Daystar (45 page)

***

Bean buzzed through waterfalls as she chased Apple in a game of tag.
 
She loved everything about Apple, her hair, her wings, the clothes she wore.
 
Bean idolized her.
 
Apple was covered in sharp blades.
 
Bean loved that too, but Apple wouldn’t let her play with them.

Berith on the other hand was more than accommodating.
 
He flew alongside her.
 
“This is a dagger, while this is a short sword.
 
Do you see the difference?”

“Yes, Uncle Berith.”
 
Bean batted her pink lashes at him.
 
“May I have one?”

Berith grinned and patted her head.
 
“I will find a way to give you one so that I can give you lessons.”

Bean grinned.
 
“Please!”

Apple flew down towards them.
 
“Berith, shouldn’t you ask her fathers’ opinion on that before you give her weapons?”

Light illuminated the sky.
 
Bean’s eyes flashed upwards.
 
She flew out of the waterfalls and gaped.
 
The lights flickered across her pupils.
 
Bean frowned.
 
“Daddy-mommy?”

Apple and Berith looked up; to them the flashes of light were nothing but that.
 
Apple smiled.
 
“Furcas’ diamond wings, I don’t even want to know what they’re doing.
 
Come on, Beanie.”

Bean flew to Apple, but kept her eyes trained on the sky above through the reflections in the water below.
 
She deciphered the flashes as they continued.
 
Her frown deepened.
 
Berith picked her up and tossed her into the air.
 
Bean giggled and shrieked happily.

***

Gabriel felt the flashes of energy before he saw them.
 
He flew around the sun.
 
He caught the lights as they came, reading what Paimon said.
 
He shook his head.
 
“Strange.”

Samuel watched.
 
“What is happening there?”

Azrael chewed on his long silver hair.
 
“Pretty, sparkles, sparkly pretty!”

Gabriel and Samuel turned to Azrael.
 
Gabriel shook his head.
 
“You are nothing like Uriel.”

Azrael blinked slowly.
 
“Who?”

“Never mind.”
 
Gabriel turned to Samuel.
 
“Nothing is happening.”

Samuel unsheathed two punching daggers.
 
“I think I should check it out; it could be a risk to this.”

Gabriel shook his head.
 
“No, we cannot afford them catching onto this.”

Samuel put the daggers down.
 
“As you wish.”

Gabriel made a lazy circle with his hand.
 
“Patrol, just circle the sun for now and let me know if anything changes.”
 

They headed away.

Gabriel translated the flashes in his head.
 
He stared, confused.
 
“Do they not understand?”
 
He memorized the words he did not know, but he had no one to ask.
 
This was problematic.
 
Gabriel looked at the sun and sent two shorts, two longs, two shorts to Paimon.
 
Then he resent his original message.
 
He waited.

***

Paimon watched the message come in.
 
“He’s confused, big fucking surprise.”

Furcas closed his wings.
 
“I thought he didn’t even remember you.”

“Dahlia said she restored his memory, well
Raphael
did
as
Dahlia.”
 
Paimon sighed and looked at the chain around his wrist and up to Furcas.

Furcas grinned.
 
“You want to go check it out.”

“I do, but—”

A blur of light shot up from the planet and hovered above them.
 
Bean pointed at the pair.
 
“Why aren’t you
doing
anything?”

Paimon and Furcas did a double take.
 
Paimon flew at her.
 
“What are you doing up here?”

Bean zipped out of his reach.
 
“They’re going to supernova the sun and you’re sending messages back about how much of a shit he is?
 
What is this nonsense talk?
 
We should be
doing
something!”

Furcas snatched at her.
 
“Bean!
 
You need to go back down and play and stop talking like an adult.”

“I am a big girl!”
 
She stomped the space around her with her galoshes on.
 
“I am a big girl!
 
Big girl!”

Paimon folded his arms.
 
“No, you’re not, and if you don’t go back down to Earth you are grounded, missy.”

Bean’s cheeks went red.
 
“Not fair!
 
Not fair!
 
I wanna be here with Mommy-daddy!”

Furcas flashed his diamond wings and her eyes went wide.
 
She stopped her tantrum, entranced and slack-jawed.
 
He brought her into a hug.
 
“You need to stay where it is safe.
 
This scares us.
 
Okay?
 
You are growing up too fast and it is very dangerous out here.”

Bean burst into tears.
 
“I don’t care!
 
I want to be with
you!
”

Paimon flew over and they both hugged her.
 
He covered her ears.
 
“What do we do?”

Furcas frowned.
 
“Send her home of course and perhaps create a leash for her.”

“I don’t wanna leash!”

“Stop listening in, baby doll.”
 
Paimon sighed and kissed her head.
 
“This is why we need Yoshi back.”

“Yoshi!”
 
Bean bounced between them and grinned.
 
“Wanna bite!
 
Yoshi bite!”

“Yes, Yoshi bite.”
 
Furcas lifted her up.
 
“You don’t get to Yoshi bite unless you go back.”

