by D. R. Rosier
The new woman said in a hard voice, “I’m Korrina, perhaps you’ve heard of me? I’m going to enjoy this.”
I felt the ten lesser demons run for it, the warlock among them. No doubt he intended to escape in the confusion. There was also no way to hide this from the humans, not when three women with swords and wings were fighting and destroying random things with magic. I hated to admit it, but I was worried. Korrina was a true warrior, and didn’t seem to be having a problem keeping up with both Malina and Lilith.
I wondered if Krystal would be a match and if I could help.
Malina said in my mind, “Don’t you dare, I told you to run. I have no intention of dying here. Go! Now!”
Shit.
I took off after the other warlock and demons, the demons were already fending off a few of the werewolves and vampires, the mages along with myself and my group were trying to catch up. Maybe we could at least take him out in the confusion. Still, the warlock used the demons as fodder to stall the closest pursuers. He ran like his feet were on fire, and I barely gained on him. He had too much of a head start.
I sent a bunch of spells his way. Sleep, then fire and air, I even tried to trip him with telekinesis but he fended off the attacks on the run and jumped into a car. Thanks to Korrina, what or whoever she was, the warlock got away.
I snorted to myself, right, it was her fault I’d hesitated, not mine at all. I looked back one more time as three angels fought, and then we all piled in our cars and took off as well. No one wanted to be a part of what was going on behind us. Sharon, Barbara, and Erin gave me a half salute and half wave, and left with the other shifters.
So it was just Lilliana, Susan, and myself who piled into the car, and drove off.
I was worried about Malina, and felt like a shit for leaving, but she’d told me to run, so I was running.
Fuck that.
“Lilliana, turn around, we can’t leave…”
Lilliana interrupted me, “It would be suicide. That was a Nephilim. Korrina is well known as an angel killer, she’s an abomination that should never exist. Malina told me about her centuries ago, we can’t go back.”
Susan asked sharply, “What the hell is a Nephilim.”
Lilliana sighed and paused as she cut off a car and raced onto the highway.
“A Nephilim is half angel and half human. They’re abominations because they were never meant to be. They’re dangerous, and can actually kill angels, permanently. This one’s an angel hunter born over two thousand years ago. We can’t face her any more than we could harm Malina.”
I frowned, I wanted to help, but I got the idea the best way to help was to leave Malina free to escape when she could. If I was there Malina would stay no matter what, which I couldn’t allow. Still, there had to be something I could do. Lilliana’s explanation didn’t feel right either.
“Abomination? Because she what, can exercise the same freedom as a human to act, and has too much power?”
Lilliana frowned, “She’s trying to kill Malina right now.”
I nodded, “Still, fuzzy thinking isn’t going to help. It sounds more like angels are afraid of Nephilim, and that’s why they’re abominations. You know, since angels, fallen or not, probably don’t fear much except each other, and even then there are rules to follow.”
Susan looked thoughtful, “What difference does it make?”
I shrugged, “I could find humans who would think all three of us were abominations and call for our deaths. I don’t know what my point is, I guess I’m trying to understand what she really is, and why she’s hunting angels. That would be more helpful than name calling out of fear. Understanding the enemy is important, do you know why she’s killing angels?”
Lilliana shook her head negatively, “No, she just does it.”
I frowned, “There has to be a reason. Even if that reason is just that she enjoys it.”
Light flashed in the car, and when it faded, Malina fell into my arms. She looked hurt and cut up.
“Are you okay?” I asked with concern in my voice.
She was glowing with white light, faintly, and I could see the cuts mend and the bruises fade. She took a deep breath and then cuddled up on my lap.
“That bitch is scary,” Malina shivered, “Lilith and I managed to wound her, and then we both escaped. She’s got our scent now though, our magical signatures. We should run.”
I frowned, “No. Tell me about her, why is she doing this? Everything you know.”
