Rogue Angel

by Stephani Hecht

  “Look at it this way, Appolion,” Cam grinned mischievously. “Angel warriors have an awesome 401K program.”

  * * * *

  Appolion patrolled the street with his new posse, wondering how in the hell he wound up in this mess. He went from being alone to being a member of a gang all in the span of a couple of days. Tiffany looked at him strangely and he realized he hummed, The Jet Song from West Side Story. “What’s your real name?” he asked abruptly, in order to distract her.

  “What do you mean?” She diverted her gaze to the small bow in her hands.

  Good grief, even that was pink. Who ever heard of a pink weapon? “Tiffany isn’t an angel’s name, it’s human. So what’s your angel name?”

  “Give it up, Appolion,” Bear called back. He was in the front of the pack being a good little empath and tracking the demons. “I’ve lived with her for three years and she still won’t tell me.”

  “Because it is a perfectly hideous name and I’ll choke on my own vomit before I tell you.” She pursed her lips tightly together.

  Appolion could have easily weaseled his way into her mind and found out, but that just didn’t seem fair. Besides, the last place he wanted to be was in Tiffany’s brain. It was probably full of nothing but air. Check, make that pink air.

  Appolion stopped dead in his tracks as an evil presence assaulted every single one of his senses. He noticed Cam, Bear and Ana reacting to it as well. A league of demons flashed in a circle surrounding them. The largest one directed a flash of energy at Cam, which hit him and sent him sprawling backward onto the street.

  “Some Empath King you are.”

  The demon’s familiar gravelly voice shook Appolion to the core.

  “If that’s the best that Heaven has to offer, I’m sorely disappointed.”

  The demon was his father. Appolion fought hard to keep it together as the memories threatened to come flooding back—all the beatings, the humiliations, the betrayals. He felt himself begin to sweat as his breaths came out in harsh rasps. Even though all demons smelled of decay, his father had his own unique foul smell. It burned its way up his nostrils.

  Cam rolled to a crouch and directed his own ball of fire at the demon. One of the demon’s followers threw itself in the path of it in order to protect its leader. It was the last thing it ever did for it was vaporized in a matter of seconds. Eurynome seemed mildly impressed before he turned his attention to Ana. He assessed her for a few moments and then smiled cruelly.

  “Well, well, son,” the demon addressed Appolion. “Aren’t you going to introduce us to the newest member of our family?”

  “Fuck you, Eurynome,” Appolion spat, putting up a much braver face than he really felt. The last thing he wanted was Ana anywhere near his father. He resisted the urge to grab her and hide her behind his back.

  “What, no hug for your father?” Eurynome cackled, showing off a set of jagged fangs.

  Appolion inwardly flinched as his dark glowing eyes seemed to burn right into his soul. He knew before his father defected to Hell, he had looked like any other angel, however the only way he had ever remembered Eurynome was the way he looked now. The black skin looked greasy and slick and was coated with scales. His long and pointed ears were almost as large as the set of horns on the top of his bald head. Instead of normal feet, he had a set of goat’s hooves. His weapon of choice was a long sickle. The wickedly curved blade was stained with the blood of his previous victims.

  The healer in Appolion told him it was a mixture of human’s, demon’s and angel’s. “You’re the one that’s been killing the humans,” he stated as the realization hit him like a ton of bricks.

  “I knew that would get you to slither out of whatever hole it was you were hiding in.” Eurynome pointed at Cam. “I just didn’t expect to get this little added bonus. I can take down two members of the Order now.”

  “Not that old song and dance,” Cam drawled. “Every single demon I run into thinks they are going to be the one that breaks up the Order. I mean, come on, think of something original.”

  Eurynome gave him a demon snarl. “Don’t think I have forgotten what you did to Douma and Forcas. They were my sons and you destroyed them. Now all I have left is Appolion and Abdiel and they’re both useless to me.”

  “Damn, that is such a bummer,” Appolion drawled. “Abdiel and I were going to chip in and by you an awesome Father’s Day gift, too.”

