For nearly five minutes, Angel stood stunned in the parking lot, trying to understand how things had escalated so quickly. During that time, his feelings shifted from anger to frustration, then sadness, and finally confusion. He wondered whether he should go back to the apartment and try to smooth things over with her, or get back in the car and take a long drive.
For the first time in his life, he couldn't figure out how to move forward, especially when it came to calming a volatile demon's emotions. He'd been trapped in the trenches of war and felt more in control then than he did now. Still, he knew nothing would be resolved if he didn't try to make amends, so with a deep breath, he accepted his fate and went back inside.
When he entered the apartment, Cassie was standing by the couch with her arms folded over her chest. Her expression conveyed a mix of disappointment and concern. "What happened?"
Shedding his tactical vest—his metaphorical armor—Kevin dropped it onto the couch with a heavy thud. Ignoring the tense question, he asked one of his own: "Is Charlie in our room?"
Thinning her lips, she shook her head. "No, she came in for a brief moment, told me you're both safe, then told me that she was going up on the roof to be alone."
Casting his eyes toward the ceiling, he remained silent, absorbing the news.
Huffing at him impatiently, she tried again. "So what the hell happened, Kevin?"
Glaring at her in response to her snap, he blew out a breath in frustration. "I don't want to talk about it."
"Tough." There was no give in her voice, no leniency in her tone. Flatly, she stated, "It's big sister intervention time. Spill!"
He exhaled in defeat. First it was Charlie, and now his sister. Would there ever be a safe harbor in this ongoing storm?
Kicking off his boots and pushing them under the side table, he shuffled toward the liquor cabinet and stared at the small selection of bottles. Opening the glass door, he picked a bottle of Scotch whiskey, grabbed a clean tumbler from the shelf below, and sat down heavily at the kitchen table. Pouring a shot, he tossed it back, coughed twice, and then poured another.
Knowing she wouldn't get answers until he calmed down, Cassie grabbed a glass for herself and sat across from him. Placing it next to his glass, she waited as he poured a couple fingers of the amber liquid for her.
She took a drink, set the glass down, and softened her expression and tone. "I heard through the Frequencies that the suspects have been rounded up and the kids are in protective custody."
"Yeah," he affirmed, throwing back most of the liquor.
"There was another report," her voice lowered, tentative with a gentle prod, "that there were two bodies recovered." His shifting demeanor gave her pause, but she pressed on. "Did Charlie—?"
Cutting off her question, he slammed his glass onto the table, spilling some Scotch across the wood surface. He glanced at the wall, shook his head, and growled out a "no" before downing the remainder of his drink.
Silently, she tossed back her glass in response, then extended her hand and waited expectantly.
He poured drinks for both of them, his face flushed and distressed, and in a whisper, he confessed, "I took a life tonight."
Releasing a soft breath, she reached out and touched his arm in support. "I'm sorry. What happened?"
"Charlie went full demon on a sentry to save a kid. He had a gun and got the drop on her. I had no choice."
"Kevin." She frowned. "Every time you take her into the field, she's at risk. You can't account for everything, no matter how well you plan."
"I know that. But I might not have had to if she had just listened and followed my orders." He spat, his voice rising, repeating the same complaint he'd shared with Charlie. "She went off script again; let her emotions get the better of her, and she could have been killed." He paused a beat to steady his nerves. Then he muttered, "She almost was." He took a sip to collect his thoughts. "Now she's unsure if she wants to go on, and I think she might be right."
"Is that what you two fought about?"
"Yeah. I reprimanded her for disobeying orders. Told her I was concerned that her growing powers might be affecting her control. She threw it back in my face that I'm not her master." He scoffed. That wasn't exactly what she'd said. He didn't want to repeat her actual words. They had hurt too much.
"You've been lucky with Charlie." She reminded him, her voice taking on a more serious tone. "Because a demon with no master is volatile at best. At worst, it's deadly for anyone they come in contact with."
"I almost found that out the hard way tonight," he grumbled.
Cassie glanced over her shoulder toward a bookshelf in the corner. "How so?"
A slight shiver coursed up his spine as he remembered Charlie's eyes in the dark. "There was a moment where I thought she was going to kill me."
