Bane (The Devil's Roses 2)

She shook her head, "No this is a bad idea."

Daniel leaned forward, "We've done this thousands of times Ari, we have to train and your training for the Roses is just starting now."

Ari looked at Aimee noticing her face clouding over.

Dorian stepped into the doorway, "Ari I will be there too honey. You'll be fine."

Ari gulped. She didn’t mind Dorian the way Aimee did but there was something about him she wasn’t completely comfortable with.

"Lets do this before she makes it bigger than it is in her mind."

Lorri looked back at Daniel as she walked from the room, "How quickly does she heal?"

"Thus far we've seen miraculous, so as quickly as Dorian I believe."

Dorian smiled at her, "That's my girl."

She shivered at his black eyes, they looked soulless.

Lucas took her hand again squeezing it and pulling her down the corridor.

They walked to the elevator and got in. Ari looked around confused until the doors opened revealing a forest. She looked at Aimee who smiled, "It’s the trial room. There is a section with like buildings and forest and stuff. It's so you can fight realistically."

Ari gulped, "Like the Matrix?" She reached out touching the tree in front of her, it felt completely real.

Everyone laughed, "No babe its like a movie set, it's really there. The trees and rocks are lifelike but not living."

She put her hands on her hips glaring at Lucas, "What? I don’t watch a lot of movies okay. I was training for iron man competitions and worrying about graduating from high school. Jeesh."

"Okay well Aimee why don’t you girls go over to the north and we will set the attack." Daniel pointed.

Aimee took Ari by the arm and pulled her along, "Come on. Stop touching everything."

"This is pretty cool."

"Yeah it's wicked cool but it's also a set not the real thing. It breaks and then Daniel gets mad."

Ari frowned walking through the forest almost lost by the density of the trees around her and the light coming from the skylights high above. Rocks, sticks, bark, trees, leaves and even a couple birds perched on branches surrounded them. It was a real forest only like twenty stories above the ground. The forest cleared coming to a couple small trailers. They had windows and a blue sky painted above them.

She marveled, "It is like The Matrix or Star trek, you know the Holodeck on Generations."

Aimee laughed, "Oh my god I thought I was the only nerd who watched that show. Remember the episode where Worf and Alexander and Troi were trapped in the Western?"

Ari giggled, "That was awesome, Wil Wheaton was hot."

"Ohhhh yeah. He was smoking in his uni."

Ari looked at Aimee, "Why cant life be simple like before?"

Aimee shrugged, "Its life Ari, things get tossed in the air sometimes and no matter how they land you have to be ready to fight for what you have."

Ari nodded, "I know I just wish…"

Aimee hugged her, "Me too." She pulled her back, "Ready?"

Ari shook her head, "What's going to happen?"

Aimee shrugged, "Not sure. Just be ready. Ears open, eyes open, smells in the air."

"Ouu like that one?"

Aimee's eyes narrowed, "Oh Dorian for god sake just come out. We can smell your dead flesh from all the way over here."

He stepped out of the house beside her, "Hurtful." He put an arm on Ari, "Just try to relax Ari."

Aimee frowned, "Why are you so nice to her and a total dick to me?"

He shrugged taking a step toward her obviously making Aimee nervous, "Something about you bugs me Aimee."

Aimee stood her ground unflinching, "Ari I smell wolf."

Ari smelled her arms making sure it wasn’t her.

Dorian laughed, "Not on you honey, it's in the air. Can you smell it?"

Ari put her nose to the air and closed her eyes, she could smell Henry she was certain. She crouched snapping her fingers making sparks. She hadn’t noticed them getting hot but they were burning.

Aimee held her arm out, "Touch my hand and control it even though it's turned on."

Ari went to shake her head but she knew it was going to happen whether she fought it or not. She put her hand on Aimee. The push started to spark but Ari held it. She vibrated slightly controlling it. Instantly feeling in control and excited she pulled away smiling.

"Nice."

The large black wolf was silent but she saw the movement off to the side. She ran at him dodging as he leapt at her. She grabbed the branch that hung low nearest her and swung to the side. She watched as his muzzle came at her arm with huge teeth bared. She put her hand out to touch him but another wolf had her arm in seconds pulling her from the tree ripping her skin.