  Eurynome curled his thin lip and addressed the other demons, “Destroy them, make sure you take care of my son first.”

  That seemed to be the only provocation the demons needed. They all attacked the angel warriors en masse. Appolion barely had time to react before two of them were on him at once and these weren’t your everyday demon foot solders either. These were highly trained efficient assassins.

  He sensed Ana being hit and turned to help her. That was the only distraction the demon double mint twins needed. One sliced him with its sword behind his legs while the other cold cocked him in the back of the head. He went down hard, tasting blood in his mouth and dimly heard Ana screaming his name. Appolion shook his aching head back and forth until the cobwebs disappeared and his hearing came back in full force.

  Appolion heard someone else screaming and it wasn’t Ana this time. It was Tiffany, she was kneeling on the ground next to Bear. The young empath was flopping around on the ground, caught up in a full-blown grand mal seizure. The demons saw he was defenseless and took advantage of the situation by moving in to attack him. Tiffany threw herself over him, her small body taking the blows were meant for him.

  “Flash out of here now, everybody,” Uriel ordered. “We need to retreat.”

  Retreat wasn’t a word that was normally part of his vocabulary, but Appolion was not about to argue right now. Not with Bear in the condition he was in. He dove at Ana, wrapped his arms around her and flashed them the hell out of Dodge.

  He took them to Tiffany’s room because he knew that was where the healer would be taking Bear. Tif already had him on her bed and was trying to use the healing chants on him. However the empath continued to have convulsions.

  Tiffany opened her eyes and started to cry hysterically. “It’s not working,” she sobbed. “I can’t make him better.”

  Cam went over to her and gave her a hard shake. “You need to calm down. He’s overloading as it is and your anxiety is making it worse.”

  “Don’t tell me what to do,” she screeched. “You’re supposed to be some powerful empath leader so you fix him now.”

  * * * *

  Ana stepped in, pulled Tiffany to her and held her in her arms. The healer clung to her as Ana rocked her back and forth and let her cry it out. Ana realized she was crying, too, the sight of her baby brother convulsing was more than she could take. What’s more there was nothing she could do and that was a first as far a Bear was concerned. She was always able to help him. The same deep despair that she felt when they first got Cam back slammed into her. Her Cam was now without hope, innocence or happiness and she couldn’t stand to have the same thing happen to Bear, too. She should have found a way to keep him safe as it was her job to protect him, but she failed, again.

  Stop thinking like that. Appolion commanded mentally. There is nothing you could have done to stop this. You didn’t fail him.

  Ana continued to blame herself. I should have kept him by my side and never let him become an angel warrior.

  Cam looked at her sharply and said aloud, “Angel’s don’t become warriors, sis, they’re born. Bear’s destiny was decided from the crib, just like mine. So lay off the guilt trip already. If anyone is to blame, it’s me, I should have gotten here as soon as Uriel called.”

  Uriel was sitting on the floor next to the bed. He looked up and snarled, “Well someone had better do something for him soon. The seizures aren’t stopping, they’re getting worse.”

  Tiffany broke free of Ana and ran up to Cam. She grabbed the front of his shirt and jerked him toward her. “Bear has always be
lieved in you and thought you could make anything better. So you go make him well, now. If you don’t, I’ll shoot you with my bow myself and I don’t heal wounds I make.”

  “Look, it’s just not that easy. I don’t think I can help him. I’ve never dealt with anything like this before.”

  Little, spunky Tiffany had suddenly turned into a hellcat and that answer didn’t seem to please her. She jerked on his shirt again and shouted right in his face, “You better try.”

  Ana gave Cam her own beseeching look.

  With an aggravated sigh, he went over to Bear and put his hands on his brother temples. After several minutes Bear quieted down and went still. “What do you know?” he mused. “Tiffany was right, I could make him better. It’s nice to know I’m good for something.”

  “What happened to him?” Ana asked. “I’ve never seen any empath react that way by just being around demons.”

  “I don’t know. It’s almost like he absorbed all the evil around us and amplified it, but that doesn’t make any sense. No angel has that gift.”

