The Shadow of an Angel // JACE WAYLAND (ON HOLD)

X

AZEL

I was standing in a dark cave, illuminated solely by lanterns of blue and orange fire that hung along the walls. Echoes of water droplets hitting the ground came from every direction, but the voice of the hazy figure in front of me captured all of my attention.

"Where is she?"

It was a woman's voice, but tainted with a demonic hiss. She wore a red, flowing dress and had black hair that blended in with the cave walls behind her, but that I was all I could make out. The rest of her features were blurred by the nebulous haze that seemed to cloud my all corners of my vision.

'Azel, where in God's n-'

'Shhh; I'm trying to listen, girl. And do. Not. Make. A. Sound.'

Wonderful.

I averted my attention back to the woman to see someone– or something– standing at her feet and answering her as I assumed a soldier would answer his commanding officer. The creature was all black with some lines of orange running along its entire body. "I'm sorry, but we have no new news from Eligos, mother."

A hiss. "Have you even heard from him?"

"No."

"If I don't have her before the next–"

"You will; I swear it."

The woman seemed to fix the creature in front of her with a look a ferocity, but then again, I could barely see a thing so I had absolutely no idea. "Do not make promises that you cannot keep, Johnathon."

"I'm not."

"Good. Now, go prepare yourself. We have some wor-" The woman suddenly cut herself off and my breath hitched as her gaze slid in my direction. I looked down to see if my body was even visible to me, but it wasn't. Although, from the way she began to prowl towards me, I wasn't too sure it mattered. "Well, well; it seems that we have some uninvited company."

I was battling myself on whether to reply or not, but my demon quickly made the decision for me. Seconds later, I was in my bed, breathing hard and covered in sweat. I threw the sheets off of me in both disgust and complete and utter discomfort from the dampness of the cloth, simultaneously throwing my legs over the side of the bed.

I ran a hand through my hair and held it back as I put my feet on the cold, wood floor beneath me and leaned over my legs. "You wanna tell me what the hell just happened?" I hissed.

'Not really, no.'

"Well aren't so damn helpful," I muttered.

An image of rolling fiery eyes flashed through my head. 'I was eavesdropping.'

"Eav– where, the pits of hell? I mean that– that thing that called that woman mother, what w–"

'A demon, and technically it's Edom.'

"What?"

'Hell. We call it Edom.'

I blinked a few times into the darkness until I realized it was still way too hot in my room and moved to open my window. It was raining outside, but the cool wind and water droplets were welcomed on my damp oversized t-shirt from Alec and boxers that Eli had never worn and given to me as night shorts. The joys of never remembering to nor having the time to really buy your own clothes.

Despite the clouds blocking out the stars in the night sky, the moon was still visible and without really thinking about what I was doing, I closed my eyes and lifted my head towards it, letting the wind and light rain droplets blow over my face as a sereen feeling of peace rushed through me.