The Shadow Minds Journal, #1

by Kia Carrington-Russell

  We all handled the same dark contract and one that could not be reversed but only in the most indescribable and tortuous death would we be freed–well if you could even call it that. We were contracted to the Underworld, more specifically, a demon lord called Haymen Davolch, who had carried his notorious reputation, power and riches for thousands of years. He was revered in the media as the lord of demons, some even called him a god in his own right, the God of Demons. Some titled him as the King of Kings and the titles continued endlessly depending on what dimension and world you lived on. No one defied Haymen and if you were so lucky as to be socially introduced to him, you also had a name in the underworld and media, where reputation and power was all that mattered. But to be contracted and bound by blood to him was to be his slave as he saw fit. Some called it an honor. I personally thought he was a giant dick but I would be fed my own tongue before I had the chance to say it so loudly. Many died an excruciating death for simply looking at him wrong. I personally at times was the one to execute them.

  In a world where angels and demons were renowned and even celebrated; we were the hounds who would convict the stray demons and send them back to where they would never resurface. It’s not a gig I chose for myself, at first, I had spited my role and task, the other two having already adapted.

  But alas apparently, I was chosen. It wasn’t the day that I feared, in fact killing demons was something I did exceptionally well. It was when night came and it was time to sleep that truly jeopardized our safety and life. There were once five of us in this district. Now down to only four in recent months. There were demons more powerful and became very real in our dreams. An internal war that came to life against demons that could possess us if we weren’t effectively able to fight off the intrusion. We were vulnerable and weak and what they sought out most was to possess our body to use as host. Not all entities had a form and not all could be contained by a living body for a long duration before rotting themselves. It left these demons vulnerable and their power leaked, they were once again forced to the shadows until they acquired a new host.

  There were things that could not be explained. Things I didn’t want to relive or see. But as per our contract and protocol, we had to journalize these dreams and attacks so we could seek them out in the physical realm, to ultimately kill those who challenged Haymen’s territory and power. We were both the bait and the soldiers. Not all came out alive and numerous generations had been wiped out. There were numerous warriors who had the same respective role in other cities similar to ours but we were publicized and considered as the ‘elite’. We were the guardians of Haymen and the door to the Underworld, or so what the media was told and all that they knew.

  A treaty was created between the world of humans, demons, and angels, for a balanced living space after the last Great War between demons and angels. Naturally, there were rebels from all races and species who did not agree with such madness of structure. That was originally the reasoning as to why Haymen’s guardians were created, it was more of a poetic title than anything considering he could wipe out an entire civilization with the brush of his hand if he wanted to. I had been told stories of Haymen doing exactly that in a different world when he reacted poorly to a business negotiation. To say the least, it didn’t end well for the other party.

  The term ‘guardian’ was more so structured for ease of the transition into the human world. Tell them it was a ‘lethal force’ to kill demons who rebelled and continued to feast off humans, they would’ve screamed–tell them it’s a guarding force of beautiful women and somehow it’s understated and less threatened... go figure. Since the humans had seen us take down many demons, intercept catastrophic incidences and public tortures, we were now idolized. Humans loved to idolize what they both feared and did not understand. The same for the angels, who we had mutual agreement but begrudged. It was inevitable. Light and darkness couldn’t too often stay on the edges to make grey, but hey, sometimes we were allured to one another while off duty. I mean power seeks power, and no one can match that of an angel lover. That passionate hate, war and rivalry really does create something rough in the bedroom, or so I’ve been told.

  The treaty had now been in place for little more than four hundred years and now in the time of 2,986 we were watched and our duty revered to take the ‘monsters’ away. Little did the humans know of the true intent and purpose of the Guardians. The monsters they saw and were attacked by were not the ones that would devour them whole and take their earth. We fought them simply for the riches in return, well simply we were told to do so, so Haymen could gain further his power. We fought for the land of the living, but it was in the world that was dark, sleeping, and corrupt that would truly break all. I understood that now. Not being human any longer and walking through the darkness every night... the humans had no idea of what terrors truly sought for their blood.

