A/N: So this was kind of inspired by "I Fell in Love with the Devil" by Avril Lavigne (I am too obsessed with this song for my own good). Special thanks to TrashcanKitty for bringing it to my attention. I hope you all will enjoy this (not so short) AU. Reviews are always appreciated.

She looked at the white crystal blade imbued with fairy dust. It gave off the yellow shimmer typical for the substance. It was so different from the cold shine of the last blade she'd used. Understandably so since they served different purposes. She was trying to banish the creature she'd summoned so recklessly in search of power.

She picked up the dagger she'd made herself. It had to work after everything she'd gone through to put it together.

The blade was from obsidian which could only be found around active volcanoes since it was a forbidden substance. It was said to come from a realm called Obsidian that was the home of all evil. It passed through the volcanoes where it got melted and then solidified again when the lava cooled down, but it was said that even that couldn't change its structure. It was still the embodiment of evil and extracted all dark energy from its surroundings, which made it the perfect material to power countless dark spells.

That was why it was forbidden and all active volcanoes were supervised, the obsidian pieces confiscated as soon as they were solid enough to be picked up. She'd almost gotten caught and confiscated herself during the short window of a few seconds she'd made for herself to grab a piece. And it had almost been too small for her purposes. But she'd managed to shape it into a blade with a handle like the letter v.

Next had been the tears. She couldn't remember the last time she'd cried. Tears had been ruled out long before she'd even thought of setting foot in Cloud Tower. She could, of course, hurt herself badly enough to make herself cry but the tears had to be emotionally charged which complicated things. At least they had to carry negative energy which made her task easier but not by much.

What had finally done it for her had been the memory of the humiliation and betrayal she'd felt when her best friend and roommate had turned out to be a fairy. It had taken her months to make all the other witches in Cloud Tower stop calling her a pixie. Even her position at the top of every class hadn't been enough to convince them until she'd shown them the dark power of her magic a bit more... directly.

The memory had brought back enough frustration for it to start overflowing from her eyes. She'd been so caught up in the images in her own mind that she'd missed the first few tears, but more had kept coming as the rage had built inside her. She had to make them solid while were still on her skin so that they could count as a part of her. A task none too easy either, but she'd had enough determination to see it through.

She'd ended up with small beads colored in the poisonous green of her magic all over her cheeks. Removing them had been a pain, too, causing more tears to spring to her eyes but she'd forced those back. That, at least, she was good at.

Though the next part had been tear worthy as well. She'd had to cut long strands of her hair to weave the tears in so that she could then attach them to the handle of the dagger.

After all that physical and emotional pain, she finally had the dagger necessary for summoning the Dark Dragon that was said to have knowledge on all magic and every spell that had ever been created. The only other thing she needed to get him out of his frozen prison in the Omega dimension was blood. She had to draw a circle crossed with a v on the ground that would allow him to stay in her dimension long enough for them to strike a deal. It would also keep him from hurting her.

She put the blade to her palm, hesitating for just a second. The moment it cut through her skin, the obsidian would start draining the darkness from within her even faster which would leave her shaken and her magic weaker. It could put her in danger if she hadn't done everything right.

She pressed the blade into her palm, forcing the thought out of her mind. It wasn't the time to doubt herself after she'd come so far. It was never time to doubt herself.

She felt the sting of the dagger piercing her skin and then the warmth of the blood oozing from the cut. She concentrated on drawing the circle just like it was shown in her spell book. She felt lightheaded from the combined effect of the obsidian sucking out her darkness and the blood loss but she gritted her teeth and continued.

The moment she finished the symbol, it started glowing in purple and she jumped back when flames burst out of the floor. The proof that it was working gave her legs enough strength to keep supporting her despite the exhaustion that had made itself at home in her drained of energy body.

The sight of the figure that appeared amidst the flames chased it away completely, making room for excitement to fill her. There'd been no description of him which she preferred to interpret as no successful attempts at summoning him. Until now.

She'd succeeded. There he stood in front of her with all the might and presence of an ancient force that captured your attention in its seductive but vicious grip. He looked just a bit older than her but the power he clearly possessed could hardly be acquired in several lifetimes, not to mention a single one. It was so alluring that she yearned to be closer.

His eyes found hers as if drawn by her desire and he took a step towards her, moving out of her summoning circle – something that should've been impossible. It had to be impossible for she wouldn't be able to defend herself against him otherwise.

