Ash's Hideout

[Red Gypsy]

Dameon Black

Ash took in the information in an instant and his crimson eyes went wide as his breathing increased, taking in all the implications in just a fraction of a second, "I left him in the kitchen," he said simply then turned and ran in that direction, his dark hair streaming behind him.

Of course, his run to the kitchen might have been a bit more dignified if he were wearing more than just a pair of unbuttoned jeans.

He moved through the kitchen door like a freight train and looked around the kitchen frantically before finally finding Dancer curled up in a hidden corner. He simply picked him up and carried him into the living room, sitting him in a chair then looking him over with hands and eyes despite Dancer's protests.

By now, all the bruising was gone from Dancer's face and he was showing that he was almost too beautiful to be male yet carrying just enough masculinity to him that he would never be mistaken for a female. He was breathtaking to behold on any day but the confused and lost look in his mismatched eyes showed the truth of what he was going through.

He was just as heartbroken as everyone else was but had locked his emotions away somehow.

Ash finally halted at the choker-type necklace Dancer was wearing, examining it carefully with hands, eyes, and magic before swearing even more colorfully than Sebastet had.

"It's your slave collar... He's tracking you through it... We have to get it off somehow..." he said in soft horror before looking up at Anna with a pained expression whose explanation was given by the freed slave.

Dancer spoke in a deadened voice that was still beautiful to hear, a musical tenor that held so much sensual promise by itself, "That won't be easy... I can think only of one way to remove it and that might prove more dangerous than leaving it on... Dragon's Fire..." he said softly, knowing full well that removing it might remove his head along with it. He looked up at his uncle then at the female vampire standing nearby before he looked down at his hands and put the pieces together just as his uncle had.

"They sent someone else after me didn't they," he stated rather than asked, "I told Raphael they would... I can't stay here... I risk everyone's safety if I do..." he added, knowing he'd have to go on the run, have to keep moving.

Ash looked up at Anna with a torn expression. Torn between having Dancer in his life and protecting the twins. Family versus family. Which family did he protect?

He pulled Dancer's head into his chest and simply held him tightly in silence, hoping for something to happen that would give them all an answer that would save everyone.... But he knew that life wasn't that simple or that fair...  

[Dameon Black]

Red Gypsy

Anna
Anna followed Ash into the kitchen and then into the living room. She watched him with Dancer and closed her eyes for a moment. She took a few slow, deep breaths and then looked at the two again. "The one they sent won't reach you, Dancer," she said quietly. "I'll make sure of that. I swore to protect Ash's family. And last time I checked, that includes you."

 

[Red Gypsy]

Dameon Black

Dancer pulled back from Ash and got to his feet with one hand on Ash's shoulder as he looked at Anna, "As long as I remain here, the children are in danger... I can't risk that... They are the future... I can survive if I run and draw whoever it is far away from here... He'll never find this place..." he said softly then raised his mismatched eyes to look at Ash.

He shifted his hand to cup his uncle's cheek with a small smile, still not sure why his emotions were still so locked up, "I'll survive this as I've survived everything else, Ash... But I can't hide here like this, not when I can actually do something... I know how to run, I know how to survive, and I know demons better than you do. I have to do this," he whispered, the intensity of his gaze keeping Ash from speaking.

Dancer looked at Anna and gave her a smile as well then leaned forward to place a light kiss to her cheek, "The children are helpless, Anna... I'm not... Even with this collar on, I still have my magic. I forgot about the collar in the face of everything else. The Re can track me with it as well. I have to go. I'll come back when it's safe again. Please, sweet little assassin," he finally begged her softly, "Please... Keep my uncle here and protect those children... I have to go..." he hated to beg something like that of her but knew he had little choice. He was probably the only person with enough guts to give a fully trained assassin a kiss on her cheek...

He stepped away from both of them two paces. On the second step, he disappeared in a flash of fire before they could stop him.

Ash let out a startled shout of denial, one hand held out towards the place where Dancer disappeared then dropped to his knees, "First the council, now the demons... They have to pay for taking my family from me..." he finally said after a moment, his voice going hard and spoken through clenched teeth, a small flame starting to surround one clenched fist.

