Demons' Home Ch. 36-37

"But it is." He talked to me, but his attention was focused on his mission. "And thank you for succeeding in a trap and subdue. It took me quiet a lot of researching to realize exactly what you did." He stopped for a moment and actually looked into my eyes, "Now, if only you would use that knowledge to free all my brothers. A little twist here," and he twisted my magic so that I groaned in more pain, "and back this way and eventually you would know how to rip out all the demon from us. Isn't that the reason for existence of your kind anyway?" He refocused on me and I felt something thin and sharp snap inside me. A red welt appeared on my body, my magic made real.

"Beautiful. I'd caress you to make it feel better, but I've been watching you relearn the old ways of your kind. I am not so gullible as my self-absorbed brothers." He pushed farther in and I moaned again, "It's time to get serious and keep you distracted so all you can think about is pain."

I was falling into delirium as he sliced and tore at my connection to demons, not just what I had with Ezra and Taurin. He found the Consort's intent flung into us from the Eternal She's brother. The longer he stayed immersed in my magic the more he got distracted and searched for answers. I could have just told him, but he needed more than that. He wanted to eradicate. I was covered in welts and still he didn't pull any of my magic completely out of me. I was so scared of when that was going to happen. Right now I just had chaos flailing throughout my soul. I swore at the deities that left me to fend for myself, having only the brief flittering thought that maybe my expectations were too great about their concern for me.

I flew out of myself to get away from the pain and it was in that white space that I heard the singing. One moment it was sorrowful and the next elated. I could have stayed and listened to it until the end of time. I wondered if the tears coming out my eyes were from appreciation instead of viscous pain. I let it surround me, caress me, a physical music. If it was a product of my delirium then I was content to stay in the moment. I knew he wasn't going to kill me, that would defeat the purpose of this. I was suppose to come out of this free of anything that had to do with the Consort and still be complete. He was deceiving himself.

As I drifted I heard a melodious voice whisper music even closer to me. I could feel soft downey feathers in the palms of my hands, down my wrists and forearms. I hoped it wasn't him. The thought of him touching me that way made me want to retch. If there was any sound to the chains breaking free I never heard it, but I felt them crumble out of the rock making my hands and feet lax. Just like that, I wasn't anchored to the alter and I went rushing back into my body to feel every little bit of agony he was bestowing on me. And I felt something else too, the grip of a gun in the palm of my right hand.

I didn't know how long I had been chained. I didn't know how long I had until he realized I was free. I didn't know a lot of things, but I figured I would wait until I killed him to deal with everything else. I took a long deep breath to center myself. He was so close and distracted that I couldn't miss. I shot up, ignoring the pain and fired the entire clip of Healithic bullets into him while chanting the spell to keep him from grabbing whatever it was that he fed on. Red blood on white feathers. I crowded out my emotions with killing intent to do what I needed to do and propelled myself off the rock, feeling the heavy chains swing freely.

He lay on his back, breathing shallowly, his face wracked with pain. His body couldn't heal itself fast enough, the bullets were doing their job. Blood bubbled out of his mouth and thankfully, there wasn't anything left to say. I tried to pull my sword out of me effortlessly, but my magic scrambled around itself like water on a hot skillet. So, I kicked him instead. Each kick and shove brought him closer to the side of the cliff we were on. The canyon spread out in all its grandeur should have been breath taking, but he had already taken more of my breath than I had left to spare on such a view.

There wasn't anything else for me to do but push him over the edge and prey that the bullets and fall would do their job. My magic ached and sang to me like a warped music box.

I paused briefly, wondering if I should wait to make sure he died all the way. I couldn't. I couldn't look at him. I couldn't listen to his labored breathing. I nudged him those last inches with my foot and watched him fall.

I leaned farther over the side to see him land, wings broken and spread out. He didn't move and a heavy silence settled. My eyes slowly travelled up the cliff walls and I saw figures with in white looking down from ledges on the rocks. The higher my eyes went the more I realized I was surrounded by them. A rustling sound of wings filled the space and then quiet singing started. It was the same music I heard in my escape from the pain, only it was multiplied by a hundred. Then it stopped abruptly and the quiet loomed.

The gun held loose in my hand as I was reminded of a raven funeral I once saw when one of them died falling from a tree for, to me, some unknown reason. I knew I was the subject of many stares as groups of the angels flew off until there was only one whose presence was a weight behind me. That sound of rocks skittering had me slowly turning to look. It was a female who walked over to the edge. I kept a healthy distance away from her and those strong, razor sharp wings. Her body was wide like a person was tall as if her ribs had to hold more than a mere human had.

Finally she looked at me, her face a striation of the colors surrounding us. "You need to go home."

I nodded, "Is he dead?"

She looked down the canyon again, "He's been dead since he stopped singing."

It wasn't really an answer, but I didn't want to intrude any further on the matter. My chains clanked together as I shuffled uneasily. My clothes were in tatters around me and I felt self conscious as she stared at me with her piercing sky blue eyes and her pure white shift.

The angel made slow tentative movements towards me as she talked, "I can take you home."

"Home... How long have I been here?"

She shook her head, "Not long."

"It felt long." I looked up briefly at the sun, "Does the sun ever set?"

"Sometimes."

I looked down and then back up to her. She was in touching distance, "You're not going to drop me, are you?"

She smiled softly and shook her head 'no'.

"Do you know what he was doing?"

"We all knew what he wanted. There was no convincing him he was already perfect." Her voice stayed a sweet, quiet music.

"Please take me home."

Her wings flared out and she reached out her hand. I placed mine in it and just by touching her I felt my body start to lift with her imperceptible wing strokes. I had to close my eyes from their brilliance.

"Hold on to me."

I brought my other arm around her shoulders and she lifted us up effortlessly. I had to watch so I opened my eyes again. She flew us parallel to the ground until a warm path of sunlight defied logic. She carried me in it and I felt soothed by its touch. The feeling gradually left and I could feel my feet touch the earth.

Around me was the vision of summer, no stubborn snow in sight. I had been gone for the winter and spring, hoping that it was only that. I slowly let my hands drift from her shoulders, the gun feeling heavy in my hand. In front of us was my cabin.

"How did you know where to go?" I was numb, but still suspicious as I looked at her out of the corner of my eye.

"I didn't know where to go. You did."

"Oh." I inhaled through my nose and turned to her again, but she placed an elegant finger on my lips. She gave me a serene smile and rose herself into the sunlight and was gone. Way better method of travel I thought.

I walked to my porch and decided to acknowledge the feeling of a familiar demon in the area. "Oldavai."

I reached for the key hidden in a slit of wood in the swing and unlocked the door. As I pushed it open his voice came from the direction of the gravel driveway, "You're never at your best when we meet."

I didn't say anything or even turn around to look at him, just stepped through the threshold.

He persisted, "Dove. We need to talk."

My hand tightened on the door handle, "Like you said, I'm not at my best." I concentrated on the texture of the grip of the gun abraiding my palm and wondered what it would feel like to smash him in the face with it. Multiple times.

"I can't get in."

"I didn't invite you."

The silence was pregnant with his unspoken words, so I decided to fill it. "How long have you been waiting?"

"Months."

"At least it hasn't been years." I paused briefly, thinking about everything that needed to be done. "I need to take a shower. Maybe later."

I never turned around, just shut the door. Hot showers always made me feel better. I hoped today was no different even though so much about me was.