Dark Flames . Amy Blankenship
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about the future, then there was a reason for it. “What is your prophecy?
“The humans are always looking for their Garden of Eden, yet they are so vain they do not realize they are within it. It has always been left up to us, the guardians, to cast the serpents out. The humans do not have the power to protect themselves. If we don’t help them, then the demons will turn this place into a city of blood.”
“And it will not stop here,” Syn concluded in a soft whisper.
Storm wiped at the blood that was now leaking in tear-like drops from his eyes. The only reason his head wasn’t exploding was because he was talking to another god who would not share the secrets.
“Some of the demons who climbed out of that rip between dimensions almost destroyed this world during the dark ages… we almost lost to them.” Storm let the weight of that statement hang between them.
“I remember,” Syn said.
“Then you also remember the ones that went to the underworld of their own free will to protect the barrier seal and keep the demons from returning,” Storm reminded.
Syn nodded, “The brothers… how could one forget.”
“They have now returned to this world while giving chase to the fleeing demons. Once again the brothers have willingly given their vow to help rid this world of the demon threat. You and I are quite possibly the only creatures left in this world that can honestly say our power is almost equal to theirs. Would you deny that by hoarding your power for selfish reasons?”
“I could take my family and leave this place to your war,” Syn warned.
“And I can give you a reason to stay,” Storm countered. “You have three children here with you now… but you have many lost across the space of time. I can offer you your missing children.”
Syn turned his head to look at the time walker but seeing the blood this conversation was causing, he glanced away. “Regain your strength… then we will retrieve my children.”
Storm smiled as he disappeared from the roof.
*****
Ren walked into his private office and sat down heavily in the chair at his desk. It had been a long night and just because the sun would be up in a few minutes did not mean it was over. There was a different kind of darkness now.
He’d promised himself he would work alone… pay no attention to the other PIT members. But as he’d looked around at the others fighting right along beside him, he could feel the ones who were weakening and the ones who had the strength to stay and fight longer.
No one questioned him when he started sending some of them back to the castle… some even looked thankful. He had sent Hunter to get some rest when he’d been injured. The Indian was stubborn and hadn't told anyone of his wound, but Ren could smell the blood. Trevor was almost dead on his feet. Wraiths tend to drain your life force for a while.
Luckily, some last minute reinforcements had arrived and Ren took his leave, needing to clear his mind of the rage of battle… he could feel everyone’s emotions including the blood lust of the demons. Now that he was within the castle walls, he concentrated on the powers surrounding him and smiled. Someone among them had the power to block out emotions. If he could figure out which one, he’d shake their hand.
That also led him to another conclusion… not everyone here at the castle had a PIT file. But that was all right, neither did he.
Looking up at the high ceiling, he felt five distinct life forces up on the third floor. He wondered who could be up there since Storm had told him that floor was locked and off limits. Ren had even looked at the floor plans of the castle to see if there was a hidden door, but found nothing.
He wasn’t about to waste his time pulling out every book on the shelf or knocking on every wall in the place to find it either. Hidden doors remained hidden for a reason. If whoever was up there wanted to be left alone, Ren would respect their wishes.
The air in the room rippled and Ren glanced over at Storm who was now sitting on the end of the desk. He glared at the time walker when he saw the bloody nose Storm was currently trying to stifle.
“Telling secrets again are we?” Ren asked with a slight growl in his voice.
Storm ignored the look and the question, simply sitting there until his nose finally stopped bleeding. Dropping the handkerchief in the garbage can, he looked back up at Ren with a knowing expression on his face then glanced up at the ceiling thoughtfully.
“You’re wondering how they got up there, right?” he smirked, “They won’t use the front door to come and go… windows seem better suited to them.”
“Whoever they are, you seem glad they are here,” Ren cocked a curious eyebrow.
Storm’s expression sobered, “Do not underestimate them… they have their reasons for being the way they are. If they wish to interact with the PIT teams, they will.”
“But they’re not part of the teams,” Ren wanted clarification.
Storm shook his head, “No, they’re not.”
“All right then,” Ren shrugged. “WHO are they?”
“Legend says they were the original guardians of seals between worlds. Up until last night, they had been in the demon realm protecting the seal from being breached from that side.”
Ren nodded and leaned back in his chair deciding he’d stop with the questions seeing how Storm had already broken his vow of silence recently. His eyes were beginning to burn from lack of sleep but knew he wouldn’t be able to rest for a while.
Chapter 2
Zachary leaned against the banister at the top of the stairs looking down on the main floor. He became very still when he spotted one of the youngest and newest members of PIT… Tiara. She’d always been an unofficial part of PIT, even though as a child she didn’t have any powers and never went out on assignment.
Because of her mother’s necromancer abilities, Tiara had been dragged around with the PIT team all her life.
He’d heard from some of the others that it was kind of like being an army brat... just better protected. While the parents went out to war, the child was usually placed in a secure area… normally a hotel room that was guarded by the CIA. There was something about being different … sometimes the last of your kind that made their lives harder than most. It tended to kick in their strongest instincts… too survive and protect their young.
Every PIT member had enemies… it was one of the drawbacks of being a trained demon assassin. Those same enemies had learned a long time ago that the fastest way to get a rival’s attention was to steal their child. In this case, it would be a demon stealing the child of a PIT member that had crossed them. Lessons were a bitch to learn and the children being kept in seclusion was the price.
From what Zachary noticed, Tiara had been one of the most guarded children out of all of them. Even he’d only seen her a couple times and he had top clearance.
Well, the lack of contact could be blamed on the fact that for the last ten years, he’d gone out of his way to avoid her mother… Myra. But Tiara always had someone shadowing her, following her every move, especially if she ever ventured out into the occasional eye of the rest of the organization.
After Myra’s death only a couple weeks ago, her team had dispersed into other areas of PIT, as was the tradition when the leader of a team dies. Making that a golden rule had cut way down on distractions and complications… or so he’d heard.
He himself was more of a freelancer, a gun for hire, and he worked best when he was alone. Angelica had been the only stable person in his life because she could see past the mask he wore… the mask that led everyone to believe he was a bit of a comedian.
Myra’s necromancy powers had passed on to her only child at the exact moment of her death.