Angelic Sight (14 page)

Jade twined their fingers and squeezed his hand, causing Keer to look over at their second-in-command. “All in good time,” Jade whispered.
 
Ah, Axis probably has a plan, then
.

“That’s great, Axis. We appreciate you and the others doing this for us,” Cross said, shaking their commander’s hand. As the leader of  Madigan’s guardians, they were equivalent in rank. Keer didn’t think they did it on purpose, but whenever leaders met, they tended to address only people of their own rank. Keer even supported the habit if this was some kind of official meeting or mission, but they were basically just babysitting some humans as a favor.

“No problem, Cross. We’ll see you in a few hours,” Marius cut in.  Keer resisted the urge to snicker. He wasn’t the only one who felt like the atmosphere was far too formal for the situation.

“See you guys later,” Madigan said, hugging his friends good-bye.  The little nephilim looked worried, and Keer didn’t blame him. Their

world was about to change in a permanent way, and it was

frightening.

“Go have fun, honey,” Daniella said. “We’ll be just fine.”

Keer and the others would make sure they would be.

* * * *

Levi’s eyes widened as the shop bell rang. When they’d parked out front of the small, unassuming building near the outskirts of town, he’d assumed they would be walking into a smelly used bookstore or something, but the occult shop was actually nothing like he’d imagined. There was a bar along one wall with a black-winged bartender in a black muscle shirt washing down the counter with a dirty rag and several black tables filled with occupants drinking various mugs with the emblem of a skull and crossbones on them.

“Are we at a pirate bar?” Levi asked as an employee in a black T-shirt with the same emblem and a name tag walked up to them.

“Of course not,” Axis said, looking at him like he was crazy.

Brax draped his arm around Levi’s shoulders. “All occult shops offer brews to the patrons. They can’t just leave invaluable items on shelves like a retail shop. You sit at the tables and order what you need. See the menus?” He motioned to the thick books at the center of

every table. “Everything that you can buy is there.”

“Cool,” Levi whispered. The shop wasn’t too crowded, but there  was still a mixed bag of humans, angels, nephilim, fallen, and—  “Judah.”

The demon looked up from the menu, and a grin stretched his lips as he lifted his cup in salute. Levi’s stomach dropped to his toes, and raw fear wrestled inside him for supremacy over logical thought.  Flight or fight were hellishly strong instincts when confronted with the most terrifying thing he’d ever met.

“Fuck!” Brax cursed, shoving Levi roughly behind him. Flaming  swords burst to life, illuminating the space better than the dim lamps  the shop used.

“Hey! No weapons in here. Put those out!” the bartender shouted,  bringing a bat out from behind the counter.

Axis pointed to Judah. “That demon attacked me and mine the  other night. The police have him on file. Please, call them.”

“This is a place of safety and no judgment. I’m not calling the  cops. Squash it or get out,” the bartender growled.

“Fuck that,” Erik rumbled, pushing through the crowd. “I’m going  to hit that fucker so hard he eats his own Goddamn teeth.”

Judah calmly sipped his drink. Levi could barely see him behind the wall of his men. “Your lovers are certainly different from you, pet.  They’re violent, at least as violent as I am.”

“You’re wrong,” Levi whispered. His lovers would never hurt him. They would protect him always.

The demon snorted. “I think not. We have the same devotion. I

fell into damnation for you.”

Keer snarled. “You fell into damnation because you broke the law  of heaven and willingly fell into madness.”

The demon laughed. “True. So very true. No matter. I hadn’t  planned on running into you all today.” All amusement drained from  his face. “Not after what you did to my sword arm. I needed a few  more days of healing than I anticipated.”

“Are we going to have a problem here?” the bartender asked,  walking around the bar and coming to stand between them.

“Oh hush, pretender,” Judah snapped. “This doesn’t concern you.”

“I beg to differ. You’re in my shop, asshole,” the bartender  rumbled. Levi’s power pulsed, and he took a step back at what was  revealed. The bartender was a demon, a strong one, someone so  saturated in magick that it was seeping from his pores.

Judah hissed. “Move. Now.”

“I can’t do that. I think it’s time you need to leave. Finish drinking  your Aurora and get the fuck out of my shop,” the bartender  commanded, his voice leaving no room for argument.

Levi felt the gathering power. The smell was like acrid ozone in  his nose, and the entire shop shook as the bartender let that power  free. Like Levi’s power the other night, it sank down into the  foundations of the structure and connected to the living things around  it, but unlike Levi’s power it went deeper, connecting to a place that  Levi had only heard about.

“Y–you’re one of them!” Judah said in a strangled voice.

“Get out,” the bartender said calmly. Judah grabbed his drink and  chugged it quickly, his eyes never leaving the bartender and the Elites  that stood guarding over Levi. Levi felt some of his fear draining at  the terror he saw in the demon’s eyes. This wasn’t his boogeyman.  The words that Seraphiel said came back to him. “
Don’t be afraid of  the madness of the one who seeks you. Pity him. Unlike others who  may be redeemed in this conflict, he will never find redemption. Your  Keepers are stronger than his will
.” The angel had been right. This  demon didn’t deserve his fear.

The bartender’s golden eyes met Levi’s. “Hmm, you aren’t something I’ve seen in a while,” he said.

Judah lunged at him, and Levi gasped. He opened his mouth to warn the bartender, but he needn’t have worried. The bartender turned

his head as a wall of hellfire erupted between them, scorching the  demon. Judah screamed and shrank back before falling into the table  he’d been sitting at.

