I cocked my head to the left aware of the intense power that came from the trees at a rapid pace towards me.
“I will teach you the ways of our people because of the request my sister has asked of me. But do stay alive until then,” Loclan said. A symbol appeared beneath him as he started a chant. He paused it to say his goodbyes. “I think that your Golem witch might’ve betrayed your trust. It is Determee’ that comes. I will keep wards up that will keep him at bay for a few moments. I warn you: run.” And with that he vanished. I hissed at him. Was this entire thing a set up? A burst of flames powered through the trees burning everything alight. I changed into my hellhound who could absorb fire. But the flames never reached because a barrier stood between the oncoming force and the suspended children and me.
I growled at the laugh that began to circle and cackle at the trees. To his word Loclan had built a barrier. But for how long would it last? I dared a smile. Well at least I got my two birds with one stone, now I just had to figure out how I would kill a demon this powerful.
Chapter Thirty-Eight- Gabe
I felt it as soon as Vivian dropped off the grid. I paused myself for minutes in the rain. I had been exploring old buildings that held the remains of demonic energy. I stood there willing myself to think logically. I couldn’t allow myself and my thoughts to revolve around her no matter how great the pull of the ritual. I was almost starting to believe that it was something more. She was not my woman and never would be. I growled as I took one small step after another trying to push myself further into the building.
Minutes after, I realized there was no way I could possibly focus on my task. Acknowledging her disappearance was driving me insane. She was driving me insane. I purposely did my best to put distance between us and she either pulls a stunt like this or she was in serious trouble. I knew that she could handle herself and that Haymen wouldn’t hurt her because he returned her back to her estate earlier today. I confirmed it myself trying to rein in this possessiveness that swept over my usually collected self.
I let an hour go by as I tried my hardest to focus on my search. Nothing. So far it appeared that I would only find remains of the Volv when they wanted to reach out to me. And since my last encounter no one stepped forward. The orphanage hasn’t had further attacks after confronting Vivian. Which very well might’ve meant they had been baiting her.
I growled as I swept up the high building no longer patient for her reappearance. Surely she should’ve returned by now depending on whatever situation she was involved with. But the tugging sensation of something happening at her gnawed at me. I felt that she was alive and safe in my gut but worry still sickened me. And that revolted me as much as it panicked me.
I followed the last location I had sensed her at. A club I had heard much about and was a hotspot in the city of Shabeah. Despite the rain that continued to pour over the city, the distinct smell of Vivian and another demon’s scent mingled with intimacy. Every fiber of me wanted to rip that demons throat apart for daring to touch her. It was the worst thing that could’ve happened while I was under the intensity of the ritual. Another man claiming what was mine.
I swept into the alleyway where I could smell her. She had left a while ago but the demon remained. As soon as I dipped into the alleyway women squealed behind me and gave chase. I spread my wings wide so they could only see my back. I pressed my light to the entrance of the alleyway so no one could step out.
There, standing over the remains of the demon who had touched Vivian, was Haymen. He didn’t seem surprised as I walked towards him. He charmed a smile at me as I approached him, wiping over his hands with a cloth that evidently didn’t even touch the demon that was gasping for life with wounds that would not heal in time. Silver blood drenched the cemented ground and splattered the walls.
Mixed emotions pumped through me. I was pleased to see another demon dying, more specifically one who dared touch Vivian. Discretely I would’ve tried to kill him myself. Vermin. I tried to push away that second thought that reared its ugly head. A demon’s death was always nothing but joyful to me. I was sharp on the reality of the situation despite battling the barbaric inner monologue.
“You killed him because he had sex with her,” I said in a low enough voice that only he could hear. A crowd began to gather behind me as a few photos were taken. No one would be able to see past my wings. The dead body on the ground in front of me should’ve been blocked from their sight. The darkness around Haymen advised me that he was concealing his physical form from everyone but me. Which meant I walked into a trap and the subject of murder. I let the storm unfurl like my emotion. The heavy downpour and lightning that flashed would force everyone into cover. The rain would assure no one would be able to see past their own hand.
