Summoned

~`~`~`~`~` ( Author Notes ) `~`~`~`~`~
Aright, here’s chapter 36! I have big plans for this chapter and the others that follow. No more fillers, just important tie ins and the set up for the last and most important kill to be made. With only one name to go, I’ll have to make it really, really good…..wow I just put a lot of pressure on myself…anyway here it is and enjoy! ;P

Thanks for all the Reviews, Hits (Over 15,000! Yay!), and Rates!

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Note: Story is in Harley’s POV unless stated otherwise in chapters.
“Blah blah” – Normal speech
“Blah blah” – Thought of character
(Blah blah) – Author comments

Chapter 36

I woke up to cracks of sunlight hitting my face. It was peeking through the window blinds, directly hitting my eyes. I groan as I blink my eyes and focus them, fully waking up. I glance down at the small alarm clock on the floor. It reads 6:45am. I give another groan as I pull the blanket off of me and get out of Cal’s bed. I stretch my sore body, still hurting from last night. I start to walk to the door and instantly flinch at the pain. My womanhood hurts a lot more the morning after and my thighs are tender as well. Doing my best to ignore it, I walk to the door and open it to see if anyone else is up.

My nose is instantly hit with the tasty aroma of eggs and bacon. The sound of someone softly singing the words to ‘Mr. Blue Sky’ by Electric Light Orchestra reach my ears as I walk towards the kitchen. I enter to the sight of Cal in nothing but his plaid boxers cooking eggs over the stove. A slight blush appears on my cheeks as my eyes are fixed on Cal’s back. Even though he has a lean build, there is still nice muscle definition on his back and shoulders.

Noticing my presence, he turns around to greet me as he grabs the salt. “Mornin’. How you feelin’ princess?”

My blush deeps because like Gavin and Slaiden, Cal has a nice torso. He seems completely at ease with me there despite his lack of clothing. I can also make out his tattoo, a detailed, dark haired shirtless man wrapped in chains coming from odd angles and black flames in the background which I decide not to question about. Once he turns back to the stove, I’m able to answer.

“Sore.” I simply say as I take a seat at his small kitchen table. I glance into the living room to see Gavin still asleep on the couch, a sheet covering him from the neck down.

“Better then dead.” Cal comments casually as he pours the scrambled eggs onto a plate.

“Yeah…..better then dead…” I mumble in agreement.

Cal puts the still sizzling bacon onto another plate and sets them onto the table. He looks over into the living room at Gavin then sits down across from me. Taking a strip of bacon, he speaks before biting into it. “I made a call to a pal and he’s going to come bring you some new clothes to wear home. Can’t have you coming home to mom and pops in my rags.”

“Thanks.” I say as I scoop some eggs onto the empty plate in front of me, ignoring his lack of clothing. “You’re up pretty early.”

“As are you.” He replies back, crunching into another piece of bacon.

“I meant ‘why are you’ up so early.” I say right before I take a bite of the scrambled eggs. “Mmm these are so good! Cal can really cook!”

“I’m an early riser, you?”

“The sun.” I simply reply.

“Hm…” is his response, understanding. He takes some eggs for himself and starts eating. We eat in silence the rest of our meal, leaving Gavin to his much needed rest.

Awhile later Cal’s intercom sounds off, the voice of a man saying he’s here. Cal get’s up and goes over to the wall to respond. Being helpful, I grab the dirty dishes to bring to the sink as Cal tells the man to come up, notably not at all as rude as he did to Gavin last night. Soon there is a knock on the door. Cal opens it to reveal an average man who is possibly in his mid thirties. The man is a bit on the scruffy side with shaggy hair covered by a hat and the beginnings of a beard. He has a large paper bag in hand and doesn’t seemed bothered at all by Cal’s appearance or lack thereof.

“Here you go Cal, exactly what you ordered. I hope this is business related.” The man says with a slight smirk but it falters when he notices me looking on and Gavin on the couch. I take it he knows Gavin because a look of concern crosses his features.

“Yeah it is. Had a late house call last night.” Cal says as he takes the bag.

“Hnn…well hope it’s all good. See ya around.” The man says with a more serious tone.

