by Mary Ting
What do we do?” I asked Zach.
Zach pointed to them. We go in and light them up.
I understood. We stopped fighting the current and let it take us in. We tumbled and somersaulted while blocking their swords coming at us. When we were boxed in completely, Zach and I lit up our wings and our bodies. Extending that light to our bows created deadly weapons. The angelic light shot out, sizzling the demons near us. From above, it must have seemed like one massive lightning storm. Finally, demons shrieked away, shrinking into nonexistence.
I popped my head out of the water, unable to locate Jack or any of Abel’s friends. “Jack!” I screamed in terror. “Jack!” I dove back into the water and then came back up. “Zach, I can’t see him.”
Zach dove into the water. As I waited for him to return, tears pooled in my eyes and emotions rushed, driving me to lose my calmness, my reason. We were trained to be in control, to assess the situation and take command of it. But it was a lot easier when I didn’t care about the person in danger.
Every inch of me surged into a state of alertness, and I thought the worst thoughts. I had to stay positive. Snapping out of the panic, I searched for Jack by the bonfire. Maybe he was safe, waiting for me. But before me was something unimaginable. I had no idea who was who. Black mists and countless bodies were at war, tearing each other apart. Bright amber eyes like Brody’s flashed here and there as they moved with graceful speed. I had no idea what was going on.
Zach dove out of the water with his wings expanded, circling around to search for Jack. We weren’t supposed to do that, but this was important, a matter of life and death. Surely Uncle Davin would understand.
The sound of a Jet Ski motor got my attention. It circled around me at super speed, so I knew some supernatural being controlled it. My heart raced at the thought I might have to fight this demon alone, but became steady when I heard his voice.
“Grab my hand. I’ll lift you up.”
“Eli?”
As soon as my hand touched his, I swung my body and landed behind him in one swift motion. Relieved, I rested my face by his shoulder and naturally wrapped my arms around his waist for support, and then realized my body was touching his. Warm tingles shot to every nerve. Even with my body going out of whack, I felt an inexplicable level of comfort and security with him.
What an odd feeling. I was continuously mad at him, and he didn’t like the fact I had wings. Yet, there he was, helping me, helping us. He had a heart, I supposed; a side of him I didn’t want to see. I worried something deep inside me would blossom from his acts of kindness because something definitely flourished at his touch, his voice, and his presence.
“Jack was knocked out by the wave,” Eli yelled against the sound of the motor and the crashing waves. “The surfboard hit the back of his head, but he’s safe. Brody is watching over him.”
Spontaneously, I squeezed Eli out of gratitude. “Thank you,” I said against his ear.
“Don’t thank me yet. I’m about to take you straight into battle. You’re going to have to be the badass you are, got it?”
“Yes, I’m ready. How about Abel and his friends? Where are they?”
“You’re about to meet his kind.”
Chapter 15
I loved surprises. The kind when you opened a present and it was something you didn’t expect. Venators didn’t receive presents, nor did we give presents. We didn’t celebrate birthdays or any special human holidays, except for one, because Mother adamantly celebrated it since growing up as a human. At Christmas time, my parents, uncles, and aunts in Crossroads left presents under a tree Zach and I had helped decorate. These were the best surprises.
Surprises I didn’t like included finding out Abel was a demon. How could I have missed that? Were human emotions affecting my angel intuition? Having seen Abel and his friends tear through the black mists with their hands and teeth, it was clear what type of demon they were.
Fireballs shooting across space meant Milani was there too. I watched in awe as she manipulated water as a weapon. The water formed into a giant hand, and once it had grabbed hold of the mist, it transformed into a long ice spear and pierced through the mist’s body.
The first time I had encountered the Possessors at Black Sand Beach, I had been so terrified, I hadn’t paid attention. Watching, I realized the Possessor demons had hearts. It made sense, considering they had to have stolen human bodies and transformed them into demons. One of the ways to kill them was through their hearts. Abel’s friends took care of that by ripping them out with their hands. Some of them ripped through the bones first, and then went in for the kill. As we approached, I readied myself to be the badass Eli expected, but the remaining Possessors retreated.
