Eli melted into the shadows as he slid along the side of the building. He’d tracked Logan all the way to Buenos Aires and sensed the archangel had been hiding out in one of the many shanties, which made up the rundown part of what locals called, villas miserias. Though this wasn’t the worst place he’d ever seen, he was still disgusted that people would allow their fellow humans to live in such squalor. However, these poor living conditions attracted many of the fallen. They thrived on misery.
Disappointment filled him, but only for a moment before he shrugged it off. His job didn’t allow for feelings, and it certainly didn’t allow for friends. At least not these days, since so many were falling into the darkness. His job as a bounty hunter was to capture them and bring them before the Tribunal Seven for judgment.
He folded his wings, absorbing them back into his body, and palmed his dagger. The blade, forged in the fires of Hell was the only thing that could kill an angel. Even then it had to be shoved deep into the heart to bring death. A nick would simply incapacitate the immortal, making them weak and easy to control.
Wiping sweat from his brow, he cursed the heat. The air hung thick, wrapping around his skin like a vice and he almost wished to be hunting in the States where December was a lot colder. Moving in stealth mode, he peeked around the corner and spotted Logan. The crimson veins broke up the inky black of Logan’s feathers and were a good indicator the angel had fallen. He no longer carried the hunter’s white wings tipped with black.
Two bodies lay on the ground at the angel’s feet, and Logan held another in an embrace; his mouth covered the man’s neck. Eli surmised the two motionless men were already dead. Eli could make his presence known now and maybe stop Logan from stealing the other man’s soul. However, the battered, dirty clothes the human wore indicated he was probably better off taking his leave of the world.
Eli chose to wait.
“You can’t let him do that,” an angry female whispered in his ear. He clenched his jaw, recognizing the pain in the ass that had slipped in beside him.
“You don’t belong here,” he shot back.
“Like hell. The two on the ground are already gone, but the other man can still be saved.”
He turned his head to glare at the guardian next to him. She shoved a strand of dark hair from her face and pinned her brown eyes on him. Daring him to defy her.
“Your job is to escort souls. So if the others have already lost theirs, then go the fuck away,” he growled and turned his attention back to Logan. She knew better than to interfere with a hunt.
“Don’t tell me my fucking job,” Eva hissed. “You forget I’m also a healer. Now, either you do your job, hunter, or I’ll go in there and stop him myself. I’m not giving another soul to that bastard or any other like him.”
Eli squeezed the handle on his blade until his knuckles paled. Damn her, but she left him with no choice. He’d known Eva for as long as he could remember, and there was no doubt in his mind she’d confront Logan. A guardian would be no match for an archangel. Especially one gone rogue.
“Stay here,” he grumbled then cloaked himself, willed his wings back into action, and jumped into the air. He circled over Logan once before he landed behind the angel, dropping his cloak. “Logan. Leave the mortal and come fight me man to man.”
Logan spun and dropped his victim with a thud. His fangs glistened. Another indication he’d gone rogue. Angels didn’t have any use for pointy teeth unless they’d become a soul sucker.
“Hunter. I’ll not go back, but you can join me.” Logan’s once-blue eyes now matched the crimson markings on his wings. The darkness consumed him, and he would have to die. There would be no redemption, but maybe Eli could learn what had caused Logan to fall. For months, angels had been falling prey to the darkness. First, it had been only the warriors. Those who served to protect and fight evil. However, Logan was a hunter same as Eli, which made the job of taking him down even more difficult.
“What happened to you, Logan? What prompted you to take a darkened path?”
The angel threw his head back in laughter. “I’ve finally seen the light.” His chortling stopped abruptly, and his body stiffened as he pinned Eli with his beady red eyes.
“What light, Logan? What have you seen?” Shit. Eva, as usual, had disregarded his command to stay put and was approaching the collapsed human. Did that angel ever listen? He would have to keep Logan’s attention so she could get her charge and get the hell out.
Too late. Logan snarled and spun. “Evangeline. Tsk tsk, my little angel. You can’t have my human’s soul. I’m not done feeding yet.”
“Logan. You’re a piece of shit, and you’re not taking another. This man’s mine to either heal or escort to his next life,” she spat.
Eli ground his teeth and forced his way into Eva’s mind. Damn it female! Stay out of my battles.
Get rid of him and I’ll gladly be on my way.
He swore under his breath, but before he could react, Logan grabbed Eva by the wrists and pulled her to her feet.
“Eli. Join me and you and I can show our little angel here what it’s like to have a real man.” He ran his thumb over her cheek. “I always wondered what you tasted like.”
She spit in his face. “Fuck off. My mate will kill you if you touch me.”
