The Angel Trials (Dark World: The Angel Trials Book 1)

by Michelle Madow

  He was cute. I wasn’t sure how old he was, but he looked around my age, or maybe a few years older. With his tanned skin and long blond hair, I guessed he was here on vacation to catch some waves.

  “You should go talk to him,” Tiffany said.

  “Just walk up to him?” I balked. “And say what?”

  “Thank him for the drink,” Amy said. “He bought it for you, so he wants you to go talk to him. It’s the perfect in.”

  “Hmm.” I didn’t look in his direction, since I didn’t want him to know we were talking about him. “He’s cute, but tonight we came out for my birthday. I want to hang out with the three of you—not with a tourist who’s only in town temporarily.”

  “How do you know he’s a tourist?” Kaitlin asked.

  “We’re on the Santa Monica Pier,” I deadpanned. “Everyone here is a tourist.”

  She nodded, apparently not going to bother arguing with that one.

  “He’s still looking at you.” Amy leaned forward and smiled like a giddy schoolgirl.

  “Just go talk to him for a few minutes,” Tiffany said. “Find out if he’s local or not. We’ll still be here when you’re done.”

  “Fine,” I gave in, since he was cute. “If you insist.”

  I stood up and turned around, my breath catching in my chest when my eyes met his. He angled his body toward me and gave me a small smile—a clear indicator that my friends were right. He wanted me to go talk to him.

  I straightened and took a deep breath in, holding my drink tighter for comfort. I wasn’t sure why I was so nervous. It wasn’t like this was the first time I’d ever talked to a guy.

  But something about him felt… different.

  One of my friends nudged me—I didn’t look to see which one—and I got the hint. I couldn’t keep standing there staring at him.

  So I flipped my hair over my shoulder, and as confidently as I could, walked in his direction.

  Raven

  For a moment I thought you weren’t going to come over here.” He smiled when I reached him—a relaxed smile that I was sure put everyone at ease. Now that I was closer, I saw that his eyes were as blue as the Pacific Ocean itself.

  “I’m out with my friends for my birthday.” I motioned to where they sat around the table, trying—and failing—to look like they weren’t watching us. “But since you were so kind to buy me a drink, I figured the least I could do was come over here and thank you personally.”

  “Happy birthday.” He raised his drink—some kind of fancy liquor that I’d expect an old businessman to be drinking—and raised an eyebrow. “What’s your name?”

  “Raven,” I said.

  “Nice to meet you, Raven.” He clinked his drink with mine. “I’m Eli.”

  I took a sip of my drink and fiddled with my necklace, unable to ignore the nudging feeling in my mind telling me to go back and rejoin my friends. The feeling made no sense, since Eli was being a perfect gentleman, but it was there.

  “Would you care to join me?” He motioned to the empty seat next to him at the bar.

  I glanced over my shoulder at my friends. The moment I looked over, they all looked away, pretending to be engrossed in conversation.

  “I understand that you’re here to spend time with your friends, so I won’t keep you from them for long,” he said, and I turned back to look at him, captivated in his ocean blue eyes once more. “I promise.”

  His immediate understanding of my feelings put me slightly more at ease.

  “Whether or not I join you depends on how you answer one important question,” I said, holding my gaze with his.

  “Intriguing.” He smirked—apparently I’d piqued his interest. “What’s your question?”

  “Are you a tourist, or do you live here?”

  If he was a tourist, I’d go back with my friends. If he lived here, it seemed fair enough to give him a chance.

  “And why does everything rest on this question?” He was quick to respond.

  “Because if you’re a tourist, you’ll be gone in a few days,” I said. “If you’re from here, then…” I shrugged, not wanting to come off as one of those girls who was always planning ahead—even though I was one of those girls who was always planning ahead. “Then who knows?”

  “I’m not a tourist,” he said. “I’m new in town.”

  “Oh?” I raised an eyebrow and slid into the seat next to him, since that was the deal I’d made with myself before asking the question. “What brings you to LA?”

