A/N:  Just a really quick author's note.  First of all, I mean to have this done hours ago, but since Wednesday I have been pretty under the weather.  It carried over today in the form of lethargy, that kept me from waking up when I wanted to.  

Secondly, I just wanted to remind you of some formatting when it comes to this story.  Every time there is a character first person switch their will be a banner indicating which character is 'talking' at that point.  Also should italics appear in quotations that means the characters are telepathically communicating with each other.  If it is simply italics, that means they are thinking to themselves.

Posted 7/12/21

3897 words

Sloppy. Sloppy. Sloppy. Thinking it thrice wasn't helping me cope with the problem at hand, but it was the only adjective I could come up with to describe the botched up situation we were in. We had been tracking a slew of mysterious deaths and other accidents for just under five years now; we could only assume they were potentially demon related due to the circumstances we found each victim. The only other evidence or clues we have been able to uncover, aside from the bodies left behind, were from a handful of the luckier victims. The victims that got away with only mild cold symptoms left behind them.

Whether that sloppiness pertained to the failure at trying to do our job to contain the issue or the sloppiness had more to do with the perpetrator who was at fault I was still undecided about. More than likely though it was a result of both.

Four of us had taken a back seat on focusing on our main role, to spread gluttony like an epidemic across the world at least once a month. We still would spread some energy here and there when we would come across a bar the suspect had been at, but we didn't put our full focus on it.

"Namjoon, I think we have her! I think we finally caught up with her this time!" Taehyung paused in his telepathic status report. He mentally sent through our shared mental link a live thought projected visual feed of her actions. She wove through the bodies on the dancefloor as if she was merely smoke dancing on a breeze. Her sinuous movements smoothly execute a serpentine path around the cluster of bodies inhabiting the dancefloor, and she still somehow manages to end up in the center of the dancefloor without actually touching a single person. I found myself surprised by her attire, dressed in clothing the complete opposite of those around her. Instead of copious amounts of skin the only bared flesh I noticed on her visage was her neck and face. She even wore skin tight leather gloves on her hands. I suppose it's possible that she is simply securing a single target rather than attacking the entire club. Although that thought didn't completely line up with the evidence we had thus far accumulated. Granted the evidence was constantly contradicting itself anyway, so in a convoluted sort of way this backwards approach sort of made sense.

Taehyung continued to watch her, slithering through the shadows that lead up to the outskirts of the dancefloor. I didn't have to warn him to keep back and only observe. He was good at his job; we all were. What worried me though was the fact that we also each had specific vices that led to very specific temptations, and it was possible for any of us to be lured by those temptations. Perhaps that's the reason I couldn't stop myself from reiterating to him, "Wait for backup before closing in. Disclose your exact location, and we will decipher who to send based on proximity."

I had already determined I would be there when it came time to question her, but the likelihood I was close enough to help him close in on her was exceptionally slim. Taehyung validated those concerns when the address was broadcasted through our link. I was on the other side of town, and while I could shift and fly through the veil to cut my time in half, it still wouldn't get me there quite fast enough. I'd probably get there a couple of minutes after the moment that they were able to sequester her.

An emotional noise, not much unlike a whimper, came through our telepathic link, and I immediately knew he was closest. "Jimin, you can't be there for this. Don't even consider it. You can't block that many emotions coming from that density of humans. Fall back."

I felt his sigh more than heard it. He hadn't been talkative as of late, neither vocally or telepathically, and that was putting a strain on all of us. We may be demons but we still have emotions and hearts. Hell, one might say he was the heart of us all. His empathy coaxes out a modicum of the same ability from each of us.

"I'm on it Namjoon. I'll be there in less than a minute." Hoseok reached out to me. I scowled as he unintentionally shared his scene with us telepathically as he said goodbye to a shadowed woman who's pupils were quite obviously dilated, pulse was accelerated, and as he left her behind I could hear how she was heavily panting as she leaned against the brick wall that was behind her. If the shared vision were able to include scent along with it I was sure that the slickness gathered between her thighs would permeate through my nostrils. I groaned at that salacious lingering thought. We weren't immune to the seven sins ourselves. The polar opposite actually, especially every ninety days. (Luckily, as demons, our own growing sins didn't feed the quota for the dominion over said sin.) We each had our own vices and Hobi's most prominent unfortunately were lust and greed.

