Demonizing an Angel *(Silvana | Areawin)

Deep crimson noticed a flash of violet before it disappeared into darkness; her lip curling back slightly. Jaw tensing, until she heard something behind her. Having forgotten about Keiran completely; strange purple-tinted crimson not fading back into sapphire immediately, but growing darker at the sight of him. A second or so later she seemed to realize that it was merely him, and slowly, gradually relaxed, though still on guard. What was it about that woman that made her feel like this?

Her gaze shifted toward the window one more time before she stepped away and toward Keiran. Sapphire having bled into the red, but only in small patches. "I think it's your turn to decide what to do." It was a good idea for her to stay as far as Vermina from possible, yet she didn't want to say it aloud. Not wanting to hurt Keiran in any way. The feeling she got toward the woman... it was becoming deadly. If he couldn't see it on his own, then as far as she was concerned, it was his own fault.

Crimson flecked hues met with gold, and for a moment, in those eyes, Keiran found not a single trace of recognition there. A mere moment, but it had been there, and as Silennia turned her gaze away, back towards the window where Vermina had been, he realized that the girl wanted nothing more than to tear the demoness apart... or, something inside of Silennia wanted to.

Rapidly, it became clear that he needed to keep distance between the two, somehow. Looking off across the yard as he slipped into thought. What could he do? What could they do that would keep Silennia from having to come across the succubus who seemed to stir such... murderous thoughts in her?

Frustration gripping him as nothing came to mind, abruptly catching Silennia by the arm and without a word, practically dragged her through the overgrown yard, and into the edge of the forest, "How about a walk." He didn't phrase it as a question. Didn't really give her a choice in the matter, seeking only to draw her away from Vermina's location.

As he pulled her along, the overgrowth cleared out, still thick, but not impossible to walk through, Keiran leading the way. Though it was cold this time of year, the trees stood tall and green still, only a few varieties being present to drop their leaves, which covered the ground rather generously. The light growing dimmer and dimmer the deeper they went, until it came to a point where only the occasional beam of light broke through the tree tops, shimmering against the ground.

Keiran finally letting go of her after they'd walked a good ways in, "Schwarzwald is the name of this place... or rather, the Black Forest." He commented softly, having stopped walking, turning towards her, "I'm sure you can see why it's called such." Glancing around, he smiled a bit, "I used to play here as a boy. Me and..." He paused, trailing off a moment before finally finishing the sentence, "... and my little sister, Lillian."

Shaking his head a little, "But that was... a very long time ago."

Silennia immediately became defensive as he began pulling her into the woods. "Keiran, what--?" Tugging against him briefly before growling in frustration and simply giving up. It had been random, and a bit too forceful for her taste, but quieted and began relaxing once more the further they went into the woods. She stayed quiet, narrowing dangerous eyes toward him for quite some time until they finally slowed into a stop. Only now did she focus those eyes to the scenery around her, and the crimson seemed to disappear completely as sapphire took reign once more.

The girl breathed out slowly, turning in a half circle. Eyes having adjusted to the darkness quite a bit. "Your sister?" Finally she turned back toward him. It didn't occur to her that he would have multiple sisters. Or possibly hundreds, for that matter. This time, it was her turn; gently wrapping her fingers around his own and walking at a slow pace deeper into the forest. It seemed as though it couldn't become darker, but somehow managed to; pockets of green springing to life where sunlight leaked through gapes in the treetops above them.

Bright eyes seeming to glow in the darkness. "Where is she now? And how many sisters do you have?" Her fingers had released his, and now trailed along a fallen tree that blocked their immediate path. It had to have been recent; the past six months or so, with the positive shape it was still in. She tested it, taking a step up and placing both arms outward on either side of her; wobbling only slightly as she moved further up. It angled upwards, having caught itself in another tree when it fell, and she moved at a steady pace until she was about ten feet up, where she sat in a crevice of branches and peered down at him.

Though his decision to drag her into the forest had been spontaneous and possibly foolish, it seemed to help as that beautiful sapphire hue took to Silennia's gaze once more, sending a faint spread of relief through the demon. For some reason, seeing that crimson take to her eyes bothered him greatly. It didn't belong there. While he, as a demon, should have relished the thought of darkness consuming her, he had come to realized that he didn't want that for her. A irrational part of him wanting to protect that purity within her, even though he himself possibly contributed to that darkness with each passing day. Watching her as she walked up the trunk of the fallen tree, questioning him now that he had mentioned a second sibling that she had never heard of.

Keiran smiled softly. She seemed right at home among it's branches, and it was a sight he preferred in place of the violence that had been seeping from her, coming to pull himself up into the tree next to her, leaning back against a limb that stuck straight up from where the tree leaned, laughing softly, "That seems to be a mystery. She's been gone for quite some time now." Shifting golden hues towards her, "As for sisters... I have many, to put it simply. More than I even know. Most of whom, I've never even met or have set eyes upon."

It seemed strange, to be able to speak with her of such things now with ease. The incubus finding it rather peculiar when he stopped to think about it, gazing towards her with a bit admiration. A stream of light filtering through the trees just right to cast a faint glow against her back.

She was simply divine in this moment.

With a smooth motion, Keiran swung back down from the tree, placing his feet upon the ground, "Lillian would be the youngest of us. A full century younger than myself. Where ever she may be."

It were as if a darkness was never there within Silennia as she peered at him, watching him make his way up a nearby tree. Grinning at him as he settled there, though the smile faded. It was obvious he cared about this girl -- Lillian. Yet he had no idea where she was at. He was probably worried. Keiran was rather secretive, although Silennia was enjoying him slowly opening up.

The thought of him being centuries old was still foreign and odd to her, but the more it was brought up, the more it sank in as it just being... normal. Strange how accepting she was becoming of all of this. She looked up, then, feeling the sunlight against her back. Reaching up as if she could touch it. Only looking away and back downwards when she caught a motion out of the corner of her eye; Keiran landing on the ground with ease.

So that made him the second youngest. Mina being older than him. Which brought on another set of questions, though she tried narrowing it down as much as possible so that she didn't irritate him. "Why do you travel with Mina? Without Lillian?" She adjusted herself so that she was getting more sun, appreciating the warmth of it. "Such a strange place to stop in, really. Out of all of Reno and you chose that nasty little part. Get mauled by vampires." A sheepish smile at that, biting her bottom lip to try and hide it. After all, it was a bit amusing... afterwards.

Every time one of them stopped talking, the forest seemed to ring with pure silence. Only seconds passing as the silence turned into the hum of tiny creatures. The ground was soft and springy with moss, and the trees were so beautifully tall that the birds' chirping and calls were almost too distant to hear. Insects that hadn't burrowed due to the cold made small clicking noises, and occasionally there was the sound of leaves shuffling, only for Silennia to look down and see a rabbit darting away or rooting through the ground. The cries of both ravens and falcons above them, higher than the tree tops.

"I don't think I would have ever left this place had I grown up here," she murmured.

Ah. Mina. As thoughts of the lively red head came to mind, Keiran paced around, occasionally reaching out to brush his fingers against a tree trunk, nostalgia gripping him tightly. Despite the flow of time, this part of the forest seemed untouched. As if frozen in place as the outside world continued to develop and change at a alarming rate, humans destroying their own world steadily. It was... a sad thought.

"I... wanted to see the world." He commented after a moment, laughing softly, "I spent what would have been several lifetimes for a human here, among these trees. Everything I wanted, I had. It became dull, and I grew unsatisfied with my existence." Smoothing his hair back from his face, he glanced up towards Silennia, "Then... well, Mina happened."

