Chapter 9

It only took a few days for everyone to get use to the idea of living together. It also wasn't that hard to adapt to the new living situation since Zemar had years of experience living with humans and made it easier for them, even though the house was a bit smaller in size. Liz never brought up the incident at the mall, he half hopes it was her way of helping him to move past it. Andy had gave him sideway glances every now and again but didn't say anything, it was like he knew something had happened but was too nervous to ask. Rick's arm was healing nicely and he didn't need the sling, but Zemar still felt guilty for what he had done and offered any kind of help. Zemar awoke with a massive pain in his spine, the queen-sized bed was too small, and it caused him to sleep crooked. No matter how soft the mattress was, he couldn't get a good night's rest if he couldn't fit.

"Fuck..." he breathed when cracking his back from sleeping in another bad position, standing up there was loud crunch as his 10 inch horns go through the ceiling. Two, circular holes were made in the drywall as a dusty, white powder sprinkled the top of his head.

"Shit… Not again…" he winced as he ducked his head down and brushed his fur clean before looking up to see the damage. He only did this one other time and now there were two sets of holes in the ceiling. This house had an 8ft roof and he only had to slouch a little bit but, he swears he's still growing as the ceiling seemed to get lower each day. Opening the silky blue curtains, the sky outside looked muggy and gross, not a good day to do anything outside as he could smell the rain in the air.

He headed downstairs and it seemed like he was the first one awake, as always. It was hard for him to sleep in because Antonio always demanded an early rise from everyone. Things to do, people to kill, the Grimm Reapers didn't run itself and he just got use to waking up early. Zemar gave out a big yawn when he entered the kitchen, expecting to be alone but, found Rick and Andy were awake before him.

"Morning," Rick greeted with a chipper tone as he finished pouring a bowl full of Frosted flakes,

"Morning? How come you're awake so early?" he asked when he grabbed a bowl for himself.

"Today is Jordan's birthday and we're going to throw him a party at dad's bar," Andy replied with a grin as he shovels a spoonful of cereal into his mouth.

"That sounds cool... W-Wait, you own a bar?" he had sat down and was about to take a bite but stopped in surprise. He was still learning new things about this family and each time it seemed more surprising than the last. Rick chuckled at his dazed expression,

"Oh yeah. It's not big like the others in the city but, its quaint. We're heading down there this morning to give it a few decorations, if you would like to join us," Rick offered as he cleaned up their bowls,

"Sure, it's not like I have anything to do," he shrugged lazily. It was true, what did he have to do other than sit around and do nothing. It has been very boring. After breakfast, they go to leave when Rick noticed the white powder,

"I think it's about time we look into enlarging your room," Rick chuckled as he gave Zemar's right shoulder a quick dust. He tensed up, hot with shame,

"Y-Yeah…" he nervously laughed.

Downtown, Rick pulled up to an old-fashioned brick building, the dark grey cement was clean and quirky as it jagged around the bottom, and was split by a golden yellow trim as the upper half was a slick red. A burgundy, double opening, wooden front door had stained glass lined with gold boarders and two large plant pots held bright yellow Forsythia bushes. They were unique in a big city like Sacramento and brought more charm to the unusual business. They strolled up and there was a whimsical sign just to the left, it wasn't big in size but was big in personality as it wrote, The Golden Raven.

"The Golden Raven? Weird name when ravens are black," he commented as he was handed a box, the sound of rushing traffic echoed through the side streets. They weren't too far from the main highway and it was easy to spot among the other businesses on the long stretch. They were mostly gift shops, bookstores and a few more bars.

"Its weirdness makes you remember though, and besides, I gotta add my name into it somehow," Rick smirked as he set down another box full of party supplies on the sidewalk before he closed the truck door,

"Your last name is Raven? Nice to know," Zemar chuckled. Inside, the greasy aroma of bacon and chicken wings wafted to his nose and made his mouth dribble, reminding him that he hasn't tasted the deliciously crisp strips of juicy meat for a long time. Andy set down his box on one of the circular, hazel colored tables just as a tall, well-built dark-skinned man came out from the back room. He looked to be in his middle thirties as his bald head glistened in the warm, orange light. Dark brown eyes sparkle from the giant grin as he wiped his hands clean on the white apron that was tied around his waist,

"Good morning, Mr. Raven, how are you today?" he greeted in a rough African accent.

"Morning Rob, I'm doing great. How are the preparations coming along?" Rick inquired as he patted Rob's broad shoulder in a friendly manner,

"Almost done. My food is to die for!" Rob kissed his fingers with an Italian gesture,

"But, I ain't no baker. When is Sarah coming?"

Rob was discussing the schedule when Zemar caught his attention as he sat the box on the table,

"What the fuck! Who the hell is that?" Rob's eyes surveyed the Demon with curiosity.

