Nephilim: Shades of Gray
By
Alexandra O’Hurley
(c) copyright by Alexandra O’Hurley, August 2010
Cover Art by Alex DeShanks, August 2010
Published by New Concepts Publishing
Smashwords Edition
ISBN 978-1-60394-450-2
New Concepts Publishing
Lake Park, GA 31636
www.newconceptspublishing.com
This is a work of fiction. All characters, events, and places are of the author’s
imagination and not to be confused with fact. Any resemblance to living persons or
events is merely coincidence.
Prologue
France, 1178 AD
Phillip came running into the pasture like the devil himself was chasing him. Considering where the lad had just come, maybe it was the devil.
“My lord…my lord! I’ve news…of the creature.” Phillip spit out while taking huge lungfuls of air between every other word. Only in his second year as one of Jordan St. Clair’s squires, Phillip was proving himself to be very useful; his lord sat in his saddle, impatiently awaiting the news.
“Boy, take a moment to catch your breath and tell me of your news. And hurry about it.”
Gulping a few more lungfuls, Phillip told his master what he had gathered from the small village outside Chateau Rousseau.
“He has been seen near the chateau by several of the villagers, and many say he is a guest of the Baron. None are sure of his name, but the description matches. I think we have found him, my lord, and it may be worse then we imagined. Rumors abound that the Baron and his wife are now members of the undead.”
“Vampyre?”
“Yes, my lord. The villagers have said that ungodly things have been happening in and around the chateau.”
“That would explain the Baron’s newly acquired taste in friends. Rousseau was never one to be the most moral of men, but he would not have given the church any reason to declare him a heretic.” Turning to his sergeant, “If we are to get this over with quickly and capture the fiend, we should do so now. By the time we reach the chateau, we should only have about an hour of daylight. I do not want to fight all these creatures at once, there are only ten of us and I would rather not lose any men today. Or else we await morning and besiege the chateau then.”
“Nay, my lord, the men are tired after Montgisard and ready for home. I say we get it over with and go today, sir. And once we capture and kill the beast, I say we see if there are any coffins and kill anything in them.”
“I agree. Go gather the men and have them mount up immediately. I don’t want to waste a moment.”
* * * *
Upon arriving near Chateau Rousseau, the men stopped, quickly rounding the perimeter, checking for guards or any other dangers to their entry. The old castle was beautiful, belying what might be held inside. Light stone balustrades and walls, all covered in climbing ivy…the spot was idyllic. The gates were down, open and welcoming. Jordan smiled smugly to himself. Probably looking for their next meal to stumble inside.
Waving his men on, six of the ten entered the front gates. An empty bailey welcomed, and an eerie silence descended upon them. Jordan was sure it was his imagination, but he felt as though static charges zipped through his body as he walked towards the keep. Sensing his men’s unease, he led them quickly to the doors of the main hall.
Opening the entrance, another empty room beckoned them inside. Torches flared, but there seemed to be no one home. The hall was clean and maintained, the rushes recently changed, the tapestries freshly beaten, and there was not so much as a speck of dust anywhere to be seen. Obviously there was a staff large enough to maintain the keep. Where they were was a mystery. Maybe the entire chateau had been turned, and if so, they would have a larger battle on their hands than they had originally planned. They had to act fast.
Assuming that the beast was in fact a guest, Jordan also assumed he would be treated to one of the better rooms of the chateau. Gaining the main staircase towards the master suites, they slowly walked the stairs, trying not to make a sound, hoping that they could ensure the element of surprise. None wore their usual armor, but just the light mail each had been given as a gift from the King of Spain.
Surprise was the only thing they could possibly have in their favor, as the creature was a son of a demon and a giant, having the power of twenty men easily, and enjoyed eating mere mortals for dinner. This would not be a pretty battle at all.
Jordan’s family had been searching for this particular beast for generations. His forefathers had felt a responsibility for its demise; for the ugly truth was that their family had helped sire the abomination. The demon had come to Earth and lain with one of Jordan’s ancestors, before the Lord God himself had cast him to Hell. How the creature that had grown in her stomach had lived for over 1000 years and seemingly evaded his family at every turn was unfathomable.
Knowing he was closer than any other relative had ever been to destroying the family’s bane, Jordan smirked, excitement rushing through his veins. He would make a name for himself and assure his place of honor at his father’s side. His father had never wanted him to leave home and accept the vows of the order. Being the first son, his father had expected him to carry on the family name and take on his title.
What a stupid young whelp he had been when he took his vow of poverty, piety, chastity, and obedience. Knowing little of the world he lived in, he had walked into the order thinking he would be doing his part to make the world a better place, and ensure his place in Heaven.
As he grew older, he saw some of his fellow knights raping and pillaging the countryside in the name of the Lord. Saying they upheld the laws of God himself, yet breaking every vow the order had, he knew then his mistake. He would retire from the order as soon as he reached his beloved England, after doing the one thing that would welcome him back into his father’s arms. Killing the beast.
The titled lands that had been promised to whomever killed the creature were stunningly beautiful and Jordan dreamed of the day he could stop crusading and begin a life on that land. Unsure what he would do after that point, all he could dream about was home.
Clearing his wayward thoughts, Jordan readied himself as the men breached the top floor hallway. Each went to a closed door that lined it. Readying their swords and each putting a hand on a different doorknob, they all looked to Jordan, awaiting the motion to proceed.
