Crushed Seraphim

  Everett swooped closer as Emma fell to her knees. She was fading. Anger whipped through Jason. He hated Emma kneeling before Everett. Jason placed himself between the angels.

  Can I hurt him?

  There was no response from Emma.

  “Jason Parish. Look at you! Are you chivalrous or were you just looking to get laid?” Everett’s expanded his wings even further, showing like a peacock.

  “Step back from us. How are you here?”

  Jason needed time. He needed to restore her hope, get her advice.

  “That’s the reason your pretty angel slut collapsed. She knows I’m in charge now. Which is pretty hilarious, because God is in Hell. And the Devil? He’s hanging on to God for a bit.” Everett ended his tirade with a victorious chuckle.

  “Emma?” he continued. Everett leaned to his left so he could look at her.

  Jason didn’t dare take his eyes off the thing in front of him.

  “Sweetheart? Come with me now. You can sit at my right hand. I’ll give you whatever you want. Sam back by your side? Done. World peace? Done. You naked with me? Done.”

  Jason punched Everett so viciously in the face that his red wings rippled with the force. Jason didn’t wait for relief that he could touch the angel to set in, he just jumped on Everett like he was prey. The white rose tumbled from Everett’s hand and was lost in the snow. Jason used his speed and ridiculous strength to land several punches, but he knew he was outmatched.

  Darting away, Everett flapped his massive wings and rubbed his mouth. Jason backed up to reassess. Everett hovered just above the height to which Jason could jump.

  “You pack a wallop, parasite. I hope you enjoyed those hits, because you’ll never get another,” Everett growled.

  Jason had to fight the urge to run as Everett powered up. Energy pulsated around him. His wings and hands crackled with lightning and dominance.

  Stand still, he told himself. For every second he fights me, she’s safe.

  Jason risked a look at her, wanting her beautiful form to be the last thing he knew in his mind.

  Emma was gone.

  Oh God, please, no! She’s already gone?

  He turned. The jet-engine noise emanating from Everett demanded cowering, but Jason stood proud. Suddenly Emma hovered in front of him, arms thrown wide, using herself to protect him. She was hit instantly — a river of hot blue current lighting her like the electric angel on top of a Christmas tree.

  Though she deflected the current Jason still felt like he was being electrocuted; he was powerless to move at all. Then it stopped, and the silence was as loud as the cracking sound the deadly angel had produced.

  Emma collapsed at his feet. Jason moved as soon as he could, knelt and pulled her head into his lap. Everett flew angrily above their heads, the beat of his massive wings causing Emma’s hair to blow away from her face. Her gray eyes opened slowly, painfully.

  “I wake up to your face a lot lately.” Her voice sounded strong.

  Are you okay? What the hell just happened?

  She shook her head, as if to say “not now.” Instead she said, “Heads up.”

  Everett was lower now, reeling and angry. “You stupid, stupid girl! Well, guess what? That won’t work either. You protect him? That thing? It’s like a tick, a gnat, a sponger.”

  Emma lifted her hand to give Everett the finger. Jason leaned over and gave her insulting gesture a light kiss. She switched her focus from the outrage above her to Jason’s face. Emma let her other fingers join the middle one and laid them on his cheek.

  As she spoke, her eyes filled with the same gold-colored sheen that had been in her tears. “Don’t listen to him. You’re a miracle. If nothing else, I’m so very glad we’ve met.”

  Fire began to rain down, with little flames in place of water drops. Jason covered her body from the onslaught.

  “My half-breed umbrella, it’s okay. He’s already done the worst he can do.”

  Jason tried to reassure himself with her permanence, her solidness in his arms.

  Everett hollered with rage, the ground shaking from the verbal onslaught. “You think so, Emma? I offer you everything and you think the worst I can do is send your soul to Hell?” Everett arced the sky with lava. “Wait until Sam comes to Judgment! Ha! It’ll be spectacular — the pain I’ll give him to live through, over and over again. Your heart will explode in your chest, Emma. You don’t even know what pain tastes like yet. But you will. You will.”

