The Fine Line of Heaven and Hell

Update: Beta work by Gaia.

A/N: First off, a whole heap of thank you for Gaia, who’s offered to beta me! THANK YOU GAIA! *cough* Ahem. It amazed me that someone was willing to beta me, and I didn’t have to scour the Internet looking. I’m a happy little goldfish. ^.^ I realized I really needed a beta when I reread chapter 7 (trying to catch errors myself, see) and didn’t catch a very obvious error until I read it a third time. I wrote that Jerrick had entered the bar with a revealing dress on. I laughed myself silly when I caught that one.

Anyway, I’d like to take the time to mention that no, this isn’t a threesome. I don’t think Shuey has the right feel to her for it to be a threesome. Now don’t get me wrong or anything, threesomes are all well and good or whatever, but this is just not one. I just like tasty, delectable, arrogant guys because they’re just great characters. *smile*

I was emailed about the N/C warning yesterday, and I’d like to explain that now. There might be some slight non consensual, but no full-blown rape. My version of non-con runs along the lines of forceful kisses and un-permitted groping. Okay, YAY, that’s out of the way. *smile*

On to Chapter 10. Wow, already on ten, that’s crazy. O.o


Chapter 10-On the Defensive
=====================

Shuey paced around her room, venting her anger out on the small bedpost at the end of
her bed. Cranky was a complete understatement to her mood. She had to put up with yet
another training lesson with the two buffoons today, and she really didn’t feel like
dealing with their… whatever they called what they did. It got on her nerves, regardless
of what it was.

A soft light knock tapped at her door, making her jump and glare at the thing like it had
tried to take a bite out of her. Frowning when it didn’t whither from fear, she finally
walked over and opened it with an annoyed, “What?” A beaming smile made her blink at
the blond night clerk. What was she doing here?

“Mr. Cordon left these at my desk for you. He said that if you didn’t drop by after work,
to bring them here. I must not have been paying attention when you walked by.” She held
three more books in her arms, clasping nimble piano hands around them as if they were
about to fall. Fearing she’d just drop them on the floor if asked to hand them over, Shuey
just nodded and opened the door.

She’d never understand this woman. “Thank you,” she muttered politely, having an eerie
respect for the never flinching female. She always smiled at the halfling, and never once
seemed afraid of her, or at least she hid it exceptionally well. Clara had a unique way of
always being polite and friendly, never nosing about in one’s business or trying to get
their attention unless needed. She also had the oddity of being the only one in the entire
inn that Shuey openly accepted. She rather liked the blond woman.

Blue eyes sparkled as Clara pushed up her wired frames with one thin finger. “No
problem,” she said with a wink, not looking around the room in curiosity, but looking
directly at Shuey. Even though she was slightly too happy, the blond was very
charismatic and almost comforting to be around. As she walked towards the door, she
turned back and smiled again. “If you ever want to go do something together, just give
me a call,” she offered with a wave, turning down the hall without a second glance.

What was that? What did Clara want with her? Shuey was rather curious but
apprehensive at the same time. As strange as it seemed, the blond woman had left the
invitation open, allowing her to move in her own accordance. Which was more than
Jerrick or Leon seemed to do for her.

The woman was strange, that was all there was to it. She might just have to take her up
on her offer to find out what the hell people did together when one asked another to "do
something".

Previous irritations forgotten in light of pondering her latest interaction with the night
clerk as was the norm after encounters with the girl, Shuey stopped pacing around the
room and perched on her bed beside the books. Picking up the top one, she skimmed the
title: Angelic Index.

Flipping open the book, she scooted back and leaned up against the wall to read. After
reading the first few pages, she realized it was a log of the angels that she supposed the
demons had encountered. It referenced the day they were seen, caught, whatever, their
name and an estimated age, along with a physical description and what demons they
interacted with. Jerrick had sent her something useful, but she wasn’t sure how to use the
index. It was typed, so she was sure there were some angels taken out of it that she could
not see. Maybe her mother was in here somewhere. All she had to do was find Brethmel’s
name, which was harder than one would think because the names were completely
unorganized.

Rolling her eyes, she set the first book aside in favor of finding out more about the
other two. One was black with bright green lettering, entitled: Clan Log. Just reading the
title, she guessed it held which clans had which attributes, so she moved to the next, a
grayish colored book with white letters. The letters were too dirtied into the grey to read,
but she could make out the faint form of writing. Looking at the binding, she found no
other title to the book, making her frown.

Turning the cover, she peered inside, brow crinkling in confusion. This book was in
Latin; how could she read that? Had the idiot assumed she could read Latin somehow?
Glaring at the wall in the direction of his office, Shuey set the book down and looked
through the Clan Log. Grey eyes and shimmering wings belonged to the Cordon Clan,
obviously. The page had been marked with a thin red string of some kind that made her
wonder. After a moment or four of staring at the book in confusion, she remembered him
saying that he wanted her to get to know him. Maybe this is what he meant.

