by R C Knight
“What’s wrong with that?” Ryder asked, trying to keep a serious expression on his face.
“Oh, nothing,” she responded. “Just that you would like anyone that would bend over backwards for you.”
“I prefer when it’s a woman bending over backwards.” Ryder winked as Aria broke out in laughter.
~~~~
Zane couldn’t help but stare at Aria as her and Ryder broke out in laughter. Her laughter was like music to his ears. He had been trying to avoid watching her after seeing her with that man this morning. But once again, he found that he couldn’t help himself when it came to her. I wonder what they’re talking about.
“Zane? You still with us?” Bishop interrupted his thoughts.
“What? Oh, sorry. Must’ve spaced out for a second,” he replied quickly.
Bishop glanced over at Aria and nodded. “As I was saying, we’ll need to move fast once we get to Gideon’s city. The less time we spend there the less likely Aria will be discovered. I’m glad we’re taking her, but it is a huge risk.”
“Well I’m excited to see her fight,” Keira interrupted excitedly. “From the way Zane talks about her, you’d think she could kill a man with a glance.”
“I didn’t say that,” Zane mumbled.
“You didn’t have to,” she responded. “It’s implied by the way you talk about her.”
“She’s got a point man,” Liam added in. “You’re the only one of us who’s seen her fight. I’m curious if she lives up to your stories.”
“Well you won’t be seeing it in New York,” he replied with confidence. “It’ll be a quick in and out, the demons won’t even know we were there.” Bishop nodded in agreement.
“Speaking of not getting caught, we should have them get ready, Keira.” Bishop paused to make sure she was listening. “Why don’t you take Aria and get her ready. Show her what to do and she can teach the others.” Keira nodded, excitement on her face. She kissed Zane quickly then headed over to Aria’s table. After a few moments, Aria nodded and left the room with Keira.
The powder room Keira led her to was quite spacious. There was a mirror with a gilded frame hanging above a small counter. A long, cushioned bench sat in front of the mirror. Keira pulled out a bag and set it on the counter. She began to pull out various bottles, brushes, and small containers.
“Have a seat.” She nodded towards the bench with a smile. Aria sat down, watching as Keira looked at the powders. She finally decided on one, grabbed the container and knelt in front of her.
“Have you never done makeup before?” she asked as she swirled the brush in the powder.
“We don’t have makeup. I’ve never understood the reasoning behind changing one’s appearance.” Aria responded.
“Well,” Keira replied as she ran the brush down Aria’s face. “I would kill to have your perfect complexion.” She smiled warmly. “With a face like yours there is no need for makeup. But that is the problem.” She swirled the brush in the powder and brought it back to Aria’s face. “So, Zane can’t seem to stop talking about you,” she commented, a hint of jealousy in her voice.
“Really?” Aria responded, hiding her surprise.
“Yup. He says you’re amazing on the battlefield. That he watched you defeat almost an entire horde by yourself.” She blushed at the compliment.
“Well, I wasn’t exactly by myself,” she laughed. “The rest of my team was with me. I think he was just surprised to see us appear out of nowhere.” Keira let out a soft laugh.
“That would be a surprise.” She put the brush down on the counter and looked through her supplies. She grabbed another container that contained a light pink powder. She swirled a new brush in the powder. “Alright, smile for me.” Aria complied as Keira brushed the powder onto her cheeks. “Perfect.” She placed the brush and container back onto the counter. “Now, don’t be too shocked when you look in the mirror.”
Aria slowly turned to look at her reflection. Her face looked pale; the only color was the slight blush that had been applied to her cheeks. She stared with fascination as she ran her fingers down her cheek. “I look so,” she paused as she glanced at Keira. “Sick.”
Keira smiled. “That’s the point.” She responded, proud of her work. “Thankfully it doesn’t take much makeup.” Keira started sorting through the makeup, handing some of the containers and brushes to Aria. “Make sure everyone uses a shade that’s lighter than their skin tone. You can add some color to the cheeks, but you don’t have to.” Aria nodded as she looked down at the makeup. “Well then,” Keira clapped her hands excitedly. “Looks like you’ll blend in perfectly!”
