Refresh

by Suzanne Steele

  “No more talking.”

  Chapter Thirty Four

  Rain jerked up out of a dead sleep, gasping for air as if she’d been sucker punched. Blaze grabbed her and held her close, whispering reassuring sweet nothings in her ear. He’d been with her long enough to know that she’d had another vision and it wasn’t a good one. Her visions usually came to her in the form of a dream or daydream. Many times it seemed to take a lot out of her and he was always glad when he was able to be there for her after one.

  “Oh God, it’s Phenex. No wonder the feeling of evil was so overwhelming when I had that last vision. It was bad enough, what he did to that girl in that basement, but he’s getting stronger. Randy was just his flunky.”

  “Yes. This is bad,” Blaze agreed. “Phenex has been building his army for eons. He has twenty legions of demons ready to do his bidding.”

  “He doesn’t tolerate loose ends, so he’s going after the woman who saw Razor kill Randy in that alley and I don’t know if we can stop him.” The words tumbled from her lips in a chaotic, panicked barrage of sound.

  “Shhh, shhh. Hey. We’re not alone in this. The creators, Luminous and the Dark Angel, will help.”

  She quaked in his arms, her fingernails digging into his back as she held onto him for dear life. “Can’t they just, you know…fix everything, then?”

  “If only it were that simple. No, they can’t just fix everything. Even if they could, they wouldn’t. Mankind has the blessing and the curse of free will. There is nothing more divine than our ability to affect our own destiny, to whatever degree the Universe allows.” His spiritual parents were, quite literally, old souls. The energy around them was the purest essence in existence. Blaze had a feeling they were going to need that strength to vanquish a being as powerful as Phenex. No wonder the visions involving Phenex had been making his wife ill.

  “Everyone in our circle is at risk, then,” she said.

  “Yes,” he concurred solemnly. “Inc and Electra. Wolf and his partner. Anyone involved in trying to bring down Phenex and his underlings is in grave danger.”

  “The evil at work in Louisville has taken root so much deeper than I thought. Oh God, I’m going to be sick again–”

  She barely made it into the bathroom to empty the little bit of food in her stomach. Dry heaves kept her bent over double at the toilet with her husband holding her hair out of the way. Eventually, her stomach calmed and she rested her weary head on the forearm she had draped across the toilet bowl.

  “Rain,” he said softly as he lightly massaged her shoulders. “You’re pregnant.”

  “Very much so. I’m so sick.”

  He took a cool, wet washcloth and cleaned her up, then pulled her into his arms. “I don’t want that kind of evil near my wife and child. You’re going to have to stay on the sidelines, I’m afraid. Wolf and Reese are working along Inc on this. It is time to get the creators involved.”

  “Luminous and the Dark Angel?” she asked, although she knew the answer. “I’ll be sorry to miss that.” She nodded in reluctant agreement to her new, limited circumstances. Right now, she’d agree to anything if it meant she’d feel better. If it meant going out and barking at the moon, she’d gladly do it. She trusted Blaze to call in reinforcements if that was what it was going to take to bring down Phenex.

  Blaze wrapped her in his arms and carried her back to bed. He would annihilate any enemy to keep his family safe. He settled into bed next to her, then tried to find out more about the vision that had awakened her from a sound sleep. He hadn’t been able to see this one and wondered why.

  “What did you see in this vision, just now?”

  “Candy was walking in an alley. Two guys were following her. Randy was harassing her. She was pushed. She fell. She was hurt. Bleeding.” She looked up at Blaze with concerned eyes. “But she’s supposed to have Fey protecting her.”

  “She has to pick her moment of intervention carefully to minimize our exposure in the mortal realm. Knowing Fey, she has already set Randy straight. We’ve got to get ahead of all this or things will escalate.”

  “It won’t stop Phenex. I’m not sure anything will.”

  “There will always be evil in this world, Rain. It’s the way of things. But Phenex’s new hobby, this human trafficking operation, will surely draw unwanted attention to our presence. It would be more than the mortals could bear or comprehend. It cannot be allowed. The Universe maintains a delicate balance and Phenex’s…more prurient predilections…could throw the world into eternal chaos. Mortals do that well enough on their own without our help. We must stop Razor and Sic, and break up the sex trafficking ring. Period.”

