Chapter 16

A roar that shook the foundations of the monastery bringing dust down on the angels froze them in mid-sentence.

“What the bloody hell was that?” Drew demanded.

Another roar much closer had them running to the nearest door and out onto the path that bordered the buildings built into the mountain. They stared in awe as an enormous red dragon passed so close to the monastery the force of wind blew the angels back against the wall. Another roar had them crying out in pain, their hands over their ears trying unsuccessfully to deafen the sound.

“Where did that thing come from?” Darrick asked his voice sounding muffled because his ears refused to work. “I thought they were all dead.”

“Apparently not,” Drew muttered pushing himself off the wall to join Gideon who had moved back to the balcony’s edge, his eyes following the great beast. When it angled its wings and headed to where he knew the mouth of the cave was, his heart stopped.

“Sara!” he breathed.

Then he was running.

Realizing what Gideon had seen, Drew unfurled his wings while drawing his sword.

“What’s wrong?” Darrick asked moving next to Drew.

“It’s heading for Sapphira,” Drew yelled just before he launched himself into the air.

“Shit!” Darrick hissed following his brother over the side.

When they reached the cave entrance, they stopped in mid-air gapping at the scene before them. The dragon was too large to fit on the ledge, so over half its long body was down the mountain side, his back claws dug deep into the rock to keep it in place. The upper legs were on the ledge with its wings tucked into its sides as his short nose head was laying on the ledge with its eyes closed. The thing that stunned the angels into silence was that it was purring. That red scaled monster was purring like a large cat while Sapphira scratched it behind its ear with both hands.

“Just when you think you’ve seen it all,” Darrick said the awe thick in his voice.

“There is more to this girl than we’ve been told,” Drew frowned.

Darrick looked at him as if he was daft. “You’re just figuring this out? And they call me slow,” he scoffed. Ignoring Drew’s glare, Darrick started to very slowly descend towards the cliff’s edge, careful to stay as far away from the large lizard as possible. The moment his toe touch the ledge the loud purring turned into a deep growl. Darrick froze.

“Sapphira,” he called, his voice as careful as his movement as he floated a short distance from the ledge, “could you tell you’re oversized lizard that I’m not dangerous?”

The dragon snorted in disgust. As if saying the thought of Darrick being dangerous was laughable.

Darrick glared at it.

“Two words, big and scaly,” he snapped holding up two fingers in front of the dragon. “Breath. Mint.”

The dragon lifted one side of its lips barring his long razor sharp teeth, snarling. Apparently it understood English quite well and did not appreciate Darrick’s sarcasm. Unfortunately Darrick did not know when to back down and continued glaring at the dragon, itching to take it on.

“Do you have a death wish?” Sapphira asked calmly.

“Yes, yes he does,” Drew answered, slowly coming even with Darrick. Giving him a look that said shut it, he turned his attention to Sapphira. “I take it you know each other,” nodding towards the dragon.

“I have never met this one, but yes. I am familiar with dragons,” she answered carefully gauging the two angels’ reactions. This could go either way. She had no idea their dealings with dragons, so she did not know if they held grudges or not.

Dragons had not always been cast in a good light, and there were good reasons for that. Like everything in life, there is a good side and a bad side. Good people and bad people. Good dragons and bad dragons. Then there are those who are in-between that are just trying to get through life without causing too many ripples, but if angered were one of the most fearsome of their kind. This particular dragon was one of those. It was one of the reasons he was still alive when his brethren were all gone.

“So, not to harp on the obvious, you can control dragons?” Drew continued.

“I can, but I prefer not to. They are living creatures, sentient beings. I do not believe in slavery of any kind.”

“But you called it here?” Drew persisted.

“I asked him to come to me. He was about to eat my brother and the others for disturbing him. I needed to explain they were no harm to him so I called him. He is very lonely.” She turned her attention back to the dragon and began to scratch behind his ear again. She smiled affectionately as his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he began to purr with what was as close to a smile a dragon could have on his snout. “It has been a long time since he has seen anyone, dragon, man or beast. He will not harm us as long as we do not harm him.”

“How do you know that? He looked like he wanted to eat me,” Darrick’s skepticism in his voice and on his face as he watched the large lizard warily.

The dragon opened one eye and swiveled it around to look at Darrick, the smile turning menacing as his long tongue slipped out between his teeth and he licked his lips. The sound that came from it was close to a chuckle. An evil chuckle.

“See!” Darrick squeaked, pointing his sword at the dragon as he floated a few more feet away.

“Maybe he realizes that you’re an idiot,” Drew snapped. Just what they needed. A dragon with a wicked sense of humor.

Darrick opened his mouth to retort but two things happened that stopped any further talk. Gideon burst into the cave, sword drawn yelling Sapphira’s name. It was enough to startle the dragon and he reared up knocking Sapphira off balance. She gave a yelp of surprise, wobbled a few seconds, her arms flaying, before disappearing over the edge.

“No!” Gideon cried heading for the edge forgetting that he could no longer fly. With one huge clawed foot, the dragon knocked him back into the cave before diving over the edge after Sapphira.

“Go to Gideon before he catches his breath and keep him in the cave, I’ll go after Sapphira,” Drew ordered. With a nod the two angels separated.

As Drew followed the dragon down the edge of the cliff, he hoped one of them would make it in time to save Sapphira. From what he had learned these last few days, Drew was pretty sure she would survive a fall like this. What he was not sure of was how much of the part of her that was immortal had returned since the spell had been broken. If she died, a lot more than Gideon’s heart would be shattered.

When the Dragon suddenly veered to the left then leveled out, Drew breathed a sigh of relief thinking that it had caught her. That relief was short-lived. What he saw did not turn his blood cold with horror, but shock that quickly heated into anger. What the hell? Having had enough of secrets that were potential deadly, he followed the small silver blur as it streaked between the craggy mountain tops with the ease of one who had been flying all their life. If the powers that owned him would not give him answers, then he would go to the source of all this turmoil. One way or another he would get answers. Afterwards, he would decide what his next move would be, not that he had much of a choice.

Chapter 15
Chapter 17

Copyright 2018 Heidi Barnes

Chapter 14

When Gideon’s scream of anguish and pain filled the ancient monastery’s walls, sending the birds that roosted in the crevices into the skies, Sapphira turned and headed back for the door. Only Talon moving into her way stopped her.

“He needs time alone,” Talon explained gently when she glared up at him. “Please, give it to him.”

The silence that followed was deafening. They stood that way until they heard the shower turn on. Talon eyes sad but patient, Sapphira’s angry and full of guilt. It was her fault they had been dragged into the hell realm, her fault Gideon was tortured by her father, her fault he lost his wings. And to make matters worse they had no idea where her brother was.

Ever since they emerged from the tunnel she and Damien had built when they were young to traverse between realms, her memories started to return to her bit by bit. Starting with her brother on his knees in excruciating pain as the spell those trying to protect her wove around them, tearing them apart. Her pain was no less and mercifully she passed out before it killed her, but it was necessary to keep Damien and the universe safe. At least that was what she kept trying to tell herself.

The lives she had lived between then and now were a hazy blur. Some were full of love and family, some painful, some short. Lifetimes in the earth realm away from her mother and brother, but never alone. Gideon was always there, keeping her safe.

Helping her through all the hard times, the pain of her many lives. Always there at her lowest to pick her up, hold her, comforted her, and now she wanted to help take his pain away as he had helped her.

Secrets were unraveling, truths told and sacrifices that could not be foreseen made. Gideon was her guardian, but he was not alone in keeping his charge safe. As Sapphira stared up at Talon’s determined expression, she knew what she would have to do to keep these men who had kept her safe all these centuries alive, what she needed to do to keep her brother alive, and it frightened her.

Talon must have seen something in her eyes because he took a step forward, his eyes widening slightly in trepidation.

