Chapter 12: Friction

Jason

"Hello," I said, staring intently on the arm that was wrapped possessively over Jane. The bastard. I was going to rip his face off. How dare he touch what was mine.

“Fancy meeting you here brother,” Adan said, sounding mildly chirpy. He smiled at Kaine. “Although I don’t really appreciate the unwelcome guests.”

“My work here is done. I’m sorry brother; I didn’t have a choice.” Kaine said apologetically. He took a quick bow and walked toward the exit.

Adan flashed him an empathetic look. “Why don’t you stay here for a few more days?”

Kaine gave him a brotherly tap on the shoulder. “You know that I don’t like staying here.” Then, he left.

I wasn't fond of playing games and beating around the bush. I cut to the chase. "Give Jane back, now."

Adan immediately returned his attention to me. He smirked, though it was more of a cold half-twitch and his eyes were glazing over with irritation. I wasn't going to feel threatened; not by this coward. He fled away with my prize like a wimp. Adan didn't respond. If he thought that he could get away with ignoring me he was horribly wrong.

I growled at him. "I'm not going to let you go with what you did. You stole her from me." I sounded angry and annoyed. I lifted my hand toward him, ready to blast a fireball at his face.

"She was never yours in the first place," Adan said coolly. I noticed that he was holding Jane even closer to him now. The bastard was asking for a death sentence.

I was ready to shoot at him. "Get your hands off her." The fire lit up on my palm. Then, it went flying across the room.

It didn't hit him. Damn it. Adan deflected the attack easily with a strong barrier. "Try me," he challenged. His tone was spiteful and his grin too cocky. We were always caught in a dead knot. Why else would our fight last for that many millenniums? I heard Jane whimper from my action. Okay, so I’ll try to be less violent.

I narrowed my eyes. Hurting people was not limited to physical violence. "I wonder how does Mrs. Lee taste like," I said, licking my lips. “Shape-shifters do tend to have a stronger flavor.”

Adan snarled at me, flashing a sharp canine. "You wouldn't. You’ll have to get past me first." His eyes darkened.

"Really? How about the west of the city? Tons of assorted blood if you ask me."

He barred his teeth at me.

I smiled. "You can't look after them all can you?"

"There will be a resistance, and I'll get your city too," Adan said. He always cared too much. I loved it whenever I destroyed what was his, like the other city he had four hundred years ago. He became so lost. Too bad he recovered.

"I’ll take my chances; evacuate as many people as possible before you get there," I said. I spoke with a low quiet voice, trying to make myself sound as dark and threatening as possible. His grip over Jane grew stronger. He didn't learn fast did he? “Stall you for a few days. Besides, we’re already here aren’t we?” A grin spread across my face.

I was winning. I eyed Jane. She was going to be with me again soon. Don't worry I'll save you. Her eyes were covered with fear. What had Adan do to her? Then, I noticed. She looked different, smelt different. Adan had made her go through the transformation. A demon. He had changed what was mine. I didn't mind the fact that she was one of us now. That was good. I just hated that it was him that made her that way.

I opened my mouth to say something but Jane cut in. "Don't I get a say in this?" Ah, her soft melodic voice. It felt like I haven't heard it in decades.

"I'm bringing you home dear, don't you want to?" I asked.

She looked at me fearfully. Fearful? Of me? No. "Why are you here?" she said, eyeing me suspiciously.

"Remember the story about how I came about?" Adan answered in my place. I gritted my teeth. "He's the other demon." He was staring at me warily, not looking at Jane as he talked.

Jane gaped at the realization. "You?" she said. So Adan had already told her that story. I thought one of my veins popped. I was supposed to be the one to introduce her to our world, to tell her everything and explore it together. This bastard liked stealing from me too much.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Jane said. She sounded mad and timid at the same time. Only she could pull off that tone of voice.

I was going to have to explain myself, to a weak newborn demon. I snorted. “You wanted me to just barge in and announce that I was the strongest being on earth?”

Her eyes shifted to Adan for a second. “That’s what he did.” And I am to be compared to the likes of him?

“Unlike some uncouth and unmannered monsters I actually know how to be considerate.”

Adan shrugged. “I was just being truthful, unlike some deceitful uncaring twats.”

I wanted to spit at his face. “Who cares about what you think?”

“Plenty of people; if you happened to forget, this city belongs to me.”

“Oh wait let me rephrase that. Nobody important cares about what you think,” I said. This was a useless banter. The son of a bitch.

“Evelyn cares,” he challenged once more. Does she?

I looked at her. “Well? Do you care about him Jane?” I was hoping that she didn’t. Her feelings were supposed to belong to me.

Adan and I waited for her answer in anticipation, staring at her intently. “Go on, tell him that you do,” he said, egging her on. That was a low trick. She was going to say that she didn’t, that she wanted to be with me alone. Then I would hug her tightly and bring her home. That was what I wanted to happen. That was what was going to happen. Because she only saw me right? I told myself that, but there was a nudge in my mind that gave me a foreign insecure emotion.

Her gaze switched between the both of us. “I…” She looked at us with uncertainty. Her mouth was open, but only incoherent stutters came out. It was like there was something caught in her throat.

