AN:// HAPPY FRIDAY! I hope everyone survived the heat wave and you're all looking forward to a fab weekend. Thank you so much for the love as always, and this chapter contains one of my loves Kate Bush as the soundtrack! I love that she's getting recognition for how amazing she is, even in 2022!! 

I hope you all enjoy the chapter <3 Things are picking up! x 

It was dark by the time Bonnie woke up.

She wasn't entirely sure how long she'd been asleep, but judging by the street lamps outside and the quietness of the road, she could assume it was a while. She felt well-rested, although she couldn't shake the feeling that she had been dreaming most of the night.

There had been a man. Or a voice.

Something had been scratching at her mind mere moments before she woke. But now it drifted away, disappearing into nothing more than a forgotten thought.

Sitting up, she shook her head and rubbed her eyes, looking around to see if anyone was with her. It felt colder than before she'd fallen asleep, but her legs were sticking together with sweat.

Looking down, she realised a woven blanket was over her and the empty wineglass on the floor removed. That meant somebody had to be around somewhere.

But the room was silent, and the tv was off. Only the orange light from outside was helping to see.

Standing up, she cocooned herself, noting how soft the material was. She was grateful to whoever had put it over her, otherwise she might have woken with a few less toes.

She padded across the room quietly, making sure not to knock into any surfaces that might contain fragile objects. If the wine was three hundred pounds, then she didn't even want to think about how much the decorations could cost.

As she passed what might have been the most well-protected bathroom in Scotland, she listened for sounds. But again, nothing.

"Weird," she mumbled, peeking her head in before carrying on through to the kitchen. "Where have they gone?"

No one was on this floor, at least. The lightbulbs were cold, and the open wine she'd left on the table was now over on the counter, beside broken cardboard boxes.

"Angels recycle," she laughed to herself, lifting the empty bottle. "How nice is that?"

She noticed the other dirty glass sitting beside her own—a sign that someone had enjoyed the remaining half.

"I guess I only owe them a hundred and fifty pounds now."

She still winced at the amount, even as a joke, and quickly returned the bottle to its place. As she turned back to the darkened room, her nerves pricked.

It seemed so much bigger now. Bigger—and far more spooky.

She should find Gremory.

Out of the two people she knew in the house, he was definitely a more welcomed sight than his counterpart. Bonnie looked to the door that they had disappeared into earlier. They had to be upstairs - didn't they?

She hesitantly pulled it open, pausing when it squeaked. The stairway leading from it was even darker than she'd prepared for, and she wondered if she should shout instead of venturing in. He had told her to wait, but that was before she'd passed out on their couch. Maybe she wasn't allowed up here.

But what if this was her only chance to snoop? What if Kimaris had convinced Gremory and they wouldn't tell her anything? What if this was her only chance?

"Fuck it."

With a pace that rivalled a two-toed sloth, Bonnie climbed the stairs. Her back pressed against the wall as she moved, looking for signs of movement from either side. When she reached the top with no interference, she felt a little silly and straightened up. She even glanced around to check that no one had witnessed her doing it.

She'd thought that they'd have filled upstairs with ancient relics or heads of demons that were slain, but there was nothing out of the ordinary. Only books shelves lining both walls.

As Bonnie followed them, aided by the huge window at the end, she realised the books were in many languages, and looked to be hundreds, if not thousands, of years old.

This was the personal library of angels—the knowledge within it could be unparalleled.

A book with almost shimmering writing caught her eye, the words Loch Ness engraved on the side. She reached to pull it out and see what secrets it would divulge, but then stopped.

These books were most likely worth far more than the wine she had drank, and she didn't want to think how much trouble she'd get if she damaged one of them.

"Maybe I'll just wait," she whispered, leaving her curiosity behind her with a saddened sigh. "It's not worth it."

As she stood in the hallway wondering which door she should try out of the four dark wooden ones, she noticed a tapestry hanging on the wall next to the window. The light from the moon illuminated the weaving patterns, and she stared, in awe of the colours. It was definitely old; the edges had frayed and parts clearly discoloured, either by sunlight or overuse. The pattern looked rather complicated and beautiful, but it was the words in the middle of it that brought her over.

Demons of the Ars Goetia

She didn't know what the second half of the title meant, but she sure had enough knowledge of the first.

She glanced at the list, a little taken aback at how mean names there were. It had seventy-two of them, detailed by the number beside the name, and each one was more bizarre than the last.

"Number twelve—Sitri. Number twenty-three—Aim," Bonnie mumbled to herself. "I wonder if he's always on target?"

She made her way down the list, mind wandering as she thought about what her attacker might be called. It's not as though she'd be able to tell, but perhaps she could ask one of the boys when she found them.

