Broken Faith: Spiritual Discord, 1 Read online

  Broken Faith

  By: Brandy Nacole

  Copyright © 2012 by Brandy Nacole

  http://www.brandynacole.com

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  All rights are reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author.

  Book cover design by CCRBookCoverDesign.com

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty Two

  Chapter Twenty Three

  Chapter Twenty Four

  Chapter Twenty Five

  Epilogue

  Prologue

  Branches scrape at my skin as I run through the dense forest. My heart is beating with a terrifying force. I can hear the beast close in on me, ready for the kill. His growls echo through the forest. I don’t know where he is, I just know I have to keep moving.

  I feel like a coward for being so terrified. Once, I would have stood unwavering, waiting for the beast to show his face. But since my powers were stripped−my wings torn away−I have been left defenseless, weak, and vulnerable to the beasts set out to destroy me.

  I run as fast as I can, never faltering. I may not have my powers anymore, but I still have the agility that was so unique to the angels. Moving and gliding with the winds and earth, flowing with the water as it flows lazily through the fields, to become terrorizing rapids through the twists and turns of some faraway canyon.

  I burst out of the thicket that is hindering my progress, and see nothing but a dead end up ahead. I still do not falter. I make a hard left to climb up the ravine, hoping that the forest is more open at the top. That’s when the beast steps out in front of me.

  The being is massive, his tremendous weight and size is such that as he passes between two trees, branches snap, and large bushes are crushed underneath his feet. I’m expecting him to attack me, pounce on the poor defenseless being he sees before him. Instead, he shifts out of his beastly form into the human disguise that he uses to inflict havoc into this world.

  “That was quite a chase. I must say I haven’t had a rush like that in quite some time.” His smile is taunting.

  I give him nothing; say nothing, not letting him get the satisfaction out of my fear. That’s what the hound wants, he wants to feed on me before killing me. My fear and poor show of bravery, however, is obvious, and it is feeding his pathetic excuse for a soul.

  “Unfortunately for you, it will be your last attempt at saving your life.”

  He lunges at me, his beast-like yet still human claws balling into fists as he tries connecting with my face. I dodge his blow as I unsheathe the only weapon I have, my trusty sword.

  The beast steps back for a moment, taking in the sword in my hand. A menacing smile spreads across his face before he lunges for me again. I swing my sword out, going straight for his head. If I can get enough momentum and find the right angle, I can take his head off and end his reign of terrorizing evil.

  He blocks my blow with his forearm, while his other fist connects with my ribs. I can hear as the bones break, the pain shooting through my abdomen. Ignoring the pain, I take another swing at him, but it’s blocked again as he grabs the blade, yanking me forward, the momentum smashing me into a tree.

  I turn, swinging my sword with all my might. It doesn’t connect with his head but it does land a blow against his side, doing some damage. The beast screams out in pain and clutches at his side. Then it looks up at me, pure hatred and disgust radiates from the menacing scowl on the human mask it wears. “You will feel the true wrath of the hounds. I was trying to be lenient in your death but now you will have no mercy.”

  The man shifts back into his true form. His smooth skin stretches, as black fur covers his body. His hands become sharp claws, and his snout extends, as razor sharp teeth that can rip skin and break through bone erupt from its jaw. When the hound stands on his back legs he towers over me by more than three feet. Snapping his jaw of razor-sharp teeth at me, I swing my sword, connecting with his snout. The tear in his skin is barely a scratch.

  With lightning speed, my sword is torn from my hand as his jaws close on it and he tears it away, tossing it through the air. I know I’m no match against this beast without it. Seeing the hilt sticking up from the ground, I roll in the direction of the sword to retrieve it. The hound swipes at me with a long clawed hand, tearing into my back as I roll by him. With no time for slip-ups, I ignore the pain and continue for the sword. I can hear the beast coming after me, though this particular spot in the woods is thick with trees instead of bushes and briars, making it harder for him to move.

  The beast swipes at me again through the trees, catching my leg in his grasp. Bones snap as he twists my leg, lifting me up off the ground. I scream out but continue to reach out and grab at the sword’s hilt. Pulling the sword from the ground, I swing it through the air, stabbing the hound’s hand to release me. It growls and lets me go. I land on the ground with a thud. My shoulder takes the brunt of the blow.

  A loud snarl fills the air as the hound lunges for me. His jaws snap at me, ready to bite me in half. But he can’t move; his shoulders are stuck between two trees. He tries pushing forward through the trees as he stretches his neck to get a hold on me. But the hound makes no leeway past the trees. I know I can’t move in this condition, my leg is too busted up to carry me very far. My panic rises as the trees start to creak and snap from the force of the weight being pushed against them.

