Chapter Eighteen
“All right, boys and girls, we’re going deeper than we ever have before. If the girl is here, she’ll be held in the throne room located in the underbelly,” I called out, preparing to enter when Michael stopped me.
“Wait! What do you mean if the girl is here?”
“I don’t know who took her or where, but my gut says it’s Alastor the Executioner, and this would be the only place he would take her,” I answered.
“So you don’t actually know? I told you guys this would be a setup. He’s just trying to get us down there for an ambush.”
Saraqael stepped between us. “Michael, relax. You heard what Father said. He wouldn’t just send us down here if he didn’t know she was here. We are stronger if we fight together.” Saraqael walked to the gates, looking up at them. “Well, are we going to do this or what?”
“Let’s go.” Michael gave me one last hard look before walking off to Saraqael at the gates. I shook my head in frustration before following.
“So, who wants to knock?” Remiel asked, as we stood there dumbfounded. “Fine, I’ll do it.” Remiel pounded on the gates with his fist six times. “Wait. Is it six times or six-hundred-sixty-six times? I can never remember.” I couldn’t help but smirk at his playfulness. In retrospect, I guess I missed that about my Angelic brothers. Demons were all business. They never found the use in a little laughter or joking around.
“Guess no one is home. Let’s take a look, shall we?” Uriel pushed himself through Ramiel and Saraqael, and with a single kick, smashed the gates open.
I led the Arches and our troops through the labyrinth without incident. When we made it to the landing above the city, I stood shocked. I prepared to fight through the city streets to Devil’s Peak, but the place appeared deserted. We cautiously made our way to Devil’s Peak. I waited for droves of Demons to jump out from behind the rundown stone buildings that lined the streets, but the ambush never came.
“Step aside, little boy. It’s my turn.” As we approached the gates at Devil’s Peak, Ramiel pushed passed Saraqael and tried to kick the gate open. It didn’t budge. We all chuckled to cover our surprise. We knew we weren’t at our full strength once inside Hell but even then an Arch should have been able to decimate something as weak as the gate with a single kick. The seven of us lined up next to Ramiel and together kicked the gate, knocking it off of its hinges.
The winding corridor bottle-necked. It was made narrow only one, maybe two Demons could walk it during one of their many security checks. I took the lead with Michael next to me. The others filed in behind us. As we came around a bend, I caught sight of two sentries. Sneaking in closer, I had grabbed the first guard and slit his throat when out of the corner of my eye, I saw the shimmer of a blade come toward me and get stopped by Michael’s shield. With one swipe, Michael split the guard in two. I gave a quick thank youglance and made my way farther down the corridor to a large open room with its iron gate raised. The intake lobby was always full of the freshly fallen, desperate to prove themselves. Just a day ago I had been here, and it had been empty. Today it filled over capacity. Lucifer had crammed his whole population inside Devil’s Peak for a celebration.
We had to figure out how we could rush the room before the alarm sounded and the gates were lowered, dividing our numbers. I motioned Michael to take the right side of the room so I could take the left. The goal was to encircle the room, allowing enough space for everyone to make it in before the gates closed. We motioned our plan to the ones behind us. As I looked back to ensure the message had been properly passed, I couldn’t help but to shake my head at Gabriel. He was as giddy as a schoolgirl at a boy band concert. He lived for this stuff. When Michael and I were sure everyone knew what to do, we bolted to our positions.
The room was caught completely off guard. It was more of a slaughter than a fight. Neither Master nor Alastor thought anyone would come for Etta. They raised no alarms or made any precautions. Our presence still unknown, until one Demon managed a death blow on Ezekiel, one of our finest sergeants, and pushed his way to the alarm. With the number of freshly fallen, I couldn’t get to the gate.
“The gate!” I yelled. Uriel ran to it. A few on the other side were trying desperately to hold it open, but it was too late. Even with an Arch’s help, it remained too heavy. It closed, cutting off two thirds of our group.
When the last Demon in the room fled down a corridor, the seven and I walked over to the gate to open it. Using everything we had, we tried lifting it. It wouldn’t budge. We’d done this a hundred times before and after a little exertion, the gate always gave way. There was no possible way I had more power as a Demon than I did as an Arch.
“So, traitor, you know this place so well, how do we get the gate open? Where’s the switch?” Michael snarled.
A quarter of the Angels that made it through were injured. Left were eight Arches and ten thousand Warriors. We had twelve corridors and eleven caverns to go before reaching the throne room. The farther you traveled in, the higher the rank of Demon you would find, making each cavern more difficult than the last. Michael’s current attitude wouldn’t be of much help.
“There isn’t one we can use. Only the Demons can.” I understood I had a leg up on my brethren with my knowledge of the inner working of Hell, but Michael acting ridiculously petty annoyed me.
“So, what do you suggest we do? Leave our brothers out there vulnerable?”
“Isn’t that what we would do any other time?” Michael rolled his eyes in disgust at my reply.
“What is it, Michael? What is it that bothers you so much about me? Is it the fact that you know at any time I can kick your ass or the fact that with dwindled numbers, you may be the one that gets trapped here for a hundred years while I chase after what belongs to you?”
