by Lola StVil
I tell him what happened between Hunter and me a few hours ago. I don’t tell him who the girl was, just that it was someone I cared about, but it takes him no time to figure out it’s Pry. My father rips the handle off the door as he marches out of the house. I run after him and plead with him.
“Dad, where are you going?”
“You left that little piece of crap alive, and I’m going to find him and fix your mistake.”
“You can’t do that.”
“Why the hell not? You only broke a few ribs. He needs to die and not just die, he needs to choke on his own blood, and I need to make that happen.”
“Dad, you need to think about this. I already hit him and he almost backed out of the deal. If you injure him in any way, that video will get out.”
“I’m not going to injure him; I’m going to kill him.”
“You can’t do that!”
“Emmy and Marcus are my best friends. I would die for them. Do you get that? I can’t allow that slimy bastard to get away with destroying their child’s life.”
“Pryor may be their child, but she’s not a child. She slept with him because she wanted to hurt me; what better way than to be with the guy responsible for Sparks’ death? I’m the reason this is happening. I have to take care of it.”
“So you’ll kill him?” the Akon asks.
“No.”
“Okay, then I will.”
“No! Dad, no one is going to kill Hunter. Well, at least not now. He has a source that will release the video. I took a chance by striking him; I shouldn’t have done that. Wait, I almost beat him to death.”
“Almost is not good enough. He should be dead.”
“I get that, but listen. This proposal is important to him; I think more so than he’s letting on. What’s in the proposal?”
“It’s like eighty pages long. It’s a pain in the ass, but it’s not really all that damaging to Noru. It just says that Noru actions will have to be reviewed if they result in someone’s death, the Paras will seek out Noru that harm humans, and Noru will surrender weapons if caught harming any humans.”
“It doesn’t sound that bad.”
“Exactly. So why is Hunter going out of his way to make sure I sign off on it?” Dad asks.
“I don’t know, but there has to be something we’re missing. When does the proposal go up for the vote?”
“As soon as the Congreto is over.”
“What’s that?”
“I’m not surprised you never heard of it. Those angel bastards keep way too many secrets.”
“Dad, what is the Congreto?”
“Once every cycle a group of humans enter the world that are so pure, they stand to change the fate of the world for the better. When that happens, Omnis has a celebration to welcome the humans and give to them the gift of amplified courage. He gives this gift to an angel of his choosing. That angel is called the guest.
“By way of his chosen angel guest, the humans don’t know they are being blessed. For them, it’s just a party that they go to. And when it’s over they feel a surge of peace.”
“So Omnis throws a party and sends a trusted angel to bless the humans at the party because they will somehow, someday change the world for the better?”
“Yeah, it’s taking up all our time. It’s a security nightmare. That’s why it’s not publicized. Whatever you tell angels, you end up telling demons as well. So the location of the party is a secret.”
“Got it. And after the party or the Congreto crap is over, the board will vote on Hunter’s proposal?”
“Yes.”
“Then we have enough time to find out what he’s hiding in the proposal.”
“We could just go after his source,” Dad offers.
“If the mission I’m on turns out to be valid, the team will be way too busy to find Hunter’s source. It’s better to focus on the proposal since you have that in your possession already.”
“Okay, I’ll go take a look at it again and see what we are missing.”
“Good, thanks,” I reply as I start to walk away.
“You know damn well we aren’t done here,” Dad scolds.
“I’m low on time. I have to track down Spider. He has info I need and he’s been avoiding me.”
“I know the feeling. Now, bring your ass inside and talk to me,” he says as he heads back into the house. I have no choice but to follow.
“Okay, what is it?” I ask as we enter the house.
“Don’t play games with me, Aaden. The Paras found you in the Hole. You know how dangerous that place can be if you overuse it.”
“I know.”
“How often have you been going?”
“More often than is recommended, but not nearly as often as I would like.”
“You can’t lose your wings.”
“I know that, but…”
“Aaden, talk to me.”
“You won’t understand.”
“Really? You think I’m new to loss?”
“I know, it’s just…the Hole makes it all better. I go there and I see Sparks. I see her markings on Diana. I watch her turn the lights on and off. She’s alive again when I’m in the Hole.”
“There’s a reason it’s called the ‘Hole.’ It will pull you in and there will be no getting out. Trust me. I spent weeks there when your mom died. That’s why I was always leaving you with Mrs. Maybelle. I was addicted to that place and she knew it. She finally sat me down and told me to get my shit together and be a father to you.
“Going to the Hole all the time is the fastest way to let your life pass you by. I don’t want that to happen to you.”
“The other day I was in some stupid motel and there was a short in the wiring of the lamp. It made the lights in the room flicker and I thought…”
“Son, I am so sorry. I would do anything to make you not have to feel as crappy as you do.”
“I know,” I reply.
“This thing coming after you—grief—it’s a real son of a bitch. And if you aren’t careful, it will take you under, Aaden.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“You can’t do this alone. Don’t take all of this on by yourself. Come back home, we can get through this shit together. I’m your father. I will be here for you.”