  With each snap, the hound’s slavering muzzle comes closer. The beast lets out a growl so loud I cover my ears, then he pushes harder, snapping the tree with his mass and strength. Just as he’s about to deliver the final blow, I stab my sword up, piercing his jaw and coming out through the top of his head. The hound collapses to the ground. I guard myself as the hound falls, landing extremely close to me. His massive body shakes the ground, cracking the dry dirt.

  I use my arms to drag myself away from the menacing heap of fur. Once I’m a safe distance from the hound lying on the ground, I pull myself up. I do my best to keep the weight off my busted leg. I have no choice but to leave my sword behind. The hilt is jammed under the hound, and I don’t have the strength or time to pull it out from under him.

  I slowly climb out of the ravine, knowing I have to get away as fast as I can. I know the other hounds will be coming. It may take some time, but they will come. If only I had killed the hound before he unleashed the hell call.

  Chapter One

  Sabrina

  I drop the rabbit from my grasp, its body falls limp to the ground. I know its blood isn’t enough to sustain me for long, but it will do for the time being. That’s how it’s been for years now, ever since the hell hounds were unleashed. I miss the days when my body felt light and free, when I felt closer to life than death. Now my body feel
s like it’s weighed down, as it shakes with weakness.

  I wipe the few stray drops of blood off my chin, and start walking toward the small town in the valley, hoping to find a better food source. The drought and fires have caused the animals to search for food in places they normally would avoid−just like me. I have avoided going into towns or cities for over one hundred years. I choose to stay in the forest where it is safer. But life in Utah has been harsh this year, leaving me no choice.

  After taking a few steps, I notice a sweet, enticing smell that fills the air. I know the smell isn’t human or animal, but I do know that it is indeed blood. The coppery smell is still strong, but instead of the normal, salty aroma that goes along with the copper, there is sweetness to it, almost like nectar.

  I’m driven by curiosity to figure out what this alluring smell may be. I follow the scent trail through the woods and down into a ravine. The forest becomes thicker and harder to walk through. My skin is torn by the briars, but quickly heals, leaving no trace of the injury.

  Following the trail up and out of the ravine, I stumble upon an amazing yet terrifying scene. There are branches that hang from high above, like something snapped them. The debris would lead most to think a small tornado came through here. But I know better. I can smell the foul stench of the hound, it hangs heavy in the air.

  I turn in a frantic panic as I search my surrounding. When my eyes land on the foul beast laying on the ground, my fear overwhelms me. My vision starts to swim as I look at the hound, whose body length and width takes up an oversized portion of the forest floor. Trees lay at his side, torn from their roots and now laying at twisted angles around him.

  The aroma in the air has changed from sweet-coppery nectar to a stench of decaying meat. I’ve never seen a hell hound decay, though I have heard stories; tales told through other monsters like me. Many claimed to have killed the hell hound themselves but I don’t believe that. The creatures are incredibly fierce, something a sane being wouldn’t mess with. According to the stories, when a hell hound is slain their body starts to decay immediately, and if it is touched by sunlight, then it disintegrates into ashes. From the condition of the former hound in front of me, I would say this is fresh.

  I start backing up, to get distance between the slain hound and me. Once I’m at a good distance, I turn my back on it and run. I’m no fool. I haven’t been successfully hiding in these woods for decades by pure luck. The golden rule of survival is to stay smart and alert. That creature was killed within the past few hours. That means there could be other hounds on their way if the hell call was cried. My only option is to forget the alluring nectar smell and run for my life. If I were to be found by one of those creatures, I would be killed for sure, especially if they thought I killed one of their brethren. Not that anyone in their right mind would think I could take one of those down to begin with, but the hell hounds are as short on logic as they are long on ferocity.

  I run as fast as I can toward the town below, kicking up leaves that fly on my breeze. I can see the street lamps’ illumination through the trees. They may still be at a distance but at my speed, I will be there in a short time. If I had my full strength and speed, I would be going faster. But the weak blood I have sustained myself on doesn’t give me the power I was built for. Going into a town wasn’t on my to-do list for another few decades but if it means surviving the night until I can move on up north, then that’s what I will do. Another problem I face is my hunger. At this pace, my body will be burned out once I get into the town. I just hope I will be able to find some small creature to replenish me.

  I burst into a small opening in the woods and the strong nectar aroma hits me again. Its intoxicating smell overwhelms my already-starving body. In my moment of rapturous distraction, I stumble over something. I lose my balance, sail through the air, and crash against a tree.

  A moment later, groaning, I roll over on my back and look up through the canopy of treetops to see the stars twinkle above. My vision is starting to center again. The stars now only have a twin instead of quadruplet. Shaking my head, I can feel all my energy is gone. The little bit of vitality I had sustained from that poor rabbit has now drained away.

  I sit up to get a better look at what I tripped over. When my foot had connected with whatever was in my path, I had felt it move. It had felt soft and tender.