Logan laughed. “I’m not afraid of that little twerp. I’ll snap his neck in two. Or maybe I’ll drink his soul. I wonder what reaper tastes like? Imagine the power his death could bring me.”
Eli needed a plan, fast. Any distraction to get Logan to release the guardian. “Logan, I’ll consider coming with you, but let her go.” He appeared beside them. “I’ve had her and she’s not worth the trouble.” The evil eye she shot him would drop a mortal man dead.
What? He has no idea I’m lying. He’d never slept with Eva, not that she wasn’t beautiful, but mated angels held no interest to him.
You’ve no idea what you missed out on. Damn woman always had to have the last word.
The rogue angel’s eyes narrowed. “How do I know I can trust you?”
“Did you feel the darkness swirling around you before you chose to fall? I have. It taunts me night and day,” Eli replied. No lie there. He could hardly remember when it started, but he’d carried the temptation for a long time. The desire to shift loyalty. To take life rather than protect it was something he’d battled with for a long time. They all did, but some more than others. He’d always thought it was a conscious choice to fall, but lately he questioned the numbers lost. Something was off.
Logan chuckled and shoved Eva aside. “Eli, old friend. You are close, yes? You need only step to the other side. Think of the freedom you’ll have and the only person you must answer to is yourself.”
Eli extended his hand as was customary when greeting his brethren. “Help me.”
Logan grinned and flashed to the human he’d let go of earlier and pulled him to his chest. “Did you forget I was once a hunter too? I won’t fall for your tricks, but you’re close. I can sense the darkness wrestling inside you. Accept it and your change will begin immediately. I’ll even show you how to feed so you won’t starve like many of us had to in the beginning.”
Eli smiled and did a quick scan for his friend. At least, she’d had enough sense to melt into the night and out of his way. “Where does the darkness come from? I want to understand what’s happening to me.” He was acutely aware his long time comrade knew the same tricks and would be armed with an identical dagger. Eli could be killed just as easily as Logan. It was now a battle of wits. However, one thing Eli had learned from his leader, Tegan: Never show your bag of tricks. You might need them one day to gain the upper hand.
“We’re all born evil, Eli. It’s only a matter of choosing to accept our true selves.”
Logan made no sense, and Eli knew he wouldn't gain any information, so he drew back his arm and let his dagger fly. The blade flew straight and true as the moonlight glinted off its steel.
“Eli, no!” Eva screamed.
There was no stopping it. The dagger went straight into the human’s heart, finishing him off. Logan growled and let the body fall to the ground. His face contorted in anger as he realized Eli had stolen his chance at finishing his meal.
“You’ll pay for that, hunter.”
“I’m counting on it.” Eli produced another dagger, one he’d taken from the last fallen angel he’d slain, and sent it sailing. Logan wouldn’t expect the hunter to have two blades. Seconds before the point made contact, Logan’s eyes widened, and the dagger plunged into his heart. Eli grinned. He’d always been deadly with a blade.
Eva slid in beside him. “Eli, what have you done? You’ve taken a human life.”
“He’s better off.” Eli headed to where Logan had dropped and disintegrated into ash. He would have to take the remains back to the Tribunal who would be pissed he hadn’t brought Logan back alive. They hoped by capturing a rogue angel they could redeem him, or some such bullshit. That wasn’t possible.
“Oh, Eli, you can’t pass judgment on humanity. It’s not for us to decide,” Eva whispered.
“Then maybe the Maker shouldn’t have left us alone.” He buried his fear and replaced it with anger. What had they done so wrong that had caused the one who’d created them to simply abandon them all?
* * *
Ashley tried to focus on what the young man at the door was saying to her. Look at his mouth! But it was a natural reflex, and polite manners, to look someone in the eyes when they spoke. It was why she usually avoided answering the door. However, today there was no one here to rescue her.
“Miss? You okay?” The kid had introduced himself as Paul, and he’d just started his first year of college. Home on Christmas break, he was helping his family by spreading the gospel door to door.
She shook her head. “Umm, yes. I’m fine, but I must tell you that I lost my faith long ago.” No, please! Her gaze landed on his dark brown eyes, and she was locked on. There was no fighting it once the vision grabbed her. It jerked and sucked her into a hell like no human could ever imagine nor should. Paul’s voice faded away, and she could only pray it wasn’t bad.
She watched a young Paul laughing. It was a warm day since he wore only a tee, and the sun shined on his handsome face. A girl stood next to him, her mouth a wide smile as her total attention was focused on Paul. Love and admiration filled her blue eyes, and it was evident the two cared deeply for each other. Paul leaned in and brushed a quick kiss on her lips before he stepped back. The girl’s cheeks turned rosy. Though the visions were like watching a silent movie, Ashley could clearly see the words “I love you” slip from the girl’s lips. Ashley felt her own smile spread across her mouth and a tinge of envy at the young lovers.