"Go on."
"After I escaped the warehouse, I reached the rendezvous point, and she was there, but not really there." Rubbing his eyes, he swallowed hard. "The look in her eyes—they were feral, angry. I'd never seen that look on her before. She pounced on me, and I thought I was a goner. But all she did was scoop me up and get us out of there. But in those few seconds? Cassie? I thought I'd lost her."
Without a word, she stood, walked over to one of her bookshelves, and picked up a small wooden box carved with protective symbols.
Kevin's eyes followed her as she came back to the table. "What's that?"
Opening the lid, she pulled out a brown-beaded necklace. All the beads were the same size, resembling a rosary, but without the Christian cross attached.
She held it up for him to see. "After learning what Charlie could be, I created a protection spell and infused it into this necklace," she said, running her fingers over the smooth beads. "When the spell is spoken, it sends out a ripple of energy that should theoretically cause any demon or supernatural creature nearby to experience excruciating pain."
Sliding the necklace across the table to him, she instructed, "Wear it and memorize the spell. If Charlie's emotions become overwhelming and her demon side loses control, this will give you time to escape."
He picked up the beads and rolled them between his fingers, feeling their weight. "She accused me of not trusting her, Cassie. If I wear this, then I'm admitting she's right."
"Who Charlie is, what she believes in, the mission, you—you can trust that, Kevin." She assured him, yet she had to admit, "But what she is? Her demon side? That we have to be cautious about. She's far too dangerous for you not to have some sort of protection."
Pursing his lips, Kevin sighed through his nose and slipped the necklace around his neck. He hated that Cassie was right, but the wise thing to do was to be prepared, and as he slipped it under his shirt, he said as much to her. "You're right. Thanks, sis."
"You're welcome." She smiled sadly. "Though I firmly believe she will never turn on you."
"Maybe not, but when things calmed down with her, she revealed we might have a bigger problem."
Preparing herself, Cassie took a sip of her Scotch.
Kevin then proceeded to explain everything Charlie had told him—about the burned body, the magic she thought was involved, and the children's comments about a monster. Someone with otherworldly power was involved in the kidnappings.
She leaned back in her chair, processing the information. "If this is true, then Bible has someone far more dangerous than mere henchmen under his command. From Charlie's description of the poor girl's body, it sounds like Vodou witchcraft to me."
"Which means there's a piece on the chessboard that could challenge Charlie."
"Shit." Cassie threw back her shot and motioned for another. "Okay. In the morning, I'll send out feelers through the Frequencies to see if anyone in the witching community has heard of any trickster-Vodou shit going down. Then I'll see what other protective spells I can whip up. What are you going to do about Charlie?"
He obliged her with another pour, saying, "I don't know. I do know that I will continue to be her shelter. Do whatever it takes to keep her safe, but if she wants to stop working with me, that's fine."
She took a drink, licked her lips, and huffed. "Listen to your sister on this one, Kevin. If you really love her the way I know she loves you, tell her. Stop letting the issue of her memories get in the way. Love has real magic; no matter what she is, her heart aches for you. Nurture that. Make sure she knows. It may be what keeps you safe and her in control."
"What if it's too late? She wanted to step back, worried about what being the devil's daughter meant, and I agreed. But…" His voice trailed off.
"But?" she prompted.
Shrugging, Kevin muttered, "I think Charlie's jealous of Amanda. She whispered, 'I love you,' after she saw me in the coffee shop with her."
"Then it's not too late." She smiled softly. "Trust me, this is one agreement you need to break, and you need to confess. And dare I say? Take it to the next level."
The first real smile played across his lips all night. "Are you telling your little brother to go get laid?"
"I'm telling my little brother to embrace love," Cassie replied with a roll of her eyes, "because he deserves it." She paused, looking up at the ceiling. "Because you both need it."
Gazing at the ceiling with her, he thought of Charlie on the roof, then glanced back at his sister. "Again, as always, you're right." He made sure it sounded exasperated, though his voice carried a hint of humor. "When she calms down, I will."
"Yes, I am, and good!" She grinned, but her smile softened to a gentle line. "You know I'd love for her to be a part of this family."
"Then you marry her." He teased with a chuckle.