“Don’t,” he pleaded softly. “It will not help.”

“How do you know?” she asked sadly. “Everything that has happened is because of me. I don’t even know where my brother is or if he is alive.”

“Giving yourself over to those looking for you will not help him or Gideon.”

“Again, how do you know that? If it’s me they want, that is what I should give them. Then everyone I love will be safe.”

“Or the end of life as we know it will begin.” Talon started reaching for her then hesitated. The only one brave enough to touch her since the spell was broken had been Quinn, and that was only because his special power was that he made all other powers null and void when he touched the person wielding them. Sapphira did not care. The only ones she wanted touching her were Damien or Gideon. “If you leave Gideon will only come after you, and he is in no condition to even leave his bed. That means he will send me and I need some rest. So please, don’t leave the monastery. If not for us, then for your brother. He expects us to keep you safe, and I for one do not want to deal with his temper tantrum when he realizes you are gone.”

A sudden dawning filled Sapphira. Relaxing her stance, she crossed her arms as she smirked at him. “You’re afraid of him.”

“No, I’m not,” Talon sighed patiently, telling Sapphira that the thought of the warrior being afraid of anything was ludicrous. His body language said otherwise. “I only know that if someone allowed my sister to rush into a situation that was incredibly dangerous and stupid, I would be hard press not to gut the idiot. Personally, I prefer my innards on the inside.”

“I see,” she smirked. Talon’s patient expression turned into a scowl.

“What I am afraid of is of no consequence,” he snapped. “If I have to lock you in the dungeon I will. You are not leaving and that is the end of it.”

Sapphira opened her mouth to argue when Loghan rounded the corner.

“Did I hear Talon say he wasn’t afraid of anything?” he asked in a tone that spoke of trouble in the making. Keeping Sapphira in-between him and Talon, Loghan continued on what Sapphira surmised would be his last words. “Spiders,” he whispered loudly in her ear as he grinned at Talon. “Can’t stand the sight of them. Screams like a little girl.”

Sapphira choked back a laugh as Loghan’s eyes went wide and his hands flapped in the air as he imitated a little girl screaming and dancing in fright. Talon’s growl of certain death only made Loghan up his antics, which ended when Talon lunged for him and Loghan had to hide behind Sapphira.

“You’ve always had a death wish, little brother,” Aitan’s voice thick with weariness rumbled. It gave Sapphira the impression he had pulled these two apart more than once, and really had no inclination to do so today. “Save it for the demons. We have a visitor,” he added looking at Sapphira.

“No one knows we are here,” Talon said his anger forgotten. Even Loghan became serious.

“Evidently she does,” Aitan corrected calmly. The reaction to the word she was anything but calm.

“What does she want,” Talon snarled starting down the hallway. Sapphira’s hand was on the doorknob to Gideon’s room when he did an abrupt about face and took a hold of her arm pulling her down the hall with him. “I don’t think so,” he muttered.

“I think she would be safer in Gideon’s room than with her,” Loghan suggested as he and Aitan fell in behind them.

“Who is Her?” Sapphira asked as she tried to keep up with Talon’s long legs. She was by no means short at five foot nine, but he was far above six foot and a lot of that was leg.

“Someone I am sure you will enjoy meeting. I know we all enjoy her company,” Loghan sarcastic tone telling Sapphira this was as far from the truth as he could get.

“I don’t understand…,” Sapphira began just as they entered what she had been told was the reception room.

The room was not very big and sparsely decorated. It was designed to impress with its tapestries from the dark ages that depicted angels and demons fighting in fire and blood, ornate furnishings that consisted of a side table with an oriental vase from a culture that Sapphira had never seen before. A few knick-knacks just as old and expensive finished the impressing, while at the same time two very uncomfortable ornate chairs told visitors they were not welcomed.

During the last few days as she explored the monastery out of boredom. The beauty she had found in this place lost high in the mountains had stunned her, but it was nothing compared to who stood in the middle of the room decidedly unhappy to be there.

Draped in a black cape, long black hair cascading down her back was her mother’s handmaiden, Ayame. Sky blue eyes flashed angrily as they took in Talon’s hand around Sapphira’s arm. The room’s temperature took a steep drop as those cold eyes moved up to Talon’s. This was not the small obedient servant who stood behind her mother wherever she went, waiting on for her every word, her confidant, her best-friend who gave up everything to be with her. This woman commanded attention and radiated power that rivaled the angel’s around her. Well, some of them.

“Get your filthy hands off the princess,” Ayame snarled walking towards them. Sapphira had never seen the petite woman angry before and was so in shock that she could not find her voice to tell Ayame that she was in no danger.

“Watch your tongue, witch,” Talon growled pulling Sapphira behind him. Loghan and Aitan spread out on either side, effectively blocking her from Ayame’s site. “Sara is under our protection and I will not tolerate you barging in here issuing orders like you own the place.”

“Since you can’t seem to do your job properly, Princess Sapphira,” emphasizing the different name, “is no longer under your so called protection,” Ayame snapped. “I have been ordered to hide her somewhere the others cannot find her. Somewhere safe from the likes of you.”

“Over my dead body,” Talon growled moving so he towered over the woman, his wings flaring behind him.

“I can arrange that,” Ayame hissed glaring up at him.

As much as Sapphira admired the woman’s fearlessness – or stupidity, depending on how you looked at it – she had no patience for this.

“Enough!” Sapphira snapped pushing her way between Loghan and Aitan. When they did not budge, she put her hands on her hips and stamped her foot in frustration. It shocked her because it was something she had never done before. Little princess temper tantrums were not tolerated in her house growing up, and to be honest she thought the act beneath her. Those demons and a few of the newly fallen that would whine and wheedle to get what they wanted always nauseated her, and she vowed she would never stoop to that level.

Sapphira frowned as a flash of one of her human lives showed her a little girl who was spoiled and apparently used those same tactics with a fine art to get what she wanted.

Apparently she had. Ugh.

Glowering at the look of surprise mixed with amusement Loghan was giving her, she growled. “Move!” putting power behind those words. Whether it was her power or the shock that she had any that moved the two mountains in front of her, she did not care. Only that they moved out of her way, their eyes wide with surprise. Really! She had lived for thousands of years, even if she did not remember most of them, yet, and was powerful in her own right…well her power was returning slowly but it was there. So she could damn well take care of herself.

As she passed them on her way to stand next to Talon, she realized she had touched them and nothing had happened. Good to know.

“What are you doing here Ayame?” she asked glaring at Talon before turning her attention back to the handmaiden. “Better yet, how did you get here? You are human and therefore trapped in my father’s realm.”

“Hush child,” Ayame admonished moving to touch her as she glanced at the others as if they were not to be trusted. Talon moved so he was in-between them yet not. It brought Ayame up short.

“Close enough,” Talon warned.

Ayame huffed, straightening her elbow length pristine white gloves while she attempted to reign in her anger. Managing a weak smile, she turned to Sapphira, clearly ignoring the large angel looming over her. Something about her demeanor made Sapphira’s skin crawl.

“You’re mother sent me to make sure you were safe. These idiots,” she said in disgust waving at the angels who bristled, “can no longer be trusted and your guardian is incapacitated.”

“My mother doesn’t have the power to send you anywhere,” Sapphira’s suspicion growing. “And it still does not explain how, as a human, you could leave my father’s realm.”

“This…woman is no more human than I am,” Aitan deep voice rumbled with disgust.

“What does that mean?” Sapphira asked looking back at him.

“It doesn’t matter what he is babbling about,” Ayame snapped bringing Sapphira’s attention back to her. “There are powers at work who are trying to find her. Power that none of you could stand against. I am to take Princess Sapphira to a place that is detectable only by those who know it exist, which is none of you. She will be safe there until she regains her powers and can protect herself. Now come, child. We must hurry.”

