27

CHAPTER 24

"What will the Affairs' Office do?" I asked.

Ezra answered, "Nothing, when the informants find the body and basement they will realize that he was dealing with demons. You know well enough that many are prejudiced against us, there will be no investigation and they will not tell our department for fear of retribution. Not to mention they would not be ignorant of his drug use. He reeked like he doused himself in gasoline."

"I didn't notice that smell." I shook my head and continued with my worries, "What if they know it's us?"

Ezra shrugged.

Taurin dramatically chimed in, "We were saving our brethren."

"No. Actually I was saving your brethren while you two were fighting. If you want to fill me in I'm totally ready to listen."

There was silence. "O.k. I'm totally ready to listen... now..." There was silence. "O.k... now." I put on a huge smile for both of them. Ezra raised an eyebrow at me, Taurin snorted. I plopped my self down on the couch and sighed gustily. "Oh well, it was worth a shot."

"You know what is going to be annoying, that damn hell hound you brought with us."

"You're just jealous that she doesn't growl at Ezra." I smiled evilly up at Taurin.

"I know exactly why she has no growl for Ezra." He said with a 'why don't you ask me' voice.

No way was I going to take the bait, so instead I said, "Think of it this way, at least the dog house is occupied and I can't tell you to move into it. Or wait, maybe I can..." I made a gesture as if I was thinking really hard about it.

He narrowed his eyes at me, "I hope the gordons' idea of a meal is dog."

"And maybe their next meal will be a caged Taurin."

Ezra stepped up and hissed, raising the hair on my arms, "You two bicker like children."

Before I could undo it, I felt myself push further into the couch. His seemingly unreasonable anger towards me caught me off guard.

Taurin directed his narrowed gaze at him. "At least when I play, I play the way I should, while you, you won't at all, but you used to."

Taurin shoved the table aside and jerked me off the sofa. My body was swung around so that I stood back to his chest. I watched his nails turn into sharp claws as he hugged me tighter and tighter to his body. His chin resting on the top of my head did nothing to distract my focus from his hands.

"I am tired of your staleness, Ezra. You do nothing when you could do everything."

The hound growled on the porch and I turned to look at her through the screen door. Taurin leaned in close, his cool breath feathering around my ear. "You know why there is no growl for Ezra, Dove? Because he is less. Less than he was and less than he could be."

Ezra moved in closer, his eyes blazed fire. "Do not."

"You would not play when I was in danger, but I think now. Come." Taurin said.

Several things seemed to happen at once. Taurin dug his claws in and tore them through my body. I screamed in pain. The hound jumped through the screen door and I fell, huddled low to the floor. Ezra snarled and jumped at Taurin as a bitterly, cold wind whipped my hair around me. Taurin surrounded us in his shield and I had goose bumps on every inch of skin. He seemed to effortlessly keep both the hound and Ezra from us.

"What are you trying to do to us?!" I screamed through shivering teeth.

He looked down at me with frustration. "Something! Anything! Through you he can become what he once was! He can break this shield without a thought, Dove!" He looked back at Ezra, "Without a thought."

"And what if he doesn't want to be what he was?!" I forced out.

He crouched close. "If he does not want to be what he once was?" He whispered then gestured towards Ezra with his arm. Taurin shook his head. "That idea is unfathomable," he emphasized as he inhaled deeply. I looked towards Ezra. Flames wrapped around his body.

"Kill her! Kill me!" Taurin yelled in challenge. "Do something!"

I looked up into Taurin's face and studied the intensity that emitted from it.

"You do not understand!" Ezra replied forcefully.

Taurin roared a forceful winter wind in frustration and pulled me up by the hair. My body jerked from his painful pull and the freezing of the wind.

"Fff..uck...Yyy..ooouu," I stammered, wishing that I had made him hurt more earlier tonight. I turned my thoughts inward and attempted to still my body. I closed my eyes and concentrated on warmth.

He laughed bitterly. "She has more guts then you. Take care of that damn dog Ezra," he snared. "I will take care of Dove. As I have been doing all along."

"It would be better if I did not," I heard Ezra say.

"Yes, but how would Dove feel when I killed it?" He asked.

