The Price of Exorcism by Dakota Brown (sneezy the snowman read aloud .txt) 📗

line of conversation was distractedby the arrival of a couple of pizzas, some pop, and Mal's return.

This place really did have the best pizza, and Ienjoyed the cheesy deliciousness while I watched the employees alternatebetween casual chatter while they ate and closing the place up for the night.Chris had managed to inspire a great deal of loyalty in her people and, notthat I needed a reason, but it made me think even more highly of her. Now ifonly I could get over my own hang ups.

The chatter paused when the bells on the door chimed.Almost as if in a movie, we all turned to look at who would come in when theplace was so obviously closed.

A chill rolled down my spine and I felt rooted to thespot as I met one of the invaders' gaze.

His eyes were a deep blue, unnaturally so, set inbronzed skin. Impossibly golden hair hung to the guy's shoulders. I wanted tojerk my gaze away, wanted to move. His very presence filled me with a dreadlike I'd never experienced, not even going up against the demons.

Mal swore, breaking me out of my trance, but onlyjust. I still felt rooted to the spot.

"You will come with us."

There were two of them, though I'd only managed to geta look at the one. Mal stepped in front of me.

"No, he won't."

"And what exactly do you think you're going to beable to do to stop us from taking him, creature. You can't even touch us."

Mal twitched but didn't answer. Simply moved to puthimself more firmly between me and the two beings in front of us. I finallymanaged to get a look at the other one. She had the appearance of a child, butone look in those deep brass-colored eyes told me she was likely older than theconcept of time.

"Come."

Her voice, high and child-like, wrapped around me. Ithrew everything I had into resisting it, but it was a losing battle.

Mal glanced at me before his shoulders sagged, as ifresigned to something.

"Just keep fighting. I'll get rid of them,"Mal said.

The male laughed.

Mal growled, darted sideways faster than I couldfollow, and suddenly appeared next to the taller being, holding a chair.

The being ignored Mal, as if he were inconsequential,until the vampire broke the chair over the being's head.

That dropped the guy to the floor.

"Don't need to touch you to hurt you," Malgrowled, somehow having procured another chair.

He took a swing at the girl. She held out her hand andthe chair cracked over an invisible shield.

The other one got back up and both had turned theirattention to the vampire. Mal held two metal chair legs like weapons, one ineach hand.

The girl held up her hand again and the other brokenpieces of chair flew at the vampire.

I was suddenly very grateful that Chris didn't havewooden furniture. I imagined Mal was, too. He managed to bat most of the piecesaway, but one got through, sinking into his gut.

He grunted, dropping one of the chair legs, and jerkedthe metal rod out, flinging blood in the process. The creatures flinched away,hissing as some of it splattered on them.

I watched the vampire. He looked surprised, but then asmile tugged at his lips. He dropped the pieces of metal he'd been holding,shutting his eyes and taking a breath. He brought his hands up as I'd seen himdo in the past, before drawing a glowing sigil in the air.

The creatures sneered at him until he slashed hispalm, sprayed blood on the sigil and shouted something terrifying sounding inLatin.

A clap of sound followed a bright flash of light asthe beings were forcibly repelled from the restaurant. The door slammed behindthem and Mal ran to it and pressed his bloody palm against the glass, hastilyscribbling another sigil in the blood before speaking again, this time thelanguage didn't sound the same, so maybe not in Latin.

The sigil disappeared and I suddenly felt unwelcome inthe room, as if a force was trying to repel me.

"Aaron, come here for a moment," Mal called.

Finally able to move, I joined him by the door. Hegrabbed my hand, muttered a quick apology and sliced my palm open with his nail.He stared at a moment as the blood welled on my hand, licking his lips beforehe tore his gaze away and pressed my hand to the door.

"Yeah, that's against health code," I joked,while trying not to freak out.

Mal chuckled. "Probably."

The unwelcome feeling faded, and the glass absorbed myblood. I took a deep breath. "Well, then. What the hell was that?"

"Yeah, good question."

Shit, I'd forgotten about Billy and the others.

Mal and I slowly turned. I glanced at the vampire. Hiseyes had returned to their normal deep brown, but the front of his shirt wascovered in blood. He sighed.

"Best guess," he replied, glancing at theothers. "Angels."

"No shit?" I breathed.

The others just stared.

"Well, the warding I used to repel them wasspecifically designed to repel angels, and it worked, so yeah, I think so."He hunched his shoulders.

"Why were angels after Aaron?" Mandy asked,eyes wide as they darted between me and Mal.

He glanced at me and I shrugged.

"I don't know, but it's possible they were tryingto piss off your boss," Mal said. "I guess it depends on which sideof this whole thing they're actually on."

"Wait, what thing? And aren't angels supposed tobe the good guys?" Billy asked.

Mal burst out laughing. "No. Angels are assholes.I prefer the demons most of the time. At least recently."

"Dude, how many angels have you met?" Iasked.

Mal shook his head. "One or two over the years."

"Um, Mal, are you okay?" Stacy gesturedtoward his stomach.

He looked down, eyes widening before he muttered somethingannoyed sounding under his breath. "I'm fine."

"But…"

"I'm fine," he repeated.

"Okay, so you all are involved in somethingbigger than just a few random possessed convicts, right?" Billy said,crossing his arms.

Mal nodded, looking resigned.

"Aaron is interesting to angels, and you're abadass who isn't actually injured after getting impaled?"

Mal sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Youdo know your boss, right? If someone took Aaron, she'd go to hell and back toget him. We're not quite sure what's going on, but there's