Personal Warriors

by Rachel A. Collett

  Violet refused to return to her cell. She slept on the oversized bay window seat in my room until her more permanent home could be constructed. The sister I never wanted soon took over my bathroom and borrowed my clothes without asking.

  Despite some initial resistance from the residents, the council decided to build both her, Jonathan, and any visiting witches their own suite. It would be detached from the main building, but close enough that they wouldn’t feel secluded. This was done in hopes to calm the original tenants as well as keep a barrier in place for our protection in case any new residents decided to go back to their demonic ways.

  Even with The Three’s sung confidence that those who decided to stay would be protected, eight individuals left the sanctuary. The Three moved the veil to assist in their transferals into society, but other than that, the mortals were on their own. Anxiety swelled as I watched them exit at each of their desired locations, but this was their choice to make.

  The rest of us saw to the construction of the building for my personal demons. While Jonathan wouldn’t even look at the place, Violet would aid whenever she got the chance. She helped to calm the fears of her new inmates.

  At times, my nerves grated thin. I wasn’t sure I could handle the additional pressure two overzealous demons would cause, but I knew I shouldn’t complain. In the days that followed their coming out, I was already stronger than I had ever been. With my visions returned, my strength against the demons we fought increased tenfold. I was unstoppable against lesser demons—and while Darius before refused to allow me to fight them on my own, Violet now insisted.

  “She has to be able to kill multiple lessers at the same time, on her own. It’s the Fallen you must worry about, but even then, she should be able to handle those as well. Let her get stronger.” She crossed her thin arms over her chest.

  “Fine.” Darius huffed, dropping down upon a boulder big enough to seat two.

  “These are some of the more powerful lessers. Ancient and almost wise.” She cocked her head to the side as five lesser demons fanned out, skirting the edge of the forest.

  “They should recognize us as Fallen,” Jonathan said in a low voice. “When they do, we will offer you as a sacrifice.” He lounged against a thick tree, its trunk so large that three people holding hands couldn’t span the circumference of it.

  “They will consider it a great gift,” Violet added, passing behind me. Her finger trailed the space between my shoulders. “But work quick before they identify you.”

  I pished beneath my breath, but she was right. I was too new in my calling for all demons to recognize me, but those that did believed the lies told of my mother’s black pendant. I pulled my braided hair over my shoulder, partly concealing the black charm.

  Light from the moon cascaded upon our timbered arena, illuminating the pale skin of the ghosts that terrorized the small town just outside of Dublin. Their eyes shifted from one person to the next.

  The forest was old. Spirits both malevolent and benign roamed the floors of this haunted realm. As I speculated what had transpired in the past to fill the land with wandering souls, a shiver crawled up my spine, eliciting a shudder.

  A demon focused in on that minuscule movement and smiled, sensing my tremor to be from fear. But I was far from afraid.

  I was elated. Finally trusted to take care of things on my own, I relished the chance to do my job as my mother once had. I crouched low, pulling two knives from my pockets.

  One of the lessers spoke, addressing Jonathan, his Irish accent a lilting mesh of words too thick to understand. His gaze flickered between both Fallen.

  Jonathan answering smile was unnerving. He gestured to me and then to Darius. “We saved them for you. We thought it would provide some entertainment, if only brief.”

  The demons laughed, watching my reaction. The lead demon spoke again.

  Annoyed, I rose halfway from my crouch. “What are they saying?”

  Jonathan shrugged, pulling his jacket tighter around his shoulders. “In essence, they don’t think you’ll last long, my love. They want to kill your male counterpart first, then feast on you for a bit.” His suggestive breath hung heavy upon the air. “Shall I let them?”

  Darius growled, leaping from his rock, but Violet held him tightly by the shoulder. “Not yet, human,” she purred, lending to the façade. “It seems dessert is first tonight.”

  I scowled, fisting my blades even tighter. “You tell them I’d rather die.”

  “We understan’ ye jist gran’,” the first demon said. He smiled, his mouth a jumbled mess of blackened teeth.

