4

Unexpected guests visit the Ravenwood Estate and aid in tracking down the second target.

There was a huge investigation after the Father Christopher incident. The police and investigators were unable to to get any identification on the killer, but told the towns folks that they were hot on the killer's tail and would soon apprehend him. I would've loved to have called their bluff but Sidney had other plans.

 "Deveroh, come here." She quietly commanded

 I obeyed and appeared at the door going outside where Sidney sat watching the storm that raged outside and the wreckage she called home. "Yes m'lady?"

 "We're finishing that talk. I want to know what happened back at the church the other day."

 "Yes Ms. Ravenwood, of course. Please begin."

 "I know I've mentioned this before Dev, if we're going to work together on this contract then wouldn't it be best for a connection to form? Not a relationship, but a friendly bond between demon and master." Sidney asked

 "No," I answered her bluntly, "to develop a bond with a human that you're contracted with is taboo amongst demons. Once a relationship is formed, be it friendly or romantic, then the devil begins to change it's loyalties and refuses to take the life of it's contractor in the end. That is a breach of contract and then both the human and demon die. Demons take contracts to prolong their lives because once we die there is nothing, we are not reborn like angels but turn to dust and forgotten." I explained

 "So you said what you did because you don't want to become unable to kill me at the end of the contract? As I recall, Dev, I never mentioned if you had to kill me nor not." She stated matter-of-factly

 "It is an implied task m'lady." I mumbled as lightning streaked it's way across the heavens, "The devil is expected to do it regardless."

 "And who decides all this? Who acts if you choose not to?" Sidney huffed

 "The judges do. The four horsemen that judge angels and demons alike. Death, war, pestilence, and famine. You've already met death."

 "Contracting devils is far more complicated than I had imagined. All these rules are stupid." She crossed her arms and pouted silently at the world

 I couldn't help but to laugh at her remark. If I wasn't careful she was going to get me killed.

 We sat there in the doorway, watching the rain, for a long while until I noticed Sidney leaning on my arm where she snored peacefully. I scooped her up in my arms and took her to her bedroom and placed her in the bed. I wandered back to the living room and got a large fire going in the fireplace. I set a kettle outside and waited for the downpour to fil it up then set it over the fire with a few tea bags. After a while the kettle let out a shrill whistle and told me that the tea was ready to drink. I poured a couple cups, one for myself and one for Sidney whom I noticed was stirring in her sleep. Sidney stumbled into the living room, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

 "Hey Dev, what's that smell?" She asked groggily

 "Tea m'lady. I've prepared you a cup, would you like any sugar or honey?" I offered

 "Yes please. Deveroh, I had the most wonderful dream. I was with my family again. My parents were hosting a ball and then-"

 Three loud cracks sounded off from outside a split second before the teacup in my hand exploded. Glass and hot tea flew went everywhere; on Sidney, the floor, and myself. Before I knew what I was doing I jumped over Sidney and used my own body to protect her. Everything stopped as the air settled.

 "Ms. Ravenwood, are you alright?" I whispered

 She nodded. "I've got a few splinters but yes, I'm fine. What's going on Deveroh?" Sidney asked in a hushed, panicked tone.

 "Gunshots. Don't worry m'lady, I'll keep you safe. I need you to stay on the ground and hide right below the window." I explained

 Sidney nodded hastily then scrambled over to the nearest window.

 I stood up and shots fired again. Holes were being punched into the walls of the cabin; splinters flew away from every impacting bullet. The firing stopped again, right before the door came crashing down. A skinned man came rushing in holding a Thompson machine gun with a drum clip and pointed the weapon at me.

 The man smiled and said, "say your prayers butler." He pulled the trigger and sprayed molten lead.

 I raised my hand and formed a wall which stopped all of the bullets dead. Once the last of the bullets hit the ground I gave a wicked smile as I let my true self show. "Devils don't pray", were the last words he heard before I appeared in his face and killed him. I stabbed him with both hands in the chest, snapping bones and piercing organs, then pulled in opposite directions splitting the man down the middle into two jagged, uneven lumps of meat. His organs spilled out as blood flooded the floor. I stepped back and marveled at how easily I slaughtered the man, who moments ago was so sure he was going to kill me. Suddenly I heard someone behind me, another thug. I turned to face my new opponent and saw the barrel of a huge revolver in my face. Then in slow motion, so it seemed, the trigger was pulled, the chamber rotated as the hammer drew back with a click, then black.

