The Fine Line of Heaven and Hell

A/N: This time, it’s definitely my fault. I spent seriously all day playing a video game on my GBA. To top it off with a nice little cherry…It was Pokemon….Sapphire. Are you laughing yet? *chuckle* I don’t even like Pokemon, but this little game is pretty kick-ass…. I can’t stop playing it. O.o Maybe the Japanese have a snazzy new subliminal messaging technique we don’t know about yet. Okay, okay, I’m going back to work now. ^.^

Alicat: I’m glad that you tipped me off; I’ll remember that in the future, but alas, I already went to the local WalMart (Even though I get lost in there sometimes, I’m glad I can just buy fucking everything I want there….Except good RPGs) and bought my beloved Microsoft Word. (For $40). I’m so cheap, I almost didn’t buy it, but then I decided…Since I’ll be able to keep it, I might as well purchase it…just in case. Cheap, lazy, and a major procrastinator… boy, you guys lucked out when you decided to read my story. *snicker* Again, thanks for continuing to read, and… We’ll say her parents are… ‘Somewhat misdirected.’


Anon: All I can say to that is….It was bound to happen sooner or later….and… I hope so, too. O.o

Snidne: Why aren’t I seeing any money from all this advertisement? *sigh* ^.^ If people weren’t perverts….I don’t think they’d be reading this. ;) …..I won’t go into what that might say about myself. *chuckle* As far as chapter 27 goes…..I think that’s probably one of my favorite scenes so far. *laughs* I’ll be nice and let you guess why. I’m glad you’re getting a well-enough feel for the characters to imagine what is and is not within their character. I’d have to agree with you on Brethmel; it’s very easy to see him doing that. ^.^ Thanks for another entertaining review/advertisement.

Okay, since I’m already late, I’ll seriously get to work.


Chapter 29- Guardians and Parents
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Something akin to the honey-like smell of Jerrick was Shuey’s greeting upon awakening. Opening her eyes hurt, so she left them closed. She had a throbbing headache; had she hit her head? Someone was touching her, her arm being squeezed slightly every few seconds. “Little goddess…” She mentally blanched at the term, unsure how her face was reacting to the first phrase her mind comprehended. “There there, little one, you’re safe here.” Judging by the ringing in her ears and the pounding of her head, she somehow doubted that statement.

Finally dredging up the strength to open closed lids, she took in the room around her. Rivet sat perched beside her apparent bed, another small group of people she didn’t recognize standing further away. The Harux’s allure still hadn’t left, pheromones pouring from him even as she sat up slowly. Her vision spun, making her nearly positive she had a head injury.

Sharpening eyes cleared themselves of grogginess, the lithe woman arising from her slumber. “Where am I?” she asked first, thinking it was best to know her surroundings as well as possible before deciding to make any sort of move. When the blue-haired man smiled, she could see that he really had grown up with Jerrick; they shared the same false charm in their smile. It made her wonder what possessed him to kidnap her just after he had proclaimed her his mate. Could this have been the demon’s doing? While most of her wanted to truly believe it wasn’t possible, that small, still-untrusting piece of her accused him immediately.

Rivet smiled, midnight blue wings appearing in the dim light. Had he had those before? She had thought pheromone demons didn’t have wings. The span of colored flesh was rather attractive, demonic ability or no demonic ability. Light claws hooked the peak of each half-folded appendage, and a sleek hint of black sheen to the wings drew the attention directly to them once they were seen. “Don’t worry, princess, you’re where you belong. You’re home.” It was possibly at that moment, she decided this man was definitely insane, and that she really didn’t want to stick around.

Glancing to her right, she noted a window out looking a vast city she knew wasn’t her own. Even in the situation she was in, her body relaxed watching the glittering lights of the neon beauty. Tall buildings surrounded the one she was in, taller than any she’d seen in her own city. Resisting the urge to rise and stare out the glass, she turned instead back to Rivet. “Home?” she returned, the questioning tone in her voice enough to get the point across.

