by Rachel Green
Harold grinned. “To extend the metaphor, why don’t you just hammer in a piece from a different box? It’s what you usually do.”
“Oh, har-de-har.” Jasfoup frowned, tapping his cheek with an elegant finger. “Actually, that’s not such a bad idea.”
“Give me some more edges. Why aren’t there thousands of these nephilim?”
“I told you that. After the flood they went into hiding. They don’t want to incur His wrath again.”
“No, they stopped making giants and eating people so God wouldn’t notice they were here.” Harold, lost in thought, chewed his fingernails. “So why now? Why send an angel to kill them off one by one?”
“I don’t know, Harold. Perhaps it’s a sanctioned cull we weren’t aware of. Maybe it’s Hell on a recruitment drive. It’s a dangerous a world for nephilim, that’s why they grow up so fast once they’ve been quickened into their true nature.”
Harold frowned. “What do you mean?”
Jasfoup looked at him. “Think about it. You’re the main predator in a world of intelligent prey. Are you going to hang about for twenty years whilst your offspring is vulnerable to attack? No, of course not. You’re going to want your baby to take care of itself. Nephilim can mature in a matter of hours, absorbing the knowledge of their parents to become fully cognizant adults as fast as possible. In just the same way, you can’t have a pregnant woman carrying a nephilim for nine months, since any mortal who got wind of it would kill it immediately. Gestation is accelerated as well, down from nine months to a few days.”
“Is it really?” Harold tapped the table. “Gillian and I could never have a baby because of the gestation period. If it can be reduced to a few days it could be reduced to hours. It would be possible for a vampire to have a child.”
“I suppose so.” Jasfoup sounded doubtful. “I can think of a few flaws in your idea, though.”
“Like what?” Harold looked at him.
Jasfoup shifted under his gaze. “Firstly, you’d have to reduce the gestation period to a single night.”
Harold nodded. “I could arrange that. I’ve seen spells to accelerate time in a localized area.”
“If so, then why didn’t the grigori use it?”
Harold stuck out his tongue. “Because such spells are dark magic. Not even a Fallen angel could combine the two. I could, because I’m a product of three different planes. Mum was from Faery, remember? Their gestation is fast, too, so mine will be. Combine that with a nephilim’s gestation, and we’d be there.”
Jasfoup nodded thoughtfully. “You have a good point. It could work, apart from one more problem.”
Harold grinned. “Lay it on me.”
Jasfoup took hold of his hand, his deep red eyes boring into Harold’s. “Gillian’s undead, Harold. She’s a lifeless corpse during the day. Her womb will have atrophied.”
“Ah.” Harold face fell.
“Doesn’t Gillian get a say in this?” Felicia had sat silently all this time but here was something on which she could give input. “Does she want to have a baby?”
“Doesn’t every woman?” Jasfoup patted her. “Don’t you want puppies some day?”
Chapter 30
It was after dusk when they got back to the manor and later still by the time Felicia managed to get a coffee brewed with Harold’s ancient kitchen equipment. “You need to buy a half-decent coffee machine.”
“Instant has always suited my purposes.” Harold nudged her aside to claim first rights to the boiling kettle. He could be lethal with the sharp end of a teapot. “Tea, Jasfoup?”
“Actually, I'll take a coffee.” He winked at Felicia. “I may be inclined to take tea in the general course of the day but I was raised in Florence, remember.”
“It’s your prerogative.” Harold retreated to the far side of the kitchen to sit at the table. “Tea makes you feel alive.”
“I feel alive.” Felicia maneuvered around the demon to get at the coffee. “When Jenna infected me I wanted to die rather than become a werewolf. Now I’m growing used to it. I feel a thousand times more alive than I used to.”
“And you look better too.” The demon patted her shoulder. “Still not attractive, mind.”
“How can we stop this? How can we make these angels leave us alone?”
“I don’t know.” Jasfoup rooted through the cupboards and pulled out a packet of chocolate biscuits. “If all they want to do is kill off as many nephilim as they can, I don’t see a solution.”
