1 comments/ 4435 views/ 5 favorites Fire & Ice Ch. 08 By: Acal Ryan grasped hold of the desk in front of him tightly and closed his eyes and tried to even out his breathing. Something was happening, he had felt incredibly angry, he had just wanted to punch that smug look off that toad's face. He knew that Clarke was smarter than that, to hand him self-incriminating documents, something more was happening. He had felt off balance since he had received those fake files from Clarke, the aggression he had felt welling up inside of him when he had discovered the fact that he was trying to frame him as well. The tension inside of him was made even worse with Ms. Rodgers come ons, he had an inexplicable urge to push her over the desk and slam into her like she appeared to desperately want. He had to gather together all the evidence so he could sort through it with Demetrius later, he took a calming breath before letting go off the desk and then reached over to the drawer to open it when he could have sworn something brushing up against him. "You still can't trust him... he's keeping things from you... secrets are dangerous... you know it well enough... he has been acting strangely..." Now he was hearing voices, he couldn't have a mental break. He couldn't spare the time, not with everything that was currently going on. Tightness grasped his chest as sweat beaded on his forehead and began to slide down towards his neck. His breathing increased as a pervasive feeling of anxiety crawled into his chest, he had never had a panic attack before. He tried to force his breathing to slow down but it was like a runaway train. Something wasn't right, he couldn't slow his breathing down, whatever it was. He didn't think it was him, it was trying to push him into panicking. The voice that had bounced around inside of his head was trying to make him think that Demetrius was untrustworthy. But with everything he had seen, to disregard that would to descend into paranoia. Whatever it was he knew he would not be able to continue working until he had sorted out what was going on inside his head. A knock at the door and the grasping tightness on his chest suddenly released and the veil of paranoia and anxiety lifted. He quickly grabbed the folder out of the desk draw as he called out to the door," Come in." Demetrius opened the door and stepped into the room, and suddenly the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. Something unclean had been in here very recently, he looked at Ryan who was visibly distressed. He could see the glistening sweat that had streaked down from his forehead, and the tension that creased his brow. "Did everything go ok with The Cougar?" he asked. Ryan looked up from the desk, "Yeah, everything went fine there, we'll be signing the contract at the next meeting she just wants to have her lawyer look over it. But the deal is sealed up, just need the signatures. How did the meeting with Ms. Valencia go?" "Everything went as planned, she signed the contract so the assets will be transferred to our business accounts tomorrow. So how are we going to proceed with Mr. Clarke?" asked Demetrius. He watched Ryan cautiously. Now he had settled into the room, he could feel something unsettling coming from Ryan. He knew it was him as it was different from the other entity he had felt in the room. He'd feel a whole lot better if he had a solution to this whole problem, but he needed to wait for Katherine to get back to him. He would find the demon who had poisoned Ryan and make them pay a million torments for it. His demonic part snarled inside of him wanting to rend flesh, the sensation almost threw him off as he had never felt something so violent from his demon side even when it had first arrived in its madness. Ryan looked at him cautiously before saying, "We need to see if we can trace anyone else connected to this first before we make things public. It will need to be as solid as possible before we send the evidence to the police." Demetrius had hoped to avoid this, he had tried to keep a good distance between himself and Ryan so it wouldn't be as bad when he had to leave. But now he knew he had to disclose his secret, he couldn't afford to do it right now, not with what was currently happening with him. But he knew he had to do it to protect him from future incidences so he could at least talk to him. Tension was building up inside of him as his demon was prowling around intensely analysing the darkness in the room. "I think the best way would be if we order a board meeting for the morning so we can discuss this, but honestly we both need to relax. It's been exhausting dealing with Clarke. So why don't you come to my apartment and we can watch the game on cable, after we finish clearing the rest of the day's schedule?" he asked. "That sounds good, haven't had much time to relax over the last few weeks. So 7pm before the game starts?" asked Ryan. "Yeah sounds good, I'll see you then," he grinned and got up off the chair and opened the door and left the room. He breathed a sigh of relief the pressure of the dark, slimy feeling lifting, he had never invited Ryan back to his apartment before and under the circumstances he knew that this would make Ryan even more suspicious but he had to keep him close so he could monitor the changes. He hoped Katherine could find what she was looking for. *** Katherine looked up from the books scattered around her living room floor and sighed, she still hadn't found a powerful yet safe enough spell she could use on Ryan. She had come to the grim conclusion after hours of research that white magic could not help, as the exorcism would has the strong potential of turning him into a vegetable. It was another reason she couldn't stand the white magic witches with their false virtues. A lot of the powerful cleansing magic took no real regard for the victim's safety. There was no question the spells would work, but if she used him she would likely be condemning Ryan to less than life. Only mere existence, she wouldn't do that do him. That only left black magic and she had a feeling that no basic magic would work. Not to mention that black magic was a lot more offensive and had far less propensity for cleaning things up afterwards. She needed to imprison the darkness, but with how powerful the corruption she felt radiating from him. The corruption may have already passed over the boundaries of what she could do. Of what any witch could do, because if the corruption seeped into his spirit it would become him and an extraction or exorcism would not work and would most likely kill him. She got up from the floor and walked over to her bookcase and grabbed the book that had been irritating her since she had sat down. It was her biggest and oldest black magic tome, there were some seriously dark spells in this grimore and she knew that what she had been looking for wouldn't be in here. But still something had urged her to pick it up, she sighed and pulled it open, the irritating urge wouldn't stop until she found whatever it was that was making it. The major darkness of this book wasn't necessarily the spells involved, the graphic depiction of some of the resulting effects were just as dark as the spells themselves. She flipped through a few more pages until she came to an elaborate drawing of a naked woman, ancient arcane symbols seeming to glow off the page at her were placed over the body in the spiritual focuses. As she read the description, she knew why it had been so insistent. Sometimes black magic would reach out and insist that you look at them, this spell she thought was Ryan's only real chance. As she read through the spell, it came clear to her that Ryan was not escaping the fate that he had been marked for. He would become a demon, but this spell would not expel the corruption. It would merely replace it with another source, when she read the rest of it she knew what it would be. Demetrius' soul energy would replace the corruption as she knew that Demetrius had been sired by the demon she highly suspected did it the corruption would be easily absorbed. When she turned the page, there was an equally elaborate drawing of a naked male with the more arcane symbols pulsing from the page. But they were different, and in different locations, when she read the inscription a sudden torrent of lust washed through her, it was telling her that she needed to the channel. She would filter the current and allow the power exchange to run smoothly, she considered the placement of the glyphs and she knew that she would be pressed between their hard bodies, heat flooded her body as she pictured what it would be like. The angry, biting force of the corruption infesting Ryan's soul and the rough, dominating force of Demetrius' energy. She wondered what Demetrius' reaction to this would be, she knew that they were permanently bonded to each other so she wondered how that would affect his reaction. She needed to look through the other books she had to confirm the fact that this was the only way so she could impress on him that this was the only way that he could save his friend. Hours later Katherine got off the floor and began putting her books back onto the shelves, she had done her best to find an alternative. But there was no safe way that she could find that would keep Ryan human and healthy. So she could only go with the transference ritual she had discovered in the black tome, she needed to consider what she was going to say to Demetrius to get him to accept her plan. She felt for him through their connection and felt anxiety swirling around him, she wanted to talk to him. To ease his anxiety, but she felt another presence with him, Ryan was with him. This next part would be difficult, she would need some kind of barrier to prevent Jasrahel from reaching out. She was certain it was his doing to have Ryan infected, and when she conducted the