Darkness of an Angel: Fallen Angel Series, #3

By S.M. Ulibarri

Valeria Jensen and her partner, Matthew Briggs, barely survived their hunt for a very dangerous weapon and managed to uncover a sinister plot among the witches along the way. Normalcy should have returned to Valeria's life with the talisman destroyed, and the reaper returned to the Underworld, but an unknown threat soon emerges.

 

When strange and impossible things begin happening to the creatures of the Subworld, Valeria seeks help from unexpected places and uses her powers in ways she never imagined. As an invisible danger looms over the city like a plague, she must tap into a power she didn't know she had before it consumes everything she holds dear. With thousands of lives on the line, will she be able to stop this new threat, or will the darkness be too much for even an angel?

• Language: English
• Publisher: S.M. Ulibarri
• Release date: Feb 1, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215855584

S.M. Ulibarri

My passion has been writing from a very young age. Being surprised by the adventure my characters take me on is what I love about starting a story. I have currently published a young adult trilogy and am currently working on my Fallen Angel Series. I have so many plans for future installments and hope you enjoy the ride,

Book preview

Chapter 1

K eep your guard up , Val, he said, while he swung at me as a gentle reminder to always protect my face. My gloved hand immediately jerked to protect my cheek from the oncoming assault, allowing me to react just in time so that his boxing glove hit the back of my hand instead of my face. We danced around on the mat, my breath fast and my body sweaty as he pushed me harder. He knew what I was capable of and was determined to bring out my potential.

I punched back at him, then ducked to avoid his swinging arm and uppercut him in the stomach. I hit him a little harder than I had intended, which caused him to double over with an exclamation of pain. Even though he was no longer on the offensive, I kept my guard up, determined not to make the same mistake twice in one night. When he stood up, he blew his breath out and waved for me to stop.

You did good, he said as he tapped me gently on the shoulder to signal that we were done. His gigantic frame towered over me and his deep voice rumbled through the room as he said, I think I’ve had enough for today. I smiled and pulled the mouthguard out of my mouth so I could enunciate my words without sounding like I had stuffed a bunch of rocks in my mouth. I disgustingly slurped the spit back into my mouth so it wouldn’t pile up in the case it belonged in.

What’s the matter, Hunter? Can’t keep up with me? I asked, even though I was the one sweating and trying to catch my breath. Ever since I healed from the damage Daemon had caused me when I followed him through the portal, I’ve been going to Hunter’s gym. I wanted to learn how to fight better in case there came a time when I didn’t have access to the divine energy, like when I visited the Underworld. It wouldn’t hurt to have additional skills to rely on, and I knew it would only make me stronger in the long run.  

Right before he disappeared through the portal, Daemon had healed my soul and I had never felt better physically. However, in the back of my mind, I couldn’t shake the helplessness I had felt. He was so much stronger than I was, and everything about him screamed he was the ultimate warrior. He had the mindset, the body, and the power needed to be the most devastating killing machine this world had ever seen. I never wanted to find myself in a position like that again, so I came here every evening after work.

Tonight was especially hard as I tried to work through my frustrations. I called the nursing home to check in on my mother as I had promised and they informed me they had started her on the approved medications. We wouldn’t know for a few weeks if there would be any improvements, and it still felt like I had betrayed her somehow. I had Hunter put me through the wringer and it felt good to have my muscles ache from hard work. The tension I felt when I first came in here had faded, but wasn’t entirely gone. It was a constant nagging in the back of my mind, like a bell that wouldn’t stop ringing.

I walked to the edge of the black and red checkered mat while I pulled off my boxing gloves. Reaching for my water bottle, I gulped down the ice-cold water, letting it soothe the dry spots in my throat before I called it a night. I turned back to Hunter, who waited expectantly for me to continue our training.

I think I’m gonna call it, I told him as I wiped the sweat from my forehead.

So soon? he questioned, a little surprised. After the whirlwind you arrived in, I thought for sure you’d go all night.

