Angelic Outcast (Heavenly Chronicles #1) Read online

  What did surprise her, a little, was his appearance. Though she knew that Angels were as varied in how they looked as humans, she observed in fascination that Artan fit the classical Renaissance mold almost to a T. Curly blond hair that was cut short, light blue eyes, and pale skin coupled with a sharp nose and smooth cheeks, he looked more like a magazine model then a warrior, until you got a look at the body that came with the face. At just shy of six foot, even through his shirt you could tell he was layered in solid muscle. If nothing else, he would definitely stand out in a country that was predominantly dark colored and poor. What in the world had Heaven been thinking sending someone who looked like him here? It only added another layer of fascination to the experience.

  Artan sent Khris a quick glare of annoyance before focusing his attention on his new charge, “Yes, though that is a human term, my class is called Ophanim. I was sent because we recieved notice that Hades has added you to its target rosters, and has dispatched a demon called a Corrupter to acquire you. Its mission will be to either capture you to corrupt or kill you. It is my job to make sure it does not succeed.” He watched closely to see how she reacted to the news.

  “What do you mean corrupt? And when you say Hades, do you mean the actual person or the place?” she asked curiously, without even a hint of the fear he knew she should feel.

  Deciding to answer the easier question first, “In this case, Hades is our word for what you would call Hell. To my knowledge, there is no actual individual with the name Hades. As for the Corrupter…” making a sweeping gesture at the children surrounding them, “The children you save. They come to you scared and angry, but also hungry for both food and love. They could grow to make a lot of good happen in the world. They could also so easily go the other way under the right influence. Should it succeed in acquiring you, it will use the darkest means available to twist your very soul. Make you take these innocents and turn them into an army. Terrorists, mercenaries, whatever could cause the most damage.” Artan explained.

  “It would never happen.” Khris interjected, the fierce protectiveness in his voice startling Artan with its forcefulness.

  “Then he will make the choice to kill her.” Artan stated blandly, just to see if he could get the same reaction out of Khris a second time.

  Khris turned his enraged expression on Artan, “It would never happen.” he reiterated again. For a flicker of time, Artan could have sworn he'd seen flames in the other man's eyes.

  But, any questions he had would have to wait. Elizabeth was determined that she would see to the children first, and that meant that camp had to be set up and dinner caught and cooked. Artan used it as a chance to scour the area for signs that a demon had been near, but so far it seemed as though he had gotten there first.

  - Elsewhere

  Nareste had been to thousands of places like this. Taverns, inns, bars, saloons, they had dozens of names but they always drew the same kind of people: the hopeless, the downtrodden, the wicked, and even the evil. They were always good hunting grounds for him to find those he could push over the edge into darkness and then damnation. Even though he would be the first to admit he wasn’t good at it. But this place was a dump and it was near the middle of the day, so not very good pickings.

  But he wasn’t here for work; this place had the best pecan pie he’d ever had, and one of the most beautiful girls he had ever seen.

  The form he wore was purposed to affect the human mind and lead them into sin, as such he was provided with every weapon he needed, including a physical appearance that would make most envious or lustful. Tall and muscled enough to give him a lean physique that greatly belied his real strength, with striking red hair and a perfectly symmetrical, clean face that he never had to shave. He could have passed as a model that any photographer would drool over.

  His powers never worked on her, though, and he was glad for it. Just because he was evil didn’t mean he couldn’t appreciate the light, especially when he took the light to his bed.

  He did take the time to spread some greed around to a few gamblers that played cards in the corners, they would find their luck good until they were so hooked that even when they started to lose everything they had, they would continue to play the game. It was a small corruption, it wouldn’t earn him any points but it would keep his overseer off his back for a little while, until he could find his target.

  Why he was being sent after some Templar in the making, he had no idea. This wasn’t a job for a Corrupter, and it certainly wasn’t a job for him, but he would do it because he had been ordered to, and failing to carry out an order was never a good idea.

  In a few hours, he would be heading for South America to hunt her down, and spending time in a sweltering jungle wasn’t his idea of a good time. Cool mountain tops and lakesides were more his speed.

  They should have sent either a Fallen or a Soul Shredder, but it was on him now, so he would have to suck it up and do the job. But not before he took the night for himself and found some pleasure between the legs of a certain serving girl.

  - Back in South America

  Khris worked the rest of the afternoon to get himself under control. Artan’s explanation of what was going on had hit him harder then he thought anything could anymore. There was a small bit of relief that, as near as he could tell, the Angel had no idea who or what he was, but that was over shadowed by the very fact that a demon was after Liz, his Liz.

  He had seen some of the things that demons could do to a human while keeping them alive, even as they begged for death. He would be a rotting corpse before he would let anything like that happen to her, and he would do far worse whether it exposed him or not.

  The force of his resolve surprised him. When had he allowed her to become so important to him? There had only been one other in his life that he had had this reaction to, and she was long dead.

  Working his frustrations out on the forest, he used the nearness of the village and the extra protection Artan provided to hunt down some dinner. He couldn’t allow himself to lose control around the Angel. If Artan discovered what he was he would send him away, or worse.