 I woke up with a horrid headache and the remnants of a wound on my forehead. I ran a hand over the wound, then checked to make sure my horned were still attached. Finally it hit me, something was very wrong. Sidney was missing! The pull of the contract told me she was to the east, by the sea line, and that she was still alive. I sprinted to where my senses told me to go. I raged to myself as foliage blurred by. They had stolen her from under my nose! Not only that, but they'd made me look like a fool as well! Once I found them, whoever they were, I was going to make them experience a new kind of hell. The presence of the contract and Sidney both grew stronger with every mile that flew by until I reached a small town along the coast with a sign that said WELCOME TO BRINEBELL. The town was situated a few dozen yards from the water of the ocean, but there were houses dotting the lush green hills that were surrounded by supple grape vineyards. On a rocky outcropping there was a tall lighthouse which had a bronze bell at the top with a large crack in it.

 "Brinebell. So Armani got gutsy after he heard about Father Christopher and sent his goons to find Ms. Ravenwood before she found them." I mumbled to myself as I walked into town. I changed myself to look human again and asked some town's folk if they could direct me to the Algetsi Villa. No one could. I decided to try my luck in the town's bar.

 The bar stunk of cigar smoke and stain liquor. There were a few tables placed about with booths along the walls and some stools lined up along a well polished mahogany bar table. The bar itself was dimly lit and had only a few people sitting around.

 "Excuse me gentlemen, does anyone know where to find the Algetsi Villa? I'm new to the region and not very knowledged about this area." I asked aloud

 "Who wants to know?" The bar keep grunted; a rag in his hand as he wiped the bar down

 "Deveroh Valentine, sir. I'd like to speak business with Armani." My voice was like a knife

 "What kind of business?" The bar keeper asked cautiously

 The other men in the bar had gone quiet and handled hidden items under their jackets.

 "He's taken something of mine, I'd like to have it back." I announced

 "Sorry buddy, can't help ya. I think it's best if you clear out, now." The barkeeper declined

 "I don't think so." I said. I lifted an arm out towards one of the men sitting down and, in the blink of an eye, my arm extended to a point through the man's neck. "How many do I have to kill before someone tells me where to go?" I retracted my arm and pointed it at the next mobster

 Everyone in the bar pulled a gun out and pointed it at me. The barkeeper pulled out a shotgun from behind the bar, the men sitting at the tables and booths all pulled out pistols and tommy guns.

 "Oh my, you gentlemen are packing some heat. Please allow me to compose myself." I took of my duster and fedora and placed them neatly on a chair. I cracked my neck before I turned both arms into blades and vanished. I appeared by a group of thugs. I chopped each of them down without even blinking, then the rest opened fire. Bullets flew every which way as I ran from group to group killing a few by my hand, having bullets kill the others. The numbers were dropping substantially; 5,4,3,2,1. There was only one thug left, the barkeeper. He fumbled clumsily with his shotgun as he tried desperately to reload. He panicked more with every step closer I got.

 "Do this the easy way human, tell me where Ms. Ravenwood is." I continued to advance on the man

 "No, I ain't gonna snitch. If I tell you, Armani's gonna feed me to his dogs." He trembled

 "If you don't tell me I'll feed you to mine, alive." I changed my arms into the heads of Dobermans which barked and snapped angrily at the man. "Trust me when I tell you, you don't want that to happen."

 The barkeeper glanced at his gun, which he had dropped due to shaky nerves, to the door behind me, to myself and the hounds attached to my arms. "Fine, but you gotta keep it low. I wanna ask you somethin' first."

 "Make it fast." I growled

 "What the hell are you and why do you care about some snobby rich girl?"

 "You answer my question first, then I'll answer yours. No arguing with it. I can just as easily kill you now and display your organs in your bottles." I threatened

 He shook visibly but tried to keep his composure as he considered his chances. Finally he shut his eyes and sighed. "On the cliff. It's on the other side of the old light house. He's got guns everywhere though, you'll never make it inside. I've answered your question, now answer mine, freak."

 "I've made a binding promise to protect this girl and help her track down those that have taken from her. As for what I am," I grinned and looked the barkeeper in the eye, "I'm your darkest nightmare." My hound hands clap around his throat and shake viciously. That was the end of him. I left the bar, and it's keeper, to drown in blood and went to go find Ms. Ravenwood.

 Armani's villa was placed facing away from a cliff drop off to the ocean. It was only single storied, but it was undoubtedly expensive. It had marble pillars that stood proudly by a door that was protected with a roofed porch where a total of five armed guards sat. A tall iron gate wrapped around the perimeter, which hummed with electricity.

 "This is what he calls a lot of guns?" I thought to myself, "How insulting."

