Fallen From Grace | ✔

Chapter Four - "Built For Sin"

               “Balt!  Man, come look what we've found!”  I recognised that voice.  The one and only scum bag, Henry.  He was one of the lowest demons I've ever met.  I could have ignored him but the gold thread was leading me that way so unfortunately I'd have to detour and look at what he'd found.  I felt sorry for him, he lived on finding things for others.  He was a loyal person which I suppose could've made up for his personality.  His weedy, rat-like personality.

               I heard her voice and wondered if it was my subconscious.   Maybe this time, it took itself too far and imitated her voice.  Her sweet, ange- No! I'm not thinking like this.  I had to put aside the good parts I'd seen and focus on her being an angel.  A hunter.

               “P-Please!”  I frowned, the gold thread was leading to just behind Henry's thugs.  Pushing my way through, I felt a pang to my heart.  She was here, being held against a wall by Henry.  I felt sick at the sight.  Some of her beautiful red locks were being pulled from her head.  She looked petrified.  I thought back to what Marcus said – she'd lost her memory.

               “We've got ourself an angel!  Boys, maybe we should find her wings!”  Henry cackled and I pushed through.  “Balt, come on man, look at this beaut.”

               “I'm not an angel!”  She cried, tears running down her face making her blue eyes glimmer brightly, almost like sapphires.  “I don't know who you are but please let me go!”

               “What you say Balt?  We let her go?  Or we have some fun with her.”   Her eyes widened and she shook her head viciously.  “Feisty.  She's deffo a keeper.”

               As much as I wanted to hate her and leave her here helplessly, I couldn't.  One reason was because my subconscious would probably torture me to death and the other was that I'd told Marcus I was going to help him.

               “Henry, give her to me.”  I ordered.

               “Why?”  I watched as he got up in her face and she turned to me.   Her eyes pleading for help.  Whimpers coming out of her mouth.  I sighed internally.   I'd have to be the hero, even though I'd rather not be.  All I could hope was that she wasn't anything like Saria.

               “Just do it.”  I barked.

               “I want some fun first.”  She shut her eyes tightly as Henry licked the side of her face.   My anger was bubbling up inside me.  Disgust was probably written all over my face.   Was he not going to listen to me?

               “Give her here, Henry.  I won't ask you again.  She's m-”  I stopped myself from exposing myself.  “Marcus wants her.”  Henry made no move.  Payback time.

               Strolling up to him, I ripped him away from Imogen, blocking her behind me.  Turning, I looked at him as he looked at me in disbelief.

               “I ordered you to let her go.”   I growled at him, half focused on him, half focused on holding Imogen behind me.  I could feel her tiny hands gripping my jacket.  “You ignored me.  Marcus wants her.  Next time I won't think twice before letting the Hellhounds get you.”

               Fear was written all over his face.  Hellhounds were fierce and frightening.  They were worse than torture for eternity.  You couldn't see them, at all.  Not even a demon could see them, only the Demon King and any deities.

               “Sorry, Balt.  It's just she tasted so innocent!”  I was disgusted with him for touching her.

               “No excuses.  Surely you can resist temptation?”  He nodded timidly and I rolled my eyes.  He was all big and macho when no-one higher than him was around but once he was beaten he became a mouse.  It was why I felt sorry for him – he was too easy to beat up.

               “Sorry, Balthazar.”  I nodded before turning to the small crowd gathering up.

               “Same goes for you guys.”  I told them before walking off, dragging Imogen.  I looked down to see the gold thread and saw that it connected to Imogen.  Just great.  I'd get Marcus to explain this later.

               As we turned the streets, I released my grip slightly but still gripping her tightly so she couldn't run off.  I slowed down so that she wouldn't be running so fast.   Taking a quick glance at her appearance, I sighed.  She had to wear heels?

               “T-Thank you.”  Imogen whispered and I nodded, trying not to acknowledge her.   We didn't say anything but as we reached the car, I felt her tense.

               “Just relax, no-one will hurt you.”  I whispered to her and she nodded stiffly.   Her feet moved slowly but I didn't rush her.  Marcus would scold me.

               Looking up, I saw that both Marcus and Saria were waiting out of the car.  Both had completely different expressions.  Marcus looked excited and happy whereas Saria had a death glare on her face.  She was pissed off for sure.  Her face was also laced with anger.

               Approaching the car, I was slightly nervous.   Purely because of their reaction and because of the gold string.

               “Good job, Balt.”  He nodded and I tipped the corners of my mouth up into a small smile.  Saria just glared at me and then scowled at Imogen.  I resisted the urge to chuckle.   “So who are you?”

               “I-Immi, sir.”  I noticed as she did a little bow.  It confused the Hell out of me but Marcus obviously knew why she was doing it.

               “Balt, you can release your grip on her.  I'm Marcus.”  He put his hand out, with his palm up.  I watched as Immi-Imogen placed her hand delicately in his palm.

               “It's nice to meet you, sir.”  She smiled and part of me wished she would smile at me like that.

               “No need to call me 'sir'.  Come on, we'll drop you off.  Oh, and that's Balt, the one who brought you here,” he pointed to me and she nodded, sending a grateful smile my way.  “And that's Saria.  Be careful, her bite is worse than her bark.”  Saria growled when Imogen went to look at her and I noticed how Imogen froze before turning away.

               “Let's just drop the bitch off.  I don't need her stinking up the car.”  Imogen's face fell and she looked at Marcus, confused.  I wanted her- no, I didn't.  I did not want an angel.

               Getting into the car, I watched as she looked around.  She had a quizzical look on her face.

               “So, Imogen, where do you want to be dropped off?”  I asked as I started up the car.

               “Call me Immi, please.”  I nodded before letting her speak again.  “Um, I don't actually know I've been living for the past few days.”  She bit her lip and looked down.  I didn't know what to do – Marcus certainly wouldn't let me drop her off on the corner of a random street.

               “Who's house are you staying at?”  Marcus asked her.

               “Gustav's.  It's a big white mansion...”  She trailed off.

               “You don't need to tell us what the house looks like.  How many houses do you think are white or big?  May-”  Marcus cut off Saria's rant.

               “Shut it, Saria.  I thought you were staying with him.  It's the house on the corner of Londres Street.”  I nodded.  She was staying on the border of No Man's Land and demon territory?  Wasn't it safer for them to be in angel territory?

               Marcus was going to have to explain a lot to us – including how the Hell he knew who this Gustav was and why he knew they were staying with him.