Part 1: Honey and Howl

1

Bella

 

"Am I dead?"

He lets out a sinister laugh, as he hides in the shadows like a coward. "No..."

"Where am I?"

I feel cold hands rest on my shoulders and he bends down to whisper in my ear. "It is a place where filthy creatures such as you go to rot!"

...

"No!" I scream, sitting up in my bed.

Sweat rolls down my forehead and I'm breathing heavily. I look at my alarm clock.

7:30pm

My eyes widen and I stumble out of my bed, landing with a loud thunk on the carpet cushioned floor. "I'm late!" I scramble to my dresser, pulling out a faded blue long sleeve shirt. I slip it on, the sleeves hiding my hands. I put on a pair of jeans and snatch up my purse, which is more of a big blue tote-bag than a purse. I pull my curly golden hair back into a loose ponytail before dashing downstairs into the living room, almost falling head over heels. When I finally reach the front door I swing open and find Benny raising his hand to knock.

"Benny!" I say rather surprised.

He rubs his arm and I smile, knowing he was late too. I step out onto my porch, shutting the door behind me and Benny waits for me out on the sidewalk while I lock the door.

He watches me with his one good eye, while his other is hidden under an eye patch. He shuffles his feet nervously when I join him out on the sidewalk.

I have grown very fond of Benny in these past few months I've known him. He can't speak and is blind in his right eye, which is why he wears the patch. He was my first friend and I couldn't be more grateful to him for sticking by me when things got tough. For now The Facility is neutral, so we've been relaxing in the city a bit more, however still cautious.

Okay, I suppose you're wondering what I'm talking about! Well, it's certainly not a subject I enjoy speaking of, but the story can't go on if I don't tell you what's going on.

I suppose you could say that Benny and I aren't really human. We appear human, but we are so much more. We came from a world beyond yours, a world of beauty and horror. It is called Allicastor. This place was once our home until it was discovered by humans. They saw our kind as a threat and destroyed our world capturing the only survivors of Allicastor. They wanted to study us, so they locked us up in Facilities to practice experiments on us. It's a horrible place...where holy creatures go to die.

...

My eyes are closed. I'm listening outside my room, waiting for someone to open the door. I hear the locks click and the thick iron door slides open, shrieking as it does.

I lift my head staring at the man wearily as he approaches. He holds a bucket of water and the liquid sloshes and splashes around in the metal bucket. I smack my dry lips reaching out for it, but a metal rod hits me in the head hard.

"Stay back you filthy creature!" He snarls.

I feel the water pour onto my head, soaking my clothes. I drink up any that I can get before sitting back in my dark corner. The man has left now, sealing the door tightly. Many hours later the door is opened again and two guards come in. They pull me to my feet and I try to stand, but my legs won't support me and I buckle. One of them sighs snatching my wrist angrily as does the other and they drag me out into the hallway. In front of me are two other guards. One has a young boy slung over his shoulder. He screams fearfully beating on the guard, trying to get him to put him down.

"Please! Don't take me! Please! I'm begging you!" He screams over and over again.

I let out a huff of air, my eyes heavy from exhaustion. The boys' screams aren't silenced when he enters the room but only grow louder until violently cut short.

He must of been the one that tried to escape last night.

I think to myself as I'm brought into a test room. The guards strap me down to a cold table before leaving. The doctor approaches me a smile curving his lips.

Not a comforting smile when you're afraid or a smile of laughter or joy. It is a smile filled with pure hatred and malice. He would want nothing more than to rip me to shreds. However he has experiments to perform that require me to be alive.

"Now, I am pleased to tell you that you will soon have company." He says, sounding joyful at the fact he'll have someone else to perform his tortures on.

He injects a needle into my arm, allowing the toxic liquids to flow into my body. I remain as calm as I can, used to the needle as he wrenches it out. He spins around on his heels, staring at his table filled with torture devices, trying to decide which one to use. I use all of my strength to try and pull free of the cuffs holding me down, but of course it's no use. When he turns back around he wags a finger at me, holding a knife in his hand.

"Naughty, naughty! You know the consequences if you try to escape!" He reminds me and I spit at him.

Furious he jabs my arm with the knife, carving out a thick piece of flesh. I let out an ear shattering scream and he takes the flesh from my arm and dangles it in front of my face before tossing it aside. Before he has the chance to do any more the door opens ahead of me and a pair of guards bring a boy in and shackle him to the table next to me.

His short black hair is choppy as if it was just recently cut. He is well-built but that is somewhat masked considering his malnourished state. He turns his head to look at me and I notice his right eye is glazed over grey while the other is a pretty hazel color.

He's blind in one eye...

I think, rather surprised.

Usually the doctors give you medicine that heal any wounds inflicted on you in your sessions so that you are ready for another session in the next few hours. His eye must have been beyond help, however it is very rare to have a permanent scar from the sessions.

The doctor rubs his hands together excitedly then leans down to whisper in my ear. "I'm going to enjoy this little Angel..."

I narrow my gaze. "Do your worst!"

He lets out a chuckle. "Oh, I will...but not to you, at least not yet." He moves over to the boy placing the knife at his throat. "The Demon goes first..."

I let out a gasp, shutting my eyes tight when the doctor jams the knife into the boys blind eye. No sound comes from him, and I start to wonder if he can speak.

I hear the knife cut into his eye, almost making a mashing sound and I about vomit. Finally I open my eyes, daring to look. Blood streams down the boys cheek, dripping onto the white floor. He turns his head to look at me and tears well in his other eye. It's a look of pain, but it's also something else.

He's excepted his fate...he knows he will die soon and instead of fighting it he has decided to welcome it. Something I could never do...

The sound of cracking bones sound in my ear and I watch as the boy breaks through his cuffs, his ribcage expanding as hair bristles all over his body. Sharp canines appear from his snout, dripping with saliva.

My eyes widen.

A Wolf Demon...

The doctor takes several steps back, fear filling his eyes, and he races for the door, about to hit the alarm. He doesn't get far because the Wolf swipes him with a clawed hand. The man hits the wall with a loud crunch and he slumps to the floor, lifeless.

The Wolf approaches me and I frantically pull at my cuffs, trying to get free, not knowing what he might do. He stares down at me with his one good eye, blood soaking the fur on the right half of his face. He breaks my cuffs, and picks me up off the table before bursting through the thick iron door. It lands with a loud crash into the wall on the other side of the hall. He then sets me down and I follow him through a maze of white hallways, finding the brightness of them nauseating, but that doesn't last long because a red light fills the halls, along with an ear piercing siren.

The Wolf tries to cover his ears to muffle the awful sound, as do I, but there's not much time to linger because many guards appear, holding up tranquilizer guns. The Wolf dashes forward, shielding me from the darts before using his powerful tail to sweep the guards off their feet. He then takes one in his jaws, snapping his teeth together, the visible half of the guard dropping to the floor, staining it red. He digs his claws into the other two, flinging them several feet down the hall opposite to us, before taking a sharp turn down another hall. I follow closely, not wanting to get lost, knowing it will mean death.

I notice the Wolf is making his way to the roof and we burst through the last door, the cold air instantly wrapping around us, chilling my body down to the bone. I stare ahead at him, his long fur keeping him warm from the icy wind. He turns to me, breaking out of his trance and picks me up.

"Wait! What are you doing!" I say in a panic gripping his fur tightly as he leaps off the top of the ten story building, plunging us into the burned and desolate wasteland of Allicastor.

2: Chapter 2

2

Benny

I rub my frozen palms, staring down at the hot pepperoni pizza hungrily. I lick my lips skipping the step where I pick it up with my hands and bite into it. I feel a hand smack the top of my head and Bella gives me a scolding look.

"You can't act like that here!" She whispers to me, cautious of the other customers and the waiters.

I swallow the remainder of the slice of pizza, staring down at my hands in embarrassment. Bella lets out a quiet laugh. "I didn't say you couldn't eat! Just use your hands!" She says taking a petite bite off the cheesy end of her slice of pizza.

I have been living in this world for a few months now with my adopted parent Sarah, who is keeping me well hidden for the time being. I know that I can't eat the way I'm used to, but sometimes I just forget. Bella is the only friend I've ever had. She's nice to me and being the Wolf Demon I am, I feel drawn to her for a reason I have yet to figure out. I feel that I have to protect her no matter what.

I gobble up three other slices of our large extra cheesy pizza before wiping the grease off my lips with my long sleeve and give Bella a crooked smile, which makes her laugh. I get to my feet having already paid for the meal, stepping out of the booth. Someone walks past us as we head for the exit and his shoulder collides with mine, knocking me to the floor. Bella goes to my side to see if I'm hurt.

Someone stands just behind me, snickering. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you there!"

I look up at the grinning boy, his thick blonde curls falling perfectly on his head like shiny locks of gold.

Bella snarls angrily. "What do you want Derek?"

He crosses his buff arms over his well-muscled chest mockingly. "Just thought I'd get a bite to eat, when someone just ruined my appetite." He shoots me a glare, then smirks at Bella. "You're welcome to join me Bell, just as long as you leave the filth outside." He turns to leave, going to sit with a few of his friends, including a boy named Nick, who winks in her direction.

She only rolls her eyes and helps me up. "Let's get out of here..." She growls. "Before I lose my temper."

I clutch my arms pulling my jacket tight to help keep me warm. I huff my hot breath into my hands to thaw my icy fingers, but it doesn't help much. Bella wraps an arm around me and we walk in unison.

"Want to go to the Library?" She asks.

I nod slowly shoving my hands in the pockets of my blue jacket.

I remember when it all started. The day our world was destroyed by the humans. I feel no hatred for the humans for doing what they did. They did what they thought was best for their species. They're right, we are a danger to them, but I wish things could have turned out differently than they did. When the humans captured us they were nice to us and they didn't treat us like mindless animals. Something happened that made them hate us so much.

...

"Mommy! What's happening!" I say, crying on her shoulder as she carries me outside, running as fast as is possible.

She places her hand on my head to comfort me. "Don't worry, it's gonna be okay. I prom-" She's cut short as a horrible sound explodes in my ears, making them hurt. I skid over the hard ground, rocks and shards of glass and wood cutting and scraping my soft skin. Fire swirls around me, smoke billowing up to the dark night sky, masking the twinkling stars. Many of my kind rush around me, trying to escape their deaths, but many don't make it far before they drop, lifeless as the burning grass around me, their deaths as unknown as the killer.

"Mommy!" I scream, slowly and shakily getting to my feet. I cough as the toxic fumes fill my lungs trying to call for her, searching desperately in the spreading fire.

I stumble and fall, dark creeping into my vision, and as I close my eyes I see the silhouette of a dark creature with spreading wings through the screen of fire and smoke.

A...Dragon...

I wake up many weeks later, living in a huge building of pure white, like snow in the winter. Everything is foreign and I get a feeling of danger as I live in this prison. The workers are nice to me and every night before I'm escorted to my room to go to bed a young woman has us children gather around her and she reads us a story. It's an amazing story with Fairy's and Dragons, Knights and Princesses, but when she stops reading and I'm laying in my room on a cot on the floor, I feel a dark presence haunting me.

You will be punished little one...

It whispers in my ear and I try to cover them to make the hissing voice go away but it only continues with its haunting.

You filthy creatures will soon get what's coming to you!

Every night I hear this voice and as I grow older I start to understand. The humans had grown more brutal, even toward the children. They tortured us without mercy and we could only endure it.

I'm being drug into one of the snowy white session rooms. I kick and scream, trying to get away from them. I bring my heel into my escorts ribs and he releases me letting out a grunt of pain. I get my feet under me and dash down the hallway only to have a guard take me down, dragging me by my ankles into the session room.

"No!" I scream continuing my fits.

I start to feel myself changing as I panic. My bones crack and shift causing me to scream even louder. My jaw breaks and morphs into a long snout. Sharp canine teeth growing in, splitting my gums, making them sore and bleeding. A tail rips through my pants, whipping around uncontrolled. Hair bristles all over my body, and my new form rips through my clothes as I grow larger.

The guard tosses me into the session room with the doctor and I scramble to my paws, swiping a rough tongue over my bloody jaws. I snarl at the doctor, snapping my teeth at him, tail lashing. He takes his tranquilizer gun and points it at me shakily. I let out a sharp howl that pierces the air, shattering the small pane of thick glass in the thick iron door, enclosing me in the room. The doctor lays dead, his skull having been shattered from the sound of the howl. However he's already set off the alarm. A bright red light fills the white room as does a horrible siren and I whimper pawing at my ears to muffle the loud sound.

Guards burst into the room surrounding me. I snap and snarl at them, trying to get them to back off. They toss ropes over me strapping me to the floor and I struggle to untangle myself from the ropes, barking threateningly as I do. When they're able to get close enough to me, they muzzle me. Soon my vision turns red and I can see nothing as blood fills my eyes, the feeling of ropes cutting into my skin.

I wake up several hours later, a human again. I'm strapped down to a table, alone in one of the session rooms for the moment. I try to pull my hands free of the cuffs holding me down, only to have my wrists bleed as the metal cuts into my skin. Everything is grey and blurry in my right eye. All I can see out of it as I stare up at the ceiling is a fuzzy white. My left eye seems to be only slightly damaged. I still can't see out of it very well though.

I hear the door to the white room shriek as it opens and I open my mouth to speak, but no words come out.

I hear a laugh of amusement from the other person in the room. "We removed your voice box little Demon, so you could no longer hurt anyone with that devastating howl of yours. You will never speak again..."

...

I jump when Bella shakes my shoulder, giving me a look of concern. "Benny? You alright, you drifted off while reading." She asks and I shake my head to clear it before nodding to her in response.

She gives me a suspicious look before leaning back up against one of the bookshelves, her legs crossed. "Okay...if you're sure." Then goes back to her reading.

I let out a long drawn out breath then yawn tiredly before reading through the many pages of the library book I had found earlier. It's the same book the human girl read to me in The Facility when I was younger.

3: Chapter 3

3

Bella

We stayed at the library until it closed at 10:00pm, then we both went our separate ways.

I unlock the door to my home finding my adopted mother waiting for me in the living room. She's laying on the couch searching through the hundreds of channels on the flatscreen.

"You're home late. Were you with Benny again?" She asks and I notice her voice sounds different.

"Are you alright Lina? You don't sound yourself." I say staring at her curiously, dropping my purse by the door.

"Please answer my question Bella." She says, still staring at the tv screen.

The word comes out slowly. "Yes..."