I felt the floor fall away from me as Taurin picked me up. We were still surrounded by his shield of cold air and he used it to slam my bedroom door shut. There were black dots in front of my vision. Underneath me I felt the hardness of the tub. I closed my eyes and huddled. Taurin climbed on top of me and straddled my waist, forcing my body to stretch out. I jerked slightly as he casually ripped my shredded shirt. My move back into reality came slowly with his soft words.

"Dove... IshaDove... Open your eyes."

I opened my eyes to look at the demon in front of me. His eyes showed me ice with snow drifting quickly across the top of it.

"That's it. Stay with me." He placed his cool finger on my lips when I opened my mouth to swear at him.

"It's a fine edge we walk. Remember when I said that to you?"

My teeth chattered against each other and I couldn't get any words out.

"It's all of us now. I cannot begin to describe to you how I feel. More than anger."

He pushed my hands to the side and I felt his icy fingers glide over the cuts. I gasped at how much colder he was. His lips brushed the outside shell of my right ear as he chanted another language into me.

The alien sounds felt like a snowstorm blowing into my mind and sounded like wind flowing over a frozen lake. I jerked to get away from the demon, instinctively knowing that he was doing nothing I wanted. Taurin's hand came up and held my head like a vise to keep my ear next to his mouth. I left streaks of blood where my hands slipped on the slickness of the white tub. His voice became breathy and he drew out his words while his left hand continued to play over my cuts.

I dizzily watched him slowly move away. It felt like ice was spreading around the area of my injuries. His slow satisfied smile stretched across his mouth. I closed my eyes to help with vertigo. Vaguely, I felt the demon lick the blood off my slowly warming body with slow languid movements. I was too sick to even care about his mouth on my skin. My stomach rolled in pain. I spoke up when the bathroom stopped spinning. "All assholes out of the bathroom."

He didn't stop. I pushed at his shoulder weakly.

"That means you, Taurin." He gave a last long lick and gazed up at me with content eyes.

"I want to rub myself on your body." He paused, "Not very dignified I must confess."

"Since when have you been dignified?" I replied dryly.

"Is that an invitation?"

"Get the fuck off me," I said weakly as I pushed at him with shaking knees and hands.

He looked at me, face blank, as he climbed out of the tub. "Should I send Ezra in?"

"No. Fuck you both."

His expression turned smug as he gave me a courtly bow, blue eyes staring into mine. I watched wearily as he shut the door quietly.

I gingerly rose when I heard my bedroom door close and went about working up to a very hot shower. I ran my unsteady hands over the scratches Taurin gave me. They were deep enough for stitches, but Taurin somehow made that unnecessary. The water turned pink as I scrubbed vigorously at them. I knew they would scar into six thin raised lines across my torso. The flashes of light I saw out of the outskirts of my vision kept me disorientated. It was as if metal was creating tiny pinpoints of light. I stepped out of the tub and leaned up against the sink with closed eyes. The dizziness rose again and I felt like vomiting.

When it passed I wiped the steam off the mirror and studied myself. Same wavy, bronze hair. Same small nose. Same lips, although they still looked a tinge blue to me. Same hazel colored- I stared. I stared hard. I watched as something flashed across the whole of my eye. My head turned slightly and the other eye did the same.

"What the hell?!" I got closer to the mirror and looked deeper. "Oh shit."

In the black of my pupil, at a particular angel, I could see what looked like a cracked layer of ice covering it. My vision wasn't distorted, but it was altered just by the fact that I knew it was there. When I focused on the air it seemed to shimmer all around me. I blew on it and watched a glitter, like snow in light, swirl and flow. I etched spirals in it and stared transfixed as they dissipated. I decided that feeling dumbfounded was not a good way to confront a demon. I'd wait for my anger to take precedence so I could feel justified in doing something stupid.

CHAPTER 25

My eyes narrowed in the mirror and I felt ready for battle. I grabbed my robe and stormed out of the bathroom. My bedroom was empty as I strode through it, paused to unsheathe my sword, and flung open the door. A fire crackled in the fireplace and Ezra stood staring out the picture window. Taurin was no where to be seen. My gaze went towards the guest bedroom that I allowed him to take over.

"You son of a bitch!" I shouted as I strode purposely towards the closed door.

Ezra slipped into my path so fast that I almost fell into him. "Move." I growled, enunciating the word.

