Torn

by Ashley Stambaugh

  Melina's face grew hot as the anger inside her instantly flared up. "Why him?" she asked. "Why did you take his soul?"

  "Why?" Maura let out a loud, menacing chuckle. "Because I'm evil. And because I told you I'd make you regret your decision."

  "But he has nothing to do with any of this!"

  "Oh, but he does," said Maura as she took a step closer. "You see, I had plans for you. You were going to be my strongest weapon. But that plan could only work if the Noxin demon powers were dominant in you. And since you decided not to let that happen, I had to take matters into my own hands and do something to make you change your mind." Maura paused for effect and then said, "Lee's life is in your hands. If you continue to let your angel powers be dominant, Lee will die. But, if you allow the demon powers to take over again, then I'll return his soul to him. The choice is yours."

  Melina swallowed hard. She wasn't going to give in to Maura's demands. She would find another way to return Lee's soul to him. She had to.

  She took in a deep breath and then said in the most confident tone she could muster, "No. I will never let the demon powers take over again."

  Maura tilted her head to the side. "You're going to let the man you love die?"

  "No," Melina said again. "I'm not going to let that happen either."

  Maura let out another sinister laugh. "Silly girl. He is going to die. And now, so are you."

  Black smoke started to rise up around her as she morphed into her demonic form. With her fiery eyes full of hate, Maura let out a low growl and then launched herself at Melina.

  Melina threw her arms up in front of her as her light shield burst out around her. Maura let out a loud shriek as she collided with the shield and then stumbled backward. She was much stronger than the other Noxin demons Melina had encountered before, so she recovered from the impact a lot quicker than they had. She came at Melina again and started to thrash and claw at her protective shield, trying with everything she had to break it down.

  Melina's eyes narrowed as she focused all of her attention and strength on keeping up her light shield. It could only take so much damage before it would start to diminish, and then what would she do? Walter didn't know she was there, so hopefully Henry would show up soon.

  Her teeth clenched together as she tried to hold her shield steady, but Maura was weakening it at a faster rate than she'd expected. She couldn't do this alone. She needed Walter and Henry, and she needed them now.

  Melina didn't know if calling to them through her thoughts would work, but she had to try. Walter… Henry… I could use some help right about now.

  Within seconds the entire room was filled with bright, blinding light, causing Maura to cease her attack on Melina's protective shield. When the light died down, Melina saw Walter, Henry, and Dean all standing together by the doorway. Walter must've been with Dean when Melina had called to him, and Dean had decided to tag along. While she was grateful for his extra help, she hoped nothing bad would happen to him. He didn't need to risk his life for her.

  Maura bared her teeth at the newcomers and then yelled something in a strange language Melina had never heard before. Walter and Henry instantly brought up their light shields. Melina wasn't sure if they had understood what Maura said, but it was obvious they knew something bad was about to happen. She shot a worried look at Dean, who caught on just in time. Right after he'd brought his own light shield up, two more Noxin demons appeared behind Maura. They let out angry growls as they flanked both sides of her.

  They all held their stances. Melina's eyes darted around the room at everyone, wondering what to do next, when Henry suddenly raised his hand up into the air and shot a bolt of bright yellow light straight at Maura.

  She was too quick, though, and instantly teleported away. The other two demons snarled and growled before throwing themselves forward to attack. One lunged at Henry, and the other came at Melina.

  The two minion demons were relentless, not seeming to care at all about the pain they were receiving by attacking their light shields. Henry shot a light bolt at the demon in front of him, sending him flying back into the wall. He then turned toward Melina and shot another light bolt at the demon attacking her. The bolt hit the demon right between the shoulders, causing him to howl out in pain just before colliding with Melina's shield. The demon screamed again as his skin started to burn. He fell down to the ground and then vanished in a cloud of black smoke. When Melina looked over to where the other demon had fallen, she noticed he was gone, too.

  "Where did they all go?" she asked in a frantic voice.

