Nightborn 9

The darkness hung from him like an oversized cloak, swaying gently as to a nonexistent breeze. 

So it is true. He is a Nightborn.

Rebeca Voltaire found it hard to believe that one of her top detectives was a member of the enemy. 

“I am not one of them,” detective Cross said, his voice still resolute even after hours of interrogation. She could usually crack men with ease, but Damien… It was as though he spoke the truth. And Rebeca didn’t know if she wouldn’t prefer his words to be lies.

“But you joined them willingly,” she said, not letting him see her weariness. 4 AM, she didn’t sleep in over 36 hours, dealing with the mess the Nightborn made. 

“You told me you joined their ranks on your own free will.”

“A mistake I’m living with every day,'' Cross replied, returning the stare. “Please, all I want is to make amends. You have got to see that I speak the truth.”

Blast him, but he does, she thought. She could see a glimmer of light coming from his heart, penetrating the dark shroud that surrounded him. Being a LightBlood, she could see more than just Nightborn Seed. She could see into people’s intentions.

“Alright, Cross,” she sighed. “At least you believe in what you say. I hope for your sake that the Seed isn’t tricking you into it.”

“It’s not,” Cross said, jaw tight. 

He’s fighting it, she thought. But can he keep it under control?

“You can’t know that,” she said, sitting down in the chair and crossing her legs. “Make no mistake, I will notify my kin of this. We will keep an eye over you wherever you go and whatever you do. Even if you aren’t behind bars you will not be free, so consider wisely - at least in a cell you can’t harm others, or yourself. The LightBlood would keep the Seed at bay.”

“Aiden said the same thing,” he said.

Rebeca blinked. Aiden was their gatherer, searching for naturaly gifted people that could bear the gift of Light. “You know Aiden?” 

“Yes,” Cross said. “He was the one who pulled my teeth out. It hurt like all hells but it didn’t work. He only pulled the stem, leaving the roots.”

“That was a fool’s hope anyway,” she said. “The Seed, once accepted by body and mind, becomes one with you. There is no way to take it out without killing the host in the process. We’ve tried, Cross. That thing inside you… it makes you a liability.”

“I can handle it.”

“But I can’t.” There were enough problems as they were. The Nightborn were planning something big and with the recent incidents there was a high threat that the public learned of the Nightborn. And that was something she couldn’t allow.

“I saved a girl.”

“So you did. But you also exposed two colleagues to supernatural elements, resulting in Cunnings becoming a Nightborn slave. You risked two lives, knowing full well that they weren’t equipped to deal with the Nightborn.” She leaned over the table, intertwining her fingers. “What the hell am I supposed to say to Cunnings’s family? To the men and women at the station? To the hospital staff? How does one explain a living man without a heartbeat, having to be tied down because he is as feral as a rabid dog?”

Cross stared at the table in front of him. 

“Seven people have seen Cunnings die and then rise to attack you. A nurse has been killed. The whole hospital is talking and soon the media will catch wind of this.”

“I’m sure you can come up with a cover story,” he said. 

“I have no other choice,” she said. “Widespread panic must be avoided at all costs, Cross. At least until we can find out what they are planning.”

Cross raised his head. “I can help you with that. I can hunt down one of their leaders, the one who kidnapped the girl, Mortensen.”

“So that he can lure you back to their side?” Rebeca knew all too well how infiltration missions to the Nightborn ended. “No, the best I can do is to suspend you and you get as far away from this city as possible, as far away from them as you can. That, or I take you in.”

Cross shook his head. “It doesn’t matter where I go, chief. He will find me. Besides, I’d never run when there are lives at stake. They’re planning to bring forth the Apocalypse, Rebeca. We have to stop them! You’ve got to let me help!”

The Apocalypse. Did the Nightborn still believe in old prophecies? It would be just as insane as if she believed in the restoration of Paradise. But regardless of old stories and tradition, if the Nightborn believed in them, that made them that much more dangerous. 

Fanatics were the worst when they had a vision.

Cross sighed. “At least take Rachel into your sanctuary. Let Aiden look after her. She is not safe if we let her go home.”

Rebeca studied the man’s eyes. There was guilt in them, and fear. 

But also a strong determination that held the other two pinned down.

“If you let her go, he will capture her again, and fulfill whatever plans I interrupted by saving her.”

“Fine,” she said, leaning back. “She can come with us. Perhaps Aiden can help heal some of her trauma. But I’m still not clear on what to do with you, Cross. You’ve been a detective on my station for almost five years now and in all that time you were hiding a terrible secret. Perhaps you’ve resolved your morality now, but how do I know that you didn’t spy for the Nightborn during that time?”

“You can’t,” he said. “But you can feel, can’t you? Even though my body is tainted with the Seed, my heart remains untouched. And I would see that no other innocent people have to go through what I or Rachel had endured.” He looked her in the eyes. “If I knew sooner that you were LightBlood I would have begged for you to end my misery. Now, I beg for you to let me join you.”

