God looked to Eve. “Eve, what happened?”
Pointing in the direction of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, Eve said, “It was that serpent that deceived me. He said I would be like you if I ate it. This is all the fault of that serpent. You should have never created that thing.”
Satan sat back and laughed at their expense when God shook his head in shame over their obedience to the dark forces that were Satan himself.
Now men would have to work hard to earn their food and women would experience pain in childbirth. Most importantly, God’s perfect creation was no longer perfect. They no longer held dominion over the earth and all of the living things within it. Their bodies would no longer live forever as they were originally meant to do.
This did not stop them from choosing to follow God though. It didn’t matter how tough things got, they willing loved the one who created them.
Their refusal to worship at his feet fueled Satan’s anger. He began wielding the magic he still held, using it in ways that God had never intended, until he grew in his strength and power. If he couldn’t completely steal the humans then he would make his own creation and destroy the one God created and loved.
Devils were created to control and terrorize the humans. These devils held a dark power that could actually bring harm to the angels protecting the delicate human race. The angels would often wear themselves out wielding their heavenly magic to defeat the devils.
Battle after battle was fought between the angels and devils. More and more angels were required to fight in this spiritual war which meant more and more humans were left without their holy protection. That’s when God decided it was time to create helpers for the angels, Daimon.
Daimon are a special creation that holds the power of the angels. They are unique in the fact that they are essentially human. God wielded the powers of light and implanted them in the womb of pregnant women. Not just any woman or baby would suffice though. No he chose his new creation carefully.
The baby would develop naturally, be born, and then grow up like any other human being. What made them different is the fact that as they approach their adulthood their magical powers transform their bodies into immortal beings.
Once the transformation is complete, the Daimon then receives their training from the angels. For many years devils were destroyed at the hand of Daimon and human lives were saved from destruction.
More wielding of dark powers took place in the pit that was Satan’s home. He molded the perfect creation, using the last of his magical powers, and created the demons. These demons were more powerful and therefore were more difficult for the Daimon to kill.
Hannah sat back hard against the back of her chair. She was no stranger to the Bible but to hear that it was actually a true story and not some fairytale gave her the chills. Believing in God had always been easy, he was love and mercy but the devil — now that was scary stuff.
“When the Lord saw that Satan was planning another heavenly attack he created the next batch of warriors, the final and most deadly that will ever walk the earth.” Josh hoped with everything that was in him that she would believe every word that came from his mouth.
“And me, you said I was immortal now too?” she asked, afraid to hear the answer.
“Yes you are,” Josh said. “I’m guessing that you were born with a unique birthmark that has recently darkened and expanded, much like a tattoo?”
She nodded.
“Well,” Josh continued, “that is your mark. It’s what God placed on you before you were born. It is what has kept you out of harm’s way throughout your childhood. With his stamp marking you no evil creature could get their grimy little hands on you.”
“A protection mark?”
“Exactly.” Josh was thrilled. She seemed to be accepting this news rather well.
She pointed at the two of them. “So am I like the two of you?”
“You’re a Devada, Hannah. Your breed was created to destroy what we cannot.” Raum’s face softened dramatically. This was always hard to accept at first. He never would forget when the archangel came to him when he made his transformation into a Daimon.
“A Devada? That’s what that man kept calling me. What Chris called me.” She thought back to her dream. The note she found on the teacher’s desk. The voice she heard, a demon, saying, the blood of the divine is so sweet and so filling. “You said my breed, so I’m not the only one then?”
“No,” Josh answered her.
“And these demons that Satan made?”
Raum was relieved that she was asking all the right questions and not running away like most of them did. “Satan is the father of hell. The devils he created first are to him what humans are to God. The demons on the other hand are a lot like what God’s archangels are, they’re fierce and mighty warriors.”
“Oh.” Hannah let out a long breath. This was so much information for her mind to keep up with. “I’m still not certain about my roll in all of this.”
Raum touched her shoulder, sending her butterflies dancing again. “That’s what we are here for. We will teach you how to fight and how to wield your magic. A Devada is the only thing on earth that can kill Satan’s chosen four, his kings of hell.”
There were kings of hell? Oh great.
The first thing Hannah did after dinner was shower. It felt good to wash the filth, caused by her fever induced sweat, down the drain. She wrapped her hair in a towel and dressed in one of her new shirts and jeans.
Raum was standing in the hall waiting on her when she opened the bathroom door. He showed her to her new bedroom, directly across from his at the end of the hall.
This could get interesting, living alone in a house with two boys. Then she remembered them saying that they were immortal. Would they be considered boys or men? She really had no idea how old they truly were.
The room itself was just an average sized bedroom but she did notice that someone had done their homework. The room was decorated in her favorite colors, purple and pink, and with her favorite thing, butterflies.
The mahogany dresser sat against the outer wall, a window at each side. The wood felt smooth and cool under her fingertips. Pulling open the top drawers she found her belongings, the ones she had purchased at the mall earlier.
