Page 28 of Destined for Eternity
Chapter 11
Bartol
Bartol stood on the center lawn at the nerou training compound, apart from the others gathered there. After five days of lessons tracking demons, he was getting used to working with the nerou, but he still preferred to keep his distance—always the outsider, the recluse.
Whenever anyone got close, he had to fight the urge to run away. He hated that about himself. He used to be a man who enjoyed socializing, but now he wanted nothing more than to be alone. The other students had learned to give him his space, and they never dared stare at his burn scars for more than a moment. Still, he caught their curious gazes and those who winced when they saw him. It was hard to believe people used to stare at him for his attractiveness.
He startled when Raguel flashed in front of the assembled group, holding a struggling middle-aged woman with brown hair tinged with gray. She was on the frailer side, but she kicked the archangel in the shins hard enough to make him grunt. Demons could make their human hosts many times stronger than normal.
This was the fifth day of training, and Bartol had steadily improved at tracking a person with a demon inside them. Tormod had been their target until now. They’d had to scour the woods and later Fairbanks in small groups to see who could find him first. The nerou had senses as great as Bartol’s, so it took a lot of energy to compete with them and find the target first. Cori had done well for the first few days she had been able to join them, but she’d had to return to work after that. She would be taking a break from her shop soon once the baby’s due date drew near. He was glad she’d received some training for her protection, but he was also relieved she would not be around as the course intensified.
Raguel thrust the demon in front of him, holding it by the back of its neck. “This creature was causing trouble in Anchorage, wreaking havoc in an electronics store.”
The woman twisted and clawed at his face, but he deftly dodged her.
“Why an electronics store?” one of the nerou asked. “Don’t demons usually have a specific purpose when they attack places?”
“Good question,” the archangel replied. “What do you all think?” His gaze ran across the students, prompting them to answer.
“So far all of their actions have been random,” a female nerou said. “We were taught that they either keep a low profile so they don’t get caught and can stay longer, or they do something that furthers a specific agenda.”
The first nerou snorted. “Well, they’re definitely not hiding.”
“Then what do you think they’re doing?” Raguel asked.
Silence. Everyone looked around at each other.
Bartol had been thinking on that a lot since he first learned of their growing presence. “Perhaps they are trying to undermine the supernaturals here on Earth. Make it harder for the rest of us to live in peace.”
The more trouble demons caused, the more difficult it became for humans to accept anyone who wasn’t “normal” like them. They’d only just started to calm down since the supernaturals came out nearly a year and a half ago. The rising incidents in Europe had already flared up tensions there, and now it was becoming worse in America. As of yet, the mortal world had no idea demons were committing the atrocities rather than vampires, werewolves, or one of the other races.
“That is a possibility,” the archangel said.
The female nerou spoke up again, “Do you have any ideas?”
“I do.”
Everyone waited for him to elaborate, but he only stared at them enigmatically.
“Well?” Melena prompted from where she stood on the sidelines.
“It is not for me to say for certain.” He thrust the demon-possessed woman in front of him. “For now, you all must concentrate on finding this woman. I will relocate her to a place near the town of Fox, and it will be up to you to find and stop her before she causes any harm.”
“You’ll never find me,” the demon hissed. “Never again!”
“But people could get hurt,” a male nerou argued.
“It is time I raised the stakes for you.” Raguel gave them all a stern look. “This is not a game. I see you laughing and carrying on when you search for Tormod because you don’t take the lessons seriously enough. Now you will know if you do not complete your task quickly, innocents could die or get hurt.”
Bartol understood his father’s methodology, even if he thought it was a bit too soon for such an extreme lesson. A demon could move fast when they had incentive. Setting them loose near a human population where they could do real damage was more than a little risky. Up until now, it sometimes took them an hour or more to find Tormod with the vague directions Raguel provided.
Melena’s face turned red with anger. She worked for the supernatural division of the Department of Homeland Security, and it was her job to protect humans from dangers such as this. She stomped her way past the nerou and stood before the archangel, clenching her fists.
“They aren’t ready for this,” she hissed at him.
His smile was cold. “Then I suggest you help them.”
“You can’t do this.” She took hold of the demon’s arm. She was the only person there who could banish the creature back to Hell, but unlike Bartol and his father, she couldn’t permanently kill it. “I’m sending the demon back!”
