Down in Flames

by Jennifer Siddoway

  I knew how she and Dad worked together as a couple, I’d seen it while we were growing up, but if she and Aidan were together like I knew they were, I just couldn’t picture it in my head. I couldn’t picture anyone in a relationship with him at all.

  “What was your wedding day like?” I asked her curiously. “There aren’t many pictures of it.”

  She chuckled. “Well, his family wasn’t very pleased to start with, they made sure I knew that too. I swear half of Alabama showed up to the wedding venue; the Hendrick’s family was practically southern royalty. You know Uncle Jeff worked as a lobbyist for the senator? He got him to come, as well as the mayor, and the entire law firm from his office. All of them were whispering about me behind my back and I wanted to cry. Elyse was a baby, so Lydia took her and made a big fuss about it. I didn’t want all the bells and whistles that came with it, I just wanted to be with Will. Honestly, it was a great relief when the whole thing was over and we could go home and rest.”

  Charley laughed. “That’s sounds pretty hectic, I agree. Ryan’s mom has been helping out a lot, so I know it’s going to be beautiful. Thank you so much for teaching us how to cook and letting us invade your home like this.”

  Mom smiled at her and nodded. “You’re very welcome. Consider it a wedding present.”

  “Won’t you be at the ceremony?” Charley asked in surprise.

  “I’m afraid my soon to be ex-husband will be there. Will and I have known Ryan since he was a little boy and I know that he’s looking forward to going. It would be awkward for me to spoil things for him like that. That’s my gift to him, letting him share that time with you. You’ll all be happier if I bow out, I promise. I hope you understand.”

  She nodded and the conversation turned to other topics. Mom and Nadia kept us entertained for hours, until eventually it was late. Nadia graciously offered to let us stay overnight, but we declined, insisting it was time to leave.

  They seemed to understand and walked us out toward the parking lot. I scratched Hemingway behind the ears before heading down the stairs and he purred happily at the attention. We were all giggling, tripping over our own feet as we wandered through her shop, Quarter Moon. The dried herbs and scented candles had a delightfully exotic feel, as well as the lighting that was covered in multicolored glass and dozens of dream catchers that hung along the counter.

  Neither Charley nor Lacey had been to Nadia’s shop before, so I tried not to rush them, letting them soak it all in the way I had the first time. It seemed like such a long time ago when Ryan and I found it off the beaten path of Dumaine. I didn’t know what to expect, we were just looking for answers at the time, but finding Aunt Nadia had been a lifesaver. The daughter of a fairy king, she was well equipped to guide us, the same way she had guided many lost souls that showed up bereft at her door. With the scrying spell to protect them, it was one of the few places witches could find sanctuary from their demon masters, if only for a short while.

  Every time I came here it left me wanting to braid flowers in my hair and go dancing through the forest. I’d always wanted to live in the woods as a fairy sprite, even as a child, becoming one with nature. Visiting Quarter Moon and dancing with the witches at Samhain were the closest I’d ever come to making those dreams become reality. The smells and earthy tone struck a chord that harmonized with my fairy bloodline and resonated beautifully – I never wanted to leave.

  “Come on, girls,” Nadia urged, bringing us one step closer to the door. “You've still got a long drive ahead of you.”

  Charley sighed, tracing her hand along the incense burner before opening the door and stepping out into the courtyard. The narrow alley led us back into the alcove that twisted its way back around into the street. I’d only taken a few steps around the corner when an energy ball came flying out of nowhere and I had to dodge it suddenly. “Aughh!”

  The orb whizzed past me and decimated a portion of the wall on the opposite side. The brick flowerbox shattered, crumbling with a shock wave, and I pushed myself in front of Lacey to protect her as I looked around to see who could be the source of the attack.

  “Wynn, run! It's the angels,” Nadia screamed.

  To where? I wondered frantically. And how did they get past the barrier?

