I frown. This doesn’t feel like the time for scientific questions, but I’d rather ask them than the darker questions. I don’t want him to see how afraid I am. I want him to imagine I’m as brave and strong as he is. I need him to believe it.
I clear my throat. “Why are we flying?” I pause, drawing in a breath. “Cas and Zakiel used some kind of teleportation to get here.”
“The portals use traces of energy that stay in the air long after we’ve gone. My cabin is protected, so the first two might not be detectable. But if we used more, it would be obvious. I’m hoping they’ll think we’re still inside and waste time trying to get in.”
These are the kind of answers I can handle. Logical. I’m learning and absorbing as he speaks, devoting my energy to questions with answers, just like I’ve always done.
It’s safe. But still…
I think back to the beautiful cabin and swallow past the lump in my throat. “They won’t destroy it, will they?”
He shrugs. “They might. It would be difficult, but not impossible.”
I close my eyes and open them, turning back to the night sky. Flying at night is beautiful. We seem closer to the heavens, and stars seem to stretch before us into infinity. Maybe that’s a good sign. Stars above, and three guardian angels with me. Maybe demons won’t be feasting on my soul before the night ends, after all.
Every time a spark of fear goes off inside me, I push the treacherous thoughts aside. I know they’ll do me no good. I’ve got Brion protecting me. I’ll be fine.
We arrive at my apartment just before midnight.
I turn the key in the lock, and Keith greets us at the door. “Oh my God, I’ve been so worried!” He hugs me and then grabs me by the shoulders and shakes me. “Girl, where have you been? Haven’t you heard of a cell phone? The windows in your lab were broken and people said they saw you fall to the ground outside the building but then there was no body!” He intermittently hugs me and then yells at me again. I know it’s only because he is so worried.
When he finishes, he finally notices the three angels behind me and stands back so we can enter.
I try to think quickly of a halfway believable story to tell him. “I’m fine. But some really bad people are after my research. They’re the ones who broke into the lab. I left my phone when I fled.”
His eyes widen and he gasps. “Oh. Okay.” It seems to take him a second before his brain clicks back on. “But why you? And who are these guys? And why do you have a gigantic knife strapped to your waist?”
“I’m not sure why yet. But Brion and his friends have actually been hired by my benefactor to protect me.” I put my arm around his shoulders. “Can you go to Peter’s for a few days? My benefactor doesn’t think we’re safe in this apartment. I’ve only come back to grab some things and get you out of here.”
Keith’s eyes go wide and he rushes to his room, emerging less than two minutes later with his overnight bag. He stops abruptly in front of me, taking in the three angels who are now standing behind me. I glance back and see they’re trying to look casual. “Are you sure you’ll be all right?”
I nod as reassuringly as I can. “I’ll be fine. But give it a few days before you come back here, all right?”
He gives me one last, fond squeeze. “You take care. You’re my favorite person in the world, you know that, right?”
I nod, suddenly choked up.
He hurries to the door and exits with a final wave.
“I think he’s really rattled.” I tell them. “He didn’t even look at any of your chests.”
My humor is lost on them and they spring into action the moment the door closes.
“I’ve got the back,” Zakiel calls over his shoulder, striding quickly toward the kitchen.
Cas nods. “I’ll take the front.”
Brion prods me gently from behind. “Let’s get your research.”
I head for the bedroom almost at a sprint, throwing open the door to my walk-in closet. I grab my small bag from the back and open sweater boxes, shoe boxes, and my underwear drawer, trying to remember where I’ve hidden everything. I throw in a pair of jeans, several tops, and assorted underthings on top. Just in case.
I’ve just finished when the doorbell rings.
We look at each other.
“I don’t think it’s anything serious, or Cas wouldn’t have let him reach the door.”
“All right. Let me check it. I’ll call you if I need you.”
It’s Doug, and he’s holding a huge vase of flowers.
