But Milo was there. With surprising speed, he was already pulling Alexa with him towards the window. The window from the third floor. Before she even knew what was happening, Milo jumped out the window and pulled Alexa down with him.
CHAPTER 17
ALEXA SCREAMED LIKE A BANSHEE all the way down, a mortal reaction to plummeting to death. Blurs of taupe and beige rose up on either side. Three thoughts came into her mind. One, she knew she wouldn’t die from the fall. Two, her ankles would snap as soon as her feet touched the ground. And three, she would kill Milo if he wasn’t badly damaged.
Alexa tightened her muscles and braced for impact. It was going to hurt.
Yet she rebounded on something soft, bouncing like she was on a large trampoline. Alexa lay on her back on a bed of white feathers, the staff still secured in her hand. A nervous giggle escaped her. That’s when she heard the loud screech before she was thrown in the air and landed on the ground next to a giant white eagle. The bird screeched angrily again, and with a great beat of its wings, it lifted off the ground, hovering for a moment, and then soared in the air and flew away.
Alexa squinted through the dust and looked up. Nathaniel’s angry face stared down at her from the window. His lips moved and then he disappeared back into the chamber.
A hand wiggled in her line of sight.
“Come on,” said Milo as he grabbed Alexa’s hand and pulled her to her feet. “We’ve only got a few seconds before the entire order is after us.”
“Please tell me you knew there was an eagle outside that window,” exclaimed Alexa as she ran alongside Milo.
“I didn’t.” Milo’s voice held a trace of mischief. “Lucky for us there was.”
Alexa snorted. “I don’t believe in luck.”
They crossed the front gardens and headed towards the beach. Alexa cursed as she fell behind in a matter of seconds. She wasn’t running fast enough with the staff. It was long, and holding it kept her from using her right arm to push her run. Soon Milo had disappeared through the first line of trees.
He came bounding back into view. “Alexa, what are you doing? You need to run faster!”
“What does it look like I’m doing? Picking flowers? I’m running as fast as I can!” she yelled, slightly irritated as she nearly tripped. “You try and run with this thing! It’s almost as tall as I am.”
Milo reached out as if to take the staff from Alexa, but he hesitated at the last moment. “I can’t. I can’t take it. I’m sorry but it has to be you.”
“Fine.” Alexa could feel the strain in her arm from holding the staff too tightly. “Just don’t run so fast. My legs aren’t as long as yours.”
“There they are!” roared a voice from behind them.
Alexa turned to see a group of at least twenty angels barreling towards them, their faces wrinkled in anger and fury, all heavily armed with soul blades and swords.
The sound of angry shouts echoed in the air as another voice bellowed, “Don’t let them reach the water!”
“Quick! We need to reach the shore before they do!” Milo shot forward, branches snapping around him as he made his way through the trees, leaving a clear path for Alexa.
Alexa cursed as she galloped behind Milo, her legs straining with the effort to keep up with his supernatural speed. But it was no use. No matter how hard she tried, her legs didn’t move fast enough. Milo slowed his speed so that she could catch up. He turned his head over his shoulder, his face pulled tight, and his handsome features sliding in and out of sight as the branches of overhanging trees broke the moonlight. Stress pumped through her body like warm blood through veins, pushing her like a shot of adrenaline, but still she wasn’t fast enough.
She was slowing them down. The staff was slowing them down. They weren’t going to make it.
Fear licked up her spine as she heard what sounded like hundreds of angels coming after her, uttering loud war cries. Darkness surrounded her, the thickness of the trees blanketed the light of the moon and the stars. It was pitch black. Even with her angel night vision, she could barely see. Led by her hearing, Alexa followed the snapping of branches and the heavy tread that came from Milo.
More cries sounded behind her. Louder. Closer.
Blinking around in the darkness she suddenly realized that she’d lost Milo. She stopped, panic pulsing in the pit of her stomach as she searched the forest for her companion. Her spirits plummeted. He was gone—
Light spilled from her right. Through the thicket of trees, she could make out a clearing and the top of a blond head.
