Grim Echoes

Chapter 40 - Will

Will signed the receipt and noticed his usually tight shoulders weren't painfully knotted up. It'd been a fun day. A fun day? The fuck? He was on a mission, wasn't time for fun. Still not even sure what she was or why demons were after her. Why he'd let his guard down? Why'd the angel recognized her? As a rule, both demons and angels were cocksuckers, too full of themselves and their obligatory causes.

One of the many legacies his father had left he and his cousin was the animosity of both demons and angels. In his life, Wyatt had managed to piss off just about everyone he came into contact with, and put Will and Ander immediately into the fire after his death. His late asshole of a father had the ultimate claim to fame because he'd killed a god. That'd kept the other Soldiers of Night off their backs when they were younger because they never knew if Wyatt had shared how he'd done it. Bastard hadn't, of course.

Will's face set into hard lines as he approached the SUV. Ander was actually fucking laughing, and she'd leaned forward into the front seats, closer to him. Not comfortable with how quickly Ander adapted to her presence. When they got to the room, Will let her into the room and told her to sit.

He and Ander carried the rest of the bags and equipment in with practiced precision. Will made a point not to put any bags on the couch. He planned on enforcing they all slept in their own beds. Bizarre she kept insisting on sleeping with both of them. It confused him, and he didn't want to make a habit out of it. He didn't sleep with anyone, not even his one-night stands or brief relationships. Left a person too vulnerable. He'd slipped with her twice. No wonder Mason had brought it up.

"Is it ok if I take a quick shower?" she asked.

Will nodded and watched her go into the bathroom. When the water turned on Will imagined her naked body, the water cascading down her back, slowly trickling down her luscious thighs to... he stood and opened the cooler disappointed to find only two beers. He picked up one and slammed it. His cell phone vibrated, and Mason's bookstore name flashed on his screen.

"Hey, you come up with anything yet?"

"No, I'm still checking but without knowing what she is or how she's related to Heaven and Hell, its anyone's guess. She do anything else? Or remember something?" Mason asked.

"Nah, not yet. I'll keep watch," he replied automatically.

"Good hunting soldier,"

Will ended the call and plopped on the couch. Ander pulled out the files with pictures and various maps of the area. His casual demeanor annoyed Will. He knew he should've felt grateful. Ander was there, really present with him. Not shaking or twitchy, like he'd been for the past eight months. No hallucinations or screaming at things that weren't there. Shit, in the last five days Ander had been functional. Somehow just her presence calmed all the horrors in his cousin's mind. Not one nightmare since the first night she'd spent with them. His cousin's torment had ripped at his own soul. He'd been powerless to help him.

Ander had left on his own accord, but Will always felt guilty for not going after him. When Will found him later, the broken hallowed husk of his best friend, it'd devastated him. Mason and he may have saved Ander's body and soul, but until she showed up, there'd been a part of him they couldn't reach or heal. It wasn't possible to heal someone's mind in five days. With narrowed eyes and looked at the bathroom door; more wary of her.

"From what Mason sent with us, it appears the hive has six to seven members. We will definitely need to be prepared when we go in," Ander's voice too cheerful.

Will turned his narrowed eyes to Ander.

Ander ignored his sour expression. "We have the names Teivel and Rich. One of them was cited using telekinesis, but it is not clear which from this report," Ander voice trailed off as he studied the document.

"Why do you think the demons were sent to get her?" Will asked coolly.

Ander looked up from the papers spread out on the bed. "Maeve?"

Will's jaw clenched, he'd bet money Ander asked just to say her name.

"It is hard to say. We do not have much information. At first I thought the demons only went after her because they saw her with us earlier in the day."

Will watched as Ander's eyes glazed over. He held his breath and flexed his hands. That was the first sign he was about to have a break with reality. Ander blinked and continued to Will's surprise.

"However, then they ignored us and targeted her. She seemed frightened. Even after the wave of power came from her, she was terrified."

"Well, she may not know what she is, but the demons do. My guess, that wave of power is just one thing she can do. Demons are greedy, power hungry shits so it makes sense. Not sure how they found out about her though." Will paused and thought about what she'd told them about herself. Unless she lied, and she'd have to be a great liar for Ander not to catch her, she'd never had any incidents before that night. Just that supposed soul touch nonsense.

"Nothing unusual came up in my research yet. I have forwarded my results for Mason to look over."

"That angel... recognized her," Will reminded him.

"Yes. If you had not cut its head off, we may have been able to ask how they knew her," Ander chided him gently.

Will grumbled in response. They'd encountered a couple of angels because of his father, and they were as tough as demons, if not more resilient. If he hadn't got the drop on the one that showed up, could've been ugly. Will rubbed his arm, still pissed at how long it'd took to heal his broken arm, ribs and shoulder from a previous encounter with a different angel. He'd been assured he'd healed in record time, but Will had never been patient and the four weeks he was out of commission drove him and everyone around him insane.

"Wasn't gonna risk fighting it. It was distracted, I took the opening,"

"The angel did not come for her. It just recognized her. Perhaps she is connected to Heaven? A healer? A prophet? A messenger?" Ander mused.

Will glared at Ander and finished his second beer. The conversation was pointless. "I'm gonna smoke. Let me know when she's done," Will told him as he lit his black cigarette and closed the door.