by Lynn Landes
“What is your business here, Demon?” Gage demands.
“I would ask you the same thing, Angel. This matter doesn’t concern you. What did you do with the child?” Micah’s black eyes stare at his throat, fascinated by the beat of his heart.
“What child? All life is my concern. You have crossed a line, demon. There will be retribution for your actions.”
“I would say that you are outnumbered, Angel. Tell me where the child is and I will let you live, as my pet, maybe.”
Micah grins revealing her fangs and shrugs her shoulders, “Once you’re kind cared nothing for the other species of this world, only your precious humans. I miss those days. No matter then, the child will be mine.” Lashing out her tail towards him she screams when he slices the tip off, spraying blood and poison around the room.
Gage swings his sword with a whistle as he clears the blood and acidic venom off of it. He chuckles, “You really need to learn a new trick.” He looks around the room at the horde surrounding him and tightens his grip on his swords pommel, focusing his attention on the enraged demon in front of him.
“Now I will make your death painful,” Micah screams, holding her bleeding tail to her chest. She nods and the vampires leap at him from all sides.
Reversing his direction to face the attack from behind, Gage strikes at the lead demon running at him with a kick to the chest that sends it flying backward into its followers. The sound of splintering bone and bodies falling is heard as he spins to the side slicing the heads off any within reach of his blade. More enemies leap at him, sinking claws into his legs, and wings, clinging to him as he shoots through the hole in the roof of the house and up into the dark sky.
“I have to go back,” Nienna tells Edward. Moving further into the great room of the house she grins. A massive fireplace is lined on either side with weapons. Nienna dresses in warrior’s leather as she scans the wall. She takes down a long sword and fastens the scabbard and belt around her shoulders, making sure it fits tightly to her back, then grabs a crossbow and bolts from the wall. Belting the bolts in a sheath around her thigh, finally, she snatches up a handful of throwing knives and tucks them into her belt.
“I can’t leave him to face them alone.” Panic fuels her movements. “He bought us time to get away.”
Brynley watches quietly holding her grandpa’s hand. Farley is busy sniffing around the house.
“I’ll be back. You’ll be safe here until I return. Brynley can you give me a boost?”
Brynley nods and pictures the yard outside the rental house.
Edward watches her Nienna leave and turns back to the wall. “Let’s see what this old man can use.”
Brynley curls up on the couch to rest and Farley lays at her feet. One wall flanking the fireplace has bladed weapons of all sorts. Two handed swords, axes, spears, even short swords. A walking stick catches his eye. It seems out of place. He lifts it from the wall, it is surprisingly light. The carved wooden handle is intricately designed with what looks like bird talons.
The second wall draws him closer. It is covered with impact weapons. “Aye, this is more like it.” He stares at the war hammers, maces, and clubs. He grins and lifts a short spiked mace swinging it. “I’ll be borrowing this, then.” Turning back to his granddaughter he smiles at her sleeping form. His heart swells with love and pride.
“Sleep love, we will watch over you.” Edward sets off to explore the safe house.
Micah’s whip circles around Gage’s ankle and the embedded iron spikes sink deep, pulling her up through the house into the night air. His scream of agony resonates through the night mixed with the demonic sound of her laughter. Micah begins climbing up the whip and reaches for his leg.
Gage is in trouble, demons are crawling all over him, slicing and tearing at his wings and body. He can’t carry all of them, reaching down, he rips two demons off his chest, kicking one as it falls away. The second falls, but he manages to grab hold of the whip. One wing is torn partially away from his back causing Gage to roar in agony and hurtle back towards the ground. He grabs a hand full of Micah’s black hair managing to hold her teeth away from his throat while she screams with laughter.
Her scream of laughter changes to screams of fury when Gage flings her away from him and kills the demon climbing back up his leg. Micah flips midair and lands on her feet. She calls the remnants of her force to her. Her empty eyes survey the bloody survivors as they exit the house to join her, she counts ten of the thirty-five she brought with her still alive.
