by Kyra Quinn
I swallowed, unsure how to respond. It didn’t seem polite to ask him what happened, but manners had never been one of my stronger skills. The more Remiel told me, the more my curiosity burned like a wildfire.
“Why?”
“Reasons.” I expected the conversation to end there, but he huffed and continued, “Angels are not created by accident or mistake like humans. They design us with purpose and a specific role in mind. Free will is less a prized trait and more a sign of defectiveness.”
“But you used yours?”
Remiel nodded, his gaze still distant. “I did, once. I defied orders and did what I thought best, and I have paid for it ever since.”
“What did you do?”
“Does it matter?”
“Do you regret it?”
He didn’t answer right away. His eyes once more flickered between where Viktor sat and his window, his expression pained. “Most of the time, no. My willingness to rebel signaled to the Archangels something was wrong with me. And, perhaps there is. I miss the Gardens, but I would make the same decision again without pause.”
“Does that mean you have no angelic abilities here in Astryae?”
“They took everything they could from me, but I am still an angel by creation. My powers are weaker now, and they take a great deal more out of me, but I can still access the divine energy from time to time if I concentrate.”
“What can you do? Angels, I mean. What are your talents?” I leaned forward like an eager schoolgirl pleading for one more story at bedtime. Guilt gnawed at my core as I sensed Remiel’s discomfort, but my intrigue was stronger. To know magic existed was one thing. To understand how it worked felt like a peek behind the scenes at magic’s creation.
Remiel tilted his chin as his eyes studied my face. “When did you develop an interest in angels?”
“I’ve never met an angel, and I don’t suspect I ever will again. At least not one who wants to sit and chat.” I shrugged. “I thought I should ask all I can while there’s an opportunity. There’s a lot about the world I haven’t learned.”
Remiel rubbed his chin and sighed as my humility won him over. Angel or mortal, it wasn’t difficult to manipulate a man. “I suppose that is a good point. What religion was your father?”
“We worshiped the Sect of the Seven Divines. Why, wrong one?”
“Closer than many denominations in Astryae. A lot of the passives in Mulgrave only know of Cimera by name. Some of the lore around customs and festivals are a little wonky with yours, but at least they have the seven right. That illustrates why you lack awareness about the rest of the world. If I recall correctly, magic is forbidden for humans in the Sacred Texts.”
I nodded, though the information was new. As a girl I’d never found the sermons at the temple incredibly interesting, and the sacred texts were as dry as an academic textbook. I paid about as much regard to theology as I did sports ball events, which was to say none.
“Your father did not intentionally deceive you. For most humans, magic is an illusion. Less than one percent of the human population has access to any enhanced abilities or powers, and those who do live in the more progressive and developed cities of Astryae.”
“What about that small percentage, though? How do they acquire it?” I clasped my tingling hands together. I didn’t want to tell him about the strange things I’d been experiencing, not yet. Not until I could be certain I wasn’t afflicted with hysteria.
“That depends. They say some humans are born gifted with the Sight and a few special talents. They still need practice to hone their craft, but humans consider the abilities blessings from the gods.”
“Are they?”
“Shadows no. No proof exists to indicate the abilities even come from the Gardens. The gods have written it off as a fluke accident in most instances. No one can justify it, but the gods have better things to do than bless random human babies. And, not all powers are a blessing. I have heard equally as many tales about the gifts driving mortals to lunacy or suicide.”
My throat tightened. Swell. “Are they the only humans who can use magic?”
“No, but they do it the most efficiently. They are pre-dispositioned to channel that energy. It forces the rest to conduct transactions with the shadows for a taste of magic.”
I couldn’t imagine what sort of arrangement a person would have to make with a demon for power. The thought curdled my gut. I said a hushed prayer father hadn’t made such a mistake, that there was another explanation for the creatures hunting me.
“You still haven’t answered my question. What do the powers do? Can you walk through walls or whatever?”
