Shado of the Covenant
Chapter 30
City of Angel
Angel only waited in his car for the girl because it was his duty to protect innocence, as that was his way of dealing with what he had done when he was a soulless monster. It was his way of repenting, and repaying the world for the horrors he had caused back then.
He couldn't let Shado run off to fight these monsters alone no matter how much sparking with electricity, or magical glowing eyes, she could threaten him or any daemon with. She was about fifteen from what she told him, and he didn't like leaving her alone in the bar, but she needed to use the lady's room, so he couldn't follow, and got the impression that she would kick his arse if he tried too, and he would be too soft to fight back – and unable because of the bars wards to stop demons fighting each other.
She may have some unique magical talents, and apparently was the Queen of the Covenant of Witches, but still. What could she do? It was only because the daemons couldn't hurt her inside the bar that Angel left her. She was just as stubborn as Buffy was in many ways, but he wouldn't tell Buffy, but he was sure the girl had plenty of advantages over her, though mainly because of magic, and possible wealth, and that whole Covenant thing, so maybe Buffy wouldn't be able to disagree on that.
Shado exited the bar after a few minutes and smiled as she walked towards Angel's car when he held back a groan as two vampires from inside followed her out. This meant that Angel would have to go and do his job... okay; maybe he didn't have to interfere. He watched Shado beat the ten barrels of crap out of them looking like she was having fun as they were soon battered, and on their knees swearing their fealty to her. However, she made a gesture, like a pushing with both hands, and both of them suddenly had blood exploding out of their mouths, as the air pressure seemed to boom, with windows rattling as their chests caved in, and then, poof, they were dust drifting in the wind.
"Let's go already!" she commanded rolling her eyes as she pulled open the passenger side door and climbed in, closing the door and pulling on her seatbelt. "I have other stuff to do later, got places to be, people to see, evil old men to vanquish! So put the pedal to the metal Mr. Matrix!" she demanded laughing at him.
Angel looked down at his coat with a sigh before pulling out into the road wondering whether it was a girl thing to make fun of a guy's outfit. "Cordelia said something like that to me when I got this new coat," he complained as his last one only came to his knees, whereas this one came mid-calf.
"Well next time get her to pick out your clothes," she said mockingly but Angel couldn't help but shudder. "Yeah, I guess she would ruin your dark, mysterious ways if she did," she said mocking him, but he wouldn't want to say anything, as she was just a child, like Dawn, only with highly dangerous super magic, so not as like Dawn as he would have preferred.
Angel sighed, which he always found odd as he didn't actually need to breathe, but figured it was just a habit left over from when he was human. He sometimes wished he could remember his human days as well as others, even the bad would be better. Angel remembered a lot over the years, but it wasn't as great as it could have been, and he wished he were born in this time as things were more complicated, but much easier, and he hated that he was so stuck in his ways that he had to ask for so much help when it came to even using his smart phone.
"So, when are you leaving town?" Angel asked her out of curiosity. He knew that if she had been in town for long someone would have heard and he would have found out.
Therefore, he would wager that she was just passing through on her way somewhere, likely landed at LAX to head on after a few days, and he could tell without a doubt she didn't even have a chaperone, but Angel wouldn't say anything as she was strong enough to look after herself from what she saw with the vampires, and then she was supposedly the leader of The Covenant, so may have actually had some witches following out of sight, like ninjas, just in case. But then again, The Covenant was broken from what he heard, and it would take a ridiculously powerful witch to bring it back to full strength, and she wouldn't need bodyguards outside of official matters where bodyguards would make the persons, she was speaking with feel better, and more 'dangerous' to her than they were.
"Yeah, I've got other stuff to do, but while I'm here, saving damsels in distress is my thing, but if they've already been killed, reaping vengeance in their names seems like the right thing to do," she said shrugging.
Angel grimaced at that as he realised, she really thought like that, and looking he could actually picture her with her own army of like-minded girls ready to charge a fort, and if she was bringing The Covenant back to health, she likely could do that.
"It isn't like I have anything urgent hanging…" she continued thoughtfully. "Though, I guess Narielle would be fun to hang with. I like her a lot, and four arms, totally sexy, and very gifted at information Gathering."
Angel kept his eyes on the road, and he was glad he couldn't blush as he knew he would have been ten shades of red right then. He didn't like to think of such young people doing things like that even if he knew statistically it was a certainty. So, to keep his mind off things Angel pulled out his phone and hit the speed dial.
