Imps & Angels

by Indra Frost

  And this time, it wasn’t for show.

  My body was throbbing, and my head felt like it had been caved in as my vision blackened around the edges. And yet, I didn’t pass out.

  I never did; but I was good at pretending. I took this chance to bow out, forcing myself to stay down. It ground against something inside of me, but I needed to get this torture over with. Now wasn't the time to prove my strength.

  After all, I would have to do this all again tomorrow.

  Hairy kicked me a few more times before he must have decided my passed out form had taken enough. The announcement rang through the arena, the winner proclaimed. Everyone knew who it was going to be anyway, this wasn't even a betting fight; it was a prize. I was a prize.

  The crowd still cheered for the pure-bred champion, stomping feet and screaming voices overwhelming my senses.

  Two men came into the ring as Hairy raised his arms and did a victory lap. They grabbed me by the arms, my nose and magical senses identifying them as shifters. Wolves to be exact. The owner had a thing for wolf shifters; he loved to use them to do his dirty work.

  They were the most abundant of the shifter species around by far. They didn’t have the same issues when it came to breeding; a lot of Supes struggled when it came to having children. Creatures like angels, demons, and banshees, that didn’t have human blood, weren’t able to procreate very well. Humans, shifters, and vampires, on the other hand, bred like rats.

  Besides, it was common knowledge that it was easier to procreate with your own kind. Cross-breeding was taboo, and children of those unions were always looked on with a mix of hatred and jealousy. It was why half-breeds like me were frowned upon, and it made it hard to participate in supernatural circles.

  The two shifters lifted and dragged me out of the cage by my arms, not caring for the rest of my damaged body. They dropped me in the hallway outside of the dressing room without bothering to see if I was even still breathing.

  With their job done, they started talking about weekend plans as they walked away.

  It was great knowing you were worth less than trash.

  As soon as the shifters were gone, I pulled myself painfully to my feet, and limped my way towards the stairs. I could already feel myself healing, the bruises fading as the cuts scabbed over. The worst of the injuries would heal with some rest.

  It was late, or early, depending on your view of things; it was almost two in the morning. I needed to get out of here before I got caught. If Greg knew I wasn’t actually unconscious, he would make me help clean.

  I made my way toward the hallway that would lead to the alley. Fear made me pause as something moved out of the corner of my eye, and I turned to scan the area as I crept further into the room.

  As far as Greg was aware, I was a dud in the magic department, but I felt it stir now. The instinct to protect myself from an unknown threat was making the magical flame in my chest flicker to life.

  The rings were empty, and the lack of light cast the equipment in shadows, making them feel more ominous than they had any right to. The polished metal chains shown in the dim safety light over the exit. The darkness didn't affect my vision at all, even if colors were muted.

  Something dark came forward in my mind when I saw another movement, my gaze searching the shadows for whatever I should have been seeing that wasn't there. It was only after I held completely still that I saw him.

  The shape, and his presence, were familiar, though I couldn't pinpoint where from.

  My eyes narrowed at the threat, my head tilting to the side as my magic flared up in response. The flame in my chest was ready and willing to assist me. I knew that it wasn't Greg, and that meant I could allow it to come forward. Heat and energy flowed through me when I pulled on the magic, breathing a sigh as it easily responded. The heat flowed down my arm to pool in my hand, the phantom, smokey shape of a whip taking place.

  The man shape stiffened in surprise, whether at me, or the feel of my magic, I wasn't sure. When he didn't try to attack me, I released my hold on the weapon's image, letting the small trail of smoke dissolve. Then, I deliberately turned my back on the man.

  I didn’t know why he was here, but I could take a guess. Anything that caused Greg even a bit of misery was something I approved of. I would help anyone steal from or sabotage Greg if I could, but the thought alone made the brand on my shoulder burn.

  The shadow released a sound of surprise, knowing that I had seen him, but I ignored it, heading to the back door. I paused before I left the man’s sight, not turning back around.

  “Make it hurt.”

  My words were vicious, and I didn’t bother to pretend that I meant them.

  The only response I got was the burning on my shoulder, and his eyes boring into the back of my head.

  I threw the backdoor open to find another person standing there. Fear surged as he released a startled sound, and I had to suppress one of my own. He was cloaked in magic, the same spell surrounding him as the man inside.

  When he didn't attack me, I chose to ignore his presence. I wasn't sure what they were up to, but on the off chance that it would hurt Greg in some way, I was going to let it happen. I made it to the end of the alley before I turned to face him.

  “You only have half an hour. If he catches your man in there, he’s as good as dead.”

  I felt his surprise but turned away, not giving him a chance to say anything.

  I walked quickly, feeling anxious. It felt like something big was about to happen, and I worried I would get in trouble for my interference.

  There wouldn't be any proof of what happened here tonight. Not my actions, and not the fights. I wouldn’t be saying anything about the break in, and Greg would make sure that no one found out about the fights.

  I continued on, made my way to the down the street and towards the abandoned warehouse I called home. I climbed past the few squatters brave enough to stay after I had chased the others away. My muscles were straining by the second floor, but I had to get to the fourth. It was where I lived, and at times like this, I wondered why I hated myself enough to stay.

