by Lydia Fane
“Nevertheless, you didn’t have to risk yourself for her.”
Unable to bear the sight, or the conversation, Aries turned, fleeing to the sanctuary of the lighthouse. His hand on the door left smouldering black fingerprints and his vision wavered blue with heat.
At the top of the lighthouse, he turned so that all he could see was the endless view of the ocean. Where usually it would soothe him, today he could sense the strong stain of darkness leeching up from below, and tainting his peaceful world. He didn’t even dare to down himself in his power. If the demon knew there was an angelic adversary so close, then Skye would suffer as the demon sought to make the angel weak.
He heard the sound of the helicopter taking off and grimaced. Not a supply run then, but demon transport.
Footsteps below made him turn to stare grim-faced, as Jack appeared in the room behind him, his expression equally grim with displeasure at Aries’ abrupt departure. Before Jack could lecture him about his manners, or lack of them, Aries spoke.
“He’s the demon.”
His words fell into the silence, burning his tongue and throat as if they were edged with his fire.
“He’s the demon, and he has Skye again. And I didn’t stop him.”
His face burned as he kept his eyes on Jack, willing the selkie to understand. The fire within him still begged to be unleashed, to burn the demon into ashes, but Aries controlled it.
Jack looked confused. “Lewis is a demon? Aries, I know you have more experience than me, but are you sure? He sounds like a stand-up guy. Nice too, from our brief talk.”
There was something not right about Jack’s voice, and Aries was jolted out of his self-recriminations to truly look at his friend. It was subtle, but there was a shadow that was more than a shadow clinging to his form, and an oily gleam to the whites of his eyes.
This time, Aries reacted; stepping close into Jack’s personal space, raising his hands to rest them on the other man’s shoulders. He channelled pure fire from his heart through his palms, letting it trickle through his shielding, to engulf the other man in angelic fire. Jack inhaled deeply and held his breath, eyes opening wide. The shadow that was far more than a shadow burned away and viciously. Aries burned every last speck of ash into nothingness.
While it wasn’t as good as sending the demon scum back to hell, Aries felt happier for being able to help Jack. The roil of fire beneath his shields settled somewhat. The fire he had channelled guttered and died, and Aries was ready to catch him as Jack’s knees gave way.
“Was that you being gentle?” Jack gasped out, once he found his voice again.
“As gentle as fire can be,” Aries said. “Angels and demons... not a lot gentle about that combination. Sorry.”
“It wasn’t painful, just overwhelming,” Jack said thoughtfully. “Is that how you feel all the time?”
“I had to get you clear of the taint,” Aries dodged the question.
Jack shuddered. “And I thank you. It was the weirdest feeling. All he did was shake my hand, and I knew that he was a decent guy who’d be great to share a drink with. That thought throbbed in my head while I was coming to find you to chew you out. My mind felt as if it was covered in oil.”
“You have a very strong mind,” Aries complimented him. “Most can’t tell exactly what the demonic manipulation is.”
“Could Skye?”
“Likely not. She’s thralled too deeply, and it’ll be even worse this second time around. He won’t risk losing control of her again.”
“So how do we save her?” Jack asked, and the faith in his face that they could do it was almost blinding.
Aries took heart in the confidence that Jack had in him. Skye could be saved. Skye would be saved.
“Where are they now?” he asked.
“I showed them to the guest house. I wouldn’t like to guess what they’re doing.”
Although Jack tried to make a joke of it, Aries still felt the fire within rage at the thought.
“We need to...” Aries started to say, but cut himself off as he felt the world around him change.
Dark demonic power blanketed the world in torrents of force, spinning around the lighthouse. The presence took Aries’ breath away, pressing down on him, a smothering, all-encompassing darkness that threatened to overpower him and steal away his control.
“What’s wrong?” Jack said worriedly as Aries staggered.
“Can’t you feel it?” Aries asked himself as he braced himself against the metal disc of the beacon.
“Feel what?” Jack asked. “I can see some nasty-looking clouds on the horizon, but nothing else.”
