She brushed away my hair and I presented the back of my neck all too used to the process now. “I heard you had a pretty little angel at your hip last night,” she mused as if trying to distract me. How things circulated quickly around here. Then again, the entire house was monitored.
“And most of the morning,” I added. “Four hours to be exact until I kicked him out because I heard Destiny coming back. To say the least I think she is burning the couch.”
She smiled with little humor and raised the small metallic chip which had four sharp prongs on it. She pressed my head down and injected it into the back of my neck.
“Shadow Mind Journal activated,” the room sounded in a woman’s robotic like tone. I closed my eyes not wanting to relive the experience of my dream. But that would be to feign ignorance and weakness. I looked up to the ceiling again where now the room had dimmed and my nightmare was displayed on a projector. Tellith was the first inspector as she watched and studied it, as she always had done. As she did, she monitored the small screen beside her which read information about my body’s reaction during that time. I watched on as I ran through streets, the experience threatening to make me want to coil up again. But to do so would be to show weakness. Especially in front of a witch employed to Haymen.
And so, we watched on until the last moment of my convulsing and then the image distorted and sharply cut out.
“This one seemed different. You didn’t look back or try to confront the attacker. You lacked in trying to identify them or the location,” Tellith said scribbling in her book with ink that would soon disappear. “Your brain waves are also overlapping like a few of your previous collections. I will ask you again, Vi, is this a memory, have you dreamt this before?”
“Not that I know of,” I said and held her gaze. Tellith had her suspicions of that I was certain. She eyed me and ripped the reader out without warning. I rubbed my hand against the back of my neck, trying to remove the itch that remained. She pressed a small cloth there to wipe away the blood that would’ve already begun to clot and heal. “I’m sorry, I figured it was too dark to see him, which is why I was looking for better lighting in the warehouse.” I lied.
Her face was expressionless as she continued writing. Doc was the first to examine it. I wasn’t sure what happened to the journals afterwards and if there was another program or team on it afterwards. I suspected there was more to the story of the Shadow Mind Journals and our purpose but I learned long ago to not press for answers. There were always consequences. Especially when that demon I had in mind was Haymen.
“If you recall anything else or would like to enter new data please let me know. Until then, you are dismissed Vi,” she said widening her hand out towards the door.
“Hey Doc, we haven’t seen Alexa for a while,” I said thinking of the fourth in our team. The fifth was killed weeks ago and a new member would be deployed to us in coming weeks.
“She is with me for the time being,” Tellith said. “It shouldn’t be too long before she comes back.” Doreen, the prior Guardian that we hadn’t seen for weeks had spent one of her final weeks with Tellith. She didn’t disclose much to us but told us she had a close call. Tellith made her physically stable and healthy but we knew Doreen hadn’t been the same since. One week later she went missing. No body to remain, only the knowledge that she had been possessed and a message painted in her own blood on the walls in a language far older than any of my ancestral demons could read. Only Haymen who immediately ported in seemed to know what it read. He simply told us to clean it off the walls and repaint over it for the next Guardian who came.
Knowing that our discussion was over I nodded goodbye and left the room. I took a moment to catch my breath on the other side of the door. I rolled my shoulders and cracked my neck. I embraced the demon blood within me, taking a deep breath and feeling comforted by the power that radiated within me and of the knowledge those demons brought me. This was now the real world and day. I could protect myself and kill as I pleased.
“Vi! You’re parcel arrived!” Destiny yelled out. “I threw it on your bed. Also, I charged the new couch to your account. You shredded the fuck out of it and I don’t even want to go into further detail as to why the dry cleaners couldn’t even attempt it.”
I smiled. Two months ago, Destiny had to pay for the entire refurbishment of the kitchen. At least I was a little restrained.
“Light dim,” I said activating the lighting in my room. It was lavish in size, almost a studio in its own feat assuring that none of us Guardian’s felt crowded. My king-sized bed was beautifully wooden and rounded against the grey of the walls. To its right was a wall water feature which hid the entrance to the walk-in wardrobe. On the right was my private bathroom. The shower was in the center of the room, the water never able to get past the groves in the ground which trickled delicately out into the side of the room and into the lake. A mirror took up the side of an entire wall with the wooden basin running along. In the corner, the toilet seemed almost unfitting for the architect. On the ceiling was images of angels fighting demons, images that spoke of a story long before my time. Across from my bed was a wooden table and laptop. I specifically ordered this in for myself, removing the television. I hadn’t much time for it even as a human.
I had removed the kitchenette that was once in there and instead lined it with wooden shelves of romance novels I loved to devour. Trailing the shelves led me to the end of the room, where a Jacuzzi was positioned right before the glass sliding doors which would lead out onto a private balcony that overlooked the lake. I was on the third level of the mansion and the view inched me to look into the city which was not far from our home. Our location was pinnacle and reputable.
As Destiny promised, the parcel was on my bed in a box which required my fingerprint to open. This jewel cost me majority of my savings. I pressed my thumb to the pin pad and watched it as it registered and clicked open. The inside of the case was golden silk. I pushed it away and my eyes fell on the necklace in admiration. It was a chunky necklace with large blue gems. But it was what the Trinity necklace could do that cost me a small fortune on the black market. I hooked it around my neck without hesitation. I held them away from neck and sighed preparing myself. I let the weight of it drop through my fingers onto my skin and focused on its activation.
