Paranormal After Dark: 20 Paranormal Tales of Demons, Shifters, Werewolves, Vampires, Fae, Witches, Magics, Ghosts and More

by Rebecca Hamilton

  There was a pause over the line. “How many?”

  “One.”

  “Chat him up, preferably away from our transportation. I’ll take care of it.”

  “Thanks.” I hung up and addressed the ever-patient policeman, getting a good look at him this time. White, mustached, six-feet-tall, blond, late thirties, in pretty good shape all things considered. Definitely trouble.

  I pretended to examine the photograph. “No, sir, I don’t recognize that man. Why? Is there a problem?”

  He sighed, tucking the picture in his pocket. “I’ll say. A couple folks busted this guy out of an armored truck. Feds want us checking for out-of-towners hoping to catch a break. I swear, the way they described it on the news…the whole thing sounded like a scene from Inception.”

  Aha. Conversation starter. I scooped up Juliana because she was getting fidgety and walked away from the RV, putting on my most charming smile. “Really? Sounds crazy. I loved that movie.”

  He grinned at me, revealing dimples in his cheeks. He scratched his mustache, following me around the other side of the vehicle. “Me too. My wife rented it a month ago.”

  “I’m a big Nolan fan, actually. Have you seen the Batman movies?”

  “Yeah, they’re awesome. My kid’s obsessed—he’s got the bed sheets, the shoes, the Halloween costume, you name it.”

  He glanced at Juliana, who had shyly tucked her face into my neck. “What about this one?”

  “Not yet. It’s a little too scary for her. She’s only four. I get the feeling the Joker would give her all kinds of nightmares,” I said with a fake laugh.

  “That’s a pretty good point. Hell, he gave me some nightmares.”

  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Belial and Avriel appear on the second floor. Belial had given the angel a pair of Aviator sunglasses and a skullcap to hide his bright red hair. All I had to do was keep this guy talking until they slipped inside the RV and we’d be home free.

  “It’s so sad that Heath Ledger didn’t get to see the end result, though,” I said, trying my best to keep my eyes from straying behind the cop’s head. “He was so talented.”

  “Yeah. Hadn’t seen him in a bunch of stuff myself, but my wife loved him back in the nineties.”

  “Right, he was in that remake of a Shakespeare play. 10 Things I Hate About You.”

  “That’s the one. Boy, you got a good memory for this stuff. How old are you?”

  “Twenty-three. It’s sort of a hobby.”

  At last, Belial and Avriel disappeared around the other side of the RV. Just then, Juliana happened to look up and waved, shouting, “Hey, James!”

  My blood froze. The cop turned and looked, not seeing them, and then raised his eyebrows at me. “I miss something?”

  “No, it’s just my husband. He’s around front unlocking the RV.”

  “Oh, got it. Let me check with the mister real quick before I let you get out of here.”

  Shit. He jogged around the back of the RV and I followed, trying to figure out if I could knock him out, but Juliana would freak if I did. I held my breath as I rounded the corner to see Belial standing there. Avriel was already inside the RV. Thank God.

  “Seen this man?” the cop asked.

  The demon shook his head. “No, sorry. We’ll keep an eye out for him, though.”

  “Thanks. Y’all have a safe trip.” The cop smiled and waved, heading towards his car. I let out the breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. We went inside and shut the door.

  “Bacon? That was the best you could come up with?” Belial asked.

  “Sue me. I had to improvise.”

  I put Juliana down and she hugged Belial, who suppressed an annoyed look and accepted the embrace. It was both funny and sad at the same time. Her big brown eyes spotted Avriel leaning on the counter in the miniature kitchen. She tugged at Belial’s pants leg, pointing.

  “Who’s that?”

  I knelt in front of her, taking a deep breath. “Remember what we talked about the other night? About our new friend?”

  She nodded. “Well, that’s him. His name’s Avriel. He’s gonna come with us on our road trip for a little while.”

