Of Light And Shadows

Chapter Five...

"I see you're still playing the role of diplomat," Jia said before throwing her arms around Lucifer. He froze for a second before he held her briefly, and she breathed in the scent of mint and sweet spices that she'd missed so much. "Even royalty needs a hug every now and then."

"Lighten up." Mammon grinned at his brother. "You have to admit you missed her."

"Of course I did." Lucifer stepped back, keeping a hand on her shoulder as he smiled down at her. His teeth were straight and white, broken up only by his elongated incisors. "I missed her very much. Welcome back, Jia." She felt the lump in her throat and she had to swallow hard against the rising tears.

A long time ago the three men before her had been boys. Mammon had always been the life of the party, witty and forever cracking jokes and teasing. He got her into endless amounts of trouble and every second of it had been incredibly fun.

Belphegor was the emotional one, always ready to discuss a book or watch a movie with her and never far from smiling. When she needed a shoulder to cry on he was the one she would go to.

Lucifer had been reserved at first, unwilling to show he was anything other than Demon royalty, but eventually he'd thawed and she'd found a wonderfully intelligent, kind hearted person underneath. He was respectful and strong and she knew in the small smiles and glances he shot her that there was a mischievous nature underneath his carefully maintained exterior.

"I can't believe how different you all look," she said, remembering Mammon's gangly arms, Belphegor's wild curls and Lucifer's soft, delicate face from her childhood.

"We could say the same about you," Mammon answered. "Although you're still just as short as ever. That'll never change." He stood and ruffled her hair playfully. She giggled, and then she immediately felt guilty and bit her lip, her smile dropping.

How could she laugh while Evander faced a life changing transition? A faint line appeared between Lucifer's brows as he guessed the direction her thoughts had taken.

"The human that came with you won't be a human for much longer," he said quietly. "One bite can be counteracted if treated quickly enough but your friend suffered two bites to major arteries in his neck. The blood loss isn't severe because the venom sealed the wounds as soon as the Vampire was prevented from feeding, but your friend has two different strains of it in his veins now. We can't treat that."

"So that's it then? He's gonna be a Vampire now?" She felt a fist clench around her heart. "There's nothing we can do?"

"Unfortunately not, Jia. We're happy to let the two of you stay here until your friend has the bloodlust under control but he will never be human again. The transformation is already almost complete." Lucifer's eyes were sad. "When he is fully turned he'll be thirsty. We can help with that for now but on his return to the human realm he'll need to feed the way all Vampires do. I recommend you stay away from him."

"Agreed," Mammon nodded. "He'll only try to kill you if you don't."

"Have either of you ever heard of tact?" Bell asked, rolling his eyes at them. "Look at her, she's clearly distraught. Is the human your partner?"

"No," Jia answered. "Evan is my friend. He has a human girlfriend." She thought of how Hannah would react to him becoming a Vampire and a hard knot settled in her stomach. "She has no idea we're not in the human realm anymore."

"Would you like to go see him?" Bell asked. Jia nodded. He smiled and laid a hand on her back, guiding her over to the curtain concealing her friend. "He might be a little drowsy but he should be able to carry a conversation."

He pulled the curtain back and ushered her inside before closing it behind her again. She sank into the plastic chair beside the bed and took Evan's hand. His skin was already cold and pale, the beautiful brown of his eyes fading slowly to silver. A gauze patch was affixed to either side of his neck, hiding the puncture wounds.

"My teeth hurt," he mumbled. As he spoke she saw the points of his newly grown fangs and pain seared in her chest. Vampires were monsters by nature. They were shunned because they were violent and bloodthirsty. There truly was nothing worse that could have happened to him.

"Your fangs are growing in. It'll stop hurting when they're done," she answered quietly.

"I don't want to be a Vampire." The pain in his voice made her feel sick again. "I'd rather die. Why didn't those guys kill me? It would've been better that way."

"Don't say that," she gasped. "We can get through this together, Evan."

"Can we? What happens if I tear your throat out? Or if I kill Hannah? How do I tell my family that I have to eat people to survive? How am I going to go to class or keep my job?" All of those questions were ones she couldn't answer. "At this point I'd be better off dead."

"Stop it." She laid her other hand over his and squeezed it tight. "You can stay here until your thirst is under control and then we'll figure it out, okay?"

"The thirst is never under control for a Vampire," Evan answered hoarsely. "No matter how much I've fed or what I do, once the transformation is over I'll want to sink my teeth into your throat every time I look at you. I'm not okay with that."

"What do you want me to do? I can't call Lucifer in here and ask him to kill you. I won't do it so don't talk like that." At the sound of his name Lucifer stepped through the curtain to stand beside her.

"Evander, is that your name?" Evan nodded. "If you truly wish to die I can grant that wish, but I won't do it until you've been given a chance to adjust. Only you can decide what you want to do. The life of a Vampire is hard and filled with blood and you will be a danger to those you love. But it isn't impossible to live as a Vampire and maintain some of your humanity. There are those out there who manage to continue on with their lives despite their nature."

"All my family are human. My girlfriend is human. My best friend is Lotura. How do I stop myself hurting them?" Lucifer frowned and glanced at Jia when he mentioned her species, but he considered Evan's question carefully before answering.

"Self-control. Demons experience a similar hunger when they need souls. The bloodthirst is intense and decidedly violent, but it is possible to resist the way Demons do as long as you manage it properly. You can learn to do that if you stay here for a while."

"You eat souls?" Evan was distracted by his own horror for a moment.

"Not me personally. Some of those that were born of full Demon blood do."

"Demons, huh?" Evan muttered, his eyes widening. Almost all of the brown had bleached out of his irises. "I've heard of you but I didn't think you existed. I thought the stuff in the books was just stories."

"Jia never told you about our realm?"

"I never told anyone about any of you," she answered. "My father is angry enough that I'm friends with a human. If he finds out I'm friends with three Demon Rulers as well he'll string me up."

"Your father, is he Lotura too?"

"Yes. My mother is Fae so I'm a mixed breed."

"Hmm." Lucifer's frown was back but he let it go, turning his attention back to Evan. "You should sleep. When you awake you will be a Vampire. We will have blood ready to quell your thirst and when you feel stronger we'll move you to one of the rooms in our home. For her safety, your room will be far from Jia's and you will not be allowed to visit her unsupervised until you are in control. Is that understood?" Evan nodded, his eyes fixed on the blanket over his legs. "If you still wish to die once we have helped you gain control of your impulses then I will grant your wish." Lucifer held out his hand to Jia. She sighed and took it, allowing him to help her to her feet.

"I'm not leaving you," she said gently. "I told you I wouldn't give a shit if you were a Vampire and I meant it, okay? As soon as you're ready, come visit me. I'll be waiting." He smiled gratefully as the medical attendant returned to his side with a syringe in her hand.

"This will help you sleep while the transformation completes itself," Sellik explained. Evan nodded and settled back against the pillows, watching as Jia turned away before she could see the needle break his skin.

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