  Jonathan brushed me away like a bothersome fly. I stumbled to the side, earning additional titters from the waiting gang. “Enjoy the woman as you please, but the male is last.”

  Five attacked at once. They were incredibly in sync for a pack of lessers, but nothing I couldn’t handle. I sliced through their ranks, felling two, then a third right after. The Demon’s Eye devoured their souls, eager in its haste to collect them all. It pulsed bright. The remaining two swirled on the spot, shielding their eyes from the light. I ran and plunged my blades into their hearts.

  All was quiet and dark. My sight adjusted.

  “Nice.” Darius clapped and Violet smiled.

  “You did alright.” Jonathan pushed off his boulder and sauntered away. “You could’ve been faster.”

  Grumbling at his lackluster show of praise, I quickly stowed my knives and ran to catch my demon before he could disappear to whatever cosmos he left to each night. I seized his hand. Fire laced our touch, but the burn no longer affected me. In fact, it felt nice now. “Why don’t you stay with us. Join us for a late dinner.”

  “I don’t eat after six.”

  I huffed an agitated laugh. “Please, Jon.”

  18

  A Mother’s Grief

  “Why do you want me to stay?” he asked, squeezing my hand.

  I could feel Darius’s eyes on the back of my head and knew he was hating our contact, but he needed to get used to this. Jonathan was my friend—I wasn’t going to give up on him.

  “You have sanctuary with us.”

  He looked away but didn’t attempt to remove his hand from mine. “I don’t need sanctuary. I’m not some weak mortal.”

  “You told me yourself. You’re not accepted by your own kind. It’s dangerous for you. And every time you’re gone, I worry.”

  He glanced over my shoulder, one side of his lips lifted wickedly. With a quick jerk, he gathered me into his arms. “You worry over me?”

  I pushed against his chest, but he was still much stronger than I was. Another reason why I needed to marry Darius. “Wow,” I said beneath my breath, “you are really asking for it, my friend.”

  I held out my hand signaling Darius to stay where he was, but he didn’t listen. He charged toward my demon, fury thick upon his brows. The pressure of my Guardian’s power coursed through his body and the air around him. Using his own skill set, I took hold of his emotionally charged aura. His energy infused mine. My body buzzed with the blended power, but while Darius had been able to paralyze my movements, I was only able to slow his momentum to a crawl. A thrill crept up my spine. I exhilarated in the sensation.

  Jonathan hummed his approval, watching the anger grow on his rival’s face in slow-motion. “I like him better this way.”

  His grip slackened as he laughed at his own joke, allowing me to push him back. “Go,” I said, my voice incensed. “You got what you wanted, so leave before I lose control of him.”

  “You did good,” he said with a wink, and then he disappeared.

  I sighed and released Darius, holding up my hands in an immediate surrender. He stumbled to a halt, his expression feverish. “I’m sorry,” I said before he could complain about me using his move against him. “I really am. He was trying to goad you and… well, I didn’t want to deal with the two of you.”

  “That was fun,” Violet said. “I didn’t know you had such power, little one.
That was an impressive display.”

  Darius groused, his voice thick. “Next time use it on an enemy.”

  I rolled my neck, still intent on that last remaining thread of connection between our souls. I had grown almost used to his one-track mind. In fact, if I were being honest, it was kind of nice being the center of someone’s universe.

  He leaned close, his voice low and gruff in my ear. “You do realize the only reason your demon’s not dead is because I know it would upset you.”

  A flurry of butterflies awoke within, setting my nerves on end, both exciting and horrifying me at the same time. I speared him with a sharp glance over my shoulder, stepping away from his touch. “He is my friend, Darius.”

  The muscles in his jaw tensed. “Which is why he’s still alive.”

  “You wouldn’t be able to beat him in your current condition.” Violet arrived at my side. “He’s one of the elite. If you were to be mated…”

  Darius glowered, but only cracked his knuckles in response.

  I sighed, leading the way back home. The forest was deathly silent, but far from asleep. Witnesses to our battle flitted about the chilled night. A mixture of emotion, the souls of the dead passed in and out of my supernatural awareness, their spirits never fully solidifying. My senses caught upon warnings flung out to the cosmos. I increased my pace. The crunch of our boots set my heightened senses on end.

