by Debra Dunbar
“Libertytown.”
For a second, I thought he meant the Libertytown just up the road from me in Maryland. Then I realized he must mean the new human settlement.
“Thanks for your help.” I turned to leave, but he halted me with a quick hand on my sleeve.
“Wait. There’s something else you need to consider. What happens once you get the Nephilim to your house? Wouldn’t they be able to sense her? Do you have some sort of non–detect shield in place?”
“Uh, no.” I hadn’t considered that.
Sweat broke out on my skin, realizing that angels might also be able to sense Harper in my house. Gregory had said a Hunter would need to wander down the road to the house before he sensed her, and it seemed other angels needed to be closer. Still, a Hunter had known Harper was there. I’d just assumed if she stayed hidden from view she’d be safe — especially now that I dumped her shithead boyfriend this side of the gates. True, her baby was pretty small and probably didn’t have much of an energy signature, but given that a Hunter had managed to find her, it wasn’t a chance I wanted to take.
Gareth smiled. “Now that is something I can help you with.”
He turned from me and rummaged through a wooden box, pulling out what looked to be a set of feather–topped lawn darts. “Place these around your house, within the line of sight of each other. Will eight be enough? I’ve no idea the size of your home.”
I did a quick mental calculation. “Can I have ten? I’d like to enclose the pool area if I can.”
“Yes.” He added two more to the stack, and then opened a drawer full of scrolls. “These don’t restrict movement, so anyone can come and go through the perimeter of the spell without breaking it. They also don’t hide anyone from the five physical senses.”
Touch, smell, sight, sound, and taste — although I doubted anyone beyond a demon in reptile form would be ‘tasting’ for Nephilim. “That shouldn’t be a problem.” Angels weren’t committed to their physical form to the degree that those senses would do them any good.
“What it will do is hide all life–forms within the perimeter from magical detection. It will completely mask energy signatures. Mages, demons, angels, witches — all anyone will see is a big black hole.”
“Awesome!” I picked up the lawn darts and examined them with interest.
“Not all that awesome,” Gareth warned. “Big black hole is going to look like you’ve got something to hide. They’ll know something is going on or you wouldn’t have bothered with this kind of protection.”
“True, but I’m an imp and the Iblis: I’ve always got something to hide.”
Besides, with angels, it was all about proof. Even if they knew something was up, I wouldn’t get a Ruling Council smackdown unless they could prove it. I’d get an attack — possibly a sneaky, middle–of–the–night attack, but I wouldn’t be in any formal trouble. Angels like to follow the rules, and as far as I was concerned, I wasn’t breaking the rules if I didn’t get caught.
Gareth took the lawn darts from me and put them in a canvas drawstring bag. The scroll went into a protective case, and then into the bag with the darts.
“Here.” He handed it to me. “I’ll bill you.”
***
I revealed my wings and flew to the human settlement of Libertytown. During the elf wars, I’d forcefully negotiated a small section of elven lands for the freed humans. They’d been granted a piece of Cyelle — a peninsula of forest that jutted south into demon territory like a huge bulge of green. I saw the treeline on the horizon as I flew, but it wasn’t the lush forest I remembered. Red sands of Dis encroached on scorched grasses and brush. Stumps dotted the landscape, some dug up and piled to the side, making way for freshly plowed fields. Timber houses clustered together, mud sealing the gaps in the boards and golden thatch covering the roofs. It looked neat, but so obviously poor compared to the demon and elven cities. I couldn’t help but wince.
Kirby’s shop was easily found — the only stone building in the town. He must have found the money to pay dwarven builders. Costly, but important as handling flammable materials was a major part of a mage’s profession.
A string of tiny brass bells chimed as I swung open the door. Kirby looked up, and a smile creased his face. The mage’s work robe was smudged with charcoal and something that looked like old blood, but other than that, he seemed like the same Kirby I’d known from Taullian’s palace.
“Sam, or should I call you Iblis now? Either way, it’s good to see you.”
