Monsters
My leather-clad leg kicks out as I twist in the air, slamming my steel-toed boot into the back of a demon’s head. It hardly registers the impact, shaking off the hit with a simple sneer in my direction. I land on my knees, fist to the ground, ready for the next attack.
I’m outnumbered three to one, but this isn’t the worst position I’ve found myself in.
On a typical Friday night, I’m lucky to not find myself smack in the middle of a dozen demons, frothing at the mouth to taste my blood.
I might be immortal, but I bleed just like any human, and these creatures crave it.
Despite all the movies and books that romanticize vampires, they’re grotesque.
Vile doesn’t even come close to describing the three disfigured demons in front of me.
No two are alike, having been molded into a foul version of their former selves by the torture they earned in Hell.
Closer to animal than human, they only slink around in the dark shadows, unable to go unnoticed in the streets of New Orleans.
The city itself breeds evil, but the residents and tourists have no idea how evil. Luckily for them, I have built-in demon radar. If I’m within ten miles of demons, I can track them. And I do. Nightly.
“I’m going to enjoy draining your blood,” he jeers, moving toward me with his two buddies flanking him on either side. “It smells”—he sniffs the air with his pig-like snout—“divine.”
I titter. “You could even say it’s celestial.”
He growls at the confirmation of what I am. His two friends remain quiet, taking their orders from him. He’s in charge and because of this, I know he’s going to be the hardest to take out. They’ll protect him at all costs.
There’s a vampire hierarchy, and in this particular group, he’s king.
That’s not saying much, as from the looks of their clothes and abilities, they’re on the bottom of the totem pole of vampires.
The higher up the rungs, the more powerful and better dressed you’ll find them.
The top of the top are swathed in gaudy jewels and designer wear, showcasing one of their greatest sins—greed.
I can see them for the monsters they are, but the top echelon have the ability to cloak themselves to humans.
You’ll rarely see a top-rung vampire on the streets. Those spineless swine choose to let the others do their dirty work, while they enjoy the spoils—much like their savior.
I stand to my feet, motioning for them to bring it.
The vampire in charge nods his head, giving the others clearance to attack.
“Aww, isn’t that sweet,” I mock. “You two need permission. Must suck being the weakest links.”
The one closest to me bares his teeth, showcasing his elongated canines. Pretty pathetic compared to others I’ve seen. Tonight alone, I’ve gone up against scarier.
I quirk a brow at his pathetic attempt to frighten me.
“Honey, I’ve seen scarier things roaming Jackson Square in the daytime. You really need to practice your fear factor,” I goad, trying to get a rise out of him. The angrier they get, the sloppier they fight. Demons are too proud for their own good. Injure their pride and you’re already ahead.
“Bitch,” he spits, and I cackle, throwing my head back, and that’s when the two goons rush me, but I expected as much. They fight dirty, because otherwise they’d never stand a chance, and they know it.
I wait until they’re near enough for me to kick out into what can only be described as the splits, knocking both of their heads back so hard that they each fly backward, giving me time to slam back to the ground, unsheathing the sword at my back.
Not giving them a chance to retreat, I step forward, swinging the blade through the air, and slice the closest vampire’s head clean off his shoulders.
It drops heavily to the ground, rolling to the feet of his king of the night.
He kicks the head away, motioning for the other to attack.
There’s no love amongst monsters. They simply run in packs in order to wreak havoc on the city they infest.
I roll my eyes. “Have you learned nothing? You’re both dying tonight.”
His head tips back and he shrieks into the night once more. I shrug at the approaching demon.
“Guess you choose death.”
I inhale, concentrating on moving the stored electricity through every synapse. It rushes over me like waves on a shoreline. My body tingles and every hair stands on end as I push the energy out of me and into the sword in my hands.
“Patet via lux et tenebrae,” I whisper into the night.
Light the way and clear the darkness.
My eyes open in time to see the weaker vampire running toward me. I lift the sword and, without preamble, run it straight through. The demon disintegrates into thin air, allowing me to swing around just in time to lop off the head of the one who was supposed to be the leader.
