Scotland, Dunbar - 1587
Angels had many powers. They could heal any wound with a touch of their hands, they could fly across the skies, they suffered no illness of man, were immune to father times withering passage and could summon the light of heaven to ward off evil. What many did not know was their ability to hide their wings and become human for a short period. They called it their human guise. An ability they had to use discreetly and with great care. It came with many risks, an angel wouldn't be able to access their powers nor would they be able to revert back to their angelic form until the next rising of the sun. They were mortal and could be hurt or killed during that time. It was when they were at their most vulnerable and so seldom did they use the power.
It was because of this irritable little clause that Carol found herself in a less than an ideal predicament. She was locked in an iron-barred cell, futilely trying to pick at the lock with a scrap of metal. Her hair fell over her face, getting in the way - she was sorely tempted to lop it all off - and her arms were bent at awkward angles as she tried to get a better grip of the padlock. She snarled when she sliced her hand with the piece of metal, nearly dropping it in the process.
"You're just a magnet for trouble, aren't you?"
Carol glanced up, finding the real trouble leaning on the wall across from her. Yon-Rogg, the man she had not seen since Paris in 1345. He was wearing a dark doublet with silver embroidery resembling stars, black breaches and boots. His wings were folded behind him, illuminated by the amber glow of the single lantern swaying on the wall. She was thankful there were no other prisoners in the neighbouring cells, they would write her off as mad when she started talking seemingly to thin air.
"You again," Carol said, returning her attention to the lock.
She kept a nonchalant air, not wanting this creature to know how nervous she was now that she knew what he was. A dark angel. The angels of the Underworld. No one knew where they came from or what their purpose was, only that they were powerful and held a hatred towards her kind. She felt vulnerable in this form, knowing there was little she could do if he decided to attack.
"Long time no see. What are you doing here?"
"I couldn't help notice the human with a startling resemblance to an angel I met once getting chased through town by an angry mob with torches and pitchforks." Yon-Rogg crossed his arms, watching her with amusement. "How did that happen?"
"An overreaction on the villagers part to a very reasonable action by me."
"You consider punching the town mayor a reasonable action?" Yon-Rogg asked, quirking an eyebrow.
"Considering he accused me and several other women of being witches, yes, I think it was reasonable." Carol blew her hair from her face, glaring up at him. "Why did you ask if you already knew what happened? How long have you been lurking?"
"I wanted to hear your take on the situation. Interesting spin, I must say," Yon-Rogg said, hiding a smile. "And I wasn't lurking, I was observing."
"That's what all the stalkers say."
"Why are you in your human guise?" Yon-Rogg asked, not rising to her bait.
"Like you don't already know," Carol muttered.
She had been breaking the rules and wasn't happy to be caught by a demon. It didn't look good and if anyone else found out it could lead to all sorts of problems for her. Her elders would not be happy. She waited for a snide remark about it but Yon-Rogg surprised her when he gestured to the lock.
"Do you need some help there?"
"Nope, I got this," Carol said after a beat.
She focused all her attention on the lock. She grinned with she heard it click open. Carol pushed open the barred door and took a small bow. Yon-Rogg humoured her with a small round of applause.
"An angel that can pick a lock, that's unusual," Yon-Rogg commented.
"How else would I get back through the gates of heaven? They keep locking them whenever I'm due to come home, it's weird."
Yon-Rogg shook his head, suppressing a smile. "Can't imagine why anyone would want to lock you out."
"You've only known me for a few minutes, give it an hour or two."
He laughed and it was pleasant to hear, though she felt he was trying to hold it back. Carol moved by him, heading towards the door.
"Now if you excuse me, I've got a jailbreak to complete."
"Not a word," Carol grit out.
Carol and Yon-Rogg were walking down a dirt path through the forest. The plain brown peasant gown she was wearing was caked in rotten food, dirt and stuff she didn't want to think about. Her hair was stiff and riddled with twigs and pieces of rubbish. Her face and hands were stained with marks. She looked awful and smelt worse.
Getting out of the building hadn't proved easy. Guards had spotted her and had given chase. To escape her only option had been to fling herself down a garbage shoot that ended in a waste cart.
The worst part of clambering out of it was finding Yon-Rogg standing across from her, straining to contain a laugh, his eyes alight with mirth. She had grit her teeth, humiliation demanding she lash out at him for bearing witness to her folly.