Indeed. Like a bat straight out of Hell, Mina had come. Bitter, angry. A living hell fire, it had seemed.

"She attempted to kill my mother." He paused, the memory fresh in his mind as if it had happened yesterday. The girl having set fire to the manor to flush Vermina out into the open like one might have done with a wild animal, "Those two have... well, they've never been on common ground. Mina reminds my mother of the very thing she's never been able to keep within her grasp. The one child who, despite being so powerful and full of potential, wore a face almost identical to the man she desired more than anything in this world."

The fallen angel, Adriel.

"Needless to say, things didn't go well for Mina after that." He'd stopped walking around entirely, lost in his own memories as he spoke, "She'd nearly single-handedly destroyed my mother's manor. Set it aflame and tried her damnest to rip the still beating heart from mom's chest... by time it was all over, however, she failed."

Mina had put up a hell of a fight against Vermina... but... at the time, she simply hadn't been strong enough to accomplish the task she so desired. Her flesh torn and her bones broken by time Vermina finished with her. Doing everything except killing the girl. Mina's body cast into the yard. Left out for the crows to peck at.

Golden hues peering into the darkness, leaving such details out of the story, "...for me, it was a perfect opportunity. I helped her, patched her back up. Learned more about the angry sister who had seemingly come out of nowhere. Before all of that, Lillian was the only sibling I knew. Which, Lillian was opposed to the entire thing." He laughed, "She wanted me to let Mina die. Told me I was a idiot for wanting to help someone who tried to kill our mom."

"Regardless, Mina recovered, and when she did, we started traveling together. Lillian, on the other hand... she..." He trailed off, looking towards Silennia, meeting her gaze, "...Lillian was loyal to our mother. She refused to travel with someone who had inflicted harm upon the very woman who gave birth to us. So, she stayed behind."

Silennia became quiet as Keiran spoke. Not interrupting to ask anymore questions. Noticing how he lost himself in his own memories. It was almost heartbreaking. Although, the question still wasn't quite answered... or, rather, it raised more.

She let it go for now.

Making her way down from where she had been sitting, and planting herself on part of the fallen tree that was closest to the ground, simultenously closest to Keiran. Her feet not touching the forest floor, but dangling above it slightly.

There was no telling how long he had lived there with Lillian, only to leave her behind to make his way around the world with his crimson-haired sister. Silennia had no siblings; she didn't know what it was like to not know where one of the was, for one to try and kill a parent. Then again, she had a feeling that Vermina wasn't exactly deserving of the Best Mother Award.

She reached out with her booted foot, and lightly tapped against his leg with her toe. "Why did we really come here, Keiran?" It was all too nostalgic. There were other places to go than in the middle of nowhere, in Germany, with the risk of her figuring out what he was the way she did. Surely he understood the risk of what could happen after introducing her to his mother, with that darkness rising up inside of her so rapidly the way it did. With her changing so dramatically; out of control.

Sapphire eyes looked at him softly now, reaching out to pinch his shirt between her fingers so that she could pull him closer. She didn't like that look in his eyes. The bit of pain that came with remembering what had happened with his sister so many years ago. If Vermina had injured Mina badly enough that Keiran had to patch her up... had he forgiven his mother, or just accepted that it had happened?

----------

Abigor was growing bored, to say the least. He had been so before, but now, he was restless. Moving along streets and through shops, choosing not to be seen by the people out and about. There seemed to be a festivity in the air. A holiday coming up, perhaps? He never did pay attention to such strange things, and every country had so many that there was no point in it even if he tried.

Since he had sired Silennia, he knew when Leghadema was near. Near being within several hundred miles of her. While she usually stayed for mere minutes, sometimes an hour or two, now, she hadn't left in almost a day. Strange, though anything could have happened. He found himself caring for the woman upon first meeting her, but soon grew cold and detached once again. Realizing that his goal was more important than the emotions that were so often portrayed as human.

Perhaps a visit was in order.

He began wondering how these people were satisfied with their every-day lives. Their lives revolved around food and money. All food had the same result, all clothes were made of the same fabrics, all jobs had the same outcome. It was boring. Day in and day out. Was it worth it to stay here for weeks, perhaps even months, instead of enjoying himself in his home for what would be years there? It was a tempting thought, and one he realized he was longing for minute by minute.

If he decided to go back, however, he sought to visit that small area where his one heir lived. Perhaps seek out the succubus who had been so deliciously ravenous, no doubt having no memory of the situation in her state. There were all kinds of interesting creatures there. Interestingly gathered in the same place, since typically, the lower-ranking demons were rather territorial. No matter.

In truth, he had become so involved in recalling the events in which he had met Mina, that Keiran had forgotten to answer the original question, the demon approaching Silennia closer when she had climbed down the tree a bit, smiling to her gently, though, as she cutely tapped her boot against his leg and asked her new question, that smile faltered a little. So far, he had been quite honest with her, but with such a question now out in the open, the urge to lie to her stirred, averting golden hues towards the side.

'Why did we really come here, Keiran?'

After a moment, he sighed. What would it hurt to tell her the truth...?

"I thought that maybe... maybe my mother would be able to help us somehow." He commented softly, finally shifting those amber eyes towards her, "She's... ancient, for a succubus. She's seen things. Knows things... I had hoped she would know something useful about Abigor." A foolish thought, now that he looked back on it. Vermina had outright refused, offering only the suggestion to 'bed' Silennia if he wanted to help her. Advice that, surprisingly, actually DID seem to help, though, Keiran couldn't understand how.

"It... was a stupid thought, to come here." He finally confessed, "Vermina won't help anyone but herself." The last words ringing with resentment. So many lies and unveiled truth enveloped the demon who had birthed him to a point that the motherly figure he had once thought of her as had long ago been shattered... but even then, a small part of him had hoped she would set such selfishness aside... even if just for once.

"At this point, there's really no reason for us to stay any longer, if you want to go home."

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Yet again, Adriel was no where to be found.

Within the hotel, Shiori paced her room in frustration. So far, Mina had been sitting quietly in her room, but it was only a matter of time before the girl decided that she wanted to leave. After hundreds of years wandering the earth, the girl was surely not about to simply stay put... and when the girl made that decision, there would be little that Shiori would be able to do to stop her. Needless to say, it was stressful on the demon, and she walked over to the window, pulling the curtains back to glance out.

Outside, the first rays of sunlight were spilling over the horizon, and still, Adriel had not returned since his unexpected departure.

"What could possibly be so important?" She hissed lowly under her breath, dreading already what would happen should something happen to Mina on her watch, whether brought about by Mina's own hand, or anothers. It was stressful, and closing her eyes, she didn't even glance back over her shoulder when a knock sounded from outside, "Shiori?"

Ratri.

"Go away." Leaning her forehead against the glass of the window, irritation flickered through her when the knock sounded again, "But-"

"I said go away. Unless the hotel is on fire, there is absolutely no reason you should be bothering me this early in the morning." Silence sounded from the other side for a moment, then, "... I sent Kenny home." Shiori blinked, glancing back towards the door. It was good news, but it was surprising to hear from Ratri. The male usually rather incompetent when it came to such tasks. After a moment of thought, she sighed, reluctantly walking across the room and opening the door, "Good. You should go back home too." Black hues clashing with a warm shade of brown, the male seeming a bit taken back, "What? Why?"

