Hidden Runes

by G. Bailey

  “I do not know why the elders spared you. They will not speak to any of us since we came back from Hell. I was truly shocked to learn you are alive. If I knew there was even a chance you would have lived, I would have never let them kill me in Hell, because I’d have known you would be alone. I don’t know who brought you up as a child, but I owe them a debt for protecting you,” he says, and I nod once.

  “How would you have known I’d be alone?” I ask, avoiding his last statement as the only person who brought me up is dead. Though he could offer that debt to Hali, as I know that is all her mother would have wanted. Hali will need all the protection she can get when she grows up.

  “The curse of having a half angel child is to be marked with death. Eella knew that keeping you would mean her death not long after your birth. I will admit that I begged her not to make that choice, begged her not to have you. I didn’t want to lose her, but she was certain that our child must live. That our baby didn’t make this choice to exist and shouldn’t pay the price of a curse. Eella knew life would not be easy for you, but you would be a royal and respected as one growing up. Eella wanted you to grow up with your sisters as their cousin. She had planned that you would be hidden as Eella’s sister’s daughter until you were grown up, but I know that didn’t happen in the end,” he explains, and I gasp, holding my hand over my mouth in shock. A painful lump is in my throat as I try to process the fact that my mother loved me so much. Enough to die to make sure I would live. I always thought no one really loved me, but I was wrong. From the very start, my mother loved me more than anything. Even her own life.

  “I wish I had met Eella,” I admit, feeling a sense of longing.

  “I know. I am not your mother, I am not good with people either or sure how to be a father, but I can tell you stories of your mother. I can explain about angels and everything you are half of,” he says, turning to face me. My father slowly bows his head. “I am sorry for my behaviour. I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but I hope for a chance to earn it.”

  “You’re my father, you don’t need to bow to me or ask for forgiveness,” I say, and he lifts his head then nods once. “If it helps, I’m not good with people or feelings either, so I understand you more than you think.”

  “Well, at least you inherited something other than your wings from me,” he says, smiling a little at me.

  “Was there another reason you came to see me today?” I ask, doubting that an apology was the only reason he risked coming out in the open in a city of Protectors who aren’t angel fans.

  “Unfortunately, yes,” he sighs, crossing his arms. “The angels are fearful, and we have gone into hiding for the time being. I worry about why the elders are silent towards us, and the longer there is silence, the more we are guessing they are dead. Elders are made of pure magic, much stronger than regular angels, and if even one of them died, the power someone could absorb from that would be incredible. I have heard this demon overlord, Cex, has killed three angels that went missing from us and many powerful demons. I wanted to let you know there is a chance he has killed the elders and taken their power.”

  “I believe Cex wants black magic,” I explain to my father. If Cex did kill an elder angel and take the power, it would make a lot of sense of how he became so powerful. Powerful enough to help Erica kill three angels.

  “A demon must never be allowed to have that power. Nothing on earth could stop him if he used it,” my father protests. “The keepers and royal Protectors are meant to protect the power of angels at all costs.”

  “I won’t make him a knight, but I have lost the first test. If Erica wins another test, I won’t be able to stop her making him her knight,” I explain to my father what we are all worried about.

  “Your mother talked of the tests once. She said the last two tests are easy to win if you do the right thing. Your mother was one of the fiercest fighters I know, and she lost the fighting test to her sister who played tricks,” he says. Well, that’s cryptic and makes no sense. “I can’t help anymore with the tests, I’m afraid, but just know the fight is not over.”

  “I will win them. Or at least give Erica a run for her money,” I tell him.

  “I do not understand that statement. The humans talk much more strangely than they ever have done,” my father admits. “I have been using the box called a computer and the internet on it to understand the recent history. So far, I am not understanding a lot. I hope to make sense of it all soon.”

  “Yeah, they do speak strange even to me. The net can help,” I say, smiling at him as he smiles back at me. It’s strange for a moment to feel this comfortable around my father, and I clear my throat, standing straight.

