I Know What You Have and I Want It

Ren was bored.

So very, very bored.

How many days had it been since there was some excitement? Something of true substance to entertain the man and quell the ever-present yearning for devastation that nibbled on the edge of his thoughts on a constant basis.

Four?

Five?

Possibly six?

Seven.

It was seven days. A whole week.

But who was counting? Dwelling?

Certainly not Ren.

Of course not.

He would never do that.

After his initial reluctance, Ren had warmed up to the idea that this journey would be fun. An adventure. But it was only proving to be dull and predictable. Every day was the same, traveling from place to place, standing around while Sakura questioned the inhabitants of whatever village or town they were wandering through if they had ever heard of men disappearing and reappearing again months later.

There was no point in the woman’s inquiries.

Absolutely.

No.

Point.

Whatsoever.

She didn’t need to do it. Zero was already guiding the way, each morning taking them in the direction he had heard the call the night before. But she did it anyways, always receiving the same answer.

“No.”

“No.”

“No.”

And Ren was becoming more and more jaded with each passing, weary day.

It wasn’t like any of this was his fault either. He had tried to find ways to amuse himself, liven things up, but everyone was being so… uncooperative.

Especially Sakura.

The man had tried multiple times to take back his most honorable title as alpha, but she was too aware, too prepared for his attacks, avoiding each and every one of them with ease. He knew he had no one to blame but himself. He had made the mistake of getting ahead of himself and showing his cards much too soon, and the woman would be on high alert for the foreseeable future. Conceding wasn’t something he wanted to do, but it was going to be his only option.

At least for now.

Until she fully let her guard down in front of the others.

Then he’d get her.

Ren was going to have to explore his other options until then.

There was always Ivy, so young and innocent and willing to trust him to the fullest. She would be the easiest of targets. But although it would be simple to manipulate the sweet girl into doing what he wanted, it would be a truly despicable thing to do. How could he ever live with himself if he even attempted to have Ivy do the things required to quiet the mutterings in his mind?

Wreak havoc.

Fight.

Destroy.

Entertain.

Blasphemy!

She was meant to be protected.

Loved.

Cherished.

Adored.

Coddled.

That left Zero.

And the boy had something that the man so desperately wanted.

And when Ren wanted something…

He’d get it.

The man carefully observed the target ahead of him, the boy walking along with Ivy as she clung tightly to his arm, the way that she often did, gallivanting along without a care in the world. He mostly faced forward, watching the path and woman ahead of them, every now and then looking down at the girl and responding to her lighthearted chattering. He was content and comfortable in the position he was currently in.

Now was the time to strike.

It only took a few extended strides before Ren was walking side by side with the devil, his mouth opening, words on the tip of his tongue.

“No,” Zero said without even glancing the angel’s way, his sights set firmly ahead.

The boy had gotten much too smart for his own good.

That was okay, though. It was something Ren had already anticipated.

On to the next plan.

“I haven’t even said anything yet,” he pointed out.

Zero shook his head, trying to nip it in the bud before whatever scheme of the man’s became a problem for him. “I don’t care. No.”

“Uh huh. Okay.” The angel’s arm slipped around the devil’s shoulders, drawing him near. “Here’s the thing, and I’m gonna be completely honest with you. I’ve seen what you and Ivy have going on. I’ve seen it since day one. The two of you might be naive to it, but I’m not.”

Ivy looked up at the man, genuinely confused. “What are you talking about, Ren?”

“You both know what I’m talking about,” he accused. “Or you still kinda don’t, but you actually do. I’m not completely sure on that one yet.”

That only served in making the girl feel even more lost. “What? You’re not making any sense.”

“I’m making perfect sense. It’s the two of you that make no sense. But you kinda do. I don’t quite understand it, yet, but I see it. How you two feed off of each other. You take, and you give, and you build. Everyday you’re a little different. A little more… in tune… with whatever the fuck you’ve got going on.”

Ivy stared at Ren, trying to remember if he’d taken a good knock to his head as of late. “I still don’t understand.”

But the man wasn’t even listening to the girl, too far into explaining the reasoning that only he could understand. “Things you couldn’t do before, you can do later. You can do now. All because you’re always together. Always taking. Always giving. Just to each other. You connect differently. Not like everyone else. Not through words or interactions or eye contact or body language. It’s more, a way no one else can. It’s more… uh…” His fingers snapped repeatedly, searching for the words. “Inside. Like, spiritual. You two connect spiritually and it makes it so you can do other things, things you couldn’t do before, but now…”

Sakura had tried her hardest to bite her tongue for as long as possible, but there was only so much one person could tolerate. She spun on her heels, walking backwards while facing the trio as her temper flared. “Enough already of your bullshit rambling! Just come out and fucking say it!”

Ren went silent for several moments, gazing intently at the stone-faced devil. “You can control when your wings come out now, can’t you, boy?”

All eyes fell on Zero as the panic rested heavily across his normally stoic features.

“How long has it been?” Ren continued, his hold tightening, unwilling to let his prey get away. “If I had to venture a guess, I’d say… a couple days after your little trip into purgatory before you had it all figured out. Am I close?”

The boy gulped down the uncomfortable lump in his throat, all the proof the man needed.

He clicked his tongue, tsking Zero’s dishonesty with a light shaking of his head. “I’m disappointed in you. Keeping something so important from me. Both of you.” His eyes darted to Ivy who looked just as nervous. “I know that Ivy knew about it as well. I bet you didn’t even have to tell her. She just knew. The way you two always know.”

