Young Writers Society

James hummed and patted her back, looking down the hall.

“For blood or for food?”

Artemis crossed her arms.

"I'm not an abomination," she said. "And my magic isn't a godless art - I'm a god. They can't be-"

She dug her fingernails into the palms of her hands, took a deep breath and let it back out as a sigh. She could handle this. She had offered to check up on what was going on in here, and she was the only person here who had even the slightest idea of how this place - or thing - worked.

"It's not that simple," she said, her voice sounding a little strained. "I'm the strongest person in this place, but my world's version of gods is apparently different than yours. I can fight and wield magic, but my magic is limited to controlling the light. I have no way of sending you back, and I'm pretty sure our little friend won't want to send you back for free."

Siren pondered the difference. It was so blurry, today. "Anything." she said.
____

"For what, then?" Adrid asked, loudly unimpressed. "I didn't kill your men and attempt to kill you just to listen to you spout vagueries. If there's another devil, show me to it, and stop wasting our time."

James slowly got up, holding out a hand to Siren for her to take. "Well, we can go back to the bar, then. I don't think they have food food here, but they do have blood if you want it. Would you like to walk back there?"

Kate crossed her arms and scowled at the group, specifically the bitch with the spear. "You think your humanity is corrupt now that you have fangs?" she growled. Her grip tightened on her sword. She hadn't been paying attention past that line. Her ears rung, and her muscles tensed with the urge to hit something, stab something.

Adrid looked down at the angry child voice, and confirmed that there was indeed an angry child.

"More or less," said Adrid, very the-adults-are-talking-ly. Before she even finished talking, she had already turned her attention back to the queen.

Kate gritted her teeth, her grip shifting on her sword. The stuck-up sparkle-coated Twilight-style vamp was done.

What a bitch.

Her muscles tensed. Her vision went red, and when it cleared, blood was soaking through the back of Adrid's torn dress. A drop gathered on the tip of Kate's blade.

Télos went to take a startled, worried step forward - finally noticing the argument that had become physical - but Artemis gave a dismissive wave and shook her head.

"It's alright," Artemis said. "She'll heal - it's not like any of us can be permanently killed without something like a stake right now."

She paused.

"...Besides," she added, "a fight's always a good way to get some frustrations out. And I kind of think she deserves it..."

The last part was muttered, but Télos easily heard it with his currently enhanced hearing.

Despite Artemis's reassurances, everyone seemed to looking in the direction of the fight - or, more specifically, away from Essie's discarded body. Maybe Télos shouldn't have been so surprised when there was a flash of warmth in that direction, accompanied by a creepy, childish giggle. Maybe he should have been even less surprised than he was when he - along with Kaito, Lorcan, Second and Artemis - turned to see that the body was gone.