"You've been relyin' on your demon
to frighten the ones you want to annul!
Now you're facin' one that is your even,
so rise above or you'll fall!"
—Cassandra Elizabeth Collins
Furious, Charlie slammed the rooftop door open and stormed outside, her rage at being sent away boiling within her soul. With a cry of grief, she grabbed a plastic chair and hurled it viciously against one of Cassie's dojo walls, knocking it over. Regardless of whether Cassie's claim was true, she would have willingly endured anything the magic did to her just to stay close to Angel.
Hissing softly, she pulled Cassie's blouse over her head and tugged it into place. Why did she care about being topless? No one would see her. But again, she felt compelled to listen to the requests, and deep down, she knew Angel's sister was just trying to look out for her.
Dropping down, she lay flat against the roof and pressed her ear to the warm, textured asphalt tiles to listen carefully. With her eyes shut, she quieted her frightened breathing and listened to Cassie's whispers as she recited one spell after another. She winced along with Angel's painful responses to some of them.
Each sound of his distress tugged at her heart. "Please," she pleaded softly, "don't die, Angel."
Soon, the whispers drifted farther apart, as did Angel's reactions, until she had to strain to hear any sound or movement; the only remaining noise was Cassie moving about the apartment. She could also hear his shallow but steady breathing, which seemed to indicate he was asleep.
Eventually, she heard the front door of the apartment open and close, followed by soft footsteps coming up the staircase. Charlie pushed herself up from the ground and brushed herself off. If Angel was resting and Cassie wasn't panicking, then maybe he would be okay.
When Cassie appeared at the door, weary and exhausted, Charlie bit her lip nervously. "How is he?"
"He's resting on the couch." Her voice carried deep concern. "I think he's out of danger, but I'm still worried."
"Why didn't you call for an ambulance?" Charlie's anger flared. "He was delirious! How could you listen to him?!"
"Charlie, I love my brother, but I also respect his wishes." She stepped closer, trying to explain in a way Charlie would understand. "And as long as I can keep him stable, I'll continue to do so."
"But—?" She choked on the word.
Cassie exhaled heavily. "Don't get me wrong—I still want to take him to the hospital. If he doesn't wake up in an hour when the spells I used wear off, I'm calling the ambulance."
Slowly, Charlie's anger dissipated, replaced by her own exhaustion. She truly trusted Cassie, though she was terrified for Angel. "Will he heal?"
"The magic worked enough to stop the bleeding, and the bandages have formed well to his back." She rubbed her tired, bloodshot eyes. "But Charlie? The damage is too great. Heal? Likely. But he's done."
"Done?"
"Done." Moving to the fallen wall, she picked up the overturned chair and sat down wearily. Her voice cracked as she explained: "No more missions, no more heroics. That thing tore deep into his back, and it's a miracle it didn't damage his spine, but he'll never be one hundred percent again."
It took a moment for the words to sink in, but once they did, Charlie took three steps back and shook her head. "No! No, it can't be. Why was he attacked, Cassie? Where did that demon even come from?"
Rubbing her eyes, Cassie huffed, "Kevin managed to get a few things out while the powders worked their magic. The demon claimed Samedi sent it to kill him. To get him out of the way."
"Out of the way for what?" Her breath quickened with the news of Angel's likely fate.
"They want you, Charlie. They know what you are."
"Samedi called up a demon to kill Angel? Because of me?" Her demon voice seeped through her lips. Eyes turning crimson, she spun around to stare into the darkness, her soul torn apart in misery and wrath. "I'm going to kill that thing!" she declared forcefully.
Slumping in the chair, Cassie muttered a warning, "They'll be prepared."
"I don't give a shit if they know me, Cassie. That thing is fucking dead!"
The tone and darkness in her voice captured Cassie's attention, prompting her to open her eyes, and she gasped. As Charlie made her threats, her body had slowly begun to transform. Now, it was the demon standing before her, and Cassie shivered. Carefully and slowly, she stood up and took a step forward.
Charlie turned at the sound, her crimson eyes glowing bright in the growing darkness, and froze. A fear of her own swiftly replaced her anger. She realized this was Cassie's first time seeing her in this state.
