Baited~ Book 2

50

"Wait... You're fading?" Roman sat there in the bed just staring over at the demon who nodding softly from his chair over at the table. "You're fading because you don't have a body... but you're a man?"

"Do you know anything about demon's, young one?" Roman paled slightly as he sighed and just shook his head. Elvire smiled as he held his hand out and Roman's eyes went wide seeing how it shimmered and shifted as if a mirage in the hot desert. "Demons when 'born' are formed without a body. We are essentially just sentient energy. Our first and most important goal in life is to find a body so that we may form completely. Not all do. I... never felt the need to."

"But if you don't have one you die right so... why?"

"I have seen the world change many times over." Elvire frowned as he stared down at his hands. "I've seen you humans fight and steal... MORE than you've built and healed. I chose to stay here in the forest to protect those of my kind from those that wished to do them harm." Roman nodded slowly as he listened to everything the demon said. "In all my years, I never came across someone who didn't just want to hurt us."

"Well, you did now." Roman smiled taking the other by surprise a bit before laughing.

"What?"

"I'm not here to hurt anyone." Elvire's eyes narrowed as Roman shrugged. "Sure I did kill that hell hound but... I wouldn't have if it didn't attack me first. I couldn't care less about any of the creatures that live here. I'm only here because this place borders Almira and the Queen took something very VERY important to me."

"And what would that be, young one." Roman's eyes lit up like a purple flame as he glared at nothing as if staring daggers right into that bitches back.

"My fucking dragon..."

"Roman..." Virgil mumbled in his half-conscious state. He'd been going in and out of it all day and the others were getting really worried. At this point, Remus was convinced they had lost their brother. Otherwise, Virgil would not have been like this. Janus tried to calm his mate down, after all, he'd seen what happened when a dragon lost a rider first hand. He refused to believe Roman was just gone.

"Jan?" Remus whispered quietly as they stared at their hands. "Do you think... Do you... If Roman really did die, will we ever be able to find him? Or will we just never know?"

"He's not dead, Ray." Remus only deflated more as Janus tensed and started to pace. He had to think of something but he couldn't focus. Everything was getting jumbled around on him. There was this voice in the back of his head saying forget it all but he knew that was just Deceit coming through. His friend needed him, he had to focus. He HAD to stay Janus. He may have slipped and caused this shit but he wasn't about to let himself fall when Virgil and Roman both need him. "There has to be a way we can tell."

"Only Virgil would know."

"Except he wouldn't." Remus frowned as he glanced over watching as Janus raked his hands through his hair. "Virgil is easily tricked because of his anxiety. If he feels Roman go through immense pain and then... nothing... He's going to believe Roman's dead, even when he isn't. I know." Janus crashed as he hugged himself a bit. "I used that against him... and he almost killed Roman in his snapped state thinking he wasn't real."

"So... we just won't know then." Remus laughed as they threw themselves back against the couch. Tears fell from their bright green eyes and they shrugged. "Roman could very well be dead as a doornail and we'd never know because not even Virgil can tell with complete accuracy."

"Ray..."

"We want our brother, Janus." The snake flinched slightly at the shake in his mates voice. He could tell how broken up Remus really was about it. "We know that we haven't been the best of siblings but... we care about him. We love him. He's our twin. We've always cared about him. We just can't... If Roman's dead we... I need to know."

"He's not dead." Remus sighed as Janus sat down beside them smiling softly. "Think about it, Ray. Virgil is here... with us. You are here with us... and even though we haven't had the best history... I know he cares about me too. We've become friends. We understand each other. Do you really think Roman would let ANYTHING stop him from 'saving' us?"

"He can't save us if he's dead." Janus only smiled more as he took Remus's hand making them look up at them.

 "Exactly my point, Ray. He can't save us if he's dead... so he can't be dead. He wouldn't let himself fail like that."

"Your dragon?" Roman nodded with this very angry look in his eyes. His fists clenched tightly as he lightning cracked around him making the demon narrowed his eyes in intrigued confusion. "You have a dragon?"

"His name is Virgil." Elvire's eyes shot wide as Roman sighed as smiled slightly. "He's my fiance."

"The dragon prince or Roe?" Roman nodded as he hugged himself a bit not quite sure what Elvire would do or say with that information. "You're... You're that poor boy's rider?"

"Like I said... He's my fiance." Elvire beamed as he scootched his chair in a bit closer making Roman narrow his eyes slightly. "What?"

"The Dragon Prince of Roe... The fire starter... The prince of dragons... and you're his rider." Roman nodded sheepishly as Elvire's eye shined. "I'm proud to see that boy found someone he trusts. I met him one... when he was a wee thing. He and his pathetic excuse of a family traveled through the forest... Virgil had gotten lost. I helped him get back to safety." Roman's eyes softened in understanding and he smiled. "That poor child deserves a bit of good considering all he's been through."

"You're damn right about that." Roman smirked as he glanced over towards the door. "They all do. Virgil... My sibling Remus... even Janus... They all deserve to be happy. I'm not going to let a hell hound stop me from rescuing my family. I may only be human but... This human is GOING to rescue some demons."

"I wish you luck on your mission then, young one..." Elvire smiled as he shook his head a bit. "But you can't possibly move right now with that injury. Rest up and you'll be back on your feet soon enough."