+1+
“Are you afraid ?”
“No”
“Your hands are shaking”
“No there not”
“I can feel them”
Seraphina stands behind Isobel with her arms extended around Isobel's outstretched ones. Sera pulls and adjust Isobel’s fingers around the semi-automatic's handle. Isobel's arms are shaking and she turns and tilts her head up to try and catch Sera's expression
“Don’t touch the trigger”, Sera snaps.
“Why not “, Isobel is growing frustrated, “I want to be prepared"
"Don't--"
"But-"
There is a loud pop as the gun suddenly fires. Isobel drops the gun and the second it hits the floor it goes off again. Isobel pushes Sera to the ground. I curse as a casing cracks the screen on my laptop.
Sera shakes Isobel off of her. She stands and picks up the gun them aims it at Isobel.
"Sera, What are you doing--", I start
"This." , Seraphina says.
She raises the gun and shoots Isobel in the chest over and over and over again. . . until the gun clicks empty. Isobel's screams are piercing as she falls to the floor. It's the most pained shriek I've ever heard and I run over to where Isobel is curled up on the floor.
While the gym Callum and a few others had thrown together in St. Lilth's a few years ago was nothing compared to the high end one Helios had in Queen Anne's, it provided just enough space for Isobel to try a little target practice. It was in the basement, quiet and away from prying eyes. I was glad no one was around to see this.
“Seraphina”, I shout at her, "What the fuck."
“She's fine”, Sera says turning Isobel over with her foot. There are bright red circular marks on Isobel’s collar bone and shoulder. The bullets hadn't even penetrated her.
“They are copper alloy bullets”, Seraphina reminds Isobel, “You're a daemon. They can’t hurt you. You're not human. I told you not to touch the trigger’
“It was an accident and you didn't have to do that", Isobel says trying to hide this unease in her voice, "Let’s do this again”
“No. Why do you even want to handle a gun”,Sera moves to sit on the floor, forcing her to look up to Isobel.
"Then don't be.", Sera folds her arms because most of that particular incident was Sera's fault.
"Easy to say, not everyone is seven feet tall."
Sera scoffs and rubs her red eyes.
"Well, if you were your fiance--I mean your fake fiance or whatever--would still be attracted to you."
“Sera. Stop”, I cut in
"You know what Sera”, Isobel said, “I’m not dropping down to your level.”
“It doesn't bother you”, she asked peering up from where she was sitting on the floor, “You don’t wonder why you weren’t good enough for him-”
“Okay”, I finally say, “Okay, that’s really enough”
"Yeah," Isobel agrees, "We should go we're going to be late, Paris."
"Late for what ?", This caught Sera's attention. She leans back on her palms.
"Nothing and you should really get off the floor.", Isobel answers.
"Where are you going ?", she asks again ignoring Isobel, " To see Helios ? Does he want to pay for your wedding now ?"
"No", I kneel down beside her, "Look, I didn't want to tell you this but we found another informant to spy for us--"
"Leon ?", she says cooly.
I nod
"We plan to be more discreet this time, we need eyes and ears inside Queen Anne's. We need to know what's going on."
"Leon has more to lose than I did. He cannot get found out. Don't fuck it up again."
"He won't get found out, I promise you."
I hold a hand out to help Seraphina off the floor. She takes my hand but mostly helps herself up. I notice some red scratch marks on her muscular shoulders.
"What's this ? You get into a fight ?"
"It's . . .nothing"
"Sera", I'm so fucking over her lies
"I have bad dreams."
"Is that why you aren't sleeping ? You look like shit."
She leans against the wall and scoffs at me again. I hear someone clear their throat and I see Isobel is by the door with her coat on.
"We can finish this when we get back", she says to Sera.
"Where are you meeting ?", Sera asks sounding interested.
"Central park. It's still neutral ground for now."
"Paris", Isobel comes over with my coat, "We're going to be late. Let's go."
"We'll be back in an hour.", I tell Sera. I'm not sure why though.
"An hour ? I think I can work with that."
+2+
His
broad chest is constricted in the flat gray peacoat, I barley recognize
him dressed so sharply down to his silk gray scarf and gray wool cap over his thick square skull. A light snow
flurry provided a bit more coverage for our meeting. When he sees us he inclines his head to Isobel and I. We move to sit next to him on the bench, eyes facing forward. Casual
"How is she ?", Leon asks
"Better", I offer, "What do you have for me--us"
Leon sighs and I'm afraid he's going to regret becoming our new informant
The
second Leon helped Seraphina and Ariel escape from Queen Anne's he
turned his back on Helios and the SGI. He proved himself by warning us
about the SGI coming after Sera and now by setting up this meeting
between us. I just had to hope Helios didn't have another one of my men on his side.
"Things are different at Queen Anne's. Your brother is replacing both Seraphina and Titus. Jona is efficient, a zealot for New Aeterna. The other hate--but are forced to respect--him. Even that bastard Demon Isaiah shows his face openly. He talks to Helios about recruiting for his human eating daemon army . Isaiah's already turned a human girl. A prototype. He injects test subjects with this compound he made from Tessa's bone marrow. He kills them and feeds them human blood. Turns em' into fucking Vampires.
