The Helm of Darkness

by Kim Richardson

  She didn’t know why she was so angry. She knew she had broken the code, and she really had not expected to get off so easily. But she’d never expected to have a babysitter, especially not one who already despised her and who was obviously one of Metatron’s guards. And she had never expected her babysitter to be male.

  She supposed she would just have to accept her punishment. She stole a look over to Ariel, but the archangel’s gaze was on the council.

  Jeremiel leaned forward and narrowed his eyes. “The heads of Hallow Hall have been made aware of the situation. The Sensitive operative in question will be reprimanded as well. You’re not to have any more contact with him. Any contact, particularly physical contact, will lead to more severe punishment. Are we clear?”

  Alexa thought she was going to pass out in humiliation. What must the Sensitives at Hallow Hall think of her? She imagined the scowl on Valerie’s face, and Rachel’s victory smile. She felt her insides contract.

  If kissing Erik had been a mistake, why had it felt so right?

  “And what of her soul?” demanded Metatron. “Part of it is missing. We all know what that means—a demon alliance. Clearly she’s in league with them.”

  “Are you crazy?” protested Alexa. “I am not in any kind of alliance with any demon.”

  “That is a serious accusation, Metatron,” said a female archangel whom Alexa had not really noticed before. She had vibrant red hair, and her green robes contrasted starkly against her milky skin.

  The archangel continued, “Collaboration with enemies of the Legion is considered high treason and punishable by true death. But the archangel Raphael found no such marks. She examined Alexa herself and cleared her for duty. If there was anything out of the ordinary or wrong with her, Raphael would have discovered it—”

  “Really? Nothing wrong?” Metatron laughed without humor. “And what do you call the fact that she’s missing part of her soul? I was there when Raphael did that test. You know it’s true.”

  Ariel’s honey-colored eyes gleamed. “It is true that Alexa’s soul has been tampered with. There is evidence of missing essence. But that doesn’t prove anything. Only that what she said was true—”

  “Come on!” Metatron hurled the table forward with a flick on his hand. “This is a clear violation of the Angel Code. The safety of the Legion should always be our priority.”

  He tossed his cigar.

  “Name me one angel who had their angel essence tampered with and wasn’t corrupted? Eh? Can you name one?”

  Silence.

  Alexa watched council members’ faces for any evidence that would tell her Metatron was wrong. Surely there had been other cases like hers. But the uncomfortable silence made it clear to her that Metatron hadn’t been wrong.

  “No. I didn’t think so.” Metatron whirled on Alexa.

  “Soul tampering is a giant red flag. It’s a free pass to join our enemies. It’s the mark of an alliance—a very clear one. She’s been turned. Don’t let that innocent face fool you. Even the devil was once an angel. I can see it.”

  Alexa shook with controlled anger. “I’m not a vampire. I haven’t been turned.”

  Her fingers ached to plunge his cigar into one of his eyes. “You’re just pissed off because Ryan was the traitor, and you never knew. He was right under your nose this whole time and you—protector of the Legion—never saw it.”

  Metatron stilled, and for half a second Alexa worried he was about to rip her in half, but only his face twitched.

  He looked to the council and said, “You can’t possibly believe this story of hers about Hades. It’s complete nonsense. A deity would never have let her walk away free without something in return. If he didn’t kill her, she’s working for him.”

  “That’s a load of crap, and you know it,” spat Alexa, incredulous, but also surprised at her own boldness.

  What was Metatron saying? Was she bad now? Her hands were in fists, and her fingers trembled.

  Ariel leaned closer to Alexa and whispered, “Alexa, don’t. If you don’t want to end up in Tartarus, learn to bite your tongue when it’s crucial.”

  It was only when she heard the real fear in Ariel’s voice that she forced herself to calm down.

  From the corner of her eye, Alexa could see the young angel who had been assigned to supervise her sitting straight in his chair, but she refused to take her eyes off Metatron. Of course Metatron didn’t believe her. That had been obvious from the moment she had arrived back. She eyed all the council members and tried to appraise their attitude towards her. A council member with skin the color of night and wrapped in blood red robes watched her with a face that was twisted in contempt. Perhaps Metatron wasn’t the only archangel who thought she’d been tainted.

