Awakening

Chapter 14

Ryker's POV

The lights, they were the first thing that I always noticed when I came to this city. They seemed to shine brighter than any star I'd ever seen. They shined in every color imaginable as well. The glow from all of them seemed pleasant enough, but they were like a double edged sword. While they were beautiful to look at in their own way, and though they seemed to attract countless numbers of humans to their attractions, they did little to cover up what really lay beneath the surface. One only had to look a bit closer to see the darkness just beyond the light. It wasn't hard to see the filth, the crime, and the danger that lurked around every corner.

I'd left this city behind years ago, with no intentions of ever coming back, but it couldn't be helped. Azrael was the only one I trusted enough to watch after Carla and keep her safe while I left. It had been years since I had seen Azzie but she was happy enough to see me. Though we had left things a bit rocky it was still good to see her. I still felt a bit guilty about leaving Carla behind though. If I could have brought her with me I would have. I didn't feel like she was safe unless she was by my side, but for this meeting bringing her with me would have put her in more danger than she would have ever realized, and I couldn't do that. I wouldn't do that. I had to keep her safe, at all costs. The sooner I got this over with the sooner I could go back to watching over her. I just hoped they didn't keep all night.

Absent mindedly I reached up and placed my hand over the mark behind my ear. I could feel the heat of it beneath my fingers. It had been burning for hours now, ever since we left that run down motel this morning. It was their calling card, their way of saying that they need you. It had been so long since I had been called on that I hadn't even thought that it would happen. But I should've known. It would only make sense. Rumor had been going around that I had found the Sacrifice and if Samael knew it was only a matter of time before they all knew. But I wasn't ready for them to know yet. I hadn't completely figured out what I was going to do.

Shoving my hands in my pockets, and keeping my head down I continued to wander through the streets. All the people walking about, laughing and carrying on, barely paid me any mind, most didn't even seem to see me. Being able to walk through a room full of people, or in this case an entire city, and be nearly invisible was something that I had often taken for granted.

Darting down a narrow side street I found myself relaxing as I melted seamlessly into the shadows. The sounds of the street seemed to become muted the moment I set foot off the main strip. Moving through dirty alleyways I managed to make quick work of the trip. It wasn't long before I found myself staring up at an old brick structure. It seemed so out of place among all the newer, modern buildings surrounding it. It was a storage building for one of the many casinos that had found a home in this city. The red brick had clearly withstood the wear and tear of time. Its slanted roof gleamed menacingly in the moonlight. Not wasting any more time I quickly walked to the entrance and pushed the heavy oak doors open. They groaned loudly in protest.

As the door slammed closed behind me I looked out into the dimness. I could make out the shapes of all sorts of things the casino had stored here; show props, old casino games, blackjack tables, out dated signs, and more. With a bit of effort I managed to force myself to start to walk toward the center of the building. I could hear the creaking and groaning of the wooden beams above, as if they were crying out. The wind seemed to wail against the roof and whistle through the cracks in the windows. Moonlight spilled inside, muted by the years of dust that had piled up in the large glass window panes. Years of instinct caused me to be on high alert, my muscles tense, ready for anything. My mark continued to burn hotter the closer I got to the center, until finally it stopped, and so did I. I stood there silent, listening for even the slightest noise.