Forged by Fire (Angels at the Edge Book 1)

by Michael Arches

  An image flashed into Stump’s mind of him crushing a were-bear’s head between his massive, scarred hands. That was how he kept people in line, and he overflowed with happiness as he remembered killing that demon with his bare hands.

  Pierce’s henchmen were all the worst kind of sentient beings, and every so often, one of them would try to screw Pierce in some creative way. Stump always found out because he could read minds, too.

  Then I saw one more critical bit of information. At 9:30 p.m. tomorrow, Stump was supposed to meet Fang at a warehouse in northwest Denver. Then the two would drive to an unnamed church to attack an ecumenical meeting.

  Before I could pass that tidbit on to my partner, though, someone at the end of the table punched the warlock next to him.

  Stump roared, “Cut it out.” But it was too late. These scumbags were too drunk and pissed off at each other to hold back anymore. They’d probably been hoping for a fight to break out from the beginning.

  Everyone else in the room stood and immediately headed for the door. They’d obviously been expecting the same thing. The problem was, none of them came close to our table, so Cleo and I couldn’t hitch a ride out of this chaos.

  Despite being trapped temporarily, I hoped to come out of this rumble unscathed. None of these demons were likely insane enough to take on Stump.

  He felt the same way, but just to make sure, he pulled a long, flaming red broadsword out of the scabbard behind his neck. Then, holding it in one hand, he punched his closest neighbor with his free hand. The goblin dropped in his tracks, out cold.

  That was the only way Stump knew to restore the peace. He’d knock everyone senseless.

  Within seconds, he took out two devils on our side of the table, but before he reached Cleo’s side, a vampire with extended fangs hit the prison boss in the face with a champagne bottle. The prison thug was seven feet tall, but he was fully human. No flaming sword for him. He did pack a .44 Magnum revolver, and he shoved it into the vampire’s face.

  A huge boom echoed in the room, and the vampire’s leer turned into a bloody mess. But within a second, he began to heal, and while the prison thug froze in shock, the vampire buried his fangs in the thug’s throat. Then he dragged the guy to a corner and fed quietly.

  So, there were two the dwarf didn’t have to worry about anymore.

  Ugh! Cleo yelled in my head. No wonder none of the angels are willing to infiltrate the demon hordes. I’m switching to the fury behind me.

  Stump kept knocking people out, but a werewolf slashed at him with a sabre.

  The dwarf was strong but slow. The blade sliced open his bicep, and it felt like the werewolf had removed Stump’s arm completely. My guy roared with pain and brought his broadsword down on the werewolf’s head. The demon raised his blade to protect himself, but the force of Stump’s blow was overwhelming. The werewolf’s arm broke, and Stump buried his sword in the werewolf’s head, splitting it into two equal halves.

  A scream died on the werewolf’s lips, and he vanished in a pulse of light, leaving only black smoke.

  By that point, my guy was blind with rage, and he swung his sword wildly.

  The fury with Cleo inside happened to be in the way, but she ducked in the nick of time. His demonic blade could kill my partner at the same time as the fury, so I did everything I could to stop the dwarf. But Stump was beyond caring about anything except murder. He raised his blade over the cowering fury for a killing blow.

  I couldn’t hold him back. He slammed his blade down onto his victim.

  The instant before he made contact, though, Cleo shifted into the dwarf with me. The fury vanished with a flash and smoke.

  I’m so relieved! I told her. I tried to stop the dwarf, but it was impossible.

  She told me, Thanks for looking out for me! Battle rage is mindless. I’ve seen some epic slaughters in my time.

  I was relieved, but we still weren’t out of the woods. Stump continued on his rampage, and he attacked a troll who looked even stronger than the dwarf.

  Then a searing pain started between his shoulder blades and filled his chest. Someone had attacked him from behind. He spun to one side to avoid the club swung by the troll and turned to face the second attacker, a vampire with empty hands.

  “You have to be dead!” the vamp said. “I buried my dagger in your heart.”

