Guarding the Angel

Chapter 13

"We are rescuing Pat. Immediately," I declare. 

Cloud stares at me with his signature blank expression. "You're strange," he says at last.

I bite the inside of my cheek and turn my focus to the cavern again. Other than the river entrance, there is only one more connecting passage to this area. I wander over to it and look down. There is at least a fifty foot drop and the likeliness of it leading anywhere useful is low. Briefly, I consider climbing down the cliff. 

Since I've never climbed anything steeper than those helpful ramps I always use to enter the warehouse without alerting my boss to my presence, I don't think I can climb down without dying. If I'm dead, I can't help Pat. I turn away from the cliff and head back over to Cloud.

He's laying on the floor with his arm covering his eyes. I tap him with my toe. He doesn't move or acknowledge the tap. 

"This is not a good time for a nap," I say and kick him. I meant to kick him lightly, but my muscle spasmed at the last second, so my kick was harder than I'd kick a soccer ball or obnoxious pigeon that defecated all over my math assignment. 

Cloud sits up suddenly and glares at me. "Exiled angels need to sleep sometimes," he says, "I don't know when the next attack will come, but I need to recuperate while I can."

"Didn't you rest while I was unconscious?" I ask.

Cloud realizes he is glaring and quickly puts on his neutral expression. He looks at me calmly. "Pat refused to let me rest. He was convinced that as soon as I went to sleep, some enemy would show up and attack us all."

"Okay, fine. You may rest for a small amount of time. Then, we are going to rescue Pat immediately."

I look over at Cloud, waiting for his affirmation. He's already asleep. 

After walking around the cavern for an hour or so, the passageway with the fifty foot cliff seems like the only exit out of this room. I wish I knew if it connected to the surface again. I also wish I knew if Pat was safe or not. Based on how easily Velica kicked me into the river, I could see her killing Pat at any moment. 

I still can't regret bringing Cloud home, but I wish it hadn't had negative repercussions for people other than me. 

For the tenth time, I make my way over to the cliff drop and stare down into the increasing darkness. Unlike the other nine times, something actually happens this time. I jump back as a lot of shapes shoot up from the darkness and swarm into the cavern. 

The gleaming red eyes of the pelicans are no friendlier than last time they tried to kill me. They make a lot of popping noises while swirling around me. I continue to back up. When my back hits one of the cave walls, I lean over and pick up a small stone. As the first pelican swoops down towards me, I throw the stone. It hits the pelican in the eye and falls to the ground.

The pelican doesn't look any worse-for-wear. It launches into me and begins biting and pinching me. Several other pelicans join in zealously. 

"Cloud, nap time is over," I shout, glancing over to where Cloud was moments before. 

He's gone. 

A pelican gets a hold on some of my hair. It pulls out a large chunk. I lunge forward and try to grab one of the pelicans. They move out of my way quickly. 

"My birds don't make the same mistake twice," a smug voice says form across the room.

I look up from where a pelican just chomped my arm to see Latif standing across the room. His Mohawk seems taller and spikier than last time. He shoves a crab claw into his mouth and eats it whole before throwing the empty food container behind him.

"Cloud's not even here. There is no point in attacking me," I say.

Latif lets out a laugh. It's high-pitched and far more disturbing than the pelicans' popping noises. "I can't kill him without killing you first, darling. I don't know why I'm talking to you --- you are a mindless killing machine." 

As if forgetting that he finished his last crab claw, Latif reaches towards where he was holding the bag. He scowls upon finding nothing but his own hand. Then, he leans back against the wall and watches the pelicans attacking me. 

"You fooled me once," he calls out. "I don't know why you are playing this game of pretending your Sworn Protector has free will. It's rather cruel to let her be eaten by pelicans, even if she can't feel or understand anything."

A pelican bites the front of my knee. I kick it reflexively. The bird flies backwards a significant amount, despite the fact that the kick is much weaker than what I used on Cloud earlier. That's when I remember that Pelicans have light bones so that they can fly. Even though they look heavy and are vicious and speedy, I should be able to defeat them.

I kick a few more pelicans. They start to stay way from my legs. Whenever a pelican gets within reach of my arms, I try to grab it. The pelicans swirl around, trying to figure out a way to get close to me without getting kicked or grabbed. For a moment, I think I've figured out the right strategy to fend them off.

Then, all of the pelicans swoop towards me in a single wave of hostility.