Author's Notes:

This image is of Naomi Scott who plays the protagonist Jade. I hope you guys enjoy the first chapter of Dark Angel

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Fire. The whole world burns. Buildings collapse, humans run in fear. Through these eyes, I can see everything. All the death and destruction. Who is this person? Sitting and watching as the world falls apart. Demons stand at the ready outside the front of the palace. Looking down I notice this person is sitting on a golden throne decorated with jewels and is in a long red gown.

"You did this. Finally, the world has been cleansed of humans and all the Nephilim or supernatural creatures too weak to see our ways. The ways that will save this world. You won the war. Now you will reshape everything to what it should be." A tall dark-haired man standing next to her throne says. He looks down at her his hard set features full of pride.

"It wasn't me. Without you, none of this would be possible." His solid black eyes gleam at her.

"Rise and meet your subjects." Cloth from her gown falls around her like trickling blood. She walks to the edge of the balcony to look down at the sea of demons ready to serve her. "Loyal subjects, meet your queen, Desdemona, ruler of all living and all dead." One after another they go down to a knee and bow.

"Jade." Someone says. "Jade." The image of my vision fades away. War? Who is Desdemona? None of that makes any sense. "Hellooooooo, Earth to Jade."

"Abby, I swear if you keep swinging your hand in front of my face I'll break it."

"Somebodies grumpy." Abby drops her hand to her side. She's dressed in training clothes, shorts, and a t-shirt, with her brown hair tied up in a bun. Noticing my strained expression her smile falls from her face. "Hey, what's wrong? You never look like that unless something serious is going on." I quickly change my features into a relaxed smile to look at ease.

"I'm fine," I say without a thought. "Is it time for training?" A wicked grin spreads across Abby's face making her purple eyes shine. "You ready to get your ass kicked?" I take strands of my hair to braid the ponytail on top of my head as we leave my bedroom to head to the training room. Abby closes the door to the small bedroom behind us.

"Like I'd voluntarily fight you during practice. All those people are nuts."

"They aren't nuts. They're just guys trying to assert their male dominance. They can't handle that they aren't the best."

"You guys are late," Asher mumbles as we enter the training room.

"And you being the nerd you are, are the only one to notice." I retort. We join the rest of the students who are talking with the teacher. The floor to floor glass windows frames the black abyss surrounding us. The massive training room holds rows and rows of shining silver weapons against the wall. Half the room is full of assorted training gear and the other half is covered in mats for hand to hand combat.

"Who the hell is that?"

"Seriously Jade? There are only sixteen of us in this class."

"Yeah, seriously, Ash." My enhanced vision helps me to see every detail of him from across the room. He's tall with green eyes that have gold flakes in them. With the t-shirt, he's wearing it makes his muscles look like they are about to burst out of his shirt. Asher fills me in on our mystery man.

"His name is Zach. He's been here almost a month and he's a pretty cool guy. If you weren't so caught up in your own world you would have noticed him. He's very well trained. Not as good as you but close. I think maybe he could take you on." I give them both a devilish grin showing off my perfect white teeth and bringing a sparkle to my blue mischievous eyes.

"Why did you say that Ash? You're going to get that poor boy killed."

"He's Nephilim." I notice.

"Just like you," Ash says.

"Let's see what he's got."

"Oh no." Abby and Ash groan. I strut confidently over to the group and all eyes turn to me.

"You, Zach." He looks at me then back at the other students. "Yes, you. Your name is Zach. It has come to my attention that you've been here for a while and haven' trained with me yet. Today I'll be your partner. Practice with me will do you good for your future battles with demons."

"That hurts Jade. I thought we were partners in crime, inseparable, and you're switching partners on me. It's like a knife to the back." Derek says feigning heartbreak.

"I told you being with me would only break your heart. Besides, kicking your ass every day gets boring. I'd like to kick somebody else's ass today." I say laughing softly. Derek, who is the second-best in the class, has looks to die for. Being Nephilim helps with looks but his human parent must have been gorgeous. Standing just over six feet tall with dirty blond hair and the deepest brown eyes, sculptures could be modeled after him. Especially with the body he has which I have become acquainted with on several occasions. Turning away from his sexy grin I look to Zach. "Let's get started."

