Chapter 4

There was a time that things hadn't tried to kill me on a nearly daily basis. I distinctly recall that being the case, although enough time had passed that the details of such a life were a little fuzzy. Whenever that had been, it was a distant memory.

Back then, I likely would have run from the bear-shaped thing that attacked me in a dark alley. Especially when it was bigger than a clydesdale, had enough arms to manually draw and quarter me, and moved like hell itself were on its heels. I think most people would run as far and as fast as they could, under those circumstances.

I wasn't most people.

As the Brothers Grimm version of Fozzie Bear closed the distance between us, a switch was flipped in my head. There wasn't much thought to it by then; it'd become a natural reflex in the last few months to let the Winter Knight mantle take over when things got particularly hairy.

I leapt into motion, meeting the demon's charge with one of my own. I'm not sure if it was expecting that or not, but the lower set of glowing eyes widened perceptibly as an answering growl erupted from my throat.

By the time I'd taken my first step, the Winter Knight mantle had already gotten to work. A thin layer of frost sprung up across my skin and spread over my clothes. My leather duster, naturally black as night, took on a dark blue sheen as the ice thickened over the surface. The Stetson hardened beneath a thin glaze, even as more ice gathered around my hands and boots.

When I was two steps away from Fugly Bear, I turned on the gas. I'd started off at human speeds, saving the enhanced speed the mantle offered me as a surprise. Not realizing how quickly I could move, the creature had no time to adjust.

As such, the behemoth wasn't ready for my leap. With its body slung low as it ran on all-sixes, both sets of its arms were too low to block the knee I snapped up toward its face. The ice covering my kneecap had flowed up into a wedged poleyn, the edges of which were razor sharp. When the blow struck, the blade crashed into the bottom of the monster's jaw like a pick-axe shattering concrete.

The strike snapped the beast's head up, arresting its momentum as it reeled backwards. Four arms started flailing in my general direction, but they weren't quick enough. As Fugly tried to recover his balance, I lashed a kick at his chest with my other leg. Air swirled around my limb, the magic of the mantle adding a burst of wind to the strengthened kick. The magically-enhanced blow broke supernatural ribs, the sound of cracking bones echoing off the alley walls.

The monster tumbled backward under the devastating one-two, even as I dropped gracefully to my feet. With Fugly Bear landing heavily on his back, he wasn't in my way as I raised my right arm and hissed out a spell. "Ventas servitas!"

The back window of the jeep shattered as a six foot long piece of oak shot from the rear seat. The pale wood was blackened on the wide end, with streaks of charcoal zig-zagging down the length of it. It practically whistled as it flew over the demon's head, the end striking one of the demon's ram horns as it hurtled past.

I caught it in mid-air, the wizard staff thrumming with power as soon as it hit my palm. Ice blossomed across it as the power of mantle blended with my own.

"You look like a cross between a Wookie and a Wampa," I observed as the monster regained its feet, both sets of glowing eyes set in a furious glower. My eyes drifted lower. "Although it looks like a certain part of you is more like an Ewok. That's gotta be embarrassing during mating season."

That seemed to frustrate the thing; maybe he was sensitive about it. Fugly unleashed another roar and charged a second time, moving entirely too fast for something its size. Whatever damage my blows had done did little to impair it. The thing swept toward me, its mouth foaming as if it'd chugged down a two liter of Coke and some Mentos.

"Infriga via!" I shouted as it came, while striking the ground in front of me with my staff and dragging the end diagonally across the pavement.

A thick layer of ice formed beneath the demon's feet, causing it to lose traction. Fugly tried to regain purchase by sinking its claws into the frozen surface, but the ice was harder and more durable than anything that formed naturally. And with it already moving at high speed, it couldn't catch itself.

The ice path was sloped, causing the demon to tumble to one side. As it slipped past me, I waved my staff again, letting loose with another spell. "Ventas pulso!"

