Damned

chapter 18

Darrton

Ian’s house was empty. There were chairs knocked over, sheets torn, and no one in sight.

Ian had been more serious in the last hour than I had seen him in the entire time I’d known him. He shook his head and stroked his chin as he walked through the messy, cluttered house. “Well, at least we know it was them.”

My patience was running thin. I kicked the staircase and noticed a cell phone laying on the bottom step. I picked it up. It was pink and had some sort of jewels glued on it.

“Whose phone is that?” Ian asked from behind me.

“Shit.”

Ian cocked an eyebrow. “Well.”

“It’s Samantha’s, Elizabeth’s little sister. They have her with them.”

Ian spat. “Bastards. I wish I could stick my boot up their asses. What do we do now? We don’t know where to go?”

Following the trash and broken furniture up the stairs, I stopped at an extra bedroom. This must be where they had kept her. I closed my eyes and I could watch as Warren grabbed Elizabeth’s honey-colored hair. It made my stomach heave. In the middle of the bed, surrounded by ripped bed sheets and mess was, a single piece of paper. They’ll never be safe, Brother. Meet us at the warehouse. You’ll be able to find us.

The paper dissolved as I crumbled it up in my hand. “We have to go. They have her by the lake. I swear if she is hurt—”

Ian stopped me with his hand on my arm. “They haven’t hurt her, Darrton. They won’t. They will keep her alive until you make the oath and then they will kill her. We have to get to her without them knowing.”

Nodding I sighed into my hands. “I know. I just pray they haven’t hurt Sam. I pray that we can get to her before they kill her. After I do the deed, she may as well be dead anyway. Everyone will die then. They will kill everyone, take on the Earth.”

“For someone so strong, you are awfully whiney sometimes.”

“Whiney?” I said through my teeth. “The only girl I have loved in years is about to die, you ass. It has been ages since I’ve felt anything for anyone. All my emotions have been hidden for decades and now they are here. I can’t let them leave me again.”

Ian rolled his eyes. “Drama queen. We will get to her in time, Darrton. Quit complaining. Spread your wings and fly, brother.”

We had barely made it out of the door before my wings burst from my back. There was no time to waste. We had to go save Elizabeth. Without her I would be nothing.


“There it is,” Ian said, pointing nonchalantly and taking another drag off of his cigarette. “That’s the only warehouse within twenty miles from here. It has to be it.”

I sniffed the air and could smell the raw earthy scent. “Yeah, they’re here, all right.”

“Well?” Ian gestured for us to go. “Shall we?”

Grunting, I turned to him. “You still think that it’s a good idea just to walk up to them and say release her?”

Ian shrugged, dropped his cigarette into the fresh dirt, and stepped on it. “Do you have a better idea, partner?”

“Well, I think it’s a hell of a lot better than yours.”

Ian laughed, throwing his head back in his overly dramatic way. “Well, let’s have it, Wilson. Give me the plan and I am your solider.”

“It’s not really a plan—”

“Ah! As I thought.”

“Shut the hell up and follow me,” I mumbled, starting toward the warehouse. They have to be inside. Ian had said this was the only warehouse close by the water. It was eerily silent but I could feel in my bones that someone was here. Ian stepped toward the door and I pulled him back.

“Dag gum, partner. Don’t give your only solider a heart attack before the battle.”

“We need to look inside first.”

Letting my wings break free, I coasted up to look in the window. It was almost bare, except for a table, a door, and a...cage. Rage engulfed me. I knew she had to...she isn’t here?

The door burst open. Warren pushed Scotty out, with Caden following behind “You’ve let her escape, you son of a bitch! You were supposed to watch her!”

Scotty staggered up. “Why is it my fault? I have no idea what happened to her?”

He laughed. “I can’t go away for two f*cking minutes without you two messing everything up!”

“I wasn’t in charge of her, he was,” Caden sneered, pointing toward Scotty.

