Feel the Flames

by BJ Sheldon

  Grace was there in an instant and let us in. We followed her through the unlit shop and up the stairs to the office. She turned on the lamp in the corner and then faced us, the full understanding of why we were there striking us hard.

  “Oh my god, Grace! Your face!” I rushed over and gently placed my hands on either side of her head and carefully inspected each cut and bruise. It was clear that she’d been used as a punching bag.

  She placed her hands on my wrists.

  “I’ll be fine,” she said, backing away from my touch. “They’re not serious. All superficial.”

  “Superficial? Are you sure none of your bones are broken?” I was in a panic. I hadn’t known Grace long, but she’d been a friend of Sean’s. And if Sean trusted her as an employee and a friend, then I did, too. And if Grace and I were friends…then someone just screwed the pooch and messed with the wrong mortal. “Your cheek is really swollen. Did you put ice on that? Why aren’t you in the hospital?”

  “Skyy. Stop. I’m fine. Really.” Grace turned away and ran her fingers through her bright pink hair. I watched her hand move up to her eye before quickly lowering it and wiping away her covert tears on the side of her jeans.

  “What happened?” asked Dorian. Together we glanced down at the store below. Comics were ripped and torn and strewn everywhere. Shelves were knocked over. Figurines were smashed, and the cash register lay upside down behind the counter.

  Grace’s face was clearly not the only thing that had taken a beating.

  “I was getting ready to close up for the night when three guys walked in. One of them locked the door. Another turned off all the interior lights. Next thing I know, I was backed into a far corner in the back room. I thought they were here to…to…” Grace shuddered and hugged herself at her elbows. She stared at the ground but then found the strength to continue. “The main guy just stood in front of me and smiled while his partners trashed the store. They destroyed…everything. But the guy just stood there, grinning at me, until they were done. He said his name was Naberius—that he had a message for you.”

  I threw my head back, my hands clasped behind my neck.

  “Shit,” I uttered to myself, growing angrier by the second.

  “Skyy…” Dorian began.

  “Don’t you dare tell me to calm down, Dorian,” I yelled as I paced back and forth. “Naberius was here. He was here! He could have killed her!”

  “But he didn’t.” Dorian grabbed my arms and placed them both at my sides, forcing me to stop. He took my chin in his hand and stared me in the eye. “This isn’t the time to go all warrior-bad-ass. You need to keep a level head. Let’s hear what he had to say. We absorb it. Then later…we’ll kick his ass for this. Okay?”

  I nodded half-heartedly, trying to calm down.

  “Are you sure you’re all right?” I asked Grace. “Do you need anything? I can get you some ice.”

  Grace smiled a bit. “No. I’ll be all right. Really.” She pulled out the desk chair and took a seat. Her face contorted in pain as she sat, suddenly grabbing her left side.

  I knelt and forcibly pulled up her shirt revealing a very large purple bruise on her ribs.

  “Broken?” I asked.

  Grace simply nodded her head as I pulled her shirt back down, glancing over at Dorian.

  “You need to go to the hospital,” I said. “Did you call the police?”

  “And tell them what? That a demon destroyed my store and beat me up? I’d be sent off to the funny farm if I said that.”

  Dorian shot me a glance.

  “Wait. You know?” I stood and took a step back.

  “That that Naberius guy is a demon? Oh yeah…he told me. Told me who he was, where he came from. Quite the talker.”

  “What did he say?” Dorian was all business. It was clear by his expression that he was just as angry as I was, but thankfully he seemed to be able to hold it together a bit better.

  “Nothing, really. After he told me who he was and who he worked for, he just told me to say that he says hello. That’s it. And then his partners proceeded to hit me. They didn’t stop. They just kept hitting me. I fell to the floor and tried to cover my face. And that’s when they started kicking me in the ribs.”

  “What was the point in all of that? Why would he do that to her?” I asked, my question aimed at Dorian.