 At the main gate a guard sat in a booth sound asleep. I rapped on the wood of the booth three times to wake him up.

 "Who the bloody hell are you?" The guard murmured

 "Deveroh Valentine. I'm here to speak with Mr. Algetsi." I replied politely

 "Fine, whatever. Don't make any trouble, be a shame to see you die." The guard mumbled as he fell back asleep

 The gates quit humming and swung open silently as they granted me access to the manor. The five on the porch jumped up as soon as they saw me, the lead one looked like a ghost. He immediately drew his revolver and pointed it at me.

 "What the hell? What is this? I, I freakin killed you. Blew your brains out all over the damned wall." He stuttered

 "Didn't kill me well enough I guess." I remarked dryly, "I just got done running fifteen and a half miles to get here, then I had to kill an entire bar to find this place. All this after being shot in the head; it's been a very long day already so please just work with me here gentlemen. Give me the young lady and I'll leave all of you alive."

 Their faces were twisted with rage and horror. The other four quickly drew their weapons from their hiding places and began shooting at me. Bullets struck my body and punched through my flesh. I was sent back a step every time I was shot. When the shots stopped I stood ragged and smoking.

 I lifted my head and lifted the tail of my duster into view. "What a pain. I guess I'll have to find her myself." I took a quick breath and pushed the bullets embedded in my body out, expelling them back at the shooters.

 Stepping over the bodies of the five shooters I entered the villa finally. Inside I'm greeted with more guns.

 The twin staircase was lined with more thugs that held machine guns. At the top, where the stare cases met, was an older, tan skinned man with greying black hair. He wore a suit that, judging by the look of the man, was very expensive and held a fat cigar between his teeth. This man could only be Armani Algetsi. In one hand he held a large pistol that looked to be made of gold, and in the other hand he held Sidney by the back of the neck. Sidney's hands were bound behind her back by a length of rope and appeared unharmed, although scared. Armani beamed at me from atop the staircase, confident that he had won.

 "Welcome stranger. I assume you're here for this." Armani lifted Sidney off the ground by the neck, then dropped her

 "M'lady, are you alright?" I called to her

 "Yes, Deveroh, I'm fine. Now stop running your mouth and kill them!" Sidney ordered

 Upon hearing this, Armani grew angry and struck Sidney and caused her to fall to the floor.

 "How dare you!" I growled, "How dare you touch Ms. Ravenwood after all the damage you've done already." My features began to darken. "Who are you to kill? To decide who lives and dies? Who are you to kidnap Ms. Ravenwood and try to take her from me? HOW DARE YOU TAKE WHAT'S MINE!" I yelled out. My skin had turned black and began to flicker like the shadows caused by a fire. My horns had grown and my eyes glowed blood red. My arms were black as death's shadow and ended in a set of murderous claws. Wings had sprouted from my back.

 Everyone in the room, with the exception of Sidney, began shooting at me. Every shot fired should've hit it target, but every bullet that came at me phased through me. I'm untouched by any of the shots while the wall behind me is littered with pockmarks where bullets stuck. I let out a low, throaty growl as I unfurled my wings until they were nothing more than a black veil. In a sharp motion I snapped both wings at the men on the stairs, sending a wave of fear over the men. Their bodies started convulsing as if they were being hit repeatedly. Wounds tore open as flesh was flayed and bones were shattered.

 Algetsi saw nothing more than his thugs literally falling to pieces, but the shadows showed what was really happening. As my wings flapped, razors flew in the shadows and tore at their shadows. The same damage was then inflicted upon the attached body. Corpses, and their pieces, tumbled down the stairs like bloody slinkies and amassed in a mountain of gore.

 The cigar dropped from Armani Algetsi's mouth as he screamed. "What have you done? My men! My home! All of it is ruined! What creature are you to where you can slaughter men without even touching them?" Algetsi wailed

 "I am this girl's devil," I replied menacingly, "as well as her protector. Now feel the hands of death. Feel my shadow rend!" I roared and shot both my shadowy hands up the staircases and seized his shadow's feet, holding him in place.

 Armani tried to run bus was unable to move. He swore, confused, and pulled on his legs at the spot where I was holding his shadow.

 "This is your end Armani." Sidney said getting up, "You killed everyone I loved and destroyed all that I had. What do you have to say for yourself?"

