"... and that's how Crystal spread the rumor about me kissing two guys on the same day."
Caiden tilted his head, smirking. "And didn't you?"
I threw him a scandalized expression and gasped. "What do you think of me?! Anyways, I had a boyfriend and I wouldn't have cheated on him! She was just scared of me because of my bad luck and tried to make the people push me away because I was a freak. I couldn't blame her, thou. I really was a freak."
Caiden sighed, letting his hand fall in his lap. "It wasn't your fault. This kind of thing can't be controlled, especially if you were touched by a bad luck demon. I guess... it was your bad luck being touched by this kind of creature."
I chuckled. "What an irony. Anyways... can it be cured?"
He shook his head. "I'm afraid I don't know. I will ask the Old One when we get back. Maybe he knows something about it. I can help you with it. After all the things you've done to make sure my mission is completed, I owe you at least this."
"Thank you. I'd really appreciate it." I said, biting my lips and lowering my eyes. It was weird for Caiden to be grateful to me. I thought I was more of a nuisance to him, but... he seemed to think the otherwise. I was happy to see that he recognized how difficult was for me to do all that stuff, especially to lose my family connections...
"After all of this is done... you can live a normal life."
I blinked twice and raised my head, so I could make eye contact with him. He, still looking sick because of the poison, had a weird expression on his face. "What do you mean?" I asked him, not understanding exactly the hidden meaning.
"... I mean, we won't be around you anymore. Talking about me and Xsilia. And the other demons as well. I will help you escape from this outrageous bad luck, and after that... I can remove your memories."
I lost my breath. He couldn't possibly suggest to me... to forget them completely and go on with my life like nothing, happened, right?
I laughed, making him narrow his eyes. "You're joking. This isn't for real, is it? How can you... how can you make me forget everything?"
Caiden sighed. "Look, Ivy. You're a human. You'll die in a few decades. I can't let you live your life traumatized by this... bloody adventure. You won't live your life at its fullest. Or worse. You'll be waiting for us. We can't stay with you forever. We... we tried to get along with you because that was our mission. But, after all of this ends, we'll go somewhere else."
I didn't think that far until that moment. I didn't think what was going to happen to me, to Caiden, to Jessica after we managed to escape Lucifer's illusion. Maybe, deep down in my heart, I prayed the things to stay the same. Caiden to go with me to high school. Jessica to go to parties and flirt with me or Caiden when she was at home. Emily to become friends with them and we could've been a big, happy family.
But, I guess all this was another illusion made up by me.
"I understand." I said, biting my bottom lip, forcing myself not to cry in front of him.
For a few seconds, Caiden said nothing and I thought he fell asleep again but, suddenly, my face crashed on his hard chest, leaving me breathless.
He is hugging me. He is hugging me, oh my God.
I didn't know how I was supposed to react. Hell, I had no idea why he was doing this.
He's pitying me.
I sighed and wrapped my arms around him. If he was kind enough to comfort me, I had no reason to pull back. I needed it. Comfort. The feeling of protection. I felt protected by him anyways, but, hugging me, he made my worries fly away in a few seconds.
It was frightening how much control he could have over my feelings. I felt scared. Not because of what he could do with them.
But what I could've done because of them.
"Party's over, love-birds. Time to go home."
I pulled back, looking up only to see Jessica smiling like an idiot. My eyes filled with tears and I jumped on her, burying my face in her chest. "Oh my God, it took you some time!"
She chuckled, patting me on my back. "Sorry, Ivy Moore, but I kinda have limits here, remember?"
I sensed Caiden trying to get to his feet behind my back and I pulled back, standing next to Jessica. He raised his head and gave Jessica a pained smile. "It's good to see you, Xsilia."
"Oh, wow. You did it, Ivy Moore! You brought foxy fox back!"
I shrugged, smiling.
I felt so good being with both of them. I felt like we could've escaped from Lucifer's illusion. That... the real world wasn't really that far.
"Xsilia, you are an idiot." Caiden said, coughing.
Jessica sighed and grabbed his arm, helping him stand up. "Why am I an idiot for, exactly? Did you want to be lost in the past for good?"
He rolled his eyes. "I'm not talking about you coming here. You didn't really have a choice, anyways. This is not the past, stupid succubus! It's an illusion created by Lucifer!"
She blinked twice, staring at his face with a blank expression on her face. "Are you... are you telling me I limited my powers for nothing? That I could've used them all this time?"