Remiel shook his head. “No, nothing like that. Not anymore, at least. My talents are restricted to minor healing and holy fire manipulation. An angel at adequate strength is capable of more, though. Thought control, dream manipulation, mind reading, invisibility...it takes too much effort for me to access any of that these days. The last time I tried to implant a dream in someone’s head I required a two-day rest to recover.”
“And this woman we will see?” I asked, almost afraid of the answer. “Where do her powers come from? What can she do?”
“Depends on how strong her signal is.” Remiel offered a small shrug. “I have only seen a handful of mages in person. They have a few minor enchantments and wards, but they are nothing extraordinary. Not when you consider their rank on the food chain of life.”
His answer only gave way to more questions. Who sat at the top of the so-called food chain? How did a person know if they’d been born ‘gifted’ or not? I glanced down at my hands, the rabbit from the forest flashing through my mind like lightning. I clenched my fists. Whatever was happening didn’t feel much like a blessing.
I leaned my head against the cool glass of the window and swallowed my inquiries. Remiel had to be annoyed with my interrogation, and the last thing I needed was to make an enemy of both my travel companions. Frustration gnawed at my gut as the darkened homes and almond trees rolled past. I’d learned so much in the last couple of days, but there was still so much left to learn. Enlightenment stood just beyond my grasp. I could sense it, close enough to feel but too far away to grasp.
“It is late, and we have a long day ahead of us when we reach Carramar.” Remiel stared out the window as he spoke. “Close your eyes and rest. Viktor and I will be awake to keep an eye out for trouble.”
I paused once more, uncertain whether I wished to trust Remiel with my life. At least awake I had a chance to defend myself if he and Viktor double-crossed me or more supernatural creatures attacked. If I let my eyes closed, my life would be in Remiel’s hands to protect. Acid rose in my throat.
“You will regret it if you don’t,” he said as if he could see the wheels churning inside my head. “There will be no chance for sleep once we arrive.”
Before I could stop myself, a yawn escaped my mouth. I slumped lower in my seat and frowned. “Fine. Perhaps a short nap won’t hurt.”
Remiel said nothing, but the corners of his eyes crinkled. Before long, my eyelids became too heavy to hold open. I blinked a few times, but it was no use. My eyes drifted closed as the world around me faded to black. Within minutes my consciousness slipped into slumber, my life in the hands of my new mysterious companions.
*
Drug from the depths of a deep slumber, I woke to a heavy pressure on my face restricting my oxygen. I tried to scream, but no sound escaped. A sweaty palm over my mouth muffled the noise. My eyes snapped open to see Remiel’s face inches from mine. He glared at me and pressed a finger to his lips.
“Shh.” Remiel gestured out the window behind me.
I strained my ears as I struggled to make out any sounds over the racing of my pulse in my ears. Darkness still surrounded us, morning several hours away. The horses whined and stomped against the soil, but the carriage remained still.
“I’ve told you, sir, my grandmother is ill. My employer permitted me to take his carriage to Carramar to tr
ansport her back to Mulgrave,” Viktor’s voice came from the driver’s bench, his tone short.
“We heard you the first time,” a gruff voice answered. “That doesn’t mean we believe you. If she’s as unwell as you say, the train is a hundred times faster.”
“I told her the same,” Viktor said, “but Grandmother fears the steam trains. They’re after her time. She’s still not convinced they aren’t a one-way ticket to damnation.”
Another voice, this one feminine, chuckled. “I take it she’s religious?”
“Oh, gods yes. Even at her age that woman has never missed her morning prayer or sermon.”
“My grandmother is the same way,” the woman said, her tone more relaxed. “She has her favorite sermons memorized in case she’s too ill to make it to Temple for a night or two. It’s crazy.”
Viktor gave an awkward laugh of agreement. “I should be going. Her home is still a way away.”
“Not so fast. We still need to inspect your buggy.”
Fear flashed through Remiel’s eyes. My body turned to ice, my hands numb. Blast. Unless Remiel tapped into his invisibility powers and shared them somehow, we were damned.
“Inspect it for what?” Viktor asked, more likely to stall than out of ignorance. “I’ve told you the back is empty.”
