Feel the Flames Read online

  “You don’t miss a thing, do ya?” I sighed and began the long explanation about all the times I’d seen the falcon and its scar.

  “So, you think it’s the same bird then.”

  “It has to be. Same scar. Same coloring. And I don’t believe in coincidences.”

  Dorian stood holding the broom upright in one hand and scratching his chest with the other, his eyes judging me.

  “What?” I snapped, not liking the way he was looking at me.

  “Nothing. It’s just…you seem a little paranoid. I mean, why would a bird be following you?”

  “How would I know? Nothing in my life has ever truly made sense. Why should anything start making sense now?” I ran my fingers through the roots of my hair above my ears and closed my eyes.

  I breathed slowly and deliberately, focusing on each inhale and exhale, clearing my head.

  Suddenly, my skin began to crawl. I could feel something wasn’t right.

  Knock knock.

  Dorian and I exchanged worried glances.

  The rapping at my door continued.

  “Expecting company?” Dorian asked.

  “The pool boy doesn’t come until week,” I said flatly, shooting a side eye to the door.

  Knock knock knock.

  The pounding grew louder, each knock more forceful than the one before.

  Dorian took a step toward the door. “I don’t think that’s the pool boy.”

  Chapter 15

  My studio door flung open, and we were overrun by men with swords. At first glance, they appeared human and yet it didn’t take a genius to realize they were anything but. One of them snarled, showing sharpened teeth that looked like they had been filed to points. Their eyes were pitch black, but their pupils glowed a bright gold, giving off an eerie effect that made even me shiver.

  Dorian and I exchanged hurried glances.

  “Friends of yours?” I asked.

  “Hardly,” Dorian replied.

  I gripped the hilt of my sword and prepared to defend myself. Dorian reached back and found Lillith’s sabre, grasping his Chakram with the other.

  “Who are we battling today?” I asked. “Heaven or Hell?”

  Before Dorian could respond, one of our uninvited guests stepped forward showed off a broad, evil smile, and said, “Hell.”

  “Great. First it’s rogue angels and Hybrids. Now it’s demons? Is there anyone who doesn’t want to kill us?” I twirled my sword in my hand, preparing to fight.

  “Let face it. You do have a tendency to rub people the wrong way,” said Dorian.

  “Is this really the time for sarcasm?” I asked.

  “Who said it was sarcasm?”

  “How about we discuss your asshole-tendencies later.”

  Dorian shrugged and took a battle stance.

  We were outnumbered four-to-one. The bad guys appeared to be waiting. But waiting for what, I couldn’t be sure.

  “What are you waiting for?” I shouted. “An invitation? Come on, you pricks!”

  As if on cue, they came at us fast and were relentless in their pursuit of blood. We soon found ourselves on the defensive, blocking every blow as the loud clang of metal-on-metal reverberated in the air.

  “Can we even kill these things?” I asked, working furiously to keep my opponents at bay. “Are they like Watchers? Or are they more like Hybrids?”

  “They’re not angels, so they can be killed with any weapon as long as you take their heads.”

  “Got it!” I yelled. “Thanks!”

  “Don’t mention it,” Dorian replied, blocking two swords at once.

  Two of my attackers came at me. One had his sword raised, ready to bring it down, and the other came straight at me, his weapon aimed for my chest. My wings unfurled and I beat them repeatedly as hard as I could, sending the two assailants back a few feet. I swung my sword, removing one of their heads. I pulled my wings back in behind me as the other assailant came forward. His partner’s head rolled directly into his path, and he casually stepped over it as he rushed at me. His sword sliced through the air, my own blocking its trajectory mere inches from my neck. I kicked him in the chest, and he flew back. Two more joined the fight, and I was once again out-numbered.

  It was three against one, and the odds weren’t in my favor. But like most enemy fighters who dared cross my path, they had underestimated me. I again spread my wings without warning and began to spin, knocking them all off balance. It distracted them just long enough for me to focus on the one closest to me. I took his head in one swift movement. The remaining two shot each other a nervous, sideways glance.

