Free Ablaze by Dahlia Rose

she could beat him. Penn moved with speed across the rocky ground to save her, yet it felt as if his feet were stuck in quicksand.
    “You are not sanctioned!” Hailey cried out as the angel towered above her.
    “No!”
    He roared the words as the angel smiled and brought his sword down. Everything seemed to move in slow motion.
    “Choose!” Penn heard Ray cry out from the entrance of his home in the rock wall of the canyon. He looked over to see him standing there with his hand outstretched. It was him who slowed down the killing blow directed toward Hailey.
    “I choose to belong to neither side; I choose to be neutral!”
    Penn roared the words as he reached Hailey and covered her with his body. The angel’s sword would come down across his back and cut through him. This was his fate, and he accepted his death. Except the blow never came. He never felt his body being cut by the heavenly blade. He looked up to see the angel frozen with his hand held high to bring the deathblow, but he could not move. Horror was on the angel’s face as Penn pulled Hailey away from danger. They fell on the dusty dry ground and looked on as a flash of lightning hit the sword that the angel held and travel through his body. With a flash of light the only thing left was dust, and his cry was carried away on the wind.
    Penn moved his hands over Hailey. “Are you hurt in any way?”
    “No, but you’ve changed,” she said gently and touched something at his back.
    Penn stood, helped her to her feet, and tried to look over his own shoulder. He caught a glimpse of dark feathers, and when he looked under his arm he saw the ending of his dark wings. He had chosen, and now he was a dark angel.
    “Well this is new,” he murmured amazed.
    He looked at Hailey as her own wings spread, and now the tips of her feathers were black. Without a word they rushed into each other’s arms, and Penn took her lips in a long, hard kiss. They were alive and together.
    “I’m okay too, by the way.” Sam limped forward, and Penn could see he was pale from what he’d been through.
    “You look good enough, kid.” Penn chuckled. “We were the ones fighting out here.”
    “Well shit, demon, how about you let someone write on your bones and see how you stand up,” Sam replied.
    “You did well, boy; you might be worth protecting after all,” Penn teased.
    “It is done, no one will come after him any longer,” Ray said with a smile. He hit Penn lightly in the shoulder. “Your biggest challenge is yet to come, boy, matching wits with a surly teen. Teaching him will be a monumental task.”
    “I’ve been doing good so far,” Penn said. “Besides, he kind of grows on you like a bad fungus.”
    “You’re the fungus,” Sam snapped.
    “Boys behave.” Hailey grinned. “Thank you, Ray, for all that you have done.”
    “You found each other, all three of you. Now your destiny is set,” Ray replied. “Go now and watch the boy. Make sure he follows his path.”
    “We will, ageless one,” Hailey said and kissed the old man’s cheek.
    Penn took her hand and kissed it gently before they walked away from Ray and headed back to the car in the dark.
    “One of you could flash us to the car just like that,” Sam grumbled good-naturedly.
    “Kid, we just fought a horde of demons and angels for you; shut up and walk,” Penn said tiredly.
    “Yeah, you’re supposed to me immortal and all that crap. You should still have some juice,” Sam pointed it out. “All gruff and no stuff.”
    “Kid, don’t make me box your ears or something like that,” Penn snapped. The boy always knew how to press his buttons.
    “Sam, the name is Sam. Box my ears; are you from the fifties?” Sam retorted.
    “Come here, let’s find out, you little….”
    “Boys, behave,” Hailey said gently.
    They both went silent, and Penn reached out to ruffle Sam’s hair. In turn Sam punched him in the shoulder; it was their kind of truce, and it was for her. Penn had to admit the