In Enemy Hands

"You are his whore." Astor said instantly. His face very close to hers. He looked suddenly very smug and triumphant. Clearly he'd beat Savon to finding her.

"No I'm not." Kayla said with conviction. She was not a fucking whore, and that was the truth. She knew he could tell lies. However a bit of a smile played there. Even with her truth she'd told him just who she was.

"I never said who 'he' was." His nails stopped biting into her throat but he held onto her and turned her. His hand curved around the front of her neck. He could snap it so easily if he wanted to. He held her against his side and stood there for a moment. Kayla knew who he was looking at. She made a split second decision which might cost her, her life.

Kayla got out her blade and slammed it down and into his thigh twisting. He made a slight sound and she almost managed to get away from him. However his grip nearly crushed her throat when he pulled her back and she had to gasp for air.

"You are a means to an end. I've killed for less." Astor took hold of the back of her neck and pulled out the blade shoving the tip under her jaw near the back of her throat. She felt it break skin, and it made an odd taste develop in her mouth.

Astor looked at the scene before him. His numbers were very low and he was injured greatly himself. Savon and him had fought before coming here. Savon was very good. However Astor found what he was looking for. He held the human woman, and the moment that he had grabbed her he knew.

Savon's scent was all over her. It was strong even with the rain coming down. Which told him that she was not just a one time deal for Savon. He'd marked her, and now Astor had her. Savon's human side would be his downfall. The weak side.

"SAVON!" Astor shouted, his voice said that he would be heard. Those that were fighting stopped. The demons moving back from the humans. Savon's gaze came to his from where he was not far away. He now had control of the three hell hounds, the daemon dead at his feet. Astor would have to find replacements for Savon to use in the ritual now. He'd have to call up more daemons to use he thought.

Savon's gaze was neon green, a sign that he was mostly acolyte. That anger might be his top emotion at the moment. His eyes moved slowly from Astor's to the woman that he held and then back. He didn't say anything just looked at him. Blood was running down his chest mixing with the rain water.

"This one I think matters." Astor stated. Savon still said nothing just looked at him.

"No?" Astor said, he'd kill her just to make a point. "We'll see how you react with her death." The woman was tense next to him. He was going to see how human Savon was.

From here he could see how tightly Savon had his jaw clenched. The humans that had backed up were watching as well, looking from him to Savon. Astor moved to jab the knife into her throat, and she gasped at the pressure change.

"Stop." Savon spoke, just one word. Astor found his hand unable to move for a moment. Savon's one word was said in a calm tone, but might as well have been shouted with the force of it. Astor felt a cruel smile. He had what he needed, this frail human. He felt like laughing, how good it was to have the upper hand. Finally.

Astor needed to regroup. To prepare for what he needed done. These humans here no longer mattered because he was going to get Savon this time. He was completely confident of that because of this human woman he would come when called. He knew human nature, their weakness for each other.

"You will come and do the ritual." Astor demanded in the language of the dead. The only ones understanding them were the hell hounds who watched him.

"No."

"Then she is of no use to me." He said.

"Kill her and there will be no using me for it at all." Astor stood looking at them. They were at a bit of a standstill. They both knew it.

"I'll give you one day Savon. One day, you come to Fire City. You aren't there twenty four hours from now I will first give her to those that I control to play with, before I do what I wish and take her life. I'll drop her lifeless body back here so you can see what was done to her."

"If I come and she is touched or harmed in any way you will see exactly what I am capable of. I'm going to kill you. I promise you that." Savon warned.

"That still remains to be seen." He said and snapped an order at the other demons to return. One small human group that was damaged mattered not to him. Getting Savon was what mattered.

_____Savon______

Savon stood stock still watching Astor hold Kayla. Out of this entire group she had to be here. He had to be the first to find her, where was the fairness in that? The justice of it? Kayla stood there watching him. Fear was in her eyes but she didn't look hateful or angry at him.

He could very well cause her death and she didn't even look to be blaming him for anything. Why couldn't she? That selfish part of him wished that she would. That he could find a fault with her so that she wouldn't matter to him.

'You asshole, even if she had a fault I wouldn't let her die.' His human side said. The acolyte in him was attached to her as well. It was more than pissed at this development. Just angry that it had cornered itself this way.

'We are going to die for her.'

'So? Better than for no reason at all.' The acolyte grumbled at its human counterpart. He wanted to run after Astor and kill the son of a bitch as he took Kayla and left. However he would kill her if he tried to go after him, no if, and, or buts about it.

