Kissed by Shadows (Kissed by Shadows Series, Book 1)

by Lola StVil

  “Sadie told us what you like. Here, why don’t I let the others introduce themselves, that way you know who you’re living with,” Saudia says, turning her attention to the girl standing on my right.

  “This is Langston,” she says.

  Langston is the very definition of an “it” girl. Her eyebrows are perfectly arched; her shoulder-length blonde hair is coiled in loose curls and looks like something you’d see in TV commercials. She has rosy cheeks, sparkling green eyes, and her figure, well…no one should be that perfectly sculpted.

  “You’re blonde,” Langston says as if I’ve somehow insulted her.

  “Yeah…” I reply, uncertain.

  “I was told I would be the only blonde, but okay. Whatever,” she says.

  “Don’t pay attention to Langston. If she ever gets on your nerves, just hold something shiny in her face and she’ll shut up,” the gorgeous redheaded angel next to me says.

  “I’m Regal,” he says as he hugs me. I’m caught off guard by his embrace but I manage to lightly pat him on the back. Awkward. Regal is about five nine’, slender with a killer smile and sexy “messy” hair that seems to carelessly fall in all the right places. He has a real laid-back, casual “Sunday morning” feel to him.

  “And this is my twin sister, Remedy. But you can just call her Remy,” he says.

  I can tell right away that Remedy and Regal are related; it’s impossible not to note the same red hair and gorgeous green eyes. Remy is the shortest one on the team, but she stands out because of her green eyes and golden-copper hair. She wears it in a chic bob that falls just above her shoulders. She has a dimple on her cheek and freckles that make her seriously the cutest thing I’ve seen—ever.

  “Hey, I tied a demon to a pole somewhere around here and I can’t remember what street. What street is Ray’s Pizza on?” she asks.

  “Water Street,” I reply.

  “That’s it! Okay, gotta go! Nice to meet you!” Remy says as she runs out of the loft.

  “Who wants to explain to me what the human was doing with the Keysu?” a girl shouts as she walks down the steps.

  “That little ray of sunshine is Quinn,” Saudia says. Quinn is of Asian descent and moves with a grace I’ve never seen in anyone my age. She has narrow gray eyes, heart-shaped lips, and shiny long hair in a bun. She’s not wearing any makeup; she doesn’t need it. She has a natural glow that makes her skin look like she’s just fresh out of the spa after a facial. She’s wearing dark skinny jeans and a black turtleneck.

  “I didn’t know that he was,” I reply.

  “Well, you know now,” Quinn snaps. Before I can reply to her, Saudia continues the introductions.

  “And last and, in every way, the least, this is Perry,” Saudia says playfully, pointing to the last member of the group. Like all the members of the team, Perry is very easy on the eyes. He’s about my height, with dark hair, brown eyes, and the biggest grin I’ve ever seen. There is a spark of mischief in his eyes that tells me he’s not the shy type.

  “Let’s see, you’ve met the redheaded twins, Langston ‘the mirror,’ Saudia, ‘the walking heart,’ Quinn, ‘the buzzkill.’ And of course Mason, ‘I know everything,’ Mills. But now you get to meet me. How lucky are you?” Perry says with a suggestive grin.

  “Can we skip the pleasantries and find out what she was doing on the roof with Kane?” Quinn asks.

  “I told you, I didn’t know who he was,” I reply.

  “And yet you were ready to shove your tongue down his throat?” she says.

  “Quinn!” Saudia scolds.

  “We don’t have time to be nice. She needs to know what’s at stake,” Quinn says.

  “I know what’s on the line!” I reply.

  “Good. So stay away from Kane,” Quinn asks.

  “Who are you to give me orders?” I reply.

  “I’m the witch who has to train you. I’m the one who has to give a report to the Alliance. And if you are too busy falling for demonic assholes, that’s gonna take away from your Wiccan studies. And I will not allow you to fail, because it reflects poorly on me,” Quinn says.

  “I don’t give a damn what does and doesn’t reflect poorly on you. You don’t know me, so back the hell off!” I counter.