“Lucia.” Abel held me tight. His eyes may have been amber a few minutes ago, but they weren’t anymore. “You’re okay. I was worried about you.” He let go to look at me. “I guess now you know I’m not human.”
“Then you know what I am?” I gaped at his friends, especially Cayden and Vanessa. Since I didn’t see Khol, I assumed he wasn’t one of them. I jerked when Cayden flashed me his sharp teeth. All the times I’d had lunch with them, I hadn’t suspected. Abel peered to the sky and watched as Zach landed next to me. “I do now.”
“You’ve got a lot of explaining to do, Abel,” Zach seethed. His wings flapped once more, then folded to close.
Abel sized up Zach to show domination of his domain. “I don’t have much to tell you. The headmaster of the Possessor demons, Vince, second in command to Cyrus, told me I needed to hand over Eli to him. I told him to screw off. He must have gotten to one of my friends.”
“Which friend?” Eli got off his Jet Ski and stood in front of Abel.
Abel crossed his arms. “Like I said, I don’t know.”
“I told you not to come here,” Eli growled, taking a challenging step toward him. “You never listen to my warnings.”
“And you know everything.” Abel threw his hands in the air, scowling.
Eli scoffed. “Every time I’m right. And you know it.”
Abel scowled. “I don’t take orders from you. You left our group. You’re not our leader anymore.”
For some unknown reason, Eli looked at me and started to walk away without another word.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Uncle Davin stepped around the bonfire. He looked directly at Zach and me. “I told you I would be near. Just had a strange feeling.” Then he directed his attention to the others. “You, you, you, you, and you.” He pointed at Eli, Abel, Milani, Zach, and me. “Sit down.”
The rest of Abel’s friends scrammed, leaving only our little group. We brought the beach chairs closer to the fire and sat. Still acting like the host, Abel passed out drinks to us.
Uncle Davin plopped onto the sand next to Zach. “This isn’t a party, Abel. But hand me a beer.” After he grabbed one from Abel, he took a sip. “So...” Uncle Davin placed his beer down and slapped his hands together to get our attention. I had never seen him so angry before. Well, I had, but it was only the second time. “Who’s going to tell me what the hell is going on?”
Milani timidly raised her hand.
“This isn’t school, Milani. Spit it out,” Uncle Davin roared.
“We only came here to help. It’s Abel’s fault. He never takes Eli’s warnings seriously,” she spat with attitude.
Uncle Davin made a circle with his index finger. “Obviously, you all know each other. You fought like you’ve worked as a team before. So why the division among the two groups?”
“We can’t get along,” Eli answered. “Don’t tell me angels don’t have that problem. It doesn’t matter; where there are people or supernatural beings, there are always differences.”
Uncle Davin rolled his eyes. “I can understand that. So tell me, what other demons live here besides Lamias, Possessors, and Elementa?”
Milani pointed at us. “There are angels now.” Her lips curled slightly. I couldn’t tell if she was smiling or
mocking us.
“We’re not demons. We are not the definition of stupidity,” Uncle Davin huffed. He was not himself today for sure. “Tell me about Lamias. I’ve only heard of vampires, and you fight like them. How did your kind evolve?”
Abel took a sip and placed his bottle down on the sand. “Lamia is a modern term for vampire. Our kind, like the Elementa and Possessors, evolved over generations. Unlike the elder generations, we can walk in daylight, and we don’t need to drink blood. We prefer food.”
“Our kind started from Cain, one of Adam and Eve’s two children. When Cain murdered his brother, he was cursed by God and transformed into a demon. In addition, he was given a mark on his wrist as a reminder of what he had done and for others to remember ‘thou shall not kill.’ We call it the mark of Cain.”
“What does it look like?” Zach asked.
“I’ll show you.” Abel turned his arm over, palm facing up. I had never seen the small tattoo on his wrist, small enough it would be easy to hide. It resembled a number seven with two lines, never touching and pointing east. “It’s a birthmark. All Lamias have them.”
