“Shut the fuck up,” Axel growled. “Do the fucking spell before I beat your arse too.”
“Okay, calm down there, Pretty Boy.” Sythe’s smile remained as he dropped down beside them, reaching into the man’s pocket for his wallet. “His name’s Rodney Collier, forty-two, and lives in the city. Oh look, he’s a member of the Church of Light. ” He tossed the wallet to the floor. “Makes you a big fucking bigot there, Rodney boy. I’m not even that upset that you’re possessed, you probably deserved it considering you follow a faith that dictates anyone not entirely human as inferior.”
Titus grumbled, “I didn’t even think that church was still going, wasn’t their leader killed or something?”
“You know people like that always crawl out of the fucking dirt, like little cockroaches.” Sythe smirked. “Rodney, if you’re in there and can hear me call you a worthless little twat, blink twice.”
“Like he’s going to be able to answer you right now,” Titus muttered, eyes constantly scanning their surroundings. Shadow-Veyn would have scented the Daemonic blood, even if it wasn’t full blooded. They were wild creatures, but they loved to serve their masters. It probably reminded them of their home in The Nether, Hell.
Sythe brushed a finger down his blade to collect the blood, and with his other hand he held the man’s jaw, keeping him immobile as he carefully drew the glyph on his cheek.
“This is not the end, you will all fall toHim,” Rodney, but not Rodney said, his movements slowing as Sythe finished the first half of the symbol. “Hewill be the new God, and he will make even the Fates fall to their knees.”
With each circle he completed, the skin burned, the stench sickening as he went slack beneath Axel’s grip.
“We don’t give a shit about the Fates,” Sythe said, a line between his brows as he concentrated. “They left us a long time ago.”
The red in Rodney’s irises flickered, revealing a warm, honey brown. They knew instantly when the Daemon released Rodney’s body, able to feel the darkened energy dissipating like prickles against their chis. That and Rodney’s full-bodied scream.
“What happened?” he cried, head tossing from side to side as Sythe stood to his full height. His eyes levelled on Axel, and Axel couldn’t get up fast enough as Rodney let out another scream. He began to scramble away, but his broken arm was useless as he tried to support his weight. He finally managed to sit up, cradling his arm across his chest.
“Calm down, you were possessed.” Titus slowly knelt to Rodney’s level, placing his gun in the holster under his arm. He must have looked terrifying to the human, his blonde hair obscuring his face by the wind, his large body hidden in dark fabrics and shadows. He had even painted black under his eyes, emphasising the delicate almond shape inherited from his maternal grandmother. When you added the tattoos that covered almost his entire skin, bar his face, and the piercings, he looked like Death.
“Possessed?” Rodney echoed.
Titus touched the ring that went through the centre of his bottom lip, a frustrated gesture. “Yes Rodney, keep up. Now I need you to tell me everything you can remember.”
“Remember?”
“Oh for fuck’s sake, I think he’s broken.” Sythe cleaned his bloody blade against his thigh.
“Rodney, can you tell me the name of the Daemon who possessed you?”
Rodney’s eyes widened, frightened gaze flicking between all three of them. Axel slowly crouched; his smile friendly. “Hey, we’re just trying to help you.” His words calmed Rodney, at least enough that the edge of fear had disappeared from his lips. “Now, can you tell us what happened? What’s the last thing you remember?”
Rodney took his time replying, his eyes taking in every inch of Axel’s face. He knew what he saw, bone structure that even the most handsome of models would die for. It was his face, and he hated it, a reminder of what his mother was. Out of all the Breed, his father just had to fuck a succubus, a faerie literally designed to consume men though sex. He had tried over the years to make himself less appealing, but her DNA was in him as much as that of his father’s.
“I’m human, you can trust me.” The words were ash in his mouth, but if he was a member of the Church of the Light it was the one thing that would calm him enough to speak.
Rodney visibly relaxed.
What a fucking prick.
“They said it wouldn’t be like that,” he commented, tears burning down his face. “They promised they wouldn’t take over entirely, just enough that I could carry out my mission unharmed.”
“Who promised? What mission? I need details Rodney if you want me to help you.” Anger kissed his bloodstream, and it took everything to keep himself under control.
Rodney gasped, and the scent of piss just added to the overall stench of death. “You’re not… you’re not.”
Titus sighed, and only then did Axel feel his beast push at his mind.
Oh, fuck.
His eyes had changed to silver, eyes no human could ever possess.
“Good cop routine working well I see,” Sythe chuckled.
“You heathens!” Rodney screeched. “What are you? What have you done to –” His words were cut off by billows of black smoke. His eyes rounded as thick arms wrapped around him from behind, and before anyone could react, he disappeared into the darkness with a violent yank.