  “Got your attention, didn’t it?” he replied.

  “He couldn’t have just picked up the phone? Or sent me a nice letter?”

  Grace continued as if our words had fallen on deaf ears.

  “I heard the front door open…then, there was a struggle. The creeps that were using me as a punching bag were getting their asses handed to them by someone. I started to pass out from the pain, but I managed to catch a glimpse of him before everything went black. He didn’t look too old. Thirties, maybe? Longer hair but it looked like he hadn’t combed it in days. Matted and tangled. Definitely homeless. And his shoes—I remember his shoes. And whoever he was smelled like cigarettes and booze. It was strong. I’ll never forget it. And then…nothing. Guess I blacked out. When I woke up, I called you.”

  Dorian grabbed me by the arm and pulled me to the other side of the room. He lowered his voice.

  “You and I both know what’s going on. Naberius is going to use whatever and whoever he can to manipulate you into doing what he wants,” he said. “Maybe you should just give in.”

  The sudden shock I felt must have reflected on my expression since Dorian suddenly jerked his head back as I stared him down.

  “I’m just saying. What’s to stop him from killing her next time? Sean’s already dead. Who else is he going to go after to get to you? It’s not like you have a line of mortal friends just lining up outside your door.”

  “A bit harsh,” I snapped.

  “Just being honest. He’s just going to keep coming for her until you do what he wants. So, you might as well cave and track down the seal for him.”

  “Are you insane? Even if I were to find it, there’s no way I’d ever hand it over to the minions of Hell. You and I know that wouldn’t end well for humanity…or Heaven for that matter,” I replied.

  “We don’t know that. Not for sure. Maybe Naberius would hold up his part of the deal. Maybe they’d keep it just so no one else could use it.”

  “No!” I barked loudly. “If you believe anything a demon says, then you’re clearly delusional and need to have your head checked by a specialist.”

  Dorian shrugged nonchalantly and said, “Fine. Your call.”

  His reaction seemed odd. Before, he’d shown resistance to trusting anything Naberius had to say. Now suddenly, he was retracting his original viewpoint.

  “Well, you’re right about one thing. We need to find that ring before Naberius and his followers do. From there, I’m not sure what to do with it. Based on what Raphael said, Heaven shouldn’t have it, either,” I said. “Maybe there’s a way to destroy it. Like in the Lord of the Rings.”

  Dorian stared at me blankly.

  “Why are you looking at me like that?” I asked.

  “Lord of the Rings?”

  “Yeah. You know, Lord of the Rings?” I uttered. “Where the hobbits have to take the ring to Mordor to destroy the one ring?” I looked at him in anticipation, looking for any sign of comprehension. But he merely shook his head and shrugged. “Seriously? So, you never cracked open a book in a hundred and twenty years?”

  “Guys?” Grace stood and shuffled over to join us. “Do you know where the ring is?”

  “No one’s seen it since Solomon died. Or the archangel Michael. I’m guessing Michael may know something. But we have about as good a chance at finding him as we do the ring. I wouldn’t even know where to start,” I replied.

  “So what next?” she asked.

  “What’s next is that you’re going to the hospital.”

  Chapter 11

  Rami arrived first. He stepped through an open portal. Seeing me, his face lit up and he spread his arm
s wide, giving me a bear hug, lifting me off the ground. My feet kicked playfully in the air. I pretended to hate the attention, but I was happy to see him again. I hadn’t seen him since the battle at the Badlands and didn’t think it was pertinent to disturb him with Dorian’s reappearance…until it was absolutely necessary.

  And it had become necessary.

  Dorian casually stepped out from behind a group of sculptures in the far corner of my studio. The sight of him and his large, black wings was enough to send Rami tripping backward over some cinder blocks near my door. His hand immediately went for his weapon, but I grasped his wrist keeping him from drawing it out in defense.

  “It’s okay,” I said. “It’s him. It’s Dorian.”

