Paranormal After Dark: 20 Paranormal Tales of Demons, Shifters, Werewolves, Vampires, Fae, Witches, Magics, Ghosts and More

by Rebecca Hamilton

  I ran a hand through my hair as I followed him down the short flight of steps from the police department to the sidewalk. The sun peeked above the horizon in the distance, chasing away the thick navy from the night before. The air was damp and chilly. There were a few people around, mostly joggers and folks getting ready for work. After all, it was half past five in the morning.

  “I don’t understand. I’ve never seen a demon and a human mate and come up with a Seer before.”

  “Trust me, I was just as shocked as you when I realized the girl was mine. This is unprecedented,” he said, tossing up his hand to flag down a taxi. “How much time did la petite putain say we had to skip town?”

  I couldn’t help but smirk. I hated Belial, but he had a knack for giving people appropriate nicknames. “Forty-eight hours.”

  “Excellent. We need to send in an agent to finish off the rogue angel before he gets sent to prison. I suspect that was his plan all along.”

  “I figured as much. He had probably hoped we would arrive too late to save the girl and the cops would stall us long enough for him to get into their custody. Even with your friends in low places, it’ll be hard to get to him now.”

  “What do you suggest then?”

  A numb tiredness had settled behind my eyes from lack of sleep and an overabundance of stress. It made it a lot harder to think straight. “I’m not sure. I have to talk to Gabriel. We need some kind of game plan. It’s not going to be easy with the government breathing down our necks.”

  “Our necks?” he asked in a haughty voice. “I’m not bedfellows with Gabriel. I should take the lead on this particular mission.”

  I glared at him. “Like hell.”

  He laughed. “I’ll just let that one slide because you’re tired. I’m going to have to speak with some lawyer friends of mine and try to nab a court date to get the kid. In the meantime, you can contact your brother and figure out what to do. I’ll give you one day. Then we’re doing things my way.”

  “Yes, because that always works out so well,” I said, my voice flat.

  A cab finally pulled over and Belial opened the door, arching an eyebrow at me over his shoulder.

  “When’s the last time you sired a Seer? Oh, right, never.”

  “Bite me.”

  “Is that a request or a command?”

  * * *

  “I’M SORRY... WHAT?”

  I collapsed on the bed in my absurdly expensive hotel room, wrinkling the crisp white comforter all to hell, and released an exhausted sigh into my cell phone. “It’s true.”

  “No, I could’ve sworn I misheard you,” Gabriel continued. “What do you mean the Seer is Belial’s daughter? How is that even possible?”

  I massaged the bridge of my nose. “You got me. I’ve never heard of anything like this. But I guess it’s possible. Demons only transfer genetic material, not any holy properties like angels used to. If the Freitas bloodline is pure enough, I guess it doesn’t matter.”

  He sighed. “I swear, this has been the most infuriating week of my life.”

  “Ditto.”

  “What are we going to do about this, then?”

  “I’m not sure. On the one hand, if he gets custody of her, we can make sure she’s safe while we’re trying to figure out what to do with Edmond.”

  “I don’t understand why we need to do anything. Won’t he get the death penalty?”

  “It depends on where he’d be tried. He’s an international serial killer. That makes things way trickier. Plus, I’m not going to wait around for the system to process him. If he regains consciousness, he’s capable of escaping and slipping back into the wind. I don’t want to take that chance.”

  Gabriel went quiet momentarily. “Are you suggesting we send in someone to kill him while he’s in prison?”

  “Perhaps.”

  He sighed—a deep, regretful sound. “That…is a very ugly thought, brother.”

  “I know,” I whispered. “We’re soldiers. When we kill, it’s supposed to be justice. But this…entire mission feels wrong. It felt wrong the day we agreed to let Belial help us.”

  “I’ve felt the same way. But think about the alternative. If Edmond gets loose, we’ll be on absolute lockdown.”

