The Djinni & The Royal

❂ Angel Eight, meet Nine ❂

Number eight trudged up the steps of an old abandoned church. He ran a hand through his hair, his shoulders dipped wearily.

The Church had become their meeting place since the last Djinnis death. There had been more of them at one time. The Angels had saved so many lives... So many in fact, the last Djinni made it his mission to kill as many of them as possible. Now they were slowly building up their army again.

The new Djinni was so much younger than the first. The ginger haired girl was no older than eighteen. She wasn't nearly so violent. That's not to say she was any better. This Djinni was so much more clever, witty, cunning... Her humiliations made his blood boil. He'd never forget the first time he'd met her.

Number Eight followed Number Seven down a long hallway. "Think she's even here?" Asked Eight. Seven only shushed him. They crept further down the hall, silent as the night. Seven tiptoed into a large room, ordering his apprentice to stand watch in the hall. Eight straitened with a nod.

A ginger haired girl approached him with a wryly smile. "Hello." She greeted. She was pretty in a plain kind of way. Thinner than any he'd ever seen. With so many freckles, from a distance, she looked tan. He smiled back.

"Evening Miss." The girl tucked her pin strait hair behind an ear.

"What's a man like you, doing in a place like this?" She questioned in an innocent way, her striking eyes roaming his body top to bottom and back. His face heated at her flirting. The Inn was indeed small, but not lacking in charm and cleanliness. Not fancy but not worthy of the jab she made.

" I-I-I...." He struggled to think of an appropriate response. She giggled at his stuttering.

"Mind walking me to the dining room?" She asked quietly. " I can't seem to find it." He glanced around. The hall was dead silent. He wouldn't be missed for only a moment. Plus, he was an angel now right?

"Of course. Couldn't have you getting lost, can we?" He flirted back. She grinned in a way that made his chest tighten, she took his arm delicately. Eight led her down the hall and around the corner. Angels we're MEANT to help pretty girls..

He let go of her arm long enough to pull the door open. "There you are Miss." Be smiled, turning to face her. She was gone. His smiled faltered.

"Miss?" He called. The hallway was empty. The door fell shut as he turned in a circle, trying to find the mysterious girl. Just then he heard a scream and ran toward the room Seven had gone into. The screams of pain echoed throughout the hallway and seemed to seep into Eights soul like ice water down his spine. He burst through the door, tripping over something laying on the floor.

He scrambled to his feet, looking down he reconized the still face of his companion.He looked up and his knees buckled. There stood the Ginger haired girl, in a pool of black. Eight knelt over his mentor. "Seven, wakeup!" He cried. The ice water moved down his spine to his legs when the man didn't answer.

Ginger haired girl only smiled. "Eight, how nice to meet you." Her grin turned devious. He was frozen. The girl, had tricked him? He looked from the girl to Seven. She sauntered over to him, her hips swaying with an almost seductive air. Power emanated from her as she stood on tip-toe to whisper in his ear, her lips brushing his earlobe.

"Catch me if you can." Then she giggled and was gone.

Eight ran a hand down his face. That was twenty five years ago. He took the last step up the stone stair case, his hand paused on the door. The door swung open anyway causing Eight jumped back in suprise.

In the doorway was a smiling Seven. Even now, the scars from that night showed dark, running across his throat and up his cheek. "Alvin, you're back! Come, come. We have a recruit." The older man ushered Eight in, leaving his train of thought at the door.

The church was old. White paint peeled off the walls, the torn and ragged pews were less than inviting. Eight sighed. This place had been beautiful once, a jewel to the surrounding farms. Now it was worn and broken, just like the Angels it now housed. Seven beconed Eight to sit, before pulling out a stack of papers. The first page had the name 'Haymich Wyatt'. Eight flipped through it as Seven gave a description.

"Twenty five, a very passionate man. It seems whatever he starts he develops a passion for. He knows three languages fluently, has a degree in literature, and solved a murder in a week." Seven rattled off achievements. "Never been married, doesn't feel the want. He-" Eight stopped him with a raised hand.

"Some of these passions seem rather random. Why would someone have a degree in literature if he doesn't want to write or teach?" He wondered.

"Just another of my many obsessive passions, Sir." A humored voice sounded. Both men looked up. In the doorway stood a young man with messy auburn hair, and mellow gray-green eyes. "Greetings."

Haymich was a dedicated man, to the point of, what even he described, as obsession. Anything that interested him, he tended to throw himself into. He smiled easily, a conscious and deliberate movement. "I can assure you, every skill listed on that paper is mastered." Eight looked back at the papers.

"Archery?" He asked with a raised brow. Haymich chuckled.

"Two first place medals." Seven only nodded in approval. Eight clears his throat awkwardly.

"You sound perfect. Almost too perfect." The older man eyed him, waiting for some kind of sign of deceit.

Haymich laughed lightly. "I'll start tomorrow then!" His voice was steady and confident.

Seven looked at Eight. "You'll show him the ropes? Tracking witches, defending people from the Djinni..." Seven obviously expected him to agree. Eight glanced at the man. So calm, almost cocky. Probably a real smart ass, but that's what the Djinni needed. Someone as saucy as she was.

Eight turned to him with an outstretched hand and fake smile. "Of course." Haymich smiled wryly and shook it with zeal. Eight shivered at the sudden hungry expression in the man's eyes. He was sure to overtake the mission with passion, but something about him was just not right.

•★s are always great!•