“I’m always Sam to you, Kirby.” I looked around at the shelves and boxes stacked full of supplies and finished magical goods. The building smelled pleasantly of sandlewood and burnt sage with a hint of licorice. I had no idea what he was working on, but the aroma was certainly more pleasant that the stench of sulfur at Gareth’s.
“Looks like things are going good for you. Who did your stonework? Bofor or Drumbach?”
“Drumbach. I’ve got a good trade going on. Lots of orders from both the elves and the demons.”
“You’d get more if you set up shop in a bigger city like Dis or Eresh.”
Kirby had enough skill as a mage to keep the riffraff out and make alliances for protection — important things if a human wanted to live surrounded by demons.
“True, but I can’t bring myself to leave the settlement. These people need me. They need the money that my shop brings to the town, and they need the little magical devices that I provide them with at reduced cost.”
I grimaced, looking out his front window. A woman walked by with a basket full of roots in her arms. “Are things truly that bad? It doesn’t look like the forest is doing well, but I saw tilled fields. And the houses look sturdy.”
“Climate control is an elven art. Without it, Libertytown is returning to its natural environment. We’re having to constantly change farming techniques to keep up. Crops aren’t exactly thriving.”
And the only thing of value they had in trade was the skill of their magic users.
“Some of the humans have moved back to serve the elves. They send money or supplies to their families here as they get paid.” Kirby wiped a hand across his forehead, leaving a streak of charcoal. “I’d hoped we could be relatively self–sustainable, that we could live here and trade the products of our labors. Instead, families are split. We’re not really sure what kind of future we’ll have.”
Dar was right. I did need to get my ass back to Hel and take care of things. Just as soon as I got Harper safely hidden away with the werewolves.
“Anyway.” Kirby waved a hand to change topics. “Gareth messaged me that you needed a two–way transport with two charges?”
“Kirby’s marble. How did you get so famous that a coveted magical device is named after you?” I teased. “How many fifth–level mages can boast of that?”
Red tinged his cheeks, and he grinned sheepishly. “Just me. It paid for my stonework within the first three months.”
Not bad. I looked around the building, admiring the work. Dwarves rocked, pun intended.
“Only problem is my success. I’m backed up thirty orders, and Gareth said you needed it right away.”
“Yeah. How long would it take you to get it to me?”
“Six or seven months.”
Crap. Harper would have a babe in arms by then, if the angels hadn’t pried the boy from her. “Any chance I could line jump?”
Kirby wiggled his eyebrows. “You’re an imp. Don’t you line jump all the time?”
I laughed. “I’d love to leave with something right now. Is there anything ready to go?”
“I’ve only got one completed right now, and it’s a rather unusual focus item.”
“Unusual how?” I envisioned giant dildos, or live piranha, although those probably wouldn’t be unusual for a demon.
“I’ll show you.” Kirby strode into the back room and reappeared a few moments later carrying a large box.
“Stand back.”
Right. Had he fo
rgotten I was a demon? I walked up as close as I could get to the box and prepared to peer into it. The mage clicked a latch, and the box lid slid aside. Something shot out and bit my nose.
“Son of a bitch!”
Kirby launched forward and grabbed it, ripping a chunk of flesh from me in the process.
“Who the fuck would use a durft as a focus?” I healed my nose and then rubbed it, just to make sure it was all there.
“Someone who wants to be positive they’re the only one able to use the focus.” Kirby’s voice was full of irony. That’s when I noticed he was holding the animal in the crook of his arm, stroking its tan fur.
“So I take it this set is for you?”
“Nope. Fred and I have become friends.”
I doubted Fred would ever let me pet him like that. As if confirming my thoughts, the durft looked at me and snarled.
The mage put the animal back in the box. “There are two stones in the box with the durft — one for each location. You hold the durft and it will allow you to move back and forth between locations.”
“And I’ll arrive at my destination shredded to ribbons from that monster.”
“Yep. I suggest you sedate Fred first.”