I block him from coming inside. “D-Doug. It’s the middle of the night. What are you doing here?” I glance back over my shoulder. I don’t know if Brion is the jealous type, but I suspect it won’t end well for Doug if he is.
“I’m so sorry about the way I acted before. My mind has been on other things.”
Please stay in the bedroom, Brion. “That’s all right. I’ve been distracted lately, as well.”
Doug gives an apologetic smile. “I’d like to see you again.”
I try to hide my emotions. Why is he here? Why is he saying these things? He can’t have failed to notice that our “relationship” was little more than two lonely, work-obsessed people hanging out. And that recently I’d been withdrawing even more from him. Had he somehow learned about Brion? That’s the only reason why he’d arrived here in the middle of the night.
I shake my head. “You know it was just casual, and I’m not really interested anymore. You’re a great guy, but it’s time to move on.”
He begins to look a little desperate. “Could I come in and talk to you for a few minutes?”
“Why? We don’t really have anything else to say to each other.” I try to close the door on him, but he pushes me aside with surprising strength. My internal alarms go off. “What are you doing? I told you it’s over and I don’t want you here.”
“That’s all right,” he replies, striding to the center of the room. “I have something to say to you. Or something to do to you.”
Suddenly, he changes. It’s almost as if a shadow has come over him. He’s still Doug, but he’s morphed into something else. My chest squeezes. What the hell?
Demon, my mind whispers. But he doesn’t look stupid like the demons from the lab. He seems stronger. Smarter.
Instantly, Brion is standing in front of me, clenching his fists. I grasp his shoulder.
“No, that’s still Doug under there.”
“It’s not.” Brion said, his voice low and threatening. “The man you knew died the moment he took over his body.”
The demon sees him and growls. “The only death will be yours, angel.” The demon sneers the last word and drops the flowers, sending them crashing onto the floor. A second later, a flaming dagger appears in his hand.
It waves a hand, and suddenly, the room seems quieter. It feels wrong. I realize that the small sounds outside my apartment have disappeared.
Brion pulls out a dagger of his own and unfurling his wings.
I take a step back, my pulse racing. Doug was a demon. A demon who was trying to kill me. I look toward the door and the back of my apartment. Where are Cas and Zakiel?
The demon crunches across the scattered flowers and broken glass. Brion takes two running steps and they meet with a clash of metal on metal. Blades glint as they swipe and block faster than my eyes can see.
“Back!” Brion shouts, and it take me a moment to realize he’s talking to me.
I stumble backward until my back hits a wall. What can I do? My pulse is racing. Help him!
“Cas, Zakiel! We need help!” I don’t why I’m shouting. If they can’t hear the fight, they can’t hear me. But I’m afraid to leave Brion alone with this shadow creature. I pull the dagger out of the sheath around my waist. Just in case.
Brion’s movements are graceful and efficient. He doesn’t stand still but moves forward, sideways, backward, always thrusting, always moving. I see the muscles work beneath his skin in perfect harmony as he moves.
>
The demon fights like a cage fighter. He intersperses thrusts of the dagger with punches and kicks. Brion’s head snaps sideways as one of the demon’s punches connects with his jaw. The next time the demon thrusts, it’s especially long. Brion jumps back, using his wings to float to the ground. He pushes off and hurls straight into the demon, blocking his thrust and pushing him backward into the wall. His wings come around and pin the demon while he smashes the demon’s arm against the wall in an attempt to get him to drop the dagger.
The front door opens and Cas enters. He eyes the two fighting for a moment.
“Don’t you think you should help?” I ask, desperation in my voice.
“Naw.” His eyes track their every movement. “Bri’s got him. Just watch.”
The demon tries to strike out with his dagger, and Cas’s eyebrows go up. “A Galadrian dagger… those things do pack quite a wallop. Maybe I will help, after all.”
“Do you want this?” I hold my Galadrian dagger out to him.
