Sara scooted back from the dark winged man, her fear mounting. She could see flames dancing in his eyes as he grinned down at her.
"Michael"! She screamed, looking about for any sign of him.
Oh, God was Michael gone…had this creature somehow killed him? She put her arms up over her head shielding herself from Dimitri as best she could. She felt his molten fingers close over her wrist as he grabbed her and pulled her to her feet, but instead of the heat she would have expected she felt an intense cold penetrating through her skin and down into the bone where it began to spread leaving her unable to move.
Dimitri released her and Sara gasped. She couldn't breathe…she tried to pull in air, but her lungs felt stuffed; her throat closing against the disabling cold that filled her entire body, leaving her helpless.
"Michael", she struggled to voice, but it came out barely a whisper as she stood immobilized. And then he was there.
"Sara, its okay…you don't need air…you don't need to breathe. Just push it out…push out the cold", Michael's soothing voice tried to calm her.
She didn't need air, what was he talking about? She didn't need to breathe? How was she to push out the cold if she couldn't breathe? She felt the cold fingers deep in her chest; deep in her lungs. Her eyes moved from Michael to Dimitri's horrible smiling face, and then she understood.
She closed her eyes, amazed that she was able to do so. And she pushed.; she let go of the of the voice telling her she needed air…that she needed to breathe to live and she concentrated on the arctic hold gripping her and she pushed with everything she had.
The grip tightened for a moment and then a horrible wet ripping sound filled her ears and she felt a small amount of warmth on her right hand. She opened her eyes and closed her fingers tightly over Michael's hand as her body flooded with warmth.
Sara gasped in air she no longer needed, her eyes moving quickly back to Dimitri. He was no longer smiling.
"I'm taking her out of here, Dimitri", Michael spoke firmly.
"I'm taking Sara with me where she belongs".
Dimitri laughed, "I don't think so", he looked around them with a smirk …"Unless you brought an army…and I only see you…pathetic…weak…hopeless you".
Sara saw Michael's jaw tighten. He released her hand.
"Step back Sara", he said softly placing his arm across he chest and pushing her behind him.
Sara moved back from them, her eyes never leaving the two as they faced off. Michael began to glow a brilliant blue, while the red glow of Dimitri intensified tenfold almost blinding her.
Sara's mouth dropped open as the claws dipped down from Dimitri's fingers; great talons meant for ripping and shredding. But then his glow vanished, leaving Sara temporarily confused.
She knew Michael understood when his own blue glow left him and he was once more just Michael; the man she loved. She watched as the two men circled one another, their body's strung tight. She knew what this was. She wanted to close her eyes, but forced them to stay open. And then the first blow was struck. She felt the scream leave her throat as the giant talon ripped into Michael leaving his shirt tattered.
Michael winced and reached to pull the torn shirt away leaving his tattooed chest bare. Sara could see light escaping his torn flesh. And then something else: At first she thought she was imagining things; that the light was playing tricks on her, but then she saw Dimitri's reaction. He was staring at Michael as well.
Sara watched in awe as the images of Michael's tattoo began to twist and shift. She watched them leave his skin and begin to dance around him in a furious whirl of ink. She gasped as the images took shape with no skin as their palate and came to stand beside Michael, a demon and an angel; his army.
Dimitri took a step back, a look of surprise on his ugly face.
"The ink, who bestowed such a power unto you"? He questioned bravely.
But Sara could hear the fear in his voice. Michael looked to the being on his left and then to his right; his gaze finally making its way back to Dimitri.
"I am taking Sara with me, Dimitri…don't fight it… if you come up against me…you'll lose every time", Michael spoke with authority.
And then Sara watched as magnificent white wings unfolded from his shoulders.
Dimitri laughed. "You're no match for me, Michael…not even with these... these minions of yours".
Sara felt her own scream fill her ears as Dimitri's talons whipped out swiping one of Michael's wings, pushing him back. The two ink minions needed no further cue. They began to whirl about Dimitri. Sara could hear him screaming as the maelstrom increased its speed; bits and pieces of wing and talon, skin and light joining in as Dimitri was ripped apart.
And then the ink moved away in a soft hush and fell to the ground where it ran like mercury to Michael's feet.
Michael held out his hands to it and his blue glow returned as the ink climbed up over the tops of his feet and spread over him to its rightful place on his torso.