transference, she would be taking his energy into her body and transferring it Demetrius strengthening the bond momentarily. She could only hope that everything would play out as planned, she would make use of Demetrius' apartment to boost the power of the ritual and hopefully boost the power of the barrier to prevent interference. All she could do now was wait until the morning before she could contact him. *** She hadn't gotten much sleep during the night, a mixture of her own anxiety and the feeling of Demetrius' stress had amplified it and made it near impossible to shut down her brain so she could sleep. She looked up at the richly appointed apartment tower, this would be the first time she would see his apartment. Now she would see how he lived, she strode past the entrance desk with confidence before moving to the elevators, when the doors opened she stepped in and focused on Demetrius for a moment before pressing a number, surprised she noted it wasn't closer to the top. The closer she got to his floor the tighter the anxious feeling got in her chest, she knew that this wasn't her own anxiety it was flowing out of their connection. She knew that he would have had just as bad of a night as she did. When the doors opened she quickly made her way to his apartment and knocked on the door. When Demetrius opened the door only wearing his pants, the words caught in her mouth for a moment as she took in the sight of his bare chest. "We need to talk Demetrius," she said as his eyes flared amber and silver. He grinned and grasped her arm, she gasped as heat and sparks raced up her arm as he pulled her into her apartment and shut the door. "You can talk, while I finish getting ready for work," he said as he turned away from her. She groaned as the muscles of his back flex, she knew that he had done that purposely. She had to retain her focus and get through what she needed to do. She would have to get all the supplies she needed to erect the barrier and create the runes for the ritual. "There is only one spell that is guaranteed to work, but the problem is. It's sex magic, it's a transference spell and it uses a medium as the sieve to limit the speed of the transfer," she said. As soon as she had said sex magic his muscles had locked up. She knew he wouldn't have liked to hear it, even though she knew she would enjoy it. She could feel it even now, the possessiveness rolling off him. But she knew that she would feel much the same if it had to involve another woman, she wouldn't want any other to touch him. "I looked through all my books and that was the only spell that didn't threaten to melt his brain or blow him up. So that is all we have, and unless you want to deal with the consequences of not doing it, it's the only way forward." She didn't want to be so harsh with him, but she knew that they only had a very limited amount of time before either Ryan gave in to the corruption or it sent him crazy. Demetrius entered his bedroom and soon came out with a dark blue dress shirt and slipped it on, she still couldn't help but look as his pecs and abs rippled with the motion, "If it's the only way, I don't want to lose him as a friend." He took the news better then she had expected she thought until his eyes flared hot as the skin around his neck and cheeks began to glow. "But this will be the only time it happens, you're mine Katherine. Don't forget that," the growl that came from him sent shivers through her body. If she could melt, she would do it right now, all that heat, power and raw male dominance locked up inside of him. She knew that no man would ever come close to him, she licked her lips as she felt cold rush over her cheeks and up her neck. "No man could ever compare to you though Demetrius, this is all for Ryan. He'll be sired to you after this is done because he will become a demon." Demetrius growled as the glow increased for a moment before dropping off as he quickly buttoned his shirt. "How are you going to do this?" "Right here, the wood floor of your living area will be a perfect place to conduct this ritual. It will require an incredible amount of power to do this right but because we are now linked. I don't think there will be a power problem. What I need to construct is a barrier of sorts to keep out unwanted forces, the transferral will shine like a beacon. Like an open invitation to your sire, its more dangerous for you and me as it will be for Ryan, as they'll be hunting us instead of him," she said as he disappeared again into his bedroom and returned with a black suit jacket. As he slid it on he looked at her, "What do you need for this barrier? I have basic wards on my apartment to keep minions out. But I don't think they will work for what you need." She had felt the dim pulse of the arcane wards as she entered his apartment and she knew he was right. They weren't strong enough to deter what would be attracted, "Don't worry about my preparations, I know what I need to get for it. I just have to visit the mage store and collect the ingredients. What I need you to do is ensure that Ryan comes here, it's an unusual situation. Normally demonic corruption doesn't spread quite so quickly. I sensed something when I met him, some kind of spark, there is something there I think is enhancing the strength of the demon seed, forcing it to grow faster." "I've been thinking about it since we met, I'm going to talk to Ryan today and show him what I am. That should hopefully stop any reservations about this, and like you said the corruption is progressing quickly. He should be more open as he would be hearing voices right now, that bastard Jasrahel is very convincing it took me a long time to find my way out from under his trickeries and deception," said Demetrius his eyes still glowing. He put on his socks and slipped on his shoes before saying to her. "I'll bring him over tonight, that should give you enough time to set everything up?" "That will be plenty of time, I will have everything sorted out by then. We can save him, then we'll discuss what to do about the problem of your sire," she said. "That would be good, then hopefully we can get things back to as normal as possible," he grinned. "Time for me to go to work now." "Bye, see you tonight," she grinned before he disappeared in front of her. She took a moment to take in the atmosphere of his apartment before she took the keys off the side table near the door and walked out and made sure the door was locked before going down the long hall back to the elevators. Fire & Ice Ch. 09 Demetrius sat down on a chair in the public park near his office, he couldn't go up there yet. His inner demon snarled at him, a raging beast that wanted to rend and maim, logically he knew that this was truly the only way Ryan would be safe. But the sharp, harsh feeling of possessiveness had taken over him, he clenched his fists as pictures of Ryan and Katherine tangled up together flashed through his mind. It made him angrier and it wasn't what he needed right now. He knew that this needed to happen or he would have to kill his friend, there was no way he was allowing Jasrahel to win. He knew what his plan would be, to use Ryan as his window and possess him and then use Ryan to kill him, he would thwart that plan. He just had to get his demon to calm down, this would be rough but he would do it for his friend. It also had the side effect of further increasing his power as each demon sired increased the sire's strength. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath and searched for his demon, the heavily muscled midnight red hulk snarled at him as he built up his strength of will and forced it against a wall. It howled furiously and tried to swipe out at the force field with its claws, he held firm as he pushed the demon back inside its containment cell. The one he had taken a century to perfect, with recent changes he knew he needed to make it far stronger, but that would take a long time. He needed perfect focus to re-enforce the shimmering blue-green walls of its prison, he opened his eyes and got up off the chair. Now it was time to deal with what will be a life changing event for Ryan, he just hoped that he could get Ryan to trust him and not the voice whispering to him in his head. Once he reached his office, he knew he was still throwing off don't screw with me vibes because he noticed that no-one as much looked at him. But he knew that this could be accepted because of what was about to happen, the smackdown with the board members. He expected to find at least one other conspirator amongst them it had always been too suspicious that they didn't seem to pay much attention. Once he collected all of his papers into a folder, he opened the door and strode out. When he passed Ryan's office he could feel the dark vibes present in there, this time they were all one flavour. He didn't know how Jasrahel had thought that he could get away with this undetected, even now he could feel the strength of the building corruption. Once he reached the board room, he pushed opened the doors and stepped inside to see Ryan sitting near the head of the table. Ryan looked up at him, a dark fire burning in his eyes. The color reminded him of burnished copper, similar to the color of the dress shirt he was wearing. He only hoped it wasn't too late to turn this around, he knew they had one chance at this he had to convince Ryan that he wasn't the one he should be looking at. Demetrius took his seat and dropped the folder on the table, he looked at Ryan and said, "Let's see how many toads we can catch with this," the energy burned against him, it felt familiar it reminded him of when he first met Jasrahel. The burn running over his skin, but he could be mistaken because when he met Jasrahel he was dying and he was cold. "A few at least, they won't be able to hold it together against us. We can clean house after this and make sure it won't