Pale Wings Protecting

by Lesley Davis

  She had to face her first demon.

  Lailah was watching her with a curious gaze. Her breathing was loud and the air she expelled was acrid.

  “I understand you want this child,” Daryl said.

  “This child is mine. I need it.” Thick drool slithered from Lailah’s now massive tongue that lashed over her fangs as if tasting something sweet.

  “I see that now.” Daryl stopped right before her, close enough to feel her breath. “But please. Could I just hold the child one time? He was going to be my son, the one who’d grow up to look enough like my love that he’d always be special to me. I understand he’s yours now. All I ask is to hold him one time before you keep him.” A tear escaped Daryl’s eye and tracked its way down her cheek. She didn’t think it was Virgil’s doing this time.

  Lailah cocked her head to study Daryl carefully. Daryl trembled in the face of the demon that held the baby to her naked chest. Her skin resembled snakeskin, mottled and leather looking. Daryl’s breath caught in her throat when Lailah held out the baby, cradled in hands tipped with lethal claws that grew out of her fingertips.

  “Say good-bye to your son,” she hissed.

  Daryl gathered the baby up in her arms. She looked him over to make sure he was unhurt. The baby looked up at her with innocent eyes.

  What nightmares have you seen already, little one?

  “I warned you away, you and your mate,” Lailah said, reaching out and resting her massive clawed hand on top of Daryl’s head, holding her in place. “You don’t listen very well.”

  “We wanted the child more.” Daryl’s skull burned with the heat from Lailah’s skin touching her. She willed herself not to shake beneath the obvious intimidation.

  “Tell the hunter to still her feet,” Lailah growled, fixing a stare in Ashley’s direction.

  “Please, stay back. The child’s safety is more important here.” Daryl could see Eli and Rafe shifting their positions.

  “I could crush your skull with just one hand,” Lailah said, flexing her talons and piercing Daryl’s skin with her lethal claws. “I know how fragile you are. I blew you away before. I can do it again just as easily and this time I could still that human heart beating in your chest.”

  “Please, just let the baby live.”

  “You humans place so much faith in the act of living.” She roughly drew Daryl in front of her. Lailah’s huge jaws gaped open, venom dripping off every word. “Where I come from, death is a much more sought after commodity.” She relaxed her grip and patted Daryl’s head condescendingly. She drew back her hand and hissed. “Let me show you.”

  Daryl cradled the baby to her chest and swiftly turned her back on Lailah. “Virgil, protect!” For the first time, Daryl got to see the huge white wings rise to spread above her and start to close around her like a shield. Daryl felt the cruel slash of claws rip through her leather jacket and score into her back. The burning fire from the talons scorched through her skin before the heavy weight of Virgil’s wings covered Daryl from Lailah’s wrath. The pale wings protecting her did nothing to deaden the screams erupting from Lailah as her following swipes were deflected. Daryl had the child in her arms keeping him safe while Virgil did the same for her.

  *

  Ashley watched dispassionately as Lailah’s furious ear-piercing screeches turned into ones of terror when Rafe plunged the Spear of Light through her body and pinned her to the ground like a bug in a specimen case.

  “Shut the fuck up, bitch,” Rafe grumbled, sticking her finger in her ear and shaking her head. “You’ll call every demon hunter in Connecticut here for a chance at your hide.”

  Ashley was thankful that Lailah instantly quieted at the threat. As a reward, Ashley planted a kiss on Rafe’s cheek. “Thanks, babe, nice spearing as always.”

  Rafe frowned at her and pulled her aside. “One question before you banish this thing. Eli touched me so I could stop from being blinded by the bright lights, and I felt like my brain was being electrocuted. But he touches Blythe and Daryl and they just shake it off and carry on. What gives?”

  Ashley tried not to grin at how pissed Rafe was. “You’d been touched by a demon first, Rafe. Eli had to battle with that for you so you could see clearly.”

