by Terry Reid
Alex let her go. His six foot frame and arced wings were intimidating in the half light cast by the street lights. “Because she’s faster than us! If I got too close and she cut me down then there would have been no-one between her and you!” Hayley glared at him angrily but said nothing. Scowling, he sheathed Jacob’s borrowed blade. Turning, he crouched, his wings stretching to allow room for Hayley to climb on. Pushing Alex’s sword back into the scabbard slung across her back, she clambered on without word. Straightening, Alex’s wings stretched to their full length and in one sharp flap they were airborne, abandoning the body in the street to the vermin of the night.
Alex headed straight up, his wings taking him higher and higher with every mighty stroke. They climbed and climbed and climbed until the streets of Glasgow dwindled away far below them and the wind whipped through Hayley’s hair. Alex felt her arms tighten around his neck, despite the fact that she knew that he would never let her fall. Finally, with the wind howling in their ears, Alex flared his wings wide, stopping his ascent. There they hovered, against the pull of gravity of the earth far below and the call of the stars sparkling high above their heads. Alex glanced about this way and that, trying to spot his brother or any sign of the demon. After a bitterly cold minute his head snapped round to the right, his eyes narrowing. Hayley felt Alex tense beneath her and she clung all the more tightly, fearing what would come next. He did not need to tell her to hold on. The angel had said it enough times during their flights together that it had become habit. Tipping forward and pulling in his wings, Alex launched himself into a dive, cutting across the skyline at a diagonal angle. Hayley closed her eyes as the sharp wind grabbed at her hair and clothes. She hated it when he fell into a dive - her stomach was in her mouth. Then just as quickly, Alex jolted to a stop and tipped upright, his long white feathers unfolding as if they were a pair of winged brakes. Hayley bumped against his back and almost lost her grip. But she managed to hold on.
I have you, he said inside her mind.
The battle had moved to an old, disused warehouse yard by the riverside. Alex landed a short but safe distance away from the fray to let Hayley down.
“Why didn’t you just teleport here?” said Hayley, reaching for the blade over her shoulder.
“They were jumping all over the place, I couldn’t sense them properly.” Drawing Jacob’s sword from his hip, he looked at Hayley. “Stay back this time.” She nodded at him and in a half flap of the wings he leapt the distance to the fight.
The Seer was toying with Christopher. Whenever he lunged, sword in hand, she would either take a step to the side so he narrowly missed or she would teleport a short distance further away, usually behind him. He would turn and swing again but the creature of darkness seemed to know where he was going to strike first and would vanish before the blade could make contact.
The Seer twitched her head as she sensed the other angel approach. She teleported again in a haze of glittering purple and black ash as Christopher lunged. She reappeared behind Hayley. Alex sensed it but turned too slowly - despite his incredible speed.
Pulling the blade from the girl’s grasp the demon grabbed her by the waist and brought the edge up to her throat. “Don’t,” The Seer hissed, and Alex stumbled forward a step, cancelling his wanted action to teleport. The demon’s dark wings spread wide again, her many eyes blinking at the two angels. Hayley stood motionless, her terrified eyes fixed firmly on Alex. “Don’t look so surprised, Alexander, I thought you would have known your aura could not stop me from getting to her.” A thin smirk crossed her eyeless sickly white face as she inclined her head. “It might stop vampires and other lesser demons but not me.”
Alex’s eyes narrowed as the tip of his blade brushed the dusty ground. “If you can see my memories then you’ll know what I do to those it doesn’t work on.”
“You think you scare me, Alexander? The past cannot hurt me.” Her thin grin faltered and Alex thought for a moment he saw a hint of fear in the demon’s eyes. The Seer pulled the glinting sword edge away a fraction from Hayley’s neck. “But the future does.”
Alex understood. “You always knew how you were going to die.”
