Renova

11; arrival

Sam's skin was a matte gray, like dull paper. As Annie watched Demetrius lift him and sprawl his body on the couch, her heart was pounding.

Demetrius's heart was also probably pounding, because he was undoubtedly infuriated. The room was bubbling over with his rage, and as he hovered over Sam, she could tell he wanted to punch him in the face.

"What's going on?" Annie tried to ask, while at the same time pumping calming thoughts in their direction.

"You should leave." 

She was shocked he even acknowledged her.

"I can't do that until I know he's okay."

She tried to talk to Sam through her head, to send him good thoughts and loud noises. But there was no response.

"He's so fucking reckless." She watched him leave the room and come back a minute later, slamming an ancient looking book on the coffee table. Sam shuttered.

"He moved!" She said excitedly.

Annie tried talking to him again.

Sam? Are you there?

The voice in response was weak, you look really nice today.

She let out a sigh of relief but then squinted at him, his eyes hadn't opened since Demetrius brought him in.

You don't know what I look like. You passed out in the driveway.

Oh I can just feel it.

She rolled her eyes but couldn't help the way her face flushed.

Just wake up and you can actually see.

"Are you talking to him?" Demetrius gaped in annoyance as she smiled.

Annie nodded. Demetrius groaned.

"For fucks sake." He walked out of the room and she heard the faucet turn on.

Demetrius came back with a bucket of ice water, which he promptly emptied onto Sam's face with no regard to the surge of water that landed on the furniture and floor.

Sam's mouth gaped as he sucked in a breath and his eyes shot open, entirely black. Annie took a step back in a moment of fear. When he blinked, his eyes were back to their golden glow. His skin was slowly returning to a human like tan.

"What the fuck." He sputtered, water coming out of his mouth as he talked. His clothes, which were the same ones she had seen him in the night before, clung to his body like a second skin.

Demetrius dropped the bucket to the ground. Annie could feel his anger pulsating through the baseboards.

"Don't what the fuck me. You could've fucking died, you insolent dick." Demetrius clearly didn't care if the neighbors could hear.

"You would've never let me go. Besides, I got what I needed." Sam pointed to the book Demetrius had thrown on the table.

Annie tried to work through her confusion on her own, but was stuck a few steps behind.

"Where did you go?" Annie asked quietly.

Sam didn't look at her and Demetrius only glared at her, "he went to Hell." He turned his attention back to Sam, "For what, some paper? How was your mom? The one you worked so hard to get away from?"

Sam had guilt in his eyes and his voice was weak, "I thought I could try and figure out what Annie is. Why she can do the things she can."

The room continued to heat with Demetrius's anger and Annie feared even the water vapor in the air was going to boil.

"She's not worth you DYING."

Annie wasn't even hurt by his words because it was true. They barely even knew her.

Sam turned to her, "what are you doing here? Is everything okay?"

She nodded slowly, "I was worried when I saw your car still at my place this morning."

He frowned, "oh, right. Well I'm fine. You can go home." He had guilt stitched in his voice and his eyes were darkening to their shade of maroon.

She couldn't help the pang in her chest as he told her to leave, "Why, is something going on?"

Demetrius butted in, "if he wants you to leave, go ahead. That way I can kick his ass in peace."

"I-" Sam started, his voice gruff, but she cut him off.

"I'll go. We'll talk soon." She ignored Sam's weak protests as she slipped out of the front entry.

It wasn't until she shut off her car in the parking lot of her apartment complex that she slid the book out from under her sweatshirt, taken during all of the commotion.