Storiesonline.net ------- Demon's Embrace by Eon Copyright© 2005 by Eon ------- Description: Taking a virgin, especially a willing one, increases a Demon's power of glamour. Dante, prince of Demons, goes to earth in search of a pure soul, for the power to protect his people. However, he wasn't expecting Raven O'Hail, or the light she would bring into his life. (An older work) Codes: Mf fant slow rom 1st cons mag het oral pett ------- ------- Chapter One: Demon Prince Dante crouched on the railing surrounding the roof of the tall office building and stared down at the cars speeding along on the road below. His wings were spread wide, braced against the wind blowing up from behind him. Long hair, black as the blackest night, swirled around him in a miniature maelstrom. Down there, below the filth and the stench, he could feel it; that point of glowing light that signified a pure soul. A slow smile curled Dante's lips. She was down there, completely unaware of what was coming for her. "I thought I might find you here." He didn't have to turn to know who it was, but Dante turned his head slightly anyway. Lor stood off to the side, also staring down at the cars. His hair was as dark as Dante's, though a good deal shorter, but the grayish hue of his wings marked him for what he really was: a half-breed. They had been friends for a longtime, although they were often at odds. Dante was the prince of his people and Lor was a commoner, a bastard half-breed, the lowest order on the rung. "You knew I'd be here," Dante said. "This is where I can find the one I'm looking for." Lor sighed. "Must you? Do you really have to do this?" "You know I must," Dante answered. "Lar'Dhaal is already out looking. I have to find her before he does or our people will suffer." "Your people," Lor retorted sharply. "They don't want me." Dante sighed. Lately it seemed that he and Lor were always at odds. Lar'Dhaal was king of his tribe, and he was looking to conquer Dante's tribe. For months now he'd been slowly gaining power and it had come to a point where he could no longer be ignored. So as prince of his people, it was Dante's responsibility to find the power with which to fight. The ultimate power came from innocence; or more specifically, taking someone's innocence. Getting a young virgin to give herself (or himself) up willingly gave the ultimate power, but taking it by force gave plenty enough as well. "Would you rather I was like Lar'Dhaal?" Dante demanded. "I, at least, will treat her kindly. He will not." "How is that kind?" Lor snarled. "You'll seduce her, use her, and then leave her alone and heartbroken." "Don't be silly," Dante said, shaking his head. "I'll take her to our world. She'll be like a goddess among our people. They'll love her." "Yes, I'm sure she wants to be uprooted from her life to live among demons," Lor said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. Dante sighed. "I don't have time for this, Lor. I have to get going. There's someone I want to visit before I find her." He spread his wings and let go of the railing, taking to the sky before Lor could say anything further. It had been a long time since he had seen Kaitlyn O'Hail. Times passed differently for demons than it did for humans, so he could not guess how long, but it would be good to see her again. Dante had tried to seduce Kaitlyn when she was a young woman, but she was stubborn, and already in love with another. When he had finally given in, they became good friends, but duties in his own world kept him from seeing her often. Still, he could feel her life force amid so many others, and set himself in that direction. The closer her got to Kaitlyn, he noticed, the closer he also got to the pure soul he was looking for. That perturbed him a little. He knew it was not Kaitlyn; it was a separate life force. The trail of both souls drew Dante out of the bustling city and into the quiet suburbs. Rows of houses, all of the much of a type, huddled together in the dark. Quaint shutters painted blue, red, yellow, and purple seemed the only real distinction among the houses. Yards with neatly trimmed hedges, freshly cut grass, and flower beds mostly empty with early autumn did nothing to change the impression of sameness. Dante landed on the lawn in front of one house, a long, squat little thing with powder blue shutters, and peered through the window. The curtains were drawn, and he could see a T.V. on, he could see couches and lamps and knickknacks. How quaint, Dante thought. And trite. I would never have imagined Kaitlyn living here. Using a bit of glamour to hide his wings, he walked to the front door, wondering whether he should knock or just enter. The door was not locked, and he walked in, wiping his feet politely on the welcome mat before entering the living room. "It's rude to walk into someone's home uninvited," a quiet, worn voice spoke from the couch. Dante grinned and stepped around the couch to face her. What he saw caught him off guard. The young woman he had known was no more. Sitting on the couch, a woman in her 60s perhaps, with only a faint hint of red hair left among the white. Her bright green eyes had faded with age. Dante had not thought it had been quite so long since he had last been here, but apparently it had. "Dante," Kaitlyn said softly. "I had a feeling it was you. What brings you here?" "I wanted to see you," Dante answered. It was partially true. He was on edge, however, feeling the presence of the innocent one he was looking for right in this house. "It's been a long time since I've been able to." Kaitlyn chuckled dryly. "I know you better than that. You're looking for something. For someone." "You've always had more psychic ability than most humans," Dante said, smiling slightly. "So what do you know?" "She is my granddaughter, Dante," Kaitlyn told him. "Her parents died in a car accident when she was just a baby, and I've raised her ever since. She is shy and reserved, she has only one friend at school and she is often teased by those who are not her friends. She needs love. Can you not find someone else?" Dante opened his mouth to respond, but was distracted by the sound of soft footsteps coming closer. He turned his head, his eyes narrowing on the girl as she appeared at the end of the hall. Hair almost as dark as his, slightly bed tousled, hung down to her waist and framed her face. Striking high cheekbones and feathery eyebrows were the only part of Kaitlyn he could see in her. Rather than her grandmother's green eyes, hers were a blue so deep and dark that they seemed endless. Her mouth was full and soft, where her grandmother had always been somewhat thin lipped. Her nose was small and pert, and didn't bear the same sprinkling of strawberry freckles. No, Dante thought, staring at her. I cannot find someone else. "Grandma?" the girl asked, blinking sleepily. "You have company. Who is this?" Kaitlyn half-turned to look at her granddaughter. "A friend, Raven, just a friend. What are you doing awake?" "You know I have trouble sleeping," Raven replied, more awake now. She stepped closer, her blue eyes intent on Dante. She was lovely. He watched the way she moved, drinking in the sight of her. The thin little camisole top she wore clung to small, full breasts, and fluttered loosely around her narrow waist. Pajama bottoms hung low on seductively wide hips. Dante licked his lips and eyed her hungrily. Perhaps she had some of her grandmother's psychic ability; she seemed to sense his intent and took a few small, nervous steps back. "You're starting school tomorrow, dear," Kaitlyn said. "You should try to get some sleep." "I will," Raven responded. "Once you introduce me to your friend." Kaitlyn sighed. "Raven, this is Dante. Dante, my granddaughter, Raven. Now go back to bed!" Raven might have obeyed, but Dante didn't give her a chance. He stepped forward quickly, almost quicker than her deep blue eyes could follow. His hand caught hers, wrapping slightly cold, clammy fingers in his warm ones. Raven gasped and tried to pull away, but he lifted her hand to his mouth, brushing his lips over her knuckles. When Dante let her go and drew back a step, she jerked her hand back, rubbing at the spot he'd kissed. You won't get rid of my mark so easily, little one, he thought, grinning. You'll feel the fire of that one little kiss for a long time. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Raven," Dante said softly. She didn't respond. Her eyes were wide and frightened; she definitely sensed that something was different about him, but she did not know what. Dante watched as she turned and fled back down the hall, staring after her until her door slammed shut. Finally he turned back to see Kaitlyn watching him, her expression resigned. "What will I do when you leave her?" Kaitlyn asked wearily. "What will I tell her?" "Don't worry," Dante replied. "I will tell her everything she needs to know, when the time comes. All you have to do is tell me where she goes to school." ------- Raven groaned, rubbing her temples as she padded into the kitchen. The smell of French toast and fresh coffee reached her nose, reviving her a little. Her night had been rough and restless, made worse by a very strange dream she'd had. It had been so vivid and real, and she could still feel a slight warm, burning sensation where Dante had kissed her. But it was a dream, so he didn't really kiss me, Raven reminded herself as she plopped down in a chair at the kitchen table. It had to be a dream. No man in the world looks like that. "Good morning, Raven," Her grandmother said, setting a plate and a mug down before her. Raven took a careful sip of her coffee and sighed blissfully. "And it is a good morning indeed when it starts with coffee like this." "You're a strange one," her grandmother chuckled. "You like coffee as much as a woman twice your age." Raven grinned. She started on her French toast, pleased that she would not have to eat cold cereal this morning. It was, finally, the first day of her last year of high school. It would be wonderful when it was over, but at last she could start the day out right. As her grandmother settled in the chair across from her, Raven stabbed a piece of French toast with her fork, and lifted it to her mouth. "Did you get back to sleep?" her grandmother asked. Raven blinked. "Back to sleep?" "Is there an echo in here?" her grandmother chuckled. "You seemed a little unsettled. I'm sorry if my friend startled you." The fork clattered loudly on the plate as it dropped from Raven's limp fingers. She stared at her grandmother, mouth agape. It wasn't a dream, she thought. That man was real, and he was really in my living room! Her grandmother reached out, setting a bony, wrinkled hand atop Raven's. A look of concerned lined her wrinkled face. "Don't you remember, dear?" her grandmother asked. "I thought it was a dream," Raven replied. "Grandma, how do you know him? He's far younger than you are, how can he be a friend of yours?" "It's a long story," her grandmother told her. Raven frowned. "Did you know him when he was a boy?" "Something like that." Her grandmother's answer didn't satisfy her, but she could get no more out of her. Raven finished her breakfast and put her dishes in the sink; she didn't have time to wash them. There was much going on in her head, making her slow and distracted as she dressed. She didn't know why, but that mysterious stranger in the middle of the night had her intrigued. It would occupy her mind long after she had finished getting ready and left for school, but it wouldn't be long before she would be seeing him again. ------- Dante was not pleased. It had taken a little bit of glamour to get himself enrolled, last minute, in the high school that Raven went to, and to get himself in classes. He would have been fine, in fact, but something he spotted as he was trying to find his locker made him angry. Standing a few feet away, fiddling with the combination lock of his own locker and scowling, was Lor. He was wearing oversized jeans, a long-sleeved black shirt, a backpack, and a smirk. Dark kohl outlined his eyes and he'd used glamour to make his hair look bed tousled and slightly greasy. "I would have never figured you for a Goth, Lor," Dante said, glowering at him. Lor grinned brightly. "Well, I've never been to high school before, Dante. I figured I'd have some fun." "How did you find out?" Dante demanded. "You don't know Kaitlyn, and she wouldn't have told you anything." "She didn't have to," Lor responded. "I followed you and I eavesdropped on the whole conversation." Dante stared. He had forgotten how easily Lor could track him, and he should have realized that he would also be able to sense Raven. However, it was very unlike Lor to be so unscrupulous. He's really serious about this, Dante thought, frowning slightly. Well, I'm not going to back down just because he's serious. Both of them sensed her at the same time, and both of them turned simultaneously. Raven was walking down the hall, speaking quietly to another girl who walked beside her. They were an odd contrast to each other. This other girl had short hair, cropped below her ears, that was dyed bright blue. Rings of silver and small studs danced up her ears. Two small loops pierced through her left eyebrow, and a small stud twinkled in her nose. Dante thought she might have been pretty, if she didn't fancy herself a human pincushion. And with Raven walking next to her, she seemed to diminish. He felt it the moment Raven realized he was there. She lifted her head to stare at him, her deep blue eyes wide and confused. It amazed him, really, how deep her eyes were. Dante took a step towards her, but the sudden shift in her expression stopped him. Raven O'Hail was not at all pleased to find him here. ------- Chapter Two: Demon-stration. "What's got your panties in a twist, Rave?" Raven glanced sidelong at her best (and only) friend, Jade Kinkair. They were sitting in home room together, waiting for the bell to ring for first period. She was furious and confused, seeing Dante here. I don't understand any of this, she thought. Grandma told me less than nothing, and now he's in my high school. Why? Raven shifted uncomfortably under Jade's curious scrutiny. She had no clue how to explain this to her friend; Jade would probably think she was getting worked up for nothing. The bell rang at last, and they both stood up. Raven grabbed her schedule and studied it, then groaned. U.S. Law, first thing in the goddamn morning. At least the teacher, Mr. Hanson, was rumored to be a pretty cool guy. She'd heard that he had a great sense of humor. "Hey, check it out, Rave," Jade said as they walked into the room. Raven didn't need Jade to point it out to her. Dante was in this class, sitting in the back, next to another guy who looked like he would be right up Jade's alley. There was something odd about the two. Even through the make-up he was wearing and the greasy hair, the guy next to Dante was unusually good looking. That made two guys in one room who were drop dead gorgeous. Jade nudged her with her elbow, then dragged her to the back of the room, to the table next to them, despite Raven's protests. "Raven," Dante said softly as he leaned across the gap between tables. "Nice to see you again." Raven really wanted to sink through the floor. Everyone in the room was staring at her. She hated standing out. Briefly she considered burning her bridges; everyone was already looking at her anyway, so if she hit him, it wasn't like she'd be drawing their attention. But reasonably she had no reason to hit him, other than an odd feeling in the pit of her stomach that he was some sort of danger to her. Raven turned away from him and stared hard at the blackboard across the room. Mr. Hanson was leaning against his desk, waiting for the class to settle down. It was, perhaps, his expectant stare that brought the students into slightly uncomfortable silence. When they were all facing him, Raven gave a sigh of relief. Better him than me, she thought. Now, what am I going to do about this over-puffed arrogant upstart? Glancing sideways, she could see Dante grinning at her. Damnit. ------- By the time the day ended, Dante had found himself the center of a large group of people. They all wanted to be his friend. Much of that was simply humanity's natural attraction to his kind. He also possessed a depth of royal charisma, as well. Unfortunately, the more people that crowded around him, the harder it was to get Raven's attention. She avoided him like the plague. Dante was beginning to think that this was going to a challenge. Fortunately, he loved challenges. "So, Dante," a petite blonde hanging on his side cooed. "You said you have an indoor pool. That's amazing! Are you rich?" "Something like that," Dante responded, smiling. "I'm having a part Saturday. You should come." The blonde squealed in delight, bouncing up and down and clinging to his arm. Dante gritted his teeth and looked around; he spotted Raven and Jade walking along at the far end of the parking lot. Shaking the blonde off his arm, Dante strode toward the two girls. In the blink of an eye, Lor was walking beside him, matching him stride for stride. Despite being a half-breed, Lor had more balls than many of the nobles of their kind; Dante had always admired him for that, but he would not stand for it if Lor got in his way. "An indoor pool, hmm?" Lor murmured, smirking. "You always did have opulent tastes." "I spent time talking to Kaitlyn last night," Dante said. "She told me many things about our little Raven. Like that she absolutely loves to swim." Lor rolled his eyes. "If I were Kaitlyn, I wouldn't have even told you jack and shit." "Fortunately you're not Kaitlyn," Dante responded brightly. They overtook Raven and Jade quickly enough. Both of the girls turned to regard them, Raven scowling in annoyance, Jade watching with amused indifference. Dante reached out to grab Raven's hand, but she jerked back, her eyes narrowing on him. Well, soon enough you'll be beginning for me to touch you, he thought, grinning. For now I'll let you get away with being so rebellious. "So, what about you two girls?" Dante asked, smiling charmingly. "I'm having a pool party Saturday. Wanna come?" "No," Raven answered abruptly. Dante frowned. "But of course you do. So many people are going to be there. Certainly you don't want to be left out?" "Yes, I do," Raven said, folding her arms and glaring at him stubbornly. "I don't go to parties. Of any sort." "But you love to swim," Jade put in quietly. Raven turned to glare at her. "Whose side are you on?" "Yours," Jade retorted. "And as your best friend, and think it's about damn time you actually did something, instead of spending so much time at home. It would be good for you to go to a party for once. And you don't have to stay, but don't you think it's about time you at least gave it a try?" Raven stared at Jade for long moments, unblinking. Dante looked back and forth between the two of them, not certain he understood what was going on. Jade was just a little bit short than Raven (who was an impressive 5'6", tall for her family according to Kaitlyn) but she had no problem standing up to her. "Did you just give me a speech?" Raven asked. Jade just shrugged and grinned sheepishly. "About as close as I'll ever get." "Fine," Raven conceded with a sigh. "I'll go. But that doesn't mean I'll be staying." Dante grinned triumphantly. He reached out, intending to put his arm around Raven, but she shied away, her eyes narrowing on him warily. This is going to be frustrating, he thought, watching as she grabbed Jade's arm and walked away. Just about every other girl in the school creams her panties when I walk in a room, but not Raven O'Hail. It didn't matter, though. Soon, very soon, she wouldn't be able to resist him. ------- "Come on, Rave, stop being so stubborn." Raven glared across the room at Jade. Her friend was holding up the dark blue, strapless, high cut bathing suit she'd helped Raven pick out at the beginning of the summer. Raven had never worn the thing, and she had no intention of doing so now. True, the bathing suit looked really good on her, but she didn't want to wear it in front of a whole bunch of people from school. And she most certainly wasn't going to be wearing it in front of Dante. "You're not going to wear that ugly old brown thing, are you?" Jade asked. "I most certainly am," Raven replied stubbornly, grabbing her old bathing suit from the drawer. She stomped across the hall into the bathroom and pulled off her jeans and t-shirt. At least it's an indoor pool, she thought. You'd have to be crazy to have a pool party at this time of year. Raven quickly pulled on her bathing suit and turned to look at herself in the full length mirror. She groaned. Jade was completely right; this old bathing suit looked horrible. Sighing, she went to the bathroom door and jerked it open. Jade stood there waiting, holding up the bathing suit, and smirking. "Don't give me that smug look," Raven growled, snatching the bathing suit from her. "Go get changed yourself, now. Before I change my mind!" Slamming the bathroom door shut, she changed from one bathing suit into the other. The blue bathing suit was so much more flattering. It clung to her breasts securely enough that she was both comfortable that it wouldn't fall down and uncomfortable that it was such a close fit. Raven studied her legs; the high cut emphasized how long they were. And made her butt look cute. She stifled a giggle and shook her head. What is getting into me all of a sudden? she wondered. Without knocking, Jade opened the bathroom door. Raven turned to glare at her. Somewhere, somehow, Jade had found herself a bathing suit in red and black, gothic style bodice and long draped sleeves included. Most likely she'd made it herself; Jade designed and made a lot of her own clothing. Raven pulled her jeans and shirt back on quickly, then grabbed a towel. "All right, then, I'm ready when you are," Raven said with a sigh. ------- Dante was staring blatantly; he knew that. He was only glad that Raven didn't seem to notice. Maybe that was because most of the guys gathered around the pool were also staring. The dark blue bathing suit she'd chosen to wear not only matched her eyes perfectly, but it... well it... damn. He couldn't keep his eyes off of her. Dante noticed everything, from the way her long braid