The beast inside her had calmed when he said nothing and offered her his hand, helping her out. She had stumbled into his arms, her hands landing on his chest for purchase. She froze, embarrassed to find herself intimately close to a demon and stranger. She swallowed her pride and glanced up. For a moment she had found herself caught in his gaze. Eyes of gold, ringed with lighter shades. Yon-Rogg seemed equally entranced by something about her, though whether it was grime clinging to her, the awkward shock of their closeness or something else, she would never know.
The guards came running around the corner shouting after her, breaking the spell they were under. Carol had been forced to run down the alleyways, making her way to the village edge were the forest lay.
They had been walking in silence for a while now, but she could tell he was itching to say something about the whole fiasco. Instead, he asked her where she was going.
"I have to meet someone at Quibbles Creak."
"The human you saved from being hanged?"
Carol refused to look at him. She had been wondering how much he had seen before he made his presence known. Apparently, he had seen everything.
So much for keeping a low profile, Carol mused bitterly.
The past few weeks she had been watching over a young woman called Emily who had been struggling with the loss of her husband. He had died of influenza, as had several others within the village over the past few months. Although it was natural causes, some within the village were convinced their deaths were caused by malicious forces. That it was the work of witches. Across the country, there had been witch trails and now it had reached here. Emily had been accused of witchcraft as three of the village residents who died had close connections to her. She had been found guilty and would have hanged.
To save her, Carol had activated her human guise to try and convince the villagers of Emily's innocence, having failed to convince them with her angelic whispers. She hadn't expected it to work, hoping instead to give Emily a chance to run - which she had. The plan had backfired when the mayor began questioning who she was, how she had come to their village and why she was so certain that Emily was innocent. From there, things had escalated quickly.
"She was going to be hanged for being a witch," Carol said defensively.
"I know," Yon-Rogg said. "I'm not going to berate you if that's what you're worried about. I think you did the right thing."
"Really?"
"You're an angel, you're supposed to guide and protect. It's your nature. That woman would have died for nothing but hysteria. You saved her life. Why should you be scolded for that? It isn't right that you're waiting for the axe to drop for doing the right thing. More angels should be willing to go the lengths that you were." He looked thoughtful for a moment, giving her a sly smile."Though maybe using less... dramatic methods."
Carol said nothing. She wasn't sure if he genuinely supported her decision or was merely doing what demons did, pretending to agree with you while they spun a web to snare you.
They arrived at Quibbles Creak. Emily was waiting by the rocks, relief flooding her face when she saw Carol. She picked up the sides of her dress so she could run over and embrace her. Carol was startled by the hug but returned it with a hesitant smile.
"I'm so glad you're alright!" Emily sighed. "I hope it wasn't too much trouble getting here."
"Piece of cake," Carol grinned.
Yon-Rogg, unseen by Emily, snorted.
The barks of hounds made them look west. At the bottom of the hill, in the dimming daylight, they could see the flickering flames of torches approaching. The villagers were coming.
"Oh no, what will we do?" Emily asked, panicked as she clutched Carol's hand.
"Come on," Carol whispered.
She pulled the girl further into the forest. They ran as fast as their feet could go, the enclosing shouts and barks pushing them to go faster. Twigs snapped under their feet, upturned branches almost tripping they shoved aside leaves and shrubs. They hadn't been running long before Emily's steps began to falter.
"Carol! Carol!" Emily ground her feet into the dirt, halting them. "I can't go any further."
"We need to!"
"I can't!"
Carol ran a hand through her hair, it was slick with sweat, her face red. Both of them were out of breath and tired, Emily far more so than her. They needed a new plan, they couldn't keep running for much longer and the villagers were getting closer. Carol looked around desperately, spotting a shadow a few feet away behind the trees. She bit her lip, a dangerous idea taking root.
"Stay here," Carol said. "I'll be back in a moment."
Carol hurried towards the watching figure, ignoring Emily's confused cries as she disappeared into the growing darkness.
"You said you cared for humans. Was that true?"
"Yes," Yon-Rogg said, frowning. "Why?"
"You can help her. I won't have my powers back until the sun rises, I can't get her somewhere safe. But you can."
She waited for him to lecture her about the rules of not interfering with humans like this. She thought he might even try to bargain with her, to take advantage of the situation. He did neither.
"Where do you want me to take her?" he asked.
