Angel Warriors

by Stephani Hecht

  As soon as the naming ceremony was over, Cam rushed outside. When he found who he was looking for he let out a whistle. Barakiel stopped and shot him a guilty look. Sorry, I got to go do something, the coward mouthed to him. Cam shook his head and pushed his way through the crowd until he got to him. He grabbed Bear by the front of his shirt and eyeballed him.

  “Why didn’t you tell me what the empaths had planned?” Cam asked in a deceptively calm voice.

  “They told me at the last minute. I didn’t have time to find you.”

  “You could have told me this way.” Cam thumped his finger on Bear’s head to show what he meant.

  “You know I can’t initiate a link, Cam. Only a telepath can do that.”

  “Remember when we were little and we used to talk to each other in that language nobody else could understand?” Cam waited for Barakiel to nod before he continued. “Our lips were not moving. We were talking in our minds, little brother.”

  Bear grew pale and he shook his head in denial.

  Cam went on, “You must have forgotten about that. Just like you forgot that half the time when I got into trouble for moving stuff with my mind it wasn’t me, it was you.”

  “Why are you making this stuff up?” Barakiel finally found his fight. He smacked Cam’s hand away. “Do you get your jollies out of freaking me out?”

  “No Bear, it’s all true.”

  “Screw you. I don’t have to listen to this crap.” Barakiel stormed away.

  Cam left the area before he had to deal with anymore of his brothers and made his way to the infirmary. Ever since the visions in Hell, he had a burning desire to visit Lehor. Not that he really believed for one cotton picking moment that it had really been his mother that had calmed him down in Hell. He just needed to see her for himself to really put this issue to rest.

  He opened the door to her room and found her sitting in the same chair that she always was in. He walked over and switched on the television set, not that she really would watch it, but it made him feel better to have her staring at that then at the plain white wall.

  He went down on his knees and looked her straight in the eyes. Well, as much as he could through his dark glasses. He itched to take them off so he could see her even better, but remembered how much the Heavenly glow had hurt before and left them on.

  He searched for any signs of life, but saw the same thing he had always seen since she had been destroyed, nothing.

  “Mom, it’s me Cam,” he whispered. Her dull blue eyes didn’t even give the smallest flicker of recognition.

  He reached out and tried to touch her mind with telepathy. All he got was a strange jumble of words. Box, dog, tea-cup, boys … He pulled out, unable to bear hearing her insanity.

  Her hair was still beautiful, so long that it formed a puddle of gold in her lap. He laid his head in it, nuzzling the softness like he was a five-year-old baby again.

  “I’m scared, Mom,” he confessed. “I think I’m turning into a full demon. It will kill Ana if I do. Everybody is expecting all these great things from me, and I honestly don’t think I can be what they want me to be. If they all only knew what was going on inside of my head, they would all despise me. I have such evil, vile thoughts. It’s almost like there is a monster inside of me, eating me up from the inside out.”

  She continued to look out vacantly. Not that he had expected her to answer.

  “I sometimes think that you and dad were the lucky ones.” He made the vile admission with his eyes down. “If I had become catatonic like your two at least then I wouldn’t have to live with the guilt. I should have been stronger. I should have been able to fight the demon blood. Instead, I let it take over me. I was weak.”

  He realized that his mother’s lap was wet, he had cried all over her. Dear God, he was weak; one second in the presence of his mommy and he was blubbering like a baby. He brought her cold, lifeless hand to his lips and kissed it.

  “I’ve got to go now, Mom. I’ll come back soon.”

  He got up and walked out of the room, wiping his eyes on the way out. He closed the door and turned around to find Nathaniel standing there. Crap, he had been trying to put off telling his brother what he had found in Hell, but it looked like now was as good as time as any. Barakiel already hated him. Might as well shoot for a deuce.

  “Hey Cam.” Nathaniel smiled at him. “Visiting Mom?”

