Holly stared at her teacher and Quix as they waited for her in the cramped room. "Why can't the others be here?"
"Someone has to guard the building. Krim could come back in, or he could send his necromancy experiments. I'm staying by your side to get you out of here in the worst-case scenario." Quix replied.
Holly sighed. As much as she appreciated Quix being there. The more time she spent around him the more she was becoming hyper-aware of everything about him. He even had long lush eyelashes she kept sneaking peeks at.
Quix turned toward her and smirked. The smirk grew even more as she flushed and looked away from him. How could she let herself be caught like that? She had never been like this with her boyfriend.
"Holly, come here," Dagon ordered.
"Are you going to test to see the amount of magic power I have again?" she demanded with a sigh. They were never going to get anywhere if they just tread the same ground over and
Holly didn't even care that she was being labeled as someone's at this point. She'd rather belong to Dagon than ever have to touch Death again. That much was true.Death cracked his neck as he laughed. "You're really cute. You think that working hard is all you need for success? You're never getting Father's throne. Hard work can never beat natural talent. It is going to be fun to engrave this lesson into your body, and when you're on the ground and hurt, I'm taking her in front of you."Dagon growled. "I swear," he whispered. "You will never touch her.""What does a demon want with a pure soul like that anyway? Besides consuming it I mean. I could understand if you were after her for a feast, but that look in your eyes isn't about that.""None of your business," Dagon rushed forward but Death was prepared. As Dagon kicked out and tried to take his legs out from beneath him, Death hopped over them like they were a jump rope.Death didn't waste any
The mist surrounding her clued her in before anything else. Holly had passed out at some point after using her magic and now here she was once more sleeping. This was truly horrible timing. If Death attacked while she was out, the consequences could be disastrous."Holly?"There was that man. He was sitting on some rock or something. She couldn't make it out against the fog so she was using her best guess. "You're the dream stalker."He chuckled. "I'm trying to protect you, not stalk you." He shook his head and then as she got closer he frowned. "Why do you have cuts all over you? Isn't Angel there to protect you?""I still haven't met this Angel of yours," Holly replied. "But there are a few people protecting me.""They're not doing a good enough job if you've been hurt already." Tydeus stood up and towered over her. "Listen, I think I'll be there tomorrow. Just try to stay in one place and I'll do my best to make it to you. Stay with those
Holly woke up to find Ruby and Quix both in the same room in wooden chairs on either side of her.Quix smiled as soon as she made eye-contact with him and Holly looked away as her chest tightened.She wanted to wallow in this warmth, but how could she? It wasn't real."Your slumber looked unpleasant. Was Death troubling you?" Ruby demanded.Holly smiled at the other woman but shook her head. "No, it had nothing to do with him. At least not this time. Where is everyone else? I'm surprised I've been left alone with the big bad reapers."Quix chuckled. "Eros is guarding just outside the door and that Dagon guy put some barriers around. No one can teleport in or out. He's still pretty upset over the whole attack earlier. He'll cool off eventually I guess.""And Lachesis?" Holly demanded as she looked around. She had barely spent time with the Fate but now she had the same question for her, plus an additional one.Quix shook hi
Eros and Dagon arrived far sooner than Holly was prepared for. Lachesis left with the reapers and Holly was left watching them from the window as they strode out. "Will they really be okay?"Eros crossed his arms over his chest. "They're reapers, we've been running from them remember? They already betrayed you once. You should save your worry."There was a tenseness to him that had not existed before. It hit Holly like a branch in the face. Eros was jealous, and not just jealous, but extremely so. "Eros?""Don't mind him," Dagon instructed as he too watched the upcoming battle. "Instead we need to prepare. I fear we are walking into a trap at this point. There's something wrong in the air. I wouldn't put it past Death to attack us again while we are distracted."Eros snorted. "After how his ass got kicked last time? You think he'll come back?"Dagon nodded. "he's after Holly, he won't stop until I put him down for good, or she's too far from him to
Famine slowly stood back to his full height and readjusted his tie. The skin on his cheek bore the vivid imprint of Holly's anger. Those steel-blue eyes of his studied Holly in more depth now. "Brother, your chosen one has caught my interest. That is the first time a mortal has ever dared to strike me."Dagon smoothly stepped in front of him. "You are not touching her. I don't care if you withdraw your support. I won't let you hurt her in retaliation.""Retaliation?" Famine shook his head with the smallest of movements. "No, do not misunderstand me. She has merely woken an interest. I will not hurt her though you might want to raise your guard a bit more."Eros all but growled. "She's obviously not interested in you, Famine. Just get out of here."The mildly amused eyes that had warmed on Holly turned to pure steel as his lip flared at the sight of Eros. "And now your pet yaps at me and bares its comically small fangs. Tell me, Lust, just what do you plan
Holly tossed and turned in her bed. Sleeping was next to impossible. How could she rest when her friends were in danger? Quix snored lightly in a chair next to her. He had refused to leave her side. The bruises on his face made her heart ache. She wanted to rewind time and erase them, but for now, was obeying Dagon's orders.Still, hours had passed since Famine had left. Hours where she was forced to think of the worst. Ruby had saved her and Lachesis had come down from her role as Fate to help and protect her. How could she just let them be left to what Death had planned for them?Eros had turned back into the familiar and comfortable cabbit form and hopped onto her shoulder rubbing against her cheek. "Don't worry. If anything they're just being used as bait. They're too valuable for any real harm to come to them."Holly glared at him. "That's not very comforting.""Why not?" Eros demanded with a frown."Because, you can live through a lot o
Holly woke up and shivered. A cover was wrapped around her instantly and she looked up to see Quix's bruised face but his warm eyes. "You didn't look like it was a good rest. Are you okay?"Holly nodded. "I'm fine.""You're not," Quix observed. "Something is wrong. Krim is gone, for now, you can talk to me.""How can you be so relaxed?" Holly demanded. "Ruby and Lachesis are missing!""From what I heard Famine went to go get them," Quix replied. "You don't know the brothers as we do. If one says they're going to do something, they will. If you were the one in danger, it would be far more dangerous. Death isn't about to use too much security for hostages, not when he's not sure it will work out. He's lazy if there's a chance of failure.""He's been gone for hours," Holly whispered. "It's been too long. Something had to have happened."Quix crawled into the bed with her and held her. Eros looked up from his corner but didn't move. "Trust me th
Quix's protests died out as their bodies melded together. Holly straddled him as she kissed the reaper. He winced as her teeth scraped his swollen lip and she pulled away. I"m so sorry," she whispered as she grazed her fingers over his face. "You're too hurt.""I don't care," Quix grunted in a moan. "You can't just stop like that. Please don't tease me," he begged.Holly chuckled as she kissed the bruise on his cheek with teasingly light touches. Quix closed his eye and relaxed against the bed as Holly continued.She kissed down his cheek, to his battered jaw, down to his bruised chest. Each sore, each imperfection on his skin was greeted with a feather-soft kiss. His chest was smooth and she rubbed her face against the softness of it until he grunted in pain again and she pulled back."No, you don't have to stop," Quix was whimpering by this stage. "I can take the pain."Holly shook her head and the ends of her hair brushed his stomach. "I'm