~~~~
It was late afternoon as the ship finally made it to shore. The group gathered their belongings and horses, waving goodbye to the captain as they departed. A cold breeze caused everyone to huddle into their cloaks. “It’s gonna be a cold winter this year.” Bishop remarked. “Hopefully it doesn’t affect the crops, or else food is gonna get expensive.”
“Let’s worry about one thing at a time,” Zane responded as he pulled on his horse’s reins. “Let’s get to the market and see about getting a wagon and additional provisions.”
The market was surprisingly busy for the hour. They had to stable their horses in order to walk down the road. Zane had Keira and Riley take the angels around so they could explore. Mikayla, Jackson, and Liam went to look for herbs, meat, and bread. Bishop walked quietly next to Zane as they browsed the wares on display. Bishop stopped at a jewelry vendor to look at the rings.
“Is this why you didn’t want Mikayla to join us?” Zane asked, a smile on his face. Bishop simply smiled and nodded his head. He picked up a couple of rings, examining the craftsmanship. The vendor greeted them with a smile and pointed out various rings to them. Zane’s eyes roamed the street while Bishop was occupied. I wonder if I’ll ever settle down with one woman, he thought as Aria’s face flashed across his mind.
“What do you think of this one?” Bishop asked, holding the ring out to show him. He picked up the ring and looked it over. It was a thin rose gold band that was intertwined with white gold. Delicate engravings of filigree gave the ring a feminine appeal.
“I like it.” Zane smiled as he handed the ring back to him. Bishop’s face lit up as he pulled out his coin pouch and proceeded to pay for the ring. The vendor pulled out a small, black box and placed the ring inside of it. He smiled as he handed the box over to Bishop, who quickly hid it in his pocket.
“Don’t say a word of this to anyone.” Bishop looked at Zane sternly. “I want it to be a surprise.”
“I won’t breathe a word.” He smiled as they turned and continued down the road. They made their way to the wagons and quickly picked one out. He paid the vendor, then he and Bishop pulled the wagon back to the stables. Keira, Riley, and the angels were already waiting at the stables. Aria’s face was lit up with a smile as she slid a gold cuff onto her wrist. Eliza and Myra had also bought gold cuffs, excitement filled their faces. Keira ran up to Zane, her face full of wonder.
“Did you know they don’t have jewelry in Heaven?” she asked, her voice filled with awe.
“No, I didn’t,” Zane responded, watching as Aria ran her finger along the cuff.
“Apparently, the only jewelry allowed is a simple wedding band. Otherwise they’re only allowed to wear the robes associated with their class.” Keira looked over at the other girls. “It’s amazing how excited they get over the little things.” She smiled sadly.
“Yea,” he agreed. Mikayla, Jackson, and Liam came walking down the road. Each of them carrying a bag full of supplies.
“Well,” Mikayla placed her bag down by Bishop. “They had everything we were looking for and then some.” She smiled as she noticed the wagon. “It’s a good thing they had wagons here.”
“Let’s load everything into the wagon.” Zane shouted at the group. Everyone stopped what they were doing and began to carry bags over to the wagon. They hid the weapons and armor underneath al
l of the bags. “Alright, mount up and let’s go. We still have a few hours before it gets dark.” He attached the wagon to his horse and quickly mounted the horse. The group made their way through the village and onto the main road.
Chapter Nineteen
Earth
They made camp in a small clearing away from the main road. The night was still young, and the autumn air carried a chill that made their bones shiver. The sound of the water from the small stream mixed with the crackling of the fire created a relaxing atmosphere. There had been a lot of demons traveling on the main road, slowing their progress, and causing them to stop earlier than they had planned. Thankfully, none of the demons had paid that much attention to them. Aria and her team had set up wards around the camp to keep the demons from noticing them.
Mikayla and Keira began to prepare dinner with the provisions they had bought at the village. While the food cooked, Ryder and Kai began to spar. It had been days since they had practiced, and they were eager to fight. Zane sat by the fire, making sure he had a good view of the fight. He lit a cigarette and inhaled deeply. “It’s not often we get entertainment like this before supper,” he chuckled.
