Holding Out For a Hero

-Jo-

I sat there, crouched in my position. I was too scared to move.

Her eyes gazed back at me. They were blue, the deepest blue I had ever seen. Not deep meaning dark, though I could see speckles of dark sapphire against the Caribbean blue. They were as deep as the arctic water and equally as mysterious. Her hidden secrets swam like sharks in the pools of blue. My thoughts were interrupted when another voice rang out. Our heads snapped towards the voice. The grey-eyed one, I barely recognized.

"Sister," She yelled. "Have you found something?"

I looked at her, fear causing my limbs to jolt. I pitched to my left, wanting to run into the woods and hide under the safety of my comfort from this frostbitten cold. But her voice, gentle and firm responded back, "No!"

I halted, her eyes looking at me with what I could only decipher as pity. A boy's voice called out. "Glasya! Muriel! We found someone." My eyes went wide and I silently prayed Bonnie had taken off her heels. "It's a girl!"

I guess not. I thought. Crap.

In an impossible flash, Blue Eyes had vanished and before I could second guess myself, I ran towards the voices.

"-harmless." The blue one was saying.

"Harmless?" The grey one hissed. "We of all should understand that mortals are not harmless." A third voice caused my body to shiver. Another girl. Her voice was like honey, overly sweet and sticky. "Do we have to kill her?" Her voice was whiney. Kill? I thought. "I've been needing a new pet."

Wait, pet?

Without a second thought, I jumped and pushed the nearest form to the ground. I wrapped myself around Bonnie, and she cried out, clutching my shirt tightly. Six girls and three boys all stared back at me in shock.

The three girls hissed, one of the boys growled, and the grey one looked shocked, almost like she was in pain. The blue one looked frantic. Grey looked to Blue and sneered, "Really? Nothing, you said." Blue ignored her and instead moved to stand in front of me. I muffled Bonnie's sobs into my sweatshirts, reminding myself to kick the boy's asses for ditching us.

If we ever get out of here.

"They're human!" She insisted. "What harm could they cause?"

"Who knows what they saw!" Grey hissed. Blue glanced back at us, hesitated. I shook my head frantically, holding onto Bonnie tighter.

"Nothing! We saw nothing, I swear!" I said. Grey narrowed her eyes at me.

"How do we believe you, human?" She growled, leaning towards me. I buried the urge to flinch. Bonnie whimpered. "I don't believe you." She reached for her hip.

"Glasya-"

I sucked in a shaky breath. God help me, please.

"Glasya!" Blue's voice caused her to halt. Grey- Glasya, looked to her, clearly shocked. Blue turned to look at me. "What were you doing?" She asked. Her voice was soft. Inviting, like the pillow and comforter of a large bed.

I gulped. "Nothing, just exploring," I said. "Our friends-"

"There were more of you, where?" Glasya all but growled.

Blue scowled at her. I shook my head. "They left, Bonnie wanted to keep going. I couldn't leave her on her own."

Blue looked at me, then Bonnie. Bonnie whimpered behind me again.

"Kill them," Glasya said. I moved closer, shielding Bonnie. When some of the group moved toward us, Blue Eyes frantically called out, "No!"

"Muriel-" Glasya protested.

"I said no." She repeated firmly. "We let them go."

"But I am the oldest!" Glasya shrieked. "I should-"

"And I am the heir," Muriel said. Her voice was even, commanding. "Mother and father put me in charge."

Glasya shut her mouth quickly. A boy with dark hair spoke up. His eyes were dark, almost black. It creeped me out. "Muriel, if I may. Glasya makes a point." He turned his hard glare towards me. "How do we know they won't tell others whatever they saw?"

Muriel gritted her teeth and admitted, "We don't."

Muriel sighed and turned to kneel in front of me. "Don't make me regret this."

I kept Bonnie's face pressed into my neck and nodded, finally letting out a breath I didn't know I was holding.

"Erase her memory." She said. Glasya smirked at me, reaching for my head. I fought back another flinch. "No." Glasya's smirk disappeared and she turned to Muriel, annoyed and clearly disappointed. Muriel pointed to Bonnie and my blood went cold. "Her."

