Shadows

by Paula Weston

  Daniel breaks in. ‘You brought him?’

  I watch Daniel as he studies Jason. Does he recognise him from the Sanctuary last night? Does he know what Jason is? He can’t. He’d be making a bigger deal out of it.

  ‘And you, Gabriella. You seemed surprised to see me. Did you think I wouldn’t find out you’d arrived earlier than instructed?’

  ‘I should have known Malachi would go running to you.’

  ‘Malachi didn’t desert his post.’

  ‘Then how did you know I was here?’

  Daniel almost smiles. ‘Text message.’

  Of course.

  ‘Now, drop the weapon and come to me, and your two friends can leave.’

  ‘Save your breath,’ Taya says. ‘She never intended to keep the deal.’

  Daniel’s eyebrows lift. ‘Really? I’m disappointed.’

  But clearly not surprised, given who he’s brought with him.

  ‘You had your chance to accept my offer when I was in Italy. You seriously think I’m going back with you for more cage time?’

  ‘You set the terms of this exchange, and I intend to keep them.’

  ‘Your word’s worth about as much as mine at this point.’

  I catch Jason’s attention. He’s not that far from Maggie. Any time now would be good…

  Air stirs behind me. Why wasn’t I watching my back?

  ‘Just me,’ Rafa says, before I can strike out. My heart gives two hard thumps and then settles back to racing.

  ‘Where have you been?’

  ‘Just waiting to see who Pretty Boy would turn up with.’ He says it more to Daniel than me.

  ‘Do you think you’re good enough to take them?’ Daniel gestures to the men around him.

  ‘Sure.’ Rafa stands shoulder to shoulder with me. ‘Assuming you haven’t enlisted another hell-turd. What the fuck were you thinking, keeping one of those things?’

  ‘What happens at the Sanctuary is none of your concern, Rafael.’ Daniel gives Rafa a dismissive once-over. ‘You really think you’re still good enough to take on this many disciplined soldiers?’

  Rafa grins. ‘I’ve got Gabe, remember?’

  ‘I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but that’s not Gabe.’

  ‘From what I hear, she’s still got a few moves. I’ll take my chances.’

  ‘This is just a game to you, isn’t it? Tell me, does Gabriella know your agenda?’

  ‘What agenda would that be?’

  ‘To use her to find the Fallen.’

  Rafa gives a short laugh. ‘That’s your grand plan, not mine.’

  ‘Are you telling me the Outcasts are no longer interested in the Fallen? I find that hard to believe.’

  ‘I don’t give a fuck what you believe.’

  ‘Have you at least told her what Mya plans to do if the Fallen are found?’

  ‘Not my problem.’

  ‘You don’t think she has a right to know?’ Daniel’s gaze locks on me. ‘The people you have aligned with want to join the Fallen and make war on the Host of Heaven.’

  I check Maggie. She’s frozen, eyes vacant. Oh, please hang in there. I turn to Daniel.

  ‘Firstly,’ I say, ‘I haven’t aligned myself with anyone. And secondly, I’ve never met Mya and honestly couldn’t give two shits about her, or her plans.’

  A pitying smile. ‘If only it was that simple. It’s why you didn’t leave with your brother, Gabriella. You could see Mya’s path would only lead to death and destruction, and you’d be no better than the demons who hunt us. If the Fallen make war on the Host of Heaven, the battle will take place in this earthly realm, and it will be humans caught in the crossfire.’

  ‘Earthly realm,’ Rafa mimics. ‘You say that like there are other realms you’re familiar with. Have you found a way to other dimensions since we parted company? Have you seen a war between angels? No? It sounds to me like you’ve swallowed a fresh batch of Nathaniel’s bullshit.’

  The night shifts around us, loaded with violence and recrimination and fear. I need to focus, but it’s not easy. It’s one thing to come to terms with the fact I’m not entirely human. But angelic wars on earth?

  ‘You think you’ve got all the answers,’ Rafa continues, ‘but as usual you’ve got no idea what’s really going on.’

  Daniel’s lips twist. ‘So, you’re helping Gabriella for old time’s sake? Not because her current situation might provide the only chance you’ll ever have of bedding her?’