Angel's cell phone was answered after the second ring. "Wes, it's me…" he began, quickly getting to the point.
"Angel," a voice on the other end spoke. "Have you got the location? We'll be out there right…"
He was quick to cut him off. "It's all fine. I have the location, and made a new contact," he replied. Angel was quick to agree that backup would be good as he looked to the young girl and gave them the address quickly. Buffy did say he worried too much sometimes, as he had been concerned about her, her friends and Dawn too much when he worked back in Sunnydale.
"I also have," he continued, slowly in thought. "Some backup, but she's just a fifteen-year-old witch with an attitude problem, Shado," he said, eyeing the witch as she glared at him and muttered 'Sixteen'.
Oh, well, sixteen," Angel corrected automatically.
"Backup?" Wes asked sounding confused. "A witch...? Who? I don't understand," he said sounding more confused, which made Angel sigh, rolling his eyes.
"I'll tell you when you get here, just trust me!" Angel finished and hung up his phone, and dumping it on the dashboard.
"Trust is a two-way street, buddy-boy," Shado suddenly spoke almost startling him as he looked into her amused and mocking emerald green eyes. She had a point, but he wasn't going to tell her so. It was more annoying because she had an English accent and that made him think of that idiot Spike, but at least hers was royal to his northern that Angel was pretty sure wasn't his actual accent, as he recalled the sounded different when they met a few centuries ago.
"And you trust Narielle?" Angel couldn't help but ask in reply because he couldn't think of much else. Angel doubted she did trust her much, but he detected some kind of connection or affinity between the young ladies.
Shado shrugged while making a none-committed face. "I think... yeah sure, I trust her enough to know that she'll never try to kill me, and if she accepts my offer she will have my full trust," she answered with a frown of thought. "Other than that," she shrugged again with a small grin. "Trust isn't easy for me I suppose, but I've been alone enough to know who I can and cannot show any trust or faith. My 'family' after my mother and father were supposedly murdered never were the nicest of people, but I suppose being dumped in London when I was eight was better than if they dumped me here. I could have been a lot worse surviving here. But it turned out that, an evil old man fearing my potential because of some barmy fortune-telling, enslaved my parents, and kept me away from my twin sister, until a few months back where we were reunited, and we finally flushed our parents of the magic they were under, so all is going rather well now, except we're looking for my other younger sister, as the prophet said, sister, not which one… oh, and we have the whole Covenant thing too."
Angel didn't know how to respond to that, as he too knew what it was like to be alone, and how good it felt to have people to rely on, but he couldn't help but feel impressed if a little humbled at the knowledge that this girl had survive by herself for so long, even if it was just in London, even they were an overcrowded shithole with their good, and then horrifying neighbourhoods. Angel could see she chose to be better than she could have been, choosing the high road while maybe taking some shortcuts along the way. She was dangerous because she had to be to survive the streets alone, intact.
"I see," Angel said quietly. "I was the biggest piece of shit on the planet when I didn't have my soul. Then I was cursed with it, and I wanted to die. I couldn't though, as I had to atone. The curse was supposed to be punishment, but if I ever experience pure happiness, I lose my soul… and it happened, but a witch friend of mine managed to find the curse and use it on me… a little too late, and I was sent to a hell to save the world, by the person who made me happy, but here I am, back again, and… well, we all have some fucked up back stories… its what makes us, us."
"Yeah," Shado said gently as she felt sorry for him as she held her phone and searched through it looking for something, anything to distract her from her pity for this man, never getting any kind of redemption, not really.
It was relative quiet for the rest of their journey, and even so, Angel wouldn't know what to say anymore, if he did try to make conversation. Anyway, conversation wasn't up his street, even before his split from Buffy, he wasn't much for conversation. He guessed he should probably work on that. Though, he was a dangerous vampire, he should probably have no one to practice talking too, but still, he did, and he still wasn't sure whether he should be thankful or not.
Angel was soon pulling up in the correct street across the road from a rundown looking building that most likely contained plenty of apartment's that under normal circumstances would be empty, or contained normal squatters until it was torn down or renovated. However, two large vampires that looked bored either side of the doors, guarded it.
"Here," Shado suddenly spoke as she pulled out a beautifully crafted wand out of nowhere, made with who knew what in an ashy colour with lime strikes through it. It had been a long time since Angel had seen such a focus, and even longer since, it had been so beautiful. She tapped it to his arm gently whispering some words before he could protest. The words were gentle and spoken in Latin, and then her wand was out of sigh, like it had never been in her hand at all.
