Taming the Darkness Read online

  “She got pregnant and you ditched her.”

  My dad raises an eyebrow. “Is that what she told you?”

  “It’s the truth,” I snap.

  “No, it’s not. I wanted to be with your mother, but she blamed me for the pregnancy. She hates me, but I tried to stay with her.”

  “No, Dad, she hates me,” I whisper, looking down.

  He wraps his arms around me. It’s not warm and fuzzy like a fatherly hug should be. It’s cold, but it’s still my dad. I lay my head on his chest. “She doesn’t hate you.”

  “She blames me for her not being in heaven,” I mutter. “It doesn’t matter. I’m grown and out of the house. Got me a fancy career.”

  “You’ve made a name for yourself,” my dad laughs. “You should be proud. I’m proud of you.”

  “Thanks,” I laugh. Suddenly, there’s the all too knowing feeling. “I got to go.”

  Shaking his head, he says, “Already? You just got done.”

  “The reapers never rest,” I sigh. “We should do dinner.”

  “Yeah, Wednesday. Meet at my place. Say, six?”

  “Sounds good, bye Dad.” With a blink, I’m gone.

  Chapter 2

  I don’t want to do this. I don’t want to do this. I don’t want to do this. I stand there with my eyes clenched shut. I hear, “Open your eyes, Raven.”

  “No,” I reply. “I’m going to open them and there’s going to be unicorns, and giant butterflies, and Care Bears.”

  I hear laughter. “No, everyone’s naked!”

  My eyes flash open. “What!”

  Gale starts laughing. “Made you look.”

  “You’re a…”

  “Watch what you say,” Gale says. “You are in heaven.”

  Narrowing my eyes, I reply, “I know.”

  “Smile!” He exclaims.

  “No.”

  “For me?”

  Forcing it, I smile. Then I stop. “That was painful.”

  “It was not,” he scoffs. Gale is everything you expect an angel to be. Perfect blonde hair, perfect blue eyes and peppy. Eternally peppy. We are polar opposites, but he’s my best friend. He smiles. “Are you up here for a visit?” Walking over, he takes my arm and weaves it through his and starts pulling me forward.

  “No,” I reply. “I got called here.”

  “My mom would like to see you,” he states. “You haven’t been up here in a while.”

  “It’s been a week,” I laugh.

  Gale shrugs his shoulders. “We don’t have time here, so it’s been like a million years.”

  “Whatever, Gale,” I laugh. “I will go see her before I leave.”

  “She loves you like a daughter,” Gale says.

  “She’s better than the mom I have,” I snort. “She can see there’s more to me than darkness.”

  He stops and smiles at me. “Now, if you could do that, too, that would be great!”

  I glare at him. “Funny.”

  “One day, Raven, I will get your light side to come through,” Gale says, starting to walk with me again. “Who are you here to see?”

  “The Marked Ones,” I say.

  Stopping, Gale shivers. “I will let you do that on your own.”

  “Hey, I’d see them every day for the rest of my life, if it means I don’t ever have to see Lucifer.”

  “That’s a good thing,” Gale whispers. “I don’t want you to fall into the darkness. I can’t get you back from there.”

  “Don’t worry. I got this,” I state, patting him on the shoulder. “No worries. Now, escort me there.” Gale pats my hand and then talks my ear off. You never realize how much happens in heaven until you’ve been gone for a week. Holy crap. It’s the Days of Our Lives for good people.

  Finally, we get to a giant stone structure. Gale turns to me. “The rest of the way you have to go on your own.”

  “I know the routine,” I laugh. “See you when I come out.”

  “I will be waiting right here,” he promises. Gale bends over and kisses me on the forehead. It’s warm, and breath taking, and feels like home. When he pulls away, it’s like a vacuum and the darkness takes over again. For the briefest of seconds, I felt the light. It’s only here that I feel it.

  Taking a deep breath, I go into the stone structure. The Abass. The home of the Marked Ones. Angels rarely sleep, so it’s more the business center. Most angels are scared of the Marked Ones, because the Marked Ones are the CIA of heaven. No human knows about them. They aren’t part of a choir and you just don’t talk about them. Ever. They also don’t talk except to each other and reapers. Creepy is an understatement. Like I told Gale, I would rather deal with the Marked Ones, than ever have to interact with Lucifer.

