"So J is dying and we're happy about it." I summarized what I understood from Dam's explanation, while focusing on holding back a sneeze.
The tea Damian served me was so sweet and spicy I'm surprised the late queen of England didn't rise from her grave just to slap us across the face with a glove for calling this abomination 'tea'. I've been sipping it for a while now, but it just won't run out. Demonic thing.
Damian nodded as he sat down on the other side of the sofa, spreading his arms on the back and the armrest and settling into the corner. He left his crumpled white suit jacket and tie in the kitchen, and unbuttoned the neck of his sky blue shirt. He still looked fashionable as hell, just in a more casual way.
"Did you have a deathday party?" I asked, as I observed his clothes. They were well fitted, probably expensive, and awful for hiding weapons. Also, they fit in pretty well with the pink background.
"No, not yet."
Okay, so he's still alive. That's good to know. Many Hunters could hear heartbeats, but my aural magic pretty much messed up my other senses. Tracking magic phantoms undetectable for most people? Absolutely doable. Telling if mom put three tablespoons of salt into the soup instead of teaspoons? Not so much. Not until my throat starts burning as I run to the nearest source of water. Sometimes I'm not sure how I even survived this long.
This made me question just how much sugar did Dam put into this damned tea.
"Is this disturbing you, Ava?" Damian asked gently.
"Nah, I'm fine. Just always assumed you guys were dead to begin with. Not like it changes too much." I shrugged, nearly spilling my tea. Frustrated, I took a deep breath and quickly gulped down the remainder of the liquid just to be done with it. My body shivered in defiance. The devilish liquid burned my throat and made my nose runny.
We sat there in silence for a bit as I digested my tea. Then, as a sign of my victory, I forcefully put the dainty cup on the coffee table then picked it back up as soon I saw Dam reaching out to refill it.
"You should drink some more. It's a special blend. To calm your nerves." He said, holding up the teapot.
"No." I replied quickly.
"Come on, it'll get cold."
"I'm a fucking fire witch. I donno what's a cold." I blurted.
Damian set the teapot down and smiled.
"Are you feeling better?"
"You know you fit in with the pillows?" I pointed at the pretty pink and blue. It was a good color combo.
"Do I?" He looked around coyly, and patted the pillows. "Would you like to take a nap on me?" He teased.
"Pssh. Stupid. I meant the…like…you know." I gestured wildly in his direction. Something wasn't right.
Damian pulled me into his arms. I had no idea how he got here so quickly. He tried to take the cup from my hands, but I didn't let him.
"Stahp. It's mine. My cup." I protested loudly.
"I'll just set it down so you can be more comfortable." Damian whispered into my ear.
"No! It's safety cup." I hugged it tightly to my chest.
"You're safe with me Ava. Just relax." Damian murmured so close to me, that his hair tickled my face.
I tried to swat it away, but Dan grabbed my hand, and pulled it back into the pile of limbs constricted between the arm of the sofa, his chest, and at least two decorative pink pillows. It felt like I was back in the basement, suffering through Mary-Anne's yoga phase again.
I tried to wiggle myself out of the tight space but either I was too slow, or the world was too fast. I clung onto the mental image of my magic barrier as a last resort to keep myself from falling asleep.
I don't know how much time has passed, but suddenly a loud crash cut through the sweet, bubbly coma.
"Damian!" The voice was aggressive, so I hugged the safety cup tight, and hoped it would end soon.
"Stop yelling. She's asleep." Damian answered calmly. I wanted to protest, but I wasn't sure if I was sleeping or not.
"What the fuck did you do to her?" The voice was coming from closer now. The radiating angry aura cut through this jellylike bubble around me, making me a bit more alert.
"I gave her a chance to relax. She's been through a lot in this couple of days." Damian gently patted my head for a short while, then he went back to caressing the part of my shin that was on the top of the pile. "It's better for everyone if she doesn't build up too much tension."
"Oh really? It's better for everyone? Then why the does it smell like a fucking distillery in here?" The angry voice demanded.
"I have put some bourbon in the tea. But before you continue with those accusations, know that I didn't force it down her throat. She knew what she was doing. And cut it with the profanity, please, there's a lady present."
"You just told me she's asleep you asshole. And what are you doing? Is this your new fucking kink? Caressing drugged up girls?"
The caressing stopped, as the tension grew in the room. Even through the haze, I felt the two forces pushing against each other.
I struggled to get out of his embrace, but my limbs were limp. So I tried the next best thing.
"Nhph." I wanted to say something, but this was the best I could manage.
Their auras shook. I hope I got their attention.
"Ava? Are you awake?" The now not so distant voice asked.
"Mph." I answered, and it took a lot out of me. Drifting away to sleep didn't seem like that bad of an option at this point.
"I'll get you back to your room."
"No. I won't allow that. She will stay here, and get some sleep. You, on the other hand, can see yourself back to yours." Dam stated firmly.
"Fuck you."
We suddenly moved away, leaving behind the sofa and the pretty pink pillows that were crushed with a satisfying thud the next moment.
"Are you seriously attacking me? You told us that you hate her. So why do you care so much?"
We moved again, but this time we must've been caught by the attack, as Dam's body twisted from the impact. He was at a big disadvantage, carrying me around in his hands.
We both fell to the floor.
"I don't care. But when she wakes up, she'll be out for blood, and I like not being on fire."
Will I be out for blood? If this really was alcohol, I'll more likely to be out for some aspirin.
I was suddenly snatched from Damian's hands and arrived into - what I thought to be - Sin's hands.
"Believe me, I'm doing both of us a favor."
Sin backed out of the room, leaving a suddenly too quiet Damian behind. I felt like something was wrong with that fact, but the pleasant rocking motion of Sin's steps carried me and the safety cup to a long awaited sleep.