I keep dodging as Mohawk continues to throw punches.
“Fight back, you coward!” he screams.
I am no coward.
I punch the guy in the nose, breaking it and spraying blood all at once. I bare my fangs and lurch forward, about to snap the presumptuous bastard’s neck—
“Please, stop!” the young man I made out with screams. He’s on his knees, literally begging as he grabs my leg. “Don’t hurt my brother!”
“Get up, Tommy!” Mohawk barks, spitting blood out of his mouth. “You’re the reason all of this is happening in the first place!”
The brothers couldn’t look any more different. They couldn’t act any more different either.
I jerk away from “Tommy’s” grasp and kick his brother in the gut to get my point across. I glance over and see Yuki pushing through the crowd. It’s about time she made it over here.
“Shall we go?” she asks, after deftly assessing the situation.
I lick my lips. I’m all hot and bothered. The smell of life essence, of blood, is intoxicating. I want it. I need it.
“Yes,” I say rigidly, pulling myself away from temptation as I put my beast back in its place.
Yuki follows me as I lead the way out of the club and into the rainy night. The sound of sirens and the rush of cars replace the sounds of pulsating music. We don’t dawdle. We make it to our hotel room within minutes, shutting out all the infuriating noise and leaving us in silence as soon as I shut the door behind me.
I take a deep breath.
Stay calm. Don’t let your beast out. It’ll be your undoing. You can’t afford it right now. My logician reminds me of these little details over and over.
I bite down on my lower lip until I make it bleed. That calms the energy surging inside of me for a moment. Glancing over my shoulder, I see Yuki in the process of changing out of her short, form-fitting dress. She’s already turned over her entire physical appearance to her logician; her fox-like tail and ears are absent as if they were never there to begin with. I take in another deep breath and follow her example. My beast wants so strongly to take over. It’s slamming against my rib cage again incessantly. It’s almost unbearable!
Once dressed in a sheer nightgown, Yuki lies down on the bed without even making it move. She looks up at me, inviting me to join her as she traces her slender fingers up her thigh, hiking up the already less than useless material of her nightgown.
“You going to join me?” she asks when I don’t make a move toward her.
I glare at her and then open the room’s window, slipping out into the cold night air as I climb my way to the roof, where I look out at the city before me.
Humans. Angels. Angels using humans as weapons. I spit in disgust. I can’t get that girl’s face out of my head, and my beast is rebelling against me. I can’t ignore this any longer. If my beast won’t cooperate, then I’ll just have to fix the problem as soon as possible.
CHAPTER 16
Rynne
I DID WHAT IMAE said. I took some time before going to Philadelphia and ended up staying in Reverie a couple days after Halloween.
I’ve just arrived in the city and my bus is about to make its last stop. I stare out the window to see raindrops spattering the glass along with ghost images of cars and buildings. I prefer a small town like Reverie. Philadelphia has too many people. The more people in one place, the darker it becomes.
I left Reverie without bothering to tell anyone where I was going. No one there needs to be involved in this any further.
I take my cell phone from out of my jacket pocket and call Tasia. I press the phone against my ear and listen to its ringing amongst the sounds of traffic and rain.
“Hi,” she answers.
“Hello, Tasia. How are you doing?” I say.
“Okay.”
“Are you back at school?”
“Yeah. Well, kinda. Fiona and I decided to do school online, at least for now.”
“You don’t sound very enthused about the whole thing.”
“I have other things on my mind.”
The bus is nearing my stop. I want to talk to her longer, but there’s something else I need to do first.
“I have to go,” I say. “I just wanted to check on you. I’ll call you later.” What I don’t tell her is that I’m likely to be busy again for some time, and I needed to hear the sound of her voice. Just for a moment.
I hang up after Tasia mutters a goodbye, and the bus comes to a stop. I motion for the front of the bus and exit after pulling the hood of my jacket over my head.
The rain pelts down as I navigate the streets. I walk fast, passing busy parts of the city for a few minutes before disappearing into questionable alleys. I end up passing a few cats on my journey, and then I arrive at the fenced-off and camera-watched warehouses hidden well out of sight from the rest of the city. It’s private property. Most people living in Philadelphia either don’t know of its existence, or they don’t care.
This is where the EEA set up base in Pennsylvania. It doesn’t look like much, all this private land to store a bunch of what appear to be run-down warehouses, but I only have eyes on the buildings closest to the fence. I skim the perimeter until I see a gate. If I’m going to be allowed entry, that’s the place to start. There’s a small camera pointing down from the tall gate, giving whoever’s watching a clear view of anyone standing before it.
“State your business.” I can hardly understand the words that come out of a small speaker also above the gate.
“I want to rid the world of evil and protect what’s worth protecting,” I say.
The static disappears for a moment. I fold my arms and wait silently in the rain for it to return or for the gate to open.
The gate opens, and the rough voice says, “Noble, but I’m gonna have to test you first. You understand.”
“Certainly.”
“Come on through, and I’ll meet up with you in a moment.”