She let herself drop as her other hand came free. She put it to the side of the brown wolfs face. His green eyes sparkled as they met her own dark eyes. The black wolf was on her pinning her as the brown wolf fell away to the ground fighting the sleep she tried to force on him. She pulled the bleeding arm out from under the brown wolf almost waving it in front of the black wolfs face. His jaw snapped at the blood but her hand came up too quickly freezing him. His eyelids closed on the dark eyes. She panted trying desperately to slide her body out from under the hundreds of pounds of fur and sleeping wolf.

She listened to the forest looking for Aimee and Dorian but she found herself completely alone. A subtle sound filled the fake forest but her heartbeat overpowered the hidden noise. She shoved the wolves off her and was on her feet trying to control her heartbeat within seconds looking around for the source of the noise.

From the corner of her eye she saw a flash of something, it looked as if it were a woman. The brown wolf moved still distracting her from the streak moving in the forest about to try to take a shot at her. She saw the flash and jumped out of the way quickly rolling along the ground hitting a log.

The flash was Lorri, she moved with incredible speed. Ari leapt again trying to avoid her grasping claws. Completely unsure of what Lorri was but knowing she needed to escape she tried to stay a step ahead. Lorri was too fast catching Ari mid air and slamming her to the ground. Ari felt all her wind leave her upon impact and blackness try to take her. She caught a glimpse of Lorri's face smelling the ripped skin of her arms before she was gone.

Chapter Eighteen- Lucifer, Obviously a Chick Name

Aimee

She watched the battle taking place trying not to notice Dorian observing her continuously. Ari handled the wolves both well even if it was odd Lucas seemed to be building a resistance to Ari's special blend of ass kicking. Her arm was bleeding which was fortunate as Aimee saw Lorri making her way to Ari. Nothing distracted Lorri like blood. Ari tried to out maneuver her but Lorri was too fast as Aimee expected her to be. Even winking herself sometimes wasn’t fast enough to escape Lorri. She truly was one of a kind. As Lorri pinned Ari, Aimee watched Lorri's jaw open as her eyes fixated on the blood, running as fast as she could she dove touching Ari before Lorri could get a lick and winked them both out.

The cool air hit like a ton of bricks as they both stood on the roof of the building. Aimee held Ari up holding her in her arms.

"It's okay Ari you're safe now."

Ari shook as her knees buckled, "They bit me. I think they broke my arm."

Aimee touched her and nodded, "Yup they did."

Ari started to cry, "What was that all for? Lorri tried to eat me and the wolves, my own boyfriend tried to eat me. What kind of sick place is this? I wanna go home. I want Lydia. I'm done."

Aimee tried not to laugh remembering her own breaking point. She'd thrown her hissy fit only steps from their current location.

She wrapped herself tightly around Ari and guided her back into the building. She winked them into the med lab. Ari swooned and passed out. Aimee knew everyone hated traveling with her but at least if she was going to pass out it was where the doctors could help her heal.

Daniel walked into the lab smiling regardless of the fact Ari was in a pile on the floor, "That was amazing, for a first time my god. She was perfect."

Lucas ran into the lab looking no worse for wear, "Is she alright? Did Lorri get a bite off?"

Aimee shook her head, "Lorri would be throwing up right now if she drank her blood. Where's Henry?"

Lucas smiled, "Past out, he's still wolfie too."

Daniel frowned, "Why aren’t you?"

Lucas picked Ari up off the floor and put her on the cot, "Not sure but her touch didn’t knock me out this time. She pushed, I felt it but I was able to fight it."

"Like your body evolved and knew how to fight it?"

Lucas shrugged, "You're the genus here Dan not me. Why is she unconscious?"

Aimee smirked, "She had a full fledged freak out on the roof top, it was awesome. Very I want my mommy. Reminded me of me when I was new here."

Lucas kissed Ari's unconscious cheek, "I think we've all felt that way one time or another. Things feel so hopeless and overwhelming for us sometimes."

"Speak for yourself hound." Lorri growled coming around the corner shooting daggers at Aimee.

Aimee smirked, "Someone bitchy from the near miss?"

She snarled, "I had it under control." She looked at Daniel, "I'll be back later."

He nodded trying not to laugh.

She stormed from the room.

"She's going to eat someone."

Aimee nodded sighing, "Yeah."

"She really is the devil."

"She really is."

Lucas looked back at them, "Like the actual devil?"

Aimee nodded, "Yeah, the actual devil."

"Lucifer?"

Daniel nodded pressing his lips together, "Lucifer."

Lucas looked at Aimee, "You nearly let Lucifer eat my girlfriend?"

Aimee smiled, "I had it under control the entire time and honestly Lorri does really well at keeping the beast in check."