“Lili,” she said, her voice still trembling. “If you talked to Ventousi, do you think he would listen to you? That he would do what you say?”
“We shall soon find out, my dear!”
She placed her mouth next to Ventousi’s ear and began to whisper: “You would love to get some sleep. You’re exhausted, and who cares if the others catch you napping? It doesn’t matter. With everything you’ve got on your mind, it’s only normal that you should be so tired.”
They looked anxiously at Ventousi, but he was too busy trying to contact his hit man and hadn’t been paying attention.
“Well, that was a waste of time!” snapped Allison, curling her lip.
Lili gave her a steely look. Without a word, she stormed off through the glass wall separating them from another part of the laboratory, where she whispered in the ear of a man looking into a microscope. He started yawning after a few seconds, pushed back his chair, crossed his arms on the table, and dropped off to sleep. Jeremy couldn’t help but think that, if red Angels were playing those sorts of tricks on drivers, he could understand why there were so many traffic accidents.
Lili came back into the office, her eyes gleaming triumphantly.
“Well?”
Allison admitted grudgingly that it had worked.
“But it didn’t work on Ventousi.”
Lili grimaced slightly, unable to do any more.
“I’m sorry, we truly thought we could help the two of you, because we do have the power to influence humans. But when you’re dealing with so much greed, fear, and avarice all bundled up together … I must admit that it won’t work. He doesn’t hear me. He’s not listening. He’s much too preoccupied with all his dirty dealings and his fortune. You would have to be a very powerful Red to be able to manipulate him, and even then I’m not sure it would work!”
Allison’s head quickly snapped around toward her.
“Why a Red and not a Blue? I thought it was the same thing?!”
Actually, so did Jeremy. Especially after what the two old Angels had done to the red Angel who had been torturing his sister. They’d blown him out like a birthday candle.
Lili’s face grew even darker.
“Unfortunately, that’s not quite true. The more negative the emotions are, the more there is for the red Angels to eat, which then makes them even more powerful—especially when the negative emotions are so strong. Some of the oldest red Angels are absolutely terrifying. You’ll be able to see it for yourself at the duel this evening.”
Jeremy shuddered just at the thought of it, especially since the word “Chimera” called to mind mythological beasts that he would be just as happy to avoid. Had the Angels managed to recreate the circus games, like the Romans? With gladiators and fantastic creatures?
But for the time being, he was much more worried about Allison. She was becoming obsessed, and there was no way he would let her turn into a Poltergeist.
He took her by the hand. It was trembling. He felt terrible for her, but did his best to hide it. Lili gave him an inquisitive look with her green eyes. He could see she was worried about Allison too.
They spied on Ventousi the rest of the day, driven by Allison’s relentless quest for vengeance, then followed him home that evening. Allison groaned when she saw Peter, the murderer’s little boy, run into his father’s arms, his eyes still red from crying. At school that day, they had gently broken the news about Allison’s death. Lili took her by the hand, but Allison almost lost it when she saw Ventousi being so kind and considerate with his son, doing his best to console him.
“She’s up in heaven already,” he whispered, holding his son tightly in his arms. “She didn’t suffer, and now she’s watching over you, like a guardian angel. I know that she liked you a lot; I could tell right away. I’m sure that she’ll miss you just as much as you miss her.”
So even horrible monsters could have feelings of love. It took Jeremy by surprise. It didn’t seem fair to him that people like Ventousi could be loving, attentive parents. But for Allison it was just more hypocrisy and deceit, even though the Mist emanating from the man was pure blue.
Peter was only ten, but already watched a lot of television when his father was away. He unwittingly told Ventousi some vitally important news: “It was the same guy who killed that man and woman with the sword, Dad, but Allison put up a fight! She killed the guy before she died!”
Ventousi shuddered. “What? What did you say?”
“The policemen who came to our school didn’t tell us what happened. But they talked about it on the news. I saw it on TV at lunch. They said that she electrocuted the killer when she was trying to defend herself. She sure showed him!”
