The Dark Lands (Angelbound Origins Book 5)

by Christina Bauer

  “It’s you?” asks the King of the Angels.

  “Yes,” replies Walker. “It’s me.”

  Now I’m not sure what that little exchange really meant, but it was certainly a big deal. Unfortunately, knowing my honorary brother, it might be ages before I discover the secret behind all this. That said, I know one thing. Only and archangel can kill another archangel, and Walker now has golden wings.

  This is getting good.

  “You caused the deaths of millions,” declares Walker. “Now I’m putting you back in your cage.”

  Then Walker, all glowing skin and massive golden wings, grabs Lucifer like the guy’s made of tissue paper. Walker tosses the archangel into the air, bringing Lucifer down so the archangels torso snaps down over Walker’s knee. Lucifer’s golden armor crumples under the impact.

  My brows lift. That was one of the most classic moves in the history of cheesy wresting. And it was awesome.

  Rising, Walker punches Lucifer straight in the face. Over and over. Blood streams down the archangel’s chin and flecks his golden hair. Walker steps back. For a second, Lucifer stands perfectly still.

  Then the King of the Angels falls over in a heap.

  “No!” Inferno spreads her wings and flies right at Walker. Inferno’s sword is out and she’s ready to kill. Walker waits until the lava angel is within striking range. Then my honorary brother punches Inferno once in the face, hard. She drops like a stone.

  Whoa.

  Note to self: never piss off Walker.

  Leaning over, Walker grabs Lucifer’s ankle, then Inferno’s, and starts dragging them both into Black Wing Manor. Throughout the whole deal, Inferno and Lucifer stay totally unconscious. The two don’t even notice their heads thunking against the steps as Walker drags them up the stairs.

  My honorary brother pauses by the front door. “Are you all coming?”

  It takes me a moment for my brain to start working again. Walker kicked Lucifer’s ass and then Inferno’s. Now, he’s dragging them both around by the ankle.

  Love this.

  “Oh, we’re joining you all right,” I look to Obsidian. “How about you?”

  “Of course.”

  “Count me in as well.” Lincoln gestures toward the passed-out Lucifer and Inferno. “Do you need help with that?”

  “Nope.” Walker trudges through the front door. Lucifer and Inferno’s skulls smash into the frame as he drags them along. “I’ve got it.”

  And so he does. Damn.

  Chapter 28

  Minutes later, our group steps into the manor’s underground prison chamber. Walker drops Lucifer and Inferno off by the doorway, literally. The low boulder that covered the labyrinth’s entrance has since been moved away. Drayden’s no longer connected to the stone, either. Walker’s brother lays crumpled in a corner, his skin a deathly shade of gray.

  Walker races to Drayden’s side. “Brother. It’s me.”

  Drayden opens his eyes a crack. “Walker.” His head reaches up. “Wings.”

  “Yes, Drayden.” Walker’s voice shakes. “I have wings.”

  All this time, Lincoln, Obsidian, and I wait by the entrance. Seeing Walker and his brother together warms my soul. And the archangel wing-thing? Dad will love it. I take Lincoln’s hand in mine. “Isn’t this awesome?”

  My husband forces the smallest of grins. “Yes.”

  I scrunch my brows together in confusion. Walker and Drayden’s reunion is so sweet. And the archangel wings are beyond awesome. But for some reason, Lincoln’s acting bummed out. What’s wrong?

  A chill of memory moves up my neck. Crud. I’d been so exited to see Walker kick ass and drag those two creeps around, I forgot about why we’re here.

  Lucifer must return to his prison.

  Inferno’s probably going in, too.

  Then someone must take Drayden’s place as Labyrinth Master.

  That someone is supposed to be Walker.

  My heart sinks. No, not this.

  Stepping away from Drayden, Walker stomps over to the still-unconscious Lucifer. Grabbing the archangel by the ankle, Walker unceremoniously spins the guy across the very-dusty floor, sending the King of Angels flying down into the dungeon entrance like an archangel hole in one. Grabbing Inferno’s ankle, Walker does the same with her. There’s a long wait before there’s the thud of bodies hitting the floor below. I’d wonder if those two are all right, but I’ve fought big bads my entire life.

  Ones like Lucifer and Inferno always end up fine.

