Page 404 of Castings & Curses

"I don't knowif Raphael heard me, but I pray he did." It wasn't a good situation at all. I knew I shouldn't have left.

I should've known it would take more than two archangels to subdue that being in the tiny security room, but I liked to think they had it handled. And it was so important to me to get Melinda safely out of there. Now I knew I'd made a mistake leaving.

"Maybe you should go back to my quarters," I suggested to Melinda as we descended the levels toward security. "You know this… creature… wants you."

"I'm not leaving you there with it while I hide away," Melinda replied. "I like you very much, Aurelia. If your soul was destroyed, I don't know what I'd do."

"You like me very much?" I asked her, grinning back.

I could see the security section ahead now. It was rocked by another blast. This one was deafening — so much so, I couldn't fly straight. There was still no visual sign of it, but the area was littered with debris… and sadly, several corpses, and I could see several more angels rushing toward the crime scene.

"Alright, I love you, but don't get any ideas," she said as she stared at me with bittersweet worry in her eyes.

It had to be the sweetest and most confusing thing anyone had ever said to me.

"What kind of ideas are you thinking?" I asked her.

Another blast came before she could reply, and this time it took out the entire corner of the security office ahead of us. Wood, metal and other debris exploded outward, and despite our limited shield, Melinda pulled me behind a nearby pillar. The shield was pummeled by debris, but we missed the worst of it.

"I can extend the shield into a sphere, but you've got to fly close to me, Aurelia, and stay within its range. And whatever you do, don't go attacking anyone without telling me to drop it first. We don't need a ricochet in there."

"That's fine," I told Melinda as we hung back behind the pillar.

It only took her a moment to extend the shield around us, and then almost as an afterthought, she increased the size. I realized it would've been hard to keep within its area, otherwise.

"It's in place now," she said as she moved out from behind the pillar, and I did the same. "It's not infallible, but it should help."

We moved together as a team, carefully passing the fallen bodies of angels. I tried not to look too carefully, except to ensure none were angels I knew well.

The damage to security looked much worse close up, and several large blasts down the hall confirmed combat wasn't far away.

My eyes widened in shock as I saw Gabriel thrown back in the corridor hard enough to splinter the wooden frame of the door behind him.

He fell to the ground, and I rushed forward fast enough I bounced off the inside of Melinda's shield. A blast shot out of the opposite room but bounced harmlessly off the shield, narrowly avoiding Gabriel. He didn't look well, but he was alive.

"Open the shield," I said, and Melinda was quick to open it and surround him with its protective barrier.

I knelt in front of him, healing him quickly with my angelic energy. He had more damage than could be healed quickly — it appeared physically as bloody slashes and burns on his skin, but the damage likely went far deeper into the spiritual level.

His eyes opened and he sat up, his breathing heavy from exhaustion, and I urged him to rest for a moment as I continued healing him.

"Is Raphael in there alone?" I asked, fearing for his safety.

"He's not alone," Gabriel said as he looked up at us. "There are other angels."

He seemed like he didn't quite believe what he was seeing, especially in Melinda's case.

"Can you stand?" Melinda asked as she glanced urgently toward the room.

I couldn't see what was going on inside, but I heard another blast that rattled the ground beneath us.

"I think so," he replied as he climbed to his feet.

I kept a hand on his arm, giving him as much energy as I safely could.

"It's after Melinda," he said, stating what I already knew — or at least, believed I knew.

"I know," she replied.

---