"Harlee! What the Hell?! You look terrible!" He ran over and pulled me to the counter and forced me into a seat. I had left Ash outside because it was raining and I didn't want Ash to have to bother with bringing a wet umbrella inside the store and getting wet trying to open it when going back outside, so I just asked Ash to leave me at the door and told Ash to go home. "Let me look at you better. What's been going on? Tell me everything!" Josh pulled up a chair and sat in front of me. He kept a hand on my wrist lightly as I began to talk, and before I knew it, I spilled everything. Josh frowned.
"Harlee, can I do a more thorough look with the mirror later?" Josh asked and I nodded. "Why don't you go to the breakroom and lie down? It's raining, so it'll probably be slow." Josh grinned. I nodded, and smiled tiredly back. I stood with a wobble and Josh frowned again, then helped me into the breakroom to a bench. I sat down with a grunt and let myself flop over. Josh was at the lockers digging through them.
"I swear I had.. Aha!" He triumphantly pulled out a T-shirt that he rolled up and placed beneath my head. He rolled me over and put my legs up on the bench and then bustled out of the breakroom and came back with his jacked, which he tossed over me.
"It might be a little wet-but hopefully it'll keep you warm." Josh said apologetically.
"Thanks Josh." I sighed and closed my eyes. The last thing I saw was his worried face.
Zeev POV
'Zeev.. ZEEV!!' I jerked. The name was being called through one of my Contracts. Josh. I zeroed in on his location. He sounded frantic.
"What's wrong?" I asked, stepping up behind him.
"She won't wake up! Where were you?! I've been calling forever!" Josh exclaimed. I looked beyond him to see Harlee on the bench, and fell to my knees. Sulking, that's where I'd been, and meanwhile, Harlee had been in need of my help.. Ash appeared a minute later.
"Mistress!" Ash cried.
"I had her go lay down-and when I came to check on her a few hours later, she was like this! I thought she was dead at first! I thought that was why I couldn't reach you! But the Marks didn't fade, and she's still breathing, slightly. I didn't mean to be gone so long, we just got slammed." Josh babbled. I had my hand on Harlee's Mark, head bowed. I was trying to figure out what was wrong with her. But I could find no physical problems, other than she was drained and malnourished, but why?
"I can't find anything wrong with her body." I sighed. "Dumping energy into her is like trying to fill a bottomless well. There has to be something else wrong here." I growled.
"Wait-you said you couldn't find anything wrong with her body." Josh pulled a broken bit of mirror from his pocket. He sliced his finger on the edge and let the glass absorb the blood, sticking his finger in his mouth as he turned to look over his shoulder at Harlee. His eyes widened. "Zeev-her soul! The connection between you! How have you not felt it?" I cast a dirty look at Ash and allowed the strings entangling us to light up. Harlee's end of the soul thread looked..decayed.
"Oh shit!" I pounced at her. Her soul was starving, and it was slowly killing her. I couldn't feel it because Ash was keeping her numb. I let my Form melt away and surrounded Harlee in my transition state. This was harder without being able to use her soul as my guide, but I grabbed her body and pulled it towards my Heart, her tissues and bones breaking and sizzling away as her soul, the weak, starving half of it, finally recognized me and woke up.
'Zeev!' She cried before slamming into my Heart to join the other half of her soul. I felt my own Form twisting and breaking and began to scream..
We were dimly aware of Ash and Josh.
"Had you ever..seen this before?" Ash asked in a whisper.
"No-and I don't wanna again." Josh gagged. I mean, I'd seen them together, but they look different this time.."
"It's fascinating." Ash said, walking forward. "Do you recognize me?" Ash asked softly.
"Of course." We replied from where we were sitting on the ground. "You're Bound to us." We waved a hand and the ties between Ash, Zeev and Harlee lit up.
"Fascinating!" Ash exclaimed. "I can feel the Bond tugging me towards you, but-if I'm not wrong, you're more a creature of the Divine than the human I'm Bound to, correct?" A spasm wracked our body. Harlee was upset. Zeev had done something.. We frowned.
"Harlee's soul feeds the one she calls Zeev in this state, returning his Demon Heart or Core to a state of Grace." We clutched our chest as another tremor ran through us. We were falling apart. We fell forward onto our hands, panting.
"Just a little longer." Zeev's voice growled.
"You betrayed me!" Harlee screamed.
Our body wavered and we panted again.
"This Form.. is difficult to maintain. The two halves are at war." We brought our eyes up to look at Ash. "You must stop numbing Harlee's soul. It keeps her from seeking the connection that keeps it alive and healthy. Without it, it will wither and die, and we will be.. no more." A tremor ran up our spine and our back split open.
"No-not yet! Your soul needs to heal!" Zeev's voice snarled. Our back knitted back together briefly. We sank to the ground.
"Harlee is going to fight this. She is hurt." Our body shook. "But she will die, otherwise." We burst apart with a sickening splat.
Harlee POV
Once again I was naked in a pile of goo. Worse, I was being ogled by Josh AND Ash. Zeev was groaning beside me. He had the worst of it because he had been fighting so hard to keep us together. I covered myself in embarrassment and Ash dropped their jacket over me. I looked around at the breakroom, it was a disaster and looked like somebody had murdered twenty people.
"Oh God." I groaned. I was covered in blood and tissues myself. I spat a mouthful of who knows what out and stuck my arms into Ash's jacket, zipping it up. I guess I really had gotten sick. There was no way this would have fit before. I shuddered, I was freezing and Zeev usually warmed me up-but.. I huddled on a bench.
"Ash, will you take me home?" I asked quietly. Ash nodded, but Josh put a restraining arm out and shook his head.
"Remember what they said when they were together.. Those two need to work this out between themselves." Josh whispered. Zeev groaned again and suddenly sat up.
"Harlee!" He cried out. I winced.
"I could order you." I told Ash.
"I am capable of disobeying orders that compromise your life or our agreement." Ash gave a wicked grin.
"Asshole." I said.
"Yes Mistress." Ash's grin grew wider and I was waiting for some sexual innuendo to be shot my way as Zeev struggled to his feet and crouched in front of me. Zeev gripped my face, looking in my eyes carefully. I looked away.
"You're alive, oh thank God, I was so worried." He leaned his bloody forehead against mine.
"A Demon thanking God. That's rich." I snorted.
"Fallen. Remember your scripture: even the Demons believe and tremble. So I know who's real and who I can thank for what." Zeev stated primly. I moved my face away.
"Just take me home so I can clean all this mess off me." I instructed. Zeev picked me up, but before we left, I stopped him. "I'm sorry Josh, for the mess. I don't have the strength to help you clean. Ash'll stay and help. I'll send Zeev back so he can too."
"No!" All three snapped at once.
"Zeev stays with you." Josh demanded and Zeev growled agreement.
"Aww, why do I get stuck with cleanup duty?" Ash whined.
"Use your Demonic abilities. I'll feed you later." I waved a tired hand as Ash's eyes lit up with excitement.
"You know that means.." Ash began.
"Blood for you." I interjected.
"Aww." Ash pouted.