Strays: A Romantic Fantasy Adventure

“Okay. Go for it.”

Ivy stared deeply into Ren’s eyes, her soft violet falling into his endless blue. She narrowed her lids ever so slightly, her vision becoming blurry behind the strain that she pushed against them. All of her thoughts silenced, every ounce of her concentration focusing solely on what she wanted.

“Bring me something to drink,” she commanded, her voice sweet but tired.

Ren sat quietly, his attention unwavering from hers, waiting to feel some mysterious way but only feeling the same as he always did. “Sorry, Little One.” He gave her a small smile. “Nothing. It was a good try though, and you’re still so cute that I’ll do it anyways. What do you want?”

“Nothing. It was the only thing I could think of.” Ivy sighed miserably, only feeling lower about herself despite the encouragement.

By the time Zero and her had returned to the house earlier that day, she had been able to calm down considerably, but still felt the weight of her actions so heavy on her. Even though her tears had mostly dried, her voice felt weak, and so the boy had explained to the other pair what had happened. They had looked at her with such compassion and concern, which only made the girl feel worse.

It was just another reason for everyone to worry about her.

Just like they always did.

And that was the last thing she wanted.

Ivy wanted to be more like her companions, strong and able to take care of herself and those around her, the same way they always did for her. So, it had seemed like a good idea to try to do to them what she had been able to do to the man by the training grounds. Of course, they had all agreed and sat with her on the veranda as Ivy worked her way around the group, staring at them with all the intensity that she could muster, and trying to get them to do what she said. But every time it ended the same, with none of them having the uncontrollable urge to obey, but each willing to do it anyway.

It was so disappointing.

She had no idea how she was able to order the man earlier into doing what she wanted. His eyes were like those of the men who would swarm around her in cities, cloudy and distant, but this man hadn’t grabbed at her or done as he pleased. He didn’t chant words of adoration or make her feel afraid. For the first time, a man was completely at her mercy, dedicated to her word, a slave to her will. Something had come over her, and she had felt a way that she never had before.

She had felt powerful.

She had felt in control.

She had felt as if the world was hers, and everyone was beneath her.

But now, there was nothing left inside of her but an emptiness that she didn’t know how to fill.

Sakura sat glaring at the two as they gazed at each other, her body fidgeting in frustration as she chewed her cheek roughly. No matter how hard she scoured through her mind the years of information and knowledge she had obtained about different beings, she was still at a compete loss as to what Ivy’s newest ability could mean.

The girl loved to sing but she wasn’t a siren.

She attracted men but she wasn’t a succubus.

She had magical abilities but wasn’t an enchantress.

Or a witch.

She wasn’t a human.

She wasn’t an angel.

She wasn’t a devil.

She wasn’t anything that Sakura had endlessly studied about for the last six years.

She was a mystery.

And Sakura couldn’t solve her.

“Maybe you have to be upset?”

They all looked at the soft-spoken devil who had watched Ivy just as intensely the entire time, the gears in his brain turning quietly compared to the squealing and grinding and screaming of the one’s in the demon’s mind.

“You were upset, right?” he asked the girl.

She nodded, her voice void of her normal peppy energy. “I was. I was really mad at that man. But…” She wasn’t sure how to explain. “It was more than that. It was like I was feeling something else. Like it wasn’t just mine. But it added to mine and made it more.” She looked down into her lap, her hands clasped tightly together. “I don’t know how to explain it. It makes no sense.”

Ren smoothed her hair, reassuring her gently. “You did well, Little One. No need to force it.”

“Well, if there’s any place that’ll make you mad, it’ll be here.” The demon sighed, lost on what direction to take next. “I guess there’s always the option of just parading you around and seeing what happens.”

“I’d rather not, I feel exhausted just from that.” The girl looked over at the sun dipping past the horizon, already wishing for bed. They hadn’t even prepared supper yet, but she didn’t feel like she could even manage that, let alone eating. All she wanted was to curl up and close her eyes.

Without a word, Zero stood and extended his hand to her. Ivy took the offering with a weary smile and followed him inside.

“Goodnight you two, get some rest. We’ll make our plans in the morning.” Sakura called after the retreating pair, her worry pouring from her the moment the door closed. “This was a bad idea,” she admitted quietly, staring at her hands that were anxiously fighting against each other. “If I would have known that this place was going to affect Ivy like this, I would have never considered staying.”

“Oh, stop. You worry too much. She’ll be alright.” Ren wasn’t nearly as concerned as he laid back on the veranda, cradling the back of his head in his hands while he crossed one leg over the other and bopped his foot in the air absentmindedly. “She’ll be back to her normal, bubbly self tomorrow. You’ll see.”

“I’ve never seen her like this. She’s been tired and even grumpy and whiny before. But she’s never been…” She tried to find the words. “Drained. Like there’s nothing left.” She looked down at the angel, the realization hitting her. “She’s like Zero.”

