Chapter 5: Seduction Into The Shadows

"Hi, Jackie!" Edwin called out with a smile in his voice. Jackie looked up from the book she was reading. She was huddled in a corner of the public library, surrounded by books.

"Hello," Jackie said softly without smiling. She did not feel the urge to stand or even move. She watched as Edwin walked to her. There goes my quiet afternoon, Jackie thought as Edwin sat next to her.

"Ah, classic. Romeo and Juliet?" Edwin nodded at the book Jackie was reading. Jackie loved how the story was so grounded, not like a fairytale. There was no 'happily ever after', there was no 'fairy godmother'; all there were was Romeo and Juliet fighting for their forbidden love, there was only tears and pain. She loved how close the story was to real life. All the mistakes Romeo and Juliet made. The tough love they shared that ended up with both of them dying. How ironic, all they needed were a few seconds to right the wrongs but because they did not want to spare the time, the results were not good. Jackie set the book down and noticed the area around his jaw and cheekbone were swelling and were a nasty bluish-purple.

"Are you okay?" Jackie's voice was laced with concern. Edwin did get hurt because of her.

"Yeah... Just superficial injuries. I couldn't just let you get hurt like that. You are supposed to be a 'Badass' girl, remember?" Edwin joked as he sat next to her. Jackie's heart twisted with agony as she remembered what Joseph did to her and what Edwin did to protect her. Jackie looked at the bruises and remembered why she should stay away from Joseph. Why everybody should. Like they should stay away from her. He was as deadly as Jackie was when she was in 'assassin' mode. Jackie could easily go on about how Joseph could hurt her, but Edwin was waiting for her reply. Jackie smiled at him

"What are you doing here, anyway?" Jackie asked casually.

'Just because I'm the captain of the basketball team, it does not mean I can't go to the library to read!" Edwin retorted playfully.

Ten minutes later, Jackie could not stand Edwin and asked what he wanted. He was shifting around as if he had an itch on his butt and flipped through the books without really reading them.

"Well, it's about one. I'm tired, bored and thirsty," Edwin said. "Why don't we blow this joint and go get some coffee. Before I drown on words."

"Fine..." Jackie reluctantly got up.

After leaving the library...

"So, you just moved?"Edwin, turned to look at her.

"Yeah..." Jackie muttered. She knew what he was going to ask next. "Did your parents get transferred here for work?", "Your parents loved this place?" Jackie got ready for the painful question.

"Your parents moved you here?"Edwin asked. The pain gripped her chest and did not allow her to breathe.

"No..." Jackie faked a smile. "I moved myself here. My parents died in a car crash. I didn't want to stay there. I'll just feel more pain."

"My mother got killed trying to protect something valuable to our family," Edwin turned away from her. "My father... My father abandoned me and Courtney. If we did not have the money that we have, we would both have died."

"Oh... Sorry..."Jackie frowned. How did everybody manage to handle losing their parents so easily and she could not? Jackie always thought she was stronger than anybody else. Now, she was on the verge of breaking down. As if Edwin had sensed the distress, he wound his arms around her and patted her head against her chest.

"It takes time to get over it," Edwin said in a comforting voice. Jackie loved the warmth Edwin's body brought her. Jackie loved Edwin's touch. She has never been held by anyone since Carlos; never been with anyone. Her first and only love-she swore. Jackie loved Carlos with all her heart; she heard of many stories that love hurts but she did not believe and Jackie learned the hard way that love does hurt. Carlos knew Jackie was not happy in the pack and he disobeyed the pack leader and fought to help Jackie escape the pack, at the expense of his life. If Carlos did not help her, she would not have know the taste of freedom, even if it was for just a minute. Jackie let Edwin hold her a little while longer before she stepped away from the embrace-away from pain. Tears formed at the thought of Carlos; and she still had not banished the thought of her parents death. Jackie blinked the tears back. "Just hold it in until you reach home, then you could cry your pathetic little heart out!" The inner bitch in her criticised. "Damn you! Just because you're a heartless whore, it doesn't mean you have to go around fucking other people's feelings," The innocent angel retorted, okay maybe she's not so innocent.

I am fucked up. Jackie pulled the pain to replace the pain she felt. It worked, but not perfectly.

