by A L Williams
“Hey,” he said.
I walked down the steps and flopped onto the metal bench as the wind blew, pushing trash across the path. “Has there been any news?” The line grew silent. I narrowed my eyes. There was something he wasn’t telling me. I could feel it.
“Not yet. We’ve got it covered. Don’t worry so much,” he said. The line went dead before I could respond. My stomach twisted into knots as the trees waved in the wind.
That bastard.
I went into my apps and changed the destination and waited, the sound of squealing tires and students talking drifted around me. I would be damned if they treated me like some weak girl who couldn’t do anything. It was my job to protect these kids and that’s what I would do.
I have to find him.
I climbed out of the car and stood in front of the police station. The sun sat just above the mountain in the west, casting a sharp golden light over the building. I walked through the sliding glass doors into the waiting room, moving past blue tarnished metal chairs bolted to the floor. The rotary club plaques and restrooms were separated by a single water fountain. In one corner, there was a glass partition with a speaker to communicate.
People moved around the room and sat stiffly in the chairs, some waiting to be taken to jail and others reporting crimes across the city; the hushed voices mixed with loud breathing, doing nothing to calm my anxiety. The last time I was here, I made Jamie come and make up with Andy. Even then, it took a lot for me to walk through those doors again after so many years.
I moved to the front counter, scanning the room and telling myself to chill. When I stopped in front of it, I eyed the officer typing on her computer. She glanced up with narrowed eyes. “Is Detective Skyler here?” I asked, ignoring the tightness in my chest.
“What do you need him for?” she asked.
I clenched my jaw. “He’s a friend.” She looked me over. I didn’t appreciate the attention, but, knowing Ben, she probably thought I was one of his conquests. “I’m not fucking him if that’s what you’re thinking,” I said. I didn’t have time for this.
The officer’s eyes widened, and she quickly picked up her phone, dialing a number. “Some girl is here to see you.”
When she hung up the phone, I backed away and turned, walking a few feet away.
Moments later, Ben walked out, dressed in a long-sleeve, pink dress shirt with a gray blazer and slacks. I watched him, appreciating the dark olive skin. He walked up to me, flashing his usual bullshit smile that accentuated his sharp cheekbones. When he felt any emotion other than amusement or happiness, that was his default expression. Most people wouldn’t notice, but we were very similar in many ways.
I crossed my arms in front of me and tilted my head to look him right in his green eyes.
“Hey, what’s up?” he asked.
“Why are you not telling me what’s going on?”
Ben shifted closer. “Hayley, this is not a situation where you need to be involved.”
“I’m not a child. This is my job.”
He arched a brow. “You’re an intern. It’s hardly your job. Just go home. Like I said, I have it covered.” With that, he guided me out the door. “Behave,” he said, turning and going back inside.
I halted at the edge of the sidewalk, balling my hands into fists. I swallowed, trying desperately to calm myself. The police station was not the best place to get angry. How dare he treat me like that. It was true that I wasn’t a social worker, but…
I’m scared.
Please stop…
Be a good girl...
I swallowed. I wasn’t going to be forced to the sidelines.
When I slipped to the side of the building, I sat on the ground against the wall. I almost laughed, remembering when I was strung out on whatever drug I could get.
You can take the girl out of the street, but you can’t take the street out of the girl.
Hours passed before Ben came out. He hopped in his Porsche, taking off down the road. I pulled my phone from my pocket. I had a feeling I knew where he was going.
When I finally arrived at the group home, where Bobby disappeared, the sky was painted orange and purple as the sun dunked below the distant mountain terrain. I looked around, spotting Ben’s car parked on the curb.
When I knocked, a staff member answered the door and let me in with a smile. “Can I help you?” she asked.
“Tammy sent me to check up on some of the children,” I said, hoping that was enough. She nodded and let me enter, disappearing into a nearby room.
Ben’s voice travelled through the house, and I darted to the side, slipping into a coat closet. I peeked out as Ben came into view. He was looking down at the woman Tammy had questioned, towering over her. I gently closed the door and leaned my back against it. There was nothing I could do but wait. So, I sat on the floor, crossed my arms over my knees and closed my eyes. It had been a long day.
My eyes shot open, and I looked around in the dark. When my mind cleared, I realized I had fallen asleep. I stood, brushing off my clothes, and peeked out of the door. The house was dark and silent. I crept out of the closet, glancing around for any signs of life.
I walked down the hallway, spotting a room with the light on. I stopped by the doorway about to peer inside when Ben walked right into me. He pointed his gun at me, dead in the face. My heart slammed into my chest as I stared down the barrel. His eyes widened, and he dropped his hand, putting his gun back into its holster. He looked up at me, his eyes sharp with annoyance. I flinched. It was rare when his mask slipped. He tensed, and the mask went back into place. “What are you doing?”
I opened my mouth.
“You know what? It doesn’t matter. You need to leave,” he said.
I snapped my gaze back to him. “No.”
“Hayley—”
A strange sound caught my attention, and I looked toward one of the bedrooms with the door propped open. I glanced back at Ben, whose eyes were narrowed. He met my gaze and pressed his index finger against his lips, his other hand on his gun. He walked ahead of me, inching closer to the door.
