Divinity: Transcendence: Book Two (The Divinity Saga)

by Reid, Susan

  My eyes widened in surprise. “Really? Well, how long ago did it happen?” I asked him.

  “Just a few weeks ago.” Durien replied.

  “How well did you know her?” I then asked.

  “She was definitely one of the good ones. She was strong, had a sense of humor, and one that you always wanted to have your back. The thing is, we as divine warriors are the most targeted by the dark fallen and the demons; meaning if they had a choice between a normal mortal and us…they’re risking everything and anything to go for a female warrior first.” Durien explained.

  “Because we’re threats, right?” I asked.

  Durien smiled, an adorable dimple appearing in his left cheek. “We’ll talk elsewhere. You going for seconds?” he asked, pointing to my empty bowl as he scooted back in his chair, stood up, and picked up his tray.

  I hadn’t touched my strawberries yet.

  “I’m done.”

  I gathered my tray, taking the strawberries in the other hand.

  Durien glanced me up and down. “Yeah, you’re gonna need extra thick clothing, and a really thick cloak.” Durien then commented.

  “We have to wear cloaks?” I asked.

  “It’s highly recommended. As divine warriors, all of our aura’s are way brighter than normal humans— but yours…” He began to say.

  “I’m dying to see what everyone else is apparently seeing.” I replied.

  He smirked, “You will, and when you do, make sure you’re wearing some good sunglasses”

  We both carried our trays to the long counter beneath an arched opening, leading into the kitchen. Several younger members, who were dressed like Durien and myself, were clearing off the trays.

  “I’m being for real, because you shine like a ten watt light bulb in a pitch black room. I ain’t ever seen that before.” Durien commented with a chortle.

  “Never?”

  “Never.” He repeated, and shook his head for emphasis.

  “This isn’t like a monastery or a cult is it?” I then asked him out of the blue, just to be sure.

  Durien laughed. “No. Although it’s pretty laid back here, to each his own. Either you learn to fight, take charge of your essences and abilities, or you risk being taken or dying. It’s as simple as that. But there are specific rules.”

  I nodded. That was a relief, I thought cynically.

  “Remember when I said that your aura could be both an advantage and a disadvantage earlier?” he went on to ask.

  “Yeah.” I said as we placed our trays onto the counter, and proceeded to head back towards the common room.

  “No matter where you go, you’re gonna be seen by all the dark ones, especially Morning Star. You in particular, are really going to have to be alert and careful out there. Come on follow me. I’m gonna show you one of my favorite spots to hang out.” Durien went on to say.

  “But…” I began.

  Durien noticed my hesitation when I pointed back into the dining area. “Don’t worry, Lira will be able to find us— trust me.” He smiled.

  IV: Cam`ael

  I turned the police cruiser into the parking lot of the University. It was another crucial part of my whole IMPD ensemble. Judging by the looks of things, it was an ordinary weekday of classes. Though it was a clear day with plenty of sunshine, the weather was getting colder now. The fallen leaves on the ground, and all along curbs, varied in shades of red, orange, and yellow.

  Students and faculty members meandered through the large parking lot, either leaving or just arriving.

  It felt like a century since I had been here last, but I know it hasn’t been that long by any means. Before heading back to the University, I cloaked myself and surveyed the vicinity of the Wayford Hall apartments, where Starling and China lived. I wanted to make sure that all was normal, and that China was okay.

  She wasn’t there though, and Starling’s room remained the same as it had been that night. It was untouched, just as I had left it when I cleaned it up— yet again.

  There was definitely a dark energy looming. China was accurate in picking up on it. I could both sense and see it already. I panned the entire campus lot thoroughly. Ever since I had taken brief possession of China, it opened her awareness. It made her more sensitive to the spirit world elements. It was nothing unusual. That’s what typically happens to mortals in those instances, which is why possession is forbidden. True demons never played by that rule, but many have suffered the ultimate price for having done so thereafter too.

