Chapter 1.

Rubbing her temples and trying not to knock off her aviators in the process, the redhead sat leaning forward onto the desk with her head pounding from the previous night’s activities. “Look, Ma’am. I told you before the deal was made and it was in the terms and conditions that you personally reviewed – I did a soul bonding, not a love spell. I simply made you his soul mate and thus tied you two together per your request in the first place.” She drawled out, each word acting as a hammer inside her brain and causing the hangover to worsen.

“You said he’d love me! You said he wouldn’t be able to live without me! You lied, he doesn’t even want to see me!” the woman on the other side of the desk screeched out, adding to the migraine without a care in the world. “I said you’d always be tied together and he’d have a special place in his life for you – I distinctly told you this before I accepted payment and you signed the contract, I reminded you that what you wanted wasn’t a love spell and he wouldn’t be infatuated with you. If you’d like a love spell – as I’ve told you before, bring me 20 grand and a lock of his hair and I’ll be more than happy to oblige” She lowered her tone and grit her teeth as she reminded the woman of their previous discussion.

“I already told you, I don’t have that kind of money! What do you expect me to do, rob a bank?!” she shouted into the redheads face. Slapping her hands on the table and standing up to look her in the eye, the redhead started in a very calm tone, contrary to her body language. “The deal is done, you got what you paid for and it was clear in the contract what you were paying for. If you’d like another transaction I recommend you come back at a later date with a much nicer disposition and deeper pockets – Until then, get the fuck out of my office and do it quietly”

Opening her mouth to shoot back a haughty reply, the woman’s expression changed from anger to terror as the redhead’s eyes started to glow purple behind her sunglasses. Gulping, the woman nodded her head in thanks and turned on her heels to bolt out of the room in a flurry of panic.

Sighing in relief and plopping back down into the beat up computer chair she spent more time sleeping in than actually doing work, the redhead pulled open the top left drawer of her desk and took out a bottle of clear liquid and propped her feet up on the tabletop. Spinning the lip off and chugging down a massive gulp of the bitter, burning liquid, she lolled her head back and closed her eyes.

“There’s a guy here for you” her assistant announced as she literally popped into the room out of nowhere. “Tell ‘em I’m busy with a client like usual” the redhead flapped her hand in dismissal and took another swig of the Russian drink. “I would, but he keeps saying it’s important”

“Don’t they always?” she drawled out, lazily thumbing her nose. “He said his name is Alistair and you’d-“ bolting upright and knocking the bottle of alcohol onto the concrete floor in a shattering mess, the redhead’s usually near paper white skin seemed to pale even more. “Is he here with a woman? Tall and blonde with big boobs?”

Shaking her head, the assistant said “No, he’s alone” Waving her hand and the curtains that were previously drawn open closed and the room was suddenly illuminated in candle light. “Send him in…And Sophie?” the brunette girl quirked a brow and waited for the redhead to finish. “Don’t come in, no matter what you hear until I call you to me.” shooting her a glare, the brunette disappeared in an instant and there was a knock on the offices door.

Sitting back down and clearing the mess with a flick of her wrist, the redhead called out. “Come in” the door creaked open and a head of blonde hair poked through, a handsome face with a charming smile on his full lips that she hadn’t seen in years strode in. “The years have done you well, Lyra” rolling her eyes and forcing back the shiver that came with hearing that all too familiar voice, Lyra mused. “It’s been ten years, Alistair. What do you want?”

Flashing her the same smile she’d used to think was cute but now knew to be his fakest one yet, Alistair put his hands in his jean pockets and scuffed at the floor with his boots. “Never were much for small talk, were you?” Eyes glowering into slits, Lyra waited in silence for his explanation. Sighing, the blonde flicked his cerulean eyes to bore into hers behind the glasses. “She’s been missing for three weeks and won’t answer my calls”

Clucking her tongue and holding her hands out, she snapped. “And? She always goes on benders and comes back when its beneficial to her” Running his hands through his messy hair that reached past his shoulders now, he muttered “ It’s not like usual or else I wouldn’t be here and you know it, Lyra”

“Oh? She didn’t get her precious pride wounded and prance off to go drown her sorrows in men and liquor?” she tossed back, a perfectly arched brow matching her fiery red hair rose above the rim of her glasses in challenge. “You bitch about her pride while your own is the reason why you can’t even entertain the idea that something could actually be wrong”

Standing up and sending her chair flying backwards with the ferocity of the movement, Lyra pointed a glossy black talon at him. “That isn’t the reason and you God damn well know it, Alistair” Grabbing hold of her and slamming her against the wall so hard it shook and knocked off a mirror, Alistair growled low in his throat and leaned in so their faces were nearly touching. “I won’t tolerate you two and your selfish mind games anymore, Calyra. So don’t you dare take that tone with me when all I did was ask a favor that you owe me”

Knowing full well he wasn’t going to let her go without a reply, she looked him dead in the eye and nodded her head. “But only if this is the last one, Alistair. I’m not getting dragged back into her bullshit, not again” He nodded in agreement but didn’t let her go - his left arm that was pressing into her neck didn’t waver and he simply just stared into her eyes. Knowing what he was doing, she stared right back until her eyes started to glow an eerie pale green and he chuckled, the sound catching her off guard.