"Not my lane." Cassie quipped. Downing the last of her Scotch, she pushed the glass to the side and stretched. "I'm sure you two are going to figure this out. But I suggest you make up the couch. Just in case."
"I will. But I'm going to try to stay up until she comes down."
"You're not going up?"
Kevin raised his glass. "She wanted to be alone, so I'm not going to invade her sanctuary. I can wait. But I can't go to sleep until I apologize."
"Good luck." Cassie stood and moved over to him. "Now that you're both home and safe, I need to get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning." She leaned in and kissed him on the forehead.
He offered her a wan smile. "Good night, sis."
After she closed her bedroom door, Kevin rubbed his eyes and let out a weary breath. Tapping the bottle's mouth against the rim, he watched the amber liquid splash into the bottom of the glass. With yet another slow exhale, he downed another shot and settled in to wait.
After delivering the message to Cassie that they were home, Charlie declared she'd be on the roof and slammed the door behind her. Moments later, the outer door to the roof was shoved roughly aside as she stormed out into the cool night air, her frustration boiling over. She let out a sharp scream of anger that echoed across the empty rooftops and began pacing restlessly between the partitions of Cassie's training dojo. As she moved, her features flickered violently between human and demon, like a strobe light out of control.
They had never experienced such a fierce fight before, and she loathed herself far more than she felt anger toward Angel. Talking to herself, she sputtered, "Why did I say those things to him? I didn't mean them! What if I've driven him away?" She stopped abruptly, covered her mouth, her eyes widening. Oh, God, is this how he felt that night in the hotel?
But he was right about one thing: her emotions felt like waves crashing against jagged rocks, spilling everywhere, and she growled again. Was she truly losing control? She remembered how she felt when she perched on the cargo container and saw Angel cower below her—a fleeting moment of excitement had fluttered through her soul, her body aching from her ears to her very core, teasing her demon's desire to strike.
What had caused her to feel that way? It was as if something had been clawing inside her head, raking at an unseen door in the back of her mind, whispering for her to let it out. It made her deeply uncomfortable.
Stepping to the parapet wall, Charlie looked down at the city street and the surrounding buildings, their windows glowing like scattered stars.
I can't let those thoughts control me. I need to focus on Angel. He saved me, gave me shelter, and a purpose. How can I do any less for him?
Turning around, she leaned against the cool brick wall. The silent admission cooled her anger, replacing it with something else. A faint sense of familiarity that tugged at her heart. It was strong, but she couldn't quite articulate the sensation, other than that she suddenly felt a strange urge.
An urge to…sing?
The onset caused her brow to crease. Feeling awkward, she pushed those feelings down, scoffing, "What the heck? Life isn't a musical, girl!"
And yet, she couldn't shake the feeling that she used to do this before.
Was a memory resurfacing?
Touching her amulet under her shirt, she remembered what Cassie had told her. Focus on anything that feels familiar and embrace it, concentrate and coax it out.
Licking her lips, Charlie closed her eyes, moved away from the wall, and opened herself to the music in her heart. When she did, an almost imperceptible sound of melody flowed through her inner ears, and words she'd never known before teased her tongue.
♫ When I first saw his face, he made me feel safe
A lost soul in a strange new place ♫
The lyrics flowed effortlessly, articulating all the feelings and emotions that had been brewing within her.
♫ And it felt so good
To be understood
But there's so much I wish that I could say ♫
As she moved toward the center of the roof, Charlie extended her arms and spun slowly, lifting her face to the stars and embracing this part of herself. She sang with all her heart and soul, feeling buoyant and lighter in her body.
♫ I will fight to make his dreams come true!
Whatever we go through!
I know I'll be his armor!
Whatever it takes, I'll make the mistakes!
I'll spend my life being his partner! ♫
Swaying to the music in her mind, Charlie felt all her anger, turmoil, and doubts wash away as her resolve grew stronger. No matter who she was, what she was, or what she might become, she would never break her promise to protect Angel. She would find a way to keep fighting alongside him. She was willing to do anything to see their dreams come true. Opening her golden eyes, they sparkled with determined focus as she whispered one last melody:
♫ Whatever it takes ♫