of dark hair swung back and forth with her movement, to the slight sway of her hips as she walked. "Now, what I want to know," Lor said, coming up behind Dante and leaned against his shoulder. "Is would you call that cruel irony or poetic justice?" Dante glared at him and pushed him off. "I told her to come to the party, not to come dressed in a skimpy little bathing suit." "But you were hoping she would," Lor pointed out. "That's besides the point!" Dante snapped. Lor chuckled, slapped him on the back, and walked away. Dante watched his friend until he had dropped onto a lounge chair to recline, then turned his gaze back to Raven. She was trying to get into the pool, but she was surrounded by a group of boys, all of whom seemed pretty eager to talk to her. Uh uh, Dante thought, moving forward. That's my pure soul, and you can all back off. He stepped down into the water next to Raven, setting his hand gently against her back. She jumped and spun to glare at him. "Boys, back off a little bit, would you?" Dante said, smiling at them lopsidedly. "Give the poor girl some room to swim." They would all probably figure they had imagined the red glint in his eyes, but they also all backed up quickly. Weaker animals always knew when a predator was near. Raven pulled away from him, watching him warily for a moment, then nodded her head in what he assumed was some form of thanks. He watched her as she slid down into the water, and so did everyone else. Smiling, Dante dipped his shoulder beneath the water and followed, soon drawing even with her. "Can I help you with something?" Raven asked coolly. "Aw, come on," Dante pouted. "I just want to talk to you." "Why?" Raven demanded. "The only person who wants to talk to me is Jade." Dante grinned. "Well, it doesn't look that way to me." "Yeah, well," Raven scowled. "Boys are like that. They don't think with the head on their shoulders." Startled, Dante threw his head back and laughed. Sometimes she seemed so prudish that he would never have expected a comment like that from her. Maybe there's more of Kaitlyn in her after all, he thought, smiling at her confused expression. He reached out, fingering a strand of hair that had come loose from her braid, and tucking it behind her ear. Raven stared at him. "What?" "Oh, nothing," Dante told her, grinning. "You've got spunk. I like that." "It's the truth," Raven said, the first hint of a smile curling her lips. "Did you look in the mirror, by any chance?" Dante asked. "Because if you did, you had to realize what that bathing suit would do to every guy here. In which case, wearing it was very cruel." Raven shrugged. "If you say so." She began to swim off again, and Dante followed her closely. Lor might complain about my opulent tastes, he thought, but this is working to my advantage. He waited until Raven was no longer paying attention to him, then lunged, pushing himself through the water to wrap his arms around her. She shouted and flailed in surprise, fighting against his hold. It drew attention to them both, but Dante ignored the people watching them. Instead he waited for the right moment, and then he released Raven. She turned, furious, and splashed a face full of water at him. Dante lifted his hands and splashed water back at her. She blinked at him, still with surprise. He waited with a knowing grin on his face; a girl like Raven was not going to let that pass. As he'd expected, she began splashing him furiously. They went back and forth for awhile, and admitted Dante fared better than she did, but he had, much to his surprise, a lot more fun than he would have expected to. When they both stopped, breathless, in a corner of the pool, he watched her carefully. "Told you that you had spunk," Dante said, grinning. "Bite me," Raven grumbled. His grin widened. He leaned over while she wasn't looking and gently sank his teeth into her shoulder. Raven shrieked and swatted at him, annoyed. "That wasn't an invitation, you brat!" she growled. Dante turned to smile at her and his eyes widened. Raven grabbed his arm, pulling it down and dragging him close. He shivered as he felt her mouth close on his neck and her teeth sink gently into his skin. Dante snaked an arm around her waist, drawing her close against him. He could feel numerous female eyes on them; when a male demon was aroused, he let off pheromones that human females found hard to resist. He could even feel Raven tremble against him slightly. "Sorry," Dante murmured, his voice husky, as he let her go. Raven blushed. "I um... didn't mean to ah... you know..." "Don't worry," Dante said, grinning. "I like a girl with some bite." Raven's blush deepened, but she laughed, just a little. Feeling quite pleased with himself, Dante lifted himself out of the pool, then turned to extend a hand to her. He could smell food cooking; normally he wasn't too fond of human food, but hamburgers smelled awful good right now. He was quite famished. Raven shyly rested her hand in his, allowing him to pull her out of the pool. "You're strong," Raven said, her eyes wide. "You're light," Dante responded, grinning. "Come on, let's get something to eat. If I can pick you up that easily, you definitely need some food." Raven smiled back at him timidly. Well, well, well, Dante thought, pleased when she allowed him to put his arm around her shoulders in a buddy-like manner. You're not so cold as you'd like me to believe, little Raven. At the moment she was responding to his friendship. Before to very long she was be responding to something all together different. ------- Chapter Three: Too Fast Raven hummed to herself softly as she ran a brush through her hair. At first when Dante had told her that she was welcome to use the pool any time she liked, she had been determined to refuse. But he'd always been especially friendly to her, and despite her resolve to not like him, she found that she did. Although she usually went to swim only if Jade was along, today her friend was sick, and Raven didn't feel like waiting. She quickly pulled her jeans and a t-shirt on over her bathing suit, pulled on her boots, and raced out into the living room. "Where's the fire?" her grandmother asked, looking up from the couch. "Oh, sorry, grams," Raven said, grinning sheepishly. "I'm going swimming at Dante's house." Her grandmother frowned. "I thought Jade was sick." "She is," Raven answered. "I'm going to go myself. Come on, grandma, you said he's a friend of yours. What do you have to be worried about?" She didn't wait for her grandma to answer, but trotted out of the house to her car. I thought she'd be happy, Raven thought. She always tells me I need to have more friends. She shrugged it off, however; she was much more focused on going swimming. Sometimes Dante swam with her, and other times he gave her her space, lounging on one of the chairs beside the pool. Sometimes he read, either a book or a magazine, sometimes he did homework, and sometimes he just watched. It was a testimony to just how good looking he was, that Raven didn't completely mind Dante watching her. Only when Lor was there did she ever feel a bit uncomfortable; she liked Lor a lot, but there was some unspoken tension between him and Dante. When Jade was also there, she balanced out the numbers, making it a little easier. Next time she'll be better, Raven thought. And then we'll all go swimming together and I won't feel uncomfortable at all. ------- Dante lounged on a deck chair, sipping a pina colada, and watching Raven drift through the water on her back. This is going so well, he thought, a grin curling his lips. She comes off as stubborn and distant, but she warms up nicely. Today was the perfect day, too. Lor was off only he knew where, doing only he knew what. Jade was sick; as much as Dante appreciated her wry humor and her ability to wheedle Raven into so many different things, he was glad she wasn't here. It gave him every opportunity to get that much closer to his innocent little Raven. "How's the water?" Dante asked, startling her. She straightened, blushing a little. "It feels great. Where did you get this kind of money? Did you parents inherit it?" "Something like that," Dante answered, grinning. "You know, I've never seen your parents," Raven commented. "Where are they?" "Business," Dante told her. "Have to work hard for money, you know." Raven nodded and swam to the side of the pool. He watched her as she pushed herself out of the water. Liquid cascaded off of her, and beaded like small crystals on her skin. Dante licked his lips and stood up from his chair, grabbing her towel simply for the excuse to be able to touch her. She eyed him warily as he settled the towel around her shoulders, and he felt her shiver as his fingers brushed her neck. "I'm going to have dinner made soon," Dante said, trailing his fingers along her the thick, damp braid of her hair. "I was hoping you'd stay." "Well, um... I suppose," Raven stammered. "If grandma says it's all right." "Why wouldn't she?" Dante asked, grinning. "It's just dinner, nothing dangerous." Raven smiled back shyly. She wrapped the towel around her waist and followed him into the kitchen. Dante waited as she spoke with her grandmother; he knew Kaitlyn wouldn't say no. She would not be able to explain to her granddaughter why it wasn't okay, and he doubted she wanted Raven to know just yet what he was. When she hung the phone up at last and turned back to him, she was grinning brightly. Perfect, Dante thought, leaning up against the counter. Just where I want her. "She said it was okay," Raven told him. "That means we have time to work on our homework, too." Dante groaned. "Great. Well, let's do it before dinner. I want to go swimming afterward." If there was one thing he hated about going to high school, it was homework, especially weekend homework. However, since Raven came to swim every weekend, he usually had her and Jade to help, and oftentimes Lor as well. That didn't make it any easier to focus; Raven had this disturbingly sexy way of brushing her hair off her neck when she was focusing. Dante spent much of the time before dinner watching her rather than concentrating, but she didn't seem to notice, much to his relief. Dinner was a matter of conjuring up some servants to make it. Raven had simple tastes, so he had his "personal chef" (another demon) conjure up some roasted chicken and steamed vegetables just as they were finishing their homework. Dante was pleased with the results; his servants were loyal and always did their best to please him. If Raven noticed that there was something odd about his servants, she didn't say anything about it. "So, what else do you do in your spare time?" Dante asked, picking idly at his chicken. He wasn't often too fond of human food. "Um... well, I read..." Raven replied. "And um... I dunno. I work in the garden when it's warm enough, I like to go hiking and uh... oh, rock- climbing." Dante raised his eyebrows. "Rock-climbing? Really?" "Yeah," Raven grinned. "Maybe you should go with me some time. It's a lot of fun." "Maybe I will," Dante said. I would have never expected that, he thought, watching her closely. She's so timid, I would think she'd be terrified of rock-climbing. But actually, as he got to know her more, he definitely saw a personality showing through. It took her awhile the come out of her shell, but the more she did, the more he genuinely enjoyed her company. Oh, sure, looking at her was more than enough. And it was highly unlikely, given the pureness of her soul, that she would have anything other than a sweet personality. But Dante had the feeling that there was a little spitfire hidden beneath her quiet demeanor and he hoped he could bring that side out of her. After dinner was finished, they sat for a little while, talking about simple things like classes and the horrors of dealing with the math teacher. Raven was vibrant and lively, once she relaxed, her whole body moving expressively as she talked. She joked and laughed easily. "So, ready to go back in the pool?" Dante asked, after they had been sitting for about twenty minutes or so. "Well..." Raven hesitated, then nodded. "For a little while, at least. I don't want to get home too late." "Don't worry," Dante reassured her. "Your grandmother knows that a girl your age needs to have some fun. She'll understand if you're a little late." He stood up and offered her a hand up. Raven took his hand, allowing him to pull her up. "Okay, okay. But not too late." Dante dove into the water as soon as they reached the pool, but Raven hung at the side, watching him. He pushed his hair out of his face and gazed up at her curiously. There was a smile playing at the edge of her lips, but he couldn't read her expression. Dante swam over to the side of the pool and reached his hand up to her. "Come on," he said. "What are you waiting for?" He jumped back in surprise as she suddenly dove into the water. Raven came up in front of him, laughing and brushing her hair out of her eyes. Dante watched her eyes as she moved closer to him. Although he doubted that she intended it, the way she looked on him always turned him on. He reached out, gently touching her cheek, and felt her shiver. She stepped closer to him still, until he could feel her body just barely against his. "I don't understand why you've been paying so much attention to me," she said softly. "But I... I wanted to thank you for being such a good friend... I uh... I haven't had too many..." Dante smiled. "Well, people obviously don't know what they're missing." "Um..." Raven blushed. "Why... why are you paying so much attention to me, anyway?" Dante gently rested his hands on her hips and tilted his head down to hers. He felt her mouth tremble beneath his as he kissed her softly. She was like a shy, frightened doe, but she didn't pull away from him. He ran his tongue gently along her lower lip until she opened her mouth for him. Raven gasped as he swept the inside of her mouth, teasing her tongue with his. Dante wrapped his arms around her, bringing her up against him firmly. Raven struggled against his hold for a moment, pulling her mouth away from his. Even in the dim light he could see that her dark eyes were slightly glazed; pheromones taking effect, no doubt. Dante pressed his mouth to hers again, teasing her mouth with gentle nips until she settled against him. He could still feel her fear, however, and that confused him. No woman ever felt afraid with him. He continued to kiss her, forcing himself to keep the contact gentle and sweet. The more he felt her relax, the more urgently he kissed her. Dante tugged her bathing suit down to fondle her breasts. To his surprise, she pulled back suddenly and slapped him across the face. Completely stunned, he stared after her as she pulled her bathing suit back up, climbed out of the pool, grabbed her things and raced out of the house. That's never happened before, he thought, rubbing his stinging cheek. How does she resist? Kaitlyn had always been able to resist him, too. That proved what he had first thought; Raven had some of her grandmother's psychic ability. It might not have been much, but it was enough. This means I'm going to have to apologize, Dante thought, scowling. I hate when I have to do that. But he had no choice. For the sake of his people, he absolutely had to get back into Raven's good graces, even if it meant humbling himself. ------- Raven did her best to avoid Dante throughout the morning on Monday. She was absolutely furious. Who does he think he is? she thought, growling under her breath. How dare he touch me like that! She hadn't minded so much when he first kissed her, but he'd moved far too fast. I enjoyed that first kiss, Raven thought, rubbing her temples. I might have enjoyed it more if he didn't turn out to be such a jerk. She shoved her math and law book into her locker and retrieved history and biology. "Raven?" Dante's voice made her cringe. She turned slowly, not really wanting to face him. Already she could feel her cheeks turning red. Raven was a little startled by the look on his face; he looked sincerely regretful. Before she could turn away and leave, he grabbed hold of her wrist, holding her gently but firmly in front of him. "Look, Raven, I'm so sorry," Dante said. "I didn't mean to scare you. I really didn't. I shouldn't have done that." "You're right, you shouldn't!" Raven snapped, jerking out of his grasp. "I know you're angry, and you have every right to be," Dante soothed. "But I really, really don't want to lose your friendship." "Maybe you should have thought of that sooner!" Raven growled. "I'm sorry," Dante repeated. "I don't know what else to say." He looked so down that Raven felt her anger fading. Timidly she reached out and gently rested her hand on his arm. Dante looked up and smiled wanly, but his dark eyes looked sad. Damnit, she thought, feeling her head throb. I don't know if this is a good idea, but I can't stand him looking like that. "All right," Raven sighed. "I accept your apology. But... we're just friends." Dante smiled. "At least spend some time with me. Please Raven? I... I really like you..." She wished he hadn't said that. Despite the sincere look on his face, she could hear alarm bells going off in her head. Still, she thought perhaps she was just mistrustful by nature. Raven knew it was crazy and risky, but she was agreeing before she really realized what she was doing. At least the sorrowful look faded from Dante's eyes. Maybe, just maybe, they could at least salvage their friendship. There was no reason for the uneasy feeling in her stomach... right? ------- Chapter Four: Being Friends "This can't be healthy." Raven flashed him a quick smile but Dante was not reassured. The harness needed for rock-climbing went over the hips and, unfortunately, between the legs. It was not at all comfortable and he was worried about what it would do to his goods. I don't need a harness anyway, he thought, grumbling. I can fly, for crying out loud. But of course Raven didn't, and couldn't know that yet. So Dante listened to the instructor teach him how to ties the knots needed for climbing and was just grateful that he was a fast learner. "I think we should teach him to belay now," Raven said, finishing off her knot. "Then I'll show you that I still know how, too." The instructor grinned. "I'm sure you won't have a problem. All right uh... Dante, you said? I'm going to show you how to belay." Dante had no clue what that was, but he was soon to find out. It meant holding the other end of the rope for the climber and being able to keep them from falling. The instructor showed him how to hold the rope and how to pick up the slack. Well, this is pretty easy, he thought. As Raven started climbing, he made certain to keep slack out of the rope, and learned how to catch her when she came off the wall. The first time the instructor had her fall without warning nearly freaked Dante out. Her complete trust that he would not fail to catch her made him uneasy. "Okay, your turn," Raven said brightly, after he had lowered her from a climb all the way up to the top. "You... are going to hold the rope?" Dante asked, raising an eyebrow. "That's the idea," Raven replied. "Don't worry, I'm good at it. Now, switch ropes." As Dante tied himself to the inside rope, he watched Raven warily. She was a decent height for a woman but she was small and slender. How was she going to be able to support his weight? As he started up the wall, he glanced over his shoulder, and saw the instructor walking away. Immediately he began looking for a way to get down without having to rely on Raven... there was no way he was doing this without the instructor there. "It's all right," Raven called. "I've got you. Trust me. Just climb." Trust you, Dante thought, scowling as he began climbing again. What if you decide to drop me in revenge for trying to grope you last week? He moved up the wall easily, although with less finesse than Raven had. Technically he could just use glamour to automatically know what he was doing, but he wasn't going to be shown up by a girl. No way! Besides, the climb was actually a lot of fun and Dante felt good when he reached the top. "All right, come down," Raven shouted up to him. "Just let go of the wall." Easy for you to say, he thought. Dante closed his eyes and let go of the wall, allowing himself to fall backwards off of it. The long plunge he was expecting didn't come. He dropped perhaps half a foot before coming to a halt. Blinking in surprise, he looked down to see Raven holding the rope, her brows furrowed in concentration. "Hey, this is kinda fun!" Dante called down to her. "Maybe for you!" she retorted. "Okay, repel down like I showed you." If he was a human kid, he probably would have thought he looked pretty cool, repelling down the side of the wall like Jean-Claude Van Damme in some action flick. As it was, it felt pretty cool, and it was a lot of fun. When he finally reached the ground, Raven let the rope go slack. Dante turned to her and grinned. The smile she returned was dazzling. "Wanna try something a little harder?" she asked. "That wall is only a 5-4. Fairly easy." Dante nodded. "What's the hardest wall?" "5-12," Raven told him. "I've only gotten up to a 5-8, and I've been doing this awhile. I don't think you could do more than a 5-6 or 5-7 just yet." Dante would have no problem with a 5-12, whatever that was, but he didn't think it would be good to actually attempt it. If she wasn't able to do the most difficult walls after practicing for awhile, it would look suspicious if he could on his first try. Still, he tried several other walls, making certain that he could not climb the 5-8, and cheering her on as she reached the top of it. Dante was actually really enjoying himself, but he didn't even realized it until the day was almost over. I think this is the first time I've had fun with a woman when we weren't having sex, he thought. Ouch. That sounds shallow, even to me. "So, what did you think?" Raven asked as she wriggled out of her harness. "I think I enjoyed the view..." Dante teased. Raven glared at him, and he cleared his throat. "Sorry. Just using a little humor to keep my mind off the excruciating pain this thing has caused." Raven chuckled, reaching out to take the harness from him. She put all the equipment they had used up on the counter, then Dante followed her up to the lockers to retrieve their belongings. He