by Leo Romero
“Ever seen an angel and demon in one?”
“You’re speaking to one.”
Yeah, and I’d better cut it out. If Lucy happened to hear me talking to myself in the shower, she’d think I’d gone nuts. Mind you, she most likely thought that about me already. I gazed down at my hands and the magic burning in my palms. Good and evil. Light and dark. I had both at my disposal. I closed my eyes and made my mind blank to level out. When I opened my eyes again, the magic had faded.
“You’ll need both if you’re to survive, Stone,” Draxil told me.
I nodded. I knew it. I wasn’t just a bounty hunter anymore, I was some kind of guardian of the world. Me. A laugh burst from my chest at how absurd a notion that was.
I finished my shower and dried off. I grabbed Bam Bam and Excalibur, put Excalibur in my bedroom, and Bam Bam back on the mantelpiece in the living room. I wasn’t in the mood for their bickering. I just wanted to relax. I grabbed a beer from the fridge and slumped down on the couch. Man, it felt heavenly. I switched on the TV. Some crappy action movie was on, which was about the best thing available since there was no poker playing on the sports channels.
I sipped my beer while cars exploded and guns fired on the TV. It was late. And I was tired. In no time, the booze was going to work. My eyelids grew heavier by the second. I tried my best to keep them open for as long as possible, but it was a losing battle. I managed to get the beer on the coffee table before I spilled it all over myself. By the time I lounged back on the couch, my eyelids won and stayed shut.
“Sweet dreams, Stone,” I thought I heard Draxil say before blissful darkness took over.
*****
I jerked out of my sleep, not knowing where I was for a few seconds. I found myself squinting against the rays of sunlight hitting me through the window. I was still on the couch. I remembered dreaming about Mia and Mom. The real Mom, not that Gretchen imposter. My mind was a complete mess, and I knew I had to get it together. Today was showdown with the horsemen.
“Hi, Dad.”
I snapped my head toward the armchair, a pain in my neck making itself apparent. I winced and rubbed it. Lucy was slumped in the armchair, dark circles under her eyes, her mouth turned down in a grimace. That twinge in my neck caused me to grimace too.
“Sweetie,” I said in a dry, cracked voice.
“I didn’t wanna wake you,” she said.
“It’s all right. What time is it?”
She shrugged. “Dunno. Maybe eleven.”
My eyes widened. I’d overslept.
“Where were you last night?” Lucy asked.
Oh man, Chad. I wasn’t there when she needed me. “I...I was on my way back, sweetie, but I got sidetracked.”
She rolled her eyes. “Just when I needed you.”
I sat up on the couch. “I know you did, and I was on my way, but...something came up.”
“Which was more important?”
“No, it wasn’t. It was a bunch of a-holes.” I got up and stepped gingerly over to the armchair. I crouched down beside her. She met my stare. “You’re what’s important to me,” I told her.
“Really?”
“Yeah,” I said with a sincere nod. I took hold of her hand and gently kissed it. “You’re all I’ve got,” I said. Her eyes welled up, and her lip began trembling. I hated to see her like that. She didn’t deserve it. I stood, keeping hold of her hand to allow her to rise to her feet. I hugged her, and she started crying.
“Shh, it’s all right, sweetie,” I whispered to her, hugging her tight. She gripped my back, and we stood there, father consoling his daughter. “Your tears are wasted on that jerk.”
“He said...he loved me and he’d never hurt me,” she blubbered.
“Yeah, guys say stuff like that to get what they want. Sometimes they mean it, sometimes...they don’t.”
“But with my best friend?”
“Well, she wasn’t much of a friend. Don’t worry, losers like them will get what’s coming to them.”
She cried some more, and I rocked her gently from side to side while I hugged her. The jingle of my phone broke the ambience. I sighed and fished it out of my pocket. There was a message from Aurora.
Gabe, where are you?
I sighed. “Sweetie, I have to go.”
“Again? You always ‘have’ to go.”
“I’ve just gotta go save the world, and I’ll be right back, I promise.”
“I wish you’d just say you’re going drinking with your buddies or meeting some slut instead of crap about saving the world.”