  The uneasy look on her face didn’t change. I wondered if some part of her could sense that he was an angel, but I doubted it. It was probably the skullcap and the glasses, both of which made him look pretty sinister. I didn’t want him to take them off because then she’d recognize him, but chances were that she’d have to see his face sooner or later.

  I glanced at the angel. “Take off the disguise.”

  Belial gave me a look. “You sure that’s a good idea?”

  “No, but she’s gonna find out one way or another.”

  Avriel pulled off the cap and glasses. Juliana grabbed Belial’s hand and buried her face in his leg. “That’s him! That’s the scary man!”

  Belial sighed, stroking the top of her head, though he spoke to me in English. “I told you.”

  “Stop being a jackass and take her in the back room for a while. She needs to calm down.”

  “Why me?”

  “Because you speak fluent Portuguese and I don’t,” I snapped. “She needs comfort right now. Nut up and do it.”

  He frowned at me, but picked the child up and carried her into the bedroom, shutting the door behind them.

  A moment later, the front door to the RV opened and our driver appeared with a set of keys in one hand and a bag of groceries in the other. He glanced between Avriel and me, arching an eyebrow.

  “Who died?”

  “Long story.”

  “Ah. Here’s your stuff.” He handed me the bag and relief spread through me as I recognized my hair-care products.

  “Where’s the boss?” he asked.

  “In the bedroom. Let’s get the hell out of here before the cop comes back.”

  “Will do.”

  He took a seat, fired up the RV, and pulled out of the parking lot. I took a seat on the white leather couch and Avriel sat on the one across from me, his dark eyes still focused on me. His gaze was heavy, so I kept myself distracted by tossing off the baseball hat and undoing my ponytail.

  “There are some things I’ve been meaning to ask you,” I said, unzipping my suitcase to find my comb and brush.

  “Such as?”

  “Juliana’s parents went missing the same night you came for her. Did you have anything to do with that?”

  He shook his head. I winced. “I had a feeling you’d say no. I think Mulciber caught wind of our situation somehow and got a hold of them. She probably figured that if she could get to them first, she could ransom them in exchange for Juliana.”

  He folded his large hands. “But how? It was difficult enough for Belial and Michael to track me down.”

  “Well, we’re dealing with demons here. They have no problem with selling each other out at the drop of a hat. One of Belial’s henchmen could’ve been a mole.”

  “And you don’t think Belial and Mulciber are working together?”

  “No. Belial’s ego wouldn’t allow for her to butt in. I understand that they had a falling out after their last failed mission. Besides, he’s sort of Satan’s favorite and if he pulls off awakening the Leviathan on his own, that’ll cement him as Numero Uno.”

  “So you are aware that he’s going to betray you…but you still use him anyway.”

  I winced a second time. “I guess you could say that. He’s the means to an end. Nothing more.”

  “You are taking quite a risk.”

  “That’s the biggest understatement in the universe. Still, he has resources that I need. Especially since the angels have pretty much divorced me.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be. I brought this on myself.”

  “As did I.”

  “If you don’t mind me asking…why didn’t you ask for Michael’s help? Or maybe one of the other angels below him?”

  Avriel wrung his hands. “I am…not exactly a very social per
son. Since the beginning of time, my job was to translate the Book, so I never developed the ability to speak to others naturally. When I discovered the event, I tried many times to work up the courage to speak with Michael, but when I heard he was married to you, I knew he wouldn’t understand. Someone would have to make the hard choice and I didn’t want our Commander to be forced to do something so sinful. I took it upon myself to complete the task. However, now I see that Michael was right. I should have had enough faith to bring this problem to his attention instead of causing undue tragedy to you and your family.” His gaze had switched to the floor and shame filled his features.

  I paused, lowering the comb. “I know that you will have to face judgment for your crimes, but I truly believe that you’ll be forgiven. I bet my life on it.”

  “How? What makes you so sure?”

  I tugged the collar of my shirt aside, revealing the scar over my heart. “This. Avriel, if they were willing to forgive my selfish, sarcastic, antisocial ass, you’ll be fine. Trust me.”