  Azrael and the rest of the demons can’t wait until I have to meet him. They think I’m going to succumb to his powers. I’m afraid I will, too. My light side isn’t as powerful as my dark side. I don’t want to end up working for Lucifer. If I do, I start reaping good souls and then the war begins. There are reapers who fall prey to Lucifer’s games. They are the ones I have to fight.

  As much as I reap the bad souls, I have to defend the good ones, too. It’s not fun taking down your brethren. It’s heart breaking, because you know it’s not something they wanted, but there’s no going back. The only thing left is death. Sometimes they want it. Sometimes they ask for it. I end their pain and suffering every time. I have seven deaths on my hands. You’d think that’d be a surprising number for reapers. The draw between the good and bad is very strong for the angels. They can’t help themselves, I guess.

  I walk through the stone structure and get into the great hall. There are two figures standing around a pool of silver liquid. There are constant moving waves. I come up to the pool and look up to see two cloaked beings. You can’t see their faces. You never see their faces, which makes these interactions even creepier.

  “Reaper,” they say.

  “I have a name,” I retort, with slight attitude. Do not show fear in front of these guys.

  “Raven,” they say again.

  Crossing my arms, I say, “I followed the rules and did my job.”

  “We know that,” the one on the left says. “That is not why you are here.”

  “You have another job already? I do need to eat. I’m starving. I want some Chinese food.”

  The one on the right says, “You do need to rest.”

  “Rest, pfff,” I scoff, shooing my hand. “Rest is for the weak. I just need some food. Fried rice, egg rolls. Maybe I want sushi instead.”

  “Little reaper.”

  Annoyed, I ask, “What’s the assignment?”

  “We need you to find a soul,” the left Marked One says.

  “Another reaping?”

  The Marked One waves his hand over the pool. A picture of a guy appears. He looks to be around my age. Hot. Definitely hot, but he’s a mark. His brown hair is a little longer, comes down into his eyes just a tad bit, but when he looks up, I stop breathing. His eyes are the deepest blue. Something stirs inside of me when I look at him. To squash it I look up at the Marked One. I don’t feel anything. I’m a reaper.

  “So, am I reaping or what?”

  “We need you to find him,” the Marked One says. “You will go from there.”

  “Why are you being so cryptic?” I ask.

  “It is your job to follow orders, reaper.”

  I scoff, “So, I have no idea what I am walking into?”

  “Find him,” they say. Then in a whirlwind they are gone.

  “What?” I gasp. “That’s all I get. Are you kidding me?” With a glare, I stare down into the pool. No information. Just find this soul. Suddenly, from the pool comes a necklace. It hangs before me. It’s a blue stone with a cross etched into it. I reach for it, but as soon as I touch it, it disappears. It’s then that I realize it’s around my neck. I touch it with my fingertips ever so lightly. A vision of the guy pops into my head and then it’s gone.

  Super annoyed
, I glare at the space where the Marked Ones were. With that, I turn on my heel and walk out of the Abass. Gale is outside, playing with a dog. When he sees me, he smiles. The dog sees me and runs. Of course. Gale asks, “How did it go?”

  “Wonderfully,” I answer, sarcastically.

  “What’s wrong?” He asks, grabbing my arm again.

  Rolling my eyes, I say, “They gave me a mission, but were totally cryptic and gave absolutely no information. I just got this pretty necklace and what the guy looks like. There are a billion people on Earth.”

  “More like 7.4 Billion,” Gale counters, with a smile.

  “Thanks,” I drawl out. “Anyway, not sure how I’m supposed to find him with no information.”

  “Maybe it’s like a mystery and you have to be a detective!” Gale yells. “How cool would that be?”

  I raise an eyebrow and look at him. “I don’t know the first thing about being a detective.”

  “You start by asking people if they know who he is,” Gale states.

  “I don’t have a picture of him,” I say. “Nor a name. How am I supposed to describe him? His gorgeous blue eyes.”