Caiden sighed and nodded. His expression was pained, but at the same time cynical and slightly amused by Jessica's reaction. She cracked up, making me flinch surprised. She seemed angry a few seconds ago! How could she change her mood so fast?!
"Damn yea!" She yelled, while, right in front of our eyes, she changed her body, her wild, red hair coming back to life. Unfortunately, the change wasn't really thought thorough because her small kimono got almost torn apart because of her... generous curves. "It's so goddamn good to be back!"
Caiden rolled his eyes again, but a ghost of a smile appeared for a second on his face. I blinked, not sure if I saw it or I was just tired.
"Anyway... how did you find us?" He asked, making Jessica grimace.
"Hell. I almost forgot. Kasho is outside..."
"... not anymore, sweetheart."
I froze. I sensed him behind me, but, also, Jessica and Caiden's widened eyes, looking at something right in my back made me completely aware where Kasho was.
"Now I can finally feel your energy, succubus. I should've known that you were too appealing for an ordinary demon. Now, now, now... shall we start the party?"
As he was talking, a multitude of pairs of red eyes appeared in the darkness of the cave, making me lose my breath. There were a lot of demons. An army.
Kasho's army.
"Oh, Goddamn. Give me a break, dude!" Jessica yelled at him, sighing and watching the weirdly shaped demons crawling in the darkness.
"I'm sorry, my lady. But this girl belongs to me now." He said, placing a hand on my shoulder, making me shiver, terrified by his touch.
Caiden was looking straight into my eyes, panting and trying to stay on his feet, and I knew that look. He was going to ditch everything I told him until now. He wanted to save me. And sacrifice himself.
I wanted to cry. I was scared. I was frustrated. I wanted everything to stop. I couldn't take it anymore.
"Enough playing around. Kill them!" Kasho said, grabbing my waist and dragging me after him.
I tried to resist. To go to Caiden and Jessica, but I couldn't. He was too strong for me and a single deadly glance he had to throw at me and I stopped in an instant. Everything I'd done would've been in vain if I died at that moment.
"Someone is waiting for us near the lake, sweetheart. I know your lover might be heartbroken, but a promise is a promise, right?"
"I didn't promise you anything." I told him, trying to keep my voice steady, but with no success.
He chuckled, shoving me in front of him. "You didn't. I did. To bring you to him."
He is selling me.
There was no point in resisting. I couldn't fight him. I had no powers. I had no strengths. I only had my bad luck... and I didn't even know how to use it, especially because it was affecting only the people around me...
We got out of the cave and started walking inside the forest, the big trees looking terrifying in the diffuse light shone by the full moon. I could hear footsteps coming towards us and my body tensed. I looked up at Kasho, but he seemed calm like he was expecting someone to come.
Two men appeared in front of us, carrying swords and wearing guards' kimonos. The moment they saw Kasho, they bowed and started talking fast in Japanese. Kasho waited for a few seconds and then nodded. The men bowed again and Kasho yanked my arm, making me start walking. The men remained behind us, following us quietly.
If there were only the men... maybe I could've run away from them...
"Why are they coming with us? Are they escorting us?"
Kasho chuckled and pushed me softly. "Shut up, sweetheart. There's nothing to be concerned with."
"If they are escorting me... why don't you go back to the cave? Jessica... I mean, the girl who was with us is really strong. They will kill your army in a second."
Kasho sighed and rolled his eyes. "Of course she will. She's a strong succubus. And she's quite old. She has battlefield experience. I don't expect my low-being servants to keep up with her."
I frowned, confused. "Then... why did you leave them to deal with them if you know they are going to escape anyway?"
Kasho looked straight into my eyes, his bloody rivers becoming narrower and making me gulp involuntarily. "Little human. Stop asking so many questions. Do you think I'm stupid enough to give you information? Hell knows what you can do, because you, being friends with that succubus... well, I didn't see that coming. Should I prepare myself for other surprises?"
I blinked twice. "N-n-no. I'm an ordinary human. I can't do anything."
"Sure you are. I'm not worried about you, sweetheart. I'm worried... about your special friends. But now it's too late anyway." He said, dragging me out of the forest and making me walk near a small, calm lake.
The landscape was beautiful. A lake surrounded by a forest and its form was an almost perfect circle. A few deer were drinking water from the lake but they left in a rush when they saw us on the other part of it. I drew a deep breath, letting the fresh air calm my lungs.
