The Wicked & Divine

Chapter 21• Sub Zero

The passenger car shook and rattled, the sound of piercing screeches outside making me wince and clamp my palms over my ears.

Satan sure is fucking tone deaf.

"What happened?!" I called out to Raphael, who was grabbing our coats from the compartment overhead and grabbing my arm. "I'm not sure how they found you, it had to be a chance of luck on their part. Don't panic Dea I will not let them get to you" he said, grunting as he pulled us along with the rest of the panicking crowd.

"Wait- Raphael!" I yelled, digging my feet into the ground to prevent him from pulling me any further. I could not let us gather in the innocent crowd of humans, they had nothing to do with this. He realized that I was not cooperating, and swindled back, grunting annoyedly.

"Don't worry, they won't touch the mortals. The crew has already alerted local authorities and they will be airlifted from the tracks. There were attacks on other locomotives and they believe it's some sort of attack, but in the meantime it's up to us to make sure none are slaughtered. Now Dea if you would kindly follow me" he said with slight sarcasm lacing his tone. The passenger car was completely vacant now, and all that was left was screeching echoes.

I looked down, embarrassed, of course he wasn't just going to leave them here. He is an angel after all, not like us greedy humans. The real problem at hand was my lack of know how when it came to my abilities, how could I keep them alive with no definitive combat experience. I only had what Gabe taught me, which wasn't much.

And as if reading my mind, Raphael followed as we moved swiftly through each of the passenger cars-

"I know you've hardly enough hand to hand combat experience, nor any with your abilities. I'll give you some advice Dea, it's as simple as imagining it, think about molding sand. That's all your doing, but with energy. But if you follow my lead, we will get through this wave, and I'll take you somewhere safe" he turned around and paused, I wasn't as reflexively trained and collided into him slightly.

He took a long sniff, and looked at the roof of the luggage car.

"It's too quiet, they're-"

SWOOSH!

The metallic top was completely pried off and around the jagged steel edges were about 6 of the most frightening looking winged bats, their red eyes glowing like blood rubies in the night. Fear froze me like the ice in the clouds above, that seemed to satiate them. Their skin rippled and shook as they hooted in ecstasy, "Found her! Found her!" I couldn't understand them but I knew exactly what they were saying.

Each had to be about 5 feet tall, with wings guarded by what looked like sharpened bone on the edges. Their heads were small and oval like, with small bloodshot eyes and thin mouths that stretched ear to ear, rows of about hundreds of small sharp teeth poking out eagerly.

The blood lust in the air was thick, like the air in the tropics, but instead a cold gust of snowy mountain air whipped across my face like needles. Although the sky was a dark periwinkle, I could see blood staining the snowy chunks on their talons.

And finally the thick silence was broken, one of them grinned and lapped their tongue around their teeth, turning its head up and screeching loudly into the night.

"Dea!" Raphael yelled from besides me, pulling me under his chest and holding his warm hands around my ears. I clenched my eyes shut as we huddled to the ground for only seconds, until his hands were removed.

Without seconds passing he yells out to me, "they just called the Alpha of the group! I'll hold them off, but you need to go and protect the remaining humans now Dea! NOW!" And with no second thought I was bolting to the exit at the end of the train, pushing the latch open and opening the door to the track laid across the wide mountain side. There was no tomorrow I thought, there can't be, not after a hellish night like this. It had no start, no end, just murder and fear. Was this Hell? was this the domain I was doomed to?