***
I watched as the cab drove off leaving me standing in front of the dark warehouse. I took a deep breath and headed toward the gate to the fence that surrounded the place. I drew my sword and with one swipe shattered the lock that held the chain in place to keep the average person out. I pulled the chain loose and let it fall to the ground. I pushed the gate forward, causing the rusty hinges to screech and grind. It didn’t matter. There were not going to be any surprises, for as sure as I could sense her she could sense me. I walked toward the large door that stood to the far right of the building, once again with was padlocked and once again a quick swipe shattered it. I pushed the door open and stepped into what was a lobby. To the right was a hallway lined with doors which I assumed were offices and possibly locker rooms, and to the left was a set of double doors with small windows in them giving me a view of the warehouse beyond.
I stepped through the doors into a large open warehouse that dominated most of the building. It was empty now other than the rotted smell of decaying wood and plaster. Many of the panels on the large windows were busted out, more than likely the work of kids. I moved toward the center of the place and heard the ruffling of feathers as a few pigeons who had decided to call it home were spooked. I made it to about dead center and was about to call out to Arrisa when all the lights in the place went on.
I held my sword at the ready as well as pulled the knife Lucifer had given me. I heard before I felt the large whoosh of wings as Arrisa landed about twenty paces from me. She still looked lovely, but her wings were no longer beautiful things of white. They were now almost black and looked like those of a large bat. I guessed it was the darkness she had chosen to let in. She faced me and I noticed the gleam of red in her eyes, but there was recognition. She spoke, and for a moment it was just Arrisa.
“So my love, you of all those in Heaven are the one who comes to stop me.”
I nodded. “It doesn’t have to be this way you know. You can give it back, the power. I am sure you can be forgiven.”
She burst out laughing, it was a dark and cruel cackle more than a laugh. I knew then that nothing was left of the woman I had once loved.
“You are indeed a fool, my darling, but soon it will all be over. I will have the power to strike back at the very Heavens themselves. That bastard Michael will be the first to die before I install a new order. The Father decided long ago to walk out on us and lock himself in some nameless garden, while those who hold power were left to their own devices. But no more.”
“But what good will that do, Arrisa? Listen to yourself. Even if you kill Michael, there is no way the others will follow you, and regardless of the new power you look to possess, they will defeat you.”
“Michael is a dog, he thought me his personal possession, and the others thought nothing of letting that be. I am no one’s possession. I am sorry that it has to be this way. I truly once loved you, but I can see that you will never join me, no matter how wronged you were. I fear the time for talk is over.”
She launched into the air with a battle cry, her wings extended as she circled me. Then she swooped down, her sword raised to slice me in two. I timed it just right so that I spun out of the way and slashed my sword toward her, cleanly slicing her right wing off. She spun wildly and crashed to the floor tumbling head over heel. I moved toward her while removing the pouch of crystals. She was already recovering, so I tossed the crystals directly into her face. She sought to deflect them, but most reached her, causing her to gasp and rub madly at her eyes.
I moved in and went for the quick kill, swinging my sword sideways to cleave her head from her body, but she quickly brought her own sword to bear, blocking the attempt. She spun around and using razor sharp nails slashed deep gashes in my chest. I staggered back, and looked at the damage. The wounds were already beginning to heal, which meant that the crystals had done their job. Normally the poison from a Hell Knight’s nails would spell trouble for an angel. It still wouldn’t be easy. I attacked again slashing and poking, spinning with all I had. But none of my attacks even scratched her.
I faked with the sword and tried to get close enough to stick the knife in her, but she dropped and spun her foot out, taking my legs out from under me. I landed like a comet, but quickly got back to my feet just as she was bull rushing me. I rolled under her attack and with an upward slash took her remaining wing off. Her scream of not only pain but anger reverberated throughout the warehouse, causing the birds to scurry for safety, and a few more window panes to shatter.
I got to my feet as she began a savage assault on me with her sword and fists, and anything else she could throw at me. I blocked most, but some found their way past and I was cut and bleeding from multiple spots. She kept at it, and I was definitely on the defensive, hoping to stay alive long enough to strike back. I managed to deflect one of her swipes and actually use her momentum against her to send her to the ground. I stepped into a kick that caught her full on in the ribs and sent her flying thirty feet across the warehouse bouncing several times before stopping.
