A Bloody Oath: A Novel

Hugo

Running. I remember I was running. In which direction, I could not tell.

But my feet were desperately making contact with the ground as towering trees loomed over my head. All the lights around me were a blur. My breath was shallow and my back coated with sweat.

I needed to find my human, yet I did not know where to begin. Not too long ago, I was watching her through a window, talking to a familiar figure. Her face was ghastly pale, and her body was shaking. Then, without a warning, a sharp pain coursed through my veins, and I found myself in the middle of nowhere, gasping for air like a fish out of an aquarium.

The forest gave way to a highway with roads stretching out in both directions, and the only sources of light were the streetlights above my head and the stars blanketing the sky. I leaned against a sticker-coated post, catching my breath. I stared at the moonless sky, expecting an answer from above. Instead, the answer came from my back pocket. I fished out my smartphone and looked at who had messaged me. On my notification dock was Dario’s name, with a simple message.

I am coming to you.

I did not bother to reply. I had worked under his wings for too long to know that it was useless to reply when he could see me from Heaven all day, every day. I tucked my wings behind my back and slid my halo underneath my hair. My purple suit smelled of grass and rainwater. My feet were itching to go back to running because waiting felt like an eternity, but I knew I should not disobey Dario. Instead, I was planted on the side of the road like a lonely hitchhiker, inviting danger to come my way.

It did not take too long, though, until I felt a warm breeze behind my back, and the figure of Dario materialized next to me. In his hands was a box of brightly colored donuts.

“Care to have a piece, my Hugo?” Dario asked.

I carefully but firmly shut the lid of the donut box and shook my head. “I love sweets, but I am not craving them right now, Dario.”

“Very well.” And with a snap of a finger, the donuts disappeared.

I did not want to look at Dario because I knew for a fact that he was smirking at me. He had been following my human and me closely. And, by extension, he had been following a mysterious figure who had become an integral part of my human’s life.

A vampire.

Instead of looking at Dario, I looked up and pretended to pour my attention to the blinding yellow light above me. I knew too well that my guardianship was coming to an end. My human was stripped away from my care violently by someone who called himself her friend. Now I have to deal with my mentor scolding me for my poor attempt at saving her.

I expected angrier words to come out of Dario’s mouth. Instead, he placed a solemn hand on my shoulder.

“Your human is a vampire now,” he said matter-of-factly. “You could no longer see her physically since her soul has been wiped away from Heaven’s records. There is nothing we could do about it.”

I looked at Dario. His striking gold eyes looked back at me. He wore a crimson suit similar to mine, with the only difference being the sash hanging across his torso, signifying high status among angels. His dark brown hair was tucked back behind his ears, and his moustache was well-trimmed, a far cry from my long and tangled blond hair. I tried to read the expression on his face. Was he judging me, or was he trying to be sympathetic? He removed that grip on my shoulder and instead started pacing behind me.

“You will return to Heaven tonight for a debriefing about your guardianship of Vanessa Stevens. You have served her for 30 years, but I am afraid your service has been cut short. I suggest you groom yourself before we fly back to Heaven.”

“No.”

Dario’s neck snapped towards me, eyes bright and wide, reflecting the lights coming from the lamppost. In return, my blue eyes shone just as bright, but this time reflected with tears laced with frustration and loss.

“I am not ready to face the Archangels and the other Guardians,” I added. “I am going to stay here on Earth and find Damian Johnson.”

“And what will you do if you find him? What will that accomplish?” Dario asked venomously.

I gritted my teeth. My face felt hot like fire was coursing through my limbs. “I do not know what I will do to him yet, but I am craving for vengeance over the loss of my human. I could not allow myself to stand still and let him off freely when he could easily transform other humans into vampires. No, there must be something I could do.”

“Hugo, I am not advising you to risk your life fighting a losing battle with a vampire. Additionally, California already has a thriving vampire-hunting community with angels assigned to nearly every corner. Come with me, Hugo, please. We shall assign you a new human in a new location, and you can forget about Vanessa and Damian.”

If my blood was not boiling already, it was now. I untucked my wings and lifted myself off the ground, uncaring if any cars or passers-by saw me in the air. I blew a gust of hot air towards Dario as he tried to fly closer to me.

“You will not stop me, Dario,” I shouted. “I already made the mistake of not saving Vanessa. I will not make any more mistakes by letting Damian Johnson live. Tonight, his head will be in my hands!”