Chapter 5 Angel of Death #2
“Just try, Mio. You need all the practice you can get if this will be your life soon. Your simple days of being merely a warrior for the realm are coming to an end. You’ll be a leader soon.
A guardian. The mortals will rely on you.
I’m almost certain Nora will not be the worst case you encounter in your life.
” Taking a deep breath, I focus on the flashes of color in the sky, my power a constant wave of humming energy that calms my nerves.
“How is she feeling after everything tonight?”
He sighs, uncrossing his arms and closing his eyes.
A swirl of bright white light glistens in the darkness, his power reaching out to connect with Nora’s soul.
In my case, if I focused only briefly, I would immediately decipher what she was feeling or going through, but for him it’ll take some time.
It’s not easy swimming through endless streams of information to get to the core of one specific mortal’s feelings or emotions.
Securing my daggers to the straps on my thighs, I lean my head back against the wall, my mind being invaded by Nora’s face the way it has for the past year since I began guarding her.
Feeling her break as she crouched in front of me in the woods, fearing I would kill her almost broke me, and I don’t…
break. I trained my mind to act as steel to be a shield against enemies, but her…
her grief and pain, it shatters me, and it fractures those impenetrable shields I’ve created.
I could never hurt her.
Mio’s eyes open, and I already know what he’ll say before he says it.
“Nightmares again. But at least she’s sleeping, right?” His careful smile is followed by him sliding his daggers into the holsters on his hips and turning toward me. “You’d like me to go to her, wouldn’t you? To calm the nightmares that plague her.”
I put away my own weapons, leaning helplessly against the wall.
“Yes. Please?” I keep my eyes pinned to the raging sky, the thunder and lightning growing fiercer.
“I can’t tonight. I’m just…” Sighing loudly, I run my hands through my rain-soaked hair, brushing it away from my face.
“I need to kill something. That’s what I need. ”
“Fine. You do that, then. I’ll go, but only if you end this storm. Do you want her to sleep peacefully tonight, or to be woken up endlessly by your raging storm between her fits of nightmares?” His jaw clenches as he watches me, as he feels me slowly crumbling from the inside out.
Guilt is eating me alive. I watched her climb to the top of that bridge, and she chose to give up on life.
She let herself fall. Even if she could have miraculously survived, she never would have made it back to the shore, not alive at least. I watched from above her in the sky and I knew I could save her if she fell, but it didn’t hurt any less watching her willingly step off the bridge.
Gods, I didn’t know things had gotten so bad.
I should have fucking been there before she even considered ending her life.
I nod. He’s right. Still leaning casually against the wall, pretending I’m not seconds from falling apart, I open my palms and watch as lightning strikes down against them.
The storm instantly dies, taking my rage and fury with it.
I’m no longer angry. I’m numb. I’m broken.
I’m pissed at myself for not seeing the signs, that as much as she pretends around everyone to be okay, that she’s still hurting.
An eerie silence seeps into the town now that the storm within me has passed, and I welcome it.
I need the silence so I can deal with my own shit instead of letting my power do it for me.
Looking to Mio, he tips his head, then with a blink he’s gone.
I wish I could go to her, but one of us needs to keep watch over the city.
Besides, I need time alone to gather my thoughts.
Pushing off the wall, I head toward Main Street, sensing an evil presence growing closer. I pull out my daggers, letting the celestial light of the weapons lead the way.
I need to face Nora and tell her the truth.
Tonight, she wanted peace. She’s searching for an escape from the pain of her mortal existence, but death will not bring the release she craves.
It will only be the beginning for her. How will she feel when she wakes up from death and realizes she’s just like me?
Forever lurking in the darkness, I stand ready to fly in and save the day, over and over again.
It’s exhausting, really. It’s also exhilarating and thrilling, but so gods damned lonely.
If it wasn’t for the eternal loneliness, it’d be a beautiful immortal existence.
One that those from both the Realm of Darkness and Realm of Light will forever be grateful for.
I hope she can learn to feel the same way.
I stalk into the shadows of the alley, the dark power of Nyx’s minions pulsating against my senses.
