“Damn it” Nikolas growled under his breath, as he prepared to take off.

  “I wouldn’t bother” the same male voice said but this time a male with dark blue wings stepped into the clearing. “You are surrounded.”

  “You can have your little girl, demon” Nikolas growled, narrowing his eyes at the male.

  “Now, now, no need for name calling” the male demon said, as he casually walked closer to Ben, who was standing in front of Nikolas, ready for a fight. “Why don’t we keep this civil and discuss this.”

  “What do you want?” Nikolas spat, as he pulled Juniper in front of him and wrapped one arm around her, as the other reached for the hilt of his sword.

  “The same thing you want” the male demon answered, watching Nikolas closely. “Our people are just as deserving of freedom as yours, don’t you think?”

  “And I’m guessing you want to make a deal?” Nikolas growled, not willing to make any deals with a demon.

  “A deal?” the male demon laughed, glancing behind Nikolas as one of his own took the little girl. “Do you truly believe that we will ever be capable of making an agreeable deal?”

  “Well, at least you understand that” Nikolas scoffed, as he quickly scanned the area, taking note of all the demons waiting in the trees. He could see that they were drastically outnumbered and that it would take a miracle to get out alive, especially since he would have to carry Juniper, leaving him with just one hand to fight with.

  “What do you want?” Juniper asked with the fear she felt, obvious in her voice. She was certain that she could make some water for them and let them free their own people but that was only if they knew where their people were.

  Waving his hand in the air, as if to gesture to his people, the male demon smiled at Juniper and waited as his people closed in around the three of them. “I think we shall discuss this over some tea” he said before he stretched out his wings and lifted off the ground. “Bring them.”

  As quickly as he could, Nikolas turned around to face the demons behind him and positioned Juniper behind him, knowing that she would be between himself and Ben. “Stay between us” he said sternly, as the blade of his sword grew from the hilt.

  The first to swing their sword was a demon and even though his blade was blocked by Nikolas’ blade, he didn’t hesitate to swing again. His comrades then quickly joined him, in a fight with both Nikolas and Ben but they were all careful not to harm Juniper. They all knew who she was and what she could do, making her worth fighting for.

  As the sound of metal on metal rang out through the clearing, Juniper watched in horror as the demons began to overpower Ben and Nikolas. She didn’t want to see anyone get hurt but she also knew that it would only be a matter of time before a demon sword found its target.

  “That’s enough” the male demon roared from above the fight, as he pointed an arrow at Juniper. While he wasn’t prepared to kill her, he was ready to shoot her to get what they had come for.

  Looking up at the demon above her, Juniper’s heart dropped into her stomach and her entire body began trembling. She could see the intent in the demon's yellow eyes and knew that he would shoot her if they didn’t do what he said.

  Cursing under his breath, Nikolas allowed the blade of his sword to conceal itself and placed it back on his hip. He knew that the arrow would hit Juniper before he had time to cover her and as much as he didn’t want to go anywhere with the demons, he didn’t think they had a choice either.

  “Fine, where are we going?” Nikolas asked, as he held his hands up to signify that he was going to comply.

  “You know, this doesn’t have to be difficult” the demon sighed, as his bow disappeared into the baton, much like Isaac’s and Ben’s had. “But if you try anything, I will not hesitate next time.”

  “And if you hurt her, I will take great pleasure in killing you” Nikolas growled, as he grabbed Juniper’s arm and pulled her against his chest.

  “Then we have an agreement” the demon said, looking at Nikolas with amusement in his eyes. “Shall we?” He then gestured for Nikolas and Ben to join in him and waited for them to lift into the air before he flew off.

  Chapter 21

  Surrounded by demons, Ben and Nikolas flew up high into the cloudy sky and over the mountains. They had no idea where they were going but knew that they were going to have to come up with a plan to get them all out and quickly.

  “I’m so sorry” Juniper said against Nikolas’ chest, as she shivered in his arms.

  “It’s okay” Nikolas responded, wishing he had back up to help them but they were on their own and they were going to have to work it out between themselves. “This is not your fault.”

  “Of course it’s my fault, I intentionally defied you” she said, wishing that she had never taken the water from Ben.

  “What’s done, is done, we can’t go back and change it” he said with a reassuring smile. “All we can do now, is move forward and figure this out.”

  “Is there anything I can do?” she asked, certain that he should be scolding her for being so stupid.

  “Ama me” he whispered softly, holding her a little tighter.

  Before Juniper could ask Nikolas what he had said, the demon stopped the group and looked at Ben with disinterest. “He can go no further” the demon said, pointing at Ben. “If he leaves peacefully, no harm will come to him.”

  “What, no” Juniper blurted out, looking worried. Their group was getting smaller, which meant that their chances of successfully fighting their way out was decreasing and Juniper was certain that this was what they had planned. “I need him.”

  “You need him” the demon laughed, making Juniper feel small with his mocking smile. “I don’t, so he needs to leave or I’ll kill him.” He then signalled for his people to ready themselves for another fight. “Either way, he’s not coming.”

  “It’s okay, he’ll leave but why did you allow him to come this far?” Nikolas asked, nodding at Ben to let him know that it was okay to leave.