"Charlie?" Her questioning voice whispered, "Are you in there?"
Regaining her composure, Charlie drew back some of her power and now stood before Cassie in her hybrid human-demon form. Teeth, claws, horns, and tail merged with the sweet, young blonde-haired girl that Cassie knew well.
She nodded firmly, "I'm sorry, Cassie. I forgot you'd never seen me like this before."
"No, it's okay." She moved to stand before the demon princess. "I don't even know why I never did, but I should have asked to see what you looked like long before now."
Shifting nervously before her, Charlie bit her lip. "I saw your eyes. I was afraid you were going to run."
"The urge was there," Cassie admitted, settling down slightly, "but I trust you. And I have to say, your demon form is stunning."
"This form, maybe. My full form? Pure horror," Charlie declared with a slight tug at the corner of her lip.
"As it should be." Cassie felt her lips rise to match—surprised she could smile at all.
Charlie beamed at both compliments, but the moment's feeling faded fast. She remembered Cassie's diagnosis, "Are you sure Angel won't heal all the way?"
"Unless a miracle happens," she replied, wiping a tear away. "He'll likely be in a wheelchair for a while, at the very least. We'll have to call Amanda and get her over here soon. We'll be at a disadvantage until then."
Growling deeply, Charlie turned and stepped towards the roof's parapet, her body rippling with demonic energy. "I want that thing dead, Cassie!"
As she stepped toward the edge, Cassie followed, worried. "If you go after that thing the way you're feeling right now, you'll be killed. You need to temper your rage, Charlie!"
She snarled, her crimson eyes blazing. Wisps of flame sparked between her horns, flickering in time with her dark promise. "I will not lose; I will rip that thing apart!"
"Blind vengeance isn't the way, sweetie." Cassie bravely laid her hand on the demon's shoulder. "I know I can't stop you, but you must control yourself. There are other ways to fight."
"What other way is there?" She covered her hand with her own. "I have my claws, and that thing has no idea who it's fucked with!"
"But they do. Kevin mentioned that it called you the Princess of Hell. You understand what this means, Charlie? They know who you are. You're a target. A royal target."
Shoving Cassie's hand away, she yelled, "I—DON'T—CARE!" Her shout resonated across the roof, capturing the attention of several people below.
Cassie took a deep breath, feeling overwhelmed. She realized the princess was in serious danger, and she was worried about Charlie's safety—everything could be lost if Samedi and Bible managed to capture the Princess of Hell. She looked toward her dojo, saw her staffs, and an idea came to her.
"Look. You're angry, and rightly so. I'm pissed off, too. But in your anger, you'll fight blindly, make mistakes. Every mission you've undertaken with Kevin was organized, planned. He crafted the playbook and relied on his mind and wits, not his emotions, to execute them."
As she spoke, Cassie strode across the roof with purpose and righted the fallen wall with a sharp thud. Dusting her hands, she moved to her weapon rack and selected a pair of Bōs. "You need to find your center and calm your soul, Charlie." She turned, weighing the staffs in her hands. "Fight for something much, much greater than revenge." Cassie stepped forward and extended one of the weapons. "Here."
Charlie glared at it and shook her head. "I don't need a fucking stick!"
Shrugging, Cassie dropped one staff while positioning herself into a starting stance for a workout, hefting the other. "You'll fight with claws and teeth, just as the other demon will."
"So what?!" Teeth bared, her claws clicking against each other, she could feel the demon within her itch to strike.
Seeing she wasn't getting through, Cassie sighed with exasperation, "You're not going in with brains."
Taking a step forward, Charlie hissed in response to the perceived insult.
"That's not what I mean, sweetie." She scoffed. "You're going in fueled purely by emotion, but the wrong kind."
To illustrate her point, Cassie swiftly swung her staff in a low, sweeping arc, catching Charlie's legs and knocking them from under her.
Landing hard on her ass, her demon eyes blazed, and she scowled. "OW! What the fuck, Cassie?"
Ignoring her, Cassie stepped past her, turned sharply, and commanded, "Defend yourself!"
