by R C Knight
“He didn’t choose you, Keira,” she replied tightly. “He just couldn’t have me.” She turned and started to walk away, relishing the look of shock on Keira’s face.
“Wait!” Keira shouted after her. She paused and looked over her shoulder.
“What?”
“I’m sorry.” Keira said softly. Aria’s shoulders relaxed as she looked at the sadness on Keira’s face.
“You have nothing to be sorry for,” she responded calmly. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to be by myself.” Aria continued to walk towards the stairs.
“Hiding won’t fix whatever is bothering you!” Keira shouted after her. “It’s just going to eat away at you until you break!” Aria ignored her as she made her way down the stairs and into the sleeping quarters. She quickly went to her hammock, sighing with relief as she laid down.
Just stay calm, she thought as she stared at the ceiling. Everything will be fine. She inhaled deeply, willing her body to relax. She felt exhausted, it had been a while since she had a full night of sleep. Her body ached every time she moved, and her mind felt fuzzy. She looked at the footlocker that was sitting at the end of her hammock. Inside of it were her daggers and armor, she smiled as she thought of Raphael’s throwing knives that she had tucked inside her armor. She slowly got out of the hammock and went to the footlocker, pulling out her armor and grabbing one of the small, silver blades.
Aria laid back down in her hammock, running her finger along the blade. She laughed darkly as her finger traced along a small angelic symbol that had been carved into the blade. The irony of her situation wasn’t lost on her. She gasped as a thin line of blood formed along her finger. “Damnit,” she cursed under her breath as she brought the finger to her mouth. At least it’s sharp, she thought as she stared at the knife. She pulled her finger out of her mouth and watched as blood slowly seeped from the thin cut. Aria began to spin the throwing knife between her fingers, watching the graceful curves of the blade wrap around her fingers as it spun. Hopefully the enemies’ blades are as sharp as mine. She stopped spinning the knife and placed it in her lap. The blood from her finger had marred the beautiful silver of the blade. A small smile appeared on her face, at least I’ll go out in battle.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Earth
The trip into the town had been successful. They had found everything they needed and then some, thanks to the fact that there were a lot of traders coming in and out of town. Zane returned to the ship with one of the horses pulling a wagon. Ryder and Bishop were waiting on the other side of town with the rest of the horses. The rest of the group had already returned to The Persephone.
“Hey!” Zane shouted to get their attention. “Let’s unload what we need and get going.” The group got to work loading the supplies they had gotten in town. Riley and Keira started loading everyone’s personal bags. Keira stopped by Zane on her way back up the ramp.
“Aria’s in the sleeping quarters.” She looked at him with concern. “She’s been down there since you left.” Zane sighed as he ran his hands through his hair.
“Alright, I’ll go get her.” Keira nodded with approval as she took his spot.
“I’ll keep track of everything.” She smiled softly at him as he turned and walked up the ramp. He made his way to the sleeping quarters and walked back to Aria’s area. Aria was laying on her hammock, her eyes closed and her breathing even. Zane smiled as he looked at the peaceful expression on her face. It had been too long since he had seen her relax. He frowned as he saw the throwing knife in her hand, noticing the dried blood on the blade.
Zane walked quietly to the hammock and leaned over, gently grabbing the knife and setting it on top of the footlocker. “Aria,” he said softly as he gently shook her shoulders. “Aria, it’s time to go.”
She slowly opened her eyes, looking around the room. Her eyes locked onto his, a sad smile spreading across her face. “I’m sorry,” she sighed softly. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep.”
“It’s fine,” Zane replied quickly. “You obviously needed it.” Aria rubbed her eyes, forcing herself to wake up. “We’re packing up the wagon now. Just come up once you’re ready.” He turned to walk out the door.
“Thank you,” she said, her voice groggy from sleep.
“For what?” Zane asked confused.
