Seeds Of Corruption Ch 03

Chapter 3 - Come hell or high water

Waking up on Friday morning was difficult. The near endless pool of energy Alice had been enjoying finally seemed to be depleted and she felt worse for it. Sitting up, her head was pounding, a dull ache emanating from her forehead. Was this finally the hangover signalling the end? It was wishful thinking, regardless she would still need to go to the club and confirm with Levash. Getting up and putting her curled hair in a cap she did her morning shower and while doing skincare in the mirror she noticed two new changes.

One was that she was certain she was starting to lose it, she spotted a flash of red behind her in the mirror, nothing was there when she turned nor in the mirror looking back at it. The second was that she was without question different, the woman looking back at her was nearly flawless. Her hair had by this point turned near ivory white, was much thicker and when taking the curlers out fell to just above her waist but that wasn't the most shocking thing, her face seemed more refined? Her overly sharp jaw rounded, her prominent cheekbones softened but still prominent enough to give an intimidating look, her amber eyes had grown bright and the irises larger showing no signs of shrinking back down. The only thing that seemed to mar her appearance was deep bags forming under her eyes, most likely due to the constant restless nights.

All of this was to say, she looked good. Better than good, fluffing her hair out, she looked like some flawless ice queen. Checking herself over for any other obvious changes and she couldn't find anything, her hips looked like they stood out slightly more as did her chest but she wasn't going to complain if they developed a little more. Small silver linings to whatever is happening to her.

Leaving the bathroom she finished getting ready, throwing on an old pair of jeans that felt a little more snug than usual and a plain white crop top. As she was getting ready to leave her room she felt a chill run up her spine, spinning on the spot she couldn't see anything out of place, but again she heard something behind her, a faint voice whispering something in an unknown language, it sounded familiar though, harsh but familiar? Shaking it off as another weird Demon sex side effect Alice headed for the living room.

Upon entering the living room she saw Christina running around her shirt unbuttoned and hair a mess. The girl ran back to her room shouting for five minutes. Looking out the window Alice could see the roads had the usual ice slush scattered about so decided to take her thicker fur coat instead today. Sitting down she checked her phone while she waited.

The first thing she saw was confirmation of the wedding, the couple wished for her to perform for ninety minutes which would be a rather needed cheque for her. Alice sent her agreement to them and slid the date in her diary. She had another missed call from an unknown number and while it wasn't something she'd usually do she called it back. She had had enough of John's psychotic racist shit, the number dialled three times before being picked up the voice on the other end, a heavy smoker and one she swore she could recognise.

"Hello?"

"Hi, I had a missed call from this number, it's Alice?" She heard recognition in his voice

"Oh you're John's girl right? He's a bit busy at the moment, want me to have him call you back?" His words made her blood boil.

"No, you listen here I am not his girl, I broke up with him years ago. Tell him when you see him to stop harnessing me." With that she hung up and blocked the number.

Thankfully Christina didn't take long stumbling out of her room five minutes later, and fully dressed this time. She made a beeline for her coat and finally caught sight of Alice, her jaw dropping slightly, Alice spoke quickly to cut her off.

"I have no idea what's happened but we'll find out tonight I suppose." It took Christina a second to recover before responding.

"Maybe we should go now? This is pretty dramatic, no?" Alice just shrugged

"Nothings been changing during the day, it only seems to happen when I sleep, so.." Alice took a deep breath. "May as well get rehearsal done then stick to the plan." Christina gave her a once over then nodded. She shook her head slightly and the pair finally got out of the flat.

It was a repeat of Wednesday it seems, Christina had wrapped up with a scarf and gloves and was still complaining about the cold, Alice on the other hand felt fine, the coat felt a bit unnecessary if she was being honest, she thought back to before she started HRT and remembered, the cold never bothered her much, something to do with thicker skin? Maybe she needed to get her blood levels checked after this was said and done, maybe whatever's happening has thrown them off? Jobs for another day regardless.