The dark brown Mist that began pouring out of Ventousi showed how frightened he was. He did his best to console his son, but his thoughts were clearly elsewhere. Thick clouds of it were pouring out of him as he tried to figure out how this latest news would affect his plans.
Suddenly he told Peter that he had some urgent business to take care of and jumped back in his car. Lili reacted first, quickly flying out after him, while Jeremy and Allison stayed with Peter. Ventousi came back half an hour later.
“He threw his prepaid cell phone into the river,” explained Lili, who was out of breath. “He’s getting rid of everything that can tie him to Khan!”
A sound escaped from Allison’s lips, like a low growl. Jeremy remained quiet. If she had been exhaling Mist just then like a living person, it wouldn’t have been a very pretty color. She had never even thought about going back home, seeing how Clark was doing, or her little dog. This wasn’t the Allison he thought he knew. She seemed cold and hard. Despite her resolutions, she hadn’t been able to stop prowling around Ventousi all afternoon, like a wild animal, spitting insults at him, feverishly trying to figure out a way to get back at him.
Or even kill him?
Jeremy could tell Allison was feeling the same powerlessness that he himself had felt. The same futility. That there’s nothing you can possibly do. He had lived through it himself, out of love for Allison. She was going through the same thing now, but due to the opposite emotion: hate. In both cases, it resulted in the same thing: an obsession. It was no good: the other Angels had been right. Would he be able to make Allison fall in love with him, and forget about her plans for vengeance?
With great difficulty, Lili and Jeremy were finally able to pull Allison away from Ventousi. Once they had left his home outside the city, she seemed to come back to her senses.
Just in time to lash out at Lili.
“You don’t want to help me; I can see that for myself! I swear that I’ll find a way to make that creep pay for what he did to m—did to us. Someway or other.”
Lili raised an eyebrow.
“I never said I didn’t want to help,” she said, her green eyes flashing. “I said that it was no use, and I even proved it, as you and Jeremy could see for yourselves. I hope the nuance isn’t lost on you, my little Cherub.”
Allison glowered at her, and sulked in silence until they arrived at an enormous amphitheater made of Mist that had been built inside a huge warehouse. Jeremy wondered why they’d chosen this particular location, since Angels normally created their gathering spots in places where Mist was readily available. But the warehouse was in fact on an abandoned lot.
He sighed when he heard the clamoring voices of the Angels inside, hurling abuse at the opposing fighters. Yep, it was Fight Club all right. Or more like the Coliseum in Rome, with Caesar, Mist, and the Games.
The old blue-and-red Angel at the door let them in because they were with Lili, but he looked very surprised to see the two Cherubs.
“You sure you know what you’re doing, Lili?” he growled uneasily. “It’s pretty unruly in there. It’s been years since we’ve had a duel, and both those guys look ready to be served up on a platter …”
“I’ll protect them, Brent; don’t you worry!” Lili replied lightly. “Has Flint arrived yet?”
&nbs
p; “Yeah, the old son of a bitch is already in his box. He’s expecting you.”
He looked over Allison and Jeremy one more time before adding: “You kiddies better keep your asses out of sight! Don’t look any of the Ancients in the eyes or they’ll think you’re challenging them. Believe me, it’d be better for the both of you if no one notices you!”
Jeremy and Allison both swallowed hard and nodded. He didn’t have to tell them twice: They had no intention—oh no, no intention at all—of drawing any attention to themselves. Both looked like they wanted nothing better than to crawl inside a shell!
