When We Were Still Human by Vaughn Foster (best ereader for textbooks .txt) 📕

“My apologies, changeling. You were always a ghoul. Well, maybe not always, but close enough I guess. Dracule?”

Vladimir’s eyes were wide, face flushed as he fought against the bindings. Something in her chest said to ungag him, but she couldn’t. At this point, he was just as untrustworthy as Raven. So far, Raven was the only one actually offering a solution for what they’d come to do.

“What… What’s a ‘changeling’?”

He ignored her. “I’m sure you’ve both realized by now that I’m human.” Val blinked, not expecting the shift. She looked to Vladimir, who only scowled in response.

“Our king killed the Raven you knew,” he continued. “He was a fiend and a traitor. The king wanted his replacement to hail from the kingdom he plans to redeem. We can make you like me. Human, but something more. Something that can actually save people.”

The mention of Daemon snapped Val’s sanity back into formation. The demons had ravaged the earth after their fall, but many had been under Daemon’s command. The lurid painting in the former Sorcerer Supreme’s private office was proof that these guys were bad news. While angels and demons may have shared a common origin, the Sons of Daemon were sadists.

“You’re monsters who don’t care at all about the human race!” Val blurted. “You think this thing hasn’t shown me what you’re capable of?” She pointed at the Mark. “Human sacrifices. Babies dying. Cities burned. Le Ciel may have abandoned Earth, but you guys are the ones stoking the fire.”

Her chest heaved, the outburst coming far stronger than anticipated. She’d gotten so sick of these power-craving deities who all thought they were heroes.

Raven stared back curiously. When she didn’t speak, he shifted to Vladimir, as if expecting a response. Between the gag, chains, and probably some wisdom, the vampire was silent.

“Believe it or not, everything we do is for the preservation of humanity.”

“Then what about that girl?” Val pointed accusingly at the crystal balls, and Raven turned to follow.

“Oh, that?” He waved a hand. The flames behind him flickered to green, then pink, then slowly formed an identical image to what was in the globe.

The wine settled like acid, and Val felt like she was going to be sick. The man holding the leash had forced the girl to stand. She now staggered across the stage displaying her wings. Tears cut rivers down her cheeks. More numbered signs shot up, and though Val couldn’t hear the dollar amounts, she knew it was an expensive auction.

Raven glanced in the fireplace, then shrugged. “Wars don’t finance themselves. Plus, fairy wings are invaluable for higher end spellwork.”

“She’s younger than you!” Val jumped to her feet and marched across the room. She leaned in to match his height, but he didn’t retreat. Instead, he raised a brow before turning to Vladimir.

“Spellwork aside, fairies are still divine in bed, right? Haven’t tried one myself yet, but I can only imagine how that much pure magic feels in a body like—”

Stifled roars tore from Vladimir’s throat as he fought harder against the bindings. He managed to get to his feet but no sooner had a deep hum sounded from the chains. He crashed back to his knees.

“This seems to be a sensitive topic,” Raven remarked, looking back to the auction. “How about this?” He met Val’s glare with a cool smile. “Let her die, and you can walk away, free of your curse. Whether or not you join me is your decision. Request she lives and I end the auction here. You leave with nothing.”

She straightened her posture and tried to present herself as if she knew what she was doing. This was very well her only chance to be rid of Vladimir, Michael, and everything else. But at the same time… Her eyes fell to the image in the fire. An argument had broken out in the room. A woman in white and a man in turquoise were shouting in front of the auctioneer, both pointing at the collared fairy girl.

“End it.”

A low growl rumbled from her throat when Raven made no move to stop the auction. She stepped closer, and he pulled his attention from the flames.

“As you wish.” He closed his fist and the argument ceased. The tension released and blew from Val’s body like pent steam. Her shoulders fell back, but just as soon braced as another blow struck from the fireplace. The man had walked away, but the woman in white was stepping up to the stage. She shook hands with the auctioneer, and he handed her the girl’s leash.

“Raven!” Val screeched, shoving him up against the mantle. “What did you do?!”

He crinkled his brow in confusion, then let a wry smile pass. “I ended the auction. There was a dispute and I signaled the auctioneer to make a choice.”

Val threw a punch, but he dodged with a tilt of his chin. She performed a flawless hook kick, but her foot impossibly slid past his face.  She lashed out again, and again. Each time, he swayed and veered with arrogant ease. She jabbed to his left, and when he stepped right, she swiped at his side. Right when claws should have met flesh, a plume of black feathers fell in his wake.

Val huffed for breath, shoulders racking. She’d expected to smell roses or the pervasive scent of something burning— the physical trails magic left behind. There was nothing. Somehow, the demon had out maneuvered her by his reflexes alone.

She eyed Raven, incredulously collected and unconcerned, then turned her attention to Vladimir. The vampire was nearly unconscious. Whatever the chains were doing was far more than just restraint. Black veins trailed his face and pressed tightly along his neck. While his chest hadn’t necessarily risen and fallen before, he was eerily motionless.

Without thinking, Val ran to the mantle and swiped the row of crystal spheres