The Vigiles Urbani Chronicles- Year One

by Ken Lange

Frustrated, I shuddered. “I’m not sure. I had the sense someone was tailing me, but I never caught sight of them.”

  Gabriel had an uneasy look on his face. “Let me grab some gear, and I’ll make a pass of the grounds.”

  Unable to fight off the sensation, I gave him a thumbs-up. “Sure, I’ll be in the office.”

  Gabriel turned on the spot and headed to the armory, sandwich in hand.

  After setting the backpack on the desk, I shut the door and tugged on the first cabinet. It had just swung to the side when all hell broke loose. The lights died, and the place went dark. I pulled the cabinet into place, and grabbed the wakizashi out of the pack. Emergency lights flickered into dim existence while gunshots rang through the facility.

  I quickly made my way through the poorly lit halls, clearing rooms as I went. Rounding the corner, I found the source of the commotion. Two dozen specters were closing in on a glowing Gabriel. The brilliant white light surrounding him kept them at bay. But every time they pressed forward, his aura shrank by several inches. It would be a matter of seconds before they were on him.

  If my last encounter with them was any indication, Gabriel wouldn’t be able to hold out for long, let alone survive the encounter.

  Picking up speed, I raised the sword and swiped it to the side, cleaving two of them in half. In that moment, the Grim woke, and I roared as the flowing robe swept over me, absorbing the last of the broken souls of the dead. A wave of pain hit me hard as my right hand transformed into an onyx glove and the left elongated into a flaming blue gauntlet.

  Sweeping the blade wide, I sliced through two more. I spun and caught another in the face with the silver blade. My reflection was visible in the glass door, and I froze. The living shadows swirling around me made me look like the Grim Reaper. The darkening wisps were strengthened by the souls of the damned that were bound to me in this tattered form. Thankfully, my face was hidden in a pool of darkness beneath the ghastly hood, aside from my glowing crimson eyes.

  With a shiver, I turned back to the battle, but not before the first of the specters drove their claws deep into my back. My lungs seized, and I couldn’t breathe as their ghostly hands tore at my internal organs. I tugged myself free, spun around, and cleaved the offender in two before pulling its essence into my own.

  After slamming my left hand into the spirit nearest me, I watched it burn. Tendrils spread out from the billowing reaper’s cloak and ripped apart the last of the apparitions in seconds. My aura expanded, flaring when it touched Gabriel’s gleaming white light. The resulting discharge sent him hard into the wall, knocking him unconscious. At least it erased the look of fear and horror in his eyes. I had a feeling he wasn’t taking this whole Grim thing very well.

  With the phantoms gone, the Grim receded, leaving me to clean up the mess. Gabriel had punctuated their arrival with gunfire, and I’d ended their visit with a clash between light and darkness. I knelt, got my arms under the big guy and, to my amazement, lifted him easily. I made for the armory and the large conference table, where I deposited him. I grabbed a Coke out of the fridge and cracked the top with a crack and a hiss to wait for his return to the land of the living.

  My wait wasn’t a long one, maybe fifteen minutes, and I spent the time checking the facility to ensure we hadn’t missed any of our guests. The last five minutes were the longest by far, but, finally, his eyes popped open, and he frantically looked around the room as he did a crab crawl backward and fell off the table with a dull thud.

  After several seconds cowering in the corner, he straightened and got to his feet, nervously looking around for unseen enemies. His voice was hoarse, and it cracked with each syllable. “We were attacked.” Gabriel looked at me with fear in his eyes. “How did you survive the reaper? It tore the souls apart, and I thought I was next…” He paused, searching for words. “A fucking reaper. Why am I still alive? They aren’t even supposed to exist.” He paused and looked at me again. “How are you even here?”

  A reaper? Kur became alert before quickly vanishing from my senses. Great time for him to suddenly want a vacation.

  Taking a drink of the dark, bubbly, overly sweet liquid, I shook my head. “If they aren’t supposed to exist, how do you know it was a reaper?”