As much as I enjoy guiding and guarding celestials both before they ascend and after, I enjoy the slaughtering of demons much more.
If they’re nearby, I will not give them the satisfaction of continuing to live.
They will all fall and become nothing more than scattered, ancient ash in the wind.
“Well, well, well…” I say into the darkness, smelling the stench of sulfur and death oozing out of the demons’ bodies. “Haven’t I made it clear by now that entering this realm is a death sentence? Your queen will never learn, will she?” I ask, tilting my head and observing Nyx’s hell hounds.
The three demons stand and stare, their twisted forms casting an eerie shadow on the ground as they tower over me.
Each of them are nearly eight feet tall, their muscular frames unmatched by any demon I’ve ever encountered.
There is never an end to the Queen of Demons little experiments; there is always a more menacing demon waiting just around the corner.
I step under the single streetlight here, allowing them to catch a glimpse of my face.
The face of an unrelenting demon killer, that’s the face they see right now.
Tonight, like any other night that I encounter vile creatures in the dark, I’m no longer a guardian or a guide.
I’m simply the angel of death. I spread my wings out, their darkness eclipsing all the surrounding city lights, the velvety black becoming a backdrop for their doom.
“Our queen is sick and tired of you getting in her way. You are always in the way.” The demons’ words are more like a guttural growl than anything. The deep, otherworldly sound makes my skin crawl.
“Oh? Well, that’s funny, because I was thinking the same about her. She will never fucking learn that I will not stop until her whole realm one day crumbles and none of you exist.” Stepping toward them, my smile promises death and relentless pain.
“You are the one who must learn, Kairos…” the sound of my name crawling out of its wide mouth, the black venom dripping from sharp, gnarly teeth and onto the pavement, sends a shiver through me.
“The girl belongs to Nyx. She always has. You will not save her. Just like you could not save her last time. She will rot alone in darkness just as you tossed Nyx in that cave and left her to rot when you allowed your parents to banish her.” The three demons’ deep, roaring laughter echoes off the brick walls on both sides of us.
“And she thought you were friends. One day you will pay with your life, boy.” The deep laughter grows and I stiffen.
I feel dizzy. Not from fear, but from the bullshit spouting from their mouths.
The lies. They’ll say anything to get a reaction from me.
My hands shake with the desire to slice their throats here and now for even speaking of Nora, but I force myself to wait.
I stand in place, tightening my grip on my weapons and willing myself to hold back from ending them, at least for a moment.
“What would Nyx want with Nora? She’s useless to her. Just a celestial and nothing more.” I swallow, keeping my eyes pinned to the one in front, the one who takes a staggered step forward. The ground shakes and crumbles beneath its feet.
“Nyx, too, was once just a celestial. Now she is the most powerful queen to ever exist. Those who are unfortunate enough to look into her eyes end up writhing in pain, begging to be put out of their misery. She cannot wait to watch you writhe, Kairos. She cannot wait to take her away from you all over again.” A wide smile slowly creeps across its face.
I’ve had enough of their mind games. I want them dead.
“If I allowed you another day to live, I’d tell you to pass along that I feel the same.
I can’t wait to hear her beg for her life one day.
” Tucking my wings behind my back, I raise my daggers, preparing to slowly end them.
“Unfortunately for you, I’ve had a shit day and watching the blood drain from your hideous bodies will be much more satisfying than having you pass along that message to your queen.
” I smile as their red eyes glow even brighter.
As the first winged demon steps toward me, I tighten my grip on my weapons and strike.
My daggers find their mark in the demon’s neck, and my laughter rings out as its black blood sprays in all directions.
It cascades down around me, covering my face and neck in the sticky, warm substance that clings to my skin and sets it ablaze.
The pain is worth the kill. As the demon slumps to the ground, it shatters and disintegrates into dust.
The second hell hound approaches, its enormous jaws unhinging inches from my face.
The thunderous roar it releases makes my skin prickle with the reminder that it could easily kill me.
The demons teeth alone can swiftly end the life of both mortals and immortals, the sharp points resembling three-inch razor blades that gleam and drip with their deadly, dark venom.