“The demon...” Aries closed his eyes, both to stabilise his balance and to find the words for what he was feeling. “He’s strong. He’s doing something.”
Once more Aries rested his hand on Jack’s shoulder and channelled a gentle breath of fire to Jack’s eyes. Jack blinked, and Aries turned to look outside again. The dark energy was now becoming visible as strands that turned and tumbled in the air. They were growing thicker as Aries watched, reaching up to the sky, drawing in the clouds.
“He’s calling a storm?” Jack asked.
“He is,” Aries confirmed.
“Can you do anything about it?”
Aries reached out with his fire, gently testing the dark currents that flowed around him and the lighthouse, careful not to do anything too overt that would signal his angelic presence. Even though they were the work of a demon, the workmanship was admirable. The weave was close, and there was no way for him to burn out the corruption without releasing uncontrollable, powerful forces. The demon-summoned storm would be a picnic compared to what would be unleashed if he were to meddle.
Aries relayed this all to Jack, who nodded. “Guess we just have to ride it out,” he said philosophically. “We’ve done it before.”
“The storm is just a distraction,” Aries said thoughtfully. “This demon is up to something.” He let fire pool into his palm, a roiling ball of angelic energy. “I may not be able to stop the storm, but I can stop him, whatever he tries.”
***
The sound of the rain beating against the window dragged Skye from her half doze. She lifted herself up a little and saw Lewis standing over by the window looking out, an unfathomable look on his face.
“Storm’s coming,” he said, not even turning around. Skye wondered how he knew she was awake, but then shrugged it off as one of those things. She pushed back the covers on the bed (not as comfortable as Aries’, and why did that thought hurt?) and slid out, putting her clothes on again. Now that she was focused, she could hear the wind building outside, gusts occasionally shaking the window frames.
“Sounds like it could be bad,” she said, moving to stand beside him.
“It will be.”
Skye thought she heard a note of satisfaction in his voice.
She moved up beside him and leaned her head on his shoulder. He moved his shoulder away sharply and shot her a disgusted look. Nausea churned in her gut.
“Sorry,” she apologised.
There was a flash of lightning that illuminated the outside world. Skye looked out of the window. The dark clouds were thick and heavy, turning the bright afternoon into the blackest night. Rain sheeted down and puddles were already forming on the saturated ground. The windows rattled again as another gust hit, and Skye shuddered.
There was another enormous flash of lightning, a great forked bolt that seemed to tear the heavens asunder, illuminating the world as bright as day. In the stark, harsh light she saw the barn for the sheep in flames, and the door open. Woolly bodies scattered everywhere in panic before another driving sheet of rain and darkness blocked them from view.
“The sheep!” she exclaimed.
Lewis turned to her, his eyes glittering strangely. “You and your bleeding heart,” he said conversationally. “But by all means, go out and save the wretched beasts.”
That idea hadn’t occurred to her. She wasn’t going to
put herself in the centre of a storm like that just for some sheep. But now that Lewis had suggested it, she couldn’t get it out of her head. She could go out there and do something useful. Maybe Lewis might even be pleased with her – she could show him that she was brave, that even in this weather, she was willing to take a risk, even if it was only for some sheep.
Maybe Aries would be pleased with her, a little thought whispered, and pain spiked in her temples. The desire to step out into the storm was pushing at her now, almost painful in its intensity.
“Well?” Lewis said challengingly.
Skye didn’t hesitate. To the beat of her blood, she moved to the door, opened it, and stepped out.
Immediately, she was caught by a gust of wind, staggering sideways with the force of the push. The rain soaked her within seconds, making her clothes clingy and heavy. Her hair stuck to her scalp and she wiped the water from her eyes so she could see. The air felt charged as another lightning bolt split the sky, followed by a roll of thunder that threatened to shatter her eardrums.
But standing around was doing nothing but getting her soaked to the bone. Bracing herself against the wind that wanted to tear her from her feet, she stepped off in the direction she thought the sheep would have fled in.