“Like hell she will,” Talon snapped. “For the last thousand years you have been plaguing us with unfounded accusations and threatening to take Sapphira to this hidden place.”

“It seems my accusations were not so unfounded. Gideon cannot properly protect the princess if he is in love with her,” Ayame hissed.

“It’s because he loves her that she is still alive. If he did not care she would have been dead a long time ago. Orders only go so far, and the demons that have sought Sapphira are formidable.”

“Yet they still were able to reach her,” Ayame sniffed. “Love blinds those foolish enough to fall into its deadly clutches. As proven by the fact the princess ended up in the last place she needed to be and the spell protecting her was broken.”

“If your informant had not led Gideon on some wild goose chase he would have been there,” Talon snarled.

“At the time she was taken you were the one protecting her. So don’t blame that one on the guardian,” Ayame growled mockingly. “Maybe you are in love with her too. Men have always been fools for a pretty face.”

“You might want to step back,” Loghan whispered, his sudden nearness making Sapphira jump. “I’ve seen these two go at it. It isn’t pretty.”

As Loghan pulled her a few steps away, a memory surfaced that puzzled Sapphira. A part of the spell that would have made it difficult if not impossible for Ayame to find her, yet Talon said the handmaiden had known of her whereabouts since the beginning.

“The ugliness within usually ends up leaking out onto the surface, as you should well know, witch,” Talon sneered. “Jealousy is always ugly.”

“I am not jealous!” Ayame snapped indignantly. “And what are you talking about? I sent no informant.”

It was the look Ayame shot Sapphira – one that seemed wild, desperate, panicked – as she stepped away that brought a frown to Loghan’s face as he once again moved in front of Sapphira. This time Sapphira did not protest. Something was not right. The quick change of subject was proof enough Ayame was hiding something.

“What do you mean you did not send him?” Aitan ask his deep voice effectively stopping the argument.

“I did not send anyone,” Ayame repeated her anger replacing the panic.

“Then who did?” a voice asked behind them.

They turned as one to see Gideon standing in the doorway looking pale. Immediately Sapphira went to him.

“Are you sure you should be up?” she asked searching his face for any sign of the pain she knew he had to be in.

Taking her hand in his and bringing it to his lips, he smiled. “As long as you are safe I am fine,” he answered softly, touching her cheek with the fingertips of his other hand. The smile Sapphira awarded him went a long way to healing his broken spirit. Yet a part of him wondered if she would still love him once the fact he was only half an angel finally sank in.

“As long as she is here, she is far from safe,” Ayame snapped.

They turned to see Ayame was trying to push her way through Loghan and Talon and failing miserably. Finally she gave up.

“If I can find you, then who knows who else is lurking in the shadows waiting for you idiots to make another mistake?”

Lacing his fingers with Sapphira’s, Gideon moved further into the room, his eyes on the handmaiden. “That is a good point. How did you find us? Our other dwellings I understand, but only a chosen few know about this place and it is heavily Warded against humans and the paranormal alike,” his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

“You cannot hide the power she holds,” Ayame proclaimed with an authority that did not reach her eyes. In fact she looked very nervous as the others parted to allow Gideon and Sapphira through and she backed away from them. “Only I can…,” she hit the wall stopping her words abruptly.

“Only you can what?” Gideon asked calmly. His eyes and posture were anything but calm. This witch they had barely tolerated and trusted even less was not telling them something important.

A feeling, one that was as familiar as the feel of her own hidden wings, flitted through Sapphira. It was the only way she could describe it. One moment it was there, strong, comforting, then the next it was gone leaving her cold.

“Damien,” she whispered, her hand going to her throat. Mentally searching she found him again, and again he slipped through her fingers. He was close by but he was hurt. Badly.

Gideon did not like how pale Sapphira had become. “What’s wrong?” he asked turning to her.

“Damien, he’s hurt,” she breathed looking up at him. “He’s,” she frowned in concentration. “He’s close by.” She looked up at the ceiling. “In the mountains. He’s looking for me and he can’t find me.”

The way Sapphira said Damien’s name, as if he were one of the most important people in her life, left Gideon with a cold dread. There was so much about her that he did not know. Who she was? Why she was hidden? If she had any past loves. Was Damien a lover from that past, from her life before she became human? Was he looking for her because he wanted to reclaim her? Were they mated? That thought had Gideon dropping Sapphira’s hand. If that were so, then she would be lost to him forever.

So much unknown, so much to lose.

It was brought home with clarity that fractured his heart into pieces why guardians were forbidden to fall in love with their charges. Because they were not theirs to have, and to lose her would destroy something inside of him. Especially to one he considered his enemy.

Ignoring her look of confusion at his sudden withdrawal, he turned to Talon. If Damien was this important to her, then he would help find him. “Go with her into the mountains. Take Loghan and Adalrik with you. If Damien is injured, you may need them. Help Damien in any way you can and bring him here,” Gideon ordered not looking at Sapphira. If he did, he would lose his resolve to let her go.

“What about the witch?” Talon asked, clearly not happy to be leaving his commander injured and unarmed with Ayame.

“We will take care of her,” Aitan assured pulling his sword and taking a step towards Ayame who cowered back.

“Gideon.” Sapphira put her hand on his arm, moving so she could catch his eye. She did not like his sudden withdrawal and wanted to assure him she did not feel any differently towards him. When he finally looked at her, the pain in his eyes hurt her heart. “It’s not what you think,” she said quietly.

“We’ll talk about this later,” he smiled. It did not reach his eyes. “Go. Find Damien.” With a supreme amount of effort, instead of kissing her lips as he wanted to, he kissed her forehead and let her go.

Opening her mouth to say something, Sapphire suddenly decided against it. Turning she walked away, Talon and Loghan in tow.

“You let her walk out of this monastery, you allow her to find that demon and you will lose her, angel” Ayame sneered.

If it was what Sapphira wanted, if Damien was the one who made her happy, then he would so be it. Although, until he knew for sure, and even after that, he would not stop protecting her. Turning to Ayame his eyes narrowed.

“We have a special place for creatures like you, Ayame. So until you are ready to tell us the real reason you are here, plan on staying for a while,” the threat clear in his voice.

“I am handmaiden to the beloved wife of Lucifer. If I am missing for too long, he will send others to find me. You cannot keep me hidden forever,” Ayame sneered.

“You’d be surprise what I can do,” Gideon smiled. It was a cold evil smile that promised unpleasant things, and it drained the color from Ayame’s face. Gideon’s smile widen because they both knew that she had every reason to be afraid. Very afraid.

Chapter 13
Chapter 15

Copyright 2018 Heidi Barnes

Chapter 13

The first thing Gideon noticed as he came back into himself was he was laying on his stomach on something soft. That was different. The last thing he remembered was Lucifer with his hand in his chest squeezing his heart, trying to get information of where Sara was hiding. But he called her something different. Sapphira. Now that Gideon was not in so much pain and he did not have the Fallen One snarling in his face, that name tickled something in the back of his memory. Something from a long time ago that he had heard regarding Lucifer. The memory slipped away as quickly as it came, leaving Gideon even more confused.

Time to ponder on that puzzle later. Whatever had pulled Lucifer away had to be important. It did not mean the bastard would not return to finish what he started. He seemed desperate to find Sara. But why? With the exception of Sachi, after his fall mortals no longer held any interest for Lucifer.

Opening his eyes, Gideon realized he was no longer in the cell, but his room in his house on a planet in the mortal realm far from Earth. Well, it was more of a series of rooms built high in the side of a mountain. Far from crude, each room was comfortably decorated and kept warm by fire places. Electricity brought from generators gave them lights, modern Earth conveniences like a state of the art kitchen, hot water for showers, TV, game room, and electronic surveillance system. Things not found on the primitive planet that he kept this safe haven. Primitive by earth’s standards.

