I looked around at everyone around me working so hard. “Right now?”
Honah nodded. “Remember, you are going to the space between time. These good people won’t even realize you’ve left.”
Just that quickly, I found myself at Diana’s Temple at Lago Di Nemi. This time, I stood in the center of the pristine temple.
In a free moment, I’d run an Internet search and confirmed Diana’s historic temple was still a popular tourist attraction on the shores of Lake Nemi. But her temple was in ruins, demolished, except for the foundation. How can it be both? This isn’t a situation where time runs faster or slower. This place is gone.
“Welcome back,” Diana said. “Let’s review the basics.”
Which we did. Then she faced me and held her broadsword at the ready. “Assume I’m a demon.”
I grinned. “That’s hard to imagine.”
“Ready?” As soon as I held my blade forward, she slapped it aside with the tip of hers and stuck me square in my chest. The tip of her sword ran through me and out my back, but it didn’t hurt. Still, I winced with embarrassment.
“So passes Gabriel Townsend, apprentice angel, who repeatedly ignores the advice of his fighting mentor. He couldn’t keep his mind on his studies.”
My face warmed with shame at how true her words were. “Hey! I wasn’t ready.”
She stepped back and raised her blade again. “Are…you…ready…now?” She enunciated each syllable with exaggerated slowness to emphasize what a fool I was.
I lunged at her, but she skipped away. My body was thinner than hers, but the cutting power of a flaming sword minimized my need for strength. I was impressed to hear her flaming blade roar through the air over my head. Damn, she could strike quickly.
Her teaching goal was apparently to show that speed mattered more than strength. She darted from place to place, probing constantly until she found an opening in my defenses. Then she stabbed me. Again.
I tried to adjust to her blinding speed, but my most effective strategy was to back up. Not ideal for a warrior angel, to say the least.
Another blow got through my defenses. “Still bored?” she asked.
I didn’t have time to think of a clever response, so I grumbled. And thrust again.
Diana slapped my blade away, and she then brought her weapon across my body chest-high. If she’d been a demon instead of an angel, I would’ve been sliced neatly into two halves. As this was only training, the worst I had to face was the shudder that ran through me at what could’ve been.
Demons like Stump, Fang, and Pierce were sure to make quick work of someone as unskilled as me.
Diana smacked me on the side of the head with a flat side of her flaming sword.
Luckily, I didn’t get burned.
“You’re daydreaming again. Am I boring you, apprentice?”
That brought me back to the present. “No, sorry. I know this is important.”
“It is—a matter of your life and permanent death. But more important, if you manage to be annihilated, that will reflect terribly on me. So, I do truly hate it when one of my students makes me look bad.”
“Right you are. I’m not keen on getting wiped out either. Thanks for all your efforts on my behalf.”
“You’re welcome,” she said. “You’ve made some progress, but I continue to be unimpressed. If you don’t begin to improve more quickly, I intend to ask Milton to end your apprenticeship. You can become mortal again and reincarnate.”
That comment caught me by surprise. My mind reeled at the thought of losing my relationship with Ellen and my miraculous power to enter sentient beings’ minds. “Wait. I’ll do better. Please don’t talk to him. I swear I’ll focus on fighting first until I can put up a decent defense against the damned.”
She looked at me askance. “I expect to see great progress the next time we meet, apprentice. Or my patience will be at an end.”
Before I could grovel any more, she sent me back to Colorado.
-o-o-o-
THE SMOKE FROM the fire kept blowing northeast, far from our rescue center. Ellen dropped by to see how we were getting along. I kept healing animals and had just finished saving a badly burned doe, and Sid called.
“I’ll take care of her,” Sophie said.
“What’s up?” I asked my lawyer.
“The U.S. Attorney himself has cleared you of any charges for domestic terrorism. They know you wouldn’t have set a fire so close to the ranch where you and your sister live.”
That was great news. “What about Kevin?”
