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I teleported Vivian into her sleeping quarters. Every touch was like a flame wrapping itself around me. It both burned and was pleasurable. I knew the claiming would be hard to resist but I didn’t realize I would lack control to the extent of almost having sex with her. The claiming was often described as the person who did the ritual was trying to claim part of their self that they put into the other. For most it ended in sex, but in years for the elders who could do it, often it was only designed for long term lovers.
I didn’t want to resort to putting her to sleep. One of the many useful skills I learned over the years but it was the only way I could put a halt on our lack of control. That was an action that couldn’t happen no matter how much I desired it myself. It was dark in the room and no one had woken to our intrusion. I tucked her in the blankets and pushed part of the hair that had slid to her eyes. She was beautiful. That much I would admit. I teleported out knowing that she would be asleep until the early hours or the morning. That gave me plenty of time to start my own investigations once again.
I swiped over my watch and made the call. It had already been two weeks since I wasn’t present to govern my own city. I phoned my second in command, Torrin, who was my current fill in. I waited for him to answer with the small implanted ear piece as I walked the dark alleyways of Shabeah. My light was constantly pushing away the pollution of darkness and evil that lingered in every space of the city. Heavy population of demons often created it and it was disgusting to know that humans not only lived in it but revered it.
I walked to the end of the bricked apartments and looked towards the city and glow of the night. Bright lights shone like a beacon and a hot air balloon drifted overhead slowly advertising the reverence of the Guardians. One each side for all five members–one of which I hadn’t yet seen–stood there like idols advertising some kind of weaponry seller’s store. I focused on Vivian in her succubus form as Torrin finally picked up.
“It’s midnight,” he breathed through the phone with little agitation. He would never dare speak to me how he did some of the others.
“Don’t tell me you were sleeping already?” I teased him.
“No. But I was enjoying the company of a certain brunette until my boss called,” he said and I could hear him shuffling through sheets and the mumbles of a woman by his side.
I laughed at him. The sound of a familiar voice was rather refreshing after the hellish two weeks I’d already had. “Obviously I’m doing them a favor. Should you pass over the comms device so I can show them what a good time really is?”
“I don’t know why you don’t just teleport here and see me yourself. A bit old school of you to call me,” he said seriously. He was one of the few who knew I could ‘officially’ teleport.
“I have to stay close to my marker on this one,” I said thinking of Vivian. I had to stay within the city and close so I could feel if anything happened. And with the remnants of our ritual she was all I could sense and feel. Even the fresh air wasn’t blurring that burning focus. But I had to get out, remove myself from her before I did truly drive myself mad.
“Have you pinned that Demon Summoner yet for Luke’s murder?” He snarled through the phone. I walked down another alleyway where a rowdy pub housed a bunch of drunks. Across from it was the bike shop that was in Vivian’s memory. I continued walking towards to find the staircase to the aquarium like I had been vividly shown in her memories.
“I think we might have more serious issues here than we thought. I need you to do some searching yourself for me. I’ve picked up the presence of the Volv within Shabeah.”
“The Volv?!” He hissed through the phone. Torrin was one of the few who fought along my side in the last war and survived. He knew too well of the carnage the Volv left behind. “I thought they were killed.”
“That would be our mistake for presuming so,” I said as I walked up the cemented stairs recalling her own heartbeat and fright for being followed. “Have you had any issues while I’ve been gone?”
“We’ve had a few issues. A couple of demon break-ins and attacks but nothing fatal. We have noticed a slight increase but nothing that hasn’t been manageable.”
“From what I’m seeing here and whether it’s demon central or not, there seem to be a lot demon attacks and activity here.” The aquarium was across from me and I walked into the section where Vivian breathed her last goodbyes as human. It has been two years but scorch marks still remained on the cement. Her scream and pain vibrated through me at the memory of her life being ended and filled with demons instead.
“Surely you don’t have to investigate this yourself. I can follow the Demon Summoner-”
“No!” I snapped possessively. There was a surprised silence on the other end of the phone and I tried to breath out my frustration. I rattled my brain back and forth chastising myself for having reacted to the bond. Why did I do this to myself? I could have just let her to die instead. But looking at the ground where she had died already once and remembering her crawl to throw herself off the cliff, I was sad for her. She never had time to value or mourn her first death.
“I’m sorry Gabe. I didn’t mean to insult you,” he said on the other end of the phone. A shadow caught my eye close to the aquarium entrance. I could hear the laughter from a woman as a cloaked figure pushed off the door of the building to catch my attention. I could sense from here that she wreaked of vileness but beneath the robe was a light blue glow. One that reminded me of the Guardians.
“I’ve got to go,” I said hanging up on him. The concealed person began to walk away, leading me. I could’ve confronted them but for whatever reason they were leading me somewhere and unlike the witch sneak attack last time, I wouldn’t leave myself unguarded. My light was bright around me, protecting me against any hidden attacks or ambush.
I kept to their pace which sped up and ended on the edge of the block in an old run-down shrine. It looked like an old one where people once prayed for religion and a God before the introduction of Angels. I hadn’t seen a church for years and it was almost in bad taste that they still had one standing in Shabeah of all places.
The dusty and worn-down building looked as if it had almost once been burned down. The wooden front door was left open slightly for me to enter behind them. Inside, candles were lit lining the room. I stepped inside the room that was dusty and uninhibited. The cloaked figure was standing beside the podium.
The room was drenched in darkness and vile that meant this wasn’t the first meeting place for the guardian in front of me. But there was something twisted and dark that wrapped around the room.
“Who are you?” I asked the figure stretching out my wings in dominance. A woman’s laugh echoed the room and then the woman took off her hood. I instantly recognized her as the woman who was on the hot air balloon. So, she was the fifth member of this generation of Guardians. But her beauty was no longer there. All that remained of what was once her was the blonde of her hair. Now her face had strained blue veins popping out especially around her mouth and eyes. Her eyes lit with a darkness that pinned in and out to focus on me. It only confirmed what I have been thinking.
“You’re a part of the Volv.” Her laugh echoed the room and I honestly thought that maybe it was her real voice box. The Volv that had mingled with her had so forcefully claimed her.
“They used to call me Doreen,” she said looking over her face in the reflection of a puddle that had leaked from the roof.
“What is your kind doing here?” I demanded from her. The shift in the darkness stirred and her tattoos glowed bright blue. Her face began to twist into that of one of her demons.
“I’m just here to distract you and play,” she began to laugh. “Next time you shouldn’t leave your princess alone.”
The light from the candles blew out and a wave of darkness swept before me. Vivian.