  Jason was mesmerized by Everett’s just-out-of-reach anger. He looked ludicrous in his tuxedo now, the veins popping in his rage-filled neck.

  “Don’t look at him, Jason. Kiss me. Nothing will hurt him more.” Emma moved her hand to Jason’s neck and pulled his face to hers.

  Jason felt like he was trying to ignore a natural disaster, but he did so because she asked.

  “That’s right. Good. Now kiss me hard.” Emma smiled and licked her lips.

  Jason pulled her whole body closer, supporting her back and cradling her head. She’d told him one time too many in his book, so he took great care to kiss her deeply. She still tasted like angel cake, which delighted him — and his loins — immensely.

  He could almost forget that Everett was cracking the atmosphere like an egg above their heads. Jason held her close, pulling her into a hug. He ended their kiss and looked at the blood red sky. Everett’s fury had tinted the blue out of the horizon. Emma’s breath was hot on his skin, and she cuddled deeper into his chest. The wallop of Everett’s wings echoed as he beat them against the air, taking himself back to Heaven.

  Where’s he going?

  “I don’t know.” Her words moved like a pulse along his neck.

  What gave you back your faith? Your anger that God’s a prisoner in Hell?

  She pulled away from him, looking into his face with more softness than he could ever have hoped for.

  “No. But that does suck.” She put both hands on his face like he meant something, like he was precious and fragile.

  Was it the punching? If he didn’t fly away I would have pounded him some more. Jason smiled, pleased.

  “Not that either… No, don’t be sad. It was thrilling, really.” She sat up straighter. “It was when you thought about saving me a few seconds of his wrath. That made me whole. That made believe.”

  She leaned forward and kissed him because she wanted to — not to piss off Everett, not to forget Sam. She kissed Jason to kiss Jason.

  He stroked her hair and smiled. It felt so much better this way.

  With the evil angel gone, the blue crept back to the sky. Everett’s anger was far away, at least for now.

  What did that blast do to you?

  She stood up and dusted off her footie pajamas. “Although I love these, can I have something else now?” She held her hand out to help him off his knees. He didn’t need assistance, but indulged in her touch anyway.

  He kissed her hand once he was standing. You’re avoiding an answer. Please tell me?

  She looked reluctant, but maybe it was her nature to be honest. Maybe she didn’t have a choice because of her wing, her physical connection to Heaven.

  “That blast was meant to take you to Hell.” She pulled his fingers to her mouth, taking a turn at kissing his hand.

  And you stopped that? I’m surprised he gave up so easily.

  She nodded and motioned to her outfit. Jason put her in white jeans and a soft sweater, topping the outfit with a soft faux-fur coat. Her hiking boots were white with gold shoelaces.

  She held out her foot, laughing. “These are pimp.”

  Angels are allowed to say “pimp”?

  “Probably not.” She stepped into his arms again.

  He held her, kissing the top of her head.

  What did the blast do to you?

  She sighed, and he waited.

  Finally, she gave him the answer he sought. “When my time’s up here, I’ll be taking your place in Hell. Everett was determined to send someone there, and since
he hit me, rather than you…” She took a deep breath before continuing. “He left because he’ll need to power up again.”

  Jason squeezed her tighter. “Why did you do that? That’s not fair. I was trying to protect you.” He switched to thinking, a little afraid to hear his next question out loud.

  Emma, what are we going to do now?

  “I don’t really know. This is unprecedented. Seraph Gabriel was the failsafe. I don’t know how he lost control.” Emma sighed and stepped away from Jason’s comforting embrace.

  Is Everett planning to end the world? Could it possibly be that bad? Jason wanted to keep her in his arms. This talk of Hell and angels made him want her close.

  Emma let her feet touch the ground. Her hiking boots left scrolling, star-shaped treads in the soft snow as she began to walk. Jason followed as if she had his heart on a leash.

  “Everett wants Earth to be Hell. He wants Heaven to be Hell. He’s like a Devil’s minion.” Emma tilted her head back, and her long, blond curls skimmed her rump. She held her hands to her mouth as if the simple motion would deliver her words to the clouds. “Everett is the Devil’s bitch!” She turned her hands into tight fists. “I can’t think of a way to stop him, Jason.”