"Should I be thankful that you took a moment to enjoy yourself before joining Taehyung?"

Hoseok was cocky, and I wasn't surprised to sense that assuredness coming my way. "I wouldn't want to be distracted, Namjoon. We do have a job to do after all."

I barely keep myself from rolling my eyes. He would still get distracted, whether he claimed his recent activities had quenched his thirst or not. All it took was one beautiful female in his line of sight and he was more focused on scratching that itch than the job at hand. "Just get to the location and close in on her together with Taehyung. Try to coerce her into a nearby alley. I'm going to take to the skies, and I will be there as soon as possible."

"Oh, you better be careful there, Namjoon. Sounds as if you might be seeking some wrath like vengeance." I snorted through my nose. Hoseok was one to talk, pointing out the sin I was weakest too; the one I was liable to commit the most often. When he himself was known to be exceptionally weak to his own sin and had been obviously partaking in a bit of lust before running off to join Taehyung.

I didn't bother making a retort, despite my urge to do so. What could I say he was right? No, I shook my head and quickly shifted into my shifted shadow form and took to the skies. I didn't have to worry about if any humans saw me shift. I had already been phase shifted before making the transformation. I had been watching the streets from the veil; where everything was viewed in black and white and time moved slower. This would also help me arrive on time. Because while my surroundings moved at a slower pace, I myself still had access to my natural swiftness only elevated slightly due to the magic within the veil itself. Even with that magical burst though I was much faster than most other beings that used the veil to travel from one point to another. That's when I realized my second most prominent sin was showing. Pride.

Granted that particular sin more came from the racial abilities that had been genetically passed down to me by my mother rather than from the cosmic balance bestowed upon us when we were transformed into demons. I found myself frowning as my thoughts unfortunately tried to linger over my mother. I made an effort to rapidly push away those haunting memories of her. Now wasn't the time to become nostalgic, or even worse depressed. Now was the time for action.

I dare not admit to my team the fact that I just realized I might be wrong, at least not until I observe her more thoroughly so I can figure out why I might be second guessing myself. It's something about the signatures that have been left behind when we have found a victim. The signatures seem identical at first glance, but I think that there might be something different about this one, which of course echoes my concern that this may not be the demon we have been tracking after all. I can't seem to put my finger on just what exactly is different about the signature that I'm sensing though.

I climb up a small set of stairs so I can watch the dance floor only a couple feet below my elevation as she flits through the crowd of undulating bodies. Somehow, when she passes by, she manages to both come within each dancer's personal bubble, but also keep a controlled distance. It's almost choreographed how practiced her movements are. From one beat to the next she moves, and I find myself no longer simply on task to stalk a suspect. It hardly matters if she is a potential cambion that doesn't know of her lineage, or a potential demonic killer that needs to be brought to justice. Not at this moment at least. Because right now I'm simply a man ogling the beauty and shape of the woman before him.

It's not even her facial features that make an impression on me. Although with the honey blonde hair and jungle green eyes, that I can somehow make out from here, those are definitely impressive also. No, it's something about how she moves both elegantly and seductively. I watch as she joins the writhing bodies on the dance floor in how they sway to the music. It's electrifying. My eyes widen in alarmed realization. That's not just her personal enjoyment I am feeling. She's feeding.

The sexual tension in the air between the couples grinding on the dancefloor is being consumed by the woman I was stalking. I can no longer call her prey, even though for a moment or two that is exactly what I mentally referred to her as in the beginning as I followed her signature to this club.

If she is feeding on the sexual appetite of the people around her does that mean she is a descendant of the Dominion over Lust? Does that still make her a cambion, but more specifically an offspring of someone in Aphrodite's Legion? If that's the case how did we not come across this particular clue earlier with her living victims?

As I'm questioning myself I feel Hoseok's presence finally come up beside me. He traces my eyes to the woman I can't take my eyes off.

"Damn, she's a beauty. Do you think Namjoon would throw a gasket if I got in there and let her feed on me for a while?" He makes his eyebrows dance. As if it isn't blatantly obvious what he means.