Each drawer was full and her clothing, folded neatly. Her hand paused at the last drawer, her eyes squeezed shut. Which one of them put her clothes away and did they actually go through her panties and bras?
Hooking her fingers in the handle, she pulled the drawer open. A shopping bag had been carefully laid inside. It was her bag of undergarments. She let out a sigh of relief. She would never be able to look either of them in the eye if they had seen those.
She dumped the contents onto the dresser top and arranged them in the drawer. Just as she closed the drawer, footsteps sounded in the hall and came to a stop at her door.
Which brother was outside of her room? The clock on the bedside table ticked off the seconds. The wait was driving her insane. She walked to the door and opened it.
No one was there. Stepping out into the hall, she looked toward the living room. The entire house was dark, empty. “Hello?”
Goose bumps covered her arms. She rubbed her hands along her arms to warm them. The more she rubbed the more the goose bumps grew. The footsteps resumed, this time further down the hall.
The hallway was empty, she stood there completely alone, yet she could hear the sound of someone’s foot falls. A whisper so quiet she had to strain to hear it met her ears. “I see you.”
Her first instinct was to run, but she stood at the very end of the hall with nowhere to go. Scream. Screaming would get the attention of Josh or Raum…unless they were gone. But surely they wouldn’t have left without telling her first.
When she finally found her voice she let out a scream. The hairs on the back of her neck rose.
“Don’t do that, Devada.” That voice, the man from the movie theater. Like a flickering hologram, the
demon’s form appeared. He looked exactly the same, only angry.
She screamed again out of fear. A small cloud formed in the man’s palm. Turning his palm toward her, he pushed the cloud through the air in her direction.
Before she could move out of harm’s way the cloud coiled around her neck, restricting her airway and lifting her off of her feet. “I told you not to scream. You should listen to what you’re told, Hannah Renee Williams, Devada to the Most High.”
Flinging her arms and legs did no good. The more she moved, the tighter the hold on her neck. Her lungs burned from the lack of oxygen.
A shadow materialized from around the corner. She could tell by the broad shoulders that Josh stood there. “Noromi telocvovim zol dobix gohed quasb nonci.”
Not knowing that Josh had advanced and now stood at his heels, the demon spun around. Josh held a Bowie knife in his hand and when the demon’s chest came into view he plunged the blade in where the demon’s heart would have been if he had one.
Stabbing the demon would not kill him. It wouldn’t even do much damage, but the magic wielded into the blade would send him back to hell, temporarily.
He snatched his knife off of the floor and ran to Hannah’s side. “That only bought us approximately half a day.
“How did he find me here?” Hannah was so out of breath that her voice squeaked.
“I don’t know but we need to get you ready. Now that he’s found you he’ll be back and he’s out for your blood.” Josh examined her neck. There was some slight bruising but no damage had been done.
“What if I’m not cut out for this?” This thing knew where to find her and she couldn’t fight to save her life.
“You will be. We’ll see to it.” Josh wrapped his arms around her, tucking her head under his chin.
That act of kindness brought tears to her eyes. The more she tried to hold them back the more they formed. She missed her parents, wanted to feel their arms around her just one more time but that would never happen.
“It’s okay,” Josh said, stroking her hair. “You can cry. It’ll do you good to let it all out.”
The sobs broke free. She couldn’t hold them back, didn’t want to hold them back. She cried for all the time she would miss with her mom, for missing out on her father walking her down the aisle, and because her future children would never get the chance to know either of them.
Her sobs were painfully loud but she wouldn’t let herself feel the embarrassment of it, not now anyway. She was only seventeen for crying out loud. How much more could her heart take before it shattered beyond repair?
Josh hummed, his voice soothing her soul. The sobbing finally stopped. She wasn’t sure how long she had been crying, judging by the ache in her feet she would guess several minutes had gone by if not an hour.
She plucked at his shirt, soaked from her tears. “I’m really sorry about that.” She wiped her nose on her own shirtsleeve.
“There’s no need to apologize. You were hurting and I was more than happy to lend you my shoulder.” Josh kissed the top of her head and wiped the remaining tears away with his thumbs. “Raum and I are going to set up a protection band. I think you should join us.”
“Okay.” She wasn’t quite sure what a protection band was. No time like the present to find out. She followed him out of the house and to the Mustang.
Raum was sitting in the passenger seat tapping away on his phone, texting maybe? He looked up at their entrance. His penetrating blue-eyed gaze took her breath away. She ducked her head hoping to hide the blush in her cheeks.
Josh drove to the front of the property. He and Raum knelt down on the dirt driveway. Their fingers drew patterns in the earth first and then in the air. As each symbol was drawn a chant was spoken.
Over and over they drew these symbols and chanted along the whole property line meeting back at the driveway and ending where the first symbol began. She had no clue what language they spoke but assumed it was spiritual since it was the same one they used when speaking to the demons. Every now and then they would look over their shoulders at her and tell her what they were saying, making her repeat the words.
