Daystar (51 page)

Paimon and Furcas stared at her, then at each other and back to her.
 
Paimon opened his mouth, but he did not know what to say.
 
Furcas leaned on Paimon, equally as speechless.

Bean let out a ragged wail.
 
Her wings blurred and she bolted past them.
 
She was out of the house in a matter of seconds.
 

Paimon and Furcas slumped down to the floor.
 
They stared into space.

Paimon rubbed his chin.
 
“We’re fucking idiots.”

Furcas nodded.
 
“Complete and total.”

Jegudiel pulled himself to his feet.
 
“What the hell are you two still doing here?”

Paimon looked up dazed.
 
“What?”

Jegudiel pointed.
 
“Your daughter just ran outside naked and crying!”

Paimon frowned.
 
“If she’s us, she’ll know how to handle herself.”

Jegudiel kicked Paimon in the face, sending him a foot into the wall.
 
His skin glowed gold; he floated above the floor.
 
“She is less than a week old!
 
She has your knowledge, but she does not have any experience or maturity.
 
Add to that the fact that she has the emotional capabilities of a goldfish!
 
She is a baby in an adult’s body and you two bastards just made her assume that she is not your child anymore and she damn well is your child and yours to deal with!”

Furcas bolted upright.
 
“Of course she is our kid!
 
This is just kind of a shocking revelation!”

“Well while you’re
shocked
think about how
she
feels!
 
She loves you and you just cast her off!
 
She thinks she has no one!
 
She probably thinks you do not love her anymore!”

“Obviously we love her!
 
If she had waited a minute and given us a chance to explain ourselves—”

Jegudiel picked Furcas up by his throat.
 
“You think a
baby
is going to wait for a rational and reasonable explanation?”
 
He threw Furcas into Paimon.
 
“You’re both
stupid!
”

Paimon looked ill.
 
“Oh holy hell.
 
Oh fucking, fuck everything!
 
We have to get her.”
 
He jumped to his feet.
 
“Where would she have gone?”

Furcas was near tears.
 
“Where would
we
have gone, Paimon?”

“I know, come on!”
 
Paimon grabbed Furcas’ arm and raced out of the door.

Jegudiel slumped against the counter; he heard the front door open and slam shut.
 
He looked down; he was covered in blood again.
 
He rested his head on the tile and closed his eyes.
 
“This family is going to kill me.”
 

He wiped blood off his lips and hobbled towards the door.
 
“Going to use
their
fucking shower.
 
That’ll show them, I’ll leave it messy…”
 
His voice trailed off as he limped out of his room.

***

Belial chased Andy around the sun, the pair buzzed by Berith and Apple at a blur.
 
With each rotation Berith and Apple caught a snatch of their conversation, but usually it was Belial yelling, “Andrealphus!”

They passed by again and Berith and Apple smiled.
 
Apple nestled in the crook of his arm and rested her hands on his armored chest.
 
She touched his bare neck and made his heart skip a beat.

Berith looked down.
 
“Having fun?”

Apple grinned and slipped out of his arms.
 
“I feel a bit like a scientist, I am power mad!”
 
She laughed.
 
Her body twitched.
 
Apple touched her abdomen and lost her smile.

Berith frowned.
 
“What is it?”

“Nothing.”
 
She looked away.

Belial skidded to a stop, hard to do in the air but she did it.
 
She panted with her tongue hanging out of her mouth.
 
“Does anyone ever catch him?”

Andy plowed into the back of her.
 
“Crap!
 
Sorry!
 
I thought you were behind me!”
 
The pair careened towards the sun.

Belial covered her bottom.
 
“Ow!
 
It is hot on my butt!”

Andy grabbed her hand and pulled her away.
 
“How is it any more hot there than it is here?”

Belial frowned and poked him.
 
“I do not know.
 
It just is I guess.”

Andy mussed her hair.
 
“Come on.”
 
He picked her up and flew to Berith’s side.
 
Berith pulled out two swords and cleaved the air with them.

Apple watched him practice.
 
“Why do you still use those?”

“Instead of lightning?”

“Yeah.”

Berith hefted the blades.
 
“I like them.
 
I am used to them.
 
I never was one for throwing lightning.”

Apple looked at Belial.
 
“Give her one.”

Andy frowned.
 
“Why?”

Apple smiled.
 
“Belial, you used to rock with blades.”

Belial grinned.
 
“Really?”
 
She looked at Berith’s swords.
 
“Can I have one?”

Berith shrugged.
 
“Sure.”
 
He gave her the smallest thing he had, a short sword.

Belial grinned, swung it, and tumbled head over heels into Andy.
 
Andy caught and righted her.
 
Belial stuck her tongue out and lunged into the void.
 
She lost the sword and windmilled her arms.

Apple retrieved the blade.
 
“So not so much anymore.”

Andy wrapped his arms around Belial from behind.
 
“I still think we should get your talons back, you always fought with those the most anyways.
 