  I snorted. “Oh, and there’s the silver lining. The United States government is putting me under surveillance for suspicious activity.”

  Gabriel spewed a string of curses in Latin. “Father in Heaven, what next?”

  I let out a bitter laugh. “Don’t tempt Him. He has way too good a sense of humor, you know.”

  “Point taken.”

  “How did things go on your end?”

  “Oh, the usual. Blood was spilled, faces were punched, and lives were saved. I’ll tell you the entire story when you get home. When will that be, exactly?”

  “We’ve been given two days to get out of Brazil. I’m banned from the country for five years. Gonna have to apologize to Jordan. I suspect that since she’s my wife, they won’t let her travel down here either if they’re worried I’m a criminal.”

  “I’ve got ears inside the FBI. I’ll see what I can dig up on these government agents. Who came to see you?”

  “Ana Corona.”

  “Describe her.”

  “About five-foot-three, mid-thirties, black, possibly Haitian, wears nice suits and perfume. She’s like Jordan’s less sarcastic evil twin.”

  “If that’s true, then I definitely fear for your safety.” At last, a bit of humor crept into my brother’s voice and I felt a little better. “I’ll see what I can do.”

  “So I take it you still don’t want to make the Call.”

  “No. I have other resources to try. Call me back when Belial secures a trial for custody of the girl. In the meantime, Jordan wants to speak to you.”

  Movement, then the soft, apprehensive voice of my wife filled my ears. “Hey, you.”

  A faint, relieved smile touched my lips. “Hey, baby. How are you?”

  “I’ve been better,” she said. “I heard most of that conversation. I think you actually managed to screw up worse than me for once.”

  “I know. It’s weird. Like a role reversal.”

  “Cállate,” she muttered, but I could hear the smile in her voice. “What’s this about Belial being someone’s baby daddy?”

  I choked on a laugh. “That’s one way to put it. Juliana is his daughter so he’s going to try and get custody while the police search for her parents. I’m not thrilled with the idea of being a babysitter, but at least we’ll have two Seers instead of just one.”

  “Hurray. I’ll start making club t-shirts. When are you coming home?”

  “Two days at the most. They really want us out of here.”

  “Okay. Please, for the love of God, be safe. Te amo.”

  “Te amo.”

  I hung up and tossed the phone on the pillow next to me. My eyes slid shut and I fell asleep in less than a minute.

  Chapter 20

  Jordan

  AFTER ALL OF my recent traveling, my apartment looked beautiful when I finally made it home. Gabriel collapsed on the couch while I went to take a shower, grateful to be back under the pathetic water pressure of my own bathroom. Things were still hectic, but I had learned to take solace in the few quiet moments I got—everything from taking a hot shower to napping on the couch with my husband watching old cartoons.

  I had just finished getting dressed when the doorbell rang, which made me jump yet again. I pressed a hand to my forehead and told myself to calm down as I stuck my head out the bedroom door to see Gabriel answer it. To my surprise, Raphael walked in with a long, rolled up piece of paper in his hand.

  I dried my hair with a towel as I walked out of my room. “Hey, Raph. Why does it feel like I haven’t seen you in forever?”

  “Going to Heaven tends to have that effect. How are you?”

  I hugged him. “Surviving. What’ve you got for us?”

  He brandished the paper, his expression sober
ing. “The Scribes finally finished translating the missing page of the Book of Time.”

  “Then let’s get cracking.” I gestured to the chairs at the kitchen table and we all sat down.

  Raphael unfurled the paper. I hadn’t known what to expect, but part of me was excited to see something from Heaven with my own eyes. Few humans ever got that privilege. It was about the size of a large poster and instead of a book format, there was a timeline with Latin words written in lovely cursive beneath each of the small dots.

  “Alright, my Latin’s a bit rusty, so you’ll have to help me out here,” I said, trying to lighten the mood. A heavy atmosphere of anticipation had settled among the three of us, and with good reason. These were the answers we had been searching for and they would determine our actions from here on out.

