VI
Penny’s words were still resonating in their heads as they finished up shopping. Some of the things she said made a lot of sense. Humans and demons were on different ends of the spectrum. There was no telling how long a relationship between them could last. The Lovers of Vale were proof that something could go wrong. The last thing any of them wanted to do was lose each other. They couldn’t focus on death. They had to keep their main goal in mind.
After dropping off Penny at their place, the four of them decided to take a spin around the block. They needed to clear their minds after the talk. Debra had told the others how she felt, but she was beginning to doubt her own words. She felt something for Trip but she couldn’t tell if it was love or not. It was a burning feeling inside and she couldn’t put out that fire. She told herself time and time again that she couldn’t get too close. She couldn’t let her feelings take over. In the end, Penny was right. They were always going to be monsters deep in their hearts. It didn’t matter how much they loved someone or if anyone loved them.
“You know, I just don’t know what to do about my feelings,” Rosemary said. “I’m trying to push them down and I can’t. It’s so difficult because my mind is telling me one thing and my heart is telling something else.”
“Why don’t you just tell Alex how you feel?” Debra asked.
“Because I’m afraid he’s not going to feel the same way. Relationships don’t work if they’re one-sided. Anyway, how are you able to handle your feelings for Trip?”
“What makes you think I have feelings for him?”
“Oh, come on,” Tiffany said. “We know each other all too well. There’s no way that only three of us are thinking this way and you aren’t. You’re just a lot better at hiding it than we are.”
Debra turned red. “I...I guess so. I hear what Penny’s saying and it makes sense. Humans and demons will struggle if they stay together. Still, Trip is something special. He’s human and he’s a demon slayer, but he’s different from all the others. Maybe it’s because he’s suffered at a young age too. He’s lost someone he cared about. I can relate to that in a way.”
“Well, so can I, but that can’t be the only reason you feel close to him,” Suzanne said. “There must be something about him that turns you on. There’s something that wants you to throw your arms around him and hold him close and never let him go. You wouldn’t be blushing so much if you weren’t in love.”
“I’m not in love!”
“Face it, Debra! That’s what happened! In the few months that we’ve worked together, we fell in love!” Rosemary pointed out. “I know what everyone is saying. All of it is the truth, but I feel like there’s more. There’s something that no one ever told me about. I didn’t learn any of this when I was growing up. My parents didn’t tell me much and neither did any other demon. What am I supposed to do?”
“Maybe we should just run up to them, throw our arms around them, and never let them go,” Tiffany said. “Let’s see how they react to that.”
After pondering over it for some time, they went over to the mansion where their pretend boyfriends were living. For them, it was a good thing. They were surrounded by people who knew their secret and they didn’t have to pay any rent. This time, they went as their demonic selves. Debra, Rosemary, Tiffany, and Suzanne were now Yuka, Tessa, Kaska, and Avani. None of the servants were around so they could enter with ease and not scare anyone. For the time being, no one else knew about their secret. The guys hadn’t even told their boss what had gone down. They went straight up to their rooms and knocked on each door until they heard someone yell ‘Come in!’
“Hi, everyone.” Tessa opened the door and looked around the room. “Oh, sorry! I had no idea that you were going out tonight!”
It was always so strange to see them dressed up as demon slayers. They were the same guys, had the same looks, and acted the same when they weren’t hunting demons. It was the all-black ensemble that made everyone shudder a little bit. Once they put on the serious faces, they meant business. Yuka watched as Trip slipped the gloves over his hands and ball them up to make a fist. Something about that turned her on, but she stopped herself. She couldn’t get too caught up in this.
“Oh, hey!” Dylan greeted them. “I wasn’t expecting you guys.” He lowered his voice. “Why did you come in your demonic form though? Yeah, my boss isn’t home, but a lot of other people are around. You could have gotten caught.”
“Relax. We didn’t go into demonic form until all the servants were away,” Kaska said. “I didn’t know you were getting ready for something.”
“Yeah, we are. Something just came up and we need to leave in half an hour.”
“I was wondering if you guys wanted to come to dinner with us.” Tessa said. “I take it that you have a mission and can’t do so.”
“Sorry,” Alex apologized. “If you had told us sooner, maybe we could have canceled or pushed this back.”
“Don’t be sorry. Penny kind of sprung it on us,” Avani said. “What kind of mission do you have?”
“They want us to check out some disturbance downtown,” Trip explained. “I’m not sure what it is exactly, but it’s worth taking a look at.” He looked over at Yuka. “Do you think you would be able to swing by and check it out with us?”
“I don’t know,” Yuka shrugged. “It depends on how long Penny wants to talk to us. Hopefully, she’ll take us to eat, show Deb the gift and that will be it. If I have time, I will swing by downtown. Just text me the address.”
“I’ll do that.” He promised, taking a look at her. “Hey, Yuka, what’s wrong? You don’t seem to excited to get your present.”