“You never could keep your emotions hidden from me, I guess some things never really change” he released her and stepped back, giving her enough space to straighten herself back up. “I find her and bring her back, and you leave me alone again ‘else forget it” she warned, pushing her sunglasses up the bridge of her nose and straightening the nonexistent wrinkles in her tank top.

Reaching his right hand out, Alistair brushed her hair behind her ear and acted like he didn’t notice the way she flinched at his touch. Pulling his hand back and sticking it in his pocket, he flashed her a smile and disappeared in a burst of light.

Growling in frustration she’d thought had gone away after so many years, she let out the pent up emotions and scorched the sparse furniture that was actually in her office and grabbed her jacket off the wall rack. It was time to go raise the Demon she’d hoped to avoid like the plague for at least the next few hundred years.

The sudden explosion of the door busting open jolted three scarcely dressed men awake and one even started screaming until he was silenced by an invisible force. “Grab your shit and go if you don’t wanna end up wearing your lungs as mittens” Lyra ordered, not even sticking around to see if they did as she’d told and just kept strolling through the penthouse until she came upon massive double doors at the very back.

Cracking her neck, she blasted the doors open and was welcomed with a black abyss. Ripping down the curtains and flooding the room with sunlight, Lyra pinched the bridge of her nose at the sight before her.

Empty liquor bottles and cans were strewn about, various articles of clothing hung from the ornate crystal chandelier and draped all over the floor and furniture, the Olympic sized bed was piled nearly four feet high in pillows and blankets and other unmentionable items and random swords and weaponry from the 16^th century were scattered around the room in a History teachers wet dream.

Not bothering with the mess and focusing on the task at hand, Lyra flicked her hair over her shoulder and navigated through the maze of trash and artifacts to the bed and reached in until she felt human flesh and latched on, yanking it out with hopes of it being the one she was looking for.

Pleased with the results when the arm came into view with its vivid ink work, she pulled the rest of the body out until the head of tangled platinum blonde hair came out and the girl showed no signs of stirring from her slumber.

Tossing aside the blankets until the upper torso of the girl was visible; Lyra reared her hand back and slapped the girls’ cheek with enough force to snap the girls head to the side. Not reacting in even so much as a twitch, Lyra sighed and repeated the motion. “Oi, get your drunken ass up. Your brother’s lookin’ for you”

Groaning, the body began to shift its position in the bed and the girl pulled herself up to sit and rubbed at her eyes, smearing the already smudged eye makeup around until she looked like a raccoon. “I told him I was fine the other day” the husky voice in sheer contrast to the girls appearance came out even deeper from sleep. “’the other day’ was three weeks ago, he was so worried you’d drank yourself to death that he came to me for help. Hurry up and call him so I can go back to my appointments”

Barking a humorless laugh that lead into a coughing fit, the blonde said “Check my phone if you don’t believe me, it doesn’t matter if you do or don’t – either way, he still trolled you” she dug around in the covers for a moment and pulled out said device, handing it over without even check to see if the redhead was going to take it.

Grabbing it and unlocking it with ease – She never was much for changing passwords, she always ended up forgetting them anyway. – Lyra opened the texts and read that she did in fact message him two days ago telling him she was fine and he’d even replied with a thumbs up emoticon. Throwing the phone onto the bed and spinning around on her heels to leave the room, Lyra felt her body shaking with rage at being manipulated.

“No matter how pissed you are, you can’t deny he’s got a knack for manipulation” the blonde yelled out behind her, the mocking tone grating on Lyra’s already frazzled nerves. Continuing in her power walk to the door, she let out a dark chuckle when the blonde shrieked in surprise as her bed caught fire. “Oi, those were Egyptian cotton!”

Holding her empty glass up to signal she wanted another refill, Lyra used her other hand to play with the ring she kept on a chain around her neck. She knew it was pointless trying to drink away her problems – she couldn’t get drunk off of alcohol, no matter how much she drank. – but that didn’t mean it didn’t make her feel better, and that was all that mattered.

Well, it would be. If she wasn’t currently being overrun with emotions she’d thought were buried deep down behind a wall of obsidian she’d built years ago. Eyeing the silver band with intricate carvings both inside and out, she sighed deeply and dropped it to nestle back down between her breasts. She should’ve known better than to believe him, especially considering who his sister is. But instead, she’d let him manipulate her like always and fell straight into his stupid little trap.

Sliding her sunglasses off to facepalm at her own stupidity, she felt the air shift around her and took a deep breath in preparation for the oncoming lecture. “Sophie said you had a visitor, forced her to stay outside while hearing clear sounds of argument and fighting, torched your office, and then left without saying a word. Care to explain?”