“I know, Dad, but I can’t come home right now.”
“Why the hell not?”
“I told you, I have a mission—a solo one. I have to see it through before I can come back.”
“What is this mission?”
“I can’t say.”
“The hell you can’t. Start talking,” he demands.
“Look, if this mission turns out to be real, you will have more than enough chances to help out—believe me. Just give me a chance to check it out and see if the threat is real and credible,” I reply.
“If it’s a new threat, why isn’t Pryor on it? Why is it just you?”
“I don’t want to alert the team until I’m sure. And I’m hoping it doesn’t come to that.”
“Fine, I’ll back off—for now. But tell me this, how bad is this threat?”
“Bad…”
“We really thought you kids would face less shit than we did. It turns out, all of you are in danger all the time.”
“It’s not your fault we face danger. It’s unavoidable, you know that.”
“Doesn’t make it easier to swallow.”
“No, it doesn’t…”
The Akon studies me closely. I can see the concern etched on his face. His instincts as a high-ranking demon are unparalleled. But lately his “dad” skills have been just as powerful. He knows there is something more to this visit.
“Well, you came all the way here, you might as well ask,” he offers.
“How is Pryor?”
“The same way any girl would be after getting screwed over by a guy.”
“Wow, Dad, thanks,” I spit.
“Aaden, I am your father. I’m not your damn pal. I’m not going to spray a can
of air freshener over your head to hide the scent of the shit that you stepped in. You broke that girl’s heart. Now she’s sleeping with assholes to make up for it.”
“Dad, you don’t get it. You don’t know why I had to end things with Pry.”
“Bullshit! I know why you did it. It’s the same reason your mom and I kept having issues. Loving angels is a hard job for a demon. You spend most of the time thinking you don’t deserve her and that it’s a matter of time before she sees that. So you fuck things up before she can.”
“Yeah, and I was right. I mean, do you think Pry would have stayed with me after I killed the ones responsible for Sparks’ death? She would have left me anyway.”
“Aaden, she loves you. You have to give her a chance to decide how far she’s willing to go for you. You took that choice away from her, and that was a dick move and you know it.”
“It doesn’t matter now.”
“It does, son. You love her, go get her.”
“She’s not going to forgive me. She won’t. She slept with Hunter. That’s her huge ‘fuck you’ to me. And anyway, she should be with someone…someone who doesn’t have nightmares, someone who doesn’t go off into fits of rage and burn everything. Someone like—”
“Bex?”
I don’t reply. Instead, I look out the window at the humans walking by.
“You handed her to him. Was that the plan? Because it’s working,” he says.
“Are they…together?”
“I don’t know. All I know is that she’s hurting and she’s reaching out for anything and anyone. Bex is not a fool; he is going to give her the one thing you refuse to—stability. Aaden, you are just as kindhearted as Bex. And you are just as good. Nothing that has happened to you has changed that.”
“Dad, I don’t even have a soul.”
“So the fuck what? I don’t have a soul. That didn’t stop your mother from loving me. It didn’t stop her from sharing her life with me.”
“It already happened, okay? So what’s the point of talking about it? Pryor and I are already over.”
“So you don’t even want to try to get her back.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m not supposed to be happy. Don’t you get that, Dad? Happiness doesn’t happen for guys like us. You loved Mom. She made you happy, so the world plotted to take her away and they did. Sparks was my whole fucking life. No matter what was going on, knowing that she was in my life made it better, and again the world plotted, and now, she’s gone too. The Center and its endless torture, losing the ones we love, being kept out of the light…Dad, don’t you see? Demons don’t win. Ever.”
After having to leave one too many messages on Spider’s phone, I take to the air in hopes of finding him. Spider is known throughout the angel and demon world as the go-to guy. There is nothing you need that Spider can’t find—for a price. There are times he’s come close to death, but he always manages to escape it somehow. I look for him in all his favorite seedy hangouts. When I finally find him, he’s in the back room of a dive bar in New Jersey, playing blackjack.
I hear his high and shrill laugh and I know it’s him. I push the door open and the demons at the table scatter. Killing a slew of beings has that effect; no one wants to be next on your list.
“I’ve called you a million times—I could have sworn you were avoiding me. Is that the case, Spider?”
“Me? No! It’s just…I’ve been swamped with work,” he says as he gets up from the table.
“Really? Because last time I checked, you don’t have a job,” I remind him.
“Hey, it so happens that I am looking into some new ventures.”
“Really? And what would that venture be?” I ask as I come closer to him.
“Well, for one thing, I’m working on an app.”
“Seriously?”
“You know what a pain in the ass it is when a demon or angel friend who owes you money suddenly disappears? He never gets back to you. So you wonder, is he giving me the runaround, or is he dead? Well, now you can use my app, input the demon’s name, and it will tell you if he’s alive or dead.”