Michael released a growl in aggravation and clenched his fists. I’d hit a nerve. “You never listen. You get an idea in your head and screw what anyone else has to say.” Michael shoved past me, making his way down the next corridor.
“Rahovart, just leave it alone, okay? He just needs time to get used to you being back. We all do.” Gabriel was always quick to defend someone. I picked my shield up from the floor and followed behind Uriel. I always stood in the very front before my fall, but I was unsure of my place now.
Though we were giving it our all, our numbers were diminishing severely as we made our way through each corridor and room. Warriors draw their power from the Arches, and with all eight of us present, I couldn’t understand their weakness. Yes, this being the farthest we’d ever been inside of Hell, but we definitely shouldn’t have lost so many. We were down to the eight of us and under a hundred warriors.
Michael didn’t help the situation either. After our little spat he became quiet, careless, and wouldn’t work with the team. He mowed through Demons as though they were made of paper, so caught up in his thoughts that he wasn’t paying attention to what he was really doing. A few times we had to kill a Demon he struck but hadn’t finished.
As we entered the final corridor to the throne room, he walked right past a sentry hiding against the wall. I barreled my way passed the Arches just as a sword came down to strike Michael on his back. By an inch of Michael’s back made contact with the sentry’s sword and knock it out of his claws. I immediately brought my sword back around and impaled it in the Demon’s chest, sending his God-forsaken soul to Purgatory. Michael turned around unenthusiastically, clueless about how close he’d come to receiving the same sentence.
“Try to pay a little more attention down here.” I forcefully shoved Michael out of my path with my forearm. I’d only made it a few steps when I felt a great weight on my back and something around my neck. The coward had jumped on, while my back was turned. I threw my elbow back, hitting Michael in the face and knocking him off me and onto the floor. Angels get into scuffles with each other from time to time, same as any other family. Our biggest rule, though, is that we never engage each other with a weapon o
f any kind. I wouldn’t dig myself into a deeper hole with the Big Man than I was already in.
“Right now!” I yelled as I threw down my sword and shield. Michael jumped to his feet and in a full run, slammed me against a wall and followed with a few punches to my ribs. Clutching my hands together, I smacked my fist into his back. The blow loosened his grip on me and he fell to his knees. With a roar, I grabbed the back of his hair and rammed his head into my knee, knocking him back onto the floor.
“Stay down, Michael! This isn’t what I want!” I yelled. I honestly didn’t want to hurt Michael, but I wouldn’t let him attack me.
Saraqael offered his hand to Michael to help him up. Embarrassed and angry, Michael smacked it away. After grabbing my shield and sword, I walked down the corridor. The throne room lay just around the next bend and time was of the essence. The more I wasted on Michael’s temper tantrums, the greater chance I had of finding Etta either dead or, worse yet, pregnant.
“Leaving us behind again, brother?” Michael shouted as I walked away.
I stopped and thought for a moment. I couldn’t afford to get suckered into a pissing match but at this point, it didn’t matter anymore. We’d already blown enough time trying to get this far and our family issues seemed to be holding us back from reaching Etta in a timely manner. I couldn’t be a hundred percent sure I wasn’t already too late to save Etta. If that were the case, I might as well know why I failed and for what reason I would be spending all time and eternity in Purgatory with Michael.
“Leave you behind? Is that what this is all about? You think I left you?” I turned back around to face him.
“You always left us behind. You only cared about yourself and your glory.”
I looked at the Arches, searching their faces for any sign that they agreed with Michael. Each passed an uncomfortable glance with the other. They weren’t going to get involved in the argument, but they weren’t going to stop it either.
“My glory? I sacrificed everything for you,” I yelled back. Michael finally stood toe to toe with me. You couldn’t slide a piece of paper between our noses.
“You sacrificed nothing for me. You did it all for yourself, Father’s beloved Rahovart. You always made sure you were front and center, taking all of the attention. Just like the last time we were here. You made sure even if you didn’t make it back, you would be seen as the almighty hero and the rest of us looked like cowards and fools.”
“I saved your asses. If I hadn’t stayed behind, we all could have died. I didn’t care about being a hero. I cared about my brothers’ lives. I cared about the balance we were fighting for. As for my glory, it came with a heavy price, Michael. My glory was giving up everything for you. My glory involved spending day in and day out making sure every battle went smoothly to ensure your safe arrival home. My glory wasted in the infirmary more times than I care to remember while you sat comfortably in your home. My glory got spent in Hell for a hundred years while you tried to get in bed with my wife.”
“Oh, that’s rich even for you, Rahovart. You know Abihail mourned the whole time you were gone. She didn’t smile anymore, she didn’t laugh, she never even left the house; she only cried over you. I took care of her, fed her, and stayed with her so she could sleep. I washed her clothes and made sure she bathed. She wouldn’t get any better. She refused to ask Father for help so I went for her.