Bonnie screamed and I panicked, feeling myself being ripped away from her. "No! Don't hurt her!" I begged. I was held by a strong pair of arms, watching fearfully as Glasya pressed her two fingers to Bonnie's temple. For a moment, she fought back but then she went still. She gave out a small whimper and then went limp. I froze, my eyes wide and my heart stopped in my chest. I screamed, "No!" Glasya turned to look at me, smirking again.

"Relax mortal," She said, smug. "She's only unconscious. She'll be fine when she wakes up."

I allowed myself to relax slightly.

"You all are dismissed. I will take care of this." Muriel said, her voice firm.

I went rigid and that relaxation left me in an instant. What does she mean, take care of?

They all left, Glasya lingering for a moment. She stared at me perplexed, and before turning around, she sneered at Muriel.

Muriel sighed and picked up Bonnie. I looked at her shocked. She was small. How could she pick her up? I stood, rushing to follow her and Bonnie. She led me to a car and placed Bonnie in the back seat. She opened the passenger seat but I opened the back seat and hurried in next to Bonnie, placing her head onto my lap.

The car ride was silent and I didn't bother to look up. It didn't matter where we were, not if she was going to kill us. But she couldn't kill us, they'd be the first they suspect. Right? At the last moment, I decided not to put my faith and hope in an unanswered question and the car suddenly stopped. We were just outside of my house. How did she know-

"You will tell them you all went exploring. She fell and hit her head. I drove you back." She said softly, staring straight ahead.

I nodded. I looked down at Bonnie and then, against my better judgment I asked, "Why didn't you erase my mind too?"

For a moment she didn't respond and I thought she couldn't hear me. I reached for the door and got out. I went around to the other side, only to find Muriel holding Bonnie in her arms, bridal style. My breath left my body. Her blonde hair was long, parted down the middle and over her shoulders. It wasn't entirely wavy but still, she was entrancing to me. Her blue eyes looked like crystals rimmed with the dark and curious color of black. Bonnie buried herself into Muriel's chest and that's when I noticed that she was large busted. The shirt she wore was tight, her belly barely exposed from the pants that she wore.

With a roll of her eyes, she turned and walked to my front door, me running behind her. I swear I saw her trying not to smirk. On the porch, she handed me Bonnie. Bonnie nuzzled into my chest, clutching me tightly and mumbling something unclear.

I stood in shock as she cupped my cheek and whispered, her face inches away from my own. "Don't make me regret this."

-Muriel-

I truly don't know why I didn't erase her mind. Something about it made me feel wrong.

I recognized her, I couldn't remember where though. The girl was someone I knew. Could she be a demon like me? No, that's impossible. I would have felt it. It didn't make sense to me.

As I drove up to the house, I sighed heavily. Something about this human girl made me feel off. I needed to figure out why.

I got out of the car and barely got the door closed behind me when my sister came up to my face, snarling. "What the hell are you thinking, Muriel? If they tell anyone-"

"Who would believe them? This is the world of man, they believe us to be myths." Dagon said in my defense. I relaxed slightly. Glasya turned her snarl to him.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." She said.

"What do you mean?" I asked. She looked at me then scuffed.

"Some of the people at the school, I recognized them. Not just from our books, too." She said, crossing her arms. "One of the teachers is Metatron, The Angel of Languages. I saw Ettore too."

My body stilled and our breaths all stilled. "Really?" I asked with my breath in a whisper. Glasya nodded. When we were just children, Ettore "The Defender" went missing. There were many rumors but I overheard my father talking to our mother about him. It was then that I figured he'd been placed in the world of man with his sister. I told Glasya, but we never told anyone else. This was before it was announced I would be queen. Back when my sister and I considered each other to be sisters not rivals.

We were still close. The two of us were inseparable back then, but then my father brought us to the throne room and in front of everyone, claimed me as his successor. My sister had run from the room and hid somewhere. I didn't see her for a week after that and I heard rumors that she'd made father furious. When I saw her again, she had turned a cold shoulder to me and followed fathers General to the training room. I remember feeling so heartbroken then and I vowed never to let myself get attached to someone again. If only I had listened the first time.

'It doesn't change my decision." I said.

Glasya rolled her eyes. "It should, there are people who would believe them. We could get caught! You should have just-"

"It doesn't matter what you think I should have done. I made my choice and it is your job to stand by it. You're here to protect me, know your place Glasya. Or I will taking great pleasure in reminding you." I said, my eyes cold. Glasya's eyes went wide and her mouth dropped open. I resisted an eye roll. "If we had killed them, they would have suspected us easily. As soon as we come to town, they suddenly have a double homicide? It's too coincidental and too risky."

