The Chosen Knights

by Mary Ting

  “Yes,” Eli admitted. “I know you want me.” He spread out his arms to show he had surrendered. Eli finally met my eyes. “And yes. I would die for her.”

  “No, Eli,” I whispered, tears blurring my vision. He wanted to sacrifice his life for mine. I couldn’t let it happen. “No, no, no. Eli, I won’t let you.” Something in the pit of my stomach didn’t agree with me. I was sickened—sickened by everything that had gone wrong that night. My body shook and my wings vibrated against my back, aching to break free.

  When Eli managed to stand a few feet away from Cyrus, Clarissa closely followed Eli’s moves, calculating, keeping her sword close to her. “First, put your demon pets down,” Eli bargained. “Second, release Abel and his friends, and you let everyone go. That means no war tonight. We go our separate ways.”

  “You have no leverage, boy. I call the demands,” Cyrus roared.

  “Suit yourself. I’ll walk away.”

  And he did. Eli turned his back on Cyrus and walked away. I knew he was only testing Cyrus, but I didn’t want him to stop. I wanted him to go far away from there, to be safe.

  “Wait.” Cyrus sounded irate. “I’ll keep my word, but under one condition: you must come with me with the true-cross in your chest.”

  “No!” I bellowed. “You can’t.” My whole world collapsed beneath me.

  Eli slowly turned. His usual smirk and the glow in his eyes was gone. He seemed utterly defeated. “You do what I asked first and then you can do as you will with me.” He put up a brave face, but his eyes showed his fear.

  It was like watching a terrible movie, the kind that ripped your heart out. I’d seen movies with my uncle and Zach that shattered my heart, but nothing could compare to that moment. Eli would be in an endless pit of Hell as long as the dagger was inside him. I had no idea what Cyrus’s plans were, but it killed me to know Eli would be in his possession.

  “Very well.” Cyrus lifted his hand and mumbled a few words. One by one, the tunnel of demons surrounding us melted into Cyrus. After that, he released Abel and his friends, though I wondered why Eli even cared about Abel after he had betrayed us like that. He would no longer be our friend. In fact, I would let him have it with all of my rage.

  After all the demons were gone, Cyrus released me. I ran right into Eli’s arms. “No, Eli,” I begged, holding on to him with all my might.

  “I’m so sorry, Lucia.” He kissed every part of my face as his arms tightened around my waist. “I’m going to carry your smile with me.”

  “I’m going to come for you, do you hear me?” Blinding tears ran down my face. I could hardly see him. As I tightened my grip on his arms, I stressed, “Damn you, Eli. Damn you for making me care about you more than I should.”

  “That was my plan, my girl with wings. You’ve made me so happy,” he murmured wearily. There was no spark in his eyes—the spark I wanted to see so badly. He was saying goodbye to me because we both knew this might be the last time we would see each other.

  “That’s enough,” Clarissa roared, pushing me back. “You two disgust me.” She yanked Eli’s arm. Then she turned to me. “Oh, by the way, you have a nice home, girl with wings. It’s a good thing Eli cared about you enough to follow you to Black Sand Beach.”

  “Y-you?” I stammered. “You left that note?”

  I wanted to rip every single feather off her wings and shoot every bit of energy I could summon from my bow right to her heart. Not just because of the note, but because she had her hands on my Eli, taking him away. I’d never known hatred until then. Cyrus, his demons, and now Clarissa. It was funny how hatred and jealousy felt the same. They took you over, ate your soul.

  She slowly curled her lips, gave me a sideways glance, and turned her back on me. Uncle Davin pulled me away to safety where Zach and Jack stood. I covered my face to pour out my sorrow that kept crashing through as uncontrollable tears streamed down.

  “Eli,” I called for him. As if he could hear my whisper, he caught my eyes. “I’m going to find you. Stay alive for me.”

  Just before Cyrus jabbed the dagger into his heart, he mouthed, “For you I will.”

  My muscles were not my own. I dropped to my knees as light burst from Eli, not just from the wound, but also through his eyes, hands, and feet. He looked like Jesus on the cross as his arms spread out and his body arched, although not of his own will.

