by Gina Kincade
"Being that it is a sin in the eye of the Dark Lord to be illegitimate and stand on sacred ground, the punishment for this will be given in the form of a family curse. An unusual punishment, but one requested by our Lord himself. Your mother lived with this knowledge until the day she took her own life because of her choice of mate. It's only fitting that you do this, too."
"What? No!" I wriggled in my chains, attempting to free myself. "This is all wrong. Mecronesia was pure blood and so was my father." Maybe. I didn't know the first thing about that bastard except he'd left when I was born.
"Your mother was cursed to walk both realms alone after losing her love, and so will you. You will fall in love with a human mate, and she will never live past her thirtieth birthday. Alexei, you will be cursed to watch her die in your arms until this curse is broken. This means you will live a long life, until the rule of the princes of Hell.”
"Fuck, I'm cursed?" I'd never heard of a curse being handed down from the High Court, let alone that my own mother had suffered with one. Balan stepped forward then. Up until that point he'd been quiet, but he bent to talk to me at my eye level.
"Your choices in life dictate your destiny, Alexei. Until you can find it within yourself to break the curse with a complete change, you will work for me as my personal assassin. Are we clear?"
I nodded, still in fucking shock.
"You have a choice with your mate. You either learn to fight for her or you learn to leave her to her fate. Either way, your life will change forever."
The weight of my punishment washed over me.
"I understand, Balan." He stood up and watched me carefully. "I understand now I'm your bitch and my life is about to go down the toilet—all for fucking some judge's wife."
Balan nodded and smiled. "That's it exactly."
Yeah, this was going to be fun. Not.
Chapter One – Saturday, 4:15AM
A gun-shot whizzed passed by ear, cooling the air around my face as the silver clashed with my skin.
"Motherfucker," I murmured as I ducked down behind a small car, parked on a wide—but quiet—residential road in South London. I'm cornered by two fucking pricks with horns on their head. And the silver in their guns would be pretty fucking dire if they shot a demon—even if I was a half-breed, like everyone liked to call me.
This part of London is dead at quarter past seven on a Saturday morning. It's a good part—you won't get mugged for your phone here. Your house will probably be burgled, though. Swings and roundabouts, I suppose.
The two after me are lower demons—they'll do anything for a chance to mix with humans. Even fight a demon-assassin with an attitude as big as Soho. Did I mention they were thick as shit, too?
One of them—I'll call this one the pink punk because he has a shitty coloured Mohican—came running at me with a metal bar. His face was gruesome as fuck, twisted and gnarled, but it didn't bother me in the slightest. Only people who had seen it were traumatised. The demon swiped the bar back and forth, cutting the air until I wondered if this was a dance. Then finally, he swung at me, hard. Luckily, I'm quick and I moved, spinning away and landing a round-house kick to the back of his head, making him face-plant into the car knocking him out, and buying me time to take out number two.
The second demon was running at me, now, grunting and sweating. Very attractive. This one we'll call dumb blue—because he had another crappy coloured Mohican— he ran at me, despite having a gun he could pop me off with.
"Haven't you guys learned anything yet?" Dumb blue stopped in his tracks, butt ugly face screwed up in concentration.
"I don't know." He looked genuinely perplexed at the question. His voice sounded like nails on a chalkboard making me grimace inwardly.
"You're supposed to shoot the gun, not run at me with it." The thing looked down at the weapon in its hand and smiled sweetly, before pointing it at me. I moved then, tossing my trusty silver dagger in a spinning arc straight to his throat.
It hit with a bang and a sizzle, and this little fucker became a puddle of shit. Damn, I was good.
"Do you want some, too?" The pink punk had climbed to his feet, enraged confusion covering his ugly mug. His steel bar flew through the air toward my head and I spun away again, but before I could kick him down and retrieve my dagger from the puddle of his friend, he was on me.
And it stunk like a train toilet after curry night.
Its mouth opened to show two rows of lovely spiky teeth as they moved closer to my throat. Fuck. Yeah, the last thing I wanted to be was dinner to this pissed off little freak.
