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Between the curtain, the shroud of dreaming and waking, I can feel the awareness around me, yet my mind remains trapped. I feel my hand grasp onto something, though I don't know what it is, gritting my teeth together...

Hand in hand with Nimue and Uncle Kev, we walk down the steps, an eerie purplish light surrounding the succubus and incubus who guide me. There's only a few feet distance I can see with this light that radiates from them, walking to the beginning pathway to a home, light coming from within and warding off the darkness. As they stand where they are, releasing my hands, I turn to look up at the two of them.

Nodding my head and breathing out slowly, I take steps away from my safety, walking up to the door. After knocking the door, it's a few seconds before it opens, and a large impish creature presents itself with a bowl. It tilts its head to the side, observing my appearance and I...he.

Offering me the bowl, I look inside and see many different colored fluorescent rocks, their light glow holding with a pulsating light. In awe, I barely notice when he glances over my shoulder and at first, I think he's checking with Uncle Kev and Nimue, but then I hear footsteps running up near me and the air moving from above me.

I gasp and take a few steps backward, smaller versions of a few demons descending upon the bowl and each taking a fluorescent rock. I'm nearly knocked to the ground as they rush by me to move to the next home, my heart skipping a beat when I look back and an incubus boy a few years older than I stand in front of me. His eyes look me up and down, though I hear Nimue state, "Dorothea is the daughter of the earthen plane's King and Queen."

The young incubus shows his respect, "Queen Vossen," bowing his head a moment.

"She's not human," Uncle Kev clarifies for the young incubus.

He tilts his head to the side and says, "I've never seen one..."

They're not allowed to cross the veil, drawing their energy from one another within this plane of existence.

There's a darkness that crawls up from the base of my spine, creeping to the base of my skull...

...I don't like it, a draw pulling me forward that I refuse, and I tell him, "Stop that."

His eyes widen and he looks completely embarrassed, shaking his head, "I-I'm sorry...I didn't mean to. It just...sorry." His wings extend from his back and he pushes off the ground without another word, flying out of my sight quicker than I can follow his movements.

"Dorothea?" Nimue furrows her brows and more so asks Uncle Kev, "She knew what that young incubus was doing...? How?"

Uncle Kev shrugs his shoulders, stating, "I don't know, but I do know that she's capable of understanding when others are influencing her or attempting to with magic as well."

Nimue admires, "An extraordinary young girl."

"Kid, are you going to take one?" The imp's voice is much gruffer than I've experienced before.

"I..." I'm more taken aback by what just happened.

Nimue urges me and says, "Go on ahead, it's safe."

Nodding my head, I walk back up to the imp, reaching for one of the rocks and withdrawing a vibrant fluorescent purple one. I tell him, "Thank you."

It's his turn to be taken aback, not accustom to the kindness of others. It takes him a moment, but a few seconds later, he replies, "You're welcome," before edging back inside and closing the door.

I walk back slowly to Nimue, still holding the rock as I come to a halt. She has a smile on her face, and I lift my gaze and ask her, "What is this? It's not rock-candy, is it?"

With a light laugh, she shakes her head and replies, "No, of course not," she pauses a moment, kneeling so we are eye level as she says, "these were created by my father..." her features drop though as she states, "I guess there's no reason to call him that any longer...he was the only father we knew, but he was truly our uncle by blood. Quite a few of these rocks can be found in the earthen plane. His initial idea behind these, was supposed to be a beacon to those on the earthen plane, who might need help and can bring a demon across the veil for a short time..." her voice trails off as she sighs, "...though, their purpose was manipulated by my brother shortly after my uncle's death, siphoning the energy of those who carry them without the holder's knowledge."

"Your brother was a fucking evil bastard..." Uncle Kev can't help himself, learning this revelation at the same moment I am.

Nimue nods and replies, "He lost sight, power corrupting him," she looks to me as I furrow my brows at the rock. Nimue reassures me, "Don't worry...I've altered their properties after the death of my brother. Their purpose is once again what they were intended for."

"You mean...I can summon a demon with this?" My eyes grow wide with both excitement and uneasiness.

She nods her head and states, "Predetermined by the color they represent." There's a loud noise that erupts from behind Nimue and Uncle Kev, ear-shattering that causes them to turn and gaze at the purplish and green wisps that surround two homes, flames setting ablaze.

Uncle Kev sighs and Nimue shakes her head, "Pranksters..." she glances to me for a second, "...an upgrade from egging to the earthen plane's correlation," she pauses and says, "we'll be right back." Nodding my head, I watch as they go to aid, the lights breaking through the darkness as I can see many helping.

