by Jack Crosby
“I just turned nineteen not too long ago.”
“Yes, that makes sense.” He glanced up the stairs to make sure Cassandra wasn’t there. “You’re back on Earth for the first time in a few years and you don’t want to shackled down right?”
I had no idea what he was referring to. “I just want to find my brother.”
“Of course you do and that’s important too. What I meant is there’s lots of girls out there and you haven’t even had a chance to meet them yet.”
This was going nowhere. “I think you’re making stu-”
“Stick with me Oz. The ladies love me and I’ll be glad to send some your way. Hell, Cassandra doesn’t even need to know if that makes this easier.”
These two were psychotic. “Thanks for the offer but I’ll pass. In fact, I’ll probably head to bed myself. We’ve got an early morning.”
“Suit yourself kid. I’m going to watch some TV.”
Bed was a good idea. These two had given me a headache.
**Caspian**
It’d been over an hour since Oz went to bed. I was getting ready to flip the tube off myself when I heard her come downstairs. “Took you long enough sis.”
“Sorry, I really did fall asleep.”
“That fucking kid is as innocent as the day is long. Are you sure he’s half Lust demon?”
Her hand did that weird glowing thing. “I’m positive. Thank you for testing him brother.”
It was time to impart some tough brotherly love. “You need to lighten up. I know you think this guy is your soulmate or whatever, but dudes don’t like it when a chick gets all clingy.”
“Are you telling me how to proceed? You of all people?”
My love life wasn’t the one in question. “You push this kid before he gets to know you and figure things out for himself, he’ll just fucking bolt.” I’m pretty sure I saw the flight response in his mannerisms already. “If he did, well I wouldn’t blame him.”
“Once he meets Merlin tomorrow, things will be clearer.”
Shit this was going nowhere. “Don’t listen to me then. We’ll see who’s right.” She didn’t want my advice, that was cool. I just knew it was going to end poorly and make an already tough time even shittier.
Chapter 3 – Rest Stop Rescue
We hadn’t even been on the road for an hour when Caspian declared he was hungry and we needed to pull over. Cassandra wasn’t talking to me, so I just awkwardly sat in the backseat pretending to nap. I only opened my eyes when I felt the brother’s hand give me a shake to get up. “C’mon Oz, this place has an awesome omelet.”
I stumbled out of the car and followed the twins in. Immediately something seemed off here and it wasn’t Cassandra’s magic. If either of them noticed it, they didn’t say anything.
When we sat down, a waitress took our drink orders before heading back off into the kitchen. I had to express my concerns before she came back. “Someone or something is here guys. I felt a vile energy in the air the moment we came in.”
Cas looked around but didn’t seem all that concerned. “Since you last were on Earth, demons have been given a little more leeway. They still are frowned upon fucking with humans, but if they keep their noses clean, no one bothers ‘em.”
That didn’t make me feel better so I tried what I was hoping was the more reasonable Zane twin. “That might be the case, but I’m telling you two whatever I’m feeling is sinister.”
“Stay relaxed Oz.” Now she was talking down to me. “It probably wants nothing to do with us.”
Fine then, when shit hit the fan, I warned them. Pissed off, I accepted my orange juice and kept my mouth shut. I wasn’t hungry, so I passed when the girl asked me what I wanted to eat. I just ignored my new friends the entire time we sat there. Cas didn’t seem to mind tension; Cassandra seemed upset by it.
When he was finally done eating, the three of us got up to pay the bill and leave. That sinister feeling was still there and finally showed itself as we left. “I think the three of you are a little short on payment.”
The owner of that pleasantly angry voice belonged to a very large man with red skin. He was dressed like a biker in all leather and off to the side was a hellish looking motorcycle. On his shoulder was a war axe that looked to be even longer than me. Instinctly, I grabbed my sword and it blazed to life. “I wouldn’t try anything asshole.”
“Hahaha, the son of the Reaper wishes to take up his daddy’s place.” He slammed the axe into the ground. “I don’t think so kid.”
