Taylor was fuming, and wasn't really sure where she should go. Her dad was taking the PRTs side of course. The PRT was just restricting her. Holding her back. Layla was hiding things from her.
It was like no one trusted her. No one gave her space to succeed.
In the end she went to Winslow. To stake out the building and hopefully discover something of value. Potentially she could follow Blackwell, figure out more about what was up with her. She found a discreet place behind some bushes near the entrance, where she could keep an eye on the front door.
That was if Blackwell was still around. She did some reconnaissance and was able to confirm through a window that the lights in Blackwell's office were still on so the chances were high. She sneaked back to her hiding spot and curled up as much as she could.
Turns out staking a place out was the epitome of boring. Just sitting there waiting for something, anything, to happen.
She had been sitting here in this spot hidden away behind a bush for the better part of two hours trying to keep herself entertained on her phone. It was getting late and her dad was going to be furious with her. Her anger was starting to turn from the burning white hot of a fire into a dull pulsing coal.
So far the only thing she had seen was a raccoon trying to climb onto the roof. It slipped once when climbing across a rather narrow branch, but had managed to make it up the second attempt. Her restlessness and frustration were beginning to become too much. Just as she was getting ready to stand up and give up she saw a group of people coming towards the school gate.
There were five of them.
The first was an average sized woman. She had black hair straight hair that gleamed in the street lights. She wore a fairly standard pair of jeans with a nicely cut shirt. Over which she was wearing a pair of heavy duty boots, and a trenchcoat. As the trenchcoat waved with her steps a long sword was visible.
The second was a tall burly man. The parts of him that were visible were covered in scars. His knuckles, and his face. As he stepped through the gates he pulled a pair of brass knuckles out of a pocket and slipped it onto his fingers. Again he was wearing a trenchcoat along with a pair of work boots.
Up third was another man. This one a bit more slender and a bit on the shorter side. Like the first two he was wearing a trenchcoat over a pair of rugged jeans, and boots. To go with it he had a polo shirt. His head was shaved and shined. He pulled out a handgun from a holster concealed under his coat, checking that it was loaded and ready to go, before moving into a stance with the gun pointing towards the ground.
Fourth was another man. This one was average sized. No trenchcoat this time, but he was carrying a duffel bag. He knelt down onto the ground and opened up the duffel bag and pulled out a silver axe. He lifted it up inspecting the head. A silver axe that Taylor recognised from the lockers in the HARP basement.
Finally leading the group was someone she would recognise anywhere, Layla. She was in her typical outfit of a nice blouse, slacks, and brogues, but now she had added a set of kevlar body armor. Over her shoulder she had slung a baseball bag. As she stepped through the gates into Winslow she dropped the bag onto the ground, unzipped it and pulled out two items. The first was a small bell. The second was a long gleaming sword. Again Taylor recognised this blade from the lockers at HARP.
"You always kept good weapons on hand Layla." The axe wielder said as he gave it a few test swings. "We miss you over in War, you would be welcomed back with open arms."
Layla looked at him with a bit of fondness. "I enjoyed the work I did for War, but I'm quite happy where I'm at serving Protection. Particularly recently with the whole apprentice thing."
What was going on here? It was like a mob hit squad had been summoned. Why was Layla leading it? Also 'War', 'Protection', what did they mean.
"Alright the shedite is inside. Everyone know the plan?" Layla said to the group. The group all nodded or voiced their assent to the question.
Taylor's ears perked at the word shedite. They were here because she had said something to Layla. Something about that word shedite truly meant something important. It had scared Layla, scared her more than Taylor had ever seen. This was her response. To summon four well armed, and tough looking individuals. Five of them to go and takeout a single opponent. She must not have been kidding when she told Taylor to stay away.
They moved towards the door like a group that had done this thousands of times. Each step in sync. Like professionals.