What this planet did have was magic. When he had found the monastery, he had a local spell caster put Wards around it to hide it from prying eyes. However, Wards did not keep everything out and sooner or later they failed. Along the outside wall of the mountain were stone paths with half walls built to keep the wingless visitors from falling, not that they had many, and a thatched roof overhead to keep them dry. If someone was to look up and see past the Wards they would think it an old abandoned monastery and that was what Gideon wanted. He knew he could not hide from the powers to be for long, no one could. But he could buy some time to figure out why Sara was so important to them.

A small sound beside him brought to his attention that he was not alone. Carefully turning his head, his back burning for some reason, he looked into the face of a sleeping angel. Sara lay on top of the blankets on her side facing him, curled around her pillow. She was here, she was safe. Relief flooded his body, taking away some of the aches and pains of his wounds. Smiling, he reached out and gently touched her face with his fingertips as he had done so many nights before. Only this time she felt him.

Without moving, those beautiful deep chocolate eyes fluttered open and a smile slowly spread across her lips as she focused on him.

“You’re awake,” she said quietly.

“And you’re safe,” he smiled back. When her smile faltered and her eyes dimmed into something haunting, he frowned. “What is it?”

“I will never be safe,” she whispered.

Taking his hand in hers, she brought it to her lips and gently placed a kiss on his fingers. That one small touch sent a shiver through Gideon’s body that he knew all too well. One he had been fighting for the last thousand years every time she became of age. Her voice brought him back from the forbidden thoughts he should not have for his charge.

“And as long as I am here neither will you.”

“What does that mean?” he asked dread replacing the warm fuzzy feeling.

“I can’t stay, Gideon. I can’t place you in danger while you are so weak. I have to leave so….”

“No!” Gideon cried angrily trying to roll over so he could stand. Pain so intense it sucked the air from his lungs shot through his back and chest.

“Gideon!” Sapphira cried reaching for him.

The door crashed open and Talon was suddenly filling the opening.

“What is going on?” he demanded.

“He tried to get up?” Sapphira explained as she moved to her knees on the bed, took Gideon’s arm and gently tried to move him back to his stomach. Talon was there in an instant helping her.

“You need to stay still,” he said gently. Once Gideon was back on his stomach, Talon pulled up a chair and sat down, his elbows on his knees so his face was closer to Gideon’s line of sight.

“What is wrong with my back?’ Gideon gasped. Before Talon could respond, a movement on the other side of him alerted Gideon that Sara was leaving the bed. With lightning speed that shot pain through his back once again, he grabbed her hand stopping her. Something deep inside him told him if she walked out of his room she would not be walking back in, and he could not have that. Turning his head so he could see her, he whispered, “Don’t leave.”

She smiled at him, but it was a smile that did not reach her eyes. Glancing up at Talon, she moved so she once again lay next to Gideon, her hand still firmly in his. “I’m not going anywhere,” she assured, the not yet implied.

What had happened while he was unconscious?

Turning back to Talon, the movement sending a fresh wave of pain through him, he asked hoarsely, “What happened after I left you?”

Talon gave Gideon the summary of the events that happen up until they parted with Michel, Loghan and Damien. At the mention of Damien’s name Gideon’s hand tightened around Sara’s. Unlike the others, he knew Damien’s secret. The son of Lucifer, something that should have been impossible. And there was something else. Something important, but the harder he tried to grasp a hold of the memory the quicker it slipped away.

Those of the higher realms had been trying to capture Damien for centuries. He would appear in the mortal realm to start some sort of chaos, and he was not subtle about it. It was as if he were looking for a fight, and when the angels sent to stop him found him, the blood bath was gruesome.

Finally Gideon and his command were sent in to eradicate the menace, but Damien had always managed to slip their grasp. When they did meet face to face it was never pleasant, and Damien would leave behind more destruction than Gideon cared to remember.

Then, suddenly, a little over a thousand years ago, he disappeared. No one knew to where or why, but when Damien was spotted a hundred years ago he was said to be looking for something. Something important to him. There were also reports that something was different. Instead of creating trouble, he went out of his way to avoid it, and that was not like him. What had changed was a mystery, but Gideon knew that did not make him any less dangerous.

The fact he had been with Sara, alone, sent a chill through Gideon. The thought of what Damien could have done to her….

A look passed between Talon and Sara that told Gideon there was something they were not telling him. Something he would not like. Sara started to slip her hand from his. At first he tightened his grip, afraid she was leaving. Then he let her go. Keeping her where she did not want to be was wrong. If she wanted to leave she was free to go, even though that thought tore something inside him to shreds. Nothing before in his entire existence had ever caused him fear, not like the thought of losing this woman. It was…debilitating. When she made no further attempt to move, the choking fear he was unused to loosened.

“What did they tell you about Sara when you were first assigned to her?” Talon asked.

Gideon thought back. “Not much. Just that she was important and needed to be watched carefully. When I realized demons were hunting her, I asked more questions but they would never give me an answer that was satisfying. There always seemed to be something left out. Why?”

Again the look. This time Gideon turned his head so he could see Sara. The haunted look was back in her eyes. And something else. Something he could not quite put his finger on. She was…different. Even though she was lying on the bed seemingly at ease, there was an air around her, a self-awareness that was not there before. There was also knowledge. Knowledge that gave her more confidence while at the same time frightened her.

Having enough of the tip-toeing around whatever was bothering them, Gideon pushed himself up.

“Gideon, don’t!” Talon ordered moving to stop him.

One look from him and Talon backed off. Sara did not even try to stop him. Instead, as he moved to sit on the side of the bed, she slid off her side and came around to the end, keeping her distance, her eyes wary.

“What the hell is wrong with you two? I’ve been through worse,” he snapped. Slowly and carefully he stretched his muscles, the burning sharp pain in his back once again sucking the air from his lungs. He started to flex his wings…and froze.

The memories of what Lucifer had done to him came crashing back. The pain, the humiliations, the utter despair as he watched his beautiful wings turn into ash.

The color drained from his face. His wings were gone. An angel without his wings was a creature lost. Neither mortal, angel nor demon; the few of them that were still sane roamed the earth trying to fit into a world they did not belong. Each trying to earn back what they had lost. Those whose minds broke were either locked away or destroyed like rabid animals. But to burn an angel’s wings meant that they would never be able to earn the right to fly with their kind again. It was the ultimate punishment, one rarely dealt and one Gideon had not earned.

“Gideon,” Talon started his voice full of worry and what Gideon know knew was pity.

“Get out,” Gideon whispered.

They hesitated for only a moment then both started for the door. Gideon did not look up. He did not want to see that look pass between them again. That look of pity.

Once he heard the door quietly click shut he let his rampaging emotions loose. Pain, anger, fear, desperation. All of them converged into one long endless scream. When he was through screaming himself hoarse, he was on his hands and knees on the floor. Shaking with weakness, he pushed himself to his feet and stumbled into the bathroom. Turning on the lights he forced himself to look into the mirror.

From the front he did not look that much different. Healing scars from where Lucifer had torn through his flesh to get at his heart ran down the middle of his torso. Other, lighter scars from cuts of a blade or whip, bruising that looked days old along his rib cage and disappearing under the white linen pants that hung low on his hips told of the beatings. It was what was missing behind him that he could not tear his eyes from.

His wings. His magnificent wings. Torn from his body and turned into black ash before his eyes all because he would not reveal where Sara was. And he had known. Even though he could no longer feel her, he knew Talon would take her to the only place he felt was safe, and still Gideon did not tell.

Putting his hands on the counter he dropped his head in between his arms. How could he protect her now? When he could not fly her to safety, when he now had a huge disadvantage from those who would come for her who had wings, how could he protect her? And the pity in her eyes. She must only think him half a man now, he sure felt like one.

Even though the self-pity tried to take over, Gideon knew he would not change what he had done. Sara’s safety was his one and only priority. He would sacrifice a lot more if it meant she stayed out of the hands of those who would hurt her.

