Beyond Life by Deb McEwan Page B

sister means, princess, is that Big Ed will die before he’s old,’ he kissed her to stop any further questions and the others stared as if witnessing a motorway pile up. ‘And we know this because of the number of evil spirits travelling with him. His time is not quite up, but it won’t be too much longer.’
    ‘He’s already been claimed by the master of evil and we’re going to have to double our defences when that one arrives. He’s big trouble,’ Gabriella added, almost to herself.
    Despite the thought of more trouble, Ron hoped that Big Ed’s death would happen before he had a chance to leave his mark on Val.
    ‘His son seems to be with him all the time. Do you think his time is close?’ Claire hoped so for everybody’s sake, especially Ron’s.
    ‘Not necessarily, Claire,’ Gabriella frowned. ‘Those with great evil often attract the demon mischief makers and that isn’t his son by the way, it’s his father.’
    Gabriella explained that the teenager had seduced Big Ed’s mother. He’d become bored when the baby was less than a year old and had murdered the baby’s mother one night after an argument. He’d died the same night in a gang fight and the child had been brought up by elderly grandparents who had died when he was fifteen. Already out of control by that age he’d become a ward of court and was put into a home. He kept running away and when he turned sixteen the authorities stopped bringing him back. He had a tough time on the streets at first but the leader of a local gang took him under his wing and the rest is pretty obvious.
    Despite his sorry start in life, none of them had any sympathy for Big Ed.
    ‘What happened to his mother?’ Sandy asked. Curious to know whether she might meet her at some stage.
    ‘Back on Earth and living a good life,’ Gabriella smiled. ‘She’s going to come to us eventually. She’s already proved her worth so she just has to carry on along the same path. But never mind about her,’ she rubbed her hands together as if she had a treat. ‘Watch this...’
     
    The scene below showed a family laughing and joking in their Mediterranean garden having just finished their evening meal. The sun was slowly disappearing in the pinky orange sky and the focus moved from the family onto a small puddle of water at the bottom of the garden. The insect sniffed the air detecting the presence of carbon dioxide and lifted itself from the puddle, its wings beating between 300 to 600 times per second to facilitate the move.
     
    Harry looked at herself in disgust. A mosquito and a female to boot. Would her torture never end? Stupid question she said to herself knowing the answer was that it wouldn’t. That’s why she, he revised his thoughts – no, he maybe a she this time, but he was definitely a he – that’s why he wanted his son to die as soon as possible. He could sense his strength and hoped that his own standing would improve with the arrival of his son. He had done his best and almost brought not one, but two senior angels to the demons, plus the one they were training and who didn’t yet know how powerful she was. And what had he got in return? Punished for failure, that’s what. They hadn’t even acknowledged how close he’d come and all those who were with him were also punished so they’d resent him for a very long time. He’d have to watch his back when he returned but until then he needed to eat, never mind how disgusted he felt about it.
    By the time the family heard the buzzing it was too late and the little girl was scratching her arm. Harry was long gone. Despite himself he’d enjoyed the taste of that blood and regardless of the danger, would try and feed off that young girl again. He flew around trying to find a suitable location to lay eggs and to populate the world with more of the deadliest animals on Earth.
    ‘So there’s no hope for him and others like him?’
    ‘That’s right Ron,’ it was Raphael who answered and he scratched