I didn't like to do it, but decided to use my advantage over him. Usually my natural physical strength was enough, but when you came across a mean little fucker on steroids—a drug straight out of hell—you needed every bit of leverage you could get. So, I played dirty. If there was one thing I liked about being a demon, it was being able to use my opponent’s strengths and abilities against them. By tuning in to their fucked up psyche, I could play with their toys.
Pink punk didn't have a lot up top—as soon as I was on his wavelength I felt dumber. Never mind, this would only take a matter of seconds... I turned his physical hold against him and pushed up, using his enhanced toughness. Pinky was astounded that I could fight back so easily. He was one of the meanest breed of fighters in the demon realm, after all. With one last push, I flung him away from me, darted over to my dagger and threw it at his throat.
A sizzle and a bang, and it was goodbye to stinky.
I sat back on my heels, attempting to catch my breath. Using other people's gifts might be a definite plus of being a demon, but it made you temporarily weaker by taking down your natural, demonic defences. Basically it hurt like shit and it turned you into a wimp.
Stumbling back to my feet, I looked over my shoulder at the dead body. It was still in one piece in the corner. He'd been my original target and I'd managed to get to him before these other bozos had joined in for the hell of it and ridden my rollercoaster.
There was blood spatter everywhere, from the tarmac road to the tree that the body was propped up against. I knew two things right now. One, there needed to be a clean up. And two, I needed to get the fuck out of here and restore what I had lost.
My phone was tucked into my jeans pocket and I slowly reached for it, sending a text to HQ—i.e. Balan's team—that this particular assassination was done. They hated me texting, but I disliked going through their automated system. I wasn't buying a viewing package for a TV, so why the fuck should I be talking to a computer and pressing one at the beep?
Slowly I got to my feet and walked slowly over to my motorbike. These assignments were getting harder and harder—especially since I had the face of a twenty-eight year old but my body was actually two-hundred and fifty-eight years old. My best years were probably behind me, but there was still a little life in me yet. The only difference now was that I needed a rest and several cups of coffee to carry on.
I straddled the seat, attempting to find the energy to be on my way. That's when I heard the noise and whipped my head around, scanning the vicinity quickly.
Not even a cat prowled along the tree-lined street. I focused more on the feel of the air. There was definitely something lingering but I couldn't put my finger on it, I was simply too tired. And maybe too old for this shit.
And then, without warning, the vibrations started and I knew it was trouble.
He appeared moments later in a blast of white light, localised to the area twenty metres in front of me. Balan—the prince of Hell—in all his fiery glory. My boss.
This could only mean one thing: the curse was in effect once more. My heart fell into my gut as realisation dawned of what the date was. As a working demon, I tried to forget anniversaries...but sometimes they crept up on your like a spider climbing up the toilet bowl to bite your arse.
Pressing the button to make the motorbike engine roar, I clicked it into gear and went to tear off into the night. I was running from something I knew
I couldn't run from, having tried before.
I made it roughly one hundred metres down the road, fast closing in on a T Junction. That's when I saw him, standing in the middle of the road, dead ahead. I slammed on the breaks so as not to hit him, but it was too late.
Balan moved through me, tearing my body apart and throwing me back together again. He had done it for shits and giggles because he had a fucked up sense of humour. I managed to slow the bike to a complete halt and stagger off. The demon prince stood next to me, looking particularly pleased with himself. He was dressed all in black, his tanned skin and black hair luminous under the street light.
"You can't run from your destiny, Alexei. You should know that by now. How many times will we do this?" The serene smile he sent my way shouldn't have felt as sinister and diabolical as it did. But he was Satan spawn, after all."You'll have the usual twenty-four hours to say your goodbyes."
"No, I won't do it. I won't be your puppet," I knew I was fighting a losing battle. My fate had already been written—I'd learned that a long time ago.
Balan shook his head. "Dear, Alexei, you're not my puppet. Your Sidney is. She's been put on this earth to teach you a lesson so you can fulfil your curse. And if you fail to learn from this lesson throughout your lifetime, then her death will get more painful for her and you every time. How many different ways do I need to tell you this? I thought you were one of the clever ones. Maybe I was wrong."
