Stephanie
“TIMBER.” I WHISPERED HIS name into the air. I’d never summoned a Demon before. And wasn’t sure how exactly it worked, yet I had no choice but to try.
I continued running down the street, my feet taking me faster now that I was part Angel.
A half mile in, and a black Mercedes pulled up on the road, the back door opened.
Timber’s voice barked from the darkness. “Get in.”
His eyes slit vertically as they went from their normal clear blue color to a yellow. I wanted to shrink back. I was alone. With a very old Demon, one who hated my mate, hated me for some reason.
Hated his existence?
“Not too far off, Angel.” He smiled then tipped back a thick red liquid, the smell of earth filled the air. “Human blood, my pet.”
“I thought only Vampires drank blood.”
“It’s an acquired taste, also a necessity if we want to keep human form. Do they teach you nothing these days?” He laughed. “But of course they don’t, the council is perfectly happy keeping their innocent little female in the dark, just like Cassius.”
“That’s why I’m here.” I cleared my throat. “What are—”
“No,” Timber rasped. “Not in the car, and definitely—” He shivered and glanced outside as the trees filled with watchful eyes of the Werewolves, the ones who protected Ethan’s house. “—not around those who have perfect hearing.”
We drove in silence to downtown Seattle.
Once we were in front of yet another one of the bars Timber owned, the car door opened and another Demon helped me out.
The club was dark, humans danced in mindless abandon. They laughed, took shots of whiskey and tequila, danced around poles.
While Demon sat in the darkest corners.
And watched.
One crooked his finger at a human female. She giggled and walked over to him, straddled his lap and started kissing his neck.
I shivered. “Your kind disgusts me.”
“Hah.” Timber slid his hand down my back. “It shouldn’t.”
Being in their little den of sin was so not where I wanted to be spending the evening, but I needed answers, and I was tired of Cassius being the pawn.
It was time for someone else to take the brunt.
And although I sensed the darkness, I was too focused on my mission to pay attention it.
Maybe that’s what Cassius meant? Why Eva had helped him so much? As long as you had something else anchoring you—you could ignore the darkness.
We stepped through a large hallway. A red door was positioned at the end. When we reached it, Timber knocked twice, and then opened the door, shutting it quietly behind us.
The office had no windows.
The walls were black.
Facing the door was a desk finished in rich mahogany red. Nice black leather couches lined the perimeter of the room. Each couch had purple velvet pillows. The entire room was gaudy, as if it belonged in another time period.
Not to the present.
The chair behind the desk was turned.
Someone was sitting in it, I could see the top of his or her head, but the color of the hair was unusual. Red and dark brown?
“So, she comes on her own.” The voice sounded so familiar, masculine, warm. The chair spun slowly.
With a gasp, I covered my mouth with my hands.
He smiled. “How nice… to meet you in person.”
“But…” I shook my head. “You’re Darkness…”
“I prefer the name Bannik.”
My world crumbled around my feet. Because Bannik had been Sariel’s brother, Bannik was there in the beginning.
He was also in my mind, though a dark black haze had always been in front of him, transforming his features.
But they were the same.
I felt it.
I knew it.
Terrified, I took a step back.
But Timber shoved me forward. I turned to punch him but he was already exiting the room, leaving me alone with—
I whipped my head around. “What are you?”
His black and red hair shimmered within the heat of the room as my body felt heavy.
“I believe the question that’s been plaguing your mind is… what… my dear…. are you?”
“I’m a Dark—“
“If you say Dark One I’ll simply laugh.” Bannik’s smile was cruel. “Did you know, I was never meant to be in the US? It wasn’t my territory. Twelve of us were sent to the ends of the earth to watch. Only this time, we knew human emotion. Imagine the difficulty in watching, helping humans keep the peace…. and knowing nothing but fighting and war? My brother was never good at following the rules, and I learned soon after, when he refused to see me because of his shame, that I was tired of following them as well.” He shrugged. “It seems that warmth… agrees with me.”
“You’re like Sariel,” I said dumbly.
“I’m exactly like Sariel.” He shifted in his seat. “If Sariel hadn’t repented.” He paused. “And so are you.”
“What?”
“Ever wonder why the darkness calls?” His smug laughter was grating on my nerves, along with the way he spoke down to me like I was stupid. “It calls because it is in your nature. But by all means, sugarcoat your true identity and call yourself a Dark One… yet you are still the same as I.”
I licked my dry lips. “An Angel?”
“Hah!” He clapped his hands. “You amuse me.” He spun his large body around in the chair before slamming his hands down on the desk. “You. Are. Evil.” His teeth snapped and popped as his jaw clenched together. “Humans and Angels do create half breeds, beings so powerful that they are condemned to the earth. But the half breeds must even make a choice, serve their angelic fathers… or follow after the ones that are fallen. You call yourself a Dark One, but really? You’re half of a Fallen Angel… just waiting to turn into a Demon.”
