"The darkness in a woman is such that, stripped of our sight, we must feel our way through it, we crawl, we enter her circles of hell until we sympathize with her sorrow, until we learn from her rage."

-Segovia Amil

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Adeline

I scream, breathing heavy as Bastet tries to carry me down the same hall where I was that first day here.

"Bast!" I yell, groaning as the pain in my cheek intensifies.

"We are almost there Adeline." She kicks open the door to my room, I can hear the door splintering from the force of her kick. She gingerly sets me on the bed only to speed across the room to turn on lights.

"Miss Bastet, what has happened to the succubus."

The small voice is familiar, "Finally Daxt you're here, get me Meeksha someone has used something on her and I'm afraid if we do not do this fast she will die."

I close my eyes, hoping it will help shield me against the stabbing of pain.

My head goes foggy as I become dizzy and disorientated, I breath out a strangled plea as I shake my head I did not want to pass out at a time like this, a burning sensation fills my throat, the discomfort is too much so I raise myself off the bed quickly running to the bathroom to release the contents of my stomach.

I lay my head on the toilet seat, moaning as the sour taste coats my mouth causing another round of vomit to rack my body.

Arms wrap around me, raising me off the ground, that someone turns on the faucet and then a small towel soaked with cold water runs down my face.

The cold water sends a relaxing shiver through my body, "Let's wash your mouth Addie." My eyes cloud over with tears at the voice.

"James, is that really you." I hiccup, wiling away years. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you," I shake my head. "I didn't mean it I promise. Please forgive me James."

"Shh," He runs his hand down my back, then he was gone.

"Adeline its Bast, let me help you."

I clutch the sink lifting my head to the mirror, it is Bast, she stands with her arm around my waist, a white cloth in her hand. My eyes trail to my face, the deep gash shines with a fresh stream of blood running down my neck. The veins around the cut are a deep blue almost black, they travel down my neck spreading along my shoulder and partly down my arm. Its gruesome, my appearance is unlike anything I've ever seen, my eyes are red and bloodshot the veins have traveled as far as touching under my eyes and they stare at me with so much pity.

"Bast, am I going to die." I watch her, she looks away from me her hands squeezing my arm.

"No, you are not." She declares. "Come on Meeksha is here."

She guides me from the bathroom and back into the bedroom, Meeksha waits by the bedside table, her eyes find me scanning me over with calculated precision.

"How did she possibly come across an Incubus?" She assists Bast in helping me lay back down on the bed.

"I'm not sure, I found them in the forest, he had her against him and she already was poisoned."

I groan, "He, he acted human from my school, Sam is his name. He told me he wanted me to understand. I don't even know." I'm not sure if I made sense but it was all I could get out.

Meeksha narrows her green eyes, "Sam, huh, that is not his name young succubus, an Incubus does not possess a human name. Explain the process of when he placed the blade into your skin."

Closing my eyes, I recited what happened, "The blade was silver, no hilt, he said something I don't know what it was but before he did he cut himself and had his blood on the knife before saying whatever it was and then he stuck it in my face." My voice raised in anger just a bit and I quickly shut it down because my cheek flared.

"A blood ritual, he tied himself to you but I am unsure why this has prevented the succubus demon from being present. The Incubus has to be interrogated if we are to find out what he has done, I'm afraid removing the blade will do nothing but kill her."

"Great." I groaned.

"Bast what are her symptoms, I want to know how far along she is."

"She's already hallucinating, she thought I was a human boy and she's vomiting. You can see the poison travel through her veins it's moving faster than usual." She sounded worried, her usual light hearted voice was dull and trembling.

"Master must be informed on the girl." The small demon known as Daxt was eyeing me with a glazed over look.

Meeksha shakes her head, "He is not here, I am afraid Daxt I need you to attain some ingredients for me. Something to subside the pain and slow the poison from traveling."

The demon seems to battle with his thoughts, wanting to find his Master and helping the human girl, "What is it you need?"

She lists of words of nonsense, I don't recognize anything she says but I know she will try to help me.

Daxt leaves in a hurry, already seeming to know where to find these ingredients.

"Bast." I grimace, talking inflames the gash but I don't care.

"You should rest Adeline, speaking will only cause the poison to travel faster through your body."

I needed her to answer something for me, "What did he mean by your kind being gone?" He seemed to be telling the truth because it hurt her when he brought it up.

"Its nothing of importance right now, you should focus on you."

"No, if he was willing to do this to me for the sake of wanting me to listen to him than I have to know."

Her yellow gaze fills with tears, "Adeline when this is all over, I will tell you. I promise."

"Fine." I turn away from her only to look to the door, the Reaper chick stands in the doorway, Sam is in chains just in front of her.

His green eyes only look to me as they take in the bluish veins along my neck and shoulder. She pushes him forward, he stumbles inside landing on his knees in the middle of the room.

"Roughing me around Reaper will get you nowhere."

Valfalls snorts, "Shut your mouth Incubus unless spoken to."