Arriving at the theatre the pair was let in by Mike who unlocked the door for them. He initially waved them off but did a double take at Alice before stuttering out a proper greeting, she couldn't stop herself from rolling her eyes. It was the same reaction she got from most of the band as they met for rehearsals, she finally managed to settle everyone down explaining she had just dyed her hair the night before, anything else was just makeup or their imagination. One can dream.

There was a group heading out for lunch including Christina but Alice gave it a pass she knew Julia had her own "prepared diet" she brought with her so would be hiding in the lunchroom. Avoiding the crowd Alice entered seeing Julia facing away from her at a bench but her head sprung up as soon as Alice passed the threshold, turning on the woman with a confused look. Alice waved and sat herself down next to her.

"Hey, are you sure you can't come tonight?" Julia just continued staring at her, it tok Alice a moment to realise her nose was flaring. "Are you, okay?" Julia spoke in a very measured tone.

"Has anything changed Alice?"

"Other than my hair and maybe my face? I don't think so." Julia still remained very tense and stiff.

"I'm not free tonight." Before Alice could interrupt she spoke louder. "If anything goes-- wrong. Call me I'll see if anyone from the pack is free and can pick you up okay?" Considering her words it was definitely better than nothing, Alice nodded. But she heard a stray voice speak first as a chill ran down her spine.

"Oh how my pups remain steadfast defenders for us." Alice spun around, but no one else was in the room.

"Did you hear that?" Turning back on Julia the woman looked somehow more tense.

"Hear what Alice?"

"That, someone just spoke. They, they were right here." Alice spun back to Julia panicking, Julia nodded.

"Have you felt anything else change or, like, has anything happened? Have you had any other contact with any Demons?" Blinking at the change of topic Alice instantly shook her head before thinking.

"I, I think I've heard the voice before, in my dreams. Please tell me I'm not going insane Julia, this is something supernatural." Julia remained still except for her breathing, something she hadn't seen before in the energetic werewolf.

"I'd say it's supernatural, you need to go to the club, if you're feeling-- Off. Go home, I'll make an excuse for you, but work might not be the best environment for you right now." Her wording did nothing to calm Alice down who just nodded, if she was hearing voices now, who knows what was next, or what else could already have changed.

"Everything." Jumping at the sound Alice nodded.

"Please can you ask Chris, if you see her to get my violin and bring it home with her." Julia nodded and placed her hand on Alice's arm.

"You'll get through this, just make sure you go to the club, and let me know if you need anyone at all." Alice nodded, feeling pins and needles on her arm under Julia's touch.

"Thank you." Julia let go and motioned to the door, Alice sped walked out and quickly left the theatre.

----

The afternoon was spent mostly feeling dread, the voice hadn't made any more appearances and Alice had gotten ready early, she was waiting for Chris to come home at six to reconvene and update her fully before she goes. She had decided on a slightly longer dress than before, red this time with a deeper v down the front, paired with the same black heels as before. She had spent an hour in front of the mirror debating what to wear. She had briefly considered since this wasn't for fun and it would be practically freezing out, HRT issues or no she should wear something practical, this wasn't about seeing a guy who had run out on sex. It was about finding a Demon who had cursed her or something.

"Corrupted, not cursed." Alice cringed and tried to focus her mind to shut out the voice, something that had been made only increasingly more difficult as the week has gone on.

Hearing footsteps and soon the door opening Alice left her room finding Christina coming in and holding her Violin in one arm.

"Julia said you were having--" she stopped talking as she took in the full sight of Alice who just rolled her eyes.

"Thanks, and yeah you might want to sit down. I'll try and cover everything that's been happening." She nodded then blinked and sat as instructed. Alice sat across from her.

"So, all of this hasn't just been about confronting Levash." Chris snorted.

"Obviously." Alice raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry you just never put this much effort into a man, plus you've been, well changing?" Nodding Alice responded.

"Yeah I think, I think when we came back here something happened. I've been, well, constantly on edge since and can't do anything about it? Plus yeah obviously changing. The worst bit though is, I think I'm hearing voices now."

"A voice, singular." Alice cringed.

"I'm not sure exactly what any of it means but yeah I'm gonna go confront him, he said if I needed him that I could meet him at the club tonight, obviously I had no idea what he meant at the time but." Alice shrugged. Looking up to see Christina processing the information she seemed mad.

