by Leo Romero
A smile flittered across her face, her eyes gleaming with desire. “Sounds amazing…” she said in a dreamy voice.
I nodded. “It is. Amazing and scary and beautiful and ugly and dangerous all at the same time. A wild ride.”
She shook her head. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
I pursed my lips. That’s all anyone ever wanted. To experience the craziness existence had to offer. Instead people are cooped up in office jobs, glued to the TV, or lost in a sea of celebrity trinkets and baubles. I pitied her. There was a beautiful, wonderful world out there, but there was also darkness, death, and danger. Heartbreak. Maybe she’d have to learn it all by herself.
I watched her clasp her hands together and gaze longingly at the ceiling, my words no doubt conjuring up images in her mind of faraway lands of mystical creatures where castles sat atop rainbow-colored clouds and red, green and black dragons swarmed the sky like birds, their exotic screeches cutting across the grassy realm out to the crystal-clear seas.
And for a moment, I wished she’d get there.
A scratching at the door snapped both of us out of our fugues.
Aurora frowned. “I hope that’s not Lucy.”
“Hey!” I scolded her, pointing a stern finger at her as I went for the door. “I think I know who that is,” I said, opening up the door. Just as I suspected, my pet Komodo dragon came stomping into the lounge, his tongue darting in and out between his scaly lips as he gazed left and right, no doubt wondering who it was that had invaded his territory.
“Hey, Godzilla,” I said as he clomped past me. “How you doing, buddy?”
He ignored me and glanced up at Aurora instead, just as her eyes lit up. She threw her hands up to her mouth. “Oh my, he’s adorable!”
Godzilla must’ve understood cause he made a beeline straight for her, his long, thick tail wagging.
Aurora ushered him in. “Come here, big boy!”
Godzilla gladly went over to her. On reaching her, he lifted up his head. Aurora immediately crouched down and threw her arms around him. Godzilla began licking her cheek, which made her erupt into a fit of giggles.
I left em both to it and headed for the mantelpiece once more. On the way I stopped by the couch and lifted up a cushion for a second. “Strumpet!” Art bellowed.
“Asshole!” came Bam Bam’s retort.
I shook my head and threw the cushion back down. I made it to the mantelpiece where my Deck of Death was waiting for me. I slipped the joker out of my pocket and replaced it with the other cards. I had a sly glance over my shoulder. Aurora was still busy playing with Godzilla. I turned back to the Deck of Death, my prize for beating Death himself at a game of poker; his own personal deck of cards. Each one allowed me to summon a different paranormal creature from the Void to aid me in battle. Yeah, I’d lost a few during combat and Godzilla kinda ate a couple of em, but I had more than enough left to help me out. I picked them up and stared at the mark of Death etched into the non-playing side of the top card: a skull shrouded in smoke, its eyes lit up with fire, a bloodstained scythe slashing its way overhead.
With a shiver dancing up my spine, I made my way back over to Aurora and Godzilla. I flipped through the deck until I found the queen of clubs, the card I’d reserved for Aurora. I lifted it to her back. All I had to do was cast the binding spell and her ass was in the Void ready to do my bidding whether she wanted to or not. I licked my lips, the words of the spell tingling over them. All I had to do was utter them. Her laugh filled my ears, pranging my heart. Watching her frolic with Godzilla kinda melted me like wax. Lucy never once gave the big guy even a second look she was so preoccupied with herself. I watched Godzilla lovingly lick Aurora’s cheek and wrap his claws around her shoulders. I never knew a Komodo dragon could be so loving. Aurora giggled and the sound sent those words of the binding spell back down my throat to hit the bile of my stomach where they wallowed in self-delusion.
I shook my head. I couldn’t do it. I shoved the card back into my deck and gave it a quick shuffle.
“Ooh, you’re so cute, aren’t you?” Aurora said in that soppy voice people only ever did to animals and babies. “Aww, Gabe, he’s amazing.”
“Yeah, he’s pretty neat.”
“Where d’ya get him? Wait, lemme guess, you won him in a game of cards?”
My eyes lit up. “How did you know?”
