by Diem, J. C.
Nathan and Sophia gave Brie nearly identical reproachful looks. “What?” she said in self-defense. “She was reluctant to leave her bed and it was the most expedient way to force her to rise.”
“I wasn’t aware that we’re on a timeline,” I said acidly. It wasn’t really the crack of dawn, but it would have been nice to have had another hour of sleep.
“The sooner you can learn how to fight without having your body parts chopped off, the better equipped you will be to deal with your foes.” Her tone was so patronizing that it set my teeth on edge.
“I haven’t lost any body parts yet,” I pointed out. “In fact, I’m usually the one chopping them off my enemies.” Bob had lost some of his fingers when he’d pulled his dagger on me. I’d also dismembered several hands during my skirmishes. It hadn’t taken me long to get over my disgust at slicing up my foes. It was them or me and I’d much rather they were the victims.
“That is true,” Leo said in my defense. “I saw her behand a demon myself.”
Sam nodded. They’d both been present when I’d cut a lesser demon’s hand off. That was the same day Sam had joined our motley group.
“Dragging Violet out of bed was not necessary,” Sophia said in disapproval. “She deserves more respect than that.” Nathan gave Brie another look of disapproval, silently agreeing with the clairvoyant.
Brie sniffed and crossed her arms, sending a clear message of how she felt about being reprimanded. I smirked at her, glad that I wasn’t the one in trouble for once.
If my friends hadn’t been an imp, three current and one former celestial beings, we could almost have passed as a normal family. Sophia acted as a mother figure for us all. Leo, Brie and Sam were close enough to my age to be my siblings. Nathan’s vessel was only a couple of years older than me, but the emotions that I felt for him were far from sisterly. I dropped my gaze to my cereal before anyone could notice that I was staring at him again. It was annoying how easily I became bedazzled by him.
In no rush to face our next group of adversaries, I took my time to eat my breakfast and drink my tea. Brie was drumming her fingers on the table in irritation by the time I was finally done. “Please, take your time,” she said sarcastically when I gathered up my dishes.
Sophia shot her an exasperated look at her surliness and took the dishes from me. “I believe I will stay behind this time,” she said. “I am sure you will not have need of me.”
“We should go before Brie loses her patience completely,” Leo urged us. His eyes danced with suppressed mirth at how irritable his twin was.
“Yeah,” I agreed. “We wouldn’t want her to blow a gasket.”
“What is a gasket?” Sam asked in confusion.
“I’m not really sure. It’s a saying we use when someone is about to go ballistic and flip out,” I explained.
“A gasket is a component that is used in certain machinery,” Nathan clarified. “If it were to break, it would cause the machine to malfunction.”
“Sounds like Brie alright,” I said with a snigger. “She malfunctions all the time.”
“I do not,” she said hotly.
“You’re having a malfunction right now.”
Before she could respond, Nathan took hold of Sam and me and whisked us away in a blinding flash of light. “Behave yourself,” he admonished me a moment before Brie and Leo appeared. Brie scowled at me then began preparing her trap.
We’d appeared inside an empty store. Dust coated the moss green carpet. Brown stains spotted the matching wallpaper. The windows were so dirty that it was like looking through smoke. I could see the outline of people and cars passing by, but couldn’t make out any details. This time, the location she’d chosen was on a busy street. “Isn’t this place a bit conspicuous to stage a battle in?” I said.
“It will be over and we will be gone before the police will arrive,” Leo responded. Brie cut me a look, but she didn’t pause in her chanting.
A rune floated to the surface of my mind and a single word made its way through to me. Silence. I was pretty sure the hellscribe had offered the rune to me. No one else in the legion had that kind of knowledge. They might not be able to see through my eyes, but I guessed they could sometimes pick up on my thoughts.
“Why are you smiling?” Sam asked.
“I think I’ve just been shown a way to keep our battle quiet.” I turned to Nathan before they could ask me any questions. “Could you grab a lesser demon for me?”