  “Do you think that it is wise to leave your enemies grouped together where they can quickly reorganize themselves?” the demon questioned, amused with Nikolas’ hardened stare. “I personally would rather scatter the pieces so that it takes longer to pick them up.”

  Looking at Ben, Nikolas signalled for him to leave but he knew that Ben would not leave them. They had both seen this tactic before and knew that the demon was right, a small piece of the scattered puzzle was hard to find, for both sides.

  “This way” the demon said, once he was satisfied that Ben was far enough away that he would not be a problem for them. Although, he wasn’t stupid enough to leave Ben to follow from a distance either and ensured two of his people stayed to watch him.

  As they flew above a thick forest, Juniper tried to take in as many landmarks as she could, in an effort to know which way to go if they were able to escape. She could see rivers and cliff faces but she was cold and found it increasingly difficult to memorize everything she saw. Although, when she thought about it, she would not be flying anywhere if Nikolas couldn’t and the landmarks would look quite different from the ground. It was obvious that even if they could escape, she would have to rely on Nikolas’ sense of direction, which made her feel inadequate.

  After what seemed like hours of flying but was only minutes, the group began to descent toward a valley in the mountains. Even from above it looked beautiful, with a dusting of snow on the taller trees and the glittering frozen river that snaked through the mountains. It was something that Juniper had only ever seen in pictures and wished that she could experience it under different circumstances.

  “Your weapons are useless here” the demon said, as their feet touched the ground in a lush traditional garden. “But you can give it a try if you’re curious.”

  “Don’t be afraid, I’m not going to leave your side” Nikolas whispered in Juniper’s ear, as he took her hand in his.

  “Tell the master of the house that we have guests” the demon told one his own, as he gestured for Nikolas and Juniper to follow him.

  As they walked through the traditional, yet spacious house, Nikolas quickly checked his sword to find that the demon was telling the truth. While he had never seen it on Earth, many homes where he was from had a device that disrupted the energy that created their weapons, including his own. However, he was more than capable of using the metal weapons that he noticed hanging from the walls of the house they were walking through.

  Stopping in a large room, with a table set for tea and glass doors that would open out into a manicured garden. The demon whispered in the ear of another white haired demon before turning to smile at his guests.

  “Please, take a seat” the demon said, as he gestured at the table.

  Ensuring Juniper sat by the glass doors, in order to assist with their escape, Nikolas took his seat at one end of the table. While he knew that the decorative swords behind him would not last long in a fight, they would at least cause some damage to his enemy and hopefully give them an opportunity to escape.

  Once everyone had taken their seat, a woman dressed in a colourful, traditional dress placed a plate of sweets in the middle of the table. She then carefully poured the tea before placing the pot beside the plate of sweets and took her place in the corner of the room.

  “Now that you have your tea demon, what exactly are you hoping to gain from this meeting?” Nikolas growled, glaring at the demon.

  “I see you started without me Alexander” a middle-aged man said, as he walked into the room, carrying a tall stick that immediately drew Juniper’s attention.

  “My apologies Taro” the demon said, as he climbed to his feet and bowed to the older man. “I was unsure if you were planning to attend.”

  “So, who do we have here?” Taro asked, as the woman quickly set a place for him, allowing both Taro and Alexander to take their place at the table.

  “An Angelus but I’m not quite sure what the girl is” Alexander answered, surprising both Juniper and Nikolas with the fact that he didn’t reveal who she was.

  “Well then let’s see, shall we” Taro said, leaning across the table with his stick.

  As the stick drew closer, Juniper watched with wide, fear filled eyes. She could feel a vibration coming from the decorated timber and knew that it was the presence she had felt in the statues and even though she had never seen it in her life, she knew exactly what it was.

  “How is poking me with a stick going to tell you who I am?” Juniper questioned, frowning at the stick as she leaned away from it.

  “Oh, my apologies young lady” Taro said with a light laugh. He then thrust the stick back, causing the bottom of the stick to hit the demon standing behind him.

  “No” the demon gasped, looking at Taro with anger in his eyes, as stone began forming around his legs.

  “What have you done?” Juniper yelled, jumping to her feet, knocking over her tea in the process, as she watched in horror as the stone quickly cover the demon's body. The process was faster than she had expected it to be and knew that it would take a miracle to help him before the stone consumed him.

  “Sit down” Taro roared at Juniper, as he swung the stick toward Nikolas but Juniper was quick to catch it, just before it hit him.

  With her hands firmly wrapped around the end of the stick, she looked down at it with fear in her eyes, afraid that she might be turned to stone. She couldn’t help the others if she was also set in stone but as she held it, all she could feel was the steady vibration coming from the stick.

  “Human” Taro said with a smile on his face, as he tried to pull the stick away from Juniper but she was not letting it go. “Let go child.”

  “And what are you going to do, make them all stone?” Juniper growled, narrowing her eyes at Taro.

  “I will not touch your Angelus if that’s what you are concerned about” Taro said, giving the stick a strong tug but Juniper retained her grip, knowing that he was lying.