"Why?" Shiori lifted a brow, "For obvious reasons. Mina's preoccupied, and we've been stuck here for over two weeks now. Go home, spend time with your family. I'll call you when we get back on the road." A lie. It was a relief that the bass guitarist was gone. That was one more human that she didn't have to needlessly worry about trying to keep alive. Now, there was the matter of getting Ratri out of her hair. Staring him down coldly as he tried to keep a stubborn stance there at the door, finally averting his gaze uncomfortably, "Are you... sure...?"

"Yes." Reaching into her pocket, the raven-haired girl pulled a roll of cash from her pocket, "Take this. Get on the next plane out. Go."

When he didn't move to take it, she stepped out, pushing him hard enough that he stumbled back, falling against the wall as she shoved the money into his pocket, her other hand slamming against his chest, fingers digging into his chest, "Go. Home. Ratri." She growled, black hues suddenly brightening as a startling shade of icy blue crawled across the iris of her eyes. The air growing cooler by the second around her, frost creeping along her fingertips, freezing the fabric solid that she gripped in her hand, "Before you get hurt."

Releasing him, he stumbled away, staring at her wide-eyed, and without another word, he turned. Running down the hallway.

Leaving Shiori to watch him as he went. Her gaze softening a bit as the blue faded, warmth returning to the air slowly.

"Idiot."

---------------------

From the moment he had laid lustful eyes upon the Valkyrie, Adriel's thoughts had been sent into a chaotic spiral. How he grew to love the idea of tainting those beautiful white wings... how he desired to take her for his own, yet, he would not allow himself to do such... instead, he had gone out into the night to find something else to vent his frustrations upon.

Settling with a unfortunate human girl instead. Luring her into one of the more... seedy hotels on the opposite side of the city from where he had left Mina.

Seducing her, and ravaging her to his heart's content.

"No... please don't... no more... I can't!" A moan sounded softly, soft hands pressed against his back as nails cut into skin, clutching to him as his hands roughly caught hold of those tender thighs that attempted to squirm out of his grasp, pulling them apart as the girl beneath him gasped out, her entire body twitching in his grasp. Sensitive from the onslaught of pleasure that had been mercilessly unleashed upon her. Those soft moans bringing a smirk to those angelic lips, crimson hues sliding over bare flesh with amusement as he leaned his head down, kissing the side of her neck tenderly before abruptly biting down hard, causing her to scream out, those nails digging even deeper into his back. Laving his tongue against the bite mark, as if to silently apologize.

Multiple bruises covering her tanned skin from similar bites.

His fingers digging in firmly into her skin as he spread those legs apart, shoving against her roughly as her head fell back against the pillow, unable to do anything at this point besides let him have his way with her. Utterly exhausted after being subjected to this man's lust throughout the night. A human girl who had been foolish enough to let this crimson haired devil lure her away into the night. Enchanted by that deceptively angelic face.

The girl curled into a tiny ball on the bed when finally, Adriel became content.

Adriel pressed a tender kiss to her forehead as he drew away, dressing himself and smirking softly as he dropped a single red feather into her hands, the girl looking after him breathlessly as he departed.

She immediately noticed when he looked away. A classic sign of lying. So it was difficult for her to believe him, though only for a few seconds. Because then, he said aloud how foolish the idea had been. That the woman was selfish. Silennia felt bad, suddenly. Felt sorry for acting so cruel, although ultimately she couldn't help the instincts that had began to grow through each and every cell. There was nothing she could say to Keiran to take back what the woman had done or what she would do that would hurt others; only his offer to respond to.

"It'd be rude simply leave, wouldn't it?" she murmured. Although, not looking up at him as she said it. Her teeth gnashing together at the thought of staying another night anywhere near the succubus. But she's his mother. She repeated that phrase a few times in her head before looking in a different direction, not meeting his eyes. Similar to the way he had just moments earlier. "Just one more night," she finished finally. "Then we can go home."

It wasn't home for Keiran. At this point, nowhere was home for him. He had a childhood house... but could it be considered something cozy, the way she thought of her large house outside of the city as a child? A distant memory for him, perhaps, as the same place was now ultimately different. Hundreds of years had gone by. The forest had been cut into, women he'd fed on grew old with their own grandchildren and great grandchildren. Yet he and his mother hadn't seemed to age a day. They grew stronger; experts in their ways.

That didn't make this place home.

She gazed upwards at him now. No hints of sunlight trickled through the branches anymore. A dim glow emanated from above them, but the sun was soon to set. Days were shorter in the colder months here. It was barely evening, and now the Black Forest really was black. Animals made few noises, and the ones that did were startled when they realized two strange creatures were invading this far out. Surely no other humans came close to where the manor was located, and the creatures didn't act scared. Just timid.

"It's probably a good time to eat," she mused. "Too bad we forgot that basket at the village."

-------------------

Sapphire eyes, darkened slightly, peered from a wall, embedded into a pale face; blonde hair framing sharp cheeks. Arms were crossed over her chest. Leaning against the wall, one foot on the floor and one behind her, also propped against the wall. "That was completely unnecessary," a scolding voice sounded.

Leghadema pushed off from the wall, dressed much more casually than the day before. Since Valkyrie were extremely sensitive to cold, she was bundled tightly. A beanie on her head and over her ears, a pair of comfortable but warm-looking pants tucked into fur-padded boots. Two sweaters and a long, feminine pea coat buttoned and tied, nearly reaching her knees. She shook her head at him with a sigh, and had been standing directly down the outside hall from where Adriel exited.

Now, she was walking away. Quickly, down a set of cold metal steps, and onto the street that was steadily busying. She took comfort in feeling her knives against her, knowing that she would always be coherent enough to never fall for such devilishly angelic tricks. She actually hadn't meant to stumble upon Adriel, but had been returning from what Damien called a 'shopping trip' of all disgusting things, and hadn't recognized his presence. By the time she had headed up the stairs he was done with the girl and getting dressed, so she stayed to scold him and no more.

Daylight was quickly fading around them, dim already as it was. Beams of sunlight barely visible at this point against the ground floor of the forest. For him, it was no issue. Before meeting Silennia, it was rare for the incubus to lurk around during the day, preferring to sleep during the bright sunlit hours and then waking in the late afternoon. His gaze easily adjusting to the darkness.

One more night. He almost frowned, slowly agreeing- not because he didn't want to offend the mother in question, but rather it would be a pain to drag Silennia back out of the forest and all the way to a airport. Not to mention, surely she was tired after the day's events, the pair having been out at the village for a good portion of the time... and had spent the last of daylight here, in this very forest that was riddled with tales of witches and werewolves.

Already, Keiran was dreading what awaited them upon returning to the manor.

"We should start heading back before it gets too dark." He commented, "I'll... find you something to eat at the manor." Hopefully, by this point in time, Vermina had at least done something regarding the food situation... a small hope, at that. If not, then he could easily kill something to cook for her later.

Leading her along after helping her out of the tree completely, Keiran seemed to know exactly where he was going, retracing their steps easily. By time they emerged from the forest, however, complete darkness gripped the land. Only the dim glows of lighting from inside the manor was visible, glowing against the grand windows.

Where Vermina was at that point of time, he was uncertain. Able to sense her, but unable to pinpoint her exact location as he reached the back entrance, finally letting go of Silennia's hand as he pushed the door open, light spilling out from inside. From the looks of it, this entrance lead into what had once been the servant's quarters, connecting to the kitchen. Bracing himself for the worse, he stepped inside, seeming surprised to see that this part of the house had been cleaned. Cob webs removed and the floors swept, various fruits setting on the elaborate counter tops in a bowl.

