Blood Prize (Bloody Dance #1) (14 page)

“I can heal her,” his voice cracked, “I can heal her.” I grabbed the hand that was glowing. Hissing as his white magic burned me. I could see the smoke coming from my palm. I could smell my flesh being barbecued. Still, I moved it away from Emiko. Looking at him more tears leaked from his eyes.

“She can’t die. She’s my father’s servant. He’ll . . . She can’t die.” So this was more about Rhett then it was about Emiko? He didn’t want her to die because of his father. I was starting to get a better picture of who the shadow that whipped Soji was. It made me want to take his father’s head from its shoulders.

Leaning in I pressed a soft kiss to Soji. Even if he said it, he couldn’t do anything for her now. Emiko was already gone. Soji seemed to come to this realization as well.

“I’m going to kill Korku.” His whole body started to glow with an intense white light. I backed away from him quickly. Touching his hand was one thing. That light would kill me if I got to close.

“Stop it!” Rai rushed towards Soji and slapped him across the face. The light dimmed as he looked up at her touching his cheek.

“Do you want to kill Zero too?” She lowered him with a glare.Soji looked over at me before shaking his head. He dropped to his knees and he seemed so . . . defeated.

“We have to find Fang and the demon,” Rai said and I nodded. I was proud of her. She was taking charge. Shu would be smiling at her right now.

“I have to prepare her soul for its trip.” Soji reached into his pocket pulling out the cross he carries. He opened and closed his hand before a ball of white light appeared and floated in front of me. “It’ll lead you to the demon. I’m sorry for losing myself, Zero.” I shook my head. He lost a friend. We all lose ourselves when faced with death.

“I’ll stay with Soji,” Rai said and I nodded my head I was going to tell her to stay with him. He had already bowed his head and was praying. His guard would be down while he prepared Emiko’s soul. That meant that leaving him alone wasn’t a good idea.

“Be careful, both of you,” I told Rai and her vines came around the two of them. It formed a protective shell. “Good girl,” I whispered before turning to the light that Soji had given me. “Led the way.” I told it and the light shot off into the darkness of the town. I ran after it ready to end this fight.

TWENTY

The light led me to a graveyard that was in the town. Coming into the yard I saw Fang standing in the graveyard already. Noticing that there was someone in front of him, my eyes followed to find out what form this would take. Instead of seeing a shadow I saw the demon we came here for.

Running towards Fang I frowned at the scent of his blood. It was the rotten smell again instead of the better one I smelled the first day I meant him. There was a deep gash on his arm. His blood was dark, it was almost as black as a demon. There were so many questions that surrounded Fang. This only added one more to the ever growing list.

“Look who finally showed up. Fashionably late to the party aren’t you, Zero.” Fang said there was a tease in his voice and I laughed.

“Couldn’t let you have all the fun.” I countered his smart remark. I was happy to see that he was okay. I thought that we were going to find him in the same state as Emiko. Still I wondered what it was that scared Emiko.

“The vanity, Zero. You’re just here to steal my thunder.” I scoffed at him backing away and crossing my arms over my chest.

“By all means, the stage is yours.” I wanted to see Fang fight. I was dying to know what kind of magic he was going to use. Korku laughed drawing our attention to the demon. He stood in his human form. His hair was bright orange, his eyes were dark blue nearly black. Even as he laughed, neither Fang nor I showed him any fear.

My eyes were on Fang as he started to make hand signs. Once again, I frowned as I started to realize why Fang blood smelled rotten when he was using his magic. This was the forbidden art, it was black magic. Humans weren’t suppose to use black magic.

The dirt around us begin to stir. Soon hands started to pop out of the ground. My eyes shifted to the graves as the dead being to rise. I knew a spell like this. I didn’t use it though. There was ever any need for me to raise the dead.

My eyes shifted to Fang. Using this kind of magic meant his powers were eating at his soul. It was okay for demons to do it. Whatever soul we had was already black and rotten. Fang wasn’t a demon though. If he kept using this art, he would become a hollow shell. I wasn’t sure, but I found I had a new respect for Fang. It took a strong person to use black magic in the first place.

Fang was either very brave or very foolish. I wasn’t sure which side of the line he fell on. Maybe he had a foot on both. Either way what Fang did with his soul was none of my business. If he chooses to damn himself at least, his magic will prove him more useful than I originally thought.

Fang was standing still as the dead army he rose attacked Korku. The demon was handling his own against them. Of course, it was going to take more than that to kill a demon. Fang made another hand sign. I watched as the dead humans started to transform into an animal like creatures.

