“The gaul.”

I'd learned not to flinch at the illicit sound of  metal hitting  metal, the tinker of blade hitting blade. In a quick motion I raise my dagger and block the sharp point coming towards me. She brings her blade down, I mirror her moments.

She takes a step forward.

I take one back.

The tries to strike me higher, I follow to deflect.

I forget she has two hands

She has two blades.

The sharp white gold blade in her other hand tears right through the left sleeve of my shirt, grazing my shoulder. The dagger in my hand clatters to the roof as a tiny stream of black blood trails down my arm.In my moment of distraction the Angel’s other  blade comes  just a half an inch from my eye and skims my lash line.I stopped, my eyes growing wide. Hers went dark.

I violently shoved the Angel away from me, and bite my tongue at calling her an unsavory name.

“Human.”, she called over to Isobel.

Isobel stood up from where she had been watching me spar with the Angel. Isobel still wore all black, even down to her sneakers.

The Angel shook off her slim white suit jacket and extended a gold dagger to Isobel. Isobel put on a brave face as the Angel flipped the blade in her hand and handed it to Isobel by the handle.

Seraphina’s two word comment “the gaul”  was all she expressed when we finished telling her of how we came across Demon blood in a human boy’s dormitory items.

I had managed to tell the story while the Angel repeatedly tried to “accidentally stab” me with her blades. I had managed to block her a few times but it had been centuries since I sparred like this.The Angel stood behind Isobel and adjusted Isobel’s grip on the dagger. She pointed and gave her a few more instructions on how to attack someone.The Angel then stepped backwards and beckoned for Isobel to charge at her. Isobel did so with great enthusiasm.

The Angel stood stone still as the human approached her with the dagger raised.  Then when Isobel was inches away the Angel ducked and rolled away. Isobel was confused  and stopped just inches from the edge of the roof.

Isobel recovered and turned ready to charge at the Angel again. I came up behind the Angel and  threw my arm around her neck and pulled her back. Leaving plenty of cold vulnerable skin open.

“Aim for her freezing heart”, I told Isobel trying to lock the Angel in place.

“No”,The Angel corrected, “Aim for the shoulder or palms. Wound me so I can’t come pick up arms against you.”

The Angel shifted her weight and before I could adjust she had thrown me over her shoulder. Her nude high heeled shoe pressed hard on my chest. I grabbed the white gold stiletto heel,  fearing she would impale me.

“I would not take advice from this soft son of a bitch if I were you human. It could get you killed.”, she admonished me.

“Don’t call him that, Sera.”, Isobel said, “It’s kind of mean.”

“His mother was a bitch”, The Angel looked down to me, “Good for breeding and all.”

I bit my lip as she threw my words from out night in the trees back at me.

“. . . I meant soft”, Isobel said meekly.

The Angel would have been amused had she not been made of ice and stone. She pressed harder on my chest, the white gold stiletto heel threatening to break through my shirt and skin.

“Do not think the Demon’s meekness and virginity as endearing, human. He’s is only celibate because he is an insufferable purist. Inbreeding with humans is against his principals--”

“Enough”, I said sternly to the Angel. Was she so wild to forget I was the only one who could give her deliverance from her life as an Angel.

She took her foot off of my chest and calmly  began collecting her blades.

Isobel’s comment a few days ago about me not being able to catch Caden Kellers without the Angel had irked me. So much so that I demand the Angel assist me in learning what she knew about defending herself. If there were more like Caden Kellers, who knew what they were capable of.

Decades in  military service had taught me how to handle guns and even a little ballistics, but I was far from a decent solider. Wielding blades, defending hand-to-hand that was old country techniques.

“Where did a little Angel learn such things ?”, I asked her.

“The Demon Father has taught me for over 100 years.”, she said dryly, “Whenever he came to Queen Anne’s to meet with Mother. I was an eager student. Am.”

“Father. . . was a warrior in Homeland ?”

She took her hair out of the conservative french twist Isobel had tied for her then struggled to fit the jacket over her muscular arms.

“Foolish Demon. You did not know why Father was the only adult to survive the war ? He was a coward. He ran away in the midst of battle and hid in the mountains. Trying to find a way here. A way out.”

Father being a coward during the war had long since been the suspected of us Brothers. Knowing that the Angels knew it was worse.

