Evenstar (6 page)

Andy stabbed Helion in the foot with a rock.
 
Helion yelped and jumped back with Whitney in tow.
 
The wound in his foot healed within seconds.
 
Andy smiled.
 
“Good.
 
You’re one of us now, kid.”

Helion shook out his foot.
 
“Fallen?”

Andy nodded.
 
“You’ve made the transition.
 
The wings had to come off, the real ones I mean.
 
Not those.
 
Can you actually fly?”

Helion dropped Whitney’s hand.
 
He opened his wings and launched into the air.
 
He caught a current and soared in a circle above their heads.
 

Andy smiled.
 
“Well that answers that question.”

Helion folded his wings and dropped down.
 
He walked up to Whitney and embraced her.
 
“Thank you.
 
I would not have made it here without you.”

She nodded and kissed him.
 
“You’re my guardian angel; it’s the least I could do.”
 
She smiled and brushed back his lock of black hair.
 
She looked at Dahlia.
 
“You knew about them?”

Dahlia shook her head.
 
“I found out probably five minutes before you did.”

Helion looked guilty.
 
“Sorry, I didn’t want to lie.”

Whitney squeezed his hand.
 
“All men lie.”

“That’s for sure!”
 
Dahlia laughed.
 
Whitney joined her.
 
They fell to their knees.
 
Hysteria and lack of sleep played with their nerves.
 

Helion frowned at them.
 
“I do not want to lie.”

Andy ignored the laughter.
 
“What happened after we left, Helion?”

Helion searched his memories.
 
His white pupil expanded.
 
“Paimon did
something
with Dahlia’s old pendant.
 
He was yelling at Michael and Uriel when I left.
 
Lucifer told me to follow you.”

Whitney stopped laughing and nodded.
 
“Monty kicked their asses!
 
We were getting out of there and this huge pillar of fire erupted when we were going through the forest!
 
Then there were these fireballs and they chased the angels!”

Helion looked confused.
 
“I don’t remember that.”

Whitney stood up and brushed her clothes off.
 
“What
do
you remember?”

“Your voice.”

Whitney looked at Dahlia and Andy.
 
“Big red light shot up for miles and no one chased us, so we’re probably all right.
 
Right?”

Dahlia helped Andy to his feet.
 
“Then let’s go.
 
We can get back and meet up with everyone!”

Andy shook his head.
 
“That’s not the plan.”

Dahlia put her arm around his waist.
 
“What is this plan?”

“I told you, if Archangels attack we are to split up into teams.
 
I am supposed to take you because I can get away the fastest.
 
The other teams are Belial and Lucifer, Berith and Apple, and Furcas and Paimon.
 
They’re supposed to draw the Archangels out and use their powers so that Michael chases
them
instead of you.
 
You and I.”
 
He motioned to Dahlia.
 
“Are running low key, off the radar.
 
But with Lucifer and Furcas injured and with this new pendant problem I don’t know how things have changed, if at all.
 
But I
have to
assume that the plan still is as-is and proceed accordingly.”

Dahlia frowned.
 
“Where are we going?”

“The City.
 
Home base.”

“Why didn’t we go there
before
Michael got here?”

“Well…we didn’t want to kidnap you before we explained a few things.
 
Yes, maybe we should have just taken you there, but there’s no point in thinking about that now.”
 
Andy tried to stand on his own two feet.
 
He looked at Helion.
 
“How fast can you fly?”

Helion shrugged.
 
He picked Whitney up and jumped into the air.
 
He flew through the clearing.
 
He looked healthy.
 
He wasn’t nauseous, bleeding, or aching any longer.
 
He smiled.
 
“I can go as fast as before I think.
 
Thank you for the wings, Dahlia.”

Dahlia saluted him.
 
“You’re very welcome.
 
They suit you.”

Andy reached for Dahlia.
 
“Come on.
 
I can’t go fast, but we should keep moving.”

“Right.”
 
Dahlia nodded.
 
She slipped an arm around his waist and they walked together.
 

Helion did loopty-loops above their heads.
 

Whitney laughed.
 
She called down to Dahlia, “So, we’re hanging out with a bunch of fallen angels, the glowing Archangels with pretty wings are evil dickheads, and for some reason they want to get you.
 
You’re dating Satan and now we’re on the run from evil dickheads?
 
That’s the summary?”

Dahlia smirked.
 
“He doesn’t like being called Satan.”

Whitney laughed.
 
“Didn’t they make a movie about the bride of the devil?
 
If not, they can now; we’ll call it Dahlia Devil Woman!
 
Or Dating the Devil: It’s Not That Bad.
 
Ooh, how about Lucifer in Love!”

Dahlia flipped her off.
 
“Shut up!”

Andy laughed silently.
 
“Dahlia Devil Woman, I like that.”

“You mentioned something earlier about feeling more pain than us?”

“Yes, it really—”

Dahlia punched him in the stomach and smiled.
 
“Good to know.”

