To Kill or To Save

My favorite color was red. It reminded me of blood and it matched my eyes. It wasn’t as if anyone bothered asking though. Too busy fleeing and screaming their little lungs out. Humans. I shuddered at the thought. They didn’t belong in this world. The Fallen were the obvious superiors but the humans were too stubborn to let go.

“Stop it,” a voice snapped.

I groaned. That’s right. Julienne. The taste of her name sizzled like poison on my tongue and I tried not to gag. “What?”

“You’re thinking of death and killing.” The human-lover wrinkled her nose and growled at me.“Snap out of it. We have bigger problems to face. Are you going to work with me or not?”

I stepped forward menacingly, my hair falling around my face. “I’ll give you a problem to face. Come on, blondie. I can take you right here, right now. You’ll be nothing more than a smear on the floor once I’m through with you.”

Julienne shook her head, not fazed in the least by the blood red fire in my eyes. Miss Goody -Two-Shoes thinks she is all that? Just because she’s a Risen come to save the world? I rolled my eyes and twirled my dagger in one hand, leaning back against the dungeon wall.

I said, “Just because we are stuck here as jail cell buddies, doesn’t mean I’m working with you, Angel.”

“You’re an Angel too, Colette.”

“It’s Cole!” I snapped.

“Cole, whatever.” Julienne waved a hand and sat on the low cot across the room. “You used to be one of us. Come back, sister. The Kingdom Above will accept your repentance. If you truly believe it, you can—.”

“Please!” I hissed out, dragging the dagger down the stone wall. “Anything but your sick preaching! I’d rather turn myself over to the disgusting prick who thought it a brilliantly cruel idea to stick the two of us in the same freaking cell.” I tilted my head and gave her a dark smile. “The sick bastard let me keep my weapons. Of course, you only have your oh-so-holy-sword-of-Michael with you. I have my dagger, sword, and gun. Your pick, sister.”

Julienne narrowed her eyes and placed her hand at her hip where her sword was in its fancy holster. “If it comes to that, do not believe I will think twice.”

“Welcome to my humble home, friends!” A voice boomed.

Julienne shot me a wary look and I shrugged, mouthing: Watch your back, Angel.

“We’re friends now, Gregory?” I called, having gotten to my feet to bang my hands against the bars holding us in. “Release me then. I think we have some catching up to do. You, me, and my little friend.” I caressed my dagger.

A cloaked man came into view and smiled at me. I growled.

He was too calm. I hated calm.

Because I was Fallen, my eyes glowed red. Because Julienne was Risen, hers glowed silver. Gregory, however, was a Demon and his eyes were black. Soulless.

It’s nice to think that I still have something of a soul left.

Deep, deep, down there.

“Colette, spirited as ever.” He looked past me, black eyes narrowing. “And the heavenly Julienne. Two lovely girls with such different life missions. One, so fiery and quick-tongued. And the other, so delicate.”

Delicate? I snorted. Come on, Julienne, let’s show this bastard delicate. I had to give Julienne some credit. She was a worthy fighter. And I wasn’t too shabby myself.

“What do you want?” Julienne said, not sparing Gregory a glance. Hmm, she may have a point there. Gregory was probably fuming inside because she was ignoring him, although he didn’t show it, the psychopath. At least I wore my crazy on my sleeve.

“You, my darlings, are going to help me take over the world.” Gregory’s smile sickened me.

“You could have just asked,” I snarled.

“Ah, well,” Gregory said, placing his palms together as he stepped forward, “I’m not planning on annihilating all humans, like you are, my plans go far beyond that.” He paused. “I’m going to poison the earthlings and create empty shells in which my followers will posses. I will create an army of minions to storm the Kingdom Above and destroy all Angels, Fallen and Risen.”

Insert maniacal cackle here.

“No,” Julienne whispered.

Horror filled me. An emotion I hadn’t felt in a long time. Centuries, to be exact.

Well, Julienne, looks like we’ll be working together after all.