A second, louder bang came from behind, and the train trembled with the impact. The carriage behind them gave way and was replaced with nothing but wreckage before Michaels eyes. He was thrown back like a rag doll, slamming into another set of seats and coughing blood.
A deathly silence descended, only broken by the sound of burning flames and the occasional sob or cry. Michael blinked tears of pain out of his eyes and tried to look around, even turning his head was a momentous, and painful effort. Through the fire-lit and smoke-filled carriage, he made out the little boy and his father lying on the floor, the father wrapped around his son to protect him. He could hear the old lady crying from somewhere, and her husband trying to comfort her. The man on the bike lay nearby unconscious but uninjured, as far as Michael could see.
Next to each of those people Michael could see their Guardians leaning over them, with desperately worried looks on their faces. A young dark-haired angel sang over the boy and his father, while a brown haired angel had released her wings and held them around them both.
The young man’s angel stood over him, glowing brightly as she sang a song of healing, and the elderly couple's angels sat next to them, hands of comfort placed on them.
Looking around made Michael feel Jasmine's even more keenly than before. He steeled himself as best he could, feeling truly alone for the first time in his life. He tried to move, but his leg was twisted and trapped beneath a piece of large metal jutting from the seat. Michael felt cold and, placing his hand over his chest, he felt warm wetness against his skin. He looked down to see a piece of metal protruding from his abdomen.
The sight of it yanked him out shock, the merciful numbing sensation disappearing. The pain flared up all at once, and he had to grit his teeth so he didn't cry out. He stopped trying to move, realising it would only make his injuries worse and desperately called out to Jasmine. Hours seemed to pass as he lay, waiting and hoping, before he finally lost consciousness.
***
Lilith watched the trains collide with a sense of satisfaction. The plan they had created had gone perfectly on schedule. They had arranged for a car to be driven onto the tracks in advance, Eldith using her unique seductive charms to get the man to part with his prized four-by-four vehicle, and had then tampered with the brakes while Lilith distracted the driver. She had checked to make sure Michael was still on board, before finalising everything.
The easiest part had been separating Michael from his Guardian, as without that, the rest of the plan would have failed before it even started. She'd succumbed to their spell so easily and fled back to the heavens, just as they had suspected she would.
The final part of the plan, had been to arrange a second collision from behind, but that had been the hardest part. Lilith had to teleport herself onto that train in demon form and kill the driver before he had any chance to react, then back into her body. She left a random man she'd previously drained, and left in the bathroom holding the murder weapon.
“Oooooo destruction always makes me so horny!" Eldith squealed, "Lilith, I just need release now!” She rubbed up against her sister, barely able to contain herself as they watched the burning wreckage. Both of had shed their human hosts the moment the collision occurred and now stood on a hill in full demonic garb, relishing the feeling of walking the earth unfettered.
“So single minded,although I must admit it has made me feel a bit….naughty.” Lilith reached over and gently stroked her sister's shoulder.
The accident had been truly horrific . The train had ploughed into the parked four-by- four at full speed, partially derailing it. Even while the passengers were reeling from the initial impact, the second train had smashed into the rear and sealed the fate of those inside. They didn't care about the passengers on the train. All that mattered was Michael and that he was injured. Lilith extended her senses to look for him; he was unconscious, which made it easier for her to track.
“He's still alive, " she reported. "Although he's hurt worse than we anticipated. Garamond better hurry if he's gonna pull this off. Where is that damn she-angel, too? Doesn’t she even care about that tasty little morsel in there?"
“Can I go into his dreams, sis?" Eldith pleaded. "Can I go and play with him? I'm sure it'll keep him motivated to live, annddd it will give me some release too!”
“No, Eldith, we'd best make ourselves scarce for now. We've done what we were ordered. If we were spotted here, it could make Garamond's job harder. Let’s go find ourselves some new bodies and enjoy some more pleasures of the flesh for a while. You can go dream-invade some men and steal their souls later!”