  “I have nothing to hide,” she said after a moment. “They did their tests and they found nothing. I haven’t done anything—”

  Metatron shook his head slowly. “Another lie. You’ve done plenty.”

  Alexa opened her mouth but closed it.

  Another spasm of rage contorted Metatron’s features. “The truth is, kid, there’s no evidence that any pagan god broke through the Veil. A being of such power would have left traces of supernatural properties for hours after the Veil had been severed. Anomalies, like birds flying into walls or packs of dogs becoming suddenly aggressive—things out of the ordinary behavior—but there was nothing, just dead mortals and lesser demons.”

  Alexa flinched like she’d been punched in the gut. “You don’t believe me? You think I’ve made this up?”

  For a moment, Alexa thought she saw a flicker of uncertainty, suspicion, and maybe even annoyance cross Jeremiel’s face. But all he said was, “There was no evidence supporting the escape of any such creature, especially a pagan god.”

  Alexa spoke with effort. “But I saw him. He nearly killed Erik.”

  “Your mortal suit had deteriorated considerably,” said Jeremiel. “You were not yourself. It’s possible that you think you saw a pagan god when in fact it was just a demon.”

  “It wasn’t,” said Alexa. Her throat burned. “He told me his name was Hades. His body was made up of souls. I saw him! He’s real, and now he’s out there. How do you explain what happened to my soul then?”

  “Simple,” Metatron smiled, and for the second time he looked victorious.

  “A Higher demon could have easily taken a piece of the soul of any willing angel. Alliances with our enemies happen all the time, unfortunately. Your case is not as particular as the rest of the council thinks. It’s a textbook demon alliance. And I’m going to prove it.”

  Behind his sunglasses, Metatron had begun to slice away at her confidence in the truth, and he wanted to strip her down to the bone.

  They don’t believe me, thought Alexa.

  The pain came again into her chest more strongly, and she struggled to control it. Part of her wanted to scream at how stupid they were being. But a more sensible voice inside told her that it would just make matters worse. She’d done enough.

  If they didn’t believe her because she had no proof, she’d find some.

  “Thank you for your contribution, Metatron,” announced Jeremiel. His chilly gaze slid around the room. “The council has reached its decision. As the appointed minister of this council, I call this meeting adjourned. We will look forward to your progress, Alexa Dawson. That is all.”

  Alexa turned and followed the archangel Ariel out of the chamber. She felt as though she was having an out-of-body experience and could barely hear their shoes on the hard marble floors. Her mind raced. Even though the Legion wasn’t going to send her to Tartarus, she could still feel a strange flutter of fear just under her rib cage.

  She knew Metatron had been right. Deep down, Alexa knew she’d been changed when Hades had taken part of her soul. A darkness was growing inside her, and she had no idea how to stop it.

  CHAPTER 2

  “ARE YOU GOING TO TELL me where we’re going?” asked Alexa for the second time. />
  The streets of the upper east side in Manhattan were lit with golden light. The sky was dark gray, and the cold January winds were thick with the smell of hot dogs and roasting peanuts.

  She smiled inwardly that she had been allowed to wear another M-9, the best mortal suits in the Legion. She could breathe, cry, and even feel a beating heart beneath her artificial ribcage. But the best part was that these suits gave her superhuman strength, speed, agility, superior healing, a predator’s instinct, and enhanced supernatural senses. She was excited to be wearing one.

  “I’ll tell you when I see it,” answered Petty Officer Milo, cold and impatient.

  She only knew his name, rank, that he liked to wear expensive looking black clothes, and that he had been Metatron’s pick for her supervising officer. Ariel’s irritated expression after the meeting at the High Council had made it clear that Milo was clearly not her pick. She had looked at him long and hard, like he was someone she didn’t trust. Alexa suspected that Ariel hadn’t been given a choice in the matter. But none of that mattered now.