was surprised at how tired his arms, back, and legs were, although it would be easy enough to solve that, really. A little bit of glamour would take care of the problem, and there was no need for Raven to even know. "Hey, let's go back to your place," Raven suggested suddenly. "A soak in the hottub will do wonders for your body after a strenuous workout like rock-climbing." Or I can live with the pain for awhile, Dante thought, smiling. Of course, she's not thinking the same thing I am. Still, it was a start; seeing her in her bathing suit was always a treat. He would have to keep himself under control this time. ------- Making certain to keep his hands off of Raven while they were in the hot tub worked well to Dante's advantage. She had opened up, talking livelily to him for more than an hour. He learned that her favorite color was blue (no surprise), she had a huge collection of stuffed animals, and she had been friends with Jade for eight years. Small, simple things, but it had been fun. Raven had a dry, humorous way of speaking, and Dante loved it. Running his fingers through his tousled hair, he meandered lazily across the cool marble tile flooring the area around the indoor pool. He wanted to call Raven, to ask her to go somewhere with him... but where? The rock-climbing was fun, but I don't want to do it again so soon, Dante thought, pausing beside the pool. I want to take her somewhere she's never been... It would be perfect to take her flying but... she couldn't know, not yet. He had to find something... Ah! Dante thought, grinning suddenly. Within the space of a thought he was fully clothed, his hair pulled back from his face neatly, only his feet left bare. The window blew open before him and he darted out into the open air. A few quick, strong beats of his wings carried him quickly up through the clouds. Dante grinned, allowing himself an exhilarated laugh as he soared rapidly across the sky. Someday soon I'll take her flying, he thought. She'd enjoy this as much as I do, I'd bet. He burst out of the clouds; the ocean spread out beneath him. It's a little cold for this, Dante thought as he glided down towards the docks, but I bet she won't mind. He spotted a house boat at the end of the docks and swooped in that direction. Humans working on the docks felt a breeze as he soared passed them, but they couldn't see through his glamour. Dante landed on the deck of the "Casa Diablos", grinning broadly. Bacchus always had an ironic sense of humor, he thought. "Hey, Bacchus!" Dante called. "Get your lazy ass up here!" He got no response. Rolling his eyes, Dante traveled below decks, carefully avoided numerous things strewn here and there on the floor. Something was asleep in a hammock strung at the back of the sleeping cabin, but it was buried beneath a pile of blankets. Dante's wings twitched and a smile crept onto his face. He lifted his hand up and the hammock flipped suddenly, dumping Bacchus onto the floor in a heap. "Ow! Hey, what the fuck was that for!?" Bacchus swore, struggling up from the tangle of blankets. "Damn you, Dante, you son of a whore!" "Don't talk about my mother what way," Dante joked, grinning. "Whaddya want?" Bacchus asked, rubbing sleep from his eyes. "Can't you see I got important things to do?" Dante laughed, shaking his head, as Bacchus struggled up off the floor. Bacchus typical of their kind; a mop of shaggy dark curls atop his head that was always tousled, skin that was a dark bronze, black, leathery wings, and a lecherous streak a mile wide. Only his eyes were different; for some reason Bacchus' eyes were green, rather than black. "I'm calling in one of the many favors you owe me," Dante explained. "I want to take out one of your boats..." ------- Raven hesitated outside of Dante's home. He'd called her yesterday to ask her out, and he'd sounded very excited. When she'd asked if she could bring Jade along, he'd said now. And when she'd asked if Lor was going with them, he'd said no again. I don't like this, she thought, her fingers shaking as she reached out and pressed the doorbell. Why can't I bring Jade along? He doesn't think he's going to... Raven shivered. She didn't want a repeat of that day in the pool. Dante answered the door a moment later. He looks good... she thought, swallowing. Clinging jeans and a black t-shirt beneath a jean jacket, something incredibly simple, but they didn't look simple on him. His hair was pulled back out of his smile, and he was smiling brightly. Dante closed the door and sprang lightly down the steps, beckoning for Raven to follow him. "Where are we going?" She asked, as she slid into the passenger seat of his car. "It's a surprise," Dante told her, grinning. "But I think you'll like it." "Why couldn't Jade and Lor come?" Raven wanted to know. "Ah well... Lor and my friend Bacchus don't uh... they don't really get along..." Dante explained, smiling sheepishly. Raven glanced sidelong at him, raising an eyebrow. "Bacchus? Bacchus, Lor, and Dante... where do you guys come from?" "Hot Guys R Us," Dante quipped, his eyes sparking with mischief. "Hmmph," Raven muttered, scowling. She couldn't stay grumpy for long. Dante's enthusiasm was catching and she soon found herself fighting a smile. The drive was an oddly swift one; Raven knew there should have been traffic, yet they didn't seem to have any trouble. Within twenty minutes they were miles outside of the city and nearing the ocean quickly. That's really strange, she thought, glancing over at Dante. How'd we get here so fast? Isn't this normally an hour drive... ? Fifteen minutes later they turned into the docks area. Raven's brows furrowed and she glanced over at Dante, confused. He didn't speak as he climbed out of the car. From her spot beside him she noticed someone walking towards them. Like Dante he had midnight black hair, although his was curly, and bronzed skin. Maybe they do come from Hot Guys R Us, Raven thought, lifting her eyebrows. They just keep getting cuter... Bacchus (at least, she assumed that's who this was) had a dazzling smile and cute dimples. He looks kinda like Heath Ledger... Raven mused. In the movies he actually looked good in, at least... "Hey, Bacchus," Dante greeted. "This is Raven, I told you about her. Raven O'Hail, this is my friend Bacchus." "Hey there, cutie," Bacchus said, winking at Raven. "You two ready?" "Ready for what?" Raven asked. "Dante refuses to tell me!" Bacchus chuckled. "Sounds like Dante, all right. Follow me, cutestuff. We're taking out Lascivo Diablo today!" Raven glanced over at Dante and raised her eyebrows. He flashed her a grin, then followed Bacchus. Devil... what Devil? She mused. Wish I'd paid attention in Spanish class... She followed them both along the docks to a boat, a larger speed boat that was painted black and red. It was a sleek looking thing, and the name "Lascivo Diablo" was painted on the side in dripping red letters. It's like a penis car... Raven thought, grinning slightly. Bet he put some ridiculously fast engine on the thing... "She's a fast one," Bacchus said, as though he could tell what she was thinking. "We'll have fun, though." "What are we doing, exactly?" Raven asked, wobbling slightly as she stepped off the dock and onto the boat. Bacchus grinned. "Wake-riding!" Great, Raven thought, rolling her eyes. Cause I know what that means. She took the life jacket that Bacchus handed her and pulled it on. Really, what was Dante thinking? she wondered. It's too cold to be out on the water... Goosebumps rose on her skin beneath her jacket. She settled on a bench along the side of the boat as Dante loosened the ropes and Bacchus fired up the engine. Raven could only sit and shiver as they pulled out of the harbor. This can't be their idea of fun, she thought, gazing out over the blue-gray waves. The boat began to pick up the pace, and soon they were gliding easily across the water, racing away from the docks. Cold wind stung her cheeks and ears, and the smell of salt water invaded her nose and mouth. Bleh! Raven thought, scowling. I can't believe Dante thought I'd enjoy this... "There's one over there!" Bacchus shouted suddenly, pointing. Raven turned her head to look. It was a boat, what looked like some kind of ferry. Bacchus turned the wheel, and the speedboat careened towards the end of the ferry. What is he doing!? she wondered frantically as they raced along. She gripped the rail of the boat and squeezed her eyes shut. The roar of both engines reached her ears. The little boat hit the wake of the ferry and sailed through the air, skipping like a stone. "Eeek!" Raven squeaked, her eyes popping open. "Yeah!" Bacchus shouted, laughing. "Should we find another one, cutie?" Raven glanced over at him, and found herself grinning. Her heart was pounding, and she felt as though she might have left her stomach back a ways, but... That was fun, she thought, her eyes lighting up. She shifted onto her knees on the bench, holding tight to the railing, and turned her gaze back towards the sea. "A big one!" Raven yelled back over the roar of the wind. "My kinda girl!" Bacchus laughed. They sped across the ocean until another boat came into view, a fishing boat that was heading into port. I can't believe so many people are out on a day like this, Raven thought, as they sped towards the wake behind the boat. But... wheee! She clung to the railing as their speed boat flew over the fishing boat's wake. The wind whipped her hair back and carried her laughter off across the water. "Raven!" Dante called from the front of the boat. "Come over here!" She rose from the bench and, stumbling slightly, made her way over to Dante. There wasn't anything to hold onto up front, and Bacchus was steering the speedboat towards another wake. When Raven reached Dante's side, he grabbed her wrist, pulling her close to him. He folded his arms around her mere second before they hit the wake. The deck bounced beneath them, but they didn't fall or go overboard. Raven laughed, turning to glance over her shoulder at Dante. "Fun?" he asked, grinning. "Yeah!" Raven replied, raising her voice above the roar of the wind. "Here we go again!" Bacchus shouted. She faced forward again as they sped behind another fishing boat. Water splashed up all around them as the speedboat bounced over the wake, but she was oddly warm in the circle of Dante's arms. His laughter and hers mingled in the air as they raced across the water. This actually is fun... Raven thought, narrowing her eyes on another boat that had appeared in front of them. It's fun being friends with Dante... ------- Dante clung to Raven as they both wobbled down the dock. He was surprisingly tired from their long day out on the water. Bacchus had been able to find an unending supply of boats; it was great being a demon. More than ninety percent of the boats they'd seen that day had been the work of glamour. And while he could have kept them both dry with his glamour, Dante didn't mind dripping water, and Raven didn't seem to either. She'd laughed and hollered the whole time. "I'm beat," Raven said, smothering a yawn. "I can drive you home," Dante told her. "But I need my car for school on Monday," Raven protested. "Don't worry, I'll make sure it gets back to you," Dante promised. "I don't want you driving home if you're tired. Okay?" "Fine," Raven conceded. He glanced sidelong at her. There was a smile on her lips, and she really didn't look as though she minded being driven home. She was soaking wet and tired; the only reason she wasn't shivering was because he was using glamour to keep her warm. Dante helped her into the passenger seat of his car. He created a blanket, making it seem as though he'd pulled it from the backseat, and tucked it around her. "Thank you," Raven murmured sleepily. Part of the drive home was quiet, as Raven was completely sapped of energy. Dante drove normally, without magic to aid him; he was getting worn out. He pulled off the road after forty five minutes or so, and into the drive through of a Burger King. Of all the human food he'd had, this wasn't his favorite, but he was starving, and he could bet that Raven was too. "Hey," Dante called softly. "Hungry?" "Mmm? Mmm..." Raven responded, sitting up and forcing her eyes open. "I'm starving... I feel like I could eat a horse." Dante chuckled. "What would you like?" "Oo, ninety-nine cent menu," Raven purred. "Um... let's see... two sourdough burgers, with cheese, bacon, lettuce, and tomato. A large fry... a brownie, those things kick ass. And a coke." Dante's eyebrows shot up. "You can eat all that?" "Fast metabolism," Raven boasted, sinking back down into the seat. The second half of the ride was taken up by eating and peppered with bits of conversation. Just simple things, like school on Monday, the possibility of going rock-climbing again, and how Dante had met Bacchus. He evaded most of her questions about his personal life, saying only that he'd known Bacchus since childhood. And he had, too... it was just that his childhood was centuries past, rather than only years. It was after ten when they pulled up in front of Raven's house. She struggled to sit up in the seat, her eyelids drooping. Dante got out of the car and went around to the passengers' side to help her. He wound an arm around her waist and led her up to the door, holding her up as she struggled with her keys. At last Raven got the door open. "Wow," she murmured. "I'm so exhausted..." "Raven..." Dante said softly. "Look at me..." She turned her head to glance at him, and her eyes widened. Dante didn't know what had surprised her so, but he reached out, taking her free hand. Her fingers were cold, but they warmed immediately beneath his touch. The deep, endless blue of her eyes was somewhat enchanting. I must be tired, Dante thought. I'm not thinking about sex, for once. Except that whenever he looked into her eyes, he couldn't think much of anything to begin with. "Raven," Dante murmured. "I want to kiss you... but I won't... not tonight..." He lifted her hand to his mouth, brushing his lips across her knuckles. Roses bloomed in her cheeks, and she stammered a quick goodnight before disappearing into her house. Dante smiled, whistling softly as he made his way back to his car. Who knew being friends with a woman could be fun... he thought, settling into the car. ------- Raven was exhausted, but she was finding it hard to sleep. Her head was spinning and her skin was afire where Dante had kissed her. I must have been imagining it, she thought, staring at the ceiling. I had to have been imagining it... That tender look in his dark eyes couldn't have been real. Sure, he'd adapted well to being just friends, but Dante was the kinda guy who was all about sex. Except he hasn't been, lately, Raven thought. Even tonight, he said he wanted to kiss me, but... But he'd been a gentleman the whole day. Even on the boat, when he'd been holding onto her, his hands hadn't wandered once. And it was so much fun, she thought, smiling. I wasn't expecting any of that... The day had been wonderful, and tiring. She couldn't let this new mystery of the already mysterious Dante get to her. Raven rolled onto her side, and was asleep almost as soon as she had closed her eyes. ------- Chapter Five: Dancing Beneath The Moonlight "I think it sounds like fun!" Raven glanced sidelong at Jade, her eyebrows raised. They both stood together before the school bulletin, where a flier had been posted. A medieval Masquerade for Halloween, huh? she thought, pursing her lips. Well, at least it's a slightly more original idea than last year's haunted house of idiots. A haunted house thrown by the football team and the cheerleaders just was a very, very bad idea. And it was nice to see Jade having a little enthusiasm. "Well, I'm not going," Raven said. "Why not?" Jade demanded, surprised. "I would think it would be right up your alley." "And who, pray tell, would I go with?" Raven asked. "You? Our sexual preferences are speculated on enough as it is, don't you think?" Jade snorted and rolled her eyes. That was the general consensus about the two of them, but it couldn't be further from true. Couldn't hurt to reestablish my heterosexuality, Raven thought, scowling. Assuming I'd established any to begin with. "You could go with Dante," Jade suggested. "No, I don't think..." Raven started "Go where with Dante?" Raven jumped, startled, and spun around. Dante was approaching them, with Lor trailing lethargically behind him. She noticed, out of the corner of her eye, that Jade perked up a little. Oh, my, she thought, following her friend's gaze. I think someone has a little crush... She hoped that Lor might feel the same. Raven wouldn't like to see her friend get hurt, although she didn't think Lor was as much of a player as Dante. "Raven needs a date for the Masquerade," Jade explained, grinning. "I'm not going," Raven reiterated firmly. "Well, I am," Jade said. "Although... I have to find a date..." "Lor will go with you," Dante said, pushing Lor forward. "Won't you, Lor?" Lor's eyes widened. "What? What? Wait... no..." "Uh, no... that's... that's okay..." Jade stammered, her cheeks heating. "I... I'll probably just go alone." Dante caught Raven's gaze and grinned. Trouble maker, she thought, fighting a smile. Reaching out, she pressed her hand against Jade's shoulder and pushed her forward. She stumbled, arms wind-milling, and fell against Lor. Dante grabbed Raven's wrist and they dashed away down the hall before Lor and Jade could untangle themselves. She found herself laughing as they raced down the hall. Dante pulled to a stop in front of their next class and turned to face her, grinning broadly. Raven tugged her wrist from his grip and brushed her hair from face. She felt a little bad about doing that to Jade, but maybe, just maybe, something would come of it. One of us should show the school that we're straight, Raven thought. Might as well be Jade... "So... gonna give me a good reason for why you won't go with me?" Dante asked. Raven scowled. "Because I don't want to." She pushed passed Dante and into the classroom, her good mood spoiled. Raven dropped unceremoniously into her chair and sighed. I want to go with you, Dante, she thought, something she could never say aloud. I want to but... I don't know how to dance. ------- "I should kill you both for that." Dante flashed Lor a half-hearted, distracted smile. Why won't she go with me? he wondered, glancing across the room at Raven. I've behaved myself... so I couldn't have offended her, could I? He ran his fingers through his hair, brushing it from his face, and glanced at her again. She was pointedly not looking at him, her eyes focused on the blackboard. "I can't be getting involved with a human," Lor growled, glowering at Dante. "You could have said no," Dante pointed out. "Besides, she's got a pretty pure soul herself. Couldn't hurt." "I'm not you," Lor retorted sharply. "Screw you, Lor," Dante snarled. Lor raised his eyebrows at Dante's vehement reaction. Grumbling beneath his breath, Dante dropped his head onto his arms. What did I do wrong? he wondered, rubbing his temples. The thought of dancing with her was tempting. Even more so, a medieval Masquerade promised to be interesting. She'll look so beautiful, Dante thought, lifting his head to glance at her once more. She already does... damn, what's gotten into me? He couldn't keep his mind off of her all throughout the rest of the day. A few times he tried to get her attention, but she ignored him. Once, before she left for the day, he saw her watching him, and he could have sworn there was a longing in her dark blue eyes. However, when Dante had started towards her, Raven had turned and fled. I have to find a way to get her to talk to me, he resolved, covering himself with a glamour shroud. But how? ------- Raven sat on the edge of her bed, running a brush through her hair. It was late, but she couldn't sleep, anyway. This is getting ridiculous, she thought, dropping the soft-bristled brush onto the bedcovers. I can't stop thinking about him... She dropped back onto the bed herself with a soft sigh. An image of Dante swam up in her mind. Raven growled in frustration and turned onto her side, staring at the wall. It's only because he's been nice lately, she thought insistently. She closed her eyes and worked to clear her mind. If I can't sleep, I won't make it to school tomorrow, Raven thought. And if I'm not in school... She wouldn't see Dante if she wasn't in school. Damn, it really was getting out of hand. She couldn't deny that. But it felt kinda nice to have a small crush on someone, like other girls her age did. The thought made her smile a little, as she began to drift off to sleep. Cold air blowing across her skin woke her sometime later. Startled, Raven sat up and glanced around. