Convoke

Chapter 41

"Touch me, and you're a dead man!" he screeched. But the demon pressed on.

The moment he pushed a human out of the way, a plank of wood was thrown at the group, knocking a demon to the ground.

Tom watched it all unfold in front of him. The demons retaliated by using the wood as a baseball bat. The humans did the same, until the entire street was fighting and screaming at each other.

Ezra yanked him to the library door and ordered for him to stay put, before turning and running to help protect the innocent. Tom watched on helplessly as Ezra defended an elderly woman from being knocked over, and a small child from getting trampled on, and a demon from getting a thick slab of wood to the face.

He watched a demon being dragged to the ground and a group of humans take turns in kicking him all over his body. "Shit." Tom stormed back into the library, ignoring Haisley spluttering about him being banned. He shoved the door open so hard, it slammed against the wall and most angels yelped.

"Thomas O'Connell!" Othrowan boomed. "Twice you have interrupted-"

"Fight!" Tom yelled. "There's a big fight on the street between six demons and humans. Ezra is trying to tear them off each other. Help!"

The angels sped past him, spilling onto the street to chaos and violence. They spread through the crowd like pure water to mucky oil. When Tom followed them outside, He scanned for Ezra and found him peeling a very thankful teenage boy from the floor. Ezra dragged him out of harms way and plunged into the madness to help more people.

Soon, locals Tom recognised from the pub were working with Ezra to separate the humans and demons who wanted nothing more than to fight. Tom couldn't bear the thought of someone hitting his already painful face. So, for the sake of his injured head, he stayed put. But he felt helpless, until the fighting was done, and the angels were taking charge.

Ezra returned to his side and sat heavily on the library steps beside him. Tom comforted him by rubbing his back until Ezra had caught his breath.

"Soul stripper, we need your assistance," an angel demanded, and Tom noticed how every demon was pinned to the ground, but not a single human.

"No," Tom said lowly, forcing Ezra to stay seating. He got up instead and asked, "Why isn't Henry Cherino among them? He apparently burned the demons camp to the ground, killing a demon. Shouldn't he be punished? And these demons didn't start the fight. Humans were violent first!"

The group of demons all looked up at him from the floor. Locals had gathered to hear what he had to say.

"The word apparent is in your story. Did Mr Cherino do what you're accusing him of, or didn't he?" Othrowan asked.

"I didn't!" Henry yelled.

"We have proof," a demon said, we have cameras set up around our tent because we're used to people stealing from us. When the fire was lit, you can see him behind the trees. It's clearly him."

Locals started murmuring and moving away from Cal's ex-boss.

"Soul Stripper, take these demon souls and we will review the footage."

"No!" Tom yelled. "Do you not realise what you're doing? You're being incredibly unfair because you're worried you won't be loved by the people. You've wronged one of your own, don't do it to these demons."

"What do you mean wronged one of their own?" A local from the pub asked.

Tom turned towards Ezra who was standing near the steps. He stared for a long moment, weighing up the situation. He nodded, and Tom knew it was time for someone to finally stand up for Ezrakhell.

"I mean, they condemned Ez for a crime they knew he didn't commit, and he had to stay quiet about it. The angels are corrupt and unfair." Tom had gained the attention of everyone in the street. "Ez used to be an angel. He has suffered for a hundred years as a demon because the angels didn't want to lose their powerful status!"

Gasps floated with the wind. Murmuring grew louder, and the attention moved to the angels who held the demons to the floor.

"That is enough Thomas O'Connell," Othrowan said. "Go home while we deal with this."

"Let him speak!" Finn yelled, appearing from behind two other locals from the pub. "What was Ez accused of?"

"Murder."

The gasps were louder.

"How do you know he was innocent?"

"Othrowan was in my sight when I heard the screams. He would have heard them too. He knows I'm innocent," Ezra said, standing next to Tom. "He doesn't care about his own. He doesn't care about you, or these innocent demons. He cares about control."

Tom curled fingers around Ezra's palm, bursting with pride.

The people started talking, and soon started pointing fingers at the angels, asking why they were being so unfair to the situation. They asked about Ezra, and whether it was really true what they did to him. Othrowan was being yelled at by so many people that he stood numbly. He barely moved, only to stare at Tom with a mixture of intrigue and frustration.

Some people came up to Ezra and asked if it was true that he used to be an angel. He nodded shyly and for the first time, they were sympathetic towards him, and treating him the way he should have always been treated.

"Fine," Othrowan said eventually. "I shall review the footage first, and then I'll deal with the demons after."

Tom then heard something he never thought he would hear in Wileshire Village.

"Let the demons go! They've done nothing wrong. They were only defending themselves!" Finn yelled.

Tom shared a glance with Ezra. Finally, he thought, the progress we've been waiting for.