“I heard a but there.” Felicia went to the kitchen door. “Julie? There’s coffee made if you want one.” She sat at the table.
Jasfoup took the seat opposite and stared at the foam on top of his cup. “But.” He looked into her eyes. “The but is, if they’re looking for something specific.”
“Such as?” Felicia’s first sip gave her a milk-foam moustache.
“One of the lost tribe of giants.” Jasfoup turned his coffee cup so Felicia could see the distinct shape of a dragon in the foam. “Or him.”
Felicia sprayed mocha through her nose. “You can’t be serious.” She alternated between fits of coughing and laughter. “A dragon? You have got to be kidding me.”
Jasfoup looked affronted but offered a handkerchief. “I most certainly am not. Why do you think they call Lucifer ‘The Dragon’?”
“Because he’s a big, winged, scaly beast?” Felicia wiped tears of laughter from her eyes.
“He is, but that’s not why he got the name.” Jasfoup leaned forward, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial tone. “He got the name from shagging in lizard form, way back when the earth was young. While other angels made human nephilim, he made lizard ones.”
“That’s disgusting.” Julie stood in the doorway, one hand on the frame. “I came in to see what the noise was about and get treated to that sordid tale. No wonder there’s a rule against bestiality.”
“That wasn’t because of Lucifer.” Jasfoup pushed out a seat for her. “That was all Adam’s doing. God made that law up to stop Adam copulating with everything that came his way and pay a bit more attention to Eve.”
Julie sat, sending Wrack to pour her coffee. “Men will shag anything.”
“He didn’t know any better. This was before Eve ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge.”
“She didn’t have to eat it.”
“Of course she did. Wouldn’t you, if someone offered you all the secrets of the world?”
“I suppose.” Julie hesitated. “God told them not to, though...”
“Yes.” Jasfoup opened the biscuits. “All kids do what their parents tell them, don’t they? I remember Ada telling Harold not to eat the Christmas tree lights but did he listen?”
“He was a child, surely?” Felicia took a biscuit, surprised they hadn’t begun to melt. “You can’t expect a child to contemplate consequences.”
“True. Ignoring the example of Harold, who was thirty at the time, Adam and Eve were like children themselves.”
“Without the fruit, they didn’t know right from wrong. Do children expect parents to throw them out for misbehavior?”
“I see your point.” Julie held out her hand for another biscuit. “What has this got to do with dragons?”
“Technically they’re nephilim. What if the angels are here because there’s a dragon about?”
“So what?” Felicia stirred the foam into her coffee. “A dragon wouldn’t stand a chance in the modern world. Not against jet aircraft and guided missiles.”
“It’s not the dragon itself. It’s what it represents.”
“And what’s that?”
“The apocalypse.”
Chapter 31
Felicia knew enough about her friends to take them seriously. She toyed with a spill of sugar on the table, imagining her fingernail as a bulldozer piling up grains as she considered the notion. “Aren’t there supposed to be signs and portents before the apocalypse? The whore of Babylon, the great dragon casting down stars and all that?”
&
nbsp; Jasfoup patted her hand. “You’re talking about Revelations. The trouble with old John was, he was as nutty as a fruitcake. Yes, he got the signs mostly right, but he screwed up the time frame. That happens a lot when you fast for forty days before your visions. He wrote them down as he saw them, but he didn’t realize that what he thought was a few hours were actually millennia.”
“If it takes millennia to bring about the apocalypse, why worry now?”
The demon stood, his chair grating across the tiles. “We should worry because some of it has already happened. The whore of Babylon is–or was–Lilith, Adam’s first wife. The dragon that swept away a third of the stars was Lucifer. Every sign brings the end of creation nearer.”
“Oh.” Felicia tapped her fingers on the table. “Not good, then.”
“No.” Jasfoup looked out at the gardens. “I rather like the earth as it is.”
“We don’t want to die either.” Felicia screwed up her nose and folded her bottom teeth over her top lip. “It would help to know what we’re up against, though. Who is this flaming angel?”