  “Seriously, Mason? This is what I have to work with?” Quinn says in disbelief.

  “Quinn, take it down. She just got here,” Regal says.

  “Do you have any idea how much work we have ahead of us? We don’t have time for her to be lovesick,” Quinn says.

  “She’s not in love with Kane. Sadie didn’t know he was the Keysu. She gave him a task, he owed her and he fulfilled his task. She’s not stupid— she knows that Kane is no good and that he is a sworn enemy of this mission. She wouldn’t dare interact with him,” Saudia says.

  “According to the text you sent me, she was about to kiss him. You think she will let go, just like that?” Quinn asks.

  “She’d be a fool to trust Kane. She knows that now,” Mason counters.

  “No, she’s weak and stupid. It’s easy to see that.”

  I don’t remember taking a swing at her. I lean forward with everything I have and slug Quinn in her smug face. Her nose oozes with blood. She gasps. Not from pain but from shock. She touches her nose and looks at the blood.

  “Physical violence, cursing, and reckless behavior with the demon of all demons? Where has this girl been all my life?” Perry says.

  “Once. You get to do that once. Next time, I’ll curse your ass for three generations,” Quinn says as she waves her hand in front of her nose and instantly fixes her wound.

  “Tomorrow you start your lessons. You better impress me,” she vows as she marches back up the steps.

  “Who the hell does she think she is? She can’t tell me what to do,” I shout at Mason.

  “Quinn was out of line, but she wasn’t wrong,” Mason says.

  “Excuse me?”

  “Atlas, maybe you were confused in the beginning but now that you know who Kane is and what his mission is, you have to stay away from him. That isn’t a suggestion. It’s an order.”

  “Mason, I don’t know about your world. And I really don’t give a damn because we are not in your world now. We’re in New York City. So, I’m gonna tell you what any New Yorker in my place would tell you: screw you!” I reply as I open the door and slam it behind me. Mason quickly comes after me in the hallway.

  “Get the hell out of my way!” I demand.

  “You can’t just take off. There’re way too many forces out to get you. You know that,” he says.

  “Well, I can’t stay in there. Okay? I need…everything is…I can’t be here. I can’t…”

  “I know it’s hard. But we’re not just a team. We’re your team. We will be here for you in whatever way you need.”

  “What I need is to be alone,” I plead.

  “You can do that without having to endanger yourself. The bedroom on the top floor of the loft is yours. Go, get some rest. Get some time to yourself,” he says.

  “Fine,” I reply as I step back into the loft and head right upstairs. Perry calls out to me.

  “Hey, Atlas, I know you are dealing with a lot but I have a very important question to ask you. One of the most important questions you will ever be asked in your life—pineapple on pizza—where do you stand?”

  ARGH!

  I march up the steps and open the only door on the third floor of the loft. The room is done up the way I like it. Sadie thought of everything. It has soft lightening, a bed full of pillows, shelves of my favorite books and knickknacks. However, I couldn’t care less about that stuff right now. I throw myself on the bed and try to make sense of what happened with Kane.

  Why didn’t I know he was a demon? Was he always one or is it a new thing? Was he planning on killing me the whole time? But that doesn’t make sense. He saved me from the wolves. How can he be bad? Why didn’t he just kill me when he saw me? Why would Sadie pick him, even if she didn’t know he
was the Keysu?

  I wonder what he was really thinking the whole time we were in the kitchen. Was he thinking of ways to dupe me? Ways to end the quest? Did he poison the food? I thought there was something happening with us… I hate him. I hate him in ways that have yet to be invented. How the hell can he pretend to be one thing and then…I hope he dies. I hope he dies a very painful and irreversible death.

  But the way he looked at me, the way we looked at each other…

  If my mom were here, she’d fix this. She’d find a way to make everything okay. Mom, I miss you so much; it hurts. I wish you were here with me. I would give anything, anything at all to hear your voice right now.