The short and slender trenchcoat stepped up to the door and tried it finding it locked. He then stopped and sung a small song. Taylor could only make out a small bit of it, but she could feel it in the Symphony. The ripples and reverberations crossing her, having mostly washed out from the distance, but enough of the disturbance remained for her to be sure of what she was hearing. He then opened the previously locked door without issue.
They were like her, like Dominic and the mysterious hijab woman. They were Symphony manipulators. She had to see what was going on.
"Noisy today aren't ya! Gonna tip of the fleshless that we commin'" the tall and burly trenchcoat said.
They filed into the building silently closing the door behind them. Taylor sneaked up to the door and peeked her head up enough that she could see through the glass. They were just turning down a hallway that led towards the Principal's office. This was her chance she opened the door and quietly closed it behind her. Then she quickly walked down the hall until she reached the corner they had turned down.
She once again peeked around an edge, hoping to see something that told her what was going on. They were standing in front of the principal's office. The female trenchcoat had stopped and seemed to be murmuring a prayer or song of some kind. Suddenly she was glowing with a nimbus of golden light.
The glowing woman then slammed into the door, it resisted the woman's attempt. Then on a second ramming of the door it crashed inwards. They group of five filtered into the room and she lost sight of what they were doing.
Seeing they had all entered into the principal's office she rushed down to see more. Her footsteps making an audible pitter-patter. She arrived at the door and saw them. They had encircled the room. The one with the halo once again slamming into a door, but this one seemed to be resisting the slams more readily.
Layla twisted around, to see what was making the noise behind them and saw Taylor standing there. "Leave! This isn't safe," she yelled before turning back to her prey.
Taylor simply stood her ground. She was going to see this through. The door cracked and the woman with the glowing nimbus of light made it through.
Blackwell sang something and claws grew from her fingers. She surged forward and went to claw the eyes out of the glowing woman. Upon hitting the glow she recoiled in pain. She dodged past her and charged the next man. This time the claws sank into his skin and ripped peels of flesh away. The glowing woman pulled her longsword from beneath the trenchcoat and swung at Blackwell.
The blow landed firmly in the middle of Blackwell's back leaving a large gash. Taylor could see blood starting to profusely poor from the large wound.
The principal recoiled, but mostly brushed off the pain. She once again flung herself forward trying to claw out the eyes of the gun wielding man. She scratched across his eye leaving a nasty looking gash. Then the man with the brass knuckles ran forward grabbing both of Blackwell's arms and pulling them behind her back. Restraining her in place. It was a grip that Taylor had some experience with, and had practiced escaping. Blackwell seemed to have not had any similar training because she just writhed and pulled trying to break the grip with little success.
"They sent three malakim for dear old me." Blackwell hissed before descending into a cackling laugh.
Layla stepped forward, raising the bell in her hand ready to ring it. "Begone shedite, leave this mortal free from your influence." She rang the bell with a deliberate hand. The sound of the bell didn't just echo in the world around her, but Taylor could hear it echoing into the Symphony. This bell was more than some simple prop.
"Hahaha, it will take more than that to force me out my poor little exorcist. You will have to kill this mortal, and I know how your superior frowns upon that daughter of protection. Malphas shall have his last laugh!" Blackwell taunted, as she writhed trying to escape the grasp.
Layla once more raised her hand preparing to ring the bell. "I said begone shedite. Leave my city, and stay the absolute fuck away from children!" Once more the bell rang, once more she could feel the echoes in the Symphony. But more than just the sound she could feel essence pouring out of Layla enhancing the ring, enhancing whatever effect it caused. Disturbances rippled through the Symphony ahead of and behind the ring. Like shockwaves, like lightning proceeding thunder and thunder following lightning.
Blackwell's body went slack, and brass knuckles dropped her to the ground. Her mouth flew open like she was screaming but no sound came. Instead a messy grey cloud of claws, eyes, mouths poured out of her mouth and began to float in the air above her. It glowed with a murky grey light.
The female trenchcoat sang a song. She touched a wall. A reverberation went through the walls. Nothing changed physically, but Taylor could sense there was something different about the walls now. The cloud of limbs flew straight into the wall and hit something. Something it wasn't expecting. It screamed and repeatedly threw itself against the wall in some vain hope that if it battered the wall hard enough it would break free.
