Hot blood trickled down Erza's forehead and she wiped it from her eyes, irritated. Her chest heaved with exertion and she growled, pushing herself back up to standing. The eldritch runes on her sword glowed with a faint greenish light that reflected up onto her face, which looked murderous.

"That bitch lied to us!" Natsu shouted, jumping back from the horrifying amalgamation of corpses and sharp teeth that was currently trying to eat him. "There's no way this is just a hellhound!"

"Are you really surprised?" Gray replied, standing in the center of a hastily sketched protection circle, hands out to steady the magic streaming off him. It shimmered around both Erza and Natsu, the faint bluish light mitigating a portion of the damage the beast inflicted. "She's a witch! She spelled us into this!"

"You're basically a witch, asshole," Natsu grunted, firing both his guns into what he hoped was the beast's head. It reared up on several of its legs and roared, spraying him with what appeared to be a mixture of blood and bile. "Gah!" He shouted, wiping at his face. "That's just disgusting."

"Out of my way," Erza snarled, hefting the blade in both hands. "Time to send this thing back to hell." She charged forward, leaping at the last minute and landing on the writhing mass of flesh. It squelched under her feet and she braced herself, lifting the runed sword over her head and driving it into the beast.

"Shit!" That was Gray's voice. Erza glanced over to see that the monster had spread out one of its many legs and damaged the protection circle, knocking Gray onto his back and dropping the auras around the other two. The beast howled in pain, bucking against Erza as she drove the blade into it again.

"Gray, watch out!" Natsu shouted, dashing across the clearing and sliding under the thing's legs, but he was too late. The clawed foot came down again, right in the centre of Gray's chest. There was a sickening crack and then a moment of silence before a scream of pain. "GRAY!"

"Go…back…to hell!" Erza shouted, bringing the sword down once again, this time in a swinging arc that nearly severed the creature in half. The runes on the blade shimmered, drawing out the beast's power until it began to writhe and fall to the ground. Erza jumped down from its back and swung a final time, satisfied when it shuddered and stilled, immediately dissolving to a pile of gray goop. Seconds later the clearing was placid, save for the anguished sounds of pain coming from Gray.

"Oh god," Erza murmured as she dropped to her knees beside him, exhausted and covered in gore. Natsu was hovering over Gray, gripping his hand and desperately trying to stem the gush of blood pouring from the fist sized wound in his chest. "Shitfuck. Okay, stay here, I'll grab the car."

"Hurry," Natsu pleaded, pressing down on the wound as Gray screwed his eyes shut and slammed his head back against the ground, gasping for air. Thick black marks were spreading from his chest and had already reached his neck, swirling in deadly patterns against his pale skin.

Erza leapt to her feet and dashed to the vehicle, ignoring her exhaustion as she leaped into the front seat and tossed the sword onto the passenger side. She threw the car into gear and slammed her foot on the gas, heart pounding in her ears. What the fuck had that witch been thinking? This hadn't been a minor demon – not even close. Erza's blood boiled as she fantasized about strangling the woman, but she also knew that the witch was likely their only chance at saving Gray.

"Let's get him in," she shouted as she pulled up beside the two boys. Blood was still pumping from the wound, even with Natsu's shirt and jacket attempting to keep it from spilling out. Erza jumped out and helped Natsu lift Gray into the back of the car as gently as possible, but he sobbed in pain as they slid him onto the seat.

"You're gonna be okay," Natsu murmured, crouching on the floor next to the seat and keeping pressure on the wound. Gray groaned, hands clenching into weak fists as Natsu brushed the hair from his face. "Get us back to that bitch," Natsu growled, turning to look at Erza. "She's gonna fix this, and then I'm gonna fucking kill her."

"There's nothing I can do." The dark-haired woman in front of them gave the news impassively and Natsu growled at her, low in his throat. Erza shivered in the damp cold of the basement. All around were jars and boxes full of things that she didn't recognize – and didn't want to.

"What do you mean? You've got magic, save him." Natsu clasped Gray's hand tighter. His partner was unconscious now – had passed out halfway back from the pain. The black marks had spread up across his cheeks and down to his fingertips, and they made Erza feel sick. "You fucking owe us, fix it!"