His grip on his weapon was extremely tight. Astor left taking Kayla with him. The demons went with him and all that was left was the shambles of this nomadic group. Astor could care less about this group now. Now that he would get Savon. Once the acolytes were here, then not much was going to be living anymore.

Savon was having a rather intense argument with his inner self on what his plan of action was going to be. He turned and out of anger tossed one of his blades blindly. Several people ducked as it whizzed by and sunk into a tree.

"Savon,"

"What?" He snapped turning and looking at Todd who was a good distance from him. He half gestured at the hell hounds that were sitting there facing the rest of those that were here. They were talking quietly among each other, but stopped when Todd approached. Clearly trying to decided if they should attack or not.

"What are you planning on doing?" Todd asked and felt like taking a swallow as Savon bright gaze came to his. They were almost glowing with how bright they were. It was growing darker out now.

"I haven't decided yet." He said and looked at the hell hounds. "You two, go eat and don't come back until your hunger is under control. I can't handle your misery adding to mine." The two looked at Kiore who got up to move off.

"What are we..." The female started.

"He doesn't care, follow me." Kiore said to them, knowing where the closest center was. Where they could hunt demon. The two looked at Savon but he didn't acknowledge them he was lost in thought.

"He won't punish us?" Ichor asked.

"No." Kiore said moving to run off. They followed, an eagerness coming to them. Todd spoke again as they ran off.

"I will help you." Todd said. Savon had his head bent and was breathing slowly to control his anger. To calm himself, his gaze came up to look at Todd.

"What could you do that I can't?"

"I'm human, they wouldn't be looking for human. I'm not looking to fight, but to help get Kayla. She is a friend to me. She matters to you and you are my friend. Clearly she's your Achilles at the moment."

"You going after Astor?" Savon looked at the man that spoke, he was bigger. More muscular and had the air about him of a man that knew how to fight.

"Name's Keith, I wouldn't mind helping to go after Astor."

"You'd be dead before you could even get close to him." A few others came over. Those from their original group. Most of them looking a bit beaten.

"What's the plan?" Neil asked, he was bleeding from one ear and breathing hard. He had other wounds about him as well. He wanted to help too?

"There isn't a plan." Savon snapped. He didn't need this group following him there and fucking something up on him. Astor would know.

"You just going to go after him? We might not have understood what he said but we got his meaning. What is he going to use you for?" Tina asked.

"To bring up other full acolytes."

"Then why didn't he just take you?" Keith asked. Savon had a tic in his jaw and chanted to himself not to strike out. They didn't have time for these explanations!

"The ritual for it to happen has to be a consensual sacrifice. I'm it, I have what he needs. He needs my consent. My yes. That way more than one can come over at a time."

"Oh." Keith said. They turned as others were coming toward them and Savon frowned slightly and was annoyed at seeing Drake walking toward him.

"Felt you here, knew something bad had happened the moment I left. Someone fill me in, and tell me who we are short." Drake said in a very authoritative voice. Ian was with him as well. Todd filled him in on what he'd missed over the past hour plus.

"I see. Then we have a lot of planning to do and very little time." Savon felt his marking shifting over his body. It wanted to strike out, but he beat it down and kept himself in the front. It hurt, like the marking was trying to change his body.

'Don't you dare shift my body.' He said, over all these years he'd never had a problem with the acolyte trying to pull its form forward.

'Just preparing for Astor.' It said smugly and then quieted. Most were looking at Savon.

"Well Savon, this one is on you what do you want to do?" He looked at those standing here, his mind racing. He'd never thought he'd get help when he needed it. Now that he had it he didn't know if he wanted it.

"Our best bet is for me to show up alone." He said. "I can't have anyone with me, it will end with Kayla losing her life."

"Right, we show up differently, before you." Drake said. "We can be mobile now, and fast. Any that want to go. Fire city, we have that one scouted out pretty good."

"There is going to be a city full of demons, chances of making it out alive are slim." Jack said.

"Yes, but I was thinking." Drake said. "Say Savon here goes to do the ritual, but changes it a bit instead to suit us?" Savon was lost in thought and what Drake said brought a sudden idea to his mind. That just might work, it would be a very smart thing actually. He'd never thought of doing that before. Then again he never planned on being in the ritual to start with..

'Human's aren't so stupid after all.'

Savon felt a bit of a smile and his mind was already formulating what he would need to do. He stepped forward and those around him became silent. He started to speak in a low voice, but it was clear and everyone got what he said. A bit of a smile played on his face, this might be their one chance to get rid of Astor and more. The humans were silent but ready, after all could they really afford to just stand by? If Savon failed, if he was used to bring over more acolytes that was it. This was a battle no one could afford to lose.