Once I walk past the gate, it closes again. I decide to wait by the gate, rather than wander. It takes a few minutes, but I’m eventually greeted by a burly man dressed in black armor. He doesn’t say anything. He just comes up to me and starts uttering a prayer in Latin. It’s a crude and rather general string of words, but the act alone would reveal most malevolent supernatural forces out there. When I don’t react to it, he splashes me in the face with what must be holy water. Beyond chilling me a little, it doesn’t do anything; I’m grateful it was only a vial worth of the liquid. Then he stares intently into my eyes. I don’t blink as he continues his exploration. Once satisfied, he allows a bear-like grin.
“Great, great,” the man says. “Come with me.”
I follow him past different warehouses. The deeper we go, the better taken care of they are. It seems the run-down warehouses on the outside are just for show. As we get to the heart of it all, my guide leads me up to an exceptionally large warehouse with no windows. It’s locked up tight, and my guide has to give his fingerprint to open the door he leads me to. I follow him into a small room filled to the brim with herbs and charms, basically anything known or thought to ward off evil.
Then my guide opens another door, leading us into an open lobby filled with hanging light fixtures. I see groups of people walking together, most of them wearing matching black armored uniforms. Some are resting on benches, and others are looking at screens mounted on the walls.
“Welcome to the Pennsylvania Branch of the EEA. You passed the important part of the test.” The man grins again, but my eyes go to his pale bald head, reflecting the lights above. “My name’s Donovan. What’s yours, kid?”
“Rynne.”
Donovan frowns and looks me over again like he’s realizing something is wrong with this arrangement. “Please don’t tell me you’re a minor. We don’t take minors.” Then he adds, muttering, “Even though lord knows we really could use all the extra help we can get.”
“Who’s this?” a sharp-looking woman wearing a worn leather ja
cket walks up to us, authority pronounced in her every step. I see recognition in her dark eyes when she looks at me. I think I see surprise in her plump lips pressed tight, but she hides it well.
“Fiona, wasn’t it?” I ask.
She corrects me, “It’s Blade. I’m afraid you’ve come all this way for nothing, though. You’re Tasia’s age, aren’t you? I know you must feel close to everything that happened. You obviously care for Tasia. You were the one that saved her that night. The best thing you can do for her is to continue being her friend. Now head back home and—”
“Excuse me for interrupting, but I have no home to return to. I want to join the EEA, no matter what it takes.” I stare into her brown eyes, unblinking. She needs to know I’m serious. I’m not leaving here until I’m accepted into their ranks.
She stares back at me just as intently. “What are you saying?”
“My family was killed by a merciless monster.”
She narrows her eyes. “What kind of monster?”
“The same monster Tasia met that night. The description she gave, the name, it’s all the same. It’s all Arsen. I need your help.”
Donovan and Blade exchange looks before returning their gazes to me.
I continue speaking. “I’ve done my research. I know the EEA is the largest organization in the world that deals in the supernatural. You hunt things from ghosts to shapeshifters, vampires, zombies… but what about demons?”
Blade folds her arms and begins tapping her fingers against her arms. “Demons are… rare. Any record of hunting them is even rarer.”
“But you know they exist.”
“In this line of work, I’m inclined to check all information that comes my way.”
“What’s your last name?” Donovan interjects.
Blade says, “We’ll want to cross-check any information you give us.”
“My last name is Riverside. Rynne Riverside.”
Donovan produces a small tablet from within one of the many pockets of his combat trousers. It takes him only a few moments before he sees the records the angels doctored for this exact situation. “I found a record of your family. The EEA didn’t file the murders, however. All the information I can find says a family was murdered on their farm out in the middle-of-nowhere Texas. It also says their son, Rynne Riverside, disappeared. The murderer was never found, and no one has looked into the case since.”
“I was out, and I returned just in time to see my family killed by Arsen. He was with another demon, Yuki. From what Tasia said in her story, it sounds like the two of them are still traveling together, but Arsen is the one in charge.” I stare Blade down and clench my fists. Emotions threaten to consume me because I’m not pretending. I’m not faking the pain. “I knew I didn’t stand a chance as I was, so I ran away. I ran away and swore I’d make it right.”
“And this all happened when you were just fourteen,” Donovan says, placing the small tablet back inside one of the pockets of his armored uniform.
I nod.
Blade’s face falls.
I continue, “I’ve been searching for him, getting all the information I can, but I can’t do this alone. Demons are just too powerful.”
Blade’s lower lip quivers almost imperceptibly. “That would explain why Yvonne and Henry were killed so easily. They were some of the best hunters I’ve ever known.”
“Tasia’s parents,” I say.
“Yes. Tasia’s parents.” She sighs. “So you want to join the EEA to hunt down this demon and his demon partner. It seems their numbers may have grown since then, based on Wyatt Conway’s account of another stranger in Reverie stirring up trouble.”
“I want to banish evil, and this is a start.”
“C’mon, Blade,” Donovan chimes in. “Give the boy a chance. Let’s see what he’s made of.”
Blade seems to consider this. It’s obvious by how huge this warehouse is that they are equipped for many more people than they have. They need many more people than they have. They also have much to learn. We all do if we’re going to rid Terra of the natural demons that tainted it in the first place. They’re the root of the problem. I’ve never fought a natural demon, but I’ve heard stories, and I know what they are capable of. I know, in theory, how to kill one. The journey ahead is perilous. But God’s will shall be done.