"I don't want you staying out that late anymore. Especially with that boy!" She announces and I give her a confused look before traveling up the stares to my room. I take my laptop off the charger and sit down on my bed, getting into my email. I send a message to Benny, who I assume is home by now.

Benny,

Lina is acting strange, she doesn't sound right. She didn't like it that I hung out with you this evening. Are you experiencing the same. Reply as soon as possible!

Bella

I click send then answer a few more emails from some of the people at school.

The Newspaper Club is asking for more of my stories.

Yes, I do write, however, I am not part of The Newspaper Club. I only write for them on occasion, only when they ask for it. Apparently the school likes my short stories. No one knows who writes them in the Newspaper except for the club members, because I've made it very clear that I do not want my name mentioned. It would be very bad for my cover. The Facility would find us quickly through the schools website.

I send them my reply, telling them I'll have something new for them in the next couple of days.

I'm sure you're still wondering what happened to Benny and I after we had escaped from The Facility. Well, I'm sure you're bored with the story by now but I assure you, it does get...interesting.

...

I shake myself awake.

We landed hard on the ground below and the Wolf was only able to go about twenty miles before collapsing from unconsciousness, after having tripped from a large crack in the dry ground. I've skidded several feet, scrapes and cuts all over my exposed flesh, blood seeping through to the surface.

My vision is blurry after the fall and I rub my eyes, trying to clear it. The Wolf Demon has changed back into his regular form, having left his clothes behind in The Facility. I slowly crawl forward removing my pants and slip them on him, using my abnormally large shirt as a dress instead. I reach over and wipe the blood away from around his eye as it begins to dry. I try to shake him awake before The Facility catches up with us.

"Get up..." I say continuing to try and rouse him.

Slowly he turns his head to the side before opening his one good eye. I let out a sigh of relief, taking him by the arm to help him sit up. He raises his head to his damaged eye and I flinch as he pulls a bloody hand away as it has already begun to repair and heal itself.

We both turn our attention to The Facility, which can still be seen across the dangerous planes of charred earth as it flashes big yellow lights over the ground that search for us intently. We're too far away to be spotted by the lights, but it won't be long before they send trackers to find us.

"They'll catch up with us eventually..." I say and the boy shakes his head and points in the direction we had already been heading. I tip my head curiously. "Can't you speak?"

He shakes his head, moving his hand to his throat, pointing out a jagged grey scar, and I understand immediately why.

I get to my feet, brushing the dirt and gravel off my long shirt. He does the same, but is a little more shaky. I take his arm, putting it across my shoulders and help him walk until he gains full strength in his legs.

The change must have taken a tole on him. This may have only been the first time he's morphed so it would have been even more painful and damaging to his human form as he changed. Hopefully he won't be crippled for too long. We need to move quickly if we want to put a good distance between us and The Facility, along with its trackers.

"So where do you think we can go exactly, so they don't find us." I ask, praying that he has some kind of plan.

Again he points a finger the way we're heading and for the first time I notice a dark line of tall dead looking trees all gnarled and black against dreary grey horizon. The forest is maybe only a few miles from where we are now. I smile thankfully, knowing what he's thinking.

We can hide in there easily until we come up with a better plan, however we'll need to be careful. We've never been on our own in this wasteland before and we have no idea what kinds of dangerous creatures might be lurking in there.

Believe it or not, but there are far more powerful creatures living in this world besides us Angels and Demons.

...

I let out a long tired sigh, shutting my laptop and, putting it back on the charger on my desk at the end of my bed.

Benny never did reply to my email and I wonder if he was too tired to get on the computer tonight.

I take a long hot shower and am brushing through my wet hair when I start to hear a thumping sound. I set my brush down and head downstairs in my comfy blue pj's, finding the thumping sound has stopped now. I wait a few moments to see if it'll start again but it doesn't, so I head back upstairs. I check the clock on my bedside table.

3:30am

I crawl under my covers and right before I close my eyes to fall asleep the strange thumping sound starts again. I let out a growl of irritation, storming downstairs. I unlock the front door.

"Whoever is playing this joke-" I cut myself short when I open the door and find no one is there. I step out onto the front step, looking around the yard, staring hard into the shadows of the bushes, merely glancing out in the road where the street lamps light up the asphalt. "Come out now!" I call angrily.

"Ya know, it's a shame you don't have a window in your bathroom." An irritating voice says creeping out of the shadows into full view.

I clench my fists. "Nick!"

He lets out a quiet chuckle as he approaches me. He runs his fingers through my wet hair, his hot breath stinking of alcohol. "You came out finally!"

I shoot him a harsh glare. "Go home Nick!"

He wraps his arms around me in a loose hug. "Why? I thought you came out 'cause you wanted to have some fun?"

I grab his right arm, dropping into a defensive position and flip him over my shoulder. He's heavy but I'm still able to do it with the right amount of momentum, and he lands hard on the pavement with a sharp crack. I cross my arms. "Don't touch me!"

He groans in pain, slowly getting to his feet. He's laughing hysterically, confirming his drunkenness.

I only stare at him furious, fighting the urge to bash his head into the concrete. "What's so funny?"

He tries to stop laughing for a moment so he can speak. "It's perfect timing!"

"What is?"

"Well, the fact that you came out here in the middle of the night and found me, right while my friends are having a great time at the school beating the crap out of that one-eyed freak of yours!"

My eyes widen and I burst into a full sprint, racing down the street as fast as my feet will carry me, forgetting all about Nick. "Benny!"

They'll kill him!

4: Chapter 4

4

Benny

I cough and splutter, spraying blood all over the concrete. I try to get a breath of air, but it only results in a throbbing pain.

The metal rod comes down on my head this time, forcing me to collapse on my stomach.

"Are you going to beg for mercy?" Jack whispers in my ear then kicks me in the side, rolling me over onto my back.

My breath is wheezy and Jack and his friends laugh, one of them being Derek whom I had seen earlier at the pizza place. I merely stare up into the night sky, which is dotted with millions of twinkling stars.

No moon tonight...

I think to myself.

It is true that Wolf Demons are stronger when there is a moon. It heals them when they are injured and gives them strength when they need it most. It doesn't help them morph into their Wolf forms though.

"Come on you one-eyed freak! Beg!" Jack shouts, slamming his heel onto my chest, sending what little oxygen I had, out of me.

Before he can do any more, my cell phone buzzes in the front pocket of my jeans. He grins and pulls the phone out of my pocket, flipping it open to read the text.

Jack is Nicks older brother. They both have the same neatly trimmed blonde hair and their height is about the same, but Jack is considerably larger when it comes down to it. A lot of power is packed behind his muscles, and it doesn't even seem human.

His ear to ear grin turns to a frown as he reads the text. He suddenly throws down the phone, shattering it into a million pieces. "That little wretch is on her way here thanks to my brother!" He yells angrily, announcing it to his friends. "I'm gonna kill him!" He kicks me out of pure anger at his brother and I grit my teeth.

He crouches down to whisper in my ear. "Too bad it's not mating season..."

His golden yellow eyes stare into me, as if seeing right through me.

Does he know?

I notice his pupils turn to slits and he bares a pair of sharp canines forming through his bleeding gums to show his dominance.

I thought I was the only one...

...

I'm being pushed and shoved, almost getting squished between two rather large boys. I shake the dizziness from my head once I slip out from between them. I look around at the sea of bodies as we're escorted through the pure white hallways. Some radiating a nauseating heat while others are ice cold to the touch.

I feel small compared to them all, but I suppose I've always been small, especially if in comparison to my Wolf kin. When I lived in The Pack I was referred to as an Omega, an outcast, or runt. I'm am the smallest male Demon of my age. I'm not a dwarf or anything of that sort, I am just more to the humans size, however it is up for debate when it comes to strength. At that point I am equal with even the strongest Demon. Being a Wolf Demon not only comes with ferocity, but speed, agility, and maximized strength, not to mention heightened senses.

I hear people whispering with one another all around me.

"I heard the guards talking and they said something about someone escaping last night."

"Do you think that's why they're taking us to the Main Room?"

"Whatever is the reason, it can't be good..."

Someone catches my attention out of the corner of my eye and I turn my head. I feel the hairs rise on the back of my neck and my pupils turn to to slits. The smell of sweet honey and roses fills my nostrils and I swoon.

She stares straight ahead, the only one besides me that probably isn't talking with the others. Her deep sea-blue eyes are fixed on the destination ahead, her golden curls shining in the lit hallway. Freckles dot her small pointed nose and rosy cheeks, her pink lips a straight line, the bottom lip slightly larger than the top. The oversized white shirt and baggy pants hide her petite figure, her curves almost nonexistent.

In the back of my mind, being the puppy I am, I have the urge to run up to her excitedly, but I hold it back.

Someone pats my back. "You alright? You look like you're about to pass out."

I turn to a boy of about my age, who is a bit taller with a broader frame. He gives me a smile. I nod, then look back at the girl, only to find she's disappeared.

I find that by now, we've gathered in the Main Room. I stand on my toes, trying to see above the tops of everyone heads. The thick-walled stone room is freezing cold and I rub my arms, trying to keep my teeth from chattering.

Two children have been chained to the wall at the back of the room. One is a girl, a few years younger than myself, and the other is a boy, around my own age. The boy is lean and tall with soft features and snowy white hair.

An Angel...

The girl's head is bowed solemnly, her pitch black hair covering her face. The cuffs holding her up on the wall like a picture rubs her wrists and ankles raw, until blood begins to drip onto the floor. She's no doubt a Demon. What kind I'm not sure.

I flinch at what covers the floor at their feet. The rotting carcasses of past deaths and the lingering stench of their rotting bodies. I plug my nose trying not to breathe it in too much for fear I might vomit.

A man, maybe middle age, makes his way to the front of the room and faces the crowd. His hands are clasped behind his back. He wears a pair of grey slacks and a white lab coat which hides the tucked shirt underneath. "My name is Finnigan Greycot, caretaker and supervisor of this Facility!"

My eyes widen.

This Facility? Does that mean there are others just like this one?

The thought of it makes me shiver.

That means he isn't the high authority. A mere puppet for the true master to control. If this is true, then who is the highest authority?

5: Chapter 5

5

Bella

I look over my shoulder and find Nick is giving chase.

Figured I would have injured him badly enough so he couldn't follow me!

I let out a huff of frustration trying to run faster, soon finding he's only a few feet behind.

I curse myself as I near the school building for forgetting to have a weapon on me. I'm almost completely defenseless. I can use my fists, but I guarantee you that I won't be able to best Nick and his friends in a fist fight. I'm just betting the friends he's talking about are his older brother Jack, and Derek who we had seen at the restaurant along with a couple others.

I hold back another curse when I trip and skid across the grass a few feet. I try to scramble up but Nick is already on top of me. He tries to pin me down and I bring my knee into his gut. He let's out a grunt of pain before dragging me to my feet. I try to wrench free from his grasp, but he holds firm.

"Let me go!" I scream, still struggling against him.

He ignores me and directs me to the Archery Clubs hangout behind the school where they normally practice.

Like I predicted, both Jack and Derek are there, and two other boys I don't recognize.

Jack smiles when he sees me. "You must be Bella!" He assumes approaching me.

Nick shoves me forward and I end up in Jack's arms. I step away noticing Benny is behind him, surrounded by his friends. "Benny! Are you alright!" I call to him.

He's laying on his stomach, not facing me and he gives me a shaky thumbs up. I bite my lip knowing that it was a stupid question, and as expected I got a stupid answer.

Jack steps in my way, keeping me from seeing Benny and I shoot him a menacing glare. "Let Benny go!"

He chuckles. "What are you gonna do?"

A growl rises in my throat. "Whatever it takes..."

After saying it, I instantly regret it.

Derek approaches me, his nose twitching as if he was smelling me. "The sweet scent of honey and roses..." He whispers reaching out to take hold of a lock of my now dry hair. It having dried after running all that way.

The other two boys snicker, circling me with a playful look in their eyes.

Jack lets out a beastly snarl causing me to jump. The the boys step away, fearful of him and he becomes cheerful again. "Alright, let's see what you've got!"

I take several steps back as his bones begin to crack and shift. Hairs bristle all over his once exposed flesh. His pupils turn to slits as sharp yellow teeth replace his human ones, splitting and tearing through his gums. He drops on all fours, shaking off the rest of his clothing and let's out a chilling howl.

Another Wolf Demon!

I try to remain calm, showing no surprise or a sign that I'm at all impressed.

I shake my head trying to keep from losing my temper.

I can't lose my temper! Please don't let me lose my temper!

"Are you scared little human!" He barks through yellow teeth.

A devilish grin curves my lips. "Never..."

I stand my ground, clenching my fists, calming myself down as best I can.

The Wolf lunges at me and I try to kick him off, but he's unfazed by my efforts. His hot breath buffs my face and I cough and gag at the horrible stench. He lets out a deep throaty laugh, before licking my cheek with his rough tongue.

"You taste delicious...for a human..." He says, smirking at me.

I grunt, still trying to push him off me, which makes him snicker.

"Would you rather I be in my other form? Hard to mate as a Wolf if my partner is a human..." He uses a smooth honey-like voice that is almost mesmerizing.

I shake myself out of it, grinding my teeth. "Go to Hell!"

He shakes his head, showing his teeth. "Very well, but if you change your mind, please speak up soon." His Wolf attitude returns and he snarls, baring his teeth at me, ready to rip me to pieces.

Fear fills me from the top of my head down to the tips of my bare toes, and I brace myself, holding my breath. As he's ready to clamp his jaws around my throat, something rams into him, sending him skidding across the pavement.

My heart feels as if it's going to burst from my chest and I try to calm myself down before I have a heart attack.

Pitch black fur bristles as the Wolf bares a row of sharp pearly white teeth.

"Benny!" I shout, relieved at my rescue, but at the same time, concerned for him.

Jack lunges at Benny and he rears on his hind paws, clashing with the golden furred Wolf.

The odds are against Benny. He is much smaller than Jack, and from what I can tell, he doesn't have much chance against him.

Jack is on top of his opponent and he sinks his teeth into Benny's scruff. Unable to make a whimper or cry of pain he tries to wiggle his way out from under the Alpha, twisting his neck into an awkward position and snaps and bites at him to get him off, only to fail miserably. Finally Jack has managed to pin Benny down with his claws digging into the black Wolf's skull.

"Stop!" I scream, approaching them, but both Derek and Nick hold me by my arms, keeping me from going any further.