Keiran picking up a apple and lifting a brow, "Fresh." He commented, sounding confused.

-------------------------------------------

As he exited from the room, crimson hues shifted, meeting with sapphire, a smile gracing his lips as she came to scold him, "Leghadema." He purred, having committed her name to memory when he'd heard Damien speak it, quickly stepping after her as she started to walk away, "Did you come simply to scold me?" He questioned her, his tone rather amused as he turned, moving down the stairs two at a time to catch up to her.

He hadn't expected to see the Valkyrie here of all places, completely forgetting about the poor girl he had thoughtlessly left behind after using her body in such a way. Drawn to Leghadema almost instinctively.

"So cold." He chided when she didn't even bother to look at him, having matched his pace with hers, "What does it matter to you what I do with such naive creatures?"

Silennia was thankful for his help maneuvering through the trees. Although her vision seemed to becoming clearer, it was still difficult to move around completely without bumping into things had it not been for Keiran's steady steps. She was feeling incessantly tired, still more so from the night before. It was going to be difficult to go back home, but at least there she didn't experience such vile thoughts. Not yet anyway.

She shook her head with a smile from behind him, knowing that there wouldn't be any food there. She didn't need much, just enough to fill the rumbling within her stomach long enough to sleep until the next day. It shouldn't be too bad at all, with the large brunch she'd had. Being reminded again that Keiran strangely didn't eat. Or, he didn't need to. Not the way she did. That was still sinking in, too.

The manor didn't seem quite as dangerous as they approached, even though she tensed for that feeling to slide through her skin. A pleasant sigh releasing from her lips as only an uncomfortable feeling remained, and staying close to Keiran was enough to numb it out for the most part. Peeking in as he opened the door, and feeling just as surprised as he had come to look. The young woman stepped in rather cautiously, even eyeing the fruits in an exotic-looking bowl. Hesitating as Keiran picked up an apple from it.

She didn't have a chance to comment before a tiny old woman entered again with her backs turned to the two; kneeling down slightly to pick up a wisp of dust that had fallen onto the hard wood. Blue shawl with a long black skirt. Grey hair with large patches of white. Silennia recognized her immediately: the woman that had frantically yelled at Silennia in the village. Surely she knew who -- what lived here?

A feeling of dread washed through Silennia so quickly that she used the counter as support. "Oh my God." And at the whispered words, the elderly woman turned with a smile that immediately twisted into a grimace and snaggle-toothed snarl, spewing out German words that Silennia couldn't understand and pointing to Keiran. Going as far as running toward the younger woman and tugging roughly on her. Silennia complying only for the others' sake, looking back at Keiran with eyes that were slowly dissolving into that terrible violet-tainted crimson.

Vermina.

There was no doubt in Silennia's mind that the succubus had done this on purpose. Nothing else made sense. Nothing else mattered. That raging feeling began tearing through her veins again, but now there was a new pain, accompanied through her back and shoulder blades like before. A brutal cutting sensation, but she ignored it as the old woman frantically pulled her from the house and turned to look at her, only to drop Silennia's hand and shriek completely upon seeing her eyes. She began crying and stumbled, falling to the ground harshly and curling into a ball there. Silennia was tempted to leave her there and go back into the house, but after no more than a second's hesitation, helped the woman back up and smiled as kindly as she could.

Again the woman ran, this time without falling, from what Silennia could tell.

Giving her the ability to turn slowly and begin walking steadily into the house. Her eyes no longer tainted with purple at all, but black. Specifically looking for the succubus that had been the cause of all of these problems. Shoulders painfully contracting. Rage swam through her so hard that she barely noticed the pain, didn't feel the sensation of warm, sticky blood beginning to run down her back. A pale look touching her entire body as a new hunger struck her hard in the gut, pushing her further and glaring at Keiran without a single trace of kindness.

Wanting nothing more than to feel Vermina's blood dripping through her fingers.

-----------------

The valkyrie kept walking without a single falter in her step at the angel's presence. A shudder running through her quite suddenly, however. Feeling the change just as Silennia began to make it. There was nothing she could do. Many of her powers stripped from her upon her banishment to earth. A cold, sick, nauseating feeling caused her to shiver for the same reason, glaring over at Adriel now. "Just because they are below you," she snarled quietly, "does not mean you should do whatever you want to them."

Then again, Adriel was fallen. He simply didn't care. There was a reason there were angels still in heaven, and angels in hell. Except now the creatures were on earth. How irritating she thought. Feeling that wave of atrocities coming over her again to the point that she sat down at a bench, looking around. Damien had been with her not too long ago; where had he run off to? She didn't like being alone here with Adriel.

Keiran nearly dropped the apple as golden hues came to rest upon the old woman who had entered the room. Recognizing her from earlier as even more confusion rippled across his face. How- no, WHY was she here?! Before he could properly react, that old woman was trying to drag Silennia out the door to 'safety', still spewing out strings of frantic German to a point that even Keiran was having a hard time understanding what she was saying, making out a continued usage of the word 'Missgeburt' over and over again. Until her frantic gribble turned into a scream.

Keiran rushing to the door in time to see the woman curling into a ball. Tense.

This was surely all Vermina's fault. There wasn't a doubt in his mind and he could almost feel her in the air, enjoying the scene as it unfolded. His nails cutting into the wooden door frame slightly in a spurt of his own anger, stepping back as he eyed Silennia cautiously. Seeing quite clearly the way she eyed him. Moving away from the door as she entered, intentionally keeping his distance from her. Well aware that right now in that moment that it would be far from wise to provoke her. Meeting those blacken eyes.

His heart sinking as amber hues flickered to a space just behind Silennia. Where a dark figure seemed to manifest from the shadows themselves, black wisps of smoke curling up across the floor as they climbed up, shaping into a woman as Vermina emerged from them, violet hues ice cold as a wicked smile crossed her lips, hissing out, "Looking for someone?"

Everything seemed to happen at once, black tendrils rapidly twisting up around Silennia's legs, the succubus already knowing just what sort of dark thoughts were spiraling through the girl's mind, prepared for her to turn on her. To act on that murderous instinct that had been burning deep inside of Silennia.

Vermina wanted to see what the girl was capable of.

Those same black tendrils catching hold of Keiran when he tried to rush to the girl's aid, "You keep out of this." Black lips curled back as she hissed the words, violet hues fixed solely upon Silennia, already jumping backwards with a laugh and vanishing out of the kitchen and deeper into the house. Seeking to lure the girl into the main hall of the manor rather than fighting her there in the kitchen.

Letting Silennia break free as Keiran's path was completely blocked off, the incubus letting out a snarl as he tried to pursue.

--------------------------------------

"Is that so?" He followed her as she continued to walk, Adriel keeping his pace up with her rather well, eying her curiously at this point, noticing when she shuddered. Knowing better than the believe that it had been caused by him. No, this creature wasn't phased by him in such a way. There was something else that had distracted her. Crimson hues observing her quite closely until she finally stopped walking, coming to sit down on the bench.

"I have observed humans from the very beginning." It was a quiet comment, standing by her, though, he made no motion to sit down near her, keeping a respectful distance from her- at least, as respectful a distance as Adriel could manage, "Their cruelty to one another is astonishing. They're wicked little things when left to their own devices. Even without demons around to tempt and mislead them, they spiral into hatred and kill one another. Wage war against other humans over petty things such as money and resources." He glanced towards her, "It may not justify my treatment of them, but after observing such behavior for thousands upon thousands of years, I've grown rather disgusted with them. I wouldn't mind watching every last one of them burn."

