Tainted Blood

Chapter 12

Stark was sitting on a chair beside Lillie's bed looking slightly frustrated. Lillie had been going in and out of consciousness and seemed delirious half the time mumbling about juice.

"Juice… no," Lillie moaned causing Stark to arch a brow as a small smirk cast over his lips.

"I'm not sure if I should be amused your dreaming about juice even in this state, or feeling a little bad that I'm just sitting here while you're sick," Stark said towards Lillie," I told the Mutt I was finding an antidote."

Caleb had marched out of the room after having a huge argument over attacking the condemned and getting the antidote from whoever had done this to Lillie. Stark had told him that they should find the antidote themselves since the condemned would never willingly give the antidote to them even in death. The fight had ended with Caleb snarling that it had been his fault because he liked messing with others.

Stark quickly turned towards the window sensing something just as someone came smashing through it. Loki caught himself with one hand as he began to stand upright slowly. He directed his piercing eyes at Stark.

Stark's claws sharpened as he began to give wry, cocky smirk. He remembered the silver eyes staring at him that Sebastian introduced to him.

"So now you condemned know where we live… Guess I need to kill you guys off," Stark said in a dark manner," Starting with you."

Loki exhaled loudly as a blade with no handle slid out from underneath his left sleeve. The seal on his right hand had been burning all the way here. It irritated him to no end. He knew why it was doing that. It was because the one who had his soul was currently in a state of near death.

Stark raced at Loki attempting to slash him with his claws but at the same time Loki had slashed his blade at him. When the blade was inches away from slicing him in half, Stark slid underneath the blade. Loki spun the blade downwards and nearly stabbed Stark, but he had dodged it just in time. The blade hit the floor instead. Stark quickly got up and then held the blade into the floor with his foot. Loki let go of the blade and attempted to slash Stark, Stark dodged. Loki roundhouse kicked him causing Stark to take a step back as Loki grabbed the blade out of the floor bringing it down. Stark grimaced as he flipped to his right out of its range.

Stark's eyes glinted as he noticed something with Loki. Loki hadn't used his right hand at all in this fight. Loki attempted to slash at him as he dodged it and when Loki brought down the blade Stark sidestepped moving to his right attempting to slash him. However, in a quick motion brought the blade against Stark's neck and Stark put his claws against his throat.

"I didn't come here to kill her," Loki said coldly.

"Then why did you come here," Stark questioned in an obnoxious tone. Loki hesitated for a moment unable to bring himself to say anything about selling his soul. It wasn't something to be proud of. Before he could say anything, he sensed someone coming at him. Loki quickly moved away as Caleb dove at him punching into the floor where he stood a moment ago.

Loki scowled. He had to think of a way to get past these two to get to Lillie in order to give her the antidote, or these two would never believe whatever he had to say.

Caleb dove towards Loki once again. He pulled back his fists. Then in a fast motion he attempted to punch Loki. Loki narrowly dodged it expected him to be just as slow when he pulled back as Caleb's fist landed into the wall. He pulled it out roughly. In a quick motion, Caleb turned on him slashing him. When he was getting ready to attack were slow, but when he made the attack it was quick and the force of it could cause a lot of damage. Loki dodged again as he slashed upwards with his blade causing Caleb to be cut across his arm.

Then suddenly Stark appeared behind Loki attempting to slash him, but Loki twirled to direct his blade behind him and had stabbed Stark on the side of his stomach. Caleb came at him as Loki kicked him back into the wall and then elbowed Stark hard in the face causing him to be knocked nearly unconscious.

Loki gave them a patronizing smirk," Not so strong are we?" He walked over Stark and made his way towards Lillie, who was on the bed that was in the middle of the room. As he did, he had taken out a small vial filled with a blue liquid using his teeth to uncork it and spat out the cork onto the floor.

Caleb and Stark grimaced as they attempted to get up but the blade had been filled with paralysis poison causing them to be unable to move. They watched as Loki poured the blue liquid into Lillie's mouth while letting her rest on his shoulder.

Lillie began to stir as her eyes opened causing Stark and Caleb to be shocked. The blue liquid had been an antidote. Loki wasn't trying to end Lillie's life? What was going on?

Lillie looked around at her surroundings to see cut marks on the floor and Caleb and Stark on the floor. She then turned her attention towards Loki.

"Uh… why'd you beat Caleb and Stark up?"

Loki frowned.

"They were in my way. I didn't feel like explaining," Loki said dryly.

"That you sold your soul to me while I was dreaming about a gross cafeteria?" Lillie questioned incredulously. Loki exhaled loudly.

"Maybe not the best place to sell your soul to someone," Loki muttered. Stark snorted as Caleb arched a brow.

"You sold your soul to her?" Caleb questioned incredulously.

"Who the hell sells their soul to Lillie," Stark remarked in an obnoxious tone. Lillie crossed her arms.

