Demon to God (Light Novel: Chapter 2)

Chapter 2

A familiar sense of vertigo briefly overwhelms my senses and the world twists around me. When everything finally stops spinning, I find myself on the surface, surrounded by tall trees and green grass. I sigh, not quite sure where to start. 

“Well, first things first, I should find the enemy,” I mutter and leap into the air. 

I try to fly as low to the ground as possible, assuming the angels will want to stay above the trees. After swerving to avoid impact with yet another low hanging branch, I feel even more confident in that assumption. Progress through the forest may be slow but for me, the cover the canopy provides is more important. Several minutes pass this way before I catch the faint sound of voices trickling down from above. I fold my wings and press my back against the trunk of a large tree. My heart beats wildly in my chest and I breathe deeply through my nose as I consider my next move. I have no doubt that the voices I’m hearing belong to the angels. Perhaps they’re discussing the plan of attack. I turn and place both hands on the trunk, watching as black claws burst forth from the tattoos below my fingernails. Hand over hand, I climb, my sharp nails easily digging into the thick bark of the tree. Magical energy swirls around my body, causing every inch or me to shimmer and then disappear. This little trick is exactly why I’m Lucien’s best assassin. Turning myself invisible can have quite a few advantages. I slow my accent when I draw close to the top. They might not be able to see me but they can still hear me just fine.

“I’m telling you we should reconsider this attack,” says a very feminine voice from somewhere nearby. “It’s suicide and you all know it.”

“It’s not suicide, Zedek is with us,” says a husky male voice.

I carefully maneuver to the other side of the tree in an attempt to get a better look. Leaves partially obstruct my view but I’m able to make out the shape of three white winged figures hovering together in a rough circle. 

“Zedek hasn’t been with us for the past five years. He’s abandoned us and taken his blessing with him,” says the same woman in reply. Her words are clipped and the breathy sigh she lets out after she finishes speaking oozes exasperation. 

I climb higher. 

“Blaspheme. Zedek is merely testing us and that is precisely why we must prove ourselves here,” scolds the third, his voice deep and masculine.  

I reach the top of the tree and carefully perch myself on a thin branch. My view of the group is clear and my gaze is immediately drawn to the woman. Beautiful feathered white wings hold my attention as they gently beet to keep her aloft. The delicate features of her face are drawn together in a look of both irritation and worry. She runs her long fingers through her white blond hair and signs. 

“John is right Sophia, we can’t sit here and debate this any longer. Our people need our guidance in the upcoming battle.” says the first man, his back is too me and all I can see of him is the long dark hair that flows over his armored shoulders.

The woman… Sophia’s blue eyes focus on him and there’s a defiance in her gaze that I’ve yet to see from any other angel. She’s beautiful. It’s all I can think about when I look at her even as the mans words register. A tight knot of anxiety forms in my throat, it’s looking more and more likely that these three are officers. I suppress a groan and shift my gaze to the one he called John. In profile, the man is quite good looking, a strong jaw and thick blonde hair that stops just above his ears. He doesn’t look a day over twenty-five but looks can be quite deceiving when it comes to guessing the age of an angel. After all, they’re immortal beings… I shudder at the thought that as a demon, I also qualify as an immortal being. 

“You two are going to get us all killed,” she says and I can’t help but enjoy the melodic sound of her voice despite her cutting tone. Those words pull at my resolve. If she’s an officer it’s my mission to kill her, even suspecting she might be is reason enough to do so but this woman doesn’t even want to be here. The angel knows that this battle will be a massacre and she’s trying to get the other’s to see reason. 

She’s facing me but her intense gaze is still focused on the dark haired man and her eyebrows, slightly darker than the white blond of her hair, are drawn together in a frown. The wrinkle between them is the only mar to her otherwise smooth features. I let my gaze  roam over her and again, I can only see beauty in her thin frame. There is strength as well, it’s visible in the lithe muscles that rest just beneath her skin but she’s also incredibly small. No taller than 5’3 or 5’4 if I had to guess. It’s not that she doesn’t look like a grown woman because she does but there is a definite air of innocence about her and I find that absolutely captivating.  

John opens his mouth to speak but something in the distance catches his eye. Sophia and the other one turn to look and I follow their gaze. Thousands of dark shapes blanket the sky and will arrive any minute. Demons. 

