The Irin Chronicles Box Set

by T. G. Ayer

  The impact sent her spinning off course, away from Daniel, and unable to right herself fast enough. She felt herself falling toward Julian, straight to the ground below. The shock of the blow caused Evie's wings to retract. Now wingless she fell faster and faster through the air. Her stomach tightened. There wouldn't be enough time to concentrate on bringing her wings back. Her last thought was whether or not Julian would bother to catch her. She'd seen the hurt and disappointment on his face when she had revealed her angelic nature. And she expected nothing from him.

  Still ...

  She closed her eyes and waited for the impact with cold hard stone. The next second, warm arms enveloped her, taking her full weight and halting her dead fall. Evie sighed and opened her eyes. She stared straight into Julian's worried eyes feeling slightly uncomfortable. She'd never been carried this way before, not since she'd grown into an adult. More importantly, not many people could bear the full weight of an angel. But Julian bore the mantle of a god, even if he was mortal right now. He held her gaze, a tiny spark of relief ran through her. Someday he would forgive her. Someday, when he had forgotten the pain of her betrayal.

  She could deal with that.

  "Well, well, well. Look what we have here." Daniel laughed, in the familiar yet condescending way of longtime friends with a history between them. Evie looked up, the tone of his voice making her worry for Gavriel who now hovered above them, his pearly white wings shimmering in the undulating light of the cavern. He'd been responsible for blindsiding her, and she wasn't sure she could forgive him anytime soon. Daniel's expression was far from kind. Hatred shadowed his eyes and his fist clenched the handle of his sword, harder, tighter. They had bad history. Then his lip curled in an angry sneer. "Where have you been for all these years, Gavriel?"

  "Around." Gavriel's tone was sharp and short. It didn't sound like he wanted to indulge in idle chit-chat.

  "I understand, Gavriel, I really do. You have been accommodated here in the realms of the underworld. A fair trade I would say. Better than Hell's hot arms wouldn't you agree?" Daniel closed the distance between himself and Gavriel, but remained just out of sword reach. Evie saw that Gavriel held the sword Pollo had brought with him. Now it didn't look so large at all. In fact it looked just right within Gavriel's hand.

  And Gavriel himself had taken on an other-worldly glow.

  "Stop showing off, Gavriel. We all know you still bear His Blessed Grace. But it won't scare me off. You are not invincible."

  "Neither are you," came Gavriel's even response.

  "But ... as I recall it is I who is stronger in body and in mind." Daniel gloated, the darkness in his eyes spreading thick through his eyes.

  Gavriel's glow seemed to brighten, as he hovered before the dark angel. "Indifference does not equal strength, Daniel. It is a failing. Especially when it means you can so unfeelingly discard those who are your loved ones."

  "Are you still on that rant, brother? Sorcha loved me, and I ... well I quite liked spending time with her." Daniel tilted his head, as if contemplating a thought. Then he asked, "Just what is love anyway?"

  Gavriel's jaw tightened and Evie sensed a deep anger resonate from him. "You spent time with her and fathered a child on her. And then you so willingly sacrificed both mother and child so easily. Your own flesh and blood? You would have destroyed your own child."

  "Yes, yes, I know the story," said Daniel impatiently, made a rolling motion with his hand, urging Gavriel to be done with it. "I was there you know. And you had to butt in where you were not required. It was not your business to save them. It was your job to eliminate her and the half-breed."

  "You mean your wife and your child?" Gavriel's said coldly. Evie strained to see his expression. She all but felt the pain in his voice that simmered beneath his anger.

  "Does it really matter, brother?"

  "Do not call me that. I am not your brother," Gavriel snapped at the dark angel.

  "Even when you are forsaken you still think you are better than the rest, don't you?" Daniel scoffed. "Perhaps you need to be taught a lesson once and for all."

  And then, as suddenly as the conversation began it ended.

  The battle began.

  Eve stood huddled next to Julian who watched the fight above them amazed at what they were witnessing.

  A battle of Angels.

