Celestial Ashes: The Celestial Marked Series: Book Three

by Adams, Emma L.

  Casting a dark look behind, he turned the corner. I climbed over the demon’s ashes and followed.

  Beyond lay a wider cave containing a pile of saphor demon eggs. False bloodstones… but the resemblance really was uncanny. If I hadn’t seen both together, I’d have thought them identical. Whoever had come up with the whole scheme was a genius. Or an arch-demon.

  My hand lit up in white, but Nikolas got there first, picking one of them up.

  “They’re certainly tough,” he said.

  “They would be,” I said. “If they broke easily, it’d give away that they have maggots living in them.” I let the light die. “We have to bring them back if we want to make a cure. If it’s possible.”

  I shoved the eggs into my pockets before I succumbed to the instinct to blast the lot into ashes. If the worms were common to this realm, and lived all under the city, killing all of them was a futile prospect. So how to stop them from continuing to infect people in Haven City—and from eradicating the celestials?

  Footsteps sounded. I tensed, my celestial hand lighting up. Vampires.

  I was right. Two of them entered the cave through the opening in front, pale skin glowing, teeth gleaming, eyes flat black. Both were male and dressed in dark colours.

  “Nice to meet you,” I said. “Want to tell me who runs this place and spare yourselves?”

  They lunged forwards, fangs bared. Figures.

  Dark-edged lightning shot from Nikolas’s palms, striking one of them down. I met the other with celestial fire at my fingertips, the glow enveloping him until he was ashes. They might no longer have reason to fear the light, but I’d give them a damn good reason to fear me.

  “All right,” I said, eyeing the tunnel entrance. “Time to flush them out.”

  I raised a hand, and light blazed, scorching a path down the tunnel. A scream came from ahead, followed by the crackle of flames. Bye, bye, vampires.

  Ashes and dust were all that remained, but shuffling footsteps came from inside an alcove. I approached casually, and at the last second, dove into the gap, grabbing a vampire by the scruff of his neck.

  “Tell me what’s going on down here,” I demanded. “I’ve killed enough of you. Who’s running the show now your king is dead?”

  “The king,” he gasped. “He—”

  “Is dead,” I said. “Unless there’s someone else?”

  He shook his head.

  “Tell me,” I said. “Some of you were originally from Haven City. You were brought here by your king to bring the vampires’ virus into our dimension. Right? Tell me where the saphor demons are. I’m intending to kill every last one of them.”

  “That’s pointless, celestial,” growled a second vampire. He lay sprawled inside the alcove, and the foul smell of tainted blood surrounded him. “The saphor demons breed like maggots. We are the instruments of your demise, and we cannot be beaten.”

  “Like hell,” I said. “I can kill a thousand of you in my sleep. Tell me: are you still in contact with Haven City?”

  The vampire in my grip gave a coughing growl. “We follow the Great One, the one who sees all.”

  “Which demon?”

  The vampire leapt in answer, right onto my blade. His body dissolved mid-jump, and I cursed.

  The second vampire laughed. “A new stage in this game we play has evolved, celestial. I hope I’m here to see the end of it.”

  Nikolas blasted him with lightning and he fell to the ground, dead.

  “He wasn’t going to tell us anything useful,” he said. “He’s serving whoever is convenient at any one time. They all are.”

  “They’re serving an arch-demon,” I said. “Maybe the one who was guiding Azurial… and the former inspector. But I don’t know if it’s the same arch-demon who marked me.”

  “It wouldn’t have been in Azurial’s nature to take the orders of another arch-demon,” he said. “Remember… this is a game they play. The arch-demons don’t see individual lives as significant.”

  “Yeah, but maybe he thought he was acting on his own. Inspector Angler did, too. But what was that about a new stage in the game?”

  I had a horrible suspicion I already knew. The virus had already crept into the city. If there really wasn’t a cure—and there wasn’t one, not for regular vampirism—then the celestials would have to deal with it for the rest of their lives. Those who were bitten would die, or would turn like Damian Greenwood—into a celestial vampire.

