Free Angel's Shield by Erin M. Leaf Page A

sounding terrified.
    Damn it. We have to
get her out of this. Haniel frowned, moving in front of her. “Begone.” He lifted his blade again,
trying to keep the demon’s attention on him. “In the name of God, I banish you—”
    Jeremiel lunged, but the demon was too fast. He swung out an arm
that suddenly had talons at least a foot long sprouting from the surface, like
spines on a poisonous fish. Jeremiel ducked, barely escaping injury. Haniel
slashed again, but the heat from the fire was spreading. They had to get out of
here.
    “Stupid angels,” the demon said, lifting his arms. The back of the
room erupted into flames.
    Haniel looked at his best friend. There was only one way out of
here: jump. Except Haniel couldn’t fly. Jeremiel could carry Charmeine, but he
would have to take his chances. I accept
that. Anything to protect Charmeine and Jeremiel. He nodded slightly and
Jeremiel scooped her up, then leaped through the burning wall, wings flaring
wide as he hit the air outside. Embers scattered around him as the demon
screamed.
    “You won’t get away that easily!”
    Haniel took off after them, wishing he still had his wings. This
was going to hurt, a lot. On the way out, he twisted and slashed, fighting off
the demon’s rage. To his astonishment, one thrust caught the creature on the
edge of his neck. His weapon ground against the scales that had replaced the
creature’s flesh, then slipped underneath. Blood welled up like a fountain,
black as tar, and then twisted the blade as he fell, the demon’s shocked face
seared into his mind.
    Just when he thought he would hit the ground way too hard for
survival, slim arms caught his wrists and pulled him into the air.
    ****
    “Oh God, oh God, oh God,” Charmeine chanted, dragging Haniel up
just enough to break his fall. They landed hard, rolling over the uneven ground
of her back yard. Her wings were soft and weak and tumbling over them didn’t
exactly feel great. By the time she came to a stop, she hurt. When she looked
up and back, her entire house crackled with flames, like something out of a
movie.
    “What just happened?” Haniel panted, crushing her legs.
    “She saved your damn life,” Jeremiel said, landing on his knees
beside them. “Oh Jesus, let me see, Charmeine. Careful.”
    His hair is a mess, was all she could think as he gently extracted her arms from her
feathers. “I flew,” she said. She swallowed dirt, then coughed.
    “We need to get out of here,” Jeremiel said, smoothing his hands
down her wings in a way that fixed everything wrong. “Let me just get you
straightened out here.”
    “I didn’t know I could fly,” she croaked.
    Haniel grabbed her hands. “I am so glad you could.” He kissed her
fingers.
    She squeezed him tight enough to make him grimace. “I’m so sorry.”
    Haniel laughed, then kissed her. “Are you kidding me? You’re
sorry? For what? Saving my life?”
    “I don’t know how I did that.” She leaned into Jeremiel hands,
still trying to catch her breath. “I just grabbed you, by instinct. I don’t
even know how I got away from Jeremiel.” She shook her head. “I don’t know what
I’m doing.”
    “We’re getting the hell away from here before that monster comes
out and kills us, that’s what we’re doing. We don’t have the firepower to stand
against a demon lord,” Jeremiel muttered, settling the last feather into place.
“There.”
    “He’s not coming after us.” Haniel stood up and stared back at her
house. The flames cast shadows over his face.
    “What do you mean?” Jeremiel asked. He stood up, too, hauling
Charmeine with him.
    She clutched his arm, unbalanced. Her wings were so big she couldn’t
stand properly. An acrid breeze wafted towards them from the house and she
coughed as smoke stung her throat.
    “I cut off his head on the way out,” Haniel said mildly.
    Jeremiel stared at the other angel, eyes wide. “Are you sure?”
    Haniel nodded.
    Charmeine watched Jeremiel. His