Angel started at the dull white flash before the wand was gone, even though he should have mentally prepared for some sign of magic. He looked at himself, confused as he now had a light tan and he could hear a heartbeat coming from him, but couldn't feel his heart beating in his chest so gave her a questioning look. Angel was quite impressed with the illusionary spell; it was ingenious.
She smirked at him. "It's just a simple illusion, nothing worthwhile. Most vampires are too thick to ever see through it, so let's just hope that there aren't any clever or knowledgeable daemons around or something. If we go in there with you wanting some drugs, we'll at least get in, and hopefully get to see their boss without having to hurt any of the fucked-up junkies, and have the police deal with them. Then we kill the boss, and the rest of the vampires will become a disorganised mess, and easily picked off!"
Angel nodded in agreement, surprised as he expected to have to stop her trying to storm the place, power blazing and then the ring leader getting away. "How do you want to do…?"
He trailed off as she pretended to be unconscious slumping in her seat, very convincingly. Angel was actually spending a few moments marvelling at her acting skill. He made a mental note to give some more thought into entrapment as ways to stop big bads evil schemes in the future.
"Hurry up, idiot," she demanded through her lips without even opening her eyes, and startling him as he was staring too much at the beautiful creature, as he was reminded of Buffy, but he was certain this girl was gay though, and he didn't have any interest passed reminiscing over his lost chance with Buffy, and the fact he had been looking at one of his friends a bit too much as she had become a new woman from the one, he knew years back.
Angel rolled his eyes, though it was lost on her as he climbed out of his car, closing the door behind him. He was fast to open the passenger side door, and was careful to pull her out, and cradle her in his arms. He was actually awed that she could make herself so… floppy.
Kicking the door closed he turned to see the two large vampires looking both ways as the street wasn't the quietest, they could have chosen to set up their evil 'shop'. They saw the coast was clear and gestured for Angel to hurry across, which he did, climbing the steps up to the apartment buildings front door.
The two vampires licked their lips hungrily while eyeing Shado, but they made no move to touch her, which Angel was thankful for or their cover would have been blown. Angel was certain she would have dusted them in moments, but then she might have been quick enough for no one to notice.
"Top floor; room number twenty-five," one vampire said grumbling while licking his lips. "She looks good; the boss will want that one personally," he commented and Angel didn't like that implication, but kept his expression neutral and uninterested.
Angel nodded his head, feigning nervousness, though he was a little nervous at how easy they were getting in. But then it was true that sometimes the simplest solutions worked best, and he would have to thank Shado for helping out.
Entering the dank and dark building it stank of human waste, and Angel was a little startled to see several humans all junked up all over the ground floor lounged around. If it weren't that their blood would taste foul, which was a reason vampire's never did prey on the sick or infirm, they would have become lunch as the drugs made them ill in a way.
It was disgusting that all of the humans who could make free lives for themselves would do that to themselves, let alone taking another person's life and or freedom. Angel would have given anything, (well near anything) to be human again; to be a normal man and have a love life. Well, preferably human with powers because he had pissed off a lot of daemons over the centuries.
He walked up the stairs pushing passed a few humans. He ended up kicking one down a few steps as he went to touch Shado's chest with a crazed almost zombie like lust on his face. That would have blown their cover, as Shado didn't seem like the type of person to let a random arsehole touch her anywhere, let alone her breasts. However, he was sure that once they reached the top floor, their cover would be blown, and they would have to fight their way to the boss anyway.
Angel watched Shado as he held her cradled in his arms as if she could have been his own daughter fallen asleep on the couch watching TV, and he was taking her to her bed. It would have been nice for that to be true for her and him, as they wouldn't have to fight monsters whether human or vampire just to be who they were.
She looked so peaceful, and Angel realised easily that this made life simpler than the usual walk-in fists and stakes swinging, but it didn't mean he wouldn't worry because that was what he did. It was amusing though, he supposed that eight times out of ten rushing in fists swinging only worked through sheer fluke, or the fact the enemy were that brazen they hadn't though anyone would dare.
They reached the top of the building, and Angel steadied himself. He moved along the corridor where two more large vampires stood outside a door, number twenty-five. They were grumpy fellows, and Angel was twitching to stake them, but they would have to wait.