“It’s too late, they’re coming,” Sophia says, her voice soft, resigned. There’s a calm acceptance in her eyes. A wave of guilt flows through my body and pools in my gut, tying my stomach into knots. I have to remind myself that they brought this on themselves coming here. If I don’t kill them, someone else will and I’ll be dead for disobeying orders. 

I watch as Sophia turns and flies up to reunite with the army of angels waiting patiently above. The long haired angel is quick to follow suit but John says behind and takes several deep breaths. I know this is my chance and I leap from the tree. The rustling of leaves startles John and he turns in my direction, one hand resting on the hilt of his sword, his eyes scan for the source of the disturbance but he doesn’t see me coming. In one move, I slash the angel’s throat with my dagger and the look of complete shock on his face is sickening. I turn away as the man clutches at his neck in a desperate attempt to stop the bleeding. Seconds later, John falls from the sky. Unsure if anyone saw, I create some distance and scan the army of angels for my next target. I need to act quickly because I won’t be able to stay cloaked indefinitely. The magic is a huge drain on my energy and I’m already beginning to tire.  

I spot Sophia and the other long haired officer at the front, addressing the hoard of several thousand angels. I’m finally able to get a good look at the man and the sight causes my lips to turn down into a frown. He’s almost too pretty, I shake my head and scan the angel ranks for any others that might stick out. Not seeing anyone, I decide to bide my time. Attacking now while the entire army has eyes on them would be suicide. I need to wait for the right moment. With that decided, I conceal myself in the branches of a nearby tree and cancel my invisibility. The leaves hide me well enough and this is a good chance to catch my breath. Minutes later the demons arrive and the air shakes with a deafening clash of blades and claws. Blood splashes down from above like a summer rain and a body slams into the branch next to me with a sickening crunch. I don’t look, my gaze remains fixed on my next target as I wait for the perfect opportunity to strike. 

Finally, I spot pretty-boy fall back and distance himself from the others. He looks winded, likely planning to take a short break before heading back into the fray. I won’t give him the chance. My body shimmers and disappears as I cloak myself in magic once more. With all the commotion of the battle I won’t have to be quiet this time, I just have to be quick. These are my exact thoughts as I slam into the angel’s back with such force that my dagger penetrates his armor and sinks deep into his heart. I’m glad that this time I don’t have to see the look on his face. I move to pull my blade free but it doesn’t budge. Frowning, I place both feet against the mans sagging form and push. It’s coming now but slowly, caught on a section of the angels armor. Panic is setting in now, I can’t stay here, someone will see. I’m just about to surrender the dagger and dive for cover when it finally comes loose. The officer’s body falls and I look up just in time to see a sword coming down at my head. I get my blade up in time to block the blow but the impact throws me off balance. My eyes meet the searching blue gaze of my attacker and I sigh, of course it would be Sophia and she isn’t backing off. The weight of her pushing down from above is preventing me from regaining my balance. The move is bold and sends us both hurtling toward the ground at a frightening pace.  

The woman doesn’t appear concerned, she lifts one hand from her blade and reaches out in my direction. I know she can’t see me but her searching fingers don’t falter and brush against my forearm. I can feel the warmth of her through my armor and on contact my spell unravels before my eyes. My body now completely visible. She smiles in satisfaction at my wide eyed dismay and I once again find myself captivated by this woman. Then, I recall our current  predicament and my survival instincts kick in. I twist my lower body and bring my leg around to catch her in the side. The move throws her off of me and I manage to right myself but the ground is too close. I desperately strain my wings in an attempt to pull up and manage to greatly slow my decent but I still hit the ground. Hard.  All the air rushes from my lungs on impact and I gasp like a fish out of water. Footsteps approach and I manage to roll onto my back allowing my wings to return to their tattoos. I prop myself up on my elbows and clamber away from the approaching footsteps, my chest heaving. I realize too late that Sophia has already reached me as the cold steel of her blade comes to rest on my exposed throat.  

“Don’t move,” she says with a distinct edge in her voice. 

I lift my gaze to meet hers and bare my teeth. The woman tries to imitate my expression but fails miserably at it. I can’t take her seriously and I would have laughed if I wasn’t still so desperate to catch my breath. I feel no fear despite the blade at my throat, looking into her eyes, I don’t see the malice and hatred that I’m so accustomed to seeing from the demons. She’s green too, I can sense it in the slight tremor that’s vibrating through her grip on the sword. I doubt she’s killed before and I can use that to my advantage. 