  Rami’s shocked stare quickly bounced between Dorian and myself repeatedly until I thought for sure he would get dizzy from the repetition.

  “It’s me. I swear,” Dorian chuckled, taking a step closer toward our guest.

  “H-how? You disappeared. It was your time,” Rami stammered.

  “I don’t know how. I don’t remember. I faded into nothing and the next thing I remember, I was up the road from Skyy’s place with these things on my back.” Dorian turned slightly to show off his impressive wings.

  Rami’s expression quickly changed. He rushed toward Dorian and hugged him hard, the two of them slapping each other on the back.

  “Man! It’s great to see you! I was going to make a move on Skyy with you gone, but I guess now I’m out of luck,” Rami joked. Dorian slapped him playfully on the cheek.

  “If you had tried that, I would have come back just to kick your ass,” Dorian said, grinning from ear to ear.

  “So, are you…immortal? Like Skyy?”

  “Seems that way. Haven’t died, yet. Not that she hasn’t tried to kill me repeatedly.”

  “I have done no such thing,” I barked jokingly. “It’s not my fault that you suck at the whole flying thing.”

  The door to my studio suddenly swung open. A slight breeze wafted in, the smell of wet grass permeating the air. As Arna stepped inside, he froze at the sight of Dorian and his wings. His reaction wasn’t what I had anticipated. Instead of being excited to see his old friend, rushing at him with arms open wide, Arna seemed to eye both Dorian and his wings suspiciously.

  “Dorian.” Arna said flatly, nodding at his old friend.

  “Arna,” Dorian replied, nodding in return.

  “Welcome back.”

  “Thanks.”

  The ensuing silence was awkward. Neither said a word but it was clear that there was something on Arna’s mind. He cocked his head and squinted hard, studying every inch of Dorian’s form from head to toe.

  Rami’s face scrunched up showing his discomfort with the strange reunion. He cleared his throat and exclaimed, “You have wings, man!”

  Dorian glanced over his shoulder and acted surprised.

  “Oh shit! Where did those come from?” He spun around a few times like a dog chasing his tail. Rami and I chuckled at his attempt at humor, but Arna remained stone faced.

  “So, you don’t remember anything?” Rami asked.

  “Not much, no. I died. I vanished. Whenever I try to remember, my head starts to hurt. My vision blurs, my head pounds. It sucks.” Dorian shrugged trying to show it didn’t bother him, but his expression told a different story.

  “You never told me that,” I said, shocked at his revelation.

  “I didn’t want you to worry,” he said, a twinge of annoyance in his voice.

  “You keep keeping things from me, you’ll have other things to worry about,” I replied, raising an eyebrow in his direction.

  His face changed. Dorian looked angry and leaned in, our faces so close I could feel his breath.

  “Drop it,” he hissed quietly.

  Dorian pulled back and immediately smiled as if nothing had happened. I was left wondering if he was okay and couldn’t help but think he was acting strangely.

  “Well, it’s good to see you, anyway, man,” Rami exclaimed. “I’m glad Skyy called us here to see you.”

  “That’s not the reason I called,” I said.

  I turned and marched over to my latest painting, nodding in its direction.

  “Meet my latest predicament. It’s apparently the Seal of Solomon, and now Hell wants me to find it and hand it over.”

  “I’m sorry?” replied Arna. He wandered over and placed himself in front of my painting to get a better a look.

  “Naberius paid us a visit,” said Dorian.

  “Naberius?” Arna spun around at the mention of the demon’s name. “He was here?”

  “Yep. Charming guy. Said he wants me to find the seal, hand it over to him, and I have his word that it’ll…disappear,” I said, using air quotes for effect.

  “Disappear?”

  “Said Hell wants it so it can’t be used against them. I’m not buying it whatsoever, but as for finding it…I don’t think I have a choice.”

  “That’s a bad idea.” Arna turned his attention to me. “That ring has vanished for a reason. No one should ever be able to use its power again. It’s a dangerous tool.”

