Angel Magic (17 page)

 
“Oh.”

 
“I don’t want to have sex with Auriel,” Amber said. “I know me. I’d fall in love with him. Remember how I was with Travis?”

 
Kari nodded. Amber had been crazy about Travis, and he broke her heart.

 
“Auriel is much hotter than Travis. Nicer, too. I wouldn’t stand a chance,” Amber continued.

 
Kari felt gloomy all of a sudden. She sighed. “I know exactly what you mean.”

* * * *

It worked. Rahmiel could hardly contain his excitement. All the Guardians could get in and out of the Ether at will now. It had been hard to explain, so he eventually just dragged each one there. Once there, they were able to return to Kaliel’s conference room, and with concentration they were able to get into the Ether. Auriel was the first to
       
move in and out of the Ether, which didn’t surprise Rahmiel. The boy had abilities, though he was untrained.

 
Three Guardians—two who had worked under Rahmiel and had since retired, and one current Guardian—had chosen to help. It was good to work with his old friends, though seeing them aged, while the ice had kept him a young man, was a little odd.

 
“Thank you for choosing to fight Kaphawn. It is likely you will get no official recognition for your service, though you should, because this is why the Angeli created the Guardian Force. Have any of you fought a demon before? I know Joriel and Hadriel have, because we fought together long ago. Have any others fought a demon?”

 
Auriel waved his hand with a smirk.

 
“Yes, Auriel I know about you.”

 
One of the retired Guardians spoke. “We haven’t seen any demon activity since we moved to the Overland. Current Guardians have never seen one.”

 
The active Guardian nodded. “Demons only frequent the Earth, and we no longer traverse the Earth.“

 
Rahmiel nodded. “Demons cause a certain dissonance. You feel it in your ears, but also in your chest.
A strange pressure.
It makes you feel sluggish, but you can overcome it and move normally. So don’t panic and think something is happening to your heart.

 
It just means the demon is present. Handy when you’re dealing with a demon that is invisible or uses camouflage.”

 
He dismissed the men until the appointed time and then stood in the empty room for a moment. He missed being a Guardian. He missed fighting alongside men who were closer than brothers. He missed planning strategy, planning to win.

 
“You advanced the ability of the Guardian Force to fight and win immeasurably.

 
The ability to go to Ether is on par with learning to phase,“ Tehmuel said when they were alone. Angels had learned to phase in past ages, but they had not always had that ability.

 
“I hope it proves valuable tonight.”

 
“I hope I can keep Kari safe.”

* * * *

Kari stared in horror at her living room. The coffee table was in splinters, one of the lamps next to the couch was shattered, and there were crushed pottery shards everywhere. But worst of all was the large splotch of dried blood on the carpet in front of the couch and the blood splatters all around the room.

 
A wave of nausea welled up, and Kari was glad she’d had a light lunch. She closed her eyes and a memory of motion—sick, dizzying motion as Kaphawn flung her around the room, nearly bashing her into the walls, gored on his hand. The blood on the walls was hers. The large pool of blood in front of the couch was Amber’s.

 
“Kari?” Rahmiel stood at her side.

 
“Amber almost died,” she stated, as she shuddered at the amount of the dried blood on her carpet.

 
“Yes, she was mortally wounded. But she is all right now. She will be well in a few days.”

 
“I was well in just a few hours or so. And I didn’t even see a Healer.”

 
“Yes, but the nature of your wounds wasn’t mortal. He planned to kill you by draining your life force. Amber—well, he was going for Auriel, and sliced her by accident. She’s lucky, though. I’ve seen him slice through the spine. Even our healers can’t repair injuries like that.”

 
Kari looked at the room again. “I don’t even know how to begin cleaning this. Mom is going to freak.”

 
Rahmiel had phased out his wings and was wearing slacks and a knit shirt, courtesy of Tressa. He still looked inhumanly good, Kari thought.

 
“Let’s go,” she said. “Mom’s flight is on time.” She was wearing a new outfit, also courtesy of Tressa.

 
Auriel suddenly
phased
into the living room. He was holding Tressa’s cat.

 
“The Council wants your book.
The one that has the summoning ritual in it.
Old Samuel wants to look at it. He thinks that it is impossible for any translation to have existed since the demon’s last time on Earth. At that time there were no summoning rituals for the famine demon, he moved on his own. Samuel thinks there is something strange about the whole ritual.”

 
Kari picked the book up off the coffee table and flipped through it to the ritual.

 
“Here it is. Hope it helps.” She gave Fluffy a scratch under the chin. “Hope you like Angel land, cat.”

 
“Tressa was worried the cat wouldn’t have enough to eat before she could return to her home.” Auriel tucked the book into a pouch slung over his chest and disappeared.

 
They took her mother’s SUV and Rahmiel was fascinated with driving.

 
“I want to learn how to do this. How fast does it go? Can I try?”

 
“Not right now. It’s not as easy as it looks.
And not in my mother’s car.
I’m already in enough trouble with Mom without adding a fender bender to her car.”