  “You will not touch any of them” Juniper said angrily, as she gave the stick a tug as well. She knew that this was something that Nikolas could not help her with but she needed his strength to claim the stick for herself, otherwise Taro might turn more of their people to stone. “Now how do we turn the other one back?” She could hear the chimes of the demon standing, frozen in stone but his were not the only chimes she could hear and wondered how many more statues there were.

  “It doesn’t work that way” Taro hissed, pulling Juniper against the table. “Once they are stone, they stay like that.”

  “And who gives you the right to do that to them?” Juniper questioned, glancing at the stone demon with sadness in her eyes. If Taro thought that they couldn’t be turned back, then in her eyes, he was willingly killing them, and with ease, which disgusted her.

  “Who gives them the right to come here and take our women?” Taro barked, looking at her with anger in his eyes. “Did your father hand you over in desperation?”

  “My father’s dead” Juniper spat, as she tried to push herself away from the table without success. “My involvement with the Angelus is my own business and of my own free will.”

  “Then you have sold your soul to the devil” Taro growled, looking at Juniper as if she was below him.

  “If you asked me, I would say that I was looking at the devil” Juniper growled, glaring at Taro with hate in her eyes.

  “You have no idea what you’re talking about” Taro spat, giving the stick another tug. “They are not the divine creatures that you obviously think they are.”

  “Then enlighten me” Juniper said, looking at Taro with a cold, hard stare.

  “Grab the girl Alexander” Taro ordered and glanced over to see the conflict in Alexander’s eyes. She was obviously not going to let go of the staff and Taro was ready to end their stalemate, especially since a young girl like Juniper was making him look weak in front of the demons. “I will not harm her, if that’s what is concerning you.”

  “Touch her and I will kill you” Nikolas growled, as he pushed himself up and glared at Alexander. He had been sitting by helplessly watching with his heart racing in his chest and fearing for Juniper’s safety. He had no idea what would happen if he touched her and suspected that Alexander wasn’t sure either.

  “Look at them girl, they have a strange fascination with women” Taro scoffed, watching Juniper quickly glance at Nikolas, which made him think that he might have the upper hand and tugged at the staff. However, Juniper only firmed her grip and looked at him with fire in her eyes. “They would kill each other, just for the chance to stand by your side, it’s disgusting.”

  “And what would you rather, a fat bank account?” Juniper questioned, sure he would sell his own mother to the highest bidder, if he had not done so already. “You can’t buy love, you know.”

  “That maybe so but you can’t claim it either” Taro said bitterly, certain that Juniper was with Nikolas for a chance of love, that he was certain that Nikolas would never give her.

  Needing to end their stalemate, Taro held Juniper’s stare and with everything he had, he pushed the staff toward her, causing her stumble and release the staff. He then quickly swung the staff at Nikolas, hitting him on the arm before swinging it at Alexander.

  “No” Juniper screamed, as she reached for Nikolas, hoping to heal him before he was consumed by the stone. She knew that she could release him with water but she didn’t want to spend a moment without him, especially in a foreign land with people she didn’t know or trust. She would be completely lost without him and as the stone consumed him, her heart raced and fear quickly filled every cell in her trembling body.

  As her fingers grazed Nikolas’ arm, a demon that had been silently watching from the corner, jumped over the table and grabbed her before she could wrap her hand around Nikolas’. The demon then picked her up and held her, as she kicked and screamed to be let go.

  “Amo te” Nikolas whispered to Juniper before the stone completely consumed him.

  #####

  Thank you for reading Call of the Angelus Statues - Book 1, I hope you enjoyed it.

  Other Books by Katherine J. Sinclair

  The Heir of Aurum

  Book 1 (The Heir of Aurum)

  Some secrets were meant to stay hidden but others were meant to be discovered long ago.

  The only clue to Ester’s past was the blanket she had been wrapped in as a baby when she was left on the doorstep of a hospital. No one could tell her who her biological parents were, leaving her with dreams and mere speculations. That is until a handsome man, one who should have never existed in her lonely world, reveals an identity that had been kept from her and a truth she wasn’t prepared for.

  Finding herself in a world she barely understands, Ester must come to terms with the loss of everything she knows and learn to control her new found ability to manipulate mater. If she doesn’t, she may never escape an unwanted engagement and a world more dangerous than she could have ever imagined.

  Will Ester find her way home or will she be trapped in her nightmare forever?

  The Daughter of Aurum

  Book 2 (The Heir of Aurum)

  What if the one thing you had wished for came true, would you still want it?

  Ester had dreamed of meeting her father for as long as she could remember but the moment, she comes face to face with him, she finds herself questioning if she can give him the relationship he wants. He had given her away to strangers on a planet far from the place of her birth and a mother she had never known. She needs to decide if she can forgive her father but forgiveness must wait when Demetrius’ promise to come for her, comes sooner than expected.

  Instead of finding her place on Aurum, Ester finds herself on a hostile planet, running from the nightmare she thought she had escaped. Ester must not only fright for her own freedom from Demetrius and his father, but she must also fight for the people of Aurum.

  Does she have what it takes to fight or will she be swallowed up in her nightmare once more?

 

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