Hero had never liked snow. Not because he didn’t think it was pretty, especially on the mountains around where he lived, more because it was too damn cold. He much preferred the sight of snow from a great distance away. Trudging through it, much less driving down the mountain in Hawk’s truck in it, was an absolute nightmare. In the last month since it had gotten really bad, Hero had taken to just running or leaping over it instead.
However, right now, as he made his way through the woods, he didn’t complain as much. He had far too much on his mind, making the snow the least of his problems. Plus, with the changes in his body, he had been able to acclimate to the cold, making it far less miserable. Today had been a perfect day to go for a long walk, anyway. The snow had finally stopped and the weather was calm enough to be outside. However, he was alone and that was something he wasn’t accustomed to.
Hawk had been gone a week, off with Charlotte and a demon named Brandt who helped in smuggling exiles out of more hostile areas where visiting Divine would often seek them out and kill them. A town had been formed deep within the mountains in a valley Hero and a small scouting party had found about two months ago. Following a two day hunt, Hawk and Charlotte had met up with Brandt who had informed them of another group of exiles that had been driven out of one of the major cities south of where they lived and they had left with barely a word. It was only because of their link that Hero even knew where he was and what he was doing.
While that had been a comfort, he still missed Hawk like crazy and couldn’t wait to have him back home. The problem was, he had no idea when that would be.
In the last four months since the concert, Hero’s powers had increased exponentially, mostly because of the constant use and training of his core powers. He had become stronger, more agile, his senses more keen and alert. He was also faster, nearly able to outrun Nox during one of their more intense training sessions.
Nox.
The demon tied to Hawk.
The demon he wanted to hate but no longer could. Hero had finally been able to accept he was a victim to Lucifer and the Blood King every bit as Hawk was. While they didn’t always get along, especially during training, they had come to respect one another. Just as Nox had asked him to, Hero channeled all his hate and anger on to him, fueling much of the strength behind his physical attacks. Over time, those negative emotions changed, focusing less on Nox and more on Lucifer and Ciel, until they finally disappeared completely.
“You can’t let your emotions control you in a fight,” Nox told him the day he knew Hero had finally let it all go. “They can blind you, make you clumsy and your attacks less effective. I’ll never tell you not to be angry or feel those emotions again, but you can never let them take over.”
Charlotte worked with him for hours every day on his elemental abilities, helping to hone them and increase their range, while Mimi would teach him to combine and use more precision.
She still whipped the hell out of him whenever he messed up.
Hawk had been working with him on the attack he had promised to teach him way back on the beach. It was only during the first few sessions that they realized why it had been so powerful to begin with; it was fueled with star energy, something Hero didn’t have and had to make up for with his own power. While Hero may have been created from a mix of Hawk’s mother’s core energy and Hawk’s own, he wasn’t her son and didn’t possess any of her natural energy. As to be expected, those training sessions exhausted him faster, leading him to cry in frustration or pass out.
Toji had left with Alerik two days after the concert to South America for a month to find out what they could about a demon-human split. The information they had gathered, and the artifacts they had brought back, had been eye-opening, especially when combined with the research Charles had discovered. Still, no matter how hard they worked on it, Nox and Hawk still couldn’t pull it off. Something was missing, some unknown factor no one could figure out.
Still, they continued to work on it almost daily.
So much had changed between them since Hawk’s formal and official proposal. They had become closer, more intimate in more ways than just physical, learning to trust each other more and communicate better outside of their connection. They laughed more, smiled more, and learned how to distance themselves from each other when they had to without feeling anxious or panicked. They didn’t fight anymore, but they did argue. Most of the time, Hero would win, especially when it came to matters of their duties, but Hawk managed to get his victories in on occasion.
There had been two hunts in the last four months, and in the first one following the concert, Hawk had finally figured out how not to disconnect from Hero, especially after talking with Mimi and being informed that if it did happen again, it would certainly drive “His Most High Devil King Hero Grace Helman to absolute and complete madness!” The added cheerfulness in her tone, and the broad smile on her face when she told him that, only added to his worries.
It had taken working with Nox to build a strong shield for that hunt to be successful and Hero not to suffer. He still went to Jordan and Elaine’s just so he wouldn’t be alone, and to spend time with his twin.
Jordan and Elaine got engaged on New Year’s Day, Jordan popping the question at 11:59, and Elaine saying yes right at midnight. Hawk swore it was planned, but Hero still thought it was incredibly romantic.
Their inherited memories of having been reincarnated four times, the first three as nobles in some capacity, aided in their acceptance of their roles to Hawk and Hero, and also helped to gain more respect from the Divine that much easier. Elaine was also a natural negotiator, and her supernatural insight into finding and knowing the hidden Divine and other creatures had been instrumental in making new connections and getting more states to follow the plan they had put in place with Andrews’ territory, which was fast becoming a great success.
Jordan and Charlotte began working closer with each other, searching out and finding former soldiers and Guards, recruiting a few in the added protection of the exiles and into the service of the Kings who protected them. Many of them were ready and willing, glad to finally return to what they knew, either moving closer to where the Helman’s lived, or stationing themselves where they were assigned, sending constant reports back to Jordan to review. He had been given the honorary title of Commander but he still worked hard to earn it regardless, even going so far as to train under Nox even more than originally discussed.
Hero hadn’t liked that idea too terribly much since it took Hawk away from him for longer and longer times. However, Nox and Hawk managed to convince him to join in on those extra training sessions and it had ultimately benefited all of them in the end.