"I can't," the witch said simply, crossing her arms over her chest. When Erza had been little, before she had become a hunter, she had always thought that witches were old hags with warts and broomsticks. Bernice, however, was middle-aged, with a cream-coloured blouse and manicured nails. She hosted Tupperware parties while she wasn't hexing people. Fucking witches.

"Why the hell not?" Erza growled, stalking toward the witch and reaching out her hand as if to choke the woman. Instead she hit a barrier and Bernice looked at her condescendingly. Erza snarled, slamming her hand against the invisible wall. "We did what you wanted!"

"And I'm eternally grateful for you getting that demon off my back," Bernice said with a placid smile. "I've got one more job for you two and then you're free." She glanced over at Gray, who was twitching sporadically. "It won't take long. You can do it tomorrow, then come back for the body. I know you hunters have your rituals."

"He's not gonna die!" Natsu shouted, jumping to his feet and dropping his hand to the holster at his hip. He hissed and snatched his hand away from the gun when he realized that the metal was red-hot, glowing in response to the snap of Bernice's fingers.

Erza stepped closer to the witch, hands raised in surrender, putting herself between Bernice and Natsu. "Is there anything we can do?" She asked, glancing over at her friend. The marks were moving further up his face, twisting and turning on the surface of his skin. Bernice sighed, dropping the barrier but eyeing Erza warily.

"Only a demon's magic can undo a demon's curse," the witch said simply, walking over to a cupboard and running her finger along the ingredients. She pulled out a container and opened it, scooping out a thick, dark substance and walking back over to Gray.

"Don't you touch him, you-"

"Let her help him, Natsu." Erza held Natsu back, feeling his chest shaking under her forearm. His hands were balled into fists that tightened as Bernice lifted up Gray's head, smearing the substance onto the back of his neck. It smelled terrible.

"Don't ask me what it is, you don't want to know," the witch said as she settled Gray's head back on the table. "He might wake. This will keep the pain at bay." She stepped back out of the room and brought up her hand, drawing a quick rune in the air between them.

"I hope you understand, I need you for tomorrow," she said, snapping her fingers as the sigil burst apart and formed a transparent barrier between them. "I'll come back for you in the morning, you do the job, then take your friend's body and you'll never remember a thing."

Erza gritted her teeth, half tempted to take a swing at the barrier with her sword, but the magic of the runes had worn off and she had the feeling that tempered steel wouldn't be enough to cut through a witches' magic.

"He's not dying," Natsu whispered, voice pleading as he slumped back into the chair next to the bed. He ran a gentle hand over Gray's hair, eyeing the black marks worriedly.

"We'll see in the morning," Bernice replied, turning on her heel and heading up the stairs, locking the basement door behind her.

Erza was silent for a few moments, taking quick inventory of the room. There were likely many things in here that would get them out, but nothing that she or Natsu knew how to use. Gray was the spellcaster, but if he was unconscious...

"How do we fix this?" Natsu whispered, dropping his head to rest on Gray's shoulder. Erza sighed. Despite their taunts and insults, she'd seen time and time again how tender the two men were with each other. She moved to stand behind Natsu and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"She said regular magic can't fix it," Erza murmured, tapping her fingers against the hilt of her blade. "I could look in Gray's spellbooks but they're in the car. Which is inconveniently not here." She sighed, stalking over to the desk and digging through an assortment of odds and ends – half-used candles, various small coins, a bowl of what Erza thought might be human teeth, and a plastic bag that contained what was definitely human hair.

"She said only demon magic can fix it," Natsu said, looking up at her. "Humans can't-"

"That's it." Erza sorted frantically through more and more bizarre items, trying not to touch the more disgusting things. "Help me look." Natsu stood slowly, frowning at her.

"For what?"

"Pictures of us. Things of ours." Erza grabbed a sheaf of paper, but all that was written on it were illegible runes. "She's been controlling us with some kind of spell, and she said she was going to use it to wipe our memories after. Which means she has something of ours – probably pictures."

