Forged by Fire (Angels at the Edge Book 1)

by Michael Arches

  The nymph shook her head. All of the damned can renounce Satan at any time. Few do because they’ll lose their immortality. But if they renounce evil, they reincarnate and become mortal again.

  That seemed plenty fair. They shouldn’t be allowed to benefit from associating with the ultimate evil. She’d eased my mind, and I kept moving around the tavern.

  Eventually, I settled into the head of a centaur intent on getting into the pants of a pretty witch sitting across from him at a table. It felt more than a little creepy for him to be hitting on the witch while Cleo happened to be in her head.

  I searched the centaur’s mind and found a memory of his girlfriend, a shapeshifting djinn named Liz Turner. She’d bragged to him about setting the Meeker Park fire.

  Chills from my excitement ran through me into the centaur, and he put it down to being turned on. I knew better.

  Cleo, I have something, a line on a djinn who started the fires.

  Cleo’s voice in my head wasn’t nearly as excited as I’d expected. Be careful, Gabe. Evil sentient beings, mortal and otherwise, are notorious liars. There are no doubt plenty of demons claiming credit for causing so much destruction. What proof do you see?

  All the excitement flowed out of me and the centaur. Of course, these creatures lied all the time. That was part of their whole dark side nastiness. Sorry! No proof yet, just her bragging to her boyfriend.

  Cleo’s voice in my head was warm and forgiving. It still could be legitimate. We have to collect the best information we can tonight then decide how to prioritize our further investigations. Keep moving around until we’ve checked everyone who comes in tonight.

  Before I left the centaur, I read his memories about the woman who he’d promised he loved beyond all things. She owned a diner in Franktown, which was a blip on the map at the far southeastern edge of the Denver metro area. It seemed odd that a djinn would make her living in such an ordinary way, but I really didn’t understand evil spirits.

  Chapter 16

  Wednesday June 21st

  BY THREE A.M., the tavern was packed. Cleo and I had sifted through the memories of everyone there. I had heard a devil bragging to his incubus friend about setting the first forest fire, but when I switched to the devil’s head, I realized he was flat-out lying. It seemed pretty sick to pretend to be a mass murderer, but that was their world. Throughout the night, I’d heard a torrent of lies, and everyone was focused on themselves. It was a horrible world to live in. I couldn’t wait to leave.

  I also heard several demons complain about a wraith named Pierce, but I couldn’t tell if he was the governor. The name wasn’t that unusual. Not that anyone had met the wraith, but just the mention of his name scared these immortals. He apparently ruled Denver with no mercy to those who didn’t fall in line. Pierce worked downtown, which was another clue he was the governor. According to these dirtbags, few of the dark immortals summoned to meet him ever came back.

  -o-o-o-

  AT FIVE-THIRTY a.m., Evangelist closed. Cleo and I were among the last to leave, riding in the heads of a werewolf couple. Once we made it outside, my partner and I disassociated from the werewolves and waited for them to drive away in a Corvette Stingray. Talk about the halcyon days of yore.

  After Cleo and I were alone, we changed into human form and walked toward a coffee shop just opening across the parking lot. The djinn Liz Turner remained our best lead about the arsonist, but I’d learned a lot about the dark side in general. Unfortunately, none of the demons we’d merged with were important enough to know the local leadership, including Pierce.

  I sent a message to Honah that we wanted to follow up on a lead, but I needed my truck. No response.

  While we were waiting for him to teleport us, I asked, “How’d you get from Egypt to San Francisco? That’s your home now, right?”

  She nodded. “Angels talk, and we compare notes. I moved from the Middle East because it has been a nightmare since the dawn of time. One of my friends got me a job in Rome. I stayed there a thousand years or so. Then I got tired of a lover and moved to London to stay away from him. That worked out well until Henry VIII killed Sir Thomas More. That upset me, and shortly thereafter, Honah was looking for help to deal with the demons invading the New World. I’d heard great things about him, so I talked to him. The next thing I knew, I was battling demons killing witches in Salem, Massachusetts. Then gold was discovered in California, and I moved there. Still there now.”

