The Confrontation

"I'm not staying here," Saoirse muttered shaking her head, but she had a feeling that her opinion wasn't being taken in to consideration. As Baal came closer, she looked at him, her eyes defiant and she was clearly on guard, not wishing to get hurt again. He wrapped some string around her wrist, frowning at the simple bracelet. "How is this going to remind you?" She asked, clearly not believing that the string would even hold. She looked to her mother, her eyes pleading but the former fenix had made up her mind. "Don't tell me how to feel about you," she muttered to her father looking away and at the altar where the box was sitting. What was in that?

Buffy didn't know how to convince her daughter to just trust the process. But her and Baal seemed to be on the same page at least, they both knew that this had to be done before something better could happen. But Saoirse wouldn't listen. "Your father is not a villain much more than I am," she said. She knew deep down there was a reason for what had happened, why they had clicked back at the coffee shop, why they hadn't been able to avoid each other. Their fate had been sealed way before they even met. Buffy walked over to Baal, placing a hand on his shoulder, it was almost normal. "You may hate both of us, but we are doing this for the good of all, to set the daemons free to see that they don't have to fear judgement anymore," she spoke so level-headed, even after her anger outburst with the priest. She knew the cultists wouldn't see anything wrong in her actions, but she didn't enjoy killing. "You'll be free, Saoirse, free to travel and to love ... to have a family of your own one day and make your own decisions," Buffy had always been rather motherly, but the light inside her was much wiser.

Saoirse looked from her mother to her father in pure disbelief. Was her mother actually in on this? She had a hard time believing it. The box moved again and it drew her attention to it, not liking the sound of it. "Amos and Alyssa probably know I went to find you ... You can't keep me here forever," she protested but Buffy shook her head. "It won't be forever, dearest, it will be until you are well enough and not infected anymore, " she said, sighing lightly at the feeling of Baal's hand on her own. She was feeding off of the darkness in a way that none of them could really explain. She didn't eat souls anymore, but it seemed as though she didn't really eat at all. She gained her strength in the dark creatures around her, like feeding off their energy.
"I'll set up a room for her, make sure she is kept as our special guest," she mumbled to Baal, looking at him with soft eyes. The moments where he could rest like this, show himself a bit more, were times she treasured these days. But she also knew the necessity of the creature in the box. "I need rest, I've been up for far too long now, and it's making me agitated, " she admitted, although you could barely see it. Her eyes however showed the storm that was inside of her.

"Alyssa is too weak to go herself and she wouldnt risk Amos' life either. She might send some of her most trusted, but she knows they'll be risking their lives for a hunch," Baal said a little stiff in tone, shaking his head. "We dont want to keep everyone in the dark, but it is a necessity for the time being," he said as he looked at his daughter. He nodded at Buffy's mumble, looking at his light with grateful eyes before letting go of her hand, letting her make her leave.
He went over to the box, lifting it up before moving it out of Saoirse's sight, somewhere where it wouldnt be noticeable for the time being. He went to a chair to sit down, to then look at Saoirse. "You are young. All that we've done, we have only done with everything that we could to keep you from evil. To make sure you never had to suffer or know the downsides of being a daemon. The only person that knows of your existence outside the family is one daemon. And he's always done whatever he could to try and remove you, because no matter what, your existence as a whole is a threat to what every daemon knows," he explained, though he wasnt expecting her to even understand. But maybe she would at some point, later. A cultist entered, looking a little disgruntled at the trybrid but she bowed her head down in respect eventually. "If you'd come with us, blood of Bael. We'll show you to your room, the light is in there to make sure you're getting comfortable" she said, gesturing for the trybrid to come along.

Watching as her mother left the room, she didn't know what to say. But it seemed that finally her father had more than just a few words to say. Was that thing in the box controlling him? However as he spoke it was clear that he spoke on his own accord, but everything was still too convoluted to her. "Who is this only person? Is it that old guy who found us in Aurvandil? Or are you just trying to scare me further to submit?" She asked. She had heard what he had said about Amos. She wanted to be with him, but the way he was being used to persuade her didn't sit right with her.
She wasn't alone with her father for long before a woman came in to the room. Saoirse got up, pulling her sleeves down like she always did. "I'm blood of Verity too," she mumbled a bit disgruntled before following the strange occultist.