Pathetic.
Sheathing Solis—my trusty sword—I huff out a frustrated laugh.
“That wasn’t even fun.”
Slow clapping begins behind me, and I don’t need to turn to know Zeke’s found me. It’s not hard when we both are drawn to the demons’ presence. It’s like my own personal beacon, and Zeke never fails to follow it.
“Impressive, Tori.”
“Very valiant of you to watch without offering help,” I say tersely, annoyed at his presence.
“Didn’t look like you needed help. I was enjoying the view,” he says, looking me up and down. “You look good in leather.”
“Good deity. Do those lines really work with the human girls?”
He barks out a laugh. “Always with them, never with you.”
“And they never will.”
“I like the chase.”
“You should stop. You’re wasting your time,” I say, moving past him. “Why are you here, anyway?”
“We cleared an alley north of here. Five vamps had a girl trapped.”
“Is she okay?” I ask, spinning toward Zeke.
“She will be. I compelled her to forget and sent her on her way.”
I nod my head, pleased that the girl wasn’t hurt.
“Any other sightings?”
“Not tonight. It seems abnormally quiet for this time of year.”
He’s not wrong. Typically, springtime in New Orleans is crawling with vampires. Add mayhem like Mardi Gras, and the evil descends. I don’t know what to make of the change. It has been unusually quiet for months, and nothing good can come from that.
“Where are your human pets?” I jab, truly only caring about one.
I’ve never met the human hunters, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t run into them many times. There’s a particular redhead that has it bad for Zeke, and based on the way she looks at him, they’ve been together.
“I fought alone tonight,” he says, staring at me a little too intently.
“You took on five vampires alone?”
He shrugs like it’s no big deal. I’ve taken on more, but despite Zeke’s insistence that he’s the toughest hunter out there, we both know that I am. I fell to Earth as one of the strongest virtue angels. In angel hierarchy, I was several rungs above where Zeke had ever been.
“Good for you,” I say, lifting my hand and breaking the veil I’d placed on the alley to keep innocent bystanders from happening across my run-in with the demons.
It’s imperative that humans remain in the dark about the evil that walks alongside them in the shadows. Humans aren’t capable of handling such news. Widespread hysteria would ensue, giving the demons no reason to hide. They’d revel in the fear and feed on the souls of the damned still living.
It’s the only reason I can imagine that God allowed us to carry any of our powers to Earth.
We don’t have them all, but we do retain the necessities: strength, speed, energy absorption, elemental control, mind control—compulsion—and glamour.
Add to that impressive list the innate ability to track down ethereal objects—not ethereal beings—and now I have Solis at my back.
“I’m sorry about earlier, Tori. I shouldn’t push you into something you clearly don’t want. I’ll stop.”
Lies. He’s said this so many times I’ve lost count.
“What’s the draw, Zeke? I don’t get why of all the women on Earth, you keep coming back here. I’ve done nothing but push you away since the day you saved me. Why would you do that to yourself?” I ask, but I already know the answer.
Because we were good together.
When I gave in to my need for Zeke, it was like two stars crashing together.
Two celestial beings with energy coursing through us made for one hell of a climax.
I can’t imagine he has the same experience with any of his human conquests.
The thought sours my already dire mood, but I smash it down, unwilling to go there.
“Maybe I like a challenge,” he drawls lazily, that roguish smirk almost doing me in. I know that as long as I’m on Earth, he won’t stop tracking me. Why? Because despite my insistence otherwise, we’re drawn to each other. Call it spiritually connected if you want.
We’re the only two—from what we’ve uncovered—who’ve experienced Heaven and are stuck here on Earth due to our own choices.
Zeke claims he doesn’t want back in, but I know the truth.
He doesn’t believe it’s possible. If he can’t achieve it, he thinks it better to delude himself into believing Earth is the best choice.
If he tells himself enough times that this place is great, it just might become great. It won’t.
“It’s not a challenge; it’s a flat-out refusal,” I shoot back, hoping he’ll take the hint and leave me alone.
