New York, May 23, 2019
The city was alive as ever, living carelessly and ignorant. Car horns blared nearby, and a light breeze tossed paper around sidewalks. Rushed footsteps were barely audible over the sound of traffic. She carried a suitcase behind her, its wheels clicking with each crack in the pavement. The girl pulled out her phone and it buzzed in her hand.
'Where are you?'
She quickly swiped open to her texts.
'Ugh, on my way. Running late. Again.' she replied.
She slipped her phone into her pocket and hailed a taxi.
~~~
"Ollie...late as usual."
Aziel stood on the step of the old church-like building. He had been anxiously waiting for the past twenty minutes and Olive still hadn't arrived. His phone buzzed as her text came in.
'Ugh, on my way. Running late. Again.' it said.
He chuckled and shook his head. He sat down on the step and a bright yellow taxi pulled up a few minutes later. Olive stumbled out, attempting to get her bag out of the back seat. Aziel stood and helped her get it.
"I'm so sorry I'm late!" She started, "I couldn't find my suitcase and I lost my phone and-"
Aziel put a hand on her shoulder to silence her. She looked up at him guiltily.
"Hello to you too." he said with a grin and raised eyebrows.
Olive giggled and straightened her shirt and smoothed out her hair.
"Let's go meet our new roommates." she said over her shoulder as she walked past him and up the stairs with her suitcase, her friend following shortly after with a small grin.
~~~
The floorboards creaked under the dark red carpet.
"Ah, you finally roll in." said a smooth feminine voice.
"Sorry we're late, that was my fault." Olive said apologetically.
The girl came around the corner. She had tanned, bronze skin and chocolaty brown eyes. Her long black hair was twisted into a graceful messy bun, and her shirt was smooth against her skin, showing off her curves. She had long legs, with a short leather skirt and black heeled knee high boots.
"I'm Avaline," she grinned "But just call me Avvie."
Aziel put his hand up and she shook it firmly.
"Aziel," he said politely "And this is Olive."
Olive just gave a small wave, still staring at Avvie.
"Nice to meet you both." The taller dark haired girl said "C'mon, let's go meet my brothers."
With that the two friends followed Avaline out of the front room.
~~~
The room they entered was a basic training room. Mats covered the floor, and punching bags were at each corner, as well as one in the center of the room. On one wall weapons were hung neatly and very well organized. Two people were standing near the weapons wall talking.
"Olive, Aziel, meet my brothers." Avaline said, interrupting their conversation.
The two guys turned to look at them.
"Ah! They finally arrive." said the shorter one with the silvery white hair "Name's Keil."
He held his hand out to Olive and, instead of shaking it, he raised her hand and lightly kissed her knuckles.
"Charming." Avaline said as she moved to the other one.
"That's one way to make a first impression." Aziel said whispering into her ear.
Olive giggled, the light blush on her cheeks fading.
"And-" Avvie started.
"Keirian." the tall boy said coldly .
It was Aziel's turn to stare now. Keirian had shaggy black hair like his sister, but his eyes were electric blue, his long eyelashes brushing against his skin. He had pale skin and a long, graceful neck. His muscles showed under the tight fabric of his shirt.
"Somebody have a crush?" Olive whispered to Aziel.
He glared at her with a blush and elbowed her in the side, making her laugh.
"Welcome to the family." Keil said, looking with a sly smile at Olive.
She grinned.
~~~
Avvie was walking Olive to her room while the boys started making lunch.
"Just a warning about my brothers," Avvie said hesitantly "They can be...difficult to get used to being around. They are both so dramatic - we all are - but just try to cut them some slack. Keir is just trying to keep us safe and he would do anything for us but..." she trailed off.
"It makes him harsh?" Olive suggested.
Avvie nodded. "And Keil, as you saw already, is definitely a charmer but definitely super cocky. Just don't be afraid to stand your ground. Don't let him get you down." She said, "Oh, and he's super honest so don't ask him anything unless you know you can stand to hear the answer." she added with a sidelong glance.
Olive nodded and looked down at the carpet. This was going to be interesting.
~~~
Buzz buzz
Olive pulled her phone out of her pocket.
'Lunch is ready =)' it said.
She smiled and she and Avvie went down the stairs into the large kitchen. Olive sat down in the spot between Aziel and Keil, Avvie next to Keirian.
"Hey Azzie. How'd it go with these two?" Olive whispered.
He shrugged and took a bite of his sandwich.
"Got your room figured out?" Keirian asked.
Olive blinked, not actually expecting him to talk to her.
"Y...yeah. Yeah, all set up..." she trailed off.
Keirian nodded.
"You get your room Azzie?" Olive asked.
"Not yet. He's going to help with that after we finish eating." He said, pointing his chin at Keil.
Olive grinned widely at the two boys on either side of her.
"Great. Now that we are all getting along, we need to tell you what the job of this Sanctuary is." Keirian said.
The two newcomers looked slightly concerned at the tone of his voice. Each city had a Sanctuary, and just the one. They had to deal with a fair amount of stuff. The Sanctuary was just what it sounds like; a safe place for shadowslayers to stay and train. It was well guarded and had protections to keep out unwanted guests, particularly the demons they called shadows.
He thoroughly explained the job of the Sanctuary, and then sent everyone to get settled.
~~~
Once Aziel had his room set up, the five of them met in the training room to discuss the patrol schedule. They had to go out multiple times a day to make sure the shadows weren't causing trouble. The next shift was on Olive and Keil. They geared up quickly and headed out. They walked in silence for the first while before Keil spoke.
"Why were you relocated?" he said curiously.
"I..." Olive said, looking at the sidewalk "It's a long story." she sighed after a moment.
Keil nodded understandingly. "Me too."
Olive looked at him with a questioning look.
"They adopted me when I was six. The Ravenwoods - Avvie and Keir's parents." he stated.
Olive made looked at him. His sad smile on his face. His features were sharp- a well defined jawline, bright icy blue eyes, soft, swoopy silver hair pushed back and out of his eyes. He looked like an angel.
"Hello? Earth to Olive?" he laughed, waving a hand in front of her eyes.
"Uhh, sorry... a little distracted..." she said with a small embarrassed laugh.
"Don't worry about it. It's a lot to take in in one day." he said.
A pained scream cut through the air. They glanced at each other and took off sprinting down the street, getting out their blades. They took a sharp turn as the scream came again. Olive recognized to be a woman's voice, probably a normie. They neared the sight and they could hear gurgling, like water down a drain. When they turned the corner they froze, eyes wide.
He was back.