Alexa bounded forward towards the clearing, putting all her energy, all her strength into her legs as she crashed through the trees. Branches slapped at her face, cutting her skin like hot knives. But she never stopped. She could almost feel the hands of the angels behind her, wrapping around her neck, squeezing. She pushed harder.
Alexa sensed, by a freshening of the air and the smell of salt water, that she had reached the edge of the forest. Branches and shrubbery crackled beneath her feet as she sped toward the clearing. She belted past the last of the trees, her boots dragging and heavy in the sand. Then she crashed into a hard body.
“Milo?” she looked up, stumbling. “Why did you stop? We need to keep moving.”
But Milo just looked straight ahead.
Alexa followed his gaze.
An army the size of the one that was coming up from behind them formed a line on the beach, blocking their way to the water. Alexa recognized most of them as the angels who had been partying by the bonfires.
“Stay close.” Milo pulled his spirit sabers free. He stood shoulder to shoulder with Alexa. “Whatever you do, don’t let go of the staff.”
Alexa drew her soul blade with her other hand, clasping it tightly and wishing she was ambidextrous.
There was a shuffling of branches and the other army of angels that had been pursuing them spilled out of the forest, forming a tight circle around them. The angels parted, and Nathaniel strode towards Alexa and Milo, Barakiel and Sorath following closely behind him like brute bodyguards. They stood shoulder to shoulder, swords pointing at Alexa and Milo.
“Did you think you would steal from me and I’d let you leave?” asked Nathaniel in a soft voice like a snake’s hiss.
Alexa shrugged. “Maybe.” She smiled at the frown on Nathaniel’s face.
The crowd stirred as they drew in a collective breath. Alexa brought the staff closer to her chest. Her arm started to strain from the weight. It was heavier than it looked for a mere piece of wood.
“You’ll never leave with it. Hand it over.” Nathaniel’s face was lost in the darkness.
“We’re not giving it back.” Milo’s voice was strong as though he was confident he was going to win their fight, and it filled Alexa with a new sense of courage.
“That is unfortunate,” said Nathaniel. “You don’t even know how to use it.”
Alexa swung the staff in her hands. “We’ll take our chances.”
Sorath gave a delighted laugh. “It’ll be a pleasure to kill that one.”
Alexa made a rude gesture with her finger.
“You have two choices,” said Nathaniel, the white of his clothes glowing in the light of the moon and making him look like a great big light bulb.
“Only two?” mocked Alexa. “Lucky us.”
“Give me the staff and I’ll be merciful and kill you swiftly,” said Nathaniel, his voice controlled as if he was discussing a business proposal. “One clean cut across the neck. No suffering. No mess.”
“That doesn’t sound very clean to me,” muttered Alexa and her chest swelled at the smile on Milo’s face.
“Or two,” continued Nathaniel as though Alexa hadn’t spoken, “we’ll gut you like the mortal-loving pigs that you are.”
“Better that than being in love with Lucifer,” spat Alexa. She saw shock flit across Nathaniel’s face, but it was instantly dispelled as he began to laugh. The sound was more frightening—a cold, humorless and insane
laugh that echoed around the silent gathering of angels.
“Most of you lesser angels have chosen to side with the mortals and forget why we angels were created.”
“Really?” asked Alexa sarcastically. “And why’s that?”
“To rule,” he said. “To rule over the lesser creations. Mortals. Angels. It doesn’t matter. Anyway,” Nathaniel went on, “the first-born angels have specific powers the lesser angels don’t. We don’t have a natural-born affinity. We just exist…to rule.”
“I seriously doubt that.” Alexa trembled in anger and gripped her soul blade in her sweaty hand.
Nathaniel huffed a vicious laugh. “For having the nerve to request where I slaughter you, I’ll let you in on a secret, lesser angel. The order will claim your miserable life and all the lives of the lesser angels for they are not the true form. They don’t even deserve to live.”
Alexa glanced around at the gathered angels, looking for any of the angel servants, and was thankful she didn’t see any. But she noticed how close they were. The angels had closed in on them while she and Nathaniel had been chatting.