“He decided that any reminder of you should be removed from your home. It became too hard on her. I packed your belongings. Abihail grabbed your blue toga that I always admired so much and asked me to try it on. She wanted me to have it instead of it sitting somewhere collecting dust. When she saw me in it, she broke down. I tried to comfort her, but nothing worked. I kissed her as a brother and nothing more. She had been up for days and needed rest so I laid her down. I feared that seeing me in your toga caused her more distress so I removed it. Abihail lay sleeping when I took it off. Then you burst through the door acting a fool, waving your sword around. You were so worried about losing what was yours that you wouldn’t hear any reason. Had you stopped for a moment and just listened, she would be alive today. And then what do you do? You run like a coward! I can’t believe I used to look up to you. I used to want to be just like you.” Michael turned his back to me and snatched up his shield and sword.
I stood motionless as his words resonated in my ears. I replayed that dreadful day in my head. When I’d returned that day, I was exhausted and wounded. My vision was blurry, and I could barely stand without stumbling. It could be possible in my condition that I misinterpreted what I witnessed. Who was I kidding? Arches didn’t have the ability to lie. We may not see everything in the same light as each other, but we could only speak the truth about how we viewed it. Every word Michael said bared the truth in his eyes. My Abihail waited for me and being the good brother, he cared for her while I remained captive, which was my own fault to start with.
He was right about more than just that. I always did seek more than just Father’s approval. I enjoyed the attention I received for my conquests. I enjoyed the spotlight that being the hero brought. And even though I loved her with all of my being, I worried that losing Abihail would change my status. If I killed Michael defending her honor, then I could keep my reputation and my Abihail. But instead, I’d killed her.
I’d never be able to recover my status after such a horrendous act. So instead of losing face, I ran. Something no real hero would ever do. I let Abihail down. I let Father down. I let my warriors down. I let my brothers down. I abandoned them all, fought against them and everything they believed in. But, most importantly, I let myself down. No more running. I’d have to face what I had done as I would any enemy, full on, starting with Michael.
I let out a sigh, shamefully lowered my head, and twirled my sword in my hand. I decided to do something I had never sincerely done before. “You’re right, Michael. I shouldn’t have fled from what I did, and I won’t make any excuses for my actions. I allowed anger and jealousy to cloud my judgment. Then I let my fear and shame control the outcome. Michael, your words cut my soul at the core. I did not realize how selfish I truly have been until now. My brothers, your lack of reaction to Michael’s words tells me you all feel the same. I am sorry for what I have done to you, Michael. I am sorry for what I have done to all of you. I stand here before you, humbly begging you all for forgiveness—especially you, Michael, for I have unjustly persecuted you for my actions.” I swallowed back the lump in my throat and desperately fought back the tears that found their way to my eyes.
“Why should I help you on your mission to save the girl? So you can run off and play hero again?” Michael snapped.
“No, I only want the girl home safely. If you wish, I’ll step out of the fight altogether. I know you can handle it without me. Like I said at the Tribunal, if you don’t save her then I’m afraid there won’t be anything left for us to fight for. Earth will crumble and the Heavens will fall, taking us all with it. Where would the glory be in that for any of us?”
“I think I speak for all of us except Michael when I say you are forgiven, brother, and we will help you and the girl.” Raphael stepped forward and the others nodded. Everyone wanted to hear Michael’s response. Michael paced with his hands on his hips, shaking his head. After a few moments, he stepped in my face again, staring in my eyes. He opened his wings, and I was confident he was going to strike me.
“How well are your wings working?” he asked as he flapped and tilted his.
I hadn’t uncurled my wings since I’d gotten them just a few hours earlier. I had no idea if they worked. It takes three days of excruciating pain for wings to attach to the peripheral nervous system, then weeks of learning how to use them. I unfurled my wings and mimicked the movement Michael’s made. It felt so natural, as if I’d never lost them.
“That’s good. That’s real good. Well, what are we waiting for? We have a job to do, brother.” Michael nodded at me as he closed his wings, drew his sword, and began charging down the l
ast corridor. On his heels I happily followed.
The corridor was empty. Strange, considering every other time I had gone down it, there had been at least six guards in it. As we ran into the throne room with our best battle cries, we were stopped dead in our tracks by an empty room. We looked around in bewilderment. Not a single Demon in sight. A muffled moan coming from the throne in the back of the room broke the silence.
“Etta!” I screamed. A moan replied. Focusing my eyes, I found Etta gagged and strapped to the throne. Before I could make a run for her, a large rock fell from overhead behind me, blocking the entrance to the room from the corridor, separating the eight of us from our troops. Muffled sounds of clashing metal and falling rock came from the other side of the massive boulder. Before the eight of us could rush to the giant boulder, it began raining Demons. Dropping from the ceiling, thousands of the Lucifer’s generals and their legions landed before us, weapons drawn and ready to fight. We were trapped in the throne room with no way out.
“Is it me or do these guys get uglier and uglier every time?” Leave it to Gabriel to trash talk even when the chips were stacked against us.
“Nah, that’s just your eyesight going, brother.” Raguel was always giving Gabriel a hard time about his age. I found it amusing since none of us knew who was created first, therefore there was no way to tell who was the oldest. But Gabriel’s battle-weathered face and scars gave him a more mature look than the rest of us. The banter broke up when Saraqael yelled, “To the rock!”
The Demon Side Page 12