"So, how come the magical creatures are living such a luxury lifestyle?"
"What do you mean?" - Haniel asked from the back seat.
"You know, Burberry suits, luxury flats in skyscrapers, huge mansions for Institutes... stuff like that." - I explained my point. For a long moment, no one answered me. I guess I picked a wrong topic...
"Oh, well..." - Joel began, but then he just cleared his throat, so Haniel took over.
"Usually we live among humans as celebrities, with fake stories about who we are. Like, for example, there is a fallen angel, called Adriel Featherdance. She used to be a high rank angel, but then some shit happened, and she fell. Now she is known as Taylor Swift." - Haniel said.
"Adriel...?" - I asked. - "You mean Rider's ex-lover, who left him for the opportunity to become a high rank angel?" - I asked. Suddenly both of them stared at me with eyes wide open.
"What?" - They asked at the same time. Please don't tell me I just spilled a huge secret... goddamnit.
"Oh, we are probably not talking about the same girl."
"Hold on... so there was a girl who actually had the chance to dump the tittle don Juan?" - Joel asked. Okkayyy, so I guess they have known each other for a longer time period than I expected.
"Actually I dumped... errr.... rejected him several times." - I added. Haniel burst out in laughter.
"It didn't sound like to me like you were rejecting him last night..." - Joel dropped the bomb.
"You were eavesdropping?!" - My face was bright red, and Haniel was laughing uncontrollably. - "Anyway, the whole fight happened when I was still back at the Institute. At first he hated me, and then I accidentally marked him, but then I purified his soul, and then I hated him, and he wanted to stick around me, and then I began to like him, but then my sister got kidnapped, and I ran away from LA." - By the time I finished the quick sum up of the happenings, the car was dead quiet again.
"You purified him...?" - Haniel asked.
"She is able to do some kick-ass spells." - Joel noted. - "She marked me as well, but then she did this weird spell to unbound us."
"No, I tore off some of my power-strings. Definitely not the same thing!" - I sighed.
"What..." - Haniel stared at us. - "You mean you preformed one of the forbidden rituals..? How did you even know about them? Or knew how to preform such a ritual...?" - Haniel was probably thinking I was crazy. I saw that Joel was about to tell him the truth, but that was not a good idea, so I put my hand on his shoulder to quiet him. Then I turned back at Haniel.
"I found a book in the lowest level of the library in the Institute, because I was the only one in the house, who had my kind of powers, and that's where I found these spells." - I lied. I know, I shouldn't but I still wasn't sure if I could trust this guy. Never trust pretty guys, they lie too much. - coming from me, that's a pretty metaphoric saying.
Haniel looked like he wasn't sure if he should believe me or not, but then he decided not to ask about it.
"So you are some kind of genius?" - Haniel asked.
"No, I just have photographic memory." -Another lie, I even lost count of the lies I have told in the past couple days. There was no point of counting them anymore. I turned to Joel.
"Does he know about your affairs?" - I asked. Joel rolled his eyes, but didn't turn his head away from the road.
"You mean Lilith. Yes, he knows." - He answered in a tone like a kid answers his mom when she tries to make him eat his vegetables.
"You told her?" - Haniel sounded like he couldn't believe his ears. I could imagine why.
"No. She kind of... forced the information out of me." - Joel didn't sound happy about it. I could understand: I wouldn't be happy either if someone was messing with my head like that either. I was about to answer that, saying that I'm sorry, but something fell on the car.
I heard myself screaming, and Joel synchronized cuss with Haniel. He speed up the car, but after a while, the car stopped without him wanting it to stop. Smoke rose from the front, and Joel hit his head on the wheel. In the sudden stop, Haniel flew out on the windshield, and hit the ground so hard I thought he died. But then he was immediately on his feet again. There were no cars to be seen nor near, nor far. I got out from the car, but Haniel yelled at me to get back.
I was stupid, and I didn't listen to his warning. Something attacked him, and before I could move a muscle, slim, white arms wrapped around my body, covering my mouth.
"Oh, what do we have here...?" - The voice was cold and sharp as ice. Under different conditions, I would've found it terribly creepy and annoying, but right now, I only felt fear in my veins. My breathing quickened, and my heart beat like never before. Joel got out of the car with a long flare bursting from his fingertips, but when he saw that I had been already captured, the flares died between his fingers.
"Release her." - He said in a serious tone. - "Lilith, this isn't your battle. Let her go." - That made the woman burst out in a dark, blood-freezing laugh. I imagine that villains could kill just to have a laugh like that.
She cut the skin just above my collarbone with her long, black fingernails that rather looked like claws.
"Since when is it not my battle, love?" - One arm released me, but the remaining still held me tight. If I could just reach the knife in my boots, I could get out from her grasp.