Once everyone was in place, Jordan nodded to his men, and turned toward his knob. They all crashed in their respective doors at once, making enough noise to awaken a staff if there was one. But as the din ceased, quiet surrounded him. Staring into the room in front of him, wide blue eyes stared back. Shock and disbelief churned in his gut as he realized the eyes belonged to the one he was here to kill.
The creature stood to his full height, not as large as Jordan had expected, but only several inches over his own large frame. Many had joked with him in his past about being a giant of a man, so he was sure the much smaller peasantry would call this thing a giant. He did not look to be the stupid oafish creature he had envisioned in the stories passed down through the generations. Jordan saw intelligence and wisdom swirling in the creature’s stare.
Besides all that, Jordan knew that this must be the creature he was seeking. He looked just like Jordan, so much in fact, that if Jordan’s own hair was blonde and he stood six inches taller, the two could be mistaken for twins. That fact alone had Jordan stunned and rooted to the spot he was standing.
His men began milling around, awaiting their next orders. Jordan’s haze began to diminish and he realized his men must not have found anything out of the ordinary in the rooms they opened, as he heard no sounds of battle or otherwise. He felt all of their eyes on him at this point.
“My lord, have you something at your door? Or should we move on to another part of the chateau?” A young sergeant spoke behind him, yet he was still too addled to respond back. He could only continue to stare at the creature before him. He felt the presence of some of his comrades at his back as they realized something was amiss.
The creature had been staring as he had, seemingly just as shocked at the sight of him. Then he did something Jordan would never forget.
He winked.
“So, how many Knights Templar does it take to bring me down, Jordan?”
“H-how do you know my name?”
“I make it a point to know who follows me, especially those wanting my head on a stake. Plus, we are family, dear cousin.”
Shocked whispers and gasps of horror came from Jordan’s back.
“Just because the female that begot you was an ancestor of mine means nothing, you are no kin to me. But because she died spawning a son of Hell, our family has made it a point to ensure you no longer walk this Earth. I am here to send you directly to Hell, exactly where you belong.”
“Ahh, Jordan, you are so misinformed. My mother did not die, but raised me close to her loving bosom. I am a man just as you.”
“Blasphemy! You are a son of Hell; you ripped through the abdomen of your mother, killing her before she laid an eye on you. I have heard the story of her torturous death passed down through my family.”
“Oh, come Jordan. I am sure you have heard many stories of my kind in the past. Supposedly, we are all stupid giants who enjoy eating entire herds of cattle, or better yet, young babes not long from their mother’s womb. Yes, I am a head or more taller than you, but nowhere near giant stature. And I am highly educated, spending much of my time over the past 1000 years learning as much as I can. Being this old can sometimes get quite boring, cousin, and seeing the world and learning all about it is the only thing that keeps me sane. And yes, I am quite sane; though I am sure you have heard otherwise. And though I love a great roast from time to time, however would I keep my girlish figure if I ate an entire herd? Babies? Not hardly. So what other stories might not be true, Jordan?”
The beast turned towards the window overlooking the large bailey below, his hands crossed at his back, watching the sun lay low in the autumn sky, seemingly unimpressed with the threat the men posed to his life.
“Jordan, all I ask is you have an open mind and sit with me a spell. I will not allow you or your men to kill me today; I have too many things in which I want to do with this life. I would rather us sit as honorable men and discuss this before I would bring harm to you or your men. Will you do that? I do not want to fight you, cousin.”
“Honorable men? No, I will not sit with a demon and discuss anything. It is well known the sway demons have on men, and I will not give you the opportunity to steal our souls, cousin.” With that, Jordan stampeded the creature, his sword at the ready.
The creature turned, but not quickly enough and the edge of Jordan’s sword penetrated his side. Blood gushed from the wound, and both looked down. The beast grasped his cousin’s hand atop the sword, as the creature stumbled to his knees.
“You see, cousin, the blood that flows from my wound is just as red as yours. I am but a man.”
Jordan suddenly felt sickness wash over him as well as emotion. Regret? No, not ever. And with that he pushed the sword further into the creature.
“Noooooo!” came a scream from behind Jordan. Quickly pulling his bloody sword from the creature now lying on the floor half alive, Jordan turned to see who was screaming.
A man jumped over the heads of his men, his men standing in the doorway, nearly jumping seven feet before coming into the room with Jordan.
“What gives you the right to come into my home, unwelcomed, and harm a guest of my household?” Rushing forward, the man bared his fangs and grasped Jordan’s arms, lifting him as if he weighed nothing. “No right at all.”
With that, the Vampyre clasped Jordan’s neck, sucking the very essence of his life from his mortal body. Paralyzed, Jordan could only watch as other Vampyre of the household attacked his men. Shock filled him as he realized that sunlight was spilling into the room around them. This creature at his neck should have erupted into flames the second he jumped into the room.
White dots began to swim in front of his eyes as he felt the end of his life upon him. The only thing that gave him peace was the fact he had killed the abomination his family had chased for a millennia.
“Baron, no. He knows not what he has done.”
Jordan closed his eyes, hearing the voice of the creature that he left on the floor for dead. He had failed, and now his life was over. His chance was lost.
The fangs left his neck, and the Baron held his limp body under Jordan’s arms, close to the Vampyre’s body. Turning to look at his bloodied friend, the Baron sighed.
