Convoke

Chapter 24

"And so am I." Tom's smile turned into a grin, and Ezra looked down to hide his relief that someone cared enough to fight for him. Ezra thought so little of himself that he expected nobody to see someone so small, and Tom understood that now. "Well uh . . . " he pursed his lips and tapped the tips of his fingers together, "I didn't expect to have this conversation tonight. We've not got anything done."

Ezra glanced around. The library was full of information, yet useless. "I don't think there's much more to be done in here. Nothing is getting us closer to the truth. Shall I walk you-" An angel landed near the library door. Books on either side of his wings flew off shelves, landing on the floor with loud thuds. The angel landed on one knee, showing them the top of his bald head. "Soul Stripper," he said sternly. "You are needed a mile from here at the Glass Horns pub."

Tom gasped as the angel straightened his back, staring oddly at them standing close. "My parents!" Tom said in a panic, grabbing Ezra's arm, "My-"

"I'll make sure they're safe. Stay here, don't walk home on your own!" Ezra ordered, removing Tom's hand to squeeze it before looking at the angel, and disappearing in the same breath.

Tom tried to phone his dad, and then his mum but nobody answered. He tried to phone his sister, and his phone died on the second ring. He couldn't sit and wait. If Ezra was needed at the pub, then demons would have spilt human blood. Anyone could be lying on the ugly patterned carpet, bleeding out.

He locked up, posted the keys through Haisley's door, and ran as fast as he could through the cobbled streets and towards the winding country road. Cold air filled his working lungs. He was hot under his coat while his body moved fast to get him home in a hurry. Wind whipped his cheeks and hair and stinging his eyes.

He splashed in deep puddles, wetting his socks, not caring enough to shine his torch and step around them. A light quickly loomed ahead from the Glass Horns Pub sign flapping in the wind. "Please, please, please!" he whispered, ignoring the burning in his lungs.

Tom skidded onto the grass, and people were everywhere. Locals were on their backs, pinned down by demons. Locals were smashing glass against demons, or kicking ones on the floor, or smashing their heads against wooden benches. Demons were screaming in locals faces, kicking humans who tried to leave the pub, and punching anyone who got close enough.

Four angels were tackling demons away from humans. Ezra was in the heart of it, removing a demon soul. Another soul stripper was crouched at the other side of the grass, taking another demon soul. Tom spotted his mother elbowing a demon in the face, then kicking her to the floor. His dad was in the pub with one demon in a headlock, and one local trying to punch him. Tom jumped over a local passed out on the grass and tried to get inside his house, but a demon grabbed him around the waist and flung him back so hard, Tom crashed onto the pathing slabs, rolling until he stopped to a halt beside Ezra.

Ezra looked down, as a demon disintegrated underneath him. "Tom! I told you to-"

"Not now." Tom got up and charged towards the demon blocking the door. He rugby tackled him to the carpet and a local kicked the demon in the head, knocking him out cold. "Thanks Finn."

"Do I get a free drink for that?" Finn asked, too drunk to take the situation seriously. Tom pushed him into a booth where he was safest, and helped his father drag another demon outside, so a soul stripper could take care of them.

The fighting continued for almost another hour. Tom avoided every punch thrown at him. He had knocked demons into bushes, dragged drunk locals down the country road, knelt on a demon's back until a soul stripper could take over, and picked himself up off the grass, time and time again.

The night ended when Ezra crouched next to him, take the last demon soul. His large hands hovered above the demon. His eyes were as black as the night, and he muttered strange words quickly, like they were secrets escaping him. The demon burst into dust and blew away in the wind, the rest of him was dragged into the dirt. The only reminder that he was ever in the world at all was the patch of squashed grass where his body had been.

Ezra slumped over, covering his mouth with the back of a shaking hand. "Are you okay?" Tom asked, fearing that he was injured.

"Taking souls uses energy." Ezra pulled his knees up and hung his arms on his legs, dropping his head low to stare at the ground.

Tom gripped Ezra's shoulders, watching him inhale deep breaths. "Can I do anything?"

"Make sure your family are okay."

Tom looked around. His father stood with an angel, but he wasn't paying attention to what she was saying. He was staring at him comforting the soul stripper. Tom quickly walked over, and Declan asked, "Is he okay?" motioning to Ezra.

"He will be, I think." They checked on Moira and helped paramedics load up four ambulances with injured locals. When everyone was gone, even the angels, Ezra had managed to drag himself to the step outside the front door. He watched on with a blank stare when Tom stood in front of him. "Come in for a warm drink," he said, stretching out a hand.

Ezra didn't take it. He stood up and brushed dried mud from his jacket sleeves. "I'm too angry to sit with others right now."

"Okay." Tom looked around. His parents were inside, cleaning up broken glasses and picking up fallen tables. "Can I summon you later?"

Ezra stared hard into his blue eyes. For a moment, Tom though he was going to say no, and end all contact with him and blame it on his safety being compromised. Then Ezra exhaled a calm breath that left his mouth like a white flame whisping up to the stars. "Wait a while."

"I will." Tom smiled when Ezra edged past him, making sure to brush their cold fingers together. Tom turned but was too slow, and Ezra was gone before the tingling on his fingers could stop.