Yue Yan shifted away from the wall and stalked towards her. It was just like an animal stalking prey, Yan Mei felt the shoes slip off her fingers, quickly followed by the bag as she took one quick step backward. “What are you doing?” she asked, hating that her voice was shaky

”You can’t be that clueless” was the sudden retort.

Yan Mei tried another tack, “why are you doing this?” she was not just stalling her, she really needed to know

”Because I can” Yue Yan shrugged in an apathetic move but kept moving forward.

”Is this a mental health something? Do you want to see a doctor?” The moment she said those words Yan Mei winced, knowing the words would just push Yue Yan into a raging mood.

Instead of the expected outrage, the words made her pause and laugh uproariously, the sound was loud and raucous, grating on her nerves in the room. Yue Yan shook her head after a while, the cruel mockery obvious from even across the room “of course you want to help, of course, if I say yes you would believe me, you want to believe me so bad don’t you human?”

Yan Mei swallowed and realized her throat was dry and got like a desert under a scorching midday sun. Of course, she knew something was clearly wrong, but she couldn’t deny that she wanted the solution to be something really simple, like a psychotic break brought on by a three-year-long coma.

But even she couldn’t deny it was much more than that, she suddenly felt lost and alone. An acute feeling that had her wondering where everyone was, several scenarios passed through her mind, each one worse than the one that came before it. It wasn’t even an exaggeration, this Yue Yan looked capable of anything, the way she kept calling her ‘human’ with a sneer of disgust promised terrible things.

Yue Yan slowed her stride, stopping just an arm’s length away from her, eyes fixed on her. Those eyes were terrible, even the warm glow of the room didn’t detract from the sadistic nature gleaming there. Yan Mei flinched involuntarily, feeling alone in the big house. “Where is everyone else?”

”Gone,” the tone was flat, final.

”No!” She couldn’t help the gasping sob that erupted out of her, she couldn’t allow herself to believe it even as the grief coated her tongue with a bitter taste and tears prickled her eyes

”Not dead, just gone” Yue Yan continued, the amusement in her eyes was hard to miss

”And Lei Zhao ?” Something drove her to ask, somehow she knew he was not part of everyone else

”Conveniently out of it” Yue Yan replied with another shrug but there was no missing the extremely satisfied look on her face, it was more than a taunt.

Yan Mei couldn’t help the sudden rush of anger that coursed through her, a strong protective urge coming over her. “What did you do to him, bitch?”

Yue Yan’s eyebrows quivered with the anger in her voice, her eyes shining with mockery and avarice. “I’m impressed, your first swear word in years, daddy dear would be very proud.”

”Do you know my father?” her reply was automatic

”Close,” was the retort delivered in the same vein

”What are you planning on doing?”

”Destroying you of course,” the tone was conversational, there was no missing her intent.

Yan Mei flinched, her body flooded with fresh adrenaline, tensing for flight “Why?”

”The list is long and you truly deserve it but the best part is; because I can.” Yue Yan offered before taking a small step forward, Yan Mei darted to the side, keeping the same distance between them, her speed spurred by pure desperation and fear

”Why would you do this?” She asked, unable to hide the way her body shook, jerky movements that made her seem disjointed and convulsed. Her anger drained away to be replaced by bone-deep exhaustion. “Why would you do this to me, I took you for a sister. What would Lei Zhao think? He’s your friend, please stop”

”Friend?” Yue Yan stopped, if looks could kill, Yan Mei knew she would be dead already. The girl moved towards hard as she started laughing, she laughed even harder than the first time and a slow change came over her features.

To Yan Mei , it was as if a canvas was rolled away and a whole different person was revealed. Those amber

/yellow eyes remained the same but everything else became more vivid, almost alive in its own way.

Yue Yan’s height almost doubled, her form lengthening and packed with lean muscle, claws and horns graced her features, finally her lips curved in a smile that exposed very sharp and bone-white teeth.

Yue Yan walked at her during the metamorphosis, stalking her in a circle until she stood between her and the door, cutting off any illusions of escape. Not that she believed it anyway, she had seen appendages that looked like wings during their standoff and Yan Mei knew that even if she ran for her life, between the wings and her freakishly tall height she wouldn’t get very far at all. The thought was painfully sobering for a person who prided themselves on being strong and surviving, in her mind she already knew there was no surviving this.

Yue Yan paused when she didn’t get the reaction she expected. Her demon form was alluring and dangerous and people reacted to it in different ways. This close to someone she considered prey and had shown nothing but pure aggression, she expected anger, fear and panic. Not the look of determined anger or that infuriating calm.

”You’re not surprised” The raspy voice that issued out of that terrible mouth sent chills racing down her spine, it was like gravel and honey.