  Only this one was much more personal than a painting on a church wall; personal to Evie who had grown to care for Gavriel. The angel had taken Patrick's place in way, with his advice and guidance. And now there was a distinct possibility that Daniel may well take another person from her. Evie stiffened, angry and afraid and feeling decidedly helpless.

  "Hush," said Julian as Evie tightened her grip on his arm. "You are only half an angel. That makes you only half as strong as either of them. Don't even think you can make a difference to him in this fight."

  "He's there because of me." Evie struggled against Julian’s hold, glaring at him hotly.

  "Not everything is about you, Evangeline," said Julian softly. And Evie supposed she deserved that little dig.

  She sighed. "How can you say that when the only reason Gavriel is fighting that monster is because Daniel is here for the Seals?"

  "There is much you do not know about Gavriel," Said Julian, his gaze still fixed above them. "Would you prefer to leave?"

  "Not a chance," Evie snapped. Then she sighed. "I feel so helpless."

  "He can handle it. So don't feel like you owe him anything."

  "I thought you didn't want him to fight," she said dryly.

  "I didn't want him to fight such a powerful angel when he's been chained in his cell for centuries. He isn't exactly in prime fighting condition."

  Evie's attention remained on the hovering angels. Light flashed as their swords connected when they slashed and parried each other's blows. There was a strange rhythm to their battle, as if they knew each other well enough to predict the other's next move.

  The battle was a dance.

  A deadly dance.

  Chapter 11

  A slashing sword connected with the cave wall and a small avalanche of rocks, dust and vicious stone chips rained down to the stone floor, narrowly missing Evie and Julian. They coughed and spluttered as they inhaled fine dust which floated on the air around them. Despite their discomfort they both peered through the screen of dust to watch the angels battling high above.

  One good thing was that Gavriel's strength didn't seem in the least affected by his incarceration. He had his wings and he had his strength. And neither Daniel nor Gavriel seemed to tire and Evie soon began to wonder if they would fight until the cavern fell down around their ears.

  "We can go on for a long time like this, Daniel. Just tell me what it is that you want and we can get this over with." Gavriel bit the words out been lunges as parries.

  "I am here for the Seals of Hades, like I told the half-breed." Daniel nodded at Evie. "Too much time and effort has gone into locating the Seals for me to return empty-handed. You know how it is, brother," he said as he shrugged.

  Gavriel snorted. "Well, this time you will have to return without what you came for."

  "That is not an option." Daniel's words reverberated around the cavern. His voice contained a hard edge, an edge that seemed imbued with a dark power. Evie felt the evil in her bones and shuddered.

  "Why do you need the Seals so desperately?" Gavriel asked, drawing away, just out of reach of Daniel's sword. "Of what importance could they possibly be to you? You are an angel and the Seals cannot be bestowed to a Heavenly being. The Seals themselves will not accept you as worthy to bear the Marks. You know that."

  "Who said I would be the one to bear the Markings. I am not stupid, Gavriel. I have my plans."

  "So, what? You intend to place a person of your choosing to possess the mark, a person whom will do your bidding? Ruling through another, Daniel? I did not think you would stoop so low."

  "You are so narrow in your thinking, dear brother." Daniel lau
ghed. "If you look at the big picture you will realize the vast power Hades has on this planet, the amount of resources that the Underworld controls. Resources that will or will not create chaos on the surface. Of course, that choice belongs entirely with Hades. Or whoever Hades is." Daniel smiled coldly.

  "So your intent is to create mayhem using natural disasters?"

  "That and more," Daniel responded impatiently. "The end of the world is long overdue, Gavriel. And it is past time that humans learned what it is like to reap the rewards of millennia of hatred."

  "So you plan to kill millions of innocent people?"

  "Gavriel, you have to understand. They are like flies. Insignificant. They have overrun the Earth and destroyed so much." Daniel shook his head impatient with his angel brother. "How is it that you do not see, brother?"

  Gavriel shook his head, his brow furrowed with fury. "It is not our place to do this, Daniel."

  "Your problem is you think too small, brother." Daniel laughed and sound was so loud Evie had to block her ears. "It is our duty to rid God's Earth of all pestilence. Including the half-breed. And I have a plan. I shall start with the Brotherhood."