  Truthfully, I was more concerned with getting the others out of danger than finding a place to hide myself. All my senses were on high alert as my eyes flitted across the courtyard, the adrenaline rising through my body while it instinctively went to battle mode. Without any magic powers to defend herself, Lacey ducked behind one of the ceramic pots and the rest of us prepared for an attack. Mom and Nadia backed up against each other, murmuring an incantation that ignited a rune on the ground. Standing on top of it made me feel strong, fearless, more confident than before, and I quickly summoned an energy ball to launch at the angels the moment they were visible. Four Guardians emerged from the shadows, becoming visible in the moonlight with their pale blue auras and ethereal eyes. They were dressed in the hooded gray cloaks that marked the warrior class, and carried silver weapons beneath a pair of beating wings. My eyes narrowed as I stood in front of them, looking up at the misty glow, and screamed for everyone else to hide. One of the angels had fine black hair pulled back into a top-knot. He aimed his bow at me and released the glittering spur so that it flew across the terrace. I grinned as it rocketed towards me and caught it with my hand mere inches from my face.

  He roared with rage and began loading up another while two more Guardians came flying down with their scimitars. I Blinked out of the way and they followed me, clashing back and forth in an acrobatic display of weapon finesse. Thankfully, Aidan’s training served me well and I was able to play them off each other. The rune Nadia had enchanted renewed my energy and I was able to parry them easily. Charley’s eyes turned red as the demon blood inside reacted to their angelic presence. The instinct to attack would be her natural reaction, just as a cat would be the natural predator to a mouse, a demon would always defend themselves against the angel horde. She ran along the wall of the terrace and launched herself off the window ledge to tag one of the Guardians on his forehead. As her fingers touched, an arcane sign appeared, marking him as a target. The angel knew what had happened instantly, but before he could retaliate, Charley Blinked away and landed on the terrace floor.

  Yes! Way to go, Charley.

  While she was keeping the blond Guardian preoccupied, I fought off the other two and Mom charged up a fire hex. She blasted them with a pulse of energy and it was pulled like a magnet to the mark Charlene had planted. The angel groaned, dropping his bow, as he fell to the ground unconscious.

  After Charlene reappeared beside me, she helped fight off the two I had already engaged. It was madness, swerving to avoid their attacks and launching some of our own. They moved so fast I could barely see where they were going, I had to sense them and predict their direction. I was turning around to reconfigure my arms into blades when one of them came flying out of nowhere and kicked me in the chest.

  “Wynn!”

  The force of it knocked the air from my lungs and I went flying backwards, hitting my head against the brick wall. “Ughh…”

  “Why are you doing this?” Nadia demanded. “The child has done no wrong.”

  “Every breath she takes on the Mortal Plane is a sin,” the one with a top-knot told her. “You’d be wise to step aside, if you know what’s good for you.”

  “How long did you think that pathetic force field would last? You honestly thought we wouldn’t notice? You’re an embarrassing mark on Ellyllon’s royal legacy – hiding witches instead of turning them into their masters. What were you thinking?”

  She’d given them refuge in a secret alcove of her shop. It was a safe space where they could rest without fear of judgment and commiserate with each other. I always saw it as kind, even if she couldn’t save them from their fate.

  Nadia and Mom both snarled at them, stepping up to defend us from the assault. Mom’s hands began to
twinkle, glowing alight as she stretched her arms out and cast a display of dancing lights across the terrace. The movement and display of color made it difficult to see and the angels had to shield their eyes from the sight of it. I was not immune to the effects and hissed reflexively before I caught my bearings and was able to use it to my advantage. It only served to enrage them further and one of them went rogue, emitting a shriek of anger and swooping down to crash into her and send Mom flying against the terrace wall. It broke the spell immediately and we were left with the angels staring us down more viciously than before.

  I teleported across the floor when one of them swooped down at me and tried to cut me with his blade. Another blasted Mom and Charley with a gust of wind. When Mom landed against a bench, the sound of wood splintered as she groaned. The angels were startled by the loud noise and their gazes zoomed to the woman on the floor. The blond one walked forward trepidaciously while two others held me down. On further inspection, he found the broken stake and brought it out for the others to see. Their jaws dropped as they stared at it in wonder.

