by Raquel Dove
“What will I tell the York family?” Edgar asked, his pale eyes narrowing on Kasen with anger. “I cannot simply tell them you don’t want to wed their only daughter. I’m afraid your family’s name could not survive such a slight, even as great as it is.”
“Tell them that I will save her,” Kasen said with a shrug. “I will save her from a life with someone likely to die of the sickness. She is free to marry from another noble family, someone better suited to her.”
“They will see that for what it is,” Edgar said, his voice tipped with acid, “a pathetic excuse.”
“They can see it however they want,” Kasen said with a shrug. “I don’t really care.”
With that, Kasen opened the door to what had become his private wing. He left Edgar to stew about something that really shouldn’t upset him so much. Kasen had banned the servants from this part of the house on the day that his parents died. He wanted his privacy, always had. Part of him wanted to get rid of the entire staff. But he knew he couldn’t do that. His family estate provided jobs and sustenance for fifteen families. He couldn’t take that away from them simply because he wanted his privacy. So instead, he barred them all from entering his quarters.
Kasen lay down on his bed but didn’t bother getting under the covers. He likely wouldn’t sleep much. He never did, though he tried so hard to. His body was exhausted. His eyes would barely stay up, but his mind ran. It always did.
As a member of the nobility, it was inevitable that he attended the Death Angel Academy, and subsequently became a member of the Death Angels. He even knew that he would one day become a General. All these things were great. They were things that Kasen had grown up wanting. However, as he went further up the ranks of the Death Angel Society, as his fame grew, he realized that people treated him differently. Having respect for a commanding officer was one thing, and that was something he expected, but true friendship was something that Kasen held very dear, and as the years passed, that was one thing that diminished. All his childhood friends, with the exception of Markus, had either been killed by a Darkling, or died of the Sickness. To others, it wouldn’t make a difference. Friends weren’t necessarily difficult to come by per se, but finding friends that wanted him for more than just his influence was nearly impossible. Finding a woman to love him for him was impossible. It was an unbearably lonely existence for Kasen.
He sighed and rolled over in the bed, tucking his hands under his head. It was the one thing in his life that he wanted most. A woman to share his bed, to hold in his arms, to protect. A woman that he could share his deepest darkest secrets and his strongest desires. A woman that would understand him, that would stand by him through all the good times as well as the bad. A woman that he could laugh with like he used to laugh when he was a carefree child. This was what Kasen wanted. And in nearly four centuries of life in the Death Angel Society, he hadn’t found anything remotely close. His heart ached at the thought. But somehow, he still found the ability to carry hope. Hope that one day, he would find what he was looking for.
Chapter Seven
They hated her. Gabrielle knew it. They didn’t try to hide it. Every last one of them wanted her gone from here. She hadn’t done anything to receive such hatred, at least not to her knowledge. She had spent nearly the entire night in this office, with these people that hated her. They hadn’t said a word to her since Ms. Blankenship had snapped at her earlier. She didn’t dare say a word to them. She was in a very unfamiliar place, in a very unfamiliar situation. She didn’t know the rules here, and though she caught on quickly to most things, this world was a complete conundrum to her.
“It’s been too long,” Kaia said, her brows scrunched up in concern as she continued to stare blankly at the computer screen in front of her. Gabrielle was rather amazed at their stamina. They hadn’t moved, hadn’t looked away, had barely even spoken to each other while they waited. Gabrielle still didn’t know what they were waiting for.
“It’s time to call it,” Nettie said, looking at a little watch on her wrist. Gabrielle could see the hurt on her face as she said it. She looked up at Ms. Blankenship, who had a stern expression etched onto her face as she looked back at her.
“I will say when it is time to call it,” she said. “There is still a little time. He’ll make it.”
Even Gabrielle could see the undeserved hope in the woman’s face and words.
“It’s never been this long,” Kaia said, not backing away from Ms. Blankenship’s harsh glare.