The demon sneered, revealing a row of grotesque yellowed teeth. Hayley wrinkled her face at the stench coming from within the black pit of her mouth. “This was the only way to get you to listen guardian, so listen well,” The Seer said, her voice falling to a low chill. “Your city, your nation, will fall. And so will you trying to defend it. Avoid your fate. Give the girl her real blade.”
Alex’ eyes widened. “What are you...”
But before he could finish the question, The Seer pushed Hayley away and turning the point of the sword to its chest, drove it home.
Alex moved to catch Hayley as she stumbled forward and winced as the demon screeched a deafening shrill as she died, a noise that made his eardrums feel like they were going to burst. He looked up as The Seer flapped her large, terrible wings, eyes blinking wide in panic as her body began to disintegrate around the wound in her chest. The demon shrieked again, terrible wings beating frantically against the dusty, brick-laden ground as her body turned to ash. With one final convulsion sending every limb and wing into a powerful thrash, she grew still and silent. Moments later The Seer had disintegrated entirely and all the evils the demon had wrought wafted away on a cold breeze. Alex’s sword lay on the ground where it had fallen, the only evidence that there had been a fight.
“Are you ok?” Alex shouted, as Hayley clung to him. “Hayley, speak to me, please!” the angel pleaded desperately when she did not answer. She lifted her head, tears streaming from frightened eyes. She opened her mouth to speak but the words caught in her throat, chocked by tears. Whimpering, she buried her head into his chest. Alex held her tightly.
Chapter Six
“Are you ok?” Alex said, placing a cup of tea on the kitchen table in front of Hayley.
She gave a nervous nod and clutched the blanket about her tightly. She stared off into space. “I think so.”
Alex looked at his brother by the door. Christopher slinked away sheepishly. Alex took up an empty chair next to Hayley. “This is my fault, we shouldn’t have gone.”
“You were doing what you were told,” she said, her voice trembling.
“And you nearly died.”
Hayley’s wide eyes found him, like she was seeing him for the first time. “It’s not your fault and it’s not Christopher’s. You shouldn’t have shouted at him.”
He lowered his gaze, knowing she was right. “I know,” he muttered. “It’s…it’s been a long night. I’m just tired, that’s all,” he said, running a hand down his face.
Hayley lifted her cup and took a sip of tea. The reassuring, familiar taste warmed her. “Why didn’t she kill me? She could have but she didn’t. Why did she kill herself instead?”
“I’m not sure, though I think she saw how she was going to die and chose an easier way out. As to why she spared you,” he shook his head, “I don’t know.”
“If she knew how she was going to die, why didn’t she run?”
“I don’t know that either. But what worries me the most is what she could have possibly seen that was so terrifying that she would take her own life. If she hadn’t have killed herself, she would have probably got away from us,” he said, staring into the distance, his expression set hard.
“Maybe you would have killed her. Maybe she was afraid of what you’d do to if she had killed me.” She saw his knuckles tighten at that.
His eyes blazed at they found her. “I couldn’t tell you what I would have done to her,” he said, his voice trailing off into a cold, threatening whisper.
His look frightened Hayley and she looked away. She took another drink of tea, despite her violently shaking hands.
Alex’s eyes widened and his cheeks flushed. You’ve scared her, you fool! Without word he got up and knelt beside her. Hayley gazed at him with wide, confused eyes until he held his arms out. She wrapped her
arms around his neck and the angel sat back in his chair, lifting Hayley onto his lap as if she were no heavier than a feather. She cuddled her swaddled form into him. Alex’s wings, draped over the back of the chair, half opened. They sat like that, quietly enjoying each other’s company for a time.
“She also mentioned a sword,” Alex said at last, breaking the silence.
Hayley’s head snapped up. “Do you have any idea what she meant about that? Am I going to die?”
“No. No. Of course not.” He drew her cold, trembling hands into his lap and squeezed them gently. “I don’t know what she meant but nothing’s going to happen to you, ok?”
She forced a weak smile. “Ok.”
Alex leant forward and kissed her on the forehead. “Look, it’s over now and we’re safe. That’s the important thing, nothing else.”