  I patted her on the back. She was the best partner I’d ever had. “You make immortal life sound so ordinary. Just a job.”

  She laughed. “It is ordinary, for us who’ve been alive so long. Eventually, it will be the same for you. Now, you’re a cultural human, but that’s bound to change. Your sister and her daughter will eventually pass on, and you’ll lose contact with individual humans. It’s entirely natural.”

  “Thanks for taking care of the newbie. I won’t forget it.”

  She gave me a one-armed hug. “We make a good team, Gabe. This is working out well so far.”

  Her smile was too warm, so I tried to change topics. “We’re learning about demons. How did there get to be so many different kinds?”

  She shrugged. “Like earthly sentient beings, they’ve had eons to evolve. Many of them have interbred with humans, and the result is a seemingly endless variety of fell creatures.”

  “Is that why so many can pass as human?” I asked.

  She shook her head. “Shapeshifting is the easiest way to hide. Most of the damned know enough magic to look like ordinary people. That also makes it easier for them to take advantage of the humans.”

  “None of these degenerates seemed dangerous to me,” I said.

  Cleo nodded. “Most aren’t. Leprechauns, for example, might hide a man’s keys or steal his gold watch, but they pose no real danger to anyone. And many immortals, like elves, dwarves, or nymphs, can be either good or bad, just like humans. We only focus on a tiny percentage of immortals who are truly evil.”

  I took a deep breath and enjoyed smelling clean air for a change. “I have to tell you, Evangelist is disgusting.”

  She shrugged. “The black man at the bar, actually a were-bear, owns the tavern. He intentionally keeps it filthy to discourage powerful demons from dropping by. They’re used to the finer things in life, and they’re dangerous to his regular customers. These demons are much more afraid of their own rulers than us.”

  “Right. We’ll have to go back, sooner or later. It’s a decent place to collect information— we’ve had a productive night.”

  “We’re getting better at detecting, aren’t we?” she asked with a smile.

  I remembered one of Mom’s old expressions. “Use makes master.”

  -o-o-o-

  BEFORE CLEO AND I made it to the coffee shop, Honah sent us to Ellen’s ranch where I picked up my wheels. Then I drove Cleo back across the entire metro area to Franktown. By the time we made it there, it was rush hour. Most of the major streets were packed with traffic.

  The centaur’s memories of Turner hadn’t included the name of the café she owned or the road she lived on, but there were only a few cafés in the area. That seemed the better approach than trying to recognize Turner’s house among so many in the area.

  At the second café we visited, a woman running the cash register said, “Liz used to own this place, but she sold it a few days ago.”

  “Any chance you know where I could find her?” I asked. “My uncle back in Idaho swears she’s a cousin on his dad’s side. I promised to try and look her up.”

  The woman walked to the back of the kitchen and returned with a phone number.

  I thanked her, and Cleo and I left the restaurant. Outside, I googled the number on my phone, and that gave me Turner’s address on Steeplechase Road, south of town.

  “Finally,” I said, “we’re making progress.”

  Cleo looked at me askance. “Despite Milton’s complaining, we’ve been consistently making progress. He’s
mostly annoyed because he could’ve recruited you months ago, when I first mentioned you to him. If he had, we might’ve been able to stop so many forest fires from starting.”

  I was still mulling that over when I found Turner’s two-story brick house, situated on five acres of parched land. The gate at the main road was locked, but that didn’t slow us down. Cleo transformed into a mourning dove and flew out her window to the house.

  While she was investigating her way, I noticed a woman riding a horse on a neighboring property. I drove close to her fence and waved her over. “Sorry to bother you, ma’am, but I’m looking for Liz. She was going to donate some canned goods for our church’s food drive.”

  Another thing I needed to ask about was lying for a good cause. Nobody had warned me against it so far, but that was no guarantee.

  “She left for a couple of days in Breckenridge,” the woman said. “Should be back by tomorrow afternoon.”

  I waved goodbye and slowly drove out the way we came in. Once I was hidden from the rider’s sight, I stopped and waited for my partner.