Carefully standing straight, he dropped his pants and headed for the shower. He needed to wash the filth of Lucifer’s realm off him. Giving the water a moment to warm, he gingerly stepped inside, hissing when the water made contact with the open wounds on his back. While normally wounds healed quickly, these would heal human slow, and he would have the same phantom feelings one did when they lost a limb. As the nerve endings became numb and the pain receded into a dull ache, once again his emotions took over.

Hands on the tile before him, Gideon slowly slid to his knees, the anguish of his loss engulfing him as his tears disappeared into the fall of the water around him.

Chapter 12
Chapter 14

Copyright 2018 Heidi Barnes

Chapter 12

Damien knew exactly when his father arrived in the room. It was not hard to miss his overwhelming presence, although the sound of flames flaring and the sudden quiet that followed was a giveaway too. Lucifer always did like an entrance. Unfortunately the quiet did not last long.

“You dare call me like some peasant?” Lucifer snarled

Damien looked dispassionately at his father. To show any other emotion in the mood Lucifer was in would only end badly. As it was, his father was in a rage Damien had only seen a few times in his existence, and the creature it was aimed at rarely lived long. Being his son had never saved him from his father’s wrath. No, the only one immune was his mother. Although, now Damien was not even sure she was safe. Sara…Sapphira was a special case.

“Hello, Father,” he greeted quietly from where he stood in front of the dais. “Glad to see you too.”

An instant later Damien was airborne, crashing into the black obsidian throne with such force the massive chair toppled over. Groaning, Damian tried to get to his feet before his father could hit him again, but he was too dazed and soon found himself once again airborne, this time slamming into the wall in the back of the room. With a resounding crash, he landed on the table that stood against it full of gold and silver vases, breaking them into pieces as he crashed through to the floor.

“Do not be insolent with me, boy! I am in no mood for it,” Lucifer growled stalking around the toppled throne towards his son.

Shifting carefully, noting the broken ribs with a grimace, Damien glared at his father in his full glory. Black leather vest that showed his well-muscled chest and arms, tight black leather pants tucked into the same color boots that reached up his calves. Enormous glossy feathered black wings flared out behind him as his eyes flashed with fire, his power radiating around him, stirring his hair and feathers. Yes, Lucifer was beyond pissed and far into furious. If it had not been for the pain Damien might have been frightened, but he had seen it all before and he was very well acquainted with what would come next. The moment he betrayed his father by hiding Sapphira, the small amount of clemency Damien had by being his son vanished.

“Where is she? And don’t lie to me by telling me you do not know!” he snapped as he reached down and grabbed Damien by the neck, hauled him to his feet and slammed him once more against the wall, his feet far from the ground. Strangulation would not kill him, but it was very uncomfortable.

“I don’t know where she is,” Damien choked, his hands pulling on his father’s wrist, unable to get a good grip because they were covered with something slippery and slightly tacky. Blood, and Damien could guess at whose. “She is out of this realm so I cannot sense her, and even if I could I would not tell you.”

With a howl of rage Lucifer launched Damien into the center of the room. Damien landed hard on the stone floor, rolling to the middle of the room to stop on his side coughing and gasping as he tried to open his airway and breathe around the pain in his chest.

“You lie!” Lucifer roared.

Damien was barely able to roll out of the way before his father landed right where he had been laying, the rock under his feet cracking from the force. Struggling to his feet, one arm carefully wrapped around the broken ribs that were slowly knitting themselves back together, Damien backed away as Lucifer advanced.

“If you cannot sense her, how in the hell am I supposed to?” Damien snapped. “You’ve reminded me enough times of how weak I am. How worthless.”

“Because you are worthless. Hiding behind your mother’s skirts when you were young, and when you outgrew her you hid behind Sapphira. Always following her around like a lost puppy, claiming you were keeping her safe from those that would harm her. You who would never pick up a weapon, afraid of sullying yourself with the blood of others. You were a disgrace! You would not even defend yourself when I punished you!”

Those punishments were a result of his father’s frequent rages that needed an outlet. Usually there was some unfortunate demon nearby that would bear the brunt of his fury, but more often than not it would be him or Sapphira who were the closest. Fiercely protective of his sister, Damien would step in between them, purposely catching his father’s eye, and his fists. Afraid if he fought back, if he showed any form of the strength he held inside, Lucifer would turn towards Sapphira who was an easier target, Damien would be left broken and bloody on the floor, barely able to move or breathe. Even though it meant he looked weak in his father’s eyes, he would endure the humiliation again if it meant Sapphira was safe. Today was no different.

“And if you did not have me to beat, who would you have turned on? Sapphira? Mother?” Damien asked quietly.

That stopped his father.

“I would never hurt your mother,” he whispered. Fear was not something you would think to see in the Fallen One, but the thought of losing his beloved Sachi was at times debilitating. If Lucifer had one weakness, it was his wife. It was why she was kept locked safely in the castle where those that would use her to overthrow him could not reach her.

“When you were in one of your rages, you didn’t care who it was standing in front of you. As long as you bathed in someone’s blood you were appeased,” Damien reminded bitterly. “Better mine than theirs.”

With a wave of Lucifer’s hand, Damien once again was airborne, flying sideways onto long wooden table laden with plates of food, vases full of his mother’s favorite flowers, and bowls of fruit. When he landed on the other side, the glass cutting into his skin as the gold and silver clattered to the floor around him, he stayed where he was. The memory of his father’s power and the pain behind it was never far away. He was not relishing reliving it.

Gritting his teeth, Damien slowly rolled over onto his back, praying the angels had found Gideon and were on their way out of this realm, because he was not going to take much more of this. For the first time in over a hundred years he felt strong enough to fight back, and for once he could.

“Enough talk. You have a connection to your sister that I do not,” Lucifer snarled as he stalked around the end of the table. Damian quickly pushed himself to his feet, but he did not back away. He stood his ground. “Don’t,” Lucifer warned when Damien opened his mouth to deny his father’s statement. “I know the spell is broken. I know your bond is reconnecting, that I can feel. So don’t tell me you can no longer sense her. Now. Where. Is. She!” he repeated through gritted teeth, his face in Damien’s.

“Somewhere you cannot reach her,” Damien answered evenly.

Lucifer started to retaliate, but Damien acted first. This time it was Lucifer who flew through the air, crashing against the far wall. It would be the first and last time Damien knew he would be able to catch his father off guard, and because of his injures he was not up to full strength. Something he could not let his father know.

Nephilim. The children of angels and humans. Creatures of great strength and beauty, yet they held no real power and could not fly like their angel parent. It was one of the things his father used to use against him. However, there was one secret that he and his sister had kept from him and everyone around them.

Being the oldest, Sapphira had developed her power and wings first. So surprised they had not thought to hide it from their father. She was a first of their kind, and it was what alerted Lucifer to the fact that she may be the one prophesized a millennia ago when he and his kind were cast out of heaven. The one who would free them from their prison.

Because of Lucifer’s obsession with Sapphira, Sachi had wisely decided to keep quiet when Damien’s power and wings had begun to develop. Years of abuse could have been avoided if he had only shown he was not weak, but his powers had grown stronger than his father’s and Sachi was afraid that Lucifer would fear that power and destroy her son and thus destroying the very fabric of the universe.

The time for secrets was over.

Appearing out of mist, a sword, long and broad, its handle carved with intertwining runes that spelled his and Sapphira’s names curved around Damien’s hand as he gripped the long pummel. Runes of power and battle graced the blade. Keeping the sword to the side, he calmly walked to stand in front of his father. Lucifer was down on one knee, fists resting on the floor, head bowed, wings spread out to each side trying to catch his equilibrium. Damien could feel the rage radiating off his father and knew he was trying to quell the urge to kill him because he needed answers. Dead Damien could not give them to him. His wings flaring wide behind him, Lucifer raised his eyes full of anger and hate, his own sword materializing in his hand. When he saw his son, his rage turned to shock and Damien knew he had his father’s full attention.

