Impure

The small dot of soft light ebbed then flashed as Sereph took his flesh form once more and dusted himself off with a shiver. Damn he hated turning into ethereal light. The cigarette between his lips had gone out so he pulled it from his mouth and mounted the stairs towards a large building before him, stubbing it out on the marble rail then flicking it away. Unlike most stone, this did not stain, it held small veins of cream that broke through the pure white surface. It was clean cut and smooth, almost like warm silk to the touch. Many said the stone was alive? Sereph wasn’t so sure. Full of magick, definitely. Actually living? Maybe? He paused a moment and peered up at the opposing structure. All of it was marble, but unlike most human structures, it didn’t have a straight line anywhere…it was all smooth curves and arcs. A large glass dome topped the building sealed to the stone with an impression of silver and gold ivy. All in all, it was pretty impressive. But after seeing it again and again the last few thousand years…you got used to it.
Sereph continued his accent to the majestic entrance carved of a pale wood not of any world seen? Two guards eyed him scrupulously and he gave them a mockingly sweet smile.
“Hey guys…I have an appointment.” He pointed to the doorway as they looked him over. “Call the secretary if you don’t believe me?” He teased as they glared and stepped aside and the doors opened of their own accord. Sereph saluted them as he went in his bare feet padding calmly upon the warm polished floor the door closing behind him soundlessly. He made his way towards a large crystal ring in the center of the room and stepped into it. The rim ebbed then flashed with a pale blue light and he vanished once more.

The council twittered between them selves and looked about to one another when a chime of noise twinkled through the air and the ring in the center of the room flashed and Sereph stood there facing them. Shirtless, shoeless but thankfully not pantless. One of the female members of the council faced the man who stood in the center of the room before them.
“Ah Sereph…welcome.” She smiled and inclined her head.
“Hey Lestal…” He gave a short wave; Lestal was one of the three female members of the small band before him and also one of the few…no…only members of the council he got along with.
“Serephium! For God’s sake…where is your shirt!?” That was one of the male members, old, bald, and cranky. He was only probably one of the most traditional angels he had met to date.
“I assure you Cronan…God doesn’t mind…But I have to be honest, I haven’t a clue where it is? Probably in the washing machine?” He said, being difficult.
“This is not a strip club Serephium…this is the Holy court…so next time, please come fully clothed, and in something more decent that a pair of shaggy jeans.” Cronan scowled at him his pale blue eyes narrowing darkly. It was easy to see how this man had been the leader of one of the armies against the demons in the second war. He still followed his old ideals.
“You’re not the one living on earth? Us modest living angels actually have to use washing power.” The tone was mocking
“Do not try my patience Serephium. Everyone else seems to be dressed at their appearance, so I would expect the same of you.”
“Well as you are pretty damn lucky to even have me here…” He stated a little peeved. “…You’ll just have to work with what you have, sorry.” He gave an equally acidic glare to the older man before him and was sure the argument would have escalated if not for Lestal.
“Yes…I am sure we will, won’t we Cronan?” She turned in her seat and eyed him carefully, her misty grey orbs boring into him. He opened his mouth to say something then shut it was a grunt and slipped back into his chair a little more with a look of silent disdain.
“Good, now Sereph. We summoned you to discuss your new ward.”
Sereph’s brow shot up in interest. He had not had a ward in a while.
“Her name is Laura and she lives in your area I believe.”
Something went click in his head as he blinked like a startled goldfish.
“Wait…that is Christian’s ward…”
Lestal smiled coyly.
“Indeed. I am going to team you two up on this one. As Christian is a guardian he will do his usual duties…and you are to watch, do your usual recording on her details.”
Laura was a sixteen-year-old girl down their street Christian had been given to guard a few months ago. Her father had left her mother and her mother had taken up drinking as a substitute. She was a quiet girl but seemed to like talking to Christian when she could…of course, she had no clue to what he was, and he was posing as her tutor for art. The concept had made him laugh originally, as Christian was terrible at teaching, even if he was good at it…yet it had worked?
“Team up…” He echoed still a little surprised then frowned. “…What’s the catch?”
“No catch. I just happen to find you two to be the best for the job…Christian is doing exceedingly well with her and as you are close by it will be easier for you to write on it.”
It made sense.
“Thanks?” He said dumbfounded. Lestal smiled softly in her own little way and nodded.
“That is all, you are dismissed…we expect the first part of your report filed in a month.”
With that the ring ebbed and he shimmered from view. As soon as Sereph was gone Fate seemed to step from nowhere into the room behind Lestal her soft eyes glowing with a pale light.
“I do hope you know what you are doing this time?” Lestal said with a soft frown cresting her brow with concern. Fate sighed.