They all rushed to Korku. They all ripped into the fear demon. Korku went down, the demon things falling on top of him. The sound of smacking and chewing could be heard. I never saw anything eat a demon before. It was quite impressive.

“That’s how you kill a demon with style,” Fang called back to me. He had a smirk on his face as he boosted over his skills. I rolled my eyes at him but frowned. There was a light shining from under the dead things. They all exploded raining down bits of rotten flesh on us.

Korku stood in his demon form. His horns spiraled on top of his head. A tail whipped around the back of him. Sharp teeth jutted down from his mouth as drool dripped from the teeth. The drool sizzled as it fell to the ground.

Korku hawked back making this disgusting sound as he gathered spit from deep within his throat. After he had hawked it up, Korku spat at Fang. I watched as Fang sidestepped the disgusting thing. The spit hit a tombstone that was behind Fang. It burned through the tombstone, that was some nasty spit.

Fang didn’t seem to be shaken by the new development. Making a new set of hand sign Fang touched his own chest. His body started to shift as he got down on all fours. Fang’s body started to become more beast like as he kept changing. Soon a huge towering wolf stood in front of us.

There were spikes that ran along it’s shoulders and on its tail. It had two sets of teeth one resting behind the first row. It’s body was black and dripped down ooze that made the ground hiss and smoke. This wasn’t a wolf, this beast I never saw before.

“A hellhound,” Soji spoke and I turned to see him and Rai coming behind us. Looking at Soji he nodded his head before we all turned back towards the fight. Korku and Fand went at each other. It was like watching a dogfight as they bit into each other.

Korku kept using his burning spit, but Fang was too fast in his beast form. His quickly jumped out of the way each time Korku hawked it at him. I watched as Fang bit down into the fear demon. Korku cried out as Fang took a chunk out of the demon.

Korku yelled in pain as Fang decided it was time to go for the kill. Fang rushed forward and I found. I saw it before Fang did it seem. Moving quickly I jumped in front of the hellhound. My black flames burned the blood snakes that were about to sink their fangs into . . . Well, Fang.

“Kenji,” I hissed his name as Ban appeared next to him. Why were they hear? Maybe Korku had something to do with the Night of Demons. Would they protect him then? They hadn’t protected Maya when we came for her.

“You look amazing tonight, Natsu. The red moon truly brings out your inner charm.” I growled at Ban as he called me by that name again. My fangs pressed down as I sneered at him. “That look only turns me on.” I frowned at him.

“Ban!” A voice yelled before I could think of anything witty to say to Ban. I watched as a girl was rushing towards Ban. She seemed to look past Ban and dropped to her knees bowing as she saw Soji. “Master Soji.” Great another church nut.

“What are you doing here, Ayase?” Soji asked and she rose again rushing towards Soji to stand in front of him. I watched as Kenji went to Korku. He helped the Fear Demon stand. Why were they helping him? I watched as Ban moved his eyes towards me then to Soji.

“So you are the white mage,” Ban spoke and I pushed Soji behind me. My fangs pushed down as Ban sniffed at the air. I could see a frown on his beautiful face. It didn’t fit there, that didn’t mean I was going to change it. “This is the scent you had on you. I won’t rest until he’s dead.”

“You’ll never touch him.” I hissed as Fang reverted back to his true form. I was never going to let him have Soji.

“You’re a demon and you’re playing with a white mage. I’ll kill your white whore soon enough, Natsu.” I growled at Ban.

“My name is Zero.” I hissed at him and he laughed before he, Kenji and Korku disappeared. I sighed shaking my head as I turned around to look at my team. Standing in the ghost town there was a sobering feeling that past over us. Now that Korku was gone there was nothing else for us to do here. Ban and Kenji had came and saved him. I wondered if they had been here the whole time.

More than that Emiko was dead. It was never easy when you lost a member of your team. Even if you hated this member. Coming here had proven to be a waste. Nothing had been accomplished in the end.

My eyes shifted to the girl who had showed up after Ban. She was standing with Soji. Emiko died and now this Ayase girl was quick to replace her. I wasn’t sure if trusted it. Ayase was probably in her twenties. I wouldn’t give her much older than that. I noticed her hair, I never saw anyone with black hair that had white streaks in it before.

My eyes shifted to Soji. Ban saw him, he wanted to kill him now. I couldn’t allow that. I couldn’t let Ban hurt him. I wondered if Soji was strong enough to kill Ban. He was a white mage, but Ban was unlike any other demon. All demons could die, even Ban. Did I want Ban dead? If he died, it would be by my hands no one else.

