Theo and Jax Face Off…
~~~
Jax Flynn. There was no mistaking this guy, I recognized him from RUINED. And yes, immortality lends to much reading. I often chuckle how demons and angels are portrayed through the humans’ written words, but this one…he was real. That meant his story had to be real.
I glanced at my watch then back to Jax. Yeah, I had some time. I had to find out more about this unique creature.
All I wanted was five minutes. Five fucking minutes of peace. I caught the scent of him when he walked inside. Definitely not demon, but not human, either.
Didn’t matter. There were a lot of things out there, crawling and scurrying all over. Most of the time if you ignore them, they ignored you right back. And that’s what I was content to do. I was in town to hunt a demon. A specific one. Whoever—or whatever—this guy was, he wasn’t my focus.
So, that would have been that had he just kept on his merry way and left me the hell alone. But, no. He was outside the coffee shop, watching me. He was good. Not an amateur in the least. But I felt his eyes on me. Searching and curious. There was a hum to it all. An odd sense that made him impossible to ignore.
I slammed my now empty cup down and stood, tossing a five on the table. If he wanted to look, least I could do was give him a close up. Down the aisle and around the counter, I pushed through the door and stopped a few feet away. “If you’re looking for a date, I’m not interested. If you’re looking for trouble…” I winked and nodded to the ally around the corner. “I could probably be persuaded.”
“I was hoping you’d come out.” I grinned, my fangs itching to descend, but I held off…for now. “You’re Jax, right?”
Hoping I’d come out, huh. This had potential. “Depends. You applying for the president of my fan club?” I took a deep breath and the demon inside twitched beneath my skin. Azi didn’t like this guy. At all. “Who are you?”
I couldn’t help but laugh at his smart-ass attitude. Kind of reminded me of Justin a little, minus the raging anger. I caught a couple thoughts rumbling through his mind, and the mention of someone named Azi…that intrigued me. More my Gatekeeper side.
“President of your fan club, huh? I’m thinking I’d be the last one you want involved in that.” I sipped my coffee studying this guy. “I’m curious about you, that’s all. And this Azi, guy. And as to who I am…the name is Theo Bradford. I’m the Gatekeeper to Hades. I think you and I might have a little in common.”
Bradford. I’d heard the name before. And if the chatter was accurate, this guy could hold his own and then some. He definitely wasn’t a pushover to look at. My mind ran through several scenarios. Me and him. Locked in combat. Azi liked the idea. Loved it, in fact. But as curious as he was about me, I was more curious about him.
“Hades,” I repeated, leaning against the building. “Heard it’s one hell of a party. So, what is it you think we have in common, Bradford?”
“We both have a little demon in us.” I grinned, letting my fangs slide down as I joined his more relaxed stance and leaned against the building–keeping several feet between us of course. I had a guess that Azi he’d been thinking about earlier could change Jax’s mood in a heartbeat. “I’m curious, you don’t trip my demon sense, but you’ve got some serious demon in you. Does it hurt to be near me, considering I’m created by The Great One? That demon…you call him Azi? I don’t expect he likes my kind.”
Fangs. Azi had some colorful ideas about what we could do with those. This really could get interesting. “Maybe cause I’m not technically a demon. I feel something, but not pain. It’s like a hum. Irritating. As for your mind…you’re right. Azi isn’t a fan. He’s itching to rip those chompers from your mouth.”
“That’d be an interesting battle…one that Azi would lose.”Technically demon or not, I was sure the Mavet dagger would handle this Azi without a problem. “So, descended from Cain.” I shook my head. “That is losing the genetic lottery, indeed. I’m curious, though. Thriving on the pain of others….how’s that work with your Mate, Samantha? I guess I should ask if your…kind…has Mates.”
“I’m human,” I growled. There was no need to point out that he was delusional. Azi would eat him for breakfast. And lunch. Then maybe again for dinner. The demon’s patience with this guy was depleted and it was rubbing off on me. In a minute, I might just start swinging. Calm. I needed to chill. “That’s my kind. And Sam understands. I may not like it, but she accepts me as I am. She sees past the demon, to the man. What about you. Rumor has it you’ve got a girl. Sadie, right? What does she think of your…profession?”
I merely chuckled at the thoughts I’d picked out of Jax’s mind about how his demon would eat me for breakfast…and so on. But I didn’t say anything. “Nothing like a great woman who can look past our…faults, is there. Your Sam is a persistent one, that’s for sure. Have to admire that, though, even if you’re dead set against your path with her. And yes, I have a Mate. She bears the sacred Ahavah mark, identifying her as mine.” I smiled at the thought of the first time I saw her in that diner–more saw her Mark. “To tell you the truth, though, she didn’t take too kindly to me, or my kind, in the beginning. She laid me flat the first time I tried to talk to her.”
It sounded like Sadie and Sam would get along great. “You’ve got a hang on up the whole kind thing, eh?” I looked him up and down. A warrior. Bradford, if I could tolerate him, could be a decent ally. “So tell me, what exactly do you do as the Gatekeeper? I hear you get to see some pretty sick action.”
Action…That was an understatement.”The Great One breathes us, the Gatekeepers, into life. We’re charged with guarding the gates to Hades.” I sipped my coffee and glanced around, reaching out with my senses to make sure all was calm. “Regular demon Hunters can vanquish demons to Hades by beheading them with any type of weapon, but it’s not eternally binding. If a demon gathers enough strength and finds a way out of Hades, I’m…notified, and I go take care of it with this….” I dragged out my Mavet dagger from my side pocket. “…and a few choice words. Then it makes their return to Hades more…permanent.”
The quicker I took out this thing the sooner I could get back to Sam. I nodded to the blade in his hands. “Long as you don’t wave that thing in my direction, you’re welcome to tag along. I’m in town to take down a demon. Feel free to take a stab at it—” I waggled my brows and pushed off the building. “As long as you let me have my fun, first.”
As if on cue, the familiar rush of my demon sense ignited. It wasn’t too overwhelming, which told me it was a minor demon. Might be nice to work side-by-side with this Jaxcharacter, see what he was really made of. Plus, I got the sense Azi was ready for some pain. I twirled the dagger and eyed my new friend. “Don’t worry, you’re not meant to meet my Mavet. I have a feeling things are just starting to get interesting for you.” I glanced up the street and nodded. “Feel like kicking some ass?”
I grinned and Azi rumbled, excited about the prospect of a little hand to hand. Gesturing to the ally, I said, “Let’s do it.”
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**WHEW** Glad I was across the street watching this go down, because if they’d gotten into it, it might have gotten a little…messy. Though, I had no doubt my Theo could handle himself.
Not that I’m biased at all.
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