  Rafe glared at her. “Sure, it’s never fucking simple where I’m concerned.”

  “You’re an original, my love. Now let me see what Lailah has to say.” She carefully stood before the trapped demon, well out of reach of the flailing claws.

  “Give me the child back,” Lailah demanded as she tried to free herself from the spear.

  “You’re not going anywhere, Lailah, so quit trying.” Ashley shoved her hands in her jeans pockets and rocked on her heels. “So tell me, why would you need a child so much? It’s not usually something a demon has on top of their want list when they escape from hell.”

  “He was promised to me.”

  “So it’s Serena’s fault because she what? Told you if you kidnapped enough babies for her business you could keep one for yourself?”

  “It was a lucrative deal. I could take the babies easily and I got well paid for it. Those women weren’t sure they wanted to keep their babies. They didn’t want them as much as the people Serena and her lover found for them. The outcasts of society, wanting their own chance at a ‘normal’ family. A niche market Serena could easily exploit. Desperate women like those two over there.” She nodded her head toward Daryl and Blythe who stood well back huddled over the baby in Daryl’s arms. Virgil had his wings spread out over both of them like a canopy. “So I took them away and had Serena give them to the ones who wanted the most.”

  “How did you and Serena start this business?” It wasn’t like a demon to do anything for anyone else out of the goodness of its heart.

  “She found me not long after I arrived here. She has a good heart under the greed. She took me in, gave me a job, let me live in the building.”

  Ashley snorted derisively. “How sweet. And the kidnapping started how exactly? When you couldn’t pay the first month’s rent?”

  “She wanted a child, so I got her one. A girl. I took her right from under the noses of the nurses in the hospital, just hours after her birth.”

  Ashley spun around to check this information with Daryl.

  “That’s got to be Tanya Pope. She was the one I deduced as being the first to be taken. No wonder we couldn’t find her. She’s been with one of the kidnappers all along.” Daryl let out a satisfied grin. “That’s the last child I needed to find.”

  “How many have you taken, Lailah?” Ashley wanted to make certain there were no other children to add.

  “Six, if you count my own child there.” Lailah struggled again against the spear trapping her.

  Daryl’s smile at that news said it all. Ashley nodded to herself, pleased that part of the interrogation was done. “I’ll ask this one last time. Why do you need a child? And remember, you are held in place by the Spear of Light. You can’t lie to me now.”

  “I don’t have to tell you.”

  “True, but I think you want to. You did so well for so long taking these children and no one ever realized how or who until now. You’re amazing.” Ashley wasn’t surprised to witness Lailah preen at her praise. Demons were all the same, vanity and ego above all else. “So why do you need a baby?”

  “The Preacher told me that a sacrifice had to be made for me to keep my human flesh.”

  “A preacher? What kind of preacher?”

  “One who ministers only to demons.”

  Ashley digested this information. Based on what she knew of many of the religions around that world, that didn’t exactly narrow it down. She looked to Eli who shook his head. Oh, that’s just great. This is new information to all of us then. “A sacrifice had to be made? And you took that to mean a child?”

  “What else could it possibly mean?” Lailah asked.

  “Did you not think maybe sacrificing your own selfish desires?”

  Lailah considered
this. “He said all goodness springs from the purest sacrifice. What do humans consider more pure than a newborn child, untouched by life?” She shrugged as best she could for one speared. “It sounded simple enough to me. But every time I took a child, Serena had someone to sell the child to. Though the money was good, I grew tired of waiting.” She stared at the baby in Daryl’s arms. “He is mine.”

  Ashley looked into the night sky and watched as two lights descended. They looked like stars falling from the sky. “Where’s the Preacher, Lailah? Above or below?”

  “He walks the earth. He talks of a day when all demons will walk among the flesh and never need to shed their disguises again. And ones like you will never know the difference. We’ll be hidden from your eyes by our perfection.”

  “Where is he?” She needed to know where to start searching for something else to banish back where he belonged.