  Jason hated his next question, but the filter his mouth gave him did not apply to his thoughts. Will you know when your time is up?

  Emma reached behind her almost thoughtlessly and stroked her remaining wing. Her hand was covered with glitter when she pulled it away.

  “My wing will be gone, and after that I’m on the express train to Hades.”

  Jason tried to ignore the fear in her eyes. Everything seems normal now. Is your task with me finished?

  “No! No, it’s not. You’re a genius. Of course! We’ve been to your past, and we’re looking at your completely sucktastic present.”

  Some things here are very fantastic. He interrupted her with his thought. He pictured her kiss again — the last one, the one that had tickled his barren soul.

  She walked forward and put her glittering hand on his. “The future! The future’s next. We’ll get to see if we’re successful or not!” She curled her wing around him.

  Before he could become enveloped in her scent and her power, Jason shook his head. Can Everett stop this?

  “Everything’s up for grabs, but the mission is always the same: three capsules of time to be investigated. We have to try.”

  He held on to her hand more tightly, knowing the disquieting time travel was about to hit. She put her lips on his and they watched as the snowy, blue day inked up with darkness. Twirling, whooshing, and the feeling he might come out of his skin surrounded him. The thud was violent this time, and Jason fell onto his back. Emma landed on top of him. The smell from the future was overwhelming. The odor of rotting bark filled the air.

  The winter scene was a topsy-turvy kaleidoscope of color. The snow was greenish with gray tints. The sky was a deep, red velvet. The silence hurt their ears.

  Where are the animals? Jason thought as soon as he placed the abnormality.

  “There are none. No life. Oh my God.” Emma didn’t get up. She looked around, her hair brushing across his face like lace.

  A slow, dragging slither captured their attention and broke the alarming silence. From their prone position, the two time travelers watched Dean dragging the corpse of a woman through the snow, leaving a rut.

  Jason could not believe his eyes. Dean has killed? He’s not covering his tracks? What the hell?

  Emma pinned him down at the shoulders. “Hold tight, we’re going back.” She started to curl her wing again.

  “No, Emma! Stop. I need to see where he’s heading. Please? We came all this way — maybe finding out about here will help us then. Or now. Or whatever. Come on, we’ve got to hurry. He’s picking up his pace.”

  Jason held tight to Emma’s hand, remembering he had to maintain contact, and dragged her unwillingly behind him. He’s on his way back to our house. How far in the future did you take us?

  “One hundred years.” Her voice was flat.

  “Well, my brother’s still here, so that’s got to be good, right?” Jason turned to take in her face as she answered.

  “No, sweetheart. This won’t be good.” She seemed resigned that Jason would see the vision through to the end.

  Jason followed Dean, puzzled. He answered all his own questions using Emma’s power to read Dean’s thoughts. He heard the frantic panic in Dean’s mind.

  “Not fair. Not fair. All that’s left is this one, and she’s been dead for days. There may not be enough to feed one of us. Never mind all three. How do I pick which of us gets to eat? That’s not fair. Not fair. Not fair.”

  Jason was surprised at the clatter in Dean’s mind. The repetition seemed so out of character for his meticulous, organized brother.

  The half-breed finally arrived at the Parish residence — or what used to be the Parish residence. The exterior was now in complete disarray. There were no cars in the driveway.

  “I can’t believe they still live here — after all this time,” Jason said, gazing at the house in confusion.

  “Is there anything I can do to keep you from going in the house?” Emma squeezed Jason’s hand, but he was single minded.

  Dean bent and picked up the corpse, throwing it over his shoulder. His strength seemed diminished. He opened the door to the living room, and Emma and Jason slipped in behind him before the loud click closed the half-breeds in their horrible world.

  Dean tried halfheartedly to instill some manners in his brother. “If we take small sips, we can each have a little.” Dean held his hands out as he spoke, an offering and surrender with one gesture.