"So why are you only going to talk?"

"Beg pardon?" Chris sat up.

"Alice, we know next to nothing about Demons, they've been here for three years? This could be literally anything, you could be dying--" The voice began to respond in Alice's head.

"Overly dramatic."

"You could be, being enthralled like Vampires do--"

"Not possible."

"Hell, you could be becoming one for all we know--" The silence Alice felt did nothing to comfort her. "What I'm saying is why are we going to talk to him, he clearly did this on purpose, walking into their club is dangerous, why on earth has Julia encouraged this." Alice furrowed her brows.

"Julia hasn't encouraged anything. We just agreed that getting answers would be the best step forward, he literally offered them to me when we last spoke so I know I'll find him. Besides we're in a club he can't really attack me or anything." Her words only served to further enrage Chris.

"He can't do anything? Could Sebastian not do anything the times he attacked me on nights out, what about in Pyramid when he practically drained me and left me for you to find and take to the hospital?!" Alice was shocked at the vitriol and clearly Chris realised how loud she was getting and stopped and took a breath. "Look I know I come across as a bit ditzy with all the Supe stuff but Sebastian showed me, they can be dangerous. I'd never go to a vamp bar or be around them anymore, honestly I wouldn't really be around any supernatural group I didn't know or without, well back up."

"Julia?" Christina nodded.

"Weres are fine, they basically just people when not changed, and they're strong so it'll put other supes off doing anything. But we don't know nearly enough about Demons to know if they're threats or not, I mean, there's the obvious big red flag, I don't believe it but I mean the bible pretty much nailed theirs and Angel's existence--"

"They knew of us, and not well enough if they thought Celestials would be their saviours." The rage Alice felt through the voice surged through her, she felt the heat flow inside her before dying out as Christina continued.

"All this is to say I don't think you should go alone, if Julia's not free then we should wait till someone is."

"But we don't know he'll be there then, and what if in the meantime, something worse happens? I can't leave this to chance--" Alice held her hand up stopping Chris from butting in. "Plus I spoke to Mark, who says hi by the way. He said he'll call me at eleven and if he gets no answer he'll sound the alarm bells. Julia's told me to call her and if I need someone she'll see if anyone from her pack can come. I have backup." All three voices in the room remained silent. Alice watched as Christina's shoulders slumped in resignation.

"I just don't want to lose you." Alice moved forward and the pair embraced.

"You won't, I promise, no matter what happens I'll be coming home after."

"You better." The pair stayed like that a few moments longer, Alice standing as she let go.

"Right, I need to get going if I have any chance of getting in this side of midnight." Christina nodded following her up.

"Be safe." Alice nodded, psyching herself up. She would get the answers she needed no matter what.

----

In an effort to avoid the taxi driver from before Alice took the tube, the walking on her end was minimal and thankfully the station was just across the road from the club when she got off. Leaving the station she let her jacket fall loose hanging from her elbows as she walked, the cold not seeming to reach her in the thin dress. Ignoring any potential meaning from that she turned out of the station hoping to cross the road but saw the usual picketers blocking the way, on seeing her and her attire giving away where she was going they began to chant at her.

"Whore of Babylon!"

"Sinner!"

"Demon lover!"

Alice rolled her eyes edging her way around the police cordon blocking her from the public. The police looked at her with barely concealed disgust as she made her way across the road. Who'd waste their Friday night waiting on the corner of the street just to harass people? What made them think they were any better than any of the Demons within? Or her for that matter. The insults continued as they grew quieter, each as unoriginal as the last.

Reaching the club Alice realised her first issue, the large bouncer from before was at the door again, the barrier rope already lifted. She could go with the original plan of saying she knew Levash and trying to force her way in or she could queue. The decision was made when she saw how long the queue in front of her actually was.

"You do not wait with the humans." Shaking her head she cleared her mind once again and skipped the queue.

Approaching the bouncer who idly watched her she mustered as much false confidence as she could manage.

"I'm here to see Levash." She waited a moment, then two while the bouncer made no indication that he had acknowledged her. She hesitated, the front of the crowd watching her and making comments back and forth.