He was just about to answer her question but then the cultist interrupted them. He clearly didnt want to freely share information with these daemons and he watched them leave. Once she was gone, he seemed to fully relax, gritting his teeth a little in pain as he touched his chest where the artifact was starting to glow. He wondered how long it would be before it fully started to show just how the darkness was taking a toll on his body.

The daemoness ignored the trybrid's mumble. "There's no need to be angry, you can get all that you want from this point out," she said a little apathetic, knowing what had happened with the mass. It wasnt far from Baal and Buffy's room but maybe that was on purpose. She held the door for the young girl, nodding her inside.

"No need to get angry?" The trybid had to scoff. She had every right to. Her father and mother were crazy and held her back. She worried about Amos, fearing if he thought the worst as she hadn't returned yet. She thought about her aunt and uncle, not knowing if they were running round town trying to locate her.
Once inside the room she looked around before she noticed the clothes on the bed. Short sleeves. Shaking her head she pointed towards looking away. "All I don't want is short sleeves," she said shaking her head as she walked over to a small desk. She wasn't liking being kept here, wondering if once darkness hit she could sneak away and escape. "Can I send a message to someone?" She asked curiously.

Buffy returned to their room, seeing Baal she sighed before walking over to him. She sat down in his lap, running her palm over his sore chest. "You are straining yourself," she said, closing her eyes as her hand started to glow. It wouldn't heal him, but it would make it more bearable for him to endure. Opening her eyes she looked at her daemon, sending him a tired smile.

"Being angry wont change anything," the daemoness said as if she was merely stating a fact. Inside the room she folded her hands as she waited for the trybrid to say something. Whether there was something that she didnt like. Nodding at the mention of the length of the sleeves she made a small smile. "We'll get you a shirt with longer sleeves, blood of Bael,"
The question of a message made the girl narrow her eyes. "Depends on for who and what. Yes you can send a message, not you will not be able to keep the content private," she said, crossing her arms a little. In her opinion, this girl just seemed like a brat more than anything else. Not even cherishing the fact that she had the blood of gods in her veins and could practically get anything while the world was suffering.

"It's a burden I have to endure," he reminded her as he looked down at her hand. The pain seemed to let up just a little and he sighed in relief. Placing a hand over hers he gave it a soft squeeze. "Do you think she'll understand?" but after asking the question he seemed to frown as he remembered what he had been about to tell Saoirse. It was like something just didnt seem as it was supposed to and he wasnt sure what to even think. "Do you think Simeon found them in Aurvandil?" he asked instead, because it seemed to be what he believed.

Saoirse didn't like the attitude of the cult member either. But she had no real choice. "It's a simple message ... to another one in my bloodline," she said calmly. She wouldn't risk sending a message to Amos, but Alyssa was a safe enough bet. "Alyssa Loviatar ... Simply tell her that I am alive," she said. Maybe that would deter any of her relatives to go searching for her. Breathing out she sat down on the bed. "I'd like to be left alone now," she mumbled, pulling her knees up under her chin, looking at the tapestry on the wall.

"You don't have to carry the burden alone," she reminded him, feeling his hand squeeze her own. They didn't have long before he had to unite with the creature. The questions made her sigh, looking down as she frowned. "I don't think she'll understand, not until we are done ... But we have to give her time to adjust, even if time isn't on our side," she said before looking at him once again.
"As for Simeon, I wouldn't put it past him," she pondered before shaking her head. "I wouldn't like to speculate, not on this sort of manner, so for now I think it would be wisest not to focus on distractions," she said, her fingers spreading on his chest, feeling his skin beneath his shirt.
"Although I would be lying if I said I didn't miss you as a distraction," she admitted, her eyes looking at him before she got up from his lap. "I know ... Sorry ... I'm just tired."

"Fine. We will inform her," she said. When she was asked to be left alone, the daemoness nodded respectfully and made her leave.

Even if he didnt have to carry it alone, it wouldnt really stop him from trying to his best ability. It was enough that he had to deal with the cult daemons and the artifact's demands. But Simeon was a worrying factor. If Amos had gotten infected, then it definitely was a part of Simeon's plan to do something. And whatever that something was, would always be a thorn in the side to deal with. Her confession made him raise his eyebrows slightly but then he looked down at their hands again. Shaking his head he gave her hand a squeeze. "No need to apologize," he assured her, lifting his other hand to cup her face. "I miss those times as well," he admitted, before he leaned in to connect their lips.

