“If you think a weak attack like that is going to down an ex-steroid heavenly hunter, then you’ve got a surprise coming,” I said.
At that moment, several arrows fired into the dust-devil’s back as Amelia stood up. The dust-devil shimmered then bust into fiery particles before dissipating. She sighed.
“Was that necessary?” I said, waggling my finger at her.
“What?” she asked.
“Giving that thing a false sense of security before killing it in one move.”
Amelia smiled. “Just hurry and finish charging your stupid sword.”
The following morning, I awoke to a poke on my cheek. My eyes shot open to see Amelia and her friends surrounding my bed, smiling. They were dressed in casual clothing.
“Happy birthday!” they chorused, startling me to the core. I honestly didn’t know what to say. It reminded me of childhood, how Amelia was actually the only one who always wished me a happy birthday. Well…I did the same thing. From age five to eight. My ex-clan, Helios, or my family, didn’t really give a shit about that kind of thing. They saw it as a human tradition, especially for corporations. Which isn’t entirely untrue. Then in Hell, it was nothing but brutality. But you know that, already.
Then the embarrassment started. The women all started singing that fucking annoying Happy Birthday song. I ducked under my blankets to cover my blush. I could feel it burning like the surface of a volcano.
Amelia yanked the covers off as they reached the last verse, and kissed me. This was actually the first time she had made it clear that I was her territory. Her friends let out a group “aw.”
“Come on, get dressed,” Amelia said. “We’re going out. Mall first, then the aquarium, and after that, I’m going to introduce you to angel-balling.”
“Angel-balling?”
“You’ll see. It’s lots of fun,” Keisha said.
“I know, right?” Jade said.
“It’s not really my thing,” Amanda said. “But it is cool.”
“Sounds interesting. Well, I’m going to shower and get ready. Should we skip straight to it afterwards?” I said.
“Nope.” Amanda said.
Fuck. I really wasn’t up for the mall. The aquarium sounded interesting, though. I’d never been to one.
After getting ready for the day, I met with the others and off we went.
Traffic sucked as usual when Amanda drove us downtown. Her road rage was a little tamed today. Somehow, along the way, I convinced them to do the mall thing last. The aquarium was a real piece of work, I’ll give it that. Since it was only eleven in the morning, the place wasn’t overly crowded. I watched some seahorses swim by at the first stop, then we moved on. There were a lot of awesome marine life that I had only read about or seen on TV, from large turtles to sharks, and even a dolphin or two. The aquarium was cool, overall, but not what I looked forward to the most. We spent maybe an hour or two there then decided it was time for the real fun.
Amanda took us onto the interstate.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“To the game location,” Amelia said. “We can’t play angel-ball out in the city for everyone to see.”
We drove a half-hour to the middle of nowhere —a wide-open grassy area consisting of a few trees, some small hills here and there, but no people. Amelia pulled out a large cooler filled with ice, water bottles, Gatorade, and a plastic container of sandwiches from the trunk and sat it on top of the car. I guess now would be the perfect time to mention that it was spring and hot. Not hot as Hell, so it didn’t bother me much, but still uncomfortable. The only things that I like heated are my showers, food, and hot chocolate. Not me.
Jade passed everyone different colored bookmarked-sized flags with straps on them. My flag was red.
“Strap them to your waist or belt loop or something,” she said.
“You said this is angel-ball,” I said. “Where the hell’s the ball?” I held up a hand before a smiling Jade could answer. “The real ball.”
“Just be patient,” Amelia said, then addressed me. “First, let’s get about thirty feet apart.” We made our way to the center of the grassland and did just that. A cool breeze brushed across my face. Amelia raised a hand into the air. It shimmered. From the sparks, a basketball-sized sphere of white light formed just inches above her hand. “The rules are very simple and straightforward. First of all, the goal is to get everyone’s flags. Easy, right?” She was addressing me, if that wasn’t obvious enough.
“Yeah, but ——”
She continued, interrupting me. “Well, here’s the catch. You must push this ball into someone. That person will be stunned. That is your chance to snag the flag. You cannot take someone’s flag unless they’re stunned. Of course, the spell on the flags will prevent you from doing so anyway.”
