“Does that mean a Fallen will take over soon?”
Darius lifted a brow. “I highly doubt it.”
“Why?”
“Because the Fallen are snobs. They want prestige. They want fame. They want their bodies in pristine shape. I’ve never known or even heard of a demon taking over the body of a neighborhood druggie. What makes you think you can sense the demons’ souls?”
I shrugged as if it were a simple matter. “I can sense Jonathan’s soul.”
Darius stared hard at a light pole near the entrance of the park. “Yes, but is it you and your freaky connection—that I’m not all excited about, if you must know, or—”
“It’s not freaky.”
“It’s freaky,” Elisa said over the mic.
I tapped my earpiece. “Hey, blondie. I don’t believe I was talking to you.”
“You do know that we can all hear you, right? Darius, did you not explain this to her?”
Darius laughed, but I ignored her. And they wondered why I didn’t like my coms.
“So, is it the connection or is it your Demon’s Eye that senses him?” he finished.
I closed my mouth, refusing to argue about it with him and anyone else that was listening anymore. After all, how could he understand? How could any of them understand what they had never experienced? What they had never—”
I inhaled sharply as ice-cold numbness pressed against my chest.
Darius gripped my hand. “Ava?”
Do not do anything without the others. Wait for support, the Demon’s Eye counselled.
But it was too late. Darius had seen the direction of my gaze and ran to the alleyway. He pulled his dagger from his boot. I followed despite the warnings from the pendant. It vibrated a painful cadence upon my chest.
The overcast sky shrouded the alleyway in deep shadow. A man gripped a small woman by the arms. Her pale blonde hair hung in a long sheet past her hips. She shuddered beneath her attacker’s weight, and I knew I was too late to save her—until she yanked a bloodied blade from his chest. The man dropped to his knees with a grunt.
He fell in a heap at her feet. Dead.
7
Demon Murder
Red stained the front of her light gray overcoat and painted her knife-wielding hand. Her head tipped to the side as her green eyes considered me longer than was comfortable.
“What a lovely surprise,” she said, as if we were long-lost friends.
The newcomer was beautiful and petite. Her voice, so small and child-like, twisted at my heart in an uncomfortable way. Despite her kind smile, I took an instant disliking to her—although, I wasn’t sure if it was because of her murdering ways, or something else I couldn’t pinpoint. But I didn’t care.
My attention shifted to the body. She did a double-take and peered down at her victim as well. She took a careful and measured step from the blood draining through a maze of cobblestone cracks.
“Forgive me. I was hoping to have all of this cleaned up before you got here. But no matter.” She wiped the soiled knife on the victim’s jacket. “You need to go. There will be others.”
I watched her through narrowed eyes. “Others?”
“Demons, of course.” She took a handkerchief from her pocket and cleaned her bloodied hands.
Darius began a slow circle around the interloper. “Who are you?”
The woman smiled as he neared. “Who I am is not important. Now, take her and go.”
“What is going on?” Fiona’s voice rang with authority, echoing off the brick walls surrounding us. She stepped to my side, her shoulder brushing against mine.
The woman’s smile brightened. “Well, hello, Mother.”
“Laith, get here quick,” Cedric said over the coms as he appeared alongside his mate.
Fiona frowned at the strange woman. “Do you know who I am, girl?”
“Of course I do. You’re the great Healer and my Mother Witch, Fiona.” She inclined her head in respect.
Fiona stiffened next to me and I fought the desire to peer at my aunt’s reaction. It was still so new and strange to hear anyone being called such a thing as a witch—as if they were real.
But they were real, and now they were here. Three of them, apparently. Mortal witches.
“But I do not know you,” Fiona said. “Who is your Coven leader? Is it Gayle?”
The muscles between my eyes pinched together. “Coven?”
From the shadows, another woman sauntered into view. Long brown hair cascaded down her heavy trench coat. She stood no taller than Darius’s shoulder, but her size was not equal to the power she contained. The closer she came, the more creeped out I felt.