I heard someone shout wait, but this was personal. I charged the demon with my sword and the two of us entered battle. I was faster, more agile than he was – my black and red laser-esque blade darting in and out of range.
Being careful, I kept trying to stab him in the midsection. My dad beat it into me that the way you chop down a larger opponent is to go for the gut. Unfortunately this guy wasn’t making that easy. Each swing of his axe produced a good deal of wind as it swooshed through the air. It kept knocking me back from my preferred attack range.
The ground behind me exploded and imps of all shapes and sizes came flying out. They went straight for the Zane Twins, who didn’t seem to be in any hurry to help me as it was.
They’d just have to take care of themselves. “So big, dumb, and ugly, you gotta name?”
He tried to remove my head from my body with a big swing. “You needn’t not know who I am. Just know I work for the same entity that Jacoby works for.” He sneered at me. “Your presence back on this plane makes things much easier.”
Hearing my brother’s name got me off my game. I stumbled trying to avoid his next attack and caught the broadside of the axe in the face. Shit, why hadn’t I been smart enough to use my chain laced wings to block his attacks? All I could see was stars and knew I was in a bad position. All around me I heard gunshots and explosions, knowing those were coming from the twins.
My end was only a matter of seconds away, yet it never came. Instead, I felt a great pull from behind me, one that didn’t stop anytime soon. The sounds of battle slowing left, but I was too disoriented to say anything. In fact, it took all I had not to throw up due to the movement.
Then the ride stopped. When I opened my eyes, the black started to clear up and a face was really close to mine. Blue eyes were so close that I could almost see into the owner’s soul. When they backed up, I was able to put them with a pretty face. An incredibly pretty face that is. The face continued down into an incredible body with beautiful curves. Framing this vestige of awesomeness was two fluffy white wings.
She was dressed like just another girl you’d see on the streets. Tight jeans, a nice white sweater, and black heels created a scene of perfection. I felt myself getting very much turned on by this beautiful girl in front of me.
Then it dawned on me, my angel was really an angel. She smiled again and reached out with a hand. Pulling me up, “Hello friend Oz. My name is Tyra and I’m a friend of Jesse’s.”
Her voice was just as perfect as she was, cute with a bit of a singsong quality to it. “You know Jesse?”
“That I do.” I could’ve melted after each word. “He scryed your return last night and asked me to come protect you.”
Bless him. If I ever saw my old best friend again, I’d need to thank him for sending this hottie my way. “I appreciate your help back there. My opponent took advantage of some personal information.”
She came up and gave me a hug. Ohhh, she was as soft as I thought she’d be. “You are quite the brave one for taking on Chiron the Destroyer. Tales have reached us Upstairs that he even took on Lucifer and survived.”
“I did what now?”
She giggled at my reaction. “I take it you truly do not know what is happening here on Earth then.”
Apparently quite a bit. “I came back to find my brother, but it seems I’ve gotten myself into quite a mess.” Though this Chiron used my brother’s name so Jacoby and Morgan must really be whipping things up.
�
��Your brother Jacoby has aligned with someone very powerful. Morgan Le Fey will not rest until she takes control of this realm.” Tyra’s soft hands held mine. “She has managed to get some very powerful allies on her side too. Demons who are unhappy with how Lucifer handled things with your father.”
Oh great, it looked like my entire family was screwing things up. “If it’s all the same, I’d rather not add to the Grimm legacy of making things hard on people.”
“You are as funny as Jesse said.” A pang of jealousy hit me. Was Tyra Jesse’s girl or something? An old rock song started playing in my head. “Alas he neglected to mention how handsome you are.” Oh ho! Oz was back in the game!
Something else hit me – concern. “The two people I was with, did you happen to notice if they were okay?”
“The witch and the human?” She scrunched up her face really cute. “Last I saw, the witch was leveling half of the parking lot and her foul mouthed brother was firing gunshots left and right. Still, we should make sure they did not perish at the hands of Chiron.”
