But outside of work, he felt a bit lost. He’d never been one for small talk.
“Why don’t you come sit with me?” Dave said, indicating the other side of the bench.
I don’t have a good excuse to say no. Alec withheld a sigh, but moved slowly over and sat down.
“So Brian and his family died?”
Alec looked to the man in surprise. “How did you know?”
The old man shrugged. “I saw the look on your woman’s face. I didn’t need to go inside to hear all the awful details of it.”
“Yeah, they died.”
The man reached into his sweater and pulled out a bag of bread crumbs and began throwing them onto the lawn. Not even a second passed before birds flew down and started eating. It was a strangely quiet moment, even though they were discussing the murder of a mother and her children.
I guess I’m numb to death now. Is this man as well?
“So what are you guys going to do about the angels?”
Alec stiffened. “What do you mean?”
The old man snorted. “Well clearly you can’t just keep sending us out into the world to be slaughtered.”
“That’s why we try to keep you here long enough so you stop using magic without thinking. So you stop doing things that would draw attention to yourselves.”
He laughed. “That’s not possible for most of us. At least those of us who were in the demon-realm long enough to lose most of humanity... to give into the demon-side that grows more powerful with each day we remained in the demon-realm.”
“It wasn’t hard for us,” Alec said without thinking.
Dave threw more bread. “Let me ask you something. Do you ever thirst for blood? For death? For carnage?”
“No.”
“Even when you were in the demon-realm?” The old man pressed.
“No.” Alec froze. “Well, maybe. It’s hard to remember those times.”
Dave nodded. “You aren’t struggling the way many of us are for two reasons. For whatever reason, you and your brothers were able to hold onto most of your humanity. No matter how much the demon-realm called for you to let the human within you die and accept being a demon, you didn’t.”
“We’re Level 10 demons,” Alec interrupted. “That’s not how it works. Level 10 demons are mostly good people. Most of them should never have been in the demon-realm to begin with.”
The old man chuckled. “I’m surprised how little you know for such a powerful demon. Yes, most Level 10 demons were good people. The key word there being most. Some of them were awful people who never had a chance to follow-through with their dark desires. But then there are the Level 10 demons who were good people when they died, but the demon-realm has twisted them. Darkened their souls. There are few people who can withstand the call forever.”
Alec shook his head. “That can’t be true. I don’t remember a call.”
Dave threw more bread. “Some of the purer souls aren’t as susceptible to it, but believe me, there’s a call, and it’s hard to resist. And it isn’t as easy to let go as you might think. Most of us here are struggling. We thirst for destruction and chaos, for death and violence. We crave all the things that make us more powerful. Frankly, I’m not sure we’ll be able to stop ourselves when we’re released onto humanity.”
“No.” Alec stared, unable to believe his words.
The old man turned to him, raising a brow. “How do you think Brian and his family were discovered by the angels? Purely by chance? I doubt it. They used their magic. They called the angels to them. And if I were to guess, they were probably doing something bad.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Be logical,” he said. “What brought the angels?”
Alec felt his pulse racing. “My brothers and I have never felt the need for death, chaos, or destruction. We came here to have a chance at life again, like we thought all of you did.”
He shrugged. “Some of us will be able to do that. Some of us won’t. But not only are your souls purer than most of ours, free of demon’s desires within us, but you have Sharen.”
“What do you mean?”
“There’s a reason demons prefer possession of a human when they cross over. You three are linked to Sharen. To a human. And that link will help keep your humanity alive too.”
Alec felt sick. He rose, unsure what to say or do.
The old man shook his head. “We can all use our strength, quickness, and ability to convince... along with our natural gifts, to avoid the radar of the angels, but sooner or later, most of us will give into our darker side. And so, you’ll need to figure out a solution to the angels. A way to stop them from coming after us.”
None of this can be true. Alec thought of himself in the demon-realm. Foggy memories began to come back to him. Of his throne. Of the masses of lower level demons who obeyed him without question... or died for their insolence. He’d never thought about how different he’d felt since coming to Earth. He just imagined that it was escaping the demon-realm that quieted the demon within him. It’d never occurred to him that it wasn’t this easy for all the demons. He’d just found their lack of restraint annoying.
Alec shook his head. “We can’t take on the angels. All of you will have to simply work harder. We’ll keep you in the sanctuary longer, but—“
“Eventually, we’ll all give into our other half. It’s what we are now.”
His stomach turned. “Sharen believes—“
“That we can all be saved.” The demon smiled, and for the first time, Alec saw that his teeth were sharpened to points. “We can’t be. We weren’t meant to be demons, but that’s what we are now. She can pretend we can be human all she wants, but we can’t be. This isn’t a permanent solution.”
Alec stared. “We can’t take on the angels. We won’t win.”
The demon was quiet for a long moment. “Perhaps with so few of us. But what if we build an army?” Something about his suggestion made Alec’s pulse race. “We can’t unleash an army of demons onto this world.”