  A faint smile touched his lips. “In spite of everything you’ve been through, you still have faith in them. I hope they know that.”

  “I have to. It’s not like I can believe in myself these days.”

  He tilted his head. “You are very self-deprecating.”

  I snorted, parting my hair with the comb. “Bad habit. Michael used to flick me in the forehead when he caught me doing it. Used to have bruises the size of a grapefruit.”

  I poured a bit of astringent on a cotton ball and began cleaning my scalp, amused as Avriel watched me with a fascinated look. He was definitely a Scribe. I doubted there was a lot of literature in Heaven about how black girls took care of their hair. Normally, I’d just wash my hair and oil my scalp, but I needed answers from Avriel now. I could worry about it later.

  “There was one more thing I wanted to ask. In the event that we can’t prevent the Leviathan from rising…would you know how to stop it?”

  His expression sobered. “That…is a very complicated matter. I have not come across any literature that states it is capable of being destroyed. That is why it was sent to sleep. No one short of the Father can kill it.”

  “What about sending it back to sleep?”

  “Theoretically, it is possible. In the early days, the angels fought the Leviathan and weakened it enough that one was able to lock its jaws. Thus, it can only be contained by an angel.”

  “What about the key? What was it made of?”

  “It was not a key in the literal sense. In reality, it was a holy weapon. Any item blessed with Heaven’s touch could act as a key.”

  I thought about it. “So Michael or Gabriel’s swords could do the trick, right?”

  “Yes. But it’s no easy task. The Leviathan’s mouth is a gateway to Hell. All manner of creatures would be pouring out of it. The angel who originally locked its jaws nearly died. Any angel who tried would run the risk of being dragged down to Hell if he or she got too close.”

  “Geez. I can see why you were so desperate to stop it from coming back.”

  He nodded. “It is one of the foulest creatures on Earth. It does not only kill and release demons. These demons drag innocent souls back with them to Hell. We are not simply trying to stop those one thousand people from dying. We are trying to prevent their souls from burning for all eternity.”

  I shivered, rubbing my arms. “No pressure.”

  He hesitated before speaking again. “May I confess something?”

  “Of course.”

  “Now, having spoken to you, I realize I was mistaken. Not about my mission, but rather about the strength of a Seer. This whole time, I have feared that a Seer would be too weak to resist a demon’s temptation. Perhaps if I had more faith in humanity, things could have turned out differently.”

  I offered him a sympathetic look. “I can’t really blame you too much, though. An eternity of reading about our failures and insecurities would warp anyone’s opinion of us.”

  “True, but I hope I can redeem myself. You have placed your trust in the angels. It is only fair that one of us returns the favor.”

  A short silence descended and we smiled at each other because somehow or other, we had found common ground. That was a miracle in itself.

  “Are you guys done having a Kodak moment? I wanna turn on the radio.”

  I glared at the back of the driver’s head. “Shut up and drive.”

  “Whatever you say, lady.”

  * * *

  WE DROVE UNTIL late night before taking refuge at another back-roads motel in the middle of nowhere. We’d reached Florida. Part of me felt sad this wasn’t a real road trip. I would have loved to stretch out on the beach for a while. Still, the Spanish moss hanging off the trees was almost as interesting. I’d never seen it before. It made them all look like old men huddled over the sides of the roads, watching over them like sentries.

  Over the course of the ride, Juliana had slowly gotten more acquainted with Avriel. It helped that he was five-foot-six, gangly, and had a gentle voice. We explained to her that he hadn’t meant to hurt her and that he had been sick the night they met. She still didn’t seem to trust him, but at the very least, she stopped crying around him. It wasn’t until an hour before we reached our destination that she felt comfortable to ask him questions—who he was, where he came from, what he did for a living, etc. Avriel had a little fun with his made-up backstory and it endeared her to him.

  Avriel and I were watching television in our room as Juliana slept, when we ran out of ice so I volunteered to grab some from down the hall. Unlike the last hotel, this place at least had an actual amenity. Wireless Internet too. Thank God for that.