  “Yeah, figured since I was in Heaven I might as well stop by.” Cam grabbed his brother by the arm “Look, there’s something I gotta tell you. I saw Belora when I was in Hell. I talked with her.”

  Nathaniel turned pale. “You saw Belora? She’s alive?” he croaked out.

  When Cam only nodded his head, Nathaniel grabbed him by the shirt and pushed him against the wall. “Tell me everything, Cam, now.”

  “She’s in a cell chained up. She’s been there ever since they captured her.”

  “Have they hurt her?”

  “I bit her.” Cam closed his eyes against the sudden hatred he saw in his brother’s eyes.

  Nathaniel started to punch him. Cam made no move to defend himself. He let his brother give him the punishment that he deserved. It didn’t stop until Nathaniel finally got control of himself and threw him away with an agonized cry.

  “How could you, Cam?” he yelled out. “Why Belora? I love her.”

  “I know you do.” Cam wiped away the blood from his bottom lip. “I soon as I knew that she was yours, I stopped. I’m sorry, Nathaniel. It was right after they turned me, and I didn’t know what I was doing.”

  Nathaniel reached down and hauled him back up to his feet. Cam winced, totally expecting another beating. However, Nathaniel pulled him into a tight embrace. When Cam realized that he wanted the hatred over the compassion, his stomach dropped.

  “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he babbled over and over as his big brother sobbed in his arms.

  “I don’t know you anymore.” Nathaniel whispered before he pushed Cam away and left.

  Cam walked off in the opposite direction. He just needed to get the hell out of there before he ran into someone else. He made it as far as the lobby before he, literally, ran into someone else. He instinctively wrapped his arms around that someone to prevent them from falling and was shocked to feel the soft curves of a female.

  “Oh, I am so sorry,” she exclaimed as her deep green eyes widened in embarrassment. “I am such a klutz.”

  “That’s all right,” he replied as he drank in every inch of her with his eyes, from her deep red hair right down to the dainty ankles peeking out from under her white dress. “You’re Haniel’s sister, aren’t you?”

  “Yes, my name is Amadeaha remember? We met at your house, although I must say you have changed a little bit.”

  “What can I say? I’ve been eating my Wheaties.”

  She let out a small laugh that seemed to dance over his skin like raindrops. He even found himself smiling back at her.

  “You can let me go now. I don’t think we have to worry about me falling anymore,” she informed him with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

  “Yeah, right. Sorry about that.”

  Once he released her, he had expected her to run away, however she continued to stand there and smile at him. He noticed that Jehel was off to the side, with another male, both of them giving him an angry glare.

  “I’m afraid my father and Uncle Jehel do not approve of me talking to you,” she confessed.

  “They probably know that I’m a bad influence.”

  “Lucky for both of us, I don’t give a rip what they think.”

  That last comment made him laugh for the first time since he had been captured. She stood on tiptoe and gave him a soft kiss on his cheek. She smelled like lilacs. He had forgotten how much he loved that smell. He had a tree that grew outside his window back at Earth. Every spring he would leave his window open just so he could smell it.

  “You’re really going to tick them off by doing that.” He tried not to
notice how strained his voice sounded.

  “They are just going to have to get over it. I wanted to thank you for finishing my brother’s mission for him. All he had left is his honor.”

  She then walked away, leaving him feeling an odd emptiness. He resisted the urge to go after her. She was a female sure, but she was an angel and he was not worthy of her anymore.

  He knew now that was why he had lashed out a Bear earlier. His brother was everything that he used to be, a small, geeky kid without any real responsibility. He would give anything to have the old him back. Most angels would give their hind teeth to have the power he now held, and he just wanted to turn his back on it all, but his damn honor wouldn’t let him.

  Like Haniel, his honor was all he had left.

  Even though he knew he should not be doing it, he still went to the neutral bar that night for his date with the succubus. He couldn’t help himself, even though he was supposed to be the leader of the empaths and an archangel, the demon part of him still screamed for some release. And right now the demon part of him was stronger than the angel part of him.