  “What if I did finally choose a… mate? Would you be okay with that, Violet?” I asked to draw my attention elsewhere.

  Her gaze travelled the trees, ever searching. She shrugged. “It would mean my Ava is stronger and safer. Your temporary Guardian is a good candidate, but I would approve of several strong mortals within your haven. Hector would be an excellent choice.”

  Darius glanced sidelong at her. “Gee, thanks, Violet.”

  He clutched his weapon in a white-knuckled grip and I wondered if he sensed the panic among the other spirits as I did. If so, he didn’t say.

  I nodded. “An excellent choice, indeed, but then Hector would be sad and who would you flirt with?”

  Confusion darkened her face. She turned away without another word.

  Darius reached for me, taking my hand, and we walked.

  I warmed to the familiarity despite the eerie tension.

  What was he now? My fiancé? I hadn’t actually said yes, but I assumed it was understood. Should we tell the others? These concerns seemed trivial.

  He lifted my fingers to his lips and kissed them. I blushed but allowed the affection. Then someone took my other hand. Violet stared off into the forest. Her demonic warmth spread up my arm at her touch and I muffled a laugh.

  Darius’s brows raised as he stared at her fingers wrapped around mine.

  He cleared his throat. “Violet—?”

  “Yes, dear?” She followed his pointed gaze. “Oh, sorry. This is weird, right?” And she released me, sighing heavily. “Perhaps Hector wouldn’t be so adverse.”

  I bumped her shoulder affectionately. “I don’t think he would be.” And then I waited as she disappeared inside the veil, a smile on my lips.

  “I’m not sure if you should push such a relationship,” Darius said. Worry wore heavy in his expression. “Between Hector and Violet.”

  “I’m not pushing anything. Whatever it is, it seems to be forming on its own. Besides, Hector’s a big boy. Your own mother—” But my pendant went cold, silencing any argument.

  Movement drew my attention as a ghostly form walked into view. Powerful energy, violent and unstable, emanated from her. She swayed on the spot, drunken with a vengeance that screamed from her darkened soul.

  “Annie,” I said to no one. I choked on a foul word but pulled my knife instead. My muscles coiled and twitched, ready to spring.

  She scanned the ethereal trees. Her white hair ghosted down her back, tendrils dancing in the low breeze. She hummed a broken tune despite the tempest brewing within. A bottle of Irish whiskey dangled from her fingertips, the contents long gone. “You’ve caused quite the disturbance here.”

  “Call the others.” Darius breathed the order and I obeyed. Casting an immortal-wide connection, I warned The Three of the Annihilator’s presence.

  The Demon’s Eye was remarkably silent. It seemed to understand the nature of the situation and that I would need its cooperation. Even still it pressed against my skin as an icy warning to the imminent threat. My hand twitched inside Darius’s grip, but I didn’t respond. He slowly searched for her usual entourage, but nothing took on a solid form to aid the Destroyer’s mate. I pressed out with my power to encompass the surrounding area.

  “I came to tell you something. Something you would desperately want to know.” She glared, dangling the bait, but when I refused to bite, her voice grew angry. “Don’t you want to know who killed your mother? Who else was responsible for her death?”

  “You are,” I blurted. My face exploded into ugly patches of red.

  The moon highlighted her bloodshot eyes and the mascara that had rubbed onto her skin beneath them. She laughed out loud, one short burst of sound that ricocheted through the woods. “The mother who saved so many, betrayed by those she trusted. Do you think you’ve purged your house of all sickness, Defender?”

  Despite every warning that zinged my brain, I cast my energy outward, connecting to my enemy. A thick swirl of emotions poured like molasses into my soul. Dark, menacing, and confused, Annie’s subconscious was a mess of chaotic thoughts and blurred reasons. She was inebriated beyond what a normal human could have taken in. The level of toxins flowing through her blood was close to killing the body she possessed—but she didn’t seem to realize or care. She leaned her weight against a nearby tree.

