A/N: wow, last time I updated anything was 5 years ago. Way to long. I started reading this story again after receiving a mail about it. Someone had favored it and I thought, let's read what I wrote. Turns out I had this chapter almost ready all along! So I decided to update. I'm not promising anything... I hadn't written anything in English for a very long time, so I'm very rusty and there might be a lot of mistakes in this chapter because I edited it before posting. If you find anything noticeble, please PM me the details so I can correct it :)

Thanks!

"So now you know." he mumbled, as I watched his trembling hands grabbing my shoulders.

"You leave me no choice." He said. His face was completely emotionless. He had sacrificed his humanity for demonic power. He moved in closer, his hands slowly reaching for my neck. "It will endanger my plan, everything! The word must not get out.."

Maia opened her eyes and stared wide eyed at the wall in front of her. "I remember." she stated shocked.

Dante and Lady looked at each other before eying Maia wearily. "You remember what?" Lady dared to ask.

"Everything. I remember everything." Maia breathed. It was at that moment the gem on her forehead started to fade in color until it turned dark grey and fell on her lap. Shocked Maia looked down. "Oh no."

"What…why did that thing fall from your head just now?" Dante said, narrowing his eyes while looking at the now seemingly regular stone.

Maia's turned towards Dante, looking quite scared now. "They know now. Up there." She nodded towards the ceiling, but supposedly meant the sky. "They know about Alexander. I can hear them. It's been so long since I last heard them." Her eyes squinted a little. "It's something to get used to again."

"Alright, so what you're saying is your family…bossguy… knows about the badguy and is coming down to clean up this mess?" Dante held up his hands and smirked. "Then our job is done. Perfect. You think he can pay for all the damage too? I'm a little low on cash and this one over here wants me to pay for her ripped jacket." He pointed a finger at Lady who gave him a shove.

"Dante, seriously!" she sighed heavily and turned to Maia who didn't really look as relieved as Dante was playing to be. "So there's help on the way, that's a good thing right?" She tried.

Maia frowned and pursed her lips. "I don't know… It feels a bit weird… All of this. Alexander sends in Rhea to what…talk to me? It did jug my memory. The unicornstone has fallen. That means I'm back to my old self and I'm in contact with the source. They now know everything too and are coming down, I don't know… I have this strange feeling that Alexander wanted all of this to happen. As if he wants them to come down. He's up to something…" she ranted. "He's up to something, he must be."

"Say that he is. What could he be after?"

Maia shrugged her shoulders. "What could he be after…" she repeated. "I wish I'd knew. All I know is…if they're coming down…they're coming here, to the city. And whatever Alexander is up to, it can't be good."

Lady remained silent with a thoughtful look on her face as Dante paced around.
"So what do you suggest now?"

Maia jumped off from the couch she had been sitting on. "I have to leave this city, tonight. I have to lure them away." She seemed determined by this new idea. "Where I go, Nergal goes, and probably…hopefully so will Alexander and Rhea. Then our family won't come here, and if there's a fight in the near future, it won't be here."

"A fight?" It seemed Dante's interest was piqued.

Lady shook her head, hand in front of her eyes.

"Perhaps. I hope not. I can't see how Alexander could win. But there's something going on. And I have to help."

She started walking towards the door. Bare feet on broken glass as she passed the broken windows.

"Woa, where do you think you're going?" Dante proclaimed.

Maia turned around confused. "I just told you. I have to lure them away from the city. Innocent people live here."

Dante seemed to be in conflict of what to do. He probably wouldn't get paid if he went with her. Then again…if her family really did consist out of angels, then maybe he'd be putting in a good word for himself this way. And if he'd let her go alone…she didn't look like she could handle herself out there yet. What if something happened to her. That thought shot through is head a second and it came with a feeling he hadn't felt in a long time.

Lady stared at Dante's face the whole time, noticing him contemplating. Her features softened and a hint of a smile showed on her lips for just a short moment. "Go." She said.

Dante looked at her, frowning.

"Go Dante, go with her. She can't gallop anymore, she's not that fast on foot. Take your car. Go."

Dante jumped over the couch, swung his sword over his shoulder and walked out of his shop, the wrist of a protesting Maia in his hand.
"What are you doing. It's to dangerous for you to come. You don't know what they'd do if…"

Before she could finish her sentence, Dante started laughing. Bewildered, she stared at his back. He thought she was kidding? He thought all if this was just one big joke? She felt herself growing angry, her hands folding into fists.

"Dante, I'm not joking. And where are you taking me?"

"Stop complaining babe."

Maia gasped, then pouted. At the near end of the street he suddenly stopped and tilted his head slightly while remaining silent. Maia stared at his back with a frown, watching him listen to the silence around them. "Dante, what are you…?"

"Sh." He said, shushing her. Maia blinked, seconds later he pulled her into an alleyway.

There he turned around swiftly. "Stay here." he said, before jumping up the wall of the building to their right.

Her eyes followed him wide eyed. Did he just leave her here in an alleyway?! Things kept getting better and better. She put her hands on her sides and shook her head. "What the hell…"

Then she heard it. It was so soft at first, it had sounded like something the wind had carried, but now…it was getting closer. And louder.

A growling sound.

Chills went down her spine. She knew to whom that growl belonged to. Or at least it sounded like him. Nergal. The demonic presence started to creep up on her. It surprised her she hadn't felt it before. That's why Dante was acting so strange. But then…where did he go. Did he leave her to vent for herself?

Maia looked around in the alley. She noticed now, it was a dead end, just her luck. And there was not much to hide behind or in around here either.

