The Angel Side (17 page)

Just as Nicor taught me, I tucked the shield
tight
, slamming the war hammer into
the
Gaurdians
throat
as
another came up from behind. Ducking down, his pole arm swiped through the top of my head, splashing water against the door. If being a ripped spirit had advantages, I hadn’t been able to think of one better than being impossible to physically harm. Unaffected by the blow, I pivoted, shoving the pick of the war hammer into his jowl.

“I got it!” Ra called out.

Looking back at him, Ra had freed himself, and
was
ankle deep in
the
lifeless bodies he
had
snuffed out. In his hand, he held the chain attached to my soul. Rushing toward him, a clattering of metal caught my attention. Turning to my right, a sea of Guardians rushed into the cavern. A force of thirty swarmed Astaroth, dismembering him in moments. Nicor released a chilling war cry as he
watched his
brother’s
limbs tossed
to the side and trampled.

With the cavern filling up by the second, I knew it would
only
be a matter of time before we would be overrun. Ra, Nicor
,
and my essence needed to get to the safety beyond the gates.
I
nside Purgatory’s walls
,
Ra
and Nicor
would be unable to flash with my stone self. In his escape, Ra had cleared the passageways to his rear.
Seeing an opportunity to save him, I knew he had to run.

“Run
,
Ra! Get it out of here!” I screamed, fighting off the mob before me.

“I won’t leave without you!” Ra yelled
.
H
is attention
quickly
diverted to his left. By his stance I knew another wave of Guardians
were
coming from the left passageway.

“Go now!” I ordered with
such
a fierceness the cavern floor
shook violently
.

“I’ll get her to safety.” Nicor cried out to Ra.

No sooner had Ra
run
down the middle passageway, droves of Guardians fil
ed
in from the hall
,
giving chase
.

“He won’t make it.” I called out to Nicor
.

“Hold on!” Nicor dropped the Guardian in fro
nt of him and with a giant leap,
Nicor jumped inside of me.

“You better pray to your God this works!” Nicor forced my arm to strike the ground with the head of the war hammer.

A shock wave of water blasted the floor, knocking our enemies off their feet. As the waves came back in I had been violently thrust forward in wave
s
of my own fluid. The same as when I saw Ra at Heaven’s gates, I transformed into a wall of water, drilling through the rock dividing the corridors.

Realizing a tsunami nipped at their heels, Ra’s pursuers scattered in search of refuge. Those unfortunate to be in my path were swept
up
in the rush of water. Rounding a corner, I spotted Ra nearing the gates, dragging my stone spirit behind him. With the exit in sight, I attempted to return to my more humanoid self
,
but all attempts failed.
The force of liquid
blob I
had
become
was
to
o
great.
Unable to call out to Ra, I silently prayed he’d make it out before he
was
also
swept
away
in my undercurrent.

Pushing on the locked gates, Ra peered over his shoulder at me. Releasing his grasp on the iron bars, Ra jerked my stone spirit to him, pinning it between his broad chest and the gates.

Exploding through the exit, an added heaviness came over me, causing my wave to crest. Sluggish, I came upon the Templars
waiting outside the iron gates
,
scattering similar to roaches when a light is turned on.
A f
earless
whirlwind
, the third piece of my essence stood holding her position
in my path
. With the destructive force of a sky scraper falling, I toppled
onto her
. As our
spirits
collided, I
was
sucked into a raging
tornado
that
dissipated as spontaneously as it
had
appeared.

Falling, I closed my eyes, bracing for impact into the orange desert below. Seconds
passed
with no thud, thump, or cracking you’d expect from someone free falling a hundred feet then smacking into the ground. Wary of what I would find, I opened one eye.

“That was insane. Are you okay?” A drench
ed
Ra yanked me into his
embrace
as a mass of c
urious onlookers encircled us
. The warmth of his skin, the beating of his heart, his chin resting on
my head told me I
was
more than okay.
Finally being able to feel his
touch
, I
had
n’t care
d
about what
just happened
, how
,
or why
.

“I feel them. I have my souls back. Wait. I can feel you.” I said
,
wrapping my arms around him when the strange, weightless sensation came over me.

“Then you can feel this.” Ra said as he lifted my chin and crushed his lips against mine. Tangling his fingers in my hair and sliding his other hand down my backside
,
Ra dipped me, sending his tongue in search of mine. Running my palm up the nape of his neck, I
pulled
his kiss deeper into mine. The heat of his breath
and
the sweet honey taste of his lips reminded me of home.

“Can you not kiss in front of me? I don’t need to see that crap. I am still her father.”
My d
ad barked.

Ra pulled back his lips, flashing a coquettish smile. Electricity flowed from his assessing gaze as he placed me back onto my feet. Draping his arm over my shoulder, he squeezed me into his side as he faced the group of Templars.

“Next stop, Hell, boys. Wait, where’s the war hammer and scutum?” Ra snapped to me, gripping me by the arms.

“Right here.”
A battle worn Nicor spoke from the back of the group.

