Beyond Judgement: Beyond Series, Book 1

Prologue

Eve

Damion walks ahead of me. His muscular frame is enhanced by his dark wings. Their silhouette is only apparent by the cascading moonlight from above. He looks like a gentle creature, but I know better. The strength we both possess is unmatched. We're the only two of our kind. We were created to dominate, and that's what we do. Keeping the balance between good and evil. But fighting that fight internally is a continuous challenge.

I want to be more than just a player in this game. I want to make a difference. I want to be and do good. The Creator created us to be his ultimate weapon. I know I'm supposed to do as I'm told, and if I defy him, I will be stripped of my wings and identity. I will be living my life out on earth without a purpose at all, or even worse, stuck in the land of the in-between. Surrounded by darkness. I shake my head to clear my mind.

"Eve," Damion's voice is low. "Find the girl and complete what the Creator started 13 years ago." He turns to face me.

I feel my eyes darken and my heart rate quicken in anticipation. My fight response kicks in along with my demon side.

"She's human. How difficult can it be?" I say.

"With her father out of the way, we have a clear shot this time. He can't interfere with the plan." Damion says, with a sneer.

"Isn't that why we were created? To finish what the Creator starts?" I ask.

"That's not the only reason." Damion pulls me in for a kiss. "We're the force. Fire and Fury." He kisses my neck.

I want to believe this is the right thing to do. That the Creator wishes this girl dead for a good reason, but is there one? The good and bad parts of me are always in a feud with each other. Eating away at me from the inside. Damion never seems to question anything. From which side he favors, to the demands of the Creator, he is the faithful servant. For me, the choices I make aren't as simple.

"Where is her father now?" I ask.

"The Creator sent him away. He wanted to make sure there wouldn't be any obstacles this time." Damion presses his lips against mine. His eyes darken. I feel the change happening within me as well. The demon within us has won this time. "Don't mess this up, Princess."

I nod and smile back at him.

Princess. I hate it when he calls me that. I'm nobody's princess. I'm not sure what I am, but a princess, I know, isn't it.

"Consider it done," I say, stepping back and extending my wings out for flight. I inhale the cool air into my lungs and ascend into the midnight sky. My wings glide through the wind without hesitation as I begin my journey to find this girl, Allie. The human who has caused such a disruption in the Creator's world.

It isn't long before I catch her scent. I know she is near. A group of three people are leaving a movie theater below. Their laughter fills the air. I lower myself to the ground and fold my wings around myself to keep from being seen by the human eye. My dark wings hide me well in the shadows. I keep my distance at first. I have nothing to go on besides Allie's scent, but it's an unmistakable one.

There's a guy and two girls. I have to figure out which girl is Allie. I can't risk screwing this up or Damion will never let me live it down. He enjoys throwing my mistakes back into my face. I roll my eyes at the thought.

"Allie, come with us to get some coffee," the other female says, excitedly.

I watch as the brunette-haired girl turns my way. Her eyes seem to see right through me. Her smile, though directed to her friends, weakens my knees. I feel my eyes lighten into the way they do when I'm compelled to favor my good side. The angel side.

"I can't," Allie says. "You know Mom will be waiting up for me."

Good. This is my chance. She'll be away from her friends and I can get to her before she goes into her house. Though my mind is pushing me to stay on task, I find myself questioning it.

I watch Allie climb into her car. She starts the engine and waves to her friends as she drives away. I extend my wings and take flight. I stay close behind her car, but high enough to remain unseen. She drives down the roads with ease. It's late and the traffic below me is light. Within ten minutes Allie pulls into her driveway. I land just a few feet away from the parked car and wait for her to step out. My nerves fill my body with adrenaline. I'll make my move quick. She'll never see it coming.

Allie steps out and starts to make her way up the sidewalk to the front porch. I fold my wings just so, to keep them out of sight of the human eye. I reach for her, but I'm flooded by the memory of her electrifying smile. The way she lit up the dark night. The way she lit up the good part of me. I lower my arm back by my side and watch her stride up the porch steps and into the house.

I let her go.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"What have YOU done?" Damion's voice echoes off the stone walls surrounding us.

"I couldn't harm her," I say, shaking my head.

"It's not your place to make the judgement." Damion grabs me around the neck and presses me up against the wall. "WE carry out the ruling!"

"I'm tired of doing his dirty work for him," I growl, driving my leg in between his legs.

Damion releases his grip on my throat and falls to his knees.

"I guess you still have a few human weaknesses," I hiss.

He recovers and stands tall over me. I know he's trying to make me feel small in his presence, but I don't feel anything except fear for Allie. For the light, she carries inside of her.

"If you won't do it, I will." Damion flies off without warning.

I chase after him into the dark night sky. I will not let him hurt Allie, even if it causes me to lose my wings. He's stronger than I am, but I'm faster. I fly past him to reach Allie before he does. But when we get to her house, I'm surprised to find her car gone.

Damn it, Allie. Where have you gone? Then I remember her friends asking her to get coffee. There's only one place open this time of night. Insomnia Beans. The local coffee shop is open 24/7 and I hope that's where she is.

In a matter of seconds, I'm off into the night again. Damion is close behind me. I think to go elsewhere, but he'd figure out it's a trick, and I can't risk him getting to her before I do.

Suddenly, her scent fills the air. I see her car on the roadway below. She's pulled over to the side of the road with her flashers on. Steam is coming from the hood of Allie's car. Dammit. STAY in your car, Allie! Rain begins to fall. I blink fast to keep my eyes clear. Damion catches up to me and knocks me out of the sky. I tumble onto the ground and feel the scrapes from the pavement claw at my skin. Warm blood flows from my wounds, but I pick myself up and charge after him.

Damion is inches from Allie's car. I pin him to the ground behind her car. My knee rests on his neck. He reaches up and grabs my arm to pull me off of him. I'm saved by a set of headlights starting our way.

Our number one rule is to never be seen by humans in our supernatural form. I stand and shield myself with my wings. Damion rolls to the side and out of the light's direct path. He growls at me and shoots straight up into the sky. I can feel his intense anger with me, but I no longer care.

Allie's friends pull up to offer her their aid. I know Allie is safe, and for now that is good enough. Damion can't harm her when she is not alone. I know the Creator won't be happy with me, but maybe I can prolong Allie's life by saying I need more time to complete the task. But will I be able to do it? Will I be able to end her life when the time comes?