DEVON
Just like Verity to storm off, the woman was such a petulant child sometimes. Although it beat the alternative, which would have been her losing her absolute shit. She knew something was way off, and she had yet to be wrong when her instincts kicked in. That was part of the reason she was such a skilled Hunter, and had earned the name Shadow Walker. Although anyone could see something was really wrong, the way this was happening was far from typical. Of course Verity had never liked the Officials, which is what we called those in charge who worked for the government. And in turn the Officials had never really liked her, calling her feral and wild; which she was. In a sense we all were, this world had made it so.
Commander Ryan was just as frustrated as the rest of us, and understandably so. He would be s
“Ver, check your face!” Liam hissed into my ear. I couldn’t help it, my face said whatever I was thinking, and right now I was not pleased. This guy still gave me weird vibes, and I did not like him. Tall and lanky, he walked with an air of quiet confidence that made me want to break him. And break him I would. His long hair was down, dreadlocks peppered in it that had small silver beads woven in, he had a small hoop through his left nostril and his eyes were those of a predator. I grinned to myself; he had another thing coming if he even dared to confuse one of us with prey. Kenneth had just arrived; he had waited the week he said he would to come train; and now the week was up and here he was. He had said maybe a handful of words to us since his arrival, not that he was being rude; but obviously the guy wasn’t exactly into conversation. At least not yet or with us.
Ch.15Oh? Well didn’t that just make things more interesting. So, Kenneth knew the effect he was having on me, and knew why. Then I would make damn sure I won this. I already knew he was a long-range fighter, which meant he should be weak at hand-to-hand combat. The four of us had headed to one of the arena’s, one of the ones we knew wasn’t used as often; that way there was less of a chance of being disturbed. Whatever he was hiding I would find out, after all; we were going to have to work together. Getting into my stance I put my hand on my scythe, I knew I would be blocking arrows; but once I got close, I was hoping I could overwhelm him. Kenneth took up his place away from me, crossbow trained on me.It happened so fast; I felt the whoosh of air as an arrow flew dangerously close to my face. I hadn’t even seen him move, unsheathing my scythe
He wheezed, easing up on the pressure, I repeated my question. His eyes gleamed and I quickly looked down.“Don’t try that shit with me” I grumbled, pressing my knee into his arm harder than necessary. He winced.“Fine Verity, a deal is a deal” his smile was once again charming. I made a face.“Would you cut that shit out with me? I don’t like it, whatever it is” I said, leaning close to his face. “So why don’t you just tell me this secret of yours, since it must be why the Officials sent you.” My voice was low, smooth, and had every ounce of malice in it I could muster.He sighed, “it would be easier to show you.” I raised an eyebrow as I slowly let him up, wondering what it could possibly be.
The week had flown by, during that time we had trained hard to perfect the new team dynamic. The news about Kenneth had shocked the team, but they accepted it readily enough and realized while he was a threat, it wasn’t to us. He had wanted to be free, and this was one of the only ways to get out of the cage the Officials had created for him. None of us could blame him, and over the past week he had worked seamlessly with us, his ability for flight coming in extremely handy. I had grown to like him in my own way, however most of us continued to feel unsettled by him, recognizing him as an enemy due to his mixed nature. He knew this and wasn’t offended; it wasn’t something we could help despite getting to know him better. Now that our week was up, we were in Commander Ryan’s office receiving our official orders, to find a certain nest to the West. This nest was thought to contain the typical Nephilim but also a Watcher angel, th
We drove till dawn, Todd and Liam taking turns while the rest of us shifted as lookouts. My shift had finished, and I was curled up by Kenneth, snoozing comfortably under his wing. The downy feathers were so soft and the perfect spot for snuggling up, he didn’t mind either, it allowed him to have his wings out and not cramped. This drive would take over a day, and to make the quickest time possible we couldn’t stop driving. Gas cans were in the backseat, full to the brim to make sure we could get there and back and then some. Devon had made sure we had extra and had checked all the cans to ensure they were full; we didn’t trust this mission or the Officials that sent us on it. While some teams did, on the rare occasion, travel this far from base it was typically only to reach another base. Not to engage the enemy, because there was no way of returning, no matter how fast we drove, eventually they would catch us with the distance we w
