Avenging Angel

by Tamsin Baker

  The castle was a good starting off point. I could see if the Demons left any sort of evidence behind. Demons weren’t exactly careless, but they were arrogant enough to assume others wouldn’t recognize importance when they were confronted with it. I hoped to take advantage of that, at least.

  Yes. That was the plan.

  If I was lucky, I would find a way to the truth, and if that meant following those Demons into a dimension not fit for my kind, then so be it. I’d been burned by them before. I would be able to handle whatever they wanted to throw at me. I had something to fight for, and they didn’t quite know just what that meant.

  I strode into Kadie’s purple-painted bedroom and opened her closet.

  There, hanging next to all her bohemian style long skirts were a fresh pair of jeans and long sleeved shirts for me. Why she’d bought me clothes when I told her I didn’t need them, I hadn’t understood at the time. I had been forthcoming with her during our short time together. I always told her that I would have to move on to another Target, as that was my duty, and as much as I loved her, I could not neglect my duty. However, my stubborn little Witch did not seem to care for what I said and insisted she buy me clothes anyway – just in case. Now I was intensely grateful for her kind gesture. It was obvious she wanted me to be a part of her life, and the feeling was entirely mutual. Part of me was looking forward to telling her she was right, even if it would bruise my pride.

  I tugged the clothes off their hangers too hard. They twanged from the pole to the floor and I left them there, not wanting to bend over and disturb another thing. If she ever returned home and I wasn’t there, I hoped she would understand that I used the clothes she had for me. The disturbance was my little way of showing her that we were still connected, even if we weren’t with each other physically.

  My mind was strangely shut down and I realized that I didn’t want to analyze what I’d lost or remind myself that there was a good chance this might not end well for us. Our son was cared for and that was important, but I could not say the same about Kadie and myself.

  As I pulled on my shirt, I began to reflect on my time with Kadie. For a few short weeks I’d had a very normal existence. A human life. It was strange and marvellous. I could not put it into other words. My mind did not know the correct words to use in order to describe it.

  Kadie had made me feel good, just for being me. There was nothing she expected of me in return. She did not demand information about my past, but I was compelled enough to give it to her anyway. And when I did, she did not judge me like my fellow angels, like God Himself. I wasn’t used to that genuine acceptance for who I was – not who she wanted me to be - and I knew that I could become very comfortable with her loving me. It made me think about myself in a totally different way. A way that was very “un-angel” like, more human-like.

  I’d adored her for the peace she’d given me. I was meant to bring people peace. Not the other way around. It was just another way Kadie was so special.

  I reached for the light switch, and flicked it on so I could see in the room. Night had fallen, once again. The last thing I wanted to do was go back to the castle ruins now. But still, I pulled my jeans up my thighs, did up my shirt buttons and tugged on my ancient black boots. At least these mundane tasks gave me a reason to focus on something else. I did not like to think about it, and yet, it was an inner war I could not win. Because I had to think of Kadie. She was everywhere. Thinking about her made me feel good, and I wanted to hold onto that feeling for as long as I could. It was the perfect motivation to fight for her – or die trying.

  I stood when I was ready, steeling my thoughts not on my lover, but on my new destination.

  The Demons had an advantage at the castle that I’d never seen anywhere else. There was something strange about the air, as though the very atmosphere was impregnated with evil. It was probably why they were so arrogant as to let me walk through the doors and to Kadie directly. My first time there, I barely encountered any opposition until I found Kadie. Their arrogance would be their downfall. It would lead me to a weakness I could penetrate.

  It had to.

  When I’d rescued Kadie, the Demons had seemed supercharged. Able to break the rules on where and how they could exist. It had been hard enough getting Kadie out of there during the day. I couldn’t even imagine doing it at night.

  My eyes flickered to the window. Darkness settled around New York. I knew I had no other choice but to leave now, to figure this out now. I could not tarry any longer. I could not waste time.

  I stepped out the front door once again, carefully locking it behind me. No paranormal creature could step foot in Kadie’s house uninvited. Somehow, her home was protected as long as she stayed inside it – at least from the paranormal. However, she’d told Tabitha and I that she’d been kidnapped by human men, so there were enemies everywhere now and they had no problem getting into her home despite the protection.

  I jumped down the front steps and flexed the muscles in my chest and back. Better than before. That God-awful tonic Tabitha had forced me to drink had done its job. It was more than I could hope for, after my last encounter with the Demons.

  There were Demons nearby. And despite the fact I had no current Target to protect, I had another mission. I was more determined to solve this than anything else I had ever done. With the Demons near, perhaps I would be able to reach my goal more quickly than I anticipated. These Hell creatures would either tell me what was going on or die an extremely painful death. I would make sure they suffered a particular type of pain before they perished. In fact, I yearned for the opportunity.

  I stepped out onto the grey pavement, and slipped into invisibility. I cracked my knuckles, tilting my head to see if I could pick up a scent, a hint, of where they might be lingering. There was a loud gasp to my left as a human witnessed my disappearing trick, but I didn’t stop to worry about that now. Humans had the uncanny talent to rationalize supernatural forces, even when they had come to witness them directly. The majority of the time, they did not believe their own eyes because they had become so indoctrinated by science regarding what was possible and what was not.

