Might be a lot of spacing errors but I think Wattpad will fix it. Keep refreshing it throughout the day.I also had to split this chapter apart. Other half soon. Please vote and comment if you liked por favor. ;) <3

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Death definitely had his moments where he seemed to actually care about my well being. They were rare moments, but they surfaced when I least expected it. That was my Guardian for you.

Death had his hand on my back the entire rest of the walk and continued to converse with me. It was almost as if we liked each other.

 I had been wobbling like a Mighty Bean and as tired as a newborn kitten after throwing up for at least twenty minutes, so his hand was more than welcomed. The good part of the whole thing was that I actually avoided Death's shoes for once! Woo!

"We're being followed," I heard Death whisper into my ear. "Let me take the lead."

 I managed a nod.

Now were walking a little too fast for my liking down the sidewalk. It was Death's normal pace. Inhumanly fast. I had to shut my eyes because my equilibrium was becoming so terrible. I must have fallen asleep or started to drag my feet, because when I woke up, Death was flat-out carrying me. 

He casually walked into the coffee shop with me in his arms. It was the shop had went to almost every day while I worked at Devin & Son. There were maybe two or three people scattered around the place, all of which didn't even spare us a glance. Death hurried passed a bunch of tables, then set me down once we were in the bathroom in the back. Without even touching the door it locked.

 Death flicked on the blindingly bright lights, slipped off his gloves, and held me firmly over the sink. Had I not been practically in comatose, I would have considered the position sexual assault. I wondered if I would have beaten him to a pulp with my new found bravery.

 Well, too an extent, at least. He was too pretty to damage any more.

"Come on, snap out of this," Death demanded, holding me over the sink and splashing my face with freezing water. He shook me a few times but my eyes stayed closed. All I wanted to do was sleep and felt like I was being rudely woken up over and over again by an unfamiliar voice. "Faith, don't do this  me, this isn't the time to sleep!"

"Jut one more minute..." I murmured.

"I'm sorry, I can't let you do that, princess." He splashed me again. When I was unresponsive, he gave my cheek a fairly hard slap. "Sleeping more than once during a transition never ends well."

 "Mmm?"

 "Faith," Death breathed into my face. " I'm naked. Open your eyes."

 Embarrassingly, my eyes flew right open. I met a pair of shockingly green eyes. The light emphasized Death's sharp features to the extent that he looked alien. I let out half of a shriek and wriggled against Death, before the beautiful angel put a hand over my mouth, pinned me to the sink, then placed a finger over his lips. It took me a while to get somewhat use to Death's exotic features in the dim lighting. Harsh, bright lighting was a whole different scenario.

 I rinsed my mouth out with the water in his hand until the acid taste in my mouth was long gone.

Death let up off of me a little when I was finished.. "I have an idea: let's not scream in a public bathroom until we know there are no demons roaming around the shop looking for some transitioning Reapers to munch on."

"It was an impulse."

He barred his large white teeth. "Honey, everything you do these days is an impulse and reckless."

"Stop calling me nicknames," I snarled, then, "and I get that from you, jerk."

"Enough of this." Death lead me to the toilet, sat me down, then growled out as if I was his puppy, "Stay."

 When he turned towards the door I weakly gripped his arm. I hated how dominating he was even in a weak state. Sitting down made Death look three times taller than usual and fifty times larger. It was anything but comforting.

I couldn't suppress the large amount of panic in my voice, nor could I hide the fact that I was more than curious to find out who the demon was and sink my claws into their flesh. "There is a demon following us and you want me to sit on a freaking toilet while you get all of the action?" I asked. "I'm a Reaper, now, for poop's sake, can't you teach me how to fight?"

 Death gave me the longest look. "Poop," he echoed.

"I'm trying to stop cursing and you should to," I crossed my arms over my chest, then realized just how weak I felt when my arms fell limply to my sides. "Don't get off the subject."

The gorgeous angel leaned forward until his face was centimeters from mine and said real gutturally and slow, "Fuck."

He was really just getting on my last nerve.

"I noticed someone was following us shortly after you transitioned," Death said, drying his hands off with a paper towel. I couldn't help but stare at his prominent markings on his finger tips. Death slipped his gloves back on, then continued with, "I don't notice things unless they want to be unnoticed. They were in all black and I didn't catch a face, but I know their scent and I know they are weaker than I am. I'll be back in five minutes. I'm just going to check the perimeter and make sure staying here for a little while is safe."

"Why can't we just"--I made a gesture with my shaky hands--"poof right out of here? That tends to be your favorite thing to do."

Death made a face. "I'm still not strong enough too. You're not strong enough to pick any fights. You won't even know that I was gone it will be so quick." He gave me a long look and pointed a finger at me. "Don't be an idiot and maybe I'll teach you how to fight."

I flipped him off when he turned his back to me. Within seconds door clicked shut and the lock clicked as well. I never really noticed how Death tended to lock doors and close them without touching them.