I sighed. “Okay then, I’m meeting my buddies.” Technically true; demons were now my buddies. “And a slut.” Erm, Nigella? She did dress pretty slutty.
She shook her head in disappointment. “Just go.”
“Sweetie. I promise you I’ll be back, and we’ll do something together, just the two of us.”
She lowered her gaze. “All right, Dad. Go and do what you have to.” She trudged out of the room and slammed the door. The noise reverberated through my very soul.
“That child needs help,” Draxil said to me.
“She’s missing the love of her mother.”
“And, by the looks of things, her father.”
I sighed and trudged over to the mantelpiece to pick up Bam Bam. I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the mirror above the mantelpiece. I looked like shit. I felt like it too.
I got ready, collecting Excalibur from my bedroom. I left my Deck of Death behind. I briefly flirted with the idea of flooding the roof with monsters but decided against it on the grounds that it would just cause more mayhem and could well rebound on our team.
When ready, I left. On my way out, I ran into Godzilla, who was loitering in the hallway. I bent down ahead of him. “Daddy will be back soon, Zilla. But if he isn’t...I want you to look after Mommy. Okay? She’ll need you.” Godzilla flicked his tongue out at me and wandered off toward the living room.
I grabbed a clean jacket and put it on, the whole while, my eyes on Lucy’s bedroom door. I really didn’t want to leave. I knew I was an asshole father, but I had no other choice. I genuinely wanted to be there for her the previous night. Wasn’t my fault those damn weirdoes in the suits decided to Taser me. Wasn’t my fault the Horsemen of the Apocalypse decided today was the day they’d end the world. Imagine if she actually knew all this shit? Would she be more understanding of me as a father? Would she be more worried about my safety?
Didn’t really matter right then. By one p.m., she might not even have a father anymore.
I slicked my hair back from my brow and went up to her door. I was about to knock, but decided against it. Instead, I lowered my head, backed away from her bedroom, and stepped out of the front door. The mid-morning air hit me, clean and crisp. I took a big breath of it. It could well be my last.
Chapter 29
Before I headed for Dark Suits Tower, I went to the Angel Guild. There was no way I could face the horsemen in human form. I needed my wings. I had one more L45 form left for my current year. I’d been saving it for closer to the end of the year when I’d receive five new ones, but times were desperate. I had to choose between saving the world and visiting Mia. Sorry, babe, the world had to come first.
I hoped that the etchings on my arm didn’t stop the process of turning angelic. I was planning on fusing my angel powers with the dark magic I’d inherited. But with being marked by Satan now... Boy, that could well dilute the effects of regaining my wings.
That wasn’t the only thing bothering me. It was the day of reckoning, and I prayed Michael wasn’t around. He’d most likely grill me about Draxil’s whereabouts and give me shit for not handing him over. I was sure Michael knew that I knew something about Draxil’s whereabouts. Also, the fact that I’d been to Hell, released other fallen angels and a hellhound, and joined forces with them wouldn’t go down well. It had all been done in the right spirit and for the right reasons (at least in my mind), so my conscience was clear, but Heaven ha
d a funny way of looking at things like that.
I got there, and Brutus was on the door. On seeing me pull up, he stepped up to me, a concerned look on his face. “Stone! Where you been?”
“Nowhere!” I replied snappily, my eyes darting left and right. “Why?”
“Jerome’s been looking for you.”
I narrowed my eyes. “What about?”
Brutus shook his head. “Don’t know, but I think he’s been getting heat from...” He pointed up to the sky. “The uppers.”
“Shit.”
“And I think it might be something to do with you.”
I rubbed my head. “They in there now?”
Brutus shrugged. “Don’t know. Don’t think so.”
“Jerome in?”
“Yeah, he’s in.”
I took a deep breath. “Okay. Thanks, Brutus.”
“Something big’s going down, isn’t it?” he asked. The concern in his eyes was unnerving.
I shook my head as calmly as I could. “No.”
“Don’t lie to me, Stone. I know when shit’s going down around here. I’m used to it now. Beelzebub and Samuel, the gargoyles. Something even worse is heading our way, isn’t it?”