Distracted by the idea, she almost missed the name of number fifty-six.

She reread once, and then twice.

Gremory.

Bonnie took a step away from the tapestry, looking up at the title again.

"It's a coincidence," she told herself, trying to not let the panic rise. "Maybe it's an old name."

For a moment, she almost turned and walked back downstairs, refusing to believe that the person who had shown her so much kindness would be on this list. But it called her back, and she gave into the urge, scanning the names again.

She felt her heart drop when she got to number sixty-six.

Kimaris.

She might have convinced herself that one was by chance, but having both of them there...

It meant that she couldn't have been more wrong about them being angels.

"They're demons," she choked out as her head rang and fear poured over her. "I'm in the home of demons."

Bonnie had never got out of somewhere so quickly in her life. Before she knew it, she had dropped the blanket, flown down the stairs and was out the front door without a moment's hesitation, her breath held as to not make any noise. She prayed they hadn't been in the flat, or at least hadn't heard her.

As she'd made her way onto the street, she quickly looked around, trying to remember which way to walk. It looked different in the dark and she wanted to hit herself for not picking up her phone before she'd left her flat earlier in the day.

"Fuck," Bonnie whispered, trying to stop tears from filling her eyes—now wasn't the time to cry, she had to see where she was going.

I just need to get somewhere populated.

With a last glance back at the building she'd escaped from, Bonnie took off down the street, her feet thumping on the ground in a rhythm that matched her heart as she headed toward town.

Why hadn't she asked more questions? Why didn't she second guess Gremory and his kind smile? If she'd have stayed and waited for them, would she have ended up dead like she was supposed to?

She felt like an idiot. She'd questioned what had enough power to defeat a demon, and now she knew the true answer—another demon.

It felt like the longest ten minutes of her life. She had never been a runner and her body shouted at her to slow down, but the adrenaline flowing through her limbs kept her moving. They couldn't attack her with witnesses. Surely she'd be safe in the middle of Glasgow.

Bonnie thought she'd get whiplash from the amount of times she peered over her shoulder, constantly checking for signs of dark figures creeping in the shadows. By the time she'd made it to the busiest streets, she felt like she might collapse.

Lit up by neon lights and promotional boards, the street was like a haven. Littered with drunk people and groups of friends shouting at each other, she could take a breath. They hadn't followed her. Now she just had to figure out where to go.

As she stood panting, she noticed people were looking at her, their judgemental eyes rolling over her hunched figure and the clothes adorned to it. She must have looked a mess; having just woken up and wearing clothes that stayed primarily in her flat, she grew self-conscious. And scared.

Were they looking at her outfit or were they watching her for another reason?

Bonnie lowered her head, avoiding the eyes of the people around her as she pushed through the crowds, determined to stay unnoticed. She'd always been able to. Why was it now that it seemed impossible?

She kept walking, following the trail of discarded chewing gum and cigarette butts down the street.

"Bonnie!"

Stumbling, she corrected her feet in order to not fall back, startled by the voice which came from almost above her.

"Bonnie? Did you hear me?"

It took a moment to realise that the voice talking was female, and therefore not one of the two men she was afraid of, but that didn't make the person any less of a demon.

"Isabel!" Bonnie greeted and—for the first time in her life—felt grateful for her presence. "Sorry, I didn't see you there."

Isabel couldn't have been more of a contrast to Bonnie; standing in shining trousers and heels that made her even taller, she glowed in the lights. Absorbing the attention that onlookers gave. She never cowered.

Bonnie couldn't help but glance around to check her surroundings once again.

"Clearly," stated Isabel, her scrutinising glare watching, "You were walking with your head so low that I thought you were going to tip over. What are you doing?"

"Oh, um," Bonnie looked around, trying to appear calm but stay vigilant, "I was out for a walk. To clear my head."

That seemed reasonable enough. Didn't it?

"At eleven o'clock at night? You are weird," Isobel slurred, clearly not impressed by her answer even in her alcohol infused state, "I thought you'd be cooped up in fear for at least a couple of days."

Bonnie's eyes ripped away from the passing crowds and to the girl she worked with. "Why would I be in fear?"

Isabel gave her an incredulous look, scoffing at her question as she circled her fake nailed hand.

"Oh, I don't know? Because you got attacked last night?"

For a second Bonnie thought she was talking about the demon and almost ran from her, but when she'd filtered through the hysterical reaction, she calmed. Her father would have told her about the cafe.

"Right," Bonnie answered, a wary smile on her lips, "I thought it would be better to face things head on than hide."

Says the girl who just ran away without a second thought.

She looked around again; her growing anxiousness overpowering her rational thinking. What if they were watching her from the crowds?

