EIGHT

Night came as it always does and somehow my brother had escaped before my parents noticed. I regretted not going with him as I watched my mother pull out board game after board game. SORRY was the flavor of the evening.

I hated this game, I was pretty sure my sister sat the deck. It was why the ones and twos kept coming when it was her turn to draw a card. Any time I made it out of START she would get a SORRY and flick my little green pawn off the board.

The doorbell rang and I jumped up off the floor. My father eyes shifted to me probably wondering if I was waiting for someone. I wasn't, but anything was better than listening to another 'You suck' comment my sister was tossing my way.

"I'll get it," I called moving towards the door before anyone else could. The bell rang again before I got to the door. Pulling it open the air sucked out of my lungs. The man on the other side was beautiful. He looked like he belonged in movies and on covers of magazines. People like him didn't show up at our house in the middle of the night.

There was something about him that screamed dangerous. His eyes held me and I couldn't move. I could hear my heart racing, I could feel my mouth going dry. He eyes; they were so dark they looked black. I never saw anyone who had black iris. Maybe they were contacts, a lot of people was getting red eyes mocking the supposed demons that were among us.

He couldn't have been much older than me, late teens to earlier twenties at the most. His hair came to the center of his back. It hung around him like a curtain. He had this smile on his lips. A smile like that promised you pleasure you couldn't imagine.

"Can I help you?" I found my voice. He was taller than me by a noticeable amount. His shirt was fitted and hinted at the muscles that rested under it. His jeans hung off his hips slightly. There was a ring on a chain around his neck. It was probably my imagination, but I could have swore it glowed softly.

"My car just broke down and my damn cell phone died. Do you mind if I use yours?" He smiled again and I looked at him. Was anyone really that unlucky? It sounded like the opening line of a horror movie. "My name's Ban, by the way." He held his hand out to me. I bit my lip but left him hanging.

"Who's at the door, Zero? It's your turn." My mother voice yelled through the house and I turned around to see her coming towards the door. I held the door open a bit more letting her see the handsome stranger. I watched as she ran her fingers through her hair and shifted her bra around. Rolling my eyes was she really trying to pretty herself up for the man.

"This is Ban. His car broke down. He wants to use our phone." I filled her in on what was going on as she reached the door. She was smiling at Ban and his eyes shifted over her. He gave her a smile. I was sure that smile got him whatever he wanted.

"Don't be rude, Zero. Let him in." She said and I frowned. What were we living in the forties? Since when did you just let strangers in your home?

"What about the news? They said strangers could be demons." It was on CNN even if it sounded like something only crazy people would believe. The government wasn't laughing at this. They were warning people. They were sending the military in cities. This was serious.

"I'm sorry," my mother grabbed Ban's arm pulling him into the door, "my son plays too many video games." I rolled my eyes as I closed the door behind the handsome stranger. Even if I did play too many, that didn't change what was going on in the world.

My mother pulled Ban along behind her towards the kitchen. Shaking my head at her I walked back to the living room. My father and sister were still seated on the floor in their spots. I sat down on the floor in front of my green pawns plucking a card from the deck.

"Who was at the door?" My father asked and I shrugged my shoulders.

"Some guy that need the phone. I told mom not to let him in." Not in that many words but I still warned her that Ban was bad news. Could someone that handsome really be a demon? Where were the horns and evil? I watched TV though. Sometimes demons are the hot guys.

"Was he cute?" my sister asked and I rolled my eyes at her. She was only asking because Father was sitting right there. She knew that he was the only person in the house that didn't know about my . . . interest in boys. She was trying to be a bitch and out me.

I didn't say anything and she jumped up from the floor.

"You know you checked him out you little queer." She moved her hand back and forward away from her mouth. Her tongue pressed against the inside of of her cheek in time with her hand. It was the universal dick sucking motion.

"Amber, we don't use that word in this house," Father hissed. She walked away from the living room going to the kitchen to check out the stranger no doubt. I sighed pushing my fingers into my hair. This wasn't the way that I wanted my father to find out about me.

"There nothing to be ashamed of, son." My eyes shifted to my father. Who said I was ashamed of it?

"I'm not. I like girls and I like boys. I'm not ashamed of who I am." I wasn't. He looked at me for a moment. I could feel his eyes studying me. Was I suddenly different in the eyes of my father because who I choose to take to my bed? Not that I've taken many to my bed. Two girls and no guys so far in the sixteen years I've been alive.

"Every boy goes through this stage." Liking guys wasn't a stage in my life. What was that suppose to mean anyway? Did my father have a gay stage in his life? "Just be happy and be safe, Zero." He locked eyes with me. His gray eyes holding mine until he smiled rising up from the floor.

"I'm going to see what's taking them so long." He walked away and I let out a breath. Looking around, I was alone in the living room. Picking up the cards I started to set the deck. Looking through and replacing the cards so I could turn this losing game into a winning one.

"That's called cheating." I jumped at the sound of the stranger's voice. Turning around Ban was leaning against the door jam between the dining room and the living room.

"Where's my family?" I stood up thinking the worse. I wasn't stupid. I wasn't going to be the idiot that died first in the horror film. He gave me that smile again before and I started towards the kitchen. I had to pass him in order to get here.