  “I must leave, but I will not be far. You only have to call for me, and I will be there. Hopefully when you’re queen, we can sit for a dinner and have a long talk about the past,” he says and, surprisingly to me, I would really like that.

  “I’d love that. I just have one more thing to ask before you leave,” I say.

  “Yes?” he replies.

  “The curse of having a half angel, does it apply to me?” I ask. “Not that I want a child for a long time, or ever, but it’s something that I want to know.”

  “No, the curse does not apply to you. Your child won’t have wings either, I believe, as the gene line is faded. I think you will make a great mother one day, just like your mother was and would have been to you if she had the chance,” he says, seeming sad and lost in memories again. That cold expression going back into place.

  “Maybe one day, and I hope you will be around to help,” I say, trying to cheer him a little.

  “Perhaps. We will see each other soon, Evelina,” my father says before holding his hand in the air, and there is a white flash, and then he is gone. I smile at the empty room, feeling a strange warm feeling in my heart. I never knew I could have family like this. I have my guys, Star, Hali and apparently my father now too. I only have to get rid of my sister, and everything will be perfect.

  Seventy-Six

  Evie

  “Are you sure you don’t want to come to training this morning?” Connor asks as I stretch out in bed, looking over at him, Trex, and Nix looking at me like I’m acting weird. I am, but still, I need them to get out of here. I hide deeper under the covers, yawning loudly. I went to a silly ball last night in a big dress and spent the night trying not to fall asleep, yawning as Trex invited me to meet all the snobbish Protectors who are richer than sense. There were only a couple of them I liked speaking to as they were like normal people, the rest might as well have been singing me a lullaby all night. I am tired, but it has more to do with Trex taking me back to his apartment, stripping the awful dress off me, and showing me his awesome shower skills way into the morning.

  “Sorry, no. I slept really badly last night, so I’m sleeping in because I’m tired. Good luck,” I reply, doing another fake yawn.

  “Alright then…later,” Connor replies, and they all walk out, whispering about how I might be nervous for the test tomorrow and that’s why I’m acting strange. I wait for the front door to shut before pushing the blanket off myself, smoothing down my leather outfit and clipping my sword onto my back after I stand up.

  “They’re gone,” I shout, waiting for Azi to come out. I told the guys Azi was off for the day, following a lead, so they didn’t suspect anything and they didn’t ask Azi to go with them to training.

  “I really don’t know why you need to break out Connor’s mother today. Surely when you’re queen, you can just free her,” Azi says, tightening the cuffs on his suit. Azi seems much more relaxed here since his clothing shop, and a space has been made in the closet for all his expensive suits. They do suit him though.

  “If something goes wrong, and I don’t win the test, Erica will be queen. Erica will kill Connor’s mother just because Connor is close to me. I can’t let that happen, so we need to get her out, just in case,” I say firmly, knowing I am right. The more I think about it, the more I know w
e will need to be able to leave quickly after the test, before Erica can order me to be killed and Cex gets his power.

  “You should have told Connor, at the very least,” Azi warns me.

  “Yeah, I should have, but he might have wanted to stop me taking a huge risk for his mum. I also need him to be in a public place when we get her out,” I say, shrugging my shoulder, because it’s irrelevant now anyways. We are doing this right now. I made my mind up before I’d even met his mother. No one deserves to be locked up and have their child taken off them because they loved the wrong person. “Now let’s go to the demon underground and find the girl I need.” Azi sighs at my determination and ignoring all his advice but follows me out of the bedroom and through the lounge to the empty corridor.

  I call a portal to land us just outside the barrier of the demon underground, and Azi walks through first to make sure it is safe before I follow him through a few seconds later. The cold wind brushes against my face, pushing my hair around in the air as the smell of grass and mud comes to me. I glance down at the muddy field where my boots are sinking into the wet ground a little. I look up at the cloudy sky, knowing we need to get a move on before it starts to rain.