“Yeah, thanks Pete. Tell the flavor of the week I said hi.” Cal says with a smirk of his own as his hand rests on the door frame.

The man named Pete shoots him annoyed look as he turns around. “She has a name, you know.”

“Psh, you’ve had so many I just refer to them all as Sue. So send Sue my best.” Cal mocks as he closes the door on Pete’s back but not soon enough for us not to hear a distinct ‘Dick!’ on the other side. Looking at me, Cal gives a small smirk. “He knows it’s true, fucker just doesn’t want to admit it.”

He goes over to hand me the bag when the sound of something stirring from the living room catches our attention. Gavin is waking up, no doubt from the disturbance. Gavin gives a groan as he shifts under the blanket. He pulls the blanket off of him and lets it fall to the floor. The blush from earlier finds its way to my cheeks again because like Cal, sometime during the night Gavin slipped out of his pants to be in only his boxers. Despite all the bandages adorning his torso, Gavin is still easy on the eyes.

“Look who decided to join the land of the living.” Cal says with a half smile to him. “Breakfast, sunshine?”

“Ugh…what time is it?” Gavin groans out as he leans over on the couch, wiping the sleep from his eyes.

“Early.” I say with a small smile, glad that Gavin made it out ok through the night.

Gavin instantly stiffens at the sound of my voice, clearly just now noticing me. He looks down at himself then to us. “Shit...sorry, I didn’t expect—Cal! Put some damn clothes on, you shit head!”

“Speak for yourself, man. Besides Harley’s enjoying the show, aren’t ya babe?” Cal jokes with a wink in my direction.

“I’ll just go take this and change.” I say with a nervous laugh as I swipe the bag out of Cal’s hand. I rush into the bathroom before I hear anything else. Despite the soreness I move pretty quickly.

I open the paper bag to find a pair of jeans, a plain grey T-shirt and light pink matching underwear and bra. Everything is my size which causes me to blush again since Cal was obviously able to figure out my size. I didn’t even want to know how he got the bra size right, down to the exact number. Regardless, I start discarding Cal’s clothes and the scarf. I welcome the fresh underwear even if the boxers I borrowed were really comfortable. Once I’m all dressed I fix my hair up a bit, getting all the bed head tangles out. Satisfied, I go back out into the kitchen. The men are still in the main room but Cal has pulled his jeans back on from last night. Gavin has the blanket wrapped around his waist for more coverage.

“Go get me the extra clothes I keep stashed here, moron.” Gavin says with annoyance as he leans back into the couch.

“Whatever, you and Harley need your privacy anyway.” Cal says casually as he turns to my direction, not fazed at all by Gavin’s attitude. He casually walks past me with his hands in his pockets as I arch an eyebrow in question.

“I’d prefer to be fully clothed.” Gavin growls after him, embarrassed to be this exposed which is understandable since he is usually very professional around me. He can’t being nearly naked which obviously bothers him. Noticing that I’m looking at him, his features soften and he adverts his eyes in a sheepish manner. “What the jerk means is that I need to tell you a few things about last night. Have a seat.”

“What does he mean? Did he keep something from me or did he get a hold of Trisha?” I silently wonder, getting a bit worried. I take a seat next to him on the couch, giving him a bit of space to put us both at ease. My eyes roam over the gauze covering the stitched up gash as I get comfortable, my own pain is nothing compared to what he must be feeling. While the color has returned to him, Gavin still seems fatigued. Fully facing him, I stay quiet waiting for him to start.

“Not long after I fell asleep, I got a call from the Chief. I realized I never got a hold of him since I wasn’t able to respond to any calls. I had to lie saying I had an unexpected family emergency.” Gavin begins.

Quickly acting, I get a word in. “Did he believe you?”

“I’ve never given him a reason not to.” Gavin answers. “This has happened twice before where I had to do so. While he may not truly believe me, he trusts me which I’m glad he does. If not, I may not have a job. Anyway, after dealing with that, Trisha called to see if we were ok and what happened.”

He pauses to see if I have anything to comment but I just nod, motioning him to continue but a few thoughts do cross my mind. “Did Trisha take care of any DNA of mine? What do they think happened to Phil?.....what did my friends think if they saw anything?”