Stretched out behind him, a wing span as large as his father’s, were silver wings. The air moved his hair and feathers, not unlike his father’s had only a few moments ago, as his power pulsed around him. The creature that stood before the Fallen One was not Nephilim nor angel, but something quite different.

“How?” Lucifer breathed, his voice filled with shock as he slowly stood.

“It was easy when all you cared about was the chosen one,” Damien answered bitterly, raising his sword point to his father’s chest. “When you were so focused on Sapphira and her powers and what it meant to you that the son you bore, her twin, was no more than a bug you stepped on when it suited you, it was easy to hide what I had become. But I am not going to hide who I am any longer, Father. Just as I am not going to suffer your abuse.”

“You cannot leave here,” he scoffed. “None of us can.”

“None of the Fallen can leave. Unlike you, I am not fallen and neither is Sapphira. We are from all realms – heaven, earth, hell, and many more you have no idea exist. So we are free to traverse each one freely. The prophecy states a single power will unleash the End of Days. Sapphira and I are two halves of the same whole. Together we are one, and I will not allow you or anyone else use us in some twisted game of power. All we want, all we have ever wanted was to be is left alone.” He took a step forward, his voice low and dangerous. “I am only going to tell you this once. Do not search for us. Do not attempt to use mother to lure us back. Leave us in peace and we will leave you in peace.”

“Do you think they will allow you to live in peace?” Lucifer scoffed. “Every god and goddess in every pantheon will be hunting for you. You cannot defeat them all. One way or another you and your sister will have to serve your fate. You will release the apocalypse.”

“We have managed to avoid it this long. I think we can manage to avoid it a few centuries longer,” Damien said.

“If you think I am going to allow you to simply walk out of my kingdom, you are mistaken,” Lucifer sneered with an evil smile, bringing his own sword level with Damien’s.

“I think you will find I am not so easily defeated, Father,” Damien countered with a wicked smile of his own.

“We shall see,” Lucifer sneered.

With a lunge, the sounds of swords clashing filled the air and castle as father and son fought to defeat the other. Flashes of fire and lightening singed the floors, walls and ceilings, narrowly missing skin and feathers.

From the shadows a pair of dark blue eyes watched and waited with worry as the two most important men in her life battled for dominance. Both equally matched in power and skill, neither one willing to back down. As the first metallic tang of blood filled the air, a hand rested on her shoulder. Jumping, Sachi turned to see her husband’s second in command, Elden, watching the battle with sad wary eyes. He turned those eyes to Sachi.

“Please, my lady. We mustn’t stay here,” he urged, taking Sachi’s arm and pulling her away. “Lucifer and Damien will never forgive themselves if you were hurt in the crossfire. Please. Come away.”

Knowing he was right, Sachi allowed him to lead her away from the sounds of battle. Whatever the outcome, she prayed that the sacrifices she had made to keep her children and the universe safe were not all in vain.

Chapter 11
Chapter 13

Copyright 2018 Heidi Barnes

Chapter 6

The ground just kept coming closer and closer. Somewhere above her, or was it below her? Sara was spinning and turning so much she was not sure which way was up. What she did know was that the ground was coming. That was just plain physics.

Another angry ear piercing shriek told Sara that Talon was still busy with Lizza. He had tried to reach her and almost made it, but Lizza had swooped in and crashed into him, both of them tumbling out of sight, which in turn sent Sara spinning. Another ear splitting shriek, this one more pain than anger. Harpy came to mind. From what little Sara knew of Harpies, they were vicious creatures. She hoped Talon was strong enough to defeat the creature, or at least force her to run off.

“Got you!” A male voice grunted just before a body slammed into Sara, jarring everything including her back teeth. Arms, legs and something exquisitely soft enveloped her. “Hang on!” Talon gritted.

Even though he sounded calm, there was an underlining level of stress in his voice and body that told Sara they were not safe. Wrapping herself around him, she belated realized the softness she felt were his wings. If his wings were around her, how were they supposed to fly? No sooner had that thought finished itself, they hit the ground and all she knew was her back teeth were not only loose, they were rattling around in her head.

When they finally stopped rolling, Sara lay in Talon’s arms trying to relearn how to breathe. As her heart rate slowly lowered and her lungs began working, she realized that Talon had not moved. Her heart rate once more skyrocketing at the thought he was dead, she tried to move away from him so she could look him over.

“Shhh,” he hushed. “Lizza is looking for us. If we stay still she may not see us.”

Holding her breath, Sara did as he told. What seemed like an eternity, she finally felt Talon’s body relax. It did not last long. Sucking air through his teeth when he tried to move told Sara he was injured. By the hissing curses, it had to be bad.

“Can you move your wings enough so I can move off of you?” she whispered. Lizza was gone, but that did not mean there were not others lurking nearby.

“I think so,” Talon answered slowly unfurling himself from around her.

Sara carefully pulled away, doing her best not to jar the angel too much. Once she was free, she moved far enough away to give him room to stretch. Then it hit her. She was looking at an honest to God angel. His dark shoulder length hair did not quite fit the pictures of angels she had seen at church, but then again she did not take much stock in the human version of heaven. Something just smacked too perfect. Too boring. If God could make a world that so varied and wondrous and full of imperfections, then why could heaven not be the same way?

As Talon turned pain filled hazel eyes towards her and she was able to see his chiseled features, slightly crooked nose that looked like it had been broken one too many times, and lips that begged to be kissed, she realized he was just about close to perfection as he could come in her book.

“Are you okay?” he asked concern replacing the pain, breaking into her stunned silence.

Slamming her mouth shut and turning what she knew had to be a lovely shade of red at being caught drooling, Sara thought about his question. Was she okay? She had been too busy coming to the realization that angels and demons were real and she was apparently in Hell to really take stock of herself. That the blue eyes that haunted her dreams, her waking hours, that had made her feel safe, loved ever since her mother had become sick with cancer was in fact her guardian angel. One they left behind battling a monster with a sword. The need to go back and help him overrode her common sense until she realized that there was nothing she could do but hinder him. That demon…what was his name? Loathar? He seemed more than ready to use her as a distraction. She would not help the bastard by going back and doing just that.

What she needed to do was find a way out of this hell. Only problem was, she had no clue how she got here in the first place.

Looking around her, aside from the bad smell, the red haze and the burning lungs, Hell looked a lot like any other…forest? Thinking back Sara remembered seeing places that looked barren, desert like as they flew over. There were trees surrounding the castle they had been heading to. Maybe that was the forest they were in now. The thought of that dark place sent a shiver down her spine. Every cell in her body screamed to get as far away from it as she could. The entire place reeked of pain, death…evil.

“Sara!” Talon voice snapped, along with his fingers in front of her face.

Jumping at the sudden sharp noise, she returned to the original question. Was she all right?”

“Aside from some bumps and bruises, I think physically I’m fine,” Sara answered hesitantly. The smile Talon gave her said he understood the rest of what she was not saying.

“Except your mind is telling you that everything you have seen is fairytale, myth and shadows,” he said grimly. Pulling her knees up to her chest and tightly wrapping her arms around them, the only answer Sara could give him was a nod of her head. With a deep sigh that seemed filled with more than exhausted, Talon carefully rolled over onto his back. Rubbing his face with his hands that were covered in dirt, blood and other things Sara did not want to contemplate, he muttered, “Why is it always me that has to explain the unexplainable to the unbelievers?”

“Unbelievers?” Sara asked studying him now that he could not see her eyes taking in all of him.