  I finally made it and paused in the doorway. My things were all shoved into a pile in the right corner of the long room, my bed nothing more than a small nest of blankets. There wasn't much, but I had a ward set up to protect what little I did have. No one had bothered to try and steal my things; not since I had made an example of the first shifter that had tried.

  As bad as this place was, it was mine.

  I had fought for it, and I defended it. And the best part about it was that Greg didn't know where it was.

  Moving to the pile of blankets I had managed to accumulate over the years, I curled up on the cold floor. Thinking back, I let the events of the day run through my mind before they floated away. The shadow men briefly flitted through my mind, as well as the newest gym member. But those were thoughts for another time and person.

  If Hairy was right about one thing, it was that he wouldn’t be interested. I wouldn’t be able to do anything about it even if he was.

  I went over the moves I had learned today, a few of which I was excited to try. The new guy had used some maneuvers I wasn’t familiar with, and I couldn’t wait to get to the gym tomorrow to try them out. I went over how to best get them to work for me and made any adjustments I thought I would need in my head. I wouldn’t know for sure how they worked until I was able to test them, but for now I could get a general idea.

  Sleep came for me as I went over the actions for a third time. The cold of the warehouse floor seeping into my bones. The chill was a reminder that I was alive, and that I would be forced to deal with Greg again tomorrow.

  “Alyth!”

  I looked up from my punching bag to the owner when he yelled my name from the top of the stairs. He looked stern; his stance aggressive as he stood outside of his office glaring down at me.

  The entire gym fell silent; the regular members were eager to see what drama was about to unfold. No
sy bastards.

  “Yes, Greg?”

  I avoided everyone’s eyes as they burned into me, hiding how uncomfortable it made me feel. I wasn’t scared of him, but I was wary of the power he had over me. It was a power he enjoyed flaunting in front of others. Everyone thought that the special attention he gave me was because I was his favorite. They assumed that I was his protégé, or his slut. Both couldn't be further from the truth.

  I thought of Greg as an uncle. An uncle I didn't like or want. Someone I would kill if given the chance. You know, normal family stuff.

  “Get in here.”

  The gym held its breath as he vanished into the office, his black aura shimmering behind him as it seemed to linger.

  I did as I was told, and I walked stiffly toward the stairs. Everyone’s eyes were on me, and the vicious smile on Hairy’s face sent a chill down my spine. I wasn’t sure what he had done, but I knew I would be the one blamed for it.

  I dragged my feet as I made my way up the stairs, dreading being alone with him. I shut the door, avoiding his gaze as he stood silent, leaning against the wall behind his desk. The room seemed to get smaller, closing in on me and making it harder to breathe.

  His aura was overbearing, and he had a stench that was unique to him as it surrounded and clung to me. Hairy smelled bad because his soul was rotting; Greg’s musk was due to him being a demon, and I had never thought that the scent demons gave off was pleasant. I wondered what I had done this time. What could have happened to cause him to call me in here in the middle of the day?

  A thick, silver ring glinted on his finger as he crossed his arms. It reminded me of the cuts and bruises I had received whenever he backhanded me. The swollen eyes and cut lips from multiple beatings made my face throb with the reminder.

  “Do you know why I called you in here?”

  I raised a brow at him, not responding.

  I had no idea, but I wouldn’t have said anything even if I had. That would have been admitting guilt. The memory of the two men creeping around here last night came to mind, but I was also pretty sure someone was stealing equipment.

  “Someone tried to open my safe last night.”

  He stared at me expectantly, and I avoided his eyes, instead watched his hands as they tightened into a fist.

  It might have scared someone else, but instead of fear I felt my muscles groan. He would punish me whether he had a legitimate reason or not, and I would have no choice but to deal with it.

  “... Oh?” I said, not sure what he wanted me to say.

  His face darkened at my flippant answer. His hand swung out to slap my cheek and sent my head whipping to the side. I clenched my fists below the edge of the desk where he couldn’t see them, but I didn’t let my indifferent expression slip. Though demons naturally ran hotter, my hatred for him made it seem worse. My eyes watered, but I didn’t let him see the effect his abuse had. He would enjoy seeing my pain too much.

  “Did you let someone in here last night?”

  He took a step closer with every word, moving around the desk so he could stop in front of me to get in my face.

  “I did not.” I made sure to enunciate every word, knowing he would hear the truth in my words.

  It wasn't a lie; like most demons, he could sense when someone was lying. I hadn't let anyone in, I just didn’t try to stop the men that were already here. It sucked to hear that they weren’t successful. I would have loved to see Greg’s precious gym shut down along with the underground fighting ring. It would have saved me some pain.

  I had gotten good at twisting the truth over the years. It was a necessity if I wanted to survive and still stick it to him. I couldn't physically harm Greg, that would be going against the terms of the agreement, but that didn’t mean I had to help him.

  Sometimes I could pretend it was enough.

  “Fine.” He bit the word out, angry at my answer, and knowing he couldn't use it as an excuse to punish me.

  He did so love his punishments.