“First off I told her about our conditions and what happened to us. She seemed a bit upset about it all but she wasn’t letting it get to her, just kept listening to me. She was glad that we were both safe here.” He continues but pauses again at the sound of Cal going into the bathroom and the sound of the shower being turned on. Also the The Beatles music can be heard as Cal shuts the door.

“Looks like Gavin won’t be getting that shirt anytime soon.” I think with a small smile. The annoyed look on Gavin’s face confirms that he’s thinking the exact same thing, though with less humor. He glares in the direction of the bathroom door but I get his attention to keep going. “It’s fine, continue.”

Subconsciously rubbing his palm near the covered gash, he goes on. “Err…Anyway, after I told her our side, she told me what the status was at the scene. They haven’t come up with an explanation for the huge crack in the ground but they are ruling out the motorcyclist being related to Phil’s death. Trisha said that they are grouping Phil in with the other murder victims, that he was the victim of the still ‘unknown’ serial killer. The police think that the killer took advantage of Phil’s car getting trapped in the crack to attack him. They also believe that based on the wreckage that the motorcyclist, a man named Derek Evens, went head on into the car since he was going too fast to avoid it, most likely too surprised to react. Since the road was completely undrivable, they put up a blockage so your friends would have to take a detour to get home. They will probably hear about it sometime today so expect a call or two. Trisha also said she took care of a few hairs she found of yours so you won’t be in any reports or headlines. Your friends won’t be suspicious but they will be curious of your opinion since you told them he gave you a ride home.” Gavin informs.

“That’s a bit of a relief, if only a small one. I can deal with the guys later, just spew out a few more lies since there’s no point in stopping now. I’ll have to thank Trisha personally for helping me out like that.” I think as everything sinks in. “Alright…that does put me at a bit of ease then. Was there anything else?”

“No,” Gavin replies. “That’s it but you can guess that I didn’t get much sleep last night.”

“Guess not.” I add with an apologetic look.

“Its fine, I can rest later. Once the wise ass gets my clothes we can head out.” Gavin says as he closes his eyes to relax his tired mind and body. He’s taken on a lot of stress and it’s starting to take its toll on him and his injuries only make it worse.

Figuring that I have to finally clue him in on my strange dreams and what they’ve told me while Cal is occupied, I mentally prepare myself. “Ok Harley, time to let him know. This is my last chance and I’ll need everyone’s help to save Zack. This is it.”

“Gavin?”

“Hnn?”

“I know who the last target is.”

Gavin’s eyes snap open at this. Turning his head to face me, he raises a brow in question. Disbelievingly he asks, “What?”

“I know who the last target is.” I repeat simply.

“…that’s what I thought you said but I don’t understand. How do you know? Why didn’t you say something before?” Gavin questions, not sure what to make of my simple yet important statement.

“Well I didn’t know until last night…” I respond. “The thing is…” And with that I tell him about my dreams. Starting with the first and ending with the latest one. I tell him every creepy detail about the gargoyles, the crypt, the trapped souls, the mysterious cat and of the small graveyard. “…and then I woke up before I could find out anything else.”

“So you’ve been having these dreams ever since Slaiden showed up?” Gavin asks after listening intently.

“Pretty much. Just the three though but they definitely have a connection to Slaiden and his summoner.” I reply, happy to be completely open now.

“Hnn…interesting…If that’s the case then we will have to get to this Zack kid as soon as possible. You can tell me about him on the ride back.” Gavin comments, going into thought.

I don’t bother commenting further since the shower just went off and the music has stopped. “Cal took a suspiciously long shower…” I think to myself, not sure if I should care or not. Intentional or not, it was needed for us to talk. It makes me suspect that Gavin might have clued Cal in on a few things but I’m not going to press on it.