“Weren’t you coming to do the same?” He asked me with a knowing smirk. Information of our kind and ritual wasn’t meant to escape past our own knowledge but somehow during the years, certain rituals such as the angel kiss had. It wasn’t general knowledge but Haymen made sure to be informed as much as possible against those who were his arch enemies. Likewise.
“I wouldn’t do an unauthorized kill. Especially in your city,” I said, formally. He laughed at that. A deep chuckle that drew out his true menacing nature.
“You’re right. This is my city and I don’t allow those who touch my property to live,” he said pointedly. It was both a threat and an admittance. I clenched my knuckles, aware of those who still tried to take photos behind us.
“You killed Luke, didn’t you?” I said as it all made sense. It wasn’t Vivian who killed the men that she had slept with but Haymen who spited anyone who dared touch her. She was something to him or whatever remained dormant in Vivian was what was most precious to him. And it had cost my friend his life.
“You’ll have to be more specific,” he said with an antagonizing smile. “I don’t make it common practice to ask the name of those I kill.” The final gasp of the demon who bled out on the floor was the only thing that came between us. The downpour soaked us both. He was smug because he knew I couldn’t go to the council and openly claim him to be the murderer without proof. My restraint held me in my position. I wanted to kill him more than anything but I had to be smart about the way I would execute him. This was politics and any irrational action I made would affect even those who followed me. The time I had been given to mourn Luke made me more logical and restrained.
At the moment of the demon’s death the veil was revoked from Vivian. Obviously, it was this demon that withheld her presence. If I had taken a better look at him I might’ve realized what demon he was.
I almost wanted to drop to my knees as soon as I felt her again. I almost choked as if the life that her and I shared was being extinguished. Haymen seemed to feel the same effect through whatever connection they had and within seconds had vanished. I teleported myself screaming out to that thread that connected us, to where she might be. I didn’t focus on any location or image because I didn’t know where she was. I only focused on her. The one thing that felt insufferably freezing to my usual warmth and light. The darkness drew me in and the pull was so great that it felt like a form of home. A place that would be my yearning for years to come.
I would make it there before someone truly hurt her.
Chapter Thirty-Nine- Vivian
Determee’s laughter continued to swirl around me. Flames shot from different angles on the barrier making it hard for me to focus on his location. I growled with my ears pinned back tiring of this game. The hackles on my back had risen as I anticipated the barrier to break at any time. I was pacing back and forth unable to attack him myself until the barrier between us was shattered.
“You were a fool to seek me out personally but I do thank you for making it easier to locate you. Perhaps before you use a Golem witch’s service you should research and know that their kind has worshipped my own for hundreds of years,” he continued to laugh. “Catch you and bring back the others, looks like this will be
rather easy for me.”
I had millions of questions for him but I could ask them when I had him chained and gasping for his life. He’d made the mistake to attack me and try to end my life in my dreams. I wasn’t able to conjure any of my demons and lacked the strength to match him evenly there. Now, it was game on.
The three children were still suspended in the air, a wind drifting through them that I couldn’t feel myself. I crept closer to them waiting as every bashful force of fire hit the barrier close to its rupture. If he was after the children then it was likely he would kill them to release the Volv inside. Like the one who had possessed Alice and now the girl with plaited hair. It would only continue jumping from host to host. But only death would allow it to do so. If that was part of their goal then I had to prevent that from happening.
I couldn’t see the barrier but I could feel it chipping away weakly. The vibrations left from the force told me the time was close. It was about to break. I still tried to track where Determee’ physically was himself. I would give chase and kill him when I found him instead of fighting through his circle of flames. The fire my hellhound form could handle. The power of his wind however might be a problem.
