Bastien stared at the man in disbelief, uncertainties rising in the pit of his stomach. Just now, had he heard him well?

And if he had, was Jules insane…?

His body was currently a mess of broken bones, torn flesh, and half-eaten organs. The pain was beyond words and clouded his mind, making it near impossible to think straight. In such a state, there was no telling if Bastien could stop himself once he started to feed. And honestly, he probably wouldn’t. 

When a demon was heavily injured, their survival instinct kicked in, and only the desire to survive subsisted. Often, they turned into a mindless beast, hurting foes and allies alike. Jules, as a hunter, had to be aware of this. 

And yet, he told Bastien to eat as if it was a simple matter, blatantly ignoring the dangers. 

A tad exasperated, the demon tried to push him aside, to open his mouth and remind him of the risks, but Jules did not allow him to speak, resuming the kiss right after saying his piece. He muffled his voice and swallowed every word of protest, almost devouring his lips. Again, Jules’s tongue made its way past the demon’s teeth, his mouth roughly pressed against his. 

The hunter was as domineering as he was forceful, towering over Bastien as he held him in place, his hands still cupping his face. It was to wonder who was eating who.

Time ticked by, and Bastien struggled less and less, his grip on the man’s wrists weakening. The sweet taste of Jules’s life force was intoxicating, numbing his senses and messing up his brain. Thinking straight soon became near impossible, all rational thoughts tossed aside. 

In the end, the demon could not resist, thirst and hunger getting the best of him. 

Unknowingly, he started to reciprocate the kiss, becoming bolder and less gentle with each passing second. His canines grew sharper, and fangs nibbled on Jules’s tongue until blood was drawn out. The iron taste then filled their mouths, eliciting a low moan from Bastien. 

Before long, a warm feeling spread through his body as Jules’s energy cleansed the poison flowing through his veins. Slowly, Bastien recovered his strength, and his wounds began to close up, his cheeks regaining a healthy color. 

Though Jules noticed the changes, he did not step back, deepening the kiss instead. Bastien responded by grabbing the hunter’s neck, keeping him awfully close. He did not want to let go, not yet.

He thought, ‘Just a little more.’

Then again, ‘One more bite.’ 

And again, ‘A little more. Just a little more.’

But it was never enough; the hunger only grew as he ate, and he became more desperate with each bite. Jules’s vitality was delicious like nothing else, throwing his mind in a drunken-like haze. Even if he knew things were getting out of hand, Bastien could not stop, or maybe he did not want to. 

“Bro…” Iris coughed, “I think you had enough.”

His sister’s voice was like a cold shower, and Bastien finally snapped out of his daze, his clouded eyes lost in Jules’s. Regardless, reality came crashing in and the demon froze, his whole body stiffening. The position was awkward, yet he could not bring himself to move away. 

…He pushed his luck too far, didn’t he?

As if to answer him, a mocking grin bloomed on Jules’s face. With his lips still brushing against the incubus’s, he whispered in a low, bewitching voice, “Have you eaten your fill?”

“…I’m starting to wonder who’s the demon here,” Bastien chuckled, his eyes full of hidden meaning. “But yes I did. Thanks for the meal.”

“…” There was a short silence before the hunter snorted, “You’re welcome.” 

A few more seconds passed, then Jules helped Bastien to sit and lean against the wall. Afterward, he stood aside, cutting all physical contact between them.

In an instant, it was as if they had become strangers again. 

Now that Bastien was out of danger, Jules lowered his eyes and focused on the teenagers. The girls sat directly on the floor amid the blood, their arms hanging by their sides. Melody and Annabelle were still out of it, their eyes blank. Most likely, they could not take in what was going on, their minds trapped in a nightmare-like reality. 

Jules clenched his jaw at the sight but did not go comfort them. Instead, he turned around and started to destroy the mirrors in the vicinity, lest other things came out and wreaked havoc. 

The girls’ mental health was important but could wait, unlike their safety. 

With this in mind, Jules shattered mirrors after mirrors, leaving a trail of shimmering dust in his wake. But no matter how many he broke, the seething anger welling up in his chest did not abate. It only grew. 

Bastien’s mangled back flashed before his eyes for the nth time, and Jules put a little too much strength in his next kick, making the surrounding mirrors on the wall shake. 

Feeling a dull pain in his leg, the hunter sucked in a deep breath, telling himself to calm down. Spraining his ankle wouldn’t do him any good. Instinctively, he licked his lips, on which still lingered the incubus’s warmth. It tasted like the kiss, sweet but bitter.

Honestly, Bastien was a fool. What kind of demon would refuse a free meal? 

Rubbing his neck, Jules sighed. It wasn’t like him to get so worked up. It was even less like him to share his life force. If his colleagues were to catch wind of today’s events, he would never hear the end of it. He could already imagine Reyes’s annoying grin and Cains’s shocked expression.   