She felt foolish, like she was speaking gibberish. They assured her that she was doing fine. Soon the words flowed flawlessly out of her mouth.
Hannah woke from a nightmare, screaming. The bed sheets were covered in her sweat. Her hair was plastered to her face. The door swung open, bouncing off of the wall with a loud bang. Startled by the noise she screamed louder.
Josh charged in, gun drawn. Raum entered afterward with his sword held high, ready to fight the intruder. The room was dark and Hannah was sitting up in bed, legs drawn up to her chest, screaming but no one lurked in the shadows.
Blinking back confusion, Raum took one more look around her room. “I sliced open my thumb grabbing this sword.” Sheathing it, he set the heavy piece of metal aside.
Putting the safety back on the gun, Josh handed it to Raum. Then he sat on the edge of her bed. “What is it?”
“Soulless people,” she said between breaths. “There were several soulless people wandering around school and no one knew that anything was different with them. They were just empty shells…zombies.”
Josh released a breath. “Okay, that sounds like a demonic attack. I would say that these people are probably hosting demons unaware but if they are soulless my guess is that they willingly handed over their soul.”
“Why would anyone do such a thing?”
“Usually it’s for power. People that are power-hungry will often summon demons looking for a higher being to grant them what they seek. The demons promise them power in exchange for their souls. Unfortunately, these people never receive power and their soul is immediately taken from their body.”
“So my dream is what, real? This kind of thing actually happens?” If her dreams were going to be plagued with demons and demonic activity then she’d have to find a way to stay awake. Dealing with these creatures in the real world was hard enough. She didn’t want to have to deal with them in her sleep as well.
“Whether or not they will come true, I can’t say. Does this kind of thing actually happen? Yes, unfortunately it does.” Josh pulled the covers back up over her, tucking her in. “Why don’t you get some rest, it’s only three in the morning.”
Now she was frightened. There was a chance that it could come true? Great, what about all of her other nightmares? She didn’t want any of those to be some sort of premonition either.
Her big round saucer eyes made him sit back down. “I’ll stay for a bit. Keep an eye out, if you’d like.”
She nodded. That’s exactly what she wanted. Being alone terrified her after that strange dream.
Raum watched Josh as he sat back against the headboard of Hannah’s bed gently stroking her hair. It hurt right in the center of his heart, his stomach squeeze tight in response.
Sure, Raum had had girlfriends in his long lifetime. Some he had really loved. But even in their deaths he didn’t feel the strange heartache he felt watching his brother comfort Hannah.
He backed out of the room closing the door quietly behind him.
Standing in the hallway, he couldn’t get his feet to cooperate with his brain. Couldn’t get them to move the few feet across the hall to his own bedroom.
“You look pained, Aunlyn.” Normally the voice of the archangel Michael wouldn’t startle him but his thoughts were back in Hannah’s room, with her.
“It’s my emotions, Michael. I don’t understand them. I mean, I do because I’m human and I was born with these emotions but this time it’s different. This time I feel it in the center of my heart.”
“That is because you have never truly been in love before. But you must remember your duties, Aunlyn. Don’t let emotions cloud your judgment.” With that the archangel disappeared.
Michael was notorious for disappearing before any questions could be answered fully. Raum hated that. Most of the time Michael left him more confused, throwing him bits
and pieces of information and leaving him to pull out his Sherlock Holmes persona to solve the puzzle.
He had a feeling this assignment was going to be the toughest one yet. He glanced over his shoulder at Hannah’s door one last time before walking the short distance to his. Hopefully the sandman would be good to him and allow him to go back to sleep.
The morning sun warmed Hannah’s face. She stretched. As she did, her arm bumped into something. Not something, someone. Cracking open one eye, she looked next to her on the bed.
Josh had stayed with her all night. He still sat in the same spot with his back against the headboard, his head resting against the post of the bed. She watched him for a moment. No strain or worry lines marred his features, just a smooth and peaceful face.
Sliding ever so carefully from the bed, she tiptoed across the room.
“Good morning.”
She nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of Josh’s voice. When had he woken up? She didn’t make any noise when she crawled out of bed. “Good morning. I was just heading to the shower. Well, unless you need it? If so then I can wait.”
His laughter filled her room. “No, go ahead. There are three bathrooms in this house, the one at the end of the hall, one in my room, and the last one is in the basement.”
“You have a basement?”
“Yes. Maybe I’ll show it to you sometime.” She heard him rise off the bed. Not wanting him to see her bed head, she kept her head down. Peeking through her hair at the mirror she watched as he walked past her to the door.
He stopped and turned toward her. “You shouldn’t hide your beautiful face. The early morning looks good on you,” he said before walking out.
They weren’t kidding when they said they would teach her how to fight. After her morning shower Raum had tossed her a pair of sweat pants and a tank top. “Follow me. We’re going for a jog.” The way he spoke, she wondered if he wasn’t upset with her over something.
Devada (Angels & Demons Book 1) Page 7