Hearing the door open, I look over my shoulder to see Cal come out in nothing but a towel. He gives a half smile in our direction as he rubs a smaller towel against his head. I roll my eyes at his carefree behavior, not at all ashamed to be so exposed in front of company. I hear Gavin mumble something along the lines of ‘cocky bastard’ which makes me want to laugh. I refrain though but give a small smile out of Gavin’s sight. Cal acts as if we aren’t even watching as he tosses the smaller towel back into the bathroom and walks into the kitchen. He takes a glass and fills it with water. He takes his time drinking it, which I think is both to annoy Gavin and that he just cares to do as he pleases. Gavin gives a grunt in irritation which causes to me to release the giggle I’m suppressing. This action just fuels Gavin’s annoyance at his friend and Cal’s enjoyment. He gives a rough *ahem* sound to get Cal moving. Cal ignores this though. He just gives a satisfied sigh as he puts the now empty glass down. He then walks out of the kitchen and heads to his room without saying a word.

“Unbelievable.” Gavin mutters as he closes his eyes in irritation, possibly from a headache.

“He sure likes to mess with you, doesn’t he?” I say with light laughter despite my sore sides.

Giving me a less then amused look, Gavin replies, “Yeah…more so when with other people around though since I’m usually the more serious one. The jerk loves to play up his laid back behavior when he knows I have something important to get to. Thinks he’s such a charmer too but don’t be fooled, underneath is smart mouthed asshole.”

I give another laugh at this because despite his words, Gavin isn’t really serious. He cracks a smile himself, knowing that they’re best friends with an almost brotherly relationship that he probably wouldn’t trade for anything. “I can tell you really don’t mind…most of the time.”

“Yeah, I guess…except when I’m waiting for a damn shirt.” Gavin adds, saying the last part purposely louder for the man in question to hear.

“Relax, I got your damn shirt.” says Cal in an annoyed tone as he tosses the plain black t-shirt along with a pair of jeans at Gavin. Gavin catches the clothes easily as we both face Cal. He is finally dressed in jeans and a loose white t-shirt. Leaning against the half wall he comments further. “Now get dressed and get out.”

“Gladly.” Gavin retorts but even though they both sound annoyed, their eyes show playfulness.

Gavin starts to put on his shirt but he is hesitating, not sure how to go about it without hurting himself. I help him into it easily, ignoring Cal’s comment for Gavin to suck it up. After a few seconds of painful struggling from Gavin, we get it on. I then get off the couch and face Cal, giving Gavin some space to pull his jeans on. A content sigh from behind me tells me that he’s dressed and ready to go. Looking at me, he asks the question I’ve been dying to hear since last night. “Ready?”

“Definitely, I want to go home.” I reply sincerely. The very thought of home feels comforting after the night I’ve had. My sore body needs to recuperate. With Zack being the last target I really hope last night was the last time I will ever have sex with Slaiden. I don’t even plan on having it with anyone for a very, very long time.

“Alright then.” Gavin says as he looks to Cal. “Thanks again man.”

“Don’t mention it bro, this is routine for us. Although I hope this is our little lady’s only medical visit.” Cal replies, then with a wink at me he adds, “But she’s more than welcome to come by anytime.”

“Thanks Cal, I appreciate it. I’ll be sure to visit.” I say with a genuine smile.

Cal returns it then hands Gavin a paper bag from the counter. “Here’s what you’ll need to clean those cuts. You know the drill, wash, food and rest. No chasing bad guys for a few days, I don’t want to have to re-stitch you again. Come back in a few days for me to check it out, k?”

“No prob.” Gavin simply says as he takes it. He then uses his good shoulder to pull Cal into a brotherly half hug. Cal responds by patting him softly on the back. I see him whisper something in his ear but can’t make it out, not that it’s any of my business. When they pull away Gavin’s face is serious but in agreement with whatever Cal said, slightly nodding.

Cal then turns to me, dropping his own serious face to a relaxed one with a slight smirk. “Don’t think you’re leaving without giving me a hug.”

Widening my own, I go over and embrace him like I would any of my good friends. He rubs my back as if to reassure me of whatever he has connected happened. We then part as Gavin opens the apartment door. I say good bye to Cal and walk out as Gavin holds the door. I turn in the hallway to see them exchange knowing looks, their eyes showing the only sign emotion but it’s one I can’t read. I just can’t understand their silent connection which has been years in the making. With one last thanks, Gavin turns away and we start walking to the stairway. We both stop at it, looking down. Neither one of us wants to face the stairs since they were such an issue last night.

“Careful of the stairs.” Cal remarks casually as he closes the door.

