Milo ...Defense

        By Pattie Lawler

 

             Milo calculated the length of his arm including Bonefolder and Betty’s reach including Judas Iscariot as he placed himself before Maricourt. He was within en garde distance of Betty as he met her cool gaze.

“I’m telling you to leave.”

            The tip of her sword rose as if drawn up by her cruel smile. “Or what, Scarlet? Are you going to fight me for the likes of a demon? Have you sunk so low?”

            Behind him came the wet sounds of Maricourt retching. Milo guessed he had less than a minute before the demon was fully conscious. Once aware, Maricourt would be blinded by the pain of imprisonment and a danger to everyone and everything.

            “Tch, tch, tch. What to do, what to do?” Betty teased. “Betray mankind and fight me, or return to your place as Demon Eater and do your duty. So many choices, so little time.”

            Milo lunged, Bonefolder aimed at her shoulder. Her sword hand came up, parrying the slice, but she didn’t see Milo’s fist as he threw a hook that connected with her jaw and snapped her head to the side. Staggering, Betty retreated, her sword point still up, keeping Milo away. He withdrew, just out of reach, and allowed her to shake off the affects of the blow.

            “No lectures on hitting a woman, please,” he said as she wiped a ribbon of blood from her lips. “I’ll only counter with trespassing laws.”

            Betty drew herself up, working her jaw as she did. “I’m surprised.” She paused to spit blood. “I expected a clean fight.”

            “Tell ya what, I’ll roll you into a lump the size of a ping pong ball for a few hours and after you recover, we’ll talk about clean fighting.”

            She flicked a hand at Maricourt. “He’s a demon!”

            “He’s a father searching for his son!”

            “He’s not human!”

            “Neither are you!”

            Betty recoiled, eyes wide, but then she chuckled softly. “Maybe you’re right.” She lunged, her target Milo’s heart.

            Milo smiled and stepped into the blade. As he did, Judas Iscariot’s length shortened, magically retreating as he advanced. Betty gasped, and Milo hurried forward until she was holding an empty scabbard. With a howl, she threw a punch at his temple. Milo caught her fist and spun her toward the house, his sword arm across her chest, restraining her.

            “Puppy. You should know an Angel’s Finger can’t kill a human, though I’m surprised you haven’t tried it before now.”

            She writhed in his arms. “I don’t need lessons from you!”

            “I disagree.” He looked up, met Simon’s eyes and shoved her toward his bodyguard. “Watch and learn while I deal with your arrogance.”

            Trusting Simon to catch her, Milo held Bonefolder up to his lips and whispered a spell to the blade. Extending his sword arm, the fingers of his free hand pressed against the flat of the blade until they passed through, creating an oval pierce in the blade. Drawing his hand to the side, Milo extended the opening until there was enough room to add his other hand. The empty hilt dropped to the ground as the blade became a slender line of yellowish light that Milo formed into a huge, upright circle.

            “It would be more accurate to call these swords an angel’s halo rather than a finger,” he commented as he worked. “Since their original form is circular.”

            He barely got the words out as Maricourt bellowed and charged. Simon shouted a warning, and Milo looked up in time to dance out of the elk’s path. The demon made a beeline for Betty. Simon threw his arms around her and heaved them both into the hedge.  Betty screamed for release as Maricourt plowed into her car with the force of a freight train. The Bagutti slid, halted against the curb and titled off the ground as Maricourt’s antlers sank into the car’s skin.

            Milo could feel Alistair somewhere behind him, could feel Judas Iscariot as Betty fought with Simon and was sure he was going to lock Fanny in her room for a month as she raced across the veranda, calling for the young demon. Both Albany and Jason were on her heels, but Albany was pointing at Simon, and Jason changed directions. Maricourt jerked free of the car and Alistair called to his father before commanding Fanny to get back in the house.

            Jason leapt over the railing to land beside Simon as Betty sprang to her feet. Jason swiped at her arm while Simon tried to catch her knees, but she evaded them to climb onto the veranda and grab Albany. Taken by surprise, Albany couldn’t resist as Betty yanked her back, Judas Iscariot to her throat. Maricourt bellowed again as he vaulted onto the veranda.

            Milo was right behind the demon, the halo that was Bonefolder before him. He was torn between trying to use the thin wire as a lasso, and throwing it onto the veranda in Maricourt’s path. Both seemed too risky, yet his options were evaporating with the passing seconds.

            His hand was in his pocket and full of cayenne before he made a conscious decision.

            “Alistair! Call your father!”

            “DAD!”

            To Milo’s astonishment, Maricourt paused. It was enough hesitation to throw the herb and stun the elk. In the next second, the halo of Bonefolder settled around Maricourt’s neck like a massive necklace, and the demon froze.

            Milo turned to Betty. “If you don’t take your disgusting hands off my wife, I’ll tell Lawrence to pull the trigger.”

            Directly behind her, Lawrence took one step closer and pressed the barrel of his gun to her head.

            Betty growled, shoved Albany at Milo and ran for the edge of the veranda.

            “Let her go,” Milo said as he caught Albany and wrapped his arms around her. “She’ll know better than to try this again.” He looked down at Albany. “Are you alright?”

Only Simon watched as Betty climbed into the Bagutti and limped the car down the sweep.         Once assured of Albany’s wellbeing, the couple joined Alistair, with Fanny at his side, as his hurried to his father, calling to him as he ran.

            “He’s alright,” Milo assured him. “It would be best if we leave him like this for an hour or two so that his body can realign. He’s not in pain, trust me.”

            “Trust you!” Alistair screamed. “You’re lucky I don’t kill you!”

            Milo smiled, nodding. “Right answer. You have no reason to trust me, but I told you last night, and I’ll tell you again. I’m only a Demon Eater when I’m paid to be.”

