"I'm sorry did you say a...a bear?"

"Yes I did....I guess Draven hasn't explained much about our kind and our other forms has he?"

"I don't think Draven likes me knowing too much but I am interested, I think it helps the more I know, but Draven doesn't see it like that."

"I can understand it on both sides, if you were mine I would want to protect you from certain...things. On the other hand I can imagine you are br.i.m.m.i.n.g over with questions...it is...after all, human nature to be curious."

"You can say that again!" I said laughing at memories that took me back to how many questions I would ask Draven when I first found out about this other world. Who wouldn't?

"So where was I?"

"You were a bear," I said as though it was the most natural comment in the world.

"Yes, yes I was. I was hunting in the river at the time but what I didn't realize was that I wasn't the only one. See, in this tribe it was a sort of right of pa.s.sage for a boy to become a man to kill a bear with nothing in his hand but a small hunting knife. I had my back to the boy and he crept up on me without making a sound. I can imagine he grew up to be a great hunter, after all, he had it in his bloodline as his father was not only the tribe's best tracker but best warrior. He also had a daughter, her name was Siggwan. I believe it means 'to sing' in their native language."

I knew, even without him saying so, that he was in love with the girl. I could see it in his eyes, his smile and mostly the way he said her name, full of pride and the deepest meaning. It was like he could see her standing right in front of him, he saw there a memory and then he turned his face as to hide the secret smile he thought I couldn't see.

"That's what saved me from getting hurt, I heard her voice singing. I turned around in time to see her brother coming and managed to knock the knife from his hand without causing too much damage. Not that he could have killed me but it would have still hurt. He ran off after that but not before finding his sister and taking out his anger on her. I found her later by the river washing the blood from her face."

"b.a.s.t.a.r.d!" I said making him look at me in surprise. His raised eyebrow made me want to justify myself.

"I'm a strong believer that a man that hits a woman is nothing but a coward!" I said raising my chin and making him smile.

"And you are rightly so, I feel this way also, which is why it hurt me to see. I walked towards her and when she saw me, she didn't finch, she didn't even look scared at the sight of this 1800lb, nine foot Kodiak bear coming closer to her. She even smiled at me and I never thought I had seen anything as beautiful. She could stop my heart with that one smile."

"She must have been extremely brave," I noted before taking another sip of wine.

"She was fearless, more so than her brother was, that much was clear. She let me come next to her on the river bed and then she turned to me and told me how she was glad her brother hadn't killed me. I wanted to thank her but I couldn't change in front of her, so I decided to wait till nightfall."

"So did you go back to find her?" I asked getting immersed in the story.

"I did find her again once I was human. I think you can guess what happened next. No doubt you can understand what type of love we shared?" He looked into my eyes and found his answer instantly.

"What happened?"

"I got my next contract." My hands flew to cover my mouth as I shrieked.

"NO, oh no!"

"Yes I am afraid so. When I refused to take her soul I was merely informed that another would just replace me and take it anyway. So I did the only thing I knew I could do." Pained lines circled his eyes like an evil frame.

"What?" I asked needing to know the end of the tragedy.

"I bargained. I traded her soul for mine, I signed myself over to h.e.l.l's punishments so that she may live a full life and die with her soul intact. Of course this meant a hundred lifetimes for me to rot in the pit, well that was until Draven bargained for my life." He turned his face to mine and now his pride was directed towards his friend. No wonder they were such close friends, Draven had saved him from...well the Devil only knows what.

I found I had tears in my eyes from his story and I cannot tell you how it touched me. Which reminded me of the saying, "Is it better to have loved and lost, or better to have never loved at all?" Before meeting Draven I would have said to have never loved but now, I know, I would rather have died after one kiss than never have felt his touch, even if only for once in my life.

"How did he get you out?"

"A powerful a man as Draven, needs very little in reason to get what he wants, I was just happy that I could return the favour."

"What? You saved his life?"

"More like his body. I don't think this scar would have suited him as it does me, I wear it well do I not?" He asked me, laughing and giving me a playful nudge in the side.

"Oh very handsome, in a rough, manly way. Women love scars you know." I said, to which he responded with a wink in my direction.

"You have your own scars of the past I see." I gulped and looked down to my concealed arms, wondering how he knew?

"It is alright, I am sorry I brought it up but you see we have something in common. We both have these scars as a reminder of the people we love, I sacrificed it for my friend, and for you?"

"For my family," I replied quietly.

