Hidden Runes

by G. Bailey

  “I will watch the witch for the Salvatore to owe me,” Seth offers.

  “Then you have a deal,” I reply. “But don’t even think of betraying me. I will kill everyone you care about if anything happens to her. Even if there is a hair missing on her head, I will know, so do not cross me, Seth.”

  “Demons always pay their debts. They always keep their promises. Are you forgetting who you grew up with while you spend all your time with Protectors now?” Seth says, laughing a little.

  “I never forget my past,” I say, locking eyes with Azi for a second before walking away from them both to try and explain this all to Hali. She stands up off the sofa and shakes her head as she holds a hand up. I close my mouth to hear what she wants to say.

  “I know. I have to go with the demon for him to protect me,” she says, her pale grey eyes surprising me with how calm she is about this. I expected her to get mad, to cry, hell, to beg me not to leave…I didn’t expect this grown-up response.

  “How did you know?” I ask.

  “I’m not stupid or a kid anymore. I knew the moment you said I was coming with you. You are about to fight for a throne, and I’m your weakness. They have already used me against you once, and they would again,” she says. “I can’t fight them, and I can’t help you. Therefore, I need to be out of the way.”

  “It won’t be for long,” I say, not knowing what else to tell her without lying.

  “I know you will come back for me. You always do,” she says, and I gently grab her arm to stop her walking away and pull her to me, holding her tightly in an embrace.

  “I love you, Hali, you know that?” I whisper to her and she pulls away, walking over to Seth and Azi. She looks over her shoulder, and winks at me. For the first time, I realise how much all this has changed her, made her more grown up. I’m so proud as I stare back at her walking away.

  “I know,” she whispers.

  Fifty-Six

  Evie

  “You’ll like my house, and my daughter, Cheri, will find you clothes and shit that girls need,” Seth says. Hali just crosses her arms, glaring at him.

  “Whatever, asshole,” she replies. That’s my girl.

  “You are way too much like my Evie darling,” Seth says, laughing as he opens a portal. Hali hugs Azi and me before walking into the portal and not looking back once. It hurts to see her go, but I’m relieved she will be safe.

  “I will protect her. Even if she calls me an asshole all the time for doing it,” Seth says, a rare show of emotional understanding before he walks into the portal and it disappears. I stare at the empty space for far too long, not really knowing how to fix the worried feeling in my head and heart.

  “Hali is a smart kid, and Seth is the only family I trust,” Azi tries to comfort me as he puts his glass down on the side table.

  “I know you trust him, and I trust you. That is the only reason I let him take her,” I explain, and he flashes me a surprised look. “We should get back,” I comment, not wanting to dwell on the action of me trusting Azi’s judgment with the most important person in the world to me.

  “No. I have a better idea. We should have some fun, relax a little. Everything is so stressful all of the time,” Azi says, and links his hand in mine when he walks over. I let him lead me out of the room, past the bouncer and back into the club. The atmosphere once again numbs my senses straight away. Azi leads me right into the middle of the dancing demons and humans, pulling me against his chest. His hands find my hips, and he somehow sways them to the music. I rest my head on his chest, relaxing and enjoying the simple moment between us. Right in this moment, I can pretend we are just two regular people dancing, flirting and falling for each other. We can pretend the world isn’t out to chase us, and we don’t have a history of falling apart.

  “I have always loved dancing with you,” Azi tells me, and I only just catch what he said over the loud music. I look up at him as his red eyes gaze down at me, and I don’t know what changed with us, but he makes me feel safe. Like he did once before. And feeling safe is something I really treasure. I lean up on my tip toes, brushing my lips against his and sucking his bottom lip into my mouth, biting down very gently and loving how his red eyes glow as his hands tighten on my hips. I’ve always loved the rougher side to Azi when he lets go and embraces who he is under the suits and the way he wants to be more human.

  “You are a tease, Vi,” he tells me, sliding a hand up my back. I go to reply when a shrill, shrieking alarm blasts through the club, and the music goes off. Everyone stops what they are doing to hold their hands over their ears, but I slide my dagger out of the holder instead.