When I came up behind him, I scanned inside. A strange feeling crept up my spine and turned my stomach. The air thickened and everything grew darker. The light of the moon flooded in, lighting a nude woman with pale, almost translucent skin, a strong jaw, and a deep frown. Her eyes radiated light, glowing an intense red. My gaze fell to her crotch, to the flaccid dick hanging between her curvy thighs.
I inspected the beds, and thankfully this room didn’t have anyone in it.
“Put your hands up!” Ben said. I turned back to the woman.
She grimaced, and her throat bobbed. “This is not your concern, Child of The Aos Sí. Stay out of my way.”
Ben smirked, and his eyes brightened, glowing with an intensity that matched the woman’s. They continued their stare down, neither yielding. I frowned. We didn’t have time for this bullshit. I dashed forward. “Where is Bobby?” The woman looked at me, her gaze that of someone who saw me as a bug under foot. I tensed, balling my hands into fists. “Where is he?”
“He is home,” she said.
I furrowed my brow. “What?”
She smiled and shifted. “He is home and safe. He needs companions, and I will do anything to give my son what he needs.”
I thinned my lips. Son?
“You’re missing a few screws, lady. That boy isn’t your son.”
She snapped her gaze back to Ben, her raven hair fanning around her breasts. “You know nothing!”
When I was about to ask her again about Bobby, I heard footsteps.
The woman’s eyes grew wide, and a smile spread across her face. I followed her gaze and spotted Gabriel standing in the doorway, frozen in shock.
“Lilith?” they finally managed.
“Dearest...”
Chapter Six
Gabriel
How?
She was here. She was alive. I remained dumbstruck, unable to process what wa
s happening. Lilith’s face radiated with warmth and affection as she gazed back at me, untouched by the millennia that had passed. How did she defeat death itself?
When I finally tore my eyes from her, I glanced at Hayley and Detective Skyler as they looked between us. Lilith took a step forward, and Skyler pointed his gun right at her. “Don’t move.”
“Do not interrupt me.” She flicked her wrist, sending Skyler into the wall with an invisible force. I winced at the sound of cracking bones. He pulled himself up with a pained grunt. I gaped at the scene. When did Lilith get powers? She was human.
She walked towards me. “My love. It has been so long.”
I swallowed. “Where did you…?”
“Gain powers?” she said, finishing for me. I bobbed my head. My throat grew drier the closer she came. Something was different. She was tainted.
Darker.
Hayley suddenly dashed at her, and everything slowed to a snail pace. Lilith moved to throw her against the wall like Skyler. Before I knew it, I moved and blocked Hayley from her attack. The force slammed into my body, throwing me into the wall.
I groaned and pushed myself to my feet against the wall. Lilith studied me with confusion. I glanced at Hayley who was gawking at me in shock.
What are you doing? I thought. I was as surprised as she was.
“My love, why do you protect the girl?” Lilith walked over and moved in close, running her fingers along my cheek. I shivered from the ice that was her flesh and pulled away. My stomach twisted from the same feeling of wrongness that she carried. She used to be so warm. She studied me and frowned. “Come with me. We can be together now. I have a son and, in just moments, a daughter as well.”
Skyler rushed at us, summoning his magic. Swirls of emerald green light spiraled around his body. When he reached us, he was stopped by a strange energy that created a force field around Lilith and I. It tossed Skyler back into the wall, knocking him unconscious. I looked back at Lilith. My chest was tight, and my head was in chaos. This was my chance to get away from this place and these people. I hated it here. I could be with her again. It had been so long. The feeling of wrongness around her intensified and acid rose in my throat.
I glanced at Hayley who watched with anger and hatred so hot it could have burned me. I met her gaze and found something there that I could not make out. Hayley and I stared at each other in silence. She narrowed her eyes in a silent dare. Hayley expected me to go and betray them.
“Dearest?” Lilith said.
I looked down at her. “You have to stop this.”
Her eyes widened. “Why? This is what we wanted. Has the human world taken even your memory?”
I shifted closer and smiled, brushing her cheek with my hand and ignoring the chill. “Father would not approve.”
She scoffed. “He cares not for us.”
“That is not true,” I replied.
“He has abandoned you. He took your wings. He humiliated you just as he did me.” She leaned in and searched my eyes, placing her cold hands on either side of my face. “Have the humans softened you?”
“You speak as if you are not human.”
She smiled, the expression twisted and cruel. “I am not. I am better. He wants neither of us. All we have is each other. Come.”
I met Hayley’s gaze once more, then looked down, weighing my options. I could leave and never turn back. Lucifer could keep his life here; I did not need it. The human world was unpleasant. I glanced at the girl once more.
“What’s happening?” said a new voice.
I looked back, finding a little girl rubbing her eyes and walking into the room. Before I could respond, Hayley dashed towards the child, and Lilith flicked her wrist again, throwing her into the wall. Hayley shook on the floor and attempted to pull herself up with little success.
Lilith walked over to the child and smiled. “Come with me.” she said, running her hand over the girl’s head. The child collapsed, and Lilith hauled her up and walked over, placing the girl in my arms. She looked up at me. “Come, dearest.”