“The case against him continues because he has no alibi, and they found the same bizarre ignition chemical in his Jeep, some odd mixture of sulfur and phosphorus, they’d found at all three fires.”
That was probably the chemical signature for hellfire, but I didn’t know for sure. Torino was determined to pin the crime on someone, and nobody would believe Kevin was being framed. When Pierce had met with Kevin and checked out the Jeep, he’d probably planted the chemical.
“There’s been another fire, so I’m incredibly busy, but the wind has died down. If the work slows, I’m planning to visit Kevin again later. Is there any good news I can give him?”
Sid sighed. “I don’t know of any yet, but I’ll think about it more.”
I thought, too, but nothing useful came to mind. So, I called my sister and gave her my happy news.
-o-o-o-
SHORTLY AFTER THE wind died down, the flow of animals to our rescue center stopped. I managed to get all the critters taken care of, and Raj and Sophie drove them to various animal shelters.
I headed downtown to the jail holding Kevin. Griffin came with me, grumbling about looking for trouble. He didn’t seem to appreciate my need to provide moral support for my best friend.
At the jail, he waited for me in the lobby while I chatted with Kevin. I didn’t tell him I’d been exonerated, probably with considerable influence from Honah and the former U.S. Attorney who was an angel.
Instead, Kevin and I talked about old times, including our hike to Longs Peak that had started my long, strange trip to immortality. It still didn’t mean much to me. I could understand and appreciate my new powers, but eternal life was meaningless.
On my way out of the jail, I walked by a Hispanic man talking on a phone. He stared at me then reached behind his neck.
Every human in the hallway froze.
My stomach flipped. Not again! Griffin, I’m being attacked by some damned demon.
His voice sounded annoyed rather than alarmed. You are an eternal source of trouble. I’m convinced you’re jinxed. On my way. Wait, no. Two more just walked in. They must’ve been waiting outside. I’ll get there as soon as I can.
Now I understood better why new angels had such a lousy life expectancy. There were so many more demons hanging around, and guardian angels never seemed to be in the right place when you needed one. Diana had done her best to prepare me, but it probably wouldn’t be enough.
I pulled out my sword from the scabbard. This time, it slid out smoothly.
The demon facing me laughed as he casually changed into a red-faced devil, complete with a goat’s horns. He waved his red flaming sword back and forth. He was at least six-and-a-half-feet tall and stout. Instead of clothes, he was covered in short fur like a goat, except on his leering face and his human-like arms. The monster looked strong enough to pick up a car.
As he approached me, he muttered in their raspy, foreign language.
I didn’t need a translator. Time to fight to the death.
I swept my sword from side to side in front of him as my stomach continued to roil. Man, I hated these constant surprises popping out of nowhere.
To throw him off balance, I lunged forward with my blade aimed at his gut.
He swept my sword to the side with his and stabbed at me.
I barely dodged the blow.
The devil cackled as his blade swept uncomfortably close to my forehead—close enough for me to
sweat from the heat. That flaming red blade was sizzling hot.
I backed up, but ran into a chair or something similar behind me. My right leg got tangled up. Reaching out with my empty hand, I managed to grab the corner of a filing cabinet and steady myself. Pathetic, Dude.
A chill raced up my back. Is it too late to run? Yeah, Griffin is facing two more on the way out. Stand your ground.
The devil stretched out his incredibly long sword arm. The blade crackled and popped in front of me, like it was vaporizing bugs. Actually, it vaporized beads of sweat falling off of my face. Then, moving faster than I would’ve thought possible, the devil’s sword reversed direction.
I froze in fright but managed to crouch at the last possible instant.
The demon’s rotational inertia carried his weapon off to the side. Big mistake. He roared in frustration, had been so sure of his strike, and he’d swung too hard.
I didn’t hesitate. I thrust my sword forward, driving the point into the Hispanic’s temple. Black blood dribbled out around the blade, and he screamed in agony.
I leapt forward, forcing my blade deeper. Not enough!