“That sounds great, but that’s not what I’m here to—”
“You really think it’s great? Because it so happens that I’m looking for an investor. I have a few demons lined up, but you know how demons can be—I mean, not you—other demons.”
“Spider, I didn’t come for your sales pitch. I need to know who Swoop was seeing.”
“Um…she dates a lot. Well, she’s never dated me, but I think we can all agree, it’s only a matter of time.”
“No, she was seeing someone special. Someone she saw exclusively.”
“Oh, him…”
“Who is ‘him,’ Spider? This is important.”
“They call him the Gentleman. Although, we’ve met face-to-face, and there was nothing gentle about him.”
“Swoop was seeing Malakaro’s second in command?”
“Oh yeah, they were on each other like sin on black wings.”
“How do you know?” I ask.
“I followed her a few times. Okay, more than a few. I just wanted to see what she was into. That way I could make my case of why she should be with me.”
“What happened? Why did it end?”
“I followed them to a little town a while back. A human made some inappropriate comment about Swoop, next thing I know, the whole town was annihilated. Men, women, children, you name it. It was a bloodbath. That’s when the two of them parted ways. I know it was love, but still, I think there’s only so much love can take, you know what I mean?”
“First hand.”
“Ever since then, the two have been ‘on the outs’ as we humans say.”
“So the Gentleman went overboard trying to protect Swoop’s honor, killed an entire town, and Swoop broke it off. I guess that means—”
“What? No. You have it all wrong. Swoop is the one who murdered everyone in the village. That’s why the Gentleman broke up with her.”
Chapter Fifteen:
A Very Bad Turn
It’s not hard to find the Gentleman. His lifestyle is lavish and decadent, so I just seek him out in the most extravagant hotels and villas around the world. I find him a few days later; he’s staying at the Four Seasons in Shanghai. Another reason the Gentleman is easy to spot is because he almost always walks around with an entourage. I spot some of his crew in the lobby of the posh hotel.
I can’t imagine how shocked and terrified the humans would be to learn that in addition to the expensive art, pristine marble floors, glass elevators, and crystal chandeliers, demons are lurking, ready to rip into anyone or anything they view as a threat.
I spot two members of the Gentleman’s entourage as they step out of the elevator and head for the exit. I know they belong to his crew because they are dressed in hand-tailored dark suits, with matching ties and top-of-the-line shoes. Every demon knows in order to work for the Gentleman, you must be impeccably dressed at all times. I hide behind the nearest marble column and overhear the tail end of the two demons’ conversation.
“How long is he going to keep sending us to Moscow? We go out there and watch over a boring shit town in the freezing cold. There are no angels to kill there. No one to fight or torture,” the first demon says.
“I know, I’m sick of it too. And why has he been so distracted?” the second demon replies.
“Hell if I know.”
“He better not be plotting behind Malakaro’s back.”
“The boss isn’t crazy. He knows what would happen if he ever did that,” the other demon replies as they walk out of earshot and out onto the street.
I step out from behind the pillar and go over what I heard. It’s not like the Gentleman to be off in any way, yet according to his crew, his head hasn’t been in the game. Why is that? Could he still be thinking about Swoop? How is that possible? He broke up with her, why would she still be on his mind?
You broke up with Pry, why is she still on your mind?
Thankfully, before I can answer myself, I see movement from the corner of my eye. The glass elevator on the left holds a group of a dozen demons. The other elevator holds nearly twice as many demons and they are all headed down to the lobby. In the center of the mob of demons stands the Gentleman. He’s dressed in a dark suit with a green tie and matching handkerchief. He wears expensive shades that hide his lethal eyes and stands on high alert.
I was hoping to get him alone, but that’s not going to happen given the heavy security that surrounds him. I am certain I can take on his crew, but there are dozens of humans milling around in the lobby, not to mention the ones in their hotel rooms several floors above us. Starting a fight here would be unsafe to say the least. The only thing I can do is follow them out of the hotel and on to the secondary location.
The trick is to leave the hotel without any of the demons spotting me. Normally demons would refrain from attacking in a placed filled with humans. It used to be that both sides were afraid of repercussions. But demons have grown brazen and some don’t give a damn who is in the way.
The first crew exits the elevator and surveys the area. I hide behind the large metallic sculpture in the middle of the lobby. They signal to the second crew that it’s safe for them to exit the elevator. The glass doors open and the Gentleman checks his reflection in the mirror, straightens his tie, and steps out.
I have never seen him in person before. He is just as pretentious and full of himself as I’ve heard. Not one single hair is out of place. The only thing that isn’t perfect is the scar on his cheek, but even that manages to fit in with his mystique. I’m pretty sure that even if this guy wasn’t a killer, I would hate him.
I watch them as they make their way towards the double doors. The doorman holds the door open for them. Like almost everything in this hotel, the double doors are made of glass. And like all glass, they reflect. So as the Gentleman goes through it, he catches a glimpse of me behind him. But he doesn’t stop or turn around to face me. He just continues out the door.
Maybe I was wrong; maybe he didn’t see me.
