The Angel Side (19 page)

“Oh, fu—ah!”

“It’s not working. I’m sorry
,
Ra, I can’t fix your wing. I can try again if you want.”

“No. No. I’m good. Is it still attached?” I asked.

“Yes
,
but it’s severed about halfway through.” Amy replied.

“Then I’m fine. I just need to rest for a minute.”

“That was one heck of an explosion. Surprised we all weren’t turned to dust.” Gabriel sighed
.

“Wait, what explosion?” Amy turned to Gabriel.

“Etta went nuclear when Uriel slammed Ra with his shield.
Leveled
Ra’s house.”

“Etta did this to Ra and the others? I thought it was a Demon. She might have killed you.”

“Yes. She’s a
W
raith. This is what they do. They wipe out whatever is in their path. We’re very lucky we survived.
But we’re going to put her back together, right
,
Ra
?
” Gabriel explained.

“
What the heck is
a Wraith
?
How many Wraiths exist? Is fighting one something you’re going to have to do often?” A concerned Amy jumped to her feet.

“Other than Lilith,
G
uardian of Purgatory, Etta’s the first one in thousands and thousands of years. So no, I don’t fight them often. You have nothing to worry about.” Gabriel pulled Amy into a tight embrace.

“We won’t have to worry about Etta either once we get the last piece.” I said
.
Pushing
myself up out of the shower
,
I caught a glimpse of Etta standing at the hole in her closet.

“Hey
,
babe.
Sleep
good
?” I smiled
,
but her face remained emotionless as she watched me walk toward her.

“Don’t. I don’t want to hurt you.” Reaching for her elbow, Etta wrested away.

“What are you talking about?” I asked, taking another step toward her when I realized she overheard Gabriel talking to Amy.
“You don’t have to worry about me. I won’t let it happen, Etta. We’re going to get your soul back.” I explained.

“I didn’t mean to hurt you.” Etta bit her bottom lip as tears built up in her eyes.

“It’s al
l
right.” I said
,
inching toward her.

“Stay away from me!” Etta screamed. Smoke curled out from under her, filling the floor as if a black fog rolled in
to
the room.

I had to get Etta to relax before she made a repeat performance of earlier. Having a Wraith lose it in Heaven had been one thing. Our world had been built to withstand forces ten times greater than anything Etta might dish out. Earth
,
on the other hand, didn’t have access to celestial building materials or
the
designs Heaven did. If Etta lost her temper now, she might possibly level not only Quantico Town but everything within a hundred mile radius, making an atom bomb detonating seem
nothing more than a firecracker.

“Etta, I need you to calm down
,
babe. It’s going to be al
l
right.” I said as I stepped through the closet with caution.

“Ra, calm her down. If she blows here, I’ll have no choice.” Gabriel warned as he readied his sword behind me.

“Stand down, Gabriel! Etta, please honey. Look, I’m okay. Amy fixed me. No more shrapnel.” I said
,
turning around
and
tucking my wing
as to not show her my injury. Facing Gabriel, I witnessed a glimpse of gold shimmer in his eyes as he tucked Amy behind him. With a pleading glare, I completed my three-sixty to face Etta again.

“I’m so sorry.” As I came around, Etta rushed into my arms
,
and
the fog dissipated.

“Like I said,
it’s
okay, Etta.” I replied
,
stroking her hair
as
s
he buried her face in my chest.

Witnessing her reaction to my being threatened had
me more convinced I would be unable to take her to Hell with me
.
Though
seeing how easily she got worked up made asking
her to stay behind all the more frightening. The wrong timing, word
ing
, or expression might set her off. I had been able to calm Etta down
,
but I doubted I would be successful at diffusing the situation if I were the object of her anger.

“Ra, the others are ready. We have to go now.” Gabriel called out, keeping
distance between Etta and him.

“Okay. Let’s go.” I said
,
grabbing Etta’s hand.

“She must stay here. Though John explained everything, our brothers won’t fight with a Wraith by their side.”

“I’m not going to leave her alone, unprotected.” I contested.

“John and the Templars will be here shortly to keep an eye on her
,
but we must go now if we’re going to do this.”