  Evie gasped and Daniel turned his eyes on her. "Yes, half-breed, you and your little half-demon friend will be the first ones I shall wipe from this earth."

  Evie watched the two magnificent creatures engaged in furious mid-air battle. The air moved and she felt like she was dreaming. The scene before her was too real, too evocative. And it reminded her way too much of those strange death-filled images she'd seen while she stood at the threshold of Gavriel's cell.

  Both Gavriel and Daniel were immensely strong, and sadly they also appeared to be equally matched. Muscles heaved and blood pounded amid the fury of beating wings and the clanging din of almighty swords. The ferocity of their combat was beyond anything Evie had ever seen. Beyond anything she was likely to ever see again.

  The muscles in Evie's neck strained against the stress of staring heavenward for so long, but she remained so enthralled that despite the discomfort, she would continue watching as long as the battle lasted.

  And that was another concern altogether. With their super-human stamina it was clear that both angels could battle for a long, long time.

  Daniel growled, slamming his sword into Gavriel's. Sparks flew as he grunted, "The Seals, Gavriel." His words were ground through gritted teeth, spittle flying from his clenched jaw. "I want the Seals."

  "They are not mine to give. Brother," Gavriel shouted above the clamor of metal, spitting out the word 'brother' as if it were a live viper.

  "Give them to me and I shall leave you in peace - or whatever peace it is that you can get down here among these creatures." Daniel sneered, eyes roiling blackness.

  Gavriel swept his sword around him and aimed a blow straight at Daniel. The swords connected again with a resounding crash. As they connected, Gavriel shoved the dark angel back using the force of his momentum. "I cannot give them to you." He bit out as he pushed against the other angel.

  "Why not?" Daniel shrieked, fury raising the veins in his face, mottling his cheeks with blood. "You will protect these ... humans?"

  "The Seals have been taken." Gavriel circled, just out of reach from the deathly point of Daniel's ancient sword. "Another has been bound and will have to be released before you can have them."

  "The Seals have been taken?" Daniel bellowed, his brow twisted in fury. "Why did you not tell me? Who has taken them? Who do I have to kill to claim the Seals?"

  Gavriel glanced at Evie, and she saw his forehead crease with worry. He hung in the air, surrounded by swirling stone-dust. The fine particles floated around his body on eddies of air created by the bunched feathers of his wings.

  With his head turned to Evie, he failed to see Daniel close in on him. But he must have felt the draft from Daniel's wings, or perhaps he heard the soft rush of feathers at his side. Either way he was too late. He could only stare, a look of confusion pulling his face into a white grimace as Daniel's sword pierced the flesh of his side.

  Daniel hovered close to Gavriel, close enough that his face was an inch away from the injured angel. "Ah! I have you now, Brother. Though I shall not kill you." Daniels voice was a triumphant whisper which rang around the cavern and chilled the blood in Evie's veins. He shoved the sword deeper and said, "You must tell me where I can find the Seals, Gavriel. Or the point of this sword will be the least of your woes. I shall have to flay every inch of flesh from your bones." His voice was soothing, comforting and yet so threatening that Evie shivered.

  Evie watched as blood spread, slick and red, along Gavriel's shirt. Unlike Daniel he wore no armor for protection. Her blood burned at the unfairness of this fight. It had been weighted in Daniels favor from the beginning. Protected by angelic metal, bearing that beautifully ghastly heavenly sword, he was a mighty opponent.

  Impossible to defeat.

  Evie's heart sank and an enormous weight seemed to bear down on her. A decision had to be made.

  Chapter 12

  Evie ears thrummed as she took a deep breath and stepped forward. "I have the Seals," she yelled, her voice shrill and almost hysterical. "Leave him alone and I'll give them to you."

  Gavriel paid no heed having learned the danger of taking his eye off Daniel's sword. Daniel on the other hand stared at Evie from above, slowly comprehending what she said.

  "You have the Seals?" he growled, his face black with fury.

  Without a word, Evie thrust her sleeve up her arm, not caring that the fabric ripped at the seams. She bared the dark twisting markings of the Seals, and shook her arm up at the murderous angel.