The swipe of my staff accompanied the motion of the wind spell, the brunt of which struck the beast on the side. It was enough to knock it clear off its feet, and the demon tumbled ass over teakettle before slamming into a steel trash bin.

"Hey, don't worry about it, little guy," I assured the thing helpfully. "They're always saying size isn't everything."

The demon recovered faster than I thought it would, gripping the side of the steel dumpster and pulling itself up. That it hadn't howled in pain upon contact with the metal at least confirmed that it wasn't a creature of faerie.

I had no clue as to what it might be, but that didn't matter at the moment. What mattered was that, despite the lower set of eyes losing focus after the blow, the topmost set remained fixed on me throughout the exchange. Which was a bit disconcerting.

"Ventas pulso," I repeated, flicking the staff again.

Hearing the spell, the monster braced itself for another attack. But this time the spell hadn't been aimed at Fugly; it'd been aimed at the dumpster.

The open topped steel container flipped under the force of the spell. As it twisted in the air, the demon disappeared under a pile of trash, just before the dumpster crashed down over it.

"You silly old bear," I mumbled, shaking my head as the dumpster shifted back and forth, the monster trying to find a way out. "Always getting your head stuck in a—"

The rest of my comment went unfinished, as Fugly's claws shot through the thick steel side of the dumpster with ease. The talons shone with a crimson light as they sheered through the metal as if it were paper mache. A second later, the entire thing was ripped in half as the demon's four arms tore it to shreds.

And then the air was filled with the slight odor of sulfur as the demon charged, its burning claws ready to do the same to me as it had the dumpster.

"Veni che!" I gasped out quickly, my empty palm shooting down as I backed up. The spell bolstered my strengthened leap as I pushed myself upward, the charging monster passing just beneath me as I grabbed at the fire escape against the building.

The evasive maneuver didn't buy me much time. Even as my free hand wrapped around the railing of the second floor landing, the monster's legs tensed as he threw himself upward, his other four limbs all slashing at the steel fire escape.

I wasn't the fastest thing alive, and almost every variety of vampire could run me down in a foot race. But while the demon was fast, it wasn't able to keep up. Especially with another wind spell aiding my flight, which spiraled me further down the alley.

Seeing me escape, the demon clung to the collapsing stairwell long enough to brace itself for another leap. As I landed, I grasped my staff and pointed it at the oncoming beast, its teeth and claws shining in the dark with carmine power.

"Arctis hasta!" I shouted, pouring power into the staff. The surge flowed through the wood and out the end, a wave of icy water spiraling up as it doubled the staff's length in the blink of an eye. By the time the spell was finished, a twisting blade of ice had formed a spear that caught the beast in the chest as it descended.

I dropped to a crouch, letting the staff spear brace against the ground. As the beast was already airborn, I pivoted beneath it, deflecting its descent so that it went overhead. It reacted quickly, its hot claws tearing at the ice spear that had held it at bay. Whatever power it was drawing on, it was enough to counter the power of Winter in the staff; between the weight and the heat, the spear end broke, cracking away as the monster rotated overhead.

But by then it was already past me. I sent another wind spell at it, which kept the creature tumbling further into the alley.

As I stood, I tapped my staff on the ground, the impact shattering the remnants of the broken spear. The wood itself was solid and whole, the runes upon it shining with a cobalt light as I watched the demon land with disappointing grace. Its simmering claws raked at the pavement, leaving smoking gouges in the surface.

My heart was pounding with adrenaline, the surprising turn of the fight exciting the part of me that thrived in such conditions. I could feel a fierce grin spreading across my face, the mantle enjoying the challenge.

I had just started to take a step forward, prepared to charge once more at the formidable beast, when the shadows of the alley twisted, before fading away at the sudden appearance of a bright light.

Suspecting that Fugly might have brought some backup with him, I turned halfway around, bracing for an attack from either side. But my eyes widened as they focused on the form of a large man bearing a shining sword of white light, his height equal to my own, but possessing a fuck-ton more muscle.

My sneer turned into a genuine smile as I looked at my old friend Michael Carpenter.