“OOO, goodie! There's a little bar I know down in Soho. The barmaids there are just the cutest, and the men who go in there are the most corrupt!”
Eldith stood with her sister for a moment longer, as long, pure-white horns jutted from raven hair that caught the red light of the train-wreck before them. Burning eyes set in perfectly formed faces regarded the wreck with cruel smiles as they released their wings of bat-like leather and muttered an infernal song. A pillar of flame emerged from the ground beneath them both, enveloping the sisters, leaving nothing but a black scorch-mark on the grass.
***
Jasmine rushed down through the planes in a hawks plunge. She tried with all her spirit to speed her descent but couldn’t have gone any faster if the hordes of Hell were behind her. She could feel something had happened to her charge, she could sense his pain, but nothing she could do could speed her descent.
Time and space rushed past her, the many layers of the heavens a blur. She plunged past the domains of the Throne, heavens seers busily tending to their gardens. She raced past the Cherubim, who tended to the symphony’s instruments. She plunged past the cloud covered layer of the Grigori, who watched Earth from the lower levels; forbidden to return there, only to watch in penance. Then, finally, she passed through to the mortal plane.
Stars and galaxies rushed around Jasmine as she descended further. Nebulae and planets, wonders to any human, focused on reaching her charge, the only thing in the universe that mattered to her. She was so stupid falling for one of the oldest tricks in the book. The demons never played fair, that was their nature. They had obviously foreseen some tragic event in Michael’s life and made sure that she wouldn’t be there. That way, they could get their filthy claws on him.
Even with her emotional barriers re-established, Jasmine was overwhelmed with feelings of Guilt and a less savoury sensation of anger. The Archangels knew the touch of righteous fury, but this felt a lot more like rage than acting as the divine sword of vengeance. Her affection for Michael only made the emotions even worse, magnifying them to a point she couldn't control.
Her thoughts focused on the task at hand as she hurtled down through the sky. There were dark storm-clouds over the whole South of England, a huge, roiling mass of darkness, illuminated by the occasional flash of lightning. She passed into those clouds and felt the malign intent behind them. Something stirred this veil of blackness, something evil. The wind seemed to whisper taunts in her ears as it whistled past “You’ll never make it. He’s already dead.”
She paid it no attention, finally reaching her destination. The train wreck was a vision of true disaster. Debris was scattered everywhere: bits of seats, twisted metal, bodies. People tried desperately to clamber out, but the emergency services were nowhere to be seen. Jasmine zeroed in on Michael, it was clear that the tormenting wind might have been telling her the truth after all. His life force felt so weak. The thought of having to ferry his soul up to the heavens so early in his life made her heart clench in her chest painfully. The thought she would be reassigned to another human, never to see him again was almost enough to make her collapse and crash.
The portal of light came into view, her gateway into the mortal plane. She beat her wings several times, attempting to slow her mad descent . She almost crashed through the portal anyway, such was her speed. Jasmine landed hard on the floor inside the train, beating her win
gs twice more to gain her balance, and finding herself in the midst of true horror.
The carriage was dark and filled with smoke from fire, which cast strange shadows as it flickered weakly from the other side of the carriage. People lay strewn in various positions all around her: some still alive and being tended to by their Guardians, and some already departed for the Heavens or pulled down to the pit by the talon of Hell.
Michael lay passed out on the decking in front of her, a large piece of steelwork jutting from his abdomen. Jasmine sensed he was still alive, but his life force felt so weak; she could only just feel it pulsing from his body as blood pooled around him. Jasmine was horrified, stifling a gasp. She knelt beside him, placing her hands gently on his chest.
She sang all the healing songs she could think of, going through the hymns of regeneration all the way through to the psalms of Catherine, (which healed minor illnesses), but Michael's injury was too great. He needed medical attention desperately, but even then….