The demon gave her a sickeningly enchanting smile, the glamour of his abilities gleaming from the sheen of his white teeth. “You’re mother is waiting for you. Would you like to see her?” Her mother? The confusion evident, she decided it may be even more dangerous than she had originally thought. She didn’t know who this man was speaking about, but she was rather curious. He’d said her mother was here, and although that sent alarms off in her head, part of her wanted to believe the letter the woman had left behind. “What’s wrong? Are you waiting for Jerrick? I doubt he’ll come for you.”

The statement made her blink for a moment, making her thoughts jerk to a halt for a second before restarting once again. Had she been waiting for Jerrick? She realized that that wasn’t particularly the case, but now that she thought about it, it began to bug her. Did he know she was gone? Was he worried? Did he care? She wasn’t sure why she wanted to know, but she did. Frowning at a new complication in an already bad predicament, she nearly jumped from her place when the man spoke again. “He’s the one who told us who your parents were. Of course he won’t come. You’re not in danger, anyway. Relax.”

She could feel the pheromones crawling along her skin as though urging her to believe his words. That might have been why she didn’t. Eyes narrowing, she made to stand, jerking towards the side as the Harux grabbed her arm. “Where are you going in such a hurry? It’s not like you could find your way back to that shoddy little inn of his.” What kind of idiot did he think she was?

“Don’t touch me,” she said instead, refusing to give in to a man she didn’t know or trust. Dislike for him only rose as he smirked her way, even that swimming behind the façade of a charming man. Instead of removing the offending limb, he wrapped it around her shoulders, pulling her closer and leering wider as she went for a dagger that wasn’t there. Realizing she was once again in a situation she truly couldn’t defend herself in, Shuey forced herself to relax, knowing fighting it head-on was probably not the best way to alter her problem.

“I’d like to see you stop me,” he murmured in her ear, guiding her along as though she were a pet instead of a person. It should have made her angrier, but she’d been expecting this type of treatment the moment she left the priest’s home. “So where did that wretched man hide you?” Her brow furrowed in confusion, but she felt it was wisest to keep her mouth shut and give no leeway for him to take advantage of. The hand on her shoulder gripped it rather tightly, leaving an uncomfortable feeling behind. He let out a heavy, exaggerated sigh and released the hold on her. “Very well, we’ll have to manage you the other way.”

Eyes narrowing in suspicion, she was dragged out of the room into what appeared to be a lounge of some sort or another. A stunning vision of pale skin and flowing brown hair sat with her legs crossed in a large cushioned chair. The hand around her shoulders slid to the small of her back, putting just enough pressure to force her forward before vanishing. Strands of chocolate swayed as the woman moved forward, stunningly endless cerulean eyes gazing through her as though she truly didn’t exist. Who was this woman? “Shuey…. You’ve finally come back to me.”

Before she knew it, the woman was out of her seat and pulling her into an embrace, frail hands petting her hair here and there as tears began to fill her the void-like eyes looking into her own. One pale hand brushed away her bangs and caressed her cheek, making Shuey want to shove the woman away. Something, however, held her back from doing so. Whether it was herself or some ability of this strange being’s, the Halfling wasn’t sure.

Instead of giving herself a migraine, Shuey chose instead to focus on her location for a distraction. Soft shades of gold, blue, and silver adorned the room. Grey-blue drapes blocked away the light from a seemingly large window off to the right, a small sliver of the city lights gleaming in from a small part in the center of it. A large, midnight colored couch sat in the midst of the room, the equally dark chair the woman previously sat in sitting next to it to make a small corner in which a golden brown coffee table was tucked. A glass of amber liquid sat silently atop the table, nearly full as though it had been put there merely for her to look at. The drink, whatever it was, matched the shade of her demonic eye so closely that it crossed her mind that it may have been chosen simply for its color.

“My child-” Shuey snapped from her slight daze, nearly shoving the woman across the room in her surprise. Was this her mother? A surprisingly strong hand caught her before she could truly back away, reminding her of Rivet Harux’s presence in the room. “You didn’t know me?” The angel looked hurt in a way that almost made the Halfling feel pain as well. Was it because it was her mother? She’d read somewhere that angels and their young had strong bonds, but she hadn’t thought it would apply to her.