"No," I said again, my voice croaking under the emotion. I couldn't see her die again. It was too much. Even someone like me, an evil asshole, couldn't take this punishment.
"You have no choice." Balan raised his hand and a small spark erupted to life, shooting out and stopping in front of me. I looked down at the small, hovering object. A silver bullet.
Shit. He was playing dirty this time.
"Make the gift of this day worth it. Figure out the solution." A bolt of pain shot through me, sending me reeling. I closed my eyes at the flash of light in front of me as Balan disappeared. The voice hovered in my mind, despite trying to block it out. "And if you have any ideas about running from her, I'll take her straight to Hell and let the High Court decide her fate. And that never ends well."
Screaming out into the night, I fell to the ground, my shoulder bleeding out heavily.
There was no other option. Sidney Washington needed to save me from this silver bullet, otherwise Balan would take her and they would make her life a misery for a thousand years. Either way, I was signing her death warrant on earth.
The lesser of two evils had to be chosen. I didn't have a choice.
Chapter Two – Saturday, 6:25AM
The last time I'd seen Sidney in this lifetime was two years ago. I'd seen her by chance, and just like fate, we hadn't been able to stay apart, despite me knowing the consequences. It had been instinctual that I'd known her. Much like the first time I saw her after my High Court sentencing. Once I'd met her, I couldn't go back and forget.
For six months we'd been addicted to each other. I'd managed to be happy for the first time since she'd died in my arms, forty years prior. There was always a dark cloud hanging over me, though.
When I'd finally come to my senses, I'd walked away without looking back. The day stuck in my memory like a thorn. Sid had been so beautiful and happy. I knew that I couldn't stick around knowing I'd already killed her.
Every time I hoped and prayed that this time—this life—she'd stay alive if I stayed away.
Nope, I guess that wasn't how it was meant to work. Sid had been the one woman who'd gotten under my skin and made me wish for a different life. I wasn't that lucky, though. My life is what it is: not suitable for other people to live within the confines. I don’t follow danger, danger follows me.
Over two hours had passed since the incident with Balan. I was bleeding heavily. If I didn't get this bullet out soon, it would poison me. Okay, it would have been faster if I was a pure demon, but it was still killing me from the inside out.
The Sanctuary, as the sign at the end of the driveway had told me, was a shelter and veterinary practice for abused animals. I smiled. It didn't matter what era she lived in, Sidney had always been about taking care of her four-legged friends.
Hesitating in front of the large entrance, second thoughts on whether or not this was a good idea hit me head on. I'd walked out on her for a reason, at least in my own mind. She knew nothing about the battle I fought around her. Maybe she wouldn't appreciate me all of a sudden turning up on the doorstep of her place looking to be saved. Sid was a vet, and it was ideal for her to fix my wound. Whether she would or not was a different matter.
It had started raining sometime on the bike ride over here. And now, in the late October evening, the rain poured in earnest, chilling me slightly, even though I was dressed warmly in jeans and a leather jacket. It had to be the blood loss which made me light-headed and the poison threading through my veins. It couldn't have been the prospect of seeing the one woman who could turn me inside out.
I shook my head, heavy drops of water running from my dark hair down my face. Nope, I needed time to think things through. Balan had threatened her, but if only I could get my mushy brain to work, I might think of something this time that I hadn't tried before. "Shit," I sighed, knowing I was wasting time. I walked toward where I'd parked my motorbike in the small car park. I noticed as I neared my ride that the evening air smelled of fresh, wet grass and damp wood. My vision began to blur and I rubbed my fingers against my eyes with my left hand.
Twenty-four hours wasn't long enough to spend with Sid. If I fell down this rabbit-hole, there was no way of finding my way out until she was gone once more. I had to resist her if I could.