  “A job.” He took a sip of his drink, not looking like he wanted to elaborate.

  “What kind of job?” I couldn’t resist asking. Curiosity was practically embedded in my DNA.

  “That’s top secret.” He swirled his drink, his eyes locked on mine. “Let’s just say that I… hunt for things. I’m a collector of sorts.”

  “Okay…” I twisted at my necklace. He was looking at me like I was one of those things he was hunting, and discomfort descended upon me again.

  Maybe I should have gone back to my friends earlier—or not have approached him at all.

  “Tell me about your necklace.” He reached for my hand to stop my fidgeting. “It’s a very unique piece.”

  I pulled my hand away from his, reaching for my drink to take a sip. Eli’s mention of the necklace reminded me of my “Plan B” when it came to trying to make a guy not interested anymore—saying a bunch of strange stuff to make him think I was a complete weirdo, so he’d be glad when I walked away.

  The necklace gave me the perfect opportunity to do just that.

  “This necklace isn’t actually mine.” I reached for it again, gazing at him like I was preparing to tell him a deep, dark secret. “It’s my mom’s. She gave it to me for protection… because she’s a witch.”

  “A witch?” Eli raised an eyebrow, apparently intrigued.

  That wasn’t the reaction I was hoping for.

  “What makes her think that?” he prodded.

  “One of my ancestors was killed in the European witch trials.” I spoke slowly, like I was telling a scary story around a campfire. “But the people who were killed weren’t innocent like history says. They were actual, real life witches. My ancestor was a witch… and so is my mom.”

  “What about you?” He leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. “Are you a witch?”

  He was getting pretty excited about this witch stuff. Maybe I needed to tone it down a bit.

  “No,” I said, since it was the truth. “But my mom isn’t convinced. That’s why she wants me to wear her special crystal necklace. She thinks it’ll bring out my powers.” I widened my eyes, positive that I looked like an absolute crazy person.

  “Is it working?” He focused on the necklace, nearly salivating as he looked at it.

  I pulled away, reaching for the necklace to stop him from trying to touch it. “Of course not.” I laughed in an attempt to throw him off. “I’m not a witch, and neither is my mom, no matter how much she wants to think otherwise. Witches don’t exist.”

  “You’d be surprised,” he said, and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

  “Despite being constantly surrounded by people who believe the paranormal exists, I’ve yet to be surprised.” I stood up and grabbed my drink, flipping my hair over my shoulder. “Anyway, it was nice chatting, and thanks again for the drink, but it’s time I head back to my friends.”

  I turned around and headed back to the table, not wanting to give him the chance to ask me another question. I felt a little bad for blowing him off, but at the same time… something about Eli gave me the creeps.

  And it didn’t take a witch or a psychic to know that when a creepy guy was hitting on you, it was best to walk away as quickly as possible.

  Raven

  My friends and I hung out at the table with another round of drinks, although I felt like Eli was watching me the entire time. I was relieved when he finally left the restaurant. Once he was gone, I got up to use the restroom.
/>   The room swayed a bit when I stood. I guessed that was to be expected after all the drinks. I barely managed to walk straight toward the hall in the back where the bathrooms were located, but I made it.

  I definitely needed to have a glass or two of water once I got back to the table.

  After washing my hands, I paused in front of the mirror to steady myself and freshen up. My long, wavy red hair was a mess, and my makeup was smudged around my eyes since I’d had it on since opening the store.

  I tried wiping under my eyes with a paper towel and running my fingers through my hair to soften it up, but it was hopeless. I supposed my grunge look would have to do.

  I’d just stepped out of the bathroom when a big hand wrapped around my mouth, and a sharp metal object pressed against my neck. “Scream and I’ll slit your throat,” the guy whispered hotly in my ear.

  My heart leaped in terror. Was I being mugged?