Within seconds I was in a barren and quiet place. All but the mutated crows which squawked around me. The ground was rocky and cracked and the sky held a dull grey. I was positioned beside a dead tree with roots that twisted in the ground. I pressed my fingers to my face, noticing that I wore a mask which covered my identity. I looked down on my pale skin, noticing the long navy dress that enveloped me. The tattoos which marked my contract with Haymen and my demons weren’t to be seen. It was the first time I had seen my bare skin preceding my Guardian years.
Peace, serenity, loneliness. I sat on the rocky edges in pure bliss. I couldn’t feel the presence of my demons and relished in the first breath I felt that I had taken in a year. The Trinity necklace, depending on which jewel you owned, transported you to an abandoned world. It was the rare gems within the necklace that transported you there. I didn’t know what world or place this was but as the seller promised me it was very secluded. This was my private dwelling. A world without demons, angels, or human civilization. A place to simply be in comparison to the world that catered to noise, gore, and unsightly fashion. I closed my eyes and despite the dusty and stormy smell of the wind, I inhaled it–in peace.
Chapter Five- Vivian
I only allowed myself the luxury of an hour in the silence. The crows that surround me assuring that they were no foe.
I allowed my mind to transcend back to the reality of day by taking the necklace off. The shudder automatic as I was sucked flawlessly back into my room.
“Trinity necklace.” The male voice made my insides squirm as I had been caught red handed. I looked over my shoulder to where Haymen sat. The dull lighting only made his pale skin shimmer with
an off-orange hue. His piercing blue eyes are breath taking as always. They were sharp and consuming, as if you could see the very worlds he tore down before him to get what he wanted. His black hair was well groomed as it always was. The black suit he wore indicating he might have been attending human meetings prior.
I was still wearing my short polka dot silken pajamas and high cut shirt that my nipples clearly peeked from and my chiseled stomach on display. His glance did not go unnoticed.
“How long have you been here?” I said with a steady voice. If it were anyone else that had snuck into my room uninvited the consequence would have not been a simple conversation. I haven’t had to confront him physically for weeks now. The pure power that radiated from him was overpowering and near suffocated the words from my mouth. A thin layer of raw power and darkness always surrounded him, unable to be contained. His presence was always overwhelming and my voice wanted to lock but I took a stand, like I always did. I eventually got my grip and bearings around him. It was just the initial shock of his presence every time. Menacing. Powerful. And a specimen who created an in-depth reaction from my own. It made me only hate him more.
“As soon as you went off the grid,” he simply said, his expression still not changing. “So, this is what you’ve been saving all your money for?”
“I didn’t know that there would be consequences if I bought such an item. I could think of worse things,” I said walking past him to hide it from his reach in a vain attempt to distract him from the item. I swaggered my hips in a way that I knew would distract most from the necklace and straight to my ass. I headed towards my walk-in wardrobe but he grabbed my wrist and the burn of his touch ignited my tattoos and they lit brightly. He smiled at the sight. Just a reiteration that he owned me.
“I didn’t say I was displeased. I simply wanted to check on my kitten,” his rough voice charmed with an arrogant smile that was hard to resist.
“I am not your kitten,” I said through gritted teeth because my body said otherwise. He stood up, his height towers over mine with my head at his chest level. Those harsh blue eyes always intimate as he searched for something within me, of what I wasn’t yet sure but not curious to find out.
“Not yet, but you will be one day,” he said stroking the back of his finger over my cheek. I wanted to push him away, because my arousal was apparent, and I hated that even more. He chuckled to himself as if knowing and leaned in to whisper into my ear. “You forgot to protest,” he charmed. He vanished within a second, a black mist remaining like a black poof of magician dust. I took a step forward not realizing that I had been leaning into him.
“Grrrrrr!” I grabbed a pillow and threw it across the room agitated. Now not only was I hot, flustered, and my needs not met, I had been completely caught off guard. If I had hackles they would have risen and I had to check in the mirror that I didn’t physically have any at the time in case one of my demons has come through. I was so angry! I hated him and yet my body reacted to his so freely like every other woman and man I knew. Why did he tease me in such a way! Next time I would be prepared for his charm and like I usually did, I would resist it. What worried me more is that he now knew I owned a Trinity necklace and I doubted he was here to check up on me and make sure I was okay. Haymen simply didn’t like his property to go amiss. Especially of its own choosing.
