17 CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

My eyes filled with tears and I whipped them away. I didn't want to cry anymore. Those were in the past. His necklace was protecting me. I had nothing to worry about anymore.

"You think you killed your father?" Caiden asked and I looked up at him, realizing I zoned out for a few seconds. His expression was hard to read, but he seemed a bit... sad.

"It was my bad luck. I knew it. My mom knew it. But she was kind enough to not blame me. But, even though she didn't blame me, she still stopped letting me go out. She even forced me and my brother to move to this town. In California... people, especially the kids from my school started figuring things out. Do you know how they used to call me? The bad luck emo. They started avoiding me and I got so bullied that once they even waited for me to finish the courses and followed me, wanting to... ugh... it doesn't matter anymore. The past is the past."

"I bet it was hard. At least now you have this. You don't need to worry anymore." He said, touching the cross of my necklace and staring at it with a thoughtful expression on his face.

I threw him a sad smile. "Yea. But with what price?"

He pulled back his hand and rested his elbow on his knee. "A small price, considering the other options."

I knew he was right. But, still, my family... I was a human. I needed my family's protection. I needed my family's love. I needed those annoying conversations with Mike, those infuriating fights with my mom. I missed them so much I could barely breathe.

"You don't understand what a family means." I told him, boring my eyes into his.

He thought for a bit and then shrugged. "Probably not. Demons don't care about the pack. They are too selfish for that. We learned to live on our own. The weakest ones try to get into coalitions. But they don't know they'll be sacrificed for the 'greater good'."

I gulped. Demons were frightening, I knew that already, but I thought that maybe, just maybe, they were, at least some of them, close enough to be at least true allies. Guess I was wrong.

"What about you and Jessica? You seem to trust each other."

He chuckled. "I don't trust anyone, human. She will turn me over for a few delicious souls anytime. The thing which keeps her loyal is that we'll all die if the balance is not restored. And she wants to live. Believe me, there can't be trust between demons. I got burnt once."

His expression seemed... sad. Like he was remembering something from the past. I opened my mouth, ready to ask him if he wanted to talk about it, but a sudden scream made me freeze instantly.

"Uh... Satoshi?!" Jessica yelled from the kitchen. Caiden widened his eyes and ran towards the kitchen. I got to my feet, so fast my vision turned black for a few seconds, and followed him.

With heavy and slow steps, I managed to go next to the kitchen door. And what I saw made me freeze instantly.

Caiden put his arm in front of me, stopping me from going any further. That wasn't my intention at all, anyways. I actually wanted to run anywhere, but not into the kitchen.

Jessica was standing right in front of us, with her blue eyes so big they could come out of their sockets anytime. Caiden's body tensed, trying to find a breach so he could take action. But there was nothing to do.

Gabe was standing behind her, with his arm crossed over her chest. His palm was cut and his blood, his red as fire blood, was trickling down his arm.

"You know what my blood will do to her." He said and Caiden's back tensed even more. "You were stupid enough to think that demon blood affects me. Do you think I'm a filthy demon like you? Pathetic. I'm an angel."

"You're the Fallen One. Your powers and weaknesses changed once you lost your wings." Caiden replied with a steady, low voice.

"Wrong. You have no idea what you're talking about. It doesn't give me power. It's not poison either. It has no effect. Certainly, the Old One got the information wrong. I was really thinking when you'll take action, guys. It was a clever plan to use that cutie pie. But the next part... was stupid enough to make me smile."

I winced, watching Jessica panicking in his arms. Her eyes were so terrified that I was forcing myself not to cry.

"You're bluffing. If our blood doesn't affect you, then yours won't affect us either." Caiden said with confidence.

Gabe lifted an eyebrow and smiled. "Wanna test it?"

He squeezed his hand, letting a few drops of blood fall on Jessica's exposed neck. Steam appeared and Jessica screamed in agony. My eyes widened and Caiden began to take a step, but he stopped himself when he saw Gabe's expression.

"So, you do realize what's going to happen if she drinks it? Not only her human body will perish, but her very soul as well. I studied you, kitsune. You care more than you let it show. And that's your weakness."

I talked with Caiden only about Jessica betraying him, but I surely had no idea if the opposite was possible. I knew Caiden was... different. But he was a demon.

Caiden sighed and spread his arms wide. "We just want to restore the balance. Nothing more. We're not a coalition, trying to drag you back in hell. We just want to live."

"Oh, I know." He said with a bored expression on his face. Jessica was panting and beads of sweat were trickling down her neck.