She reached her hand towards Joel, and as if she had Jedi power, she pulled him closer. Then flicked two fingers, and something tore off the sweater from him. The mark that the release created on his chest became visible. Even Haniel and the creature he was fighting with stopped fighting and stared. - "Oh, how naive could you be, my sweet Joel?" - She said in a baby voice. - "You are mine, only mine. And this little whore marked you without my permission. I have to say, I didn't care that much about her, since even if I'm currently working with the consilium, their business never interested me... bored me, in fact. I planned on pretending to search for this bitch, and then just let her run if I came across her, like closing my eyes until she ran away." - She turned my face so I could see hers. It was really... demonic. - "You see, I am a nice little demon." - When she finished the sentence, her eyes turned black, and she became even creepier than she was before...
Okay, I don't wanna be sassy or anything but NO DUH. I kind of figured.
"I didn't wan't to steal him. He is all yours, I swear I don't like him." - I gasped, since her pointy fingers began to squeeze out every molecule of air from my lungs.
"I don't wanna play with him." - She said. Lilith sounded like a pouting little girl. - "Look at him! His body is ruined."
There was only a pentagram on his chest above his heart. Other than that he still looked the same.
"She means she can't touch me with her filthy hands anymore." - Joel said in a serious voice. - "You placed this mark on me, and you happened to be a celestial by blood. The daughter of a high rank angel... this is your mark. A demon like her cannot touch me anymore." - As he finished, Lilith swung her arms, and Joel fell against a tree, then dropped on the ground lifelessly.
"No!" - I screamed. Lilith banged my head against the car, and I lost consciousness immediately.
***
I woke up in a bright, white room, laying on a table, totally naked. I was covered with a thin, white bed sheet, like people use in a morgue or a hospital. There were handcuffs on me, and my legs were tied as well.
I looked around, but the whole room was empty. I pulled on the handcuffs, testing how strong they are, but as soon as I tried for the second time, someone stepped into the room in a nurse outfit - long, blue pants, and matching top.
"How are you feeling?" - She asked. - "There was a wound on your head when Lilith brought you in, but we fixed it. Now you are physically ready for the postquam."
"The what...?" - I asked back. - "What are you talking about. She took out a needle, and stabbed me in the arm with it.
"The criminals that have been captured have one last chance to clean themselves from all the sins they have committed. It's much like a gladiator game." - She said.
"I have never done anything."
"Yes you have." - She looked at me with sympathizing eyes. - "You have been born into a wrong family." - She put gold bracelets on both of my arms, and they were the shapes of birds hugging my arms with their wings. - "Now, this is just to be sure you don't try to kill anybody until you are in the arena. It stops you from being suicidal as well. But as soon as you step into the arena, the birds will be deactivated, and you will be free to do whatever you want."
She released my arms from the cuffs, and took them off my feet as well. I wrapped the white sheet around my body, and stood up. I couldn't believe that I got captured so quick! That was definitely not in my plans. I didn't think that Lilith would come after me in such a short notice. Lilith... JOEL!
"Wait, what happened to my friends? How long have I been here?" -I asked.
"We kept you asleep for a week and a half, so your recovery would be faster." - She explained. - "If you mean Joel Severio, and Haniel O'Shea, they have more serious injuries than you, so they are still asleep. However unlike you, they are allowed to leave this institute as soon as they wake up." - She smiled at me, but there was no warmth behind her eyes. She seemed sad.
"Where are we anyway?" - I asked.
"We are in the hospital wing of the Hell-Blossom Institute. This is the residence of the Depth-Consilium." - She walked me out from the room, and bright sunlight and hot air surrounded me.
"Why do I have a feeling that we are not in Washington anymore...?" - Panic began to blossom in
"No, we are in an island not far from Barbados." - She smiled.
"Say what now?!" - Not like I have never wanted to see Barbados, and the other islands.... but obviously not like this!
We crossed a stone bridge, and when I looked down it was obvious that we were hidden by
I followed the nurse into a huge room, and she basically handed me over to a tall guy who looked like a surfer boy from Australia.
"Good to see you are well, Lady Spirit." - He smiled.
"Please, call me Spirit. I'm no royalty, really." - He just nodded, and as the door closed shut behind me, he turned to the shelves behind him.
"My name is Anouck." - He said, not even looking at me. - "Well, at least that was my name before I got here. They call me Melchiorre here, because that sounds more like a royal slave's name." - He spat the words. Anouck clearly hated being here, and I couldn't think of one single reason to question his point of view.
"Okay, then I will call you Anouck." - I smiled. He turned towards me, and sent me a smile. - "So what are you?"
"I am the son of a mermaid... a merman, but that sounds a little weird."
"I have never imagined that there are mermen out there." - I said. - "I am a Grigori, but I imagine you already know that."
"Oh, yes." - He turned back with his hands full of stuff I would never wear if I didn't have to. I think this was a time, when I have to.... - "These were picked by Michael himself. Don't blame me, I told him that this isn't a catwalk, but he didn't listen to me."
That thing was looking ridiculous, and I couldn't help, but laugh. I couldn't possibly fight in that ridiculous outfit!!!
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