through the tunnel and into the changing rooms.
Joshua. All Sam could think of was the way the other boy had looked at Aimi. Hatred filled him instantly. Without thinking, he grabbed the other boy by the throat and lifted him off his feet one-handed.
Behind him, all the other players stood in stunned silence, staring at Sam’s head, not reaching out to intervene.
“Sam,” Joshua gasped, terrified. “Your eyes, they’re … Let me go!”
Sam roared in fury, forcing the other players to take a step backwards. No-one wanted to interfere, and it took Sam another enraged, confused moment to work out why. The succubi had removed his hood and now his horns and his furious scarlet eyes — were on plain display.
“That’s enough, Sam,”shouted Hikari, emerging from the darkness under the stand. “Let him go.”
Sam looked around in confusion. The red glow in his eyes drained away. Suddenly, he became aware of what he was doing. He dropped Joshua, and the other boy collapsed onto the ground, gasping and holding his throat.
As the other boys in the team continued to stare mutely at Sam, unsure what to do, the silence was broken by the sound of running footsteps. Aimi pushed herself through the other players.
“Sam? Sam, are you okay?” she asked, her face creased with concern. Suddenly she noticed the other boy huddled at Sam’s feet. “Oh, Sam. What have you done?”
Crouching to help Joshua, she looked up at him, the accusation clear on her face. It was too much for Sam to take. He did what he always did when he didn’t know what to do.
He ran.
Much later, Aimi tracked him down, sitting in the darkness amongst the plants in their garden. He could feel how careful she was not to startle him as she slowly sat down beside him.
“How are you, Sunshine?” she asked gently.
Sam raised his head briefly from his knees to glare at her. “How do you think?”
“Judging from the fact that you’re out here by yourself, I’d say that you were probably embarrassed,” she replied, the tone in her voice light.
Sam buried his face back into his knees. “You could say that,” was his muffled response. “I’m a monster.”
Aimi shuffled closer to him and put one tiny arm around his shoulders. “You aren’t a monster, but I am curious as to what happened tonight.”
“Did Hikari not tell you?”
Aimi shook her head. “Tell me what?”
“About the succubi.”
Aimi looked horrified. Like Sam, Aimi knew most of the demon names by heart. “No! He said he saw some figures in the shadows but he couldn’t make out what they were.”
“They … they were trying to do things to me. I wanted to stop them, but I couldn’t.”
Aimi’s eyes slowly widened as realisation struck her. “They didn’t …?”
Sam shook his head. “No,” he said. “Thank God. Hikari coming along just as he did took them by surprise. If he hadn’t though …” He left the last bit unsaid.
“It’s not your fault.” Aimi hugged him closer. “They are she- demons from Hell, bred specifically to seduce men. What chance did you possibly have?”
“I should have resisted somehow. I should’ve done something, anything. Instead, I just stood there and let them … touch me.” Sam’s face crumpled with disgust at the thought.
“No man has the power to resist their charms. You did what any other man would have done.”
“But that’s just it, isn’t it?” He sat up angrily. “I’m not just any other man. In fact, I’m no man at all. I’m a demon.”
“You are a man, and a good one. Have you even considered that your demon blood would make you just as susceptible to their charms?”
Sam didn’t answer. He just sat there feeling miserable, as Aimi tried to comfort him. Perhaps she was right but it didn’t make him feel any better.
“Why do you think they were here?” she asked.
Sam shrugged. “They must know what’s coming and want me on their side. All I have to do is submit and I’ll be lost. They keep tempting me and this time, they almost succeeded.”
“But they didn’t, did they? They can keep trying as much as they like, but they won’t win. I know they won’t. I know what’s in your heart. You can’t affect something as true and good as that.”They sat in silence for a moment. “And what was that about with Joshua?” she asked.
Sam hung his head in shame. “I don’t know,” he confessed. “The succubi … strengthened my emotions somehow. I felt angrier than ever before. I … I saw the way he looked at you. I know it sounds irrational, but I couldn’t control myself.”
Aimi’s eyes widened in surprise. “The way he looked at me? Sam, you need to understand. Josh and I are friends. That’s it. He might have feelings for me — though I don’t think he does — but I do and always will, view him as a friend.” She put one small finger under his chin and lifted his face up to hers. “Besides, there’s room for only one man in my heart.”
“Oh? And who’s that then?”
Springing upwards, Aimi planted her hands on her hips. “You really are pretty stupid sometimes, you know that? I think you must be more man than demon.” With that, she stormed off.
Sam sat where he was, feeling bewildered. “Did I say something wrong?”
Sam woke within the pentacle and immediately knew something was wrong. He sat bolt upright, his head moving frantically from side to side to try and pinpoint the source of the unease. Judging from the light sliding in through the crack in the curtain, it was late afternoon, and he’d been asleep for no more than two or three hours.
He couldn’t see anything but he just knew that there was another presence in the room with him.The dim light left much of the room in shadow. Plenty of places for a demon to hide — and he was sure it was a demon.
Sam pushed experimentally at the invisible barrier. Unusually, there was no give in it. He called out. “Hikari? Aimi?” There was no answer, which again was very strange.
“Don’t bother,” said a smooth male voice. “They can’t hear you.”
As a figure materialized out of the shadows Sam flinched. The shadows seemed to cling to the man as if reluctant to let go, flickering around his edges. He was impeccably well dressed, with a suit that looked like it had been fashioned by the best tailor in the world. Judging from the slicks of grey in his neat hair, he was in his forties, with an extremely handsome face that Sam found oddly familiar.
He smiled, and the expression made Sam shiver.
“Good to see you, Samael. How are you?”
“What have you done with my family?” Sam croaked.
The man flicked his fingers and a chair appeared before him, just outside Sam’s pentacle. He spun it around and sat down, nodding amiably at Sam.
“Don’t worry yourself on that account, my boy. They’re fine. Just having a little late afternoon nap.” His face suddenly twisted in distaste. “That damnable bitch, Gabriel, wouldn’t let me touch them. Against the rules, you see.” He winked at Sam.
“Who are you?” Sam managed to stammer.
The man held up one finger and waggled it at him. “Can’t tell you that. Rules again. I’m sure you understand. I will inform you one day, but not today.”
Without appearing too obvious, Sam pressed up against the barrier. He may as well have been pushing against a solid rock wall. He thought furiously. Even if he got out, he was unarmed. His swords were in his room upstairs and he doubted that this figure would give him an opportunity to get them.
“I wouldn’t bother doing that either, young Prince. I’ve strengthened the barrier. Even you, with your extraordinary talents, would struggle to get out.”
