Chapter Six: A Deal With the Devil:

I can hear the distant sound of a creek nearby, the echo of water rolling over pebbles and long stems of grass. The type of grass that feels sharp and rough against the palm of your hand. Like a long strip of sharp construction paper. I can imagine it now. A few strips of greenery shake as the water runs over its stems. The rocks roll back and forth from being pushed by the current. The water would be ice cold, the type that causes an endless numbing over the skin. Goosebumps. I am so mesmerized by the mental image that I forget my surroundings.

When I take a breath of fresh air, the putrid aroma of dead flesh meets my nose. I open my eyes and am met with darkness, a pitch black that has shadows dancing within it. My eyes play tricks on me. The shadows seem to move back and forth, like tricksters poking fun at my vulnerability.

I try to speak, but my throat clenches.

Falcon?

I know I'm not in his guest room anymore. I may have been thrown on him, but I don't think he would have taken me back to the woods. He did not seem to be that type of person, or wolf?

Maybe meeting the shifters was just a dream; maybe they never existed, and it was just my mind playing tricks on me?

I shiver.

My hands and legs shake from the cold, but I know the chill is the least of my worries. I can hear them sleeping. Time is ticking, and when morning comes my head will be severed. Just like Aunt Autumn's.

Their snarls ripple throughout the cave. They're even angry in slumber.

I am in the dark, blending in with the shadows. I don't know why I'm not dead yet.

It's now or never.

I slowly sit up into a crawling position, using my ears as a means of mental sight. At this moment, I am relieved that they are such noisy creatures. I can pinpoint where they are by just the sound. I listen for the trickle of water, splashing and welcoming me to safety. It's the sound of freedom.

Harsh breathing has me stopping in my tracks. It is close, so close that I can feel the heat of it kiss my face. The stench is astounding, and I hold in a gag. It gives off a fleshy scent, like uncooked chicken that has been sitting on the counter for days.

A snarl hits my ears before a very wet and sticky object hits my cheek.

Its tongue.

I stand still.

The tongue moves from my cheek down to my neck.

I'm frozen.

It growls lowly, liking the taste of my skin and sweat.

I try to keep my breathing at a normal pace. The fleshy texture of its tongue is like a slug. It does not have a sandpaper feel, but slimy in texture. It has an incredible amount of saliva, or the tongue is covered in a thick layer of gel. I can feel tiny little boils on it, possibly taste buds.

I feel my heart rate increase and it continues to pulse and flutter at an abnormal pace. I'm sure the creature can hear the thunder in my chest.

A large screeching sound has me backing away. The creature must have realized I was there, for its claws scraped across the ground towards me.

I use my ears as best as I can, but I know they are less advanced than the Nightcrawler's ears.

I feel the coldness of rock, and I'm aware that this is the wall of the cave. If I could just use this to make my way out of here...

The creature, to my benefit, does not follow. I use that to my advantage and follow the sound of the creak, stopping here and there to listen for any snarls. For some reason, they don't seem to mind me in the slightest.

The soft flow of wind meets my face before I turn a corner. It's lighter, and then very bright. The sun and the trees are visible now, and I feel like I've cheated. Escaping was easy.

I just don't know why they let me.

I move off into the sunlight, and I see long blonde locks. Over my own chest. It is brightened by the sun, gently blowing in the wind.

But there is an issue here.

I have short black hair.

I go to speak, but I see my vision turn blurry. I close my eyes, but when I open them again, I'm in a dark room.

"Trouble sleeping?"

I jolt upright at the sound. I'm no longer in the cave or forest, but in Falcon's guest room. The fuzzy blanket is half-way on the floor and my body, which is probably why my legs feel ice cold. It's still dark, but the moon casts a glow about the room. I can clearly see the silhouette of a person standing by the door. Its obvious he has his arms crossed over his chest, almost arrogantly. I know who it is immediately.

"Why are you in my room, Caius?"

He does not answer for a moment, but I know he will. He seems the type that loves to hear himself talk.

"I'm the one that will ask questions, and you'll be the one to answer them" he stands still, and I can't see any flicker of emotion of his face. It is too dark.

"I don't think so. You've come into a girl's room while she is sleeping. You have five seconds to answer my question."

