Hunting Light, page 13
part #2 of Demon Hunter Series
“Ah, Charmeine. A charming woman. Had great qualities, when you didn’t think about the fact that she was willing to kill everything in order to get rid of the demons, of course. No offense to you all. You all seem sweet,” his eyes find Lucifer and there’s no doubting the sarcasm in his tone. “It’s really such a shame, you see.” He shrugs again, as if her demise couldn’t be helped. “But yes, before you ask, I do know that she was your mother. Once a human, then a demon, then an angel. She went through it all. Admirable, to say the least.”
“But her last moments didn’t prove to be her best moments.”
Clariel shakes his head. “Not at all. She got caught up in her beliefs and got even more caught up with the Purge. And because of that, she was killed. By her own daughter, no less. It’s such a shame, really.”
“Clariel,” I push, drawing closer. “Tell me more about the Purge.”
“A bloodthirsty lot they are. They say they’ll stop at nothing to rid the world of demons.” Beside the hunters, that’ll make two of them. “It’s the reason behind their motto. Cut one head off, another will grow back. Simply meaning that no matter how many of them fall for the cause, there will always be someone else to pick back up where they left off.”
“Do you think they might be at it again?” Brotus asks.
Clariel looks over at him, hums appreciatively, before answering, “Oh, they’re always at it. Always trying to find some way to get rid of those things. I must say the last was the most creative one of them all. I was half expecting it to work.”
“You seem to know a lot about their work, Clariel,” Merlidon says casually, though I know he’s anything but casual. Even though he reclines as if he hasn’t a care in the world, he’s a spy through and through, and he always gets his information.
Clariel isn’t very hard to get it out of however. “I was interested in them, I won’t lie to you, though I was positively turned off by what they were doing.”
“Then why didn’t you stop them?” I ask. “Why did you let them ruin so many lives?”
This time, when Clariel looks at me, his eyes darken for a moment, as if haunted by memories he would rather forget. “There are things you just wouldn’t understand.”
Fine.
“What are they doing now then?” I ask. It’s hard trying to keep the desperation out of my voice.
Clariel shrugs again. The more he does that, I notice, gritting my teeth, the more maddening it becomes. “That I don’t know. They’ve been quiet for a while.”
“So, they haven’t been kidnapping humans with the sight then?” Lucifer asks.
“Not to my knowledge. I would know. As I said, I’m quite interested in them. Though,” he continues after a moment, “I’m completely against what they stand for. They think demons are the scum of the realms and they should be eradicated. Where I think we can all live peacefully if we really want to.”
“How flattering,” Merlidon drawls. “Unfortunately, there are many demons and angels who don’t think or act the same way you do.”
“Life’s about balance. There’ll be good and there’ll be evil. If everyone thought in the exact same manner, then what kind of life would that be?”
Finally, he grins. Somehow, he manages to look more menacing than the three demons in the room. “I like the world just the way it is and have no reason to want it to change. If I could create a group to rival the Purge to that end, I would.”
If what Clariel said is right, then the angels are not who we’re looking for. Kidnapping hunters isn’t something they would be able to do without bringing at least some amount of attention to themselves. If someone who watches them as closely as Clariel does doesn’t see anything out of sorts, then it’s likely they aren’t the ones behind this. Which brings me right back to square one.
I turn to Lucifer but he’s already watching me, already reading my thoughts without me having to open them up to him. “I’ll begin a search,” he says. “We’ll scour all of Hell to find them. Don’t worry.”
Worry is the last thing I’m feeling. Anger is there, sweet and familiar on my tongue.
Luna is out there, in the hands of God knows who and I’m still stuck at the starting line. Fuck!
“Melody,” Clariel calls.
I blink, looking up at him. He’s serious now, more serious than he has been since he arrived. “I would like to have private word with you. If you don’t mind.”
“You must be out of your mind if you think we’re leaving her with you,” Merlidon says instantly. Brotus nods in agreement.