The Cordon Clan’s members often bound themselves to the air, manipulating it to their
fancy as if it were a toy. Many demons avoided the air element because of its difficult
mastery, but this particular clan specialized in it. Did this mean that Jerrick was bound?
She’d seen no evidence of it when looking at him. The clan was known for their rare grey
eyes, which only relatives of the main line seemed to acquire. Their exotic stealth and
speed abilities were apparently unmatched, but most of the family were raised to be
diplomats or military attaché. Depending on what branch of the family they came from,
each had their own unique ability that no other clan lay claim on. Of course, she was sure
they’d have normal abilities, too.

She looked up the name Brethmel and found nothing, but kept the book for further use
later. After a period of staring at it, she retrieved the Angelic Index for further inspection.
Upon searching the pages, she found thirty angels with the golden-eyed demon’s name
beside them. With a frustrated sigh, she picked up the foreign book and headed out the
door.

Moving up the stairs and onto the roof, she settled down away from the door and
skimmed the strange words written in a language she didn’t know. Though she couldn’t
understand it, the words on the page made her feel at ease, as if they were meant to calm
someone, although she was pretty sure they weren’t. It may have been the scratches on
the page that soothed her, and not the foreignness of the words.

“That one wasn’t supposed to go to you. It was meant for Leon.”

Shuey jumped, looking up at Jerrick’s pale face and amused grey eyes. His thin lips were
formed into a smile, but not one quite as dazzling as his normal charmer. It was a small,
faint lift of the lips that subtly told the viewer ‘I like this.’ Glancing back down at the
book, she briefly wondered if the angel could actually read the book. She snapped it
closed and lifted it towards the demon, his wings shimmering transparently behind him.
Even if she could see them, she knew they were nearly impossible to see unless you were
looking for that almost nonexistent glimmer.

“You can give it to him next time you work with him. Can you read Latin?” he asked
politely, squatting next to her with his hands semi-folded between spread knees. It was a
very unsophisticated way to be, and incredibly unlike Jerrick to be so casual. When she
shook her head, he smiled broadly, making her wince internally. She really hated his
smiles. “Leon’s working the bar. Our other day shift quit, so he’s taking over until I find
a replacement.”

Shuey nodded her acknowledgment, not caring enough to ask why the gruff man who had
been the day tender quit. She hadn’t even paid much attention to him, could barely even
recall his face.

As if remembering something important, her head snapped up, russet hair brushing aside
as if the wind had blown it. “Why don’t you let demons work here?” It was a question
she had no real right to ask, but she had blurted it out just the same.

Instead of getting irritated or upset, Jerrick only flopped unceremoniously on the concrete
beside her, a bit further from the wall to make room for his wings. “I don’t think the other
demons would be as pleasant if they were to be served by one of their own. Common
demons believe that other races are below them, so if a demon were to serve them, the
bar might be less appealing.” So that was it. When it came to this man, it would have
something to do with money.

Needless to say, the demon had been fairly surprised by the question. It wasn’t something
important to ask, so he hadn’t expected her to ask something so nonsensical. Did this
mean that she didn’t mind him as much, or had the question really been important to her
in some way? He guessed it didn’t matter. “Is it alright if it’s just me to train you?” he
asked cautiously, not really sure if she’d be cool with it.

Shuey glanced at the man at her side, his dark hair brushing over his eye just a little while
he stared out at the city around them. “It’s fine,” she returned, not sure why he really
cared if she liked it or not. In fact, she preferred one pain in the ass to two. “What did you
have in mind?” she asked at length, her brain telling her to know now before it was too
late.

At this, Jerrick seemed to perk up a bit, smiling at her disarmingly and standing up from
his spot. “Defensive approaches. You should always have a great defense before you try
to go on the offensive.” Shuey nodded; it made sense to her after all so she stood as well,
not caring to brush off the dirt on her clothes as the demon beside her was currently
doing.

Once he was finished, Jerrick looked at her for an unknown span of time while she stared
back without thought. It made her wonder what he saw wrong. She didn’t feel like
pondering this man’s eccentric tendencies at the moment, so she dropped the subject
before it was even broached. “I’m guessing you’re a natural with the basics: awareness,
prepared mindset, confidence, sphere of influence…” When he got no answer, he
continued on, “You wield your dagger, so that’s your comfortable weapon. We’ll start
with that.”

He stood a bit further away from her, looking her over carefully. “You always use your
intuition, which is amazingly accurate, and somewhat scary, if you ask me.” At the
haphazard glare he received, he continued on, “Basically, trust your instincts, okay?” A
nod and Shuey continued staring right through him as if she could see every little thing
he’d ever done. That look alone was terrifying.

“So yesterday, we noticed you fight completely on instinct, so most of everything you
learn should be pretty easy for you.” Another nod. “Get into a stance, whatever you feel
comfortable in.” A long, confused stare, followed by his own exasperated sigh. “Pretend
like I’m going to attack you.” Dare was out in no time at all and Shuey had leaned over
slightly, her knees bent. It wasn’t what he’d seen when Leon had gone after her. In order
to teach her, he had to get more physical than hypothetical situations.

