Between the Cross and the Flame

Chapter 21: Chaya

Chaya cried out, arms shooting out to the wall. His hand flew to his forehead, where a sudden migraine pierced his skull. He closed his eyes and only saw white. Every nerve in his body was set on fire. Chaya trembled with the intensity of the pain. He could have sworn that he heard the faint whispering of a familiar voice, but within seconds, it was gone, and the pain receded. Only an aching sensation remained. He opened his eyes, and Haniel was there, arms supporting the weakened blonde.

"Chay, what happened? Was that another warning?"

He nodded. "I think so. I- I think the archangels are calling out to me."

"That would make sense. They'd be trying to lure you into a trap," Leviathan remarked.

"We have to get Mavet," Del said immediately, drawing the attention of all three boys. "He and Chaya are connected. If the archangels are reaching out to him, they're probably talking to Mavet, too. They'll be easier to catch if we have both of them with us."

"But wouldn't it be better if they both stay here?" Haniel suggested. His voice caught in his throat, and Chaya could see the conflict converging in his expression. "Chaya and Mavet aren't safe anywhere near the archangels if they're as dead-set on capturing them as you say. I don't want to lose either one of them, thank you very much."

"We'll be fine," Chaya insisted. "We've got our squadron to protect us, and Del could single-handedly take them down. If worst comes to worst, I can always call an army of animals to my side."

"I suppose that's true..."

"Get the Squadron together," Leviathan said. "I'll call Squadron 5 in for action, too. That's Adeline's squadron. You'll need all the help you can get."

"And Mavet?" Del reminded him.

Leviathan's mouth set into a hard line. After a long moment of silence, he finally said, "Go get him. But I expect him to be back in that cell the second you return."

"Yes, Sir."

Leviathan strode off, barking orders through his personal earpiece. Chaya's heart rate elevated as chaos erupted around him. Alarms blared, doors slammed, and demons darted this way or that. The entire cave was going on lockdown. Even one archangel had the potential to infiltrate, destabilize, and take down the entire base. Their immense power, skill, and experience made them the ultimate fighters, and Leviathan wasn't about to take any chances.

Chaya clung to Haniel as Del ran off to retrieve Mavet. "Haniel?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm kind of terrified," he admitted. His stomach jolted like he was on a roller coaster. "What if these archangels attack us, and we can't stop them? What if they get to Mavet and I? What will they do to you guys? What if– ?"

Chaya found his words drowned out by Haniel's lips. He felt himself melt internally as he kissed the soccer player back. Haniel eventually pulled back, and Chaya noticed how firmly the soccer player held him. He suddenly felt safe in Haniel's embrace, like he was invincible, that even these archangels couldn't hurt him.

"I'm not letting anything happen to you," Haniel promised. "I swear on my life, you're going to come right back here, safe and sound."

"Don't swear it on your life," Chaya whispered. "You better live."

Haniel winked at him. "If I don't, I'll be right back here as a demon."

"You're not allowed to die!"

Haniel squeezed Chaya's hand, looking meaningfully into his eyes. "I won't. That's a promise."

Del came running back into the Mission Center with Mavet in tow. Squadron 16 was suited up and gathered inside the center, and Adeline was just arriving with her squadron. Adeline greeted them with a friendly tip of her hat, then she was all business, shouting orders to get her squadron in line. Chaya never dropped Haniel's hand as he prepared the squadrons for battle. Irvin gave them the rundown of where the archangels were, the best place to target them, and how many soldiers they should station where. Chaya's heart leapt into his mouth when the reality of the possible conflict set in. This was really happening. They were really going to fight archangels.