“Don’t play it like you weren’t as enthralled as Scotty was,” Warren yelled. “You were the one with your hands all over her, you horny bastard!”

Red hot rage flooded me and I reached for the window. Ian flung me to the ground and held me there. “Don’t get your panties in a wad, Darrton. We have to listen to what they are ’bout to do. Stay here. I’ll go see.” Ian glided up and floated there for what seemed like forever.

He was touching her? A sick twisted rage bubbled in my stomach. I can’t believe I’ve been so imprudent. A Horsemen...Death of the Horsemen. How stupid I was to involve a human girl. Such a fragile being. I let my head fall back against the hard brick of the building and waited for Ian.

So stupid. So freaking stu—Something tickled me. Opening my eyes, I saw a butterfly resting on my nose. I pulled it off. It fluttered in my hand, it’s wing spreading out then back in. Elizabeth.

“Aw, a butterfly.”

I gritted my teeth and rolled my eyes. The butterfly flew away. “So, what’s going on?” I asked, standing up and preparing myself.

“They are going to a church.”

“But they can’t get in. Why would they do such a stupid thing?”

Ian smiled. “They think that is where whoever is hiding Lizzie put her, because that is where they can’t go.”

“Hiding Lizzie? Where is she? Who could have her?”

Ian shrugged. “Now that, my friend, is the mystery of the hour. They think you were the one to kidnap her and are hiding her in a church nearby.”

Who could have her? It’s not Scotty, or her parents. Trevor isn’t smart enough to try and Millie would probably be too heartbroken to move.

Ian placed his hand on my shoulder. “Well, my friend, I think we need to duck and cover so we can follow them. Don’t you think?”

Pulling myself back to earth, I nodded. “The roof,” I said, pointing.

We jumped, lifted ourselves up, and rested on the roof. There was movement inside. They were rummaging around. “I wonder what they have in that room,” Ian said.

“Probably the things for the ceremony.”

“Ceremony...as in the calling?”

I nodded. “As in the calling.”

“They need you for that, don’t they, son?”

“They won’t get me for it. I’ve changed my plans and my ways. I won’t do it. I won’t call Satan.”

“You will if Lizzie’s life depends on it, will you not?”

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. I knew deep down if she were about to be killed, I would put my own soul down for the entire Earth. But calling, now seemed utterly wrong. I couldn’t dream of calling the things to Earth that I would tremble to encounter myself. I can’t hurt those innocent people like this. Not yet. Lizzie was right. It’s not time.

“You don’t have to do it. Let’s just pray it won’t come down to that,” Ian said.

I laughed. “You know, this is the first time I’ve seen you as you, not fallen over drunk.”

Ian’s smile crept up his face. “Hey now, would you like me to take out my flask? It’s in my pocket.”

“I never thought it would be anywhere else.” Sitting down, I tried to position myself where I could keep an eye on the ground by the door. “Ian, speaking of doing things we don’t want to, do you think that you could hurt Scotty? He is your flesh and blood.”

Ian seemed not to move for a long moment. “I don’t see myself doing it, because I try not to think about it. But I feel if it comes down to it and the circumstances are bad enough, I would have to. He has given himself up. He doesn’t seem like my son anymore.”

“He is your son. He has just taken an oath he will never be able to break. He is bound to someone else for eternity. It’s a terrible thing, and I wish it had never happened, but it did and I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault, Darrton. Yes, you made a bargain with your brothers to do what you were born to do. You’ve signed with the devil. It was wrong at the time, but you were born to do it. But you’ve changed. They haven’t. You’ve changed your life and ways but they won’t. They will never change their ways and we both know it. We both also know that they will not hesitate to kill us. I know they will. We have to guard each other’s back when the time comes. We have to make sure we both stay alive, because without the other, there will be three against one.”

I placed my hand on his shoulder. “I know. I have your back, Brother.”

Ian smiled and shook his head. “I have yours.”

Thirty minutes passed before the floor squeaked below us and the door flew open. “Come the hell on, Scotty. We don’t have all day.”