  I eyed the back hallway, praying someone would turn the corner toward the restrooms. No such luck. I tried to scream despite his warning, but it was muffled against his hand.

  Not again, I thought as he forced me through the back door, into the alley behind the restaurant.

  Why had I thought that? I’d never been mugged or taken against my will before.

  But it was happening now. And the sooner I got away, the better my chance of survival.

  I needed to fight.

  I squirmed and struggled, but it was hopeless. This guy was strong. My attempts to escape didn’t bother him in the slightest. I wasn’t even sure if he’d noticed.

  So I rammed the stiletto of my boot straight into the top of his foot.

  He flinched, but his hold on me didn’t loosen. “Bitch,” he grunted. “Don’t try that again.”

  I struggled again anyway, but his hold was so tight that it was like trying to push through concrete.

  “Eligos,” another man said from behind us. “I see you’ve brought me a present.”

  My captor twisted us around, bringing me face to face with a fit, middle-aged man in jeans and a zipped leather jacket standing next to an overflowing dumpster. I could have sworn that his eyes glowed red for a moment, but it had to have been the lighting.

  “This one’s weak,” my captor said. Now that he wasn’t whispering, I recognized his voice. It was Eli. “But her necklace will lead us to a stronger one.”

  The middle-aged man walked closer to me. I struggled again, and he eyed me up, like he was getting pleasure from my fear. Once there was only a foot between us, he reached forward and ripped my mom’s necklace right off me.

  He barely glanced at it before shoving it into his pocket.

  “She’s definitely weak,” he said. “But it can’t hurt to add her to the collection. Plus, she’s not bad on the eyes, is she?” He chuckled, lust burning in his gaze as he ran his finger down my cheek.

  I would have spit at him if Eli’s hand hadn’t been covering my mouth.

  “She’s a bitch,” Eli said. “I wouldn’t expect to get much fun out of her.”

  Horror dawned on me as I realized what was going on. They were traffickers kidnapping me for a sex ring.

  I refused to let that be my fate. I needed to get away from them.

  But how?

  We were in a back alley, they were two strong men, and Eli had a knife to my throat. With his hand covering my mouth, I couldn’t even scream.

  I’d never felt so helpless in my life.

  But there had to be something I could do. After all, I’d rather have him slit my throat than be forced to do whatever they were kidnapping me for.

  So I rammed my elbows into his stomach, hoping to knock the wind out of him so he’d let me go. From there, I’d run.

  Pain reverberated through my arms, like I’d smacked my elbows into a wall. I would have collapsed from sheer agony if Eli’s arms hadn’t been around me.

  “They always think they can fight.” The older man shook his head. “Their entire species is pathetic.”

  It shouldn’t have been surprising that a trafficker was a sexist prick, but I narrowed my eyes at him anyway.

  “She’ll learn who her true boss is soon enough.” Eli’s tongue snaked in and out of my ear, and I swallowed down the bile that rushed up my throat. “They all will.”

  Suddenly, two people appeared from around the corner, running so quickly that they were a blur.

  Once they stopped, I recognized them instantly—the leather-clad couple who had refused to take our picture at the entrance of the Pier.

  The guy freed me from Eli’s grasp in seconds, and he shoved me toward his female companion.

  She caught me before I tumbled to the ground, holding me steady. “Stand back,” she said.

  I didn’t have time to process what was happening before she let go of me and ran toward the older man, her knife raised in the air.

  He shimmered and disappeared.

  She ran straight through the place where he’d been standing, stopping and looking around in confusion.

  I blinked, sure I must not have seen that correctly. But apparently, I had.

  The man was gone.

  And the girl’s male companion—the guy who had saved me—had Eli pinned against the wall. They struggled, but despite Eli’s strength, my savior was stronger.

  He raised his knife and shoved it into Eli’s heart.

  Eli disintegrated on the spot. He was there one second, and gone the next. Like he’d never existed at all.

  This was insane. The first man disappearing… Eli disintegrating… it wasn’t possible. I had to be hallucinating.