Meeksha walks up to Sam, standing before him, "What did you curse the child with?"

Sam raises his hand meeting Meeksha's leveled gaze, "Cursed." He chuckled. "It is not a curse but a gift."

He turns his head, his eyes meeting mine, "The pain will be worth it, when this is all over the only thing that will matter is that the truth is known."

I raise myself up from the bed, "Sam, please help them cure me, I will listen to whatever you have to say."

"No succubus, he will not win this sick game of his, an incubus is nothing but a wolf in sheep's clothing. When you finally see nothing but the sheep and turn your back on him he will devour you like the wolf he is."

"She is right, an Incubus can not be trusted, it is the reason why they have all been hunted and killed but you seemed to have survived. I wonder how." The Reaper studies him closely, she kneels before him moving his head side to side. "This is not your real face either, did you tell the girl what you really look like."

He rips his head from her grasp, "Piss off soul sucking bitch."

Her blurred fist came down on his face in an instant, his head was knocked to the side, the sound of flesh hitting flesh happened in seconds. You'd have thought you were just hearing things but the split lip on Sam's face was evident.

"Is that all you got because I can do this all day, I was born in pain and suffering don't you know." He spits out blood, it lands on the floor in front of her.

"Everyone leave, unchain him and leave." I don't know what I was doing but everyone's head whipped to the side to stare at me in shock.

They all rushed to yell and scorn me for such requests but if I wanted him to help me, I had to have him alone where no one was there to interfere and make him angry.

Maybe this gash on my cheek was making me crazy but this is what I thought could help and I was sticking by it.

"If Death was here he would not have this!"

"Well he's not here Meeksha, and this is happening to me not any of you and I want him in here without any of you here with us. If anything happens I will call for you but he won't try anything not when he's surrounding by people who would kill him."

They didn't speak because they knew I was right, he wouldn't try anything.

Bast spoke first, "We will be just outside this door, if you so much as scream or shout we will be here in seconds."

I shake my head, "Alright."

Meeksha storms out first, staring down Sam as she went, Valfalls glares at me before leaving and Bast stands by the door with a small smile before shutting the door quietly behind her.

I sigh, finding Sam on the floor, he stares at me with utter amusement. They forgot to unchain him, oh well.

"What is so funny?" I couldn't help but remember that night he helped me after what happened with James.

"You would trust yourself with me, even after everything." He raises his arms, snapping the chains so easily in front of him.

My heart jumps in my chest, "If you could do that this whole time why didn't you just escape from the start." He rose from the ground gracefully, he seemed very inhuman in that very moment.

"Why would I do that when it was you I wanted to be near, they took us here for no reason. I wouldn't kill you Adeline."

I point to my cheek, "Then take this out of me."

He shakes his head, "The blade inside your skin is simply a blade, there is no curse, no magic behind it. You think there is somehow a curse but in fact it is all inside your head." He slowly walks to the side of the bed, sitting just beside me.

"Are you serious?" He had to be lying, it hurt way too much to be nothing and what about the black veins traveling down my back.

"Yes I am. My blood is what causes the true pain but it will not kill you, a simply discoloring spell causes your veins to change tone and the hallucinating is simply your mind reacting to the pain and the idea that you were poisoned. It is you who are killing yourself." He runs his hand down my neck, stopping where the black veins stop.

"That doesn't make sense, what about the succubus I can't hear her, it's like she's gone. Explain that." I challenged.

"It affects the succubus as well, as we speak she is drowning in her own mind, in her own hell, trust me she is having a worse time than you are."

It doesn't make sense but why would he lie, he doesn't want to kill me if he did I would already be dead. "Meeksha will have a heart attack when she finds out." I reached up trying to find the small blade to pull it out, I think I can do it without passing out.

Sam stops my hand, "Let me." To fast for me to see, his fingers dig into my cheek to pull the small blade away as I breath heavy from the sudden pain but it quickly subsides.

He places the small knife aside and stares down at me, "Now what." I ask.

"Now I take my blood that has traveled through your veins acting as a poison."

"How do you do that-" But he cuts me off, his mouth touching mine, it's not exactly a kiss but he prevents me from closing my mouth.

When he inhales, I feel my toes curl as a deep sensation pulls down to my stomach and up my chest and neck. My back arches just enough that my chest touches his as he breathes in again leaving behind a cool feeling where his blood previously burned. When he pulls back, I let myself fall back onto the bed.

Blinking my eyelashes several times before meeting his gaze, I watch as his green eyes shine.

"That was strange." I breath out, not seeming to be able to catch my breath.

He smiles, "Yes it is, like vampires we take pleasure in taking one another's essence."

I blushed feverishly, ready to get up and leave but he pushes me back down, not harshly but just enough to keep me still.

"Your succubus will only come back out if she is coursed out."

"Sam why do all of this, if you weren't planning on killing me." For some reason his closeness was making me incoherent, I had to focus.

