Broken Soul

Dannie couldn't sleep. She felt exhausted but her eyes wouldn't stay closed and her mind wouldn't shut off. Her left hand was freezing and she turned her head and saw Evan sitting beside her, holding her hand and staring out the window. "You all right?" she asked softly when she noticed how tense he was. He looked down at her and smiled a little. After all she had been through, she still worried about him. "Yeah," he replied. "Just keeping an eye out."

"For what?"

"Unwanted vampires, demons, everything."

"Isn't that Erick's job?"

"It is," he said and his expression turned slightly angry. "But I'm just having a hard time trusting demons right now."

"Just because most demons are bad, it doesn't mean Erick is," Dannie declared.

"You're so naive, Danielle," Evan observed. "You believe everyone has some good in them, don't you?"

"I at least know you do."

"Maybe so. But just because I do, it doesn't mean Erick does." His gaze dropped down in sadness and Dannie could tell what he was thinking.

"I don't think she did it on purpose, Evan," she told him. "Demons have to protect their vampires and she did the first thing her instinct told her to. I doubt it was on purpose. She would never want you anger you."

"I'd love to believe that," Evan said softly. "But demons don't want. They don't fear or dread. They barely even think things through. They're just evil beings damned when on this earth to serve us until something goes wrong or they screw it up and get renounced. You really believe Erick it is good?"

"I do."

"Why?"

Dannie wouldn't sure how to explain. "I just...feel it. He's never given me a reason to not believe it. I've seen him do good things. Only good things."

"That doesn't mean he won't betray you."

Dannie didn't feel like arguing any further. There was just no way to convince him. He watched her optimistic gaze drop to a dismal one. Evan could see he saddened her.

"I'm sorry, Danielle," he apologized, now holding her hand in both of his. "I shouldn't make you feel disheartened while you're in this condition. I just wanted to help you see the truth. And I don't want you to get hurt if he ends up betraying you. It really tears you apart when you put all your trust in someone and then they end up destroying it."

She knew he was talking about October. At this moment, she didn't know what to say.

"I just don't want to same thing that happened to Myra to happen to you," he added. "You feel... Important to me and if I ended up losing you too..." He trailed off and struggled to find the right words to express his fear.

A small smile tugged at the right corner of Dannie's mouth; she was well aware that he cared about her. "Same," she replied. "I don't want to lose you either. But really, don't worry about Erick. He's different. I know it."

They shared a silent gaze and she watched a tiny smile grow on his face. His hands slipped away from hers and he said, "You should sleep. I won't be far." Just after he left, Dannie felt something to jump up onto the foot of the bed and she looked up to see Erick, in his cat form, coming up to her. She smiled and said, "Hello," and lifted her arm up so he could lay right next to her. Her arm lowered over him and she practically had her head resting on his. Dannie began to wonder why he had changed forms but then figured that it didn't matter. He actually did it so he could guard her while she slept and he thought the cat form would help her sleep better. She listened to him purring until she drifted off again.

* * * * *

October crept up to the back of the house carefully, checking her surroundings to see if someone had seen her. No one had so she decided to proceed. She approached a kitchen window and unlocked and opened it telekinetically. Once she placed the vial of the slayer's blood on the windowsill, she morphed into her black mist form and floated into the kitchen. Quickly she lowered down to the floor and she saw Amanda come in. Amanda was alone so it was safe for October to possess her. The room was just dark enough so Amanda wouldn't see the mist floating up toward her. She managed to find a way around the unlit kitchen and started making tea. Without knowing it, she breathed in the black mist and struggled to retain control of her body as October took over her. Amanda stumbled to the floor and felt herself weakening and just gave up. There was nothing else she could do. October forced Amanda back up onto her feet and finished making the tea. She found a black mug, poured some of the hot beverage into it and then picked up the vial from the windowsill and dropped the bit of the slayer's blood into the tea. Grinning sinisterly, she picked up the cup and took it upstairs to Dannie's room. Slowly, she opened the door and peeked in to see Dannie asleep in her bed. October quietly stepped over to the bedside table and placed the mug down beside the alarm clock. On her way out, October glanced at Dannie and spotted Erick lying beside her, still in his cat form. He was watching her and October wondered if he knew it was actually her. But Erick just laid his head down and dismissed her, thinking it was only Amanda bringing a drink for Dannie. He didn't suspect her at all. That was what October had wanted in the first place. When she walked out of the room, she closed the door just loud enough to wake up Dannie. She sat up in her bed and wondered who had just left her room. She knew it wasn't Erick since he was still with her. Tired and a little confused, she looked at the clock and saw the mug beside it. Against her better judgment, she picked it up and took a sip from it. Nothing about it seemed odd to her. She didn't taste anything strange. There was only a small amount of blood in the tea so she couldn't detect it. Dannie ended up drinking the entire thing, set the empty Mug back on the table and went back to sleep.

