Among Demons : Succubus Divine

Ch. 40 : Birthday Bullets

Work the next day flew by far too quickly, almost as if time itself was eager to see what kind of a s**t-show I was going to turn into during the birthday dinner.

Nick quickly agreed to join us, after chastising me for agreeing to go at all. And after some minor lessons, a few minor Demon-related cases that needed my input and a small hill of paperwork that I needed to organize, I was back home.

Nyla was already in my apartment with Nick and had taken over my bedroom, spreading out the many different outfits I had tucked away for me to choose from. She also, in very Nyla-fashion, brought along a few more articles from her little workshop for me to look at, suggesting that I look and dress the best since it was my Match’s birthday. I simply gritted my teeth and began sifting through the river of clothes while Nick complained about everything I touched or tried on.

It’s too tight.

The color is weird.

It’s cold, why would you pick that?

That’s too detailed.

On and on his criticism went while Nyla argued back, smacking him a few times for being ‘too brotherly’. I was also getting to the point where I just wanted to be done with it all and quickly locked eyes on something I hadn’t worn yet. It was a simply pale gray sweater that was tight and had small swirling details around the collar and wrist. I liked the sleeves the most when I pulled it on and noticed that small rings were added to the slightly longer portion of fabric that hung over the back of my hand. I slipped my middle finger through each one, smiling when I realized how perfectly sized it was, then moved on to look for pants. Nyla pulled out a pair of smokey green ones that had been hidden by the rest of the clothes on my bed, then began digging through my closet for shoes.

After stomping into my ankle high black boots, throwing on a warm black coat Nyla brought and pinning a matching green beanie to my loose hair, I was done and ready to leave.

Nick grumbled like a man about to give away his daughter all through the drive and I stared out the window will the stupid fluttering in my stomach continued to act up. My hands kept inching towards my bag that was hiding the simple leather cuff band that I had found yesterday after work.

I had been aimlessly walking around the small shops a few blocks away from my neighborhood after getting scolded by my brother when I wandered into a little store I hadn’t been in before. It sold all sorts of things that ranged from home decorations, birthday and weddings gifts, second-hand jewelry and some handcrafted trinkets too. Near the back of this little shop I found a Demon working behind the counter and smiled as I began to chit chat with them, browsing through the glass display cases nearby. Inside one of these was an assortment of leather objects that were mostly for men, like watch bands, rolled up belts and wallets. Each one had some kind of design etched into it or a letter to personalize it. And I came across the cuff band with a ‘M’ at its center.

Maybe it was just how nice and simple the design itself was combined with the newly discovered fact that it was about to be his birthday… but I bought it and wrapped it up once I came home.

And now I was debating whether or not I should even give it to him at all.

“Dev.”

I jumped when Nick called out to me, too lost in my own thoughts to realize that we had parked.

“Are you sure you’re ok?” He asked softly, scanning me to make sure I was physically alright. “We can turn around and leave now if you want. No one’s seen us.” Nyla appeared on the other side of his door, knocking on the glass and motioning towards the restaurant in front of us.

I shook my head and smiled reassuringly at him, unbuckling myself and reaching for the door handle, saying, “I’m fine, Nick, nothings wrong.”

I could hear him suck in a breath as if he was going to correct me, but I climbed out before he could.

Once outside I looked around and was surprised when I recognized the restaurant. It was a Demon owned Seafood place that had grown in popularity after opening two years ago. Many Humans make reservations just to try the food here and a lot of other wealthy Humans have tried bribing the owner into selling, but she would never budge. She was a stubborn Siren and one with a cold sarcastic personality that would make anyone feel threatened. And it just so happened that she was close to Nyla and her family who had helped her own relatives a few times in the past.

“Nyla!” We all stopped as we made our way towards the table the others were sitting at, turning around to find a beautiful ebony woman with green and red ringed eyes. “I was wondering when you’d show, you little bitch.” She tackled Nyla in a tight hug and made me smile when I caught Nick's look of shock and confusion. “You must be the little Human friend she’s told me about.” The woman said, releasing Nyla and examining my brother. “You’re pretty cute for a Human… though a bit too lean for my liking.” She winked at him and I giggled, seeing Nick glance down at himself. “I like my men big, and brawny, and ALL areas.” Still giggled, I locked eyes with her and tried to compose myself, reaching out a hand for a handshake. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen one of your kind.” That made my heart clench a bit and I calmed down instantly. “It’s good to see more of you still roaming around the city.” She stepped closer with a strange mixture of concern and mild disappointment in her eyes. “Word of advice, forget about love and look after yourself, your race is thinning out too much to worry about the fleeting feelings of Humans… they always strike you first.”