  “Well, you’re right about one thing: I’m going to have to work from the sidelines. My first priority is keeping my baby safe.”

  “Don’t you mean our baby? Or rather, my son,” he smirked, eyeing her abdomen possessively.

  “Ugh, whatever.” She laid back down on the bed, willing a new wave of nausea to pass.

  “Rest now, my love,” Blaze said softly. He had an important meeting to attend.

  Chapter Thirty Five

  With his wife and unborn child curled up against his side, it was easy for Blaze to enter the relaxed state between wakefulness and sleep. He projected his essence toward his ancestral home in the ether.

  Conferring with his father-creator was a last resort, but Rain’s pregnancy had changed everything. Their family wasn’t the typical family where you just dropped in unannounced. To be granted an audience with the Dark Angel gave testament to the gravity of current events.

  Blaze followed the clanging sound of metal striking metal and watched what appeared to be lightning crossing from one end of the sky to the other. The Dark Angel was sparring, no doubt. He was one of the most feared warriors and for good reason. There was nothing the Dark Angel loved more than a good fight against a worthy opponent. He practiced diligently and there were few men bold enough to spar with him.

  Dark Angel’s sparring partner today was Gabriel. Named for the most feared guardian angel of them all, he had been the Dark Angel’s closest friend and ally throughout time eternal. No doubt he would eagerly engage with the enemy when the battle became all too real.

  The Dark Angel sheathed his sword in the leather sword carrier strapped to his back. The movement was done so quickly and with such precision; anyone else would have sliced themselves in half. Gabriel nodded at Blaze, bowed low to the Dark Angel, and was gone in an instant.

  Blaze dropped to his knees and pressed his forehead to the ground. “Father.”

  The Dark Angel placed his hands on Blaze’s head and whispered an ancient benediction; Blaze’s soul warmed upon receiving it. “Rise, my beloved, and walk with me.”

  Blaze rose to his feet and when he looked around, he didn’t question the change in scenery. They were strolling through an orchard. The smell of apples was pungent and sweet in the air.

  “I wondered how long you would wait to seek out my help. It is good that you have come. He is growing stronger.” As he studied his son’s face, the Dark Angel’s expression brightened suddenly. A beatific smile curved his lips as he murmured happily, “Ah, you have good news.”

  “Yes. Rain is with child.”

  His father embraced him for a long moment as the air around them became sweet and fragrant. “My son, I’ve waited for what seems an eternity.”

  “Not quite an eternity, but…”

  “You have pleased me more than you know. Yes, all the more reason for us to do away with Phenex and his legions once and for all. We must move forward.”

  “This isn’t going to be an easy battle, Father.”

  “No battle worth fighting ever is, but it is one I have seen coming for some centuries now. It is time. This woman they are hunting…you will use her as bait. Lure them into a secluded place. She will have protection. I’m afraid we have no choice but to meet Phenex and his legions dangerously close to the human realm. Boundaries will, by necessity, be relax
ed for such a confrontation. However, it is imperative that we minimize exposure of our nature to the human race.”

  An acrid odor teased Blaze’s nostrils as his father’s voice grew grim. “Bring the enemy near, so that we may annihilate it.” There was nothing the Dark Angel loved more than a virtuous, bloody battle, especially when green, demon blood was being spilled.

  Upon waking, Blaze called Wolf and shared what he could. Though no one liked the idea of using Candy as bait, it was the only course of action that made sense. If they didn’t move quickly, there would be a supernatural war that would produce death and destruction around the globe and beyond. The earth’s mortal population had no idea that they were living their innocent daily lives surrounded by angels and demons. Blaze was determined to keep it that way.

  Chapter Thirty Six

  Fey snapped her fingers in front of Candy’s face, almost as if she thought Candy could somehow see her. Anything to bring the girl out of her daze. When the gesture had no effect, Fey rolled her eyes and sat back in a huff, ignoring her brother’s amused glance.