Once I was alone I started to fear that my appearance was worse than what I expected it to be like, and wondered if the demon we had encountered on the sidewalk was who Death had said was following us. By the time I realized there was in fact a mirror in the bathroom, there was a loud crash in the coffee shop, as if someone had thrown a heavy object.

Interested, I hurried to the door and pressed my ear to it. A woman screamed and I winced at just how piercing it was to my powerful audible range. It muted almost instantly.

Moments passed where I could only hear the pounding of my heartbeat. I could hear absolutely nothing in the coffee shop until there was a loud, rhythmic knock on the door, shaking me to the bone with each rap.

 "I know you're in there, Faith Williams," Malphas said, sounding a lot more than pleased. "And I suggest you open the door before I slit this poor, poor woman's neck. I believe you know her as 'Aunt Sarah.'" He let out a low, cynical laugh. "What a pretty thing she is."

No.

My claws unleashed and my fangs enveloped my entire mouth. I had unlocked the door, bolted out into the open, then wrapped my hands around Malphas' throat before he could even blink. Seeing Malphas did things to my emotions that I never knew I could feel at the same time...unless it was Death. 

Hate, disgust, and lust.

Malphas was death's demon father who had ultimately beaten and trained Death to the point that he was a warrior, at a young age. Malphas killed Death's lover, Annona, as well as his mother. Seeing those black eyes and that sly smile on an older, more screwed up version of Death, brought back the memories of the Unknown. I had watched Malphas drown Death, or Alexandru at that time, bring him back to life, and then turn him into a virtual cold blooded killer. Death's eventual turn over to evil was greatly affected, if not sequentially lead up to, by his father's original efforts to ruin his son at a young age.

In conclusion, it came as less of a surprise that Death was a 60% water, 40% bigheaded bastard in the modern age.

Malphas was dressed in a casual grey suit with his black hair slicked back. He was almost unrecognizable at first, being he looked at least ten years younger. I wouldn't comment on it out loud because I feared it meant more than I thought it did.

Malphas had, for some reason, allowed me to choke him for a significant amount of time as he watched me. It was practically the same, disturbingly haunting stare that Death always wore.

My howl was so loud it shook the tables around us.

"WHERE IS SHE?"

"It's not polite to scream, darling."

"If you put one hand on her I will kill you!" I roared into Malphas' pale, dreadfully handsome face. "Don't touch my family!"

Malphas chuckled lowly in my face, his large, emotionally drained black eyes contemplating whether to throw me across the room. Instead, he gripped my wrists around his neck and bent them backwards, away from him, until I was forced to back off. "Did you contemplate for even a second that perhaps I was making that whole "slitting your aunt's neck," statement? I had to see the rumored newborn face-to-face. Surely you understand."

I rubbed my wrists. They had hand marks on them. "I don't believe you. You're a liar, just like your son, and you want me dead. You could have transported or something into the bathroom." I fought the bile rising in my chest when those black eyes grazed my body. "Tell me where she is," I bit out.

"No, I could not afford killing you. I merely want to use you shortly, then bath you in riches and luxury," Malphas explained soothenly. "I would treat you as a queen. --"

"Problem," I said, holding up a finger, "you disgust me."

Malphas gave me a long, frustrated look, then right before my eyes, transformed into a virtually perfect version of Death. I tried to dampen the reaction I had to seeing those familiar green eyes and put something between him and I. There was no denying what Death's gorgeous features did to my body, especially since I was transitioning and attracted to anything that had a deep voice, black hair and biceps that a professional wrestler would be jealous of.

I pushed a table out in front of the false Death. "Now, do I disgust you?" he wondered in Death's deep, velvety voice, nearing closer to me. "I could become my son for as long as you want, permanently, if it pleases you." Malphas stroked a hand teasingly down his chest and flashed me a sultry look that Death gave me often. "Perhaps you could accept my offer in advance if I please you now. Any virgin, even a beautiful Reaper, such as yourself, would accept a demon into their dreams at night. I could satisfy you endlessly, without even touching you."

My face lit with flames. Malphas was almost too good at pretending to be his son. "Change back," I demanded. "Change back or I won't even listen to what you have to say, you scumbag."

Malphas raspy voice returned. "My, my, newborn, if I didn't know any better I'd say you almost took that offer." Malphas barred Death's dashing smile and morphed back into himself. 

I was a little taken aback how he didn't have to make that many adjustments. "What do you call yourself now? A Reaper? I knew his soul could have an effect on you, but a Reaper is just wonderful. You will already be preened to kill by the time I take you under my wing."

Malphas' words felt wrong to my ears. He was predicting I would give into him. "Why did you trick me instead of just barging into the bathroom, then expect me to accept your offer to look like Death the rest of my life? Why are you demons all so cocky with your illusions?"

"Although it is advertently called a Public Bathroom, there are limitations to a demon such as I. I would need permission to enter a separate room other than the public store. Therefore, I tricked you. Illusions are everything to brag about when they are successful." Malphas grinned ear to ear as I shifted uncomfortably. "By the way, your aunt is at home with her so called boyfriend."

"How do you know that?" I asked softly.

