by Rachel Green
She forced herself to think rationally. Who else had the ability to help? The imps! They could gate in, the same way Raphael had. She raised her arm to the height of her head and clicked, hoping at least one of them would respond. A moment later she felt a gust of warm air and the fetid breath of an imp on her face.
“Wolf girl?” Devious sat on the sprinkler pipe. “New gallery decor? It’s a bit on the wet side.”
“Devious, please.” Felicia gasped as she caught hold of the bar. “I’m drowning.” She paused to gulp more air. “Open a gate at floor level and swim up to me.”
“Must I?” Felicia could sense the grimace, then the warm air vanished as Devious gated out again. There was a muffled thump, and several bubbles of air broke the surface as Devious rejoined her. “They’re not going to like this downstairs. I just hope it drains into the Styx before anyone thinks to trace the source.”
Felicia kept hold of the pipe until the water had whirlpooled into Devious’s tunnel, then dropped to the floor. She set the imp on her shoulder, feeling the tail curl automatically around her neck as she paddled in bare feet among the puddles. The bookshop door opened, allowing light to flood into the gallery.
Jasfoup’s wings fluttered, and Felicia felt the demon’s eyebrows rise even in silhouette.
“Thank Hell you’re here.” Felicia sagged with relief.
Jasfoup took a long look at the devastation that the tiny flood had caused. “Did you have a wet dream?”
* * * *
Felicia sat in the bookshop kitchen dressed in Harold’s woolliest dressing gown and accepted a cup of sweet tea from Jasfoup. Next to her, at Felicia’s insistence, sat Devious, wrapped in a fluffy towel. She related what happened with Raphael.
“So he just left you to die?” Jasfoup pressed his hands to his face. “He must expect to be called to account for his actions.”
“He didn’t seem worried.” Felicia shivered. “Not that I was studying him, what with trying to stay alive.”
The shop door opened and closed and Julie rushed in. “What happened?” She barely spared a glance at the swaddled imp. Felicia recounted the tale for her benefit. “And Devious saved my life.” She leaned over and kissed the imp’s head ridge. Devious grinned nervously.
“Tch.” Jasfoup waved a hand dismissively. “Get a room.”
Julie enveloped Felicia in a hug, holding it for several seconds. “Come on. Let’s get you back to the manor. You must be exhausted.”
“What about the gallery?” Felicia grimaced. “All the paintings will be ruined.”
“I wouldn’t worry about the oils.” Harold drew his lips back. “But the watercolors will all be abstract expressionist now.”
Jasfoup snorted. “It’ll be an improvement.”
Chapter 48
Felicia pushed open the door to the little terraced house. She was greeted by Laura Ashley floral wallpaper, a style long out of fashion, as far as she was concerned, the moment she discovered what her clitoris was for. “It’s wide open.” She kept her voice to a whisper. “Do you think we’re too late?” She crept forward, curling her lip at the Ikea paintings and House of Fraser scatter cushions.
“I hope not. According to Taliel, there’s a nephilim here.” Jasfoup peered over her shoulder. “Linda Washington. There’s a light on at the back and another upstairs. I can hear music too. I can’t smell any fire, though.”
“Good. We might be in time then. Puriel likes to cover his killings by burning the house down.” Felicia stepped cautiously over the threshold and checked behind the door.
“Who’s watched too much television now?” Jasfoup’s voice was equally low. He held up a hand for silence and motioned up the stairs.
Felicia approached the lit rooms on the second floor. As her head became level with the landing, she stopped, swiveling on her heels to acquaint herself with the layout of the rooms. Two were lit, but since one was an empty bathroom she concentrated on the farther one, from which issued the strains of light dance music and voices. She crept farther up, motioning the others to follow and, once next to the open doorway, risked a peek around the frame. Inside the room were two women, one of whom, according to Jasfoup, must be Puriel in mortal form. The other woman was therefore the nephilim they’d come to save. Gooseflesh pricked her arms
Felicia’s heartbeat increased. They were indeed in time to prevent a murder. She was not, however, entirely happy about facing down an angel.