  I searched absentmindedly into the water disregarding those thoughts. I was here now, this was my new life. I stared into the surface of the water still tracking the beat of the demons under the dark water. They haven’t yet made their move, they were simply circling–waiting. Maybe not so dumb.

  My hair when I had been reborn from my human life after a tragic death–which was nothing short of demonic–had dulled into a light crimson instead of its once strawberry blonde. My skin seemed paler and more unearthly. It cascaded around my shoulders in its bountiful curls which had been revered as beautiful in tabloids. To stir the tabloids, I threatened to cut it off and was placed into confinement for two days by Haymen as punishment for actively attempting to defile his property. He pestered me more than anything during those two days making it seem hellish. He knew I actively avoided him even though I worked for him and surprisingly he hadn’t yet called me out on it or punished me for it. The Guardians were owned by their master. Our vanity and appearance a further tool for him to exploit in the press and for personal gain. Our tattoos appeared after our blood oath, mine being physically forced upon me–not that I could recall much from the day of my death. All of our tattoos were different. Mine charmed like vines from both shoulders and between my breasts were droplets to the core of my belly button. The exotic and beautiful markings met with the medal piercing of my belly bar. At night it would glow a dull blue. It was a tattoo that only other members of the underworld and angels could see, it marked us as property of the world beneath. I had never been there, only making it so far as the door.

  I pushed back my hair and tucked it behind my ear, scraping past the four piercings of my right ear.

  “Vivian,” Tahmeed yelled out to me. “Would you like help?” I continued to watch the swirls and felt the rattle of their movement beneath. I followed the sharp movement in the dark water when a woman’s scream grabbed my attention. A silken thin line of a tentacle wrapped around her little girl’s ankle and pulled her beneath the water with rapid speed.

  “I’ve got this,” I said, despite knowing that the invitation was in humor. We didn’t help one another when it came to our duties and killings. The shimmer of my blue tattoos glowed brighter as I dove into the water, the black coolness over my skin rather refreshing. The sharp pain of skin stretched over my ribs and split as small gills tore open on both side of my ribs. My ears elongated and further gills broke out under my arms and legs so I could fluidly breathe beneath the water. A bit excessive, had been my first thought the first time I attacked a water demon and my form changed to adapt to my environment. But my water demon was the third to my seven to join me and my contract. This was the true power of a Guardian. Contracted to seven demons who resided within us. We could shift into and use their abilities at any time. All for the sake of being contracted to and to do Haymen’s bidding. Every Guardian was different. My nails and canines elongated and my hands and feet changed to webbed.

  I shot through the water hearing the little girl gargle screams as she was being dragged with unrelenting force to the bottom. My sensitive hearing could hear the pressure begin to crush her voice.
Below was one of the baby demons which had twelve black silk tentacles and an open mouth of nothing but razor fangs. Others started wrapping their tentacles around her to fight for their food. With a sharp jolt of my legs I cut through the water and sliced through all four tentacles before they tore the girl’s body apart.

  They were in the dark hiding, and their screams were deafening. I grabbed the girl and propelled for the surface. When there were baby madrins there was always a mother close by leading them. As soon as I broke to the surface of the water, I placed the little girl in her mother’s arms on the deck. The sun was so bright in comparison to the darkness below. The mother looked at me wide eyed fearful of my form and slitted eyes. She took her daughter who was still not breathing but resuscitation would bring her back. I placed my finger on my throat to project my voice along the coastline of the lake.

  “Get away from the edge of the harbor.” I didn’t care much for the humans but I would get a decent pay out for this one and the less carnage the better. “I repeat–” That one thick tentacle wrapped around my waist and dragged me beneath the water. I twisted my hand beneath the strangling tentacle to cut through with my nails. The baby madrins divided in size, fearful of their angered mother. I looked down on her eyeless form as her razor-sharp teeth were one which had devoured ships.