“Puriel, the Hammer of God.” Jasfoup sat again, one hand resting casually around Julie’s shoulders. “He brings the purging fire. Nothing survives it.”
“Then what chance do we have?” Julie reached for her sister’s hand. “How can we defeat an angel with that kind of power?”
Jasfoup shook his head. “I wish I knew. What is immune to celestial fire?”
“Infernal ice?” Julie looked up. “To coin an antonym. Isn’t the first circle of Hell perpetual ice?”
“Yes, but how can we get the ice up here? It freezes everything. Not even a demon can touch it.”
“I thought mortals could? Didn’t Virgil lead Dante through it?”
Jasfoup barked a laugh. “Theoretically, but what mortal would not be driven mad by the vision of Hell?”
“I might know someone.” Felicia looked up.
“Really?” Jasfoup turned to her. “Who?”
“My friend Meinwen.”
“The nutty witch across the road from the shop?” Jasfoup shook his head. “She wouldn’t stand a chance.”
“Wouldn’t her faith protect her?”
“I don’t see why. She’s pagan. We’re talking about the home turf of Hell.”
“Fetch a Bible.” Julie tapped his arm. “I need you to look something up for me.”
“All right.” Jasfoup left the room, returning moments later with a large-format King James’s. “What did you want to look up?”
“Tell me what it says about the woman who gives birth to the new Messiah.”
Jasfoup found Revelations, chapter twelve. “A woman clothed in sunshine wearing a crown of stars who walks on the path of the moon. So?”
“Wouldn’t that accurately describe a follower of the Goddess?”
Jasfoup shrugged. “Possibly, but she’s not pregnant with the new Messiah, or wasn’t last time I looked, and the Great Dragon didn’t want to destroy her.”
“But she was protected by God.”
“True.” Jasfoup frowned. “It might work. She’d be stuffed facing Puriel, though.”
“We’ve established no one can face him.” Felicia looked to her sister. “What about your magic stones, Julie? Would they be able to transfer the ice from Hell to wherever Puriel is?”
“My fetiches?” Julie frowned. “Perhaps. I could make them into two linked gates. They would have to be used at the same time, though, and I don’t see how that could be done.”
“What if one was already in place? Could using the second one activate the first?”
“It’s possible.” Julie nodded. “Let me think about it.”
“Don’t take too long.” Jasfoup closed the Bible. “We don’t know how much time we have left.”
“While we’re on the subject, is it possible to make a fetiche to allow remote viewing?”
“I don’t know. The ones I made for you were instantaneous transfers of energy. To make one that has a sustained spell...” She shook her head. “I can’t cast that sort of spell.”
“Harold can.” Jasfoup clicked his fingers, and when Devious appeared, asked for more coffee despite the pot being within reach. “He can make self-sustaining spells.”
“Bully for him.” Felicia stuck out her tongue. “He can’t make your spell balls, though. Could you work together?”
“Maybe.” Julie considered the idea. “He’d have to do as I told him, though. What’s the point, though? Why not set up a camera for surveillance?”
“Because the camera would be static. I want to be able to see what the subject is seeing.”
Julie nodded. “You obviously have someone in mind. Who?”
“Jenna.” Felicia fished in her pocket. “I still have a piece of her tooth.”
Julie rubbed her dead eyes. “That would work as a focus, assuming Harold knows a spell for the sight part.”
“Let’s hope he does.” Felicia looked at Jasfoup. “What about the other nephilim? The one we haven’t met? I’ve forgotten his name.”
“Gary Hughes?” Jasfoup shrugged. “I don’t know. We’d have heard if they’d got him. Do you want me to check?”
“Please. What clan is he?”
Jasfoup stood and stretched. “I won’t know until I’ve met him. I’ll drop in on Harold as well. Back shortly.”
Felicia watched him vanish into a cylinder of red light. “That always makes me think of a matter transporter. I almost expect him to say ‘Beam me down, Snotty’.”