The most incredible change that happened over the last few months, however, happened with Persephone.
She and Alerik made their soul connection, and during so, she learned the truth of everything. She almost strangled Hero for hiding it from her, and avoided Hawk for weeks, at first believing he truly had manipulated Hero and put some wicked spell on him. A lot of her former self came through during that time, demanding Hero return home and breaking off from Hawk, claiming he was dangerous.
That was the worst fight the siblings ever had, and if not for Alerik, their relationship might not have ever been repaired.
“I fought with him in the worst battle the Divine has ever known,” he told her. “Knowing what I know now, Hawk was the better, more compassionate side of the Blood King, for what it was, anyway. He has only ever been good to Hero. Someone you can still trust and respect. Besides,” he added, drawing her to him. “What makes you believe an angel is any less dangerous than a demon?”
Persephone averted her gaze, not wanting to admit her boyfriend was right. “Hero is still my brother,” she said. “I worry about him. What if something happens and Hawk and Nox decide they want to become the Blood King again and go on another rampage, possibly killing Hero in the process?”
Alerik shook his head. “Not possible in any way. The Blood King is truly dead, my dear, and nothing in all the cosmos will resurrect him. Hero is safe, and not as weak and defenseless as he once was.” He smiled, holding her chin with two fingers. “You should see how powerful he has become. You may be more terrified of him than of his husband.”
“I just…” she sighed, her hands fidgeting with his collared shirt. “Maybe it’s just because he felt he couldn’t trust me to know. Not like I ever gave him a reason to, if I’m honest.” Something struck her just then and she narrowed her eyes at Alerik. “I can’t lie around you,” she said, her tone almost accusatory.
He laughed. “No, you can’t,” he agreed. “It’s a natural quality I possess, not many angels actually have it, believe it or not. Has it really been such a terrible thing?”
Her expression softened and her arms went loosely over his shoulders. “No, it really hasn’t. I can’t say facing myself has been very comfortable, but it was necessary. Meeting you was necessary.”
He kissed the tip of her nose and shook his head. “No, my darling. Finding you was.”
“What can I do for him?” she asked over dinner that night.
Alerik smiled. “They do need a lawyer.”
-*-
The hunter squatted low on the large branch he was perched on, his eyes focused on the ground below him, glad for the thick leaves that hid him from view. Even in the dead of winter, many of the trees in the area still produced plenty of cover, not just the evergreen pines. He’d been there for hours, his feet numb and his back sore from waiting. His prey had to be coming into sight soon, he knew it. It wasn’t like these woods went on forever.
Finally, he could hear them; footsteps moving slowly through the snow coming from his left. He reached up for the branch just above him to peer through the leaves, squinting to be sure who he was seeing was the one he was waiting for.
A moment later, a figure appeared, his long blonde hair braided at the side and tied with three different colored beads, waving gently in the soft breeze that picked up at exactly the wrong moment.
Shit, Jordan thought, gripping his rifle tightly in his hand. He’s going to smell me for sure.
The figure slowed to a stop within Jordan’s line of sight, roughly thirty feet away. The breeze shifted direction, heading east, taking Jordan’s scent with it. He relaxed and lifted the weapon to his shoulder. He took aim, looking down the scope. He couldn’t see his target as a person, not anymore. Besides, he wasn’t even recognizable to Jordan at this point. He’d changed, become something else in the last several months. Something dangerous. He had to go…
Red eyes slid in his direction, daring him to fire. He’d been spotted. Oh, well, Jordan thought with an inward sigh. There was no turning back now. His master would ring his neck if he choked again. His index finger moved gently to the trigger, curling around it.
“Bye, Hero,” he said, and fired.
His aim was true, but Hero was faster. He twisted to the side, narrowly avoiding the bullet that was aiming for the side of his head. He grinned devilishly up at his assassin, taunting him. Jordan growled low in his throat.
Hard way it is, then. He pulled his knife from its sheath and leapt to the ground, landing easily on the soft snow and running toward Hero at full speed. He raised it above his head, swinging down hard as he neared, aiming for Hero’s neck and missing as Hero dodged smoothly to the left, landing a chop to the side of Jordan’s neck. Jordan staggered but didn’t fall. He’d taken too many hits for it to make much of an impact.
He swung from the side, intending to slice Hero’s gut but Hero bent, coming up with a punch to the side and a smack to his elbow, bending his free arm up and nearly deadening it. Jordan’s swings didn’t slow as he flipped the hunting knife around, moving forward with expert swings and slashes, but missing every time. Hero was too quick and smooth in his movements, frustrating every attempt Jordan made.
Jordan swung at his face, forcing Hero to bend back, his hair flying up around his face. The blade was so close, and so sharp, a few strands were shaved at the ends. Hero followed through with a backflip, connecting with Jordan’s chin, the other man falling to the ground. Jordan wasted no time in rolling to the side just as Hero jumped, aiming to land on the assassin’s chest and missing. Jordan came back up, slashing out one last time, this time making contact with Hero’s arm, tearing through his jacket and shirt, drawing blood from a deep cut.
Hero looked back at Jordan. His gaze moving from the slash to the one who caused it. He grinned, his teeth sharp and glinting in the bright light of the wintry afternoon.
“I just bought this jacket, asshole.”
“Aw, what a shame,” Jordan responded and lunged for him, intending to finish the job. He aimed once again for Hero’s neck, Hero blocking it with his arm, twisting to grab Jordan’s wrist and slamming it down on his knee, forcing Jordan to release his grip on the knife with a yelp of pain.
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