Angel Magic

by Brooklyn O'Bannon

  And sea with all the strength it hath

  And fire with its terrible wrath

  To witness this binding

  As Earthward we fall

  Bound for life

  In sight of all.”

  The heat of the power shot through him while he came within her, binding them together. Power, extending from him, rose up into her body, into her womb where it gathered into a ball of energy and then erupted into her body. In his mind he could see the intricate sparkling pattern of the power web thread through each cell in her body—spirals, loops, complicated patterns he would not remember after this moment—making her his Angeli mate. The power web inside her now matched his own.

  Finally, it was done. He stretched out his wings, caught a sea wind and floated them back to the beach. The girl in his arms was sound asleep. Poor little thing had an exhausting day. He would help her into a healing meditation tomorrow to regain her strength.

  On the beach he pulled her top onto her, but not the leggings, since she would probably wish to cleanse the spendings and blood off her legs. He placed her rolled up leggings under her head for a pillow, and then stretched out next to her, gathering her close. He spread his wing out, over her, to keep her warm and out of the sun when it rose, and fell into a deep sleep.

  Chapter Three

  A hard kick to the backside woke Rahmiel. He craned his head back while he made sure his wing still covered Kari.

  He grinned. “Good day, Lemuel.” He squinted into the sun. “You made excellent time. I thought I would have at least until midday.” Lemuel looked a little different than when he had last seen him. Lines of temper and discontent marred his handsome face.

  “You’re on your way back, and then we’ll figure out how you got out,” Lemuel said.

  “Don’t think so.” Rahmiel turned to Kari and made sure her top covered her, and then sat up. “Kari. Kari wake up. We have company.” He leaned close to her and whispered into her ear. “You might want to stand under the cover of my wings and pull on your leggings.”

  Kari gave him a wide eyed glance and then looked at the group of angels behind him. She nodded and he helped her to her feet. She looked adorable.

  Lemuel gave a bark of laughter. “Found a woman, eh? Can’t say I blame you there.”

  “Kaphawn is back, Lemuel. Perhaps you should consult with your commander—is that still Rafael?”

  Kari struggled into her leggings and then Rahmiel pulled her in front of him, her back against his hard chest. “Meet Kari.”

  Lemuel’s eyes widened. “You bound her? But she’s human. How could you do that? You know the Guardians cannot bind humans.”

  Rahmiel replied with a humorless laugh. Kari tensed next to him. He swept his arms down in front of her, and crossed them over her chest, pulling her tight against him. “Ssh, don’t worry, Kari. I will handle Lemuel,” he whispered into her ear. She fell limp against him, trusting him to protect her.

  Worn out, poor little one. Humans didn’t have the stamina of the Angelli.

  Rahmiel turned back to the angels. “Ahh yes, the Guardian oaths. Well, what can I say? I quit being a Guardian when you threw me in ice. Eight thousand years hardly seems a just sentence, does it? Eight thousand years without warmth or a touch…I lost my head. Have you noticed how lovely she is?” Rahmiel stroked Kari’s hair with a slow, sensuous hand. He smirked at them. Centuries ago, the Angeli had retreated to Overland and no longer had contact with delicious human partners.

  “The penalty for killing a Guardian is eternity.” Lemuel’s hand went to his sword.

  “He was a snake, and you know it,” Rahmiel fired back. “My sentence was all politics, wasn’t it Lemuel? Didn’t the Angeli reward you for your righteous outrage?

  You have my old job. The only way you could get it was to get me out of the way, wasn’t it? I was always the better Guardian.” Rahmiel let Kari go and picked up his pants, which he put on without modesty.

  “Now, Lemuel, you’re making my little one nervous. She’s been through a lot, since she’s the one who stumbled onto the summoning spell. Remember Kaphawn, who I sent to hiding for eight thousand years? Have you forgotten the binding you put upon me if ever he returned? I got her away from Kaphawn.” He raised a hand and stroked it slowly down her hair, over her breast. “And our bond will keep her safe from him.”

  He pulled Kari back against him, his arms sliding under hers and clasping right under her breasts.

