“Think you’ll need that? It’s just wraiths.” Stavros watched me load a bolt, crafted with a holy water-anointed arrowhead and palo santo shaft, into my trusty weapon of choice.
“Can’t be too careful. Besides, they may have a general with them,” I reminded him. “If I have a chance to take down a big bad demon, I will.”
We closed up the shed and jogged out toward the gate to join the others. A crowd of spectators had already gathered, Stavros and I exchanging a mutual look of frustration at the sight. No matter how much we told people to stay inside, to keep a distance for their own safety, demon fights were often treated like entertainment.
And now, they had something new to watch.
“Good children of God,” Azariah addressed them, his injured wing tucked close to his body while the other stretched out above his head. “Have nothing to fear. Your brave priests and I will protect you. God will protect you!”
“I’ll pray for you!” One woman fell to her knees, hands already clasped together, with her face tipped skyward.
“Let your prayers be words of gratitude,” Azariah went on, golden feathers catching the light as his body turned. “You have your leaders, your community. But most importantly, your faith! Everything you’ve been through, and you still place your trust in God! I can feel it, my good people.”
“When did our people become yours?” I muttered under my breath.
Azariah placed a hand on his chest, and I swear some female tongues went wagging. “Your faith is my power, my strength. Bear witness to the miracles your faith can perform when channeled through an angel of the Lord.”
“Is he gunning for Zach’s job?” Stavros shook his head with a light laugh, once the angel finished his monologue.
“Gunnin’ for his dick, more likely,” I answered.
The young priest had been watching Azariah’s speech with rapt attention, his jaw setting hard as he raised his machete blade over his head, drawing cheers from the onlookers when the speech concluded.
Jesus, they were both turning this into a performance. I couldn’t tell who was trying to show off for who.
“All right everyone, stay back,” I instructed. “Remember to spray down the streets and roofs in case any embers make it over the gate.”
“God be with you!” someone called.
“Let’s get some wraiths!” Zach poured a few droplets of holy oil on his machete. It was all he needed before he flicked a lighter and the whole blade became engulfed in blue-orange flames. I caught Azariah staring at him, eyes bright with flickering holy fire.
Zach had every right to show off, if I was being honest. He had more demon kills than any of us. I might’ve had the army experience, but our pious young priest fought back at Hell with all the wrath of the Old Testament.
“Watch your back, don’t get sloppy,” I decided to warn him anyway. I fell into my old role as sergeant disturbingly easily whenever we went into battle.
Bracing one hand on our misshapen crucifix gate, I hopped over in one swift movement. It always felt strange on the other side, wilder and colder, with the inescapable reality that we could very easily die out here.
Stavros followed my lead while Zach and Azariah crossed over another section of crucifix fencing, where the wraiths had gathered in denser clusters. These hellions were among the easiest to fight, but could gain the upper hand if we weren’t careful. They looked like plumes of dark smoke, with the odd, human-like feature, such as arms or legs, or a skull in place of a head. They could merge together to form a swirling dark cloud, so impenetrable you’d think you were in the middle of a tornado. Our best strategy was taking them out before they got a chance to merge.
With my crossbow in my right hand and a water gun in my left, Stavros and I got down to doing just that.
“Let me know if you see a general,” I shouted over the hissing, chittering sounds of the wraiths. “Watch it!”
Stav spun just in time to shoot one that was trying to sneak up on him, dark smoke dissipating into nothing.
“There’s some clustering near the fence on the church side.”
“Daisy will be fine as long as she stays in there. Get your head in the game!”
“Where’d Zach and Azariah run off to?” He sprayed down several wraiths about to merge, finally focusing with his right head.
“Not sure,” I admitted. “Let’s head that way.” Usually I could see Zach’s