The two vampires looked at Angel suspiciously but one opened the door silently, and he went to step through when he paused. He couldn't, and the two guards looked to him, readying for a fight. This must have meant this place belonged to a human if he couldn't walk over the threshold without invitation.
"Come in!"
The words: Angel almost missed them. He gave Shado a quick look before back to the now angst-ridden vampires that gave their kind a bad name, which wasn't hard as they were human drinking monsters, and he felt the magic she must have used to trick the mysticism into believing she owned the place. Angel crossed the threshold, which made them relax and close the door behind him.
Angel looked forward to see a filthy rat of a human man sitting behind a filthy looking desk in a near empty room with several vampire's male and female, and a few dead humans.
One female human's body was dumped in the middle of the room, dead and naked almost causing Angel to growl. She looked like she had never even reached her teens. Angel would have growled if it weren't for the lack of blood in the air as they had drunk it all after playing with the girls. But he felt like growling anyway just through anger.
"Angel!" the man behind the desk said in amusement, which caused the vampires to tense and ready themselves. "And Miss. Shado, according to my sources. It seems, you Missy killed two of my vampires tonight!" he commented whimsically. "They say that Shado is a very dangerous witch. Rumour of your existence even travelled to me. But then I do have a cousin who lives in London, terrified of your return to the city he is. But here Miss. Shado, you are but a little girl!" he mocked her, and Angel was sure she wouldn't stand for that, or lie, carried by a vampire no less, and he could feel the air thicken dangerously. He knew she must have been putting the fear of her into the thugs, gangs, and organised criminals in London by herself.
Shado sighed as her eyes glared at the man and Angel lowered her to her feet. "Well, the filthy little prick knows so much, but it won't matter when I've killed you! I'll be sure to find your cousin in the near future and rid him from MY streets!" she hissed in anger. "When I'm through with you, you little piss-ant, you'll be eating nothing more than a statistic of LA's high crime rates, and it won't end painlessly for you because with my powers, painless doesn't exist!"
He snorted in amusement, not showing any fear, but Angel could see she wasn't making that threat likely, she planned on killing him and making it hurt, and he had messed with her so Angel wouldn't try to stop her. He couldn't quite place something about her. She was more than just a teenaged super powered witch. She was smart and cunning too, and had some anger management issues, but she did what was right anyway, and that made her a very dangerous person for anyone in the blackness of heart to mess with. Yet had plenty of light, she trod in the darkness, so maybe there was a barrier between dark and evil.
"I doubt that very much…" he replied confidently. "Do you honestly think that you and that vampire can defeat me and my vampires?" he asked making sure to accentuate the plural in vampire. "And you came alone, how marvellous of you both to be so forthcoming in your own everlasting deaths."
"It's never about numbers you dipshit," she said in amusement. "It's always about the quality," she mocked, which caused the vampires to vamp-out and hiss in anger.
"Drain the bitch dry!" he hissed out in anger. "And stake the vampire!"
Angel moved fast, ignoring Shado as he pulled out a wooden stake and took out a vampire in mere moments to their shock. He then blocked a punch, sliding round another. He staked him moments later when his eyes widened as he turned to the next vampire to see he was frozen in place, and just like that, they were lifted from their feet, and they screams and their bones shattered and broke as they were crumpled, and then burst into dust, as Shado lowered her right hand.
Shado looked to Angel and smirked. "Vampires really shouldn't start a fight with me inside such a confined space! Nowhere to run! It could crush their bones to dust!" she added whimsically.
"You bitch!" the human suddenly yelled as he stood from his desk holding up some kind of silver medallion on a golden chain. Angel could just make out some kind of star in the centre with a purple gem through the middle as he smirked at them spitefully. "You fool's! I have all the power here!" he laughed as Angel took half a step back as the medallion started glowing blue even while Shado stood her ground, unconcerned.
"Destroy the undead!" he cried out suddenly when Angel flinched as a blast of white light flashed over him. It burnt and made him drop to his knees as he cried out in pain. Angel realised this was how he was ordering the other vampires around without them attacking him, and taking over operations for themselves and running amok with greed.
However, a moment later the light pulled back and the rat of a human started crying out instead. Angel looked up thinking that Shado had gotten him but no; she just watched smirking as the light now engulfed him in white and blue flames. She had sparks of lime striking up and down her body while she watched the poor excuse for a human begging her to save him, but Angel knew she wouldn't. She wasn't like heroes from storybooks or comics who would let the vile evil live to hurt people another day because to people like him, she wasn't merciful.
