“I wanted her dead!” I savagely said. There was a long pause in the room as she gave me time to recompose myself. She took another sip of tea and placed it on the coffee table.
“Perhaps I am doing you a favor... It must be a burden to be the Angel of War. I wonder how close at times you are to the edge of becoming a fallen angel. Seeking blood is not always the healthiest for our kind, perhaps you should step away from this one since it has affected you personally,” she lightly lectured.
“You might be scared of Haymen but I’m not. He is planning something. I’m not the only one who caught wind of his spies or movement through my city. You know that something is brewing just as much as I do.”
Gretel didn’t say anything. She only nodded her head slightly and looked out into the open night so I continued.
“You gave me permission to continue my investigation throughout Shabeah which I am grateful for. But if I don’t have your support past that then I will act of my own accord.”
“Why the girl? Why are you so fixated on her?” She snapped as if not listening to me but finally voicing what has been on her mind. “You are the Angel of War. If you really wanted to, you could’ve killed her and possibly have gotten away with it. Instead you chose to keep her alive and bring her to our court. I’ve seen you take down armies at a time so why did you hesitate on this one Guardian if you so badly want her dead?”
I paused. I didn’t expect that question. I almost wanted to laugh at her. The entire point of the treaty was so there were rules and guidelines to protect all races equally and deter further war. And yet like all the higher angels who only involved themselves in politics, when it got heated, they simply wanted someone else to do the dirty work. Gretel’s eyes that saw too much read my silence. She was all too knowing with that critical eye of hers but she said nothing. Out of all three on the panel, Gretel had been the only one to have fought in previous wars. It was with age and retirement that she focused her sharp mind elsewhere. This was a question from warrior to warrior. She wouldn’t have dared ask anyone else that question but me. Her trust was deep and I spat on my original anger towards her for asking what I might’ve opened.
“She’s different,” I said after a long pause. “I was in two minds as to whether to bring her to the courts the official way, that way I could stand where I am now against Haymen; or I could kill her right then and have my immediate revenge. When we fought, she was actually able to land a few marks. It’s been a while since someone has been so lucky. It’s certainly not the strength of an ordinary Guardian.” I contemplated that for a moment. A lot of movement was subtly happening around certain cities, including my own. There were certain demons that were testing boundaries and creating minor havoc. But it was a build up to something larger. I knew when war was coming and somehow it led me here to this Guardian.
“You think the girl is hiding something?” She asked skeptically. I frowned, still unsure of exactly what I thought and why I even kept her alive. I had convinced myself that the avenue I had taken was the correct one. But there was a part of me that had numerous questions about her particularly that I was too scared to open. Instinct kept driving my attention to her. That fought against all logical thought I had to execute her. That’s why I decided only to focus on the logical reasoning.
“I think Haymen is hiding something. The Guardian was only an excuse to get closer to his empire. But this Vivian has only been working for him for a year. She wasn’t a human of fame or fortune. She is the opposite of all generations he’s rebirthed. Even the few that harbor in my own city were well known before being turned. She’s the only one that was off the grid to start with. Just a normal human.” All of this I said out loud as I considered it myself.
Gretel stood up and walked around to her desk in thought. I twisted in my chair to watch her. “I trust your judgment. You know Haymen will do anything to get her back.”
“I know,” I simply said. “Even if he does I’ll be chained to her side for those thirty days. If not, then I will have the right to publicly execute her. Either way I will find my way to unravel what Haymen is doing. It makes it easier now that I know how important this Guardian, Vivian, is to him.”
“You know I have to judge unbiased if he does bring proof of her innocence,” she said rounding the large wooden desk to stand in front of the open windows. The breeze silently drafted her hair.
“You do your job Gretel,” I said standing up. “And I’ll do mine.” I teleported from her office and back to the outskirts of Shabeah. The muscles in my wings stretched out as I glided effortlessly towards the city. War was coming, of that much I was certain; and when it does, I would make sure that my kind was not unprepared.
Chapter Thirteen- Haymen
I looked down on the filthy demon that has been dragged in and interrupted my meal. He looked like a male human but I could see the slither of magic that circled him to hide his true identity. Destiny twisted his arm behind and forced him to drop to his knees in front of me. I sat at the end of my long wooden table lazily with numerous plates before me. I snapped my fingers and a few of the candles that floated in the air instantly lit, illuminating parts of the darkness I enjoyed to dwell in.
Destiny raised her eyes over Alexa who sat at the other end of the table. Her jealousy didn’t go unnoticed. She always went feral when other women were so close. I considered it to be a primitive part to one of her demons and was not something I tolerated. I flicked my finger and a trickle of the darkness that always seeped from me slashed her cheek in reprimand. She only looked to the demon in front of her then as it oozed with black blood.
Her fellow guardians hadn’t seen Alexa for little over a week now. They probably already thought that she was dead. Dark circles ringed her eyes and the sharpness of her gaunt face shadowed the bright skin she once had. She once was a beauty. Her black curly hair was tattered and thinned in patches. Her state disgusted me. This had only happened in a matter of weeks.