He waved his hand absently in the air. "I have my sources." Thunder clashed together in the sky outside and it started to rain. "You are pinned on my map, Faith Williams, so it would be wise to listen to my ever word, if you want those sources watching your aunt to remain...distant." There was a threatening edge to his black eyes. "I have not come to harm you, Faith Williams. Not yet, at least. I would appreciate your ears for a moment."

"Anything for you," I replied sarcastically.

"You have heard of the Peace Makers, yes?" When I didn't respond, Malphas tilted his head a little, unblinkingly. "Yes, you have. Subconsciously, at least. I assume tonight that Death was planning on crashing a rumored meeting of theirs and that he brought you along? You were a decoy, Faith Williams, just like the two decoys I sent to follow you and Death tonight. He did just as I thought I would and left you so he could snap their necks and get back at me. Funny, if I were as weak as he obviously is, I would have kept you at home. He used you."

I remained expressionless, although it unnerved me that he knew that and I didn't. Malphas had both played with your emotions and reminded me of my transition. Now that I was thinking about it, I wasn't having many symptoms around Malphas. "What if that is true?" I countered. "What's it to you?"

His expression went blank. "It's everything to me," Malphas replied immediately, voice like sandpaper. "My clan was targeted by the cult last night. They will be targeted again. The so called "Peace Makers" are a part of a Catholic drug cartel that kills in the name of God, then collects the demon's blood and sells it. The people in the cult are brainwashed into thinking they are helping God, when they are really led by a demon." He let that sink in for a while. "Demon blood is not something to play with, Faith Williams. Demon blood is usually used for possession. If abused, it slowly turns humans into creatures one does not want to encounter in their lifetime. Some demons want those creatures to exist. I do not."

"What kind of creatures?"

Malphas went silent. "Creatures that eat flesh to survive. Usually they pertain to drinking blood."

"Vampires?"

"That would be a much friendlier term."

I cautiously kept my distance from Malphas and gave him a skeptical look. "I still don't see how this involves me."

Malphas' eyebrow twitched, then he breathed out, "You aren't aware of who is the head of this Catholic cult?"

I shook my head, beginning to wonder if there was something else Death hadn't bothered telling me.

"He's called himself "Shadow" since the beginning of time, but I know otherwise," Malphas began, clasping his hands behind his back. "Sophus, is his name. He is more wise than you could ever comprehend, said to have created the original mega hell hound, a vicious bred version of demon that can turn into a beast similar to a wolf and a lion combined, and was damned to be reborn into a child by the Devil because of it. The story goes that Sophus tried to distract Lucifer with the beast to gain access into hell and free his friend, Vulcan, demon of lightening. It's not like it wasn't an obvious distraction, the hell hound Sophus created was the size of a bus and lit with flames. It had to later be destroyed shortly after wiping out multiple villages with its fire." Malphas' eyes lowered to the ground. "Vulcan was damned to hell for an eternity, right below our feet right now, whereas Sophus was simply reborn and stripped of his memories."

A boom of thunder jolted my nerves to life.

 Creepy.

"And you think I could outsmart him," I drawled out a bit sarcastically. "I can't even outsmart Death most of the time because he enjoys playing ping pong with my brain."

"No, of course not. It would take a great deal of power to outsmart a demon such as Sophus, or even Death," Malphas replied, expression serious. "But the one I am talking about is more than capable of hiding himself from surrounding demonic and mortal beings," Malphas explained, intently watching my reaction. So is Death, obviously, because you thought he pretended to be David for so long. "Perhaps you know him as 'Andrew'?"

My stomach dropped into a pit and I almost choked on my own tongue. I only knew of one Andrew, and that was Andrew, Andrew. The Andrew that my aunt had been going out with on and off for years. The Andrew that was a neat freak, eat freak, and freak in general. I was utterly speechless for a moment, then I couldn't help but burst out laughing. "My Andrew? I mean--the one my aunt is going out with?"

Andrew the polo shirt-wearing, blonde haired bimbo?

He was the one person I would openly make fun of without any hesitation . "I've known Andrew for years. I've never even suspected him of anything except possibly being a homosexual."

I mean he carries a lint roller in his back pocket and flosses his teeth every other minute. A girl has got to question it at some point. I shook my head, laughing once more. "He could never be an upper class demon," I added, laughter rolling around in my mouth. "I think you have your facts all wrong."

"Exactly," Malphas interjected, coming closer, "he could never be an upper class demon. That initial thought you have, that says he could never in a trillion years be an ancient demon, is the sheer brilliance which is Sophas' disguise."

I took another step back and mistakenly allowed myself to trip over something on the floor. I looked down at my feet and saw a woman lying in a pool of her own blood. My eyes went wide. For a moment the woman looked like my aunt. As I became aware of the coppery smell of blood, I imagined Andrew and my aunt Sarah alone in their house. If he really was Sophus, would he kill her ruthlessly like Malphas would? Would he kill my parents?

Would Sophua come after me? There mere idea filled my chest with dread. I crab walked away from the dead woman and stumbled back onto my feet, bile rising in my throat. How many more lives will Malphas take before he is destroyed? I looked back up, shocked, to realize that I was trapped a mere foot away from the raven haired demon.

