Blood Prize (Bloody Dance #1) (15 page)

TWENTY-TWO

The dread that filled me as we came towards the gothic church was indescribable. When I got away from this place, I never had any intentions of coming back here. I found that there was nowhere else to go. Rai needed to be somewhere safe. These people might lock demon in cells, but they wouldn’t lock Rai away. Maybe they would even teach her how to become a better green mage.

Pulling through the gates I could see the man who had the brown hair. He was the one that was in the room when I took Soji. He was the one that told me they didn’t make deals with demons. It wasn’t just him, but the whole church seemed to have come from the doors to greet us.

As soon as we stepped from the car the man snapped his fingers. It was only a second before I was surrounded and separated from the rest of the group. Men and women all had some kind of weapon pointed at me.

Putting my hands up I wasn’t here to fight them. If they didn’t want me here, I would gladly leave. I just needed to know that Rai was safe. I was no longer able to protect her. Staying with me was just going to get her killed. I couldn’t allow Rai to die. I would never forgive myself if I let Amy and Shu’s daughter join them in the afterlife.

“Able, stop it,” Soji yelled at the man walking over to him. Able frowned at Soji. He reached out grabbing the smaller boy’s chin as he turned his head from side to side. He was examined him, but I didn’t know what he was looking for. Soji was in perfect health.

The doors open and my eyes shifted to see who was joining this party. A bear of a man came from the doors. He was as tall as he was wide. I saw this man before. The bald head with the facial hair. I knew who this man was even though I never met him. His blue eyes were a dead give away.

This was the shadow of Soji’s fear in the flesh. The leader of this church. Soji’s father Rhett. A part of me wanted to break away and slaughter this man. What an awful life he must have given to his son in order for Soji to fear him. I wanted to kill him and break whatever power he had over the white mage. I knew I couldn’t though. Not here, not now at least.

“I’ve returned father,” Soji bowed dropping down to his knees and lowering his head for this man. He wanted people to bow to him. I hated that type of people. They always thought they were more important than they actually were. They were the ones in the crowd with the tiniest dicks but wanted to wave them around like they were big stuff.

I could feel my fangs pressing down as Rhett walked down the stairs. He stood in front of his son. With his size even if Soji was standing he would have towered over the small boy. He probably thought he was tough stuff to tower over a child. Maybe it made him feel powerful.

“Raise,” his voice was like thunder. It was loud and booming. It demanded attention and I found that everyone was looking towards this man. Even the ones that had their weapons on me. Soji eyes were downcast. He didn’t look his own father in the eyes. I wanted to go to him. To tell him that everything was going to be okay.

I was starting to regret coming here. I wanted to take Soji and Rai from this place. I wanted us to get as far as fast as we could. I was starting to think going to Ban was safer than here. At least with Ban you knew the blood and pain that you were in for.

My regrets only deepen as Rhett raised his hand slapping Soji across the face. Soji stumbled away falling to the ground with a frightful and shocked expression on his face. My fangs pushed down my energy came off in a shock wave as I knocked the idiots who had weapons on me away.

I rushed towards Soji growling at Rhett. He might slap Soji around, but I dared him to do that with me. His eyes lowered as he glared at me my lips pulled back in a sneer as I bared my fangs at him. Rhett seemed like the kind of man that has never been challenged before. I was here to challenge him. If he touched Soji again, I would do more than that.

“It’s okay, I’m fine,” Soji said and I helped him back to his feet. He held his hand over his face and I gently pulled his fingers away. There was an ugly red mark on his pale skin. His lip was bleeding and I could smell the sweet scent of his blood. Moving my thumb over his lip Soji smile slightly. A part of me wanted to taste the blood. Instead, I rubbed it off on my pants.

“Good job, Soji. You tamed the beast.” Rhett spoke and I growled at the man. He wanted to call me a beast, but he was the one slapping tiny boys.

“Zero isn’t a beast you are!” Rai yelled as she walked over to Soji and me. Fang and Ayase walked to join us as well. We were a team, of course we were going to stand together.