I sat on the ground next to Rai. She was curled up asleep. Her head rested on my lap. Funny how children can fall asleep anywhere. Fang was roaming around the area we marked as safe. He was complaining about his lost prey. I wasn’t happy about Kenji and Ban’s rescue mission either. Korku was our car. Now he was gone.

It had been too long. We had to move on. We needed to get home to Amy. We weren’t going to be buying a car this time. Shu was always against stealing and things of that nature. Anytime he caught me stealing Shu would yell at me to be human. Of course, I reminded him that humans were liars, cheaters, and thieves he would give me a lame line.

Be better than humans.

How could I be better when I was supposed to be worse. Whose standards of humans were I suppose to be living up to? Shu’s or mine. Reaching into my pocket I took out my pack of cigarette. Pulling one stick free I lit it before laying back in the grass.

Soji and Ayase were talking in hushed voices. I didn’t know what they were planning. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know either. Soon the two of them walked towards me. Looking up at Soji his eyes were red. It was clear that he had been crying. He had been through a lot today.

“Master Soji told me everything,” Ayase spoke and I looked to Soji. When she said, everything did she mean everything. I doubt that Soji would tell her about our alone time together. He wasn’t that kind of boy.

Ayase’s honey brown eyes were looking into my own golden ones as I sat up again. I noticed that unlike Emiko, Ayase added Master in front of Soji’s name. I wasn’t sure how things worked in their church, but it was clear that she had a deep respect for the white mage.

“I have a care, I don’t mind taking you where you need to go.” My eyes shifted to Soji again. Where I needed to go. Where were he going? Home maybe, head this girl comes to take him home. Why did that upset me?

“My father is calling me back. There are reports that a large number of demons are gathering in the Ancient City.” The Ancient City was just a few miles away from my hometown. It was where the demon door was. Was it coming then? Was this the Night of Demons.

Soji licked his lips nervously. I could hear the creak when he mentioned his father. I could see the pain in Soji’s eyes. Everything inside of me wanted to take that pain from him. When I had been human, I loved my brother. He might not have been around a lot but in the last day that I remembered him he had been a loving father.

The thing that Soji feared was his father. What was that like. To fear your own father. It wasn’t something that I knew. It made me not want Soji to go back home. If he were going to be hurt there, I would rather he stay with me.

“Rai and I need to go home.” We had to get back to Amy. Looking over at Fang I didn’t know what he would do or where he would go. Maybe he would stay with us.

“We’ll drop you all off first then,” Ayase said and I stood up before swooping Rai up in my arms. The group followed Ayase to the car that she had. Once we were inside Ayase got into the driver seat. Soji was in the passenger seat he seemed focus on something. Maybe what was to come next.

Pressing my forehead against the glass as the world rushed past me. When I relived the events of today, I kept thinking about Ban. I thought about the Night of Demon was coming. Demons were gathering. It all seemed to be coming to ahead. I just didn’t know what the climax was. I knew that Ban needed Soji to reach it.

TWENTY-ONE

Amber head was slumped over. Her throat had been ripped out. Ban had warned her to stop screaming, but she didn’t listen. My eyes were wide as I looked at my sister’s limp form. There was so much blood. I could smell the iron scent it left in the air.

My mother was sobbing and I wanted to tell her to stop. That if she were too loud then she would be next. No words passed through my lips though. My mind was so numb. My stomach twisted and I thought I would vomit, but not even that came up.

I never saw anyone die before. Amber had been the first dead body to lay before me. Ban untied me and I fell from my chair. My fingers slipped in her blood and I screamed before scrambling away. Rubbing my hands off on my pants it seemed to just spread over my body. I couldn’t get it off. I couldn’t get her blood off of me.

Ban grabbed me yanking me back to him. Somewhere between the start of this and now he had taken my pants from me. I was far past the point of being embarrassed that my parents could see me. Still I hated the look on my father’s face. I couldn’t tell if he was pitying me or disgusted with me. Maybe it was neither. I’ve never been good at reading people.

Even as Ban sat in the chair, I had just been tied to my mind was numb. He pulled me onto his lap and I gasped as he buried himself inside of me. My back arched as I felt him deep inside of me. This wasn’t the first time tonight. My mother hung her head looking away. My father didn’t look away. He glared as if glaring was the only way he could defy Ban.

