by Aubrey Law
I cringed and resisted the urge to cast Immolate or Heartburst. Maybe I would use both spells at the same time and explode the angel's heart while he burned alive. Ashley's remnant conscience must have spared him because I would normally have never hesitated. "Luke, last chance. Back off."
He howled in laughter and held up his hands as a sign of innocence. "I'm just talking shit! Don't cast any of your scary Black Magic on me. I'm sorry I run my mouth whenever I start drinking. I should've warned you in advance. Please tell me we're still friends? I sincerely apologize for my outlandish behavior this evening." He slurred his words and struggled to stand up straight.
"Luke, Sonja is a sensitive soul. We need to be careful with her. And allow me to make something crystal clear: Sonja belongs to me. You touch her ever again for any reason and you die." I foolishly turned my back and stared up at the moon because I was sick of looking at the angel's face.
"Fuck you Black Annis. You're no friend of mine!" Luke pushed me off the rooftop and I began to fall to my death. Ashley's body would never survive the impact with the street below.
My mind raced as I rapidly approached the concrete pavement that was only inches away from breaking all of my bones. I didn't have a Safefall spell like other Mages but I wasn't without protection from falling. Luke was far from the being the first one to ever push me off a high place in attempt to end my life. "Stoneskin!" I said and my flesh became tightly wrapped with a thin layer of solid stone. The collision with the rock-hard walkway would disorient me but it wouldn't kill me. I smashed against the sidewalk and cracked the concrete like a spider's web. After a moment of lying down like a dead woman and gathering my thoughts, I prepared to find Luke and kill him on sight.
When I arrived back at Sonja's apartment Luke was nowhere to be found. "Where is he?" I demanded to know.
Sonja's green eyes widened. "Who? Luke?"
"Yes Luke! He just tried to kill me."
"Holy shit are you serious? Why?"
"I don’t know. I turned my back and he pushed me off the rooftop."
"And you survived that?"
"I have my tricks."
"So he's not our friend anymore?"
I shook my head. "Definitely not. Now he's our enemy and I will kill him as soon as I see him."
Sonja sighed. "I'm happy you're safe but this can't be good. Now we have demons and an angel to worry about."
"Luke won't be a problem," I said. "He's transforming into a devil and about to lose his mind."
"What about his silver knife? I'm pretty sure he could kill us both with that thing."
"You mean this?" I picked up the Judas Dagger from within the cushioned chair where Luke had been sitting and drinking. An empty bottle of vodka was also on the chair. "The drunken idiot left his weapon behind. Now it's yours."
"Mine?" said Sonja.
I nodded. "You'll need it to kill demons and maybe even Luke if he dares to show his face again." I handed Sonja the silver blade and she took it.
"I'm gonna need that knife back. Now!" said Luke as he stormed into the apartment. His beautiful blue eyes were filling with blood and I remembered the promise I'd made to him.
I stood in front of Sonja. "Luke, you don't have much time left. I can see it in your eyes. You're turning."
Luke hissed and revealed his new demonic mouth. His former perfectly straight white smile was stained with blood and his teeth were twisted into sharp fangs. "You think I don't know what's happening to me? Stupid Witch! I told you from the start what I'd become."
"And I told you I would put you out of your misery." I snapped my fingers and exploded his heart but he somehow survived the rupture.
"That tickled!" The dark angel growled and rushed at me with fingernails that looked like animal claws.
"Immolate!" I shouted and set Luke completely on fire. He screamed and continued to run at me but went straight out Sonja's open balcony and plunged down to the street. His burning feathers shed like sparks and his body burst into flames when he struck the sidewalk. We waited and watched to make sure he was dead. His incinerated bones crumbled into black ash and his exiled soul was sent straight to Hell.
“Goodbye Luke.” Sonja sighed. "Poetic justice?"
I smiled. "You could say that." The angel got what he deserved after trying to push me to my death and watching him suffer a similar fate was very satisfying. I interlaced my fingers with Sonja's hand and squeezed. "We can find someone else to join us. Someone who isn't transforming into a demon."
