Justice for the Fallen
Sannarah

Golden shackles cuffed my hands, and the wretched metal cut deep into my wrists. Dark brown burns splashed my red skin. No, it was not the best day for me.

I shuffled, carefully ensuring I didn’t step further onto cobblestones flooded with crimson blood. Gods know how long it would take me to clean my leather shoes. And they were my favourites! Not to mention also the only decent ones I owned.

“Stop wriggling hellspawn, or I’ll put you down!” barked the angel, raising his shiny sword threateningly. He was tall and bulky, and one could think he shouldn’t be afraid of a small, weak female like me. And yet, the angry red claw marks marring his perfectly handsome face must have made him edgy.

“Hold your horses, Soldier Boy!” I raised my cuffed hands. “You’ve already overpowered me, remember? A glorious duel─two angels for one poor, lonely girl. How very fair of you, oh courageous ones!”

The angel growled and took a step towards me, the knuckles of his sword hand flashing white.

I should probably learn to keep my mouth shut.

Luckily, before I was forced to step back, right into a puddle of blood, a female angel grabbed her companion’s elbow.

“Leave her. She’s taunting you. Melkyal will be here soon to take over.” She looked at me with her beautiful eyes, the colour of the sky in the middle of summer, the clearest and most pure blue I’d ever seen. They were filled with such scorn that it hurt more than their kicks and jabs.

Oh, right. Did I mention that I was a demon? A Demon of Wrath, to be exact.

Being what I was, one might think I could easily overpower two lower-ranked Angels of Courage. I probably could, but that would require unleashing my inner demon. And once I did, there would be no stopping her, not before all rivers ran red and the whole world was blood.

No one would want that. I liked this city with its filthy alleys and corrupted people driven by their desires. I didn’t want to unleash Armageddon and the world’s end on this lovely place. So, I decided to bide my time until I saw an opening and could silently slip away from those pompous, periwinkle-feathered guards.

The one that itched to hit me again scoffed, and his shrug almost allowed the ends of his magnificent wings to touch the filthy street. The angels looked so out of place with their picturesque beauty and shiny armour. They usually kept an eye on things from up above. Because of all the smell and dirt, I assumed. Gods, this city stank, but it was a familiar smell of home.

So much better than no scent at all. I shivered at the memory of black emptiness and ever-present cold. Being stuck in a place out of time and space was not fun at all.

The angels were shuffling on their feet, looking up at the dark sky every few seconds, a clear indication they were waiting for someone of higher rank to proceed with dragging me to jail. Poor fools couldn’t do anything without clear orders. When thrown into an unfamiliar situation, they were like helpless baby birds. I needed to get out of here before someone more competent arrived and dragged me straight to jail. Or execute on the spot, which was a possibility too.

I sighed and brushed the hair off my eyes. If only I didn’t follow this bloody tip-off, I wouldn’t be here.

It was all Zurgrun’s fault.

***

I had been running around the city since early morning. Milla’s Haven’s food reserves diminished again. We had accepted so many newcomers lately that we struggled to keep them all fed. And so, I was visiting all the taverns and inns just as they opened to see if they had any food close to spoiling that they would be willing to give away. I also went through their rubbish. You couldn’t be picky when you were hungry.

I was in the middle of an excellent compost heap when someone grunted behind me. I turned on my heel, still cradling a bunch of half-eaten apples to my chest, and I almost dropped them all when I recognised the newcomer.

“What on Hell are you doing, Sannarah?” a tall, handsome man growled.

“Z-Zurgrun!” I stuttered, trying to make myself as small and inconspicuous as possible. “Fancy meeting you here. I didn’t think I would ever see you in the slums.”

“I had no choice, as it seems to be the only place where I can replace you.” He looked around, disgusted and brushed a speck of invisible dust from his expensive-looking cloak.

Zurgrun liked to look fancy and important. For humans, he resembled some noble gentleman with a tailored doublet and the best quality leather shoes. Even in his proper demon form, he was still very handsome. His skin was so dark it looked almost black. His piercing violet eyes were making holes in me with an intense glare. His hair was a mane of white perfectly styled around his sharp features, with horns adorning his head like a dark crown.

But truth be told, he was a huge arsehole. And my direct supervisor.

I laughed nervously. “Why would you look for little old me, Zurgrun? I’m sure you have more important things to do.”

“Don’t play dumb.” He clicked his fingers, and a thick leatherbound notebook and an elegant black quill appeared in his hands.

Oh boy. Here we go again.

“You are behind schedule with your monthly souls quota,” he announced, flicking through the little book.

“Am I? Oh, I thought I was still on track.” I scratched my neck nervously. “We are not even halfway through the month. I still have plenty of time, right?”

Zurgrun looked at me with raised brows. Sweat pearled on my back.

“I mean… I did send down two last week, remember?”

“Do you know how many souls other demons have gathered so far?” he asked calmly.

“Probably more than me.”

“Thirty-seven.”

“Like... all together?”

“Each.”

“You’ve got to be kidding!” I gasped. It was bad. Very bad.

“And how many did you collect, Sannarah?”

I shuffled on my feet and looked away. “Four.”

“I didn’t hear that.”

