God's Gone AWOL

[9] "What are You Apologizing For?"

"Atticus, take Bentley and run." Damaris glanced over their shoulder. "Let me handle this."

Without saying a single word, Atticus instinctively nodded and rushed to Bentley's side. However, the moment he reached forward to help her up, she slapped him away. The slap itself wasn't as bad as the shock Atticus felt immediately afterwards. It was such a simple gesture, but it still left him trapped in another rush of silent heartbreak. So he remained completely still, stunned into silence as Bentley hastily buttoned up the front of her dress.

Meanwhile, Damaris was standing their ground behind them. Like a mother bear protecting her cubs, they glared forward at the five angels with a look of dangerous warning. However, despite the unparalleled intensity radiating from their body, there was not a single trace of anger on Damaris' features. They held their head high with dignity. Perhaps they didn't want to use violence against their own kind, but if it meant protecting the two angels they failed to save the first time, they were willing to do anything.

Four of the original nine angels had disappeared during the pursuit, and it was unclear if this was a proper choir or just a wandering band of thugs. None of them were at all recognizable to Atticus, so it didn't really matter. Either way, one of the angels had assumed a leadership role amongst his peers, holding his chin upwards and standing in front of their proper v-formation like he meant something.

Under the dim red lighting of the broken room, that angelic leader squinted his eyes at the sight before him. The rumbling throughout the room abruptly stopped, leaving an unpleasant and now unfamiliar feeling of stillness in the air as he took a curious step forward.

"Hold on now..." he said, smiling slightly. "Damaris??"

Damaris said nothing.

One of the angels standing behind him jumped forward, a look of horrible, scandalized excitement crossing their face.

"Aiya, blessings be! It really is them!" the angel exclaimed.

"We all thought you had disappeared off the map forever," the leader said, "What are you doing shielding Bentley Hellbourne? Don't you remember how she was the one who brought your downfall?"

"I resigned on my own accord," Damaris told them, "And my business with Bentley is my own. Please step away from this before you get yourselves killed,"

"'Killed'? What has that little devil done to you?" another angel said from the peanut gallery, "We're the ones who are going to be doing the killing tonight. Kindly step aside so that justice may prevail,"

But of course, Damaris did not move. Their movements remained still, and their features remained calm. It was clear to everyone that Damaris was not under any sort of enchantment or spell. Amidst the blood-crazed angels, the broken Bentley, and the desperately distraught Atticus, they were the most level-headed entity in the vicinity.

"Please do not harm them," Damaris said.

All of the angels glanced at each other, a little unsure. Even though it had been years since Damaris left Heaven, their name was still remembered throughout the ranks. They had been an excellent and devoted servant for thousands of years before the fall, and they had managed to gain their amiable reputation without ever once doing anything too dangerous or dramatic. Every choir leader still aspired to have the same amount of respect and success that Damaris had during their years as a leader. Even after their disappearance, everyone still held them in high regards. So now that they were so adamant about protecting none other than Bentley Hellbourne, of course the angels would be confused.

"Bentley, let's go," Atticus said, quietly tugging on her arm.

But Bentley slapped him away again and hauled herself upwards on her own. Blood was still running from the injury Damaris had started to heal, continuing to seep through the stiff, blackened fabric of her dress. Judging by the way she wobbled when she stood up, Atticus could guess that she had obtained other injuries as well, but she would never reveal any of them —even if he begged. She could dismiss her own well-being so easily, it was truly heart wrenching to see.