by Lori Aisling
Not unlike the intruder in Morocco, these assailants were stripped of all normal reactions and functions, left only with their mission and a mantra. I wasn’t sure how long my hound and I could fight until we were overrun or forced to flee and I was surprised at the sheer number of condemned, it seemed there was no end. The air was thick with the ash of decimated souls, the ground slick, yet sticky- like hot tar.
A golden glow flashed brightly in front of me, temporarily blinding my eyes, already accustomed to the dim light. A figure emerged from the illumination, a long, gold sword arching through the air, splitting three assailants in half. Spinning to engage another group, flowing, blonde hair and a red cape seemed to dance in the air as the archangel joined my battle.
Tossing a section of flaxen tresses away from her eyes, Jophiel turned to face me, a determined look on her lovely face. “Death, it’s time we put our differences aside. Michael is ripping Heaven apart in an attempt to dig out the evil which has ingrained itself in our halls. Rest assured, I have trespasses to account for, and I will own them well. I was used as a pawn, unable to see past my own selfish desires. Now is not the time to explain, but please, allow me to fight alongside you to right these wrongs and see to it that our Lord is returned to The Light and your mate is reunited at your side.”
Completing another swing of the scythe, I met the blue eyes of the angel next to me. “I agree, Joe. We’ll talk later. Now, let’s kill them all.”
One More Miracle
The Lord’s Angel of Beauty looked at me, her face streaked with the black rot of destroyed souls, the soot of their existence streaking her light hair. Breathing heavily, she raised an eyebrow before leaning forward to rest on her mighty sword. “I think we made an impression on them. What now?”
My hound, the archangel, and I battled the chanting souls until suddenly, they stopped manifesting and literally vanished. It happened quickly enough, I didn’t even have a chance to step in behind one to follow the mindless horde to their leader, but I had no doubt I would be granted the opportunity again.
Not once did I ever dream I would be grateful to Jophiel. Of all the angels of the Light and demons of the Dark, she was the last being I would count on to come to my aid, yet here she was. I wasn’t quite sold on her story, the words from Callon’s letter branded onto my brain: Trust no one. However, her timely appearance indeed helped Lue and me. I wouldn’t have allowed either of us to be captured, we could have fled, but not knowing where our foes were waiting, we could have stepped into a trap.
“Do you have another round left in you?” I asked her as I shook my shroud, puffs of the foul remnants of tainted souls filling the air.
“I do, if both of you do,” she replied, her painted lips drawn up in a determined smile. “What do you have in mind?”
“They are looking for me, obviously. If whoever is behind this can take me out, they are free to destroy the afterlife The Beginning designed. There will be no one powerful enough left to defy them and they will have their minions gathered in areas I have been known to frequent. Let’s go to Seattle.”
“Lead the way. I know you don’t trust me, and I don’t blame you, but I am committed to seeing this through.”
We appeared on the steps of my publishing house, our sway penetrating the air. My sights immediately fell on Kyle. He was screaming into a walkie-talkie, his usually stoic demeanor absent as his gruff voice hollered orders. His eyes met mine and they narrowed as he stalked toward me. “Where the hell have you been?” he demanded. “You’ve been missing for almost two weeks, I found your damn cell on your desk. The lights were on, doors unlocked, yet no sign of a struggle. You have a lot of explaining to do, Amara. We have a serious fucking situation here. The local police have been no help at all, and before you ask, yes- I called them. Enough is enough. Those creepy, tweakin’-ass weirdos have ransacked the building and now they have Lynn! I told the blasted woman to stay away, but she is so determined to save your goddamn business, she came down here anyway. I’m struggling to not hold you accountable for this. Talk to me, dammit!”
“We’ll get her out, Kyle. I need you to calm down,” I said gently, letting my influence soak into his mind. “Call the police and tell them it was a misunderstanding. Get all of your men out of here and let us work.”
He grabbed his head in his hands, anxiety clouding his eyes as he stared at me. “What are you doing to me? Why can’t I make my own decisions?” he cried while at the same time pulling his CB radio from his pocket and contacting the head of the police department he called in to help.