“As my father always said, ‘shit or get off the pot.’”
Alec frowned. “What the hell does that mean?”
Dave grinned. “If this Rebellion is about saving demons, then save them, but know there are consequences. Know that you’re changing this world in a way that can never go back. If demons are allowed free range, some will blend in and live normal lives like you and your brothers. And some will unleash death and destruction.”
“No,” Alec said. “We’re only letting the good Level 10 demons out.”
The man raised a brow. “And how do you know if we’re all good? Do you have any idea what I was thrown into the demon-realm for?”
His stomach turned. “No.”
The man grinned again. “And you don’t want to know. Trust me. Or you wouldn’t want to leave me here with all these innocent lives.”
Alec’s fingers twitched, his need to call his Soul-Blade to him like a fire burning through his blood. “And what’s to stop me from killing you right here?”
He shrugged. “Nothing. But you should know, I’ve turned over a new leaf. Not everyone here has. If you notice the dead animals throughout the sanctuary, you’ll know I’m speaking the truth.”
Alec grabbed his blade from the sheath at his back and pulled it free. “Who?”
The man leaned back on the bench. “I’m not certain. But one thing is sure. You guys need a better plan. A way to tell the good ones from the bad ones. A way to keep us safe out in the world and to be sure our demon-side won’t endanger humanity.” His gaze moved to Alec’s sword. “Put your blade down. It might make you feel better to kill me, but it certainly won’t help your situation.”
Alec turned and hurried across the lawn. The old man was playing with his head. He had to be lying. There was no way they’d unknowingly released danger onto the world.
But only a few minutes into his walk, he picked up the scent of blood. Following it, he came out into a field. On one
edge of it a deer had been slaughtered, ripped apart in a way no animal would ever do.
He stared in shock. This can’t be happening.
His sensitive ears picked up another sound further in the woods. Clutching his sword, he moved deeper into the trees, where the sunlight didn’t quite filter through the thick leaves.
It only took a moment to find what he was looking for. Beth, the sweet little girl they’d rescued not long ago, was clutching a squirrel. As he watched, she tore one of the legs from the creature, who screamed helplessly.
“Stop it!” he shouted, the words pouring from his lips.
She turned, her eyes blood red. She growled low in her throat and dropped the suffering animal.
“Try to harm me and die,” he whispered.
A moment later, she froze, and her eyes slowly returned to big brown ones. Her lips pulled into a frown. “Sorry, sometimes I just can’t help myself.”
Then, she turned and ran back to the manor.
He knelt down where he stood, pressing his knuckles to his mouth.
What have we done?
Chapter Eleven
Sharen stared at Alec in complete disbelief. “I don’t believe it.”
Alec ran a frustrated hand through his dark hair. “Why would I lie to you?”
She leaned back in her seat in the car, staring out the window at the trees that were flying by as Alec sped along the road. There was no way some of the demons they rescued were bad. No way that they were a danger to humanity.
No way Beth would torture small animals.
“This isn’t possible,” she whispered.
“You think I like it any more than you do?”
She clutched her arms around her chest. “So they’re all evil?”
“No,” he reached over and squeezed her knee. “Some of them are. Some of them are good. We just need to find a way to determine who is who before we bring more demons over.”
“And how the hell are we supposed to do that?” Her words were angry, bitter, but she felt on the verge of something awful.
“I don’t have a clue, but we’ll figure it out.”
She shook her head, hating that tears stung her eyes. I’m not this woman! I don’t cry at every little challenge in life! But as a hot tear rolled down her cheek, she had to accept the truth. She felt completely crushed. Completely hopeless. She wanted so badly to make things right, to save the innocent demons.
And now? Now she might have unleashed monsters onto the world.
Are the fucking angels right? Are they the good guys and we’re the bad guys?
“No!” She turned to Alec. “No, this can’t be true. There has to be more to it than this.”
As they entered the town, her thoughts spun. She had to know for sure. But how was she supposed to do that?
For too long she sat, feeling numb, feeling lost. And then, as she gazed out her window, she saw something familiar. “Stop!”
Alec turned to her, frowning. “What is it?”
“Just stop. Pull the car over.”
He did, and she unbuckled, rushing out of the car.
She sensed Alec behind her, but she ignored him. As she moved to the front of the alley, she stared, feeling her heart clench. Moving slowly, she came to the spot. Most of the blood had been cleaned up. The area clearly swept over by the police.
But there has to be something I missed.
Stretching her senses out, she still caught the coppery scent of blood. And other scents, of filth, sweat, and garbage. But then, she caught something else.
Moving without thinking she walked through the alley. When she reached the other side, she looked at the tall brick apartment building. There! Rushing forward, she pushed opened the doors of the apartment, found the stairs, and rushed up them, taking each step two at a time.
“Sharen—“ Alec began behind her.
She tuned him out, continuing to walk until she rushed out the stairwell.
