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Trapped. Darkness. Silence. To most that would strike fear in their hearts with the inability to escape. For me it acted as a comfortable silence. All I had to do was wait in silence until I was allowed to re-enter the real world. Although I was parched and starving I knew that Haymen wouldn’t let me die. Perhaps be uncomfortable and near death, but not truly die. Of that much I was always sure of.
What I was painfully reminded of was the memory that Gabe had followed me into when I was nearing my death. It was my first true death and the start of the contract between Haymen and me and the demons that now filled me and were entitled to my body. I don’t know who Haymen thought I resembled but it was added value to keeping me alive. So far I couldn’t think of anyone who might’ve had that kind of hold over Haymen. It might have some connection with the very reason why I had been fighting darkness in my dreams for as long as I could remember.
As a human it was easier and none of it felt like the Volv itself. Perhaps those dreams had attracted only smaller demons that couldn’t actually possess my body. I wish whatever protection I had against them as a human until that fateful day still remained. Now greater demons were attracted to me and I had no idea whether they were in alliance with the Volv or a new range to enjoy the pleasure of accompanying me and trying to kill me. Volv, why had I only learned of their real name up until now? Why didn’t Haymen call them by that name with us?
The air chilled and I knew that Haymen was present within the room. In silence he teleported me back to my bedroom. He vanished as quickly as he had disappeared. My bookshelf that had been destroyed had been repaired and realigned. Always so quick to clean up after any incident. I quickly had a shower and changed. I had the scent of two of the most powerful men on me and I was still waiting to be ravished. That was something I would soon have to quench or I would go savage soon if my needs weren’t met. Because of my succubus demon that dwelled within me I was certain that my sex drive was sketchier than the others. At most we could last a few weeks without having our needs met. I however went feral if I left it for too long.
I walked over and beeped my request for Doc. I would have to report my dream and I wondered if she had any insight or had seen a similar thing happen to any of the previous Guardians. I wasn’t sure for how long Doc had been working for Haymen but I had the impression it has been for a long time now. Age for witches is irrelevant much like Angels and Demons. If they were powerful they could obtain immortality.
Before going to meet with her in the Shadow Minds room I quickly raced to the kitchen to grab something to eat. It has been two days since I was locked in that prison and I was utterly starving. I grabbed two raspberry muffins from the counter and looked up with a mouthful of muffin. Looking over the lake was Alexa. She almost had no presence about her since her return. I gulped it down and walked over to her. She almost looked like a statue and didn’t look to the side where I stood starring at her. I casually placed my arms over the railings and continued munching on my muffins. It didn’t take me long to devour them. When I didn’t think that she would talk, I turned to visit Doc. She would already be waiting after my request.
“I wanted to become a Guardian,” she said grabbing my attention before I had gone back inside. “I was a human king’s daughter and the thought of adrenalin pumping fighting, action, and fame drew me in.” She paused again. “I met Haymen only once and was drawn in to the existence of demons. I wanted to become one and so my wish was granted.”
I rested back up against the railing looking into the house. It was the most I had heard her speak in the past few months. And she wasn’t one to speak unnecessarily. Like all the Guardians I had met and some were visiting from other cities, all of them had been volunteers to be reborn. And all of them were some sort of impressionable human prior. Haymen was picky as to which Guardians he chose for his ‘elite team’ within Shabeah and close to him. If he could not eat the humans then he would take their leaders and have them do his bidding against their own kind. And that was at times what the Guardians enforced on his behalf. Guardians in different parts of the world had varying purposes.
“The shadows in our dreams...” she continued and that caught my attention more than anything else she said. It wasn’t something we spoke about. We only reported it. It was our greatest weakness so we never dared exploit it even to one another. We could all end up as enemies one of these days. “I know I don’t have much longer. I’ve been in this position for twelve years and I’ve only gathered information as to where their outdated camps and dwellings were. These demons, whatever they are, are smart. And Haymen fears that. I fear that.”
“We don’t fear,” is all I said. Though I knew that sometimes we did. But we weren’t meant to. That wasn’t who or what we were created for.
“Do you think that they are trying to take Haymen’s throne and that’s why he’s scared?” she asked me and looked directly into my eyes.
“You seem to not know fear if you are asking that question out loud,” I said looking around to make sure we were alone. If this conversation was being recorded we would be in big trouble. Then I realized Alexa had the ability to mangle anything technology. That was a gift I could use to my advantage.
“Alexa, can I ask a favor of you?” She diverted her eyes again but nodded her head. She was scattered and I too had the feeling her time was close. All life had been drained from her. It was evident both physically and mentally. I wondered if there was any coming back from that but previous Guardians opposed that notion. All of which were dead. “Can you gather as much information both public and off record on both Gabe and Haymen for me? I want to date it back as far as the last war, if not more. I want to have knowledge of their origin and birth year. I want everything from the start.”
She furrowed her eyebrows and focused her eyes on me. What I was asking could lead me into further punishment from Haymen if she were to report it. She turned her back to me and nodded her head.
“There’s one more thing, Vi,” she said looking over her shoulder. “The shadow creatures are drawn to you. Often your image appears in my dreams or they will pretend to be you. I’m certain that you are often their focus. They might not reveal it purposefully but I’ve had that opinion for a long time.”