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw Dante silhouetted by the open window. How the hell did he get in here!? she wondered frantically, pulling a blanket up around her shoulders. He closed the window gently and stepped forward, out of the silvery glow of moonlight. Raven gripped the edges of her blanket and stared at him. "Don't be afraid," Dante said softly. "Your grandmother let me in." "Into my bedroom?" Raven squeaked, her voice high with panic. Dante chuckled. "I just wanted to see you for a moment. You look so beautiful when you're asleep." Raven felt her cheeks heat, and she stared down at the bedcovers. This is too weird, she thought. Why did he have the window open? Dante stepped forward and sat on the edge of the bed. She scooted away from him, clutching her blanket to her chest. She stared at him as he reached out and gently brushed her cheeks with his fingertips. "What's wrong, Raven?" Dante asked. "Have I done something to upset you?" "You're in my bedroom in the middle of the night!" Raven snapped. "What do you think?" "You know that isn't what I mean," Dante sighed. "I would really like you to go with me to the Masquerade. Why won't you?" She felt her cheeks heat again. He's being nice, she thought, touching a hand to her burning skin. How am I supposed to resist that? Raven looked up and met his dark gaze. His expression was curious and slightly concerned. This wasn't the Dante she'd first met. This couldn't possibly be the same guy who'd tried to grope her. We'll see, she thought, setting her mouth stubbornly. We'll see if he's really so nice. "I can't dance," Raven said bluntly. Dante looked startled. "Is that all? So what?" "Well I... um I... you know..." Raven stammered. "It's just... I have enough trouble in school to begin with. I don't need to look like a dork trying to dance in front of everyone." "It's only because you come off like a snob," Dante told her. "I am not a snob!" Raven snapped. Grinning, Dante stood up and back away from the bed. He bowed to her, his hair spilling haphazardly over his face. When he straightened, he held out a hand to her. Raven lifted her eyebrows curiously. Now what does he want? she wondered. "My lady," Dante said quietly. "Would you honor me with this dance?" "You're nuts," Raven said. Dante grinned. "Yeah. Dance with me." Shaking slightly, Raven stood up off the bed. She stepped across the carpet, her bare feet not making a whisper of sound, and placed her hand gingerly in his. Dante swept her close with one easy movement, closing an arm around her waist, while the fingers of his other hand entwined with hers. She looked up at him and blushed hotly. There it is, Raven thought, noting the familiar hunger in his eyes. But... it's a little different tonight. Moonlight spilled over them as they moved slowly across the room. Dancing had always been arduous for her, but under Dante's guidance it seemed oddly easy. I feel like I'm floating, she thought, resting her head against his chest. A smile curved the edges of her mouth. Despite the look she'd seen in his eyes, his hold was gentle and almost... chaste. It is chaste, Raven thought, glancing up at him. I wish I could trust him, but I can't help feeling like he's playing at something... "It's easy, see?" Dante said. Raven scowled. "This might be, but faster dancing..." "Ah... don't ask me for that," Dante muttered. "This is bad enough. You know, girls shouldn't be so tempting in My Little Pony pajama bottoms." "Ha!" Raven laughed. "I knew it! You and your dirty mind..." "Yes," Dante agreed. "Me and my dirty mind." His sudden, swift movement caught her off guard. Raven squeaked in surprise as he dipped her, the arm around her waist supporting her weight with ease. Dante bent low, his mouth hovering barely an inch above hers. She felt his breath against her face, warm and sweet, as he spoke. "But it isn't the dirty part of my mind that's asking, you know," Dante murmured. "I have a lot of fun with you, Raven. Please go with me." "I... I will if... if you do me one favor..." Raven stammered. Dante raised his eyebrows. "And that would be?" "Kiss me," Raven whispered. His eyes darkened. Dante lowered his mouth to hers, his lips meeting hers in the softest, most tender of kisses. She wound her arm around his neck, clinging to him desperately at her world spun headily. His hand moved from hers to tunnel in her hair, cradling her head as he gently urged her lips open with the tip of his tongue. Raven's heart pounded loudly in her ears. What am I doing!? she wondered frantically. Have I completely lost my mind? Dante's lips brushed hers once more, gently, before he pulled away. He straightened, but didn't release his hold on her. "You're trembling," Dante murmured. Raven shivered; she could feel his breath warm against her neck. He seemed to sense her unease, because he let go of her. He still held her hand, however, and he chaffed her fingers as he waited for her to speak. She cleared her throat, then lifted her gaze to look at his face. Dante was watching her patiently. "I um... I wasn't... I didn't..." Raven stammered. "It's okay. I understand," Dante assured her. "So... will you go with me?" His gaze was hopeful. Raven found herself smiling slightly. He's being so sweet, she thought. Something has to be up. But... "Okay," Raven agreed. Dante grinned. "Great. And don't worry about dancing. I'll help you." "Goody," Raven muttered. "Look um... it's late and..." "Sleep," Dante murmured. Yeah, Raven thought, smothering a yawn. Good idea. She was suddenly so tired, she couldn't keep her eyes open. She'd been so restless, especially once Dante had kissed her; now suddenly all that buzzing energy was gone. Raven rubbed at her eyes, trying to wake herself up. It wasn't going to happen. Her knees gave way beneath her and she collapsed. ------- Dante caught Raven as she fell and lifted her up. Sorry, sweetheart, he thought, as he carried her to the bed. I don't want you to be sleepy tomorrow. He set her gently down on the bed and pulled the covers over her, tucking them around her. He was feeling a little shaken after that kiss. If there was anything he hadn't been expecting, it was that. Not that Dante minded; on the contrary, he was quite pleased. Reaching out, he brushed a stray strand of dark hair from her cheek. She makes me feel... strange, he thought. He bent over and brushed his lips gently over hers, then turned back to the window. It opened at a thought, and he jumped out into the night air, the wind from his wings blowing the window shut behind him. Dante didn't often use glamour on mortals, but he would use it as he had tonight, to teach Raven to dance. She wouldn't have to worry at all about looking foolish in front of other students at the Masquerade. As he reached his home, he felt the presence of Lor inside. Dante grinned. The window of the living room swept open before him and he flew inside, landing gently on his feet. As he strode into the living room, Lor sat up on the couch and glared. He's still upset about that? Dante wondered, his eyebrows lifting. Jade is pretty cute under the hair dye and the piercings... He needs to get laid, he's too uptight. "You shouldn't sneak into a girl's room in the middle of the night," Lor growled. "Aha!" Dante exclaimed. "That's what has you all in a twist. I just went for a visit." "In the middle of the night? What did you do?" Lor demanded. "Uh... well... we danced..." Dante stammered, rubbing the back of his neck. Lor's eyebrows raised. "Danced?" "She doesn't know how," Dante explained. "That's why she wouldn't go with me. But I convinced her to go. I just used a little glamour to teach her." "Idiot!" Lor groaned, flopping back onto the couch. He'll get over it, Dante thought, settling in the recliner and putting his feet up. He was worried, though. After this was all finished, after he had succeeded in seducing Raven, what would happen between him and Lor? This was the angriest he'd ever seen his friend. But I have to! Dante thought fiercely. I have to protect my people from Lar'Dhaal! His father had his mother now, and he loved her; she was his mate. It was up to Dante now to find the power to protect his people. "And the both of you!" Lor continued, throwing up his hands. "I can't believe Raven would do that to me and Jade!" "You could use a girl in your life," Dante said, grinning. "And Raven must think so too. Although I bet Jade found the time to chew her out, too." "Good!" Lor huffed. "She's a mortal, Dante! Just like Raven!" "And why not a mortal?" Dante demanded. "Our own women only use you! A friend of Raven's must be like her... she wouldn't care that you're a half breed demon!" Lor's eyebrows raised. "Well, that's an oddly complimentary statement, coming from you..." "Yeah," Dante said softly. "I guess so." Lor pointing it out to him only confirmed it. Dante had been noticing a change in himself, lately. Raven has a strange effect on me, he thought, leaning back to stare at the ceiling. It's odd, but... I can't help thinking that she wouldn't care that I was a demon. At least, not eventually. She was going to be furious at first, he knew that. Dante tilted his head to glance at Lor, and shrugged. "I don't like the way they treat you, Lor," Dante said. "So what if you're half human? You've got more power than some full demons, for one. Too bad you can't do this job." "I have too much integrity," Lor retorted, but the gibe was half-hearted. Dante had known Lor for so long, since he had found him wandering the streets in the slums. At the time, Dante had been a mischievous boy who had snuck out of the palace for some fun. He'd brought Lor home like human boys brought home stray puppies. His mother and father hadn't been pleased at first, but Dante had been insistent upon "keeping" Lor. After awhile they'd become close friends, and Lor had saved his life more than once, for which his parents were very grateful. Although they had spent a lot of time looking for his parents, they'd never found so much as a hint. Eventually Dante's mother had come to love Lor as her own, and his father had become more welcoming, if not completely warm. They'd been inseparable for the longest time, and now this thing with Raven was driving a rift between them. But I won't endanger my people for one person, Dante thought with a sigh. The burden of responsibility was indeed a heavy thing. ------- Chapter Six: The Masquerade "Raven, if you don't stand still, I'm going to stick you!" Raven glanced down at Jade and batted her lashes innocently. Her friend glared back up at her. They were working on the draping design for Raven's gown for the Masquerade. She didn't even know what it was going to look like when it was finished; Jade refused to tell. It takes a lot of trust to do that, Raven thought wryly. Fortunately she has a fantastic sense of design. Jade was also working on her own dress, which she wouldn't reveal, either. Raven did know that the material was black velveteen, although her friend claimed she was putting in a little bit of color. It won't matter, she thought, she'd look good in all black, anyway. Sighing, she ran her hands gingerly along the deep blue silk Jade had chosen for her dress. "I can't believe you can afford materials like this," Raven said. "Daddy wants to make up for abandoning me by giving me money," Jade muttered. "Who am I to refuse?" "You only do it for your designs," Raven reminded her. "Anyone could tell that. And... damn, this material looks a million times more elegant than synthetics." "And it's about a million times more fussy and difficult, too," Jade grumbled. "All right, you're done. Remove that... carefully!" With Jade's help, Raven carefully removed the soft fabric and folded it, making certain not to shift any of the pins. Then she pulled on her jeans and t-shirt. Jade eyed her, her face fixed in that "you're a fashion disaster" expression. For so long her friend had been trying to convince her to let her design special clothes especially suited to her. Raven had considered it from time to time, but she wasn't entirely certain she trusted Jade. If this comes out well, I'll let her have her way, she thought. "I'd better get going," Raven said. "I'm meeting Dante tonight to study." Jade's eyebrows lifted. "Do you guys ever do anything other than study?" "Uh... we swim..." Raven muttered. "That's it. What else would we do?" Jade wiggled her eyebrows lasciviously and grinned. Rolling her eyes, Raven shouldered her bag and left the house. Let her think what she wants, she thought, grumbling to herself. Dante and I don't do those things. Not that he hasn't tried. But he hadn't tried since, not at all. It's... wonderful, Raven thought, a dreamy smile curling her lips. And I am becoming so... stupid. She couldn't let guys become a top priority in her life... but for a little while it didn't hurt to pretend. ------- Dante paused in front of the mirror and grinned. A Masquerade is just perfect, he thought, fluttering his wings. It wouldn't take much to convince people that they were just really clever fakes. He'd left his hair down, and it framed his face dramatically. A long sleeved mesh pullover made the bulk of his costume; it was sheer against his skin and split just above his hips, hanging low to his ankles to slightly resembling a trench. He'd chosen simple leather pants and a simple black mask that covered his face in Phantom of the Opera style to complete the outfit. "You look ridiculous." Dante turned to look at Lor. It was odd to see his friend wearing white. Beneath a long white trench coat he wore white leather pants, and a white, ruffled shirt with draping lace at the hems of the sleeves. A quick bit of glamour had changed his wings into the mirror image of snowy white angel wings. Dante's eyebrows lifted, and he felt a smile tugging at his lips. "So do you," Dante said, grinning. "That isn't very medieval." "Neither is that," Lor pointed out. "But most people will be showing up in stuff that's more gothic than medieval, no doubt." "So, do you know what Jade's wearing?" Dante asked. "Raven won't tell me anything about either outfit." Lor shook his head. "Not a clue. Let's get going." It was a quick drive to Raven's house to pick the girls up. Feeling anticipation rising in him suddenly, Dante grinned as he reached out and rang the doorbell. High school isn't as bad as humans make it out to be, he thought. Not when you have a girl like Raven in your school. He waited, feeling impatient, until the door opened. When Raven appeared in the door way, he sucked in his breath sharply. The dress she wore was deep, dark blue to match her eyes. It clung to her upper body, tight around her breasts, loosening about her hips where it fell in floating layers of silk chiffon. Rather than sleeves, strings of dark blue pearls draped dramatically around her upper arms. Her hair was partially up, thin braids twined with blue ribbons. More blue ribbons fluttered freely with her hair, the spots where they were tied cleverly hidden beneath soft strands of dark black. A circlet made of thin silver chains and teardrop lapis lazuli wound around her forehead. Beneath that a mask adorned with lapis jewels hid part of her face It would have been breathtaking enough, even if it weren't for the wings. Delicate blue creations, made of wire and silk, stylized to look much like his, if a bit smaller. Dante glanced sidelong at Lor and saw him grinning. He knew that Jade had been making the costumes; Lor must have made some comment on wings, although he wasn't stupid enough to tell the truth. Raven stepped out of the door way and a moment later Jade appeared. At the same time, Lor's cocky grin disappeared, and Dante was the one grinning. A corset style bodice of black velveteen, with an underlay of purple. Purple was also interposed into the skirt, which was different length strips of silk chiffon. Draped and dagged sleeves hung off her shoulders, and beneath that purple velveteen clung to her arms, up to her hands. She'd washed the dye from her hair; it was actually brown. Earrings still danced up her ears, but her facial piercings were gone. Her mask was dark purple, lined with small black feathers. Someone has a very successful career ahead of her, Dante thought. Then his eyes fell upon Raven once more, and that was the end of that. He couldn't stop staring at her. She looks so beautiful, so... regal. So breathtaking, Dante thought. Why must she be human? She would make a lovely Queen. The thought shook him to his very core. He was nearly trembling as he reached out and offered his arm to her. Through the thin mesh of his top, her warm hand made him burn. "You two look fantastic," Jade said, cutting through his reverie. "Love the wings." "Yeah," Lor answered quietly. "Those are cute, too." He was referring to the miniature pair of black angel wings she was wearing. They were the small Cherub type. Dante gave them only a passing glance, though; he had eyes only for Raven. She seemed to realize this, because her cheeks heated under his gaze. He opened the passenger seat of his car and helped her inside, then shot a look at Lor. Lor glared at him for a moment, then helped Jade into the back seat. The drive was hell. Dante had to keep his eyes on the road; he couldn't stare at Raven the whole time. She was very quiet, staring down at her hands in her lap as though fascinated by them. Talk, he urged mentally. Say something... But without his glamour to back the command, it was little more than a plea. Dante wasn't going to force Raven to speak to him, so he tried another tactic. "Jade, you did an amazing job," he said. "This costume is absolutely perfect on Raven." "Indeed," Jade agreed, grinning. "Takes your breath away, doesn't she?" "Jade," Raven murmured warningly. "More than you'll ever know," Dante answered quietly. Raven lifted her head, startled, and looked at him. Her cheeks heated, and a hint of a smile curved her lips. That's it, he thought, glancing over at her. Her lips were parted, as if she might say something. Damnit, Dante thought, swallowing hard and forcing himself to look forward. She has such a delectable mouth... The wine red lipstick she was wearing just made her lips look even more tempting. "I feel... strange," Raven admitted. "I'm not used to being so dressed up." "You'll feel even odder, soon," Dante told her, grinning. "Cause every guy in the place is going to be staring at you." Raven's cheeks heated further. She seemed relieved when they pulled into the parking lot and found a space. Dante was quick to open the door for her and help her out; anything to touch her. She would be right at home at any of the balls we have in our world, he thought, as he led her up the steps into the building. Every female of my kind would be eaten alive by jealousy. It would be one thing for a human to be more beautiful than they. For one to be dancing with their Prince, that would be too much. Dante didn't wait long before sweeping her out onto the dance floor. He did catch Lor's annoyed glare, but that didn't stop him from abandoning his friend with Jade. Raven was chuckling at the expression on Lor's face. Dante pulled her closed, which startled her out of her laughter, and soon she had settled against him. He would have used his glamour to help her as they started to dance, but she seemed not to need it, this time. "Jade is never going to forgive me," Raven laughed. "I don't know what Lor's problem is," Dante said, frowning. "Jade is cute. Especially when she isn't mimicking a pincushion." Raven giggled. "Yeah. But I don't think it's that he doesn't think she's cute." "Oh?" Dante's eyebrows lifted. "What do you think it is, Ms. O'Hail?" "He likes her," Raven said, grinning. "He just doesn't want to admit it for some reason. That's what I can't figure out." "Very perceptive of you," Dante commented. "And you're probably right." Raven smiled up at him and he couldn't help smiling back. When he looked down at her, it was hard not to fall into her eyes. They were so deep, so blue. Dante managed to tear his gaze away from her face as a faster song came on, and he slid his hands down to her hips to hold onto her as they danced. Raven was shy at first, but she fell into the music, as he knew she was. She's a passionate creature, he thought, pulling her close against him. She would make a perfect demon... ------- Raven couldn't believe how perfect the night had been. Well, almost perfect. Jade had gotten sick and insisted upon walking home; Lor had taken her. Large crowds of people made Jade nervous, and Raven felt bad for her, but her friend had told her not to let it get in the way of enjoying her night. Now she relaxed in Dante's arms, her head resting on his shoulder, as they swayed to the music. I would never have imagined myself doing this, she thought. "Wow," Dante murmured. "I can't believe how tired I'm getting." "It's almost midnight," Raven told him. "We should probably get going." "Yeah, probably," Dante agreed. "Hey, uh, Raven?" She lifted her head and looked at him. "Yeah?" "I was wondering... and uh... please don't take this the wrong way," Dante stammered. "But... I hoped you might come back to my place for a little while. Just to hang out." "Um... I dunno..." Raven said uneasily. "It's late... and... well um... I know your parents aren't home, they never are. And uh..." "Just to hang out," Dante reiterated. "I uh... don't actually... want to... I don't really want the night to end just yet." "While I... okay," Raven conceded. "But you'd better be on your best behavior!" "I'll treat you like a queen," Dante murmured, smiling. Raven felt her cheeks heat. His dark eyes were warm and they looked so sincere that she couldn't resist. This is crazy, she thought, as he took her hand and began leading her from the building. I'm out of my mind, completely out of my mind! Dante was a player, the kind of guy who only thought of sex. But he'd barely so much as kissed her lately. I can't fall for a guy like him, she thought. I've only known him a couple of months, barely that, I can't fall for him... but I am. They walked together out to his car, and once more Dante helped her into the car. It was a little awkward sitting with the wings. Somehow he managed to arrange his around the drivers' seat. They look so real, Raven thought. Too bad they aren't... that would be kinda cool. She shook her head and sighed; now she was just being silly. That was a childish thing to think... but it was still sort of an exciting thought, too. The drive to Dante's place seem to fly by. When he helped her from the car again, she realized just how chilly it was. He put an arm around her waist and held her close while he opened the door. His body seemed to put off so much heat that it warmed her up. Raven closed her eyes for a moment and sighed contentedly; this was really nice. She followed him into the dark house, stumbling a bit until he turned the lights on. "To be honest with you," Dante said suddenly. "I was kind of hoping maybe we could go swimming." "Swimming?" Raven's eyebrows lifted. "I don't have my bathing suit." "Well, I wasn't going to look," Dante said. "As long as you promise not to look, too." She glanced sidelong at him, fighting a smile. "What makes you think I would?" "Wishful thinking," Dante answered, grinning. "It's up to you. I'm not going to push you. But either way, I am going in that hot tub. My feet are killing me." He winked at her, then turned and headed into the pool room. Somewhere between the door and the pool, he'd discarded his wings, but she didn't remember him doing so. She paused next to the table where they usually studied, suddenly hesitant. Raven watched as Dante pulled off the clingy mesh top he was wearing and placed it on a chair. He's gorgeous, she thought, feeling her cheeks heat. He was muscular, but not too muscular, and there was some sort of tribal tattoo over his shoulder blades. "Are you coming in, or not?" Dante asked, glancing over his shoulder. "Um, well... I... okay," Raven said in a small