She had to admit, it was a tempting offer. Cross proved himself as a detective and having someone of his caliber act as a consultant to the ways of the Nightborn might be valuable. 

“I might be able to trust you but I cannot trust the Seed. It is vile and unpredictable. Just consider the fact that it rested dormant in you for five years before sprouting again. What if the Seed takes over?”

He hesitated. 

“There is no guarantee that I can offer you, but the oath I took when I joined the police force. To serve and protect.”

She smiled. Those words, and the way he spoke them, reminded her of herself many years ago, when she was first recruited into the LighBlood ranks. She used to talk with the same kind of zest and certainty, thinking of herself invincible and incorruptible.

Life can teach you many things in a decade. One of them being that sometimes you just have to take a chance. 

I did not become the police chief by playing it safe.

“Damien,” she said softly. “I trust the detective that you are, the man with whom I’ve worked. And I also trust my instinct, more than I trust spoken words or actions. So far it hasn’t let me down and I pray that you won’t be the exception. You’re right, I do need your help.” 

The detective’s mouth curved into a faint smile. “I won’t let you down, chief.”

“No, you won’t,” she said. “If you do, it will be the death of you.”

And I the one to deliver it.

***

As she woke up, Rachel still pondered on the thought that she saw an angel the other night. That woman that came for Damien… Rachel had never seen anyone so beautiful in her entire life. Not even her fiance, though she loved him with all her heart. 

I am still in shock, she told herself. I am not myself.

The woman was nothing special in terms of looks - middle-aged, elegant suit, some wrinkles, and grey hair, probably the result of her stressful job. But as Rachel looked at her and blinked, she thought she saw the woman glow for that split second. Soft blue light, shining from her eyes and mouth, and gentle tendrils of white light rising from her skin. The image only lasted for a moment and then it was gone. 

She sighed, wrapping her arms around her knees, sitting on the hospital bed. Will I ever be a normal person again? Will Dave still love me if I won’t?

Not feeling anything was the only way she could deal with it. And though numbness helped to deal with the terror, she feared it would also bleach the love she felt toward Dave. And that was probably the worst of everything.

Somebody knocked on the door and in came the detective. It had to be early in the morning as there was a soft light coming through the windows. Rachel didn’t know what time it was. She didn’t know how long she was at the hospital - could be days, could be weeks.

“We’ve reached a decision, Rachel,” the detective said as he stopped at the foot of the bed. His eyes were all red and his voice was low as if he had no sleep at all. “Rebeca agreed to take you to Aiden where you will be safe from Mortensen and the other Nightborn.”

Rachel pulled her knees closer. “Rebeca?”

“Chief of police,” he said. “She came last night.”

The angel.

“She will take you to a safe house as soon as she arranges with the doctors. I wanted to escort you there myself, but something came up.”

He sounded concerned.

“What is it? Is it him?”

He shook his head. “I don’t know. Arson was reported at a supermarket. It could be unrelated, but I need to check.”

“I’d prefer it if you escorted me to the safe house,” she heard herself say. She didn’t want to go with another stranger, not again. Even if it was the chief of police, and especially if that person appeared to be glowing. Rachel had enough supernatural phenomena for a lifetime.

“I’m sorry,” Damien said. “But if the Nightborn are behind the arson then I must go while the trail is fresh, so I can track them.”

Track them. She had to remind herself that the detective too was a Nightborn. Seeing him all weary and concerned made him look more human than she was, with her numb apathy.

He smiled. “It’s okay. You can trust Rebeca and Aiden. They are good people.”

“How long will I stay there?”

“Hopefully not long,” he said, a hint of apology in his voice. “But it could take a while. At least until we find Mortensen and bring him in.”

Rachel was about to ask if her fiance was in any danger too, when the door opened again, this time without a knock, and in came Rebeca.

Rachel noticed her heart jump at the sight of her. Though she didn’t appear to glow this time, there was an air of assertiveness about the woman that made Rachel feel uncomfortable.

“We can go,” Rebeca said. “The doctors have agreed to release her and I’ve informed Aiden we’ll be on our way.”

“Good,” Damien said, then turned to Rachel with a smile. “Everything will be okay, Miss Austen. I give you my word that I will hunt down the bastard.”

“Be careful,” she said. Though she couldn’t return the smile, it did comfort her a little.

Until she blinked and noticed the police chief glowing again. Rachel yelped in surprise, realizing she wasn’t just imagining things.

“What’s wrong?” asked Damien.

“She’s glowing,” Rachel stuttered, pointing at Rebeca. She and Damien exchanged looks.

“It’s probably the morning sun…” Rebeca shrugged. 

Rachel locked her eyes with Rebeca’s and closed her eyes. This time she could clearly see the woman, despite everything else being black around her. She was not just glowing, her entire body was made of light. And a beautiful set of wings spanned from her back, feathers made from luminescent whisps. If the sight wouldn’t terrify her that much, Rachel would think it beautiful. She opened her eyes and the shining image disappeared. 