 "Listen to me carefully, girl, because I am only going to say this once." Before I could even flinch, his hands shot out and gripped my arms. I wanted nothing more than to bash the man's head in, but he was a good head higher than me and by the strength of his grip, he could move a mountain. Malphas leaned in closer and continued with, "I raised the reincarnation of Sophus. My son...isn't aware of this demon even existing, but he was two years old when the two met. Sophus was orphaned at a young age. Back then I thrived for power, even if it was minuscule, and killed off his parents to take over a training facility for warriors. He was under a year old. Something about the child made me decide to take him in. Him and my son were like brothers growing up. I couldn't have that. Such a relationship makes a warrior weak. When I wiped Alexandru's mind clean of Sophus, he never regained the memory even when he broke free of our bondage." Malphas' eyes glazed over with the recollection. "I didn't spare Sophus because he was a child, I sensed the orphan's mortal capabilities, although they were small, and turned him as a young adult. Little did I know that he was a reincarnation of a demon older than myself. Unnaturally born half-demons can be vicious and chaotic. Reincarnated demons can be catastrophic once they recall their memories. Alexandru's mother found out that I had drowned her son and sped up his transition, she tried to cast a spell on Sophus. Perhaps she knew there was no possible way she could ever get to Alexandru, so she decided to cease any further loss and help Sophus--"

"Wait, hold the phone!" I burst out, eyes widening. I fought against the piling rage underneath my skin. "His mother and brother?

None of this can be true because Death literally met Andrew and nothing happened. There's no way....Andr--Sophus...would have ignored someone who was practically his brother." I clutched my head. "His mother--?"

 "I said listen!" Malphas interjected, shoving me out of my brewing thoughts. "Spells are not always reliant and she was a young witch. The spell made him regain his memories." There was depth in Malphas' eyes and it was anything but calming. He was absorbed in his own thoughts. "Sophus always considered Alexandru's mother as his own mother. He spared her life and sought to end mine. I'm unsure why he never had his revenge on me. I am more than certain Ace went into hiding with her while she aided him with magic to control his abilities, then left her. If this is true, or not, I'm unsure. His damn mother could be in Chicago as well and ruin everything for me. They could be plotting against me."

Anger tightened my throat. Malphas wanted me to help him get rid of Death's possible return of his mother and brother? Why would he come to me?

"Why are you telling me all of this?"

           

"Sophus' relocation into Chicago is a poisonous warning to all demons, that will spread until he wills it to end. Ace is a demon of raw, evil chaos, just like my son. I fully believe he will destroy everything in his path if he is approached in the wrong way. Approached by me. I do not want you in his radar, and you are. He could want the power that I want. You will tell my son what I told and you will insist that Sophus move his cult elsewhere, without telling him anything about how they know each other or about his mother."

I moved my hair out of my face and let out a long breath. "Death can read my mind pretty easily. That isn't going to happen."

"That is why I will give you two rare gifts," Malphas said, then, "One of them is knowledge. The other one I will use my abilities. I will manipulate a part of your thought process to block off the parts that I do not want Death to know. I want Sophus out of the picture and I cannot do it. Death has his resources. Period."

I didn't like the idea of keeping such a secret from Death. "Why would you even tell me they knew each other if you didn't want me to tell Death?"

"I'm telling you all of the truths instead of just some in hopes that you will someday realize I am the only demon that will tell you everything," Malphas replied. "You will change the world as we know it for all of the right reasons. Alexandru is not meant to be a Light angel, surely you understand. He is dangerous and has erratic behavior. Nobody has to die with what I want to do to the world. I want to gain your trust so that in the future you lean towards my clan. Together we will tip the balance towards evil by ridding of that poisonous soul in your chest, then snatching it straight from Death's heart before his curse is lifted. End what is suppose to end, darling. Death. The Balance."

End the man who will kill you in the end...

I clutched the sides of my head again. "And what's the knowledge part of this."

"It has to do with Gabriel."

My head snapped up. "Gabriel?"

"I have my sources that say Gabriel helped Death escape Heaven. I was told the Light Angel's tried to contact and Death got in the way. It was not the first time and there are only a few penalties for the Fallen. Moron should have let them speak to you. He was to be stripped of his wings again and hand you over to the Elder's. The Elder's cannot leave Heaven when the balance is tipped and Death's absence obviously did so. Gabriel snuck Death out of Heaven before he was punished fully, and is supposedly now in hiding. Why he did such an idiotic thing just to save my disaster of a son, is beyond me. I never understood Elder's."

My heart thudded in my chest. "Death knows all of this?"

"Of course he does."

"What happens if the Elder's find out about this? Where Gabriel is, that is?"

"He will fall, child. And if he doesn't kill himself after that he will be nothing but a Fallen damned to earth for possibly an eternity."

A shiver enveloped every fiber of my being. There was something devastatingly sad about the thought of an angel falling to earth, especially Gabriel because I had grown to somewhat like him.

