Whiskey and Angelfire

by A. A. Chamberlynn

  She lifted a massive weapon that looked somewhat like a rocket launcher and pointed it at me. “Okay. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

  “Ditto.”

  I leapt through the air in a blur that her human eyes couldn’t track. A blast of yellow light beneath me accompanied by a sound like a sonic cattle prod told me she’d discharged her weapon. As I landed next to her, my katana sliced through the barrel of her gun as if it was butter. I brought my fist up and landed a roundhouse punch to her jaw. She hit the ground hard.

  Chaos erupted throughout the room.

  “I’ve been wanting to do that for a long time,” I said, staring down at her.

  Hunter climbed unsteadily to her feet. She could take a punch, I’d give her that. Her leg shot out, catching me in the side. I caught her foot and twisted. She met the pavement again.

  “You’re getting locked up forever,” she said, spitting blood onto the floor.

  “You’d have to be capable of taking me in,” I said with a laugh.

  “You can’t get past two dozen warriors.”

  As if on cue, the air crackled with magic. At the back of the room, Quinn stood with her hands in the air, her hair flying up around her. All the angels and NHTF dudes froze in place, including Hunter.

  “You were saying?” I smirked down at Hunter.

  “Let’s go!” Riley yelled.

  I didn’t need to be asked twice. We bolted for the door.

  Once outside, the other supes split. “Get Scorch out of here,” I said to Riley. “I’ll jump through the pathways with Quinn once you’re further away. Meet us at Merrion Square. It’s about a mile south of here.”

  He nodded and looked over at Scorch, and they sped down the street, disappearing from sight. Quinn kept her focus on the inside of the building, and after about another sixty seconds I could see the strain on her face. I grabbed her arm. “Alright. Let’s go.”

  We stepped through the pathways to our meeting place. The lush, wooded park was quiet at this time of night. Old-fashioned lampposts dotted the walkways. I could taste snow on the air.

  “I can’t believe the angels and NHTF kidnapped Scorch,” Quinn said, seething. Her hair still stood on end a bit and she paced back and forth like a tiger.

  “We can only hope it’s just the unit here in Dublin that’s so corrupt,” I said. “Though now that the words are out of my mouth, they sound disgustingly naive.”

  “What are we going to do?” Quinn said, the anger draining from her face and a sob entering her voice.

  “I don’t know yet. But I need to talk to Eli. I’m not sugar-coating the truth about his girlfriend anymore. He needs to get back to the HR in Seattle and let him know what’s happening.”

  We waited in tense silence. After a couple minutes, Quinn said, “What do you think happened to Scorch? When he was younger? He was obviously in some sort of regressed state when we found him.”

  “Not sure,” I said. “A lot of people take advantage of supes, especially younger ones, orphans and such, which I’m assuming he is. Bunches of sickos in our world, unfortunately.”

  Quinn sniffled, and I realized she was crying.

  “Hey, he’ll be okay. He’s got you and Riley now,” I said, clapping her awkwardly on the back. “Now, pull it together before they get back.”

  She nodded and took a deep breath. “Thanks, Zy.”

  “Don’t mention it.”

  A few minutes later, Riley and Scorch jogged up.

  “Are you okay?” Quinn asked the kid, pulling him into one of her surprisingly strong hugs.

  “I’m fine,” he croaked. Quinn let go and took a step back. The kid looked up at each of us in turn. “I went out to take a walk, and someone grabbed me, put a bag over my head. Something felt funny, like, like I was being squeezed in half. Then they shoved me in that cage. I wasn’t there long when you found me. You guys work quick.”

  I smiled. “It pays to have friends like us.”

  “Anything else?” Quinn asked.

  “No.” Scorch fidgeted and looked down. “They didn’t say anything really.”

  “It was clearly a trap,” Riley said, sounding super pissed. “In case they didn’t catch us at Mags’s. They knew we’d come after him.”

  “Agreed,” I said. “Unfortunately for them, they underestimated us big time.”

  “Yeah, when you cut that lady’s gun in half… that was pretty fuckin’ wicked,” Scorch said with a grin.