“Laws are laws, sir. Open the back so we can be on our way.”
I gave Remiel a panicked glance, but he didn’t seem to notice. He patted the sheath against his leg before reaching into the waistband of his pants. He pulled out a steel handgun, the metal polished and sleek. My mouth went dry as he clicked off the safety and aimed the pistol at the door.
“No!” I whispered as realization hit. As much as I wanted to make it to Carramar, I didn’t want more blood on my hands. There had to be another way, something else we could do.
Remiel shot me daggers with his eyes, but it was too late. The carriage shook as someone tried to pry the door open. The thud of Viktor’s boots echoed through the buggy as he leapt from the driver’s bench, Remiel’s sword in his hands.
“It’s them!” the woman growled. “Grab the girl. I’ll take care of him.”
Before I could react, the horses screamed. Hooves trampled as the buggy rocked. A boom exploded outside as the carriage toppled over sideways, the freed horses bolting away into the darkness. My body smashed into Remiel’s as we flew into the door against the dirt, my elbow jammed into his hard midsection.
“Demons.” Remiel spit the word like a curse in my direction. He leaned against the wall behind us and kicked his leg up with a grunt. The door flew open and Remiel jumped outside, the gun still clutched in his hands.
I swore under my breath as I tried to make myself small and decide what to do. They looked nothing like the creatures who attacked me in the past. No horns sat on top of their heads, their physiques as human as my own. I almost doubted Remiel’s declaration until I spotted the flash of crimson in the woman’s eyes.
Do something, Lili. Don’t just stand there. I glanced down at my empty hands. I was the only one without a weapon. The target was on my back, yet I had nothing to defend myself. I swallowed my bitterness and craned my neck as I peeked out the window and into the darkness and said a silent prayer for the goddess Anja’s blessing.
The scene outside the buggy looked more like a dance than combat. Viktor moved with surprising agility, his body spinning in circles as he held Remiel’s sword of flames out from his chest. The male demon dropped into a quick roll to avoid the blade, on his feet behind Viktor within seconds.
Remiel, on the other hand, had already lost his pistol. The gun peeked out of the grass a few feet away as Remiel swung for the female’s face and missed. She opened her mouth and hissed at the angel, her tongue forked through the center.
“Come on, is that the best you’ve got?” she taunted.
“Says the only demon I have ever seen run from a fight. Stand still. Let us see who is stronger.” Remiel clenched his jaw and took another swing. His fist connected with the side of her face. Bones crunched as the impact threw her back onto the ground. She swung her legs and knocked Remiel’s feet out from under him, sending him crashing to the dirt beside her.
The creature leapt onto his chest, her mouth curled in a sadistic smile. “You were saying?” She batted her eyelashes. “I will make you watch as the Dark Mother puts an end to your little pet. And when she’s dead, I’ll wear your skin like a suit.” She leaned down and licked his face with a schoolgirl giggle.
My eyes darted between Remiel and the gun. The monsters hadn’t detected me yet. The skirmish consumed their attention. If I didn’t help Remiel and Viktor, all three of us would be dead by the time the sun rose. I had to get the pistol back into Remiel’s hands.
Viktor and the bigger demon continued to dance combat circles around where Remiel laid pinned to the ground. I held my breath as I crawled out of the buggy. I crouched low to the ground and kept to the shadows, the grunts and moans of the combat behind me masking the sound of my movement. My eyes flickered between Remiel and Viktor as I made a wide circle behind them towards the discarded weapon. Neither fight seemed to progress in our favor. Pity I had no experience with a firearm.
When I made it to where the gun had fallen, I snatched it off the ground and ducked behind the nearest tree. Remiel and the female traded blows as they rolled through the dirt, Viktor’s blade slashing through the night nearby. Neither of them had noticed me leave the carriage. There was no way to summon their attention without alerting the beasts of my location. I took a deep breath and clutched the gun against my chest, the metal cool against my skin even through the shirt.