  ‘Bedding her? For fuck’s sake, Daniel, we’re in the twenty-first century. Your wardrobe’s caught up—don’t you think it’s time the rest of you did?’

  ‘Stop this,’ I snap. ‘Maggie and Jason have nothing to do with any of this. Let them go.’

  ‘He always intended this to be a fight,’ Rafa says. ‘That’s why he made sure I knew you were coming here. Even Daniel’s not deluded enough to think you’d go back with him. This little scenario is about dragging you back to Nathaniel, unconscious, and inflicting as much pain as possible on me.’

  Daniel’s smile is thin. ‘I didn’t want any of this, but if you end up injured with no one to heal you, then so be it.’

  The air moves behind me again.

  ‘Everyone still getting along then?’ Zak says, dropping into a fighter’s stance beside Ez.

  Daniel’s nostrils flare. ‘You think two extra swords will make a difference tonight?’

  ‘If you play by the rules,’ Ez says.

  Daniel looks genuinely indignant. ‘We fight with honour. Can you say the same?’

  ‘Everyone fights with honour until they’re losing. And we rarely lose, Daniel.’

  She’s good. Was I ever that cool under pressure?

  Rafa looks at me. ‘Ready?’

  I don’t have time to say no before Daniel flicks his wrist and the four Rephaim who came with him charge us.

  PARTY CRASHERS

  Uriel picks me out. Taya shoves Maggie at Micah and runs at me too.

  Rafa cuts her off, and I have time to see him block her first strike before I have more pressing issues of my own—the flash of steel at my right shoulder. I leap out of the way, but the tip of Uriel’s sword catches me on the way through. It cuts through fabric and nicks my arm.

  It stings, but there’s no time to think.

  I react before he’s fully recovered from the follow-through, forcing him on the back foot. Uriel deflects the strike, and then punishes me with a hail of blows from every direction. It takes all my strength to block them. The fruit bats are screeching again but there’s so much blood rushing in my ears I can barely hear them. Everything is noise. Our swords clash near the hilt, and he uses his momentum to push me back against the railing of the deck. His breath is hot on my face, thick with coffee and frustration.

  ‘What are you doing with Rafa?’ He’s panting. ‘And why are you fighting against us?’

  Doesn’t he know? ‘Daniel thinks I’m lying about my memories’—I drag in more breath, my chest burning—’and thought feeding me to a hellion would help.’

  Uriel winces, but of course this isn’t news to him. I struggle against his crushing weight. He pushes back harder. ‘You don’t remember me?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘You seem to remember all my moves.’

  He’s braced his feet apart to pin me to the railing. It’s all the invitation I need.

  ‘Just luck,’ I say, and slam my knee into his groin.

  His legs buckle and he staggers sideways.

  ‘Hamstring him!’ Rafa shouts.

  He’s fending off Taya, Malachi and another Rephaite, alternating between sword strikes, punches and kicks. They’re all moving so fast, but Rafa’s holding his own, even outnumbered.

  Hamstring something other than a hell-beast? Am I quick enough? What if Maggie sees? Maggie.

  Taya left her to Micah. He’s got Maggie and Jason.

  I search the chaotic shadows for them.

  In that brief moment, Uriel recovers and smashes the ka
tana from my hand. It flies over the handrail into the ferns. Even he seems surprised at how easy it was. His sword’s poised in the air…He doesn’t bring it down. ‘I can’t,’ he says, lowering the weapon. ‘This is insane.’

  I’m so focused on the lowering blade that I don’t see his foot coming at me until his boot smashes into my jaw. And then I’m airborne.

  The ferns don’t break my fall.

  All the breath goes out of me, and I lie there, absorbing the pain in my head and shoulder. I move my jaw from side to side. It throbs, but I don’t think it’s broken. My arm and neck are sticky with blood. I roll over, crawl along the ground, trying not to give myself away. I’m not slinking away: I want Jude’s sword.

  The fighting continues above me as I forage in the damp soil. My fingers touch leather and I grip the katana and climb to my feet, but the sight of what’s happening on the deck stops me in my tracks.

  The Rephaim are going to town on each other with swords and the poleaxe. It’s a full-on brawl. Uriel and another guy are tag-teaming against Zak, but he’s fast enough to protect himself, and Ez is confusing the guy with the poleaxe with a barrage of kicks.