Ryder snarled at the comment, blocking Kai’s attack with his shield. They continued to spar; Ryder clearly had the advantage over Kai. “Drop to your knee and come in low!” Zane shouted at Kai as Ryder blocked another one of his attacks. Ryder slammed his sword into the ground and glared at Zane.
“Do you think you’re better than him?” Ryder asked, his voice laced with anger. “You think you could defeat an angel?”
“Should we find out?” Zane asked confidently as he pulled out his sword. Ryder laughed.
“You’ve got balls human!” He beckoned Zane over. “Come here, I’ll place a seal on your sword, so we don’t kill each other.” Zane walked over to Ryder and handed him the sword. Ryder’s hands began to glow as he chanted in Enochian. He handed the sword back to him. “This seal will make it so we can’t cut each other. However, getting hit will still hurt and could break bones. Luckily, Eliza can easily heal you after we’re done.” Ryder smiled; his face filled with anticipation.
Ryder and Zane squared off, preparing for the fight. Their banter had attracted the rest of the group, who were staring intently at the two of them. With a shout, Zane dashed towards Ryder, a look of excitement on his face. He stopped unexpectedly then disappeared right in front of Ryder. Fuck he’s fast! Ryder thought as he looked around. Zane appeared behind him, swinging hard. Shit! Ryder threw all his energy into his shield, blocking the blow. He retaliated quickly, thrusting his sword towards Zane. But Zane had already dodged the attack, almost as if he knew it was going to happen.
Ryder continued the assault, his anger growing with each missed attack. Ryder thrusted once again, this time Zane’s sword came crashing down onto his, forcing his sword into the ground. Before Ryder could comprehend what had happened, Zane grabbed his shield arm and forced it away from his body. Ryder’s head exploded with pain as Zane head-butted him, causing him to fall onto his back.
Anger coursed through Ryder’s body. How the hell did he get a hit on me? His wings shot out from his back, their power surging with his anger. Spikes shot out of the ground towards Zane. A blade of water sliced through the spikes and created a wall in front of him. Aria stood off to the side, her jaw clenched and lips tight.
“Ryder! That’s enough!” She released the wall of water and glared at Ryder. “You let your anger get the best of you. Someday it’ll get someone killed!” She turned and stormed off.
Ryder quickly looked at the ground as his shoulders slumped with defeat. His wings disappeared as he looked up at Zane. “I apologize. The match was fierce, and I forgot I was sparring with a mere human. I meant you no harm.”
Zane walked over and extended his arm. “I concede; the match is yours. You are a terrifyingly strong opponent.” He smiled as he looked at Ryder. Ryder returned the smile and grabbed his forearm, nodding in respect. Everyone watched them, stunned by the fight they had just witnessed.
“Shit. Dinner!” Mikayla yelled as she ran back to the fire to tend to the meat before it burned.
“Speaking of over doing it, I burnt out my blade for that speed. Damnit!” Zane looked over at Ryder. “I was just trying to prove myself as a useful fighter.” He looked over his blade, the glow of the holy light was gone, now it was just a dull gray. “It’s nothing but scrap metal now.”
“Let me look at it.” Ryder held out his hand. Zane gave him the sword and watched as he looked the blade over, the weight surprised him. “I might be able to rejuvenate the blade.” His hands began to glow, he spoke in Enochian as he moved them up and down the blade. Slowly, the blade began to glow again, it was more radiant than when his father had given it to him. “Good as new.” Ryder smiled, proud of his work.
Zane couldn’t help but smile as he took back the sword. He had never felt so much holy light in one object. “Well I guess I should thank you.” Zane swung the sword, relishing its power. They walked back over to the fire, everyone was there except Aria, and they had already started eating. The group fell silent as Zane sat down next to Keira. Zane grabbed a plate of food, his body cramping up from the exertion he had just put it through. Yea, I really over did it this time. He grunted as he rubbed his shoulder.
Keira stared at him; her face bright with fascination. “How? I’ve never seen anything like that. Not even the Prowlers move that fast.”
“I killed my blade to do it. It was foolish of me. If it wasn’t for Ryder, I’d be useless until we returned to our safe house,” Zane sighed. “My ego got the best of me again.”
