Since you modern Guardians no longer guard the Earth from demons, I guess I’m on my own.” He looked straight into Lemuel’s face. “Wasn’t that the vow we took, back in our day? To use our Angelic powers against the demon hoards, to protect our people and our human brethren?
Perhaps my memory is faulty, but I think that’s what we vowed. Do you remember, Lemuel?”
Lemuel’s cheeks turned a bright red. “Get out of here before I put you where you belong.”
Rahmiel gave a low laugh. “Plan on going after Kaphawn yourself?”
Lemuel said nothing.
“I didn’t think so.
He pulled Kari tight and lifted off with a hard beat of his wings, while the Angels below looked at their leader.
“He just bound you to stay out of prison, girl,” Lemuel shouted as Rahmiel ascended, with Kari tucked safely against him.
Kari fell asleep while he flew, and did not completely wake. Rahmiel got the girl showered and helped her to bed. He gave her a suggestion, reinforced by his power due to the binding, to sleep for several hours. She would feel much better with the extra sleep, and he had some business to attend to. He’d return to her about the time she awakened, and they would spend a few delicious hours together before he started hunting Kaphawn.
* * * *
He made his way to the Angeli Overland. It was lovely, of course, with gleaming pastel buildings made of quartz and crystal and streets of shiny white and pink quartz laid out in patterns. Everything was orderly, even trees and shrubs were trimmed into pleasing shapes, and flowers were placed in neat geometric, balanced beds.
He hated it.
He thought fondly of his little island with its wild green growth, fallen trees, seaweed on the beach. That was perfect.
After he hunted Kaphawn tonight, he’d take Kari back there, only this time he’d bring along a blanket, and maybe some food and drink for Kari. He had to remember she was human, and her energy level depleted much quicker than that of an Angeli woman.
For now, he needed to find Tehmuel. Fortunately, he knew where his friend lived.
The one advantage to the ice prison was how it amplified his Angeli vision and hearing.
After the first one hundred years or so, he had been able to focus on Earth well enough to follow friends around as they went about their business. He’d heard the Angeli debates about staying on Earth or departing to a human-free Angeli home. The Angeli world had won out and all but a few had retired to the new world. Rahmiel had watched his friends and family with interest for a while, but the Angeli world had become boring after a few hundred years.
Earth, on the other hand, was always bursting with energy, with wild ideas and bloody wars, with kingdoms rising and falling, heroic battles, passionate lovers. He much preferred watching Earth.
Still, he’d kept track of Tehmuel. Rahmiel found him out in his garden, working on an intricate mosaic made of tiny colored grains of sand.
Rahmiel landed in the middle of it, and deliberately wiped out an entire section with his wings. The look on Tehmuel’s face was priceless. Rahmiel roared with laughter.
“You ruined my mosaic.”
Rahmiel doubled over with laughter. Tehmuel, his red beard quivering with rage, launched into him and they skidded across the mosaic, sending the tiny colored grains flying.
“I worked on that for three hundred years.” Tehmuel hit him in the gut.
The old man still had it in him, Rahmiel thought as he bent over and groaned.
“Rahmiel?” Tehmuel paused and frowned at him. “How’d you get out of the freezer?”
“Long story. How about you find me something fermented to drink, and I’ll tell you all about it.”
They made their way to padded lounge chairs on the