“Aleksander, you are too late. I have drained too much blood. His life is forfeit.”
“You could give him the Gift.”
“You ask me to give the Gift to the mortal ready to take your life? I saw his memories and thoughts as I drained his life force. He is close-minded and carries a singular hate for you. Why would I give him this?”
“Because he is young and stupid. Close-minded fools have raised him, and he would have borne close-minded fools as well. Here is our chance to stop the cycle and open his eyes. I have not asked anything in return for my aid to you, Jacques. Trust me here and give him the Gift.”
Baron Jacques Luc Rousseau stood holding the dying mortal like a rag doll before him, staring at his friend. Sighing, he turned and looked down at the pathetic man.
“He has done nothing in his short life to have such a gift. I have seen his life. He is a prejudiced, spoiled, stupid man who knows nothing of the world, but thinks he does, so he forges ahead killing everything and everyone the church deems a threat. He does not think for himself, yet you think to change the man he is.”
“Were you so different from him, Jacques?”
Laughter bubbled from the Baron. “I was worse. Without your aid, I would have easily become even worse in my new life.” A deep sigh came from the Baron’s lips. “And because of that, and only that, I will do as you ask. Remember, I have never done this before. It may not be pretty.”
“Pretty? I don’t ask for that. I ask that you give him a chance to live. And learn.”
Chapter One
America, Present Day
Nicolette stood on tiptoe to glance over the crumbling brick wall. The acrid evening breeze filled with oppressive city life blew over her, making her shiver. She sensed the dread of this place, and if it had not been her responsibility to watch over the events about to unfold, she would have ran from the certain smell of death. But, as it was her responsibility, her gaze was trained on the broad shoulders of the man stalking down this dark alley, away from her spot hidden from view.
He glided with an unnatural grace, which told her he was not a member of the homeless as most that walked the dark side streets of the inner city were. His clothes were worn, but clean and mended, and he neither slouched nor slumped. He held his shoulders high and firm, with the confidence no citizen of the streets ever had.
This man had never been broken.
Stopping suddenly and turning his head as if he heard something, Nicolette crouched down, hoping he would not see her watching. After holding her breath and counting to thirty, she peeked out over the grimy wall again to see him staring her way. There was no way he saw her in the gloomy darkness, as all but her eyes and the top of her covered head peeked out from behind the wall. Lightly sniffing the air around him, he began walking back towards her location.
He was almost upon her. She had seconds to decide if she would flee and have him probably give chase; or try to attack him before he reached her, which was nearly pointless as he dwarfed her in size and musculature. Just before she was forced to make a decision, a large creature materialized just feet in front of her wall, cutting off the man’s advance. The creature was nearly nine feet tall, if you counted the two feet of curling horns atop his bulbous head. Gray-blue skin stretched across a bulky, muscular body, not human, but slightly humanoid in shape, with longer arms and larger fists attached. A sticky substance seems to ooze from the thickened skin.
And it smelled. Bad.
Nicolette had heard of the M’guna previously in her studies, but had never encountered one before. She was glad she was not the one that was facing this particularly nasty demon, one well known for ripping the entrails of its victims out and dining on them before the poor soul was even completely dead. She shivered remembering the pictures in the ancient text her teacher had used in her Demonology classes. Those pictures did not do this creature justice, as it was ten-thousand times more beastly in person than she could have ever imagined.
Here and now, in this dark alley, would be the proof she sought. She sat back to watch how the man defended himself, to see what he was made of. As he approached the demon, she got a better look at the rugged face that had thus far been shrouded in a hood, and was surprised by the beauty of his appearance.
He was tall, very tall, which was to be expected if her suspicions of his origins were correct. His eyes were dark, but it was hard to see in the half-light of the alley. Although his features were beautiful, he also exuded a masculinity that even she could feel a response to.
This man was raw, yet exquisite, and he created a burning need inside her with just one look at his face. She was not supposed to lust after his kind, and she swore to herself under her breath, nor was she the type of woman to feel instant lust for any man. Reminding herself that she was just a Watcher, and she could be no more than that, she tamped down the rising lust she had begun to feel and refocused on the battle about to begin, something few ever witnessed, as few ever survived a confrontation with this particular demon.
The M’guna had begun to growl deep in its belly, and slowly, almost imperceptibly, advanced towards the man. The man stood his ground, refusing to budge or show fear, which seemed to anger the demon. Picking up it’s pace, the creature screamed a battle cry that nearly pierced Nicolette’s eardrums.
And then it was over before it had even begun. Nicolette gawked over the wall, looking down at two separate pieces lying across the trash littered ground. One being the top half of the M’guna and the other being the bottom.
Stunned at the speed at which he had taken down the brutal demon, Nicolette looked up at the darkest blue eyes she had ever seen. The glowing fire from his sword lit up the face she had thought beautiful and realized there were no words on this Earth to describe him. Exquisite. Perfection. No, not even those were enough.
Once she gathered her wits, she realized he had seen her as well, and she hastily fled her hiding place. As soon as she turned the corner, he was standing before her; his speed was astonishing, even given what she knew he was. He quickly pushed her back into the wall and pressed his body against her to block her retreat.
Nodding towards the pieces of demon strewn on the ground, he asked in a voice that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end and heat pool into her loins, “A friend of yours?”
