Angel Assassins - Book 1 Lineage & Lies

Chapter 41 - Demon Hunt

Jake had collected a large bundle of dry sticks and was strolling back to the camp, enjoying the early evening, when he heard voices. He broke into a run. Weaving along the path through the overgrown grass that concealed one entrance to the camp, he burst into clearing expecting to see Xavier. 

Nathan was waving his hands about, while speaking to a green orb that hovered just in front of him.

'Amy, I need Xavier here, not going off on some foolhardy demon hunt. Gabriel and The Detachment can handle it.' The frustration was evident in Nathan's voice.

Nathan looked up as Jake entered the camp.

'Amy, I need to, go have to make some supper for this young whippersnapper'

The orb glowed brighter as Amy's voice came through.

'Tell him, I am looking forward to meeting him'

'I will. Oh and tell Glanvir, he still owes me a rematch'

She laughed.

'I will. Take care, Nathan.'

The orb went dark. Jake dropped his bundle of sticks by the fire

'What was that all about?' he asked.

Nathan rummaged through his pack, pulling out various parcels of food

'It seems that Gabriel has your brother on some stupid quest. He won't be joining us for a few days yet' answered Nathan, trying to not let his earlier frustration come through.

Jake sighed. He plopped down on the floor by the fire. Nathan started to prepare the food. Jake picked up on of the longer sticks and poked the fire, sending embers up into the darkening sky. Nathan sat back against one of the many rocks that dotted area. 

It was the ideal camp site, a small grass clearing bordered on all sides by high grey rocks. It concealed the fire from any view, except above. There were two entrances, one hidden by brush and dead branches, the other by tall grass as high as a man. So unless you knew what you were looking for, you would be hard pressed to find it. 

There was a large stone overhang that covered half the clearing, so as long as the fire was fed, the trapped heat would keep them warm in their beds all night. They were halfway through their food when Jake asked the question that was burning in him since he had heard Nathan talk to Amy.

'What's a demon hunt?'

Nathan finished his mouthful, put his plate down and cleared his throat.

'Back when the Drakim were first formed, they would go on demon hunts. They would get word of a demon who had gone rogue or who was attacking the human quarter. They would put a hunting party together, hunt down the offending demon and send it to the abyss. Word quickly got round, stories of mysterious disappearances, silent assassins. It was widely believed that it was Lucifer's personal guard and that was exactly the way the Drakim liked it.'

Jake found his head swimming as memories that weren't his own began to resurface. He saw the very first demon hunt. The four assassins had cornered a demon in the human quarter. 

He could barely make out their forms as they stalked their prey. He heard a faint cry of a child, at first he couldn't tell where it was coming from. Then he noticed the demon was carrying a sack, it moved as the child inside fought to get out.

'Oh no' said Jake out loud.

Nathan sat quietly as he waited for the vision to pass.

The demon was running now, Jake followed the demon, shouting to let the child go. A figure walked through Jake, as if he wasn't there. It made him shiver involuntary. The figure was dressed in long black hooded coat that did up so the collar covered the mouth and the nose. There was a blue teardrop insignia on front of the hood.