  They all lowered their light shields and slowly started to search around the room.

  "I can't sense them," said Walter. "I don't think they would've left, though, so they must be stealthed somewhere."

  "I don't know," said Henry. "Maura might be in stealth mode somewhere, but I injured the other two demons pretty badly. I think it's safe to say that those two left for good."

  "Melina," Walter said as he turned to her. "Can you see them anywhere?"

  Melina scanned the living room but didn't see a single demon. "No," she said, shaking her head. "If they're still here, then they're in another room of the apartment. And this place is pretty big."

  "Is that Lee?" Dean asked with wide eyes as he finally noticed the person lying in the middle of the floor.

  Walter and Henry both turned to look. Walter let out a small gasp as Henry rushed over to Lee's side.

  "You can't help him," Melina said as her eyes began to fill with tears again.

  Henry turned back to her. "What do you mean? What happened?"

  A lone tear slid down her cheek. "It was Maura. She took his soul."

  "What?" Walter asked, his eyes widening in shock. "Why?"

  "To get at me," she said. "Maura said she'd return his soul if I allowed the demon powers to take over again. I told her no, and that's when she attacked me." She took in a shaky breath and then looked at Henry. "Where was his guardian angel? Why did he let this happen?"

  Henry slowly stood up from the floor. "Maura is very strong. My guess is she was able to take Lee's soul so fast that she had already done it before his guardian angel even knew what was going on. His guardian can’t do anything now, so that's probably why he's not here."

  "You're right," Melina said as she wiped her tears away. "His life is in my hands now." She paused as she looked around at the three men. "I can't be responsible for Lee's death. We have to find Maura. I have to find a way to get her to return Lee's soul to him."

  Melina started to walk toward the doorway when Henry suddenly stopped her. "If you're going to search the apartment, then I'm going with you."

  She nodded at him then stepped over to the doorway and peeked her head out into the dark hallway. There were no demons that she could see, so she quietly tiptoed back toward the kitchen with Henry following close behind. When she peered around the doorway, the dim moonlight illuminated the area just enough for her to see that the room was empty.

  She backed away from the doorway, and just then she caught a black blur flying down the hallway and back into the living room. "No!" she screamed.

  Melina and Henry both brought their light shields back up and darted down the hallway. When they reached the living room, they saw that Maura had Dean down on the ground. She had caught him off guard, so he hadn't been able to bring his light shield up in time.

  Melina gasped at the sight, but not just because she was scared for Dean. She was also shocked to see that Maura now had a faint white aura around her. It was a light shield.

  "Adelia," she said out loud as she continued to stare at Maura.

  Both Walter and Henry turned to look at her.

  "She's here," Melina said. "That's how Maura has a light shield around her."

  "Not for long she won't," said Henry.

  As he lifted both of his hands up in the air, a bright yellow glow began to emanate from them. He immediately started to hurl light bolts one after the other at Maura's shield
, and after only the first few hits, it started to flicker. Phinneas had been right about Adelia. The angel powers she had left were weak, which would explain why the light shield around Maura was weak.

  The shield looked like it could break down at any moment, but Melina was beginning to worry if they'd still be too late. Maura now had her hand around Dean's neck and was getting ready to suck out his soul. Henry needed help.

  Just as the thought had crossed her mind, the room was once again filled with a bright yellow light as Merrick appeared right next to Henry. He took one glance at Dean and then instantly joined Henry in assaulting Maura's shield with his light bolts. Her light shield started to flicker in and out even more, and when it looked as if it was finally going to be broken down, it suddenly renewed itself.

  Melina's eyes widened in disbelief, but Henry and Merrick didn't let it faze them as they continued to attack with their bolts. Melina instantly started to search around the room. Something wasn't right. At first she didn't see anything, but when she looked toward the doorway, she saw what looked like black mist lingering in the air. "What is that?"

  The hallway was still dark, so it was hard for her to make anything out. She started to inch her way closer to the doorway, when suddenly something moved in the shadows. Her breath caught in her throat as she immediately froze. Someone was out in the hall.