Julie laughed. “I remember those shows. They used to be on the telly on Fridays. Mum used to let us watch them because they weren’t scary.”
“If only we knew then what ‘scary’ really was.”
Julie sighed and rubbed her stomach. “Could you see if there’s any indigestion tablets anywhere? I’ve got terrible stomach ache.”
“Sure.” Felicia frowned. “What have you had to eat today?”
“Nothing since the meal last night. I couldn’t face eating anything this morning.”
“You should try something,” Felicia said rooting through the cupboards. “How about dry toast?”
“Honestly, no. I think I’d bring it straight up again.”
“You haven’t eaten anything you shouldn’t?” Felicia tried to banish the image of her sister in bed with Jasfoup the moment she said it.
“What?” Julie flushed. “Oh no, nothing like that.”
“Ah!” Felicia held up an ancient packet of chewable tablets. “Found some.” She pressed it into her sister’s hand.
“Thanks.” Julie took one out and sucked it. “Do you think we’ll survive?”
“Not without help.” Felicia sat again and glanced through the Bible. “That little imp was asking after yours.”
“Which one? The one with the torn ear or without?”
“Without. John, his name is.”
“What was he asking about me?” Wrack perked up, his hooves draped casually over Julie’s shoulder.
“This and that.” Felicia allowed herself a small smile. “Whether you were single, whether you were gay. That sort of thing.”
“He’s sweet.” The imp curled and uncurled his tail. “But scrawny.”
Julie laughed. “You should think yourself lucky he’s interested. I haven’t seen another imp in all the time I’ve known you.”
Wrack nodded, stroking his tail as he thought about it. “Tell him to give me a call. What’s the worst that could happen?”
Jasfoup reappeared. “I found him. I don’t think he’s in much danger, actually. He’s only just started, none of his powers activated. I think we can guess what Jenna was doing last night.”
“That explains why they keep coming after us.” Felicia yawned suddenly and slapped a hand over her mouth. “We seem to be fairly safe here, though. What about Harold?”
“He’s safe at the shop. There’s a lot of security there, and he was just about to come home anyway. The weak point is your dog friend.�
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“Jenna? Any idea where she is?”
“Not at the moment. You’ll have to track her yourself when she goes hunting.”
“I hope she’s with a lot of people, she’ll be safer that way.”
“Not for long. They’ll come for her sooner or later.”
“Who?” Harold came through the door, dropping his briefcase on the chair.
“Jenna.” Felicia smiled. “Hi, Harold.”
“Hello, yourselves.” Harold grinned and clicked his fingers for Devious as he took his coat off. “What have you lovely ladies been doing all day?”
“Making plans. Do you know a self-sustaining spell for remote viewing?”
“I think so. Why?”
“We think it’s the best way of keeping an eye on Jenna.”
“Ha-ha. Remote viewing, keeping an eye on her. Very good.” He accepted a mug of tea from Devious. “Fetch my spell book will you? It’s on the lectern in my workroom.”
“Must I?” Devious looked beaten. “It’s scary down there.”
“You’re an imp. What could possibly happen?”
“That’s what they say when the lone teenager goes into the cellar.” Devious shuddered. “‘What could possibly happen?’ Then he gets his head bitten off by an alien.”
“I think you’re mixing your films up, old chap. Now hurry, before my tea goes cold.”
“Right.” Devious opened his gate and vanished.
“What’s this in aid of then?” Harold raised his cup. “Why do you want to spy on Jenna?”
“We think the dog’s the weakest target. The angels will go after her next.”
“It seems likely. Why doesn’t she just come back here until all this blows over? They’ll give up soon enough and then we can get back to normal.”
“Give up? They’re angels, Harold. They have all the time in the world. They’re not going to give up. This is probably the most exciting thing since Aled Jones hit puberty.”
Harold laughed. “I see your point. Are we any nearer to finding out why they’re here?”
“Jasfoup thinks that they’re looking for a dragon.” Felicia made flapping motions with her arms. “A sign of the apocalypse.”