St. Lucy

Planned - Second Day

Uruha POV

Shinya was… odd. I could definitely tell that something about him was different. His senses were incredibly astute and honed in on everything around him. I could see how he bristled at every noise, his eyes followed every speck of dust, or he felt all the bricks in the walls carefully as if to assess how strong they were. I needed to ask Aoi about him later, as I can’t do that here now that I know how he acts.

Aoi said we had to stay up here with him until Reita and Kai got back, as they had gone off and sent out another maid in disguise to look for them. So I had no choice but to listen.

Then a whole hour went by, with us just sitting in front of the fireplace he lit with a match on the cold hard ground. Shinya used that time to familiarize himself with his settings, but I guess he got bored and came to sit near us, which made Aoi scowl and scoot closer to me.

“Are you guys really going to make me wait here until something happens?” he asked us in a bored tone. “There is nothing here.”

Annoyed Aoi crossed his arms.

“You’re a seventh level,” he sighed. “Can’t you order around the maids to bring you stuff?”

His eyes lit up and he gasped.

“Really? You have maids here?” He asked incredulously. “Why didn’t you say so before??”

“I have more important things to worry about right now. When Kai and Reita get here we’re gonna leave. I have more seals to look for.”

Shinya smirked and laid on his elbows on the ground, his eerie eyes watching the flames lick at the surrounding confines of the fireplace.

“Hehhh…. Well I’ll have to see what I can do to liven this place up,” he chuckled. “This place is incredibly dark, even for a demon of your stature. Maybe I’ll have them bring me a companion to keep me warm at night.”

It wasn’t exactly hard to imagine what he meant by that. Aoi was no different after all, as he has proven himself a literal sex starved monster. But it was not hard to believe that demons needed that kind of thing more than humans.

“I don’t really care what you do here, as long as you keep yourself from wreaking havoc on the place.”

“Since when do you care about not destroying a place?” Shinya laughed. “You leveled literal towns back home, why can’t you do that here?”

Wait, hold up. Did he just say Aoi destroyed whole towns?? What else was there that I don’t know about him??

“I don’t know why the past is important, but not drawing attention to ourselves is better in this situation. Humans are crawling about everywhere, I don’t want to have to kill needlessly.”

Uhhh…. I am not sure if I like where this conversation is headed. So what did that make Shinya out to be? Was he cruel too?

“And you,” he suddenly said to me, making me jump. “Why are you here? Why did you accept someone as pig headed and sadistic as Aoi to be your Marker? Humans usually run away before they get close enough to a demon to be Marked, so what gives?”

I already answered this before… And why does he have to know?

“I am a doctor,” I tried to say firmly as I could. “I came here to help people who needed it. But Aoi Marked me, and I didn’t fight back because… Because I knew I didn’t have much to live for in my old life. He doesn’t scare me.”

Even Aoi had to crack a small smile at that, so I could tell he was proud of himself more than me. Whatever.

Shinya laughed loudly suddenly and covers his mouth with his hand.

“Seriously? You’re incredibly brave,” he praised but then he stopped his laughing and leaned closer to me, his smile turning into a maliciously evil smirk. I could feel him staring deep into my heart. “Or you’re incredibly foolish.”

Aoi yanked on my arm closer to him, giving Shinya a glare.

“Enough,” he growled. “Go find something else to pester.”

But Shinya did not back off, and he stared even harder at me.

“He is changing you,” he suddenly says with an interested tone. “I can tell you were once very respectful of yourself and others, and you cared a great deal about what happened to you. But since he got his hooks in you, your whole personality turned into something different. Something inside of you is changing and it is all because of him. What a shame.”

What is he talking about? Aoi is changing me?

“Aoi what is he talking about?” I asked him worried. He scowled even harder and yanked me to my feet.

“How should I know?” he snarled at Shinya.

“Oh I don’t expect you to know, Dear Leader,” he laughed and stood as well, dusting himself off nonchalantly. “I am not a soothsayer for nothing. I can see changes in people before they themselves can, and you, my dear human, are definitely not who you used to be. I expect a drastic change in about… A month? If you can last that long it is.”