“Why?”
“I need demon blood to draw a rune.”
Brie finished her circuit of the room in time to overhear me. “Soon, I am sure you will be able to use your own blood.”
“Very funny,” I said. “Do I really have to remind you that I’m human?”
“Are you certain of that?” she responded with a raised brow. “Your flesh can activate the runes, after all.” That might be true, but I wasn’t willing to try using my own blood. I kind of needed it to stay in my veins if I wanted to continue living.
“Now, now, children,” Nathan chided us. “Save your arguing for later.” With that, he teleported out of the room. We waited in an uncomfortable silence for him to return. He was only gone for a few minutes and reappeared with a lesser demon in tow. He clapped a hand over the hell spawn’s mouth when she started screaming in pain. Apparently, Brie’s trap was already working.
Leo sliced the demon’s hand open and I let her blood splatter over my fingers. The rune was an easy one. I drew it on the wall using our foe’s vital fluids. “I think that’s right,” I said then placed the demon’s hand on the symbol. Scarlet light burst into being as the rune became active. There was no need to cut myself and use my flesh. We’d already captured a demon who could activate the symbol.
Nathan nodded at the door. “Someone should step outside and check to see if it worked.”
“I will go,” Leo volunteered. He opened the door, stepped through, closed it again and turned to face us. Nathan removed his hand and the demon’s screams of agony rang out. Leo grinned and gave us the thumbs up. Brie’s sword appeared and she silenced the lesser demon. She was in no shape to use as training practice after being in prolonged agony.
“You will have to remember that rune,” Brie said with a hint of reluctant approval. “It could come in very handy.” Becoming brisk again, she gestured towards the exit. “The demons are just around the corner to the left. We will wait here for your return.”
Leo stepped back inside and gave me a supportive smile as Sam and I passed him. It was always nerve-wracking trying to lure our enemies into a trap. Taking Sam’s hand, I gulped down my fear and prepared to step into danger.
₪₪₪
Chapter Seventeen
Sam assumed my form and we became impossible to tell apart. Following Brie’s directions, we turned left. Just as she’d said, the corner was only a short distance away. Traffic went by in a steady stream as we walked down the sidewalk. Yellow taxis made a bright contrast to the somber black SUVs that seemed to be favored in New York. Only a few pedestrians braved leaving their homes or hotels. Fear about the string of murders was still running rampant through the city.
Removing our protective bracelets, we slipped them into our pockets. In perfect unison, Sam and I rounded the corner. We took a few steps before pretending to notice the demons. It was the usual cluster of five lackeys and their master. Their heads shot up when they saw us.
We bolted before they could teleport to intercept us. A stampede of footsteps followed in our wake. Looking over my shoulder, I pretended to panic when they rounded the corner. I pushed Sam towards the door that we’d left open a few inches. He darted inside and I followed him then slammed the door shut.
As we’d expected, all six demons teleported inside and were instantly caught in Brie’s trap. Nathan took down the captain before he could even make his weapon materialize. Screams and bellows of pain rang out as the five lackeys writhed in pain. Three of them were silenced, leaving me two to deal with.
Nathan, Leo and Sam dragged the bodies aside, giving me room to move. Brie waited for me to absorb the souls that were freed before ceasing her incapacitating spell.
On their knees, the two surviving lesser demons panted from the residual pain. They stared up at me fearfully, knowing what would happen when I ended their vessels’ lives. Now that they knew what the consequences would be, it wouldn’t be easy to convince them to fight me. “Get up,” I said and pulled my dagger. It began to glow, presumably from their close proximity.
Using each other for support, they stood. The vessels that they’d chosen were in their twenties and had dark skin. Overshadowing them were the evil souls that were much darker than their hosts’ bodies. “What do you want with us?” one of them asked in a frightened tone.
“I want you to fight me.”
“Why?”