Ivy quickly tried to intercept. “Ren, that’s…”

“No, no, no, Little One,” the man interrupted softly. “This is between Zero and me. Angel things. You wouldn’t understand.”

Ivy didn’t like Ren’s dismissal of her. He had done the same during the tournament and a few other times before, and him doing it once again was becoming agitating. She wasn’t a child that could be sent to the corner, forced to obey. She had something to say, and she wanted to say it.

Ren brought Zero a little closer to him. “I let you be for a while. I didn’t push it. I figured when you were ready, you’d come to me. But now, I’m tired of waiting.”

“Ren,” the girl spoke up, a little louder this time.

“I’ve been patient long enough.” It was like he didn’t even hear her.

“Ren.” Even louder.

The knavish grin grew across the angel’s lips. “Let me see your wings.”

Ivy had had enough. “Ren!” she yelled. “Listen to me!”

Like a switch that had been flipped, the man turned off, his arm falling from the devil’s shoulders and back to his side, and he looked down at the fae with blue eyes so distant. So not his own. “Yes,” he muttered with no emotion, a voice with no soul.

The three others halted at the eerie tone, the girl staring in horror at the man while the woman and boy stared in awe at her.

Ivy’s hands came up to cover her gaping mouth. “I… I… I didn’t mean…” She struggled to compose herself as her eyes filled with tears. “I’m so sorry!”

“Shhh, it’s alright.” Sakura gently comforted the girl as she walked up to Ren and circled around the statue-like man. “Don’t get upset. Take a breath. Calm down.”

She nodded and wiped at her eyes, taking a few deep breaths before speaking. “I really didn’t mean to. I wasn’t trying to control him. I just wanted him to stop and listen to me.”

“I wouldn’t worry about it.” The vixen gave the man a few hearty slaps to his cheek without even the slightest hint of acknowledgment from him. “He got what was coming to him.” She reached up, taking his face in her hands, and pulled it down to burrow into her chest as she laughed at his complete lack of reaction. “Oh wow! He’s really out of it. Good job.”

The girl looked to Zero who nodded in agreement. It didn’t make her feel any better, though. The devil and demon might be okay with the angel’s submissive state, but she wasn’t.

And there was one other problem.

“But I… I…” Ivy stuttered as the tears returned. “I don’t know how to turn him back to normal.”

Sakura paused her antagonizing to look at the girl with reserved concern. “What do you mean you don’t know how to turn him back?” As entertaining as all of this was, the vixen didn’t want him to be permanently stuck like this. As annoying as he could be, she still preferred him the way he was and needed him back to normal for a variety of reasons.

“I’ve never brought anyone out of it on my own,” the girl admitted. “I either just put them to sleep or walk away. I’ve never actually considered what would happen after that.” The realization settled over her and the horror she felt was reflected in her expression. “What if all those people in the heavens are still sleeping!”

“It doesn’t matter. Don’t worry about those assholes.” The woman raised the man’s face in-line with her own and observed the haziness of his eyes. “Worry about this asshole. As nice as it is, he can’t stay like this forever. I guess now is as good as time as any for you to figure out how to release your hold on him.”

Ivy gazed despairingly at the vixen, hoping for answers. “How do I do that?”

“How am I supposed to know? I’m no fae.”

The fae looked up at the only other fae around. Certainly, he would have some idea.

Zero shrugged. “You’re guess is as good as mine.”

It was beginning to look like Ivy was all on her own with this one.

“Alright.” She sighed. “Come here, Ren.”

Ren pulled away from Sakura and stepped up to the girl, staring blankly down at her, a mere shell of a man.

“Stop being under my control!” Ivy demanded with every ounce of confidence she could muster.

“Yes.” His voice monotone, eyes still so distant.

“You’re still under my control,” she whined.

“Yes.”

“Stop!”

“Yes.”

This was getting them nowhere.

Ivy observed the man, racking her brain for any solution. They stood there, gazes on one another, only the breeze through the branches and leaves of the trees to break the silence. Slowly, the frantic reasoning's of her mind fell to the song of the nature around her, taking her in and reminding her of what she was.

Everything.

Delicate hands reached and took hold of Ren’s face, pulling him down to her level. Lips pressed against his forehead.

A blessing.

“Be free,” Ivy whispered as she raised his head and closely watched the haze disperse from the ocean.

Ren blinked at the girl, the first few moments of his return like seeing her for the first time ever. An idol in a vision. His mind and body had felt so light, so warm, so loved. Everything right and wonderful. No need for worry. No pain. No suffering. That was all gone now, stolen away from him without warning. He may not have been able to remember how he gotten into this position, but that only proved it. “You just controlled me, didn’t you?” the man accused, his grin growing out of control.

Ivy quickly released him and hurried to make her escape. It hadn’t been her intention to make the angel a slave to her whims, but intentional or not, she had made a grave mistake in all her naivety. One she was fully aware of and regretting now. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Her voice rushed, the lie obvious, as she looped her arm through the devil’s and began dragging him along. “How far until the next village?”

Ren watched the fae scamper away, the gears in his mind churning. How foolish he had been relying on only two of his companions to meet his needs when the girl was and had always been an easy source of entertainment. He had just been too blind to see what had clearly been in front of him the whole time.

But not anymore.

His eyes were wide open.

And things were really going to start looking up.