But Clariel doesn’t even look their way. “It’s about your mother. And your father as well. Information I think you’d like to know.”
“I don’t need to know anything about my mother.” Charmeine is dead. Gone. Useless to me now. As for my father…
“You’ll want to hear this. Trust me.”
I stare at him, watching the way he stares back. After a moment, I nod at Lucifer. I can sense his reluctance at leaving me but he rises anyway, sending meaningful looks Merlidon and Brotus’ way. They know better than to argue with their king, but they don’t hide their displeasure as they get to their feet. In the next second, they’re gone.
“We’re alone now,” I say. “Talk.”
“Come.” Clariel pats the empty space beside him. “Sit.”
“I’d rather stand, thank you. Get on with what you want to say or I’m calling them back.”
“Alright, have it your way.” He raises conceding hands. “Your mother and I, before she became what she was in her later years, we were friends.”
“Why didn’t you mention that before?”
“You hadn’t asked,” he says with another one of his anger inducing shrugs. “We were close, but when she joined the Purge, we drifted. Our viewpoints just wouldn’t allow us to be in the same place as each other for long, so she went on her path and I went on mine. But before we did, she would tell me all about her life before being an angel. She would tell me about you a lot as well, about the daughter she was so proud of because of your dedication to your job as a hunter. She would boast about you all the time to me.”
Then his voice falls, serious. I tense. “She would also tell me about your father. Whenever she spoke about him it was always in a fond manner. Even so, there was no denying the fact that she, even as an angel, feared him.”
“Charmeine was afraid of Mr. Black?”
His brows rise at that. “You call them by those names? I suppose I can’t really blame you. They haven’t really been a major part of your life, have they?” That’s the understatement of the year. “Yes,” he continues. “She was afraid of him. She was afraid of what he was capable of. He was a man dedicated to his beliefs.”
“Which doesn’t make any sense since he fell in love with a demon.”
“And hated every second of it. He couldn’t help himself, she would tell me. He really loved her. But he also despised her for being a demon, hated the fact that he was so weak to her.”
That doesn’t sound anything like the father I know. A hard man, yes. A man dedicated to his job, most definitely. But a man in love? Come again?
“Your father had a book,” he says, “It was filled with all his plans to take down the demon race. Some of those plans were…they weren’t avenues he was allowed to take. Collateral damage was just that…collateral damage. Your mother wasn’t sure she would be spared if he decided to put one of his plans into action.”
“I’m not sure what this has to do with me,” I say mimicking his noncommittal shrug.
“You’re caught up with demons, Melody.”
“And Mr. Black is missing.”
“But not for long. You’ll find him. And when you do... if he finds out about Lucifer and the others-” Sighing, Clariel gets to his feet. “Be careful, Melody. You should know more than anyone that your father is not a very forgiving man.”
“Thank you,” I push out. “Your cooperation was very helpful.”
“Hey, I’m on your side, okay? Team hunters!” Clariel lifts a hand in farewell. “It was nice to finally meet you, Melody Black.”
I lift an answering hand, watching the outline of his body grow white.
Suddenly, the door is banged down. I have no time to react, no time to think before I see two long swords whoosh past my ears and embed themselves in Clariel’s shoulders. He’s blown back by the force, pinned to the wall. Screeching.
I turn, pulling my dagger out of my boot and meet the intruder head on.
And come face to face with Mr. Black.
17
“Wha –”
His sword grinds against mine, pushing me backward. In my shock I stagger, almost thrown off my feet and Mr. Black is on me again, sword swiping down at me. My entire body reverberates at the force of the blow.
“You’re getting rusty, Melody,” he grunts.
I hardly hear him. I’m too busy staring into his eyes, noting the energy in the room, the one that is definitely demonic. But that doesn’t make any sense.
He pushes down harder, forcing me to sweep my leg out under his. He falls but doesn’t stay down for long, flipping back onto his feet before charging again.