Despite our madness for talking so openly we didn’t stay put any longer. She walked through the kitchen and out the front door as I ventured down the hallway to meet with the Doc.
I opened the door just as she was about to open it herself. “I’ve been waiting five minutes since you requested me,” she said irritated.
“Now, now, Doc. It looks like you might have to practice some patience,” I said with a charming smile. “I got caught up deciding what shirt I should wear. It’s always something special, our visits.” I offered her an antagonizing smile. I had gone with the long sleeved black shirt despite it being a summer day and the temperature not having much pull over me. I didn’t want other people seeing the new light pink tattoo that was identical to Gabe’s. It wouldn’t take long for others to figure it out even though I myself had never heard of such a ritual.
She didn’t seem to enjoy my mood and took a sample of my blood. “Is there any other way we can identify my other contracted demons besides taking blood samples?” I asked her rubbing the skin of where the needle had been. She rolled my sleeve back down and prepared the probes to attach to the back of my neck.
“Unfortunately, no. You know the few spells I had cast and trialed has failed to reveal those who were still dormant in you. Whatever species you might have obviously has a strong repellent to block even my magic,” she said matter of fact and attached the four prongs into the back of my neck without warning. I hissed at the rudeness.
“You seem to be in a rush as of late Doc. Aren’t you enjoying the time together like I do?” I said and began watching the screening of my dream and attack. Her usual witch scribble splashed across the page. I caught inconspicuous glances, reading her notes. When Aiden appeared, she wrote vigorously. Subject tends to have relapse of emotional connection to previous lover. Possible relapse or fault in conditioning.
I could’ve growled at her. I wasn’t sure how I could read witch scribble writing but for whatever reason I was realizing that this wasn’t the safest place for me to be because I wasn’t sure when actions were taken against those she deemed compromised. I wondered if she has done anything to Alexa who never appeared to be the same after being with Doc for those few days.
We watched on the projector as the fire wind demon guy crept up on me and she gasped with recognition. Before I was pulled out of the dream she casted a spell. It summoned Haymen immediately into the room. He was wearing long pants with no shirt. I blocked him out of my sight ignoring him.
“Rewind by one minute,” Doc requested of the Shadow Minds Journal. It did exactly that stopping at the end of the conversation between Louana Smith and I. So, it wasn’t her they were focusing on but the demon.
I could feel Haymen watching intensely. “Determee’,” he said in a foreign tongue. “I haven’t seen him for some time. He’s been in hiding since the end of the last war. Track him,” he said to Doc. “I want you to find him. Good job,” he said placing his hand on my shoulder before vanishing.
“Who is Determee’?” I asked Doc. It didn’t sound as ravishing as it had coming from Haymen’s mouth. Finally, we have found something.
“An old fire demon. He’s renowned for feasting on beautiful women and scorching them alive. He’s rather theatrical and usually seduces his victims from clubs and parties. He was known as the Fire Feeder to those who didn’t yet know of the demon’s existence and haunted his continent. He helped in the war periodically but fled shortly after. He was a coward with no desire to stand against the Angels despite his strength. His commitment to the war could’ve made a difference. So instead of partaking, Haymen purposefully hunted out his kind killing majority of them. Only few remain to this day. He’s a fool for showing himself in your dreams and attacking you.”
She pinched the four prongs from my neck and pulled the Shadow Minds out. I rubbed the back of my neck from the remains of its irritation.
“When you find him, I want to be the first to know. I owe him a debt,” I said jumping off the seat.
“I imagine that Haymen might want to deal with this himself,” she said from behind me. “Haymen can be rather protective of his property.” I held in my scoff. He wasn’t doing anything to help Alexa or any of the other Guardians who had fallen. I had almost died numerous times on the field of battle and yet he held the impression I was invaluable and not expendable. Yet death had come knocking for me more than once.
Perhaps somehow I could manage to find this Determee’ before Doc did. I did have a visit to pay at the black market tonight. Perhaps I could purchase a locator spell on not only my green haired witch friend who took the children from the orphanage but also Determee’ by name and description. I tried to have one more glance at Doc’s board but she had covered it up. I smiled at her and walked out. I didn’t know the consequence to being compromised but I had the chill that it wasn’t good. Was it outright death or something worse? And perhaps she had turned Alexa into a mental potato to keep her hushed from the brink of displaying crazy. The cracks before she was taken had been covered. She hadn’t been recovered. More than half of her seemed to have been wiped.
I walked out and Alexa was standing there. Not that I truly looked at her, besides expression and face nothing there remained of Alexa.
“Which demon am I talking to?” I asked wondering if one of her demons had taken over completely in a last effort to keep her body and fellow contracted demons safe. That had to be the chill I felt whenever I thought of the consequences. If a Guardian became compromised then they would be erased. Not their body or their demons, just them. So how did that make us different from the Volv’s intent?!
“I am one of the few that are your ally,” she said. It was Alexa’s voice and face. But it was by far the remains of her. From the smile that crept, it was one of her demons who had been talking to us all along. She didn’t try to stop me and I wondered if I was the last to speak with Alexa overlooking the lake, or if I had been tricked by this demon in her stead. What I did know for certain was that Alexa was now gone.
I continued walking past her. I had to fill the day quickly and act upon the night.
