Bedeviled

by J. Ashburn

  “I have my moments.”

  “What do you want us to do?” asked Nicki.

  “You should do this to your condo door.”

  She shook her head. “No way. I’m staying here with you guys. We’re doing this together. Tomorrow night, we need to get that bastard to the old city.”

  “Thanks Nicki.”

  “You don’t have to thank me, sweet cheeks.” She pinched Micah’s face. “I will always have your back.”

  “Thank you.” He gave her a kiss. “Well, this is kinda fun… guess we should play some board games? Watch a movie?”

  Nick rolled his eyes. “You’re kidding, right? I was having more fun in the hospital.”

  “Nicholas…” Rick scolded.

  “You have any better ideas?” Micah asked. “It’s not like we can go roaming around the city. Just suck it up for one night.”

  “We can take turns watching over each other,” Nicki said. “Incase he finds a way in.”

  “Good idea,” Micah said. “That way we can all get some sleep.”

  “Sounds like a blast.” Nick reached for his cellphone. “I need to call Jake and let him know what’s up. I—

  “No!” Micah startled him. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  “Why not?”

  “He’s new to the city, to you, to us. This is going to sound crazy. Tell him you’re not well and he should leave you alone for a while.”

  “You don’t know him. He won’t like it… he’ll think I’m being shady.”

  “We don’t want to put him in danger too. We can keep him off Sebastian’s radar. You don’t want to put him at risk, do you?”

  “No.” Nick sounded disappointed.

  “Okay, then think of something to tell him. Keep him away from you for a few days.”

  “Okay, okay, I will.” Nick threw down his phone and rubbed his face.

  Tensions were already building.

  ###

  Jake looked down at his hard cock and stroked it again and again. He thought of Nick then of Micah. He thought of them both, together. His mind conjured scenarios of the three of them together, sucking and fucking. He grew even more turned on as he jerked himself.

  He bit his lip and closed his eyes, holding back his moans as his hand worked his dick over. Jake grabbed his bed sheets and held them tight. In the fantasy both Nick and Micah were going down on him.

  His hand slid over his chest and pinched his nipples…imagining Micah nibbling on them as Nick licked him from head to toe. Jake opened his mouth and sighed with ecstasy, his dream getting even more intense as he took turns fucking each of them, riding them hard as the sweat poured down him.

  Jake’s heart raced now. He could almost smell the sex in the bedroom. His toes curled and his legs buckled as he let out a big breath of air and came. His chest heaved and he sprawled out on his bed, calming himself down, regulating his breath, letting his heart return to its normal beat.

  After a rest, he jumped up from the bed and headed for the shower. He stopped by his dresser first, picked up his cell and dialed Nick. He let it ring and ring but it only went to voicemail. That was the third time today. Nick was supposed to be at home resting. His brother Rick picked him up that morning when he was discharged. He swore he’d give Jake a call but still hadn’t.

  His thoughts darkened and his fanciful dreams turned to suspicion as he imagined Nick meeting another man, maybe in the park where they’d met. Nick would take the guy into the woods and get down on his knees…just like he did with…

  “No. Just stop.” Jake shook his head and went into the master bathroom. He popped open his medicine chest and grabbed the bottle of pills. He tossed a few into his mouth, cupped his hand and swallowed them down.

  The steam of the shower filled the bathroom as Jake let the hot water roll down his body. He could barely concentrate. Nick… why haven’t I heard from him? Where is he? Fuck… he better be at home… The water ran hotter… and hotter…Jake grimaced and growled.

  And he would be late for work.

  ###

  Nicki sat up wide-awake but didn’t know how she was doing it. The boys all slept around her. It was her turn to watch over them. They stayed in Micah’s living room, using sleeping bags, pillows, and plush blankets. There was something cozy and adventurous about it all and then she looked over at Caleb holding Micah in his arms.

  She worried for Micah. Where was his future? What did it even mean to be in love with a fallen angel, someone that was never born on the Earth? Someone that had already existed for thousands of years probably before the first humans even climbed out of the primordial swamp waters.