"You see, I tell you thinks your Guardian never would." Malphas brushed the side of my face with his fingers and it was then I felt the pull that the demon had towards me. I was vulnerable and confused all at once. "Whether or not you choose to go against me in end, is entirely up to you, my dear," Malphas whispered. "I am not asking for an acceptance now. You know what I am capable of. All you have to do is say my demon name and you could have power over me."

I gritted my teeth and tried to comprehend everything I was hearing. It was too much for me to bear, yet just enough to keep me determined to absorb it all. What shook me was the fact that there was definitely an "or else" that was implied in Malphas' words. Malphas was planning on turning the world evil by intercepting Death's plan to redeem himself. He wanted to use me as well. I wasn't sure how, I wasn't sure when, and I wasn't really sure why, but I knew that helping Malphas would hurt me in...the end.

"What's the or else?" I pressed softly, trying to get more out of him. "What if he doesn't know that Andrew is Sophus--or--or about his mother?"

Malphas exposed a mouthful of grey fangs with a black tar-like substance stretching between them. I cringed backwards. "Or else, I will knock on your door and tell you I have a knife to your auntie Sarah's throat and your precious Guardian chained to a blessed cross. Believe me, girl, it will be my day when I get to break the boy I turned into a warrior. Don't let that day come sooner than it will. I will not pretend again." Malphas then looked to the windows on his left, a small smile etched on his stoned face.

Don't let that day come sooner than it will.

I swallowed a dry lump in my throat and bit the inside of my cheek. I was happy my fangs had withdrew or else the small action would have put a bunch of holes in my cheek. "How do you suppose we get rid of Sophus if he hates Death?" I wondered.

"Think of something," Malphas said, then, "before I grow tired of his stay." Malphas stepped closer to me, his two black hole eyes absorbing my every thought.

"You will not tell Death anything more than Andrew being the leader of the Peace Makers cult. Not even about Gabriel."

On cue, the entire front wall of windows in the coffee shop shattered inwards. I threw myself to the ground right as a pair of massive black wings cut easily through the walls of the small shop, before settling down into a bent shape. Rain pelted into the shop and splattered painfully against my skin. I followed the uneven ridges of the wings' long, wet inky feathers to a thrashing Fallen angel with multiple darkly dressed demons latched to him.

 The demons let out sickening wet hissing noises and appeared to be literally latched to Death with their teeth and long bony fingers holding his legs and arms together. Had he flown here with them attached to him like that?

Their bodies were small and lanky looking, but their strength was obvious. Death threw himself backwards onto the ground, smashing a demon hard against the tile and glass, then kick outwards, nailing two of the strange looking creatures in the chest. They went flying against furthest wall, brushing past Malphas, who was still untouched by the action, and kicking up his midnight hair with a small breeze.

Death's hooded head slowly tilted as he took in his Father's figure, standing untouched in the same position he was before. Death became motionless for a solid minute, before his scythe appeared at his side. Death's breaths came out in aggressive pants and his nostrils flared.

He was readying himself for a battle.

 The demon's, that I expected were the decoys Malphas has spoken about, untangled themselves from tables and chairs, leaped over large shards of glass, and ran towards the cloaked angel. Death let out a bellowing roar and flung out his scythe at the last second, splitting three of the five demons right in half. Their torsos slid from their legs and fell into a heap of their own reeking, black blood. He then made a beeline towards a wall and leaped off of it, slicing the heads off of the remaining two that had chased him.

When Death turned to look at me, his face was splattered with the demons blood and his fangs enveloped his entire mouth. He was hunched over. I held my breath as the beast eyed me like a delicious roasted turkey dinner and leaned towards me.

Malphas began to clap, distracting the beast. "That was wonderful, my son. Quite the show."

Death straightened at his father's voice, his scythe disappearing from his hands. There was a drastic change in his body language. "What are you doing here...with her."

Death spoke in toneless voice I had never heard him use before, trembling violently as rain poured off of his face, ridding of the black demon blood.

"Talking about you and our discoveries in the Unknown, having steamy sex." He made a general gesture with his hands and rose an eyebrow. It was a look Death wore many times. "You came just in time....we just finished." Death jerked his head in my direction as Malphas finished that extremely false sentence. I had never seen such a terrifying expression in my entire life. It was never good in the movies when lightening sparked and thunder cracked at the sight of a beastly looking villain, and it was definitely not good when it was Death. I shuddered as lighting sparked in the dark skies behind him.

I gave Death a look that denied Malphas' statement. Had Death really thought I would do such an activity with his father?

"And there it is." Malphas' expression grew dark. "The reason why you never were really worth bragging about. Woman and children weaken you, my boy. And unless you surpass this selective thought process you have embedded into your mind, they will always weaken you." There was a brief exchange between Death and him that made me feel uneasy. They were talking about Annona and myself.

"I have seen your point of view already," Death said, then, "and had I continued down your path I would have destroyed myself. Sorry if you didn't see that."

Malphas' laugh was harsh. "Destroying yourself would have been much better than...this.

