Chapter 2 - Protesting too much

Chapter 2 - Protesting too much

Mikhail

I stroll into the living room of our new home. Home, what a joke. The SC (Supernatural Council) placed us here because they don’t know what to do with us. Unfortunately, like the human world, the supernatural world is also full of orphans. According to the system, my parents are unknown. I was found in an abandoned warehouse. Unfortunately, no one stepped up to claim me, so they placed me in a home for supernatural kids. The problem is that, unlike human homes, our jailers had to make sure we weren’t using our powers or killing innocents by mistake. In my case, the Council keeps a very close eye on me. Apparently, being the son of an Angel and a Demon is considered taboo. The council members call me an abomination. The Angels hate me, and the Demons don’t know what to do about me. According to my Nephilim friend, Kara, there has never been a mating recorded between an Angel and a Demon. Such relationships are not just unthinkable but dangerous because of the ambiguity of our powers. Apparently, having the powers of a divine being and a demon is not a good mix.

              Angels have lived on earth for thousands of years. According to the  Angels’ ancient scripts, the Creator wanted us to learn free will. Therefore, after Lucifer’s fall, the Creator gave all angels a one-way ticket to earth, took a vacation, and let us deal with all the havoc Lucifer brought to humans. We are now considered part of the supernatural world, which is made up of all kinds of creatures. There are angels, werewolves, demons, and so on. We all live by a set of special rules. Never hurt humans, never tell a human about us, and live under the radar. If we break one of those rules, the Council will come after us. Similar to humans, we try to live a normal life.

I remember the first time that my wing tattoos came out. One of the house fathers tried to exorcise me. He tied me to a chair and tried to cut the tattooed wings from my back. Needless to say, I ran away. That’s when I met my foster brother, Rowan. Rowan is a vampire. He was drinking blood from a drug dealer the first time I ran into him. He thought I was some stupid kid and tried to take a sip. That night, I flew him up into the air and dropped him from a building’s roof. We became friends after that. We were fine for a while, scaring humans with his fangs and my wings.

Unfortunately, our little scheme came to an end when the SC found us. We were running through the streets, trying to hustle humans for money. Rowan would trance humans into giving up some cash, and I would fly us out of the scene. Rowan was thirteen at the time, and I was fourteen. Our powers were not quite developed. An agent of the Council caught us and placed us back in the system. Rowan and I stuck together. The Council thought we were too strong and were about to execute us until Alexander Cross, an agent for the Council, stepped up and offered a solution. Alex is half-vampire and half-human. He offered to provide us both a home. After that, he chose to foster a few more boys and teach us how to control our powers.

Apparently, Alex had been in a similar situation. Unlike us, though, he was fortunate to be adopted. Long story short, he thought we would become useful agents for the Council. We just needed training. At first, Rowan and I were weary. But Alex was legit. Alex has been training us all. Carrick and Kell came a year after we moved in with Alex. They were thirteen at the time. We’ve been a weird hodgepodge family since. Carrick is a werewolf, and Kell is a Seraphim. Somehow, we made it work. That is until the Council decided to move us to Arcata, California. They say they want us to go to school and assimilate with humans. I hate it. We were fine learning from Alex. Why do we need to learn any of these human things anyway?

 Rowan, Kell, and Carrick walk in, interrupting my musings. They race past me, pushing each other with boyish amusement. Rowan stops next to me. “Just another day in hell. High School wasn’t as bad as I expected it to be.” He says as he drops his bag down next to the door.

Alex comes out of the kitchen, wiping his hands with a towel. “Hey, boys. How was school today?”

I grunt, scrunching my face up into a grimace, walk into the living room, and throw myself into the sofa. Frowning, Alex turns to Rowan with a questioning look.

Rowan smiles widely, tilting his head in my direction. “I thought it was great. We got to meet some really hot girls. Especially one cheerleader that caught Khail’s eye. What was her name again, Khail?”

I raise my eyebrow and shrug my shoulders, refusing to play this game, but Rowan persists. “You know the hot one with long brown hair and the killer body.”

He sits next to me, elbowing me in the chest. “Sorry, bro, I have no clue,” I said stonily.

Unfortunately, when it comes to Rowan, you have to tread carefully. He’s a typical vampire. When he smells blood, he goes on the attack. Maintaining a calm façade, I lean back and let him continue his little game. “That’s funny…” He says, looking at Alex incredulously. The faker! “…cause I could have sworn I saw her fall into your arms while we were in the hallway. Isn’t she your Lit partner?  Oh...I know, it was…Nessa? No, it was Nadia?”

