Locious had no time to waste. He didn't want to leave Rose alone after seeing the aftermath of what had happened inside the room. He didn't say anything, but he'd seen her dress zip halfway down and noticed the bruises on her legs and arms.
He needed to get to the Demon Association quickly, so flying at his normal speed was out of the question. He knew his best shot was to use one of his special abilities: Aetherial Flight. It allowed him to cover vast distances at a near-instantaneous speed and even carry other people with him.
It was a skill all Angels could use but it was invasive for the receiver. The Angel must fill the other person with his own energy, pushing aside what they had and turning them into an extension of their own being. The shared energy would then separate the physical body's molecules, dispersing them just enough to fly at the speed of light. That's why they didn't activate it with others indiscriminately.
There was one critical limitation: the Law of Domain. This universal law didn't allow Angels and Demons to use their powers on each other. Locious hadn't been sure if the Aetherial Flight would work on the girl he was carrying but surprisingly, it did.
Rose said the girl had been drugged. What kind of drug was able to defy a cosmic law? Moreover, the drug was completely subjugating the girl's demonic energy, as if she were a normal human. He could tell she was a demon only because of her faint smell.
"ANGEL ATTACK!!!!" the men shouted when they saw him appear in front of the Association. Understandable, but annoying, Locious thought.
"Shut up, morons! I brought one of yours. Apparently she has been drugged. No idea with what, but she was unconscious when I found her. I have to go now!" he shouted. Using the skill again, he shot through the sky to pick up his partner.
When he arrived, he found Rose—in her true form—leaning against the wall, sweating profusely, her breath uneven. He rushed to her side and touched her forehead. Her body was red, burning with fever. He picked her up in his arms, noting how much lighter she was than the demon girl, with her heavy bones and demonic build.
"Rose, can you hear me? Were you drugged?" he asked. She had said she was fine, claiming the drug didn't affect her. But just a few minutes later, she seemed extremely sick. A soft moan escaped her mouth, and she hugged him tight.
"Ummm... smells like him," she said, and sniffed his neck.
He was startled. It's her fever making her delusional. You can't take her words or actions seriously, he said to himself and breathed slowly.
"Who is HE?" he asked, unable to contain his curiosity and annoyance. Who was she talking about? Who did he smell like? Who was she thinking of by being carried in his arms?
But he couldn't lose any more time, so he jumped to the sky and tried to activate the skill one more time. However, nothing happened. His energy seemed to deflect.
"Like Locious, you smell like Locious," she said. He stared at her. Suddenly her eyes gained some focus and locked onto him.
She surprised him. Mid-air, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her legs against his waist. "Locious?" she asked, confused, then buried her face against his neck again. "I'm not feeling very well. I am burning up," she whispered, her voice out of breath and low against his ear.
I am, too, he thought. The position wasn't helping him either. She was shorter than him, so he didn't usually get the chance to have her mouth so close to his neck, and it was driving him crazy. Why couldn't he activate the Aetherial Flight skill? Rose wasn't a Demon or an Angel; it should work on her.
"Ok, change of plans. We'll use the motorbike. Hold on tight," he said. He went down to the office window again. He hid his wings and walked with Rose in his arms through the noisy club.
People looked at him, moved by the Angel Aura, but no one dared to approach him. He was probably looking like a gangster kidnapping his princess from the claws of his enemies. No one said anything or tried to stop him—thanks to Rose, who didn't stop moving in his arms, as if she was enjoying the position.
This was making it impossible for him to walk. I need to get to the office. NOW. If she continues like this, I will end up doing something I will regret for the rest of my immortal life. He thought and it was the truth. Having her like that was starting to cloud his mind, and the only thing he could think of was her hot body rubbing against his own.
"Ok, I need you to sit down and grab me tight. Can you do that?" He asked, setting her down on her feet. She looked at him and blinked a few times, as if her rationality was going back to her.
"Yes... Yes, my mind is clear now," she said. Her cheeks burned, likely due to the embarrassment of what had happened on the way there.
Despite her words, he touched her forehead. It was burning even hotter than before, but she jumped back at the contact. She was hurting, so he quickly jumped on the bike, and she sat behind him. When she leaned on his back, he could feel the temperature through his clothes. What the hell had they given her?! He wondered, fuming.
He turned on the motorbike and headed to the office. Carol had a few amazing doctors on call, and they could treat her immediately.