voice. Her mouth went dry as Dante peeled out of the leather pants he was wearing, and she quickly turned away. Raven waited until she'd heard him slip beneath the water, then turned back to face him. He smiled at her, then turned away, as he'd said he would. Trembling slightly, she began to carefully undress. The wings were attached to the back of the dress, so she had to be very careful. First she took off her mask and the circlet and set them aside. Then she reached back between the wings and unzippered the dress. Raven removed it gingerly, then folded it and set it so the wings were standing up. Shaking, she peeled out of her stockings, panties, and bra, then crept quietly to the side of the hottub. As he'd promised, Dante waited until she was well beneath the water before he glanced over at her. "This feels good," Raven murmured, sighing. "It does," Dante agreed. He reached around under the water until he found her foot. Raven squeaked, opening her eyes wide, as Dante pulled her foot into his lap. He began massaging her foot, ankle, and calf. Sighing with pleasure, she closed her eyes and sank down into the water up to her chin. This is nice, Raven thought, a smile curving her lips. Maybe this was a good idea after all. "Hah," Dante chuckled. "If I'd known this was the way to get you to let me touch you..." Raven opened one eye to peer at him. "You'd have what?" "I'd have found every single opportunity I could to give you a massage," Dante answered honestly. "You have soft skin, for one thing. Wonderful to touch. For another, you're just about the most beautiful creature in the universe." "Just about?" Raven's eyebrows lifted. "Okay, you are the most beautiful creature in the universe," Dante corrected, grinning. "Well, in that case, I'll graciously allow you to do my back, too," Raven said, turning over in the water. Dante's eyes widened in feigned shock. "Spoiled brat!" "Mmhmm," Raven murmured in agreement. Dante chuckled, then went about massaging her back, neck, and shoulders. Raven let her eyes drift shut once more. This is more than nice, she thought, this is blissful. She was really tired, and maybe she should be more cautious, but she didn't have the energy. And he'd been honest with her, at least; he was attracted to her, and he admitted it. Raven was oddly reassured by that. "Just relax," Dante murmured. "Relax... rest..." His voice was hypnotizing. It was so deep and sexy, like soft velveteen against her skin. Raven sighed deeply. She could feel herself slowly drifted off, seduced towards sleep by his voice. If she hadn't been so tired, it would have been erotic. In fact, it was, but something in his voice also made it impossible to keep her eyes open. Before she knew it, Raven was fast asleep. ------- Dante rose from the water, carrying Raven with him. He'd been amazed that she'd allowed him to touch her like that; amazed and pleased. He'd also sensed her exhaustion, and had put her to sleep. Now he carried her into the house, using glamour to try the water from her skin. I can't believe it, Dante thought, gazing down at her. I didn't think a human woman could be this beautiful. It seemed, oddly enough, that Raven got more and more beautiful with each day that passed. If only she was a demon, he thought, as he settled her onto his bed. He pulled the covers up around her and tucked her in, making certain she would stay warm throughout the night. Dante kissed her forehead gently, then reluctantly left the room. He couldn't be in the same room with her right now; he'd want to take her. With all of his soul, he wanted her now, he didn't want to wait. Stretching out on the couch, he stared at the wall. There's old myths and legends about a way to turn a human into a demon, he thought, rolling onto his back. A ritual, or a potion, or something of the sort. Could that be true? He could barely believe the thoughts were going through his head. Dante wanted to keep her by his side. He didn't want to let her go after he finally took her. But if she was human, she would grow old so quickly, and she'd be gone in the blink of an eye. And she'd make a devastating demon, he thought, a slight smile curving his lips. With her as my Princess, and then my Queen, I'll be the envy of every male demon, and have the female demons, in the world. It was a pleasant thought, in many ways. Dante realized, in some small part of him, that Raven was changing him. To long to have her by his side was unlike him. But he was going to look into those myths as soon as he got the chance. ------- Chapter Seven: Party Crasher Raven stirred as sunlight broke through the curtains fluttering around the open window. She opened her eyes, blinking in the bright sunlight, and was disoriented by her surroundings. Sitting up, she glanced around quickly, and caught sight of Dante sitting by the window. He was sitting on a cedar chest with his legs tucked against his chest, his arms folded about her knees, watching her. Raven glanced down at herself and felt her heart stop; she was in Dante's bed! "Nothing happened," Dante said softly. "I slept on the couch." She studied him. He was wearing the leather pants from the night before, but no shirt, and his hair was down and tousled. He looks so sexy, Raven thought, groaning inwardly. How am I suppose to resist him? She pulled the blankets up, wrapping them around her as she stood up from the bed. Dante unfolded himself, sitting up, a smile curving his lips as she settled on his lap. She slid her arms around his neck, and he braced his hands on elbows. "What are you doing in here, anyway?" Raven asked. "Watching you sleep," Dante told her. "I told you before... you look so heavenly when you're asleep." Raven felt a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "You promise that you behaved yourself?" "I did while you were asleep," Dante said. "I can't promise I will now. I mean, you're not really wearing anything and you're sitting in my lap." "Should I get up?" Raven asked, her eyebrows lifting. Dante's hands slid down her arms and around her waist. He pulled her close, nuzzling beneath her chin with his lips. She sighed, tilting her head back to allow him to nip gently at her throat. I've completely lost my mind, Raven thought, lifting her hands to tangle her fingers in Dante's hair. His mouth moved restlessly along her skin, down to her shoulders, collarbone, and chest. She closed her eyes and relaxed against him, sighing softly. Dante stood suddenly, sweeping her up into his arms. Raven squeaked in surprise, tightening her grip on him. He carried her over to the bed and rested her back on the mattress, his hands sliding down over the blankets covering her. He looks so intense, she thought, swallowing hard. What... what is he going to do? His dark eyes studied her face for long moments, then he lowered his mouth to hers. She trembled as his hands slid beneath the blankets, but she couldn't find the strength to push him away. His hands were gentle this time, not like the first time he had touched her. Slightly rough palms cradled her breasts, and his fingertips caressed her skin with a tenderness that seemed so unlike him. Raven closed her eyes, feeling herself relaxing beneath his touch. She was quite shocked, therefore, when he pulled away suddenly, shifting the blankets back into place over her body. Raven let out a little mewl of disappointment and opened her eyes to gaze at him curiously. Dante smiled wanly, then sat back, pulling her up into a sitting position with him. "I'll give you something to wear so I can take you home," Dante said, turning away. "Wait!" Raven cried, startling both him and herself. Dante turned back to her, his eyebrows raised. "Yes?" "I uh, um... I thought... I..." Raven stammered, her cheeks heating. Dante chuckled, leaning against the bed to press his mouth against her neck. She groaned softly, closing her arms around him, as he sucked sharply at her skin. After a moment he pulled away again and padded over to one of his dressers. Raven watched him, feeling confused and a little hurt. Dante fished out a t-shirt and a pair of jeans that would be much too big for her, and tossed them to her. "I put your things in the bathroom," Dante told her. "Go change." Frowning, she stood up, keeping the blankets clutched tightly around herself as she dashed into the bathroom. Her dress, shoes, stockings, undergarments, and other accessories were all neatly folded on the vanity. She pulled on her panties and bra, then the t-shirt and jeans Dante have given her. They were much too big, as she'd thought, but they smelled like him. Raven snuggled into the t-shirt with a little sigh of pleasure. Okay, I've fallen for him, she thought. I'm not ashamed to admit it. But... why didn't he want me? She picked up her things and turned to leave the bathroom when someone caught her attention. Raven turned fully to face the mirror and lifted her hand to her neck. Dante had left a hickey there. Oh my, she thought, her eyes widening. It's... it's almost like he marked me as his... A dreamy smile curled her lips, and she was humming to herself as she walked out of the bathroom. She almost ran into Dante in the hallway. "Well, they're a little big on you," Dante teased. "But you still look sexy. Let's get going." Raven's cheeks heated. She clutched her things closed to her and followed Dante out of the house. He's going to have to deal with never getting this shirt back, she thought, as she slid into the passenger seat. I'm keeping it. She felt a little silly, but her heart felt light. It's okay, Raven realized. I'm almost eighteen years old. It's about time I paid some attention to a guy. It's not like it's unnatural. ------- A seemingly endless labyrinth of streets and buildings spread out beneath him as Dante winged across the dark sky. The tall, white marble towers of the palace, each topped with a forty foot silver spire, were like a grandiose centerpiece. His destination was not the palace, however. At the edge of the city, beyond the gates, beyond even the slums, gaudily bright tents huddled together around a burning campfire. Gypsies. Just the people Dante needed to speak to. As he swept down out of the air, those gathered around the campfire looked up. The recognized him immediately. All of his people recognized their prince, and although theses gypsies were wanders, they knew him. These were Bacchus' people. A few of them nodded to him as he stepped past, towards the largest tent. It was a black monstrosity, lined in silver, hung all over with charms made of crystals, beads, feathers, small polished stones, and the skulls of small animals. Always creepy, Dante thought, as he passed through the tent flap. This was the tent of the Lorekeeper, the most knowledgeable gypsy in the clan. Last time he'd been here, it had been an old woman with a young male apprentice who had attended him. That had been quite a long time ago, if Dante remembered correctly. This time, sitting on the most luxurious cushions the gypsies owned was the boy... fully grown. He was as beautiful was a woman, with long, straight hair that was sunset red-gold in color and pooled on the ground when he sat. The plain, white robes he wore draped over his slender form. Glad I'm not female, Dante thought, his eyebrows lifting. "Welcome, my Prince," the young Lorekeeper murmured. "I am Phoebus, Lorekeeper of my clan. How may I be of help to you?" Once more he found himself caught off guard. Phoebus was well known to a lot of demons; he was young, yes, but already a powerful Seer and Dreamweaver. And Lorekeeper besides? Dante thought, shivering. That's more power than one his age should have. His brother Deimos was a warrior who often fought for Dante's clan. He was also well known, for being ruthless, cold-hearted, and often times mean. He wasn't evil, but he wasn't bursting with tact and grace, either. "You've heard of me, I see," Phoebus said softly. "I am honored, my Prince. Now, what is it I can do for you?" "I was hoping you might know something of an old myth," Dante explained. "A myth about turning humans into demons?" Phoebus asked, smiling slightly. Dante's eyes widened. "How'd you... oh." "It is more than a myth, my Prince," Phoebus said. "There is truth in this. However, the truth is often not what we wish it to be." "I... want to know," Dante said, slightly hesitant. "There is a human, a mortal, she's... well, you can See, I don't need to tell you." "I cannot see all," Phoebus warned him. "Much, but not all. Raven is a strong mortal, not only in spirit, but in psychic ability. There is a chance that the Ambrosia would work on her." "A chance?" Dante asked. "What does that mean, exactly?" "The Ambrosia is, to many, a dangerous poison," Phoebus explained. "There is a very good chance she would not survive the change. And it is wise to make certain that you have her consent before you give it to her." Dante sat back, considering. That is... so dangerous, he thought, frowning deeply. But Raven is strong... she could get through that, I know she could. His heart beat a little faster. If she took the risk, and succeeded, she would be by his side for eternity. If it didn't work, she'd... and he'd be responsible for it. Movement caught his attention, and he looked up to see Phoebus holding a small crystal vial. "If you wish for this, it is yours," Phoebus said. "I could not stop you from having it, my Prince. I hope, however, you will do the right thing." Dante reached out and closed his fingers around the vial. He tucked it away into his pocket, then looked at Phoebus, studying him for long moments. At last he stood, towering over the sitting Lorekeeper. "Everyday," Dante said quietly. "I command you to Look every day, to find out how the potential future will change. I want to know when her chances of survival are at their highest. Your people may not leave my lands until I tell you." "As you wish, my Prince," Phoebus murmured. "But... would it perhaps be better to tell her how you feel?" "How dare you!" Dante roared. "You overstep your bounds, Seer! You know nothing of which you speak! Do as I say, and speak not of this to anyone!" Growling, Dante stormed out of the tent. Phoebus sat still on his cushions, unperturbed by the Prince's reactions. He glanced down at the crystal set before him, pulsating with inner light, and frowned. The crystal was an amplifier, clearing the fog from the edge of his visions. Phoebus sat back and sighed heavily. "You must admit it, someday, my Prince," Phoebus murmured. "Soon, I hope. Danger is fast winging towards your precious Raven." ------- Raven clutched the books she was carrying to her chest as she headed down the library steps. It's getting dark, she thought, glancing around. I didn't realize it had gotten so late. There was no one around at this hour, and the street was eerily quiet. As she headed towards her car, she shifted her books under her arm and fished for keys. She had to unclip them from her belt loop. A sudden gust of wind blew by her, nearly knocking her off her feet. She heard footsteps behind her and shrieked, so startled that she dropped her keys and books. Spinning around, Raven stared at the man approaching her. That... I must be seeing things, she thought. He... he... he has wings! She swayed on her feet, feeling like she might faint. "Well, well, well," the winged man purred. "Seems I've found you at last." "I... uh... I... oh..." Raven stammered. He was tall, nearly six foot six, and fairly thin in stature. Red hair curled around his face and hung down his back. He had dark, malevolent eyes beneath feathery red-gold brows, and henna tattoos up his ears and on shoulders bared by the leather vest he wore. His wings... real wings!... were feathered, like angels wings, although smaller than she imagined angel wings to be, and they were ebon black. "Yes, I can sense him on you," the man murmured. "And I see he left his mark on your pretty skin." The man caught her beneath the chin and lifted her head, bringing his other hand up to touch the hickey on her neck. Raven tried to jerk away from him, but for some reason she could not move. Her body was held in place as though bound that way. Panic rose in belly, and her heart began to pound loudly. Dante... is he talking about Dante? she wondered. How could he know that Dante gave me that? "Don't be frightened, little Raven," the man told her. "My name is Lar'Dhaal. I'm an... acquaintance of Dante." "You... you know him?" Raven asked. "Are... are you... friends or something?" "More like enemies, dear," Lar'Dhaal said. "We're both looking for the same thing... a pure, sweet little virgin, like you." "What are you talking about?" Raven demanded. Lar'Dhaal grinned wickedly and stepped around behind her. She couldn't even move her head to look at him. She felt something brush against her skin, something hot and cold at the same time. Like a phantom wind, it pulled her shirt up over her breasts. Startled, Raven let out a horrified shriek, which was quickly stifled as the same strange power forced her mouth shut. Phantom hands tugged her pants open, and she felt that strange power slide around her thighs. What is he doing!? she thought frantically. "Don't be afraid, little Raven," Lar'Dhaal cooed. "If you relax, you'll enjoy this. If you don't... well, I'm going to do it anyway." No! Raven thought, squeezing her eyes shut. Tears leaked out from under her lashes. She felt his hands slide over her stomach, teasing her skin. They traveled up the cup her breasts, his thumbs teasing her nipples beneath the lace of her bra. No! she thought again, sobbing. Stop... stop! I don't want this! I... I don't... Dante... Lar'Dhaal's teeth nipped at her neck sharply, and she let out a muffled yelp. "Come on, little Raven," Lar'Dhaal purred. "I know you like it... at least, your body does." Her cheeks burned shamefully. One of his hands slipped from her breast and down her pants. She squirmed, but with the strange binding on her she could not move enough to escape. His fingers searched beneath her panties, teasing her; her body was wet and aroused, even if her mind screamed in protest. I don't want him touching me! Raven thought. He... he isn't Dante... ------- The presence of Lar'Dhaal in the human world was disturbing enough. With the fear and distress fluttering along the connection between him and Raven, Dante was almost frantic with worry. He could not let Lar'Dhaal wander around the human world unattended, but he had to find Raven first. Using his connection to Raven, firmed up by the mark he'd left for her, he began winging in her direction. The closer her got, the more worried her became. As he got closer to her, he also got closed to Lar'Dhaal. Pouring glamour into his wings, he sped across the sky as fast as he could go. He came upon the scene and took it all in at once. Lar'Dhaal was using glamour to hold Raven in place as he touched her. Dante needed only his connection with her to realize that Lar'Dhaal had his fingers inside her. He was using glamour to arouse her, to set her nerves on fire, but she was actually fighting him. Fury exploded inside him. He dove down at Lar'Dhaal, power awakening around him. It crackled in the form of black lightning around his fingertips and in his hair. "Get your hands off her!" Dante roared. Both Lar'Dhaal and Raven looked up. Lar'Dhaal grinned smugly, then jumped away. Raven looked momentarily relieved, then her eyes widened in terror. Shit! Dante thought. This is going to take some serious explaining. He landed neatly before Lar'Dhaal as Raven scrambled away from them both, hastily pulling her clothing back into place. When he got his hands on Lar'Dhaal, he was going to snap his neck. "So much anger, Dante," Lar'Dhaal teased. "You aren't willing to share your little Raven? How selfish." "You have a lot of nerve coming here," Dante growled. "And how dare you touch what belongs to me! Why don't you put your tail between your legs and leave, like you always do?" "Oh, I'll go," Lar'Dhaal said, smiling. "But I figured your little Raven should know the truth... that the only reason you want her is because she's a virgin. You'll take her, and then you'll leave. "That isn't true!" Dante snarled. "Oh, we both know it's true, Dante," Lar'Dhaal taunted. "You should get away from him, little Raven. I at least made it enjoyable. He won't give a damn." "Liar!" Dante shouted. Lar'Dhaal smirked, then spread his wings and took off. Dante wanted desperately to go after him, but he had to look after Raven. He spun around, to find her fumbling with her keys, trying to get them into the lock. She was shaking, tears pouring down her cheeks. He walked over to her, and reached out to lay a hand on her arm, but she jumped away. "Raven, listen to me," Dante said softly. "No!" Raven shrieked, dropping her keys again by accident. "Stay away from me... don't touch me!" "Please, Raven!" Dante pleased. "Just listen... I can explain." "No, no!" Raven shouted. "Leave me alone. Go away! Go away!!!" Sighing, he bent down and picked up her keys. She snatched them away from him and struggled to open the car door. How could he explain to her now? He was boiling with anger and frustration, and he couldn't collect his thoughts. Dante could use glamour, force her to stay... even erase her memories. But he didn't want to do that to Raven. As she drove away, he picked up her books and used glamour to dry them off. I'll win you back somehow, little Raven, Dante thought, clutching the books. I will... and I'll keep you safe. With a little more glamour, he assured she'd make it home safe, then took off into the night air to clear his head. ------- Chapter Eight: Dante's People Raven sat on the roof of her grandmother's house, staring up at the stars. It was a chilly night, and she was cold even through the hooded sweatshirt she was wearing. I don't care, she thought, scowling. I like that it's cold... it clears my head. She was upset and confused. Dante and that other man... that Lar'Dhaal... they weren't human. It can't be real, Raven thought. They had wings and... and some kind of powers. That can't be for real, it just can't! And all those things Lar'Dhaal had said to her... could they be true? Dante had seemed so angry about it, but he hadn't completely denied any of it, either. He looked so fierce and angry, Raven thought. So... powerful. A shiver ran down her spine. Despite her fear and her own anger, she was curious to