Malina looked up at me and sighed when she saw my stubborn look, “Fine, but it’s waste of time. She’s an angel, like we are, but also part human. It means she doesn’t have to follow the rules for beings of our power, she isn’t bound to heaven or hell, and she doesn’t fit into the design. From what I understand, she searched out her father when her mortal village rejected her, and then her father tried to kill her because she’s an abomination. She killed him instead, and then started to hunt others. She’s killed a lot of angels over the last twenty-five hundred years or so.”
“Why is her power and wings golden?”
Malina shrugged, “She has access to both celestial energies like the angels, but also the earthly energies that mages use. That latter colors the former somehow, but mostly that’s just a guess.”
I frowned, “There’s got to be a way to stop her, even if we ran wouldn’t she just chase us?”
Malina sighed, “Outside of killing her I don’t see how. I have the power, but I’m a lover, not a fighter. Sure, no mortal is a match for me, but Korrina is an equal to me in power, or close enough that it doesn’t matter in a fight. Lilith and I just barely managed to hold her off. She’s a true warrior.”
“Wait, are you stronger? I don’t mean a better sword fighter, but do you have more power?”
Malina nodded, “Absolutely, she’s just a baby compared to me, I’ve been pinching souls for a long time. The problem is I can’t bring that power to bear on the human plane, I have to fight her with swords or not at all.”
That gave me an idea, but I had no idea if it would work or not. Malina looked shocked, and highly dubious. I could tell she still wanted to run. I still wasn’t sure if it would work, I’d have to check with Sal when we got back to the house.
I cleared my throat, time for a distraction, “So, did you enjoy your visit home Susan?”
She looked at me in shock, as if wondering if I was sane asking about that while we ran for our lives, and then giggled, “Yes, thanks.”
Malina said in my mind in a resigned tone, “We really should run Shawn.”
I kissed her softly, while I thought about my plan. It would work, or there was no point in running, because we’d be dead anyway. When I broke the kiss, I turned and gave one to Susan too. She looked worried and scared as well. It’s not every day angels fight.
Then I said confidently, “I have a plan, we’ve got this. Then I’m going to love all three of you until you can’t walk.”
Malina chuckled lasciviously, Susan gave me a look that said she was on board with the plan, but also said that would take a very long time, and Lilliana just smiled at me shyly from the driver’s seat. I loved that about her, the way she was boldly sexual one moment, and then was all shy servant later on.
I mostly even meant it, especially the last part. Something about adrenaline really got me in the mood, but I didn’t have time for that right now. No matter how willing Malina or Susan might have been to mount me right here in the car, which was very, we were only a couple of minutes from the house…
I asked Lilliana to get me a coffee, I wasn’t sure how fast Korrina would catch up to us, hopefully she would go after Lilith first. I ran down to the basement and opened up Sal, I knew the answers would be in there, but it would also require some creativity on my part. Hopefully I was up to it, and could figure it out quickly enough.
Malina was clearly frightened, but I still thought this was our best chance. How could we run fast enough to escape a teleporter who can track her
targets once she meets them? That way lay death, I could only hope I had the time.
Lilliana came down with my coffee, and Karen followed her. I couldn’t help but smile at wife, no matter the reason for her visit. She hugged me tight and kissed me like she was parched and I was a cool glass of water.
“What the hell is going on, Jerrold called me about a golden winged woman attacking. He said Malina told everyone to run. I had to make sure you were okay, I kind of ran out in the middle of council.”
I smiled, “Let Lilliana explain, I love you and am happy you’re here, but I’m under a bit of time crunch here.”
I gave her another kiss, and then put her out of my mind for now as I looked back in Sal’s book. I didn’t buy the abomination line, she may have had more free will than angels or demons, but even humans had rules on the mortal plane.
I found what I was looking for and studied it quickly, although it took me some time, and then flipped to the other section I needed, and studied that. It was complex, but doable.