"Can I help you?" Her words carried on the gentle wind. I almost missed it until she said it again. Pretending not to hear her was definitely an option. Probably the smartest thing to do. But this was Sid. And I never had been that clever when it came to her, especially not when she was mere metres away. I turned to face the entrance to the shelter where she stood in scrubs, her hands resting on her hips.
"Who is that?" Her voice wobbled on the last word. I imagine that was when she realised it was me. Long moments passed. I could still turn and leave—nothing was holding me here. Except for the fact I wouldn't have left now if my clothes were on fire. "Alexei?" It was said softly, as if she couldn't believe her eyes.
I knew the feeling.
"It's me." If I'd have imagined what I'd say to her after all these years, I'd have hoped for something a little more deep than that. Then again, if I was smart, I wouldn't be in this situation once more over my long-ass lifetime.
"It's been two years." Her words were incredulous and I didn't know what to say in return. "Did you get lost on your way to pick up Pop-Tarts and coffee, asshole? Would you like directions back to the road so you can piss off back where you came from?"
A smile lifted my lip but still I didn't move. "I'm sorry." It hurt to breathe. I brought my left hand up to brace against my shoulder. There wasn't much more left in me. At least I'd go in front of her so I could watch her as I finally slipped away.
"Dear God, are you bleeding?" Sid rushed toward me then. I should have told her to stop, but I craved her hands on me. I craved everything about her. She was my oxygen in my never-ending existence.
Her white scrubs instantly dampened and wet splotches multiplied across her. "Are you hurt, Alex?" She was closing in on me fast. I wanted to move toward her, but I couldn't. My head hurt and my arm was numbing. Then she was next to me and was opening up my jacket as gently as she could. "You've been shot." Sid paused. "Follow me inside. Why didn't you come straight in? Are you all right to walk on your own?" Sid's panicked voice filled my brain. I took comfort from the fact that, even if it was a tiny piece of her, she still cared.
I nodded, not trusting my voice as her scent filled my nostrils setting off fires inside me. Attempting to move, I swayed and she was there, her hands steadying me as best she could. I was so much
bigger than her small frame. Her five foot three to my six foot four. There was no way on earth I could resist putting my arm around her shoulder and pulling her closer. Just her warmth was soothing. A plaster to my damaged soul.
"What was it this time, Alexei? A mugging? Your car was hijacked? In the wrong place at the wrong time? Or maybe a grandma took exception to your driving skills? You were always pretty imaginative in making your excuses when I saw you like this." Her arm came around my waist and she was pulling me along. My feet were heavy and I struggled to stay upright, to stop from falling on her.
Sid was right about the excuses, though. I was never able to tell her the truth as to why I was always banged up. What could I say to her? Don't worry it's just my job? I'm a demon and I love to kill.
The rain slowed, but it didn't matter. We were both drenched by the time I stepped through the door into her waiting room. The place smelled clean, the disinfectant giving off a lemon fresh smell.
I looked around me, noticing shelves of over the counter treatments for animals and the bench chairs up against the wall. The counter was large and we headed toward it. Sid reached around and I heard a buzz. A door to my right clicked and a green light showed above it. I glanced at the woman who was still propping me up.
"Security," She mumbled. "We don't open for another thirty minutes. It's got fingerprint recognition. It helps when we run a twenty-four hour practice." I was impressed and a little surprised. I shouldn’t have been. She was always innovative and smart. Part of the reason I'd been attracted to her in the first place.
Her hair was plastered to her head and face. She had cut it—once long and brown hair—now it was short with greens and blues underneath. Like a mermaid in the Caribbean Sea.
"I like your hair," I said as she hustled me into a treatment room. My voice had begun to slur. The space was pretty large; posters adorned the walls, advising you if your cat was overweight or whether your dog needed flea control.
"My hair changed a long time ago, Alexei. As did I. Can you get up here?" Sid gestured to the stainless steel table and I nodded. "Slip your jacket off if you can. And your top." I leaned against the table and slowly undressed. My head swam. Silver fucked with the body of a demon, similar to hemlock for a human. I tried not to get cut with silver too often, but when it happened, it fucked everything up.