devil 03 - tween hearts fire and devils delight (37 page)

I felt him grinning in my head.
I was unavoidably detained. Your idiot partner decided to try to take me out in revenge for killing you.

Remind me to kick his ass tomorrow.

You’ll be behind me in that line, my princess.

Don’t call me that!

His rich laughter filled my head.

Then I gave up trying to hold it back and the power burst my feeble restraints. It rolled out of me in skin-melting waves, leaving me breathless under the incredible pain. I just had time to scream Darma’s name before it exploded from my pores, knocking me onto my ass again and filling the mist-saturated air with a dull white light. It hit the dense atmosphere in that clearing with a sound like a sonic boom.

The ground rumbled and swayed beneath me, feeling as if it would break away at any moment.

I knew the exact second when Darma’s power joined mine and Dialle’s. It was tinged with another magic signature which I guessed was Torre’s.

The first thing I noticed was that the damnable Brownie finally shut the hell up.

The second thing I noticed was that the mist reversed course and started to flow away from our power. The Serpent started screaming. I looked up to find him writhing atop that altar, still upright but looking as if he was being held on his feet by an invisible force that was mauling him unmercifully, even as it held him up.

Raoul’s poor, battered body lay on the altar’s surface, looking crumpled and lifeless.

The Serpent’s mouth was opened impossibly wide, splitting his once handsome face almost in two and curved horns had popped from the sides of his head.

The mist swirled around his tortured form, pushing him this way and that until he finally fell to his knees under the onslaught.

Suddenly the sky above us burst into light as the celestial army arrived in all its beautiful glory. I realized that half of the vibrant, powerful angels which encircled the clearing had been horribly ill with Devil’s Plague just moments earlier.

Proof that my power mix was everything I’d hoped it would be.

The Serpent threw back his head under the onslaught of clean, white power from the army and, as he did, the mist surged into him, flinging him from the altar to hang, writhing manically, in the air just in front of where I still sat on the ground.

I watched him eat the mist and tried to ignore the fact that it felt like my power was ripping my skin away. As the last of the foul mist slid into the Serpent’s writing form, the celestial army moved in and surrounded him, locking him in an unbreachable circle of white power and then started to lift him away.

I realized then that I could let the power go and I did so gratefully, sagging forward with fatigue as the last of it slipped away from me.

“
I think I know where
he’s
going.”

I jumped and turned at the sound of my sister’s voice. She was sitting on the ground next to me, looking every bit as exhausted as I was.

I grinned at her and held up my fist for rock knuckles.

She tapped my knuckles with her own and grinned back. “God I’m tired.”

I laughed, “Me too.”

She nodded toward what was left of the Brownie. “It was fun sending that to the lowest circle of Hell.”

I lifted my eyebrows at her. “My, my, bloodthirsty much?”

Her mouth opened to respond but she was saved by a warm, familiar hand on her shoulder. I also had one on mine. We looked up into our father’s peaceful blue eyes.

“I knew you could do it.”

Healing warmth suffused us from his touch and energy filled my weary body. I looked at his wrists. “Hey! No chain?”

He shook his golden head, tears shimmering in his eyes. His gaze slid to the spot where my mother had been standing. She was lying face down on the ground, her limbs twisted at odd angles. Prince Nille laid beside her, looking much the same.

Darma gasped, “We killed her?” I’d never seen my sister look so horrified, not even when she’d been forced to kill that demon in the park to save the little boy.

But our father shook his head again. “The Serpent took them with him into Hell, as retribution for their having failed him I presume.”

I shook my head, forcing back tears. “It doesn’t pay to hang out with the wrong crowd.”

“Amen,” said a brisk voice behind us. We turned to find Myra with an arm around the pretty, young Elf’s shoulders. The Elf looked a little shaky but I got the impression she would live. I noticed her rubbing her wrist and looked down. Her Devil’s mark was still there.

My eyes widened and I looked down at my own wrist.

“The marks will stay with us for all time I’m afraid.” I looked up into Dialle’s now, permanently blue eyes. He was, at last, verified as the Great Unifier. Per prophecy, he’d gone against his own people to save the race of humans…and me too.