Neither of us comment. We just look at each other then the stairs. With slow, careful steps, we start our painful descend.

(Later That Week)

It was now Thursday night and I’m in my room doing homework. Well trying to. The Trigonometry book and papers lay forgotten around me as I lay on my bed, thinking of more important things. This whole week had consisted of me tailing Zack around school to learn his routine and where he would possibly be this weekend. I had been as stealthy as possible but so far I’ve uncovered nothing of interest, not to mention almost getting found out numerous times, mostly thanks to Conner or Jeff showing up at the most inconvenient times. Not to mention Tina suspecting something is off about me since the party. I had to do my best about covering what I really knew, going along with Phil’s tragic and mysterious murder. I’ve done my best to ease her mind but like a true friend she knows when something is up. Our texts and calls have been less then enjoyable, especially with lie after lie coming from me.

I’m not sure how much longer I can keep this in the dark from everyone. Zack being the next target puts this way too close to home. Too many possibilities, most with my friends becoming endangered. The thought of my family or the guys being at Slaiden’s mercy puts a bad feeling in my heart. It’s not something I want to see happen, or anyone for that matter like a classmate. Gavin’s already risked himself too much for my comfort. It’s not something I want to see happen again, especially if we can’t get to Cal in time. And Trisha and Louis…just more people that I’ve come to care about. It’s just all too much for an eighteen year old girl – no- young woman to have to shoulder.

Also I’ve thought of the ever mysterious summoner. His identity is still unknown despite the theories we have come up with. And the one I thought of before, the one of Jeff, I have dismissed. It’s just something I can’t even consider. I can’t see Jeff, loyal caring Jeff, to be the summoner. I know he would never let Slaiden do what he did to me, no matter what. He would never let his friends get hurt, he cares for us too much, something he’s personally said to me before. Even though every time I’ve seen him this week, the small flicker of the possible entered my mind. I always shake it away though because I know it’s not true. Not Jeff.

But dismissing him still leaves me with no leads. It makes me wonder if I will meet this summoner at the last kill or if he will stay hidden, waiting for Slaiden to return to him so he can pay him and send him back. Personally I want to meet this monster. Slaiden may be a real monster but any human capable of doing these crimes is a monster as well. I want to give him a piece of my mind AND fist. A few good hits on him will make me feel a hell of a lot better. Gavin can arrest him after I have had my ‘fun’ with him. I don’t think the detective would mind at all if I did.

But I don’t know if Slaiden will strike tonight or another day this week. I’m nervous that it might be but from what I knew of Zack’s plans, as limited as they may be to me, is that he is going to be at home. This would be an ideal opportunity to try to get him alone but something tells me that Slaiden would prefer a more secluded area with little chance of being discovered. A large area too since he seems to like to drag out his kills. The scene with Manning and his men or of Steve still makes me sick to think about. Attacking him at home is just too risky. Too easy for someone to see Slaiden and too confined to do anything severe and demonic. But at the off chance that he does, Gavin will be staking out the house, against my protests of course. I just can’t out rule him and Trisha who reluctantly agreed with him. She made the point of Slaiden’s preference so it convinced me that we will most likely see him a different night. If that is the case then I have some serious ease dropping to do tomorrow.

My plan was simple. Find out Zack’s Friday night plans, show up at said plan and stick to him like glue no matter if he knows it or not. This was our last chance. My last chance.

-------------------- ( Third Person POV ) --------------------

( Meanwhile )

Slaiden was casually leaning against the wall, staring at the boy sitting at the desk doing school work. Slaiden’s stare was unnerving the human, making him glance every so often in the corner of his eye at the demon. Jeff knew why Slaiden was staring at him and it wasn’t out of boredom. The demon wanted to get out and finish up the list. It was obvious, no words needed.

Finally at his nerves end, Jeff speaks up, turning his head at the demon with wise caution. “You are finishing tomorrow. Staring at me won’t change that.”

While his face may be blank, Slaiden’s golden eyes harden more. “That I am well aware of but it does nothing for my patience. I have been here for weeks, human. I want to be back in my world where I belong.”