  “Scorch!” Quinn said.

  He blushed. “And your spell was awesome, too.”

  That elicited a small smile from Quinn.

  “Alright, I need to call Eli,” I said. “My phone still can’t be traced, right? They won’t know that I contacted him?”

  “Right,” Quinn said.

  I pulled out my phone and sent Eli a basic text message, not the standard hologram one I might typically have used. “Now we wait.”

  “Now we wait,” Riley echoed.

  “Waiting is so much fun,” Quinn said, rolling her eyes.

  It was almost an hour before Eli popped into sight, landing with such force that he shook the ground.

  “Everything okay?” I asked.

  “I think I had a tail.” His eyes flashed over us. “This is gonna have to be super quick.”

  “Then I’ll cut to the chase: Hunter kidnapped Scorch to set a trap for us. And The Liberties is pretty much under military occupation.”

  Eli didn’t say anything for several moments. “I’m not surprised anymore. Things are bad. And it’s not just Dublin. Michael has put a lockdown on the supe districts in pretty much all of Western Europe. It’s the same in all the big cities.”

  I felt like someone had kicked me in the stomach, and Quinn gasped.

  He looked at me. “I think we need to get Ambriel and Kara to come out of hiding. I don’t think it will right all the wrongs, but it will take the wind out of Michael’s sails. As much as I’m sure they want to be together, it just can’t work. It’s ripping everything apart. I’ve got Pan’s amulet, and we can contact him and pray he’ll help.”

  I swallowed and nodded. “I think you’re right. I don’t want to do it, but I don’t have any other ideas.”

  “I do,” Riley said.

  Four heads whipped around.

  “Being gay, and being alive back when it wasn’t okay to be gay, I can personally attest that being told you can’t be with the one you love is no way to live.” He looked at each of us in turn, his face burning with emotion. “Things won’t change if Michael is allowed to get away with this. What if we find Ambriel and Kara, like you said, but only so they can make a statement to the world about their decision. We hack into the major international news feeds and blast it to kingdom come. Michael will be forced to back down.”

  “Risky. But I think it could work,” I said.

  “Agreed,” Quinn added.

  “Sounds epic,” Scorch chimed in.

  “It’s settled then,” Riley said.

  Eli stared at us, a universe of emotions swimming over his face. “Even by flying back to headquarters and simply NOT telling them what we’re trying to do, I’m committing treason of the highest order.”

  “Then don’t go back,” I said. “Leave here, right now, and take word back to the HR in Seattle.”

  “I’ve already sent him a communication. There’s nothing he can do. Not against Michael.” He cast me a sad glance. “Of course, he didn’t phrase it that way, but it was clear.”

  “Then come with us, and leave the angels altogether.”

  Eli let out an animal growl of frustration, his hands curled into fists. “I hate this. But I can’t give up this easily. I’ve made oaths. I have a duty, and I need to try to fight this from the inside.”

  “It’s okay,” Quinn murmured. “We understand.”

  Eli looked up at them. “Can I speak to Zy alone for a minute?”

  They nodded and walked off.

  “I know what you’re going to say.” I
stared up at him. “This has to be goodbye for a while. Maybe…”

  He stepped forward and grabbed my hands. “No, not forever. Just until all this blows over.” His eyes flicked from me, off into the trees which shone silvery in the light of the moon. “This is all so surreal. I can’t believe Michael is doing this. It’s not the kind of thing I was raised to believe.”

  “I know. I can’t imagine what that must feel like.”

  He pulled me into a hug, our bodies melting into each other. His heart beat against my cheekbone, and the strong muscles of his… well, everything, pressed up against mine. My eyes had that unpleasant pricking feeling at the corners, whatever the hell that was.

  “Be careful. Don’t you dare get yourself killed, Zyan Star.”

  “Are you kidding?” I murmured into him. “I don’t die so easily.”

  We pulled apart, his lavender eyes on mine. He reached out and ran a finger down the side of my cheek. It felt like fire, and I didn’t want it to ever stop. “Zy…” Conflict rampaged in his eyes. “You—you’ve been a great partner.”

