Sons of Angels (28 page)

Felicia knew enough about her friends to take them seriously. She toyed with a spill of sugar on the table, imagining her fingernail as a bulldozer piling up grains as she considered the notion. “Aren’t there supposed to be signs and portents before the apocalypse? The whore of Babylon, the great dragon casting down stars and all that?”

Jasfoup patted her hand. “You’re talking about Revelations. The trouble with old John was, he was as nutty as a fruitcake. Yes, he got the signs mostly right, but he screwed up the time frame. That happens a lot when you fast for forty days before your visions. He wrote them down as he saw them, but he didn’t realize that what he thought was a few hours were actually millennia.”

“If it takes millennia to bring about the apocalypse, why worry now?”

The demon stood, his chair grating across the tiles. “We should worry because some of it has already happened. The whore of Babylon is–or was–Lilith, Adam’s first wife. The dragon that swept away a third of the stars was Lucifer. Every sign brings the end of creation nearer.”

“Oh.” Felicia tapped her fingers on the table. “Not good, then.”

“No.” Jasfoup looked out at the gardens. “I rather like the earth as it is.”

“We don’t want to die either.” Felicia screwed up her nose and folded her bottom teeth over her top lip. “It would help to know what we’re up against, though. Who is this flaming angel?”

“Puriel, the Hammer of God.” Jasfoup sat again, one hand resting casually around Julie’s shoulders. “He brings the purging fire. Nothing survives it.”

“Then what chance do we have?” Julie reached for her sister’s hand. “How can we defeat an angel with that kind of power?”

Jasfoup shook his head. “I wish I knew. What is immune to celestial fire?”

“Infernal ice?” Julie looked up. “To coin an antonym. Isn’t the first circle of Hell perpetual ice?”

“Yes, but how can we get the ice up here? It freezes everything. Not even a demon can touch it.”

“I thought mortals could? Didn’t Virgil lead Dante through it?”

Jasfoup barked a laugh. “Theoretically, but what mortal would not be driven mad by the vision of Hell?”

“I might know someone.” Felicia looked up.

“Really?” Jasfoup turned to her. “Who?”

“My friend Meinwen.”

“The nutty witch across the road from the shop?” Jasfoup shook his head. “She wouldn’t stand a chance.”

“Wouldn’t her faith protect her?”

“I don’t see why. She’s pagan. We’re talking about the home turf of Hell.”

“Fetch a Bible.” Julie tapped his arm. “I need you to look something up for me.”

“All right.” Jasfoup left the room, returning moments later with a large-format King James’s. “What did you want to look up?”

“Tell me what it says about the woman who gives birth to the new Messiah.”

Jasfoup found Revelations, chapter twelve. “A woman clothed in sunshine wearing a crown of stars who walks on the path of the moon. So?”

“Wouldn’t that accurately describe a follower of the Goddess?”

Jasfoup shrugged. “Possibly, but she’s not pregnant with the new Messiah, or wasn’t last time I looked, and the Great Dragon didn’t want to destroy her.”

“But she was protected by God.”

“True.” Jasfoup frowned. “It might work. She’d be stuffed facing Puriel, though.”

“We’ve established no one can face him.” Felicia looked to her sister. “What about your magic stones, Julie? Would they be able to transfer the ice from Hell to wherever Puriel is?”

“My fetiches?” Julie frowned. “Perhaps. I could make them into two linked gates. They would have to be used at the same time, though, and I don’t see how that could be done.”

“What if one was already in place? Could using the second one activate the first?”

“It’s possible.” Julie nodded. “Let me think about it.”

“Don’t take too long.” Jasfoup closed the Bible. “We don’t know how much time we have left.”

“While we’re on the subject, is it possible to make a fetiche to allow remote viewing?”

“I don’t know. The ones I made for you were instantaneous transfers of energy. To make one that has a sustained spell...” She shook her head. “I can’t cast that sort of spell.”

“Harold can.” Jasfoup clicked his fingers, and when Devious appeared, asked for more coffee despite the pot being within reach. “He can make self-sustaining spells.”

“Bully for him.” Felicia stuck out her tongue. “He can’t make your spell balls, though. Could you work together?”

“Maybe.” Julie considered the idea. “He’d have to do as I told him, though. What’s the point, though? Why not set up a camera for surveillance?”

“Because the camera would be static. I want to be able to see what the subject is seeing.”

Julie nodded. “You obviously have someone in mind. Who?”

“Jenna.” Felicia fished in her pocket. “I still have a piece of her tooth.”

Julie rubbed her dead eyes. “That would work as a focus, assuming Harold knows a spell for the sight part.”

“Let’s hope he does.” Felicia looked at Jasfoup. “What about the other nephilim? The one we haven’t met? I’ve forgotten his name.”

“Gary Hughes?” Jasfoup shrugged. “I don’t know. We’d have heard if they’d got him. Do you want me to check?”

“Please. What clan is he?”

Jasfoup stood and stretched. “I won’t know until I’ve met him. I’ll drop in on Harold as well. Back shortly.”

Felicia watched him vanish into a cylinder of red light. “That always makes me think of a matter transporter. I almost expect him to say ‘Beam me down, Snotty’.”

Julie laughed. “I remember those shows. They used to be on the telly on Fridays. Mum used to let us watch them because they weren’t scary.”

“If only we knew then what ‘scary’ really was.”

Julie sighed and rubbed her stomach. “Could you see if there’s any indigestion tablets anywhere? I’ve got terrible stomach ache.”