  Azi takes my hand in his as we pass through the barrier, turning what looks like an empty field into the built up area where most demons live nowadays. Three blue skinned, thin looking children run past us as they laugh and chase each other, splashing mud up Azi’s expensive suit and my outfit. Azi looks down at his muddy clothes in distaste before glancing at me as I laugh, watching them run away. It’s good to see them happy, even when they live in a place like this. That’s one thing my childhood taught me, it doesn’t matter where you are, happiness can be found even in the roughest place to live in the world. Those laughing children are proof of that.

  “I received information about where she is staying in here from an old friend,” Azi says to me, pulling out a note from his pocket and reading what it says. I asked him a few days ago to find someone for me as I can’t leave the Protectors’ city to look myself without someone noticing. Plus, it isn’t safe for me to be outside the city for long at the moment. I’m sure Cex would love a chance to kill me before I can even get to the test. With that line of thinking, I pull my hood up and tuck my hair inside it as Azi guides me through the buildings. We walk for at least ten minutes before Azi stops, rubbing at a sign stretched into a metal container that says “East block 22-34.”

  “She lives in block twenty-four, apparently,” Azi explains why we have stopped. I only nod before following Azi up the steps on the side, going past the doors until we find the one that has the right number on it. Azi bangs on the door twice, and I silently hope we have the right place, that she is in and we don’t have to search for her. Thankfully the door opens, and a familiar pink face looks at us in confusion, a metal baseball bat resting on her shoulder.

  “Who are you? What do you want?” she demands, narrowing her eyes. Good to see she is looking after herself now. I pull my hood down, watching how her eyes widen as she recognises me.

  “Can I come in for a bit? I need your help,” I ask her, smiling tightly. The succubus demon looks much better than when I last saw her. Her pink hair curls around her shoulders, her clothes look clean, and overall, she seems in good health. Let’s hope her powers are the same, or this plan won’t work.

  “S-Salvatore. Yes, of course!” she mumbles, pulling the door open further and letting us walk into her small apartment. Well, the apartment is more of a box room with stone walls, with a bed, kitchen and bathroom all in one. There is a fireplace on the one wall with a burning fire giving off heat and light. Seeing this room is just a reminder of how little demons have when Protectors have too much.

  “In case you don’t know, I’m Evie. This is Azi. I never did get your name back then,” I say, crossing my arms and standing near the fire for warmth.

  “When you saved me, you mean? I never got to really thank you for that day, and my name is Bella. I thought those humans were going to fall to my powers like humans do and hurt me because of it. Sometimes I hate what I am, but since I have been here, life has gotten a little better. I still miss my only love, but I help out with the community to keep busy,” Bella tells me. “Now, what can I do to help you? I owe you a debt after all, and demons always pay their debts.”

  “I was hoping you would say that,” I reply with a smile. “What I need you to do could be very dangerous. I have to warn you of that before we discuss this.”

  “A debt is a debt. I trust you to protect me. You know the people call you the demon queen and say that you will make sure demons survive. How could I not fight for you?” she says, smiling at me. I glance at Azi who is on the other side of the room, and he smirks at me. The demon queen…I think I like that title.

  “Alright then, don’t say I didn’t warn you. Though I will keep you as safe as possible,” I start off, and though she seems nervous, she doesn’t look away. “First, I am pretty sure I am right, but your powers do work on Protectors? You can seduce them into anything you want like humans and other supernaturals? Even demons if you really try?” I ask her. I don’t know much about succubi, but after speaking to Azi in detail about this plan, he is certain Bella should be able to do what I need.

  “I’ve never tried to seduce a Protector, but I have a witch before. But yes, I could seduce one if I wanted…why?” she asks me.

  “Well, I need you to seduce a Protector prison guard into looking the other way as I get a prisoner out,” I explain, and her eyes widen in shock. We are both silent for a while as she thinks it over before nodding.

  “I guess I can do that,” she replies, nodding her head. “I’ll just grab my coat.” I watch her for a moment, a little confused as she unhooks her coat off the back of her door and starts pulling it on.