  “That wouldn’t be a gift, it would be a curse,” Appolion said. As soon as Ana gasped, he hastened to add, “I’m sure it was something else though.”

  Tiffany went on her knees on brushed Bear’s hair back tenderly. He stirred a bit, but didn’t wake up. She ran her hands over him, looking for other injuries. When she noticed the others looking at her, she blushed and got to her feet. “He’s all sweaty, I’m going to get him a fresh shirt,” she stammered, then left the room.

  “How long has this thing been going on between Bear and Tif?” Ana asked Uriel.

  Uriel gave her a half smile. “Almost since day one. It’s been getting worse lately though. Frankly, part of me wishes Bear would just hit it and get it over with so I can finally have some peace and quiet.”

  Ana arched a brow. “Did you just say, hit it? I never thought I would see the day you used slang. You’re as old school as Michael and Raphael.”

  “That’s before they stuck me with Thing One and Thing Two. I’ve picked up lots of new words, thanks to them.” He looked down at the ground. “Damn, we better get Tif back in here. I’m bleeding all over her carpet and she hates that.”

  Ana glanced over the three males and realized they were all wounded and bleeding. “It looks like all of you could use a healer.”

  “We got our asses handed to us out there,” Cam spat disgustedly. “Every time I meet a member of your family, Appolion, they freaking zap me. You know it’s really getting old.”

  “I haven’t zapped you yet,” Appolion argued back.

  “I’m just waiting, it’s only a matter of time. Rachael gets me every chance she can.”

  Ana left them arguing and went to find Tiffany. She found the healer sitting on Bear’s bed and couldn’t help but smile. She looked so darn cute Ana understood why Bear fell for her. Only Tif could make the angel warrior’s fighting leathers look perky, her honey brown hair was pulled back in a tight braid and she still had that pink bow slung on her back. The girl didn’t seem to notice her there as she just continued to sit on the bed lost in her thoughts. The healer was holding one of Bear’s shirts and she brought it up to her nose and inhaled his scent.

  “I wear Appolion’s shirt to bed every night,” Ana walked in and sat down next to her on the bed.

  Tiffany jerked in surprise and brought the shirt down. “I’m sorry, I don’t quite get that.”

  “I like the way Appolion smells so I wear his shirt so it’s like he’s always with me.” Ana motioned to Bear’s shirt.

  “So you don’t think I’m a freak?”

  “No, I don’t.” Ana reached over and tucked a stray piece of hair behind Tif’s ear. “Why don’t you tell him how you feel?”

  Tiffany’s eyes filled with fear and she shook her head. “Oh no, I could never do that, he hates me. If I told him, he would laugh right in my face.”

  “Why do you think that?”

  She looked down at her lap. “Because I blew any chance I had with him the very first day we met.”

  “What happened?”

  “Promise you won’t hate me?”

  Ana sighed, “I promise.”

  “Pinky swear?” Tiffany held up her pinky.

  Ana tried not to roll her eyes as she hooked pinkies with the healer. “All right, I pinky swear.”

  “When I first learned I was going to be placed in a house with one of your brothers, I was scared,” Tiffany confessed quietly.

  “Afraid of what, Cam?”

  “No, I was afraid of all of your brothers. They’re so big and they fight and yell all the time.” Tiffany finally looked up before adding quickly, “I’m not scared of them anymore though. I’ve met them and I realize now they are all really sweet, but back then I didn’t know that. Anyway, when I came here on the first day and saw it was Bear, I was so happy I said something stupid.”

  “What?”

  “I said, Oh good, they sent the little one. He got so mad and has never forgiven me.”

  The healer looked so sad, Ana almost pulled her into a hug.

  “I didn’t mean it like that though and now Bear hates me.”

  “Bear does not hate you, far from it.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Because I know Bear. He likes you a whole lot.”

  Tiffany’s big eyes filled with hope. “You think?”

  “I know. Now let’s get back to the room, the other males need healing.”

  “I’m sorry, but I don’t think I’ll be able to do it.” Tiffany lifted up the back of her shirt.