The hairs on her neck rose.

"Wow," Isabel said, her brows rising in surprise, "That's actually really brave of you."

"Thanks."

Bonnie didn't have time to comprehend that Isabel was being nice to her for what might be the third time in her life. She had more important things to deal with. Usually, she'd take pleasure in memorising every drunken, kind word said to her to remind herself of on another day when she was the opposite, but what good is blackmail if you're dead and can't use it.

"Listen, I wanted to say thanks for not ratting me out. I know that..."

Whatever jumbled up apology Isabel was professing fell on deaf ears. If she survived the night, she'd hate herself for not listening, but something far more life changing had got her attention. In between the heads of drunken teenagers, queuing for a club, Bonnie could have sworn she saw a flash of a blonde mullet.

She wanted to convince herself that it was someone else—after all, they'd swung back into fashion with an undeniable force, but she knew in the pit of her stomach who it was.

Gremory.

Bonnie watched again, peering over Isabel's shifting shoulders to see further down the street. The blood in her fingers tingled and her legs tensed. She should make a run for it.

"Bonnie? Are you even listening to me?" Isabel's annoyed whine broke through the panicked haze that Bonnie had put herself in. It was almost comical seeing her waiting for a response with such a confused expression.

"Yeah, I am. Sorry," she quickly responded, scanning the crowd surrounding them again. When she saw another flash of blonde, she almost choked on a breath. "Look, Isabel, I'm sorry but I have to go," Bonnie rushed, already taking a step back. What looked like Gremory was moving closer, and she wasn't hanging around to find out. The hysteric screams in her mind wouldn't let her.

"What? Bonnie, I was talking to you!" Isabel replied, annoyed and reaching for her. "Just wait a minute!"

Bonnie stumbled back, her arms waving but eyes glued to one spot.

"I'm sorry!"

She didn't know if she was apologising to Isabel or the people she was backing blindly into as she fumbled back, the pounding of her heart getting louder and louder. Surrounded by people and unable to see an escape, she felt like prey trapped in an enclosure, the impending doom only obvious to her.

She wouldn't take her eyes off of Gremory, she refused to even look away for a second because if she did—

"Bonnie! Look out!"

The fear in Isabel's voice made her spin around. With her eyes wide, she realised that she'd crossed onto the road, and now a taxi was hurtling towards her, the horn blaring a split second too late. She felt her body take a breath, preparing for impact.

It would be ironic that she died from being hit by a car when she had survived demons all day.

Maybe Isabel would take joy in finally seeing her demise.

But at the moment Bonnie expected to collide, something grabbed her and pulled.

The taxi flew past with the driver screaming explicits.

With eyes that still held shut and ringing ears that were yet to subside, she didn't understand.

Had Isabel dragged her onto the pavement? Had someone saved her life?

The arms around her held tight as she looked up at the figure, her breath catching in her throat.

Eyes like smoke and an unimpressed scowl.

"Kimaris."

"I thought you wanted to stay alive," he grumbled sarcastically, peering down at her. "Or did you just want to die in a human way?"

At his words, Bonnie tried to break free from his grasp, her previous fear returning. His arms got tighter.

"If I let you go, you're not allowed to run." It wasn't a question, but a statement. "Or else I don't let you go."

"I'll scream," she threatened back, still trying to spin out of his grip and ignoring how strong his arms were. "I swear to god, I'll scream."

"Go ahead," he smirked, casually looking around him as if the bustling street was a beach. "Let me know which kid you think could take me. Better yet, maybe it's your friend who's with Gremory. She looks nice."

The scream in Bonnie's throat died as she followed his eye-line over to where she had been. Isabel was hurrying across the street, waiting for breaks in cars with none other than the blonde-haired boy by her side, making her laugh along the way.

"She's not my friend," Bonnie grumbled, pushing herself out of Kimaris' hold. "But fine, I won't scream."

Despite him being a demon, she wanted to punch the proud expression off his face.

As they got closer, she tried to look at ease, but it was hard to ignore Gremory's stare. She folded her arms and looked down at her scuffed shoes.

"Bonnie!" Isabel chastised as the pair reached them. "Are you an eejit? Even five-year-olds know how to look before they cross, you moron."

A tight smile made its way onto Bonnie's lips as Kimaris snorted.

"Thanks Isabel, always a pleasure."

"I'm just saying," Isabel said with an eye roll, glancing at the man who stood should to shoulder with Bonnie. "If it hadn't been for... this exquisite specimen here, then you would have hit that windshield like a bloody bug."

Without meaning to, Bonnie's eyes connected with Gremory's and he raised a brow.

That's Isabel? he mouthed, Rough.

