Ecliptic

CHAPTER SEVEN : THE DEAL

The pounding at the door wakes Kyroku from a dead sleep. She checks the clock and groans as the glowing green numbers read two in the morning. Who would be at her door at two in the morning? Maybe it was just her imagination, maybe she heard it in her dreams and thought it was the waking world. Whatever, she rolls over onto her side and lets the clutches of sleep start to drag her back under. The pounding returns making her snap her cold eyes open and glare at her bedroom door. Who the Hell was that? Sighing she drags herself out of bed, grabbing a bathroom and slipping on her slippers before heading to the front door of her single story condo. She gets to the front door.

"Who is it?" She asks in annoyance.

"Kyroku its Me, Azazel. I need to speak to you. Its urgent." Azazel says on the other side. Kyroku rolls her eyes, unlocking the door and unwillingly opening it for the demon. Azazel pushes past her into the house and collapse onto the floor, unable to make it to the living room on his own. Kyoku's takes notice of the paleness of his skin, the sweat breaking out on his forehead and is shocked. What could have made him, the second strongest demon known, this weak.

"Woah what happened to you? Stick your finger in a light socket again?" She teases as she walks over to him. The weakened demon glares at her making her realize this was no ordinary loss of power.

"Akatora is in danger." He snaps, his voice cracking with agony, his body twitching with the remnants of the electricity. Kyroku's eyes widen and she holds out her hand to help him up. He takes it hesitantly and she pulls him up. She helps him limp over to the couch and watches as he sinks down in relief onto it. "His name is Leam." He says through clenched teeth and quickly as he can he tells her everything, about who Leam is, why he is after Azazel and lastly about Akatora. "Call Hazel and tell her to get over here, we're going to need everyone to get Akatora back." He says breathlessly, more sweat breaking out on his forehead from effort. Kyroku studies him, shocked at just how weak he was.

"Jason really messed you up didn't he?" She says gently.

"Don't sound to concerned, people might think you care." He growls, giving her a weak smile to show he was joking. She sticks her tongue out at him making him laugh softly. Kyroku and Azazel may not like each other but with their history, Which went back longer then the trio of witches, they could easily fall into what one could call friends. She gets up and heading back to her room she grabs her cell phone before coming back to the living room. Before she can call Hazel the phone comes to life, Akatora's ringtone splitting the silent air. She answers.

"Akatora?" She asks shakily.

"Kyroku It's me, I know Azazel is there, he's not answering his phone. I need to talk to him." She cries, fear creeping into her words and spilling over. Kyroku starts to say something but Azazel snatches the phone out of her hands making her glare at him.

"Akatora are you ok? What did Leam do to you?" He asks frantically. Kyroku watches as his poster goes from concern to rigid with anger, a deadly growl leaving him. "LEAM! You have gone to far this time. When I find you I am going to KILL YOU!" He yells into the phone. He goes silent as he listens to the demon on the other line.

Whatever Leam is saying must be bad. Kyroku thinks, noticing Azazel's clenching and un-clenching fists. He hangs up and it takes everything in him not to throw the phone across the room. He drops it to the ground and collapses back onto the couch, his face in his hands. His whole body starts to shake and soon Kyroku realizes the demon was crying. She is shocked for she has never seen him cry.