Dante looked me up and down, "whoa... babe! Goin' somewhere?"
As he said it he took a step forward and placed a hand on my waist. I placed a hand on his chest and looked up into his eyes. A striking light blue...
He scanned me, smirking at my tight attire. I was wearing black skinny jeans, tucked into knee-high, ribbon laced Doctor Marten boots. On my torso, I wore tight black denim waistcoat, nipped in at my empire line, waist and hips (borrowed from Ami, of course), and tight black bandages on my arms, so I could always feel my heartbeat.
"yeah, I’m going on a mini-mish!"
Dante lowered his unshaved face to mine, heading in for a sneaky kiss, "can I come with?"
I shook my head and pulled away from him, "its kinda personal.. I'm going after Naraic. He can't get away with hurting Lexi like that, so I’m going to kill the son of a-"
"what? by yourself?" Dante looked a little taken aback, but he recovered quickly, "c'mon, Keris, you can't go by yourself, he's stronger than you, he'll kill you!"
He tried to grab me close to him again but I headed for the weapon room.
"Look, I can get it done faster and you can stay here and take care of Lexi!"
I put the only weapons I’d need in the special sheaths on the inside of my thighs; my two scythes.
“I’m not as weak as you seem to think I am, Dante. More than once I’ve given you a run for your money, no?”
“but I always beat you!”
I just shook my head, “anyway, I have a score to settle.”
I straightened up and headed for the front door. Something caught my eye on the way out; the portrait of us all, 4 years ago. We were all there, Me, Lexi, Ami, Sephen, Damien, Grant, Dante… even Naraic, and Lexi’s half brother, Cassian… and three more faces that had become unfamiliar over the years…
Trinity, turned dark and twisted by the cruelty of the new world. Her newest aspiration was world domination and self destruction. Vergil, Dante’s twin brother, after trying to gain the power of their father, the dark knight Sparda and failed, Vergil decided to remain in the demon world to live where his father did… the last face brought a tear to my eye. Not because of who it was but because of how it had changed… and why it had changed.
We’re all smiling in the picture. Laughing like nothing was wrong. Our arms around each other, just enjoying each others company. This face was the only one not smiling still… It had been distorted by grief, betrayal, and regret.
My sister, Aevial, her once brown hair, turned black and seemed to be strangling her, wrapping itself tightly around her neck and wrists, forcing her arms to cross over her chest. Her bright green eyes were now gaping black holes in her face, and her tanned olive skin was pale and greyish. Her face was stretched in pain and fear.
Dante walked up behind me and placed a hand on my waist again.
“Do you even know where he is?”
I didn’t answer. Just kept staring sadly at Aevial’s face, just… screaming out for help… A tear rolled down my cheek as I glanced at the smirk on Naraic’s face, his arm around her. I left the house before Dante could say another word.
Yes, I did know where he was. He was hiding not too far from the mansion. I could sense him. I knew he would probably watch the house, so he could find another time to attack. I knew he would do anything to have Lexi. The same way he did anything to have Aevial. I wasn’t doing to let that happen this time.
He had probably seen me leave the house, so I would have to be subtle.

Naraic was an arrogant, blood thirsty, determined demon… or at least that’s what he wanted us to think. Yes, he was insanely blood thirsty, and obsessively determined… but he was also paranoid… possessive.. And very easily frightened when he was left alone. He had told Aevial his deepest secrets. So, of course, she had told me when she had started to worry about him.
It took me about an hour to get close to him. Or rather, his whereabouts… I saw him and hid. He was couched on a rock, looking out over the valley, toward the house. I took my purple cylinder container out from my belt and opened it, staring into the pills inside. It was a drug I designed and manufactured myself in my own personal laboratory, made from any magical items we found on our many missions. It helped me in fights, a kind of cheat really, it enhances my senses and heightens my demonic instinct. The only side effect is that the demonic factors distort my mind.
The cylinder was full. Usually I only needed one and that was enough to help me. Aevial’s dark face flashed in my mind and I began to swallow the pills inside, three at a time, washing them down with some water I’d brought in a hip flask.
After my forth dose I could feel them starting to effect me; I could see more, hear more, and I could taste blood in the air. I took another 6 pills then put the cylinder away.