Coming to stand in front of her as he leaned over a bit, "Though, such talk set aside, you don't seem to be feeling too good."

Blackened pools held a malevolent look as Silennia turned at that voice, hearing the smile in it before she could even catch a glimpse of Vermina's face.

Once she had, nothing else seemed to matter. It wasn't a blind rage. No, Silennia was very much still in there, calculating every second. Going as far as casting a very slightly worried gaze as she saw those tendrils hold down Keiran, unsure if his own mother seemed to be attacking him. No. She was holding him back. How odd.

Not realizing that this was all a disgusting test on the succubus' account.

She stood up straight and cast a glance toward a hall, where she felt Vermina's overwhelming presence. Taking a few steps toward Keiran only to shake her head at him, a pained expression on her face. A quiet "I'm sorry" slipping out before she headed deeper into the house. Knowing it could all very well be a trap, yet at the same time, having no choice as her blood compelled her and pushed her forward.

Her feet found themselves in a large room; aimless furniture spread out to not quite line the walls. Just enough so that they weren't in the center. A grand staircase rose up further into the manor, to a higher level. Paintings, all incredibly old-looking and majestic, were shadowed out. A crawling sensation moving along her flesh as she turned sharply in the direction that the feeling came from. Nails slid downwards into short, sharp claws. Even her mouth hurt at this point, a double set of fangs growing in. Four at the top and two at the bottom. Shorter than a vampire's, but most certainly sharper.

Silennia would play Vermina's little game as crimson bore into violet, not making any advances toward the woman. Just now beginning to feel a tickling against her back; shifting her weight slightly and realizing that there was a sick wetness against her skin there. The demon coming out of her still too prominent to realize why it was wet, or what could even be happening by this point. Standing and facing Vermina, looking regal, dangerous and out of place within this odd house.

"Perhaps a timer?" she hissed. A game of chess. Cat and mouse. That was all this was.

-----------------

Leghadema only halfway paid attention to his words, wishing that there was something within her to expel so that this feeling would go away. Going as far as drawing a knife and placing the edge of it boldly against his chest as he leaned over her. Sapphire eyes glittering dangerously upwards at him. Her lips parted to speak, but Damien was suddenly there, shoving Adriel away and looking down at the valkyrie.

He understood immediately, and glared backwards toward the angel as he helped her up. She leaned on him, tucking the knife sloppily into her belt just so that it wouldn't fall from her fingers. His condo was the closest thing he could think of, and even then, it would be strange for him to pull in a half-dazed woman. Pushing away such thoughts as she struggled to get to her feet completely on her own, managing for several minutes before faltering once more. "Almost there," he murmured.

At the top of the staircase, Vermina waited. That smile never quite leaving her lips as she watched Silennia enter the room, coming to stand just before her. Violet hues looking down on her, laughing softly at the girl's comment, "I have no need for such." She remarked, her hands extending outwards in front of her at first before shifting to the sides, the brightly lit candles that lined the walls flickering out as sinister purple flames took their place, any entrance being blocked off by the same black tendrils that had prevented Keiran from pursuing the pair, those flames casting a eerie glow over the room. Her eyes seeming to glow brighter than ever, "For me, the world is timeless, after all. No matter what game I play." She sneered.

Large black wings extending from her back for the first time since Silennia had arrived, barbed and bat-like in appearance. Showing her true nature as a set of black horns grew from her skull, curving back against her head. Lowering her arms at her side as she took a few steps down the stairs, bold. After all, Silennia was in Vermina's territory. "The fact you speak coherently indicates you haven't lost your mind yet. Interesting."

Round pupils began to narrow as she eyed the girl, becoming mere slits, snake-like in nature. Black nails growing sharper at her sides. From under the edge of the short dress she wore, the tip of a tail the same color as her wings and horns twisted into view. The very end of it seeming to be made of bone as the further up a black-leathery skin covered it until it faded into Vermina's skin color at the very base. Swaying back and forth in irritable cat-like manner. Black lips parting to expose sharp teeth, "Let's see how the baby bird fends for herself."

Without warning, those wings spread, the ceilings high enough in that room that there was plenty of room for the demon to do so, striking the air with a powerful stroke as she came forth, leaving the stairs completely as she flew down the rest of the way to the ground floor, straight for Silennia as a clawed hand caught her by the throat, the succubus aiming to slam her against the floor as she came down on her, the barbs in her wings sinking into skin as they encased Silennia, the tip of her tail swinging around to pierce into the girl's leg, the bone edge sharp enough that it easily sliced, "Don't hold it back!"

A savage laugh tearing from her, a wild edge having taken to her gaze. That tail ripping free of flesh as it reared back to stab Silennia yet again.

Hoping to use pain to send the girl over the edge.

Fight or die.

-------------------------

When Damien had appeared, catching Adriel off guard with a shove, the angel let loose a hissed, crimson hues narrowing dangerously towards the demon at first until he recognized him, having been so interested in Leghadema that for a moment there he had nearly turned on the demon.

He had intended no harm to the Valkyrie.

Those red eyes meeting Damien's glare coldly.

Rather than act, however, he stepped back, watching with mild amusement as Damien helped Leghadema up, tempted to follow them as they began walking away from where he stood.

However, he had grown accustomed to such treatment, vanishing from sight as he slipped into the growing crowd. Keeping an eye on the two from afar out of simple fascination until they no longer were within his line of sight.

Vermina's words made Silennia feel an even deeper loathing toward the woman. For me, the world is timeless, after all. And she chose that time to do... what, exactly?

Dark eyes watched carefully as those leathery wings unfolded away from Vermina's back, and her lip curled slightly at the sight of them. Even more so as horns revealed themselves. She had nothing to say toward the other woman's comment about her losing her mind. The demon DNA that flowed through her was trying desperately to overpower her completely, but it was having a difficult time as she struggled against it. Knowing that it would ultimately be what saved her if it came down to it; knowing it would take hold of her without letting go if she allowed it to, or if she became too weak to fight it off any longer. The fact that she was pushing it off this long remained a mystery even to herself, but she tried not to linger on such thoughts.

A baby bird. Similar words had been used by her father Richard, describing her on the playground so many years ago. "A fluttering baby bird," he had said. The memory felt as if it didn't belong to her anymore; that she was looking through someone else's past.

An oddly barbed tail brought her back to reality, having began to slip.

Silennia jumped backwards in a defensive manner as those terrible wings spread; pale fingers digging deeply into the hands that were suddenly at her throat. Forced back against the floor in under a second, her flesh being ripped into by any means of which Vermina could possibly use. By this point the girl's eyes were almost completely blacked out, staring savagely into violet as she removed her fingers away from her own throat to grab at a wing that was slicing into her. Snatching the top of it and squeezing; snapping the arch of it roughly before sharp claws sliced into the leathery folds; raking down over half the wing.

A pain in her leg caused her to scream out and clench her eyes shut; barely any flecks of color whatsoever remaining as they opened once more. Forcefully removing Vermina's hand away from her throat with a new-found strength as she brutally kicked the other off of her and came down on top. Clawed fingers sinking deep into the flesh of Vermina's belly before her arm arched upwards. Her other hand reached over for the tail that she knew would be fatal to her in this position, although it slipped just out of her reach with her arm still wrist-deep within the succubus. Turning those agonizingly dark hues back to the woman beneath her. Pale lips curled away from her teeth in a snarl, tightening her fingers around anything she could grab a hold of within the woman.

