They walked into Fright Night together hand in hand. There weren’t any patrons in the bar. Ella and Lukas sat in the corner along with Daisy. Standing at the bar was Neave, another man Alice didn’t recognise and Gavin. Towards the back was a woman with grey eyes which matched her own, Izzy and a dark-haired man with a scar over his eyebrow. The last two occupants were a girl with red hair sitting in the lap of a man with bright blue eyes.
Alice edged closer to Az, feeling a little out of place. She hadn’t realised they’d have gathered so many people together, but the Darkness was a threat to them all. He glanced at her, his green eyes softening.
“It’ll be fine. I’m here. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”
She smiled. She did feel a little safer with him by her side. She was concerned about them discovering what she was. Ella stood, coming over to them. She looked a little tense.
“You came.”
“Yes,” Az said, his eyebrow raised.
“I suppose introductions are in order. I think you’ve met Neave, Gavin and Daisy, but that’s Jack.”
She pointed at the party by the bar.
“Over there is Dalia. She’s the Alpha for the werewolf pack and with her is Izzy and Rex and lastly, Alistair and Grace, our resident witches.”
Alice half waved, trying to be polite. Az just stared at each of them with an inscrutable expression.
“I do not like this.”
Neither do I.
“Just stay close to me.”
She wasn’t about to leave his side. Az was her only form of protection against anyone who wished to do her harm. Who knew what would happen if they knew she was the Darkness’ vessel.
“Who’d have thought we’d be graced with an actual angel?” Alistair said, his blue eyes shining with amusement.
“Shut up,” Grace hissed, smacking him on the chest.
“I’m sure he’s not offended.”
She grabbed his ear, twisting it until he yelped.
“Behave.”
He pouted until she released his ear.
“Cruel woman.”
“And yet you love me anyway.”
Alice tried not to smile. Despite never having met the witches before, she already liked the two of them.
“We asked you to come because we need to talk about the threat of the Darkness,” Ella said.
“I assumed as much,” Az said.
“Do you want to sit?”
Alice nodded. She found Gavin’s eyes on her. They were narrowed to slits. She fidgeted, her hand tightening in Azrael’s. He didn’t seem to notice. He tugged her away towards the bar, making sure she sat down on one of the stools. He stood next to her, his hand resting on her thigh.
I don’t like the way the vampires are looking at me.
Az didn’t respond to her comment. He looked around the room, eying each person in turn. He would know what they thought about him if he cared to look in their heads. They all moved closer, crowding around the bar.
“The Darkness is a threat to all of us,” Ella said. “As Azrael told us, it has been sent to destroy Heaven, Hell and Earth.”
Alice curled her hand around Az’s back. She didn’t feel remotely safe sitting so close to the two male vampires who were still staring at her. It was unnerving. Az’s fingers tightened on her leg.
“The Darkness is his wrath and He is not someone to be taken lightly,” Az said.
“You are referring to God, right?” Daisy asked, leaning over the bar to look at the two of them.
Az nodded once.
“As if my life couldn’t get any weirder,” she mumbled, sitting back down.
“So, let me get this straight,” Neave said. “The same God who created all of us has now sent something to destroy everything?”
“Yes,” Az replied.
“And why would He have any reason to do such a thing?”
“Why does He have a reason to do anything? He is God. His reasons are his own.”
Alice knew that wasn’t exactly the truth. It had everything to do with what Lucifer and Azrael had done. Telling them that would only cause more problems.
“Does it perhaps have to do with your exile from Heaven?” Gavin asked, his eyes still intent on Alice.
“My exile from Heaven is not part of this discussion.”
“Oh, I think it is. I know the stories about you and Lucifer.”
“I don’t trust that vampire.”
He keeps staring at me. Do you think he knows?
“Look, we’re getting off topic here,” Ella interjected. “It doesn’t matter why or how. What matters is what we’re going to do about it.”
“And we’re meant to trust the angel who awoke the Darkness?” Gavin asked.
“I don’t trust you either,” Az said.
Alice almost groaned.
Don’t start a fight with him. It’s not worth it.
“Well, this is off to a flying start,” Alistair said, earning a glare from Grace.
The shifters remained silent, staring at the rest of them with interest. Alice had liked Izzy. The man with a scar, who Ella had said was named Rex, had his arm wrapped around her shoulder. That must be the father of her baby. She hoped they would all live long enough for Izzy to have her kid. The thought of all these people being snuffed out by the Darkness made her head hurt.
She hopped off the stool, tearing away from Azrael for a moment.
“We didn’t come here to argue. We came because we can’t stop the Darkness by ourselves,” she said.
“What are you doing?”
She decided it wasn’t worth responding in her head. None of them were going to get anywhere if this escalated into an argument.
“Ella is right, it doesn’t matter why it was sent. It’s here and it’s not going away. Az and I have first-hand experience of it. It will not stop. It will destroy everything.”
“It sounds as though you know more than you’re letting on,” Gavin said.
She tried not to flinch. She did. She knew the Darkness intimately. It had been inside her. She knew what it intended to do.
“The Darkness over took her to send a message,” Ella said.
“You failed to mention that part,” Gavin replied.
“It didn’t seem important.”
“Well, it is. If it took her over once, what’s to say it won’t do it again?”
Ella turned to Azrael and Alice.
“Has it?”
Alice looked up at her angel. His expression was tense, his eyes dark with frustration. She knew one way or another, they were going to have to admit the truth now. This meeting was never going to end well.
She turned back to Ella.
“It showed me a vision of what will come to pass,” Alice said.