Nearby, Gage lands in a bloody heap of broken bones and puncture wounds.
Micah steps towards him only to flinch in shock as an arrow pierces her between the shoulder blades. She hisses in pain as Nienna sends five more bolts into the dark warriors at her side. The moment the bolts sink into their chests, they scream in an explosion of dust.
Nienna drops the crossbow and draws her long sword. Standing over the broken angel she faces the demon vampire in front of her.
“Get it out!” Micah growls ordering one of her guard to aid her. He rips the arrow from her back with a sickening sucking sound. She throws her head back, and her eyes flare, enjoying the pain. “Mmm, yesss, blessed with holy-light. That won’t work on me, mongrel.” The vampire licks the bolt clean of her blood before taking her whip from the now bowing guard. She lifts his face and trails a black finger over his lip, smiling at him, before turning back to Nienna.
“The Angel is mine!” Micah’s black eyes glare at the girl standing over the angel. A quick flick of her wrist and her whip unfurls on the ground.
“Not today, he isn’t,” Nienna grins and throws two knives into the remaining warriors trying to circle her. They fall screaming from the blessed blades before they explode into ash.
Micah uses the distraction to snap her whip out, slicing Nienna’s forearm.
Her sword falls to the ground as the pain weakens it. Nienna cradles her hurt arm against her chest, but will not back down. She faces them drawing another knife and standing over top of the angel.
“Run, woman,” Gage moans to her.
“Too late, now, Angel. You will both pay for taking my prize from me!” Her dark eyes glare with hatred.
“The child is not a prize to be won. Where is my brother?” Nienna screams, leaping at the creature, cutting at her with the long bladed knife. She strikes Micah’s hand that holds her whip, slicing into it. Screaming in pain and rage the guards race at Nienna who fights with all she has. Gage can only watch helplessly as she fights back the three remaining demons.
“Your brother?” Micah thinks and her eyes narrow in recognition. Holding her bleeding hand out, she watches as her blood drips to the stained ground. “Syrran, is your brother?
A loud boom is heard by all on the ground and they look up searching for the source. In the night sky above them, two glowing Archangels are hurtling towards them with retribution in their eyes.
Micah whips her tail out one last time and sprays the venom dripping from her wound at Nienna. Everywhere it hits her, the acidic fluid burns into her skin leaving smoking holes from its passage.
“Another time, bastard child. You will pay for taking what is mine!” With that Micah retreats into the surrounding trees taking her remaining forces with her, even she knows better than to fight two archangels.
Nienna whirls around and drops down to Gage’s side. “Too much blood…” she whispers looking at him. His wing is crushed beneath him, gouges, tears, and puncture wounds litter his beautiful body. One leg is ripped open to the bone and his blood is pooling beneath him.
“Don’t you dare die on me, Angel! Your friends are coming.” His beautiful golden eyes open and his hand seizes hers. Nienna gasps and drops her knife. He slowly pulls her towards him.
“Tell me your name.”
Nienna is forced to lean on her wounded arm to hear his whispered demand. She shakes her head refusing to give him what he seeks.
“Nienna,” he smiles, taking the name fro
m her mind and she shudders at the sound. “Nienna. That is a name worthy of a warrior. Thank you,” his eyes flutter closed.
Panicked now, she cups his tan face in her hands, whimpering.
“No, no. Wake up, Damnit!” She ignores the wind buffeting her as one angel lands beside them.
“Move aside, let me help him.” A female archangel with chocolate wings orders. When Nienna attempts to move, Gage won’t release her hand. The strength of his grip shocks her.
“Judging by the hold Gage has on her, I will assume this small female did not do all of this,” a male angle snaps, glaring at the carnage around them.
Nienna attempts to pry Gage’s hand away and smirks up at the male angel glaring at her. “Don’t be so sure, Angel. I can hold my own.” Once again she tries to pry her hand free.