I took a sip from my goblet eyeing Destiny as she prompted her prisoner to speak. My stare reminder her I didn’t like my time being wasted. She growled and broke his arm behind him. His howling scream encircled the room.
“I didn’t do it!” He finally wept. Tears began to hit the floor. Not from the pain of a broken arm, no, to most demons that was child’s play. He was shitting himself about what I would do to him.
“Didn’t do what?” Destiny growled before twisting his bones further.
“I didn’t kill the angel. I’m not that stupid!” He cried. Destiny had healing marks on her body where they would’ve fought when he detained him. Dry blood remained on her sleeveless shirt and her hair golden blonde was teased by chunks of dirt.
I growled at the magic that continued to swirl around him. It clung to him in protection. A witch’s spell that many wouldn’t have noticed but was offensive to my eyes. No witch or her magic was more powerful than me. I knew the moment he had crept into my city hoping to have gone unnoticed. Instead of killing him for his imprudence I waited until a time just like now.
Even with a high witch’s spell to change his form I sensed it as soon as soon as he entered. I had created Shabeah for that exact purpose. Any demons or angels to come into my city were never unnoticed. His breed of demon was one I had been wary of for a while since his Queen went silent when I demanded her to bring me soldiers.
I stretched out my hand watching my darkness that always encompassed me to strike at him. I knew it would hurt him to so forcefully rip the magic off his body. I looked forward to his screams. I could feel every edge of my darkness worm under his skin like needles. It pulled apart the cloak of magic like skin being torn from muscle.
He screamed in agony as my talons hooked deep into his skin and pulled out the witch’s transformation spell. He dropped to the ground as Destiny let him go. He would be too weak to stand let alone try and run now. Blood seeped onto the floor as it oozed from his nose and mouth. It wouldn’t kill him but it certainly could be consi
dered as close.
Destiny couldn’t remove the magic but she had a keen eye and nose for investigation. Especially when it was something I wanted in a matter of time. She had caught the exact demon I was searching for.
“My best Guardian has been taken to Aztec because of you,” I growled. I disregarded Destiny’s hurt expression. She meant nothing to me. She was only my property and it was sickening to see her expression which should’ve always been stone.
His back was spiny and the small spikes in his back had snapped from previous fights. More than likely from territorial fights within his own kind. He hissed at me, his snake like tongue spitting out as he continued to weep. His form was like a human water snake. One that was highly venomous. Most Demon Snakes found themselves imprisoned in my own personal Underworld.
They were uncontrollable at most times which is why I had current issues with his Queen.
Despite being notorious for their solidarity and personal space, they did answer and follow their royal heritage.
“Was it your Queen that asked you for the blood of an angel?” I asked. “You were witnessed walking from the dead body. Poison, drowning, even his wings being torn from his body. Did your Queen ask you to do that?”
“No!” he sobbed into the ground crying and hissing. He disgusted me. His kind were strong and would at least dare to fight me. Then again, that is why I had Destiny hunt him instead. Scorch marks fringed his scales from the conflict. “How could I possibly take on an Angel, my Lord? I wouldn’t stand a chance,” he begged. All lies. An Angel would always have the upper hand in strength and because of their training and tolerance to poison. But if taken off guard, it could be believable.
I looked at Destiny annoyed. I didn’t have time to talk to this disgusting creature. She grabbed his neck and jarred his scaly face to look at me. His green slit eyes tried to focus on me as tears of blood dripped out. Maybe I did almost kill him.
“You,” I said pointing to him. “Will admit to everything that you have done. You were the one that killed the Angel. And you will pay for your crime,” I said. He begged and sobbed at me. I threw my silken napkin at him in disgust hoping that it would magically clean up his disgusting display of weakness. I looked at Destiny. “Make sure it happens.”
“Yes, my Lord,” is all she said as she grabbed him by the tail and dragged him out. She eyed Alexa warily. The jealous expression was unanswered by Alexa who now hardly spoke.
I would make sure that enough evidence and his confession would free Vi and that’s all I cared about. I knew who had killed Luke but they would never take the fall for it. I had to start the game and Vi was right in the center of it all.
“I need you to manufacture some fake evidence of his whereabouts with a surveillance video. Liaise with Destiny to make sure the evidence matches the statement,” I said cutting through a piece of bleeding meat and eating it. Alexa’s form of technology demon had brought me years of luck. She could manipulate or create any evidence I needed her to. It had benefited me for many years until looking at the disgrace she was now. She only nodded in response.
Tellith had tried her hardest to rehabilitate as much as she could even through old magic of her tribe. This shell was all that was left. Once she achieved what I needed from her I would dispose of her. She has been compromised.
“Did you interrogate the human police force?” I asked taking another bite of meat. Tellith said that her rehabilitation might depend on conversation with me, her master. I didn’t care for such things, I would just create a new Guardian. All of them were disposable. All but one.
She nodded. She looked down and typed a few things into her watch. A file shortly beeped on my own. I opened it and the blue screen widened in front of me. I didn’t like this technological era but very few demons could communicate like the old days. They were all so weak now.
I briefly read over the profile of the man who had been spying within my human law force. I was certain he was Gabe’s. I had been suspicious on small intel that would leak out. Alexa could back track even confidential and deleted files. Her demon was an asset to me.
