Predator

21.

"I-I told you. My soul mate and his family kidnapped me," Neela was so exhausted that she didn't even know how far-fetched her story would have sounded to any human who wasn't apart of the demon world. She was sitting with a psychiatric doctor to evaluate her mentally.

"And what were the names of these demons?" She was quickly getting annoyed with Dr. Carmine, Neela had already told the story twice! And it was an extensive story. "Ryan Soptic, Damien Soptic, Sean Soptic, Landon Soptic, Caleb Soptic, and Ethan and Evan Soptic." Neela's head had almost crashed onto the metal cafeteria table if it weren't for Damien's voice echoing through the isolated room. "Why is the victim already being questioned?" She knew his voice but, once again, his face was not Damien. Dr. Carmine has already closed his case file by the time Damien got to the table the two were sat at.

"May I have some time, alone, with the victim?" Despite Damien not looking like himself, he could still easily intimidate anyone he chose. Carmine spoke no words, or even made a sound, as he quickly packed up his belongings—making sure to not miss a thing.

"The nerve of some people," he chuckled in a soft voice once the doctor was gone. Damien felt overall happier now that he was able to see Neela and how she was doing, even though she wasn't doing great at all. "I've missed you. Hell, we have all missed you." Neela gave a fake smile back with all ten of her fingers knotted in her rugged hair. She looked like she wanted to say something, anything really, but just couldn't bring herself to do so.

"Now, Neela, I know most of the story about what it was like in the house; I've begun filling out the complaint for you. However, there are things I do not know and I need you to fill me in. When we do that, the good doctor will look it over and place you in a safe place."

Now resting her chin on her propped up knees, with her arms embracing her legs, Neela shook her head. "I'm only safe with you and your family," her wet eyes peered up to Damien's dark ones. "No one here believes me about anything!

Damien, with pursed lips, nodded knowingly but also sympathetically. He knew since he proposed the idea, no one would believe Neela of her stories of demons and realms and marking. It was just impossible to people who weren't involved with the supernatural. Even to Neela, all of it was impossible, but she knew now that all of the scary stories of bad monsters were real.

Damien had to be on Neela's side and believe every single word she spoke. Partially due to the fact that he lived that life with her and partially due to the fact that the more he played into it, the more she would speak about it. "I don't know how anyone could not believe such a thing," he rolled his eyes in annoyance and removed his gaze from Neela, "I mean," he looked back at her, "you have all the scars and the mark to prove it."

Now that she had someone around her who believed her, Neela could relax and sit comfortably. "They said that they are just burns, but the mark had been glowing and burning since you left me alone."

Damien's hand that wasn't holding the pen flipped over so his palm was exposed to the blinding, white lights of the cafeteria. He wanted to see if what Neela was saying, was true. She placed her wrist into his opened hand and hitched a breath in at the sudden, cold feeling that enveloped her body.

"Forgive me," he apologized for his such cold skin. He turned Neela's wrist and saw that, yes, the mark was burning red. Mortal is able to see it, unless the mortal themselves are marked. To the normal, human eye, it was just a very deep scar that looked more like a cut wound than a burn. But he saw it, he saw the scar glowing.

"I'm sorry that no one here believes you," he caressed the disfigured patch of skin while deeply looking into Neela's eyes. "I haven't been here a week and it's already hell."

"Yes, well, in a few days, we'll present ourselves to Egin and Ryan will be proved innocent, hopefully." Damien took a deep breath in and released Neela's wrist to look back down at the case file. "Let's get started, shall we?"

~~

"It seems to me that she was heavily abused by whomever took her away," Damien spoke to Carmine who was waiting out in the hallway, "I do recommend some psychiatric care while we investigate."

~~

"You know, you're gonna have to be able to stand before Egin," Landon pointed out obviously. "And I will," came Ryan's weak reply. He had finally begun talking again, he wouldn't say much throughout the day, but it was better than nothing like it used to be. "I'm trying to preserve my energy, a lot of it will be drained by the first day. And I only get energy from—" Ryan cut himself off as he heard the front door open.

"How's—" none of the boys could bring themselves to say her name, it hurt too much. "Is she okay?" Sean finally found the right words to say.

Even though Damien was speaking to Sean, he looked at Ryan, who was facing the back of the couch, while he spoke. "She's doing just fine." Ethan could feel that his father was lying, but he was only doing it for the sake of Ryan's sanity, or what was left of it. "I say we should all go tomorrow, just to get it over with because she misses all of us. She misses you especially, Ryan."

After all of the boys, except Ryan, went to their bedrooms for the night, Damien snuck out of bed just so he could talk to him. Ryan was laying on his back, he was in deep thought. Damien was about to turn to leave, to let him be with his thoughts, until his sons voice stopped him.

"I can perceive her scent on you still. It's been driving me insane," his voice was loud again. Just the scent of Neela made him feel like his energy hadn't all been drained completely.

Damien made his way to the couch to look down at his son who wasn't soaked in sweat anymore, "have you spoken to her through your thoughts yet? You can still do that."

Ryan breathed through his mouth as his eyes wobbled to different parts of the smooth, white ceiling. "No," he simply answered after a few moments of trying to find the right words, "I've been wanting to, I know how to, I just don't know what to say to her. Maybe I'll try to tomorrow, after we go to Egin."

Damien nodded and faked a yawn, "very well. You should try and regain some energy, you'll need it tomorrow."

Ryan mumbled a quick 'yeah' before turning on his side to be faced with the back of the couch again.

As Damien walked back to his own bedroom, he could hear the informing words of Ryan. "I don't know if you ever saw her talk to someone while in her head, she has this thing while she does it. Her eyes just keep flickering from different parts of the room she's in and she's almost frozen from trying so hard to concentrate on what I'm trying to say."

And right before Damien shut his door, "I don't want other humans to think that she is crazy when she does it though, maybe that's why I'm so hesitant."