by J. C. Diem
He hesitated then looked away. “No other angels are quite like me.” It was obvious that he didn’t want to talk about why he was different, so I didn’t push him. “Are you ready to return to the store?” he asked and reached for my arm.
I grimaced and took a step back. “No thanks. I’d rather avoid Brie until she’s calmed down.” Remembering that she’d been about to dismember Sam, alarm flashed through me. “Is Sam okay?”
His lips twisted at my concern for the latest addition to our group. “The imp was intact when I left.” His expression turned almost sly. “Although I do not know how much longer he will remain so. Briathos appears to have quite the temper.”
“You really need to work on your manipulation skills,” I told him. “That was pretty lame.” With that, I started walking.
He fell into step beside me with a disgruntled sigh. We walked in silence for a couple of blocks then I saw a group of six demons up ahead. I nudged Nathan onto a side street before they could notice us. Our bracelets would supposedly keep us safe, but I preferred not to put them to the test more often than was necessary.
Two women taking their dogs out for exercise stared at Nathan as we skirted past them. It made me wonder if they saw the same breathtaking handsomeness that I did. I sent a sidelong look at him, drinking in his perfection.
My inattention to where I was going caused me to trip. His hand flashed out to catch me by the elbow before I could fall. “You should pay more attention to where you put your feet,” he chided.
Face flaming red in embarrassment, I pulled my arm out of his grip and concentrated on the buildings. Townhouses flanked us on both sides of the street. They were old, but in good condition. Painted various colors, they were just different enough from the neighboring buildings that they didn’t look identical.
“Where are we?” I asked.
“We are in the Upper West Side.”
“I take it you’ve been here before?”
He inclined his head in a nod. “Yes, but it was many decades ago, when these buildings were newly made.”
I wanted to ask what he’d been doing here back then, but I didn’t want to pry. It was probably secret angel matters that I had no business knowing anyway.
Tilting my head back to take in the beautiful old buildings, I thought of my crappy apartment in Denver. It hadn’t been much, but it had been home. I could never go back there now. It was as dead to me as my mother was. Besides, I was trapped in Manhattan with no way to leave. Like it or not, this city was my home now until I’d either fulfilled my destiny, or died trying.
₪₪₪
Chapter Twenty-Four
We walked in silence that was strained rather than companionable. Was it even possible to make casual conversation with an angel? Nathan might have been protecting me for almost my entire life, but he was still a stranger to me.
Reaching the end of the street, we came to a house that looked like it was faced with white marble rather than the usual brick or stone. It was breathtakingly beautiful, but Nathan glared at it. “Such waste,” he said in a low voice. “Humans have always been materialistic beings. Instead of using their wealth to better mankind, they use it to boost their vanity and ego.”
“I guess angels don’t have to worry about making a living or any of the other mundane things we humans do.”
He cut a look at me, checking to see whether I was being sarcastic or not. For once, I was being serious. He nodded wistfully. “In heaven, there is no strife or misery. There is only peace and tranquility.”
“There wasn’t always, though,” I pointed out. “I read in one of Sophia’s books that Lucifer decided he was better than God and tried to elevate himself above him.”
His lips thinned at the reminder. “Lucifer was proud and vain.”
“Sounds very human to me,” I mused, much to his discomfort. “I thought angels were perfect. How did he become so twisted?”
“We are not perfect,” he corrected me. “We have the same free will as you do, but most of us are content with our existence. Some chose to rebel and they were punished for it.”
“I read that a third of all the angels in heaven were cast out with Lucifer,” I said. Reaching the end of the street, a fence barred our way. In the distance, I could see what I assumed was the Hudson River. We turned left, following the fence. “How many angels fell, exactly?”
“Is it necessary for you to know the exact number?”
My question exasperated him, but I had a reason for asking. “Whoever has taken over in hell intends to unleash every demon that’s down there. I need to know how many hell spawn we’ll be facing if he manages to break them free.”
“Hell is not actually beneath us,” he said instead of answering my question. “It is merely in another dimension that is very close to ours.”
“Nice diversion,” I said with mock admiration. “Now answer the question. How many demons are there? Hundreds of thousands?” Sam had already said that tens of thousands had gathered near a town that was close to a hellgate.
He turned his head away so I could only see his profile. “Far more than that,” he replied almost too quietly for me to hear him. “Millions of my brethren fell and were banished to the underworld.”
“Millions?” I said in a tone that was several octaves higher than usual. I was almost unable to fathom there could be so many potential enemies to deal with. “Okay, that’s bad, but there are twice as many angels to fight them if they do break out, right?”
He turned to face me again and his expression was bleak. “I am afraid that my kin will not be able to come to the aid of mankind.”
“What do you mean?”
“The gates of heaven are locked and angels can no longer leave. Anyone who was already on Earth when this happened cannot return home.”
I almost stumbled in surprise, but managed to catch my balance this time. “When did this happen?”
“I believe it was shortly after you triggered the wards that alerted the demons that you are in Manhattan.”
“Are Sophia, Brie and Leo aware of this?”