“Don’t kill him yet,” I said taking another swig of my wine. “We might find use for him.” I closed the file and watched on as she nodded. I tapped my finger on the wooden table. I wanted her silent presence gone. I ate with very few and she hasn’t eaten anything from her plate. My enemies had been close to capturing her. This was how all my Guardians acted the moment they were compromised. Some were consumed instantly. Others like Alexa fought until the very end, until they had no strength left and were taken.
“What did they say to you?” I asked. Despite her communication with them, even her Shadow Mind journals couldn’t isolate or pinpoint to their whereabouts. I was done with searching for them. I have been out in the open for so long now, practically inviting them to fight me head on. Leaving their kind to gain strength would be problematic for my rein. I had to kill them while they were weak. The years since the last war had passed quickly, I wondered how much strength they had already gained.
“This is a request Alexa. I am asking you a question,” I said in my tone that owned her.
Alexa opened her mouth. She then remoistened her dry lips to speak. After moments of attempting her voice was shaky and barely audible. “They haven’t forgotten what you have done,” she said. The voice hadn’t even sounded like her own. “They are coming for you, Haymen.”
I raged at the threat and threw my goblet across the room. They were taunting me still with these games!
Chapter Fourteen- Vivian
I watched on as Gabe walked outside the castle and disappeared by carriage into the water vortex. I spited him dearly. He left me in this dreary hell hole where I could only see portions of the outside through the slit window.
The door dragged against the cemented floor as it was opened. I turned with my arms wrapped around my chest calculating my odds of escape. I decided it was too soon. I had to watch more, see how the rounds and functions worked. Then again, Haymen had specifically thrown me in here for one thing. To speak to some person called Alice. He was as vague as always. I didn’t even know who Alice was. Despite Haymen being in charge of the Underworld which was a prison in itself, I had somehow ended up in this tropical death sentence.
Two gargoyles walked in, their cemented frame was very much alive and like Gabe, they had to contract their wings to squeeze through the door. A pair of black cotton pants and a shirt were thrown at me.
I scoffed at them as I looked down at the prison attire. Despite my own clothing being dirty and ratty I would defy them until the very end. I refused to wear some prison garment. For all my tough talk, the powder Gabe had blown into my face significantly made me weaker.
I tried to rebel, if only to see how far and long it would take to push the patience of a cemented gargoyle who was possessed by some living angelic force. I learned the hard way that they didn’t have patience or a sense of humor. Within thirty seconds of me staring at them they had unsheathed their weapons and were not messing around. I realized either I dressed myself or they would do it for me. Being stripped bare and clothed by a Gargoyle wasn’t on my ‘to do’ list.
I resisted the first time they tried to touch me and frisk me. A small fight broke out and I discovered after being manhandled by two gargoyles and being pinned to the chest of one, that the option of head butting the other wasn’t to my liking. White stars blurred my vision and blood began to drip down from my eyebrow. They frisked to make sure I had no weapons and closed the door behind them.
I felt around the floor and walls to find any weakness or form of escape. There was neither. The only thing I had was the small window where I could see another tower on the wing of the castle.
After Gabe and the gargoyles left, the demon’s curiosity only increased as the hours went by and I sat silently in the darkness of my room underneath the window. I felt its presence hovering at the edge of my door. It sporadically struck out to have a taste of my b
lood. As it did now.
The scratch of its invisible talon raked down my cheek ever so gently, as if just for a lick. I sat there with knees to my chest and hands propped over them. My blood began to slowly trickle down my cheek. There were numerous cuts on my hands and feet, tearing up my black cotton attire. It was as if it were an animal simply coming and checking on its most recent toy–a little nibble here and there as it pleased.
I couldn’t identify what demon it was but it was excited by my arrival–that much I could tell. If those who chanted endlessly at the core of the castle stopped, I doubted that anyone within Aztec would survive if the demon truly awoke. Whatever they chanted, sedated it almost completely to sleep. I wondered if it was some kind of guard to make sure no prisoners escaped or a demon that was also being suppressed and buried deep in this prison.
I pulled back my hair and untangled it from the blood it had been stuck to. Besides chanting and screaming there was an eerie silence and I knew that if Haymen didn’t keep to his word I would probably go mad within a week. I stayed still not wanting to disrupt any of the darkness that swept through. It pillowed through my room. It was the promise of twisted torment and death. Something that even the most fearless of demons might be scared by. The hairs on my body were constantly raised and I was on high alert for every shift in the cold wind waiting for what might happen next.
There was a clink and I looked to the door. Well, how’s that for timing, I chastised myself jumping up and readying myself for the fight to come. I edged to the door with my back against the wall, ready to attack whomever would walk in. It eerily creaked open. Darkness wafted in. I waited with my fists clenched... but nothing came. After a minute of still waiting for someone to walk in I peered outside and realized that no one was standing there. I looked down both hallways and noticed that in the distance all other prisoner doors had also been opened. I pressed my eyebrows together and heard an outbreak from outside.
The Shadow Minds Journal, #1 Page 12