  As soon as Cam entered the bar, he scanned it for danger. There were several demons sitting down at tables but they didn’t pay him any attention. He returned the favor by walking by them without a second glance. Several rogue angels were scattered about the place. They eyed him nervously but after taking one look at his huge, opposing frame that was clad in all black and the sword strapped to his back, they all hastily turned and looked down.

  “We don’t want any trouble here, archangel,” a demon from behind the bar called out. Cam turned to him and hissed, baring his fangs. The bartender jumped back startled, causing the bottles behind him to rattle.

  “I promise to be a good, little boy,” Cam growled out in a deep voice.

  The bartender filled a glass and pushed it towards him. “Here, it’s on the house.”

  Cam eyed the drink suspiciously. “What is it?”

  “Pure angel blood, female too.” The demon’s hands shook. Cam smiled to himself, pleased that he was able to get that kind of reaction from others. He took off his sunglasses for the first time that day. As soon as the bartender saw his eyes, he began to shake even more.

  He drank the blood and was instantly lost in its sweetness. Since he was not related to the blood, it carried no thoughts or memories. Instead it gave him an instant high as the power and lust rushed to his head. The injuries that Nathaniel had given to him earlier healed up. The demon behind the bar looked at him with pure terror. Cam let the empath part of him soak up that emotion. For the first time in his immortal life, he found himself liking the taste of fear.

  He pulled out a fifty and slammed it on the bar. “Give me another.”

  Slender hands wrapped themselves around his chest. “I’m here for you, puppy,” she purred in his ear.

  He pulled her into his lap and pinned her to the bar before roughly kissing her. He felt her tongue slide into his mouth and slowly explore his fangs, perhaps reveling in what she had helped create. Shielding her from view with his body, he slipped his hand under her short skirt and discovered that all that separated her from him was a tiny pair of panties. When he nudged them to the side to stroke her, she moaned loudly in his ear.

  He eyed a nearby tabletop and was half tempted to throw her on top of it and have his way with her right there. He knew that she would not protest. Hell, she probably would enjoy the audience more than he would. However, he was not about to give a show to the whole bar.

  He laughed before he jerked her to her feet and led her to the bathroom. He had barely closed and locked the door before she was on him.

  She started to tear at his clothes but he stopped her hands. “Don’t rip my shirt again,” he ordered.

  She then literally climbed up him to get to his neck. How frigging hot was that? Wrapping her legs tightly around his waist for leverage, she sank her fangs in his neck. Hissing with pleasure, he slammed her back against the wall and ripped her underwear off. Freeing himself from his pants, he thrust into her. She never let go of his neck, feeding on him as he pounded into her furiously. If he closed his eyes tight enough he could imagine that it was not her that he was with. Instead he was with a female angel, one with deep red hair and flashing green eyes. After a few moments, the succubus rolled her head back with a moan.

  “I have never tasted better,” she panted. Her bright eyes glowed eerily. “Your blood makes me feel so alive. It’s so strong and yet so sweet.”

  He didn’t answer her because he was a little too occupied with her body. Looking down at the column of her white throat, he licked his lips. The urge to bite her was so strong his fangs ached. He remembered Abdiel warning him not to drink demon blood and tried to fight his thirst. But, as he climaxed, he lost control. With an animalistic roar he pierced her throat with his teeth and started to drink deeply.

  It wasn’t until much later that he left the bathroom. The succubus was still in there humming softly to herself and covered with even more bite marks than he was. Slipping on his sunglasses, he marched down the center of the bar like he owned it. He mentally sent out a challenge and three demons fell for the bait. As he got to the door he could feel them following them. He smiled to himself as he started to walk outside.

  He almost stopped dead in his tracks when he felt someone nudging his mind. Whipping around he halfway expected to see Douma or Forcas there. They weren’t. Deciding that he must be losing his mind, he went outside and waited for the three demons. He was happy to hear them coming out. He so needed a good fight.