She took a step back, her lips parting in shock. She knew she'd performed every part of the ritual correctly. Which meant that he was more powerful than expected. She was yet to make up her mind on whether that excited or scared her.

"Running from the knowledge you sought so adamantly?" he asked, his voice smooth and devoid of any rage but carrying a mocking hint.

Griffin lifted her chin defiantly, allowing a scowl to slip over her face. "I'm not running," she said firmly, forbidding herself to sound even slightly intimidated by his power–it was what she was after, after all–and stepped forward to prove it, leaving them just a foot apart.

His hand found hers, sending a surge of power through her veins. It was invigorating. Like the high she'd feel when she won a magical fight that had her life on the line. Only, much stronger.

It disappeared when his hand closed around the handle of the dagger and he pulled it out of her grip. The sight of him with a weapon in hand shouldn't make her uneasy since he was a weapon himself, yet, it did. Still, she forced her face to stay blank and her body to remain calm and still, unwilling to give him another reason to think her scared and weak.

He didn't seem to be paying attention to her as he worked on slicing up the glove he was wearing with the clean edge of the dagger. It was off in no time with the dexterity of his movements and he turned the blade around. The blood that was left on it from when she'd used it disappeared into his skin.

"It was a delight to be summoned by your dark blood, Griffin," he said as he handed her back the dagger.

She took it from him, the opportunity for their hands to touch again remaining missed, much to her chagrin, as she met his look with one of awe. "How do you know my name?" she forced the words out to pull herself out of her stupor. It wasn't surprising that he did, with all the power coming off of him in waves that pulled her closer, but she'd summoned him to learn from him. Why waste another perfectly good opportunity?

The corner of his mouth twitched up as he most certainly guessed her thoughts. "A more interesting question is what do you know about your name?" he asked, leaving her staggered again, and moved back to the circle of her blood on the ground. He knelt down and touched his fingers to it to absorb that as well.

Her attention was fully captured by the entrancing sight of him swallowing her blood as if it were oxygen to the point where she forgot about his question. That was until he spoke again.

"The griffin is a powerful and majestic creature said to be the guardian of priceless possessions and divine power." He looked at her as he withdrew his hand from the floor, having drained all of her blood spilled on it. "Who named you, Griffin?"

"My mother," she answered shortly, unsure of just where he was going with this.

He got up, towering over her with his knowledge and comprehension of magic. "I'm assuming she was a witch, too?"

Griffin nodded, wary of her mother being brought into the conversation.

"She must have been to have picked out such a powerful name for you," he said, looking lost in his own musings. She quickly realized how deceitful that impression was when his sharp gaze met hers as if trying to dissect her. "She's destined you for greatness."

Griffin disagreed. Her mother had never seemed impressed by power. Not by Griffin's power anyway. Every time she'd show her the latest spell she'd added to her magical arsenal, her mother would react the same. With a mellow smile and no more pride in her daughter's accomplishments than she'd shown even when Griffin hadn't had any power. It had never been enough to impress her. So Griffin had signed up for Cloud Tower to learn more. She'd then joined the Coven to get stronger. And now she'd summoned him to get more powerful.

"But just how much?" he asked, startling her out of her thoughts just in time for her to notice his surprise attack, causing her to drop the dagger.

She dodged. Barely. But that was enough. She was unscathed and expected his next move so she managed to shield herself when it came. However, her magic still wasn't fully restored after the summoning ritual and she wouldn't be able to keep it up for long. And he didn't seem to plan on stopping.

With some careful planning and quick maneuvering she opened herself an opportunity to attack him. She threw a blast of magic of her own that hit him square in the chest even though he'd had more than enough time to dodge or even shield himself.

She paused.

He hit the wall behind him and let out a laugh at the impact.

She frowned.

"You've proven strong enough for me to share my secrets with," he said as he pushed himself up to his feet.

A pleasant shiver ran down her spine. She was proud of herself. "So that was a test?" she let her hands down and kept her guard up.

"My knowledge is not for everyone," he said as he came closer, though this time it didn't stir the urge to back away in her. "And neither is my name. I'm Valtor, bearer of the Dark Dragon Fire," he introduced himself as he extended his hand towards her, his palm turned upwards.