CHAPTER EIGHT
Luke's burnt bones were dust in the wind and I was starved for nourishment after nearly losing my own life. I promised Sonja she shouldn't be worried and I’d explain the whole story about the seven years but I couldn’t do it on an empty stomach. We'd just finished drinking red wine and eating some kind of spicy Asian food from Sonja's kitchen when a loud banging on the front door startled us both.
"Crap! It's probably the police," said Sonja. "I bet someone saw Luke fall off the balcony and explode into flames."
I nodded. "Yes that could definitely draw attention."
The banging continued and Sonja's eyes widened. "Should I answer the door?"
"See who it is but do not allow anyone to enter."
She opened the door but kept it chained from the inside. "Are you a cop?”
"Do I look like a cop?" said a rough voice.
"Not really but that doesn't mean shit," said Sonja. "What do you want?"
"Yeah I just noticed an angel that was set on fire falling from your balcony. He burned to death on the street right outside of your apartment. I know Black Magic when I see it. So where's the Witch?"
Sonja slammed the door shut in the stranger's face. "What do I do?" She picked up the Judas Dagger from the table. "Stab him?"
I snatched the shiny silver blade out of her hand. "You're not stabbing anyone. Not yet anyway. Let me talk to him."
"Good luck," said Sonja. "Be careful. He looks homeless."
I opened the door to see a tall unshaven man with long brown hair down to his shoulders. He wore a dirty wide-brimmed black hat that was usually only found atop the head of a Dark Mage or a Vampire Hunter. His body was covered in a distressed black cape and I was convinced the man was either a homeless lunatic or possibly the perfect new member for our team. There was only one way to find out. I slid the chain out and opened the door. "I'm the Witch. Who wants to know?" I kept the Judas Dagger in my hand and hidden behind my back.
The stranger's raven eyes locked with mine and I instantly knew what he was. Somehow we'd attracted the attention of a Warlock and he was at our door to either capture us for the Priesthood or thank us for destroying an angel of Heaven. "My name is Logan. Local Warlock of Los Angeles. Hater of both angels and demons. Need any help?"
I raised an eyebrow. "That depends. How do you feel about the Priesthood?"
Logan spit on the ground outside of the door. "Kill on Sight."
"Good answer," I said. "Do you have a problem with Blood-eaters?"
He paused to think and then shook his head. "As long as it's not my blood they plan on eating, no problem at all."
This scruffy-looking but oddly handsome stranger had suddenly appeared out of nowhere to offer his assistance. Either we were extremely fortunate or he was paid by the same Priesthood he’d claimed to despise to find us and attempt to kill us. By escaping that dungeon and slaughtering so many of them along with their demon allies, Sonja and I were certainly marked for death. I welcomed this Warlock but I also wouldn’t hesitate to unleash the full fury of my Black Magic if he made a single move to harm us.
"Well then," I said. "Please come inside. Do you want a drink? A smoke?"
Logan stepped into the living room with his dusty leather boots and I shut the door. Hopefully Sonja didn't mind me inviting the bizarre stranger into her residence and I realized I'd basically taken over her apartment as my own. Every second that I shared with Sonja I found myself more and more attached to her soul. Her innoc
ent emerald eyes and adorable smile were impossible to resist. I embraced the feelings I had for her which were highly sexual but also more than that. I actually cared for this beautiful woman and considered her my friend just as Ashley did. Possessing someone else's body was always a risk and the merging of minds meant possible permanent changes to my own personality. But at the moment I didn't regret the woman I was becoming. I was still Black Annis of the Dane Hills, dreadful daughter of the Witch Queen, and now I was something more. Something better. Someone better. I’d always stolen bodies from the equally dark-hearted and evil-minded but for the first time I was living inside of a truly good person. Were these my own thoughts or the ghost of Ashley?
"No to the drink, yes to the smoke," said Logan.
"Help yourself." I offered him the pack of cigarettes left behind by Luke. "You don't mind smoking tobacco tainted by an exiled angel? Those were his but he doesn’t need them anymore."
