It was mornings like this that reminded Camael why he fought for the world.

The sun shone gloriously in the clear blue sky, bathing the streets of London in a warm, uplifting light. All around, people in business suits and smart attire strode with determination and purpose, smiling and laughing.

Sitting outside one of his favourite coffee shops, Camael smiled to himself as he watched the morning rush. While the people of London were notoriously known for their lack of attentiveness in busy periods like this—eyes downward and heads full of restless thoughts—the sun had a way of brightening their moods and spreading a cheerful atmosphere among them.

Opposite Cam, his brethren, Sablo, poured sugar into his coffee, spilling a few grains onto the white linen table cloth.

“Nervous for today?” Cam asked.

Sablo chuckled, his broad shoulders heaving. At seven feet tall, his powerful, overly-muscled frame made him look like he was sitting at a children’s table. “The summer solstice has never worried me.”

“Because of the power of the sun?” Cam asked.

“Because we fight on the side of Light. And Light will always prevail.”

Cam smiled at Sablo’s serious expression. His friend had always been a devout believer in their cause. If only more of their brethren were like that.

“Of course it will,” Cam said. “And today we will shift the balance towards the Light, and away from the hold of the Others.”

Sablo made a sour face. Cam knew that he had never liked their code-word for their enemy. Sablo had always preferred to call them what they were. Demons. But they could never be too careful about who might inadvertently, or intentionally, overhear their idle talk.

A group of young girls in casual summer outfits—University students, Cam guessed—watched them as they walked past, whispering and giggling to each other.

At only a few inches shorter than Sablo, with a slightly leaner, yet still broad shouldered physique, Cam was aware of the attention they drew when the two of them were together. But with the modern world’s interest in physical training, not to mention the substantial use of chemical-enhancements, their large builds were not as out of place as they once were, hundreds of years ago.

“You really think we’ll find something significant in their supposed stronghold?” Sablo asked.

Cam shrugged. “Our intelligence is apparently certain of it.”

Sablo’s piercing blue eyes regarded Cam. “And what do you think?”

Sipping his coffee, giving himself time to form his answer, Cam eventually said, “I think that the world will not be the same after today. But whether it’s for the better or worse... I cannot say.”

Sablo leaned back, looking away in thought. “At least we have the sun on our side.”

“Our brethren in the southern hemisphere will be okay. Even in the Winter Solstice, we fight strong.”

“Defend, you mean,” Sablo said. “Fight in the summer, defend in the winter. Isn’t that how it goes?”

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Cam shook his head. “I’ve never liked the differentiation. It’s always looked the same to me.”

Sablo’s expression lightened. “Don’t let our great Commander hear you say that. He’ll send you back home.”

“Father forbid,” Cam said. He smiled, though his thoughts were grim. The act of fighting evil had always bothered him. Surely, there was a better solution to vanquishing evil than to battle them? He wished he was more like the virtuous and unfaltering Sablo, who likely never doubted their cause. 

Cam’s mobile phone vibrated, and he checked the text that arrived.

Bal is here. Waiting for you.

Cam finished his coffee, savouring the frothy texture. “Right then. That’s our moment of calm over with. Balthiour is there now. Time to get to work.”

Folding a few notes under the receipt on the table, they left the coffee shop and made their way to the main road.

While everyone around them rushed to get to their office jobs, Cam and Sablo had a different kind of work for the day. Cam’s empathic power—an ability that all of his brethren shared—sensed the stress and tension of the people, fluctuating out of them like invisible waves. But while the humans had work pressures to worry about, Cam and Sablo carried the fate of the world on their shoulders.

The rounded top of the Gherkin building could be seen as they progressed towards Bank Underground station. Cam marvelled at the swirling light and dark glass of the office tower. He had often thought about the symbolism of people constructing a bullet-shaped building along the London skyline.

“So everyone is at the hideout?” Sablo asked.

“They’re all waiting for us,” Cam told him. “Waiting to make a plan of action against the suspected stronghold.”

“I wonder how Balthiour will want to play it.”

“There could be a hundred Others there waiting for us. Or there could be nothing. But Bath Kol seems sure we’ll find something, at least.”

Sablo frowned. “Well she’s not often wrong.”

“She’s never actually ever fully wrong,” Cam said. “Sometimes she just skews close to the truth, but doesn’t quite see it all.”

“Right, and we figure out the truth of her prophecies when it’s too late to change them.”

A crowd gathered around them as they waited for the traffic lights to change in order to cross the street.

Someone caught Cam’s attention.

Leaving the office building across the street was a woman. Her long, flowing blonde hair was the first thing that Cam noticed, along with her height—which was at least six feet tall. Most females were dwarfed by his six-and-a-half foot frame, but he had always enjoyed the sight of a tall woman. This one wore a close-fitting business suit that accentuated her trim, hourglass figure, and under her hemline, Cam could see defined, curvy legs that tapered down to her high heels.

A beeping sound signalled that the lights had changed, and the crowd began crossing the street.

Further back from the woman, Cam noticed a figure in a dark tracksuit and loose hoodie. The man’s thin frame and baggy clothing immediately sent a chill through Cam.

“I’ll… catch you up,” he said to Sablo.

Sablo raised an eyebrow. “You have somewhere more important to be?”

“Other,” Cam muttered.

“Where?”

Cam pointed his chin towards the man in the hoodie. “Following that blonde woman.”

They changed direction and started following the woman and the man.

“Oh, I see how you spotted him now,” Sablo said wryly. “She’s quite a looker.”

Cam smiled as he stopped and turned to Sablo. “You go on ahead. It’s just one. I’ll take care of it. No point in us both being late to the rendezvous.”

Sablo regarded Cam for a moment. “Okay. You go play the hero. Just make sure you get her number for me.” He turned and stepped away, and then paused. “Hey. We’ll wait for you before we get started, but you know Bal, he won’t be happy to wait too long.”

“I’ll just be a few minutes,” Cam said as he back stepped and started to turn.

Looking back over his shoulder, Sablo raised an eyebrow, the smirk on his face revealing the dirty joke he was thinking.

Cam chuckled, but now focused on the blonde woman and the demon following her. He continued down the street, weaving through the busy crowds and keeping his targets in sight.

It would take Sablo a few minutes to reach Bank underground station, and it was only a few tube stops away to their hideout. Cam estimated that he had around fifteen minutes to spare saving this woman, and then would have to rush back to meet with the others.

A throbbing sensation came over him. A familiar tension built up in his shoulders, and his heart raced as he looked for the source. It was not until Cam looked ahead again that he noticed a second figure following the woman. This one wore a grey tracksuit and matching hoodie. Cam closed his hands into fists as he increased his steps. Seeing the second demon, he wondered if it was a good idea to have let Sablo go on ahead.