cam

The hot ugliness distorted things sometimes. Vivid and intense, it drew on all his senses, bending and twisting until only rage existed, coursing through his body brutal and rampant. Cam was grateful for it, protective even. It gave him what he needed and helped him satisfy the constant craving that clung to him, but he couldn’t deny that most of the time it needed to be controlled. And right now, his control was slipping. “What did you say?” “There’s no need to be offended, Camael.” Commander Zakiel remained calm as always, his striking eyes observing as he took in Cam’s expression. “The Dominion League wants an experienced angel on this job. You’re it.” Cam’s jaw tightened as he glared at his commander, infuriated by the Dominion League’s control over angel assignments. “This isn’t an assignment, it’s babysitting!” Zak didn’t respond for a long moment, his gaze hardening to match Cam’s. Around them, the expansive, luminous garden spread throughout the central point in the Empire; it was surrounded by several tall, pale-gold buildings that provided locations for meetings, offices, and training. Angels soared above their heads, heading to their destinations, landing and taking off from the buildings that hovered and drifted in the air high above. In the center of the garden, a few feet from Cam and Zak, an enormous block of glimmering energy twisted and twirled upward from a circular marble base, rushing toward the brilliant blue sky. The Stream. Power angels stood around the garden staring at it, their eyes glossed over by the sensation of its enticing energy—energy that connected them to the Creator. But Cam barely paid any attention to those angels or anything beyond his focus on Zak. He just wanted to get back out on a new assignment—a real assignment. “Why would they give this to me?” “Because it is not babysitting, Cam,” Zak said sharply. “She is a Nephilim. She has been brought to our attention and we need you to train her and keep her safe.” “Send an Archangel.” “She needs someone well trained in combat experience. A Power angel, not just anyone.” The ugliness expanded within him as he drew himself to his full height, his chest rising. “Send me to kill Furies. Send me to capture Legion. I will hunt and kill until every demon is gone from the human world. But I will not train Nephilim.” Zak remained still, raising only one eyebrow. As a Dominion angel, he was slightly larger than Cam. His cinnamon skin had a bronze sheen, and even though he’d stopped battling in the field since before Cam started working, Zak still had a warrior build. His shaved head highlighted his features—in particular, his gold-flecked hazel eyes. Like all angels, he had stopped maturing physically as soon as he began his duties, so he didn’t look much older than Cam. But the denser energy he emanated indicated his level of experience—a level that meant Cam’s tone was bordering on unacceptable. But Cam just couldn’t quiet the annoyance that agitated him, and he didn’t want to. Zak didn’t break his gaze. “That is the job right now.” Cam released a growl loud enough to disturb the Powers connected to the Stream, but he ignored their irritated glares. Zak always preferred to meet by the Stream and Cam suspected he thought it would calm him, but that assumption was wrong. Cam resisted its pull. If he was honest, he found himself resentful toward it and toward the Creator. His revolving thoughts sparked harsh and uncomfortable feelings that fed into the ugliness, the most prominent one being anger. Still, he tried not to think about how all-consuming it was and instead directed his emotion at the job he was created to do. And right now, Zakiel was keeping him from it. Training a Nephilim was so far beneath his capabilities. What was the Dominion League thinking? He was made by the Creator to fight and protect the Realm, not to train others. Zak watched him for a long moment before shaking his head. “I don’t think you understand.” He headed toward one of the golden benches that surrounded the Stream, beckoning Cam to follow with a tilt of his head. Cam scowled, but followed him. “Give me the report on your last assignment,” Zak said as they both sat on the bench. “It was a demon ring,” Cam began, exhaling slowly. He’d just spent two months in the human world, watching Furies, waiting for the right time to infiltrate their hiding spot. “They intended to follow through with their plans next week.” It had been a relatively easy assignment once he’d been able to assess their plan, which was to incite a public riot among the humans followed by months of discord. To destroy the ring, he’d taken out every member involved, and it had been brutal… for them. Cam had ripped into their flesh with his bare hands, broken bones, and taken his time, causing as much damage and pain as he could. By the time he was finished, the room had been covered in carnage. “I got them all, even the one leading the ring, though it took some careful surveillance and brutal persuasion. They won’t reform quickly.” “Yes, I heard how you handled that.” Zak’s tone was ripe with disapproval. “And I worry, Camael, that if the Dominion League hears of your killing methods…” His words faded as he regarded Cam with concern. Cam knew his commander didn’t exactly approve of his approach, but demons never showed any mercy when they killed. They didn’t show Karaya, his best friend, any mercy. So he chose to dispatch them how they did others—with viciousness and savagery, and he had no intention of changing his ways. Although some might think he’d gone overboard with his method of killing demons, he didn’t feel he’d done anything that should garner the attention of the Dominion League, a select group of Dominion angels who oversaw the duties of all angels as it pertained to the human world. They did not suffer fools when it came to disciplining their warriors. As a Dominion angel and commander, Zak answered to them, and Cam knew they were not easy to deal with. He held Zak’s eye. “I am careful. There is no reason for them to be concerned. I do my