Demonic Angel (A Touch Of Magic) (13 page)

              “Ah, Raphael, how nice of you to join us.”

FIFTEEN

Oh God! My birth father is here. Standing barely a metre away from me. I scramble up to my feet so that I can see him at a better angle.

My father. My
real
father. The Archangel. Here. Going to fight with us? I feel woozy.

As mum introduces him to everyone, his eyes don't leave mine for a second. His eyes. My eyes. The same colour amber. I might as well be looking into a mirror that changes your sex. We have the same nose. Same coloured sandy blonde hair. Same long dark eyelashes. Same ears. His lips, not like mine as I have the same as my mother, are set in a kind smile. He is tall too, he stands at around 6”4. That is taller than Jaxon. This man is half of the reason why I exist. I should be happy to meet him for the first time. Yet I feel uneasy and suddenly want Simon, the man who brought me up and I called dad for the past nineteen years, to come and give me a fatherly hug like he usually would if I was upset.

              “Hello, Calissa.” Oh Hell. Even his voice is angelic and smooth. I can't respond. I don't know how to form words into this mouth of mine. If I speak, it will probably come out all jumbled, like halloraphaelhowdoyoudoiamfinegoodokaythen.

So to save myself the embarrassment, I give him a nimble smile and turn away from him. I look around the room to see all eyes are on us and my face flames. I sit down next to Tessa again and bury my face in her shoulder. She wraps an arm around me.

              “Well, now that we are all here, we can begin.” My mother starts as she passes my fath-Raphael a chair from the dining room for him to sit on. He takes it politely but doesn't sit on it. “As some of you are aware, the Underworlders are searching for Calissa. Daughter of Supreme Succubus, myself and Archangel Raphael. The Underworlder that wants our daughter, is Edward Cray. Supreme Incubus. There is also another. I am unaware of his name but an Elf named Crillin, in the form of Caroline's stepson and incubus Jaxon, is one of this Elders minions. This Elder we speak of is said to have a grudge against all Archangels and their kin.” Mum looks over at Raphael who remains expressionless.

              “It is our duty as demons, witches and Fae to protect what is ours. You all swore your lives to either myself, my children or my friend, Lorraine. So, let's see just how far that loyalty lies.”

I look around at the group of people in the room and all of them are listening to my mother with such intent and focus. I can tell by their scents, who is a witch, demon or Fae. The woman who hugged me when I entered the room, witch. The second woman, the tall one. Demon. The kind smiled man, Fae. There are two people on the sofa beside the Fairy man. One has luminous blue eyes, fairy. The other dull brown almost black eyes, demon. The other two people, that are now standing. Witches. The witches smell of heavy perfume and slightly human. The fairies smell like earth and the demons smell like smoke or ice? I have to admit, there are twelve people in here that are willing to risk their lives to help me out. I have never been so appreciative in my entire life.

              “Now, there is a room for training in the attic. It can handle the strongest of strong attacks from any demon. You can train there or in the garden. There is plenty of room out there. There are also bedrooms for those who want to sleep. Caroline? The travel cot is still set up in Calissa's bedroom if you wish for Aeron to sleep here. I can assure you this entire property is safe and hidden. When this war, or battle starts, Aeron will be perfectly safe in the attic. No demon can enter without the key which I will have on me at all times. Lorraine's daughter will be here in an hour or so to watch all children.”

All children? I thought Aeron was the only child. Then as if on cue. In run two little children, one that looks around the age of five, a little boy and another three, a girl. Both have curly dark hair, grey eyes and dark skin. The way they run over to the Fairy man, is a huge give away that they are his children.

Everyone gets to their feet and start to scatter apart from the three people that welcomed me with hugs. The older woman, the one that smelt like tobacco, comes over to me with a smile on her face.

              “Hello Calissa dear, you may not remember me but I am Betty. I have been watching you from afar since you were a wee babe.” Her voice drips with a Scottish accent. Uh, what does she mean, watching me? “I am Tessa's grandmother dear. I have helped out with hiding you from other demons along with Lorraine for nineteen years and I am extremely happy to help you with this.” Ah so this is the grandmother that can mind read like Tessa. She gives my arm a tender rub before excusing herself to make a barrier over the garden. The tall woman comes up to me next with a smile on her face too.

