The Candle (Haunted Series Book 23)

by Alexie Aaron

  “Shane Quivers told me about the first time Abigor and I met. He said, ‘You weren’t meant to live, Mia. He was sent to kill you. But Abigor saw you, lifted you up, and you smiled at him. Your fingers, so tiny, curled around his and he couldn’t do it. Instead he released your sight. He wanted you to at least see what was really around you. That life was more than flesh and blood. Life was spirits and paranormal beings, dancing and warring. You wouldn’t have come into your sight until the age of ten.’

  “Shane released a memory that had been blocked by Abigor. Back before I sensed the young woman ghost in my nursery, I saw that there were two beings inside one man. I saw Abigor walk out of a much younger Shane. He looked down at me, and I felt the tickle of his scales on my pink newborn skin. This made me smile, and I held on to his finger. You see, I saw the demon and the angel he was. It was the first time I would ever feel love. My mother had rejected me. My father couldn’t bond because of the Cooper curse. But this demon sent to destroy me, cared enough to look into my heart and…”

  “And?” Michael prodded.

  “I fell in love with him. I know he’s horrible. I wear his chain because it keeps the other generals from killing me. They would not dare touch a possession of Abigor.”

  “I want to ask you a question. Before you answer, I promise you I will not act upon the answer. I want the truth.”

  “Yes, I will speak the truth. I owe you that much,” Mia said.

  “If we were in battle and Abigor was in the position to kill me, what would you do?”

  “My allegiance is to you and Heaven. I would kill Abigor. And then I would probably die because of the bond.”

  “You would save me, but not yourself?”

  “Yes. That’s what heroes do.”

  “Do you love me? Do you love me even though I ripped your wings off?”

  “Yes, but remember, I do have father issues.”

  Michael laughed. Mia had disarmed him. He put her back to sleep. He had to think, and he didn’t need her pheromones distracting him.

  He called Sariel in.

  Sariel walked in and was relieved to see Mia still alive sleeping on the couch.

  “We have a big problem. Can I count on your discretion?’

  “As always.”

  “There is corruption in the Council of Women. A faction probably headed by Fredericka Cooper just tried to kill Mia twenty years ago. Someone planted a volo candle and transported Mia and her friends, including Orion, twenty years in the past. They were in their younger bodies. Mia, Murphy, and Burk Hicks were the only ones who maintained their twenty-first-century memories. While she was vulnerable, Mia, sans wings and powers in a twelve-year-old body, defeated two squads of Other assassins. Mia also killed a deer-woman who possessed an Ute woman.”

  “Mia is a highly trained warrior. I believe she started training with the superhuman and then was polished by Nicholai from the Brotherhood of the Wing,” Sariel said and then added, “She is also our healer.”

  “I know. This is why I’m going to ask her a question. You will abide by her answer.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Mia, wake up.”

  “You know I’m actually starting to feel better. I guess this is what they mean by heavenly rest.”

  “Mia, shut up,” Sariel said.

  “K.”

  “Mia, I have another important question to ask you. I want your honest answer,” Michael insisted.

  “I will give you my honest answer,” Mia promised.

  “If we determined that you were a threat to Heaven and the earth below, what would you suggest I do with you?”

  “I would ask you to kill me. But to not let Mark Leighton know an angel killed me. That would set him back on his original path.”

  “You heard her,” Michael said.

  Sariel dragged Mia off the settee. He put his foot down to hold her still and raised his sword. He brought it down with all his might. It was stopped by Michael’s sword.

  “But I thought you said…” Sariel stopped, confused.

  “Forgive me for putting both of you through that.”

  Mia looked up from the floor and closed her eyes in relief. “Man, do I hate Old Testament maneuvers.”

  “Get up, Mia,” Michael said.

  “Sir, I’d like to oblige you, but Sariel’s big fat foot crushed my spine.”

  “I do not have fat feet.”

  “Dude, those have to be size twenty-four sextuple E’s.”

  Michael knelt and examined Mia. “You have a crushed spine.”