*
Word was that the local orphanage was experiencing some bizarre phenomenon and children were going missing. I knew that it could be almost any species of demon that would be daring enough to prey on the weak and innocent. I drove through the city at illegal speeds on my chic black motorcycle zipping between cars amongst the many sky scrapers of the city. The wind whipped back my crimson hair in lashes of waves. A lot of people on the streets in crazy hats and crazy colored tones yelled out my name waving as I drove through the streets. My hair and bike were unmistakable. The fashion of the humans had gone extreme as soon as demons and angels came out of hiding. Those who had money went under cosmetic procedures and fashions to try and even look more ‘paranormal’. Even the city, Shabeah itself had gone under major reconstruction the moment Haymen decided to make this his ‘human’ residence and where most of his business was executed. Most of that reconstruction was to nicely preserve the old cobble streets and buildings on the outer streets of the city. Internally, it had already been crafted to the demands of human evolution. Other high demons and angels alike usually held rein over a city of their own. Some chosen from preference, others by rank of wealth, power, and even being the victor of some cold blood wars. It was certain that those city keepers had far superior rein over the money invested in the city and control over it than the human mayors themselves. Some completely cut out the human counterpart. Much to my surprise, Haymen had kept generations of the Mayor’s involvement. Perhaps that was simply because he rather deals with business in the Underworld than the human one.
I zipped through cars even driving onto the footpath at times and dodging people so that I didn’t have to slow down. A few intersecting cars were displeased by the way of their horn. People continued to point at me in awe as I zipped past and were excited by the clocked speed I was reaching. I wanted this to be a visit that the public knew exactly where I had been. It only made the humans trust Haymen’s lead more so to see his Guardians out on the prowl for justice. It simply looked better for the treaty that we looked like we cared. I planned on interviewing those in charge of the orphanage. Usually when dealing with demons, I left that to the discretion of the night, because usually it wasn’t a simple conversation.
Demons who decided to go against the treaty were often the ones in power in their human careers and took that as a stable position to start feeding off of their humans. It was an act I saw all too frequently and now went straight to the top of the food chain to see if it were the same thing. This was a public investigation but I would do the remaining of it at night when most of the demons dwelled and revealed themselves.
I pulled to the curb, the back end of my bike lifting slightly as I lowered it in a quick halt. I looked up at the sad looking brick building. The signage on the left read ‘Shabeah Orphanage’. Black gates surrounded the building and green grass was lavish around. It was clean and well-structured from the outside but I could feel the animosity from where I stood. It was the remains of something powerful and demonic. The demon might not be here now but there is definitely residue of something being here. I could sense it. The building was in a back street of the city. Plenty of unsafe alleyways surrounding in a part of the city that I wouldn’t deem safe to have children dwelling.
I wondered if this was Haymen’s or the mayor’s decision but then again, I couldn’t imagine Haymen putting much thought into what happened to the children. In other words, the mayor simply didn’t want this on display like most things on this side of the city. This was also where the homeless, poor, and sick lived. I rolled my eyes at the structure of the city. In comparison, my human life was much like this opposed to what and who I was now. I had very little in materialistic objects and a small apartment which I rented for an excessive price. But that was my life and I was happy with it.
I pushed away the thoughts of my previous life disturbed by the distaste. My demons didn’t much like the human comparison either. I stretched my leg over the bike and walked through the black gates which automatically opened for me. I saw people on the streets who might’ve been so desperate as to steal my bike, if they didn’t know who I was. My reputation alone would keep their mitts off of my property or the penalty would certainly be a painful death. My demons were almost daring someone to try, taking pleasure in dealing with the consequences.
I walked up the stairs onto the second level and an older lady walked out of the two open wooden doors offering her hand in greeting. I looked at it and ignored it. I wasn’t one much for human contact.
“We didn’t know if the Mayor would pass through the message. Thank you so much for coming Miss Vivian. My name is Dorothy,” the olde
r lady with wrinkled skin and white hair pulled back in a ponytail, said. I tried not to scoff at her Miss Vivian. No one knew my last name and it was never to be made public. I wasn’t famous in my human life like the others so it was the only thing I could truly burn from that time. I didn’t detect Dorothy to be anything other than human and there was absolute desperation in her eyes. “Please come this way. I will lead you to Mr. Greenhouse, he is in charge of the Shabeah Orphanage.”
She walked me through the brick building which gave me the sensation of being in a slaughter house more than it did an orphanage. That disturbed me greatly. It meant that death was in the air for these children and they were being hunted. The lights were on and bright but I could imagine them flickering back and forth. An odd sensation that made me question if perhaps exactly something like that had happened. I heard little girls crying one side of the walls and others that played. All of the doors were opened, letting me see them as I walked pass. Some still had innocence in their eyes and enjoyed to play, some even unaware of who I might’ve been. But others stared at me. Some even through me and I knew that they had seen or been touched by something any child would be traumatized by. Their looks were blank as if they were already being manipulated into being a demon’s puppet.
I rounded the corner following Dorothy. The shuffle of the rubber of her shoes squeaked against the floor. On the left-hand side were two rubbery doors which led into a kitchen. In there, adults and children were preparing meals. I took the moment to assess it properly with that keen eye of mine that took in everything within seconds. For some reason I could almost see the walls bleeding. I wanted to halt and assess the room further but couldn’t feel the presence of any demon. My eye caught that of a girl, maybe not yet twelve with braided brown hair. She stood beside the bench where she had been rolling dough and looked at me with a concrete stare that I couldn’t quite read.
The Shadow Minds Journal, #1 Page 5