“So, the ball temporarily shuts down the spell, giving us the chance to swipe it?” I asked.
Amelia nodded. “Right. Which is why we’re spread out. When we start, it will move in a random direction on its own. It is up to anyone to get it, shove, and hit your first target.”
“Sounds fun, let’s give this a go,” I said. Amelia hurried to her position, clapped her hands once, and that’s when the ball began to move.
I burst into a sprint toward it, moving like the wind, eager to be the first to shove it. And Amelia was my target. Too bad she beat me to it. I barely dodged her ball; I could’ve sworn it moved almost a hundred miles an hour. Amanda gained control of it and once again, I found myself dodging, though the ball was much slower. That seemed like a pass to Keisha. Guess what? I had to evade it. These bitches were deliberately targeting me! I decided this area was a kill zone and sprinted about twenty feet away. Keisha had Amanda’s flag in her hand when I faced their way again.
“Eliminated,” she said and then turned her gaze my way, smug smile on her face. She barely dodged Jade’s ball.
“Don’t let Epex get away,” Amelia said, laughing.
“Oh, fucking come on,” I muttered, letting out a laugh myself. Before I knew it, I was back to dodging, but this time it didn’t take long to find the opening I needed. I shoved the ball at Keisha. It connected. I didn’t waste any time and snagged the flag. She groaned in defeat and marched off the field seconds later, toward the cooler. When Amelia shoved the ball in my direction, I dodged it by a hair. Two times, three times —whew, I found myself sweating and panting. Amelia seemed to be just getting started. She passed it to Jade. Jade launched it at me. I saw that chance—Jade’s hand didn’t fully connect with the ball. Big mistake. The speed, angle, and trajectory was just right and that put me back on the offensive, taking out Jade. Now only Amelia and I were left. The ball was already sort of floating in her direction, its anti-gravity properties flexing without a care in the world.
She beamed at me.
I sprinted away and dove behind a tree just as the ball sailed past me.
Whew! That was close.
But it wasn’t over just yet. I bolted after the damn thing but Amelia quick-ascended to it.
“That’s so not fair,” I said, unable to contain my grin.
She shrugged. “So?”
She rocketed the ball at me, breaking the fucking sound barrier. I dove to the side while charging force. If she wanted to play this game, then fine. Unfortunately, Amelia didn’t stop the quick-ascensions. She nearly hit me several times. Her friends hooted and cheered, getting off on this. “You can’t dodge forever, Epex. While you’re exhausted, I’m just getting started.”
I inhaled softly and then exhaled and waited patiently. She spiked the ball at me, breaking the sound barrier, ready to end the game. I used force. It worked. Amelia’s eyes widened as the ball damn-near teleported to her, smacking her in the rack. I casually walked over to her, big fucking grin on my face, and snatched her flag. She sighed. “First time playing our game and Epex wins.”
“Well, how about that.” I said. “But in my defense, if you would’ve kept it fair, you probably wo
uld’ve taken this one.”
I helped her up, trying not to gaze at the sweat that trickled down to her breasts. Amelia glared at me, barely hiding a tiny smile. I smiled unapologetically.
“Let’s eat, go home, get showered, and head to the mall. I think birthday boy’s ego needs to be put back into check.” Her friends nodded, smiling, and voicing their agreements.
I frowned.
After we left Amanda’s house the second time, we sadly drove to the mall. I expected to be holding their bags as punishment. But, instead, we stopped in front of Sin and Amony in an awkward stare-down. Shit.
Chapter Twenty-two
I could feel Amelia’s cool anger as she glared. I made sure my body was between them and her.
“I suppose I should make this awkward introduction,” Sin said.
“I already know who you are,” she replied, her voice still cold. She turned her gaze to Amony. “Witch. Tell me, what are you both doing here?”
If Amony was frightened, she didn’t show it. “Shopping. Nothing more, nothing less.”
Amelia studied them for a bit, then sighed. “Just don’t cause trouble in my city.” She strode forward, followed by her friends. Amony turned her gaze to me.
“Don’t be late tonight. I’ve recruited a new guy.”