Jasfoup stared helplessly up from the stairwell. “I can’t come any closer. He’s too powerful for me. You’ll have to confront him on your own. I’d burn away to nothing.”
Felicia’s eyes widened. “No help from you? What can I do against it?”
“Go and bark at him.” The demon made shooing motions. “What he’s doing is still murder, even if he thinks it’s God’s will. Give him a kicking and he might re-think his actions.”
“Good plan.” Felicia kept her voice low. “I’d agree if wasn’t me facing certain death.” She took a deep breath and stepped smartly into the room.
“Felicia.” The nearer woman’s lips curled into the slightest of smiles. “How kind of you to join us.”
“Who are you?” The second woman stepped forward. “What are you doing in my house?”
Felicia began to edge between them. “I’m trying to save your life. This woman is just a shell, a disguise for the angel Puriel. He’s systematically destroying the nephilim before God notices and drowns the world again.”
“You’re a loony.” The woman picked up the phone. “I’ve known Elizabeth since we were at school. I’m calling the police.” She began to dial.
“It’s all right, Linda.” Elizabeth-Puriel stayed her friend. “I know her. This is Felicia Turling. She’s harmless. Where’s your friend, Felicia? The demon?”
“He’s just outside, so don’t try anything funny.” Felicia risked a glance at the second woman. “I’m telling the truth, Linda. The Elizabeth you once knew is gone, possessed by the Hammer of God. He’s killed dozens of nephilim all over the world, and you’re next on his list.”
“Ignore her.” Elizabeth picked up her glass of wine. “She lives in a state of perpetual illusion. How’s your girlfriend, Felicia? Surely she must be awake by now?”
“I expect so.” Felicia frowned, still maintaining her guard. “It’s past dusk.”
“What has that got to do with it?” Linda put the phone down and looked at her friend. “Elizabeth?”
“She’s a vampire, isn’t she Felicia?” Elizabeth smiled. “You keep her in a coffin.” She twirled her finger against her head. “She’s mad. Put your claws away, Felicia. They won’t do you any good.”
Felicia could see the flickering eyes of Puriel behind Elizabeth’s. “I’m not mad, Linda. Everything I’ve said is the truth. Tell me you’re not a nephilim and I’ll leave, but if you are, Puriel will destroy you. If that’s want you want, just say, but I’m here to save you.”
“Nephilim?” Linda’s gaze flickered from Felicia to Elizabeth and back. “What the hell is a nephilim?”
“The child of an angel.” Felicia stepped farther in, forcing Puriel to turn his back on the woman. “Have you noticed anything odd about yourself lately? Super-fast healing? Cravings? Unexplained luck?”
“Linda! Don’t be fooled by her.” Elizabeth’s voice had dropped an octave as her skin peeled off.
“Look at her, Linda.” Felicia nodded toward the angel. “She’s not your old school friend at all. Look at her skin.”
Linda looked and gave a horrified gasp. “No! It can’t be!”
“You must be removed from His sight.” Elizabeth’s skin had been replaced by the steel-gray musculature of the angel, flickering with flames as if it was burning from the inside. His multiple pairs of wings fanned loose papers around the room. Felicia picked up a table lamp and smashed it across the angel’s head. Puriel hesitated for a moment but suffered no damage. Her fingers stung from the force.
Puriel made a return st
rike she only avoided by stepping backward and raising her arm, blocking the blow and moving her hand down and round in a maneuver that would have shattered a mortal opponent’s elbow.
“Do something!” Her time remaining on the earth would be counted in seconds, without help.
With a hiss of air, a tiny door opened and Devious dropped into the room shrieking. He scampered past Felicia and out of the door even as his skin blistered from proximity to the angel. “Pray, wolfie!” he shouted from the relative safety of the landing. “Pray.”
“Pray?” Felicia retreated again as another blow blistered her arm and forced her backward. She dropped to one knee to deliver a blow to the angel’s stomach. “I’m already damned, you stupid imp. What’s the point of praying for deliverance from an angel?”