"Aw, does little Bella care what happens to the mutt?" Derek whispers in my ear.

I bring my elbow into his chest, causing him to release my arm and I spin around into Nick and knee him in the gut.

"Release him! Before I lose my temper!" I snarl at Jack who still has Benny pinned.

"There won't be any need for that!"

I turn around and find two girls. The one who spoke consists of snowy white hair and electric blue eyes.

She smiles at me. "I apologize for the interruption, but I felt that it was the right time for me to butt in." She says gesturing to a growling Jack. "My name is Whinni."

...

I rub my arms as a cold wind rushes from the dead trees as we enter the forest. I jump at the sound of a crow as he swoops down above my head, cawing loudly. I let out a squeak, waving my hands to shoo it away. It goes and perches in a different tree, though, they all look the same to me. A charred black, barren, and cold, with the element of creepy.

"I really hope you have a plan." I point out to the Demon and he doesn't respond in any way.

At first he's walking beside me, but as we travel deeper into the woods he takes the lead.

After several hours I start to get impatient. "I think we're lost..."

Once again he doesn't answer and I kick at the hard ground with my heel, sending up a shower of dirt. Before I take another step, the Demon holds out his arm to stop me from going any further. He spins around and places a finger over his lips to shush me.

I notice he's listening hard, trying to focus all his senses on his surroundings. I do the same. I know I'm no Wolf Demon, but I'm not deaf.

Far off in the distance I hear the faint sounds of feet pounding on the ground, and quiet hushed voices. Fear strikes me like a lightning bolt during a raging storm and I turn to the Demon who gives me the same look.

"They're coming!" I say, my voice giving off a hint of the wave of panic that's washing over me.

He grabs my wrist, leading me through the forest, running as fast as our feet will carry us.

If they catch us we'll be slaughtered like animals!

I think to myself as I try my best not to freak out as we race through the trees. The boy is quite a lot faster than I am and I'm struggling to keep up with him as he drags me along behind him.

Adrenaline courses through my veins as I fight to stay calm.

I wish he could speak! It makes everything so much harder. I can't give someone my trust if I have no idea where or what they're doing!

We make a running leap over a fallen tree and I dare to look over my shoulder. Dogs bark wildly as they follow our scent, their owners close behind, but I still can't see them yet, which makes me feel just a little bit better.

Are we outrunning them?

The Demon grips my wrist tighter pulling me faster. As we run he begins to morph into his Wolf form, bones cracking and hair surfacing. Soon he's running on all fours and he gets down, urging me to mount him. Not bothering to argue with him I jump on his back, taking hold of the fur around his neck. I lay down, resting my head in his fur, shutting my eyes tight as we pick up speed, going twice as fast as we were before.

Soon the sounds of the dogs die out, as do the calls of the men who were chasing us.

"They've given up!" I say, triumph consuming me, but the Wolf doesn't stop. He slows to a walk, but when I try to slide off his back to the ground he snaps his teeth, unable to growl and I'm forced to remain where I am.

Why is he acting like this? For now the danger is past...isn't it?

My thoughts aren't allowed to wonder further because I hear a low hissing sound just ahead of us and the Wolf comes to a halt, digging his claws into the hard ground, baring his teeth.

In the shadows I see a large scaly figure brush against the ground, making a rough shhhhhhh sound. I hold my breath, not making any sudden movements, and I can tell the Demon is trying very hard to do the same.

Another hiss comes from the shadows, louder this time and as the scaly creature slithers out into the open, a forked tongue flicking out of it's fanged mouth, I realize why the trackers had stopped pursuing us.

6: Chapter 6

6

Benny

"Wonderful performance boys!" The girl Whinni says still clapping.

She's thin and tall for her estimated age with long snowy white hair that's pulled back into a messy bun. She's wearing a pair of skin tight jean shorts and a frilly pink blouse with spaghetti straps.

The girl behind her holds two pairs of fresh clean clothes. She's stick thin like her friend, although she has more of an hourglass figure. Her sharp features, red-orange hair, and bright yellow eyes give her a feline appearance.

Her scent drifts to me and the smell of fish and mint leaves sting my sensitive nose, almost making me sneeze.

She must be a Cat Demon.

The Cat Demon throws a pair of the clothes in our direction.

"I think I've seen enough. Let him up now, or Zoe will put you down!" Whinni says giving Jack a now cold glare.

He lets out a growl of frustration, lifting the pressure of his huge paw off my head. I scrunch my nose, trying to get the throbbing pain in my jaw to go away. He reluctantly lets me up and I get to my paws and shake my body to help smooth my ruffled fur.

"Benny!" Bella yells, running up to me and wrapping her arms around my neck. She buries her face in my fur and I close my eyes, grateful that she's here.

I look up and see Whinni in Jacks face. "I can't believe you were stupid enough to gather here! You know the rules!"

He's changed into his human form and has put on the clothes the two girls provided. He just grins widely at her.

She turns to the other boys. "Scram, before I let Zoe deal with you!"

Derek, Nick, and the others scramble around like chickens with their heads cut off. Apparently not wanting Zoe to get anywhere near them.

Within seconds they've all disappeared, all except for Jack. Bella pulls away from me and turns around.

Jack is leaning towards Whinni and she turns her face away. "Get out of here...now!" She says, a growl rising in her throat.

Jack chuckles continuing with his harassing and Bella storms up to him, smacking him across the face. "Next time it'll be my fist!" She snarls.

Jack is angry for a short moment and he raises his hand threateningly. I flatten my ears baring my teeth at him, lurching forward in between the two girls and himself.

He just smirks at me before shoving his hands in his pockets. He looks past me and winks at Bella who just glares at him menacingly. Then leaves, without another word.

Whinni turns to Bella and I, straightening her blouse. The girl Zoe comes in behind her, her arms crossed. She wrinkles her nose in disgust, probably at me.

"Sorry 'bout that." She apologizes.

Bella shakes her head from all the confusion. "Who were they exactly?"

Whinni sighs. "A Wolf Demon Pack. Jack has been trying to mate for the past few months now, as are the other males." She explains, still rather apologetic. "It's not wise to get cornered by them. I would have come alone if it had been any other situation, but it was too risky."

"Is the mutt sexually active or are we good for now?" The girl Zoe hisses at Bella, directing the aggression at me.

I shuffle my paws, my face growing hot with embarrassment, thankful that I'm still a wolf so they don't notice.

Bella shakes her head and pets my head gently. "He's fine."

Zoe then throws the spare clothes at my paws. "Hurry up and change so I don't have to smell your horrible stench so much."

I look down at the clothes, once again feeling embarrassed, especially at the thought of being naked in front of these three girls. I paw at the clothes and Bella picks them up. "We'd better be getting home." She says.

Whinni shakes her head. "The Facility already knows your location, it'd be safer if you come with us."

Bella gives me a concerned look. "What about Sarah and Lina?"

Whinni looks away. "They're dead..."

...

"Today, you will all witness what happens when you disobey the rules!" Greycot announces, gesturing with his hand to the two children behind him.

A man comes in beside him, he's massive and I can only imagine what it would be like to face him. His arms are bigger than my thigh, although, that doesn't take much.

A long scar reaches from his forehead, all the way down to his chin, crossing over his eye, which now is only an empty socket. His enormous size would make him more in comparison to a grisly bear, not much different in appearance either. The mop of dirty black hair atop his head is joined with a thick greasy beard and mustache, hiding his mouth. His hairy arms and beady yellow eyes, finish the frightening look he puts off.

Gripped in his large hand is a long serrated blade, recently sharpened and shined.

I gulp, knowing what he means to do with it.

Everyone calls him The Executioner. Anyone that gets out of line, or tries to escape is put to death. He does all the dirty work. Thankfully I've never been unfortunate enough to meet him.

Greycot gives him a small almost nonexistent nod and the Executioner approaches the Demon girl who raises her head slowly.

"No! Please don't hurt her! I'll do anything! Please!" The boy screams trying to pull his wrists from the cuffs attaching him to the wall.

The Executioner ignores the Angel and proceeds with his orders. The serrated blade peirces the girls chest, sharply touching the wall on the other side of her body. He regrips the leatherbound handle of the blade and begins to slice through her body like hot butter and I swallow a mouthful of bile. The Demons blood gushes from where the blade struck and she hangs on the wall, lifeless.

I cringe as The Executioner continues to mutilate her mercilessly, the sound of the blade cutting through her bones echoeing throughout thr large room. Many of the people around me scream in horror. Girls, Angel and Demons alike, burst into wails and some of the boys try to comfort them, all the while shooting menacing glares at Greycot.

Every one of us want so desperately to use our abilities to rip Greycot apart, but before we were all brought to this room they injected us with a special drug that neutralized our magic. Even the strongest of us can't overcome the drug, so we're forced to watch the horrible scene presented.

The boys face is wet with tears as he stares unbeleiving at the Demon girls body. His lips tremble, no longer trying to hold back his tears. Both the Angel and his dead friend are released from their cuffs and he crawls over to the girl and cradles her mutilated body. He leans down and kisses her lips gently, then rests his forehead against hers, the blood staining his white hair.

As he bawls Greycot addresses the horrible sight. "I hope you would take this into consideration young Angels and Demons. Anyone who disobeys orders is severely punished, whether it be the death of a loved one or your own life, among other punishments.

"In this godforsaken place I think anyone here will agree that death is welcomed!" A female voice calls above the wails.

The sweet scent of honey and roses fills my nostrils, and I search for the girl intently and soon find her surfacing in the crowd of people. She steps toward Greycot, and he scrunches his nose in disgust, knowing she's out of line.

I feel my muscles tense as I ready myself to come to her defense.

She stands her ground, refusing to back down under The Executioners looming shadow. Greycot finally overcomes his distaste for our kind for the moment and smiles slyly.

"Are you challenging me?"

The girl gives him a devilish smile. "No...I'm threatening you..."

7: Chapter 7

Part 2: A Team

7

Bella

"Where are you taking us?" I ask Whinni as we follow them through the towns narrow streets, lit only by the flickering street lamps.

"Somewhere safe." She replies and I give Benny a confused look.

He's refused to change back, so I carry the clothes that were given to him by the girls. I had retrieved his eye-patch after it came off when he morphed into his Wolf form.

Benny pads alongside me, my hand resting gently on his back. It almost feels like he's escorting me.

My mind starts to wonder as I think about earlier.

How could they murder their own kind?

I think to myself, horrified at the thought.

They killed Sarah and Lina...

Benny is thinking it to, and is just as shaken by the news.

The humans truly are cruel...

I try to take my mind off it and focus on other things instead.

Every house on the street is pitch dark, with the occasional porch light. It's hard to see exactly what all the houses look like at this time of night, but from what I can tell they're not cookie cutter houses, but they're all very similar in size and structure.

Whinni and Zoe suddenly burst into a run and the snowy-haired girl gestures for us to quickly follow, as we come up into an empty driveway. We step onto the small screened in porch and Whinni pulls out a keychain, with various different keys hanging on it. She sifts through the keys until finding the right one and unlocks the front door. We all step in in front of her and before she shuts the door and locks it she takes one last glamce out in the street to make sure no one followed.

Zoe hooks her claw-like nails into Benny's scruff and almost lifts him off his front paws. He makes a pained look and I can tell it hurts.

"He better change back before I suffocate from his awful stench!" She snarls before letting him go.

Whinni smiles at the Wolf and gestures into a narrow hallway and in a bathroom. "You can change in here." She gives Benny a sheepish smile and he shuffles his paws nervously. I notice as he pads into the bathroom he begins to change to his human form. Whinni then shuts the door after giving him the clothes. I notice her face is bright red and after I realize why, I feel my face growing hot as well.

Whinni waits for Benny while Zoe leads me from the rather small living room, which consists of a black leather couch and a really old box tv on a small entertainment center. The kitchen and dining room are one in the same, right next to the living room. She takes us through a door that leads out into a pantry type area or back porch. There are makeshift shelves filled with canned goods and snack type foods such as potato chips and granola bars. Boxes filled with the same kinds of food sit in the corner and Zoe moves them aside to reveal a trap door.

She takes hold of the rope handle and pulls up the door. Underneath is a series of rotten old steps which probably leads down to an unfinished basement. She travels down the steps into the basement, not bothering to check whether I followed or not.

I cautiously place a bare foot on the first step before letting the other copy it. The smell of mildew and earth fills my nostrils the cold air wafting up from the basement and as I step down onto the cold concrete at the bottom of the stairs the sounds of keys punching on a keyboard catches in my ears.

I look up and find Zoe looking over the shoulder of a nerdy boy with russet brown hair as he works on his computer. He stops typing for only a moment to straighten his oval-shaped glasses, which give him his cute nerdy appearance. Under his baggy grey tee and blue jeans that obviously too big for him is muscle. Not a lot of muscle obviously, his thin body making that apparent.

"So, you're the one that's been drawing so much attention." Someone says behind me and I turn around to find a girl and what looks to be an older brother.

Her bony arms are crossed over her chest. She's taller than me and I notice her pointed ears and thin silver hair pulled back into a braid, while her choppy bangs hang down in her shimmering green eyes. Her clothes are quite different than what most people wear, vaguely reminding me of an emo or goth. Consisting of merely a short black skirt and red tank that hugs her curves while her forearms are covered with black and white striped arm sleeves that cover her hands, all except her fingers. She wears the same kind of pant leggings, her shoes a pair of shiny black sandles that buckle on the side. I notice she wears a belt on her short skirt, two gun holsters attached to her hips. Each holster carries a Glock 32.

The boy standing beside her stares at me curiously, his shaggy white hair hanging down in his face. He looks like he just rolled out of bed, which makes me giggle. Especially at the rather noticable cowlick that apparently he tried to smooth down already, but it wouldn't cooperate. His broad shoulders and muscular build very much unlike the boy at the computer. His clothes are definately not as unique as what seems to be his sister, them being a dusty blue sweatshirt and a pair of khaki shorts, his hands shoved in his pockets. On his shoulder hangs a backpack, and I can only imagine what's in there. I'm pretty sure it's not schoolbooks.

His cheeks turn a faint pink when he realizes I've especially noticed his cowlick. He tries to smooth it down, only to fail badly as he's just making it worse.

The elf girl holds out her hand in greeting and I shake it, not taking my eyes off the elf boy. "You would be?" She asks politely with a smooth and gentle voice, but still sly, like a snake sheltering in the grass ready to strike.