  Ice clunked into my pail, filling the hall with the sound. The unnerving quiet still bugged me a little, but I was getting used to it now. Halfway back to the room, I stopped as I heard a baritone voice floating through the air. Belial. But what was he doing out of his room?

  Suspicious, I crept to the end of the hall and peeked around the corner. He stood near the far wall with one hand over his ear, the other holding a cell phone. The rooms must have had bad reception.

  “What do you mean she almost escaped? Where the hell are you keeping them?”

  A cold feeling filled my gut. I knew Belial had other horrible things going on in his life, but this was the first time I heard it firsthand.

  “Look, it shouldn’t be too damned hard to keep track of two middle-aged Brazilians. It’s nothing more than a babysitting job. Three days and this entire debacle will be over. You can handle it for that long, can’t you? If not, you’ll answer to me and my knives. Is that clear? Good.”

  Anger flooded through me in a wave. I crossed my arms and didn’t move when he came around the corner. He stopped dead in his tracks as he spotted me.

  I forced a smile onto my lips, my voice sickly sweet. “May I have a word with you?”

  He slid both hands in his pockets, his face nonchalant, but his eyes didn’t stray from mine. “Not in the hall. I’d rather not draw attention.”

  He led me to his room and opened the door. I put the bucket of ice down on the nightstand and counted to ten before facing him.

  “Were you ever going to tell me that you kidnapped Juliana’s parents?”

  “That was not my intention, no.”

  “So this whole arrangement with you getting custody of Juliana was your doing?”

  He continued staring down at me with a cool, calm exterior. “It was the most practical way to be able to track her movements and make sure she didn’t come to harm.”

  I allowed a dry laugh to escape. “Harm, huh? So traumatizing a four-year-old by forcing her to go on the run with two felons and a serial killer isn’t harmful?”

  “Her parents would have complicated matters. I simply removed them from the equation. They have not been hurt. If Mulciber got a hold of them, would she be able to say the same?”

  I shook my head. “Every time I think I have you figured out, yo
u somehow manage to make me hate you even more. How much lower can you sink, Belial? Please tell me. I’m genuinely interested at this point.”

  An unpleasant smirk tugged at the edge of his lips. I felt the air between us thinning because we were both getting so angry. “You forget your place, girl. I told you once that I could kill you and suffer the consequences just fine. That has not changed.”

  “Really? Then why don’t I believe you? You seem like you’re tired of taking shit from me anyway. Go ahead. Kill me. I dare you.”

  “Don’t tempt me, human,” he snarled.

  “So a human can tempt a demon? I didn’t know that. Maybe I’ve finally gotten you all figured out, Bels,” I sneered, moving closer, invading his personal space like he had done to me so many times.

  “All your insults are just part of your mask. Maybe deep down, you’re hurting and you want me to make it stop. You’re nothing but a wounded little boy inside, aren’t you?”

  He closed his eyes, balling his hands into fists. “Utter one more word and I will rip out your throat.”

  “You said you wanted me to tell you the truth. Are you not man enough to face it?”

  He opened his eyes then. “The truth, you say? Very well. But before you continue, you should know it’s a two-way street. Would you like to know what Terrell’s final words were before I killed him?”

  I froze. The world swam in front of my vision for a handful of seconds. It was like he’d sucked the oxygen out of my lungs in one quick breath.

  He stepped forward and I backed up, speechless as he kept going. “He didn’t beg for his life. He didn’t try to bargain with me. He just accepted it. When he realized that he was going to die, he simply said, ‘Do what you gotta do.’ Impressive man, really, and yet he was utterly taken with you. You were so cruel for leaving him the way you did, sweet Jordan. Even when he died, he wished he could say goodbye to you.”

  “Shut up,” I whispered as my entire body break out in tremors. My back hit the wall beside the bed and he placed his hands on it, trapping me, his piercing gaze scorching a hole through my skull.

  “So you were right. How could I not lust for you when I have never met another human who could torture a soul as effectively as I could?”