Jasmine, with a strong effort of will, pushed the thought from her mind. Tears were running down her cheeks as she gazed at her charge, frustrated by her impotence, and mouthed the words “I’m sorry” over and over. She looked around desperately. Why hadn't the emergency services turned up? Where were the ambulances? Where were the fire engines to cut people out of the wreckage? No, on Earth, only a few minutes had passed since the accident. They'd be on their way, rushing towards the accident in the hopes of saving people.
She looked down at Michael again as his breathing became more laboured. She felt so helpless. Soon his soul would lift from his body, to be either washed clean of its sins and pass into the Heavens, or pulled down to the fiery pits of Hell. No! Jasmine had been Michael’s Guardian all his life, and she couldn't believe he'd be going anywhere except the Heavens. She should be feeling joy, since death was just another stage of things, but Michael would lose a lot of his memories; all his pain would be washed away.
Jasmine knew she was unlikely to ever see him again, but it was the thought that she had not been there in his time of greatest need that galled her to the core. The final thought that pained her so much was the love that had formed between them would forever be out of reach, the forbidden love of an Angel and her Charge. Her hands shook as her wings grew unbidden in her grief. Jasmine cried out, a wordless shout of pain as a tremor passed through her body.
The fire at the other end of the carriage seemed to burn brighter and a deeper red glow that filled the whole carriage, cast a single shadow on the ceiling. The other Guardians shouted in surprise or hissed quiet warnings to each other, spreading their wings over their charges to keep them safe from the malign presence that had entered the train.
Jasmine felt the evil force behind her and risked a glance away from Michael to confirm her suspicions. All her anger bubbled to the surface, surging into a tide of barely controllable rage. She stood up slowly, her eyes glowing so bright they cast green light around her. She regarded Garamond, the scourge of the Pit, the darkness manifest on Earth.
All her fear of facing such a powerful demon melted away. She stood her ground as he casually walked down the carriage, leaving small burning footprints in the decking. He had taken on the slim elegance he once had as an angel, but with glowing red eyes, large horns and dark black-feathered wings. Jasmine steeled herself and uttered through gritted teeth a hymn of battle, a rare song, meant for the righteous in times of need:
“As I walk through the Valley of Death
I shall fear no Evil
Bless me now
So that I can stand for those in need.”
Armour formed over Jasmine’s white tunic. A breastplate of polished silver, gauntlets and shoulder-guards of gold and a mailed skirt of silver rings. A burning short sword formed in Jasmine’s hand as she stood before Garamond, eyes fixed on his. As an Angel, Jasmine could summon a burning blade and divine armour, but she wasn't one of Heavens soldiers, and her chances of beating Garamond were slim. Nevertheless, she stood her ground in front of Michael with fury burning in her soul. There was no way she was going to let Garamond take her charge for his vile purpose.
“Get back, foul spawn of the Pit. Your plans will not succeed here. You will not take Michael. You can go back to that shit-heap you call a home and rot there.”
Garamond continued his slow advance. His only reply a small smirk, until he was just outside of Jasmine’s reach. He glanced around the carriage with an expression of mock concern before his eyes alighted on Michael’s prone form. Jasmine tensed herself to take a swing, spreading her legs wide for balance and her sword drawn, when Garamond finally spoke.
“What a tragedy this truly is. His voice seeped out like a pit of slivering vipers. "And I had such grand plans for him.”
“I suppose your plans included the spell on me, the attack in the alley and this train wreck,” Jasmine replied, trying to keep her anger in check.
“The attack? That was just a co-incidence, I couldn’t let such a special guest go by without at least saying hello. As for the spell, I don't know what you mean; there are many demons and magic users on this little ball. I can't be expected to keep tabs on them all.” Garamond casually ran his fingers over the feathers of a nearby angel. The Guardian recoiled as if struck and fell slumped over her charge.