I sighed. “Nothing I can’t handle.”
“Yeah right. Sooner or later you’re gonna bite off more than you can chew. And then we’re all screwed.”
“Well pray today isn’t that day.”
Brutus threw his arms over his chest. “Whatever it is, just make sure you win.”
I grinned. “I always win.” I gave him a pat on the shoulder and stepped up to the Guild entrance.
“What are we doing here, Stone?” Draxil asked once I entered.
“I need my wings,” I answered back as I went down the steps. “Hoping those etchings you gave me won’t interfere with things.”
“You can have angel and demonic powers running together while in neutral ground such as Earth.”
“That’s good to hear.”
I steeled myself before opening the door to the club area. I poked my head around the corner and scanned the Guild. Some Enforcers were at their desks, busy with paperwork. I couldn’t see any hunters and more importantly any Archangels. I needed to get to my desk, grab an L45, sign it off, and get Jerome to halo me up. I flicked my eyes toward the bar. He was busy placing bottles on the shelves, his back turned to me. I licked my lips and stepped out into the Guild, heading straight for the bar. All the while, my eyes were darting left and right, but I kept my head low.
I made it to the bar and grabbed a seat. “Hey, Jerome,” I said in a whisper.
Jerome spun, a frown on his face. “Gabriel! Where have you—”
“Keep it down!” I urged through gritted teeth, patting my hands on the air. I ushered him in close. He leaned in toward me, that frown still on.
“Is Michael here?” I asked.
“No.”
I almost collapsed in relief.
“But he was. And Uriel as well.”
My eyes widened. “Uriel?”
Jerome gave me a solemn nod, his lips pursed. “Hmm-hmm.”
I’d never met Uriel, but by all accounts, he was a much sterner version of Michael. “What did they want?”
“Why don’t you tell me, Gabriel?” He gave me a stoic stare.
I shook my head. “I can’t. What did they say?”
“They wanted to know where you were.”
“And what did you tell them?”
“The truth. I haven’t a clue.”
“Thanks.”
“What’s going on, Gabriel? If two archangels are visiting, it isn’t good.”
“Well, it isn’t good.”
“And what is ‘it’?”
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. “I’ve got no choice, I’m gonna have to tell him. It’s too late now anyway.”
“Go ahead,” said Draxil. “But make it quick.”
“Who are you talking to?” Jerome asked.
“The thing inside me,” I told him.
“What do you mean?”
“It’s a long story.”
Jerome sent me a wry grin. “It’s still morning. And it looks like a slow day.”
“It definitely won’t be a slow day today, trust me.”
“What have you got yourself into now, Gabriel?”
“A whole heap of crap.” I rubbed my forehead for a second. “You remember that armor Samuel was gonna use to complete the Dark Bearer ritual?”
“How could I forget?”
“Well, it came back to life. The demon, Draxil.”
Jerome’s eyes widened.
“Only he wasn’t a demon. He was a fallen angel, one of the angels who rebelled against God. But he was tricked by Lucifer into joining the rebellion. Long story short, he wanted to repent, for Heaven to forgive him his trespasses. He led a rebellion against Satan but was thwarted by Satan’s disciples, who turned him into that armor. And now, Draxil is inside me.”
Jerome’s eyes bulged. “He’s possessing you?”
I gave him a sheepish grin. “Yeah.”
Jerome’s back straightened. “No wonder the Archangels are after you!”
I held up my palms. “Jerome. It’s not a problem. He has to hide inside me.”
“That’s what he told you?”
“Yeah.”
Jerome rolled his eyes.
“He’s connected to Aurora!” I snapped in a hoarse whisper. “If he dies, Aurora dies, and Hell’s hordes will be free to come to Earth. Michael doesn’t know that part, and he might not believe it. Draxil’s return has triggered an old beef with the Horsemen of the Apocalypse. They gave the Archangels an ultimatum: hand over Draxil by noon today, or they’ll burn everything down. That’s why Michael’s been on my case. He wants to know where Draxil is.”