I looked down at the child in my arms peacefully unconscious. “I will go with you, but you must leave the child.”
She frowned and opened her mouth to respond. Green light shot at her, hitting her dead on and slamming her into the wall. I looked to its origins, and Skyler was leaning against the wall, holding his blood-soaked chest with one hand and wielding his fairy magic with the other.
I turned back to the woman I had once loved as she pulled herself to her feet. She glowered at Skyler. I walked over to the nearest bed and placed the child on it and turned. “Lilith—”
Her eyes fell on me. “Help me.” She held out her hand.
I stared down at it. “Let this go. This is not the way.”
She glared at me. “You choose them?”
I shook my head. “No. This is not Father’s will.”
She straightened and studied me until she said. “When you are ready, I will be waiting.” Seconds later, the darkness spread from the floor at her feet, covering her and blackening her skin. Once she was consumed by it, she vanished, her red eyes the last to fade.
I stared at where she had been, unsure how to deal with this. Lilith was back. She was not dead, and she was kidnapping children.
“Fuck,” Detective Skyler said. “I’m going to have to throw this shirt away.” I turned to him. Exhaustion shadowed his eyes, but there was a smirk on his face. I tilted my head. This man confused me.
Hayley groaned from the corner, and we both turned to her. Skyler rushed over, and I followed. He kneeled, and she looked up. Her face had small bruises on it. I tensed as she was helped to her feet by Detective Skyler. “Are you alright? Any extreme pain? We can call an ambulance,” Skyler asked.
Hayley shook her head. “I’m fine. What do we do?” Hayley asked, with a shaky voice.
“I don’t know. Why don’t we ask them?” Detective Skyler turned to me.
“I do not know. She is different.”
Skyler sighed. “Let’s get out of here and discuss this elsewhere. Can you use your powers to wipe the child's memory?”
I nodded.
Hayley glared. “Don’t hurt her.”
I did not respond, walking past her to the bed, instead. I brushed the child's forehead and sank into her mind, pulling away the last several minutes. I stepped back. “It is done.”
Hayley moved past me slowly, obviously still feeling the effects of being thrown, and picked up the child. She winced from the effort. I considered offering help, but something in her dark expression told me not to. She walked out of the room with the child, and I watched.
“So, a crazy ex?” Detective Skyler said. I turned to him, finding his amused expression annoying.
“Why do you always look so amused all the time? This is not the time for humor.”
His eyes suddenly changed to something haunted and dark, the emerald fading to the shade of moss at twilight. “This isn’t the time for your attitude, either. This is your mess in my city. So, work with me or get the fuck out.”
Hayley walked back into the room, and his face was back to its usual, lighthearted expression. I clenched my jaw. There was more to that man than I thought.
“Let’s go,” Detective Skyler said, walking past me as if nothing happened, and strode out of the room. Hayley studied me, and then turned and left.
Before I followed, I glanced at the spot where Lilith had been only minutes ago. What happened to the woman I once loved?
A vibrant kaleidoscope of colorful flowers surrounded Lilith and I as we lounged in the garden. I leaned against Lilith. Although larger, I fit against her perfectly. I sighed, melting into her.“I love you,” she said, pulling me closer. She kissed the side of my head.
I tensed and looked up at her black hair, shimmering blue in the sun. “You—you love me?” I asked, my stomach twisting tight.
She smiled. “I will never lie to you. You are mine, and you always will be.”
A flash of light broke from the sky. When my vision cleared, I was on my knees, staring down at Father’s feet in the halls of paradise.
When we arrived at Hayley’s house, I scanned the property. It was a small house, tucked between two very different homes. They looked to be fairly old and eccentric. I climbed out of Detective Skyler’s car and grimaced at the dingy walls meeting a roof in need of repairs. It was dark, except for the dimly lit porches.
“Is it not up to your standards?” Hayley said from behind me. I glanced back as she exited the car, followed by Skyler walking up behind me.
“It is in need of repair,” I replied. Hayley rolled her eyes and stormed to the door.
“Smooth,” Skyler said, chuckling as he followed her. I thinned my lips, not understanding what was so funny. She asked a question, and I answered.
When I came up behind them, the front door opened, and Corbin stepped forward, eyeing Hayley curiously. His gaze landed on the smiling detective, and he flushed. He turned to me and froze, his eyes widening. I could see the fear. It was understandable after what I did. At the time, hurting him had not been in the plan, but things got out of hand. I looked away, swallowing around the lump in my throat.
Hayley looked my way and back at him. “Sorry, Cory. We didn’t have anywhere else we could go. I’d ask them to leave, but we need answers.”
“It’s fine,” Corbin said, glancing at me again. “Come in.”
When we entered the house, my eyes landed on a reddish couch that looked softer than it needed to be. It sat in front of a large television stand with old figurines and framed photographs. It looked very different from James and Andrew’s television, or Adam’s. This one was in the shape of a box.
“A box television? I haven’t seen one of those in years,” Skyler said.
Corbin stopped by the couch and looked down. “I prefer them.”
“He’s a dinosaur when it comes to technology,” Hayley said, shaking her head with a smirk.