Stained in Blood

“Don’t worry about it. This is what I do to pass the time. Besides, friends in this line of work are hard to come by, so I’m sure something will come up that’ll mean you can pay me back.”

“It should take me about a week to get everything sorted. I’ll let you know once it’s ready, and we can move.” He checked his watch as he spoke, before checking the slim PDA on his other wrist.

“If there’s anything else, let me know. I’ve got a defense meeting coming up, the minister is looking to streamline operations and wants me and my team there for suggestions, so I will have to love you and leave you. You take care of yourself, okay? I’ll be in touch.”

With that, he came in for a quick hug, before stepping away and heading back to his car.

     Faye nodded slowly at the idea of paying him back. That wouldn’t be a problem in the slightest. Already she could feel the knot in her guts beginning to loosen. As he hugged her she quickly wrapped her arms around him to return the gesture, linger a bit longer than she intended. 

          “Thank you...I hope all goes well for you and I’ll be awaiting your call,” she smiled and turned her head to kiss his cheek. He hadn’t a clue of how much this meant to her and she could wait for it. “I’ll see you soon,” Faye nodded once more before she took her leave. 

=======

there was a chuckle that fell past his lips at her words and nodded his head.    ❝ you really don’t need to apologize for it at all, because it’s absolutely fine. ❞   he responded as he concentrated on the drink and turning to his phone to make sure he was doing it right.  he didn’t have it memorized yet, though he should have it memorized soon.  he smiled at her question, though.    ❝ i have, yeah.  i’ve worked here for a little bit now.  i love it and this place is one of the best places for anyone to come to.  it’s quite safe, especially with the security we have around here. ❞   he stated.    ❝ we know when to cut someone off when they’ve had one too many to drink and they’re escorted out once we call them a ride to go home.  we have it so when someone comes in to drink, we are to ask them for information like a number for someone to call in order to pick the drunk one up and an address if we decided to call for an uber. ❞   he responded.    ❝ employees aren’t allowed to bring them home, they have to call the number of a friend of the drunk or an uber. ❞

     It was reassuring to know there was actually security that did its job. Hopefully, the area in general was fairly clear of crimes. If she ended up staying in this area for a long period of time then perhaps she’d find some place to stay. All her previous temporary homes were in crime riddled sections of the city and in truth it was becoming old having to boobytrap the place to get a night’s sleep or not fear someone breaking in and stealing all her things. 

***

Shireen perked up to hear a voice calling for her in turn, and followed it as she hoped the woman she had heard was also coming for her. Even if it turned out they were a threat, it was better to be found and address that when it came, than to be lost out in the wilderness where she would certainly fall prey to either the wildlife or the elements…

Hypothetical danger was preferable to certain death.

“Hello! Yes, I am. Please, will you help me?” she asked, the ready-to-be-dashed hope in her voice audible above all else…

     The voice was becoming louder and something in her urged her to move quicker. The possibility of a trap was growing less and less possible. Movement up ahead caught her attention and she swiftly she could feel her heart begin to race. Shoving large brush out of her way she stood on her tip toes, trying to peer over them. 

           “Hey! I’m right here...are you hurt?” She called, shoving more foliage away until she was finally able to see the little girl. Reason started to return as she looked around for any others that might’ve been hiding. It still felt a bit too bizarre to imagine she was out here all on her own. 

“Oh, did you have a preference?” He chirped, smirking smugly as raised a hand to admire his own pitch black talons. It had been a while since he settled in this state. He almost missed how dashing and daunting he looked in it. “I didn’t care to ask.” He mused, chuckling to himself. “You see, most would not want me near them regardless of the form I took. They believe that my presence is optional for them. It’s not. Moving on.”

He leaned further back against the seat, wiggling his shoulders and loosening up. “But of course,” he affirmed, grinning devilishly. “You summoned me. The way I see it, your settlement is now mine as well, whether you intended that or not. As for an agenda… I don’t have one. If I did, I wouldn’t be here and we wouldn’t be having this conversation. A demon with an agenda does not need to be summoned to leave their realm, they can do it on their own to accomplish their task. But that’s not the case here, is it, human?”

He rolled over, resting his chin on his palm and watching Faye with burning eyes. “You’ve brought me here into this realm. I am your guest, so to speak. Usually, I am called forth as a broker or a witness of sorts. To followers of my realm, I’m an overseer for specialized rituals.” He spared a moment to glance around, wrinkling his nose slightly. “Though seeing as there is no ritualistic symbolism here, I’m going to assume you have no idea what I’m talking about. No matter. This would more likely qualify as an ‘individual summoning’, in which case, I’m here as a sort of merchant. A trader, and a broker of deals. I can give you anything you want. You simply have to name your desire and I offer you the price- and the instructions for the ceremony you need to perform in order to seal the pact needed to receive it.”