“What are you?” Rachel asked.

Damien looked shocked. “How can you see that? Did Mortensen give you the Seed?” His face grew dark.

“No,” Rebeca said, eyes focused on Rachel. “Her soul is untainted. In fact, it is very pure.” She rubbed her chin.

Rachel didn’t like the two of them staring at her like that. She thought that nothing could surprise her anymore, after being raped by a monster, but now… she was once again surrounded by them. And they appeared so human.

“Please, I don’t know what’s going on, I just want to go home…” 

“We must get her to Aiden, immediately,” Rebeca said. “I don’t think she has the Seed, but it’s clear that she has something. We must find out what.”

“Damien?”

“She’s right, Rachel,” the detective said. “Only Nightborn and LightBlood can see into each other.”

Rachel felt a new dread prodding through her apathy. “LightBlood?” Is there no end to this nightmare?

“We’re the good guys,” Rebeca smiled. “At least we try to be.”

Rachel looked at both of them. Angels and demons. What have I gotten myself into?

“Come,” Damien offered her a hand to help her out of bed. “It will be alright.”

It will never be alright again. Not after what happened. But perhaps, hopefully, it won’t get worse.

Rachel took Damien’s hand and stood out of bed, escorted out of the hospital, wondering how she fit in all this.

***

“Dear God, Cross,” Briggs exclaimed as the two of them stepped out of the car. The scene looked like something out of a disaster movie.

Hell. It was the only analogy Damien could think of, seeing so much fire. The whole building was burning, the walls barely seen under all the smoke, the roof was a crown of orange and yellow flames, hissing and swirling up towards the morning sky.

Curious bystanders gathered on the other side of the street, observing the inferno and filming it with their phones. Firefighters were on the scene, battling the flames with little effect.

It’s like an oil rig caught fire, not a store.

“Briggs,” Damien said, snapping out of the shock. “Get those people to move further back. They’re standing too close.”

“I’m on it,” Briggs said. “What will you do?”

“I’ll speak to the firefighters.” And hope they didn’t see a man with yellow eyes.

Briggs nodded and hurried away. Damien checked his pistol - the silver bullets were loaded - and jogged towards the nearest fire truck. Even from a distance, the fire’s heat was scorching.

He waved down one of the firemen and shouted to overpower the roaring flames. “What’s happened here?”

The man turned to him and shook his head. “Don’t know! They said something exploded and the whole thing burst to flames! We can’t put it out!”

“Exploded?” What could explode in a mall, to cause such mayhem? A bomb?

The firefighter nodded. “Blew up through the roof! I hope no one was inside! If they were, we’ll never find their remains, the fire’s melting steel!”

Damien wanted to ask if they saw anything out of the ordinary, but the man turned back to work, battling the flames. If a bomb went off inside the supermarket that meant they could be dealing with terrorists. 

Or that the Nightborn got much more dangerous. 

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

Damien startled and turned at the sudden voice. A man stood behind him to his right, completely naked. A man with eyes as bright yellow as the flames that engulfed the store.

“You!”

“Hello, Blaze.” Mortensen stared at the fire. “Or I guess you’re not Blaze anymore. You’re detective Cross now.”

Damien clenched his fists, feeling the anger build inside. His teeth forced themselves out and his whole body tensed up with power.

“What have you done?” he spat.

“Something I might come to regret,” Mortensen said. He looked Damien in the eyes. “I left my brothers and sisters. I left the Nightborn.”

Damien nearly stumbled. “What?”

Mortensen smiled, opening his mouth wide, blood oozing from the corners of his mouth. “I performed your trick. Pulled my teeth out.”

He did. Damien could see his canines missing in the light of the fire. This cannot be…

“The fire?”

“I couldn’t continue to follow Azazel, not after what he’d done…” Mortensen glanced at the inferno. “I never agreed to this. I just wanted a better world.”

Damien’s head was spinning. This had to be a trick, a gimmick to lure him back.

“I’m taking you in, Mortensen.”

To Damien’s shock, the man nodded, as if he were expecting him to say that. He even put his hands behind his back, expecting cuffs. “I’m glad it’s you, Damien. I’ll endure my punishment more easily knowing it was brought down on me by your hand.”

Damien instinctively reached for his gun. “Don’t try anything.”

“I’m done trying.”

Damien’s hands were shaking as he clamped cuffs on Mortensen’s wrists, something he’d wanted to do for years. Why surrender now? After all that effort?

Something was very wrong, Damien could feel it. But still, he couldn’t deny the fact that Mortensen was now in cuffs. He had him. He finally had him. And even if the Nightborn was planning something Damien would not let this opportunity slip by.

He yanked Mortensen, pulling him towards the police car while keeping the gun aimed at his back and speaking the words he longed to for so long.

“You’ve got the right to remain silent…”