  Something devastating was about to happen. The qualm was negative, but it wasn’t powerful. Though there were many shadows hovering about, I don’t think it was demonic related necessarily…this time.

  I pushed my sight out and above the campus, scanning and zoning in on the dark aura that I had automatically pinpointed. He was casually walking up the stone steps of the outer main courtyard. His destination appeared to be the most crowded part of the largest common atrium, near the food court.

  He was a young male. A long, plain, brown coat was draped over his wiry frame, and a shabby, gray cap hid most of his jet black and purple hair.

  His aura was wild, with both black and red tones smeared together. Black was devoid of any emotion or feeling, and it was what the majority of demons and their ilk gave off.

  Red was anger and hatred, which was also a common color among the dark ones. However, this male didn’t seem to be overtaken or possessed by any demon— at the moment. I did see a few shadows lurking about in his wake though. They were more than likely hanging around to both encourage, and feed off of his emotions; given what I think he was about to do.

  I didn’t want to do this, but it looks like I’ll have no other choice. It was daylight, and there was no way I’d get to him in time if I physically walked there. I spied a row of box bushes lining the side of the building off to the left of the outer main courtyard. I was going to have to cloak myself, and then materialize from there, making it appear as though I were simply walking the grounds.

  I was too late. Gunshots popped off in rapid succession. Screams rang out, and students began to scatter, run, and clamber underneath tables for protection.

  As soon as I ghosted back into solid form, the scent of gunpowder hit me. Several more gunshots went off like firecrackers.

  The scent of blood was fresh.

  Scanning the courtyard, I saw that two students had been hit. Both the male and the female still had pulses. The tangible odor of their pain and fear was heavy. Chaos ensued as the shadows dashed about excitedly, hovering with anticipation…until they noticed my presence. They kept their distance, proceeding to move among the eaves of the building, out of my focus range and attention.

  Three more people were gunned down, making it a senseless total of five too many.

  I immediately pushed dark power forward, quickly silencing the gun. He continued to pull the trigger, but it clicked uselessly. I took that opportunity to move in behind him. There was no way that I was going to take possession of his dark, ruined vessel. Then again, I could have; making him turn the gun on himself. However, I’d have no quick place to expend the dark energy that I would absorb from the act.

  He fumbled inside his coat, reaching for another weapon. I was already one-step ahead of him.

  He turned around, seeing me coming straight for him. His face flashed initial surprise and then slowly morphed into determined malevolence.

  He whipped out a solid black pistol, leveling it at me. I immediately flashed heat into its handle, and dissolved the bullets in its chamber. The now empty gun sizzled against his palm. The smell of his burning flesh was nauseating to me.

  He stifled a cry of pain, instantly dropping the burning hot weapon to the floor. It hit with a sharp, metallic thud, and slid smoking across the concrete.

  His drive and mission to cause extreme havoc and pain, was clearly in control of him. He ignored his blistered and burned hand, proving my assessment.

  As a last ditch attempt, he swung
the butt end of the useless rifle that he still held in his other hand at me. I manipulated it to whip backwards, causing him to bash himself in the forehead and face. He clumsily collapsed onto his back, temporarily stunned. He ignored the growing bump on his forehead, and the trickle of blood that began to run from his nose; continuing to challenge me with defiance.

  Seeing me as a police officer didn’t even faze him. He tried to both shoot and assault me. Even as I towered over him, he was insolent. There was no light in his eyes. He was already dead.

  This mortal’s soul had already been claimed, but he was trying to get it back. I was sure that whichever arch demon he’s been listening to, or did favors for, told him that this would be the way to do it.

  Sirens rang out in the distance. Doors were being slammed shut and locked. The emotions of anger, fear, and hysteria hung thick in the air.

  Most everyone had successfully evacuated the courtyard and atrium, save for those who had been injured. More shadows attempted to sneak past me to avoid my detection and suck it all up.