  Gabriel rubbed his forehead. “Part of my heritage… The angel side of my parentage has an innate ability to recognize them since we’re supposed to be archenemies. I was sure it was going to kill me because…well, you know…I’m half angel.” He looked at me curiously again. “You haven’t told me how you survived.”

  I picked up a clean glass, opened the freezer, and pulled out a chilled bottle of vodka. After pouring a healthy amount, I handed it to him. “You should have a couple of drinks and sit for this.”

  Gabriel hesitantly took the glass and fell into his chair. “Why?”

  If Kur wasn’t going to help, I’d need to get the information the old-fashioned way. “Tell me about the reapers.”

  Gabriel gulped before grabbing the bottle and topping the glass off. “Reapers are myth…well, I thought they were.”

  Trying to keep the impatience out of my voice, I urged him to continue. “That doesn’t really tell me about them.”

  Gabriel took another hit then let out a long breath. “I don’t know much.” He must’ve seen the irritation on my face, so he continued. “They’re brutal, terrible creatures that appear every so often when the dead walk the earth.”

  I leaned forward, suddenly more interested. “Could they show up because of a single powerful necromancer?”

  Gabriel shook his head. “I don’t know, but that doesn’t feel right. It would take an army of them raising the dead to bring forth a reaper.”

  Well, shit. Just what I needed: an army of undead. “Gabriel, I need you to remain very calm. Think you can handle that?”

  He pounded back a bit more vodka. “Probably, but I’m not promising anything if the reaper shows up.”

  That kind of sucked considering what I was about to say. “I’m not sure how you saw the fight, but if you think about it carefully, you’ll notice that the reaper kept the specters from killing you. You might even say he saved your life.”

  Gabriel scoffed at me and slammed down the last of the vodka. He paused before pouring himself another drink, his face turning sour. “You weren’t there…it was only me and the reaper. Even if you had been there, what makes you think it was trying to save me?”

  “Think it through a bit further. You didn’t see me, but you saw the reaper, and yet I witnessed the fight.”

  Gabriel’s eyes widened, his mouth fell open, and he dropped his glass. “Are you trying to tell me that was you?”

  I nodded.

  He took a drink from the bottle. “No, that’s not possible. I’ve shaken your hand, for God’s sake. I would’ve known. Hell, I’m still breathing. No. It’s not possible. You’re lying.”

  The man clearly didn’t want to believe me. “What reason do I have to lie? And how would you know from shaking my hand?”

  His speech was slurred and his laughter dark. “Angels and nephilim are life, but reapers are our exact opposite. They bring death. We can’t touch without hurting one another by our nature.”

  “Perhaps the information you have is wrong, because I assure you that was me. Think about it, Gabriel. Think back to the fight. The reaper. I was using the wakizashi.”

  He looked at the sword, then me, and then the sword. “Holy shit!” He jumped to his feet. “You’re a goddamn reaper.”

  I shook my head. “I’m a Stone Born. It seems I have the abilities of the creature you call a reaper, but I’m nothing to fear. If I were trying to kill you, why would I bring you here and wait for you to wake up?”

  Gabriel thought about it for a long while then collapsed into his chair. “You may be a Stone Born, but I promise you that you’re a reaper as well.”

  Keeping my voice low, I dared a grin. “Think we could keep all this between us?”

  He pounded back anothe
r gulp of vodka. “Well, with all the friends I have hanging around, I’m not sure how that’s going to be possible.”

  Sarcasm. Fantastic.

  Gabriel frowned. “Thing is, if we’re going down the path I think we are, your secret will be out sooner rather than later.”

  If we were going down that path, there would be an army of necromancers blocking the way, and I didn’t care if they knew who I was or not. I’d only met one of their ilk, and I already didn’t like them.

  With a tired shake of my head, I shrugged. “Maybe, but right now, I’ve got other problems.”

  Gabriel nodded. “Seems like it.”

  “Thanks. Are you going to be okay with all this?”

  He gave me a drunk sneer and a wave of his hand. “I’ll be fine. We nephilim heal quickly, even from learning that our new friend is a reaper.”

  Friend? I couldn’t recall the last time I’d had one. It wasn’t like anyone from the reservation qualified. The most I could hope for there was silent animosity. “I don’t think I’ve ever had a friend before… I like it.”

