Dark Love

B2P39

The door to the warehouse was unattended. But that meant nothing. Nick's group were trained to lurk in the shadows and pounce at the unsuspected.

"Chin up, eyes alert," that had been what his human dad had said to me when I first appeared here. "Always be wary of your surroundings. You never know what's about unless you really look. Sometimes you never even know what's right in front of you."

He sure hadn't known or he would not have set his son to train right beside his future murderer.

Saera shifted her pack off her shoulder and cradled it in front of her almost defensively. It was not much as far as protective efforts went but it would have to do. In her haste to leave, she'd even left behind her usual assortment of knives to keep her company. Now she felt almost naked because of it and immediately regretted the urge that had her leaving it all behind. What a dolt!

She pushed at the rusted side door and stepped through into unlit craven beyond. Daylight streamed through the cracks and creases of the boarded up windows. The place looked deceivingly empty but that didn't dissuade her. Instead Saera stepped on taking herself to the very centre of the vast space that was mostly empty save for the stacks of boxes piled in odd areas across the space. She stood there for a moment saying nothing doing nothing. Simply breathing to ease the heavy ache at the base of her throat and simply take it all in.

She sank down to her knees, memories assailing her of her time spent here training. Pretending to not like Nick while she secretly admired him. Then pretending to hate him when she secretly crushed over him. And when finally did love him... And he loved her back, fate stepped in and tore them out of each other's reach. Perhaps there was a lesson in there somewhere, a lesson on how they were never meant to be. Or perhaps that lesson was still yet to be learnt. Perhaps it was a lesson on how deamons were never meant to be. How she shouldn't be.

Tears poured down her cheeks and her mouth spilled open in silent anguish. It was probably the quiet moan of pure anguish that altered them to her being here. Perhaps someone coming here just to sit down right in the centre hadn't been a trigger enough. And they'd actually needed that someone to do something as stupid as to out right cry.

The light steps were barely discernable across the dusty concrete floor. But Saera felt their approach and instinct kicked in ti the rescue. One moment she sitting there cross-legged and the next she was on her feet crouched down low and ready to let loose hell. Having been put through a kind of hell herself made appreciative of the threat she now posed. But she was not about to hold back any. If they attacked so would she. There was no Nick around anymore, that one link to the past. The group grew and evolved too quickly with new members coming in and dropping out too quickly to have done more than exchange a nod with. Nick was the one constant. Nick had been the lure back that she'd always refused to acknowledge.

And now Nick was no more.

"Easy now," said a gruff voice from somewhere behind. The group that surrounded her parted then to allow him to pass through.

Saera stared momentarily stunned, then she threw all caution aside and short towards him. Right into the surprised arms of Nick's human dad.