“Daniel, help me heal him! He has lost too much blood. Send him to sleep so I can heal his wing.” Francesca’s worry beats at her husband so he quickly joins them on the ground.
“What happened here?” He asks as he attempts to pull Nienna’s hand free from his brother’s grip.
“Tiefling, poison, vampires, demons, and swords. We were ambushed.” Nienna almost whimpers when the color continues to fade from his skin. “Hurry!” she yells.
“Work around her,” Francesca snaps. “Get his leg closed to slow the bleeding!”
“I’m trying but…” they both stare at each other in shock.
“What? Heal him already. He is still bleeding!” Nienna demands as Gage begins to lose color. “No,” she whimpers, “he’s dying.” Terror floods through her body. She shouldn’t care about his wounds but she couldn’t leave him to face Micah on his own and now the thought of him dying… “Hurry!”
“Her first.” Gage coughs out and Nienna stares at him in surprise.
“Don’t be ridiculous! Release me you big moose, so they can heal you.” Nienna is trembling with her need to see him whole. “Let them fix you,” she begs.
“You first.” His yellow eyes flick open and he glares at them, ignoring her as she struggles to free her arm. “The poison, get it out of her.”
“Damnit, I am half-Drow. It will not hurt me! Please, I won’t have your death on my conscious.” Gage ignores her anger and stares up into her aquamarine blue eyes.
Daniel knows it is useless to argue. Gage is blocking them until they heal her. Daniel reaches for her arm and places a hand over the deep wound. Quickly he closes his eyes and her arm begins to heat up beneath his touch. Gage grows agitated the moment Daniel touches her. Beautiful golden eyes flicker black for a fraction of a second and it is enough to terrify both angels.
“Gage, we are only doing as you asked.” Francesca reminds him. Gage grows still, never taking his eyes off Nienna. A tear forms in the corner of her eye and he shudders struggling with the unexpected feelings.
“Why did you come back? You were free, Nienna.” Gage demands and his eyes begin to fill with an inky blackness. Nienna watches and feels his grip tighten on her other arm.
Ignoring the angels watching them, she leans close as the tear breaks free, sliding down her cheek and drips onto his face. “I know what it is like to be imprisoned by the Drow, I couldn’t leave you to that fate.”
Gage sighs as the salty essence of her sorrow passes into his skin. His body reacts to her and now his soul responds to her. It claims the tear and protects it.
“Why not?” Gage demands. Tugging at her arm, Nienna glares at him.
“Let me go. I can’t give you what you seek. I won’t do it,” she snarls.
Francesca stares at Daniel over their heads and smiles. Her love for him radiates and he grins as she speaks to his mind. ‘They have no clue, do they?’
‘Not a whisper of a clue. They will figure it out, we did.’ Daniel finds the poison and Nienna closes her eyes as she feels it lift and push out of her wound. She sighs in relief as the wound closes.
The moment the angel removes his hand the pain is gone. “Thank you, Daniel. I am fine, now fix him! Let them help you, please.”
Gage closes his eyes and releases his hold on her.
She stands up and backs away as they close in over top of him. Wings touch and Gage is sent into a deep sleep. Together they push the poison out of him, and repair the damage to his body then his wing. It is beautiful to watch, the way they care for each other. It is unlike anything she has ever seen or experienced.
“Goodbye, Gage,” she whispers and steps away before the questions can begin. Using the last of her power she calls to Brynley and leaves him to his family.
Deep in his healing sleep, Gage watches her go. ‘I will find you, Nienna. You will be mine,’ she hears him whisper in her mind.
“I belong to no one,” Nienna murmurs before returning to her safe house, but her heart tells her that she is a coward.
The next morning Nienna is grumbling after a sleepless night in Gage’s bed. With a quick jerk, she pulls off his t-shirt she borrowed and tosses it onto the twisted mess of bed sheets. “I guess coming to his house wasn’t the best plan of action,” Nienna mumbles as she quickly showers. His scent is everywhere it drove her crazy all night long.