Logan chuckled. "Works for me." He slid one of the cigarettes between his lips and ignited the tip with a magical spark. The Warlock exhaled rings of smoke that floated across the room before they faded.
“Forgive my lack of introductions,” I said. “My name is Annis, Black Witch of Los Angeles, and this is Sonja, my friend and newborn Blood-eater.”
“Pleased to meet you both.” The Warlock tipped his hat. "By the way," he said. "My partner will be joining us." Billows of smoke flowed out of his nostrils and he extinguished what was left of his cigarette inside the empty bottle of vodka.
I raised an eyebrow. "Partner?"
"Yeah, partner?" said Sonja.
Logan laughed. "He's harmless. Well, to us anyway. There's zero chance he'd bite either of you. Unless of course, you decide to attack me."
"Where is this partner of yours?" I asked.
The Warlock whistled and a sinister but melodic tone flowed from his lips. "Hugo!" A Hellhound appeared in the room with us. The devil-dog immediately sat at his master's feet and showed us his terrible teeth.
"What the fuck!" said Sonja. "That's a demon's pet!"
I stood in front of her to shield her. "Are you insane? You summoned a Hellhound?"
Logan nodded and explained. "Hugo is completely under my control. I paid a very experienced Mesmerizer a small fortune to permanently charm the beast and so far having a Hellhound as backup has been worth every penny. I can call on him whenever I need his help."
The Warlock strangely had the ability to summon the Hellhound just as I could a Shadowbeast. I was impressed since the ferocious devil-dog was a far more powerful ally than a Shadow Cat or any other Shadow creature.
“What does he eat?” asked Sonja. “Do I even want to know?”
“Anything and everything.” Logan grinned. “Need your trash emptied? Give it to him. He’ll eat all the garbage including the plastic bag. These Hellhounds have stomachs like prehistoric vultures. Pure corrosive acid. Which of course means making a dead body and its bones disappear without a trace very easy.”
“We need a moment to speak privately,” I said and signaled to Sonja. “Keep your pet under control.” I wanted to know her thoughts about the Warlock and finish the conversation we were about to begin before our surprise visitor interrupted. We entered Sonja’s bedroom and shut the door. I kept the Judas Dagger with me and hidden within a secret pocket inside my robe.
Sonja spoke to me with a hushed voice. "Annis, I don't trust this guy or his creepy fucking dog. We trusted Luke and look what happened. I don't want you to die."
I smiled. "I'm not going to die. At least not without a serious fight and no one has ever defeated me in a fight." The only reason I was ever captured by the Priesthood four-hundred years ago was because my own apprentice betrayed me.
Her stomach growled. "Why am I still hungry? We just ate a shitload of Chinese noodles."
"Damn," I said. "You need more blood." Sonja required a generous serving of blood at least once a day and the overgrown rat she consumed earlier clearly wasn't enough. Sonja could still eat normal food for the sake of habit or pleasure but it would never be enough to nourish her Undead condition. "Are you not attracted to men?" I asked Sonja the burning question on my mind without even thinking.
"Of course I am." She grinned. "I was even engaged to be married once. Usually I only date men but every once in a while I'll meet a special girl."
"Like Ashley?"
Sonja paused for a moment and her smile faded. "Yeah, like Ashley."
"I still have many of her memories. Her thoughts and feelings aren't all gone. I can tell you that she really liked you."
She sighed. "I really liked her too. Maybe it's better if we don't talk about this?"
"I understand why you wouldn't want to talk about her. But Ashley is a part of me and always will be."
"So is she like trapped in there with you? All of this Dark Magic stuff is hard to understand."
I slowly shook my head. "No, her soul moved on to another place. All that's left are remnants of her personality. Like footprints or echoes."
Sonja shrugged. "None of it makes much sense to me. I'm just a simple girl I guess."
"Simply beautiful."
"Thank you." She blushed. "I don't hate you for it. I don’t feel any grudge. I mean, I'm sure you had your reasons to do what you did to Ashley and you did save me from those priests. Plus like you said, she's moved on to a better place."
