Chapter 2

~The Bra'rul are sharp and fierce. They appear as beautiful men or woman with long dark talons and black feathered wings. There greatest strength is their speed and ferocity, which is unmatched by any other demon to walk the plains of Hell. Best disposed of at a distance- The Hunter's Manifesto

-Cariel-

I felt his arms slither around me.

My body shivered, and tensed immediately. A sense of wrongness and panic encroached on the edges of my mind.

I had never been this close to a member of the Dark before.

The pain would come soon, I was sure of it. He'd squeeze me until I came apart. He'd snap my bones from their joints and pluck out my eyes.

But none of those things happened.

Instead, I very slowly felt him pick me up, and shift us so that he sat upon the ground with me in his lap.

A pale hand slowly combed its way through my hair. The action was soothing ... even though I didn't want it to be.

"Stop," I said weakly. My body wriggled slightly, trying to get off of the Demon's lap.

The room rapidly dropped in temperature once more.

With a slow deliberate movement, the demon brought his mouth right next to my ear.

In the softest of whispers he said, "Little Angel, I have become accustomed to the feeling of touching and controlling your kind. Be still, lest I choose to remember that it was you that separated her from me."

A cold chill traveled down my neck.

His hand returned to my hair, and once more began the gentle motion of threading through my battle tangled hair.

A few new tears rolled down my cheeks, but this time I had no idea why.

I could feel the sun passing out of the sky as we sat there. Eventually the Demon's hand became still, and came to rest on the small of my back. I sat still, too afraid to move.

My powers were slowly trickling back into my depleted reservoirs. Small blue sparks set my nose straight, and stopped the bleeding. With slight trepidation, I sent out a small probe at the Demon.

We were touching, and with this contact I should be able to learn all about the Demon's nature.

I slipped past his human form easily, and delved into the inner monster.

There, I found no comfort. My probe was greeted by a rolling ocean of unholy power. Blood red magic rolled and turned violently ... raging against its confinement.

The Demon's hand pressed upon my shoulder, "Be careful what you wish for Angel," he said in his melodic tones.

Suddenly my probe was sucked deeper into the Demon's inner being. It plunged into the ocean of power, and I discovered that it was both deep and wide. However, that was not all.

I could sense something ... else. A force that was being restrained. It was cold and dark and unendingly hungry.

Quick images of shadow black flames licked my vision ... and then they were gone.

A small jolt brought me back to the present.

The Demon's red eyes were gazing into mine. His dark hair covered half his face like a shroud.

"You were curious about me," he said simply. "Now you know what to be afraid of."

I looked down. I didn't want to look into those eyes. "I never had any chance did I?" I said in a small voice.

"No," he said as he put his head against the wall.

"All my planning, all my Angelic training for naught. I came to our confrontation prepared, and you came to it full of arrogance."

He nodded.

My lip curled up into a snarl, "Creation has no justice. Creatures like you shouldn't exist."

Devnikolus shifted me off his legs, and I fell to one side in surprise.

"The sun has set," the Demon Prince said. "Nine hours of darkness should be more than enough to find my little half breed."

He would be reunited with my half-sister, and all my efforts would truly be for naught.

"Traveling by magic to France will attract the Light to your presence. Isn't that why you traveled by carriage earlier?"

The Demon looked at me with his head cocked, "You were the agent of the Light whom was tracking us," he said simply. "It would be hard to find me by sensing my magic unless some entity was actively watching for it."

I had to admit, without intercepting the binding spell on his imp, I would have never been able to keep pace with the Demon Prince.

"Come Seraphim," Devnikolus said, "I will show you where you can stay in the Dublin manor before I leave for France."

The band at my neck tingled, and I found my limbs moving to join him on the stairs ... while my mind silently seethed.

The manor was quaint. It was nothing like the grand sweeping chateau that I had infiltrated in France. This manor was built of mortar and stone, and possessed a quiet elegance that I found instantly appealing. Climbing ivy clung to every corner of the two story dwelling and served to warm and color what would have otherwise been a very grey exterior.

The Irish winter night was gripping, and the cozy house seemed to beckon silently.