"Thanks for the offer but it's really okay. I wouldn't want to hurt Derek's feelings. We all know how close you two are." He says trying to nonchalantly bring up me and Derek's personal relationship. I take a step closer to Zach. We'd be face to face if it weren't for him being a couple inches taller than me.

"You are mistaken in thinking you have a choice. As for your unnecessary jab at the fact that Derek and I fuck on occasion you shouldn't be jealous. You'll get laid eventually. If this is about you being afraid of fighting me all you have to do is say so." I taunt him and see a muscle in his jaw tense. "Mat one, I'll go easy on you." I nod in the direction of the mat. After a moment of hesitation, he heads to it.

"You have no humiliation do you?" Abby asks coming up from behind me.

"Not an ounce but that's why you love me." I wink at Derek as I head to the weapons wall. I'll start him off with something simple but not too easy. I walk along the wall of weapons running my hand against the coolness of the sharp metal.

"Longswords? Interesting choice."

"Of all the weapons on that wall this one you will probably never use in combat. We have much better swords. Ones that are better balanced and easier to handle. Eventually, you'll choose your weapon of choice but you should be trained in all weapons. You never know when the only weapon left isn't going to be convenient."

"How did you learn how to use them then?"

"Because when everyone is sleeping, I'm still training."

"Right, because you're better than everybody." He says.

"For once the rumors around here are true," I say with a sigh. "Usually the things they say around here aren't very nice. The girls around her can be quite nasty but since I'm a big girl I can handle myself."

"You should work on your big girl act. Pretending you're better than everybody isn't mature. Neither is forcing people to be your partner."

"You're a big boy if you didn't want to be my partner all you had to do is walk away. I gave you the option, remember? Besides, if you want to blame anyone blame my brother. He said you might be as good as me. Now I have to prove him wrong."

"Brother? Who's your brother?" He looks around the room from face to face trying to find one that resembles mine.

"Asher." His eyes widen in surprise. "I thought you would know that by now. People usually like talking shit about me behind my back. I wasn't joking when I said the girls around here were nasty."

"Maybe that's because of the attitude you have twenty-four seven. Do you even know how to smile? I swear you have a permanent scowl on your face unless you're hanging around certain people."

"The fewer people I have bugging me the better. People can't be trusted and caring for them will get you killed. Now enough talking. It's time to train."

"I'm still confused about you and Ash. You have blue eyes and black hair. He has brown hair and hazel eyes. Plus he's really nice and you aren't. At all."

"Blood doesn't always make families. His mother and father took me in as their own when I was a child. They've been my family ever since. Now enough talking." I groan and then unexpectedly throw a right jab. Next, I do a crescent kick which he dodges swiftly. Nice reflexives, I comment to myself.

"That was a cheap shot."

"You should always be aware of your appointment. You never know when they might strike. Especially with demons. They never fight fair." I do a floor sweep causing him to fall on his back. Grabbing the sword from where I left it I jump on top of him and hold it to his neck. "All it took was three moves and now you're dead."

"Jade, the dean wants to see you in her office." The head trainer Natasha informs me. I quickly lift myself off of Zach to head toward the door.

"You need more practice," I tell him with my back turned to him. He gets to his feet softly trying to make no noise then attacks but I sense his movements before he strikes. Dodging his punch I whirl around and do a roundhouse kick that connects with his jaw. "I'm glad to see you learned something already. What else you got?" I put my fists up and wait for him to make his move. He kicks at my shin making me go to a knee and lining me up with his abdomen. Grabbing both his arms with my hands I fall to my back bringing my feet to his stomach. Pulling his arms down he falls on top of my legs and I thrust them back causing him to land on his back. I roll back onto my feet and when I face him he's already on his feet again. "Keep practicing. You might have some potential." I head to the door and push the feeling of unease away. Stop being paranoid, I tell myself. "Asher, Abigail, come with me."