I drank the now lukewarm coffee in about five gulps, and then got up and went into the summoning room. I ignored the basic circle for summoning lesser demons, what I was about to do was much more complicated. It was the difference between addition and advanced calculus.
When I ran out of demons that time, when we’d faced the council, I’d decided to experiment on building a circle quickly. Instead of using balefire, I casted a spell of elemental fire and a circle design appeared, far more complicated than the other one.
More complicated even, than the one that the first Moore used to initially summon Malina.
I checked all of it, and it appeared to be correct. I cast a second spell of earth, and where the fire traced on the ground, the circle was permanently carved into the smooth stone floor.
I looked up, and four women were staring at me. Malina didn’t have a confident look on her face, and I wondered if this even had a chance. I was hoping it was her fear that made her doubt my plan. She scowled at me, but didn’t deny it.
I counted on the fact that Korrina did indeed have a place, that she was bound to both heaven and earth, that her earth bindings, soul, and free will simply freed her of the rules of heaven or hell. It was all I had. If this didn’t work, if she couldn’t be summoned into this circle, we were fucked.
“If this doesn’t work, it’s going to be very ugly. You might want to leave, the room at least, if you won’t leave the house.”
They all looked mutinous for a second, but Karen stepped forward and gave me a hug and a long kiss, “I’ll be right next door, I hope this is a good plan.”
It’s all we had, that made it the only plan. Although I supposed I could still try and stick Krystal into Korrina.
Krystal said sultrily, “Or you could just fuck her.”
I frowned, maybe I’d broken the sword. She wasn’t as bloodthirsty anymore, not after she’d been sharing orgasms with me. Krystal was still an artifact though, and I was fairly sure Korrina wasn’t wielding an arch-angel’s sword, which meant it could probably kill her and even block the angelic weapon.
Malina sighed, and kissed me, “I suppose you’re right, if only so she won’t go crazy when she lays her eyes on me. But if the circle doesn’t work, I’ll be in here in a second, and I want you to run, forget that shit with Krystal. You aren’t nearly good enough a swordsman yet to face her.”
I frowned, but nodded reluctantly in agreement.
Lilliana rolled her eyes when I looked at her, “Order me out, or fucking deal with it. Don’t you remember me saying I’d never leave you?”
I laughed, and kissed her too.
Susan looked me in the eyes and said, “If you die you can’t fuck me until I can’t walk.”
I shook my head in amusement as she left the room. It was just me and Lilliana in there now, just like the first day. I kind of wished Karen had stayed, but she was safer where she was, although not by much. I also had no doubt she’d be right behind Malina if something went wrong, followed by Susan.
I brought up the summoning spell in my mind, and started to chant it out loud. It was very long, longer than the lesser demon one, and I didn’t want to flub it. I was used to silent casting now, but the spoken word was still much more natural. It should work, at the end of the spell it called for the name of the greater demon or angel. She should qualify…
Chapter 17
Korrina giggled in excitement as her wounds slowly closed as she drew magic from the world around her. That had been the most fun she’d had in a long time, and a challenge. She’d been disappointed at first, succubae didn’t make good soldiers. They were made to seduce and corrupt, not to fight. But there had been two of them, and they’d kept her busy.
They’d even escaped after opening her stomach up with a lucky slice. It had been foolish to run, they should have finished her then, they might have even succeeded. But the ridiculously busty one with the red hair had run off, and the blonde had grunted in annoyance and ran as well.
She had their magical signatures, so she could easily locate them anywhere on earth, there was nowhere for them to run, nowhere they could hide. Even if they returned to hell, she could trace the echo of their signature and find the warlocks they were connected to. They’d have no choice but to return if she threatened their links to this world.
It was one of the rules they had to abide by.
She cast the spells with a thought, her inherent abilities making anything like words unnecessary, she simply formed the magic.
One was in the Northern part of the city, and not moving. She must be an idiot for not running, although she admitted to herself there was no actual point. The other was headed south out of the city with her warlock, on one of the interstates. She decided to go after the runner first, and then deal with the squatter.