I woke up slightly before dawn, the urge to pee way too strong to stay in my comfy bedding. Yawning I silently got up and snuck off to take care of business, careful not to wake the others. There was just enough light that I could make out where I was going, not wanting to stray too far but needing privacy I found the perfect spot and proceeded to empty my overfull bladder. Relieved of my burden I headed back toward camp, picking up some sticks along the way so we could make a fire or something, after all we would need to eat. Knowing that all of us could benefit from some fresh meat for energy before we did this, I gathered some rocks to also help with the fire. Digging a small hole, I lined it with the rocks and placed the sticks in it with a zig zag pattern. I felt a hand on my back and almost jumped out of my skin, it was Liam, crouching next to me he dropped a kiss on my shoulder.“I assume we a
We left at dusk, the truck bumping along the rough terrain. Kenneth in the front with Liam, who was driving; the rest of us in the back. The earth was flat and brown, which would serve us well as we traveled under the cloak of night. Not wanting to turn our lights on, the level ground was a blessing we hadn’t counted on. Liam turned the wheel, heading west toward our target.Nests were curious things, each one different depending on the inhabitants. We had surmised that the nests that were more aesthetically pleasing probably had an angel or two involved in them, whereas the sloppier ones were only Nephilim. If I had to describe it, I would say it appeared almost like a volcano, but more pronounced, the top of the opening easily as high as a four-story building. Usually a neutral color, gray, brown or a dark sandy type of color, these structures erupted from the Earth, forming a gaping maw. Sometimes
Kenneth slammed into him, his wings flaring out and beating the air violently as he fought to push the angel back. They stayed there, locked into place, both of their wings unfurled and pushing against each other. And as low and smooth as an ocean undercurrent, I heard Shamshiel’s voice.“Son of Baraqel, why do you stand against me?” He asked, his face passive. Kenneth grunted.“I am no son of his” he spat out. “You and your children need to leave us alone!” Shamshiel laughed.“Is that what you think? Do you truly think all of us are after you?” One dark brow raised up in question.“Don’t try to trick us” Liam said, striding forward, katana drawn. His eyes were narrowed and sharp, scanning the angel.
SEVERAL CENTURIES LATER CAIN “Come on Dad,” Vita taunted, flicking her long dark hair behind her shoulder. Her stance was low, feet planted firmly on the ground. I grinned at her, showing my teeth in a feral grin. My middle child was a feisty little spitfire of a Nephilim. She was so much like her mother, in looks and attitude; which is exactly why she and Yona fought constantly. Both of them headstrong, wildly intelligent and with tongues so sharp they could flay skin from bone. I glanced up briefly before lunging forward, quickly flipping her onto her back, not to be out maneuvered she landed a kick to my stomach that had me shuffling backward with the force. Beating her onyx wings she lifted herself up, a smile on her face. “Would you two stop dicking around?” My eldest son, Sabrael drawled, walking into the training ring. A small blonde human tucked up against him, her smile bright as she looked up at him. Sabrael too was a warrior like his sister, but where Vita was all bark
YONA His pain was cleaving my heart in two. This tortured, beautiful man across from me deserved so much more than he was allowing himself to have. His eyes shimmered with the pain of his loss, and the knowledge tore at my soul. He was mourning, and had been for centuries; but also couldn’t move on without feeling guilty. The struggle was written all over his face and I couldn’t hesitate lest it cost me. Leaning forward I cupped his cheek, my hand brushing over the rough stubble there, before I met his chapped lips with mine. He groaned at the contact, his hands fisting at his sides as he fought his urges. I knew, I could feel, he wanted this; me. Yet he thought himself unworthy, and he had to reach his breaking point before he gave in, a point I planned to push him to. My fingers gently traced a path down his arm, resting at his wrist, my tongue flicking at the seam of his mouth, begging for entrance. In a moment I was under him, Cain having lunged forward, his arms wrapped around
CAIN (Listen to HUSHH by AViVA for the vibe) Yona soared higher and higher, weaving in fluid motions through the sky. She was breathtaking, her dark hair fanning out behind her as her wings flexed and contracted; the appendages catching the light and revealing their true colors. She had come for me, I hadn’t thought she would; a broken man like me had nothing to offer her. The soul tie thrummed in my chest, demanding I go to her but I fought it; I knew it was useless and that it was dooming both of us. As time went on I became weaker, sicker and I knew she was suffering the same fate. It was selfish of me, but I couldn’t seem to help it, everytime I even thought of the tie, Verity's face swam in my mind and I was lost to my eternal grief. God's ultimate joke on me. Curse me, exile me, then give me a family only to rip them away before saddling my pathetic soul to some poor Nephilim. Not just that, one of Shamshiel’s descendants; so I could never truly escape nor be at peace. Wasn’
