~Gajeel~
"I may be able to find Waylen."
“You think you can find him?” I asked, hope daring to spark in my veins at her words.
“Perhaps,” Mavis answered. “Because he is half demon, it may not work, but I will try to contact him. Perhaps he can tell me where they are hiding him.” I hadn’t ever thought of the possibility of Mavis being able to contact him and lead us to where the demons were keeping him hidden. I felt like an idiot for not thinking of it before. Though, I hadn’t been thinking clearly since Levy’s attack and Waylen’s abduction; my mind had solely been focused on Levy’s recovery and finding Waylen. I hadn’t ever considered Mavis being able to assist in that.
I looked up at the ceiling. “You’ll—”
“I’ll contact you as soon as I’ve tried. Wait patiently, Gabriel. This may take some time.” I grinned, shaking my head at the old name. She had begun calling me Gajeel as per my request, but when she was being serious, she still referred to me by my archangel name. Feeling slightly better, I left the house and headed towards the group waiting for me outside.
“Was that Mavis?” Laxus asked. The group was looking at me curiously, noticing my change in attitude since arriving at the old home.
“Yeah,” I nodded. “She may be able to find Waylen, but she told me to wait just a bit. She’s gonna try to contact him.”
“That’s great news,” Juvia smiled.
“Hopefully,” I sighed.
“Let’s head back to the house,” Laxus said. “I bet Levy’s eager to hear what we’ve found today.”
We followed him, and my mind continued to wander to Waylen. I hoped he was safe. It was strange that Lucifer’s followers hadn’t performed the sacrifice yet. They had wasted no time before with Levy, so what was taking them so long? I shook my head; it didn’t matter. There was still time to save Waylen, so that’s what was important.
~Waylen~
I wasn’t sure how long I had been laying there, my wings growing increasingly sore from the metal piercing them, and my back aching from the uncomfortable position. But I couldn’t bring myself to move. The demon’s words echoed in my head, over and over again. “The only thing Gabriel will find of you, is your corpse.” Although I wanted to believe mom and dad would come for me, some part of me knew I was going to die. Besides, that demon told me he killed mom. I wished I could deny that I thought he might have been telling me the truth, but I had seen what he had done to her. She was so still, and completely covered in blood. And the sound her head had made as she hit the floor—I shivered, trying not to think about it.
“Waylen,” the sudden voice caused me to jump, straining my shackled wings. I winced as I sat up and looked around, unsure of where the voice had come from, but seeing no one around. The demons had all gone somewhere a long time ago, leaving me completely alone. “Do not be afraid, child,” the voice said, “it is Mavis.”
“Mavis?!” I gasped aloud, my eyes shooting up to the sky. I knew that Mavis sometimes spoke with my father and the other angels, but I also knew it was nearly impossible for her to be able to speak directly to demons unless in-person. Because of that, I had never thought about contacting her, figuring it would be useless.
“It is hard for me to speak clearly this way,” Mavis said, “so I must be quick. Can you tell me where you are?”
“No,” I said, looking around. “In a clearing somewhere on the edge of a cliff. I was still asleep when they brought me here. Is mom alright?” I asked, nervous, and praying that the demon had been wrong.
“She is recovering, so no need to worry about Levy. She is incredibly strong, as I’m sure you know.” I nodded, tears of relief filling my eyes. “You must also be strong; your father and the others are searching tirelessly for you. They—”
“Damn, this is annoying,” a voice growled, and Mavis’s voice in my head went silent. I recognized the large demon who had captured me speaking with a smaller demon as they came through the trees and into the clearing. “I hate babysitting this little hybrid brat.”
“We must be patient,” the smaller demon said, his voice high and chirp-like. “We can only release master Lucifer with the mature blood of that Geist wench and that bastard Gabriel. And now that you’ve killed her the hybrid is the only key left to release master Lucifer. We can only wait now until he turns 13 and his demon blood has fully matured.”
“When is your birthday?” Mavis suddenly asked, pulling my attention away from the two demons.
“In two weeks,” I whispered, knowing she would hear me.
“I cannot keep the contact open any longer,” she said, “I must leave you now. I will tell your parents what I’ve learned, so be patient while we continue searching. In the meantime, do what you can to escape. They need you alive, so they will not kill you.”
“Right,” I nodded, feeling better now that I knew I had at least two weeks to live. Mavis is right, if they think I’m the only thing that can free Lucifer, they’ll do what they can to keep me alive. So if I try to escape, they won’t kill me. I knew they would still hurt me quite a bit, but I still had to try. I won’t be a helpless victim. Mom and dad are searching for me, so I can’t just sit here and do nothing. I’ll do my best, too!
