Angel Love

Chapter 2- Lucas

Lucas gazes at the city from above. The sprinkle of lights in the blanket of velvet darkness is breathtaking even after watching it for a hundredth time. Christmas brings out the best and worst of humanity. Love and forgiveness emanate from those who live a good life. Hatred and pain for those who aren’t as lucky.

“I knew I’d find you here,” a woman’s voice says from behind him. He knows who it is.

“Kaya,” he says without moving his head to look at his companion.

“The Assembly is expecting you tomorrow,” she says with a tone of warning. Kaya steps beside him on the balcony of the penthouse. She likes Lucas’ penthouse; nothing competes with the view. When she asked him if she could live with him there, he refused her flatly. It took a long time to heal from the rejection.

“I will be there,” he replies.

“You said that for the last five years and we never saw a shadow of you.”

Kaya looks at his profile, how perfect he is even in darkness. Her heart swells with love for him. A love that can’t be anything but a hidden feeling. They can’t be with their own kind. In fact, they are not to be with anyone of any kind.

But they know him for finding those who needed to be found and doing what needs to be done without question.

“You will find the child, Lucas,” Kaya assures him.

Lucas only groans in response, as if opposing Kaya’s words.

Kaya touches his arm and moves her head towards his and kisses him gently on the cheek. The affectionate action doesn’t move him a bit, to her deepest disappointment. He must at least know how she feels for him. And that’s enough for her.

“Merry Christmas Lucas,” she says. “I will see you tomorrow.”

After a moment, Lucas finally leaves the balcony to go to his bedroom. The night is young and there’s a job to be done.

Ultimately, he needs to find the child. But until then, he will not waste his time.

After half an hour, he stands in an alley, hiding in the darkness, bidding his time. If the information passed on to him this morning is true, he should be able to eliminate a good number of enemies hiding in an establishment unknown to most men. It exists only for those who know.

He needs to be fast because everyone inside will know him the moment he steps inside.

He closes his eyes and silently says his fighting prayer.

As soon as he opens his eyes, he runs towards the metal door concealing his adversaries. He kicks it open and lands in front of about thirty pairs of eyes. He surprises them, but it will not be for long. He gets himself ready to fight every one of them. His eyes land on a man behind the bar and recognizes him. The man's shame is obvious.

Lucas promises himself he will find him after tonight. For now, that man isn’t the target.

He steps further in until he is at the center of the room. He looks around with disgust at the men and women partaking in every vice imaginable.

He pulls out his sword and its light fills the room as he swings it over his head, his mouth moving in prayer.

“Those who don’t want to die tonight should leave now,” Lucas utters in a commanding voice.

Almost half of the crowd moves to leave in fear. Women struggle to find something to cover their bodies.

“Go,” he tells them while his eyes roam around the room for any movement to attack him.

“Lucas, Lucas, Lucas,” an amused and enraged voice calls out from the inner part of the club. The remaining patrons step aside to give way to the owner of the voice. “I heard you were in town, but I didn’t believe it.”

Finally, he appears and stands a few feet from Lucas.

Nevil wears his golden hair long enough to touch his shoulders. His face is extraordinarily handsome, his eyes the same color as fire. Outside in the world, his kind hide their eyes behind contact lenses or sunglasses, but in the underworld where he is god, he wears the mark proud. His hairy, chiseled chest is bare, with only his black robe to cover his shoulders. This pair of black pants hung on to his hips.

“Nevil,” Lucas says with contempt. He met him once a long time ago and when he found out he is in San Francisco, he hunted him and his minions.

They stare at each other, sizing up each other. They are of the same height and built, but their bodies emanate different powers- one is out of desire and lust and the other about deliverance and punishment.

“You can leave now while you still can,” Nevil says with a warning.

“You will die tonight,” Lucas declares, centering his attention on Nevil.

“Will I really?” Nevil steps closer to Lucas. “If I remember correctly, your brother, Matthias, tried and failed. And many more before him and you.”

“You survived because you run and hide.”

“Does it matter how I survive?”

“Not for someone like you.”

“Well, then.” Nevil turns dramatically, letting his robe flare around him. When he turns back to face Lucas, he is holding his own sword, black as charcoal.

“I will give you the honor of fighting since you are special and better than your predecessors.”

Lucas doesn’t waste another word and swings his sword at Nevil, who blocks the attack with his own. However, he is at a disadvantage and struggles to fight the strength of his opponent. Nevil steps back to find better footing but Lucas catches him and kicks his leg. Pain radiates through his body and more so as another kick lands on his stomach. He flies to the wall but gets back to his feet soon enough to prevent Lucas from cutting him in half.

Their swords clash too fast for any human eyes to keep up with. Nevil manages to cut Lucas in the arm and one on the upper leg. But the hit only fires up Lucas to finish the fight as a victor.

He backs Nevil to the wall and points the tip of his blade at his neck. Lucas sees the fear in his enemy’s eyes behind the black blood on his face.

“This is your end,” Lucas says triumphantly. But a loud laugh comes out of Nevil’s threatened throat.

“You forget where you are,” Nevil responds, diverting his eyes behind Lucas’ towering body.

Nevil's men point their swords at his back, and his jaw tightens in anger at the choice he must make. He can end Nevil now and it will be his end as well. Or let Nevil go and fight his way for another chance to corner him again.

Unlike the weapons of this world, the black sword or anything made of Hell’s Stone can wound Lucas and his kind. It takes a long time to heal, and it depletes their strength until they die.

He closes his eyes and lets his wings out. It burns every demon they touch. Lucas flies to free himself from his oppressors and lands back on the ground. One by one, he fights every demon and sanctions their death with his sword.

Garuth, Nevil’s right hand, circles against him in the middle of fallen demons. He is wounded, but he is stronger than the others. He stands in front of his master, ready to defend him.

“Go,” Garuth says, fixing his blazing eyes at Lucas and the sword he wields. His nostrils flare and his breathing heavy, his heavy feet planted firmly on the ground.

“Find me,” Nevil’s responds as he flees.

“No!” Lucas screams in frustration. He can’t let Nevil escape again. Not this time.

Without wasting anymore time, he surges forward. Garuth meets him with his own weapon. Metals from outside this world clash like thunder. Lucas’ opponent is fast and precise. The evidence of that is the cut on his chest. It isn’t deep, but it significantly hurt him.

They continue to fight, now alone in the bar with broken furniture and damaged walls. Lucas’ impatience grows every second and his anger increases, knowing that Nevil has once again slipped from his judgment.

Garuth ends up on the ground, and Lucas takes that opportunity to end the fight. He towers over him and plunges his sword right into his chest. It’s a swift death with no chance to say any last words.

Lucas collapses on the ground beside the dead demon. He closes my eyes to gather all his remaining strength despite the pain. Slowly, he gets up, using his sword to support him. Each step towards the door comes with a charge of pain in his body.

But in his weakening state, Lucas strengthens his promise to end Nevil’s existence in this world and cut his claw gripping this humankind.

Finally, he makes it out onto the street and, to his relief, there is no one around.

Lucas lets his wings out and leaps through the air, to the dark horizon.

This is not the end.