Evanesce

(Chapter 11) Groove

Jongin POV:

I glared at my brothers, the anger and disgust blatant on my face. Minseok stood, hands on hips, ready to argue my accusations.

"You had one job. Keep her safe. The THREE of you couldn't even handle that?? "I spat at them, seething with anger. Sehun and Baekhyun dropped their heads in guilt, the previous arrogance now gone.

"Hold on, she's the one that went off on her own, we can't protect her when she doesn't want us around." Minseok defended incredulously. "If you wanted someone to play adventures in babysitting, YOU should have come with."

"I'm not asking for babysitters, I'm just asking that the one and only time she leaves this house, she doesn't come back in tears with marks on her." I gritted my teeth, attempting to control my volume so I don't upset Minji any further. Minseok threw his hands up in defeat, rolling his eyes.

"It was a scratch, and she only cried because she was worried about us. You're just splitting hairs at this point. Everything was fine, you have no reason to be acting this way, Jongin. I'm sure she told you the same thing before you marched down here." Minseok stared at me waiting for a reply. I stared at the ground for a long moment before someone walked into the kitchen.

"What is all this racket?" Suho stepped in, arms folded over his chest, Jongdae in tow. Minseok looked at Suho, then at me for a response. I shook my head in disbelief, finally giving up on the argument.

"There is one thing you guys should know-" Baekhyun spoke up suddenly. I turned back to face them, curious of his information. He looked pained, staring distantly at the adjacent wall. "When Sehun was kicking ass earlier, Minji was really worried about them. She was hysterical."

"Yea, we know. Get to the point." Jongdae joked, earning an elbow jab to the ribs by Suho. Baekhyun was unfazed, trying hard to contain his emotions.

"She wasn't scared because they were fighting, she was scared because he was a Demon-" Baek said slowly, finally glancing up at the rest of us.

"How do you know?" I questioned suspiciously.

"I told her Sehun would be fine. She told me, 'He's a Demon, they're power hungry and blood thirsty killers.' I didn't know what to say, so of course I said nothing. "Baekhyun mumbled the rest as we stared at him in disbelief.

"So Minji has some sort of deep-set discrimination against Demons, cool." Jongdae said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"Or trauma." Suho said, looking at each of us. "We don't know much about that Jinyoung guy or where he came from, but we do know he killed his own wife and daughter and tried to kill Minji. Maybe it was a conspiracy against Witches. I mean, Witches have all the reason to fear Demons. A Witch's blood is the most potent form of raw power in this world, especially for Demons." Suho explained swiftly, curiosity sparkling in his eyes.

"Either way it doesn't bode well for us." Minseok spoke up, rubbing Baekhyun's back in comfort. I took a deep breath to calm myself. All this new information was too much for me to take in right now, I just want to go back to Minji. It seemed my brothers read me like a book, as they gave me a look.

"Go ahead Jongin. But lips sealed until we can figure all of this out somehow, alright? No need to put her through any more unnecessary turmoil." Suho told me, sighing heavily as I nodded.

Then I was in front of her door again, I made sure to compose myself before knocking quietly. No response. I opened the door slowly, hoping she hadn't run off already. Minji lay in the fetal position, smothering her face with a pillow. I tiptoed forward, sitting on the edge of her bed, and gently pulled the pillow from her tear-stained face. She didn't face me, instead replacing the pillow with her left arm as she sniffled.

I sighed exasperated, staring at her back until she rolled toward me. "You know they're never gonna take me anywhere again? I pretty much snitched and they're gonna hold me responsible." Minji pouted, her face now dry as she scowled at me.

"Minji, we're all adults, they know I'm in charge of my own emotions and reactions, not you. They understand also that you're only a human, you can get hurt and overpowered just as easily as one, magic or not." I attempted to say gently but the words came out a bit harsh. Her brow furrowed deeper, as she sat upright to argue. I poked the lines on her forehead before she could interrupt. "Let me explain myself first. Stop with the dirty looks." Her face softened as she scoffed and looked away silently.

"You have great potential; don't think I'm underestimating you. But you WERE overpowered and hurt by someone, it could've been a lot worse too, especially if it was a demon and he got ahold of your blood. Demons that drink human or witch blood are referred to as a 'Demon Lord', not as fancy as it sounds. They're just a bunch of sadistic demons that only want power and see every other species as less than. Even a fully awakened Witch is no match against a Demon Lord." She looked as if she was finally starting to get it, the guilt was clear on her face.

"And you having Witch blood is exactly the reason we have to try our hardest to protect you. It's like walking around a bunch of thugs with $10k in your hand, you must be wary of that kind of attention, Minji. We all care about you. This is more than some childish fear of being in trouble or outcasted. Your life is potentially on the line, even with our presence." I watched her as she stared at the comforter, processing my words. Finally, she nodded once, indicating a decision made.

"Fine, you're right. I was acting immaturely, and I apologize. I promise to trust the family's judgement from now on, and especially to listen to you. But in return, I'd like to ask that I get some assistance, or guidance even, in awakening and expanding my powers." Minji sat upright, confidently awaiting my response. I smirked in amusement, causing her bravado to faulter slightly.

"Anything for you, princess." I responded with a wink, completely breaking her composure as her face turned a bright pink.