I must be loosing my mind. I have to be. There is no other explanation for why I not only called the phone number on the piece of paper that had slid into my pocket but why, afterwards, I agreed to meet Ash in what appears to be the murder capitol of New York.

I had managed to scribble down the address to our meeting place and slip out the door before anyone had noticed but I know it won't be long before Marcus realizes I'm gone.

Entering the bar the smell of smoke rushes into my lungs, causing me to gag loudly. A familiar laugh to my right draws my attention and I find Ash leaning casually against the bar.

"I didn't think you would come," he admits. "I figured you would get halfway here and head for the safety of home."

"You said we needed to talk." I keep my words short. The last thing I need him to know is how it took me twenty full minutes to convince myself to even walk into this place. Kristoff had mentioned Max's as being a hotspot for demon activity and, as dangerous I can be, the limits of how many demons I can pull from in a short period of time without overloading myself is one that has never needed to be tested.

"Want a drink?" he asks, tipping his cups in my direction. I scowl, breathing in the strong smell of cheap whiskey.

"Not particularly. Besides, there's no point and you should know this." I cross my hands over my chest. "Now, are we going to talk or has this whole thing been a waste of my time. I didn't come here just for you to do that creepy staring thing you do and offer me drinks that will do nothing for me. "

Ash laughs again, his smile widening. He is toying with me and I know this, but I need answers. Well, I need to see if he actually has answers. Not once in my twenty years of living have I encountered someone who met others who can do what I can do.

He takes a seat at a small table in a darkened corner. My heart begins to pound. I have surveyed the room four times since I arrived and, so far, have counted over a dozen demons who could take my head off should I drop my guard. Sitting with my back to them in a dark corner might just confirm my suspicions that I'm loosing my mind.

I take a seat anyways.

"So?" I drawl out, tapping my fingers impatiently against the table.

"Well, aside from the fact that you refuse to admit who your father is and are much less of a warrior than I expected...I must admit...I am glad to see you in one piece," he begins. "I assume you have some questions."

"You said you knew people who could do the things I can do. Well, the thing I can do."

Ash raises a brow at me, a confused look spreading over his face. He gives the bartender a node and, after an excruciatingly long sip from his disgusting smelling drink, clears his throat.

"Thing? Wow. So not only are you undertrained but it seems you are also completely naive as to your full capabilities. Looks like I have one hell of a job in front of me. To correct you, I said I knew people who could do what you can do. They're all dead now. Which is why I'm here. Makenna, I need you to-"

"How do you know my name?" I interrupt. My hand moves slowly from my lap towards the gun conspicuously hidden under the hem of my skirt.

"I told you, I expected more. As powerful as I am, I am no matter for you. Or at least I thought. How stupid would I be to seek out the daughter of Satan without doing a little research first. Are you really that bad off to where you haven't even had the slightest idea that you've been followed? I know you managed to spot me in the mall but, damn, it has been two months already."

I gasp. Two months? This guy has been following me for two months and I am just now noticing? This means he has seen everything I have done over the last few months. The hunts. The raids. The now not so private moments with Marcus.

"How much have you seen?"

"You mean have I seen you sneaking around with that little blonde archangel hybrid? Yea, I saw that too. Your boyfriend is the least of my concerns. Disgusting actually...diluting a bloodline so much that he barely even possess a fourth of the powers he should."

"He's not my boyfriend," I mumble.

"I don't care," Ash responds in a matter of fact manner. "You can intermingle with whatever species you want. I figured someone of your stature who have higher standards but...guess not."

"Look," I growl, slamming my hands down onto the table. "I didn't come here for you to speak vaguely and throw insults. So, just tell me what you need to tell me or I'm leaving."

"She has a temper," he muses. "Hot."

I push the chair back, all but jumping out of my seat. Ash reaches forward, his long fingers wrapping around my wrist as I attempt to leave. I shoot a threatening glare back in his direction.

"You could try it," he warns, "But you saw what happened earlier. Do you really want to make yourself even more vulnerable than you already are. Look around princess, you're outnumbered here."

My eyes leave his, lingering towards the occupants of the smokey bar. My minor outburst seems to have drawn attention to our corner of the room as I find myself being stared down by some vicious looking demons.

"Sit," Ash commands. I do as I am told, silently scolding myself for not telling at least one person where I was going. Kristoff was right, I am too impulsive. Always thinking of the end result instead of the means it will take to get it. Now I am outnumbered and being stared down by a guy who potentially knows more about me than I do.

"So, what did happen earlier?" I ask, reaching across the table to swipe his cup. I take a long sip of the dark liquor, savoring the burn as it slides down my throat.

"When you pull from someone like me you're taking in more power than you are used to. My life force isn't as simple as a humans or a solider demon. It's stronger. It goes deeper. It would take some serious power to take it all at once. Even more power and skill to do it without giving me any time to defend myself. Anyways, the power goes straight to you head. So, in simple terms, it gives you a high. Felt great, didn't it?"

"It wasn't that great," I respond. I chew on my lower lip, trying hard not to give off the fact that I am lying. For all my many strength, lying is not one of them. "So, these now dead people that you knew, they could do what I can do?"

"Yes. They could do everything that you can do, even those things you haven't quite figured out. This made life a hell of a lot easier for me. Not only were they fully aware of their abilities but they had been trained to control and use them."

"How did they die?" I ask, not certain if I want to know the answer.

"They were murdered," re replies so casually I think I may have misheard him. "Not quickly either. Tortured really. By the time I found them they had pretty much been drained of all life and powers."

I swallow the lump forming in my throat and finish off his drink. Ash throws me an intrigued look and orders two more, sliding the large cup in front of me.

"So someone is..."

"That's right princess," he says before I have a chance to finish my gut wrenching thought. "Hunting them down one and one sucking the life right out of them. Ironic isn't it?"

"I have to go," I mumble. Without giving him much time to argue I push out of my seat and bolt to the door.

The cold night air hits me, warming my over heated skin. I should have never come here. I should have never called him. I should have never let him into my...

     "Where are you going?" Ash calls, his footsteps growing louder as he runs to catch up with me. He slides his hand over my shoulder and I jerk, brushing him off.

     "Don't touch me," I growl. I stop walking and turn to face him, hands balled into fists at my side. I feel my blood growing hot in my veins.

     "There's that temper," he says, a dangerous smile begins to play on his lips. "You're hot when you're mad. Or fighting. Or running. Not so much when you're giving doe eyes to the hybrid."

     I have spent years (no, seriously, years) learning to control my emotions. Never allowing myself to grow too anger, upset or excited. Years spent learning to focus on keeping my ability shoved down to a non lethal level but, in this moment, I loose it. I swing, nailing Ash in the jaw. He stumbles back and I see a line of blood trickling from his now split lip.

The smile that was at one point playing on his lips is now a full grin. He wipes the blood away and reaches out, fingers locking around my wrist.

The place where our skin touches begins to warm and I begin to feel light headed. The air outside feels thick and my vision starts to blur. Kind of like when you stand up too fast. My head beat viciously in my chest and begins to tighten. My eyes grow heavy, sleepy. I struggle to keep them open.

The realization that his lip is beginning to heal makes this struggle a little easier. It only takes a few seconds for the cut to fully disappear. He releases me.

"What the hell did you do to me?" My words come out slurred and almost inaudible. "How did you heal?"

Ash throws his head back and laughs loudly. The sound echoes through the empty streets.

"Oh princess, I have so many things to show you."

^^^A little Ash/Makenna action for ya^^^

A/N: Happy 4th everyone!!! This week has been super hectic! Don't forget to vote, comment, follow and shot this chapter some love!!!