Still in shock from the assault, Charlie jumped to her feet, spun, and raised her hands defensively. Cassie launched her attack by thrusting the staff beneath the demon's arm, lifting it up toward her armpit, and flipping her. This caused Charlie to land hard on the rough surface, knocking the wind from her lungs.
Cassie snapped with a military edge, "Listen! You need to concentrate! Focus! Right now, your rage has control, and your animus blinds you!"
"Fuck yes, I'm angry!" Charlie cried out, slamming her fist into the roof, putting a dent in it as she lifted herself to her hands and knees, tears scorching her eyes. "You're beating me up with a stick! What the hell?"
Without a word, Cassie lunged forward, slid the weapon along the roof beneath Charlie, twisted it, clipped her hands, and sent Charlie sprawling face-first onto the sandpaper texture of the roof. She gasped in surprise and rolled to her side, looking at Cassie with shock and contempt.
Catching the look, Cassie knew she was finally getting to her. Pinning the staff down firmly, she clipped Charlie's tail, causing a yelp of pain.
She scooted back, exclaiming, "Stop it, Cassie!"
Cassie plunged the end of the weapon into the roof and took a deep breath; her eyes were serious yet haunted. "Listen to me! You've been relyin' on your demon to frighten the ones you want to annul." She pointed hard at her, "Now you're facin' one that is your even, so rise above, or you'll fall!"
Lunging forward, she attacked again, but this time, Charlie rolled away, and the staff met empty space. Digging her cloven hooves into the asphalt surface of the roof, Charlie sprang to her feet. As Cassie lunged again, Charlie concentrated, calling the other weapon to her, and felt it settle into her clawed hands. As the staff came down to strike her, she blocked it and pushed it away, forcing Cassie to stumble back.
"YES!" She exclaimed, her chest heaving. Smiling, Cassie swung again.
Charlie blocked, swiping the attack to the right. Despite lacking training and experience with the staff, her demon strength made up for some of it. She countered by spinning her body and thrusting her staff forward, nearly hitting Cassie in the ribs, but she expertly dodged the attack.
Feeling proud that Charlie was taking her cues, Cassie stepped back to create space for herself. "Hold the staff here and here."
Charlie complied with her instruction and gripped it firmly, eyes narrowing.
Cassie continued, "Bō staffs are resilient, tough, and can deflect attacks. Imagine it's part of your body. An extension of your arms."
Demonstrating the technique, Cassie released her grip with one hand and swung hard with the other, letting the weapon slide through her fingers until she caught the end of it. This motion transformed her short arm-length swing into a nearly ten-foot attack, surprising Charlie as the end clipped her chin.
Stepping back, Charlie rubbed her chin and grinned wickedly. "Okay, I admit. That was cool!"
"If you can control your emotions," Cassie explained, circling slowly, "you'll be able to focus, be one step ahead, and counter the demon's attacks. You'll have it off balance." Setting her feet in an attack stance, she added, "Keep Kevin in your thoughts, let your love for him fuel you, not rage, and you'll have the advantage."
With that, she rushed forward, and Charlie silently blocked the attack as she put her heart, mind, and soul into listening to the instructions. Cassie was right, and she was going to learn everything she could.
For the next twenty minutes, the two sparred hard with controlled chaos. Cassie showed no mercy, coming in hot and heavy, forcing the princess to adapt and improve. She showcased various stances and techniques with her weapon, and as they fought in an almost rhythmic dance, Charlie found herself becoming one with her staff, countering in ways that impressed her teacher.
Each strike became more intense, and in response, Charlie pulled more and more of her power to her. She dug deeper than ever to call upon everything she had. However, as she did, the intense itch that had been bothering her for days returned with a fury. The sudden burst of agony was more than she had ever felt before, and she gasped. The distraction allowed Cassie to swing her weapon downward toward her head, prompting Charlie to jump hard into the air to avoid it.
As she leapt, she felt something snap within her, and the itch vanished instantly! Closing her eyes, she lost herself in the moment of fresh relief until she heard Cassie's loud, surprised gasp. Opening her eyes, she looked toward Cassie but instead saw the horizon before her, which should have been impossible. Other buildings surrounded Cassie's rooftop dojo; the only way to see the skyline would be if she were—.