I smile turning my gaze to her, though my attention remains on her brother. "My name is Bella."

She nods, but before either of them have the chance to say more Whinni and Benny have entered the basement. Benny comes to stand beside me and I try to flatten his crazy looking hair.

Whinni smiles at me. "This is our current hideout. It's somewhere where The Facility can't track us. However, they do eventually find out our location and we have to move. It's also a place where we can keep in touch with the other teams." She explains vaguely.

"There are others like us?" I ask in surprise, feeling a flicker of hope spark in me.

Whinni nods. "Yes, but our numbers dwindling now that The Facility knows we live in their world as well as our own. They've been keeping a sharp eye out for us and it's been getting harder and harder to steer clear of them." She says with a sigh. "It was a close call tonight. If you had lingered at the school any longer, they would have caught you."

I look at Benny and he looks at me with his one good eye, while the other is once again hidden under his eyepatch.

"So, what do we do about it?" I ask that devilish grin curving my lips again.

Zoe comes in beside her. "We fight back!"

...

I feel my hands start to tremble as I stare up at the serpent. Its poisonous tongue flicks out before smoothly sliding back into its mouth. My eyes widen as it opens its jaws revealing long sharp fangs filled with poison. A loud hiss escapes its throat and it coils up, rattling its tail threateningly and the Demon boy begins to back away slowly trying not to make a sound.

As he takes his third paw-step back the serpent hisses again apparently aware that we're here.

"It's been awhile ssssince I've had fresh meat!" She hisses, slithering her long serpentine body around us so we can't escape.

I feel my breath quickening, my heart pounding as if at any moment it'll burst.

"Surely y-you...wouldn't want t-to eat us!" I say, trying very hard to stay calm. "We're all skin and bones. Not to mention his fur! You wouldn't want to choke on that thick hair." I say running my fingers through his fur to make a point.

The serpent lets out a low hissing laugh, her mouth almost looks like a smile as she does so, making me shudder.

"You make a point girl..." Her snippy voice hangs in the cold air, and I can just feel it bite my skin as she stares at me evilly.

"However," The serpents large black scaly head sways back and forth getting ever closer to us, the core of her fangs just peeking out as she opens her mouth just slightly, briefly flashing them as she talks. "I can't just let you go! You would surely attempt to kill me!"

Her tongue flicks out, the sharp looking tips almost touching my nose. I swallow and whimper of fear and the Demon is shaking, trying to keep his cool as best he can. "Oh...I-I-I...we would never do that."

The serpent gets angry and she opens her fanged mouth their sharp tips very close to my face, dripping with silver poison. "You humans are such greedy little bastards! You have your own world then you dare to take ours! Filthy human scum!"

"No, no! We aren't humans! We're from this world!" I say, trying to correct her mistake before she makes us her dinner. "We just want to get away! Please let us pass!" I plead and I she backs up a little.

"You are the holy children of Allicastor then?" She asks curious.

I nod. "Yes, and soon the humans will come looking for us again!"

This interests her. "I cannot kill the holy children of Allicastor unless on command, so I shall let you pass, but in exchange I want you to kill the one that cursed me, and turned my Angel spirit into this vile thing." She makes a small short sweeping movement with her head, gesturing to her serpentine form.

"Who might this person be?" I ask curiously.

"He does not dwell in this land! In fact he is of Elvin origin and goes by the name Farron Naraveeve!"

"And why would he do this to you?" I ask contiuing wth my pressing questions.

"Do we have a deal?" She hisses, ignoring the question.

I nod. "And what if the man has already passed?"

A snippy evil laugh escapes her throat. "Kill the heir!"

8: Chapter 8

8

Benny

"Zoe, who you've already met, is a Cat Demon and therefore specializes in stealth. She gets the job done, and she gets it done thoroughly without mistakes." Whinni says crossing her arms. Zoe comes in beside her, sharp teeth flashing through her grin.

"Then there's Charlie." She gestures a delicate hand towards the nerdy boy who, with his laptop held under the crook of his arm, is straightening his glasses. He waves his hand in greeting. "If you hadn't already noticed, he's human. He takes care of the technical stuff. He can hack into any program and disable it with ease, which is helpful when we go on missions. He also leads The Facility off our trail when they catch onto us."

The two elves now stand behind Whinni, waiting for her to introduce them. "These two, obviously, are elves. Basil," She nods her head towards the girl. "probably knows about every firearm on this planet, and she knows how to use it. Although it's obvious what her personal favorite is."

The elf girl, Basil taps the holsters on her hips with her index fingers.

"And last but not least, Bee, who is strangely out of character at the moment, likes anything that goes boom!"

Bella stares at the elf boy who is twiddling his thumbs, the cowlick on the top of his head embarrassingly noticeable. "What about you?" She asks Whinni.

Whinni smirks. "I, am an Angel, and Team Captain." She announces rather proudly. "We could always use some new recruits."

Bella gives me a devious glance before nodding in agreement. "We're in!"

Whinni claps her hands together. "Great! Now, would you mind introducing yourselves?"

Bella smiles. "I'm Bella! An Angel, and this is my friend Benny. A Wolf Demon."

Zoe scoffs. "Like we couldn't tell!"

Bella shoots her a dirty look then tuns her attention back to Whinni, who claps her hands together, rubbing them together excitedly.

"Alright! Your first mission! We go to your old house and gather some of your belongings, but you'll have to be careful. There are lots of Facility agents just waiting for you." Whinni shoves both Bee and Basil forward. "These two will accompany you, to help you on your first mission. The rest of us will keep an eye on things from here. You'll need these." Whinni pulls two earphones out of her pocket, no bigger the rubber peice that goes on your earbud.

We take them and put them in our ears, and Whinni continues with her instructions. "You can speak to us through those, just press the button right on the outside of the phone. This way we can communicate easier when we're seperated."

Whinni sends us up the stairs and into the pantry room. We conceal the trapdoor under the boxes of stuff before cautiously heading out onto the screened in porch. Basil takes the lead as we travel through the yards, trying our best to stay off the lamplit streets. Basil has one gun out of her holster, her finger on the trigger in case we would run into trouble.

A cold wind chill sweeps through the neighborhood and I notice Bella is shivering as she follows us, clutching her arms. I'm about to fall in step beside her but Bee takes my place, offering her his sweatshirt. She gives him a small smile, trying not to let her teeth chatter, taking the sweatshirt gratefully. I can tell he's blushing, running his fingers through his dead straight shaggy white hair.

Without realizing it, my teeth start to grind together as I watch them and I stop, falling behind everyone.

As the cold air fills my nostrils, it has a hint of dampness and I look up at the clouding sky, trying to hide the twinkling stars.

It's going to snow soon...

Basil stops us before we cross the street into the next yard.

"Okay, we need to try and go around to the back door. We'll be able to take out those agents without anyone noticing, but we still need to be careful, we don't know if there are any in the house."

Bella shakes her head. "It won't work, they'll spot us before we get anywhere near the house and alert the others. We need a distraction."

I perk up at this and raise my hand to volunteer. Basil just stares at me uncertainly and silently asks Bella who nods.

I grin before going around the block and onto Melody St. I walk on the sidewalk, my hands shoved in my pockets casually. The agents spot me immediately and my heart beats fast as they start to ask questions.

"Where you going boy?" A redheaded man asks and I gulp, unable to answer.

"What's with the eyepatch?" Another asks and once again I still can't answer them.

The redhead narrows his gaze questioningly. "Why won't you talk to us boy?"

I let out a long sigh, to help me keep my heart rate down for fear they would hear it pounding.

"What's going on?" Another man approaches us, his blonde hair cut very short, giving it a spiky look.

"Found this kid walking down the street. He won't talk to us." The redhead replies.

"Run Benny! Don't give them the chance to recognize you!"

Whinni says through the speaker in my ear, being the only one who can hear her.

Doing as I'm told I turn tail and burst into a full sprint down the street.

"Hey!" They yell, chasing after me.

"Get him!" The redhead shouts.

As I run I look up at the now black sky and find little white flakes floating down gracefully. I take a deep breath pressing harder, trying to think of the best way to lose them.

"Don't stop Benny!"

...

"Well, I hope you know that means severe punishment." Greycot says narrowing his gaze.

"I'm aware of the consequences..." She dares him to press on, knowing she's only asking for it.

"Who are you girl?" He asks inquisitively.

She gives him a defiant stare. "Who wants to know?"

Angry at this he brings his hand across her face and she stands, bent over from the shock of the blow. I want to go and help her, but fear freezes my body and I'm unable to move.

What will they do to her? They can't kill her!

The girl, stands up straight again. "I am The Soul Thief!"

Gasps of shock fill the room and everyone starts to talk fairly loud and Greycot has to yell above all the voices to quiet them.

The girl continues with her threats. "You won't kill me Greycot, because I will make sure your soul suffers so painfully!" She snarls, getting on her tiptoes in his face. "You're already neck deep in our blood! I just dare you to continue with what you're doing, 'cause someday, we will fight back." She shakes her head, a smirk on her face. "There will be nowhere to hide."

Taking this all as a joke he starts to laugh, before going over to the Angel, who is still bawling over his dead lover. He grabs him by the hair and drags him away, he holds the poor boys head out towards The Executioner. "If you're the Soul Thief, bring him back to life."

My eyes widen as The Executioner brings his blade down, but it never reaches the boy. The girls hand grips The Executioners wrist, keeping it from coming down. Everyone in the room is dead silent as they watch her. A shimmering blue light fills the tips of her fingers, flowing up her arms and filling her entire body until she looks light a bright sparkling light. She uses her other hand and reaches forward, her palm phasing through his body. A bright blue light envelopes The Executioner like herself and as she pulls away from him she holds a dim glowing ball of white light.

Even Greycot is surprised and he drops the boy, who crawls back over to the dead Demon. She holds the ball of light for only a brief moment as it flickers, getting smaller and smaller until it disappears.

She turns to Greycot, the blue shimmer leaving her body. "I do not possess the skill bring others back from the dead, and I cannot steal a soul if there isn't one to steal!"

9: Chapter 9

9

Bella

I silently pray that Benny is okay, before jumping over the fence and heading into my yard.

Huh, never thought I'd have to sneak into my own house. It's a little depressing...

I open up the door, not having to unlock it and walk into the living room, which looks untouched. I gesture for the two elves to enter and Basil steps in front of me, looking around for any sign of agents.

I race up the stairs into my room. I refuse to allow Basil or Bee into my room while I change and they wait just outside. I strip off my pjs along with the sweatshirt Bee had lent me and slip on a pair of jeans and a red tee. I then snatch up my computer, shoving it into my backpack. I stuff my purse and my backpack with clothes and other certain things I may need, making a note to get Bee's sweatshirt. I put on my best tennisshoes and grab my jacket, and rush for the door, but I feel a hand close over my mouth. I'm pulled back away from the door, my shout of surprise muffled by the hand.

"Hello sweetheart..."

I recognize the voice immediately and I struggle against him, but he has his arm wrapped around my waist tightly. I squirm, trying to wriggle my way out but he just grips my waist tighter and I let out a grunt of pain, finding he's stronger than I had anticipated.

I feel his tongue drag across my cheek and I shudder, wanting badly to scream for Bee and Basil. "Are you ready to have some fun?"

I take my chance as he lets his guard down briefly, and bite his hand. He snarls angrily pulling away and I let out a yelp before he has his hand back over my mouth to shut me up. Bee and Basil burst into the room, the elf girl has two guns pointed at Jack's head and he whips out a knife, placing it at my throat. He's released my waist which is a relief, but now I'm concerned with the new issue.

"Step any closer and I'll slit her throat!" He snarls at them and Basil glares at him.

"Clearly you don't know who you're dealing with!" She pulls the trigger and the bullet goes straight through his hand.

He drops the knife, letting me go and I spin around, allowing my foot to collide with his jaw, a sharp crack sounding.

"We need to get out of here!" Basil points out, as if I didn't already know.

I nod, but before we leave I look back at Jack. "We can't just leave him!"

Basil and Bee both turn and look down at the unconscious boy. Basil lets out a sigh. "Get him!"

Bee walks past me and picks Jack up, slinging him over his shoulder. I'm rather surprised by this.

Is he really that strong?

We race downstairs and dash out the front door. As we run across the street an agent spots us, but before they have a chance to do anything, one of Basil's bullets hit him square in the forehead.

When we get to a safe distance Bee lays Jack down, and we leave him there, not wanting to wait until he wakes up.

As we walk back to the hideout I fall in step with Bee and pull his sweatshirt out of my backpack and hand it to him.

"Thanks..." I say rather quietly.

He turns to me and smiles, taking the sweatshirt hesitantly, as if debating on whether to refuse to take it back, but he does.

"So, um...Bee right?" I ask, biting my lip.

He nods, staring straight ahead at his sister who walks ahead of us.

"Can you talk?" I press on, finding his mannerisms similar to Benny's.

"Yeah...w-why do you ask?" He says smiling sweetly again.

I close my eyes at his smooth voice, finding it to be music to my ears. I try to shake myself out of it and chuckle. "Oh, no reason, you just haven't spoken at all and I was wondering."

We've made it back to the hideout and as soon as we step inside I drop my stuff by the door. Almost instantly I realize I'm so tired I could collapse on the floor and be comfortable, but I can't do that until I've found out if Benny is okay.

We head to the basement immediately, me being a little bit slower getting down the steps, considering my weary state. At the bottom of the steps we only find Zoe and Charlie.

"Where's Benny and Whinni?" I ask worriedly, trying my best to keep my eyes open.

Charlie stops punching keys into his computer and shuts it hard and spins in his swivel chair, getting to his feet in the process. "You need to rest Bella. It's been a long night for all of us."

I realize he ignored my question, but don't have the chance to argue cause my knees buckle. Bee leaps forward and scoops me up before I fall and I try desperately to fight sleep but it swiftly overpowers me, and I feel the comforting darkness wash over me.

"Benny..."

...

"What if I don't fulfill my promise?"

"Then I will kill you!"

The serpents voice rings in my ears ominously and I try to shake it off, but nothing seems to help. I let out a sigh as I walk alongside the Wolf Demon. He's refused to change back seeing he ruined his last pair of clothes.

He's lead me into a much greener part of the forest now and I wonder if there are other places like this in Allicastor.

I look around in wonder at the beauty of the lush greenery. "I didn't know places like this still existed! I thought the humans destroyed everything!" I say, practically talking to myself since the Wolf can't talk in any way.