“Well that was fast,” I said.
“Epex, let’s go,” Amelia called from afar. I almost said something, but decided against it. Last thing I needed was death by Amelia, or her attention drawn toward Sin and Amony. She pretty much had given them a pass. No need to go and fuck it up.
“We’ll talk later,” Sin said. “Just get going, birthday boy.”
I rolled my eyes before walking off. I hated it when demons or devils did the mind-dive bullshit to learn everything they need to know about you in an instant. Sure, I can look into people’s souls, but only under certain conditions. And I don’t abuse that ability.
Just then, my heavenly-being senses ticked. No, ticked isn’t the right word for it. They exploded so hard that my head ached in recoil. I had one second to react, and I dove out of the way as a giant fucking fist plummeted from the sky, through the roof of the mall, and at me. So much for the misthanger queen’s protection. So much for Amony’s protection. I expected a follow-up attack but nothing happened. The humans were panicking, not because of the fist, but because the roof was falling out of nowhere. I was certain that they couldn’t see the attacker. Amelia and her friends rushed to my side.
“Epex, we’ve got to go, come on!” Amelia said.
“I think the god’s gone,” I told them. “That was a warning.”
“Who do you think attacked?” Keisha asked.
“Honestly, I don’t know,” I replied. “Gods can do all kinds of crazy shit.”
“We need to leave the scene,” Jade said. “Unless you want to be interviewed by the human cops.”
“Fine,” I said. I saw Sin from afar. He nodded at me, then walked away with Amony. Just fucking great. I hate being reminded that I’m on the run from every god in the universe. Not even a powerful being like the misthanger queen could shield me, at least not for long. If they knew I was in the city, I was fucked. But I guess I should’ve known there wasn’t anywhere I could hide.
As our group exited the mall, I began to feel uneasy. My heavenly-being shifted into overdrive.
“Amelia,” I said.
“I know,” she replied.
Then… a feminine voice shouted from the sky, “You’re getting complacent, fugitive demigod. Makes the hunt less fun, I guess. But soon, you’ll be in bitter agony, rotting in the depths of Hell, and I’ll be moving on to the next hunt. At least make this a challenge for me. Ba-bye.”
The presence vanished entirely, leaving me standing with widened eyes. Shit. Shit, shit shit, shit!
We all looked at each other.
“Do you know who that is?” I asked Amelia. She spaced out. “Amelia!”
“Maybe. Don’t worry about it right now. I’ll investigate,” she said.
I shot her a questioning glance. She returned it with a reassuring look. But that didn’t disguise the worry—I felt that from her. Still, I needed to let Amelia know that I trusted her and her methods.
“All right, I’ll leave it to you,” I said.
Chapter Twenty-Three
That night after everyone had dinner, and showered, and so on, we went off to bed. It didn’t take long for Amelia to crawl in and cuddle against me. I lay on my back, staring at the ceiling, my mind racing. Another hunter had appeared, and Amelia seemed to know her. Great. Just when I thought that maybe things could go right for once, that maybe my fresh start on life would lead to greatness. Not death by hunters.
I did find it strange that despite being with me, not a single heavenly fuck targeted Amelia. Was it because they believed she was too goody-goody to betray them? If that was the case, she would’ve turned me in already, right? Amelia isn’t the deceitful type. Not saying any of the heavenly beings are impure, but those of the Venus Clan valued purity more than everyone else, even ours, Helios. This possibly meant that they truly thought her imprinted mind was the cause of her decisions. Her leaders never once thought to talk with Amelia. This assumption worked in her favor, for now. Either that or no one knew she shielded me. Which meant that among Paradise Realm’s most wanted list, I could be at the top, tier one for sure thanks to Yulese. Fuck.
I turned to see Amelia, looking at me with eyes that put even the greenest of pastures to shame. Something within me struck hard. If I lost her in this mess, a part of me would break. Was…I actually growing attached to her?
“What are you thinking, Epex?” she said, softly.
I sighed. “The list is too long.”
“Don’t worry so much,” Amelia said. “I will protect you.” She closed her eyes. The warmth of the goddess calmed me down. I placed a hand on her face. She smiled as she grabbed my hand with both of hers.