  Rafa has Taya and Malachi backed into the far corner of the deck. He’s got a sword in each hand now, swinging both with relentless efficiency. Taya is bleeding from her left eye and Malachi favours his right leg. I can’t tear my eyes from Rafa. So much power and violence…Was I really like that? And was there ever a time when these people were on the same side? They’re fighting each other with such intensity.

  Daniel is watching it all from the doorway of the cabin, feet apart and arms folded, eyes flitting between the skirmishes and the point on the boardwalk where I disappeared. Through the railing, I can see one of Daniel’s soldiers sprawled on the deck. I’m guessing it’s his sword Rafa is now using in his double-handed assault. The injured Rephaite lifts his head, makes brief eye contact with Daniel, and disappears.

  Across the deck, Maggie and Jason are sitting against the cabin, an arm’s length apart. Micah is prowling back and forth in front of them, the tip of his sword close enough to be threatening. But he’s only got one eye on them—he’s more interested in the fighting. I only need to distract him, and possibly slap Jason, and we can get this plan back on track.

  Daniel is the only one who notices when I climb back up over the handrail, and he seems more interested in what I’m going to do than in stopping me. My feet hit the deck and I take off, katana in hand.

  Micah sees me, and waits, feet apart, tossing his sword from one hand to the other.

  I’m halfway to him when a gun blast tears through the dark behind me. I turn and stumble. A second shot rings out, sending the fruit bats into a frenzy. The fighting on the deck stops and all heads turn to the boardwalk. The Rephaim each step away from their opponents, like this has been a training session and someone just called time-out. No one seems anxious, so I stay on my feet, halfway between the Rephaim and the cabin.

  Three figures emerge out of the darkness, on the board-walk.

  ‘What the fuck are you arse-wipes doing?’ Mick Butler shouts, his shotgun pointed at the deck. The three of them are shoulder to shoulder: Mick and Rusty on one side—Rusty now toting a rifle—and Simon between them.

  They’ve reached the edges of the light from the cabin. I can see the whites of Simon’s eyes from here. Whatever he was expecting to catch us doing, this wasn’t it.

  ‘Hold position,’ Daniel orders as he leaves the doorway, which I assume means: don’t shift in front of the humans. He makes his way across the deck, shooting me a warning look as he passes. I follow anyway, and stop beside Rafa.

  Simon spots me. His gaze drops to the katana and his mouth falls open. Then he tries to see past me. ‘Mags! Mags, you here?’

  ‘Shut the fuck up!’ Mick turns on him and he takes a step back. Simon didn’t orchestrate this surprise visit. This is all Mick’s show.

  Maggie is on her feet, her hands still tied. Jason struggles to join her, but Micah is right there, shoving him back to the deck, away from her.

  ‘Simon, get out of here!’ Maggie shouts.

  Micah pushes her down, pressing the sword tip against her throat to stop her trying again. He gives her an apologetic smile. But all Simon sees is Maggie being manhandled, and he rushes forward.

  ‘Get back here!’ Mick bellows, but Simon only stops when Rafa blocks his path, swords held out either side of him.

  ‘Not a smart move,’ Rafa says.

  Simon’s gaze flicks between the swords. ‘They had bikes. They found the jeep.’ His voice cracks. ‘And they had more ammo—’

  ‘You should have taken a bullet before leading them here,’ Rafa says.

  ‘Oi!’ Mick says. ‘Got a gun here. You should be talking to me.’

  ‘And I’m in charge,’ Daniel says. ‘So you should be talking to me.’

  The Rephaim have split into two camps: Taya, Malachi, Uriel and the others have fallen in behind Daniel; Zak and Ez are with Rafa and me. Micah holds his position at the cabin.

  ‘So, what can we do for you?’ Daniel asks Mick, all charm.

  The noise in the trees is easing, which at least means Mick can stop shouting. ‘First up, I wanna know why you faggots are up here playing ninjas. And second, I wanna take a piece out of him’—he points the shotgun at Rafa— ‘for this fucking egg on my head.’

  Daniel spreads his hands wide on the deck railing. ‘Please feel free to settle any score you may have.’

  ‘Actually,’ Zak says, holding up a hand, ‘that was me.’