"Didn't you just put your dick away a few minutes ago? How are you already wanting to get it wet again?" I really shouldn't be surprised by his actions. But the happy go lucky demon beside me was constantly surprising all of us with his behavior and attitude.

He shrugs his shoulders. "We all have our vices." He looks me directly in the eyes before continuing his thought. "Even if you choose to deny yours."

Before I can make a move to stop him he is jumping over the railing we had been watching the dancefloor from. He moves in with expertise and grace. When he gets close enough my own sin begins to rear its ugly head. Suddenly I need to be the one beside her. I need to be the one taking her into my arms and letting her feed on my own lust that I try very hard to tuck away.

Almost too late I realize that instead of being enticed by Hoseok's sensual nature she is instead backing away from him. No, worse yet. She is trying to leave. I don't have much time to consider my actions. I could freeze her in place, but then I would risk unveiling how inhuman I am to the rest of the club. Somewhere on my body the glamour set in place would fracture and break, and there was no telling where that would be. It could be a spot covered by the clothing I wore. Or it could appear anywhere on my bare skin. The worst possibility would be if it appeared on my face. No, I can't risk it here.

So instead I made sure I was able to follow her. "Namjoon, Hoseok spooked her. She is trying to make a run for it." I let him see her attempt to escape through my eyes.

"Why'd you have to tell him it was my fault?!" Hoseok gripes.

"This isn't the time to squabble. I'll head to the back door since she seems to be gunning for that exit." Namjoon relays over our telepathic conversation. "I had hoped we could get her corralled into an alley easier than this. But at least she still seems to be unintentionally working with our plan."

"Namjoon. I think I should tell you." I pause for a moment. I hate to admit failure, but it was better that he knew the facts. "I'm not sure if this is the same suspect as the one we have been tracking. At least not the one that left bodies in his or her wake. I can't deny that the signature is similar but there's still something different about it too. I think she still could be potentially a cambion though. She was feeding off the lust of the dancers nearby her."

Once I got to the club I sensed her presence; her need. It wasn't something I shared with the others, my ability to feel another person's lust as if it were my own, an empathic ability of my own with a single focus. I'm sure it was a weighted disadvantage that the conversion from other to demon had brought me. The transformation couldn't be seamless or perfect. We all had to experience at least one sin heavier than the others, and mine was lust. Which I couldn't find any reason to complain about.

I pulled up beside Taehyung, and I made a comment about her beauty. Then we briefly squabbled before I was not only tired of the conversation, but began to feel her lust spike in desperation. I promptly mentioned letting her feed on me instead of the bystanders and launched myself over the railing. Once I was within a few feet of her I gave her my dazzling smile and pressed myself into her personal bubble.

That's the moment I felt her lust dwindle, and I was immediately able to read the panic that set in her eyes. Instead of being drawn into my presence she immediately backs away. Huh? That's a first. I don't think a woman has ever run away from me before.

Taehyung happens to see what is happening and telepathically communicates the problem before I can pull my head out of my own ass to do so. I take offense to the fact that he narked on me, and we argue briefly like children about it before Namjoon gets us back on track.

We both start rushing after her as she heads to the back door. A few moments later Taehyung is sending another thought into the telepathic conversation. "Namjoon. I think I should tell you." He hesitates and pauses. "I'm not sure if this is the same suspect as the one we have been tracking. At least not the one that left bodies in his or her wake. I can't deny that the signature is similar but there's still something different about it too. I think she still could be potentially a cambion though. She was feeding off the lust of the dancers nearby her."

I don't believe he was wrong about this in the slightest; in fact, I could definitely sense the validation of his statement. I scented out her magical signature like a dangerous creature tracking its prey. Many others compare a magical signature to a fingerprint. The problem I see with that comparison is the fact that even fingerprints can be altered slightly with the best of glamours. A magical signature however can't be altered no matter how much you wish it. It is however possible to dampen it. If you knew how.

