Thanks to those who commented last chap! I hope it wasn’t too confusing. I’m going to make a note at the end of this so please read it, so then you know… other stuff!!!

            “What are we doing here?” I barely kept a growl of annoyance down. I hated prowling around the backs of shady clubs, leather-clad drunkards bumping into you before falling or throwing up, sometimes both. It was disgusting and no demon I would wish to save would be near a place like this. This was the sort of place you found slayers actually doing productive things, stopping beings that deserved to be stopped.

            “Look, Sal, if you want to do this whole ‘demon stand’ thing and you want my help then we’re going to do it right.” Durriken turned down another narrow street, this one less inhabited but no less damp and filthy. “If we’re going to make any sort of impression on the angels then we’re going to have to be at least as professional about this as any gang of slayers. Your chicks are fine but not too cluey when it comes to the finer technological arts.”

            “But I thought you were good with that sort of stuff? Weren’t you just telling us of how you brought down your grandfather’s security with no hassles?”

            “I did.” He smiled that damn smug smile of his again but instead of wanting to fuck him I was now getting the urge to strangle him. “I admit I have knowledge and some talent but my gift is more with tarot cards than computers.”

            “And you know someone that has a gift with ‘technology’?”

            “Yes.” Turning into one last street he nodded to a dark figure leaning against the wall near a dead end. “Besides, he owes me something, and having you with me might scare him into giving it to me.”

            I groaned, he couldn’t possibly be expecting me to be his muscle could he? He was gorgeous and spirited and I had certain affections for him already but I hadn’t seen much of the promised money yet and he had been expecting a lot. I was beginning to wish I had never ended up meeting a snake.

            Following him as he walked to meet the stranger I pushed my irritation aside and instead studied the other. Long coat wrapped around his slender form he took one last puff of his cigarette before flicking it away with a black-gloved hand. He looked about the same height and build as Durriken and as he finally turned his gaze to us I realised he was probably much the same age as him as well. So the wild one knew another demon, his glistening amethyst eyes proclaiming him to be nothing else.

            “Nathair.” The stranger greeted languidly, his eyes flicking over me for a brief moment before I was dismissed as unimportant. If I had hair on the back of my neck it would have stood up, as it was I felt an angry crawling shiver travel down my spine.

            “Faol.” Durriken used the same passively laze tone and I had the feeling I was missing something. Then my eyes widened as I realised why I should know that clan name. Gazing at the stranger meticulously I knew it was no pale connection that he claimed. The moonlight glinted off a loose braid of softly curled hair the colour of milk, pointed ear-tips peaking cautiously up through the strands. His eyes were more purple than red and his skin had more colour than it could have but there was no mistaking the resemblance.

            “You’re Sha’rel’s get!”

            “So my mother claimed.” He shrugged negligently, lighting up another smoke. “Before she drank herself to death.”

            “Your mother was human?”

            “Yeah, Sal, he’s another half-breed, like me.” Durriken answered defensively and I shrugged to show I’d meant no offence, it had merely startled me. Why would the great Sha’rel, who until recently had been the last of the Faol, breed with a mortal?

            “What do you want, Durriken?”

            “Well I want my share for starters.”

            “Your share of what?” There was a slight twitch of the Faol’s rosy lips, almost smirking.

            “Don’t play stupid with me. I know my late grandfather’s money didn’t all just up and vanish on its own.”

            “Maybe the angels took it?”

            “That would go against their ‘morals’, besides they don’t have the skill.” Durriken sighed, starting to look annoyed, shivering a little in the cold of the night. “Look, can’t we at least talk inside? Be civil for once.”

            “Sorry, friend. The place is a mess.” And as the white-haired half-breed shrugged his coat off and handed it to Durriken what I had been missing suddenly clicked.

            “You two are close.” It was a statement and I didn’t need Durriken’s nod of affirmation but he gave it anyway, slipping the extra warmth on and letting out a contented sigh. Was this why he didn’t want to have a sexual relationship with me? I could certainly see how one could find the Faol desirable, especially now the coat wasn’t obstructing the lithe black-clad body.