“Gayle.” Fiona narrowed her gaze at the woman. “Where is Roslyn?”
I placed a hand over my pocket, feeling the outline of my knife.
Gayle smirked, studying my reaction. “Roslyn is counselling the expectant mother in your sanctuary. You have nothing to fear,” she said speaking to me. “We are friends.”
“Friends?” I pointed to the blonde. “Is this your friend, too?”
She nodded. “She is. Her name is Bailey.”
“And why did she kill him?”
Gayle jerked back. “Really?” She scanned my appearance through narrow eyes, then peered to Darius. “The new Defender is but a child. Was it wise to select one so young?”
“How do you know what I am?” I asked.
Fiona held up a hand to silence me. My face exploded with angry heat, but she didn’t seem to notice. “She’s the daughter of Rachel Matthias.”
Gayle shook her head. “That doesn’t matter. These things are never set in stone. Why didn’t you ask for another?”
Fiona set her jaw. “She is the rightful Defender.”
I grabbed my blade from my pocket and flicked it open. “Why do you talk about me like I’m not here. Address your concerns to me if you have a problem.” I pointed my knife at the dead body heaped on the ground. “Why did you kill this mortal?”
Gayle released a heavy sigh. “He was infested with demon scum.”
“But he may have been saved.”
“Ava’s right, you know,” Fiona said. “We’ve taught her to see what remains behind before we pronounce a death punishment.”
“We don’t bother with such things.” Bailey set her hands on her hips. “Mortal or demon possessed, this being and the people he works with are very bad men responsible for hurting innocent children and ruining lives. I feel no regret taking his life. I’d do it again.”
Fiona hissed her disagreement. Her eyes narrowed into slits. “You should know better. Your pupil would have reacted differently if her coven taught correct principles. The principles I have taught them.”
Gayle shrugged. “My apologies, my lady, but you stopped teaching long ago. We survive on our own. We make our own rules.”
Fiona ignored Gayle and pinned Bailey with a glare. “We are not to act as both judge and executioner.”
Bailey picked at the skin beneath her neatly trimmed nails. “Would you believe he attacked me?”
I huffed a laugh. “No.”
“Suit yourself.” She stepped away from the body. The corners of her mouth lifted into a smug grin. “But again, we must ask you to go. Now.”
My lips twitched up into a menacing smile. “We’re not leaving. We’re here on a mission and if you think—”
A growing whistle sounded into the night, catching my attention. A slow song drifted along the breeze, icing the blood in my veins.
The Demon’s Eye buzzed in warning. Run, Defender. Run into the sanctuary.
“Knock it off.” I silenced it with a hiss and swirled to the sound with the others.
Gayle took a step back into the shadows, partly shielding her body. Three silhouettes emerged from around the corner. I squinted into the light of a nearby street lamp. One form tripped on its own feet and stumbled forward, but was caught by a fourth figure walking directly behind them.
A man with a long bla
ck trench coat separated himself from the group and halted a few yards away. The others spread, blocking our way from the street, thinking that was our only escape.
I smiled internally at their stupidity, until I saw what they had with them. The middle and largest man in the group held a shivering frame of a mortal. Her short pink hair hung limp and wet in her face. She whimpered and squeezed her eyes closed as a knife was placed beneath her neck.
The man smiled at the woman. “It’ll be all right, love. As long as these nice folks are willing to work with us, you’ll be free to go home.”
I cleared my throat. “Where’s her boyfriend?” I asked, remembering the couple from only a few minutes before as they clung to each other, keeping warm. The demon ignored me, searching the trash lined walls.
“Leon, are you dead?” His eyes shot to the shadowed lump on the dank cobblestone, then to Bailey’s weapon. “Well, good. Saved me the trouble of killing you later.”
“I’m glad I could be of service,” Bailey said with a lopsided grin. “And who are you, may I ask?”
The man sneered. “Name’s Sonny, gorgeous.”
“Where’s her boyfriend?” I asked a little louder.
