Chapter 39: Invocation
Harry stood before the summoning circle. What he was going to do was risky. He didn't even think that the demon he was summoning would even answer.
Or, if he answered, he might attack. Which is why Harry was doing this in secret. With Tagas and Arthur safely at the farm, and him in the apartment.
Azazel was a notorious demon. Formally an angel that rebelled along with the other Grigori, he had a temper that ran a mile long. When Harry summoned him, he saw the black smoke, and then the visage of a man.
"What do you want, runt?" The fallen angel asked, and Harry prepared himself for a fight, if it was needed.
"I need your help. There is this human, who runs a kidnapping ring all across the world..." Harry began, but he was cut off by a laugh.
"I am certain that the human can do so without our patronage," Azazel said with a snicker, and then shook his head. "Those asses are only good for the flies."
"I don't want to offer him patronage, I want him dead. All of his associates with him," Harry said, and he looked up at the blue eyes of the fallen angel. Now that he was looking, he could see the resemblance to Tagas in the curve of the lips, the shape of the nose, and the shape of the eyes. "Your baby brother is at risk."
"Which one? I have as many as a donkey has fleas," Azazel said, looking disinterested in the conversation.
"Tagas, the youngest angel," Harry answered, and then held his breath. A cornucopia of emotions flashed on Azazel's face. The most prominent of them was anger.
"How did that cherub ended up mixed in with humans? What is Michael thinking, letting him down on this planet?" Azazel snapped, and Harry gulped.
"He is all grown up now. Not a cherub anymore. He got banished from Heaven, and now saves children from kidnappers," Harry felt proud of Tagas then, but Azazel narrowed his eyes.
"Foolish boy," the fallen angel said, and then huffed. "I can't let him get strapped to a table. Or, is he already?"
"He is not in any danger right now. He has an angel to protect him," Harry wasn't sure if he too had one. But he didn't care. Tagas and Arthur were more important than him. Plus, this was his mess.
"I suppose then you want to do a pre-empted strike?" Azazel asked. "We can't have Tagas live in fear of being snatched, now, can we?"
"A lot of people will also need to forget what they have seen," Harry said, and then tried to smile in the face of the fallen angel's glare. "We weren't careful."
"No, Tagas never was," Azazel sighed then, and nodded. "What do you know of the leader of the kidnapping ring?"
"Only that he lives somewhere in the United Kingdom, and that a certain Lisa Sully from Wisconsin is dealing with the payments for him," Harry sighed. He wished that he had more to give Azazel, but he had fretted too much to search for Lisa.
"You make it sound like I have my work cut out for me," Azazel snapped, and then ran his hands through his hair. "The forgetfulness ritual would have to be run through the boss. You know how standard procedures go."
Harry gulped.
"Can we please not involve lord Lucifer?" He begged, but Azazel just chuckled.
"Sorry, not sorry. I won't go through a lava bath for this. I will find the scum that is threatening Tagas, and deal with him. But you have to speak with the boss," Azazel then vanished in a puff of smoke. Leaving Harry alone, to draw a more complicated circle.
When Harry was done, he cut his hand, and let the blood drip in the middle.
"Boss, if you have a minute? It is about Tagas," Harry began, and the blonde fallen angel appeared in a flash.
"What is it? Is he hurt? Is he sick? It is a lava bath and time at the rack for you, if he is," Lucifer said lightning fast. His brows were knitted, and his lips were in a tight frown.
"You know how we save children?" Harry began, trying to buy time.
"An admirable hobby, go on," Lucifer commanded him, and Harry did his best to smile.
"Well, there is this little hitch in the road. We got filmed using our powers. Countless creeps saw us. Now there is this wacko named Moriarty who wants to threaten Tagas and the rest of the family," Harry said, and Lucifer roared.
"A mortal, threatening my brother?" The angel began to pace. "I will gouge out his eyes and force-feed them to him!"
"Azazel already agreed to do that," Harry said, and received a glare for speaking. Still, he continued. "What I need your help with, my lord, is a mass forgetfulness ritual. A worldwide one. There is no telling who saw, and who did not."
"I will see it done," Lucifer said, and then waved his hand at Harry. "Go and guard Tagas."
"I will, right away," Harry stood, and the angel disappeared. Harry then teleported to the farm. Tagas and Arthur were cuddling in bed, but they both looked flustered. Harry grinned.
"With the audience, you two don't even dare to move?" He asked, and the two sent him tired looks.
"Harry, where were you?" Tagas asked, and then saw the cut on Harry's palm. "You are hurt."
Tagas stood, and rushed to Harry. He took the demon's hand in both of his, and it glowed a bright yellow, before the wound closed.
"Thanks, angel cake, but there was no need. It didn't even hurt," Harry lied. It had stung, but he had not healed it because that would have angered Lucifer. There was a protocol in place for healing the wounds only twenty-four hours after someone summoned the big boss.
"Liar," Tagas said, as he pulled him towards the bed. "I have been thinking, the two of us could go oversees tomorrow, and search."
"Oh, no. I got it covered," Harry said cryptically. He didn't like the idea that Tagas wanted to go in the line of fire. "Look, two of your big brothers agreed to deal with Moriarty. Two of those who reside in Hell."
Tagas blinked, and then slapped Harry across the face, hard.
"Do you have any idea what they are going to make you do in return?" Harry blinked. Tagas had never risen a hand to him before.
"I'll pay any price, as long as the family is safe," Harry said, and he kissed Tagas on the cheek. The angel placed his hand on the slapped place, his eyes softening, and the sting of the slap disappeared.