Jackie and Edwin settled in the comfy neon coloured beanbags, a beautiful contrast to the black and white walls. She battled the painful thoughts away in her mind; shadows of the dark.

"Well, I never had a sibling. Tell me more about Courtney," Jackie asked.

"She is like a … a sister. But sometimes, she… well, you know we did not have a mother there for us. She tries to be the mother we never really had but will never forget," Edwin's casual voice turned into a sneer at the end.

"But Courtney is so supportive… She stands up for what are right…" Jackie paused. Thoughts of Edwin taking the risk to stand up for her flooded her mind, and then when the memory ended, Jackie was thrust back into the endless black and painful red of her heart. Edwin saved her from something she did want to be a part of even though it was going to destroy her in the end. "So do you."

"You don't know my definition of right. My right may be your wrong. Vice Versa," Edwin's expression twisted into one like a sly fox, and so did his voice.

"I'm sure it's close enough, "the pain she felt nearly escaped and leaked into her voice.

"What's close? The two of us?" Edwin cheekily wiggled his eyebrows and puckered his lips. Jackie went along with the game and puckered her lips too. Edwin stopped immediately. Jackie smiled at him. The pain temporarily stopped clawing at her heart when he smiled back. It was so easy being with Edwin, there was no tension, no awkward silence; no worrying what he was seeing in her eyes; unlike when she was with Joseph. Edwin was like a beacon of light on her darkest day, leading her closer to the shore but Jackie knew she was not strong enough to reach it. Or maybe she did not want to reach it. Since she was young she had been living in a world full of lies and blood. Since she was young, she was thrust into the a dark black sea that was her heart. Jackie was as twisted as her fate.

"We are close enough," Jackie mumbled as she stared at Edwin.

********

Edwin changed form into a brawny, blond hair, blue-eyed boy and followed Jackie. Thankful that he could change forms, Edwin tried not to cringe when Jackie walked into the library. He followed her in.

He changed into his original form and walked parallel to Jackie while trying to stay inconspicuous. When Jackie finally settled on the floor with a pie of books surrounding her, he made his move.

Time to put my plan into action! Seduction into the shadows!

"Hi, Jackie!"Edwin called out with a smile.

"Hello," Jackie mumbled without the sweet little smile she had. She did not look like she was going to move anytime soon, so he sat himself onto the ground next to her.

Edwin looked at the book she was reading. The classic Romeo and Juliet. But this version was not the true one. Edwin nearly laughed out loud at how different the two stories were.

The book version states that the Capulets and Montaguess were rivals with each other. But one night at a ball, Romeo and Juliet met each other and fell in love. They disobeyed all the rules just to see each other. In the end, just because of a few stupid mistakes and a case of misunderstanding and the involvement of Paris; Juliet thought Romeo was dead and stabbed herself and when Romeo woke up, he saw Juliet with a knife out of her chest, he downed some poison. But Edwin knew better than that. He was friends with the real Romeo. Fell in love with each other! Haha! Both Romeo and Juliet fell in love with fame, fortune and power to rule over both worlds. The mortal and demon world! Yes, it was true. Both Romeo and Juliet- the world's most devoted, loving couple are demons! Romeo, second prince of manipulation and Juliet-third princess of truth. Ironic right?! I mean come on, demon of truth?! But as time passed, with all the time they spent together, planning on how to overthrow the current rulers of the demon world; they fell in love with each other. Romeo and Juliet carefully and inconspicuously set out on the intricate plan to get the ruling parties in trouble and executed by the High Court of Divine Orders-who every microscopic detail that happens until a ruling party is in place to control the two fragile worlds. Their parents work for the then king and queen, so they really had to work under the radar. But somehow the news of what they were planning managed to find its way to their parents; who were also planning to sabotage the king and queen. Soon enough, the entire demon world knew about Romeo and Juliet's plan and the king and queen waned them to disappear completely from both worlds. But their parents were not heartless enough to kill them, so they told Romeo and Juliet what to do and when to do it. They acted as if they died because if each other. But who was foolish enough to think that mortal weapon and regular poisons could kill demons! Demons are fallen angels, angels are immortal so fallen angels or demons are also immortal. Few things could kill them, like a pesky little vampire or an out-of-control were-beast. There were few were-beast left but many vamps exists, with one right up his neck.

