#daniel chronicles

I’ve been here before, but always hit the floor. 

I’ve spent a lifetime running, And I always get away. But with you I’m feeling something That makes me want to stay.

Daniel ran a hand over the front of his vest, smoothing down the rich material. His jacket rested over the back of a tall chair in the kitchen he’d left moments before, traded for the empty living room. He’d spent months preparing this house, shaping every detail in his mind with his face pressed against the crack in his cage.

I’m prepared for this, I never shoot to miss, but I feel like a storm is coming. If I’m gonna make it through the day, then there’s no more use in running. This is something I gotta face.

His eyes scanned the room, running over the black leather sofa, matching armchairs on each side. The wide shag rug, white over the grey hardwood floors. Hanging above the couch, a painting of the forest in the thick of night. A rich bookcase stood tall on the far wall, the titles rebound to look rustic in character amongst the modern setting of the room. The fireplace behind him roared, warming the backs of his knees.

Every detail, from the coasters resting on the endtable to the foundation of this mansion.

If I risk it all, could you break my fall?

The expensive Armani soles of his shoes gave little noise as the raven made his way to the marbled bar, passing his reflection in a large oval mirror. Before pouring his glass, he rolled up the sleeves of his button down in four meticulous tugs until they rested just before the crease of his arm.

How do I live? How do I breathe? When you’re not here I’m suffocating. I wanna feel love, run through my blood. Tell me, is this where I give it all up?

The whiskey burned his throat, but he reveled in it. Everything from the chill in the air to the feel of glass in his palm- it served as a reminder.

He’d escaped his cage. Trapped amongst the damned, locked away like the family disgrace.

Turning, he leaned back against the counter while swirling the amber liquid in it’s boulder. Tilting his head to one side, the handsome god watched the far end of the room where the hallway melted away to stairs.

“Darling?” He called. Immediately, footsteps responded. Daniel never looked away, finishing off his drink in one swing.

For you, I have to risk it all; ‘cause the writing’s on the wall.

The soft steps grew louder, closer. With each beat down the stairs, Daniel’s hollow chest tightened. He never tired of this little trick, reveled in it.

A million shards of glass that haunt me from my past, As the stars begin to gather, and the light begins to fade, When all hope begins to shatter, know that I won’t be afraid.  

Caydin walked into the room, blue eyes lighting up at the sight of the raven. The smile on his face would have stopped Daniel’s heart, were it still beating. His steps continued, walking right up to the god just to press a soft kiss to his cold cheek.

“Will you sing for me, love?”

If I risk it all, could you break my fall?

Daniel’s answering smile was soft, barely reaching his eyes. He cleared his throat, leaning his head back to roam his eyes over his soulmate’s perfect form. Setting his empty glass aside, he reached out to run a gentle knuckle down the blond’s cheek.

It went right through the illusion, his angel’s smile remaining.

How do I live? How do I breathe? When you’re not here I’m suffocating. I wanna feel love, run through my blood. Tell me, is this where I give it all up? For you I have to risk it all, ‘cause the writing’s on the wall.

“Not tonight, darling.” Caydin’s frown drew a soft chuckle from the raven. “Maybe tomorrow.”

Fists going to his hips, cheeks puffed out, Caydin pouted. “What’s so important that you can’t sing for me?”

Turning from the sight, Daniel poured himself a second glass. “I’ve got visits to make tonight.”

How do I live? How do I breathe? When you’re not here I’m suffocating.

“Who are you going to visit? Don’t leave me. Stay here, stay with me.”

I wanna feel love, run through my blood. Tell me, is this where I give it all up?

Daniel barely turned from the bar, glancing over one shoulder to reply. “I want to stay with you. I never want to leave, my love.”

“Then don’t.”

How do I live? How do I breathe? When you’re not here I’m suffocating. I wanna feel love, run through my blood. Tell me, is this where I give it all up? For you I have to risk it all, 

This time, he tipped his head back with the glass. Whiskey burned it’s way to his stomach, drawing a soft gasp from the raven. “You’re dead, Caydin.”

“I’m… what?”

His blue eyes followed the movements of his glass as it returned to the counter. “You’re dead. I’m going out tonight to ruin the people responsible.”

“Wait, I’m-” He heard the gasp behind him, let his eyes unfocus as Caydin moved to get a good look at the scars he’d kept in the shadows. “Dani… what happened? Wha-what happened to your face?”