“He’s on an unsanctioned mission.” Devious shouted around the door frame. “He doesn’t want G-d finding out what’s going on any more than you do.” He pronounced ‘G-d’ as a curious gulping sound. “Praying will attract the attention of the folk upstairs. He can’t afford that.”
Felicia took another step back and found herself against the wall. With no further ideas, she was shortly going to be a small pile of ash. “Oh, erm, Great Adversary in Heaven. Look down upon Your infernal creations and weep, for there is trouble brewing, yea and verily.”
“What are you doing, you stupid mortal?” Puriel aimed a sledgehammer fist at Felicia, who ducked and stepped sideways, allowing the blow to hit the wall. “Your prayer is pathetic. The lowest putti would pay it no heed.”
There was a crash as the window shattered. Gillian entered among a shower of glass, landing lightly on her feet and aiming a high kick at the fiery angel’s wing joint. “The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside the still waters.” Gillian panted as her boot began to smoke from contact with the purifying flame.
“What the devil?” Felicia spluttered, using the angel’s distraction to slip under his guard and land two more punches before ducking away. “What are you doing here, Gillian? How can you pray? You’re a vampire!”
Gillian flashed her a smile and continued, keeping the angel between herself and Felicia so that he was attacked from two sides. “He restoreth my soul...he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil...for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”
Puriel shrieked. “Shut up. He will destroy us all, and the earth with us. It is a righteous duty that I perform, lest he destroy everything in His wrath.”
“Bugger off then.” Felicia’s grin was malevolent. “Or we’ll take our chances.”
“You deserve eternal torment.” The angel sent a stream of celestial fire toward Gillian. She dived out of the way as the curtains ignited. “It will give me great pleasure to deliver you to it.”
“Pride, Puriel?” Felicia smiled, immensely grateful Gillian had turned up and sensing the tide had turned in their favor. “It looks like you’re due for a Fall.” She followed her words with a low kick that would have shattered a mortal kneecap.
“Never!” Puriel threw another punch at Felicia, who ducked. He stumbled forward as another of Gillian’s kicks connected with what passed for his head. Felicia swung to take advantage of the mistake and her claws swung through the suddenly empty gap. The angel had vanished.
Gillian blocked the claws with her hand, catching hold of the wrist and using it to pull Felicia toward her. “What delightful moves you have. Care to share some with me?”
Felicia chuckled as they kissed, breaking off to allow herself a moment to recover for the exertion. “You can come in now.” She stepped to the doorway. “Devious? I need water to put this fire out.” She looked around. “Where’s Linda?”
“Here.” Lind climbed out from behind the furniture but gave Devious a wide berth. “How did you do that? You defended me from an angel. What happened to Elizabeth?”
Felicia shrugged. “Who knows? Dead, probably. Do you believe me now?”
“Of course.” Linda nodded, staring at the discarded skin that had been Elizabeth. “Is that what I think it is?”
Felicia followed her gaze just as Jasfoup entered the room, followed by a dripping Devious. “A nephilim skin disguise.” Jasfoup shrugged. “That’s what you were destined to be.”
Linda shuddered. “Thank you.” She clasped Felicia’s arm. “If there’s anything I can do to repay you...”
“There is.” Gillian held up her arms. They were blistered so badly the right was all but a stump. “A pint or two of your blood would do nicely.”
Linda laughed politely. “That’s very funny, but I don’t think so.”
“You’d prefer me to kill a mortal? It would take all the blood a mortal has to satisfy my craving right now, whereas just a small amount of nephilim blood would sate my thirst.”
“This is Gillian. She’s my...partner. Gratitude to her is gratitude to me.”
Linda looked from one to the other, studiously avoiding the direction of Jasfoup, who had picked up the discarded skin thoughtfully. “You are joking, right?”
“Absolutely not. She has to heal somehow.”
Linda nodded in resignation and Gillian stepped forward to feed.
Felicia laid a hand on her arm. “How you were able to say a prayer?”
