Kobal’s gaze followed mine. “Their fire won’t spread unless they fan it. They’re only using it to hunt and not to destroy, for now.”
My cramped muscles protested movement when I swung my legs out of the pickup. Kobal gripped my arm when my knees nearly gave out on me. After the first night, Kobal and I took turns walking with everyone else. The raw skin on my feet rubbed against my boots, and ooze from a popping blister squeezed between my toes.
I repressed a wince as I looked at the ragtag group gathering closer to the truck stop. The demons stared at the building like it was a puss-filled space monster, but demons weren’t overly fond of ghosts. The humans appeared curious while the hounds sniffed at the air as they patrolled the parking lot.
“Let’s get this over with,” Lix said and rested his sword against his shoulder.
“I don’t think that’s going to work on the occupants,” Erin said.
Lix lowered his sword to rest the tip on the ground. “But we all wish it would.”
“They’re not that bad,” I protested.
“Hmm,” was the grunted response from the demons surrounding me.
I tipped my head back when a shadow passed over us. Raphael swooped down to land effortlessly on the asphalt ten feet away. Stretching his wings, he shook the extra dust off before settling them against his back. A raven landed behind me on the roof of the truck. The large beak and talons shifted away as Caim took on his angel form. He crouched on the truck, his hand gripping the edge of the roof and his wings tucked securely away.
Caim rose and strolled down the windshield, across the hood, and jumped off to land on the ground. “Ghosts!” he declared. “What fun!”
Seeing him here made me recall the question I’d asked Kobal the first night. “When you were on Earth, before entering Hell, did you feed on ghosts since there were no wraiths or Heavenly spirits or souls or whatever to feed on?”
“Angels call the ones who enter Heaven spirits or souls,” Caim replied. “And I’m afraid not. Ghosts don’t fall into the same realm as wraiths and souls do. Ghosts are already getting what they deserve and have no reason to be rewarded or punished further. They provide no nourishment for any of us.”
“Then what did you feed from while you were on Earth?”
The tilt of his head caused the vast array of colors in his hair and eyes to stand out more. “We didn’t feed on anything. We starved. We cut off our wings in the hopes that we could become more human and sustain nourishment from food like they did, but it didn’t work. Human food made us sick. We were dying when Lucifer opened his gateway into Hell.”
“Oh,” I breathed. “You didn’t cut off your wings so you would be able to fit in better with the humans?”
“No,never,” Caim replied. “You have no idea the pain we endured during the removal of our wings. No idea what it did to our already battered connection to life. It was a desperate, last resort.”
“Why did all of you cut them off? Why not have one do it to see if it would work?” Magnus inquired.
“Because we are brothers and sisters; the suffering and degradation of one would be endured by all,” Caim said.
I couldn’t help but shoot Raphael an angry look. More than a few of the humans went, “Aww,” which caused all the demons and Raphael to either roll their eyes or shake their heads in disgust.
“Are they really having sympathy for thefallen?” Magnus muttered to Corson.
Corson gawked at the humans before running a hand through his black hair. “Unbelievable.”
Caim smiled at all the humans in a way that made a few of the women smooth back their dirty, tangled hair and flutter their lashes. Kobal looked like he was contemplating killing them all.
Caim focused on me as he continued speaking. “We didn’t remain on Earth long afterward, but the fallen believe the severing of our wings is what twisted us enough that some of the offspring we produced afterward were capable of wielding fire. We felt a shift in us when we lost our wings, felt something within us becoming darker. The fallen remain unable to wield fire, but it became something we could pass on, as Lucifer did to you.”
“You were able to have sex after you cut off your wings?” Erin asked in disbelief.
“Of course,” Caim replied with a smile. “We weren’t crazy enough to cut off our cocks.”
“Oh, for fucks sake,” Corson said.
“Enough, let’s get this over with,” Kobal commanded.
I fell in beside Lix and Erin as we followed Kobal and Corson toward Pearl’s truck stop. Hawk and Vargas flanked our backs. Everyone else remained in the parking lot, keeping watch and passing out the slim pickings of food left.
“This place makes me think of a riddle, my dear,” Lix said to Erin. The tip of his sword clicked against the concrete while we walked.
“Let’s hear it,” Erin said.