When I moved closer to him, he grabbed my arm yanking me to the side he slammed me into the wall. I could hear my heart racing. He was standing so close to me. Now that he was closer he wasn't as tall as I first thought. Maybe six or seven inches, enough to look down at me. His body was pressed so close to mine. I could feel the heat of his flesh against mine. He held both of my wrist in one of his hand pinning them over my head. I couldn't deny his strength. Who was this man?

"You're so adorable. I'm going to save you for last, my sweet little Natsu." I sucked in a breath at the name he used. He leaned down his tongue running over the side of my face. It sent a shiver down my spine. I should have been scared. Instead pleasure from his tongue rippled through me.

"Let's play, Ban." Amber was calling and Ban released me before my family came back into the living room with snacks in tow. I stood against the wall as I watched them clear away SORRY so we could play a game Ban could play as well. They were sitting at the table smiling and laughing. None of them seemed to notice we invited the devil inside.

Springing awake my body ached numbly. My mind cast back to the beating I took. Looking around I didn't see Ban or Kenji anywhere. I wasn't in the club anymore. I was in some kind of cell. There was only a bed and toilet in the room with me. I could see a door with bars on the window.

Laying back down I clenched the pillow to my chest. Dante was dead; Aya was most likely dead. Shu, my friend, my brother, was dead. I failed him. I failed Amy and Rai. I failed Kaleb. The pain that I felt matched only that of the lost of my family. Shu was my family.

My lips parted and I howled in pain, in grief, in anger. Curling in on my side I couldn't stop the screams that ripped through my throat. This pain rippled through my soul. Why? Why me? Why did I keep living as everyone around me died? Why was it only me?

Was this what I wanted so badly? Was this the life that I clung to? One where everyone I love dies and I live on. I didn't want this. I didn't want this pain. I didn't want this life. He could take it back. Ban could take it all back.

He could free me from this pain. I didn't want it anymore. I wanted to join my family. I wanted to be with Shu and Kaleb. I wanted to see my mother and Amber again. I wanted to talk to my father and my brother. I wanted to fade into the darkness. I wanted the fog to fall over me again. Then I wouldn't feel anything. The fog didn't come though. My mind stayed clear.

So I wailed until there was nothing left inside of me. I screamed and cried until my eyes ran dry and my throat was too raw to emit another sound. When I stopped, I sat up. I couldn't die. Amy and Rai needed me. Right now, the most important thing was getting back to them. It's what Shu would have wanted from me.

In this cell, I didn't know how long I was here. How long did I sleep? How long did I scream? It felt like years. I doubt that even I could scream that long. I didn't even know where I was. Did Ban bring me here or did someone else?

Moving to the door I touched the knob. The black flames of my powers surrounded my hand as the knob fell away and the door swung open. Walking into the hall it looked like some kind of prison. There were cells on both sides of the walls. Most of the ones I peeked into were empty. Some of them held humans who were possessed by demons. The demons all hissed at me moving back. They could feel the power in me.

Holding my hand up a small bird formed from the black flames. It took flight showing me the way out of the maze of cells that were here. We seemed to be underground. I could tell that I each set of stairs the bird found drew me closer to my freedom. Who would bring me here in the first place? What was this place?

There was no sense of time down here, but I guessed it was at least a few hours before I could smell the fresh air. The bird dissipated when it reached a door. I pushed it opened and frowned at the smell of this place. It burned my nose like someone who used too much bleach when cleaning.

My eyes shifted around and I saw I was in some kind of church. That explained the clean smell this place held. There were statutes of the many Gods people seemed to pray to these days. In every room, I walked passed there was someone bowing before one of the statues praying for . . . whatever people prayed for.

I paused at one of the doors I could hear voices inside. Looking through the window there was a group of people gathered. These ones weren't praying to anyone. They were sitting around talking. I frowned. These were the people that were outside of the club. The pure boy and his friends. Why would a church take in a demon?

"That damn brat demon screamed for three days. I heard him all the way in the dorms. I couldn't sleep," a man I never saw before spoke. His voice was rough and annoying. Three days, I needed to hurry up and get home. Amy must have been out of her mind with worry by now. How was I suppose to tell her what happened? How could I look her in the eyes and say all the ways I failed?

"He must have been in great pain," the pure boy voice was soft just like I imagined it would have been. "He wailed as if his soul was ablaze. I feel so bad for him." I shut my eyes against his words. I didn't need his pity.

"He's a demon, Soji. He doesn't have a soul." The one with the rough voice spoke again. He had short brown hair with mud brown eyes. He had to be in his mid to late twenties. He had this entitled air about him. I hated people like that.

"He should be safe to talk to now. He was with three humans in the line. I'm pretty sure they all were Demon Hunters. I want to know if Ban and Kenji were their targets or if it was Maya." This time it was the woman who had talked to the bouncer that spoke. Why did she want to know about us? Were they there because they knew Ban and Kenji were coming?

"You saw how Ban treated that demon. He even threaten Kenji from hurting him. Ban let him live. Even though he attacked them." Ban let me live. I suppose Ban could have killed me if he wanted to. Or maybe Ban didn't see a need to. I would just come back. I wouldn't die. I couldn't die.

"Maybe they were lovers. Ban did kiss him." Ban, my lover? The thought was laughable. Ban thought he owned me. He thought he could do whatever he pleased with me, to me. That wasn't the case though. I would win sooner or later. I would kill Ban.

"You shouldn't be here demon." A voice spoke from behind me. I swore as he sent a bolt of lighting at me. It hit me in the chest sending me through the door and into the room with the others. Today wasn't my day.