Chapter Sanctuary

About 1240 C.E.

Anjael sat with her knees against her chest. Her ankles were chained together. Her wrists were shackled to the wall with long chains that only allowed her to sit down. Her wings were wrapped to her body as well. She wasn't strong enough to break them. She rocked back and forth. The bar in her mouth made it impossible to pray aloud. She was hungry, and so weak but more she feared for Lycaon because she didn't know where he was after Roi was killed, and Prêtre Tomas had been stabbed by the Unicorn. Thunder sounded and lightning flashed. Anjael looked up at the window high in the wall with hope. Rain would mean water to drink. On the wall, she saw a beetle. Cringing, she caught it then smashed it before she put it in her cheek. Her tongue worked it until she was able to swallow it. The bar made it impossible to chew or even close her jaw slightly. She sobbed slightly as she gagged on the pungent flavor, but she knew she needed food, or she would petrify, and they would crush her before her uncle could find her. Her nail scrapped the algae off the wall then she sucked at them. The sound of rain gave her anguished hope. As the water began to drip down, the wall, she stretched her lips as she pressed her face against the stone wall. The dirty water seeped around the bar in her mouth, and she swallowed it desperately. The shower stopped too soon and she sagged against the wall. Oddly, she heard the sound of steps and the door was unchained. She cringed against the wall, expecting to be beaten with poles again but instead she smelled Prêtre Tomas.

The mute priest entered with a bucket of clean water and clothes. Two knights glared at her suspiciously as he approached without fear. He patted her head then sat the bowl and cloth down. He motioned for her to wash and she nodded then he walked out and she whimpered but she dipped the cloth in the water and began washing her arms. When Prêtre Tomas came back, he carried a bowl of boiled vegetables in broth. He set it down then motioned for the key to the chains and tapped the bar locked in her mouth by a tight chain around her head.

"Fine, I'll go ask the Grand Master." One of the knights stomped out.

Prêtre Tomas took the bowl of water and dumped it over her hair then held out the empty bucket to the other one.

"I am not to leave you alone with the demon."

Shaking his head, Prêtre Tomas pointed at her filthy state then shook the bucket at him.

"If she kills you, take it up with God." He took the bucket and stormed out.

Pulling up his sleeve quickly, Prêtre Tomas pressed his forearm over her protruding fang as his blood flowed into her system, he held her pale blue eyes and tapped his head, then pantomimed writing with his other hand. There was a sound, and he quickly lifted his forearm, wrapped it in a cloth and let his sleeve fall as he bent to wash her feet. As Anjael processed Prêtre Tomas' blood she sifted through his memories to see him writing answers to questions. She read the document in his memory as she continued to bathe her skin.

"Prêtre Tomas, you cannot expect us to unchain her before she is taken to her fate." A man in golden chainmail argued. Anjael glanced at him and saw it was the same man who spent hours questioning Prêtre Tomas.

Writing on the wall with a piece of charcoal., Prêtre Tomas declared in bold Latin words, 'She will not be condemned to the fate of her kind because she is an innocent. The Mother of our Lord is merciful. Every prisoner deserves a last meal, but this will not be her last.'

The man called Du Lauzon scowled. "Your arrogance and familiarity with this demon will be your undoing, Prêtre Tomas."

Her priest only shook his head and made the sign of the cross before pointing heavenward then at Anjael. Du Lauzon scowled then pulled out a key. He walked toward her with caution. Roughly he pushed her head down and unlocked the chain. The bar didn't fall out because of her fangs, but Prêtre Tomas eased it by sliding it sideways. Anjael sobbed as her jaw clicked when she closed it for the first time in many days. Gently, Prêtre Tomas held the bowl to her mouth. She sipped greedily, rinsing the flavor of beetles and algae from her mouth. She stopped when the broth was gone.

"Aren't you going to eat the rest?" Du Lauzon demanded.

"Yes, Grand Master, but I don't have a spoon," Anjael whimpered.

"How do you know who I am?" He demanded, "What sorcery are you using?"

Tomas stood between the angry Templar and the juvenile Cruor. Holding his hand up, he bent and picked up his charcoal, then wrote on the wall. 'She has been taught much about those who serve the Holy Church, including the Templar Order.'

"Whatelse have you taught her since finding her abandoned?"

Prêtre Tomas pantomimed praying, saying a rosary, and singing.

Eyeing her, Grand Master Du Lauzon ordered, "Sing, demon."

She looked at Tomas who nodded encouragingly. She began the Gregorian Marian chant. When she finished this first line, he gestured for her to stop, then handed her a spoon from one of the guards.