“That didn’t answer her question. Has it taken you again?” Gavin asked.
“Don’t.”
I have no choice, Az. If we’re not honest with them, then they won’t help us. We can’t do this alone. You know as well as I do the Darkness will take me.
“Yes.”
“You’re more than just a messenger to it, aren’t you?”
“Alice, stop.”
How could she? They had to know exactly what they were all up against.
“Yes.”
“So that’s why your aura is black,” Ella said, taking a step back.
“And you knew?” Gavin said, turning to Azrael.
“What difference does it make whether he knew or not?” Alice said.
“What exactly are you?”
“Its vessel. It will wreak its havoc through me.”
Silence descended over the room. Alice looked around at everyone in turn. Most of them were looking at her with interest. She didn’t like the attention. Being the Darkness’ vessel was not something she’d signed up for. She edged backwards, closer to her angel.
The next moment a cold hand wrapped around her neck, holding her a few feet off the ground. She grasped at it, finding her airway cut off. Gavin’s cold, green eyes bored into hers. She wasn’t sure if anyone else had noticed quite yet. He’d moved so fast that she’d barely had time to blink.
“You are a threat to us all,” he said.
There was a low growl from behind them.
Azrael.
Alice closed her eyes. It was coming. A sick feeling coiled in her stomach. She tried to pull at Gavin’s hand, but she was beginning to find it impossible to get oxygen in her lungs. The Darkness burnt in her veins. It pushed her down into herself.
It was here.
When her eyes opened, they were pools of black. The voice that left her mouth was not her own.
“Hello little vampire.”
His eyes widened a fraction. She tried to push against the Darkness, but it dug its way into her mind, sealing her away from the world.
“Did you think I would allow you to kill my physical form?” it said.
“Let her go,” Azrael said.
She turned her head. Azrael wasn’t hiding any longer. He glowed, his green eyes dark with anger. He’d stopped short of donning his angelic armour, but he was magnificent nonetheless. The Darkness purred inside her at the sight of him. Alice wanted to reach out to him. To curl herself around him and never let go. The Darkness had taken her by force, but she was not willing to go down without a fight.
Get the fuck out of my head. I don’t want you here.
The Darkness merely laughed. The sound echoed around her skull.
“There is no need to come to her rescue, angel. I assure you, she will not be harmed,” it said.
Black smoke dripped from her fingers, coiling around Gavin’s hand. He released her after a moment, hissing in pain. She landed with a thump on the floor and took two steps backwards.
“Little vampire, did you think it would be that easy?”
Gavin said nothing, merely staring at her with rage burning in his eyes. Alice knew vampires were strong, but none of them were a match for God’s wrath.
“I see you, vampire. I know what it is you care about, or should I say who?”
Her black eyes fell on Daisy. Alice wanted to scream. She could see what the Darkness had planned inside her head. She felt sick to her stomach. If she had control of her body, she would be bent over hurling her guts up at the images flashing through her head.
No! They haven’t done anything wrong. He was trying to protect the world by ending me. It’s not their fault. Please stop. You can’t do this. I won’t let you.
The Darkness ignored her.
“You’d do well to keep silent unless you wish me to take away the only thing you’ve ever loved,” it said.
Gavin’s eyes flashed with fear. He took a step back, followed by another. His hand wrapped around Daisy’s arm. The dark-haired girl looked up at him with confusion. He shook his head, pulling her closer to him.
“Give her back to me,” Az said.
Alice turned to him, a smile on her lips.
“Poor little angel. Do you think I will give her up because you asked me to? Do you think He cares what you want?”
He reached out, pulling her to him. He stared down at her with sadness in his expression. Alice wanted desperately to tell him it would be okay. Smoke curled around the two of them, obscuring them from the others.
Az, I don’t think you can hear me, but I’m still here. I’m still in here.
She imagined kicking the Darkness to the curb. She didn’t want this. All she wanted was Az.
“Please,” he whispered, his voice breaking on the word.
She wanted to cry. Her angel needed her. In desperation, she kicked out with her mind, trying to dislodge the claws in her head.
“Oh, aren’t you just pathetic? Azrael, Death Bringer, you have been corrupted by human emotions.”
He flinched.
Shut the fuck up. Don’t you talk to him like that!
She kicked out again. Trying to tear away from the Darkness’ grasp on her. It laughed in her head again.
“Poor little Alice. She isn’t best pleased by my words.”
“Let her go.”
“I will let her go when I’m good and ready.”
He cupped her face, drawing her closer. The Darkness didn’t back away, it stared up at him, expressionless.
“Alice, I know you’re still in there. I know you’re trying to come back to me. I’m here. I’ll always wait for you. I don’t care what it says. I don’t care if my feelings for you are human or pathetic. All I care about is you. All I need is you. You know how I feel about you. We belong to each other. It can’t have you.”
Her heart snapped in half. She needed him. She needed him so much it burnt in her chest. She could feel his power pressing against her. He was trying to cast the Darkness from her. Adding her own pressure to match him, she fought against it. She wasn’t going to be its pawn.
“You cannot expel me.”
He kept a hold of her. She knew he didn’t care the Darkness was still inside her. Az only saw her. She could feel it. There was affection in his eyes. She’d seen it so many times before. It made her heart ache further.
“Why have you not destroyed the world yet?”
“He has not commanded me to.”
“Then He’s not ready for it to end. It means we have time.”
The Darkness laughed. The sound rang in her head.
“Your time will run out soon. The next time I take her, it will be her last.”