“Hand them over!” Ra commanded as the Templars raised their weapons.

“Consider them payment for my trouble and the loss of my brother’s life.” As Ra advanced on him, Nicor flashed.

“Son of a bit…!” Ra exclaimed.

Moving to Ra, the odd sensation returned with an overwhelming lightness throughout my body. It seemed as though I would float away. Stopping to take inventory of my appendages, I
froze in shock
.

“What the hell is wrong with me?” I yelled, staring at what should have been my feet. A blacken
ed
fog took their place, curling up to my thighs. At first glance my hands appeared human, until I turned my palms up. Every movement swirled a dark wisp in its trail.

“Calm down. It’s okay. You’re okay.” Ra consoled.

“Okay? Look at me. I’m a flippin’ storm cloud.” I chided.

“You’re not a storm cloud, dork. You’re a Wraith.” Ra chuckled.

I hadn’t a clue what he
was
talking about.
A W
raith?
I lived in a world of Angels, Demons
,
and H
umans. I’d never heard of it except in cheesy paranormal romance books.

“You think this is funny? I can catch the wind anytime and float off!”

“Yes
it’s
funny when you’re face distorts
as if it were a miniature storm
, but you’re not going to float away. A Wraith is nothing more than a shadow of a lost spirit. I think it’s better than being a goofy water spout, depressing tornado, and a
“
we-are-the- world
,
kumbaya
”
statue. Once we get the last piece you’ll be back to normal.”
Ra chuckled
.

“What do
you mean when my face distorts
?”
I patted my face, trying to feel any
abnormalities
.

“Let’s just say you look pretty haggard but still gorgeous to me.” Ra arched his eyebrows as his cheeks curled to his ears, revealing a grin.

“Cute.
Real cute, Ra.”
I huffed.

“I really do hate to break up the fight but unless you want to be a Wraith forever, we should get going.”
My d
ad butted in.

“Now
that
Nicor has the war hammer the game has changed. We need to alert Father and summon the troops before traipsing off to Lucifer’s throne room.”
A Templar stepped forward
.

“You guys go. I’ll stay behind with Etta.” Dad declared.

“No. We’re not leaving her. She comes too.” Ra countered.

Dad shook his head in disappointment as the Templars broke out in frantic shouting and jeers. A few called for my death while others said to throw me to Lilith. For a moment I thought they would attack. Taking refuge, I
clenched
Ra’s hand, sucking in tight to him. Ra looked down at me with a loving, sweet smile and squeezed my hand as he tucked me
farther
behind him.

“We can’t take a Wraith behind Heaven’s gates.” A Templar
shouted
.

Flaring his wing
, Ra took a defensive stance. Flashing to Ra’s side,
D
ad readied his stave in my defense. Despite the volatility people may see on the outside of our relationships, Ra and my dad would never hurt me nor would they let any harm come to me. They would fight anyone, Demon, Angel, or Templar, if it came down to it.

“Why can’t Wraiths go behind the gates?” I anxiously asked, peeking
through
Ra’s feathers.

Keeping his sights on the Templars, Ra turned his head, “Only a Wraith can kill Father.”

Ra’s short answer to my question had been enough explanation for why the Templars suddenly turned on me and why I had never
known anything about
a Wraith prior to being one.

“Etta holds no threat to us.” Dad assured the mob.

“Would you stake your life on it?” another Templar challenged with his hand out.

Lowering his stave, my father gripped the Templars wrist, “Without question, Brother. I swear to you on my honor, Etta is no threat to our kingdom.” A golden light sparked between the two men’s hands, sealing the pact.

“But still, the masses will panic and chaos will ensue if she is spotted.” another Templar argued.

“They won’t see her.” Ra admonished.

“And how do you expect to hide her?” the Templar snarled.

“I will take her to my quarters.” Ra
countered
.

“Very well
.
M
ay the consequences fall on you should she decide to go for a stroll
,
but I will have no part in this.” the Templar said
, and
then flashed.

“If anyone wishes to leave, go now!”
D
ad ordered. After a brief moment of unintelligible mumbling, the Templars stood down.

“Very well then.
Let’s get this show on the road.” Dad sighed with relief. Feeling the tension ease, I started gliding toward home when Ra stopped me.

“Where are you going?”

“Home.”
I answered

“
Why walk when we can flash.” Ra
grinned
.

“And how do you propose we do that.” I contested.

“Wraiths can flash.” Ra whispered in my ear. “Just think of where you want to go, and ta-da, you’re there.” Ra whispered in my other ear, grazing my shoulder with his as he strutted around me.

“And just where are we going?” I coyly asked, emphasizing ‘we’.

“Think of home…our home
.” Ra answered
and
disappeared with my dad.

Drawing in a deep breath, preparing to flash, I sensed someone watching me. Glaring at the battered gates, I caught Lilith’s smug leer.
In a blink, she appeared before me.

“You were always my favorite. No one else
has been able to
take a lashing quite
the same as
you.” Lilith smiled as she flipped her long charcoal braids over her shoulder.