I sat on the edge of the abandon Red Hook shipping factory and watched the ferries come in and out of the dock across the Hudson River.The sky was a hazy purple blue and pink. It was a beautiful sunset, a beautiful background for an ugly quest.

Isobel took a place  next to me. Somehow her tiny insignificant  human life had gotten tied up in this. Yet my body thrummed with one idea.

Change may be on the horizon.

“Do you think . . . Vampirism is they key to creating more Demons ?”, I asked the Angel, "Some sort of blood sacrifice ?"

“Perhaps we should test it”, The Angel suggested looking over to Isobel.

“Dont’ be heartless, Angel”, I snapped, “The Angels have access to Homeland texts, yes ? Do some research and I will do the same with Demon text.”

“Research”, she scoffed as if it were beneath her.

“Also, whomever transformed Caden Kellers will need to replace him. Keep watch on the Angel Sanctuary and if you find someone. . . try not to kill them.”

I put my head in my hands as I tried to put something together.

“Look, you’re missing the sunset”, Isobel said

“Right”, I mused, “ How can I concentrate on sunsets when the future of my Princehood lies with the help of a human girl and a blood thirsty Angel."

The Angel dropped off the roof at the comment, she just stepped off  elegantly almost as if she could have flown.  She dropped 9 stories and  landed neatly on her feet.

“We should go to Down River Academy . I bet Caden’s friends know more about him than his mom does.”, Isobel suggest.

“Good idea”, I said. That should have been my idea.

Isobel kept her eyes on the Angel till she disappeared down the street.

“Hey, Paris”

“Yes”

“You said your  . . . horns were removed ?”

“Yes”, I said quietly

“Well... If Sera is an Angel.  Where are her wings ?”

+2+

There was a small vigil set up to Hannah Lauren in front of Isobel’s apartment building. Hannah had been pretty for a human with bright blonde hair and calm blue eyes.I stood back as Isobel re-lit the candles that burned in the middle of the memorial. The wall was surrounded by teddy bears, cards and love notes.

“Damn management keeps trying to take it down”, Isobel said under her breath.

“I'd like to come up”, I said partially seriously , “Meet this other roommate of yours.”

“Oh, Eric is kind of a jerk.”

“Perhaps there is something in Hannah’s room that can help us find out what happened.”

“I looked”, she said, "There was nothing out of the ordinary. Her mom took everything last week."

Her eyes flickered in the candlelight. Isobel was better at blocking my strikes than the Angel.

I reached over and took her hand into mine, like I had unexpectedly done the first day we met. Except now I was trying to comfort her in a way my words just couldn't seem to. As someone who has been struggling with grief for so long I didn't want to tell her that it changes  you.

“Perhaps.”, I decided taking the lighter route, “I just want to learn more about Isobel Charter.”

She swung her keys around her finger and looked towards the building.

“I . .. I would Paris. . .but I don’t want to have  to come up with some lie for Eric. What would I tell people ? We're friends ? We're dating ?  I can’t lie to him right now. Not after Hannah. Lying is not--

“Don’t lie,”

“What ? I--”

I saw a flicker of understanding  in her eyes and step closer. I look down into her eyes, she seems . . . conflicted. Slowly she stands on her toes and my lips barely touched hers.

“Don’t lie.” I whisper against her lips

I press her mouth to mine, closing the space between us. Her hands are deep in my hair pulling me closer.

“Don’t lie”, I ask again, “About me. Date. . .me.”

“I . . . ”, her words were lost in another kiss.

After several moments she tensed and pulled back. I tried not to look disappointed as she held her hands over her lips. This was unlike me at all. Kissing a girl on a public street. . . and not caring. Something strange was happening.

“You’re. . . hot.” she said with a slight smile.

“I. . . uh. . . ?”, I was lost for words.

She touches the side of my face, her palm pressed flat over the end of my smile.

“No, I mean you feel really warm. Like you have a fever.”

“Sorry”, I apologized, “It’s a . . . Demon thing.”

I immediately regretted saying such a thing.

“Actually”, she propped her foot against the wall, “I kind of like it”

“Is that a yes ? To the date.”

“That’s a hell yes", she replied kissing me again

Don’t lie.

Nothing could have ruined what was turning into a moment of a lifetime.

Except for that scream.

Isobel and I instantly parted and watched a crowd of late night ravers and stumbling drunks crowded around the next corner. A few more high pitched screams went out and by the the time we reached where the commotion was  everyone was looking down. A young woman was violently seizing on the ground, her pale blonde head banging against the dirty concrete. Her hair was twirled up in two buns on the top of her head. . . like it was covering something. . .covering tiny horns.