For years I’ve dreamt about this. Meeting my father sword to sword, defeating him, letting him see that he’s no longer the best.
This isn’t the way I envisioned it. In my dreams, he’s human, he’s the Guild leader, he’s my father. Now…now, I don’t know what he is, but I know he definitely isn’t human anymore. The strength in his limbs, the way he moves, it’s been magnified. I’ve been studying the way he fights ever since I was a little girl, committing his movements to memory. Dissecting them in every way possible. But I’ve never seen him fight like this.
Now, I’m barely staying on my feet. He swings an arm at me and I duck beneath him, spinning on my feet and jabbing my elbow into his shoulder. It’s as if I’ve barely touched him because he brushes off the blow, coming with such power in his limbs I’m nearly blown back into the wall next to Clariel. But I stand my ground, keep myself upright, hands up. He’s fast, so I don’t stay in one place for long. I have to be just as fast, faster even, but it’s hard keeping up with his unnatural speed.
And he knows it. Though he doesn’t smile, though his face doesn’t move from the eternally stoic expression he wears on a daily basis, I can tell that he’s already feeling victorious. The powerful energy he exudes, it’s rolling off him. I can feel it.
And of course, that pisses me the fuck off.
Finally, I manage to get the upper hand, though I’m battling him with only two knives. Since I have no sword, I rely mainly on my hand to hand combat, jabbing, swinging, kicking. The top of my boot grazes the edge of his chin, and though it doesn’t hit as forcefully as I would have liked, it still throws him off. And I go right for the kill.
I pounce on him, trying to disarm him first and, when the sword clatters to the clean floor – though now speckled with drops of my blood – I pin him to the far wall, pressing the knife to his throat.
Mr. Black doesn’t look scared, which I’m definitely not surprised by. Instead, he almost looks impressed. “I take back my statement,” he says. “You’re better than I thought you were.”
“Forgive me if I don’t really feel like standing here and listening to how much you doubted my skills, father,” I spit at him, then I open my mind again, allowing Lucifer to see what’s happening, to sense my utter confusion. And then he’s standing behind me, backed by his two high commanders.
I don’t have to turn around to see the lethal expression they’re all wearing. I can feel it, and it seems to bolster my own. But, Mr. Black, my dear, dear father, just looks over at them as if they aren’t worth his interest, as if he’s watching paint dry. “And who might you three be?” he asks.
Disgusted, I release him, stalking away, and Brotus swoops in to grab ahold of him before he can do anything. From the corner of my eye, I see that Clariel has recovered from his shock and has managed to form the good sense of pulling the swords from his shoulders. He’s brushing off his suit, looking more annoyed than anything else now, then he looks up at us. “I told you you’d find him, Melody, although I wasn’t expecting it to be this quickly. And I wasn’t expecting to be caught in the crossfire as well.”
I frown at him. “Did you know that this was going to happen?”
“Had no sweet clue,” he says, shrugging. The movement seems to pain him this time and, for some reason, that gives me a tiny amount of satisfaction. “You were searching for him and he came looking for you. The world is funny that way, don’t you think?”
Clariel looks at Mr. Black, who’s uncharacteristically quiet. Something moves behind Clariel’s eyes, something I can’t – and don’t care to – decipher. “Although it seems you found more than you thought you would. I suppose I don’t have anything more to do here. I’m leaving, before he breaks free and starts throwing swords again.”
In a cloud of white light a few seconds later, he’s gone. I rub my hands over my face, coming away with blood on the tips of my fingers where he had caught and busted open my chin. Think, Melody. What the fuck do you do now that your father is a… a what exactly? A demon? That’s as close as I get.
Lucifer approaches me. He places a hand on my shoulder, whispering in my ear, “We should question him.”
“I doubt he’s going to give us anything useful.”
“If he doesn’t, then we always have Brotus for that.”
