Circles and Wings

Chapter 8

*Jasper*

She handled Raph like no person I'd ever seen, though how she was not affected by Raph's mind tricks is unfathomable. The intrigue of his eyes is fatiguing to the human mind. She must be at least part celestial.

I passed out after I got home. Apparently I slept for nearly fourteen hours. It was time enough for Raph to eat half the food in my fridge and fall asleep on my couch. Scarlett had kicked him out apparently. He said she went to do secret girl things and told him she'd cut him if he followed.

Classic Scarlett.

She had come back in the late afternoon. We hounded her for three hours straight and she wouldn't tell us where she went. It's not that I was trying to keep tabs on her, but I was curious as to whom she might know. She never spoke about anyone. There was that man last night that she seemed to know... but I'm not sure they were friends. He had said something to her that changed her mood the whole night.

Every time she saw him or he came near she gave him a scowl hard enough to make me cower. That's pretty much all I remembered of the night. It was scowling and then... nothing. I think Scarlett stole some Samson Ale last night. I don't know what happened, but Raph said she hit him, and drank herself drunk. She had a nightmare before it all went to hell apparently. Maybe I'd ask her about it. Not now though.

She was sitting on a counter in the kitchen of the restaurant now, crunching a carrot through her teeth and watching unamused as Raph charmed Mrs. Chen. He was telling her about a city in China. A small town that, nearly two hundred years ago, was home to our favorite consorts. He told Mrs. Chen of the young girls we would run with, fornicate with, traipse around with and flaunt our wings to... until they died and went to Hell.

He left that part out though, he only told her about the adventures we'd have. Scarlett watched him like a hawk, silent but present. I don't think she much cared for Raph. And I knew things were about to get so much worse when Mrs. Chen asked one fatal question, "So, how do you know Scarlett?"

Her attention snapped to Mrs. Chen and she opened her mouth to speak, but wasn't quick enough. "I know her through Jasper, actually. I met her yesterday. She showed me around a little."

"The town?"

"Her apartment."

"Okay..." Scarlett drawled, "That's enough of that. Dinner service is ready, we're going to go... somewhere else." She walked over to Mrs. Chen, "Call me if you need me." Mrs. Chen nodded and whispered something in her ear that made her cackle as she walked out. I'd have to ask her about that too.

Mrs. Chen went to another room, through a door I've never been through, and I was left with Raph. "What are you doing?" I asked with a sigh.

"I like her." He responded with a smirk, "She's exactly what I've been looking for in a consort."

"I thought you wanted to get married." I laughed with a sneer.

"I don't want to, but I will to make you happy." He replied, "But the daughter of Morning and I need not be exclusive. I don't want to make a happy home with a demon girl." He laughed and began to move out of the kitchen. "You know what they say about her... that she has wings black as ink and terrible horns that disfigure her head."

"You don't know if she's ugly or simply misunderstood because of who her father is." I argued. "You could give her a chance."

"You could give her a chance." He turned on me and poked my chest hard. "I'm doing you a favor, so don't deny me fun. Don't deny me her."

"You know why it wouldn't have worked with me and the demon girl." I sighed softly. He knew why, they all did. That's why they chose me... I guess. Hoping she would straighten me out.

"I understand, brother, but please don't deny me her."

I laughed and pushed his hand away, "I'm not denying you, she will though."

He caught me by my shoulder and gave me a wolfish grin, "I'll break her down, Jasper. She will be mine, just you wait." And he walked past me, and after her.

"It doesn't count if you annoy her into saying yes!" I called after him.

We made it out of the kitchen and looked through a window on the front of the restaurant to find Scarlett yelling at a man that stood as tall as me with Pale skin, golden hair, and dark eyes. His eyebrows furrowed at her as she waved her arms and yelled something indistinguishable. She turned away from the man and I watched each of the muscles in his arm flex as he grabbed her shoulder.

She turned to meet his gaze as he said something lowly to her that made a wicked grin find her lips. She laughed and responded to him, her eyes lighting up. Then the man wrapped her in a hug. He lifted her off the ground and spun her around and she wrapped her legs around his waist and held him close and buried her face in his shoulder.

He seemed to laugh and hold her tighter as she pulled her head back and met his gaze. She said something to him that made him laugh harder before he sat her on her feet and rubbed his hands over her hair. She swatted his hand away and waved at him as he walked away and disappeared.

I stood there confused as Raph bolted from the restaurant. I followed him after a moment and got there just in time to here him ask, "Who was that?"

She jolted and turned around, almost as if startled. "That's... Rory." She said, almost as if she wasn't certain. "He's my friend. An old friend, my best friend."

"Your best friend?" I asked.

She nodded, "I've known him since I was little." She replied with a smile. "He's family, really... it's been a couple of days since I've seen him... I missed him."

"That's how you greet someone after a couple of days?" Raph joked, "Maybe I should leave for a couple days."

"That's how I greet the ones I love," She laughed walking up to Raph and drawing a finger down his jaw line and meeting his gaze. She brought her face closer to his and said lowly, "Raph, I don't even like you." She didn't say anything else before she walked up the stairs and away.

Raph waited until the door closed to release his held breath. He let out a whistle and looked at me, "She knows what she's doing." He laughed meeting my gaze. "She's mine already."

"You stand no chance Raph," I huffed moving to the stairs.

"We'll see about that." He responded rushing ahead of me and into her room. He shut the door behind him and locked it.

Shit.