by Mary Ting
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locations, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © Mary Ting 2019
Licensing Notes
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in articles and reviews.
Chapter 1
The Test
Keira
Where the hell was Awan?
Awan, an ancient witch, had given me a business card at the cemetery. She’d told me to meet her at eight o’clock sharp at a nightclub called Supreme. So here I was waiting for her, and she was nowhere to be found.
Figures.
I had a half a mind to leave, but I needed answers about my dead parents.
Ezekiel wasn’t going to disclose more than he already had. Fine. So, I had no choice but to use outside resources. He would be furious if he knew, but I didn’t plan to tell him.
I sat on the last barstool and glanced past a vampire running his thumb gingerly down a woman’s collarbone. I could show that vampire my weapon to scare him away, but I decided to wait until he bit first.
No use in creating a commotion when my kind—demon hunters—were not welcomed.
This nightclub hosted creatures of all kinds: vampires, demons, Nephilim, and a handful of humans. In years of hunting demons, I’d never heard of this Supreme place, although I’d visited many underground clubs.
Stupid humans. Did they know they were going to be snacks tonight?
The rhythm of the bass pounded through my bones. Bodies were bumping and grindin, lust filled the air. The dance floor was filled with partners groping each other and making out.
The scent of alcohol enticed me, and after a long day of demon killing and wondering why Ezekiel would lie to me about my parents, a drink would be a welcome relief.
Ezekiel had told me my parents had been killed by demons when I was a baby, and he’d promised them he would raise me. Raise me he had, as a soldier for NU—Nephilim Unification. Grateful as I was for that, I wished they were here with me. I wished I at least knew what they looked like.
Now that I knew witches weren’t extinct, as people had believed for generations, I wondered if there were witches among the patrons. I sniffed the air. No witches for now. Regardless, I would be looking out for the humans if Awan didn’t show.
As a Nephilim with archangel blood, I had special powers, like being able to sense the differences among the supernatural beings. This came in handy when I found myself in nightclubs full of them.
Vampires smelled like sweet wine whereas low-class demons gave off a pungent blood scent. Nephilim had no scent, and witches like Awan smelled of mixed herbs.
My powers were already pretty nifty, but I sensed that I had more yet to discover. Sometimes I found a new ability by accident. Once, on my way home from a friend’s house, I’d taken a wrong turn and demons had surrounded me.
I had been so upset with Ezekiel for not allowing me to stay out past midnight that I had walked home, alone, on purpose. Something I wasn’t allowed to do. Anyone alone was an easy target.
I couldn’t recall how I had done it, but something inside me had known what to do when I had been surrounded by a group of demons. I’d raised my hands to block an attack, but desperation and urgency triggered a slumbering energy inside me.
Light had blasted from my palms, lighting up the alley as if a nuclear bomb had exploded. Black ash had floated around me. My light had killed all the demons within sight. I was scared out of my mind and yet fascinated with what I had done.
I’d never told Ezekiel about that night, and I never would. Only my best friends Daniel and Suri knew.
Two female humans clinging onto a male vampire caught my attention. He led them into the back of the room, and they settled into a booth next to another group. Across from their table, a few mixed groups snorted cocaine.
I contemplated what to do. As an NU demon hunter, I had a duty to fulfill: protect the humans. But I wasn’t here for work.
It would be suicide to fight everyone here by myself. So I closed my eyes to push away the guilt. But dammit, it didn’t work. If something were to happen to those human idiots, I would blame myself.
“Would you like something to drink?” a man with a long beard asked, wiping a glass with a white towel.
The bartender was dressed in all black and wore a black metal bracelet that reminded me of a Fitbit. Not a human.
Ezekiel had told me about those bracelets. The vampires who wore them owed a debt to a master, most of the time to the master who had created them. If he tried to escape, the master only needed to push a button on a device and the vampire would incinerate.
“No, thank you. I’m waiting for someone.” I waved a hand and flashed a glance at the other three bartenders. Two of them were female vampires, both wearing a black metal bracelet.
I was just about to turn when he leaned closer.
“I’ve never seen you here. Is this your first time?”
Do I tell him the truth? He’s probably been working here for a long time. Best not to lie.
“Yeah, my first time. I’m here to meet someone.”
“Would you like to leave?”
I blinked in confusion, and something in my stomach knotted. “Why would I leave? I already told you, I’m meeting someone.”
He placed down the glass, flung the towel over his shoulder, and leaned forward to show me his sharp canines. “You’ve come to the wrong club, lady.”
My skin tingled. A warning. “No. I know where I am. Perhaps you need to keep your opinions to yourself. Do I need to speak to the manager?” I made a point to look at his bracelet, which flashed a tiny red light.
He glared. “My master won’t care. I know what organization you work for. Do you know what we do with your kind?”
Lie. Deny it.