“Demon lovers. What kind of scum have you brought home?” Able came to stand next to his master. He had a sneer on his already ugly face. I wanted to tell him if he kept making that face it was going to get stuck that way. Of course right now wasn’t the time.

“They aren’t scum.” Soji stood up for his team. His eyes burned with a fire I don’t think I ever saw him before. “Rai is a gifted green mage. Kenji . . . The Blood Demon killed her mother. Her father died in that nightclub with Ban, Kenji, and Maya.” I closed my eyes against the memory of Shu’s death.

“Fang knows the forbidden arts. He’s well versed in them and I’m sure you all would agree a very special and powerful ally. Zero is . . . Zero is . . .” What was it that he wanted to say? What was I? Soji had whispered words of love to me since the first time he uttered them. He was so sure that our souls were linked. So what was I in his eyes?

“Zero is a demon. Even a toothless demon is still a demon. Put a collar on your pet. We have much to do.” Rhett turned from his son walking back inside of the church. I could see Soji standing there. His hands were clenched into a fist as he shook with silent rage. Most of the others followed Rhett back into the church. A few stayed close to Soji.

“Please Master Soji, come inside before it’s dark,” Ayase told him and Soji nodded before the others started to go into the church. This group all greeted Soji before walking past him. Each of them calling him master and expressing they were happy to see him home safely. Was there a divide in the church. It sure looked that way.

“Fang,” I looked towards Fang and he grabbed Rai’s hand nodding his head.

“Don’t worry I won’t let her out of my sight,” Fang told me pulling Rai along as the two of them went inside. Soji stood outside with me. Reaching over I touched his chin softly. I gave him a smile, but I could see the pain and sadness in his eyes.

He didn’t want to be in this place anymore than the rest of us. Would they be safe here? The only reason I agreed to come here was so everyone could find a safe place. I wanted to turn around and leave, but I couldn’t leave when I didn’t know if Rai were going to be treated fairly. I would rather suffer with these people and walk over Rai then walk away and never know how she was.

Leaning down I pressed my lips to Soji’s lightly. He turned away looking around as if someone was watching. In this place, I had the feeling there was always someone watching. I could see tears swell in those blue eyes before they spilled over. I hated seeing him sad. I wanted to lick his tears away. No one should be so unhappy when they come home. Home should be the one place you look forward to.

“Don’t worry, I’ll play good pet for now. I want to know about the Night of Demons. I want to stop Ban and Kenji as well. If that mean putting up with Master Dick for a few days, I can do that. I also want to make sure Rai is safe and happy here. I can’t leave until I know that much.”

“If you come inside father will want you in a cage.” Soji shook his head and I cupped his cheeks. I wasn’t sleeping in anyone's cage. That just meant I would stay out here for the night. It wouldn’t be the first time I slept outside. I doubt it would be the last time either.

“I’ll stay outside. Go ahead before he sends someone for you.” I told him and Soji reached up touching my cheek lightly before he turned away from me. I watched as Soji walked into the church. The doors closing behind him. Squeezing my eyes shut I found a bench and sat down. It was going to be a long night.

When day broke, Fang had come outside to join me for a cigarette. He wanted to know when we were leaving. I couldn’t answer that question. So far, this place was the safest that I had for Rai. Until they gave me a reason to not trust her with them, I would have to keep her here.

Passing a cigarette back and forward between us I looked up when Ayase was coming towards us. I could see something in her hand as she walked with a grave look on her face. She paused in front of the two of us. Her eyes slide over to Fang, who blew a kiss at her. I rolled my eyes at him and she seemed to do the same.

“Master Soji wanted you to know breakfast was ready. However, Master Rhett won’t allow you inside of the church without a collar.” She held out the collar to me. It was white and seemed to click together. I could smell the magic on it. The stone in the middle of it was probably where that energy was stood.

“I’m sorry about this, Zero,” Ayase said and I shook my head taking the collar from her. I already knew that this was what I was going to be putting up with. I could have left at any point last night. Instead, I stayed here. That meant my choice was made already.

