Ink and Bone

[IvyKane]

"You went through my stuff?"

The words were almost spit out even as she stumbled and landed on her butt to save from running smack into his chest. His chest. A flash of memories, fingers curled at his chest above a beating heart. A spray of blood, a fall of feathers.

"Feathers..."

The word caught in her throat and she shook her head, fingers curling into wounded palms as she looked at him with such anguish in her eyes before they were closed and she turned away from him.

Her shoulders slumped in defeat as she returned to the room and dropped on to the bed. Mortified she was mortified. He went through her stuff. He had to have seen the medications that had been prescribed to her by the Centre. Anti-psychotics. Anti-depressants. Anti-anxiety. A mess. Fingers pinched the bridge of her nose as she pulled her glasses off and sat them on the night stand.

Knees drawn to her chest, cheek pressed to knee cap. She wouldn't dare look at him.

"Tea would be nice... Alex..."

Bare feet in winter. She wasn't cold though. Holding out her hands she stretched her fingers out toward the moonlight, smiling with pleasure as the cool rays licked at her palms, painting her skin a soothing balm of energy. Even as a creature of light she took such reverie and delight in the darkness and the shadows. The moon and the stars when she was told to linger with the sun. She was meant to be an Angel of the Sun and Glory, ever since the Morning Star had fallen she was the next in line... but she did not want that... she ached for the Night... and the Warriors...no... Warrior... that lived there. A Night Hunter. Head tipped back and she shrieked in delight as she was lifted in the air and tossed into the night sky. Her wings were gold and fireflies dancing on display for him. Smiling as always. With him she was fearless... the consequences... irrelevant.

"I... don't have anywhere to go... They will destroy the shop... I can't let that be. I promised. I swore...I have a duty. I don't go back on my word."

Her blue eyes were fringed in a sliver of sunbeam gold as she frowned at him, tears threatening to spill over. Who was she fooling, it was false hope truly. She knew the shop was likely in ashes already.

"Someone else was here before. I shouldn't be here. You... are...."

She shut her mouth, cutting the words off sharp as she bit the inside of her cheek until she drew blood. Hugging herself she shot to her feet as she felt the anxiety crushing her once more. The heat, the fever struck a match within her and she was damn near ready to burn alive with it. It didn't matter anymore. Not to Ivy.

The smell of another female, the scent of desire and want mixed with sweat. It was enough. Fresh enough to her senses. Ivy cursed her sharp senses. Even still... it made her want to burn alive.

[AlexKirk]

"Someone was here, a long time ago." Somehow he knew she meant another woman. Truth told, there'd been a few. "You're safe, and I belong to no one, Ivy."

He turned and moved to the kitchen, the ritual of tea making always calmed him. It was better than any drug.

Snow.

Bloody tracks leading away from a fallen greater demon.

The warrior threw his head back and released a primal scream. The pain unlike anything felt before. The pain in his body as it tried to heal from the demon's ravages. The pain in his chest from losing her. He leaned heavily on his great sword. The demon's black blood dried on the ancient blade, but he could still see his reflection in the few places it hadn't clung to. Shadow ink eyes stared back. His blood ran from his scalp. With another roar, the blade was lifted toward the battle above.

"I will find you!"

Lightning flashed and a bolt struck the blade, sending fire through his body. Another scream was heard above the raging battle.

He shook his head. The dreams were coming to him when he was awake now. "What kind of shop do you have, Ivy?" Anything to take his mind off the dreams. "If it will make you feel better, we can go check it out tomorrow. I'll call ahead to my guy for warding, that'll keep it safe while I keep you safe."

They were endless. Pouring over the cliff's edge to fight the warrior. He cut them down, sometimes two at a time. But, they kept coming. He could feel her. She was close, but not close enough to keep him at the pace he went. He needed her light. He needed her.

Teeth pierced the flesh on the back of his leg and he dropped to one knee. But, he fought on. Shadow consumed him. Darkness incarnate he became. Every one of the attackers dead at his feet. The sword clattered to the blood covered icy rock below his feet. His own mixing with demons. It was too much, the warrior fell among his enemies reaching for the light from above.
"I need you...." The darkness swirled.

Alex was gripping the cabinet's edge to steady himself. The kettle was whistling, indicating it's ready. He blinked a few times and shook his head. He was just tired. That's what he told himself. The tea was taken to her with a small jar of honey and a few packs of sugar.

[IvyKane]

The world was burning around her. After he had fallen and the demons came upon him one after the other she was frozen with terror. There was so much blood and darkness and fire. She was screaming for him as she dropped to her knees, crawling to the edge to peer down below in hopes of seeing him holding on. From time to time she would see a smoky flash cutting through the demons and knew he still fought on but then there were too many. The tears blinded her and she screamed until her voice went raw and silent. She felt the blood on the back of her throat and then a hand closed around her throat and she was thrown. Her wings snapped out and she hit the obsidian edge of a stone crevice. The breath was knocked out of her as she felt the darkness crowd her.



They had called her the North Star. For obvious reasons and some not so obvious. After Lucifer had fallen and she had been called as his replacement there were so many expectations. So much wanted and required of her. She was meant to be dedicated and sworn to Uriel ? the announcement was supposed to take place soon but all of that went to the wayside when the demons rose. Something of it was a small relief because she had no love towards Uriel. No? she loved another. Forbidden Darkness. A Shadow Warrior that was only meant to be the holy hand of the Lord. Judge, Jury, Executioner. He had a job to do? and yet she loved him. The memories of their stolen moments in twilight left her struggling against the hand of the demon as her eyes snapped open. Fire gold as the wings flared out behind her, burning bright. Once they had shone brighter but after his touch they had dimmed to moon pale. North Star. If they found out that her Glory was tarnished surely they would destroy her. Perhaps Death by demon was not a terrible way to go.



She heard him in her mind. Encouraging her to fight. He never would beg or plead. He always told. Demanded. Forced. To make her stronger. A smile touched her lips and she let out a silent scream. They wanted her to burn? She would light up the world? and that was exactly what she did.



The tea cup was lifted, the warmth a soothing balm against her injured palms as she looked at him with distant eyes. The memories that seemed her own and yet so not seemed to play there in the blue. She ached to be near him and she no comprehension as to why she felt this way. He was a stranger to her. He felt like something else though. So far from a stranger.



Ivy shook her head and sipped at her tea, closing her eyes as she chewed nervously on her bottom lip. His words drew her from her thoughts and the mention of the shop drew a small smile upon her lips



?It?s a library of sorts. A used book store really but you?re not going to find any Harry Potter or James Patterson there.?



The words were a mirror of what she had been told when she first came upon the shop. She set her half finished tea down and offered him a dimpled smile as she grinned. For a moment it felt like things were just normal and that the world wasn?t falling apart around her. His offer surprised her as that sudden nature of shyness overcame her once more.



?Thank you. I would like that. I?m sure she would appreciate it too.? She didn?t speak more of the past. Her smile dimmed in the smallest fraction as she looked at him. Tentative steps before she slipped her arms around him and buried her head against his chest. A deep sigh that seemed borderline contentment as she fell silent. This was so out of her nature but she found it seemed so much easier to embrace to speak the volumes of gratitude she felt towards him. Surely it was just that? gratitude.