"What's going on?" Asher asks me once we get into the hall.

"Your mom wants to see me. She probably has a mission for us." The freshly polished wooden floor gleams as we walk down the hall. As we walk by classrooms we see the students at work. Some in training like we were and others practicing spells or elemental manipulation. We take the steps of the rounded staircase down to the first level.

I push open the big wooden door and enter the office. Tall bookshelves line all walls except the one with a floor to ceiling window. Toward the back of the room is a large dark oak desk with ornate carvings of angels battling demons. A largely rounded couch sits in the middle of the room facing the desk. "You asked for me." Cyndi, who is the dean of the school, sits at her desk studying some paperwork. Her light red hair is pulled up into a bun with a pair of chopsticks holding it in place. When she hears my voice her stare moves from the papers to me.

"I received a call from Mike. He spotted the group of rogue nosferatu we've been trying to catch. There are four of them. Two males and two females. You need to kill them before they kill anyone else. Take Abigail, Asher, and Dean with you." Cyndi instructs. Sounds like an easy straightforward mission.

"What club is Mike working at tonight?"

"Club Hell Fire. Fits rather nicely doesn't it." She says with a dry laugh.

"Yes, in a sadistic way. One last thing before we go, what can you tell me about Zach."

"Zach who?" She asks intrigued.

"Got here a month ago, has green eyes, dark blond hair and is about this tall," I say holding my hand a few inches above my head.

"He didn't know what he was until just under a year ago. Before he transferred here he was at a school near where he used to live. I felt he should come here to be with Nephilim. Learn more about what he is and how to use his powers. For only being in training for a year he's excellent. He's almost caught up to where he should be. It's impressive." She says leaning back in her chair. "Does someone have a crush?" She asks hopefully. Asher burst into laughter and I glare at him.

"No, I do not have a crush on him. We were training and as I was leaving I had a strange sense of unease. It was there then gone but I can't shake it. How did he get introduced to our world?"

"That's something he should tell you himself. Take him with you tonight. He needs to start going on missions. He has the skills. He'll be a valuable asset to your team." Cyndi instructs.

"I don't think that's a good idea. He has good skills but he needs more practice. All he'll do is be in the way."

"We also don't know how powerful this group of Nosferatu are," Asher says stepping forward.

"You are the best warriors in school. You can take on four Nosferatu and watch after him. They aren't high level and he's going to go out there sooner rather than later. It'd be best for him if he went out with your team." Cyndi dictates.

"Alright, he comes with us," I say choosing not to argue with her. She does run the school and there's no changing her mind when she's made a decision.

"Show him where to get gear and a weapon. Leave as soon as you're ready and be careful." Cyndi smiles at us all fondly.

"We will mom. I'll come see you as soon as we get back." Asher kisses her on the cheek and leaves to get ready. Abby follows close behind him.

"What's on your mind, Jade?" Cyndi asks when the doors close.

"I had a vision and if it comes true things are going to get very bad. Theirs a war coming. I saw a girl named Desdemona who is led by a high demon. I couldn't tell what kind but he is very powerful. Thousands of demons were on earth and everything was burning." I say trembling as I remember the images. "War is coming," I whisper. Her lips are set in a grim line as she thinks about what to say. After a couple more minutes of thought, she lets out a long breath.

"Jade, what I am about to tell you remains between us." She leads me to sit on the couch. "The council has known about a threat for a while but they've kept it hidden. They notified heads of schools to be vigilant and everyone is keeping an eye out in case they start getting to work."

"If what I saw is true we need to warn the council so they can spread the word. People need to be training harder and know what to keep an eye out for."

"I know you want to take action but be patient sweetheart." Cyndi takes a piece of hair that didn't get in my ponytail and tucks it behind my ear. "There's no need to cause panic when there's no threat and we have eyes everywhere. You know that. If anyone begins to move, we'll know and put a stop to it before anything happens. As long as the star of life shines brightly we're safe." I nod my head agreeing with her. There's nothing we can do but wait until they make their move. I give her a kiss and leave to go get Zach.

