North
PAST
Run little fox, run.
Watching her run for me is a pleasant surprise. Yes, technically she is running away from me…eh, they’re the same in my book. The violence that radiated off her almost made me hard, but I held it together. Normally, I wouldn’t have pulled a gun so quickly, but getting into a stubborn mind like hers would take time. Time I don’t have. I was out of time before I got here and needed to leave, but the only thing I wanted to do was see how far she would let me push her. Her time will come, and I’ll be the happiest man alive when it does.
\When she lit the lighter and didn’t flinch as the flame danced along her knuckles, the heat no doubt burning her skin, I got harder than steel in seconds. A human should not have excited me that much, and no earthly soul had before her. Angels and outcasts did not mix. The rule was, I knew it as well as I knew my own name, but it didn’t seem to matter the longer I was around her. She made me curious. I could feel her fear even though she tried so incredibly hard to hide it. She didn’t want to feel it and absolutely didn’t want me to see it.
She didn’t think I could see what she was doing, but our height difference gave me the perfect view. I wasn’t able to read her mind on the spot, but could tell I was her type. Often before I gained complete access to someone’s mind, I was able to read them, picking up a person’s preferences and dislikes—surface things. More intimate things, like dark secrets took longer. She was very much the kind of woman who lived by the mantra fuck around and find out. The possibility she did not give a damn if I could see what she was up to while she did it anyway, daring me to stop her, excited me farther. There is one thing I am certain of, her strong will is going to bend for me. When I am finished with her, I will not use force or even ask permission, she will beg for me to break her.
I was let down she only had a lighter on her, but the simple willpower to stand up to someone as big as I am was impressive nonetheless. I cannot even remember the last person to tell me ‘No’, much less such a beautiful violent thing. She almost got off the hook simply due to my lack of time, but I need more. More glares. More violence. More pain. More her.
“What took you so long?” South says in his naturally harsh tone, flexing the tip of his wing downward before they disappear as I approach him from behind. He loathes tardiness and is always on time himself. He doesn’t bother turning to face me as he looks at the city below us. We have met on this rooftop for years now. One would think this would be the worst location, given its openness and the countless who pass it on a daily, but thus far no one has been brave enough to interrupt one of our meetings. South is my opposite in most ways, but we share the ability to enter people’s minds.
“You know. Traffic.” I make up a pitiful lie, but it’s also a joke. He doesn’t need to know who held me up. Our mutual interests are what keeps us going, but that is not the only things we have in common. Knowing South as well as I do, there is no denying he would find my little fox fascinating too. I do not intend to share her with anyone, especially him.
“Whatever. I’ve learned to tell you an earlier time than when you actually need to be somewhere anyway.”
“How’s that working out for you?” I ask, blowing out a puff of air and hit the edge of a brick beside his foot.
“You’re still five minutes early, so I’d say pretty fucking well, wouldn’t you?”
“South?” I ignore his question, propping my foot onto the ledge and lean on my thigh in similar fashion to his stance.
“Yes?”
“Now I’ll know the time I’m really supposed to be somewhere and just end up dragging ass until I’m late.”
“I never keep the time increments the same. I always change it, have for a long time. Truthfully, I figured you would’ve caught on by now, but you haven’t.”
“Ever the conniving asshole.” I say, eyeing him in my peripherals.
“Traffic isn’t going to stop you from doing what you have to do tonight is it?” he asks, making air quotations as he says “traffic”.
I scoff. “Really, South? This is our life’s work. I won’t stop until the balance is returned.” It was our job to oversee the souls of earth. He protected the questionable souls, and I typically stuck with what we referred to as “Angels”. It was an inside joke amongst us all, because technically that is what we were for them in a way. We were often their protectors, but sometimes we were their reckoning before death. Although, the woman inside was not mine to care for, I could tell her soul was that of an angel, but the way she spoke and behaved proved otherwise.
“Good. We don’t have time for distractions.” His muscles tense as he speaks through gritted teeth, “If order is lost, it will be the end of them. Of everyone and everything. This isn’t the time to go breaking the rules.” His fists ball up and his breaths are uneven. He’s worrying about me messing up our plans, but if he doesn’t get this under control, he is going to be the one whose mind is full of distractions. He is right, for what we are going to do we can’t have anything clouding our judgement. We weren’t sent here to follow random people around. We have specific things to get done, and I will see to it that my end is kept. South, on the other hand is a loose cannon. If anyone is messing this up, it’s him.
I put my hand on his back to ground him. We all have our reasons for doing what we do, but for South it is almost personal. He has to idly stand by, watching people fail time and time again, making mistake after mistake, never intervening, until the time is just right. Only then is he allowed to step in and do something. I know it eats him alive, having so much power and not being able to use it. It would me.
CHAPTER 6
Leila
PAST
I ran as fast as my legs would carry me back to my apartment, waiting for the fear to settle into my bones, but that never happened. There was a spilt second when the gun was against my skin that I thought I was afraid, but every step I took away from him forced about a gallon of hate through my veins. If I ever see him again, I will be ready. He may have drew the first weapon, but I’ll draw the last.
I waited to forget him. I wanted to forget him. I couldn’t, though. Every time I close my eyes I see his face, feel his breath on my skin, hear his void in my ear. What’s wrong with me? I don’t need any part of what he is offering, but he’s all I am thinking of.
CHAPTER 7
North
If this were the past I would know exactly where she is, but during each of our lifetimes, our connection fades. I have almost given up hope of finding her, and our newest club business isn’t helping matters. Three women have been killed in our town. They remain nameless to the public, and no one is coming forward with information. Each time we catch wind of a new murder my heart is ready to break until I see the face. They all could be her, they look similar to her, but not nearly as beautiful. They’ve all had ties to our club. The first was murdered after our Halloween party. The second had been on the back of Bill’s ride, warming his back a mere twenty-four hours prior. And the last, she sold an old beater truck to South the same day she was killed. All three murders point to one group of people, my brothers and me. But we have don’t have the motto we do because we are soft. “Nobody fucks with the Kings.” We will find who is responsible and they will pay with their life.
“Did Cece have any useful information?” I ask Bill, after killing my engine.