  “It’s been great seeing you all again, but I need to get my little one home. We need our rest. Kaphawn will be out to kill at sundown. Since you modern Guardians no longer guard the Earth from demons, I guess I’m on my own.” He looked straight into Lemuel’s face. “Wasn’t that the vow we took, back in our day? To use our Angelic powers against the demon hoards, to protect our people and our human brethren?

  Perhaps my memory is faulty, but I think that’s what we vowed. Do you remember, Lemuel?”

  Lemuel’s cheeks turned a bright red. “Get out of here before I put you where you belong.”

  Rahmiel gave a low laugh. “Plan on going after Kaphawn yourself?”

  Lemuel said nothing.

  “I didn’t think so.

  He pulled Kari tight and lifted off with a hard beat of his wings, while the Angels below looked at their leader.

  “He just bound you to stay out of prison, girl,” Lemuel shouted as Rahmiel ascended, with Kari tucked safely against him.

  Kari fell asleep while he flew, and did not completely wake. Rahmiel got the girl showered and helped her to bed. He gave her a suggestion, reinforced by his power due to the binding, to sleep for several hours. She would feel much better with the extra sleep, and he had some business to attend to. He’d return to her about the time she awakened, and they would spend a few delicious hours together before he started hunting Kaphawn.

  * * * *

  He made his way to the Angeli Overland. It was lovely, of course, with gleaming pastel buildings made of quartz and crystal and streets of shiny white and pink quartz laid out in patterns. Everything was orderly, even trees and shrubs were trimmed into pleasing shapes, and flowers were placed in neat geometric, balanced beds.

  He hated it.

  He thought fondly of his little island with its wild green growth, fallen trees, seaweed on the beach. That was perfect.

  After he hunted Kaphawn tonight, he’d take Kari back there, only this time he’d bring along a blanket, and maybe some food and drink for Kari. He had to remember she was human, and her energy level depleted much quicker than that of an Angeli woman.

  For now, he needed to find Tehmuel. Fortunately, he knew where his friend lived.

  The one advantage to the ice prison was how it amplified his Angeli vision and hearing.

  After the first one hundred years or so, he had been able to focus on Earth well enough to follow friends around as they went about their business. He’d heard the Angeli debates about staying on Earth or departing to a human-free Angeli home. The Angeli world had won out and all but a few had retired to the new world. Rahmiel had watched his friends and family with interest for a while, but the Angeli world had become boring after a few hundred years.

  Earth, on the other hand, was always bursting with energy, with wild ideas and bloody wars, with kingdoms rising and falling, heroic battles, passionate lovers. He much preferred watching Earth.

  Still, he’d kept track of Tehmuel. Rahmiel found him out in his garden, working on an intricate mosaic made of tiny colored grains of sand.

  Rahmiel landed in the middle of it, and deliberately wiped out an entire section with his wings. The look on Tehmuel’s face was priceless. Rahmiel roared with laughter.

  “You ruined my mosaic.”

  Rahmiel doubled over with laughter. Tehmuel, his red beard quivering with rage, launched into him and they skidded across the mosaic, sending the tiny colored grains flying.

  “I worked on that for three hundred years.” Tehmuel hit him in the gut.


  The old man still had it in him, Rahmiel thought as he bent over and groaned.

  “Rahmiel?” Tehmuel paused and frowned at him. “How’d you get out of the freezer?”

  “Long story. How about you find me something fermented to drink, and I’ll tell you all about it.”

  They made their way to padded lounge chairs on the patio and stretched out, drinking a fruity iced wine Tehmuel pulled from a cupboard. Rahmiel made a face when he took a mouthful. “What is this?” He expected something a little…heartier.

  “The only wine we can have here,” Tehmuel answered with a frown. “Pitiful, isn’t it?”

  “What do you mean, the only wine you can have here?“

  “They have laws about brewing. Laws about everything.”

  Rahmiel wagged his head. He wasn’t surprised. Even in his day the law and order types were making a lot of noise. “Why do you stay?”

  Tehmuel grinned. “Well, there are laws against leaving, too. But I doubt they are enforced. I’ve heard rumors that some of the young Angels are sliding away to other dimensions.” He waved his glass toward Rahmiel. “There’s a law against you being here, I’m pretty sure. So why are you here?”