  Mick’s eyes narrow. ‘Don’t worry, big fella, you’ll get your turn.’

  Clearly he thinks two guns trump a dozen swords.

  This could all go bad very quickly.

  ‘What about Mags?’ Rusty asks. He’s trying to see beyond Daniel and his small army. ‘Simon says you took her.’

  ‘Which one is Simon?’ Daniel asks.

  Rusty waves his rifle in Simon’s direction.

  ‘That’s the guy Gabe was all over,’ Taya says through a fat lip. ‘The barman.’

  Daniel considers him. ‘No one here is of any concern to you.’

  ‘Mags is of concern to me.’ Simon’s voice is almost steady. ‘Let her go before I call the cops.’

  ‘No cops,’ Mick says, still a few metres away on the boardwalk. ‘Listen, mate,’ he says to Daniel. ‘Give me five minutes with these two arseholes’—he gestures to Rafa and Zak—’and we’ll be on our way with Maggie.’

  Simon’s attention is on my newly bruised face. Daniel doesn’t miss his reaction.

  ‘Don’t worry about Gabriella, she can take care of herself.’

  ‘Seems that way,’ Simon says. ‘I didn’t know you could fight.’ There’s a hint of accusation in his voice.

  ‘Me either.’

  His gaze drops to my neck. ‘Which one of these bastards hurt you last night?’

  I use my free hand to cover the scar with my ponytail. ‘You should be more worried about getting the Butlers out of here before someone gets killed.’

  ‘What’s with the swords? Who are these people?’

  ‘We’ve got this. Now run along,’ Rafa says. He’s still between Simon and me, but has at least lowered his swords.

  And then everything goes quiet. No cicadas. Not a peep from the fruit bats. Nothing. Not even a tree frog. Even Mick falls silent.

  Rafa stares into the forest, beyond the clearing. One by one, the Rephaim turn away from the Butler boys and raise their weapons.

  ‘What is it?’ I say to Rafa.

  He jerks his head for Simon to get behind him. Simon does it without arguing. ‘Possibly a very large shit storm.’

  Whatever’s coming, it’s not following the boardwalk. I’ve had enough surprises emerge out of the darkness tonight that nothing should shock me. But the Rephaim, who were trying to maim each other just minutes ago, are now standing side by side. Daniel has moved next to Rafa, and Rafa hasn’t taken a swing at him. Thi
s can’t be good.

  Two tall figures appear between the trees. The ferns that reached my waist are at their thighs. The vegetation barely moves as they stride towards us. I let my breath out slowly. There’s only two of them. We outnumber them.

  And then two hellions lumber out of the darkness behind them.

  TIME TO FACE YOUR DEMONS

  My heart stops. I can’t even form the question, but I already know the answer.

  Daniel and Rafa step forward. They glance at each other, not speaking.

  ‘Have you two reconciled? How touching.’ The voice is deep and smoky, and comes from one of the two figures.

  I force myself to keep breathing. Maybe if I’d never seen a hellion up close, I might mistake one for a bear in this light. A bear would be a truly bizarre sight in Pan Beach, but it would make more sense than a creature that shouldn’t exist. Their chain mail glints…Oh, god, please don’t let Maggie see them.

  ‘What the fuck?’ Mick says. Fortunately, nobody’s interested in him right this second.

  ‘Our boys here miss their brother.’ The second voice is as deep as the first. ‘We are here to collect our pet.’

  Rafa speaks to Daniel without turning his head. ‘This is why we don’t play with hellions.’

  ‘You’re the one who shifted with Gabriella when she was covered in its blood.’

  Rafa grinds his teeth. ‘Yeah? Well, how’d they track us here?’

  I almost grasp the significance of their exchange, and then the two figures step into the clearing near the picnic table and my mind goes blank.

  There’s a whimper behind me. I don’t have to look to know it’s Maggie.

  The new arrivals are close enough in appearance to be twins. They must be male, from those voices, but from their faces it’s hard to tell. They are pale and beautiful, with fine features and long white hair. There’s something about the way they look that doesn’t seem quite…real. And their eyes…The irises are on fire.

  Demons.

  Of course demons are real. If angels and hellions exist, then demons must too. It wasn’t that long ago I thought hellions and demons were one and the same, and that I’d made them up.

  I miss those days.