That explained the role of the v in the summoning ritual. It also explained the tremendous flow of power in him. He possessed the primal source of all magic. A dark version of it.

"And this is for you," he said as a necklace with a golden symbol appeared in his hand. "This is the monad. It will give you the power of the sun, the moon, the elements, and the fire."

"I thought the fire was an element," she said as she reluctantly tore her gaze away from the powerful symbol to look at him.

"The Dragon Fire is a force of its own that's separate from the elements," he explained.

She looked back at the symbol in his hand and ran her fingers over its shining beauty.

"I never thought I'd find someone to give this to."

She looked up at him to find his gaze fixed on her and the ardency in it made the pleasant shivers return. "Why not?" she asked, hoping it wouldn't give him a reason to stop looking at her like that.

"It's made of the purest gold and forged in Dragon Fire. It won't lend its power to just anyone," he explained, making her look at the necklace the way he'd been looking at her. "But now that I've seen your eyes," he said, causing her gaze to return on him, "I know it was made for you," he finished and she knew that as long as he was with her, the shivers wouldn't disappear. "It can be yours," he withdrew his hand an inch, breaking his spell over her, but not her determination.

"What do you want in return?" she asked readily. She'd summoned him to make a deal with him, after all.

"Your soul," he was looking at her carefully, waiting for her reaction.

"Not sure I have one but-"

"Believe me, you do," he interrupted her and if this time the chills were a little different and not all that pleasant, she didn't pay attention to them. She was too busy selling her soul.

"It's all yours," she said, holding his gaze to show him–and herself–that she wasn't scared of his conditions or her own readiness to comply with them.

He smiled and rounded her, his intentions becoming clear to her when he moved her hair over her shoulder.

She reached back to help him but, even though she was operating blindly, her hands didn't meet his. And she couldn't help but notice that neither the leather of the glove he still had on on his right hand, nor the bare skin of his left hand touched her while he fastened the necklace around her neck. She ran her fingers over the symbol once again and the power it charged her with distracted her from the lack of his powerful touch.

He ran a hand over her hair, causing the strands she'd had to cut off to make the dagger to grow back. One movement of his hand and it was back to its full glory.

She whipped around to thank him but before she could open her mouth, he caught her hand in his, his skin finally meeting hers. She felt the same surge of power as before but this time it was somewhat clearer. It was as if he was speaking to her through his magic but now she could understand it.

He lifted her hand to his mouth and pressed his lips against her palm, making all of her thoughts cease altogether. The air he breathed out was warm against the incision on her palm and made it close, the magic on his breath healing it.

He pulled away and when their eyes met, he licked off the blood left on his lips.

Griffin knew she was in trouble. He had her blood. He had her soul. He had her life.

He had too much power. He had too much power over her. She had to rid the world of him. She had to rid herself of him.

When he'd told her he wanted her soul, she'd thought he wanted to possess it. Take it after she died and do with it as he pleased. But she'd already willingly let him have it and his love was killing her while his want was killing the world. He was stealing the magic of entire planets and murdering those who got in his way. And she couldn't make herself get in his way which was killing her all on its own. So she had to get him out of her world. She had to get him out of her soul.

She was about to press the blade into her palm when Valtor materialized in front of her, making her jump, and she almost dropped the delicate dagger. The fragile white crystal would need a lot less to break than the solid obsidian. How typical of him – shattering everything in his way.

"That will be just a waste of blood," he said, not sounding surprised or angered by the compromising position he'd caught her in. "It would be a shame to waste something so sweet," he added and his eyes sparkled hungrily. And here she'd thought he had more to worry about than the waste of his possessions.

"You're not going to stop me," she said, bringing the dagger back to her skin, completely aware that he could stop her with a single motion of his hand.

"It won't work," he said, not looking worried by her intentions in the slightest. "You can't banish me because you love me." That was the weakest reasoning she'd ever heard from him.

"I've learned to get past my feelings a long time ago," she said, blocking out all the unpleasant memories that came with that statement as if to prove it.

"It's not up to you," he said calmly, his voice grating on her nerves. "Your love for me is my link to this dimension. I have your soul and as long as you love me, the gate to this dimension will always stay open for me."

Griffin withdrew the blade form her skin, possessed by the shock his words caused. If that were true, she'd have to cut out her heart in order to accomplish her goal.