  She flew in the passenger side window and transformed into a woman again.

  “The house is definitely empty,” she said.

  I told her what I’d learned about Turner.

  Then I realized the djinn could cause a lot of heartache up in Breck. “I hope she doesn’t start any fires up there. Unfortunately, that town is too big for us to check every motel and condo to try and find her.”

  Cleo smiled at me. “I am still skeptical that she’s the demon we’re looking for. Time will tell. Let’s plan to coordinate tomorrow morning,”

  When I nodded, she squeezed my hand. “See you soon.”

  Then she vanished. We seemed to be stymied until we could meet Turner, but I had other parts of my normal life to manage.

  -o-o-o-

  BY THE TIME I returned to the ranch, Ellen was back. We made breakfast, and while we cooked, I remembered Diana’s comments about eating. So, I tried a slice of bacon. It didn’t satisfy like it used to.

  Ellen offered me a second piece.

  I almost passed, but then I remembered that I had to keep her thinking I was alive. So, I ate several more pieces and a couple of eggs.

  “I’m glad to see you eating,” she said. “You rarely seemed to lately, and that worries me.”

  “I’m not losing any weight. I snack a lot.”

  She looked at me askance but didn’t nag. “What do you have planned for today?”

  “I’d like to visit the new homes we sent the wildlife to, just to make sure things are working out for the critters.”

  She gave me a kiss on the cheek. “Then I guess I’ll see you tonight. Stay safe.”

  I headed outside so I could explain my plan to our babysitter angel, but he wasn’t visible in the sky overhead. I thought, Griffin, I plan to visit the rescue centers that accepted the animals I healed.

  Let’s talk in a moment, he replied. As usual, he didn’t sound happy. Few angels besides Cleo seemed content for long.

  Griffin came into view from the west and landed. As his talons were about to hit the ground, he transformed into a man again.

  “When you leave,” he said, “I’ll watch to make sure you’re not followed. Once you’re gone, though, I can’t be held responsible for your behavior. Don’t approach crowds.”

  It seemed Griffin was more worried about looking bad than interested in helping Ellen and me stay alive, but I couldn’t do much about that.

  “Agreed. Please keep an eye out for demons trying to sneak onto the property.” I drove away and waved at the human guard there to protect Ellen.

  As I left the ranch, I scanned the scrub oaks near the road, looking for any animals that might be demons in disguise. Nothing moved, except for the red-tailed hawk soaring high above. I drove toward the closest shelter I’d sent wildlife to.

  -o-o-o-

  FOR MOST OF the day, I traveled from one shelter to another. The critters I’d helped were all thriving, and that warmed me inside.

  My last stop was a rescue facility on the plains northeast of Denver. It was the only facility I’d found that could care for bears, so I’d shipped the twin cubs there. As I drove in, a hand-painted banner near the road proclaimed, New Attraction—Romeo and Juliet—Baby Bears. Hopefully, that extra publicity would help the center raise funds so all their animals could live more comfortably.

  A Denver TV news van was parked in the lot, and the van just happened to be from the channel Scarlet worked for. She’d moved a lot faster than I’d expected.

  I entered through the front door and approached the receptionist. “Where are the cubs?” I asked. The guy pointed at a closed door. “But you can’t see them now. As we speak, Scarlet Davidson is doing a spotlight on them live on national TV.”

  “Where’s your director?”

  “She’s helping Scarlet.”

  “Could you sneak in there and ask your boss if she has a moment to talk to the man who sent her the cubs?”

  The receptionist left, and a moment later, a woman came out, all smiles. “What perfect timing, Gabriel! Scarlet’s bottle-feeding the little darlings on a live broadcast. When she heard your name, she said you should join her.”

  I wasn’t appearing on TV, that was for danged sure, but I did want to make sure the cubs were happy with getting so much attention. Too much excitement might scare them.

  I followed the director into the room. Scarlet beamed at me. “We’ve just finished one segment and cut to commercials. Ha, ha, I finally got my video of these two beauties.” She sat in an easy chair with both cubs resting in her lap like babies. Two empty bottles sat on an end table close to her.

