, sshh." Autumn soothed, trembling hand moving away from his neck when she realised it was doing no good, being no help. It instead going to play with his hair, as she always had when he had fallen asleep against her in the past. As she had always done to comfort him when he had needed it. "It's okay, Kai. It - it's all going to be okay. It always is, mm? I've got you, you've got me... that means it's okay."

Alessia swallowed, only nodding in response before sprinting off.

He looked to her. “You’re safe….” He gurgled. “Always safe.” He moved to rest a hand on her cheek.

Damian watched them as he waited for Alessia and he watched he remembered he and Alessia being in the exact same position once before. When Alessia had made her kill he was able to swap the souls just as Kai lost consciousness his hand falling back to the ground

Autumn screamed when his hand dropped, trembling as she began to rock with him.

Alessia slid to a stop beside Damian as she returned, staring ahead to watch the couple.

“He lost consciousness but as long as she gets him help he will be alright.” He told Alessia. “Now walk with me my darling.”

In the distance there was the sound of an ambulance

She swallowed, motioning for him to lead the way.

He brought her away from the commotion as Autumn and Kai were found by paramedics and he brought her deeper into the forest.
____

One of the paramedics pulled Autumn to her so her colleagues could look after Kai and she held her to calm her.

"He hates me because I leave to breath, but I need to breath so that I do not break. I am not of hell, and it becomes stifling but I always come back. I always come back and it isn't good enough for him." Alessia eventually whispered to Damian, voice hoarse. "I thought the issue was my la- lack of trying but the issue is me. Full stop. The issue is I am not a demon. The issue is I will never kneel to anyone, especially not after what my mother done to us." She swallowed, "and th- that is what makes me lose my temper. I fought so he could have his freedom, and he wants to take away mine. I don't know what to do, Damian. I have been up all night and I just don't know how to fix it. He just wants t humiliate me; he claims he loves me like you do but I don't see how."

---

"Save him. S- save him. Pl- please." Autumn sobbed against her.

Damian went quiet trying to think of a way to explain, what he was doing was how a demon showed love at times. “The humiliation bit aside, he does love you, when demons are in love it’s almost animalistic,” he tried to explain. “Hes supposed to be the alpha here, the protector the provider, he’s supposed to be the one in charge,” he then stopped trying to explain it a different way. “Basically in demon culture the woman would submit to him, it kind of feeds an ego if you will, it’s not about you not being a demon, not really he finds you insanely attractive and everything just like I do.” He encouraged. “I’m sorry I suck at explaining this.”
_____

“We will poppet, we need to get him to hospital, are you coming with us?”