“Fine,” Blade relents. “Test him.”
“Gladly.” Donovan grins, cracks his knuckles and his neck. “Follow me, kid.”
He leads us away from the lobby, down a hall, and into a gym. There’s a track encircling the whole room, and a boxing ring sits in the center. Beyond that, the gym is sectioned off into various training areas: weights, ropes, even structures for rock climbing. There’s a pool separated by glass doors in an adjoining room. It’s a fitness enthusiast’s paradise, and each section is in use by multiple hunters.
Donovan stops after we’ve arrived at the boxing ring. He easily slips inside, despite his size, and presses his fists together.
He says, “All new recruits have to be tested on their strength, skills, and knowledge.”
“What are the rules?” I ask when I join him inside of the ring.
He tosses me a couple of hand wraps. “Just try to knock me down, kid.”
People who were previously working out start to gather around us. They look excited, probably anticipating the humiliation of the newbie. Blade has a tablet in her hands now, no doubt ready to take notes about how I handle this test.
“Ready?” Donovan asks once I’ve wrapped the fabric securely around my hands.
“Ready,” I reply, perfectly calm.
He invites me forward to throw the first punch. I hold back instead of taking him up on his invitation. I need to gauge his strength before I can properly fight him. I’m physically stronger than him because I have angel blood running through my veins, but I’m supposed to blend in as another human.
He seems unperturbed, if not a little disappointed, that I don’t take his bait. He rushes forward, without mercy, and swings at me. I make sure to narrowly avoid his punch. From that action alone, I have a pretty good idea of what his power level is. He’s quite strong, just as his physique would suggest, and he’s very skilled.
Donovan throws more punches my way, and I continue to dodge. I make sure to play up the fact that I’m barely dodging his attacks; it has to look like a struggle.
“C’mon, kid!” he shouts as he continues throwing punches. “Show me what you got!”
The audience watching us starts snickering and whispering about how Donovan has me on the run. I must be putting on a convincing show. That’s my cue. When Donovan comes at me to strike again, I duck and jab at his legs, making him lose his balance. He recovers quicker than I was expecting him to and swipes at my feet with his legs. I can’t dodge this one. I go down hard, but I barely feel the pain. My attention is on the man who’s now on top of me. Before he can do whatever it is he intends to do, I catch his wrists. We wrestle for a moment since I have to make sure to emphasize that I should be at a major disadvantage, being the one with the low ground and Donovan being twice my size in muscle. Then I move quickly, breaking his hold and kicking him off of me.
The room fills with disbelieving gasps and Blade raises her hand and voice saying, “Enough!”
I take a moment to stretch the tension out of my muscles.
“I’ll take things from here,” Blade announces. “Donovan, get Gold Team ready. The rest of you, get back to work.”
I watch as the hunters disperse. Then Blade comes into the ring with me.
“Where’d you learn to fight like that?”
“I’m trying to take down a demon,” I say.
She doesn’t comment. She gets me started on some other physical tests: distance running, weapons experience, and whatever else she can think to test me on. I notice eyes on me periodically, but mostly everyone keeps busy with their own training.
Blade is frowning again. “You’ve aced everything,” she tells me. �
�And you’re so young. You had to learn all of this so young.”
So that’s what her exasperation is about. I stay silent, unsure of if I should say something to her or if I should let her feelings on the matter run their course.
“What do you know about sirens?” she asks, her face returning to its cool exterior, the face of a commander.
“They look just like humans, except they’re unrealistically beautiful in every way. They can lure almost anyone away with their looks. They crave adoration, and when the human lover they choose ceases to satisfy them, they kill them by luring them to their death, usually disguised as an accident. At least, most sirens behave that way. A siren’s biggest fear is to see their own reflection because it reveals the ugliness of their soul. If a siren meets their own eyes in a reflection, they turn into dust.”
“Excellent,” she says.
“What other tests do I need to pass?” I ask. I’m eager to get this all out of the way as soon as possible. I just need to become an official member of the EEA, and then I’ll be where I’m supposed to be.
“Just one, if you agree to it. I’m making an exception for you.” Blade folds her arms and looks at me expectantly. “A siren’s been causing trouble in Quakertown. I was just about to lead a team out to take care of it, but then you showed up.”
“You want me to join you on this hunt,” I say.
“Only if you’re comfortable with it.” She looks away from me. “We don’t usually take people who are underage, but we need all the help we can get, like Donovan said. You’re better prepared for this than most adults who come here. I can’t deny that. I’m also extremely interested in what you have to offer the EEA. Most of all, I’m interested in hearing everything you know about Arsen and these other demons. Yvonne and Henry were my friends. They deserved better.”
“I’ll share everything I know,” I say.
“Good. So I’ll let you join my team on this siren mission for your last test. If you pass, you’ll become an official member of the EEA.”
“I’m ready when you are.”
“Who’s the new guy?”
Demon Snare (These Immortal Vows Book 1) Page 12