She could barely see her hand in front of her face, let alone where she was putting her feet. This was probably one of the stupidest ideas she had ever had, but she was not going to give up now – not and prove Lewis right about her when he called her snivelling or a coward.
Lightning flashed again and she caught sight of a woolly form sprinting around the side of the next cottage over. She clapped her hands over her ears to muffle the sound of the thunder, and followed.
As the roar of the thunder faded away and she uncovered her ears, she became aware of another roaring sound beneath the weather that seemed to be gradually getting closer. Abruptly, her next step found empty air instead of solid ground. Flailing her arms, she threw herself backwards, scrambling desperately. With her heart pounding painfully in her chest, she gasped for air as adrenaline raced through her.
This was an absolutely stupid idea, she scolded herself. What on earth had possessed her?
Bracing herself, she leaned forward a little. Through the curtain of rain, she could see that just ahead of her, the ground ended. Below stretched the angry white of frothing sea, jagged rocks protruding like rotten teeth. Spume sprayed her face, and the salt stung her eyes. Her stomach lurched and she shuffled cautiously backwards, away from the sickening drop.
As if a switch has been flipped, the storm stopped.
The wind abruptly disappeared, and the rain seemed to stop falling mid-air. A trunk of lightning still blazed across the sky, matching arcs rising from the trees and the lighthouse. All around her, the world seemed to stand still. Even the sea below was frozen in its violent motion.
As she turned around, a creeping fear starting to grip her, she came face to face with Lewis, and she reeled back a step in shock. In his black suit and white shirt, he was completely unruffled by the elements, while she felt like a waterlogged wreck. But although it was the face and body of her beloved fiancé, there was someone else looking out at her through his eyes. How she knew this, Skye didn’t know, but the knowledge urged her to run.
Her legs trembled as she made to bolt, but a casual gesture from Lewis held her in place. No matter the commands her mind gave, her body remained frozen and unresponsive. She fought to regain control, fought to make sense of what was happening, but her brain couldn’t latch onto anything.
“Defiant to the last,” Lewis said pleasantly, and his mouth stretched into a smile that shouldn’t ever have graced a human face. “It’s the only reason I didn’t kill you sooner. Your rebellious streak amused me.”
Her throat was locked tight. She couldn’t scream at what was an obvious threat as Lewis chuckled and ran a finger down her cheek. Her skin burned like acid where he touched, before cooling to a freezing chill.
“You should have died in that plane crash,” he said with a moue of disappointment. “I would ask how you survived, but I really don’t care. At least I can finish the job now, myself. I dislike getting my hands dirty directly, but I think in your case, I’m pleased to make an exception.”
He tapped a finger against his lips and his teeth gleamed as he smirked at her. “You really have no idea what’s happening, do you?” he asked, rhetorically. “I thought when you broke my web that you had realised, but it’s clear that you’re just as dull and stupid as ever.”
Confusion and sheer horror were blanking Skye’s mind of any rational thought. She couldn’t make sense of what was happening. Nothing was right; there was not one piece of mental solid ground that she could catch onto. She stared blankly at the thing wearing the body of her fiancé.
“But why drag this out?” he asked himself, tapping his fingernails against his chin, before he reached out and placed both hands on her chest, squeezing tightly. “Goodbye,” he said, and pushed her, hard.
The world and the storm came back in a rush as she was thrown backwards. There was nothing beneath her feet but the crashing sea, nothing for her flailing hands to grab hold of. She opened her mouth to scream, but the wind stole the sound from her lungs.
She fell, the sea opening up below her, as if waiting to swallow her whole.
White light, pure and untainted, burned away the storm. Strong arms caught her, and wide grey wings enfolded her briefly before they stretched out again. With wide eyes, Skye looked up.
His face could have been carved from granite in an expression of implacable fury. His eyes burned golden and she swore she could see flames leaping within the pupil. The wind and the rain of the storm didn’t seem to touch him as he flew upwards towards the cliff top.