  Two things ran through my mind in that moment. One; I had never actually fought a madrin before. Being programmed as I was, there was an ancestral knowledge of the demons I fought because of the demons I was contracted to. Two; That was one ugly ass demon. I split her tentacle with my razor-sharp nails releasing her grip on my waist. The scream that came from her was so echoing and impactful that I was blown to break through the surface of the water. I flipped through the air looking down on her location. I’d never had the chance to see how long my sharp spaded nails would go. I aimed my hand to the location of her membrane. One way to find out. With excruciating pain my nails elongated rapidly and shot straight through the water and hit home. Still holding on to my wrist for support I hung in the air looking like some pole vault champion with my fingernails as the beam. Although excruciating, I had to admit this must have looked epically cool and disgusting at the same time. I could feel her squirm beneath my thick nails as her body slipped and sagged around them. The baby madrins left black ink in their escape as they darted back into the thicker parts of the water and towards the ocean.

  I relinquished my hold on the demon and retracted my nails slightly wincing as they retracted into the tips of my fingers. Black blood swept up over my nails and hands as I flipped and hit the deck in a crouch.

  I was naked and bony, and in a form not entirely my own. I looked over my shoulder at the closeness of the camera that went ‘click’.

  And that is how in the city ruled by demons, renowned as Shabeah–you made the front headline. And so looking over my shoulder with black blood running down my naked form, I smiled and licked at the blood which was not my own. Another demon down, another penny rolling in to my bank account, and this one want to be big!

  Chapter Two- Vivian

  Slap. The newspaper was sprawled on the coffee table in front of me by that afternoon. I was sitting cross legged on the couch in front of the big screen in our open living room. I continued reading my sweet romance novel with little interest in the newspaper article.

  Tahmeed looked at me with arms crossed impatiently after she had slapped the paper down with a smile. “Not even six hours and you’re already on the front, I’m sure Haymen will be impressed. It should be a descent payout with the size of demon and catastrophe it could’ve been.”

  I picked up the newspaper and evaluated the graphic yet sexy photo of my spiny back. Being able to actually see the demon that I had become was beautifully haunting. I looked bad ass. I was crouched in front of the water, my slit eyes alluringly crazed. I looked like a water siren and I had the feeling that if I were truly that species of demon, humans would not survive in the water around me, men in particular.

  “A decent angle, to the cameraman I give credit,” I unleashed a ruthless smile.

  A small beep began in my ear and I didn’t even have to look at the screen to know who was calling. I was going to ignore it until I saw Tahmeed look between the beep in my ear and me expectantly. Of course she could hear a private call. To defy Haymen was asking for torture if not a death penalty. I smiled brilliantly at her feigning my ignorance to her too watchful eyes. Tahmeed had noticed my reluctance of being contracted to Haymen shortly after my recruitment. I learned early on to have the control and restraint as to keep that secret. Although they were also the Guardians of this city, they were as much friend as they were foe.

  I brushed my finger over the small metallic chip on top of my ear to take the call. If I had brushed it the other way it would’ve initiated a small screen in front of my eyes to type away or treat as any modernized phone. Instead I simply chose to take the audio instead of visual. The shorter the call the better.

  “A full-grown mother madrin, and my–don’t you look beautiful sprawled on the front cover,” his low voice purred through the ear piece. Most women’s toes would’ve curled at the way he spoke to me. Haymen was by far an extremely attractive man, but it was what dwelled beneath the surface that was nothing but ugly and destructive. His true nature that my demonic self was drawn too but hated at the same time.

  “How much?” I said asking for my reward.

  “You never play with me my beautiful Vi, it makes me so sad,” he said sounding as if he were sobbing.