“The cops are on their way,” one of the other patrons said, holding  up a cell phone. He looked a lot like the bartender, same dark hair,  same golden eyes, and same thick build.

The demon groaned and rolled to his feet. “Stupid boy, I’ll deal  with your lovers first. Don’t worry, pet. I’ll get you away from them.”

Levi stepped out from behind his lover and looked at the demon.  “You will not touch any of them.” The former hunter snarled, and

Levi looked at him with complete neutrality. “And you’re still on fire.”

Judah cursed and patted his arm to squelch the fire. “Enough,” the bartender said before walking over to the former hunter and dragging him up by one arm. “You are barred from the occult shop and all its subsidiaries.”

The former hunter cursed as he was dragged toward the door and shoved outside. The bartender didn’t look like he was the least bit

concerned by the threats that were issuing with regularity from the  demon. Brax turned around and gripped Levi’s forearms.

“You okay?” he asked.

Levi nodded. “I’m fine. Let’s get the charm thing.” He looked  around Brax to the humans. “Are they okay?”

“They look a little shaken up, but they seem to be doing okay,”  Brax said. The other Elites looked so tense that Levi was pretty sure  that any sudden movement would make them snap.

The bartender returned the second after he threw the other man

out and drew some kind of sigil on the doorframe. “Sorry about that,  gentlemen and ladies,” he rumbled. “I don’t mind tension in the shop.  I’m used to it, in fact. But I won’t tolerate violence.”

Axis breathed out slowly. “That’s understandable, I suppose.  Sanctuary states are a mixed bag of creatures.”

“Agreed,” the bartender said. He extended his hand for a handshake. “My brother and I own the occult shop. I’m Rayl.”

“Good to meet you, Rayl,” Axis greeted. They shook. “This is my family. My Elite unit, Jade, my second, Keer, Brax, Marius, and our nephilim bonded, Levi and Erik. Also, these are some human friends of ours, Daniella, Becka, and Daniel.”

Rayl seemed particularly interested in the last. “Humans? They usually don’t come in the shop. Interesting. It’s good to meet you.  What can I do for you guys?”

“I need a charm to repel the asshole you just threw out the door,”  Axis said. “And information if you’ve got it.”

The bartender nodded. “Drag a few tables together and I’ll see what charms we have that might be strong enough.”

The Elites moved instantly, grabbing several tables and chairs.  Brax stayed by Levi’s side, his eyes trained on the door. Axis continued to chat with the bartender as the rest of them did their part.  Levi only half paid attention as Brax drew him into conversation.

“I can’t believe he was here. Was he waiting on us or something?”  Brax asked.

Levi shook his head. “I imagine he was doing what we are, preparing for the next step.”

Brax was shaking with unspent energy, the anger obviously not dispersed. “I’m sick of people trying to harm you and Erik for no reason. It’s not fair. I don’t care what the hunters say. There is no reason why they should hunt you.”

“Brax, it’s okay,” Levi reassured. “He’s gone now.”

“He’ll be back,” Brax said. “The hunters always come back for nephilim.”

Levi turned his attention to the three tables the others had put together. “It doesn’t matter. We have bigger issues than one insane hunter. Judah will find his own fate when the time is right. We’ll face him together.”

“It’s about more than the man who hurt you,” Brax murmured. He sighed. “I just hate that you’re so used to being treated poorly.”

Levi shook his head. “Brax, I’m treated like a precious treasure.  I’m golden in my home. I don’t care how everyone else perceives me so long as my lovers think I’m all right.”

“But you are golden, boy. You’re an Oracle, right?” Rayl asked, interrupting their conversation.

Levi was shocked. No one had said anything about him being an  Oracle. He nodded

The bartender grinned. “I thought so. The shit is about the hit the fan, huh? That’s usually when Oracles show up in the world. I remember the last one that showed up in Babylon. He was a trip.”

“How did you know?” Brax asked, clenching a flaming dagger in  his grip.

“He’s one of the nine demon lords, Brax,” Axis said, beckoning  them over to the tables.

Shock played over Brax’s face. “No way.”

“What’s a demon lord?” Levi asked. He’d read the codex and the

other books that Marius had let them have, and he didn’t remember

anything about demon lords. Were they different than regular

demons?

“I’m a former demon lord, actually. I’m retired. Demon lords are  special kinds of creatures, friend, hand-picked by the Archangel  Lucifer to fall and accept a damned status in order to keep order in the  realms below. As an angel, Lucifer can’t leave the palace, so he has to  have a way to keep peace in hell. That’s where we come in,” Rayl  said, following them over to the tables. “I’ll get you guys some water,  and then we’ll chat about the charm and the books you’ll need.  Keepers need to know more than how to swing a sword.” He looked  at the knife in Brax’s hand. “Hmph, put that away, young blood,  before you get hurt. I swear, you second-generation angels have no  respect for the rules and regulations of your elders.”

“You’re a first gen?” Axis asked, looking a little awed by the fact.

The bartender nodded. “Of course. I was here when they were  putting the current system in place. Let me go in the back and get  some charms that will be strong enough for your demon friend. Zeke,  watch the front.”

“Done,” the guy who had spoken up during the fight said.

Rayl waved to him. “That’s my brother Zeke. When the cops get  here, you’ll have to make a statement. File a report, will you, Zeke?”

“Sure thing, Rayl.”

Levi sat down in the wrought iron chair that was located in  between Keer’s massive body and Jade. It was a little squished, but he  could manage. He was finally starting to relax after the confrontation  with Judah for the second time in so many days. He was optimistic of

their ability to deal with him. Maybe the cops would catch him sooner