Chop Suey!
The music starts and my eyes pop to the stage, where Luke stands at the microphone. I know exactly what to expect. He’s sung to me before, on our first full night together. His voice is sultry and masculine. Every girl is about to lose her mind in a minute.
He croons into the microphone, and just as expected, there’s a collective sigh from every female in the room.
It doesn’t help that he plays right into it, making each of them feel as though he’s singing directly to them.
The devil has skills, and one of his best is the way he can make you feel like you’re the only person in the room.
The very reason I fell for him.
A dark part of me is eating up the way that everyone, even many of the men, are falling all over themselves to get closer to him, yet it’s me he’s here with.
I don’t deny that makes me one very disturbed girl.
I’d love to say it’s an aftereffect still plaguing me from our time together before, but a voice deep within chastises me for pushing the blame all on him.
Some inner part of me knows that not every feeling I’ve felt for Luke was contrived by him.
None of them were, if he’s to be believed.
His soulful green eyes find mine. He smiles, never again removing his gaze from me, singing every word straight to my heart.
I feel dizzy at the proclamations, even if they’re someone else’s creation.
I can’t help but wish that each lyric sung was chosen by him for me.
That he truly means every word. Foolish girl.
I internally berate myself for allowing such thoughts to infiltrate my mind, yet no matter how much I try in this moment to change my feelings, they can’t be helped.
Simply listening to his voice has my knees quaking, threatening to buckle underneath me.
My body feels electrified, a feeling similar to when I recharge.
Every synapse is firing on all cylinders, and it feels euphoric.
For the first time in a very long time, I’m content. I don’t want to be anywhere else, with anyone else. All thoughts of my past and Zeke float away, until my head is clear and Luke is all I see.
When the song ends, people cheer and call for him to sing another. He lifts his hands, trying to decline, but the crowd won’t allow it.
I smother my smirk with my hand at the look of distress plastered on his handsome face. He wants to be with me. I know it, and I love the feelings that simple truth sparks in me.
“All right,” he says, laughing. “What’ll it be?” he calls out for requests.
I don’t know what the hell possesses me, but I yell out, “Broken.” He doesn’t need me to elaborate; he smiles a smile just for me and nods his head.
The DJ gets it ready and before long, the music starts back up.
Everyone around me gets into it, and before long, women are high-fiving me for my choice.
He sang this song to me the last time we were together.
The words spoke to my heart then, just as they do now. The memories make me smile.
My body sways on its own to the beat of the music.
I soak in every sound. Every word he sings.
Every. Single. Moment. As though this will be the last time.
The thought is an effective dose of cold water, waking me from my fantasy and bringing me back to my sad reality.
One in which I’m a fallen angel and the man I’m in love with is the devil himself.
My thoughts continue to wander down a dead-end path that only leads to devastation and betrayal. I recall the end of the last night we were together. All the unspoken truths and lies coming to a head. The crushing of my soul when he left me alone in that alley.
My face falls at the reminder of that night, the heat I felt moments ago being drowned out by bitter cold. My stomach turns and the need to flee overwhelms me. My eyes never waver from the stage. From him.
He doesn’t miss the change, a deep frown marring his beautiful face. I take a few steps backward, bumping into people as I go.
“Hey!” a woman yells. I turn, wide-eyed, to apologize, but her scowl tells me she’ll have none of it.
Her purple hair is teased to create a dome on top of her head, and the white tank top she wears is two sizes too small for her busty chest. It’s only amplified when she crosses her arms over her breasts, lifting the globes to peak out the top, showing far too much.
Words never come, as someone’s shoulder smacks into mine, knocking me back a step.
My body spins, eyes connecting with Luke, who notices my obvious distress.
He attempts to leave the stage, but a muscular bouncer blocks the way.
He turns, leaping from the front of the platform, dropping the mic in the process.
My hands fly to my ears to drown out the piercing screech it causes as I make a run for the door.
I don’t want him to catch me. I need space, which is something he won’t give. He’s all-consuming. Smothering. And right now, it’ll only lead to a fight. One in which the possibility of outing myself to humans is high, because my emotions are all over the place.