  “…but, really, Candy, we have no choice,” Reese was saying smoothly, trying to put the woman’s mind at ease. He looked at Fey and smiled. If not for the fact that Fey was responsible for watching over this woman, the two would be off somewhere alone. He looked forward to this case being solved so he could spend more time getting to know this remarkable creature whom he found so fascinating. He turned his attention back to Candy and added, “The only way we’re going to get these two men off the streets is if we catch them in the act of trying to attack you.”

  “Don’t you mean kill me?” Candy fumed. “I’m so over this, guys. Why don’t one of you just give me a gun and I’ll take care of this myself?”

  The complexities of the situation were hard to explain to Candy without shattering her understanding of the world around her. She had no way of knowing that they were fighting a supernatural battle and that she had unwittingly been dropped right into the middle of it.

  The mortal human mind wasn’t designed to accept the existence of the supernatural realm. The few who did were usually gifted with enhanced psychic awareness. Candy didn’t fall into that category.

  “So what do I do?” she huffed.

  “Simple. You’ll go to the dressing room and put on a t-shirt, some jeans, and sneakers. Then you’ll walk home. Take all the back alleys you can. We’ll tail you. I promise, we won’t let anything happen to you. You won’t see us but we’ll be there.” Reese snuck a wink at Fey before continuing, “Who knows, maybe you’ll have a guardian angel.”

  “Well if I’ve ever needed one, it’s now.” She got up and trudged to the dressing room.

  The way Candy’s head was hanging down pulled at Fey’s softer side. She waited until the woman was out of sight, even though Wolf and Reese were the only ones who could hear her. “Fair warning: I’ll do anything to protect her. I’m not following the rules on this one.”

  “When have you ever followed the rules?” Wolf laughed as he stood and tossed cash onto the table. “C’mon, kids. Let’s get this shit over with and keep the girl alive.”

  Chapter Thirty Seven

  This time there was no click-clacking of high heels against the pavement. The sound of her heart pounding in her ears and beating against her ribcage was all Candy could hear. Maybe the bad guys wouldn’t show up and she could just go home early and kick back in a hot bath with a glass of wine.

  “Hey, baby. How much for a ‘round the world’?”

  The bellowed words came from a man hanging out of a car window, and the sound nearly made her jump out of her skin. Her nerves were already a wreck at the prospect of facing the men who wanted to kill her. She couldn’t count the number of times she’d wished she’d never gone into that alley that night.

  She hadn’t been able to talk the two detectives into giving her a gun. She fingered the switchblade in her pocket that she carried for protection. It wouldn’t let her down.

  She looked up at the crescent moon and watched as a cloud passed in front of it, causing the inky night sky to grow even darker. A dog barked in the distance and laughter rang out from a group of college students as they hurried across the street to their favorite bar.

  The clammy chill of fear crept up her spine when she paused at the mouth of the alley where Randy had been murdered. Memories of the dead man lying in a puddle of blood flooded her memory against her will. She found herself wondering if he had suffered during the attack. Her fingers trailed over the outline of the pearl-handled knife in her jean pocket.

  A small noise drew her attention to a dumpster. The same fluffy orange cat she had seen the night of the killing peeked his head over the top of the dumpster as if to say hello.

  “Hi there, sweetheart,” she cooed as she approached him. She half expected him to run, but he surprised her by leaning into her hand as she scratched behind his ears. “What are you doing out here all by yourself, hmm? You want to go home with me? I bet you’d love to get off these streets. There’s a better life for you at my place if you want it.” He purred, continuing to rub his head against her hand. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

  She picked him up and walked toward the other end of the alley, forgetting for a moment why she was there. She was busy petting the cat and talking softly to him, holding him close so he wouldn’t try to run away. It wasn’t until she heard the unmistakable hiss of a switchblade opening and that same cruel laugh that she realized someone was behind her–and that she knew exactly who it was. A quick, furtive glance over her shoulder confirmed her worst fear: Randy’s killer had finally tracked her down, and he was coming at her with a knife aimed right at her neck. She clutched the cat close to her chest and screamed as she ran for her life.