Leaning toward Joe, I lowered my voice. “Is he becoming resistant to my sway? I have never seen him so determined to challenge me.”
“Oh, Death. For one who was so recently mortal, and drawing from your own life, I’m surprised you don’t recognize this. It’s not determination, it’s something much stronger.” The angel walked up to Kyle as he stuffed the radio back in its keeper at his waist. Placing her hand on his arm, she cooed softly. “We will rescue your friend. Never doubt that. I can see you are fond of her, aren’t you?”
“I love her,” he admitted, his features softening. “I never thought I would find a woman like her. She means everything to me. I can’t lose her,” he whispered, tears filling his eyes.
Instantly, I understood what Joe meant. This strong, fearless man was suddenly brought to his knees with the risk of losing the one he loved. I understood his tenacity now, more than ever. Like him, I would never allow anyone, or anything to distract me from my goal of finding my mate- alive or dead. Guilt began flooding me with the realization that while I’ve been gone, Kyle and Lynn have been shouldering all the responsibilities in the mortal realm. There was no doubt, were I to check, Lynn was managing my House, with Kyle maintaining all of Callon’s holdings and properties.
Walking up to the big man, I pulled him into a hug. Stepping back, I met his eyes while attempting to bring him a little peace. “Joe’s right, Kyle. We will rescue Lynn. Please trust me once again.”
Grabbing my arm, he pulled me away from Jophiel and Lucinda, my hound growling and showing her teeth when he put his hand on me. Sending her reassurance through our bond, the beast calmed, sitting down to wait as my head of security led me away.
“Before you go in there and I forget everything again, I need to show you something- it’s important.” Hurriedly pulling his wallet from his back pocket, he extracted a folded piece of paper. The edges were tattered and he opened it carefully, the creases almost worn through the aged document. “Fourteen years ago, my ten-year-old daughter was in a terrible accident. A neighbor’s puppy wandered into the street as a car was approaching. Fearing the worst, my little girl got away from me and darted after the dog. The driver wasn’t paying attention and she was hit before he ever applied the brakes. She sustained life-taking injuries. They tried everything, but the damage to her brain and skull were too severe. We made the decision to remove her from life support once she was proven brain-dead. But she lived, Amara. The day after unplugging her from the machines, my baby opened her eyes. She was present, yet not, as if she were awake in a dream world. In an attempt to help her, I gave her paper and a pen to write, as she was unable to speak. This is what she drew.”
He handed me the treasure from his wallet, and I gasped when I looked at the picture the child had drawn. It was Callon. As perfect as if a photograph had been taken from the child’s eye, was a portrait of my mate. He was wearing his shroud, his silver eyes looking down adoringly at the victim below him. The detail was extraordinary and every feature I memorized in my mind stared back at me from the page. Tears blurred my vision before running down my face. My hands trembled as I held the paper, looking at the likeness of the man who held my heart and soul for eternity.
“She drew this while she was in that state. Once she recovered, she was still unable to speak. I questioned her about the picture and she wrote she must have dreamed him, as she held no recollection of him and didn’t remember any of it. S
he has since fully recovered, and has a wonderful job, husband, and family. She’s never regained her voice, but sign language and technology have enabled her to live a normal life. What I’m trying to tell you, Amara, is I know Callon is not just some rich billionaire. The day I saw this paper, I made it my goal to find the man, or angel, my daughter had drawn. I needed proof he existed. Imagine my shock when I actually did. Right then and there, I made a vow to dedicate the rest of my life to him with the hope I could repay him for the gift he allowed me to keep. I know you can’t tell me what the two of you are, and I can live with that. I don’t know if he was her guardian angel, or maybe even the angel of death, but he saved my child. So when you ask me to trust you, I need you to understand I will always be dedicated and devoted to you and the man who saved my baby. I know it’s asking a lot, as he has already changed my life once, but please save the woman I love. I have already given you my life, but I’ll do anything for one more miracle.”
