He follows the sound of voices into the kitchen, and finds Ruby and Polly busy cleaning lunch dishes. Elina and the men are looking over a map at the table. “I could use some help with Elsbeth. She injured her leg.” Jake jumps up quickly and starts to speak but Hunter stops him by lifting his hand up.
“She is okay, just a small cut, but the journey wore her out. She is sleeping on the couch.” Polly goes to the pantry and pulls out a first aid kit.
Elsbeth wakes with a start, confused for a moment until she realizes she is back at Polly’s. She hears voices in the kitchen and sits up slowly trying to wake up. The creaking of the floor draws her attention, and her heart begins to pound. A demon is scurrying across the floor with a tick, tick, tick of its claws. It is a two foot tall, bat like creature with blood red eyes and black wings. It screeches at Elsbeth, drool pouring from its mouth and she screams. She jumps up and flips the coffee table up on its side, hoping to slow the demon down. The sound of her fear energizes the demon, and it grows larger. Now, standing almost four feet tall, it flaps its leathery wings leaping straight up in the air with a loud screech, and swoops down towards Elsbeth.
Jake rushes into the room, followed by the others who stand shocked by what they are seeing. Elsbeth is standing over a large creature, beating it with a lamp from Polly’s table. The demon lies on the ground, with a black dagger sticking out of its forehead. Still moving the creature jumps at her again, only to have Elsbeth lean over and shove the dagger deeper, exploding it to dust. The only sound is the clinking of the blade as it hits the floor. She picks up her blade and turns to them with a determined look in her eyes.
“I won’t go back again,” she says holding the shaking blade in her hand.
Elina walks to her and says, “Never again Elsbeth. You are safe here.” Gently she removes the dagger from her trembling hands.
Polly guides her from the room, “Let’s get you cleaned up honey.”
To the room full of people, Hunter exclaims, “It must have followed us from the mines.”
Ronnie asks, “What if there are more of them?”
Elina and Jake look at each other and Jake answers, “I have seen them before. They need the dark. I doubt more than one could have hitchhiked back without you knowing it, but we should check,” Jake says as he turns to leave.
He pauses as Elina joins him, “I will help you check, just to be sure.”
Before the others leave, Hunter turns to Jake and Elina and asks, “What happened to Elsbeth?”
“She was taken by a son of the One. He had her soul in hell for almost two weeks, before we could get her out. The rest is her story to tell,” Jake tells him quietly before he and Elina, follow Ronnie outside the house to look for more demons.
Hunter has been fighting Shadows for years, but he is shaken up by what he has seen today.
Polly enters the living room and watches as they all begin picking up the room. “I have a circle of protection around the house. How did that thing get in here?” she asks.
“I don’t know, but we had to separate to get to the stones, for only a few minutes. It must have been drawn to us by Elsbeth, we have to heal her!” Hunter says vehemently.
Polly rests a hand on Hunters shoulder, “We all feel the way you do, Hunter. Maybe with your help we can figure this out.”
The trio returns from the cold, “No traces of more demons. How’s Beth?” Jakes asks.
“She is resting. I am worried as she grows weaker every day.” Polly tells them. “It is time we do something” she tells them.
Hunter looks at them and sighs, “Today the floor beneath her feet collapsed and she fell. We had a massive cave in. There is no way she should have survived. When Alex and I came outside, she was on the ground, holding a golden feather. He holds up his hand, and shows them the golden feather. Glowing like the flame of a candle, the feather gleams and everyone goes quiet.
“He saved her, and from what I gather; he was the one who helped her when the demons had her. He left the stones and left her with us. We never saw him. What is he?” Hunter demands.
“He is the Archangel, Simeon. He is a Son of the Light,” Elina answers. “During her captivity he shielded her when he could, took her pain as his own, and when we freed her, he carried her to safety.”
As Hunter begins to pace he looks at them asking, “You said a Son of the Light and angel can remove the mark. Why not just call him back and ask him to remove it?”
“Why didn’t he stay today? If she is marked, wouldn’t he know it?” Jake asks looking at Elina.
“It’s not that simple!” Polly interrupts “It is not a tattoo that she wears for all to see since it’s in her very soul. He is an angel, the more time he spends with her, the more danger he is in.” She looks at the confused faces around her, and tells them, “Humans and angels are forbidden from loving each other. By spending time with her, we threaten his soul.” Jake is frustrated and looks closely