What can I say? You’re good at what you do, I told him with a smirk. It was hard to mistake Hunter for anything other than a very large werewolf. He looked and smelled the part, standing at eight inches over six feet, with hands the size of a gorilla. It wasn’t a secret that the man could take a punch, even from a Nephilim. That was one reason I had chosen his gym when I began my search, but it wasn’t the only reason. He was an incredible instructor with patience I would never have expected from a Werewolf. They weren’t exactly known for their level-headedness and patience with others, but Hunter was the exception. I had already improved so much in the last week that I’d been here and I had him to thank for that.

Same time tomorrow? he asked while I stuffed my boxing gloves and mouthpiece in my backpack and then swung it around my shoulder.

That’s the plan. I’ll let you know if something comes up. It’s been slow at work lately and I’m sure you can guess what that means?

He scrunched his brow in confusion as he said, I’m not sure that I can.

That’s because you’re not a pessimist like me. When things are calm, fate throws a giant freaking wrench in the mix just to keep me on my toes. I have a feeling that the wrench is about to fall any day now.

He shook his head and his long, straggly beard swung across his chest. That’s the kind of thinking that we need to break. Life is full of twists and turns and you just need to learn to be more flexible.

Oh, I’m flexible, but I’m at the point that if I have to bend anymore, I’ll break, I told him tiredly.

That’s because you stress too much about the things you can’t change. You need to stop thinking so much and just let life happen. Hunter was the type of person who thought it was so easy to take advice from others and happily gave it. He sometimes acted like he was my sensei, and his mission in life was to fix me.

Hunter, if I just let life happen, then I would have been dead years ago. I’ve had to fight for everything that I have. That’s why I need you to make me a better fighter, so that maybe it won’t be so hard anymore.

Val, he said as I started to turn around, but the tone of his voice made me pause. You’re already one hell of a fighter. I’m just waiting for you to figure that out. I’ll see you tomorrow, yeah?

See you tomorrow. I turned and made my way past the fighting cage on my way out the door and eyed the two men grappling inside of it. The entire gym reeked of wet dog and aftershave since this was primarily a gym for werewolves. I was probably the only Nephilim to have ever come here, and it felt good knowing that I could wipe the floor with all three of them at once with the divine energy, but it wasn’t enough. Hunter was teaching me how to fight like an animal, and I still had a lot to learn. I wanted to be better. I needed to be for what was coming my way.

In my search for the talisman, I learned some very disturbing things. The witches wanted war, and the vampires were willing to give it to them. I had to become stronger so I could keep that from happening, but it all just felt so pointless. I was just one person. How the hell was I supposed to stop two species from ripping the entire world apart by myself? The only answer to that was to become better, stronger, and more than I was. I needed to be strong enough so that not even a reaper could break me.

I sighed and pulled my keys from a pocket of my backpack as I made my way to the exit. The building of the gym was one among a little strip mall a few blocks away from the strip. Some of the other businesses were true to the flashy Vegas style and one of those was right across the street from me. Huddled at the front of the building were a few women wearing colorful leotards and feathers, taking a smoking break while they gossiped amongst themselves. I smiled and nodded when they looked up at me as I exited the gym and received a few nods of acknowledgment in return.

I had parked my car on the side of the building so it didn’t become a victim of a hit-and-run accident. Those women across the street were entertainers in a business that served a lot of alcohol and I didn’t trust the driving skills of anyone that left there. My heart skipped a beat when I clicked the button to unlock it and my car chirped happily back at me in perfect condition. The curves of the viper looked good as the light faded around it from the setting of the sun. That was one purchase I would never regret.

I made my way to the driver’s side of the car and, as I reached my hand out for the handle, I froze. Something caught my ear, making me focus on the noises surrounding me. I could hear the women chatting to one another across the street and hear the tousle of men from inside the gym, but there was something else. It was soft at first, but as I sharpened my focus on that one sound, it became unmistakable.

One nasty creature was chomping and slurping on something back behind the building. This close to civilization, there wasn’t anything out there but rocks and small animals. Certainly nothing big enough to be eating so much or so loudly and I got a bad feeling something wasn’t quite right. I clicked the button to lock my doors and crept along the side of the building to see if my instincts were right. Out of habit, I reached out for the divine energy just to make sure it was there. Even though I was trying to use it less, it was my version of a gun and in my line of work, there would be scenarios when I wouldn’t have any other choice but to pull it. This was one of them.

