Staring into the eyes of prey was a sensation unlike any other. In that split second, eyes were not just tools to see but windows into the soul where two individuals reached a clear understanding; only one of them would survive. And by then, the winner had been chosen. The back of Grey's eyelids were bathed in gold from the second she collapsed to the time she woke. If her room's walls were not silver, that gorgeous shade of sunlit honey would have followed her waking moments as well.
She sat up. Her entire body buzzed with subtle energy. Not a headache or stomachache to contend with. The last of her adrenaline warded it away. Sunlight bathed her room from the penthouse windows and Seoul carried about her business on the other side of the glass.
She observed her hands before her face, flexing her fingers. A white strip of skin marred her finger where the ring had been. Other than that, she was alive.
"You did it," Yoongi said. He had been standing in her doorway with a small smile.
"I did," she said. She threw the covers back and ran to him. He held her in a hug, lifting her off the ground a bit. When he put her down, he immediately reached for her hand.
"I'm sorry you had to go through all of that," he told her, stroking the back of her hand with his thumb.
She shook her head. "No one could have known it would happen this way."
"How do you feel?"
Grey shrugged, her grin fading away. "I killed her."
"I know," Yoongi sighed.
"Yoongi," she said, covering her mouth. Warm tears cascaded down her cheeks. "I killed her."
He gently frowned. "You were supposed to. That was supposed to happen."
"Why doesn't it feel right?" Grey asked.
Yoongi did not have an answer besides the fact that it was her first time.
"We'll never be fully prepared for the hard things," Yoongi said.
Grey smiled weakly, letting go of his hand. "Thank you for making me fearless."
He tucked a loose curl behind her ear. "You did that."
Last night's events and the events from the weeks leading up to it made Grey tilt her head at Yoongi. Here was this lovely angel that hid behind a cold exterior and plentiful sarcasm. The same guy poured his heart into a piano and a song and bared himself to the night sky when he thought the moon listened. He was so hard to reach, but once touched... once she touched who he really was, she understood him. The withered flowers around his heart blossomed with petals of fire and color.
The Wraith was a warrior by birth. Everything that made up Yoongi was a battlefield. From the way he thought about life to the way he handled her. Not only was he fierce, but also painstakingly loyal. He would go above and beyond for those he cared for. He would save her from the demons of the streets. He would teach her how to train, how to stand on her own two feet. He would give her the strength to challenge a Queen.
His care came from his actions and the subtle things. But he cared. He made her strong. More than that, he made her brave.
She kissed Yoongi shyly, like she asked permission to be let in. He parted his lips in response, luring her in deeper until she at last fell into the black hole that was Min Yoongi. He was danger yet safety and when she pulled away, she planted kisses on his collarbone through his black tee shirt. He shivered, holding her tight in a hug.
He pulled away this time, his smirk mischievous. "As much as I like this, you need a shower."
"Sorry, the shower in my birdcage didn't work." She laughed and hit him in the chest.
He stole another kiss. She giggled as his lips lingered on hers.
:::
One day, when Grey finally sat down to write her book, she promised to capture the feeling surrounded by the aftermath of battle.
She had showered and combed through her curls. She had threw on a new outfit--and even thought about what she wore. The penthouse needed morale. It needed optimism and another person willing to put on a brave face. Certain it had to be her, she put on a nice pair of jeans and a cute blouse. She fastened Jungkook's necklace around her neck and shimmied into flat shoes.
Today was their first day without Aelith breathing down their back. It should have felt triumphant; however, as soon as she left her room the penthouse seemed bleak. Overcast skies darkened the living room. The air conditioner blasted on high. Grey shivered and grabbed a blanket from the couch.
"Oh, just the person I wanted to see," Namjoon said. He strolled over and grabbed Grey by the elbow. Dragging her down the hall, he said, "Let's discuss the matter of how we're sheltering two humans now."
Grey and Namjoon stopped in front of a pair of lovely glass doors. She could see herself in the reflection of the mirrored flowers and fantasy lands carved into the surface.