“Lady Cerelia, you are certain?” Asked the demon beside her, his pale green eyes watching her as if this information was something he would enjoy. When the ethereal woman nodded, a frightening smile that held no falsehoods behind it spread across his face. The arms she once thought would hold no threat wrapped completely around her, pressing her close to him. “So I can claim her now?” An alarm in her head went off, her arms moving to struggle free automatically. Panic began to surge through her when she could not move, a mouth hovering over her neck in a distressing way.

“Yes. You should eliminate any bonds she may have as quickly as possible and tie her to yourself. I’ll return later, my daughter, when the deed is done.” A frail, pale hand smoothed across her cheek before Cerelia made her exit. Dual eyes widened in realization; did she just give this guy authority to fuck her? Not liking the situation, she did the only thing she really could do: hope like hell something in her panic would trigger her abilities. The mist about her feet leaped up from its mouse-like form, spreading between them and forcing him away from her.

Her only option was to find a way onto a lower floor to escape, but how? Taking what little time she had to move, she rushed to the window, yanking the curtains aside and wincing at the height. She had wings, but she was never certain they would work. Hoping her chances were higher than before, she jerked at the handle, only to growl in irritation when she found it incapable of being opened. “That was rather rude, don’t you think?” His voice reminded her of Jerrick. Once she thought about it, so did his smell, his smile…and nearly everything else about him. Was that how the pheromones worked?

He gripped her arms roughly and shoved her into the window, pinning them behind her as he leaned to whisper in her ear. “Let me tell you something about the Harux Clan,” he murmured, heated breath ghosting across her ear. “The normal pheromones usually work on everyone, but once in a while, like now, someone is resistant to their pull and we have to use other measures to lure them. He nipped lightly at the lobe of her ear, tongue laving at the edge before he continued. “We of the Harux, have golden-eyed demon blood in out bloodline. While that’s not abnormal, what is, was the fact that he was one of the ones who needed blood in order to live.” She didn’t like the sound of this. “When his blood entered our line, our DNA immediately altered it. It’s rare, and only occurs in those who are direct descendants of this man. When we, those gifted few, bite someone, we can transfer our pheromones to that person. When that happens, even if their mind hates us, their body will crave us.” Teeth scraped against her neck, and she could feel the beginnings of an erection at her backside.

“Crave me, Shuey,” he whispered, teeth biting into the soft flesh of her neck. Gasping, she could sense the pheromones invading her body. “Something else I’m sure you’d like to know,” he continued, free hand slipping around to stroke her midriff. “One way to break the bond of mates is to replace the partner with another. It’s very simple, really, but there is one downfall.” Shuey mentally cursed herself as she felt a spark of pleasure from a relatively harsh bite of her shoulder. “The previous lover endures an incredible amount of pain, if not death.” Her stomach turned at the words, her mind screaming at her body to get away from this man and go to Jerrick. He bit one of the spots that her demon lover had taken a fancy to, her body relaxing into his hold, even as her entire being rejected the embrace.

What was she going to do?
*

Things had been going relatively well. Once Jerrick had thrown his fit, he’d retrieved the father, who simply looked through him and left. What that meant, he’d never know; the man was as big an enigma as gravity. Currently, they were walking down the hall of one of the Cordon manors. A rough hand ran through red hair, Leon’s sigh reminding himself how long it had been since he’d been there. For the most part, aside from a few paintings, the pristine, white walls were bare, only a few flowers or a light decorating
the hallway.

He’d forgotten how endless these places were sometimes. Unfortunately, out of nowhere, Jerrick doubled over, one hand gripping his neck as a small trickle of blood squeezed through slightly parted fingers. One hand gripped his stomach, the other trying to catch small trails of blood that appeared from seemingly random gashes. “Leon,” he gasped, grey eyes dilating in pain. What were they going to do now? On instinct, he scooped up the man as if he were a bride and rushed down the hallway at record speed. Shuey could handle herself, he hoped.