  “Well, first, you should know that every translation is different,” Raphael said, smoothing out the edges of the paper. “The Scribes come from all walks of life and they determine what is the best way to record what they hear from the Symphony of Time. Therefore, we don’t have the same translation as the one that the rogue angel has and it’s unlikely that we’ll be able to recover his version now that he has been apprehended.”

  “For the current time period, we have a lot of information about significant historic events both on Earth and in other parts of the universe. If we travel back along the timeline, you’ll see the notations where the Seers appear. Strangely, the names of these Seers are not given; rather, it speaks of times and exact locations. It predicts when each will Awaken and consequently when they will die.”

  “Does it say who kills them?”

  Raphael shook his head. “No. That isn’t exactly the problem anymore. What we need to focus on happens here.”

  He pointed further down the timeline. “October 31st, 2011. This is the event that the rogue angel is trying to prevent.”

  I arched an eyebrow. “On Halloween? Seriously?”

  The edge of Raphael’s lips twitched upward—not quite a smile, but close. He always seemed amused by my cynicism. “It may seem like too much of a coincidence, but there are facts linked to the celebrations of the dead. Nothing as trite as ghosts rising from their graves, but evil does tend to manifest on that night because it is the night before All Hallows Day, one of the holiest days of the year. The Book states that a Seer will betray the angels and awaken the Leviathan. This can only be accomplished by acquiring a source of knowledge and purity. I believe that this coincides with another date on the timeline.”

  He shifted to another point. “Here, it states that there will be a visit to the Garden of Eden.”

  My mouth fell open. “The Garden of Eden? You’re shittin’ me. It still exists?”

  Gabriel shook his head. “Only you would include a curse word in the same sentence as such a holy place.”

  I glanced at him with an indignant look. “Hey, give me a break. I’m not a Bible scholar.”

  “Clearly.”

  I smacked him in the arm and he chuckled. “Where is it? I don’t understand how no one has found it by now.”

  “The Garden is hidden deep underground,” Gabriel continued. “Human exploration is still only in its earliest stages. Besides, no human can enter—only supernatural beings like us angels or even a Seer like yourself.”

  “So what in the Garden would be powerful enough to wake the Leviathan? And if it’s so evil, why does it need something holy?”

  “Fruit from the Tree of Knowledge caused man to become self-aware. It would work the same way for the Leviathan. Balance is the key to most things good and evil on Earth. For instance, an archangel would be unable to wake the Leviathan because angels are not born of Earth nor are they capable of being evil. Some can be misled, like the rogue angel, but it is not the same as a Seer or a demon. The Seer represents all three of the worlds: Earth, Heaven, and Hell. That’s why only he or she can wake the Leviathan.”

  I bit my bottom lip as a cold sensation of fear crawled up my chest. “Does it say the name of the Seer anywhere in the timeline?”

  “Unfortunately, no. That is why the rogue angel didn’t take any chances. He killed all the ones who awakened this year except for you and the child.”

  I shut my eyes. “Raphael…are there any more Awakenings noted in this year?”

  His voice came out soft. “No.”

  I clasped my hands together and rested my forehead on them. “I was hoping you wouldn’t say that. I really was.”

  Gabriel laid a hand on my shoulder. “Jor—”

  “Don’t. I’m not a child, Gabriel.”

  “Jordan, you cannot doubt yourself. You would never betray us. I believe that with all my heart and soul.”

  I shook my head. “You don’t know that.”

  “Yes, I do. I have known you for many years. You are incapable of doing something like this.”

  I glared at him. “Then what? A four-year-old girl is going to send the world into chaos? It’s one or the other. There aren’t any other choices.”

  Gabriel set his jaw. “This is a translation. For all you know, it could be inaccurate. There could be someone else who will Awaken before the 31st. Don’t do this to yourself.”