When she came to a random door on the third floor, she froze. There was nothing unusual about it, and yet, she knew this was where she needed to go.
She knocked, even though she didn’t expect anyone to answer. After a moment of silence, she reached out and shoved the door. The wood splintered and cracked free of the lock.
Thanks, powers, for actually being here when I need you.
Taking a step into the room, she immediately knew something was off. The apartment was a strange mix of an old woman’s taste, flower furniture, plants everywhere, photos of grandchildren covering every wall, and tiny fragile figurines. Then she saw new items that didn’t make sense. She found children’s toys and clothes and a sink stacked up with unwashed dishes.
She walked past the coffee table, where little cars had been arranged as if racing. When she moved to the fridge, her heart was in her stomach. Turning the handle, she opened it.
Inside was the old woman’s dead body.
No. No. No.
“Fuck!” Alec muttered behind her.
Breathing hard, she closed the fridge door and moved back. “They did it. Brian and his family killed her.”
“Why?” Alec asked the question she wondered herself. “We helped get them an apartment. We got her a job. There was no reason to kill the old lady.”
Going to the window, she already knew what she would find. Directly below them was the blood-stained alley.
“They used their magic to kill her, for whatever reason, and they brought the angels down on them.” She said the words numbly.
Turning, she walked right back out the apartment door. She moved down the street until she found a phone booth. Inside, she dialed the police and told them where they would find the old woman’s body.
The least she deserves is to be found by her family. To have a proper burial.
Hanging up the phone, she stared at Alec. “I want to go home.”
He took a second to answer. “I thought we were going to headquarters.”
To face everyone when I feel like falling apart? I can’t do that, or they’ll lose all faith in what we’re doing here.
“I want to go home.”
To her surprise, he didn’t immediately jump into action. Instead, he studied her, his expression thoughtful. His eyes filled with helplessness.
“We don’t know what happened,” he said, reaching out to touch her arm.
She shifted out of his reach. “Maybe you don’t, but I do.”
All hope rushed out of her, leaving her feeling weak and empty.
As if the world sensed her pain, rain began to fall. Cool, soft drops from a sky with only a scattering of clouds.
Turning, she headed back to their car.
Whatever happens now, I swear no one else will die because of my mistake.
But how she would stop it, she had no idea.
Chapter Twelve
Kade knelt before the demon king’s white throne, waiting to be acknowledged. The king ignored him, speaking to a demon near him in a hushed tone. So Kade let his gaze run over the high ceilings of the white palace and then back to the young man who occupied the throne. He had dark hair, dark eyes, and a strange quality that spoke of his immortality. It was as if he was too-perfect looking.
Inhuman.
And the most unexpected thing? Every demon in the realm had bright red skin and twin white horns on their heads, including himself. But not the king. As much as he had an inhuman quality to him, he was the only one who actually... resembled a human.
Not something I would have expected from the king of demons.
At last, the king turned to him, the man at his side shuffling away. “So this is the demon who trespassed on my lands after doing the forbidden... returning to the human-realm.” His voice boomed through the massive throne room, echoing so much that even some of his guards that stood along the wall flinched. “What do you have to say for yourself demon, before I toss you back into the Pits?”
Here goes nothing.
Kade held the man’s gaze. “I’ve return
ed to ask you for help.”
The king raised a brow. “Surely you jest?”
“No, I do not, my lord.” He took a deep breath. “I am a member of a Rebellion on Earth. We know that something is going on with Caine and the realms. We know that innocent people are being tossed into the demon-realm incorrectly. And so, we are working with a human who is helping us save innocent demons.”
As Kade spoke, the demon king’s gaze narrowed. “Are you so certain that these people are innocent?”
“We know there are innocent people incorrectly thrown into the demon-realm.”
The king looked away for half a second.
He knows I’m right.
“None of this explains why you’re here.”
Kade’s hands clenched into fists. “I’m here because the woman I love believes in our cause so much so that she risks her life each and every day trying to save these lost souls. But she can give every ounce of herself, and it won’t be enough. Every day more innocent demons will be sent here. Every time she tries to save someone, she risks her life. So, I have to believe, that there’s a better way. And I think if anyone can help us, it's you." The demon king leaned back in his throne, not speaking for a long time. One of his hands hung over the arm of his throne, his fingers moving in small ways, but otherwise, he remained perfectly still.
“Everyone!” His voice boomed over the room. “Get out!”
The demons hesitated for half a second, looking shocked. But then, one after another, they trickled out. The throne room door closed behind them like a crack of thunder.
“Rise,” the king commanded.
Kade obeyed.
The most powerful being in the demon-realm rose and moved down the steps toward him, stopping no more than a foot away. “I am going to tell you things that no other demon knows. And you will keep these secrets. Do you understand?”
“I give my word.”
The king studied him for a long second, then nodded. “Do you know that two hundred years ago there were no Level 10 demons?”
Kade stiffened. “I did not.”
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