  Then we’ll find another way to destroy them.

  The tunnel trembled, the ground rocking under our feet. More pieces of earth fell from the ceiling. Nikolas shouted my name, and the world lit up in a flash of golden light as a blast of energy took me off my feet. My back hit the wall, a curtain of soil flooding my vision.

  Spitting out earth, I rolled onto my side. That was a magical attack.

  “Rachel? Nikolas?” I spat out more dirt, grimacing. The demon eggs in my pockets had survived intact, judging by the way they poked me in the side. I crawled forwards under the newly collapsed ceiling, trying to pinpoint where the hell I was. It’d felt like I’d flown for several metres, but the cave was entirely buried, leaving unfamiliar tunnels behind.

  Using my celestial light as a torch, I continued to crawl. A foul smell came from ahead, like a rotting corpse left in the sun.

  The tunnel widened, allowing me to lift my head. A row of spikes blocked the way. Spiky armour. A demon.

  Oh crap.

  It must be massive, because I couldn’t see its head, only its body. Like the worm demon, but with bristling spines forming a barrier between me and the way forward. The tunnel was too narrow to properly wield a weapon, and the creature ahead looked a hell of a lot sturdier than the last demon. And it stank like a drain. Or maybe the collapsing caves had unearthed another nest.

  Trying not to inhale too deeply, I pressed my hand to the wall, scraping my fingernails along it. Ideally I’d dig my way through without running into the giant spiky thing, except digging might cause another cave-in.

  “I can hear you, celestial,” purred a female voice. She spoke Higher Chthonic—the language usually reserved for demigods and other higher demons on this realm.

  Please say that wasn’t the worm. I ignored it, continuing to scrape away at the tunnel wall. The soil cleared a little, with no cave-ins. Encouraged, I used both hands to dig at the packed earth, freeing a space big enough to fit my head through.

  And then wished I’d stayed put. The worm demon was easily twice the size as the last one, covered in dark red spiked armour, and a pale hand that looked like it’d belonged to a vampire dangled from her serrated jaws. A pair of malevolent dark eyes fixed on me. Her aura was a revolting greenish haze, like poisonous fog.

  “I am the Mother of demons,” she whispered. “And you’re the first celestial I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet.”

  “Pleasure’s all mine, whatever the hell you are.”

  Crap. How the hell was I supposed to get out? I couldn’t fight while pressed flat to the ground with packed soil over my head, let alone grip my sword properly. And the only way back led to a dead end. Cold fear grew in my chest. I had no shield to defend myself if she lunged at me. Those spines looked dagger-sharp. Not to mention the teeth.

  A flash of lightning shattered the earthen wall at her side, and she turned her head, hissing.

  Thanks, Nikolas. I couldn’t see him, but his power shivered through my demon mark. When she turned on me, I blasted her in the face with it, conjuring celestial light in my other hand. Taking advantage of her hesitation, I shoved at the wall with my elbow, trying to get to where Nikolas must be buried. She whipped her head around, lashing down, but lightning speared her again. I crawled further, using my light as a shield. It didn’t appear to burn her at all. She can’t be immune to my sword, at least. But my celestial training had made it clear that there were some times to fight, and others where the smarter idea was to run—or crawl—as far away as possible.

  She turned b
ack to me, baring her fangs.

  Okay then. Fight it is.

  My blade appeared in my outstretched hand, blocking her from biting my face. I propped onto one elbow, stabbing awkwardly. The blade bounced off her teeth, but allowed me to crawl a little further.

  Lightning burst from the soil once more, colliding with her armour. I lunged at her again. Her teeth closed on the blade, forcing me to let go. Her body writhed and the movement shook the ground beneath me, sending me tumbling downhill. Right towards her spiked body. My fingertips grasped soil, which fell away between my fingers. Agony exploded up my arm and chest as I crashed into her. Her teeth sank into my arm, and I screamed.

  The sword had gone. Light flared before me—familiar light, close enough to touch. My vision swam, that tantalising light closing in. All sensation disappeared. I’m dying.