“Then what’s wrong with you? Hand him over! Save us all!”
I thumped the bar. “I can’t. Draxil’s not evil. There’s good in him. If I hand him over to the Archangels, the horsemen will kill him, and the Dark Bearer ritual will be fulfilled. I can’t let that happen.”
Jerome leaned in closer, his eyes narrowing into tiny slits. “Is that you talking? Or the demon?”
My mouth scrunched up in anger. “All Draxil and his boys want is to prove which side they’re on. Our side. They’re us: angels. And they want to protect humanity because that’s what angels do. We’re guardians. I can’t hand him over, Jerome. I have to fight alongside him and stop the horsemen.”
“And how do you plan on doing that? You’re talking about four of the strongest beings alive.”
“Draxil says we can beat them.”
“Pah!” Jerome scoffed. “Can he tell me next week’s lottery numbers too?”
“Listen! I’ve been to Hell. Yeah, Hell. I had to bust one of them out of prison and collect a hellhound.”
“My goodness, Gabriel. What have you got yourself mixed up in?” The look of disappointment and confusion on Jerome’s face almost broke me in two. He just wasn’t getting it, and worse, he was making me question my own judgement.
I looked away. Could we really beat them? Really? Maybe Jerome was right. What the hell had I gotten myself into?
“I think we should call Michael,” Jerome said in a soft, slow voice while nodding his head.
I recoiled. “No!”
“Gabriel!”
I shot up off my seat, pulled out Bam Bam, and aimed at Jerome.
Jerome’s eyes widened. “Gabriel...”
“Shut up, Jerome!”
“I knew it was a bad idea coming here,” said Draxil.
I flicked Bam Bam to the side. “Go out to the back,” I ordered.
“Gabriel. I think—”
“Don’t think!” I snapped. “I know what I’m doing. Out the back.”
Jerome gave me a solemn nod. “Okay. Stay calm.”
He set off, his eyes fixed on my gun. This was going south fast. I just needed to get my wings, then leave. I could make things u
p with Jerome afterward. Wasn’t my fault the stubborn old bastard wouldn’t believe me.
Jerome made it out from behind the bar. I took a quick glance around. We hadn’t drawn any unwanted attention. I lowered Bam Bam and jammed it into the small of Jerome’s back. “Go,” I ordered.
“I know it’s not you in there, Gabriel. God help you.”
“Here’s hoping.”
Jerome trudged out of the club area toward the back rooms, and I felt shittier than ever. Had it really come to this? Pointing a gun at a close friend?
We made it to the changing rooms. I followed Jerome into one, checked the coast was clear, and shut the door behind us. With my gun still aimed at Jerome, I went over to the filing cabinets in the corner and fished out an L45. I grabbed a pen and handed it along with the form to Jerome. He looked from them to me. “Is that what all this is about? Getting your wings so you can allow a demon to infiltrate Heaven?”
I growled in frustration. “No, Jerome! It’s about me having to fight alongside the demon against the horsemen. Why don’t you understand?”
“I don’t know if what you’re saying is the truth or lies.”
I gave him a sincere stare. “It is the truth! You’ll see. Now I need you to fill this out for me, and I’ll sign it off. It’s my last one for the year.”
Jerome crossed his arms over his chest. “And if I refuse?”
“Oh for crying out loud! We don’t have time for this.” I rolled my eyes to the ceiling and jutted out my jaw. I huffed and lowered my gun by my thigh. “Please, Jerome,” I began, fixing a wide-eyed stare on him. “Help me.” That’s all I said. I held my stare on him for as long as it took for him to cave.
Jerome released a pained breath and rubbed his eyes. “All right, Gabriel. I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt. But if you’re lying, I’ll fully co-operate with the Archangels in taking you down.”
“Yes, by all means, do that!” I said with a sigh of relief. “Thanks.”
He leaned the form on the counter and filled it in. He handed it to me, and I spun away, leaning the paper against the wall and hastily scribbling my signature. “File it for me,” I said as I handed it back to Jerome.
He nodded.
“Okay, wing me up,” I said and lowered my head.