There were angels of every shape, age, and sex, different in all ways except for one—the hateful glare they all shared for her and Milo.
Forty plus angels against two was a massacre. Nathaniel’s winning smile said it all. There was no hope. There were just too many. Even if they had the staff, she didn’t know how to use it, and she doubted she had the time to swing at one while five more angels sliced her head off.
But Alexa wouldn’t go down without a fight. She had to try. It was the least she could do, and she promised herself she’d take down as many as she could.
“We duel,” said Milo. His voice was low and rough, and his eyes were full of hate. “I challenge two of your best warriors against the two of us. As angels, we have a right to fight for what we believe is true. The code applies to all angels, even those not in the order.”
A wave of agreement wafted through the angels, and Nathaniel’s eyes narrowed.
“If we lose, we die, and you get your staff back,” said Milo. “But if we win, you let us go. Agreed?”
Nathaniel’s face was void of emotion, but Alexa could tell he was struggling with something.
“Let them fight,” said a male angel with glasses resting on his plump face.
“Yeah, let them,” agreed another.
“Honor the code,” said another.
“Do you decline the challenge?” pressed Milo, taking a confident step forward.
“Agreed,” Nathaniel said finally. He hesitated for a moment and then added with a callous smile, “I accept your challenge.”
Immediately the angels moved back, leaving a large circle—a fighting circle.
Alexa leaned forward and whispered, “Milo, what are you doing?”
“Trust me,” he said, as though that was enough to calm her nerves. It wasn’t.
Alexa’s knees quaked, and she tried to keep her shaking to a minimum. She wouldn’t let Nathaniel see how nervous she was.
Nathaniel laughed. “Are you willing to accept your fate so easily?” When Alexa and Milo just stared at him, he said, “It makes killing you far more enjoyable. As you wish.” Nathaniel snapped his fingers, and the two archangels came forward, long, angry swords dangling between them. The light of the moon cast shadows on their faces making them even more brutish and ogre looking than before.
Alexa felt herself go weak in the knees. “I hope you know what you’re doing,” she hissed. “You do remember that I’m barely out of fledging status. Your words, not mine. Although I hate to admit it, I do feel you might be right at the moment.”
Milo shrugged and said, “I figured our odds were better two against two than two against forty.”
Alexa raised her brows. “Ya think?”
Milo’s smile lit up his face. He looked like a school boy who’d just stolen the principal’s keys to his office. “I do.”
“Kill them,” barked Nathaniel, “and bring me my staff!”
At once the archangels charged before Alexa could express how unfair she felt it was fighting an archangel. Without her soul channeling powers, she was as good as dead. Worse, the bigger archangel came straight for her.
The archangel Barakiel swept before her like a gust of wind. She threw her blade arm up and saw light from one of the fires bounce off his armor as he spun past. She heard the ring of steel and realized she was on her knees. Her blade hand tingled and stung. How could he move that fast? She’d seen Milo in action, and with his archangel blood, he was faster than most. But Barakiel’s speed was surreal, and fear formed in the pit of her gut.
Something moved in her peripheral vision, and Alexa pitched forward, rolling on the ground. Feeling something move over her head, she jumped to her feet with her soul blade brandished before her and the staff secured in her other hand.
“Don’t let go of the staff!” she heard Milo shout just as Barakiel charged at her again.
Sand sprayed around them. Alexa burst into action, diving forward with her blade. But she tripped when her foot tangled with the staff.
She went down, driving the tip of her weapon into the archangel’s cold face, only to be hurled off with a twist so swift that she could hardly follow the movement. Alexa hit the sand hard but heaved herself to her feet and faced her opponent. She knew a second wasted on the ground was all the archangel needed to drive his sword into her chest.
Across the pit, she spotted Milo, wide-eyed with his spirit sabers in his hands. Sorath was grinning like a starving man before a feast. Angels whispered amongst each other, their eyes locked on the pit as hungrily as Sorath.
“Say nighty night, little lesser angel.” Barakiel attacked once more, sending blows of such wild wrath and wicked delight.
