Demon Hunters: Book 1 Faith [editing]

Chapter 36

       

            Flying through the portals with shopping bags really slowed her down. The shoe box felt especially clumsy as it bumped about, tempting her to just leave it behind. Who would have thought Zoe would ever spend the day with human teenagers shopping for clothes. The things I do for the team.

            And Mason. Oh, Mason. Why were those demons tracking him down? What did they want? She wished she had the opportunity to crush the skull of that one arrogant demon. How dare he taunt her like that, igniting his sword in broad daylight and out in the open? I will kill him.

            Then Diego. How did he manifest celestial energy? Granted, it wasn't much, but she never known a human to have this ability before. Then her thoughts floated back to Maria de los Santos. That medicine woman somehow knew secrets that no mortals should know. Zoe definitely needed to learn much more about her and what she was capable of. In fact, could the old woman actually be the scion? Zoe dismissed this thought. Scions are evil. Scions possess demonic energy.

            And whose voice was that telling her to stay where she was? Could that have been Ren? They had only spoken with each other once a few decades ago. He thanked her for their three-day battle in the Arizona desert. Was he following her again or...

            The more she thought about, the angrier she became. Humans are not supposed to be involved. He had better leave my friends alone!

            She hovered still as she fumbled to make the doorway into the farmhouse living room and not drop the shoes. As soon as the gate appeared, she scowled in disgust at the voice she heard on the other side.

            "They were careless. They let themselves be tracked. That's why we are in this mess!" Ophiel stormed up and down the rug.

            "Now, let's be calm about this," Muriel said, her tone smooth like honey. "They'll be back in a few days. They'll tell us what happened."

            "We may not have three days!"

            Zoe tip-toed into the room and hid the bags behind the sofa.

            "And you? Where were you?" Ophiel pointed at her.

            "Ophiel, she's not involved," Rathaniel interceded.

            "What do you mean not involved? She's one of our best warriors." Ophiel had never complimented Zoe on anything. So Zoe looked at her cautiously. "If she had more discipline and maturity, then we might actually get more things done."

            Zoe clenched her jaw and glared at the senior-ranking angel. Mentally, she calculated how much velocity it would take for her to throw her dagger so that it actually pierced her skin. Even hammers can stick into an angel if thrown hard enough.

            "Thanks enough," Zacharias said. He walked in front Zoe, blocking her view, and folded his arms about his chest. "She's undercover at the school. That's her mission, unless of course you wish to take her place."

            "No," Ophiel replied. "Let her play with the humans while we do the serious work here." Ophiel walked behind Zoe to the still-opened entrance to the portals. She motioned to Rathaniel to follow suit. "We'll be in touch, Zacharias." Her spotted the shopping bags behind the sofa and rolled her eyes.

The two angels departed.

Just when Zoe was about to make a comment, Muriel said, "Now, that's an angel with a real attitude problem."

Zacharias laughed, no one joined him. "Yes. She's been that way for thousands of years. Old habits don't die easily."'

"So, what's going on? I got your text." Zoe held up the mobile device.

"They killed a team of watchers last night," Muriel answered. "We think it's Araqiel trying to get rid of us watchers. We make him uncomfortable."

Zacharias sighed. "And they killed a second team of watchers already this evening. It's a purge, Zoe. They are tracking us all down."

Muriel said, "Ophiel thinks we should go on the offensive and fight Araqiel and his demon horde. She wants to trap them, to neutralize them."

"And she wants me to convince the Archangel Michael of this plan." Zacharias shook his head. "This isn't our mission. This isn't why we are here."

"So, this explains why I saw two demons earlier tonight."

Muriel perked up. "You did? Were they following you?"

"I'm not sure."

"Did they attack?" Zacharias asked.

"No. I think they might have been following my friends. I mean, social group. They were the two from the school."

Zacharias had turned his back on them. "We need to careful."

Muriel smiled at Zoe and mouthed the question, Friends?

Zoe glanced up to make sure Zacharias wasn't looking. She shrugged.

"I'll stand watch tonight. No more driving or walking to the farmhouse. They can't track us when we use the portals. In a way, Ophiel had been correct about the other watcher teams being careless." He left the room.

Muriel and Zoe waited in silence. "I love the dress," she said.

"Dress?"

"Yeah. I can access all message sent from Riley's phone. The picture she sent to Diego and Lin popped up on my computer screen. It's beautiful."

"I guess," Zoe replied, remembering that brief moment of feeling almost human. How did Muriel balance it all? How could she be so sensitive to humans and still be herself?

"Well, come on. Show me shoes."

"Maybe you should have gone undercover instead of me."

"Oh, I couldn't pull that off. Not in this human body. Besides, I'm having too much fun watching you manage teenage life."

"Thanks."

"So, you have to tell me all about it. Did Mason ask you to the dance? How did that go? Tell me everything."

Everything, except Ren. She doesn't need to know about that part.