I didn’t know if I wanted to defy Ban. When our bodies were connected, it was easy to forget that my parents were in the room. When Ban was inside of me, he seemed to be the only thing that mattered. The only part of this whole night that made sense.

His lips against my shoulder felt amazing. He nipped at my flesh as he thrusted inside of me. I squeezed my eyes shut as I enjoyed the way I felt around him. His fingers came around the front of me as he wrapped his hands around my hardon.

How could he feel so good and be so wrong? Why did I want this as much as he seemed to? He killed my sister. It was her blood that he ran over me. What was wrong with me? Maybe I was as sick and twisted as Ban was.

“How does it feel, Natsu?” Ban whispered it in my ear. He grabbed a fist full of my hair as he yanked my head back. “Tell you dear old daddy how my cock feels inside of you.” I did my best to shake my head. I didn’t want to say something like that.

Ban slowed his thrust until he stop. I moaned wanting him to move again. This felt like a new kind of torture. His finger moved from my prick and up my chest. I could feel the warm blood that coated his fingers trailing up my chest.

A hiss of pain came when he cut my stomach. It wasn’t a deep cut, but I knew how deep he could go. I knew how sharp his nails were. I knew how much strength his fingers held. My eyes shifted to Amber. If I didn’t do as he said, he was going to kill me.

My sister had screamed and cried the whole time Ban attacked her. She had been in pain until her body went still. I didn’t want to die that kind of death. I didn’t want to suffer the way Amber suffered. I didn’t want to die the dog’s death that my sister had.

“I . . . It feels good.” Ban pressed a kiss into my jaw. His hips starting to rock into me again. Soft moans parted my lips. I could feel his tongue run along my neck. The shiver that shook my body had nothing to do with the fear I should have been feeling.

His hand came down to my member again as he stroked me. Closing my eyes, I enjoyed the pleasure that he brought. Each thrust took me higher and higher until I was lost inside of him. Inside of this intoxicating feeling, he brought me.

“Enough,” my mother whispered before looking up at the took of us. Ban paused yet again. Our bodies were still connected. I could feel the kiss he pressed into my shoulder. “Get off of him. Get off of my son.” Her voice shook slightly.

I gasped as Ban pulled from my body. He pushed me onto the floor as he fixed his clothes. I watched the slight smile on Ban’s lips as he walked closer to my mother. She was shaking her head. My father was rocking in his chair trying to break free again.

“Don’t, please don’t,” I begged Ban. He came around my mother’s chair. I could see as he touched her cheek. Amber’s blood stained my mother’s face the same way that it stained me. “Please,” my cries was falling on deaf ears. Ban wasn’t going to listen to anything that I said. He didn’t care about anything but what he wanted. What did he want? To slaughter us all.

Ban nails seemed to grow longer and I shut my eyes turning away. There was a moment before I heard something hit the floor. Looking up my mother was on her knees. He . . . He let her out of the chair. I looked up at him. Were we getting through to him? Was he going to let us go?

“Say please,” Ban kicked my mother in the face. She fell to the floor as he stepped on her chest. He was still smiling. “Say please Lord Ban.” He demanded and I swallowed as I saw the look in his eyes. This night wasn’t over. It was only getting started.

It took us five days to get back to Samter. I had been calling Amy for the last few hours, but she didn’t answer. She probably went out and forgot her phone. I hoped that she and the baby were okay. I was excited to see her again.

As soon as the car was in park Rai jumped out. Running towards the door I frowned as the rest of us got out of the car and joined Rai. There was something wrong, I could feel it even as Rai looked for the right key.

The air was still. It smelled slightly stale. It wasn’t the scent of cookies and home that should have been pouring out to greet us. Grabbing Rai’s hand I took the keys from her. Pushing her away from the door I looked back at Fang. He joined me as I turned the knob slowly.

I gagged as soon as the door was open. The smell of magic and blood was thick in the air. I swallowed as Fang and I walked deeper into the house. There was perfect darkness inside. Not even, my demon eyes could penetrate the dark.

It was a nice sunny day out. All of the blinds were open. The sun should have been lighting this place up. There was no light anywhere inside of this house. There was only still darkness. Magic did this, black magic was the only thing that could create a darkness this thick.

I felt enraged, threatened, mocked. Someone came into my home and this was what they left me. Who was it? Ban, was he telling me that I wasn’t safe no matter where I went. As I took a breath, there was a pain in my chest. My heart was breaking all over again.