Edwin was pulled back from his collection when Jackie asked if he was okay. He followed her gaze as he did not understand what she was talking about and found her staring at his bruises. He spent the last few days recuperating his energy and could not get enough to heal. His power was drawing lust to overpower people's minds to distract them to do what he wanted.

"Yeah... Just superficial injuries. I couldn't just let you get hurt like that. You are supposed to be a "Badass" girl, remember?" Edwin joked, but deep in his heart, he wondered what was so "Badass" about her, he did not see any of it if she really did have a bad side to her.

Jackie smiled in response.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" Jackie asked casually. I am here for you, now honey but I can't really say that out loud, can I? Edwin thought. So he replied. "Just because I am I'm the captain of the school's basketball team doesn't mean I can't go to the library, right?"

Edwin felt allergic to the library and could not sit. He tried to read some books but he just could not concentrate. Then , finally Jackie could not stand his behaviour and agreed to go to the cafe with him. He started asking some basic questions in passing.

"So you just moved here?"he asked.

"Yeah..."Jackie's voice sounded hesitant.

"Your parents moved you here?"He tried to probe.

"No..."an obviously fake smile appeared on her face. "I moved myself here. My parents died in a car crash. I didn't want to stay. I'll just feel more pain."

"My mother got killed trying to protect something valuable to our family, my father... My father abandoned me and Courtney. If we did not have the money we had, both Courtney and I would have died," Mother, I will avenge your death. Edwin thought.

"Oh...Sorry..." Jackie's voice was tinged with sadness and was a little choked up. Edwin quickly responded and put his arms around her and patted her head. He almost let his powers break leak but he caught himself at the last moment. The plan was to make her fall in love with him naturally and not make her lust over him when he was using his powers on her and act like she does not know him when he stops using his powers.

After a while, she calmed down and pulled out of his embrace.

"Well, I never had a sibling. Tell me about Courtney," Jackie asked, as if she were looking for a way to distract herself. Edwin twisted in his seat while searching for the answer. "She is like a...a sister," A sister who always gets in my way. "But sometimes, she... well you, you know we did not have a mother there for us. She tries to be the mother we never really had but will never forget, and you know, it isn't such a swell feeling when your this age and having your little sister giving you instructions..." Edwin's voice turned into a sneer. I know she is just trying to help me but I never asked for it. Edwin thought bitterly.

"But Courtney is so supportive! She stands up for what is right, so do you," Jackie half whispered at the end. So, abusing your trust in me is right, overthrowing an entire system of ruling and taking over two worlds is right? Edwin wanted to laugh. But he just answered "You don't know my definition of right may be your wrong. Vice versa."

"I'm sure it was close enough," Jackie's voice escaped as a hoarse whisper.

"What's close enough? You and me?" Edwin wiggled his eyebrows and puckered his lips. Jackie also puckered her lips in response. Edwin immediately stopped. Was she bipolar or something? One minute she was sad and was going to cry, the next she was happy and joking. God, she was screwed. Almost as bad as him. Edwin smiled.

"We are close enough," Jackie smiled.

********

Edwin escorted her outside of her house.

"Thank you... for everything," Jackie smiled, her words straight from her heart.

"You're welcome!"Edwin smiled back. Before Jackie closed the door, he stopped her. Edwin wanted her to think about him; to think what they could do together.

"Yes?"Jackie's voice was expectant. She wanted to know what he wanted to say. Edwin pulled the door close and moved over until Jackie was leaning against the closed door.

"I have something important to tell you," Edwin's voice was husky and serious, Jackie stared into his eyes.

"I love you, Jackie. I want you to consider the two of us together. I want you to say yes," he lowered his head close to hers, their lips was just a breath away from each other. Edwin heard Jackie's gasp and felt the heat on her cheeks. Edwin leaned down and kissed her like it was his first and last. It started tender until she started to kiss him back, then he put more pressure on her lips. When he got up for air, Jackie's eyes were pleasure-dilated and both breathing ragged. Edwin ran his hand through his hair to smoothen the part where she ran her hand through. Casually saluting Jackie, Edwin turned and walked away like nothing happened.

"Remember to consider what I just offered you, babe," Edwin turned back and told the dumbfounded Jackie-who was staring at him with her mouth slightly agape.

"One more thing, none of us are who we seem to be."

********

There was a a sudden rustle of leaves from the forest and Jackie felt colder than ever.