by Michael Todd
“Let me get this straight.” He leaned against the bench. “Not only do the wizards want me and Max for our bodies, killing our demons in the process, but they also want to open a black sulfur vortex and what? Smother the human race?”
“Try again.” She grinned. “Think more like spilling every demon, every hell beast, every foul and twisted soul that wishes to escape the heat for a while onto Earth. The wizards may be three different souls but together, they make up the fifth horseman. The one never spoken about to the general public.”
Damian nodded. He’d heard about him before. “A monster of destruction. He is the backup, the clean-up if the four horsemen fail to do their duties. It is for when people—or angels—like Katie and Pandora do their duties and manage to thwart the apocalypse. The fifth horseman steps in and the whole of humanity can be gone in the blink of an eye. Including the angels, who are not immune to him. It would literally be the end of humanity.”
Catherine uncrossed her legs and stood to stroll over to the open ashtray this time. She crushed her cigarette and looked at the beautiful roses. “I feel like it’s far too early for roses yet. I can still feel the bite in the air.”
He didn’t respond, simply stared at the grass. Catherine returned and raised his chin with her hand. “The Wise Men must be stopped. You were chosen long before you even knew you would be a demon hunter. From birth, it was in your cards. A shitty hand to be dealt, I suppose.”
Damian shrugged. “I don’t mind it so much. I happen to be good at this.”
She gave him a partial smile, then opened her purse and rummaged around. Slowly, she withdrew a perfectly flat, non-wrinkled card from inside with not a smudge on it from the rampant disorganization it had been stored in. She tapped the card to her lips and studied him for a moment before she handed it to him.
He looked at it, confused, and she gripped his hand. “Be there and be prepared. There are so many of us who support you in the community, and we will always have your back no matter what.”
“Who is we?” he asked.
Catherine tucked her clutch under one arm and slid her hand into the pocket of her pants. “Us. The people on the bottom who know that everyone will die if this isn’t done properly. We are an entire society of those called upon either by heritage or the touch of the Angel Warriors watching over us. But no matter how many of us might be turned toward you, watching from all over, you must be the one to kill them. You or Max, that is. That is written in the books, something even I can’t do anything about. Just be ready.”
She turned and wandered toward the exit of the Rose Garden. He sat on the bench for several moments, his faraway stare focused on the grass. When he realized he didn’t have all the details, he spun and called her name. “Catherine!”
“Yes?” She stopped at the entrance bushes and turned to nod her head. “I get all the way here and now you want to be cute. All right. What is it?”
“When? When will all of this begin?” Damian asked.
With a wide small smile, she took another smoke out and rolled it between her fingers. “When it is time, the Secretary will call you with the place and the time and any other directions she may have for you. But don’t get too comfortable because it will come very soon. In fact, if I were you, I would start thinking about your strategy. You know as well as I do this will not be the event that you should go blindly into. It has to be perfect from the beginning.”
“I understand.”
Catherine took another deep breath. “Prepare that young priest and know there is a chance that he will die in battle. You cannot sacrifice the world for one boy. Although I have not foreseen this battle, I do know how strongly you feel for the people you love. Extend that outward and wrap the world up in it, because they will need you.”
She turned to leave but stopped and raised one finger. “Oh, last thing…I almost forgot. Call Ravi and make her hear you. You will desperately need her. She has the answers to secrets you don’t understand and may not ever in your life. These secrets, though, have the power to help you defeat the wizards. Good luck.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
“We need to make sure that we are prepared. That we walk in ready for the fight of our lives but knowing that we have people behind us,” Damian told Max, who sat across the table from him. “This is not one of those situations when even though we will be physically alone there, that we have to feel it’s us against them. We have Catherine, Rose, and Maps. They are wonderful people.”
The trainee nodded and clapped his hands slowly. “Then our job sounds perfect for us. And if we fall, we fall for humanity. Not for some vase in the pit of an old church.”
His mentor smiled. “Exactly. But I do not plan to fall. I plan to walk out of there even better than I am now.”
Damian watched the young man’s face as he finished telling him about not only their job but their destiny—something predetermined in their stars to put them in that position. His expressions flickered through a steady cycle of thoughts and emotions and Damian had a hard time reading him. Even his hands spoke turmoil as he constantly opened and closed his fists. The older man cupped his hand over Max’s. “Tell me what you are feeling.”
He swallowed hard. “Honestly? I am nervous, of course. But at the same time, I am proud to be chosen for an honor like this. To have my work and my life mean so much? I am starting to understand how Katie feels every day.”
They both laughed. Max could hear Astaroth in his head, making just enough of a sound to let him know he was still there. He glanced at Damian and realized how tired and frail he looked compared to when Ravi was there all of the time.
“What are you going to do to bring Ravi out?” he asked.
His mentor took a deep breath and leaned back. “Honestly, I don’t know. But I will do everything I can, and then I will let the chips fall where they may. I refuse to believe we were destined for this but will not have the tools to succeed.”