His smirk was even worse now, and I could see insanity behind them despite their gentle blue color. Is everyone around me crazy?

“I don’t know what you mean,” I said back, yanking myself away from Aoi. “I am no different then when I came here weeks ago to now. Aoi may have Marked me, but I am still me.”

But… For some reason something was telling me he had more to say. And that I should listen. But Aoi was getting pissed, so now was… probably not the time.

“Don’t be so sure of that,” he sang in a cheery voice and walked back down the small hallway to the room where we found him. “I’ll be in my room if you need me!”

I can already tell he will be a handful… Just hearing him talk was tiring. And Aoi was still super pissed so he understood.

How can someone who doesn’t know me happen to know what I was going through? Even I didn’t know anymore.

“Aoi,” I finally said, fed up. “I don’t like it here. I want to go back.”

His scowl lessened, and his anger turned to a weary exhaustion.

“I know Kouyou, I do too,” he sighed. “But Shinya has something we need. It’s as he says, he is a soothsayer and he can see inside of people, both humans and demons. We’ll need him to find our seals.”

Is that why he was here?

“So he wasn’t pulled here on accident?”

His face turned confused and I could see on his face the way the gears in his head were turning.

“Actually he was… It’s, it’s hard to explain. When a human with a seal is killed and the seal is broken, the power of such a violent deed sucks in a nearby demon, and that demon just so happened to be Shinya. What he was doing here in the human world I don’t know. As annoying as he is, he’s right.”

Now I had to narrow my eyes. What else am I not being told?

“What? You mean to say that he was right about you changing me? Something else I wasn’t told about?”

This time his mood turned tired, and he ran a hand down his face before looking at me. He wasn’t trying to be a smart ass, nor was he being a massive pervert. He just looked really… tired.

“Kou I honestly don’t know,” he protested. “I’m not a soothsayer, I can’t pick up on these things like he can. If you are different, then I don’t know what I did.”

Guilt ran through me, making him flinch as he felt it too. He smiled at me, but there was no trace of that usual hidden intention like before.

“I… I don’t know anymore,” I mumbled, tearing my eyes away. “I want to be mad at you, I want to be upset. But… I can’t. And I don’t know why.”

Maybe Shinya really did know. I felt confused and conflicted all the time, even being around Brianna made me feel weird. I don’t know what to feel about Aoi anymore. I want to be mad at him. So many times I wanted to scream in his face and tell him he ruined my life, that everything I had worked for so far was for nothing. But it wouldn’t work, and I would feel guilty just for thinking it.

I could feel his anger, but more towards himself. He didn’t know what to feel either. But how did anyone know what to feel in this situation?

All I wanted to do right now was go to my room, and sleep for a whole day. Or a week.

Aoi touched my face, then kissed me for a few seconds but he didn’t try to touch me after that. Instead he used our connection to once more send soothing vibes to me, and I can’t help but to soak them in for a source of comfort. My body could no longer handle not having that feeling, and to know that only now made me feel numb to everything else.

He made me wait for him against the wall near the door, and with a worried glance at me he left, and I was alone.

But he didn’t go too far, just beyond the door. I could feel the invisible string holding us together getting stretched out by the tiniest increments, the smallest centimeters. Was this our Mark getting even stronger?

I sighed and slid down to sit on the floor, holding my legs to my chest as I took in a breath. I have to breathe more. Being around Aoi was suffocating, and I felt like I couldn’t breathe. But at the same time I know I need him around me more and more. It made me feel even more helpless and trapped. Like a poor fly being wrapped up alive by a venomous spider, or a helpless mouse in the jaws of a vicious cobra that didn’t bite down hard enough to kill.

And I can’t bring myself to want to escape.

“Damn it… What’s happening to me?”

I only waited for about two minutes, he wasn’t gone for very long. He came back with two people. There was Reita of course, and he sent me a friendly yet distant wave. But he wasn’t who I was concerned with. It was the other one. This must be Kai, the guy I heard so little about. And he looked… Not at all like what I expected.

