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Fallen Angel

Chapter 13

"YOU TWO DID IT AGAIN!" Dominic roared at the two young women sitting in front of him. Desh watched them bow their heads and look at the floor. He suppressed a laugh. He didn't think it would be appreciated. The old priest continued to rant and lecture. "EVERY SINGLE TIME! WHY DO YOU TWO ALWAYS CAUSE SO MUCH DAMAGE! YOU CAN'T SEEM TO CONTROL YOURSELVES! DO I HAVE TO REMIND YOU TWO OF THE NORTHERN WING INCIDENT!" He took a deep breath, his face bright red. Asher laid a hand on his shoulder. Dom looked at him and attempted to speak with out shouting.

'I get the feeling this happens a lot,' Desh thought to himself. Remi and Serena continued to stare at the floor. He decided that maybe he should take Eiji and leave the priest to chastise the two girls. He never got the chance as Father Dom turned on him as well. He was shouting again.

"AND YOU! YOU TWO LET THEM DESTROY EVERYTHING!"

Desh let his gaze fall on Asher. The other vampire was sitting in the desk chair. Asher's hand was hiding his eyes and his shoulders were shaking. Desh thought it looked suspiciously like laughter. Dom continued to yell about how Remi had decimated 1/8 of the warehouse district in Manhattan and how Serena had destroyed doors and walls with in the complex as she had tried to catch Eiji and him. He broke off, huffing and shaking with disapproval and anger. Desh was thankful it was over, he had been getting bored.

Remi suddenly looked up and over and Serena, saying, "Sunscreen? You really think it would work?" Serena giggled. Asher finally burst into laughter as Dom turned redder. Desh winced when he brought his closed fist down on the desk.

CRACK!

Remi's head snapped around. Deshwitat thought she was blushing. She said, "I said that out loud, didn't I?"

"WAS EITHER OF YOU LISTENING TO A WORD I SAID!"

'I'm betting they weren't old man.' He watched the scene as the two girls stared at the floor again. Dom threw up his hands and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Desh turned his attention to Asher, who had gotten up and was standing between Remi and Serena's chairs. They looked up at him.

"Sunscreen?" he questioned. The two girls giggled. They glanced between him and Asher. They ended up rolling on the floor with laughter. 'What the hell is so funny? What in the world is sunscreen, anyway?' From how afraid Asher looked, he had a feeling he didn't want to know.

Rett was getting impatient. He, Beryun, and Millenear had been waiting forever for the others to come back from the office. 'What the hell could be taking so long?' He decided to distract himself. He sidled over to Beryun, putting his arms around her from behind. She didn't move.

"Rett? Kindly unhand me," she said in perfect monotone. He sighed and let go. 'She's no fun,' he thought to himself. He was about to give it a try with Millenear when Desh, Eiji, and Remi walked in. Remi was smiling, Eiji had a new slap mark, and Desh looked puzzled and a little angry.

"What happened?" he asked.

Eiji looked at him. "She hits hard. All I did was try to apologize and she hit me!"

Remi turned to Eiji. "Well, if you didn't try to grope her while you apologizing, maybe Serry wouldn't have hit you!" She whacked him on the back of the head. While the two of them began arguing and Millenear went to keep it from getting too bloody, Rett had gone over to Desh.

"What's wrong pal?"

"Rett...what the hell is sunscreen?"

Rett stared at him. "It's a lotion that humans use to keep from getting burned by the sun. Why?" Desh looked thoughtful. "No reason," he responded. Rett shrugged. He turned to the rest of the group. 'We need to get down to business.' He pulled Remi and Eiji apart and set them in two different chairs, very far away from each other. They settled down, sort of, and looked at him. He took a seat next to Desh and Beryun. Millenear sat next to Remi.

He began, "We need to get going, guys. We have what we came for and it's time for us to use it." He waited for the kid's objection. He and Desh had talked about this the night before Serena had performed the tracking spell. They both had known she probably wouldn't want to leave. In fact, they had counted on it. The plan was to leave her here, so that she would be safe and out of the way.

Just as predicted, Remi spoke first. "How soon? There are still a few things I would like to take care of before we leave."

'Ok...not the response I was expecting. Desh looks surprised too. Shit. Now what?' He decided to skip it for now and answered her question. "Probably by the end of the week so...about 2 days. We're heading for Australia. The place we're looking for is somewhere around there." Remi nodded.

Millenear spoke next. "Are you sure, Rett? Don't you think it's too soon?" She looked worried.

Desh answered, "Maybe for you, but for us it's been too long in coming." Rett looked as his friend. He agreed. 'Kal, it's time for you to be put to rest.' He looked over everyone, taking in their expression. Beryun, predictably, had none, Millenear still looked worried, Eiji looked eager, Desh looked, well, like he always did, sullen, and Remi looked a little sad and...Angry. To him anyway.