"Muriel, why didn't you erase them both?" Lamia asked. Her voice was soft as it normally was with me.

I looked down, hiding my face as I bit my lip. "I-..." I thought for a moment then looked up to them, my eyes flashing with my rank. "It doesn't matter. I made my choice, it is no one's place to second guess it." I walked past them, opening the door to the house.

In my room, I sat down at my desk and pulled the stack of files from the drawer, and opened the first file. Almost immediately, my breath hitched in my throat. Their short blonde hair, patronizing blue eyes looked familiar to me but different at the same time. I opened the file and started reading.

Name: Uriel

Species: Angel

Rank: Archangel

Relations: Unknown

Powers: Light and Prayer

I groaned, throwing it back. Nothing. How much information did we have? I sighed and leaned back into my chair. I reached for the photo again, staring. With a painful thought, I stood up and grabbed the photos from the rest of the files, calling for my sister. "Sister!" I called, jumping down the stairs and into the dining hall. My team stood, Glasya turning to look at me from the head of the table with a mixed look of anger and guilt. My back straightened. I looked at the rest of my team, their eyes down cast. Dragon reached out to me, "Muriel-" With a snarl and simple whoosh of my arm, Glasya was thrown across the room.

"What is the meaning of this?" I called out as her back crashed into the wall. The stone barely cracked. I huffed a breath and straightened my shirt. "Your queen demands an answer for your actions." My voice bellowed, slithering across the floor to the demons in front of me. All except Glasya bowed their head. She stood, glaring at me.

"You are not my queen." She hissed. I flashed to her side, gripping her neck in my hand and squeezing. She reached for my hand, clawing at my arm. Her grey eyes were wide with panic and pain. For a second, I thought I saw fear in her mind but it was gone so fast, I didn't even know if it was real.

"I will be, and I am you superior. You will show me the respect of one. Whatever it was that caused you to call this meeting," I growled, bringing her face level to my own. "ends now." Furious, I dropped her. Huffing for another breath and trying to gain my composure again, I asked, "Do you remember the group of kids we saw earlier today? At the school, right across from the desk?"

She looked up at me from the floor, rubbing her neck. I crossed my arms. "Which desk?" She finally asked.

"The one you made a scene at, the front desk."

Glasya stood and closed her eyes, waving her palm over the table. In a flickery vision, 4 teens and the two girls from earlier hovered above the table. I gently tossed the photos to the table, leaning over the table. "Look at them. Closely." I said.

Dagon leaned over the table and looked closer. After a moment, his eyes grew wide. "In the name of the Devil, they're-"

"The same, yes."

"Who? And what?" Asked Mastema, clearly annoyed.

"Except for the two girls from earlier, the group we saw today are all angels. And each of them protects a stone." Dagon said, turning to the rest of the group.

I turned back to the table, searching for the book. "Where is the book? Maybe it has more that we can use to find the stones or even the protectors." It wasn't on the table. "Glasya, did you take it?"

"No." She sneered at me.

"I left it-..." I stopped, my eyes opening wide. "The mortals."

Glasya scuffed again. I swerved back to her, growling. "Bite your tongue!" I hissed, "I'll get it back in the morning. The mortals won't understand it anyway. Now go."

Glasya turned away, the rest of the group following her. I walked from the living room to the porch, opening the double doors to the night, and gripped the marble stone with a part of my strength.

My heart wrenched and for a moment, I felt as if I were going to cry. "Father, let it not be true", I mumbled, looking up at the stars. "Tell me someone else took it, anything that would excuse her death."

I bit my lip, wondering what this feeling inside of my chest could be. It's old, but different, it scared me. And I don't like fear. As a young girl, my parents instilled into my every move that fear couldn't penetrate my mind or heart, and that if it did, the failure would be my punishment to bear. But this new emotion wasn't fear, it was stronger than it and for whatever reason, different than every other reason in my life, it made me want to run straight towards what was scaring me.

That girl... 'Scared the crap out of me.' I thought, walking to the stairs and up toward the library. 'They say knowledge is power.'