Devnikolus strolled down the little path ahead of me, and my disobedient legs struggled to keep pace with his long strides.

With a way of his hand, the oak door swung open noiselessly.

"Ho Devnikolus!" Came a voice from behind.

The dark haired Demon turned, and looked past me toward the entrance of the grounds.

A slender man dressed in a royal purple waistcoat and white vest ambled gracefully up the path. He had long deep black hair that seemed almost blue pulled pack into a pony tail. Twin red orbs glowed above his crooked smile ... marking him as a Demon.

I had seen this entity before.

Three hundred years ago I had been a part of a sortie of Seraphims led by High Seraphim Achael against this creature. We were to prevent this Demon from meddling in the affairs of the Light.

The Byzantine Empire fell at Bursa after this Demon assured Osman that if he could keep Bursa under siege for nine years he could take the fortress. Osman would never have kept up his assault had he not been assured victory was certain.

"Orias," Devnikolus said warmly, "This is indeed a surprise."

Orias, Demon Prince of Prophecy and Change bowed, and smiled up at Devnikolus. "It has been far too long my friend. I visit your realm frequently, only to find you are away spending time amongst the mortals."

Devnikolus shrugged, "My stewards can manage my rule. I return occasionally to lend them aid should they require it."

The two men eyed each other for a moment. They took quiet stock of each other, and for a moment I wondered if something had been exchanged unsaid.

"You haven't really changed have you?" Orias said. "You still don't care for the inner machinations of the Dark."

"I haven't fought Lucifer's war for a long time," The Prince of Destruction said firmly.

Orias held up his hand placating, "I say these things meaning no offense. In truth, our King has little need of his Princes and Princesses. Most of us spend our time as we see fit."

"But not today," Devnikolus said as he eyed the other Demon closely.

Orias mustered a wane smile, "No ... you're right. Not today."

A frigid night-cooled wind swept across the grounds, and I shifted slightly as I suppressed a shiver.

The movement caught Orias' eye, "I see Lucifer told me truth when he said you had captured yourself a plaything."

"I hate you monsters," I managed to say weakly.

My heart wasn't in my loathing. I was cold and depressed. I just wanted to go home. I imagined the warmth and light of the Second Sphere of Heaven. I wondered when I would see it again.

"This isn't the first one I've captured," Devnikolus said slowly. "I can't imagine Lucifer knows that I've subdued this Angel already."

Orias merely shrugged, "I have found that underestimating him is unwise."

Devnikolus nodded, and looked up at the sky, "I have other things to do this night Orias," he said leadingly, "I would appreciate it if you could say your piece and depart. We can retell our travels this past century on a different eve."

Orias' mouth turned down slightly, "I was afraid of this Devnik," he said gently. "Unfortunately, what I have to ask of you requires that you stay here."

There was a pause. In the distance I could hear a drunken mass of humans belting their laughter to the heavens.

I watched my captor closely.

"It's not really you who's asking is it?" Devnikolus said in a resigned tone.

The Prince of Prophecy shook his head.

With a sigh Devnikolus motioned for us all to move inside.

-Devnik-

My feet fell heavily upon the ground as I stomped ahead of Orias and the silent Angel.

This was the worst possible time. I would have been almost happy for Lucifer to have a task for me anytime during the past hundred years. Well ... maybe not happy, but certainly more agreeable than right at this moment.

"Oh dear," I heard Orias say as we crossed the threshold into my manor, "I hope he isn't always so irritated. That might be rough on you m'lady."

"I'll kill you both," I heard Cariel respond petulantly.

Orias burst into ringing laughter. "I can see the appeal of this arrangement my friend. Humans would not be so delightfully resistant."

I resisted the urge to smile at Orias' easy good nature.

With a loose gesture I said, "Please, sit down and make yourself comfortable for a moment."

Orias flopped into a plush and heavy leather couch in the middle of my sitting room.

Cariel stood hesitantly in the doorway. Her silver eyes darted between us. Her ragged tunic hung from her pale and shapely body. Our fighting had taken its toll on her. She had a sunken look to her eyes, and I could see the beginnings of true despair about her features.