  “Feel free to run,” I said nonchalantly, waving toward the door. “Because at this point, we all know how this is going to end.”

  I suddenly realized that Dorian and his attackers had found their way outside. Their swords collided, the clanging alerting me to the fact that he was still in the fray. Dorian laughed at them out of spite, the sound of his voice reassuring me to his fate. He was a menacing warrior, capable and fierce. But I also knew better than anyone that his wings might become a liability for him. He was used to fighting without restrictions or anything getting in his way, but his wings would soon become an obstacle that could trip him up if he wasn’t careful.

  My adversaries again demanded my attention. Both charged me at once. I blocked their blows, but they continued to come at me unrepentantly. The one on my left nearly clipped my shoulder, but I managed to duck just in time. I leapt into the air and quickly flew to the far end of my studio. A pile of metal lay in the corner, discarded from various iron sculptures I’d constructed. I reached down and snatched up a three-foot long piece, spinning it through my fingers before gripping it tightly in my non-sword hand.

  I used the iron rod to block the onslaught of strikes from the enemy on my right while fighting off the other combatant with my sword to my left. Their blows became more aggressive, backing me up until I was nearly cornered.

  I released my wings to their full glory and flapped as hard and fast as I could creating a gust of air, sending both of my attackers to the floor. I raced forward and pierced the iron rod straight down into the chest of one. His ensuing snarl and growl only fueled my fire as I swung my sword, severing his head from his body.

  The remaining fighter leapt up and took off for the exit, so I followed him outside, eager to end the coward’s life.

  Dorian had killed one of his attackers, but the remaining three were doing everything they could to wear him down. And they seemed to be succeeding. Dorian used his Chakram to block and his sister’s sabre to fight. That combination seemed to improve his chances at defending himself…but not by much. The combatants never let up.

  With me running into the fray, I fully expected one of his attackers to abandon his fight and join my adversary in an effort to gang up on me.

  But instead, my attacker joined the fight against Dorian, and the others ignored my presence. It was as if I no longer existed.

  Invisible.

  I knew what was happening.

  Naberius was doing what he promised. He was pushing one of my buttons.

  Dorian.

  They were going after Dorian.

  “A little help here?” Dorian grunted, fighting them all off as swiftly and skillfully as he could.

  “I’m on it!” I yelled, quickly putting myself at Dorian’s back to take on the two aggressors at his rear.

  But it soon became clear that they had no interest in fighting me. I was simply in the way of their ultimate goal. They merely went on the defensive, trying to skirt past me to get to Dorian which only succeeded in pissing me off even more. The enemy acted as if I wasn’t even a threat.

  “Listen up assholes. You want to get to him, you’ll have to go through me,” I barked, kicking up a massive amount of dust below my feet as I shuffled to the side to block a strike aimed at the back of Dorian’s head.

  “What the hell did I do to tick these guys off?” Dorian asked, trying to catch his b
reath between words.

  “Nothing. Except for the fact that you know me.” I thrust my sword forward, hoping to catch the opponent on my left off guard, but he swung his weapon down and around, nearly knocking my sword from my hand.

  “Great. You should have come with a disclaimer when I met you.” Dorian managed to make contact with one of his attackers with his Chakram, making that particular demon very angry.

  “You knew exactly what you were getting into.”

  “Hindsight’s twenty-twenty.”

  “Can we talk about this later?” I asked, knocking one of my opponents back with a surprise fist to the jaw, distracting the other one, giving me just enough time to swing my sword and remove another head. “I’m a little busy right now.”

  “Fine. But I’m going to demand medical and dental after this is over,” Dorian replied.

  My remaining adversary again tried to sidestep me.

  “Not today,” I grumbled. I twirled the hilt of my sword through my fingers and stared down my opponent. I was done playing games with him. His golden pupils caught the sun and gave off an eerie glow. It was an intimidating sight, but I didn’t have time to think about who…or what…I was fighting. I needed to finish him…or it…and keep Dorian from getting hurt.

  “They realize they can’t kill me, right?” I heard Dorian shout.

