Chapter 7 “Peace and Fury”
“What do you mean you can’t find my granddaughter?” Grandpa Hogo yelled into Toya’s ear, aiming for the computer wiz that was on the other side of the com-link.
Toya wasted no time jerking the device from his ear and shoving it into Grandpa Hogo’s hands, cupping his hand over his ear as he did so, trying to get it to stop ringing. “Don’t do that!”
“Don’t do what?” Grandpa demanded. “SHOUT IN YOUR EAR?”
Kamui cringed as he watched the old man on the monitor glare up at the camera and got the feeling the older man really could see him. He wouldn’t doubt it knowing the old geezer. He took definite note when Toya backed up several steps from Kyoko’s grandfather as if giving himself a head start to run.
He could even feel himself breaking out in a sweat as grandpa Hogo raised the com-link like a microphone. Kamui felt the urge to run, and the man wasn’t even in the same room, much less the same part of the city.
“She had a cell phone…” Grandpa said slowly. “…And a com-link… and you have a visual of the entire place… boy, you had better find her, NOW!”
Kamui quickly looked at Yuuhi and Amni for help. “Please tell me that you know where she is.” Both psychics looked like they had been caught in the headlights as they slowly shook their heads. Kamui put his hand over the microphone so no one else would hear him. “Come on guys, she couldn’t have just vanished. Help me out here. I would like to live past tonight.”
Yuuhi slowly turned to lock haunted eyes with Kamui, causing the guardian to remove his hand so everyone could hear him. “You will not find her tonight.”
The soft words left everyone breathless… except one.
“What the hell do you mean, not tonight?” Grandpa demanded, now that he had the device in his ear, he could hear everything going on. “I trusted you…” He looked over at Toya and looked him up and down. “...men, to look after my granddaughter and that’s the best you can give me?”
Kyou was suddenly standing behind the old man and calmly removed the device from Grandpa Hogo’s ear.
“Start the search, expanded perimeters,” he ordered, and then held his hand out toward Toya to take the device. When it wasn’t taken, Kyou looked around and raised an eyebrow noticing his brother was nowhere in sight.
“Where’d he go?” Grandpa demanded.
“It appears we have finally found someone Toya is afraid of,” Kyou stated.
“Who?” The old man looked around nervously.
Kyou smirked and pocketed the earpiece before walking away. If Kyou, Toya, or Grandpa Hogo, had been listening, they would have heard everyone else’s loud laughter.
***** Darious glanced up at the building where he’d first seen her. It was predawn and the city was finally silent, as if waiting for dawn to take its first breath. Walking across the street with his precious bundle held securely in his arms, he vanished from sight just as he reached the front doors. Moments later, he reappeared within her bedroom.
Had anyone been a witness to this… it would have looked like he just walked right through the wall.
Seeing the bed, he strode toward it then looked down at Kyoko. Crawling across the mattress, he gently laid her down and placed a barrier around the room so they would not be disturbed.
He carefully looked her over to ensure he’d healed every single injury on her body with that one kiss. He cupped her cheek with his hand, running the pad of his thumb across her lower lip in memory of the simple touch. Kissing her while she was passed out had affected him so much… it made him wonder what it would feel like if she returned the kiss.
She’d thought she was strong enough to go up against demons three different times within the same night, but Darious could see through that front and knew how fragile she really was. Courage did not make you strong… only foolish.
He could feel the guardians searching for her and he growled in annoyance. He did not want anyone to wake her until she was ready. If they knew where she was, they would disturb the healing sleep she was wrapped up in. The urge to protect her from them possessed him and he made a decision, slipping under the covers with her.
Darious could feel the heaviness of her costume against him as he curled his body around hers. He lay still for a moment before teleporting her clothing to the other side of the room, leaving her only in the sheer slip she had been wearing beneath it.
Moments later, his clothing followed hers, leaving behind only a pair of black silk pants.
As he lay there holding her, he felt the warmth from her body against his skin and a sense of contentment stole over him. She was the peace to the ever-whirling storm within him. He did not need peace… he needed fury to kill demons and this feeling was stripping that from him.