know more. I can't go near him ever again, though, she thought. That's why he's been so interested in me... he just wants to sleep with me. A soft whoosh, the sound of rushing wind, followed by something landing lightly on the roof, caught her attention. She whipped around to find Lor standing behind her. Raven froze, her eyes darting to the edge of the roof; she'd left her window open, but if she moved too fast, she'd fall. Lor didn't approach her, however. He perched on the peak of the roof, and gave her a wan smile. "What do you want?" Raven demanded. "You're like him, aren't you? Like Dante?" "You don't waste time, do you?" Lor teased. He sighed heavily. "Yes, Raven, I am. I don't know how much I should explain to you, though... whether it's my place." "Someone should explain," Raven growled. "Why do you have wings? What are you? Who's Lar'Dhaal? Why does Dante only want to sleep with me?" "Calm down," Lor soothed. "Just relax, Raven. I can't explain Dante's motives to you. I can only tell you what I know. Dante and I... we're demons." "Demons?" Raven repeated, her eyebrows raising. "Okay... maybe I can believe that. The wings kinda plead your case... so you got some wings too?" Lor sighed heavily, and she noted the somewhat pained expression he wore. The air around him shimmered briefly, and then quite suddenly she could see his wings. They were different from both Dante's and Lar'Dhaal's. Lor's wings were a little smaller than Dante's, with the same leathery look, but gray in color. Raven reached out with a trembling hand and touched the wing. It shuddered beneath her fingertips and she jerked her hand back. "Do all demons have different wings?" Raven asked. "No," Lor answered. "Full demons have black wings. Half-breeds have different wings." "Oh," Raven said softly. "You're... half-demon?" "I try to think of it that way," Lor told her. "Rather than being half human." Raven bit her lip. The bitterness in his voice made her realize how painful this was for him. Turning fully to face him, she perched on the roof tiles and offered a wan smile. He returned it, briefly. "Half-breeds are usually the lowest of our kind," Lor explained. "If it weren't for Dante, I'd be dead. He took me off the streets... gave me a life I could never have dreamed of. I'm still an outcast, but no one would dare say a thing in front of him." "Who is he, Lor?" Raven asked. "He is our Prince," Lor said simply. "It has been a long time since our clan has had a Prince such as him. I do not always approve of his methods, true, but he always does everything within his power to protect his people. Even me." I... guess I can understand, Raven thought. He has to protect his people... but it's not a good enough excuse! She felt so frustrated. All of this was so confusing and she knew so little. Why did he need her? Lar'Dhaal had said that both he and Dante were looking for a virgin. Well, they certainly came to the right place, she thought wryly. But why a virgin, and why me? "Okay... just a couple more questions," Raven said. "I'll answer as best as I can," Lor told her. Raven sighed. "Why does Dante need a... a virgin?" She felt her cheeks heat. "Well, it's the purity and innocence," Lor explained, grinning. "It grants demons amazing power, that innocence. Your soul is particularly pure. You're a bright beacon to demons like Dante and Lar'Dhaal." "And you?" Raven asked. "No," Lor said shortly. "I have no need." Raven nodded. "And... Lar'Dhaal?" "He is an exception to the rule," Lor said. "He gained power by taking virgins... willing or not, it still gives power. A willing virgin simply gives the most power. Lar'Dhaal became so powerful that he killed the King of one small clan and became King himself. None dare oppose him. He has a vendetta against all clans, all who had rejected him. Ours especially. So he gathers power to destroy us." Raven let all of that sink in. It seemed beyond belief. And yet somehow, for some reason, she did believe it. Dante had soared out of the night sky like a great black hawk, and he'd looked so amazing. As frightened as she'd been, that image of him made her pulse pound and her heart race. Lifting her head, she glanced at Lor, who was watching her closely. He looked like he was getting impatient with her questions, but she had one more. "You said you're half human... what is Lar'Dhaal?" Raven asked. "His wings are different from yours." "Lar'Dhaal is half angel," Lor told her. "Angel? But... he's so... angels are..." Raven stammered. Lor shook his head. "Angels aren't what you think they are. None of them are evil, as demons can be, but few are truly good. They're mostly very neutral creatures. Only the healers have a lot of compassion. The guardians, the warriors, the historians... they're all cold and indifferent. Not a pleasant lot, if you ask me." All of this was making her head spin. Angels and demons... And half-breeds, oh my! Raven thought wryly. It seemed unreal, and yet there was a small excitement fluttering beneath her apprehension. If demons and angels existed, then what about ghosts? Magic? Unicorns? All the things she'd dreamed about as a child suddenly seemed less unrealistic. Still... Raven wasn't ready to accept any of this as an excuse. "He's coming," Lor said quietly. Raven lifted her head. "Dante?" "Yes," Lor answered. "I... have to say, I still don't approve of what he's doing but... at least listen to him. He hasn't been talking to me very much lately... maybe there's something I missed." Without another word he spread his wings and flew off into the night. Raven felt her fear rushing back once Lor was gone. She began inching towards the edge of the roof. All I have to do is get inside and lock the window, she thought. Then I'll be safe. For some reason she could feel his approach, even though she never had before. Oh, who am I kidding? Raven wondered, dropping back into a sitting position on the roof. He'll get in, no matter what. Might as well stay out here. Within minutes she saw him coming nearer. He glided across the night sky, a dark silhouette against the stars. Raven scooted back along the roof as Dante landed on the edge of it, folding his wings behind him. His dark hair was in disarray and the clothing he wore was rumpled, as though he'd slept in them. Why does he have to look so good? she wondered, groaning inwardly. Even when he's a complete mess, he's so attractive. It just isn't fair. "Raven," Dante said quietly. "What... what do you want?" Raven demanded, proud that her voice only quavered a little. "I think you already know," Dante said, stepping closer to her. "Actually, there is something... something I want to show you." Raven rolled her eyes. "No thanks. I don't want to see any of that." Dante moved fast, faster than could be believe. Before the thought to try to get away had penetrated her panic he was beside her. His fingers closed around her wrist and dragged her to her feet. Dante cradled her chin in the palm of his hand and tilted her head up to meet his gaze. A small, sexy grin was curling the corners of his mouth. "Yes, actually, you do," Dante teased. "You can't hide it from me. But that isn't what I'm talking about. I want to show you my world." Raven hesitated. He was right about her wanting him, and she hated that. But she was unbearably curious about his people, now that she knew what he was. Lor insisted that not all demons were evil, and it was true that Dante hadn't actually harmed her. He hadn't tried to force her, like that man Lar'Dhaal. Even now, his hands were firm but gentle. "And how do you intend for us to get there?" Raven asked. "Fly," Dante responded, grinning. She knew that her eyes lit up as he spoke. "Really?" Dante's hold on her shifted. He braced an arm behind her knees and one behind her back and lifted her easily. Raven yelped in surprise, her arms winding about his neck. Warmth radiated from his body and she was acutely aware of how good it felt to be so close to him. And he smells nice, she thought, sighing softly. This is so unfair. "Really," Dante said. "Hold on to me tight." "Don't drop me," Raven said, biting her lip. "Never," Dante murmured. The look in his eyes as he spoke startled her. It was possessive... but tender, as well. His winged unfurled behind him. Raven stared at them, watching as they fell in graceful arcs, lifting them suddenly into the air. Dante shot up into the night sky, and she shrieked, clinging to him tightly. At first all she could feel was a rush of terror as he sped across the sky, and she buried her face against his neck. His fingers kneaded along her back gently, and she found his touch soothing. "Open your eyes, Raven," Dante whispered. "Don't be afraid. I would sooner die than let you fall." Startled, she lifted her head. Did he mean that? she wondered. I mean... did he mean it the way it sounded? He needs me, but he doesn't... doesn't... He didn't love her. Dante needed her for her innocence, but he didn't... He doesn't feel about me the way I... the way I... Raven thought, her heart pounding. He... doesn't love me the way I love him. The realization was painful and frightening. "Look down, Raven," Dante murmured in her ear. "Look how beautiful your world can be." Turning her head, she looked down at the world below her. The lights from cities spread out like thousands of little jewels. Wind whistled past her ears, stinging her cheeks and blowing back her hair. It felt glorious. This is what he experiences every time he does this, Raven thought. He's so lucky to be able to soar like this. "I have to cross over now," Dante said. "You should close your eyes and hold on tight." "Cross over?" Raven asked. "To my world," Dante explained. "It isn't very comfortable for humans to cross, but I'll make it as easy as I can." Raven nodded, and leaned close to him, closing her eyes. His fingers slid up her back and found her hair, winding in it, holding her face against his neck. She could see nothing, but in a moment she felt an odd, rushing, pulling feeling. It made her feel sick, and it quickly became painful as well. Fortunately for Raven, it was over almost as soon as it had begun. Tears dripped down her cheeks, and she was afraid to open her eyes. "That hurt," Raven whimpered. "I know, I know, baby," Dante murmured. "It's all right now. It's over. I'm sorry we had to do that." His lips moved along her neck and then her face in gentle kisses. The sweet, light feeling of his mouth along her skin made her feel light headed. He's being so sweet and gentle, she thought, sighing softly. How am I supposed to resist him? She had to try, at least. Raven braced her hand against his chest and gave him a firm push. Dante lifted his head with a soft, slightly exasperated sigh. "I won't let you use this to take advantage of me," Raven said sharply, opening her eyes. "Worry not, my little Raven," Dante said, smiling. "For tonight, I just wish you to look. Look upon my world and tell me what your eyes see." Raven turned her head and gazed down. What she saw took her breath away. The city spread out below them like a gigantic labyrinth, full of walls, towers, domes, and spires. A grand, palatial building rose high above the rest. That must be his home, she thought. If he really is a prince. She could see a camp of tents outside the city, and what had to be some sort of slum edging the outer wall. "It's beautiful," Raven murmured. "Not all beautiful," Dante said quietly. "My father is a good man, but he does not have the power to take care of every last citizen here. I shall show you what I mean." He began to descend, gliding and circling much like a hawk might. Dante dropped into the slums of the city, where the buildings were small, worn, and dirty. The streets were full of filth, and when they landed, Raven really did not want to be set down. Her feet touched down gingerly, and as Dante released her, she stayed close to his side. This place is horrible, she thought. How can their own King allow them to live in this? "Like your world, not all in mine can fend for themselves," Dante explained. "There are those that live in poverty. Those that cannot afford to eat, to keep a roof over their heads. And too many children are abandoned because of it." "Children?" Raven asked. Dante nodded. He stepped forward, into the middle of the street. Raven followed, determined to stay close to his side. He lifted his arms, and knelt, seemingly unaffected by the dirt and grime on the street. "Come on out," Dante called. "Do not be afraid. Raven is a friend. She will not hurt you. Come out." Something rustled in the darkness beyond. Raven lifted her head and looked around quickly. Small forms began to emerge from the shadows. Children, all of them, dressed in rags, ranging in age from three to what looked like fourteen. Some of the youngest ones came forward without fear, latching onto Dante with their small hands. Raven watched, stunned and touched, as he sat patiently, allowing them to tug at him and crawl on him. "Dante!" voices chorused. "We're hungry... Dante..." "Easy, little ones," Dante chuckled, ruffling the dark curls of a little moppet clinging to his legs. "I'll feed you." The air shimmered around them. Raven looked at Dante's face and saw that his eyes were closed. Small tables appeared all along the street, and within minutes they were full of plates and bowls loaded with food. The children scattered, running to the tables. Even the doe-eyed tot who was clinging to Dante let him go and found the nearest low table. "That's amazing!" Raven exclaimed. "Why... I don't understand. How can they starve if they can just make food?" "It isn't... so easy..." Dante panted. She glanced at him. His face was pale, and he was having trouble getting to his feet. She went to his side, putting an arm around his waist to help him. "Making something from nothing requires a good deal of power," Dante explained. "Few have the strength needed. Even I, as powerful as I am... I cannot feed them all." She noticed the sorrow in his eyes as he spoke. He isn't lying, Raven thought. No one can fake that look. She laid a hand on his arm. He turned his head and smiled down at her. Around them the children were beginning to chatter loudly, their stomachs filled. The littlest ones were adorable and the older ones looked hardened, tougher. That was truly saddening. Raven wished there was something she could do for them. There is, she thought suddenly. "Dante... if... if you had more power... how many could you help?" Raven asked. "With enough power, I could feed these children every day," Dante responded. "I suppose it would be possible to eventually have enough power to feed the whole city... but I wouldn't want it." Raven lifted her eyebrows. "You wouldn't?" "Power isn't enough, in the long run," Dante said. "I want to help my people with my own hands." Oh, it's so over, Raven thought, closing her fingers around his. I don't care anymore what his intentions were at first... if I can help him to aid his people, I will. A sudden sound made her jump, and she turned to find the source. A young demon boy, perhaps five years of age, stumbled into the dim light, rubbing at his eyes. He glanced up at Dante when he reached them, and a small smile curved his mouth. "Hey, Morpheus," Dante greeted the child. "Where you been?" "Sleepin'" Morpheus muttered. He opened his dark, liquid eyes wide and glanced around. Noting that all the food had been devoured by his friends, Morpheus' eyes filled with tears. Even demon children get upset easy, Raven thought, biting her lip. She rested her hand on Dante's arm and looked up at him, wondering what he would do. He was already working on it, she saw. The air above his hands shivered, and a moment later a bowl and a plate full of food appeared. "Here," Dante said, handing the tray down to Morpheus. "Don't cry." The child's eyes lit with delight and admiration as he took the tray. I know how that child feels, Raven thought, gazing at Dante's tired face. He looks so tired, but he's still working. Dante turned to look at her, and he smiled. He wound an arm around her waist and pulled her close. "All right, everyone," Dante said. "I need to take Raven home." A chorus of disappointed sighs meant this proclamation. "I'll return," Dante assured them. "I promise." He swept Raven up into his arms. Startled, she quickly threw her arms around his neck. With a sweep of his wings, Dante lifted them up into the air. The children were below, cheering and waving their small hands. She released her tight grip on Dante just enough to wave back. They're adorable, Raven thought. They really are... I hope we can help them. Because now she knew that she wanted to help these people. "Hold onto me tight, Raven," Dante murmured. "I don't have much strength. I need to do this quickly." Raven nodded, and tightened her grip once more. She pressed her face against his neck as she had before. Dante sighed softly, nuzzling her hair. His arms were tight around her, holding her close. Raven was glad for that, because a moment later she was experiencing that same tearing feeling. ------- Dante landed lightly on the floor of Raven's bedroom and set her down on her bed. She was tired, too, but she sat up and smiled at him. Perching on the edge of the bed, he reached out and cradled her face in his hands. Her blue eyes were so dark and deep that he thought he might fall into them. Raven leaned closer to him, resting her hands on his shoulders. "You really want to help those children, don't you?" she asked. "More than anything," Dante murmured, brushing his lips against hers. "When I was a child, the slums are where I met Lor. I wanted to take them all home with me but... I couldn't. I took Lor because he had less of a chance than anyone else." He'd been expecting a reply of some sort, so Dante was startled when she kissed him. He wrapped his arms around her and dragged her close, unable to resist the shy sweetness of her soft mouth. There was urgency behind her kisses, and he realized that she was finally giving in. Dante felt a thrill of triumph, but not the way he would originally have thought. There was something he couldn't quite put his finger on, and he wasn't certain he wanted to. It made him distinctly uneased. Raven sighed softly as he laid kisses along her throat. She wrapped her arms around his neck, holding onto him as he lowered her to the bed. Dante rested his hands on her sides, tugging her loose camisole down over her breasts. He nuzzled her soft skin with his mouth, occasionally nipping ever so gently. Her fingers tangled in his hair, and when she lifted his head away from her, he thought for a moment she would tell him to stop. "Dante," Raven murmured. "You're... purring!" Dante froze, his eyes widening. She was right. He was purring; a soft, masculine purr. No way, he thought. Male demons only purr for their mates. She's human... this has to be some weird fluke. He pulled away from her, tugging her shirt back into place. Raven sat up, her dark blue eyes reflecting hurt and confusion. "I'm tired," Dante told her. "I need to rest... I feel like demon jelly..." Raven nodded, a smile softening her expression. "Then get some rest, Dante. Just make sure you come back to me, too." He nodded, kissed her cheek, then backed towards the window. Raven flashed him a sleepy smile, then settled down on the bed. Dante launched himself out the window, nudging it closed behind him despite his drained strength. He felt a deep melancholy settle over him. I can't do this to her, he thought, as he winged rapidly across the sky. Anyone but her... I can't do this to my Raven. ------- Chapter Nine: Demon's Embrace Lor had been curious to find out what had happened after he'd left last night. When he descended through the open window into Dante's home, he was shocked to find it coming apart at the seams. No, it's being taken apart, he realized, startled. What's going on here? Taking apart a work of glamour like this took time, and as far as Lor could tell, Dante had been at it awhile. Using his ability to sense him, he sought out his friend. Dante was in the living room, slowly vanishing it. There was something morose in his expression, and he didn't notice Lor at first. When at last he did, he lifted his head, his nostrils flaring in surprise. Lor's eyebrows lifted as Dante sank down onto the couch. Folding his wings against his back, he perched on the arm of the couch and looked at his friend expectantly. "I'm leaving," Dante said quietly. "I didn't expect Raven to forgive you that quickly," Lor said bitterly. "She didn't," Dante told him. "I... I'm going to find someone else." Lor stared at him, startled. "What? Why?" "I'm tired of waiting," Dante said simply. "She won't give in, and I can't wait anymore. So I'm finding someone else." Lor couldn't believe what he was hearing. That doesn't make any sense, he thought, staring hard at Dante. He seemed so determined last night... How could he do this to Raven? He's so damn lucky to have found her, Lor thought, scowling. She gives him all her attention, and never notices me, even though I... He stopped the thought at that. It would foolish to fall for mortals, even one was wonderful as Raven was. "Just let her know that I'm leaving," Dante said shortly. "If you would." "I can't believe you," Lor growled. "How could you do this to her?" Dante stared at him coldly. "I told you... I'm tired of waiting. It doesn't matter if it's her, as long as I get the power I want." "Fine!" Lor snarled. "I'll tell her! You just stay away from her!" He whirled on his heel and unfurled his wings. A few strong beats, and he was quickly out the window. Anger boiled in him, more furious than he had ever before experienced. Lor couldn't believe that Dante had sunk so low. He used to be better than this, he thought, scowling. Now he's... he's... ugh, it's disgusting! He would go to Raven, and tell her, and he would be there for her. Dante might be a jerk but Lor... Lor loved her. He had loved her since the moment he'd first seen her. With the heat of his anger, the flight to Raven's house went by quickly. Despite the chill of November air, her window was propped open. She must be waiting for Dante, Lor thought, frowning. He slowed down and dropped through the window, landing lightly on his feet. Raven was sitting on her bed, reading a book. Her hair was loose around her shoulders, and she was wearing a white camisole and simple, khaki