“For showing me what love feels like.” She smiled sadly as she slowly pushed herself into a sitting position. “I don’t think I would have ever known it if it wasn’t for you.” Zane stared at her, scrutinizing her face for any signs of emotion. “Whatever happens in Chicago.” She paused as she stared into his eyes. “I wouldn’t have changed any of it.”
Zane frowned with confusion. “What are you talking about?”
“It’s nothing,” she sighed as she dropped her head to stare at her hands. “Forget I said anything.”
“Aria,” Zane replied softly. “I wouldn’t change it either.” A sad smile appeared on her face as she looked around the room. “Well.” He paused, his heart breaking as he watched her look around. Her sadness filled the room, making the air thick and uncomfortable. “I’ll see you outside.” He turned and left the room. He took the steps two at a time, wanting to run from Aria’s grief. He inhaled deeply as he arrived on the deck, relishing in the fresh ocean air. Zane ran over to Keira, her face full of relief.
“How is she?” Keira asked quietly.
“As good as she’s going to be,” he replied as he pulled Keira into his chest, hugging her tightly. She smiled as she wrapped her arms around him.
“Well, as long as she’s going to be okay,” she responded as she pulled away from Zane. “I just wish there was something we could do to help.”
“So do I.” Zane looked towards the stairs, a hint of sadness on his voice. “Well. How is everything going?”
“Great,” Keira replied. “We just need to load everyone’s personal bags then we’ll be ready to go. After Aria gets up here, of course.” Zane nodded with approval as he looked over at the wagon.
“Well, I should get my bags then.” He quickly kissed Keira then ran back onto the ship, heading to the Captain’s Cabin for his bags. Aria was standing by the wagon when Zane returned with his stuff. The rest of the group were waiting around the wagon, ready to get going. Zane smiled as he walked up to them, tossing his bags into the wagon with the rest of them. “Let’s go.” He grabbed the horse’s reins and led the way through town.
Bishop ran up to the group as they reached the edge of town. Mikayla smiled as he pulled her in for a kiss and whispered into her ear. He looked up at the group, making eye contact with Zane. “Finally,” he commented sarcastically. “I thought we’d be stuck here all night waiting for you guys!” Zane chuckled as he walked over to Bishop, punching him in the shoulder.
“Like you would’ve went any faster?” he remarked. Bishop laughed while Zane turned towards the rest of the group. “Alright, pick a horse and move your stuff into the saddlebags.” Everyone nodded as they rummaged through the wagon for their bags. Zane mounted the horse that was pulling the wagon as he waited for everyone to get ready. He smiled as Keira mounted her horse and moved next to him. Aria was the last to mount her horse, her face set with a determination that caught Zane off guard. What the hell is she up to? He thought as he watched her turn the horse and get in line with everyone else.
“Let’s go!” Liam shouted from the front as he spurred his horse. The rest of the group followed, keeping the wagon in the middle of the group.
Chapter Forty
Earth
One week later…
Zane was impressed with how fast they arrived outside of Chicago, avoiding all the demon patrols on the way. They had made camp a couple of hours ago, on a hill a few miles away from the city. The red and yellow lights of the city were glowing along the horizon. Zane took a deep breath as he looked at Chicago’s battered skyline, this better work.
Riley walked up to him as he looked down at the city. “You ready for th
is?” Zane asked with concern.
“Of course,” Riley replied, trying to convey confidence.
“You don’t have to lie to me.” Zane chuckled as he looked around the camp. “I know you’re worried.”
“Yea, well you’re not the one going into a city full of demons without any backup,” he retorted with irritation.
“I know,” Zane sighed as he ran his hands through his hair. “But you’ve been practicing with those daggers for months now. No one will even know you’re there unless you want them to.” Riley nodded with confidence from the encouraging words.
“Right.” He paused. “I’ve done this hundreds of times. I can do this.” He exhaled loudly as he looked over at Zane. “Just promise me one thing.”
“Anything,” Zane responded quickly.
“Take care of Anne and Aiden if I don’t make it back.”
