Black Angel (BoyXBoy)

Chapter 6: Truth

Against Melody's wishes I leave the mansion after she finishes playing nurse on my shoulder. It figures that going to a party ends with me rescuing some kid from drowning, and as a result being gouged with claw-like nails by said kid. Like I said: I don't do parties.

Walking home I remember the look of fear in Luca's eyes, the way they glowed red beneath the water. I know I didn't imagine it. It wasn't some hallucination or trick of the light. It was real, as real as the puncture marks marring my shoulder. As real as the pain that still throbs like a drumbeat from each one. There is something up with that kid. I don't recall ever being so frightened in my entire life, staring into those eyes, red like pools of blood.. Something about him is dangerous. Very, very dangerous. Lethal.

And, despite my efforts in fighting it, I want to know what it is.

The night air is silent, almost peaceful. A cool breeze washes over my skin, and each step I take echoes in my ears like gunshots. I do admit I feel a bit guilty at leaving the party when Melody was so obviously pleased at my showing. It makes me think of all the times she would greet me at the doorway to the mansion whenever I came over, grinning and hugging me like she would never see me again. A smile tugs at my lips, shocking me.

Maybe I miss her more than I thought. How ironic.

As I pass beneath a streetlight, I catch something out of the corner of my eye. And as I turn to investigate I experience once more that intense, paralyzing fear, rooting me in place like I've just turned into a stone statue. My heart beats loudly in my ears; my breath comes out in short, fast gasps. Every single inch of my body feels as though it contains a thousand volts of electricity.  

Across the street stands the obvious figure of a man, no more than a silhouette, but easily discernible from where I stand beneath the streetlight. He doesn't move a single inch, and it's quite obvious that he's staring directly at me. His red eyes glow like warm coals, his only visible feature. Should either of us cross the stretch of road we would be directly face to face, a prospect which I find none too pleasurable.

I do nothing but stare. And as I stare, I notice a black mass directly behind the man, extending his shadow. I almost stop breathing entirely when I see it move.

It's a wing, I manage to think, completely in disbelief. It's a wing.

Six.

Six is here.

The black mass--wing--moves again, only on the other side. He now has both spread wide, like some angel descended from heaven. A black angel.

Black angel. That's a more flattering term given to name a Krusnik. And it makes sense. With their glowing red eyes and huge, awe-inspiring wings, it's easy to see why. They are as beautiful as they are terrifying.

And that describes the feeling I'm experiencing right at this moment. Complete and utter terror. Peace treaty be damned, a vampire cannot help but fear Krusnik. With a massive, herculean effort, I snap myself out of my paralysis.

And run as fast as I can back to Melody's.

"Hey, Gabriel!" a few voices call as I bolt past. My eyes scan the masses of people for blue-streaked hair, and when I finally spy her talking with three other girls I hurry up and grab her arm.

"We need to talk," I say breathlessly in her ear. "Now."

The girls watch me with wide eyes, not bothering in trying to conceal their gawking stares. Melody looks me at strangely, surprised, but nods nonetheless and follows me inside the mansion. She then takes the lead and locks us within one of the many bathrooms before turning to look at me with deep red eyes.