green cargo/Capri pants. She looked up as he folded his wings, her delighted smile changing to a disconcerted frown. "Lor, what's up?" Raven asked, setting her book down. "What are you doing here?" "I... I have to tell you something," Lor said, sighing heavily. Raven's frown deepened. "Sit," she said, patting the edge of the bed. Lor walked over and sat on the bed. She looks so cute, he thought, studying her. Dark blue paint on her toes and nails was oddly charming, even though he usually found nail polish unattractive. He hated to have to be the one to do this. Why can't Dante take care of this himself? Lor wondered. I guess it's for the best, he'd only be an asshole about it, anyway. "Look... it's about Dante..." Lor began. "Where is he?" Raven asked, perking up. "He promised he'd come to see me today..." "He... he isn't coming..." Lor told her. "He... wanted me to tell you that he isn't coming to see you again... ever..." The look on her face changed from one of concern to one of confusion. Lor gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. When I see Dante again, I'm going to kill him, he thought. He reached out and gently took Raven's hand, chafing his fingers against hers. She looked up at him slowly, her eyes filling with tears. She understands, then, Lor thought, sighing. Poor Raven... she doesn't deserve this. "Did... did he say why?" Raven sniffed. "Yeah," Lor said, scowling. "The bastard... he had the nerve to say he's tired of waiting... can you believe that? He deserves to wait an eternity, the asshole!" "Waiting?" Raven blinked. "Waiting... for what?" Lor found himself flushing. "Ah well... for you to uh... you know... uh... sleep with him, I guess..." Raven frowned. "But... we were... I mean, last night we..." She stopped, her cheeks flushing hotly. She... does she mean... no way, Lor thought. No, I'd know if they'd slept together... Dante would be gloating about it. Raven tucked her legs up to her chest and sighed. She gave him a shy, watery smile. "I would have let him, last night," Raven said. "I thought he knew that... he was tired, though... so he left." "He... left?" Lor stared at her. "Because he was... tired? You have to be kidding..." "I'm serious," Raven said, scowling at him. "He was... so sweet last night. He took me to your world, and showed me the children in the slums... I didn't know Dante had that side of him..." Lor found himself fighting a smile. "He's a softie under all that toughness, at least when it comes to the children." I don't understand, Lor thought, smiling as he watched Raven's face light up. Why would Dante leave if she was willing? He'd known Dante long enough to know that there had to be something going on. For him to show Raven those children, to risk that anyone who could pose even the smallest threat to them would know where to find them... It's almost like he's... he's... Lor thought, frowning. Like he's falling in love with her! "... and it was the strangest thing," Raven was saying. "He was... purring! Last night, I mean, when we were... uh..." Lor thought he might faint. Demon males only purred when they were ready to have sex with their lifemate. He felt his heart lift, then sink. So he and Raven belong together, he thought, biting his lip. And Dante must be freaked, because humans aren't supposed to be able to become lifemates. That explained why he was leaving. He was confused and worried for Raven's safety. "I guess I was wrong," Lor said quietly. "That jerk... the coward... he's leaving because he's scared." "Scared? Why would he be scared?" Raven asked, frowning. "He's not used to feeling strongly for someone," Lor explained, standing up. "Come on, we'd better get going, if we're going to get to him in time." "But..." Raven protested. "Do you love him or not?" Lor demanded. "I do," Raven answered quietly. Lor grabbed Raven as she stood up and lifted her easily. She squeaked in surprise and threw her arms around him, clinging tightly. This will be the only time in my life I ever get to experience this, he thought as he leapt out the window. I should enjoy it while I get the chance. At least there was someone who he could talk to, someone who would understand. Lor had been confiding in Jade for the last several weeks now. She'd been the most understanding and sympathetic person he could hope to meet. ------- Dante paused in his work. Undoing a giant work like his mansion was almost as hard as making it to begin with. It was even harder with the rapidly growing ache in his heart. How can this be happening to me? He wondered. Every one of my kind longs for their lifemate... and mine turns out to be human. It was a truly cruel twist of fate. Even more cruel, because Dante longed to keep Raven at his side. He reached into his pocket and curled his fingers around the bottle of Ambrosia. "Dante!" His heart thumped loudly. He turned at the sound of footsteps. Raven was running towards him... tears ran down her cheeks, and her feet were bare. Lor, I'm going to kill you, Dante thought. You can't even do this right? She came at him quickly, and before he realized what was happening, he was holding her tightly. No, I guess I can't kill Lor, he thought, resting his head on Raven's. I wanted to see her so badly... Raven pulled away from him a moment later and hit him in the stomach, hard. "How could you!" Raven cried. "You can't just... leave! I was ready to... to... I would have let you..." "I know," Dante murmured. "That was why... I don't want to hurt you, Raven." "I don't care about that anymore, Dante," Raven told him. "I... I can't explain it too well. Just that... I really want to... help you. You and your people." Dante sighed heavily and caught her hands in his. He brought them to his mouth, kissing her knuckles gently. She's so beautiful, he thought, staring into her deep, dark blue eyes. And kind... He'd only been trying to get her to understand, when he'd introduced her to the slum children. Dante hadn't expected her to be this moved. That only proves what a gentle, pure soul she has, he thought. "I appreciate that you want to help me," Dante said softly. "But that isn't enough of a reason. Not for something like this..." "What about if I said I care about you?" Raven asked, staring up at him. "Is that a good enough reason?" Dante pulled her into his arms. He pressed his mouth against hers, teasing her lips hungrily with his. She moaned softly, low in her throat; the sound nearly drove him crazy. Bracing an arm around her waist, he lifted her up into his arms. Thank all the gods that I haven't disassembled the bedroom, Dante thought, his teeth finding sensitive spots on Raven's neck the whole while he carried her. She clung to him tightly, her fingernails pressing sharply against his skin. The door to the bedroom flew open before he even reached it. Dante carried Raven to the bed and set her down on it, flicking the door shut with a mere thought. Her hands ran along his arms as he crawled onto the bed, the pads of her fingers teasing his skin. He dropped his mouth to hers again, his lips ravishing hers until she was moaning sweetly. Raven tangled her fingers in Dante's hair, holding him close, as he began slowly pulling her shirt up. Her skin was soft and warm, like heated silk. He pressed his palms against her skin as he tugged the shirt up. Dante's mouth trailed down over her chin, to her throat, kissing and nipping gently now and again. "D... Dante..." Raven breathed, her voice shaking. "Don't be frightened, Raven," Dante murmured. "I... I'm not afraid..." Raven stammered. "Just..." Her cheeks heated. Dante chuckled softly and kissed her mouth. He tugged the shirt up over her head, and tossed it aside. Beneath the thin camisole her skin was completely bare. He ran his fingers lightly over her breasts and, hearing her small gasp of delight, began to purr. "I love those little tops," Dante commented, grinning. "So easy to take off, and so convenient." Raven's blush darkened. "Dante!" His grin widened. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her up off the bed, lowering his mouth to her breasts. Raven moaned as his lips curled around one of her nipples, suckling gently. She dug her fingers back into his hair, holding him to her. Dante braced a hand against her hip, his fingertips stroking her skin lightly, as his mouth worked hungrily against her breast. Her hands moved from his hair, then, down along his back to the hem of his t-shirt. She slid her hands beneath his shirt and up along his chest. Dante groaned and pulled away from her long enough to tug his shirt off and toss it aside. Then he dropped his mouth back to her skin, laying kisses gently over her breasts and along her upper abdomen. Raven sighed softly, her eyelids fluttering shut, her fingertips continuing to wander along his skin with almost painful lightness. Dante found the top of her pants and unfastened them, pulling them down. A slow smile spread across his face. His hand stroked her thigh as he admired the effect of the panties she was wearing; dark blue string bikinis with sides that tied. Raven must have realized what he was doing, because her eyes opened, and her blush came creeping back. "Now these I really like," Dante said, grinning broadly. "Stop teasing me, Dante," Raven whimpered. Dante's eyebrows lifted. He tugged the strings on both sides loose, untying them, and slipped her panties off. She shivered as he ran his fingers along the inside of her thigh, gently coaxing her to open them. Raven parted her thighs shyly, her teeth worrying her lower lip. Dante ran his fingers along her soft, wet flesh, and his smile began creeping back. "You're so ready for me," Dante murmured. Raven pressed her hands against her face. "Dante!" Her soft plea was muffled against her palms. It was torture to him, holding himself back like this. He dipped a finger inside her; she was so tight and warm that it drove him to distraction. She squirmed as he gently moved his finger inside her, her hips lifting off the bed to meet his touch. Dante didn't even bother to manually pull off his pants. He vanished them from his body with a mere thought. Raven watched him from beneath heavy lids. As he drew his fingers from her, she propped herself up on her elbows, her gaze wandering curiously over his body. Slowly she sat up, her hands reached out to touch him. Dante shivered and moaned as her hand stroked along his hard member. Her other hand explored the lines of his body. A smile curved Raven's lips as her touched traveled along his skin. "Do I please you?" Dante asked quietly. Raven smiled and blushed slightly. "You're beautiful, Dante..." "You're the one who is beautiful, my little Raven," Dante murmured, catching her hands in his. He pressed his mouth to hers once more as he lowered her to the bed. It was impossible for him to wait any longer. She is my mate, he thought, nudging her thighs open gently. I've waited long enough. Raven was trembling slightly, but she didn't push him away. Dante pressed himself against her wet opening, and she gasped softly. Those sounds pleased him; it was his duty to please his mate. And she definitely belonged to him, human or no. He wound his arm around her thigh, holding her close as he pressed inside her. The contact was amazing; he could feel everything she felt, physical and emotional. Dante felt her pain as he broke through her hymen, and washed it away with a flurry of kisses to her throat and a flash of tingling glamour along her nerves. Raven moaned softly, her arms closing around his shoulders to hold him tight. Dante slowly began to move inside her. Fire shot along his nerves, and he pressed his face against her neck, momentarily overwhelmed by the sudden rush of sensations. Regaining his senses quickly, he began moving once more, feeling Raven's hips lift to meet his. Dante brought his mouth to hers, kissing her, his tongue gently teasing hers. The sweet friction building between them made him almost dizzy. Her hands wandered down his arms, drifting idly over his skin. Dante found one of Raven's hands with his free one and wrapped his fingers around hers, holding tight. He sent a pulse of glamour along her nerves, and smiled when she cried out, her body tightening around him. If there was one thing that was great about being a demon, it was this. Dante could please her until she couldn't move from exhaustion and contentment. The feeling of her warm body around him was driving him crazy. He teased her with fingers of glamour, listening as her moans built into cries. Dante pressed his face to her neck, holding onto her tightly, and allowed himself to let go. He gasped loudly as he came inside her and heard her own gasp; just as he could feel what she felt, she could feel what he felt. Groaning, he collapsed against her, near exhaustion himself. Raven's fingers wrapped in his hair again as they laid entangled together, panting. Her soft, warm skin was like a glorious blessing to him. Dante carefully withdrew himself from her and moved to the side to give her room. She immediately snuggled up to him, her head coming to rest on his chest. His fingers stroked her hair, and he watched her face; she was quickly drifting off to sleep. "Dante..." Raven murmured sleepily. "What's up, sweetie?" Dante asked, keeping his voice low and soothing. "I love you..." Raven sighed, pressing her cheek against him. His breath caught in his throat. He looked down at her sleeping face and felt a smile curving his mouth. Of course you do, little Raven, Dante thought, his fingertips lightly tracing her jaw. I knew you would, eventually. He just hadn't known how much it would please him that she did. For now he needed to rest; he was exhausted, both physically, and magically. Tomorrow he would need to address this problem; should he give her the Ambrosia or not? ------- When Raven woke, she had a distinct feeling of déjà vu. She was lying curled up beneath the blankets of Dante's bed, and Dante himself was sitting on the chest by the window. He was staring out at the stars, his chin propped on his hand, his expression thoughtful. Rising slowly, she wrapped a blanket around herself and slipped down off the bed. Raven crept silently to Dante's side. When she reached him, he glanced up and smiled at her. "Hello, beautiful," Dante said softly. Raven perched in his lap as she had the day before. "Something bothering you?" "Just a lot on my mind," Dante told her, wrapping his arms around her. "Nothing you need to worry about." "So, did it work?" Raven asked. "The... innocence thing..." "Well, I think so," Dante replied. "I don't feel the different except... well, I've used a lot of glamour over the last few days, but I feel fresh. Like I haven't used any at all in awhile." "So it worked," Raven stated. "Of course it worked," Dante said, grinning. "With someone as sweet and wonderful as you, it had to work." Raven smiled and wound her arms around him, holding him close. She rested her cheek against his shoulder, and felt tears sting her eyes. It isn't fair, she thought. Why does he have to be a demon? Why... why can't we come from the same world? She loved Dante with all her heart. Raven wanted nothing more than to always be with him. She would just have to make the most of what time they did have together. She just hoped he would stay with her for a long, long time. ------- Chapter Ten: To Love A Demon Raven loosened her grip on Dante as he landed in the circle of tents outside the city. These, he'd explained to her, were the camps of the gypsies. He'd told her that they were travelers, and part of no one clan, although they usually chose to aid one or another. And he said this one is the one Bacchus belongs to, Raven thought as she set her feet down. She was as enthralled with this camp of tents as she was with the actual city. It was fascinating to her. From amid the crowd of demons surrounding the fire, two stood out more than any others. They had identical faces with the same feral beauty as Dante, but that was where the similarities ended. One of them was tall and slender, with long red-gold hair that fell well past his waist. He was wearing plain white robes, and he had a look of mystery about him. The other was taller still, and more muscular than the first, with black hair that brushed his strong shoulders. He wore armor, the regalia of a warrior, and wore a sword strapped to his hip. "Phoebus and Deimos," Dante murmured softly. "Twins. Phoebus is the one in robes. He's the Lorekeeper of his people, and a powerful Seer. Deimos is the dark one. He's a renowned warrior. They'll be helping us with Lar'Dhaal." "My Prince," Phoebus called from across the fire. "Welcome! We are almost prepared." "Prepared for what?" Raven asked, glancing at Dante. "Lar'Dhaal will be difficult to kill," Dante explained. "So we aren't going to. We're going to seal him in the Ninth Hell." Raven frowned. "Is that wise?" "No being has ever escaped the Ninth Hell," Dante assured her. "Unless he submits willingly to execution, this is the best way. Trust me, he'll get his." Raven nodded, pressing close to Dante's side. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led her into a large black tent, following Phoebus and Deimos. Inside they sat on woven mats, Dante keeping her with him when they sat. He closed his arms around her, holding her close, seemingly unashamed by the fact that she was human. Phoebus smiled, apparently amused, but Deimos was frowning. "Dante..." he began. "Is there a problem, Deimos?" Dante demanded, his voice dangerous. "She's human," Deimos said, lifting his gaze to meet Dante's. "She'll be a detriment. Lar'Dhaal is looking for a girl just like her. All we need is for you to place her right in his path... it will be all over. "I am not a detriment!" Raven protested. "She isn't what he's looking for anymore," Dante said smugly. "Well, that didn't take you long, did it?" Deimos retorted, his dark eyes narrowing. "You two shut up," Phoebus said suddenly. He glanced at Raven. "Forgive them, lady. Neither of them have a very good understanding of women." "I notice," Raven grumbled. "I don't understand what's going on. Would someone explain it to me?" "We have to lure Lar'Dhaal out, first of all," Phoebus explained. "Then we'll need Dante to distract him while our mages complete the circle. Lar'Dhaal will no doubt be itching to challenge Dante, now that his powers are extended." Raven bit her lip. She could feel her cheeks heating. It hadn't occurred to her at first that all of these people she didn't know would know that she had slept with Dante. I think I might have done something stupid, she thought, we should have been more careful. Raven hadn't even stopped to think of protection. Could demons get humans pregnant? Of course they can, she thought, wrinkling her nose. Otherwise how would Lor be half human? "Something is bothering you," Dante murmured, his warm breath brushing against her ear. Raven shivered. "I... I suppose it's pointless to pretend that nothing happened between us so... I mean... well, I know Lor is half human, so I was thinking..." "Don't worry," Dante interrupted her. "It's very difficult for a demon to get a human pregnant, and vice versa. Lor was the first in... how long, Phoebus?" "I believe several millennia at least, my Prince," Phoebus answered quietly. Well, that's good, Raven thought, leaning back against Dante. She did not really understand too much of what was going on. They spoke of the battle to come, but all she really understood was that it would be dangerous. Half turning in Dante's hold, she wrapped her arms around him. If anything happens to him, I'll be devastated, she thought. Dante rested a hand on her head and she sighed softly, comforted by his presence. "Don't fret, my little Raven," Dante murmured. "I won't let anything happen to you." ------- Dante stilled. He dropped carefully to the ground and gently set Raven down. She glanced up at him, her brows furrowed in confusion, but he shook his head. I feel... something, he thought, closing his hand around hers. Raven stepped closer to him; he could feel her shiver, as though she too could feel what was in the air. Dante dropped his head to rest against hers for a moment, closing his eyes and listening closely. His eyes opened suddenly. Now he knew what was coming, charging towards them at incredible speed from somewhere fairly far away. Lar'Dhaal, Dante thought, drawing Raven close. If he took to the air with her now, to try to get her home before Lar'Dhaal arrived, he would put her at risk of falling. He didn't think he could get her home in time. Raven was shaking, but her chin was lifted, and she looked like she was determined not to cry. He wouldn't have blamed her if she did. Lar'Dhaal's fury was overwhelming to those sensitive to it. The swirling of wind behind him heralded the arrival of Phoebus and Deimos. Phoebus must have been watching, Dante thought, turning to glance at them. Deimos had his own sword unsheathed, and was holding Dante's. With a flick of his wrist he tossed it, and Dante caught it. With his other hand he pushed Raven towards Phoebus. She let out a startled squeak as the other demon caught her and dragged her close. "Stay with him," Dante commanded. "He can keep you safe. And don't argue!" Raven sighed. "Fine." "He's coming fast," Dante said. "Where are the others?" "Almost here, as well," Phoebus answered. "I'm sure I don't need to tell you and Deimos what to do, correct?" Dante chuckled. "Worry not, Seer. I've got it under control." Dante unsheathed his sword and stepped forward, Deimos trailing just behind him. Both swords gleamed with the light of glamour. It was tradition for demons to fight with swords, a tradition that even Lar'Dhaal followed closely. The soft whirling of wind heralded the arrival of even more demons. Most of them wore plain robes like Phoebus'. Some of them were wearing little, as though they had just gotten out of bed. These were the most powerful mages Dante's clan had, and some of them were Phoebus' people. They could cast the circle faster than almost any other combination of mages, but it would still take time. I wish we could just kill him, Dante thought, scowling. Damn ancient demon traditions. "Here he comes," Deimos murmured. Lightning crackled in the sky. They could see Lar'Dhaal, framed in light, bearing down on them. Both Dante and Deimos spread their wings, lifting into the air to meet him. Lar'Dhaal was