happen again," said Ryan. Danger seemed to flood off his words, Demetrius grinned. The power behind his voice would be enough to get them trembling but that mixed with his own enhancements should be enough to pin point the traitors. Once the boardroom had filled up, Demetrius stood. His nerves were on edge from sitting next to Ryan the aura coming from him was very similar to Jasrahel. He had to push his time table forward, he was going to do it once they had finished for the day. But he didn't know if he actually had that long, he had to take control of the situation once he had finished with the board meeting and weeded out the traitors he would deal with this situation. He looked around with a predatory gaze watching everyone closely, some of them shuffled in their seats. He could feel the tension in the air, he knew they were all wondering what was going to happen. "As you all know, Mr. Daniel Clarke was fired for insider trading and a criminal investigation will be launched into his actions. If anyone knows about illicit trading, anyone who could possibly be traitorous, now is the time to speak up. Once you leave this room and you knowingly withheld information then the retribution will be harsh. I will not suffer to have traitors working to deliberately undermine all that we have worked for." Demetrius could feel the burn of Ryan watching him, he knew this had everything to do with Jasrahel whispering to him. Pushing his corruptive influence on him, he had to set him straight afterwards. He could see some of the board sweating, he knew some could be caused by the overall tension in the room, but he knew the truth of it some of it was a direct result of guilt and the threat that their secret will finally come out. He decided to sweeten the deal, he knew gave an incentive, if anyone did know information they'd be more likely to forward it if they got something in return. "As an added incentive, I'm willing to... overlook your transgression for not reporting the suspicious activity if you let me know what you've seen or heard. It only extends to this meeting, you would also have a good chance of being assigned to the more important cases," he almost smirked as he looked at the change in posture of some of the board. He knew someone would soon speak out, he looked to Ryan who was carefully observing everything that was going on. Demetrius looked around the silent room, just as he was about to question them again, one sat forward in his chair and looked across the table. "I was going to inform you of the situation at the end of the next board meeting in private to avoid anyone making a public scene. But considering one has already been busted, now is as good a time as any to let it be known that I overheard Clarke have a good discussion with Joseph over there about what he had planned to do forged documents to try and frame you as a thief." Demetrius smirked, it was who he expected it to be, in past meetings along with Ryan he was one of two others who seemed to pay attention to every detail. Robert was an oily, vicious snake and he very well could have been involved in this plot as well as he was jealous when Ryan got promoted over him. He would have the chance now to allow him to sink or to prove his worth to the company, it didn't particularly surprise him that Joseph Butler had been involved in this scheme. He was a follower and never had much potential to be a real leader, "What do you have to say for yourself Joseph?" Joseph appeared to have melted into his seat, he could pull back the aggressive aura his demon was projecting but he wasn't feeling very merciful right then. It probably wouldn't have worked anyway not with the building firestorm burning behind him, when Joseph had been outed he had felt the aggression from Ryan flare up hotter. "He's trying to set me up, that's what I have to say. He was at that same meeting, but there was no discussion of fake documents. I had thought they were real, I thought that those papers were what was really going on." He thought it could be the truth, but the incredible naivety to believe everything that Clarke had told him he didn't think that would be true if he was honest with himself. "So why are you only now bringing this up, you've had plenty of time before this meeting to discuss any kind of concern, you also didn't even have to talk to either me or Ryan you could have asked anyone else here what they thought. That was your biggest mistake blindly believing what you've been told, Clarke wanted to take over and it was likely he would have fired you and most everyone else. I'm going to suspend you until more investigation is done on the matter. And Robert you can have your pick of any assignment in the future just let me know which one you would like." Demetrius smirked again as he noticed Ryan staring at Joseph, a hot glare cutting through him. Before he had an accident in the board room he broke the standoff, "If anyone else would speak up, now would the time to do it." He watched as everyone stared at each other, he saw Emily scowling at Robert. He wouldn't say it now, but Emily almost became VP. She was going to be his candidate for the VP position when he handed the top job to Ryan when he left but now things were different, he didn't know if he could get her to stay if she wasn't going to be afforded any promotion opportunities for the near future. "I'm sure the rest of you have a lot of work to be doing today, so get on with it. The secretary will be contacting you Joseph about what will be happening. He watched as they got out of their seats and left the room, the tension and the stress from Joseph fed his demon and especially with the increasing violent force of Ryan's aura had made it anxious and harder than usual to keep contained. Once the door shut behind the last of them he sat down in the chair across from Ryan and said, "I hope that is the end of that. What do you think if Joseph?" "I think he's trying to slime his way out of trouble, even if he didn't know all the facts the way it appears to have been handled should have been extra suspicious. So what are we to do with Robert?" Ryan's eyes had flared again, he knew it wouldn't be long before the corruption progressed enough to allow for possession. "I'm not going to allow him to get away with it, he's a slippery snake and we can't let him get away. For all we know he could have been the mastermind and not Clarke. I'll let him take an important job and I'll have arrangements made with the investor, he's days here are numbered. So do you have any suggestions on who might be suitable replacements?" Ryan smirked, "I do in fact, recently I got in contact with one of my old buddies from college and he's looking to move up here and will need a solid job. He was one of the best consultants for his investment firm in Los Angeles but he told me he's sick of that place and wants to move here to New York." "Sounds promising, there is something of critical importance I need to trust you with Ryan. Come to my office once you're ready," he said as he got up from his chair. He knew that Ryan wouldn't be able to resist, the whispers would likely already be trying to tell him what it would be. "Ok, I'll be in there soon. I'll call my friend and find out when he's moving here." Demetrius grinned, he wouldn't allow Jasrahel to win this fight, he knew something like this was bound to happen sooner or later. He just didn't expect him to take as long as he had to respond to his desertion, not many demons abandoned their sires. He had hated the grasping squeeze of control, he would ensure that Ryan stayed free of that shit. He entered his office and closed the blinds before shutting the door, he took off his jacket and unbuttoned his shirt. He didn't want his demon form to rip his clothes, he sat back in the chair and waited for Ryan to come to his office, soon enough he felt the raging firestorm of energy approaching. He was doing the right thing by telling him now and not waiting until the end of the day. He called out to Ryan once he knocked on the door, he stepped in and shut the door. "Lock the door Ryan, we have something of critical importance to discuss," he just hoped that the Watchers weren't going to smite him for what was about to happen considering Ryan was still technically human. Once the door locked he got up out of his chair and slipped off his shirt and hung it over his desk along with his jacket. He leaned against the desk and said, "I know what's been happening Ryan, the voices in your head, whispering to you. Making you doubt everything you believe, well so I can get you to trust me on this I have to show you who I really am. Don't listen to the foul voice in your head, it's nothing but my sire Jasrahel. Once he uses your body to kill me, he will drag your soul back with him as his possession and will destroy your mortal body. He'll make you one of his demonic slaves, he's likely attracted to you because of your strong will." Tension tightened Ryan's body as the aura grew noticeably stronger, Demetrius grinned Jasrahel wasn't happy he was trying to push through. "Don't give him any permission and you're safe from him, just an irritating voice." Demetrius closed his eyes as he brought up the shimmering wall, he unsealed the door and allowed the demon to come barrelling out. He felt his belt and pants tighten around his waist as his hips grew, coolness wisped around the bottom of his legs as he grew taller. He opened his eyes and looked at Ryan who stared, not shocked as he had expected but in admiration. He looked down at his arms the almost black muscles bulging to ensure the transformation was complete. "This is my demonic half, I would think that Jasrahel didn't think I would show you this, that he could continue to manipulate you until he made you unconsciously give him permission to possess your body." His voice was much deeper and powerful