Natsu nodded and moved to the other side of the room, quickly flipping through the open books and moving taxidermized cats and other small creatures out of the way.

"Why do we need..." Natsu trailed off, picking up a particularly heavy book written in an unfamiliar language. In between the pages were tucked three pictures – one of each of them. They looked like they'd been taken in the parking lot of their motel. He shuddered. "Man, I hate witches. I found 'em."

"Perfect." Erza grabbed the photo of herself and tore it until just her face remained, then shoved it into a matchbox that she'd taken from the desk. "Right now, you should be thankful for witches. They have everything we need." A small bone joined the photo, and a tiny white flower. "And I'm hoping this is from a graveyard." She sprinkled some dirt over the items, then slid the matchbox shut and shoved it in her pocket.

"Erza." Natsu's voice was suddenly serious and he grabbed her forearm, trying to catch her eyes. "You're not-"

"It's the only way to get a demon's magic," Erza insisted, pulling her arm out of his grip. "It's this or he dies." She glanced over at Gray, who was still unconscious and now becoming feverish, tossing his head back and forth as if dreaming. "Stay here with him. I'll be back soon."

"I can't let you-"

"It's not up to you," she hissed. "This is my choice. You two are my family. I'm not letting him die and that's final, and if you think you can stop me, I'd like to see you try." Her hand dropped to the hilt of her sword and Natsu took a step back, raising both hands in the air in surrender.

"All right," he sighed, rubbing his face. He tugged one of the pistols from his holster and held it out to her. "Only got a few silver shots left in there, but you might need 'em if more hounds decide to show up." Erza accepted the weapon gratefully, tucking it into her pants. "How are you gonna get out of here?"

"She left behind the one spell I know how to do," Erza grinned, holding up a thick, black candle that was half-melted and already burning. She pulled Natsu into a one-armed hug, then moved over to crouch next to Gray. "Hold on," she whispered, kissing his forehead gently. "I'll be back soon."

Then she stood, moving toward the window and using the candle's flame to draw a simple arcane sigil in the air. The teleportation spell was rudimentary and she'd seen Gray do it hundreds of times with small objects. The larger the object, the shorter the distance of the teleportation, but Erza just needed to get through the wall.

"I'll be as quick as I can," she said as the rune began to glow. "And if she comes back before I do, kill that bitch."

The closest real crossroads was a twenty-minute drive from Bernice's house, and Erza sped the entire way there. It was dark, nearly pitch black even this close to the city, and chills ran up Erza's arms as she exited the vehicle. Coyotes howled in the distance and she shuddered, trying not to picture the massive hellhounds they'd fought before.

Nothing attacked her as she approached the center of the intersection, so she quickly leaned down and dug a hole in the dirt with her fingers, burying the matchbox. Then she stepped back, pulling out her sword and holding it loosely in her left hand.

Several long, agonizing minutes went by. Erza could swear that the howling was getting closer, and her fingers trembled on Natsu's gun in her holster. Usually she wasn't alone. Usually she had Gray and Natsu to back her up. The wind picked up and cut through her jacket, and it carried the scent of decay with it from the neighboring farms. She glanced over at the empty field next to her, praying that the intermittent lights she saw weren't reflections off demonic eyes.

"Well, looks like it's my lucky day."

Erza's gaze snapped back to the center of the crossroads, which was now occupied by a young woman whose arms were crossed over her chest. Her outfit left little to the imagination and Erza swallowed as her eyes traced the contours of the tight fabric down to the woman's navel.

"Eyes up here, sweetheart." The woman strode towards Erza and grasped her chin in one hand, tipping it from side to side and inspecting her. Her eyes were solid red, so different than the black eyes of the demons they'd dealt with before.

"You're...a crossroads demon," Erza whispered, shivering a little at the sensation of the woman's hand on her face. It was cold, but not the cold of undeath.

"What were you expecting?" The demon took a step back and raked her eyes up and down Erza, sly smile twitching at the corner of her mouth. Erza felt a warm blush creeping up into her cheeks. She wasn't certain what she had been expecting, but this incredibly attractive young woman wasn't it. "You did summon me, correct?" The demon gestured back to the disturbed earth at the center of the crossroads.

