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Slowly, things were knitting together in front of me. I haven’t felt that kind of ancient power in a long time and the notion that it was in Haymen’s city now was bad. I had previous intel that the city crime and reports have increased and I always kept tabs on Haymen specifically because he was always up to no good. And for the few wins that I found him doing illegal subject matters that stood against the high court, there was no bulletproof evidence that led back to him every time. It didn’t help that the Higher court, not just the Angel court that Vivian had stood trial on, had three high and powerful demons to show equality, and he was one of them. Forces like this were to be reported to the higher council by Haymen himself as it was his city, but I knew if questioned he would deny all knowledge of it. But watching Vivian in that moment when she was pinned against the wall by the phantom power, her stricken face with fear, not that she would admit, made me realize it was her first time against one, or being attacked by the Volv. Perhaps after Alice had been killed in Aztec the one that had possessed her was now luring and after Vivian. But there was more than one Volv there. The time of their hiding was now coming to a close.
I was almost immune to their attacks as most ancient angels were. Darkness could not find its way into those who were pure and had the power of light on their side for so long. Well such is the notion, but not all angels were pure and it was those that in the past war they fed off trying to gain access to their body. I had killed four angels from such possession. There was no way to call them back after a Volv had dug its claws in so deep. They were like a parasite and our young were just as vulnerable as the human children who had become their easy victims. Human bodies couldn’t withhold the foreign entities for long.
The Volv had many names hosted over numerous records, but those books were burned in the historical war and so their kind was hardly whispered in fear it would draw attention to our homes. Such darkness was a threat to even those within the demon world. They were beyond other species of demons. They were creatures that held no physical form themselves and jumped from host to host. And they would become as strong as the ability of their host’s body. Some called them Shadows, others referenced them to demon possessive species they could understand. But even with those demons they had shape and couldn’t possess someone for the entirety of their life, it would leave their physical form weakened and vulnerable. Some called them entities, some humans in the day had even gone as far as ‘bad’ ghosts, or my favorite, the soul of witches that had once been burned. Even the witches denied it because that ancestral power and wisdom was passed on to the next generation.
In the last war the Volv had swept amongst camps, both angels and demons and even humans, and attacked those who slept at night possessing their bodies and smearing blood amongst their camp. They were an enemy that could not be countered and that’s why their disappearance was celebrated. But much more happened prior to the end of the war and certain things made me question as to how relatable they might’ve been now. Their silence was instantly noted after the death of Haymen’s Queen.
I knew that Vivian wouldn’t tell me much. Why would she? No matter how much I tried to force it out of her and there were numerous ways I could try. But some were within the jurisdiction and others were not. By technicality I was considered a guest within this city and able to continue my own investigations. That didn’t permit me to torture Vivian to extract information and by the obvious gestures at her trial, she was a favorite of Haymen’s which was something I would have to be wary of. I could seduce her and make her comfortable to tell her secrets, but I was disgusted to think of even touching her in such a way. That and despite her irritable attitude and ability to jump into action without consideration of her surroundings or consequence, I could admit that she is a calculated creature who would out any form of manipulation on her... why? Because she was a grand manipulator herself. All of Haymen’s Guardians were. Although their personalities differed and the demons they were contracted to changed, they were all trained for the same execution of stray demons but I considered them to have other purposes. Hopefully I would be able to discover what that purpose is while watching one of Haymen’s favored ones so closely.
It was useless to ask Vivian more questions. She would never tell me and only play games. So instead I would follow her and obtain answers for myself from what I would see. The moment I was gone for only a few minutes she came directly here which meant that she was trying to keep this secret and she was already aware of the situation and perhaps the Volv’s involvement here with the children.
I watched Vivian carefully as she walked back towards the older woman at the orphanage. I stared at her, pissed as all hell that these children were involved amidst such evil. I also didn’t take kindly to not being answered, even if this wasn’t my city and out of my control. It appeared that the little miss needed to educate herself on who she was actually dealing with and I would make these next few weeks for her an uncomfortable living hell.
She thought that I didn’t notice the way she walked or the obvious wince of her fractured ribs. I took a breath trying not to spew my frustration at her pride. She took a heavy blow which even splintered apart the foundation of the door behind her. And then there was a witch involved who took the three children possessed, perhaps the witch was working with the Volv but that didn’t make sense if she took them away when Vivian was clearly being overwhelmed. The pure light from my wings would’ve blinded the Volv as they had many times before in the war, a trick I picked up to pacify them but not all of my kind could do.
I ushered away my calculating thoughts and followed Vivian’s lead of clean-up. I could’ve left it to her but it didn’t sit well with me when children were involved. I scanned the rooms silently assuring the petrified children that everything was going to be okay. By the time I left, each room seemed less rattled and in awe to see a real living angel. It was somewhat rare to see in a city that was governed by demons.
By that time Vivian was done within only minutes, humans and demons alike came into the orphanage and began leading the children out. Clean-up. And I knew that it would’ve been the request of Haymen. Three children missing and an assault like this would be splayed in the newspaper and as I walked out behind Vivian the flash of a bright light and a photo was taken. Already the media were on it. I tucked my wings in tight making sure that no one would get too cocky and touch them.
Vivian sassily swayed her hips confidently in succubus form. Her pointed tail swaying back and forth. She smiled at the cameraman, only one as she walked up to him with a smile that would snap men in half to be looked at by her twice. She leaned in towards him and whispered something into his ear. He didn’t even realize her fingers were curling around the camera. She stepped back and his glossed over effect came back to awareness. She hadn’t done anything illegal but her succubus was a natural manipulator which was what made them so dangerous. Her presence alone was overpowering.
He complained hysterically when he tried to retrieve his camera but with the same smile she dropped it on the ground and speared her sharp tail through it. I noticed the slight wince she made. She went to place her hand on her ribs but instead flexed her hand. She warned him not to touch it in case she excreted poison on it. And then she continued walking, ignorant to me who walked past her. I looked down on the media clown as I walked past and his eyes lit up.
“Mr. Christain, you’ve seemed to take a liking to our Vivian, she is a beauty,” he said. And there was animosity in his eyes as he held out his pen and paper ready to conduct the interview. Anything for a scoop.
“That she is,” I simply said and knew that it would make headlines. So maybe I had to start playing this a little differently. Because that one caption would make it into the media and be spread with rumors and conspiracy. This was a way that I could unsheathe Haymen because I knew how he would react to such garbage, as would I. But it would unhinge him if his little pet was seemingly frolicking with an angel. Or me specifically. It might also take away from my sense of investigation. I would deny the media later, even if it stretched wider and into my own city which I was certain it would. But those who ruled under me knew my hatred for this city and everything in it, especially a Guardian who was property of Haymen.
So, let us play this game... Because I am certain Vivian is already playing it.