“Yes. They are understandably upset that we will not have the backup we had counted on to fight this war.”
No doubt Brie blamed me for this occurrence. Something Leo had said came back to me. “Where do you go when you aren’t watching over me? Do you spend the rest of your time in heaven?”
He looked startled for a moment before he controlled his face again. “No. It has been some time since I have been to heaven.”
“How long has it been?” I persisted.
“Since before your birth.”
He looked sad and guilt spread its insidious tendrils through me. I hadn’t asked to become Fate’s puppet, but I’d been lumped with the gig anyway. The angels were locked away in heaven and demons were banging on the gates of hell. Nathan wasn’t just stuck on Earth, he was also trapped in Manhattan. He could no longer go home and had instead been caught up in my battle. I wasn’t sure why he hadn’t been to heaven for seventeen years, but it had to have something to do with me. He hadn’t answered my question about where he went when he wasn’t saving me, but it was obviously a painful subject.
“I’m sorry,” I said. I almost expected him to tell me it wasn’t my fault, but he merely nodded.
Reduced to silence again, we walked past stately apartment buildings that overlooked the river. There were far fewer pedestrians here, but a steady stream of cars passed us.
Waiting for a break in traffic, we crossed the street and entered a parklike area that gave us a view of the Hudson River. We followed the path to a tall, domed monument with columns that were made of light colored stone. A sign told me it was a memorial for soldiers and sailors, which brought Sam to mind. He’d been a sailor before he’d been taken to hell. He might have done terrible things during his time as a pirate, but I couldn’t help but feel bad for him.
Leaving the monument behind, I paused to stare at the river without really taking it in. Some
thing was bothering me and I couldn’t keep it inside anymore. “Where were you the night my mother was murdered?” I asked.
Nathan took a deep breath, as if he’d been waiting for this question. “I was in France, speaking to some colleagues.”
“Didn’t you know that demons were trying to kidnap me?”
“No. I am only called to you when I sense that you are in mortal danger.”
“So, you weren’t there that night? You weren’t the invisible person my mother saw when she was dying?” His gaze dropped to the ground and he refused to answer me. My stomach fell to my feet when I realized the truth. “You were there! Why didn’t you try to save her?”
“I became aware of your peril only after your mother had already been stabbed.”
“You could have taken her to a hospital,” I said in anguish. “You could have done something!”
He looked regretful as he shook his head. “I was not charged with keeping your mother safe. There was nothing I could have done to save her. It was simply her time.”
“You could have done something,” I repeated stubbornly as tears welled. I wiped them away with my sleeve and turned my back on him. “Go away. I can’t even look at you right now.”
His clothing rustled as he reached for me. I hunched my shoulders and moved out of his reach. “I cannot leave you alone. It is too dangerous,” he said to my back.
“Bring Sam to me then. I’d rather be with him than the rest of you guys.”
He sucked in an astonished breath. “You would prefer the company of a filthy imp than an angel?”
“Just go,” I said tiredly.
Hearing nothing, I glanced over my shoulder to see he was gone. Collapsing onto a bench, I put my face in my hands and allowed my grief to pour out. I sobbed so hard that I didn’t even hear Sam arrive. He hesitantly sat beside me and his hand came to rest on my shoulder. I still didn’t know if I could really trust him or not, but I threw my arms around him anyway. “He let her die,” I sobbed. “He could have saved her, but he didn’t and now I’m all alone!”
“There, there,” Sam said and gingerly patted me on the back. He was so endearingly awkward that I almost laughed despite my abject misery. “You are not alone. You have Sophia, the angels and me.”
Pulling away, I sniffed, wishing I had a tissue. Sam reached into the pocket of his new jeans and handed me one. Sophia had most likely given them to him. “Angels suck,” I said and blew my nose.
“If you say so,” he said agreeably.
“They’re supposed to be the good guys, but they just sit on their hands and do nothing when they could be helping people.”
Sam was silent while he searched for something to say. “God works in mysterious ways?” It came out as more of a question than a statement.
My lips quivered, then I was laughing almost as hard as I’d been crying a few moments ago. “Thanks, Sam. I needed that.” He looked mystified, but smiled happily. It did nothing to soften his ugliness, but I was getting used to his misshapen face.
“It is not our fault,” a hesitant voice said from behind me.
I turned to see Leo standing a few feet away. Clearly, Nathan didn’t trust Sam enough to leave him alone with me. At least he’d had enough sense to send Leo rather than Brie. I doubted that she possessed the ability to comfort someone who was in distress. “What isn’t your fault?” I asked. It was hard to be mad at him when he looked so young and miserable. I wished he and Brie hadn’t taken possession of such vulnerable looking vessels.
“We are prohibited from interfering with the natural course of human lives,” he explained. Rounding the bench, he sat beside me.
“Then why has Nathan been following me around my entire life and saving me from death?”
He shrugged his thin shoulders. “I assume it is because it is your destiny to save the human race.”
“Do you think Fate gave him the job of being my nanny?”
He sniggered at my terminology. “I do not know. I suppose it is possible.”