"Why wouldn't anyone? I'm unique in my own way and I'm... like... hated by probably every girl in town because of Stark," Lillie exclaimed. Stark just gave her a bad boy smirk.

"I can't help that I was born with good looks and charm... I know it's a curse on its own," Stark said arrogantly causing Lillie to throw a pillow at his face. He caught it causing Lillie to begin pouting.

"Ugh! Why do you even have fangirls?" Lillie grumbled. Stark smirked.

"Because, Lill, my good looks don't go unnoticed by the females in the population," Stark exclaimed in an arrogant manner. Caleb began chuckling low in his throat as Stark arched a brow at Caleb questioningly," What the hell are you laughing about?"

"I'm replaying the part where he elbowed you in the face," Caleb said under his throat indicating Loki with a point of his thumb," I almost wanted to join in on it. Maybe it'll take you down a notch."

Stark's gaze darkened.

"Try it, Mutt, and we'll see who makes it out alive," he said in a threatening manner. Lillie sighed shaking her head at them.

"The person I was talking about in your dream… that told me you could help me… he was someone you knew," Loki exclaimed in a serious tone causing Lillie to turn her full attention to him.

"I knew him? Does he have a grudge against me?" Lillie questioned curiously. Loki had an odd expression on his face before he responded.

"He should after what happened to him, but… he doesn't have a grudge against you."

Lillie looked puzzled by the comment and it also caught Stark and Caleb's attention, whom had been bickering about Stark being a manslut and Caleb acting like a psychopath.

"Huh. I regret saying you shouldn't have helped the bound demon Lillie," Stark said to Lillie with a wry, cocky smirk. Loki gave him a deathly glare while Lillie looked at him confused.

"You… didn't say that," Lillie said.

"Oh. I was thinking that in my head. Oops," Stark said with a nonchalant shrug. Loki threw a throwing knife towards Stark's head. However it zoomed past his head into the wall near Caleb's head.

"Hey! Watch it!" Caleb snarled maliciously," I have days when I want to kill Pretty Boy but I don't kill other people along with him."

"Your aim sucks. You missed me," Stark said in a devious manner causing Loki to attempt to throw another knife at him. Lillie had grabbed it out of his hand.

"NO MORE! I bet kindergartens know how to get along better than you three put together… and you guys just met," Lillie cried as she pointed her finger between Caleb and Stark, and Loki. Then she narrowed her eyes at Loki," What were you saying about me knowing this person that told you I could help you?"

"First, help me out of Hell before I continue," Loki said icily still in a bad mood from being called 'bound demon'. Lillie frowned and blinked at him for a long moment.

"Fine, I hope you can accept whatever happens after the bargain," Lillie said ominously before she bit into Loki's neck taking in the sweet crimson liquid.

Koji had a worried expression as Cerberus followed alongside him. He had spent the entire day unable to concentrate. Had something happened to Lillie? She had been missing from school since the last time they spoke. The reaper had threatened her, which wouldn't be good. It always led back to…

Koji shook it off as he realized suspicious looking people surrounding his apartment building. He recognized this set up and he'd seen it multiple times before. Then suddenly he was pulled into a dark alley along with Cerberus.

"What the—" he began.

"Shush, Koji!" a voice hissed at him. Koji quickly turned around to be faced with a male, whom had bandages loosely wrapped over his nose, mouth and neck. His hair was layered reaching the nape of his neck. Both of his hands were partially covered by his long sleeve red shirt but bandages were wrapped around them.

"Miyabi? Didn't I tell you to not come here?" Koji hissed," I wanted to put my old life behind."

Miyabi gave him a serious expression.

"Isn't it too late for that, Koji? Your grandmother is in your apartment right now. He wants you to deal with this… Hellraine for her," Miyabi exclaimed," It's a proof of your loyalty to her."

Koji's attention seemed to be caught by the word Hellraine for a long moment. He had heard the term from the reaper that had come after Kazu had been siphoning too much power from the reaper.

"Miyabi, you came to me… is there something… you aren't telling me?"

Miyabi hesitated looking troubled but not wanting Koji to know what it was causing Koji to narrow his eyes at Miyabi.

"Even if I gave you back your humanity, she can take it away. You're my best friend, Miyabi. I don't… have a choice," Koji said in a stern, determined manner before turning to walk towards the apartment.

[End ch12]

Author's Note:

Uh oh... What is Koji's family actually besides simply necromancers? They aren't so simple. Will Koji end up an enemy of Lillie's? And yes Zero had two different lives... Who knows what the hell he is? lol Next chapter, Lillie plans to rescue Zero. Will they succeed or fail? I tried to put a fight in here. Hope this chapter wasn't too wordy and such. I hope everyone liked the changes I made through the rest of the chapters. Was it any better than before?

Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter! Thanks for reviews Saria and booklover1498! Deeply appreciate it! =) I've been having a lack of confidence in my writing and reviews really put me in a good mood knowing that people still read this story! It means a lot!