"These people who are here do not want your best interest, they use you for their own means, I simply want them to treat you right. Our kind were known to be fierce and not trifled with but now they seem to walk over a succubus like she is nothing all because Incubuses were wiped out."

"My succubus didn't seem to care." I note.

"Your succubus is brainwashed and used by Death as a plaything, you deserve better she deserved better but no one sees that but me."

"Sam I don't even want the succubus, she was forced inside me, I don't want any of this, I just want my life to be normal again."

He studies me closely, "Are you so sure, the way you panicked when you could not find your succubus speaks volumes."

I didn't know what to say, I don't know why I acted like I did, I wanted her gone, I did but...ugh I don't know.

"Sam just go, I am going to get rid of this succubus, I am going to go back to my life, when she is in some other girl then you can worry about what happens to her."

He smirks, "What if I don't want her in any other human?"

I gulp, he was crazy but still gorgeous, "I don't care."

He narrows his green eyes, "Do you want the succubus back now?"

"Yes."

"Don't stop me then unless you can hear her inside that head of yours?" He seems angry, now what.

"Fine." I shoot back.

He rips the blanket off of my legs, standing from the bed he takes my leg dragging me down until I am at the very edge.

I try to object but he shushes me, he pushes my legs open and that's when I've had enough.

"What are you doing?" He doesn't answer me, he only grabs my thighs pushing me against him as he leans down.

"Sam." I don't dare shout afraid that Bast will barge in seeing us like this.

"This is I'm afraid the only way to get her back." He growls.

"Bull." I try to get him off of me but he pushes himself between my legs, instead of being revolted I am met with desire.

"Adeline I just need you somewhat over the edge, no clothes even have to be off unless of course you wish that."

"Ha, no." But it's far from convincing.

"Are you ready?"

I fold my arms over my chest, ignoring the heat that spread along my cheeks.

"Whatever."

He smiles, unraveling my arms from my chest he places a kiss on my knuckles. His eyes glow slightly, his emotions obviously heightened.

He places his hands on either side of my head, leaning forward he avoids the gash that seems invisible because I feel no pain as he kisses along the right side of my face. My breath hitches when he kisses along my neck, he grazes his teeth along my pulse making it beat faster.

"Don't be shy." He whispers.

His invitation is tempting but I can't, he pushes himself deeper in between my legs causing me to gasp.

I feel him chuckle as he buries his head in my shoulder.

His hands travel down my sides, they graze the exposed flesh just above my waistline. His head travels lower skimming along my collar bone to stop at the v neckline of my shirt. My chest raises as I breath heavy, it causes his lips to brush my breast. I close my eyes hating myself for wanting this, not a few days ago I wanted this from Death, well I didn't really want it. Ugh. I don't know what I want anymore.

"Adeline." He breathes against my flushed skin and I grip his hair not wanting him to continue.

His hair is soft as my fingers tangle inside, gripping it from lowering any further. I raise his head, his eyes meet mine and they burn with desire.

He lowers slowly forward my grip on his hair slipping, he leans down just above my lips. Our breaths mingle becoming one when he takes my bottom lip into his mouth. I push up meeting his kiss full on, he takes that as a sign and lifts me from the bed, in one swift movement I am completely underneath him. Not wanting him to be the one with all the power I flip us around. I straddle him and he doesn't seem to care because he runs his hands up my back kissing at my neck with new voracity.

I feel a push at my subconscious, knowing the succubus is getting through.

This is freaking working, I can't believe it.

Hurry up already!

He grips my face in his hands, forcing me to meet his lips, when his teeth graze my bottom lip I feel two sharp teeth. Not being able to pull back I let him kiss me but I don't let him control me.

Adeline!

I smile against his mouth, pulling away as I hear her voice. Man was I glad she was back.

"She's back I presume." He growls, not letting go of my face.

"Yeah she is, now let me go." I say breathlessly.

He grins and as I thought two fangs slip onto his bottom lip, I glance at them meeting his green eyes which have dilated so much a sliver of green is barely seen.

"I thought you were enjoying yourself, I know I was." I take his hands from my face pinning them down on the bed.

"You're not forgiven for what you did, I can't trust you, you should have known better than to trick someone into dying. I would have listened if you would have done it differently."

Okay so maybe I wouldn't listen, I would probably freak first and ask questions later but you don't go around pretending to poison someone for the sake of them listening to you. It doesn't work that way.

"Still I say a thanks are in order." He grins wickedly, knowing it would bother me.

"Ha, yeah right. I don't think so demon boy."

He growls, "I can assure you, I am no boy, a demon yes but baby this is all man."

I roll my eyes, not caring what he thinks is manly, I can feel his manly already, "Enough games alright, just leave me alone."

I release his hands ready to climb off of him, he stops me by gripping my waist.

"Just one more request, please."

I sigh, staring down at him, "Fine."

The door bangs open behind us, "Adeline."

I turn, seeing Bast wide eyed only she finally sees what's going on, folding her arms she scowls, "What the hell?"

••••••••••••••

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Until next time,

-Ash
Xoxoxo