"Yes...yes, I need-"

"Ah, ah, ah," the demon said, placing a finger over Erza's lips. "Terms first." She grinned, tipping her head to the side and letting her long, white hair spill over her shoulders. She didn't look much like a demon, Erza thought, except for the eyes. All the other demons she'd faced before had been...harder. Darker. "I'm Mira. If you make a bargain with me, you're agreeing to give up your soul. I might give you time to live, might not. You still want a deal?"

Erza swallowed. Doing this might mean she died in the next few years, but Gray might die tonight. Hunting was a dangerous profession anyways – there was no guarantee that Erza would make it through the next few years even without a demon's contract. This was the closest call they'd had in a while, but the mortality rate for people like her was...high.

"Yes," she said finally, removing Mira's finger from her lips. "I...my friend is dying. Poisoned by...one of your kind." Mira giggled and Erza shivered a bit, unnerved by the sound. "The witch told us you can cure it. The black marks. Can you?"

"Hmmm." Mira gave Erza an unsettling smile, red eyes seeming out of place on her otherwise pretty face. "I could, yes." She held a hand out in front of her and a dark wisp of smoke drifted upwards from it, forming into the shape of a pen. "The question is, how badly do you want him saved?"

Erza blinked, realizing suddenly that Mira was negotiating. Shit, this wasn't her forte. She was better at exorcisms and stabbing things. Talking was...well, that was what Natsu was for.

"He's...there's not a lot of time," she said carefully, uncertain if the words would increase or decrease the number of years she had left to live. "P-please..."

"There's a standard," Mira said, ignoring Erza's words and checking out her immaculately manicured nails. "Ten years. That's what most demons give."

Ten years. Gods. She'd be thirty, still so young. The idea was terrifying, but when she closed her eyes, all she could see was Gray, crying in pain with a hole in his chest.

"I'll do it," she said quickly before she could change her mind.

"Oh, darling." Mira stepped forward again and ran the back of her finger over Erza's cheek, then brushed back some wayward strands of red hair. "I said that was the standard. But you...you look exceptional." The last word was breathed into Erza's ear and she shivered. She couldn't let a demon affect her like this.

"Then what d-do you want?" she asked, trying to keep her voice firm. She took a step back from Mira, who pouted and looked at her with sad eyes.

"Don't you find me pretty?" The demon asked, voice low and seductive. She reached out again and trailed a hand up Erza's arm, drifting light fingers across her shoulder and up her neck. When Erza didn't answer, she sighed. "Five years. Then you're mine." The sultry tone returned to her voice. "All mine, and I can do whatever I want with you."

"Five years?" Erza swallowed, trying not to be distracted by the fingers brushing across the back of her neck. She had to do this and get back to Gray. His time was running out and she was the only one who could save him. She squeezed her eyes shut, then exhaled sharply. "Fine."

"Ooh, you must love him badly, this 'friend' of yours," Mira said, a vicious grin on her face. "How much would you give? What if I said one year? Would you still say yes? One year left on this earth to save his life?"

"I..."

"Would he do the same for you?" A flash of anger passed over Mira's face and she scowled, face twisting into something definitely demonic. "Humans are garbage. He doesn't deserve your sacrifice."

"That's my decision," Erza growled. "And yes, I'd do whatever it took. He's family. So if you wanna give me just one day, I'll take it. Just hurry up and help me save him."

Mira's face softened, suddenly, and for a brief second the redness receded from her face, leaving a young woman with the bluest eyes Erza had ever seen. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Just as quickly as it came, it passed, and the darkness consumed Mira once again. Erza frowned, uncertain.

"Give me your arm," Mira said, grabbing Erza's wrist and turning it up. She ran the now-solid pen over it and words began to appear, dark letters standing out against her pale skin. "It says that you agree to give me your soul in five years' time, in exchange for me saving your friend's life. Is that correct?" Erza nodded, feeling a slight sting as the words sunk into her arm.

"Is that it?" She asked, glancing back at the car. They needed to go – now.