This time Sonny regarded me with a lifted brow. “If you must know, he’s takin’ it real easy at the park. Feeding the ducks, if you know what I mean.”
The woman whimpered. Tears fell from red-swollen eyes. Despite the frigid temperatures, my cheeks grew hot.
“Do you know who we are, demon?” Cedric asked, a curious lilt to his voice.
“Of course, I do.” Sonny spread his arms wide. “This is the mighty Three.”
My gaze swept to the others, but Laith and Elisa had yet to arrive. Only Gayle’s trench coat could be seen in the darkness, Bailey less than a few yards away. Shocked, I realized the demons must have thought they were the Heralds.
When Bailey began to argue, Fiona put up a hand to silence her. “Very well, then. If you value your life, you will leave our presence at once.”
Sonny chuckled. “Value my life? Since when has a demon ever valued life? A mortal’s existence in a mere flicker of a moment. I’ve lived over a hundred years. Believe me, living in one body forever is overrated.”
“That’s because you are a mere parasite, feeding off a mortal’s weakness. All that’s needed is an antidote to your disease and you’re gone,” she said in a deadly calm. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end.
“Aye. You see, and that’s where the problem lies.” His head tipped my direction. “Give it to me.”
“Give what—”
“The bloody necklace. Toss it over. Now.”
I clutched my mother’s pendant. The Demon’s Eye vibrated, cowering in fear.
“I know who you are, and I know what that does. Give it to me.” From his pocket, he pulled out a gun and pointed it straight at my head. “Now.”
My blood froze in fear, but I wasn’t sure why. After all, I had been told I couldn’t be killed by a gun. But I had never been shot before. Stabbed, yes, punched, kicked, scratched, thrown—but never shot. As immortal as I was, I didn’t want to know what it was like to recover from a bullet to the brain.
Movement caught my attention. From the corner of my eye I saw Laith peek from around the gray brick building then disappear. His whispered voice came over the mic. “Keep them distracted.”
Despite my internal dread, I smiled. “Sonny, don’t you know you can’t kill me with a gun?” I asked.
He smirked, but confusion tugged at his brows.
Fiona chuckled. “He’s a lesser demon, Ava. The Fallen don’t educate the lessers, remember?”
“That’s right.” I took a step closer and his eyes narrowed to the movement. “You’ll have to get real close to me, Sonny. All close and personal if you want to threaten to kill me.”
“Very well. I can fix that.” He pointed the gun at the woman still held captive. “What about her? Will she die before your Healer can fix the hole I put in her head?”
I halted and held up my hands. “If you kill her, there will be nothing to stop me from killing you next.”
Sonny sneered, calling my bluff. “It’s your job to protect this woman. And you must honor your calling, mustn’t you, Defender? So again, I’ll ask nicely. Toss it over.”
Slowly, I removed the chain from around my neck and stared at the inky pendant. It buzzed within my palm, humming at such a high frequency that it frightened me. “Why do you want it so badly? It’s just an onyx stone.”
He barked a laugh, but his gaze honed in on the Demon’s Eye. He licked his lips and took a step forward. “You must think I’m an idiot. I know exactly what it is, and I’ll be rewarded for it.”
“How?”
Sonny tsked. “No more questions. Hand over the Demon’s E—”
Without warning, Laith came from behind, his hands clamping down on both Sonny’s gun and the knife held to the hostage. With a twist, he quickly relieved them of their weapons.
The middle demon cursed out loud, but before he could retaliate, a tip of a blade pushed through his chest. He stared at it, wide-eyed and unbelieving until Elisa yanked her dagger from his back. He fell to the ground, dead. The pink-haired woman quailed in fear. Elisa gathered her in her arms and hauled her away from the action.
Everyone moved. Darius lashed out with a powerful frontal kick that sent the third Demon sailing. The demon rolled to his feet and sprinted the opposite way, around the corner. Fiona and Cedric ran after him. Gayle and Bailey stepped back alongside the brick building, watching with keen interest. Darius took a protective stance at my side.