His hand shot out and grabbed my chin in a bruising grip. I never hesitated as I slashed his arm and pushed him away with my left hand. He hissed at me like a cat and his hold loosened. I ducked under his arm and ran, stumbling through the threshold of Taurin's now open doorway.

My breath fogged instantly and the door slammed behind me. I couldn't keep the surprise off my face as a light snow fell around me and moved in all directions it shouldn't. A second's worth of bewilderment was all it took for Taurin to pounce and ride us to the floor. His hand locked tight around my wrist restricted any movement with the sword. "My sweet, innocent demon slayer." He whispered harshly to me. I closed my eyes slightly as slivers of ice slashed my face.

The slashing pain didn't help me reign in my anger. "You branded me! I am not your servant!"

He stared at me hard in the face. "You are not a servant, but you belong to me, pet." He spit the word out. "If Ezra will not, then I will, and damn us all! You think you can step blithely into our affairs and not be changed and you are wrong!" His eyes flashed cold light.

"I'm not stepping into your affairs! What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Bonding," he spit out bitterly. "He has been too soft."

I gritted my teeth and interrupted him, stuttering in my anger. "You, you-," I inhaled cold air through my nose and was glad for the sting. "You wanted to be bound. This is your doing. You're so fucking arrogant. If you remember correctly you were going to kill me! What the fuck was I suppose to do?"

Taurin's right hand came up and slapped my face with enough force to knock my chin into my right shoulder. "You were suppose to die! Demon hunters DO NOT BOND with demons! You should have gone down fighting! There is no relationship! There is no friendship!"

His body was so cold it hurt. With my senses I finally took stock of my position. His naked body pushed down heavily where he straddled my hips.

"Am I weak Taurin?" I asked between hard breaths.

He bent down near my ear and breathed. His grip remained strong as he spread his full body weight on me. "It doesn't matter. You have become our weakness. I thought I could..." He paused so long I believed he was done talking. Our breaths were the only harsh sounds in a room full of soft, drifting snow.

He continued whispering so abruptly that I started. "Before the law we would say that when we bond ourselves to a hunter it is because we are ready to die."

"Are you ready to die, Taurin?" I whispered back to him.

"No. I am not ready to die, but there is more than two of us." He placed his face in the gap of my robe and nuzzled me between my breasts. His legs pushed mine apart and he slipped his between.

A warmth spread throughout my body and I turned my face into his shoulder. "Is that why you are so angry? Because you believe that Ezra is ready to die? Because you feel responsible for us? Are you trying to distract me from killing Ezra?" I asked incredulously.

His laugh was muffled in my skin. "You could not kill Ezra. He would get killed trying to protect you." Both of his hands started to roam my body, which was now mostly laying on my robe rather than wearing it.

"And you have brought that fate even closer."

He laughed again, but it wasn't happy. "Yes."

"I thought that demons liked it when other demons died."

He snorted.

"Something has happened to you with bonding to me hasn't it?" I worked hard at ignoring his sensual caresses, the hardness of his arousal between my legs, it wasn't easy.

"You don't understand us."

"Ezra doesn't feel the same way." I said, remembering how he wanted Taurin to fail earlier.

Taurin licked my skin as he shrugged, "I'm playing with his pet."

My anger spiked at his continual choice of that particular word. I purred suggestively, arching my hips towards him, "Well, maybe I can make you feel better."

He moved his head down to look between our bodies and I brought my fist holding the pommel of the sword in the hardest, fasted arc I could muster towards his temple. The force of the contact caused him to suck in his breath and roll off me. When I was able to stand I kicked him in the side and immediately regretted it. My foot numbed with cold.

As I limped to the door I spoke low to him, spitting out my words in fury. "You cut me, slapped me, branded me, and did a lot more to me than I ever thought I'd let a anyone, much less a demon, do. I am this close to being done with you. Looks to me like you should re-evaluate why you bonded. You think you hate me. It's nothing compared to what I feel for you. There isn't a word in the dictionary for the way I feel about you."

I reached the door and turned the handle. "And look what you did to this fucking room. It's a winter fucking wonderland."

I glared at him and saw his ice blue eyes harden as he flung out his hand. I slammed the door before his magic reached me and stared at frost covered wood.

"Well, that went well," I muttered out loud.

"It always does between you two," came the soft reply behind me.