  After Alexa had completed her month of probation, assisting the oracles with clerical work at Orientation, she’d reported back to level five to the Counter Demon Division to speak with Ariel. But Milo was waiting for her, and he looked as displeased with their arrangement as he had at her hearing.

  She hated him instantly. How could she like Metatron’s spy?

  But what irritated her the most was how overwhelmingly handsome he was. It was difficult for her not to gaze at his face and body. Towering and heavily muscled, Milo was every inch an angel warrior. His tight black clothes were made of the finest cloth and were tailored in a way that showed off every curve of his six-pack. His long leather coat was draped across his broad shoulders, and two leather sword straps crisscrossed his chest. The hilts of the two ancient-looking swords that he wore on his back were just visible behind the collar of his coat, and they tapped slightly on his broad shoulders as he walked.

  Did Metatron think he could control her by pairing her up with his hot angel guard? Did he think she was so weak she couldn’t see beyond the flesh? That she couldn’t resist his pretty face?

  He was a fool if he thought she’d fall for that.

  “Do you believe me about Hades?” blurted Alexa. She thought a fight might cheer her up a little. “Or do think I imagined him, like your boss Metatron?”

  Milo flinched at the word boss, but if it bothered him he didn’t mention it.

  “If the pagan god did escape, I’m sure he’ll reveal himself in time. A creature such as that can’t hide in the shadows forever.”

  “So, is that a yes or a no? Do you believe me or not? It’s a simple question.”

  Milo halted and whirled around. His gray eyes were unsettling.

  “I haven’t decided yet,” he said. He turned around and kept walking.

  “That’s not exactly the answer I was looking for,” said Alexa.

  She ran to catch up to him.

  “What are we doing here?” she pressed and quickened her pace to match Milo’s. “What’s the threat? It’s not like you’re giving me anything to go on. I don’t read minds.”

  “You don’t?” said Milo over his shoulder. “And here I thought you were an angel with many gifts and hidden talents.”

  Alexa wanted to smack the back of his head. “Well, I’m not.”

  I’m ordinary, she wanted to say, but she knew that wasn’t true. “So? Are you going to tell me why we’re here, or do I have to beat it out of you?”

  Milo laughed without humor. “As it so happens, while you were busy playing secretary to the oracles last month, there was a sudden increase in supernatural activities and unexplained deaths in New York. We discovered hundreds of dead mortals with missing souls.”

  “Hades,” said Alexa. She ran to catch up. “I told you.”

  “Whatever it is,” continued Milo, “I’d been investigating a lead when the council requested that I keep an eye on you. Not my decision. I don’t work well with others, especially fledglings who still have an attachment to the mortal world. You’re an unnecessary distraction, and you’ll only interfere with my work. But I have no choice but to let you tag along.”

  “I’m not a dog,” shot Alexa, an edge to her voice. “I don’t tag along.”

  “Call it whatever you want. But the truth is I’m here on the Legion’s business, so just stay out of the way and try not to get yourself killed.”

  “And here I thought you were doing Metatron a favor by keeping an eye on me. It sounds to me like you didn’t have a choice in the matter. They forced you, didn’t they? I wonder…what did you do to piss them off? It must have been pretty bad to get stuck with me. So, what was it?”

  “And I don’t need a fledgling’s emotional outbursts getting in the way.”

  He talked over Alexa as though she hadn’t spoken. “So, control yourself, angel. Or you’ll find yourself back in Horizon.”

  “Wow, is that a threat? You’re quite the jerk, aren’t you?”

  Alexa resisted the urge to stick out her foot and trip him. She saw the tension in his jaw, but he didn’t say anything and kept walking. She didn’t think she could hate another angel as much as she had hated Ryan. But if Milo kept this up, he’d be pretty close.

  Manhattan’s usual summer stink of garbage, hot pavement, exhaust fumes, and fried foods was masked by the smell of snow. But the sound of honking cars, the snarl of taxis, the squealing of brakes, and the murmur of humanity were unmistakably Manhattan. They made their way silently along 5th Avenue, two guardian angels, unnoticed in the mortal world.