My jaw begins to tighten. Why does he have to bring her up? From the moment I spotted Nevaeh this morning, I thought she was the most beautiful girl I have ever seen. Too bad she turned out to be such a raging bitch. It pissed me off to hear her call us criminals.

That’s probably why when she found out that I was her Lit partner, I took a lot of pleasure in seeing her squirm.

Rowan continues his reminiscing, not noticing my calm anger. “Well, whatever her name was, you should have seen this girl. She has long legs, a tight ass, nicely shaped breasts, and long hair. Whoo-whee, she was freaking hot!”

The rank bastard fans himself smiling. Not wanting to play any longer, I get up. “Whatever, man. What’s for dinner, Alex?” I ask before Alex can question Rowan and me any further. I get up, walking towards the kitchen. “Since tonight is our first night here, I thought we could celebrate by having some pizza.

At the sound of the word Pizza, Carrick and Kell run in. “PIZZA! Sweet,” I roll my eyes and take a seat, watching with humor as Carrick takes several pieces and shoves them into his mouth. I sit there quietly, chewing, oblivious to the conversation. Then, I hear the name I’ve been avoiding for the past few hours.

Kell wipes his mouth with the sleeve of his shirt and mumbles excitedly. “Her name is Nevaeh. We heard she was your Lit partner. She’s hot. You are so lucky!”

Alex gives me another inquiring look, which pisses me off. “Look, guys. I don’t want to talk about this girl. I heard her call us criminals. She’s a total bitch. So, I wouldn’t waste my time thinking about her. Now, can we talk about much more important topics?”

Carrick and Kell nod in agreement. Rowan, on the other hand, gives me a “this is not over” look. I roll my eyes and chew my pizza slice. Alex breaks the silence. “Other than the “hottest” girl in school, is there anything else you want to share? Do you like your classes?”

Carrick lowers his head grimacing. “The classes are cool, except for Algebra. I hate Algebra.” I smiled, shaking my head. “Yeah, at least you don’t have Literature.”

Alex gives me a pitying look. “Sorry, kid, it’s a graduation requirement. Suck it up.”

I get up from the table, taking a deep breath. I can feel my wings straining against my back restlessly. The boys must notice my agitation because they instantly quiet down. They know that I need a moment. Being part Angel and part Demon means that my two sides are constantly warring with each other. Alex told me that until I learn to control both, I’m going to have issues. 

After dinner, we all congregate in the living room and sit down to do homework together. When we’re done, we just hang out. The boys play with their Xbox while Rowan is on his laptop playing online. I usually just draw in my sketchbook. Every time we do this, I feel contentment wash over me. It feels good to know that I have a family now. This time though, I feel restless. I don’t know how, but Alex notices.

Brow furrowed, he sits next to me on the couch. “Hey kid, are you okay?”

I nod my head subconsciously, doodling in my notebook. “I’m fine.”

Alex leans his elbows on his knees. It’s funny to think of Alex as a father figure because even though he is hundreds of years old, he looks a few years older than me. He’s more like our big brother. In fact, Alex looks a lot like Rowan, with his golden hair and eyes.

His eyes focus on me as if trying to read me. “Are you sure, Khail? You know you can tell me anything, kid.”

Wearily I lean my head back, looking at the ceiling. “It’s just… I don’t know. Moving here…I feel uncomfortable. Like an itch in my wings that I can’t reach. Like something is missing.”

I look at Alex, urging him to understand. He looks thoughtful as he leans back on the couch’s pillow. “Look, Khail…you’re getting older.” He says, turning his head to look at me. “Things have to change. To be honest, I don’t think this has anything to do with living here. I think it’s something else.”

I turn my head and quirk a questioning brow. “Oh Yeah, if it’s not the move, then what do you think it is?”

 Alex takes my sketchbook from my lap and turns it towards me. “It might be this.” He says, pointing to the picture in the book.

I sit up, surprised by what I see. I was so distracted that I did not notice what I was drawing. I’m beyond shocked. It’s a picture of Nevaeh. She’s sitting in her chair, twirling her hair around her finger as she gazes down at something in front of her. I look at Alex, who maintains a blank look. “Maybe you’re feeling this way because something is missing.”     I glance back down at the picture, not noticing that Alex has gotten up and walked away and shake my head vehemently. “No way. This is not happening.”

Without a word, I tear the picture from the notebook and ball it up. However, I can’t make myself throw it away. Instead, I place it in my pocket and walk out of the room.