Scrambling forward, I pushed harder, straining every muscle until the sword emerged from the other side of the demon’s head. Yes!
The monster vanished in a puff of acrid smoke.
After gasping in surprise, I turned my face to the ceiling and screamed with joy.
A few seconds later, Griffin dashed in. “Once more, you got lucky, but that cannot last.”
Spoilsport. I checked my clothes and the floor where the demon’s blood should’ve fallen, but no evidence of the battle showed. Inside, I did a little victory dance.
“Go back to the spot where you stood when time stopped,” Griffin said. “I’ll do the same, and we’ll re-enter the mortal plane at the same time. I’ll signal when I’m ready.”
Griffin dashed off, and I moved to where I had been at the beginning. Then I held my sword up, ready to lay it against my back.
On three, Griffin told me. One, two, three.
I settled my blade into place and kept walking as though nothing had happened.
Back to good ol’ boring real life.
A moment later, I met my guardian angel and left.
We need to move quickly, Griffin told me. Other demons will show up to find out what happened. They can sense the annihilations from a great distance, and if they arrive before we’re gone, we’ll have much more trouble than we just faced.
As Griffin and I were getting in my car, three ravens dropped out of the sky and swept over the street.
“There they are,” Griffin said. “Don’t dawdle.”
I zoomed out of the parking lot and onto Nineteenth Street.
Griffin kept watching them in the passenger’s rearview mirror. “That was too close for comfort.”
I nodded at him but didn’t know what else to say. Life as an angel was getting freakier by the minute, and the big trouble still lay ahead.
Chapter 22
ONCE GRIFFIN AND I arrived back at the relief center, I gave my sister a kiss on the cheek and got back to work. I explained that Kevin was doing his best to cope under terrible circumstances.
By the time darkness fell, I’d wrapped up my work and driven my equipment back to the ranch. When I got it unpacked, it was time to follow Stump and Fang to the church where they planned their attack.
Then I got a mental message from Honah. Dark immortals are causing the legion considerable difficulties on the east coast and in the Midwest today. I had hoped to speak with you about your mission tonight soon, but my visit will be delayed. You will have Griffin with you, but I cannot promise any more help.
In other words, Cleo, Griffin, and I would be on our own. If I go down, does the same deal apply where you’ll take care of Ellen and her daughter?
He responded instantly. Of course. Be assured, we will provide for any family you leave behind, either today or a decade from now.
That made me feel better. It was one thing to take risks when I would suffer the worst consequences but another thing entirely when Ellen and her baby would suffer. I began to mentally prepare myself for the fight to come.
-o-o-o-
SOON, IT WAS time to leave. Ellen had already gone back to her friend’s ranch. Cleo drove Griffin and me in a sedan to the warehouse where I expected to find Stump and Fang.
The dwarf had visited this warehouse in northwest Denver many times, so his memory of where it was located had been vivid. I had no trouble finding the place, arriving well before the appointed time. Cleo parked a block away, and Griffin flew into the night.
A few minutes later he returned. “The dwarf and werewolf are in human form but clearly recognizable from your memory of the club. They just left the warehouse in a small white Jeep.”
Cleo drove us in the direction Griffin pointed down one of Denver’s arterial streets, speeding a little until she caught up to the demons.
We followed the Jeep at a distance as it whizzed through northwest Denver. Thanks to the light of an almost-full moon, the white Jeep was easy to see. Griffin stretched out in the rear seat without belting up. “They are certainly powerful dark immortals. Strong auras.”
I wished I was as confident of beating them. There was something extra-weird about this night, and I told them what Honah had said about trouble back east. Once darkness fell on the West Coast, I thought the situation was likely to get worse.
We’d been listening to rock and roll on one of the local radio stations, and the announcer said, “Uh oh, something strange is going on. A crowd is panicking in Boulder, at Folsom Field. Some kind of explosion at a Dylan concert just as he was singing, ‘The Times They Are A-Changin'’. The old hippies are freaking out.”