  Rahmiel told him about Kaphawn.

  Tehmuel nodded. “You know, I’ve had that thought now and then. What would happen if Kaphawn got out, would you get out, too?”

  “I did. A girl did the summoning spell. She thought she was too plump and it would make her slim. She found the spell in some old book.”

  Tehmuel whistled through his teeth. “That is not good news.”

  “I got there almost immediately. She was skewered but still alive. Kaphawn fled, he knew he was no match for me, even though the ice still encased me and I wasn’t fast. I think it is going to take awhile for him to regain his strength. He consumed some people and went into hiding.”

  Tehmuel nodded. “If those kills had given him strength, he’d have continued killing. Remember that tribe on the Danube River?”

  Rahmiel nodded. That was a memory he didn’t enjoy dredging up, all those dead children…

  Tehmuel was silent for a moment, also.

  “So, you rescued the girl. Was she appropriately grateful?”

  Rahmiel grinned. “The girl is a beauty, named Kari. I did a binding with her. It will keep her somewhat safe from Kaphawn, and keep me on Earth. You should have seen Lemuel when he saw the girl was bound.”

  “I’d have liked to see that, no doubt about it,” Tehmuel chuckled. “So, you’re bound to a human girl. She’s pretty, you say? A virgin?”

  “Not any more. And she’s gorgeous. Red hair down to her butt, big green eyes, soft pink lips.”

  Tehmuel laughed the hearty laugh of a warrior.

  They had a few more drinks, ignoring the taste but enjoying the effect.

  “Maybe he needs to complete the kill,” Tehmuel said.

  “What?”

  “Maybe Kaphawn needs to complete the girl’s kill. Like a sacrifice. Maybe that’s why he comes back for victims he doesn’t kill the first time.”

  Rahmiel suddenly felt sober. “It’s a good thing I bound her, then.”

  “True. But if I were you, I wouldn’t rely on that to keep her safe. Kaphawn has mighty powers when he’s well fed.”

  “Yes. I should be getting back. But I wanted to see if you wanted to slide down to Earth and help me out. We both know he will be easier to defeat now than he will be after a thousand kills.”

  “Sure, why not? Lemuel won’t like it, but there isn’t any law against fighting a famine demon. Really, we should kill them. If they take out the humans, who would be next?”

  “Angeli.”

  “Yes. And after killing off the human population, he’d have the power to get to us.

  Now, come with me. We’ll go talk to my grandson, Auriel. He’s always in trouble, but he’s a good fighter. Can’t get into the Guardians, of course. Lemuel thinks he’s a worthless pup. But he’s a fine swordsman. I taught him myself.”

  Chapter Four

  Kari woke up in her bed with a damp towel under her wet hair. She blinked, and made her eyes focus on the clock. Almost four in the afternoon. How could she have slept the whole day away? Her hair was still damp and the chill sent a shiver up her spine.

  Funny, she didn’t remember taking a shower. Her head throbbed and she felt odd, like she’d had too much to drink. Fuzzy. She couldn’t think, and her eyes felt so heavy.

  Coffee would help.

  She sat up and pain throbbed between her legs. What was wrong?

  Oh my God! Kaphawn, Rahmiel, her new body, Angels… Memories of the past night came flooding back.

  She flopped back onto the bed. She shouldn’t be this sore, should she? He’d said he would be gentle. Kari closed her eyes and thought about the night. They had gone to a beach somewhere. Nowhere near Peoria. He told her about the protection that required sex…how he’d be gentle…

  He only bound you to stay out of prison, girl. The voice of that other angel echoed in her head. Was that true? Or was what Rahmiel said the truth, that the binding made her safe?

  It had seemed so real—the intimacy, the emotion in their kisses. Had he only been doing a job? Or worse, had he been using her to stay out of prison? Or just plain usingme for sex?

  She climbed out of bed and went to find him. They needed to talk. Rahmiel wasn’t in the house. She sank down at the kitchen table and tried to think about what she should do. Rahmiel was gone and he might not come back. She’d given him what he wanted—sex and a ticket out of prison. A tear trickled down her cheek and she scrubbed it away. How could she have been so stupid? The first good looking guy—angel—to come along, and she just gave it away. He’d taken her virginity and taken off.