"Damn it..." she whispered as she heard footsteps nearing. She pushed her back to the wall, hoping that the darkness of the alley would conceal her somewhat. The demon came into her view, his red eyes looking into the alley as he followed his nose.
Maia bit her lip, slowly but steadily creeping against the wall to get deeper into the alley and the darkness. Her eyes were kept on the demon, following his every move as closely as she could.

Then suddenly there was no wall, making her frown. The alley had a dead end, she was sure of it.

A pair of strong arms came out of nowhere, one grabbing her around her waist, the other closing his hand on her mouth to keep her from screaming as they pulled her into a slit between the walls.

Maia's eyes grew wide as she was shoved into a narrow space between two walls with a figure that could very well be Nergal himself.

She wanted to scream but the hand still covering her mouth prevented her from doing so.

Her scared brown orbs looked up at the tall figure and she tilted her head in surprise as she recognized who it was.
Dante winked then removed his hand from her mouth, bringing a finger to his lips to keep her from talking.
Maia nodded. Wait…did he just use her as bait…? She opened her mouth, insulted. Dante chuckled without a sound and pressed a finger against her lips to shush her.

He perked his ears as he listened for the nearing footsteps of the demon, whom was slowly getting closer.

Maia bit her lip, staring at his chest rising and falling. The thought of a shirtless Dante in her mind, made her eyebrows raise in surprise. She couldn't remember ever having thoughts like that before. But then again, she had been a unicorn for over 400 years. The two were practically squeezed together in this tight place and Maia could literally feel the heat from his body on her skin. Strangely enough, being so near this half devil was soothing. She felt comforted. All the fear she had felt was gone. And the anger was too. It had made room for new feelings...different feelings.

Dante silently pulled his gun, pointing it at the entrance of the slit. He gently pushed Maia behind him, her back against the other wall.
"What smellsss so good…something nice…" the demon heard a click as he stepped into the opening of Dante's and Maia's hiding place. Leaving him no time to react, Dante pulled the trigger and blasted the demon back into hell.

Maia closed her eyes, waiting for the shooting to stop. After a few seconds of silence she reopened them, staring directly at Dante's chest. Raising her eyebrows, she looked up at him. He was staring at her with a smirk.

She tilted her head. "Is he gone?"

"Back to the hellhole he crawled out of." Dante stated. She watched him place his gun back in its holster.

She stared at the empty spot where the demon had just been. "That wasn't…"

"Nope, that was just some demon. Apparently you're some kind of magnet." He sniffed the air. "It seems like more of them are coming."

Maia's eyes grew wider. "More?"

"My guess is…someone opened up a portal." Dante looked around with pursed lips. "Might be some new assignments in this thing after all. People don't like to have demons around…" he spoke his thoughts out loud.

Maia glared at him.
"Assignments that actually bring in some money." He stepped forward, backing her up against the wall.

"I brought you that free pizza thing."

Dante chuckled. "Yes you did. But that doesn't pay rent."

Maia looked back at the wall he pushed her up against then up at the half devil. She was feeling kind of closed in and the proximity between them was beginning to get awkward.
"Uhm...would you perhaps...mind..."

Dante closed more space between them. "Mind what?" He noticed her discomfort and thought it was pretty funny. And he might as well have a little fun, with all the stuff she'd put him through. She owed him. Big time. And watching her uneasiness did the trick.

Maia frowned, noticing this teasing behaviour. "You know what I mean." she accused, her voice stern.

Dante didn't budge, and played innocent. "Mean what?"

Maia glared at him with her dark brown eyes. "Come on Dante, we really need to go…" The darkness around them completely out of contrast with the paleness of her skin.

Dante found himself drawn into her eyes. For a split second, the thought of Maia using some kind of magical powers that made him feel drawn, crossed his mind, but he shrugged it off. He didn't really mind. Actually, he felt his face slowly moving closer towards hers. Then her eyes changed emotion and he knew she felt the same power of attraction.

Slowly he felt his hands move until his fingers touched the thin fabric of her dress. There he enclosed his fingers around her waist. He could hear her sharp intake of breath when he touched her and her eyes grew a little bigger. Yet their eye contact didn't break. She was observing him. She was observing this new situation she found herself in. Why was he doing this? What was this sensation she felt running through her body? She felt thrilled. Her mind was aching with anticipation, but anticipation of what? He was a demon.

His hands moved, tracing the contours of her sides, hips, then back up to her waist, one hand trailing off to the small of her back. The low cut at the back of her dress, left her back slightly bare. His hand stopped when his fingers came in contact with the porcelain white skin.

He felt himself amazed by how soft her skin felt. He travelled further up, covering her bare back partially with his hand. At that moment, he wondered what it would be like to kiss her. The urge grew, and it didn't take long for him to lose control of it. The hand on her back pressed her closer to him, rougher then he had initially wanted to, in an attempt to close the remaining space between their lips.

"Dante." her voice whispered in shock, making him stop at just an inch.

He read her eyes with his, noticing her fear. Why was she scared… Was she scared of him? Because of what he is…?

The hand on her back dropped and he stepped back. "Alright, let's go." he said, breaking the piercing silence before he turned and walked away.
Maia was left behind, her wide eyes staring at the empty spot where Dante had just stood. It took her a moment to get herself together and to get her heart from racing rapidly to a fast trod. She watched Dante walk out of the alleyway, then ran after him.

At the end of the street, they stopped at his car.

"Get in."
Maia looked apologetically . "Dante."

"Get in." Dante said in a tone that stated he wasn't going to repeat himself.

Maia chewed on her lip, then sighed and got in the car. She watched him get in and start the vehicle, feeling a light pinch of regret. What was that about… Regret? Of what…not kissing him? She licked her bottom lip and bit it. Yes…she wanted him to kiss her. But she couldn't. Could she?

The car started and they drove away.

R&R