The Fine Line of Heaven and Hell

Alicat1194: Nice to see you’re still reading. *chuckle* I’m glad you are. *grin*

Anon: Well, thank you. I’m happy to know you like what you’ve read. ^.^

Usually, I post a chapter and get no reviews. Then I post another chapter, and get like, two or three. I was actually pretty surprised to get not one, but three reviews for an odd chapter. Even chapters I’m like, W007, my peoples are going to review this one! I’ve decided that it sounds kinda arrogant to call you all MY reviewers; like you’re property or something. Regardless of how it seems, I’m just happy to get reviews. ^.^ Chances are, I’ll call you my reviewers (like I own you) a lot more from here on out, but it’s not because I see you as something that belongs to me, but because everything else sounds too strange. *laughs* Besides, I like reminding myself that people like what I’ve written (on this story, at least) and are willing to tell me if I screw something up. I’ll shut up now.

Chapter 22-Lt. Seji
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No breeze blew across the rooftop, as was the usual. Only the soft swish of Shuey’s jacket and the occasional thud of her boots could be heard as she moved. The fact that that was all that was perceivable was enough to make the Halfling satisfied with her practice. Compared to her noisy movements before she began to train on her own, this was a miracle. She stopped mid-swing, straightening her posture only to lean against the small bit of wall near the door. Even though there wasn’t any wind, it was a nice day; something rare in her eyes.

Briefly, she thought about Jerrick and what he was doing at the moment. Already, while thinking during her latest routine, she’d come to the conclusion that she’d already began forming this…relationship with him, so it would be pointless to back out now, despite the fact that it scared the shit out of her. Leon had said something to her about a Lieutenants’ meeting. Really, it was none of her business, but she found she had little control over how many times the man flitted through her thoughts. Her latest theory on this oddity was the possibility that it might be curiosity, but she wasn’t really sure if that was it. She’d known curiosity before, and it had felt a great deal different when she thought about the curios item in question.

When Jerrick crossed her mind, so did everything they’d done together so far. Also, her body felt the need to remind her exactly how it felt, too, often times giving her shivers or a fluttering stomach, and sometimes even an irritating urge to go find the man. Every time she started to analyze the feeling, she’d get distracted by the sensations. It was unnerving how much the man threw her off. What if she got into a situation in which she needed to fully defend herself and she began thinking about him? Would it have the same effect?

“You’ve gone through Shift, haven’t you?” The voice was cold and familiar. A look upwards revealed Senji Decara, sitting above the door with his wings furled. “Disgusting.” She’d been wondering why everyone had been so acceptant of her. She supposed it had something to do with Jerrick, but truth be told, she wasn’t sure. Deamon was probably only decent with her out of curiosity; if he knew what she was, would the demon hate her? A tanned arm moved quicker than lightning, long, thin needles blurring past her as a few landed in her shoulder. She winced, her survival instinct kicking in at the first prick, making her duck quickly enough for a few of the thin strips of metal to narrowly miss her forehead. “I wonder where you got that scar from,” Decara pondered aloud, leaping from the roof over the door and landing solidly on his feet.

Standing before her, Seji was a vision of darkness. Long, dark hair was tied back into a ponytail. Even though many strands had fallen from the band, it still looked neat and orderly surrounding his sharp, tan features. His Fuchsia eyes narrowed, his thin frame moving quicker than her eye could catch as he slammed her backwards. “Filth like you disgrace the demonic existence. Humans are worth more than you are.” His claws dug into her arms, one of the fingers gripping her shoulder dug a needle further into her skin, leaving her to speculate that it was intentional. Her brain was telling her body to react, but somehow, it wasn’t working. Panicking slightly, instinct took over once again, her lengthy nails slashing across his face deep enough for him to jerk back.

Taking the chance, she moved away, a slight flap of wings alerting her to his ascendance into the air. So it was like that? “The Decara’s do not bound ourselves to the elements. We achieve greater power than most demons by binding our powers to our minds. Every move you make, every defensive maneuver…will be shattered with absolute grace and artistry. This is the Decara way. Scum like you should be honored to be in the presence of one of our kind, yet you flaunt about as if you are better than the demons. Trash should remain where it belongs.” As if that were some sort of queue, he flew at her, the scratches on his face already thin, nearly nonexistent lines.