  Jason had the bizarre experience of standing in the same room with his future self. The eyes of the self he saw were black. His hands had formed permanent fists. Seriana was barely moving, strewn on the couch like a forgotten doll.

  Then the sickness in his mind filled the room. Jason had to guess no longer. His diseased future brain was on a loop. Interspersed with nonsense and children screaming were the events that had brought the Parishes to the squalor in which they now lived. Future Jason ran through the list of appalling events like a mantra, over and over:

  First Emma was my angel.

  Angel went to Hell.

  Sky turned red and animals died.

  Then we ate the people.

  Then we eat the people.

  Emma pulled on his arm. “Please, please? Can we go?”

  Jason watched his own face as if it were a carnival mirror. Future Jason spotted the cold body and a toxically competitive look crossed his face as the smell of dead meat hit him between the eyes.

  Dinner.

  Future Jason jumped with an agility his brother seemed to lack. Seriana held her throat; she was too weak to move. Being crazy made future Jason strong and selfish. He tore into the neck and growled when he discovered the blood no longer flowing and hot.

  Jason let Emma pull him from his future self. She brought him outside, but the sight would stay forever in his mind.

  He stood still as the beautiful angel went through her motions, kissing his lips and wrapping him in her wing as if it were a toasty beach towel. But not even her magic could warm him now.

  They landed softly in the present, in the clearing where they’d fought Everett together.

  Jason stood in shock. Emma bit her lip and looked toward the sky.

  “You son of a bitch! You knew what we’d see. That’s why you didn’t stop us, bastard!” Emma beat on Jason’s chest, trying to pull him out of his instant depression. “Don’t let him win, Jason. Please? Can you understand that the future’s always subject to change? Those things you saw? Those were weapons for him.”

  He felt her hands warm on his face. Finally he looked into her deep gray eyes. She was frantic and determined.

  “That wasn’t you. That wasn’t you! You couldn’t ever do those things. I know you.” Emma put a kiss on his lips, trying to get him
to see it her way, feel it her way.

  Beautiful angel, don’t you see? That’s already lurking inside me. I’ll outlive my brother and sister and everything on earth. It’ll be me eating cockroaches like popcorn at the end of time.

  “I won’t let that happen,” Emma swore. “You have to trust me. I believe in you. Honestly, you’re good. You are! They wouldn’t have delivered me to you if you weren’t worth saving.” Emma tried to touch more of his skin, warm him from the outside in.

  Jason strained to keep his mind from spiraling downward. All I have is now. All I have is right now. That’s what I believe in.

  Emma took a steadying breath. “That’ll have to do.”

  She stepped away from him again, pacing just above the snow. Goodness flickered from her like a firefly’s glow.

  I’m selfish. God, you went to Hell, and all I can think about is me. Tell me what I can do to help you.

  “Heaven and Hell are changeable. Hell might be the best place to be right about now. If I was done instantly, if my wing disappeared right now, maybe I could get to God.” Emma reached over her shoulder and gave her glistening wing a hard yank. She yelped with pain.

  “Wait! Emma, can you rip your own wing off? Stop.” Jason rushed to her and held her arms. If the wing was gone, so was she.

  “What about me? Can you kill me? Surely I’ll go to Hell, and I can try to save God.” Jason tried to imagine himself saving the world, and his vision fell flat.

  She shook her head and looked down. Jason had changed her outfit again. This time to an elaborate strapless gown. The shimmering fabric reached her ankles. She now wore impossibly high-heeled glass slippers.

  Are you cold? I’ll fashion you a wrap.

  “Glass slippers? Truly Jason, the way you see me makes me blush.” She clicked the heels together and smiled at him. “I’m not cold.”

  Jason loved how the dress fluttered around her as she came near him. He held an arm out, and she offered him her hand. Jason twirled Emma so her skirt flared. She was a glorious dancer, as if he’d expect anything else.

  “No, you wouldn’t go to Hell,” Emma said. “What did I tell you? Heaven isn’t safe right now.” She let him wrap her in his arms, dipping her to complete the impromptu dance. “I need to go, and I know what you have to do for me now.”