"Rob, meet Zemar. He's been staying with us," Rick held out a introducing hand towards Zemar and he tensed under the sudden stage light. The staring made him uneasy and fidgets under Rob's intense gaze, clenching and relaxing his hands,

"You-son-of-a-bitch, how'd you manage that? They avoid us like the plague! Especially Demons," Rob's excitement was different. What the hell is he babbling about? he thought with a pout. Zemar crossed his arms unsure if it was meant to be offensive,

"The fuck you mean by that?" he grumbled and showed off his sharp teeth. Rob laughed at his sudden aggression,

"Nah man, you got it all wrong. I love Demons! They're easy to relate to. I'm just bewildered that someone of your stature would choose to stay with a human family," Rob smiled and gave his squishy side a quick fist bump.

"Uh... Yeah, t-that's a story for another day," he stammered while he rubbed the back of his head nervously and felt his cheeks become flustered from the memory of their first meeting. He was such an ass, still kinda is when they prod about his past. Rob opened his mouth about to say something when the chime of a small bell interrupted them,

"And then I told that prick to shove it where the sun doesn't shine... Oh! Good morning!" a high-pitched greeting scratched his ears. They turn to see two women saunter into the room, a sandy blonde with springy coils that danced across her shoulder with every movement, and a short, feathered umber with long, lavender bangs that framed her freckled, thin face. Their clothing was opposite of each other due to the sandy blonde that wore bright colours and the umber had more darker clothing. They still stood out from the deep red backdrop of the walls and dark chestnut, oak wood flooring.

Rick waved them over with a smile but, once they realized what was standing next to Rick, they hesitate.

"A Demon?... The fuck is a Demon doing in here?" the umber sneered first with crossed arms and blew a pink bubble before popping it with a snap and yanked it back into her mouth with a pierced tongue.

"Don't be rude!" retorted the blonde at the umber and quickly bowed,

"Please excuse Marty, we're not use to seeing Demons in our little establishment," she apologized on behalf of Marty. He took a step back from the memory of Liz bowing, it always felt so wrong.

"Don't... Please don't bow," he shied away with closed eyes as it seemed to cut him deep. Why did it happen again? I'm not worthy… I'm not worthy… I'm not worthy repeats in his head as he zones out.

"You okay?" Andy touched his forearm with concern in his voice which brought Zemar back to reality,

"Huh…? I-I'm fine," he grumbled and faced the women.

"What was that? Fucking pussy!" Marty belittled, that was the last straw and he couldn't stop the bubbling anger swell to the surface. Zemar wanted nothing more than to put Marty in her place but, out of respect for Rick and Andy, he kept his mouth shut.

"Marty, Sarah, meet Zemar," Rick introduced, Marty twisted to the side but didn't take her green eyes off him as she raised a curious, pierced eyebrow. Sarah smiled brightly and leapt to excitedly shake his hand,

"I'm happy to make your acquaintance Mr. Zemar," Sarah's sapphire eyes resembled gemstones as they sparkled in the light.

"Just Zemar is fine," he awkwardly pulled away from the handshake and held his other arm, rubbing the silky fur on his bicep to try and calm himself down. Why is this making me anxious? he asked himself.

These women made him more uncomfortable than Rob did and he didn't know why, maybe it was how their personalities were like night and day. So different from each other and yet, they acted like a married couple, complimenting the other's flaws. He didn't understand it well enough to say if he liked it or not.

"So, what's your story? Why're you here?" Marty rudely popped her gum again to bring the attention back onto her,

"I uh...," he took another quick step away from her intimidating glare, afraid he might snap as he bit his forked tongue. Marty's attitude wasn't helping to quell the fire and instead rallied him up more. Marty didn't seem to like anyone.

"Spit it out!" Marty demand was curt, he broke. He wasn't going to take this bullshit no matter how much he tried to be nice. Andy watched as Zemar's eyes dilate like an excited cat,

"Zem…"

"Fuck off cunt! Did someone fucking piss in your cereal or was it just seeing yourself in the mirror cause you have the attitude of a fucking midget!"

"Zemar!" Rick was baffled but the sudden outburst.

"Got a fucking problem with Demons or are you just a fucking Chihuahua? All bark, no bite," he insulted with a smirk hidden within his voice,

"Yeah I got a fucking problem with your 'kind!' You steal, kill and fucking stab people in the fucking back when they're just trying to fucking help. Go back to Hell where you belong, Bitch!" Marty and Zemar butt heads, she was tiny compared to his size.

This was not a great way to meet Rick's employees, Andy hid his shameful face as you could see Rick was turning red.

"Zemar! Marty! That's fucking enough!" Rick bellowed and tried to shove them apart until Zemar's eyes change color to crimson red. They glowed bright in the low lights of the near empty room.

"What the fuck are you?!" Marty trembled under the minacious glow,

"What? Are you afraid of me now? No more insults?" he puffed out his chest and held his arms up at his sides in a threatening pose. Inching closer as Rick and Andy tried to hold him back, he was practically leaning over the short humans. His lips curl back into a snarl as Andy felt a deep rumbling in Zemar's chest,

"Calm down buddy, they're just words," Andy hastily cooed to get his friend's attention.