A pause, and his expression fell. A claw rose to tap his chin. “And before you ask, no. There are no caveats to what you can ask of me. I’ve had men summon me for power, women summon me for sex, and children summon me for their homework. The possibilities are quite limitless. However… While it’s not normally in my nature to offer warnings- I thrive off of chaos, you see- I should say that whatever you wish for, you’d do well to be careful. The residual effects and aftermath of an actions have often proved much more catastrophic than the action itself.” Alu’s head tilted back, eyes fluttering closed in relaxation. “Where enemies are concerned, you’re far better off worrying about yours than mine, dear. A dead god is hardly something of concern. If you’re that worried about who might find you, you could always just… make a deal to be rid of them?” He cooed, taunting her with a malicious smile.

     Faye just glared as he continued looking at his own hand. It soon became clear to her as to why no one wanted to be around him. True to being a demon he was insufferable and how she’d imagine one to be. The more he talked the more infuriated she became and what made it all so damn bad was that there was nothing she could do. She was some human mortal dealing with a powerful demon. What was she going to do? All she knew how to deal with demons came from movies and there was no telling how reliable those were or weren’t.

          “First of all, don’t call me human. I have a fucking name and if you’re going to be staying in MY home then you best call me by it before I find a way to send your ass back  Be it a priest or finding something in that stupid book I stole!” And speaking of that book, there wasn’t a chance in hell she’d be giving it to her client. As he started speaking again she wrinkled her own nose, teeth grinding in her clenched jaw as she listened carefully. Anything she wanted? What did she even want? Well, her father dead was for one or to ensure he was dead if he wasn’t already and perhaps a few things after. But what then? She had no true purpose and pretty much just lived day by day at this point. 

“ It kinda grew on me. “ He smirked, before returning to the papers. After mulling about their plan for a bit longer, he nodded and put the files back into the pocket of his jacket. After that, he downed his drink in one go and slammed a few bills onto the counter.

      “ Let’s waste not any more time. “ With that, he headed out, lighting himself a cigarette on his way to the crime scene. Above them was a big bright full moon illuminating even the darkest of alleyways. 

       “ Doubt we’ll find any witnesses but keep your eyes open just in case. “ 

They walked through the maze of buildings for almost half an hour before the yellow tape of the crime scene seemed to beckon them closer as it surrounded a dead end with a big, brownish splatter in the middle. 

     Before the bills were even on the table she was on her feet, ready to go. She was eager to get going and start working with him once more. Memories of their last job shifted through her mind and she couldn’t help but smile to herself as they walked outside. If this went anything like the last one then they’d have a pretty damn good time together. 

     Her eyes glanced up to the full moon glowing against the dark canvas of the sky. A playful smirk settled on her features. 

         “Think we’ll see a werewolf?” She nudged him playfully with her elbow before taking a more serious tone as they made their way to the first of the crime scenes. Glancing around, she ensured no one was around before slipping beneath the tape and hiding among the shadows. 

          Oh ,  if  Faye  hadn’t  known  about  the  blue  drinks  then  she  was  in  for  a  sure  treat  (  or  a  trick ,  depending  on  the  results ) .     “  It’s  sugar  and  literally  everything .  Rum ,  tequila ,  vodka …  gin . ”     The  drink  all  the  party  chicks  drank  to  get  into  party  mode  within  minutes .  Blue  so  the  lads  would  know  who  to  try  to  hit  on  for  an  easy  score .  Koko  was  drawn  to  the  taste ,  not  so  much  the  male  approach  —  though  the  lack  of  approach  was  an  appreciated  rarity  when  on  one .     “ If  you’re  not  looking  to  get  smashed ,  pace  yourself  with  it . ”     with  a  cheers  motion ,  he  clanks  glass  with  hers  and  takes  a  few  long  gulps  from  his own .     So  much  for  pacing .

“  I  can’t  sit  still . ”     he  barely  swallows  drink  when  speaking  up  again ,  hand  motioning  to  fidgeting  body ,     “  —  obviously . ”     Current  tick ?  Restless  leg .  He  stops  it  from  rattling  for  a  moment  when  catching  it ,  but  once  attention  shifts  back  to  his  companion  it  starts  back  up  again .  He  can  agree  with  her  on  that .  No  way  the  office  life  would  strike  his  fancy ,  but  not  everyone  could  be  fortunate  enough  to  work  on  films  or  their  truest  passion  (  if  they  had  one ) .  Who  knows ,  maybe  someone  somewhere  loves  office  work ,  right ?  Sure .   At  least  for  the  sake  of  his  own  internal  argument .

