I didn’t know what to say. I knew how devastating loss could be; I had lost my father at a young age. I knew words would never suffice. So I changed the subject.
“You and Jacob have known each other for awhile?”
“Ten years to be exact.”
“You must have seen a lot.”
“More than I care to admit.”
We turned a corner and headed south into a crowded area before I asked, “How was Kian before...I mean before he met me?”
“Much the same, but maybe a bit more depressed or lost or something.”
“How do you mean?”
“I mean he never felt like he belonged to our family, you know? I took a while to warm up at first, but I’m a human. He is angel, so one would think this Angelfire would come as second nature to him.”
“But it didn’t?”
“I guess he never felt like he had a place of his own in the family; like he always kept one eye on the clan and one eye on the outside world searching...for something.”
“And he doesn’t search anymore?”
Lucianda stopped in her tracks and acted as if she had never contemplated this before, my effect on Kian. “Actually, no he doesn’t. He seems a lot more content now that you are with us.”
I smiled unintentionally under the twinkling sky as we both turned back on course. When we rounded the next corner and headed into a cafe for a bite to eat. I felt exhausted; I needed sustenance. After ordering two iced teas, two coffees and a large pepperoni pizza, we sat in the center booth and ate.
Minutes after I shoved a slice of pizza into my drooling mouth, Lucianda caught wind of something. Her nostrils flared, and she pulled her black hair into a ponytail with a tie from her pocket. I searched her expression for some clue to explain the change in her mood. Rolling her shoulders and arching her back, she did not appear relaxed at all; if anything, she looked constipated. But I knew that wasn’t it.
“What?” I whispered across the table. She watched a couple across the room in a corner booth, so I took a quick look. Only the eyes of the male could be seen, but even I noticed a hint of silver color beneath his lids. A demon? In a cafe? In human guise? Well Dameon took human form at my high school. I imagined demons must be everywhere, but I hadn’t thought about it, really thought about it, until that moment.
Lucianda yanked me up when the couple left the café. We left our pizza and drinks to fend for themselves on the table. I was sure they’d be gone by the time whatever this was ended. Damn. I was really hungry.
As we followed the couple into the alley, the male suddenly jerked around with silver in his eyes and protruding claws on his fingers. The female took no time at all to mimic his movements and appearance. Both wore black leather pants and tight stretch tops. Jet-black hair matched Lucianda’s. When their skin began to glow, this looked like it would become a full-fledged demon-on-human street fight...and I had no idea what to do next.
Street Fights
In an instant, Lucianda swung around, and her leg arched through the air, like a ninja from some distant Asian country we only see on television. Her heel pounded against the male’s chest and knocked him back an inch before her hands moved like nun chucks, and her body spun around twice. Maybe she liked showing off? But I was glad she was on my side.
The female flung herself forward in a midair somersault, landing on top of Lucianda. When my friend’s back hit the ground, I gasped. OMG! Flaying arms knocked into the demoness as fists smacked her across the head. In an instant, Lucianda had rolled over and pinned her opponent to the ground.
Hissing, her ‘boo’ lunged at Lucianda from behind. I couldn’t just stand there and watch my friend — the only other friend in the world who knew what I knew — die! Grabbing a large rock that lay in the corner of the alley, I threw it like a baseball at the demon’s head. Smack! Even I heard the thump.
Spinning on his heel, the demon growled, revealing his sharp teeth. For the first time, I could see something hideous, monstrous. In an instant, his human form morphed, and mist conformed to the shape of the Dark Angel. Black leathery wings spanned ten feet on either side of him, flapping. All I could hear was the flap-flap-flap of those gruesome wings.
Street lights provided his shadow which stretched many feet before him, and each step he took toward me made the alley feel like walls were caving in on top of me. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Lucianda struggling with her assailant. The demoness threw a fist, and blood poured from Lucianda’s angled nose. Both rolled over the street like they fought to win a wrestling match.
But I didn’t have long to focus on Lucianda, because the demon approached me rapidly, and he looked pissed. Though he was not a vampire, his teeth reminded me of one, and his dead-black eyes appeared hollow to me, as if he had no heart beating within his thick chest. Cowering against the brick wall, I had no further to go. Nowhere to escape to. I had to fight or die.
