Harlee POV
Consciousness again. Ash, covered in my blood, was sitting beside me, panting. How many times had Ash tried to kill me?
"Why won't it work? I've saved you from death! At great personal sacrifice! I don't understand! Why won't you Bond with me?" Ash shook my shoulders. I moaned weakly.
"A Bond is formed when one commits an act of self-sacrifice, of true love so great that it offers their own life or the equivalent in exchange for another, you asshole!" Zeev wheezed in the doorway.
"Zeev!" I called softly and he fell to his knees. Ash angrily ran at him. "No!" I moaned.
Zeev POV
I was so tired I wasn't sure I could handle this creep. I knew who this Ash creature was now. The Dragon, or as I liked to call them, the Snake. We'd battled it out before, neither had won.
"Why did you kidnap Harlee? Why do all this?" I snarled. Ash laughed.
"Isn't it obvious?" Ash changed Forms, becoming the large Demon Dragon Form, scales, long body, wings and all. A long mane of black hair flowed from the pale flesh.
"That's new." I commented, dodging the first attack. Harlee had struggled to her feet. She backed away from the battle. Ash's True Form took up a lot of space.
"I've changed." Ash shook their head, hair rippling.
"That's obvious, I still can't figure out how you hid from us all that time. You presented as pretty damn human." I swung a taloned hand at the back of Ash's exposed leg. "Oh hey-didn't I relieve you of a piece or two? Glad to see they've grown back so well." Ash whipped their tail at me, knocking me against a wall. I saw stars for a moment or two.
"That's why I kidnapped your Bonded. I owed you." Ash hissed. I heard Harlee suddenly roar and lunge forward. She sunk her teeth into Ash's thigh. Ash twitched and turned on her, changing Forms, so she'd lose her grip.
"You! Don't betray me now, my beauty. I intend to form a Bond with you and make you mine for all eternity!" Ash had returned to human Form and stroked her cheek gently before kissing her blood-covered mouth deeply. I could sense how the kiss messed with her head.
"You can't." She panted. "I'm already Bonded... to Zeev." Ash's fingers traced the Mark on her jaw and my body spasmed and I clearly saw it all. All of Ash's scheming laid bare.
"Oh but didn't dear Zeev tell you-you can have more than one Bonded Demon. That's why Hell hates the Bonded Pairs so much. Because if any one human amasses enough of them-they would have enough power to not only rule the world, but Heaven and Hell as well." Harlee's back arched and she shivered as her eyes rolled back in her head. I struggled to my feet, leaping at Ash.
Harlee POV
Ash.. I saw it all.
Ash hated Zeev with a passion. Hated the half soul he carried. Hated the Bond he shared with me. Wanted to destroy Zeev. Couldn't believe the battle had nearly been lost to Zeev. Ash had plotted, had watched the proceedings carefully. Had shadowed us and spied on us, using every bit of knowledge and intel that could be gleaned to put together a plan. Ash intended to destroy Zeev, but not in the physical sense. Oh no. Ash saw, saw it first. Zeev had fallen for me and Ash knew it. So Ash was going to take me away. Seduce me, watch Zeev crumble, then destroy me in front of him, killing two birds with one stone. But something had happened.
I had been kind. I hadn't judged Ash. I had been sympathetic. And even though Ash had used, so, so much magic to hide his Demon essence-even going so far as to remove their Heart and store it in a vessel made to contain Demons so they could appear human, and using magic to appear more alluring, I had succumbed, but not the way Ash expected. I resisted the urge to just sexually go after Ash, and actually tried to distance myself. What kind of human was I? Everyone else would have taken advantage, but me.. Even with Ash literally throwing themselves at me, I wouldn't take advantage. And I was sassy, and so observant! Ash continued to watch me, even when we didn't work together, and every time we met I surprised Ash even more, until.. Ash began to admire me. To adore me. To love me in that weird worshipy way Demons and Angels do. So now Ash wanted me for another reason. Not to kill, but to keep. Ash knew Zeev couldn't be killed, but he could be terribly maimed to keep him out of the way. Make him watch. Besides, in the end, wouldn't this be the best revenge and torment of all? Zeev having to share his precious Harlee? I blinked, tears pouring from my eyes.