“Of course, I will,” Zane replied sadly. “And I expect you to tell her all about my willingness to help when we get back there.” He chuckled as he slapped Riley’s shoulder. “You’re going to be fine. Just remember to look for any angelic symbols and sketch them out for us. They need to make sure the city hasn’t been sealed against angels.” Riley nodded in understanding. “Alright.” Zane paused as he looked at the skyline. “I’ll see you soon.”
“See ya.” Riley pulled out his daggers and concentrated, vanishing in front of Zane. He ran down the hill, trying to get to the city as quickly as possible. After an hour, he reached a tall, brick wall. Black vines covered with thick thorns were growing along the wall, glowing with an eerie red light. Fuck. He thought to himself as he started to walk around it, looking for an opening.
After walking for five minutes, Riley saw an iron gate leading into the city. He crouched low as he slowly approached the gate. Two lesser demons were standing guard, nonchalantly scanning their surroundings. Perfect, they aren’t paying attention. He waited until they were looking away from him. He silently climbed over the gate and entered the city.
The streets were deserted other than an occasional lesser demon on patrol. Riley walked along the decrepit buildings, sticking to the shadows even though he was invisible. If I were an arrogant fucker, where would I keep my slaves? he thought as he scanned the area. He walked slowly down the broken road, avoiding the rubble that had fallen over the years. As he looked towards the perimeter wall, he noticed a soft silver glow. Weird, he thought as he walked over to the wall.
He pulled out a piece of paper and quickly drew the glowing symbol. Perfect. He looked down the wall and saw another silver glow. Upon examination, he realized it was the same symbol. He walked along the wall to check the next symbol, which was also the same. Satisfied that this was the only symbol on the wall, Riley returned his focus to the city. He slowly walked towards the road, following it along the buildings.
A soft, yellow glow from one of the buildings caught his eye. He crouched low as he walked over, quietly glancing through the window. He smiled as he saw a small group of humans sleeping on the floor. Riley made his way to the front of the building and quietly opened the door. He walked across the dusty floor, looking at the faces of the humans. There he is! he thought excitedly as he eyes fell across the man sleeping in the back of the room.
He was about six foot five and at least two hundred and fifty pounds. A jagged scar ran across his face and his head had been shaved. Even in his sleep, his face looked like he was ready to kill someone. Riley quietly walked to the back of the room, avoiding the other humans. He knelt next to the man and focused the power of his daggers. His form appeared in the blink of an eye. Riley smiled as he gently pushed the man’s shoulders. “Wake up,” he whispered as he continued to push and prod.
The man jumped up, landing in a fighting stance. His gray eyes looked wildly around the room. Riley jumped back, throwing his hands in front of him. “Calm down, man. It’s me.” The man looked at Riley and paused, taking in Riley’s appearance.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” he whispered hoarsely.
“I’ve brought good news.” Riley smiled as he walked towards the man. “It’s good to see you again, Cain.” He clasped hands with him as they bumped their chests and patted each other’s back in greeting.
“I never thought I’d see your ugly face again.” Cain chuckled quietly as he sat down. Riley quickly sat next to him, a smile on his face.
“I didn’t think you would either.” He looked around the building, watching the other slaves sleep.
“So.” Cain looked at him, his gray eyes full of surprise. “What’s the good news?” Riley leaned in, beckoning Cain to come closer.
“We’re going to defeat the White Horseman,” he whispered into Cain’s ear.
“You’re fucking joking, right?” Cain asked in disbelief.
“I would never joke about that,” Riley responded quickly. “Listen, the angels have returned and are helping us. But we need your help to infiltrate the city.” Cain stared at him, then he began to quietly laugh.
“The angels?” He chuckled. “Come on man. Everyone knows they gave up on us long ago!”
“I’m serious,” Riley said sternly. “Look.” He pulled out his daggers and showed them to Cain. “They gave our group some angelic weapons for the battle. Watch this.” He held onto the daggers and concentrated, disappearing in front of Cain.