Gaze  leaves  observation  of  multi-color  of  her  eyes  when  she  finishes  speaking  of  them .     “  Fascinating .  You  pull  both  colors  off  well ,  so  that’s  a  good  thing .  I  couldn’t  work  such  a  cool  look . ”     He  can  already  feel  mind  working  it’s  faint  buzz  ,  if  only  faintly ,  when  he  pulls  for  another  drink .     “  It’s  a  popular  fruity  drink   —   Actually ,  I  don’t  think  there’s  any  fruit  in  it .  Tried  it  off  someone  once  and  it  was  a  nice  break  from  the  strong  stuff  that  makes  your  chest  hair  grow ,  y’know ? ”     Well ,  maybe  she  doesn’t  know .     “  I don’t  think  you’d  want  to  be  going  for  seconds .  Not  on  that  one  anyway .  —  Maybe  beers  would  do  afte r this , eh ? ”

     While she enjoyed getting smashed now and again like most people, she wasn’t quite sure she was really looking for that now. Koko had already proven what an entertainer he was and she wanted to make sure she could keep up without hindering his performances or taking any of his spotlight. As he held up his glasses she clinked hers against it and took a couple of sips before noting how many gulps he took. So much for pacing but she imagined he might’ve been able to hold his liquor better than she could. She could handle a good amount but she was still small and with every liquor he named off she knew she’d be hurt fairly quickly if she wasn’t too careful. 

        “I’m surprised you sat as long as you have,” she spoke jokingly, “You’ve damn near been bouncing off the walls since we’ve met.” There was nothing wrong with it. She enjoyed the high energy and had her wanting to match it. His sudden compliment caught her off guard, eyes widening slightly. It wasn’t the first time someone had ever commented on them and certainly wouldn’t be the last but it wasn’t the usual ‘Oh you have two different colored eyes’. 

DIGGER WAS A BIT ALARMED by her statement - very few people knew about the place he vanished to when he needed a secretive recluse.  ❝ Maybe ..,❞ Digger replied curtly, staring at Faye, he took a sip from his lager beer. Truth was he liked her, but will never want to admit she could read him that easily, In fact he was relieved  he didn’t have to explain much to her, he wasn’t really the man of many words, but he could be very emotional. George had never had  someone who came closer to him than her.  Digger was not feeling in good shape lately,  maybe his stepdad was  right when he told him once that alcohol will ruin him. That he was trash, scumbag, garbage, who lived in the street and would do any job for money. And in fact Harkness had done a lot of things to survive in the streets. And the worst part was, no matter how many successful hits he had, he still ended up in lousy motels like this one,  ❝ Listen lady, I’m no good.. If ye want to stay out of trouble, maybe you better go.But since you’re already here, I guess  I could offer you a drink…, ❞ George offered, it was the least he could do for someone who had been this patient with him. 

     She responded to his “Maybe” with a soft laugh before relaxing. It was easy to relax around him and be herself without fear of being judged. Both had plenty of blood on their hands and had worked with each other enough to build trust between them. It was more than she could say for most and she appreciated his company more than most. It scared her a bit to realize just how often she sought him out, craving his companionship and the trouble they stirred up. But it wasn’t enough to keep her from avoiding him. When he spoke again, she couldn’t help but laugh a bit harder this time. Reaching out, she placed a hand on his arm and looked into his eyes. 

There was a second or two of silence, his frown only growing before looking through what had been left on the desk, before looking back to her. “We simply cannot risk it. Not with the work we do. You know this.” His voice was cold, almost monotone as he spoke.

As his eyes scanned over the documents and photos he had scattered, trying to find anything incriminating, a sudden rush came to him, causing his face to go blank for a few moments. It felt like it was all coming back to him, like some kind of amnesia lifted from his mind, but he know these thoughts weren’t his own. But they felt so close, the times the other Arch and this woman had spent together, what they had done together. How she felt against…his body?

“Oh, for fuck sake.”

     She knew it but it didn’t mean she had to like it. She was going to find something she could cling to that he wouldn’t know about or that he would allow her to keep. There had to be something, anything she could keep. She knew the rules, her Arch had explained it to her when he revealed the truth but she wasn’t going to accept it. If she had to, she’d fight this one. 

     As she was heading to the back room, there might’ve been some items he missed there considering he was still in the front of the house, she heard him curse. Curiosity got the best of her and paused before stepping back and looking at him. Her brows remained furrowed as she looked at him.

“Ah. Another thing I can relate to. My family are…elsewhere,” Ki waved it away. It was no concern to anyone about any family or friends problems. It was also something that Ki didn’t like to think about. Being so far from home, far from her mother and twin was hard but she wanted to make do.

“But, enough of that. I am always looking for new friends. I can’t be alone forever in the city,” That was the heart of it. She just wanted friends and Faye seemed like someone she could relate to and have fun with already. Ki had a good feeling already.