He was trying to be reassuring, but as much as she loved his touch and kisses, they didn't feel the same right now. It didn't stop her from leaning in to the kiss, pressing herself closer and sitting back down in his lap as she did so. Breaking the kiss she felt a little out of breath, "Belial, it's alright, I know I have to be patient," she said, but she just had that feeling that she needed him. Not as her partner in a larger plan but as her lover. Her hands rested on his shoulders, looking at his eyes. "Do you mean that you miss them? Or are you just saying it to comfort me?" She had started asking him when he did something for her, if it was because he wanted to or it was out of her comfort. Often it was the latter.

By the gods she missed him. She had had him once before all of this started, and he wasn't making it easy for her to say no and lean in to his touch. His words made her frown. "Yes it is ... If you can't find the desire then it won't really mean anything, will it?" She was a romantic by heart, and her greatest turn on had always been to see how excited he got himself. When they both reached the point where they could no longer contain their urges, that was when she knew and she felt so connected to him.
Placing her forehead against his she breathed out in a sigh, feeling rather torn. "I want you, Belial, but not unless you feel for me ... not unless you can find the part of you that moves my heart like you usually do." Maybe it was a tough pill to swallow, but so many things had changed and she was scared. Scared that it wouldn't be the same if he couldn't feel it like she could.

The way he was touching her, pulling her closer to him and reassuring her was enough to make her knees weak. As he urged her to look at him she did, watching him search her eyes. His words were sweet, well meant, but she was still a little scared to give in. That was until he pulled her closer, biting her lower lip as it started trembling.
"Belial," she whispered longingly, "Do you long for me?" She just needed to know. If she wasn't wanted that way then what was the point? Her hands moved up from his shoulders, her fingers running through his long and curly hair. It was weird not feeling cold anymore, how she used to shiver if they weren't covering up. "Cause you are pulling me closer, and I just want to know that this isn't just because you want to please me ... that it's for the both of us."

As he started pleading her eyes softened as she leaned in to kiss him, this time differently than before. There was a longing there, one that she couldn't deny. "Beg again," she whispered in a hush against his lips. She wanted to feel needed and loved, even if he had a hard time expressing that, she could feel his body react. How he pulled her closer, how his hips were moving slowly to greet hers. Moaning against his lips she moved her own hips slowly, grinding against him as she felt her needs rise. "Do you want me?" She moaned softly her breath already heavy. "Beg some more for me," Buffy had usually been the one to beg, but not now. No, she wanted to feel desired, she wanted Baal's facade to crumble under her.

Why was this all of a sudden something that just tickled all the right places? She moaned softly as he lifted her, placing her down on their bed which wasn't the nicest to begin with. But she could barely think of the bad mattress when he grinded himself against her, pleading for her to give in. Closing her eyes to catch her breath she hummed softly, moving her hips to greet his. "Take my clothes of and I might consider it more strongly," even if she said it so effortlessly, she was trying not to give in already. Hearing him beg, making her feel wanted and desired, she just knew he was liking this too, even if he wasn't showing it in the usual way.

He did as she said, and the power that came with it was almost intoxicating. But what she noticed mostly was how he was looking at her. This wasn't just something he was doing just to please her. No, he wanted her. Finally free from the dress she felt his hands, sighing softly at the feeling. She felt almost like an animal in heat, returning his eager kiss with the passion she felt in her chest. He continued to beg as her hands moved down his body, removing his linen shirt rather swiftly by simply tearing it off of him. She didn't know where that strength came from, but she had little time to think about it as he cupped her breast. Her back arching up towards him, his touch just as magnetic as ever, if not more. Was it possible they were closer now after her transformation?
Her hands moved down, pushing his pants down and freeing his member which she wasted no time in tending to. Looking at him she felt him up, jerking him carefully just to test out the waters. He felt the same, the same familiar feeling against her fingers and yet it was different too. "You can have me when I say so," she said, her free hand reaching up to pull his face down to her chest.