  “It’s from the Garden,” he told them in awe and fury.

  “What is this? How did it come to be in your possession?” the one who was in charge demanded.

  “She must have stolen it,” another told him. “But it’s not the real one. What exactly is going on here?”

  “I stole it!” I shot back acidly, still pinned down and struggling to break free. “You don’t understand what’s happening. I took it to stop Lucifer from invading the Mortal Realm; I have to kill him.”

  The angels laughed at me and I gritted my teeth with rage, refocusing my energy to blast them off me and climb wearily to my feet. Two of them flew back from the attack and landed hard on the opposite wall. I dusted off my jeans, panting from the exertion and turned to look at them while they stood-up, moaning. “A likely story,” the dark-skinned one accused me. “She’ll say anything to save her precious neck.”

  This time it was Charlene who responded, “No, it’s true. Aidan has been planning this for decades, maybe longer. He’s going to shift the ley lines and change the Earth’s alignment. If you think Wynn is dangerous, imagine if he’s able to pull that off and release the gates to let the entire Demon Realm come through.”

  For a moment, the angel looked unsure of himself. “The ley lines are beyond the reaches of any Demon Lord, they would need to have –”

  “A key,” I finished for him. “I know. He plans on using me to complete the ritual.”

  “All the more reason we should be killing you,” the angel argued.

  I shook my head and scoffed. “You still don’t get it, do you? He needs someone who’s fae, and willing to bind themselves to the Demon Realm. If it isn’t me, then he’s going to find someone else who will. I’m on your side and trying to keep the Demon Realm from invading. I’m risking my life to protect this world from Aidan and the other Demon Lords who pose a threat to all humanity. They have to be stopped. Now you could kill me, and that would be fine, but I’m in a unique position to help. The next key he finds might not want to stop him. I want to help. The choice is up to you.”

  The angels stepped back, speaking quietly among themselves and eyeing me suspiciously. Nadia helped Mom to her feet, letting Michele support her weight against her shoulder as they came over to join me at the wall. They didn’t know if my claims were true, and I understood. To set me free went against everything they were trained to do and everything they’d ever been told about demons.

  Lacey crouched down in her hiding place, eyes wide with terror as she watched the angels discussing what to do with us. It was impossible to know if she could see them the way we could, but she sensed their presence and saw the effects of their vengeance being wrought. All of us were injured to some degree, and the destruction of the courtyard was further proof they meant us harm.

  Eventually, they turned back to me and muttered, “With this new information, I’m afraid we’ll have to consult with our superiors. Don’t get any smart ideas though, girl – we know how to find you. Believe me, we will be back, and we’ll learn the truth about these matters.”

  I nodded stiffly as they disappeared in a flash of light and we were left there in the courtyard. As the danger passed, Lacey emerged from her hiding place and had tears streaming down her cheeks. She was shaking as we came towards each other, and I just opened my arms for her to fall into me, all of us releasing a sigh of relief. As her heart and adrenaline relaxed, she was trying hard to regain nerves. I wrapped my arms around her in a hug and brushed my fingers through her hair. “I don’t know if I’m cut out for this,” she blubbered. “I want to be strong and fight like the rest of you, but I can’t. I’m just … weak.”

  “Oh, sweetheart. You’re not weak,” I told her quietly. “Hey, look at me.”

  She glanced up to look at me, teary-eyed, and I wiped away her tears before continuing with my speech.

  “Not all of us were meant to fight, there are other roles to play. Some of them are even more important. Don’t worry about it, ‘kay?”

  She nodded weakly and I wrapped my arms around her shoulder, guiding us toward the others. Mom glanced over as we approached and reached up to give me a hug as well. “That went better than I expected.”

  Charley frowned, crossing her arms in front of her chest. “We got off easy, next time we might not be so lucky.”