His eyebrows fly up into his stark-white hair. “Where did you get that?”
“Brion’s secret room. Where else?”
“He gave you a Galadrian dagger?” Zakiel is paralyzed for a brief second. “Then what is he using?” He grabs the dagger and runs toward them.
We hear a crunch and I look up just in time to see the demon head butt Brion, then slash out with his dagger. It tears into the flesh and feathers of Brion’s wing. Red blood instantly blossoms, staining the pure white feathers. The demon pulls it out, his face twisted in rage.
Brion staggers back, falling to one knee. For a second, my heart stops. The demon pulls back his dagger, ready to strike again.
Cas’s dagger meets his, stopping the downward swoop before it gets to Brion. It clashes with the bloodstained one, sending sparks flying. The demon turns to face him and I see him clearly. The longer it’s been fighting, the less the demon looks human. His horns have become more pronounced, his eyes have started to glow an inhuman red, and when he turns I realize a thin tail protrudes from his backside.
My hands have grown sweaty. I start to inch toward them. I need to help. I can’t let him kill Brion.
Brion grabs something in his pocket and a blinding light flashes out.
The demon staggers back a step.
Brion springs forward and thrusts over and over, so quickly the demon can’t hope to match or block him.
Zakiel steps in, thrusting his dagger at the demon from the other side.
Between Brion and Zakiel, former Doug doesn’t have a chance. I have only a moment to prepare myself before it happens. Brion finally thrusts the dagger through his chest with a few sickening squelches, and the demon poofs into ash.
The dagger drops from my hand, clattering to the ground.
“I’m sorry,” I hear Zakiel tell him. “I honestly don’t know how he got past me. He must have had some kind of shielding.”
“Forget it,” Brion replies. He crosses the room and places a hand on my shoulder. “It’s over.”
Everything hits me at once, twisting through my body. I’ve never seen someone die before.
I realize I’m shaking. “Poor Doug.”
“It’s okay.”
“But none of it would’ve happened if we weren’t dating. They were after me. And I didn’t even like him that much. He died just because I didn’t have the guts to break it off sooner. This is my fault,” my voice wavers.
Brion shakes his head. “This is no one’s fault but the demon’s.”
“Yes, but if Doug hadn’t been seeing me…” I start.
“…then it would have been one of your other friends.” He finishes. “They were always going to take someone.”
“But…”
“If you hadn’t been a scientist, it would have been someone else who discovered it. There are always ‘what-ifs’ and ‘whys’. But I’ve been an angel long enough to know that most of the time, changing small things doesn’t change anything in the big picture.”
His painfully honest words make me feel a little bit better. Brushing my cheek, I’m surprised to find it wet.
He puts his arms around me. “Let’s get your bag and get out of here, before the next demon tries his luck.”
Suddenly, a tattoo glows on Brion’s left arm.
Cas looks up at him, a shocked expression on his face. “You’re being summoned.”
“Is that unusual?”
They look so surprised that I have to ask.
Brion clenches his jaw. “Very.”
Zakiel strides in through the back door. “All clear out back.” He sees Brion’s shoulder. “You’re being summoned.”
“We know,” Brion replies.
“Is there an echo?” Cas asks at the same time.
“Fuck.” I’m learning that angels don’t mince words.
“Yeah.” Brion looks at us helplessly. “You guys take care of her. Get to the lab, get the device, and get out. Don’t go in if it looks dangerous…”
His gaze holds mine. He reaches out and touches the sensitive skin of my underarm. “I’ll be back.”
“Brion…”
I don’t want him to go. Suddenly, I feel as if the carpet is being pulled out from under me.
A glow starts in the center of his belly and envelops him in moments.
Brion is gone.
“Fuck,” Cas says angrily.
Zakiel looks at him in surprise. “He’ll be ok.”
Cas shakes his head. “It isn’t that. I really want to know where he got that second Galadrian dagger.”