  “No kidding. And Ted wonders why I don’t like coming here,” Mia grouched. “I guess I can say bye bye to my wings.”

  “I never liked them on you,” Michael said. “They smelled of bird.”

  “But the armor was amazing,” Mia pointed out. “And black, very gothic.”

  Michael looked down and shook his head. “You want me to give you Lucifer’s wings?”

  Sariel could tell Mia was considering it. “Mia, no.”

  “The need for my wings to match Victor’s is gone. I guess I don’t need wings, except for the number Elizabeth did on me. I am taller though. I like that.”

  “How about Nephilim wings?” Sariel suggested.

  “Now you’re just making fun of me,” Mia pouted.

  Michael nodded for Sariel to pick Mia up. He did so and cradled her to him when the pain decided to arrive.

  “Sleep, Mia,” Michael commanded, and she slept.

  Mia woke up on the hillside just the other side of the aerie. She ached, her head was spinning, but she managed to get to her feet. “My legs work, check.”

  “Why are you talking to yourself?” Murphy asked.

  “Hello, Murph, I’ve just been with Michael and Sariel.”

  “You look a little worse for wear.”

  “They play sick little games up there,” Mia said hoarsely. “What day is it?”

  “Don’t really know. I did just see you last night having an argument with Ted if that helps.”

  “Yes, it does. I suppose they’re looking for me?”

  “Don’t know? Altair came by and talked with Lazar, and then he took off. Ted left with Orion to hunt down Quazar, and Audrey took the kids with her, something about going to the zoo with Glenda Dupree.”

  “Aw, I missed the zoo trip. Poop.”

  “I like your dress. It’s on backwards. Want to explain that?” Murphy asked.

  “No. I’ve got a beast of a headache. Mind if I ask for a ride home?”

  Murphy scooped her up and walked down the hill with her. “You aren’t as heavy.”

  “It’s this new diet I’m on. It’s called Crush Your Spine - Lose Your Wings. It’s all the rage in Heaven these days.”

  “Ouch. Why don’t you wait to elaborate once I get you in the house? Press the doorbell,” he said.

  Mia did so.

  Lazar opened the door. “There you are. We were worried something bad happened to you,” he scolded.

  Murphy carefully carried her past Lazar and up the stairs. He laid her on the bed. “I better recharge. Get some rest. We’ll talk later,” he promised.

  Mia heard Lazar make his way up the steps. He tapped on the door. “Are you decent?”

  “I guess,” Mia said, looking at the gossamer fabric of the dress she had on backwards.

  “You left this in the yard,” Lazar said, tossing the pink robe on the bed.

  “Go out and burn this, please.”

  He laughed. “What happened to you? Last I saw, you were jetting upwards.”

  “Rules of gravity, what goes up must come down,” Mia said and turned her head into her pillow.

  Lazar saw the red, angry, spine-length wound on her back. “Oh, Mia,” he gasped.

  “I find that the medical attention I get up there has slipped. I think they privatized Heaven,” she said, curling up. She felt something and sat up. “Excuse me, lady problems,” she said, rushing into the bathroom. “Bloody hell!”

&nbs
p; “I don’t know what to do?” Lazar said. “Want me to call my mother? Susan?”

  “Call Burt and beg him for a pain pill. Tell him I got my period,” Mia said. “And spinal surgery. I’m not sure if I have any fucking wings. I didn’t even get a discharge slip.”

  Lazar texted Ted who responded that under no circumstances was Lazar to call Burt.

  Mia howled in pain. Lazar sent an SOS to Cid.

  Cid ran into the house and up the stairs.

  He found Lazar leaning against the wall. “Don’t go in there. She’s in pain, and I just told her Ted vetoed her painkillers.”

  “Burt’s not allowed to give Mia pain meds. He really hates to see her in pain, and he gives her too much. They enable each other.”

  “Why is Ted being so mean? Look at her.” Lazar pushed the door open.

  Cid saw Mia curled up in the fetal position. He could see the surgery wound on her back. Cid took out his phone and took a picture and sent it to Ted before he went into the room. “Mia, it’s Cid. As you know, I have a sister. Is there anything I can get for you?”