  She got up from the couch, slipping the blanket off her and went to the kitchen to get some water. The nightlight was glowing above the sink. Micah always kept it on. He had in all the places he’d lived, even when he was in college and especially when he lived at home.

  Between sips Nicki glanced outside and saw a shadow flash by the window. Setting down the glass, she stared intensely but couldn’t make anything out. She turned to leave when she caught shadows in all of the windows. Chills shot down her spine and her heart plummeted.

  The shadows flickered at the same time and Nicki jumped. She dashed into the living room and all shadows wriggled. Nicki looked around and found herself drawn to the front door. She walked up to it, and heard movement on the other side.

  “Nicki, open the door.”

  She recognized that voice but wasn’t sure how. She stood before the front door and paused.

  “Open the door so I can set things right,” Sebastian said.

  That was it. It was Sebastian on the other side of the door. He’d returned just like they feared he would. Nicki turned around to see all of the guys sleeping. She wanted to wake them… she really did but something held her back.

  “Nicki, I know you’re afraid. You have a right to be. Caleb’s soul is dark. His heart is black. He will bring nothing but evil down on Micah. I can take care of that. Just let me in and I will take him back with me. Then everything will go back to the way it was.”

  Nicki looked back at the door then to Micah and Caleb sleeping in each other’s arms.

  “Come on, Nicki. I feel the doubt in you. I sense the fear multiplying inside of you. Caleb is from Hell. He will destroy you all. Don’t let him. Stop him. Just open the door and let me help you.”

  She leaned against the door, pressing her face on it. It felt so cold. Her gaze swept to the broken window Micah and Rick had patched over with plywood and particleboard. Through the gaps she saw Sebastian standing just outside, glaring at her.

  Her heart fluttered and her throat went dry. Nicki sucked in some air and nearly choked on it she was so terrified. Her heart pounded so hard now she swore it tapped on the door.

  “I—-I—-” She reached for the doorknob.

  “You’re doing the right thing. Everything will be okay. I promise.”

  Her eyes widened. “Promise?”

  “Promise.”

  She backed away from the door. “No. I won’t. No one ever keeps their promises.”

  “Fine. Have it your way.”

  She heard dozens of footsteps rumbling outside. Fists pounded on the door. “Shit!” Nicki screamed. “Everyone up! They’re trying to get it!”

  “What is it?” Micah jumped up, falling out of Caleb’s arms. “Is it Sebastian?”

  “Yes,” Nicki replied. “And he brought others with him.”

  Micah and Rick looked out the window and saw a crowd of people outside the apartment. Sebastian stood at the rear of them and winked at Micah.

  “There’s a ton of people out there,” Micah turned to Caleb.

  “He’s controlling them,” Caleb said. “He influences the weak-minded and the lost… those who doubt themselves and our Father. They now serve him.”

  “Great…” Micah sighed.

  The door buckled. Thumps reverberated around the entire apartment. The walls shook, the door cracked. It wa
s as if an earthquake assaulted the building.

  Nicki jumped back, joining the others’ side. “What are we going to do now?”

  “He is a clever one,” Caleb said. “He will use them against all of you to get to me.”

  Rick got beside his brother, pulling a baseball bat from the coat closet. “I’m not letting them touch you, bro.”

  Nick pulled the neck brace off of himself and prepared for attack. “I’m ready.”

  “They’re going to get in,” Nicki said, her voice full of worry. She found a large chef’s knife in Micah’s kitchen.

  A booming noise rocked the apartment and the front door ripped off its hinges. A crowd of men and women stormed in. Sebastian pushed them aside as he materialized inside of the room.

  Micah and all of his friends formed a wall in front of Caleb. Each of them pulled the sigil from their pockets.

  “Your crimes just keeping growing, don’t they Caleb?” Sebastian glowered. “You dare give the humans my sigil… MY NAME! You betray me and all of your brothers for them!”

  “Sebastian… stay away or we’ll send you back.”

  “You’ll send ME back?” He roared with laughter and gestured to his human captives. They rushed Micah and the others.