Putting the collar on, back when I was human this might have been a fashion statement. Reaching for the ring I pressed it against the stone in the collar. This thing was designed to limit my powers. There was no way I was going to let that happen. Ban’s ring glowed softly until I heard the stone in the collar crack. Now that it had imperfections it wouldn’t work the way it was met too.

Rhett thought he was clever. I hate to break it to him, but I was older, smarter, and better in every way. Following Ayase and Fang inside of the church it was just like I remembered it. The smell of cleaning product burned my nose.

“I’m sorry, Zero. You can’t allowed to eat with . . . humans.” Ayase pushed a door open and I could see a room full of demons. A quick scan showed me that all of them had collars on. Pets of the people who lived here.

It made sense. These people hunted demons as well. What better tool to use to kill a demon then another demon. I stepped into the room taking an assessment of the place. I could feel their power. None of them were higher than B-Classed. They all seemed to pause to look at me. Unlike them, my powers were limited. I sent out a wave of my energy just to threaten any of the idiots that felt jumpy.

Turning around I walked out of the room again. I hated demons. There was no way that I was going to eat with him. This time I noticed the art that hung on the walls. They were all painting of the many Gods that were worshipped here. I called this place a church, but I guess it was more like a temple for all Gods.

I paused in front of one of the painting. The God that they showed looked powerful. He was the God of death. This was the God that decided who lived and who died. Was he there the day Ban came into our home. Had he taken my life or breathed new life into me.

“Demons aren’t allowed to woman free,” a soft voice called. I turned around to see a woman walking down the hall towards me. I could smell power in her blood. More power than a human should have had. Yet it wasn’t the dark power of a demon. Who was this woman?

She smelled like something clean and good. She reminded me of Soji that way. As she walked, it was more like floating. She was the embodiment of grace and elegance. She had a nice curved shape as she swayed her hips from side to side.

Her silver eyes locked with my golden ones. She had this ever so slight smile on her lips. She was beautiful but not in a way that I could understand. She wasn’t like Soji and Ban, who beauty I could see. Her beauty seemed to be there just because she wanted to be. She was beautiful because she demanded people seeing her as such. It made me want to rip away the layers and find out what was hidden.

When she reached me, she reached out. Her hand hissed against my skin. It was the reaction that happened when something good touched something evil. Just like my hand burned when I grabbed Soji as he tried to heal Emiko. The difference was this woman wasn’t a white mage. So who was she? What was she?

“You are Ban’s play thing,” I growled at her words. Ban might have thought so, but I disagreed.

“I prefer the name Zero.” My eyes shifted over her again. Her ice blue hair hung down her back nearly touching the floor. Why was she walking around the halls? She had been the first person I saw since I started to wander. “Who are you?”

“I’ve had many names over the years of my existence. None of those names matter at this moment.” That wasn’t an answer. It was the lack of an answer. “You will do something for me now. Then in the future I will do something for you Zero.” She said it so matter-of-factly. As if I was going to do this just because she said so.

“I don’t help people who I don’t know, don’t like, and don’t trust. You happen to be all three.”

“Don’t think of it as helping me. We are simply making a deal. You do your part and I will do mine when the time comes. And the time will come when you need my powers, Zero. Don’t worry, I’m not going to ask anything you can not do.”

“Get to the point.” I hated when people tried to talk in circles. She needed something from me. I could feel the power inside of her. Maybe one day I would need that power. I was willing to make this deal if that was the case.

“Protect Soji.” That was all she said. It was all she wanted. I was already told to protect Soji. Mother Fate told me that months ago.

“From who?” Maybe this time it wasn’t from Ban and Kenji. Maybe this woman wanted me to protect Soji from him his father.

“Everyone.”

TWENTY-THREE

Everyone, how was I suppose to protect Soji from everyone. I didn’t think that he actually needed that level of protection. I saw Soji fight, he wasn’t some weak little thing. He was capable of protecting himself.