The girl let out a lone ragged breath and her body was still. There was a hushed silence. Just like that she had died on the street surrounded by strangers.Beneath her red  lipstick and dark eye makeup her face was sallow like Caden Kellers.

Isobel nudged me and I followed her gaze to the Lux Aeterna stamped on the dead girl’s hand. On her other hand was a 5 stamped in a circle. The same stamp as Caden Kellers and Hannah Lauren.

“No”, Isobel whispered taking in the scene., “No, she’s not--”

Dead.

Isobel ran away from the crowd and I was torn between following her and staying. I ran after Isobel where she was struggling to put in the code to get inside her building.

“Isobel”, I said carefully, “What’s--”

Isobel kicked the door and slumped down on the front steps.

“No, That girl she looked just like Hannah when I found her.”, hot tears ran down her face. I could barely make out her words, “Her skin and eyes I-I-can’t--”

“Isobel, you don't have to do this anymore . You don’t have to help me any longer.”

“Why is this happening, Paris ?”, she shouted this and silence followed, “Why ?”

I wanted to say that I didn’t know. Because even though I was to be a Prince, a leader of men, I couldn't answer this simple question.

How quickly this night had turned.

Isobel kneeled in front of  Hannah’s vigil. She picked up one of the framed photographs and held it to her chest.

“She was so young. I was such a school-nerd growing up and Hannah was like my only friend. We were the small town girls who wanted to move to the city and make it.”

I helped Isobel up and she caught the door with her foot as someone else walked out.

“She was young.”, I said as more of a reflection.

“23”, Isobel said.

“Yes, I mean no.They are all young. Hannah, Caden Kellers and . . . that girl. ”

Isobel's eyes widened at this realization. The realization that she could be next.

“I need to sleep”, she said, “I just---”

“I understand”, I said distracted by this new discovery.

She reached up and kissed me on the cheek.

“Goodnight Paris”

“Goodnight, Isobel”

+++

Father fell into a coma that night.

Brother Damien made the announcement shortly after midnight.

I stood by Father’s bedside watching the machines slowly beep. What the devil was causing this ? While Brother Damien hovered over Father’s bedside I sifted through the shelves of his library, it was empty except for modern text.

“It won’t be long now.”, Brother Damien says, “We should prepare.”

I should prepare.

Saturday mornings were usually jovial affairs for the Demon Brothers. Most did not have to work which left plenty of time to run around the city causing just a little trouble . Father’s coma had dampened the mood, we kept to ourselves on the ground of St. Liliths, not wanting to leave in case today was the day.

As the morning led to the afternoon a few Brothers departed for distractions in the city. Isaiah and Bane  had invited me to go out to bars with them, though I suspected they were trying to get in good with the future prince.I’d spent most of the morning in the backyard playing a sorry match of soccer with Jona and a few other Brothers. Ashe, being a show-off,  had joined in; requiring players to shout as we played.

While I was lost in thought about Father, snowfire apples and Isobel Charter--Ashe got the ball past me and everyone cheered.

“GOAL !”, he shouted making a blind run around the field.

I threw the ball and cursed him out. It wasn’t that I cared . . . my mind was still thinking about what happened at Isobel’s last night. That more people were dying and I was useless to stop it.I went back inside, Jona close behind me.

“What was that all about, Prince ?”, Jona asked, “Not very sportsmanlike of you.”

“Don’t start with that, Jona.”, I said.

“Ashe is supposed you be your best friend.”, he reminded me.

He followed me upstairs where I changed from into a pair of black pants and button up.

“Ashe was my best friend”, I reminded him, “Now he’s the sleazy bastard sleeping with my brother. . .that changes things.”

Jona sat on my bed and looked at his hands, we had this fight countless times.

“It’s not like that. . . you know that. Ashe is not so angry and vile anymore. You said it was okay for us to be together.”

“Just don’t act like you haven’t seen how he has treated human lovers in the past, is all.”

“I’m not a human”, he said pointedly.

I found my cap and threw my bag over my shoulder.

“I’ll be out late”, I said , “Call me if anything . . . changes with Father.”

“Spending time with that human ? Ashe told me she came to the shop. You usually aren't so careless with your private life, Brother”

“It’s nothing”, I lied to him, “One last fling before Father passes.”

