• CHAPTER 114 - SUCCUBI

    You never really want to know about a person unless you've been shot by them. Strange how the world works.

    For the rest of that short night, I fell asleep in Kai's secure arms that still coiled around my waist as Kira took Ai out into the living room to get to know a little more about her. During certain periods of my sleep, I'd be rudely interrupted by the pungent pain of the bullet wound and the tear reflexes would automatically kick in. There was one point where the pain got so bad that Kai had to reopen the bandage--with me holding my bra in place again--and he would bite into his wrist, gather blood in his mouth, and spread it over the wound--I was in too much pain to be embarrassed anymore. It was instantly numbed but the pain was still toilsome underneath the surface. I never knew how much it would hurt to be shot square in the chest. That woman really was crazy.

    I wanted to know so much more about Mayura, I wanted to know everything about her. Not in a good way, not like the way I wanted to know everything about Kai, but I wanted to know her weaknesses and what would really knock her off of her feet. There was no other person who knew more about Succubi than a Necromantic Hunter themselves and that Necromantic Hunter happened to be Akatsuki.

    "Arisa, are you sure you're okay to get up?" Kai asked in concern.

    "Yeah, I'm okay," I mumbled.

    The only reason Kai asked if I was okay to get up was because as soon as I sat up after waking up, I gasped in pain and dropped to my knees. I was still sitting on the ground against the side of the bed and Kai was sitting next to me with one arm around my shoulders. My hand was pressed against my chest and I took deep, concentrated breaths. I never imagined a two-inch-deep bullet wound would hurt so much. Of course, it would be worse if it was Kai or Kira or even Ai who got shot; they most likely would have died from the miasma tip.

    "Okay, let's go," I forced myself up.

    Kai kept one arm around my waist and helped me onto my feet, "Arisa, you need more rest,"

    "I can't rest when Ai's life is in danger; I need to know more about Mayura." I hissed.

    Ai had been with me for about a week and a half now and I was constantly worrying about her every second I was awake. I assumed that was what it was really like to be a mother; constantly worrying about a child. I shuffled to the dresser and pulled out some loose and comfortable clothes, too exhausted to dress chic. Another reason why I was so exhausted was because I had pretty much no sleep last night. The pain kept me up and by the time I had gotten to sleep, it was about six or seven in the morning.

    As soon as I was dressed and out of the bathroom, Ai hurried over to me with a small bouquet of multi-colored tulips and irises from the front of the house. She giggled while holding them up to me and Kira stood in the background with a smile on his face as he crossed his arms.

    "Uncle Kira helped me find the prettiest ones!" Ai exclaimed. "For you and uncle Kai!"

    I oogled internally in the fact that Ai already called Kai and Kira uncles. I wondered what she would call Matsuda and Orihime if she ever saw them. Of course, I'd have to show them Ai sometime because maybe they could help us find her father and shield her from Mayura.

    "Those are so pretty, Ai," I smiled and smelled the fragrant flowers. "Have Kira get a vase and put them in there, would you?"

    Ai nodded and rushed out of the room after she gripped Kira's hand and drug him out of the room. Kira really seemed to enjoy Ai's company; he must have gotten to know a lot about her when I was sleeping. As soon as Ai and Kira were finished finding the "perfectist" vase--as Ai called it--we all climbed into Kai's car rather than mine since I wasn't in the greatest condition to drive. My heart rate sped up as soon as Kai backed out of the driveway and I was constantly looking ahead and behind us to watch for Mayura and Hitoshi while holding Kai's hand, still more afraid of them killing Ai than myself.

    ~*~*~*~*~*~

    "Who's the kid?" Akatsuki cocked an eyebrow as soon as we hauled Ai into his apartment; the scent of the anti-Vampire and anti-Werewolf substance in the air was weakening her immensely.

    "Her name is Ai; we have a dilemma." I bit my lip.

    "How did you find her? Why do you have her?" Akatsuki kept his eyebrow cocked and never even bothered to touch his gun.

    I sighed deeply and took a deep breath, telling Akatsuki everything from Ai's age to her worst dilemma. Akatsuki seemed to be listening deeply so it was a positive he didn't think it was a bunch of bullshit. When I told him about how Hitoshi was a Vampire-Werewolf hybrid, he perked up in surprise--he had probably never seen one before.

    "So, that's all there is to it," I exhaled deeply, trying to ignore the pain in my chest; I didn't tell him about the wound.

    "It's probably better you do inform him," Kai frowned at me.

    "Inform me of what?" Akatsuki asked.

    "Noth--"

    Without my permission, Kai had lifted my shirt high enough for everybody to see my bra and the bandages at the same time. I blushed not only because everybody could clearly see my bra but because of how small it was--I had pathetic mosquito-bite boobs. Akatsuki's eyes widened in shock at the wound and I forced my shirt back down, elbowing Kai's kidney in doing so.

    "What happened?"

    I looked away from Akatsuki, "Mayura's trying to kill me,"

    "How did you not die?"

    "She had a Necromantic gun but that doesn't matter; what do you know about Succubi?"

    There was a moment of silence until Ai tugged on my sweat pants, "Nana, I'm tired,"

    "Oh," my face fell. I forgot I was depriving her and Kai and Kira of sleep; it was morning and the sun was out and the air in Akatsuki's house wasn't helping any. "Kira, could you take Ai into that guest bedroom?" I pointed to the room I stayed in while I was living with Akatsuki.