  Walker steps to the far side of the low boulder. Pressing his palms against the rock, Walker pushes the massive stone across the floor with ease. There’s the sound of crunching rock and a few puffs of dust. Soon, the low boulder covers the Labyrinth entrance once more. His work done, Walker brushes off his hands. With a glow of light, his wings disappear from his back.

  I check my watch. Only seven minutes left.

  Seven minutes before Walker is magically sealed in as Labyrinth Master. It’s on the tip of my tongue to ask if we can heal Drayden and put him back as Labyrinth Master, but I know my Walker. Drayden just had the job for two thousand years. There’s no way Walker will allow his brother to return to that rock.

  No, Walker will be the next Labyrinth Master.

  I try to accept this fate.

  Nope, not happening.

  “I’ve got an idea,” I announce. “How about you pull back that rock, haul out Lucifer, and kill him? The guy is a waste of angelic space.”

  Walker sighs. “If I could have, I would have. I’m not 100% pure archangel yet. And if Lucifer and I fight again, he’s watched my every move. Tracked my style. The victory won’t be easy or even assured.” Walker points at maze below our feet. “This is our chance to get Lucifer back into prison and keep the after-realms safe.”

  Maybe. But Walker stuck on a rock? No way. My mind reels through options and possibilities. Sadly, I keep coming up empty.

  Lincoln takes my hands in his. “What do you have for us?”

  My voice cracks. “Nothing.”

  “No, Myla. I know you. I’ve seen your strength and soul. This is the same as Lucifer’s Gauntlets and the gate. There’s a solution here. You’ll find it.”

  A shock of inspiration corkscrews up my spine. I suck in a shaky breath. Lucifer’s Gauntlets. In all the excitement, I forgot I was still wearing them. Looking down, I glance at the watch.

  We still have six minutes.

  A plan forms in my mind.

  “So.” Lincoln gives my hands a squeeze. “What do you have for us now?”

  “Lucifer’s Gauntlets, a watch, and a freaky idea.”

  “What can I say?” Lincoln grins. “I love this plan.”

  I round on Obsidian. “You built this prison, right?”

  “With the other seraphim.”

  Peeling off my watch, I hand it to Obsidian. “There was an identical version of this watch with all sorts of spells loaded on it. Here’s what I need to know. If I pull out Drayden’s magical intellect out with these gauntlets, can you place that power in this watch? Then you magically slap the souped-up watch on the big-ass rock and bing-bang-boom, no more need for a Labyrinth Master.”

  Obsidian turns the device over in his palm. “It can attempt it, certainly. No one’s done anything like this before.”

  I make my hand into a puppet-shape and have it talk. “Blah blah blah no one’s done it before. You’re awesome. You’ve got this.”

  True, the hand puppet thing is is not my most mature moment, but this idea might save Walker. What can I say? I get a little over-excited sometimes.

  Walker frowns. “I don’t like the idea of removing Drayden’s magical brilliance.”

  “We’ll repair Drayden’s mind later on, easy peasy. Here’s how it will work. You put more Walker-style healing power into a new canopic jar, then I’ll set that mojo into Drayden with my gauntlets.” I twiddle my fingers as demonstration. “Drayden’s mind will be healed. His magical genius will return.”<
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  “Really, Myla?” Walker glares at me. He so knows I’m fibbing here because I don’t want him plastered to a rock forever.

  “Actually,” I say. “He’ll be mostly fine.”

  More glaring. “Myla.”

  “Okay, maybe quite possibly he’ll be totally fine.”

  Super glaring. “Maybe.”

  “Honestly, I have no idea if that will work.”

  Drayden slowly shifts into a seated position. “I refuse for Walker to become Labyrinth Master just so I can keep my intellect. I accept the risk that healing energy might not repair me.”

  “So, it’s agreed?” I ask.

  Walker still isn’t bought in. “You’ve never done this without a canopic jar. How do you know you can even pull out Drayden’s magical intellect?”

  Rounding on Walker, I set my fist on my hip. “Do you really think you’ll stop me here?”

  My honorary brother tries the glaring thing again. This time, it fails miserably. “No, I’ve never talked you out of anything.”

  “Precisely.” Marching over to Drayden, I kneel by his side. “I hope this won’t hurt.”