I smiled at him. “Hey.”

“Hey yourself.” He knelt down and placed a soft kiss on my lips.

“They’ll serve as a reminder to us that evil is always just a heartbeat away.” That, of course, was my Aunt Myra. Always the life of the party. Forever the voice of encouragement. Truly a glass is half full kind of gal. A cool breeze in the desert, a raft in the deadly rapids of life… Well, sarcasm aside, you get my point I think.

I beamed up at her. “Or…they can be a reminder that we beat it back once and we can do it again.”

She frowned at me. “Whatever, Astra.”

Something flashed on the edge of my vision and I turned toward the altar. I gasped. Raoul stood upon the altar, still clothed in white robes but they were pristine and he had huge, silver wings to go with them. He held the wings at an awkward angle like he wasn’t quite sure what to do with them but they shimmered in the light that radiated around him and were lovely. His dark face looked ten years younger than the last time I’d spoken with him and he was smiling. His dark brown eyes sparkled. “Hello, Astra.”

“Oh my god! You’re beautiful!”

He laughed. “As opposed to before?”

I grinned weakly. “I’m sorry you died.”

He shrugged. “I think I’m gonna like being an angel. It’s very peaceful up there and I have my own office.”

I laughed, shaking my head. “Do you have an assignment yet?”

He nodded. “Black magic monitoring and management.”

“BMM&M? Sounds like a bad laser rock group.”

Raoul grinned at me and lifted his wings. “Let’s keep in touch, Astra.”

I nodded. “Absolutely.” I was proud of myself that my voice barely cracked. I watched my friend carefully test his wings, lifting off the altar a few feet and hanging there until he got a feel for how they worked. I was reminded of Glynus and her first fledgling attempts to fly.

Two members of the celestial army appeared, one on either side of Raoul and guided him upward, breaking the fragile strings that held him to Earth and setting him free to pursue his next life above.

I sighed. I would miss him as a human. But I knew he’d make an awesome angel.

A small popping noise announced the arrival of Glynus. I looked up and found her hovering like an old pro on wings that now looked to be a couple of feet longer. She grinned down at me. “Cheet?”

I laughed, joined by the group around me and held a hand out to her, encouraging her to come into my lap. “You can say that again, tadpole.”

“Cheet?”

We laughed again.

“You’re a terrible mother, Astra,” Darma said, shaking her head but she was smiling.

“Hey, I’m teaching her to be spunky. That’s not a terrible thing.”

I heard a snort behind me and turned to see Flick walking up. “She doesn’t need you to teach her spunk, Astra. When she sets her little dragon mind to something there’s no stopping her.”

“Yeah, I noticed you had trouble holding onto her.”

He shrugged, grinning. “What can I say? It appears she’s a chip off the old Tweener block, she has her own opinions and doesn’t listen to anyone. Just like you.”

Glynus hopped up and down on my lap and then leaned toward me, setting her snout on my forehead.

Immediately a picture of dragons, both red and black, flying free in the skies above the Earth filled my mind. Then Zerphor’s beautiful, rich voice overlaid the pleasant visual.
You’ve done well, dragon fighter.

I did the mental shrug.
I didn’t do it alone. I had lots of help from my friends, including Princess Glynus.

Yes,
responded Zerphor with a sigh.
She is indeed an exceptional child. I think you two will do well together.

Are you sure you want me to raise her? She can fly free in the world of man now, without worrying about the twisted veil.

Zerphor nodded in my mind.
She must learn to live among men so that she can teach the next generation of blacks. It is set into prophecy and must be so.
Then she grinned.
Besides, she is a very difficult child and I think you should be lucky enough to spend time with her.

Gee thanks!
I laughed.

You are very welcome, dragon fighter. Now, if you will excuse me, Quince awaits.
Immediately a picture filled my head that, if I’d had anything at all to eat would have brought it right back up.
Oh my lord, stop, please!

Zerphor laughed,
Why do you shudder so? Love is a wonderful thing.

Yeah, normal love but two lizards doing it is not exactly my thing.

