Infuriated, Straton begins to struggle again in earnest. “Keeper, you gave your word!” he roars spraying spit.
“Oh, I lied.” Elina responds with a laugh. “We do not negotiate with demons!”
Looking at the demon, Jake says, “Hey, Hunter, I brought these.” Jake places eight blood stones in Hunters outstretched hand. “I thought they might come in handy.”
With a smile Hunter, takes the stones and begins to circle the demon, chanting. One by one, he places the stones on the demons body. One on the left hand palm up, sizzling it burns into the skin, leaving the top portion visible. The next stone is placed on the clawed foot of the demon, sinking in just as the first. This is repeated on the next foot, and one is put in the center of the chest. The next stone is placed at the exact location the arm would have been if not severed, and, finally, the last stone is sunk into the demon’s forehead.
Frustrated, Straton struggles, “I feel nothing, skili, maybe your magic is weak and that is why your woman left you!” he says, laughing at Hunter. Pulling out his black pipe, Hunter fills it and lights the strong smelling tobacco. Inhaling the smoke, he urges the others to step outside. Circling the demon, he puffs the smoke in every direction filling the church with a soft fog. He calls Elina inside, and nods at her.
Sword in hand Elina walks over to Straton saying, “There is power in a name. Straton, I call your soul from this physical form and banish you forever more into these stones. You are finished!” With the final words, she plunges the sword straight down into the center blood stone on his chest. Shoving the blade deeply into his heart, she releases his black soul into the night. Caught in the web of smoke, the demon soul is trapped. She draws the sword out of his chest she taps its tip to the stone imbedded in his forehead causing the stone to blaze bright red. Straton shrieks in agony and tries to escape but the stone begins to draw his soul inside. One by one, she taps each stone, illuminating them, and they all pull in parts of the demon’s soul. Elina swings her sword and severs the head of the demon, obliterating it, leaving only the smoking stones on the rubble below.
Fifteen
Shaking with fury, Simeon cradles Elsbeth against his heart. How dare they use her as bait! She has been used by demons and humans alike. No more! They do not deserve her! His grip tightens on her as he glares at the Keeper, enraged he shoots into the night sky, leaving them all behind, his sole focus now on Elsbeth.
Rage, fury, and hatred boil inside his soul: He longs to make them pay! Why didn’t she call him? He felt her fear too late to rescue her. When Asa’s tentacle attached sinking it curved hooks into her neck, her scream echoed through his soul filling him with terror!
A soft touch like butterfly wings brushes his face. Glancing down he sees Elsbeth’s blue eyes staring at him. She smiles and trails her fingertips over his dark cheek. Her eyes close and she snuggles closer pressing her lips to his chest, and all his livid thoughts dissipate leaving only wonder. Her peace turns to anguish as the poison moves through her system again. Elsbeth begins to moan and shake in pain as she is tormented by the demons in her mind. He felt the moment she stepped out of the safety of the circle. She tried to block him, but he is an archangel. His connection with her is strong. They will answer to him once she is safe.
As he moves through space and time, Simeon takes her to the one place he knows she will be safe, Malach’s cave. When he lands in the clearing, he brings his golden wings tight against his muscular body. Wearing the clothes of a warrior, he holds her firm against his muscular chest sharing his body heat with her. He moves quickly, carrying her inside the cave and passes the waterfall, walking into a back chamber. He places Elsbeth on the bed. Waving a hand he lights the chamber filling it with candles, and gently places Elsbeth on the bed. Softly he touches her face and finds her skin, ice cold. With a thought he lights a roaring fire in the center stone fire pit.
Elsbeth is locked inside her mind, and Asa is touching her. The demon strokes her with his tentacles again, sinking them deep inside her throat. Moaning in terror, she struggles and fights with everything she has. “Nooooo, noooo…” she groans thrashing. Her eyes open wide in sheer terror, but she does not see Simeon.
“Elsbeth” he whispers, seizing control of her mind, “hear my voice. I am here, you are safe now.” As though sensing his presence, she begins to calm down, her eyes close and her heartbeat slowly begins to return to normal.
Brushing her long blond hair off her neck, he feels the need to cleanse her of the demon’s mark. Her agony tortures him; they had no right to touch her! Urgency fills his mind. He must cleanse her now! Simeon turns her head gently with his strong hands, then leans over and softly kisses the wound on her neck. As his breath touches her skin, chills erupt on her body. Gently he runs his lips over her spreading a golden sprinkling of angel dust on her neck. Heat, intense heat is all Elsbeth feels. Her heartbeat accelerates and she arches into his mouth. Elsbeth cradles his head in her hands and moans in ecstasy. The feel of her hands, the taste of her skin, and the sound of her voice burst a damn in Simeon’s soul.
He should not have these feelings for her, for anyone. He is an angel, but her hands pull his