"Do we need to make another deal?" Grey asked.
Namjoon pointed to the handle. "You need to help me get her out of her room."
Grey sighed. She took a step up to the doors and knocked gently. Nothing stirred inside.
"She's sitting at the foot of the door," Namjoon said.
"How do you know that? I don't hear anything."
The leader pointed to his ears. "Celestial hearing."
Ah. Grey tried again. "Amelia?"
"Leave me alone." Her voice was clear even through the glass.
"Amelia, please."
"Am I speaking Spanish or something?"
Grey awkwardly rocked back and forth on her heels. "This doesn't get easier by hiding."
"You talk to me about hiding?"
Grey sighed through her nostrils. "You're right--,"
"Get away from me."
Grey turned to Namjoon helplessly. Namjoon was already tapping a finger against his chin.
"You and the stupid thing that keeps knocking on my door," Amelia added.
Angel, Grey wanted to say. She didn't. It wasn't worth irritating her best friend more.
Namjoon frowned. "Stupid?"
Grey shook her head. "You're pretty smart."
He took the compliment by nodding. "What do I do?"
"Leave her for now," Grey said. "She'll come out eventually."
Amelia shouted, "Wanna bet?"
Grey wordlessly pat Namjoon's shoulder and led him to the living room. She sat him on one of the couches and took a seat on the coffee table a few inches across. Namjoon sank into the pillows, thankful when she handed him the blanket she planned on using herself.
"Take a break," she said. "Have you slept?"
He shook his head. "I can't sleep."
"Why not?"
His eyes met hers evenly. "We're alive. We made it out with you and the book."
She supposed that would give anyone enough energy to pull an all-nighter. She smiled gently, her voice soft in an attempt to imitate her mother's. "Everything will be okay."
Namjoon nodded and sat upright. "I'll give you the damage report." He must have read the surprise in her expression because he also said, "Believe it or not, I need help."
"The people that sustained the least damage are helping me out however they can. Yoongi, Hoseok, and I are in charge of tending to the wounded. Later, we'll get some stuff to restock the kitchen. I'll need a list of the food Amelia likes from you."
"Why?"
"I want her to be comfortable," Namjoon said, clearing his throat. "She's going through a lot."
It seemed like he knew more about Amelia's condition than Grey did. Grey noted his change in demeanor when her best friend came up, but she thought nothing of it. She asked him instead for an update on those that were hurt.
"Jungkook's sword grazed Jimin pretty deep, but he's healing fairly quick. Jungkook, on the other hand," Namjoon said, making a point to look at Grey's necklace, "he got banged up pretty bad. After the battle with Mangrith he should have been out for the count. His endurance was amazing. Taehyung..."
Grey raised an eyebrow. "What about Taehyung?"
"Usually full body transformations are so taxing that the mind convinces the body to believe the change is split between two people. That alter ego is typically where repressed emotion accumulates. Since he became a wolf again, those emotions have come back and he's releasing them like fireworks."
"So..." Grey tried to piece it together to no avail.
"Taehyung is a wild card."
"I'll be careful. Who else is injured?"
Namjoon swallowed. "Jin won't wake up."
Grey's heart stopped. "He what?"
As close as a fallen angel could get to sorrow, Namjoon translated his sadness through sagging shoulders. "He won't wake up."
Grey stood, already making her way back to the hallway. "Take me to him."
"I don't think that's wise," Namjoon warned. He still trailed her to the men's suites.
"Where is he?" Grey studied every door. There were so many. She had never seen Jin's before. She'd never even been to his room. It shouldn't have, but it hurt her even more to think she wouldn't recognize where he was.
Namjoon passed her and marched to a door at the end of the hall. He blocked it with his body. "Are you sure?"
Grey almost clawed him out of the way. "Let me see him!"
As soon as he moved she pushed inside. His room was modern and clean. He had dark gray walls and multiple windows draped with black curtains. The ceiling was tall, the floor was dark cherry wood. A grand California king bed tucked with white sheets and fluffy white pillows swaddled a pale man clothed in silky, black pajamas. On either side of the bed was a nightstand, complete with a lamp and a vase of pink roses.