  Drayden fixes me with his all-black eyes. “I’m ready.”

  Reaching forward, I set my fingertips on Drayden’s forehead. When I used the canopic jars, I said: ‘Raise the angels! Awaken!’ Some kind of magical command is probably needed here as well.

  “Release his brilliance,” I say in a low voice.

  For a long moment, nothing happens. Then threads of blue light slowly wind out from Drayden’s forehead. I grip the magic cords with my gauntlets. My heart pounds with such strength, my pulse beats in my throat.

  “Got some magic blue stuff here,” I announce. “How’s it coming with the watch?”

  From behind me, I hear Obsidian’s low murmur, followed by the caw of his bird staff. I could turn around and see what the seraphim is up to, but I’m holding a bunch of blue brain magic in my hands. No way do I want to drop it.

  Obsidian’s footsteps sound as he approaches me from behind. He kneels beside me. A moment later, Obsidian sets his hand beside mine. The watch sits on his palm.

  Good.

  And it glows red with seraphim power.

  Even better.

  My stomach tumbles.

  Please, let this work.

  My head gets all fuzzy from excitement and terror. Walker’s life is on the line. Things get hard to follow. I’m pretty sure Obsidian murmurs more magic stuff. Maybe his bird staff thingy caws a few more times. At some point, Obsidian must have asked me to put Drayden blue brain threads into the watch, because before I know it, Lincoln’s at my side.

  “There’s no need to worry,” says Lincoln calmly to Obsidian. “I’ll help her finish.”

  With gentle movements, Lincoln guides my hands so I place the magic threads atop the watch. The thin cords of light wriggle their way inside the device. Azure brilliance bursts from the watch.

  I scan Obsidian’s face. Did it work?

  Beside us, the flat boulder starts to shimmy.

  Thud! Thud! Thud!

  Someone’s hitting the stone from underneath.

  One guess who.

  As if we needed clarity, Lucifer and Inferno’s muffled voices sound from under the stone, saying comforting things like ‘You’ll die for this!’ and ‘We’ll peel you like a pear!’

  After marches over to the boulder, Obsidian slams the base of his staff onto the rock. He calls out a fresh set of spells, still in that strange language. Red tendrils of power wind off his staff. The raven’s head comes alive, caws, and then wriggles its way free from the staff itself.

  Huh. I had no idea it could do that.

  Taking to wing, the raven plucks the watch face from Obsidian’s palm. Somewhere along the line, Obsidian removed the band. The bird circles over the stone as the boulder shifts due to more hits from below. Lucifer and Inferno sound again.

  “We’ll hunt you down!”

  “You’ll plead for death!”

  The bird keeps circling the stone. My fingers itch to grab the thing and slap it on the rock where it belongs. Doesn’t Obsidian see that Lucifer and Inferno are about to break free?

  At last, the bird circles down and lands atop the stone. It pecks at the watch. With each touch, the device sets deeper into the rock.

  Then the massive stone comes to life.

  The boulder lights up. Shifting patterns of labyrinth lines appear on its surface. A long howl sounds as Lucifer and Inferno fall away from the stone to get trapped somewhere deep in the labyrinth. Obsidian crosses the room to heal Drayden.

  It worked. Walker does not have to be Labyrinth Master.

  With that, I’ve officially had it. In general, I’m not the type of girl who partakes of spontaneous swoons. In fact, I’ve never had one before. Yet white lights are definitely spotting my vision. My legs become all gooey beneath me. I turn to Lincoln.

  “I think I’m passing ou—”

  My guy scoops me into his arms. “I’ve got you.”

  And so I’m smiling while everything around me vanishes into darkness.

  One Month Later

  Lincoln and I step up the gravel path to Black Wing Manor. There’s still a ton of fog all around, but now Jaime has placed small lanterns on either side of the walkway, so people won’t fall while approaching front door.

  Jaime is thoughtful like that.

  I grip the small gift box against my chest. “Do you think this is right?”

  Lincoln gives me the side eye. “What, the Elvis T-shirt is too much?”

  Now that Lincoln is King of the Thrax, he’s switched out all his Purple Rain tour stuff for Elvis. Tonight he’s wearing low-slung blue jeans and funky black shoes as well as an Viva Las Vegas T-shirt. I’m in black jeans with a ruffled top and heels. Actual heels. It will be a miracle if I get through tonight without snapping a vertebrae.