              “Ah, Calissa. My dear.” She starts with a strong Russian accent. “We haven't had the pleasure of meeting before today but like Betty, I have been watching you from afar also. Though, I had no idea you had succubus blood running through your veins. I am Dimi, the Lady of the Snow. Do you know what that means?” I shake my head. She smiles. “I am kind of similar to you. Except according to history books and what have you, I apparently lure men into the cold, drink their blood and then freeze them from the inside out. Not entirely false but not exactly true either. I
do
drink blood and freeze people but only those who do wrong to others, like murderers of children or,” she pauses and closes her eyes briefly before they lock on to mine. “Rapists. I despise people like that so I punish them.”

Okay, her powers are awful. I thought a succubus was bad by being able to drain the soul and life from people by either touching them or attacking them while they sleep. “Because I would only use my powers for good, I was booted out of the Underworld and my offspring were murdered by a demon called Levi, he is a Leviathan of such. A sea serpent. I vowed to take my revenge on the Underworld Elders, especially Levi, if I got the chance and so fighting with you, I might just have that chance. So, thank you.” Lastly, the fairy comes over to me and hesitates before talking.

              “It has been a long time since I was called upon to fight along side witches and demons and I promised myself that I wouldn't do so again but when Lorraine mentioned a half angel half demon who has been targeted by the Underworld Elders, I just
had
to help. You could very well be the key to end all of those horrific demons. You have no idea just how powerful you really are sweetheart. Until you figure that out, my fellow fairies and I will be here to protect you with the elements.” He takes my hand in his. “If ever you need someone to guide you or advise you, then call on Harrison or Harry, that's me by the way.” He gives me a quick kiss on the cheek and then leaves the room. Now I am alone with my mum and Raphael.

I didn't even notice Tessa left the room. I might kill her for leaving me with these two.

              “I know this is hard for you darling, but Raphael is here to train you on your angel powers.” Mum says. I nod, knowing I need help on those the most.

“You two can head into the garden and practice now if you like?” I don't say anything and neither does Raphael when he leaves the room. I follow him out and we head to the garden.

“I know you have done very well at learning your demonic powers but unlike those, angel powers are harder to control. I will need you to focus and give this your complete and utter attention.” Oh brilliant, Raphael is one of those no nonsense types.

We start off by meditating. It's boring. I can do it, easily, don't get me wrong, but I got so bored after about ten minutes. Raphael wasn't impressed by this.

Next we tried manifestation. It took me an hour to manifest an object over to me from inside the house. I did it though, so he didn't get too mad. We tried this again and again and again and again until I felt as if my head would pop off from concentrating so hard. I play with the set of car keys that I manifested in my hands and stare at them, thinking that I want them to go back into the house. When they do, I cheer and jump around. Raphael even lets off the smallest of smiles.

The final lesson for today is flying. Well, we all know I can already do this. Yet to humour Raphael, I whip out my wings and start flapping them.

              “Flap them at full speed. You should be able to take off,
without
the running head start.” He says curtly. I feel like sticking my tongue out at him, yet I am not that immature.
Yeah, right
.

I do as Raphael says and I flap my enormous golden wings as hard and fast as I can. They start to ache and it makes me wince in pain. Who knew that having wings would be so painful?

“Don't stop Calissa. You are training a whole bunch of new muscles to do what you wish. Do
not
give up.” So I don't. I flap harder, faster, harder, faster until I feel my feet ease up from the ground. I look down and see that I am hovering a foot above the grass. I beam over at Raphael who looks very please with me and I can't help but love the feeling that comes with it. “Now, fly.” I give him a look to say
what the hell does it look like I am doing?
And he grins. Oh how annoying, I have his smile! I may have my mothers lips but I have
his
smile.