The wall to her left had shelves stacked with comic books, manga, and tiny figurines. Behind her was a flatscreen and a fireplace. A metallic chandelier shone dim light over his quarters.
Grey noticed the kitten on his bed. She and Luca regarded each other as strangers.
"Can I have some time alone?" Grey asked.
The cat blinked, leaping onto all fours. Silently, she bound to the floor and curled around the corner until she disappeared.
Grey dragged an armchair from the corner of the room to Jin's bedside. She used two fingers to feel his pulse. His skin was cold, as usual. Nothing seemed to beat underneath.
"Jin," she breathed. "Don't do this."
His hand lied above cover. She took it, lacing their fingers together.
"I'm right here, okay?"
She rubbed the back of his hand against her cheek, wishing her warmth would stir something. Of course, her prayers were left unanswered. Either way, she stayed there at his side because it's what he would have done for her. It was what she wanted above anything else; his safety, his worrying, his watchful eye.
Kim Seokjin was her beginning. It went without saying that he was also her protector.
From the first interview to her very last day at work in the future she owed him everything. More than just her wardrobe, her shelter, her thanks, or her security. Oddly, she felt like she owed him her heart.
But that was not something she could repay. Because things owed yet given freely out of kindness transcended the boundaries of a bargain. The obligation lifted.
She would give him a piece of her because she wanted to, not because she had to.
The Prince of Shadow, though content in the background, lied in the forefront of her heart.
There was no denying his presence.
:::
Luca lapped up water from her bowl in the library, grateful for the replenishment.
When she finished, she licked her lips and acknowledged the set of dark brown eyes that'd been boring into the back of her coat. Namjoon sat on one of the red velvet couches with a stack of books on the table. He regarded her calmly, but lo and behold to no one's surprise, questions lingered behind his gaze.
Tail down, Luca slowly trotted away from him.
What was there to say? She did not yet know how she felt. She did not want to feel at all. But, guilt halted her steps. Guilt added a terrible aftertaste to her tongue. Regardless of what she was going through, that was a member of her family. One of the young men she promised to guard. Just as much as Vanity shared his devotion, so did Namjoon.
Damn love and it's emotional demands.
Luca channeled her pride and crawled towards the sitting area.
"Very mature decision," Namjoon said, grinning playfully as Luca hopped onto the opposite couch.
"If I am not mature, who will be?" Luca responded. She rolled her green eyes and curled her tail around her paws.
"I suppose I deserve that." Namjoon's smile vanished.
"You are not the source of my unrest."
"That's what I want to talk to you about." Namjoon leaned forward, propping his forearms onto his knees. "You were cold to Grey."
Must we discuss this?
Luca visibly rolled her feline shoulders.
Anaphiel's leader continued. "She doesn't deserve that."
"She drove a dagger into my sister."
"Because that was her mission. You have to understand--"
"I understand, Namjoon. I have seen souls crossover in reverse possessions. I knew what events transpired by the time Vanity died."
Namjoon frowned. "Then you also understand why you should be thanking Grey for saving our lives."
"She plotted behind my back. You and Yoongi plotted behind my back. I cannot find a better example of betrayal." Luca involuntarily meowed.
"If you would have been involved, we would have failed."
"You should have trusted me before going off on your own!"
Namjoon pointed at the cat. "You were a liability! Your emotional involvement would have sabotaged us. Letting you in on the plan would have had all nine of us dead, and you know it."
Luca clenched her jaw, her maturity being the only reason why she still sat here. Then again, if she unforgivably told Grey the truth even when it hurt, she had to listen too.
"Had our target been anyone you didn't know, we would have wholeheartedly asked for your advice. But we couldn't. We had to go after your sister--our Queen! Do you think it was easy for us?"
Luca stared at the tiled floors.