job, and I do it well.” “I know you do.” Zak finally sighed, releasing some of the tension between them. “You’re one of the most revered Power angels we have, and for good reason. Many look up to you and want to achieve your success, Cam. You have done well on all your assignments, and I’ll never say otherwise. You just need to be careful. It’s not about the demons; it is a question of how deeply your behavior is reflecting your inner self.” Cam straightened, taking pride in Zak’s praise, but knowing he wouldn’t change his methods. Zak had a calm, almost cold nature and believed in quick, efficient kills, whereas Cam refused to take demons down without making them suffer to the extreme extent of physical pain. They were evil and malicious, poisoning the human world in ways humans had no ability to protect against. The last thing they deserved was a quick, simple death. As far as he was concerned, showing them mercy wasn’t his job. His task was to destroy them and others like them, and he did it thoroughly. “I’ve been approached by some angels who would like you to consider them as potential mates.” His commander glanced at him, abruptly changing the topic. “I think it would be good for you to get to know someone. Perhaps it would help you get over what happened to Kara.” Cam shook his head adamantly. He could not stop his duties now, not even for a mate. Besides, he didn’t want one. Karaya had been both his closest friend and arranged mate. He had vowed not to take another in honor of her memory. Zak knew that. “If I withdraw from the human world now, the demons will gain a stronger foothold. I can’t let that happen—that’s why I cannot train anyone. They will increase their activities if they realize I’m no longer in the field. And they have to suffer for what they did to Kara. I will not ease up until the debt is paid.” Zak’s jaw was as hard as his stare. “And how much longer will that take?” Cam struggled to answer. He had already caught the demons directly responsible for Karaya’s death and then extended that blame to all demons. The ugly rage that constantly boiled in him would not be quelled. He had tried everything, yet it still remained. But now he no longer wanted it suppressed; it helped him remember what demons were capable of. There would never be an end to the debt if he had anything to do with it, but he guessed Zak wouldn’t want to hear that. “You cannot continue like this. You need to improve your conduct. It’s not just you on the line with the Dominion League. If you become a concern, I will be brought into question too.” Zak observed him wearily, silent for a long moment. “I should be pulling you out.” Guilt flickered through Cam’s anger. He hardly thought about the consequences of his actions for himself. It was different if it affected Zak. Zak had been Cam’s commander since he began his duties as a Power over four millennia ago. He took his duties as a commanding Dominion angel seriously and had been praised for his remarkable guidance to Power angels. As much as he and Zak might have a rare disagreement, they had become friends over the course of their working relationship, and Cam enjoyed Zak’s company and respected his advice and guidance. Zak’s opinion meant a lot to him—he had once been a celebrated warrior, and Cam thought highly of him. But Zak was no longer in the field and he wasn’t a Power. Only Powers received the most dangerous assignments and witnessed the heinous activities demons inflicted on the world. Zak didn’t understand how vicious and resilient they could be and how necessary it was for Cam to destroy them thoroughly. “Is that why you’re giving me this ridiculous assignment?” he asked, his voice clipped. “To find a way to pull me out?” “This assignment came directly from the Dominion League, Cam. They want you on it. But I can’t deny, it came at a good time. You are not the only Power angel in the Empire. We will be fine while you take this assignment.” “Commander, this is not a wise use of resources,” Cam shot back. “I’ve hardly had any experience with humans and would probably frighten her. I don’t know the first thing about training a Nephilim, and I don’t want to know. This isn’t what I was trained for. In fact, it’s not a suitable assignment for any Power, let alone me!” His reasoning ended in a roar, causing the Powers by the Stream to turn toward him, muttering. He served them with a glare that shut them up. “Just teach her how to fight,” Zak said. “Teach her what you know. Make sure she’s safe—that’s all you have to do. It’s easy, Cam.” Cam ground his teeth together, shaking his head. “How old is she?” “Just turned twenty-two.” “Why hasn’t she been trained already?” At that, Zak’s thick eyebrows furrowed. “I don’t know. The Dominion League hasn’t told me everything. All I know is that she’s untrained and therefore in immediate danger. I’m surprised she’s lasted this long.” Cam wanted to curse and rage. He rose from the bench, his fingers twitching in agitation, but he didn’t say anything more. Despite his want, his need, to continue arguing, a direct assignment request from the Dominion League was significant. He would have been proud if it hadn’t been a babysitting request. “It’s either that or you start the search for a mate,” Zak added, a flicker of amusement in his eyes. “That’s the only way to get out of an assignment.” Cam froze, grinding his jaw. He exhaled heavily, finally facing the situation. There was no way he was coming off assignments to be partnered with a mate. That would be worse than training this Nephilim. Maybe if he trained the girl quickly, he could request the Dominion League to keep him on suitable assignments from now on. Surely he had proven himself, and if he did complete this—whether she learned or not—they couldn’t argue that he hadn’t tried. Zak said the girl had lasted twenty-two years with no training; perhaps, she was already skilled to have avoided demons for so long. He turned to his commander, who was still watching him. “When do I start?”

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***