The Devil's Mark (Book 1)

Chapter Eighteen: Last Minute Impulse

Shattered glass and mangled metal littered the street as I found the driver still sitting in his seat, his face covered with cuts and a broken leg. He groaned softly in pain as I heard the sirens far off in the distance. I grabbed the handle and tore what remained of the car door off its hinges as it clattered on the ground. I could smell gasoline in the air with an explosion being definite. I pulled the semi unconscious man from the wreck and dragged him into the nearest alleyway, away from the prying eyes of curious onlookers who had already begun to form as the police got to the crash site first and cornered off the area.

Deep within the darkness, my eyes pierced through pitch blackness and stared at the face of the man who dared to do the boy unspeakable harm. Motionless and bloody, I opened one of the man's eyelids and took a peek deep inside his soul. And what I found was nothing. What should have been his essence, was now hollowed out like an empty carcass. And in its place was darkness when it should have been filled with pure light. The man who was once born into this body was no more. Whatever happened to him, I do not know.

Perhaps he was spared and guided to find eternal rest at the pearly gates. Nevertheless, I find myself with more depressing matters at stake. The eyes of the man snap open as the body jumps up and throws me against the wall. A demon now resides from within as it hungers for its first and only kill. I brace for the impact as I land on my own two feet and lash out with a powerful punch to the face only to finish it with an elbow to the jaw. The demon staggers but does not falter as he readies himself for a quick fight. For him at least.

Lashing out at me with his left arm, I step aside and wrap my right arm around it as I spin around elbow him in the back of the head as he runs face first into the brick wall. He groans, holding his already broken nose as it starts to bleed. I get ready to finish him off as I hear the steady voices of the human officer's heading this way. No doubt they must've spotted a trail of blood headed this way when I dragged him from the car shortly after impact. Not wanting to risk being seen by human eyes, I slam my fist into his chest and wrap my fingers around his black heart as I tear it from the ribcage.

The body falls to the ground in an instant like a sack of potatoes as I continue to hold the heart in my hand. This is the second demon I've killed in the past two weeks since this started. How is hell starting to become so unstable that the safeguards that are supposed to be place can't seem to keep the demons under control? I mean, normally when a demon tries to escape I'm the first one to know about it. But lately, this sort of thing just isn't happening. I need address the situation carefully and take a look at my options on how to deal with this.

I burn the heart as it quickly turns to ash and scatters in the wind. The body is long dead, the demon gone, sent back home to where he belongs. I leave the corpse for the cops to find unafraid that they'll get any prints off of him that'll lead to my involvement in his untimely demise. I quickly move further down the alleyway as it cuts into a T-shaped formation while secretly telling me that I can either go left or right. I go left instead, and stick to the shadows all the while wiping the dried blood off my hands with the handkerchief I keep in my pocket for just such an occasion.

As I emerge onto the sidewalk, I can see the yellow police tape and flashing red and blue lights from the surrounding cars as the police checkout the scene and interview the witnesses. I toss the bloodied handkerchief into a nearby trashcan as it ignites, sending the rest of the contents inside up in flames, until leaving behind a small pile of ash. Another block and a half later, I reach my destination that is Rodeo Dr. and walk into the Cartier jewelry store. It's late in the evening I know, but the manager knows me and values me as a highly, profiled customer.

Glass cases fill the store with exquisite jewelry. Each one more breathtaking than the last. A young, attractive, female sales associate stands behind the counter as I approach, her hazel eyes look me up and down as if she's trying to undress me mentally not physically. She smiles warmly as she speaks.

"Good evening, Mr. Morningstar. I take it you're here to pick up your order?"

"You've got that right."

"Excellent. I have it right here for you. I just got it out of the safe."

Wrapped in a red velvet pouch with a thin black piece of rope, the top opens as the girl flips the bag upside down and the small box falls into her palm. She places it on the counter as I stare at it for a moment, curious as to how it's going to look and wonder if it's going to match perfectly to the specifications I had requested. I reach for the box slowly and pop open the lid as the small circular band takes my breath away. The 14k karat white gold diamond ring sparkles in the light as I take it out and examine the flawless piece.

Two rows of diamonds wrap around the ring entirely while a small engraving is etched on the inside bearing the words; I SHALL LOVE YOU ALWAYS AND FOREVER. The associate calls for my attention as she asks if the ring requirements have been met prior to my standards. I tell her how happy I am with everything and place the ring back into the box as she wraps it back up and puts it a small paper bag before handing me the receipt. She wishes me good luck as I tell her thank you and walk out the door.

I'm going to need a lot more than just 'good luck' if I'm going to want the answer I've been so desperately waiting for since this whole thing started. I'm going to need a bloody miracle.

Author's Note: Hello, my lovelies! It is almost 2:40AM here in Michigan and I am tired. It's taken me almost all night to sit myself down and pump out this wonderful chapter to you all. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy it! *crawls into bed as my readers begin to push and shove to see who gets to read first* Kids...I tell you. LOL

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