I hooked the pendant around my neck and almost groaned out loud when the Demon’s Eye vibrated against my chest. Its painful cries warned of more to come. I steadied myself, trying to rid the rising ache. Focusing on my target, I crouched, knife in hand.
“Others will come for you,” Sonny said. He ducked low, nervously eyeing the Herald. “Let me go, or you’ll face the wrath of the Annihilator.”
“We’ve faced it before.” Laith toyed with his dagger, tossing it between hands. He looked to me expectantly, and it was then that I realized what he wanted. Before we killed Sonny, I needed to look deeper. To see if there was a soul that existed within the infection. “What was this reward you would receive for taking the Demon’s Eye?” he asked.
Sonny huffed a laugh. “Let me go, and I’ll tell you.”
Despite the growing ache between my ears, I pushed my energy, encompassing his mortal frame with my power. Nothing stirred except for a swirling pool of shadowed mess.
“We can’t do that,” Darius answered taking a step forward.
Sonny growled. “Then go to Hell.”
I connected sights with Laith and shook my head. The mortal entity was nowhere to be found.
Laith tsked. “Very well. Defender, take care of him.”
Sonny jolted. He swirled away, distancing himself, but only backed further into the dead-end. When his gaze fell to my stone, his face paled.
“Stay away from me,” he said, brandishing his blade.
I pushed down the throbbing discomfort caused by the Demon’s Eye and prowled forward. “We can’t have you hurting anyone else.”
Sonny lunged, but I kicked away his attack with ease. His weapon clattered to the ground several yards away. The blood rose to his cheeks and he dove for his knife. I ran, preparing to strike, but before I could reach him, Sonny slid to his knees, gathered up the fallen blade and plunged it into his heart.
I gasped as his blackened soul wisped from the mortal’s body. The corpse lay still and bleeding on the cobblestone.
Confusion rolled through me. I didn’t know whether to feel saddened that he had done such a thing, or grateful that it wasn’t me who had to kill him.
“Well, that was interesting,” Darius said beside me.
I agree, came Jonathan’s response. The smooth texture of his accent played within my brain and danced on my gut.
I so
ught him among the gloom and shadows that lined the walls, but he was nowhere to be seen.
Where are you, I asked.
This is so familiar, came his voice again. Look up, Ava.
I did as he said and gasped as Darius cursed.
Jonathan stood on the ledge of the shop roof. His black boots jutted over the concrete end, his arms casual at his side.
I called out to him. “Get down here!” I pressed my fingers to my temples. My head spun just watching him play at the edge, adding to the mounting discomfort. He stared at me, amused at my reaction.
Then, he jumped. I swallowed my cry of shock as he landed on the ground with a soft thud.
He straightened, elongating his tall body. Muscles pressed tight against a dark sweater and jeans. My heart warmed to his presence, but Jonathan’s stare was brash, calculating. “What happened just now, Ava? What did you say to the lesser?”
“I didn’t say anything.”
He didn’t seem convinced. “You must have. Did you control his body?”
My mouth dropped. “What?”
Elisa stepped toward me, a look of concern etched in her face. “Ava, can you control the will of a demon?”
Laith regarded me quietly from the sidelines.
“Of course not.” My heart eased when I reached to grasp Jonathan’s hand. He had continued to be distant, and it hurt how much I missed him, but his fiery touch assured me of his presence. I squeezed his fingers, then released them, not caring how the others watched.
“Were you…” I grimaced as a spike of pain jolted down my neck and spine. I groaned.
“Ava, what’s the matter?” Darius placed a hand on the small of my back, but I ignored his concern.
I looked up to the roof of the shop building. It stood well over two stories high and Jonathan had cascaded down the side of it without any injury. I didn’t know why feats like that still surprised me. “Were you spying on me?”
Jonathan glanced to Darius. “Yes. Now what did you do?”
Frustrated, I snapped at him. “If you were concerned enough to watch, why not help?”
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