            “Fine, you can have a third of it.” His eyes flittered to me again for a moment before he gave Durriken a questioning look. “I take it there’s more?”

            “Yeah. I’d like you to meet Salmalin, he’s the leader of a demon gang.”

            I offered a smile but he all but ignored me.

            “You know I don’t work well with others, Nathair. Whatever it is you’re into with him I don’t want a part of.”

            “Don’t be so quick to make up your mind, I’m sure once you’ve heard us out you’ll change your mind. Besides you’re bored without enough excitement in your life, I know you.”

***

            The twins and Ax were already asleep by the time we got home, which suited me just fine. Once the door was closed and locked I grabbed the demonling’s arm, pulling him to sit on the couch with me. He was more amused than anything else by such treatment and as he smiled I realised how hard it was to hold onto my anger when he was doing that. Damn annoying little snake!

            “You lied about having money.” I narrowed my eyes as he looked genuinely affronted.

            “No. I have money, I’ll just have more now. It costs a lot to fund a fully-functional gang, you know.” He crossed his slender arms and I felt guilty at the hurt shining in his pale eyes. “I thought you wanted me to help you realise your dream? Why does everyone always think the worst of me when all I’m trying to do is help?” His voice broke on the last few words and I watched stunned and mute as tears trickled down his pale cheeks. “You all assume that I’m greedy and selfish and I only think of myself but that’s not true! If you bothered to get to know me you’d know that’s not true!”

            Embracing him in a warm hug, I soothingly rubbed his back, letting him cry brokenly against me. I knew that my words had only been a trigger to some far deeper wrong done to him and I waited patiently for him to become coherent enough to share what that was with me. It was clear he needed to open up to someone and for some reason he couldn’t say what he wanted to, to his half-demon friend. Perhaps that was who it was about? But no, they had seemed on well enough terms, even if the Faol was somewhat cold.

            “What’s all this about, my beautiful wild one?” I questioned gently when he was done, wiping the tears from his smooth cheeks and brushing back some stray locks of dark hair.

            “He…” Durriken swallowed, sniffling miserably. “He never-… never gave me a chance.”

            “Who?”

            Large eyes hesitant he bit his lip, unsure if he could trust me or not with what he was about to confess. He looked so young and fragile that I couldn’t help pulling him close again, stroking his hair soothingly as Ax and I had done to the twins when they were younger and upset. I couldn’t understand how anyone could hurt someone so young and innocent, it just wasn’t right.

            “Please talk to me, young Nathair, I promise that whatever you tell me will not be repeated by me to anyone.”

            “No one has ever trusted me.” Clinging to my shirt with slender fingers he snuggled closer to me, shivering softly in my embrace.

            “What about your friend, the Faol?”

            “He… He can’t trust anyone, but that’s not his fault and I don’t blame him for it. He is my best friend.” His delicate shoulders shrugged, warm breath brushing the sensitive skin of my neck causing me to tighten my hold; wishing for a moment that I could never let him go. “I… I think my mother trusted me, but she died when I was very young…”

            “What about your father? Your grandfather?”

            “My father died just after my mother did…” He drew in a shuddering breath, “I killed him… I- I thought I could save her but…”

            “Oh, wild one! How horrible for that to happen to you!” I exclaimed in genuine sorrow having the feeling his mentally ‘off’ grandfather had had quite a lot to do with what had happened. I wasn’t totally ignorant of the social happenings of demons around me. I knew how crazy the late Nathair had been, perhaps not as crazy and evil as I thought him now, holding his sniffling and shivering grandson in my arms.

            “As for him… he was right not to trust me and I hindered his plans every chance I got. I hated him so much, I’m so glad he’s dead I just wish I could have done it myself.”

            “Perhaps but I think you are better off without his blood on your hands, vengeance is never as sweet as it seems.”

            “That’s what Lucian said.”

            “Who’s Lucian?”