  Gale stops, and turns to me with the biggest smile ever. “Did I just hear you say that you think a boy is gorgeous.”

  “What?” I stammer. “No. That is not what I said.”

  His eyes get bigger and so does his smile. “You said he had gorgeous eyes.”

  “So do you and so does Raphael.”

  “We, totally, do not count. We’re angels.”

  Putting up my finger, I say, “The last thing I need to do is be attracted to a human,” I say. “Talk about a no-no.”

  “There are rules for angels,” Gale says. “But I don’t know if they apply to you.”

  I yank my arm from him and start to walk. “I’m hungry.”

  “Why can’t you be attracted to someone?” Gale asks, jogging up next to me. “There’s nothing wrong with that.”

  “I’m incapable of love,” I snap, trying to diffuse the situation.

  “You don’t know that,” he presses. “You have the light, so there’s always a possibility.”

  We stop and I spin on him. “My dark side is my prominent side. We both know that.”

  “You are half light and half dark my sweet girl,” Gale replies. “It’s not a 75/25 mix. You’re half light and half dark. You need to come to terms with that.”

  “I’m a reaper,” I snap. “We don’t get the privilege of feelings.”

  “Why do you fight it so?” Gale asks, putting his hand on me.

  Ugh. This knot in my chest. I feel my eyes water up. I yank my arm away and say, “Stop it. I have to go.”

  “What about my mother?”

  “Tell her I will come up tomorrow,” I mutter. “I will see you later.”

  Gale bends over and kisses my forehead. “I love you my little lost one.”

  With that, I disappear. I land in my apartment. Time is totally different in heaven and hell. I go and peer out of the blinds. It’s night. I turn on my computer. And it’s two days later. Hmmm. Must eat. Must eat Chinese food. EGG ROLLS. Reaping makes you very hungry. The time change doesn’t help at all. I know I’m not human, but even angels have to eat, and let’s be serious, technically, I’m an angel. I grab my cell phone and dial a number.

  Someone answers, “Same order as always Raven?”

  “Extra egg rolls,” I state.

  “Ooo, living it up a little,” the guy says. “Alright, give us twenty minutes.”

  “If you make it fifteen, I will tip double.”

  “Fifteen it is.”

  “Bye.”

  “Bye.”

  It helps that the restaurant is two buildings down. Ugh. I’m actually kind of tired. This is my third reaping in a week. Tyrone wasn’t even the worst. Arnold’s taste was children. I didn’t even give him much time to repent. I could practically feel the icicles on his soul. I was all too happy to hand him over to Azrael.

  There is a sudden knock on the door. The food wouldn’t be here that fast.

  “Who is it?”

  “Open the door Cupcake.”

  Throwing open the door, I snap, “My dwelling is off limits!”

  Azrael spreads his hands wide. “At least I knocked.”

  “What do you want?” I whine. “I need a minute to regroup.” Ugh. I may need a nap.

  “I have a mission for you,” Azrael says.

  “Oh, no way in hell, LITERALLY, will I ever do anything for you,” I seethe.

  He leans in. “It’s not a reaping.”

  “I’m not having sex with you.”

  A wicked smile creeps across his face. “Now, all of my hopes are dashed away.”

  “Ever.”

  “We will see little reaper,” he hums. “No, I need you to find someone.”

  My whole body tenses up. “Who?”

  With a flick of his wrist a picture appears, Azrael says, “This boy.”

  It’s the same target that the Marked Ones gave me. I scoff. “Why would you want to find a boy? I didn’t think you swung that way.”

  “For him I might,” Azrael laughs.

  “Why would I help you?” I ask, rolling my eyes.

  “I will make sure you never have to see Lucifer,” Azrael promises. “I will do your interactions.”

  What? “You’re lying.”

  He shakes his head. “I’m telling the truth. You will never see him. You’ll never lose your soul.”

  This shifts everything. “I can’t help you. It wouldn’t be right.”

  “I’m going to leave this with you,” Azrael says, handing the picture forward. “If you find him, just call me.”

  “Why do you want this guy, if it’s not for a reaping?” I inquire. Someone give me some information why both sides want this guy so badly.