What you are now simply confuses me. You are neither evil nor good, therefore you are pathetic." Malphas took a step closer to his son. Death straightened. "Choose a side and perhaps we can compromise about the girl"--Malphas gestured with his hands again--"we could create something that could benefit both of us instead of conducting violence on the last days of her existence. Selfishness does not become of you, you become of it."

I felt like a bystander, watching a war in the making. I wish I could say you were good, Death, I really do. Prove to me that you're good.

"There is no compromising with what I have to do," Death said. My heart sunk. I watched as Death shifted on his foot. "Her soul will cure me when the time is right. Once my cure is lifted the Balance will unset, I will have access to Heaven for a limited amount of time."Those green eyes swiftly moved to mine as his ultimate plan was revealed. "Lucifer and I will take our revenge on the Elders."

I thoughts faltered. Gabriel...

Malphas' raspy voice cut in with, "You spill this plan as if I will not prevent you, my son. If you continue with this plot, all demons will prevail for authority. You know that as much as I do."

"I'm admitting what I will do because I want you to try and stop me, then fail miserably." Death's expression twitched and thunder pounded the night. "I'm afraid you don't know anything about me or what I am capable of anymore, father. I am more than aware of your attempt to overthrow the Devil's throne. It will not happen. I won't allow it."

"I wouldn't be so certain of yourself, Death. You've made mistakes before," I cut in, earning a pair of green eyes nailed to my forehead. I right back at him. The words had left my mouth before I had even thought twice about it.

"Alexandru, I believe our Faith is right. Everything you have learned I have taught you. I would not be so sure of yourself. I have many things up my sleeves. One of them began tonight." Malphas laughed real deep in his throat. "It looks like your girl is finally up for grabs."

Then he was gone in a puff of black flames.

Then absolutely lost it. He cursed and gripped a table at his side and threw it out in the open street, setting off a car alarm. All Death had to do was gesture at the coffee counter and things flew off of it, smashing against the floor.

I tried to find my voice. "I thought he had my aunt." Malphas had touched me, but I didn't think it was in the way that Death was implying. "He--he threatened to slit her throat outside the bathroom."

"You're a fool for ever leaving that bathroom! You're a damn fool!" The harshness of his voice brought the hairs on the back of my neck straight up and my eyes automatically prickle with tears. His was so loud my eardrums felt like they were tearing at the seams.

I swallowed back my fear and stood up straighter. I was a Reaper, now, not a coward. "I care about my family," I said steadily. Something you don't really have. "That doesn't make me a fool."

I wasn't sure if Death was paying attention to me. He was looking at me, but his mind was elsewhere. His onyx eyes grew black. With a deep, slow breath, Death grew more gentler and his eyes returned to their emerald shade. "The next time you are alone with Malphas, you call to me. I would have come in an instant had I--had I known..." Death's wings spread outwards, the feathers brushing against the damaged walls of the store as he added, "I would have come sooner."

 "I don't need your damn help." There was a large shard of glass in my palm that I became aware of as I leaned on it. I let out a painful cry that I muffled by gritting my jaw. I thought my teeth would all break.

Death appeared in front of me within a heartbeat and hauled me off of the ground with one hand. For a fraction of a second, I thought he was making a nice gesture. "Hold still," he grumbled, the muscles in his jaws flexing, then relaxing as he slipping the thick glass from my palm. Still grasping my hand, Death gently held the back of my head. and I fell straight into his onyx, exotic eyes into a mini-stupor.

This is the real Death. Malphas can't duplicate your Death.

Death was reading my every thought like a book. His stone like expression broke a few times at new bits of information. A few times he parted his mouth as if he was going to say something. I couldn't help but feel an ache in my chest when Death stroked my cheek with the pad of his thumb.

The question he asked was dangerous. "Are you keeping something for me?"

I shook my head. "No."

I don't believe you,

he never said. "I find it hard to believe Andrew is an ancient demon because he was listed to die. I should have done a background check, Sophus must have disposed of the true Andrew years ago and it wasn't marked down as a death. We just recently started keeping track of demonic disposals of human remains. It's almost impossible to keep track of human deaths done by smart demons."

"That's really disturbing," I said.

"He could have killed you."

I tilted my head upwards to see that Death was absorbed in his thoughts. I could practically feel the unbearable emotion Death was emitting, yet holding all inside. I wondered if the really could only pick out the thoughts that Malphas didn't block off. I feared if I ever told Death I was keeping a secret from him,

 I would see a side of Death he had locked away in a cabinet and rid of the key.

If you tell him Malphas will kill your family right in front of your eyes. Don't choose a man over your family. Don't.

"Faith." Death yanked me straight out of my thoughts with his caressing, deep voice. "I shouldn't have yelled. It was strange to see my father since the...Unknown..." When he slightly inclined his head, I knew that Death was still processing the conversation I had with Malphas. His dark eyebrows twitched as he finally came back to earth, then knit together.

I would have bet my pinky toe that he knew something was up, but for some reason, decided it was best to not press.

"We have to keep moving," Death said. I hadn't realized his hands were holding me against him until he let go.

See, he does hug, he just doesn't realize when he's doing it.