-----------------------------

Damien further ignored Adriel, not even casting a glance in his direction to see if he was still following. Ultimately, he hated this part of town. The only reason he lived here is because it was a good distance from the club.

Leghadema had trouble continuing to walk on her own, but he forced her to do so. It wouldn't look good at all for him to bring in a half-conscious woman. The place had cameras everywhere, and things like that were reported to the police immediately.

He used a key card to get past the main desk, but Leghadema was out of breath. She wouldn't be able to move along on her own if he didn't allow her to rest, ultimately deciding to set her down in a chair within the lobby-like area on the bottom floor. An attendant looked at him uncomfortably, and quietly offered to be of assistance.

"Actually, some water will do," Damien instructed. "I believe she has food poisoning."

Relief flooded over the attendant's face. That would certainly explain the odd pallor of her, and it meant that the young man wouldn't need to call in authorities. He handed over a bottle of water, and Leghadema sipped at it before she was able to continue to the elevator. Damien hesitating for a long second before they entered. "If a man comes in," he called to the attendant, "with... red hair, he may be escorted up."

The attendant nodded and made a note of it, and Damien had Leghadema comfortably wrapped in blankets on his largest white-leather couch. Tucking them around her in a burrito-like fashion so that she would have a difficult time drawing her wings out. If she did so, they'd beat on their own accord, and that would risk too much damage. Almost immediately she fell into an uncomfortable sleep, hissing inwardly as if in pain every minute or so.

Fight or die.

Yes, it was the way of the world. It was how all things operated to some degree. Even animals functioned by that one binding law out of pure survival instincts. Puppies snuffed one another out in the early stages of life. Male lions killed their own sons- only the strongest survived. That law was what Vermina functioned by.

This girl before her was nothing more. Nothing less. If she could survive Vermina's attack, then by that, she had fought for the chance to live. If she could defeat the succubus, then Vermina would target her no longer. Silennia could either die here and now, or she could prove herself worthy to keep living. To prove herself worthy of Vermina's only male heir.

Clawed fingers dug into the girl's neck, Violet hues watching as black began to steal over those eyes, blotting out even the crimson that had taken to them, a smirk twisting at her lips. There it was. The demon inside of the girl understood the same laws as Vermina. Even if the Valkyrie failed, that other side of Silennia would fight until her last breath to survive.

Those barbs sunk into Silennia's back dug in deeper as Vermina's wings tightened around her, a hiss sounding when the girl's hand had reached out, catching hold of one of those massive wings, the hollow bone giving way as it snapped under the pressure. Such abuse was agonizing, but it was only a minor injury for a creature of Vermina's caliber. Pain that could easily be ignored. Those claws digging into the girl's throat deeper in response.

Laughter tearing from the demon as she felt her hands being forced away, "That's it!" She hissed, "Fight me if you want to live!" Finding herself kicked off as the girl swapped their positions, Vermina's back now colliding with the floor as claws sank into the soft tissue of her belly. One of her wings laying useless against the floor, while the other sunk those barbs deep into flesh a second time.

As that hand dug in deep, dark blood pooled to the surface, black in the violet hued light that spilled over the room. Hands wrapping quickly around the girl's wrist to prevent her from tearing deep into her body, but already, Vermina could almost feel the blood gushing freely inside of her from the damage already done. Gripping Silennia's wrist tightly as she forced it free of her flesh, bending it sharply with intent of snapping it.

Her tail, still swinging freely, raised up as Vermina's remaining unbroken wing let go, moving out of the way as the tail struck, sinking right into the base of Silennia's back, hitting just so that it grazed against the girl's spine, only missing it's mark due to the struggle to protect her own insides. Some of the more shallow wounds already healing.

Throwing Silennia off of herself as her tail wrenched free, tearing upwards against Silennia's back, slicing open a good portion of the girl's flesh as Vermina sent her sliding across the floor in the massive room.

"Not bad..." she breathed, her hand covering the wound in her belly. Somewhat glad that she hadn't been carrying offspring at this moment in time. That grin still dancing on her lips as purple flames swirled around her feet, ready for Silennia to get back up on her feet.

Never before had she been aggressive. Certainly not like this. Then again, just days before, the world of demons was completely unknown to her. Strange, how quickly she had to change just to stay alive. How quickly she needed to act, focusing everything on not only defending herself but fighting back against the succubus. It was already becoming difficult for her to keep going; previously feeling exhausted from the night prior. Losing blood at a steady pace as her back bled for no apparent reason. Her new wounds slowly knitting themselves back together, although the worse they were, the harder they were to heal. Silennia had no control over the rate at which they closed back up.

She jerked her wrist away violently, feeling a muscle pull and tear. Bone began to splinter, but not quite snap completely in two before she ripped it out of Vermina's grasp.

Suddenly arching harshly at the impalement along the lower part of her back. Before she could make a move to pull it from the flesh there, Vermina was moving, quickly, and the razor-edged end cut raggedly along her flesh. Conveniently colliding with the wounds that were already bleeding up by her shoulders. Suddenly her body was being forced away from Vermina's, sliding across the floor; coating the surface in blood as she slammed roughly into a piece of furniture there.

But she did not get up.

Instead, she coughed. Hard. Blood splattered away from her lips, faintly hearing Vermina's words of -- she didn't know exactly what the succubus' words held. Praise? No, that was too positive.

Vermina's damage had done something else entirely, as Silennia slowly began blacking out at a pain in her back. A high-pitched noise reaching her ears only to realize it was her screaming, writhing into a ball there on the floor as the flesh beneath the sweater she still wore jerked about on her back. Rising and falling. The material was already so coated in blood that any pressure against it made a soggy noise and caused it to drip, like wringing out a wet towel. There was a tearing motion on the left side of the sweater, and yet another scream escaped the girl.

Something else that she had never done, was scream. Never. The pain now was so intense however that the screams were mixed between choked gasps and outward cries. Something roughly tore through the fabric suddenly on the left side completely, slick with blood. It was arched and long, but small for what it was supposed to be. A claw-like hook, like that of a chick's beak to help it break from its egg, lay in the arch. A bit of the fabric of the sweater clinging to it from having torn through it.

A wing. Covered in feathers that were pale, even beneath the blood.

She coughed again, loudly, and began to pull herself up, just for the right one to rip through even more harshly than the one before it. They were small, but even as she lay there they seemed to grow just slightly. Shedding several of the wet feathers, adorned with brand new pearly white ones.

Sapphire was visible through the cloud of crimson and black, now, but only for a few seconds as it was visibly drowned out. Black taking over completely; not a single trace of white anywhere. Slowly, she stood. The wings shuddered behind her, inexperienced and gaudy. Fangs grew little longer. Nails became sharper. Skin, paler. And one by one, ever so slowly, the white feathers began to be replaced by black ones. Not the black of a raven or even the night, but something darker; shimmering in the violet flames of the candles situated about them. She stood grotesquely in a pool of blood about her feet, facing Vermina, yet not advancing. Fingers curling slightly inward as those wings suddenly flared upwards, shaking off the feathers that were trying to detach themselves; the white ones drifting through the air and swirling a bit until they rested on the floor, drowned out by the blood that lay there. Her wounds visibly healing, breathing slowing to a more steady rate.

Only then did she move.