in his demon form but it still got the message across. "Fuck, Demetrius I don't know what to do about it. Those voices are getting angrier," said Ryan. "Don't worry about it, just ignore them for now, I already have planned for it. He can't hurt you if you don't listen to him. And its Katherine, Ms Valencia, she's a powerful witch and she's getting the spell drawn up that will help you," Demetrius looked down at his watch and said, "A few more hours and I will take you back to my apartment and we can get this done. Just hold on until then." "Of course, I can do that no problem," said Ryan as he turned to leave the room. "I'll come by your office when it's time to leave," said Demetrius. Ryan nodded and unlocked and opened the door then left pulling the door shut behind him. Demetrius breathed out a sigh of relief, he felt he had effectively contained that situation, he pushed the demon back into its cage and groaned as the tightness around his waist released. He hadn't transformed with his clothes on in a long time, he had forgotten how uncomfortable it was. *** Anxious tension burned through Katherine's body as she took a breath to calm her nerves as she carefully completed the arcane markings on her skin. She looked in the mirror she had moved into the living area so she could see if she had correctly drawn all of the arcane runes on her skin correctly. If they hadn't been she could end up either killing herself, or killing Ryan as the runes needed to be correctly aligned or the power transfer would be unbalanced. Then she looked down at the circle she had drawn on the floor with a grin, she wondered if Demetrius would be pissed with the mess she had made, the enclosed rune marking warded against demonic interference. With Demetrius bolstering her strength she didn't believe that Jasrahel would be able to intrude once the power transfer lit up like a beacon attracting all kinds of nasties. It was something else she had to get right or it wasn't just Demetrius' sire they would have to worry about. Her nerves were starting to become more restless as she finished the rune marking on the floor, thankful it had been wood or it would have been much harder to prepare, she had been busy all day preparing but soon she would conduct the most powerful spell she had ever done. There was a lot at stake here, but she couldn't fail, she had closed off the emotional link to Demetrius as much as she could stand as the conflicting emotions of jealously and anxiety made her own anxiety worse. She sat down in the middle of the ward and took out the other two containers of ink, she put the amber ink down on the floor next to her and inspected the second container, she understood the silvery blue ink on her skin as it was very similar to her soul colour and the amber ink was Demetrius'. The ink container contained burnished copper, it had to be Ryan's she didn't know how she did know but she was grasped by a compulsion to pick it up when she was deciding on what colour it needed to be. Now it was time to release the control she had on the connection, at least until it was time to prepare Ryan for the ritual. She took a deep breath as the emotions slammed into her, frustration, anxiety, jealously and burning urge to possess. She still had to remind herself that things happened a lot more quickly in the magical realms, the moment the emotion flowing towards her got stronger she knew he was coming. Tingles washed over her at the thought of what would soon be happening, she craved her demon's touch. It would be rough and fierce, she expected there to be more once they had finished the ritual, the feelings of jealously must be because she had to touch Ryan and be with him. She grinned it would be a good way to bait him, for Demetrius to give her everything afterwards. She wanted to possess him just as much as he wanted her, his core of inner strength was attractive to her. But her more human part wanted to actually get to know him, but she knew that wasn't actually possible. Not at least until this drama had been settled, then she would demand that he spend time with her so she could get to know the real man. She had been so caught up in her own thoughts she hadn't felt Demetrius come up until the door unlocked. She looked up then stood in her nudity, the arcane glyphs shimmering as Demetrius walked in the door with Ryan following behind. She hadn't really noticed Ryan the last time she saw him as she was paying more attention to Demetrius, but now with the corruption burning through him she noticed him. He had hair similar to Demetrius' short black hair that he wore close to his head. His dark green eyes caught her as he looked at her, heat beginning to shimmer from him as they glinted like green amethysts. Tension radiated from both men as they took in the sight of her naked body. She noticed that the colour of Ryan's shirt was the same burnished copper she had in the ink container, she needed to get this done while she could. She was already starting to burn up from the need, she turned around and picked the ink up from the floor. She closed her eyes and settled on pushing down on the emotional link, the thunderstorm she could feel building would only hamper her efforts to get everything right. She turned back and moved over to Ryan, it appeared the corruption had only brought out and sharpened his inner qualities. She knew just from the burning touch of his aura that he could be ruthless to get things done. Now would be a test for Demetrius, she looked at him his eyes had started to glow as heat shimmered from him. She shuddered as a bolt of lust rushed through her, she wanted him as well but she would do his markings second so she could re-assure him. She turned back to Ryan and unbuttoned his coat and slid it off his shoulders that she hadn't realized were quite as broad as they were. She unknotted his tie and slipped it out from his shirt and began to unbutton his shirt, she cursed to herself as her fingers shook. The possessive and jealous emotions from Demetrius crowding her, he was a dark, angry thunderstorm barely restrained. She had to do this as quickly as she could while remaining precise, the real challenge would be when she needed to begin drawing the runes on his skin. As she unbuttoned his shirt, she revealed more taut, muscled flesh a golden brown color, while not the dark mediterranean colour of Demetrius. Her mouth watered at the sight of his flat muscled chest. While not as defined as Demetrius, she still couldn't wait to feel his abs brushing against her and the fine dusting of black hair on his chest rubbing against her. She almost groaned as another bolt of lust rushed through her, she finished unbuttoning his shirt and pulled it from his pants then unclipped his cufflinks and slid the shirt off his shoulders. Fire & Ice Ch. 09 She looked over at Demetrius for a moment, a growl on his face. She grinned as she turned back to Ryan and unbuckled his belt and pulled it open, she knew it wasn't smart to bait him right now. But she couldn't resist tormenting him. The back of her fingers slid against Ryan's chest and she smirked as his muscles jerked from the slight touch, she would have fun here. She unbuttoned his pants and unzipped them and pulled them down. She couldn't resist the action, she licked her lips as his solid cock was outlined in his tight black boxers. She turned and pulled the spellbook towards her and turned the page as she heard shuffling behind her as Ryan pulled off his shoes. She picked up the ink bottle and opened it, dipping a finger into it delicately she turned and face Ryan, as soon as she touched his calf to begin drawing the rune, a blazing hot spark of sensation raced through her. It felt like an electric shock, it was possible the demon influence was trying to protect itself but she had powerful wards constructed to prevent anything nasty from getting in. A growl sounded from behind her, a wave of tingles washed over her as she steadied her finger as she drew the rune on Ryan's calf. His breathing was changing as she finished with the first rune, the tension was building as she knew that if she didn't have this done soon things would not go to plan and it could become very messy. She looked over the book and then turned back after dipping her finger into the pot and began with the rune on his pec, the firm muscle under her finger quivered under her touch as the beginning of a glow shined through his eyes. His breathing became more ragged as she continued to draw the runes on his skin, soon they began to glow with the accumulating power. The copper sheen standing out on his skin, she noticed his fists were clenched as she painted the final rune on his thigh, the possessive burn from behind her was why she had left this one until last. Once she had completed the final rune she turned and looked at Demetrius, his eyes shone hungrily as his skin was glowing in small patches, he had taken off his jacket and hung it over his sofa. His fists were clenched as she walked over to him and smirked, he growled as she dragged a finger over his hot skin. Gathering the sweat that had beaded there before slipping her finger in her mouth and groaned as his masculine flavour burned a path through her. He growled again as his tension increased, she grinned before beginning to unbutton his shirt. She resisted the urge to groan as she exposed the slabs of muscle and the slightly damp scattering of hair. She pulled his shirt out of his pants then slipped it off his shoulders, she had to resist the urge to run her tongue over his muscles to collect the sweat that had beaded there or she would never get the marking done. This was a test to her own self-control, she unbuckled his belt and pulled it open before unbuttoning his pants and unzipping them and tugging them down to his ankles. She licked her lips at the sight of the huge bulge of his cock outlined in his