  “I know you’re in here,” she said, her words slurred. She tapped a finger against her temple, then wiped a drizzle of spit from the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand.

  Darius gave me a wild look. “Ava, what are you doing?”

  “Getting answers,” I said through clenched teeth, but sudden power shot back, a painful shock that ripped through my mind and body. It knocked me to the ground, breaking the connection. The air wrenched from my lungs and I doubled over, sucking in a loud and strained breath. Darius hovered over me but could not aid as he stood between me and my enemy. Anger burned in my lungs. I trudged to my feet, turning my full attention to my mother’s murderer. “What do you want?” I asked.

  “Hasn’t anyone warned you of entering a soul uninvited?” She tsked, shaking her head. Her breath froze in the ghostly mist. “I must tell you… how sad you’ve made me by killing my son.”

  I jerked back, confused and furious. “Your son? I don’t care who—”

  “Do you know how long it took me to train that brat?” she screamed, silencing me. The blood leeched from her face. She lifted her whiskey bottle above her head and threw it in a wild pitch. We barely managed to skirt away from the attack of broken glass. “All those years! Do you know what you’ve done? I took on a vile, disgusting man to create the thing you so carelessly destroyed!”

  Jonathan’s voice sounded over and over again in my mind.

  Never rush your opponent. Wait for them to come to you.

  As so I waited, my body wound so tight I thought I would burst from the pressure. Darius took a step forward, crouching low. I shifted my knife from one hand to the other, sweat clinging to the rubber molded grip.

  Annie’s fingers slid down the line of her pants to pull a large dagger from her boot. She held it out, displaying it for me to see. “I’ve heard you like to collect the weapons from the Fallen you defeat, like some psychopath.” She turned the handle, allowing the moonlight to reflect off its etched blade. “It’s beautiful, is it not?” When I didn’t answer, her lips lifted into a snarl. She sliced the knife across her palm. Anger grew red hot upon her face as she held out her hand, her breath rising and falling rapidly. “Grayson’s blood—” She clamped her fingers hard, allowing the blood to drip freely to the ground. “M
y blood—is on your hands!”

  With a scream, the Annihilator charged. Five other beings morphed into existence, sprinting ahead of their leader. Darius stepped in front, both blades drawn for the attack, but I was ready as well. Adrenaline pulsed through my veins.

  I felt her presence before I saw Violet sprint from the veil. I cursed out loud as she went straight for the Annihilator. With a clash, she intercepted my enemy.

  Annie met her with a flash of excitement in her eyes. “Traitor,” she screamed shoving Violet back.

  The other lessers halted our charge, but only for a moment. I dashed past Darius, felling one demon quickly, trusting my Guardian to take care of the others. Eager to end this war, I could see everything so perfectly, my path clearly marked. My goal: to cut off the head of the snake. But my insides dropped as on her next strike Annie caught Violet’s wrist and twisted hard. My mother’s demon cried out when Annie kicked in her knee. Violet crumbled to the ground. Annie wrenched back her head by the roots of her hair.

  I pumped my legs harder and launched myself forward, tackling Annie. Laughter and a queer sense of satisfaction beat from the Annihilator’s heart and leaked from her soul. We grappled on the forest floor. Annie grabbed for the Demon’s Eye and yanked, but the chain withstood her strength, cutting like wire into my skin. With the techniques learned from Roman, I flipped her over and slammed my fist into her face. Straddling her, I lifted my knife overhead to strike.

  I had waited for this moment, dreamed of thrusting my dagger into her blackened heart for so long I could almost not believe it.

  Because it was not meant to be.

  “That is enough.” A sinister voice came from nowhere and yet everywhere at once. Annie tipped her head back and screamed her wrath into the night. A dark energy swirled like oil through the air, thick around my limbs and mind, slowing my vengeance.

  No. I gritted my teeth, aiming my dagger for her heart. Annie would die. Her soul would be sucked into the waiting Demon’s Eye, and my trouble—the plague of my life—would be over with one final blow from my father’s knife.