            “The angel that has what I never can.” He sighed, finally letting go of me to lean back in my hold, looking at me with sad resigned eyes. “Even if he did trust me, maybe could like me, I never had a chance, not against Lucian. He loves him madly and I don’t blame him really, he’s so kind and clever and beautiful… who wouldn’t love him? He’s perfect… and I’m not. I’m just a spoilt demonling.”

            It hurt that he looked so alone, I couldn’t help offering, “I would have you, Durriken. I would love and treasure you.”

            “I know.” He smiled and kissed me then, so softly and sweetly that I dared not move but it was over far too soon. “And if I could control my heart I would let you.” I thought for certain I was being rejected but one slender hand slowly moved to caress my cheek, passion darkening his brilliant eyes. “But if you promise not to love me or be hurt because I can not love you, then maybe… We can put a little pleasure in each other’s lives. Could you be happy with only the physical?”

            “With you?” I grinned, sliding my hands down the gentle curve of his back, “Most definitely.”

***

            “Who would have thought it?”

            Ax smiled in response, turning a little from the balcony rail to face me as I joined her. I knew she was finding it just as hard to believe as me, after all the years of having to scrap by to be surrounded by so much wealth was daunting. Looking out over the gorgeously elaborate garden that filled the backyard… no yard wasn’t the right word, it was so big. I breathed in deeply of the fresh air before letting my eyes drift to the two demonlings moving with slow grace in a clear grassy area near the fountain. It was easy to see their close bond in the way they moved together with perfect harmony, peaceful and contented to match each other, neither struggling for supremacy.

            “I wouldn’t have thought him the sort capable of ti-chi.” Ax commented with a grin, both of us knowing which ‘him’ she was speaking of. I had to admit I was a little surprised myself, and pleased; it was good that he could control the fiery spirit inside him, even for a short while.

            “I’m glad the Faol decided to join us, he is a good influence on him.”

            “Yes.” She laughed, “And you are not the only one glad, though I think the twins’ reason differs from yours.”

            “Oh, I had hoped I had imagined that look in their eyes.” I sighed, not able to help worrying a little. It was true the white-haired demon was a calming influence on Durriken but it didn’t work the other way around, my lover’s warmth and love of life not rubbing off on his friend at all. “They are doomed to wish for something they can’t have if they think he’ll warm to them.”

            “Hmm.” Shifting to lean more heavily on the rail she watched the two half-demons thoughtfully. “It’s strange that, don’t you think? They are the best of friends, never arguing and always caring of each other… Yet they are so different. One dark, the other light; one a brightly burning flame, the other a smothering icy mist.”

            “But both just as deadly.” I didn’t add what I knew of how they had actually become friends and why they stayed that way. That had been something my young lover had told me in confidence and though Ax was closer than a sister to me it wasn’t my place to speak of such things. It just made me worry more about the twins’ attraction, the Faol didn’t want that kind of attention, that I knew for certain.

            “Do you think he knows?” Ax suddenly asked, and I gave here a confused look having been pulled so abruptly from my thoughts. “Sha’rel.” She clarified, “Do you think he knows he has a son?”

            “Maybe, though I doubt it. I did a little asking around. Did you know he’s mortal now? And rumour has it he’s with a slayer.”

            She laughed, “I never in a million years would have thought that could happen.” Ax then sobered, looking sorrowfully towards the snowy demonling still moving so gracefully. “But I wouldn’t have thought him capable of abandoning his own child either…”

            “And now you do? No, Ax, I think it far more likely he doesn’t know, of course the only way we will ever know for certain is to ask.”

            “Yes, well if he is with a slayer I think I’ll be just fine with not knowing. I have no desire to walk into a slayer stronghold and start asking questions like that. I much prefer living.”

            “So do I.” I smiled, my gaze drifting to the beautiful sleek figure, my wild one. “So do I.”

            THE END

For real this time, but don’t worry, there’s a sequel which I’ve written 4 chaps of already. There’s lots of Durriken and less of the slayers. I’m going to put the prologue up next week, though I haven’t decided what to call it yet. I hope you’ll all keep reading my stuff, I know the content hasn’t been that great recently but I’m working on it. I look forward to any comments you want to make, even just to let me know you read it and liked it.