  Eli must have slipped something into my drink while we’d been chatting at the bar.

  Maybe the two who had saved me were helping me, or maybe they were members of a rival gang and were going to kidnap me themselves.

  But I didn’t plan on finding out. Right now, all that mattered was getting to safety.

  So I rushed for the door and flung it open, hurrying into the restaurant without stopping to look behind me.

  Noah

  The demon disintegrated, and I turned around, ready to fight the other one that Sage had run to attack.

  Sage was there, her eyes wild and frantic, but the demon was gone. I’d have thought she’d killed him, but since I was the only one of us with a slicer, that was impossible.

  “Where’d he go?” I gazed around the alley, my knife raised in preparation.

  “He disappeared,” she said, breathless. “Or teleported. Like some kind of witch.”

  “But that wasn’t a witch,” I stated the obvious. “It was a demon.”

  We stared at each other, and I knew we were thinking the same thing. This was the sixth demon we’d hunted—well, seven, since there were two of them tonight—and we’d never seen a demon teleport.

  Either they were gaining powers, or that wasn’t an ordinary demon.

  “At least the girl’s safe.” I glanced at the door she’d scurried back inside of. Her human mind had likely already rationalized what she’d seen, like most of them did when witnessing a supernatural event. “I wonder what those demons wanted with her?”

  “They were hunting her.” Sage flipped her knife around and slid it back into her boot. “The question is—why her?”

  “No idea.” I shrugged. “Maybe cause she was hot?”

  “Seriously?” She rolled her eyes, although I could tell by the way she chuckled that she was amused. “You managed to check out some human girl while kicking demon ass?”

  “She was the same girl who asked us to take her picture with her friends back at the entrance,” I said, turning my focus back to the demon ash by my feet. As always, all that remained were its teeth.

  I reached down and picked one up—it was yellowed and pointed, like all the demon teeth I’d come across on my hunts—and dropped it in my pocket.

  Six down, four to go.

  “There must have been some reason why the demons chose her,” Sage mused.

  “The
reason why demons are hunting specific humans is something for Annika and her army to figure out at Avalon,” I said, checking my pocket to make sure all six teeth were there. They were. “All I need to worry about is getting those final four demon teeth so I can get to Avalon. And if demons can now teleport, that’s gonna make this mission a hell of a lot harder.”

  “So what’s the plan?” Sage asked.

  “We go to the only person who might have an answer—and who might be able to get us a potion or spell to counteract the teleporting.”

  “Amber.” Sage said it as a statement, not a question.

  “You got it.” I wiped my knife on my jeans and slid it back inside my jacket. “It looks like the witch hasn’t seen the last of us today.”

  Amber

  My sister Bella teleported into the living room with a dirty, chained man by her side. She looked ravishing in a tight red dress with lipstick to match, her dark wavy hair flowing down her back.

  The man was more than twice her size, but he was on his knees, staring up at her as he quivered in terror.

  “Bella?” Our other sister Whitney ran down the stairs, Evangeline hot on her tails.

  Other than me, Whitney was the only other light witch in our circle. Bella, Evangeline, and Doreen all practiced dark magic. Doreen was the only one not home right now, as she was out on a hunt.

  “This scumbag was the leader of a drug ring in Venezuela and is responsible for orchestrating over a hundred murders.” Bella smirked, her hand still gripping his shoulder. “He led us on quite the exhilarating chase.”

  “Well, get him out of the living room and into the dungeon.” I crossed my arms and looked down at him in disgust. “All that blood and dirt on his knees is messing up the new rug.”

  Bella tugged on his chain, dragging the filthy drug lord into the apothecary.

  He followed her without putting up a fight—my sisters always shot their finds with complacent potion to make them easier to handle. The apothecary and the dungeon below were blocked from teleportation spells, so we couldn’t transport the prisoners straight into their cells. It would have been cleaner if we could, but security was a priority.