Sam’s shoulders jerked and his head came up. He turned to stare out of the corner of his eye at a couple who were walking past us. “We should head back to the others. It is not safe here.” He was wearing the hat Sophia had bought for him and drew the bill down to cover his face.
Seeing the man and woman’s faces flicker, I realized they were demons. I wasn’t ready to face Brie or Nathan, but I couldn’t stay away from them forever. Seeing my resignation, Leo took my hand and reached behind me to grab Sam as well. I closed my eyes a second before the white light could blind me.
₪₪₪
Chapter Twenty-Five
This time when we teleported to Sophia’s store, Sam didn’t end up on the floor screaming in agony. Brie must have altered her spell so it didn’t incapacitate him on arrival.
Sophia was sitting at the table and looked relieved when she saw me. “I’ve made tea,” she said with a tentative smile. Sitting in the chair that she’d claimed as her own, Brie sent me a guarded look.
“Tea fixes everything,” I said with a heavy sigh and sat down.
“It does?” Sam asked as he shifted his chair closer to me. He’d taken the sights of modern life well so far. Apart from staring at everything with wide eyes, he’d showed surprisingly little reaction to the wonders of the twenty-first century. There was a good chance he was in shock from finally leaving hell after his lengthy captivity.
“No. It’s just something my Mom used to say.” Tears tried to well up again, but I forced them down. There was no sign of Nathan, but I wasn’t about to ask where he was. He’d let me down in the worst possible way and it would take time for me to be able to trust him again.
“Is there something you would like to say to Violet?” Sophia said to Brie.
The teen crossed her arms and a surly look appeared on her face. “I am sorry I almost gutted you.” It would have been more believable if she hadn’t forced the words out through clenched teeth.
“No you’re not,” I said and took the cup that Sophia handed me. “You couldn’t care less if I died. You probably hope I do so Fate can choose someone else to be her minion.”
“Minion,” Leo repeated and sniggered. “It is an apt description if I have ever heard one.”
“I have doubts that you will truly be able to save mankind,” Brie admitted. “The fact that you can absorb demons and use their power raises serious concerns for us all.”
“I can’t use their power,” I argued. “I don’t know the first thing about it.”
Sam raised his hand as if seeking permission to speak. “I have seen you use dark magic, mistress.”
“Don’t call me that,” I said with a sour grimace. “It makes me sound like a dominatrix.” Sophia glared at Leo before he could break down into giggles. “When have I used demon magic?”
Looking chastened, his shoulders sagged. “When you broke the spell that was keeping you and Leo trapped in the alley.”
“I just scraped the dagger across the runes.”
“Yes, but it takes dark magic to wield a weapon that was forged in hell,” he explained. “Have you not wondered why the blade glows when you use it?”
Disturbed, I saw the suspicion fill Sophia, Brie and Leo. “I’m not a demon,” I said sharply. “Surely you’d be able to tell if I was.”
“We do not know what you are,” Brie said coldly. “We only know that you now have evil inside you. For all we know, one of the demons will possess you and will then force you to turn against us.”
“That isn’t going to happen,” I said.
“How do you know?” Sophia asked. Unlike Brie, she hadn’t given up on me yet. Leo also looked hopeful at my answer.
“I had a conversation with the demons in a dream,” I explained. “They said they tried to take me over but there’s nothing to possess.”
“What does that mean?” Leo asked. I couldn’t blame him for his confusion. I could barely understand it myself.
“Apparently, I don’t
have a soul,” I said. “There’s just a big empty pit inside me.”
Brie sucked in a breath and her sword appeared. Sam pulled me to my feet and shielded me with his body. He was weaponless, but he was willing to sacrifice himself if he had to.
“Put that away,” Nathan said as he appeared in the doorway to the kitchen. Brie looked ashamed at her instant reaction and her sword disappeared again. “Violet is not our enemy. At least we now know how she can absorb demons without being taken over by them.”
“Do explain it to us,” she said with a sneer. “It would appear you have knowledge that the rest of us do not possess.”
“Without a soul of her own, her vessel is too tempting for hell spawn to resist. When they enter her, they have nothing to anchor themselves to. They become trapped and have no way out.”
“That’s pretty much what they told me,” I agreed without looking at him. I was still angry with him and my emotions were raw.
“Did they say anything else?” Leo asked.
“They said that if their master captures me and I stay in hell for too long that I’ll become his creature. Once that happens, they’ll never be able to find a way to escape from me.”
“I wonder if absorbing these demons is the reason why you can use their power?” Sophia mused.
“She could use the dagger before she was invaded by them,” Brie reminded her. “Perhaps being soulless means she was already beginning to turn evil.”
“What is your problem?” I said and pushed past Sam. “You’ve hated me from the moment we met and now you’re convinced that I’m evil. What did I do to deserve your animosity?”
“You exist,” she said succinctly. “It is thanks to you that we are on the brink of a war that we cannot possibly hope to win.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I am talking about the hordes of hell spawn who are poised to overrun the Earth. Since the gates of heaven are locked and our brethren will not be able to assist us, you are the only thing standing in their way.”