dark red boxers. She turned and picked up the jar of ink and dragged the spellbook over as there was a rustle behind her, she hesitated for a moment to decide if she wanted to strip his boxers off, but decided that it would be too tempting for her she needed to resist a little longer. She could feel his eyes on her just as she could feel the hungry burn of sensations ramming against the walls in her mind. As soon as she pressed her finger to his thigh, his muscles tensed as a restrained groan slid out, she smirked as she drew the glyph on his tight muscle. She wanted to tease him, to make him wait, but she knew that wasn't possible. Time was of the essence, once she had sealed the glyph she dipped her finger into the ink again and began another glyph. She enjoyed the feel of Demetrius' solid muscles tightening and flexing as she brushed her fingertip over his hot skin, a wicked form of foreplay she thought. She still needed to be cautious to not make a mistake, she brushed the back of her hand against his abs and brushed away the sweat that had formed there, she looked up and grinned mischievously when his abs clenched and he sucked in a groan. She continued with the marking allowing her fingers to gently brush against his hot sensitized skin, heightening his torment further. She looked over his body as the glyphs began to glow like molten honey, the power filling them, tension began to build up inside of her as she was nearly done. Releasing the power locked up in them would be like an atomic explosion, she looked down at the floor at the ward glyph, it had began to glow as it reacted to the increase in power. It was almost ready, she reached up and began to draw the last rune under his neck. Soon she was done, she tightened the lids onto both ink containers and put them outside of the circle, she looked up and saw Ryan looking at the ground like something had just appeared. That was not good, he should not be seeing the ward glyph, not until the power transfer had been completed, she grabbed his arm and pulled him into the ward. As soon as he crossed the line, the ring flared brilliantly and a barrier of light curved up from the floor, creating a dome that shimmered like some living entity. Katherine groaned as heat pressed against her back, the solid cloth covered bulge and ridged abs pressed up against her back as Demetrius nipped her neck, his hands grasping her hips. He groaned as she arched her back and rubbed against his groin, her eyes slid open and took sight of Ryan standing there as if he didn't know what to do. She grinned then reached forward and yanked hard on his boxers tugging them to his ankles, she grasped his now bared hips and pulled him against her nipping his neck. She gasped as Demetrius' hands tightened on her hips, his teeth elongating and dragging across her neck. Ryan's lips curled into a smirk he curled around and scraped his teeth along the other side of her neck. Katherine quivered, she didn't know if she would survive being caught in between both men, they both radiated a powerful dominating presence that pushed down onto her. She didn't know how she managed to miss the power that radiated from Ryan, they would both drive her insane as Ryan's finger brushed against her chest and his cock rubbing against her thigh. Heat burned through her, it was a different kind of heat, a magical heat she could describe it as. Then she looked up, Ryan's eyes were glowing a coppery hue losing their earlier amethyst shade, the power transfer had already begun. She grasped Ryan's hips and then pushed him down onto the bedding she had place on the solid flooring. He fell with a thud, his taut body laid out before her, before Demetrius could object to her blatant ogling she turned in his grasped and kissed him hard and hot. Leaving him with no doubt of her desire for him, she pulled back from him and tugged his boxers from his hips with a lewd grin. She licked her lips as his thick cock was revealed, it made her want to get on her knees and worship him. It was a thought for another night however, she turned and opened her box of supplies and pulled out the bottle that was also crucial for to work. She didn't really like the magical means of lubrication, Demetrius smirked as she handed him the bottle. Katherine knew she was in for a rough ride, especially with what she was about to do. She leaned down and sucked one of Ryan's nipples into her mouth, scraping her teeth over it. He buckled under her and gasped sharply, then groaned when she wrapped her fingers around his cock and stroked him from root to tip slowly sliding her fingers up and down brushing the tips of her fingers over the head of his cock gently. He bucked under her tormenting fingers until cold fingers pressed against her rosebud, rubbing the gel over her puckered opening before a finger then two, then three slid inside. She gasped as a second pair of fingers reached down and rubbed and pinched her clit and teased her labia. She moaned and arched as sharp teeth slid down her spine, sparks coursing through her body, her breath began to rapidly accelerate as Ryan's cock replaced his fingers rubbing against her lips before pressing into her slowly which brought a groan from him. Magical heat flared, a flash of slivery blue crackling through the air, words flowed from her as if by compulsion. She reached down and whispered in his ear. "Fuck me Ryan," then she tugged on his earlobe with her teeth and dragged them down his neck He growled and thrust his hips up, a squeal came from her as fire seared through her. His fingers grasped her hips tightly as another flare of magical heat burst through the air shimmer of multi-toned burnished copper. Katherine could feel the magical locks sinking into place as their hooks latched into her, she could hardly breathe with Ryan's harsh, demanding thrusts pummelling her body. Sending shower after shower of sparks racing through her body, a grunt sounded behind her before a second set of hands powerfully grabbed her ass and spread her cheeks. Ryan's sweat slicked skin rubbed against her increasing the speed, as she was now completely encapsulated in the inferno raging around her, Demetrius' cock slipped into her slowly, burning through her, she groaned and clenched around Ryan who cursed his fingers tightening more against her. She had to move, the thrust and pull were driving her insane, taking a moment she blasted away the wall shielding the link before thrusting up sharply, the shock resonated through her like a bomb another magical flare burned through the room as the glyphs were locked. She was lost, and if she had the ability at that moment for rational thought she would likely the same for Ryan and Demetrius. The fire blazed through her, both physically and magically, it was an un-ending torrent of raw power, passion and possessiveness. Then she was hit again with a darker more malignant power, the black darkness was being dragged from its hiding place, with Demetrius' power coursing through her she knew she would not succumb to its mighty power, it had the taste of complete arrogance and a hatred for weakness. It burned through her glyphs and burst free and slammed straight into Demetrius his whole body tensing as it bombarded him, she clenched her ass thrust against him. Loosening the tension, he leaned over and scraped his fangs over her neck, she had to hold on. She was the bridge, the darkness still burned a path through her, she barely noticed the glow of her skin and the searing heat of Demetrius' skin as the power transfer pushed her past physical sensation. She could feel Demetrius, proud and fierce behind her. His inner strength shining like a beacon but now she could also feel a second, cunning and intelligent, it had to be Ryan but the touch of the dark presence was also there desperately struggling against the tearing force of the transfer. Then suddenly it was gone and she was back, only the pure force of Demetrius' strength flowed through the connection, Ryan was groaning and grasping her hips in a death grip. His face tightened up as his back arched and his feet curled, he cried out as he came explosively inside of her. Each pulse sent a ripple through her that triggered her own explosion, white noise clouded her senses. She barely acknowledged the tight grip of Demetrius' fingers or his fangs embedded in her neck as he came inside her. When the euphoric buzzing had calmed enough for her at least partially regain her senses she was lying on her side, in between two bodies. If she had her wits about her she would be more able to admire the sight of their sweat covered skin, but she had been torn apart on the inside. She closed her eyes and focused, her inner balance was destroyed the dark side had fully invaded her light side. But the darkness had a cobwebbed network of amber rivers flooding through it, the light was still present but subdued, but before she could make a note of it she felt another presence. There was another doorway now, but this one was different it was a lot more narrow but allowed her to wedge it open and force it to remain open. Not something she would ever consider, but she received confirmation that it had worked. Ryan was theirs now, Jasrahel would not be getting control of him. Katherine looked around the room to the sight of the wards dimming, she needed to boost their power. With some struggle she was able to slide to the edge of the bedding she had placed on the floor and placed her hand on the surprisingly warm wood and let some of her power flow out and recharge the spells. She hoped they had dampened the released energy enough to not call much attention, but she knew some had escaped and they needed to be on their guard. She looked back to Ryan who was still laid out on his back his breathing still elevated as the candlelight flickered over his sweat beaded skin, then she looked over at Demetrius. He was