not going to waste time. He already had his sword out, and glamour sparkled around him furiously. Dante was well prepared for the sudden strike of power that Lar'Dhaal lashed at him. It glimmered off of a strong shield he had already put around himself. "Surrender, Lar'Dhaal," Dante called. "Submit yourself to the judgment of my clan." "Never!" Lar'Dhaal shouted back, his voice muffled in the din of a rising wind. "Had to try, at least," Dante muttered, rolling his eyes. "Formalities," Deimos commented dryly. "Damn ancient demon traditions." Dante laughed. He followed Deimos as they flew for Lar'Dhaal. Light sparked up suddenly in front of them, sizzling across skin, burning small holes in their clothing. Is that it? Dante thought, drawing strength from a well of power. That was a weak shot, for him. Testing the extent of his own power, he sent a spear of light towards Lar'Dhaal. The other demon threw up a shield, barely in time. A snarl reached Dante's ears despite the roaring wind. "Child's play," Lar'Dhaal growled. And the battle raged. The current of power in the air was so strong that it was almost tangible. Swords rang loudly against each other. Below them, Dante could hear the faint chanting of the mages. He could also see that Lar'Dhaal was growing worried. No doubt he had expected to finish quickly, before the mages finished. This is incredible, Dante thought, sending up a shield that absorbed Lar'Dhaal's power. I didn't think this much power would be stored in my little Raven. He would tire soon enough, but not before he finished Lar'Dhaal, he was certain of that. As if sensing that he could not win a fight against both of them, Lar'Dhaal turned his attention to Deimos. Deimos was a master swordsman, better even than Dante, but he was not strong in demonic power. Dante lunged to get between them, and was caught off guard by a surprise strike from Lar'Dhaal. There was no destruction glamour in it, only a sudden, fierce push. Unable to get a shield up in time, he whirled sideways in the air. Frantically he flapped his wings, trying to get control of his flight. Lar'Dhaal went straight for Deimos. Dante straightened in the air, turning to face them. He would not be able to intercept Lar'Dhaal in time. And although Deimos threw up a shield, it would not be able to stop Lar'Dhaal. Lightning crackled in the air, and light flashed brilliantly where the strike hit. Deimos went flying backwards, though not of his own accord. He struck the invisible wall of power surrounding their battle site to protect the mortal world, and tumbled to the ground. "Deimos!" The soft voice that cried out was Raven. Phoebus was lost in concentration, weaving the spell along with the other mages. Dante glanced down to them, and saw Raven kneeling beside Deimos. She was checking him carefully, her fingers resting gently on his neck, searching for a pulse. My gentle Raven, he thought, watching her intently. He'll be all right, little one, I know he will. As if she could hear him, Raven glanced up at him. Her dark blue eyes widened in horror. Something struck him hard from behind. Dante felt his body go numb. He could not even twitch his wings. Like Deimos, he plummeted towards the ground. Unlike Deimos, he was conscious, capable of at least slowing his fall with glamour. It still hurt when he hit the ground. Dante groaned, and began willing the numbness from his limbs. He needed to move, and he needed to do it now. "Dante!" He rolled onto his back, Raven's cry filling his ears. Lar'Dhaal stood above him, his sword raised above his head. Dante tried to get to his feet, but his legs still felt weak from the shock of falling. The sword plunged towards him, but it never fell. A blur of motion hit Lar'Dhaal from the side. He wasn't expecting it, and the momentum carried him away from Dante, sending him to the ground. Tangled up with him was Raven, who had been the one to charge into him. "Raven!" Dante shouted. "Get away from him!" He forced himself to his feet and glanced around for his sword. It had dropped from his hand when he'd landed. Spotting it a few feet away, he called it to his hand as he stalked towards Lar'Dhaal. Raven scrambled to her feet, tugging herself free from Lar'Dhaal's grip. She stumbled after only a few steps, her legs giving her out and sending her into a heap on the ground. Lar'Dhaal was also climbing to his feet. He still had his sword in his grip. Both of them could feel the circle closing, almost complete. Dante knew what would await Lar'Dhaal in the Ninth Hell. No demon could survive that without going mad. He stepped forward, lifting his sword level with the other demon's throat. Lar'Dhaal chuckled dryly, holding his sword casually at his side. "So, you have me where you want me, little prince," Lar'Dhaal gibed. "Very good. So you'll send me into Hell now, will you?" "You can still surrender," Dante told him. "Submit to the judgement of my clan, and we will not send you." Lar'Dhaal laughed harshly. "So it's an eternity of torture, or death. You don't give me very good options." "You don't deserve them," Dante growled. "You've slain and taken more innocents than any demon in centuries. You're a disgrace to our kind." "I? Is it my fault your 'kind' are cruel, cold-hearted beasts who toss a child out to starve?" Lar'Dhaal demanded. "They are the evil ones! What about your little half-breed friend? Your 'kind' did the same to him." Dante's eyes narrowed. He was not going to let Lar'Dhaal use Lor against him. Years ago, Dante had given Lor specific instructions to stay far away from this battle. It had seemed that he'd obeyed, because he had not come to fight. It's better that way, he thought. I don't know how Lor would react to another half-breed. Lar'Dhaal could be very convincing, and Dante knew who much Lor was stung by his own exile. "This is between you and me," Dante growled. "The circle is almost closed, Lar'Dhaal. Make your decision." Lar'Dhaal's eyes narrowed. "I have made it." He lifted his sword. Dante thought he would strike at him, and for a moment, it seemed he would. At the last second Lar'Dhaal whirled. Dante followed his gaze. His world seemed to slow dramatically as he saw Raven, back on her feet, backing away from Lar'Dhaal. No! he thought fiercely, launching himself towards Lar'Dhaal. He was not fast enough. As if in a nightmare, he watched the sword slice easily through Raven's belly. Her deep blue eyes widened in shock. She fell backwards, slipping off the length of the sword and crumpling to the ground. And suddenly time went back to normal. A roar of rage and pain tore up Dante's throat. Around them, the circle had complete. The ground rumbled, shaking, making it impossible for him to get to Lar'Dhaal. The earth groaned, and opened wide, a great pit that swallowed Lar'Dhaal whole. Dante caught a brief glimpse of the heavy chains that wrapped around the other demon, dragging him down. Then the rift closed, and he was racing to Raven's side. "Dante!" One of the mages threw back his hood and ran forward. Lor, Dante thought, recognizing the voice. He couldn't even find the strength to be angry. He dropped to his knees beside Raven. She was lying in a pool of blood. Her eyes were open, wide and terrified, and her breathing was shallow. Dante gathered her into his arms, heedless of the blood that stained his hands and clothing. He grabbed the bottle of Ambrosia from his pocket and fumbled with it, trying to remove the stopper. "Dante!" Lor growled, much closer now. "Are you mad? That'll kill her!" "She's going to die anyway!" Dante snapped, glaring at Lor through dark eyes that glittered with unshed tears. "I have to try, damnit!" Raven's eyelids fluttered. Beneath his fingers, Dante could feel her heart stopping. No, he thought, jerking the stopper from the bottle. I won't let her die! I won't! He lifted the bottle to her bloodstained lips, but she was unable to drink. Snarling, Dante tilted her head back, his fingers forcing her mouth open as he pressed the bottle to her mouth. She seemed to sense what he wished of her, because she made a weak effort to swallow the Ambrosia. Some of it spilled, but she managed to drink most of it. "Good girl," Dante murmured, holding her close. "Come on, my little Raven. Fight! Don't let go..." Her life force was weak. He could feel it slipping away. Desperately Dante strove to revive her, trying to urge life back into her with his glamour. He could hear Lor talking, but he could not make out the words above the buzzing in his ears. Closing his arms tightly around Raven, he dragged her close. "Don't give up," Dante pleaded. "Please, Raven, please... don't leave me..." "Dante," Lor said quietly. "Dante, she's... she's not breathing..." "No!" Dante snarled, glaring at Lor. "She... she won't... she'll wake up..." Lor reached out, resting a hand gently on Dante's shoulder. "I'm so sorry..." "Don't touch me!" Dante snapped, shrugging off Lor's hand. He gathered Raven's still form close and rose to his feet. Around them, the other demons who had fought were quiet. Deimos was back on his feet, looking a little weary, but mostly sorrowful. Phoebus looked stricken and horrified; even he could not See everything. Dante stared down at Raven's peaceful face, his fingertips tracing her lips gently. "I told you to stay with Deimos," Dante murmured. "Why didn't you?" "She loved you, Dante," Lor said quietly. "She couldn't watch you die." So she died instead, Dante thought, biting back a cry of anguish. His heart felt shattered. He wanted nothing more than to follow her into death. She was his life, his soul, and now she was gone. A heavy weight settled on his shoulder. He would take her back to his homeland, where she would be forever remembered and honored. Holding her close, Dante spread his wings and took to the sky. ------- Chapter Eleven: White Wings Raven was laid out on a marble dais in the palace temple. It was a place reserved only for the royal family, normally. Dante stood beside her, aware of the eyes of his mother and father, Lor, Phoebus and Deimos, and a number of others, on him. Last night seemed an eternity ago to him now. She looked beautiful, pale and ethereal. The blood had been washed away, and she was wearing a lovely, filmy white gown. One of the Queen's, in fact. Dante felt them come up behind him, one by one. His father rested his hand on his shoulder. His mother hugged him tight. The all offered their sympathies, but Dante hardly heard them. I want her back, he thought, resting his hand on hers. I'd give anything to have her back. Absolutely anything. He heard them leaving, one by one. They knew he wanted to be alone. But one remained, standing quietly by the door. Dante knew it was Phoebus. He was furious with the Seer. Not only had Phoebus' not warned him, but he'd lied about the Ambrosia. He said she could probably survive it, he thought, whirling to face the Seer. Through his grief he could not see reason, and Phoebus seemed to sense that. He lifted his hands, smiling serenely. "My Prince, I have brought someone here to visit you," Phoebus said quietly. "I know my apologies will do nothing to soothe you, but perhaps they can..." Small figures filed into the temple. Dante was shocked to see the slum children, all of them in their dirty rags, in the pristine temple. Morpheus walked in the lead, and his usual dreamy expression was replaced with one of determination. Mother and father must really be worried, to allow them in here, Dante thought. To his surprise, the children began forming a circle around the dais. What are they doing? he wondered. "She's sleeping," Morpheus murmured, reaching out a small hand to touch Raven's forehead. "No, Morpheus," Dante said gently. "Raven isn't sleeping. She isn't going to wake up." "Yes, she is," Morpheus said matter-of-factly. "Soon. She just needed to sleep awhile." He felt tears sting his eyes. He, too, had been in denial for a long while, refusing to believe that his beloved Raven wouldn't wake. Dante stepped over to Morpheus and laid a hand on the boy's shoulder. He looked up, his dark eyes oddly void of pupils. Morpheus had always been a strange children, but right now he was verging on creepy. Turning to face Raven again, he began calling to her. "Wake up, Raven," Morpheus murmured. "It's time to wake up." "Wake up!" small voices chorused. "Wake up, Raven!" Dante stared at them. They were absolutely determined. It touched him that they wanted her to return to him, but it also worried him a little. He glanced at Phoebus, but the other demon only smiled that serene smile. There was something in his eyes that told Dante he knew what was going on. Frowning, he faced the children again. His eyes widened. He could have sworn he could see a light beginning to shine around Raven's still form. "Wake up, Raven," Morpheus chanted. "Wake up, Raven," Dante murmured along with the children. "Wake up. Please, wake up, Raven. I love you..." Suddenly a light flashed on the dais, a light so bright that Dante was forced to turn away. He could feel heat from it, a sort of warmth that made him feel loved and comforted. The light grew brighter still, and then dimmed. Dante turned back to the Dais to see Raven floating above it, her body curled in the fetal position. White light shimmered around her. It settled in her hair, twining silver strands among the black. Two points of light glimmered at her back, between her shoulder blades. The light was so intense that it had burned away her clothing. Blood trickled down her skin as it tore open. Dante watched as the light pulsed, growing and extending out from her body. His heart beat faster as the light took the form of wings... demon wings! Slowly the light began to fade away, and Dante saw, much to his surprise, that her wings were as purely white as snow. They were furled tightly against her back at the moment, but they looked strong. No different from his, aside from being white. Dante let out a cry of joy and moved close to the dais. As she began floating slowly back down, he used glamour to make a blanket. She floated down into his arms, and he wrapped the blanket around her, drawing her close as he did. Raven stirred slightly; he could feel her heart pounding against his. Dante watched, his breath still in his throat, as she slowly open her eyes. The dark, deep blue irises that stared up at him were no different from what he remembered. "Raven..." Dante murmured. "D... Dante..." Raven rasped. Her throat was raw and sore. "My little Raven," Dante whispered. "I thought I'd lost you..." "What's going on here?" Dante turned. His parents and Lor had just entered the temple. Lor made a noise in his throat that sounded as though he was stifling his own joy. Cuddling Raven close, he walked over to where his parents stood. She put her arms around his neck, clinging to him tightly, and staring at his parents with wide eyes. Dante rested his head atop of hers, murmuring to her soothingly for a moment before addressing his parents. "Mother, father," Dante said. "This is my lifemate, Raven." "How... ?" his mother gasped. "Allow me to explain," Phoebus said, stepping forward. "Raven was badly injured when Dante gave her the Ambrosia. In order to both heal and change her, it had to let her body die. Once her body was ready, her soul could be called back... but only by pure souls. Such as children. Morpheus brought his whole gang with him to wake her." "I'm very happy for you, son," his mother said, wiping at her eyes. "Love, we must do something for the children!" Dante's father stared at her. "Like what?" "We... well, we can... we'll adopt them!" his mother said suddenly. "All of them!" His father stared after her, his expression incredulous. Dante knew his father would bend to his mother's wishes. She was already cuddling with the children, who weren't at all afraid of her. Dante's father sighed, then looked at Dante and Raven. "Well, I'd better get to work," his father said. "We have a lot of preparations to do if you're going to be married." "Married?" Raven croaked, her eyes widening. Dante smiled down at her. "Of course, love. We're lifemates. We're going to be together no matter what, so we might as well get married. Don't you want to marry me?" "I... yes," Raven answered, startling herself. "I do..." A thrill of joy went through him. He bent his head to kiss her, his mouth warm and gentle on hers. His Raven had come back to him. Dante was so happy he thought he was going to burst. Holding her firmly against him, he kissed her until both of them were breathless and dizzy. ------- They were in much the same embrace some nights later, when Dante landed on his balcony, carrying her. The long white gown of silk she wore matched the color of her wings. She still had not flown, although Raven longed for nothing more. She stared down at the demon city, glowing with lights, far below them. Dante stood behind her, laying gentle kisses on her neck. She squeaked in surprise as she felt him drawing down the thin straps of her dress. "What are you doing?" Raven demanded. Dante grinned. "What do you think? It's time for our mating flight, love." "Mating... flight!?" Raven stared at him. "You're kidding, right? I don't even know how to fly." The gown slipped down her body to pool at her feet. She was completely bare beneath. Dante's hands were gentle as they drifted over her body. Raven sighed and leaned her head back against his chest. She felt skin against hers... he'd vanished his own clothing with glamour. Turning, she stared at him. A faint breeze stirred his hair, and his wings were unfurled. "Is this... possible?" Raven whispered, her throat dry. "Your body will know how," Dante assured her. "It is an instinct as old as time. You are wholly demon now, my little Raven. Trust me." He stepped around her, to the edge of the balcony, and stroked his wings powerfully through the air. Dante lifted himself easily up, several feet above the balcony, and turned to look at her expectantly. Can I do this? Raven wondered, staring at him. Her body longed to be close to his. Slowly, uncertainly, she unfurled her wings. They felt a little odd to her, and yet... she knew exactly how they were supposed to work. Her wings stroked the air as his had, lifting her up from the balcony. "Oh my!" Raven squeaked, her eyes widening. "Come to me, Raven," Dante murmured, smiling. He held his hand out to her. "Come to me, my love, my soul..." She drifted towards him. He'd been right... her body knew exactly what to do. Dante caught her hand, and suddenly they were off, winging across the night sky. Raven let out an exhilarated cry as the wind whipped back her hair and stung her cheeks. Dante flew beside her, his fingers tightly twined with hers. This is like a dream, she thought. It's absolutely perfect. For awhile there was nothing but the rush of night air along her skin and Dante beside her. "Pretty easy, hmm?" Dante murmured, drawing her close suddenly. "Yeah," Raven answered, snuggling close to him. "But can we really um... you know... up here?" Dante grinned broadly. "Well, why don't we find out?" She could feel him, hard and aroused, pressing against her belly. The connection between them was one of such heat that she moaned softly, pressing her face against his neck. Dante's fingers slipped between her thighs, gently stroking her. Raven wound her arms around him, clinging to him, her wings stroking the air lazily. His touch made her moan, made her wet, made her want him with a hunger she'd never known before. His mouth sought hers, ravaging her lips with his. "My mate," Dante murmured against her ear. "I need you. You are mine, to love, to cherish, to protect. You are my other half. Nothing, and no one, will ever tear us apart." "My love," Raven whispered. "I am yours. Love me, cherish me, protect me. You are my other half. Nothing, and no one, will ever tear us apart." She didn't know where the words came from. It didn't matter. Raven wrapped her legs around his hips as he slid deep inside her. Dante's mouth pressed against hers, kissing her deeply. Somehow she knew what to do. She furled her wings against her back, allowing Dante to hold her weight, to keep them both aloft. And he did, holding her tightly as he moved inside her. Raven clung to him, pressing her hips against his, purring softly low in her throat. Fire roared between them. Sweat gleamed on their skin, a thin sheen that glowed silvery beneath the moonlight. Raven lost track of time, her mind awhirl with sensations. Her body clenched around him, and she shivered, moaning against his skin. Dante's soft purring penetrated the haze around her mind. She felt him come inside her, felt his teeth against her neck in a primal hold. Sighing, Raven relaxed against him. "I knew you would surrender to me eventually, my little Raven," Dante murmured. "Smug jerk," Raven muttered, fighting a smile. Dante chuckled. He was still supporting them, sort of back-stroking through the air. It was an interesting sensation. Ha, Jade will be so jealous, Raven thought. That made her pause. Her grandmother, her best friend, her school... what about them? A sudden melancholy settled on her. She was so thrilled about being with Dante, but she was going to miss her human life so much. "You know, I've been thinking," Dante drawled. "My father won't step down for... well, a very long time, let's leave it at that. It's always a wee bit difficult, with having to hide things and all... but we could live in the mortal world, if you'd like." Raven lifted her head to stare at him. "Were you reading my mind?" "Something close to it," Dante answered. "I can... tell what you're feeling. We can go back to your world. You can go to school, be with your grandmother, with Jade. Your grandmother, at least, knows." "You don't mind?" Raven asked. "Leaving your world, I mean..." "Not at all," Dante murmured. "For you, I would do anything, my love. I love you, Raven..." Happiness filled her. This was truly wanted; Dante, and her life back home. And he was saying she could have it. She could sense what he was feeling, and Raven knew that he would live with her no matter where she went. No matter where he was, as long as she was there, he'd be happy. She rested her head on his chest, and listened to his heart, beating in time with hers. "I love you, Dante." ------- The End ------- Posted: 2005-03-29 Last Modified: 2005-04-01 / 11:44:47 am ------- http://storiesonline.net/ -------