Hawtness - Hawtness – Volume 6 – Chapter 7

I hit the clouds running at full force. I downed one of Victor’s vials of venom, letting the vitality creep into me. I could hear a shout of surprise as I ran up the marble path passed the main gate. A guard lept down in front of me and I spun into a kick. It was clear he wasn’t expecting a fight. The guard went spiraling into a wall.

As soon as my feet touched the ground, I took off. There was no way I could sneak in. There was no way I could stand against a large group of them. I just had to keep moving and keep moving quickly. My friends were depending on me.

Another two angel’s lept in front of me. They were more prepared than the last. I used every once I had into speed and ducked as one of them swung low. I slide across the ground, then back to my feet running. The guard made a noise of protest behind me. I could hear them shambling after me, but I was far too fast.

I knew where I had to go. I knew what I had to do. Now I just needed to get there. I allowed myself a peak behind me. There were already more guards following me. It was at least half a dozen now. Another group was sitting in front of me, blocking the hallways in a barricade. It looks like they were prepared for me. I lept over the barricade, the angels screaming in protest, a few swinging spears in an attempt to stab me.

I knocked a spear away from my got, using my werewolf like arms and landing on the other side. Then I moved back to running. The barricade disassembled, and the guards began to give chase. There were now well over two dozen guards chasing me. I hit a long and family hallways that stretched into the distance. This was the time sensitive part of the chase. I grabbed another bottle of venom and downed it. I might have been taking too much at this point, but at the moment I didn’t care.

I ran full sprint, I needed enough time and distance from the group. The door was right in front of me. I needed to be fast, as fast as I could be. I made it to the door and raced in. Immediately, the energy and vitality flooded out of me. I had entered the chamber of tranquility. I locked the door behind me, moving a plank into position and leaned back against it, taking a deep breath.

There was a thud against the door on the other side. The rammed the door again and for a second I feared they might be able to burst through.

“No, don’t knock down the door, just cut her off on the other side!” Shouted one of the angels.

I raced across the room to the door on the other side. Sliding to a stop and moving to the side just as the door burst open. A large retinue of angels stormed into the room, spreading out in formation. The immediately began searching for me amongst the columns. I slipped out the door, my foot taking a step out the room. The strength and magic flowed back into me like a torrent. One of the guards noticed the movement and turned around.

I gave him a smile, and slammed the doors shut. There was a cry on the other side of the door way, and the men rushed to it, clawing and the door knob to force it open. However, they were on the side that had no magic, while I had so much strength and vitality flowing through me, I felt for a second like I could truly hold back an army. Awkwardly with one hand I reached for a nearby chain, tying it around the doors to keep them closed. I bent open a chain link, and bent it back into place to lock the soldiers in the room. I could still hear their cries as they banged on the door, but they wouldn’t be bother me any time soon.

I glanced down the hallway. This was the direction the boys were in. It wasn’t the same place the Archangel had taken us before. However, I could sense the boys were in that direction. Stephan had mentioned how he could sense where the Necromancer was. Since he was kind of Necromancer, and I sort of was as well, I wondered if that was why.

I moved down the hallway, and after a moment I realized I was approaching a set of massive doors. There were two guards in front of it. They lowered their weapons, but before they could call out I pulled out the raygun Allan had once used. I pulled it twice, a bolt shooting out and striking each of the guards. I hoped this thing was set to stun.

I walked up to the massive doors, and then I kicked them open. I burst into the room, quickly realizing that it was the throne room. The boys seemed to line the path all the way up the length of the carpet, on display almost like they were statues in the Archangels’ collection.

They were no longer in the iron maidens. Instead, they were strapped against long plaques that rest against the columns, numerous metal chains preventing them from moving even an inch. I notive a strange device strapped onto each of their wrists, and wondered if that was what kept them from using their powers. I looked down and noticed wires stretching from each plaque and ending at a control panel beside the throne. 

“You?” The man sitting in the throne shouted. “What are you doing here? I already killed you.”

The boys all turned their heads, at least as much as their restraints allowed, and I could see the complete shock and excitement in their eyes. I could see red rims around their eyes, well everyone except Ryan, and realized that they had been crying. Even Allan showed signs of having been devastatingly upset.

“I was only a little dead.”

The Archangel stood up, taking several steps down the path of the carpet, “Only a little dead? I suppose now you’ll tell me you came back for true love.”

“Not exactly… I came back to kick your ass.”

“Aren’t you the romantic,” the Archangel responded dryly.

He reached to his side, and once again, he pulled out that dark and deadly looking sword out from the air. I looked at the blade again. It most certainly wasn’t a holy blade. I nodded to myself.

“Well, you’re certainly annoying for a human, aren’t you? No, matter, I’ll just have to kill you a-”

The power burst through me and I moved. I closed the distance between us in a blink, and I smashed him in the throat. The Archangel took several steps back, grabbing at his throat and losing his grip on his sword. I moved forward again and struck his hand, using a technique Andrew had once shown me. The sword flew to the side, dissipated into the sky.