He considered it for a few moments before agreeing with her assessment. “What if she sleeps for days?”

“Then we’re carrying her out of here and never looking back.”

“You know, she can probably learn to control it, just as Zero has,” the angel suggested, his face lighting up while he kept his voice low despite the giddiness growing within him. “And just imagine when she does. What she’ll be able to do. I’ve never heard of anyone being able to control someone just by looking at them. But Ivy did. I wonder how far that ability can extend. Whether she’s only able to control one person at a time or a whole group of them.”

Sakura was quiet, thinking it over. At first, she had been filled with a sense of dread and uncertainty. It pained her to see Ivy in that way, and her first reaction was to protect the girl at any cost.

But perhaps she was looking at it all the wrong way.

Maybe Ren had a point.

“You might be right.” She tested her thoughts out loud. “If Ivy can learn to control it, then we wouldn’t have to worry about her getting separated and something happening to her. She could take care of herself and keep all those men from attacking her until we could get back to her. It would really give her more independence, and us peace of mind.”

A dark brow raised, and Ren looked towards the darkening sky, all the enjoyment sucked right out of the fantasy he had created in regard to Ivy’s powers. “Well, I was thinking it could be used for more fun things, but yeah, sure. That too. I guess.”

“Oh, stop it! Ivy would never do any of the things you’re imagining up, anyways. She’s too kindhearted for that, and she’s not here for your entertainment.” She glared at the man as he shrugged off her disdain for his own self-interests. “But even if she can learn to control it, it’s going to be a lot more difficult for her than it was for Zero. We can’t just do what we did with him, and it’s not like she gets mad often. It doesn’t seem like something we can work on with her.”

“Well, then she’ll figure it out in her own time.”

Her head bobbed in agreement. “I’m sure she will.” She paused. “Regardless, we should leave tomorrow. I think we’ve overstayed our welcome. Which, really, was never much of a welcome at all.”

Ren chuckled, perking back up again. “But then you’ll miss your courtship with the alpha and what a shame that would be. No one wants that.”

The woman groaned at the reminder. “Fuck. I don’t wanna do that. It’s probably going to be worse than I imagine.” Her brow rose towards the giggling man. “And you’re just going to do nothing? Just let me go? No whining? No begging me to stay? Nothing?”

“You’re being silly. Why would I ever try to stop you from going?”

She stared at him with a blank expression, not believing a word he said.

He gazed back at her, his lips curving towards the lust in his eyes. “Don’t look at me like that. I don’t care if some other man gives you attention. They should. They should all watch you the way I do. You are the most enchanting creature that has ever graced the land, heavens, or seven hells, and they should all bear witness to what they will never have. To what is mine. I don’t care about them. I only care about who you pay attention to, and I’m not too concerned with it going to a man who can’t even figure out how to get a tunneler out of its hidey-hole.”

Her leg slipped out from under her, her toe poking the angel in the side. “Is that so? And what if he says all the right things and woos me into giving all my attention to him?”

“I guess I’ll have to stop being a coward and take it back.” He grabbed her foot, rolling it in circles. “It’s mine, I own it, so don’t go giving it away.”

Sakura grinned slyly. “I can’t make any promises.”

“I wouldn’t expect you to, not with all the temptation that will be before you tomorrow.” Ren’s smile grew at the woman’s obvious disgust. “But if you want to go tomorrow, then that’s fine. You need to talk to Ivy first, though. Even though today didn’t end well, she enjoys learning about all those different plants and concoctions and what not. She’s good at doing the healer thing, which we need since someone can’t keep their teeth to themselves.” He glared at the vixen as she quickly averted her eyes and snickered. “I don’t blame you for wanting to leave, but it wouldn’t be fair to pull her away all of a sudden. She may want to go, but she may want to stay a bit longer, and she should have a say in what we do.”

She sighed. “You’re right. She’s not a child anymore. I can’t always make all the decisions. I need to remember that.” A small, nostalgic pout puckered on her lips. “It’s just so hard sometimes. When I first found her, she was almost like a toddler. Just so amazed by everything around her and always wanting my attention and to cling to me. She used to follow me around and I had to do everything for her, like I was her mother. Then, suddenly, I didn’t, and she was doing it all on her own. It makes me sad. I don’t want to let her go.”

Ren tugged her big toe. “You’re such a mother hen.”

“I know. She’s my baby.”

He wrapped his fingers around her ankle and pulled the woman closer. “I’ll help you make new babies. Lots of them. And they can all follow you around screaming and crying and whining and demanding. They’ll be just like their mother. Doesn’t that sound nice?”

Her foot escaped his hold and dug harshly into his side as his torso jerked away. “Nobody wants your babies,” she shot back. “Besides, we have to finish raising the ones we’ve got first before we worry about that.”