Between the Cross and the Flame

Chapter 15: Chaya

Chaya had to run to keep up with his rescuer's pace. Haniel, Irvin, and Mavet fell in beside him, each exchanging bewildered glances between the flashes of grenades. The cave shook with every explosion, but the woman seemed unperturbed by the chaos. She ran between crowds of tightly-packed people, every once in a while stopping to let the boys catch up, then continued deeper into the cave. Chaya glanced over his shoulder and noticed that one hundred percent of the mass of humanity flooding into the cave bore the same red eyes, unsheathed claws, and unmistakable muscle tone.

"Wait a second, you're a demon?" Chaya blurted out.

The woman stopped outside a narrow passageway, shooting him a wink. "Uh-huh. Have been for the last ninety years! It's not so bad, though."

Leading the way into the pass, the woman found large, metal door and tried the handle, but it was locked. She rolled her eyes and planted the heel of her boot into it instead. The door came flying off its hinges, crashing into the opposite wall. Chaya exchanged an appalled glance with Mavet, then followed the woman into the room, starstruck.

"Del!" Irvin exclaimed.

In the corner of the room, Del shot to her feet. "Guys! How on Earth did you- ?" She finally noticed the demon-woman. "Who's this?"

"Uh...what's your name again?" Haniel questioned.

"Adeline, straight from my dear home state of Georgia!" the woman proclaimed, pretending to tip an imaginary hat at Del. "Come on, Girly, let's get you and your friends outside! You probably haven't breathed fresh air in hours..."

Chaya, by now thoroughly confused, followed Adeline out the door and toward the cave mouth. They walked at least a quarter mile, if not half a mile, until they finally emerged into the moonlight. Chaya appreciated the cold desert wind on his face when they stepped outside. He brushed his fingers through his hair and tied it back into a ponytail before it could blow everywhere. Adeline chatted amiably with Del and Irvin while Haniel and Mavet stood a good distance away, whispering darkly. Chaya furrowed his brow. Could they really trust Adeline, or any of these demons, for that matter, after everything that had happened?

"Hey, Blondie, what's your name?" Adeline called, catching Chaya by surprise.

"Oh, um, Chaya," he mumbled, stepping closer so she could hear.

"Chaya! That's a beautiful name!" Adeline laughed good-naturedly. "I've never heard it before! That's an accomplishment, because I've heard hundreds of thousands of names since I died."

"Hundreds of thousands?" Irvin said.

"Yessir! Hundreds of thousands! People die left and right in this world. Not everyone can make it to Heaven right away, can they?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why, most people these days just aren't as Christian as they used to be!" Adeline explained. "God didn't want everyone being damned to hell, so he gave only half-bad people like me a second chance! I was a raging drunk, and I neglected my family, unfortunately, so I became a demon the moment I died! I've got three chances to prove that I'm a changed woman, and if I succeed, I'll finally go to Heaven."

Chaya's nerves frayed. All of this felt familiar, but why? He felt like he'd heard this speech a thousand times in a thousand different ways, but he couldn't remember when, how, or what the circumstances were. He agonized over the details of the memory for several moments before he gave up on it, letting out a frustrated sigh. Would he ever know his past?

"Oh, look, it's Leviathan!" Adeline exclaimed. "He's the one that led the charge for rescuing you five! He'll want to see you."

Chaya's heart skipped a beat at the mention of that name. When he turned around, he understood why. Leviathan was a menacing presence at best. Even wearing a neutral expression on his face, Chaya got the impression that he was scowling at everyone and everything. Leviathan's dark grey armor bore gleaming spikes on the shoulderpads and scarlet stains on the chestplate. His shadowy features, including his nearly black eyes, pierced through the night and wreathed him in shade. Chaya would have fallen to his knees in fear had Haniel not put his arm around him.