It Never Rains (But It Pours)

Dies Irae

At first, Adam thought they had a chance, that they'd gotten away and would be alright. The explosion had sent the demons flying, giving Blake one quick shot to get through the ranks that surrounded them. But when the first attack came, it was so fast that Adam wasn't sure exactly what had happened. He saw a shadow, heard Blake grunt, and they changed direction slightly. But the second sent a spray of the glorious feathers in one of his wings flying, and the two of them tumbled wildly through the air for a bit before Blake regained control.

Now Adam could see them, up close and personal. They bore some resemblance to the pictures he'd seen, the long claws, the hooves on the fighter demons, the horns and the leathery wings. But their faces were indescribable. It was as if their features had somehow melted and then been reformed by a careless artist into something vaguely human, mostly monstrous, and altogether terrifying. Their baleful red eyes stared after them, filled with hatred and bloodlust. As he watched, a third dove towards them, forcing Blake to dodge quickly to avoid being struck again.

Terrified, Adam looked at Blake's injured wing. A patch with no feathers bore the telltale mark of claws, and a silvery substance, like mercury, was oozing from the spot. "We gotta get down, buddy!" Adam yelled. "You're already hurt and you can't fight and carry me at the same time!"

Blake was too busy dodging to respond. The ride now was wilder than any roller coaster, worse than the worst turbulence Adam had ever experienced. Time and time again, Blake was forced to change direction, tucking his wings to dive dangerously low until they were skimming the street itself, dodging and weaving among the moving vehicles. Then they shot up into the sky and soared over the roofs of the massive skyscrapers. And then they were flying among the buildings themselves, dashing around them. At one point, they passed directly through an office building, as insubstantial as a passing breeze to stir paperwork slightly but otherwise leave no sign of their passing.

But at every turn, the angel found himself blocked and hounded. Once more, he was struck, this time on his other wing, and once again, he tumbled out of control for a moment in a spray of feathers. The mighty wings beat frantically, rapidly regaining altitude, trying to dodge the snarling hunter that snapped at their heels.

Adam kicked at the creature without thinking, and his foot connected with its grasping hand as it reached for Blake. It yelped in surprise, fell back for a moment, and then immediately charged after them. This time it was clearly going for Adam. Adam kicked it again with all his strength. His motorcycle boot impacted with its face, sending a satisfying jolt up his leg. The demon yelped again and fell back, falling behind as Blake somehow managed more speed despite his injured wings.

A group dove down from above and Blake gasped and hissed in pain as another hunter landed on his back, digging in its claws to ride the angel. Adam tried to swing at it, but couldn't reach. Blake was holding him tightly with Adam's back against his chest, leaving his own back unprotected. "Blake!" Adam yelled, straining to reach the monster tearing into the angel. "We gotta get that fucker off of you!"

Snarling, Blake flipped over and tucked in his wings, going into a near freefall that dragged the creature along the side of a building. Glass shattered in a straight line, and the hunter howled, finally releasing its prey. Once again, Blake's wings were beating freely. But Adam could immediately see that the strength in them was reduced. Blake was injured, and the pain of his wounds was sapping his speed.

"We have to find a safe place!" Adam yelled. "And we need to find it now!"

"Trying!"

Blake dove to street level again, flying just above the passing traffic. And suddenly, Adam spotted a familiar vehicle. The black SUV had been equipped with flashing lights and an emergency siren. It tore through traffic after Blake and Adam. "Shit!" Adam cursed. "It's the Friendly Neighborhood Warlocks! How the hell are they tracking us?"