I could sense his every movement. He slid down the rock and headed off toward a cliff-face. I saw an opening, obviously his cave. Darkness’s wild unruly arms reached out to him and slyly beckoned him into her black abyss.
Before going in he lit a roaring flame in his palm. One of his fears; the dark. He was always aware since his darkness experience last time he pissed me off… I remember it well… The fear in his eyes drilled into my memory, and something I would never forget. I remember laughing uncontrollably as he sobbed and shook in absolute terror… then our psychology teacher told us to get on with our assignment.
I waited until I couldn’t see his light anymore. I crawled slowly toward the mouth of the cave. I could sense his fractions of fear, and hear his reassuring thoughts rolling through his mind, “its okay.. Nothing there… just walls.. And me”
I smiled and climbed up the walls, clinging on and smirking to myself, wide eyed and staring through the darkness for a sign of Naraic. The only sound I could hear was his heartbeat.
It was a regular average beat. I saw him.
He had set himself up a little camp in the cave. A little bed, and a tiny half charred collection of wood which he dropped the fire in his palm onto. The flame fought off the darkness weakly, but it was enough to keep Naraic calm.. I stayed just outside of where the light reached. Watching him like a lioness stalking her prey… His bat like wings stretched out from his back and wrapped around his body to keep him warm. He shivered. I hung o the ceiling for a while, just watching him, feeling the drugs change me more and more. He stared into the fire the whole time I watched. I began to grow restless but I remained perfectly still and quiet. I started imagining the fear in his eyes when I claw like hands grasp around his scrawny unforgiving neck… His pleas for help and the pain of death I cause him while arousing him, letting him know that he was going to die. I imagined his lifeless eyes staring up at me from a mangled body, laying in an increasingly large pool of bright red blood. His face and throat slashed, his wings broken and deformed, crumpled in a bloody bruising bundle.
The fire was starting to get smaller and I heard his heartbeat quickening. I grinned, my eyes travelling over him again and again and again. He pushed his wings back into his body and made himself comfortable in his bed. His eyes closed. His thoughts rushed through my mind again, there’s nothing but me here… not the best bed but it’ll be worth it when I win Alexis… If I win her…
There were images of Lexi’s face, screaming in pain, and fear. And then of her moaning in pleasure as he penetrated her.
I snarled. It echoed around the cave. He noticed and began looking around.
I laughed. My cover was blown, I may as well act now…

I took control of the shadows that threatened to suffocate the small embers tickling the surface of the wood, and forced them to advance, and fight the light. My laughter rang through the cave as if a thousand other people were laughing with me. The darkness was quickly overcoming the light, and soon, there was only the tiniest light. I told the shadows to stop. I could still see everything as if the sun was shining bright above us thanks to my home made drugs, but I knew Naraic wouldn’t be able to see a anything if it was pitch black.
I jumped down from the ceiling. He jumped up, his claws ready and his breathing getting heavier, as his cold heart began to pound in his overly sized chest. I laughed louder, faster.
He was gazing around him. He lifted his right hand slowly and formed another fire ball in his palm, illuminating my cold emotionless face.
He got a small fright, but then smirked, seeming relieved.
“Keris… you had me going… but now I can-”
“NARAIC!” I yelled. He jumped and stopped smirking but only for a second. He smirked broader, his fake insanity masking his fear glinting in his cold eyes.
“So…”
I stared into his eyes with pure hate. My ‘home remedy’ for weakness slowly distorting my mind. I could hear his desperate thoughts as my mind played with him image, making it stretched, disfigured and nightmarish, why is she here? To try and kill me? To get revenge for Alexis? To avenge her sister? He smirked wider as he thought of Aevial’s name. Aevial… such a sweet girl
“And you killed her!”
I stepped closer to him, slowly, still looking him straight in the eye. The only light came from the ball of fire in his hand.
He flinched. I could see his heartbeat pounding in my head. Slowly getting faster and faster. I loved her.
“No Naraic you’ve never loved anyone..”
No matter how hard I tried, my voice stayed in monotone, and it was getting hoarser, deeper, and more demonic.
“Now Kerisandra-”
“I’m not interested in your bullshit”
I raised a hand and he flinched again. His smirk had faded now, he was sweating and his face read nothing but fear.
I slowly curled my fingers and the fire extinguished.
I could still see him, but he couldn’t see me. I had to act quickly before his eyes got adjusted to the darkness.
He was frantically gazing around blindly