 My inner self was much more nicer than I could ever be again to the man who ruined my life. "Are you bringing precious decoy along somewhere else?" I shifted my feet, waiting for him to fully tune into what I was saying again. His green eyes lifted to mine. I continued with, "That is why you brought me out here tonight, right? To crash a Peace Makers party?"

"Yes, I honestly was," he admitted freely. "That doesn't mean I wouldn't have kept you safe. I was going to tell you beforehand, too. I had no intention of setting up or leaving you suddenly until the demon was following us."

I was content that Death was at least

trying

telling the truth and sound genuinely caring about my well being.

 That didn't mean I would drop my poker face. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Damn you, stupid angel, you know you could tell me anything.

Too bad I couldn't.

"There's some things I just can't tell you, Faith."

"You don't tell me anything, Alexandru." If he could pull the real name card, so could I.

"I told you not to call me that, cupcake." He gave me this lowered eyelid look that made me melt from the inside out.

Oh my Lord, this man will be the end of you! It's like he knows that he doesn't know what you know and he's acting all sexy to squeeze it right out of you! Wow, that sounded a lot better before you thought about it! Tell him everything before his face stays in that dorable puppy dog expression and you suffer for the rest of your short life!

My hands tightened into fists. I couldn't tell him. I had to keep the secret from him, I had no other option. I turned my face away from him. "You can really be a dick sometimes," I muttered under my breath.

Death caught me off guard and let out a menacing snarl. "Mind your manners, Reaper." He then gripped my arm and began to tug me in a direction. "Come along, now. If we wait any longer here I could very well put you right in your place."

I shrugged out of his grip. "Get your hands off of me!"

"Faith"--Death grit his jaw and loomed over me--"I promise you, we can talk about everything and anything you want to talk about. Right now we have to leave."

"Maybe I don't want to talk to you."

He gave me a tired look.

I bit my lip, then found my inner voice. "Listen, you say you can do a lot of things and then you let me down or you flat out lie to me. Look at this"--I motioned to the broken windows and toppled over tables- "I'm tired of this! I'm sick of letting everyone push me around! All of this supernatural crap that doesn't make any sense! Especially you!"

There was an uneasy look in those emerald eyes that made him seem exposed. He looked concerned. "Faith..."

I stepped back, baring my teeth. Just like him. "Look what you did to me, Death! Take a nice, long look! I'm just like you! Just like you wanted, right? I mini you!" I threw my arms out to the ceiling. Hot tears trickled down my face. "I'm all yours, Death! Send me off to kill someone! Make me a prostitute and drive me off the edge until I depend on drugs! Kill off my parents so they don't have to deal with their demonic daughter who has claws!" My laughter was becoming more shrill by the second.

Death slowly shook his hooded head at me, remaining silent.

Does he even care?

"Urgh!" I gripped the hood of Death's cloak and shook."Why don't you just redeem yourself already! My life is already ruined!" I slapped him so hard on the cheek that his head went to the side and my hand crackled. I wanted a reaction from him. I could hear his jaw clench. His slow exhale. Then I could literally feel him relax once more. The amount of control he had over his emotions, even in a clearly weak state, made me entirely jealous.

"What do you suppose I say to that?" Death's wings folded neatly against his back until I could no longer see them. "Everything you said is right. Enlighten me, though, were you really not aware of any part of what you said until now?"

I frowned. I was aware that he would use me to somehow cure himself. There was just nothing I could do at that moment to prevent it. Coming up with a comeback was proving to be difficult when a seven foot tall gorgeous, terrifying angel was looming over you. "I hate you," was all I could come up with. And yes, I sounded extremely childish.

"You aren't suppose to like me in the first place." Death motioned to himself from head to toe. "No woman is suppose to like me. I'm Death, as in, I kill things. I finish things off that people want to keep forever."

"You're name isn't even Death. It's Alexandru! That name doesn't mean any evil at all. By definition, it means the Defender of Mankind. Maybe you should start living by your real name and not your pretend one, you child."

There, I said it.

Death's eyes narrowed. His voice remained tiresome and monotone. "And just how would you know what my name means?"

I blushed. "I Googled it," I admitted, then added quickly, "but that doesn't matter! You can't justify your actions by your phony name."

His emerald eyes bore into mine. "There's three reasons why I would change my name." Death counted the reasons with his fingers. "First, it's not socially acceptable for someone of my age to go by my real name, everyone would make fun of me. Second, I feel more intimidating being named after what I do and introducing myself as such. Third, I can do whatever the hell I want, I'm Death."

"Not on my watch," I snarled. "I won't let you do whatever you want to me. You can't manipulate me if I fight you to the death. Literally, if you really want to risk your precious pure little cupcake getting injured. "

"Precious, pure little cupcake?" Death's smile was sinister. Right before my eyes, I saw Death transform into himself again. Was it wrong that I felt good I had made him grin like a devilish hyena again? "I will try again and again to manipulate you if it gets you to shut up. I rebound awfully quickly when I'm...motivated." He winked at me with one onyx eye.