“I don’t care,” she shot back. “He will make it.”
As soon as she said the words, the computer in front of them gave a small beep. All their faces lit up with hope and their fingers went back to typing a mile a minute. The office had suddenly erupted into a chaotic mess of working towards something that still eluded Gabrielle.
“Get the Central Bureau on the line,” Ms. Blankenship snapped as her eyes shot to Gabrielle for just a moment. She hopped up off the chair and snatched up the phone. She was determined to show these women that she could hack it here. She wanted to show them that she was a fast learner.
“General Black, please standby,” she said into the phone, anticipating what was needed of her. It was what Ms. Blankenship had instructed her to say the last time, so it made sense to Gabrielle that it was what she would want this time.
“You stupid girl,” Ms. Blankenship snapped, stomping over to Gabrielle and snatching the phone out of her hand.
“Please disregard,” she hollered into the phone. “I repeat, disregard. We have the coordinates, we are requesting an immediate extraction.”
“Damnit,” Ms. Blankenship huffed as she slammed the phone down. “They have already begun the standby. We’ll have to manually override and do the extraction ourselves.”
“There’s no way,” Nettie said, shaking her head. “We don’t have the time. It’s already been too long.”
“Just shut up and do as you’re told,” Ms. Blankenship said harshly as she stormed back over to the computer screens. “We are going to get General Black out of there. He’s been fighting Darklings for nearly twelve hours and he’s counting on us.”
Gabrielle could do nothing but watch as the women worked like crazy. Their fingers flew across the keyboard as Ms. Blankenship watched and barked out orders at them. This went on for a few long moments before the computer began to beep again. A chirping little chime that brought a smile to Ms. Blankenship’s face. The other women relaxed back into their chairs a smile mirroring Ms. Blankenship’s.
“I can’t believe we did it,” Nettie said. She looked over at Kaia. “I’m celebrating tonight.”
“The night is already over,” Ms. Blankenship said, looking at her watch. “But I’ll be buying you girls a nice lunch tomorrow. You did good. Mr. Black will undoubtedly be proud. He should be here any moment, so straighten things up a bit. One little hiccup is hardly an excuse to let things get disorganized, especially not for Mr. Black.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Kaia said, Nettie echoing her. They both began to clear away their desk of the papers that had been pulled out of files and scattered around the office.
Then, to Gabrielle’s horror, Ms. Blankenship turned and squared directly off with her. The frightening woman had a determined look on her face as she stomped over to her and stopped but a mere inch from her face.
“You are beyond lucky, little girl,” Ms. Blankenship said as she narrowed her eyes and dropped her voice. “Because of your stupidity and amateur mistakes, we almost lost not only Ms. Black, but Sebastian as well.”
Gabrielle could hear an odd amount of affection in the woman’s voice when she said his first name like that. The other women in the office stopped for just a moment and cast her an odd look. Gabrielle didn’t have time to ponder what it meant, because the strong, deep voice of the man they were talking about interrupted them.”
“I don’t remember giving you the liberty of addressing me by my first name,” Sebastian said. His hair and suit were impeccab
ly in place, but Gabrielle could see the exhaustion in his eyes. He was covered in blood and small wounds. It was obvious he had been fighting for a long time.
“Mr. Black,” Ms. Blankenship’s face went white as she stared up at him. Gabrielle could see the conflicting emotions racing through her. There was happiness at seeing him, but fright at the apparent anger that she had aroused in him. “I apologize, sir. I was simply trying to correct the girl, she has no idea what she is doing here, I—“
“Are you trying to say that my decision was incorrect?” he asked, narrowing his eyes on her. Gabrielle wasn’t even on the receiving end of his hardened glare and yet she found herself frightened. She couldn’t imagine how terrifying it must be for Ms. Blankenship.
“No, sir,” Ms. Blankenship said, shaking her head. “I just…I don’t…I think perhaps—“
“Would you like to know what I think?” Sebastian said, taking a slow step closer to her, intimidating her with his stature.