“Apparently, I need the practice.” I cut a dark look at Brie, since this was all her idea. Granted, she was right, but I wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction of admitting it.
“Why should we help you?” the other one asked sullenly. “You will just kill our vessels then suck our souls inside you.”
I made a face at his unfortunate description. “Believe me, no sucking of any kind is involved in the process,” I replied. Leo looked down at the filthy carpet with his lips pressed tightly together to contain a grin.
Growing tired of our exchange, Brie made an impatient sound. “Just compel them like you did the others.”
Staring into their eyes, I tried to call on the authority that I’d dredged up during my last combat session. “Nothing’s happening,” I said in frustration when their eyes didn’t glaze over. Maybe anger was the key to unleashing the ability. Since I wasn’t in a particularly bad mood today, that tactic didn’t seem to be available to me right now. My enemies flicked confused glances at each other then I had a bright idea. “How about this, if either of you manage to cut me, we’ll let you go.”
With nothing to lose, they both conjured up their daggers and went on the attack. Thanks to the training that had been relentlessly drummed into me, I didn’t lose the battle immediately. Having a bunch of Demon Lords inside me was also a bonus. They made me faster and stronger than normal. I was able to hold my own for a couple of minutes before first blood was shed.
Fingering the slice in my sleeve, I was glad I’d left my favorite jacket at our base. It would have been stupid to wear it during a training exercise like this. “I cut you,” the lesser demon said with hope shining in his eyes. “Am I free to go?”
“Sure,” I replied and looked at Brie. “Why don’t you escort him outside?”
Inclining her head, she grabbed hold of his arm and marched him over to the door. With his back turned, the remaining demon didn’t see his colleague being teleported away. Brie had no intention of letting him go. She’d knife him and hide his body like all the other vessels that we’d disposed of.
I turned my attention back to the final demon just as he lunged at me. Spinning away, my dagger flashed through the air and caught him across the face. Blood sheeted from the cut, but he ignored the wound as if it didn’t exist. We circled each other, looking for openings. He feinted to the left and only my enhanced reflexes saved me when he switched his attack to a forward lunge.
Blocking his weapon with my own, metal rang as our blades clashed. His teeth were bared in a fierce grin as he used his greater strength to push me back a step. Before he could leap forward, I kicked him in the stomach. He doubled over and I kneed him in the face. His nose broke, spraying blood and staining the carpet.
Dazed, he fell to one knee and looked up at me in resignation. I didn’t bother to draw the battle out any further. My dagger found his heart and the life left his vessel’s eyes. His oily looking soul oozed out through the wound and joined the growing throng inside me.
The door opened and Brie entered. The soul of the demon that she’d dispatched floated inside as well, which meant she hadn’t taken him very far before she’d knifed him.
“You are improving,” Nathan said in approval when I’d taken in the second soul. He walked to my side and pulled my sleeve back to check my wound. The cut was too small for him to bother healing it, much to my disappointment. “I am glad to see you were not badly injured this time.”
I met his eyes and saw a hint of regret in their depths. Then he pulled my sleeve back down and the moment was lost. It seemed I wasn’t the only one who was craving another kiss.
“Leo and I will dispose of the bodies,” Brie offered.
Once upon a time, I would have been horrified to see so many lifeless corpses. By now, it was almost commonplace. It helped that I knew most of them wouldn’t want to live with the crimes that they’d been forced to commit. Anyone who could live with it was probably a psychopath anyway.
Brie and Leo took hold of a body each and winked out of existence. I didn’t ask where the deceased were being dumped. Even if they were discovered, the police would think it was the work of the crazed band of serial killers that they believed were terrorizing the city.
Nathan took Sam and me by the arm and zapped us back to our base. Unlike angels and demons, I couldn’t make my dagger appear and disappear at will. They never had to clean their magical blades, but I wasn’t so lucky. I’d stolen the dagger from Bob the demon. It had shown no signs of turning insubstantial since it had come into my possession.
