Going back to the haunted school building was not my ideal way of spending a Sunday. We'd arrived early and I couldn't see anything that looked like what I'd seen yesterday. It did feel like something was wrong with the building though.

"It feels strong." Keith said, standing next to me.

"How strong? Like so strong you can't take it?" I asked.

"It might be. Good thing Chris is here." Keith replied.

I glanced at Chris. He was with Stevie. It turned out she could sense things too, but had been unable to see the figure with the hat. Chris looked towards us and smiled. It was a faint smile. One meant for me. I hurriedly looked away. We'd already had an eventful morning. By eventful, I meant that I hid in the bathroom to dress and hid under the covers when he changed his clothes.

My tiny brain wasn't ready to process what was under the clothes. He was covered in tattoos though, spanning his arms and disappearing under his black t-shirt. And I certainly wasn't ready for him to see under my clothes. He seemed to realise that though.

"What's the protocol now though?" I asked, turning my attention back to Keith.

"We call in another legion leader," Keith said. He bit his lower lip. "The only one available today is Eric though."

Eric, or Beard-Guy as I had dubbed him, was awful. He was intimidating and rude. I tried to keep my face passive.

"How many legion leaders are there?" I had never really asked before.

"There are five. Chris is the youngest. Lemmy is the oldest." Keith replied.

I looked across at Chris again. He was talking to someone using the bracelet on his wrist. His face looked neutral, but I could see the way his eyebrows scrunched together and knew he was angry. He didn't give many emotions away, but this was one of them. He must have been talking to Eric.

We didn't have long to wait after the conversation. Eric arrived accompanied by a girl. She looked like a doll. So perfect and beautiful. Her hair was silver, not grey, but silver. Her eyes were bright blue and crystalline. My eyes went to her neck and noticed she was wearing a collar.

Bile rose in my throat. So, this was Evangeline. It had to be. Her gaze went to me and she must have guessed I was human because her eyes widened a fraction.

"Let's get this over with," Eric snapped. He shoved Evangeline towards me. "Evangeline, stay here and talk to this one."

I glanced at Chris. His face gave nothing away, but his eyes were furious. I slid a little closer to Evangeline. She didn't move, just like a doll. Keith and Stevie followed them towards the building. I was left with Evangline.

"You're human?" I asked, but knew the answer.

"Yes, and so are you." She said, with a voice like an angel.

My eyes went to the collar again and I could see faint marks under it. My eyes burned and I faced forward.

"Is Chris kind to you?" She asked, and I glanced to her. "You don't wear a collar."

"H-he is. Why do you wear that?" I whispered.

"Because I am a slave. I am property." She replied, so casual and collected.

My lower lip trembled. Would I become her? Was this my destiny too? The urge to vomit rose in my throat. The world was closing in on me and I felt like I was going to pass out.

A loud crashing noise interrupted my freak out. A figure flew from the building. It looked like a man with blue tinged skin. A noose was tightened around it's throat. It lunged at Evangeline. Thinking fast, I pushed her away. Before I could move a scythe cut the thing in half. Blood flew everywhere. At least, it looked like blood.

My eyes lifted to see Chris. He was holding the scythe. His eyes, normally brown were pure black. I was frozen in the face of something nightmarish. The scythe disappated and he walked towards me. I didn't back away for some reason.

"Are you afraid?" He asked.

"No, I'm not afraid." I replied.

The silence stretched on. Chris blinked and his eyes returned to normal. I heard footsteps and we both looked round. Keith and Stevie had appeared, looking happy. They high-fived. Eric appeared too, eyes still black. He walked to Evangeline and grabbed her arm.

"Get up, you ridiculous girl." He snarled.

Evangeline whimpered, but stood. Her eyes were closed. I was happy to have saved her, but not for him to treat her like garbage.

"S-stop it." I snapped, covering my mouth when I realised my mistake.

Eric removed his hand from Evangeline and glanced at me. He strolled towards me and I lowered my head.