  To their left was Central Park, a picturesque winter postcard in a carpet of white snow. Glowing white orbs from the tall lampposts flickered like tiny moons. A couple stood on Gapstow Bridge, snapping selfies while they kissed. Alexa’s chest tightened as their embrace became more passionate, and she tore her eyes from the happy couple.

  As soon as she’d stepped into the mortal world, she was reliving the past few months all over again. Alexa tried to block out the human feelings that seemed somehow to be attached to her mortal suit. She wished she felt nothing. She wished her mortal emotions had been made into hard steel along with the rest of her. Every step was heavier and harder because she could still feel. She felt she was walking against a rushing river.

  A tall, broad-shouldered young man caught her eye. His dark hair brushed the shoulders of his black leather motorcycle jacket as he walked ahead of her. She knew that walk, that body, and the way his shoulders swayed gracefully with each step like he didn’t have a care in the world.

  Erik.

  Alexa leapt towards him and grabbed his arm.

  “Erik! What are you doing here?”

  She turned him around to face her—

  It wasn’t him. He blinked at her with brown eyes. He had a pleasant face, but he wasn’t Erik. Alexa could feel the heat rise up her neck and into her face.

  “Oh, sorry. I thought you were someone else.”

  The stranger smiled and shrugged. “It’s okay.”

  His breath puffed out in an icy white mist, and Alexa watched as he disappeared into the crush of mortals on the Manhattan street. She knew Milo had been watching her.

  “What part of controlling your emotions didn’t you understand?” Milo sounded disappointed.

  “Shut up. I don’t want to hear it.”

  “I knew this would happen. I knew you would only hinder my investigation with your juvenile infatuation.”

  The lamp light illuminated Milo’s hair, and for a moment it looked like he was wearing a crystal crown. “It’s too early for your return to service. You shouldn’t be here.”

  “You don’t know what you’re talking about. Stay out of it.” Alexa flushed angrily and balled her hands into fists. Every time he opened his mouth, she felt a little more hatred towards him. She wanted to feel her knuckles smash against the side of his head and his head snap back after she had punched him.

&
nbsp; “I can’t have a fledgling throwing herself at every mortal boy she sees,” he hissed. “You’re going to ruin everything.”

  He hesitated for a moment. “You should go back.”

  Alexa stood her ground. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m here because I’m fit for service, just like you.”

  His eyes flashed angrily. “You’re nothing like me.”

  “Is your mortality so far away that you’ve forgotten what it’s like to be human? To have feelings? To care about someone other than yourself?”

  Something dark flickered across Milo’s features before he turned back around. “I haven’t forgotten.”

  “You’re a cold SOB, Milo,” said Alexa. “I don’t like you, and you obviously don’t like me. And I really don’t care. But the fact is I’m here now whether you like it or not. You don’t have a choice. So, do us both a favor and pretend I’m not here. We’ll get along just fine if you can do that.”

  Milo didn’t comment any further as he made his way up the street. His long legs worked effortlessly, and he glided along the concrete as though he was wearing skates instead of boots.

  Alexa noticed that none of the pedestrians ever bumped into him. They constantly crashed into her. They seemed to scatter away from him, like he was parting the sea. Reluctantly, Alexa followed.

  She pushed her way through the crowds and stayed a safe distance behind Milo. She was angry with herself and embarrassed at her own stupidity. She had revealed her feelings for Erik the mortal, Erik, the dream that was slowly evaporating. And Milo had had a front row seat to her humiliation.

  When Alexa made the jump to Manhattan with her new petty officer, it had been with mixed feelings. The one thing that had tormented her, and had gotten her in so much trouble with the Legion, was just a distant memory. She hadn’t been afraid when she’d hit the reflective surface of the water this time. Her aquaphobia was gone. It even seemed a little foolish to her now. She’d changed so much in the past few months.