Immersed in the lush rainforest in South America, Gage’s home is magnificent. It is a modern style house made of concrete and glass, with fluid lines and a flat roof. The glass windows reflect the lush greenery around them helping to hide the structure. Outside the sounds of nature are almost as loud to her ears as the traffic in a city.
“How long does it take an angel to heal?” She murmurs as she finishes drying off and pulls on her, clothes that have been cleaned from the day before. Her arm is completely healed. No signs trauma remain, not even a scar. If only the scars in her soul could be erased so easily.
South America is beautiful. The rainforest he lives in is completely secluded, which suits their needs perfectly. She walks to the sliding doors leading to a back deck. The morning sun is just rising and she decides to try once more to reach her brother. “Alright, Syrran. I need you.”
Nienna uses Gage’s home phone and does the unthinkable, she calls the emergency phone number. They memorized the number which leads to an untraceable message center. Her smile erupts as she listens to a message Syrran has recorded for her.
“I am safe. Bring the child to our place, you know the one. Be careful. I will explain all when you get here.”
“Yes!” she jumps up and runs to tell them the news, they are going to Norway.
Chapter 12
“Elves, Drow and now Angels!” Micah rages. “They are all keeping my prize from me. The child will be mine.” With a glance at the hole in the cavern wall that Lilliana created she grins.
“Fools. All of that untapped power at their fingertips and they have no idea what to do with it. I know exactly what to do with her. I will use her power to kill Phaydra and take over her kingdom.” Killing her sister will earn the respect of her followers. “The Void will become my new home and The Drow will join me in obliterating all of the light in this world. We will show all the immortals of this world what happens when you question me!”
“My Queen, we caught one, just as you asked. He is in the cage.” The slave dares not make eye contact with Micah as she storms past him. The cage is just that, a cage hanging above a fiery pit in her throne room.
Micah enters the darkened cavern and stares at the elf. Dressed in golden armor that represents his station as a royal guard glares at her and waits for her to speak.
“He will do nicely. Unfortunately for you, guardsmen, I can’t use magic against your kind, but not to worry. I will savor every second of your screams, and your pain will feed my magic just the same.”
His arm snakes out, reaching for her, but Micah just laughs grabbing it and biting down through the thick leather till she tastes his elven blood. Stepping back she wipes the corner of her mouth, “You will feel it soon, the poison is already racing through your body.”
“When he is weakened, prep his body and skin him. Do
n’t tear the hide, I will need it whole.” Micah laughs and sits on her lush velvet throne to watch with glee.
Brynley draws a picture of Nienna holding her hand along with her Grandpa and Farley in front of a sparkly curtain. Behind the curtain is what looks like a fairy house and a waterfall. Nienna and Edward are busy talking about a trip they are going to take so she hums and skips into the kitchen looking for a magnet to stick the picture to the fridge. Grown-ups always put her pictures on the refrigerator. Her task complete, she smiles and runs back to them in the great room.
“Can I go outside now?” Brynley asks her Grandpa. He nods yes and she runs outside with Farley. The house was designed with a courtyard of sorts. Allowing for a lush green yard which is surrounded on all sides by the forest or house. Farley stays close to Brynley running and fetching the stick she is tossing for him.
“We should get going, Edward. Are you feeling well enough to travel?” Nienna is concerned about his health. The last attack took a lot out of him. She healed him as much as she could but her magic is not as strong as a full blooded Elf or Drow.
“Don’t fret over me, Nienna. I’m stronger than I look.” Edward groans and lets her help him stand. “I’ll be outside when you are ready.”
Nienna watches him go and glances around the house. Gage will know they have been there, but not where they are going, she writes a note and places it on his pillow. “Goodbye Gage,” she whispers and goes outside.
“Brynley today we are going to see my brother, Syrran. He helped you and your Grandpa when you were attacked by the dark ones. I am going to need your help to get us there, okay?” Nienna asks with a toss of her hair.