Shuey tried to move, but he anticipated the dodge, swiftly lowering one wing and sending himself into a slight spiral to the side, crashing into her with one hand wrapped neatly around her throat. Her mouth opened in an attempt for air, but failed to acquire any. “The thing about us non-humans….We only heal faster…it’s not impossible for us to die, you know. I can strangle you. A human being could shoot you. It is because of this that humans are not our slaves, that angels were not massacred.” He leaned in close, his dark hair brushing her bangs as a malicious grin spread across his features. “Jerrick’s busy right now, so he can’t come save you…. Such a weakling… Can’t even protect yourself from an attack like this.”

Her hands clawed at the fingers around her neck, but to no avail. Finally, in a ditch effort, she stabbed her fingernails into his flesh, only to hear him chuckle in return. She was utterly helpless. “What’s the matter, Half-Breed? You can’t get away without help?” His neon eyes had darkened dramatically, almost a murky glowing lavender. Shuey could feel her mind going blank from lack of oxygen, her vision slowly growing dimmer by the moments, even as her lips continued to part in fruitless gasps for air. Blood was flowing down her fingertips, running along her arms as her nails remained buried in the hand at her throat. As if recovering from a state of shock, the mist that had been at rest in the shade flew between them, slamming into Seji’s form and throwing him backwards in his surprise.

Without the support, the Halfling fell to her knees, coughing as she tried to gain what little breath she could. Decara stood from his spot, that maniacal smirk plastered on his face once more. “Is that all, little Shuey?” She could tell without looking the blow from the fog hadn’t affected him in the least. As he stepped closer, her heart began to race, fear welling up into her as she jerked back, her head nearly hitting the wall. Her powers were in the form of a dog at the moment, crouching and snarling at the man as he drew closer. She imagined there wasn’t much she could do to defend herself at the moment. “This is mere child’s play. There are Fledglings that are stronger than you. It’s no wonder your kind are killed at birth.” So there had been others before her.

She knew she should concentrate on escaping, but the words he spoke seemed to wrap around her mind like a vice, consuming her thoughts. Seji’s leer broadened as he watched her closely, “I’ll tell you about a special little technique we Decara’s use. We speak to our opponents and say something that sparks their interest. For minds like yours, who analyze everything, it’s already distracting. Our family gift is to force others’ minds to concentrate on any one thing we say.” He walked closer, gripping her chin and yanking her back to her knees. “It renders the adversary helpless as their own mind devours them whole. It leaves room for an easy kill.” Those clawed fingers were running along the scar Brethmel had given her, occasionally almost breaking the skin a few times. “It’s almost beautiful this little scar…,” he murmured idly, claws scraping alongside the pale line of healed flesh.

She struggled to distract herself, picturing her contrasting wings flaring from her back and wincing when she felt the small, familiar tingle run down her spine. As they tore from her back, pain still trailed in their wake, but, to her surprise, a minimal amount of blood was lost. She didn’t feel as weak as she normally did when her wings released themselves, and she cringed as Seji shoved her back against the concrete, crushing them against the wall. It almost hurt as much as the wings breaking from the skin, but at least her mind was clear. “…Don’t touch me,” she rasped out, her fist slamming into his gut, dagger in hand. Those purplish eyes widened as the demon leapt back, crouching over carefully to pull the small blade out.

A laugh resounded through the empty air, her knife clattering to the stone roof as his hand smeared blood along his abdomen. “Honestly, you’re attacks are so pathetic, it’s absurd to think they’re even training you.” He went towards her again, but the impact never came. Opening the eyes she hadn’t realized she’d closed, dual eyes witnessed an eerie glow around her. Grey in color, the smolder around her shrouded her like smoke, small whisps of it flaring out every now and then. “What is this?” came a cold, formulated voice; Decara’s, it seemed. Had he never witnessed this before? Didn’t he know? With every movement the demon made, the cloud seemed to shift towards him, as if guarding him like a watchdog.