Sophia was in the kitchen when I entered. She was filling the teapot and smiled at me over her shoulder. “How did your training session go?”
“It went okay. I only received a small cut this time.”
Concerned, she put the kettle on the stovetop and motioned for me to come closer. “Let me see.” I pulled my sleeve back and she examined the wound. “It is not serious, but I had better tend to it, just in case.”
She played the role of a mother so well that I almost asked if her vessel had had any children. Then I remembered that she’d been trapped inside her host for longer than I’d been alive. Any family members that her vessel might have had would have been left behind long ago.
“I need to clean my dagger first,” I said. It was coated in blood, as was my hand. I’d become far more concerned with keeping it in good condition since it had become my main weapon while I was in hell. I wasn’t sure if it could rust or not, but I wasn’t willing to take the chance that it could deteriorate.
“I will attend to your weapon,” Nathan said as he strolled into the room. He plucked it out of my hand then drew me over to the sink. He squirted soap into my palm and washed the blood off for me as if I was an invalid. I took the paper towel he offered and dried my hands. He stood so close to me that I could feel the heat of his body. As always, he affected me far too much for comfort.
“Follow me,” Sophia ordered and picked up the tray with her now full teapot. She carried it into the front room then motioned for me to sit at the table. Sam was sitting in the seat to my right, fidgeting restlessly. “Can you get me the first aid kit that is behind the counter?” she asked.
He obediently stood and trotted over to the counter. After a few seconds of rummaging, he found the kit and jogged back over to us. I could read him like an open book by now and internally shook my head, well aware of what was wrong with him. He’d become a TV junkie and he was needing a fix. “Is there something you want to watch on TV?” I asked. His eyes went up to the ceiling and he nodded guiltily. “You don’t have to hang around down here. We’ll know where to find you if we need you.” Flashing me a grateful look, he raced into the kitchen. His feet thumped on the stairs as he took them three at a time.
Sophia let out a sigh as she searched the first aid kit for antiseptic cream. “I almost wish I did not own a television, but watching it apparently gives Samuel such joy.”
“He’s an addict,” I said with a grin. “If you took his TV away, he’d probably pine to death.”
“There are worse things to be addicted to,” Nathan said as he entered the room. My dagger was cl
ean and dry when he handed it to me. “Your weapon, Milady.”
He gave me a formal bow and I sniggered. “Thanks, Nathanael.” He looked startled at my use of his full name then his lips curved upwards in a smile. My breath caught for a moment at his beauty, then I hissed it back out when Sophia dabbed cream onto my cut.
“Sorry,” she said without an ounce of sincerity. She flicked a warning glance at Nathan then placed a band-aide on my cut.
Nathan dropped his gaze and a faint flush stained his cheeks at her silent reprimand. No one had specifically said it out loud, but I knew it was forbidden for angels and humans to become involved with each other.
Despair tried to wrap its talons around me. For a brief moment, I contemplated slicing myself open with my dagger. The only way I’d ever feel Nathan’s lips on mine would be if I was in pain. Being so close to him, yet being unable to act on my feelings, was tearing me apart.
I seized on the fact that Zach was now living in the city and clutched that knowledge to my aching heart. He wasn’t the one I dreamed about in the depths of the night, but he was human and he cared about me. It was useless to wish for the impossible when a real relationship was on offer.
₪₪₪
Chapter Eighteen
Only the thought of seeing Zach again kept me going for the next couple of days. Brie set a trap each morning so I could gain the combat experience that I so desperately needed. Fighting in the shadowlands and hell was very different from here on Earth. I couldn’t rely on my inner demons to give me their strength and experience to the same extent in this dimension.
It wasn’t easy, but I used every skill that I’d gained to avoid being hurt. The last kiss that I’d received from Nathan had sent me reeling. If it happened too often, I’d become as addicted to him as Sam was to TV. Apart from a few small nicks, I’d remained largely intact.