“I… I don’t know, I just want to go home,” finally she said. So she didn’t answer the question. An emotion of relief and annoyance flooded over me. I wanted to know what she thought but was happy that I didn’t know as well. How contradictory. “I just want to go home,” she mumbled again, tears brimming in her eyes. I felt a pang of guilt; it wasn’t my intention to stress her like that.

It was still a satisfactory response. That was the verdict. Jane was coming with me. “She wants to go home,” I said. “I’ll take her home.” Carefully I made my way towards her, ready to take her in my arms once more. I needed her by my side, not his.

Adan followed my footsteps with his eyes. “No,” he said, his tone hard. I had just laced my fingers around Jane’s.

“Why not?” I tilted my head and pierced him with my questioning look.

“She’s a new demon.” He looked at Jane with a serious expression. “She can’t control herself yet.”

There was a long pause. She inhaled deeply at his words, and then bowed her head down. “He’s right, I can’t. I’ll kill the whole town.”

I sighed with frustration. "It's not that big of a deal," I mumbled. It's more important that I get to keep you.

She gave me a look of disbelief and disgust. "Jason! How could you say that? You know that my parents are back there."

"I'll stop you from killing anybody; I promise, just agree to come with me."

"Adan was there. He didn't stop me from killing." There was a sob in her voice. It was covered with heartache and regret. She's already had her first kill? I clenched my fist. Annoyance was chiseling away at my patience. How much had she gone through when Adan took her away? He was stealing away all the experiences I wanted to give her. "I really should stay here."

I shot Adan a glare. "I'm much more competent than this fool here. He can't even take care of a worm, let alone you."

"Incompetent or not, I agree with Evelyn," Adan said, sneering at me. "She should stay."

The both of them were siding against me. Jane looked at me pleadingly. My chest felt uncomfortable. I tried to contain my anger when I looked at her, willing myself to calm down. "Fine." I gave in. "But I get to stay here with her. And get your filthy hands off her." I shoved Adan away from Jane. He hissed and stumbled backwards.

He regained his balance with ease and frowned indignantly at me. "I want you out of my city."

I growled. "Make me."

"I don't want you anywhere near her, or my people."

I smiled at him mockingly. "And I want her back. Too bad we don't always get what we want."

Adan had his shoulders crouched over, ready to pounce. I pulled myself into a defensive stance, ready for his attack. "You're going to regret ever taking her away," I said. I let my body sink into its demonic form, reveling in my power.

Adan did the same too. "You know that you're never going to beat me." We were both serious. Adrenaline flooded through me. This is going to be one hell of a fight.

My muscles tightened. "Oh?" I said. "I think that the time has come."

"Evelyn, leave. Now," Adan said. My two attendants gave me a knowing glance, and I nodded my head, giving them permission to exit the room. They walked past Jane, who was confused and terrified by the situation.

"Wait, take her too," I said.

Travix lowered his head. “Yes my Lord.” Then, he wrapped his hand around Jane's arm to pull her away.

She struggled against him, tugging at him hard. "Let me go." Travix wasn't using enough strength to take her away, filled with trepidation as he didn't want to hurt her.

She fought against him, resisting with all her might. To my surprise she broke free and ran away. Adan and I impatiently waited for them to leave, wanting more than anything to decapitate the other person.

Jane placed herself in between us, spreading her arms out. "Stop!" she said. She was panting heavily, flustered by her effort to escape from Travix's hold.

I was drilling my eyes into Adan, eager to hurt him somehow. But there was a lovely obstacle in my way. And I hated the vulnerable position she was in.

"Just stop it you guys, this isn't funny at all," Jane said, her face showed her lack of calmness. "I don't want this. Just cool down guys." It amazed me that she was still standing, since we were both probably releasing heaps of negative energy; enough to kill a human being.

"Stop it." Her body was shaking and her voice was nothing more than a whimper. A tear fell from her eye. That was when the both of us relaxed from our stances. I felt a stinging at my heart. No violence, remember? I told myself. I hated that we made her cry.

"I just want to talk to Jason for a while," she said.

I flashed a momentary smirk, and then walked towards her, still glowering at Adan, wanting him to stay away.

He scoffed at me. "I can't leave you alone with her."

Jane looked at Adan imploringly. "Please, I won't go."

He had a solemn expression. "I can't trust him." His words were laced with distaste. He studied me; deep in thought. "I'll put a barrier up, around this entire place. Don't even think about running." He backed away, showing me his most intimidating face.

The door was shut forcefully. Adan had left, bringing me a short relief. I was sure that the barrier was already up.

Within seconds after his departure I pulled Jane towards me. She was nicely curled up in my arms. "I missed you," I said, caressing her. "I was all over the place looking for you."

"No," she said. Jane pushed herself away me. "I can't." She buried her face in her hands and started sobbing.

I reached for her again. "What's wrong?"

She lifted her head. "I don't know you Jason." Her face was squinted into a grimace. "I was torn away from home, killed someone, brought here with some kind of black magic..."