Bonnie tried not to let him make her smile, but it was almost impossible when Isabel was still rattling on beside him. As she remembered that he'd lied to her, any trace fell from her face.

"How do you guys know each other?" Isabel finally asked, peering between the three of them. Bonnie didn't miss the way her tone pierced it.

What exactly could she say? Everything in her wanted to warn her to run and walk away, but she knew if she did, then it could be the end. For both of them.

But then again, Kimaris had saved her.

"We're her brothers," Gremory answered, coming to stand on the other side of Bonnie. "We're here to go visit some family."

Well, shit.

"But you don't have any family," Isabel reminded happily. "You never even got adopted."

Thank you, Isabel.

She ignored the way both men glanced down at her, the familiar feeling of shame trickling down her spine.

"They were fostered with me. We're visiting their family," she smiled back, hoping Isabel would give up. "We just refer to them as all our family—seeing as I have none."

The words left a bitter taste in her mouth. The day was making her face some harsh truths.

"But they fostered you with girls, I thought? And you hadn't heard from them in years?"

Of course, now Isabel had to reveal that she actually listened to Bonnie when she spoke. Who'd have thought?

Bonnie scrambled her mind for what to say, her emotions rising at the matter-of-fact way Isabel spoke about her life. Hearing it from someone else made the reality of it sink in a lot harder. It was taking everything in her not to tear up. And Isabel was becoming increasingly suspicious. Even through her drunk filter, she could see that Bonnie was uncomfortable about something.

"You're right. She did only live with girls," Kimaris smiled, a coy look to his grin as he folded his arms. Everyone stood still for a moment, waiting for the rest of his words. But he remained silent, only raising an eyebrow at Isabel's expectant face.

A moment passed. Then another. Isabel's intoxicated mind took its time in catching up to the words. Slowly, the smug expression dwindled as she looked between the two men, trying to piece together the situation.

"You mean..." She glanced down, clearing her throat, "Right."

It took everything Bonnie had in her to not laugh. She'd never seen the girl look so flabbergasted, and that was saying something; she'd once watched her witness a man relieve himself on the floor of the cafe with no warning.

The way Kimaris held his stoic expression was impossible to comprehend.

"Okay," Isabel's tinkling laughter seemed even higher than normal. "Well, it was lovely to meet you, but I should get back to my friends."

If Bonnie had known that all this time all she had to do was make Isabel uncomfortable for her to leave her alone, then she would have started a long time ago. It would be useful to know going forward, if she ever worked with her again, that is.

As Isabel moved away, Bonnie wondered whether she should ask to go with her. It would be painful, but it might not be as painful as death. She thought about Kimaris' warning. Would he really kill people to keep her quiet?

"Bonnie, I'll see you at the cafe for work, right?" Isabel's awaiting tone kept her at the curb. Her gaze was now unwavering as she avoided looking at the other people in the group. Bonnie stared, a little taken aback.

"Actually, we're going away for a week or so," Kimaris answered, saving her from thinking of a response. "But she got given time off, so that shouldn't be a problem. Right?"

Where were they going?

Isabel looked at him for the briefest of moments before clearing her throat. "Sure. Whatever. I'll speak to you later, Bonnie."

Without sparing another look at her, Isabel shrugged her shoulders and walked away from the group, rushing to her friends who were shouting. When she arrived, she immediately bent her head down, and began to no doubt whisper. The surrounding people looked over at them after a second, and Bonnie quickly turned away, not wanting to watch them stare.

She opened her mouth, even though she wasn't quite sure what she was going to say, but she stopped when she saw the way Gremory was glaring at Kimaris. His nostrils flared, and it was almost impossible to miss the hurt look in his eyes.

"That wasn't funny," he half growled. "You're such an asshole."

With the way Kimaris had been, Bonnie expected him to have a funny quip or sarcastic comment to respond with, but as Gremory shoved past him, his regretful face surprised her.

"Gremory, wait I—fuck."

Bonnie stood, unsure exactly what they wanted her to do in this situation. Clearly they thought she would not make a run for it, otherwise they'd never have left her free and down a guard. That, or she was only really a one-man job.

Or maybe Gremory was hurt enough that he didn't care.

Before she could comment on the matter, Kimaris huffed out a breath and turned to her briefly, grumbling.

"Move it."

"Why?" she asked, but followed his steps, two stepping quickly to catch up to him. She spared a glance back at Isabel and her friends, but they had disappeared into the nightclub and only strangers remained on the street. A part of her felt reassured that if she did go missing, Isabel would at least have information on the two boys that she was with, but then that meant to she had to remember sober... or care.

"Where are we going?" Kimaris walked faster, as though trying to leave her behind.

"We're going on a road trip."