“I do, you must trust me on this.”
Cronan huffed and lent forward in his seat and faced the glowing form of cosmic balance.
“You still sill not tell us what this about.”
Fate gave a soft smile, here eyes seeming to sparkled back at him. She shook her head as she turned.
“No…I cannot, not yet.” She shimmered as she took one final step and flickered from sight once more leaving the council curious and Lestal worried.

Sereph stood back in the lounge and rubbed his neck. It was great he was working with Christian, and he was glad he wasn’t stuck with someone else on a different ward. He should have been happy, but something in the back of his mind was scratching at him, and it just didn’t seem right. He had a look of concern on his face as he stood in the middle of the room absently, and that was how Christian found him when he wandered in.
“Okay, it was either very bad news, or good news and you are worried about it?” He said breaking Sereph’s thoughtful silence. He looked up at Christian; he had dressed while he’d been gone. He had a pair of clean black pants on and a loose white shirt buttoned up neatly. His ruffled hair had been tamed mercilessly in a ponytail. Small whispers of black hair tickled his jaw, rebelling against the tie that held the rest in place. It was about the only way he could keep his hair looking reasonable.
“Good news.” He confirmed still looking thoughtful.
“Ah, I see…so what is this good news?”
“My new ward is Laura.”
“My Laura!?” Christian blinked and received a nod. “So, they finally gave in and teamed us up? What is the problem?”
Sereph shrugged.
“Nothing really, I just have a feeling there is more to it than what they are willing to say?”
His companion groaned and rolled his eyes.
“Sereph…there is always more to it than what they are willing to say. But it usually isn’t worth worrying over.”
He slid his eyes over to the dark-haired man and gave a half-bidden smile, seeming a little less concerned, but not fully exorcized of his worries. Christian wandered over and leant in until his nose was a hairs breath from his own. He had to be the only one he knew that was close to his height. He stood at something close to six foot eight where Christian was closer to six foot seven. Sereph held his breath at the close proximity the man held him in. That soft smile quirked one corner of Christian’s mouth as he poked Sereph’s broad, and rather bare, chest.
“Though you do look so cute when you’re worried.”
Blinking at the strange remark he sound himself slowly grinning then a chuckle bubbled in his chest.
“Stop trying to make me feel better.”
“Too late.” He winked then went to move away, but Sereph’s arms lanced out to snake about his waist and tip him back into an impressed tango dip with a boyish grin.
“Is it so much to ask to just let me be moody for five seconds?”
Christian smirked.
“Yeah, actually it is. You pout when you’re moody…Like this.” He jutted out his lower lip and gave the larger angel puppy eyes with his deep liquid brown gaze.
“You are a gnat’s ass away from getting that lower lip of yours abused by my teeth.” He gave a tempting growl in the back of his throat. Christian grinned.
“Promises, promises…”
Sereph brought his face to his, breath stirring against his lips.
“I don’t make promises, I make threats.” He teased as the man in his arms looked up with a longing in his gaze.
“Then…feel free too threaten me, all you want…” Christian purred.
Sereph was about to threaten his mind silly, with his mouth, when there was a knock at the door. Both the men seemed to snap their attention to the portal. He groaned and the dark hair man gave a rueful smile.
“Rain check.”
Sereph lifted Christian back to his feet.
“Yes, and the little storm is at the door.” He nodded as another rap sounded. “Better answer it, it’ll be Laura.”
Smiling Christian took a deep breath then went too the door and answered it as Sereph drifted into the kitchen as usual to give the two a little space for a chin wag.

He sipped his coffee and mulled over what he had written. His typewriter gave a whir of sound as he pulled the paper free and his eyes flickered over the words and sighed. It still didn’t seem quite…right. Laura’s voice twittered happily from the next room followed by Christian’s deep, honeyed laugh he knew well. A soft purr laced smile tilted his lips as he coiled a new sheet of paper into the machine. He couldn’t remember how long he’d had the thing, years. It was probably worth a bundle, but he could not part with it for any price. He looked down at it and toyed with the unlit cigarette between his fingers. That dream was bothering him again, he was trying desperately to relax by doing the one thing he was good at…writing…writing anything. Poems, songs, stories what ever he was in the mood for. Usually it clawed out of him like some feral animal at a heady pace, but today he had a very bad case of writes block caused by a stupid fiction created by his deluded mind! Sereph groaned and dry washed his face with his hands. He was going insane.
His muddle web of thought was broken by a crash in the next room. Sereph’s head shot up his blue eyes simmering with surprise. There was a scream, sharp and definitely female.
