The Taking (15 page)

He reaches me and crouches. The joints crack in his knees and hips with the motion. The bottom of his sarong type clothing piles on the floor. A smell similar to an accumulation of sweat and dirt reaches my nose. I want to turn my head and gag, but I don’t want to take my eyes off him, not that I could do anything to defend myself or Ben and Cindy right now. Placing his knobby hand on the ground, balancing on the fingertips, he leans over me and sniffs a few times until he finally takes in a large deep breath.
 

I grit my teeth as he lets out one of those cackles again showing off his few remaining grey, rotten teeth. I turn my head as the stench of his breath overwhelms me. A strange sensation runs through my wings. Panic soars through me as I look at him, instantly filled with horror when I see he is running a hand over the inside of my wings sticking out from underneath me. I try to wriggle and move away failing in my efforts. Frustration seizes me to no end, and I feel the tears of helplessness welling. Quickly I push them away before he sees the effect he has on me.
 

“Stop that,” I snap through gritted teeth.
 

His one eye shoots to mine, wobbling with his head as it studies my face. Soon all seriousness disappears when he bares his decaying teeth, stretching his chaffed lips and lets out another cackle. Lifting his hand he places it down slowly on my wings and strokes it long and slow as his eye continues to taunt me. While he does this, my wing seems to lose all feeling.
 

I swallow, pushing down that lump in my throat and hope that he is not doing any permanent damage.
 

Mustering my courage I use my sternest voice. “Why are we here?”

My eyes trace up his large knobbly nose noticing for the first time that one lonely dark hair about the length of an eyelash is curling off the end. I force myself to look into his eye. Up this close, it is challenging to do.
 

When he doesn’t answer, I demand again. “Why are we here?”

The bushy grey eyebrow rises. His hard, cracked hand reaches out and grabs the end of my hair and slowly runs through the straight dark strands.
 

When he finally opens his mouth, the voice comes out harsh, crackly yet quiet. “I told you, pretty. He
wants
you.” He tilts his head back and cackles again. “You are the one he wants.” The quivering head studies my face.

“Who?” I ask.

He throws back his head again and out comes the cackle.
 

Grr. That is so aggravating.
 

“Separus.” He drags the 's' like a snake and my body shudders.
 

“Why would he want me? I am only a baby angel.”

“Yes, yes. But you are too powerful. It's just the way he likes them.” He licks his cracked lips lavishly.
 

I gaze over at Cindy and Ben. “If it is me he wants, then why did you bring them?”
 

With the consistent soft raspy voice he says, “Ahh, because they were in the road and preventing him from taking you.”
 

“Then you could have just left them back at the apartment.”

“Ha, ha.” He fakes a laugh that is different to his cackle that I usually hear. “Angel girl just made a joke.” His grotesque tongue lashes his lips.

I can’t help but screw up my nose. “Actually, it was not meant to be funny.”

He brings his eye closer to mine reminding me again just how disturbing he is. “They are for us. For me,” he jerks his thumb at the fluttering company that lines the walls, “and the demons. They are our fun while Separus has fun with you.”

I visibly shudder, and he throws back his head and cackles his evil cackle again.

After I finish cringing, I frown. “Why do you do that? Is it kind of nervous tic or something?”

Amusement fills his eye, and I think I see a beginning of a smirk on his face. “No, my pretty, with dark, dark hair.” His rough hand is running through the ends of my hair again. “That is my call to the master — Separus.” He tilts his head oddly to the side as it shakes. “When I find his prize, I call.” And as if to emphasise the point he sounds that horrid cackle again.
 

Feeling panicked, I try to move again. All that I can do is wriggle my toes and fingers and lift my head. Frustrated, I ask, “Why can’t I sit or move.”

His eye slowly runs down my body causing a shiver to run down the entire length. “Yes.” He says very slowly. “Yes.” He sounds so satisfied. He then reaches out and runs his hand down my wing again. What little feeling I have left, totally disappears.
 