  “I know. Both Raphael and Gabriel have explained that Hell should never get their paws on it. Raphael even made the comment that Heaven shouldn’t possess it, either. But if Naberius is searching for it and he finds it before I do…I won’t be able to stop him.” I placed my hand on the center of my painting and stared at the symbols that made up God’s name. “No one will.”

  “You’ve already spoken to the archangels about this.” Arna placed his hands behind his back and paced about the room, his gaze off in space.

  “Well, we tried to reach Michael, but no one seems to know where he is. He’s been gone since Solomon died, so they say. Which seems a bit coincidental to me. So, tell me…how does Heaven lose one of their archangels? Isn’t there like some kind of angel GPS you guys can use or something?” I said, watching Arna pace back and forth.

  “It doesn’t work like that. For the most part, archangels can’t be found unless they want to be. They have a way of cloaking themselves from the supernatural realm, staying invisible to anyone who wishes to locate them,” said Arna. “It does seem more than coincidental that Michael vanished at the same time as the seal. It would seem logical that he may know where it’s located…or even possess it himself, which is probably why he disappeared in the first place. To keep it out of the hands of evil.”

  “But if we could put two and two together and figure out that Michael knows something, then so will Naberius or whomever he sends after us to get it. Hell, they’ve probably known all along and are just using me to find him. Either way, we don’t really have a choice here. We need to find Michael,” I replied.

  Arna stopped pacing and looked over at me.

  “There’s an unconventional method you could try. I’m not saying it’ll work, but to be perfectly honest…it’s really your only shot at locating him.” Arna looked up at the ceiling as if he were searching for the words somewhere there above him. He sighed heavily, lowered his gaze to where I stood, and continued. “You could visit a medium. Someone who speaks with spirits. They may be able to help.”

  I started to chuckle but quickly refrained when I realized that no one else was laughing.

  “You can’t be serious.” It didn’t seem realistic to think that people could actually speak to the dead let alone a rogue archangel. “Mediums are frauds who are either out to bilk folks out of their money, tell them what they want to hear, or they’re misguided people who are completely delusional and mentally unstable and just think they can hear voices.”

  “Most, yes,” Arna replied. “But there is a small faction born with the gift of being able to hear what others cannot, whether it be those who have passed away or the voices of angels. There aren’t many, but they do exist.”

  “I thought their kind were frowned upon by religion,” I said.

  “By religion, yes.” Arna’s mouth curved up to one side
as he said, “By God…no. Just another misconception by those who feel that as mortals they know what God does or doesn’t condone based on their interpretation of something they’ve read. Anyway, there’s one not far from here. I can take you to her, if you’d like.” His gaze once again found its way to where Dorian stood. “All of you.”

  * * * *

  We all made plans to head to the reservation after nightfall to visit the seer. She had lived there her entire life. Arna swore by her abilities but warned us that she wasn’t what we were probably expecting. While we waited for evening to arrive, we each bided our time in our own way, hoping to make time pass faster.

  Rami and Dorian grew impatient as the night wore on. Together, they complained how their fighting skills had deteriorated since the battle in the Badlands. Without an enemy to fight, they each felt restless and anxious.

  Finally, unable to take their whining any longer, I pointed to the door.

  “You two. Go take it outside already. At least then I don’t have to listen to you anymore, and then maybe you can work off some of that testosterone you’re excreting in here. I mean, really…I can practically smell the machismo from here.”

  The guys didn’t move. They stared back at me and said nothing.

  “I mean it. Go!” I yelled, trying to hide a smirk.

  Dorian looked over at Arna, and the two suddenly hollered with excitement. They sprinted out the door to spar under the moonlit sky, leaving Arna and me alone.

  “Skyy. Can we talk?” Arna asked.

  I shrugged. “Sure.” I wandered over to my desk and began to straighten up piles that had become a bit disorganized over the past few months.