She gave me a cute grin. “I’m special, remember.”
I gave her a sideways look. “I guess you are.” I watched Godzilla give her a friendly lick on her cheeks.
She let out a cute little laugh. “Hey, Zilla, that tickles.” Godzilla carried on licking her while she rubbed his belly. Yeah, Godzilla liked having his belly rubbed and this siren chick seemed to know all about it already. There was definitely something about her. Something different, something unusual. She could use ESP and hear spirits which meant she was magic sensitive, but how? Sirens were as low on the magic scale as you could get. All they were good for was noise, a sound weapon.
And the fact she could lift Excalibur was insane. You needed divinity to lift him. Well, at least a little. With me being at least half an angel, divinity ran somewhat through my veins. But, a siren? Impossible.
I rubbed my chin. Maybe sending her to the Void would be a waste. Her powers could come in handy, and seeing as she was grateful I’d saved her ass, maybe she could be a useful ally. I decided I should let her hang around until I found out more about her and why she had these extra powers. I also wanted to see how helpful she was on the job.
She let out another laugh, just as Godzilla gave her another lick.
“Okay, you two lovebirds. We gotta get going.”
Aurora met my stare. “Where?”
“To the Angel Guild to find some work.”
Chapter 3
I slid Excalibur into the scabbard on my left thigh and Bam Bam into the holster on my right. I’d lined both with muting dust I picked up in the Chicago Underworld. Art and Bam Bam’s bickering was instantly hushed. I threw on my long leather jacket to cover them up from human eyes and we left my apartment, but not before Aurora gave Godzilla a goodbye kiss. Man, that lizard was getting more attention than he deserved.
“Where’s this Angel Guild at?” Aurora asked as we stepped out onto the gray streets of Chicago.
“Greektown,” I said pulling up the collar of my jacket. It was a chilly late morning, the onset of winter coming.
“Cool. How we getting there?”
“In style,” I replied. My Harley was waiting on the road. I hopped onto the seat with a nonchalant sigh. Aurora stood on the sidewalk, staring at my bike open mouthed.
I leaned back to face her. “Hop on.”
She didn’t hesitate. She scuttled over and jumped on the back. I started her up and the engine purred into life, the humming vibrations kick-starting the adrenaline rush that only motorbikes could ignite. Aurora let out a small giggle of excitement and I grinned. Her small hands gripped my waist and for a split second, I was seventeen years younger with my true love Mia when we were carefree and had no idea what the real world was really about, Lucy was twinkle in my eye, and Heaven and Hell and everything in between was still a mystery. I let out a lamentable sigh to control the overwhelming nostalgia swarming my mind and pushed down the throttle. The engine took control and we zoomed away with a hot roar, the biting wind rushing past our faces, my longish blond hair flying back on the air behind me.
Aurora tightened her grip as I picked up speed, the dull gray of Chicago whizzing past in a blurry haze. I knew she was probably getting a buzz from the purr of the engine beneath her and the rush of the wind. There really was nothing like taking a ride on a Harley. I weaved in and out of the traffic as we made our way from Humboldt Park to Greektown toward the Angel Guild.
The Angel Guild was an old gentleman’s club purportedly owned by Al Capone during the height of the prohibition era. But there was no booze or naked flesh there anymore. Now it was full of uptight Angel Enf
orcers and grizzled fallen angel bounty hunters looking for scraps.
In no time, we made it to Greektown. I pulled the Harley up on the sidewalk near the Guild. A train rumbled across the bridge overhead, strewn litter floated on the wind like tumbleweed. The Guild chose this little run-down area mainly for subterfuge purposes. It let them lay low and go about their business unhindered.
“Here we are,” I said as I stepped off the bike and threw down the kickstand.
Aurora gazed at all the boarded over storefronts around us in disbelief. “This is where angels hang out?”
I nodded. “Fallen angels,” I corrected. “Come on.” I led her over to the entrance to the Guild, a thin door embedded between two stores with their graffitied shutters permanently pulled down. On noticing us, the guy standing beneath the canopy over the Guild door stepped forward.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, Stone,” he said in a gruff voice. “Who’s this?”