"I'll take you home." I was pleading for her love— anything to make her need me. Weak. "So why push me away?"

"And now you." She shook her head. "Now you're this. Like Adan. You were the main reason why I was longing to go back. But now you're one of them."

I laughed with disbelief. "I'm not one of them," I said. There was something blocking my throat, and my words croaked out. "I'm nothing like Adan. Don't ever side me with him."

"You're a demon."

"Like you; I'm like you." My tone sounded an awful lot like begging. I brushed the thought to the back of my head, not wanting to admit that I was made so pathetic because of her.

She wiped her tears. "I hate how I'm like Jason. I'm an abomination."

Cautiously I raised my hand out to her, afraid of her disapproval. I placed my hand on her shoulder and examined her expression. When she didn't say anything I captured her once more in my embrace. "You're not. You're a gift, to me." I breathed out. "And I'm glad that you are a demon. It doesn't change who we are, I'm still the same old Jason." I smiled at Jane. "And you're still you; just a bit stronger than before."

"But I murdered some--"

"Don't think so much about it. If you hate it then I'll make sure that it never happens again." I gave her a comforting kiss on the forehead. "Okay?" I asked, pulling her away from me to look into her eyes.

She nodded, but her insecurities and emotions still emanated. Her lips curved into a faint smile. "Okay," she said meekly

I stroked her cheek and searched her eyes. It had only been two days since I last saw her. And yet she had morphed into a completely different person. I scanned her face. She was so dissimilar from when we first met; stronger perhaps, but more wary and distrustful. Everything had changed; on the inside and outside. But my heart still ached at the sight of Jane, even though she wasn't entirely the same anymore. Maybe why I loved her was the fact that she could make me feel; never was it like this for all that I lived. It was the prophecy. Entirely because of it.

"Stay with me," I murmured. I bent down toward her lips, and trapped then with mine. They were soft and sweet. I felt her still. My shoulders tensed. Is she going to push me away again? Then, she placed her arms around me, and pulled me closer. My emotions were released in one large burst, and I felt the anger, hate, love and longing rush into that one kiss. Be mine.

I held her closely, never wanting to let go of the warmth. We crushed our lips together. "Jane." I inhaled her scent. It was like vanilla; calming and soothing. Our tongues fought against each other; mine trying to find dominance against hers. I moaned, and I felt desire start to pool around her and me.

She released me. I let her go, even though I wanted to pull her back. Her cherry lips were slightly parted, swollen by mine. Her eyes were glazed over, and she looked at me with dismay. Or possibly regret.

"What?" I said. I gave her an uneasy smile.

She bit her lip. "That... was amazing." But her proclamation sounded like a lie.

"Yeah, it was."

"But it wasn't right." Jane pinched her forehead and stumbled backwards. "I'm so sorry."

I frowned. "Why?" My chest felt heavy all of a sudden, like there was a weight dragging it down.

"I'm not supposed to be with you." She winced, guilt evident on her face. "I want you but I can't."

“We’re supposed to be together Jane. I need you.”

She let out a tiny gasp, slightly surprised by my words. “But I belong to Adan.” I let out a possessive growl. The bastard was adding stupid lies into her head. The thief. “I’m his mate.”

Jane looked up at me hesitantly. Mate. So she didn’t hear the full story. I chuckled. That was what she was worried about? Everything was cleared up. If she knew the whole story she would come running back to me again, and Adan wouldn’t be an obstruction anymore.

She was confused. “Why are you smiling?”

I stroked her hair. “There’s nothing to worry about,” I said. Certainly when the truth was out she would feel better. “You’re still mine.”

“But Adan…”

“No.” I laughed. “I’m your mate.”

Her eyes widened. She gasped, and then frowned. “What? But Adan told me it was him.” Her confusion spread deeper.

“Yes. We’re both your mates.” I didn’t like the thought of sharing. “And you will choose me as your only one.”

“What?” Her voice came out as a whisper. Maybe the information was too overwhelming. But if the cost of not telling her the truth was losing her to Adan, it was well worth it. “I don’t understand.”

“You have two mates, and you must pick me.”

The door opened, and Adan strolled into the room. Darkness was radiating around him. “I beg to differ. She’s safer with me.” He was eavesdropping. How rude.

I spread my arms. “Jane,” I said, beckoning her to come to me. She didn’t. Instead, she took a step away.

“Evelyn,” Adan said. “Don’t be an idiot.” He scorned at me. Jane stepped away from him too.

She was distressed by the both of us. Her lips quivered and she started to tear again. “I don’t know,” she said. Her knees fell to the ground and she buried her face into her hands. Cries started to sound. “I don’t want to choose.” She was trembling. “Just leave me alone for now.”

For the first time ever in centuries, Adan and I shared a grave look.

“Okay,” I said. “I’ll go.”

Adan tried to approach her, but she shifted away. “No, just go,” Jane said. She was breaking down from all that was happening.

He nodded. “I’m sorry.” Then he pushed past me and walked out. I sighed and brushed my fingers through my hair. Worry was gripping at me. But with sulky shoulders and pain grinding into my chest, I left the room anyway.