Deal with the Devil

Lamb to the s*******r

Red eyes. Unnaturally red. They should have looked horrifying but the flames that seemed to burn in them gave me comfort. The flames spread from those eyes and engulfed me. I heard screaming and distantly registered that it was coming from my mouth. The flames grew larger as if responding to my screams and those were gone. Leaving only fire in their wake.

I woke from my nightmare to a burning sensation on my back, momentarily forgetting the scar there, I tore my shirt from my body as it racked me with pain. I placed my hand on the raised skin of my lower back and sucked in deep gulping breaths as the searing subsided. Well this was new. I glanced over at the practically vintage alarm clock perched on a stack of old books. 3am. Ugh could Hell at least let me sleep in? I cracked my neck and suppressed the dark power I could feel creeping up in my panicked state.

 No time like the present to start my day I suppose,  considering they were numbered. I dragged myself out of bed and headed out for a jog. After a long run and a cold shower I was on my way to grab coffee by 5am. 

Winnie would be in the office already, she was disturbingly punctual and would be shocked to see my chronically late ass rolling in 2 hours before schedule. I pushed her espresso across the desk to her in our silent morning ritual and she raised her eyebrows. “What has risen the princess of darkness from her death sleep before sunrise? Is the end of times upon us?” she teased. I rolled my eyes. If only she knew how close to the truth she was. 

“Well, since you are here early. You can join me on this case that just came across my desk.” She wagged her eyebrows at me. “Oh won’t the boss man just love the two of us back in action. What's on the docket?” “An anonymous client, big bucks, called in and asked us to hunt down a rather unruly fae. Says here the fairy has been on a killing streak as of late.” Winne passed me the file with a name and a few scribbled notes on where we might find said fairy. Fae of the Unseelie court were unpredictable, and aggressive without cause. Unlike my Seelie court best friend, Winne. She was kind hearted and believed in living in harmony with the humans and all that sappy stuff. She and Jace truly were a match made in fairy-angel Heaven. I hopped down from her desk and began suiting up for the job. 

For all of Winnie’s knowledge and wit, she would need my darker forces to ensnare an Unseelie. I would be able to scent his magic, and seek out his motives. Unruly or not, this fae and I were of the same blood and like attracts like. 

As made our way up to the Bronx I filled Winnie in on my upcoming date with Gabe, careful to avoid any tell of the Temper nest incident. "I'm so glad your finally giving him a chance Wren, you deserve to be happy with all that doom and gloom you got going on." Winnie shrugged. I raised my eyebrow at her and gave her a sharp side eye from the driver's seat. "Okay fine. You at least deserve to get laid." She succumbed. I laughed at that, "You are damn right about that girlfriend. They just don't make Fae boys like they used to. We have to stoop to Angels." I saw her blush pink at that and I knew she thought Jace was no second rate choice. She stilled refused to admit her feelings for him but it warmed my heart to know that they were mutual. Maybe soon I'd give them both a little push.

 We arrived in Split Rock, where the fairy had last been spotted. We parked the car across from an abandoned warehouse and I worked on picking up a scent. “A creepy warehouse? This is so unoriginal.” Winnie snorted. I was about to agree with her when I smelt something. It wasn't the tang of dark fairy magic, but something more pungent. Like the sulfur smell of demons. I felt the dark power that loomed in me bubble up to the surface. Clawing at me to be set free, like the scent was calling to it. If I let that power release, I would lose all control of my judgement and my training. I wouldn’t risk putting Winnie in that kind of danger. Unable to bottle me back up once I was set free. I turned to her and asked her to call for backup. This was more than a grouchy fairy.  

It was too late though. My fiery best friend was aglow with her light magic, smelling like citrus as it oozed from her hands. “Back-up? Hell no. I need a raise Wren, and this is just the job to prove that I'm worth my weight.” I saw the confidence in her eyes, she couldn't smell it. She couldn't smell the demons lurking. And then she was gone. She flashed out of the car and beyond the barbed wire gate of the warehouse. She winked at me before stepping in the warehouse. A lamb to the s*******r.