Angel's Shield by Erin M. Leaf Page A

think something more was destroyed when I was burned,” Haniel
said, feeling giddy. They were just over the tree tops now. “My arm looks fine,
but I felt the burns all the way to the bone. I even felt it inside my gut and
my spine. Between my shoulders.” He shook his head. “I can’t explain it.”
    “We should get moving,” Jeremiel said tensely.
    Haniel glanced at him and nodded, tamping down his elation at
being in the air. He’d tried flying in airplanes and helicopters, even once in
a glider, but they never felt right. This, however, felt good. It felt like he’d
come home. Except if they let go you’re toast, he reminded himself
grimly. That thought dashed the last of his joy.
    “Most angels can move pretty fast when they need to,” Jeremiel
said, still instructing Charmeine. “Just watch out for unexpected currents. We’re
in the midst of a high pressure system right now, so things should be pretty
calm overall.”
    Haniel watched her nod, biting her lip in concentration. They’d
taken an hour to eat and find her something else to wear—a simple halter-top—but
they’d had to hurry. She reassured her friends at the diner that she was only
going for a week, but Haniel could tell her boss knew something more was happening.
The look in Marvin’s eyes said he realized she might not come back. Haniel hadn’t
the heart to reassure him, though Jeremiel had made an attempt. Then, directly
after returning to Charmeine’s property, they’d taken off, dragging Haniel up
into the heavens between them.
    “You doing okay?” Jeremiel asked.
    Haniel nodded. He knew Gabriel was desperate to get to the castle and
didn’t really want to know about his aching biceps. He’d sensed a quiet urgency
when Jeremiel had told him what the Alpha had said: demons massing on the
western border of Castle Alpha, just at the edge of the lake. More demons than
they could fight off with the handful of warriors at the Castle.
    “I thought there were a lot more angels in the world,” Charmeine
said, turning her head so she’d be heard over the wind. “What could we possibly
do to help? There are only three of us and I don’t know a thing about
fighting.”
    Haniel grimaced. “There used to be a lot more of the People. More
clans, more loners. Our numbers plummeted during our parents’ generation. We
had a demon-bound Alpha for decades and none of us knew it. I think that had a
lot to do with what happened.”
    “We think his influence infected our People. A lot of us died
mysteriously, or disappeared. Many faded into the mist.” Jeremiel’s voice
shook. “We don’t talk about it much and especially not with humans.”
    Charmeine’s hands tightened on Haniel’s arms. “Because you don’t
want the humans to freak out, do you? That would surely plunge the entire world
into darkness, if people thought the angels had deserted them forever.”
    Haniel didn’t answer. He didn’t need to. She was right.
    ****
    Two hours later Haniel’s arms hurt like hell and he knew they
weren’t flying fast enough. His initial optimism had faded like a stone falling
into a pond. You could see the ripples it left behind, but once the water
smoothed over, there was nothing to hold onto. He had to convince them to let
him go. Their people depended on it.
    “It’s time to let go,” he said finally, struggling a little.
    Jeremiel cursed and hauled him in. He obviously knew exactly what
Haniel meant. They dipped down, almost hitting trees before Charmeine was able
to pull them back up. A small town dotted the wooded landscape to their east,
like a fake display in a model shop. It looked so peaceful, but Haniel knew it
was only a matter of time before the demons destroyed everything if Castle
Archangel fell. He couldn’t let that happen.
    “What are you talking about?” Charmeine gasped at him. Her hair
was knotted and her skin pale. Her beautiful eyes looked so tired Haniel could
see his own resignation peering out at him from