  Her breathing started to increase as she stared out into the darkness. "Who's there?" she asked in a shaky voice.

  Several seconds passed without her seeing or hearing anything. Had she imagined seeing something move? If so, then what was the black mist from? She needed to get Walter over here, but just as she was about to turn around, she saw someone slowly emerge out of the darkness.

  It was Adelia. Her body was weak and ragged-looking, and she was surrounded by an inky black aura.

  Melina gasped as her whole body stiffened in fear. "Adelia," she said in a low voice.

  Adelia gave her a cold stare and then suddenly lunged at her, knocking her down to the floor. Melina's head hit the floor hard, and as she cried out in pain, she felt Adelia grab hold of her neck. With both of her hands, she grabbed at Adelia's wrists, trying to pry them off. She didn't know what powers Adelia possessed now that she was a Fallen, but she did know that she could still strangle her to death.

  Melina tried with all her strength to summon her light shield, but before she even really tried, a bright yellow beam of light came flying at Adelia and hit her right in the shoulder. Adelia screamed out in pain as she released Melina's neck and fell backward onto the floor. Henry jumped over Melina as he charged at Adelia, but just as he was about to make contact with her, she vanished.

  Henry landed on the floor with a thump, but immediately recovered, picking himself up and rushing over to Melina. He helped her sit up, and it was in that moment she noticed that Merrick had finally broken down Maura's shield and was healing Dean's wounds. She frantically scanned the room for Maura, but she didn't see her anywhere.

  Oh no, she thought to herself. She can't be gone. I have to get Lee's soul back from her. I can't let him die.

  Her eyes continued to dart around the room, when all of a sudden Maura reappeared right next to Lee. She sneered at Melina and then raised her arms high up into the air and plunged her long, sharp claws deep into his chest.

  "No!" Melina screamed as she leaned toward Maura and Lee with her hand stretched out in front of her. "You are not going to kill him!"

  Melina's eyes filled with tears at the sight of Lee's blood trickling down onto the floor. "No," she said again. This couldn't be happening. She had to get his soul back from Maura. He couldn't die.

  Just then another bright yellow light shined throughout the room, and a tall, muscled man with long, dark brown hair appeared next to Lee. He was about to throw a light bolt at Maura when something miraculous suddenly happened.

  A bright white light started to shine from Melina's outstretched hand and then turned into a beam that shot straight at Maura. The beam hit her directly in the chest, causing her to retract her claws from Lee's chest and fall down to the floor. As she began to writhe and scream in pain, Melina saw a faint white glow slowly start to rise from within her.

  The light started to rise up faster and faster, and then suddenly it split in two. One half of it disappeared into Lee, and the other part went flying out of the room. The white beam coming from Melina's hand started to fade away, and when it was completely diminished, Maura teleported away, leaving a haze of black smoke behind.

  Melina instantly turned to Lee just as he started to cough and gasp for air. She scrambled over to his side and grabbed one of his hands in hers. "You're going to be okay," she whispered and then shot a worried glance at the new guardian angel.

  "His wounds are severe," the long-haired angel said in a soft, low voice. "She could've punctured a lung, or even his heart."

  Melina's face paled as more tears started to stream down her face. "Are you saying you can't heal him?"

  He shook his head. "Since the wounds were just now inflicted, I should be able to. There's just no guarantee."

  "Can't Henry and Merrick help you?" she asked.

  "Probably not," he said. "Guardian angels can usually only heal their own charges."

  She slowly nodded her head and then looked back down at Lee who was still struggling to breathe. If only he would open his eyes. Did he even know she was there? Her grip on his hand tightened. "You're going to be okay," she said again.

  The angel placed both of his hands over Lee's chest as a warm yellow glow started to shine from his palms growing brighter and brighter. Lee's coughing and gasping finally subsided, and then suddenly his eyes opened and he shot straight up on the floor, breathing hard.