He seems equally amazed at how intact the forest still is.

It looks like no one's touched it!

I think to myself, grinning down at the soft grass in between my toes.

The Wolf starts to smell the air, and I watch him intently, wondering what he smells. Suddenly he bursts into a sprint and I race after him, trying hard to keep up with his speed.

"Hey! Wait! Slow down!" I call after him, but he doesn't pay any attention.

If it wasn't for the fact that he heard the trackers coming I'd think he was deaf!

I say angrily in my head, continuing to run after him since he doesn't seem to plan on stopping anytime soon.

Finally after what seems like forever he comes to halt and I slow to a stop beside him, completely out of breath. Once I catch my breath, I turn to him absolutely furious.

"What the hell is wrong with you!" I scream, but he doesn't even flinch, he just stares ahead.

I follow his gaze and find he's looking at a rather large bramble thicket. There's an arch in the brambles, flowers vining their way into the brambles, making it like a beautiful archway. It almost looks like a door.

The Wolf steps behind me and nudges me forward with his nose and I do as I'm told.

What can it harm really? It looks like it leads somewhere, why not find out where?

I slowly walk forward, stepping through the archway, with the Wolf closely following. I squint, seeing the end of the tunnel of brambles ending a long ways away. I sigh and continue the journey, but right before I step out onto the other side everything goes dark.

10: Chapter 10

10

Benny

I glance over my shoulder finding that the agents are still on my tail, and to make things worse they've started shooting.

Another bullet shoots past me and I feel it graze my cheek. I raise my hand and find the cut is deep. Blood seeps through the gash, running down my chin.

Forgetting about the cut I dive into an alleyway as they continue shooting at me. I race down the alley, but a bullet catches me in the shoulder when the agents enter as well.

I trip, skidding across the damp concrete, my bare arms taking the brunt of the fall. I grit my teeth, feeling the scrapes as well and the bullet in my shoulder and the bruises I had endured during Jack's beating, not to mention the pain shooting through my face from the gash.

I realize I won't be getting away this time and I lay there, wanting so badly for the pain to go away. I'm exhausted, after not having slept since late the night before. My energy is drained from me and I just feel like letting them take me.

I feel hands grab my arms and hold them behind my back as I'm lifted to my feet. I look up at the red haired man not bothering to struggle.

He narrows his gaze skeptically. "You're not an ordinary boy are you?"

I don't answer him, but only hang my head from tiredness. I can hear him grind his teeth in frustration. "Speak boy before I beat it out of you!"

After several moments of my silence I feel a fist come into my gut causing me to cough, seeming that I'll only have to endure another beating since I can't speak.

"Come on guys, why don't you pick a fight with someone that's more evenly matched. But I suppose you're always that low!" A familiar voice says at the end of the alley.

I look up to see a white haired girl holding a gun, threatening to pull the trigger. "Let him go boys!" She calls to them, sounding dead serious, and I wouldn't question her considering the fact that she's armed.

"Who are you!" The redhead questions her.

"Who gives a damn! She's hot!" One of the other agents says before Whinni has the chance to say anything.

No one has time to react before the bullet buries into his skull, and the man who spoke drops.

I look back at the Angel and I can tell she's furious, and I make a note not to make her angry in the future.

"Do as I say before you end up like your friend!" She snarls, aiming at the redhead and he grins, but his only other companion lets me go and races past Whinni to get away.

"Come on Benny!" She calls to me and I try to go to her, but the last agent gets in between us.

"Neither of you are going anywhere!" He snarls and I can sense the power of a Demon surging in him.

Whinni grips her gun tighter. "Just like a Demon to side with the enemy! How dare you betray us!"

He lets out a laugh, which turns out to be more of a cackle than a laugh.

I notice his nails sharpening into needlelike claws and I sniff the air catching the scent of rotting fish, and I wrinkle my nose at the stench.

It smells similar to Zoe, only not nearly as clean and well-kept.

Another Cat Demon?

Red hair surfaces, fuzzy cat ears appearing in place of his human ones. He lets out a catlike roar at the Angel, who only has a look of disgust on her face.

A thin red tail rips from his pants, lashing furiously.

I know what you're thinking. Why does he still look a little bit human. Well, since I've failed to explain earlier in the story I will tell you now. We don't just have two forms. We not only have human form and animal form, but we also have an inbetween form. While we're in this stage we tend to be bigger and more threatening. We're not nearly as strong as we are in our full animal form, but I'm guessing this guy doesn't to ruin his clothes, although it kind of backfired considering the tail issue.

Whinni shoots at the Cat Demon but he dodges each bullet until she's completely run out of ammo. She drops her gun and pulls out a pair of knives as he dashes forward directing his claws for her neck. She pivots on the ball of her foot allowing him to move right past her. She slices her knife into his shoulder and he growls in pain spinning back around to face her.

"Little b-"

"Shut up and fight fish breath!" She yells, cutting him off. She darts into him aiming for his chest but he sidesteps raking his claws along her arm, ribbons of flesh taken with them. She drops her knife, clutching her arm in pain as blood drips onto the concrete.

"Damn!" She snarls and he laughs at her.

His whiskers twitch as he smells her blood. "Thought I smelled an Angel!"

I sprint past him and stand in front of her protectively which makes him laugh harder noticing the sunlight trying hard to leak its way into the alley as it dawns on the old buildings surrounding us. "Don't worry kid, it looks like I'm not gonna be able to kill your girlfriend today." He says flashing a sharp pair of fangs at me before racing out of the alley.

Once I'm sure he's gone I turn to Whinni who is grimacing at her arm. "Let's get out of here before people start to enter the streets." She points out leading me from the alley.

At this I realize,

She saved me...

...

Greycot stares at the defiant girl and I see a glint of fear in his eyes, and he doesn't protest when she goes up to the crying boy and the dead girl.

The Executioner takes a step forward but he holds out a hand to stop her.

She places a hand on the boys shoulder then wraps her arms around him comfortingly. "She's somewhere safe now..." She whispers to him.

He's surprised by her compassion and after a few moments he accepts it and buries his face into her shoulder, tears not ceasing to flow.

Finally she pulls away and slowly raises her hand, letting it hover above the girls body, palm facing her.

She focuses all of her magic on the Demon and soon a small light appears, glowing brightly in the fairly dark room. The Angel stares teary eyed at the soul as it materializes into the girl. A smile curves her lips as she stares at him lovingly.

I notice her mouth starts to move and I listen hard to see what she says.

"I love you..." Her whispy voice says filling a very small part of the room, enabling only those closest to hear her. "I will see you again...I promise..."

That last word hangs in the air, wanting to linger, only to find that it can't stay. The girls spirit fades away, and as she does the boy desperately reaches out to her, but all he can get at is the air.

Once she's gone tears well in his eyes again, but he holds back a cry of sorrow as the girl helps him to his feet and sends him into the sympathetic crowd.

Bella gives Greycot one more threatening look before going back into the crowd again.

Neither him, nor The Executioner have anything to say and after that they have us escorted to our rooms/prison cells.

I get to thinking about what happened.

Do we really have the power to break out of this place? If so, will we do it? We may be too broken to fight when the time comes. Before we entered that room today we all looked like we had already lost hope, but when we left, I could see new strength in all of us. That girl gave us something to hang onto.

A smile forms on my face, something that I haven't shown for as long as I can remember.

Someday...

11: Chapter 11

11

Bella

The sound of the front door opening and then closing rouses me from my sleep. I sit up rubbing my blurry eyes.

I'm laying on the surprisingly comfortable couch in the living room. The whole house looks to be dark and I swing my feet off the couch and stand up. I start to feel my way towards the kitchen. I reach out to the dining room table, but instead feel something soft.

I squint through the darkness, trying to make out what it is.

One bright hazel colored eye is illuminated, playfullness glinting.

"Benny?" I feel the figure further and as I do so, something hot and sticky gets on my hand. I raise my hand to my face, sniffing the stuff, finding it to have a sharp smell.

I go to find the light and flip the switch. When I turn back to Benny I find he's covered in blood.

Okay, I may be exaggerating a bit, but that's besides the point! He's still badly hurt!

"What happened?" I ask worriedly and he only shrugs.

"Benny!" I hear Whinni's voice call from the pantry and we follow her voice, coming down into the basement.

I look over in the far corner of the room to see Bee passed out. He's leaning up against the wall, his head tipped to the side, drool running down his chin, mouth open. He's sound asleep and has yet to make a sound.

I chuckle, turning my attention away from the elf and notice Whinni is worse for wear than Benny. Strips of flesh missing from her right arm, blood dripping from her fingertips onto the floor.

Charlie has taken his eyes from the screen of his computer, giving both Angel and Demon a concerned look. Basil has the same look, while Zoe just looks angry as always.

"Lay down..." Whinni commands Benny, wincing from the pain in her arm.

Doing as he's told he lays flat on his back on the concrete. Whinni crouches beside him and places her hand on his stomach. She seems to focus all of her energy on the boy, the magic filling her hand with a bright light.

I pay close attention, noticing his cheek mending as if he had never even had the wound, though it still leaves a thick grey scar behind, similar looking to the one on his neck. When the glowing in her hand ceases she pulls away, breathing heavily.

Benny sits up and places a hand on his shoulder, realizing his wound is healed, along with the others. He gives Whinni a nod in silent thanks. His eyes flit to her injured arm and she smiles.

"The price of being a Healing Angel is that I can't heal myself. I'll just have to wait until it heals naturally." She goes over to a box that sits underneath the table that has Charlie's laptop sitting on it. She drags it out and opens it up, taking out a few old cloths. She sops up the blood before holding another clean cloth on the wound.

"What happened?" Basil asks.

Whinni chuckles. "Ran into a Cat Demon!"

"One of us?" Zoe asks, sounding as if she doesn't believe her.

Whinni nods. "Yeah well, he's on their side!"

Charlie gives her a confused look. "What do you mean on their side?"

"I mean, that he works for whoever is in charge of The Facilities!" She says, rather irritated about the whole thing.

"Why would one of us work for them?" Basil asks clenching her fists angrily.

Whinni shakes her head. "I don't know, but we can't stay here! We need to go to a more remote location. It'll be easier to collect information without getting so easily caught."

Charlie shrugs nonchalantly. "Why can't we just stay here? It's not like they actually know where our hideout is."

Basil smacks him upside the head. "Stupid! They know there are several of us living in this town, it won't be long before they find us."

He rubs the back of his head, his cheeks hot from embarrassment.

Whinni shakes her head. "Anyway, lets grab anything we need and get out of here as quickly as possible."

Before everyone breaks up the conversation I stop them. "Wait, where will we go exactly? What town could be safer than this one!"

Charlie is already on his computer searching for somewhere. When he's done searching he points to a small dot on the map and I have to look close to see it. "This is probably the safest place in the United States right now."

Zoe chuckles. "Used to live there. It's quiet, with some friendly people, but they make you feel at home, even if there aren't many."

I stare at the dot of land curiously.

Green, Kansas?

...

I sit up abruptly, breathing heavily, sweat rolling off of me. I look around and find I'm surrounded by old crumbling buildings. The streets are damp and wet, the dampness soaking into what remains of my clothes.

I look around for the Demon, but he's nowhere to be seen.

I get to my feet, shivering from the spring chill, and make my way out into the street. It's totally dark and I can only wonder where I am.

What is this place?

I walk down the deserted street every so often having to shield my eyes when I look up at the bright light that's been stuck on a long wooden pole in the ground.

My bare feet make a wet slap against the hard black earth, making the ever present silence more apparent.

Up and down each side of the street are houses. They're like nothing I've ever seen before. Enormous homes, each one different and yet similar. I gape in awe at them all.

What is it like inside?

I shake myself out of it.

I have to find the Demon first! We need to stick together!

I break into a run down the street, turning sharply onto one that looks almost exactly the same.

"What!" I turn and go back the way I came, finding myself in a more rundown part of the neighborhood. I jump at the sound of screaming and crashing inside one of the homes, trying to get out of that place quickly.

I keep running until I come to an area completely different, with flashing neon lights and and bright open windows, showing everything inside the buildings. I find myself colliding into someone and we tumble to the ground in a heap.

"Hey! Watch where you're go-" The man pauses mid sentence as I scramble to my feet.

"S-sorry!" I stutter dashing past him in a hurry and he calls for me to stop, and I don't plan to until my feet slip on the slick ground, causing me to fall on the hard rocklike earth.

I let out a gasp, making sure my hands and arms hit first. I sit up and take a look at my arms, all scraped up. The strip of flesh the doctor had carved out of me has left an ugly scar and I grimace at my once again bleeding arms, knowing they'll have to heal naturally this time.

"Hey! You alright kid!"

The man I had run into comes to my side and tries to help me up.

"I-I..." I feel tears well in my eyes, as I start to think about what may have happened to the voiceless Demon boy.

"It's alright, you only got a few scrapes!" He says with a faint British accent, trying to comfort me.

I shake my head, burying it in my hands, a fresh wave of despair washing over me.

"Come on kid, let's get you somewhere warm before you catch your death." He takes off his coat and puts it on my shoulders, leading me back down the walkway.

"Where are you taking me?" I say, hinting a bit of concern in my voice and he smiles down at me.

"Don't worry, it's definitely somewhere safer than the streets." He explains rather vaguely.

I stare down at the ground pretty much the whole way, feeling the sting of my scrapes more so.

"We're here!" He announces gladly, causing me to look up.

We've come to a small house in the quiet neighborhood from earlier. He takes out his key and unlocks the door, allowing me to step off the front step and onto a rough rug at the entrance. He comes in behind me and I scurry forward to let him in.

He sighs, "Home sweet home..." then throws his jacket down by the door.

The layout of the house intrigues me and when he goes into the living room for a short moment I go and explore.

The house starts with the front door entering straight into the kitchen, then leads into a hallway that takes you to several different other rooms, breaking off into the living room right as you enter the hall.

I step into the hallway and look into the first room I come to, finding there to be several different looking facilities. I step onto the smooth floor, similar to the wood, only another texture. I reach a hand out to a nob on the bowl hanging low on the wall and turn it counter clockwise, jumping when water starts to pour out of the silver piece of metal attached to the bowl.

I reach down to touch the water only to let out a sharp cry of pain when the water burns my finger. I pop my finger in my mouth to cool it down.

The man must have heard me because he enters the room worriedly, but when he sees me and the running water he starts laughing. "Burned yourself did ya? Haha! Come on, I think I have some better clothes for you to wear for now."