Then they were again a blur of limbs and blows and sand. Alexa didn’t know how long her luck would stand. She blocked and parried with her soul blade, using it as an extension of her hand. But she faltered as she tried to keep the staff close to her body. It was hindering her more than anything. The staff was going to get her killed.
“Shame you’re not even pretty enough to tempt me to keep you as one of my consorts,” said Barakiel as he pointed his long sword at Alexa.
“Glad to hear it,” said Alexa although her pride was a tiny bit hurt. “That’s probably a good thing for you. I wouldn’t be a very good lady friend. See, I’d kill you in your sleep.”
Barakiel smiled. It made his features soften and he was almost handsome. Almost.
He moved like the wind again. Alexa made to move her arm, but it was too late. Laughter reached her ears as Barakiel’s hand came up, and the air moved as Alexa felt a blow to her face, hard as a hammer. Pain exploded on her cheek and jaw as she went hurtling in the air. She blinked the black spots from her eyes, seeing the archangel smiling and his fingers curling.
The crowd of angels cheered, and Barakiel took a bow. He straightened, his arms resting on the hilt of his sword.
“On your feet, lesser angel.”
Alexa blinked and saw Milo and Sorath in a blur of limbs and swords. At least he was still alive.
She spat the sand from her mouth and pushed herself to her feet. Her ears rang, and then there was pain. She felt as though her bones were broken from the inside, and she couldn’t stop her body from shaking. She clenched her jaw to keep herself from crying out. Her head felt as if a tree had fallen on it. The crowd’s answering roar made her stomach bubble in anger.
“I can’t kill you right away,” said Barakiel to Alexa’s questioning frown. “Need to provide some entertainment for my fellow angels.”
Alexa winced at the stinging pain from her cheek. “And I’m the entertainment.”
“That’s right. You can blame your death on your friend’s foolish challenge. But I have to give the angels what they want.”
“Fantastic.” Alexa caught Nathaniel’s eye and he flashed her a triumphant smile that said it all. He knew she was going to die.
Barakiel lifted his sword. “I’m going to give you a chance to fight me.”
Alexa wiped the blood from her mouth. “I doubt that.” She heard a cry of pain and turned to see Milo backing away from Sorath, his chest bleeding out with his essence.
“I’m giving you a head start,” said Barakiel.
Alexa’s head throbbed as she turned her attention back to her opponent. “How much of a head start—”
Something hard caught her in the stomach and sent her slamming into the sand. She slumped, choking on her angel blood. Her soul blade flew from her grip. Tears filled her eyes and she managed to turn on her back.
The archangel hurtled for her, and his sword flew at her neck with incredible speed.
There was nothing she could do to stop it.
Instinctively, she hurled the staff before her, wielding it like a lance against the archangel’s mighty body. It hit his armor—and exploded.
Wood splinters showered her face and body, and she felt something warm against her skin like the rays of sunlight.
Terror surged through her as she feared she had broken the staff. But then she realized she hadn’t broken it.
She was still holding on to the staff, but instead of a wooden staff, she now held a glowing silver metal staff. It was beautiful—carved with the archangel Michael’s sigils and other markings she couldn’t decipher. Its power pulsed, making her arm shake. In the calm center of her being, Alexa felt the staff’s power. It rippled through the staff and made its way up her arm until she felt it rip through every fiber of her being, screaming onward. In that timeless place of her mind, Alexa knew what to do.
She heard a grunt just as she remembered she was still fighting the archangel.
Barakiel’s sword came crashing down on her again, and again Alexa held out the staff.
It hit him square in the chest, on his armor, directly on the spot where, if he had one, his heart would have been.
A rumble of thunder without sound jolted the night. A blast slammed through the air, and even the stars above seemed to stagger. The shock shuddered the trees and rippled the water. Sand lifted around Barakiel, billowing outward in a ring. The impact of the staff had sent her deeper into the sand, and the violence of it made every joint in her body cry out in sharp pain.
The Lord of Darkness Page 16