  “What does it mean?” Azi shouts over the noise. I glance around at the demons who stand up and start running to the back of the club to no doubt hide.

  “An attack!” I shout back and start running through the demons to get to the entrance.

  “You don’t run towards an attack, Vi!” I hear Azi shout behind me, but I keep running anyway, knowing he will follow me. If you don’t run towards an attack, you are leaving yourself open for whoever it is to attack you. Or that’s my—likely messed up—logic. I run up the stairs of the club, which are empty as no else seems to be running out with me. When I get outside, the street is quiet, except for the alarm blaring. Azi gets to my side as we hear two massive bangs come from our right. We run down the street and turn, finding a big crowd of demons surrounding what looks like a wall of fire, but I can’t see through them. I grab the nearest demon to me and swing him around by his arm. He is skinny, and his skin feels greasy under my hands. His green glowing eyes narrow on my hand.

  “Get off me, you stupid demon bitch!” the demon says, shoving me away, and Azi reacts more quickly than I can, grabbing him by his throat and lifting him in the air. Azi throws him like a rag doll all the way down the street and out of sight as he screams. The demons around us bolt away, and I shrug at Azi and move further around the crowd. I search through the demons near me, looking for a more friendly face. When I spot a familiar pink demon, I run to her and her eyes widen when she sees me.

  “I remember you. I never did get to thank you for bringing me here,” the succubus demon says, and I smile tightly.

  “What is going on here? I can’t see through them all,” I ask.

  “Three Protectors turned up and some demons attacked them. We think the Protectors have finally found us, and we need to run before they raid this place. The others think they can kill the Protectors and hope no one will follow them here,” she explains. My heart pounds in my chest when I wonder if the three Protectors could be my guys.

  “Are the Protectors in the fire?” I ask, needing to know if they are protecting themselves or if they are too badly hurt. They wouldn’t have come here unless something went seriously wrong.

  “Yep! They won’t be able to hold the fire up forever, and then we can get answers,” she replies.

  “Shit,” I mutter, stepping back from her. I toss my dagger at Azi, who catches it in the air and frowns.

  “What the hell are you going to do?” he asks. “We should work our way through the crowd and find out what we are dealing with.”

  “I’m going to go and get in the middle of whatever this is. The Protectors are likely here for me, or it might be my guys. Either way, I’m no use at the back, and demons might die if they fight them,” I tell him, not waiting for his reaction as I call my wings. As soon as they appear, I fly up in the air and through the crowd. I land right in the middle of three demons and the wall of fire. I don’t notice until I land how everything has gone deadly silent. The three demons lower the purple fireballs in their hands, putting them out, and looking between each other. I scan around the crowd, noticing how so many of them are whispering and gaping at me. I forgot how seeing anyone with wings might be a shock to them.

  “I don’t know what you are, but you need to move. We can’t have Protectors left alive who know about this place,” the largest of the three demons tells me, his eyes drift
ing over my wings.

  “I am a Protector, and I lived here nearly my entire life. Should I die as well?” I shout back, my voice echoing around the silence of demons watching me. They look so confused on what to do with my answer that it is hard not to laugh. Demons kill Protectors because of who they are and the same way around. Yet, I’m literal proof that Protectors can live with demons, even fall in love with them.

  “You have wings…Protectors don’t have wings,” I hear someone over the whispering crowd.

  “I am half angel as well,” I answer simply. I’m not hiding anything from them.

  “Angels don’t exist anymore! So, you are lying! We need to kill the Protectors!” the large demon in front of me shouts in my face. I raise an eyebrow at him as I hold my hand out, calling a ball of holy fire into existence with my rune.

  “They kill demons. We kill them. Will there ever be anything other than death?” I ask, curious.

  “Why do you care? You are one of them!” a random demon woman shouts.

