Demon Hunters: Book 1 Faith [editing]

Chapter 35

Ren knew exactly where Zoe was, even though the crowd on the outdoor patio at Milo's Tavern had gotten much larger. All he had to do was listen to the nervous and erratic beating of Mason's heart. The boy was on the verge of having a heart attack. "So, um, yeah, um, do you like Batman? That's the costume you got for Heroes and Villain, right?"

"The shirt matches my jacket," Zoe replied, polite but very much distracted.

Araqiel's goon had been careless, igniting his blade and taunting her like that. He clearly had no idea who Zoe was or how skilled she was. Ren almost laughed aloud when they vanished the moment they felt the tiniest bit of celestial energy. Did they think Zoe was going to flick a celestial toothpick at them, killing their human forms instantly? Ren smirked. A demonic toothpick? That's an idea.

"Oh, yeah. It would match. I like your jacket. It's cool. Yeah, cool."

Ren still didn't know how Zoe managed to produce the celestial energy without the other kids seeing it happen and freaking out over its electric energy. Then again, it was a low amount of energy. Maybe just a warning.

"Yes," Zoe replied. "It is cool." Ren chuckled at Zoe's use of teen language. He had been on the planet for thousands of years and had grown accustomed to some of the different speech patterns.

"Um, so, um. What are you wearing for twins day?"

Ren found the human boy amusing. He would be laughing if he didn't feel so bad for the kid. A human boy wouldn't stand a chance with a warrior angel. Hmmm... What about a demon? Well, technically Ren was a "fallen" angel. That was different right?

"Riley, Lin and I are wearing these shirts with the word Love on it. Can you explain bocce ball to me again?"

Mason sighed, relieved. "Yeah, sure." His heart rate settled down. She's trying to be kind to him.

Ren sat down on the ledge of a roof, a few blocks away. He was high enough to see most of the area. What he couldn't see, he could hear and imagine.

The day had not started out exactly as he planned. He felt certain that Maria de los Santos knew that he had returned. She sat in the rocking chair on her porch and on occasion stared directly at him hiding in the wooded area down the block. Ren had never met a human with such perceptive skills before. This intrigued him. Maybe there was something about this boy, Diego.

Normally, Ren tracked and followed the movements of Zoe and her team. He found it useful to keep tabs on them. Often they would reveal clues about who they were investigating. They never suspected that a demon recruiter would be listening into their conversations. As long as he masked his physical appearance and did not manifest demonic energy, he could pass off as any other human.

Of course, like Muriel, he too had become adept at using technology. The transmitter in their living room would probably go unnoticed. They would never think to look, especially not for human technology which angels and demons often felt far beneath them.