Darious gritted his teeth, knowing this would have to be the only time he gave into this weakness. After tonight… it would be best if he stayed invisible. For now, he would take the reprieve his body and mind craved from the loneliness of his existence.
He was distracted from his thoughts when he heard her murmur a name in her sleep… Toya. Hearing her call someone else’s name helped center him, even if it did make his chest hurt. Knowing he would never be this close again, Darious closed his eyes and pushed his way into her dream.
Kyoko was once again at the manhole in the town square and she was surrounded by shadow demons. They plucked at her hair and the thin slip she was wearing as she slapped at their murky hands looking for a way to escape. It seemed every time she found an opening and took a step toward freedom, she would be that much closer to falling into the dark manhole.
Darious watched those fright filled emerald eyes as she again called out for her guardian.
“Toya,” Kyoko whispered the name, though she had meant to scream it. “Please.”
Trying to see past the shadows for anyone who could help her, Kyoko’s lips parted when lightening flashed overhead and she saw a man she recognized. The dancing light flickered over his firmly chiseled features and Kyoko had a fleeting impression of a panther keeping a wary eye on its prey.
When the inky blackness gripped her ankle and jerked, Kyoko lost her balance and to her horror, the manhole expanded, leaving her with no ground to fall on. Her arms flailed as she tried gripping an edge that was no longer there. She looked up as she fell in… watching the circle of light above her closing itself off even smaller than it had been in the first place. So small that no one would ever find her. Or perhaps she was still falling… it was impossible to say.
Then she heard it… a soft whisper in her ear, “Call my name.” It sent such a rush through her, that everything around her became more in focus like she had just stepped into her own dream. That alone scared the hell out of her.
Kyoko didn’t hesitate. “Darious!”
The sound echoed within the tunnel and was instantly joined with the screams of nightmares as the shadows were ripped away from her so forcefully, that their sharp black claws tore long gashes in her slip and skin, leaving her free falling. Knowing the impact was going to hurt, she gasped when strong fingers gripped her wrist and held her dangling in midair.
Afraid of what she would find, Kyoko slowly raised her gaze only to find Darious hovering above her. Within the light behind him, she could see the outline of wings, though there were no physical wings there to let her see them. Raising her other arm up, she grasped his hand and whispered, “Save me… please.”
Darious pulled her up until she was even with his body, wrapping his arm around her slim waist. He noticed the expression of wonder on her face and the way she never took her eyes off him… so trusting. The girl needed a protector even within her dreams. This was the fourth time in as many hours and he was surprised that instead of it annoying him… it only made him want her even more.
She watched in fascination as Darious set her on her feet then held his hand out over the dangerous manhole. The ground within the bottomless pit bubbled up until it was sealed off completely.
“They can’t hurt you any more, Kyoko.” Darious turned around to face her wondering if she would even remember this dream. The mere thought of her forgetting him left him slightly disturbed.
Kyoko stayed still as a statue when she realized his voice didn’t echo as sounds within dreams often did. She tilted her head just a little, knowing she was awake but still within the dream. It was a strange feeling. She hadn’t done this since she was an adolescent and she knew the side effects.
She couldn’t stop the adrenaline rush that shot through her making her feel like she’d drank way to much coffee, which in her opinion you couldn’t do. That rush was now riding her hard. She was going to wake up with one hell of a headache.
Her grandpa had told her it was called dream walking. He’d even woken her up several times to find her injured from a wound she had gotten within a dream. He’d told her that less than one out of every million humans could do it, and that it was nothing to play around with. Those few humans that could dream walk… usually didn’t make it through their childhood.
They had decided since she was one of the few humans who were super sensitive to the paranormal, that it was probably linked to her being able to dream walk.
Grandpa had taught her how to wake from them for her own safety, but as she watched Darious, she refused to leave the dreamscape just yet. Some secret instinct was telling her Darious had come into her dream uninvited and saved her… but that he had no idea she was actually lucid.
Pretending she was still dreaming, she stepped closer to him, wanting answers she didn’t think he would give her in the light of day.
“Who are you?” Kyoko asked curiously then quickly reached for his hand, so he wouldn’t disappear. “I know your name is Darious and that you’ve saved me several times now… but who are you really?”
