Justice For The Fallen ✓

1. Sannarah

A/N 

Trigger warning: violence, bloodshed, murder scene description, crude language

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Golden shackles cuffed my hands, and the wretched metal cut deep into my wrists. Already, dark brown burns splashed my red skin. 

No, it was not the best day for me.

I shuffled, carefully ensuring I didn't step further onto cobblestones flooded with crimson blood. Gods know how long it would take me to clean it off my leather shoes. And they were my favourites! Not to mention also the only decent ones I owned.

"Stop wriggling, hellspawn, or I'll put you down!" barked the angel who raised his shiny sword threateningly. He was tall and bulky, and one could think he shouldn't be afraid of a small, weak female like me. And yet, the angry red claw marks marring his perfectly handsome face must have made him edgy.

"Hold your horses, Soldier Boy!" I raised my cuffed hands. "You've already overpowered me, remember? A glorious duel─two angels for one poor, lonely girl. How very fair of you, oh courageous ones!"

The angel growled and took a step towards me, the knuckles of his sword hand flashing white.

I should probably learn to keep my mouth shut.

Luckily, before I was forced to step back, right into a puddle of blood, a female angel grabbed her companion's elbow.

"Leave her. She's taunting you. Melkyal will be here soon to take over." She looked at me with her beautiful eyes, the colour of the sky in the middle of summer, the clearest and most pure blue I've ever seen. They were filled with such scorn that it hurt more than their kicks and jabs.

Oh, right. Did I mention that I'm a demon? A Demon of Wrath, to be exact.

Being what I was, one might think I could easily overpower two lower-ranked Angels of Courage. I probably could, but that would require unleashing my inner demon. And once I did, there would be no stopping her, not before the whole world was blood and rivers ran red.

No one would want that. I liked this city with its filthy alleys and corrupted people driven by their desires. I didn't want to unleash  Armageddon and the world's end on this lovely place. So, I decided to bide my time until I saw an opening and could silently slip away from those pompous, periwinkle-feathered guards.

The one that itched to hit me again scoffed, and his shrug almost allowed the ends of his magnificent wings to touch the filthy street. The angels looked so out of place here, with their picturesque beauty and shiny armours. They usually kept an eye on things from up above. Because of all the smell and dirt, I assumed. Gods, this city stank, but it was a familiar home smell.

So much better than no scent at all. I shiver at the memory of black emptiness.

I sighed and brushed the hair off my eyes. The right side of my jaw throbbed painfully where the angel's fist hit me. I bet it was bruised already too. If only I didn't follow this bloody tip-off, I wouldn't be here.

It was all Zurgrun's fault.

***

I've been running around the city since early morning. Milla's Haven's food reserves diminished again. We had accepted so many newcomers lately that we struggled to keep them all fed. And so, I was visiting all the taverns and inns just as they opened to see if they had any food close to spoiling that they would be willing to give away. I also went through their rubbish. You can't be picky when you're hungry.

I was in the middle of an excellent compost heap when someone grunted behind me. I turned on my heel, still cradling a bunch of half-eaten apples to my chest, and I almost dropped them all when I recognised the newcomer.