Wingless (13 page)

"You could, but I think you're going to want to come with me."

"And why's that?"

"Because you seem different." He pauses, running his hand through his thick head of black hair. "You're different. You're not human, I can tell you that much. There's a place for people like you. A place I own. We can help you."

"Just what exactly do you think I am?" I ask him, my tone hard.

"Well, you feel angelic, but you're apparently not. So you must be Nephalem, since I know you're not a Demon. I can't tell for sure, but I can feel it."

"Nephalem?" I question the word.

"Half angel, half human."

"That's what you are? A halfling?" I question, my heart banging against my ribs. It all makes sense. I did what Perry told me to do. I found halflings.

"Halfling?" He laughs, spiteful and angry. "Let me guess, an Angel taught you that word. Be careful what you say. Fallen or Nephalem are appropriate names. You shouldn't put yourself down like that," he says. He turns to leave me, but I don't want the conversation to end on his terms. Plus, I just found my Halfling, and I don't want to lose my chance of fitting in.
 

"I'm not a Nephalem." I give in and tell him to truth just so I don't have to have this conversation anymore. "I'm just a worthless Angel without wings."

"What?" He turns to face me, his eyes alight with wonder.

"Yup," I answer, rolling my eyes.

"Aren't you interesting," he says, grinning from ear to ear.
 

"I'm not an experiment. I'm a person. And I'm sick and tired of people treating me like I'm weird or interesting." I step towards him like I might fight him, which is far from the truth. I'm not stupid.

"Relax, okay? I can help you," he says, holding up his hands in front of him. I'm not sure what that means, but it seems apologetic.

"How?"

"By being around people similar to you. It's a safe place for non-humans. I'm not saying you have to live there. But you should come check it out."

"Do I have to?" I ask back.

"Of course not. Here's the address," he says, handing me a business card from his back pocket. I turn over the card in my hand, reading it. "Come by during the day. We hunt at night." His eyes glimmer with glee.

"Hunt?"

"Demon hunting. I'm serious about you coming by. Just ask for me—Luke. I'll show you around," he says and then not a second later, he's gone. I'm left alone in the silent, dark alleyway.
 

I let out a single breath, and then hurry home.
 

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Sanctuary

I feel driven the next morning to visit the sanctuary that Luke spoke of. I wake up with a plan. I quickly dress in a new outfit that's equally as bad-ass—a new word I've learned from wandering the streets at night—as last night's. I switch out the leather pants for jeans with little rips on the knees and pair it with greenish brown combat boots. I throw on a tee-shirt and the same leather jacket.

Before I leave, I make a stop in my kitchen and grab a glass of chocolate milk. It's my favorite thing. The taste, the feel—it's amazing. The only problem is the sluggishness I feel afterwards.

But I found my halflings—I mean, Nephalem—and that deserves some celebration. I down the drink, savoring the sweet taste, and then put it in my kitchen sink.

The address on the card leads me to an upscale part of town. I can tell, because the alleys are clean and there's not as much traffic or stores. I walk the entire way and pause outside of the front doors.

It doesn't look any different than a regular building. I guess when I thought of a sanctuary, I thought of some underground building with green pastures and open land that Nephalem hide in to get away from humans.
 

I keep walking, though, because I'm not ready to go inside. I try to give myself a pep talk and prepare to enter the well-lit building. The outside has a little canopy over the walkway. It's green and black, and there's a man waiting underneath it.

He looks at me like I'm a crazy person as I circle the place for the third time. But I just can't do it. If I walk in there, I'm stepping into new territory. It feels like a trap, and I don't know whether the risk is worth the reward.
 

Luke seemed way too welcoming and nice to me despite the scared reaction he got from Hannah and Hare. I need to just go in, check the place out, and then get out of there. Before I can completely run away, I remember Perry's advice to befriend them. I should just do it. I want to fit in more than anything, and if the Nephalem give me that ticket in, then so be it.

"Are you ready, miss?" the man at the door asks me.

"I guess so," I sigh, but nod my head.

