Out of the Darkness
Chapter 10

So far, the event was going as planned. Many were surprised by Raven’s attendance, but she didn’t seem to care about the stares and whispers. She stayed away from them and that’s all they cared about. I noticed Michael, one of Jonathan’s sons, watching her every move. I don’t know what he was looking for but he didn’t seem pleased that she was here. Raven walked over to the demon’s cage and leant against it, with her back to him she propped one foot on the bars and looked around the room.

“Have you come to spring me from this cage?” He whispered to her. I listened from the other side of the room.

“P-lease, you got yourself in to this mess so you can get yourself out of it.” She said to him.

“That’s not very nice, I did raise you after all.” He said and I stared in shock. It was now obvious why Raven wouldn’t tell me where she went after she left the agency all those years ago.

“That’s neither here or there, a lot of people raised me.” Raven replied.

“So why are you here?” He asked her.

“You have information that I want.”

“Oh I see, you’re on their side now.” He said.

“You know I have my ways of getting the information out of you, so you may as well tell me.” Raven threatened.

“Don’t you think you torturing me will draw a bit too much attention from these people?” He questioned. She turned towards him.

“Our conversation has already drawn their attention, but some of them are polite enough to pretend not to be listening.” She said as she looked over her shoulder.

“Or they’re just too scared.” The demon suggested.

“That maybe so, but we are getting off subject. Tell me what you know.” She demanded but he remained silent. “So we’re really going to do this the hard way?” She asked.

“What exactly do you plan to do? You know that no spell will work on me.” He smirked.

“That maybe true, but I wasn’t planning on using a spell.” She said as she took a knife out of her boot.

“That pathetic little knife won’t do much either.” He said. She looked him in the eyes and sliced the palm of her hand.

“I wasn’t planning on using it on you.” She said as she raised her hand, palm facing him. Her blood travelled from her hand through the air towards him. When it landed on his skin it was absorbed instantly.

“And what exactly is that supposed to do?” The demon asked confused.

“You now have five minutes to tell me what I want to know otherwise you will die.” She explained.

“How so?” He questioned.

“My blood, when I chose it to be, is poison.” Raven said. The demon looked thoughtful for a moment before he answered her.

“Yeah I’m still not going to tell you anything.” He said with a shrug.

“Ah yes, always not caring for your own life.” Raven said.

“Remind you of anyone?” He asked, clearly referring to her.

“Touché. Good job I have a plan B then.”

“And that would be?” She smiled at his question.

“Well let’s see, Azura, Carabia, Oray and Surgat. Four demons that you needed me to kill because you couldn’t.” She said as she counted them off on her fingers. “And do you know what else I can do?”

“Bring them back to life.” She stage whispered to him. “And I’ll transport them right in to your cage.” She added with a giggle.

“You wouldn’t.” The demon said in disbelief.

“Wouldn’t I?” Raven challenged with a smile. “It wouldn’t take much for me to kill them again once they were done with you.” He just stared at her in shock. “Start talking.”

“Sierra is here.” He said to her. She rolled her eyes at his brief answer. Suddenly he was lifted in to the air and flung to the back of his cage, pinned to the far wall. The bars in front of Raven bent and she walked through the gap, closing them with telekinesis behind her. She marched up to him and leant on her arm so she could get right in his face.

“Give me something useful.” She hissed at him.

“She’s alive.”

“I already know that.” She growled impatiently.

“Of course you do, the Exitium told you.” He said with a smile.

“How does every demon know about that?”

“Word gets around.” He replied.

“But you’ve been in this cage for years! How the hell do you know?” She asked and he shrugged, deciding to only answer some of her questions. “Fine, tell me more about the girl.”

“She’s met her father, but doesn’t know it. She was raised by demons.” He told her.

“Is she evil?” Raven asked, trying to hide her shock caused by this new information.

“You of all people should know how difficult it is to class someone as evil or not. But she tries not to be. Many people fear her.”

“Because of her powers?” She asked and he nodded. “More powerful than me?”

“Very difficult to say. Look, that’s all I know, I’m sorry I can’t tell you anymore.” He said to her and she nodded.

“I believe you.” She said and all of a sudden he gasped in pain. After a second though, his pain seemed to stop. “Sorry, I forgot to stop my blood from poisoning you.” She said.

“That’s a cool trick. Is all witches’ blood poison?” He asked her.

“No, just mine.”

“Can I borrow some sometime?” He asked.

“It doesn’t work like that.” She told him. She walked away from him and the bars bent apart again, closing once again behind her. She released him from the wall when she was out of his cage.

“Wait, you’re really going to leave me in here?” He asked as she once again leant against his cage with her back to him.

“Yes, and don’t think that I don’t know that you can easily escape yourself. But one thing we both also know, is that if you step outside of these walls, there will be a long line of powerful people waiting to kill you.” She said to him. He glared at her back.

“But you could easily ensure my safety.” He hinted.

“I owe you nothing.” Was her only reply.

“But I gave you information!” He yelled at her in anger.

“I didn’t say you would get anything in return.” Raven said and the demon growled. He had been gradually creeping towards the edge of his cage as they were speaking. Suddenly, faster than the human eye could see, he had broken one of the bars and had it over Raven’s head and against her throat before she could react. He pulled her back against the cage, strangling her. Just as he was about to yank her back harder against the cage she twisted, so when he pulled her she slipped through the gap in the bars and in to the cage with him. As she was turning she managed to escape from his hold. “That wasn’t very nice.” Raven said to him.

“Did you expect anything less of me?” He asked and lunged at her. She managed to dodge his attack but as soon as she had, he charged at her once again. She used the speed of his attack against him, spun him around and kicked him in the side, to knock him off balance. They both threw and received several punches as we all just stood there watching. He managed to knock her off balance for a single moment and was able to use that to push her against the wall of the cage and stab her with the bar he had previously broken. She glared at him as he pushed it all the way through her stomach, and out the other side. “You can’t beat me, you would be wise to remember who taught you to fight.” He said to her with a smile.

The bars of his cage then transformed in to transparent walls, sealing them both inside. The demon looked around and then raised an eyebrow questioningly.

“You should also remember that it’s been a long time since you’ve seen me fight, I’ve learnt a lot since then.” She told him as she began to choke on her own blood.

“I doubt that.” He said and, grabbing hold of her head, snapped it to the left, efficiently breaking her neck. We all stared in shock as he withdrew the bar and let it fall to the ground with her body.