by Becca Van
The other sentinels had asked the same questions but there had never been any answers. Ra was suspiciously quiet although they’d barely had any interaction with the god. He had been more prevalent in their lives since Zara, Nina, and Lavinia had come onto the scene.
Mit sighed again and with a thought transported himself back to the apartment he shared with Weni in the underground, underwater bunker-type home they lived in. Ra had supplied the home for them millennia ago and although it was modern and he loved the place, sometimes he felt as if he were suffocating. Lately the only time he felt like he could really breathe was when he was outside fighting the shadow demons or sitting in Ra’s temple soaking up the sun’s rays. Something had to give soon because if it didn’t, Mit was worried that it would be him.
Weni threw himself onto the sofa and, without glancing at Mit, grabbed the TV remote and flicked the television on. Mit hurried toward his room and adjoining bathroom, hoping he would feel more at ease after a hot shower, but he wasn’t going to hold his breath.
* * * *
Krysta twitched and moaned as the dream plagued her once more. Each night was the same but she’d learned to go with it instead of fighting it. In the beginning she’d been terrified but now she just watched the scene play out as she distanced herself from the emotions.
She no longer shivered or cowered when the black wispy evil shadows floated toward her. Nor when the soulless man ran at her. The pain in her chest was no longer excruciating agony but more of a small annoyance. At first she’d thought she was going insane but after she’d encountered the creatures in her dreams while she was lucid and awake she knew otherwise. Once the dream played out she opened her eyes, pleased she no longer felt terror or gasped for breath. With a sigh of resignation, she flung the covers back and rose from the bed. Experience told her it would be useless to try and go back to sleep, so she pulled on a robe and headed for the kitchen, intent on making a cup of tea.
The first few times she’d encountered the nightmare she’d awoken gasping for breath, her chest aching with tears running down her face. However, when the dream returned night after night she began to get pissed.
That anger she’d begun to embrace had been a godsend because it had spurred her into action. She’d spent night after night researching the evil shadows and was astounded by the amount of information she’d found on the internet. And then she’d begun to prepare.
It had taken her months to sculpt her body until she was fitter and healthier than she’d ever been and then she searched out someone to teach her how to wield a sword. At first she’d felt clumsy and inept but her hired trainer pushed and cajoled until the sword felt as if it were an extension of her arm. Persistence or pure stubbornness on her behalf paid off and she began to fight back.
First she battled the beings in her sleep and then she battled them for real. Night after night, she'd driven around Nevada searching for those feelings of evil. She'd followed the dark, oily feeling until she was so close, she could almost taste the acrid disgusting sulfur on her tongue. She wasn't giving up until she'd eradicated as many of the shadows as she could. The moment she felt those evil beings she got out of her car, sword in hand, and waited. She had no idea how they found her but they always did.
Sometimes she felt as if she was a honing beacon to evil and while that worried her, she was also glad. Those evil shadows came to her and she was able to take them out one after the other. She didn’t care that she ended up with cuts on her body if they touched her or that her blood seeped out to soak into the black or dark clothes she wore. All she cared about was making sure none of those evil beings escaped to terrorize another person, the way they had her.
After finishing her cup of tea, she perused her sword and then picked up the sharpening stone.
Krysta ran the whetstone over the edge of the blade, honing the edge until it was razor sharp. When she was done she tested it with the pad of a finger and sighed with satisfaction. She then cleaned the sword with a soft cloth, getting rid of the small shavings of metal from the steel.
She reached for the bottle of holy water she’d stolen from a church font and trickled it over first one side of the sword and then the other. This time she didn’t wipe the cloth over the steel blade, leaving it on the table to air dry. She always made sure to not touch the steel blade of her sword after she covered it in holy water. She’d learnt the hard way that if any part of the blade was touched by her or another person, that the holy water was somehow wiped off. Luckily for her she’d been able to slash the black shadow with the other side of her sword when the first slash she’d made hadn’t seemed to injure it.
The last time she'd fought those shadows, she'd been wounded. It took her over a week to heal from her injury and blood loss, but as soon as she was fit enough to fight again, she was out searching to take those evil beings down.
Krysta had first thought she was the only person aware of the evil trying to kill innocent people, but one night she’d been standing on the edge of a copse of trees waiting for the shadows to find her when all of a sudden eight tall, muscular men and three women appeared out of nowhere. Two of them made her breath catch in her throat. Their muscular bodies had moved with such a fierce grace and strength, she’d been almost mesmerized. What had surprised her though was when her body reacted to them. She’d never felt arousal before and she’d been a little shocked, but no matter how hard she tried to look away from them, she wasn’t able to.
She’d watched them fight and destroy the evil ones from behind the trunk of a large tree, sagging with relief that she didn’t have to go to their aid. She had no idea where they’d come from or what they were, but she knew they weren’t just ordinary human beings. No human could move as fast as they could. She lost sight of the group countless times until one of the women cried out in pain and fell to her knees. What happened then made her curious. She watched the injured woman’s teeth elongate and then she sunk her fangs into the neck of the bald, handsome man who lifted her up into his arms.
