Page 47 of The Human Element (The Human Element Collection #1)

Daemon

Daemon knew if he looked back at Lorelei, he might lose his nerve to do what he was about to do.

It's the only way I can save her.

How could he be so stupid? There was no way in Heaven or Hell that Raphael would consider his request. But with each passing day, Daemon was becoming more and more unsure they would be successful.

And after what they learned in the Akashic Records, there were things going on under the premise of this war that were far deeper and far more complicated than he could have ever imagined.

There was no way he would be able to save humanity. This was, as he was beginning to see, inevitable.

Although it always has been, huh?

He shook his head as he thought to himself: what he did all those years ago—he did out of this enormous instinct.

This need to save a girl because he couldn't possibly believe one little girl could really be what stood between the Great War.

And yet, now knowing who she really was—she was human, yes, but she also wasn't. She was so much more.

She was a combination of humanity that was pure, innocent, new.

One that hadn't yet been so tainted by hardship over many lives.

To top it off, she had the psychic abilities that allowed her to perceive things, whether she understood them or not, before it happened, and was able to speak the language of the angels, which no human was said to have been able to do before.

And then, she was apparently the true firstborn of evil incarnate.

Lorelei? Evil?

There's no way. She was so caring, Daemon was sure there couldn't be a mean bone in her body.

Daemon knew that DNA traits from such a strong and formidable person like Lucifer were very unlikely not to manifest in some capacity.

No. That won’t be the case for Lorelei. Look at Samuel. He has always been against his father, and Lorelei can be too. She won't change now.

Daemon would protect her, save her from having to do anything that might change her to become colder. He must. She was too precious. He knew he'd risk it all to save her from this unwinnable war.

For he knew now—this was unwinnable.

He wasn't strong enough to help Lorelei with her task. It was bigger than anything he anticipated and he’d already failed her once when she was harmed the first time the demons ambushed them on the way to Stonehenge.

Never before did he question his abilities to fight.

But after what happened, after the information they discovered, this was beyond him.

The gut wrenching shame and guilt threatened to overwhelm him as he approached Raphael; shrieks and clashing of claws against swords, screams of pain and sudden lapses of silence echoed around them as they stood before each other.

This reminded him all too much of the many times in the past they had been somewhere similar, experiencing what they were now, total bloodshed, and brothers in arms putting up the good fight.

Because that's what they always were: brothers. Raphael, although far outranking him, never made him feel lesser. They became close friends in the early days, not long after Earth’s creation.

He remembered exploring the cities and monuments the humans created—many with some of their help.

Wandering about the newly constructed markets filled with color and delicious foods of all assortments that made your mouth water.

Exploring the cathedrals where humans tried so desperately to grasp the concept of the Divine.

He remembered they would sit and criticize the stained glass artwork within them, joking that if angels looked like that then they would never be able to get girls—and always wondered why they made Lucifer look so damn attractive in his caricatures if they wished for nobody to follow him.

Memories of laying underneath the moonlight and stars together as they recounted their recent missions near and far, attempting to help gauge civilization and steer the unholier side clear; their jobs being what made the most sense to them; at least back then.

Raphael suggested one night they make a pact—swearing to always come if the other should need help. And after each mission, they would meet up and vent about the crisis they averted or enjoy a new human treat that’d been invented.

They would take care of the other, for some of the things they were tasked to do, were not so easy on the mind. You needed a friend, so that the darkest parts you played a role in, wouldn't fully devour you.

For as long as Daemon could remember, it had been that way; until the night Daemon made the choice to save Lorelei’s life, and Raphael seemed to change.

He recalled it’d been several missions since Daemon and him got together.

Daemon would meet at their designated spot and wait, but for three occasions in a row, Raphael never showed.

Until the night he went against orders. Raphael appeared before him in the street, just after he saved Lorelei and the ambulance drove away to take her to the hospital.

Daemon was flooded with relief at seeing his friend.

Having started to worry about him after the last few no-shows, he hugged him tightly, a sob escaping his lips.

Daemon knew that he had gone against an order for the first time in his existence.

He was scared. But Raphael would understand—he would know what to do.

No comfort came from his friend though. And before Daemon could figure out what was happening, he was transported by his friend in an instant, a trick most upper angels could do, and brought to where he would be unforgiven. Made a Fallen.

By Raphael himself.

Something changed his friend that he was unaware of in those absences before that.

Daemon knew he could never fully hate him, but it was hard to be in his presence now.

Especially when he was going to ask a favor from the one who hurt him the most. Raphael crossed his arms in the usual way that suggested he was irritated.

He was never the most patient of angels.

“Dae, I thought you were smarter than this. You can't believe that after the last time you decided to change things, this outcome would turn out any differently; did you?”

“I don't have time for your cocky fucking opinion today, Raph.”

Raph held his hands up in defense.

“Fine, yes I suppose you're right. Seeing as things are escalating around here. What is it you summoned me here for?”

Days earlier, Daemon sent a message to Raphael after Lorelei fell asleep in his arms. It's less a message and more a mental ping that was created after their pact: a special kind of magic that allowed them to notify the other in case of emergency.

After Daemon was exiled on Earth, he thought the bond was broken.

But seeing as he may need a backup plan—he tried, and to his surprise, was able to still use it to get a message to Raph: to meet him there at Stonehenge when they finished the ritual.

Daemon knew if Lorelei found out, she’d be pissed as all get out, but, there was no way around it.

Holding Lorelei in his arms, her nightmare waking her, shaking violently against him—he couldn't keep doing this to her.

He decided then, he would do anything, anything to protect her, even if that meant betraying her trust.