  Melina gasped and then flung her arms around his neck. "Lee!" she said as she started to sob. "Oh, I'm so happy you're all right."

  Lee slowly wrapped his arms around her torso. "Me too," he said in a breathy voice.

  Melina continued to cry into his shoulder and then whispered into his ear, "I love you."

  He nestled his head into her neck and said, "I love you, too."

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Melina kept her arms wrapped around Lee for what seemed like an eternity. She didn't want to let go, but she knew he was probably somewhat confused, and she needed answers herself. As she sat back onto her heels, she took one of his hands in hers again.

  "I thought I'd lost you," she said while using her other hand to wipe the tears away from under her eyes.

  Lee raised his eyebrows and shook his head. "I'm not even sure what exactly happened."

  "Was Maura waiting here for you when you got back from work?" Melina asked.

  Lee nodded. "Well, she was in her demonic form, so I guess it was her. I had just set my keys and phone down on the entryway table and was hanging up my coat when I heard something in the living room. I went to investigate, and as I walked through the doorway I saw a Noxin demon. All I remember is she attacked me and knocked me down to the floor."

  Melina covered her mouth with her hand as a soft sob escaped her. "Oh Lee," she said as she brought her hand back down. "I'm just so glad you're okay now."

  He gave her a small smile and then turned to look at the long-haired angel who was knelt down on the other side of him. "You're my guardian angel, aren't you?"

  The angel smiled. "Yes, I am. My name's Ronan."

  "Well thank you, Ronan," said Lee. "For saving my life."

  "I just healed your flesh wounds," Ronan said and then pointed over to Melina. "She's the one who really saved your life."

  Lee's forehead creased as he turned back to Melina.

  Her mouth opened, but she struggled with what to say. "I…" Her voice trailed off as she looked up at Walter.

  "Maura took your soul, and Melina gave it back to you," he said.

  Lee's eyes widened. He glanced at Melina and then back at Walter. "She gave me my soul back? Wait, does that mean you have your angel powers back?"

/>   Walter smiled as he nodded his head. "She figured out how to reverse that last demon power right in the nick of time. Instead of being able to steal souls from humans, her angel powers have made it so she can steal them back from the Noxin demon and return them to the humans."

  "I wouldn't necessarily say I figured it out," Melina said. "It just sort of happened."

  "It was your emotions again," said Walter. "You were so desperate to help Lee, to save him, that your angel powers were able to reverse the soul-stealing power so you could use it for good."

  She let out a long exhale and then squeezed Lee's hand. "I'm so glad it worked. I don't even want to think about what would've happened if it hadn't."

  "That's a pretty nifty power to have," said Dean as he stood up from the floor.

  Melina looked up at him and smiled. She was glad he was okay. "Yeah," she said. "It could help save a lot of lives. But honestly, I hope I never have to use it again."

  "I wouldn't hope too soon," said Walter. "Who knows what the Noxin demons have planned, and your new powers may really come in handy if we have to go up against them."

  "Do you think they'll still go through with their plan?" asked Dean. "I mean, Maura said that her plan included Melina as her strongest weapon, so do you think she'll still do it without her?"

  "I do," said Walter. "Melina was just a weapon she wanted to use, not the entire plan. I'm sure Maura and the other Noxins can still carry it out by themselves."

  "I don't think we'll be seeing Maura anytime soon, though," Henry chimed in. "After Melina pulled those souls out of her, she looked as if she was in pretty bad shape. She's probably going to need some time to recover."

  "Wait," said Melina as her eyebrows scrunched together. "You just said souls."

  Henry nodded. "Didn't you see it when the light split in half?"

  "I did," she said. "I guess I just didn't realize that I could take back all of the souls." Melina stared down at the floor as she remembered how Maura had told her that she had stolen a soul from a human like her, and that's how she had guiding angel powers. Who knows how long ago that was, and Maura had more than likely killed the human, so she wondered what had happened to that soul.