Angel of Fire - Chasing Destiny - Book Three ***COMPLETE!!!***

Sunday Bloody Sunday

Chapter 32

I circled the entire perimeter of Kalamazoo with one word on my tongue, and one word only.

No.

That's it. Just a single word that I managed to utter over and over and over again between repeated wing flaps, as I watched the Angels of War descending on the city I'd grown to love like a swarm of hungry locusts.

"No, no, no, NO!"

I knew I should be thinking about something else. Like the many innocent people forced to run for their lives when the creatures suddenly attacked. But for some strange reason the streets seemed eerily empty. I also knew that I should have been thinking about the countless families now separated by tragedy as they called out for lost loved ones in anguish. But no cries of alarm could be heard over the deafening silence. And I especially knew that I should have thinking about my own family and being thankful. Thankful for the fact that my mom was safe. Safe and far away from this city of terror that had just become ground zero for the second wave of attacks.

But, as per my usual, I was being selfish and only thinking of saving Thomas.

Vycandor swooped past me and pointed at something below. My eyes frantically searched the ground for any movement, eventually zeroing in on the imposing structure of the Kalamazoo Castle and an enormous black cloud of winged creatures quickly moving in.

If we had any chance of mounting a resistance against the evil scourge, we were going to have to land and prepare to fight them off all by ourselves before they invaded the castle.

Vycandor must have read my mind because he descended out of the sky first with precision and skill, parachuting between two parked cars on Westnedge Avenue with only a couple of circular wing beats to slow his landing, before folding back his fiery blue wings simultaneously as his feet touched the ground like he'd been doing it all his life.

My landing, on the other hand, was anything but graceful. I approached it like I approached most things in life I didn't want to do, or wasn't very good at. I scrunched my eyes closed, held my breath, and basically hoped for the best. Unlike Vycandor, when I folded back my wings I torpedoed out of the sky and headed straight toward the ground with no hope of recovery. Spiraling out of control, body spinning wildly like a cyclone, the only thing that managed to break my fall was the hood of a parked car. The windows blew out all at once, shattering upon impact as if from an explosion. I bounced off the destroyed hood like a rubber ball only to land smack on my ass, eventually skidding to an abrupt halt right beside Vycandor.

The only thing missing was the screeching sound effect when I finally came to rest after my blaze of glory. Or maybe that only happens in cartoons.

I calmly stood up to wipe off the remains of impact, or attempted to anyway, pausing every now and then to pluck pointy shards of glass that had embedded themselves deep under my skin. Satisfied that I remained in one piece with no obvious broken bones, I glanced up and caught Vycandor staring at me with his mouth hanging open.

"What?"

"Could you maybe try to make a little more noise?" he whispered gravely. "I don't think you announced our arrival loud enough."

I glared at him in mutinous silence before we both ducked behind one of the many vehicles that lined the once busy five lane road. This close to the deadly aftermath, I wanted to close my eyes against the violence and make it go away. But it was no use. The battle had only just begun.

I scanned the darkness for any movement and found nothing. No survivors. The streets were littered with broken bottles and lifeless bodies. Mothers, fathers, and children torn apart. It was obvious the creatures were leaving no stone unturned as they crisscrossed the city all helter-skelter in their quest to find Thomas, and innocent humans caught in the crossfire were paying the ultimate price.

"This ends now," I demanded, getting to my feet.

Sensing my departure, Vycandor tried to derail me. "Chaos, we need to stick together."

"I know, but there's something I have to do," I hissed.

"I don't know what you think you have to do, but you're not going to do it alone. I forbid it. We are seriously out numbered here, don't you understand that? I can't risk losing you. What if something were to happen?"

When he finished his rant I made a point of twisting around in an attempt to feel my back, with no luck. No matter how hard I tried, I just wasn't that bendy.

Vycandor's brow crinkled with curiosity. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to find the FRAGILE sticker I must be wearing and tear it off."

A frown drew down both corners of his cherry red lips. "You're not funny, Chaos. I'm being serious."

"So am I."

"This is not up for discussion. Can we just agree for once that I'm right and you're wrong?"

It was my turn to frown. "I'm never wrong." He opened his mouth to protest, but I cut him off. "Look, let's skip the part where you raise both eyebrows and judge me, shall we? You got two chances to win this argument," I explained, holding up my fingers. "Slim and none. So just do me a solid and keep an eye on their location. I'll be right back."

Vycandor's eyes went wide. "Where are you going?"

"To get reinforcements, of course."

I stretched out my wings before he could argue. With just one flap of feathers I sailed high into the black void of the night sky to search for my target below, gracefully gliding past building after building until I spotted Saint Augustine Cathedral. The Roman Catholic Church located smack dab in the middle of downtown Kalamazoo equaled the enormous size and scale of the Kalamazoo Castle. Despite being a house of worship, the brooding architectural fortress with its pointy twin spires that reached toward the heavens was somehow just as imposing. Not that I was afraid to face the wrath of God for breaking into His house, of course. Besides, if I had any chance at all of destroying the Angels of War, I was going to need help. Lots and lots of help. The kind of help that comes from stealing a shit ton of Holy Water.

The only question I had next was what to put it in?

As I mulled over the options, I found myself being grateful that today was Sunday. A Holy day. It not only signaled the beginning of this reign of terror the Angels of Darkness were raging against mankind, but also the end. Today, Vycandor and I would unite once and for all to tip the balance of power in our favor and win the war.

At least, that was the plan.

It was a fight that would not be without consequence. A fight that would not be without sacrifice. But, above all else, it was sure to be a fight that would be bloody. Very, very bloody.

Sunday Bloody Sunday.