"I don't trust you" he tells me, moving away from the wall. I can see his face now, as its covered by the pale beams of the moon. His dark eyes glare at me, but I'm once again mesmerized by them. Even if his expression lingers on dangerous grounds, I'm still spellbound by it.

"You just woke me up in the middle of the night, in the privacy of my room. I think it's the other way around. I now have a good reason not to trust you. I've done nothing to you."

I put my arms over my chest and give him my best glare. Truth be told, this guy does scare me. It's not entirely the fact that he was just watching me sleep-but it's his unpredictability. He's a blank state. Of course, I already know his personality is garbage; but I feel he could offer more. He has something there, something attractive and of worth. And it's not just his looks. It's hidden there, and I'm not sure if I'm willing to stay and find out.

"You will though."

"I will what?" I say. At first, I think he's read my mind, and my cheeks heat at the thought. But when he speaks again, my heart calms itself.

Only slightly.

"You have no idea what it means for you to be here. You're an omen wrapped in innocence. I don't like you, and I think you should know that. I will find out everything in the end, I always do" he tells me bluntly. I gape at him.

What an ass.

"Then tell me!" I hiss but jump when the door opens. The light chases the darkness away, including Caius. He was there one moment, and then gone within a blink of an eye. My eyes squint from the change.

"Are you alright?" Falcon strides into the room. His hands are flexed with large claws coming from his finger tips. I flinch when I see this, but his yellow-gold eyes have me almost stuttering. He's in his human form, but he clearly looks wolf. The thought that he came in here, guns blazing...I appreciate it. He cared enough to let me stay here, and then goes out of his way to protect me. He is something else.

I shake my head. "No, I'm far from alright. I think we need to talk."

"Hello, we're here to see Caius," Falcon leans on the desk and waits as the lady closes her eyes. She wears a necklace, and when she speaks into it, it glows.

"Sir, Falcon and the human are here."

She nods, and then looks back at us. "He'll be right with you. Take a seat."

The room is very bright, as most buildings here have large windows. There are five chairs on one side of the room, and five on the other. If I did not know any better, I would think this was the normal world. Normal elevator music plays in the background, but that's the only sound. Falcon is oddly quiet, and the lady is ignoring us. I contemplate the thought of barging into Caius' office, like he did last night in my room. But I stop myself from standing and doing just that. I'm not like him.

"How long will he be?" I ask the woman, knowing that I might have a time issue on my hands. The dream last night meant something-I just know it. I can only hope it was real, and that Blanche is out there alive.

"The lord is a very busy man. I'm sorry, but it could be hours or days until you can see him," she shoves her glasses up higher on her nose and raises a critical eyebrow at me.

"Why didn't you tell us that earlier?" I sigh. This guy is ridiculous.

She ignores me and instead starts mixing powders into a bowl. She grabs a grinder and starts crushing them together.

"What is she doing?" I ask Falcon.

He looks down at me first and then turns his attention to the other woman. A little smile comes to his face, and I poke it without thinking.

His cheeks move as his grin turns into a full smile. He shakes his head but does not comment on what I just did.

"She is prepping spell ingredients for Caius." He leans closer to me and whispers "because he is too lazy to do it himself."

"I heard that."

We look up to see Caius glaring at us, arms crossed over his chest. His hair is gelled back, but a loose strand hangs over his forehead. He wears a simple black long-sleeved shirt and matching black jeans.

"Good. It brought you out of your cave" Falcon smirks, standing up.

At the mention of cave I gulp nervously. Falcon accepted my reasoning to come and see Caius, but I still feel as if I'm in the wrong. Or that this is all an illusion to my fears. Was it just a dream or something more? Was it my subconscious telling me to save my cousin? I feel that Caius would only have the answers, and that bothers the hell out of me.

"Why have you come to visit me in my humble abode?"

Humble my ass.

"Cut the crap. You came into my room last night and watched me sleep."

When I told Falcon, he didn't believe me at first. But after thinking about Caius' personality, he changed his mind. It did not take much convincing on my part. Even though Falcon hadn't smelled Caius' scent in the room, he was sure something witchy happened. Apparently, the guy can be in one place, but not be really there. Like a shadow casting itself on a wall-when you try to touch it, your hand only feels the wall. It does not actually touch the shadow itself.

"Did I?"

The expression on his face makes me want to smack it off. So, he's going to play mind games now. Well two can play at this game.

