Runaway Devil
33

We were almost done. I dreaded this last one the most. I was preparing for more resistance than the others. Visiting Joel and Bethany had taken longer than expected, the sun was flirting with the horizon. The colors that bled across the sky almost seemed to say goodbye.

I knew the boys would be together. They always were. They were consistent creatures and valued their comfort. Their school day had ended hours ago and they would most likely be sitting in front of Ben's TV. I knocked on his large white door and waited. Balan looked up at me and leaned his thick shoulder against my calf. I gave him an appreciative smile.

Jake pulled the door open suddenly and smiled wide. His grin was goofy, his eyes hooded. "Hey, it's Kara. I haven't seen you in a while," He moved to the side and let us in. "Ben, you're friend with the dog is here." He ignored Alec, who followed close behind. Issac and Jerry sat on the couch. Issac's legs folded under himself, while Jerry was spread out as much as he could. Ben sat in front of one of the love seats, his hand buried in a bowl of popcorn.

"Hey, I didn't know you were stopping by." Ben looked confused while the rest of the boys greeted me distractedly.

"I just came to say bye, I'm leaving for a little bit." They all looked at me so fast they should've gotten whiplash.

"What?" Issac asked quietly. His glasses had slipped to the end of his nose, he didn't make any move to fix them. Jerry's face hardened and he sat up, putting his drink on the coffee table. Ben stood and crossed his arms.

"Where are you going?" Ben didn't know a lot about me, but he knew enough to be concerned. I still hadn't prepared a solid answer to that basic question. I looked at Alec, silently asking for help.

"We're visiting a couple of schools," He said. Hearing him talk right after the boys reminded me of how much older he technically was. I could pass for a mature looking highschool student, barely. He could not. Both Jerry and Ben's eyes hardened even more. They did not appreciate Alec's input. I could sense the tension start to clime, the energy was charged with testosterone.

Ben narrowed his eyes at Alec, directly challenging him. If I had ever done that while serving in Hell, I would have died on the spot. "I'll be back, though. It won't take super long."

Issac got up and I noticed his patterned knit socks. He hugged me, his head reaching my shoulder. I was suddenly struck by the fact that he was a child. They all were. When I was there age, I had already fought in a war. I had seen countless allies die, brothers and sisters gasping, choking on their own blood. They were young, innocent, and adorably protective over me. I hugged him back, feeling guilty. His hands splayed out on my back, holding me tighter. This was more than an "I'll see you later" hug. This was a "Goodbye forever" hug. The thought brought tears to my eyes, I looked at the high ceiling and blinked rapidly.

"Hey, Issac, don't hog her." Jerry grabbed his shoulder and pulled him off me, encasing me in his arms. He was much bigger, much warmer, and much stronger than Issac. He could really hold me. My chest felt tight like there was a knot beneath my breastbone. "Be careful." He spoke right in my ear. No matter how sheltered I thought these boys were, they could see right through me. Issac bent down and rubbed the top of Balan's head, blinking just as I had.

It was Ben's turn. His arms felt like jersey sheets on a king-sized mattress. If he held me for long enough, I would melt into nothing. I hadn't felt safe in a long time. I wasn't safe while fighting in Hell, I wasn't safe once I escaped, and I wasn't safe from my dreams at night. But these boys would do anything to keep me protected. They were friends, brothers. They were weak humans, but they would stand against the angel at my back if necessary. And that makes them the strongest creatures to ever exist.

Ben's eyes were angry, but not at me. He was angry and whatever he thought I was running from. But what he didn't know was that I was running towards something. I was the hunter, and I would never be prey again.

"Are you done?" Alec and I walked peacefully through town. We were the small, pathetic, depressing farewell parade. I breathed in the crisp night air and nodded.

"So where are we headed to first?"

"I've got a connection in Buffalo. He knows we're coming." I did some mental math. Driving all the way to Buffalo would take roughly five to six hours. If we kept a good pace, we could be there in three. If the winds favored us, we could glide most of the way.

We had too much ground to cover to waste any time. We could fly above the clouds, unnoticed at night, but there was too much risk to do it in daylight. That's where Alec and his assortment of "connections" came in. We secured our bags around our bodies and flexed our wings, letting them stretch and breathe. I tied my hair up with a tie that held little to no elasticity. I never expected my hair to be so thick when I was growing it out. I looked down at Balan and knelt. I had avoided any use of supernatural abilities in the human realm. I knew from the very beginning that I had to pick a form for him to dwell in and stick to it, changing it could draw too much attention.

"You think a bird would be best?"

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