Chapter 35 ∣  You're Here?

-Maverick

Pain.

A feeling of intense pain washed over me in waves, reliving the moment when that sick bastard laid his hands-on Eris, draining her energy and stealing her away to a dimension where I could not follow.

Helpless.

I'd never been helpless in my entire life, even after my father cast me away, leaving his assassin, Killian to watch over me with his beloved and daughter. He was supposed to kill me but took pity on me for he believed my father had made an irreversible and terrible mistake that would haunt him to the end of his life. Instead, my mother ordered Killian to protect me, that he would teach me how to live on my own, raising me until I turned sixteen. For seven years, I lived without my family and after Killian and his family became like my own, I lost another set of parents.

This feeling of complete and utter loss of control was excruciating, I couldn't stop Keegan from taking away the love of my life. My last hope resided within the tall walls of the dark mansion that loomed across the street from me. The wind blew gently, catching my long ebony trench coat and billowing out the hem behind me. Leaning against the gray, steel lamp post, the light illuminating my presence beneath it.

I wasn't here to hide—partially anyways.

I was cloaking my energy, trying to figure out the best way to handle the situation. I hadn't asked anyone for help, not since I was truly left on my own. It had made me stronger, relying only on myself and not having to care for anyone else. That was until Eris wandered into my life. Now, I could see how loving another could make you much more vulnerable, much weaker...

Love may make one weak, but it also strengthens them, wanting to push the boundaries of their faith and how far they are willing to go to save another. At any given time, I was now ready to give my life in order to save Eris.

I breathed in the cold night's air, calming my senses as I knew I'd need every bit of my strength to change the events that had happened. Uncrossing my arms from resting against my chest, I pushed away from the lamppost, looking up and down the street, barely any vehicles lingered at night. Yes, vampires were no longer a 'threat' because hunters would kill the ones who stepped out of line, but that didn't mean a mortal couldn't be stolen away in the night and no one would hear about it.

Vampires could have blood slaves...they just weren't allowed to kill them by law, this whole everyone plays nice and get along made me sick half the time.

My dark combat boots echoed off the pavement, the small rainstorm that had passed over the city during the day, left small pools of collected water. The water splashed from the puddles as I made my way to the opposite sidewalk, a large wrought iron gate halting my movement.

Thankfully, there was really no reason to lock this gate, it was more of a decoration and for show. Any creature that might want to threaten this coven, wouldn't let a simple gate block its path. But it did deter humans, preventing the occurrence of the lone, bold teenager that was dared to enter a place where vampires resided.

Pushing back the gate and stepping onto the cement pathway, leading up to large double cherry oak wood doors. My fingers left the bars as I closed the gate solidly shut behind me, moving lightly across the cement, my eyes scanning the emerald sections of grass on either side of the pathway.

Where the hell is his security?

Surely by now, someone should have noticed my presence, though my strongest energy was still concealed.

Has he gone soft?

I halted in front of the double doors, raising my right hand into a fist and then bring it down against the wood three times. Yea, just walking to my potential death...

It wasn't long before the door was swinging inward, revealing my long-lost friend, though he had changed much in the time we had been apart. Rook's silvery-white hair was spiked up and to the right, the sides of his head were shaved quite short. His citrine amber eyes bore into me, searching my face as I could hear him holding in his breath. He wore dark cargo pants with a matching ordinary t-shirt, making me wonder if he had recently been out.

"Maverick?" Rook asked, his voice bring me back to a much simpler time.

I nodded, placing my hands in my pockets, sighing, "Rook."

"What are you doing here?" Rook's next question brought his voice much darker, "You can't fucking be here...what the hell were you thinking?"

"Look, before you go off on me-" he cut me off too quickly, his grip on the door tightening.

"Before? Really, before?! You stand here alone is enough for this coven to kill you...to call the hunters to this location," Rook growled with irritation, the slight guilt rising within me as I knowingly placing him in this difficult position. The tension in the air was thick, weighing down on both of our shoulders. This was all his decision, I knew by coming here, I regarded my life as forfeit, if he so wanted to take it, there wouldn't be a whole lot I could do. Not with the potential threat of hunters, and I wasn't completely sure how strong his coven really was.