"Caius," Falcon growls, his hazel eyes turning a golden yellow.

I don't know why I am so mellow about this. I feel calm. I do feel messed up over what happened to my family. But for some reason, it is getting easier to deal with. It is almost abnormal. I did not feel this way about my parents at all. It's like an every day feeling-normal. Hell, I'm not even very depressed.

"Why am I so fine about this?" I blurt.

"About what?" They both question at the same time.

"About everything. I was so distraught when I came here, but I feel almost happy?" They must think I'm crazy, but that boat has sailed. It's going to become worse from here on out.

"Falcon, care to explain?" Caius smirks, his pearly white teeth on display.

"We will talk about that later," Falcon smiles at me, but it does not reach his eyes. He is hiding something. I don't like that. I trust him, and this is making me regret that. I don't like feeling uneasy about someone.

"Yes, I'm sure you will," Caius laughs and then moves his arm towards the door to his office, indicating for us to go in.

I follow them into the room and see familiar surroundings. This is the place I woke up in after fainting, and where I first met Caius.

"So, what can I do for you?" Caius sits down behind a desk, clasping his hands together and then leaning his chin on them. He's handsome, I can't deny that. I can just see part of a neck tattoo on his neck when he leans to the side. It's just a simple black ink design over his tan skin.

"You can start by answering why you were in my room last night."

"Pass. Next," he sighs and twirls the chair he's on. He moves in circles as I fight the urge to strangle him.

"If you won't answer my questions, then I have a favour to ask of you. Can-"

Caius interrupts me, "No. N-O." He laughs and watches me with his ocean eyes. They twinkle with mischief. I think he likes making me angry.

"This is a life and death situation," Falcon mentions for me, and I'm glad I have him by my side. I give him an appreciative smile and then turn back to the asshole in front of us.

"And?" Caius leans back in the chair and cracks his neck. He groans and then moves his shoulders in a rolling fashion.

"We could make a deal," I say without thinking it over. The guy likes playing deals, of course he would be interested in my offer. Falcon's Adam's apple bobs up and down, and I know I've said the wrong thing. If he's nervous, I should be too.

"What would you have to offer in exchange for a favour?" Caius sits up this time, his attention now solely on me. His eyes are alert, and I can see from his change in posture that he's very interested in what I have to say. Hell, even I am. Falcon turns to me as well, and they both watch as I come up with a reply.

"What do you want?" I say instead, letting Caius have control of the situation instead. He already did have control, but I can at least be cautious in dealing with him. He is so unpredictable that it's scary.

Falcon closes his eyes as if in pain. "You should not have asked him that."

"I want many things," suddenly Caius is standing next to me, towering over my figure like a predator. Falcon growls and places his hand on the other man's chest. They both stare at each other, and its Falcon who looks away first. Obviously, Caius is the stronger one here; which is another thing to add to my list of problems.

"List them off, then," I place my hand on Falcon's shoulder, letting him know I am fine with it. He only looks down at me and then towards one of the wide windows in the room. He's angry.

"You'll need to bond with a shifter."

Falcon's head whips to the side so fast I flinch. "Are you insane?" He steps in front of me protectively, "she'll only get the shifter killed."

I don't have time to feel insulted before Caius replies, "Then that shifter better protect her well. It is one of my insurance policies. When I make a deal, I want the deal to go through. Nothing will stand in my way when it comes to what I want."

"But a human is weaker. They are fragile and die easily. The girl could break her neck walking down a flight of stairs. Do you not care enough for your fellow comrades?"

I glare at them, but they don't notice as they are having another staring match. Falcon does not look away this time, making Caius angry.

"If she wants the deal, it is the only way I will accept."

"I accept," I reply, knowing I am being selfish.

"You don't understand what you're getting into, girl. The bond with a shifter is never done with humans. It is taboo. Since there are no humans here, it is easy to adhere to that rule. When a shifter bonds with a human, they are connected through their bodies and souls. If the human gets hurt, the shifter does as well. If the human dies, the shifter dies. It is also incredibly painful to remove the bond. The odds do not work here. You will be sentencing a shifter to death," Falcon looks at me, trying to plead with me to back out.

I know it is selfish, but my family comes first.

"I still have to do it," I tell him, and my heart breaks at seeing his pained expression. He's disappointed in me. I can see it all over his face. I would be too though if I were in his shoes.