I look back at them. Mr. Black looks calm, at ease, not at all bothered by Brotus or Merlidon who stands over him like a constant threat. Brotus has a good hold on him, but not a good enough one. Not one he can’t get out of if he tries. Brotus looks at me, thinking the same thing I am.
“Bind him,” I command, and they instantly move to do as I order. When did it come to this? They throw Mr. Black into the chair Lucifer previously sat in. When did I become the one giving the orders? When did I become the one who’s meant to be the savior?
Mr. Black gazes up at me. Before, when Brotus held him, he was silent, almost bored. Now, something shimmers in his eyes as he looks at me, something I know all too well. Disappointment.
I try not to let it get to me. Even as a demon, he still manages to show that I’m not worth his praise. I sit in the couch, aware that Lucifer is still standing close, take a deep breath and begin. “You’re a fucking demon.”
Mr. Black tsks, shaking his head, though his eyes remain direct and focused on me. “I was never a fan of your penchant for cursing, you know? Always pushing it in whenever you can. Always sounding so angry.”
“Well, fuck. Sorry I disappointed you with my speech as well.”
“It can’t be helped. It’s who you are. It’s in your nature.” His eyes narrow as he runs them down the length of me and back up. “The daughter of a demon,” he all but spits at me. “A curse on mankind, is what you are. I should have killed you when I had the chance to. Now, you’ve gone off and done something stupid like getting tangled up with demons.” He flicks a hate-filled gaze at Lucifer before returning his focus to me. I might be mistaken, but I swear the hate grows more intense.
“You’re the one who fucked a demon, Mr. Black. Even fell in love with her, so I’ve heard. You’re the reason I’m even alive today.”
“My dire oversight. Yes, I fell in love with Charmeine, though the thought plagued me. You don’t know what it feels like, loving someone you know you should hate. It’s draining, it’s all-consuming. I wanted to kill her and hold her at the same time.”
I know exactly how that feels, actually, but I don’t waver my eyes from his. “So, that’s why you hate me so much? Because I remind you of a love that haunts you?”
“Because you’re everything that shouldn’t be in this world,” he snarls. There it is. The confirmation I’ve always needed. In the past, I suspected my father really did hate me, but to hear him say those words, to hear him justify it, hurts way more than it should.
I school my face in neutrality. I can deal with that later, I tell myself. Again, Mr. Black looks at the demons surrounding him with such revulsion, it’s hard to believe he’s now one of them. “But I had hope,” he continues, looking back at me. “It was tiny, barely even there, but there all the same. And when I saw how you were growing up, dedicated to being the best hunter you could be, I thought that maybe my human genes overrode the demon inside you. That maybe you weren’t going to turn out like the disappointment you should have been. And that hope grew.”
“Then, what changed?” There are so many other questions I want to ask, so many other things I need to know first. But this takes precedence.
But Mr. Black doesn’t answer me. Instead, he poses his own question. “How did you meet them, Melody? These demons?”
“I’m the one asking the questions here, not you.” But he doesn’t seem to care. Now he’s curious, gaze roaming the room until it lands on Lucifer. “The big bad Lucifer. I’ve spent most my life looking for you, you know?”
Lucifer nods, his face expressionless. “I know.”
“Almost all my adult life I’ve search for the King of Demons and always managed to come up short. I got close once, you know. I’m guessing Charmeine was the one who tipped you off. That she was helping her beloved king.”
“Unfortunately, I didn’t have the pleasure of meeting Charmeine until she was already an angel.”
“Enough of this,” I snap. Lucifer looks at me. He can tell that I’m becoming unraveled, but he doesn’t move to my side. He leaves me be, leaves me to face my father head on. “You’re a fucking demon now, Mr. Black. How?”
“I suppose that’s just what fate had in store for me.”
“I’m surprised you haven’t killed yourself. Becoming the very thing you hate the most? It must be driving you insane.”
Instead of defending himself like I expect him to, Mr. Black just smiles. “You let me worry about that, Melody.”
“What about the attack in your office? We thought you were missing, that demons took you.”