What happened, Dani?

What happened?

Mattea sat up in Evryn’s small bed, her long legs stretched out over the covers. She hadn’t changed into night clothes as everyone else had, choosing instead to stay in her leathers trews and finally giving in to the raven who said her shirt was too torn to belong anywhere but the trash. She’d taken the white button down handed to her off his own back, rolling the sleeves up to the elbows before settling down on the bed. Beside her, the raven haired prince now lay on his back, lost to sleep the moment his head had hit the pillow.

For hours now, the demon had kept her steady vigil over the sleeping angel beside her. She kept her eyes trained on the door, even when one of his hands found hers over the covers. Mae had let him lace his fingers through hers, allowing a light squeeze before he tumbled back to sleep.

He’d asked her once if she ever slept; she’d answered that, yes, she did sleep but didn’t need it as often as them. And he’d just nodded, carrying on as if she wasn’t an undead demon brought back to life as a pawn to a mentally unhinged Harbinger.

Mattea’s frown deepened as she crossed her arms over her chest, leaning back against the headboard as dark green eyes locked on the door. To her right, in a bed tucked into the corner of the room the other prince snored as he lay belly-down in a tangle of covers. Talyn was used to her silent presence now, moreso than the others. He never commented on finding the two of them alone anymore, or bothered to ask what they spent all their time doing. He just accepted his brother’s choice in mate, without question.

And the days leading up to the boys leaving Drigulia, Talyn had noticed the rings they wore. Didn’t comment on them, or act any different around the demon. It was a kindness she appreciated, as best she could.

So when Luna had told them to find rooms upstairs to sleep in for the night, neither twin had protested when Mae pointed to the only bedroom that housed two beds.

Her eyes shifted in the dark, drawing to the small phone Talyn had fallen asleep holding. It lit up the room, a call from the small mutant he’d been paired with no doubt. Mattea didn’t waste any time thinking about it, knowing that the exiled older brother of the angels would have Talyn’s mate safe after being given the warning.

It was well into the morning hours when she felt a pressure descend on the house. It was too familiar to her, the power a similar shade of her own, marinated in the fires of hell long forgotten by its new ruler. An ancient hum filled the room, and the demon tilted her head to listen. Like a film covered the door, she could no longer make out the steady sounds of sleep from the other rooms. They were being isolated, blocked off from one another.

It’s what she’d have done.

As one, both boys began turning in their beds. Beside her, Evryn shifted beneath his covers, brows drawing together as his dreams turned to nightmares. Across the room, Talyn kicked until his comforter fell to the floor in a heap.

But it was when the raven beside her gave a muffled cry, a call for the brother he’d lost long before she’d found him, that Mattea’s chin lowered. She created a barrier first, to lay over the princes that shared the room with her, before drawing in a deep breath. To center herself, finding the bottomless bit of hellfire that burned hot enough to boil her alive if she didn’t keep a careful watch on it at all times. She reached a hand inside, drawing from the well there.

It was opening the floodgates, letting her power out. Her whips were more of turning the faucet and letting water drip, but this was more focused. It burned through the power that brushed against her like a familiar caress, daring her to return the favor.

The demon turned as she felt it withdraw- felt the cry of pain as it left them- to glance down at the face of her mate beside her. Moments passed, but Mattea released the breath she’d been holding as the planes of his face relaxed once more. Across the room, tension left his brother’s body as Talyn settled back into a rhythm of snores.

Stormy green hues once again found the door, wondering how long it would be until the film lifted. She’d protected the princes with her, but didn’t consider leaving her mate to go looking in the other rooms.

-

Noah sat in the living room, huddled up in an armchair with a blanket thrown over his legs. In his lap he had a book open, reading it under the dim light of the lamp between glances at the toddlers asleep in their cots on the rug. Ashlae had taken the couch across from him, had been tapping away at her laptop for hours instead of following Luna up to bed as the pinkette had obviously wanted. They’d been arguing quietly all night, but over what Noah hadn’t bothered to ask. This family had it’s drama, and he chose to distance himself from it whenever possible.

The book Talyn had given him outlined the different element affinities some demons possessed, specifically healing for those who would manipulate ice. Noah had been aware of it, playing with the construct here and there, but Talyn had pushed for the deaf blond to see if he could hone the trait and possibly pull Astor from whatever coma she’d put herself in.