"Levash wanted me to meet him here?"

"And?"

"So can I go in?" He rolled his eyes.

"The barriers open, you don't need to ask." Not to look a gift horse in the mouth she quickly made her way up the steps and through the barrier the bouncer hooking it behind her and she heard him mutter slightly.

"--airheads the lot of them." Choosing not to push her luck she left the bouncer and entered the club.

It seemed far less mystical this time around. Whatever pulled her in when she entered Sloth had faded now. Leaving behind just a bar with sleepy drinkers. Seeing the doors at the back of the room she quickly cut her way across the bar noticing a few odd looks from some of the obvious Demons milling around the floor. Refusing to make eye contact and invite any conversation she reached the stairwell in no time making her way to top heading right for lust.

Entering Lust, the dance floor seemed to have a few people dancing in groups but thankfully not many were there yet. She noted something must have changed in the lighting, some of the people on the dance floor seemed almost highlighted in purple, as if one of the club's lights shone on them like a spotlight. Regardless, the reduced crowd made spotting Levash leaning on the bar easier. As she made a beeline to him she tried to avoid appreciating the demon's body which was a struggle, the tight pants and tee he had on doing little to hide the snug athletic form underneath. The pearlescent horned bartender was talking to him and seeing Alice she blinked looking slightly stunned before nodding to her, this seemingly signalling to Levash who stood up straight turning on the angry woman with his hands already up in defence.

Her entire way here she had felt nothing but nerves, well nerves and a slight undercurrent of lust, but now it had all been replaced with anger. Reaching him she quickly poked his chest making him recoil slightly.

"What on earth have you done to me?!" At her yell a few people turned looking on curiously, the bartender spoke to Levash while looking straight at Alice inquisitively.

"Take this elsewhere Levash, we don't need any issues." This only infuriated Alice more.

"Issues? You've already got an issue." Turning back to Levash. "Talk." He nodded.

"I will but not here Alice, please let's go to one of the side rooms. I'll tell you everything."

"You best not try anything my friends know I'm here." This made him blink.

"Alice, no harm will come to you here, please." weighing the risk she decided she needed answers and if anything did happen well supes and humans knew she was here. That had to be worth something.

----

Levash shut the door behind him and turned on a light, the room lit up in a dim purple revealing for all intents and purposes a bedroom. Some silks hung from the ceiling and in the Center sat a large open bed, a table sat to the side with certain items on it. Turning on the demon Alice spoke.

"You have definitely got the wrong idea here, I meant talk not." Pointing behind her she gestured at the bed. Levash for his part looked suitably embarrassed.

"The room is noise cancelling so we can hear ourselves think. I don't expect anything from you." Alice nodded, realising that he was right she couldn't hear anything beyond, no talking, no music.

"Dare I ask why a club needs to have bedrooms on its top floor?" Levash gave her a sardonic look as he sat down on the bed.

"You're a smart girl, you can work it out. Anyway sit, you're right we need to talk." Alice perched on the end of the bed waiting for him to lead.

"So I know why you're here.."

"You've infected me with something." Alice accused.

"No, well." Sighing already he continued. "Please let me explain this is, a lot to get out." Alice reluctantly nodded and he continued "When we parted I was hoping that my absence would be enough to ensure that nothing happened to you.."

"Fat lot of good that did then." He glared at her and she shut up.

"Obviously I was wrong, have you had any contact with other demons since we last met? Slept with any other Demons" The question or accusation brought a scowl to her face.

"No I don't just randomly sleep with any Demon I see, this is all--"

"I didn't mean anything by it but I just need to understand exactly what may have influenced the changes you have experienced." Taking a breath Alice shook her head before realising

"Well one taxi driver who was weird, he wouldn't stop staring at me." Levash nodded.

"If he only drove you somewhere it wouldn't have done anything. His staring was probably because he sensed what I did." Pausing he took a deep breath. " Like I said it's a lot to go through and not all of it is comfortable for me to talk about, I will answer all of your questions, just please bear with me." He looked at Alice and unless he was manipulating her his eyes held real pain. She nodded and he took a deep breath and began.