  That night, as they passed dinner around the camp fire, Artan took the time to scrutinize the situation he now found himself in. Elizabeth and Khris seemed to be the only adults in attendance, the rest were a collection of children and adolescents ranging from as young as five to as old as sixteen, he counted eight in total. It was a soft target for any demon who was interested in causing a little damage. He was surprised that they had never had any problems before now.

  Though there was a village within a stone’s throw of them, it was clear that the group wasn't wanted or welcome there since the camp they had cleared and set up was just on the outskirts. “What is the destination from here?” Artan asked, hoping some knowledge of their next move might give him an idea of where the demon might choose to attack. Khris gave him a hard stare but Elizabeth answered the question, seemingly determined to ignore the man’s hostile behavior towards Artan. “We should reach the Brazilian boarder in the next few days. I have a contact there that will get these children to where they need to go. A few days' rest and then we head out again. My gathering treks usually last around two months each, some of them longer, some shorter, it just depends on how many kids I find and how fast. I have one more trek this year before I head back to the states and someone else takes my place.”

  A little confused, this did not agree with the information he had been given, “You work on a rotation system with others?” Artan questioned, trying to figure out the dynamics of what she did.

  Nodding her head, “It’s a recent development. Six months in six months out. When I started doing this, I was the only one and I’m embarrassed to admit it never occurred to me to ask anyone for help, but it didn’t take long before I was burning out. Trying to keep up this kind of pace will wear you down to a frazzle within a couple of months out here. Then you start making mistakes, and mistakes out here will get someone hurt or kille
d.”

  “After I met this one,” she pointed at a silent Khris who was busy looking disapproving, “He convinced me that I could do more if I let someone else pick up some of the work. I already had a decent system of safe houses and stationary contacts by then, so all I needed was more trekkers. That's proving to be the hardest part.”

  “Anyone interested had to do two months of treks with us to prove they could handle it. I also realized, after Khris joined me and we got out of a few tight spots together, how dangerous it really was for anyone to be doing this on their own. So, I also started requiring everyone to be paired off.”

  “I’m still working on extending the times of the other pairs. Right now, I only have two, and they’re coming out for two months each until I can be sure that they can handle the longer time and conditions on their own. We went through several dozen people before we were able to find the four we did. People like the idea of trekking through the jungle rescuing kids until they actually have to do it. Then you would be amazed how many things suddenly get in the way.” Elizabeth concludes.

  “Not really,” Artan admitted. At her questioning expression, “I have a lot more experience with humans then you would think,” he answered.

  Liz nodded in comprehension, “I suppose that makes sense if you spend your time guarding them. I mean, you can walk among humans and they have no idea who you are, and since you're immortal, you’re probably thousands of years old or something like that,” her words more of a question than a statement.

  With a smirk and shake of his head, “Not quite, I was born during the late Roman Empire so only somewhere around eighteen to nineteen hundred.” Artan clarified.

  “Oh, well, only around eighteen hundred,” Elizabeth exclaimed with overdone sarcasm.

  Amused, Artan looked around the camp once more, “When you talk about it, you almost make it sound easy,” gesturing to the kids around them, “I am sure it is nowhere close though?” clearly a request for more information.

  Nodding her head in agreement, “It’s not: aside from avoiding all the border patrols, there are the cartel militias, wild predators, add in the risk of dehydration and starvation, and it becomes a death trap if you don’t know what you are doing. Before Khris joined me, I would have to leave kids behind if my group got too big and just hope they would last until I could come back for them. If I caved in and took too many…” shaking her head, “I only made that mistake once. Since Khris joined, I can take twice, sometimes three times more kids than I used to, and have only lost a few,” she stated with pride and an appreciative glance over at her compatriot, who became uneasy under the unexpected praise.

  Elizabeth’s statement caused Artan to scrutinize Khris more thoroughly. If he were some type of demon, even a low level one, then the number of deaths should have gone up as he picked off the weak. Even a demon on a long-term undercover op wouldn’t be able to resist the temptation to lead the innocent to their deaths before they had earned salvation. So, if that wasn’t the case, then something else was going on. Could he be a half-breed? They were rare, but it was still a possibility. The glimpse he had gotten earlier had been small, but it had been enough for him to be certain that Khris was something more than human.

  Deciding to leave it alone for now, Artan’s thoughts were interrupted by an announcement for bedtime that was quickly met by protests. “Bed.” Khris’s barked order was met by instant silence and compliance as children shuffled and scrambled to get in their bedrolls. Quirking a brow, “You have a way,” Artan commented with admiration.

  Shrugging his shoulders and looking a little uncomfortable, “Elizabeth spoils them. Someone has to be in charge, or it would be chaos,” Khris answered. Looking to Elizabeth, “I’ll take first watch. Go ahead and get some sleep,” Khris offered.

  Liz nodded in agreement, “Sure, but first,” turning to focus on Artan, “Tell us about this demon. What’s its objective, what’s it going to do, and frankly…why me?” she asked with unwavering determination.

