A Little Piece Of Heaven

“Ok. Again. Remember, you have to have an eye behind you. You will be faster and stronger but even that won’t help if someone hits you hard from behind.”
Raven pushed back her hair, trying to steady her breathing as Jimmy paced in front of her, already assessing weak spots. She knew Matt was nearby too, both of them armed and ready to rest her again. The training was hard and she was grateful that immortality helped her absorb the cuts and bruises of these sessions without leaving bad scars. She feigned left as he moved and quickly parried, her size allowing her to skip out of range before Jimmy could land another blow. They went back to circling each other carefully.
Dani watched from the doorway, her chair facing out towards the bay and letting the last rays of sun warm her skin. They had been here four weeks and now there was probably less than a week to go. The air around her seemed to crackle, building towards a storm which would shake the world and bring America into the conflict that was fast burning up the world. They were as prepared as they could be and it had been agreed that Johnny and Stefanie would close up in Washington and join them in Hawaii. Once this part was accomplished to their satisfaction they would have to head to Europe. The reports from their friends had been terrifying and even in the warmth Dani shivered.
“Good, well timed.”
Matt picked himself up and grinned at Raven, he had been impressed with her skills and the training that they had been passing on would make a powerful reaper. He could see her going into the field with Zacky and Syn, poised and powerful which would balance with the demon twins well. Jimmy would enjoy it too, he loved to run wild given the chance and there was no doubt that it would help with the odds they were about to face. Between them they had been coming up with a plan based on the information coming back. That it involved all of the men donning uniform and heading into battle was the part they had not shared with any of the girls.
Raven ducked again, one foot connecting solidly with Jimmy’s gut as she parried the blow from Matt with the mystical blade. The second part of her training had been to learn how to reap, the gentle form explained and tutored by Dani, the more violent methods by Jimmy. She still found it an odd experience and the most uncomfortable part of her new life. Raven had always believed wholeheartedly that killing was wrong and had avoided it on occasion only be considerable talent. Now to the death personified was a stretch and she had come to rely on Dani’s patience to pick out the right candidates.
Matt ducked under, using his size to flip Raven painfully onto the floor. She skidded up and out of his reach only to walk into the two blades that Jimmy was holding. With a rueful smile she put her hands up and grinned at him.
“Thought I had you both. Tricky of you Mr Sullivan.”
“I’m a tricky man, you know that trick with the cherry stalk….”
Dani chuckled as Raven flew into his arms and Matt made his way over to her. Even now she could still remember their first meeting in Hyde Park and how she had known from that moment that he would change her life. Quite how much was still a surprise but he was still the strong handsome man she had fallen in love with, his smile lighting up his face as he sat beside her.
“Jimmy’s happy.”
She nodded, half seeing the lovers embrace as his lips gently met her own. Lilith and Claire had passed the slight love of uniforms on and Dani had to say that he filled it out well, her palms pressing into his chest as he pulled her to him and looked out towards battleship row. So many young men would soon be dead and Matt knew he could do nothing but guide them home and make sure that certain important people needed would survive. Other than that none of them could interfere, the fates said this had to be and that it was Europe where they were needed to kill one madman and slow down another.
“Peaceful night, shame it can’t last.”
“Any news from Zack tonight ?”
Matt shook his head, radio contact was difficult at best and Claire could only reach Dani on occasion when the distance was this far. All they knew for sure was that the boys had hooked up with the resistance, the girls still in Paris and digging deeper into the mystical elements of what was happening. They had also heard about a certain wager that had been made and Dani couldn’t help the wicked smile that crossed her face, Matt was equally as amused and eager to see the outcome.
“No news but they are currently behind. Lilith managed to reap a respectable tally in that raid on the beach front. I reckon they’re gonna lose and then….”
“I can’t imagine Syn in a maid’s outfit.”
Matt smirked.
“He’s real pretty in high heels, great legs.”
Now Dani did laugh in earnest and Jimmy joined in. All of them hoped that the boys lost this bet, it would provide amusement for decades and they all knew that Lilith was not above cheating outrageously to win. If the girls failed and reaped less souls then the forfeit would be the same, the second part of the wager was that the losing party would be slaves to the winning for two weeks in every way. Dani liked the implication although she had known that Raven had been a little appalled, she was still so human in ways that they had left behind and it made Dani a little sad that they had moved on so far.
Jimmy and Raven joined them, enjoying the moment to sit and share a beer while they still could. It would be better once Johnny and Stefanie arrived. Jimmy preferred to keep his team close and knew that his gnome was the genius edge he needed. Stefanie had found a source of natural energy that eliminated the need to fuel vehicles which meant they would be able to move around easier. He had fielded many of Raven’s enquires about why they didn’t move around by magic instead of conventional methods.
