by Rue Volley
“Halo, for shits sake, please shut the fuck up already.” He said as he walked to me and then held up a sword. I stared at it as he grinned and licked his lips. A terrible habit he seemed to have, something that made him appear even more evil, at least to me.
“I want you to have this.” He said to me and I narrowed my eyes.
“Why?”
He tilted is head and paused for a second then decided to continue.
“It was mine.” He said to me and I stepped back from him.
“Yours?”
“Is everything a question with you?”
I shook my head ‘no’ as he walked towards me and held the sword out like he was presenting it to me.
“I can’t.”
He then was in front of me with the same speed he had demonstrated to me before. He stared me down as I tried my best to fight back the nervousness creeping up in me.
“I was once an angel, just as my brother was. The only difference was that I was the one who had to handle the ugly business, the war…he was more of a politician and of course his words flowed from his lips and poisoned everyone against me. I was cast out, but I brought one thing with me and that was this sword, the sword I carried as a warrior of heaven, but I have no need for it here. I would just like to see someone who is worthy of it use it as it should be used. To kill.”
I held my hands out as his words mesmerized me then he turned me and pushed me towards the door and out I went. I turned as he slammed the door in my face and Gunner leaned against the wall. He was looking down and then finally straightened up and stared at the sword in my hand.
“Well shit.” He said as he took it from me and held it up, checking the blade. He ran his finger across the edge of the metal and it did not cut him. He smiled and then handed it back to me.
“Do you need me to bite you?” he said and I blushed as I then realized that he knew everything, my dream about him and the fact that it was dirty as hell. He walked down the hallway that led us to a large elevator and he stood there as we could hear the gears turning above us. He placed his hand on the black panel and when he pulled it back I could see the impression of his hand print left behind but it had no print to it, almost as if it had been stripped of anything that could identify him.
I cleared my throat and looked upward as he glanced at me. I tried my best to ignore him, but my inability to not say what I was thinking took over.
“It was a dream, that is all.”
“Really?” he asked and I took a slow breath and then let it out.
“Yes, I mean I am under some stress here. I just fucking killed my boyfriend and then died.”
“Uh huh.”
I stared at the elevator and laughed under my breath. He glanced at me out f curiosity.
“What?”
“I just always thought it would be a highway.”
“Highway?”
“To Hell… not an elevator…never mind.”
“You mean the song.”
“Yes, I do.” I looked at him kind of impressed that he knew what I meant.
“What? I have been here a long time, I know things.”
“Cool.” I said as I watched doors open. Two faceless creatures stepped out in black suits with a girl by each arm. She looked as if she had been crying really hard but when she passed me I could see that her eyes were filled with bloody tears. I tried to ignore that too as Gunner stepped into the elevator and then I followed him. We turned as the girl tried to fight them and they drug her along as she moaned.
“What was that?” I asked him and he crossed his arms on his chest.
“That was a rogue.”
I looked at him and then upward at the mirrored ceiling. His shoulders looked strong; in fact he just looked like a badass, like a man who could truly handle anything thrown at him.
“A demon?”
“Yes, sometimes they escape and then try to be “good”, it never works out well.”
“How is that possible? I mean a demon is evil.”
“Don’t be so fast to judge, just because they came to hell and became a demon does not mean they are all evil, they just failed the trial to become a Hellhound.”
“Well that sucks.”
He looked at me as I looked upward, I realized he was starring and I looked at him.
“So, how good was I then?”
I looked down and bit into my lip as he had been so clever to hop back on the sex subject with me.
“You rocked.” I said as I looked at him and suddenly shed my nerves. I mean at this point I need to start acting like I can hold my own. I am a Hellhound, I will be hunting demons and if I cannot handle a bit of Gunner and his jokes then what good will I be? The answer would be none at all. He then turned to me and looked me over as I raised an eyebrow. He stepped forward and I stepped back, we played this out until I was against the mirrored wall of the elevator and he was about 2 inches in front of me. I felt the cold mirror to my back and the even colder sword in my hand. He reached down and wrapped his fingers over mine on the hilt of the sword and brought it up so that the metal was between us. I looked past the cold steel and saw the reflection of the blade in his eyes. His eyes, deep and brooding and I could not imagine everything he had seen. The idea of him being a Roman, and the Roman that he actually was, that of Brutus. I tried my best to keep my heartbeat at a regular rhythm but his skin against mine was engulfing my thoughts and the fact that he was so close to me.
“This is a powerful weapon.”
“I hate it.” I said as he looked past the sword and into my eyes.
“Why?”
“Because, it was his.”
“Oh Lucifer, I get it. I do. I mean you should despise him.”
“I do hate him, he is pure evil.” I said as my muscles tensed up in my jaw.
“He has never offered a weapon to anyone else, but to my sister. He must favor you as he did her.”
“Great.”
“Be grateful that he does not hate you.”
I stared at him as he remained to close, but I would never tell him to move away from me. In fact the longer her stood there the worse my ability to ignore his beautiful lips became.