A shedite. This was what a shedite was Taylor knew. This was the horror that had so scared Layla. Some form of possessing spirit.
One by one the trenchcoats illuminated in a black glowing light. Something that defied explanation. As the lights faded top to bottom something amazing appeared before her. Their mortal bodies had vanished and in their place stood spirits. They looked like dark cloaked figures. Like some angel of death. Each had raven black wings, identical to her own. Around their writs were manacles of gold etched with intricate details she couldn't make out from her position.
One of the former trenchcoats now avenging angels drew a bronze hilt from beneath his cloak and held it out in front of himself. It grew out like a lightsaber. In flickering and twisting flames. A fiery sword she recognised from all the times she had used one just like it. The fiery sword swung forward and ripped into the cloud. A chunk of it evaporated. The cleave slowly sealing into a smooth, but indented surface.
It flew at the offending swordsman and seemed to try and attack him. Then the angel with the nimbus stepped forward and punched the cloud. The nimbus didn't seem to effect the cloud, but the punch left a dent all the same. This was the signal and all three of the avenging angels dog piled the cloud. Each swinging and hitting it one after the other. Like they were in sync.
The cloud was shrinking and diminishing. The cleaves and dents from their swipes and punches were healing slower and slower. The cloud shrinking and shredding until it had holes so large they could be seen through.
Finally the cloud tried to run again. It rushed for the door Taylor stood in and slammed into her. It attacked her, digging into something that was not her physical form, but something deeper and more primal. Into her very spirit. Her head flew back and she screamed in pain as her soul was being ripped to shreds.
"Stay away from my charge," Layla yelled. She was consumed by a golden light and as it faded a glowing bear with golden brown fur stood before Taylor. It had giant pure white feathered wings folded against its hind. It charged forward and lept onto the cloud attacking Taylor. Its claws ripping and shredding until nothing remained. "Never attack my charge." The bear sang in some language that Taylor understood on an instinctual level, one that wasn't English. Some words glorious and beautiful. Each word ringing in the Symphony, ringing in pure unadulterated truth.
Taylor just stared in on the scene. Confused as to what was going on. They really were a hit squad, just not for something normal, for something bizarre and supernatural. Taylor didn't know what to do with that knowledge. She could only stare.
Layla glowed again and shifted back into the human body that Taylor so readily recognised. She rushed towards Taylor and embraced her into a hug. "Oh, kid what are you doing here?" she whispered.
One of the trenchcoats took stock of the room. Then turned and said, "Come we need to leave before any police show."
The short slender of the trenchcoats leaned over and sang a small song. The wound across Blackwell's back knitted shut like some special effect from a movie.
They grabbed their bags, and prepared to leave. Layla grabbed Taylor's hand and dragged her along. They jogged a few blocks away to where a black van was parked and piled in. Taylor dragged along, trying to process what she had seen.
Layla checked over Taylor to make sure she was okay, and then sang a song. That ripped part of her, that deep soul level of damage that she had previously felt slowly faded away until she felt whole and healthy. Still she sat there trying to process what she had seen. Angels fighting with some kind of Jewish mythological spirit.
Once the van was moving and several blocks further away Layla then pulled out a phone and turned it on. Seeing that she had a number of missed messages she swore lightly. Pressing a button she held the phone to her ear.
"Hey Danny, sorry my phone was off so I didn't see the calls."
Taylor's dad said something on the other side of the line.
"Yea, she is with me. Something upset her…" Layla started before being cut off.
"Can you make that an hour? Let me talk finish talking to her, maybe calm her down a bit." Layla negotiated.
More unintelligible sounds.
"Okay. I'll keep an eye on her. See you in an hour."
Layla then turned to Taylor and said, "Okay kid, you got an hour before your Dad will be at HARP to pick you up. So any questions get them out of the way now."