  I raise my head a little higher to see past some small bushes blocking my view. Under the cover of a bush, lies a human boy. His body is mangled, with cuts, bruises and gash marks all over his arms, and long tears across his back. His right leg is lying up on a log at an odd angle. I can tell it’s broken from the way it’s lying. I muster up enough energy to crawl over to the boy to see if he’s okay. As I get closer the sweet aroma becomes stronger. It must be coming from the boy, but why?

  Once I’m almost to the boy, I stop. He’s lying on his stomach, with his arms at his sides. He’s breathing, although it’s shallow and harsh. The smell of copper and nectar fills the air so strongly that my mouth waters, desiring a taste.

  But I know I need to get up and run away from this boy. He is probably the reason the hound back there is dead. I really shouldn’t be calling him a boy. Normal human boys don’t carry blood that is sweet as honey and warming as the sun. Normal human boys aren’t out in the forest slaying hell hounds in the middle of the night. And they sure don’t have two identical scars running down their backs where their wings once were. This isn’t just a normal human, it’s a fallen angel.

  I have never seen a fallen angel. I’ve heard the tales about their warming, tantalizing blood, but never thought it would be this strong and seductive. Even now, knowing I need to back away and run, I want nothing more than to taste him.

  The angel starts whimpering, moving his arms to try and raise himself up. I freeze, not knowing what to do. I may have enough energy to stand but I know I won’t make it far. I need something, even if it’s something small, to help give me a boost. In the total silence, my hearing picks up a faint rustling noise. I look to my left and see a raccoon digging down into the dirt. My body reacts before the thought to seize it even comes to mind. The poor creature tries to escape but my hands are swift. I grab the defenseless animal, taking his life to sustain me a little while longer. My body still burns for more but is sufficed for now.

  The angel looks up at me, fear masking his face. “Please….” His voice is low, barely audible, as he begs for his life.

  My fangs protrude against my lower lip, still extended from the kill. Although I can’t see them, I know my eyes are glowing a bright red, the pupils fully dilated. When I had reached out for the animal, my body had righted itself to a kneeling position. I’m sure he was thinking that I was going to attack him. I close my eyes and try to calm my lust. As my need recedes, my fangs retract and my eyes cool off to their normal blue hue.

  The angel is still looking at me with fear. “The−hell hounds−”

  It takes a lot for him to talk. I can see now where the hound tore his massive claws into the angel’s body.

  “I know. I saw your buddy back there. You did quite a number on him.” I stand to my feet, keeping my hearing wide open so I can hear any threats that may come my way. “I can’t stay here.” I turn back toward the town below as I walk away. Guilt tears at me for leaving the angel behind, but I really don’t have a choice. I can barely carry myself, let alone try to drag another being along. And if more hell hounds come−and they will−there’ll be two dead instead of one.

  “Wait….please.” The angel sounds desperate as he pleads for my help. I remember a time when I had done the same thing. I pleaded with someone to help me but all they did was walk away, leaving me to die, leaving me to end in the hell I’m in now.

  I turn back to the angel, who is desperately trying to raise himself off the ground. “I can’t carry you. I don’t have very much strength.” I pause a moment as I continue to watch him struggle. “Did they release the call?”

  The angel nods as he con
tinues to try and lift himself up. Looking up at the stars again, I curse myself as I walk back toward the angel. “What can I do?”

  The angel falls back to the ground but manages to roll over on his back. When he does, he winces from the pain. “Just help me get to a safe shelter. Somewhere I can recover.”

  “I don’t know that I can. I’m not lying to you when I say I’m weak. I have been living off of animals for decades. You know what that does to my kind.” Vampires were made to live and thrive off of fresh tantalizing life giving blood of humans. We could still live off animal blood but just barely.

  “I do.” He catches me with the strength of his gaze. “But do you know what angel blood will do for you?”

  I begin to back away from him. “Legend has it that if a vampire, werewolf, succubus, or any other demon created by Lucifer drinks angel blood, they will burst into flames and continue to burn for eternity. Why would you want to do that to me? I was trying to help you.”

  The angel shakes his head. “One drop will not harm you in the way you are thinking, and you only need one drop. It will sustain you for a long period of time.” The angel’s breathing is ragged as he struggles to reason with me.

  “Why should I trust you?” I’ve never met a fallen angel before, but just because he was once a being of pure good, doesn’t mean I trust him. He fell for a reason.

  “Because you’re my only hope.” The angel’s voice is calm and honest as he looks up at me.

  His honesty and his situation are too much for me to walk away from. With a sigh of defeat, I walk back and kneel beside his head. Without saying a word, he lifts his hand up to me. Putting my fears about burning up at the taste of his blood aside, I prepare for the act. If his blood tastes anything like it smells, it is going to take every ounce of my self-control to take just one drop. He knows that I won’t drain him dry because that would kill me as well, but even though I know I’ll die, I’m still worried I won’t be able to stop.