I feel the air leave my lungs, like something clutches my heart a second later, my eyes growing wide. Glancing down at the light aura, I see a purplish circle etch around me on the ground. From the circle, lifts tendrils of dark smoke and ash, filling my lungs as they rise like smoke around me. My breathing comes in short gasps as I'm paralyzed, my eyes following as a tendril takes from my hand, the fluorescent purple rock.

My eyes continue to widen, watching as the tendril lashes forward with the rock and into my chest, though I can't scream when I feel it serrate my soul, cutting through as I no longer see the rock. It's a second later, ominous irises that petrify my very existence, though a light shines from the center of my being, moving outward and sending the entity spiraling away.

It all happens in a matter of seconds, because Nimue and Uncle Kev are back, asking me, "Dot? You okay?"

"I...I think I saw...I don't know," I shake my head and Nimue looks to Uncle Kev.

"I don't think she should come back across the veil," Nimue admits, lifting her hand as she whispers something I can't hear. She walks forward and tells me, "I don't think you're safe coming here any longer..." she takes my hand and I nod my head, unsure of what just happened, but I feel completely fine now.

My eyelids snap open, exhaling sharply as I immediately sit up. My heart beats erratically, clasping a hand to my sternum as an acute pain sears through me. I can't catch my breath, my eyes searching the area before me, my heart stopping altogether the second everything falls back into place.

"Dot?" Tresor asks me gently, his touch grazing the back of my shoulders lightly. He sits beside me on the bed, feeling his tail coiled around my upper right thigh, the spade resting on the inner part of my skin. My gaze traveling to lock with his, I shake my head, nearly gasping for air as I almost pierce my flesh, clawing at the center of my chest.

He moves quick, his fingertips grasping my chin before his lips take mine. I feel that fog immediately flood my mind, asserting its dominance as my heart rate and breathing slowly even out. It's only when I return his kiss, that Tresor ebbs the fog away, drawing his lips away from mine, his electric blue irises searching my features with a look of concern.

"I..." my voice trails off, pulling my hand away from my sternum and resting it on the covers before me. Shaking my head, I tell him, "I'm sorry...thank you."

Tresor asks, "Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah," I nod, though my gaze lowers to my hands, grasping the covers tightly when I reply, "it was just a nightmare."

Tresor leans closer to me, his lips brushing my ear as he murmurs, "Perhaps, I should make it a point to watch over you while you sleep."

My gaze remains transfixed, hardly feeling the way my head nods almost automatically. This is nothing new to me, though the nightmare I normally have that persists my dream state is the culprit...I haven't dreamt of that Halloween night since I was younger, the memory vivid and remaining with me at the time.

What stirs me from my trance is when Tresor's lips place a delicate kiss to the back of my shoulder. He asks gently, "My goddess?" My eyelids flutter shut as he plants another kiss next to the first after I don't say anything for a few moments.

I'm only reminded again of what I've done...

...I fucked up.

The bridge of my nose stings, tears forming in my eyes as I breathe out steadily, "I'm sorry...I...I just can't seem to get anything right, or learn from past mistakes." I glance at him briefly, watching the way he furrows his brows in confusion. My heart skips a beat as I realize the words I've chosen...I've might have unintentionally offended him. Quickly glancing away, I state, "This wasn't a mistake...I-"

Tresor's fingers interlacing with mine, lifting my hand toward him startles me. My eyes meet with his, his lips placing a gentle kiss to the back of my hand before he says, "I love you." I part my lips to speak, but he cuts me off before I have a chance to start, "I felt your emotions, your feelings rushing through you at that moment. Dot, I gave you half of my soul."

My eyes widen, searching his as I ask, "Wh-What?"

"I bonded with you...for multiple reasons. Even if a fraction of my soul is apart from me, I am infertile, as are all sex demons," Tresor begins and I furrow my brows in complete confusion, though my heart nearly stops in my chest when he finishes, "more importantly," he cups my cheek and brings his forehead against mine, "I trust you with a part of my being...if it weren't for Keveon, I would not be able to cross the veil, regardless...because without a full bond to another giving the half of their soul, I am weakened."

I shake my head, my forehead against his as I let the tears fall, "I don't want to be the reason something happens to you and you could have done something...yet because of what you've done, I've made you weak."

Tresor chuckles, his hand slipping back into my hair as his lips are near mine, "If you're fixating on the reason I did this being that we weren't safe, then you need to stop worrying."

"I-"

His lips silence me, kissing me deeply, warmth skating beneath my skin as I fall into the kiss. Tresor only breaks our kiss to reiterate, "I. Love. You."

"I love you too," the words slip fluidly past my lips, Tresor's returning to kiss me passionately a second later.

⊰♥⊱To Be Continued⊰♥⊱