  “She’s right,” Nadia whispered. “You can’t run from this forever.”

  “I know, I just need to make it until after the wedding. Then we can finally deal with Aidan for real.”

  Charley grinned. “As long as it doesn’t interfere with the reception. I spent a lot of time on that.”

  Lacey and I both chuckled nervously. “I’ll do my best.”

  “Good. The three of us should really start heading back, I told Ryan we’d be home by midnight.”

  Mom nodded. “Okay, but call me when you get there.”

  “Yes, and have a lovely time at the wedding,” Nadia added. “I’m very happy for you.”

  “Thanks.”

  I waved goodbye and wrapped my arm around Lacey, who was still crying silently. We left the charming alcove and stepped out onto Dumaine Street beneath an iron archway. The air was filled with the scent of bourbon and smoky perfume from different shops around the Quarter. Charley led us down the street to where she was parked and unlocked her truck with the clicker on her keychain. I rubbed Lacey’s arm to try and sooth her after we climbed into the cab. She smiled back at me appreciatively and started to relax against my shoulder by the time Charlene backed out of the parking space to start on the long drive back towards Mobile.

  “I’m sorry if I wrecked your bachelorette party,” I told her dismally.

  She grinned at me in the rearview mirror. “What are you talking about. As far as I’m concerned, that was the best party ever.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Something Blue

  ML

  “Please Charley, don't make me wear it!”

  We'd been going back and forth over this for about an hour, picking out a dress to wear for the ceremony. It was a problem we’d run into since adding me to the wedding party late. None of the bridal shops could order a dress in time, so we were forced to pick from ones that were already on hand. “Wynn, you're one of my bridesmaids. I've got to have you looking presentable,” she scolded playfully.

  The two of us had just gotten back from our hair appointment as part of the trial run for the big day. My hair was still up in tendrils from where the stylist had wrapped sections around a curling iron and pinned them back in an elegant design.

  “Can I at least wear one of my own dresses?” I pleaded. “Dad even went back to the house and grabbed some from my closet so I’d have something to wear.”

  She sighed, setting down the hideous yellow gown that she'd picked out for me, and placed her hands on her hips. “Which one did you have in mind?”

  I jumped off the bed and flew to
the closet. My hands scanned the hangers until I came to a dress I thought was perfect. A victory grin spread across my face as I pulled out the black halter dress she'd once complimented me on. It had sheer black fabric across the bust that was formal and elegant with a sequined trim along the collar. It was enough glitz to be considered formal, but less gaudy than the one she’d suggested. I knew I'd won the argument when she snatched the material off my bed and started to leave the room. “Fine, as long as you don't wear those hideous sunglasses with it.”

  I snickered. Leather jacket and combat boots, it is.

  With the wardrobe issue resolved, Charlene skipped off down the hall with the dress thrown over her arm. As she disappeared around the corner to finalize other wedding plans, my eyes drifted towards the dresser where a pair of men’s pajama bottoms were neatly folded on top and I realized there was another errand I needed to run as well. My cheeks flushed at the thought of seeing Caleb, but I couldn’t keep avoiding him forever. I scooped up the armful of clothing and headed out the door to borrow Dad’s keys. “Guys, I’m heading out!” I called into the kitchen.

  “What? Where are you going?”

  He came in from the living room and I showed him the laundry I was carrying. “I need to return these to Caleb. Do you mind if I take your car?”

  Dad nodded, pulling his keys out of his pocket and handing them to me. “Sure, just give me a call if you take any detours.”

  “Got it.”

  I kissed him on the cheek and smiled, walking out to where his car was parked in the dirt outside. It was kind of a big deal for me, getting back behind the wheel after the accident a couple of years ago. That brought back memories of glass shattering and the car flipping over in the storm drain. For a good long time, I wasn’t able to ride in a car, much less drive one – it was traumatic. At the time, it was the worst thing that had ever happened to me. Now that I’d been through hell, it didn’t even register by comparison. I’d seen true horrors that made my fear of driving laughable.