  Gabriel snorted into his drink. “That would make two of us.” He held his glass up. “To new friends.” He nudged the bottle and sucked on his lip. “Next time you come back, think you could bring a bottle?”

  “Of course.” Walking toward the door, I sighed. “I’ve got some reading to do in the office before I return to the city.”

  His eyes were glassy, and he looked exhausted. He got to his feet, and followed me out. “I’m going to crash for the night.”

  With a small nod, I made my way to the office. By the time I finished putting everything away, it was nearly eight on Sunday morning. Andrew would have questions. Living with my uncle clearly wouldn’t work for the long haul. After this was over, I’d need to find something of my own so I could come and go as I needed to without having to answer to anyone.

  I piled into the Tucker and drove home. Needless to say, I was exhausted, grumpy, and generally giving zero fucks about anyone. I desperately needed a hot shower, a decent meal, and a solid eight hours of sleep. Two out of three wasn’t bad, but the sleep would need to come sooner rather than later.

  To my surprise, Alexander wasn’t at the gate when I arrived. Instead, two of his clan pulled the gates open, and quickly closed them behind me. A bright red BMW was parked in front of the garage, which meant we had guests. I pulled in and parked, doing my best not to block anyone in, before heading upstairs.

  About halfway up, the sound of an irate woman yelling her displeasure reached me. Pushing the door open, I had the unfortunate view of Ms. Dodd’s backside as she ranted at my uncle, who sat at his desk. Alexander and Isidore flanked him, ensuring the vampire didn’t have a chance to harm him.

  She turned on me the instant the door opened. Recognition flickered in her eyes, and she pointed a chubby finger in my direction. “About time your filthy human errand boy showed up.” She stopped her rant, sniffed, and her fangs snapped into view. “Nephilim.”

  Quicker than I’d thought her capable of, she crossed the room. Instinct kicked in, and I slammed a hand hard into her throat and lifted. Her feet dangled off the floor, and I shoved my right hand into view. “Hold your tongue before I rip it out!”

  Shock registered on her face. She struggled but couldn’t free herself, and panicked.

  With a sharp slap to her forehead, I raised my hand for her to see once more. “Stop wriggling and look at my hand.” Her eyes focused on the Pax seal, and her whole body went slack. “I’m going to let you down now, and you’re going to behave. Am I clear?”

  When I released her, she landed on the floor with incredible grace for such an ugly little woman. She straightened her suit jacket and sneered up at me. “I don’t know what’s going on, but if you’re truly the newest vigil, you’d better learn your place.”

  Kur flared at the insult. Great, now he was awake.

  Glaring at the vampire, I stepped forward, readying myself for battle. “You need to take a deep breath and relax, because if you keep pressing your luck with me, I’m going to burn you to the ground where you stand. The previous vigiles may not have exercised their full authority for one reason or another, but I will.”

  She snarled in frustration, whirling on Andrew. “I suppose you’re to blame for this.”

  Andrew shook his head. “Actually, I’m not.” He gestured at me. “Gavin volunteered, and the denarius accepted him.”

  She stomped her foot into the hardwood floor hard enough to crack a few boards before spinning to face me. “You’ve been causing me no end of problems, vigil.”

  “Please, go on.”

  She growled. “It appears you’ve slain a full member of the Archive. Care to explain yourself?”

  Glaring down at her, I said, “It’s a vigil matter, but I’m going to give you a bit of advice, Ms. Dodd.”

  Arrogance poured out of her as she snorted. “Are you now?”

  Faster than the vampire could move, I snatched her off the floor again and raised her to eye level. “I am, and you’d damn well better listen.” My voice was hard and came out in a snarl. “You’ve allowed a necromancer to flourish in your territory, not to mention a city you call home.” She ceased struggling, and her eyes went wide as fear took hold. Any prefect allowing a necromancer to live in their territory was subject to summary execution if they’d had even the slightest hint of their presence. “I’m going to work on the assumption that you didn’t know. Pray that I don’t find out otherwise.”

