life force was in her human body, not her angel one – but neither of them knew what might happen if her angel self got injured somehow.
The diving angel was still corkscrewing down, wings flashing. Aiming again, Alex shot; the creature seemed to sense him, dodging aside at the last moment. He shot again, anticipating the move this time, and the angel erupted into a million pieces of light. Tex gave a yelp as the shockwave blew him backwards, off his feet.
One down, two to go. Alex glanced again at the girl cowering by the wall. Above, Willow’s angel darted about like a shining bird as she held off the attacking female. The angel was beating its wings fiercely as it tried to get past her. Willow’s angel was smaller than average – only barely larger than her human form – but incredibly nimble in the air, like a kestrel.
“You!” Alex heard the female angel hiss. “Half-human thing —”
The remaining angel had been about to dive; overhearing, it twisted in the air, looking for Willow’s human form. Alex lifted his gun as it spotted her in the drive. It came at them in a rush of light; Alex shot and the creature veered away sharply...and then it soared off and disappeared over the back wall.
Remembering the dozens of angels in the square, Alex’s pulse quickened in alarm. Oh, Christ, the thing had gone to get them – in minutes they’d have an angel army coming down on their heads, all of them intent on killing Willow.
He broke from the shadows, pounding across the courtyard where Willow’s angel still feinted with the female. No one seemed to have realized he was there; he saw a rush of startled faces as he lunged at the wall; scaled it quickly and dropped to the ground. He ran down an alleyway, bursting out onto another street. The angel was flying fast, heading away from him.
“Hey!” shouted Alex, his feet pummelling the pavement as he ran. “ Hey! ”
The creature whirled in surprise as Alex shot. Rage creased its glorious face and it came at him, swooping down like a giant bird of prey. It was faster than he’d expected. Alex dove to the ground as the angel screeched overhead, its fingers grasping towards his life force. He rolled and was up on one knee in seconds, wishing for his rifle; it handled ten times better in situations like this. The thought flashed past. He took aim as the angel roared towards him again in a fury of light and beauty, taking care not to look into its eyes, to keep his gaze only on the halo—
He shot.
Leaving the remnants of the angel floating gently behind him, Alex tore back up the alleyway. The whole episode had only taken a minute or two; as he dropped back into the courtyard, he saw Willow’s angel still holding off the larger female. Their wings blurred as they fenced and parried, and he could tell that it was Willow’s vulnerable human form the angel was now trying to reach. A couple of people stood watching with open mouths; the others dashed back and forth, trying to take aim at the angel. Tex was just struggling dazedly to his feet.
Alex tracked the angel, getting her halo in his sights. “I’m on it!” he shouted to Willow. Immediately, her angel twisted away, plunging back towards her human form. The creature started to follow and then wavered, turning towards Alex as it sensed a trap.
It was all the time he needed. The muffled sound of his silenced bullet thudded around them and the last angel vanished into a fountain of light.
Alex let out a breath as he put his pistol away. He looked towards the drive, and saw Willow rising to her feet in the shadows. Their eyes met. She seemed shaken, but gave him a small smile. She was okay; it was over with. Alex felt himself relax a notch as he smiled back, and for a second there was only the two of them. At a slight movement to his left he glanced over, his gaze leaving Willow reluctantly – and his blood froze.
Tex was aiming his gun right at her.
“ No! ” Alex hurtled forward, tackling him just
The diving angel was still corkscrewing down, wings flashing. Aiming again, Alex shot; the creature seemed to sense him, dodging aside at the last moment. He shot again, anticipating the move this time, and the angel erupted into a million pieces of light. Tex gave a yelp as the shockwave blew him backwards, off his feet.
One down, two to go. Alex glanced again at the girl cowering by the wall. Above, Willow’s angel darted about like a shining bird as she held off the attacking female. The angel was beating its wings fiercely as it tried to get past her. Willow’s angel was smaller than average – only barely larger than her human form – but incredibly nimble in the air, like a kestrel.
“You!” Alex heard the female angel hiss. “Half-human thing —”
The remaining angel had been about to dive; overhearing, it twisted in the air, looking for Willow’s human form. Alex lifted his gun as it spotted her in the drive. It came at them in a rush of light; Alex shot and the creature veered away sharply...and then it soared off and disappeared over the back wall.
Remembering the dozens of angels in the square, Alex’s pulse quickened in alarm. Oh, Christ, the thing had gone to get them – in minutes they’d have an angel army coming down on their heads, all of them intent on killing Willow.
He broke from the shadows, pounding across the courtyard where Willow’s angel still feinted with the female. No one seemed to have realized he was there; he saw a rush of startled faces as he lunged at the wall; scaled it quickly and dropped to the ground. He ran down an alleyway, bursting out onto another street. The angel was flying fast, heading away from him.
“Hey!” shouted Alex, his feet pummelling the pavement as he ran. “ Hey! ”
The creature whirled in surprise as Alex shot. Rage creased its glorious face and it came at him, swooping down like a giant bird of prey. It was faster than he’d expected. Alex dove to the ground as the angel screeched overhead, its fingers grasping towards his life force. He rolled and was up on one knee in seconds, wishing for his rifle; it handled ten times better in situations like this. The thought flashed past. He took aim as the angel roared towards him again in a fury of light and beauty, taking care not to look into its eyes, to keep his gaze only on the halo—
He shot.
Leaving the remnants of the angel floating gently behind him, Alex tore back up the alleyway. The whole episode had only taken a minute or two; as he dropped back into the courtyard, he saw Willow’s angel still holding off the larger female. Their wings blurred as they fenced and parried, and he could tell that it was Willow’s vulnerable human form the angel was now trying to reach. A couple of people stood watching with open mouths; the others dashed back and forth, trying to take aim at the angel. Tex was just struggling dazedly to his feet.
Alex tracked the angel, getting her halo in his sights. “I’m on it!” he shouted to Willow. Immediately, her angel twisted away, plunging back towards her human form. The creature started to follow and then wavered, turning towards Alex as it sensed a trap.
It was all the time he needed. The muffled sound of his silenced bullet thudded around them and the last angel vanished into a fountain of light.
Alex let out a breath as he put his pistol away. He looked towards the drive, and saw Willow rising to her feet in the shadows. Their eyes met. She seemed shaken, but gave him a small smile. She was okay; it was over with. Alex felt himself relax a notch as he smiled back, and for a second there was only the two of them. At a slight movement to his left he glanced over, his gaze leaving Willow reluctantly – and his blood froze.
Tex was aiming his gun right at her.
“ No! ” Alex hurtled forward, tackling him just
Similar Books