That unholy, perverted bastard is going to make you crumble like a sand castle under a wave except breaking you down by not breaking you down. My expression went a little lax when my eyes drifted down his tall frame. There's no way you can keep a secret from him. Give up.

My face heated again but I forced it back into coldness. "I won't need your luck, angel."

 Angel? he mouthed, then, "Oh, but you will. You'll need much luck if you plan on fighting me on your last day of existence, princess." Death turned away from me in a dramatic away way and kicked a nearby table like it was a light weight soccer ball.

Crash.

Another car alarm went off. It was then I wondered why nobody had even bothered to check on the sonic boom of my Guardian slamming into the coffee shop, or the piercing cry of multiple parked cars...

Then I realized it was Chicago and nobody really gave a flying poop about things like that.

"Besides having height advantage, strength advantage, and experience in everything and anything, I could also whip your ass in combat twenty million times over," Death continued, his voice dropping to a lower tone. " If you want me to get mean, I'll prove it to you. I won't go easy on you because you're a female. Female demon's are a lot more vicious than male ones. They have less control, too." When I refused to look at him again, Death sighed. "I clearly stated when we met what I would do to you. There's only going to be one of you, Faith, this is my only chance to get my revenge. I can't make any exceptions."

He let that soak in for a while. There really was nothing I could do to prevent what was ultimately going to happen to me. Truth be told, I was tired. I was tired of being the freaking "Chosen One." I just wanted to be Faith Williams.

Death looked at me under heavy eyes. I had to stare at his wide chest to avoid that sexy look. "Would you like me to apologize again?"

"I don't want you to apologize again," I said after a long stretch of silence, then, "because I know you don't mean it. Maybe you'll mean it when you take your heart out of the freezer."

His mouth went into a flat line. "Fine. Apologizing isn't what I planned on doing, anyways. I think we should get you some chocolate somewhere because you've recently gotten the extreme case of bitch."

"What do you plan on doing?" I pressed, glaring at him. "Anything having to do with Andrew? Possibly protecting my aunt, or are you going to just put them in harm's way?"

"Already contacted my shadow men to watch over them," Death snapped. "Sent a few to your parents as well. That's all I can do for now, if he's really in a relationship with your aunt." Death came closer to me, forcing me to back up until I was against the wall. He then pressed a hand next to my head, leaned down to my ear, and whispered, "Tonight, I plan on taking you to a night club."

My initial thought was that it sounded a lot like a date and my heart skipped a beat.

A night club? As in...music...? Can he even fit on a dance floor?

"I want to go home."

"Beep. Wrong answer."

I crossed my arms over my chest. "Let me correct myself, decoy, is not going anywhere else with you."

"I've decided not to raid the Peace Makers meeting. No decoy's necessary. It was a bit reckless bringing you along. I wasn't thinking straight. I have some friends at the club who are almost as old as I am. Call them an alliance of the sorts, but I promised to make sure they are protected at all times from this cult and I have to speak to them about the terms. I'm also need a way to trap the demon, Sophus, and retrieve your cloak, in some sort of binding spell. Bringing both of them out in the open is a similar method that I haven't used in a long time. My friend is very skilled in that category. Finding things, that is."

The memory of Debora flashed before my eyes. I grit my jaw. "Is your friend a witch?"

"Half warlock, half demon," Death corrected. "I've known him for a long, long time. He owns a private club where he keeps his clan of neutral demons. He's not exactly the friendliest of people, then again, neither am I at times." His eyes sparkled as if he had a little man crush on the guy. "I consider him a brother. I think you will like him."

Just like Sophus and him were like brothers, my mind echoed. Too bad your angel doesn't know that. 

I choked a bit on that thought."What's his name?"

"I can't tell you his demon name because you will have power over him."

Does that mean I have power over you?

"It's considered rude unless he trusts you with it. He goes by Ace."

I thought about everything for a moment. If I wasn't going to live really long life, and I was hiding a secret big enough to make it even shorter, I figured I should find out what Death's methods were. What made him tick. I crossed my arms over my chest. Finally, you get some action. "Will I get to use my claws?"

 "No."

"I want to use my claws."

Death made a noise deep in his throat and rolled his shoulders. It was a gesture that made me think his wings were somehow embedding themselves into his back and made me shiver. "Fine," he growled with a bit of a smirk. "Just don't get too cocky or I'll clip them down to stubs, baby."

"Any particular reason why we're going to a club right after you were attacked by those demon leach things?

"Because maybe sometimes I like to do the opposite of what people think I should do."

I snorted. "Then I think we're meant for each other."

"Hmm, sorry. I prefer blondes. I think they're cute."

I couldn't help but smile a little at his joke, although it was a little sick, as he began to walk away. But the smile turned downwards at the thought that the tables had possibly finally turned.

After all, I was the one with the deep dark secret that could change everything.

    And it wouldn't take long before it started to eat me alive.

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Made a DEATH X FAITH video on the side & in the External link there will be my page on Facebook for all of my stories! Like it!

I post my Twitter and Death group on Facebook such on every chapter but it's also on my profile. <3