A Demon's Past

Chapter 5

Violette

Violette was utterly intrigued now. Andras was behaving most unlike himself, it was like a more erratic and desperate version of the man she had come to know. She wasn't a fool, she knew he meant what he said when he threatened the people she cared about, and as powerful as the wolves were together she didn't like their chances against a fallen angel/ high-class demon. But she was doing this mostly because she was curious.

So she remained close, easily tracking the scent of angel blood and following it. She was truly astonished as she beheld the girl, the first time she saw her from afar she could definitely tell they looked alike, but from up close... it was baffling, she was so similar to herself and yet so different.

And her eyes, she remembered when her eyes looked like that. So full of hope, of light. She couldn't help but remember the moment she met Andras, and couldn't help but think about what he said to her.

Her mother had recently disappeared and she had just been turned against her will by her father. Mourning the loss of her humanity and of her mother she decided it was a good idea to go hunt for the demon her father claimed 'Took her'.

She was eighteen, naive and cocky, so she decided to go look for the demon.

 She'd heard whispers planted here and there by Andras himself, and she didn't realize she had fallen into a trap until it was too late.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" It was a typical villain phrase, but she was convinced people based most of the famous villains in him.

She noticed, soon enough, that she couldn't move. She understood her mistake as soon as she met him. She thought she was going to die, and he would've killed her- he confessed years later- if it weren't for her eyes.

He surveyed her with surprise and confusion as he muttered "Lailah?" She never forgot that name.

Lailah, who turned out to be the woman he wanted. She wasn't sure if in a romantic way or for some evil purpose, but she used to feel jealous of her, back when they had their little fling.

Jophiel's voice interrupted her train of thought.

"At what time is your flight?" she heard Jophiel ask, or Lucía, she supposed. She had to use their human names if she wanted to remain one step ahead.

"10 pm, my parents want me back in New York as soon as possible," Lailah-- Arella, said. Parents? How can an angel have parents? She couldn't possibly be lying, she was talking to another angel. Was this because they were in public?

"Ugh I'm so jealous," Lucía said sincerely and Violette decided to turn around and make it look like she was reading the announcements on the board, it was better if they didn't see their face.

"I'll be fine, I'm excited to see everyone again" Arella replied, she seemed adorable as she got excited. Everyone? Are there other angels roaming around Earth?

"Be careful, and if you feel bad at any time, do not hesitate to call me"Jophiel offered her assistance.

"That's why Mist is always with me," she turned around just enough to see the dog, and the strange energy coming from it.

"And she's very capable" Then the dog must be some witch or creature using their powers to morph, she was sure it was a secret code.

Eventually, Arella went away and so did the other angel.  She texted Andras, letting him know they went their separate ways and decided she was going to follow Jophiel, she was pretty sure the obsessed demon would go after Lailah.

_____

This wasn't her first time stalking her prey, she was a natural predator after all, and it was easy enough for her to remain undetected as she followed the angel.

Jophiel stopped in the middle of an alley, and just as she was about to turn back, fearing she'd been found out, another angel descended from the heavens. She was standing on the rooftop of a building across the street and had a perfect view of the scene with her heightened senses.

She had a hard time believing she wasn't dreaming, the image of the hooded angel flying down would forever be stuck inside her head.

The angel was female, and a clumsy one at that, as she didn't stick the landing and fell on her arse. But the most interesting thing about her was her wings. They were intricate and delicate, but at the same time, fear-inspiring. They were deep gray and curved into talons at the ends, there were multiple rows of feathers draping along the surface of her wings. 

"Jo," the angel said with a giggle as it got up, wings retracting and then disappearing with a flash of shadows. She lifted up her hood, letting it fall on her back. She was dressed in human clothes now, but she could have sworn she wasn't before.

Her voice was sweet, she was a strawberry blonde with freckles all around her body, and she was beautiful in the way she supposed all angels were, but her beauty could never rival Jophiel's. Violette had never seen a woman more beautiful, her tan skin complementing the caramel of her hair perfectly.

"Azzie" she replied with a sweet smile "I'm surprised he sent you," Jophiel's voice was melodious, listening to it felt as calming as the waves washing softly against the shore.

"I was around either way," she brushed it off, her voice was deep and almost sorrowful. "So, any news?"

"Nothing has changed since the last time we talked, things remain the same, he hasn't found her yet" At that Violette's ears perked up. Were they already onto him?

"That is good, where is she now?" she replied thoughtfully.

"She's going back to New York, I told her I'd join soon" Violette couldn't see Jophiel's face, but she was sure she was smiling "I need to go back home for a while,"

"Who will stay with her?" the redheaded angel said.

"She will be fine on her own for a week or two," she assured.

"You're the boss" She shrugged even though she could tell the angel was worried. It was strange, how her eyes were permeated by sadness and inner turmoil, the blue of her eyes was reminiscent of a storm, if that made sense. The angel's black clothes complemented that. It was as if this creature was always in mourning.

Violette conveyed back to Andras. He happened to be outside of what she assumed were the college dorms, staring at the building.

"She's going to New York," she announced, not bothering with greetings "Jophiel met with some angel and said she would leave her alone for a while, I left before they found me out." 

Andras didn't look at her at all, "I'm not surprised, Jophiel must think protecting Lailah beneath her, as she was always such a high-ranking angel. I'm perplexed she was even assigned to watch her" he mused, still not taking his eyes off the brick building. "What angel?" he asked.

Violette rolled her eyes "Some strawberry blonde, blue-eyed angel" she replied loosely.

Andras's face showed a spark of irritation as he sighed "Do you have any idea the amount of strawberry blonde angels I know?" he took a deep breath and glanced at her "More information,"

"Say please," she teased, using the time to think of anything that stood out other than her wings. But to be honest, Violette didn't know if that was what all angel wings looked like.

"Violette, dear, speak before I torture it out of you," he said with a sweet smile that didn't meet his eyes.

"Well, she had dark grey wings with talons at the end of them and--"

"Azzie," he said with a nostalgic smile, and after a few seconds of staring he turned to look at her, this time fully "The angel you saw is Azrael, the angel of death." If she wasn't dead already, that statement would have been enough to push her over the edge.