Avenging Cupids

Chapter 20: True Colors

“Every angel is terrifying.” 

― Rainer Maria Rilke, Duino Elegies

The world seemed to stop turning and Willow floated in zero gravity as the Telocvovim advanced. How did her life take a sudden turn for the worse? All in the course of one week, she found out that her parents weren’t even remotely related to her, that her best friend was Nephilim, that Kasey was possessed, and that she was Eve incarnate. On top of it all, she had broken her virginal streak for a boy who was actually an immortal, almighty angel and her soul mate. Why couldn’t it just stop there?

Oh, of course not. Just when she thought things couldn't possibly get any worse, a Telocvovim demon had begun to slither towards her, practically salivating for her blood. Just great. What more? It wasn’t divine intervention that thwarted Kasey’s hand at all; it was His way of saving her from a cliché death. Yes, of course. God wanted her to die a painful, sorry death.

The demon wriggled and squirmed towards her, seeming to change shape with every step. It growled, snarled, and hissed, all at the same time. From somewhere far off in the distance, she could hear a cacophony of panicked screams that sounded much like a swarm of cicadas.

The demon was only a few heartbeats away from reaching her and boy did it stink. The foul smell of rotten fish and brimstone filled her nostrils, making her gag. It was too close now. She could see its grotesque features in all of its revolting details. The demon was dressed in devilish scraps of black wool that hung off of him like torn flesh. The scraps looked too leathery, almost like dyed human skin. Boils oozing blackened tar and three gaping holes made up the demon’s facial composition. Two identical horns protruded from the sides of his head, spiraling down towards hell. Large black wings that were shredded in some places towered the demon from behind.  

“Elle!” Azaria screamed. “Your scepter! Quick!”

Willow wrenched her eyes gratefully away from the demon to stare in awe at Elle and Azaria. She met her mother’s eyes and they shared a silent embrace before Azaria went up into flames. Elle quickly followed suit and Willow watched as the two balls of fire rushed towards the demon.

Light and dark came to blows and Willow stared in riveting fear and wonder. The fire abated and she finally came face-to-face with her mother's true colors.

Azaria was beauty-queen-gorgeous as a human but as an angel, her beauty was amplified to at least 100 times more. Her hair flowed down to the back of her knees in a volumized waterfall of chestnut locks. Her crow’s feet and laugh lines disappeared and she looked as if she could be Willow’s age. Her eyes were a vibrant aquamarine. She was painfully beautiful.

Elle and Azaria each held a crystal scepter that was about the length of an average arm. It was skinny and looked like it could break in their grips. The top of their scepters was domed and hollow with a crystal cross within it. Below the handles were various jewels and engraved runes. Elle’s scepter consisted of sapphires and red rubies while Azaria’s consisted of rows upon rows of pearls. They were made up of several differently shaped parts connected with rings. The entire surface was covered by a finely engraved decoration whose dominant features consisted of an acanthus and honeysuckle blossom motif.

They flicked their scepters at the demon over and over again. As they did, rays of zigzagged gold light shot out from the blunt, diamond-studded end of their scepters.

“Blans!” Azaria shouted as she flicked her scepter at Willow and Alden. Gold lightning branched out from the end of her scepter and instantly, she and Alden were encased in a hollow ball of gold light.