“Laura!” He sprang from his chair letting it topple to the ground. He didn’t even hear it hit the ground as he was in the opposite room catapulting himself in to catch Christian holding the girl in his arms looking panicked. The girl squirmed relentlessly in his firm hold. Her mousy blond hair tossing about her and screamed.
“No…NO!” She screeched trying to claw at the man who held her.
“Christian! What the hell!?”
“I don’t know! She tried to attack me.” He nodded to the floor and pointed out the small switch knife glinting.
“Let go!!” She squealed thrashing about kicking. Christian winced but didn’t let go. “Demon! Let go!”
Sereph blinked frozen in place then frowned and looked at the two. A small nimbus of light crowned his head, taking the world from a different perspective. Something dark coiled about the girl’s eyes, like a veil of shadow blinding her. Sereph swore and lunged forward as that dark power flicked out and grasped the blade forgotten on the floor and threw it forward towards Christian. The blade sank deep into his shoulder. He landed gracelessly on the floor grasping the hilt his jaw set as he yanked it out.
“Drop her Christian!” He yelled.
“Are you insane…she is my ward!”
Laura took the moment of distraction to bite his arm ferociously. The man gave a cry of surprise and dropped her. She landed like a cat, on all fours and hissed. A thin trickle of blood flowed from Sereph’s shoulder with ease.
“She’s possessed.” He murmured lot moving his eyes of the girl, a frown lining his brow in concentration. Christian had recovered quickly and was doing much the same as she eyed them both, then a slow smile crept across her innocent features like warm honey.
“Quick aren’t we?” she seemed to purr. It was odd, her voice was still her own? But it was like the echo of another whispered in the undercurrent. It was older, darker, and far more determined…and it controlled the small child like a lifeless puppet. The demon cocked Laura’s head slightly in the most curious manner than maniacal smile never leaving her lips.
“You must be Serephium? I have been looking for you.” She winked then the blade in his hand shot from his grasp before he could check it. Her warm, young fingers wound about it with a deadly knowledge. Her eyes flicked back to her ward as she licked her lips and darted forwards. Christian scowled and danced about her to grab the girl. But what ever possessed her was far faster, and could channel their own strengths into their vessel. She darted to once side on all fours, the glint of steel flashed across Christian’s thigh with an angry red sash. Undeterred the angel sprinted after her, but the small child lunched herself at the window, it shatters and she plummeted down.
“Shit!” Sereph sprang into life and dove out after her.
“Sereph!”
The smooth column of his back shimmered with life, the dark lines of the wings tattooed onto his flesh flared with a blue fire as feathers burst from his back. The fanned out their impressive span pale ivory feathers drifting about him the soft lines darkening into pale autumn brown tips. He felt the air snap at them and the pull of the currents lash beneath the canopy of feathers. Laura eyed him then blinked. The shimmer of darkness, fading as she seemed to realize where she was and screamed. Sereph reached out and quickly grabbed her wrist and beat his wings. Air flared about them in gusts as the muscles in his back rippled with determination. Another beat of his wings; slowed their pace further. The girl whimpered and scrunched her eyes closed. The finally seemed to hover as he gasped for breathe. The burn in his shoulder flared like fire with the extra weight.
“Laura.” He grated out and she slowly opened her eyes and gasped. Her eyes brimming with tears looking ready to break out screaming again. Thank god they were still ten stories up. He was in public view of ever human below and anyone who tried to peek out their windows. He was swearing mentally.
“Laura, give me your other hand.” He gritted his teeth and she whimpered but complied. He grasped her other hand firmly then beat his wings strongly for support and pulled her up towards him. As soon as she was close enough her arms latched about his neck almost too tightly and she buried her face in his neck giving off little pants of shock. He rubbed her back in reassurance. Sereph was no good with kids, but he understood a need. He looked up. They had free fallen a good distance. He drifted up quickly with the soft stir of air against her hair to wisp it up whimsically about her cheeks. She shook in his arms until he finally handed her back to Christian who was at his wit end.
“Damn, Sereph I thought you were going to kill yourself.” He murmured cuddling the girl who was now latched to him and refused to let go. Folding his wings back he expelled a breath.
“Either that or let her fall.” He was a little shaken himself. Demons rarely made attempts like that. Not to mention their whole damn apartment was warded for that reason…just how powerful was that thing! Christian had scooped up Laura who was now sobbing and bubbling something he couldn’t understand.
“Go dress that.” He nodded to his shoulder and drew his attention to the bloodstains dripping down his chest with a rueful grimace. “I’ll calm her down.”
Something in Christian’s tone sounded regretful. He knew he was upset he hadn’t seen it coming, and hadn’t been able to do anything about it.
“It’s not your fault Chris.” He whispered so only he could hear as he exited to the bathroom. He heard a sigh.
“Maybe?”