  Mia rolled to her back. “Get me out of this angel gown. Burn it with the effin’ pink robe. I want to die.”

  “What happened?” Cid asked.

  “Ted said, go and see Michael, Michael will understand. Well, long story short, I ended up with a crushed spine, and I think they chucked Victor’s beautiful wings.”

  “They were rather big on you,” Cid reminded her.

  “That’s not the point. So Ted’s vetoed Burt. Call Alan, I want a divorce.”

  “I’m not calling Alan,” Cid said.

  “Then give me the phone. I’ll call him. And then I’m calling Mike to come and get me.”

  “Mia!” Cid said and shut the door and locked it. “You’re going to regret whatever you do right now. You’re clearly not in your right mind. I’m going to stay and take care of you. Hot water bottle for the cramps and Ibuprofen for the surgery pain. I’d offer to call Angelo but…”

  “Do so and die,” Mia growled.

  “No wonder Murphy took off,” Cid said. “Okay, let me find you something to wear…”

  Lazar stood silent sentinel outside the closed door. He heard Mia scream in agony and Cid apologize profusely. Cid finally opened the door. “I’m going to call Judy and have her…”

  The doorbell rang. But before they moved to answer it, the door opened, and a beautiful woman moved up the stairs, followed by eight handmaidens. “Hello, Raphael sent me. Evidently, there was an incident during surgery… Where’s the patient?”

  Cid mutely pointed to the room. “She’s been butchered.”

  “I need to patch her up because she has to return and heal the butchers.”

  “What!”

  “Is this Mia the angel healer?”

  “Yes.”

  “During her surgery, the two angels working on her were surprised by a demon who was hiding in her spine of all places. Battle ensued and Sariel barely got Mia out of the room and back here. He separated the two on the hillside. Then he dragged the demon all the way back to the lair, where he imprisoned her. Michael arrived and, with much difficulty, dispatched the demon. This demon was able to call weapons at will. They would just appear. We’ve never seen anything like it.”

  “I told them something was wrong,” Mia said.

  “I know, dear, no one blames you. Raphael requests your expertise.”

  “Alright, he’s been very nice to me. Hasn’t ripped off my wings once.”

  “Why is she talking so goofy?” Cid asked.

  “She’s still under Michael’s anesthesia.”

  “He’s a horrible anesthetist. She’s in a lot of pain, and it just increases,” Cid reported.

  “The further she is from Michael, the less he can control her pain.”

  “K,” Mia managed and continued, “Cid, I’m going to go and straighten this all out, and then I’m coming back and ripping Ted’s balls off.”

  “I’ll let him know.”

  Cid watched as the maidens laid a shiny living patch, he suspected was an eel of some kind, along Mia’s spine. They then wrapped her in silk and disappeared with her.

  “I think Mia’s personality is fractured,” Lazar said. “The good news is that Raphael can help her. He helped me.”

  “Why did this happen at all?” Cid asked. His phone rang. “Where the fuck are you?”

  “We’re almost downtown,” Ted told him.

  “Did you see the photo I sent you?”

  “No.”

  “I’m going to kill you when I see you. Look at the photo.”

  “Hang on,” Ted said and put him on hold. “What the fuck happened to my wife?”

  “You sent her to Heaven. They broke her spine and tossed her on the hillside,” Cid said. “Or that’s what it looked like. Evidently, there was a demon inside Mia’s spine. It attacked her surgeons. Sariel did his best to get Mia away. He and, I think, Michael are grievously injured. Only Mia can save them. So this drop-dead gorgeous woman, who didn’t leave her name by the way, came with a posse of likewise dolls. They patched Mia up and disappeared with her.”

  “Did Mia say anything?”

  “She said, she was coming back to take your balls off,’” Cid said. “But that could just be the period cramps talking.”

  “She told me there was something wrong. I told her to go and speak with Michael. My god, what have I done?”

  “Maybe she will forget all of this. After all, she was still under anesthesia when Sariel dropped her off.”