  What about that demon? Wasn’t she still in danger? What if he lied about the protection of the binding or whatever he’d called it?

  Kari took a long hot shower, letting the water wash over her. It helped some. She took her time and blew her hair dry, hoping Rahmiel would show up.

  She had to pull on the clothes she’d worn the night before. They were none too clean, but she had nothing else to wear.

  Being thin just didn’t seem so wonderful now. The Dieter’s Delight—no, she would not let herself think about that now.

  Kari fixed some instant coffee and a piece of toast with a scraping of peanut butter, wondering if it would make her gain weight. The kitchen phone’s answering machine was blinking. She hit the button and her best friend’s voice filled the room.

  “Kari, call me as soon as you get this message. Something awful has happened. The Dieter’s Delight group—” Amber Dahl’s voice broke with a sob.

  Visions of the Dieter’s Delight group, pitiful dead remains on the floor, flooded her.

  They had all died because of her. What was wrong with her? She was the reason they were dead. Her stupid plan to use magic to get thin—if it was such a great idea then why didn’t others use it? She should have known better.

  My friends are dead because of me.

  Amber! Kaphawn would know all about Amber. Rahmiel said the demon used her memories to find victims. Amber had stopped going to Dieter’s Delight because her classes were so demanding this semester. Panic welled up within her. What if Kaphawn—? She wouldn’t let herself finish the thought.

  Kari grabbed her purse and car keys and rushed to Amber’s small apartment.

  She banged on the door but didn’t wait for Amber to answer. She shoved her key into the lock and swung the door open.

  Amber was right there, her face and eyes red from crying, but plump and healthy.

  Kari flung her arms around her.

  “Who—” Amber shoved her away, and Kari realized her best friend didn’t even recognize her.

  “Amber, it’s me, Kari. I know I look different. I had to make sure you were safe. I was so scared.”

  Amber backed away into her apartment and stared at her. “You can’t be Kari.”

  “Ambe
r, I know I don’t look like myself. But I can explain. It’s a crazy explanation, but you have to listen to me.”

  “You sound like Kari…have the right hair and eyes…but there is no way you can be Kari.”

  “Amber, I did a magic thing. That’s why I’m so thin.”

  Amber snorted.

  “I am Kari.” Kari paused for a moment to think of something. “Remember when we did the third ear piercing in tenth grade? Then we decided they looked trashy because Luanne had three piercings, and she stole your boyfriend? So we let them close. Look, you can still see mine.” Kari swept her hair out of the way. “See?”

  Amber looked then burst into tears. “Lisbet is dead. Something really awful happened to the Dieter’s Delight Club. Some serial killer or something. And I don’t understand how you could be so thin in just a couple of days.”

  Kari grabbed Amber’s shoulders. “Listen to me, Amber. This is really important.

  We can’t stay here. That—that killer could come here. We have to go hide somewhere.”

  “What do you mean? You know about the killer?”

  Kari started crying, too. “Yes, but there’s no time to talk. Let’s pack up some clothes and get out of here.”

  A picture floated in front of her eyes. A shadow moved slowly. A skeletal hand.

  Her breath hitched in panic. She needed to get Amber out of here, even if Amber didn’t really believe her. Kaphawn knew where Amber lived.

  “Hurry.” Kari grabbed Amber’s hand and all but pulled her to the closet, and found Amber’s suitcase. “We need to get away. The thing that killed Lisbet knows about you.”

  “I don’t understand. What about the police?”

  “Amber, the thing that killed them is the same thing that made me thin. The police can’t stop it. It’s magic.”

  Amber stared at her for a moment and Kari knew she was thinking about it. Then Amber nodded, and Kari wasted no time throwing together clean clothes and toiletries.

  Kari rushed her out to the car. Amber got in but didn’t shut her door. “Where are we going?” Amber was still in a daze.

  “I don’t know. I need to pick up something to wear. I don’t even have any underwear. Then we need to go somewhere I’ve never been, so the demon won’t be able to find us.”