Darious’s eyes narrowed at the strange aura that surrounded the two of them. It didn’t feel like a normal dream. His gaze suddenly darkened dangerously and he twisted his fingers around hers, quickly gripping her wrist and jerking her closer. “I would ask you the same thing.”
Kyoko panicked realizing he wasn’t playing along with her twenty questions. “What do you mean?” She tried to pull away from him, but his grip was firm as he dragged her so close, that her breasts were pressed against his chest and she had to lean back to look up at him.
Darious nearly snarled. The woman was trying to play him for a fool. Did she think he wouldn’t be able to sense what she was doing? “Don’t make the mistake of underestimating me. Dream walking is a dangerous thing Kyoko. There are many demons that can find you here,” He warned.
Kyoko hesitated, knowing he was right… she had learned that the hard way. But that didn’t explain why he was there within the dreamscape with her. “Is that what you are?” Her gaze lowered to his lips, seeing their perfect shape as she awaited his answer. “A demon?”
“Maybe I am,” His voice was like a dangerous whisper and his eyes turned as black as space and almost as empty.
How dare she compare him to a demon? But that didn’t anger him as much as the fact that there were dream demons out there that searched for dream walkers, and here she stood, fearlessly within their reach. He could see the creatures surrounding them in the darkness and mentally growled when their claws swiped the air in front of them, almost pleading to devour her.
Licking suddenly dry lips, she took an involuntary step back from him wondering if she was playing with fire. She knew he had powers… just like demons. But she had also seen him use those powers against the demons. He appeared deadly, but not twisted, or even cruel. His actions toward the children at the block party and the hospital proved that.
“Then why did you save me from them?” Kyoko asked in confusion, not liking the fact that he was trying to make her nervous and hating the fact that it was working. “If you’re truly a demon, what reason would you have to save me?”
He could feel her fear spike and it sent a rush of anger through him knowing she trusted the other guardians, but not him. She had called Toya’s name in her sleep and Toya had not come to save her… he had. He silently wondered just how many times the one called Toya had slipped in and out of her dreams… saving her… or how many times he’d failed.
“Why should I let them have you?” Darious wasn’t sure if they were still talking about demons as he watched the soft tendrils of her hair lift in the dream wind. His gaze lingered on the soft skin her hair had uncovered… then he saw the claw mark on her shoulder and his disorientation faded. She had been dream walking before he’d saved her and a demon had dared to leave its mark on her soft skin.
Kyoko followed his narrowed line of vision as she glanced down at her shoulder, seeing the wound, then glanced back at up at him as if it were no big deal. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t been hurt before… it was nothing new. Her eyes widened at the sudden anger that showed on his face and a growl started low and deep within his chest.
“I will not allow it,” Darious hissed. “They cannot have you!” He placed one hand on the back of her head and buried his fingers in her hair to hold her still as his lips descended on hers in a savage kiss.
Snapping herself out of the dream, Kyoko became puzzled when his lips didn’t disappear. She found her hands pressed into the mattress and she could feel the weight of his body over hers, as his kiss became even more demanding. It rumbled through her with a devastating effect. Feeling one of his legs pressed up between her thighs, she inhaled at the wicked sensation.
Darious took advantage of her shock and deepened the kiss.
She stopped fighting him, realizing he wasn’t hurting her. In fact… she was struggling not to return the kiss with the same force. His mouth was hot as it devoured hers, setting her body on fire.
Kyoko closed her eyes, becoming lost in sensations that she knew couldn’t be right. His hands were still holding hers down, but at the same time… she could feel him touching almost every part of her body with soft caresses. One of his hands slid down her arm and ribs, only to dip between her legs and grip her in a way that had her hips coming up off the bed. It was the best thing she had ever felt in her life.
Unable to stop herself from wanting to be closer to him, she felt something unfurl from deep inside her, like a butterfly opening its wings for the very first time. Heat engulfed her, making her almost desperate as she felt the long hard bulge of his desire pressed against her thigh.