"Follow me," I say to him without looking. I head down the hall toward the armory and hear his footsteps fall behind me.

"How'd you know I was outside the door?"

"I heard your footsteps as you walked down the hall. Always be aware of your surroundings and since the Dean wants you to come with me it was likely those footsteps belonged to you." Cyndi loves using her telepathy. She is the only Valkyrie with the ability. It was a gift given to her by an angel.

"Come with you where?"

"We have been assigned a mission and the Dean wants you to come with my team and me. She believes you are ready to go out into the field and you need to begin getting experience but I disagree." I say stopping in front of the door of the armory. "I don't think you are ready yet. If you get in the way or put any of my men in harm's way, there will be hell to pay. Understood?" His jaw tenses and he shoves his hands into his pocket. It seems our Mr. Nice guy has a temper. When he doesn't respond I repeat myself. "I said, understood?"

"Understood." He says through clenched teeth.

"Good, now that that's addressed let's get you some body armor." I push open the doors of the armory and head to the body armor. "It won't do much against the vampires we are tracking down but since it's your first mission I'll take every precaution." I pull the black pieces of padded fabric from the wall and toss them at him. It'll help protect him if they start clawing at least.

"Precaution for what?"

"To make sure you don't get killed." I turn around to let him change. Silence fills the room until he starts moving behind me to change.

      *                                *                             *

"The armor you're wearing protects against demon poisons and demonic spells. It'll withstand those unless you're attacked by a higher demon. The sword is only temporary until you find your match." I hand him a simple silver sword with a leather bound handle. He tucks it into the sheath I gave him and follows me out of the door. "Wait here. Everyone will be down momentarily." Before he can say anything else I open and close the door to my bedroom behind me. All my belongings are down here but I basically only use the room for my wardrobe or if I want to have my own personal bathroom time. I don't mind the communal bathrooms but sometimes it's hard to ignore all the thoughts they are yelling in their heads. Even with my protective spell, it's hard to keep that ability at bay. I run to my closet in search of something sexy. "Since we are going to a club I might as well dress like it," I mumble to myself. As quickly as possible I throw on a black bustier crop top, leather leggings, and a pair of heeled boots. I've been trained to do everything in anything. I strap my swords around my hips and tuck a silver stake in my boot. As I head to the door I pull my hair out of its ponytail to let the long locks fall to my shoulders. "Did you grab portals?" I ask when I meet everyone in the hall.

"Yeah, here you go." Asher tosses me one and I tuck the smooth cool sphere in a pouch on my belt.

"You're going to break your neck in those," Dean says laughing. His brown eyes shine like a boy on the morning of his birthday.

"Well, at least my hair doesn't look like a five-year-old cut it."

"You don't like it? I was going for something new. That sexy messy look that seems to be getting popular." He runs a hand through his brown hair then gives me a wink. I laugh softly and give Dean a hug.

"It's been too long since we last talked."

"Hell yeah, it has." He pulls away and looks at Zach. "Who's the drooling boy on our team now?"

"How cute. He really is drooling. Close your mouth and control yourself."

"I was just shocked. I've never seen you not act like a bitch. Let alone laugh or hug someone. You should do it more often. It makes you a lot prettier." Zach tells me.

"Nice comeback. I didn't know you had the balls to say something like that. Especially to me."

"Well, we say shit like that to you all the time so he fits right in," Abby says cheerfully.

"Alright, let's get moving," I say and lead us out of the school. As we move I explain the mission to Dean and Zach. "It's simple. We are going after four vampires. Two female and two males. They've been killing humans and now we need to kill them." We walk across the lawn and stop at the black edge. I turn to face Zach. "As you know the school is between two dimensions. We can use the borders protecting us as portals. In order to do that you have to picture the place or you can hold my hand since you've never been there before." I extend it out to him. "It'll help make the landing easier too. Come on. I'm not trying to be a bitch." He takes ahold of my wiggling fingers. "Hold your breath," I say and take a step forward into the darkness. It pulls us in and throws us out into an alley.