  “This Protector was the one that saved us in Hell. This Protector is the deadly assassin who is known to save any demon she can. She is the Salvatore,” a woman shouts, and the crowd once again goes silent except for hushed whispers. A red-haired demon walks out the crowd and over to me, then goes down on one knee. I search her face, remembering how different she looked in Hell. The demon has clearly been eating, cleaning herself up and I’m sure protecting herself since our last meeting.

  “Do not bow,” I bite out, stepping closer, and offering her my hand to get up. She gently knocks my hand away.

  “We bow, and you accept this sign of respect. We do not bow for just anyone, now look around at your people,” she demands, not looking up at me once as she speaks, and I look around in shock. Every demon here is on their knees, their heads bowed. Demons bow for no one, not even death itself. All the demons stay on their knees, except Azi who is stood in the middle, his arms crossed as he stares at me. Azi walks through the crowd and stops next to the woman in front of me, before kneeling and bowing his head.

  “Why are you bowing, Azi?” I ask in awe.

  “The demons haven’t had a Salvatore in all their history. We have never had someone on our side who wasn’t one of us,” he says, and looks up at me.

  “Demons will rise,” I whisper, and Azi stands up, shaking his head.

  “Demons will survive! Salvatore will save us, and a new queen will rise!” he shouts, and the demons repeat it over and over until it is all that you can hear.

  “Evie?” I turn at the small, cracked voice and see the wall of flames is gone. Connor, Trex and Nix are stood in the middle, covered in blood and bruises. Trex is leaning on a gold sword, holding my purple one in his other hand and he can barely hold his head up as blood pours from a wound near his eyebrow. Star is holding Connor up by the looks of it, as there is a lot of blood on his leg, but I can’t see how bad it is through his jeans. I know all the blood on them can’t be just theirs. No one would survive that. I finally look to Nix, who is holding his bleeding arm as he stares around at the demons. They look like shit, and why do I feel sick just looking at them? I run over to them before I can even think it through, hearing Azi quickly catching up behind me.

  “What happened?” I demand, inspecting Connor first. I rip at his jeans and see a giant cut all up his leg. How he is standing is beyond me, and if he isn’t healing himself, he must have used too much holy fire to keep the wall up or in the fight. I stand up and place my hands on his face. “Do you want to sit as I heal you? This is a big injury, and it is going to hurt like a bitch,” I warn him, and he shakes his head. I call my healing rune and place my hands against his chest. My rune burns as it heals him, but I’m not letting go until he can at least stand. Connor bites down hard on his lip, the pain-filled grunts actually hurting my chest to hear. Whoever did this to my guys is going to pay.

  “Erica sent Protectors after us. There were at least ten, and we are lucky Star warned us something was coming so we could get weapons,” Trex says, answering my question and flashing a thankful look at Star. Star stays very still as I continue to heal Connor and sweat drips down my face.

  “Best gift ever,” Nix laughs low, his hand covering his arm, and he must be healing himself. I glance back at Trex and know he needs help, but I can’t move, and he only shakes his head at me.

  “Why didn’t you go somewhere else? They could have killed you here. None of you are in a position to fight a city of demons!” I scold them as Connor places his hand over mine and pushes it away.

  “I can stand now. Thank you, Blue. Go to Trex,” Connor says and stands, just very shakily, but it’s enough to make me believe him. I make my wings go away as I look over my guys and start to feel beyond very angry. Erica can’t keep getting away with what she wants and doing what she pleases.

  “We have healers that can help,” the redheaded demon woman says, coming over to us as I walk to Trex. I look around at all the demons watching us and back to my guys. Trex grabs my hand as I go to place it on him and heal him.

  “You need to keep your strength. I’m fine and can heal myself.”

  “Not one bit of you looks fine, Trex,” I reply.

  “I mean it, I don’t need your help,” he snaps, and I shake my head, stepping away. I’m pretty sure he is going to pass out any moment, and then I can heal him anyway.

  “Heal them for me, and I will owe you a debt. I have somewhere I need to go,” I say quietly to the demon. I look towards Azi, who sighs as he clearly overheard.