  But the dwarf didn’t care. His heart had shriveled up long ago.

  The vamp probably should’ve known better.

  Despite the pain it caused him to move, Stump swung his sword across chest-high, and sliced the vampire in two.

  Without pausing to admire his handiwork, the dwarf turned back to the troll. His club was about to crush Stump’s head when a sharp, piercing scream erupted from the club’s entrance. Thunder filled the room. A lightning bolt vaporized the troll.

  Pierce had finally arrived for dinner.

  Stump collapsed in a chair, almost breaking it. The pain between his shoulders was worse than ever.

  The goblin the dwarf had clobbered smiled at Stump. “There’s a knife in your back. Would you like me to pull it out?”

  The dwarf had been running on fumes, and he took a moment to think. Finally, he said, “Get a healer.”

  Relief flooded through the dwarf as he spotted the wraith rushing forward, seemingly floating over the floor. The dwarf passed out.

  The waitstaff, who had seemed to vanish during the fight, instantly reappeared and hurried to the table. They collected all the dishes knocked around during the fight, and Cleo and I merged with one of them to ride to the kitchen before Pierce could get close enough to sense us.

  How’re we going to get out of here? I asked her. We need to escape and call in an air strike from Honah and friends.

  Before the waitress we were in hurried back to the table with fresh place settings, we each switched into cooks.

  Mine was a pastry chef. I ransacked her brain to learn about the service entrance. The club had to have one to receive supplies. But I was disappointed. The back entrance locked shut as a security measure every night before the club opened.

  We had to leave the same way we came or wait for the club to close at six a.m.

  Every minute that we had to wait lessened the chance that Honah and his fighters would get to the club in time to wipe out the head demon who’d started three massive forest fires and killed so many people and animals.

  The table’s waitress barged into the kitchen. “Fang is here, too, and he wants fresh kidneys, human.”

  The head chef scowled. “They have to give us twenty-four-hours’ notice for special orders.”

  The waitress put her hands on her hips. “You go out there and tell him that. I’m not that stupid. Or you can carve up the prison gang boss. The vampire’s finished draining him.”

  The head chef nodded and motioned for two of his helpers to go collect the carcass.

  -o-o-o-

  WHILE CLEO AND I hid out in the kitchen, the demons sat at their newly set table and drank and ate as though none of them had fought earlier. Stump was healed in no time, and he laughed and joked with the others who’d survived. Just another day in their disgusting lives.

  None of the club workers left, so Cleo and I couldn’t exit unless we were going to change into our human forms. That would be suicidal, but with every minute that passed, our chance to get rid of the demonic leadership in Denver was slipping away.

  I thought about hiding somewhere in the kitchen, transforming to my real self, and sending a text or email from my phone, but there was no place to hide. Cleo had no better ideas.

  My frustration continued to grow until the table’s waitress entered the kitchen and laughed. “Pierce just received a phone call. Within a few seconds, he, Fang, and Stump took off.”

  Smiles filled the kitchen, and ten of the workers walked out a few minutes later through the almost-empty dining room. Cleo and I went with them, but it was too late. Our quarry had vanished.

  As soon as I left the club,
I sent a mental message to Honah saying, Pierce came and went. We couldn’t get a message to you. It was a crazy night, but we’re both fine.

  Before Cleo and I reached my pickup, the old Indian popped out of thin air in front of me. He stuck out his hand to share my thoughts, and I cringed at what he’d see. I hadn’t done anything useful that I could recall, except for eliminating Sparta and Turner.

  He didn’t offer any opinion, good or bad. “At least we know who we’re seeking now. We must destroy all three. We cannot eliminate Pierce at a public event without raising too many questions. Our best opportunity to deliver God’s justice will come later this evening when they attack the church meeting.”

  Cleo and I nodded.

  “Meanwhile, you were correct, Gabriel. Fang started another forest fire after midnight, this time close to Ellen’s ranch. Go help her.”

  I would’ve, whether he let me or not.