The Archangel growled, “You attacked me before I was done talking. That’s rude. Your rude.”

I shrugged, sticking my tongue out at him.

“It doesn’t matter,” The Archangel continued, “I don’t need the sword to kill you.”

The Archangel leaned forward with his hands outstretched as if he planned to wring my neck with his bare hands. I swung my hand as it turned into a werewolf claw. The claw struck his arm, and he backed up.

“Hey, that’s my ability. Did you see that, she can turn into a werewolf!” Daniel said excitedly.

The Archangel glared, and then came again. He through his hands out, trying to push me. However, I was just too quick for him. The contacts in my eyes glowed, quickening my response time. His hands seemed to move seconds behind where I saw them landing.

“It looks like Jane is using the contact’s I developed as well,” Allan nodded to himself.

“Developer from my programming,” Ryan added.

“You may be faster than me,” The Archangel snarled, “but I will always be more powerful than you.”

“Oh yeah?” I sneered, “Well you haven’t seen my special ability.”

The Archangel gave a harsh laugh, “Oh yeah, what’s that?”

I held up my hand, and purple fire began to erupt from my skin, “A fireball, right up your ass!”

“Hell, yeah! Get him Jane!” Rune called out.

I threw my hand out, and fire exploded in an outward arc directly at the Archangel. He held up his hand, and field of golden sparks sprung up, blocking the flames. I continued to press, the fire flowing hotter and hotter. If I could just break through I could burn him to a crisp.

“Enough!” The Archangel flung out his hands, and the field exploded outward striking me and causing the flame to snuff out.

I let out a cry as I struck the ground a few feet away. Several of the guys made noises of protest. The Archangel raced up, pulling out a knife and lunging for my stomach. I began to sink into the ground, not entirely sure what I was doing. The knife struck where I was. I was still there, or at least I think I was. I was looking up, with the Archangel over me, how the knife made a distinctive thud as it hit the ground.

“Where’d she go?” Alex asked.

Victor smirked, “Vampire powers. She’s in a shadow now.”

I realized he was right. Darkness sat all around me. I moved upward, bringing the shadows with me. The Archangel took several steps back, fear starting to show on his face. I let a tendril of shadow shoot out and strike him, and then another. I grip seemed to slip, and the shadows began to fall back down to the ground. The melted away and I grimaced. I guess I wasn’t completely read for that kind of thing yet.

“It doesn’t matter,” The Archangel screamed, reaching to his side once again, “With my sword, you have no chance. That puny Gemini is nothing. You are nothing!”

I ran up to nearest boy to me, Rune, and began unstrapping his attachments. I broke away the arm band that seemed to be binding his powers just as the Archangel finished pulling out the sword. He lept at me, clearing the distance and swinging. The sword rebounded back as liquid hot purple fire exploded in the surrounding air. I realized I was inside the pillar of flame, its fire flickering at my flesh.

However, it didn’t hurt or wound me at all. Instead, it felt warm and comforting to the touch. I glanced to my side, and could see the metal constraints around Rune melting rapidly. I glanced around outside the fire. The Archangel had his hand over his eyes, struggling to take a step towards us, seeming blocked several paces away from us. Even the nearby boys had their heads turned away from the intense heat.

Rune moved up to me, “It feels good being able to let lose for once. You know, this flame is powerful enough that it should have burned you to ash too.”

“How’d you know it wouldn’t?”

“On that date, it didn’t seem to touch you. My flame burns everything, even other demons. The fact that it doesn’t, that means something, doesn’t it.” Rune lifted his hand to my face, and I pressed my cheek against it.

It felt so good to have one of the boys safe again. I wasn’t alone. I had been doing everything on my own, but for the first time I now felt like I really could save the day.

“Rune, I…”

Rune put his fingers on my lips, “Let’s settle this first, shall we.”

I nodded, regaining my composure, “Can you make a circle and summon your father and uncle?” I asked.

Rune nodded, “I can, but not with Andrew’s dad up on me. I’ll need time.”

“I’ll keep him busy.”

“You have a plan?”

“I do, but you’re not going to like it.”

“You do a lot of stuff that pisses me off,” Rune smirked, “but you wouldn’t be my Jane if you didn’t. You ready?”

I nodded, and the fire suddenly winked out as quickly as it started. As soon as the heat dissipated in the air enough, the Archangel, quite furious at this point, leaped forward. His blade fell down between the two of us as we jumped to either side. I raced down the carpeted walkways, jumping up to Andrew’s plaque and tearing off the arm band.

“Too late.” The Archangel screamed, leveling the sword at the two of us.

“Do you trust me?” I asked Andrew.

He looked at me with slight confusion in his eyes, “With my life.”

My lips pressed against Andrew’s mouth. The pair of us shared a kiss as the archangels swung his sword down on my back.