After another moment, he raised crimson eyes now giving off a deadly glow to Anna, "Whatever the plan is, I'm in it to take the bastards out... No more hiding... No more waiting for the next strike... They have to die..." he told her, clearly intent on doing something...  

[Dameon Black]

Red Gypsy

Anna
Anna listened to Dancer speak, looking a bit surprised by the kiss to her cheek. She didn't get a chance to really teact before he was gone. "That boy has some serious guts," she commented. She turned her attention back to Ash. "You need to stay here, Ash. You have to be here to watch over the twins. That is your duty as their father. But I agree that the ones who keep taking family from you must die. And since you and I have a contract, I can take care of that for you. All you have to do is ask."

 

[Dameon Black]

Red Gypsy

Egan Savage
Egan got them into the home rather quickly. He had simply picked up Bethany and carried her over to Ash's to save time. As soon as they got in, he ran to the room Ash was in and set Bethany on her feet to explain.

Bethany was starting to have her own breakdown by the time they reached Ash. When she was set down, she took a deep breath and started talking quickly, explaining the problem as fast as she could while still making sure to speak clearly enough for them to understand. She left nothing out, knowing that Ash needed all of the information she had. She even gave a detailed description of Gurzil, hoping Ash would know who he was.

 

[Red Gypsy]

Dameon Black

Ash listened to it all and actually went pale at the description of Gurzil. There was a moment of silence as Ash got to his feet then looked at Anna, "Find the nurse, Anna, please. Have her get the twins ready to go. I don't know how long we'll be gone so she'll have to be prepared for that. There's only one place we can go. I only hope Gypsy won't be too upset over it," he said softly, his voice beyond calm over the whole thing.

He looked at the wolves one at a time, noting that Wind was doing his best to help Bethany stay calm. When he reached Egan's eyes, he simply gave the Alpha a small nod, "We'll get them all to safety. Then we can plan," he told him then looked at Wind, "I'm sorry about your sister..." he offered then found himself heading upstairs to collect a few things.

Wind simply looked at Egan over Bethany's head as he held her, his eyes showing his worry and the fear he was trying his best not to give in to. If he did, he knew he'd shift...  

[Dameon Black]

Red Gypsy

Egan Savage
Egan sighed as he watched Anna disappear to do as Ash asked. He looked over to Wind as he tried to keep Bethany calm. He gave a reassuring smile and tried his best to actually comfort him. But he knew it wasn't going to be easy with the way things were going.

Bethany finally pulled away from Wind and looked up at him. "I'm going to go see if Ash knows who this guy is," she said quietly, obviously still terrified but trying her best to deal with it. She turned and went up the stairs after Ash, quickly catching up to him. "Who is he? I saw the way you looked when I described him. Who is this guy?"

 

[Red Gypsy]

Dameon Black

The moment they were alone, Wind instantly moved to curl himself against Egan's chest, needing someone to hold him for just a bit. Yes, Bethany was terrified. Yes, Bethany and the twins were at risk.

But it was his sister out there... His twin... she was out there and in the hands of a madman...

"What's he doing to her, Egan? You know her... She'll put up with anything unless I'm threatened or hurt... What do I do? She's always saved me. How do I save her? I don't know what to do..." he said in a soft whisper as he buried his face into Egan's chest...


Ash closed his eyes at Bethany's demanding questions, silently wishing she hadn't asked him that. The pain ripped through him like he'd had his heart ripped out of his chest all over again.

He finally opened his crimson eyes to focus them on Bethany, deliberately putting up mental and magical shields to keep her from seeing into his past or his mind. He was fully prepared to tell her something that might keep her busy for a little while but as he looked into her eyes he found himself shaking his head with a slightly sad smile.

"Bethany... Pray that you never have the misfortune to find out the answers to those questions in person. I know you touched his mind. But the reality of Gurzil is so much worse than that... I'll probably tell you about it sooner or later... But for now... Please... For now, let's get you and the twins moved to a safe place..." he softly begged her, silently praying that he'd be able to keep that one piece of his past in the past...  