    Kira led Ai into the bedroom and came back after another minute after Kai helped me onto the couch. Kai sat down next to me with an arm draped on the couch behind my head and Akatsuki pulled out a stool for Kira and Akatsuki sat at the breakfast bar. The last time Akatsuki and Kira had seen each other was last November; when Takeuchi's friends attacked me.

    "Succubi are a...different creature," Akatsuki started, propping his chin on his hand while he was thinking. "They're unlike anything else."

    "How unique?"

    "Succubi, in a way, are like reincarnations; they're people reborn. Only the person they come back as is themselves from so long ago. Succubi are humans in their past life but when they're reborn--after given the choice--they become a Succubus." Akatsuki mused. "Most times, Succubi come back in order to get revenge on an individual--whether that be an enemy or a betraying lover--or they could come back after being wrongly executed to be with their lover once again.

    "Succubi, strangely, are very attracted to sex when they're reborn. So with Mayura, she probably came back to be with that Hitoshi person again. There's probably a more important reason as to why she truly came back because coming back just for her lover wouldn't be approved." he frowned. "They're just as strong as the average human so you're not up for too much of a fight, except for the fact that she has a Necromantic gun and a Werewolf-Vampire hybrid lover.

    "There could have been something that Ai child did for Mayura to come back," Akatsuki pursed his lips together.

    I widened my eyes, "No, Ai is only six; she wouldn't do anything."

    "I'm just saying; it's an assumption." he clarified. "Maybe it was her mother or father that did something and Mayura could be taking her revenge out on Ai."

    "It must have been because Ai is too innocent," I bit my lip, refusing to let my mind go to the extremes.

    "If you want to know more about Mayura, you're just going to have to ask her yourself," Akatsuki shrugged. "I can only tell you about what Succubi are."

    "What about Hitoshi?" Kai butted in. "What about Werewolf-Vampire hybrids?"

    Akatsuki pondered for a moment, "They might be a little stronger than a Vampire but weaker than a Werewolf; they could be in between. I don't exactly know; I've never encountered one myself."

    I glanced down at the floor with my lips pursed together and my knees pressed together, thinking, "Can Succubi be killed with a Necromantic gun?"

    "Yeah, they can be," Akatsuki shrugged.

    Goddammit. I could have easily pulled the trigger on Mayura when I had the gun pressed to her head the day before Kai came back. Of course I'd never have the guts to kill, even if it was an enemy.

    I stood up and sluggishly made my way into the guest bedroom. Ai was only asleep for a short while but I didn't want her to weaken further with the air in Akatsuki's house. Surely Kira and Kai were becoming agitated from it too. I shook Ai awake and she sat up with a groan and rubbed her eyes. I pulled her out of bed carefully and led her into the living room while she was still yawning and Kai stood up from the couch.

    "What are you doing, Arisa?"

    "We need to find Mayura," I admitted confidently. "We need to find out why she's trying to kill Ai."

    "You're not nearing her again," Kai spoke almost ominously. "Besides, we don't even know where she is."

    "I'm sure she'd come if her boy toy could smell Ai and me outside," I gripped Ai's hand tighter. "Just trust me, Kai."

    ~*~*~*~*~*~

    Outside of the house, I was standing confidently but trembling inside. My sweaty hand was gripping Ai's tiny hand tightly and my eyes only concentrated on the vast darkness. There was only a sliver of moon but it was so bright. Kai approached Ai and me and he gave me a gentle kiss on my lips.

    "If she so much as touches you..." Kai mumbled ominously, "I'll kill her."

    "We can't kill her, Kai," I hissed at him. "If you kill her, we can't get what we need from her."

    Kai's lips pursed together and he sighed in defeat, "I have confidence in you,"

    "I'll be fine; just come out if it gets out of hand."

    Kai kissed me once more and headed inside where Kira was also standing and waiting. They were most likely standing patiently behind the front door where neither Mayura or Hitoshi would see them. It was a risky move for me to do but it was worth it in order to know why to protect Ai.

    For several minutes we stood with the light breeze rustling through our hair, waiting. Ai's little hand started trembling slightly and I squeezed her hand harder and smiled down at her in reassurance. After another small gust of wind, the lovers were standing in front of us. Mayura had her typical sinister grin on her face and Hitoshi was as apathetic as ever. When I really thought of it, "delicious" was the only thing I had ever heard him say. He never spoke other than when he stopped me in the alley.

    "How strange you'd set yourself up on purpose," Mayura sneered with her light British accent. "What are you up to?"

    "I'm not up to anything," I halfway held my hands up. "I just have questions."

    As soon as I had released Ai's hand, Ai clung to my pants and halfway hid behind me. She was still trembling, never tearing her eyes off of Mayura or Hitoshi. Mayura crossed her arms and shifted her weight from one side to the other. She freely chomped on a piece of gum she had probably been chewing on for a while as she pondered.

    "You're wondering why I'm after the child?" she smirked. "I'll tell you but I ask a favor of you first."

    "Yes?" I asked confidently, still trembling inside.

    Mayura snickered, "Hitoshi's going to need a larger sample of your blood,"