“Enough sad shit. What do you do for fun? What do you do for a living?”

     There was a sense that Ki didn’t wish to speak any further of family matters and she was thankful. Her own family was a bit of a sore spot for her considering it was so fucked up. She continued grinning as she looked at her friend. 

         “You’re right about that! I’ll be happy to call you a friend and will exchange numbers if you’d like. Might want to wait till the end of the night. You might find me annoying before it’s over,” she half joked with a playful wink. She had to lie a bit on the next bit or at least be a bit more creative with how she described it. Couldn’t just say she was basically a hired gun.

The crack of the gun against his skull mask was loud. Awfully loud. He immediately felt a gush of oil-like blood spurt from the initial crack, spreading an ache rippling throughout his bones. He yelped like a pained dog, drawing back as she struck him again and again, spreading the cracks across his face. This was too much. A bit of running and chasing was fun but at the sudden burst of pain across his second face, he seemed to be snapped out of his blood-lusting haze, awakened to the reality of his situation his feral self had brought him into.

Immediately, the Nightcaller drew back, hacking and whimpering. He made one final attempt at shaking her off of him, loose skin and thick coarse coat flailing about around his bones like a dog trying to shake itself dry. He shook his head back and forth, crying out as his blood flicked everywhere. He even reared back and clawed in agony at the cracks, trying desperately to staunch the flow of the blood with twisted hands. No use. He needed to retreat.

And just like that, the hunt was over. The creature wailed, any remaining birds in the forest flight and abandoning the woods completely as the beast charged back into the fog, its pained cries echoing and fading into the distance. Evidently, it couldn’t handle prey that fought back. It picked on the weak and the fearful, those it could exert power over. But those strong enough to stand up to it? No, it did not face them. What a cowardly, vindictive creature. Running so easily at the first sign of resistance.

     Had he not been trying to kill and eat her before she might’ve felt guilty about beating on him as viciously as she had. Its pained cries echoed inside her own skull, embedding in the inner walls and threatening to terrorize her in her dreams. It was a noise she wouldn’t soon forget, along with its roars. She’d be haunted by both for months to come and she wouldn’t soon forget the creature itself either. As blood spewed everywhere in its violent shaking some had managed to get on her hand. Faye reached for a better grip on its pelt but the hot, sticky blood made it difficult to get a good grasp. 

     She was thrown to the ground, hard enough to cause her to grunt and knock some of the wind out of her chest. She gasped loudly, quickly trying to fight through the pain as her shoulder and hip began throbbing from the impact. Sticks scratched at her arms and legs as she scrambled back up to her feet, half of her covered in the dirt and mud. Droplets of blood started beading along the surface of thin red marks left on her arms. To her surprise, she watched as the wailing creature took off in the opposite direction, running with its tail tucked between its legs. 

     Her blood, once pumping hot from the fight had now gone cold. Displeasing or upsetting Sionis was the last thing she wanted to do. Up until now they’d always been on good terms as far as she was aware but it seemed she’d really crossed a line. With her heart pounding in her chest she averted her gaze and lowered her head, taking a submissive pose.

Fish glanced at her friend, a concerned look flashing in her eyes. Usually, she told Faye everything. Every secret, every gossip, anything she had ever felt, she entrusted her with it. It was bizarre, and a little bit painful, to be suddenly bearing such a heavy secret on her own.

She had considered telling her, of course. But she doubted Faye would believe such a crazy thing. She had a hard time believing it herself. 

“A curfew?”

With a little sigh, she sat down next to her friend. A curfew seemed a little extreme. And it would make it a lot harder for her to feed. Not that she… killed anyone. But she had been breaking into the blood bank late at night.

“Why don’t they think it’s a serial killer?” she asked, “I mean, with so many disappearances everywhere, it would make sense, right?”

Of course, Fish knew it was no serial killer. Not exactly, at least. But she couldn’t tell Faye that.

     At her question, Faye nodded slowly. A curfew. It seemed like a joke and she couldn’t really see it doing much. She had known someone who had been in their backyard when they were attacked by a large wolf sized dog. If whatever was out there really wanted to it could get inside and do what it wanted. 

     Her head turned as Fish joined her on the ground. Shuffling a bit she turned to face her a bit better, arms wrapping around her legs as she puckered her lips out. 

           “Seems a bit crazy to me,” she admitted before thinking about a serial killer being the one doing all the attacks. “Dunno. I mean...I know someone else who got attacked by a dog. He’s been homebound since. Could be some crazed guy and has a wild dog that’s doing all the dirty work.” She suggested.

     Definitely not a serial killer. But maybe Fish was on to something? The corners of her lips twitched slightly as she started to smile.