  “I don’t think they care right now!” I yelled back. My rival came straight down with his sword. I laid the flat part of the sword in my hand and blocked his blow just inches from my face. I pushed hard with both hands, using my sword as leverage, sending him stumbling back. He came at me again. I dodged his blow as I ducked to my left and felt the blade graze my arm.

  The wound was minor, but the burning sensation spread all the way down my arm. I glanced at my injury, and a bright red glow emanated from the small laceration.

  “Shit!” I screamed.

  The demon growled in delight. It was a throaty, animalistic growl that caused my body to shiver in disgust. His revolting grin, complete with pointed teeth, showed his glee at making contact and wounding me. But all it had done was piss me off even more.

  “Watch their swords,” I shouted, rushing my opponent.

  “What the hell do you think I’ve been doing?” Dorian shouted back. “Haven’t exactly been playing tic-tac-toe over here.”

  “Their blades,” I began, blocking another strike. “they burn like hell when they make contact.”

  “Thanks for the heads-up.”

  “Aaaaaahh!” I shouted in agony. “Dammit! It hurts!”

  The pain spurred me on. My offensive grew faster and harder as my opponent started to weaken. I came at him, striking downward again and again. My blows were relentless, forcing him back. For a split second, he seemed to become disoriented. It was then I saw my chance. My wings unfurled, and I leapt into the air. I kicked him in the face sending him straight to the dirt. Pulling in my wings, I dropped to the ground and swung my sword, feeling it slice through his neck as I landed. I kicked his head and watched it roll off.

  I jumped to Dorian’s aid, taking on one of his two attackers, evening up the odds.

  Or so we thought.

  A large figure suddenly came charging at both of us. He looked a lot like the other two that we were already fighting…only much bigger. His eyes seemed darker, his shoulders broader. Shirtless, his chest and abs were cut like that of a Greek God. There was no hair anywhere on his body—at least from what I could see. No hair on his head, his eyebrows, eyelashes…even his chest or arms. I glanced over at him between blows and concluded I might not be able to fend off this newcomer in addition to my own opponent.

  He raised his broadsword as if it was weightless and sprinted directly at us. He roared, and it seemed to echo throughout the hills. I prepared for the impending battle and braced myself.

  The skateboarder from the comic book store suddenly stormed onto the scene and blocked the path of the rather large warrior. In turn, the demon tried to sidestep his human obstacle, but the lanky teen made it clear he wasn’t about to budge. A battle axe hung at his side, his grip holding the handle loosely.

  “What the?” I mumbled, keeping one eye on the newcomer while simultaneously blocking my own opponent’s sword.

  “Who the hell is that?” I heard Dorian yell.

  The blond stranger swung his axe at the demon, and their battle began.

  “I’ll tell you later,” I replied, trying to catch my breath. The pain from the injury was persistent and wasn’t healing like most wounds did. But as my foe bore down on me, I knew I’d have to deal with it later.

  My opponent swung at me again. I angled my sword and halted his blade mere inches from my waist. I slid my weapon upward along the edge of the opposing sword. He charged at me, but I managed to leap into the air and caught the current. His momentum sent him stumbling to the ground. He looked up and growled. And as he tried to rise to his feet, I soared toward him, swung my sword, and took his head before he could even raise his weapon.

  I landed hard on the ground and quickly scanned my surroundings. Dorian had disposed of his attacker leaving only the blond kid and the large demon to continue their fight. The demon towered over his young attacker by at least a foot and a half and kept his smaller opponent on the run. The enemy held the hilt of his broadsword with both hands and sliced it downward, aiming for the top of the skater kid’s head who in turn used his battle axe’s handle to block the oncoming blow. But the demon wouldn’t be outdone, releasing one of his hands from the hilt, punching his opponent in the face. The demon laughed maniacally as his opponent fell straight onto his back knocking the wind out of him.

  Together, Dorian and I stood off to the side and watched their battle unfold with morbid curiosity.

  “Should we help him?” Dorian asked, keeping his eyes on the ongoing mêlée before us.