I swallowed the lump that had risen in my throat, saying, "I need your help."

Rook's features softened slightly, knowing that my childhood friend was still living with this grown vampire. "What kind of help do you need?" His question threw me through a loop, startled that he genuinely cared, his voice lowered as though not wanting to be heard. It was, however, becoming harder for him to keep the attention away from many coven members I glanced passing behind him in the lobby of the lavish mansion.

"Only the kind you can provide," my voice also lowered, seeing a couple of heads turning in our direction.

Nosy...knock it the fuck off.

"Oh, really?" Rook arched an eyebrow, giving me a sideways glance as his eyes flickered behind me and then back to my face.

"Rook," I stated.

"Maverick," Rook returned.

"Rook," I pleaded.

"Maverick," Rook appeared almost amused, our little dialog brings back memories.

"Rook," I was pretty much done now playing games, Eris' life was in jeopardy and I could do nothing on my own to save her.

"Lucette!"

The fuck...no...fucking...way.

Before I could make a move, Rook had stepped to the side, allowing for a very boisterous female pure blood to fly through the door, crashing into my chest and sending us spiraling to the soft grass. As she sat atop of me, her hands balled into fists as she held the fabric of my shirt, her long white hair cascading over both shoulders, her sage eyes holding my own with such intensity.

"You haven't changed a bit," Lucette smirked down at me, lifting my back from the ground and stating, "It's so damn good to see you, big brother."

Why had she left our parents coven? It couldn't possibly...no...could it?

Lucette released her hold on me, my eyes searching her face and shooting in the direction of Rook, who continued to lean against the door frame, watching us carefully. She lifted herself from my chest, standing over me and stating, "Father's still pissed off with you."

"It's not my fault..." All this time he still resented me.

"I know," Lucette winked at me, "What are you doing here?"

I couldn't believe it...my younger sister, was Rook's beloved, there was no other explanation why she would leave and why my parents would let her leave period. After losing one child, I knew they'd do everything in their power to keep one from turning down the 'wrong' path.

Lucette walked away from me, coming to stand beside Rook in the door frame, waiting for my response. I was still in shock from seeing her, I couldn't quite put my thoughts into sentences. Lucette was only five when I was cast away.

I stood up from the ground, shaking off the stunning look that must have been written clearly across my face. "Rook," he glanced at Lucette and then back at me, listening to what I had to say, and it was a relief, "I need your help."

"Yes, you've already made that quite clear," Rook narrowed his eyes at me, waiting for a response that would make sense to him.

Lucette pulled her long hair back behind her shoulders placing the stray strands behind her left ear. Her eyes were filled with questions, but she knew this wasn't the time, silently standing by.

"I need you to send me to Hell," my voice was uneven, watching Rook's eyes widen at my words and Lucette taking a step backward into the coven.

Rook shook his head, "Why would you ask me to do something like that?! You really do mean to end your life?"

"Of course not!" I lashed out, anger filling me, knowing that each moment that passed could be pushing Eris closer to a fate she neither desired, no wanted. Lucette rubbed her forehead, her voice barely above a whisper when she asked, "What are you saying?"

"I met a succubus," Rook was startled, moving away from the door frame and walking to the grass I continued to stand on, "It's a long story, and one for another day, but she was stuck living in this plane of existence. She was taken from me by the incubus, Prince Keegan...I can't follow her...please help me."

Lucette stammered, "Y-y-you wh-what? A succubus?"

"Are you sure about this?" Rook was just a couple of feet away from me, "You met an actual sex demon? That lives here. If a stronger demon took her, you're going to be at a disadvantage..."

I nodded, stating, "You don't think I know that? I couldn't stop him from taking her, but I'll damn well bring her back!"

"Maverick's in love..." Lucette's light voice drifted into the night sky.

Rook glanced back at my younger sister, before turning back to me and locking eyes, "If you say what is true, I can send you to Hell-"

"Great!" I felt a weight lifted from my chest as one less hurdle stood in my way.

"But it'll cost you," Rook finished his sentence, a chilling feeling filling me at the sound of his words.

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To Seduce a Succubus by K. A. Young.

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