Jaq was a Nephilim. I was pretty sure she could handle whatever Fred could dish out, but Harper?
“Will it work if the durft is in a cage? Or duct taped? I’m not sure I want to ask a pregnant human to hold that thing, even if it’s sedated.”
Kirby hesitated in the middle of latching the box, his eyes darting to meet mine. “Pregnant? She can’t use this. She’ll lose the baby.”
Holy shit. These things needed to come with warning labels on them. “Any other side effects? Hair loss? Incontinence? Boobs shrivel up and fall off?”
Kirby latched the box and set it aside. “It’s not that there’s anything dangerous in the transport, it’s that the device only works for one being. Elf buttons will transport multiple people as long as they are touching, but not this. If a pregnant woman uses it, the baby will be left behind.”
I frowned at the box. It would still allow Jaq to come and go undetected. I’d need to figure something else out for Harper.
“Okay. No pregnant women. How much?”
Kirby smiled. “It has five charges. One favor per charge.”
That was a lot of favors. Not that I had any other options.
“Done.”
–19–
Harper paced, gnawing the already–shredded nail on her right hand index finger. “This is like waiting for a blind date,” she complained.
“Or the pizza delivery guy,” I groused. Neither seemed to deliver within the time promised. At least Jaq had the excuse of wrangling a pissed–off durft. I eyed the small stone on the dining–room table and wondered if I should relocate it to the floor. Although it might be kind of funny if the Nephilim appeared on top of my table.
She didn’t. With a flash, Jaq was standing before us, a screaming ball of fur in her bloodied hands.
“Here, take this.” She thrust Fred at me.
I was prepared. Throwing a tablecloth around the animal, I stuffed him into his box and slammed the lid. “Need me to heal you? I’m not very good at it yet, but I’ll give it a shot.”
“Already done.” The woman wiggled her fingers at me then turned to smile at Nyalla and Harper. “Let me go wash my hands, and then we can talk.”
“All clear.” Nils came in the back door, his face serious. “Boomer is guarding just in case, but I couldn’t sense any angels.” He turned to Harper. “You okay?”
The woman lifted her chin. “I’ll be fine. It’s pretty in West Virginia. After the baby is born, I’ll get a job at an outfitter, teach climbing and rafting while the werewolf babysitters do their job. I’ll be all right. Better than if I go to Hel, anyway.”
The tremble in her voice sounded anything but fine. Nyalla made a sympathetic noise, rubbing the woman’s shoulder. I watched in surprise as Nils approached Harper and put his arm around her, tucking her into his side.
“Bencul was a manipulating jerk. Don’t let one asshole ruin your trust toward everyone else in this world. You’ve got your whole life ahead of you, and things will get better.” She looked up, and he smiled down at her. “Trust me; I understand what you’re going through. Just take what life gives you and run with it. Have faith that everything will be all right in the end.”
Jaq cleared her throat and walked from the kitchen toward Harper, her long thin hand extended. “My name is Jaq, and I’m a half–angel. I’m here to answer all of your questions, honestly and completely.”
Harper shook her hand, sliding out from under Nils’s arm. The pair made themselves comfortable on the sofa while the rest of us hid in the kitchen and tried not to look like we were eavesdropping. This was Harper’s choice to make. Her life. None of us wanted to push her toward one decision or the other, although glancing out my window at the line of sticks around my house, I doubted there was any other decision she could make.
I pulled three beers from the fridge and popped the caps, handing one to Nyalla and another to Nils. He took a swig and made a face.
“I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to drinking this stuff. Coffee and wine, yes. Beer, no.”
“You’re doing better than that other angel,” Nyalla commented, looking up the stairs toward the closed bedroom door. “He hasn’t eaten or drunk anything since he arrived.”
Oh shit! I’d forgotten that Dalmai was even here. He hadn’t emerged from the room since he’d began meditating.
“Maybe we should check on him? What if he’s dead or something?” I hoped so. It would make my life a whole lot easier, and free up that bedroom.