“What do you want?” I manage to ask through shallow breaths. 

“Quiet demon,” she says, her tone is harsh but there’s a definite undercurrent of unease and her wings flutter slightly in what appears to be agitation.

I hold my hands out, palms up in a placating gesture and her whole body tenses at the move. “Easy,” I say in a low murmur. “I have a name you know, not just demon.”

She frowns and presses the point of the blade against my neck hard enough to draw a spot of blood. “Well I don’t wish to know your name because I’ll be killing you for what you did to Carter and John.”

I flinch away from the pain. In truth, it doesn’t hurt much but the more helpless I make myself appear, the harder it will be to murder me in cold blood. I ignore her comment about the two angels I killed, not sure how I could spin that and say, “So you prefer to think of me as just some nameless monster.”

“Shut up, you are a monster. I’ve heard about the awful things your kind do to the angels you capture, especially the women,” her body trembles more violently than before as she barks out the words. I idly wonder if she might just slit my throat from the shaking alone. 

I wiggle two fingers in between the blade and my neck and give her a self deprecating smile. “That’s a little racist you know. Not all of us demons do the whole rape and pillage thing.” Truth be told, I’m pretty sure I’m the only one that doesn’t but semantics. 

Sophia takes a deep breath and her trembling stops. “It doesn’t matter, you killed two of our officers.” I silently congratulate myself for correctly guessing two out of three. I doubt I was right about Sophia. 

“Why haven’t you killed me then?” I ask, keeping my voice soft. 

She doesn’t answer, only glances down to the small cut on my neck and back up. 

“This is your first time, first battle?”

Sophia slowly nods her head, a frown creasing her brow. “You’re much different from what I expected…” she trails off for a moment. “You even look different, pretty… and your eyes are grey. I thought all demons had red eyes.”

The word pretty catches me off guard and it takes me a moment to register the rest of what she said. It appears I’m winning her over. I suppress a grin. “My name’s Erin Rider by the way.” I give her a wink, “You’re not too bad yourself.” 

The slight blush that creeps up Sophia’s neck is unmistakable and not for the first time, I get the feeling that she’s very young for an angel. “Tell me… tell me about your eyes. Are you really a demon?” she asks cautiously, curiosity in her gaze. 

Sophia hasn’t corrected the fact that I have two gauntlet-ed fingers wrapped around the tip of her blade and hasn’t noticed the danger of standing in the direct line of my open palm. “I’m a demon. A Cambion and my grey eyes are common. The red comes from the use of an ability called Bloodlust. Since I'm the only one that doesn’t use it, I guess my eyes stand out.”

Sophia opens her mouth to respond but a gust of wind shoots from my open palm and knocks her flat on her back. I waste no time standing but I do wait patiently for Sophia to get back on her feet. She turns to me with nostrils flaring and a look of genuine betrayal in her blue eyes. “What did you just hit me with?”

I shrug, “Magic?”

She groans in frustration and grits her teeth. “That’s the last time I feel any sympathy for a demon.”

“What? You expected me to just wait until you got around to killing me?” I snap back, surprising myself with my own indignation. We’re circling each other now and her calculating gaze scans every inch of me. Searching for any sign of weakness. Sophia may be new to battle but it’s clear from her expression and stance that she knows how to fight. She makes the first move and lunges for me in a sweeping arch that would have gutted me if I hadn’t blocked the blow. When our blades meet, a resounding clang echoes throughout the clearing of trees. She’s strong for her size, much stronger than any human would be but that strength still doesn’t compare to a demon. I bat away her attacks one after the other and dance around her with practiced footwork. I duck under a blow aimed at my head and step in for a counter. Although it would have been easy to run her through, I strike her with my gauntlet instead. The heavy blow hits her gut and she lets out a soft ‘oof’ as the air is forced from her lungs.  

She staggers back and I feel strangely guilty at the sight of her pained expression. “You really don’t stand a chance against any Cambion, maybe the Devils but even that’s a stretch,” I say with a shake of my head. 

Sophia tries for a smile but winces and it turns into more of a grimace. “Tell me why you’re the only one that doesn’t use that red eye thing you mentioned,” she says, through shallow, pained breaths.

I frown, not sure why she’s so curious, I decide to ignore it and step in for another round. 

“Wait,” she says, holding a hand up. “I know I’ve already lost. Please just tell me.”

