Darkened

by S. L. Gavyn

  “Saundra. Which way did he go?”

  She turned around and had a smile on her face then when she saw me, she looked angry.

  “He is so amazing. Why do they always want you? You’re pretty I guess, but not a pretty as me. Yet, they all want you. He wants you.” She pointed to Jared. “And, Jael wants you too. Why? What do you have that I don’t?”

  Uh, let’s see. Self-esteem would be my first guess.

  “Where did he go?”

  “Why? You and your boyfriend gonna have a threesome with him?”

  “I will be forced to hurt you if you don’t tell me where he went.”

  “He went down that alley over there. He said to tell you he just wants to talk. Yeah right. He sure didn’t look like he wanted to just talk.”

  I left her standing in the road. I heard Jared tell Zach to get her a cab.

  We reached the alley, and I could see blue lights toward the other end.

  “I’ll meet you at the other end,” Hash said and took off.

  I was running as fast as I could when I felt Jared wrap his arm around me, and in a blink, we were at the other end of the alley. I saw Kansas and Davis but Jael was nowhere to be seen.

  “Where’d he go?” I asked Kansas.

  He turned toward me and smiled. Then he looked at Jared beside me and shot him in the chest.

  “What the...?”

  He turned to Davis and shot him too. As he turned back to me, I punched him in the head as hard as I could. He was down for the count. Jared was already starting to get up so I ran to Davis to see he was hit on the right side of his chest. I pulled out my cell and called for an ambulance as I put my hand over his wound.

  “Here, use this,” Jared said and handed me his shirt.

  “Check the perimeter for Jael.”

  “I won’t leave you alone.”

  And, just when I thought I couldn’t be more pissed at him he goes and raises the bar.

  After a few minutes, Hash ran into the alley. “I saw Jael take off from the building next door. I followed but lost him.”

  “Alright, an ambulance is on the way. Will you guide them in?” Jared said.

  “Yeah, I got it,” Hash said before leaving.

  A couple of minutes later, the ambulance pulled into the alley. I moved out of the way as they did their work. Cassidy and Levon showed up right after the ambulance. They checked out Kansas, and helped him into the ambulance. He looked shell-shocked. I walked up to him once he was sitting in the ambulance.

  “It wasn’t you. Jael made you do it.”

  “How could he control me? I have magic. I didn’t think anyone could do that.”

  I shrugged. “Go get checked out. I’ll get this guy.”

  He nodded. They loaded Davis in the back, and the ambulance took off.

  They had no more pulled away when Jared wrapped his arm around me, and we were moving at warp speed. Two seconds later, we were in Jared’s office. When he released me, I punched him in the face.

  “It’s your fault. If you hadn’t stopped me, I would have been there. He made Kansas shoot Davis because you had to be an overprotective ass.”

  “Ow. I was shot too in case you forgot. Damn, and it hurts too. I don’t see how this was my fault. If I hadn’t stopped you, you could have been shot too, or captured. It didn’t slip my attention that he shot everyone except you. Why do you think that is?”

  He opened a closet, grabbed another shirt, and pulled it on.

  “Maybe he was saving me for last.”

  “I highly doubt it. Look, stay here while I go talk to Luke then we’ll go home.”

  “Whatever.”

  He left the room and I heard a lock click. Great, locked in. Right now I would rather take my chances with Jael than have to deal with any more of Jared’s bullshit. I can’t believe he would try to prevent me from catching this guy. The whole point is that he is supposed to be protecting me during the investigation. If I’d have known he wasn’t going to let me do my job, I would have just quit and taken a vacation like Cop told me to do.

  I’ve got to get away from him. That’s the only way I’m going to catch Jael. There was only one window in the office, and it was kind of high on the wall and small. But it was big enough for me to slip through. I slid a chair over and put my hand to the glass. It was warded. Good. Maybe he would think I slipped out the door instead of the window. That would give me a few minutes head start, and as fast as he is, I’ll need it.

  I reached into myself and pulled some energy out and used it to coat myself in a shield. The barrier not only protected me and made me invisible to the average observer it also allowed me to pass through magic undetected. I’m not sure if it is one of my gifts or is a thing all half Demon can do but I haven’t tried it on a ward that I haven’t been able to pass through. I pulled the lock and was about to open the window when I heard the click of a key unlocking the door. I jumped off the chair and let my shield drop as the door opened.

  Jared looked at me standing in front of the chair then where the chair was supposed to be, and finally the window above the chair.

  “Were you trying to go somewhere, Caru? I would advise against it. That ward is a pretty nasty one, and I wouldn’t want you to get hurt.”

  “Just checking it out, Jared,” I replied innocently.

  “Come on. Let’s go home.”

  “I want to go to the hospital first. I need to see how Davis is doing.”

  “We will call once we get to my house. I can’t properly protect you in a hospital.”

  “I don’t think I will be needing your protection any more. I will take my chances with Jael.”