YONA The days blurred into weeks, and weeks blurred into months. Cain had left, nowhere to be found, not that I had really tried. He didn’t want me, not that I blamed him. From what I knew of Verity she had been exceptional. A strong, sassy woman, who was not afraid to put him in his place while rejoicing in all that he was. I wasn’t stupid, a connection like that would never be forgotten, replaced, or broken; even in death. He would fight this until the last breath I was certain, and in the meantime we both got to feel like shit. Castor was pumping me full of tonics and supplements, keeping my strength and nutrients up but it was only delaying the inevitable. I sighed and leaned forward on the table, needing a minute to collect my thoughts through the brain fog that had been getting thicker and thicker the longer this went on. “Yona,” my fathers voice cut through the room, kind and gentle. I hadn’t heard him even come in, but then again he had a tendency to sneak up on people. “D
YONA His eyes pierced through mine, becoming hard specks of ice as he drank me in. My feathers were ruffling in response to his scrutiny, as though trying to reassure him that it was ok. I slowly turned to fully face him, our eyes never leaving each other. Both of our hands moved to our chests, and I knew before I felt it, a soul tie, with Cain. I saw the rejection in his eyes, and felt my heart splinter at the same moment. Of course he wouldn’t be interested in fulfilling this, he had his one true love; a woman I could never compare to nor take the place of. Did I truly expect him to be happy? To fling himself into my arms and whisper sweet nothings in my ear? No. Cain was a man born of violence and bloodshed. A creature of all things dark and deadly. He wasn’t soft or gentle, he was wild and untameable; a man who only yielded to those who deserved it. As she had. Yet we both knew the consequences if we didn’t allow this bond to happen. Would he be so cruel as to force me to suff
YONATWO CENTURIES LATER “ You know that’s the wrong color for that don’t you?” Castor asked me as I furiously ground the herbs in the mortar. I looked up, grinning at the old Nephilim who sat on a stool beside me. “Oh I know, but I added in some extras for an experiment,” I said around a smile. He laughed, his low chuckle warming my heart. Castor was ancient at this point, he had been old when I was born and it didn’t take a genius to know he didn’t have another century in him. He had been young when he knew Shamshiel, my fathers father, and had begun to age quicker once both of his wings were lost to him. Angels didn’t age, but Nephilim did, being that we were half human. Despite that our life spans were quite long, most Nephilim lived until 600 years or so. Castor would tell me stories of my father from when he was growing up, and quite the pain in the ass. He spoke of the war torn society of that time, of Shamshiel and his many children. Of a time when an angel or Nephilims goal
LIAM THREE YEARS LATER I looked out the office window, drinking in the mostly barren landscape but pleased to note several small looking saplings, their greenery a welcome sight. The attack on us three years ago had turned out to be widespread, from the Officials and fallen that were aligned with them. Their goal had been to wipe out the things in their way. Mainly us and the “friendly” angels. Of course women were to be taken captive, with the goal of procreating. As in all wars the humans were divided, many defected, choosing to join the side they thought was winning. Our base had gone down significantly in number, but now that the Officials were no more and the fallen aligned with them were mostly gone we could focus on repair. The remaining opposing forces had fled, and once we had regrouped we hunted them down like the dogs they were. Eliminating the angels and Nephilim, and jailing the humans who came willingly. As the years passed we dealt with them on a case by case situation
CAIN No one at the nest had been happy about my appearance, again their instincts warned them to stay away, that I was dangerous. They skirted me warily, all except the infuriating angel. I didn’t require much, a place to lay my head and the basics, as such I had been given a room close to the training area. It worked out well, I was able to unleash my violent tendencies there without harming anyone. My room was plain, cavern like, a pallet and not much else. Shamshiel had recognized my inherent need to wander as well, and made use of that. Sending me on longer missions either by myself or with a small group of Nephilim. Over the centuries his offspring got used to me, to my curt personality and rough ways. Eventually they would come to spar with me, and Shamshiel would sometimes watch, a smug smile on his face like he’d done me a favor. In a sense he had, the gaping hole that had been eating away at my soul was slowly closing. It wasn’t exactly a friendship, but whatever it was it w
CAINI felt the bond sever the moment Shamshiel took his last breath. It felt like my heart had a bitch of a cramp, not like the searing pain when Verity’s was snuffed out. This was quieter, subtle, just like the man himself. Leave it to the damn angel to try to sneak out of this life without me. Anger and rage poured out from my throat, my head angled back at the sky, the spines of Kokabiel’s wings slipping from my hands and slamming onto the ground. It just wasn’t fair, why did he have to die? Why wasn’t it me? I wanted to die, why, why was he taken instead? Hearing my raw screams the angels Shamshiel had left to guard the nest came flying quickly. After all, I was maybe a half mile away at this point and this asshole had the audacity to die on me. The sound of wings ripping through the air assaulted me right before I took a forearm to the throat. A croaking noise came from me and the breath was forced from my throat, the angel glanced down before realizing who I was and promptly dr