A tanned hand swiped at the smoky blanket, only to jerk back immediately with droplets of blood forming along the places that touched it. “A bladed fog….Fascinating.” Really, Shuey didn’t find anything amazing about it; she was too busy trying to control it. She could feel the blades hidden in the misty smoke shifting around her constantly, trying to surge forward and annihilate the threat before her. It took all her concentration to keep them from attacking offensively. If she were to make a move while he wasn’t striking, she could find herself in deep trouble. Her wings twitched and flexed as they were moved away from the wall, ready for flight should she need to resort to it. Honestly, she was somewhat afraid of what was happening. Had her mist grown into this? Something told her that’s probably what had happened.

He moved forward again, this time not hesitating as he entered the clouded forest of pinpricking needles. Even as they slashed at him, he shifted, letting them gash him in various places as he gripped the front of her shirt. “Nice try. Angelic maneuvers don’t work on me, either.” As the thought tried to dominate her mind, she lashed out at him, cutting him along the arms a few times before he slammed her back into the wall. “You scratch like a cat,” he murmured, glowing eyes shining eerily in the smoky cloud around them. She could feel his hatred radiating off of him, sliding along her skin coldly. It built up inside of her, clawing at her to be released as if she were the one holding it. The feeling made her want to rip herself open, if only to get momentary freedom.

She squeezed her eyes close; was this another attack from the Lieutenant? As if to answer her question, her mouth moved of it’s own accord, “Let go!” A shattering sound filtered into her ears, like glass being thrown against the grown. Opening her eyes, they widened at the sight of Decara being thrown against the concrete roof at her feet. He was pinned down by four pillars of what looked like glass, but at a second glance, Shuey realized was ice. The air around them was cold like winter, and she finally understood that the hatred she had felt may have actually been her powers’ movement.

“Freezing the air like that….I’ve only seen it from those bound to Air,” Seji said simply, as though he weren’t nailed to the ground. “…It’s stupid to bind yourself so early. My mind will pass this on to my family when I die; you will not be left alone. The Decara Clan will hunt for you until your dying cries fill the city.” She didn’t intend to kill him; she wasn’t stupid. Her father had said something about her first kill, and she really wasn’t ready to experience it yet. She turned to walk away, only to be halted by the demon once more. “Mercy is a coward’s invention. If you have the blood of any demon in you, you would kill me.”

“This isn’t Mercy,” she said dully, disappearing into the building quickly so she didn’t have to hear anything else from the man. Somehow, she’d beaten Decara and not even known how. She had to find Leon of Jerrick to help her. Considering it was apparently an angelic attack, she’d go to Leon, right? She moved swiftly, nearly forgetting her wings until she heard the gasp from Clara at the night clerk’s desk. How did she explain this? Hearing the woman’s reaction, she jerked backwards, frowning and thinking of a way to fix the problem. As if commanded, the mist that had shrouded her until she turned the air cold draped itself over her wings. It was a cool, lingering feeling, even as she stepped back into the warmth of the lobby. She glanced over her shoulder, finding it odd to sense her wings there, but not see them.

“Shuey! Wings! I thought you were an angel!” Eyes widening, one finger shot up to press against Clara’s lips. She hissed at her quietly, hinting for her to shut up. Blue eyes looked back at her in confusion before one slim hand patted the Halfling’s arm. Nodding, Shuey dropped her hand with an internal sigh. Great, just what she needed. “That’s so cool, Shuey,” the blond whispered, pushing up her frames excitedly. “I can’t wait to tell Deamon.”

A hand clasped itself over the girl’s mouth, her head already shaking it’s russet strands to and fro. “Deamon can’t know. He’ll kill me.” Her blue eyes broadened in disbelief, but she nodded just the same. “I’m half demon, half angel. Both demons and angels want to kill me. No one can know,” she continued, just to make sure that Clara understood fully. She felt the woman grin beneath her hand, making her pull it back when she felt something wet hit her fingers.

Winking, the woman leaned over her desk. “I won’t tell, but you have to do me a favor.” The smile on her face foretold of something unpleasant, Shuey was sure. She quirked a brow anyway, ready to hear what the woman had to say. The blonde’s eyes sparkled at her as that happy Cheshire grin spread happily further. “I’ll tell you soon; you’ll just have to guess until then!”

She had been right; it was going to be bad.