  “This can happen two ways, Caru. You can choose to walk out that door and to my car. In which, I will take you to my house in companionable silence. Or, you can protest, and I can duct tape your mouth then carry you to my car. Either way works for me, but you are accompanying me to my home, and I am continuing as your guard until Jael is killed.”

  Just when I thought I couldn’t be madder at this asshole, he goes and opens his mouth. I’ll bide my time. He can’t watch me all the time. I walked past him toward the door, and he was there opening it before I reached it. I didn’t say another word to him all the way to his house.

  When we got there, I went to the kitchen and poured me a glass of water. As I drank it, I watched Jared to see what he would do. He stood at the doorway for a moment then walked into the open area between the living room, kitchen and short hallway leading to his room.

  “I’m going to take a shower since I have dried blood all over me. Don’t try to leave. There are wards on every entryway, and it will harm you if you attempt it. Plus, I will be notified immediately and would just drag you back,” he advised.

  “You know it isn’t right to hold me against my will.”

  “You agreed to have me as protector, and I am protecting you.”

  “I no longer want your services.”

  “It’s too late for that, Caru. You’re in it for the long haul. This will not end until Jael is dead.”

  “How can I kill him when you won’t even let me get close?”

  “Bart will finish him. All we need to do is stay out of the way.”

  “It’s my job to get this guy before he kills another Human.”

  “You will just have to sit this one out. He’s too dangerous.”

  “News flash, Jared. I’m a trained detective. I deal with danger every day.”

  “Not like Jael. I have given my word that I will protect you, and that is what I will do.”

  “Oh, goody,” I said sarcastically as I went into my room and shut my door.

  Initiate plan “sneak out”.

  Seventeen

  I waited several minutes to give Jared enough time to get in the shower then went to the window in my room and felt the ward. It was just like the one in his office. I pulled my shield over me and flipped the latch. Nothing happened so I pulled the window up slightly. I would think his ward was set to
do something like electrocute me or put a spell that would make me lose my mind or some other kind of bad thing, and since it didn’t, I figure I’m free to go. I slid through the window and landed in a rose bush outside. Now that hurt. I reached up and pulled the window closed. Hopefully the ward wouldn’t start going off as soon as I was away from the window. In case it did, I kept my hand on the window while I took a look around. The house was in an upper class suburb. It looked like most of the houses were in the million dollar range, and most had huge yards. Jared’s was no exception.

  There were a few trees that were spotted across the front yard so I made a break for them. Once I reached them, I ran for the gate that surrounded the property. I hadn’t let my shield drop so it was no problem when I went to climb the fence and found there was a ward on it as well. When I made it over the fence, I took off running. I went through people’s yards and jumped their fences, avoided their dogs, and kept running until I had finally made it out of the neighborhood. There was more housing outside of the subdivision so I continued at a jog until I finally hit some commercial property. One of the first things I came to, that was open, was an all-night diner. I went inside and ordered a coffee then I called a local cab company, and sat down to wait.

  A few minutes after I sat down, the bell over the door rang, and I turned expecting to see Jared. Instead, Jael walked in and sat next to me.

  “Long time no see. You stalking me?” I said.

  “Would you like it if I was?”

  “Uh, not so much. No.”

  “Then I was definitely not stalking you.”

  I couldn’t help but laugh. Maybe it was nerves since I know he’s a serial killer or maybe it was just funny.

  “So what brings you to a diner at three in the morning?” I asked.

  “Why, you of course.”

  “I thought you weren’t following me?”

  He just looked at me.

  “Of course you were following me. What, were you standing outside Jared’s house hoping I would sneak out?”

  He just smiled.

  “I guess you got lucky tonight,” I said.

  “I have not gotten lucky yet, but I plan to.”

  “Are you going to kill her like you did the last one?”

  “That Human should have considered herself lucky I shared my seed with her. I would not have had the want to if she did not look so much like you.”

  Okay, that’s creepy.

  “So I take it you hope to get lucky with me? ‘Cause I gotta say, I’m not really feeling it. And, since your mind control won’t work on me, I don’t see that happening.”

  He smiled at me.

  “I do not have to use mind control to get you to leave with me.”

  “I don’t see any other way. Unless you are ready to confess to your sins, in which case I will be putting you to death for the murder of Stephen Wilkins and Amber Lambert.”

  He laughed. “Those Humans are not worth any punishment. They barely took any effort to kill at all. I even gave them a fighting chance by killing them without magic, and still they were useless.”

  “Well, I hope you don’t mind, but I’m still going to kill you for murdering them, whether you confess or not.”

  “Avery, my Sweetness. Why do you waste your time with these creatures? They are not worthy of wiping off your shoes let alone protecting.”

  “Someone needs to protect them from psychos like you.”

  “Is that why you teamed up with Jared and his band of fools? So that together you can protect the Humans?”

  I shrugged. “Jared offered protection. I took it.”

  “And, he couldn’t even do that right. It is no matter. You are with me now. I will kill Jared, and have you as my lover. Then I will be able to heal from the wound that Fallen caused.”