He was lying, of course. Garamond was a fallen: a demon. Almost every word they uttered was a lie; it was their nature. “So what about this...this atrocity," Jasmine demanded. She maintained her poise, ready for any sudden moves from the demon. "Direct action such as this could bring war with heaven, Garamond. Even for your schemes, this has pushed things too far.”
“I really don’t know what you mean. This terrible event was a simple accident. the usual human incompetence and greed caused this, and, as usual, your divine master saw fit to let it happen without lifting a finger. Truly terrible!” Garamond's voice was now a chorus of whispers, all straining to be heard at once.
Michael coughed on the ground and moaned in semi-consciousness, a small puddle of blood seeping onto the ground from his mouth. He didn’t have long, his soul starting to drift from his body. She was only grateful that he was unconscious; the pain would have been terrible had he been awake.
Jasmine wanted nothing more than to kneel at his side and sing songs of soothing and healing, to say sorry for not being here, to confess how she felt. It still wasn't impossible that the paramedics might help him, save him so she her life with Michael wouldn't end. But Garamond stood in the way, stopping her tending her Charge. The devil grinned at her as if sensing her desperation.
Enough! Tensing for a moment, she lunged at Garamond with a mid-level swing. The Devil seemed to be caught off guard and took a surprised step back. Jasmine pressed into the opening she had created, chopping down and reversing the strike upwards. The blade caught a feather on Garamond’s left wing, burning it away instantly in the heat of her righteous fire.
So this was what the Cherubim and Archangels felt when they took on the burning blade. God's wrath manifest, dealing out divine judgment in his name, was a powerful calling. As she attacked the devil, not through song or spell but with a bare blade in her hand, she almost forgot what she was fighting for.
Pressing her attack, Jasmine lunged again, but with a quick motion Garamond grabbed her wrist and lifted her above the ground. He stood for a moment, glaring at her. With lightning speed, he plunged a black-armoured fist into Jasmine's stomach, crumpling her armour into pieces before twisting the sword from her grip to send it clattering to the floor. He held her up before him and leaned in so that Jasmine was looking directly into his eyes. He leered, then glanced at Michael again.
“Now little girl." Garamound sneered, "you cost me a feather, no easy feat. So now I'm in no mood for games. Listen closely. I didn't cause this little accident, but I offer you an opportunity now to save this pathetic mortal's life. Will you listen, or will you resist what you know you cannot defeat?”
Jasmine couldn't form a re
ply, coughing as she tried to speak. She nodded instead, trying to keep Garamond talking to buy time for the paramedics to arrive or heaven to send messengers. No, they wouldn't come, Heaven relied on its Guardians and, unlike the demons, only interceded in truly exceptional circumstances.
Garamond dropped Jasmine to the floor next to Michael. He seemed to relish the pain he was causing. He was about to speak when another Guardian found her courage and struck out at him from behind. This time, a burning dagger sliced into the small of Garamond's back. He had manifested no armour, and the tiny blade bit in an inch, burning his flesh and he swung around in surprise. Catching the Guardian by the throat, he flung her against the far wall, and advanced on her to stamp on her chest.
She yelped in pain, dropping her dagger. Garamond gave her no time. Grabbing both her wings, he tore them away from her body and left her slumped on the ground. Jasmine looked on in horror as the Guardian lost her armour, stains spreading across her robes as she crawled to lie over her charge before collapsing. The Guardian had lost her wings. She would either return to God’s side or wander lost as a human, seeking redemption for her failure.
Jasmine heard sirens in the distance now. She could feel Michael's life force ebbing, and prayed for them to hurry but deep down she knew they'd be too late. Tears of frustration ran down her face as she struggled to her feet and faced Garamond again. He turned back to her, casually picking gore and feathers off his hands.
“So, as I was saying before I was rudely interrupted, I can save your little Charge's life. I didn’t cause this accident, but I can help you fix the consequences of it.”
“What do you say?" Garamond grinned, exposing serrated teeth. "Angel girl?
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