“Intent.” Gillian spoke through a blood-filled mouth. “I wasn’t thinking about God when I spoke the words. Who is my rod and staff?”
“Harold.” Felicia laughed. “But you should really only pray to him in the bedroom.”
“When Puriel realizes he’ll be back.” Devious looked around the room. “We need to scarper.”
Felicia nodded. “He’s got a point, Linda. Puriel will hunt you down. You’re better off with us for the time being.”
Gillian released her hold on the nephilim woman and straightened. “We might not be able to stop him next time and I doubt he’d fall for the same trick twice.”
“An angel is immortal.” Linda rubbed her neck, wincing. “How on earth are you going to stop him?”
“We can’t. Not on Earth, anyway. I have a plan.”
Jasfoup carefully folded what used to be Elizabeth’s skin and put it under his arm. Like all nephilim skin, it was semi-sentient and writhed disturbingly. Felicia couldn’t look at it.
“You need to get a bag together.” The demon turned toward the door. “Enough for a few nights.”
Linda hurried out of the room and he called after her. “Don’t forget your toothbrush.” He looked round at the stares of Felicia and Gillian. “What? I know what nephilim eat, remember. I don’t want to see bits of it on her teeth.”
Linda returned with a carry-all bag, looked anxiously around at her possessions and picked up a framed photograph of her with two older people.
“It’ll probably all be here when you get back.” Felicia displayed more reassurance than she felt. “It’ll only be for a few days.” She led the way back downstairs and toward her car.
“What is your plan, Felicia?” Jasfoup appeared at her elbow.
Felicia grinned and winked. “That would be telling.”
Jasfoup took a hold of her arm and swung her around. He waited a moment while Linda followed Gillian out of earshot. “You haven’t got one, have you?”
Chapter 49
Julie cracked her shin on a footstool as she made her way into the kitchen. She felt disorientated without Wrack to guide her but the sight fetiche certainly made her more independent. She was almost able to fend for herself. If she could establish depth perception, she’d be laughing. She found Harold asleep at the kitchen table and nudged him awake. “I found him.”
“Who? Noah?”
Julie pointed her eye at him and frowned. “No. My son. The dragon.”
“Oh?” Harold scrubbed his face with his hands. “Where is it? He, I mean.”
“In the park,” said Julie, balancing h
er seeing eye between cheek and shoulder so that she could carry two cups of tea from the kettle to the table. “I’ll fetch him as soon as Felicia and Jasfoup come back.”
“Is that wise? Puriel’s out there somewhere. Raphael too. It’ll be dangerous.”
“They manage well enough. I’ll be all right.”
“We’ll all go. It’ll be safer.”
Julie shrugged and passed his tea. “I won’t argue. I just want my baby back.”
Harold nodded. “We could convert the stables when he grows up. Teach him to fly. Eat maidens. All that stuff.” He changed the conversation. “How are you doing with your eye?”
“Good.” Julie balanced it on the table, looking at him. “It’s a bit inconvenient, though, and I can’t shut off the images unless I put it somewhere dark. Otherwise, I have to sleep with my eyes open. I’m terrified of losing it too.”
“You could just make another.”
“Not while this one is still active. I can only keep one of each spell running.”
“I remember.” Harold nodded. “Why not replace one of your other eyes with it?”
“Cut out a healthy eye? Jasfoup said the doctors wouldn’t do it. You were against the idea too.”
“That was while you were pregnant. It’s different now.”
“I’ll think about it. Perhaps if it was painless, I might manage it. And asleep. I couldn’t lie there and watch something coming toward my eye. What would you use? A scalpel?”
Harold shrugged. “Or a spoon.”
Julie felt the bile rise but was distracted by the arrival of Jasfoup, Gillian, Felicia and a woman she didn’t know.
“You should have seen them, Harold.” Jasfoup was all but dancing with glee. “They drove Puriel away.”
“That’s great.” Harold stood to give Gillian a hug. “Well done, both of you.”
Gillian grinned. “It’s a good job the sun went down. Felicia would have been slaughtered without me. Linda too. She’s a nurse at St. Pity’s.”