He turns the knob clockwise and the water disappears. I stare at it in amazement before following him out of the room. He sends me into a room with a neatly made bed, a small table sitting beside it.

"The clothes are on the bed for ya! Come out when you're done!" He says cheerily before shutting the door behind him.

I go over to the bed and shrug the coat off my shoulder and slip off the abnormally long shirt, replacing it with a faded red shirt that is equally as long and as large as the last one I had on. I then take the dark blue shorts and put those on as well, finding them to be extremely big for my small waist. I synch them up, tying the strings in a knot to keep them from falling off. Before I leave the room I grab my dirty rag that I had been wearing and the coat the nice man had lent me. I step out into the cosy living room and find him sitting on the plush golden brown couch. He soon notices me standing there and gestures for me to come and sit beside him.

Doing as he asks I lay the coat and rag down at the entrance to the room and sit down beside him. He offers me a sandwich filled with slices of meat and cheese. I take it gratefully and he's surprised when I hungrily gobble it down in merely a few quick bites.

"Hungry little thing aren't ya?"

I smile thankfully, swallowing the last bit of sandwich. "I appreciate your help."

He smiles back at me. "Well I couldn't let you get into trouble out there. It's dangerous on the streets at night ya know." He holds out a hand to me. "I'm Milo, whats yours?"

I tip my head curiously as I shake his hand. "My what?"

"Your name silly girl!" He says with a light chuckle.

I turn my gaze to my hands which rest limply in my lap. "I don't have a name...at least not that I know of..."

He narrows his gaze, unbelieving. "Everyone has a name, surely you do?"

I shake my head. "No one has ever given me a name..."

He pats my back. "Well, I guess we'll just have to give you one."

12: Chapter 12

12

Benny

I watch everyone grab their stuff, and I only sit and wait in the living room. I have nothing to get which Whinni seems to realize a little bit later.

She stops midstep as she passes me. "Don't you have anything?"

I shake my head and she crosses her arms, thinking for a brief moment. "Maybe Bee would be willing to let you borrow some clothes until we can get you some new ones."

"Did someone say my name?" Bee asks poking his head out of the hallway.

Whinni stares at him for a moment then says, "On second thought, maybe Charlie would be willing to do so. He is more your...size after all." She points out looking me up and down then rushes back into one of the rooms in the hallway.

I let out a long sigh, thinking about what our new "home" will be like. I smile at the thought, suddenly remembering what it was like when we first came here.

...

"Hey!" Someone shouts in my ear. "Dude! Wake up!"

I open my eyes, trying to rub the bleariness from them and sit up.

"You alright?"

I look over to find a boy, maybe a little older than me with wavy dust brown hair and a freckled face. He smirks at me. "You might want to get some clothes..."

I look at my bare skin, a shiver passing through me. I suddenly feel embarrassed, my face turning bright red, which makes the boy laugh. "Here."

He hands me a pair of pants and a shirt. "Found you laying here and figured you couldn't go anywhere looking like that!"

I take the clothes and quickly put them on, getting to my feet. I nod a thanks to the boy.

"Don't worry about it!" He narrows his gaze. "Hey, what's with your eye?"

I reach my hand up to my blind eye, finding it intact. I shake my head and he just smiles. "Why don't we get you home!" He says gesturing for me to follow him. I do as he says and go out into the busy streets.

Home? I've...I've never had a home before...I'm not even sure if I can remember what a home is or feels like.

"Now where do you live?" He asks and I tip my head in confusion.

What does he mean? I don't live...anywhere...

He waves his hand in my face. "Hey, you have mouth don't you?"

I nod.

That was kind of a rhetorical question.

He waves his arms in the air. "Well then speak!"

I understand what he wants and I step closer to him, pointing to the ugly scar on my neck. He stares at it curiously. "So this is you telling me you can't speak?"

I nod a yes and he stands there puzzled. "Well, do you know if you live here?"

I shake my head and continue with his yes and no questions.

"So, do you even have a home?" He finally asks and once again I shake my head. He sighs feeling defeated on the matter. "Pretty soon your gonna be telling me you don't have a name."

I just stare at him with even more confusion filling my expression and he gives me an exhausted look. "Nevermind..." He raises his arms above his head, arching his back in a stretch. "Well, you're in luck 'cause my parents are away on a two month business trip in Ohio right now so you can come home with me. Oh, and my name is Carter by the way!"

I follow him down the walkway past different kinds of buildings some which look to have food inside them. I smell the air, my mouth watering at the scent of freshly cooked meat wafting from a butcher shop that says Big D's BBQ on the front in big bold red letters.

I lick my lips stopping at the entrance and the boy comes back, chuckling at me. "Hungry huh?"

Saliva fills my mouth, threatening to run out, down my chin. Which has him laughing even harder. He grabs my hand and drags me inside. "I'm hungry too!"

We sit down at one of the tables in the strange environment and I resume drooling over the sweet scent of meat radiating from the backroom.

Someone approaches our table with a notepad in hand and a sharp colorful object that is apparently used for writing.

"I'll have a pulled pork sandwich and a Dr. Pepper!" The boy Carter tells the man and then they both look at me expectantly.

I stare up at the man with the notepad, wondering what I'm supposed to do. I try to think fast and notice a picture of two huge slabs of meat on the table and point to that.

The man is surprised. "You want that?"

I smile and nod, feeling satisfied with my choice, and Carter Raises an eyebrow at me. "That's the biggest meal on the entire menu. No one has ever been able to finish it."

Feeling challenged by this I give him a mischeivous grin and he crosses his arms.

"Alright! Fine, but you won't be able to finish it all. Get him a Dr. Pepper as well please." He tells the man and he disappears into the backroom where the food must be.

I just stare at that door hungrily, my stomach growling loudly, telling me it's time to eat.

A long time passes before they actually come with the food and the man with the notepad from before carries one plate that's significantly smaller than the other. He sets the biggest one in front of me and I stare down at the two huge slabs of meat, each one as big as my head, smothered in red sauce with corn and strips of potatoes on the side. I also get a strange looking drink and I look into the cup, wrinkling my nose as the bubbles pop in my face, almost making me sneeze.

I pick up the cup and sip some of the brown liquid and my face puckers up as the fizzy bubbles pop in my mouth, tickling my tongue. surprisingly though, the drink tastes delicious, like several different kinds of flavors mixed into one.

I set the drink back on the table and lean down, taking the slab of meat, biting off a huge chunk.

"Woah dude!" Carter sits there wide-eyed and I grin, wiping the sauce of my lips as I chew before taking another bite.

"Hey, it's called a fork!" Sarcasm hinting his voice as holds out the silver utensil.

I take it and grip it in my hand then stab the meat, picking it up and devouring it. I then start on the next slab, and within minutes my plate has been cleaned.

With a full stomach I lean back in my chair taking a drink of the fizzy liquid. Carter is amazed, having yet to finish his meal. "I can't believe you ate all of that!"

I just give him a look of pure triumph and when he finishes his meal he pays the man with the notepad and we leave.

"The was amazing!" The boy goes on and on about my appetite but I ignore him.

I have to find that girl! She's all I have left. She must be here somewhere! I just hope she's okay for now...

...

"Hey! Quit daydreaming Benny!" Bella says, snapping her fingers at me.

I come back to the present and Bella smiles at me. "Come on, we're leaving early."

I tip my head as if to ask why, getting to my feet in the process.

"We're going to see a couple of friends before we leave!"

13: Chapter 13

13

Bella

I knock on the door of his house waiting patiently, with Benny beside me. the sound of someone walking to the door sounds in my ears and I watch the doorknob twist before opening.

A man with recently cut brown hair and casual attire stands at the entrance. I smile at him and his eyes light up when he sees me.

"Bella!" He wraps his arms around me in a tight hug before gesturing for us to come inside. "I've been worried about you guys. You didn't turn up when Lina and Sarah died. I thought something had happened to ya." Milo says worriedly.

"Well, we're okay Milo!" I try to say as cheerfully as I can.

"I haven't seen ya in awhile, what you two been up to?" He asks curiously and I frown at this which makes him do the same.

"We're leaving Milo..." I say. "We came to say goodbye..."

He glances at Benny then back at me, then smiles. "I'll miss you ya know, its been awful lonely now that Lina's gone."

"I know Milo, and I promise that we'll see you again, but we can't stay here any longer." I tell him, lying about the first part.

"They found you didn't they?"

I shrug. "I suppose you could say that..."

Milo smiles warmly at me and I can't help myself. I jump into him wrapping my arms around him. "Thank you for all you've done for us, we'll never forget you Milo."

...

"I have to find him Milo, he's all I have! Please help me find him?" I plead him and he starts to think hard about situation.

"What does he look like?" He asks and I freeze.

What should I tell him? Does this world have Angels and Demons? I can't just tell him that my friend is a Wolf Demon. He'll probably think I'm insane, and it still wouldn't sound right if I told him he's black haired, voiceless, and blind in one eye.

"Um, he has black hair, is pretty skinny and tall, um..." I say, uncertain of what to really say, arguing with myself inside about the whole thing.

"Anything specific that stands out? What you've told me isn't much to go on." Milo presses further and I bite my lip.

"He's a hazel eyed Wolf Demon that can't speak and is blind in one eye!" I yell at the top of my lungs, as fast as I could possibly say it.

Milo stares at me awkwardly and I flinch, waiting for him to say I'm crazy.

"Okay, did I hear that right?" He asks, now looking confused.

I give him a sheepish smile. "Depends on what you heard..."

He lets out a sigh. "Okay, so you're telling me this kid is a hazel eyed Wolf Demon that can't speak and is blind in one eye."

I nod slowly, afraid of what he's going to say next.

He crosses his arms and grins widely at me. "I guess I thought it was just you."

I'm quite surprised by this. "What do you mean?"

He chuckles. "You really think I would have brought you here if I didn't know what you were?"

I think about it for a moment silently agreeing with him on the fact and he continues.

"My sister and one other know all about you guys and we want to help, so we've been keeping an eye out for you guys."

I smile in relief. "So you're going to help us?"

He rubs his hands together excitedly. "Of course! Now, let's go find your Wolf friend!"

Benny

We leave Milo's house after a bit and head a few blocks down and make a sharp turn on a richer looking part of the neighborhood with bigger fancier homes, their insides filled with expensive antiques and furniture, among other things.

We step onto the doorstep of one of the homes, the number on the door reading 108. I knock and it isn't long before a young man answers. He grins mischievously.

"Well, if it isn't my old pal Benny! How you been bud?" He pauses with a smirk then frowns. "Oh yeah, I forgot...hi Bella!" He says gesturing for us to come in. We do and he has us sit down on the black leather couch in his huge living room, separate from the entry room where we had come in.

"So, whats up guys?" Carter asks with a smile.

Bella grins sheepishly at the rich boy. "Well, we're leaving, and we've come to say goodbye."

He gives her a small wink before asking, "You're gonna come back right?"

I fidget nervously and Bella gives me a concerned look then turns back to Carter. "No Carter, we're not coming back..."

He lowers his head solemnly. "So, you came to say goodbye?"

I nod and Bella gets to her feet as do I. "I'm sorry we can't stay long Carter." She hugs him, and he melts in her arms, straightening up when she pulls away.

He turns to me and we bump fists. "See ya buddy." He leans in to whisper in my ear. "Take care of her..."

...

"So you're saying there's this girl, that you have to find?" Carter asks as I hold up the sheet of paper I had sloppily written on.

I nod with a smile to tell him he 's right and he just laughs. "Okay, I think we can agree that all of us are looking for one of those!"

Slightly confused I shake my head in frustration, trying to stress the subject but he just doesn't seem to listen. He soon changes the subject, no longer finding it amusing.

"So, what's your name?" He asks crossing his legs as we sit on the soft floor of his room, very unlike the white walls I had been surrounded with at The Facility. This building is enormous, with plush furniture and other things that I've never seen before. He hasn't really showed me everywhere, but I've seen the room that he calls the living room. Hanging on the wall like a big black picture frame was what he said was a tv, among the other things he had showed me that weren't technically relevant.

The boys room is almost as big as the living room with a king size bed and a small table sitting beside it, filled with clutter and such. Books have been scattered throughout the room along with trash and bottles of water. Posters of different people hang on his wall in a jumble.

I shake my head at him in response to his question and he stares at me puzzled in which this awkward silence seems to go on forever until he finally breaks it.

"How bout Darren?"

I shake my head at the strange name, not really liking the way it sounds.

"Nathan? Mason? Ricardo?"

I wrinkle my nose in distaste for the last one he suggested. He points a finger, letting out a shout of triumph. "Benny! It's the perfect name!"

I think about the name hard for a moment and with every passing second growing fonder of it. I finally give him a nod of approval.

Benny...

14: Chapter 14

14

Bella

"This is our new home?" I ask dropping my bags at the entrance.

Bee steps in after me. "It's so...small!"

Whinni has her hands on her hips as she inspects the house. "I know, but it's going to have to do."

I make my way into the living room that is blanketed in pale gold carpet. Two large windows light up the room, one on the North wall and the other on the East. There's a dining room which breaks off into a kitchen and three bedrooms. In the kitchen there is a large double sink with a gooseneck faucet, accompanied with a sprayer. The bathroom and a pantry room also reside in the kitchen area.

Whinni claps her hands. "Alright! Zoe and I will take the West room, you and Basil will stay in the South room!" She gestures to me and the elf then turns to the three boys. "You guys get the biggest room! Alright! let's all settle in!"

Basil and I enter our room, painted a rough purple, a small closet to our left and scratched up hardwood floors. They creak as we walk on them and Basil sighs throwing her stuff into the closet.

Bee peeks into the room and I turn around to face him. He smiles at me sheepishly. "Hey, um...Bella...I-I was wondering if you wanted to go for a walk around town with me. Get to know some people."

I smile and look to Basil for permission. She nods, smirking as she does and Bee and I go outside and head down the street.

"So...um..." He begins, but drifts off, not finding any words.

I chuckle. "So...um, what?"

His pointed ears drop, his face hot with embarrassment. "I'm sorry, I don't know what's wrong with me lately. I've been acting quite rude."

I shake my head. "I don't think you've been rude! I think you been very sweet..." As soon as the words leave my mouth my cheeks turn a faint pink and I look away.

Up ahead three people walk casually towards our way. A middle aged woman with red hair and two girls, maybe our age. One with dead straight black hair and the other curly blonde hair that is pulled back into a ponytail.