  Cam walked quietly through the house trying not to wake anyone up. He didn’t feel like explaining where he had been all night. He winced from his many bruises he had taken a beating. He had still won the fight. He had pummeled the crap out of those three demons. Still his eye was swelling shut and since he couldn’t very well ask Gabi to heal it and the thought of drinking his own family’s blood repulsed him, a good old-fashioned ice bag was going to have to do the trick.

  Just as he was closing the freezer door, the kitchen light turned on. Busted! He turned around and saw Abdiel leaning against the counter. Deciding to play it casual, Cam slipped on his sunglasses and smiled at him.

  “Hi, Abdiel,” he said brightly. “You’re up kind of late.”

  Abdiel wasn’t fooled for one moment. He walked over to Cam and pulled off his sunglasses. Turning the younger angel’s face side to side, he examined his bruises and scrapes. When he saw all the bite marks on Cam, he cursed in displeasure.

  “Where did you go?” Abdiel snapped at him.

  “Some neutral bar.” Cam let out a yelp of pain when Abdiel probed his injured eye. “I wasn’t the only archangel there, you know.”

  “That still doesn’t make it all right.” Abdiel pushed the ice pack to the other angel’s face. “Those places are dicey at best.”

  “I dunno, it kind of reminded me of the tavern that Luke found Han Solo in.”

  “How did you get all the bite marks?” Abdiel shot back sarcastically.

  “Rough sex.” Cam winced as soon as the words accidentally slipped out.

  “Damn it, Cam. What are you thinking? Did she give you the shiner too?”

  “No, I picked a fight with a few demons after I was done with her. Look, why are you riding me so hard about this? If one of my brothers showed up like this, you wouldn’t say one damn thing.”

  “Your brothers don’t have a huge bounty on their head,” Abdiel said between clenched teeth. “What if Douma and Forcas had been there? We can’t afford to lose you.”

  “Yeah, wouldn’t want to lose a member of the freaking Order. That would just be tragic.”

  “This has nothing to do with the Order. We can’t afford to lose you because we all care for you too much. I know what they did to you down there. I could hear it. It would destroy me if I knew that you were going through that again.”

  “I can take care of myself, Abdiel. You just have to trust me on that
one.”

  Cam started to go up the stairs but he hesitated, tapping his hand on the banister.

  “Don’t think I have forgotten what you did for me in Hell. If you had not come to me I would have been lost. I also wanted to thank you for not telling anyone about how close I came to turning.”

  “I just figured that was between you and me and could stay that way. No one would understand everything that went on there.”

  “Why are you up so late? Is it because you have nightmares too?”

  Abdiel did not respond because they both already knew the answer. There were no pleasant dreams in their future. That possibility was smashed the minute they had entered Hell.

  Cam went into his room and stopped dead in his tracks. On the bed were several shopping bags full of clothes. Opening the card that sat on top, he smiled. I knew you were wanting some new duds so I took the liberty of picking these out. Love ya, Rachael. He moved the bags over enough to lie down.

  He tried to sleep but every time he drifted off a memory of his torture came rushing back leaving him drenched in sweat and out of breath. He stared off into the darkness cursing himself for being weak. He was supposed to be a strong, macho archangel and here he was wishing that Ana would come and comfort him like she used to when he was a small child.

  Just slow down your breathing and try to focus. It will help the panic pass, a male voice directed in his head.

  Cam sat up, shocked. The voice almost sounded like Abdiel’s yet it was slightly different. It couldn’t be the archangel though. He was the only one that could initiate a telepathic link besides Rachael. Crap, Douma and Forcas must be messing with my mind.No, I am not Douma or Forcas. The voice was angry now. I’m insulted that you would think that. My demon brothers are complete assholes.

  Cam laughed aloud. They are not on my MySpace Friend’s list either. So who in the hell are you?

  I’m not in Hell anymore, thank you very much, and I’m Appolion.

  No frigging way, Cam’s mouth dropped open in shock. No offense, but why are you contacting me and not Rachael?