Du Lauzon's mouth pressed in a thin line then he ordered, "Give her communion as you wanted, then take her out to see the dawn." His eyebrow went up when she didn't cringe or whimper about being taken into the sunlight. "Aren't you afraid little Bibre Cruor?"

She looked up from the bowl and swallowed the mouthful of boiled greens and vegetables. "Sir?"

"I ordered you be taken into the sunlight... Aren't you afraid?"

"No, Grand Master," Anjael revealed. Tomas patted her shoulder and made a gesture of blessing.

He turned on his heel and stomped out. The guard knights watched as Tomas continued to help her clean herself then put a clean gown on her after cutting off the soiled one. When he was finished, he signaled to them and they unhooked the chains from the wall. Prêtre Tomas walked beside her.

They went to a small chapel where he made her read aloud from a breviary. As she finished, one of the warrior monks snatched the liturgy of the hours from her and looked at Prêtre Tomas as though he were a traitor to their faith. Ignoring him, Tomas gave her communion, placed his wooden rosary beads around her neck, then led her outside. The sun was just rising beyond the gate, and she squinted at the light, noticing they stood near the edge of a cliff. It hurt and tears leaked from her eyes. Tomas gestured for her to sing, so she did. The Templars looked shocked when she did not turn to stone.

"What witchcraft is this?" The monk who had taken the breviary prayer book demanded.

Prêtre Tomas bent and wrote in the dust. Anjael could not see what he wrote from where she stood but the monk kicked it then he stabbed Tomas. Her song was replaced by a scream as her friend and priest was throw from the cliff.

"Prêtre Tomas! Prêtre Tomas!" She shouted, sobbing, as she pulled free from the knights holding her chains and tried to jump off after him. For a moment, she feel then the chain jerked, catching her. "NO! No, no. Please let me go! Prêtre Tomas... Prêtre Tomas..." She kicked and cried as she was pulled back up. She was shocked that Du Lauzon was on pulling her up. She scrambled to her feet and charged the monk still holding his bloody sword. She was held back so she started screaming accusations, "Murderer! Sinner! Heretic! You killed him. May the Holy Son and Blessed Mother ignore your prayers. May you go to hell with all who choose their will over God's."

The Grand Master dragged her back to her cell and chained her to the wall. She had already began praying the prayers for one who died in sobbing breaths. She was rechained to the wall as she bowed to the floor and chanted aloud. Two of those with the Grand Master walked away without looking back but one looked truly upset.

Du Lauzon appraised him. "Brother Geoff, it will be your responsibility to care for her until we receive word from the Holy Father as to what to do with her if she cannot be petrified and crushed in the sun like other of her kind."

"Grand Master Du Lauzon?" Anjael whimpered.

"What do you want, demoness?"

"I am not a demoness, I am a Bibre Cruor. I request Sanctuary and protection from those who would kill me as they killed Prêtre Tomas." She clutched the beads around her neck. "I am not evil. I serve the good of mankind. When I grow up, I will be a protector like you."

"You will never be like me, abomination," Du Lauzon snarled.

Anjael trembled as she agreed, "You're right, I won't let the deaths of innocent people go unavenged."

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Modern Times...

Four werewolves ran through the streets of Las Vegas in terror. They couldn't shift or feel their wolves after they met two other wolves and a pale woman in a club.

"We never... should have... come here." The young, dark-haired female cried as she leaned against a wall panting. Their packmate and friend had talked five of them into sneaking away from their pack for a weekend of fun but then he stabbed her brother. "He killed Sean."

"Easy, Leah. We just have to lay low until whatever was in those drinks wears off. Just take it easy."

"Easy? Take it easy? Serieouly, Melinda? Your boy-toy killed my brother and is trying to kill us!" Leah screamed and lunged at her but another shewolf got between them as they cursed at each other.

"Leah, stop! Melinda, shut up!" Kenda held her friend as her brother Kenyon growled, "How do we know you aren't just with us so Todd can find us again?"

"What are you talking about?" Melinda backed away from him.

"Give me your phone. I saw you look at it while we were running." Kenyon grabbed her arm, but she kneed him in the groin and began to shift to her warform.

Melinda raised a clawed hand to kill him but a hand the color of marble seized it as Kendra screamed, "No!" Then Melinda was gone, yanked upward and into the sky.

The three wolves looked up, trying to see past the streetlights. Melinda's warform's body crashed to the ground then its hide landed on top of it. Kenyon pressed the two females behind him against the wall.