Before I could ask how we would get back, Tyra’s wings spread wide open. She took me in and wrapped her arms around me. Whispering into my ear, “I got you, I promise.”
Holy shit that was hot. “I believe it.”
With that, we took off back into the air. My return trip was much more enjoyable and smooth. I could see the parking lot was a mess as we began our descent, but I also didn’t see the twins. Caspian’s car was gone too. We landed on the scorched blacktop. “It looks like they got away.”
Sirens carried through the morning air. “Oz, let me recommend that we leave too. We do not want to be here when the humans arrive to take in the scene.”
She made a valid point and we were back in the air in no time. I enjoyed the flying as Tyra’s soft breasts rested wonderfully against my upper back. She carried me back into the forest area, well away from the burning diner.
When she released me, I couldn’t help myself. Back on the ground, I turned around and kissed her. I don’t know what came over me or why I thought an angel would want to be treated in such a way, but I did it. So imagine my surprise when she reciprocated the action with passion in return. I slid my hand up her shirt and felt her skin undermine. I went all the way up to her nipples which I gave a tender tweak.
Then she pulled away. “I am so sorry Oz. I cannot do this.”
I felt my face get very red. “I’m sorry too. It was my fault.”
Her eyes started to tear up. “You are destined for another and I should not act on such carnal instincts.” Without giving me a chance to talk, she took to the sky again, leaving me in the forest alone. I should’ve stayed in Eden.
Chapter 4 – Hitchhiker
It had to be midafternoon. I’d been walking aimlessly along the highway for hours, regretting that I’d been too stubborn to get anything to eat at the diner. Plus I missed Tyra. I’d just met her, but hot damn was she amazing. Damnit Oz, way to go and scare her off.
Cars passed by, speeding down the highway without even a glance over at me. Not that if one stopped I’d have a destination in mind. I thought about flaring up my own wings for this occasion, but the chains that wrapped around them made flying impossible. So yep, walking was my only option.
I finally got tired and plopped down on the grassy area not too far from the highway. Man, I needed a drink of water too, I was getting parched.
A shadow above me blocked out the sun for a moment. I went for my sword, thinking Chiron was back, but the closer it got, the more petite and angel like the form became. Tyra floated down beside me. “Sorry I left you like that.”
I let go of my sword and went back to relaxing. “No worries. I was fine on my own.”
“You don’t mean that any more than I believe you.” She joined me on the grass. “It was very rude of me to do such a thing.” She reached for my hand again. “Forgive me Oz.”
Ahh hell, who was I kidding? I couldn’t stay mad at a face that pretty. “Of course.” I was still hungry and thirsty, however my mood improved with the appearance of a travel companion. “So why don’t you use your wings and get us to a place to eat?”
No sooner did I ask then we were back in the air. The rush of wind against my face was truly a magical thing to experience. Tyra was so fast that I didn’t even get to experience it for as long as I would’ve liked. We were back on the ground before I knew it, at a fast food joint. “Chubby Burger?”
My angel friend beamed. “I have grown overly fond of hamburgers. Unless you wish to eat something else?”
Hamburgers were fine by me. Tyra used a charm on her wings as to not let the humans know what she really was. I blended in well due to my dad’s genes, so I was ready to eat. We went in, ordered, and got ourselves situated in a booth towards the back. “So Tyra, are you here be choice or is there a reason?”
“A little of both. I am not much of a fighter, so I came to Earth to do things my own way.”
The only angels I really knew were Jesse and the Eden Battalion. All of them were pretty awesome fighters. “I’m sure with practice you can kick some ass yourself.”
She toyed with a French fry by her lips. “That is the thing Oz; I do not wish to fight. My calling is helping in other ways.”
As I looked at her, I didn’t see a fighter like I did in myself or even the Zane Twins. No, she was right; she was far from a frontline combatant. “Well, if trouble strikes, you can count on me.”
Tyra patted my hand. “I know that I can.”
