The Shadow Executioner

CHAPTER 7 The Journal

I HEARD A HIGH-PITCHED SQUEAL SOUND, it sounded like a bomb just went off and I was walking through the trenches of war, the sound raised an octave every second. I groaned in response and finally managed to lift my heavy eyelids. I squinted a bit as I tried to let my eyes adjust to the darkness that was surrounding me.

"D-Damian." I asked softly as I felt a gentle movement next to me.

"I'm here love, try not to move okay. I need to change your dressing." I heard him say in a groggy breathy tone, his breath cascading down my cheek and neck. He sounded like he just woke up, I furrowed my brows thinking back to what happened, trying to piece the images that were playing, together in my mind. I felt a sharp jolt of pain in my thigh causing me to yelp, I blinked a few times as I felt a searing pain of alcohol on my bite mark, the pain subsided to a dull ache as I felt Damian wrap my leg tightly in gauze and tug making me wince at the motion.

"I'm sorry sweetheart, I'm trying to heal it without hurting you too much." He said gently, I turned my head a bit realizing I am on a soft and fluffy pillow. I look around at the unfamiliar surroundings finally landing on Damian's disheveled face.

"Where am I?" I ask trying to sit up before he placed his strong hand against my chest.

"Stay down." He said sternly, I glared at him and laid back down too exhausted to be defiant.

"What do you remember?" He asked quietly, he must have sensed that I had a bad migraine. I closed my eyes and sighed.

"Our date, being choked, fighting, and Dean apologizing to me." I said summarizing what I could piece together.

"Do you remember what you saw, or remember anything else?" He asked his voice sounded concerned as if afraid to know the answer. I scrunched my eyebrows and thought hard. Wolf. . . bite.

"Dean bit me after I saw him about to attack you." I said looking at Damian's remorseful eyes, I let my eyes travel around his face as realization hit me like a ton of bricks.

"You- you said you were from the netherworld. What does that mean?" I asked quietly as I felt something warm lick my hand. I smiled turning my ahead away from Damian and seeing the kind brown eyes again.

"Hi, Cerebus." I said lifting my hand to pet his head gently. Such a small action felt like I was being run over by a semi-truck.

"It means I am a Shadow Executioner, sent from the netherworld. I am what this world calls a hitman. I kill what is not natural in this world and bring them to their proper place in hell. Others know me as a gatekeeper."

"Not natural, wouldn't that mean you shouldn't belong here . . . you shouldn't be with me?" I ask somewhat hurt by my own words, I saw Damian look down and grasp my hand and bring it to his mouth. He laid a kiss upon my hand tenderly.

"That is correct, but I was sent here for one thing, and one thing only." He said coldly.

"Dean." I said letting a soft breath escape my mouth.

"No, his entire family." He said getting up from the side of the bed, the bed somewhat rising as his weight left the mattress. My eyes widened at his statement; his words cut like a samurai sword through the air. Dean's entire family going to hell. I thought to myself, I didn't feel happy and I didn't feel angry. I just felt. . . nothing.

"Why do you need to bring his entire family back to hell?" I asked absorbing everything he was saying like a sponge.

"Sweetheart don't miss understand, I wasn't sent here to bring them back. I was sent here to execute them all for the treason they committed." He sharply said pacing the room his footsteps were light and barely noticeable.

"So, you need them all to be killed, what does that have to do with me?" I asked forcing myself to sit up. Everything in my being burned like a scorching fire engulfing a forest.

"I wanted so badly not to involve you Rochelle. I tried hard, but your father. . . he protected something that shouldn't have been created, he created something that is not of earth and not meant for hell." He said, I shook my head not understanding what he was saying.

"My father, the journal. . . do you know what was in the journal?" I asked him waiting for his response with baited breath.

"Sweetheart, do you remember what was in the journal?" Damian asked stopping his pacing and glancing at Cerebus who was the only thing keeping my mind calm.

"I-I don't know it was just a lot of pictures and I know it wasn't my dad's writing."

"It wasn't just random writing Rochelle, they were ancient text from the nether, ancient texts from where I am from. From the gate I protect. They were never supposed to be placed in your father's hands." Damian's voice seemed pained and angry. His lovely accent seemed to disappear in his lower register. I shook my head not understanding.

"How- why. How did my father get ahold of the journal?" I questioned. My own disbelief apparent through my words. I placed my head in my hands not truly wanting to know the answer.

"The one you call Dean. . . his family provided your father the notebook. That is treason, their first treason is involving a human in their own affairs. The second is allowing a human to conjure using the ancient texts. What they plan to do, . . . what I believe they plan to do is open a gate to hell. A gate that not only allows demons through but all lost souls as well. It will not be a one-way gate; humans will be able to cross the plane. This is why I am here; I am here to stop the unbalancing that they plan to execute." Damian said firmly, his beautiful eyes watching me intently.

I inhaled sharply as my vision was beginning to blur. The shrill and piercing ringing in my ears increased. It was sharp and felt like a needle was stabbing me in the eyes repeatedly. I pressed my index fingers into my temple rubbing slowly, trying to dull the ache that was swelling in my skull.

"What do you mean conjure, do you mean like alchemy that I've seen in tv shows?" I asked shutting my eyes trying to focus. This intense pain was distracting enough as is but it was causing me to lose focus on what Damian was telling me.

"Yes, conjuring is similar to alchemy and witchcraft. Your father used the book to create you." Damian said sitting back on the bed causing the mattress to divot under his weight. My eyes shot open as I looked at him.

"Create-me? I'm not a human? What am I??" I asked my voice shaking on the verge of tears.

"Rochelle, you should really get some rest-"

"WHAT AM I DAMIAN?" I screamed causing Cerebus to growl deeply at me. I shot a glare at him only to see that the once kind dog had changed his features into a snarl ready to attack.

"You are a descendant of Hela, a goddess known to control the spectral hounds. However, your father manipulated the ancient texts and made you half goddess and half demonic enchantress. You are an anomaly, a beautiful creation that I am blessed to speak to. "He said adverting his gaze. I stared blankly at the black blanket that was draped across my body as my brain finally silenced itself.

A goddess and a demonic enchantress. What does that even mean? Can I cast spells, do I kill people, can I kill people that have wronged me? What if I die, where will my soul go? Dean bit me, what does that mean? I thought to myself as I continued to stare off into the abyss that was the blanket.

"Dean bit me, what does that mean?" I asked, Damian looked at me and shook his head.

"I don't know sweetheart; I have never had this happen before. You are a strong woman with the blood of the goddess herself I believe you can fight off the venom that threatens to turn you into one of them."

"Turn me INTO one of them? How can you say that so fucking calm, I can be turned into that thing that tried to tear my flesh off?" I yelled suddenly feeling the pain of my arm that Dean bit into. Damian sighed and pushed me onto my back gently.

"I won't let that happen to you, but the only way I can assure you is if you get some rest. I promise I will try and explain things to you after you have had time to process what has just happened to you. Sleep love, your body needs to heal." He said gliding his fingertips across my eyelids that suddenly felt so heavy. I yawned tiredly and felt my body betray me and go limp letting my mind drift off into the abyss that was sleep.