Her wings folded slightly behind her, instinct purely taking over by this point, and she advanced toward Vermina. Claws slashed into the succubus' chest, digging deep there until her fingers found bone, ripping it out. A lower rib, nothing more. However she used it skillfully, pushing it deep into the wound she'd made, while her other hand reached for the tail that had been her biggest problem. Grasping it and feeling its strength, testing the waters before she wrapped it tightly around her hand and pulled upwards, sinking teeth into it enough to pull off a large chunk of flesh. Spitting the bit out onto the ground before shoving the rib bone upwards, hard, into Vermina's chest. Her hand releasing the tail and going for Vermina's throat now as her mouth opened, leaning in to sink those fangs into the soft flesh of her neck.

Without a doubt she was aiming to kill. To rip out the jugular that lay there, pulsating.

From the kitchen, Keiran could hear what was happening. Could smell the scent of blood that was steadily growing stronger with every second that passed. Frantically trying to tear through the black tendrils that held him at bay.

She was going to kill Silennia.

That single thought consuming his thoughts, letting out a infuriated snarl as he slammed into those binds once more. He had to break loose. Catching one of those tendrils between his hands, barely even conscious of the black runes that crawled down his arm, twisting into elaborate designs as he continued to try and break through. Hearing a blood-curdling scream tear through the manor.

Silennia.

As that scream reached his ears, those tattoo-like markings along his skin suddenly flickered, black melting away into a bright glowing blue that began to spread all over his body, the demon having no time to see what was happening to himself. He needed to reach Silennia, and that single desire drove him on as he ripped through the black webbing that held him back, those tendrils melting away in his wake.

Tearing his way into the main hall just in time to see Silennia sink her teeth into Vermina's throat, the succubus seeming rather bewildered at the change in aggression. Trying to break free from the girl, but Silennia had a firm grip on her, still gripping Vermina's tail tightly around her fist.

Without another thought, Keiran closed the distance, grabbing a handful of Silennia's hair as he pulled her head back, his other hand prying her lower jaw loose from his mother's throat, seeking to minimize as much damage as he could as he violently shoved the succubus away, the woman letting out a cry, her tail still ensnared in Silennia's grip, "Let. Her. Go." He hissed lowly, turning his full attention on Silennia now. One hand remaining in her hair as the other caught the hand still gripping Vermina's tail, slowly prying the fingers loose one by one. Struggling to do so.

Those runes having crawled all the way up to a point that they were even visible on his face, the blue glow growing brighter as he struggled to separate the two, a blast of energy abruptly tearing from him when Vermina tried to strike back out of rage once she'd been freed, sending the demon crashing into a wall on the far side, where she simply didn't get back up. Silennia only not being effected because Keiran's grip refused to let her be thrown back. His hands clamping tightly on either side of her face at this point.

Golden hues flecked with black seeming to burn as they gaze into her blackened gaze, "ENOUGH." He snarled out, "SILENNIA, do you hear me?!"

Fanged teeth reached their mark.

Blood poured into her mouth, ripping into the vein there as hard as she could. Before she could further the damage, there was something tugging at her; fingers wrapped in her hair, dragging her away. But the touch was familiar enough to make her hesitate before she could lash out at him, black still overwhelming any other possible color there in her eyes. Spitting the blood from her mouth onto him as she slowly released the grip on Vermina's tail.

Her wings arched defensively against him, and she kicked him hard behind the knee only to realize that his hand was still tangled tightly into her raven strands.

Color began sliding back through. Crimson was better than black. Glaring at him ruefully with a snarl as her teeth gnashed toward his arm, only to be held at bay still.

It took several minutes. Her hand slowly, carefully, touched his own within her hair, and she pried his fingers from it. Sapphire now reaching through the crimson in the tiniest of flecks as she sank to her knees next to him, eyeing Vermina warily and seeming to have a difficult time breathing.

The wings lay useless on either side of her, too heavy for her to move them. Feeling confused and rather beaten, tasting the fowlness of Vermina's blood in her mouth. Looking down at herself positively dripping in the substance. There was no telling if more of it was her own or the succubus'. It didn't matter.

She leaned her head to where the side of her temple rested against Keiran's knee. Her blood beginning to simmer rather than boil, allowing her to form proper thoughts. Well, not quite proper, but at least she wasn't focusing her entire being on trying to slaughter the succubus on the other side of the room. Looking up tiredly at the faint glow of blue that had crawled up Keiran's skin in a most intricate design, yet too disoriented to address it directly.

When Silennia finally stopped fighting him, his grip loosened on her, sinking to the floor with her, his restraining hold turning into a more comforting one. There was so much blood... it was everywhere, it seemed. Unsure how much of it was Silennia's and how much was Vermina's.

The succubus in question having gathered herself off the floor, letting out a low-hiss as she sought to re-align the broken rib that had been shoved up deep into her own body, reaching inside of her wound with her own hand. It was something that simply had to be done before healing could take place, knowing full well that such damage would be hard to reverse on it's own. Screaming out as she pulled the bone back to where it belonged. Promptly collapsing back into the floor as she succeeded. Having lost interest in fighting any longer. Wounds slowly healing.

She had gotten what she had wanted out of the girl, and there was no further reason to fight with her. Silennia had done more than prove herself, "N, Not bad... not bad at all..." She rasped out, wincing a little as horns retracted, vanishing from sight once more, her wings and tail soon to follow as they repaired themselves.

Good.

Keiran's hands trembling just slightly as they gently ran through Silennia's hair, his nerves on the edge, for the first time coming to truly notice the glowing runes that had crawled across nearly every portion of exposed skin. Slowly fading away to black as he began to calm. What...? What were these?

He had seen the black markings before, but never, never had they ever glowed.

"Silennia..." Turning his attention away from the strange marks still exposed on his skin, for the first time, he took notice of feathered wings that had extended from Silennia's back. Blood-splattered, and at first glance, white... but upon a second investigation, he could see that she had begun shedding those white feathers... black ones beginning to grow in to replace them.

"Silennia, are you alright?"

Silennia was weary. She closed her eyes at Keiran's comforting touch, leaning into him. Eyes snapping open and narrowing upon Vermina's scream, glaring dangerously after the woman when she spoke. She didn't want to close her eyes again; didn't want Vermina to suddenly attack her in such a state of vulnerability, but it was clear: the fight was over. Neither one of them advancing further. Too tired and too wounded.

The girl traced her fingertips lightly against Keiran's skin. Claws had retracted back into her normal fingernails. The blood on her was drying and turning sticky. Tracing her fingers along the blue markings, watching them fade to black. She hadn't seen the markings on him before, and didn't quite understand why they were glowing. Nor did she understand why there were strange wings on either side of her. Becoming rather fatigued as blood steadily kept pooling around her. The wound on her back from Vermina's tail and the brute force of her wings releasing themselves had caused too much damage to heal quickly on their own.

"Why are you glowing?" she mumbled. Only to be questioned by him.

"Your mother's a bitch." She sneered toward the succubus, finally allowing her eyes to close in the comfort of being encased in Keiran's presence.

---------------------

Leghadema had matched Silennia's screams.

Lashing out violently to the point that Damien struggled to keep her in place.

But it was soon over, and she was breathing heavily with the smallest of smiles on her face. "Wings," she murmured. "She has her wings." The valkyrie slipped into a heavy unconsciousness.

Damien didn't quite understand why she had reacted so... dramatically. It wasn't all for show or attention. She must have some kind of connection with Silennia that he didn't understand. It was very possible. Very few valkyrie offspring were known about. He had understood that something was happening to Silennia -- that they still held a bond. He just wasn't sure how strong it was, or what exactly was happening. He sighed and sat down on the floor in front of the couch, running a hand through his hair.