Fear made her shake her head no, or maybe it was the sensations that ripped through her body after hearing the warm seduction of his voice. That voice made her tremble. Or maybe it was his warm, hard self pressed tightly against her, holding her to the gritty wall. Maybe it was all three.
“What are you doing here?”
“I…I…I’m a…a…Watcher.”
“And just what do you watch?”
“All otherworldly creatures, but I specialize in Angels.”
“Well, I’m guessing our friend down there is not an Angel, not even one of the Fallen. So, who are you here to watch?”
“You. You are Nephilim. I know it, especially now. You are an Abomination.” She cringed at the last statement, knowing that the creature before her was too beautiful to be anything but perfection. But the thought had been beaten into her head her entire life, and reinforced in the Academy…she hadn’t wanted to blurt it out though.
He smiled down at her, but it did not quite reach his eyes. “An abomination, hmm? And who told you Nephilim are such?”
“My parents, who were also Watchers. The Academy. Saraqael. Michael. The other Archangels and the Seraphim.”
“The Archangels would say such, now wouldn’t they? They are just jealous.”
“Blasphemer! What do the angels have to feel jealous about? They are perfect creatures.” Why, oh why was she arguing with this creature? Why would she fight this beautiful man?
“I’ve been called worse, Watcher, believe me. And angels may reside closer to perfection, but that does not make them perfect.”
“Angels are perfection, you are wrong.”
“Am I? What do you think you just witnessed?”
“You…killing a M’guna demon.”
“Would an abomination go around saving humans from the Hounds of Hell? In my opinion, if I truly were an abomination, I would have helped him through to this side. If I were an abomination, I would have killed you by now to protect myself from being found.”
“I don’t…I don’t know….” Instantaneous fear jolted through her already overwrought body. Would he truly kill her?
“No, I will not kill you. Even if it means the Archangels may find me. So what do you normally do after you encounter a Nephilim?”
“You are the first I’ve ever seen.”
“Ahh…I don’t doubt it. There are so few of us left now. So what do you think? Am I all you expected me to be?”
She blushed fiercely, still feeling his warm body so close to her own, his pouting lips mere inches from her own, with his sweet breath cascading over her face and neck. She could barely think straight this close to him, but she suddenly realized that if his lips were inches from her own, at his height…she looked down and saw her feet were at least two feet from the ground. She looked back up into his eyes, surprise written all over her face. He smiled.
“You are…tall and strong…as I expected. But…but…” She grasped him tightly, as she paused again to look down at the ground, which seemed so far away.
“But?”
“You are…” she blushed deeper, “You are…so much more beautiful. You are even more beautiful than Gabriel himself, which in itself is nearly blasphemous.”
He smiled down at her again, “And now you see why we are called abominations.”
Her shocked intake of breath made him smile. “What are you suggesting?”
He smiled again. “Nothing. Never mind. So what is the plan?”
“The plan?”
“What are you going to do if I let you go?”
“Report to the Council that I have seen you. It is my duty.”
The lovely man cringed, his whole body stiffening in displeasure, and he hissed under his breath. “The Council is the last thing I need chasing me. What must I do to change your mind?”
“Why?” was all she could utter, seeing the pain in his eyes.
“The Council is backed by the Archangels, and Saraqael and his brethren have been killing my kind for eons. All the Archangels have made it their duty to find the Nephilim, the Fallen, and any other assorted “abominations” and execute them.”
“But the Fallen are trapped in Tartarus, deep in the bowels of Hell, so there would be no need for them to be executed. The Archangels claim the Nephilim will free the Fallen from Tartarus and they would escape onto this world, creating a new Hell.”
“I know not what all others of my kind plan or don’t plan. Me? I have no reason to see the Fallen plague the Earth and I have spent two millennia killing demons across this globe. Just like you witnessed now. If you tell the Council, I will die. Do you want me to die, Nicolette?”
“How did you know my name?”
“I know much, but it seems you know very little.”
He slid one long, lean finger from the bottom of her earlobe, along the line of her chin and down her neck, stopping just before the swell of her breast. Pure pleasure arced through her entire body.
“Okay,” she huskily breathed.
“Okay?”
“I won’t tell the Council.” Goose pimples ran all over her body as he caressed her neck. “On two conditions.”
“And those are?”
“One, I want you to teach me all you know of the Nephilim, as you seem to think I know very little. If I know more of the history, from your perspective, maybe I can help you with the Watcher’s Council and the Archangels.”
“Do you really think the Archangels will listen to you? If you do, you are sadly mistaken. They have their own agenda, one you have no idea of. One little spit of a girl cannot fight millennia of hatred.”
“But the Council. I may be able to sway others to your plight if I know more about you.” Nicolette knew she was grasping at straws, but she could not imagine him walking away from her just yet. She had to know more about him, and would use any reason possible to get closer to him. Knowing her offer was flimsy at best; she hoped he wouldn’t see through her desperate attempt.
He looked over her face, seemingly trying to determine if she was sincere in her desire to learn more, to aid him. As he looked into her eyes, and saw her honesty shine through, he seemed to relax slightly.
“Done. And two?”
“Kiss me now before I die here on the spot.”