"You can puke if you need to. It happens to almost everyone the first few times." Dean says as he stretches.

"I'm fine. Where are we?" I remove my hand from his and answer Zach's question.

"The city of lights and the most demon-infested city in the U.S., New York."

"Club Hell Fire here we come," Abby says excitedly.

"Keep it in your pants, Abby," I say as I pass by her and all the others. We pass the line of waiting clubbers and go to the front doors. Rave music and strobe lights pulse inside. When the doorman lets us in a wave of complaints comes from the line. "Ash, Abby check out the club. Zach and Dean come with me." I yell at them over the music. They nod their heads in response. I begin my search with the two boys following behind me. We snake our way around the dancing bodies. I search the faces in the crowd for one in particular.

"How are we supposed to find this pack?" Zach asks coming up beside me.

"You know; a few people speak highly of you but you seem to not know much."

"Remember how you were not being a bitch?"

"Don't confuse my bitchiness with honesty. You think I'm being a bitch because I hurt your feelings. When you're near them you'll be able to smell them or even sense them. They smell of rotting burnt flesh because of the darkness they are involved in. We also have Dean to help. Vampires can easily tell when another vampire is near."

"Is that why you smell like a freshly baked pie?" Zach asks Dean.

"Yeah but don't let how I smell fool you," Dean says with a smile letting his fangs out. "These aren't just for looks."

"Do you see Mike?"

"No, he should have met us at the door." Dean answers.

"We'll have to look for him later. Abby, Ash, keep scoping out the club." I say to the small mic in my left ear. "We are going to check the alley." I spot Abby and Ash in the crowd of dancing bodies and see them nod in acknowledgment. "Let's move." All three of us head to the back door leading to the alley. "You head to the left. We'll take the right." I tell Dean.

"Why don't I get an earpiece?"

"Because you are with a person at all times. Think of me as your babysitter. You don't need one." We pass a couple dry humping against a wall too into each other to even notice us walk by. Even if we had caught their attention, to humans, we look like normal teenagers dressed for the club. All of our weapons and gear are invisible to the human eye. It's a neat trick. No one can see my weapons and Zach's body armor looks like normal clothing.

The sound of my heels clicks against the damp concrete of the street. I notice another couple ahead but something about these two seems off. Then the scent of rotten flesh hits me and another smell I can't pinpoint. I quickly back myself up against the wall pulling Zach close to me.

"What are you-." Before he can finish I kiss him and run my hands through his soft blond hair. The sides and back are cut short leaving a patch on top long and slightly curled. Moving my lips from his I move to his ear to whisper to him. He's breathing heavily and his hands are gripping my waist pulling me even closer to him.

"Smell." He takes a deep breath in then out. When he smells it his eyes widen and his head starts turning to the couple. I stop his head by catching his chin in between my fingers. "Don't give us away," I say still whispering then kiss his neck. A small groan escapes his lips and I smirk. "One's a vampire and the other I can't tell but he's powerful." I nuzzle into his neck and then press the button on my mic. "One vamp. One unknown. Right side of the alley." I lift my head and let it settle on the wall. Zach moves his mouth to the quickening pulse in my neck them moves his lips up to my ear.

"What's the plan?"

"Backup," I say breathlessly trying to ignore how good his lips feel on my skin. Dean casually leans against the wall across from us and lights up a cigarette. Abby and Ash show up a few seconds later and walk toward us slowly. Abby tries suppressing a smirk at seeing the two of us tangled around each other. Asher, on the other hand, doesn't even hide his dramatic eye roll.

"Oh no," I say when the realization finally hits me. That smell. The one I couldn't recognize. A smell of hate and revenge. The petite dark haired vampire turns her attention directly to Ash and sniffs once then twice.

"Werewolf." She sneers and bares her fangs. With a hiss, she turns and runs. Shoving Zach away I start heading after the man who she was talking to. "Go after the girl. She'll lead you to the pack. Only come after me when you're done." I order them as I take off into a sprint after the man.

"What is he?" Asher yells from behind me.

"A fallen."