[Dameon Black]

Red Gypsy

Egan Savage
Egan held Wind as he asked how he was going to save Blade. "I know exactly how strong she is," he said quietly. "It'll take more than him to break her. We just have to think up a plan. And you know that's what you're good at. She may be strong, but you've got such a great tactical mind. I know you'll think up a brilliant plan."

Bethany listened to Ash's answer and sighed. "I don't want to know, Ash," she said quietly. "I never want to know. I've never been scared like this. He wants to force a friend to murder me, and then he plans to eat me and the pups. So while I never want to think about him again, I will need to know about him soon."

 

[Red Gypsy]

Dameon Black

Wind nodded as he wrapped his arms a bit tighter around Egan's waist, "I will... I'll come up with something... but when I can think clearly..." he said in a soft whisper, already calming under his words. His heart was still breaking over his sister but Egan, his Alpha, wanted him calmer. So he began to calm.

Ash nodded to her and put a hand on her shoulder briefly, "I promise, Bethany... When you're ready for it, I'll tell you... But until then, you need to try to calm down for Wind and those pups... I know it's not what you want to hear right now. I know it goes against everything inside of you. But you know I'm right," he told her as he pulled his hand away and looked up to find Anna and the nurse carrying the sleeping twins downstairs with the housekeeper carrying the things for the twins behind them.

He waited until they passed by then met her eyes, "Go with them... Look after them... I'll be right down to take us somewhere safe... I just have to get something first," he added softly then moved on past her to head into his room. He didn't bother to close the door, he simply grabbed a bag and threw very specific items into it.

He knew Gurzil. He knew what he'd be after here. He wouldn't find it.

Just a few moments and Ash headed down the stairs to join the others. He looked at Anna, trusting the twins with her. He offered a hand to Bethany to take her and the staff then looked at Wind, "You can come with me and Bethany. Anna already knows where we're going," he said simply.

But Wind shook his head from where he was, still cuddled in against Egan, "I can follow easily. You don't have to worry about us," he answered softly, hoping Egan would forgive him for this trip...

Ash gave Wind a simple nod then disappeared with Bethany in a flash of flames, leaving Anna to use the shadows. Wind looked up at Egan and raised one eyebrow, "Trust me?" he asked the Alpha softly, only slightly teasing.  

[Dameon Black]

Red Gypsy

Egan Savage
Egan watched Ash and Bethany disappear in flames, and then Anna simply faded into the shadows. He looked down to Wind when asked if he trusted him. "You know I do," he said. "Go ahead and do what you need to do. Maybe once we get there, we can find a nice private place to be in for a bit. I intend to give you that Mark we've both been wanting you to have."

 

[Red Gypsy]

Dameon Black

Wind gave a shiver of anticipation for that promise then had to work at concentrating enough to be able to move them after Ash. He pulled his magic up, letting it move around the both of them in a swirl of magical mist. Then a bit of that mist broke off and moved away as the rest spread to encompass both of them. With that, they were gone....  

[Red Gypsy]

Dameon Black

Dancer appeared just inside the door of Ash’s home in a flash of fire that carried enhanced scents of brimstone, sulphur, and hellfire. He was on his knees, wearing nothing but a pair of tight leather pants in a dark blue with his ankle-length silver and white hair spilling around him and hiding most of him from view.

For a moment, no one noticed him at all. Until the sound of his increasing breathing caught someone’s attention. Then a gasp turned into a call of recognition. Someone called his name out loud and the name was passed through the halls until it was spread through the entire house.

In the commotion, someone with intillenge managed to lock the twin ‘boys’ in their former nursery.

Then all hell broke loose….

In the living room, Dancer managed to take down six maids and ten guards in an orgy of pain and sex that would have made his father, Deluge, proud. The staircase was painted red with blood and body parts as he ran into a few more guards and his WereSnowLeopard was let loose.

As he found the main hallway of the bedrooms, he shifted back to his human form, completely oblivious to the blood that covered him or the injuries he carried. It had only begun to touch his need, the fire within him. He needed more… He needed so much more....  