“I,” my mouth hangs open for a brief moment in stunned astonishment. Sophia is looking at me with an expression of calm acceptance but there’s also that same curiosity I saw from her earlier. “You…” I start, still struggling to find my voice. “Why are you so curious about me?” I finally get out, confused. 

Sophia shrugs, “You’re different, I don’t sense the evil that I’ve been told should be easy to see. I want to know why.”

Her eyes are so earnest and for a moment I want nothing more than to tell her all of my secrets. How hard it’s been for me here... but I can’t. She may not be an officer but letting her go would still kill me. As if sensing my thoughts a familiar tightness takes up residence in my chest, coiling around my heart like a noose. I try to rid myself of the regret I feel for what must be done but I can’t seem to shake the feeling. A sad expression makes its way onto my face as I once more step into range of Sophia. Her eyes widen and she’s looking around like she might try to make a run for it but I don’t give her the chance. I strike at her side with such swiftness that she barely manages to get her blade up in time to block. Still the strength behind the blow takes her by surprise and she’s knocked completely off balance. The woman falls into a roll and manages to put some distance between us before she’s back on her feet. I’m on her again in an instant and she goes on the defensive, fending off heavy blow after heavy blow. After successfully blocking over a dozen strikes she’s finally overwhelmed by my speed and misses. My blade comes to a sudden halt less than an inch away from the side of her neck. Something inside of me stopped my hand and Sophia and I both stare at each other with wide eyes. 

She slowly brings her hand up to touch her neck and her astonished expression tells me she knows she almost just lost her head. The noose around my heart tightens and a sharp stab of pain shoots through my chest. Neither of us move.  

“I used it once, Bloodlust, and almost lost myself. Voices in my head, dark thoughts… they lingered for days afterward and I promised myself that I’d never use it again,” I say, my voice almost a whisper. 

Sophia frowns at me for a second in confusion before the light of realization sparks in her eyes. “That sounds awful. Why would anybody willingly subject themselves to something like that?”

“Power,” I say with a shrug as another spike of pain lances though my chest. “Most just can’t stop themselves, it triggers with strong emotions like anger or despair and the pull is incredibly strong.” I lower my blade and take a step back. Soon Lucien's magic will kill me but I can’t bring myself to kill her. The memory of a young boy flashes in my mind and I wonder why I hadn’t refused then. Why now of all times?

Sophia looks at my lowered blade but she doesn’t comment. Instead she asks, “Do you not get angry or desperate?” 

I try to casually bring a hand up to rub at the pulsing pain in my chest. My heart is being squeezed tighter and tighter with every passing second and I can already feel a drop in my  blood pressure. I won’t be on my feet for too much longer. I clear my throat, “Um no… I… I do and sometimes I can even hear the voices again but… I don’t let it in… willpower and all that…” My voice sounds strained despite my effort and Sophia immediately notices my discomfort.  

“Erin are you okay?” her words are soft and I find myself comforted by the sound of my name on her lips. I focus my attention on her face but it’s difficult with all the black spots dotting across my vision. 

“No but I’ll be free,” I say knowing that she won’t understand what I mean. “You should go… Don’t fight anymore demons because you were right about them and I don’t want anything to…” my words trail off as my vision goes completely black and my legs buckle beneath me. The steady beat of my heart slows as it loses its battle against Lucien’s magic. The last thing I’m aware of is a warm hand brushing against my cheek but I'm so out of it that I could just be imagining things. The world around me disappears. 

I wake to a headache pounding against my temples and a deep soreness in my chest. The pain makes me wince and I bring a hand up to rub at my forehead. 

“Careful not to move around too much, I don’t wanna drop you.” Sophia’s voice rings in my head like a bell and I wrench my eyes open, wincing again at the light. Immediately, I realize two things, the woman is carrying me and we’re moving fast enough that trying to examine my surroundings is only making me dizzy. I start to squirm in her arms and her grip tightens in response. 

She’s warm and a part of me wants to lean into the touch but my confusion over the situation causes me to panic. “Down! Put me down!” I shout, desperation coloring my tone.   

When Sophia stops running, I immediately struggle out of her arms and stumbling to my knees, desperate to create some distance between us. The movement causes another throb of pain to shoot through my temples but I ignore it. My mind is too muddled with questions. Without thinking, I rub at my chest. Something’s different, I feel... lighter maybe? Is this really happening?

The angel holds up her hands and takes a step toward me. “Erin it’s okay, it’s me, Sophia.” She frowns. “I never gave you my name did I?”