"One more thing," Mira said, stepping closer to Erza and putting a hand on the back of her neck. "We have to seal the bargain." She gave Erza a surprisingly soft look and leaned in, quickly capturing Erza's lips with her own. Erza made a sound of surprise, but quickly melted into the kiss, instinctively reaching up her hand and touching the side of Mira's face. Her lips were so soft and warm – how could she possibly be a demon? Erza's chest tingled with excitement at the sensation, and made a disappointed sound when Mira pulled back.

"We..."

"Let's go," Mira said, giving Erza a dark smile. "You've got a friend to save."

"Son of a bitch." Erza slammed on the brakes as she pulled into the cul-de-sac where Bernice lived. Several hulking, vaguely dog-like shapes lurked around the home, red eyes flashing when they turned to see the vehicle. "She has hellhounds?"

"Someone really wants you dead," Mira said mildly, feet kicked up on the dash. "Pissed anyone off lately?"

"We kill monsters for a living," Erza replied shortly, swinging her door open and standing. She unsheathed her sword, wishing she had Gray's runes to empower it. "We piss off a lot of people. These are just her guard dogs, though - she's got demons after her." Turning back to see Mira still sitting in the front seat, she sighed. "You're not gonna help?"

"Hmm, you willing to take a few more years off?" Mira asked, raising her eyebrows. "I don't do anything for free." Erza rolled her eyes, hefting the sword as one of the hellhounds approached. The other two remained next to the house, guarding it against her.

"Fine. Stay here."

She took off running toward the beast, sword raised and teeth bared. It tried to leap at her but she drove the point of the sword into its chest, just above the left leg. It howled – an eerie, hollow sound that made the hairs on her arm stand on end. She swung around, planting her feet in a defensive stance and raising the blade across her body.

"C'mere, you bastard," she growled, stepping forward as the hound launched itself at her again. She swung at its head but it ducked, sweeping around and grabbing her arm in its jaws. Pain lanced through her forearm and she grunted, switching the sword to her left hand and driving it downward. Clearly the hellhound hadn't been expecting the offhand attack, and it attempted to move away a second too late. Erza shoved down with all her strength and the blade pierced directly through the beast's head.

"Impressive," Mira commented as the hellhound's jaws loosened on Erza's arm and it crumpled to the ground, quickly fading away into dust. Erza glanced up to see Mira leaning against the car, arms crossed over her stomach. Looking down at the damage on her arm, Erza winced – it was bleeding, but not badly. She could deal with it later.

"I'm not interested in your praise," Erza growled, moving her sword back to her right hand and swinging it experimentally. The pain was manageable. She glanced over to the hounds and drew Natsu's gun in her left hand, hoping she had enough iron rounds.

"You're injured," Mira replied, keeping step with Erza as she stalked toward the house. The hounds didn't move, just snarled and snapped at her, red eyes never looking away. "Can you take on two more? That arm doesn't look good."

"I'm fine," Erza said, bringing the pistol up and firing at the dog on the right. It yelped and jumped out of the way, the bullet missing and lodging itself into the side of the house. Erza cursed.

"The neighbors are going to hear gunshots," Mira said mildly. Erza grumbled – she was loath to admit it, but Mira was right. She holstered the gun and stood at the end of the driveway, shifting from one foot to the other. Should she attack? Wait? She couldn't wait, she'd already been gone long enough. And she had to get through that fucking witch to get back downstairs; she'd used up the candle's magic on her way out.

"Fuck this," she snarled, charging up the driveway with her sword held out in front of her. The first hound jumped at her, jaws open wide, but she feinted and spun on her heel, thrusting the blade at the back of its neck. The second beast charged toward her as the first one yelped in pain, rounding on her and growling. Now she was backed against the garage, both hounds baring their teeth and advancing.

Erza reached down to her thigh and pulled out a knife, whipping it at the hound on the left. The silver blade hissed and burned where it landed in the beast's throat. She took advantage of the distraction to jump towards the other one and stab her sword forward, driving it into the hellhound's chest.

"What in the hells is going-"

Erza glanced up to see Bernice standing on the front porch, magic crackling around her hands. She scowled at Erza, reaching into her pocket.

