"So three mundanes, all having been clearly drained and the bite marks were still there?" I folded my arms while mulling things over as I spoke.
Gloria nodded while sipping at her tea. "Yes, right now the authorities are chalking it up to animal attacks because of how torn up their bodies were. However, it doesn't take a genius to see what the signs point to. If it gets out to the general populace, we could see problems."
I shook my head and frowned. "The fact they were left with the bite wounds and attacked so viciously... I don't think we're dealing with one in their right mind."
"Why do you say that, Katrina?" The retriever looked at me curiously over her teacup.
My shoulders shrugged in response. "Even a fledgling is taught early on about how our saliva can be used to heal the wounds we make. On top of that, we all know the value of keeping our head down when we hunt. The fact the attacker isn't bothering with such a simple thing, makes me think they've gone mad."
"I remember reading about this in basic training, vampires that lose themselves to the hunger and become nothing short of mindless beasts." The dog shivered as she spoke the words.
"That's hitting the nail right on the head. Most likely they have been skulking about in the wilderness for who knows how long. They wouldn't be unlike a wild animal bumbling into the city in that regard." I take my revolvers out and lay them on the table before us.
Gloria tilts her head at my guns. "Did you want me to bless your bullets like I do our rabbits?"
I couldn't help but set my jaw, it sounded odd hearing anyone say 'our rabbit' other than Elias. I shook my head to clear my jealous thoughts and showed my teeth in a grin. "Nah, just bless the whole damn gun, bullets and all."
The retriever looked surprised at the words. "Oh, you mean your guns are made of silver?"
"As much of them as can be, yes. Some of the intricate parts aren't, but mostly they are." I spoke the words proudly and grinned. My guns were special models Elias had commissioned for me from a master gunsmith over thirty years ago. It had been what initially sparked my interest in gunsmithing.
"How fascinating..." The dog hummed the words, staring at my revolvers before moving her hand over them. She clasped her rosary in her off-hand and I watched her muttering a silent prayer. "All done." She spoke the words in a loving tone of voice.
I hesitated before gripping the two guns once more, there was an ever faint sting in my palm from the blessing for a split moment, then it was gone. "Thanks, Gloria." I spoke the words and put the guns back into my jacket. "I'm still not sure what to think of this blessing thing."
"I do have a theory." The golden-haired retriever spoke to me with a smile on her face.
"Yeah? What's that?" I picked up the coffee mug and downed the last few gulps of blood before setting it down.
The celestial raised a finger. "As with all things in our life, I think our rabbit is at play here."
"Color me surprised." I gave the angel a curious look. "You think she is siphoning off your divine mojo and spreading it around?"
"I do... I believe she has also corrupted me slightly in the process." She spoke the words in an amused tone of voice despite the dark sounding tone of them.
"Corrupted you how?" My ears lifted curiously as I slid my chair out from the table and stood to take my coffee mug to the sink.
Gloria sighed and placed a hand to her chest. "I can feel demonic energy in me from time to time. It does nothing to me and does not affect my own divinity. However, my days are most likely numbered because of it..." She spoke the words in a resigned and calm voice.
I felt a chill roll down my spine and clenched my teeth, jerking my head back to look at the dog. "Numbered? What does that mean?"
"It means I may have a limited time of my life left. It is a common term to exp-"
"I know what the fucking term means!" I spat out the words and snapped my tail about. I felt dread settle upon me, I didn't know this celestial and I had no reason to care about her, but I knew how much she meant to the two of them. The thought of them being hurt over losing her triggered something in me.
"Ah... my apologies, I was not trying to be a smart-aleck." She bowed her head politely to me. "More to the point... once one of my superiors comes to check up on me... well..."
I frowned and folded my arms. "They will deem you tainted and compromised."
"Yes..." Gloria frowned and looked down at her empty cup.
"Couldn't you just quit their ranks then?" I asked curiously.
"Ah... I once heard someone compare being a member of the celestial military to being part of a mundane mafia. Once you're in, you're in for life... erm, or second life as it were" She giggled the words and then smiled at me.
"Second life? You mean you were dead?" I quirked a brow curiously.