It was nightfall when Yon-Rogg returned. He found Carol climbing into a cave, far away from the village. While he had taken Emily somewhere safe, she had led the villagers away. It had taken her a while but she finally lost them. It was pitch black now, the only light coming from the crescent moon and twinkling stars. Carol shivered as Yon-Rogg landed beside her, his wings stirring the leaves around them. She was freezing, her body trembling and lips turning blue. She looked towards the dark angel.
"Is Emily safe?"
"She's with family in Ireland," Yon-Rogg assured her. "And a firm believer in the divine now."
Carol wincing but nodded. That would be another rule broken. The supernatural community at large had decided not to make themselves known to humans. If humans could no longer see them and their influence without magical aid, then they would not be allowed to see them at all. They had to earn that right. She hadn't had a choice but to reveal the supernatural to Emily, it was the only way to save her.
Carol entered the cave, it was small, barely a few yards long dent in the mountain. A few stalactites dripped down from the ceiling like fangs, foliage and shrubbery dangling over the entrance, providing some shelter from the nippy autumn breeze. Carol sat down, legs pulled into her and arms wrapped around her, trying to conserve warmth. She had forgotten how frail humans bodies were. Angels didn't feel the cold.
"Thank you," Carol said begrudgingly. "For saving Emily."
Yon-Rogg nodded. He took off his doublet and knelt down before her, draping it over her wingless shoulders. Carol held her breath at his nearness, surprised by the tender gesture. Yon-Rogg fussed with the jacket for a bit, making sure it was wrapped around her shivering form.
"Anytime," he whispered, sitting down next to her.
"I wouldn't sit so close to me. I don't exactly smell the greatest," Carol said. "If I could get far away from me right now, I would."
She longed to head to the small brook she had seen a short distance away, so she could wash the filth from her clothes and body. If she hadn't been so cold she would have, but she had to be careful. As a human, she could very easily die of hypothermia.
"You don't smell that bad," Yon-Rogg tried to assure her.
"Liar," Carol snorted. "The only reason other demons haven't tried to kill me yet is the stench is keeping them at bay. Who knew garbage and sweat were such great demon deterrents?"
"It's a little bad," Yon-Rogg conceded.
"Why are you hanging around then?" Carol asked.
"Can't one immortal spend time with another without there being a motive?" Yon-Rogg gave her an amused smile. "Besides, your day is much more exciting than anything I would have been doing."
"And what would you be doing?" Carol asked innocently. She was curious about what dark angels got up to, everyone was. They were an enigma.
Yon-Rogg looked at her seriously, all humour and lightness gone. "Trying to take over the world."
Carol hesitated before frowning. "Is that your attempt at a joke?"
"I take it you didn't find it amusing?"
"It needs a little work."
"Well, I'm sure you can give me some pointers." Yon-Rogg looked at her then with a tilt of his head. "Why did you break the rules to save her? The archangels will find out eventually, you created too much of a scene for them not to."
"Then I'll get punished," Carol shrugged. "I'm just doing what should be done."
"And how many rules do you think they'll let you break before they clip your wings?"
"They're not gonna clip them for breaking one rule."
"Breaking rules seems to be a part of your daily routine."
Carol gave him a funny look. "And how would you know that?"
"Your reputation proceeds you," Yon-Rogg said with a teasing smile. "The rebellious angel. Captain of trouble. Heavens Fury, as your known in the Underworld by the many demons you've throttled."
Carol hummed thoughtfully, pleased by the titles.
She yawned, the excitement of the day finally catching up to her human body. She hadn't realised how exhausted she was.
"You can go to sleep if you want," Yon-Rogg said. "I'll keep an eye out for wolves or angry mobs."
Carol leaned her head back against the rough cave wall, closing her eyes.
"Those are the last of my worries considering there's a demon sitting right next to me," Carol mused tiredly.
"I promise you that I won't harm you," Yon-Rogg swore.
"Why?" Carol said with a yawn.
After all, they were natural enemies, angels and demons. This strange acquaintanceship that had settled over them shouldn't be.
Whatever Yon-Rogg's reply was - if he did give one - Carol did not hear it. She had drifted off, everything around her fading away. She was vaguely aware of something moving around her. Had she been awake she would have known that Yon-Rogg had wrapped an arm around her and drew her close so she could lean against his shoulder, his ring-wing enclosing around her, shielding her from the cold.