4
Brion
I’m summoned into a bright white holding cell. I know that’s what it is, because I’ve placed angels in here before. There are no windows, no doors, and no way in or out except by portals controlled by Michael. And of course, our telepathy doesn’t work.
“Michael!” I shout. “What’s going on? Why have you summoned me?” I walk forward until I find the almost invisible side of the space and pound on it. “My target is in danger!”
There’s no response so I finally kick the wall.
“Fuck!”
I run my fingers through my hair. What can I do?
Hang on, Gillian, I’ll be back as soon as I can.
5
Gillian
I lock my apartment as we leave, even knowing it won’t do any good against demon attack. But it makes me feel better anyway.
Cas takes my bag and Zakiel grabs me around the waist. I don’t get the familiar shiver as when Brion puts his arms around me. This feels more…like business.
I direct him toward my building, pointing. As we approach, to my surprise I see the window to my lab has already been fixed. That was fast. “Let’s land on the roof. That way we won’t have to deal with security.”
We’re there in just minutes, Zakiel setting me gently on my feet.
I try the roof door, which is usually open. The handle doesn’t move. I look at Cas in consternation. “It’s never locked.”
“Why are you looking at me?” he asks. “Do I look like a locksmith?”
I roll my eyes. “I guess we’ll have to go through the front door.”
“I’m just kidding,” he laughs, pulling out a tool from his back pocket. “I can pick just about anything.”
“I’m not sure that’s something to brag about.” Zakiel frowns, watching him work.
“Why not? With how often I’ve had to use it, they should give all new warrior angels a class on this.”
“Let’s agree to disagree,” Zakiel says as the door opens.
“Whatever.” Cas rises and winks at me. “After you, little lady.”
I pause before entering, picking up my bag. “I think I should stash this somewhere.”
Zakiel nods. “Good idea.”
I peruse the rooftop until my eyes land on one of the air conditioner vent units. I hurry over to it and open the latch, setting it inside on the ground.
Then I hurry back. Zakiel motions me in
side.
But it’s dark. Too dark.
“There should be lights.”
The two angels exchange a look.
“They might have gotten here before us. How important is your device?” Zakiel asks.
“It will actually close the portals from the…underworld.” I’m still not quite used to the idea.
Cas glances meaningfully at Zakiel. “We need it.”
Zakiel turns to me. “Stick close to us. If we run into trouble, our first action is to get out of here.”
I nod emphatically. I’ve already seen enough of demons to last me a lifetime.
We enter into darkness, and I feel a shiver of foreboding. “There aren’t even any emergency lights.”
Both angels take out their daggers and we climb down the stairs as quietly as possible. I open the door to the twenty-eighth floor, and it’s still dark. The hand and retinal scanners don’t work, and my hand trembles as I reach for the door handle. I don’t know what I expect to find inside, but I have a feeling it won’t be good. Please don’t be demons.
The second the door opens to my lab, my entire body begins shaking. The workbenches are empty. Every piece of equipment, every computer, is gone.
“It’s empty,” I whisper.
“What?” Cas asks over my shoulder, his voice worried.
We step inside. My mind can’t process what’s happening. “It’s gone!” My voice rises to a hysterical shout. My work! The device that could save us! This is worse than demons!
“That’s right, sweetheart,” comes a voice from behind us.
We turn and I see about ten demons stepping out of the stairwell next to the elevator.
Okay, maybe it isn’t worse than demons.
He continues, “Michael came down and spirited it all away.”
I hear movement in the lab behind us and turn back to see that at least twenty demons must have been hiding under the workbenches. We’re surrounded.
“Michael?” I look over at Cas and Zakiel. “Boss of the Angel Warrior army? But why would he want to steal my invention?”
The demon shrugs. “All I know is that we were going to destroy the device, but Michael told us in exchange we could have Earth. And you.” He sneers pointedly at me. “My master is very interested in you.”
Angel Warrior: The Complete Series Page 5