“Hey you,” Someone yelled. Turning around I could see a man walking towards us. The woman finger pressed on my shoulder. Her lips were close to my ear as she whispered to me. When she removed her hand, she was gone just like that.

Protect my son.

That woman was Soji’s mother. Who was she? How could she be his mother? I guess it made sense. The power that she held was a lot like the white mage power. It meant Soji got his power from her. Why would she leave her son with someone like Rhett? She had powers, why wasn’t she the one protecting Soji.

The man who had called me was now closer. I frowned when I looked at him. His steps slowed as he grew closer to me. His eyes, I knew those eyes. I could never forget eyes like his. They were gray and clear. It made my soul stir inside of me. I could picture those eyes staring at me daring me to blink first. Those eyes laughed with me, they cried with me, they teased me endlessly.

Blinking I shook my head. It was impossible and yet as I took in the rest of the package my heart started to raise. Gray eyes, black hair, this man was the mirror image of my father, of my brother, of me. I could smell power in him, but I didn’t know what kind of magic he held. Who was he? Who was this man?

“Yael,” I whispered my brother’s name. Closing my eyes under the scent of power was the earth and honey scent that my brother held the last time I saw him. The last time I saw Yael was over one hundred and fifty years ago. He and his father were running for their lives as I fended Ban off.

Was that who this man was. Had my blood line lived on through Yael daughter? Maybe he had another child before he died. I squeezed my eyes against the thought. Yael was dead. It was a sobering thought. One that sadden me since it had been this long since I spared my brother a thought.

“Demons aren’t allowed to wander freely.” His voice was deep, rich, smooth. Even that reminded me of Yael and our father. There was no denying that this man was in some way a descendant of Yael. It made me happy to know that despite Ban’s best efforts my bloodline lived on. “I can walk you to your master.”

I didn’t speak I just let my feet take me. They followed behind this man. There were so many questions that raced through my mind. I wanted to know about his family. How many were there? Who was out there. Did Yael every time his daughter about his family. Was the story passed down? Or were we just a forgotten memory lost to time.

“Your name is Zero.” He said and I looked up at him. He dug into his pocket pulling out a worn folded piece of paper. We both paused as he held it towards me. I looked at him and then down at the page. Taking it from his hand I unfolded the worn old thing.

If I had the range of human emotions, my heart would stir. They didn’t have pictures like these anymore. Everything was all about tech and magic in this day and age. Your memories were kept on disks that were downloaded from your thoughts.

I couldn’t remember taking this picture. Seeing it didn’t stir the memory inside of me. Still I smiled as I looked at it. My mother and father were sitting on the porch swing. Amber was leaning against the door jam with a bottle of beer in her hand. Yael and I were on the steps. Yael had me in a headlock both of us had huge smiles on our faces.

I looked at myself and almost didn’t recognize the boy before me. His gray eyes were just like his brother and father. They weren’t the golden eyes that I received when I became a demon. Shaking my head, I gently folded the page passing this man back his treasure.

“It’s been passed down in our family. Everyone knew what you became. They each wondered if they would be the one to meet you. My father this to me when I was ten. He was on his death bed. He told me when I was on my deathbed to give this picture to whatever child I had left.”

“I assumed my bloodline was dead. I never saw Yael again after his wife was killed. What do I call you?” I asked him. I didn’t know his name. This was my nephew though. I didn’t know how many greats separated us. He was still my family though. Or maybe I was wrong, maybe a demon didn’t have any family.

“Forgive my rudeness. I’m Akabane, it’s a pleasure to meet you at last Zero.” He paused to look around. Maybe he was trying to see if we were alone. “You must have been lonely for a very long time.” I looked at Akabane. His words echoing through me.

“Being a demon is an empty existence. I found friends. I made a new family.” Shu, Kaleb, Amy, Rai they were my family. They were the people who saw my demon form and still called me family. They didn’t judge me or hate me. They never ran from me or shunned me. They accepted me for me, just like family was supposed to. Now I had Fang and Soji as well. They were my family.