“She’s in there. I can see her in your eyes,” Max replied.
And I can still feel her, Astaroth interjected. Faintly, but she is there.
Damian narrowed his eyes and watched him react to whatever his demon was saying. “What did he say?”
Max looked at him and registered that he was not holding his emotions in. “He said he feels her. That she is faint but still there.”
They both sat quietly for a moment before Max pushed his chair back from the dining table and rubbed his palms together. “Well, if this is going to go down, then I want to be the best version of myself I can. I’m going to put some training in. I’ll start with a run. Oh, and we need to talk…after this is all over.”
Damian smiled at him. “Just take your phone and stay close. The call could come at any time.”
The young man gave him two thumbs-up and jogged to his room to get changed. Damian tapped a tune on the tabletop and pushed his chair back, grunting slightly as he stood. He meandered casually into the living room where he paused and looked at all the books, the trinkets, and the things he’d accumulated. For some reason, none of it meant much in that moment.
His gaze shifted and settled on the bottle of Dalmore 62 Single Highland Malt Scotch that he had bid on and purchased for Ravi. They hadn’t had a chance to taste the two-hundred-and-fifty-thousand-dollar bottle yet. He picked it up and turned it in his hands, and a small smile tugged at his lips.
He twisted the top off and took a deep whiff, then closed his eyes and savored the smell. With two glasses in his hands, he walked up the stairs to the second floor, turned right, and took the winding attic steps to the top. A small door opened onto the roof, so he grabbed a dusty old blanket and walked through to spread it on the incline.
For a few moments, he simply lay on his back and stared at the stars that twinkled cheerfully in the dark sky. It had been a long time since he had looked up. He propped himself on his elbow, poured two shots of the scotch, and waved one under his nose. The smell was soothing, and he let the first mouthful
flow over his tongue and down his throat, enjoying the smooth burn. He smacked his lips and wiggled his eyebrows as he picked up the second glass. “Don’t mind if I do, thank you.”
He slung it back, then poured another, and another, and then another.
Good Lord. Fine, stop it. I surrender, Ravi finally said with a sigh. Sheesh, a girl can’t save all her energy to be ready for some prophetic assignment any day now.
Damian sat up and balanced himself hastily with one hand as he swayed slightly. Well, hello there. Nice of you to join the party. While you’re in there playing the silent game, do you think you could make me look less terminal patient and more Damian?
Mhmm, she replied. But if you are trying to fall off the roof, can you at least do it close to another human so I don’t have to exit prematurely and head back to hell? I really don’t want to go back there.
He smiled, thankful that her voice was in his head again. So, seeing as the tides have turned and we are walking head first into possibly our last assignment, I require something of you.
No, you cannot have me enter your dreams at night. That is still cheating, Damian. Cheating sweet baby Jesus, she chuckled, not even able to get it out without a laugh.
Damian rolled his eyes. Not that. I need you to finally get real with me. Reveal yourself. We need to be able to fully trust each other.
Ravi growled and if she could have stomped a foot, she would have. But still, she gave in, knowing he was right. Okay, here goes, then. My human name was Elisa Waters, daughter of a very rich man. Now, I told you my childhood and how I ended up in hell, and all of that was absolutely true. However, there are some parts that I might have skipped over.
He pursed his lips. Mhmm…spill it.
She laughed at his response and it eased the awkwardness of her reveal. I was sent to hell for crimes that in today’s society, would get you a golden ticket to Heaven. There were those among the angels who believed I was screwed, so they gave me an assignment. That is when you came into the picture.
Damian’s intrigued expression immediately faded. Wait, are you saying that you were purposefully put in me?
Yep, Ravi replied. And the reason I was chosen went beyond the fairness aspect of my afterlife. While in front of others I was a little wild with very little care for others, secretly, I followed in my mother’s footsteps. I was a member of the secret society called Salutem Ex Inferos, an exclusive club, as it were.
What did they do? he asked with real curiosity.
She giggled. Sorry, I’ve never told a soul this. Literally. We took an oath to stop the opening of hell’s portal. The big one of course, not the Katie- and Pandora-made ones. So, when I died, Gabriel sent me on my mission.
He smirked. That’s nuts. All this time, I thought I was in the wrong place at the wrong time—no offense. It turns out I was exactly where they wanted me to be. A little freaking warning would have been nice, though.
Ravi laughed. But then this wouldn’t have been all dramatic and amazing.
I’m okay with that, I guess. Tell me about the wizards. That’s really important for us to know.
She paused and drew in a deep breath. Okay. So, centuries ago, there were three wizards. They are brothers—triplets. The first is named Oxon and he has the power of foresight unless it has to do specifically with his long-term fate.
So, basically, he will be a pain in the ass to fight but he hasn’t been able to see us coming, Damian replied.
Yep, exactly. She cleared her throat. Then there is Shegrus, an oaf, more or less. Big body, small brain kind of thing. He can bend matter to his will and, well…basically throw it at you.