  “I don’t know what to do? We have a meeting scheduled with Gerald. We’re hoping to get a line on Quazar.”

  “Well, unless you have an all-access pass to all of Michael’s 182 lairs, I’d stay on course. I’ll let you know when Mia arrives home. Oh, and when she does, I’m calling Burt.”

  Chapter Twenty-nine

  Mia moved stiffly in extreme pain. She could not believe the carnage in the room. There was blood everywhere. She suspected a great deal of it was hers. She pushed it away and knelt down beside Raphael. He was valiantly holding his brother’s insides in.

  “I ordered three elemental hearts. I had to call in some favors,” he said.

  Mia put her hands on Michael and opened herself up to the healing mages.

  Raphael watched the small woman summon powers from constellations far from theirs. She lifted her hand up and grabbed something Raphael could not see. She stretched the material over the open abdomen. “It’s like cling film,” Mia told him, but it’s made by spiders.” She laid her head on Michael’s chest and listened. “Not good. I hear wind where there should be liquid and liquid where there should be air. Is this normal?”

  “Our bodies are very similar to yours. It’s where our father got your design from.”

  “I know it sounds wrong, but we’ve closed up his abdomen, but I need to open up his chest. I need to get my hands inside him. But I fear he’s lost too much blood.”

  “What if you could do that without opening him up?”

  “I’m game,” Mia said.

  “Give me your hands,” Raphael said.

  Mia did.

  “God made us up of stardust; he made you of dust. I’m going to change this temporarily.”

  Mia felt a warming, and her skin became luminous. Her eyes could see through Michael’s skin. She laid her hands on his chest gently and watched as they sunk through the skin. She saw the problem. A blade had broken off and was joining half the angel’s heart with his lung. Mia pulled it very slowly out healing the cells as the blade was pulled from them. Soon the blade had been extracted.

  “I need my dust back,” Mia said.

  Raphael obliged.

  Mia closed her eyes and let the words only she could hear guide her.

  Michael coughed. He expelled the blood that had flowed into his injured lung. His heart pumped new blood through his body.

  “Don’t move,” she cooed.

  There was a commotion outside,
and two mammoth helmet-wearing winged men walked into the room with the elemental hearts. Mia reached out and took a dagger from one of them. She sliced the heart so it was thin and wide. She laid the heart over the exposed abdomen. It took two hearts to cover the space. She put her hand on Michael. “Stand back and open that window,” she said, holding out the dagger.

  A blast of energy shot out of the heavens and hit the knife and flowed through Mia into Michael’s body. Mia held on as long as she could and then broke the connection.

  She stood up and asked, “Where is the other one?”

  “Here, Mia,” Sariel called.

  Mia walked over to where Sariel was trying to stay conscious. He had a spear thrust through his shoulder diagonally, and it pinned him into the wood of the floor through his thigh. Someone had fashioned him a seat to keep in this position.

  “Oh my Google, what happened?” Mia asked. “Why didn’t someone take it… Oh, I see,” she said, looking at the femoral artery in his leg. The shaft of the spear was dangerously close to severing it.

  “I can tell you, if I move or it moves, then it’s all over,” Sariel said weakly. “I told them to wait until you were here.”

  Mia nodded and looked around for something to use as a tourniquet. She called over to one of the two dragon hunters. “You there, give me your belt.”

  The angel walked over to challenge her request but saw the seriousness of her face and untied it.

  “You’re a strong fella, I need you to stay here and help me,” Mia ordered, not looking at him. She was busy winding the belt around Sariel’s thigh.

  “Mia…” Sariel started to say.

  “Don’t talk, save your strength.” She motioned for the angel to come closer. “I need you to hold this on either side. It’s important it doesn’t move. Do you understand me?”

  “Yes,” the angel answered curtly.

  “Good. Does anyone here have the power of fire?”

  “I do.”

  “Well that was handy. Concentrate a tiny ring of fire here. We need to break the shaft without moving it. I can’t saw through it because we’ll lose his leg.”

  “I understand.”

  “When it breaks, be prepared to catch him. I’ll keep the leg still.”