"You little bitch. I don't know how you got out of there but you're going right back." She raised her hand to toss whatever it was at Erza but froze partway, blocked by the appearance of Mira in front of her. The demon had moved so fast that Erza hadn't seen her, and Mira was now towering over Bernice.

"Get back," she said to Erza, voice softer than before. When Mira glanced over her shoulder, Erza swore her eyes were blue again. Before she could say anything, Mira whipped around again, snarling at Bernice.

"Witch," Mira hissed, and Erza didn't even have time to move before Mira thrust her hand into the woman's chest with a sickening crunch and wrenched out her heart. Bernice's face had only a moment to look shocked before she collapsed on the ground, blood gushing from the wound. Mira looked at the heart with disinterest before tossing it to one of the hellhounds. "Eat up," she said, gesturing to it. "And piss off. Your master's dead."

The hound on the left snatched up the heart and ate it in two bites, then growled at Mira, who snarled back at it, stalking forward. Both the beasts whined in fear, backing up several steps and then dissipating into black clouds of smoke.

"Amateur," Mira sighed, wiping her bloody hand on her pants. Erza stared at her, blade still gripped tightly in her hand. The demon looked bored already, ignoring the corpse on the front porch. "Shall we?" she asked, gesturing to the front door.

"Y-yeah," Erza stammered, sheathing her weapon and wobbling up to the front steps. She avoided looking at Bernice – it wasn't as if she hadn't seen corpses before, but the last time she'd seen a heart ripped out had been the werewolf case in Langley. Even then, it had turned her stomach.

She stumbled through the door, hoping to god that Bernice's husband was a deep sleeper, and made her way to the basement door. Before she could even try the handle, Mira grabbed the edge of the frame and forced the door open, bending it nearly in half.

"It was warded," she said, shrugging her shoulders and gesturing to the barrier at the bottom of the steps. It dissipated instantly. Erza ran down, turning the corner to see Natsu still sitting next to Gray. He was holding his partner's hand and running fingers through Gray's hair, murmuring something quietly. When he heard her, his head snapped up, hand immediately going to his gun.

"I'm back," Erza said breathlessly, moving to stand by the head of the cot. Gray's skin was pale and his forehead was beaded with sweat, and he was twitching restlessly in unconsciousness, making soft sounds of pain.

"He woke up for a bit," Natsu said quietly. "Passed out again not too long ago." He looked over at the stairs to see Mira standing there, one eyebrow raised as she examined the black marks on Gray's body. "This your demon?"

"Yeah." Erza placed a hand on Natsu's shoulder - she could feel how tense he was, wound tight, ready to snap. "I already made the deal. She has to help him." She held out her arm to show him the little red mark on the inside of her wrist - the only part of the contract that had stayed on her skin. Natsu made a sad sound and covered her hand with his. "It's okay," she murmured.

"How long?" he asked, but she shook her head.

Mira stepped closer to the table, gesturing for the two of them to move out of the way. Natsu refused to let go of Gray's hand, gripping it tightly as he shifted to the side. Mira looked down at Gray, face almost bored, and placed her hand on his forehead.

He cried out immediately, muscles stiffening and back arching up in pain. Natsu's hand went to his pistol, face murderous, but Mira waved her hand toward him, freezing him in place.

"Relax," she murmured, watching impassively as the darkness was drawn out of Gray's skin. He screamed again, head slamming back into the table. "I said I'd help him. I never said it wouldn't hurt." Natsu snarled and tried again to stand, struggling against the demon's powerful magic. "Sit." He slammed back into the chair, teeth driving into his lip. Blood trickled down his chin and he groaned.

Gray's body shook and arched up again, fingers tightening around Natsu's hand as he cried in pain. His eyes flew open suddenly, and Erza was horrified to see that they were entirely black. It only lasted a moment, though, as the darkness was wrenched from his body by Mira's hands.

The shouting stopped abruptly and Gray collapsed back onto the table, groaning but clearly conscious. Natsu stood up and grabbed him, pulling him up and putting a hand on the back of his head.