“I know, but why would she have said all those things? None of it makes sense.”
Alex shook his head. “Because all demons are liars, they do it to get what they want. Don’t let it bother you. Everything will be ok, I promise.”
He squeezed her hands again and she felt a little better. “Ok.” She smiled.
Smiling, Alex made to stand and Hayley climbed off him. “Come on, we’ve had enough excitement for one day, I think it’s time for bed.”
“I’m still a bit rattled. I think I’m just going to finish my tea and stay up for a bit.”
Alex took up his seat once more and smiled. “Then I’ll keep you company.”
Chapter Seven
“Maybe we should phone the police,” John suggested as he sat down on the couch with his chocolate-spread covered toast.
“Absolutely not,” was his mother’s blunt reply, as she sat on the other end of the couch with a large mug of coffee. She cradled it between both hands, using the heat to warm her cold fingers.
“Why not?” the teenager exclaimed, right before tearing a corner off one of his slices of toast.
His mother flicked the TV on with the remote. “We’ve been through this,” she sighed, casting him a sideways glance. “That body would have been buried. If you tell the police they’ll want to know how you knew about it.”
“But someone died! I wouldn’t have seen her if she wasn’t desperate for help.”
His mum let out a tired sigh. “I know what you are saying, John, and I feel bad telling you not to do anything but it is like I said, if you go to the police they will start treating you like a criminal. It would be completely different if you had found that poor woman’s body lying in the bushes or something.” She took a long sip of her black coffee, turning her attention back to the news on the TV.
“This is unreal!” John sneered. “Someone’s been murdered! Why does no one care?”
His mother’s eyes darted to him. “How do you know that she was murdered?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know...but...”
“Well, there you go then!”
John blinked in disbelief. “Oh come on, mum. She must have been if she was buried down there.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I don’t care! Someone’s dead! Why aren’t you interested? Alex and Hayley were the same.”
She nearly spat her coffee out. “You told them?”
“Yeah, so?”
His mum rounded on him. “What did I tell you about leaving them alone? Those poor two have enough to deal with.”
John stood, growing sick of the one-sided conversation. “Hayley said I was welcome anytime.”
His mum glared up at him, not the least bit intimidated. John had shot up in height in recent months and was a full head taller than his mother when standing. Still, like all mothers, Stacy Hughes was not fazed by a tantrum from a boy she had brought into the world, regardless of how brave he was feeling. “I know what they said but I’m your mother and you’ll do as you’re told.”
Scoffing, John stormed out of the living room.
******
Hayley was sitting in the college canteen digging into her baked potato when Alex and Christopher sat down across the table from her, with dinner trays in hand. She gave them a surprised look. Alex greeted her as he took a seat and started eating his food without further comment but Hayley found Christopher staring at her with a wide grin on his face.
She squinted at him. “Are you ok, Chris?”
“Yes,” he replied, his smile unfaltering.
Hayley looked at Alex for an explanation and her guardian sighed. “You don’t have to smile at everyone all the time, Christopher. I only told you to smile at the dinner ladies because it’s polite.”
“Oh,” he said, feeling his cheeks flush. He stared down at his food. “What is this called again?”
Alex bit off a corner of his sandwich. “It’s lasagne,” he mumbled.
Christopher poked at the squishy yellow and brown rectangular dish with his fork, all the while frowning. “The Scottish do eat some strange looking things.”
“It’s from Italy.” Alex smirked.
“Don’t tell me you’ve never eaten anything before?” Hayley asked.
The blond haired angel looked up. “I have.”
She looked doubtful. “What was the last thing you had?”
“Pheasant. That was the last time I was here, in 1872. Remember?” he said, looking at Alex.
Alex gave a slow nod as he chewed on his sandwich. “To be fair, it was good pheasant. It had potatoes and everything.”
Hayley wasn’t surprised by the tale. “It’s been a few weeks since I last saw you eat anything but I don’t think you can beat his record.”