*

To her surprise, the Harux hadn’t done anything but nibble on her and grope her a bit. She got the feeling he was taking it so slowly merely to make Jerrick’s pain prolonged. The urge to kill him overcame the urge to survive, shortly after that realization. It was strange, but she didn’t question it. Seeing the hatred in her eyes, Rivet kissed her on the mouth, barely wincing when she only bit down harshly on his lip. “You’ll stop resisting soon enough,” he assured, grinding himself against her persistently. Her body admitted it felt good, but her mind refused to cooperate with the loathsome man. She could feel something inside her fighting against the pheromones; maybe it was something in her father’s blood? Possibly her mother’s?

She tried to swing at him, but he merely caught her arm and shoved it backwards, pinning it to the wall in which he’d shifted them to as his free hand tore at her shirt. It was possibly at that moment, or maybe some moment after she blacked out, that her loose arm gripped him at the throat and threw him across the room. He stood up from the fall as if nothing had happened, a smirk donning his strong features. “I think you’re a little stronger than we expected. At least those two idiots can do something right.”

She could see, she could feel, but she wasn’t in control. Inside her head she was panicking, her mind scrambling to comprehend how this was possible. Her hand lashed out at him, claws leaving deep lines in his jaw and causing him to jerk backwards in surprise. “I will kill you,” her mouth said, even though she had not commanded it to do so. She feared her first kill, so she willed her body to stop, only to watch as it ignored her calls. She’d pinned him to the ground, one hand yanking back blue strands to ensure he didn’t move his head too much. Her knees pinned down his arms, her body allowing the risk of leg freedom to search for something.

Amazingly enough, she pulled out a glinting dagger; her dagger. With a slow smile, her arm began to take the plunge, only to be thwarted by a woman’s melodically sing-song voice. Before she knew it, she was lying in the floor in deep sleep. When she awoke, however, she sat confused for some time before moving from the bedroom in which she’d begun. Making her way slowly down the hall, she stopped as she stepped in a small puddle of red liquid. Once she realized it was blood, her feet took her faster, eyes widening as she took in the smears, splashes, and spatters of blood littering the hallway.

Bursting into the previous lounge, she froze at the sight of the last person she’d expected to see in such a situation. Zeke Brethemel stood above the body of Rivet, Cerelia nowhere in sight. Something told her the man hadn’t come for her, but for Cerelia. The stocky man tossed something her way before stalking out of the room, heavy thuds signaling his exit. The look he’d given her told her what she’d wondered since she’d first met the man: he and her mother both saw her merely as an object. She supposed it was only natural, being the evidence of their wrongdoings. The Skies only knew what they had in mind, but neither seemed prone to let the other have her, so she decided to let them fight it out themselves. At least then she’d only have to deal with one in the later future.

Stooping to pick up the small trinket and paper on the floor, she blinked in slight confusion. One appeared to be a necklace, the charm a sword with wings vaguely similar to her own. Not sure what it meant, she simply stuck it in her thankfully in-tact pocket and opened the folded sheet in hand. A letter from the fleeing man told her where she was, and she figured he meant for her to call up Jerrick and Leon to pick her up. Like she knew where the fuck New York was.


When only Leon came to retrieve her, she became confused, and though she wouldn’t admit it, slightly put-out.

Was she not worth coming for?


A/N: Sorry about that….After the Pokemon binge, I had to work, and everyone knows how much I love work. I’ll try to get another one posted tomorrow, but no promises. I’m rather tired this time around. I’ll catch up eventually? *chuckle* I have a big project due tomorrow, so I’ll be fairly busy with that for a bit. I do hope to finish up the next chapter, though. ^.^

I’ve said this before, but feel free to email me about anything you’d like to discuss with me. That may seem out of the blue, but it’s really not. I like speaking with my readers and hearing their opinions. Plus, it gives me something more to think about when I’m writing, and often puts me in a good enough mood to write or do otherwise good mood needing activities.

As always, thanks for reading. *smile*