            “What ‘bout her?” He jerked his head toward the absent Betty.

            “She’s a freak,” Milo said gravely. “Stay far away from her, Alistair. I may not be close enough to save you next time.”

            The young demon pulled a face but turned his attention back to his father without comment.

            “Jason,” Milo called without releasing Albany. The bodyguard stepped into view, his face ashen. Milo nodded. “I should fire you.”            

            “But you’re not going to,” Albany interjected. “He was doing what I told him to.”

            “Which is contrary to his job,” Simon said, joining them.

            “Yes,” Albany agreed, “but it’s still my decision, and I say he stays.” She smiled up at her bodyguard. “It’s true that you’re here for my protection, but until I’m actually in Milo’s will, we have to keep him alive.”

            Milo laughed, hugging her. “You expect me to believe that?”

            She pressed against him. “I can barely see what’s going on. Would you mind filling me in?”

            Milo looked at Alistair. “Be so kind as to make yourself visible, please.”

            The young demon’s horns faded, and he gradually appeared to everyone present. Fanny was positively beaming as he made a short bow to Albany during his introduction.

With a quick glance over her shoulder, Albany gestured to the nearby arrangement of cast-iron furniture. “Perhaps we can all wait for your father’s recovery together?”

The look of appreciation Fanny bestowed on Albany wasn’t lost on Milo. He knew his mask was in place, but likewise knew it was impossible to hide his feelings from Albany. So much so that she squeezed his hand as he turned to guide her to a chair. Their eyes met, and the knowing smile on her face helped him relax. She was totally in control, and he had simply to watch.

Simon ordered coffee and hot chocolate from Mrs. Sylver and when everyone had a steaming mug in hand, Albany began grilling Alistair with an efficacy that left Milo breathless. He was tempted to feel sorry for the young demon, who did his best to keep up. The interrogation covered items in the demon’s life that should only have been uncovered after years of familiarity, yet Albany ruthlessly steamrolled over any protestations, maintaining a smile throughout.

They learned that Alistair was an only child, and that his mother had died bringing him into the world. He was the sole heir to the demon world equivalent of a dukedom, and he had fled his responsibilities two years prior to avoid an arranged marriage. Albany questioned him minutely on the subject, and they came to understand that Alistair’s objections to the match had little to do with the lady herself.

“Semoli is a fine girl,” he said with a shrug. “Her father, on the other hand, would kill you as soon as look at you, and there were rumors of assassination months before the engagement was even announced. I thought my father would benefit from time alone to reexamine the match. And I was right. However, in coming to the human world to hide, I developed an appreciation for your way of life, and even though I knew I should return, I couldn’t.”

“How long ago did you learn that the engagement was off?”

“Last night,” he whispered. “But,” he looked up, his voice firm, “but the engagement was broken more than a year ago.”

“So your appreciation for all things human only became a factor last night?” Albany looked at Fanny who blushed, her gaze on her folded hands. When she looked at Alistair, he was likewise scarlet. Her gaze finally found Milo, and she rose. “Fanny and I are going for a short walk. Girl talk and all. We’ll be back.” She caught Fanny’s hand and pulled her to her feet. “Come with me, Fanny.”

<0>

Milo watched them go, Fanny gently guiding Albany past the still frozen and invisible to humans Maricourt before returning his attention to his companion.

“I want you to take a good look at your father, Alistair.”            

Seated facing the demon, Alistair raised his head.

“He’s recovering from a battle brought on by your selfishness.”

Alistair’s horns reappeared and he bared his fangs. “I ran from his selfishness!”

“I don’t care why you ran, and feel free to keep running, you don’t have to wait with him. I’ll make sure he gets home. But I told you last night, and I’m not going to repeat this. Stay away from my niece.”

Alistair growled. “You’re unarmed, Demon Eater.”

“A Demon Eater is never unarmed.”

<0> 

Albany watched as Fanny worried the buttons of her coat. “You’re thinking of Alistair, aren’t you?”

Fanny nodded.

“You think he’s attractive.”

She nodded again.

“I’m guessing there’s more to it than that, however.”

Fanny looked up, uncertainty rife on her face, before returning to the button she was mercilessly twisting.

Albany gave her a minute before nodding. “It’s true, you don’t have to trust me, but who will you have on your side when you’re forced to tell your uncle?” Fanny’s head snapped up, and she paled. Albany covered her hand, gently squeezing. “I’ve learned how to talk him down off the ledge, Fanny. I’m not saying you have to trust me, but I’m asking you to.”

Fanny’s head dipped again, and there was a moment of silence before she whispered, “I was with Uncle Milo the day the gypsy spoke to him.”

“The one who told him about me?”

She nodded.

Albany waited a handful of heartbeats and understanding dawned. “And she spoke to you, too.”

“She said I would marry a ram-horned demon.”

Left to assume that Alistair fit that description, Albany considered the wording. “She was more vague with your uncle. Are you sure that’s what she said?”

Fanny nodded again, her gaze falling. This drawing away was enough for Albany to understand that no more information would be forthcoming so she put her hand out. “Come on, sweetie. Let’s go back.”

“You’ll tell Uncle Milo?”

“If you’ll allow me to, yes.”

“He’ll be mad.”

“Yes, he will. But not at you, Fanny. He’ll be mad because he’ll think that you’ve been denied a choice, and I’ll have to show him that his situation was no different. It will take time, but he loves you, and we’ll focus on that and your happiness. Nothing else is important, trust me.”

“I do.”

Albany wrapped her arms around Fanny, hugging her hard. “You’re so wonderful. Just like your uncle but different. It’ll be alright, I promise. Leave it to me.”

 

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