“Oh, Kyle,” I cried as I tore my eyes away from the picture. “It won’t take a miracle to save Lynn, and you will owe me nothing. What you shared with me just now means more to me than anything you could ever provide. Thank you, so much, for this precious gift. Now, I just need you to wait right here for a few moments. I’m going to get your love.” I squeezed his arm and walked back to Joe and Lue, wiping the tears away with the back of my hand. “Let’s go, girls,” I said stalking towards the entrance of my building.
“Are you ok?” Joe questioned as she caught up to walk by my side.
“Yeah, I’m alright. But until I get him back, facing down an entire horde and killing an army of evil is significantly easier on me then that was.”
“We’ll get to the bottom of this, but Amara, all the Timeless need to know- can you continue to function carrying the mantle of death if you don’t get him back?”
“I don’t know, Jophiel,” I answered honestly as I pulled open the doors and stepped into the stone and tile entryway. “Right now, thinking of living without him makes me want to reap it all.”
“All? As in...?”
“Yes, Joe. I want to kill everyone right now. If a man so devoted, honest, and pure doesn’t get to live, then why should the rest of us?”
Devil’s Dance
The scab covering the festering wound that was the loss of my only love was ripped off and fresh once again seeing the picture Kyle presented to me. Walking through the building Callon Thead so generously provided me, I easily dispatched of every condemned soul daring to approach. Joe drew her sword, walking on my left side, Lucinda at my right, each ready and willing to engage our mutual enemy.
We found Lynn surrounded by a dozen of the damned and when they saw me, they began their monotonous chant, shrill voices sounding like a key being dragged down the side of a car. It irritated me, spiking my desire for vengeance. They began attacking and compared to the mass number we encountered in the abandoned alley, this was easy work.
As a group, the remaining souls ceased the mantra and began leaping from the realm. “I need one!” I screamed. “Don’t let them get away!”
Jophiel stabbed one through the shoulder, attempting to restrain him using the wall on the other side, but in his desperation to escape, the intruder chose to use her blade to remove his own arm, freeing him from her hold. With only one left, I threw all my intent into his soul, slamming him against the plate glass window. I focused, refusing to release him as he kicked and cursed, his tinny shrieks echoing off the walls of my office. “Hold him, Lue,” I demanded, as I quickly pulled a terrified Lynn out of my office chair.
Drenching her in my sway, the woman relaxed slightly, her eyes continuing to dart around, attempting to make sense of the emotions she still felt so strongly while having no recollection as to why she was so frightened. “Joe, I need you to bring Lynn to Kyle and make sure they’re both adequately unaware. I’m certain at this point, all the condemned have fled. If not, feel free to send a few to purgatory, I’ll destroy them later. Should you feel overwhelmed, retreat. Bring Michael, and any others he has deemed trustworthy to my realm and we will make a plan to move forward.”
“Where are you going? I told you I’m dedicated to the end, Amara. I will accompany you.”
Looking at her, I smiled. “I find it hard to believe you are going to want to continue at this juncture. I’m taking this damned soul and he is going to give me answers, regardless of what I have to do to get them.”
“I know it won’t be pleasant, but you don’t have to do this alone.”
“I won’t be alone, I’m going to Hell. This soul is from Lucifer’s prison and if I can’t make it talk, I bet he can.”
Throwing her hands in the air in surrender, she readily agreed. “You’re right. This is where I get off this ride, I can’t go to the Dark, and I want no interaction with Satan. The archangels Michael deems fit will meet you back in your realm at some point soon.” The angel put her hand on Lynn’s back and began to escort the mute woman toward the door.
“Hey, Joe?”
“Yes?”
“Thanks.”
God’s Angel of Beauty cast me a small smile and shrugged before leaving me with the restrained soul.
“Good girl, Lue,” I praised my hound as she used the wretched captive as a chew toy. “Let’s take this piece of crap to your creator, shall we?”
Lucifer warned me to stay away, and it wasn’t as if I wanted to hang out in Hell, but I needed answers- and if anyone could get them out of a condemned, it would be him. Besides, now The Lord was missing, and I was actually a bit worried about the Prince of Darkness. If God could be so easily bested, it wasn’t out of the scope of logic to wonder if Luc could be captured as well.
