God's Gone AWOL

[11] Bentley Gets Bullied

Every time she was hit, Bentley would fall. Every time she fell, she would get back up. It didn't matter how painful it was, or how much blood she coughed up in the process, she would stand up every single time Camael knocked her down.

Luckily, since she was just a soul, she couldn't actually bruise or draw any blood on the skin. If she was blasted by a spell, her form would flicker slightly and Bentley would have to strain her magic in order to keep up her appearance. The angels on the cliffside hadn't figured out that she had been separated from her physical body yet, and Bentley intended on keeping it that way. As long as he had the upperhand of knowledge, she would be alright.

Most likely.

"Is this the only way you know how to solve conflict? Beating something until it's dead?" Bentley asked as soon as she had a chance to breathe. "For an angel of your rank, Camael, you really are astonishingly nasty—"

Another blasting spell sent Bentley flying backwards. The force was so strong that she bounced once off the rough and brittle rock before rolling to a stop. Another bubble of hot blood burst outwards from between her lips, as her laughter echoed off the rocky walls surrounding them. Even when she was injured like this, Bentley was still laughing. Many of the angels couldn't help but wonder if she was laughing for some sinister reason, or whether she was just a bloodied masochist reveling in her own pain.

"Why do you keep attacking me??" Bentley asked, still laughing.

"Is it not obvious?" Camael sent out yet another vicious spell.

"Not really!" Bentley ducked out of its way.

This whole time, Nathaniel and the rest of the angels had been looking on in silence. His expression was mild, but still showed some sign of interest. It was as though he was watching a basketball game between two teams he didn't hold any loyalty towards.

"Would you like some help?" he offered casually.

"I'm fine," Camael told him, "I've been waiting for this opportunity for a long time and I'll be damned if I let anyone else take the spotlight,"

Hearing this, Bentley raised her eyebrows.

"So you're bullying me just for the attention??" She turned towards the crowd. "Why are you still following this chic??"

But before anybody from Camael's following could justify their case, Bentley was caught off guard by another blast of white light. Ever since she had discovered that Bentley wasn't immune to magical attacks, Camael had turned into a dog on the hunt. Every strike was ruthless and filled with as much power as she could muster. Her body had been weakened when she opened the gateway, but the delightful thought of killing Bentley Hellbourne was enough to fuel her endless barrage of attacks.

The interrupting spell sent Bentley toppling backwards again. This particular blast was even angrier and more powerful than the past few, and since Bentley had been in the middle of speaking, she wasn't as prepared for it. When she was thrown into against the rocky ground, she struggled to get back up. With trembling limbs, she hacked up another mouthful of blood, before collapsing back down into the grey dirt.

Seeing how her opponent was finally down for the count, a small smile stretched across Camael's face and she sent out another blast for good measure. Bentley managed to roll to the side and dodge it just in time, but she was still unable to rise to her feet. Her eyes were glowing a deep shade of red as she glared up at the angel, and a fire was brewing in her heart. Everyone could see the look of angry defeat reflected in Bentley's eyes, and yet she still continued to struggle and writhe on the ground.

The destined winner of this battle was obvious. In a physical fight where one of the participants refused to raise a fist, tragedy was the only result. All of the silent angels standing on the hillside waited in mixed flavors of anticipation for their glorious leader to finish off the wretched little demon who had caused them so much grief.