  “Nah. He seems to have it under control,” I replied, placing my hand over the wound on my arm. My pain grew worse, the site burning as if it was on fire, and I winced in agony.

  The boy scrambled up and held his axe tightly in front of him, pointing it at his enemy. He swung it vigorously back and forth trying to get some space between him and the demon.

  “Just let us know if you need us to jump in,” I yelled.

  “I’m fine,” the blond yelled back, a bit too enthusiastically.

  “Okay. If you’re sure,” I replied, shrugging nonchalantly. “What’s your name, by the way? You know, so when you die, we know what to put on your tombstone.”

  “I’m Gavyn. Now, if you don’t mind. I’m a little busy here. We can shake hands, make out, whatever you want once I kill this thing.” Gavyn glanced over and playfully winked before once again granting his full attention to the rather large demon trying to kill him.

  I felt Dorian’s eyes on me, and I gave him a quick sideways glance. His eyebrows were raised, his face looking none-too-pleased at what Gavyn had just implied.

  “Oh, don’t look at me like that,” I barked.

  “Don’t think we won’t be talking about this later,” said Dorian, turning his attention back to the fight.

  Gavyn continued to swing but the demon remained still, staring at his smaller opponent with a confident, evil grin on his face. It was clear he didn’t view the blond humanoid as a threat and just seemed to be waiting for him to wear himself out. Eventually, Gavyn began dancing around the demon in a large circle. After about his third time around, the demon had grown impatient and came at his opponent, his broadsword raised in the air. He slashed it downward, barely missing his mark as Gavyn dropped and rolled off to his right. Our new ally stood and gripped the handle of his battle axe, one hand near the head and the other much further down the handle. As the demon attacked, Gavyn used the handle to block every blow.

  Gavyn was fast, jogging back and forth. He danced about, keeping the demon on his toes.

  “Are you actually going to fight soon?” I yelled. “Or are you just going to keep dancing?”
r />   “Trying not to die, here, if you don’t mind,” Gavyn replied, stopping another blow from coming down on top of his head.

  “Sorry,” I replied, putting up an apologetic hand. “My bad.”

  The demon continued to come after Gavyn with everything he had, growing more and more frustrated that he hadn’t yet managed to dispose of his much smaller opponent. He growled and charged forward with his sword in the air. Gavyn spun his battle axe in a circle in front of him with both hands, like a propeller on a plane. His skill with his weapon was impressive as he turned and twisted it over his head, beside him, and behind his own back. The demon reached Gavyn and swung his sword again and again. Gavyn blocked each strike, but with each potential blow he was forced further and further back, nearing my studio. A few more feet and he’d have nowhere to run.

  Gavyn made a run for it, charging directly at the demon. Just as the immense foe raised his sword, Gavyn dropped and slid between his legs, the blade of his axe nicking the back of his enemy’s Achilles heel. The demon let out a guttural scream and spun around to face his opponent, but Gavyn was already up and ran as fast as he could toward the studio, racing past the startled demon who cried out in anger.

  It looked like Gavyn was about to slam face first into the outer wall of my studio but leapt into the air at the last second, running up the side. He took three giant steps up the wall, leaned back, threw his arms up over his head, and swung his axe as he flipped, landing hard behind his rival. The demon’s eyes grew wide before his head rolled to the left while his body fell to the right.

  “Thanks for jumping in,” said Dorian, nodding at our guest.

  “Don’t mention it,” Gavyn replied, his battle axe laying over his shoulder like a baseball bat. His gaze settled on the gash on my arm. “Their swords create burning wounds that are meant to smolder with pain for eternity. Even among those who are immortal.”

  “Fantastic,” I snarled sarcastically, wincing in pain.

  “Here. Let me.” Gavyn tried to place his hands over the gash on my arm. My reaction was quick as I raised my sword, its blade pressed up against his throat. He put up his hands and smirked. “Quick, aren’t ya? Look, I can fix the wound. But if you take my head, it’ll burn forever, slowly deteriorating your arm. Your skin will eventually melt off and you’ll walk the earth for eternity with people calling you stumpy. But, hey…it’s up to you.”