I lift my arms up and then rip them down again and I lift up a bit more. I use my wings to flap a few more times until I am several feet in the air. Then, just like on the field in Paris, I fly. I soar. I am one with the clouds again. I make a large loop in the sky and just as I am about to descend, I see someone else flying too. Someone with gigantic white wings that have golden tips. Raphael is flying with me. Despite me not wanting to meet him. A warm feeling forms deep inside my belly at the thought of flying with my birth father.

We descend together after a little while and I grin over at him.

              “Well done. You are a quick learner Calissa. Tomorrow, we continue training. Remember what you did to the Hellhound?” I nod, thinking back to when I held my hand out and the mutt cowered, yelped and collapsed. “Well we will practice that tomorrow. So up at six am.”

              “Okay. Hold on, six am??” I screech at him but he is already walking towards the house. I sink to the floor and cry out in pain, forgetting my wings are still extended. I get up onto my knees to tuck them away and then lay down flat on my back on the grass.

I have no idea how much time we have to prepare for this fight or whatever it is but I know for a fact that the next few days are going to be Hell.

SIXTEEN

Just as I thought, training with Raphael has me almost crying in exhaustion every night for the next week. I have learned how to do what I did to the Hellhound. Turns out I can inflict pain on something from the inside of their body. It apparently feels as if their bones are snapping all at once. I kind of feel bad knowing that is what I did to the Hellhound, even though he tried to kill me.

Despite the cry my wings cause me to make, I can take off without running and jumping a bit better now. I still need more practice but my wings ache so bad at the moment and I need to rest them. Lorraine has made me a healing lotion to help with the ache of my muscles and she said it will help me relax too. I practically snatched it from her when she told me it would give me a decent nights sleep.

I have more experience at healing now. Harry was helping Tessa with her fire control and she ended up burning Betty's leg. I healed her back to perfection on Raphael's command. Of course I would have done so anyway but he still felt the need to prompt me on it.

Oh did you know Angels can conjure up lightning? Yeah, me neither. Apparently we can though according to Raphael. He has been trying to teach me to do this for two days straight and I just cannot do it. I can tell Raphael is beginning to pissed off with me but he doesn't give up though.

              We are in the garden and he has just told me to concentrate on the small pond we have out here. He said think about a tropical storm. Think about the forks of lightning that come down to the floor. The ones that harm people. (He actually said that.) Then he said and I quote. “Think about that boy Jaxon you are in love with. All of the pain he has caused you. The tears you cry when you are alone. The ache in your chest that you feel knowing he chose Underworlders over you. The anger you feel knowing you let yourself get close to a demon.” Yes, he actually said this to me. I don't know where he got the idea from that I was in love with Jaxon because I can tell you I am not.
Hmm...

I half expected my brain to argue back with me then, but it didn't, for once.

Then Raphael said. “Think about that face of his. What do you want to do to that face?” Kiss it. I think and fight a smile.

              “Manifest that anger Calissa. Think about all the lightning you have ever seen and manifest it to you.”

And now, a few minutes later, I naturally I do what he says and I close my eyes and hold out my hands. Lightning. Jaxon. Lightning. Jaxon. Hurt. Pain. Tears. Lightning. I open my eyes. LIGHTNING! There is lightning coming out of my hands! Okay, it was only a spark, but it is a start.

              “Keep going!” God, for an angel, he sure is bossy. I frown and continue with my chant. Jaxon. Lightning. Hurt. Anger. Pain. Tears. Lightning. Jaxon. Lightning. My hand starts to sizzle and then a huge fork of lightning flies out of my hand and hits the gnome on the edge of the pond; causing it to shatter. My hands fly to my mouth and I look guiltily over at Raphael who is beaming at me. “Well done.”

We practise for a few more hours but I seem to be unable to conjure up more lightning. Raphael doesn't hide is disappointment which makes me feel ashamed of myself. We move on to the thing I did to the Hellhound which I named the bone-crusher. Don't ask why. It just seems fitting since I managed to crumble that hounds bones inside out. I do this with ease and end up having even Raphael on his knees begging me to stop. I grinned widely at this. By the time seven o'clock hits, a couple of the women here have made us all dinner and like the past two nights, the kitchen table has been brought into the dining room so that everyone can sit together. Thirteen adults and three children. Only one person doesn't eat and that is the demon that came along with Dimi. I think his name is Rhys or something but he is so quiet, that I barely see or hear him when he enters or leaves a room. He kind of scares me. I think he is a vampire but I don't call him on it.