“I’ll stay with her until they get here.” Amy said with a sheepish smile as she warily approached Etta.

Looking down at Etta, I’d been unable to bear the thought of leaving without her
,
but I knew it had to be done. Without the Arch
e
s and the troops to help me, I’d never make it out of Hell
much less get
to its iron gates
. As if she read my thoughts, an expressionless Etta peered up at me and nodded.

“I love you.” I whispered, kissing her forehead. Taking position
next to Gabriel
, I waited for Etta’s response but received none. With an indifferent glare, Etta watched as Gabriel and I took off.

Materializing at Hell’s gates, I landed face first in the sand and slid to a stop before the huddled Arch
e
s. Noticing my presence, they broke apart, standing in a line with curious stares. Gabriel and Michael rushed over, helping me to my feet.

“What’s wrong with him?” a dumbfounded Raphael asked.

“His wing is severed. Amy was unable to fix him.”
Gabriel answered as he lift
ed
me to my feet
.

“Then take him home. Father can help.” Remiel suggested.

“If Amy can’t fix me, Father won’t able to either. Let’s just get this over with. What’s the plan?”

“You can’t fight with one
injured
wing, Ra.” Saraqael said.

“I can and will fight if it is what I must do!” I exclaimed.

“Ra, you should think about this before charging in with your injury. We don’t know what we’re walking into
,
and I
warn
you, should we fail to retrieve the last portion of Etta’s
essence,
we’ll be left with no
other
choice
but
to terminate her.
Father won’t have a repeat of Lilith.
” Michael said
,
passing the Arch
e
s a grievous glance.

“You’ll do no such thing! She’s not some roach you can exterminate. She’s my wife!” I shouted, jumping in Michael’s face.

“She is a threat to not only our world but to all worlds. This is above us all, Brother. We have our orders, Ra!” Michael countered
, shoving me back
.

I knew the Arch
e
s were wary of Etta but never did I imagine Father himself would order them to take Etta out despite the risk having a
nother
Wraith around would pose. To me she had still been the same smart, funny, loving girl I married so long ago. Not the monster they believed her to be. Though my anger had been directed at Father, I cocked my fist back, preparing to punch Michael
.
B
efore I released my balled fist of fury, Gabriel yanked me back by the elbows, spinning me around to face him.

“Look at me. Save it for whatever we find inside, Ra. We can do this. All hope is not lost, Brother. We’re going to march in and demand Etta’s spirit. If Lucifer wants a fight, we have the troops all around these mountains, ready at a moment’s notice to charge in. We won’t leave here until we have her soul, do you understand me, Ra?” Gabriel cupped my jaw as a gleam of confidence and determination shimmered in his eyes. Clenching my jaw I nodded in capitulation.

“Al
l
right.
We quashed, Michael?” Gabriel asked as he stepped around me.

“We’re quashed.” Michael answered.

“Ra?
We good?”
Gabriel turned to me.

“We’re good. So what’s the plan?”

Michael motioned us in for a huddle. “Gabriel and I will take point. Ra, you’ll be in the middle with Saraqael and Remiel. Uriel and Raphael, take
the
rear. No open communication. We stick with code. Ra, can you ruffle your feathers?”

Ignoring the excruciating pain I lifted my wing
and
ruffled them in code saying “I got this
”
.

“Keep your eyes open for Nicor and the war hammer and scutum. If we can grab it while we’re here, it’ll save us a trip. We go in with the
idea
Lucifer will keep his end of the deal but also with the expectation he won’t. If an issue arises, we have the troops at the ready. Everyone got it?”

In unison we all gave an agreeing grunt, took formation
,
and marched toward the gates.

Watching the clock radio, I waited for
my
dad to show up. On edge, a fidgety Amy stood in the doorway refusing to sit down in case she needed to make a quick getaway. The slightest movement
on
my part would cause Amy to flinch then nervously sigh in relief under her breath when she realized I had simply been adjusting in the wicker chair, adding to my irritation.