As they pass us the older woman stops and addresses us. "Hello, are you new in town?" She asks and we nod.

She smiles widely and her girls chuckle, whispering to one another. "A young couple is always needed in this old town."

My eyes widen and Bee coughs in surprise, neither of us expecting that.

"Uh...wha- we aren't-" I say stuttering which makes the girls laugh and giggle.

"a...c-couple..." Bee finishes and the woman chuckles.

"I'm sorry for the mistake. You two have a good evening." She says before walking on with her girls following close behind. They glance back at us briefly still chattering.

I don't even look at Bee, rubbing my arm, my face a tomato red. I can tell he's about the same.

Finally we're able to shrug the embarrassment off and continue walking.

The sun is setting now and we're about to turn back, deciding however to take the long way down a narrow alley surrounded by trees and other greenery, it now being too dark to make anything out specifically.

I feel something snag my shirt and I pause midstep, trying to unhook the cloth from a branch. Bee hasn't noticed I left his side, only a few feet ahead of me.

A hand grabs me, placing a hand over my mouth trying to pull me into the trees, but I struggle and kick, screaming through his hand.

"Bella!" Bee calls racing towards us, but stops instantly when I feel cold metal press against my head, causing a whimper to escape my lips.

"Get of here boy or I shoot her!" The man snarls angrily and I give Bee a pleading stare.

"Please let her go!" He begs, slowly reaching a hand into his back pocket.

"What are you doing boy?"

Bee stops as he's questioned, gripping something in his hand, and like a flash he throws something down at our feet, making a loud crack, causing the man to jump, letting me go. I race to Bee the man yelling at us angrily and gunshot rings in my ears.

Bee groans the force of the bullet causing him to stumble, another soon hitting him, going right into his side.

"Bee!" I say trying to help him keep moving.

Hands grab me and I fight them the whole time, still screaming the elf's name.

I find it's someone else holding me back this time, the man from before kicking Bee down onto his back, pointing the gun at his chest.

"No!" I shriek, right before it fires.

...

I sit up in my bed, breathing heavily, sweat forming on my brow and I wipe it away.

"Bella?" Milo says worriedly, rushing into my room and I try to calm down. "You screamed, are you alright?"

I gulp, my gaze on the warm blue sheets and comforter covering me, slowly nodding to him.

"Bad dream again?" He asks still seeming concerned.

I nod again, looking at him this time, fear filling my eyes.

It's been three weeks, and we still haven't found the Demon boy and I'm starting to lose hope. If we haven't found him by now I have a feeling The Facility caught him.

I shake my head.

I don't want to believe that! I can't believe that!

Milo sits down on the bed beside me and gives me an assuring stare. "I promise, we'll find him. Now come on and get dressed, I have breakfast waiting for you." He gets up and leaves, shutting the door quietly.

I rub my eyes, my heart rate slowing down to its normal speed. I then get out a short jean skirt and a pair of black leggings slipping those on, matching them with a blue long sleeve shirt, its sleeves fall over my hands, hiding them.

I head out into the kitchen finding cheesy scrambled eggs and bacon waiting for me fresh. I lick my lips and sit down, digging into the food hungrily. Milo sits across from me, almost having finished his own serving.

We're both silent as we eat and once I'm finished I take my empty plate over to the sink and rinse it off before going and grabbing my backpack. "See ya after school Milo!" I say as I walk out the door.

"Bye kiddo!" He calls, as I pull the door shut, making my way to the highschool.

Milo has been trying real hard to find the Demon boy, with no luck. He's contacted his friends who are also trying to help us Angels and Demons and they've no luck either.

Why is he doing this for me? He says he does it because I'm an Angel, but I know it's something else. I've tried to get it out of him before, but he just refuses to admit that he's hiding something.

When I enter the school I weave in between the huge crowd of teens as they rush to their classes before they're late and when I'm finally able to get to my locker I get a hold of my school books only to have my hand smashed, when someone rams into the door. I let out a cry of pain, taking a shaky blood covered hand out of the door.

"Oh god! I am so, so, so sorry! Please, let me help you." The boy picks up my books, carrying them along with his own.

I hold my bloody hand up shakily staring at it as it runs along my fingers and I pull up my sleeve to keep from staining it.

The boy meets my eyes and I just put my hand down, hiding it behind my back. "Um, I need to get to class."

I reach for my books, taking them up in my arms, staining their covers with my sliced fingers.

"You need to go to the nurses office."

I shake my head. "I'm sorry, I-I don't know what that is, but I need to go."

"Wait!" He calls as I rush down the hall, forcing me to a halt.

"The nurse will help you with your hand! Please! I feel really bad!" He calls.

I ignore him, continuing to my class and when I get there I sit down at my desk, keeping my hand below my desk so hopefully no one will notice.

The girl sitting beside me glances my way, and lets out a startling scream. I turn my head, her gaze resting on my bloodstained books.

The teacher has stopped for a moment, obviously furious at the girl for interrupting.

Everyone turns to me seeing the same thing. The girls are horrified while the boys are just surprised.

"Bella! Please come to the front of the class!" My Geometry teacher commands sternly and I do as I'm told, hiding my hand behind my back. I stare at my teacher with a blank expression and she raises a thick eyebrow at me suspiciously. "Let me see your hand please?"

Slowly I bring my hand out from behind me and hold it out to the teacher.

She stairs down at my fingers, bloody and bruised after having been shut in my locker door. She flinches at it looking away as she says, "Please go to the nurses office at once."

I'm about to protest but she holds up a finger to hush me. I sigh heading out of class where the boy waits for me, a grin curving his lips. Furious, I smack him with my injured hand, blood now paints his cheek.

"Isn't that really painful?" He asks and I snort.

"I've had worse..." I say half to myself and his eyes widen.

"Well, the way you're handling this, is...really impressive. Come on, let's get you bandaged up."

He escorts me down the hall and we turn into a small room that I hadn't noticed before. It's walls a plain grey while white tile covers the floors.

Fear fills me and I gulp as I enter.

A plump lady with soft features greets me and the boy kindly, instantly noticing my hand. "Oh my dear, that's nasty lookin!" She exclaims gesturing for me to sit down on one of the chairs across from her. She goes over to a cabinet and pulls out a white cloth, soaking it with water. Then takes it and cleans the blood off my fingers, revealing underneath deep cuts, going all the way down to the bone.

She sighs. "I think this is beyond my ability hon. You'll have to get stitches." She wraps my hand up in a towel.

"I will have the principle call your parents and they can take you to the emergency room."

I shake my head. "That's okay ma'am, I'll walk home and have something done, don't trouble yourself."

The nurse gives me a quizzical stare. "Are you sure?"

I nod, smiling gratefully before leaving with the boy.

"I feel so bad! This is all my fault! I should have been more careful!" He scolds himself. "Let me walk you home to make it up to you, please?" He asks and I smirk at his thoughtfulness.

"Alright...I suppose."

He lets out a huff of relief. "Good, oh and I'm Carter by the way!"

15: Chapter 15

15

Benny

I sit in front of the large window out looking the driveway expectantly, waiting as patiently as I can for Bella and Bee to come back, but it's completely dark now and there's no sign of either of them, and I fidget restlessly, refraining myself from pacing. Basil is starting to get worried as well and she looks out the window every few moments before going back into her and Bella's room to rearrange things she had recently put into different positions.

Whinny comes and sits down beside me, staring at the window as well. "We should probably go out and look for them. It's dangerous to be out at night like this." She announces before getting back onto her feet and telling the others.

Charlie, Zoe and Basil are both in agreement we head out immediately with flashlights. Whinni, Zoe, and Charlie take the North side of town while we take the South.

Basil calls out Bee's name but I try to get her to be quiet, not wanting to bring attention to ourselves if something really is up. We head down 1st St. making sure we don't miss anything before coming down an alley surrounded by much foliage. I take the beam of light emanating from the flashlight looking for any sigh of our friends and stop in my tracks when I see something in the dark of the narrow road. It's unmoving and I squint to make it out, but that doesn't help. Gesturing to Basil who was looking elsewhere I inch forward, soon recognizing the figure.

"Bee!" Basil screams, dropping her flashlight and racing to his side.

When I near him I crouch next to him his breath shallow and quick as he struggles to keep his heart pumping. Three bullets have been put in him, two in his right side and the other in his chest. Blood bubbles behind his lips, threatening to spill over while the blood from the wounds covers the ground beneath him.

"Benny! Go find the others! Quickly!" Basil says frantic, scared that her brother won't last much longer.

I leap to my feet and sprint back the direction we came, searching the Northern side of the town and soon find Charlie, however Whinni and Zoe are no where to be found. When I approach him he has a scared and worried expression. "They were here just a minute ago! Now I can't find them!"

I feel the darker Demonic side in me fill up my being, just ready to burst forth, but I hold it back for now. I hear the quick sounds of three gunshots from across the town. My eyes widen with a sudden realization.

Basil!

I grab Charlie's hand, racing back to the secluded alley finding Basil has already disappeared. I go to Bee's side and find him spluttering and coughing. He's laying on his stomach, more bullets having been put in him.

"Where's Basil!" Charlie asks as he coughs up blood onto the ground.

"They...took her..." He says trying to get a breath.

"Hey! You two! What's going on!" A woman's voice yells to us, she has a rifle pointed at us threateningly.

She notices Bee and lowers the weapon, walking swiftly to him. She places a gentle hand on his back, her long ash brown hair just touching the blood pooling up on the ground.

"What's going on Madi!" Someone else calls from behind us.

Another woman stands at the end of the alley, blonde hair pulled up into a high ponytail.

"I thought I heard gunshot..." Madi says half to herself. She glares at us with strange greenish gold eyes. "What happened?"

"Our friends went for a walk but they never came back, so we went out to look for them and more of us have disappeared. This happened as the result." Charlie says, now as frantic as Basil acted earlier.

"Kenzie! Call 911!" Madi screams to her blonde friend standing at the end of the alley.

She nods before dashing off, apparently not having her phone on her.

Charlie doesn't seem to either and my phone has been broken since the incident with Jack.

The woman Kenzie returns alone staring down at Bee worriedly.

"They took Bella..." He says trying to make the sentence louder but it doesn't get past a whisper. "The...Facility..."

...

I sit cross legged in front of the door, balancing momentarily on my crossed feet before falling back again. I look out at the sun outside finding it to be about the time Carter should get home.

The lock clicks as the key is turned and the door is opened, Carter stumbling in with a loud sigh. I scramble out of the way, sitting down just at his side. He pauses looking down at me in confusion.

"Why are you sitting at the door?"

The question doesn't get answered of course.

"Wait, where you waiting for me?"

I nod, rocking as I hug my knees.

He shakes his head throwing his backpack down, plopping onto the couch.

"You act like a faithful dog!" He points out and I gulp getting to my feet.

"Hey, who was that girl you were describing to me again?" Carter asks and I feel my spirits perk up.

"I walked her home after an accident...that I sort of caused." He says that last part under his breath. "Anyway! She was real pretty!"

My hands fidget as I start to lose my patience. The scent of roses and honey mixes with his own musky dirty smell and I wrinkle my nose at his own.

"She had curly gold hair and sea green eyes. She was just beautiful!" He explains, and I rush over to him and pull him to his feet and point to the door.

He chuckles. "She sounds nice and all Benny but I don't think she's your type, but I guess if you want to see for yourself..." He leads me out the door, locking it behind him and we head down the the street a few blocks coming into a less lavish neighborhood.

He takes me up to the doorstep and knocks on the door so to let the people inside know we're here.

A young man opens up the door and smiles at us. "Carter! Thanks again for walking Bella home. Is there something you need?"

Carter gestures to me. "My friend is the one that thinks he knows Bella."

The man glances at me and his smile turns flat. "Bella! Come here quickly please!" He calls into the house and a girl appears in the door, her curly blonde hair pulled up in low pigtails. Her attire consisting of a long sleeve blue shirt and a short jean skirt with black leggings. Her hand is banged up and I stare at it worriedly.

Her eyes widen when she sees me. "You!" She throws herself at me in a hug causing me to take a step back to keep from falling. She holds me tightly her arms wrapped around my neck.

"You're safe..." She whispers in my ear and I finally smile hugging her back, taking in her scent, the effects like that of a drug.

Carter crosses his arms skeptically. "No girl has ever done that to me before!"

The girl which apparently is being called Bella now pulls away and kisses my cheek happily. I feel my face grow hot with embarrassment, making her giggle as tears rolls down her cheeks.

"I'm glad you're okay..."

16: Chapter 16

Sorry it's been awhile since I last updated. I've been having trouble coming up with the new chapters of my stories. Hope you enjoy! ;)

16

Bella

I groan, sitting up and find myself in a dark cell, lit up only by the barred window cut out of the stone wall above me. I look around finding it to be so painfully dark except for other cells lining the walls, lit up by the bright moonlight just like my own.

"Hello!" I call out, with the small amount of hope that someone is there and they will hear me, but after several moments of silence I feel that hope quickly dying.

I go over to the window and jump up, trying to get a hold of the ledge. I'm able to get a hold on it and I reach through the bars with my arm.

"Can anyone hear me!" I scream, waving my hand.

Finally after no answer I jump down, slumping to the floor in utter defeat, until suddenly ahead of my cell is the sound of an opening door. I jump up and go to the bars of my cell, staring through them.

"Bella!" Whinni's voice echoes down the hall and I smile at the sound, but it turns to a frown.

Whinni, Basil, and a furious Zoe are thrown into a cell next to my own. Zoe is on her feet immediately and she bangs on the bars of the cell with her fist and the men that brought them in just smirk at her.

"I'll skin you three for this!" She snaps at them baring a pair of sharp fangs, she then reaches a clawed hand through the bars and they try to get out of her way, but one of them is very unfortunate, his clothes having snagged on her claws.

I look away as the Cat Demon proceeds with mutilating the man, ripping him through the narrow bars which sends out the cracking and breaking of bones, making my stomach churn. His screams unbearable to listen to.

When I do look, the man is laying inside the girls cell and Zoe has ripped into the mans throat, mangling his flesh with tooth and claw. Blood pools onto the floor and Basil and Whinni back up into the corner of the cell to steer clear of the sticky red liquid.

The men that brought them in are horrified and they turn and run from the dungeon, slamming the exit behind them, now scared to death of the Demon.

Zoe licks blood off her lips and gets back on her feet, kicking the now dead man.