I stopped ahead of him. “Good morning to you too, Brutus. What a lovely day it is.”
“Yeah yeah,” Brutus responded, his granite face remaining…well, granite. “You know the rules on outsiders coming here.”
“I do believe that hunters reserve the right for any accomplices to accompany them while on an investigation.”
Brutus glared down at me, his eyes narrowing. “And what investigation are you on?”
“That’s private, Brutus,” I said with a polite grin.
Brutus shook his bowling ball head. “No way, you can’t just BS me.”
I sighed. Brutus wasn’t the brightest spark, and since the Enforcers had promoted him to security he felt he was one step closer to getting his wings back. Yeah, right. So, he didn’t wanna put a foot wrong, didn’t wanna risk demotion back to bounty hunter. The cold truth was, hunter or security it was all the same. You got your wings back when the Big Kahuna decided it was time and not a second before. Yeah, it was true, I shouldn’t be bringing Aurora to the Guild, but what harm could it do? What could a single siren do to trouble the Guild Enforcers? They’d smoke her in an instant.
I placed my hands on my hips. “Look, Brutus. I’m well within my rights to…” I trailed off and looked past him down the street, my eyes widening. “Hey, is that a rhino demon stampeding our way?”
Concern erupted on Brutus’ dumb face. He whirled the way I was staring, his jaw dropping like an anchor. I seized the opportunity. I grabbed Aurora’s wrist and raced toward the door, while Brutus was busy scratching his head and looking for rhino demons. By the time he realized there was nothing there, I had the door open, dragging Aurora behind me. “Gotcha!” I shouted over my shoulder.
Brutus whirled in a semi-circle, his face contorted with rage. “Stone!” he growled, thumping the air with his fists.
I was already inside the Guild and hopping down the stairs leading to the club area, Aurora scuttling along behind me, giggling. “Quick, before he comes after us!” I said over my shoulder.
I made it down the steps and slowed down before I pulled open the door to the bar area. I held the door open for Aurora to step through, being the chivalrous gentleman that I am.
“Thanks, Gabe.”
I gave her a courteous smile and followed her into the Guild. As usual, the overhead lights were on, the darker ambience the club would’ve had before turned on its head. The tables dotted around were now the office spaces of the Enforcers who were sitting there like good pencil pushers, filing their paperwork for the higher uppers to scrutinize. They left the comfy couches in play for hunters to grab a rest and reflect if need be. But, the stage was the main area, not cause it was populated with naked chicks sliding up and down dancing poles. No, that’s where the bounty board was.
I headed straight to the bar where drinks were still served. Although these weren’t drinks for any old schmuck off the street. The drinks they served were potions. Angelic perfumes to aid the hunters on their assignments.
Aurora gazed around. She fixed her stare on the range of multicolored bottles on the shelves behind the bar.
“Wanna drink?” I asked her.
“I’m not sure if I do.”
“Come on, I’ll show you.” I pulled out a stool for her and then took a seat ahead of Jerome, who was leaning over a bunch of papers, marking them with a highlighter.
“Guests are not allowed, Gabriel,” he said, without looking up from his work.
“Aurora’s working with me,” I replied as Aurora took her seat.
Jerome looked up at me and whipped off his glasses, his dark eyes now working me over. “Is that so? Well, you’ll have to file a G35 form if that’s the case.”
“Oh, give me a break, Jerome. Why do you all have to be such hardasses?”
“Rules are rules, Gabriel. What would happen if we just let anyone walk in here off the street unaccounted for? Hmm? Chaos, that’s what.” He picked up his file of papers and shook them on the air. “This keeps things in order and chaos at bay!”
“Yeah, whatever. As if the Big Kahuna needs all that crap anyhow. Just tell me where the demon’s at, I pop him, and that keeps things very much in order thank you. But hey, filling in slips of paper doesn’t get your hands dirty.”
Jerome’s back straightened, the overhead lights reflecting off his bald head. “And what do you mean by that, Gabriel?”