 
She then had to explain fender benders, police and licenses, all of which Rahmiel dismissed.

 
He was equally fascinated with the airport, and she had to hurry him along to her mother’s waiting area. Mom came past security looking tanned and relaxed in a gauze turquoise
pant suit
. Her hair was a new golden blonde color, and she had several carry on bags on her arm.

 
She dropped them when she saw Kari. “Kari? Oh my God! Kari, what happened?

 
Why didn’t you call? What happened? Is it cancer?” Tears filled her mother’s eyes, and Kari felt like crap.

 
“No, Mom, I’m all right. Healthy even. But I have something important to tell you.”

 
“Honey, how could you lose that much weight in two weeks? Have you been hiding your weight loss? Are you anorexic?” People were beginning to turn and look.

 
“Mom, this is my friend, Rahmiel.” Kari hauled Rahmiel forward, noticing he had a deer in the headlights expression on his face, which would be funny in different circumstances. “Rahmiel, this is my mom, Mary Ellen.”

 
“You are a friend of my daughter’s?
A new friend?
Because I’m certain I would remember your name. Or your description.” Mom did not sound pleased to meet him.

 
“Mom, let’s head over to baggage.” Kari tried not to sound desperate. “We’ll tell you everything in the car. All right? Not here.”

 
Mom nodded, lips tight, her tan face now a little pale.

 
Once in the vehicle, Kari tried to explain everything—the ritual, the demon, the Angels, the binding to Rahmiel, which she went over quickly minus any details about the sex, and the Angels that would come to help fight the demon.

 
“Oh, Kari, honey! I had no idea you were so ill. As soon as we’re home I’m calling Doctor Greyson. He’ll know just who to call for this type of health problem. They have wonderful medications now, and of course we’ll get you into the best facility.”

 
“Mom, I’m not mentally ill. You have to believe me. Besides, we can’t go home. The living room is a mess. Remember I told you there was a big battle? Things got broken and there is…Well, never mind. Tonight we are going to try to get the demon.”

 
“Kari,” Rahmiel interrupted her this time. “She isn’t going to understand. We’ll just take her to the Overland.”

 
“Is it a cult?” Mom screeched. “Have you seduced my baby into some evil cult?

 
Can’t you see she’s ill, she needs treatment?”

 
Kari pulled into the driveway. Rahmiel hooked Mom’s luggage over one arm, then grabbed them both around the waist as Mom went to unlock the door, Kari trying to talk her out of it.

 
In an instant they were in Kaliel’s large living room, which was full of Angels.

 
“Oh, Kari,” Mom swayed and Rahmiel caught her as she fell.

Chapter Twelve

 
“I can put her into the room next to Amber,” Kaliel said. They flew off, and Kari ran after them until Rahmiel scooped her up around her waist and followed Kaliel through the enormous house.

 
“That went well,” Rahmiel said in a worried tone. “She doesn’t like me at all, does she? She thinks I’ve somehow corrupted you.”

 
They watched Kaliel get Mary Ellen on a bed and elevate her legs.

 
“Well, now she’ll understand, once she sees all the Angels here,” Kari reassured him.

 
Rahmiel wagged his head. “You know, back in my day, mothers were eager to get me to notice their daughters. Fathers even offered me their daughters. Virgins, too.”

 
“You know things have changed. You even watched the Earth change from your prison,” Kari reminded him.

 
Rahmiel looked at Kari’s mother on the soft bed.

 
“Yes, well. Watching isn’t quite the same as experiencing. First, you thought I was just interested in you to keep myself out of prison.”

 
Kari gave him a look out of the corner of her eyes.

 
“Well, I admit, staying out of the ice was important to me, at first. I guess I was being pretty selfish, rushing you. But I knew it would help keep you safe. And the sooner it was done, the better for both of us.“ Rahmiel ran his hands through his hair and just looked at her.

 
She remembered him telling her of the girl who didn’t get the safety of a binding.

 
“Everything happened fast,“ she admitted. “Considering the circumstances there wasn’t really time to talk a lot.”

 
“After we defeat the demon, we can get to know each other better.” He moved to the bed and looked down at her mother. “Hopefully she’ll quit thinking I’m some kind of evil cult leader.”

 
“I’m sure she’ll come around. We don’t have to figure everything out right now.”

 
Rahmiel nodded. ”I think I’ll go see what Tehmuel is doing. That way you can be alone with your mother.”

 
He left and soon her mom’s eyelids fluttered. Kari sat next to her on the bed and patted her hand. “Hey, Mom. How are you feeling?”

 
“Like I owe you an apology. I believe you now. I wish I’d believed you earlier.”

 
“Oh, Mom, who could believe a story like this—Angels and demons? No wonder you thought I was crazy.”

 
Kari’s mother burst into tears. “I’m so glad it isn’t what I thought it was drugs, or mental illness, or something awful.”

* * * *