I covered the distance quickly to her, seeking to end it as she was trying to get up. She rolled just as the sword was coming down and deflected it away. I tried to drive the knife into her heart but she rolled and spun on her back like a turtle and again took my legs out from under me, sending me hard to the concrete floor. She flipped on to her feet and charged at me looking to drive the sword into my chest. I deflected it enough so that it missed my chest, but it did bite deep in to my shoulder. I screamed in pain and turned the tables on her a bit, sweeping her legs out from her as I scrambled to my feet.
We squared off again and I looked into her eyes. There was nothing, no trace of love and no trace of compassion. The woman I once loved was gone. It saddened me, but it also made me angry. We traded cuts and scrapes for what seemed like hours, and I was getting the worst of it. I was healing okay, but not as fast as her. I had always been a warrior, but right now she was running on hate and rage. I tried desperately to stick the knife in her hoping to gain the advantage. Instead she deflected it and drove an elbow into my nose and dragged her blade across my thigh, hobbling me. She stepped back to admire the work, even smiled. I felt a rage build that I hadn’t released in some time and I let out a howl that seemed to transcend Heaven and Earth.
The sky suddenly filled with thunder and lightning, and several of the lights in the place exploded, showering us with red hot sparks. It was the first time I think she actually knew fear that night. I however didn’t feel anything. I stood calmly and with both arms at my side holding blades closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I felt it, the power. Faith. I was healing and I was recharging. Arrisa screamed and moved to run me through. I calmly blocked the sword with mine and brought the knife up into her chest. She coughed and fell to the floor, gasping and spitting blood from her lips.
I moved to her and I held her in my arms. The rage and hate was gone from her eyes, at least for the moment. She struggled to speak only getting out a few words.
“I…I’m sorry.”
“I know you are.”
“Please end it,” she gasped. I stood as tears began to well up in my eyes. I screamed with a world full of anger at what this had come to and brought the sword down, sending her head rolling away. It stopped as it rested up against a pair of white shoes. I followed them up to see Lucifer clapping with a big smile on his face.
“Bravo, MaGee, bravo. I knew you had it in you.” I still held the rage and let it loose as I rushed at him with the blade raised to strike. He smiled and stood his ground until the blade was about to connect and then nonchalantly caught my wrist, stopping it instantly. I had so much force behind the blow that I felt bones in my arm snap. He tossed me aside.
He walked over and picked up Arrisa’s sword and head and walked back and looked down on me. The smile was still ear-to-ear as he spoke.
“You got spunk, kid. I like that. Now do yourself a favor and burn the rest of her body and move on. I’m
sure we will meet again, and next time you might even give the devil his due.”
He vanished but I could still hear the echo of his laughter for seconds after. I rose to my feet and collected my sword. As I stuck it in its scabbard I noticed the knife was still in Arrisa. I shook my head. Guess he didn’t need it back.
***
Princeton drove us to a guy he knew who owned a crematorium and burned the body to ashes as instructed. The guy raised a few questions about the head, but Princeton stuffed a few hundred dollar bills in his pocket and that shut him up. We headed back to the brownstone where we sat in Princeton’s library. We were quiet. He looked at the newspaper while I swirled the scotch around in my glass. Finally Princeton broke the silence.
“So, MaGee, what will you do from now on?”
I tilted my head. “Don’t know.”
“That’s it?” he asked.
“Yep.”
He sighed. “Well I think you are a natural at the supernatural thing, MaGee, so if the thought of doing something like this as more than a onetime deal occurs, do let me know.” He stood and extended his hand. I looked up at it. I downed the rest of the drink and stood up and shook it. I knew it was time to go. I didn’t know where yet, but I was sure I would figure it out.
The End
You have just finished reading
MaGEE
by David White
Edited by Tommy Hancock
Editor in Chief, Pro Se Productions-Tommy Hancock
Submissions Editor-Barry Reese
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Publisher & Pro Se Productions, LLC-Chief Executive Officer-Fuller Bumpers
Cover Art and Design by Jeff Hayes
E-book Design by Russ Anderson
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