  The human would chalk it up to his eyes playing tricks on him, I was certain. His conscious brain wouldn’t believe in the fantastical. So few did. It was something I did not take advantage of if I could help it, but under current circumstances, I appreciated it.

  I spread my black wings wide and opened my senses to the evil lurking nearby. It took a moment. Then, another. They were being careful. Not careful enough. Despite the fact that they were trying to mask themselves from me and my reach, they failed.

  I sensed them. In the block behind Kadie’s house.

  Why?

  I shook my head. There was no time to think about that now. I needed to act, not to think.

  My back muscles contracted hard as I flapped my damaged wings and took to the sky above the old stone buildings of the Bronx, searching out the fiery Demons I’d come to truly hate.

  I hadn’t thought Angels could hate, until I’d come face-to-face with those aiming to destroy the mother of my child. That was the moment I’d learned what emotions I was truly capable of. To be honest, these emotions were new and unsettling. I did not like to be ruled by something so intangible. However, I was starting to get acquainted with them. I did not mind their presence because they bonded me to Kadie in a way I did not think was possible for someone like me.

  There was a flicker of orange flame in the backyard of a small house below me. A woman’s agonized screams pierced my ears.

  That’s my cue.

  I might have smirked if an innocent human’s life wasn’t in peril. I felt anticipation run up and down my spine. I curled my fingers into fists and pushed forward.

  I descended on a gust of cold air like the vengeful Angel I was. I pulled my sword from my holster and landed in front of the cowering woman. Why they were attacking this woman, I wasn’t sure. I didn’t know if she was a tool used to draw me
out or if they actually wanted her for some reason. I thought it was too coincidental that they were so close to Kadie’s home.

  They were still after her.

  “Surrender or you will die.” My voice boomed across the few feet between us. I waited to see if my words would have any effect on the two flaming Demons before me.

  The black holes where their eyes should be didn’t even flicker with change or recognition. I furrowed my brow. That was strange. I didn’t know what I’d expected, but it wasn’t nothingness. Where was the burning hatred? The anger and fear?

  Where was the understanding of what and who I was? The recognition? I did not care one way or the other personally for my pride’s sake. However, the fact that they seemed wholly indifferent to who and what I was was both unexpected and unnerving. I gripped my sword tighter and waited a beat.

  They charged at me and I heaved a sigh. I should not have been thrown off. Of course, they would attack me. That was their sole goal for creation. Why had I thought I could speak to these things? It had been a moment of dumb hope, obviously. They were little more than wild animals. This was where my new human-like tendencies were more of a detriment than a benefit. Humans had this surprising tendency that they believed they had the power to ignite change on an individual basis, whether it was through relations or on a grander scope, such as politics or the environment. The reality was that change happened, but not because of humans. Because it was God’s will. I used to find their beliefs amusing; now, I had nearly succumbed to the same thing.

  I clenched my jaw. I would not allow that to happen again.

  I spun in an arc, slicing at one Demon with my silver sword, then I ducked and swung at the other.

  The Demons lost limbs to my blade, if that’s what they were. Their hollow screams echoed in the small space as I continued to dance around them, chopping off parts of their red and yellow glowing bodies until there was nothing left but a pile of black ash on the grass before me. I felt a sense of satisfaction course through my body as I ripped each limb from their body.

  I stood still finally, my heart beating too hard. Too fast. My head, a whirling mess of confusion. I turned towards the back of the fence and waited for the next wave of attacks. But nothing came.

  It was still. There was a gentle breeze – a caress of the oncoming autumn season. New York was never still.

  A woman squeaked and I twisted around to face the beautiful little house where the Demons’ victim still cowered.

  “Please don’t kill me,” the woman said, and once again I was shocked into speechlessness.

  Wasn’t I under my invisibility? I checked my energy, and yes, I still was.

  How was this possible?

  “You can see me?” I asked her, and slid my sword onto my back once again. Kadie seemed to be the only person who was able to see me like this. But I was wrong. There was more of her kind. I was not sure how I felt about that. Perhaps Kadie was not as special as I once assumed – at least when it came to what the Demons wanted.

  She would always be special to me, however.

  The woman nodded frantically, her eyes wide and fearful.

  This was not good. Why wasn’t my magic working?

  Unless it wasn’t this woman at all.

  What if I truly was becoming human? What if I was losing touch of my angelic side and succumbing to this new role of being human?

  “Don’t be afraid of me,” I told her. I needed her to be calm more than I needed to understand what was going on. I held out my hands, hoping to placate her rather than intimidate her. “My name is Gabriel. I came here to kill the Demons who were sent here to torture you. Now that my job is complete, I intend to leave. I will not harm you.”

  I would have liked to say I was there to protect her, but she wasn’t my official Target.

  “Demons?” she repeated, slowly rising to her feet. I leaned forward to offer her my hand but she pulled away quickly. I could see the hesitation in her eyes; she did not want to touch me at all, unsure if she could trust me. I could not blame her for that and I stepped back, not wanting to intimidate her further.