He threw his head back and laughed with the ease of an untroubled soul, though she knew he was far from it. He looked back at her and the humor floating around his beautiful sapphire eyes soon turned into unadulterated lust. Sliding both his hands up along her neck so he was grasping her head from both sides, he lowered those beautiful, pouting lips to hers, and kissed the breath from her lungs.
Suddenly it seemed as though time had stopped and colors swirled behind Nicolette’s closed eyelids. A surge of electricity arced from her tightened nipples down to her mound as his hands began to slowly slide down her neck, past her shoulders and down her arms. She felt him grind his hardening sex against her own, and more moisture pooled there, readying her for more than just his kiss.
She had never experienced pure emotion such as this, and as his tongue slid over her teeth and began a gentle exploration of her mouth, she orgasmed on the spot.
Chapter Two
Aleksander felt the spasming of her fevered body against his own, and it nearly brought on his own release. He by no means wanted to appear as a creature of lust as his father had, so he always kept a tight reign on his sexual nature. Never had a human female made him lose control of his lust such as she had.
Maybe it was the fact she had been following him for weeks, had taken notice of him on the streets, when so many ignored him while assuming he was just another worthless vagrant. He needed this anonymity to avoid most people, who were drawn to him because of his father’s influence. Women, and sometimes even men, swooned in his presence and attracted too much attention to the fact he was different.
Centuries ago, it had been much easier to avoid mortals; to avoid it being noticed that he was not completely of this Earth. But as the population of the planet had burgeoned to fill almost every corner of the globe, living amongst the dregs of humanity, those most of society had cast out, those most of society ignored, was the only way he had avoided notice for many years.
But she had noticed.
And he desired her from the moment he realized she was following him. Something he had not done for many, many years, and the last time he had, he had been betrayed. The sudden rush of pain at that remembered memory of deceit was overpowered by the lust he felt for this woman. He was the Watched, yet had become the Watcher. He had begun following her when she was not watching him. He had become obsessed with her, which had shaken him to his core. Never had a human gotten under his skin such as she had.
Alek released her slowly, letting her sink to the ground and stand on her own. Her knees wobbled and he caught her quickly and righted her once more. Her eyes were glazed and her breathing shallow as she overcame the effects of her orgasm. Part of him felt a small amount of pride that she had had such a reaction, but another part of him felt nearly disgusted because it wasn’t the first time a woman had orgasmed from just being in his presence. Was it what he made her feel, or was it the blood flowing through his veins that made her want him?
Lost in thought, he didn’t hear her speak.
“Well?”
“Well, what?”
“I should be the one incapable of speech or coherent thought right now, not you. I asked when would we get started?”
“I will be in contact. We will begin soon.”
“How will you contact me? You don’t know me.”
“Ah, Nicolette, I know more than you realize, little Watcher. I will find you soon.”
“Is this your way of sneaking away from me?”
“Of course not. I know you have been taught that we are practically demons, but I assure you, if I make a promise, I do everything in my power to fulfill it.”
Nicolette gazed into old eyes and realized he spoke the truth. She wasn’t sure how, but she knew she could trust this creature, even with her own life. Taught at the Academy to trust no one, especially otherworlders besides the Angels, every cell in her body told her she should not fear him.
“Alright then. I look forward to the knowledge we will share.”
Pulling out from between him and the wall, she started walking back out to the street, feeling the weight of his stare on her retreating form. Suddenly that weight lifted and she spun around.
He was gone.
* * * *
Aleksander entered the old church with a groan from the large oak double doors. Moonlight dimly lit the space, channeled through long beautiful panes of stained glass. Each depicted various archangels, most working hard saving humankind from the hounds of hell. The same Archangels who had condemned him just because he was born.
He stepped around various piles of rubble as he worked his way towards the altar. Trash was strewn here and there as the church had been abandoned years before because its location pitted it in the center of the worst part of the city. In its heyday, the church had been lovely and lively, filled with hope and love. Its elegance had been lost amid the crime, drugs, and urban plight. The church’s current status suited him just fine. What angel would think to look for him and his ragtag army in the depths of an old church?
“Is it done?” Came a deep voice from the shadows to Alek’s left.
“Yes.”
“You don’t seem satisfied.”
“Not like another M’guna won’t take its place tomorrow. Demon activity has quadrupled in the past few weeks. I’m seeing this now as an endless battle more so than ever. So, why feel satisfaction in one kill when a thousand wouldn’t even be enough?”
Jordan stepped from the shadows. Moonlight washed over his sharp features. “One less is one less. And one more toward our goal, cousin.”
“An impossible goal. We both know this. That dream died centuries ago.”
“Alek, it is not impossible. Working as hard as we do to prevent demons from devouring the Earth and its inhabitants MUST earn us some karmic points. I am sure the Heavenly Father knows of what we do.”
“You hold onto your dreams. But I know differently. If the Heavenly Father cared one lick for any of us, wouldn’t we have respite from the constant attack from the Archangels? There are times I feel like giving up and letting Saraqael take my head.”
Rushing towards his cousin, Jordan grabbed his shoulders and shook him fiercely. “Never say that again! I would be lost without you here, leading this war we are waging. And answer me this. If the Heavenly Father felt we were absolute abominations, if he felt our lives held no value at all, why has he not led the Archangels here to our lair?
Alek raised his stunned eyes to his cousin’s.