  “Don’t you want to ask more questions?” I ask. I planned at least half an hour to convince her to come with me. I really didn’t expect her to say yes straight away without a lot of explanation.

  “Nope. I don’t see how the situation is going to be less scary, so we might as well get it over with,” she says, and I grin.

  “I think I like you,” I reply, which is saying something as I don’t like most people.

  “Most people do. I’m literally born for people to like,” she says, winking at me, and Azi chuckles as he walks over.

  “Evie, call a portal to the prisons. The alarms are going to go off the moment we enter the city with Bella. It won’t be long until they investigate the prison. We should get in and out quickly,” Azi states, making me smile because I can’t help the joke that pops into my mind and demands that I say it.

  “Just what every girl wants to hear, Azi,” I joke, and Bella laughs as Azi shakes his head at me before I call a portal. I jump through first, with Azi following, and the moment Bella steps into the room, an alarm goes off.

  “Right, let’s get to it. The receptionist is through there,” I point at the only wooden door in the room. Bella nods and walks through it, and we follow after her. I feel the pressure change in the room when Bella starts using her power, making me feel hot and a blush rising to my cheeks. I look over to see the woman behind the desk glowing pink as she stares at Bella with pure lust. Azi clears his throat, pulling at his collar as he is clearly feeling the effect just like I am.

  “Hey, beautiful lady. I need you to open—” Bella stops, not knowing what door she is asking for, and I shout over.

  “Duna’s room.”

  “Can you open Duna’s room for me and make sure the doors don’t lock up with that silly alarm?” Bella purrs, her voice is even seductive to me, and I don’t swing that way.

  “Y-yes. Yes, I can,” the defenceless woman says as Bella leans over the desk, placing her hand on the woman’s cheek. A few moments later, there is a buzzing, and I walk to the door, pushing it open. With the alarm still blasting, Azi and I run past the rooms until we get to the open one, where Connor’s mum is stood looking confused. She
looks thinner than before with only a thin jumper covering her up and worn looking jeans.

  “Princess Evelina? What is going on?” she asks.

  “You’re getting out of here, and I don’t have time to explain right now, but I will later. Come on,” I say, nodding my head to the side. Duna looks worriedly at Azi before looking back at me.

  “Connor is a good friend of mine. You have nothing to fear from me,” Azi states, and that seems to make Duna move, running to the door with me at her side. I jog into the reception first, surprised to see Bella kissing the woman behind the desk.

  “Azi, get in the room with Duna and call a portal,” I say, and Azi does as I ask while I run to Bella.

  “We need to go,” I tell Bella when I get to her side, feeling the smash of seductive energy coming from her brush against my skin and making my knees feel weak. Bella pulls back from the other woman but doesn’t move her hands off the woman’s shoulders.

  “If I let her go, she will set off an alarm. The woman is much stronger than I thought,” she explains to me.

  “Alright. I have an idea,” I say, jumping on the desk and sliding over to the other side. I pull out a dagger and spin it around before whacking the Protector on her temple with the blunt end. She passes out, falling to the floor as Bella lets her go.

  “That wasn’t a good idea. The poor woman,” Bella tuts as I slide over the desk.

  “I’m sure she will get over it. I will send her some new magazines as a sorry,” I mutter, running towards the door. I slide inside the room and wait for Bella just outside the portal.

  “Let’s go,” I say, and Bella doesn’t hesitate as she jumps through the portal, and I do the same. I step out into the field just outside the demon underground, where Azi is stood with Duna, and he closes the portal behind me with the clap of his hands. I breathe heavily, trying to shake the effect of a demon portal off me, and I have to shake my head a few times. Azi and Bella aren’t affected at all, lucky demons. Duna looks pale, but she stares up at the sky like she is seeing it for the first time, and she doesn’t seem to care about anything else. It must be strange to be above ground after being imprisoned in the ground for so long.