--Trigger warnings for unintended suicidal themes (they cut themselves to access their magic, not out of intent to harm themselves)--

CHAPTER ONE

God created man and demon.

Demon crucified God.

Man abandoned God.

And one more tenet only the Vatican knew:

Man harnessed demons' unholy magic.

Selene Alleva ghosted her blade over the faint blue veins of her inner arm, lingering when she found the symbol carved into her bones. Devour. She hesitated. Her magic was the enemy, bleeding her with every exorcism. If it was only the fear of pain that gave her pause, or some misplaced principle, then she could overcome it. Pain no longer frightened her--it had become familiar in the years of her Vatican training.

Dio Immortale, she swore. She'd made mistakes tonight. If she had done one thing different, she wouldn't be in this predicament now--poised to bleed herself for power as the scent of rot and mould encased her. The metallic tant of blood beneath it all. She should never have lowered her guard.

-

The threat of snow scented the air. Selene shivered, but not because the evening's chill sliced knife-like up her spine. A rank wave of demonic magic ached through her eye teeth and into the depths of her skull.

That was more than one demon.

They tasted like violence. Like a split lip. Vaguely iron and putrid.

'Captain Alleva?'

Selene silenced her subordinate with a look. Ambrose Zurzulo was not perceptive enough to feel the tainted magic, and Selene had no patience for his dearth of natural talent. She glanced at the rune-carved metal hugging his hands. Knuckle dusters. Honestly. But he was too infatuated with his own magnificence to notice her disdain.

Why anyone would elect for extreme close-range combat, and willingly let a demon so damn near, she had no clue.

'We're close. Move.' She led her team down a shallow flight of stairs, chasing the cold pull of demon magic to a crumbling stucco building at the end of the street. It looked abandoned--but wasn't. Two. No, three. Maybe more. An infestation of this size was not unheard of in the heart of Rome, but it was unusual to find one so close to the Vatican.

She would reward them with steel for their trouble.

Selene skidded to a stop out of sight of the windows, flanked by Ambrose and Benedetta. Both were new to her team, and while Benedetta Fiore had been in Selene's year at the Academy, they'd never been close. It wasn't ideal that today was her first opportunity to see them in action.

Ambrose stretched his fingers, knuckles cracking. 'I'll take point,' he said, starting to shadow-box.

Not ideal at all.

But she had little say in the matter. Her superiors had spoken, and if the Vatican was anything at all, it was a place of strict hierarchy.

'I think not,' Selene said, her voice dangerously soft. 'Don't even look a demon in the eye without my say-so.' She counted on her fingers. 'Obey. Impress me. Survive. In that order. Simple enough.' Even for you.

She pinned Benedetta with her eyes. 'Stay close to Zurzulo. He'll protect you.'

Ambrose nodded his agreement, and the knot of worry in her chest loosened. Just a bit.

'What about you?' Benedetta asked.

Selene held her gaze. 'I'll protect you too.'

Benedetta blinked wide-eyed, and smiled a lightbulb smile. 'Oh, I know that. I meant who's going to protect you?'

Selene didn't think that required an answer.

jthom1249

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