It’ll be like second nature once we get them.”
 
He kissed her shoulder and put his hands over hers.
 
“If we could just figure them out.”
 
He flicked his wrist with hers, but nothing happened.

Belial grinned.
 
“Rowr!”
 
She flicked both hands, but her hands remained the same.
 
“
Rowr!
”

Apple smiled.
 
“Yes, our fearsome tigress will be an awesome sight.
 
She just needs those talons.
 
With them I’m sure her thirst for blood with return.”

Andy smirked.
 
“I detect sarcasm.”

Apple jumped on Berith.
 
“Really?”

Belial chopped the air with her hands.
 
“Rowr!”
 
She grinned and tilted her head back to look at Andy.
 
“It is okay, Andrealphus.
 
I will be fine.”

He hugged her.
 
“Of course you will.”
 
Andy nibbled on Belial’s ear and smiled.
 
“You have nothing to worry about.”
 
He nuzzled her neck.

Berith chucked a sword at the pair.

Belial threw her hand up and flinched.
 
The blade melted and stopped.
 
Everyone stared.
 
Belial dropped her hands, the blobs of metal dropped as well.

Apple grinned.
 
“Good thing you didn’t throw one of your favorites.”

Berith sighed.
 
“They are all my favorites.”

Belial raised her hand, bringing the metal spheres up to eye height.
 
She waggled her fingers and the metal vibrated.
 
Belial shook her hands and the metal formed smaller and smaller droplets.

Andy watched her.
 
“Since they shot us, shoot them.”

Belial pointed with one finger and a droplet shot through Berith’s leg.
 
Berith looked down and frowned.
 
“That was not necessary, but good job, Belial!”

Belial grinned.
 
“Yay!”

Apple floated over upside down.
 
She examined the droplets.
 
“You know these are an awful lot like bullets.
 
May I drive?”
 
Andy let go of Belial and backed away.
 
Apple wrapped her arms around Belial from behind.
 
“Now form your hands like this.”
 
She made a gun with them.
 
“Imagine shooting one of those droplets.”

Belial stared at her hands and concentrated.
 
A bullet shot off into space.
 
She grinned and shot another, then another.
 
She laughed.
 
“Look at them go!”

Apple looked over at Berith and Andy and smiled.
 
She turned Belial towards them.
 
“Shoot ‘em up.”

Belial frowned.
 
“But I do not want to hurt
them
.”

“They’re big boys, shoot.”

Belial shook her head.
 
“I do not want to.”

Andy frowned.
 
“Apple, don’t force her.
 
She’ll fire at things if and when she wants to.”
 
He brushed past the metal droplets.
 
“There’s no need for her to be violent.
 
We don’t even know if she would have been that way normally.”

“Fine.”

Belial swirled her hands in the air and the metal formed a shield the length of her body.
 
Belial turned it horizontal and jumped on it.
 
She teetered and fell off.
 
“Damn.”

Andy set her back on the silver platform.
 
“What are you trying to do now?”

Belial adjusted her feet and bent her knees.
 
She kicked at the shield.
 
“I am not sure.
 
I just want something that makes me not clumsy.”
 
She kicked and the board lit on fire.
 
She shot off towards space screaming.

Andy gaped.
 
“Be right back.”
 
He caught up with her as she careened towards deep space.
 

A huge smile lit up her face.
 
“I am going fast, Andrealphus!”

“Yes, you are!
 
How about we slow you down?”

They passed a meteoroid and the iron followed Belial.
 
She saw it and gaped.
 
“Andrealphus, what is that?
 
Why is it chasing me?”

He grinned.
 
“Space rock, it likes you.”

Belial waved her hand at it and the metal refined and floated in the air.
 
Belial kicked her board and she stopped.
 
The metal caught up with her and splashed across her body.
 
The metal pooled on the surface of her skin and spread out over her limbs.
 
Belial laughed and covered her body in iron.

Andy put a finger to his lips and backed up.
 
He shook his head.
 
“Well you are not silver, but an iron surfer is still pretty damn cool.
 
We can upgrade you later.”

Belial gave him a metal grin.
 
“What?”

“Silver.”

“You want silver?”
 
Belial concentrated and the metal changed to silver.
 
She twirled.

Andy beamed.
 
“Rad!”
 

Belial jumped and fell off the surfboard.
 
Andy caught her and put her back on.
 
He held her hand and turned her around.
 
“Let’s practice with this thing.
 
Make it go again.”

Belial focused on the sun.
 
She shot off at a blur, dragging Andy along for the ride.
 
Belial picked up speed.
 
She grabbed the edge of the board and they moved in loopty-loops.
 
She came to a halt in front of Berith and Apple.
 
Andy hung by her side and blinked away dizziness.

Berith frowned.
 
“It looks neat, but what is the point?”

Andy pointed.
 
“Dude, she’s like the
Silver Surfer!
”