"You... know?" She said, staring at Caiden and crying silently for help.

"Yes, I know. But why wouldn't I let the worlds end? I'm getting bored. I'm stuck here, with the creatures I hate, trying not to be noticed by hell or heaven. Do you think it's fun? No, it's not. Actually, I've waited so much time to see these worlds destroyed. You have no idea how joyful I am now."

"Of course." Caiden whispered like he was confirming this to himself.

"So... little mice... what are we going to do now? I'm the big cat who's gonna eat all of you. But first, I like to play. So... what about a game?"

No one said a word. I drew a deep breath and I opened my mouth for the first time in this discussion. "What game?"

"Cutie pie! Thanks for asking. So, what do I like more than torturing demons and angels? Torturing humans, indeed." He said, grinning at me and I was sure I was screwed up. "Here's the thing. I need this kitsune gone first. He can't hear our plan." Gabe pressed his finger onto his lips and winked.

Caiden moved, realizing what he meant. But it was too late. Gabe threw Jessica on the floor. She gasped and passed out.

This is bad. This is bad.

"Run!" Caiden yelled at me and grabbed my arm.

I ran. But, in a millisecond, Caiden's grip disappeared and I turned around to see him in his room, on the floor. Gabe was standing on his feet, watching Caiden trying to get up, but with no success.

"Smart move. Trying to not get next to mirrors. I don't see a mirror as well. But you do have a mirror in the bathroom, don't you?"

Caiden got a grip on his arm and I could see how the steam rose in the air from his arm. He was wounded as well. Gabe grabbed his wounded arm, making Caiden grimace and put him on his feet, dragging him towards the bathroom. Caiden made eye contact with me and whispered: "run". I exhaled sharply. I couldn't leave him alone there. Jessica was unconscious. He had no other plans.

I had to help him.

"Cutie pie, you gotta come here. The game will start soon!" He said, seeing me standing in front of Caiden's room.

I followed them, my heart pounding so fast I was afraid it could've come out of my chest anytime soon. Gabe released Caiden in front of the bathroom's mirror, throwing him a disgusted look like he couldn't believe he just touched something so dirty. Caiden almost collapsed on the floor, but he got back his balance by grabbing the basin. He was panting and black blood, combined with Gabe's red one was trickling down his arm.

"Okay, then. Satoshi, have a safe trip!" Gabe said and literally pushed him into the mirror.

I didn't know what I was expecting. But surely not Caiden going into the mirror and disappearing from our sight. The mirror's surface waved for a second and then came back to normal.

"Where's Caiden?!" I screamed, trembling, and feeling a shiver going down my spine.

Gabe sighed and took a step towards me. I took a step back, looking at him with fear. He grinned. "Now, the interesting part will come. You see, the kitsune had something in the past that I really needed. It's a katana. A very powerful sword. It's a demon destroyer. I need it so I can defend myself when demons come after me. If I get that, I can survive and I will restore the balance. I sent him back, but he won't remember a thing from the future. He will act like his past self. So here you come. You'll go back after him and try to make him remember who he really is. If you make him cry with blood, you'll both come back. If not... you're gonna be stuck there. Hope you like Japan in the nineteenth century. Also, you have 13 days to complete my difficult task. What an irony, right? All the bad luck in the world came to you."

"You're crazy. How can I do that?!" I said and a few tears trickled down my face. He was mad. Truly mad. How could I do that?! I had no idea how I could make Caiden remember me in the first place, but remembering him who he is in the present?! It made no sense and I had no power in order to succeed! He was just blabbering. Nothing from what he said made any sense.

"You'll find a way, cutie pie. You're a smart girl. So, now, it's time to say goodbye. Of course, I'm giving you a choice. You go, get the sword and Satoshi back, I restore the balance, everybody lives. You run away from here, Satoshi stays blocked in the past, the succubus dies and the world itself will be destroyed. I think both of us know what's the wise choice, right?"

I frowned and bit my bottom lip. I died in the past, I died in a few months, I was dying anyway. So why not trying?

"I'll... do it." I said, almost whispering.

I couldn't lie. I was so scared I could barely stay on my feet. But there were no options. I had to... try. The burden was on my shoulders and I had to win the game, otherwise... it wasn't just me who had to suffer the consequences.

"Lovely. Come closer." He said, making a quick hand movement towards him. I drew a deep breath and I took a few steps. He placed his hands on my shoulders and I grimaced. His touch was different when I knew what he was. He lowered his head and whispered, tickling my ear: "Have a safe trip, cutie pie."

He pushed me into the mirror and I disappeared.