I pressed my body into the cold siding of the building and peeked around the corner to get an idea of what I was up against. Goblins. There were two of them gnawing away on what appeared to be human flesh and I raised an eyebrow at where the hell they had gotten that.

Goblins were the scavengers of the Subworld. They were small, plump creatures with smashed-in faces and two rows of very sharp teeth. Their bite was so powerful they could completely sever a finger with one try. They were nasty little bastards, and it was odd to see them so close to a building. They preferred the solitude of the desert, which left them free to feast on any dead thing they came across without being disturbed. Besides a dead body, I wondered what could have driven them so far into the city.

The crunching of the bones cut into my thoughts as one of them took an enormous chunk from the arm he was holding in his hand. Blood dripped from the leather-like skin of his face as the second goblin ripped another piece off the body. They were disgusting little creatures, but they didn’t kill people. They only ate the remains that another predator had left behind, which meant they were eating my evidence. That woman didn’t kill herself.

They weren’t powerful creatures, but they would be a nuisance to get rid of. Once they found something to munch on, they wouldn’t willingly move on until they devoured it all. I stepped around the side of the building and the rocks crunched underneath my shoe, causing me to curse under my breath. They didn’t have great hearing, but they could feel the vibrations in the earth and one of them jerked its head up to look at me, sensing they weren’t alone.

I wished I had thrown a jacket or something else on since I was feeling highly exposed in my leggings and sports bra. I had a lot of flesh showing and they had a ton of teeth ready to rip into my skin. They made it clear they weren’t going to leave without a fight when one of them snapped at me.

They weren’t creatures that could be reasoned with and yet, I still said, let’s just take this nice and easy. We wouldn’t want anyone to get hurt, now would we? I held my hands out as I carefully took a step forward. One of the goblins made a throaty barking noise that sounded like a cat coughing up a hairball while the other one bit off another piece of the arm he was holding.  

I took another step toward the little creatures, which neither one of them seemed to like. The one holding the arm dropped it and then turned its squatty body toward me and hissed. I could see both rows of those razor-sharp teeth and I knew from experience that I didn’t want them anywhere near me. Those things freaking hurt.

There was only one way to get rid of goblins. I had to show them I was a bigger threat than they were. I reached out for the divine energy and pulled some into my body, which caused a blue aura to surround me. The little creatures felt the spike in power and both of the goblins barked at me.

Easy now, I said as I took another step forward and one of the little beasts snapped at me in warning. I stopped and pulled a little more of the energy into me, planning to give them a little warning zap. As my power spiked, they started barking incessantly, which caused me to cringe. It was a hoarse, high-pitched bark and was the equivalent of hearing nails on a chalkboard.

Trust me, you don’t want to do this, I told the little guys pointlessly and was surprised when they stepped away from the body, though they continued to bark wildly.

That’s right, I said and drew in a little more energy as I took another step forward. They backed away from me with a look of fear, though I could tell they were reluctant to leave such a gourmet meal. One of them nipped at the other as if to tell him it was time to go. They both turned around and took off, their squatty little bodies jiggling as they ran. That was easy. A little too easy. I’d never seen a goblin spook so quickly when I hadn’t even done anything.

I dropped the energy I had been holding onto and took a step toward the body so I could examine it further. That’s when I figured out that I wasn’t the one that had scared off the goblins. I felt something sharp slam into my back right before a deafening roar rang through my ears. My body was lifted into the air and then sent flying past the lifeless body on the ground. I slammed into the rocks and felt them tear up my arms as I skidded to a halt. What the hell just attacked me?

I jumped to my feet despite the pain that ached in my muscle and ripped up flesh, then spun around to face whatever thing had just pissed me off. The second my eyes landed on the gigantic frame, my face fell in shock. A freaking werewolf, fully transformed, bared its fangs as it hunched on the ground, ready to rip me to shreds. How the hell was that possible? The full moon was still over two weeks away. There was no way a freaking werewolf could transform outside of a full moon, but the thing in front of me was unmistakably a werewolf.