***

Belial opened her eyes.
 
The world was blurry and dark.
 
She licked her lips and tasted blood.
 
“Nast.”
 

Water splashed her face.
 
Now her mouth tasted like
chlorinated
blood.
 
She spat and tried to sit up.
 
Hands pressed into her back, helping her.
 
She whipped her head around.
 
Pain shot up her spine.
 
Belial ignored it and looked at her helpers.
 

Tracy, Celeste, and Jacob’s expressions wavered between shocked smiles and terror.
 
Dirt and soot painted them in blacks and browns.
 
Jacob’s hands and arms were clean up to the elbows and he reeked of pool water.
 

Belial set their appearance aside and listened.
 
There was nothing in the air but their breathing.
 
Her gaze rose to the sky.
 
It was still dark, the sun had not hinted at rising.
 
She sniffed.
 
None of the other Fallen were around.
 
They were alone.
 

Belial wrinkled her nose.
 
“
Great
.”
 
She shrugged off her human helpers and sat up by herself.
 
She spotted Tokala unconscious on the ground.
 
“Bring him here.”

Jacob picked up the limp Lilliam prince and set him beside Belial.
 
She looked him over and found the wound on his back.
 
She bit down on the area and sucked.
 
She tasted iron.
 
She wiped her mouth.
 
“Iron tainted.”

Jacob looked between the two.
 
“Is he dead?”

Belial touched Tokala’s face.
 
“No, but he is not well.
 
He needs a healer soon.”
 
She stood up.
 
Her legs burned like fire.
 
She looked down at the red skin, healed but in agony.
 
She remembered her trip through the house.
 
Her head whirled around.
 
“Helion!”
 
The lawn was empty except for human bodies.
 
She limped through the grass.
 
“
Helion
!”

Tracy followed her, her hands out to catch Belial if she stumbled.
 
“Which one is Helion?”

“My brother!
 
Leo.”

“He took off with Whitney.
 
He followed Andy and Dahlia I think.”

Belial stopped her progress across the lawn.
 
A single white wing glowed on the grass, its purity stained by a fair amount of blood.
 
Sympathy pain burned through the scars on her back.
 
Tears formed in her eyes.
 
She sucked in air, clamped down on her emotions, and turned away.
 
“We are leaving
now
.”

Jacob nodded and picked up Tokala.
 
Celeste looked back at the smoldering mansion.
 
“Shouldn’t we wait for the police?”

Belial flicked Celeste in the face.
 
“You’re stupid, stop speaking.”
 
She looked at the two girls.
 
“Give me your extra clothes,
now
.”

Tracy slipped off her jacket and handed it to Belial.
 
Celeste didn’t have anything extra.
 
Belial zipped up the hoodie.
 
She motioned towards the front of the house.
 
“We’re leaving.”

Celeste didn’t move.
 
“Why?”

“Because I say we are.”

Celeste balled her hands into fists.
 
“Why don’t you tell us what’s going on?”

Belial whirled around, her fangs and claws out.
 
“You will follow me and shut that mouth of yours before I break it!
 
I don’t want you along, got it?
 
But Dahlia would kill me if I left you, so you’re coming whether you want to or not!”

Celeste took a step back.
 
“Why would she kill you?”

Belial smiled.
 
“You stay here and you
die
.
 
So I leave you and essentially,
I’ve
killed you.
 
The Solomon Soldiers will no doubt be along shortly.
 
If they’re smart, they’ll use you as hostages to get at Dahlia.
 
Whatever they do, you’ll end up dead.”

“Who are
they
?”

Belial lifted Celeste off the ground.
 
“I’m in a lot of pain and you are ticking me off with these questions.”
 
She pointed a razor-sharp claw at Celeste’s face.
 
“I have poor impulse control and I like killing humans.
 
Don’t push me right now.”
 
Belial dropped her.
 
She stalked off around the house.
 
Jacob and Tracy ran after her.
 
Celeste followed along numbly.
 

The front of the house was in shambles.
 
Burnt out cars were nothing more than metal and melted plastic.
 
Belial eyed the scene.
 
“Damn it.”
 
She limped towards the driveway and swore under her breath.

Tracy ran up to her.
 
“What can I do to help?”

Belial eyed Tracy.
 
“Find me a car, luck charm.”
 

Tracy nodded.
 
She scanned the yard and took off running.
 

Belial cocked her head.
 
She twisted around and leapt at Celeste.
 
Celeste shrieked and ducked.
 
Belial swiped at the human who had hobbled up behind her.
 
She impaled him with her claws and shook him.
 
“Do you have a car?”

The man dribbled blood and died.
 
Belial retracted her nails and let him slide off her fingers.
 
Jacob and Celeste were frozen, gaping at her.
 
Belial shoved Celeste at Jacob.
 
“Keep walking, children.”

Jacob gaped.
 
“You just killed that guy!”

“Yes
and
?”

Celeste looked at the body.
 
“But, that’s illegal!”