Jessica Shirvington - Empower

But I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep.

Robert Frost

my sweater was coated in a layer of mist again a byproduct of life in London. I barely noticed the constant drizzle any more. Its not as if the cold bothered me. Not when I was the very definition of cold.

What was bothering me was the smell. There is something rank about a meat market at night. Especially when youre wedged into the eaves wondering what, over the years, has been sprayed about and never cleaned away. I shuddered.

The Smithfield Market was currently in vogue, but a gritty sense of history thickened the air, giving it a density that made me sure this wasnt the first time the site had been used for wicked intent. And right now, it was hunting hour.

At least I was the hunter.

I watched quietly as the exiles came into the centre of the massive terminal-style space, vaguely interested to note that there were six of them, instead of the four Id expected. No bother, I suppose. I still had the element of surprise on my side.

The past two years had taught me not to let the everyday hiccups get to me. Sure, the additional muscle would hurt, but only in the physical sense and I could cope with that. Rolling with the punches is necessary when you are a Grigori a humanangel hybrid a weapon against the ever-increasing numbers of exiled angels on earth. For me, even more so since they gave me such a colourful nickname. Im the Keshet the rainbow. I didnt ask to be, but I made my choices and I stand by them.

So, there I was. Although I was still trying to figure out exactly what being the rainbow meant, mostly I found that the desire to know conflicted with my continuing need not to think about it at all. One thing I did know was that somehow I could create space with the angels an unknown place where we were able to take form and communicate. My angel maker whose name I still didnt know said it was a place of new possibilities. For what, I was not sure.

But I know this is what I am. It is what I will be.

The final two exiles sauntered up to the four already waiting. It used to be impossible for me to be this close to exiles without them going into a frenzy, sensing my presence. But Id learned many lessons over the past year, the most useful of which had been how to keep my guards up and locked so tight that even exiles couldnt sense me when I was truly concentrating.

Which judging by the thin film of sweat on my forehead is now.

The exiles dumped the huge calico sack they had been dragging along the floor and pulled it open, revealing three mutilated bodies to join the two maimed ones already on display.

From my position it was difficult to tell how old the corpses were, and if the smell was able to give a clue, I wouldnt have known, the stink of death and flesh being an overall theme of the place.

It was no wonder the exiles liked it so much.

Normally, exiles wouldnt bother with the clean-up leaving evidence was of no concern. Normally, the exiles enjoyed the mess and despair they left behind. But not these ones. These dark exiles were working for someone else. Theyd been following a plan, using a hit list, and it was all too well-constructed for any one of them to mastermind. Our intel told us theyd been hired. Such behaviour would usually be considered beneath them, but apparently this group of exiles had decided the job was thrilling enough to suffer the humiliation of working for the highest bidder even if that was a human.

As for the billionaire businessman, well, thats not my department, but someone will pay him a visit. Right after all the evidence of his wrongdoing minus the exile activity is handed over to the authorities and his bank accounts are heavily syphoned to pay for the futures of his victims families. And our fee, of course.

Which, thanks to certain people, is exorbitant.

Two of the exiles were dressed impeccably: one in a steel-grey suit and sporting villain-typical slicked-back hair; the other wore a slim-collared black suit that hugged his tall figure and set off his of-the-moment tousled light brown hair. The remaining four were less striking in casual wear, though nonetheless picture perfect. All six looked over the bodies like fishermen comparing the size and quality of their haul. My hand grazed my dagger, the blade that had been given to me after I first embraced my powers and became a Grigori warrior three years ago. I was never without it. I even had a sheath attached to my bed for a quick draw if needed.

Id learned the hard way through the death and suffering of people I loved and, strangely enough, through my own death and suffering exiles stop at nothing. Their insanity and misguided missions know no bounds and they take pleasure in causing great pain and suffering to humankind.

At least tonight I would only face exiles of dark. A couple of years ago the two opposing sides, light and dark, had called a truce. Of course, I tried not to think back to that time.

I tried constantly.

The discovery of the scripture that could end all Grigori had found its way into my hands. That in itself was part of the reason the Assembly had rejected me. They blamed me for trading with the dark exile, Phoenix. My decision had allowed him to resurrect Lilith his mother, the first dark exile from the dead, and she had taken control of the Grigori Scripture. But at the time my choice had been a simple one. Phoenix had Steph, my best friend, and I wasnt about to take any chances with her life. Ive never regretted that choice.

Not like so many others Ive made.

In the end, that made it easier to walk away from a place in the Academy when Josephine decided to change her mind. Of course, that was after Id given my life, Lincolns soul had shattered and Phoenix had died proving that not only was he the son of Lilith, but he was also the human son of the first man, Adam all so that I could kill Lilith. And those reasons werent even the ones I tried not to think about.

But I cant go there right now.

I caught myself: I was working and the last thing I could afford to do was acknowledge that I was thinking about him.

The six exiles started to shift the remains of the bodies towards the incinerator, tossing them with supernatural strength and no care. I half expected them to try and mince the meat and load it onto trays for sale tomorrow. I wouldnt put anything past them.

Make sure you take the index fingers, one of the suited exiles instructed. Mr George is expecting me to deliver them to him tonight.

Thats a shame. Though Im sure Mr George will receive a knock at his door nonetheless.

I still dont understand why we dont just kill him, too, another said.

Are you challenging me? The exile who had spoken first stepped forward.

His questioner mirrored his actions.

Here we go.

If I must.

Exiles never back down. Their pride and egotism combined with their unique brand of insanity is just too much to ignore. Angels were not created to take corporeal forms on earth. Though they have existed for eternity, in human bodies they manifest emotions in ways their innate nature can never process. It makes them unstable. And almost unstoppable.