More screams from the club above started a crescendo of some macabre melody. Simeon and Briony both ran up the stairs together to see what was going on. When they burst into the main area, Briony had a hard time understanding what she was seeing.
First, there was a sizable chunk taken out of the rooftop, like someone just… removed it. Dust and debris rained down from above as they moved closer. Several people were lying on the ground, unmoving, while others scattered for the exits. Briony froze in her steps suddenly.
Above her, hovering about ten feet in the air, was a gangly-looking creature. Six white wings protruded from its back, though they weren't flapping, just moving almost restlessly. On the wings and body of the creature were various eyes. All of the eyes were darting around like they were taking everything in at once. It didn't have a face, just crinkled gray skin stretched over a skull with a gaping mouth.
As terrifying as that was, Briony found it far scarier that it had Jared in its arms. "Jared!" she screamed, running towards them.
"No, Miss Abel-!" Simeon's strong arms wrapped around her waist, pinning her to his chest as she struggled and swore, tears running down her face. "It's too late, Briony. You can't help him now."
All she could do was limply hang from Simeon's grasp as the creature devoured what used to be her little brother. When it was done, a hissing sound emitted from its mouth, and it slowly turned in their direction.
"Leave, Zadkiel." Simeon's voice was booming this close, reverberating against Briony's back like an amplified speaker.
"... must devour… sins are abundant tonight…"Its voice was low and raspy, and it sounded like there were whispers underneath it.
"Wha-what is that thing, Mr. Marquis?" Briony asked in a hushed tone.
"An angel," his tone was grim, and when she looked up, she saw the tense way his jaw was set.
"An angel? Like… Heaven, Hell, Jesus-type of angel?" It should have been more baffling why she didn't question his answer instead of asking for clarification. Mr. Marquis wouldn't lie to me or make jokes in this type of situation… right? I trust him, she'd decided.
He glanced down at her, "Yes, exactly. I'm sorry to disappoint you, Miss Abel, but the cherubic angels and winged saviors your 'bible' talks about are merely creative imaginings of humans." He looked back up at where Zadkiel continued floating, like some fucked up Halloween-esque piñata. The angel was watching with curiosity. "They're disgusting creatures, acting on their understanding of 'justice' and not allowing any nuance. This one, Zadkiel, especially."
Briony swallowed and made the mistake of meeting one of the eyes on Zadkiel's body. Suddenly, all the eyes shifted to stare at her, and Zadkiel let out another hiss. "Devour… human… sinners need righteousness… I correct," he reached out with a spindly arm, but Simeon was quicker, pulling both of them backwards.
"Not today, angel," he growled. Briony couldn't take it anymore, turning to tuck her face against Simeon's chest. Hiding herself like she usually did, covering her eyes so she didn't have to see the scary things. "I said leave." Simeon's hand cradled the back of her head almost hesitantly.
Briony couldn't tell what was happening, but the angel let out a pained shriek. The wails it produced sent shivers down her spine, leaving the hair on the back of her neck standing up. Her hands gripped Simeon's shirt tighter in response. Finally, the noise stopped.
"It's gone, Miss Abel," Simeon murmured.
When his secretary lifted her head, she drew in her breath sharply and stumbled back, falling on her ass. Briony's eyes were wide saucers, looking almost comical as she stared at him. The man with the horns and glowing eyes and pointed nails before her couldn't have been her boss. She couldn't deny it for long, though. Despite their glowy hue, his eyes were still kind when he looked at her. His facial features stayed the same.
Her head spun. Simeon Marquis, her boss, was an actual demon from Hell.