"Do not be angry at Dom, he did not tell me about your past, I was the one he asked to help find any information about you. When I learned about you I was the one Dom sent to protect your sister and Frank at the time." I shot him a look of pure grat.i.tude. Anyone who helped protect those I love earned my eternal respect and loyalty.

"Thank you, I don't know what to say." I lowered my head feeling doubtful I would ever be able to repay all these people that had helped me since Draven came into my life. Ragnar, Vincent, Sophia, Leivic and most of all Draven himself. This coming to a person only used to doing everything herself. I wasn't used to having people to depend on. Don't get me wrong, my family were very supportive through my history with that evil, sick time. But since I had visions I learnt very quickly to keep my problems to myself or they would turn around to bite me in the a.r.s.e, in the form of a mental hospital. That being my true nightmare.

"You do not need to say anything, let alone thank me, I was more than happy to help and now in meeting you I feel my friendship for Draven extends to his other self...to you Keira. But on that note I must leave you a moment, I will not be long, will you be alright?" I smiled at him before touching his hand that felt rough, like sandpaper and years of hard labor.

"Yes, of course, and thank you for telling me your story." At this he didn't answer but just kept staring at my hand on his, like he had never felt a touch for many years. This made me feel conscious that maybe it was not the right thing to do, but as soon as the thought entered my mind he lifted my hand in his to his lips and kissed my knuckles. He didn't say another word after that but nodded to me before he left.

I found myself only able to breathe after he had gone from my sight. I looked at my hand where his scarred lips had been and found it tingled slightly. I don't know why but I was sure he had tasted me when his lips had parted slightly and his tongue had lightly grazed me. I could still see the shiny mark of his kiss drying quickly. I know any normal person would have been freaked out by this but I wasn't and found it oddly comforting. After all he was half animal, maybe this was just his way...like a cat or dog licking you when you stroke them.

I started to go over what I had just learned from Leivic and the more I learnt about Demons and Angels the more it seemed to make sense. They weren't that far apart from humans and I wondered if that was what being on this "Plane" did to them. Did it make them more human?

Well at least to some of them it did and love seemed to be the key. It got me thinking what Draven was really like all his years before I came along? I had changed him, he had admitted as much. How was it he had put it earlier... "Back then I was hard and cold, like a living statue." That's what he had said. Had I really made the blood flow back into his lifeless veins?

He made out that I did. I found myself smiling to myself as I sipped my wine. Only when my lips weren't feeling liquid on them did I noticed that my gla.s.s was empty. I don't know why but I really wanted another. I didn't usually like red wine but there was something about this one that tasted a bit...addictive. It was only when I was studying the gla.s.s that I noticed something weird looking on the sides. It looked like crystallized particles that clung to the sides where the wine had once been filled up to. I lifted it to my nose but couldn't smell anything other than the rich aroma of fermented grapes.

I ran my finger on the inside, collecting up the substance on my finger tip. Then I did a very silly thing before I could stop myself, I put the finger in my mouth and sucked it clean. The stuff felt like sugar grit but tasted bitter. It was mere seconds before my head began to spin. I felt like I was going to throw up but without the heaving process. I held my head in my hands as if this would help but it didn't and if anything, it felt like it was the only thing keeping it on my body.

I felt my skin p.r.i.c.k up as someone came near to me but when I looked up there wasn't anyone there.

"You can hear my voice young one!" I sucked in breath and curled my legs to protect me as the voice that had haunted me earlier invaded my mind once again. It wasn't asking a question but more like expressing an order. I looked around franticly for anyone I could tell but as soon as I thought it, the voice boomed in my mind.

"NO, YOU WILL OBEY ME!" It screamed making my head vibrate in pain. I let out a little moan and nodded at no-one to say I would comply. Anything, just to stop the pain that rattled through me whenever it got angry.

"Good girl, now I want you to come to me, but I don't want you to let yourself be seen, do you understand?" I nodded again but I wasn't sure if the voice would know my answer...it did.

"Good, but you have to stop crying or people will hear you." I hadn't been aware that I was crying but when I put my hands to my cheeks they were soaked with salty tears. My lips trembled as I tried to control the urge not to start sobbing. I wanted to be strong but the voice started to get more urgent.

"Move when I tell you, I want you to get up and slide out to your left and walk to the far wall, you will see it when the curtain moves back, that will be your cue to leave." I shuddered at what I had to do next and inside I was screaming out which made it hurt all the more. I wished Leivic would come back to save me or even better, my dark knight Draven.