“I thought that point might get your attention. We have lived here for over four decades. You know He knows where we are and if he wanted us gone, we would have been gone long ago. Yet here we are. It may not be much, but it’s enough to give me hope, Aleksander. Hope that the dream exists still. That one day we will be redeemed. If we lose all hope, there is no point anymore. I cannot live without hope.”
Knowing his cousin had a point, and being too weary after battling not only a nasty demon but also his lust for the human woman, he ceded his side. “I will allow you to win this argument, though I will say I am not truly won over. But I am too exhausted to defend my point.”
“What has you so exhausted? You usually come back near energized from battle. What happened?”
Alek pulled away from his cousin, turning to face the shadows. He knew not how to answer without angering his cousin and friend. He also knew not how to answer because he was unsure of what it was he had felt.
“Cousin?”
Jordan’s tone made it obvious he knew there was something being kept from him and that he wouldn’t let up until he knew what that something was.
“She was there.”
“She? You mean the Watcher?”
“Yes.”
“And?”
“She witnessed me slaying the demon.”
“As she has done many a night in the past few weeks. Why was tonight any different?”
“I spoke to her.”
“You…what?!”
“She was standing before me after I defeated the demon. She knew I had seen her. I couldn’t pretend the woman was invisible and walk away.”
“Yes you could have, you could have ignored her and just kept on walking. You idiot! She didn’t follow you home did she?”
“Of course not.” He knew she was not in any condition to follow him when he left her this evening.
“You are sure?”
“Yes, I am sure.”
“Aleksander, you seem to forget that you have a responsibility to all those who follow you. There are a hundred men and women on the streets every night battle those same demons. If you don’t fear for your own safety, please think of theirs.”
“She wants to learn of my kind. Of all of us and our battles with demons. She says she wants to help us with the Council.”
“Of course she says that, man. Think with your brain on this one. She gets close to you, gains your trust, gets our secrets, and takes them to the Archangels and the Council thus cementing her place at the Heavenly Father’s table. How can you be so foolish?”
Rushing back towards his cousin, Alek grasped the man with little effort and pushed him into the wall, bringing him eye to eye, raising the slightly shorter man off the ground.
“How dare you question my choices or my intelligence? As I recall, I’m the one who has ensured our secrets were kept safe for over 1000 years. I have kept this ‘family’ safe for just as long. I have always thought with my head. I would never endanger their lives, nor my own. But yours might be forfeit if you question me about this further.”
“Aleksander, this girl has gotten under your skin, which as long as I can remember has never happened. You have followed her, tracked her, and watched her go about her day. I just wonder if she might be your Achilles heel.”
“I repeat, I would never endanger the lives of my men. They are the closest thing I have ever had to family.”
“I’m family.”
“And before you died, you would have taken my head faster than Saraqael would have.”
“True, but it was my job of sorts. But becoming one of their ‘abominations’ opened my eyes. And you know I am sincerely sorry for the hurt I caused you before that day. It is why I have fought at your side ever since.”
“I know.” Alek responded quietly. “I wasn’t trying to dredge up the past or make you feel guilty.”
Jordan shook his head and sighed. “This woman scares me more than the largest, foulest demon I’ve ever faced. You are right that you have never done anything to jeopardize our safety, but please be careful and just avoid this woman. I fear she will be our downfall.”
“You may be right. Who knows? But there is something about her. I must see her again. I promised I would teach her of our kind in order for her not to tell Saraqael she had seen me.”
Jordan rolled his eyes and started walking towards the iron door whichleads to the underground room the Salvare Order used. “Well, just be careful. If you lust for her, bed her and move on. Purge and release old man.”
“Who are you calling old?”
“You are over 1000 years older than me, so you are old.” Jordan smiled at him. “Past old. Dust.”
“Very funny. And what isn’t funny is this isn’t just lust. She intrigues me.”
“Then we might as well kiss our collective asses goodbye.
* * * *
Nicolette rested on the hardest bed to have ever been made. The hard lumpy mattress, as well as, the dingy, barren apartment, which she shared with two other Watchers, where all provided by the Council. But she knew even if she were lying atop the most comfortable bed in the world, she would find no rest tonight.
All her thoughts were of him.
The way he smelled.
The way he sounded.
The way he felt.
The way he tasted.
Thoughts of him almost brought her to the verge again.
She had been raised in a strongly religious home, both her parents Watchers. Growing up in the Academy, she had been taught every aspect of nearly every religion, had been immersed in Demonology. This was her life.
No man had ever affected her. She had never felt lust. She had never even masturbated. But thoughts of this man had her aching inside, wet and needing to touch the heat between her own legs. Envisioning his face, she stroked herself, remembering all the small details.
The crinkle beside his eyes when he had laughed.
The sweetness of his breath.
The way his strong fingers and hands felt holding her body aloft.
The way his tongue branded her as it entered her mouth.
And she imagined the way it would feel to have his cock brand her the way his tongue had. How it would feel to have him claim her body as his own and she knew not how good it would feel if he only had to kiss her to bring her orgasm. She turned her face into her pillow and screamed her release….and drifted off into a deep slumber.
Chapter Three
Too excited to sleep late, Nicolette awoke early the next morning. She readied herself quickly, hoping to leave the apartment before the others awoke and started asking more questions. Both of her colleagues had become increasingly suspicious of her constant absences over the past few weeks. Washing hurriedly, dressing almost without looking, she then rushed into the kitchen to grab a small bit of food, once she realized she had had no dinner the night before.