  Greg sat, glaring at me for a while longer. I played at being bored, but I watched him so I could brace for another attack if I needed to.

  “Anything else?” My tone was as bored as my expression, but his face was blank, not telling me anything about what he was thinking.

  “Not right now.” His words were bitter, as he gestured to the door, allowing me to leave.

  I nodded and stood up, ready to get out of there.

  “Alyth?”

  I paused with my hand on the doorknob, frozen. The promise of violence in his voice was too much to ignore, and I knew that he was planning something horrible for me.

  "It's about time you take responsibility for your actions. Consider it a gift that I'm letting you off with a warning. Next time I won't be so understanding."

  I subdued the shiver that wanted to escape at the threat, his gaze burning into the back of my head. I scowled at the door, knowing that he couldn't see me, but still nodded my head in acknowledgment before clearing my face and leaving the room. I headed back down into the gym without fanfare, as most of the people were back to working on their own training regimens. The regulars, however, the fighters from the underground circuit, were watching me for any sign of what had happened.

  I ignored them all, not giving them any clues. Let them drown in their own morbid curiosity.

  The new guy, the angel, was working on the weight machines next to the rings. He was watching the gym, his eyes flicked up to mine for a brief moment as I left the office, then shifting away.

  I watched him as I continued down the stairs. I couldn’t deny that I thought he was handsome. The way he looked, and the way he moved, was both smooth and experienced. His obvious skill in the ring as well made him extremely attractive.

  After a few more minutes of watching him from the corner of my eye, I moved over to a new, secluded section of the gym. When I peeked over again, something about the action he was doing struck me. He wasn't just handsome, he was familiar. I realized that he was one of the men from the night before. When he walked to a new machine, it confirmed it for me. He had been the stranger inside the building.

  I'm not sure what he was looking for last night, but what Greg said earlier made me think that he hadn't gotten it. The fact that he was able to get as far as he did was interesting though. That meant that the angel and magic user were working together to break into the gym. Both angels and demons had magic, but it worked differently than other types. Magic users had magic with a wider variety and range than us, and they were able to manipulate it in different ways. I wasn’t sure what was going on, but it was getting weirder and weirder. Maybe he was making a move on the minor demon’s territory. If that was the case, then it would be nice to see the demon taken down a peg.

  I tried to reason out what was going on. What did he want in Greg's safe? And why did they need it? I wasn’t sure what was in there aside from my contract, but it paid to be cautious. I would be left defenseless if something were to happen, and Greg would enjoy watching me burn, even if the flames weren’t his.

  There were hundreds of possibilities behind their actions, but I didn't want to settle on one yet. If I made a snap decision it may make me miss something obvious. Most people tended to ignore the things they didn't want to see, only looking at the things that would contribute to what they wanted the answer to be. Making a decision would stop me from seeing things objectively.

  The angel in question raised his gorgeous blue eyes up to meet mine before looking around the room again. His gaze paused on something near the ring before he continued on like nothing had happened. But I had been creeping on him, so I saw the odd moment of hesitation.

  My gaze rose to see what made him pause, only to see another newcomer getting ready to fight for entrance. I narrowed my eyes but didn’t do anything else that would bring attention to me or the angel.

  The guy in the ring with Hairy had chestnut hair that was shorter on the sides but left longer on top. It was swept back in a way that made
me think of old money, and his eyes were dark as he stared the wolf shifter down. His white fangs gleamed when he smirked at whatever Hairy was saying, not looking intimidated by the wolf-shifter in the least. He held his arms loosely by his sides; ready, but not concerned about the shifter.

  His eyes flicked up and exchanged a glance with the angel that was quick enough I almost didn’t catch it.

  The look made me wary. Two hot men in two days? Not likely. Something was happening, and I couldn’t decide if I wanted to get in on it, or run away as fast as I could.

  I ambled over to the heavy bags, my usual spot when watching others spar. It gave me a clear view of what was happening but allowed me to stay out of the way. The less attention I brought to myself, the better.

  Hairy was talking to the vampire as they stood in the ring, probably trying to distract him while pretending to explain the rules. He liked to leave a lot of rules out, trying to trip up potential members so Greg wouldn't want them; it meant less competition for him.

  The gym allowed for all fighting styles, and routinely held bouts for boxing and other types of martial arts. Greg used these matches as a way to see the fighters in action, then he picked his favorites, whether it was because of their skill, or their willingness to fight dirty, and allowed them to enter into the underground fights. These illegal fights that he ran were where he made most of his money. And by testing the members he lent the gym a sense of legitimacy that it otherwise lacked.

  Hairy leaned in to whisper something in the vampire’s ear, and anger flashed across his face. His charming smile vanished in an instant, a feral snarl crossing his features. The look was gone before Hairy could see, but it made me curious about what he had said. Knowing Hairy, it was probably something stupid, or maybe it was his breath that offended the vampire.

  “Alright!” Greg shouted as he walked down the stairs, and everyone turned to stare with mixed expression of surprise and fear. “I’m sure Peter explained the rules?”

  A shiver ran down my spine at seeing Greg appear. It was odd to see him here. Even though he was blank faced, I could tell he was more tense than usual.