“Yes, what?” I snap tired of his games.

“Yes,” he says slowly again. “You can’t move. This is good.” His eye focuses back on mine.

“No, it is not good.” A sharp edge surrounds my voice.
 

He runs a hand slow and steady, down the deep blue sleeve of my bodysuit. My arm instantly loses any feeling I possibly recouped lying here.

I huff out an aggravated breath. It is clear he is not going to tell me, but I have guessed by his actions and my response that I have been regularly touched by a demon or him. This way they steal my energy as soon as I regain some, instantly stripping me of recovering.
 

Four demons approach Ben and Cindy and squat on each side of them, stroking their arms legs and body, confirming my suspicions. I watch frustrated that there is nothing that I can do. After a while, I have to turn away, my eyes focussing on the moss growing on the depressing concrete walls again.
 

“Where are we?” I ask. “It looks like a run down building but underground.”
 

He glances around the room while saying slowly, “Yes. Nice isn’t it.” His face looks proud.
 

My eyes gaze again at the empty room with plain dark grey concrete walls.
He has a strange sense of nice.
“That was not the word I would use,” I say. “So, where are we?”
 

“We are at one of my gates. After all, I am the gatekeeper.” He stops stroking me.

Relief flows into me, and I breathe deeply trying to gather my energy back as soon as possible. “You seem proud of this one. Is it new territory?”

The gatekeeper nods but in reality his face circles because of the nod being added to his general shaking. “This will be our city soon.” I am finding his constant slow speaking irritating but I continue to make conversation with him so hopefully he will forget to cackle and stroke my body.
 

“What city is this?” I study him, and he gradually stands looking around at his prized possession.
 

“The city of Detroit. It is a place of abandoned buildings, a perfect place to increase crime. The humans will blame it on the economy or lack of suitable housing. They can’t even restore this much-needed hospital.”

I take another look around at the mossy, filthy place. “This is a hospital?”

“You are in the Southwest Detroit Hospital basement.” He leans forward and stares at me intensely with his one eye. “So tell me, are you feeling looked after?” He tilts his head back and sounds the horrid cackle, loud and clear.
 

I cringe. Now that I know what the cackle is for it makes it so much worse.
 

“Where is he?” It is the first words I have heard him speak quickly. “What’s taking him so long?”

He hovers over to Cindy and then Ben, gazing over their unconscious bodies. I don’t know how else to distract him from calling Separus. Searching for a distraction my eyes pass over the demons still fluttering and making their ghastly noises. Even though the gatekeeper is here, every wall has dimly glowing red eyes looking our way.
 

Seeing the beings that look like timeworn and ugly humans with wings, I remember Ethan and I ask, “What happened to the person at the house? If he was a trap for us, did you leave him alone.”
 

Blood is pumping hard near my eardrums making it difficult to hear over the additional noise, especially when the gatekeeper speaks so softly. “Yes, yes.” He smiles showing off those bacteria-ridden teeth again. “Your three lives soulmate.”
 

I blink in disbelief.
How does he know?
 

He spins around and looks at Ben then casts his one eye on me. “Don’t you feel like a traitor? After all that time, you forget about him because he is no longer your species.”
 

I take a sharp breath.
Are they spying on me? Not even the archangels know this.

“Yes, yes, pretty. We know your secrets.” He cackles the unsettling cackle again.

Argh! I need to know
. “So what happened to the human?” I ask again, not bothering to hide my annoyance.
 

He shuffles over and squats close to me. Leaning over in front of my face, he holds his unnerving head close to my ear. What I would give to be able to move my arms right now. He whispers. “I guess you will never be able to find out.”

“What?” I yell while lifting my head rapidly trying to head-butt him. He moves before I reach him and jumps up faster than I have seen him move previously. The demons in the room are screeching and making their horrid sounds louder than before. I guess I stirred up their comfort zone. I watch as the gatekeeper suddenly dashes to the door from where he had come. The speed for the old frame is record worthy as he leaves the room.
 