In the pictures she had grown up with, angels wore anything from togas to nothing. Over six feet tall, Talon was covered in what looked like thick brown leather armor. The sleeves were short, but he had braces on his forearms that were studded with some sort of metal. A belt ran diagonally across his chest and around to his back. Since he was lying on it, Sara could not be sure if it was a scabbard or maybe a quiver. On his shoulders and shins were more of the studs. Extra protection maybe? Another belt at his waist held a long knife and other weapons she did not recognize. On his feet were leather boots. The leather itself was made up of different colors. The pants were brown, the shirt red with brown at the shoulders and sleeves. The boots a dark brown. All this leather and she could still see that he that he had the build of a well-seasoned warrior. Looking back into those hazel eyes that were now on her sparkling with amusement, she wondered why the angels she grew up looking at were not this gorgeous. Probably too sinful for those stuck up prudes she had to endure when her father dragged her to church on Sunday.

“Are you through taking inventory?” he asked with a smirk. He chuckled as Sara felt her face heat once again. “Don’t let Gideon see you looking at me like that.” He grimaced as he tried to move. “I’d like to live to see another sunrise. That is if we can escape this God forsaken realm first.”

Sara’s blush disappeared when Talon tried to get to his feet only to collapse back onto the ground with a groan of pain.

“What’s wrong?” she asked unwinding and moving towards him.

“The ground is too damn hard, that’s what is wrong,” he snapped. When he saw her hesitation at his anger, he softened his expression and tone. “Sorry. I don’t do well when I’m in pain. I think my wing is broken.”

“Which one?” Sara asked suddenly all business. She had plenty experience with broken limbs with a little brother who spent most of his time in the ER having one limb or another set. She also had designs of becoming a veterinarian, so any creature four footed or winged found its way to her so she could heal them.

“Left,” he hissed trying to move it.

“Keep still,” Sara admonished moving around him to reach the damaged wing. They were huge and a white so pure that even under all the dirt and blood they shone. Although on closer inspection of Talon’s, she found not only was it at a strange angle, but a lot of the feathers were missing too. “I think Lisa…I mean Lizza did most of this damage,” she murmured as she inspected the wing.

“One of these days I’m going to put an end to that backstabbing siren,” Talon growled in disgust. It quickly turned into a hiss as Sara touched the edge of the wing. “Careful!” he snapped, but there was no anger in his voice. Just pain.

“Sorry,” she apologized quickly. “So you know Lizza well?” she asked conversationally, her eyes on his wing.

“Unfortunately,” Talon groused, his voice tight with pain. “Before she became fallen, she…did something that none of us can ever forgive.”

“And that was?” Sara asked keeping the conversation going not only because she was curious, but it kept Talon distracted as she gently inspected his wing.

Talon sighed, the sound so resentful that it brought Sara’s eyes to his face. His expression was one that said his mind was on a long ago memory that was not pleasant. “That is not my tale to tell, I’m afraid. Suffice to say, after today, Gideon will not hesitate to kill her.”

“Because she brought me here?” Sara asked.

“That is one of the many reasons, and because she took something that was his.” Talon looked into Sara’s eyes, his dark with anger. “Something that he considers important to him.”

Unsure how to respond to his anger, because as far as she knew she had done nothing wrong and he was clearly blaming her for something, she turned back to his wing. After further inspection she decided that the wing was not broken, just dislocated.

“You’re in luck. Your wing is only dislocated. I need to set it if it is to heal properly,” her mind more on the how and less on informing Talon what she was going to do.

“Do you know how to do that?” Talon asked looking at her with a fair amount of skepticism.

Sara shrugged. “I’ve set my fair share of birds’ wings. Aside from size, I assume this will not be much different.”

“Birds’ wings,” his voice flat with skepticism.

For some reason this, out of everything else that had happened to her today, pissed Sara off. “Do you want it set or not?” she snapped.

“Okay, okay,” Talon soothed through gritted teeth. “I’m in no shape to argue with you. Just…be careful. Please,” he added in a more gentle tone.

Sara could imagine the thought of never flying again would be a frightening one. “I will be as gentle as I can, but it is going to hurt,” her voice apologetic.

Nodding he understood, with Sara’s help Talon shifted until he lay on his stomach with his upper half raised above the ground as he rested on his forearms. Already white and sweating with pain, he braced himself as he watched Sara moved around his wing, trying to find better footing. Wings normally were delicate things. The last thing she wanted to do was cause more damage. Tentatively she took a hold of it, one hand on either side of the joint that was distended.

“Ready?” she asked her voice breathy with uncertainty.

“Ready,” Talon answered through gritted teeth.

“One, two, three!”

There was an audible snap and Talon’s back arched as he head went down, eyes closed tight, trying to stifle his scream of pain. It was too much, though, and he collapsed flat on the ground, out cold.

As gently as she could, Sara arranged his wing so it lay in as close to a naturally relaxed position as she could make it. Then she inspected his right wing to make sure nothing was wrong with it. Like the left it was missing feathers and covered in places with blood and dirt, but otherwise it looked fine.

Glancing around her once again she wondered what she should do. Obviously she could not leave Talon unconscious and vulnerable. Especially since he had not been very successful in stifling his scream. If anyone was close by, they would have heard him. What she needed was a weapon. Looking at his back, Sara saw the empty scabbard and knew the sword that filled it must be somewhere close by. Digging around in the underbrush, she finally found it. Like him, it was huge and as she tried to lift it she knew it would be more of a hindrance than help. She needed something smaller. Then she remembered the knife on his belt. After dragging the sword so it was closer to him, and her, Sara carefully pulled the knife from its sheath. For her size it was more like a short sword, which was perfect, if she knew how to wield a sword that was. Oh well, it was better than nothing.

Sitting down a few feet away from Talon, she strained to hear anyone coming. Nothing. In fact, there were no birds, no insects, no noise of any kind. What did she expect though? She was in Hell. Anything as small as an insect was probably too scared to come out because there were far more bigger and scarier creatures ready to squash them. As if to emphasize that thought, in the far in the distance there was a scream of pure terror followed by howls of hunger. Yes, bigger scary things that roamed the shadows and would do more than take a little blood from her.

Looking at Talon’s still form, Sara prayed he woke soon. She was no match for what lived here, and to make matters worse they were actively looking for her. Talon said there were many reasons why she was brought here, and he had only listed one, so she still did not totally understand what these creatures would want with her, but something told her she really did not want to know.

Chapter 5
Chapter 7

Copyright 2018 Heidi Barnes

Chapter 5

 The day had started out so normal.

After attempting to smash her alarm clock into pieces, Sara dressed and ate a quick breakfast before heading into town to…what was she going to do? Oh yeah. She had to stop by the feed store and order a part for the lawnmower. The damn thing was forever breaking down. What they needed was a new one, but that was not going to happen. Ever since….

Sara shied away from that painful memory. No time to lose herself in grief. Not in public where she would have to endure the looks of pity.

After placing her order, she headed for their family store, the persistent feeling of being watched that had been there most of her life irritating her today. Whenever she looked to see who it was staring at her, there no one paying any attention to her. It was so strange and annoying, yet at the same time comforting.

Then something in a store front window she never remembered being there before caught her eye. What was it? Racking her brain she finally remembered. An old clunky black and white TV mixed in with the new HD flat screens. She had stopped to make sure she had seen what she thought she saw when everything went…weird.

Hell, weird did not even begin to cover what she was seeing.

This could not be happening. None of this was real. Yet as she looked around her at the glaring hungry eyes, the different shades of skin – most that had never been seen in the human world – teeth and claws that could rip her to shreds; she was having a hard time convincing herself it wasn’t.

Demons. Things of mythology and nightmares. Things of evil. And apparently her best friend was one of them. While it did explain a few things, Sara thought she should have noticed something was not right with Lisa long before this. It just showed Sara that no matter how much she had tried to ignore, push aside and fight her feelings in order to survive, her mother’s death affected her more than she realized.