I’m tired of this dance we’re doing. A part of me wants to give in, but I know it’s not in either of our best interests. Why can’t he allow me to do the right thing?
“I could never have an honest relationship with anyone else, Tori. Even if I did try to share my past with someone, I couldn’t tell them everything. There will always be that divide, and it’s not what I want in a relationship.”
“We want different things. Where I’m going, a relationship isn’t possible.”
“When are you going to realize that’s impossible?”
He doesn’t attempt to hide his loneliness, and it’s a feeling I know well.
I utilize hunting as a way to pretend I don’t need anyone.
His vulnerability cracks a layer of ice around my heart, because no matter what, I do care about what happens to Zeke.
What he did for me at the beginning I can never repay.
“I know your opinion on the matter, Zeke, but I disagree. It would be unfair for me to tell you otherwise.” I puff out my cheeks. “I need you to stop. Maybe we can hunt together,” I offer, hoping this gives him motivation to lay off, “but nothing more can happen.”
He nods. “Fair enough. I’ll take your friendship.”
“The innuendos? Will those stop too?” I ask with a quirked brow.
He puts up three fingers in the Boy Scout salute. “On my honor.”
“Hmmm.” I purse my lips and consider his vow. He seems sincere, and if I’m really honest, I owe him an apology. I’ve been overly rude just to keep him at arm’s length, and all because of my own screwups. Not his. Not that I’ll admit that to him.
“Fine. Truce,” I say. “But you’re buying me dinner.”
He laughs. “So, I’m buying my friends now?”
“Who said anything about friends?” I grin wickedly.
“You’re a tough nut to crack, Victoria English, but I think I’m wearing you down.”
“Buy me a beignet, and you’ll be a little closer to the mark.”
We walk in companionable silence through the heart of Jackson Square.
Vendors line the streets, selling everything from trinkets to card readings.
A light fog blankets the ground, while the low glow from the streetlamps casts an eerie haze over the area.
I pull my jacket tighter around me, staving off the chill.
“Miss, would you like a reading?” an elderly woman with a hunched back asks from her chair.
“No, thank you,” I say, shaking my head.
She stands on wobbly legs, making her way toward me. I keep walking, as that’s what you do in Jackson Square. If you make conversation, you’ll get talked into buying just about anything.
With my head turned forward, I don’t see what jerks me backward. I spin around to the haggard woman staring up at me, mouth agape. How did she make it to me so quickly?
“You’re shrouded in darkness,” the woman says, voice shaking. “I-I can’t see your light. Who are you?” she murmurs, and I pull out of her grasp.
“You shouldn’t touch people,” I grate through my teeth. “Never know what you’ll stumble across.”
Her eyes are wide, scared even.
“Something evil possesses your soul.”
“Yeah, well. Tell me something I don’t know,” I hiss, walking away without another word.
“What the hell was that about?” Zeke asks, lips forming a thin line.
“She’s nuts?” I offer, knowing she isn’t.
I might not consider myself evil, but according to Heaven, that’s exactly what I became the moment I fell. And the evil that possesses my soul? I’ve been trying to run from it since that very day.
A shiver courses through me, and Zeke pulls me in to his side. My initial reaction is to remain in the comfort of his warm, strong arm, but I resist, shrugging out of his grip. I don’t need to send mixed signals.
“What she said,” Zeke begins, and I don’t stop him. “You’re not evil, Tori.”
I look up into his sincere eyes that stare back at me intensely. A woman could get lost in those soulful eyes. I’ve spent so much time trying to push him away. Maybe he’s right. Perhaps all my efforts are for nothing, and I’m wasting time on Earth being lonely.
Stop it.
I berate myself internally. This is the very crux of why I keep my distance.
When I’m drawn back to memories of the time I fell, I feel out of control.
The hurt of betrayal and the emotions that came the moment I landed here on Earth make me rash.
I chase whatever emotion will help me forget, and every time, I find myself in Zeke’s arms. He’s been my crutch, and it’s not fair to him.
“I might not be evil, but she’s not wrong, Zeke.”
“What does that mean?”
I shrug. “My light was destroyed before I ever fell.”