I chastised myself for relaxing my guard and spun around to the demon behind me. Although Ezra stared at my exposed body suggestively I didn't forget the murderous look on his face when I cut him to get him out of my way. My sword was half way at the ready.

He stalked towards me, the fire light flickering behind him. When he spoke there was a bite of disgust to his tone.

"Hold your sword with intent, Dove. If not, then do not threaten me with it."

He never slowed and I couldn't decide the best course of action. He placed his hand on mine and I let him easily guide the sword so the tip touched the floor. My eyes moved up from the sword, over his unbuttoned jeans, over the sheen on his red chest, finally to stare into his now expressionless face.

"Are you all right?" I asked hesitantly.

He smiled sardonically. "It was a shallow cut. More surprised than anything." He gave me serious eyes. "Neither of us should forget that we are natural enemies. It is good that Taurin does not."

I glanced down and felt his finger trace a line down my reddened cheek. "Perhaps." I paused. "He thinks you are with me because you are ready to die."

I heard his deep breath and next I saw smoke in front of my eyes. He moved his chiseled face close to me and I looked up. The demon breathed more smoke in front of my face. I deeply inhaled the smell of cloves and straightened my posture. He followed my movements and stared intently at me with eyes completely black as a moonless night. "I am not ready to die, Dove." He moved in closer, I swayed towards his warmth. "He has claimed you."

He pulled my robe closed and tightened the sash. I tried to read his facial expressions, but couldn't decipher any of his emotions at all. "I'm not sure I know exactly what's happened."

He continued, "You will. I warned you to stay away from him. He has always been rash."

I decided to risk a question I was sure I didn't want the answer to. "Why didn't you do the same?" It came out annoyingly breathy.

He studied me like I'd seen cats do. Like they can see into your soul, or at least, like you're a stupid human being. His head turned slightly. "Do you want me to?"

"You can't answer a question with a question," I said with a short glare.

He gave me a lazy, seductive smile that brought a rush of heat through my body. I turned my head to look out the darkened window. I could only mumble, "I don't know."

He cocked his head toward me, still smiling, "Sorry, what was that? Did I hear you right?"

I knew he heard me, but instead my voice lowered and I said, "Nothing, it's been a long day." I put my hand on the cool window to battle with the heat radiating through me. Ever since Taurin came to live with us the house was cool even in the sweltering heat of summer. "What's happening to me?" I turned to look at him.

Ezra became serious. "Dove, I may tease you, but do not push me. It will not be safe."

I nodded my head as I started to talk. "I always thought I knew what was right. And I haven't done anything right. I should have been dead a hundred times." I let loose the sad laugh I felt. "And you," I gestured towards him casually. "Look at you. You're a damn demon. And If I ever stop to think about that... I don't know what I'd do. We should have never been together, but here I am doing this all willingly."

He quickly matched my somber mood. "I do not deal with what is not, Dove. You know that." He framed my face with one hand and guided me closer to him. "We are. Think of yourself as following the laws of the Affairs' Office. While I am following the laws of a different kind."

I felt strangely validated, as if he agreed with me even though he never said so. He blew warmth on my mouth and laid the softest of kisses on my lips. I treasured it.

"Come," he said with an open hand. I placed mine in his and we walked to the bedroom.

CHAPTER 26

I awoke early the next morning with an intense determination to finish business with Taurin. Ezra never moved from his sleep despite all the noise I made gathering my weapons and clothes. I stared down at his still form and contemplated his reason for being in my life. There were no answers, only questions. Briskly moving, I left his presence and went out to the yard to practice.

There was no sign of the dog so I assumed that it was somewhere in the woods hunting for breakfast. I already warmed up with my wooden sword when Taurin stepped into view from the side of the cabin. The rising sun bathed him in a glow as I watched his fluid walk. His silken hair was loose and moving with the slight wind. I stood transfixed, gazing at this beautiful creature coming closer to me even though he was only loose fitting pants and a T-shirt, probably silk.

When he reached me I blandly spoke up, "You really know how enter with flair."

Half of his face raised in a mocking smile. "And you really know how to give a compliment," he said just as blandly.

"But, that is not why I am here. Although hearing you wax poetically about my beauty would be a fine way to start any day." He gave me a mean smile then and, I swear, his blue eyes actually sparked.