The White Witch *COMPLETE*

7- Enjoying Yourself?

Warm arms circled me and I didn't have to look to know it was Douglas. I clung to him in much the same way as when I was taking his pain, but this time I flung my arms all the way around his neck. I only slightly cared how weak it made me look to latch on to him.

"What do you want with her?" He demanded as his hand pressed against the back of my head.

"There was a very familiar spike in energy Friday night and I came to investigate." Lucifer explained. "It was clear I had a child I wasn't aware of who was painting a nice little target on her throat for any one of you with a nose."

I twisted in Douglas' hold to glare up at Lucifer. "So, what? You came to torture my...D-Douglas and...and what? Convince me to stop fighting?"

"No, child." He said softer. "I came to see if you were indeed mine and if you needed help. The strength of an angel does not always conform well to the body of a human. I see now that you are better suited to it than I thought. And you clearly do not want anything to do with me."

Angry confusion twisted my features. "What the hell am I supposed to do? You show up in the middle of the night out of a gust of fucking wind and just announce you're the fucking devil! Do you even realize how many enemies I have? How am I supposed to risk giving you a chance to explain yourself? A second'll get me killed!"

He gave one slow nod. "I see now that you must fight first and ask questions later. But child, it's later."

I shifted weakly to hint that I wanted out of his hold, but Douglas only tightened his arm around my waist. I was about to tell him off, but he rose and helped me to my feet. I swayed, but didn't fall because of the strong hands on me.

"You are very strong to take such an injury so fully and willingly." Lucifer said.

It took me a minute to realize he was trying to complement me. "I didn't take the injury. I took the pain. You forced the injury on Douglas."

"I would've taken days to heal and drawn in every vampire in the state." He countered. "Douglas healed in less than a minute."

"I don't give a flying fart in space how long he took-"

Douglas pulled me back against his chest gently and tightened his arm around my waist. "It's fine. He's right." He told me quietly, obviously trying to calm me down. The embrace began to soften my anger, until I realized that's what was happening and it pissed me off more.

I shot a glare up at him. "It's not fine!" I turned my anger back toward Lucifer and it only turned my scowl harder. "You don't get to just make that choice. It's not fucking up to you!" I tried to pull Douglas' arm off me and shove away from him, but he held me tight.

Lucifer took a second to respond, staring intently at me the whole time. "You are not the reason he hurt. I am."

I stiffened, realizing he didn't need touch to read minds. "Stay out of my head." I hissed.

"Child-"

"Stop fucking calling me that!" I screamed. "You're not my dad. I've known you a whole hour and all you've managed to do is rip a hole in my- my..." My voice cut off sharply and the skin touching him through the fabric of my baggy shirt grew almost painfully hot.

"Well, I didn't know he was your Douglas or I would've been more careful with him while he was throwing me around the room." He said coldly.

"Seriously Melody," Douglas insisted. "I'm fine. I'm very used to pain."

I struggled in his arms. My magic might not want to attack the angel in front of me, but my fists sure as hell did. "That makes it worse-" I sagged, having worn out my already sore muscles. "-not better."