  Raphael spoke up, though I could tell he was hesitant. “Brother, we still have to consider it an option. I don’t believe Jordan would do this either, but it would be prudent to take the idea into account.”

  The blond archangel sighed and dropped his hand. “Then what are you suggesting?”

  “She stays under the care of the archangels until after the 31st. We cannot allow her anywhere near the battlefield if this comes to pass.”

  “If this comes to pass? Are you saying this isn’t definite?” Gabriel asked.

  Raphael winced. “It’s hard to say. It appears that the rogue angel believes that he can change the future, even though his efforts are already recorded in the Book. If he believes it, then perhaps it is possible to avoid releasing the Leviathan.”

  “And I take it that the demon’s name isn’t listed on the timeline either?” I asked.

  He shook his head. I swore under my breath. “Great. So basically I just have to sit around doing nothing and avoiding demons. I’m glad to be so helpful.”

  “I’m sorry. I know you feel frustrated, but there is nothing more we can do right now. If the rogue angel is killed, he will be sent to judgment and we can get the rest of the answers out of him then.”

  An idea sprang into my head. “Wait. What if his translation of the Book of Time is different? Maybe more specific than ours?”

  Raphael gave me a puzzled look so I kept going. “What I’m saying is why don’t we get him to give us the page he translated to see if he caught anything we missed?”

  “The page was not recovered when they apprehended him in Jandira,” Gabriel said. “It’s unlikely that we’ll ever find it now. He probably memorized it and burnt the original to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands.”

  “What if we get him to retranslate this page? Maybe he could give us clues like names or events that the Scribes didn’t catch.”

  “There is no way he’d cooperate. He clearly has mental instability.”

  I shook my head. “There’s still a chance he could help. Is there any way to contact him before the authorities put him on trial for the murders?”

  “No. Since the first murder took place in Kentucky, he’s going to be transferred stateside when he’s out of critical condition. He’ll serve the consecutive sentences in each country where the crimes were committed, and that is only if he does not get the death penalty. Besides, he won’t speak to any of the archangels because we have orders to kill him on sight.”

  “But what if he’ll talk to me? I’m not under orders.”

  Gabriel sighed again, sounding tired instead of frustrated this time. “That is too risky. Even Michael had difficulty subduing him. He is too much of a threat to engage directly. We’ll just have to try something else.”

  Anger rolled thro
ugh me, mixing with the fear—a dangerous combination, but I couldn’t help myself. “Fantastic. If anyone needs me, I’ll be in my room seeing as I’m grounded and all.”

  I stormed out of the kitchen and didn’t turn when he called after me. I knew he meant well, and so did Raphael, but neither of them understood. There was a good chance that I would cause the deaths of one thousand people. I had tried so hard these past three years to protect the innocent, to save lost souls, to sacrifice life and limb for those who couldn’t help themselves, and yet here we were. All of the doubts and fears inside me festered within my chest like bacteria, eating away at what was left of my faith.

  I slammed the bedroom door shut and stood there in the middle of the room, my breath shallow, on the borderline of panic. What could I do? There had to be something I could do to stop this. I didn’t care what it was as long as it worked.

  I thought about calling Michael, but he’d have the same opinion as his brothers. Keep me safe and prepare for war. He wouldn’t listen to my plan, either. Who did that leave?

  The answer came to me in a quiet voice. No. There was no way I could ask him. If I did, it would be the end of everything. No one would ever trust me, and Michael would never want to speak to me again. But then, isn’t that what I had been afraid of this whole time? Doing something so horrible that my husband would push me away? Would he forgive me for this? I didn’t know. It didn’t matter, not really. If the choices were my marriage or innocent lives, I would have to make the sacrifice whether I wanted to or not.

  I crawled into bed and pulled the covers over my head to block out the sunlight. It was late afternoon and the chances of my new insane plan succeeding were slim, but I at least had to try. I squeezed my eyes shut and concentrated on falling asleep with his face in mind, praying for God to forgive me as my mind started to drift.