October, smirking victoriously, started to go back downstairs but was stopped when a familiar voice called out, "Amanda!" October quickly stopped walking and remembered she was possessing Amanda and she turned to see Evan approaching her. She did all she could to hide her true emotions and thoughts. October realized she had to act like a spelled donor. She wanted to smile but had to force it back. She also kept her eyes blank and soulless. "Yes, sir?" she replied coolly.

"What are you doing in Danielle's room?" he asked.

"I was just bringing her some tea," she answered.

"You told me just a few minutes ago that you were going to make tea for yourself," he declared.

"Yes, well, I thought she could use some also," October lied. She stared at Evan, wondering if he believed her or not. It was difficult to tell. He must have believed it because he said, "Dawn is drawing near. I must retire to my room."

"Very well," she said and expected him to leave on his own but he grasped onto her arm, taking her with him. October felt Amanda's heart speed up and made herself calm down so Evan wouldn't get suspicious. "Do you need to eat before you sleep?" October asked him as he closed his door and locked it.

He turned to her and replied, "Yes. Just a little. If you don't mind."

"No, of course not," she uttered and froze in place as he stepped right up to her. She knew what he was going to do; she had seen him interact with donors before. October tried to control what she was feeling, but it was getting to be too difficult. She was aware that Amanda would simply stand still and do nothing and October just couldn't do that. Evan slowly leaned forward and October stared at him longingly, trying to keep herself together. Her urge to have him took over all logic and she tilted her head up and pressed her lips against his, wrapping her arms around him tightly. Evan was caught off guard by this and pushed her off of him. "Amanda, what are you doing?"

"What do you mean?"

"Your were supposed to let me hypnotize you," he declared. "What's come over you?"

"I don't know," October replied. "I... I just wanted to see what that was like."

Evan was more confused than ever. "You're a spelled donor. You shouldn't even have thoughts like that."

"Believe me, I'm just as confused as you," October admitted.

Evan knew something was wrong here. He just wasn't sure what. Amanda had never acted that way around him previously. It seemed so odd to him. He figured asking questions and getting to the bottom of it would be the best solution. "So, what was it like?"

October started to smile, but quickly forced it away. "I...." She didn't know what there to be honest or not. "I don't know. It was just as I had expected, I guess."

Evan slowly circled around her, staring at her, studying her every move. He stopped when he was right behind her and whispered in her ear, "And what were you expecting?"

October shivered. The sound of his voice so close to her made her tremble. He smiled at her reaction. "You're quivering."

October remembered his question. "I expected....nothing. Just empty feelings."

"You're lying."

"I'm not."

Evan stood directly in front of her, hovering his face just inches away from hers. She eyed his lips as they lingered so close to her, tempting and teasing her. "How do you feel now?" he asked her.

October wanted him so badly, she was shaking again. She tried to ignore it but her urges were just too strong. "I..." She couldn't even form a proper sentence. "I don't..."

"You don't what?"

October could no longer resist. Without thinking, she lunged forward and wrapped her arms around him and kissed him deeply. She knew she had fallen for his trap and didn't even care. She just wanted him. October pushed him down onto his bed and she couldn't believe he was letting it go this far. But her hopes were shattered when he broke his lips from hers, grabbed onto her arms, moved on top of her and pinned her down.

"Hello, October," he said revealing his knowledge of her lies.

"How did you know?"

"Your eyes," he replied. "They turned black just before you kissed me. Plus, Amanda would never act this way with me. It was obviously you."

"What are you going to do about it?"