Kyoko pressed her body up toward his in an attempt to get even closer. She was rewarded with a growl that sounded distinctly like a purr of contentment… making her wonder if Darious even knew that he was making the sound.
She unleashed her psychic power, opening up her mind to him as she joined in the kiss with an intensity of her own. She could feel her blood heating to a dangerous level and heard static in her ears as flashes of visions leaped into her mind’s eye.
She could see Darious standing in a crowd of people… though no one else knew he was there watching. She realized… he was invisible.
The scene changed in her mind. She watched… as he circled her in the elevator and saw his anger when he glared at the blood on the back of her neck.
Darious pressed his throbbing hardness against her in a rhythm that was sending his senses spiraling. He had only meant to heal her injury with a kiss, but the second he had slashed his lips across hers, he’d lost control as a new rage claimed him. He could feel her inside him and now he wanted inside her.
He rose up over her body, bringing his knee up between her legs to separate them. His hand slid up her panties, to dip back under them. She was hot and slick as he parted her nether lips with his fingers and caressed her.
Kyoko gasped feeling his fingers touching her where no one had ever dared to touch, except in dreams. She felt herself being pulled in two directions as passion mingled with the visions that were slamming through her without mercy. She arched into his hand, moaning, wanting him inside of her the way she was inside of him.
The visions from his past were fleeting as they seared through her in waves… Him fighting other demons and saving many people… only to leave before those people could even notice they had been saved. And he was always alone, a dark enigma, watching from where the rain could reach him.
Just as she reached for him and ran her fingers behind his neck to draw him even closer, a shocking image crashed down on her. It was so disturbing that she jerked back from him with wide terrified eyes, breathless, feeling like she had just missed being trampled by a brutal storm.
Darious knew he had lost control as he stared down at her swollen lips and felt her wet heat in his hand, but seeing the horror in her eyes was like dying a thousand deaths all in one heartbeat. With a wave of power, he dispersed the barrier within her room and vanished.
Kyoko reached for him just as he disappeared but there was nothing but air. She cried out as the image resurfaced in her mind. It was as if his memories had mingled with something she had forgotten.
…A child no more than eight years old…
It was Darious… she knew it.
… Long dark hair and no clothing to cover the many wounds on his small body.
The child was so angry as he jerked against the chains that imprisoned him within a deep cavern lit by sporadic flames here and there… and so many demons. He was chained to the floor in the middle of it all… and a whip came out of nowhere to rip at his flesh… making him fall to his knees… exposing his back to her.
That’s when he raised his black eyes at the one who had struck him. Wings the color of midnight sprang from his back as he lunged toward his tormentor… only to fall back as the chains stopped his attack. It was then that the demons had surged forward… ripping the wings out with a spray of blood.
He remained in bondage as his body grew over time… never escaping the pain of the demons that tortured him mercilessly. Every time a wound was inflicted, it would slowly heal only to be given again and again.
Kyoko covered her face, wanting the image to stop. She screamed so loud and so long that she didn’t even notice anyone in her room until Toya had her in his arms.
Toya looked over her shoulder at the other guardians as he rocked Kyoko back and forth. Like a wave of protection, they all crawled across the bed, but it was Kyou who reached out and barely stroked her temple… sending her into dreamless sleep.
Kyou caressed her cheek, letting his finger trail down her neck to the rips in her slip. Some of them had traces of blood still lingering on the fabric, but there were no wounds underneath them. He pulled the sheet up around her and then held his hand out above her. The damaged slip appeared within his fist, only to then fizzle out of existence.
Looking back down at her, Kyou made no movement as a white silk gown glided across her skin effortlessly.
“What did he do to her?” Kamui whispered as he stared at her swollen lips.
Kyou shot him a glare and before the questions could even start, he spoke, “Let her mind rest for now. She has been through enough. We will have our answers once she has rested. For now, it is best that we all sleep in here to protect her.”
No one argued but they could all smell the lingering scent of her heat and the man that had been here only moments before. It was permeated with a dangerous power that left them all tense and shaken.
Darious watched from the window as all five of the guardians lay down with Kyoko… all of them touching her in some way as if they owned her. He just wondered how long they could keep that claim now that he had tasted her.