Caden laughed. “Well, we actually have eternity, Warren. We don’t have to do it today.”

Warren snarled. “You two don’t understand the consequences of this mission do you? We have taken an oath. We have to do this, you fools! There is no turning back even if we wanted. We have to carry out the duties we were given.”

There was silence for a moment before Caden sighed. “We understand, Warren.”

“Good, now let’s go. We have a Ms. Elizabeth to find. Darrton has to have her and we have to be careful. Let me do the talking and no one moves until you are commanded to. Scotty, can you handle this?” Warren asked in a slick voice.

“Of course,” Scotty said.

“So, if you need to kill your father, will you do it?” Caden asked.

I could just see a grin on his face and his cocked eyebrow.

Warren snarled, “Stop instigating, Caden. Do you think you can kill Darrton?”

“What a dumb question. Of course, I can. I’ve always liked him the least.”

I snorted. Likewise.

Gravel shuffled below their feet. Warren’s whispers were in a sinister voice. “Scotty, do you think that you can kill Ian if needed?”

Silence.

Ian didn’t move beside me. He only stood still, as if hearing the answer would release him from his trance.

“Yes.”

Ian stiffened even more.

“Well then, let’s go, Brothers.”

They were off in a lightning-fast move.

“Are you okay?” I asked Ian.

He nodded. “He isn’t my boy anymore. He really has given his soul up. He can’t get out of it.”

I nodded. “He is your boy. He just got into something he can’t get out of. I’m sorry. I’m sorry this is all happening.”

Ian stood, dusted off his pants, and smiled. It was forced but it was an attempt. “Well then, I think we have a lady to save, Darrton. After you...”

It sickened me to see Ian and Scotty this way. It sickened me to see my brothers and me the same way. But this couldn’t happen. I can’t let them hurt her.

I nodded. “Let’s follow them.”

We flew for what seemed like an hour. We tried to stay far enough behind them, so that they would never suspect any followers.

When we stopped it was midafternoon and the sun was shining brightly down on us.

We stopped at the edge of the woods. From there, we watched them as they dropped down into the clearing ahead of us. There was a little white church sitting calmly in the center. The outside was wooden and it seemed like it had been built years before.

“You think they are here?” Caden asked.

Scotty nodded. “Yes, this is the closest one from the warehouse.”

“Well, why don’t you go look?” Warren asked.

Scotty glanced at Warren and then Caden. I wondered if he knew they were throwing him underneath the bus. By the way he set jaw I would say that he probably did know. He is their only way in. He needs to be taken out. I took a sideways glance at Ian. He crouched beside me, eyes focused on Scotty. I can’t kill Scotty. I would never forgive myself.

I watched Scotty walked up the stairs and opened the door. Scotty could go in because he was Nephilim. God banned the Horsemen from being allowed in churches when they were damned.

He went inside slowly and we all waited hesitantly for him to come back out. Five minutes later he returned. “No one is in here. Maybe they aren’t at a church or this church at least.”

Warren clenched his fist. “Where the hell would they be then? They’ve left no clues at all!”

My body automatically relaxed. She isn’t here.

Ian laughed lightly beside me. “She isn’t here, Darrton. That’s a freakin’ relief.”

I nodded. I took another look at the church and my body froze. In the window of the attic I saw her. She saw me. Her face was so smooth and calm, glancing down at me. Her hair was combed to the side and her hand was on the window. Her eyes burned at me. She smiled and my stomach felt sick. I motioned for her to get down but it was too late. Warren saw her.

Then I heard Warren laugh. “I see we have missed the attic, Scotty.” Warren pointed up to the window. “They’re in there. Upstairs.”

Caden laughed. “Go get her, Scotty. I can’t stand to be away from her much longer.” He was smiling a conniving smile. “I know she misses me.”

Warren snorted and barred his teeth at Scotty. “Go get the girl, Scotty.

Scotty disappeared into the darkness of the church.