  “All you have to do is find him, reaper,” Azrael purrs. “I will keep my end of the bargain if you keep yours.”

  My eyes turn up at him. “I will never help you Azrael.”

  He in return narrows his. “Then your soul will never be safe. I will no longer take souls from you and I will make sure no demon ever does.”

  “Are you threatening me?” I growl.

  “No, making you a promise. Don’t play games with a demon without thinking you’re going to get burned.” With a whirlwind of fire, he’s gone.

  Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. This is really bad. Fuck. Smite me if you want God, but fuck. FUCKITY FUCK FUCK. I can’t help him. I can’t, but I can’t face Lucifer by myself. What do I do? This is bad. This is so very bad.

  Looking down at the picture, all I wonder is what makes this guy so special? What’s your name? Suddenly, the picture burns and a name appears. Avery Cross.

  Okay. Avery. I got it. How do I find you? I groan and kick off my boots. UGGGHHHH. I just want to reap souls and avoid the drama. Why am I in charge of finding a human? I walk over and face plant into my couch. U-G-H! God, you could help me you know.

  There is suddenly a knock on the door. God, if that’s you, you’re quick. Growling, I get up to answer the door. “I swear if you are a demon I am going to skewer you alive by shoving my sword up your ass!” On the other side of the door is a wide-eyed delivery boy on the other side. “Oops,” I whisper.

  “The total is $11.64,” the guy whispers, holding the bag as far away as possible.

  I grab the bag. “Hold on.” Throwing it on the table, I take a twenty out of my wallet and shove it in delivery boy’s face. “Keep the change.” He grabs it and books it back down the hallway. Grumbling to myself, I take out the food and some chop sticks then flop down in front of my computer.

  It was interesting learning to use one of these things. Angels don’t really use electronics. I don’t know much about demons in that aspect. I could totally see Azrael going to porn sites though. Opening the browser, I type in Avery Cross. A ton of web sites pop up, but nothing matching my target. Huh, no wonder why Azrael can’t find him. I stop chewing. Wait
a second. Why can’t the Marked Ones find him either? Why do I need to? And why are both sides coming to me? …Huh…

  Suddenly, there’s a woosh of air behind me. I flick my wrist and grip my seraph blade. Spinning around, I’m about to pounce, but then stop. “Gale! You scared the crap out of me.”

  He just smiles and looks around my apartment. “This is neat.”

  “What are you doing down here? You’ve never been down here.”

  Gale shrugs his shoulders. “I needed to talk to you.”

  “Dude, try this,” I instruct, thrusting forth an egg roll.

  Making a weird face, Gale takes it. “What is it?”

  “An egg roll. Try it.”

  “I’m not sure I want to.”

  I drop my hands. “Gale, if you’re on Earth, you have to experience it a little.”

  He grimaces and takes a bite. Chewing, he just stares at it. Finally, he says, “I think I felt myself get fatter and angels don’t gain weight.”

  “Spend a few months down here and you’ll change your tune,” I snort.

  “You have not gained weight,” Gale chimes, looking around at all the stuff in my apartment. “It’s very dirty in here.”

  “Dude, do I go in your house and make comments?”

  Gale turns to me. “My house is very clean, Raven. Would you like me to clean in here?” He picks up a book and blows the dust off of it, and then swooshes the air to clear it away. “The Bible.”

  “I collect them,” I snap, tearing it out of his hands.

  “It’s a good thing to collect,” Gale replies.

  I grab my food and start eating again. “What are you doing here? Not that it’s not great to see you on Earth.”

  “I was doing some detective work since you left,” Gale says.

  Sitting up, I ask, “What did you learn?”

  He walks up to me. “I was looking through the scrolls.”

  “How much time has passed?”

  “A month,” he answers.

  “I do not get heaven time,” I state, chewing on my rice. I’m so hungry.

  Gale sits down next to me. “There’s a prophecy,” he whispers.

  “About what?” I ask, grabbing another egg roll.

  He leans in. “About someone saving the fallen.”

  I stop chewing. “What are you talking about?” My heart couldn’t be beating any faster.