Road to Hell by J. C. Diem

him.
    When the flood of memories finally died, I lay on my back staring up at the dark sky. It was a cloudy night and the stars were hidden. I waited for the demon to take me over, but nothing happened. I’d somehow ejected him from his vessel and he’d tried to possess me. When his spirit had poured into me, I’d been certain that it would take over. It was both confusing and a relief to realize that he’d failed.
    Hearing a shout of pain followed by the thud of a body falling, I struggled to sit up. Dizzy and weak, I turned to see my rescuer surrounded by five unconscious bodies. Another reinforcement had come, but they hadn’t been skilled enough to take him down.
    Seeing me staring at the bodies, his sword disappeared and he walked towards me. His toga was still pristine, as if blood didn’t dare mar its perfection. I climbed to my feet and leaned against the metal barrier. Coming to a stop a couple of feet away, he examined me for injuries. Finished with his inspection, his gaze came to rest on mine.
    Familiar dark blue eyes looked down at me. His face was perfect, with high cheekbones and sensual lips. I’d only ever seen a faint impression of him before, but I’d know that face anywhere. “I know you,” I said in a near whisper.
    He blinked in astonishment. “You can see me?” Even his voice was beautiful. It was a deep baritone. If he sang, birds would be sure to gather around to listen.
    “Of course I can see you. You’re standing right in front of me.”
    “This should not be possible,” he said and saw the dead vessel lying a few feet away. Noting the wound in the hell spawn’s chest, he looked at me in dread. “Please tell me you did not ingest the demon’s essence.”
    “If by ingest you mean I somehow absorbed it into myself, then yes,” I responded. His eyes turned bleak, as if this was the worst news he could have heard. Still dazed from being invaded, I couldn’t believe the man from my imagination was real and that he was here. “You’re my guardian angel, aren’t you?” I said.
    He hesitated before nodding. “I am, but you are not supposed to know that I exist.”
    “I’ve always known that you exist,” I told him, to his astonishment. “I’ve been seeing your face ever since I was a little girl.” I managed not to babble about how beautiful he was, but I had to bite my tongue to keep the words inside.
    Before he could respond, my dizziness increased and my legs buckled. In a swoon that any Hollywood actress would have envied, I went down. My guardian moved like lightning to catch me. He swung me into his arms and cradled me against his chest. His expression was hard to decipher as he stared down at me. I saw tenderness and sadness before he clenched his jaw and his face went blank.
    He started to chant in the same language that Brie had used to create the bracelet that helped to hide me from demons. Shifting in and out of consciousness, I saw white wings sprout from his back and wrap around us both. Peace and safety swept over me as we disappeared in a blinding flash of light.
    When I opened my eyes, we were standing outside Sophia’s store. My rescuer’s wings disappeared as he reached out to knock on the door. It was snatched open by Leo seconds later. Brie was right beside him and both were brandishing their swords.
    Sophia appeared behind them and stared at him in shock. “Nathanael? Is that really you?” Their vessels might look like normal humans to them, but they clearly had some way of identifying fellow angels.
    “Yes,” he replied. “May I come in?”
    Gathering herself, she seemed almost flustered. “Of course.”
    The twins stepped aside and he brushed past them, carrying me as if I weighed nothing.
    “What happened to her?” Leo asked as Sophia led the way upstairs. I was touched by his anxious tone.
    “I am not sure,” Nathanael hedged. “She was attacked by several lower level demons. I arrived in time to save her, but the shock might have been