  Nicki’s heart leapt into her throat and she swung her knife but none of the invaders touched her. She turned her head slowly and got a glimpse of Caleb’s true form—scaly flesh, glowing red eyes.

  The air in the apartment thickened. Caleb spread his wings and flapped them hard. A blast of wind ripped through the room, and a sonic wave blasted the humans with a thunderclap.

  All of the humans went down unconscious. Caleb grabbed Micah by the arm and leaned into him during the shockwaves. “I will lead him out… meet me at our spot. We send him back now!”

  “Caleb no!”

  Caleb nodded to his lover and took flight, soaring through the open doorway and up into the night sky. Sebastian turned and followed, his wings opening wide.

  “Everyone hurry,” Micah cried. “We need to get to the old city. Caleb is leading him there.”

  They rushed outside to Micah’s station wagon and piled in. He tore out of the parking lot and raced down the street. He bolted through red lights and gawked at the sky. He saw two points of fiery light streaking across the onyx horizon.

  Micah swallowed hard and pushed the gas pedal even harder, his brow soaked with sweat. The others said nothing as they screeched down the highway as fast as the old car could carry them.

  15

  Caleb flew higher and higher, leading Sebastian on the chase of his life. The two fallen angels glided past skyscrapers and towers. They ducked under bridges and soared over highways.

  The two of them shot through clouds and plowed through treetops. Sebastian was right on his heels, seething with rage, clawing at him. He snatched at his feet a couple times but missed.

  They took a dive and skimmed over the suburbs until reaching a construction site filled with stone foundations, building frames, slumbering trucks and piles of wood and bricks. Caleb reached the ground and turned sharply.

  Sebastian bolted right at him and Caleb caught him, wrapping his arms around him. The two crashed to the ground and Caleb ended up on top. He dragged his claws across Sebastian’s face and the arch-demon wailed.

  Caleb struck him with his fists, again and again until Sebastian laughed. The arch-demon slung his barbed tail around Caleb’s throat and flung him to the ground.

  Sebastian climbed to his feet and kicked Caleb hard in the ribs, sending him across the ground in a cloud of dust and debris. He leapt into air and came down feet first on Caleb’s back.

  “You want to fight with me, brother? Then I’ll give you a fight.” He pulled Caleb up by his wings, spun him around and hurled him through the air.

  Caleb struck a crane, bashing against it and causing it to fall on top of him as he hit the ground. He heaved and panted, the fight knocked right out of him.

  Sebastian walked slowly toward him, morphing into his human form. He clinched his fists. “This is fun. I love a good fight and kicking your ass before I take you back is going to be so satisfying.”

  He reached the prone Caleb and station wagon plowed into him, sending across the construction site.

  “How’s that for satisfying, asshole!” Micah jumped out of the car and ran to Caleb’s side. “Caleb, are you all right?” He helped his lover to his feet.

  “I’m fine.” Caleb put his arm around Micah. “He’s still coming.”

  “Guys, now!”

  Sebastian swooped down on them and again, Micah and his friends formed a wall between Caleb and the arch-demon, holding his sigil in front of them.

  “You can’t touch us!” Nick called taunting the demon.

  “I don’t need to touch you, to harm you.”

  Sebastian lifted his left hand and wriggled his fingers. His eyes flashed deep red and flames spread between Caleb and his friends, cutting them off. He launched into the air and came down on the other side of the fire, ripping Caleb away.

  Caleb struck the ground again, rolling over onto his back. Sebastian straddled him. “No, you’re not going anywhere, lover boy.” He seized Caleb by the throat and hoisted him into the air.

  “So first,” Sebastian began. “I will peel this human body from its bones. Then your soul will be mine for the taking. I will make your demon body feel every bit of pain I inflict upon you. Oh, and your pitiful human friends will watch every moment of your downfall.” He stretched out his free arm and fire enclosed Micah and the others into a circle.