“Magic is fine but it attracts attention. Sure we could teleport into the middle of anywhere but it freaks people out. We have contacts in the human world, when we go in they will already trust us and help us to steer things right. That leaves the witches free to influence things in their own way, it’s the ultimate in team work.”
Raven had nodded, tucking her hair behind her ear as Dani levitated a small car three inches off the ground just to prove it could be done. She had become fond of the girl over the weeks, Raven was eager to learn and to use her talents to help Jimmy in any way she could. She still missed Claire and Lilith, Stefanie was thankfully only on the end of the phone. She too would be happier when they were all back together.
Matt kissed the top of her head, his fingers trailing down her blond hair as he wondered whether it was worth asking her to stay here when they went to France. He still had the urge to protect her despite her power and now knew better than to voice it too often. He contented himself with pulling her closer and listening to Jimmy trying to explain the concept of hell to Raven.
“There are seventeen hells ?”
“We….think so. Lilith managed to get herself killed by a warlock during the last war and wound up in number four. Sounded like an accountancy office but nastier.”
Raven stared, unable to be sure whether he was joking. Matt nodded.
“Nothing like Christian hell. More like Japanese so we think they have insider knowledge.”
“We had to barter to get Lilith back.”
Dani rolled her eyes, hearing the telephone ring back inside the house. She left them there, a quick kiss on Matt’s head as she walked back from their makeshift gym and inside. The house was spacious and comfortable, a gift from the admiralty for all the fine work Mr Sanders and Mr Sullivan had done for the US Navy. If only they all knew what was to come and why the reapers had been forced to be here.
Dani picked up the phone hurriedly, something making her skin crawl as she touched the thing. Instantly her internal radar was sounding a warning and she glanced back, hoping that her man and her friends had followed her in but she was alone.
“Hello ?”
“Dani ? Are you all ok there, are you safe ?”
The phone line crackled, Johnny’s voice sounded distant but there was no doubting the rage and fear in his voice. Dani felt herself go pale and gripped the receiver tighter.
“We’re fine, what’s happened ?”
“There was a fire, an explosion took out the house here.”
Dani put the receiver down, running back out to scream for Matt and Jimmy before sprinting back and picking up the phone again. She tried to control her breathing, already fearful that something worse was to come.
“I called for them, are you both out safely.”
There was a long pause.
“It wasn’t human fire Dani, it was something else that I’ve never seen and there were demons. I need to speak to Matt. They took Stefanie from me.”
Matt strode in looking puzzled and Dani handed him the phone without a word, already trying to find Claire and get a message through. How and why anyone would be interfering from the other realms was a mystery but she knew there had to be a link to what they were doing with this war and she was now terrified. Johnny was tough and battle hardened, Stefanie no meek woman who would be taken easily so there must have been one hell of a fight.
“Calm down Johnny, what kind of demons ?”
Jimmy was behind them now, Raven instinctively linking hands with Dani as they picked out parts of the conversation. Johnny had been out when the attack started, seeing only fleeting black figures as blue fire roamed over the house and destroyed everything in it without attacking the structure. He hadn’t known whether Stefanie had even made it out until she had screamed for him and Johnny had taken down at least four of them before seeing his lover taken through a portal to god knows where.
“Get down here Johnny. We will start the search and get word to the others. They are going to need to watch their back until we can figure out who has decided to fuck with us. Stefanie will hang on, you know how strong she is.”
Jimmy had taken the phone, reassuring Johnny and helping him to gather his thoughts as Dani went to set up a makeshift alter. Raven followed, more to see if she could be useful rather than any practical help and still trying to understand how there could be any way of them finding Stefanie from several thousand miles away. Matt was pissed, annoyed that he hadn’t been there to help Johnny when he was needed and that someone had taken Stefanie. The target had been intentional, the witches would have been a more difficult catch, he smiled grimly that they had really not thought this through. There was no one more resourceful than Stefanie and she would find a way of turning their own tricks against them.
“Patch me through to England, I need to speak to the PM.”
There was garbled noise on the other end and Matt raised his voice.
“Just tell Winston that Matt needs a favour and it involves the whiskey from last Christmas.”
There was another pause and Matt barked the command with all the authority of a man that was capable of ripping your head off and spitting down your throat.
“NOW YOU FUCKING LITTLE BITCH.”
He grinned as the connection was made and settled back into the chair.
“Hello old chap, need to get a message to our people in France.”

Notes