We are not lizards and we are far more graceful at love then you human shaped creatures.

How would you know?

She grinned again.
I have friends in fairy land.

A chill ran down my spine.
You watched!

Her musical laughter was her only response.
Until we meet again, dragon fighter. Stay safe.

* * * * *

The Red Knight swept cleanly over the city, dipping smartly between the tall glass and chrome arrows that pierced the Angel City skyline. I sat back smugly in the driver’s seat, calling out direction and speed changes like a mad woman.

Emo’s face in the passenger seat was slightly pale and I thought I could see a sheen of sweat on his golden brow. “Do you
know
how close we came to that last building, Astra?”

I just laughed and sent the Knight hurtling at a ridiculous speed toward the next tall building in the line. At the last second I told her to pull up and we skimmed along the building, in a parallel fashion, toward the clear blue sky above.

I looked out the view port and saw Glynus, gliding alongside us like a small, black arrow, her now sizable wings folded neatly back and her sweet face grinning at me.

I laughed and put my fist against the glass. Glynus reached out a wing and tapped the other side of the view port.

Emo gasped like a dying man in the passenger seat.

When we’d finally leveled out he took a deep breath and forcibly unclenched his fingers from the seat arms. “You’re teaching that dragon to be reckless, Astra.”

I watched said dragon do a flawless loop-the-loop around an air booger in the sky below us and grinned. “Yeah, I probably should rein her in a bit. But she’s gonna be a queen someday, Emo. She needs to be feisty and strong and even a bit willful.”

He frowned as the air booger blasted its unmanly sounding horn and surged away, leaving Glynus to do a little dance upon the air behind it. I slid the Red Knight up beside her.
Time to go home, tadpole.

But I’m having fun.

I tried to keep a neutral expression as I gave her the bad news.
You have your lessons with Auntie Myra.

Glynus frowned.
Bleurgh! She’s bad-tempered and stern.

I coughed to hide my smile.
Yes, but she’s teaching you how to lead your people. It must be done. And besides…it sux to be you.

Glynus grinned at me through the view port and then dipped her head in the manner that I’d come to recognize as acquiescence. It was very regal and I realized my little dragon was quickly growing up. It made me kind of sad.

Yes, mother Tweener.

I deposited Glynus at my father’s house so she could spend the next couple of hours being tortured by Myra. I dropped Emo back at the office. And I headed out to meet with a new client who’d contacted me the night before and asked for a meet.

He’d indicated that he had a demon that needed to be exterminated and asked if I could do it on the spot. I assured him that I could.

Which was when he’d asked me, in a decidedly high-pitched and not very manly voice, if I was sure I could do it because it was a very BIG demon.

I sighed, thinking of the constant stupidity that I had to put up with. Of course I could vanquish one simple demon. I’d saved the world at least three times. Geesh!

I programmed the coordinates the new client had given me into the Red Knight’s directional system but when the Knight announced that I’d reached the destination I frowned. We hovered above the ground, looking at a bunch of grass and trees. There were no buildings or signs of habitation to be seen for miles around.

Finally I shrugged, set the Knight at hover just above the ground and climbed out.

I looked around and decided my new client hadn’t arrived yet. So I engaged the locks on the Knight and sent it skyward with a verbal command. I grinned as the sleek red air vehicle slid upward on nearly silent wings of air.

I still missed the Viper. I probably always would. But the sleek Red Knight was doing a good job of taking some of that pain away.

After a few minutes of silence I called out, “Mx. Specter?”

I heard a small pop behind me and turned to find a low slung, extremely comfortable looking divan slouching in a spot where before there’d been only grass. Frowning, I turned toward the divan, my senses going on full alert.

“Mx. Specter? Show yourself right now or I’m leaving.”

Suddenly I was on my back on the divan, totally starkers. A long, hard body pressed into mine in the most delicious places. That is…I felt a long hard body pressing into mine but my eyes saw nothing but the sky above and the shading branches of the tree overhead. I tried to push my invisible assailant away but the soft brush of silky, heated lips caressed mine and then touched my cheek, my chin and moved down my throat, leaving a delicious trail of tingling sensation behind.