"Right ahead," he says as he grabs the door for me. He pulls it open and swings his arm out for me to go in. I nod again, in thanks, and basically run into the place.
 

I'm completely lost on where to go. The entry room looks almost identical to the one in my apartment building. There are a few chairs and tables, but it's mostly vacant. It's alarmingly white, and I hate it for reminding me of where I come from.

I walk forward, past the chairs and tables, towards what looks like the only way out—a single red door. I push it open and it reveals an elevator, something I have learned to love more than stairs. It looks much smaller than what I've seen in the movies and places around the city, but I go in anyway. The doors shut behind me, and I'm locked into what feels like a tiny box.
 

"Where are you going?" a strange sounding voice asks me from somewhere. I look around, up, and down to try to figure out who's with me. But the elevator is silent. "Who are you seeing?" the same voice asks again.

"I'm, um, here to see Luke," I stutter out.

"Very well," the voice says, and then the elevator jumps to life. I'm jostled around and have to cling to the walls to stabilize myself. After a few seconds, I'm used to the movement and relax against the back wall.
 

The elevator suddenly stops with a shake, and the doors open into another entry looking room. There are more chairs and tables, and I wonder if people actually sit in them. Why do humans need so many places to sit? It's still a mystery to me.
 

I tentatively walk forward and with each step, my palms get damper with nerves. There's a woman sitting in front of me behind a large circle shaped table. She's looking down at a television and tapping on a keyboard faster than I've ever seen fingers move.
 

I pause in front of her and place my hands on the table. "One moment," she says to me and I nod, acknowledging her. I'm able to look around and am thankful that this room isn't like the downstairs and devoid of any color. The walls are a deep gray, nearly black, but there are little lights on the walls that illuminate the place.
 

It's very spacious. Its large picture windows and lack of much furniture make the room look larger. There are two doors, one on either side of the woman's table. One is green, while the other is painted black. I have a feeling those are the colors of this place, since the banner outside over the sidewalk was the same.
 

"Sorry to keep you waiting," the woman says, smiling wide at me. I focus back at her. "What can I help you with?"

"I'm here to see Luke," I tell the lady.

"Is he expecting you?" the woman asks while she taps on her board some more. Before she can answer, Luke emerges from the black door. He looks completely different than last night. In the light of day, his features are much sharper.

He's still large, and his presence is electric and thick. But, now I can clearly make out his face. He has strong cheekbones, high and defined. His jaw is square with a shadow underneath of hair. His dark eyes focus solely on me, and it's nerve-wracking.
 

"Miss Annie. I honestly wasn't expecting you," he remarks.

"I can put her down for an appointment," the woman at the table suggests. She turns to face Luke, but he barely notices her.

"No, I can make time for her." Luke smiles at me. "Come," he commands, and I willingly follow. He turns back to the black door and holds it open for me. I pass by him and his hand brushes against my arm by accident, and it makes my heart leap from my chest.
 

"Wow," I say as I look around his room. There are no chairs in here, which strangely gives me comfort. The walls are deep cranberry with darker accents along the windows and door. It's feels like a den, all dark and dangerous.
 

"What made you come today?" Luke asks as he shuts the door behind us.

"Truthfully, I'm not sure. I guess just to check it out," I offer, shrugging my shoulders.

"It's quite the place, isn't it?" he asks but doesn't wait for my answer. "How long have you been here?" he asks me.

"A few days."

"That's it?"

"Yeah."

"Well, would you like to walk and talk? I can show you around and explain what we do here and why."

"I'd love it."
 

He leads me around the room to a stairwell. Luckily, we only go down one set of stairs and then we move into the room he chooses to show me first. There are tons of people, or I guess, Nephalem, here. They're moving around, conversing with each other.

"I own the entire building. Each floor serves a purpose. This is a social floor. This is a safe place that Nephalem can go to and converse and talk to each other without feeling threatened."

"I don't understand. What's threatening them?"