watching her, his eyes glowing like molten honey. She moaned as desire flashed through her, how was it even possible? She could hardly move from what had only just happened, she closed her eyes tight, even the sight of sweat trailing over his skin made her want him. Then she realized, the glyphs were gone, the markings on their skin had vanished, her eyes shot open as rough hands grasped her tightly and a growl came from her side. Turbulent swirls of silver had returned to Demetrius' eyes. "You're mine," rough words she could barely make out as his lips crashed over hers, drowning her in his power, his possession. Fire & Ice Ch. 10 Blackness hammered his mind and his body, pain rocked his senses as he fought with Jasrahel's power that he had taken into himself. He needed grounding, he looked over at Katherine who was staring at Ryan. Then she turned to him, heat flooded south as her eyes trailed over his chest then closed tightly. He growled and grasped her hips, "You're mine," then he kissed her brutally, the contact pushing hard against the seething black. He needed her to ground him, he needed to force back his influence. He knew that going into this transferal ritual that he could become overwhelmed, but he wasn't going to allow Ryan to become a victim in Jasrahel's game. Just kissing her cleared his mind slightly, he needed more, he needed her. He broke their kiss a momentary sense of loss flooded through him, before he pulled her to her feet and pushed her down over his sofa. Focusing just on her motions as she brushed against him, he groaned as she brushed against his thickening cock. Sparks flowing through him, they both needed this, his inner demon still wanted to destroy. He had to completely assert his dominance now, he brushed his hands over her hips and thighs tracing her curves as he pressed himself against her back and pressed kisses against her neck. Her quivers and soft moans drove him crazy as he unconsciously rubbed his cock against her thigh. Their bond was sealed now, but he still needed a deeper connection, now that she had fully opened herself to him. He could feel everything there was about her, he pushed her thighs apart and pressed his cock against her folds before pushing in slowly. Fire streaked up his cock then up his spine, the demon howled at him it wanted to take and to possess, he was stronger than it and stronger than the darkness trying to crush him. He cried out hoarsely as Katherine suddenly thrust back onto him, sinking him deep inside of her. He grasped her hips and slid out and thrust in harshly, the sensations echoed throughout his body, their connection fusing tighter. He could feel all of her thoughts hitting him, demanding he move faster even without the words, he snarled and began to slam his hips harder. The pleasure seared through his body, gripping him tightly, fiercely, "Harder! I need you Demetrius," Katherine moaned as she thrust back on him. The demon burst partially out of its confinement as he increased his speed, the pleasure and the fused connection with Katherine burning away and the blackness that was trying to choke him, he flicked his fingers over her folds as she cried out under him. Bucking against him, he roared and plunged his fangs into her neck, raw power spilled through his body burning away the last remains of the foul darkness. His climax shattered him, filling her as she squeezed him tightly, he collapsed over her. He gathered enough energy to take her back to the bed and collapsed back on the bedding with his arm around her, he pressed a kiss against her cheek and whispered without thought, "I love you. I don't even know how yet, but I do." Katherine twisted around and reached up and kissed him gently, "I love you too, we'll figure it all out." *** Ryan was exhausted from the stress of the conversion, there was a buzz he could hear now that he couldn't earlier. At least now the demanding voice in his head had gone silent, like a plug had been pulled. He couldn't move, his limbs were too numb from the explosive sensation that had been unleashed, a sound to his right had him turning his head. A buzz of sensation washed through him at the movement, everything was sensitive or numb. What he saw was Katherine pushed up against the sofa with Demetrius ploughing into her, the scene before him was incendiary. He couldn't look away as their skin literally began to glow, just like it had earlier, he could still feel Katherine around him. The trails of power skating over his skin became more riotous as their passionate coupling became fiercer, once they had collapsed together back on the mattress, they seemed to not pay him any attention. He couldn't believe it but he actually felt jealous when they proclaimed their love for each other, when he made an attempt to move he managed to shift onto his side but regretted it immediately as a dizzying rush of pins and needles rushed through his body. His chest ached from the pressure of his accelerating breathing. "Are you ok Ryan?" asked Katherine softly. He was a little surprised she even noticed his discomfort with the clear amount of bliss stamped all over her body, "I will be, just a little dizzy," he muttered. She smiled at him before turning back against Demetrius' chest, he wanted to leave them to their privacy but he knew that he tried to stand up he'd likely fall flat on his ass and embarrass himself. He blew a breath out and tried to release the tightening pressure on his chest, he tried not to panic as the tightening sense of anxiety settled in. He squeezed his eyes closed as the room began to spin around him, his neck prickled with an itching sensation when he reached up to scratch it away it burned and began to spread as if encouraged. He grit his teeth as the itch prickled its way around his neck then started to spread down his back, when he scratched the irritation it continued to flare and spread further over his hips to his thighs. He clenched his fists as the pricking itches marched over his skin. He tensed his muscles to stop them twitching as he controlled the urge to scratch, it was becoming a pricking, itching fire that raced over his body. His breath picked up speed again as anxiety crushed his chest, he swallowed back a moan as his whole body was on fire. He wanted to dig into his skin and rip the itch plaguing him out, a hot hand grasped his shoulder suddenly. He gasped sharply as his eyes shot open, Demetrius' silver streaked eyes glowing down at him, the pressure of his fingers seemed to help salve the burning itch, "It's advanced faster than I thought it would. Ryan focus on both of us to keep your mind off it, the demonic corruption is accelerating rapidly. I didn't see this outcome coming, but I haven't heard of it actually being done it's a very powerful spell. Hold on to us Ryan, we'll get you through this," said Katherine. Ryan gasped again as a cool hand grasped his other shoulder, the hot and cold fighting each other as the sharp, burning prickles still raced over his skin. He groaned and squeezed his eyes closed tight again as dizziness sped through him again. The pressure on his shoulders increased as the burn grew hotter, sweat washed over his skin as his chest tightened further. "Breathe Ryan," Demetrius demanded, the command struck through him and loosened the pressure slightly as he managed to draw in tight breaths. The heat increased further still making him feel as if he was going to roast alive, a harsh squeeze of his shoulder sent a blast wave of cold running through him. Then a scream ripped out of him as the raging heat exploded through his body, pain incinerated his senses as it roared through his body. A flash washed through his head, large black muscles that shimmered with a faint coppery luminescence, thick horns curving from his skull and sharp ebony talons and claws that speared from his toes and fingers that glinted with a coppery glow. Then the image vanished, as a flurry of other images flooded through his mind, Demetrius standing on the top of an obsidian cliff was most prominent, clothed with curved black armor that glinted with amber hued edging that hugged his chest. Vambraces and greaves that encircled his biceps and feet, and a large slightly curved sword in his gauntlet covered fists, completing the image was the black loincloth shrouding his hips and flowing smoothly with some kind of breeze. When the progression of impressions from Demetrius had faded, another shorter burst of images came, Katherine was standing in a magical ring of some kind. A vibrant bluish-silver aura shimmered around her as she conducted a spell of some sort then a flare of bright light emanated from the ring, the image vanishing. Then he came back from the realm of discordant images, another cry of pain ripped out of him as his body convulsed. Rough, tight hands held him down as raw power burned through him, he couldn't stop the raw screams of pain flowing from him. It was agony, torture, it was burning him alive, he needed it to stop, to end. He had find his focus or the power roaring through him would destroy him, tightening his eyes he reached out to the rough grasping force of the hands holding him down. The spears of shimmering heat and fierce cold trying to ground him were instantly attracted to him, he grasped hold onto them. The screams of pain caught in his throat as everything suddenly froze, as if suspended in time. He could feel the changes now, the power raging through him was now his. It was him, he had to control it or it would continue to rage out of control, he understood now. They were grounding him, offering him their strength to allow him to create a barrier, stress releasing techniques came in real handy now as he imagined a wall of fire and ice matched on either side to form a prison around the blinding orb of light settling inside of him. The pressure on his chest lifted as the raging fire began to