He wore all black, covered head to toe in a cloak that had a hood and long wide sleeves. Near black brunette hair was styled in a wavy and carefree, yet almost deliberate wave around his head. His lips were painted all in a dark gray and equally as ark makeup covered his eyes and feathers were everywhere. That would have made him seem intimidating, but… Everything about him was confusing.

He was… smiling, and gave off a cheerful aura. It almost felt jarring in a way. Wasn’t he supposed to be a big scary demon?

“Kou- Er, Uruha,” Aoi said and helped me back up. “You already know Reita. But this is Kai, the next youngest of my… uh, group.”

Reita gave Aoi a sideways glance with a raised eye brow.

“Eh? You aren’t gonna say cult or gang? That’s what you usually say when we meet new people.”

Kai laughed, a sound that was strangely just as cheerful despite his wicked look.

“Well we aren’t exactly much of one now are we? What with us being stuck?” he peeped with a grin.

“We’re stuck,” he corrected the brunette, who only snorted. “You on the other hand, can come and go as you want to, you lucky bastard.”

Kai laughed again, his wide smile showing off perfectly white teeth. Who is this guy?? And why is he so goddamn happy?

“Is the puppy jealous of me?”

“Not on your life.”

“Whatever,” Aoi snapped. “Kai, meet Uruha. I marked him and he is mine now, so no touching.”

Okay good to know his usual attitude was still there. Whatever.

Kai walked over to me, his smile never leaving his face as he examined me. His eyes were a deep chocolate brown, almost… strangely human. But what he said next made me remember otherwise.

“Hmm, so you’re Aoi’s new human chew toy and stress reliever. You’re in for a rough ride, my friend.”

Oh great, he’s insane. Heavily I sighed. Should have figured his personality was just as twisted as the other’s.

“I am not a stress reliever,” I argued with a cross of my arms. “I can handle myself thank you very much.”

Another laugh and this time it was at me. He even rose his eyebrows in disbelief.

“Oh really? Those marks all over you tell me a different story.”

“I think I cause him more stress than anything,” I retorted. “But he can’t do anything about it because I have the leverage I need to keep him under control.”

“Uruha,” Aoi growled at me with a sharp edge. “Cut it out.”

Reita started to laugh, and I felt strangely proud for taking up for myself. I wanted to say more but Aoi’s warning look made me snap my mouth shut. No need for unnecessary stress. He motioned me over, and Reita laughed again under his breath. What an asshole.

Unable to help myself I rolled my eyes and went straight to him, where his hand possessively finds my hip and he keeps me pressed into his side. All the while Kai kept giggling at me, probably acting smug because he knew I couldn’t stop myself.

“Well, my name is Kai,” he started once his laughs finally ebb away. “I’m Aoi’s, uh, friend I guess. I’m a demon, but only in training. I guess I am technically a death spirit.”

“Death spirit?”

“Kai reaps human spirits,” Aoi explained at Shinya’s door. “But he wants to be a full demon, so aside from reaping them he has to actually kill humans too. Death spirits aren’t supposed to do that.”

Kai nodded with every word, his joyful attitude masking his more psycho side.

“Yeah! Yeah, we Death spirits are supposed to carefully transport human souls to the River Styx, where they will be ‘cared for’ by patrons of the Underworld. Bah, it’s all nonsense,” he spat. “So instead of transporting them I eat them. Human souls are pure energy, so I am slowly making the change.”

“You eat human spirits?” I asked, now nervous. Kai laughed and bounced on his toes.

“Yup! They’re a little spicy on the way down, but they fill me up good. I only need to eat once a day, and I already took care of that.”

Reita made a disgusted face, and I could feel the same emotion from Aoi as he was pressed directly up to me. But I was fairly certain he could feel the fear that made the hair on my neck stand.

“Kai won’t lay a hand on you,” Aoi promised me before pushing the door open. “It will only upset me.”