Lucinda and I appeared in a crosswalk and I stepped over a large crack in the concrete. I was dragging the condemned behind me, his feet tied with a long internet cable I ripped out of my computer. My viper incapacitated him with her venom and other than the occasional groan, he was just dead weight behind me. The City of the Damned was eerily silent. A hot wind blew my hair across my face and I could smell smoke in the air. Looking around, I saw plumes of acrid soot and flames, reaching for the starless sky in numerous locations spread out across the wide and destroyed expanse.
Luc indeed warned his vengeance for the treason would be bloody, and judging from the devastation I could already see, he was not exaggerating. I chose to manifest closer to the prison, thinking it would be a good place to start. I tugged the makeshift restraint and began pulling my captive across the busted cement, jagged metal, and broken glass covering the surface of damn near everything. It was as if a bomb went off; this place was a shithole before and it was utterly annihilated, now.
We approached the outer gates of the prison and hearing a scream, I saw a crouching female demon, the black pits of her eyes staring at me. She bent her head back and screamed again, the soul-wrenching sound piercing the night sky. Lucinda growled as the woman began bouncing on her heels, her fingers scouring the debris at her feet. Pulling up a sharp shard of glass, she slashed it down her arm, inky, black blood appearing along the length of the cut. She shoved the gash into her mouth, slurping and licking at the running wound, her moans sounding orgasmic.
“Jesus Christ,” I murmured.
“Not here.”
The words were spoken dead-pan and I spun around, seeing Lucifer leaning against a post, digging an unknown particulate out from under his fingernail with a slender dagger. “Fuck, Luc. You scared the shit out of me. What the hell is up with that?” I nodded my head towards the crazed demon who was now spinning circles on her back, giggling manically.
“You’re in Hell, Death, what did you expect? A nice pony ride and funnel cake?”
“Good point. So, I ummm, see you have been busy here.” I prompted.
The Devil placed his index finger against his thumb, flicked it, and the demon went spinning across the cluttered expanse and out of sight, howling and shrieking until I could no longer hear her. “T
hat I have. As I guessed, this mutiny has deep veins. Cutting it out has been taxing, to say the least. I did, in fact, grow soft. I was shocked how long it has been since enjoying a good disemboweling. You have plenty of souls in waiting. Some I would like destroyed, they are more trouble than the power they produce. Others may be sentenced with steep punishment, I’ll help when the time comes- we don’t need a repeat of this treachery any time soon. I have narrowed it down, but have yet to determine who exactly is working with the high-powered Timeless from The Light. I was taking a short break from the non-stop torture I have been inflicting since you left. Do you bring any news from Heaven or are you here to return the husk to his cell? I could feel the drain. You obliterated a lot of souls in an hour’s time.”
“I captured this one alive and I was hoping you would help me convince him to tell us what he knows. I don’t trust myself to not dispatch him before he can be of use to me. Concerning The Light, they currently have bigger problems than you have here in Hell.”
“Tsk, tsk,” he teased. “The Lord is saddened by the lack of devotion in his realm. Let me guess, he blames me...”
“Much bigger than that, Luc. I don’t know what The Lord thinks of this mess. He’s been taken.”
Never, not once, have I seen Lucifer shocked; his every emotion was gauged and planned when he reacted. The look on his now face was pure disbelief, rendering him momentarily speechless while staring at me, so I continued. “I’m actually glad to see you, I was concerned if our foes were organized enough to best Callon and The Lord, perhaps you were on their radar as well. I don’t need a good imagination to know what would happen if Heaven and Hell were both to lose their leaders. With both gone, and Callon’s strength being used against me, the afterlife would be mass chaos. I’m not sure how we could restore that but since you and I are still standing, we have a shot at fixing this. However, they have figured out how to siphon Callon’s power sufficiently enough to reap souls. Over a quarter of the deaths we encountered today held no souls in stasis.”