"Hey, look at me, love," he said, ducking to force Gray to look into his eyes. The foul-smelling poultice that the witch had set on Gray's chest fell down, leaving only bare, unblemished skin. Natsu exhaled sharply with relief and pulled Gray tight against him, kissing his head.

"What the hell..." Gray raised a hand to his chest, pulling back blinking at Natsu in confusion, then looking up at Mira. He yelped, backing up against the wall. "What the hell-"

"She saved you," Erza said, leaning over and wrapping her arms around Gray. He returned the embrace shakily, face buried in her sweater. Natsu reached out and grabbed her hand as well, gripping it so tightly she was surprised her fingers didn't break. The red mark on her wrist burned – she wasn't looking forward to the fallout from this. But her boys were safe, and that was all that mattered.

"Touching." Erza let go of Gray and turned to Mira, who was staring at her intently. The redness had receded a bit from her eyes, making her look far less deadly than the demon who, only minutes ago, had ripped a woman's still-beating heart from her chest. "He's really worth it?" She nodded her head at Gray, who was still staring at her apprehensively.

"Of course," Erza replied without hesitation. She rubbed her wrist and tried to push away the ball of fear that was forming in her stomach. They could worry about this later. Right now they needed to get to the car and get the hell out of here before the cops showed up and started asking questions about the soccer mom with a hole in her chest.

"Well, my work's done." Mira sighed, looking over to the stairs. "Good luck." She stepped forward, lightning quick, and grabbed Erza's wrist, pulling her in and kissing her again. Erza knew she should recoil from the contact but found that she couldn't, instead leaning into the demon's alluring charm. Gray and Natsu both made awkward noises behind her, but she couldn't be bothered to threaten them.

Mira pulled back from the kiss, placing her hand in the center of Erza's chest and pushing her back. She winked, turning toward the door. "See you in five years," she said.

"I don't think so," Natsu growled. Mira turned to look at him, head tilted to the side, and he grinned and pointed to the ceiling. "You guys are getting lazy."

On the concrete roof of the basement, in messy chalk, was a hastily scrawled pentagram, surrounded by arcane sigils. A Devil's Trap. Erza nearly laughed out loud.

"You cheater!" Mira screamed, trying to move out of the area but finding herself up against an invisible barrier. "You can't keep me here." She snarled and moved toward Natsu, who grabbed Gray's arm and pulled him out of the circle. Erza backed over to the other side. Mira whipped around to look at her, red receding from her eyes. "Please," she begged, and Erza nearly stepped forward to take her hand.

"She's fighting against it," Erza breathed, looking over at Natsu and Gray. "Against the demon. She's...she's done it a few times now." Natsu looked incredulous, glancing over at his partner.

"Is that even possible?" Gray asked, still looking pale and exhausted. Mira whipped her head around to snarl at him, redness flooding back into her eyes.

"All right love, I know you feel like shit, but a little magic would help right now," Natsu said softly to Gray, glaring up at the demon. "Feel up to an exorcism?" Gray nodded, motioning for Erza and Natsu to grab Mira and hold her still.

"I'm sorry," Erza said softly as she stepped into the circle, grabbing one of Mira's arms and pinning it behind her as Natsu took the other. The demon screamed, thrashing to throw them off, but they held firm. At least the trap had taken some of Mira's strength away - they would never have been able to contain her without it.

"Exorcizamus te, omnis immindus spiritus," Gray began, holding out his hand and moving it towards Mira. Streams of white magic swirled around his arm and hand – weaker than usual, but still there, enough to empower the exorcism. Mira howled, throwing her head back and grinding her teeth. "Omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursio infernalis adversari."

"Please," Mira begged again, and Erza could see her eyes flickering between red and blue, face contorted in pain. "Get it OUT!" She shuddered against their grasp and both Erza and Natsu planted their feet, holding on tighter as Gray pressed his palm to her forehead.

"Omnis legio," he shouted as Mira thrashed against him. "Omnis congregatio et secta diabolica!"