He not only had to get Rose to safety, but he also needed her to stop brushing herself against him. Her hands wouldn't stop caressing his chest, and he was about to lose control. He was scared she would decide his chest wasn't enough and wander to lower places. If she did, he would end up making them crash against a wall.
So much for her clear mind! And so much for my Angelic self-control! DAMN IT!
He was ten minutes away, and relief began to wash over him, when he realized he was being followed by two cars and one motorbike.
Given his speed, and the fact they could still keep up, they were likely Demons. How did they find him, and why were they following him? Things were getting worse by the minute: first, the amnesic people and the strange ritual. Then, the drug used by Demons on an emissary and another Demon. And now, he was being chased.
"I need to talk to Greed," he burst. The only one could know something was him, but the asshole would most likely ask for something in return. He had to think carefully before accepting anything, but he was desperate. He was about to call him when Rose moved. In a quick movement, she sat in front of him, her legs tight around his waist, and nuzzled her face between his pecs.
He tried to use his camouflage skill, which allowed him to send energy to another person and objects. The energy made the particles of the body vibrate and generated a resonance between them both. Once the molecules gained speed, they became invisible. However, he realized he could activate it on himself but not on Rose, just as what happened with the Aetherial Flight.
"Mila! Please, track my location. I'm being followed. I need you to hack into the traffic lights and allow me to pass and leave them behind," he said, pulling out his phone and calling her first. If they didn't escape, there would be no point in making awkward calls. Immediately after seeing the traffic lights getting green for him, he called Sandy.
"Listen, I'm being followed. I was heading to the office, but I can't use camouflage or Aetherial Flight. I need you to grab the motorbike and intercept them. Mila is tracking my location. Be careful!" he shouted, passing another green light.
He thought the traffic would stop the chasers, but they were too fast. He turned the next corner. He was a few blocks away from the office, and could already see Sandy's motorbike approaching. Sandy didn't hesitate; she slammed her bike broadside into the leading car, sending it skidding into the opposite lane. Sandy didn't stop there. She hooked a sharp U-turn and immediately sped after the rider, chasing the bike down a side street. Out of the blue, a second motorbike appeared on his side.
"Rose, I'll use your bo staff. Hold on to me tight," he said, and touched her legs until he found the staff.
Carefully, he took it out from the harness holding it, swallowed hard, and pushed the button. It wasn't easy: juggling a burning body clutching him like a koala, keeping the motorcycle steady, and battling the part of his own body that had no awareness of the situation he was in.
He maneuvered it in his left hand and horizontally, hit the other's wheel, causing the rider to stumble. As the Demon tried to keep his motorcycle steady, Locious took advantage of the distraction and smashed the side of the staff into the Demon's head, making him fall hard onto the ground.
Happy with the results, he shrunk the staff again and grabbed with both hands his own handlebars. But the breather didn't last long: through the rear mirrors, he saw the remaining car and two more motorcycles after him.
At that pace, he would never arrive at the office. Should I call Hariiel for help? He is too unstable, it's risky, but if it comes to saving Rose's life, I will have to use him. He was pondering whether he should do it or not when his phone rang.
"What? I'm kind of busy, your people are after me," he said as Greed's name appeared on his screen.
"First, they are not my people, but I've already sent someone to take them down. Secondly, I have some useful information," Greed said in his low, sardonic, and irritating Demon voice.
One of the motorbikers swung at him, but he managed to avoid the hit, kicked the Demon's arm, and sent the rider sliding through the street. The Demon scrambled to find his balance, but Locious kicked him again—this time on the head. He wouldn't wake up for a while.
"I don't know about the composition of the drug, but my doctor said it was mixed with a potent aphrodisiac. So, if your girl is like my girl here, she must be about to go on a rampage. I suggest you lock her up somewhere until we can come up with the antidote. Thank me later," Greed said and hung up.
"Thank him for what?" Locious grumbled. But two minutes later, he realized: the last motorbike following him suddenly crashed into an alley wall, and a truck full of Demon thugs stopped next to it. So, those were the people he sent. They stayed there laughing and making obscene gestures, to him, to the remaining car approaching at high speed.
"They are ensuring my escape. Greed will ask for something astronomical for this," he sighed and shot up through the streets without a destination in mind.
"The office is a no," he said. He couldn't take Rose there where everyone would see how she looked, nor could he leave her alone in her apartment until they found a cure for the aphrodisiac.
What do I do? Where do I take her? he wondered. But he knew there was only one place she would be safe, locked if necessary, and checked with the right people. Without a second thought, he headed to his house.