I rush from the bar, not looking back for fear he’d somehow convince me to forget my feelings and bend to his will. He wouldn’t need persuasion or any other tactic. Luke is my kryptonite all on his own. I cave with a simple glance from him. He’s my undoing. Has been for years.
As I’m pushing my way out the door, it hits me.
This place feels familiar because it’s the exact bar we’d been in that night.
He was recreating our whole first date. It worked to remind me of how incredible he makes me feel, just like the last time.
But everything good from that night will always be overshadowed by the way it ended. The way it’s falling apart now.
Here in this place, where I’m currently ducking into safety. It’s the one spot that holds the worst memories of my entire existence. The alley from the night I realized that Luke and Satan were one and the same. That what I wanted, could never be.
Why was he trying to recreate that night? To hurt me all over again? To break me once and for all? Well, it’s working. Nothing about this is all right. It’s cruel.
A group of demons already haunt the shadows of this place, likely summoned to this location by the proximity of their master.
They move into the moonlit alley, sizing me up, as I do the same.
I don’t have Solis, but my anger fuels my every move.
I raise my hand to create a barrier, so no human walks into this fight.
One decides to approach, and I don’t waste time getting this slaughter started.
Taking several steps forward, I leap into the air, spinning and kicking my leg out to send the nearest demon hurling into the stone wall.
It doesn’t faze him as he shakes it off and limps my way.
I stalk toward him, reaching out and grabbing his head in my hands, twisting it from his shoulders, and dropping it to the ground.
I continue my savage assault of the evil creatures, showing no mercy.
It’s not like I ever do, but my savagery is fueled by something otherworldly tonight.
Something I can’t control. Rage unlike anything I’ve ever felt consumes me.
More demons crawl out of the shadows, but none move toward me.
I survey the area and find a broken pallet with jagged wood, making a perfect stake.
Without taking my eyes off the creatures, I back up, bending down and breaking off the pointy piece, curling it into my palm. It’s not Solis, but it’ll have to do.
Coming to a stand, I size up my opponents. They’re not Hell’s finest, that’s for sure. One step up from barnyard pigs, they’re all snort and no bite. They don’t even have the size advantage. These scrawny bottom feeders will be easy to take out.
“You’re first,” I say, pointing the wood at the nearest snout-nosed swine.
He grunts, nodding his head in my direction to his two companions.
All three rush me and I nearly roll my eyes at their slow advance.
When the first makes it to me, I lift onto my toes, swinging my leg around to kick him in the head and throw him back into the second demon.
To finish off the last of them, I spin, sending my elbow flying back into his face.
The sound of his splitting nose would make most queasy, but I don’t even flinch.
I spin back around, lodging the makeshift stake into his chest. Black blood oozes from the open wound.
I step back, giving myself enough space to send my foot sailing into the stake, driving it further into his chest cavity, while also sending him flying backward into the shadows from which he came.
I’m on an emotional rollercoaster, slipping from fury to sadness. My mind and heart war between kicking the shit out of the rest of these demons or lying down and allowing them to finish me. Perhaps in death, there will be peace.
Out of the corner of my eye I see another approaching. I swirl around to find a demon that looks more like a demented clown, with his Cheshire-cat smile and long pointed teeth, headed my way. He’s like something out of a Stephen King novel, and that snaps me out of my momentary pity party.
My nose scrunches in disgust as he licks his lips as though he’s about to make a meal out of me. I summon the last bit of energy I can and deliver two punches to the face and a knee to the groin. The demon falls to his knees, and I don’t waste time twisting his head off his shoulders.
I hunch over, gasping for breath. My breathing is ragged, and all my energy spent, but more demons slink into the alley.
I watch as they close in on all sides, outnumbering me.
Wolves, vampires, low demons and upper echelon, all file into the alley way.
My head swivels, taking in the sheer number of demons surrounding me.
Never in my life have I been this overwhelmed by a horde; this is even too much for me.