Suddenly, the girl’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped. She clutched her abdomen, and Paul reached for her; concern etched lines across his forehead. Just as he touched her arm, she doubled over and crumpled to the ground. Paul’s head jerked harshly to the side. Blood, along with fragments of brain and skull, flew at Ashley, and Paul dropped to the ground. The girl lay on the grass, blood oozed from her side, but she was still alive. Paul, on the other hand wasn’t. The gaping hole in the side of his head said it all, as did the blond-headed kid who stood several yards away with a pistol in his hand.
Ashley didn’t need a newscaster to tell her this story. A young man tormented by the love he’d lost had decided to take his ex-girlfriend’s life along with that of the man she’d fallen in love with. When the full force of what he’d done hit him, he looked straight at Ashley, stuck the barrel in his mouth, and pulled the trigger.
“Lady? Hey, lady!”
Ashley was pulled back through a dark tunnel to Paul yelling at her. She tried to swallow, but her mouth had gone bone dry. “You need to leave,” she managed and slammed the door in his face. Turning, she slid down the door until she came to rest on the floor. Her body shook so hard her muscles ached. Then the racking sobs came, along with the torrent of tears, for the senseless deaths of two young boys. The girl, she knew, lived but her life would be its own hell.
Never before had Ashley seen more than the death of the person whose eyes she looked into. This…this was too much to comprehend. It was time. She’d put off the inevitable for way too long, but now she had no choice. It was time for her to leave this place.
* * *
Eli delivered Logan’s remains and dumped the pile of ash at the doorstep to the Hall of Fate. The guards had raised an eyebrow, but he really hadn’t given a shit. There wasn’t much he cared about lately, except for the hunt. He’d always loved a good fight.
He shoved open the door and walked into the bar. His overactive senses caused his eyes to water as he breathed in the human scents: perspiration from those who hadn’t showered yet after their day’s labor, and perfume from the females who’d decided taking a bath in the stuff was the way to catch a man. Combine that with alcohol, stale cigarettes, vomit and piss, and even an angel wanted to hurl. He dialed down his senses and blocked out the irritations until the only smell he received was that of Tegan. Crossing the bar, he caught the stares of several women. Their desire dripped off them and spiked his libido. He did a quick cursory once over to see whether any were worthy of his attention. A couple of possibilities presented themselves; however, his desire would have to wait until later.
He dropped onto the stool next to Tegan and waved the bartender over. “Whatever’s on tap.” The man behind the bar nodded and grabbed a glass, filling it to the brim before he placed it on a worn cardboard coaster. Eli took a big gulp and licked the foam from his lips. The bitter taste washed away part of the night’s misery.
“So. I hear you torched Logan.” Tegan had always been blunt and to the point.
“Yep.” He continued to stare at a lovely brunette across the bar.
“Eli. You’re walking a fine line. What the hell gives with you?”
He finally turned his head and gave his commander his full attention. “What have you heard of the Maker?”
“Nothing. No one has any idea where she is. It’s as though she vanished into thin air,” Tegan snarled.
Eli let out a chuckle. “Or she has simply grown tired of the bullshit and tuned us all out.” How could any of them blame her? He was positive their creator had enough other things to worry herself with. Perhaps she’d left and started life elsewhere. No one really knew much about her or had ever seen her. Only her soft voice had ever spoken to them. Now it was silent.
The man next to him shook his head. “I find that hard to believe, but I fear you may be right. There’s no other explanation for her ignoring our pleas.” He narrowed his gaze. “But disobeying orders is not helping.”
Eli worked his jaw. “How do I know her orders are really getting passed down to us?” He took a sip of beer. “When are you going to fucking wake up and realize humanity is on the fast track to Hell and so are we?”
Tegan looked across the bar. “Doesn’t seem to stop you from your nights of pleasure.”
Eli tossed a five on the bar and chugged back the rest of his beer. “Fucking A. Ever think that maybe the fallen might be onto something?”
“Don’t even go there, Eli.”
He shrugged as he stood. “You’re right.” He looked at the young woman who’d been licking her lips as she stared at him. The plunging neckline of her top clung to her firm, round breasts and hardly covered her nipples. He felt his cock stir. He could have her. She wouldn’t be able to help herself unless he turned off his Divine charisma. Women were attracted to angels. It was how they guaranteed procreation but Eli had no desire to father any children. The entire process was just another thing that pissed him off. Leave a human female with child and walk away? Fuck that.
He turned his back on her and headed for the door. His erection deflated; guilt had gotten the better of him.
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