With his face contorted in an inhuman rictus of fury, Lewis cowered, covered in a writhing mass of black shadows that shrivelled away as they met the golden aura of Aries.
It was all too much for her mind to handle. Her vision darkened and the sound of the storm was muted. Unconsciousness welcomed her.
***
Warmth bathed her, a gentle heat that sunk into her bones, driving out the chill. Fingers touched her cheek, clumsy with worry. A melodious voice spoke her name.
She opened her eyes.
Aries filled her vision. Worry gave his face a grave cast, but the most astonishing things were his eyes. The pupils were flickering gold, as if flames were dancing within. Memory came back to her in a rush and she arched up off the ground, biting her tongue to keep the scream of terror inside. Almost immediately, Aries was there, pulling her against his chest. He was warm and utterly solid. She pressed herself against him, desperate to feel secure, to drown out the feeling of falling that threatened to overwhelm her again.
Grey wings erupted into the air and she flinched violently, but Aries whispered a wordless reassurance as the wings curled around her. They were huge and down-soft to the touch. They smelt of ash and wood smoke, blocking out the entire world around her.
“I swear,” Aries spoke quietly. “That I will tell you everything, as soon as you want me to.”
Skye didn’t want to speak. To speak would be to make real the events that she remembered. But deep within, the core of herself was still alive.
“What are you?” she asked, looking up to where his head was framed by feathers.
“An angel,” he said, and there was a ring of honesty in his voice. The fire in his eyes glowed white, and she couldn’t help but reach her hand up, hovering about his face.
“Normally I only briefly touch my power,” he said, although she hadn’t asked anything. “And so it has no visible effects on me. But to protect you, I called on everything that I am. The effects are... lingering.”
Since he hadn’t objected, she moved and reached out to touch the feathers closest to her. They were as warm to the touch as his skin was, and silky against her own skin. She ran her fingers down the length of one, and felt Aries shiver.
“Did that hurt?” she asked, withdrawing her hand hastily.
“No,” he said, adding, “Quite the opposite.”
“Oh,” she said, and then felt a blush suffuse her cheeks as the implications of that sank in.
Although she dearly wished to ask more questions about him, a black lump was settling in her chest, pre-empting all of her other questions.
“What was he?” she choked out.
His wings tightened around her in a protective, comforting cocoon. “He was a demon,” he said simply.
“They’re real?”
“As real as I am.”
It was another shock in a sea of shocks, more information for her mind to try and process. In a short space of time her entire world had been turned on its axis when figures from fairy tales and stories turned out to be real and living. But even as her mind reeled at the revelations, her body relaxed in the strong and comforting arms of the man – no, the angel that had saved her.
“Is he dead?”
“With you unconscious in my arms, I could not prevent him from fleeing. But he is gone, and should never return.”
“Why would he do this?” she whispered. “I loved him. I thought he loved me.”
His arms tightened around her.
“I cannot say,” he said, but Skye knew from his tone that he was asking if she wanted to hear it.
“Angels are real, demons are real, my fiancé was a demon and wanted to kill me,” she said, stifling a slightly hysterical giggle at her recitation. “Everything is hard enough to believe as it is. One more fact won’t break me.”
“Your strength is amazing,” and Aries voice was warm with respect. “You fought the thrall as hard as you could. I cannot tell you why this Lewis chose and used you, but I can tell you what general facts I know.”
“Anything,” Skye said. Knowing anything at all would be better than this limbo that she found herself in. She rested her head against Aries chest and listened to his heartbeat, using it to anchor herself while his words washed over her.
“Demons take pride in causing suffering and pain,” he began, his tone formal and clinical. “They choose a victim and manipulate them, leading them down a path of despair. Some people falter, and are soon cast aside, either to madness or death. The strong-willed are a greater challenge. You were so strong that the demon had to wrap you in a web of his own power to twist you. This would have darkened your moon and your mind, preying on your fears and insecurities. Every time you tried to break free, the web would cause you pain.”