When they are hungry. They are hungry. The humans don't stand a chance. Fuck, It's like you demons have come in and corrupted the SGI."
"Helios let them in", I remind him.
I notice Isobel watching Leon very closely. She is clearly on to something I was not.
"Anyway, Helios has started planting explosives on all the bridges and tunnels. . . it should be done by early spring. Manhattan will be his in three months."
"What's our best shot at ending this ?"
"You aren't going to like this but the SGI is infected with this idea of having our own nation. Everybody wants New Aeterna to happen. To some it sounds like a promiseland. If you want to end New Aeterna you have to reap the field."
"You want to kill your brothers in arms. What about the future of Angel--kind ?"
"Maybe it just wasn't meant to be. We Angels and Demon ? We shouldn't be here anyway, perhaps we are meant to go extinct. We certainly shouldn't work together."
At
that he turns and I see a few benches down is a woman in a solid white
coat with a full skirt, she has matching white gloves and furry ear
muffs. She is quietly rocking a baby carriage. I stare open mouthed. It's Aria.
"You bought your . . . family ? What are you thinking ? If Helios--"
Isobel puts a hand on my arm to stop me. I feel like an idiot realizing that Leon just wants them here so he can keep an eye on them.
Leon motions to Aria and she gracefully stand and pushesold fashioned
baby carriage over. I had only seen Aria a handful of times, for some reason she lookes radiant this time.
"I told Aria everything.", he said.
"You forget, Demon Prince. I'm the eldest sister", Aria says her voice was bright and soothing "As far as I'm concerned what happened to Sera is partially on me. I should have looked out for her. I want all my Sisters safe and we can't be with Helios around. Anne is a pushover when it came to Helios. . . I'm not. I'll do what I can to help."
She
takes the baby out of the carriage and hands her to Leon. The baby
looks content in the cool weather. She is small but animated, her piercing blue eyes darting around. Isobel had moved to sit on the other side of Leon so she could get a better look at the baby.
Aria reaches under the stroller cushions and pulls out a bundle
"I grabbed some of Ariel's clothes and trinkets before Helios destroyed them. I thought Ariel might want some items from home."
"That's wonderful. Do you have anything of Sera's ?"
Aria's expression softened.
"Oh, no. . . I didn't know what she might want."
"Her mother's ring", Leon says producing it from his pocket, "Helios took it. I found it."
Aria
gave him a quiet look and shifts her eyes back to me. Tessa's little arms reach
for the falling snow, she's trying to play with it. She's a cute kid and Leon let's Isobel hold her, which makes me instantly feel weird.
"If you have to take Queen Anne's by force, I'll understand.", Aria says, "'l just need time to get the girls out of harm's way. There's an old bomb shelter in west dorm."
"Woah, bomb shelter. . . I don't want to do anything drastic"
"You don't have a choice", Leon said while looking at Aria, "Unless you want to lose the city."
"Okay",
I kept my head down, "Callum's working on trying to build more weapons.
We should be ready by the New Year's. It won't be easy. Humans will
notice."
"We'll deal with it when the time comes", Leon say and I get the feeling he has experience with explaining things to humans, "We should go."
Aria reached over and took Tessa back from Isobel.
"Did you want to . . .", Aria asked
"Ah . . . I don't."
Aria doesn't listen to me and hands me the squrimy infant. I have my gloves on so I don't have to worry about my skin burning her.
"Listen", Aria says," If we don't work together Helios will take everything for himself. He's selfish, vain and controlling. Can you imagine the world he'd create ? Do you want my daughter growing up in that world ?"
"No", I said. I hated being prompted, "Tessa's world will be different."
"Actually", Aria said, "We picked the name Tecmessa to please Helios. He wanted her to have a warrior's name. When he's not around we call her by her middle name."
"What is that?"
"Harmony." They say together.
---
Isobel and I walked as far Uptown as we could. Mostly it was a comfortable silence and somewhere along 165th we decided to hold hands. It felt like old times like . . . shit. . had we only broken up 3 months ago ? It felt like a lifetime (believe me I'd know) and I had this euphoric feeling I was heading in the right direction. Home with her.
The first person we run into when we reach St. Lilth's is Ariel. She's smiling and she has the pleasant beaming look that for years made me think all Angels were very simple. It never occurred to me they were just naturally cheerful. Most of them anyway.
"Hi", I said in passing, "I actually have something for you from Aria--"
"I need to ask you two a favor, Mr. Prince"
He's so so young.
You know him
I
do ?
I do.
The cars. The day the cars exploded. He fell out during our punishment. H--
He almost died. Helios almost killed him. He almost kicked him to death.
But I guess he found another way to prove himself--
Troy
Troy almost died. Helios almost killed him. He almost kicked Troy to death.