Slamming my bedroom door behind me, I run my fingers through my hair and pace around the room. My wings strain behind my back, desperate to come out. Removing my shirt, I walk over to the mirror and inspect my back. My tattooed wings glow and strain. I flex my back as the tattoo begins to vibrate until my wings retract. I strain my neck with relief as they flex and flutter. I hate keeping my wings hidden because it can be very painful. I guess the best way to describe it is that it feels like a stretch after a long day of sitting in one position. My wings flair, stirring the air around me. I don’t have tiny cherub wings. No, my wings stretch above my head and brush the floor. They are all black with white tips.

Alex says that’s how they know that my mother, whoever she was, was an Angel. My demon side is shown through the color change in my eyes. Angels have white/silver eyes, and Demons have neon green eyes and fangs. My eyes are neon green, and I have fangs. Angels don’t develop tattoos as wings. They have wings from the moment they are born. Demons develop tattoos that turn into wings. However, their wings are leathery and clawed; instead of feathered. That’s how they know that I’m a hybrid.

I ball up my hands and flutter my wings around the room. Suddenly, my bedroom door erupts into a series of knocks. My wings instantly retract back into my body. Carrick, Rowan, and Kell are knocking and whispering excitedly.

Annoyed at my brother’s antics, I open the door. Carrick and Kell slump on the ground clumsily. Rowans remains in the doorway, laughing at their antics. “What the hell are you doing knocking on the door like that? What’s going on?”  I ask with an annoyed growl.

Carrick and Kell rise from the ground and fix their clothes. “Man, you won’t believe this…” Kell and Carrick say in unison, “She lives across the street, dude!”

I look at Rowan. “What the hell is going on, Rowan?” Rowan smiles mischievously, places his hand on my shoulder, and steers me toward the window. “It’s better for you to see it so you can believe it, brother.”

Brow furrowed; I look out the window, confused. “What am I looking at?”

Sighing with frustration, Rowan places his hand on my neck and points to the house across the street. I blink my eyes several times at the sight that greets me. Sitting in the lawn swing across the street is none other than Nevaeh Rivera. She’s wearing a pair of cut-off jeans and a very tight, nearly translucent t-shirt. There’s a book in front of her, but she’s not reading it. Instead, her eyes are gazing intently up at the sky. I look at Rowan, who is not looking at the view, but at me. “Looks like your girlfriend lives across the street.”

Jaw tight, I turn away from the breathtaking sight of Nevaeh Rivera and lie on my bed with my hands behind my head. It annoys me to see that Carrick and Kell are still looking out the window.

“She’s not my girlfriend, and who cares where she lives.” I shrug nonchalantly, even though, inside, I can feel my heart beating fast.

Rowan shrugs his shoulders and pulls Carrick and Kell away from the window. “Okay, freaks enough. I don’t think Khail would appreciate you ogling his girlfriend.”

I give Rowan an annoyed look and roll my eyes. “Whatever, man.” Rowan winks and laughs mockingly as he ushers the boys out of the room.

I try to avoid looking out the window, but curiosity draws me back. As carefully as I can, I walk toward the window. My heart beats quickly, and my mouth dries. I feel nervous and unsure, and I don’t like it. Drawing back the curtain, I observe Nevaeh. Seeing her lying there looking sad somehow makes me forget that she called me a criminal.

I don’t know how long I stand there, but somehow, I feel lighter. Resigned, I pull out my sketchbook and begin to draw. It’s a compulsion that I cannot resist. When I’m done, I appraise the drawing and take a deep breath. I feel drained yet energized at that the same time. My body is sweating as if I’ve run for miles, and my skin feels sensitive. All I can think about is walking across the street and kissing Nevaeh’s beautiful lips.

As if sensing my appraisal, Nevaeh rises from the swing and looks directly at my window. I move back, certain that she cannot see me, yet still feeling like a creeper.

Adding to my fascination, Nevaeh stretches her arms out in the air. Her thin top rises over her firm stomach and contours to her chest. I can feel the saliva collecting in my mouth with every sensual movement she makes. Licking my lips, I run my eyes over her bare legs, stomach, cleavage, and beautiful face hungrily. Unaware of my thoughts, Nevaeh lowers her arms back down and turns to gather her book.

My eyes stay glued to her profile as she walks back into the house. I don’t know if it’s wishful thinking, but before she walks into the house, she turns around and looks at my window again. I’d like to believe that what I am seeing in her eyes is longing, but it’s just wishful thinking on my part.

Reluctantly, my eyes remain focused on the front door until long after she’s gone. Clutching my sketchbook, I lay back down on my bed to admire my sketch. I’m amazed at what I created. In the picture, Nevaeh’s lying on a meadow with her arms are stretched over her head and her beautiful hair strewn across the meadow wildly. My eyes hungrily devour the scene in the picture. Nevaeh’s wearing a white gown with the ends folded temptingly over the top of her thighs, and her beautiful eyes are staring longingly at me. This confuses me. I don’t understand why I feel this way about her. What I do know is that I can’t let these feelings go any further.

