Six authors are coming together to write a free flowing love story - come view our blog every week to find out what happens to our two main characters. We will alternate each Monday and Friday with our posts.
"I saw him
coming down this way, he can't be far." The voices were traveling the
streets bouncing off the buildings and echoing through his head.
"He is dead, he
thinks he can escape his duty, but he can't. He breeds or he dies!" That
was his father...He'd recognize that voice till the day he died.
"Are you sure
it was him? Maybe it was just a human male who favored his looks." Another
one said.
It didn't matter how
fast he ran, he would never escape the voices, he would never escape the duty
they thought he was meant to uphold. Making criss cross motions with his
running patterns he ducked into the alley way along side one of the churches off
of the main road in the middle of Rome.
Taking cover from the men who were looking for him he stayed hidden
until they passed his hiding spot.
He looked down at
his hands, obvious to anyone who looked at him to not be of human origin, nails
too pointed and dark to be human, skin too firm and thick. His pupils misshaped
and discolored. The rain had started to sprinkle in Rome and had matted his hair to his face. His vision
started to blur and he was thankful that the sound of his clan members had
dwindled.
Renzo's life had
been a battle of wits and some days it seemed like his luck was running out. At
least today wasn't one of them. Not
everyone in Rome was so quick to judge a person because of their species.
Occasionally you could find a man or woman willing to look past the obvious
differences that made the minorities stand out.
He however had two disadvantages, there were two types of people on the
hunt for him, humans and demons.
Renzo's been on the
run for five years, his family had demanded that he take a mate with the female
they chose from a neighboring clan and he wasn't ready yet. He was only twenty-four, still young in so many ways. Age
didn't make a man, wisdom and maturity did. When he refused he became a refuge
of demon law. To deny ones parents was to shun tradition and that was not
condoned.
Demons took many
forms and were often misunderstood. Not every demon was of the same breed,
there were the ones that fought with God and the angels here on Earth then
others who were like him, bound to this plane to wander and live out his life.
Sometimes, when his breed were able to fulfill their rightful powers they were
able to transcend their mediocre upbringings become greater than their
ancestors. But that rarely happened. Renzo didn't know that he came from a long
line of transenders. Every generation
had one.
"Looking for
shelter again Renzo?" The priest always had a cool tone that brought
calmness to anyone around him. It was one of his gifts. He didn’t realize he
was blessed but this human had something special about him.
Renzo nodded towards
him and simply walked inside the opened door of St. John Lateran's Archbasilica
Church.
Father Giovanni
never made him speak when he didn't want to, but he always knew what to say
even when it wasn't asked. "Did they recognize you again? You cannot hide
forever my son, one day you are going to have to face your fears. Your parents
will come for you."
Renzo's body spun
around and his eyes flashed red for a brief moment while he attempted to bring
his anger under control, "They better hope I never see them again or they
will realize the true power they lost when casting me aside!"
"Anger serves
you no purpose Renzo. We have been through this, you must forgive and let it
go, it's what He would want."
"Since when do
I care what HE wants? He left me here, LIKE THIS?" Renzo stormed down the
aisles, "If he cared then he wouldn’t have made the rules for my people
the way they are and I wouldn’t have been condemned to die because I wanted to
live a little before being married off just to mate and make babies."
"He has a
reason for everything that happens. You need to have faith in yourself and in
him."
"Old man, I
have faith in very little, the only thing I know is that if I go out there
tonight I'll be forced to kill, and I don't want to have to slaughter my own,
not tonight. I don't want to cross that line. Not yet."
"As long as you
fight your urges Renzo, you are better than your parents. You can be more than
what you think you were made for." Father Giovanni walked up to him and
placed his hand on the back of Renzo between his shoulder blades and rubbed them
in small circles, "Can we try praying again, asking for guidance?"
"Father, your
ways are not mine, I keep telling you this. I'm a demon, when will you accept
this? I cannot be saved."
"I've cast
demons out, you are not a demon, you hold none of those traits, not the demons
that you are talking about. You are just a lost soul Renzo. But I will let it
go, again, for tonight. I have your bed as usual in the back, come, let me get
food and blankets for you."
Renzo hated putting
him in danger but he had no choice. This was his only place of solitude and
solace when his family was in the city. They would be gone in a few days and he
would be able to leave, letting his friend carry on his way. Maybe he would head
into the Vatican's vault on his next journey outside of the boundaries of Rome,
look through the archives. There had to be a way to release him from his
duties.
"Thank you for
the shelter." Renzo placed the blanket on the cot and the plate of food on
top of the chair, he looked up at his friend and gave a bow of his head just a
few inches, enough to shield his eyes from the father's sight.
"My son, this
isn't your fault." Father Giovanni placed his hand on Renzo's shoulder and
gave it a squeeze before walking out of the room and sealing him in the dark
silence for the night.
Isolation - his only
true comfort.