Abel continued, “As a demon, Cain couldn’t go out in the sun and he thirsted for human blood. Cain met a powerful witch named Lilith, one of the original Elementa. From Lilith, Cain learned how to create others of his kind.
“Again, these were the ways of generations before. Our DNA has changed and evolved over the years. Our ancestors mixed blood with others. In fact, our skin is warm to the touch. Our hearts beat with human counts. We don’t drink blood. We can go out in the sun. However, when we’re in defense or killing mode, our eyes turn amber, not red. We’re as normal as it gets.”
It all made sense. That was why I hadn’t been able to tell they were demons. I didn’t feel so incompetent.
Uncle Davin pushed his feet deeper into the sand and rubbed his chin in deep thought. “I did some research. Cyrus is not only lord of the Possessor demons, but also part fallen angel. When Lilith wanted the Possessor demons to guard the child with the ice heart, she called upon a fallen angel, Cyrus, to draw out these Possessor demons. Cyrus has someone doing his dirty work and I know he’s up to something. He is trying to remain hidden. The less we know of his whereabouts, the harder it will be to detect him. Tell me about Vince.”
Abel threw wood onto the fire. “There’s not much to tell. Vince works under Cyrus. All I know is Vince took the missing teens.”
“Are you sure?” my uncle asked. “You have proof?”
“If seeing with your own eyes isn’t proof then I don’t know what is.” Eli threw a second piece of wood onto the fire. “Vince and his crew were at your house a week after you moved in. I know this because I was keeping a watchful eye over your family. Possessors can sense energy, and your family is strong. They’ve been circling around your house. I know you’ve seen them. They’re searching for teens with a special bloodline. Vince approached me too, wanting my help. But I’m not sure why they want the teens or which bloodline they’re after. He’s been after me because, well, if I’m not with him, I’m against him. As for Jack, I have no idea why they want him. He’s just a human.”
Milani broke the silence, “If the teens who went missing had a special bloodline, then why does he need more? Jack must have that special blood.”
Abel dug his hand into the sand and picked up his bottle to take a gulp. “Maybe their blood wasn’t pure enough.”
Zach tapped Uncle Davin’s arm. “I think he has something there. It makes sense. If Vince is going to do some kind of ritual, he would need pure blood. We need to keep a steady watch on Jack’s house.”
Uncle Davin nodded in understanding. “Abel, can you send some of your guys to Jack’s place? Tell them to observe from afar and report to me immediately if they notice anything suspicious.”
“Yes, I can send a few of my guys to watch 24/7.”
“Perfect. Don’t tell Jack about it. The more he’s aware of, the more danger we’re putting his family in.”
I peered upward when I saw moving shadows. My pulse spiked when I saw Brody and Jack walking toward us. I stood up. “Jack’s coming. He told me his mother will show us the book tomorrow night.”
“Perfect,” Uncle Davin said. “Abel, Milani, and Eli meet me at my house tomorrow at eight. Be there. If you don’t show up, I know where you live.” Uncle Davin gave them a hard stare. “By the way, who are the leaders in charge of your clans? Who can I speak to regarding these matters?”
“Abel and Eli are our leaders. They have been for a long time,” Milani confessed.
“What? You’re all so young. Where are your parents?”
“Dead,” Eli said simply. “Most of our parents are dead. A few lucky ones do have parents but they won’t stand up to Cyrus. They’d be dead too. Everyone has been laying low and hiding.”
Uncle Davin gazed at the flickering fire and said softly, “I’m sorry. That’s terrible.”
“Jack.” I ran to him when he reached the bonfire, embracing him tightly. “Are you okay?”
Jack gazed at everyone still seated, rubbing his temples and acting confused. “Yes. I think. That was some wipeout. I kind of feel embarrassed. I’ve never been knocked out by a surfboard before.” He rubbed the back of his head where the board had hit him. “But if that’s what it takes to get that kind of hug from you, I can do it again.”
