Apocalypse's Horsemen (Devil's Assistant Series - Book 3)

Apocalypse's Horsemen [13]

ChapterThirteen

Our travels took us back to London. No matter how far we went or how many troubles we faced, we always regrouped back at Satani Media headquarters. With such a terrifying and invisible enemy, I hated that we had stuck to our tried and tested pattern. We had a target on our backs and by sticking to our habits I felt that we were making that big ‘x-marks the spot’ that much larger.

And I felt the nerves even more as Castiel was missing. We had waited for three days in a village not far from where we had left the Halflings as Lucius has lovingly dubbed those we had rescued. Apparently it was easier than saying nephilim or demi-demon.

Thick black rainclouds had rolled in over the course of the morning and now big fat droplets of water were pelting against the window, rattling the panes in their frames. I stood there, staring out over the city even when the world became so blurred that I struggled to tell apart one building from another.

I shivered as another howling gale rattled the glass panes. Only the sound of footsteps drew my attention away. Lucius’ office had somehow become ours. Without the others around and the building emptier than normal due to the weekend, I had opted for casual clothes over business attire.

Inactivity ate at me. Placing once trainer clad foot in front of the other, I resumed my pacing. There was an agitated tapping coming from my left but I offered it nothing more than a passing thought. Lucius had been alternating between wearing a path in the carpet and tapping a hole in the desk for the entire morning. When he caught me looking at him from time to time the actions only became more frenzied. It was best to just pretend that he wasn’t there in the room with me.

“Where are you Cass?” I murmured, biting on my thumb nail as I paused in front of the windows once more.

I had already bitten down all of my other fingernails until they were painfully short. I barely noticed the stinging in my fingertips. My worry for my friend overcame everything else. The bleakness outside did nothing to help my mood.

A flash of lightning darted through the skies followed closely by a rumble of thunder.  I shivered and rubbed my hands on my arms to try and soothe away the goosebumps. My shoulders started to itch. I gulped past the dryness in my throat. Bad things had always followed the sensation. I knew not to ignore it but I couldn’t think what action we could take. One of our own was missing and we were fighting foes who could be anyone at any time.

There was a knock at the door.

Silence filled the void for a second and then Lucius huffed. I spared him a glance, trying to frown at the deep furrows that had lined his beautiful face before I turned to the door. Within a few steps, I could see a worn but familiar face staring at me from the other side.

My mouth dropped open. His hair was in disarray and my friend looked worse for wear, his clothes ripped and torn in places and there was even a smudge of dirt on his cheeks.

He lifted a single hand and waved at me through the glass though he made no effort to smile.

Yanking the door open with more force than was necessary, I flew forward so that my feet barely touched the ground and almost barrelled over the battered and bruised man.

I wrapped my arms around his waist and held on tightly.

“Thank god you’re okay.” I murmured, squeezing him hard despite the angel’s stiff demeanour.

He patted his hand on my back in a weak gesture of comfort. A snort escaped my lips before I pulled back to stare into is dirtied face.

“I thought we had lost you Castiel.”