  “He is everywhere and anywhere.” Lailah chuckled then sneered evilly. “He is hidden from your eyes, human.”

  Ashley laughed at her, causing the demon’s eyes to narrow at her. “Oh, honey, you’d be surprised what these eyes can see.” She stepped back as the two angels descended and secured Lailah between them.

  “No! No! I haven’t made the sacrifice! I earned it! The child needs to die so I can be reborn!” Lailah struggled against her heavenly hosts. Finally realizing her dreams of staying above were being destroyed, Lailah let out a piercing wail as she was ceremoniously yanked free of the Spear and taken away to be banished.

  Ashley watched her go. Her mind was already working on the next puzzle. Who was this Preacher who had a demon flock at his disposal? Ashley had the foreboding feeling Lailah hadn’t been his only disciple.

  Chapter Thirty-two

  “Oh my God,” Blythe said. She couldn’t believe what she had just witnessed.

  Rafe went to her side. “Neat trick, eh? It never gets old banishing demons back from where they came from.” She gently slipped a hand over Blythe’s side and winced when Blythe did. “You need these fixed.” She curled a beckoning finger to Eli. “I wouldn’t usually ask, but there’s no way we can explain this to her team.”

  Eli nudged Rafe aside and laid his hand on Blythe’s ribs. She looked up at him, in awe that she was seeing an angel and amazed as she felt the agony in her ribs ease. She took a deep breath and felt no more of the excruciating pain.

  “Wow!” she exclaimed. “Did you just heal me?” Blythe ran her hand over her side. “It doesn’t hurt as much.”

  “I mended your ribs, yes,” Eli answered. “I’ve left the bruising though and some tenderness because you’ll need that for your cover story.”

  “Thank you,” Blythe said sincerely. “I can’t believe I’m thanking an angel for healing me. Let alone seeing an angel in the first place.” She looked to her left. “Two angels.”

  “You’ll get used to it.” Rafe gestured to Virgil who was peering over Daryl’s shoulder, his attention fixed on the baby she held. “You’ll have your own angelic third wheel now.” She grinned at Eli’s very obvious clearing of his throat. “You know I’m joking, Eli. After all, you’re Trinity’s favorite big bird.”

  Ashley dug Rafe in the side with her elbow. “Stop antagonizing my guardian angel, sweetheart, or he’ll rescind your being my One status.”

  Daryl looked up at that. “I’m told I need to talk to you about that ‘One’ thing.”

  “Sure thing, Daryl. We’ll chat once we’ve got this scene squared away and all our stories in line.” She looked at the baby now asleep in Daryl’s care. “I think you need to take that baby home too.”

  Daryl shifted the child in her arms and handed him over to Blythe. Startled, Blythe hastily accepted him and felt his solid warmth cuddled in her arms.

  “I think you should be the one who hands this baby back to his mother,” Daryl said softly. “You didn’t get the chance before. This time you can get closure.”

  Tears pooled in Blythe’s eyes at Daryl’s sweet gesture. She looked down at the baby, remembering the last child she had held and how he had begged for her not to leave him. This time, she could hand this boy back safe and sound and know she could step away with the job done right. She smiled as Daryl wiped the escaping tears gently from her cheeks. Behind her stood Virgil, and together, he and Daryl made for a striking pair. It only reinforced what Blythe had always suspected. Daryl had a pure heart. She was someone who was blessed with infinite kindness and a protective spirit. Blythe knew she couldn’t have found a more loving heart to keep safe and know that her own was equally loved. But for now, she was royally pissed.

  “You put yourself in danger, Daryl, facing up to Lailah alone.”

  “But I wasn’t alone,” Daryl argued, “I had all of you behind me.”

  “She was going to rip your head off.” Blythe tried not to let her anger wake the baby in her arms.

  “But she didn’t get that opportunity.” Daryl edged closer. “I was doing my job. I’ll always put the children first, Blythe. It’s what I’ve grown up doing.”