  “Tonight,” he said, “you two need to follow the dwarf from his rendezvous and alert me when you arrive at the church. I’ll come, if possible, but if not, I intend to send a team of battle-hardened angels to deal with those three once and for all time. Their reign of terror has to end.”

  Honah vanished again.

  Cleo said, “I’m sorry, Gabe. We did our best tonight, but it wasn’t enough. Hopefully, we’ll have another chance soon. Be of good cheer and help your sister.”

  “You’re a fantastic partner. I’m sure we’ll finish the job this evening.” I gave her a one-armed hug, and she, too, disappeared.

  I couldn’t help but feel disappointed that we’d missed a prime opportunity to get rid of the monsters who’d set the three forest fires that had terrified so many people in Colorado. But that wasn’t nearly as important as getting back to the ranch to help Ellen.

  -o-o-o-

  I DROVE TO the ranch as quickly as I could. Fortunately, during the pre-dawn hours, the roads were empty, and as I got closer to Golden, I couldn’t yet see the fire. That meant we probably still had time to save the herds.

  When I reached the foothills, however, a steady stream of cars were leaving. I arrived back home in record time, and Griffin landed next to my car and took his angel form. “A hundred acres of the forest is burning about two miles west. You and your sister should evacuate immediately. I’ll keep an eye on matters from up high.”

  The edge of the ponderosa pine forest was only a half-mile away. The pastures were well-irrigated, so that grass wouldn’t burn. But the smoke from the fires would be too toxic to breathe, particularly for a pregnant woman. “Sure. I’ll wake Ellen.”

  Griffin changed back to a hawk and flew off into the darkness. I couldn’t help but envy how easily he soared into the sky.

  Then I hurried to the house and woke up my sister. “It sounds like we’ve got serious trouble, girl. A fire is burning close by.”

  She jumped out of bed wearing her Broncos jersey. “I’ve been worried about this for months, living so near the trees during a drought. We can open the gates to the pastures and lead the flocks down the road. My friend Clara has told me several times that we can move our animals to her ranch.”

  She lived a mile and a half farther east, and with luck, the wind would blow the fire and smoke north of us.

  “Should work,” I said, “as long as the wind doesn’t shift direction soon.”

  “We don’t have to go far, which is good because we’ll have to herd them slowly. The lambs and kids will have trouble keeping up with their mothers.”

  She handed me her cell phone. “Call Clara Newton while I get dressed. She’s in my contact list. Tell her we’re coming.”

  I did that, and called our handful of neighbors to make sure they knew about the danger. They didn’t have large numbers of animals to worry about, so they could leave immediately. All of them were already packing up.

  Next, I grabbed Ellen’s small safe and her most precious photos and keepsakes. The FBI had taken her computers and business records.

  After Ellen dressed, we ran downstairs and to the barn where her full-sized pickup was parked. Under the barn lights, we loaded it, then walked through the barn to the closest field. Her goats and sheep had packed themselves into a solid mass against the gate to get as far from the flames as they could. They bleated constantly in the darkness.

  To the west, an ominous red glow in the darkness definitely threatened us, and the acrid sting of smoke filled the air. My body trembled as I remembered my last ride in Kevin’s Rubicon. I’d spent my time in Hell and wasn’t going back.

  “You okay,” Ellen asked. “Your hands are shaking.”

  “I’m all right. Just a nasty little flashback to the Meeker Park fire. I can get a hold of myself. We need to get these critters out of here before they stomp all over each other in their panic.”

  The wind continued blowing strongly from the southwest, but the trees directly west of us hadn’t lit up yet. I couldn’t bear to lose any more people or animals I knew.

  When I opened the gate into the barn, the livestock rushed through. They flowed past the house and ran down the gravel driveway to a spur road that serviced a handful of houses near us.

  Luckily, our neighbors had already cleared out, so Ellen’s herds could fill the road without getting in someone’s escape path.