“Sure.” Felicia frowned. “What have you had to eat today?”

“Nothing since the meal last night. I couldn’t face eating anything this morning.”

“You should try something,” Felicia said rooting through the cupboards. “How about dry toast?”

“Honestly, no. I think I’d bring it straight up again.”

“You haven’t eaten anything you shouldn’t?” Felicia tried to banish the image of her sister in bed with Jasfoup the moment she said it.

“What?” Julie flushed. “Oh no, nothing like that.”

“Ah!” Felicia held up an ancient packet of chewable tablets. “Found some.” She pressed it into her sister’s hand.

“Thanks.” Julie took one out and sucked it. “Do you think we’ll survive?”

“Not without help.” Felicia sat again and glanced through the Bible. “That little imp was asking after yours.”

“Which one? The one with the torn ear or without?”

“Without. John, his name is.”

“What was he asking about me?” Wrack perked up, his hooves draped casually over Julie’s shoulder.

“This and that.” Felicia allowed herself a small smile. “Whether you were single, whether you were gay. That sort of thing.”

“He’s sweet.” The imp curled and uncurled his tail. “But scrawny.”

Julie laughed. “You should think yourself lucky he’s interested. I haven’t seen another imp in all the time I’ve known you.”

Wrack nodded, stroking his tail as he thought about it. “Tell him to give me a call. What’s the worst that could happen?”

Jasfoup reappeared. “I found him. I don’t think he’s in much danger, actually. He’s only just started, none of his powers activated. I think we can guess what Jenna was doing last night.”

“That explains why they keep coming after us.” Felicia yawned suddenly and slapped a hand over her mouth. “We seem to be fairly safe here, though. What about Harold?”

“He’s safe at the shop. There’s a lot of security there, and he was just about to come home anyway. The weak point is your dog friend.”

“Jenna? Any idea where she is?”

“Not at the moment. You’ll have to track her yourself when she goes hunting.”

“I hope she’s with a lot of people, she’ll be safer that way.”

“Not for long. They’ll come for her sooner or later.”

“Who?” Harold came through the door, dropping his briefcase on the chair.

“Jenna.” Felicia smiled. “Hi, Harold.”

“Hello, yourselves.” Harold grinned and clicked his fingers for Devious as he took his coat off. “What have you lovely ladies been doing all day?”

“Making plans. Do you know a self-sustaining spell for remote viewing?”

“I think so. Why?”

“We think it’s the best way of keeping an eye on Jenna.”

“Ha-ha. Remote viewing, keeping an eye on her. Very good.” He accepted a mug of tea from Devious. “Fetch my spell book will you? It’s on the lectern in my workroom.”

“Must I?” Devious looked beaten. “It’s scary down there.”

“You’re an imp. What could possibly happen?”

“That’s what they say when the lone teenager goes into the cellar.” Devious shuddered. “‘What could possibly happen?’ Then he gets his head bitten off by an alien.”

“I think you’re mixing your films up, old chap. Now hurry, before my tea goes cold.”

“Right.” Devious opened his gate and vanished.

“What’s this in aid of then?” Harold raised his cup. “Why do you want to spy on Jenna?”

“We think the dog’s the weakest target. The angels will go after her next.”

“It seems likely. Why doesn’t she just come back here until all this blows over? They’ll give up soon enough and then we can get back to normal.”

“Give up? They’re angels, Harold. They have all the time in the world. They’re not going to give up. This is probably the most exciting thing since Aled Jones hit puberty.”

Harold laughed. “I see your point. Are we any nearer to finding out why they’re here?”

“Jasfoup thinks that they’re looking for a dragon.” Felicia made flapping motions with her arms. “A sign of the apocalypse.”

“I don’t know of any dragons.” Harold looked at Jasfoup. “Do you?” He looked down at a tug on his trouser leg. “Thanks, Devious.” He pushed his tea to one side and opened his spell book, turning the pages until he came to the spell for remote viewing. “Here we go. I need something of Jenna’s.”

“Here.” Felicia handed him the broken tooth.

Harold ran his fingers down the page. “Right.”

“Not yet.” Julie stared at the far wall and held out her hand, palm upward. Her eyes blackened as a small dark vortex appeared in her palm, twisting until it resembled the glassy marble Felicia recognized. “Now! Cast it with the fetiche as the recipient.”

There was a flash as the broken tooth disintegrated and the fetiche went clear. “There.” She grinned. “All done.”

Harold picked it up. “I can’t see anything.”

“No.” Julie went green. “It connected to me somehow. That shouldn’t have happened.” She gulped. “I feel sick.”

Chapter 32

Her sister’s eyes were squeezed tight shut, as if the orbs beneath were capable of witnessing whatever Julie was seeing directly. Felicia could only imagine how she must feel. When Julie had gone blind on her sixteenth birthday, Felicia had spent hours walking around with her eyes closed, trying to imagine what it was like for her sister. She never could. All she’d got for her trouble was skinned knees and a smacked bottom from Patricia, who’d thought one blind child was enough.

“Here, have a bowl.” Jasfoup was all heart. His compassion would have been more endearing had he emptied it of dirty crockery first.

Julie put her head to the table. “I’m seeing through Jenna’s eyes. She’s eating... Oh God! She’s eating a rabbit...raw...with her bare hands.”

“Eww.” Harold made a face like a five year old asked to eat dog food. “I’m glad the spell attached to you and not me.” He glanced across at Felicia. “Perhaps we should have thought about this more carefully and attached it to you instead. You’re not freaked out by that, are you?”