Alex shook his head as he gobbled down the last of his ham and cheese sandwich. Clearing his throat he opened a bag of crisps. “I’ve had a body for years, he hasn’t.” He watched as his brother took his first tentative bite of the steaming dish. Christopher made a funny face before swallowing. “How is it?”
A big grin split his face. “I like it.”
“Good, then eat it before it goes cold, else it won’t taste as good.” Alex offered Hayley a crisp and she took one.
“So I take you two have made up?” she asked.
Alex nodded.
“Alexander said that it would be ok for me to stay a while...if that’s ok with you of course?” Christopher hastily added.
“I don’t mind but do you need to get back to anything?”
“No. I don’t need to return until I’m summoned,” he said, shaking his head. “To be honest I didn’t think we would catch up with that demon as quickly as we did. So I have a few days to spare.”
“It’ll be just like having John living with us again except without the bitching and all your food being eaten,” Alex said with a cheeky grin.
“Did you lift the journal off the kitchen table this morning?” Hayley asked as she idly wrote a text message.
Alex stared at her curiously but it was a few moments before she realised. “I take it with me whenever we go out. Why?”
“Nothing, I just noticed that it wasn’t there this morning.” Her gaze returned to her phone.
“Are you ok?” Alex inquired, unconvinced.
She gazed at him blankly. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Sorry, I just found it a bit strange that you’re asking about it now when I’ve taken it off the kitchen table every morning for the last two years.”
“I know that, Alex, but...look I just noticed it wasn’t there this morning when I got up, ok? I don’t know why.”
“You can have it if you want to read it.”
“I don’t want to read it! I never said that I did!” she snapped.
Alex was taken aback by her sudden outburst. “Sorry, I was only trying to help. I thought you wanted to look at it or something.”
“Well, I don’t.”
“What are you two talking about?” Christopher asked. His curiosity was piqued.
“Jacob’s journal,” Alex explained.
A surprised look crossed his younger brother’s face. �
��You have that?”
Alex looked surprised. “That’s why Gabriel came after us two years ago and why he and Jacob were trying to kill us. Did no one tell you this?”
“No. I just thought you killed them because they had tried to kill Hayley.”
Hayley gave him a funny look. “You know, considering we killed your brothers, you seem to have taken it very well.”
Christopher lowered his gaze. A pang of guilt knotted Hayley’s insides. She felt a fool for putting it so bluntly.
“My brothers died a long time ago as far as I’m concerned,” the blond haired angel said quietly, his watery eyes growing distant.
“I’m sorry.”
He shook his head. “It’s ok. Don’t concern yourself with it.” His gaze fell back to his lasagne and he began scoffing what was left in earnest. The table lapsed into a long silence.
Finally, Alex took it upon himself to change the subject. Hayley looked ashamed and Christopher was picking at his pudding despondently. “When Hayley goes back to class do you want to go see the Mitchell Library?”
Christopher looked at him indifferently. “What’s so special about it?”
Alex shrugged. “It’s got books. Lots of books. Some very old ones as well. You still like reading right?”
“Yeah.”
“Well this isn’t just any old library. Like I said, it has a lot of books on many different subjects. I’m sure you’ll find something you like. Even if you don’t find anything interesting, the architecture is worth a look at.”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea, Alex? You hate books,” Hayley piped up.
“I can’t stand them.” The guardian smiled; then nodded to his brother. “But he does. When’s the next time he’ll be here?”
His comment brought a smile to Christopher’s face. “That is a good point. It would be nice to see what people read these days. The last time I was here very few people could.”
They all smiled in amusement. A stranger would have thought the blond haired young man mad but the company he kept knew better.
******
Just after five in the morning the house phone started ringing, breaking the peaceful, pervading silence and snapping Alex from his reverie. Sitting up slightly, he looked toward where the phone sat on its stand next to the TV. Raising his arm the device flew into his hand and he pressed the answer button. “Hello?”