But I guess Troy found another way to prove himself--
It's loud and dark. There are so many fucking lights, cars and gunshots. So many fucking kids. lauging, posing, singing.
Fucking arcade.
Just keep watching him. Drink you water and keep watching him.
He has a lazy smile, he enjoys camaraderie with the humans. They see his SGI shirt and think he's in a fraternity not a fucking bullshit paramiliatry organization ran by a murderous masochistic narcissist bullshit handsome dictator.
Fuck.
Breathe
In and out
in and out
Fuck--he's moving
He takes his time, today's been a good day for him. He has money to spend on games, alcohol and young girls. He also bought a nice watch. It's a good day off for him.
He doesn't know the city well and he gets lost.
This part of town is quiet.
Follow him.
He seems agitated and picks up his pace.
He's noticed you.
He stops and turns. No weapon. Idiot.
"What do you want ?", He asks, "You Demons know better than to be on this side of town."
Let him talk.
"Okay", he smiles, "I guess I'll have to teach you a lesson"
There's a sweet click. A sharp glint. He has a knife. He has one of your knives.
Mine.
Take the hood down, take off the shades and show him your pretty blue eyes.
He loses the grip on his knife for a second. He recognizes me. I want him to come after me but he doesn't.
He runs.
So I chase him.
He's fast and small. He can weave in and out of crowds but he's still lost. He thinks he's going back to Queen Anne's but makes a wrong turn and heads in the opposite direction. Uptown.
He thinks he's smart, he runs down into the subway but I still follow. He rushes through the turnstile for an oncoming train. He actually takes the time to pay.
I follow him onto the train and the doors almost slam shut on my foot.
He pushes through the crowd and makes his way to the next car.
Still I follow him.
He's not subtle at all as he pushes and shoves his way through each car. I follow him until he reaches the last train car. He has nowhere to go. I'm one sliding door away from him. I watch him squirm, he's trapped.
I watch him panic.
What is his plan anyway ?
The train jolts to a stop and we both exit. Him from the last car, me from the penultimate. He's had time to rest but his weakness for endurance shows. This station is new and large. The two story platforms confuse him. He heads up to a second floor "out of service" platform looking for an exit. He doesn't find one. I follow him; up, up, up and block the exit.
"Listen. Seraphina", he says, "You know how things are with Helios. Some of us are on top and some of us get treated like shit. I was treated like shit for years by Helios and the others. Titus said he'd put in a good word for me if I--"
"If you what ", say it you fucking bastard.
"We were just supposed to bring you to Helios. I didn't know what else Titus was going to do but. . .come on, none of us had a choice to be SGI, it's just what it is. Worse things have happened to others. . .You stand around here acting self righteous but think about what you did, Seraphina. We let you in, treated you well and you sold us out to the enemy."
"Are the Demons really the enemy ?"
"I'm a solider for hire. Whoever I'm told is the enemy is the enemy. Soon the SGI. . . Angels will have a empire of our own. When someone commits a heinous act like treason that can't stand. Don't be mad at me. . .it was just -- I just thought--you didn't even . . .I thought you were into it--I mean you can't---Jesus, you were already wet for fucksake I--"
Did you. . .did you push him off the platform ?
He doesn't even scream.
He doesn't even scream.
That . . . should not be funny.
He (Troy) just falls gracefully off the second floor platform and onto the subway tracks below. Humans below shriek when he crashes down. His arm hits the second and third rail. He tries to move and an electric shock visibly runs through his body.
He could survive this. He could survive this. We can't have that.
I'm already down the stairs and by the platform. Humans . . . conductors are helping him off the track. They have him laid out on the floor. A few feathers are drifting in the air from his fried shirt.
You have to say something. . . you have to. . .he can't live. . .they can't see his wings.
"My brother", There it goes, "I--I have to take him to the hospital. I've got him"
"No. . .no", Troy manages
Before the humans can react I pull him up and drag him quickly out the platform. He's so out of it he doesn't fight me. Delirious little boy.
We clear the subway and find a nice quiet cold disgusting alley to settle into.
"You saved me", his voice. I remember his voice now.
I don't want to touch him, but I do. I run my hands over him. His body is solid and lean over his clothes. His blue and gray polo shirts are clean with minimal pockets. I grit my teeth and run a hand over his clothes below his waist.
There is it.
I find my knife in his jeans and pocket it.
"Don't leave me here", he begs, "Please. I'm begging you. I want to see New Aeterna. Y--you didn't beg Sera. I'm begging you please get help. . . please--"
Did you just--
His throat.
Looks so pretty in red.
At least he stopped talking.
He also has five dollars in his pocket
and it's happy hour.
Author's Note
SHV's Muse : Okay. We've got
- A Sera teaching someone to use a gun
- Arcades
- A Sera who kills people
- I'm pretty sure you stole Harmony from her too.
- Subway stations where people meet death
It looks like I have a case for plagarism
LiLe's Muse : . . . #YOLO ?