That sounds pleasant, Damian grumbled.
And last but not least… Ravi made a drumroll sound. Agrus, who is probably the most dangerous because he possesses the power of mind control. Not so much as in making you a drooling buffoon but enabling him to move your body as he wishes.
He shook his head as the import of her explanation sank in. What you’re telling me here is I’ll try to fight three wizards who make me dance the polka while throwing random objects like walls at me, while knowing my next dance move ahead of time.
She gurgled with the laughter he had missed so badly. No. And I say that for two reasons. If we are forced into the polka, I will call it a loss and stroke you out. Sorry, bud, that’s too embarrassing. Secondly, I am immune to these powers, and I think I can make you immune as well.
Damian raised an eyebrow. I knew you would come in handy one day.
One more piece of good news is that they can’t actually use these powers until they have one hundred percent taken over their human body. And if it’s not one hundred percent, that gives them about three minutes’ use in that body before they are jolted from it. So, unless they find a way to keep them barely alive and access their powers, we only have to survive for three to four minutes before we will be scot-free. Ravi sounded proud of herself for the assessment.
I would assume, then, if they only have that amount of time, they will use it to summon a portal because the power needs to be there. He frowned in thought and waited for the answer, hoping that he was right.
Ahhh, Ravi hissed. I’m not really sure on that one. It’s gonna be a learning experience, for sure. Now, I will try to pull some of these powers from the demons while the Wise Men are still alive. That way, I can transfer them to you. But I don’t want to go nuts because if push comes to shove, I need to be able to block you so they don’t affect you.
Right. And I want you to be able to heal me.
Mhmm. Astaroth will be there for Max, and me for you, but I need you to keep something in the back of your mind. Anything could happen, including death.
He shook his head defiantly. Nope. Not on my watch. Not going to happen. Put that thought right out of your head. This battle has only one way to end, and that’s with the wizards cast back to hell.
Damian stared at the stones on the patio, not quite awake after he’d stayed up late and discussed their plans with Ravi. He sipped his coffee, unaware of almost everything around him. The phone buzzed and rattled loudly in front of him, and he jumped. He put his cup down and grabbed the phone, fumbled it into the right position, and pressed the answer button. It was the Secretary.
She was silent for a moment, which made the hair on Damian’s neck stand up. “They will arrive at the touch of dusk.”
With that cryptic message, she hung up.
He put the phone on the table and gulped his coffee before he stood to go inside. His mind already racing, he knocked on Max’s door, opened it a tad, and stuck his head in. The trainee sat cross-legged on his bed and his head whipped up as his eyes met Damian’s.
He blinked for a moment and became very still. “Is it time?”
Damian nodded. “At dusk.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Damian and Max stood at the back of a very old and large stone church about a hundred miles from London in the country. The sun had already dipped below the hill but it wasn’t completely dark yet. Crickets and frogs called cheerfully around them, and although it was cold out, it sounded like a warm summer night—a deceptive calm for what they were about to get themselves into. Damian didn’t mind it, although Max was all hyped up and needed something to keep his feet on the ground.
The young man looked at the half-shattered stained glass window above them. “That’s a shame.”
He nodded. “This thing hasn’t been used in decades. It’s falling down on itself. It is a shame, though, because it is a beautiful church. I wonder why it was abandoned.”
Max glanced around the open fields. “Oh, because the pastor murdered fourteen people inside and no one ever came back to it.”
Damian blinked at him. “Okay. Well, that answers my next question of why they chose a church for this.”
He gestured at his companion and they moved closer to the stone wall as they continued to the back entrance of the church. Both grew quiet as the fear bubbled in their stomachs. There were no
guards this time around. No group to apprehend and no Damned to exorcise, only the Wise Men and the two of them.
Max opened the door and Damian aimed his gun as he cleared it with a look. They descended the steps, turned right, and crept down another set of stairs into the basement. It wasn’t hard to guess where the priests were. Their chanting had been audible even outside in the field. Damian assumed they weren’t too concerned because they were out in the middle of nowhere and about to unleash—literally—hell on Earth.
They reached the bottom, and he put his finger to his lips and holstered his weapon. He peered cautiously around the corner. Max strained to see over the top of his head. The three Wise Men stood in the right back corner, shrouded in black and red robes. They held their arms high as they chanted, and flames flickered from the dozens of black candles all around them.
Their backs were to Max and Damian so they hadn’t sensed them there yet, but the priest had a feeling it would only be a matter of time until their demons did. He wanted to be sure that they retained the advantage.
Ravi sniffed. Remember now, these three have powers that are otherworldly. They are taken from the oldest and most sacred form of magic. I don’t fully know what I will be capable of, or if my assumptions of when they can use the powers are correct. Seeing as everyone who has faced them either becomes them or dies, we don’t have a whole slew of reliable witnesses floating around.
Got it, but keep me updated on what is going on, he replied.