“I mean that it’s the bounty hunters who are risking our asses out there on the streets. You Enforcers have a tough sounding name, but all you enforce is pen-pushing.”
Jerome pursed his lips, the lines in his face growing sterner.
“It’s my ass that’ll end up in purgatory along with all the other lost souls,” I told him. “Stuck in some waiting room for nigh on a thousand years waiting to be processed. Trust me, I’ve already been there. It sucks! And then what? once you’re finally seen to, you get a ‘sorry, no room in Heaven for you, I’m afraid’ and your soul is cast down to Hell to burn for eternity. That’s the gratitude you get for all your hard work.”
“We’re all here under the same circumstances, Gabriel,” Jerome said, his nose in the air.
“Really? Then why do you get to be here safe and sound while I’m out getting my ass handed down to me. You got your wings clipped too. Why do you get to be an Enforcer?”
Jerome closed his eyes and shook his head. “It’s His will.”
“It’s bullshit.”
Jerome started, his jaw dropping.
“Now, you gonna start serving drinks or fill in forms all day?”
Jerome grumbled to himself before he turned and headed for the row of drinks. Even though he was an Enforcer, he’d been made bartender, which he kinda liked. I think that’s what made Jerome one of the more relatable Enforcers. Made him more laid back. But saying that, he still had a giant rod shoved up his butt.
He picked up a clear liquid with swirls of gold dancing within like elegant reeds. He grabbed three glasses and put them down on the bar. He began pouring. “Here, have some Ambrosia on the house. It might calm you down.”
I gave him a quick raise of my eyebrows. “Thanks.” I grabbed up the sweet nectar and downed it in one. Velvet honey slipped down my throat, a pleasant tingle accompanying it. Almost instantly, a kind of mellowing overcame me.
“Feel better now?” Jerome asked.
I gave him a dreamy stare. “No, I’m still pissed.”
“Well, your day is about to get worse.”
“Really? How?”
Jerome’s face turned dark. “Samuel’s after you.”
Oh boy, not that asshole! “Oh yeah?” I said without even a hint of enthusiasm. “What for?”
“He says you let Crustus escape.”
I shook my head. “I didn’t let Crusts escape. He...kinda got away is all.”
“Well, Samuel sees it differently. Crustus has been putting the word out that he defeated the great card player Gabriel Stone and slipped through his clutches.”
I glanced back at Aurora, thrumming my fingers hard on the bar. I threw my head ba
ck to meet Jerome. “Well, that’s not how it went. Okay?”
“Whichever way you slice it, Stone, it doesn’t look good that a raised demon is still at large and boasting about defeating a fallen angel.”
“Look, you leave Crustus—and Samuel for that matter—to me.”
“Well, a few of the others have already got on the trail for Crustus, so you’ll probably not have to lift a finger.”
My eyes widened. “Hey, Crustus is my score!”
“Gabe. It’s a free for all here. First one to bag the demon and bring his crystal residues back gets the reward. You know that.”
I grinned. “Yeah. A free for all. Funny, hadn’t noticed. I’ll get Crustus and maybe Samuel can get off my case for once.”
“I’ll take your word for that.”
“You do that, Jerome. So, any new jobs?”
“Check the board, but do remember to fill in the necessary paperwork.”
I began hitting my thumb and fingers together in the universal sign for ‘yap, yap, yap!’
“Run along now, Gabriel,” Jerome said and got back to his paperwork.
“Run along, Gabriel,” I mocked him in a childish voice. “Thanks for the Ambrosia.”
I sighed and turned to Aurora. She was sniffing at her drink.
“Go ahead,” I told her. “It’s good stuff.”
She took a sip. Her eyes lit up. “Mmm,” she said, licking her lips.
“Hits the spot, huh?”
“What is it?” she said before gulping more.
“Angel blessed water. Soothes and calms.”
“It’s amazing!”
“Yeah, it beats chamomile tea.” I gave her a nudge. “Let’s go check out the bounty board.”
She greedily gulped the last of her drink and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “Thank you,” she said to Jerome.
Jerome didn’t look up from his papers. “You’re welcome,” he said in a stuffy voice.