More flashes came from the sun, drawing the gaze of all three.

Paimon and Bean translated together.
 
Paimon watched her out of the corner of his eye.
 
Bean pointed.
 
“That’s
mean!
”

Paimon frowned and took her from Furcas.
 
“I don’t know how you know what that means, but it still doesn’t concern you.”

Bean scowled and squirmed.
 
“Yes it does!”
 
She threw small fists towards him, but he held her away from his face.
 
She snapped her teeth at his hands.

Paimon shook his head.
 
“A muzzle and a leash.”
 
He gazed at her.
 
“You do not bite Mommy-daddy.”

She pouted.
 
“I bite who I want.”

“No, only babies do that and you’re a big girl, right?”

Bean nodded.
 
“Yes!”

“Big girls listen to their parents.”

“Not when they’re being two stupid
fucks
.”

“Bean!”
 
Furcas pointed a finger at her.
 
“No cursing!”

Bean kicked her feet.
 
“
You
curse!”

“We’re adults!”
 
Paimon drew her into a hug.
 
“You are
not
an adult yet.
 
That is final.”

Bean glowered at the pair.
 
“Fine.”

Paimon let her go.
 
“Now go back to Apple; I’m sure she’s worried.”

Bean pouted, but nodded.
 
“Fine, Mommy-daddy.”
 
She rubbed her nose as tears reached her eyes.
 
“Are you mad at me?”

Furcas shook his head.
 
“No, we’re just worried.
 
No one is angry with you.”

Bean nodded.
 
“Okay.”
 
She looked past them and her pupils dilated, her lip trembled.
 
She wrapped her wings around her body, making her small.
 
“Mommy-daddy!”

Paimon and Furcas whirled, placing themselves between Bean and whatever she saw.

Ariel hung upside down to them, smiling.

Paimon grabbed Bean and curled a wing around her.
 
Furcas moved in close, his diamond wings flicked out.
 
“What do you want?”

Ariel opened her mouth showing rows of teeth.
 
“I want to play with the little, purple thing.
 
I can watch her for you.”
 
She hummed.
 
“Little baby, come play with me.”

Bean dug her fingernails into Paimon’s skin.
 
Furcas snarled.
 
“Who sent you?”

“I go where I please.”
 
Ariel spread four wings of midnight blue feathers.
 
“Give me the little, soft thing.”

“Over our dead bodies.”
 
Paimon held Bean tighter.
 
He looked down at her; her eyes seemed to fill her entire face.
 
“Don’t worry; we’re not letting anyone get you.”
 
Bean nodded frantically.
 
Paimon glared at Ariel.
 
“You’re scaring my child.”

Ariel snapped her teeth.
 
“Does she taste good?
 
Have you tried her?”

Furcas threw diamond feathers at Ariel, sending her dancing away.
 
He flew back to Paimon; they stood shoulder to shoulder.
 
Furcas eyed him.
 
“We should retreat.
 
No chances when she’s here.”

Paimon nodded.
 
“Agreed.”

They turned and stopped, Metatron hovered between them and the shield.
 
Furcas went back to back with Paimon.
 
Paimon recognized Metatron.
 
“Barachiel’s sibling.
 
These must be the new recruits.”

The boy cocked his head like a bird.
 
He looked to Ariel.
 
“These are not the ones we seek.
 
Why do we dally here?”

Ariel flew in figure eights.
 
“I want the child.”

Metatron frowned.
 
“Why?
 
It offers no use.”

Ariel grinned.
 
“I do not care, it is soft and scared.
 
I want to touch it.
 
I want to feel it cry.
 
We can get the other two later.”

Bean burst into tears against Paimon’s chest.
 
He rubbed her back.
 
“They’re just mean bullies, they can’t do anything.
 
You’re safe.”

“Lies.”
 
Ariel laughed.
 
“I am going to eat you, purple thing!
 
Do you hear?
 
Eat!”

Furcas pulled feathers out of his wings as he strengthened his diamond exoskeleton.
 
He wrapped the feathers together into a sword.
 
“If you threaten my daughter again I will
eviscerate
you.”

Metatron glared at Ariel.
 
“This is what you seek?”

“Yes.”

“Fine.”
 
He unhinged his jaw and bellowed.
 
Paimon’s ears burst with the first wave of noise.
 
He wrapped both arms and all four of his wings around Bean, protecting her from the concussion.
 
The sound waves hit him and broke the bones that were not covered by his feathers.
 

Paimon snarled and elements formed, fused, and detonated around Metatron’s face, blinding and burning the boy.

***

Gabriel stared at the sun, having received no more messages from Paimon.
 
He sought to work on his calculations.
 

Azrael flew up to him.
 
“Ariel and Metatron are by the shield attacking two Archangels.”

Gabriel turned and watched the flashes of light.
 
“Odd, bring Samuel here.”

Azrael buzzed around in confusion.
 
“Do we leave big sky light ball?”

“I have not yet decided.”
 
Gabriel flicked his wrist.
 
“Shoo and get Samuel.”

***