Not because I was happy to see him, mind you. Things had been awkward between us even before I'd become the Winter Knight; they'd only gotten worse ever since. No, my amusement was in the fact that if he'd heard my thoughts, he would have tsk'd disapprovingly at my choice of phrasing.

The light from the shining Sword of the Cross hurt my eyes, the thin layer of frost over my vision melting away as I blinked. Surely it was just because of the light, and not some sign that I'd gone so bad as to recoil from the pure power he wielded.

"Stand back, Harry," my friend said softly, his determined eyes fixed on the massive beast that remained crouched further down the alley. "This demon is dangerous."

"No shit," I observed, which drew a disapproving glare from Michael, before his gaze turned back to Fugly Bear. "But he's not all that. I've handled worse."

The Knight of the Cross just shook his head slowly. "No. You do not understand the nature of this creature."

"And you do?" I asked.

"Yes."

"Do you know why it came after me?"

A sidelong glance confirmed the answer before he spoke. "I do."

"Okay," I said, nodding. "Then I guess I don't need to question it anymore."

Before my friend could say or do anything, I turned and ran at the monster. Rather than meeting my charge, it braced itself, leaving the Knight out of it.

"Harry, no!"

My free hand slipped into my duster as I ran, pulling out one of the two rods that hung on loops on the inside. The glowing eyes shifted briefly to it, but then refocused on me.

As I closed on the demon, I thrust the staff at the beast, the length of it parallel with the ground as I focused the spell on its entire body. "Infriga!"

Fugly's arms had started to rise, the glowing claws spread wide to grab at me when I came within reach. The air cracked like thunder as the temperature in the alley dropped dozens of degrees in an instant. The massive form of the creature rocked backwards as the frigid wind struck.

As it did, a thick frost sprung up across almost every inch of the demon's body. Thick curls of snowy white trailed backwards, while dark blues swelled between him and the ground, locking him within a glacier.

By the time the spell had run its course, the monster was frozen solid, leaving only its head and burning claws exposed.

A wind spell accompanied another leap, one that sent me toward one of the alley walls. My foot sprung off it as soon as it touched upon the surface, propelling me over the demon's shoulder. I could see it trying to turn its head around to watch me, its red-hot nails grasping at the ice over its fingers, as I swung the rod toward it. The ice enclosing it was already cracking, the incredible strength of the creature shattering the magical working.

"Arctis gladio," I whispered, sending a portion of my will through the foot long rod of wood. The power flowed out from the end like water, freezing into a flat blade once it'd grown long enough. The edges glinted in the light from Michael's sword, razor sharp and as cold as Winter.

My friend screamed one last time, something I missed as I focused on my target. The glacier around the demon began to break apart as he started to twist toward me, his two sets of glowing eyes burning with fury.

The magic-infused sword of ice slashed around, taking the beast's head off completely.

My leap carried me over the thing, and I rolled on the far side as its head hit the ground. I turned back and thrust my staff at the still frozen body, unleashing a force spell that shattered ice and bone, both of which littered the floor of the alley as the demon fell.

And just like that, the threat was over. The mantle shifted within me, a pleased feeling that receded as I regained control.

When I looked past the fragments of frozen monster, I saw my friend looking at me in horror, even as two other men ran up from behind. The others looked grim as they stared at the remains of the beast, and then up to me.

Tapping the ice sword against the ground, the blade shattered. I quickly tucked the frost rod back into my duster and started forward. "So what was that thing—"

My question died off as something glinted on the alley floor, catching my eye. I stopped to look, and saw what looked like a piece of metal trapped within a chunk of ice. Curious, I bent to retrieve it, but froze as a cold chill shot down my spine. The mantle was warning me of something, even as Michael suddenly lurched into motion, doing the same.

"Stop, Harry," my friend said as he slid his sword back into its sheath at his side. The alley darkened as the blade disappeared, leaving us in shadows. "Don't touch it."