After dinner, Tessa and I collapse onto my bed. Due to only having six rooms between the fourteen of us and four children on top of that now that Christina and her daughter are here, we all have to share a room with someone. Tessa is with me. Aeron in the travel cot in my room. Caroline on a fold up camping bed in my room too. In Ana's room, the two fairy children, Harris and his fairy niece Lara. How they all fit in Ana's queen sized bed, I have no idea. I think Lara has her own blow-up bed though. In dad's room is Mum. She refuses to share a room with anyone due to her succubus powers. No-one argues with her about that. In spare room number one is Lorraine, Christina and Christina's daughter Alexia. In spare room two is Betty and her two witch friends. And finally in room three are the other two demons Rhys and Dimi.

              I think Raphael sleeps in the 'panic room' on the bed that mum showed me a few days ago but I am unsure if he actually does considering he disappears before dinner and shows up again by the time I am awake in the morning.

I have quite a big house and am astonished that every single room on the two upper floors have been filled. We have never had this many people in our house before. It makes me miss Ana and dad when I see the fairies in Ana's room.

I Skyped Ana and dad twice in the past few days and they are happy and safe and Ana was telling me how hot it is in Mexico and that Auntie Kim keeps trying to dress her in frilly dresses. It made me laugh picturing it.

              I haven't risked turning my phone on since the day Jaxon betrayed me. I haven't wanted to chance seeing a message from him. Tonight though. I am curious. So when Tessa falls asleep and Caroline disappears on her nightmare duties. Which is so weird. I turn my phone on and turn it on silent.

Within twenty seconds, I have four new messages. Not a lot if you think about it, but I am still surprised Jaxon still wants to text me.

I open them up.

Jaxon:
I'm sorry but I had to do this

Jaxon:
It's for the best if we didn't pursue this thing we have between us anyway

Jaxon:
I miss you

Jaxon: I know I shouldn't tell you this. It goes against everything but I heard that the demons will be sent to attack at sunrise on the 7
th
... xxxx

I check the date and it is currently the 5
th
. We have a day at most. I wake Tessa up and without even needing to tell her anything, the two of us head out into the hallway and using one of her witchy powers, she makes every bedroom door swing open. Booyah! I get a few outbursts of 'What the hells?' 'Oh my God!' 'What now?' Before people start to emerge from their rooms.

“MAYDAY PEOPLE!!” I yell. “I have just caught word that the attack will be the morning after tomorrow.”

Murmurs fill the corridor and then my mothers face comes into view. “How do you know?” I show her the latest messages from Jaxon and she gives me a sad smile. Mum and I had a heart to heart while food shopping yesterday. I told her I really liked Jaxon and that I wished I could have liked a guy that wasn't a demon. She was sympathetic and told me she felt the same way with Raphael before she met dad. So, I suppose that is something else mum and I have in common.

              “Okay. Get some rest and tomorrow we train twice as hard and prepare for this properly. In case this is false notification and the attack comes sooner, Christina, I want you and the children to head up to the attic tonight. Is that okay?”

“Yes ma'am.” Christina rushes into her previous bedroom and grabs Alexia and then the other children while she heads up to her new room.

              “Rhys. Can you help her with Aeron? It isn't wise to wake a sleeping incubus baby, believe me.” Rhys nods and enters my room before carrying the travel cot out as if it weighs nothing with a snoring Aeron still inside. He takes it up to the attic where Christina and the three other children wait. “Harris. I need you to take a couple of beds up there too. If they are to stay up there until further notice, then I need them comfortable.” Harris does as my mother commands and then when he returns, he faces Betty.

