DEVIL HUNTER

CHAPTER 8

Two weeks later

The devil attacks had picked up in the last two weeks. It was driving Jin insane trying to keep up with them. We had to get two more teams to come and help. Jin thought Azreal was finally making his move, but I wasn't sure what to think. I hadn't seen Azreal in five years, it was almost as if he vanished from the face of the earth. Jin couldn't come up with a way to draw him out and neither could the leader of the organization. It was becoming a big mess. To help myself unwind before my mission tonight, I came to get a cup of coffee. The coffee shop in town called Hunter's Coffee Brew was the best place. It was a small, cozy shop with a warm and inviting atmosphere.. The air was filled with the rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee and the sound of soft music played in the background. Comfortable grey armchairs and sofas were scattered around the room. The menu offered a wide variety of coffee and tea drinks, as well as pastries, sandwiches, and other snacks. I took a seat at a small table near the window and took a moment to admire the street scene outside. People were rushing past, some on their way to work, others seemed to be enjoying a leisurely stroll.

I lifted my coffee mug to my lips and took a sip of the hot liquid. As I stared out the large window, drowning out the chatter of the people around me, I couldn't stop thinking about what happened on my last mission. I wanted to tell Jin, but I didn't want to add to his already chaotic schedule. On my last mission I killed a devil who was wanted for murder. I found him in a club in the city, and chasing him down was a pain the ass. When I caught him, he told me this was just the beginning before ripping his heart out. I didn't know what he meant, and I didn't have time to question him either. Emric and I went on a mission two days ago, and the same weird thing happened. We were supposed to be saving a woman, but when we got there she was already dead. Long live the king was written on the wall in blood. Emric demanded we tell Jin, and I couldn't fight him on that. The same thing happened on my mission yesterday. The devil I was chasing killed herself in front of me. I didn't tell Jin, I planned to though.

"Hey."

I looked over when I heard someone speak to me. Standing in front of my table was Vincent. He was the captain of the football team when I was in high school. He took my virginity, and never got the hint to leave me alone after that. I kept having sex with him because it made me feel like a normal girl. Someone was able to see me for who I was, and he loved every inch of my body. He tried as hard as he could to please me, but he was too focused on his release to worry about mine. Just thinking about our last encounter made my stomach turn. He didn't look any different, which shocked me.

He ran his fingers through his blonde hair and smiled nervously. "I'm sorry to interrupt, I was wondering if I could sit here. Everywhere else is full," he smiled, looking around.

I wasn't used to people talking to me, maybe it was because I gave off a don't bother me aura. When I didn't respond he said, "it's okay. I'll go outside."

"No, um...sorry. You took me off guard. It's fine, I don't mind if you sit with me."

He pulled the chair out, smiling at me, "thank you. I'm Vincent, it's nice to meet you."

"Alix," I said taking his hand when he offered it to me.

"I knew a girl named Alix, it's a small world. You don't bump into many girls with that name. Anyway, do you come here often?"

I was shocked he didn't recognize me, had I changed that much in the past five years? It surprised me that he remembered me at all. We would mess around to get what we wanted and then we would pretend like we didn't know each other. It was convenient and simple. One thing I did remember most about him was the red veins that covered his skin. I always thought maybe it was something wrong with him, but now I knew what he was. He was a devil, a handsome one. One that I had given my virginity to, and strangely it made me sick. I didn't know if I should keep my guard up, or continue to treat him like a normal person. All devils weren't bad people, it was just the ones we had to kill.