‘He might be a fool, but looks like I’m an even bigger fool, huh?’ he scoffed at himself, crushing a piece of glass under his feet. 

***

Bastien watched the hunter’s back as he went on a hunting spree, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. Jules had lost a considerable amount of life force a moment ago, yet he was in a better shape than him, jumping around and whatnot. Even though he should have been exhausted, the man was still brimming with energy. 

It was a little frustrating. Just a little.  

“Are you really alright…?” Iris asked in a small voice, staring at her brother with teary eyes. 

The question snapped Bastien out of his reverie, and he shifted his attention to his sister.

“Yes, I’m feeling wonderful,” Bastien smiled, ruffling the girl’s hair. “What about you? Your neck doesn’t look too good.”

The bruises had gotten darker, and much of the skin had taken on purplish-bluish hues. Now, the finger marks weren’t discernible, merging to form an iron collar. It tightly enclosed the slender neck, a reminder of the pain and scare the teenager went through. 

“To be totally honest, it hurts a bit to breathe. But the pain can’t be as bad as your back.”

“Don’t make that face. You know I can endure pain quite well. One of the numerous advantages of not being human,” the demon winked, adding in a softer voice, “I’m just glad you’re safe.”

The teenage girl pursed her lips, lowering her head. She clenched her fist on her thighs, lasting fear making her shoulders tremble.

“I don’t care about being safe if you’re not. What would I do without you?”

“Even if I were to leave one day, I’m sure you’ll be fine. You’re a strong girl, aren’t you?”

“You’re being unfair, and you know it.”

“Oh sweetheart, demons don’t play fair,” Bastien winked before tilting his head, a worried look on his face. “Your friends need your help more than me, I’d say. How about tending to them instead?”

Iris didn’t move, staring at her brother with a frown. 

“Jules destroyed most of the mirrors. So we’re safe for now.”

“You said that earlier and almost died.”

“…Just a small miscalculation.” 

His sister’s eyes seemed to shoot daggers at him.

“And I’ve eaten enough to recover from the wounds. Really, I’m as good as new.”

More daggers.

“Stop it.”

Bastien pushed the teenage girl aside, urging her to leave him alone. After a while, Iris conceded and grumpily went to her friends, not without mumbling a few things under her breath. 

Well, she knew her brother wasn’t wrong. Her friends had it pretty bad, unlike her. 

“Hey…” Iris softly said, crouching to be on their level. “It’s ok now. We’re safe, so talk to me?”

However, no matter what Iris said or did, her friends stayed unresponsive. It was like talking to a wall. Besides, she was afraid to do something that would scare them or worsen the situation. It made her hesitate, and ultimately, she did nothing except worrying herself sick. She was only a teen, and she had no idea how to handle people in a state of shock.

Just when Iris was about to tear her hair out, Jules came back. He threw a glance at the demon, nodded at Iris, then walked up to Annabelle, kneeling before his sister. Gently, he cradled her in his arms and kissed the top of her head, his actions soothing.  

“Anna, I’m back.”

The simple words seemed to trigger something inside the girl, and her body jolted. She blinked before snuggling her head against her brother’s chest, wrapping her arms around his waist. Not long after, she stuttered: 

“I’m s-sorry. B-bastien, h-he—” but Annabelle wasn’t able to finish the sentence, bursting into tears mid-way.  

“He’s fine.”

There was a second of silence, the time her brain needed to process the words. 

“…He’s fine?” Annabelle slightly lifted her head to stare at her brother, wearing the expression of a lost child on her face.

“Look.”

Her body stiffened, but Annabelle obeyed, peering behind her at the demon who was sitting against the wall. The man smiled, waving at her. 

“…But how?”

What Annabelle last remembered was a monster ripping Bastien’s back to shreds and Iris’s blood-curdling screams. The rest was foggy. But soon, what her ears and eyes had registered without her knowledge came rushing to her mind. As it did, she couldn’t help but let out a painful cry, curling up into her brother’s arms.  

The events that had followed abruptly flashed before her eyes; her brother’s timely intervention, the kiss, the wounds closing up, Iris and Bastien’s discussions. All became as clear as day, leaving her breathless.  

Needless to say, questions flooded her head, but she didn’t know where to start. So she went with the first thing that crossed her mind, suspiciously sizing Iris up. 

“Iris, are you human?”

“Yes…?”

“But your brother is not…?”

“Well, you see, he’s not exactly my brother. If anything, he’s my—” Iris paused to peer at Bastien, pinching her lips. He nodded at her, letting her know that it was alright. So she continued, scratching her cheek, “If anything, he’s my great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, and I don’t know how many more great grandfather. So, yeah, at this point, I’m pretty much human. Really, I don’t have much demon’s blood left.”

Silence stretched for seconds, and when it was about to reach a minute, Annabelle finally opened her mouth, asking Bastien in a baffled, astonished tone: 

“How old are you?”

To the probing eyes, the demon responded with a smile.