  When I miss her so much I can’t think, there’s only one thing to do: head to the place that reminds me of her the most—the Bronx Zoo. The two of us spent hours there, pretending we knew what was going on with the animals. We’d make up stories about the lives of the animals and fill them with impossible drama. We called it “Real Housewives of the Bronx Zoo.” I open the window in my room and crawl out. I make it to the fire escape and down to the street without anyone spotting me. I hop onto the two train and make my way to the Bronx.

  ***

  When I get out of the train station and make my way to the entrance of the zoo, I find a group of teens about my age standing there waiting for me—the same group I left back in the loft. That’s right; just a few yards away stand “the mirror,” “The joker” “the heart,” “the twins,” “buzzkill,” and “the boss.”

  “Seriously? You followed me here?” I ask.

  “You don’t get to take that tone. We told you to stay in the house,” “Buzzkill” Quinn says.

  “And I told you I don’t take orders,” I reply.

  “Atlas, you know what’s at risk here. Do we really need to keep telling you?” Saudia says.

  “We don’t know what the object is we are looking for. So right now, I still have some time. So can you all please leave?” I ask.

  “Being in the bookstore or the loft is safe. Anywhere else is a gamble.” The twins reply at the same time.

  “Hey, ‘children of the corn,’ I thought we talked about that,” Perry says to the twins.

  “It’s seven in the morning. I don’t just wake up looking this beautiful—okay, I kind of do. But I still need sleep. So can we go?” Langston asks.

  “Yes, you can. And take all the power rangers with you,” I reply.

  “What are you doing here?” Mason asks.

  “I don’t have to tell you, Mason. You don’t run my life.”

  “YOU DON’T HAVE A LIFE ANYMORE!” Mason shouts in a cold, harsh tone I’ve never heard before. He inhales deeply, closes his eyes for a few moments, and opens them up again. This time when he speaks his tone is softer but still retains a firm and unyielding tone.

  “You are not the only one who has given up something to go on this quest. As Maitoe, we were not allowed to grow up with our families. We were given human parents, and believe me, not all of them were kind. There are very few angels on Earth, and we have no contact with the ones in the higher realms because that’s against the rules. Every day of our lives has been about preparing for the quest. We have given up everything. Everything.

  “We will not come this far and lose all of humanity because you want to have some ‘me time.’ You don’t get me time. You don’t get a personal life. And you certainly don’t get to go wherever you want. But what you do get is my vow that we will all lay down our lives for you—in service to the quest. But I will not let my team get hurt or killed because you suddenly want to see monkeys!

  “Now, you wanted to go to school, and we can respect that. We will come with you. But after that you are to be either at the bookshop or in the loft. Because like it or not, the life that you’ve come to know is over. You will come with us, and I will not ask twice. Do I make myself clear?” Mason says in a deadly tone.

  “Okay. Fine. But just so you know, I wasn’t trying to be a jerk. This is the last place I ever saw my mom smile. Because a few nights later she was on the ground bleeding to death after some asshole shot her and took off with her purse. So when I feel like I’m about to lose my mind, when I feel like I have nothing left, I come here and it’s like I see her. I feel her. But you want to take that away? Fine. You can have it. Now I’ll be at peace because there is nothing left to take from me.” I didn’t realize I was shaking until I look down at my hands. Plump, warm drops spill from my eyes and down my face.

  Damn it, stop crying! Stop crying! Stop!

  The more I try to contain the tears, the faster they fall. But I’m too tired to care now. I’m too tired to care about anything. The team slowly approaches me. I lean on the bronze statue of a hippopotamus and wait until I’m all cried out. Perry comes up to me.

  “I like monkeys,” he says. I look over at him and shake my head.

  “Me too,” I reply.

  “Okay, one trip around the zoo. Snacks are on the human,” Perry says. They start walking towards the ticket booth. Mason lags behind. I’m guessing he does that so he can scold me privately. He waits for the others to be out of earshot before he speaks to me.

  “Atlas, we’re on the same side. I need you to know that,” he says.

  “Yeah, okay.”

  “I’m sorry about your mom. I really am.”

  “Thank you.”

  “When we found you on the roof with Kane—you can’t ever let that happen again.”