"... I have no idea. Must be a new trick." A half-hearted joke that left his lips as Keiran rose to his feet, carefully lifting Silennia up into his arms. She was still bleeding profusely, and he wasn't about to sit there and make small talk while she continued to bleed out in his lap. Moving down the hallway that would lead him to where his bedroom was. Leaving Vermina to attend to herself in the main room.

The succubus eventually making her way up the large stair case and vanishing into her personal chambers, the doors locking behind her as the purple lighting flicked out all together, any barriers blocking the entrances long gone. Vermina would see about getting the mess cleaned up at a later time. For now, she staggered into her room with a satisfied smirk on her face, stripping out of the tattered and bloody dress she had been wearing and dropping it to the floor, slipping into the bathroom as she filled the tub, letting the water run as hot as possible before she slipped into it with a soft hiss and a sigh.

"So Keiran really found himself quite the catch..." She mused, absently washing blood off of her skin, the bathwater steadily turning redder as she did so, eventually laying back and just relaxing as her body continued to heal itself, the skin knitting itself back slowly.

At the other side of the manor, where Keiran had carried Silennia, the incubus was tending to Silennia in a similar manner, washing the blood off of her as he saw to patching her wounds up, finding bandages and a roll of medical tape stored away in one of the closets. By time he had settled down to work on her wounded back, those black runes had vanished completely from his skin, not a trace lingering behind to prove that they had ever been there in the first place.

"... We're leaving first thing in the morning." He spoke softly as he worked, "I won't even consider any other option. I should have dragged you straight to the airport after leaving the village today." He grumbled at this point, "Stupid, stupid, stupid. I knew better that this." He seemed uncertain what to do about her wings, and so, only patched up the open gashes on Silennia's back, gentle when he absolutely HAD to touch her wings. Eventually carrying her into where the bed was, refusing to let her simply walk over to it herself.

Silennia could only manage a smile toward the incubus, hissing sharply when he picked her up. Those wings dragging on the floor a bit, though, against her command, they lifted themselves just enough to be out of the way. It was only then that she realized the feeling going through her was none other than shock. Whether it was her body or mind was impossible to say -- quite possibly both.

She couldn't help the threatening snarls that ripped up from her throat, causing her lip to curl back and show still-fanged teeth at him during the pain of him bandaging her up. Although she did bury her face into anything she could to muffle them. Slowly relaxing beneath his touch. She looked defeated as she came down from the adrenaline of the fight, and eventually, even those fangs seemed to disappear. Sapphire having returned completely by this point.

Her wings shuddered beneath his touch, and she cast a distressed look behind her; still having no control over what they did. Two completely new limbs. Her mind couldn't make them work. They seemed to move on their own accord, although for now, she had a feeling it was only because the demon within her was still trying to subside. Most of the white feathers had been discarded by now, and as Keiran worked, she caught a single pure-white feather in her fingers. It was untainted by blood or black, and her fingers played with it gently.

"Even if we'd left," she murmured finally, "I don't think this would have been avoided. Sooner or later it was bound to happen."

She was glad to have the dripping clothes gone, but didn't appreciate the feeling of not being completely clean. A pet peeve of hers that she'd had for years, ever since moving into her apartment, where things seemed to be constantly dirty although she cleaned it every day. It was a never-ending process. Not grimacing in any way as he picked her up and carried her to the bed.

Upon being placed there, the black wings shuddered again and folded in. Slowly at first, as if they were just adjusting themselves, until they had tucked back completely. Silennia still feeling the burden of them but not their physical presence anymore. Where had they even gone? Something that big couldn't have just fit away beneath the skin without there being any telltale sign of it, yet she could feel that there was no change about her aside from the long gashes running from her shoulderblades to her spine. Burrowing beneath the blankets and smushing herself as close to Keiran as she could possibly get without damaging the feather that was still in her hands.

Silennia could feel a slight tickling of the flesh on her back where the skin was desperately trying to close up on its own. It began to itch, and she struggled against the urge to reach around and scratch it. Focusing on the areas where those black runes had been on Keiran just a little while ago, using the tip of her feather to trace over where she knew they'd revealed themselves. Until eventually, reluctantly, unconsciousness overwhelmed everything else, and she was asleep.

Lord help anyone that tried waking her before she did so on her own at this point, looking beautifully lethal there wrapped in his arms.

He wouldn't leave her side. That much was evident in the way he held her in his arms. Though Keiran knew that Vermina wouldn't go out of her way to try and harm the girl again, he couldn't help but feel protective. Everything was happening so quickly, and he had no idea how to stop it- or slow it down for that matter. Wanting nothing more than to keep her safe, yet, choices he made in that effort only seemed to put her into more danger. Just what had Vermina been hoping to accomplish by fighting the girl? Though Silennia's words had seemed to be intended to make him feel better about the situation, it didn't. It didn't matter to him whether or not something similar would have happened.

It didn't matter that one way or another, Silennia's wings would have appeared. What bothered him was that it had happened like this. Just the idea of that demon he called 'mother', that succubus, laying her hands upon Silennia with intent of harm made his flesh crawl with a unspoken rage, and it took every fiber of his being to not simply get up and confront Vermina. The only thing keeping him from doing so was the fact that Silennia was wrapped up safely in his arms.

Amber hues eventually slipping shut as finally, he managed to calm his violent thoughts towards Vermina, sleep over taking him.

Strange dreams swam through Silennia's head as she slept. Some of them turning into nightmares that she struggled against, only soothed by waking up still wrapped tightly against Keiran. This happened several times, and each time she would bury herself a little further beneath the blankets. Remembering those blue markings on Keiran's skin that eventually turned black. She wondered absently who -- or what his father was. Anything to avoid thinking of the nightmares to try and fall back asleep, but it wasn't quite that simple. Still clutching the feather tightly in her fist.

When she opened her fingers to look at it, the white thing appeared completely undamaged. Strange.

The girl was about to give up on sleep altogether before she tucked her head adoringly beneath Keiran's chin, with her lips and the tip of her nose brushing against the skin there. Odd black wings unfolding behind her as she lay on her side, causing her to shift uncomfortably. However they adjusted themselves so that they were sprawled out, halfway under the blankets, and the pressure that they released caused her to sigh comfortably before sleeping once more. Not stirring with nightmares for the rest of the night.

----------------

Leghadema no longer struggled against the way she was wrapped. Damien had done a thorough job with making sure she would be unable to harm herself or lash out. At this point, he wasn't even sure what time it was, or how many hours had passed. Eventually falling asleep sitting up in front of the couch where the valkyrie lay.

Dark eyes flickered open, sensing a presence that made him glare toward the door.

Abigor.

The demon was nearby. Damien was unsure if he was just passing through... but that wasn't likely. Not with the recent changes in Silennia. He was still a bit uneducated when it came to Valkyrie offspring, so there was no doubt that he would have questions for Leghadema.

She mumbled uncomfortably in her comatose-like state, also sensing him. Sapphire eyes eventually parting and shifting toward the door sluggishly only seconds before a quiet knock was heard.

Damien had no choice but to open the door, but even so, he moved reluctantly; unwrapping Leghadema beforehand so that she could move around or even escape if she needed to.

Abigor stood at the door patiently, a smirk touching his lips upon Damien opening the door. "I have questions," he stated simply, and stepped inside. Black eyes instantly moved to where Leghadama was now sitting up on the couch, glaring toward the entry way.

There was no doubt that the next few hours would be long on all of them.