He was a big one, too. Thick, coarse, gray hair covered his entire body. It grew thicker up by his neck, giving him the appearance of a mane, similar to a lion. His bright green eyes stared me down as he hunched over and supported his weight on arms longer and thicker than his hind legs. His hands and his face still held a resemblance to his human form, but he now had an elongated snout with gigantic teeth bared as he snarled at me. Large, razor-sharp claws extended from his fingers, and I knew they could do some serious damage. It didn’t help that his hind legs were very similar to a kangaroo, and he stood on tiptoe, ready to use the power in them to cover the distance in seconds. He sounded like a bear as he breathed heavily through his snout, angry that I had barged in on his kill and his tail twitched in irritation.

Once I was on my feet, he stood up on his hind legs in a very human-like stance and bared his fangs, ready to attack. It became clear why the little goblins had gotten spooked. It appeared I had just solved the case of who had killed that poor woman those little creatures had been gnawing on, even though there was no way in hell that should have been possible.

The sneak attack from the werewolf had caused me to drop the energy that I had been holding, and I reached out for it once more, then stared the creature down. A blue aura of energy glowed all around me, giving me a feeling of comfort and protection. Three days out of the month, a werewolf can give a Nephilim a run for their money in terms of power. In his human form, he didn’t stand a chance against my angelic heightened abilities. Transformed was a whole different story. A fully transformed werewolf had a body that was built to kill, and those teeth would tear through my flesh just as easily as anyone else’s. It was a good thing I didn’t have any intentions of letting him get that close.

I prepared my stance to withstand his attack when he growled at me and the next thing I knew; he let out a deep howl before he charged. In this form, he had more brute strength than I did, but luckily, I still had speed on my side. It was time to put my training to the test.

I easily dodged the large swipe of his paw as he attacked and then sent the divine energy into my fist right before I slammed it into his gut. To my horror, it had hardly phased him and he swung at me again. I barely had enough time to do a backflip to avoid him, but he kept charging for me, forcing me to roll on the ground to avoid him. I could feel the razor-sharp rocks cut into the exposed flesh of my side before I jumped to my feet. Pushing the energy from my body, I send it flying toward the creature, knowing I needed to avoid a scuffle with him at all costs.

The energy slammed into his face and exploded with a terrible bang, earning a whimper from the beast as he shook his head until the pain subsided. I could smell burned hair as it sizzled and fried the ends of his fur. I knew he was human, and I was trying to keep the damage to a minimum. As the beast got his bearings, he snapped at me as if to prove he could take whatever I dished out. Still, I needed to pull my punches if I didn’t want to cause him any lasting damage.  

Didn’t like that, huh? I said to him as I pulled more energy into myself and stepped carefully to the side. The divine energy should only be used as a defensive measure from here on out, but I needed to get to my car and the tranquilizer gun I kept stored in the back for times just like this. Outside of a full moon, I never expected to need it. There was no way this should be possible, but I had to focus on what was in front of me right now and save that for later.

I took another step around the beast, making sure not to turn my back on him, but he didn’t seem to like that. He growled at me and snapped that powerful jaw in warning. Not about to be ordered around by a mindless beast, I took another step toward my car, which caused the werewolf to howl in anger and then charge right for me. This time, I was ready for him.

I formed the energy into another blast more powerful than the last, knowing the only way I was going to get to my car was to put some distance between us. He had taken my last blast like a champ, so I knew this one wouldn’t hurt him too much as I sent it flying right into him. He was standing up like a man as he charged at me, which gave me a perfect target. The blast slammed into the middle of his chest and sent him flying through the air. I smirked with satisfaction that I had caught him off guard, just like he had done to me. I could see the surprise on his face as he slammed into the dirt and rocks, and then rolled on the ground a few times before he landed on his belly. The smile faded when I heard him whimper in pain, and the smell of burned flesh filled my nose. Perhaps I overdid it a little.

Now that I had his attention, he realized that I was a much bigger threat than he had initially thought, and I saw the panic cross over his face as he pulled himself off the ground. He stared at me with human-like eyes and then, with a howl, took off running in the opposite direction. Shit. I had tried to buy myself some time, but in the process, I’d scared him off in the direction of the feather-clad women. They weren’t prepared for what was coming their way.