Taylor nodded her head but continued to sit in silence thinking.
They arrived back at HARP, the other members of the hit squad going downstairs, one of them grabbing Layla's bag and taking it with them.
Layla grabbed Taylor's hand and pulled her upstairs to the longue, the living room, of the building.
Taylor was wrapped up in a blanket and a few minutes later Layla returned to the room with two cups of hot chocolate. One was set into Taylor's hands.
"So kid, you going to talk?" Layla teased.
"Angels… demons…" Taylor said in a whisper.
"Yup, right in one kiddo." Layla said.
"What am I?" Taylor eked out.
"A Malakite. A type of angel." Layla stated stated with all the surety of the world. "Like Auriel, Rikbiel, and Boel." At Taylor's blank look she added, "the three in the trenchcoats." Then Taylor heard something Layla mutter something about "stereotypes" under her breath.
"And you?" Taylor asked.
"A cherub. A guardian angel of sorts. Right now your guardian angel." The way that Layla looked as she said that. A feeling of guilt and failure evident on her face.
Taylor just shrugged. As if trying to say that it wasn't her fault they were in this situation. That if people had just told her things and trusted her then she would have made better decisions.
Layla just pulled Taylor into a hug. "Oh little sister. I'm so sorry you found out like this."
"Sister?" Taylor asked.
"We have the same superior. The woman in the hijab you were searching for: Zadkiel Archangel of Protection."
Taylor felt she should be elated to finally discover the person she had been hunting for for so long. Instead she just felt numb. All these puzzle pieces finally slotting together, and she just couldn't process it.
They sat there slowly sipping their hot chocolates.
Someone popped their head into the room. A short red head. It took Taylor a moment to realise it was Smalls, the woman from the workout room earlier today. God what a long day it had been. The next thought that crossed her head was should she be swearing with God's name if she was apparently some kind of angel? She really had no idea what that even meant.
"There is a Danny Hebert downstairs. Said he was looking for Taylor?" Smalls said.
Taylor just slowly nodded. Layla turned to her and said, "Look, this is important. You can't just tell people about this, it can put them in danger. Not even your father, not yet and not now." Taylor just nodded. "No Taylor, this is too important. I need you to say it." Layla emphasized.
"I understand, no telling people even dad." Taylor muttered.
Layla helped Taylor get down the stairs and took her to the front door. She saw Danny looking terribly concerned. A woman about his age stood with him. She had olive skin and looked familiar.
"Oh god Taylor! I've been so worried about you. You ran away and didn't tell anyone where you were." He exclaimed as he swept her up into a hug. The woman next to him seemed endeared by the scene. Taylor just nodded her head, still shocked by everything.
He helped her out to the truck and loaded her into the middle seat. The woman climbed in after her into the passenger seat. Danny then went around and climbed in before turning the engine over. It grumbled and sputtered out once. Then on the second attempt the engine roared to life. Danny patted the console and muttered something about "what a good truck".
Taylor rolled her eyes, it was an odd behavior but an old one. The olive skinned woman laughed at the behavior. Danny looked over the worry briefly leaving his face for once tonight and smiled at the woman. His eyes alive with a subtle joy, a joy Taylor hadn't seen since… since her passing.
When they arrived home Taylor had somewhat recovered. She wasn't sure what she was going to tell to dad and the mysterious olive skinned woman. Sitting in the driveway was a motorcycle which gave a bit more of a clue as to who the woman was.
Taylor climbed out of the car and rushed into the house. She went upstairs to her room and slammed the door shut behind her. Sinking to the floor with her back to the door and started crying under the weight of the day.
Today had been horrible. First the instructor, then the PR guy, then the fight with Miss Militia, then them trying to take HARP away from her, then everything that had happened at Winslow, and next the knowledge that she was some kind of angel. Finally the blow that was just emotionally too much: seeing her dad making puppy dog eyes at this new woman. The one she feared was actually… she shoved that thought away. Anyways it all became too much and the tears just started flowing. She just cried and cried trying to process everything.