  Milani too, fell to the grass, crying in agony. I understood the ache in her heart, for the same ache had completely taken hold of me. Completely wiped out, I had nothing left...except a tiny hope. I would find Eli. That was the only thing keeping me intact.

  When the light died, Eli’s body stiffened. Clarissa spread her wings over him from behind, covering most of his body except for his face. His eyes were closed, as though he was asleep...but he wasn’t. I had no idea what he was feeling, just that he was in pain.

  “Mine,” she growled like a lion, her voice deep and raspy. She stroked his hair as if he were her pet. Assessing me, her beady red eyes glowed in the night.

  Half vampire and half demon came to mind when I saw Clarissa’s red eyes. Was she the first bit of evidence to support Abel’s theory that Vince was creating hybrid monsters? If he was, where were the other teens? But neither vampires nor Possessor demons had wings...unless she had fallen angel blood in her.

  Then Cyrus switched positions with Clarissa and flashed his massive wings over Eli. They became nothing but a speck of dust, disappearing into the darkness of Hell.

  Chapter 34

  I couldn’t recall how I had gotten home. All I could remember was the dark sky above me and my uncle’s arm holding me. The world stood still and every second that passed was too long. I could only think of Eli and how much he must be hurting. I needed to find him, save him, as he had saved me. But first, I needed to process what had happened. I couldn’t think or function. It was like I was dead inside.

  The pain in my chest was gone, only because it had swallowed me up. My eyes were dry and puffy, and my whole body ached inside and out. When my uncle placed me on the sofa, I cradled myself into a ball and cried, but I’d already cried so much that I had no tears left to shed. Only a shallow soundless whimper escaped my mouth.

  “Don’t get attached” was the number one rule in our handbook. Sadly, I understood the reasons why. How could I be a demon hunter when I couldn’t keep my emotions in check? At this point, I didn’t care if I’d broken any kind of law. I didn’t care about anything. “Follow your heart,” the angels said. I thought I had followed mine, for my heart had known what it wanted before I did. And though I’d tried not to fall, it had done so without my consent. I’d learned love was beautiful, but brutally painful as well.

  My brother and Jack had trailed behind my uncle so they were already there, but Brody and Milani came a little later. Milani was a mess. Her makeup was smeared and her hair was in disarray. The beautiful red dress had been ripped at the bottom on purpose, but other areas had been torn by demon claws or swords. Brody’s tux had grass stains and tears in various places.

  Then I thought of Abel. How could he betray us like that?

  “I did a sweep around Jack’s home. Looks like everything is fine,” Uncle Davin said. “I even spoke to Lana. There were no demon activities. Jack’s family is fine.” He shifted to Jack who seemed just as drained. “What happened?” Uncle Davin didn’t give Jack a chance to speak. Running his hand down his face, he paced the length of the sofa. He released a heavy sigh and mumbled, “I don’t understand. The plan was simple. How in the world did everything go so wrong? Lucia almost got killed. Oh, holy. Yup...she almost did. Eli was captured. Should I have reported this? I thought we could handle it. What was I thinking? They’re just kids. It would have been different if I were working with responsible adults.” Then he suddenly stopped and his eyes darted to Jack. “You didn’t answer me. What happened?”

  Jack cleared his throat. “I...well, Eli, Abel, and I came up with a plan.”

  “What do you mean
, you came up with a plan? We had a plan. Who changed the plan without me?” Uncle Davin’s tone went deadly.

  Jack scooted to the corner of the sofa. He couldn’t move any farther since he was already there. He swallowed a nervous lump. “Well, the three of us agreed the person who could get close enough to Cyrus was me. He needed my blood to release the clue, so maybe he would let me stay and watch.”

  “Maybe?” Uncle Davin shrieked. “You took a chance on maybe?” He turned his back on us. A myriad of thoughts must have been running through his mind. His chest rose and fell rapidly and his hands gripped his hair.

  “Please tell me you read the clue and know what to do next.” His tone was desperate.

  “I did. I do,” was all Jack said.

  “Good. Text it to all of us. Read it and let me know your thoughts. That’s your homework for tonight.”

  When the doorbell rang, all eyes flew, breaking the tension in the room. Milani stiffened and her energy flickered at her fingertips. As soon as Uncle Davin opened the door, Milani pushed him out of the way and stopped Abel in his tracks.