"You were just a foolish little wannabe sorcerer," Shado suddenly said as Angel saw the human looking at her as he screamed for her to save him. Out of her and Angel the man knew only she had any real power. "And honestly, I, I did tell you that you were going to die painfully, and I will not waste anymore of my time or power on dipshits like you. You should have thought this through, because I am not ever going to let filth like you live after harming my sisters, as I am leader of Covenant of Witches!"
The man staggered back in horror, and even Angel was shocked, as he finally believed that she was powerful enough at her age to have gained leadership of the Covenant, their queen even, and they had never been known to be nice to any man treating any female, as if they were below them, let alone a commodity like this man had treated them.
"Please! Please…!" he screamed as he stumbled from behind his desk, staggering pleading ablaze in white-blue fire, but Angel knew she wouldn't, even if she could, and Angel thought the scum knew that too, but had to try. "Please save me…!" he begged dropping to his knees and crying in agony, withering in pain.
"All I did was polarise your spell, so undo it yourself," she answered hatefully, proving that his thoughts had been right, he had crossed the newest head of the Covenant of Witches and she had brought him to justice as no one else would. "Bastards like you don't deserve to be spared anyway…! Do you spare these woman and children some sick fuck gives you when they begged for mercy?!"
"Please…!" he whimpered one last time while his body twitched in pain on his knees.
She shrugged. "Go to hell, you sick pile of shit!" she hissed coldly as the light faded away and the rat of a human was dead, burnt, and bloody, his clothes practically melted to his flesh as his corpse collapsed flat with a thud, and shattered like brittle charcoal.
Shado sighed and Angel watched as she pried the medallion from his fingers. His fingers crumbled away as it was pulled free. Angel couldn't help but worry about what she would do with it as he tiredly climb to his feet. Angel looked to his charred flesh; thankful he wasn't crumbling. However, he winced as he noticed that the charm used by Shado to make him seem human had faded away.
Angel's shirt had been destroyed showing off his pale muscular chest, and he took a little satisfaction that the witches' cheeks stained red as she turned to him. However, when her eyes narrowed in anger, he realised that she just didn't want to see him like that.
"Guess I'll need a new coat," he said trying to lighten the mood, which was new for him, but she made him feel that uncomfortable. He didn't normally condone the loss of human life but if a human was using supernatural means to cause harm he supposed in some cases, it couldn't be helped. He chose to not mention her position, and felt pleased that she was alone, but also concerned that her Order was that confident in her power, so young. But then having seen her power first hand, and he was certain that was a fraction, he would be confident in her power too.
"I guess," she answered quietly when they both tensed as the door was kicked open. He was shocked to see Wes, Cordelia, and Gunn barging in carrying sword or axe, looking a bit beat up. He had almost forgotten about them, as he was with such a powerful sorceress, and forgot he called them for backup.
"Whoa!" he called as Shado made to move, moving in her way she paused and relaxed as he turned to them as they looked around at her, moving back as she sparked with lime in her eyes, and they saw his concern, so given what they dealt in knew she wasn't just a mere child.
"So, you must be Shado?" Wes said suddenly. He was nervous and gave her a polite smile. Angel had only told them her name on the phone and little more, but he was a smart enough man to know that she was more than the lime sparks within her eyes. He looked around at all of the defeated evil, or dust. "My name is Wesley Wyndan-Pryce, and you know Angel, but these two are our collages Cordelia Chase and Charles Gunn, though he prefers the use of his surname."
"Nice to meet you I guess!" she replied with a shrug, only shaking Cordelia's hand and ignoring the other two men. Angel could see she didn't care too much about any other introductions. She didn't seem all that fond of men either.
"We could really use a witch on... the... team…" he began looking up to Angel, so he was fast in interrupting.
"She's leader of the Covenant of Witches!" Angel was quick to inform him and he looked back in doubt for a moment before paling and turning back to her with a scared smile and a low bow.
"M-my apologise Lady Shado!" he quickly said while only Angel knew why he had changed tact, and the other two looked baffled. "I'm sure we can manage with the magic side of daemon hunting ourselves."
"Well, I suppose I would have liked to hang and stuff, but I have other crap to get on with," she answered, and Angel knew she would be somewhat crude, but she wouldn't be a bitch about such a small question asking for help; she would have to be smart as well as strong to get such a position. Angel had actually thought about it briefly himself when he saw her fight, before he knew who she was. "I'm leaving LA as soon as one of you so kindly drives me to the bus station," she said looking at her watch. "I think I'll be able to get a bus out of town before they stop for the night."