  I yanked the rifle from him with the ease of taking it from a child. Tossing it away, I reached down and grabbed the inane moron by the front of his shirt, leaving his feet to dangle in the air. I was sure that he had no idea of what a demon really looked like, let alone ever spoken to one face to face— until now. I pulled him close to my face, and he grinned.

  “If you kill me, I get my soul back.”

  I had been correct in my assumptions of his actions. It was all too common when these idiot humans dealt with darkness, and the demons controlling it.

  As soon as my eyes began to glow, the smug confident look in his cold, flat, dark brown eyes, turned to sheer horror. Suddenly, he was the weak, pathetic, and cowardly human that he truly was.

  I lowered my voice purposefully, to give it that deep, ominous, demonic quality that humans feared so much. I leaned in close to his ear. “Wrong. Personally, I would love nothing more than to disembowel and force-feed your own entrails to you, if I thought that would be enough. I’m going to let you live, simply because you’ve already been marked and claimed, and he’ll want you— still mortal.” I began.

  He began to urinate on himself as his eyes glazed over in terror. I continued with an impish smirk. “Demons with cocks the size of your forearm are waiting to rape, beat, and torture you for all of eternity. They want you alive, so you can beg and scream for mercy— you worthless piece of shit!” I hissed, adding extra demonic fervor into my voice.

  I forced him to look into my eyes, now glowing with the intensity that represented the torture and damnation that was coming for him. His skin grew pallid, his mouth was a frozen agape, and his hair had literally morphed into a near steel gray hue.

  He went limp in my grip. I dropped him and he crumbled to the ground, hitting his head hard on the concrete. Cradling his burnt palm, he curled up into a fetal ball, rocking himself and babbling incoherently.

  His insane fear had been my purpose. I roughly checked him for more weapons. He had two additional loaded handguns. I gathered them up, including the suicide note that he planned to leave. This filth was not going to off himself. I’d leave him for Morning Star; I already knew he would send his henchmen to collect him soon. I examined all of the weapons he had on him, to ensure that they wouldn’t fire.

  He was already gone mentally, far more than he had been before to even notice or care at this point. To everyone else who may have been watching, I made it appear as if I were simply apprehending and subduing him.

  I finally left him cuffed in the walkway, to be found by the real police when they arrived. That wouldn’t be long. The sirens were louder now, and flashing lights soon surrounded the parking lot that flanked the main outer atrium.

  To my surprise, Angels began descending. I wondered why this time, because although there were injuries, no one was killed. This would be interference. Maybe they were here to scold me, but there weren’t any chosen here among them that I could see.

  I surveyed the rest of the courtyard and the atrium, tuning into the rapid heartbeats, the muted crying, and the whispering of prayers. Fear still lingered on high, as shouts from law enforcement officers broke into the unnatural quiet. Crowds of teachers and students were being told to stay in dorms and classrooms. Others were being herded across the street, while guarded by mobs of SWAT team members.

  This was quick.

  I assumed that they already had a damned good emergency plan and alert system in place at this University.

  I took an alternate route to make my way back to the parking lot, where an entire fleet of police cars, SWAT and fire trucks were parked at different angles. The wail of ambulances sounded in the distance. Half of the officers were trying to maintain crowd control. Worried and hysterical students watched on in terror and shock, hugging each other for comfort.

  Two news vans were pulling up just outside of the barricade. At first, none of the other officers really paid any attention to me. I drifted through the onrush of armed officers, all wearing bulletproof vests, while scouring the grounds for all possible suspects.

  “Straight ahead, the atrium hallway to the right. He’s already down and cuffed. There was just one.” I told the leader of the first wave of the SWAT members that approached me cautiously.

  A little persuasive magik kept him from asking more questions, or becoming overly suspicious about me.

  “Ten-four.” The SWAT officer in the front replied, with a wave onward to the other five behind him.