I never said a better place. I just said another place. I had no knowledge of her eternal destination and Ashley was potentially burning in Hell as we spoke. "Good to know." I smiled at her and realized the charming effect possessing Ashley's body had over Sonja. She still saw her friend's face when we talked or touched and it kept her from hating me. "So about the seven years..."
"I'm listening." Sonja stared at me with her piercing green eyes.
I paced the room and massaged the back of my neck. "Blood-eaters normally have limited life spans. Meaning that you may not live as long as a normal person."
Sonja frowned. "So Luke was telling the truth."
"Yes, and no," I said. "Miracles are possible. There are rumors of a Blood-eater living over fifty years." Not that I believed in miracles but I wanted to give Sonja some hope. Even if there was none. I knew she would certainly die within the next decade and there was nothing I could do about it. "We should enjoy our time together. However long it may be."
"I can agree to that." She kissed me and I was tempted to undress her. But Logan along with his summoned Hellhound was in the next room and Sonja desperately needed a fresh serving of blood. Exploring her exquisite naked body inside and out would have to wait for another night.
CHAPTER NINE
My dead-blue skin was deeply cracked and rough as rocks but I'd never turned to stone in the sunlight as the bedtime stories claimed. Black Witches craved the darkness of nightfall but daylight wasn't our enemy and only the Vampires needed to fear the sun's rays. I remembered my former hideous appearance as I studied Ashley's attractive features in the mirror. Reflections of my face were something I'd avoided for a long time and with good reason. But now I enjoyed looking at myself and the perfection of this stolen flesh would help me get whatever my heart desired in this highly evolved world. Black flowing hair as fine as silk, smooth flawless skin, and not a single tooth missing from my new mouth of erotic lips. I stared into Ashley's beautiful dark eyes and smiled in anticipation of the pleasures I'd experience in her immaculate body that appeared to be built for sex. What man or woman alive would be able to resist my seduction? I exited the bathroom and rejoined Sonja in the living room with the mysterious Warlock.
“So are you two sleeping together?” said Logan. His sat back in the chair with legs crossed and his feet stretched out. He propped his filthy boots up on Sonja's living room table as if he owned the place.
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Excuse me?”
"Sorry for my bluntness,” he apologized. "But your attraction to each other is obvious."
Sonja grimaced. "And what
if we are? Do you have a problem with it?"
Logan shook his head. "Not at all. I'm not here to judge anyone's sexual appetites."
"Then why do you ask?" I said. "What difference does the nature of our relationship make to you?"
Hugo growled and curled his lip at my aggravated tone. "Easy now boy," said Logan. "We're just having a friendly discussion." The red-eyed Hellhound lowered his head back to the floor and closed his drooling mouth.
"If you must know," I explained. "Sonja and I are passionate lovers. We have sex at every opportunity. She pleases me in ways a man never could." I winked at Sonja.
Logan swallowed a lump in his throat. "I'm truly happy for you both."
I kept my eyes locked on his. "Does our Warlock guest have any more questions about my sex life?"
He grinned. "Not at the moment. But I am curious about something else. Why do you hate the Priesthood so much? We all have our reasons but I want to hear yours."
"A very long story," I said. "One that dates back many centuries. But more recently we were prisoners in a Priesthood dungeon."
Logan raised an eyebrow. "Have you gone to the police?"
Sonja shook her head. "Not yet. Do you think it will make any difference?"
Logan chuckled. "The Priesthood owns the police. If you try to report them for anything, especially a secret dungeon for sexual torture, you'll just make things worse for yourself."
"Holy mother of God! What’s that smell?" said Sonja. She scanned her eyes around the apartment looking for the source of the stench.
"There!" I said and pointed with one of my regenerated fingers at the steaming pile of Hellhound excrement. The Warlock's pet had relieved himself behind one of the leather chairs.
Sonja gasped. "You're going to clean that up! Right now! That is so gross!" She wrinkled her nose in disgust.
Logan snickered. "Hugo! What did I tell you about doing that inside? Shame on you! You must always wait until I take you outside."
"This isn't funny," said Sonja. "Make him eat it! You said his stomach could handle anything."