“I’ve just been thinking about what Penny said. I think you’re right. She’s hiding something, but she doesn’t want to tell me,” she explained. “I might try to get it out of her tonight. She’s knew my master and a lot of the demons who died in that massacre. She might not have been an Apprentice, but she hung out with them all the time. I have a feeling that she is planning something big. It’s something she wants me to be a part of.”
“Let me guess; you don’t want to be a part of it?”
“No, I want to figure out what it is. Once I know, then I decide if I want to be a part of it or not,” Yuka murmured. “The other thing I was thinking about was the Lovers of Vale. It’s a story that’s told between demons about the love of a human and a demon. Of course, it doesn’t have a happy ending and I can’t help but notice similarities between us and that story.”
Trip sighed. “It’s a fictional story, isn’t it?”
“It’s told as one, yes. A lot of demons think it’s based on reality though. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was. I’m not the only demon to...” She paused for a second because she had caught herself. “I’m not the only demon to mingle with humans.”
“Well, I can assure you that we are not like those characters,” Trip promised. “Anyway, if you suspect that things are headed south, you know where you can find me.”
“Of course.” She squeezed his arms and felt how strong his biceps were. He was a tough human, but she didn’t know if he could handle what was going to happen in the future. They needed to be prepared physically and mentally. “Let me find out what she has and then I will tell you everything. I just hope you’re ready to hear it all.”
“I’ve gone this far with you. Nothing else you say is going to surprise me.” She didn’t let him go at that point. “You’re squeezing my arms.”
“Huh?” Yuka realized what was going on and stopped. “Sorry. I was just thinking of something. Anyway, I’m going to be late for my meeting with Penny. If you fall into trouble, let me know as soon as possible. I will be there.”
“Have fun.” Cole told her.
“You too. Don’t get into trouble.” She teased them.
Once they left the house, Tessa turned to her. “You seem very tense. You want me to go see Penny alone instead? I c
an do that.”
“No, she asked for me so I will do it. I’m just thinking about everything especially the Lovers of Vale. I know everyone says it’s a story but it feels so real. It feels like something that could happen with us too. If we’re not careful, it will happen.”
“That’s just a story, Yuka.” Kaska said. “We are living in a different situation. We have to keep this façade going on for as long as possible. We can’t fall in love.”
She thought she was telling the truth, but deep down she knew she was also lying. This relationship couldn’t last for long. They were going to come crashing down and the secret would be out.
It would either be that...or they would be in love.
VII
Tessa, Kaska, and Avani promised to look out for Yuka in case something went wrong. They would be standing nearby if she needed help.
“I promise we’re not trying to figure out what the present is,” Tessa said. “We just want you to be safe.”
“Sure you’re not,” Yuka rolled her eyes. “Anyway, things should be fine. I’ll just get the present, thank Penny, and come back down. Things will be over soon. I swear it.”
As promised, Penny was waiting for Yuka on top of the administrative building at eight that evening. All the other workers had gone home and it wasn’t hard to get in because the security system was weak. Demons could get in and out of places with no problem. Penny was looking over the edge at all the cars below.
“It’s such a strange place,” she murmured. “A lot of people go through their days without knowing what really went down in the past. So many people don’t even know about the existence of demons. It makes you wonder how they’ve survived so long in the dark.”
“It’s probably the same way that we’ve survived in hiding,” Yuka explained. “We don’t show ourselves to anyone. We don’t use reveal that we’re demons until it’s needed.”
“You’re very strong.” Penny admired her. “You can keep yourself under control, something that a lot of other demons can’t do. I wish I was like you in that sense.”
Things were starting to feel very uncomfortable for both of them so it was time to change the subject. It was time to see the present.
“Okay, Penny! I can’t wait!” Yuka exclaimed. “Where’s my present?”
“Here it is.” Penny handed her a box, which Yuka tore into. Inside of it was a short sword. Yuka held it up to the light and admired it. “I hope you like it.”
“It’s amazing. I’ve never seen a sword like this before.” Yuka admitted. “It’s been a while since anyone got me a weapon.”
“Oh, but it’s not any weapon out there, my mistress. This is a weapon suited for a Grim Reaper,” Penny whispered. “You look incredible holding it.”
“What convinced you to make this for me?”
“I know it’s been tough. After the massacre, I went into hiding as well,” Penny began. “I wanted to get back at those demon slayers with everything I had. I wasn’t ready to fight them back then, but I realized someone had to do something. Someone had to make them pay.”
Yuka frowned. “Hang on. I don’t think I understood what you were trying to say. How do you plan to make someone pay for what happened?”
“You need to get everything back in order again, Mistress Yuka,” she said. “Ever since that night, demons have been growing weaker and falling apart. The population of demon slayers is growing throughout the world. Humans are growing smarter and becoming more aware of our existence. They’re using any means they can to kill us. That’s why we need to use whatever we can to take care of them.”
“Take care of them?” Yuka repeated. “I’m not sure I understand where you’re going with this, Penny. I understand that humans and demon slayers in particular have caused a lot of problems. What do you want me to do?”
“Ah, that’s the beauty of it all. I have made a weapon just for that,” she said. “All you have to do is punch this into their chest and they will literally shatter into a million pieces.”