  Ana gasped when she saw the mass of bruises and welts on the healer’s back. When Tif threw her body over Bear’s, she took a beating. Yet she hadn’t abandoned him. In that second, Ana knew she would love Tif forever. She also knew that Tif was going to become a permanent part of the family. “I’ll call our brother Derel,” Ana told her kindly. “He can heal you and the others. You take a break, you’ve earned it.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Appolion was damn sick and tired of hearing Ramiel’s name. Especially when used in conjunction to that angel beating his ass. Derel was preparing to heal him but that in no way kept him busy enough to stop him from yammering on and on about how he was going to be in for a world of hurt once their oldest brother found out what he did to their Ana.

  “Ramiel is going to have a cow,” Derel repeated again. He looked a lot like Cam, except he wore his blond hair brushed back in a neater fashion. He was also built like a healer, long and angular, as opposed to Cam’s much more muscular form.

  “That would be a real interesting sight,” Appolion muttered from behind the arm thrown over his face. “By the way, your bedside manner sucks.”

  Derel kept on going, “You really should have come to him first and asked his permission.”

  “Are you guys trapped in the stone ages? Last time I checked, Ana had a mind of her own. What’s next, are you all going to demand I give you ten ponies for her hand in marriage?” A hard poke at one of his wounds earned his growl.

  Derel retorted, “You still should have asked Ramiel first. It’s the way we do things in the angel world.”

  Appolion smacked the healer’s hand away. “I told Cam what was going on. Go ask him yourself.”

  “Cam doesn’t count.”

  Now he was even more pissed off. “You better go into a deeper explanation of that one, bud. Because if I hear of even one of you treating him like a pariah because of who he is, I’ll kick all of your asses.” There was a moment of silence as the two males faced off and eyed each other down.

  Finally, Derel’s face softened and his lips curled up into a crooked smile. “I didn’t mean it that way. It’s just Ramiel is the oldest brother so he’s in charge.”

  “Has anyone told Ana that?”

  He laughed. “Not me, I value my life too much.”

  Appolion noticed the healer already started to heal him. “Aren’t you supposed to compel me to sleep?”
>
  He shrugged his shoulder and continued to heal. “I want to keep talking.”

  Of course he did. “How are you doing this without going into a trance?”

  Derel didn’t answer.

  Appolion was a little jealous. Every healer, himself included, he ever knew went into a deep trance in order to heal. Yet, Derel did it without even appearing to be thinking too hard about it. It was only seconds before all his wounds were completely gone.

  Derel got up and started to leave, “I’ve got to get back to my own team. I’m just going to check up on Bear before I go. Nice to meet you, Dickstroyer.”

  Appolion just shook his head and rolled out of the bed to go find Ana. Just as he passed the laundry room, the door flew open and she reached out, dragged him in and slammed the door behind them. She kissed him and he let her pin him to the wall as she took the lead, her tongue sweeping in and out of his mouth while her hands caressed his chest.

  “Take your pants off now.”

  The moan that filled his ear was that cute little kitten voice he loved so much. “What, you mean right here?” He looked around the small laundry room.

  Ana licked her lips and nodded, a wicked smile on her face. She didn’t say anything, just hopped on top of the dryer and sat on it. She hooked her ankles around his waist and brought him into her for another kiss.

  He pulled his mouth away from hers. “You do realize you have three of your brothers that could walk through the door at any minute?”

  “Don’t worry about them,” she cooed and fumbled with the zipper on his pants. “Cam’s sleeping, again and Bear is too busy moping around to worry about us.”

  “This is so wrong,” he argued even as he helped her undo his pants because she was taking too long to do it on her own.

  “I know, which makes it so much more fun.”

  Ana finally managed to free his cock and started to do all kinds of nice things with her fingers and hands. Appolion gulped down a groan and tired hard to keep himself under control. She didn’t help matters any when she started to kiss and nip her way around his neck. He looked over to the side and spotted a basket was holding various scarves and belts. A very wicked idea flashed across his mind.