  Taking a second to make sure he had his thoughts straight; he didn’t want to scare her, but at the same time it was vital she knew what kind of danger she was in. Finally finding the words, “Ultimately you will be the primary target, if anyone else gets hurt or ends up dead in the process, so much the better.”

  “As far as why you? At first, I was not sure myself what it was that would have drawn demonic interest to you. At a glance, you seem too insignificant to end up on any of the target rosters that we have access to. Now, if a demon happened across you they would gladly cause some carnage, but it takes someone special to end up as a specific target. Demons are not exactly the most obedient foot soldiers.”

  “However, now that I know that you are a mystic, it makes more sense. I am guessing you have the Sight, that is how you knew what I was and it is how you choose which children to save, correct?” Artan waited for confirmation before continuing.

  Elizabeth shook her head, “Not always, it would be too cruel to take one and leave others behind in a bad situation, but I never leave one behind if I see something in them,” she admitted, “It’s too dangerous for them and for those around them. It also leaves them open to exploitation if someone figures out what they are,” she seemed to speak from experience.

  With her confirmation, Artan continued, “As I said before, the demon will try to capture you first. With time and the most brutal methods it can devise, it will twist your mind and your soul until it has total control over you, and then it will unleash you to fulfill whatever purpose it chooses or has been commanded.”

  “I can only speculate, but with your Sight you would be able to find the most lethal individuals humanity has to offer, and at the same time be able to identify any agents of Heaven that would try to stop you. That makes you the perfect coordinator for operations here on Earth,” he continued, contemplating the possibilities.

  “Okay, but why do they need me, or any human at all, don’t they have their own powers?” Elizabeth asked, more curious than afraid, at this point.

  Artan nodded, “They do, but there are rules both sides have to follow or run the risk of starting a war. Something neither side wants, not yet, anyway.”

  “So, for right now, neither demons nor angels can influence a group of humans directly. We have to work through a vessel, a single human that we can manipulate, convince, or bargain with to carry out our desires. As a mystic, your abilities fit the criteria for that role perfectly, for either side.” Artan explained as best he could.

  “So, what do we do about it?” Khris asked gruffly.

  “For now, I wait. Until the demon makes itself known, I don’t have a target. Once it appears I can identify and kill it,” Artan answered, though he had a feeling Khris wouldn’t like that answer.

  “So…for right now, I’m bait?” Elizabeth questioned, rhetorically, and a little insulted.

  From the tension coursing through Khris, Artan knew this next answer was not going to be received well, “Essentially, but know that if it comes down to a choice between killing the demon and keeping you safe, your safety will always be the first priority,” he tried to reassure.

  “Well. That‘s comforting,” Liz replied sarcastically, as she rose to her feet. “In any case, it’s clear we won’t be able to do any demon hunting tonight unless it attacks us all while we’re sleeping, so I’m going to catch some z’s,” she said, striding over to her bedroll.

  Artan couldn’t miss the pointed stare Khris was giving her as she did; more specifically her well-shaped rear end. “See you in a few hours, Khris,” she said as she curled up in her bedroll and quickly fell asleep.

  Waiting a few minutes to be sure Liz was down for the count before speaking, Khris turned his attention to Artan, ready to take full advantage of the Angel even if there was a demon now after Liz. “You do realize that we aren’t waking her up, right?” with a quirk of his brow, testing to see how far he could push it.

  “And why is that?” Artan asked curiously, won
dering what kind of thoughts were going through Khris’ head.

  Not sure if the Angel was being deliberately dense or messing with him, “If there’s some demon after her, we’re not going to leave her alone on watch to get grabbed in the middle of the night. And since we’re both going to be awake guarding her, there’s no reason to not let her get a full night’s sleep. Liz is tough, but she's no match for a demon in a fight,” Khris explained. “Besides, do you even need sleep?” he quipped, even though the question did have an intent.

  Adding this evaluation of their situation to his current assessment of the man, Artan decided to indulge his question, “It is only in Heaven that I do not need to eat or sleep. Down here, I need to do both, the same as everything else; one of the downsides of having a physical body to maintain. Our only benefit is that the demon will have the same restrictions,” Artan explained, while grateful for small blessings.

  Shrugging his shoulders, “Good thing there’s two of us to carry the load then,” Khris answered as he leaned back against the tree he was using as a chair.

  “And what chance do you think you have against a demon should it attack in the night?” Artan asked condescendingly, one thing he had learned quickly, was that Khris had a bit of an ego.

  With a cheeky grin, “More of a chance than most,” Khris answered, intentionally vague. He didn’t want to give himself away, but he didn’t want Artan to think he was another human to protect. If he could turn himself into an ally before Artan discovered what he was, maybe he would let him stay. And Khris knew that if he stayed, Artan would figure out what he was, it was inevitable because he wouldn’t let Liz die or be taken if he could stop it.

  Scrutinizing him closely, “It is not just the kids, is it? There is something that she saw about you too?” Artan surmised out loud. Though he already knew that, he figured it didn’t hurt to ask. Khris knowing that he suspected wouldn’t matter in the long run.