 "Please, Ms. Ravenwood, don't let him kill me. I...I only did as Michael said. He said in order to make the world better we had to reveal the holy woman and that to do that we had to perform a sacrifice to find her. I pray that you don't kill me, I'm begging for forgiveness. Begging!" Armani cried

 "Again with Michael and this holy woman. I didn't ask for your excuses Armani, I asked if you had anything to say for yourself." Sidney snapped

 Armani began to open his mouth but Sidney cut him off. "You know what, Deveroh, just kill him then get these ropes off me. Make him suffer like my family did."

 "As you wish m'lady." I started to pull on the Armani shadow's leg. As the shadow leg separated from the body Amani started screaming again as his own legs were torn from his body. Blood spurted from the stumps. I dropped the legs and grab the shadow's throat next. I hoisted the shadow until Armani was hovering in the air, clawing frantically at his neck. I squeeze the shadow's throat which caused Armani to emit a choked squeak. You could visibly see his neck shrink as I tightened my grip on the shadowed counterpart. There was an audible crunching sound as his trachea was crushed. I dropped him again and watched as he desperately clutched at his throat for air. Before long he stopped moving altogether and simply slumped over, dead.

 I was able to calm down and return to my normal form. I walked over to Sidney and cut the ropes from her wrists. I accidentally cut through her right hand glove as well.

 Clapping came from a side hallway where a skinny man with a bald head stood wearing a black robe.

 "Jack, what are you doing here?" I wondered aloud

 "With so many deaths, how could I stay away? I brought my brother along too." Jack chimed, "Vladimir, come here."

 A large armed man came thundering through the hallway. "I am Vladimir, horseman of war. You put on quite a show Deveroh Valentine. An impressive display of power, even for a devil." Vladimir was a tall, heavily muscled man with black hair that he wore slicked back. He wore glasses and had a black mustache occupying the space under his nose. He wore a pair of camouflage pants with a tan shirt and boots.

 "I wouldn't know. I know almost nothing about myself. All of that was completely new to me." I shrugged

 "Trust me Deveroh, you've got much more than that in you. If you can keep a secret I can tell you that you will one day either start a war or end one before it start; a war that will consume the whole world. A million souls for you to consume." Jack said in a hushed voice, "And you'll be present when it happens Michael." He said to a darkened doorway on the opposite side if the room.

 A man dressed in a white suit stepped out of the shadows. He had blonde hair and bright blue eyes that were both calming and unsettling. Behind him were a pair of large, white feathered wings.

 Sidney tensed and took a step back from him, seeking shelter behind me.

 "How did you know I was present, Death?" The winged Michael asked

 "Why do you ask questions you already know the answers to? We are horsemen; we know everything past, present, and future. And, Micheal, next time call me Jack."

 "What do you want you son of a-" Sidney began to spit

 "M'lady please. I know how you feel towards Michael, but we are amongst the Judges. No fighting may take place, we must respect one another." I informed

 "Angels, Devils, Horsemen; how did I end up in this mess? Anyways, what do you what?" Sidney muttered shrewfully

 "Nothing more than to finish what I started my dear lady. I intend to make the world pure once again, and in order to do that I require you to play your part." Michael answered

 "To be your new Mary Magdalene." Sidney sneered "And what if I decide not to 'play my part'?"

 Michael vanished briefly, then reappeared right in front of Sidney. He held his index finger against her forehead which began to bleed, along with her left hand and both feet.

 Sidney screeched and fell back. "What the hell did you do?! Deveroh, he's trying to kill me!"

 "No, it is stigmata. That's proof that you are the holy Mother Magdalene!" Michael beamed, "The marks from the crown of thorns worn by Jesus Christ as he was crucified, and the spots where he was nailed to the cross in each hand and in his feet."

 "In one hand." I corrected "M'lady's right hand has already been marked by a different sort of stigmata. Ms. Ravenwood chose to bare her contract with me on the back of her right hand."

 "Damn you Deveroh, damn you to the bowels of hell." Michael cursed

 "I'm not entirely what I did, but regardless it's a little late for that." I smirked

 With that Michael stormed out of the villa and flew off.

 "I don't think you need to be one of us to figure out his next move. If he's able to kill you, Deveroh, then the girl is his." Jack noted dryly

 "Yes, I know that Jack. I'm afraid of what'll happen if he tries." I crossed my arms

 "You've been remembering, haven't you?"

 "He has." Sidney answered for me, "I hear him talk in his sleep. I thought they were just night terrors at first, but now I'm certain that they're memories of who he was. Last time we met, Jack, I found out that Dev was an angel once upon a time. Now I think I'm starting to piece together why he fell."

 "Good, good. Deveroh, you and the young mistress should go back to Ravenwood Manor soon. There is a visitor on his way with good news." Jack mused