  “You! You traitor.” Her hands motioned up.

  “Stop.” Brody blocked her hands and guided them down to her side. “There’s been enough damage done today. We need to hear the rest of the story before we judge.”

  Abel refused to make eye contact with me, even though he could sense me staring at him. Instead of sitting on the sofa, he stood behind where Jack sat.

  “Listen. It was all Eli’s idea, but we agreed. We didn’t...” He looked away to the shutters. “It wasn’t supposed to—Eli wasn’t supposed to...” He couldn’t go on. I had never seen him so emotional. After wiping his tears, he turned to us. “We have to find him. We shouldn’t waste any more time talking about what we did wrong. We need to fix this. But I swear to you, I’m no traitor. This was Eli’s plan. But our plan didn’t go so well.”

  Milani demanded in a cold tone, “You better damn well fix this. I want Eli back in one piece or—” She placed her head on Brody’s shoulder and kept quiet.

  “What happened to the missing teens?” my uncle asked, switching the topic. “Did anyone know Clarissa was part fallen angel and demon?” His eyes darted to everyone except me. “Her eyes were red like a vampire’s.”

  “Clarissa was a good friend,” Milani mumbled stoically. “I had no idea. I really don’t think she even had any idea what she was.”

  Uncle Davin paced again, rubbing his fingers along his jawline. “Maybe these missing children are not actually missing, but rather have gone to the dark side or—” he paused, “he’s using torture or mind control. He’s planning to create a war against the angels. But since these creatures he’s creating are not true fallen angels, the Divine Elders wouldn’t have gotten involved. With this information, I have some evidence. More Venators will have to come to Earth. We’re going to need more help when we rescue Eli.”

  The sound of his name was another stab of the dagger through my heart. I knew Milani felt the same, but for a different reason. She loved him like a brother, at least I thought that was all. Brody, Milani, and Abel had a long history with him. They were suffering too. I’d thought Abel was a traitor, but he had only followed his former leader. A part of me wished he had said no to Eli. Maybe the outcome would have been different.

  My parents used to tell me destiny had a way of making sure it was carried out, no matter how hard one tried to change it. And after all, his mother did tell him the girl with wings would be his destruction. I wanted to think Clarissa was that girl, but he hadn’t fallen in love with her.

  “So now what?” Zach seemed exhausted. His hair was ruffled from gripping it every time anyone spoke. He repeatedly clenched his jaw, appearing flustered and agitated.

  “I know where Vince hides,” Abel said. “I’ve followed him before. I don’t know if he will be there after tonight. But he could take us to Eli.”

  “And Eli will be where Cyrus is,” Brody added.

  “What if he’s already—?” Milani whimpered.

  “He’s not,” I spoke for the first time. “I can feel—I mean, I know. I just know.” I wanted to say I could still feel his presence, but I wasn’t sure. Maybe it was the lingering smell he’d left on my clothes when he held me and kissed me. Maybe he was imprinted on my heart. Maybe love felt like that. The person never left you. He’d said he would carry my smile with him and maybe I was doing the same, trying to hold on to the good memories, to hold on to hope.

  Uncle Davin placed his hands on my shoulders, giving me a soft massage. “First things first. We go back to school as if nothing has happened. Obviously, this Friday the thirteenth was a hoax. Keep your eyes out for any new supernatural beings and also for humans that keep to themselves. We can’t trust anyone. Meanwhile, I’m going to the Divine Elders to get us some help. Let’s all get some rest tonight and regroup tomorrow. Same time, same place.”

  Everyone left with gloomy faces, slumped shoulders, and shattered hearts.

  Chapter 35

  I got into the shower sluggishly and let the water pour down on me. Seeing steam rise, I could safely guess it was really hot. My body still felt too heavy for me, and every step and breath I took required a lot of effort. Though water had no effect on my eyes, they burned from all the crying. I had to snap out of it. Eli needed me. How could I be the demon hunter I was trained to be if I couldn’t control my grief? Just today. I need today. My human half controlled me, and I would let it have the upper hand just for the day.

