Guardian Angel (12 page)

 
Bored of the repeated bus lines, Michael was tired enough to spend the money on a cab home. He doubled back on himself with Jasmine in tow, cutting through a side street and alley to get to the nearest taxi rank. He avoided returning to the station though. He'd have about as much chance grabbing a cab there as winning the lottery with a baseball card.

The side street was quiet with just a few people packing up storefronts and emptying bins, but the alley was deserted. Jasmine resisted as they walked down it, pulling back on him a little. She leaned closer to whisper to him.

“
I have a very bad sense down here, Michael. We should turn back and find another route,”

“It'd take another ten minutes. Come on, we're almost to the end. Besides I've got you to protect me.” Michael felt uneasy. But he felt too tired to give it any thought.

Jasmine had a huge sense of evil as they continued to walk, but guessed as they were halfway through anyway it would be pointless to turn around. She muttered a silent hymn under her breath and stretched her wings one at a time, preparing just in case something happened, but hoping it wouldn’t.

 
A few metres from the end, a figure blocked their path. It had no clear form, and was only visible as a shimmering humanoid shape of darkness against the light cast into the alley. It made no aggressive moves as they approached, but stood directly in their path, blocking the way. Michael stopped as he felt a sudden cold, the figure blocking their path was most definitely supernatural.

“
What the heck is that?” Michael whispered.

“
That’s a spectre, it’s another type of lesser demon. They are born of man's petty desires. It's probably why it's being spiteful and blocking us.” Jasmine tugged Michael to turn around.

“
I think it’s time we started heading back. We can go the long way round.”

 
Michael stepped backwards slowly, keeping his eyes on the shimmering form of darkness before him. It made no move to advance, merely blocking their exit.

  Michael continued to back up, but a scream from Jasmine sent him stumbling in surprise, and he lost his footing. Michael fell over and scrambled to stand up. He tried to find something to fetch up against, and quickly glanced at the spectre to check if it had attacked. The creature had not moved. Michael turned to see Jasmine cowering on ground, hands over her head. Behind them stood a man in a dark blue suit and sunglasses.

A sense of danger came from the man, but why? He looked fairly normal apart from wearing sunglasses at dusk. The man was tall, with very pale skin and a strong build. He wore a superior grin that irritated Michael.

“
Hello there, are you ok?” The grin never left the man's face.

   Michael
glanced towards Jasmine, who stood up but still seemed shaky. She was clearly terrified. This man had to be bad news, neither the specter or the imp had affected her so badly in the past. Michael faced the man defiantly, and for the first time noticed the red aura that seemed to surround him.

"F
ine, thanks, just a bit startled. We took a wrong turn and need to go back,” Michael answered. An ordinary person wouldn't be able to see Jasmine. If he didn't react to the word we then?

“Oh, well, don’t mind me. I’m just passing through.” The man pushed past Michael, walking towards the spectre.

“
You take care of yourself, Michael. Don't let the spectre bother you. He’s just there to keep an eye on things. You had better talk to your angel before she pees herself. We will be seeing you very, very soon.” He disappeared round the corner.

Michael would at that moment have breathed a sigh of relief, but the stranger’s last words were like daggers in his mind. The man knew his name, he knew Jasmine was there and he knew about the spectre. Michael's felt his face drain of colour and his hands go tingly. The stranger could only have been a demon…the “We will be seeing you soon,” what could it have meant? What did this man have planned for him?

***

  Around the corner, Garamond stopped and laughed silently. It was funny how the world worked. The very person he'd been watching so intently had walked right above his lair. He'd sensed Michael and couldn't resist the chance to play with him. He had used one of his nearby lackeys to possess. Perhaps he could play with him a little longer. It was not time to put his plans into action yet, but that didn’t mean no fun could be had. He turned to the spectre and raised his right arm, palm flat and facing it.

“
Infernus,”
Garamond whispered the trigger spell. “Attack them, but
do not
severely wound either of them.” The spectre shimmered more violently in reply.

He felt like enjoying a night of excess in his possessed body. The brief, but amusing encounter had left him in the mood for some drinking, sex and random petty destruction. He left the Spectre to its fate, content to sense how things played out from a distance.

***

  Jasmine recovered her senses just in time to see Michael rushed by the Spectre. Within the dark shimmering mass, two angry red glows sat roughly where its eyes should have been. She knocked Michael to the ground just before the creature rushed over, leaving an ice cold wind in it’s wake. Small puddles of water froze in the alley around them and Michael’s breath misted in the air.

It was the second time now she had nearly failed her charge by focusing on her own emotions. She was not supposed to feel fear like that, but what simple Guardian could stand against one of the infernal scourge’s? It had to be Garamond or one of his most powerful minions. She kicked herself mentally, and promised to return on high. She needed to find a way to overcome how she had been feeling. She needed to regain her focus.

“
Who the hell was that guy, and why is that thing attacking us now? I thought it wasn’t dangerous unless hungry?”

“
That guy
we can talk about later. The spectre has been commanded to attack us, and we need to get into some light." Jasmine helped Michael to his feet and urged him into a run.

The Spectre had turned and was making ready for another pass, Jasmine felt angry red eyes boring into her as she ran. They reached the end of the alley as it rushed at them. Jasmine pulled Michael down at the last moment, but the Spectre grazed him, and ice formed over his right shoulder. Michael grimaced in pain.