I cried my last tears for Shu. I had no more to offer up. Yet I felt the saw sorrow building inside of me. The thought that once again I have failed the people I loved. Where was she? Where was Amy? It was the single thought in my head. Where was she? Amy, my friend, my sister, my mother. Where was she?

The lights flicked on breaking the darkness. I doubt that the lights had anything to do with the spell shattering away. Whipping around I could see the others standing just inside of the house. Rai's eyes were wide as she took in the sight of her home.

I saw it as well. The walls of the house were coated in blood. Rai took a step, then she took another. When Soji grabbed her arm, she yanked away from him before taking off towards the stairs. I followed behind her. The world seems to snap into focus when Rai's feet were pounding up the stairs.

She burst into Amy’s room just as I was coming behind her. My hands wrapped around Rai. One of them holding her waist as the other covered her eyes. Nothing moved in this room. The stillness was unnatural. It made breathing a task.

The whole room was covered in blood just like the rest of the house. Just like every house that held Kenji’s victims. He did this? Why? After we saw him in the ghost town when he and Ban took Korku or before. This blood, it was Amy’s, even though, her body was nowhere in sight.

This was what Kenji did. He only left the body of the youngest member of a house. Amy was the only person in this house though. She wouldn’t have enough blood to paint these walls so what did he use. I didn’t know. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know either.

Rai knocked my hand away from her eyes. She looked around the room shaking her head. She wasn’t accepting what was in front of her eyes. If I were her, I wouldn’t either. From Shu and now Amy. It was too much. All of this was too much. How were we suppose to move forward from this? How were we suppose to get past this death?

Rai backed out of Amy’s room. She ran down the hall to my room. I followed behind her as she threw the door open. We all stepped into my room to look around. There was no blood in here, but everything was broken and shattered. Kenji trashed the place. It made smile slightly to know the Blood Demon hated me this much. I was going to slaughter him. No, I was going to do so much worse.

Rai left again going from room to room. All of them were painted in the blood that covered the rest of the house. The last door was her room. I could see Rai’s fingers quaking as she paused outside of her door. Her fear was Kenji. He had just given her more reason to be scared of him. He killed her mother in her home. If your own house wasn’t safe what was. I wasn’t that stupid though. If Ban taught me anything, it’s that nowhere is safe.

I could hear Rai’s heart pounding. I didn’t need to read her mind to know what she was thinking. What’s behind the door? What was in the room? What awaited us when we stepped inside. Reaching out I wrapped my fingers around hers. She looked back at me. I nodded my head. I meant what I said when I told her I would protect her. Even if it cost me this life, I desperately held onto. I own that much to Shu and Amy. To die protecting their daughter.

I could see tears shining on her cheek. Using her free hand she reached up to wipe them away. She was trying to put on a brave face. She had become so stronger over these last few weeks. All of this time we were away from home she has become a different person. Maybe know that she didn’t break when her father died would give her the strength not to break now that her mother was gone as well.

Helping Rai turn the knob we opened the door together. Just like always the room of the youngest child was untouched. Rai stepped away from me. She walked over to her bed looking back at me. Rai never makes up her bed and yet this one was. There was a slight lump under the cover. It was only big enough to be one of her throw pillows.

Her fingers were shaking as she grips the covers in her hand. I wanted to tell her she didn’t have to do this. She didn’t have to be the one. There were more tears that flowed from her eyes. I couldn’t tell her that because she wanted to do this. She wanted to be the one.

In one swift move, she yanked the covers back. I watched as she turned away from the bed vomiting. Kenji had left a gift. It wasn’t a throw pillow that made the lump in the covers. I sucked in a breath as I squeezed my eyes shut. If I didn’t want to kill Kenji before I did now.

On the bed was a blood fetus. The cord was still attached to it. It was this tiny baby with fingers and toes. This wasn’t just any child it was the one Amy had been carrying inside of her. It was the son that Shu was never going to meet. It was the brother that Rai was going to bully. Now just like his parents he laid still and dead.

Rai rushed out of the room unable to stay inside for any longer. I watched as Soji followed her out. I stepped closer to the bed. Shu always wanted a son. He boasted about how big and strong that son would be. He loved Rai, but there were some things that only a father and son could have. Some bonds that only they could make.

I didn’t believe in heaven but if there were one maybe Shu, Amy, and their son was there now. Maybe they all were happy and smiling down on us now that they were together again. What would Shu tell me if he was here right now. Not to stick around in this house. He would tell me to get Rai as far away as fast as I could.

Then after we were somewhere safe, he would tell me to slaughter Kenji. That's what I planned to do.