  Energy surged up my demon mark. I gasped, my eyes flying open. Nikolas’s hand gripped mine. The pain faded with each breath. From the looks of things, we’d landed in another cave. Or he’d brought me here. “Where—is she?”

  “Gone,” he said, his voice low.

  That light… it’d looked the same as the light I’d seen when I’d died in the car crash ten years ago.

  I didn’t mention that to Nikolas. The fury brimming in his golden eyes was a clear enough warning.

  “She’s a Grade Four,” I croaked. “I’ve never met one of those.”

  She killed me. If Nikolas hadn’t transferred over his regenerative power, she would have. My demon mark tingled with the sensation of his magical transfer, not as concerned with the near-miss as I was. It’d been so fast—too fast to respond with my divine fire.

  “She’s also supposed to be dead. We need to find Rachel.” He climbed to his feet. “The Mother is buried for now, but she’ll be back.”

  “The Mother? Why’s she called that?”

  “Because she’s the origin of the saphor demons,” he said grimly. “And she’s the beast behind the demon virus.”

  “Not an arch-demon.”

  He took off at a fast pace through the cave opening, presumably using his demonic sixth sense to track Rachel, because there were no other recognisable signs of life.

  “No,” he said. “There might well be one calling the shots, considering there’s only one Mother, and I killed her myself.”

  “Wait—what?”

  “We’ll talk later. We need to find Rachel.”

  I hurried after him. “Are you saying she came back from the dead?”

  But… people couldn’t be raised from the dead. Demons included.

  The one person I’d met who could mess with life and death… was the Divinity who’d saved me.

  Chapter 5

  It took at least half an hour to find an alternate route to the surface, and I spent every second tense as a wire, thinking the Mother would erupt from the ground to strike us again. We found Rachel huddled at the cave entrance, refusing to speak.

  Javos glowered at us when we emerged from the demonglass into the storeroom. “About time,” he said. “What happened?”

  “Trouble, as usual.” I glanced at Rachel. She’d turned back into her pink-haired self, but I’d seen genuine fear in her eyes when we’d found her outside the tunnel. She’d never been this rattled before. Meanwhile, Nikolas and I were covered in mud, blood, demonic ichor and heaven knew what else.

  “The demon known as the Mother is apparently alive and kicking,” Nikolas said to Javos. “That, or another demon is imitating her.”

  “Seemed pretty damn real to me. I’d really like an explanation.” I looked pointedly at Nikolas.

  “There isn’t one,” he said. “She died. I killed her. I’ve killed a lot of demons. I’d happily have killed her again.”

  “I think I get the picture, thanks.” I’d ask more later, because from the fuzziness around Javos’s torch-like aura, we were in danger of a warlock temper tantrum any second now. I pulled the demon eggs from my pocket. “Mission accomplished.”

  Javos’s gaze flickered to the eggs. “Those were worth risking life and limb for? I do hope you find the answers you seek.”

  “The vamps implied this is all pointless,” I said. “The virus is already in this realm. Whoever started this knew what they were doing. They tipped the playing field in the demons’ favour. If there’s no cure, then… that’s it. The more people know, the more people can wipe out the celestials.”

  “Some of us wouldn’t mind,” said Javos. His aura had somewhat calmed, but I clenched my fist to avoid punching him on the nose.

  “If not for the virus, they wouldn’t have turned into murdering despots,” I said. “The demons wanted the inspector in charge, for that reason.”

  “I’m not denying that the arch-demons are manipulative,” Javos said, in positively bright tones. “Or intelligent. But if your people weren’t predisposed towards overreacting anyway…”

  “It’s not an overreaction when the world is being invaded by demons.” Prick. Living in close proximity with Javos had begun to slowly erode what remained of my patience, and I’d bet my fixation on helping innocent vampires escape was the reason he was trying to get a rise out of me. At least he didn’t know where I’d hidden them.

  “I seem to remember this all started with a single murder,” he said. “This is what happens when the celestials prize the lives of their own above the safety of others.”

  “Javos,” I said, “can you please kindly shut the fuck up and get back on topic? The virus. Do you think there’s a cure?”