  Blythe stared at her stonily. “Well, the next time you go head to head with a demon I’m going to be right by your side, okay? We’re partners, Daryl Chandler, and you’re not alone anymore.” She calmed a little as Daryl moved closer still to lay a protective arm about Blythe’s shoulder.

  “He’s got no idea what’s transpired around him,” Daryl marveled, looking at the child.

  “That’s okay. I’m going to be having enough nightmares for all of us from this.” Blythe watched as Rafe was busily looking around the remains of the human form of Lailah. Ashley, however, had spotted something else.

  “Hey, Virgil. You might want to sort Daryl out. Her back is ripped to shreds where Lailah caught her. She can’t afford an infection. Demons aren’t exactly renowned for their next to godliness.”

  Daryl stood motionless while Virgil set to healing her back. “I wondered why it was hurting so much. I guess in the excitement it seemed the last thing to think about.” She peered over her shoulder to watch Virgil at work. “I might have to swing by our home to change clothes. I can’t think of how to explain what’s left of my jacket to Agent Lake.”

  “Some things are best left out of the reports,” Ashley said. “Before we go anywhere, we have to get our stories straight.”

  “We’ll defer to you on that,” Blythe said, rocking the baby in her arms. “After all, I’m sure you’ve had more practice.”

  Daryl held up a hand as if raising a question. “I need something clarified, please. How come one minute we’re seeing Lailah as a human and the next we’re seeing the world through totally different eyes? One that brought angels and demons front and center?”

  Ashley squirmed a little under Blythe’s and Daryl’s scrutiny. “I asked for it to be revealed to you,” she admitted sheepishly. “But if you don’t want to keep this knowledge, it can be taken away again. Just give me the word and I’ll have Eli remove it from you.”

  Blythe and Daryl shared a look.

  “I’d rather know what I’m up against,” Daryl said. “Don’t take it back, please. I’ve been blind long enough to the world and Virgil beside me.” Daryl’s attention turned to Blythe. “This is your last chance. If you don’t want to be a part of this world, you don’t have to be. I’ll try to let you go, let you find someone ordinary to love.”

  Blythe’s throat tightened at the obvious pain in Daryl’s voice. “I’m already in love with someone extraordinary, and she is my One and only. I don’t want to lose this sight, and I will not lose you either, Daryl Chandler. We’re in this together. But why reveal all this to me too, Ashley? After all, I don’t share the abilities Daryl obviously has.”

  “I didn’t want Daryl to be alone with this knowledge. You’ll be there for each other in this, like it should be.” Ashley gave Daryl a pointed stare harkening back to their previous conversation then reached for Rafe’s hand as she returned to Ashley’s side. “You have no idea how grateful I am to have Rafe’s sup
port in this fight against the demonic forces. You two need to be prepared and both need to know what is happening before your very eyes.”

  Everyone was quiet for a moment until the baby in Blythe’s arms cooed in its sleep.

  “We’ll set the scene here while you guys go gather your team to come back.”

  “What about Serena?” Blythe asked, only now remembering the woman cuffed to the chair in the agency.

  “We’ll keep an eye on her too. It won’t hurt her to wait while you return the child she had stolen for you.” Ashley waved them off then said to Eli, “Time for you to work your crime scene magic once again.”

  Rafe walked beside Blythe as she and Daryl headed back to their car. “You need to tell Lake only your side of the night. You came, Lailah refused to give up the baby, she and Serena fought, Lailah ran off, knocking you sixty ways sideways, and by the time you had Serena contained, it was all over out here.”

  “Lake’s not stupid,” Blythe said.

  “That’s why you bring him here and we tell him what happened outside. It all happened so fast. She was going to hurt the child and I shot her.”

  “You shot her?”

  “I haven’t yet.” Rafe grinned. “But I will once you guys have left and we can stage the scene. Believe me, when you come back here, you’ll be hard-pressed to argue away the evidence.”