  She was older than I’d first thought, perhaps forty-five or fifty years old. She trembled like an amber leaf in a fall breeze, but there was the same magic about her that I had sensed in Kadie. Now that I was not fighting Demons, now that I was not reveling in their deaths, my senses picked it up almost immediately.

  Another Witch, perhaps?

  I addressed her question. “Yes.” I nodded once. “Warriors of Hell. They were here to frighten you.”

  “Not kill me?” she asked, wrapping her arms around her body. She looked down the empty street, blinking once, twice, as though she wished she could unsee what she just experienced.

  “Ah... no. I don’t think so.”

  Though, what did I know about the strange world this place had become? For centuries, I had believed the Demons I killed had a solitary mission, which was to torture people into committing suicide so they could take their souls. But these new attacks were completely different and didn’t fit the original pattern. The first was Kadie. But this woman? Now, it was becoming a pattern, a strange one that I could not yet predict or rely on. It left me feeling unguarded and hesitant. I did not like it whatsoever.

  “Has this happened before?” I asked her, shifting my weight and giving her my full attention.

  She nodded. She was still trying to catch her breath, and refused to look at me. I wished she would trust me, if only a bit.

  Damn... why wasn’t someone in charge of protecting her?

  It made no sense that she wouldn’t be assigned a Guardian.

  “I didn’t get your name,” I said. Maybe if I learned more about her, I would be able to figure out why she didn’t have protection.

  “M...Margaret.” She twisted one of the silver rings on her index finger, which drew my attention down to her jewelery.

  I recognized the sign of a Witch in one of the many bands adorning her hands.

  “Margaret, do you practice Witchcraft?” I made sure to keep my voice neutral. I did not want her to think I judged her for her chosen spiritual path; I needed her to be comfortable with me to be honest.

  Her gaze flew to mine and her eyes showed a depth of intelligence I hadn’t expected.

  “Why do you ask me that?” she demanded, her tone changed. Now stronger and more defiant. I almost smiled. She reminded me of Kadie in that moment. Fierceness must be a requirement for a Witch.

  “Because I think someone is specifically hunting Witches in New York,” I replied honestly, ignoring the pang in my heart at the reminder that Kadie was still incapacitated, “My last charge was taken and tortured, poisoned. And I’m trying to find out why.”

  “Poisoned? What do you mean?” she asked, taking a step closer to me. Her eyes were filled with worry. I tilted my head, curious if she knew more about what was going on than even I did. Considering she had been attacked, I would not be surprised.

  Her eyes were bright and interested now, and her trembling seemed to have vanished.

  I narrowed my eyes at the woman who now seemed to have been faking her previous terror. “What do you know about this?” I asked. Again, I tried to control my voice as best as I could. I did not want her to stop talking, but I could not help but feel she knew more about what was going on than she initially made me believe.

  There was a path in front of me now that there wasn’t before.

  Kadie was obviously not the first Witch, and perhaps not the last, who had been pursued and conquered by this enemy.

  The Demons had a new mission, and it had something to do with the Witches of New York.

  Chapter 3.

  Margaret crossed her arms over her chest, a strength in her stance that hadn’t been here before. Had she been feigning her fear earlier to get my attention? I did not know. Surely not. At least, I hoped not. I did not like to think humans – even those with powers such as Witches – had the ability to render me so easily fooled.r />
  “I know very little, Gabriel,” she said, her voice soft-spoken but firm. There was no quiver in her voice, no indication of fear. “The question is, who are you? And what brought you here today?”

  I took a breath and weighed my options. I ignored the flare of annoyance that sprung up when she questioned me about who I was and why I was here. We weren’t supposed to divulge our identities to anyone except our Targets. And yet, her voice held a commanding tone that I didn’t appreciate.

  However... if I wanted to help Kadie, I could not let my pride dictate how I felt and how I acted. This was more than just about me. I huffed a sigh, my eyes drawn to the faded concrete beneath my feet. I was technically without a job. I didn’t have a current Target, and my former Target, Kadie, was back on my agenda. And if I needed to protect a former Target by talking to someone who technically wasn’t a Target, it was within my duty to do so.

  At least, that was how I rationalized it.

  I bit the bullet, so to speak, and prepared myself mentally to tell her the truth.

  “No. Don’t tell me. It doesn’t matter,” Margaret said, waving a hand at me. She shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest, looking down a nearby alleyway. I was surprised how quiet things were for New York, even at night. Usually, there were people bustling about, regardless of the time. “You killed those Demons for me, and I should trust you.” She took a slow breath then looked me straight in the eye. “Shall we go inside?”

  That was probably a good idea.

  I nodded and she waved me towards the direction of her house. I was surprised to find it close to where Kadie lived and I couldn’t help but wonder if Witches were innately drawn to each other or if they knew each other. Maybe there was some kind of connection between witches the same way there was between Angels. We walked down the block and she led me into her home. I noticed that her hands shook as she slid the key in lock before opening the sliding back door. “Please, come in and sit.”