Instead of chasing after the gigantic beast like I wanted, I grabbed my backpack from where I had unintentionally dropped it on the ground and booked it to my car. I pulled my keys out as quickly as I could while running and unlocked the trunk in one smooth motion. I flung it open and grabbed hold of the large, aggressive-looking gun and a couple of the darts before I slammed the trunk shut. Grateful I had on a nice pair of tennis shoes, I tore down the street, tapping into my Nephilim speed to close the distance as fast as I could. I heard the screams of the women as I tore around the corner of the gym and watched as the werewolf barreled right through them, snapping at them as they fell to the ground, mortified.

Son of a bitch. He headed right into the heart of the city, where thousands of people would be at this time of night. I had only a few blocks to stop him before someone ended up seriously hurt. My feet pounded on the pavement as I followed him down the road. Adrenaline spiked through, giving me an added boost as I chased the beast down a long strip of asphalt before he veered sharply to the right. As fast as he was, I was closing the distance quickly as I pursued him through the quiet evening, thankful this part of town was barren at this time of night.

He heard me chasing after him and turned his snout to look before he howled in anger. Hoping to lose me, he turned sharply and disappeared behind a building. Luckily for me, the smell of wet dog left a lingering trail everywhere he went and his large build made it almost impossible for him to lose me. I turned down the same alleyway, using my nose to follow his scent, and after another turn, I spotted him running in an alley between buildings.

He didn’t like that I was still behind him and howled again before he turned toward the main road. I heard a car screech as the driver slammed on the brakes and the pounding of a horn broke through the silence of the night. I burst from the alleyway just in time to see the car slam into the enormous beast, unable to stop in time. The werewolf let out a large roar, spittle flying from his mouth as he roared at the driver and then slammed his large, furry fists on the hood of the car.

The werewolf was so strong that he dented the hood, leaving imprints of his fists, and I knew the guy wasn’t going anywhere else tonight. The car was totaled judging by the smoke that sizzled from the cracks in the hood and I took this opportunity to shove a dart in the gun as I stopped dead in my tracks and aimed.

I had him in my sight and pulled the trigger just as the beast lunged for the ground and took off once more. The dart missed him by centimeters and I silently cursed myself for the precious seconds I had wasted loading the gun. The darts in that gun were powerful enough to drop a fully transformed werewolf in a matter of seconds, and I vowed I wouldn’t miss again. I popped another dart into the gun and tore down the street in pursuit of the werewolf once more. I was running out of real estate and needed to end this now. 

Traffic was heavier the closer to the freeway we got and cars slammed on their brakes to get a look at the beast as he shot down the road like a bullet. I needed to lead him away from the street before someone got hurt. I yanked on the energy around me and sent a blast of it soaring past the left side of the werewolf, where it exploded on the ground just in front of him. He skidded to a halt and clumsily changed direction away from the busy road.

Luckily, we weren’t in a residential area, so I didn’t need to worry about families enjoying the evening outside. It was late enough that most of the businesses around here were closed, which meant that as long as we avoided the street, we were fairly secluded. I followed the beast as he pivoted to the right, pushing my legs to move faster to catch up to him. I could feel the muscles in my legs burning and my lungs were heaving as I chased after him, but I wasn’t about to let him get away. There was no way in hell I was going to let a werewolf terrorize my city. Once this was over, he was going to have a lot of explaining to do.

The harder I pushed myself, the more distance I closed between us. The werewolf made a sharp left turn and ran behind the building of a twenty-four-hour drugstore. I was hot on his heel and the second I whipped around the corner; I knew this was it. This was the best chance I was going to get as he ran through the large, empty parking lot. I came to a halt and pulled the gun up to my face, aiming right for him.  

This time, when I pulled the trigger, the dart shot through the air and landed right in the rump of the beast. He howled as it struck him and then fell to the ground as the powerful liquid shot through his body, numbing his muscles in a matter of seconds. He gave a deep sigh before he lost consciousness, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

I took a second to catch my breath as I sauntered over to the unconscious body of the werewolf and pulled my cell phone out of my backpack. I dialed one of the few numbers that I had memorized and heard a cheerful reply on the other end. How may I be of service, Ms. Jensen?