  I had no idea if Eli lived, but I had to believe it. Now I understood what losing someone you truly cared about felt like. Being stabbed with a dagger was a physical pain that could be endured, but internal pain was cruel and deadly. It ate at you. It pinned you to the wall. It swallowed you up and made you feel so empty, alone and cold, and physically weighed you down.

  I pressed my face into my palms to muffle the noise as I sobbed into them again. I didn’t want Zach and Uncle Davin to guess my misery. Trembling, as tears continued to fall, I poured out anguish, and disgust at myself for being so weak...until there was nothing left. The cry wasn’t just for Eli being captured. It was an overwhelming feeling that came crashing through. Being a demon hunter and trying to be human at the same time was too much to handle. It was difficult to distinguish who I was. Finding the middle ground was harder than I had thought possible.

  After a while, with no more tears left to shed, I heaved in and out, staring down to collect myself as the water disappeared down the drain. It was time to be strong—to put aside the human teenage girl and be the Venator I was destined to be. Getting out of the shower, I changed into something comfortable and leaned against the wall, listening to Zach and my uncle’s conversation.

  “I didn’t know how much she cared for Eli,” Zach whispered. “This is all my fault. I’m her twin. I should have seen this coming.”

  “You couldn’t see it coming.” I heard a soft sigh from my uncle. “I bet Lucia didn’t see it coming either. Love just hits you. Well, first it’s lust and then it sometimes changes to love. But I don’t think she knows what love feels like, unless it’s too late. Ohhh, Cracker Jacks. I’m going to hear it from your father. And why Eli? Did it have to be a demon?”

  “Not all demons are bad, Uncle,” Zach stressed.

  “I know, but you’re not supposed to—I mean, it’s very frowned upon. Angels don’t fall in love, except for your parents...so it’s their fault. It’s in your genes. You are part human, after all.” Uncle Davin puffed an exaggerated sigh.

  I tiptoed the best I could, but I knew their angel hearing would pick up on the creaking sound of the wooden floor. “I’m not in love,” I stressed, standing firm to my words.

  “Lucia.” Uncle Davin gathered me in his arms. I rested my head on his shoulder and drew comfort from his hug.

  After a deep breath, I pulled back to smile at him. “I like him. I mean, he’s very nice to me. We’re very good friends. We’ve shared a lot of things. T
hat’s what friends do, right?” Every word that came out of my mouth was true, but the thoughts of him said otherwise. He meant more to me than just a friend. The butterflies in my stomach and the pain I endured at the sound of his name confirmed that.

  My uncle patted my back. “I will never understand teens. Please don’t tell me you kissed him.”

  I kept quiet.

  “Ohhh, silence means...Cracker Jacks.” My uncle’s hold on me tightened, like he wanted to strangle me.

  “What does ‘Cracker Jacks’ mean?” Zach’s eyes seemed riveted on my uncle’s teeth grinding and fuming expression.

  “It’s a delicious blend of caramel-coated popcorn and peanuts that has become another favorite of mine. But”—he squeezed me tighter—“it also sounds like something I want to say, sort of. It rolls off my tongue forcibly, like when I want to say holy crap or shit.” His tone got louder. “And, Lucia, I’m so glad you’re safe, but you are grounded for life when this is over.”

  With one last squeeze, he stormed to his room without making eye contact.

  “Well, that went well, don’t you think?” Zach sighed.

  He tried to make me feel better, but it didn’t work. “Want to sit on the roof with me?” I tilted my head.

  “Sure.” Zach wrapped his arms around me, guiding me out the back door.

  We jumped onto the roof and sat in our usual spot. We sat side by side with our knees tucked to our chests and our arms were behind us for support. I inhaled the air I needed so badly, but no amount of air would be enough.

  It was way past midnight and everyone was asleep. The roads were dark and carless, and not a sound of a living soul echoed in the night. It all felt dead, like me.

  “I’m sorry, Lucia. I said I would be there for you, to help you not be persuaded by human emotions, and I failed.”

  “You did everything right, Zach. You are the best brother anyone could have. You’ve always been there for me, but you can’t be there every step of my life. I’m responsible for my own actions. I didn’t plan to have feelings for Eli. I didn’t want it. But it happened. I don’t think you can control something like that, or even fight it. It takes you over completely; you can’t live without it. It becomes your breath of life.”