“You don't have 'flings', Prince. Whatever you are doing get out now before you get hurt.”

+++

I hadn’t thought Isobel would show at  Riverdale Road Diner that afternoon, but sure enough her silver Jetta is  already sitting outside when I arrived. Apparently seeing that dead girl last night hadn't scared her away.

“You sure you want to do this ?”, I asked.

“No”, she said, “But let’s do it anyway.”

She bought her hands up to my collar and fiddled with the clasp till she removed my Aeterna collar pin.

“Makes you look like a member of a creepy southern cult.”, she explained.

“Technically we are a cult. . . devoted to the simple idea of finding peace and a homeland to call our own.”

She smiles at me and puts my collar pin in her pocket. I feel almost naked without the pin’s weight on my neck.

Inside the Riverdale Road Diner smells like burnt grease and Lysol. It was the kind of place locals stopped by for breakfast in the morning, but what really drew in the crowd was the collection of classic arcade games lined up in the back.The arcade was  known as a gathering ground for Down River Academy boys. Mostly during breaks for those who weren't quite ready to go home. They thought it was ironic for rich boys to hang out in a blue collar diner.A pack of  DRA boys were grouped around a classic Pac-man machine.  A few of them pouring something from a flask into their Cokes.

I relaxed when I realized it was just a clear brown liquor. Rum maybe ? They laugh and punch one another and something about the scene looks familiar to me.

“I think they’ll be more hard pressed to talk to you”, I said to Isobel.

We sit down at the counter and I order coffee for the both of us.

“Is is because I’m a GTA who makes freshman Bio Engineering majors see the importance of early medieval history ?”, she says hopefully.

“No”, I said, “Because you’re a girl. A very beautiful girl.", I add on and resist the urge to kiss her.

“Well, a girl can hope.”

She took her hair down and traded her dark shades for a pair of thick rimmed glasses, then shes take my cap and tilts it over her dark hair.

She approached the boys confidently, with a dollar bill  in her hand and seemed to be asking for change. A few jumped at the chance to help her, then she said something that made them step aside and let her play a game.

The way the boys congregated in their DRA logo t-shirts and  uniforms,reminded me of the Brotherhood. We wore these collar pins to unify us as these boys did their uniforms.  Wer we maybe nothing more than school boys trapped by our strict headmaster ? Were we really even adults at all ? Or children whom were never allowed to grow up. Father was the only one who ever taught us and most of what he taught us was to stick together and remember the mission.

Isobel continued talking d then gestured outside in the general direction of DRA  while shaking her head. One of the boys broke away from the group and followed her back over to me.

“Paris, this is Matthew Conner”, she introduced the boy, “I told him we were looking into what happened to Caden Kellers. They used to be friends.”

Matthew seemed a little uneasy as he watched me.

“Your one of those screwy hermits from off Queensdale blvd”, he said.

“We’re not hermits we’re. . ."

"A cult ?", Isobel said half seriously while sipping her coffee.

"It’s not important. The point is we would like some information about Caden Kellers.”

Matthew Conners  looked at Isobel and then briefly back at this friends.

“Please”, Isobel prompted him, “I think what happened to my best friend has something to do with Caden Kellers.”

Matthew took a deep breath and spoke quickly

“Caden had problems, okay. When senior year started he’d spent the summer in rehab and was doing better. . . untill he started getting involved with drugs again. He started spending late nights at this club in Brooklyn."

Isobel and I exchanged glances. The stamps Hannah and Caden had both had. Of course.

It was from a club.

“Which one ?”, I asked

“The Fifth Circle”, He scribbled on a napkin with one of the waitress’ pencils, “ I went with him once and it was just too freaky. That VIP area had some serious users.Caden started changing, the more time he spent there. He said he was on to something great. But He looked sick all the time and then he just stopped coming to class then he stopped coming to school. That's all I know I swear.”

“Thank you”, I said, “That helps.”

“Doesn’t help Caden”, He said.

He didn't’ seem to realize he was being dismissed so I gestured for Isobel to follow me outside.  

She turned her key ring on her finger and headed to her car.

"Isobel. . . are you familiar with The Fifth Circle."

"I'm familiar with The Tenth Circle. . .", she said returning my hat  but not my pin, "We should check it out."

I thought about this

"Well I've always wanted to go to hell."