But nothing had gone as planned. They were in the Records longer than he anticipated, and from the look on Raph’s face, the demons showing up at the same moment was a happenstance he too didn’t see coming.

Daemon wanted to make a snarky remark about the amount of angel power Raph decided to tag along with him, mentioning he must’ve been asking for trouble like this, but in all retrospect, it was more likely for protection.

The demons weren't really after the angels; they were after Lorelei.

“I reached out because you're right. We won't win this.”

The admission felt like a punch to the gut, harder than he thought it would be, but there was no denying it.

He needed to save Lorelei, and he wasn't capable of doing so on their current course.

Daemon expected Raph would laugh or make another snide comment, instead, sadness filled his eyes and a sense of wanting to comfort Daemon came instead.

“Dae..my friend, thank you for coming to this realization on your own.

I know what happened before, you do not trust me much.

But I care about you. I always have. And to lose your friendship was the hardest experience of my existence, but to lose you entirely in the Universe—to know you were gone because you couldn't win this fight and lost your life—that would be worse.”

Daemon’s heart clenched at the softness from his long-lost friend. He wanted to embrace him, forget the past and allow movement to a better relationship. But it wasn't one of those simple moments; there was still work to be done. Work to ensure Lorelei’s safety. That's what mattered now.

“You need to protect Lorelei, Raph. She didn't choose this destiny. She didn't choose to be the “chosen one.” If we get out of the way, and let the war happen as planned; there's no need to kill her. You know that. Just take her somewhere safe, and I promise, we won't try to stop it anymore.”

Raphael let out an exasperated laugh.

“And how would I go about doing that? It's not like I can take her to Heaven and just keep her there.

And what—I'm expecting you want me to protect you and our archenemy’s child there as well?

Like a little resort? Ha! Okay you have always been the funnier one, Dae, but this takes the cake.

They are not angels. They can't be in Heaven without turning into a puddle.”

Daemon shook his head.

“They can, I think…Lorelei isn't what you think.

She has abilities that are not fully formed but I promise you, she can be in Heaven safely.

And the boy, he can too. We already know there isn't damage done to demons in Heaven unless they have ill intent, which I promise you, he doesn't. It's sort of complicated to explain it all in this same second Raph, but she can speak our language. She should be fine there.”

Raphael’s mouth opened slightly and he blinked at Daemon several times.

“What did you say?”

“It's true, Raph. She can speak in the Celestial tongue. I taught her. I swear on my life. If she can do this, that means that she also has the capability to withstand the dimension change and effects in Heaven.”

Daemon waited for Raphael to say something else, but he didn't. He just stared at his old friend, and Daemon’s heart beat faster in the waiting, so much so, he could feel the hastened thumping loudly in his ears. When Raphael finally spoke, Daemon was certain he had been holding his breath.

“Okay. I will take them somewhere safe when this settles down. As it happens, you're in luck. Michael wants to see you. And when I received your message to meet, I figured it was the perfect timing to let you know.”

Daemon took a deep breath, but it wasn't one of relief.

ArchAngel Michael was the ruthless leader of the ArchAngels and ruled with an iron-like fist. He wasn't cruel, but Daemon always felt he was often harsh in his rulings and plans.

Michael had also been the one to make the order of his fall-which Daemon found out afterwards.

“What the fuck does he want?”

“Michael wants to give you an offer. He didn't tell me specifics, but from what I gather, you two are on the same page. I believe he's offering you a deal for no further interference in exchange for asylum for the three of you.”

Daemon's heart lifted and he finally breathed a sigh of relief. If Michael was offering asylum, then their chances of deflecting Armageddon were none. Because Michael had never offered asylum to a Fallen, a human or a demon— ever. This was their chance to survive. And stay together.

Raphael scoffed, “What of the rest of humanity? Haven’t you become their sort of puppy dog? Always at their rescue?”

Guilt continued to try and sway over his mind about the little piece of this puzzle he kept ignoring—which was the rest of humanity's destruction—but he couldn't think so much about that if the one human who meant more to him than life was also gone forever.

No, they would regroup. Maybe he could speak to Michael about the possibility of no war, or at least, sparing humanity.

Whatever happened, he would keep Lorelei safe.

And keep her with him. Was it selfish? Of course it was.

But he would move Heaven and Earth for her. Even when it might break her heart.

“I can’t let you kill Lorelei. Humanity may burn, as they always have. But she— must live.”

He wouldn't lose her. Not now, not ever. He could pay for his sins later.

Daemon looked back to meet Raphael’s gaze, knowing he’d said exactly what he wanted to hear: Daemon’s defeat. “Alright, let's finish up this lot of demons and we can figure out our plan to meet him.”

Raph shook his head and smiled. “Foolish, twat. You always think everybody waits on you. Michael doesn't wait for anyone. We leave now.”

Dameon rolled his eyes, “Fine, I'll get Lorelei and the kid, who's hurt by the way, so I'll need to get some of the healers to see what they can do.”

Raph surprised him when Daemon turned around, finding Raphael standing before him again in an instant, hand upon his shoulder. He used his Transport Spell, one only ArchAngels could use, teleporting in thin air and reappearing again anywhere.

“This initial meeting was said to only be for you. We will come back for them. There's no time to waste.”

“You’re fucking mad if you think I'm going to leave her here in the middle of a goddamned onslaught!”

Daemon was about to push Raphael out of his way and tell him off, that he wouldn't go anywhere without Lorelei with him; when the sadness returned to Raph’s eyes; and as Daemon blinked—the field around them, the last glimpse of the blue crystals of Lorelei’s eyes shining brightly in the middle of darkness, the sun leaving its duties for the day, met his before she, and the very world around him, vanished.