              “Betty. I think you should stay here with Christina. Four children, two of which are fairies, one a demon, might be hard to control for a lone witch that has never been trained with her powers.” He gives her a guilty smile. Betty looks over at me and gives me a sad look.

“Calissa. Dear. Would you prefer it if I stayed?” I walk up to her and clasp her hand in mine.

              “You are Tessa's grandmother. I would love your expertise in this battle but I do believe that Harris is right. Christina is your granddaughter too and she might need you here. Besides, you are a strong witch. You could keep a barrier over the house to keep it from getting destroyed. That would help me.” I recommend to her and she smiles at me before enveloping me in a warm hug. Things like this make me miss my own grandmother who lives in Australia. Although, she isn't blood. She loved me like I was hers. My mother's mother was a succubus like mum and she was killed by a high powered demon, get this, over a hundred and fifty years ago. Mum must be well old. Ha!

Betty makes her way up to the attic and joins Christina and the kids. I turn to the rest of the people in the hallway, my eyes flicking over every single one of them until they land on Tessa. She gives me a watery smile that I just told her 'nanna' to stay behind. I wink at her.

“Right everyone. Training begins again tomorrow at 7am. Breakfast at 6!” Mum shouts and everyone scatters into their rooms. Raphael stands in the middle of the hallway and smiles at me and mum who are still standing here.

              “I have to go now. I have trained you as best as I can. I cannot be apart of this battle as it is not in my nature. I will be looking down on you dear daughter.” My breath hitches at his words. Of course I knew this day would come, he is an Archangel. Obviously he can't fight. I think Archangels are pacifists. Though I am uncertain. “My darling Serena.” He takes her hand and kisses it and then turns to me. “Beautiful daughter.” He leans forward and kisses my forehead. “We will meet again.” I can't form any words. I think that if I did, it would be like when I met him and come out like
byenicetomeetyouohpowerfulonehahahahaha.
I don't know why I'd laugh at the end. Maybe I lose my marbles along the way? Maybe I already have. Ha!

I give Raphael a smile and then, because I don't trust myself to speak, I rush him and wrap my arms around him. He freezes as if he has no clue what to do and then he hugs me back. At some point, mum joins us and we are all hugging. Like the deranged supernatural beings that we are. Raphael pulls away and without saying anything else, he walks down the stairs and leaves the house. I think I see him fly past the window but am unsure.

I turn to mum and she takes my cheek in her hand.

“That boy is in love with you Calissa.” Huh? Where the frick did that come from?

              “Who? Raphael?” My eyes widen and I grimace but she just laughs.

“He will come around. I promise you that.” I am going to take a guess and say she is talking about Jaxon. I blink at her.

              “I don't think so somehow mum.” I scoff.

“Oh I do. Believe me.” She kisses my cheek and then disappears in her room. I head back to mine and see Tessa snoring away. I smile and climb into bed beside her.

I have to wear body covering clothes when I sleep in the same bed as her. I don't want to harm her while I am sleeping. On the safe side, we even have a row of pillows in between us too.

I lay in bed and stare at the messages from Jaxon on my phone for a while. He misses me. That means something right? I will I could talk to him.

As if reading my mind. I get another message.

Jaxon: Ask me to abandon my beliefs Titch and I will
I stare at that single message for half an hour. He can't be serious. After everything this past month, he is telling me this. And now?

Ugh! Typical bloke.

Me: I can't do that Jaxon. I want you on my side but I don't want to see you killed because your father is a dick.
Besides, bit late for that now, we are going to war

Harsh but true.

Jaxon:
Thanks. I think. And I know, sorry

Me: You hurt me

Jaxon
:
I know
:(

Me:
You left me

Jaxon:
I know

Me:
I can't trust you

Jaxon: I know. I am sorry

Jaxon:
I do miss you

Me:
I know

I swipe at the tears that are running down my face and shove my phone under my pillow. I wish things weren't like this. I wish we were both human people that meet, fall in love and live happily ever after. Why does my life have to be so complicated??

I bury my face in my pillow, sick of wiping away my tears and for the third night in a row, I cry myself to sleep.