It was a long shot, but at the moment the best they had to go on.

He stopped at the end of a paragraph, glancing over the tip of the book to check on the children only to find them all sitting upright in their cots. Noah frowned, closing the book and adding it to the stack on the table before moving to get up. Ashlae followed suit with a frown, setting aside her laptop. Through lip reading, he made out the question she asked them; What’s wrong?

But it was Alexei who caught Noah’s interest. The small boy stood, letting his blanket fall to the ground as he walked over to his sister. He watched as Casimir and Millian did the same for Daryn, who scooted closer to Astraea and her brother.

From the couch, Noah saw Ashlae’s brows draw together. Luna?

He felt it then, in his chest. The bond he shared with his sister gave a light tug, as if she’d tapped the center of his abdomen. Yes? He sent down the bond, a skill that had taken them years to hone, to be able to communicate.

Something’s here.

Daryn turned, her mess of red curls bouncing as she locked eyes with Noah. Innocent eyes, looking for him to protect her. He motioned for Ashlae to come over, to join him on the floor with the toddlers.

It was times like these that he hated his handicaps, hated that he couldn’t hear or speak. He wasn’t like the rest of them, hadn’t been properly trained in combat. He was a weak link, stuck protecting five priceless children and a newborn demon without so much as the sense of hearing.

How was he supposed to fight off something he couldn’t see, couldn’t hear-

Feel it, in your bones.

Noah turned in a slow circle, drawing frost to cover the tips of his fingers. He slowed his breathing, feeling the air and it’s charge as he waited.

A blast of frost came shooting from behind him, followed a second later by a ball of electricity, to slam into the body of a man that materialized behind the loveseat. Noah chanced a glance back, eyes widening at the sight of Daryn and Millian standing by his leg, hands extended. Both Alexei and Astraea’s wings were out, hunched over each child’s back as they stood behind Millian and Daryn. Casimir stood as well, the small god staring at the man as if he were a question he couldn’t find the answer to.  

Noah had known Karsyn had blessed the children before passing her throne to the twins, but he’d never imagined that it would result in power like this.

“Hello, little monsters. Would you like to play?”

Shock froze Noah where he stood as he heard the words inside his mind. When he turned back, the body of a man had fully materialized out of thin air. Shaggy black hair, pushed back from his scarred face. Blue eyes too vibrant to be anything but sinister watched them all above a smile that was too wide, too strained to be anything but maniacal.

But beneath the scars and the ugliness, Noah could find traces of Astor and Amelie in the planes of his face.

Daniel Nightengale lowered to crouch beside the loveseat, smiling at the children on their eye level. “Come on, don’t you want to pla-”

He was cut off by another round of power; a blue orb of ice, followed by pure energy, followed by a wave of almost matching power hurtled into the blackette, sending him flying into the wall behind him where his form scattered like ashes in the wind.

Yet when Noah turned back around, he found Daniel on his knees beside Astraea, one finger caressing a line down her cheek as she stared at the spot he’d just been. “Don’t you want to play with me? We could have lots of fun together.”

It was Alexei who raised a hand, mouth opened to let out a cry Noah couldn’t hear as he reached to pull his sister away- but Daniel was already gone, appearing now between Daryn and Millian.

The raven leaned in between the redheads, head bowed so Noah could only make out that too-wide grin as he whispered, “You stink of my mother, you all do.”

A blast of ice from Noah, but he was too late- Daniel was already gone.

Casimir stepped away from the group, away from Ashlae who had been holding him with one tight hand, to turn his face up to the ceiling. Noah watched the word form on his lips, Bad, before the room tilted with power. Noah and Ashlae dove at the same time, covering the other children on the floor as the room was filled with a pressure that even had the demon withering from; everything in his body screamed to obey it, overriding his free will even. Anything to succumb to the power that demanded full obedience.  

But as quickly as it had begun, Noah felt the pressure begin to ease. He was left panting on the floor, finally able to raise his head and look around to find no trace of the raven haired psycho- just Casimir, standing with his hands balled into fists by his sides.

Ashlae locked eyes with him over the children she covered, mouth open as she gasped for air. He didn’t have to watch her mouth to read the question in her brown gaze; what was that?