I let out a little gasp of disbelief. “But, Demon are a race. They’re in the immortal book as a race that was created—”
“Goody,” he said dryly while blocking a yawn with his large hand. “Please continue, don’t let me interrupt.”
My head was spinning out of control.
I opened my mouth, but he silenced me by holding his hand in the air. “Keeping you in the dark has always been the plan. After all, what do you think would happen if the rest of the immortals discovered that most Demon had angelic powers?”
I shook my head. “Most Demon I’ve met are weak creatures who prey on humans.”
Bannik stood, towering over his desk as claws seeped out of fingernails. “Oh?”
Swallowing, I took a healthy step back.
“You sense it even now.” His eyes closed for a few seconds, and when they opened, they were black, soulless. “When Angels give up, break the rules, or decide not to say sorry…” His laughter was deep, empty. “They are suddenly unwanted, sent to the earth for the rest of their miserable existence, most of them were under the impression that they were like humans, without any sort of abilities. Until Sariel.”
“Sariel’s good,” I whispered.
“Sariel said sorry, but he was still punished, like the rest of us. Because of his mistake I will never again taste the air of heaven, or feel the warmth of the sun as it rises over the horizon. The earth no longer speaks to me. The mountains no longer sing in my presence, and when the moon makes its appearance it turns its face away in shame.” He lifted his hand into the air. “The tides pull away when I walk near the ocean, but I think,” His black eyes glistened, “The worst has to be the songs.”
I kept moving backward as he spoke, trying desperately to find the door knob.
“The melody of the earth as it tilts on its axis, the planets as they sing in their specific languages all joining together in the chorus of the universe.” He glared at me his black eyes locking in on mine, like a tractor beam pulling my feet toward him. “I can no longer hear the song of creation.”
“If it makes you feel better, I can’t hear it either.”
“Silly immortal, you hear it every day. Your human side is simply too busy ignoring it to pay attention, so busy with inconsistent emotional thoughts that, in the end, truly don’t matter. The worst part—” He laughed again. “—is walking by a human who by all means should hear the music, who hears it on a daily basis, and doesn’t appreciate its beauty. I’ve killed humans for less. I’ll continue to kill them in their ignorance.”
“And me?” I asked, “What about me?”
He grinned. “I no longer have any use for you.”
“So you’re going to kill me?”
“No.” He shrugged. “It seems I won’t need to, since you’ve cheerfully done the deed yourself. Killing your own mate, why, it seems the darkness truly has taken hold.”
“No!” I screamed, lunging for him. “I just slowed him down.”
“Oh, you slowed him down all right.” He cackled. “Even now his heart slows to the rhythm of death. What did you think? Immortality is a fickle thing, my dear. He’s your mate, your lives are interconnected in a very special way that I’m sure Sariel… omitted.”
“Tell me,” I said through clenched teeth.
“I wonder if this is how Samson felt… after his hair was cut.” Bannik tapped his chin. “After all, you’ve done the same thing without realizing it… when you mate, it is possible, that one or the other person may give all of his angelic powers to the other, say, if he is worried about her safety, or about her leaving him—”
“—human.” I gasped, throwing my arms out to the sides as shreds of ice slammed against the walls.
Bannik ducked. “Before you leave….”
I stared him down then closed my eyes, forcing my will on him, trying to remember what Cassius had explained in training, only to have my eyes open and see that nothing had happened.
“This…” He smiled wickedly. “Is my favorite part.”
The wall behind him moved to the side.
I counted ten.
Ten men.
Huge.
All with red and black hair.
Chained to the walls.
With blood being drained from them.
“It seems…” Bannik shrugged. “That I’ve been very bad.”
The men’s mouths were covered—but their eyes conveyed fear, anger, hostility and shame. I didn’t need to stare long to know who they were.
Sariel’s brothers.
The ones who had been punished.
And sent to different corners of the earth.
“Sariel won’t let you get away with this.”
“Hah!” Bannik clapped his hands. “And what will dear brother do? Not only am I creating an army—but I’m harnessing their power for my own. I’m untouchable. And now.” He dismissed me with his hand. “I’m bored.”
The door behind me opened.
Timber grabbed my arms and jerked me out.
“He’s insane,” I said through clenched teeth. “Do you truly think you can trust someone? Like that!” I pointed at the door.
“And my other choice?” Timber asked in a calm voice. “Rot until an immortal finally kills me then take my place in hell.” He shoved me down the hall. “I’ll take my chances.”
“Sariel—”
“Yes, let’s talk about the good angel.” He laughed, an evil sound that slid over me like warm butter. “Tell him, a war is coming. One he cannot win. Oh, and do say hello to the immortal king for me as he takes his last breath. We had a good run, a really good run.”
With that I was tossed into the street.
“Home,” I breathed, hoping it would work, that I would be able to imagine myself in a place and end up there.
After two seconds of nothing, desperation finally kicked in. I pushed all of my emotions into willing myself home with Cassius.
And opened my eyes just in time to see Ethan yell. “He’s coding!”