“Sir…I,” Ms. Blankenship cleared her throat, trying to form an excuse fast enough. “I always want to know what—“
“I think you’ve been doing this job for a little too long,” he said. His voice was low and he spoke deliberately. Gabrielle could have sworn she heard Ms. Blankenship’s heart fall to the ground and shatter into little pieces. She knew she heard the small gasp of Kaia and Nettie as the other women watched the drama play out in front of them.
“Sir, no, I—“
“You are relieved of your duties, Sarah,” Sebastian said. Gabrielle could have sworn that she heard a hint of sadistic pleasure in his voice as he said the words. She could see Ms. Blankenship begin to shake.
“Please, sir,” she pleaded with him, reaching out for him but stopping before she actually touched him. “Please, I have been with you for nearly a century—“
“Then it is definitely time for a change,” he said as he took another step toward her. “I don’t want to see your face around this office again. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes, sir,” Ms. Blankenship said, the words barely making it past her ghost white lips. She swallowed heavily and dropped her eyes to the floor as Sebastian stepped past her and came face to face with Gabrielle.
“Today must have been a bit overwhelming for you,” he said, his voice softening considerably. “You need some rest. Go home. Rest. You may return the following morning.”
“I…thank you, sir,” Gabrielle said, unable to think of anything else to say. His presence clogged her mind and made her knees weak. She could feel her cheeks heating up as he continued to look at her with a strange gleam in his eyes. Just before it became unbearably uncomfortable, he looked away to the other women that worked for him.
“I expect you ladies to get her up to speed,” he said, his voice turning harsh again. “And I better not find my orders disobeyed, or you will find I can do far worse than relieve you of your responsibilities in my office.”
The women had mirrored shocked expressions on their faces as they both voiced their understanding of his orders. Gabrielle began to walk towards the doorway, ready to get out of this office and go to her new home and her new bath and her new bed. But a thought crossed her mind and she just couldn’t leave yet.
“Sir,” she said, whirling around before her nerves could stop her. She could feel the heat of nervousness engulfing her. She didn’t know how inappropriate it was for her to question him, but she didn’t care. “I was wondering…is…is Aracella alright?”
Sebastian was silent, watching her out of the corner of his eyes from over his shoulder. For a moment she feared that he would turn around, his kindness towards her all gone, and give her an equal tongue-lashing as he had given to Ms. Blankenship.
“She will be fine,” he said finally, his voice hiding any trace of emotion. “I was able to find her in time.”
Gabrielle was relieved, and she almost, for just a moment, thought she saw something in his face that told her he was happy she asked. It was his sister after all, so it would make sense. Though he just seemed so emotionless it was difficult to read him. Still, she was glad that Aracella was alright. She was the only person so far that had shown her even an ounce of kindness, except for Mr. Black and she still couldn’t understand why he was so nice to her. She smiled at him and walked out of the office, ready to get home and get some much needed rest.
Chapter Eight
Kaia was stunned. She sat across from Nettie who was mirroring her blank stare, at the lounge they frequented after work. It was late into the night, they only had a few hours before they were expected to be back at work, but neither one of them could go home and sleep. In the century or so that they both had been working, Ms. Blankenship was always there. She had hired them both. She had been their boss. Only Mr. Black was above her, of course. She had been his first seat assistant for nearly three centuries, his right hand. They knew General Black was a stickler for the rules. He was the hardest General to work for, but he was also the most powerful, and with that came the most respect throughout the Death Angel Society. But even still, they would have never imagined him firing her like he did. Sure, it was entirely inappropriate for her to call him by his first name, but it wasn’t like she said it to him directly. It certainly wasn’t the first time they had heard her say it. They all knew what her true feelings for him were. In truth, most of the women in the Death Angel Society felt much the same way. They would all jump at the chance to be his girlfriend, or wife. Hell, even a fling with him would be a fantasy for most women. Even though he was a hard ass he was powerful, noble, rich and handsome.