"Nothing until you answer some questions first," he told her. His eyes turned cold and angry. "Why would you possess Amanda and give Danielle tea? Did you put something in it?"

"Are you implying that I would harm her?" October didn't even answer him. "If I did, it would harm you. I would never do that."

"Yes or no, October."

"No."

"Then what are you doing in here?"

"Guarding you."

"I don't believe you."

"That's not my problem."

"October, let Amanda go," Evan ordered. "Now."

"No!" October screamed in his face.

"I said let her go! You are still my demon and I command you to release her!"

Finally, October had no choice and her black mist form rose out of Amanda's mouth and lingered in the room. Amanda opened her eyes to find herself pinned underneath Evan and she screamed and she couldn't remember how she got there. "Amanda, it's alright!" he told her, trying to calm her down. "I'm not going to hurt you, you know that." Amanda was still very confused but Leighton's spell on her renewed itself and she started to calm down. Evan saw October's mist drift out of the window and he decided to follow her. He leaped out of the window landing on his feet. She led him to the trees where she had been hiding and then morphed into her human form. When she saw him approach her, she smiled softly. "You followed me?"

"I'm not done talking with you yet," he told her. He backed her up against a tree and leaned both of his hands beside her shoulders. This didn't intimidate her at all. It only made her smile wider.

"Evan, do you really think you're stronger than me?" she teased and giggled softly.

"I pinned you down just a minute ago," he reminded her.

"Who's to say I didn't let you?" she asked, laughing again.

"Enough," Evan said sternly. "Tell me what you were doing in that house."

October pretended to think about it. "Um....no."

"October, come on!" Evan shouted impatiently. "If you endangered us in any way, I need to know!"

"I just told you I'd never want to hurt you-"

"Yes, but you and I both know that you don't give a shit about anyone else in that house. Now tell me what you did or I'll renounce you correctly this time."

October's black eyes glistened with worry. Evan could see it perfectly. He was her only weakness. "Even if I wanted to, I couldn't tell you."

The sky was turning lighter and Evan knew he didn't have much time before the sun rose. He had fed hours ago but still feared direct contact from the sunlight. It could be extremely painful to an even slightly malnourished vampire. "The sun is going to rise, October, tell me everything now!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that."

Evan was getting desperate. "Tell me now!"

"Can't you just trust me?" she asked him. He stared into her eyes trying to decide if he could. He had already trusted her but after what she had done to Myra, he knew that trust no longer existed.

"No," he snapped at her and then watched her expression turn more despondent.

"Evan, how many times do I have to say I'm sorry until you believe me?" she asked.

"I can't trust you after what you did. And now you're keeping secrets and sneaking around and possessing humans," he replied. "Would you trust someone who does that?"

"If their heart was in the right place, yes," she said, hoping he'd get the hint. He did but he didn't buy it.

Evan stared at her silently for a long moment. October slowly raised her right hand to his face. He didn't flinch and let her touch him. She hesitated, then decided to just tell him how she felt. "I love you, Evan." She expected him to react but he didn't. His glowing eyes continued to stare at her. "Please just trust me. If I go through all of this, we could be together." She leaned closer to him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders and she desperately wanted to feel her own lips against his. Her eyes closed and she tilted her chin up and expected him to kiss her but he moved his head back out of the way just enough for her to miss him. She opened her eyes to see a furious expression on his face.

"You don't have a heart," he said as his angry eyes glared at her. "You can't have feelings for anyone. The only thing demons love is power." He leaned in closer to her face, torturing her since he knew how much she wanted him. "I will never be with you. I don't love you. I don't even care about you." He watched as a tear formed in her eye and started to fall down her face. He had visual proof in front of him of how much he was hurting her but he just figured that she was only putting on a show for him. "Do us all a favor and just leave." He released her and turned to go back inside but stopped in place when she asked, "If you don't want me here anymore, why don't you renounce me properly? I'm still connected to you so I can't leave until you do." Of course, she didn't want to part from him but she couldn't take the pain he put her through any longer.

"Fine," he replied and stood right in front of her again. "October, demon of envy, I renounce you as my demon. Now leave. I never want to see you again."

October watched sadly as he walked away into the house. She had no idea of where to go or what to do now. Her plans were ruined and she realized she was going to poison Leighton for nothing.