  I ran ahead with two of the border collies to keep ahead of the sheep and goats pointed toward Clara’s ranch. I wasn’t crazy about leaving Ellen behind, but I could see the headlights of her pickup as she drove behind the animals.

  The fire seemed to race toward us, and the trees at the edge of the forest erupted in flames. We’d gotten out just in time. The house and the barn both had metal roofs, and we’d kept anything burnable away from the buildings, so I hoped they’d survive. Even if they did, though, they’d be filled with smoke that could linger for a long time.

  When we made it to the main road leading out of the mountains, the traffic was dead stopped. Our animals flowed past the vehicles on each side of the road. I couldn’t do anything about that, and the cars weren’t moving anyway.

  For over a mile, the goats and sheep hurried forward until we came to Clara’s ranch. She was standing at the entrance holding a flashlight with her pasture’s gate open and a collie on hand to direct Ellen’s livestock into her fields. With the help of Ellen’s dogs, Clara and I got the sheep and goats out of the road before the vehicles began to creep forward again. Soon, Ellen arrived with her pickup, and my nervousness eased. A subdivision surrounded Clara’s ranch on three sides, so there was no way the local fire department would let the flames get close. Ellen and her critters would be safe.

  But I still had to find a way to stop the demons terrorizing everyone in the Denver metro area.

  -o-o-o-

  AT DAWN, AS we were finishing a hurried breakfast Clara had prepared, Harriet at the Red Cross sent me a text. If you’re up for working, we’re setting up along Highway 93 just north of Golden.

  I texted back, I am, but most of my gear is still at my sister’s ranch. We just evacuated the animals. I can’t go back.

  A few minutes later, Harriet replied. Come and work under our tent. We’ll make room for you and your helpers.

  I accepted Harriet’s offer, although I had no crates for critters and couldn’t get any until the stores opened later that morning. But I could still heal. That was crucial work. Demon chasing was even more important, but Cleo and I couldn’t do that until the evening.

  -o-o-o-

  AFTER BRAVING THE solid line of cars leaving the mountains, I reached Harriet and thanked her again for her support. Then Raj, Sophie, and I set up a makeshift MASH unit for four-legged victims. As before, the fire crews started bringing us animals of every description, wildlife, and abandoned pets and livestock.

  One of our first patients was a badly burned Sheltie who’d woken up her master just in time to get out. A hero dog. I took special satisfaction in healing her.

  Raj patted me on the back and grinned when he saw the canine emerge
from his crate.

  Around noon, Griffin walked into the tent looking like Clint Eastwood from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

  “We need to talk,” he said.

  We walked outside away from everyone.

  “The fire started in a residence surrounded by trees,” the angel said. “The property reeks of satanic magic. I hear from Honah that you might know who started the fire.”

  I hadn’t had time to tell him what we’d learned at Mystery. “Pierce told a devil named Sparta and a werewolf named Fang to set two fires last night,” I said. “We stopped Sparta but didn’t hear about the werewolf until he’d done his damage. I expect to run down the three worse demons in this area tonight. Maybe you can help us eliminate them.”

  He nodded. “Perfect. Please don’t leave this area, or I won’t be able to protect you.”

  Griffin was a terrific fighter, but wasn’t much for chatting. A terrible fault that I was willing to overlook because I needed him to protect me from the trouble sure to come.

  Chapter 21

  THROUGH THE MORNING, I helped animals hurt by the latest fire. Ellen left with Griffin as soon as the pet stores opened so they could grab the much-needed supplies. When they returned, I was relieved to see dozens of kennels in various sizes.

  “This time,” I said, “we’re getting lots of injured pets but not much wildlife. I was forced to tie all the dogs along one wall, and the cats along another, but they’ve behaved well so far. Let’s get them in their own cages and feed them.”

  Griffin flew off to take up his station above us, but Ellen, Raj, and Sophie helped me with the critters.

  -o-o-o-

  TO MY SURPRISE, Honah stepped into the Red Cross tent and approached me. He whispered, “I’d like to see you train to fight again. You barely escaped annihilation by Sparta last night.”