"Great, now they won't come back!" Whinni snarls at Zoe angrily and Zoe grins, holding up a ring of keys, jangling them in the Angel's face.

"Yeah, but I got the keys!" She goes over to the door of the cell and starts by trying each key, but she soon stops with this action and spins on her heels. A devilish grin curves her lips.

"I should keep my promise to our new friends..." She glances down at the dead man on the floor. "Shouldn't take me long."

It feels like it's taking forever, but in reality it doesn't take long for Zoe to skin the flesh off the man. Finally, for a last touch she rips off each of his limbs and piles them up on the floor, blood now covering the perimeter of the cell, including seeping halfway into mine. The mangled and broken body of what was once a man doesn't look like anything anymore and for once I'm glad the Cat Demon is on our side, now seeing what she's truly capable of.

Now after finishing her work, Zoe unlocks both cells and we make for the exit, praying no one will find this mess until after we get out of here.

...

"I can't believe you're here!" I say to the Demon boy happily, wiping the tears streaming down my cheeks.

He nods, smiling at me sheepishly and Carter comes in.

"Hey, he gets a kiss and I don't?" He says, somewhat sarcastically.

I roll my eyes and step towards the boy and kiss his cheek gently. Almost instantly his face turns bright red and he stares down at the ground, shuffling his feet. I just giggle at his manor before turning back to the boy, gesturing for both of them to come inside, but Carter refuses.

"I need to get home Benny, you come back when you're ready." He winks at the Demon before heading off the porch and down the street.

"Benny? Is...is that your name?" I smile at him and he stares at the floor, nodding shyly.

I shut the door once we're both inside and have him sit down on the couch, with me next to him. Milo comes into the living room and holds his hand out to the black haired boy and he takes it politely shaking it.

"I'm Milo!" He introduces and Benny nods to show he heard. "Your little friend here, tells me you can't speak, am I right?"

Again the boy nods, showing the man by pointing to the ugly scar on his neck. Milo smiles. "Well, it's good to see you're safe. Are ya hungry?"

Benny just shakes his head before giving me a worried look and I know what he means to say and I glance at Milo. "Yes, he knows..."

Milo claps his hands together, causing the both of us to jump. "I suppose we should get you two somewhere safer than my place...and Carter's." He adds at the end and I tip my head.

"What are you talking about, this place is perfectly fine." I say, knowing where he's going with this.

Milo shakes is head. "No, my place could be easily detected by the Facility. The best homes I have for you are Sarah and Lina's places. They will better be able to keep the Facility off your trail for at least a little while."

Both Benny and I give each other a confused look.

I don't want to leave...

17: Chapter 17

17

Benny

"Now, why don't you two explain to me exactly what's going on?" The woman Madi says to Charlie and I, with an eyebrow raised expectantly.

We're at the hospital where they're treating Bee and Charlie is freaking out a little bit, just praying that they don't notice his ears.

Of course I'm unable to explain to her, so it's up to Charlie who smiles sheepishly at her. "Well miss..." He searches for an excuse. "Like I told you before. Our friends didn't come back from their walk and when we went looking for them, this is how we found Bee." Charlie tells her, leaving out the part about the missing females.

Madi narrows her gaze but then sighs. "Well, it looks like your friend is gonna be okay. If you guys don't have a place to stay you can come with me if you wish. I have chicken noodle soup on the stove at home." She offered with a friendly smile.

At the mention of food my stomach growls loudly and I quickly nod to her, making her laugh at the fact. "Alright, let's go. We'll come back in the morning to check on your friend." She announces and we follow her out to her truck. I slide in the middle passenger seat of the black pickup while Charlie gets in beside me, slamming the door shut. Madi then gets in the drivers seat starting up the old truck and it roars to life.

After finishing the fourth mile distance we've made it to a small house on First St. that's bright yellow with a barn red porch on the front.

She lets us into the small living room of her home, a couch sitting on the south wall while a tv was on west wall, next to it a door that must open up to a closet. Breaking off the room is a hallway that leads to the kitchen and four other rooms in the house, one of them being a bathroom.

We enter the kitchen through the living room and Madi gestures to a large pot on her stove while getting out a couple bowls and spoons. She dips into the soup and gets us each a fare amount before handing us the bowls. We don't hesitate as we dig into the food.

"You two are welcome to stay here if you want, but if not, I will come pick you at my old house in the morning."

I wrinkle my nose at the thought of sleeping in a house with no heat and Madi smiles. "I can see the discomforts of my old home displease you. I have two spare rooms in the hall. The first one you come to and the last room on the left." She explains pointing down the hall.

After finishing our meal Charlie and I split up into the rooms, me taking the first one while he takes the other. A twin bed sits in the far corner of the room, parallel with the south wall. I go and pull out the plain cream colored covers and slide under them. My head sinks into the soft pillow and before long I'm sound asleep.

...

"I'm Sarah!" A thin blonde woman holds out her hand in greeting to me and I take it, a faint smile curving my lips.

"So, do you have names yet?" She asks curiously and I nod.

"His name is Benny, and I'm Bella." Bella tells her.

Sarah then claps her hands together excitedly. "Well it's nice to meet you two! Milo has told me all about you." She gestures for us to come into her home and we do as she asks, stepping into a hallway that then leads to the living room, an upstairs and a kitchen.

"Please sit down." She says referring to the couch sitting against the wall.

Doing so, I sit down beside Bella, my face turning red as we sit a little too close and we sink into the plush cushion, our bodies pressed together. Bella glances at me briefly, before biting her lip and scooting to the other end of the couch.

Completely embarrassed I try my best to hide it as soon as Sarah comes in. She chuckles, apparently noticing but doesn't mention anything of it. She sits down in a recliner across from us.

"Now, Milo tells me you are staying with me." Sarah points out, looking at me.

I shrug my shoulders, not really knowing what Milo has planned for us. He didn't really tell us much.

"That's what Milo said." Bella tells the woman with a nod and Sarah smiles.

"Unfortunately for you, sweetheart. Lina is gone on a business trip and Milo is visiting family out of town, so you'll have to stay with me for a time."

Bella nods to show she understood and Sarah gestures up the stairs and we follow her into the only other bedroom in the house. "I only have one other bedroom to spare. If you wish, one of you may stay on the couch downstairs."

Benny and I give each an awkward look before glancing back at the queen size bed in the only other bedroom in the house.

Bella then looks back at me. "I think I'll sleep on the couch..."

18: Chapter 18

18

Bella

Zoe leads us out into the concrete formed hallway. A series of doors leads down along the hall and we carefully walk past each one of them, being as quiet as we possibly can. At the end of the hall is a large iron door, however that seems to be the only exit as far as we know and Whinni studies it for a moment curiously. Zoe places her hands on her hips, looking angry as usual.

"I think I have an idea of where we are..." The Cat Demon announces somewhat half to herself.

I glance at her, then press the side of my face to the door when something catches my ear. The sounds are faint but it seems as if there's cheering on the other side of the door.

"What are you doing? Your supposed to be out there now!" A worried voice says coming from behind us. We all spin around and find a tall young man approaching us. I notice his long pointed ears classifying him as an elf. Basil's eyes widen as the shaggy haired boy and her face turns a light pink at the sight of him. The man notices her as well, but tries to ignore her for the time being.

He grabs Zoe's arm and bangs on the iron door. Zoe tries to wrench away from him but his grip is firm.

"Who the Hell do you think you are!" She snaps at him but he ignores her.

Slowly the metal door is lifted up just enough to allow someone through. He shoves Zoe out into what looks to be a cage and the metal door then closes before she has a chance to leave the cage.

"Zoe!" We all shout in unison and Whinni snatches the collar of the boys shirt, pulling him down to her level.

"What did you do!" She snarls at him and he goes wide-eyed.

"Did they not explain to you?" He asks and Whinni is losing her patience.

Basil steps in, forcing Whinni to release the boy. "They didn't explain anything to us."

His face turns red as she stares at him with her sparkling green eyes. He stutters as he speaks. "I-I...um...they should've explained everything..."

"Please tell us what's going on?" The elf girl asks him, batting her eyelashes, though she doesn't really do it on purpose.

He gulps then turns away, gesturing for us to follow him. "If you don't know what's going on then your Demon friend might be in trouble.

"Ya think?" I chime in, and he continues as he leads us through one of the doors in the hallway which takes us into what seems like an area leading under a series of steps or seats.

"This is an arena where we send in different species to fight."

"What for?" Whinni asks still a little furious, but his charming looks seem to soften her attitude toward him.

"For the entertainment of the King of Elves." He answers.

"Well what kind of a fight is it?" Basil asks.

The elf boy chuckles nervously, still leading us underneath the arena. "That's where there's a problem. It's a fight to the death."

...

Benny shakes his head, pointing at himself then down the stairs. Sarah has left by now to run some errands and we argue with each over who will take the couch and who will take the bed.

I sigh. "Fine, I will take the bed tonight. On one condition though."

He stares at me, listening eagerly.

"You take it for the remaining nights I'm here!" I say stubbornly and he lets out a huff of defeat.

Apparently just as stubborn he shakes his head and I narrow my gaze, suddenly realizing why he wants to be down on the couch.

"I can take care of myself Benny. Don't worry about me. Nothing bad will happen." I tell him, not really wanting him to feel like he has to protect me.

Again he shakes his head, refusing to negotiate any further. He takes my hand and pulls me into the bedroom. He then points to the bed then at me before leaving the room and heading downstairs.

I clench my fists and growl, but decide not to argue on the matter further. I'm exhausted and I plop down on the bed, pulling the covers up over me.

Before falling asleep I smile at the thought of the boy.

He was only trying to help...I suppose...

19: Chapter 19

19

Benny

The next morning, both Charlie and I wake early and we're met with Madi, who is making breakfast for us. She puts some bacon and eggs on two plates. When she hands them to us she gives us a bright smile and I notice Charlie's face turn a faint pink. When she turns her attention back to the rest of the food which is being cooked on the stove Charlie spins on his heels and sits down at the table in the living room.

I sit down across from him and soon Madi joins us. She has us pray before we eat and when we start I gobble up my food in a few ravenous bites which surprises Madi.

"If you're still hungry, there's plenty of leftovers." She points out, gesturing back to the kitchen with a nod of her head.

I smile at her and go refill my plate.

When everyone is done eating, we hop in Madi's pickup and head straight to the hospital, only to find that Bee is missing.

Madi demands that the nurse take us to his room and she does, only for us to find everything in a mess. Bee's scent is still fresh, it being the smell of gunpowder and candy canes which is very strong and I wrinkle my nose. The scent must lead out the hospital, because I had briefly caught the smell near the entrance of the building.

Bee must be in the city somewhere...

I think to myself and I tug on the sleeve of Madi's shirt. Turning to me she waits for me to speak, however I don't. Instead I point towards the exit. Charlie glances at me warily as if warning me not to take my senses too far or Madi will get suspicious.

"You know where he may have gone?" She asks and I nod, leading them out of the hospital room and down to the entrance.

I look around, taking in deep breaths and find the elf boy had left the hospital, but not by himself. He was with someone else. The scent of the second person is unknown to me. It being the smell of fresh apples and cinnamon.

It's not the Facility...it may be another species, however the smell has the same roots as Bee, so maybe another elf?

I think to myself, thoughts whirling and I try to pinpoint the matter, but I need more of a lead than two different scents.

"What is it Benny?" Charlie asks, coming up beside me, but I ignore him, dashing out of the large building, making my way through the parking lot and down the street.

They came this way!

I follow their scent, using all of my senses this time and I listen for them. I reach my hearing beyond the normal limit, focusing on nearby and distant voices, hoping to pick one of them out as being Bee's.

"Benny! Wait!" Charlie and Madi both shout to me, but I continue to ignore their calls picking out one familiar voice accompanied by another.

I listen carefully in on their conversation, hoping to find out if it's Bee.

"You said they were taken to the arena?"

"I tried to reason with the king but he wouldn't listen. I'm sorry Bee. The only way to get your friends out is to break 'em out."

At the mention of the elf boys name I race after them, following the their sounds and smells. Several blocks down I find them walking in a fairly quiet neighborhood. One of the males is Bee, however the other is an elf, but I certainly don't recognize him.

I catch up with them, but I trip over my own clumsy feet and barrel right into Bee. We hit the concrete in a tangle of limbs.

"Benny!" Bee says in surprise and I let out a huff of pain.

He gets to his feet and I peel myself off the sidewalk, shaking my dizzy head to clear it.

"Who is this clown?" The unfamiliar voice says and I turn my attention to Bee's companion, shooting him a nasty glare.

Bee ignores the rude comment. "This is Benny, the Wolf Demon that Bella and Whinni are so fond of." He announces, gesturing to me.

I nod to confirm it and then cross my arms over my chest, glaring at Bee angrily. Bee just sighs. "Sorry buddy, but Ellin here knows what happened to the girls. I had to leave to see for myself and I didn't know when you guys were coming back."

I ignore the last bit and turn to the elf boy, Ellin expectantly.

"Can't he speak?" Ellin asks Bee, and I answer that question with a shake of my head.

The elf sighs then attempts to clarify things a bit. "The elven king has taken your friends captive to have them compete in the Demon Games."

...

I clutch the blanket as I lie on the couch and rest my head on the pillow. I can feel my heart pounding at every sound that is made. When I do fall asleep, something always causes me to jolt awake.

As the night goes on I lay, staring up at the ceiling, my body giving involuntary jolts every time I don't expect a noise. After a few moments of complete and utter silence I drift off into what I thought was a light sleep.

I wake to the sound of a thump and it completely freaks me out. I let out a cry of surprise, not from the noise but from the fall I endure after I was startled. I fell right off the couch. No doubt the sound of me hitting the floor was what woke me and I sigh, only to be startled further by a voice.

"Benny? Are you alright?"

I turn my attention to Bella, my eyes are wide, but I lose my fear when I actually realize it's just her.

She chuckles and approaches me, crouching down. "Come on..." She holds out her hand, the one that was sliced into by a locker door. I grimace at the stitches in her fingers, but she pays no mind to my concern for the wound. "I know you're not sleeping well." She says, her voice almost a whisper.

Finally I take her hand carefully, somewhat worried I'll hurt her, not because of her injury but because her hand is so delicate. We both stand at the same time and I follow her up the stairs. She crawls back under the covers and gestures for me to do the same. I crawl in with her and lay down, facing her.

She smiles warmly. "Better?" She asks and I nod slowly.

Soon we're both sound asleep.