Hmm. That's another reason her signature feels different. It's stronger than the cambion we have been tracking. This beautiful creature doesn't know how to dampen her signature; I'm quick to realize. That thought carries over to the next, and it promptly occurs to me that I need to immediately share with the others what I worked out for myself. "I don't think she fully knows who-- Scratch that. Not who, that's not the phrasing I meant. I don't think she fully knows what she is." I pause for a second to let that sink in. "It's obvious she knows what she needs to survive. But, her magical signature isn't even remotely dampened. Even those who aren't strong magically have the knowledge and ability of how to do that. The other signature, while similar to hers, might only appear so because it was dampened."

"So, how do you think we should proceed then? We haven't been in a situation where we needed to help someone before. I don't know if we are well equipped to even try." Taehyung asks.

Then it's like a light bulb goes off in our brain as we all think of the same person. The one person out of all of us that might be able to get through to her.

I'm not even remotely surprised when Namjoon makes the decision to reach out to him. "Jimin, we need you."

None of us expect a full response. Not with his recent silence. No, scratch that. He hasn't been completely mute, but he has been very selective about when he uses his voice, in either verbal or telepathic capacity. I think he has said a total of five words in the last month to me and our rooms are right next door to each other.

"I'm on my way." He surprisingly responds.

I hated being kept on the sidelines. I understood the reason for it of course. Namjoon wasn't wrong in his decision to have me hold back. But, that didn't make me any less annoyed about the situation.

Luckily, I had stayed in the nearby vicinity regardless. I'm sure Namjoon meant for me to fall back completely, but I've been pretty adept at finding the loophole to work my way through an argument should one arise. After all, he never actually told me to leave. He only told me to fall back, which I reasoned with myself didn't mean the same thing although he might not actually see it that way.

Pretty positive there wouldn't be an argument about the fact that I took his instructions to mean something different than he intended. At least not now that they were actually in need of an empath. It's not a magical ability I would wish on anyone. Sure, full blooded humans themselves are even capable of empathy, but being a magical empath was ten times more difficult than just an emotion based feeling. Usually I can turn it off, but when I am in a crowded space with lots of people the strain of keeping my ability locked away becomes so much more difficult.

I wasn't far from the club, but it was definitely still easier to tuck myself in the veil. This way I wouldn't have to work around people to get there. Plus my empathy is a lot easier to tame within the veil. Granted that also meant that I would have to be prepared to exercise my own dampening of the ability once I popped back out of it.

I noticed Namjoon's shifted form in the sky before he landed. He stepped out of the veil just as she came out the doors. I silently watched them from the veil for a few moments. I registered that Hoseok and Taehyung have just made it through the backdoor of the club. Being approached by the three of them was apparently too much. She looked behind her, debating if she could get away and turning back to them.

When she turned back to look at them I took the opportunity to step out of the veil myself. I focused on her and let my empathic magic reach out and get acquainted with her and her alone. So many emotions.

Fear. She was afraid of us. Reasonable, we were demons after all.

Concern. I studied that one for a second. I tried to keep the surprise from echoing on my face when I understood her reasoning. She didn't want to hurt anyone.

Repulsion. What was she repulsed by? I asked myself. It took a second to realize that she was repulsed by herself. By the monster she viewed herself to be.

The next emotion was almost hesitant. Like she didn't want to feel the way she did but couldn't help herself. Attraction. Ah, she may have feared us but she was also attracted to us. Could it also be possible that her attraction was causing some of her fear? That her concern over hurting others was causing part of it?

The last sensation I got from her slammed into me like a freight train until I was also feeling it too. Hunger. Unholy Hera, she's been basically starving herself!

I reached out to her, not physically with my hand but with my magic. I caressed her emotions as if I were stroking a cat. I was hoping to succeed at attempting to calm and soothe her. I briefly consulted with myself on what my next step should be. What I decided to try had me surprised to say the least. After all, it was a long shot that she would hear me at all, or that I would be able to hear her even. But despite that I still chose to attempt to speak to her with my mind instead of my voice. "We won't hurt you. I can help you. I promise. You can't hurt us."

I took a moment to see if I could listen to her thoughts. They weren't concrete but there was an echo there. Her thoughts were constructed similarly to an abstract painting. At first glance I didn't know what to make of it. Then I was able to chip away each layer of paint to get a better view.

A/N:  Don't worry you will be hearing from the other three in chapter three.  :)