"What is it?" I asked as I stood upright, looking down at the metal. It seemed as if the ice around it was already melting, which was odd considering that the alley temperature was below freezing.

By the time Michael got there, enough of the ice had sloughed away to reveal the curving edge of a coin. Then it was out of sight, as Michael wrapped a white handkerchief around it. Once he'd wrapped it away carefully, the cloth disappeared into a pocket.

"What was that?" I repeated, even as the other two men I'd seen approached from behind.

"It was a silver denarius," my friend replied softly. "It's how the Fallen exist in this world."

"Fallen?" I repeated, slow on the uptake. My eyes drifted to the sword one of the other men bore on his hip. I noted the hilt, which looked to have a nail worked into the grip. One that was all too similar to the one adorning Michael's own weapon.

"Wait, Fallen?" I said, my eyes widening as I realized just what Michael meant. "As in fallen Fallen?"

Michael nodded grimly. "I'm afraid so."

"You're telling me a fallen fucking angel just tried to kill me?" I asked in disbelief.

"No," the shorter of the other two men said, his voice soft. Based on his accent, I was guessing he was Japanese. "Not just an angel." His eyes drifted up to mine, a weighing look passing between us. I broke the stare first, not eager to trigger a soulgaze with the stranger.

"Then what was it?"

"A man," he replied, his voice almost sympathetic as he looked down at the remnants of the beast. They were already beginning to fade, its form breaking down into wispy smoke and a slushy goo that was nothing more than the ectoplasm that supernatural creatures used to form their bodies. "A man that deserved a chance at redemption."

"He got what he asked for," I replied, my temper flaring at what I perceived to be his accusatory tone. "I didn't start that." I also didn't point out that humans weren't typically made of magical goo, because that should be obvious to everyone.

The shorter man just shook his head sadly. "No," Michael replied for him. "But you did not need to end it."

"And you would have what? Let it go? Invited it over for dinner with Charity and the kids?"

"No," my friend said, his eyes surprisingly soft as he looked at me. "I would have done the same, if I couldn't get through to him."

"What are you talking about?" I demanded, gesturing to the distinct lack of a human body. "It was a demon."

"The hosts of the Fallen are not all willing partners," the third man said, speaking up for the first time. He was just as large as Michael, and just as judgmental as he looked to me. He was dark of skin, which made his Russian accent surprising. "The man within might have resisted the demon." His gaze hardened somewhat as he looked to me. "If there was still good in him."

The temperature around us dropped again, my fingers tightening reflexively around the staff. In reply, the young man's hand slowly slipped to the hilt of his sword.

"Enough, Sanya," Michael whispered, shooting a glance at the other. "There's been enough loss tonight."

The Russian, who I took to be Sanya, just gave a doubtful grunt before turning to head back down the alley. The shorter man spared me another glance before following.

"What the hell was that about?" I asked Michael, my voice heated.

Michael's head shook gently. "It has been a long night. Why don't you come with us, and I'll tell you."

"No, you can telling me right fucking now," I snapped. "Why was a God damned Fallen angel trying to kill me?"

Michael didn't flinch at the first curse, but he did at the second. "Harry, please."

"No, Michael," I replied sharply. "Enough of your grammar school bullshit. Tell me what the fuck is going on."

My friend sighed, his eyes heavy as they met mine. I didn't worry about a soulgaze; Michael and I had already looked upon one another. I knew the temper of his soul as well as he knew that of mine. The beauty in his had made me weep. I had no idea what he saw in mine, and lately, I had no desire to find out.

As we'd already shared a soulgaze, it wouldn't happen a second time, assuming we were still the same men we'd been.

Seeing my determined look, Michael eventually acquiesced. "Ursiel is one of thirty Fallen trapped within coins. It is through the coins that they can bond with a human host, and work their deeds upon the Earth."

"Thirty, huh?" I asked. Thirty coins of silver. Which I was sure was just a coincidence.

Michael nodded. "The Fallen have come to Chicago. And we think they're after you."