Grabbing a slice of cheese and an apple from the fridge, she turned to hustle herself out the door. Barring the way stood Illiana, her friend from the Academy, as well as her new partner here in the city. Nicolette had been thrilled when she was paired with someone she knew, especially once she arrived in the city and saw that the Watcher already delegated here had as much personality as a brick wall.
Not that Watchers were known to have vivacious personalities. But the little man whom they shared an apartment with made her skin crawl, and she knew not why,
“Where have you been?”
Nicolette paused and tried to quickly think up a good excuse for her absence, but her brain was too frazzled by lust to think of anything good.
“I’ve been walking the city, trying to know each and every corner by heart.”
“Nicolette, you know how unsafe it is for you to go out so much alone. This city is teeming with demons and other such creatures. We should go out as a pair. I’m worried for you.”
“I’m fine, Illiana. Don’t worry. I have been staying to the shadows at night, watching for demon activity, seeing if there is an actual door in this city that leads to the other side.”
“I’m sure you have been careful, but it still isn’t safe. Plus I think there is something you aren’t telling me.”
Nicolette blushed. She’d never been an effective liar, especially when she was lying to someone she knew and liked.
“I knew it. There is more. Tell me.”
“I’m still not sure what it is I’ve found. I need some time to watch the situation before I choose a course of action.”
“If you have found a possible danger, then now more than ever you need a partner to help ensure your safety! You know the procedure. Council policy states that Watchers go in pairs or more if there is potential danger.”
“But that’s just it…I do not know if there is potential danger. If I find that the situation warrants it, I will ask you to assist me. But otherwise, it is pointless to waste your valuable time holding my hand through the city.”
Illiana stood staring into Nicolette’s face for several moments.
“Fine, but please be careful. And if you are hiding a dangerous situation, I may not forgive you if you end up dead.”
“Point taken. If it means anything, I appreciate the concern for my welfare.”
“Of course it means something,” Illiana said with a smile, “Now, go on, get going. It looked as though you were racing somewhere.”
“Yes, in fact I was. I will stop in this afternoon to check in, I promise.”
“Good, then I will see you this afternoon.”
Nicolette rushed past the woman, hugged her quickly, and bolted for the front door before anything else could detain her. Skipping down the five flights of stairs, she burst out of the door into the crowded street and started walking with the crowd.
Feeling a clammy hand clasp over her mouth, someone grabbed her from behind and tugged her into the alley beside her apartment building. Fighting the urge to scream, she urged her brain to stay calm so she could figure out what to do.
Her attacker pulled them both deeper into the alley, and once they were far enough from the street that no one would see the activity taking place, they stopped. A raspy voice filled with evil intent drifted to her ears.
“If you know what’s good for ya, you’ll not holler when I take my hand offa ya.”
She nodded her head. The hand was pulled from her mouth
“My, my, aren’t we a pretty one? I think I’ve won the lottery today. Alls I was lookin’ for was some dough for some smack and hopefully enough left over for some food, but looks like I jus’ might be able to have a lil’ fun too.”
The man ground his hips into her ass and she felt his small erection rubbing against her. Nicolette’s skin crawled thinking of what this man might do to her if she allowed him to continue to overpower her, but also thought back to last night and how a different man had felt so good basically doing the same thing to her.
She looked around to see if there was anything she could use as a weapon before working on getting free of the man. There was no point in trying to escape if she could not defend herself quickly. As she scanned the area she could see from her vantage point, the man began kissing the back of her neck.
“If you value your life, sir, you will unhand the woman.”
Tingles rippled through her body at the sound of his voice. Turning them both, so she could still not see her attacker, she was suddenly face to face with her rescuer.
“Looks ta me like she likes it. Did you jus’ see how she quivered with lust?”
“This is your last warning. If you don’t let her go, I will have to use deadly force.”
“Jus’ cuz you are a big guy don’ mean nothin’. I’ve laid out men as big as you. You are standing between me and my fix, man. You’d better watch it.”
Before Nicolette could blink, she was out of the criminal’s arms and in the protective arms of her savior. She stood holding on to his waist, finally able to look at her attacker.
Nearly her height, a sunken face stared back, one that had been ravaged by drug abuse. He was probably no older than she, but years of living on the streets had aged him. His clothing was dirty, torn and looked like it had been worn for months. It sure had smelled like it. She should have felt rage at this man, but for some reason, she could only feel pity. Evidently, her rescuer felt the same.
“You are slowly killing yourself doing what you do. I see Death in your eyes…he waits for you around each and every corner. I see no reason to harm you, you are doing well enough on your own. But if I ever see you anywhere near this building or this woman, I will rip your heart out and carry you to Hell myself.”
With that, he pulled out a flaming sword from thin air to reinforce his point. The man paled, if that was possible, and then turned and fled to the opposite end of the alley. She watched the man run until he exited the passage. Turning her face up to look at his beauty once more, she realized it would be difficult to thank him.
“I would thank you properly, but I just realized I don’t even know your name.”
He smiled down at her, “I like staying mysterious.”
“Well, won’t it be difficult to teach me about you if I don’t know something as simple as a name?”
“I suppose you may be correct. My name is Aleksander. You may call me Alek.”
She stood staring at him a moment. Aleksander. It fit him somehow, if that was possible.