 
The sun was low on the horizon now, the street lights had come on. The side street they had emerged on was almost deserted, with only a couple of store holders packing up inside their shops.

The Spectre was lining up for another attack. Jasmine pushed Michael under a street light and stood directly in front of him. She still held onto his hand tightly.

It moved towards them more slowly this time. It surrounded the patch of light cast by the street lamp, enveloping Jasmine in darkness. Multiple angry red eyes bored into them from all sides as she stood defiantly with Michael up against the street lamp. Jasmine shut her eyes and looked up directly into the overhead light as she recited:

“
Darkness of spirit

Darkness born of desire

Go now diminish

Burn in
purest fire.”

The Spectre faded slightly, but came back stronger. The darkness reformed and pushed up against the light cast by the street lamp. The lamp flickered, Was the bulb about to burn out? Jasmine repeated the verse with similar temporary effect. Michael, to Jasmine's suprise, took her other hand, and began repeating her words, whispering it as she sang.

“
Darkness of spirit

Darkness born of desire

Go now, diminish

Burn in Heaven
's purest fire.”

  The extra word came naturally and without prompting. Having Michael recite the verse with her had made her add it without even thinking. The result was miraculous, a blinding flash of light as the bulb burnt out and exploded. Thousands of tiny, incandescent sparks showered over the darkness surrounding them. Each spark ignited on the Spectre and burst into a tiny flame. The small flames joined into a pyre, banishing the Spectre into the pit.

Jasmine breathed a sigh of relief, there was nothing around them but paving stones and a few lazy pigeons. No one seemed to have noticed, or the store holders were ignoring them thinking they were lunatics.

Jasmine turned to Michael and before she could think her lips met his. Her whole body felt hot and her emotions became a confused mess making Jasmine feel dizzy. It all happened so fast, she barely had time to realise what she had done. She quickly pulled away looking shocked at herself.

“Uh...can we forget that happened?”

  Michael simply nodded in reply. Jasmine knew he wouldn't forget it, but hoped he would at least not bring it up with her.

Jasmine praised the Symphony that she had chosen to be Michael’s Guardian. He was special, and not just in the way all humans were. There was something about him no other mortal could claim. Somehow, he could sing with her and boost her abilities. Who knew what he might be capable of in the future? It wasn't all roses however; Garamond seemed to be showing an interest and, the Spectres attack only suggested more danger in the future. Jasmine decided she would have to return on high as soon as she could for guidance.

“
Let’s get home." Michael said disturbing Jasmine’s chain of thought.  "It’s getting late and, after this day, I could really use a strong drink and a good night's sleep.”

“
Sure let’s get out of here!” They headed off to find a taxi home.

***

  Garamond had sensed the Spectre’s demise even from the early-opening gentlemen's club, where two women sat indulging him with drink and something a bit more adult. The lesser demons destruction had been inevitable, but to sense the mortal's power in action had been positively delicious. He would be a very strong asset when turned.

“
Almost time, Michael my friend. Just wait a little longer.”

“
Sorry hun?” One of the women leaned up.

“
Shut up and carry on, I wasn’t talking to you.”

 
Garamond said through his possessed body’s voice, enhancing its depth and strength. The woman shrugged and got back to her business. Garamond ignored how she dipped her fingers into his wallet and lifted some money in response.

Garamond shut his eyes and leaned back, starting an atonal hum through his borrowed body's voice box. the two women around him both winced as the sound shot straight through their brains. They jerked upright in an instant, faces masks of fear and began shaking violently.

Bat-like wings sprouted from the two serving girl's backs, elegantly curved horns pushing through the skin of their foreheads. A baleful glow lit up blue eyes even as a whipcord thin tail emerged just above an elegantly formed behind. One of the girls saw Garamond’s half-nakedness and plunged down to resume her previous business. The other crept towards him, purring like a cat and grinning widely to show a mouth full of serrated teeth.

“
Hello succubi. I’m glad see you,”

“
Garamonnnd, it feels like years since we saw you." The purring woman said pouting lips the colour of blood.

"You always summon our sisters and never us. We were feeling neglected.”

“It’s because you two are very special to me. I could never use you in the way I use your sisters.” Garamond felt a trickle of blood run from below; the other sister had finished her ministrations. Hopefully she hadn’t damaged his host too badly. The security guard was useful and very discreet...and utterly corrupt of soul.

“
You sureeee know how to flatter us, Garamond" The succubus on the ground said. "Buttt we’re sure you didn’t summon us for a little possessed foreplay." Her sister continued. "What is your desire, O mighty scourge of Earth?” The second sister's voice was exactly the same as the first but with a mocking tone.

  Garamond ignored her tone; like most other demons, succubi were notoriously flirtatious, rude and condescending. They were the corrupted souls of Guardians, but these had fallen due to their charges' overwhelming lust and sins of the flesh. The most common form of succubus was born from the rapists and serial cheaters of humanity. But these two sisters were special, created from the massed orgies of Roman times. All that carnal lust, murder and decadence had culminated around the Emperor Hephastus and his family members to create these two beautiful but deadly demons: the Lilith Sisters.

“Indeed. I have summoned you here for something very important, something I can't trust to mere imps and spectres. I need your…finesse,” Garamond exited his host, to allow it to recover and spoke through his own voice.