Shoot them or die. The weapon shook in my hands. Had Remiel loaded the gun? How did I ignite the flint inside and fire the damn thing? I rotated the hammer to a full-cock. I lifted the barrel and closed one eye as I tried to align it with a demon’s skull. No one paid me any attention, the two pairs still locked in combat. My hands trembled as I struggle to line up my shot.
This is ridiculous. I need something to slow them down long enough for me to shoot the right creature.
As if the gods heard my desperate plea, everything around me slowed to almost a halt. They exaggerated their movements, the slow progression of their wild expressions almost laughable. Within a few seconds the female’s back lined up with the business end of Remiel’s pistol.
I didn’t have time to panic or second guess myself, much less question what was happening. I put my index and middle finger on the trigger of the gun and squeezed. A sharp crack split through the air, the bullet spiraling towards the back of the woman’s dark bob. She jerked her head as the bullet connected with the side of her skull, her mouth open in shock.
The pace of time returned to normal. Viktor plunged the tip of his sword into the male demon’s gut. Both monsters exploded in a flash, a pool of black ooze left in their place. Remiel stared at me in both awe and horror, Viktor’s expression impossible to read.
“You didn’t have to do that,” Remiel said, too proud for gratitude. “We had them under control.”
“Right.” I rolled my eyes. “How inconsiderate of me. Sorry for saving your ass.”
Remiel’s scowl deepened. “We should keep moving.”
Viktor laughed, but the sound was mirthless. “How? The carriage is pretty well buggered, and Anja only knows where the horses are.”
“We shall have to walk the rest of the way. It is not much further from here.”
“Not too much further? Friend, we’re still two towns over. It’ll be late afternoon at the earliest if we walk it,” Viktor argued, his arms gesturing as he spoke.
Something about his passion and the adrenaline of the situation made my heart flutter. He’d held his own in the fight, arguably better than Remiel. As much of an arrogant ass as he was, I couldn’t help but want to know more.
“The faster you stop complaining, the sooner we will arrive. Come on.” Remiel didn’t wait for anyone to agree with him. He cocked his chin and
marched off down the dimly lit street after the horses, his posture tall and proud despite the grass and dirt glued to his jacket.
“Bastard.” Viktor glared after him. “Come on, then. Guess we’re doing it his way.” He glanced at the puddle of ooze where the female demon stood moments before. “And great shot. Didn’t take you for the type of gal to play with firearms in her free time.”
“I’m not.” I huffed as we hurried after Remiel. “That was my first time touching a pistol.”
“Oh?” Viktor smirked. “Impressive. Guess you have a natural talent for it.”
I bit my lip. Part of me wanted to tell Viktor, or anyone, the truth. I’d never heard of anything like what I’d experienced with the pistol. The march of time slowed for no man. Had I imagined the ability to control it? Some strange defense mechanism to help my brain cope with the stress of the situation?
“I’m sorry all this is happening,” I said after a while, the words bitter in my mouth. “I don’t know why the universe hates me.”
Viktor chuckled. “Life is funny that way sometimes. Just when you think you have it figured out, something comes along to knock over your cards and force you to start again. It’s why I stopped trying to make plans a long time ago. I figure life will take me where she wants me to go.”
“I wish I shared your optimism. Guess everything trying to kill me the day I turned eighteen might have soured my perspective.”
Viktor’s eyes widened. “Blazes look at your head. Are you all right? You’re bleeding good...”
I lifted a hand to my head and winced as pain shot through my skull. Warm, sticky blood covered my fingers. My head grew light as I wiped my hand down the leg of my trousers and mumbled, “I’m fine. Hardly hurts at all.”
Not far behind Remiel now, we let the conversation between us die. The tension between us melted with it, his energy far less hostile. The lull in conversation didn’t bother me, my head still on fire with pain. As much as I disagreed with the decision to visit the most dangerous city in Astryae, Carramar couldn’t come soon enough. I wanted a shower and a glass of ambrosia to dull the pain almost as much as I wanted to find Remiel’s mage.