The most amazing thing had been when the woman’s injury healed and then both she and her male partner dove back into the melee to fight until all those shadows were particles of ash floating on the gentle breeze, which thankfully had been blowing toward her instead of away from her. She had a feeling if the wind had been blowing the other way she would have been discovered.
As fast as they appeared, they disappeared again and though she wished they had hung around so she could speak to them and maybe join their little group, Krysta knew she was better off working alone.
She’d never been a people person and often got annoyed easily by the stupidity of some people. Krysta had learned to love her own company and became decidedly agitated when surrounded by others, except for a select few. Maybe that was because her mother had been an alcoholic and a drug addict. Her mother had died when she was young and she'd taken to the streets. She had no idea who her father was since her mom had never mentioned him. She'd often wondered if he knew she existed, but doubted it. Her mom had spent most of her time in drug and alcoholic stupors, and though Krysta had tried to find out who the man was that had donated sperm to create her, there had been no name on her birth certificate.
She’d been at a loss when her friend had disappeared, and that was when Giovanni had found her. At the time, she hadn’t realized how standoffish she was, but it hadn’t seemed to faze the older Italian man. She’d become the person she was today because of her childhood, or lack thereof, and she wasn’t about to lament about it. She didn’t need to rely on anyone. She only answered to herself.
Krysta was strong and independent, and didn’t need or want to rely on another human being, not ever, because she always ended up all alone again. She had her books to keep her mind occupied as well as her little hobby when she had any spare cash and time to help out.
None of the homeless people she fed ever saw the real person she kept hidden under her silent reticent persona. Plus, she always snuck into the abando
ned warehouses with the food and blankets, making sure to stay quiet until she was on her way out. The people squatting in the abandoned buildings had learned that the three bangs on the walls as she was leaving meant that they could fill their bellies with a good meal and cover their cold bodies with a clean blanket.
She’d been where they were once and knew what it was like to go without. To be so hungry and cold and wonder if it wouldn’t be better to just die, but she’d never given in. For that she was thankful, because now her life had a purpose. To rid the world of the evil that roamed the night seeking to destroy the innocent.
Krysta pushed her introspection aside and glanced at the clock on the wall of her tiny kitchen. It was just after midnight and time for her to get her ass into gear. She hurried to her bedroom, stripping the robe and sleep shirt from her body before donning comfortable worn black jeans and a soft cotton T-shirt. After pulling her black boots on she entered the bathroom, brushed her red hair, braided it, and walked back into her bedroom. She grabbed the black beanie from the side table and pulled it over her head, tucking any stray strands of hair up into the stretchy hat.
Once she checked herself in the mirror to make sure none of her hair was showing, she moved to the kitchen, grabbed her cell phone, made sure it was on silent mode, and shoved it into her pocket. She swiped her keys from the counter, grasped hold of the sword handle, and headed out.
She was going hunting and hoped that she didn’t encounter too many of the evil shadows in one group, but she had a feeling that she would. Those evil shadows seemed to be more and more active and Krysta had a feeling it was only going to get worse before it got better.
She just hoped she survived the night.
* * * *
Weni glanced over at Mitry as they prepared for another night of fighting evil. His gut was churning but not with dread. If he had to explain what he was feeling he thought the word he’d use would be excitement. There was an air of expectancy surrounding him and no matter how he tried to quell it, it wouldn’t budge. He had no idea why he felt the way he did but hoped to find out soon enough.
“Are you ready?” Mit asked.
Wen nodded.
“Then let’s go meet the others in the kitchen and head out.” Mit spun on his heels and walked toward the door to the apartment they shared.
Wen drew a deep breath and released it quietly, hoping his best friend didn’t hear it, but he should have known better.
Mit stopped in the open doorway of their home and when Wen was close enough reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. “I feel it, too.”
Wen arched an eyebrow. “Do you know what it is?”
Mit lowered his hand as he shook his head. “No, but I have a feeling we’ll find out before the night is over.”
“Me, too. I just hope we don’t encounter too many of the demonic.”
“I don’t like our chances,” Mit said as he and Wen walked along the corridor toward the kitchen dining room in the underground, underwater refuge. “The shadow demons are more active now than they’ve ever been.”
“True enough. I wish Ra would appear and answer all our questions, but he’s been very inconspicuous of late.”
“I know. Me, too, but I’m sure he’ll tell us what we need to know when we need to know it.”
Wen nodded at Mit as they entered the room to find the other sentinels and their mates ready and waiting. He was intrigued by the three women who stood close to the large table with their eyes closed and hands connected. Those three women made the other sentinels so happy and while he was a little envious of the obvious love they had for their mates, he had also become good friends with the women. He’d never met such kind, loving people besides his comrades in arms.