“Four!” I shouted, red-hot fury bubbling inside of me. “It’s not like I’m not trying, all right? Not all humans have anger issues and need help in seeking revenge! I bet this overachiever is a Greed Demon. Their job is far easier! Everyone is greedy deep down, so they are easy to sway and –”

My outburst was cut short when I suddenly found myself smashed into the wall, Zurgrun’s hand crushing my neck while my feet dangled over the ground. He leaned so close that our noses almost touched, and I could see prideful purple flames dancing in his eyes.

“I have no interest in your excuses,” he hissed while I struggled to breathe. “You have two weeks to deliver five more souls. If you fail, I’ll send you back to Hell. Indefinitely, this time.”

“You… can’t….” I wheezed, barely able to make articulate sounds while his claws pierced the delicate skin on my neck. “I have… contacts… and partners….”

Zurgrun scoffed and released me, letting me fall on my butt into the dirt. “You are nothing! The worst demon I’ve ever worked with. You don’t have an ounce of pride in you.”

“You’re the Pride Demon, not me,” I mumbled, touching my bruised neck.

“Two weeks, Sannarah. Last chance. Focus on your work instead of fraternising with humans and half-breeds unless you want to go back to Hell. I can send you there right now.”

“No, thank you.”

“I thought so. I’ll be watching you.” Zurgrun turned on his heel and walked out of the alley, making sure to step on my bag full of gathered food on his way out.

Oh, crap.

***

I didn’t plan to work tonight, by Zurgrun’s visit and threats made me anxious. Hell was no joke. I might have taken a liking to humans with their chaotic and unpredictable behaviours, but there was no way I put them over my own needs. I’m not some cringy selfless angel.

I got a tip-off that a man sought help in executing revenge on a workmate who stole his promotion. The treaty between Heaven and Hell stated that demons couldn’t harm or kill humans. But we could give them aid if they decided to seek it. Of course, not all people knew where to replace us─they couldn’t see our true form, only the glamour we wore that made us look like regular humans.

But certain individuals could pierce through our deception─sorcerers, witches and all who dabbled in dark, forbidden arts. And so, if someone were willing to do anything to reach a particular goal, like sell their soul, for example, they would always replace us eventually.

As a Wrath Demon, I usually dealt with angry people who wished to pay back their enemies. Or friends. Or lovers. It didn’t matter to me. I wasn’t the one killing humans. I just gave them the means to do the deed themselves─it could be a blade that always struck true, an arrow that never missed, or even information about where the desired target would be alone and unguarded.

I wasn’t encouraging mortals to do anything. They had free will, so it was on their conscience, not mine. That’s the beauty of being human. It’s funny that with all their choices, they usually went for the ones that damned them for all eternity. But who am I to judge? Nothing warmed the heart like perfectly executed revenge.

I needed their souls to fill my monthly quota and keep Zurgrun off my back. I liked living in the Human Realm. They had the sun and moon, and stars. And pancakes. I loved pancakes. I wasn’t going to trade that for the cold emptiness of Hell. I’d rather…

My train of thought was disrupted when a horrible stench hit my nose, and I stopped short. Gods, what was it? Had something died in that alley? I looked around. I was in the eastern part of the slums district, and I was positive it was where I was supposed to meet my customer. But everything was eerily quiet. Even beggars disappeared somewhere.

That didn’t look good.

Maybe some poor dolt was robbed and bleeding out in that dark alley. He still might be able to sell his soul for something, though. I had to check, I didn’t have much to lose, and every extra soul counted. I shrugged and continued towards the suspicious passage.

The little dead-end alley surrounded by tall buildings was wrapped in shadows, and even though my eyes were better suited to the night than those of humans, I still could hardly see anything. I hadn’t realised what I had walked into until it was too late.

A small, huddled form lay at the end of the street. It looked vaguely human-shaped but not big enough for a full-grown person. I approached tentatively, puddles sloshing under my feet. When I kneeled and rolled over the torso, I gasped.

The body was human, but its limbs and head were chopped off.

A panicked cry escaped my lips when I fell back on my butt and started to crawl away, only to realise it was not rainwater splattered under my feet.

It was blood. And I was sitting in the middle of a huge puddle now.

Oh, yes! Doesn’t it feel nice? said the voice in my head. The blood on our hands is warm and comforting. It makes me hungry for more. Give me more!

“Shut it!” I cried, pushing the voice back into a deep hole inside me. I didn’t have time to deal with it right now. I had to get out of here.

I got back to my feet when a whooshing sound of wings and a heavy thud of feet landing on cobblestones broke the silence of the night.

“Stop right there, demon!”

The Angels of Courage were already here.

***

And here I was, up to my horns in crap.

I struggled with my shackles, but the blessed metal only bit harder into my wrists, making me wince from the sudden pain. Wretched angels and their stupid holy weapons. I was unsure who the guards were waiting for, but I hoped I could weasel my way out. Somehow.

I was innocent. The angels couldn’t just assume I was the murderer.

Right?

Before I came up with a way to escape, with a rustle of wings, another angel landed gracefully at the end of the alley. I turned to look at him and froze.

It wasn’t a regular guardian angel like those who apprehended me. His broad wings were golden, and his armour was beautifully ornate. The power radiated from him like a halo, so bright it stung my eyes. He turned to me, and I felt he could see right into the deepest corners of myself.

The Archangel of Justice.

Holy crap!