"That is not going to happen my dear, Draven is busy with the Witch and his friend has his hands full with another of my little diversions. So you see it is just you and me, now M..O..V..E!" He shouted at me and my head pounded every letter out to make the word. The curtain flew back and I dipped out from within its protective shade. I saw the wall and my legs ran towards it without my help or control. Once there, I leaned against it panting in both physical weakness and being scared out of my wits!

"Good, now I need you to follow the wall along until you find a back staircase, go down it and wait until I tell you otherwise." I did as I was told and found a staircase where the walls were painted black making it more like a tunnel of doom. There were little neon lights along the floor so that I could see enough to make it down each step, then the faintest light could be seen under the door. I reached out for the handle when a pain so sharp and piercing hit me, it made me cry out and crumble to the floor. I was trying to catch my breath that was flowing out of me faster than I could take it back.

"NOT YET! I will tell you when to open the door!" I managed to get back to my feet and wipe my tears away angrily with my sleeve. I hated not being in control and this was the worst kind! At least if this person had shown himself then there would be something I could channel my anger at but now, all the moment gave me was an anger towards myself for being so d.a.m.n weak in this other world!

"On the contrary my dear, your mind is extremely hard to control and if it wasn't for the drugs I've been putting in your system I would not be able to be controlling you now...Now get ready to move." I braced my hands on the door ready as instructed and now I could hear a heavy base line had just started up, I wondered if this was what he had been waiting for...

I had guessed right.

"NOW!" I squinted my eyes at the pain of his command and pushed the door open into the lower half of the club. When the first sights of people came into view, I let out an unheard scream. Every single person in the club was in their other form making this the scariest place on earth....a room full of monsters!

Everyone was going into a frenzy for the band that was now playing and I guessed this had been what everyone had been waiting to see. I had never seen so many visions all at once, the most I had seen together was three, back when I was twelve. They had all been at a park, all huddled together like they were sharing a meal and when I got closer I hadn't been wrong. A boy had been injured by falling off his bike and they seemed like they were just adults trying to help him. Only I saw the truth as they all sucked in a red glow from his body, making the little boy slump over more, exhausted. Then I didn't know what they were doing to him but when I screamed out they all turned towards me and hissed.

I had told my mother that I had been sick so that I could hide in my room for days, fearing they would find me. Now I know they were feeding from the boy's pain. But this was something different. It was like they were feeding from each other and getting the ultimate high from it!

The room's low ceiling was hidden in a fog of energy and mangled bodies covered the floor. It was my idea of h.e.l.l, pure and simple h.e.l.l!

I pulled my hood up as instructed and tried to make myself invisible. Every time a body got too close I would sink away terrified it would touch me. Wings of all kinds could be seen well above the heads of Demons, black, feathered, curled and pointed into deadly shards. Different materials, gla.s.s, wood and even plastic looked to have made up the most unusual ones. Fangs, claws, weapons all shined in the dim club's lighting. But the faces were what haunted me now. Contorted faces, eyes where there shouldn't have been eyes, teeth where there shouldn't have been teeth and other added bits of skin that was stretched or loose over misshapen bone.

One girl had scales that flaked to the ground like snow when she danced. Others extracted liquid in other orifices that looked painful to watch. I gagged as one man's spit was dripping into another man's mouth and was being lapped up like liquid gold. The smell was another thing making me want to vomit. Acid bile and rotting flesh filled my nostrils making me try everything but breathe.

However there weren't only Demons to be seen on the floor. Angels could be seen in bright glows that added more light in between the ma.s.s of figures. They had lighter coloured wings that always seemed bigger than the Demons. They were beautiful creatures, skin milky white or copper gold that looked fuelled by the absent sun. They were also going wild for the music and showed off more skin with every twist or jump they performed to the beat. Some even started to rip their clothes off, so that naked bits could also show their excitement. I looked away not being able to take anymore until I heard Demonic laughter in my head.

"What's wrong my dear, the world you belong too is a little less pleasing now you're far from your Master's bedchamber?" He mocked and I wanted to cry. It was somewhat true, I was naive and now the world I found to be Draven's was even more tainted. There was no going back from this and I had no doubt this is what Draven had wanted to protect me from, but then why risk bringing me here in the first place?