Yuka blinked. “I...I’m sorry, what? Did you just say a human being will shatter?”
“Yes. Those demon slayers have some strong armor now, but this weapon will break through anything they have,” she explained. “All you have to do is punch them in the chest and they will die instantly. The best part is that you can aim and fire from a distance. If you see a demon slayer sneaking around, you can take them out and they will never know what hit them. They will never see this coming.”
Yuka shuddered. “Let me get this straight. You basically made me a weapon that will cause a human to explode? Are you even listening to yourself right now?”
“I know what I’m doing, Mistress Yuka,” Penny glowered at her. “Now I know there are some demon slayers running around in that building next to us. I want you to try this out. See if you can get one of them.”
“Get one of them? You make it sound like I’m hunting them!” A horrified Yuka shook her head. “I’m sorry. Demon slayers are the cause of the massacre, but killing them like this? We’d be no better than they are. You literally want me to annihilate them.”
“You sound just like your master, Yuka,” Penny said bitterly. “Sebastian told me the exact same thing, but he was a hypocrite. He wanted to protect us but he wouldn’t let us use any means to protect ourselves. It was okay for him to kill whoever he wanted, but not any other demon.”
“What...What do you mean?” Yuka asked. “My master never killed anyone in his life!”
“That’s what he wanted you to think. That’s what he made you believe!” Penny snapped. “Think about it, Yuka. You could be stronger than him. You’re the one who survived!”
“I didn’t survive because I was brave. I ran!” Yuka pointed out. “I ran away because I was scared of what they wanted me to become! Just like I’m scared now...”
Penny wasn’t going to hear this. “That’s typical of you. It’s been typical of every demon that was before you. You’re all cowards. You all run when things get tough. You never want to face your consequences and look what happened. Look at what happened when you ran away! You let everyone else die around you! You let everything fall apart! If you only had the right weapon, this would never have happened!”
“No, it still would have happened!” Yuka knew that Penny was telling the truth, but she couldn’t accept this gift. “You don’t want to kill people. You want to eliminate them! I can’t let you do that. I know the others would never let you do that.”
“Then you’re all the same! You didn’t grow up! You didn’t get stronger! You’re as weak as you’ve always been and it’s those humans that are making you weaker!”
“Leave them out of this!” Yuka snapped. “This is between you and me. They aren’t involved in anything.”
“You claim they know your secrets, but how much do they really know?” Penny challenged her. “How much have you told them? More importantly, how much has he told you? Does he love you the way you love him?”
“Who said I loved him?”
“It’s written all over your face. I saw you couldn’t keep your eyes off him. That’s just how it is when demons fall in love. They can’t seem to think about anything else,” Penny lowered her gaze. “I thought you could understand, but if you won’t accept my gift, then I will use it to take down demon slayers myself!”
“No!” Yuka held up her hands and started to fight back. “This isn’t the right answer!”
“You need more convincing. Allow me to demonstrate the sword’s true power. You see the building across from us? Now watch as it’s broken.” Penny decided, taking the sword and holding it up to the air. Then she swung it and it made an earth shattering sound.
Yuka cringed as she heard it crack into the night and break the air. Nothing good was going to come out of this.
VIII
Trip was beginning to sense that something was wrong when he entered the building that night. He
had the nagging feeling that they were not alone tonight. He kept looking over his shoulder and taking out his weapons with the fear that someone was going to attack.
“Be careful, guys.” He told the others. “I’ve got the weirdest feeling that we’re being followed.”
“Really? I don’t see anything in this area,” Cole said. “I’ve checked every corner and I haven’t found anything. Are you sure about that?”
“I’m not completely sure but I feel like someone’s got their eyes on us. How would they know though? We were completely quiet and stealthy when we entered,” he whispered. “We saw that there was no one around. I don’t know why I’m getting nervous.”
“Well, do you want to retreat?” Dylan asked. “We can leave and come back another day.”
“No, we said we would do this tonight and we will.” Trip cracked his knuckles. “Split up and check every area of this place. I want to know what’s really going on around here. One person hearing things is one thing. A bunch of people hearing the same thing is another.”
They all went their different ways. Trip took one step in the other direction and that was when he heard the sound. It was as loud as thunder, but it sounded like someone was cracking a whip. It came so close that he was sure it was right behind him. He turned around and saw that there was a gaping hole in the wall from where he had been standing.
But how? He asked himself. No one else is here. He was shaking as he took a few more steps back, the floorboards creaking underneath his feet. “Who’s out there?!”
No one answered him so he kept moving forward. There was another cracking sound that came from above. It sounded like someone was right above him, but they had checked the entire place out. He decided to get in contact with others.
“Hey, guys, are you okay?” He asked. “Have you seen anything?”
“I’m peachy. Didn’t notice anything. What’s wrong, Fearless Leader?” Alex asked.
“I think someone’s trying to shoot me. Well, maybe not shoot but they are trying to get at me,” Trip said. “I have a feeling someone’s watching me from up here.”
Christmas in the City II Page 33