quickly recede, rapidly flowing inside the prison he had formed. The pain dropped to the point where his muscles stopped twitching, he ensured the power had slid into the prison the light diming and showing him its true color. A shimmering ball of molten copper, he pushed the prison further around it condensing it as tight as it would move before visualizing a sphere of shimmering ice, vapour flowing off it and encasing the orb inside of it. He breathed a sigh of relief as the remaining pressure and itch abated. He opened his eyes and looked up to see two pairs of glowing eyes, a subtle glow radiating from their skin. "We will be here to protect you Ryan, you need an adjustment period to your new strengths. It will be a little time before you can properly control your strength. I'm afraid I might have made that a little harder, I gave you some of my strength. A sire has the opportunity to afford their fledgling with extra power to ensure they're not weak enough to be stepped on by the various denizens of the hell realm. But in nearly all cases they don't, demons are power hungry and completely insecure of those who could possibly threaten their standing. I don't want you to have to go through what I had to, you're about as powerful as a 300 year old demon, or you will be when you manage to adjust to the strength flowing through you. You have to practice keeping that power contained, or things can slip out, there is a paranormal element in our society that ensures things don't get noticed. Trust me, you don't want to get on the Watchers hit list, or you could find yourself simply erased," said Demetrius as he released his arm from his tight grasp. When he tried to get up, soft hands pressed him back down. "Rest Ryan, you've been through a lot, we'll make sure you're safe here," Katherine then removed the cool touch of her hands then sat back. He laid back and closed his eyes without complaint, now that the burn had faded exhaustion rushed in to replace it. There was time to assess everything when he woke, he yawned and faded into sleep. "I don't know how well the barriers absorbed the force of the magic. There was a lot of it, and I would be sure your sire would have gotten part of the exchange, we need to prepare for the possible outcome," said Katherine as she looked down at Ryan as he shifted onto his side and grunted. "Jasrahel only decided to come after me because of that witch who tried to kill me, she's informed him of what's been happening. All we need to do is give him a reason to stop, but that will likely be harder than it sounds, he's likely going to send a minion to try and kill me. That might be the best way of sending a message, it's likely only going to be a temporary solution but we need to protect Ryan until he's able to defend himself," said Demetrius. "He's going to be sleeping for a while, hopefully long enough to assess the threat level," said Katherine. "I want to take him out of here, it will be dangerous here for him," said Demetrius. "If Jasrahel is looking for us, we can't use any magic or it will be picked up. We could use your connection to him to set a trap. But you're right it will be dangerous for Ryan to be near us until we sort this out." "Let's lay the trap and be done with it," said Demetrius as he picked up his boxers and slid them on. He stepped out of the ring and the sudden flare of energy forced him to stumble back. "Let's get Ryan out of here, once he's safe we can prepare for this showdown," said Katherine as she picked up her dress and slipped it on. *** Daniel didn't know what had gone wrong, he was still puzzled at how the files were different to the ones he was sure he gave to Ryan. He needed to re-assess his plans, Demetrius was smarter than he had thought, it could also be a result of that witch that is now connected to him. The implications of him gaining such power so quickly was a cause for concern. His thoughts were broken as a sharp cold ripped through him and the voice whispered in his head, his master was calling. "Daniel, you have a chance for redemption here. Demetrius has joined in union with a powerful sorceress, once he fully discovers the depth of his new found strength he could become a true threat to me and all who are mine. To redeem yourself, you are to destroy him utterly, taking out the sorceress will be an added bonus. If you succeed in your mission, you will earn your place as Demetrius' replacement. You will become a fully-fledged demon as your reward. Do not disappoint me again." Pride washed through him as the chill abated, Jasrahel had given him his most important task yet, he would not fail him. He had the perfect idea, he was still mortal and the idea came to him from the extremist ideals of the mortals religions. It would also be the perfect way of covering it up, his assassination would not appear supernatural at all to anyone and if something did slip it would be minor enough for it to be quickly covered. He got out of his chair and pulled on his coat, a blast of heat flared through his mind for a second before cutting off, in that moment he knew exactly where Demetrius was. Realistically he knew the only reason he was contacted was that the objective with Ryan had failed and that somehow Demetrius had saved him. But he would not be able to save himself with what he had planned, the modern inventions in explosives made this far more effective. Soon he was out on the street, heading towards the closest supply depot, he kept a feel out for the marker until the sensation pulsed and flared he took a sharp turn down and alley and came to a door the arcane symbol burning across the door only supernaturals could see. He pushed the door open and stepped inside. A hooded man behind the counter looked up, "What do you want minion?" "Anaethema extract and consecrated wine," he said. They would be the paranormal component of the bomb, the explosive element would greatly amplify the impact of the demonic poison, he would not be able to kill Demetrius with weapons, he would likely be too strong now. He needed something much more powerful and the amplification of the explosive powder would be exactly what was needed. The hooded figure smirked, just his jaw and lips visible as he turned and opened a cabinet and pulled out a wine bottle shrouded in a shimmering fabric and a then opened another cabinet and removed a small vial with a clink. The liquid inside shimmered like dark sapphires, it was poisonous to demonic creatures, mostly used in killing imps and other pests but when mixed with consecrated wine and explosives its effect was enough to kill a powerful demon. "That will be $1650, " Daniel grimaced at the high cost, "That's quite a lot there." "Anaethema extract is extremely difficult to source, not many angels sell their unique plants and poisons to us here on the Earth realm." Daniel scowled at the man but he wouldn't have much need of money once this was done. He opened his wallet and pulled out the stack of notes he expected he was going to need and handed them over. The man then handed over the wine and the vial, "Take care, you wouldn't want to blow yourself up before getting your target." Daniel smirked then pushed open the door and walked back out into the city, Demetrius' time was at an end his was about to begin. Fire & Ice Ch. 11 "Ryan's likely going to be pissed off when he wakes up," said Demetrius as he stepped back into his apartment. "It's better than the alternative Demetrius, he would likely be caught in the crossfire." "You're right, so what are we going to do here?" Katherine smirked, "We need to use a little bait, our combined magic will be enough to draw the predators here. I will need to borrow your strength to empower the shield, whatever comes will be here to destroy us. I have no doubt about that." She walked over towards the ward in the centre of the room and placed her hand onto the line and closed her eyes, light flared under her fingers as she drew the power of the field back into her body. When she opened her eyes the markings had vanished except for a small amount of dust scattered over the floor. The whole time they had been warding Ryan's bedroom she had been thinking of what she needed to do a protect Demetrius from his sire, the only thing she could think of was a block, but to block the connection suddenly would cause suspicion. She knew that from the angry force that had been vibrating around the ward ring was from his sire, it had the same darkness of the presence she had felt in the bar. He would send something to complete the job, something more permanent, the intent was to kill she could feel it. She would need her most powerful barrier spell to protect them, and if what she thought the minion would bring was used she would need every bit of her strength and some of Demetrius' to shield them from the blast. So she would put a trigger onto the block, it would engage once she powered up the shield, the blast would time perfectly with the block going into place. It would be the perfect cover for them while they figured out how to protect themselves from his wrath. And the only way a burst of power for their bait would work without being suspicious was if it was unconscious. Before Demetrius had a chance to react she grasped his hips and pulled him against her and kissed him hard and passionately pouring the power for the block into him as he growled against her, and as she expected his eyes flared hotly as a burst of raw power escaped. He broke the passionate embrace, his voice sending shivers across her skin, "So that's what you meant by bait?" "Of course, now we wait. It shouldn't be too much longer before predators arrive. Once we get out of this we need to devise a way of sealing the leaks we need to control them." "I've been managing them for centuries, it will just take time to adjust to it. But it doesn't seem like we have that time, what did you have