Ra grabbed my hand to take me to Hell with him
,
but I sensed his hesitance. It had been an empty gesture to keep me happy. After what happened, I’d been unable to rest all the blame on his shoulders. I had no intention of hurting anyone
;
much less Ra.
Seeing
a large glob of blood burst from his mouth as Uriel struck Ra with his shield started a chain reaction I didn’t know had been possible. Time stopped as a rumbling grew into a fiery storm within my belly. I tried to fight it but as if I were possessed, something took over all thought, all senses, all emotion until it consumed me. By the time I regained control, I
was
awakened by a bloodied Ra caressing me in the attic.

Weakened and tired from the inner battle, I hadn’t thought about what those on the outside experienced
,
until I had been startled by Gabriel and Ra fighting in my room. Watching Amy try to repair Ra’s bruised and battered body had brought about a revelation.

With Ra’s wing severed it would be
just
a matter of time before it sustained enough damaged to complete the dismemberment or it fell away from the weight. Had Pyro not ripped one from Ra before I had the chance to get to Vetis, or had Ra not
given
up his wings on two separate occasions, he would have been easily
fixed.
But three sets had been the limit.

With only one wing, Ra had been unable to flash and would be left handicapped. An Angel’s wings were more than their transportation. They
are a
source of power but more importantly,
they’re
weapons. But without wings at all, Ra would fall to Hell again
,
and there would be no telling what my brother would do to him for betraying him. Guilt and regret bubbled up as I thought about how I had sent my husband to Hell unarmed.
My husband
?

I’d always used his given name or a plethora of pet names but not once since Ra’s return to Earth had I referred to him as my husband. With all we had been through just in the past two years, I never thought of him as such. Why did I think of him as such now? As I pondered the sudden revelation, a sharp pang stabbed me in my stomach. Glancing down, I caught a glimpse of my
misty tendrils
spreading as it had when I learned I
was
responsible for inflicting permanent damage to Ra’s wing.

Having
listened to
Gabriel explain the
events
prior
to Ra’s injuries and what I had become, I knew I had to calm myself
to
prevent
a repeat incident
.
Being in my room on Earth, and Ra gone
,
I knew of only one thing to help me relax. As to not startle Amy, I slowly leaned forward from my chair, grabbing my guitar. Ignoring Amy’s standoffish demeanor as she watched me with an eagle eye, I strummed each chord and note of my mother’s favorite song, until I lulled myself into a state of deep relaxation.

After playing for a good twenty minutes, I set the guitar down next to me
.
Amy sighed again. I should have been angry
with
my best friend for acting as if I had the plague or
intended to harm
her if she came within reach of me
,
but I hadn’t been. If I had been standing in her shoe
s
, I probably would
’ve
be
en
on edge as well. As wrong as it
was,
boredom
got
the best of me
.
I thought I’d have a little fun messing with her.

“Boo!” I said, jolting in my chair. With a shriek Amy jumped
and
spun around to run for dear life
,
smacking right into
my
dad as he appeared at the door, knocking Amy back on her butt.

“Where’s the fire?” Dad asked, helping Amy up.

“Over in the corner.”
Amy huffed
, adjusting her shirt.

“Hey
,
baby girl.” Dad said, stepping to the side of Amy.

“Hey,
D
ad.”
I manage to spit out through a laughing fit.

“I’ll leave you two alone.” Amy said with a sneer as she closed the door behind her.

“Are you and Amy okay?” Dad asked, sitting down on the bed across from me.

“She’s just jumpy right now after hearing about my meltdown.”

“That was pretty wild. Felt the tremors all the way in the war room.” Dad replied as he leaned back, relaxing
.

“What were you doing
in
the war room?
” I asked, desperate
to change the subject
from my meltdown
.

“Templars and I had to bring Father up to date on everything happening.” Dad replied, falling back onto the bed. “Oh, this is so soft. How’d you get the good bed? Mine feels like concrete.
René
always—”

“
René
always what?”
René
asked
,
interrupting as she came into the room.

“Always had great taste.” my dad corrected
.

“You shouldn’t be here.” I said
,
jumping out of the chair.

“
It’s
okay. Amy told me everything. I know the risk I’m taking.”
René
smiled as she sat on the bed next to my dad.

“
René
, I don’t want to—
”

“Etta, it
’s
okay. Anyway, I was wondering what kind of flowers you wanted at your service.”
René
cut me off.