"No. I don't want this. Let me go Ash." I whispered. I don't know if Ash even heard me. Ash and Zeev were fighting again. Ash had Zeev against the wall and I could feel the impact as Ash broke three of his ribs. I coughed blood with Zeev, bending over double. I pulled myself to my feet using the wall and stumbled forward. I had to stop Ash. Every breath I took hurt. Every step jolted my ribcage and hurt even more.
"Stop." I begged as Ash swung again. I felt Zeev's lung puncture. Zeev suddenly exploded into Demon Form. Ash, who was still in human Form after shifting earlier to escape me, looked surprised. I sighed in relief. Zeev pounced forwards as I fell to my knees, but in the small space, Zeev's form was also too much. He opened his jaws to grab Ash, only to see me on the ground directly behind them. He didn't expect me to be so close. Ash seemed to sense the danger at the same time, turning, a look of horror on their face. Ash partially shifted, stretching their body into their Demon Form over me to protect me, but never reaching the full Form, as Zeev's teeth closed on Ash with a sickening crunch. Ash wrapped their snake-like body around me protectively. The coolness of Ash's skin almost comforting after the heat from the pain I was in. Zeev let out a pained howl, releasing Ash, and shaking Ash's flesh free from his sharp teeth. Ash's limp body came uncoiled from me and Zeev shrank back to his human Form.
"Harlee! Harlee!" He sobbed, grabbing me into a desperate hug. "I'm so sorry, so sorry!"
"I'm alright." I panted. "But are you??" I asked, clutching my ribs.
"I almost killed you." He sobbed.
"No, Ash saved me. It's ok." As I spoke the words a shudder ran through my body. Ash saved me. I looked over at Ash's body which trembled slightly. A sudden feeling of ice being dumped down the back of my head made me arch backwards in Zeev's arms.
Zeev POV
I paced the house angrily. I had healed, but had been forced to hunt souls to do it, in order to have enough for Ash and I. I snarled. Ash. I could kill that disgusting creature. Now there was even an invisible thread linking the two of us. I gnashed my teeth. I heard Harlee's breathing change and paced back to the room swiftly, trying to get there before Ash.
"Let me in! She's my Mistress now too!" Ash grumbled as I shoved Ash by the face back out the door.
"No! Let me go explain it to her first, then I'll bring you in when she's ready." I snarled.
"It's ok Zeev." Harlee called softly. "I already know." She sounded tired. Ash leaped happily into the room.
"Mistress!" Ash cried. I could hear Ash's thoughts running along the 'mine, mine, mine' track. This was going to get annoying.
"Not officially yet." Harlee rebuked Ash and Ash froze. "Zeev, what happens if a human rejects a Binding?" Harlee asked me. I grinned wickedly.
"Well technically, the Demon would still be Bound to you, but do you remember how it was for me in the beginning? How miserable I was because you didn't fully accept me? Yeah, it's worse." I grinned at Ash. Ash looked terrified. This idea had obviously not occurred to Ash during all the scheming. Harlee folded the blankets back off her legs and stood from the bed, crossing her arms.
"I don't like being forced into anything." Harlee snapped at Ash. Ash cowered and she sighed. "With that being said, I do have to give you my thanks You did save my life at the end. However, it was your fault it was in danger in the first place!" She yelled. Ash cringed. Whew, she was really laying it on.
"I don't like these games you play, though I'm sure they're probably part of your nature, considering your Form. So here's the deal. Knowing a Master shapes their Demon, I can't just let you run free anymore-so I'll take responsibility for you. But you WILL HEEL like the dog you are. You will NOT consume human souls anymore unless given my express permission. You will NOT form Contracts or Bonds with any other beings without my express permission. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!" Each order fell like a hammer blow. Even not fully Bonded, Ash would never be able to escape the weight of them. Ash nodded weakly. "Good. If you are hungry-you will come to Zeev or I. We will aid you."
"Now.." She said with a small sigh. "I believe you have an important question for me?"