Little Demons (Demon Road fic)

9

Marion wasn't much good at dancing. Axl, as it turned out, was. He moved across the ballroom with fluidity and grace that Marion could only dream of possessing. He stole other people's' partners in the middle of a turn with a well-placed pas de bourree and spun them into a daze of dizzy infatuation. Then he would leave them in the opposite corner and pick up a new partner and continue on. Marion watched all this happen from the corner of the room with Willow dancing energetically and alone nearby, and Diego hiding behind her from everyone. In her peripheral, Marion could see Char and Milo floating across the floor. Of course Char could dance, but Milo's ballroom prowess surprised Marion to no end. She only marvelled at them for a moment, however, because her attention was drawn back to Axl across the room. He was in an altercation with a middle aged gentleman. The man seemed to be telling Axl off while hiding his daughter behind him. The daughter however didn't seem to appreciate her father's protective behaviour, and was trying to claw her way back to Axl who shrugged apologetically and sauntered away. Marion left Willow and Diego and approached Axl.
"How come you can dance?" She asked as she eased in next to him at a table laid with sophisticated, rich people food. Axl shrugged.
"My mother is a fan of a flawless foxtrot," he said. "She taught me and my siblings to dance when we were kids." Marion blinked in surprise.
"You have siblings?" She asked. For some reason, it had never occurred to her that Axl would have siblings. He just seemed very... only child-ish.
"I have a glut of siblings," Axl laughed. "Too many in my opinion. You'd think my parents would have stopped after 6 but no! They decided to have six more!" He chuckled to himself.
"There are twelve of you?!" Marion exclaimed. "I only have one sister," she told him. Axl smiled.
"So I guess you two are close then?" Marion shrugged.
"We used to be but I haven't seen her in a few years so we've drifted apart."
"Why haven't you seen each other?" Axl asked. Marion shifted awkwardly.
"Well, I wasn't the best sister what with all the demon deals so I distanced myself from her in an attempt to protect her." Axl watched her, his face impassive. Marion took this as her cue to continue. "She didn't stay safe, however, she decided to join a Scooby gang and go road-tripping whilst monster fighting. I lost contact with her after she refused to stop. Linda's always been stubborn like that, we're very similar in that way." Marion turned away from Axl, telling herself she'd shared too much. Why had she told him that? She wasn't a feelings type of person. She was much more a bury it all and never think of it again type of person.
"I didn't speak to my family for four years. I was sixteen when I left home to pursue my noble profession of a conman. I only started speaking to them again two years ago when my younger sister found me in Vegas." He laughed at the memory. "She was furious but she persuaded me to reconnect." It was Marion's turn to stay silent to coax out more information. "When I left my youngest sister was one year old and only knew who I was from pictures. Angie brought me home to meet her for real. Angie was sixteen when she put out family back together." Marion nodded along at his sharing, admiring the way his eyes lit up as he talked about his sister. The two of them lapsed into comfortable silence as they picked at the food on their plates and Marion snuck a glance at Axl out of the corner of her eye. He appeared to be watching the room intently, but his eyes were glazed over and Marion knew he was a million miles from where they were. She admired him a little longer before Willow bounced up to them.
"Hey guys! Sorry to interrupt whatever this is but code amber, she's been spotted!" Willow's eyes twinkled as they said this, evidently amused by their own wordplay. "Okay, but really guys the others already started following her but got seen and Diego already had a knife fight so we should probably hurry." Marion jumped to her feet.
"Willow! Why wouldn't you start with that? That's the most important information you have!" She hissed so as not to draw the attention of the guests around them. Willow shrugged and darted away through the throng of dancers. Marion immediately lost them and sighed, forcing herself not to shift from frustration. She felt someone take her hand and gently pull. Axl began to lead her through the room after Willow. As they came out onto a set of marble stairs leading into a well-manicured garden, Axl leant down and put his mouth to her ear again.
"Being six foot has some..." He paused and exhaled a warm breath onto her ear, " Huge perks. " They stepped out into the night, the cool air sending chills dancing across Marion's skin. At least that's what she told herself.

They found the other four waiting by an extravagant fountain at the centre of the garden. Diego was speaking on the phone with his usual scowl whilst Willow fidgeted next to him. Marion approached Milo.
"You saw Amber?" She asked. He nodded. "She was leaving the venue with Kelly." Marion racked her brains for a Kelly. She came up short.
"Kelly?" She asked.
"Amber's girlfriend," Milo explained.
"Oh," Marion nodded. "So they left the party and headed where?" Milo gestured further into the garden.
"Somewhere in there. We assume there's an exit at the back of the gardens somewhere." Marion looked towards his gesticulating and spied a break in the hedges lining the garden.
"An exit like that one?" She asked, pointing to her find. Milo followed her finger and motioned for everyone to move. They tore across the garden and out the exit. Through the arch gap there was a street. They stood in the road and stared up and down.
"To the left!" Marion shouted to the others and lead the way after Amber and Kelly. "Amber!" The two figures turned and then continued at a faster pace. Milo overtook Marion.
"Amber!" He yelled. "It's me, Milo!" Amber stopped dead in her tracks and turned. In the faded light from the street lamps, Marion saw that Amber looked pale, as if she'd seen a ghost. In a way she had, Marion supposed. Amber took two steps forward.
"Leave me alone! Milo's dead. I watched him die in front of me, he was shot! SHOT!" She ended in a shout, her voice hoarse. Milo cautiously moved towards her, Char following him at a distance.
"I'm alive, I'm here," Milo's voice softened. Marion watched Amber's fierce expression waver for a second, before it snapped back, her brow low, eyes tortured. She reached into the waistband of her jeans.
"I don't know what you are but you aren't Milo, stay away from me." She pulled a gun out of her jeans and a shot rang out. Amber turned sharply on her heel and ran after Kelly. Axl moved to follow them but Marion reached an arm out to stop him. He looked at her questioningly, her eyes however were glued to Milo, and Char. He was cradling her in his arms, her side was leaking an oil like liquid onto his suit, staining his hands black. As Marion approached his hunched figure he looked up, eyes large and wild.
"She shot her," his voice had an eery calm as he stared at Marion, "Amber shot Char."