"Why the hurry to leave," Gunn asked suspiciously, still not sure of who she was by the look on his face. But Angel knew from the way he and Wes were acting that Gunn knew that she was important and dangerous. "Running from some big unstoppable force we might want to know about?"
"Nope," she replied rolling her eyes. "If that was the case, I would be staying, as that sounds like fun," she said causing them to grimace. "I just have to find something, and need to go and get it. I only have till the holidays end, stupid. I guess I'm in no real hurry though, but I do go where I want, do what I want too… within reason of course. Though, I have an annoying habit of being the stupid hero just because, but I guess I just wanted to be the superhero, like from comics, but I don't know who I am sometimes, and have lots of responsibility, but whatever."
"I'll drive you," Angel said, trying to keep out of analysing her. After all, he owed her his life; it was the least he could do for now.
Angel led her back to his car and they both climbed in, and just as he started the engine, Cordelia climbed in the back seat staring at Shado in curiosity. She didn't like someone else being the centre of attention, and Angel just hoped that she didn't get them into trouble with Shado, as having a 'friendship' with her could help them in the future. It was lucky that Shado wasn't a typical queen.
"The car, Wes has is too cramped with three-doors, and Gunn complains like a baby if he doesn't get the front seat!" she said in annoyance, but Angel just sighed and shrugged, and began driving towards the bus station.
Shado shrugged from the passenger seat, and turned back with a grin. "Did that cutie, Narielle try it on with you?" she asked in amusement.
Cordelia just huffed in annoyance and turned away not saying anything, and Angel wondered how far that was taken, as Cordelia could sometimes be rather naive sometimes, surprisingly, and Narielle looked like she probably enjoyed messing with people.
It didn't take too long to find the bus station, though Angel did take a few wrong turns, and promised to invest some money on a SAT-NAV, as Shado ended up getting directions on her phone.
Angel eventually pulled up in a free space and turned to Shado. "Thank you… you know, for the help," he said, feeling uncomfortable.
She shrugged. "No problem big boy. I would have done it myself but… hey, it wasn't so bad working with you."
He just gave her a nod, as she exited, closing the door behind her, and watched her leave. It was a shame she couldn't join the team, as it was seriously lacking a mage of some kind. Angel shrugged when he heard Cordelia exit the car, and waited for her to take the passenger seat.
Cordelia climbed in next to Angel with a sigh. He just gave her an odd look, but didn't ask, and she could only wonder when they might see that girl again, as she turned to see which way the girl had gone to see her heading for a bus with a familiar town name on it, and silently wished them, and her luck.
"Hmm…" Cordelia mumbled, as she pulled a medallion out from under her butt with a white card stuck to it. "What's this?" she asked him as he looked over in surprise, as she passed it to him, he had been about to drive away, but placed the car back into neutral, and pulled the parking brake.
"A gift…?" he asked as he held the medallion, and pulled off the card to read. "Get Cordelia to buy your coats from now on, and stop brooding, as I have a gift of your soul, without condition, and to get out, and enjoy the sunlight - love, Shado Umbra, Queen of the Covenant of Witches.
Then there was an explosion of pinkie-blue light that poured from the medallion, and burned though Angel, and he could feel it, as the blackness was torn from him, and he absorbed the light, and then it was over as the medallion crumbled to shards of metal, and became useless.
Cordelia took the card from Angel, with wide eyes, as she read it over and over. "Could she really be able to do that?"
"I still don't have a heartbeat," he replied gently.
Meanwhile, Shado was rather pleased with herself, as that medallion had been just what she needed, as Angel was a rather nice guy, and if she wasn't gay – well, probably not really boyfriend material, but whatever? She was glad she helped him anyway.
However, she looked at her ticket and frowned as she spoke with the bus driver, and he was telling her of a delay, as the engine was having issues, but a new driver was bringing a replacement, but that wouldn't arrive for another hour and a half, which wasn't just disappointing her, but the other passengers too.
Therefore, she figured she would get a bite to eat when she paused, as she got a phone call, and looking at the screen, it was Narielle, but it stopped before, Shado could answer, and frowning, Shado apparated away, and she had been looking forward to a nice long bus ride too, as she liked weird things sometimes, and made a mental note to learn to ride a motorcycle, and to drive a car, so she could buy something better than a bus, and have fun – yeah, she would get some of her closest to learn too – at least to ride bikes, as they would probably suit her best.