She released my hand and patted my shoulder before turning around and walking through an employee entrance.

“Ignore her.” Nyla said, glaring down the path the woman took. “She’s just bitter and taking it out on you… damn bitch.”

We resumed our walk and found the table quickly, instantly getting greeted by everyone else that had arrived before us.

Little Mari ran up to me and smiled when I picked her up and hugged her. Sam insisted that I sit next to her while she commented on the restaurant, telling me how this was their first time here. But all I could focus on was the fact that I was now sitting right next to Marcus with Sam on my other side. He smiled and thanked me for coming while my brother glowered at the table, having been ousted to the last seat directly across from Marcus. Thankfully though, Mari kept asking to sit next to me and she and I soon agreed to share my large seat, giving me a bit more distance from the birthday boy now that I had a little Elf shield.

The next few hours were pleasant and calm as we talked, ordered and ate. Danny and Izaak had even managed to sneak a birthday surprise for Marcus. He grumbled while the waiters gathered to sing him happy birthday while presenting a slice of cake with a candle to him. I couldn’t help it and laughed with the others as he glared at his friends, groaning through it all. I was then informed by Sam that Marcus hated being sung to like that, and had to be nearly dragged out for his other birthdays if he found out that they were being celebrated in a restaurant.

After that loud and entertaining singing, the gifts started coming out.

I tensed as one by one his friends pulled out a nicely wrapped gift for Marcus to open. Danny handed his gift first and made us all laugh at the assortment of small things he had shoved into the gift bag. Some mini hats that made the guys all laugh breathlessly as they recounted some inside joke, a new small black part for Marcus’ gun holster that apparently needed replacing, and a gift card to Marcus’ favorite breakfast place. The very last few things made only Danny, Nyla, Sam and Izaak laugh while I quickly covered Mari’s eyes and bowed my head to whisper to her, hiding my face with my hair.

“Flavored lube, condoms and fuzzy handcuffs… what the f**k Danny.” Marcus chuckled, the rustling sounds of him tucking away his gifts drowned out by the laughter of the others.

Izaak and Sam passed on their gift next and it was then that I learned that the close trio of men had gone to a completely different High School than Nyla, Nick and I. Even Sam had gone to a different one and the gift that Marcus opened was a large picture frame of the three of them in their football uniforms after winning the State Championship. Izaak had long forgotten about the one picture he had after they graduated and recently found it buried behind other memories. He told us that he made copies of the picture he had and already gave one copy to Danny while he wrapped the other one up for Marcus.

Once that gift was tucked away, the bill came out and small side conversations started up while we all prepared to leave.

I fought myself as I chatted away with the little Elf, arguing with my two halves over the gift I had gotten that was still sitting inside my bag. The struggle still persisted after everyone paid and left a tip. It climbed up as we stood from our seats and started making our way outside. And when we exited the building and continued to talk as we stood on the sidewalk I had my hand shoved into my bag, my fingers gripping the box while my mental fight continued.

A short while later, Sam, Izaak and Mari said their goodbyes and drifted off towards their car on the other side of the parking lot, quickly loading their daughter and pulling away. Danny had arrived in Marcus’ car that was parked near Nick’s truck so we all slowly made our way across the lot to them, still talking and laughing as we went. I was still struggling to just hand over the damned leather band in my bag when I finally just clenched my teeth and pulled it out, stopping Marcus in the middle of the lot while the others continued walking. Wordlessly, I lifted the gift up to him and sucked in a breath as I did, feeling stupidly tense and anxious.

“Sorry for only handing it to you now… but I did get you something.” His eyes were wide with surprise as he slowly reached out to take it. “It’s not much, but I thought of you when I saw it so…” I mentally punched myself for saying that, cursing my nerves for spewing unnecessary things to him. “Happy birthday.”

I watched him as he slowly started to unwrap the gift, smiling a little at his still stunned expression. But something dark moved in my periphery as he did, distracting me and making me look just behind him, past his arm and shoulder. I could instantly see that it was a man in an all black outfit with the hood of his jacket partially covering his face. His hands were fidgeting in his pocket while Marcus opened the little box I had given him. And just as I heard Marcus begin to thank me for the gift, the man pulled out something that drove a spear of white, hot shock through my body.