Before them there had only been the fog of hunger and Ban. Ban, was he, my family. He was always saying he loved me. He thought he owned me. He killed the people that I loved though. Again and again he attacked and murdered everyone important to me. Ban was just a demon. He didn’t know what it meant to be someone’s family.

“How is it that you’re a demon?” I looked to Akabane. I never had a chance to explain it to Yael. There was so much fear, hunger, Ban. My brother and I never had a chance to sit and talk. Maybe if I had, he would have stayed with me. For as long as he could. Maybe I could have watched my bloodline grow and thrive. Or maybe Ban would just come for them again.

“I took Ban’s blood and it changed me.” That was the short version of events. He didn’t need to hear all of the bloody details. “He killed my mother, father, and Amber . . . My sister. He killed me as well. I just . . . Came back.” I could see the pity in his eyes when I told him. It mixed with something else that I couldn’t read. Guilt maybe, why would he feel guilty? Maybe it was something that Yael passed down to his children. Survivor guilt.

Akabane came close to me. His arms wrapped around me. I could feel the embrace of his huge. Of the years of my life, I’ve hugged a lot of people. This wasn’t the hug of Shu or Amy. It wasn’t the same with Rai or Soji. This hug was so odd and yet strangely familiar. It was as if I was hugging Yael, my dead brother. I relaxed into it. I couldn’t remember a lot about my brother, about my family. Our death was my memory of them. Still inside of me I knew that Yael was a good brother. I knew that when he hugged me it was that of an older brother keeping his younger brother safe.

“The past is dead and gone. We can only move forward now.” Akabane spoke and I pulled back from him. My past was full of blood and pain. There was a river of red liquid that I bathed in. Still I agreed with him. The past was over. We couldn’t go back to change anything. There was only the road ahead of us.

“Zero,” Soji’s voice called to me and Akabane and I turned to look at the white mage. I could see the frown on his face. It reminded me of a frown that Ban get. Soji was jealous. Why did I find that so cute? When Soji reached me, I grabbed his chin. Leaning down I pressed my lips to his. My tongue flicked out touching his lips before we pulled back. I could see the red flush on his cheek.

“What are you doing?” Soji asked his eyes moving between Akabane and I. I shook my head.

“We were talking. Thanks, walking me to my master.” I nodded to Akabane and he nodded back at me before giving Soji one more look. He then turned on his heels and walked down the hall. I looked at him but shook my head. It was nice to have met him. I was glad that I had that.

“Who was that guy?” Soji asked me and I looked down on him. Shouldn’t he have known who it was. Then again, this place was massive. I doubt that Soji knew every member of this church. I looked back down the hall, but Akabane was long gone by now.

“He's descendent of my brother. Now I have a question for you. What is your mother?” His mother wasn't human as far as I could tell. Soji frown as he looked at me. What was that frown for. I didn’t understand why he would be unhappy. It wasn’t like my question was offensive.

“I . . . I don’t know my mother.” Soji whispered and now I frowned. How could he not know her. She has been walking around here. At first I thought the woman outside of the club was Soji’s mother. I had never questioned it, but now I suppose she wasn’t. Maybe she was his aunt. Or a stepmother.

“My mother left when I was born. I never met her.” How sad was that? To have never met your own mother. I might not have many memories of my mother, but she was there. From her actions on the day of our death I knew she must have loved me deeply. Soji mother asked me to protect him. Did that mean she loved him as well?

Soji reached up touching my cheek. “I’m not sad about it. This is the way it has always been. I know she loves me and watches over me. She just can’t be here. That is the way that father explained it. Plus, Niwa mother has always acted as a mother to me as well.” Niwa, that was the boy with the long sword. The one who Emiko was scared of. The one who was outside of the club with Soji.

“Niwa?”

“My brother. He’s on a mission. You will probably meet him soon though.” I nodded my head. So I was right. The woman was Soji’s stepmother and his real mother could only watch him for a far. Still what was she? What did that make him?