A few noises on the other part of the lake made me turn my head towards Kasho, but his expression didn't change. A few men came out of the woods, dressed in black ninja clothes. In the middle of them, I could see a person who was wearing brighter clothes. A red kimono and some jewelry made me narrow my eyes because of their bright surface, even though there was no much light.
They came near to us and the red kimono came forwards. He was a big, fat man, with a long beard and malicious, small eyes. He studied me from head to toes and I shivered. I didn't like his look.
He said something in Japanese, and his voice was the total opposite of his appearance. He looked intimidating, but his voice... was so high-pitched that I grimaced involuntarily. He threw me an angry glance and I pursued my lips.
Kasho pushed me and, almost tripping, I came much closer than I wanted to the big man. He smirked and I frowned, forcing myself not to puke.
Kasho started talking, but the big man was staring at me, being too busy to make me feel uncomfortable than to listen carefully to Kasho's words. After a while, the big man raised his hand in the air, and one of his ninjas came forwards and gave him a big bag. He took the bag and flexed his arm towards Kasho. He came forwards and took it from him and then bowed.
I was sold. I couldn't believe he sold me. I couldn't believe Jessica or Caiden didn't come after me.
I sensed movement behind me and I turned around to see Kasho and his two men leaving.
"Hey! You can't leave me! Why don't you kill him?! Kasho, don't leave me with him!"
Kasho stopped and, slowly, turned his head towards me with an impassable expression on his face. My eyes filled with tears and I couldn't see him well, but I still heard his merciless laughter. "Don't worry, sweetheart. He's gonna treat you well. Be a good girl, understood?"
"No!" I yelled after him, but he continued walking, ignoring my screams.
The big man grabbed my arm, turning me around like I was a stupid doll. He started yelling at me, his face coming closer and closer to mine. I couldn't hold it anymore. I started crying and he slapped me so hard that I hit the ground, breathless.
This is it. He sold me. I'm going to spend my life as this big man's concubine. Or he's going to sell me to other prostitutes. It doesn't matter anymore.
I closed my eyes, letting the tears trickle down my cheeks. Someone took me in their arms, but I didn't open my eyes. I didn't want to see his disgusting face. They carried me for a few minutes and, then, they put me on something and the material seemed to be... wood.
It's impossible. We couldn't reach his house so soon. They wouldn't have met to buy me so near their house.
I opened an eye and I realized I was in a small carriage. I could hear the ninjas' heavy breaths outside and a person talking. The big man talking. I drew a deep breath. They were too many for me. I had no chance against them. But, still, I had to check how many of them were outside. Just to be sure. So, slowly and carefully, I opened a bit the small door of the carriage and I peeked outside. There was a ninja right in front of me, with a big bat on his shoulders. My brows furrowed.
Oh, they are carrying me! I'm in a small box which is carried by the big man's ninjas. Makes sense.
I was sure they were tired because of carrying me around. Not that I was very heavy, but those bats seemed pretty big. They sure were killing their shoulders. I only had to wait a few minutes more, so they were more tired and maybe I could've stood a chance...
Suddenly, the ninja I was staring at looked back at me and his eyes made me gasp.
Red eyes. He's a demon!
I closed the door quickly, pressing my back on it. I didn't have a chance at all. The big man hired demons. He probably found out from Kasho about Jessica and Caiden trying to rescue me. He was prepared.
That's how my heroic plan is crushed. Wonderful.
I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. I had to do something. I had to go back to Lucifer, with Caiden and Jessica. I couldn't let myself trapped in that era.
But what? It's not like I can fight with demons! This is not fair!
"Oh God, what am I going to do?" I whispered to myself, realizing how deep in the mess I was.
A few shouts outside made my body tense and then, out of nowhere, I felt like I was falling. My stomach made a few jumps, but the motion stopped almost immediately. I sighed. The small door opened, and the big man smiled at me, making me want to puke. He told me something, but I shook my head, feeling the fear clenching my heart, almost making it stop beating.
He stared at me a few seconds and then his arm yanked forward, grabbing my hand. I tried to pull back, but his grip was too strong. He got me out of the wooden box. I hugged myself, the chilly air of the night making me aware of my thin robe and I could feel the coldness get into my bones.
The big man placed his hand on my back and I paralyzed.