  With a crow of success, Daniel turned from Gavriel and flew at Evie, wings clamped tight at his back. His eyes glittered black and triumphant. Perhaps he'd intended to run her through with his sword or throw her down to the ground to struggle with her for the Seals. Perhaps he thought that killing her would mean he could claim possession of the Seals.

  Evie never knew.

  From the corner of her eye she watched Gavriel bear down on Daniel, his face resolute and angry. Daniel's attention was focused on Evie who still held her arm up above her head. The swirling marks of the Seals were clearly visible, writhing and turning at the surface as if dark creatures lived within her golden skin. She took a fearful step backward, as terror coursed through her veins, but that was all the cowardice she allowed herself.

  Gavriel charged headlong at Daniel, diving like an eagle at his prey. Quiet. Deadly. Precise. Daniel's attention remained focused on Evie's forearm. His eyes glowed with unadulterated lust. Even Angels fell victim to desire and the Seals were his obsession.

  He'd put so many years of his life into obtaining them and now thought he would finally have them in his possession. Evie felt her fury rise at Daniels presumption. Who did he think he was? Just because he wanted the Seal's didn't mean he should get them. He seemed driven by his obsession and that was his undoing. He didn't see Gavriel coming at him from above. He didn't see the other angel raise his sword, the point facing downward as he descended. Nor did he see his Brother plunge the great sword into his ribs. Daniel went still as the sharp metal pierced his side, tore flesh and cracked ribs as it was thrust into his body. Only when he felt his body thrown did his attention shift from Evie's out-flung arm.

  He hovered not far off the ground and swiveled his head, staring horrified at Gavriel just above him. "You have killed me?"

  "No, not killed you." Gavriel shook his head regretfully. "Just stopped you from hurting Evie."

  The dark angel pressed his hand to the wound, which pulsed rich warm blood between his fingers. His hand came away thick with blood and he studied it, perplexed. Evie frowned. Daniel seemed to be a powerful angel, beyond destruction, beyond even death. Why did he look like he was shocked to see his own blood. Or was it that he was more shocked that his 'brother' had drawn that blood from his flesh?

  "I know you, Daniel. You would have killed her just to get a glimpse of
the Seals." Gavriel's words broke Daniel's concentrated inspection of his bloodied hand. Then Daniel looked up.

  "You know me well Brother," he admitted sadly as his body fell a few inches, his strength slowly failing him. "Why is she so important to you that you would slay your own brother to save her pathetic half-breed life?" He struggled to breathe as he asked the question, still studying Gavriel's face as if hurt but his actions.

  "You have no idea how important she is. Or who she is." Gavriel clamped his jaw shut. Clearly he had been about to spill vital information to Daniel that he believed would be dangerous to Evie. She assumed he did not want to reveal to Daniel that they had developed a friendship, but she made a mental note to double check with him when this was all over. He'd bloody better survive to have that conversation if he knew what was good for him.

  She was amazed that Gavriel had been so fortunate. That he had actually defeated the dark angel. Gavriel must have struck him deep because in the next moment Daniel lurched backward, and plunged the few yards remaining, landing on the stone floor with a resounding thump. He gazed up at Gavriel, a stunned expression on his face, his wings in disarray behind him.

  No longer the mighty killer angel.

  Gavriel grunted, hunched over with pain. His own wound had begun to sap his energy and he no longer had the strength to remain airborne. He slowly descended, while his great white wings shivered, creating various tiny hurricanes around the cavern. Evie watched in horror as he lowered himself until his feet touched the stone floor, then he crumpled into an unruly heap. But before she could run to his aid he raised his head, a determined expression on his face. He pushed himself to his feet and moved toward Daniel.

  Gavriel had followed his opponent to the ground and now stood over him unmoving, his face inscrutable.

  "Gavriel! Have you killed him?" She gasped as she ran to him. Evie threw an arm around him for support, though he barely leaned on her.

  "No, he is not mortally wounded," Gavriel said resignedly. "He will be fully healed. Eventually."