[Dameon Black]

Red Gypsy

Anna
Anna's wards let her know that an intruder was in Ash's home. She immediately got the twins into their former nursery and locked the door so no one could get in. She moved through the house, finding the carnage from Dancer's activities. She kept her stoic expression, but couldn't stop from feeling disgusted at the display. She finally caught up to Dancer after he returned to his humam form. "That's enough, Dancer," she stated, knowing that he would definitely notice her since she was the only one nearby. She had managed to use her wards to send a message to everyone to get them out of the home. "I won't allow you to cause this sort of chaos in your uncle's home. You need to calm down immediately." She appearex completely calm, but she was prepared for any sort of attack, even if she really didn't want to harm Dancer.

 

[Red Gypsy]

Dameon Black

Dancer had made it to the door to the nursery by the time Anna called out to him. He turned his head to look at her through a veil of his hair, now dripping with blood. His leather pants had long-ago disappeared and he was now covered only in his hair. The eyes that looked at her now, though, were probably the most haunting.

The last time she’d seen them, they’d been a beautiful mismatched pair of bright yet pale blue and a deep emerald green that rivaled even Sebastet’s eyes. But now, they were a burning blood-crimson; the sign of an Incubus driven mad with pure physical lust and need, or one driven to the point of near-suicide by the death of a mate like Ash. That color wouldn’t fade from Dancer’s eyes until his body’s denied needs were assuaged or he’d done as Gurzil had planned. Whichever came first.

Truthfully, only one person could truly contain him at this point. But, deep down, Dancer knew something that Anna didn’t.

As he fully turned towards her and started to slowly walk in her direction, it was as if Kam had unlocked his full Incubus half, turning him into a walking wet dream. But his slightly insane half-smile showed the living hell he’d been through since he’d left them, “Little Reaper…” he half whispered in a slightly hoarse voice that was nevertheless still something that managed to wrap around her and plucked at her senses, “I can’t stop… He said I couldn’t stop until I was ‘finally fully sated’… Little Reaper… I’ve bathed in my own blood, been denied release until I wasn’t sure if I actually could anymore, been kept awake for weeks, and taken in ways that would have made my father blush… And yet, Little Reaper… In all of it, it still isn’t enough… Not enough sex… Not enough pain… Not enough pleasure… Not enough screams… Just not enough,” he told her, his words somehow carrying the mental images of his time under Kam’s not-so-tender instruction and preparation for this day.

He finally came to a stop just within arms reach of her and deliberately shook his hair back as he raised his empty hand to run it from his neck to his belly in one swipe to clear some of his skin of blood to show her the scars over scars over scars that now decorated his skin. In his other hand was nothing more than a simple dagger that he’d gotten off of one of the guards downstairs, “Kam is so much more talented than my father was, Little Reaper,” he continued, his voice now dropped to a soft whisper, knowing full well that he’d been sent here to die. It was just a matter of how much carnage he left in his wake before they killed him…

“From this house, I’m to go through the rest of the base, you know,” he added in a conversational tone as he tilted his head slightly, looking at her from a slightly different angle. He had to pause for a moment as he caught her scent, his eyes half-closing as he swayed forward just a small bit so that he could inhale the intoxicatingly feminine scent of her before letting that breath out again shakily, “I’m to continue until I’m finally sated or they manage to kill me. I know that. I also know that you can’t stop me on your own. As powerful as you are, Reaper… Goddess-Child… Even you cannot stop me on your own without help… And my nephews are too young… Will your Goddess stop me from loving you to death?” he asked her, finishing in a brief whisper of warning.

It was the only chance she was getting to warn Ash or anyone. Even Pandora couldn’t protect her from Dancer was warning her of. There was only that one period of time to get the warning out, to get the plea for help out.

Then he was spinning and using his blood-soaked hair as a weapon as well as the dagger in his hand as he attacked her, driving her down the hallway towards Ash’s rooms. He was using the physical attack as a cover for the real attack on her: small touches here and there that almost burned but inflamed the senses instead; small slices here and there that bleed her and worked slowly at removing her clothing but in a manner that she wouldn’t really notice until it was too late.

The entire time, his breathing was increasing and his eyes went further and further into their crimson state