My own body moved without hesitation, grabbing fistfuls of the man in front of me while my right leg shot out. I hooked his ankle while shoving and turning him, twisting myself so my back was to the man in black. I was vaguely aware of the fact that I had called out for my brother when a thundering bang rang out behind me. Marcus was on the floor near the box and I felt my body go limp as a stinging, stabbing pain exploded on my left shoulder. I landed half on him, quickly feeling his arm loop around my waist before he raised himself up and drew the gun he had hidden above his boot. I winced and groaned as I looked through my hair, seeing how Marcus was now covering me while the sounds of running and shouting broke out somewhere close by.

I could see the worry and panic in his gray eyes as his lips parted, no doubt asking me if I was alright. But the shock of it all had numbed me completely and I was struggling to regain control of my senses while the pain in my shoulder spread down to my arm and across my upper back. A warmth soon started to trickle down my body as I regained my hearing and Danny and Nyla came into view with both of them staring wide eyed at me.

“Officer down!” Danny shouted into his phone, talking to someone as he stood protectively in front of my weeping friend.

“I’m not a cop.” I hissed out, sitting up and wincing when I tried to use my arm. “It’s just my shoulder.” Marcus kept his arm around me as I got up and started looking for my brother. But before I asked where he was, Nick reappeared.

“Let me see.” He commanded, taking on the serious, no-nonsense tone he gets every time I’ve gotten hurt. “Hold still.” I could feel Marcus and Danny’s stares of disbelief and anger weigh on Nick and I while he looked at my shoulder, watching how he prodded my wound a few times, making me flinch. “I was able to get a good look at the guy but he jumped onto a bike and left.” He took my uninjured arm and tugged me towards his truck while the others followed. “I can treat my sister’s shoulder if you guys want to go after him.”

“He wasn’t aiming at me.” I hissed out, hating how any small motion made the stabbing in my arm jump up. “He was after Detective Marcus.”

Everyone stopped and looked at me as Nick held the door open to his truck, their eyes wide before they turned to look at Marcus.

“I saw him take aim before he shot.” I continued, feeling my own worry for the man that made my heart skip, mix with my pain.

A second later Nick urged me into his truck and told everyone that he was taking me back to my apartment to remove the bullet and treat me. Danny and Marcus protested, stating that cops and an ambulance were on the way to help. But Nick brushed them off, explaining that a Human hospital wasn’t so well equipped to deal with every Demon race that lived in the city.

“It could do more harm than good to have those IV’s and things forced into her.” Nick argued, still holding the door to his truck open.

“But they’ll be better skilled at removing that bullet without hurting her.” Marcus persisted, stepping closer as I winced again. “They can make it so she doesn’t feel any pain.”

“So can I.” Nick slowly started to close the door as the sound of sirens rang from a distance. “This isn’t the first time I’ve had to treat a serious injury, and the potions we have are far stronger than Human medicine.”

The silence that followed his words made me turn to look at everyone.

Nyla was still crying as she leaned into Danny, her eyes filled with shock and worry while her body trembled lightly. Danny was still on the phone, talking to someone and providing a description of the situation at hand, but his fleeting glances were also dark with concern when he looked at me. Then there was Marcus and my entire body ran cold once I saw the mixture of emotions in his eyes.

There was guilt there, though that confused me since this wasn’t his fault at all, it was mine and that damned Curse. Panic and worry were the biggest and easiest to notice too. But under all of that was pain, a haunting kind of pain that mixed with all the other things he was feeling. Pain that made my worry for him climb even higher as a part of me wanted to jump out of the truck and console him. Why was he hurting? And on his birthday too. Why did he look as if he’d just learned something that was causing him to feel this pain? Why did he look like he wanted to do something impossible when he looked at me?

“Nick.” I stopped my brother from closing the door, sticking my foot out to push the door away. “They have Demon doctors on staff now… I should be fine if I go with them.”

We stared at each other as the ambulance and cop cars arrived, parking on the side of the road while Danny flagged them down.

I understood why my brother was so worried, since my fight with the Human Medical world to train and teach their staff about Demons had been a vicious one. But I also knew that they had hired a few Demons as permanent staff not too long ago and that I needed to check how things were going there at some point.

Minus well make a check on how things were going as a patient.