  “How’d you find them so fast?” I asked.

  Her smile turned sly. “I have my little ways. After all, I am an experienced investigative reporter. Come sit with us.” She patted the arm of a matching chair next to her. “I’d love to thank you on camera for your great work in saving these two adorable babies, not to mention all the other wildlife you’ve helped.”

  I stayed where I was. “No interview, and please don’t mention me. You can thank the shelter for taking them. How are the bears?”

  Scarlet handed over a cub then turned to her cameraman and the director, “Could we have a few minutes, please?”

  Once they left, Scarlet said, “I swear, Gabe, I’ll never understand you. Every other do-gooder I’ve ever met hogs the limelight so they can raise money.”

  I bounced the newborn cub gently on my knee. He was thriving. “Here’s the thing,” I said to Scarlet, “I get too much publicity, and the FBI is gunning for me in part because they think I set the fires to grab attention. They also think I conspired with you to kidnap Houston.”

  She sighed. “My lawyer told me, but my law enforcement sources say Torino has gone rogue. He’s an embarrassment to the bureau, and I’m sure they’ll yank his chain back soon.”

  That was good news, but any behind-the-scenes skepticism probably made Torino more eager than ever to prove his bizarre theories. “How about you? You’re a public figure in a high-powered job.”

  She gave me a sparkling smile. “How sweet of you to worry. I gotta admit, Gabe, I was wrong about you. You’re a great guy.”

  Once more, she was getting too friendly, so I tried to remind her of my question. “Is Torino causing you trouble?”

  She shrugged. “The asshole seems convinced that I whacked Houston. He is going to have to prove you and I somehow hid the body so well in mere minutes that nobody’s been able to find it since. Plus, there wasn’t any communication between you and me where we planned to do jack. No rational motive for you to help me commit murder either. He’s just nuts.”

  Her comment made me realize that our meeting right then didn’t help either of us. Torino might see this as a secret rendezvous to plan some future attack.

  The bear in Scarlet’s lap was falling asleep, so I said, “Let’s switch cubs so I can check yours quickly. Then I have
to get going. Be careful about Torino. The FBI can cause us both a huge amount of trouble.”

  She sniggered as she traded bears. “You can take your fifteen minutes of fame right now. Tell your side of the story. I promise I’ll run the full interview.”

  Milton would love that, not.

  Instead, I examined the second cub and stood. Luckily, both babies were healthy and strong. That was a blessing. My work there was done.

  -o-o-o-

  WHILE I WAS driving back to the ranch, my cellphone rang. It was Ellen.

  “Miss me?” I asked.

  “Actually, yes,” she replied, “but that’s not why I called. Torino is here with a felony arrest warrant for you. He brought a half-dozen reporters, all eager to photograph the criminal of the century for the evening news.”

  “Felony?” This was getting way out of hand. I took the next exit off the freeway and parked alongside the road.

  “I’m looking at the damned thing, Gabriel. It says felony and cites a bunch of U.S. Code provisions. Some crap about you committing domestic terrorism.”

  Sweet Lord! “I’ll call Sid. Fax him that warrant, and don’t let them upset you. That’s not good for the baby.”

  She sighed. “Neither is visiting its uncle in prison.”

  She hung up. I took a few seconds to try and settle my nerves. This was much worse for her. I could vanish, but then she’d have to raise her daughter alone. I called Sid and told him what I knew.

  “They usually can’t match DNA quickly,” the lawyer said. “I told the assistant U.S. Attorney we’d cooperate, and he seemed happy—wait a sec—my secretary just brought me the fax.”

  He paused. “Damn! Domestic terrorism? I can’t—that’s ridiculous.” He paused for a moment. “The prosecutor’s a guy named Davidoff. An inexperienced idiot.”

  Sid paused again, then said, “The warrant claims a DNA match with you and the cap. Let me talk to the prosecutor. In the meantime, turn off your phone. Call me back in fifteen minutes.”