  When she reached the entrance to the alley, she was blocked by a second man. In her hysteria, Candy started to laugh uncontrollably as she thought to herself that she was going to be murdered by a fucking scarecrow. Tall and almost painfully thin, the man grinned down at her, his hungry gaze taking in her frightened expression before trailing down to linger on her breasts. “Yeah,” he said smugly, “a little fun first…”

  A strange glow from above caught her attention. She nearly stumbled when she looked up to see where the light was coming from. A sea of brilliant, luminous orbs cascaded down from the rooftops of the buildings on either side of the alley. She had just enough time to duck around the corner of the last building before a deafening sound filled the air, like that of enormous sheets of metal clanging together. Streaks of light appeared in the sky, gleaming like jagged shards of glass high above the alley.

  Candy tried and failed to make sense of any of it. She collapsed onto the ground, landing on her ass with a resounding thud. Slack-jawed, she looked up at the sky and absently pet the cat’s head. Oddly, the cat was utterly calm as it purred contentedly in her arms. Candy couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

  Countless winged beings with enormous, gleaming swords were flying through the air. The clashing of their blades created a barrage of thunderclaps overhead as they fought. As Candy watched the army of angels laying siege to the heavens, the skies above Louisville looked like a celestial painting had come to shockingly violent life.

  An enormous, black, winged creature with long talons entered the fray. It swiped a clawed appendage through the air, barely missing one of the winged beings. A massive, curved, flaming sword arced through the air, handled masterfully by an angel with jet black hair. His blade connected with the black beast, and it shrieked in pain and rage. As green slime gushed from a gash on his long neck, he lunged for the winged, angelic being wielding the bloody sword. The angel clasped the flaming sword and prepared to strike again. Behind the bloody beast, another winged being closed in. Its massive black, gray and white wings quivered as it raised its sword aloft in both hands.

  Candy shielded her eyes as she struggled to endure the bright flashes of light from the battle. She covered the cat’s eyes for fear th
e bright lights would blind him. Her only coherent thought was to get out of that alley alive so she could take him home with her.

  In the back of her mind, Candy pondered how strange it was for her to be worrying about something so mundane while the grand battle between good and evil raged above her–because that’s exactly what it was. She knew it. Deep in her heart, she knew it. She also knew that the outcome of any battle was not guaranteed. What she didn’t know was what would become of the world as she knew it if good did not prevail that night.

  She had forgotten all about Razor. He, too, had been mesmerized by the scene unfolding high above them, but seemed to have regained his senses and was advancing on her, knife raised high above his head.

  “No!” Candy screamed and raised a protective hand in front of her face, even as she continued to clutch the cat to her chest. A low rumble seemed to be coming from all directions, just as a ray of light slashed through Razor and cut his body in half. The bifurcated torso flopped to the ground, the two halves rolling side to side briefly before disintegrating into a haze of sulfuric smoke that smelled putrid as it wafted away on the night air.

  There wasn’t a trace of him left. It was as if he’d never existed. There was no bloody stain, no personal effects. Nothing. In the next instant, history repeated itself as Razor’s companion met the same fate. Just a puff of rancid smoke and both men were gone. Had they really been there at all?

  The luminous winged warriors converged on the dark beast whose talons and fangs were now completely extended. He was growling and swiping desperately at the swords, only to be stabbed and sliced open over and over. Green slime oozed from his wounds. Finally, no doubt recognizing that he was hopelessly outnumbered, he used his final burst of strength to fully extend his wings and launch himself straight up, away from the skyward battlefield. Then he swooped up and over the building to disappear into the inky night sky.

  The instant he was gone, all was quiet in the alley once again. A small mewl from the cat in Candy’s arms returned her to her senses, and she got to her feet. Before she had a chance to reconsider, she ran. She didn’t stop until she reached her front door. She stabbed her key into the lock and opened the door, slamming it behind her and locking the deadbolt. She let the cat go and slumped to the floor. He stayed close, rubbing up against her as she sobbed and struggled to make sense of what she’d just witnessed.