The sound of glass breaking shattered after another flame busted against it, this time pushing through the barrier and reaching out for me. I lunged for the flames drifting between them with little hesitation. If anything, my hellhound loved rolling around in fire and would never fear it. I tunneled through the flames using them to hide in.
Suddenly the air was sucked out of my lungs and I couldn’t breathe. I choked and my feet dragged against the ground and fire that was no longer beneath them. I was being levitated in the air. I still couldn’t see him but his laughter circled me. I was unable to gasp for breath as I continued to choke. I changed into my water demon. She wasn’t equipped for being outside of the water but one thing that left ears bleeding on land was her siren. Being breathless on land wasn’t as sufferable as I shifted and gills split underneath my ears, ribs, and legs. She could never breathe on land prior to that. I opened my mouth and released my siren that was like a high pitched canon straight to the ears. I dropped to the ground and changed instantly back into my hellhound sniffing out the blood I could now smell trickling from his ears.
His disorientation would last only for so long. I ran through the trees with the speed of a high-class demon. The hellhound was fast. I smelled him in the treetops, his whimper coming to an end as the bleeding began to stop. I changed back to my water demon and as I looked up and released my siren, flames shot at me. I took the blow to my left arm, moving slightly so I could still isolate the scream into his direction. I didn’t dare look down at my arm. He held steady in the tree, began bleeding and becoming disorientated.
I shifted into my cat demon making sure not to let her tail jingle. I dove my claws deep into the tree, climbing up on it in two jumps. As I rolled around it, I shifted into my succubus form smiling as I stood over him. The force of his wind and fire came towards me at once. I pierced him with my tail ejecting my poison into him as I grabbed him and shielded myself from the flames and wind. I dropped towards the ground taking him with me. I shifted into my hellhound grabbing him by the throat and using him as a shield against his own artful flames and wind. The fire I was protected by but the wind sliced around me, no matter how tightly I curled into him.
I was captured in a vortex of wind. I had to release him and escape before it sliced me apart. I let go of him and jumped through the wind. Deep cuts tore across my body as I rolled out. I scraped back on the back of my heels and shifted into my cat demon. I watched him with interest as he scampered on the ground.
“Turns out not even the great Determee’ can survive my succubus’s poison,” I purred watching the black shadowed figure gasp on the ground. His body took the shape of a man but was charcoaled, cracks of flowing flames licked outside of him. He began choking out blood into the ground as I kept my distance. I wanted to be smug and walk over but watching him die alone was more satisfying.
“St-“ He began to stutter. “Stu-”
“What? I can’t hear you.” I said raising a paw to my ear.
“Stupid is what he is trying to say,” a voice came from behind me. I whipped around not having even felt their presence. The three children stood in front of me. The smiles were as corrupt as what they themselves were now. Black veins threaded their face and their eyes spoke lengths of evil.
Determee’ began bellowing out in laughter behind me. I angled myself so I could be at the point of our positioning like a triangle. Determee’ stood up dusting himself off. The coaled smile smoldered out flames.
“Poison, really? My body does not grow the same flesh as most demons. Tricks like that won’t work on me,” he said with an irritated laugh.
“Vivian, we will take you to our Master now,” the girl with plaited hair said. It was the same Volv that had possessed Alice’s body in Aztec prison. I could feel darkness circle me, as if a few more Volv were surrounding me but those who were not yet attached to hosts. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. My cat demon’s sixth sense enabled me to feel them but I knew I was outnumbered and before Loclan had trapped them and teleported them, I myself had been pinned with their attack once before.
I hissed as they circled me. “I can take her back, I don’t need your help,” Determee’ said to the others.
“She is for our Master, not you,” the girl seethed in a different language but one I could translate.
“Neither will be necessary,” Haymen’s voice startled us all as his darkness swirled around me as a barrier and he stood beside me. He looked down at me proudly and directed his gaze to Determee’ with a smile. Behind the three children Gabe swooped down with wide wings, standing tall behind him.