  “Just my luck. I meet a guy, and he’s the ruler of the underworld. What’s a girl gotta do to find a decent guy?” I ask.

  “Something tells me you don’t have to work that hard to get a guy’s attention. You had mine, from the very start…”

  ***

  A short while later, we’re standing in the center of the marble floor of the Bronx zoo,

  gazing up at the amazing domed ceiling.

  “Something’s here,” Quinn says. She then holds up her right hand, and the team suddenly tenses. The team takes a protective stance and covers me from all sides.

  “What is it?” Perry chirps. “Are the lemurs staging a revolution?”

  Saudia smacks the back of his head. “Hush.”

  “Let Quinn focus,” Langston says. “I’m feeling something too…”

  “That’s hunger,” Perry adds. “Speaking of which, I wouldn’t mind finding the snack bar soon.” Saudia hits him in the back of the head again.

  “Hey, hey, hey, I bruise easily,” Perry reminds them.

  “Everyone calm down,” Mason urges. “Quinn?”

  “Evil is close. I can sense it.” She frowns.

  She then scans the crowd around us… there are about two dozen people in the area. The closest ones are an elderly couple in the ticket line; they are staring at us strangely. Not far from them is a surly looking teenage girl with headphones on who seems to be singing to herself. And to my right, a bald, heavyish tour guide. Something about him…

  “His eyes…” I point out, but the others are already ahead of me.

  “I see it,” Mason whispers.

  “Same here,” Saudia says, raising her hands.

  The couple in the ticket line—their eyes are fluttering, turning red then black, like they’re hollowing out, and their faces suddenly start shifting like something horrible is trying to get out from inside. The headphone-wearing teen has her mouth open, and her face is bulging as enormous tusk-like teeth bust out from her jaw.

  Quinn grumbles. “Freakin’ Transfer demons.”

  “What the hell is a Transfer demon?” I ask.

  “A demon that has a human shell,” Saudia explains.

  Mason grabs my arm and pushes me directly into Saudia. “Get her out of here!”

  I try to protest—just as I see all this terrifying movement around me. The tour guide’s head turns around and around, horns extend from his skull, and a scaly body erupts through the green uniform. Hideous screeching comes from his throat—echoed by the elderly tourists who have tr
ansformed into nasty, cackling demons with crab-like pincers for arms and rows and rows of teeth underneath bulging skulls full of horns.

  Everything’s a blur. People are screaming and running, while the teenager turned demon leaps up high and latches herself onto the dome above, her eyes locking on me…

  Saudia grips my arms, and I see her smiling face in front of mine. “Don’t worry,” she says reassuringly. “We’ve got this covered…”

  I feel a weird rush in my stomach, like I just dropped a hundred feet on a roller coaster, and a blur fills my vision, and then Saudia and I are standing on the field outside. Right in the middle of Astor Court, with the fresh smell of cut grass below our feet and the majestic pillars of the lion house in front of us. I smell water too, and see the seal pool is to our left.

  “How…?” I start, then look to my right, where the dome of the welcome center is about fifty yards away.

  “Each member of the team has special powers in addition to being angels. I teleported us,” Saudia says. “Just sit tight, we should be…”

  I hear a scream, and a pair of bodies, locked in struggle, explode through the side of the dome, fly through the air, and come crashing down onto the court beside us.

  Remedy, her hair a mess, with disgusting yellowish demon blood on her face, turns to me, and over the struggling demon’s snapping jaws, yells, “Not safe!”

  She rolls to the side, kicking free of the slicing pincers and the hissing mouth as the creature howls and gets up—only to have Saudia crouch and hold out her hands. I’m not sure what she’s doing, but a second later, the demon is suddenly squeezed and held in midair by invisible force.

  “Aww,” Remedy says affectionately. “Saudia’s givin’ her a hug! Thanks!” She points at the writhing, snapping demon, and then I’m wincing as the thing explodes from within. It’s like a bomb has gone off in its chest.

  “Sorry about that,” Saudia says as I clean off yellowish blood and gross pieces of demon exoskeleton from my shirt. “Remedy tends to get carried away.”