Probably because of what he’d seen in the movies, Jeremy expected the place to be dark and filthy, filled with clouds of smoke and violent, rowdy spectators, with two guys soaked in blood beating the crap out of each other. Or maybe he’d find an arena, with gladiators trying to disembowel each other with swords and tridents. But unlike living human beings, the old Angels could stage their battles wherever they pleased, and had no reason to try to hide it. They had set up the fighting rink right out in the open, and had turned the empty warehouse into a beautifully sculpted amphitheater surrounded by luxury boxes. All different shades of Mist had been used in the construction, creating a vivid and joyous setting for what would turn out to be the most terrifying thing Jeremy had ever witnessed (besides his own death). He could see many fluttering wings amongst the spectators, which meant of course that a lot of old Angels were on hand. They were all deep shades of blue, purple, red, or burgundy, the visible signs of their great power and venerable age. And also of their frightening charisma. Some were completely white, however, like the famous chef at the restaurant, which meant that they only nourished themselves with one color: the Mist of pleasure.
Without warning Lili grabbed both the Cherubs by the waist and flew over to Flint’s luxury box. Allison didn’t even have time to yell (actually, they really didn’t have a choice, since there were no stairs and neither one knew how to fly). It was luxurious, all right: an alcove with midnight-blue, velvet wall hangings, comfortable armchairs, and even two daybeds that made Allison blush. All sorts of Mist had been laid out on small coffee tables so that they could eat while watching the show. Lili and Jeremy, who had been so busy tailing Ventousi that they hadn’t eaten since that morning, both dug in with relish. Allison was still feeling a bit queasy after their flight, even though it had been a short one. An Angel who suffered from vertigo! She felt so stupid!
When Jeremy finally began looking around the amphitheater, he realized he had been wrong about the source of all the noise. There weren’t two Angels fighting in the arena. There was just one absolutely magnificent white Angel, who was constantly transforming himself into a series of different shapes to illustrate a funny story he was telling about a man, a woman, and a horse. What they had heard were the people laughing, yelling in approval, or jeering at each new transformation. Jeremy and Allison stared on wide-eyed as he finished his show. The comic Angel even managed to turn himself into a magnificent oak tree with lush green leaves. While the two of them looked on in wonder like two little kids, Lili told Flint about the afternoon’s activities.
And her inability to get through to Ventousi.
Flint frowned and bit his lip as he listened, troubled by what he heard.
“He really couldn’t hear you then? That’s not good. No one’s as good at influencing the living as you are, Lili. Hmmm.”
He sighed, and didn’t speak for several minutes. In the arena, the comic had finished his routine, and other Angels were now flying up to a gilded platform surrounded by a wire mesh, the sight of which made Allison shiver.
“Jeremy, Allison, listen up,” he finally said. “I was busy this afternoon as well. After resting for a few hours, I got some information about the lunatic that’s after you. His name is Naranbaatar Khan, and yes, he is a hit man. His energy was so toxic that he’d been able to feed at least twenty red Angels over the past thirty years. Which was why the last three Angels who were feeding off of him—and who I quickly located—are furious with Allison for having killed him. It appears that our friend Khan had been their favorite feed bag. Anyway, they confirmed that this Arthur Ventousi had hired him a few months ago to get rid of a woman named Annabella Dafing, one of the researchers at his laboratory who knew too much about his miracle drug. They also told me that, when he realized that Allison had overheard one of his conversations, he immediately ordered Khan to kill her too, and anybody else she may have spoken to.”
“But, that’s terrible!” Allison exclaimed, jumping to her feet. She suddenly grew pale: “Clark!”
“Yes, including your friend Clark. That’s why he bugged your apartment. So that he could figure out whom he needed to get rid of. His weapon of choice was the katana. He made it look like the murders were committed by a serial killer, who struck randomly all around the globe. In fact, he was very well paid for his work. He couldn’t speak because a rival gang made him swallow molten lead when he was young, and it destroyed his tongue, palate, and throat.”
Jeremy gulped, hoping nobody noticed but horrified even by the thought of it. He had a hyperactive imagination. Just a simple burn was painful enough; he didn’t even want to think about what it must have been like to swallow molten metal.
“It made him the perfect killer, because no one could talk to him.”