"Stop!" The voice shouted making my eyes water and blur. I did as instructed and sank back to the wall behind. Then I waited for what I recognised to be a diversion. Huge Angels were pushing their way through the crowd with ease and considering the crossed axes strapped to their backs I could understand...these guys were seriously hardcore. I watched them get to a group that had started to fight only instead of the usual pushing and fist throwing, these guys were tearing chunks out of each other! One guy got half his face caved in and parts of his flesh were flung into the crowd. One girl even jumped up to catch a piece as if claiming a trophy from a concert. I gagged down sick at the sight of her rubbing the flesh across her skin like it was some kind of new beauty product, leaving b.l.o.o.d.y smears like markings on a tiger.

The Angels had now disarmed the group fighting and unshielded their weapons. They were holding them out to the crowd as a warning, one aimed at the neck of the Demon that must have started the whole thing. He was an odd shape, with extremely long legs and a skinny waist but his upper half looked as solid as a tree trunk with arms that reached the floor and hands that curled up like iron spades.

The crowd was parting again and when I saw a scarred bear head emerge, I couldn't help but scream at the sight of my new friend. The scream didn't go unnoticed and a voice screamed in my mind making me double over and hold my head in my hands.

"MOVE NOW!!!!" My legs started running to a door I could barely see through my tear filled eyes and this wasn't only down to the pain. The memory of Leivic's true form was strictly frightening. He was indeed a bear but one that had been severely tortured. It was like a bear had been set alight and survived the ordeal.

He had no fur but just fleshy skin that had scarred into congealed groups. Like a melted plastic bottle, only skin coloured. And then there was the scar that cut across his body from what looked like it nearly cut him in two. His eyes had turned into large black holes with a small white light that could be seen from deep within. Those white lights had found my face when I had called out and now I could hear the urgency in my captor's voice.

We had been discovered and I just prayed it wasn't too late.

Too late to be saved....

Chapter 40.

Draven's Wrath.

I got flung through the door and it took me a minute to realise that it wasn't down to mind control. Now there were hands that had pushed my back into the opening and when I squinted because of the sunshine I knew we were in a sort of alleyway at the side of the club. I looked up to see we were sandwiched between the two warehouses and now we weren't alone.

"That didn't go to plan Agnomen, they now know we have the girl, we must hurry!" The Angel in front of me was talking to the one behind, who had hold of me. I looked to see that pure hate filled the eyes of the Angel as he glared deep into me. He was handsome, as all the rest were, but his evil mind did show its ugly head.

His eyes were almost as white as the anger that flashed through and his hair was cut short, close to his skull. The blue fitted suit he wore didn't look cut out for fighting but I could still see the muscles flexing under his jacket. The one major difference to this Angel was his wings or more like the lack of, as his were missing.

"You said the drug would last, Kokabiel, but she alerted them, I could no longer control her!" Again the voice behind me spoke to a man standing in the shadows. He didn't want to come forward, almost as if he was hiding from me. And that name...where had I heard it before?

"She has been drinking it for days, I was not aware of her power to block us from her mind. I have still done what was asked of me!" A demonic voice spoke from the shadows, one I hadn't heard before but seeing as I hadn't heard many, other than Draven's, then it could have been anyone. There was one thing now that I was almost certain of...There was a traitor at Afterlife!

I wasn't given long to think about it as I was now being pushed forward into the street where Draven's car still sat. I wished, more than ever, that I was sat in there now, all safe and encased within its strong bodywork, but fingertips digging into my arms when I tried to resist, brought me quickly back, like whiplash.

"Do not make me hurt you girl, my master would not be pleased!" He whispered down in my ear, making me flinch and a shiver crept up my back from the memory of having him in my head.

"Galizur, bind her hands, that should stop her struggles." He then pushed my arms forward and the suited Angel named Galizur walked towards me with a s.a.d.i.s.tic grin plastered to his features.

"With my pleasure!" The words snaked out of his mouth like venom and I shuddered as he touched me. He then produced a pair of thick steel clamps like shackles, engraved in symbols I didn't understand and fastened them on my wrists making me wince at the feel of heavy metal against bone. He touched one of the symbols and they started to flame red like heated metal. Then they began to move slowly at first. I watched on as they picked up speed, circling around the width of my wrist until I heard a hissing noise, signaling that they were locked securely.

As soon as they had me bound, they started to pull me roughly towards a black van that had its side door open ready. I knew that as soon as they had me in that van, then that would be it for me, there would be no escape.

I started to panic inside, because up until now I had still been waiting for Draven to come out and rescue me. But now my true predicament was. .h.i.tting me like a cold hard slap across the face. They were going to take me...

I started to pull my weight backwards and tried to move in a twisting motion towards the ground but no matter how much I dug my feet in, they just dragged my body. My panic was setting in and I could feel my breathing quickly accelerate to a point close to hyperventilating.

