Forsaken Angels: Lucifer

Ch 2: Intruder

Cassandra

Panic bubbles up from deep inside and threatens to overwhelm me. Shit! I fumble with the phone as I whip around to look for a taxi.

"What's wrong?" Luce asks as I hit the call button.

There's no hiding my trembling fingers while I hold the phone to my ear, listening to the unanswered signal tone.

"I have to go. My sisters need me."

"Do you need a ride?" The offer surprises me enough that I halt my frantic movements to take in the concerned look on his face. Is it genuine, or is this a trap?

Two cars stop by the curb next to us. A sleek black sports car and a larger dark SUV. The driver's door of the sports car opens and a tall man with dark-blond hair steps out. I recognise him from the office as Luce's head of security. My fear lessens slightly. Surely he wouldn't kill me with a witness?

Time is of the essence. If the monsters who killed our parents have found us, my sisters need help now. Fuck!

"Please."

Before I know it, I'm alone in a car with a potential monster and we're pulling into traffic.

"Where to?" Luce asks with his eyes on the road.

I give him our address while trying both of my sisters' numbers again. Still nothing. With every unanswered call, my panic rises another notch. When we reach my residential building, I launch out of the car and rush up the stairs towards our flat.

The door is ajar.

I speed up and pull the dagger from my handbag before bursting into the small living space. It's empty. And an absolute mess. Slashed sofa cushions. Furniture overturned. Letters and magazines strewn across the floor with glass shards from broken photo frames and a shattered mirror.

A thump from behind the closed bedroom door sends an icy shiver down my spine.

I am not alone.

And something tells me it's not my sisters in there.

With the dagger ready, I cross the living room and nudge the door open. A man stands across from me, hunched over, searching the drawers on our bedside table. There is something off about his movements. A little too fast. A little too jerky. Not quite...human.

He's not noticed me yet. A quick scan of the room confirms my sisters aren't here. Have they been kidnapped, or did they escape?

Crunch.

I wince as I step on a lipstick lid and the plastic breaks under my shoes. The intruder whirls around, and it feels as if the world stops. I don't share my sister's ability to see monsters, but I can still see the strange light deep in his eyes and the awkward angle of his head.

The moment is over, and with a shriek, the intruder barrels across the room towards me. Its unnatural speed catches me off-guard and pain shoots through my body when we collide and my back hits the door frame. The dagger clatters to the floor.

I duck when it tries to grab me, narrowly avoiding its arms. Using my legs to power an upward movement, the top of my head hits its chin. It shocks it enough to stumble back so I can leverage a kick to its abdomen, pushing it into the living room.

While it's regaining its equilibrium, I retrieve the dagger and grip it tightly. I won't be surprised again. My blood heats at the sheer audacity of them, daring to come to our home. I want to kill this monster, but I hold back. It's my only lead on my sisters.

"Where are they? Did you take them?"

The intruder looks as if it's about to answer, then closes its mouth. Without warning, it launches itself towards me. This time, I'm ready, and I sidestep to avoid it. It loses balance and falls to the floor.