I crossed my legs so I could easily access the weapon tucked inside my boot. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. Do you think I would come alone and start something to get myself killed? You’re a fool. I have no idea who you think I am, but I am just a lowly Nephilim.” Who will kick your ass if you touch me.
“Perhaps. Then can you explain the crowd standing behind you with death written across their faces?”
I flicked my gaze to the mirror behind the bar. It was now packed with supernatural beings.
Shit. This is a set-up. I’m going to kill that bitch witch.
Word would get out that an NU hunter had killed everyone in the nightclub without provocation, and I would cause a deeper rift than the one that already existed.
Ezekiel would go ballistic, and I would get suspended. Daniel would never forgive me for going alone.
Form a plan. Get the hell out.
I wiggled my finger, beckoning the bartender to come closer. “If you can get me out of here, I’ll get that bracelet off you. You can be free.”
The bartender’s eyes widened for a second, but then his expression changed and he ducked.
Too late.
I whipped out my weapon in time to block an incoming dagger. Then I jumped on the bar and kicked a glass mug into the mob. It hit a vampire’s head and splashed over several others. The vampire jerked aside and smacked into a human running for her life.
People screamed and shoved one another in a scramble to the exit.
As I swung my sword, I kicked the other mugs and beer bottles. Shards of glass shattered on contact, falling like mini fireworks.
From my leather vest pocket, I
pulled out my throwing stars—each about the size of a quarter—and threw them in quick succession at the demons grabbing for my feet. They thumped on the floor, blood pooling under their temples.
Some demons fell onto tables and chairs, splintering them on impact.
I took out my boomerang, the size and shape of a croissant, and flung it. It cut across the room, decapitating heads and slicing through chests. I pivoted to my left, right, and left again, jabbing throats with my elbow.
Punch. Twist. Roundhouse kick. I stabbed a vampire with my sword and caught the boomerang as it came back to me. I was just about to throw it again when everyone began to back away. Even the music stopped.
Why?
Silence.
I caught sight of a raised hand, a command to halt, in the back-wall mirror.
“You’ve come.”
I spun around to the seductive voice. Awan’s skin glistened, and her hair glowed like molten gold under the dance floor’s flashing lights. Her amber eyes flared with power.
Awan wore all white. With her beauty, she could pass for an angel, but an angel she was not. A few bodyguards with bulging muscles lurked behind her.
Demons. Her bodyguards were demons.
Malum’s demons? Did she know him?
“You’re late.” I narrowed my eyes, wiping sweat off my brow. Then I smeared the blood off my sword on the hair of a demon who had slumped over the bar.
“You’ve put on quite a show, girl.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” I glanced about the room to see the mess I’d made. “You set me up. Why? Why did you do this?” I pointed my sword at her, anger coursing through my veins. “I should kill you.”
She came closer, careful not to step on the small puddles of blood or severed body parts.
“I needed to know if you were who I guessed you to be.”
“So you maneuvered me into killing more than half the population in here?”
She ran her fingernails through her hair and raised her chin. “Come on, Keira. This was a gift from me. You got to kill the ones your group wants to get rid of, so why the sour tone?”
I dropped my jaw. “You’re unbelievable. Sure, I hunt vampires and demons, and perhaps witches someday, but there are good ones. And Neph Unification doesn’t walk into clubs and start slaughtering. I bet some were doing as commanded, or else they would be killed themselves. You set them up to die. It’s a good thing there are only a few witches left. Your kind would plague the world with this kind of action.”
Awan clucked her tongue, wagging a finger like a scolding mother. “Oh, Keira. You are so naïve. And you have so much to learn about politics. But I did set you up, and you passed.”
I scoffed. “I really don’t give a shit. Tell me why I’m here.”
“I just did.”
“Then tell me what you want with me.”
Awan inched closer until she stood a couple of yards from me. Still standing on the bar, I had the advantage of height.
“You already know. I told you.”
“No. You told me you wanted me to go to another realm through a certain portal—a portal that no longer exists.”
She lifted a finger. “There is another portal that will lead you to the same place.”
“Why?” I said tightly. I was getting tired of repeating myself.
“A long time ago, vampires and witches were at war. Let’s just say Cain and I had our differences. He wanted to rule our kind and I wouldn’t let him. So he tried to kill me. He underestimated the witches. The unification of our powers makes us stronger. We nearly destroyed them all, but my kind suffered in the aftermath. We went into hiding to prevent any more losses, and so did the vampires.”
I pointed the tip of my blade inches from her heart, keeping her from getting any closer.
She showed no fear or hesitation. Her bodyguards hissed, but she held them back.
“You see, Keira, it’s time for the witches to come out of our hiding. To reclaim what was once ours. That is all I want to do.”
I don’t believe you.
“So again, what does this have to do with me?”
She flicked her finger. Her magick pushed my sword away. I gasped. She could have made it fly across the room if she wanted.
All eyes were on us. Waiting. Judging.
“You have angelic blood. I need your blood to unlock the portal.”