Leave it to Jack to joke to ease the tension.
Abel got up and patted his back. “There’s always a first, my friend. Glad you’re okay. See you at school.”
Still dazed, Jack asked, “Where did everyone go?”
“Home,” I said. “Let’s get you home.”
Chapter 16
Uncle Davin knew how to be a perfect gentleman. My parents had told me many stories about him. He was the one who told Father to bring flowers for Mother on their first date. Though this wasn’t a date for him, he brought bouquets for Lana and Jack’s mother.
“Hello.” Jack opened the door wider, inviting us in. The scent of edelweiss candles filled my nose. Uncle Davin and Zach twitched their noses as they caught the scent. It was strong and overwhelming, compared to my last visit.
Goose stared hard, examining Uncle Davin and Zach carefully. When he let go of the leash, Lucky jumped on me and then Zach.
“Hi, Lucia,” Goose said in a friendly tone, but his voice deepened as he greeted my brother and uncle. I immediately noticed his white T-shirt. It had a picture of a shield with a sword across it. Above it were the words “I am a,” and below read “Chosen Knight.” Judging from the quality, I was pretty sure he’d made that one too.
“Don’t worry. They’re fine,” I assured. Goose flashed a quick grin and adjusted his glasses.
“These are lovely,” Lana gushed, accepting the bouquets from my uncle. “Audrey, our guests are here.”
A lovely woman with light-brown hair hanging just past her shoulders stepped into view. “Welcome to our home.” She beamed a warm smile and her hazel eyes lit up. I knew then where Jack and Goose got their pretty eyes.
Uncle Davin shook Audrey’s hand and kissed the back of it.
“Oh, thank you.” She dipped her head shyly. “Have a seat at the dining table. Dinner is ready.” She led the way.
After we had settled into our seats, Audrey and Lana brought out traditional Hawaiian food. I recognized the pork, ahi tuna, and cabbage, but the others stumped me. They had gone out of their way to prepare so many dishes to show their appreciation of our friendship.
“Please, help yourself.” Audrey poured wine for Uncle Davin. “Jack has expressed how much he enjoys Zach and Lucia’s friendship. It’s been very hard—” She looked at Jack and stopped. “Anyway, Jack told me Zach and Lucia’s parents are always traveling, and that’s the reason they are staying with you. They are so lucky to have you.”
Uncle Davin reached over to place food on Audrey’s plate beside him. He then placed some on mine and his own. He was such a gentleman. “I tell them that all
the time. And Jack and Goose are so lucky to have a loving grandmother to watch over them. It must be difficult to work at night.”
Audrey dabbed her lips with her napkin. “I work in the ER. Someone has to pay the bills.” She smiled. “It can be boring, but sometimes we get unusual cases.”
Uncle Davin’s attention was piqued. He stopped poking the kalua pork with his fork. “Oh, like how strange?”
Audrey’s eyes gleamed in the candlelight as she excitedly shared her experiences. “I’ve had numerous injury cases in which the patient exhibited two incisions in the neck and a fever at levels above human tolerance. The strange thing is their eyes are bloodshot red and their skin is cold to the touch. Medically, they would be considered dead but they weren’t. Some died on my watch, and some—well, let’s just say miracles can happen. They got up and walked out the door as if nothing had happened.”
Lana narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips. It seemed as though she wanted to say something, but Audrey’s hand on her shoulder eased her expression.
“Demons,” Goose hissed softly. Chowing down on the pork and cabbage, he slipped some under the table for Lucky. Lucky gulped it down in one swallow and barked twice as if to agree. Then she lay on her stomach, watching us, as if she understood what we were talking about.
Audrey laughed. “Goose watches too many supernatural shows. He can tell you all about them. If only he could apply that to school.” She patted her son’s back.
I kept my eye leveled to my plate of food and one word came to mind: Lamia. Was someone creating these demons? Uncle Davin would most definitely ask Abel about this when we saw him later that night.
“That’s interesting.” Uncle Davin humored Audrey. “At least they didn’t turn into zombies.”