"Words hurt too, Andy..." he paused to look at the teenager before gazing back at Marty. He took a few deep, slow breaths and felt more in control,

"You try being a Demon! We get judged every single fucking day of our lives just because we live in Hell. Rumors spread by those asshat Angels and because of them, We're always being fucking accused of something… Argh!" he yelled out his frustration and spun around, rubbing his face rapidly and forcing his eyes to change back.

"You think Demons are bad? Take a look at your 'kind' you're all backstabbing deceivers... I'm stepping out..." he sharply exhaled and shoved past Rick and Andy, he didn't even take a sideways glance at them as he exited the establishment.

After the door closed, he swiftly kicked the side of the brick building,

"Fuck me," he hissed and walked down the sidewalk a bit. Kicking pebbles as he cools his head, what's her problem? I barely said anything, and she treated me like I killed her family or something, he thought. Lost in his mind, he didn't notice the drop in temperature as dark, angry clouds covered the sky and raised the humidity. Big droplets of rain soon fell and trickled down his horns to kiss his fur,

"Huh?" he gazed up just as a bright flash of light crackled through the dark sky, followed by a deafening boom. The unexpected change in weather created confusion as people and half breeds on the streets ran for shelter from the thick shower, while some at the bus stop huddle under the small, plexiglass shed. A soft smile appears as he watched puddles form underneath him, the cool water sinking deep into his fur and forcing his agitated hair to relax. Plastering against his body the more he got wet. He liked the rain, it brought life back into the earth as he saw thin trees trapped in the cement sidewalk, revive. Grass and plants which looked withered and dull from the summer heat, shone with new life, drinking up the precious elixir as it washed away the dirt and exhaust from the city. The wet houses were glazed over as if they were freshly painted. In a whole, nature had adorned itself with fresh beauty. He took a deep breath of clean air before heading back to the bar, feeling refreshed and much calmer as the storm washed away his anger and frustration.

Now relaxed, Zemar walked up to the door just as a quick movement caught his eye as it darted into the alleyway,

"Who's there?" he called out and followed the blur. The rain made it difficult to distinguish an object from a person,

"Hello?" he called out again. There was no answer and it was eerily quiet. Inching deeper in, he heard small crunching sounds, it almost sounded like someone was munching on a chicken bone. He couldn't smell anyone due to the rain washing away any useable scent. He risked a step towards the sound and peers around the big, dark green garbage container and his eyes widen in fear. There, in the corner, a grossly gaunt Angel was hunched over and shivering as it slurped up blood from a severed arm, gnawing on the exposed bone like it's the only thing it had eaten in years.

"What the fuck...?" he breathed as his icy blue eyes reactively change color,

the Angel heard him and spun around, screeching a practically ear-splitting scream. Its fiery red hair fell past its shoulders, matted and filthy as if they didn't know how to care for it. The Angel's face was mostly hidden behind the mane but, he could tell that it was sunken in as its cheek bones seem to protrude from the papery, pale white flesh. It looked like a corpse had come back to life. Black mangled wings were massive against the frail body, its feathers were thin like they had fallen out. A dress that used to be white, was torn and stained brown from mud as it covered most of its skeletal body like a thin armor, he gags from the stench of death that lingered on the air around it.

He wanted to run, and took a step back just as it lunged, pinning him to the ground with unholy strength. He was terrified but, it didn't attack, instead it leapt off and dashed away deeper into the alleyway. He jolted up and was about to pursue when he heard his name being called. He wanted to ignore it and go after the Angel, because something like that shouldn't be on the streets. It's dangerous, unpredictable and has a taste for human blood.

"Zemar! Where are you?" Andy called while holding an umbrella, the downpour had lessened as he came around the corner to find Zemar standing ridged with his black wings out. Zemar was trembling,

"Zemar? Hey, you alright?" Andy cautiously asked before touching Zemar's side. He turned quickly to look at Andy with fear in his blazing red eyes but, once seeing his friend, a giant sigh of relief was heard.

"Whoa, what's wrong?" Andy's hazel eyes were full of concern, he closed his eyes and relaxed before looking back,

"N-Nothing, I thought I saw something," he stuttered and hid his wings among the fur on his back.

"Really? Cause that look tells me otherwise," Andy clutched the umbrella tighter while scanning the area with a rising fear of his own. He couldn't really tell Andy the truth, it would create unnecessary chaos, accompanied with questions he didn't have answers to.

"I uh just saw a stupid cat. I-I didn't hear it jump out of the garbage container and it spooked me... Now, let's get out of this rain before I start looking naked," he grumbled as his eyes change back to blue.

"You already look naked," Andy commented in a playful manner, Zemar rolled his eyes with a smirk. They were leaving the alleyway just as the rain let up and he took one last glimpse back, What the hell was that thing and why did it look so familiar? he thought.