“Thank you for assisting me with that foul man, Aleksander.”
He smiled down at her, dazzling her with splendor. “Assisting you? You mean saving your arse?”
“I had been formulating a plan on escaping him when you appeared. I am not without skill in self-defense.”
“Well, next time I see you in a similar situation, I will sit back and allow you to formulate your plan and then put it into action. I would hate to interfere with your strategy.” He smiled smugly down at her.
She punched him in the arm.
“I am not a damsel in distress that you need to come save.”
“Well, fortunately, today you were, for I rather liked playing the part of your white knight.” The smiled that formed in his eyes took her breath away. She could barely respond to him.
“I am so glad I could make your day by being attacked and nearly raped. Don’t expect it to happen again, though, so savor your moment.”
He hugged her closer to his body, running one hand down her back causing her to shudder.
“Believe me. I am savoring this moment.”
Looking up into the bluest eyes she had ever seen, she sighed, feeling completely at ease with him. It felt good to be held by him, against his warm body. She could stay here for the rest of her life.
“Time’s a wasting, you have a re-education coming, my lady. Come with me.”
Pushing through crowded streets, darting through alleys, and using the subways had Nicolette completely lost. Yes, she was new to the city, but in her nights spent following Aleksander, she had grown very knowledgeable of how it was laid out. Fat lot of good that did her now. Maybe that was his plan, though, creating enough twists and turns so she would be utterly lost and incapable of finding him again.
“Wherever are we going?”
“I feel like getting out of the alleys for a while. I require green.”
“Money?”
“No silly girl. We are heading to the park. The dark alleys of the city help me in hiding from others, but on occasion I just need to be close to the Earth again. To see a tree, some grass, a bush. Sometimes a soul needs a patch of green.”
She smiled at him. Whoever would have thought him to be so poetic? He grasped her hand as the subway came to a halt, and pulled her from the train.
“Our stop, my lady. A few stairs and a busy street are all that hinder us from finding our little patch of green.”
Electric current zipped up her arm and through her body from the hand still wrapped around hers. He pulled her towards the stairs and they practically ran all the way to the park. Once inside the gates, he led her to a spot he must have liked to frequent often, as he seemed to know exactly where to go.
She saw how beautiful it was and knew exactly why he would choose to come here. An old stone fence was used as a retaining wall for the higher ground beside them. Branches and leaves swayed around them, as a beautiful Weeping Willow had grown at the edge of the retaining wall. It formed a curtain, hiding them from the view of people around them. It was perfectly private as well. For the first time that day, she felt doubt.
Sensing the change in her, he squeezed her hand and looked down. “What is it?”
“Just a moment of…well, for lack of a better word…fear.”
“You fear me?”
“No, I don’t think I do. But, I just had a moment where I realized I really did not know you, and I am in a very secluded spot where no one can see us.”
“Well, if you are uncomfortable, we can find another spot. I don’t like to be around a lot of people. They tend to stare.”
“Well, I am sure a man nearly 7 feet tall does tend to draw curious glances. I noticed as we came here that you were the center of attention. Do not worry, I am fine here. I just had a moment of doubt, but it’s gone. I’m sure that if you wanted to hurt me you would have done so by now.”
“You are awfully trusting of this abomination.”
Nicolette cringed and looked towards the ground, toeing a small pebble with her foot. She hadn’t meant to say the word last night, but it had slipped out. After years of it being beaten into her very person that creatures like him were to be feared and extinguished, it had just popped out of her mouth. The moment she had seen him, she had been nearly certain what he was, and she had known from that moment that he was no abomination.
“I’m sorry for that,” she whispered quietly.
Alek stepped closer to her. “It’s alright. I’ve been called worse.”
“So you said last night. But it isn’t alright. I have been lead around by the Council, told everything to think, everything to do, everything to feel. I’m sick of it. I want to explore this world outside their influence so I can make judgments for myself on these things.”
He inched ever so much closer. “Which is why you have been following me?”
Her eyes flew to his as she blushed scarlet.
“You knew?”
“Of course. I haven’t survived this long without being very good at detecting when someone is following me.”
“Then why didn’t you say something sooner?”
“Because I followed you as well. First, to see who the possible threat to my safety was. Then, I was fascinated by anyone who could so easily take note of me and seemingly know what I was and anyone who would have the nerve to watch me from afar. I had to know who you were and why you did what you did.”
“So you knew I was a Watcher before last night.”
“Yes.”
“Did you know I was there behind that wall?”
“Why do you think I was walking so quickly towards you? I sensed the demon would appear very close to you and I was terrified he would get to you before I could get to him.”
“Why were you terrified?”
It was his turn to color slightly. He had given too much in that one simple statement.
“Aleksander?”
He looked down into her jade colored eyes.
“Because you intrigue me. Unlike any other human ever has in my entire existence. And I need to know why. I need to know you. I am over 2000 years old Nicolette and not once in all those years has there been anyone who caught my curiosity.”
“Have you never had a friend?”
“Of course I have had friends. There have been humans throughout the years that I have found to be good friends, people I could trust. People who joined me in my fight. I have also found friends in otherworldly creatures. Ones like me cast off for the sins of our fathers and hunted by Archangels. But none of them have I needed to know. It’s like my need to breathe, my need to eat, or my need to sleep. I need to know you Nicolette and I don’t know why.”