  “We don’t get paid to play,” I simply said walking out of the lounge room and back on to the balcony where Tahmeed couldn’t overhear. I looked out at the setting sun which glistened over the black water. It would be such solitude to live in there, the depths of its cool water and isolation. There was a yearning for me to dive into it and never return but I wondered if that were me or the demons blood inside of me. Especially the one which I had just called upon hours before. I looked to my right where I had been earlier. It had now been closed off where the humans cleaned up and hovered a large suspended crane to pick up the remains of the madrin. I smiled looking at the size of the cage. Looks like they will be calling back up because it was a lot bigger than that. Oh yea, it was so much bigger. Haymen’s voice brought me back to reality and our battering.

  “It’s in every demon’s nature to play,” he said and I knew he was smiling. “I will show you the real meaning of it one day when I have you in my chambers.”

  I pressed my back against the railing with my hands resting on either side of me. “You make it sound like a dungeon and there is nothing you can offer me that I can’t get elsewhere on my own. Thanks, but no thank you. Just pay me my money.”

  “I could pay you nothing if I wanted. I find your customer service lacking,” he said in a tone that reiterated his ownership of me. It was distant to his usual playful one. I had heard him use it on others before and it was usually a done deal that nothing would work in their favor there afterward. I gritted my teeth. I had been saving up for something phenomenally expensive and this payment might be just enough to purchase the item.

  “You are not my customer,” I tried to say sweetly instead of gritting my teeth. I went to say something smart ass but he cut me off.

  “Watch your tongue my darling Vi, your allure won’t work if you don’t have one,” he said. Another Bing on my phone. I held down my metallic ear piece for three seconds which crafted a visual blue screen in front of me. I looked down at the screen pleased with the amount that had just been directly deposited into my bank account. It was more than generous as all my pays had been.

  “Thank you Haymen,” I said. “Pleasure as always.”

  “Vi, go with the blue dress tonight,” he said on the other end of the phone. “It does always bring out that hair of yours I love so much.” He hung up on me and I looked down on the screen which had recorded our communication. One minute and twelve seconds. And let that be the last of him for
another two weeks, please. There was something about Haymen despite my displeasure of feeling like a slave for him that made me uncomfortable. For some reason I liked to challenge the man who thought he could rule and own everything and in his own right he probably could but I wasn’t allowing him to fully own me, when he’d already taken everything else. At least that’s the defiance I had to learn to reel in if I wanted to live.

  “Come on girl!” Destiny said bursting out from the lounge room with a bottle of champagne. “The night is young, let’s go out on the prowl tonight in celebration.” I touched my ear to close the screen and telecommunication not at all surprised that Haymen knew the girls had been planning a night on the town. I was feeling a little frisky after such a great kill and I knew that it wasn’t in celebration of my kill, we did this all the time. It was simply because Destiny loved going out almost every night and so to speak we were immortal until something bigger came along and killed us.

  Destiny, Tahmeed, and I, stepped out of the long stretch limo two blocks from the entrance of the club. We preferred walking the two blocks and having it as a preventative in case people began to swarm our limo at the entrance which was utterly irritating. Within our treaty we weren’t allowed to hurt humans. Well, publicly anyway. If you didn’t get caught it didn’t count as far as Haymen was concerned.

  Shabeah was glorified for its gothic architect, consisting of older buildings and lack of advancement in technology in comparison to other cities. Some parts of it still maintained cobbled streets and churches which long passed their time of being holy. Haymen had a preference and that was to hold back the technology for as long as possible preferring the more remnants of his ‘old’ days, which no one was actually certain as to how far back that tracked. I had seen photos, media and movies of cities that were far beyond our ‘primal’ city and yet that was what glorified and beautified Shabeah, enriched with its history and dark alleyways that were easy for murder by a certain few demons. Humans claimed that the area which the poor lived was haunted. It might be, sure, countless murders would’ve been conducted there but why worry about that when you have actual demons to look out for?!