"Well, yes I suppose so." Gloria smiled and placed a hand to her chest. "Mundanes that lead pious lives or die in heroic ways are sometimes given the opportunity to join the ranks of the celestials. We are born again as holy warriors to defend the world. We are not true angels but we are as close as you can get without being one, to begin with."
"So what did you do to become one?" I asked curiously, finding the idea of it fascinating.
Gloria tapped her chin in thought as she recalled the memories. "I do not remember anything of my life but the last fleeting moments of it. I was told by my superiors, I was a school teacher and had just celebrated my retirement. I remember leaving the school on my final day and seeing a child about to be struck by a moving vehicle, a very large semi-truck. I flung myself into the road and pushed the student away. Then the lights went out and the rest is history as they say."
A shiver went down my spine and I looked upon her smiling face. "Damn, Gloria... that's pretty hardcore..."
"I like to think it is what anyone would do in that situation." She gave me another motherly smile.
Clicking my tongue I folded my arms. "Well... back to the point. Why can't you just up and quit? Can't you be a fallen angel or something?"
The retriever folded her arms in thought. "As to the fallen angel... well those are truly rare and usually you must be granted such a thing." She then shook her head, her curls bouncing about gently. "Regarding simply quitting, I have formed a pact with my commanding officers. They can track and find me at their will and I cannot raise a hand to any of higher rank than me. Quitting is not on the table..."
"So not unlike the bonds a vampire will have when they sire a new progeny..." I folded my arms with a frown. "That's why you've never come to see Alice at our home, isn't it?"
"It is... I do not wish to jeopardize your family." Gloria gave me a smile as she placed a hand to her chest, clasping the rosary there.
"Isn't there anything you can do?" I stepped over towards her and looked down into her eyes while she sat and looked up at me.
"This is the price I will pay for my love. I do not regret it and I will not run from it. My only lament is the pain it will cause my rabbit and wolf." She offered me a gentle smile and stood before moving to the den and collecting her rapier.
"Gloria... we have to do something! We can't just let them kill you like that. You're not even-"
"We can do something, we can stop this monster from praying on the flock I have sworn to protect." The celestial fixed me with a strong look as she shrugged on her jacket. "It may be years yet before I need worry about that problem, but here and now we have mundane dying. I have a duty to uphold and you have a family to protect."
I set my jaw, feeling a little impressed at the dogs sense of duty. I gave her a quick nod. "Right... let's deal with the pressing business at hand. What's the plan?"
"I can narrow our search down with a tracking ritual I have used in the past. I simply need some of your blood, only a drop." Gloria spoke the words as she cleared off the table and began drawing out an intricate magic circle upon it with a piece of charcoal.
"That should be simple then. We don't have any family members operating in the city right now. Elias called them all back before I left." I watched the dog work as she drew the elaborate design like it was second nature.
The blood was let and the ritual was finished. I found myself on my bike again with the celestial pressed to my back while we rode.
"Ha! I've never been on one of these, how exciting!" The dog barked the words aloud while clinging to me.
"Well just hang on tight, Alice would kill me if you fell off and got hurt!" I yelled back to her.
#
With her guidance, we made our way to the industrial sector of town. I killed the engine on the bike and we climbed off it. I pulled the helmet off and looked over an old abandoned steel mill. "Nice place..." I mumbled to the night air.
"It stands to reason, all of the victims have been homeless squatters." Gloria spoke the words while keeping one eye closed. "Ah... they're definitely in there and moving... oh! Very quickly too!"
I showed my teeth and drew my revolvers. "Fuck... they probably picked up on our energy after we arrived." I cursed myself for deciding on the loud ass motorcycle now, a car would have been quieter.
"Ah... they are very fast... already on the ground floor and... oh..." The angel stammered the words and quickly drew her sword.
"Looks like they're ready to party too..." I hissed the words and focused my sight, my eyes shifting to red. "Gloria... these wild ones can be strong, we have no way of telling what tricks they have..."
"R-right!" The retriever moved next to me and her tail went rigide. "Ah... they're outside the building and-"
"Get down!" I shouted out as a blurring shadow of a form streaked past us. The dog dropped and I fired off a shot at the blur, missing as it slipped back into the shadows.