“It was all her fault,” Kaia said, her eyes suddenly hardening. “That stupid new girl.”
“She shouldn’t have said his name like that,” Nettie said softly. “We all know better. She knew better.”
“No,” Kaia said, shaking her head as her eyes focused on Nettie. “Ms. Blankenship was only trying to help Mr. Black. She was defending him. If people found out what an imbecile that girl is, and that she is working for Mr. Black, it would tarnish his reputation.”
“Kaia,” Nettie said, “I don’t think—“
“It’s not fair, Nettie” Kaia snapped. “That girl should have been fired, not Ms. Blankenship. She’s the one that screwed up, almost got him killed because she couldn’t do her job.”
“It’s best if we just let it go, Kaia,” Nettie said. She took a sip of her drink. She knew Kaia well, and knew that she was unlikely to just let it go, but she hoped for her own sake that she would just let this situation go. It was just as disconcerting to her, but she knew better than to dwell on it.
Kaia sat up a little straighter in her chair. Nettie could see the gears working behind her eyes and she grew a bit more worried. Kaia was going to get herself into trouble.
“Let it go,” Nettie repeated, hoping her friend would listen. She took another sip of her drink. “Drink. Forget about it. We’ll have a new boss in a couple days and then it will be life back to normal.”
“No,” Kaia said, her voice rising as she shook her head. “You and I both know that we run that office. If it wasn’t for us, Mr. Black wouldn’t be able to function. What was he thinking? It’s just not right.”
“It doesn’t really matter and you know it,” Nettie said. “Mr. Black made the decision and whether we or any one else agrees with him is irrelevant. He’s a General.”
“I just don’t know if I can let it go,” Kaia said. She picked up her glass and sipped angrily through her little cocktail straw. “She just doesn’t belong here.”
“What can you really do about it?” Nettie said. “If you file a complaint, all it’s going to do is make Mr. Black angry. He’s not going to be released, and he’ll end up firing you too.”
“No, I’m not going to file a complaint,” Kaia said. Her voice softened a bit and her eyes focused on a spot on the table.
“Don’t do something stupid,” Nettie said. She reached across the table, trying to wrap her hand around Kaia’s, but Kaia yan
ked her hand away.
“I’m not going to,” Kaia said, raising her voice. “I’m not going to do something stupid, I’m going to get my revenge. I’m going to show that stupid little girl, that newbie bitch, that she doesn’t belong here.”
“You heard Mr. Black, Kaia,” Nettie said. She shrugged. “He seems to have a soft spot for her.”
“Yeah,” Kaia said, narrowing her eyes. “How weird is that? I’m not buying it. There’s something more going on there.”
“It's unusual, but—“
“It’s more than unusual, Nettie,” Kaia said. “And I’m going to find out why.”
“I think you’re just letting this get to you too much,” Nettie said, sighing and leaning back in her chair.
“No,” Kaia said. Her voice rose sharply. “It isn’t right. She should never have been hired.”
“Let it go, Kaia,” Nettie said, still trying in vain to talk some sense into her friend and coworker. “It doesn’t really matter.”
“Maybe it doesn’t matter,” Kaia said. “But it’s the principle that matters. She needs to go back to the orientation, and go through the academy just like all the rest of us. She can spend a century working in the pits just like we did, and when she’s learned how to handle the office of a General, she can work her butt off another several decades until a spot becomes available and fight for the position, just like all the rest of us.”
By the time she had finished speaking, her voice was loud enough for everyone to hear. Nettie could see that Kaia was in self-destruct mode and there wasn’t much she could do about it.
“I just don’t want to see you get fired too,” Nettie said. “I don’t want to see you go back to the lower sector.”
“That’s not going to happen,” Kaia snapped, her eyes turning fiercely on Nettie. They burned with rage and Nettie knew she shouldn’t have said that. “I will never go back to the lower sector.”