  “Jared managed to wound you? Is that what happened to you?”

  I pointed to my face and made a circle incorporating it all. Jared didn’t mention being the one to do that.

  “It is the wound of my only child’s death. This,” he pointed to his face. “Was caused by the Angel Bartholomew many years ago, but do not worry yourself. I have returned that favor.”

  “You killed Bart?”

  “No, I am sure he will heal from his wounds once he has spent enough time in the Kingdom. I will not allow Jared to be so lucky. He will not continue to get away with murdering my child.”

  “From what I heard, he had it coming. I was told he was a nutjob who was going around killing Humans. I guess the apple didn’t fall far from the tree.”

  “He was a beautiful Angel, and Jared murdered him at the command of our Lord. Jared did not care that he was innocent. He killed him in cold blood. The First Lord’s enforcer. Look where it got him. Now, he has fallen too.”

  Jared was one of the First Lord’s enforcers like Bart? I wonder what he did to get kicked out. Okay, let’s get the conversation off of Jared. I need to get him out of here, and kill him before anyone else gets hurt. The only problem is that I don’t know if I actually can kill him. I mean, he’s a full blooded Angel. I’m good with a sword and all, but he’s probably got at least five hundred years on me, and he’s probably as fast as Jared.

  “Well, I don’t see what any of this has to do with me. I have a cab coming so if you could get to the point I’d appreciate it.”

  He ignored me. “I saw the signet at your apartment. Why do you have an Angel’s insignia stored away in your jewelry box?”

  “That would be my business, wouldn’t it? I don’t recall inviting you in my apartment let alone to go through my stuff.”

  “You had no wards on your apartment. I assumed that meant you wished me to enter.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Didn’t you notice the door was locked? Why do you think that was?”

  He waved his hand like it meant nothing. “Those were merely for the Humans. Those plagues would just a soon kill their neighbors as call them brother. I had hoped they would have all killed each other centuries ago, but yet they reproduce. The only thing they like to do more than kill is fuck. I cannot see how you can stand them.”

  “You know I’m half Human. I would think you would hate me too.”

  “You are too much like your father for that.”

  A cab pulled into the parking lot.

  “Well, there’s my ride. It was good talking with you. We’ll have to do it again sometime.”

  The cab pulled away. I couldn’t do anything since Jael was on the outside of the booth.

  “I am afraid you will be accompanying me home tonight.”

  “And, what makes you think I’m going to go with you?”

  He smiled and it made him look even crazier.

  “If you do not leave with me, I will take over the minds of the five Humans in this diner, and you can watch as they kill each other.”

  Holy shit. He meant it too.

  “Very well, Jael.”

  “I’m glad you see things my way.”

  He slid out of the booth then held his hand out for me. I slid out without taking it. If he got a hold on me, he could go into hyper speed, and I could find myself five miles away before I know it. He shrugged it off, walked to the door, and opened it for me. I walked outside and turned to watch him as he walked through the door and toward a sedan. Really? He drove a car here? I know that doesn’t sound too weird, but I just figured he would have flown or something. Not driven a Lincoln.

  He walked to the passenger side and opened the door. Nuh uh, there is no way I’m getting in that car. Instead, I attacked while his back was turned. I pulled my katana from my back sheath and came at him low. Most would expect an over handed attack or even a lunge but most wouldn’t expect an upwards sweep. He saw it coming though and moved at the last moment. I followed with a lunge and he dodged it too. He was just too fast.

  “Silly, child. You have yet to come into yourself and you still try to attack me. I am over two thousand years old,” he said with indignation.

  Damn, th
at was old even in Angel age.

  “Older means slower.”

  “You have been around Humans too long.”

  He pulled his own sword. From where, I don’t know because I sure didn’t see one moments ago. Then he was attacking and I could barely move fast enough to block.

  “You need some work on your sword fighting child. I will add that to the list of things I will teach you.”

  He swung at me and I caught his blade on my own. We were locked in that position for a moment and I saw Jael studying the katana I fought with. It was rather beautiful with engravings all the way down the blade. I don’t know if they actually had any meaning but they were pretty to look at, and the blade was the sharpest weapon I have ever used. The first time I cleaned it I cut my thumb and the engravings actually lit up for a moment. I took that to mean that it liked blood, and I was going to give it more. I pushed against his sword and broke away. He smiled at me.

  “Would you mind telling me how you obtained Lucifer’s sword?” Jael asked.

  “This isn’t Lucifer’s. It’s mine.”

  “Oh, it is most definitely Lucifer’s. I would know that blade anywhere. He never fought without it. Did he give it to you?”

  “I bought it.”

  He looked surprised. Well, I’m sure he wasn’t nearly as surprised as I was. How did Lucifer’s personal blade get to the flea market? I had found it almost ten years ago when I first started working on the HR task force. The guy had a whole display of swords, but this one was by far the most beautiful.

  “Lucifer sold you his weapon?” Jael asked incredulously.

  “I didn’t buy if from Lucifer.”