  “In and out? Yeah? If you’re not back here in fifteen minutes, I am coming after you, Vi,” he says, just as Trex collapses to the floor. I run back to him, feeling his neck and the pulse that is there. I don’t want to admit that I would be seriously pissed if the asshole died. Nix rushes to his side and starts healing him as I make myself stand up.

  “Evie?” Nix asks, when I turn away from them and go to Azi, who wordlessly hands me my dagger back. I didn’t want to scare the demons by flying in here with a weapon, but I do need it for where I’m going. I don’t care one bit if the protectors are scared of me.

  “Stay here. I don’t need help with this one, well maybe just a cat’s help,” I grin, walking over to Star and placing my hand on her head to stroke her. “You want to help me deliver a message?” Star only pushes her head further into my hand as an answer. Star is covered in blood, but I think it will only help the Protectors see how serious I am.

  “Are you sure you don’t want us with you, love?” Nix asks, guessing where I am going and not looking happy about it. His voice is tired and clearly in pain, and he is still ready to fight for me. Azi goes to their side and nods once at me. He will sort them out until I’m back.

  “No. I am not hiding any longer,” I state firmly. “Everyone needs to damn well know who I am. No more hiding in the shadows.”

  “Who are you?” the demon woman asks as I make a portal appear.

  “The damn fucking princess of the Protectors, and I am going to claim my throne. When I become queen, Protectors will no longer hunt innocent demons. Times are changing, and demons will survive,” I say, my voice carrying along in the wind like a prayer. And in my mind, it is a promise.

  Fifty-Seven

  Evie

  The portal lands Star and me directly outside the room I met the keepers in last time. The throne rooms. Which is unfortunately guarded by Protectors who look half asleep until they realise we are here and alarms on their watches start beeping. The three guards run at me, their spears held high. Star jumps at one of them as I throw a wave of holy fire at one guard and round house kick the other that gets to me. Both of them slam into the wall, knocking their heads and collapsing. Star has knocked the other one out and is sitting on him, which makes me smirk.

  “Well that was easier than expected,” I say, smoothing down my dress. Not even one rip. Score. I pick up one of the guards by his hood, and Star runs to my side. I look up at the statue of the woman with the f
our runes on her arms as she bows. I never did ask what the black rune does. When the guys are better, I need to learn that one.

  “Time to do this,” I tell Star, needing a second before I walk forward and kick the doors open. A least ten people gasp, some scream as I walk into the room, and others run away as fast as they can. I so want to shout, “Surprise!” but I hold off on that one. There are hundreds of Protectors here, most standing around by the walls, and the ones in the middle back away as I walk through them. Erica is sitting on the throne at the back of the room, five keepers at her sides, their faces hidden in hoods, so I don’t know if one of them is keeper Grey. Erica drops the glass of wine in her hand as she jolts back in shock, and it smashes on the gold floor, the red wine looking like blood as it spreads around her feet. Her black hair is up in an impressive bun, with curls hanging out, and her blue eyes couldn’t look more shocked.

  "Did you miss me?" I ask, dragging the guard by his hood across the shiny glass floor. I drop him in the middle of the room, and they all just stare, speechless. "I'll take that as a yes."

  “How dare you come in here—” one of the keepers starts to say, and I tune out his rant as I stare at Erica who hasn’t taken her eyes off me. Her red nails are digging into the gold throne, her blue eyes narrowed, and every bit of her looks like she wants nothing more than to kill me. Erica stands as I say the words I know she feared I would speak.

  “I am Evelina Ravenwood. Daughter of Eella Ravenwood, and I am here to make a claim to the throne,” I shout. Silence follows my declaration until everyone starts shouting and demanding to know the truth. Most demand that I am lying, others seem to believe me straight away which makes me think they knew all along. There was no way some Protectors didn’t see the queen and my father at times. One of the keepers walks in front of all the others, and I know from the white hair hanging out his hood who he is. Keeper Cadean lowers his hood and starts clapping his hands until there is silence in the room, and I tighten my grip on my dagger. Star growls loudly at him, and I place my hand on her head to stop her jumping at him. Even if I would love nothing more than to see Star rip the dickhead to pieces.