She turned invisible with a thought, spread her wings, and took off into the air.
It didn’t take her very long to catch up, much less than the time it had taken to put her insides back in and heal her wounds. She hid from the humans, but the succubus could easily feel her aura. She’d made it so, to increase the slut’s fear. Ten shadowy and smoky forms left the car, and turned into lesser demons with black leathery wings.
She laughed, they must be desperate.
She didn’t even bother to draw her sword. With a little focus and concentration, ten bright rays of golden light struck them, and the demons went up in bright golden flame. She could have extinguished their essences, but it was the angels she truly wanted to destroy. She allowed the evil beings to sink back to the hell they were summoned from.
Another thought and the road formed spikes to take out the car’s tires, and then sunk back into the concrete as if they’d never existed. The car went out of control and off the road.
She licked her lips in anticipation, drew her sword, and rocketed to the ground.
The succubus tried to run again, this time she tried to teleport herself.
Korrina reached out with her power, and prevented it, the skank wasn’t going anywhere.
The dirt flew as her feet slammed into the ground next to the car door, and she ripped it open and smiled in anticipation as she looked inside. The warlock was knocked out cold, he must have hit his head on the steering wheel. The succubus was cowering into his side, mewling for mercy.
She smiled, she supposed she could show mercy by ending it quickly. It didn’t look like this one was brave enough to fight her alone anyway. She bit her lower lip in disappointment, reached in with her left hand and grabbed Lilith by the throat and pulled her out of the car.
Lilith was still trying to teleport, or return home to hell, but it didn’t do her any good.
She stabbed Lilith with the sword in her right hand, and enjoyed the fear and horror in the angel’s eyes. They all deserved to die for making one such as her. She was lost and alone, without a purpose of her own.
She twisted the sword viciously and Lilith gasped in pain, and her body started to break d
own into white motes of light. She smiled cruelly as she brought up the power to destroy Lilith’s essence, the fallen angel would be no more.
She gasped in protest as she felt a flood of infernal power rise up and surround her. She blasted her aura of golden light to break it, the golden magic that protected and served her, but the infernal power was too strong. Impossibly strong. Then she screamed as she was ripped away from the scene against her will, unable to finish her task, that skank Lilith would no doubt escape her wrath and go back to hell.
She appeared underground in some kind of man made cave. She was beyond angry as she looked around, and when she saw the smug look on the warlock’s face she screamed and moved forward to knock it off his face.
And bounced off an invisible wall.
She looked down in shock, she was in a summoning circle of some kind. She reached for her magic, her power, and found it gone. Even the sword, which was independent of her, was no longer glowing angel white, it looked like a normal blade made of silver, or perhaps platinum.
She glared at the warlock who had trapped her here, “I will tear your heart out warlock, if you do not release me this instant.”
She studied him again, and realized the smile wasn’t smug, or even cocky. He was just confident, and there was no trace of fear or bravado in his eyes. She looked down at the circle again, and it was incredibly complex. How had he done this?
She started to rave at him in rage, and the fucker just lifted an eyebrow at her, as if she were behaving like a child.
He said in a smooth relaxed voice, “I’ll come back, once you calm down a bit.”
Then the bastard took the woman’s hand, a vampire she thought, and walked away from her.
Then she really lost it…
A few minutes ago.
Susan cringed as she walked back into the library. She couldn’t believe she’d said something so stupid, that he couldn’t fuck her if he died, it had sounded better in her head. She’d just been so nervous, and worried about what would happen.
It didn’t help that Shawn drove her crazy with lust, and all she could think about was that intense confident look in his eyes. It was always there, even when he was doing crazy shit to capture a Nephilim. She wondered if the other warlock was dead or dying, or would be soon. She’d only been here a little over two days, and she already didn’t want to leave. He was an intense lover, she’d never had it so good in bed, but more than that he’d treated her like a partner, and someone he trusted his life too.