Griffin spoke up. “Honah just sent me a message. There’s a fire raging near the Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City. He and Raphael are fighting three dozen demons there at the moment.”
I thought of possible explanations for the coincidence but struck out. “Can two angels handle that many attackers by themselves?”
“They’re incredibly powerful,” Cleo said, “but the demons are launching a powerful campaign against us.”
“Exactly,” Griffin said. “We are near the breaking point. Honah told me he’ll send a guardian angel to help us if he can. First, we have to find the location for the planned attack.”
I wondered what the demons had in mind. It seemed like a coordinated assault across the country, and it was sure to freak out millions of people.
Stump and Fang took Interstate 70 west. The radio announcer reported more fires and mayhem in dozens of other cities.
“This can’t be a coincidence,” I said.
“Certainly not,” Cleo replied. “Denver seems to be the center of the arson campaigns, so we have to eliminate the main opposition here. We should focus on our problem and hope for the best at the other disasters. Honah has many other guardian angels available to deal with the rest of the country.”
Near the freeway’s junction with U.S. Highway 6, a semi-tractor trailer was burning in the left lane. The stinging fumes made me glad I didn’t need to breathe anymore. A half-dozen fire trucks and cop cars blocked part of the highway, but the demons in front zipped past.
“This is going to be a terrible night,” Griffin said. “Every few weeks lately, for no apparent reason, the demons have picked a time to coordinate many attacks. Now, this is an order of magnitude worse.”
All I knew for sure was the dwarf and werewolf continued west toward the mountains.
-o-o-o-
SQUAD CARS WITH flashing lights zoomed in one direction or another. A number of small fires burned, both in the western suburbs and in the foothills. Once again, the wind was blowing hard, so it was a prime night to set another forest fire along the Front Range. As we passed the Morrison exit, a gasoline truck burned brightly, blocking the off ramp. We were stuck on the Highway to Hell.
The demons ahead of us ignored all the ho
tspots we passed, and my stomach churned from worry. They definitely planned to add to the mayhem somehow. By attacking peaceful religious leaders?
Griffin said, “There are too few angels in North America, and the demons know it. With these random bursts of chaos, they intentionally stretch the legion out so thinly we can’t respond to every crisis. Week after week, the humans become more fearful. Their society is breaking down.”
“Uh-oh,” Cleo said, “Honah just told me we can’t expect any help tonight.”
“I’ll do whatever I can,” I said, although I knew as an apprentice, I wasn’t likely to make much difference.
“Gabe,” Cleo said, “don’t go pretending you’re a warrior. Griffin and I can fly away from a catastrophe. You can’t.”
She had a point, but I already knew the Angelic Legion had a code, like the Marines. Every angel fought when the chips were down, and nobody got left behind. “You two aren’t going to leave me.”
“Exactly,” Griffin said, “so if you participate in the battle, you will make the fight more dangerous for us. When we get to the church, you need to drive away.”
“Fat chance,” I said before I remembered who I was talking to. “That means no chance, in case you didn’t know. This fight is very personal for me.”
“We can make you obey,” Griffin snapped back.
“Gentlemen,” Cleo said, “please watch your tempers.”
I bit off the insult I was about to fire at the arrogant fighter. “Okay, I’ll be civil. Honah or Milton can make me leave, but it sounds like they’re up to their necks in alligators. I mean they’re too busy. I doubt that either of you can teleport me anywhere, so you can’t make me leave. If the trouble is too bad, feel free to abandon me with the humans. I’m not a real angel, anyway, so the code probably doesn’t apply.”
“I don’t know what code you’re referring to,” Cleo said, “but if the fight is unwinnable, you’ll have to drive off. Otherwise, I’ll be happy to take control of your mind right now. Griffin and I can go to another trouble spot and fight there.”
He didn’t comment.
“Fine,” I said, with little choice. “If any two of us thinks the fight is lost, we all leave at the same time.”
Forged by Fire (Angels at the Edge Book 1) Page 21