“You’re all I have,” I said. “You’re the only one that gives a damn about me. Everyone else just want my blood.”
She opened her eyes to gaze into mine. “Things will get better. This is a great trial, and I bet your father knows that. Not matter what rubbish gets thrown at you, no matter what knocks you down, get back up again and face it. Overcome it.”
I nodded and turned my gaze back at the ceiling. Despite everything she had just said, I knew I wasn’t the “good” guy. I was being hunted by heavenly hunters for attempted murder against the current ruler of the universe and actual murder of Yulese and his misthanger servants. Even if it was self-defense, a crime is a crime in Paradise Realm’s book. It didn’t help that my track record sucked. My running only delayed the inevitable. I waited an hour to make sure Amelia was sound asleep, and then slowly pulled myself out of the bed. If she had woken up, I would’ve used the good ole, ‘gotta take a piss’ excuse. Fortunately, she didn’t, and away I went.
As I walked into Secure Corps, eyes settling on the security guard attendant, I let out a tired breath. Mickey and four others shared the day shifts. The building was normally shut down at night but with this meeting happening, somebody had to stand watch. Amony had no problem employing her night security to handle said duties. The middle-aged man grunted as he glanced at my badge and ID before letting me inside.
When I entered the meeting room, I immediately took notice of the new guy. He was a black man who looked to be about twenty-seven or so, dressed in a suit, sunglasses on his forehead. He looked like a CIA or FBI agent, faded haircut, sharp green eyes.
“Have a seat,” Amony said. I did. “This is Devante Harris. He’s the recruit I’ve told you about.”
“So, let me get this straight,” I said. “You involved the cops in something this dangerous?”
“I’m actually a professor at Middleburg University,” Devante said. “Prof during the day, sorcerer at night.”
I shot him a skeptical look and then turned to Amony.
“Devante, he’s not much of
a believer,” she said. “Demonstration, please.”
Devante raised his hand slightly, palm up. Without muttering a single word or making any gestures, light flickered three inches above his palm before morphing into a bright orange fireball the size of a basketball.
My eyes widened. Sorcerers didn’t worship demons like witches did, but they still weren’t in the smiling eyes of Paradise Realm. Tampering with nature and power that didn’t belong to you was a serious offense. Of course, Conus wouldn’t send them to Hell if they gave up sorcery to turn a new life of goody good. As for those that used it to kill or conquer, sometimes angels of vengeance visited. Let’s just say that if that sorcerer didn’t pack some very serious power to either kill the angel or get away, he was tossed into the depths, no questions asked. Knowing this much, I eyed Devante. I didn’t give a fuck about what he did with his life, but I also couldn’t have him attracting angels.
“You know the risks of sorcery, right?” I said.
“Of course,” he said. “Use it for good and you won’t attract them.”
“Sometimes you could attract them anyway,” I said. “Curiosity is a thing.”
“But he won’t,” Amony said. “The angels don’t go after witches, right?”
“That’s because you idiots don’t pull from nature like sorcerers do. Most of you pull from your demon gods.” I shook my head. “And you know the price you’ll eventually pay.”
Amony only smiled. “Someone’s in a feisty mood.”
I turned my gazed to Elly. She was playing on her phone, not caring one bit about this conversation.
“So, you’re in on infiltrating Sunset?” I asked Devante.
“Of course,” he said. “I owe the fuckers some payback for what they did to my sister.”
At that moment, I peered into his past. Non-sorcerer Devante visited his family after finishing doctorate and surprised his sister at her school. While walking her home, they were attacked by four men, whom I assumed were goons of Sunset. Three ganged up on him with superhuman strength while the other dragged his sister off. The rape lasted a few minutes before they robbed them both of their cash and fled. After that, his sister hadn’t been the same. She didn’t socialize. She became suicidal. Devante wanted revenge. Somehow, he ran into a shady monk who revealed to him what the attackers were. He warned Devante that fighting them was pointless. Devante begged for a way to get revenge and to heal his sister. The monk watched the man in silence before agreeing to teach him sorcery.
Hell to Pay (Blood for Soul Book 1) Page 10