“I…” I started to say as the sword started to lower. His hand relaxing and yet he remained close to me.
“What Halo?” he asked and I started to speak as he leaned in and let his lips touch mine. I left my eyes open, which was just awkward as hell. He parted my lips with his tongue, his kiss was soft and sweet and he raised a hand and cupped my face as I closed my eyes and melted into him. How I could feel this way for him so quickly was beyond me, but the feeling was real. I mean, perhaps it was the memory of seeing him holding me, the look on his face and how he seemed to become my protector in the moment of my death. His strength consumed me as did my feeling of security when he was near me. The dream of having him did not help, not one bit. I lowered the sword and he leaned up, pressing against me, but only slightly. It was as if he wanted to take his time or perhaps tease me. I could not be certain. Then the elevator stopped and the doors started to open as he quickly backed away and looked at me, his facial expression telling me that he was just as confused as I was as to why he did it to begin with.
“Gunner.” I said as he stepped from the elevator and into the house, the one we would call home on the surface of the earth. I watched him walk away from me and I touched my lips, as his bittersweet kiss lingered on.
***
Ari and Finna both stared me down as I adjusted the vinyl dress I had on. The straps across the front of it led down the front of me and I had nothing on but my panties beneath it. There was no need for a bra and the straps let a bit of skin show through. My fishnet was torn slightly on one leg, I had ripped them while putting them on but I did not care. My black combat style boots were laced up tight. I sighed and looked up at the two of them.
“How will you fight in that ridiculous shit?” Finna asked as she stared me down. Ari said nothing as his eyes lingered and
she smacked him and he nodded, crossing his arms on his chest.
“Can you move okay?” he asked me, like it was a serious inquiry. I knew as much as Finna did that he was just eyeballing my goodies. Then I heard footsteps behind me and turned to see Dorin coming from the shadows. He looked yummy as he had before.
“Interesting outfit.” He said to me as he eyed me, walking past me. He stopped and turned to look me over.
“Is this what you will be fighting in?”
“Yes.” Gunner said as he walked into the room and looked at everyone. “She will be fine. This is what she felt most comfortable with and so it is what she will be wearing.”
“I remember when we just fought in what we died in.” Finna said as she half laughed.
Gunner looked at her. “Things change, Lucifer changes the game as often as he wishes to. I don’t control it.”
“I never said that you did.” She said as they watched him walk to the wall and he pulled two axes. He came back and tossed one to me and I caught it a lot easier than I thought that I would. It felt as if it weighed nothing and yet I knew that it had weight to it.
“Perhaps she should start with a lighter…” Dorin started to say and Gunner held his hand up to him.
“There is no reason that she should not be able to battle with whatever I give to her. She is branded.”
“I know but…”
“Dorin.” Gunner said as he turned and stared at him. His expression was hard. Finna shook her head and Ari laughed.
“Fine.” He said as he stepped up and held his hand out to him.
“What?” Gunner said as he held the ax.
“Give it to me Gunner, you are the hardest opponent in the house, she should at least have a chance her first time around.”
“She needs to...”
Dorin took the ax from him and for a minute they both stood there like a fight may happen. I held the ax and watched closely, not knowing what would be happening next. Gunner then stepped back and waved a hand as Dorin nodded to him. He turned to me and smiled as I saw his teeth, two pointed ones and it was then that I realized that he was in fact a vampire. Shit.
He leaped into the air and twisted above me as I swung my ax upwards over my head. The fact that I did kind of shocked me. I mean I had never had a weapon in my hand before the knife I shoved into Travis’s face. I was not a fighter by nature, but as Dorin landed behind me and I spun on one foot, my long red hair swinging out to my side and the ax following with a serious swing, I started to think that maybe I was a warrior. Maybe something had laid dormant in me forever and this was why I was able to take that knife to Travis when I knew it was him or me. Of course I did not know at the time that I was fucking dying, but whatever. I killed him just the same. Dorin then laughed as he darted to the right and my eyes were able to follow him, I adjusted my footing as he darted to the left and then he was on me and swinging the ax like a maniac as I bent back and arched my back. My head almost touched the ground as I saw Gunner watching me, which was a fucking distraction. I came up just as Dorin reared back and hit me in the nose with the butt of the ax and I stumbled backwards, reaching up to touch my nose. I pulled my hand back to see blood but it was not red, not at all. It was now black and the sight of it bothered me, giving Dorin another chance to strike at me but as he leaped above me, I brought my ax up and held it in both hands and stopped his ax just a fraction of an inch from my eye. I stared at it as he grinned and showed off his vampire teeth. I shook my head and then pushed him back from me as I yelled out.
“I never liked vampire movies; they never got it right once the fucking teenagers got involved.”
Gunner laughed as did Ari and Finna as I spun around and swung my ax as hard as I could. It came within a sheer fraction of an inch from cutting his throat, as he leaned back from me. I then kicked him in the stomach and he flew across the room and hit the wall, quickly sliding down as he laughed out loud.
