monstrous, a skeleton barely covered by red flesh, its mouth open in a perpetual yellow toothed grin. She froze on the couch.
The glint of Auriel’s sword was so close to her she felt the swish of air against her cheek. There was a stabbing pain in her stomach. She screamed as she tumbled to the floor from the impact of the blow.
She saw blood darkening her shirt. Her vision blurred, and all went dark.
Chapter Ten
Rahmiel was furious. Somehow he had ended up at Tressa’s, while Kari remained in Ether. Tressa had quickly told him about Auriel’s and Amber’s idiotic plan. How could that stupid boy take the girl into danger like that? He roared in frustration as he crashed into Kari’s house.
Once in the living room, Rahmiel paused to assess the situation. The girl was down but not drained of life from the demon. Auriel was still standing, but bleeding heavily.
He would soon collapse and give Kaphawn enough Angeli blood to be strong again.
Then the demon would be almost impossible to stop. Thousands of humans would die.
“Get the girl. Take her away,” he barked to the boy.
“You can’t fight him alone,” the boy gasped.
Well the pup has learned something from this mess.
“Get the girl. Retreat.”
He engaged the demon, with all his strength, to keep him away from the boy.
Auriel inched closer and closer to Amber, who looked unconscious.
It was taking too long. Rahmiel was now bleeding, but his cuts were mostly on his sword arm. It was the gut you had to watch with this demon.
Tehmuel arrived and took in the sight for just a moment.
“Get the boy and girl out,” Rahmiel roared. “Get out. I can get away. Retreat now.”
Tehmuel jumped to the creeping boy, hoisted him up, and they grabbed the girl.
They phased out.
Rahmiel went to Ether. He hoped he would be able to find Kari.
* * * *
Kari learned a lot about Ether. Mostly she learned that she couldn’t leave it and go elsewhere.
Rahmiel will find me sooner or later , she told herself over and over.
At least it was better than the island. No loud noises, no rustling in the trees, no bird calls that suddenly went dead silent, making her wonder what the bird was hiding from.
Ether was much more comfortable. She had food and water. She played with the Ether and made herself a comfortable bed. Later, she scooped out a section to see if it could fill with water like a bath. It did, and the water was pleasantly warm or cool, however she wanted it.
It was so boring. With Rahmiel it had seemed romantic, all the fluffy whiteness, like being inside a cloud. Was Rahmiel searching for her? Did he join with Tehmuel and Auriel to hunt the demon without her?
Finally she started to feel sleepy. There was no way to know what time it was. She stretched out on the bed, and dosed off.
“Kari, Kari, wake up.”
“Rahmiel. What took so long?” Then she saw the blood on his arms and pulled back in horror. “Rahmiel!”
“I’m all right. These are just superficial wounds. They’ll heal while I sleep. But Kari, I have bad news.”
“What—my mom? Did she get back early?” her voice rose in panic.
“No, nothing that bad. But your friend Amber was hurt. The demon tried to skewer her. He didn’t succeed, but cut her up. Auriel saved her, then I arrived, and Tehmuel.
He took them to the Overland for the healing.”
“What about Tressa? Will the demon know about her?”
“He might, though I don’t think he got inside Amber. I think I can get you to the Overland, to Tehmuel. Then I’ll go get Tressa.”
“Okay.”
He wrapped his arms around her, and she couldn’t help but grimace at the wounds, still seeping blood onto her shirt.
* * * *
Tehmuel lived in a palace. It was like nothing Kari had ever seen. It looked too delicate, like a castle made of glittering lace, to hold people. A dozen fragile towers stretched up into
The glint of Auriel’s sword was so close to her she felt the swish of air against her cheek. There was a stabbing pain in her stomach. She screamed as she tumbled to the floor from the impact of the blow.
She saw blood darkening her shirt. Her vision blurred, and all went dark.
Chapter Ten
Rahmiel was furious. Somehow he had ended up at Tressa’s, while Kari remained in Ether. Tressa had quickly told him about Auriel’s and Amber’s idiotic plan. How could that stupid boy take the girl into danger like that? He roared in frustration as he crashed into Kari’s house.
Once in the living room, Rahmiel paused to assess the situation. The girl was down but not drained of life from the demon. Auriel was still standing, but bleeding heavily.
He would soon collapse and give Kaphawn enough Angeli blood to be strong again.
Then the demon would be almost impossible to stop. Thousands of humans would die.
“Get the girl. Take her away,” he barked to the boy.
“You can’t fight him alone,” the boy gasped.
Well the pup has learned something from this mess.
“Get the girl. Retreat.”
He engaged the demon, with all his strength, to keep him away from the boy.
Auriel inched closer and closer to Amber, who looked unconscious.
It was taking too long. Rahmiel was now bleeding, but his cuts were mostly on his sword arm. It was the gut you had to watch with this demon.
Tehmuel arrived and took in the sight for just a moment.
“Get the boy and girl out,” Rahmiel roared. “Get out. I can get away. Retreat now.”
Tehmuel jumped to the creeping boy, hoisted him up, and they grabbed the girl.
They phased out.
Rahmiel went to Ether. He hoped he would be able to find Kari.
* * * *
Kari learned a lot about Ether. Mostly she learned that she couldn’t leave it and go elsewhere.
Rahmiel will find me sooner or later , she told herself over and over.
At least it was better than the island. No loud noises, no rustling in the trees, no bird calls that suddenly went dead silent, making her wonder what the bird was hiding from.
Ether was much more comfortable. She had food and water. She played with the Ether and made herself a comfortable bed. Later, she scooped out a section to see if it could fill with water like a bath. It did, and the water was pleasantly warm or cool, however she wanted it.
It was so boring. With Rahmiel it had seemed romantic, all the fluffy whiteness, like being inside a cloud. Was Rahmiel searching for her? Did he join with Tehmuel and Auriel to hunt the demon without her?
Finally she started to feel sleepy. There was no way to know what time it was. She stretched out on the bed, and dosed off.
“Kari, Kari, wake up.”
“Rahmiel. What took so long?” Then she saw the blood on his arms and pulled back in horror. “Rahmiel!”
“I’m all right. These are just superficial wounds. They’ll heal while I sleep. But Kari, I have bad news.”
“What—my mom? Did she get back early?” her voice rose in panic.
“No, nothing that bad. But your friend Amber was hurt. The demon tried to skewer her. He didn’t succeed, but cut her up. Auriel saved her, then I arrived, and Tehmuel.
He took them to the Overland for the healing.”
“What about Tressa? Will the demon know about her?”
“He might, though I don’t think he got inside Amber. I think I can get you to the Overland, to Tehmuel. Then I’ll go get Tressa.”
“Okay.”
He wrapped his arms around her, and she couldn’t help but grimace at the wounds, still seeping blood onto her shirt.
* * * *
Tehmuel lived in a palace. It was like nothing Kari had ever seen. It looked too delicate, like a castle made of glittering lace, to hold people. A dozen fragile towers stretched up into
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