“Really
,
René
?”
I giggled.

“Hey
,
it’s all
we
got right now
,
and
we
only get
to give you one.” Dad chuckled
,
as
he gave
René
’s hand a squeeze and
sent her
a
playful wink
.

“Throw me in
a
hole, in a pine box. For the wake, blare some
Chevelle
and have someone dressed up as the
G
rim
R
eaper stand in the corner pointing at people. For decorations and crap
,
just use
some thrift store stuff and some of this junk in my room
.
Oh, maybe since the wedding is postponed Amy will let you use some of her decorations.
” I snickered
.

“Yeah
.
About
that.”
Rubbing his head, dad sat up
.

“What? What did you do?”
René
playfully slapped my dad’s back
.

“Well, let’s just say it involved a fifth of
Jagermeister
and M203.”

“You didn’t? Wait. Templars can drink?” I asked, raising my brow.

“It was very therapeutic
,
and yes, Templars can drink. Even Jesus got down with some wine every now and then.”
Dad jokingly replied
.

“You’re unbelievable. I wish I had been with you. I hated that ugly pink archway Amy picked out. It looked as if someone drop kicked a unicorn in the stomach until it puked.” I laughed.

“Oh my goodness.
It took four rounds to knock the hideous sucker down.”

“How did you get away with blowi
ng off the 203 in a public park
?”

“The base commander’s wife had just been caught cheating on him with some young PFC, so needless to say I
hadn’t been
the only one in need of therapy.” Dad winked.

“Only you would get away with it, devil
dawgy
.
Only you.”
I shook my head in amusement.

“Yeah well, it’s good to have friends in high places. So, on a serious note, how are you doing with all of this?”
René
rolled her eyes at my dad’s idea of stress relief
.

“Doing okay, I guess. I can’t wait until Ra gets back
,
so we can put this all behind us and move on with life.”

In my short twenty-
two
years on Earth, I had tried to remain strong no matter what cards I
was
dealt. I survived my dad’s deployments, my mother’s death,
René
’s alcoholism, mental institutions due to false psychosis,
plus
Alastor’s and Vetis’s constant attacks. In my life beyond the veil, I battled the fall of my brother
,
Lucifer, a turbulent marriage, being
ostracized
, and a descent
in
to Purgatory. I managed all of this with a smile and my head held high. But now I found myself broken down, tired, and weak. Death should have brought me peace,
but
instead it tore me to pieces.

I held my composure as long as possible
. Rushing into my dad and
René
’s
arms I broke down
in
tears. “I wanted to do so much with my life
:
have a career, get married, maybe have a few kids. What if Ra doesn’t get my soul back? What if he doesn’t make it back? I love him so much. When is it going to stop?”

“
Shh
.
Shh
, baby girl. It’s no secret I don’t particularly care for Ra
,
but if anyone can get your spirit back it’s him. Ra may have left you in the past but he’s never given up on you
,
and I don’t think he ever will. He’s strong and knows what he’s doing.” Dad said, squeezing me in his arms.

“Um, baby girl…would you mind letting—” he continued with a coughing fit. Knowing Templars weren’t susceptible to illness, I jumped back to see what had caused him to cough. Without my knowledge, the lower portion of my form
had
snaked
up around his throat, constricting his airway. In a panic, I attempted to yank it from him but the harder I tugged, the more it constricted and spiraled down his body. Decid
ing I needed something to pry it
from him I scanned my room.

A black fog swirled around me, drifting outward to the walls. A cracking noise brought my attention back to dad. It hadn’t been until the third pop I realized I’d been crushing him.

“Ca…calm…down.”
Dad fought to speak.

“Etta!
Etta, honey!’
René
pleaded as she cowered against the wicker headboard.

“Help me! Somebody please help me!” I cried
,
tugging at the wisp encircling him when an electrical surge struck me, knocking me back through the wall.

Falling into the backyard from the second story
,
I braced for impact
,
but when I hit
the ground
I
exploded into
a plume
of
black dust
.
In seconds I was
back in
my former
shape. It had been as if someone had thrown a five pound bag of black flour off the roof. Looking up, Amy leaned out of the hole with an apologetic frown, and then turned back into the room.