7 Together Forever

Nicola traced the curve of Danny's cheek, leaving a trail of blood in her wake. Her face hovered over his as Danny reached up with shaky hands to touch her.

"Please," he whimpered. "..together... only you."

Nicola's eyes narrowed to a resounding chorus of voices. She cocked her head to one side before licking the blood from Danny's cheek. "I told you to just ignore them... look at you," she murmured with a sharp click of teeth and tearing of skin and cartilage as she ripped into his ear.

Danny gasped as he convulsed in a new sensation of pain. His nerves were like strings of a violin that Nicola played into a moving concerto with each press of her fingers. His mouth opened and closed in a low whine. He was still alive, he could still feel. It wasn't enough. "More."

Nicola laughed. She glanced up at Ashton as she sank her claws into the gaping wound in Danny's abdomen. "You thought the sluagh were going to drive him away?"

Ashton grimaced as the stench of bile, blood, and tobacco mingled together. "The contrary." He craned his head to one side before dismissively waving. "They're failing like they always do. Telling someone to abandon their obsession never works for us.

Danny's eyes rolled up as he tried to look past Nicola to Ashton. 'Sluagh?'

The voices at the back of Danny's mind cackled until his head throbbed.

Nicola placed her fingers over Danny's lips, smearing more blood over them. "Shush. Do not worry about the restless dead. Forever and always, until the last star dies — It is what you promised."

'Is that what I said?'

A shriek and a crashing of plates pulled Nicola's attention to the horrified waitress behind her. "Ashton."

Ashton grinned, "Sorry miss, I thought I could smoke since we're by the terrace."

"Sm.. smoking?" The waitress's voice trembled as she shakily pointed to the man sprawled out on the table. "I..s he... he... dead?"

Ashton ran his hand over his hair as he was suddenly in front of the waitress like he'd been standing there the entire time. He blocked her view of Danny and Nicola, steering her attention up to his face by lifting her chin up to look at him. "Do not look at that; look at me. Maggy, you're okay."

Maggy's grey eyes were wide as she met Ashton's deep green. She felt naked beneath that gaze and her terror slipped away. She blinked as she found herself lost in his eyes. "Wh.. what was I doing?"

"You were embarrassed since..." Ashton's hands were around Maggy's waist and they were pressed against one another.

Maggy blushed. "Oooh! I can't. I.. I have to go."

Ashton pulled the cigarette from his mouth and kissed the side of her neck. "Call me later. Off you go." He turned her shoulders and gently shoved Maggy out the door. Maggy bewildered and blushing hurried away.

Ashton took a long drag of his cigarette. "Easy. I miss the challenge." He turned folding his arms across his chest as he saw Nicola elbow deep in viscera. "He's not the most discrete, is he?"

Nicola withdrew, coated in a thick layer of slippery crimson. She brushed a loose strand of hair away from her face, only smearing more blood. "Those that can stand at the threshold between worlds long enough to hear and see it never stay sane for long."

"How did you want to handle the bodies? His apartment is... was, you saw it."

"You mean the human authorities?"

"Yes, it's been too obvious. They have a profile now, they are looking for you."

Danny drifted in and out of consciousness as he heard the conversation above him in the blinding light and shadows.

'Jail? Nicola.. no!'

"C.. cops," Danny gurgled on the table. "Me..."

Ashton flopped down in his seat and leaned forward, considering the mangled hunk of meat on the table. "He's resilient, I will give him that." He blew a ring of smoke at the man with a thoughtful sigh. "I think he wants to give himself up for you, Niki."

'Her name is Nicola. She's not the type of woman to be degraded into a cute pet name.'

Ashton rolled his eyes. "You do not know a thing, Daniel. Even your thoughts are dull without her influence."

'You can hear me?' Danny thought.

"Unfortunately," Ashton yawned.

'What are you?' Danny pressed.

Ashton rose from his chair, putting out the cigarette into his water glass. His expression thoughtful as he thought over Danny's question. What was the truth of the relationship between Ashton and Nicola? How had he read his thoughts?

Ashton rolled his eyes. "So many questions." He looked to the bloodied leanan sidhe with an imploring gesture. "My dear, Nicola. May I tell him?"

Nicola growled, "No." Her claws sank into Danny's shoulders.

"Cell bars are cold iron. Have your fun, I'll clean this up. His paintings will attract more attention if people knew how he painted them." Ashton smirked with a shrug. "You can't say I didn't try to help you, Danny."'

In the distance, Danny could faintly hear the whine of sirens. Nicola's eyes narrowed as she wrenched Danny upright with a clawed hand around his neck. Her features distorted in the shifting moonlight to something more monstrous and horribly scarred.

Danny gasped as he looked upon her true countenance. His eyes widened as he shuddered. He struggled to speak and managed, "Forever."

Something glinted in recognition of what Danny implied. The swarm of restless spirits around Danny cajoled, shrieked, and sobbed as they tried to press into his shell.

"Shut up," Nicola hissed in a language that Danny did not understand but he recognized what she said. She slammed Danny onto the floor before glaring down at him.

Danny was feverish and struggling to stay afloat as the pain threatened to drag him into unconsciousness. His gaze followed the graceful curve of Nicola's shapely leg until it ended in a sharp heel. His desire defied all reason. 'Please crush me, punish me.'

Nicola's brow furrowed before softening to a grin. "No."

Whatever hold kept Danny awake let go. He slide into nothingness with a tease of black lace.