I stood there, my chest rising and falling as Dorin stood up and then he nodded to me, a smile curling his lip up at the corner of his mouth as he looked me over.
“It would seem that you are capable of handling yourself.”
“Thank you.” I said as he approached me and looked down my body. I straightened up as he grinned.
“If you would ever like some company I would be…”
“Halo.” Gunner said as he stepped up behind me and Dorin stopped talking.
“So, you are a Hellhound…but, you are a vampire.”
“That I am. I was a vampire when I died and came to Hell. Killing Vlad did not come at a heavy price Halo.” I watched him as he handed the ax to Gunner and started to walk away.
“Good job Dorin.” Gunner said to him and Dorin raised his hand and waved it slightly, without turning back to look at any of us.
“He is a serious warrior, he is loyal.” Gunner said as he turned back to me.
“I kicked his ass.”
Gunner leaned into my ear and whispered to me.
“He let you.”
I opened my mouth as he pulled back and looked down my dress. Suddenly I had no words as his eyes searched me. It almost felt as if he was touching me. Finna nudged Ari and pulled him along with her as they left Gunner and I standing in the half lit room.
“That is not cool.” I said to him as he grinned at me.
“Neither is this.” He said as he swung the ax and I screamed and blocked him.
Chapter Four
Vampires Suck
I stood in front of the mirror and stared at myself. I had been beaten and thrown for nearly 4 weeks and even though I felt as if I may be ready to take on a demon of some sort, the only thing that was consuming my mind was one kiss, from a very attractive badass in the house. Gunner had not taken any liberty with me since that day and I wondered if he simply lost interest in me. I would hate to think so, I mean if anything, I was definitely feeling a pull towards him, an undeniable need to feel his body against me and his lips on my own. He had tasted sweet, sweeter than anything I had ever known before and it lingered with me. I touched my lips and closed my eyes, suddenly lowering my hand and turning as I heard a voice behind me, followed by a light tapping. My door stood half open, I didn’t feel the need to shut it most of the time as no one bothered me at all. The only time we truly mingled was for training and other than that we ate in almost a complete silence, as if the thought of bonding was not something they wanted to do with me.
“Well, how are you Halo?” Dorin asked me as he stood at my doorway. I grinned and remembered the old sayings about inviting a vampire into houses, I did know it also included rooms.
“You can come in Dorin.” I said as I watched him closely. It could not be a bad thing to say it, could it? I mean he is a Hellhound and a part of the team.
“Thank you.” He said softly as he stepped into my room, one foot at a time and with caution. I smiled and looked him over. He was dressed in all black, as usual and his button down looked nice and neat, a white tie looking pristine against the black of his shirt.
“So, you have to be invited into rooms too? Interesting.” I said as I placed a hand on my hip and he smiled at me, his teeth looking completely normal. Honestly, his teeth never grew and looked menacing unless we were sparring. It must have been the excitement from all the fighting.
“Yes, it can be a pain in the ass. Most of what you know of vampires is true. We have to be invited into homes, rooms also, which is not really known, as they are personal space and protected by those who live in them. We also hate garlic, but it not because it hurts us, it stinks and our sense of smell is stronger than that of any animal. Anything with a pungent smell is annoying.”
I laughed and stepped up to him. If anything, Dorin had been the only other person in the house who had spoken to me, I mean more than screaming “Jump! Duck! Roll!” which I had listened to in abundance for weeks. Dorin had mentioned small things to me, things like how I seemed to fighting with more skill and how I seemed to be settling i
nto my roll. It was not that I liked him more than I needed to, but it just seemed ironic to me that the only non-human Hellhound in the house was the only one who seemed to be making me feel human at all.
“So, tonight…”
Dorin held his hand up to me and shook his head just slightly. I stopped talking, not quite sure as to why he was doing it, but he opened his mouth and spoke softly to me as he always did.
“We do not discuss the Hunt, it is bad luck.”
“Oh.” I said as I crossed my arms on my chest and stood there. It would be nice if they would all allow me to understand more than just being a killing machine.
“Nothing personal Halo, please do not take offence to it.”
I relaxed a little bit as he stepped closer to me. His eyes were as soft as his voice seemed to be. If I didn’t know any better I would never guess he was a vampire. I would have to guess that this was exactly why vampires were who they were and could seduce anyone. They appear human in every way, in fact, they seem MORE than most humans can pull off.
“I just wish I knew, I mean, don’t get wrong. I feel accepted here to a certain degree but all we have done is fight and train, train and fight. No one has said more than two words to me since day one…I mean, except for you, which I totally appreciate, I do.”
He watched my lips as I spoke and my heart fluttered in my chest. I could not tell if it was my fault or some trick of his own. He broke his stare from my lips and let his eyes rise, he looked into mine and I rubbed my neck as he stepped closer. He was now only about 2 feet from me and I could feel strange emotions rising up in me. He had never made me feel like this, not the entire time we had sparred. Not one moment, but now, I feel…I don’t know what I feel. He stepped once more and was now only a foot in front of me.