"Great, I'll put out a request right now," Caius moves to the biggest window in the room and raises his hand. A blue light starts shimmering over his skin, and I'm left mesmerized by the sight. It is absolutely beautiful.

"Wait!" Falcon yells, startling me.

"Yes?" Caius turns to him, a knowing smile on his face.

"I'll do it. I can't have anyone else be the one to do it."

"Oh, possessive, are you?" Caius strides over to us, and the blue light slowly dissolves back into his skin.

"Piss off," Falcon grunts, moving away from both Caius and me.

"Shall we start now then? I can sense you're in a bit of a rush. It will only hurt a little. Well, more than a little. But I guarantee you'll be fine," Caius moves over to a bookshelf and grabs a very old, leathered covered book. The sides are stringy, long bits of material hanging from the top of the bind.

"Hold on a moment, I just have to find the correct spell for the ritual."

I stand there awkwardly while Falcon completely ignores me. His back his slumped, and I'm aware that I've caused him misery. He's helped me so much, and then I go and do this to him.

But its worth it. If Caius can help me find Blanche, then I know doing this is the right thing-no matter how bad I feel.

"You can consider this even, if you count for how Falcon has been spiking your food and drink," Caius laughs when Falcon turns around angrily.

"What?" I ask.

"He's been drugging you, putting you under a spell. Probably so that you would be complacent while under his care."

"Falcon?" I look at him, mortified. The trust now gone.

"It was only to help you grieve. When my mother passed away, that was what I took to make me feel better."

Caius grabs my hand. His is overly warm, like a heat that burns the skin when touching for too long.

Before I can ask him what he is doing, I feel my hand being slice with a dagger. I cry out and wince from the pain. It burns and feels like a thousand paper cuts. Blood drips from the palm of my hand onto the hardwood floor, but Caius does not seem to mind. He is too focused on what he's doing. He sees my blood, and its like he's in a trance.

"Another thing," Caius says, grabbing a vial and letting my blood leak into it. "There is more to the deal. I'm taking some of your blood."

"What the hell are you doing?!" I shout, my voice bouncing off the walls. Falcon flinches, and I take it is because his hearing is extra sensitive.

"I need to cut Falcon too. It is part of the ritual for bonding. The two individuals need to mix blood and connect through their hands." He points to the vial that is slowly filling with my blood. "There are certain spells that require human blood. No humans mean none of those spells. Many require every last drop of blood in a body, but I'm being nice. Break this deal, and I won't be."

"You're insane," I tell him.

Caius shrugs and then nods to Falcon. They seem to understand each other without talking, and I watch as Falcon cuts his own palm with one of his claws. After it is done, a normal human nail returns.

We lock eyes and Caius directs us to connect hands. "Hold hands for a moment and wait for me to start."

The feeling of our bloody hands connecting is not a nice one. It feels overly sweaty, but I know it is just the blood trying to clot and dry.

Caius starts speaking a language I've never heard, and the air in the room turns hot. It's so hot, I feel like I'm in a sauna. I start breathing in pants, but the air is too muggy to take a breath. I am gasping at this point, and so is Falcon.

Caius, on the other hand, is totally unaffected. He stares at us in amazement and continues to say the spell. He keeps watching us, and I wonder if this is the first time, he's witnessed something like this.

That makes two of us.

I start to feel lightheaded. Something is being pulled from within me, like a hand stabbing into my chest, trying to grab my heart. It is achy. The tears are trickling down my cheeks at this point, but no one seems to notice. Falcon looks like he is experiencing the same thing. His shoulders are shaking, and it's a sight I'll never forget. For someone so strong to look so weak and hurt...

I am starting to feel something for him. Something powerful and alive.

It is making home in my chest, like embers of ash being relit, and small flames are starting to grow. They lick at my chest, heating it from within. I turn to look at him, and it is like I am seeing him for the first time. He is beautiful. So beautiful I can't describe it.

My hand is still connected to his, and small shocks ripple from the contact of our skin. Just the sound of him breathing is making me feel things. The thought of him being near is making me feel giddy. And his smell. It is like a mix of pine needles and lemon.

Citrusy.

It makes my mouth water. Like I'm on a desert island without water.

I lick my lips.

"You are now bonded to one another."

When we meet eyes...

I'm done for.