Picking up another rock, I threw it hard against his pristine facial features. It scathed his cheek. Blood dripped off of his face and to the alley dirt. Hissing, he sounded more like a wild animal with rabies than an angel. Fangs protruded from his mouth as he drew closer and closer. The alley shrank as the demon became my world. Ragged black hair loosely hung over his eyes, blending with all his black attire. But unlike with Dameon, I wouldn’t let this one beat me.
The monster flapped his wings as he hurled himself over me. Everything went dark as when the moon eclipses the sun. An unearthly darkness. Cold clawed at my skin as I crumbled to the ground with this canopy of blackness engulfing me. I felt his sharp nails scratch my back as drool dripped from his mouth onto my bare arms; I couldn’t use my eyes to win this. I would have to hone in on sounds and smells and use my tactile sense.
Fishing around with my hands for any kind of weapon, I finally found a thick stick — or maybe it was a broken bat — and I gripped with all my strength. Without aiming, I swung several times and felt the force of the bat change as it must have hit the demon’s head, chest, and shins. When I could finally see moonlight again, I knew the Dark Angel had released me.
The crescent moon reflected well enough for me to see the monster scurry to the other side of the alley, against the wall. He actually seemed wounded, and did I see fear in his expression? Did I actually make him afraid of me?
As I bit the inner corner of my mouth in question and concern, Lucianda stood face to face with her demon and threw a kick. Her foot rounded off the demoness’ lower jaw; saliva flung out of the creature’s mouth as her winged body fell backward onto the ground. In one motion, Lucianda dove on top of the demoness and punched her several times before pulling a silver blade from her back pocket.
One stab to the heart, and the demoness lay limp, her head to one side. The demon against the brick wall screamed as if in pain. The eerie, primal screech sounded like nails scraping on a chalk board. Perhaps his love just died? Perhaps he felt himself grow weaker from her death? But it sounded like a supernatural war cry.
As soon as the demon screamed, Lucianda lunged to her feet, knees slightly bent, hands in combat motion, and she held that silver blade still dripping of the demoness’ blood. She marched up to the demon who now clawed the air to keep her away. As I watched her move against him, I saw for the first time the power we humans had. I had never seen a demon afraid before, especially not of a mere human.
But Lucianda changed that for me.
The demon clawed at Lucianda, but weakened from my blows, he did not have much vigor left. He ducked when Lucianda first attempted to stab him, and then my friend kicked him in the stomach.
“Argh!” he yelped, but his yelp became a screech of pain as Lucianda’s knife stabbed his arm. Crimson blood dripped, and I saw how fragile demons could be, or at least this demon. Soon Lucianda’s silver blade found his empty heart, and he fell to the ground, already growing pale. The dark wings from both demons crumpled to dust seconds later, and the once glowing skin looked more like a deathly blue-white. The
y could have been any human citizens of New York City; victims of a mugging. I was sure that was what I’d hear on the news.
Staring at the carnage, I couldn’t take my eyes off the scene before me until Lucianda yanked my arm. “Come on! We have to get out of here before the cops get here!”
Cops? My mind swirled to my brother Samuel as I raced out of the alley with Lucianda. We backtracked the way we had come until we reached the bicycle shop. Somehow I felt safer there in familiar territory.
“What the hell just happened back there?” I breathed heavily, stopping in front of the bicycle shop door. Darkness hid the faces of most of the people on the sidewalk.
“What do you mean? You saw what happened!”
“No...” I shook my head. “What I mean is how the hell did we manage to kill two demons?” I waved my hands like a mad Italian. Lucianda gripped my shoulder and pulled me into the side street away from the stores.
“Watch what you say in public. People can hear you!”
“Sorry.” I blushed red. Hot from the fight. Hot from embarrassment. “But you still haven’t answered my question.”
“Those were Fanged Demons.”
“What does that mean?”
