Chapter 12
Twelve
KELLAN
T hey had been riding for hours once more. Something he had grown used to over the years, but he could tell the human was struggling with it. Long days was what he did, especially when out on an assignment. This particular one had been his worst, in more ways than one, by far. Kellan had never questioned the council in all his years. Had killed for them because they wished it without even a second thought. But something had felt wrong the moment he encountered his charge. Tainted. And since then, everything had just been a never-ending spiral of shit, and the only blood on his hands since arriving was an Angel of Death. Thinking this was his worst assignment to date was the biggest understatement of his life.
His gaze wandered toward the girl as she fussed with her mount, and he couldn’t help the curiosity spiking through him. So many questions about her past and why the council had to get involved. Why she seemingly shared a bond with a creature from his home that so few ever experienced. After all this time serving the council, why a human? Would she just be the first of many that they were to eliminate? Death seemed to defeat the very purpose of balance.
They’d left the canyon that had been their refuge for the night only to emerge into what was once a grove of trees. The only colors Kellan could see were charcoal, like a deep and endless sea. Gone were the branches that once teemed with life as they grew, reaching tall toward a blazing sun. They’d been ravaged into nothing more than husks. He was sure if he felt one it would crumble at his touch. A fire had blazed through there. Through the entire planet when the Underworld lay waste to these lands. But this area seemed to have been hit one of the hardest. This had been a vast ecosystem once, abundant with life. Hundreds of species, animal and plant alike, had once called this home. He remembered it from long ago. By the remains of the vast number of trees spread around them, it seemed as though not much had changed since he’d last been here. Like it had been left wild and free from the clutches of their steel buildings. At least the humans had done that right.
His own home—Eden—was a place of natural, wondrous beauty. Those that resided there took pride in their home. They hadn’t plowed through the wildlife to build bigger homes and cities. They knew better. Understood the importance of keeping it raw. It was just another reason he hated the human species. Destroying themselves well before they even got there.
Despite the hatred that fought to take hold, he pushed on into the nightmarish trees. The air still reeked of smoke and ash. He could feel it burning his senses, dulling them as if a thick fog had taken hold of his brain. The flames no longer blazed, but it was as if they had only just been put out with how badly it smelled.
The Demons were wretched creatures. The angels too, in fact. If they hadn’t been so damn greedy, he wouldn’t be here. Neither of them thrived on Earth, and he didn’t see the allure. Not to mention… a world infested with humans…
“We—” Kellan had opened his mouth to tell the human that they’d be stopping to give the horses a break when something moved ahead. Fast. Too fast for his liking. Slinking through the shadows as it weaved around them in a taunting manner. He cursed aloud, the smell had done more damage than he’d thought. Hadn’t even noticed that the world around him had gone quiet. He’d been hearing creatures scurry for miles, but nothing moved. The only sound had been the beating heart of the human before him, and the drag of hooves in the dirt.
The girl finally stopped, catching on to his hesitation. Her eyes met his, looking to him for an answer. Kellan didn’t have one for her.
His eyes darkened as it neared, and his fingers inched toward his blade, itching to grab hold and swing just as the familiar stench finally hit his senses head on.
“Run.” He told her, not taking his eyes off the moving shadow that slithered around them.
The human stood frozen in place. He shouldn’t have been surprised, but it angered him nonetheless. They never do as they’re told. Never listen. Her body stood frozen in fear. In one swift motion Kellan leaped from his mount, his boots touching effortlessly to the ashen ground below. His blade was already drawn, ready for whatever hellish creature was rushing in. The hair stood along the back of his neck. Something from the Underworld, that much he knew. Angels and the Underworld were mortal enemies, and with the traces of angel blood flowing in their veins, heightening their abilities, it was a normal reaction when in the presence of the creatures. It made his job easier time and time again.
The demon was shadow incarnate, with a humanesque body as black as the abyss. Swallowing up the world around it like a void. Crimson eyes tore through him. Searching. All he could see was death. Rage. This creature brought nothing but the end of days. Lived for it. Enjoyed it. Just the thought of it sickened him. Worse than humans, demons were nothing more than scum beneath his boots.
Its clawed hands sharpened to deadly points, a thick substance near oozing from the tips. Poison. If it hit true, he’d be imbued with a deadly toxin that would incapacitate him within minutes. Upon its head sat two horns, curving up toward the sky.
All color was gone from the human’s face as she stared at the demon in front of them. She’d gotten as far as dismounting from her horse, but hadn’t moved since. If he hadn’t wanted answers so badly, he would have tossed her at the demon himself. Be done with it. He’d have to protect her. Again.
She’d just made his day a hell of a lot harder.