“Holy shit!” Cain shouted in surprise. Riley laughed quietly as he reappeared on the other side of Cain.
“See,” he replied smugly. “They are here, and they want to help.” Cain shook his head in disbelief.
“I never thought I’d see the day.” He looked at Riley and the daggers. “Can I look at them?”
“Of course,” Riley replied quickly, handing one of the daggers to Cain. He ran his hand along the silver blade, his eyes tracing the runes that had been engraved into it. He smiled as he handed the dagger back to Riley.
“What do you need me to do?” he asked quietly. Riley sighed with relief as he took the dagger.
“I need you to lead the rest of the slaves in a revolt.”
“That would be a fucking slaughter,” he hissed quietly. “There better be more to your plan than this.”
“Of course, there’s more.” He paused as he looked at the sleeping men. “We’ve brought weapons. I’m going to scout out locations to stash them on my way out tonight.” Cain’s eyes lit up with excitement.
“Go on.” He smiled darkly. “There better be a fucking ax for me,” he chuckled.
“I’ll see what I can do about that.” Riley responded with a laugh. “Anyway, I’ll stash the weapons tomorrow night and let you know where they are. I don’t know if Zane will –”
“Zane’s with you?” Cain asked in shock. “It’s a good thing you didn’t start off with that. He’s the reason we’re fucking in here in the first place.” Riley sighed as he ran his hands through his hair.
“He’s a good man, Cain,” Riley replied with confidence. “He did what he could in a shitty situation.” He paused to let Cain calm down. “Anyway, I don’t know if he’ll want to attack tomorrow night or the night after. I’ll have to let you know tomorrow night after I stash the weapons.”
“Alright,” Cain responded. “I’ll talk to the men in the morning. Although I’m sure they’ll all jump at the chance to kill these fuckers.” Riley smiled as he looked at the sleeping men.
“Where’s Abel?” Riley asked as he scanned the room.
“Oh, he’s around here somewhere.” Cain chuckled. “You know him. He probably found a whore for the night and is shacked up at her place.” Riley laughed as he quietly got up from the floor.
“Well, I should get going. I still need to find places to stash the weapons.” Cain stood up and clasped Riley’s hand.
“It was good to see you again.”
“You too.” Riley responded with a smile. “I’ll see you tomorrow night.”
“I’ll be here.” Cain chuckled darkly. “Stay safe.” Riley nodded as he grabbed his daggers
and disappeared.
Well that was easier than I thought it would be, he thought as he quietly left the building and walked down the street. Now where the fuck can I hide these weapons. He spent the rest of the night walking around the deserted city. Once he was satisfied with his location choices, he made his way back to the gate and snuck past the guards. He sighed with relief as he quickly walked away from the decrepit city.
Chapter Forty-One
Earth
Zane nervously paced around the camp, constantly looking down at the city with worry. Please don’t get caught. Please don’t get caught. He repeated over and over again in his head. He walked over to the smoldering fire and added another log. He knelt as he stoked the fire, watching as the flames grew as they overtook the log. The rest of their group had gone to bed, huddled close to one another for heat. Zane shivered as he walked away from the fire, rubbing his hands together for warmth.
Riley had left a few hours ago, and Zane was so worked up he couldn’t think straight. He sighed with exhaustion as he walked back to the fire and sat down, relishing the warmth from the flames. Riley will be back any minute now. He reassured himself as he held his hands over the fire. Keira rolled over in her sleep, jolting herself awake. She groggily looked around the camp, her eyes falling on Zane.
“You should get some sleep,” she said quietly as she rubbed her eyes.
“I’ll sleep after Riley gets back,” he responded. “Besides, someone needs to keep watch, just in case.”
“Let someone else do it for a little bit,” Keira replied groggily. “You haven’t slept properly in days. Everyone here is perfectly capable of watching for demons, and they can wake you up as soon as Riley gets back.” Keira lifted her blankets. “Come on. Wake up one of the angels and join me.”