Lucianda stomped her foot in a huff as if this were common knowledge I should have known. “Didn’t you read anything in the library?” I gave an exasperated expression before she spilled the rest. “Demons are fanged because they kill humans. They’ve lost their Gift Powers and because they’ve exposed themselves to so many humans and allowed some of the humans to escape, they’ve also weaken their Essence Power.”
“So, they weren’t as powerful as most demons?”
“There are many kinds of demons, Ali. Some are fanged demons. Some are pure Dark Angels. Some are Were Creatures.”
“Were Creatures?”
“What did Kian tell you anyway? Apparently not enough!”
“He told me the rules.”
“But he didn’t explain them very well, I see.” I didn’t say anything. To me Kian was perfect. She shifted her weight and continued. “Were Creatures come out of Dark Angels who have been intimate with many humans. When the Dark Angel loses his wings, they’re replaced with fur.”
“So, when Angelfire is intimate or kills a human, they lose...but when a Dark Angel does the same thing they gain a power?” I fumed, and kicked the wall with my heel.
“Not exactly. See, Fanged Demons and Were Creatures are not as powerful as Angelfire or Dark Angels.”
“Then what do they gain by breaking the rules?” Wrinkles marked my forehead as I pressed my back against the brick wall, trying to understand. A chilly breeze brushed past us.
“They don’t necessarily gain anything. That is not what motivates them. The darkness is an immersing force, and once they become a part of it, it is almost impossible for them to be redeemed. The darkness sucks you in further and further. Many Dark Angels simply cannot help themselves; they have to break the rules. The penalty is that they lose power. They become a different animal, a weaker animal.”
A light bulb went off in my head. “That is why I could hurt that demon in the alley?”
“Exactly. And that is why Dameon is a much stronger foe. He is pure Dark Angel, and…”
“And what?”
“And Sammael thinks he has figured out why Dameon is stronger than any other Dark Angel, why Azrael wanted to take him in particular from the orphanage.”
“Why?”
“I’m not sure if I’m supposed to tell you...if Kian wanted to keep it a secret.”
“Come on Lucianda.” I nudged her in the shoulder with my forefinger. “I would tell you.” I felt a kinship with Lucianda that I didn’t have with my other girlfriends. Not that the friendship I had with Molly or Jennifer could be measured against Lucianda; our relationship was simply different, on a different level because of what we had been through together and the knowledge of this angel-world that we shared.
The pleading in my eyes finally convinced her, and Lucianda drew closer to me and spoke almost in a whisper. “Sammael believes that Dameon is Azrael’s son.”
“His son?”
“Shh!” Lucianda clasped her hand over my mouth. “Sammael believes that some time ago, Azrael picked a human to mate with, and she gave birth to Dameon.”
“Wouldn’t that make him...”
“Half-blooded, king-demon? Yep. See, most demons are born out of the rebellion of becoming Angelfire, following Earthly temptations. Sammael actually worried about Kian for a bit. Afraid Kian might turn.”
“OMG!”
“But Kian didn’t. His feelings of not belonging simply led him to you...not to Azrael.”
I sighed and felt a weight of both honor and responsibility. What if I ever left Kian? Would that break him? I couldn’t even fathom ever leaving Kian. Heck, he’d better not ever leave me! But the thought nagged the corners of my mind.
“But Dameon?”
“Dameon was born directly from a demon. That ensured his demonship. Since his father is the king of the demons, he is essentially the prince, or king-to-be.”
“And Azrael? Does he still have wings? I mean since he mated with a human and all?”
“We don’t know for sure. No one has seen him in seventeen years, not since he took Dameon captive. But we suspect he has a partial wing and a body partially covered with fur. He has only mated with one human as far as we know. That would not completely take away his wings, but he would be deplumed to some degree.”
“Wow! This world gets more complicated the more I learn.”
“I’m actually surprised by how little you do know. I thought Kian shared more with you.”
“I think Kian wants to protect me, and that means sometimes keeping me in the dark. I mean...the demon that wants to kill me is not only a Dark Angel, but the king-demon’s son! A powerful demon! A demon who will be king!” Saying the words aloud made them echo in my head and made me feel dizzy for a moment. I grabbed the wall and closed my eyes.