Jeff’s eyes meet his as he forms a response. “You’ll have better access tomorrow. It will be a lot easier to get him alone. I found out that the coach is making the football team do late spring practices since we share the field with another school so practice slots are limited. They are starting tomorrow. You will have the whole school building as your hunting ground. Just wait til he goes to the main hallway to cut through the school to the parking lot.”

“You want me to kill him in the building? That would be making quite the statement boy.” Slaiden says arching an eyebrow. “If that is the case then this will be most enjoyable. A classic chase, cat and mouse.”

“Go for it.” Jeff says coldly. “This is the guy that pushed me over the edge to summon you. Spill his blood all over the halls for all I care. The more the better.”

Slaiden smirks at Jeff’s hardened expression, no doubt replaying painful past events. “So cold. Interesting how your behavior changes so easily. Cold with the thought of your enemies but remorseful at the thought of the girl.”

Jeff doesn’t comment. His eyes downcast in brief consideration though he forces himself to keep the cold front up.

“Fighting it will not make it any easier so relish the blood on your hands boy. In the end it is all you will have left, never to be washed away.” Slaiden adds, wanting the boy to see the reality of it all. That he is becoming a demon, if only in spirit.

“…Yeah…I know.” Jeff says with a heavy heart. “We’ve been over this. I’ve come to terms about it. No worries there.”

Straightening himself from the wall and shifting his folded wings, Slaiden steps closer to the young man. “Good. Now for a different matter that needs to be discussed.”

Jeff’s eyes meets Slaiden filled with question. “What do you mean? We’ve already talked about Harley. She’s all yours.”

“Not about the girl, boy.” Slaiden relies with a hint of annoyance. “Something you may have not foreseen. After I leave, you are on your own. If I happen to kill the detective and CSI then you should have no connection. But in the slight chance that they do not show up then they are not my concern.”

Jeff’s eyes widen at these words, fresh fear seeping into his being. “Bu-but why not? You can’t just kill them either way like the rest?”

“I do not do favors.” Slaiden remarks.

“But…ugh…” Jeff is at a loss for words, not happy at this news. The demon was right. He never thought of that. He figured it would be taken care of.

Deciding a compromise is in order, more so for himself then the boy, Slaiden speaks. “There is one solution I see.”

“What is it?” Jeff demands, perking up at those words.

“You missed out on the last kill so why not come see the finale? Harley will be there, that we can count on. Your secret will be revealed no matter the circumstance. The others will be there as well to assist. I can dispose of them and you can complete the contract there once all is complete. You can easily associate yourself with the other humans lingering around if you do not escape after when other authorities come.” Slaiden explains, satisfied with his plan.

Jeff thinks if over, considering. “I guess I could. I’d love to see Slaiden wipe out Zack…he is right, Harley will know. She might even suspect me if she found anything out from Phil…..and if he brought Harley here they could be discovered. Harley would make as much noise as possible for anyone to see. Too risky…..I’m going. I’ve been waiting for this since the beginning.” He looks back at the awaiting demon, his eyes showing confidence in his answer. “I’ll come. I want to see Zack dead.”

Slaiden smirks, revealing a fang. “Smart decision.”

Nodding in agreement, Jeff turns away. He starts removing his clothing to get ready for bed. Looking over his shoulder, he addresses the demon. “Then it’s settled. I heard that practice starts at 7 and goes til 11 so you can leave around then. I’ll head out earlier to see if Harley is around.”

“Hnn” is all he gets in acknowledgement.

Used to Slaiden’s shortness, Jeff finishes getting dressed for bed. “So I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“So you shall.” Slaiden responds as he opens the window. With one last dark thought, he leaps out, leaving the human to his rest. “As shall Harley.”


~`~`~`~`~` ( Author Notes ) `~`~`~`~`~

Finally! I got it done! I had to go a few days in a row without writing but it’s finally finished. Like mentioned, I tied up what needed to be (with a few rewrites) and set up the last kill. Next chapter may be more difficult since I only recently thought of the setting. Now to put together the events, which I have no idea who and what I want to put it in it yet. Maybe it will hit me in my sleep tonight, if I try hard enough haha. :)

Expect chapter 37 in a few weeks. I have my first exam coming up next week so I know I won’t get much done next week. After though, I’ll try my best to get it up. Thanks for your patience! :)

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