“Sometimes I like it when your ego takes control.” Keira winked at Zane and nuzzled into him as she finished her meal.
“What’s a Prowler?” Myra asked, confusion on her face.
“It’s what we call the demon’s advanced forward scouts. They are ridiculously fast and can teleport small distances. We haven’t seen very many of them, so I don’t know much more than that,” he replied.
“They can teleport?” Ryder asked in surprise.
“That’s what I’ve been told.” Zane sighed. “I’ve never seen it though.”
“Interesting.” Ryder looked at the group around the fire. “Does anyone know where Aria ran off to?” Everyone shrugged and shook their heads. Ryder continued to look around the camp, his face dropped. “Myra,” he said, fear lacing his voice. “Where’s Eliza?”
Myra looked around in surprise. “Shit! I could’ve sworn she was just here.” Myra, Kai, and Ryder jumped up and pulled out their weapons.
“What’s going on?” Zane shouted in alarm.
“Stay here,” Ryder commanded as they ran from the camp.
~~~~
Aria stormed out of the camp, furious with herself and with Ryder. He wouldn’t have acted like that if it wasn’t for her. He thought he was protecting her, his big brother instincts kicking in. She just needed to get away for a little bit and calm down. She spotted a flat boulder by the stream. Perfect. She ran to the boulder and sat down at the edge. She took off her boots and dipped her feet into the stream.
It was a full moon tonight. The light from the moon sparkled in the stream. She watched the light dance as the water gently flowed across her feet. A smile spread across her face as she relaxed. She had always loved the outdoors; it was even better here on Earth. The air was fresh, and the breeze was cool. For once everything was different and exciting. I could stay here forever, she thought as she stared into the field across the stream.
The breaking of a twig snapped her out of her relaxation. She turned her head as a sharp pain pierced her side. “What the fuck!” she yelled as she clutched her side. Her heart pounded as she turned around. The moonlight made Eliza’s blonde hair shine; her blue eyes sparkled with delight. A small dagger was in her hand, Aria’s blood dripping off it. Aria slowly rose to her feet, her mind churning.
“So, this is what Gabriel wanted? For you to kill me?�
� She watched Eliza, who was walking around slowly, like a cobra waiting to strike.
Eliza laughed. “You are so naïve. You think Gabriel would have the balls to disobey Michael?” She smiled; her eyes bright with triumph. “Oh no, I’m not working for Gabriel. However, my employer has grown tired of your ignorance and the clear favoritism the Counsel shows you. We can’t have a rogue angel running around, following in Raphael’s footsteps.”
“You killed Raphael?” Aria interrupted, anger in her voice. She pulled out her daggers and squared off with Eliza.
“Silly girl,” Eliza responded with a smile as she swung her staff. “Death would’ve been too easy for him. No, no, no.” She shook her head. “It’s a far worse fate than that.” Aria lunged at Eliza, ignoring the burning pain in her side.
“He was like a father to me!” she shouted.
“He was a demon lover,” Eliza hissed, easily countering the attack. Aria growled with frustration as she shot lightning from her dagger. Eliza laughed as she dodged the attack. “You have much to learn, little girl.” Eliza raised her hand in the air, severe concentration on her face. Aria was thrown upwards then slammed back down into the earth. She struggled against the invisible grip around her body. Her face filled with shock as she watched Eliza walk over.
“God it’s been awful having to spend all of this time with Myra, flirting and giggling like children. But I had to get her to trust me so I could slip away when the opportunity arrived. Heaven will be a lot safer without you.” Eliza paused, a manic smile on her face. “Now, I wasn’t supposed to kill you, but this trip has really gotten on my nerves. And, it’s not like anyone is here to stop me.” She stood over Aria and laughed at the struggle. “Now, now. I’ll make it quick.”
Chapter Twenty
Earth
Zane knew something was wrong as he watched the angels run out of the camp. Where would Aria have gone to calm down? he thought as he examined their surroundings. His eyes landed on the stream. Of course! He stood up and grabbed his sword. He looked at Keira, “I’ll be right back.” He left the camp in the opposite direction of the angels.