  A familiar, unwelcoming stench stopped me in my tracks. One of the SWAT team members slowed, lagging behind all of the others, and then nodded at me.

  “Thanks, I owe you one.” He said to me with a grin.

  The appearance of the Angels suddenly made sense now.

  “Look at you attempting to play the hero again.” He grinned.

  I shot a quick glance around, not that anyone was paying attention to us, but I didn’t want to make it obvious.

  “You came all this way for one?” I replied, not really wanting to speak to him at all.

  He smirked. “No, but I have been waiting for him. I appreciate your helping that along, though I’d rather he wasn’t insane.” He replied.

  I walked away from him, heading towards the cruiser, and hoping to lose him in the crowd.

  “He was obviously already insane before this happened.” I mumbled under my breath.

  I should have cloaked myself. It took a while to make it through the chaotic throng of law enforcement, news and paramedic crews, frightened students and faculty. When I finally located the cruiser, I climbed in with a heavy sigh of agitation. Morning Star was already in the passenger seat.

  My initial reflex was to attack him first, but I knew he wouldn’t do anything— not in the human realm, and definitely not with angels here. Their presence however, wouldn’t stop me from doing humans and the future of Earth, a huge favor.

  Though he wore an all-black SWAT uniform, he was copying my look to no doubt to mock me, I was sure.

  “Believe it or not, I had nothing to do with this.” He mused.

  I narrowed my eyes at him. “Which one of your off-springs did?” I asked nonchalantly.

  He laughed, holding his hands up with feigned innocence. “Damned if I know. Honestly, this is a waste of my time. They’ll all live. The angels are seeing to that, but there will be more just like him to come in places all over the world. I have so many I.O.U’s out there; I can’t even remember all of them at times. I don’t suggest they to do things like this for penance. It never ends well for them. Although, many of them think they can solve their debts by simply taking their own lives.” He laughed. “They make for good torture party pieces.” He then smiled.

  “Why are you here then?” I looked over at him in disgust.

  He was taking joy in the tragedy unfolding in front of us with a smug smile of satisfaction. No one died, but many would be affected emotionally and mentally, possibly long-term.

&n
bsp; “I happened to be in the neighborhood. And you?” He asked, as if making casual conversation.

  “I could have made that guess.”

  “You know, I’m getting a little tired of being blamed for things like this. These wretched, ungrateful humans have their own free will. I don’t have to say or do a damned thing for things like this to occur, and I haven’t. They do it to each other.” He then said.

  While I knew a part of that was true, he knew the power of his influence and the weaknesses of mortals all too well.

  “You’ve got to be shitting me.” I gave him a wry look of hatred.

  He ignored my comment. “I like to get out every once in a while and have a look around just as much as you do. I’m always in the market for a new, scrumptious-looking…and there’s one now.” He trailed off. His attention was diverted to something else on his right.

  I reluctantly followed his gaze out of sheer curiosity.

  It was that Logan girl, the one that Starling didn’t like.

  It angered me, knowing exactly why he was checking her out, and she was clueless about it. All she or any other normal mortal would see, is an unearthly, strikingly handsome, young male. Unless they were a divine chosen, they would never know who, or what he really was.

  “Leave her alone.” I stated flatly. I didn’t even look at him when I said it. My jaw was working as I fought to contain my rage.

  “What? Is this another one that you have become infatuated with? She is juicy—but this is getting to be pathetic, Cam`ael. You never learn. I don’t blame you for moving on though. It is kind of asinine to be lusting after one who has both the ability, and the duty to kill you now, isn’t it?” Morning Star commented, purposefully salting my wounds.

  “You tell me.” I simply replied.

  He laughed, “Personally, it makes her even more prized. I actually thank you for not fucking her after all.” He then grinned.

  I bit my lip, my muscles taut with irritation. The heat of my energy was beginning to build but he didn’t seem in the least bit concerned. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t be ready for any kind of attack from me though.