Shado appeared outside Lorne's club to see several large and angry demons of differing varieties, from yellow and spotted like a lizard to a man that looked like a cross between a walrus and beetle.
Narielle was crouched down and whimpering while blood trailed from one of her arms as she used them to shield away, and beetle-walrus guy held her phone. Shado flickered to him and took the phone, causing him to turn to her before her left fist crashed into his ribs, and he screamed like a little girl as the sound of shattering bones rent the air, and he was lifted from the ground and sent sailing, as his legs crunched into a huge trash skip, and he toppled in with a whimper with the lid slamming closed after him.
"This phone doesn't belong to you," Shado said coldly as she crouched down to her new friend, as she had tears flowing from her pink eyes looking up at Shado in shock and relief, as Shado handed her back her phone, and gently leaned down and kissed the claw marks in her arm, and when she stood, Narielle was healed.
"There, Darling, I kissed it better," Shado said with a crafty smirk, and Narielle couldn't stop the teary smile.
Shado turned as a flaming fist headed for her face, and she caught it with her right hand, as she clicked her fingers and blue flames burst into her hand and smothered his, and then him, and then he was screaming in horror and agony as he went up like paper, as the blue flames burnt him alive.
The remaining five demons looked around at each other, as their survival instincts kicked in and they turned and ran back into the bar. Shado walked over, and into the bar after them, as the other demons had stopped at all the commotion.
"No!" the green man behind the bar called out. "This is a sanctuary."
"They attacked, Narielle, my sister!" Shado said coldly.
"You can't attack us in here!" the yellow lizard like man said gleefully. "Supernatural things can't kill in here."
Lime and gold light danced as the pendant around her neck lit up and defied gravity. "Release!" she ordered, and pulled her pendant free with it growing into her staff.
The demons all looked at her in terror, as power pulsed and engulfed the room, and they knew she was a monster beyond monsters.
"They are barred!" Lorne suddenly called out. "I will bar them from the wards, and you can hunt them at your leisure, but my other patrons are protected. You've made your point that she has your protection. There won't be many demons in the city stupid enough to bother her again."
"Fine," she replied, and turned around and walked back towards the door.
"Lorne, how could you!?" that same yellow lizard demanded.
"She was about to tear down my wards and kill you all!" he replied spitefully. "She might not have stopped at you. I warned you that that girl was dangerous, and you just saw some of her power. And you just put a lot of demons lives in danger by not heeding my warning, and I bet some of them are right now thinking of killing you for her. You do not use this bar to go after patrons, or you are over."
Shado smirked as she paused by the door. "Five thousand galleons for each of their heads would be quite a nice payday… a years' worth of drinks here at Lorne's just for one of them, if you aren't here every day, all day, of course."
She left the bar while many other demons made sure to memorise the men's faces and they looked terrified.
Smiling, Shado quickly pulled Narielle into her arms, and they cuddled lovingly, with Shado squeezing her demonesses butt, as her staff had returned to pendant form.
"Let's get a room for the night, Nel," Shado said with a grin as she was wrapped in all four arms. "Have a little too much fun, and I'll call my sister, and have her prepare everyone for your early arrival in the morning."
"I like that idea," she agreed as she wiped away the last of her tears, and the next morning they were visited by four different demons, all of which had the heads of demons, one of which caught two, and Shado, true to her word handed them their money, and they left before Narielle was sent to Ireland and Arcana where Rose eagerly promised to look after her personally, as Shado sent a picture, and Rose also wanted to shag a cute four-armed demoness, so they would both have a lot of fun.
Then Shado apparated to Sunnydale, since she missed her bus.
to be continued…
It was that morning where Angel stood on the balcony back at his home, which was an old hotel that was no longer open. The sun rose as Angel stood outside with his friends and team behind with blankets and covers ready to pull him inside, but the sun rose higher and higher, blazing down, and Cordelia dropped her blanket as Angel stood with his black shirt open, and the sun blazed down without any affect.
Cordelia hugged him from behind as he felt hot tears trailing from his eyes, as he held her hands to his chest, and for the first time in years he allowed himself to cry, as he knew, he would never have to worry about losing his soul ever again, and he could walk in the light. He would owe, Shado of the Covenant more than he could ever repay.