"Many things. To start, there are Demons out there that make it hard to live a peaceful life. We try to protect the Nephalem from human threats, as well. Earth is dangerous."

"Can Demons be good?" I counter, frowning my face.

"I like to think so," he chuckles under his breath. "Anyway, there's a food court around the back. There's a lounge, movie theater, and cafe. Pretty much anything you want to do for fun, you can do here."

"Wow," I mutter as I follow Luke. We go back into the stairwell and down one more set of stairs. He shows me where the living quarters are. Apparently most Nephalem live here, but they don't have to. It's just an option for those who want it.
 

An announcement rings out over the loudspeaker, "Level seven on fifth street. Seven on fifth. Team C report." The noise reverberates through the place, and it becomes deafeningly silent.

"I have to go. Stay put, I'll have Hannah come show you the rest."

"Where are you going?" I ask him, looking around paranoid.

"We keep track of various Demons in the area. Some we have to kill off. This is one we've been tracking for a while. I have to go."

"Can I come?"

"No," he answers sternly.

"Please," I beg, rushing after him. He pushes through the door and runs down the stairwell in rapid pace. But, I meet his steps and follow right behind.

"Have you ever fought a Demon?" he asks, stopping at the bottom of the stairwell. He turns and faces me.

"Well, yesterday—" I start to say, but he cuts me off.

"No, you haven't. You could be a risk."

"What's that even mean? Please, let me come with you. I'll just follow you if I want."

"Why?"

"This is what I want to do. I was going to be a Fighter," I whisper. "Please."

"Fine, let's go." He gives in to me and I trudge behind him.
 

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Demon Hunt

"What exactly did they teach you in the Veil?" Luke asks as we strut out of the building. Four other Nephalem meet up with us, marching beside Luke and I. Their strides are long, their legs even longer, but I keep up.
 

"I know what to do," I say with confidence

"How?" he asks me, glancing at me for just a moment with his steely glare.

"Because I was taught a little from the Archers. I know that they only die if they're decapitated. I know to break their neck. Trust me. Being a Fighter was my dream; it's all I wanted."

"Well, I guess it's time to prove yourself," he says, and before I can dwell on his words, the Demon comes into view. He looks human, way too human for comfort. He's got very light brown hair and thick eyebrows that are furrowed in anger.

"That's a Demon?" I ask aloud. The guy behind me answers with a yes and then runs forward, sprinting. He has a decent amount of speed, but I know I'm faster. So I lunge forward, matching him step for step.

As I thought, I pass the Nephalem and reach the Demon first. I grab him around the shoulders and tug him backwards, using all of my strength and pent-up aggression. A Nephalem is close behind; he grabs the Demon's legs and swipes them out from under him. The Demon falls to the ground, but drags me with him. Our limbs tangle in a mess.

I glare at the Nephalem that threw me off, but don't have time to get mad. I jump back into the fight, pull out my right arm, and punch the Demon square in his sharp jaw. Black blood gushes from his mouth in a volcano-like eruption. It coats my jeans, my stomach, and my hand.
 

"Pull it," I say when I have the Demon in a vise-like grip. I'm locked around his neck, both arms joined together, clenching tightly. He's struggling beneath me, bucking his hips and kicking his legs to get free. The Nephalem from before comes up behind me and twists the Demon's neck to the side.

It barely affects the Demon. He bounces back quickly from the attempted murder and grabs me around the waist, tugging us both against a brick wall. I hit it hard, my head slamming against the brick. I swear, I can feel my brain bounce around. It's unnerving and disorienting.
 

I can't focus on the pain. I have to push through it. I use my back as leverage against the wall and bend forward so that the Demon rolls off me and falls back. I look around for back up, but there's another Demon a few feet down the wall that the other guys are taking care of. I panic thinking I'm alone, but not even a second later, Luke comes to my rescue.

He grabs the Demon from behind and throws him against the brick beside me. The Demon topples over and lands on his tailbone, little pieces of wall falling down beside him. He groans in pain. Instead of feeling bad, like I assumed I would, it makes my stomach roll with victory.