  “No!” Micah panicked. “No…Caleb…! We need to get out of here.” The fire rose high around him, its heat nearly scorching him and the others…

  Caleb eyed Micah. “I’m sorry…”

  “We failed you, Caleb! I love you … I love…”

  Wings flapped and a figure streaked across the sky. Caleb looked up and saw Angelique swoop down on her bat-like wings. She attacked Sebastian, wrapping sharp claws around his face. She hurled him through the air, smashing him to the ground.

  Caleb dropped and Angelique yanked him up. A smile crossed her demonic yet beautiful face. Her eyes glowed green.

  “Angelique! How…why?”

  “I couldn’t let him take you. I couldn’t let him destroy the love you have… it has inspired others…”

  “What?”

  “There are others like you, Caleb. They’ve seen what you’ve done and they want you to succeed. Because of you they want to repent, to do good. Many have stopped torturing the damned. Changes are happening in Hell…”

  “I cannot believe it…I …Angelique, thank you. You’ve saved me.”

  “Now go. I’ll keep him off busy while you and your human friends escape so you can stop him.”

  “Come with us.”

  She shook her head. “It’ll never work for me, Cal. I’m not as strong as you but I can give you a head start. Now go!” She lunged across the site and crashed into the recovering Sebastian again.

  Caleb ran to Micah and the others and wove his hand over the flames, extinguishing them. “Hurry. Let’s regroup somewhere while he’s distracted.”

  “My car.” Micah took Caleb’s hand and rushed to his station wagon.

  Wails and screeches erupted as Angelique and Sebastian clashed. She clawed his head, his chest but he backhanded her, sending her down.

  Sebastian stood up and grabbed hold of her tail. He swung her over his shoulder and slammed her to the ground.

  Caleb watched from the car window as they spun around the construction site in a cloud of dust. He saw Sebastian leap onto Angelique and tear the wings from her body. A hideous, baleful scream poured out her and she stumbled.

  “Angelique!”

  Sebastian hauled her up and put his fist straight through her. She gasped and fought but her body withered.

  “No!” Caleb screamed, tears streaming his cheeks, as he watched her body light up like a torch. A moment later it explode
d into ashes and dissipated into the air. Sebastian turned and eyed Caleb as he and the others escaped.

  Sebastian lifted both arms— trucks came to life, cars sputtered, headlights flashed. Roaring filled the entire area as a fleet of vehicles sped off and chased after Caleb and Micah.

  “We got company!” Nick screamed. They all turned to see the empty trucks and cars skid out into the street and race after them.

  “Drive!” Nicki screamed. “They’re coming for us!”

  Micah clutched the steering wheel with all of his strength and drove as fast as he could through the entire downtown area.

  ###

  They raced down the highway but the vacant cars and trucks had already caught up to them. A construction contractor’s car sideswiped them. Micah skidded into the next lane and a truck bashed into them.

  The group screamed as the assaulting vehicles boxed them in. Micah tried to maintain control of the wagon but felt his grip fleeting. Caleb glared out the window, his eyes glowed red and he willed one of the cars out of their path and into a guardrail where it mangled into twisted metal flesh.

  A bigger truck rear-ended them and Nicki and Rick lurched forward, hitting the front seats. Nicki pushed herself up and looked out of the window. “They’re all around us! This is insane… we’re gonna be killed.”

  “Hold on Nicki,” Micah cried. “We’ll get out of this. We’ve driven in worse!”

  She didn’t have much confidence as they were rear-ended again.

  Caleb looked over at Micah and nodded. “Now!”

  Micah thrust the wheel to his left and Caleb helped, using his power to magnify the car’s blow. It crashed into one of the trucks beside them and sent it over a bridge. They straightened their path and sped off, hearing the bellow of an explosion behind them.

  More trucks joined the pursuit, hot on their heels. While they were momentarily in the clear, Micah headed for the first exit he reached and the most familiar. He hit the off-ramp practically on two wheels. They rounded a steep curve and skidded out to the medical area.

  Two trucks came flying out of nowhere and overtook them. The first crashed into the driver’s side, pushing them off of the road. The second hit them so hard the station wagon flipped over, then again and landed right side up again.