“He’s alive. I went in this morning to get a change of clothes, and he was still meditating.”
Stupid angels. “Where have you been sleeping?” They were supposed to rotate usage of the room, but it seems that Dalmai had taken over.
Nils turned an interesting shade of red and gulped down his beer. “The sofa. I’m sleeping on the sofa.”
Nyalla coughed and chewed on her lip to hide a smile. “Yep. He’s sleeping on the couch.”
I frowned. What was so funny about sleeping on the sofa? “Either way, I better go up and make sure he’s not plotting our deaths or turning my spare bedroom into some kind of shrine to Aaru.”
I headed up the stairs, hearing a distinctive giggle from Nyalla and Nils’s low voice in response.
Dalmai was sitting cross–legged in the same pose I’d left him. A few articles of clothing were scattered about the room, most notably a pair of underpants hanging off the end of the angel’s foot. Nils’s underpants, no doubt. That dude would have made a good imp.
“How did you get her to your house without the angels noticing?” he asked.
I knew right away who he was talking about. He was a Hunter, after all. “None of your business. Are you planning on doing anything useful around here? Besides sitting on your ass and hogging up one of my guest rooms, I mean.”
“I’m attempting to raise my vibration levels in the hopes of bringing about the salvation of those in this dwelling.” His eyes popped open. “A fruitless endeavor. Demon, Fallen angel, two Nephilim — the only ones worth saving are the humans, and I’m not sure about them. You do realize one is having improper relations with the Fallen angel.”
I shrugged, while my mind raced. Nyalla? Or Harper? I wasn’t sure Harper was ready to get it on with another angel right now, but Nils had put his arm around her in a rather intimate fashion. Seems I was going to have to have a little chat with my newest angel. This was a bit more fallen then I wanted to contemplate.
“Lust is one of my favorite sins. I hope to be banging an angel before the end of the week myself.”
Dalmai stood, brushing imaginary lint off his clothing. Although after several days of non–movement, perhaps he had gotten rather dusty.
“You’re taking the pregnant human to the hidden sanctuary, aren’t you?”
>
I hoped to, although I still had no idea how I was going to get her there beyond driving like a maniac and hoping for the best.
“Yep. Soon both Nephilim will be out of your reach, and hopefully you’ll be out of my house and back to Aaru.”
His eyelids drooped, shading his thoughts from me. “It won’t be soon enough. Now, if you don’t mind, I would like to continue my meditations in peace.”
“Nope. Nils gets the bedroom for the next twenty–four hours. You want to meditate? Do it in the basement.”
His lip curled. “So it’s back to the basement?”
“Sure. With your superior vibration pattern, you should be able to disregard such worldly things as laundry machines and lack of light.”
Dalmai glared and stomped past me to the stairs. He hesitated at the bottom to stare at Harper and Jaq, still in discussion, then headed to the basement and slammed the door.
“Bedroom is all yours,” I told Nils. “Which means no more sleeping on the couch, or doing other things. Got it?”
The angel fidgeted, looking down at his coffee cup. “Got it.”
–20–
Finally I had the house to myself. Well, sort of. Nils was in his own bedroom, doing whatever a Fallen angel does, Harper in her room planning her future in West Virginia, Nyalla out with some friends, and Dalmai in the basement becoming one with the universe.
So I did what I always do when I’ve got an evening all alone. I pulled out a bottle of vodka, threw a bag of popcorn in the microwave, got buck naked and put on Air Supply’s Greatest Hits. I was jamming away to Making Love Out of Nothing at All and dumping the popcorn into a bowl when I felt a hand on my shoulder. Popcorn went flying, and I spun around to send a jolt of electricity into … Gregory.
“Shit! Sorry about that. I’ve been a bit twitchy lately, what with all the angels attacking my house.”
“Is that the only thing making you twitchy?” His hands rested on my shoulders as his eyes examined my face.
I sorted through the things I’d told him, and the million things I hadn’t. There was plenty to make me twitchy, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to confess all to anyone, even this angel.