Qrow.

Chapter 50 | Waking Up

Ryan groaned, feeling as if he'd been hit by a bus. He raised his hand to his head. Even that little action made him tired. All his energy was completely spent. What happened to him would've killed a human. Vampires can't really take that type of abuse either. How the Hell Kuza did it constantly was a fucking wonder. 

The sound of a thicker heel tapping along the hardwoods approached his door. Thankfully, no extra light came in when Asher opened his door. The whole manor was kept very dark to aid the healing of it's many sick inhabitants. His horns weren't visible anymore and his hair was back to a more reasonable length. Meaning, he'd reverted from his true form back to his docile state.

"You're finally awake." He softly smiled, sitting down on the edge of the bed, "How're you feeling?"

"Weak." He murmured, "How long was I out?"

"Two days. Don't worry. You weren't the only one. During the attack, Apollo flooded the manor with a toxin that temporarily paralyzed almost everyone. It effected everyone differently and some people are still having trouble bouncing back." He explained.

"So, does that mean we lost?" Ryan asked.

"No, thankfully. The toxin he put out doesn't affect spirits, so they were able to end this. Alda, Jarin, Lumi, and Tesla are dead. Kiapolo and Drake switched sides. Apparently, so did Colton and Joan. They betrayed us. Colton is dead and Joan was banished to another dimension. Apollo is still alive, but that's only because Croc wanted to play with his food for a little while." Asher snickered.

"Hm, everyone's alright, then?" 

"More or less. Some are going to take a lot of time to get better, but no one died. That's the important part." He replied.

Ryan seeped a sigh as he sat up, "Please, don't take this the wrong way, but you seem a lot less... Sadistic, than normal."

Asher flashed a small, pained smile. "I'm just happy to be allowed around everyone else again. Thanks to you, I have enough energy to sustain me for a little while. My natural urges won't get the best of me. Once they do, though, I'll have to be locked up again. Same goes for Dusk. Ripper is already back in solitary because his mind just can't handle social interaction. It's too fragile."

"You know, when I was on Earth, I realized there's more than one way to fuel a fire. Someway, somehow, there has to be a way to replenish your energy without you having to completely drain another being." 

"There is, in a way. The injection I'm given everyday is a supernatural concoction that gives me enough energy to continue to live. The amount it takes for my mind to level out can't be created artificially, though. Believe me, they've tried. Don't worry about me, though. I don't mind living this way as long as I get a break every once and great while." He stood back up, adding, "You should go back to sleep. It's going to take you awhile to regain the energy you lost."

"Yeah, I'm pretty wiped out. You really did a number on me. Hey," He grabbed Asher's hand as he turned to walk away, "Come here a second." The demon looked back at him with wondering eyes. He turned back around, Ryan gently pulling him down into a gentle kiss. "Thank you for protecting my family for me."

He was stunned. He'd never felt someone kiss him with any sort of passion or love before. Asher stammered out, "Y-Yeah, of course. I was just... Doing my job. I'll, uh, I'll send Angela to come check on you later." 

"Thank you." He replied and let go of the incubus.

Asher was shocked by the warm feeling inside of him. It was comforting, oddly. He stepped out of the room to leave Ryan to sleep. Truthfully, he was one of the only ones back on his feet. Everyone else was still sick as a dog, except the few who had been put in the armory. For Emerson and Remington, it was a great relief to finally return to their duties as doctors. They felt as if they had some normalcy back in their lives.