What have I gotten myself into? Was this a trap set by Luke? Could he really have done this to me? My mind plays with my heart, trying to whisper conspiracy theories and traitorous allegations, painting Luke in a light worse than ever before.
No. This wasn’t him.
It doesn’t matter that he’s Satan. Not a part of me believes this was his doing. No matter the hefty list of transgressions against him, I believe he cares. It might be a foolish dream, but it’s one I intend to cling to if this is to be the end of my existence.
Straightening on wobbly, exhausted limbs, I play at bravery and motion for the next demon to approach.
One at the front sniffs the air before tipping his head toward the sky and howling.
He doesn’t look like a wolf, but he’s calling out to someone like I’ve witnessed the wolf-demons do. None of the others so much as flinch.
If he’s calling for more, I’m as good as dead. If he’s calling for Lucifer, maybe he’ll spare me. With the numbers I’m currently facing, death is likely if help doesn’t arrive from Heaven or Luke.
While the demon is preoccupied, I close my eyes and call to the earth, putting all my thoughts into creating a storm. A bolt of lightning likely isn’t enough to save me, but I must try. If my reason for being on this earth is to kill every demon I encounter, then I will go out doing just that.
After what feels like minutes, but is likely seconds, thunder rolls through the sky, shaking the ground with its power.
Several demons howl, but still, none of them make a move.
Lightning streaks across the sky, lighting up the alley, showing me every single creature I’m to face before shrouding most of them back into darkness.
My hands lift into the air as I summon the sky to produce the energy I’ll need. It delivers, sending a bolt of lightning straight down, burrowing into the ground at my feet. The energy spiders out, crawling up my legs and wrapping around my body, all the way to my fingertips.
I relish its caress, marveling at the way it fills me. My powers might not be fully restored, but the earth has provided, giving me a fighting chance. A sense of peace washes over me and no matter what’s to come, I’m ready for it.
Taking a deep breath, I look the demon in charge directly in the eye and declare war.
“My name is Victoria. I’m a fallen angel of the second highest order of God.”
A resounding growl—that shakes the area more than the thunder did—bounces off the walls of the alley, sending chills racing up my spine, but I don’t recoil. Instead, I forge on.
“I choose to fight for Heaven’s army, despite my circumstances. It’s my promise that none of you will leave this alley while there’s still breath in my lungs.”
The last word is barely spoken before the horde of demons rush into battle. I crouch down, readying for impact, sending up a prayer to God as a last Hail Mary.
No more do I call out to God than he answers.
At my back I feel Solis. He’s delivered me salvation.
I pull the sword from my back and lash out, lobbing two vampires’ heads clean off their bodies in one swipe.
I twist and stab, duck and deliver blow after blow, as more vampires and low-level demons fall, but it’s not enough.
They’re crawling out of the shadows from every angle. Either there’s a portal from Hell somewhere in this alley or witch magic is at play. Nolda is likely nearby.
I can’t keep up and my restored energy is near zapped already. Sweat beads down my temples as I twist to take out another, only to be met with a fist to the side of the head, causing my vision to swim. I fall to my knees, cradling my head, when another strike to the head jerks me backward.
Solis slipped from my hands at the first impact to my head.
Without it, I’m doomed. On my knees I peer through blurry vision, trying and failing to locate my sword, to no avail.
When all seems lost, I curl into the fetal position, not wanting to see what’s coming.
I never envisioned what eternal death would be like, but I sure as hell know I don’t want to see my murderers coming.
Maybe that makes me a coward, but I’d like to think of it as self-preservation.
I’m kicked repeatedly as I wait for what’s to be the killing blow, but it never comes.
The assault stops abruptly, but I don’t dare open my eyes.
A high-pitched wail reverberates off the ground, following by the flapping of wings.
Archangels? My eyes flutter open to see what’s creating the noises and stopped the demons’ attack.
Aid from God—in the form of angels—didn’t come, but a black knight falls from the sky, raven wings extended. He lands with one knee on the ground in front of me, and every demon retreats. Lucifer growls something in a language I don’t understand, and every demon still alive scatters.
Once the realization that Luke has saved me hits, I break.