I looked back to the Death Spirit, who was looking around curiously with a huge smile.

“That’s right. I won’t lay a single hand on you, as I can’t eat marked Humans. It’s bad for my stomach.”

He was saying that so casually..! Kai was literally a spirit, er demon, that ate humans! So what exactly does Reita do??/ Well, I don’t wanna know actually. I’ll leave that for another day.

“Aoi-san!” Shinya exclaimed as he stood up from the pentagram. “Did you need me?”

“Yes,” Aoi said, exasperated. “These two will be your guides here, they’ll let you know if they find humans and you will be able to see seals in them. Those are my conditions.”

He looked at Reita first, bored. But when he looks at Kai his eyes widen for a split second, before a look similar to when I first met Aoi flashed in them in a predator like gleam. Kai didn’t notice at all, far too busy looking around the room. At least until Shinya spoke.

“Well well well,” he laughed darkly and crossed his arms. “A fallen Death Spirit. How interesting.”

Kai paused his observing, and turned to look at Shinya. Their eyes met and I could see Kai shiver under Shinya’s intense gaze. Aoi noticed too, because I felt him get a little grossed out. But I couldn’t help laughing a little bit, I thought it was funny.

“A seventh level,” Kai greeted slowly, finally picking up on the hints of interest. “And a soothsayer to boot. How does someone like you end up in a dreary place like this?”

“I stabbed and killed the human holding him prisoner right now,” Aoi answered impatiently, knowing Shinya would only be a smart ass to Kai to impress him. “He was a seal.”

Kai caught on and made an ‘aha’ sound before stepping even closer to Shinya to inspect him. This was getting weird even for me.

“Well? Where is the human spirit at?”

Shinya shrugged nonchalantly.

“I don’t know, and I don’t really care.”

Kai smirked, knowing full well how unapologetic full blooded demons were when it came to humans.

“Aww, I bet he is still trapped in that meat sack you’re wearing,” he purred and boldly pressed a sharp black painted nail to Shinya’s neck to make a long red scratch, making him hiss under his breath. “I think I can help you out with that.”

Um… Are they…. Flirting? Right in front of us? Awkward…

“Really? Then why don’t you show me what it is exactly you can help me with, O spirit of Death.”

Then Kai slammed the demon into the nearby wall and began to smother his face into Shinya’s neck and I know that was no simple greeting. And I am sure the noise I made just now was me choking on my own spit.

“Okay, time to go,” Reita exclaimed and made a hard turn around to the door. “Kai-san I’ll see you in a few hours buddy!”

“We should go too,” Aoi murmured to me and smiled wide as he turned us around, and I could tell he was pleased. “Shinya has a hard time refusing the advances of cute boys.”

I rolled my eyes. What a hypocrite. The door closed, but before it did I heard Shinya laugh breathlessly at us.

“Like you?” I coughed to try and regain my breath. Aoi just grinned even wider and pressed his face to my cheek, kissing me just under my eye.

“Exactly like me,” he agreed without a second thought. “Though I wouldn’t say you were just a boy. I have seen what I can do to make you feel like a real man after all.”

“Perv,” I grumbled but he just laughed more, snuggling my face and purring. “You kind of remind me of a tiger trying to cuddle it’s prey instead of trying to eat it.”

Aoi continued to purr and kept his hand on my hip. Reita had by now wandered back to the front door.

“How do you know I am not already eating you up?” He asked lowly.

“Mm fair point. Now cut it out,” I complained and tried to push him away. “Don’t we have to do something else now?”

I probably popped his peaceful little bubble, as his mood turned back to that sour and tired one from earlier. The one that made me feel exhausted as well.

“Yes. You and I have some human hunting to do. Just so we know where they are and we can get Shinya to look through them. It will take a while, as no one knows where they are but we have two whole floors to look through.”

“Oh joy.”

He smiled and led me by the hand to follow Reita to the corridor and to the stairwell entrance. There we found a maid lollygagging around and the bat wielding maniac barked at her to hurry on over to the entrance to the fourth floor to wait on the new guest. She squeaked and ran off, and that took care of that.