  I set the pudgy woman back on her feet and released her.

  Her voice quavered when she spoke. “I didn’t know… Who is it?”

  Shaking my head, I said, “I’m not willing to discuss it with you at this point. I don’t know you well enough to trust you with such information. But if this gets out, I’ll know that it was you who warned them.” I let my aura flare, and the others shivered in response. “If that happens, you won’t live to see a new day.” She turned an astonishing shade of white and trembled. “Furthermore, everyone who knows I’m the new vigil is sequestered to this house, save for you. You have two options: either keep my secret, or I’ll ask Andrew to prepare a room for you.” I paused for a second, glaring and making it clear that I wanted nothing more than her death. “Although, I suppose there is a third option.”

  She gulped before her face hardened. “I think I can keep a secret.”

  Allowing my body to relax, I stepped back. “Good to hear.”

  The arrogance returned to her voice. “I live to serve.”

  Staring a hole through the woman, I nodded. “See that you do. For the record, you should be aware that I’ve killed three Archive members, only one of whom was under your jurisdiction.”

  She blinked at the information and turned to Andrew for confirmation. “Is this true?”

  Andrew slowly nodded. “All in the course of his duties.”

  She swallowed hard and turned to face me with defiance written across her smug face. “Anything else I should know?” Venom dripped from every word.

  This was a game I would tire of quickly. “Stop thinking I’m some insubordinate underling. Go read up on the law and understand that if you do anything to interfere with my investigation, I’ll deal with you accordingly.”

  She paused, reaching out with her senses. “What are you?”

  “I’m a vigil, and that’s all you need to know.”

  She straightened her suit jacket as she turned to Andrew. “I’m sorry to have disturbed you with what’s obviously an in-house issue.” Affixing her gaze on me, she asked, “May I at least get your name?”

  “Gavin Randall.”

  Her mouth fell open. When she managed to get it closed, she turned and glared at Andrew. “Any relation?”

  Clearing my throat, I forced her attention back to me. “I’m his nephew. Will that be a problem?”

  She shook her head. “Not at all.” She took a deep breath and stepped around me. “I’ll be going now, if there’s noth
ing else.”

  Stepping aside, I kept my eyes on her. “There isn’t. I’ll see you Friday for the ceremony.”

  She glared up at me, hate shining in her eyes. “It appears so.”

  She passed through the doorway, and with what I was guessing took a great amount of effort, didn’t slam the door. When I turned around, the others were doing their best not to laugh.

  “What?”

  Alexander strode past me and clapped my shoulder hard enough to send me forward several steps. “Damn good show. I’ll see that she leaves without destroying anything.”

  Andrew waved me over to the desk just as Kimberly made her way into the living room. She looked around to make sure we were alone before wrapping her arms around my neck and hugging me tight. “Thank you so much.”

  Giving her an odd look, I turned to my uncle. “What’s going on?”

  Andrew chuckled. “Ms. Dodd was here to force Kimberly and Heather out of our home, saying that I was interfering in a family-slash-triumvirate dispute.” He threw his hands up. “A request I would’ve been unable to refuse had you not intervened.”

  Raising a surprised eyebrow at her, I shrugged. “Not sure what I did, but I’m glad to have done it.”

  Kimberly giggled. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen that woman at a loss for words before.”

  Andrew shook his head. “Neither have I.”

  Isidore stood frozen behind Andrew. He sniffed the air loudly enough for us all to hear. “In her frustration, she forgot about the nephilim.”

  With that, everyone turned to me expectantly. Holding up my hands to calm them, I said, “No need to worry about the nephilim. He works for me.”

  Andrew placed his elbows on the desk. “You’ve been here less than two weeks, and you’ve already met and employed a nephilim?”

  I avoided the question with a noncommittal shrug. “It was a very odd day.”

  Andrew nodded. “Care to share?”

  “Not particularly, no.”

  Andrew chuckled. “I could order you to tell me.”

  “We’ve been over this, and we both know you don’t have the authority.”

  Andrew raised an eyebrow and hooted. “Fair enough. I’m sure it’ll all come out in the wash.”