  “You have, too,” I said lamely.

  “I’ll see you again.”

  “You’d better.”

  Eli brushed a strand of hair behind my ear, and stepped closer to me. His eyes raged. He pressed Pan’s amulet into my fingers, his face hovering inches from mine. Then with a slight shake of his head, he launched into sky, disappearing a moment later. Like a shooting star.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  I didn’t waste any time, as there was none to be wasted. Gripping the amulet in the palm of my hand, I thought of Pan. Imagined the apple green of his eyes, the silky red hair, the silver staff. And maybe his abs. Just a little.

  “Calling again so soon?” he crooned, leaning on his staff quite casually next to one of the lampposts.

  “Yes. We have a serious problem.”

  Pan raised a brow. “Go on.”

  “Michael has placed Dublin’s supernatural district under military control, along with the other major cities in western Europe. He’s tearing society apart.”

  “I wouldn’t call that a serious problem,” Pan said. “Intriguing, though, most certainly. Michael has a vendetta against other supernaturals, it would seem.”

  I curled my fists. “Listen, I get that not a lot ruffles your feathers, and you have a whole ‘nother realm to party in, but this one’s all I’ve got.”

  Pan smiled. “You can come visit me in Faerie anytime.”

  “This is serious, Pan.” I took a breath. “Just hear me out.” And I told him our plan. Which wasn’t super detailed of a plan at this point, but hey, it was all I had.

  He listened intently and regarded me thoughtfully for several agonizing moments when I’d finished. I could see Quinn and Riley hanging back on the periphery of my vision, not wanting to interrupt.

  “If I help you, that’s going to mean you owe me three favors, Zyan Star. You’re getting in a little deep on your debt load, don’t you think?”

  I rolled my eyes. “Of all the things you could take seriously, that’s what you choose? My debts?”

  “I’m rather disturbed you don’t take your debts to me seriously.” His eyes flashed a moment, and I was afraid I’d gone too far.

  “I take my debts to anyone seriously. And I always pay what I owe.” I took a step closer to him, my chin lifted high. “I’m good for it, trust me.”

  “I shall require a down payment this time,” Pan said, his lips pursing.

  “Yes?”

  He smiled. “One of Michael’s feathers.”

  “What? Why do you need that?”

  “I simply want it. It would displease him to lose one, therefore I’d like it for no other reason than to irritate him.”

  I crossed my arms over my chest. It was a bit immature of him, I mean, he was a god after all. Couldn’t he ask for something else, other than the king of douchebaggery’s freaking feather? But I knew negotiating would get me nowhere fast. “Fine. Consider it done.”

  “Delightful.” He rubbed his hands together. “Bring me the feather, and I’ll take you to Ambriel and Kara.”

  “Okay. I’ll contact you by amulet again?”

  “Yes, love, that’ll be fine.”

  Suppressing an eye roll, I turned to go get Riley and Quinn.

  “Oh, and Zyan? Don’t let Michael take that pretty little head of yours. You’ll still owe me three favors after this.”

  “I’m so glad you’re concerned for my wellbeing,” I said with a snort.

  Pan nodded and disappeared in a shower of green sparks.

  Riley, Quinn and Scorch walked back up. “Did I hear you agree to steal one of Michael’s feathers?” Riley asked.

  “We can’t find Ambriel without Pan, so yeah.”

  “And what was all that business with Eli?” Quinn asked.

  I sighed. “We are not talking about that. A few other things take priority, don’t you think?”

  “So, how are you going to steal the feather?” Riley asked.

  “With exceeding stealth,” I said, jaw clenched. “Hey, it’s not Thursday without a death-defying mission, eh?”

  Riley high-fived me.

  “Quinn and I will obtain the feather,” I said. “Riley, I need you to get ready for the real mission. Who do we know that can hack international news media?”

  “I can,” Scorch said.

  All three of us stared at him.

  “Really.”

  “And where exactly did you learn that dandy little trick?” I asked, hands on my hips.