A great roaring filled the room as Mira screamed, a wicked spiral of black smoke streaming from her mouth. It tore out of her, slamming into the ceiling and spiraling back downward. Mira slumped back limply and Erza caught her under the arms, pulling her out of the circle and away from the rest of the exorcism.

Natsu joined in with Gray, and their chanting reached a crescendo as the jars around the room began to shatter, spraying pieces of glass and questionable contents over the floor. Erza shielded Mira with her body, wincing as tiny shards sliced at her face and neck. A resounding crack filled the air, and Erza saw Natsu stumble backward out of the corner of her eye.

"Thank...you." Erza looked down at the woman in her arms. She looked exhausted, but her eyes were clear and her smile was genuine. "Is it...gone?"

"Yes," Erza said, looking back toward the circle. Natsu had moved back over to Gray and had his partner's arm wrapped around his shoulders, and they both smiled wearily at Erza. Charred marks on the floor were the only signs of the demon's departure back to hell. "Yes, it's gone."

She helped Mira to her feet, and the young woman glanced over at Natsu and Gray, frowning and then shaking her head as if to rid herself of a bad dream. "Did I..." She looked down at her hands. "Did I hurt you?"

"Actually, you helped," Erza said, eyes flicking down to her wrist. She knew the red mark would still be there, but her stomach dropped anyway. Exorcisms only sent them back to hell. The demon would find a new host, or Erza would follow it into the inferno.

"We'll figure it out," Natsu said softly, seeing the expression on Erza's face. Gray frowned, then followed Erza's gaze to her wrist. His face dropped.

"You didn't," he whispered, bringing a hand up to where the hole in his chest should have been. "Erza, no, you..." Natsu squeezed him tightly around the waist, keeping him standing.

Erza tilted her head – she could hear the telltale call of sirens in the distance. Shit. "We gotta go," she said, gesturing to the stairs. "We'll talk about it later." She turned to Mira, who was staring at her with wide eyes. "Where are you from? Do you remember anything?"

Mira's face darkened and she looked at the floor. "I remember most of it," she replied quietly. Erza frowned – that was unusual. Everything about this situation was bizarre and it was throwing her off. "It's been years." Shit. She grabbed Mira's hand and tugged her toward the stairs.

"Come with us for now," she said as they made their way carefully back up. The first floor was silent and Erza sighed in relief. "We'll get you home." They picked their way to the front door, which was still open. Mira stepped out onto the porch and looked over at Bernice's corpse, face drawn in grief.

"I did that," she whispered, pulling her hand away from Erza and crossing her arms over her stomach. "Oh gods, I killed her." Erza hovered behind her, uncertain.

"Let's go," Natsu hissed, helping Gray down the stairs and leading him toward the car. Erza touched Mira's arm, taking her elbow gently and guiding her down the steps. Mira followed without resisting, a blank look on her face.

"It wasn't you," Erza insisted, pulling out the car keys and opening the door for Mira. Natsu and Gray were in the back seat, Gray leaning heavily against his partner. Mira slid into the front seat, looking up at Erza with tired eyes.

"I don't have a home," she said softly. "She killed them. All of them."

"Jesus," Natsu said softly, reaching up to touch the back of the chair. "I'm sorry."

Erza darted around the car and slid into the driver's seat, starting it up and throwing it into drive. The sirens were closer now and she cursed – this was definitely going to be a chase.

"We've got you now," Erza said, reaching over and grabbing Mira's hand. The sensation of the demon kissing her still lingered on her lips, and she wondered if it would be the same with this version of Mira. "Things are about to get fun. You ready?"

Mira gave Erza a soft, genuine smile and squeezed her hand, then nodded at the police cruiser that was approaching the cul-de-sac. "Should we go?"

"Get us the hell out of here," Natsu said as Erza slammed her foot on the gas and jerked the wheel sideways, speeding down the road past the cruiser. She turned onto the next street and the sirens got louder – the cop was following them. A touch on her shoulder was followed by a series of runes flowing down her arms and into the vehicle, kicking it into overdrive. Gray pulled back his hand and collapsed against Natsu, empty.

"Drive like hell," he said, breathing heavily as Erza switched gears and sped around a corner. "And we're never fucking dealing with witches again."