Just at that moment, Leon came down the stairs, Cerulean orbs targeting the Halfling instantly. “I was looking for you. When I looked on the roof, guess what I found…” The look he was giving her told her that he knew exactly who’s fault it was that the Decara was pegged to the rooftop. Even though this was just the person she’d been looking for; she dreaded the upcoming conversation. “Jerrick’s room, if you would.” With a frown at the command, she scowled as her feet moved to heed it. A smirk filled the angel’s features as she headed up the stairs towards the intended place of conference.

The trip upwards was silent, even as the door shut behind the redhead when they arrived to their destination. She turned to watch him closely, his arms crossing and his head tilted slightly. “Why is Seji Decara stuck to the ground with ice? I’m guessing one of two things is happening here. You somehow know how to wield your powers, like most demons, or you don’t know anything about them, and they move on their own, like most angels. Which is it? Maybe it was pure instinct; when it comes to you, who the fuck knows?” His eyes were narrowed slightly, so Shuey figured it was her turn to speak.

“A fog went around me with little shards of metal in it…. What was that?” she asked instead, certain he’d understand what happened from the statement as opposed to her having to explain it. The angel sighed, flopping unceremoniously onto a nearby chair and propping his feet onto the coffee table before it.

“They weren’t metal, or even blades; it was ice. A lot of angels have the natural ability to influence weather; apparently, you brought a cloud to you… A very full cloud. The rain storm from wherever that thing came from would have had hail in it, you know. The fact that the ice was still ice down at this altitude is pretty amazing. Or maybe, your mist mimicked a thunder cloud. It could’ve been that. Many angels with mists have mists that do that.” He was rambling at some point, so Shuey tried not to tune him out, but something kept distracting her. Her head kept wanting to turn one way, or her ears thought she heard someone’s voice. It was really irritating. “Shuey?”

Blinking, she nodded to inform him that she’d heard most of it. “What’s wrong, Shu?” She glared at him, but frowned more at her lack of attention than the new nickname. Blue eyes were studying her, even as she skimmed the room as if looking for something. “Jerrick’s not here.” At the name, her head snapped to him, making her eyes widen and pout lips turn into an even deeper frown.

At the sound of Jerrick’s name, her attention was focused on the speaker who’d said it. She was beginning to irritate herself. She scowled at nothing in particular, sitting down in the chair opposite of Leon and wincing when her wings felt crushed. As if on queue, the haze around them dropped to the floor like a puddle of water before forming itself into a mouse. A laugh snapped her from her sulking. “I think Jerrick’s too close for you to focus. I believe you’ve chosen him as your mate,” he said with a snicker, making her glower once more. Then she became utterly confused; mate?

As if sensing the question, Leon answered, “Demons and Angels, though they sometimes have mutually unattached partners for sex, only choose one mate. There is a difference between having sex and ‘mating.’ When you have sex, it’s just sex. When you find a mate, that person and you are pretty much stuck together forever. It’s mostly for demons; angels don’t usually have mates. Lucky you.” The luck part was sarcastic, she understood that much. This would be problematic. She didn’t particularly feel that attached to the man she’d apparently taken as her mate. Was that okay? The man before he laughed abruptly, startling her from her barely begun train of thought. “Don’t worry, you don’t have to love him or anything yet. It’s the type of thing that just happens over time.” Over time? How much time? Why Jerrick, of all people? She still had a few reservations about starting a relationship, but now she had no choice? “You could try to fight it, but I doubt it’ll do any good. You can’t really change your mind once you’ve decided. One of the many reasons I’m glad to be an angel.”

So now Shuey was stuck in yet another complication she really didn’t need.

A/N: Does it seem as long in between chapters to you all as it does to me? I know, somewhere in my head, that it’s only been a week, but it seems so much longer. O.o I find that rather strange. I’ve been having some major procrastination issues with this chapter, but I finally did type it. *chuckle* I have had this stuck in my head all week, but I never did actually do anything with it. So here it is; chapter 22.

Ashesxx2xxashes: I didn’t think it was that amazing but THANKS! *grin* I like it that I’m so spoiled by my reviewers. (See? I told you I’d call you guys that again.) It makes me happy and bloats my ego a little… That is, until one of my friend pop my wonderful ego by saying something mean to me. *laughs*

Thanks again! I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well. ^.^