“Haymen,” Determee’ seemed to entertain. “Old friend, it’s been a while.” Determee’ didn’t fear Haymen as he should but I could sense he was looking at plausible places of escape despite his eyes never leaving Haymen’s.
“I see that you’re besotted by my Guardian,” Haymen said to both Determee’ and the children. “Your Master is a fool for trying to steal what is mine.” Haymens darkness pushed back the other Volv who had no physical form. I felt Haymen’s darkness swirl around me and kiss my skin swimmingly so that they couldn’t break through his barricade. I knew it would protect me from their imposing possession.
I looked over at Gabe who watched between me and the children, his wings glowing bright as darkness swirled around him trying to break in. A spear was in his hand, one that hadn’t been there before. Perhaps Angel Boy had the gift of teleportation. Despite flying in I didn’t think of it as coincidence that he came here with the exact timing as Haymen.
“Change into your hellhound for me Vi, I wish to see your beauty again,” Haymen said to me as if the others were no longer present. I nodded and shifted as he asked. He smiled and began rubbing his hand through my fur. The ruffle and touch electrified against my skin. And there it was I realized the adamant loyalty and expectation for me to only be his pet. He smiled as I looked up at him, as if knowing it all clicked into place. I was exactly that. His. Master and pet. He was here to protect his hound.
“Our King will end you once and for all, Haymen,” the girl seethed through bleeding gums as she spat. “Kill them!”
All four of them lunged. Haymen gravitated towards Determee’. Flames swept against his tendrils of darkness.
“You will be placed under arrest and questioning,” Gabe announced as his wings glowed. The shadows became restless as his light ate away at their darkness. The girl was focused and lunged for me. I met her mid-air to counter her attack. Before we could make eye contact her eyes went wide and she dropped floppily to the ground. As soon as her feet made contact with the ground her head slid off her shoulders and blood splattered. I growled at the disgust as it sprayed over me. The two behind them that Gabe had been trying to capture also died, their heads sliding off their shoulders as well.
I l
ooked over to Haymen who had killed them so quickly and already had Determee’ pinned against a tree. His swirls of darkness appetizing on him as he screamed. I couldn’t see what was being done to him but the darkness that ate him alive could only be that from Haymen who would wipe out kingdoms in days.
“I said alive!” Gabe shouted. Haymen was only amused as he stepped towards Determee’ focused. “You know that they will just keep capturing new hosts!”
“You are going to tell me everything before I kill you Determee’,” Haymen said ignoring both Gabe and me. “Good job my darling, Vi,” he clicked his fingers and the swirl concealed both him and Determee’ as they vanished. Gabe seemed to vanish after them. One second later I was teleported with a nauseous black swirl into my room.
I looked around catching my bearings. I was back in my room. My tattoos glowed blue as I looked around in the dark room. Blood was splattered all over my clothes and face. I began tearing them off as I headed for the shower. What just happened? Everything happened so quickly and I wasn’t happy about not killing any of them myself. I needed to shower. Haymen wouldn’t tell me anything about his capture or torture of Determee’ which only pissed me off more. I wanted to be able to interrogate him myself. Especially considering a lot more seemed to be a part of the picture then what others were leading on. Especially Haymen.
We were his race, his Guardians that were not meant to question and yet the irritation of always being the hunted when I was created as the hunter overwhelmed me. I lathered my hair with shampoo thinking as to why Gabe and Haymen were there almost at the same time. Haymen had no difficulty with beheading them. Within seconds I hadn’t even felt the presence of his darkness. An image came back to me and clearly seemed to come into the forefront of my mind. Alice from the Atzec prison has been killed in a similar manner. Directly behind me before that demon that was being guarded entered me. I still couldn’t feel it stir within me but I definitely felt it merge with me that night. But Alice had died in the exact same manner.
The Shadow Minds Journal, #1 Page 29