Beryun stood and said, "Is that all? If so, I need to report back to Mater Tae." He nodded to her and he watched his partner walk out of the room. Millenear announced she was going to bed and followed the monk. Remi stood as well. "I'm going to bed, guys. See ya'll in the morning!" She almost made it to the door when Eiji stopped her.

"Why are you coming? I thought you hated all this." Rett thought it a mighty good question. He watched her face. She looked sad. Her expression hardened with rage.

"I'm coming because he deserves it," she stated quietly. Rett started in surprise. 'What...?'

"He deserves to die. He has caused so much pain...for everyone. I don't care what his reasons were. He is wrong and he must be stopped. I, for one, will not stand by and watch him kill people." She reached the doorway, which was close to where he was standing. He caught her last words. "I won't be helpless against him again." She had whispered it. 'She didn't want Eiji to hear,' he realized. 'I heard her and Desh must have, him being a vampire and all.' He frowned. 'I wonder what she meant.' He looked at Desh. The vampire looked just as confused as he was.

The Next Night...

Rett looked over at Deshwitat. They were patrolling the northern side of New York City. 'This is a bit boring. I wonder if we could take a break and head back to that bar a few blocks back...' He shook his head and kept walking, his broadsword slung across his back. The others had been sent to various places in the city and its suburbs. Remi and Asher were in the southern section, Serena and, to her disgust, Eiji, had been sent east, and Beryun and Millenear had gone west. They had turned down and alley and came upon a partially demolished building. He noticed that the vampire had frozen at the edge of the rubble.

"What's up, Desh? Somethin' wrong?" Desh shook his head and replied, "No. It's nothing. Just a bad feeling." He watched Desh frown and shake his head again. He nodded to Rett and they both took a step forward.

POP!

Rett whirled as the sound reached his ears. Desh motioned for him to be still. The vampire swore. "We're trapped. A barrier was activated as we entered the area. I knew I should have trusted my instincts."

'Great,' Rett thought. 'Now what?' He and Desh put their backs to each other, ready to fight. A man stepped out. 'No...Not a man. He has...wings! What the HELL!' He glanced back at Desh. Desh looked at the newcomer with surprise as well.

The winged man spoke. "Where is she? What have you done to her!" His voice was deep and soft, musical, but it carried well in the still air. 'What in the world is he talking about?' The man ruffled his wings. It was a very bird-like gesture. "WHERE IS SHE, LAND-WALKER! ANSWER ME!" he roared.

Rett attempted to answer calmly, though this lunatic was getting on his last nerve. "I don't know what you're talking about buddy, but you had better let us go if you want to live." 'Ok...the threat wasn't acting calm, but who cared anyways?' He felt Desh move slightly behind him, ready. Rett drew his sword, taking comfort in its weight. His answer only seemed to anger the being. He attacked and neither he nor Desh got a chance to defend themselves.

He picked himself up. He heard Desh call out, "Watch it Rett! He's faster than we thought! Stronger too!" He looked around for the bird-man. 'Where the hell is he?' He felt something "swoosh" over his head. 'Damn it! Above!' He called out a warning to Desh as he watched the sky warily. The man hovered above them. He yelled down, "You have one more chance! Tell me where the princess is!" The man raised a hand and a light green light began building around it. The wind pick up, as if in answer. 'Shit,' Rett thought.

Desh responded to the man, "We have no idea what the hell you're talking about, you bastard, but attack us and we will kill you!"

The man grinned evilly. "You think you can beat me, vampire? Fine then. You shall pay for your crimes!" He released the energy blast and the wind rushed with it. 'We are screwed,' thought Rett. The winged being released another attack, at him. He barely dodged it. 'We are royally screwed.'

Meanwhile...

Remi and Asher were on their second circuit of their assigned area. Everything was quiet. Remi felt her sense tingle. She looked over at Asher. "Did you feel that, mon eneseignant?" she asked. Her mentor shook his head. Remi frowned. 'That's strange...' she thought.

She flung her magic senses wide, opening herself to the rhythms of the world and its creatures. She felt Asher's power, heavy and dark, next to her. She searched outward. She zeroed in on a "hotspot." 'Shit. What is he doing here?' She detected two other energy signatures near the presence. The pieces clicked together, and she immediately knew what was going on.

"Darkness take it!" she yelled. She pulled off her leather coat and called her wings. They spread in a growing mass of black. She jumped into the air, out of Asher's reach. She flew towards the battle. Towards Deshwitat, Rett, and an old acquaintance.

'This ain't gonna be pretty...'