"We knew the consequences. Yoongi, Grey, and I knew how it would look. Do you understand how hard it was for her especially not to share what was happening in her body? She had to hold in the fact that your sister was alive and inside of her. Things that had you known, would have complicated everything."
Those times when Luca caught Grey speaking to the wall. When the kitten asked about it, Grey would smile and brush it off. That's who she chatted with. Variel. Sweet Variel.
"All I want to tell you is that it's okay. It's okay if you can't solve every problem of ours. It's okay to fight for your family."
Luca couldn't take it anymore. She left the couch, curtly nodded her acknowledgment, and sauntered to a place where she could find peace and quiet.
:::
Taehyung held the aura ring between two fingers, blue eyes gazing from the jewel to sleeping Vanity. Yoongi stood between him and the bed, one of his daggers in hand. Some sort of warning, Taehyung realized. The Beast was not to do anything too sudden or else he'd get poked. Which, made sense considering he was bouncing between Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
Jimin acted as a second barrier by sitting on the edge of the bed. He pulled his sleeve over his bandages. "What if we have to kill her again when she wakes up?"
Yoongi twirled his dagger for show. "I'll be on standby."
"You won't have to kill her," Taehyung said.
Jimin asked, "How do you know?"
"The ring. And she got past Nico's wards around the building."
Jimin said, "Why is it still in this room?"
"I don't like it either," Yoongi added.
But Taehyung was fascinated by it. An aura ring reversed in polarity was more than rare. He'd cornered Luca about it's possibility a few years ago and to this day he recalled her advice. It had to do with possession only. Aura rings concealed purity. They could not hide evil since chaos and destruction were far too widespread. In fact, they changed their appearance to accommodate it.
The silver band was now onyx. The sapphire metamorphosed into ruby. And the feel of it... the ring had a presence. Taehyung was sure if he were left in a room by himself with nothing but the accessory, he'd still feel eyes.
Yoongi asked, "Why is it like that?"
Taehyung smirked. "I can't wait to find out."
Jimin ran a hand through his hair, the stress radiating from him in waves. "I'd love to wait, and I'd love to have it in any other room but this one."
"Where else would I put her? I could toss this bad boy into the Pacific Ocean and Rowan would find a way to get to it."
Yoongi narrowed his eyes, holding out his palm. "No offense, you're the last person with the ability to hold that."
Taehyung shrugged, surrendering his trinket. "No offense taken. But it is mine, so I'll be willing to take it back any day now."
"Let's get the demon out of it first, yeah?" Jimin furrowed his brows.
"Sure," Taehyung said. He did not convince anyone.
Yoongi gestured to the door. "At least put it in the armory. That way you know where it is and it's locked up."
"Fine," said Taehyung. He balled it in his fist and left the room.
Jimin scooted off the bed. "I'll make sure he does it."
The Ripper stayed light on his feet until he vanished.
The sheets behind Yoongi rustled. He whirled and raised the dagger, shadows clouding his legs in case he needed to move. He shouted, "Give me your name!"
Vanity stared at the ceiling. She blinked once, then closed her eyes. When she opened them again, two thick teardrops slid down her porcelain cheeks.
"This realm is in so much pain," she said. "She cries for help, and we have failed to answer the call."
Yoongi lowered his blade and ran to the door. "She's awake!"
"She's awake!"
:::
Yoongi's shouting woke Grey from her sleep. Luca skulking into the room woke her further. She sat upright, blood rushing to the side of her face where the sheets had made an imprint.
The cat jerked her head towards the door, glancing at Jin and Grey's hands. "Come with me."
Grey swallowed, peeling out of her seat. Together, they padded into the hallway.
Luca said, "I have my reservations about our relationship, but as I work through my emotions, I would like to thank you."
"Luca, I'm sorry--"
"I know. I just wish I would not have been kept in the dark."
Grey nodded. "She didn't want me to tell you."
That irritated the kitten to no end. Luca hissed, not at anyone in particular, but at everything.
"You have a soft spot for her," Grey said. "She knows that. Are you excited to finally see her again?"