“Allison,” Lili said gently. “Why don’t you sit back down? If you stand up someone might notice you, and believe me, it’s best to be cautious. Ventousi’s henchman is dead now, and although I don’t know who Clark is, I think he’s safe for the time being.”
Although she was still upset, Allison heeded her words and sat back down. But her tightly clenched hands and the feverish look in her eyes made it clear she wasn’t going to drop the matter. Jeremy knew that she would take the first possible opportunity to run off and warn Clark. Except that it was impossible of course, as he knew full well, having failed at similar attempts himself.
A horn blast rang out, startling the two of them. Everyone’s eyes turned to the gilded stage, where the event’s organizers were now assembled. Soon two Angels appeared. Both were horribly emaciated.
Jeremy wasn’t sure why, but he’d assumed it would be a combat between a Red and a Blue. He’d been wrong: Both Angels were a dark, angry red.
“My God!” Allison whispered. “Why are they so skinny?”
Flint gave her a light tap to shush her up. “You’ll soon understand. What you’re about to see is very rare and unusual. And I think it will also be quite instructive for you.”
One of the Angels on the stage slowly raised his head and looked around at the gathered assembly, his eyes burning with hate. Allison was horrified when she saw that he had blood-red fangs, long and sharp. Long, pointy claws suddenly appeared on his fingers. His adversary, who was a bit farther back on the stage, bared his fangs as well, to garner applause from the spectators, who were only too happy to oblige.
“Kill!”
Jeremy was stunned when he heard the command. Well, at least the message was clear.
The two Angels lunged at each other immediately, and it wasn’t long before blood began flowing. They showed no quarter, scratching and gouging with the claws on their hands and feet. After a few minutes, Jeremy could see that the second Red wasn’t as aggressive as the first. He must have awakened the most base instincts in his rival, because the first Angel was completely out of his mind. They tried to bite each other more than once, but without success. Then suddenly, the first Angel caught the second by surprise when he pulled off his loincloth and turned it into a spear. Before his adversary could react, he thrust it through his stomach with all his might, pinning the second against the floor of Mist.
He roared in triumph and leaped on his opponent. The second Angel waved his arms frantically and tried to beat at his assailant, but he couldn’t remove the spear or stop the first Angel from sinking his teeth into his throat. Then, like a giant tick, he started to feed off his victim. Jeremy
felt sick, but couldn’t pull his eyes away. As the victor greedily slurped away, the body of the second Red began to shrivel up. Too weakened to resist, he could only howl in despair, his horrible cries sending shivers through the public.
“The vampire legend!” Jeremy uttered, completely captivated. “The living saw Angels biting each other, is that it?”
“That’s right,” Flint smiled. “The rest is just folklore, but it was based on something real. It is still the only way that one Angel can kill another in hand-to-hand combat, besides making him disappear. It’s also the reason that it remains so exceptional, because the Angel that bites the other one must completely consume his victim.”
“Do you mean … that’s why they’re so skinny?” Allison whispered in astonishment. “Each one has been starving himself so that he could eat the other one?”
“Exactly,” Lili replied matter-of-factly. “Not very pretty, but highly effective.”
“We have to do something,” Allison said anxiously. “We can’t just stand by! It’s horrible! Inhuman!”
“Imagine, my dear, that the red Angel being consumed before our eyes was Mr. Arthur Ventousi,” Flint replied in a cool, calm voice. “Who is a monster. Who had his colleague, you, and Jeremy murdered just to line his pockets. What would you do?”
Allison was troubled by his words.
“I … I don’t know,” she said hesitantly.
But all four of them knew she was lying.
“I don’t know the source of these two Angels’ disagreement,” Flint continued in an expressionless voice. “All I know is that the loser did harm to the other Red, or to his family, and that the victor has been looking for him for a long time to make him pay for his deeds. If any pity should be shown to the loser, surely it is up to the victor to decide? After all, he holds his enemy’s life in his hands now, and not you, my little Allison.”
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