"LET ME GO!" I screamed out, as it felt as though the drug was wearing off allowing me access to more of my own functions but in doing so my oxygen was nearly spent.

"Well, look who found her voice! Galizur, gag the b.i.t.c.h if you please!" Galizur let go of my bound hands and pulled a bit of cloth from out of his pocket and started to twist it tightly but before he could get it around my mouth I screamed out in one last attempt at saving myself.

"DRAVEN!!!!" I used every last shred of breath in my lungs to call out his name and I was soon panting into the cloth tied like rope in my open mouth. I gagged and coughed, soon soaking the material. They seemed to panic after my outburst because now instead of pulling and pushing me to the van I had been lifted up under a strong arm and was being hurried towards the open door.

"Get her out of here, NOW! We don't have much time." After that I was thrown into the van and landed painfully on my side, knocking the wind out of me. I gripped with my hands and pushed with my feet to right myself but all I got was a foot pressed on my ribs to keep me down. I looked on through blurry eyes as I saw the daylight disappearing as the van door was sliding home.

I moaned at the sight and the foot on my chest applied more weight. Then the sound of doors slamming on either side told me everyone was inside and when the engine started, I knew that was the end of my chances. I couldn't stop the over flow of heavy tears as I had lost all my hope and was giving into the realization that I had been kidnapped for the third time in my life!

"WE'RE TOO LATE, LOOK!" One of the Demons shouted just before a blood curdling roar was heard, that was so loud it made the van rattle and my ears pop. The foot released me and moved to the front window.

"Agnomen, you have failed. I will inform our Master of your incompetence." Galizur had been the one in the back with me and now his expensive, black dress shoes weren't keeping me down, I could see everything that was happening. I sat up against the side of the van and saw Galizur in between the front seats blaming the one called Agnomen about what was happening now. What was happening, I didn't know but whatever it was had everyone terrified.

"You traitorous snake! I will have your head for this Galizur!" Agnomen spat out his words but I still couldn't see what he looked like, as he never looked back.

"I very much doubt that, but one thing I am certain...he will most definitely have YOURS!" He pointed forward and as all eyes followed they found h.e.l.l's fury in the demonic form of their King ...Draven!

After that, Galizur disappeared into a bright light leaving a void allowing me to see what the others were all watching.

"DRIVE d.a.m.n YOU!" Agnomen screamed out making the van wheels spin into life. Draven stood, arms crossed, in the path of the accelerating van and didn't even flinch. The purple energy flamed around his body and back along his huge wingspan. They were out and double the width of the van that was heading his way. I wanted to shout "get out of the way" but no words reached my lips in time.

Just as machine and body were to impact, Draven produced a large glowing blade from within his arm and moved gracefully to the side as the van went past. The purple flaming blade, the length of me, sliced through one side, making a long jagged opening from the sliding door to the back end. It cut through the metal as though it was a razor to paper. The van swerved to the side and turned back on its self after the wheels on one side lifted off the ground. Draven was once again in the centre of the windscreen and mingled voices of panic drowned out the sound of the engine. Meanwhile, I had been flung about in the back, like a ship on stormy seas, hitting my head on the wheel arch. Soon I could feel the thin trickle of blood running down my cheek.

This time Draven took long strides toward us and Agnomen opened his door and rolled out just as the van accelerated again. Coward!

Draven's sword went back into his body, up his arm to its home. He then motioned with his hand towards the van causing the front of the vehicle to start flying through the air in pieces. The engine spluttered and then stopped just before it got to him. Another flick of his hand had the windscreen cracking and then in one large section it flew outwards and past Draven to smash on the ground behind him causing an eruption of gla.s.s.

The driver panicked at seeing this and started to scramble to get in the back with me. He was also an Angel, but with the terrified look on his face, he looked more human than I did. There was no glow, no Angelic eyes of pearly white, just the look of a man who knew he was soon to die. In fact, the only reason I knew he was an Angel, was the pair of wings on his back that were pinned to his body so that he could crawl through the seats. There were still bits coming out of the van like splinters from a wood cutter, flying through the air past Draven as he walked closer towards us. His eyes were erratic as though searching for me. He saw the Angel scurrying in the back and he nodded to something I couldn't see.

Then the earthquake started, or what I thought was an earthquake. The van started to rock and vibrate with some kind of impact. The rip down the side of the door started to open further until two great Demonic claws could be seen. The razor tipped hands hooked around the opening and started to peel away at the door, making me feel like a sardine in a can.