"I knew you'd love me the moment I saw your thirst, your neediness, your desperation for more power," Valtor said, enchanted by the idea of someone like him, not by the idea of her.

"I knew I'd love you when I saw I was enough for you," Griffin said, remembering the thrill of pride she'd felt when he'd deemed her worthy of his knowledge and power. Though she could see how he could've made the mistake. She'd made a mistake of her own. She'd only ever wanted to be more to be enough. And she'd been stupid enough to believe she could be enough for him. He who always wanted more and would stop at nothing to get it, to get everything. Oh, how had she been so foolish?

With one swift move she sliced open the skin of her palm and started making a circle around him, ignoring the burn of the wound. The blood oozed out of her hand as the words flooded her mind. Never give up on yourself.

"It won't work," Valtor insisted, apparently convinced in his own rightness since he didn't ry to stop her. At least he'd learned something about her and knew it would be no use. "I've consumed too much of you for you to be able to banish me. Your darkness from the obsidian, your hurt from your tears, your life force form your hair, your blood from your body, and your love from your soul. I am bound to you for good." That explained the ritual and why he'd been able to break free from her blood circle. Every piece of her he consumed granted him more time in her realm.

Griffin stopped to look at him. "Good." She was almost finished with her circle. "Because that's exactly where I want you." She stepped into the circle herself and let one last drop of blood fall from her hand and close it around them.

"What are you doing?" he asked, the first hints of panic recognizable in his voice.

"What I was made for." Even he couldn't stop her now.

She willed the fairy dust to leave the crystal of the dagger and sprinkle over her blood to reinforce the spell. Usually, only the fairy could control her own fairy dust, but she hadn't wanted to drag Faragonda any further into this. She'd already done enough for her by providing her with both ingredients for the dagger. Besides, Valtor had taught her how to change the structure of her magic so that it would appear to be light even though it was as dark as night.

She'd missed her mother's funeral because he'd decided that was the only day he could teach her that and she'd decided to stay with him even though she'd known he'd been testing her. She'd decided to stay with him because she'd known he'd been testing her. It hadn't been the worst decision in hindsight even though it had certainly felt like it back at the time.

And even though she and Faragonda hadn't spoken in years–the fault for that mostly hers rather than Faragonda's–they still knew each other so well. Faragonda had immediately figured out just how deep her feelings ran. And though she hadn't stuck around for her friend after she'd learned she was a fairy, she knew her magical signature so well that she could copy it from memory.

Valtor tried to escape the circle but this time he had no way out of it. It was made of all the light in her blood and Faragonda's magic, and he couldn't even override the first, not to mention the second.

"You'll banish yourself to the Omega dimension?" he turned to her, trying to use his words when his magic failed him. Those had a better chance of working with her. Yet, after everything he'd said prior to that, no words could win him his way out.

"To protect the world from you? Yes, I will." She wasn't scared of ice. She knew all about it. She'd lived with it her whole life. She'd always thought she wasn't enough for her mother, that she had to keep developing her magical skills to impress her, that she had to be more to make her proud. But her mother had always been proud of who she was. Who she'd always been.

Never give up on yourself. She'd thought it meant that she had to keep learning, keep practicing, keep developing her magical abilities. It had meant she was enough. She was strong enough to do what she was meant for. She was strong enough to be a protector. Even with her pain. Even with her rage. Even with her darkness. She was strong enough to save the world from the evil she'd brought in it.

"Griffin, don't do it." Valtor was looking at her pleadingly. It was the first time she'd seen him scared, the first time she'd seen his arrogance flicker. It should've made her scared as well. But for all of his power, she was stronger than him. So the terror in his eyes only made her want to offer him comfort.

She cupped his cheek, relieved to feel him leaning into her touch. "I love you," She willed the fairy dust to shine as a tear escaped her eye.

From the circle started growing transparent stems that looked like they were made of water. They wrapped around them, forcing them closer together and restraining their movements. They were bound together with no way of escaping. Then the stems turned to ice, wrapping them in their cold embrace, and started sinking, pulling them to the Omega dimension through the portal that she'd opened.

Griffin laid her head down on Valtor's shoulder. He was more darkness than the world could handle. And she knew now why obsidian was forbidden. But along with the darkness, it had brought her knowledge of who she was and had shown her the truth she had prevented herself from seeing. How could she hate that?