I crossed my arms and scowled. “Why didn’t you tell me that in the first place? You didn’t need me to come here. You could have asked me at the cemetery.”
Awan waved a hand.
Something flew behind me. Before the impact, I smashed the glasses in half with my sword. Flying glass scattered like hail over the bar.
I glowered. “Are you trying to kill me or use me? Which is it, witch? Stop fooling around.”
“I wanted to see if you were up to the task. And you have more than passed the test. You have people to meet, although I’m pretty sure you’ve met them before. Come on, girl. Don’t fall behind. Let’s leave this wretched place.”
She walked out and I followed, my heart pounding.
In a fight or flight situation, there was no time for fear. Either live or die.
Chapter 2
Demon’s Home
Keira
“Where are we?” My blood ran cold as we passed through an enormous double gate and drove up to a Victorian-style house.
No, not a house. A mansion.
Chills racked through my bones when I spotted black Ravens perched in the trees. My gut instinct told me something was different about them, but I dismissed it. I had other worries to take care of first.
“Why are we here?” I admired the grandiosity of the home, the kind I’d dreamed about as a little girl.
She parked her black Mercedes Benz on the long driveway and turned off the ignition.
“You’ll see. Get out.”
So friendly. I think we’ll be best friends.
I rolled my eyes, opened the door, then slammed it hard.
Awan narrowed her eyes at me. “Must you be so loud?” She waved a hand and strode toward the house.
The front door swung open.
I followed her up the front steps, admiring a line of various rose bushes to my left. Too busy inhaling the scent and admiring the flowers, I almost tripped on my own feet.
I stumbled back when I hit an invisible barrier at the door. I cursed and rubbed my forehead.
“You forgot to release the spell,” I mumbled, giving her my evilest eye.
She mimicked my expression. “I didn’t forget. In fact, I never forget. But just in case, try again.” She flicked her wrist, her lips moving.
I tried to enter, cautiously this time, but an invisible force pushed me back.
What the hell?
Only one person would do such a thing.
I sighed, annoyed. “Daniel. You can show yourself. I know it’s you.”
Whoosh. Wind pushed me back. Daniel had moved nearby at angelic speed. When I felt another sharp breeze, I flung out my arm.
A body thumped on the ground.
Daniel.
“What’s he doing here? I told you to come alone.” Awan’s gaze could have set me on fire.
“I did come alone. You saw me at the club. I fought alone. It’s not my fault you can’t detect another supernatural being.”
Daniel stood and combed his fingers through his hair. “I followed you. I knew you were up to something no good. How many times do I have to remind you—I go where you go. We’re partners.”
I poked his chest and crossed my arms. “This isn’t a mission. This is personal.”
He took a step closer, and his gaze cut through mine like a dagger. “Bullshit. You know the rules. There is no going on your own mission. There is nothing personal. Your business is everyone’s business. NU owns you and you know it.”
“Fine.” I twisted my lips. “Keep it between us, and you can come.”
Daniel’s beaming grin
faltered when Awan hissed.
“Keira, I didn’t give you permission to ask another to join us. This—”
“This is personal now. Where they go, we go.” A girl’s voice.
Shit.
What is Suri doing here?
Kai, Suri’s partner, appeared next to her from the shadows behind the tall ferns.
Double shit.
“That’s right. Whatever she said.” Kai pointed at Suri, eyes growing wider at the sight of Awan. “Why is she going in Malum’s home? Why are we here?”
“Malum?” I raised my voice and locked eyes with Awan. “You didn’t tell me we were going to a demon’s home.” I backed away. “I’m not going in. So take care of whatever you need to do and then take us to the portal.”
When she scowled, I added, “Malum would not welcome us into his house, as he wouldn’t be welcome in ours. There will be unwanted trouble for you.”
“Fine. As for the other three—”
“They come with me. Better chance for your mission to succeed if I’ve got backup. I can’t do this alone.” Then my pride protested. “I mean, I could, but it would be so much faster with their help.”
Awan’s eyes grew wider. “Very well. Stay here. I’ll be back.”
The front door swung itself shut with Awan’s magic. My friends turned their furious attention on me.
“What the hell are you doing associating with a witch?” Daniel barked.
As much as I appreciated his concern and support, he was a pain in my ass. I didn’t want to explain that I didn’t believe Ezekiel’s explanation about my parents, or how I had a strong need to find out who they really were and how and why they’d died.
“Daniel.” I clapped a hand on his shoulder. “I love your dedication to Nephilim Unification and following their rules, like how you are here with me, but you don’t have to come. This isn’t going to be remotely fun. It’s … it’s …”
“Is that why you think I’m here? Because of some stupid law?” Daniel’s cheeks flushed, and he bristled with tension.
I knew the answer. Daniel cared for me more than as a friend, but I didn’t want more. My life was already complicated enough. I’d been searching for answers for so long without knowing the right questions.