Baffled, my eyes search the room. Cindy and Ben remain lying still with their eyes closed. It surprises me with the racket the demons are making. My friends must be more injured than I was. The noise is starting to give me a new headache. I wish I could put my fingers in my ears to block it out.

I blink slowly.
It is so frustrating not being able to do anything and being in enemy territory. And why did that weird gatekeeper run away like that? And curse him for not telling me what happened to Ethan.
 

In my peripheral vision, there is a flash of pale blue. I frown and tilt my head to see what it was. Before me, it appears as though a part of the gorgeous sky has pierced into this gloomy, stale place. I blink again. This section of bright sky is equipped with pale blond locks and majestic white wings.
Archangel Gabriel!
 

I am so relieved to see the friendly face, but then I realise that the archangel is alone. My eyes expand as I recall that Archangel Gabriel does not fight. The joy within extinguishes.
Then why is the genderless angel here? They stated themselves that they are into creativity and do not fight.
As much as I treasure this archangel, right now we need a fighter.
 

Opening my mouth, I am about to scream at the archangel, to get out of here when I am silenced before I start. I watch as a dainty hand with masculine trimming pushes out in the direction of the approaching demons, and a stream of white light flows out of the palm. It seems never-ending as it weaves in and out of the demons striking through the middle of every one that it passes. As my eyes follow the light, I watch the impaled demons vanish into thin air leaving only a small pile of dust on the ground.
 

My eyes are still following the white light stream when I notice something else surging through the air. A glimmer of gold passes over the light stream that is still completing its work and several thuds are heard followed by soft clanging sounds.
 

Demons are disappearing at a rapid rate. I frown as my eyes follow some of the golden flashes. Many penetrate the heart of the demons then fall to the ground when the demons disintegrate into dust. One golden flash manages to embed into a small spot in the concrete wall. Squinting, I study it from the distance. I am surprised to see it is a little golden star with six sharp points made of metal, and looking at the demons disappearing, undoubtedly blessed with angelic charm. I remember seeing them in Zacharias’ weapons stash. I nearly chose them as well as the dagger. They are Shuriken, nasty little flying stars and a nifty little weapon for someone who does not want to get their hands dirty in a fight.
 

Turning my head to look at Archangel Gabriel, I see them flicking these out at the rapid rate of a professional. I open my eyes wider in wonder. This is a very dainty fighter for sure. I gaze quickly around the dim prison. For a room that was filled with grotesque demons not so long ago, it only has a few left standing, and they look as though they would like to leave. I watch as the remaining few are mowed down by flying stars. As the last demon piles into dust I turn to look at Archangel Gabriel. Visible shivers are running down their spine and the archangel shakes making a revolted sound.
 

Smiling, I say, “Man, am I glad to see you.”

A smile crosses the masculine face with female trimmings. “Of course you are, sweetie.” A giggle escapes their mouth. “I bet you didn’t know I could fight.”

I shake my head. “After what you said about only doing creative things instead of fighting, you bet right.”

The hands fly out and up in an exaggerated motion. “Surprise!”
 

I laugh. “How did you manage to hold so many? This room was full of demons.”

The archangel pulls a piece of gown away from their body and jiggles it up and down. I hear the soft clatter of metal on metal and Archangel Gabriel’s blue eyes dance playfully. “The Shuriken are supplied by Zacharias, and I have charmed my pocket here,” they rattled it again, “to never run out. That way I always have weapons on me when I need them. Even if I have them confiscated by someone, I will automatically have them retrieved for my secret stash.”
 

The edges of Archangel Gabriel’s mouth turn down. “I didn’t get the gatekeeper though did I?”
 

I shook my head.
 

“I suppose he sensed me coming and took off, as usual.”
 

“Yes. He ran off suddenly not long before you arrived.”

“Such a shame. One day we will get him.” Archangel Gabriel gazes in Ben and Cindy’s direction briefly. “Anyway, we need to get you all out of here in case the gatekeeper comes back. Can you get up?"