We finished our meal and I felt a lot better. With no real direction to go, “Hey, have you heard of Merlin?”
She looked at me like I was insulting her. “Who has not heard of him? He is only the most powerful sorcerer the human world has produced.”
Fair enough. “Good. He lives in Washington, D.C. and I think I need to see him. Care to come along?”
She didn’t even hesitate. “Of course I shall be your companion on this trip.”
With that settled, we hit the road, walking for about ten minutes before she felt comfortable to take flight. We shot through the air and as Washington came into view, marveled at the city from this vantage point. You could see all the monuments and landmarks. This was how sightseeing was supposed to be.
“Merlin lives in the Georgetown neighborhood.”
“I do not know where that is.”
Neither did I. We decided to land close to a train station and hopefully use human transportation into the city. Unfortunately none of the city guides had any information and we didn’t have enough money to afford cab fare.
So it was back to walking. Almighty bless her as we started trudging around town looking for signs in her heels. But she never complained once about her feet hurting. Me, my sneakers had seen better days. Still, I kept my mouth shut as I didn’t want to be seen as a whiner. Though as evening was beginning to fall, we were lost in a big city.
“What shall we do now Oz?”
That was a mighty fine question. “Honestly, I’m not sure. Are there any angel safe houses around here?”
“Not that I know of.”
And just like that we were back to the drawing board. The two of us aimlessly walked down the street as I silently wished for a miracle.
**Caspian**
“Well, it wasn’t quite the way I thought it’d happen, but ya went and lost him.”
My sister was fraught with worry. “If only I would’ve stepped up and assisted with that demon…”
After Cassandra blew the imps to Kingdom Come and that overgrown demon disappeared, there was no sign of Oz. I hadn’t been paying too close attention but one minute he was there, fighting like a champ I might add, and the next gone. We looked for him of course, though any chance of finding him dried up quickly. The only choice we had was to go to Merlin’s and tell him we failed.
Man, Merlin was going to be pissed. “Why in the world were you fucking mad at him anyway? Cassandra, I swear you give me a headache.”
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bsp; “I wanted him to understand he hurt my feeling by wishing to not discuss the most important news I gave him.”
Fucking eh. “You need to stop PMS’ing and deal with the fact the kid’s confused. Me and you, we’ve been dealing with this whole chosen one thing for years. Him, you gave him like two fucking minutes.”
We pulled up to the red light and she sighed. “You are right of course Caspian.”
I looked over to gloat, but what I saw was much more intriguing. “Holy shit, I think that’s Oz.”
“Quit messing with me.”
“No, I’m fucking serious.” I grabbed her head and twisted it to the street corner. “I think that’s Oz and, sweet mercy, is he with a fucking angel?”
**Oz**
We were waiting for the crosswalk to turn green for us when I heard a very familiar, profanity laced yell. “Oz? Is that fucking you?” I looked over and recognized the Camaro at the red light. “Cassandra, it’s fucking Oz!”
“Do you know that man?”
Tyra looked concerned but I just laughed it off. “That’s Caspian Zane, one of the twins I was with.” We ran over to the car to meet them. “Cas, Cassandra, you guys survived.”
“I’m very glad to see you did too Oz.” Cassandra took in the angel and her face went ice cold. “And who might this be?”
Tyra stuck out a hand. “I am Tyra, an angel. I have been keeping Oz company during his travels.”
“Oz you slick bastard, that’s one stone cold fox!” Caspian reached over across his sister. “Cas Zane, driver extraordinaire at your service.”
The angel looked apprehensive to touch his hand, but did just a little. “A pleasure I am sure.”
Cassandra looked like she had something snarky to say but Cas cut her off. “Listen, we can catch up later, but we’re late to meet with Merlin and now that we have you back, we won’t get in trouble!”
Cassandra got out and lifted the seat up. Tyra got in and I went to follow behind her. The witch put a hand on my chest to stop me. “Listen, it’s tight back there. I’ll sit with her and you can sit up front with Cas.”