Assassin

Chapter 1-3

Zophiel had settled in for a long wait, and days later, he was grateful he could tolerate being still for so long. The swarm was finally awake. He wasn’t hundred percent positive, but one of the adaphat had the signature of the one he was sent down to destroy. There were too many of the f*****g things to tell for sure.

He had retreated back to the safety of the tree stand he came down in, going fuzzy around the edges. It was his hope that the creatures had a hard time differentiating his Fire from the massive essences of the old hickory trees. The trees weren’t as bright individually as he was, but the entire group should do it.

The adaphat stayed in their hidey-hole for hours, way past noon, and on until the shadows got longer over the ground. A few oozed out of the building and loped off toward town, though one headed out in the opposite direction. He had no idea where it was headed, but it wasn’t going toward his mate. That was good enough for the moment.

More poured out as night fell, bubbling from the ruined shell of the house like it was a capsized oil tanker. All of the creatures were average pieces, easy to overcome if Zophiel needed to do it. None came close to his perch. Relieved, the last thing he wanted to do was attract attention by killing one, Zophiel lounged back in the big fork at the top of the third largest hickory.

He wanted to doze and recharge. Sleep was one of the few things none of the Host needed or even indulged in, but he had to rest if he wanted to stay in top form. Zophiel shifted until a knot dug into his shoulder. It helped him stay aware, that slight discomfort.

Midnight rolled around. A few more adaphat left and a few returned, some of those black spots larger than when they had left. They had eaten something. It wasn’t a human, the things would be darker than the ocean floor if they had, but something alive had gone down in the night.

Zophiel did his damnedest not to think about it. He’d gouge something’s eyes out if he did.

A few more slipped away a couple of hours before dawn. Among them was the target he had been sent down for, originally. His lucky day.

This adaphat was bigger than the others, a wrangler, because the creatures sure as s**t didn’t have actual leaders. Had to have brains for that. Years ago, he had tracked it down in the Carolinas, but it slipped past him, and he had followed it to Arkansas.

For a while, Zophiel was pissed because he thought it had moved on, but luck was with him. Stupid fucker had attacked his brothers. How had it come to team up with this slime pit?

As it took off in the direction of town, Zophiel waited. He didn’t want to attract attention when he started after the thing. Minutes ticked by as other creatures left the house after his target. Just as the adaphat was about to slip too far for him to see, the rest cleared the area around his little tree clump.

Zophiel ran. It was a very human way to pursue the thing, but the adaphat was less likely to notice him on the ground, essence backlit by the very Earth itself. That was one advantage he planned to take back to the Host. Why hadn’t they thought of it before?

The town flashed by before he had time for a full breath and then he was at the edge of the field to his mate’s farm. His target stayed at the fence line, not quite touching with its gross self. That was fine. It couldn’t get into the house or land with his brother’s shield in place, now that it lacked a human buffer, if it wanted to stay alive.

But it was too open where the adaphat stopped to take it by surprise. It had chosen a perfect spot, no trees for hundreds of yards in any direction, too far back to give Zophiel the element of surprise. He was a stealth killer. Michael was the frontal assault type. If it came to a one on one fight, Zophiel was at a serious disadvantage. It sat sour in his throat.

The creature seemed to be waiting for something. There was nothing but the farm for miles in any direction. Time slipped by as he watched the adaphat, aware of the surrounding area. A curtain in the window was eventually brushed aside and Zophiel’s breath hitched to see Levi staring out into the night. His mate didn’t stay in the window for more than a couple of minutes before he let the cloth fall back in place.

The adaphat left after that, away from the house, the humans and angels in it unaware of both watchers. It was for the best. Zophiel would tell his brothers, but he left the humans to their mates. He might know them well, but he had no right to interfere with the information about the pit.

He let the creature go too. He knew where the thing was when he wanted it, but the need, the ache he felt for Levi clamored up into a roar from just one look at his human’s pinched and angry expression while he was in the window. There was no way to deny it. It was hard enough to suppress the gut wrenching desire to claim Levi that he’d had during all their time together. When he gave into one, it made pushing away the other impulse easier. That’s the lie he continued to tell himself.

The sun was still below the horizon when he left the shelter of the trees and came up to the house. Door was unlocked, of course it was, and Zophiel slipped inside quiet as a mouse. He locked the door behind him. The Thomas family might be too trusting, but Zophiel knew better.

The big house was dark. Not exactly quiet though. Someone snored so loud the sound threatened to wake the dead. He would’ve gagged whoever that was, if he was allowed. As he walked down the hall, it sounded like it came from Danny’s room.

At the end of the hall, Zophiel tapped a couple of fingers against the door and waited with his heart drumming a frantic beat in his chest. At first, he worried Levi would refuse to answer him. Why wouldn’t he? Zophiel knew how bad he’d messed s**t up. Levi wasn’t wrong to be mad, even. Maybe Zophiel had a chance to talk him down, though, if Levi opened the damned door at all.