All I can do is shake no head no. Too shocked far anything else.

“Well, I’m Sophia Clark,” She gives me a small smile and holds out her hand. I take it and let her pull me to my feet. “Look, I can tell you’re confused so let me help clear some things up for you. Ask me anything.”

“Is this real?” I ask, staring at her with wide eyes. 

My question takes her off guard and for a moment we just look at each other. Then, she clears her throat and smiles. “Yes,” she says the word like a whispered promise and I believe her. 

The memory of Sophia unraveling my invisibility with a touch replays in my mind and for the first time in five long years, I dare to hope. “You freed me,” I say it more like a statement rather than a question.  

She nods, “I have a unique talent.”

“But… Lucien is a god… How is this possible?” I ask, struggling to get the words past the lump in my throat. 

“I don’t know how, canceling magic is an ability that I was born with and I’ve yet to find my limit.” She gives me a one shouldered shrug. 

Before I can reply, a squirrel leaps from a branch above and lands on the ground beside us. I drop my hand to the hilt of my blade, startled by the sudden intrusion. “I should go,” I say as my eyes roam over familiar trees. I’m still in the forest above Lucien’s hell and that isn’t good for my new found freedom. Leathery wings burst from my back with an audible pop and I spread them wide. 

Sophia crosses her arms, “Not without me, you’re not.” 

Surprisingly, I’m not bothered by her declaration, only confused. I gesture for her to follow and leap into the air. Sophia is by my side in an instant, white wings shining even in the low light beneath the canopy. I grimace at the sight, she might as well be wearing a sign around her neck that reads ‘Here I Am!’ Maybe we should stop soon and dirty her up a bit? Try to dim some of that shine. I shake my head, right now speed is the most important thing. We have to stay ahead of the demons. Dodging tree trunks and branches makes for a difficult conversation but I manage to ask. “Why did you want to come with me? Don’t your people need you to fight with them?” 

An expression akin to regret flashes across Sophia’s features but she quickly hides the look behind a mask of indifference. “My people called for a retreat while you were unconscious. We lost and traveling in a large group would only get the rest of us killed. It’s better to separate and meet back up at the randevu point.” 

“Do you all know the location of this meeting place?” I ask, an odd sense of foreboding setting in my stomach. 

A large tree trunk forces us apart for a moment. When Sophia catches up, she gives me a strange look. “Of course, a randevu point wouldn’t be of much use if nobody knew where it was.” 

I sigh, “My people have a way of obtaining sensitive information like that.”

Sophia’s eyes flash with indignation. “Nobody will talk.”

I can tell by the set of her shoulders that pushing her on this will only lead to an argument. Time for a subject change, “So, I know why you didn’t meet up with your people but you haven’t said why you’re so set on sticking with me. I don’t even know where I’m going yet.”

“Well I…” A light blush colors Sophia’s cheeks. “You’re strong and familiar with demons. I feel like I’ll be safer if I stick with you.” She looks away. 

Her words catch me off guard and I turn my full attention on the woman. She still won’t meet my gaze and her arms are wrapped around herself in a tight embrace. She’s clearly embarrassed, but I think that mostly, she’s just afraid. “How old are you Sophia?” I ask, my curiosity getting the best of me. 

Sophia’s eyes widen and she finally looks my way. “I’m 21,” she says and I can barely hear her over the wind. I do my best to hide my surprise. I had known she was young for an angel but I had no idea just how young. “How old are you?” she asks, trying to take the attention away from herself. 

“I stopped ageing when I was turned at 24. That was five years ago.” She nods distractedly at my words. Her expression gives nothing away but her eyes dart from tree to tree in a nervous kind of search. I clear my throat, “You know… I uh… I owe you freeing me. More than I’m willing to admit. So… If having me around makes you feel safer then I’ll stay by your side.” 

The promise tumbles from my lips before I can stop it and I want to scream. What was I thinking saying something like that? I just got free and now I’m trying to attach myself to someone else? I open my mouth to take it back but the words quickly die on my tongue because Sophia’s looking at me with her bright blue eyes and a smile that could rival the sun. 

“Thank you,” she says. “But you don’t owe me anything.”

I don’t respond. She doesn’t understand the extent of what she’s done for me and I can’t explain it to her because that would mean talking about... things... If I don’t talk about it, don’t think about it, maybe I can pretend that the last five years never happened. I’m free now so anything’s possible.