Without saying anything, he was behind her, clawed fingers pressing up against her rib
cage. Equally silent, Shuey put one leg between his knees and nailed him behind his own
knee, making his leg bend and knocking them both to the ground. While falling, the
woman had somehow flipped them over in a strange twist of faintly muscular limbs. The
end result was Jerrick on his back, Shuey sitting on his chest, her back facing his face and
Dare pointed delicately at his favorite place. Something about the move said she’d done it
before.

Just as she looked over her shoulder, Jerrick’s knee flew up, knocking her in the chest
and making her lean back to dodge it. Within the brief frame of time his knee lowered
and she began to react, lithe, muscled arms wrapped around her torso, clamping her arms
to her body tightly. “Smart, but not flawless.” Trapped when held so close to someone so
much stronger, Shuey’s shoulders still wriggled to get free only to be squeezed that much
tighter. “Never turn your back on an enemy. Even if you are on top of them,” he
muttered, his voice echoing in her ear. His chin propped itself on her shoulder as she slid
from his chest, winding up in his lap and making her scowl.

“Let go.” It was a simple demand, but Jerrick thought it would be a wonderful chance to
teach her something. Not every enemy would adhere to her commands, and not all
opponents were apt to be kind. She would hate him for it for a long time, which meant
training sessions alone with Leon, but at least she’d remember it in the back of her mind
every time she got into a fight.

“I don’t think I will,” he said, his arms holding her closer, pinning her to his chest as her
own arms struggled to break free. Once she was fully seated in his lap, he began to regret
his decision. Wincing at his own stupidity for a moment or two, he attempted to move
himself back, but failed as she sensed the barest of a weakening hold. Damn the
observant woman ten times over. Her knees were bent back from where she had been
sitting on him, so once she was well positioned, her legs were rendered useless. “Attack
me, Shuey. Defend yourself. Can you do it?”

There was a low growl in her throat when he spoke, every muscle in her body striving to
get out of his hold. All her wriggling was going to be the death of him. “Let me go,” was
the repeated response, even as her grasp on that lovely dagger was beginning to weaken.
As if to prove a point, barely sharper than normal teeth sank into her shoulder, making
those rare eyes widen and her body stiffen. Maybe she finally realized she was stuck. Just
as Jerrick began to wonder if she was alright, she began to jerk about more determinedly
than before. It seemed she was becoming frightened.

Shuey needed to get out of his arms. She had to. Fear of something, even though her
brain kept telling herself that he meant no real harm, embedded itself in her, making her
squirm in every way imaginable to get out of his grasp. She was stuck, bound by muscled
flesh and she couldn’t get out no matter how hard she tried. “Let go!” she yelled, panic
rising when she couldn’t get out. As if by magic, the hands yanked themselves away from
her and she rolled out as quickly as she could.

She tumbled to the side, barely catching herself with her leg and winding up in a strange,
half laying, half crouching position. Jerrick looked like he would move towards her, but
stopped and rose his hands up instead, grey eyes staring at her coldly. He moved away
from her and further from the door, watching her with every step. “Shuey-”

“No,” was all she said as she stood from her spot, glaring at him avidly once her brain
began to slow down. Was he trying to scare her? Put her in her place or something?
Could he be mocking her lack of abilities when it came to this type of thing? It really
didn’t matter what he had been trying to do, he’d made her realize a few things. One: she
wouldn’t be able to kill this man. Two: her father was much stronger, so she had no
choice but to continue staying here. Fairly sure he wouldn’t advance on her again, she left
the roof to think it over.

Jerrick watched her leave, knowing she didn’t want to speak with him, and feeling
slightly remorseful for it. At least she’d remember this, although he probably left a scar
on their relationship. As soon as fear and panic entered that soft, commanding voice, he’d
let go immediately. Frowning, he noticed he cared more for her safety than he did for her
affection. That was worrisome. Just as he began pondering it, a glint caught his attention.
On the grayish concrete was Dare, her silver dagger. Picking it up, he got a decent view
of the thing for the first time. The handle was elegantly carved into a bat-like wing, while
the blade shone against the black hilt in bright silvery contrast. The metal sloped just
slightly on one side, sharpened dangerously. The other side was sharpened as well, but it
seemed as though the owner had sharpened it herself, which led him to believe it
originally wasn’t sharp.

After staring at this small blade for the longest time, the dark-haired demon noticed
Leon’s book lying on the dirty ground. It seemed only decent of him to take it and give it
to the angel. He could use the chance to tell him about today’s training… and that he’d be
training with Shuey alone for a little while.

A/N: Okay, I’ll say beforehand, the next chapter is going to skip a few weeks. I feel bad for it, yes, but the story will just drag on and on if I don’t let it skip some training. O.O Hopefully, that little fight scene seemed as logical and physically possible as I thought it was when I wrote it. *chuckle*

I’m also sorry that it took so long for this chapter, but I had a spot of writer’s block and had to get rid of it. I got some great story ideas in that span of time, though. This is also a short chapter, but I’m a little irritated since it took me so long to write. Not to worry, though… I’ve already got the next one started, and I’m pretty happy with it. *smile*