Luca stopped to scratch behind her ear. "I am, but I am not. She will not be the same. Variel must become acclimated to the same process I went through--humanization. Her awakening is just the completion of her punishment."
"How different can she be?"
"You'll see, but the change is gradual."
Anaphiel crowded Vanity's suite. In Jin's absence, the room was not half as full to Grey. She and Luca assumed a space at the foot of the bed.
Vanity immediately smiled at her. "Thank you," The Queen said.
How did one respond to an angel queen? No problem? No big deal? I got you?
Grey decided to bow and be done with it. Luca jumped onto the covers, running into the arms Vanity brought from under the sheets to give her a big hug. The way they fit together, it seemed like Vanity was her true owner.
Vanity giggled as Luca's head rubbed furiously against her cheeks. "How wise of you to choose this form. I almost didn't recognize you when I first saw you."
The cat's purring was loud enough to match the soft laughter around the room. Every angel leaned forward. They wanted a piece of her. They wanted a hug or touch. These men were not a joyous bunch, but the yearning they held in their eyes was more than enough.
Knowing that, Vanity's face became stern.
"Before a reunion, we need to tie together a few loose ends. My pure form withers by the second and I have no qualms about making my announcements public."
Luca laid her head on Vanity's shoulder. The men nodded.
Grey straightened as eyes the color of sunrise narrowed on her.
"Grey," Vanity said, "Aelith entered your head in that coffee shop, and when she did, I did too. I stayed because you knew the Council. You were my best chance at help. I was imprisoned in my own vessel, and I owe you my life for freeing me."
The Queen continued, "I know what prize lies in your heart, and I fully intend to help you return home."
At last. The time had come. Grey could go home.
"By taking Nicolai's place as your guardian, I will protect you until my very last breath."
Luca's head perked, bewildered green eyes glowing through the dim room.
Grey bit the inside of her cheek to hold back tears. Her nose burned, her calm demeanor crumbing. Her voice broke. "What? No," Grey shook her head, "you said you could get me home. Not here."
"Dimension manipulation is my younger brother's power alone. No one else can open holes between time and space."
So what did this mean? Grey squatted, her legs not quite supporting her. "So what?"
"I will fulfill my promise to you by guarding you until you receive your opportunity."
She wasn't opening a portal. She wasn't using her incomprehensible power to right these wrongs. She was enjoying her own body at Grey's expense.
Grey had been lied to. Again.
"I apologize for my lack of clarity," Vanity said. "There is nothing better I can do for you."
Grey's hard work surmounted to nothing, but she would not let them see her break. She covered her mouth and stared outside the window.
"As for the rest of you," Vanity said, looking to her Council, "Your task only gets harder from here."
"Rowan's still out there," Namjoon said.
Vanity cut her eyes at him. "Do not call him by that name. That man is not my brother. Being around his body provided small comfort against the aura he gave off. His power is still the equivalent of mine, I saw it when he raised an army of the dead and promised his general the Eternal Realm."
"Solis lives, and he's taken our King hostage."
Hearing the grave news was like being underwater; one heard nothing but their heart beat.
Hoseok said, "We can do the same thing for Rowan that we did for you."
"You can't," Vanity said. "When Aelith took me, she left a piece of me inside because she was not strong enough to be completely rid of me. When Solis took Rowan, he shoved our King all the way out his body. Killing this Rowan would remove Solis's spirit, but without the First King's spirit near to replace it, the body will cease to exist."
"Souls need objects to attach to when they leave vessels," Luca said. "For example, you used this body and Grey as your attachments. Aelith retreated into the aura ring's gemstone when Grey released her, hence it's new appearance. Unless Rowan attached to something when Solis pushed him out... we will never find him."
Vanity smirked mischievously. "Whatever Aelith knows, I know as well. Solis knew that the real Rowan attached to his sword, Gatekeeper. In an attempt to prevent any of you from discovering the truth, Solis broke the sword apart and asked Aelith to protect the book."
"Then our First King is gone," Luca said, hanging her head.
"No, he is scattered across the globe and waiting for us to find him."