  I tap the gift box. “No, I mean the present. What’s appropriate to get seraphim and thrax as a house warming gift? I have no idea.”

  “They just want to have people around and celebrate. It’ll be fine.” Lincoln coughs and it sounds a lot like ‘Walker wrapped it.’

  My eyes almost bug out of my head. Walker can be a bit of prankster under regular circumstances, but now that his brother Drayden is back and healthy? The ghoul’s positively unhinged. I thought once the two of them reunited, Walker and Drayden would stroll about acting noble. Help old ladies with their laundry, save kittens from trees, that kind of thing. Instead, they’ve been like two nine year olds on a goof-off bender.

  Oh, well. I guess they deserve it.

  But now I wonder what Walker did with the gift box.

  We march up the steps to the front door. Jaime whips it open before there’s even a chance to knock. The guy looks positively blissed out. He’s also a little more dressy than before with his skinny jeans, a button down, and actual product in his hair. Dating Obsidian definitely agrees with the guy.

  “Myla! Lincoln! You’re here!”

  On a side note, I’m so pleased that Jaime has dropped the whole Your Highness thing. It’s nice to have another buddy.

  “We wouldn’t miss it,” says Lincoln.

  Jaime wraps us in deep hugs. Once he’s done, he sets a hand on our shoulders. “No one knows about you know what, right?”

  Jaime asks us this every time we see him. The official word is that the seraphim haven’t been dead all this time. They’ve just been giving proper burials to the entire Brimstone Legion. And it’s not a total lie. It did take the seraphim a while to hide all the stone angels. Oh, and the official word also incudes saying that the battle turned the seraphim all into steam punk guys made of metal. Surprisingly enough, people are buying it. Even Dad. I mean, we’re not inviting my father over to tour Black Wing Manor or anything, but it’s all gone down pretty smoothly.

  “Don’t worry,” I say. “Dad still doesn’t suspect a thing. Neither to do the other archangels. It was a genius idea to have the s
eraphim spontaneously visit them all.”

  A dreamy look settles on Jaime’s face. “That was Sid’s idea.”

  Speaking of the seraphim, Obsidian appears at Jaime’s side and swings the door open wide. Talk about a transformation. Obsidian is rocking this dark tunic thing with loose pants. It says ‘I’m a badass modern magic user.’ He still wears his long hair tied back as well as a huge smile on his handsome face. “Welcome!”

  I push forward the box. “We brought napkin rings.”

  Okay, maybe I should have saved the rings for another moment. But I don’t do parties. In high school, I was too busy killing things and being a social pariah. Any parties consisted of me and Cissy hanging out, so there wasn’t a formal rhythm to what happened.

  If I missed some kind of social cue, Jaime doesn’t show it. “Wonderful!” The thrax beams with excitement as he rips the box open. Then, he frowns.

  Obsidian reaches across to pull out a stack of papers from the box. He reads the top one. “This says: Coupon for Obsidian. Good for one hug.” He flips to the next sheet. “Coupon for Jaime. Good for one chore.” And the next. “Coupon for Jaime. Good for one day without raven shit.”

  Jaime swipes that one from Obsidian’s hand. “I’m keeping this one.”

  I risk a look at Lincoln. My guy’s face is red from trying to hold in laughter. That’s when I put it together.

  Walker.

  “I’ll take these.” I scoop the remaining coupons from Obsidian. “Walker did this. It’s his idea of a joke.”

  Obsidian smiles again. “Whatever makes Walker happy.”

  Jaime pokes through the rest of the box. “I love them!”

  “They’re silver and have the crest of the House of Rixa.”

  Obsidian picks one up. “Which is an Eagle.” He frowns. “Those attack ravens.”

  “Only when called for,” says Jaime with a wink. “They’re perfect. We need more thrax-inspired stuff around here.” Jaime loops his arm with Obsidian’s. Together they step backward. “Come on in. Say hello. People here have been dying to meet you.”

  We say our thanks and start working the crowd. The interior of the house is still dark wood and raven carvings, but Jaime has added a ton more light fixtures and some paintings. The place feels much more homey and comfortable. And based on the number of people hanging out, I’m not the only one who thinks so.