"What's happening?" Leah sobbed as a large dark wolf came out of the shadows. He growled deeply and they all recognized the power of an alpha.

"Whom do follow, the Moon or the burning one?" A haunting voice called to them from above. "What do you believe, little wolves?" A winged white figure landed in front of them. The pale female was covered in blood to her elbows as she turned her wings wrapped around her and the giant black wolf came to stand beside her.

Kenyon raised his head. "We believe in the Moon. We aren't like Todd and Melinda who hate the goddess and the pack."

Two more giant gargoyle like creatures appeared on either side of them.

"Goddess, help us," Kendra prayed as she clutched Leah to her.

The pale female grinned, "Do you request Sanctuary?"

"I don't understand," Kenyon stammered.

"I know your Delphi, I know the one who hates your goddess is hunting you. You have to say the words, or we can't help you... Do you request Sanctuary?"

"Yes," Kenyon stated, "We request Sanctuary. Please, take us to the Servants of the Moon."

"Ouro, Dart, please take them to Sean and see that they are sent to the Eye of the Moon." She nodded pleasantly as the two giant gargoyles approached.

"Wait, who are you?" Kendra asked as Dart picked up the females.

"I'm the angel of Las Vegas. A fallen one," she grew into her largest, most terrifying form, "One of the last demon queens." She clicked and the two monsters leapt skyward. The wolf licked her hand and she turned to him. "Not just yet, my beast. We have a delivery make and a meth house to burn." Wrapping the corpse in its skin, she flew into the night. Her black wolf howled the hunt then followed.

/\^^^^/\

Special Agent Jon Kemper stood on the balcony of his hotel room looking out at the city of sin. He was glad to have one of the few rooms in the Excelsior that allowed him to stand outside. Room service knocked and he went to get it. After he tipped the bell hop, he lifted the cloche and was shocked to see two large ribeye steaks, a giant loaded potato, and bacon wrapped asparagus.

"I hope you like your upgrade," a seductive voice purred from behind him.

Turning slowly, he was very aware of the fact his gun lay in its holster in the room safe. The beautiful naked woman standing in the door of the balcony was temptation itself then he noticed the lack of nipples on her breasts and the wings folding down while she wrapped a red hooded-dress around her body.

"You need to eat, Jon, we have a long night ahead."

"What are you?" He asked as he moved cautiously. His wolf on high alert and reacting like it was in the presence of a predator.

"Looking for this?" She held up his collapsible baton. She tossed it on the bed. "You can have it back, but I should warn you that my inner demoness considers aggression to be foreplay."

"She sounds like she needs therapy," he said as he sat down and began to cut the ribeye steaks. "So, are you the demon that Biaz warned me about?"

"I'm not a demon, I helped make that species with extinct at the end of the Black Death along with the Unicorns and Nosferatu. I am a Bibre Cruor, Lady Anutari Wasi, but you call me Anjael." She grinned and her teeth gleamed like mother of pearl. He stared at them then laughed ruefully.

"What's so funny, Jon?" She tipped her head.

"I was trying to decide which of little red riding hood, or the wolf is in more danger." Her smirk told him the answer, so he asked, "Why kill off the unicorns? Weren't they the last beautiful creatures left from Eden?"

"Unicorns were the most evil creatures to ever live. They used their beauty to enthrall innocent minds into willing feeding them the energy of their souls until they withered and died. When the Unicorns, Deamones, and Nosferatu united, they killed half of all the living beings in Europe and the Middle East." She spent his entire meal talking about it as though it were a recent memory.

"You make it sound like it happened last week or year."

"I remember every moment of that battle, of the deaths of so many I loved and had befriended. They weren't the only species to go extinct after that war, but the history books were obscured to hide the terrible truth. Afterward, many of the other non-human species were hunted and retreated from the world... My kind was often mistaken for Deamones before the war, so it was just easier to claim to be them when man had forgotten what real demons were. The falsehood we adopted became our reality."

"What do you want from me, Anjael Wasi?" Jon asked.

"I need to know what you need to close this investigation, Beta Jon." She smiled as she stood, then she unwrapped her dress and dropped it on the chair.

"I do not fraternize with suspects," he declared as his manhood became harder than it ever had been. His wolf didn't know whether it wanted to flee, or fight, or submit the thrall it felt.

Anjael laughed seductively, then shook her head. "I was going to take you on my next raid, but thank you, no... I already have a devoted Alpha to meet all my Demoness' needs and hates me enough for both of you."

/\^^^^/\

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