  Quinn cast me a nod of approval. We were finally on the same page when it came to the kid.

  He shrugged. “You know, around. On the streets. I needed money. I’m good with computers.”

  “Teens are notorious for exaggerating their skills,” I said. “How do we know you don’t suck?”

  “Remember the hack of the worldwide pharmaceutical company that replaced all their online ads with pictures of the tortured animals they were using for testing?”

  “Yeah,” Quinn said. “So sad.”

  “That was you?” Riley asked incredulously.

  Scorch just grinned. “And the primetime TV hack that showed the naughty-lists of several world leaders—insider trading, prostitutes, child porn? That was one of my best.”

  I cast him an appraising look, from the tippy-top of his Mohawk to the toes of his combat boots. “Well. Quite the little hacktivist, aren’t you? You may be worth the pain in our asses after all, kid.”

  Quinn was back to glaring at me.

  “Alright. Riley, you oversee our little master hacker. You two get everything prepared.” I turned to Quinn. “You ready to go find Michael?”

  “Oh, yeah,” she said. “Let’s get that bastard.”

  Merrion Square was only a couple miles from NHTF headquarters in Ballsbridge, so we went the old-fashioned way, on our feet. I felt the prickle of Quinn’s magic as she wove an invisibility spell over us. We could see each other, but no one else could see us. As we got closer, we began to see small patrols of NHTF officers riding around in trucks. Apparently they were worried the supes might retaliate against them. And to think we’d all been working together peacefully just a couple months ago.

  We walked, swiftly but quietly, to the back door where they’d so rudely parted ways with me a couple days prior. I didn’t really have a plan (as usual), except to sneak in and hope Michael was in the building. But what if Michael wasn’t here? What if it took us hours to find him, days even? Why couldn’t Pan let me get the feather after we averted total societal upheaval? The answer, of course, was quite simple: it wouldn’t be nearly as entertaining.

  I stopped at the back door, prepared to wait until someone opened it, but Quinn had other ideas. Pushing me out of the way with an impatient huff, she shot a blast of magic at it and we heard the lock click. Of course, if someone was standing right on the other side they’d probably be fairly alarmed to see the door open and close without it see
ming that anyone was there (the downside to being invisible). Quietly, I opened it a crack, lining my eye up to try and sneak a peek. Naturally, the moment I leaned in to get a closer look, the door flew open, bashing into my cheekbone.

  Quinn yanked me backwards as two angels emerged into the alleyway. They started to walk off, but one of them turned back to look in our direction. We froze.

  “Door’s getting awfully sticky. Remind me to call O’Neill when we get back.”

  “Sure thing.”

  They continued on their way.

  I grabbed the door right before it shut and we shimmied inside. The hallway immediately inside was clear, though we had company a few dozen yards down. Where to? The control room was as good a start as any. We should at least be able to ascertain where good ole Michael was hanging out.

  Quinn took a deep breath and nodded to me. We headed down the hall, walking light but swift. A short few moments later we hit traffic where the hallways intersected. I wasn’t sure where the control room was, as we hadn’t passed it on my previous visit, but I figured I’d follow the traffic. Wherever the most people were headed, that’s where we wanted to be. We wove in and out of the angels. The trick was not to step on anyone, let anyone step on/into you, or let your shadow fall in a really obvious place. Luckily, the latter wasn’t so much of an issue inside a building.

  Blue lights began flashing along the ceiling. Quinn and I ducked down, certain we’d been caught, but a bunch of angels ran right past us.

  “Magical breach, south door!” one of them said tensely as they flew past.

  Quinn and I stared at each other—apparently her spell had set off some sort of magical mouse trap. Fucking fantastic.

  Time was no longer on our side. But then again, it hadn’t ever been to begin with. The only good thing about everyone running for the south door was that it cleared the way for us to head toward the control room. We flattened ourselves against the wall several times as squadrons of angels rushed by. Ducking down a hall, we found ourselves in a row of prison cells. All of them were full, and all of them had several supes in each. Shit, half of Dublin seemed to be locked up in here.