Swords clashing, bones crunching and screams of pain in the back of the horde that surrounded her pulled all the demons’ hungry eyes away from her to a more immediate threat. A battle was taking place and it was heading towards them. Behind her, Lisa hissed angrily. Sara turned in time to see huge glossy black wings of feathers fan out behind Lisa as she took a battle stance.

“It’s too soon!” she hissed.

“He must have been watching her,” a rather large more intelligent looking demon said pointing at Sara.

“Impossible. He was miles away chasing a false lead,” Lisa snapped. “Someone betrayed us.”

Sara looked perplexed. She didn’t know anyone who could wield a sword let alone come into the bowels of Hell after her. She was not even sure how she got here. Last she remembered she was in a circus tent in the 1950’s, which was also wrong….

Wait a minute. She must be dreaming. That’s what this was. She was safely in her bed having a nightmare. Damn horror books. Maybe she should quite reading them if they were going to create hallucinations like this one.

“Okay,” she said taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. “It’s only a dream. It’s only a dream. All I have to do is wake up and I will be safe and sound in my bed. Come on, Sara. Wake up!”

“What is she doing?” a demon asked his neighbor in a surprisingly normal voice, as he watched Sara in confusion.

“They all do that in the beginning,” the demon next to him sighed. Sara was shocked to hear a female voice. “They think they are dreaming, and if they could only wake up then it won’t be real.”

“You’re female,” Sara breathed in shock.

“Yeah? What of it. You think baby demons just pop out of the males? Girlfriend, they couldn’t handle the pain,” she scoffed.

Hmmmm, sounds like something her mother would say. Although her mother was a gentle soul and would not end up in a place like this. Still, Sara took a closer look at her.

“You get any closer sweetheart and I’ll have to kiss you,” the female demon warned suggestively.

Sara jumped back, a look of horror on her face. The two demon’s hair raising cackle was cut off by someone yelling Sara’s name.

“Sara!” a male’s voice called frantically.

The sound of that voice sent a flood of relief through her that almost buckled her knees. He was coming. He would keep her safe. But, who was he?

“Sara! Where are you?”

“Here!” she called starting towards the voice. Even though she could not put a name to it, that voice was somehow familiar. It sounded like home, and she desperately wanted to go home. Not thinking about the danger of wading through a horde of hungry demons, Sara started moving towards that voice.

“Oh no you don’t!” Lisa snarled grabbing her arm. Pulling Sara to her, Lisa tightly wrapped both arms around her and then they were airborne. “You are mine. I will not let that sanctimonious pompous bastard come in here all blazing glory and save your ass. Not this time. If he wanted to keep you, he should have been more watchful and less trusting.”

This time? “Who are you talking about?” Sara asked struggling to get free.

“Your guardian angel of course,” Lisa said as if Sara was daft.

Her what? Sara looked down at the mass of bodies beneath them.

Lisa had stopped so Sara could finally understand what just how much danger she was in. Hovering thirty feet in the air there was a lot to see, but what drew Sara’s eyes was a knot of…beings fighting their way through a horde of demons. She thought beings because they glowed with an unearthly light. Even as they slowly became covered in blood and gore the light shone through. But what really caught her attention were their wings. Huge, glorious white wings.

“Angels,” Sara breathed.

“Yes, and that one,” Lisa let go of her with one arm long enough to point at an impressive figure at the head of the group fighting with a ferocity that was awe inspiring, sending the demons around him that survived his sword cowering in terror, “is Gideon, your guardian angel.”

As if he heard his name being said he looked up at them. The clear blue eyes that caught Sara’s and held them were like none she’d ever seen before, and yet she had. It was so disconcerting. Those eyes held a great deal of rage as they narrowed on them. There was no doubt in her mind, or any of the demons below that fought, lay dying or were dead, that her angel was pissed.

“Let her go, Lizza,” he snarled.

Lizza…not Lisa? Sara was going to have to remember that.

Lizza only laughed as Gideon’s attention was taken by a new demon that towered over the rest. With huge leathery wings, bulging muscles, wearing battle armor that was the color of blood and decorated with spikes and skulls, he was an impressive figure. Actually he looked more human than demon, but there was no mistaking the malice pouring off of him. He was definitely evil.

Sara watched in fascination as a ring was formed around the two. It was obvious the other demons wanted no part of this fight, and the other angels were too busy with their own battles. Lizza laughed gleefully in her ear as her arms tightened around Sara pushing the air from her lungs.

“Loathar. High lord under the Horseman called War. One of the most dangerous forces of evil that has ever lived. He has had a hard-on for Gideon since before the fall, but has never been able to defeat him outside this realm. Today will be different,” Lizza cackled.

No! Sara thought feeling the blood drain from her face. She would have screamed for Gideon to run, but because of Lizza’s hold on her, she could not draw a breath.

“You can’t just come in here and claim what is rightfully ours, Angel,” Loathar’s voice boomed over the noise of battle.

“She is not yours, Loathar. She belongs with me,” Gideon snapped.

“Then I suggest you keep better watch over your charges if you wish to keep them, Angel. She is in our realm now, and she came here freely, therefore she is ours. Your claim is null and void,” Loathar laughed. Then his voice grew low and husky. “And I plan to take pleasure in every part of her.”

“Over my dead body,” Gideon growled.

“If you insist,” Loathar smiled. It was as if he was waiting for Gideon to say those words. With a huge roar that shook the ground, Loathar lunged at Gideon.

“No!” Sara screamed, managing to suck in enough air as she struggled to get free. It was her mother all over again. She was helpless to stop what was happening, only unlike her mother, the demon bent on destroying Gideon was on the outside and he had a huge sword to help him. Thankfully Gideon’s sword was a match and parried the blow with effortless ease.

“Shit!” Lizza hissed in Sara’s ear.

Sara dragged her eyes from the battle below to see where Lizza was looking. A dark haired god was winging his way towards them. Were all angels this yummy?

“Release her, Lizza!” the angel snarled.

“Catch me if you can, Talon,” Lizza taunted.

Laughing in obvious pleasure of the thought of a chase, Lizza gave one mighty flap of her wings and they were off. Sara tried desperately to see Gideon, but they were moving too fast. Soon, the horde was tiny ants in the far distance. Realizing that gawking like an idiot was not helping matters, Sara did her best to pull herself together and find her bearings.

Lizza had a death grip on her and it was once again becoming increasingly hard to breath. An angel by the name of Talon was following them trying to rescue her. They were flying at speed Sara could not even begin to fathom and heading across land that looked far from habitable. Below them more demons snapped and snarled as they passed over, all smelling the blood of a human and angel, all wanting a piece of flesh.

A castle came into view ahead of them. Tall spires ending in points that looked sharp and painful rose into the air, the walls that surrounded it were high and formable. Even though the castle itself was perched on top of a low mountain with an easy path to the open gates, with its black shiny surface it screamed stay away. That death awaited those who dare approach. Something told Sara if she wanted to escape now was the time, because if they reached that castle she would not be leaving. Taking a deep breath, trying not to think of how far below her the land was, she began to struggle harder.

“Enough!” Lizza snapped. “Stop or I will drop you!” she commanded her grip tightening around her prey.

That’s the idea, bitch, Sara thought. Then a disgusting thought crossed her mind, but she saw no other option. They were almost to the castle and Talon was too far away to stop them. Grimacing, Sara swallowed hard, opened her mouth and bit down on Lizza’s arm. The metallic taste of blood filled her mouth, gagging her, but Lizza did as Sara hoped she would. With a screech of pain, she let go.

“Sara!” Talon cried behind her. Far behind her.

As she fell, Sara prayed he was as fast as she had heard angels were and he would catch her before she hit the ground, because nightmare or realty, this was going to hurt.

Chapter 4

Chapter 6

Copyright 2018 Heidi Barnes