“So what is going on with your… friend?” he than called to us from a good ten feet down the corridor. “Is that little spoiled brat of a midget still trying to gain her favor?”

What is up with him? Do he and Ruki have some kind of bad blood between them or something? Confused I looked at Aoi for help, who only rolls his eyes.

“Former lovers,” he whispered quietly, and it suddenly his attitude made all the sense in the world. Reita was bitter about breaking up and incredibly jealous of Brianna. Yet when he first found us he hid it so well. But maybe that was the point, to hide the level of anger he was building up.

“Ohh,” I answered back and cleared my throat. “She is okay, but she needs more time to get used to all of this. But I think if he is nice to her she will come around.”

I wanted to believe that myself, but then I saw his face turn into a bitter scowl and he scoffed. Did he not believe me or something?

“He’s gonna screw this up, I can tell you that right now. Then she will be in trouble because he can’t stop himself from trying too hard to get into her pants.”

Oh shit, now he really is angry. Brianna was in even more trouble like this… Aoi got pissed again, but it was more for me than himself.

“Rei,” Aoi snapped. “That’s enough. Don’t you have a job to do? Then go do it. That’s an order.”

Reita tsked and slammed into the door to force it open, letting it bang against the wall as he disappeared into the blackness. This isn’t good… If he runs around like this free to do what he wanted he could do something drastic. He could hurt Ruki, or worse, Brianna. I need to see her, just to make sure she is okay. I’m sure Umi is protecting her but… Still. I have a horrible feeling in my gut that something might be wrong.

“I have to go back,” I muttered and started walking faster, taking care not to slip on the steps. “She might be in trouble...”

But Aoi kept up with me, his hand not too far from mine on the guard rail. Still, he didn’t do anything to stop me. Did that mean he trusts me now?

The door was wide open at the bottom, and going through it I saw a weird sight. The gutted out hallway was… Lit up, and the windows had been repaired. Maids and doctors scurried about with supplies like paint and other similar things. Were they fixing this place up?

“What’s going on?” I asked Aoi, who felt as confused as I did.

“I… I don’t know,” he admitted and got the attention of the nearest maid, who was holding what looked like a big roll of paper. “Hey, what the Hell is happening here?”

She bowed her head once and kept the paper all rolled up.

“Aoi-san, you didn’t hear? There are more seventh level demons that showed up suddenly out of nowhere. They must have heard that this place was swarming with demons as it was, and decided to crash the party. So they ordered us to get this place fixed up.”

Aoi paled, and I saw all the color drain from his face. Now he was panicking, I could feel it in the way he grabbed my hand and his skin trembled.

“How many?”

The maid thought for a few seconds.

“Mm about eight?”

“Shit! They couldn’t use the second floor?”

She shook her head.

“No, they said that place reeked of people, which to them is annoying. This was the only place they wanted.”

He scowled again and ran a hand through his hair.

“Where are they all now?”

“I don’t know, they’re wandering around the grounds right now to explore it thoroughly, at least according to them. They can be anywhere as far as I know.”

Oh shit... Brianna!

“I have to go see her,” I whispered urgently, and at first he hesitated. But he felt the panic in my welling up in my chest and he sighed.

“Go, make sure she is okay,” he murmured and kissed my cheek. “Have Umi look after her closely. And Uruha… Be careful, seventh level demons can be mean and cruel, and they can be anywhere. Your Mark will keep you safe but just be cautious.”

He was even more worried about me now, and he was showing it clearly. That made my chest squeeze and I swallowed hard.

“I will.”

Then without thinking I kissed him back. And I can’t believe I did it, but it was on his lips this time. I needed something familiar to calm my nerves.

He stared at me, surprised. But I didn’t let it bother me because I sprinted off already, leaving him behind to deal with this situation. I tried to ignore the pounding in my chest as I burst through the door to our small corridor, my lungs about to collapse from the overwhelming feelings in my head.

‘Please let her be okay.’