After World Chronicles: Angel Awakens

Leo's Crew

I must be careful with my reply. I can't reveal the tie to Sven, but my personal attention for a single hybrid, taking her under my protection and training her is unusual to say the least. Unheard of. Unprecedented. Without the command from my liege unwarranted. As I consider my response a gust of wind blows through the camp, strong enough to rock diminutive Angel, pushing her a couple steps closer to the Watcher, who reaches out to steady her. His gaze sharpens as his nostrils flare and he gives her a hard look.

"Who are you?" he barks at her in a demanding tone, his look fierce as his giant hands wrap around her narrow upper arms. She blinks in confusion at his reaction.

She clears her throat and her voice wavers slightly as he scowls at her. "Angel," she tells him as he paces around us again, his silver eyes narrowed and his nostrils flaring.

"What did you say?" he commands, his forceful tone sending tremors through her slight frame. I want to speak for her, but know there are harsh penalties for both of us if I do.

"Sir, my name is Angel," she gives a helpless shrug. "I know it must seem silly as a name for me to someone like yourself."

Leo is practically on top of her now, and I can tell he is devouring her scent, processing all it can reveal to him. There is real fear now in Angel's aura as she anticipates the unexpected, but she holds herself steady under the scrutiny. The Watcher sees it also, and moves away from her. He considers her for a moment longer as the consternation leaches from him.

"Not silly," he tells her with a gentle half smile. "Apt."

Angel blushes more wildly than I've ever seen at the compliment from the ancient Watcher. Her small body is visibly trembling as she recovers from his intense inspection.

Leo turns back to me. "Gaige told me he saw the two of you at Point Zero."

I let out a sigh and run a hand through my hair. Of course. I suspected as much. Gaige and his twin Gavin are Leo's hybrid offspring with a human woman whom Leo later transitioned. Gaige would've picked up on something special about Angel with his amplified senses. Reporting back to his father was a given.

I hear several others rapidly approaching us on foot, and realize it's most likely Leo's crew. He cocks his head to the side, the wild mane of bronze hair blowing slightly in the breeze, then dismisses the information. He's expecting them.

"We saw him there," I admit, needlessly. I'm still pondering the reason for the impromptu visit.

"I wanted to warn you there's increased activity from the Enhanced in the area," Leo answers my unspoken question. I frown at his words wondering what the cause could be.

"Do you know why?" I ask him, glancing sideways to Angel, wondering if they somehow know her approximate location and are closing in on us.

Leo sees my look, and the frown that accompanies it. His sharp gaze misses nothing.

"I believe it has to do with the Red Woman," he theorizes, watching the two of us curiously. "Her troops have also been spotted nearby. The boys just returned from a skirmish with them."

"They engaged with her? Something initiate the battle?" I wonder aloud, my scowl deepening.

I remember my first encounter with the Red Woman and her lackeys when Angel was just an infant. They are a deceptively dangerous group. I've had several encounters in the intervening years, but those were all to my advantage, mostly because I kept my distance and gathered intel.

The Red Woman is a major demon, much like the Watchers are major angels. When the fall came she used the opportunity chaos presented to escape from servitude to her liege. As with any celestial, she can transition humans to semi-immortality and they will be subservient to her. She has made the choice of transitioning mostly affected, those more prone to violence more likely to be chosen. She also has a contingent of transitioned Enhanced, although their number in her ranks are few, as they are more resistant to the transition process. Again I think back to Angel as a newborn, without my intervention she most likely wouldn't have survived. Something about the Enhanced genetic makeup isn't quite compatible with angelic DNA.