"Charlie! Oh my God! They're gorgeous!"
She looked down and saw Cassie on the roof, some twenty feet below. Powerful flapping pierced her ears, prompting Charlie to twist her head and see bird-like white wings moving swiftly and softly behind her, the muscles in her shoulders instinctively flexing in controlled flight.
Shocked and mesmerized by the wings, she lost her concentration, and they stopped flapping. Yelping as she dropped, Charlie quickly refocused and made her wings obey. They stretched out to catch the air and helped her land softly on the roof, her hooves clicking on the tiles.
With disbelief in her eyes, she touched one of the wings that came forward to greet her. "I have wings!?" As realization sank in, Charlie turned to Cassie, stunned, and exclaimed loudly, "I have wings!"
Dropping her staff, Cassie stepped forward and tentatively touched one of the wings.
Filled with genuine glee, Charlie giggled, "Cassie! I have wings!"
"They're amazing!" Cassie stroked the soft feathers and noticed the sensation was like touching baby skin.
"That feels good." Her voice held a sexual tinge, and Cassie raised her eyes. Charlie blushed, "They're very sensitive."
She blushed as well. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean—"
Shaking her head, Charlie assured her, "No, it's okay; they're new to me, too."
"You didn't know?"
"No!" She ran her fingers through the feathery membranes, releasing a slow, soft, excited breath. The sensations were calming, soothing, and arousing. "But I've wished for them since the first night Angel found me."
"They're definitely not demon wings," Cassie circled her slowly, observing Charlie's new evolution.
Three pairs of white, feathery wings spread from her back. The middle wings were the largest, spanning roughly seven feet on each side. The other two pairs, above and below, were slightly smaller in both girth and length, perhaps five-and-a-half feet each.
When she stepped back in front of Charlie, she asked, "Are you remembering anything new?"
The sudden shift in questions startled her. Charlie closed her eyes and thought for a moment, but nothing came to mind. She shook her head and replied, "No." She released a frustrated breath. "I don't get it. My powers are growing and evolving, but I can't remember anything! Why!?" She sniffled now, the excitement of her new wings smothered by the returning frustration of the damned amnesia that chained her.
"Maybe because of the failed summoning?" Cassie mused, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "I'll look into it later. Right now, you have something more important to do."
Letting go of her wings, Charlie opened her mind, focused, and felt them fold in and wrap around her back before a burst of vibrant light accompanied their disappearance. As the faded, she felt the itch just beneath the surface of her shoulders again, but it was soft and gentle, like a freshly scratched area, and then it faded away.
The relief was short-lived, as Cassie's words resonated with her, and she wondered, "What is that?"
"You have a demon to kill!"
Right!
However, the reminder didn't trigger her rage like before but instead sparked a strong sense of determination. She realized that the training had worked, providing her with focus and clarity. It gave her the edge she needed to rise above her emotions, and now, it would be the demon that fell. Overwhelmed with gratitude, she instinctively pulled Cassie into a tight embrace.
"Charlie?"
She sniffled against Cassie's shoulder. "You're right. I could have been killed if I had run off blindly. Thank you so much!"
Gripping her back quickly before pulling away, Cassie advised, "Listen, hon, when you go hunting that thing, remember they're after you, so it will likely hold back from killing you. That means that not only do you have the advantage of your demon, weapon, and wings, but it's going to have to restrain itself. Use that. Force it to fight for its life, and that's when you'll strike the killing blow."
"Anger it." Charlie nodded with understanding. "Make it lose control."
"Exactly! Piss it off, but don't let your own anger take control. Remember, you're not going out there for vengeance."
"I'm going out there for love!" She grinned, baring her sharp white teeth. "My love for Angel." Charlie looked down, bent, and picked up her staff. "But I wonder—"
"Wonder what?"
Handing the weapon to Cassie, Charlie clicked her teeth together, "Do you have something—sharper?"
With a smile, she accepted the staff. "I think I have just the thing."