"What the fuck did you say?" He hissed.

"That's enough, Eric." Chris had stepped in front of me.

"It'll be enough when I find out what your little whore said." Eric said, voice like thunder.

With a glare levelled at me, Eric marched away, grabbing Evangeline by the arm and disappearing with her. I took a shuddering breath and kept my face down. My eyes shifted to Keith and Stevie. They looked bewildered.

The moment was over and I followed as we drove the car back to the warehouses. The drive was silent and I felt stupid and humiliated. We sent the stuff back. I wanted to sneak away, but Chris held my hand.

He waited till Keith and Stevie had gone before actually talking to me. I lowered my face again.

"Are you ok?" He asked, and I nodded.

"What is Evangeline?" I answered with a question of my own.

"A human like you. Except she sold her soul." Chris replied.

"Sold her soul?" I repeated.

I had read fantasy books where humans sold their souls. I had seen The Simpsons episode where Homer sold his soul for a donut. I guessed why people would do it, but how did Evangeline come to end up with Eric.

"Eric was the one she sold her soul to. It is said that Evangeline wanted her loved one to come back from a war so she sold her soul after he died." Chris said.

"Is it normal for humans to become slaves like that?" I murmured, shuffling nervously.

"It is down to the demon what to do with the human." Chris said. He was watching me now, awaiting my response.

"Have you ever had a slave?" Gah, why'd I ask that.

"Yes." He replied. I glanced at him, finally. He was looking away from me.

"Do I have to sell my soul?" I lowered my face again.

"You don't have to do anything you aren't comfortable with." He had stepped closer, one hand on my hip.

I didn't like how Eric treated Evangline, but I could see why Chris had lied the other day, saying I was like Evangeline. Clearly, having a human in this type of relationship was abnormal without the demon owning their soul.

"You always smile at me." I whispered.

"I do. And I hope you always smile at me." He replied, pressing his lips to my hair.

************************

It sucked to go back to normal life again. I sat with Liam still and would stare at where Collette and Hunter would sit.

"Are you all right?" Liam asked.

His eyes were full of concern. Ghost hunting had been post-poned whilst all the problems were dealt with.

"Yeah, I guess I just feel a little betryaed." I said, rolling a tomato round on my tray.

"I told her to say something when she saw you sitting at the quad that time, but she wanted to act like everything was the same and I told her it wasn't," Liam stated, then he seemed to be thinking. "And it never will be the same."

His boyfriend, Cole agreed, nodding. I didn't bother asking Sara as she and Collette had famously never gotten along and it had been known since they were in high school.

Standing, I made my way to the bin and dumped my salad in and left. Someone tapped my shoulder and I turned to see Victoria. I thought she might try and floor me, but she actually looked guilty.

"Can we chat?" She asked, and I nodded.

We ended up on one of the benches outside the college. Up close, I was alarmed at how normal Victoria looked. Her bleached hair was tied back and she was wearing an off the shoulder jumper.

"I guess you kinda hate me and I don't blame you." She said, gauging my reaction.
"I don't hate you." I replied, and she smiled, weakly.

"I was only mean because I heard you liked Hunter back when we were together. Call it insecurity." She continued.

"I did like him, but never would have done anything." I said, and she nodded.

"You had no idea she was with him?" Victoria asked, with no malice, just curiosity.

"Nope. I was the last to know." I said, tone slightly bitter.

Victoria's small frame untensed and she sighed, staring at the campus. I glanced at her. She looked tired and I still couldn't help but feel for her.

"I can only apologise to you." She murmured.

"You don't have to. I'm sorry for what happened." I replied, and she smiled again.

"Thank you," She held out a hand. "Friends?"

Wow, that was unexpected. I accepted and she looked relieved, like she thought I might just turn her down and leave her sitting here.

The sky darkened and the first few drops of rain fell. The two of us rushed towards the dorm and walked in together. I left Victoria and went to my room, watching the rain as it ghosted down the glass.

Notes