in mind for it?" "Dampening charms, they project a null field which nullifies any escaping power, it's the only thing that is totally foolproof as concealment charms and wards can have leaks." "It will be good to feel everything without all of these new powers interfering, some time to ourselves while we sort this out will be good. We haven't tested the full range of our collective strength yet, we could be stronger then we think." A strange sensation crawled up his spine as he felt as if something dark was slithering closer like a hungry snake, he grabbed Katherine's arm and pulled her back against the wall. "I can feel something coming." Katherine felt it as well the dark forboding sensation weaving its way up her spine like oily sludge, the sensation got stronger suddenly then the door slammed against the wall as it was smashed opened by a powerful kick. Then a man stepped in holding what appeared to be a bomb, her suspicions were correct, she grasped Demetrius' arm tightly as the minion before them with an evil smirk violently shook the bottle and tossed it at them. Katherine threw a blast of kinetic energy at it and forced it back, it shattered against the floor and a brilliant flare of golden yellow light lit up the room before it rushed at them, Katherine forced her power into the floor as a shimmering wall of energy closed around them as the wall of golden fire slammed into them, she groaned and tightened her grip on Demetrius' arm as the shield pressed closer against them, the raging heat permeating through everything. Demetrius grunted as the power drain began to affect him as well, the fire kept coming at them seeking to destroy, then when she thought she could no longer take the strain of the fire it suddenly stopped, she looked around everything was a charred mass of black. She wondered how the ceiling hadn't collapsed on them. Then she noticed Demetrius lying sprawled out on the ground and pale, quickly she knelt down, "Demetrius are you ok?" He looked up at her, sweat dripping from his brow. "I'll be ok," he coughed then groaned. "Whatever the hell that was, really hurt even just the heat was like a thousand blades slicing into me." She cursed silently to herself she should have realised that fact herself, just the mere effect of standing so close to the holy fire would have had some kind of impact, the heat had been wilting to her but she wasn't a demon. "How did it not do more damage? That was so explosive and hot." "The faceless ones, the Watchers probably contained the spread, it likely would have caused the building to collapse if it hadn't been contained, questions would have been asked and it could have caused un-intended exposure." He grunted and stood back up and winced, Katherine grasped his arm to steady him. "We need to get out of here before the authorities turn up, the Watchers likely would have altered a few things to avert suspicions." "Go get Ryan then come to my place, I'll set up the dampening fields and get the charms done try to not leak anything." "I'm a bit charred right now, I don't think I could let anything slip." Katherine smirked, "I'll meet you at my apartment then we can discuss how to proceed." "I'll deal with Ryan and then we'll figure this all out." Demetrius leaned forward and kissed her softly before walking out the door. *** Demetrius pulled out the door key he swiped from the kitchen counter in Ryan's apartment earlier and unlocked the door and stepped in, he hadn't sensed anything astray but he couldn't be so sure. When he shut the door tense energy started to spike, he smirked he could feel it resonating inside of him as well. Ryan was well and truly pissed. He walked down the hall towards the room they had locked Ryan into, he heard some cursing as he came up to door. "Feeling better Ryan?" he asked with a smirk. Ryan sat on the bed and scowled at him, "What do you think? You locked me in here like I'm some kind of child." "Well in a sense you are, since you just became a demon. And we didn't want to take the risk of you being caught in the crossfire, we just barely survived an assassination attempt." Ryan tensed up, his muscles visibly tightening, "So this is how it's going to be? You're going to keep me out of these issues?" Demetrius growled, "We did this to protect you because you are too young to be able to control your strength, you have to learn to control Ryan. And until you've learned how to control your strength this will be the way it's going to happen." Ryan scowled again and said, "Are you going to let me out of here now?" Demetrius smirked, "Of course, we have to go the minions could come for you now. Get together whatever you might need, Katherine is putting dampening wards up to block any leakages from escaping," he reached into the pocket of his pants and pulled out the wardstone key that Katherine had given him and placed it on the floor. It glowed as it drew in the power of the entrapment ward, "It will be fine to come out now, because of the incident at my apartment I don't think we will be able to return to the company. We will have to see what happens, but we can always start something else together if that doesn't happen." "Right, I do need to get a few things first. I will meet you outside then we can leave," said Ryan as he got up off the bed and moved over to his closet. A prickle of power brushed over his neck, Demetrius then on full alert as he tried to find the source of the power. He walked towards the back of the apartment and stepped into a spare room, a woman dressed silvery armor and carrying a large sword etched with glowing blue runes on the blade stood there. Her icy blue eyes stared at him, he could feel them chill him, apprehension gripped him, there was an angel standing in front of him and he didn't even have enough strength to light a spark let alone call to his own armor and sword. "We meet again Demetrius," a smirk curled her pale lips as her gaze pierced him. 'Again?' He thought, he couldn't remember ever seeing her before. Then a flash of recognition came to him, he had remember seeing her fleetingly when he was a fledgling demon. He scowled at the memory. "What do you want angel?" he questioned her. "I am a Watcher, in fact I am Katherine's Watcher, very impressive I must say Demetrius. You've become more than I ever thought you would become so quickly, I do have a problem and I bring this to you because you're the only demon I know that I could trust with this. My brother Alexander has been abducted by one of your sire's demoness' to be her plaything. I'm certain of it." She looked down at her nails which looked like pearl rather than ordinary nail. Demetrius considered her carefully, she made it look like a casual request but he could feel the subtle strands of tension coiling from her. "Why are you asking me? I can't do anything about it, if I did as you proposed, I would be signing my own death warrant, Jasrahel has already tried to kill me twice. First by poisoning my friend with a demon seed, then by sending one of his minions after me." "You do have someone who can do it for you however, and I can offer you protection from Jasrahel. Being a watcher affords us powers that no ordinary angel or demon can possess, we can hide you from his sight and from his minions." Demetrius growled, "I'm not throwing Ryan in like that, completely unprepared. He only just became a demon hours ago, he will be practically defenceless down there, until he learns how to control his powers I'm not putting him at such a great risk. Why don't you get your angels to help you rescue him?" "Because they won't, they refuse to 'interfere' when that demon whore has already done that and most possibly more already. And they won't allow me to go and rescue him myself, I will not allow my brother to be abandoned like that, he's a watcher as well I thought that earned him a little more respect." Demetrius considered his position for a moment, he couldn't knowingly abandon someone to such a fate, he personally knew what it was like to be enslaved. "I can't exactly just summon up a portal, it would let those trying to kill me know I'm still here. Right now they think that I'm either dead or at least out of the picture. You will need to do something, and if you're blocked from 'interfering' which I don't see how you could be because you're here right now." "I can obscure the power signature, it won't be readable I guarantee it, will you agree to help?" "If I do agree, how will we be able to find him?" "I have something you can use to direct the search." "I will have to talk to Ryan about this, and we will only be doing this if he agrees and it can't be until he's attained at least some form of control over his power, I am not sending him in without any training." "You won't regret this Demetrius, you will be rewarded for this, we will ensure that Jasrahel cannot reach you. I will be watching, when you decide I will be there." Ryan stepped into the room then carrying a bag, as the angel looked over to him her eyes flared a bright blue a moment before she vanished. "Fuck what the hell was that?" "That was an angel, she wants to throw you to the sharks, her brother was abducted and she wants me to send you to rescue him." "I guess you're going to 'protect' me from this as well?" Ryan questioned irritated. Demetrius smirked, "No, I'm going to train you hard then I'll throw you to the sharks. It's the only way I think you will be able to learn, I can't do this I would if I could. But since I can't this is the only option available to us. She offered protection against Jasrahel if we rescue him." "I guess that's the only thing open for us then." "Then prepare for a crash course in demonic warfare Ryan," Demetrius smirked, it would be fun putting Ryan through his paces, this would show him exactly what he will be like once he has solid control over everything and this test of fire will help harden him.