The other six sentinels had barely stopped smiling once they mated and transformed the women to be as they were. They were all demigods and had long years ahead of them to love and live together.
Wen knew his and Mit’s time would come when they would meet the woman meant to be their mate, but it was hard being patient when he and his best friend had been alone for nearly five thousand years. It was becoming more and more difficult to watch the loving interaction between the other sentinels and their mates. He found himself walking away from them time and time again as envy pierced his heart. He and Mit had been spending more and more time ensconced in their rooms so they didn’t have to witness the love shining between the others. Not because it was a sickening sight but because of the jealousy he experienced.
With a quiet sigh, Wen pushed his introspection to the back of his mind. They were about to go out into the night to rid the world of evil and he needed to keep his mind in the game. The last thing he wanted was to get injured because he had let his mind wander.
“We need to go to Nevada,” Zara said when she opened her eyes and released the other women’s hands.
“Where?” Set asked his mate as he closed the distance between them and pulled her into his arms.
Wen looked away from them and met Mit’s gaze. His friend didn’t change his expression but he knew Mit was as eager to get out and fight as he was.
“Shoshone Mountain,” Nina answered.
“The pull is very strong,” Lavinia said. “We need to hurry.”
“Why there?” Mit turned to look at Lavinia. “No one lives on the mountain.”
“I don’t know, maybe someone is camping there, but we need to leave now.” Men and En glared at Mit and Wen as they moved to stand close to their mate. Lavinia looked up at her men and then slapped both of their stomachs with the back of her hands. “Knock it off, Mit asked a valid question.”
Set, Sab, and Zara took the lead from the room and along the sloping hallway into the beach house, which was the entrance to their home base. There was actually only one real room to the house but they needed to keep up appearances to fool the human population.
As Wen stepped out the double metal front doors to the home, he pulled them closed behind him and breathed in the clean crisp air.
Goose bumps formed on his arms and he had to work hard to suppress the shiver that raced up his spine.
This night wasn’t going to end the same as the others, of that he was sure, and even though he was full of trepidatious excitement, he wished he knew why.
Chapter Two
Krysta got out of her car and stared at the walking track. She didn’t know how long it would take her to get to the top but she couldn’t shake the urge that that was where she was meant to be. Usually when she was searching out the shadows all she needed to do was stand still and they would come to her, but the compulsion to grab her sword from the backseat of her car and begin walking was so strong she couldn’t ignore it.
With a sigh of resignation, she withdrew her sword, making sure the steel blade didn’t touch any part of her body and after locking her car and pocketing her keys, she headed off. It was hard going because of the dark with no streetlights, and while it was only a half-moon the illumination was just enough for her to make her way up the track without running into anything. She wished she could use a flashlight but to do so would draw attention to herself and it would take her time to adjust to the lack of light once she had to drop it so she could fight the demons. She always carried a large hunting knife with her which had also been doused in holy water and was currently in the sheath belted at her hip. Again, she’d learned the hard way that having as many weapons on her person as possible was a detriment to her own safety.
It didn’t take her as long as she expected to reach the top of the track and she turned, taking in what she could see of the view, which wasn’t much since it was so dark. The hair on the back of her neck prickled and then stood on end. There was none of the normal sounds she expected to hear of small animals rustling in the foliage and that gave her the creeps. She could feel a slight breeze on her face but she couldn’t hear the leaves swishing as the slight wind moved the branches and vegetation.
Krysta shivered and her nose twitched when she caug
ht the slight stench of sulfur. She continued to turn slowly in a circle, squinting through the darkness, looking for the shadows she knew were on their way. Movement in her periphery had her turning fast and when she saw the large mass of shadows moving toward her, she relaxed her stance and gripped the hilt of her sword firmly while drawing the large hunting knife from the leather sheath on her hip.
As the black wispy mass got closer, it began to separate and Krysta’s stomach knotted with dread. There had to be at least a hundred shadow demons coming toward her and she had a feeling she wouldn’t be alive to see the sun rise. She wanted to scream at the unfairness of it all. She wanted to curse the gods for allowing evil to run rampant terrorizing and hurting her fellow humans, but that wouldn’t resolve the situation she was in.
She drew in a deep breath of resignation and firmed her determination to take out as many of the evil demons as she could. Krysta lifted her sword up high, and as soon as the shadows were close enough she began slashing through them with her blade and her knife. Pain seared into her back where the shadows came at her from behind, but there was nothing she could do to stop them. A fleeting thought of the other beings she’d seen fighting the evil shadows flashed through her mind, and she wished that they would appear from out of nowhere like they had that night, to help her fight off the shadows. It would be really good right now to have someone to fight alongside her and at her back but she guessed it just wasn’t meant to be.
When she felt something warm trickle down her back, she knew she was bleeding. Her arms were so tired from the constant movement of cutting through the shadows they were burning and shaking and she didn’t know how much longer she could keep going.