Resigned, I wait for the sky to darken. I need to stretch my wings, and I can’t do it during the day. I can’t risk being discovered. The night sky is so beautiful with its velvety indigo cloak and twinkling stars. I close my eyes and savor the freedom as the wind rushes through my wings.

When I fly, I feel as if I’m the only person in the world. The stars twinkle, and the breeze caress my wings like a hypnotic caress.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, I hear a scream. Searching below me, I can see a woman running from a couple of men. I land on the nearest rooftop and observe as the woman desperately scrambles to escape their threatening forms. The men eventually catch up with her and trap her in a nearby alley. She cries out, grabs a piece of fallen wood, and tries to defend herself.

The men surround her, laughing and mocking her attempts to defeat them. She’s small and outnumbered.

My fangs sprout from my gums, and my eyes glow as the predator in me rises from its dormant state. I watch as the men circled the helpless female. It’s time to teach them a lesson. Covering my head with my hood, I drop down behind them. They didn’t know what hit them. The woman wastes no time running away from us. I grab one by his collar and push him against a nearby wall. The man’s body slumps on the ground, unconscious. Before the other one can attack, I punch him in the face and knock him out. Brushing my hands, I observe the unconscious men for a moment. They weren’t much of a challenge. But then again, they were going against a Hybrid.

I’m about to fly away when a voice breaks through the eerie silence. “Well, look what we have here.”

Retracting my wings, I turn to face the voice. In front of me is a man about a few years older than me. Unlike any ordinary man, though, his eyes are glowing green, and his smirk shows some fang. Demon.               Moving closer, he looks me over in speculation. “Mm, your eyes glow like a demon, but your wings are not demonic. What are you, boy?”

I smolder at his words and tighten my fists. “That’s none of your damn business, demon, and I’m not a boy.”

The demon throws his head back, laughing wildly. He and I are at even height. However, where I am dark, he is fair. His golden hair gleams in the moonlight as his muscled chest reverberates with humor. Crossing his arms, he smirks again. “To me, you are a boy. Now, what are you doing skulking around my territory, boy? Didn’t anyone tell you that’s a no, no?”

Narrowing my eyes, I bravely stand my ground. “As I said before, what I’m doing here is none of your business.” Turning my back on the demon, I unfurl my wings and fly away.

Unfortunately, the demon does not want to be ignored. He also unfurls his bat-like wings and follows behind me until he’s next to me. To my shock, he turns to me and kicks me in the chest. Crying out, I lose focus and fall on the roof of a building. My body jolts with the impact.

The demon glides smoothly onto the roof, standing a few feet away, his gaze calculating my movements.

My knees scrape against the roof as I lie there, clutching my stomach in pain. It felt as if I was hit by a wrecking ball.

The demon reaches his hand out to help me up, but I’m pissed. What an asshole!

Slapping his hand away, I rise on my own and eye him warily. He looks unruffled, which makes me angrier. Pulling my fist back, I punch him in the face. His body stumbles slightly, but he instantly rights himself. The asshole has the nerve to wipe his mouth and laugh harder.

This sets me off. Before I know it, we're in an all-out brawl. To an average bystander, it would look like a scene from “The Matrix.” We’re very well matched, which enrages me. After a few minutes, we’re both lying on the ground, chests heaving, and our bodies bloody and ragged.

Spitting some blood from his mouth, the demon quirks a brow.  “What an insolent pup you are, a boy.” He says in a hackney voice.           Backing away, I flutter my wings in anger. “Screw you!”

He laughs again and holds his hands up in surrender. “Sorry, mate, you’re not my type. Now, who are you, and what are you doing fluttering around my territory?”

I look around the roof and narrow my eyes. “I don’t know who you are, dude. Why would I tell you who I am?” Smiling, he gives me a mocking bow. “Fair enough. My name is Azazel. I’ve been master of this territory for nearly two-hundred years. Now, I will ask you again. Who are you?”

My jaw feels raw, where he landed a punch. Thankfully supernatural beings heal quickly. All my bruises should be gone by morning. “I’m Mikhail, and I was not aware that this was anyone’s territory.”

Azazel holds his hand out for a handshake and waits. Keeping a wary eye out, I extend my hand and shake his. “You have bollocks, boy. Not many would be mental enough to trespass on my territory. Because of that, I will give you a pass. But next time you show your bloody arse around here, I will rip your wings from your body. Am I clear, mate?”

I release my wings and float up into the air with a growl. Before I leave, I turn around and give him the finger. His laughter follows me all the way home.