“You alright?” Lucianda offered strength by putting her hand on my shoulder.
“I think I just felt the weight of the world I now live in.”
“We’d better get home. I don’t want to worry Jacob or Kian.”
“And where are they, anyway? We almost get our asses kicked, and they are congregating in the mansion somewhere? What if Dameon had attacked?” I felt my face get hot red.
“I’m sure one or both of them are up in the skies watching out for us.” Lucianda looked skyward, and I saw a twinkle of a white wing before it disappeared behind a cloud. “They don’t come down unless absolutely necessary. And since you are with me, well, I’ve got things handled.”
We strolled down the sidewalk. “You’ve been doing this a long time?”
“Yes.”
“So, you could show me a few tricks?”
“Sure. Why not? You’re going to have to learn to fight better if you’re going to stay alive.” Lucianda flung her pony tailed hair as she fast-walked. I had to struggle to keep up with her long legs.
“How about here? On the streets?” Pointing to the next alley, I waited for Lucianda, and then she nodded.
When we went around the corner, I rushed down the street, but Lucianda stood at the entryway. “Why don’t we pretend I am a demon, and I have you trapped. You need to get out of the alley alive. You have to get past me and onto the main road.”
“Alright,” I agreed hesitantly.
A sliver of moonlight provided the only light on the street. The two lampposts appeared broken. The air grew colder and quieter.
Glaring at Lucianda, I found it hard to look at her as an enemy. So far she had shared secrets with me, helped me ride a bike, kept me company, almost split a pizza with me, and saved my butt in a demon fight. She had quickly become a best friend. But when I noticed the change in her demeanor from the playful girl I knew on the streets back to the stoic woman who sat across from me at the mansion banquet, I sensed this fight would
be for real.
I had to give my all or lose.
Taking a deep breath, I surveyed the alleyway for the boundary walls, windows, loose objects on the street, and the distance from where I stood to the exit. I listened to every movement Lucianda made. Her combat-booted foot took a step forward. A puff of wind blew her hair back. Even her flowery perfume seemed heightened by my sense of smell.
But this is what I wanted, what I asked for.
Stealthily, I tiptoed forward, hoping she didn’t see or hear me. I barely saw her. I kept near the edge of the wall, because I knew that the wall would guide me out of this dark alley. When I thought I had crawled close enough to pounce on her, she jumped on top of me.
I stumbled as we rolled down the street in some kind of mock cat fight. Tossing and turning, Lucianda didn’t give an inch. When she agreed to this fight, she meant it. I guess she had to; after all, demons didn’t show mercy, either.
Slapping my cheek, she woke me up to the reality I had agreed to. “Damn, Lucianda!” But she kept quiet and held my arms tightly with her strong hands. For a woman who appeared elegant, French, and soft like velvet, she sure could throw a punch and hold her own. Her ninja-like persona emerged, and she went into full combat mode.
Keeping my hands close to my chest, I protected myself as I waited for my opportunity to hit her. Then came my chance. A space broke between us momentarily, and I swung hard. My fist hit her shoulder and pushed her back an inch. With that gap, I kicked my legs and knocked her back, freeing myself. Flinging myself upward, I stood a bit wobbly, but balanced myself quickly.
I felt the air rush around me as Lucianda swung past me.
Gripping her passing arm, I swung her around and slung her to the ground. Lunging on top of her, or what I thought to be her, I landed on a lumpy box. The crunch of the cardboard let me know I had missed, and Lucianda instantly landed on my back. She had me pinned face down this time. I had grown to know this position well. Dameon had had me in this posture more than once.
Ugh! I sighed. Then out of nowhere, two lights beamed, descending from the sky. The lights came into focus as they landed beside Lucianda and me. Kian and Jacob. Of course Jacob couldn’t fly with shredded wings and so Kian held him up as he had once with me until they landed. they both glowed of bronze angel skin. Kian’s amber eyes settled angrily on Lucianda.
She Speaks to Angels: YA Angel Thriller (AngelFire Chronicles Bk #1) Page 20