Page 17 of Heart Shaped Wreckage (standalone)

HEATH

Iwas trying to drag this out as long as I could.

I still had part of my essence, but not enough to tangle with an angel in his full glory.

Of course, I also had the beast inside me that was fueled by Lucifer’s power, even if I had never followed him into the depths.

It was still there if I needed it. But would it be enough?

“Human trifling’s. Is that what you have become, fallen one?” Aurelius sneered. “Pathetic.”

“I go by Heath now. The being you knew hasn’t existed for a very long time.”

I heard Kevin gulp behind me.

“Enough. I care not what human you wear in your sad and pathetic half-life. You walk between worlds but exist truly in none, Magnus of the fallen. Your journey ends now, and your soul, or what is left of the tattered remnants, will go to where it goes.”

“You’ve always been a bully.” My fists clenched, and I prepared myself for what I would need to do.

I just wish Kevin wouldn’t have to see it.

I had kept that part of me hidden from the world for the last two thousand years since I had last been worshipped as a god.

If I let the beast loose – what would happen to Heath?

Would I fade like too many others had? Would the body hold and respond because it had become linked to me in every way?

I had no idea, and I really didn’t want to find out.

Talk about the trauma it could cause Kevin.

“Human, you should leave,” Aurelius said softly, which made him even more ominous.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Kevin squeaked from behind me. But his voice had fire. “If this happens, we happen together.”

“Little witch, I know your kind. This is not a fight you could win. Do you want to become a pillar of salt that the wind will carry away and desecrate this hidden place so nothing will ever grow in these enchanted woods again?”

“I will meet my fate with my head held high.” He stepped out from behind me and held out the stones in his hand. They pulsed with power.

“Magic is nothing to one such as I,” Aurelius scoffed.

“I guess we’re going to have to see. Are you sure we can’t settle this with a game of Monopoly or checkers?” I dug deep down within myself and called the beast – my wolf to be at the ready.

With a sneer, Aurelius jumped in the air and his wings slashed through the air with fury.

He held his sword high, and as soon as his feet left the ground, Kevin did something I had not expected.

Light flew through the air and struck Aurelius in the chest, knocking him backward ten feet. His wings got tangled in the branches.

“What the…” He shuddered, and the branches broke around him.

I couldn’t wait. I shuddered, and my body morphed with a ferocity I hadn’t expected as my beast, the thing I had become after the fall, took over, and Heath’s body was pushed to the limits. Bones and sinew stretched and grew as my face morphed into a long snout and my nails grew into sharp talons.

“Oh, fuck,’ Kevin took a step backward.

“And there he is in his true form, human. See who you wanted to give your heart to? A monster is what he became after he lost his wings. A monster is how he must die,” Aurelius grinned at me and pointed his sword in my direction. “Let’s see how much grace you have left, Magnus.”

Fire erupted from the sword and shot towards me faster than I could expect.

But Kevin stepped in front of me, and I snarled in warning as his hand raised and a shield of light grew around us from the seeking stones.

The flames bounced away and caught a tree on fire.

I could hear the howl of Morganna in the distance.

“That was unexpected,” Aurelius tilted his head and stared at Kevin as if he saw him for the first time. “What is special about you, child? What are those tools in your hand, and where does their power come from? It can’t be what I think. They were lost forever.”

He lifted his sword, and it glowed. He brought it down quickly, and I wrapped my long arms around Kevin’s waist before a beam of pure light flew in our direction. I dove to the side and rolled, making sure to keep him protected. A tree disintegrated behind us as the beam struck it.

I couldn’t let him use that kind of power.

I had to get up close to him so he could not call upon Heavenly Father’s essence.

I sprang from the ground and left Kevin behind.

I landed in a crouch in front of Aurelius and brought up the burned sword in front of me.

I growled with fury. I could not let anything happen to Kevin.

I would never be able to forgive myself.

“Heath!” he called.

I swung the sword with all my might, and Aurelius caught my blow on his edge. The smirk on his face had turned into a grimace as the might of my parley graved a wing. Golden ichor slid down a feather.

“First blood is yours. But that sword is not meant for one of your kind,” he snarled and swung his sword.

I leapt out of the way and felt the breeze as it barely missed me.

He wasn’t giving me any concessions. One blow after another rained down upon me, and I could barely keep up with the quickness of his skill.

I managed to block and parry every thrust. But he was stronger, and I wouldn’t be able to keep up with him.

It had been too many eons since I had held a sword.

My power came from other places.

With one hand, I held the sword tightly. My arm was growing numb with the weight of his blows. I slashed out with my claws, and he ducked underneath and slashed at my midsection. I barely jumped back in time.

I was going to lose, and then what would become of Kevin? What would happen to him? He could not stand and fight an angel. Not even with the stones in his hand would he be nearly powerful enough.

A blast of fire flew over my head and hit Aurelius in the wing. I could hear Kevin yell behind me. Bless his heart, I had to keep Aurelius’ focus on me.

I jumped as fast as my body would allow and tackled him to the ground.

We rolled into the stream – our arms clenched around each other as we landed with a large splash.

A fist made of steel collided with my snout, and I slashed at his chest with my claws.

His skin was like diamond, and my claws barely left a mark on him as we struggled in the water.

How it happened, I don’t know – it was so fast and he was too strong. I was underwater, and Aurelius was holding me down. His strong hands held onto my neck, and I couldn’t shake him off me. Then thunder happened. It shook the ground around me.

I glanced towards the sound with my last breath, and…

It wasn’t thunder. It was the raging river rolling in a thunderous clamor towards us.

I gripped onto the bottom of the river with my claws as the force of the waves hit Aurelius’ wings and knocked him away.

He tumbled down the river, his wings too wet to fly as he was carried out of sight.

A hand grasped my taloned claw, and Kevin helped pull me up. “Are you alright?”

I shifted slowly back to Heath and hoped that the body would hold.

It did.

“How did you do that?” I asked incredulously.

“I have no idea. It looked like he was killing you, and the next thing I knew, the stones were glowing, and that happened. We have to get out of here.” He looked terrified.

“Agreed. I…” I stood up and wobbled.

“What happened are you…” The look on his face told me everything I needed to know.

I placed my hand on my side, and as I pulled it away, golden ichor covered my hand.

“Fuck. That bastard must have grazed me.”

“Can you walk?”

“I can, but I’m not sure how far.” I managed to step out of the river and onto the bank. “If he comes back, it’s over.”

Kevin held the stones aloft and concentrated.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m doing what the stones want. I can feel it like they're guiding me. Why we came here is done. They want us to go to the next place. The last, I think.”

A golden swirl appeared in the air, and a doorway opened. I didn’t usually trust magical doorways, but I trusted Kevin. He had saved my life.

He wrapped his arm around me to help steady my steps, and together we walked through.