I smiled despite the anxiety that slowly began replacing the adrenaline. You’ll never know just how good it sounds to hear you say that, Evers. I find myself needing an unexpected pickup. Do you think you can help me out? My breathing had already calmed down and my muscles ached softly from being used in a way they weren’t used to. Damn, I needed to run more. Maybe I could convince Briggs would go with me sometime.  

I’m ready and waiting. Just tell me where, the happy-go-lucky voice cut into my thoughts.  

By now, I had reached the body of the werewolf and lightly kicked him to make sure he was truly out before I answered, just off Charleston Boulevard. I’ll send you my GPS location.

There was a slight hum of music in the background, and the sound of clothes rustling as he dressed. Sounds good, he told me after what sounded like a shirt being pulled over his head. I shouldn’t be more than ten minutes out. See you soon. He clicked the button to end the call, and I slowly put my phone back in my backpack after I sent him my location. I was grateful to have someone like Evers that I could always rely on, and my heart swelled as I bent down next to the werewolf. He was such a good kid, and I didn’t know what I would do without him.  

I stretched out a kink in my back as I focused on the body of the werewolf and muttered, where the hell did you come from? His massive frame moved up and down as he slowly breathed and his tongue stuck out of his open mouth, picking up rocks and debris from the parking lot. His breath was hot and smelled atrocious as I leaned in to get a better look.

How in the world was this possible? Werewolves didn’t have access to the divine energy like the witches or the Nephilim and they weren’t able to change their form at will like the fairies. The gravity during a full moon was different, and it affected the way the divine energy flowed through the world. There were three days every month that forced a werewolf into a transformation. The night of the full moon, the day before, and the day after. I had never heard of a werewolf changing outside of those three days at any point in history. This was unprecedented, and I didn’t know what it could mean.

I stood guard over the werewolf while I waited for Evers to arrive and pulled out my phone once more. I dialed a number that I had on speed dial and then waited while it rang. Even though it was just past ten, I knew he would still be awake, and I smiled when he answered. His Texan accent was almost non-existent as he said, worriedly, Val?

Who else would it be? I asked suspiciously, trying to get a glimpse into what his life was like when I wasn’t around. Were you expecting a late-night call from someone else? Even though I couldn’t see him, I could tell his cheeks had turned a dark shade of red at the accusation.  

What’s going on? Briggs asked nervously in an attempt to change the subject and my smile grew wider.

You’re going to need to put on some clothes over your tighty-whities and meet me at the detention center, I told him as I stared down at the body of the werewolf. He was snoring through that large snout of his, and I realized I had never seen a werewolf so content before. This wasn’t the first time I had tranquilized a werewolf, but it was the longest I had spent with one afterward.

Why? What’s at the detention center? Briggs asked, and I could hear him rustling in the background. I wondered if he had been lying around in nothing but his underwear and the image of that flashed through my mind, making me glad he couldn’t see my face as it turned a delicate shade of pink. It was a damn fine image, and I was curious to know if reality would match it. Naughty, Val. Don’t even go there.

Nothing yet, but trust me, you won’t want to miss this. Just meet me there and I’ll explain everything when I see you.

All right, he said without another question. The man knew me well enough to know that I wouldn’t call him this late unless it was something important. I didn’t have to wait long before I heard the rumble of the van coming down the road and walked away from the werewolf to flag Evers down. Rock music blared through the silence of the night as the van screeched around the corner and then slowed when the driver saw me waving at him.

The van stopped right in front of me and the door opened as the driver hopped out with a big smile on his boyish face. Everett Green was someone I called whenever I needed to transport a creature I had just detained. He was slightly shorter than me, with light brown hair that was spiked like a gothic kid from the nineties. He was thin, lanky, and eager to help in any way he could. He still hadn’t crossed the threshold into his twenties just yet, which gave him a childlike vibe even though I knew he was basically an adult.

Unfortunately for him, his angelic blood was heavily diluted, which meant he wasn’t cut out for the job he desperately wanted to do.