  “Perhaps. But it’s not my area of expertise, and if human history is anything to go by, it might take a few centuries to work it out.”

  Dammit. “Not if I have anything to do with it.”

  “Guys!” said Rachel. “You’re giving me a headache. The Mother is alive. Somehow. Nobody aside from arch-demons and their offspring can regenerate, and she’s been in the earth for years.”

  “What, you’re saying she’s a zombie?”

  “I’m saying it wasn’t her.” She looked down. “It can’t be.”

  “She’s a giant armoured worm,” I said. “I don’t know. Maybe she… got infected by the vampire virus? Vampires can’t die.”

  “Demons are immune to venom,” said Rachel. “Vampire or otherwise.”

  Of course. Way to overlook the obvious.

  I scrubbed a hand over my forehead. “I’m going to shower. I’m tired and pissed off, and I don’t want to ‘accidentally’ hit someone for making annoying comments—”

  A knocking sound came from the front door. Then the doorbell rang.

  “Expecting someone?” I asked Javos.

  “No.” He turned and sloped down the corridor. I put the demon eggs back in my coat pockets, and followed.

  A blond vampire of around twenty stood on the doorstep. Because today couldn’t get any worse.

  “Hey, Alec,” I said.

  His eyes widened at my appearance. “What have you been doing?”

  Like I needed those other vamps to know about our jaunt into Pandemonium. Some of them were addicted to the cure, and knowing my luck, they’d try to follow me.

  Nikolas scowled at him. “You’re not supposed to be here.”

  You’re telling me. Javos wants to hand you in. Madame White, the actual leader of the city’s vampires, didn’t give a crap that the celestials had put some of her people on their kill list. Unlike the warlocks, who took care of their own, the vampires were divided along a hierarchy that I didn’t fully understand. Because Madame White and her cohorts belonged to an older generation of vampires who kept human blood slaves rather than biting random people, they had no reason to depend on bloodstones for an energy source. The result was that none of her people carried the virus, but none wanted to give the rest of us a helping hand dealing with the fallout amongst the newer vampires who didn’t have the same advantages. I doubted she’d stand up even if war broke out with the celestials—unless, of course, they directly threatened her. And then we
’d be in trouble.

  “The others are turning,” he admitted. “And—and I heard from one of them that you’re helping us. That means a cure, right?”

  Great. “Don’t get ahead of yourself.” I might have got hold of the demon eggs, but that didn’t mean we’d be able to manufacture a cure out of them. The original ‘cure’ had turned out to be something else entirely. “We’re working on it, but more than half my experiments end in disaster. And in order to fully test it out—”

  “You need someone to test it on,” he finished.

  I sighed. “I’m not taking responsibility for the side effects if this goes wrong. If you want to volunteer and end up growing an extra head, then it’s on you.”

  “Anything’s better than wondering when I’m going to turn,” he said. “I have no supplies of blood, and the cure’s in short supply.”

  “You’re saying you still have the stuff?” I asked sharply.

  “No. Just the blood of one of the others. It’s the same, so…”

  Of course. The cure was infected blood, and as much as I wanted rid of it, we couldn’t kill off all the other vampires—that was exactly the celestials’ plan, and it hadn’t proved effective so far. There was no easy solution.

  “I should tell you I’ve no idea of the mechanics of vampire venom,” I said. “You get bitten, you become addicted to the sensation, and when you drink their blood… you turn. You’re attached to your sire for a few weeks, then you start drinking others’ blood. Or use bloodstones. So how does the virus fit in with that?”

  Alec shuffled his feet. “The virus… it doesn’t work the same way. We need to drink the blood more than once to be able to walk in the day, and then it fades within twenty-four hours. So we need to keep drinking it. And if we don’t, it increases the likelihood of side effects. Two people attacked us after trying to go more than a day without drinking it.”

  “If that’s the case,” I said, “you can’t stay here while we develop it. I can’t trust you not to drink everything that resembles the cure, or spread it to anyone else. Lucky for all of us that warlocks are immune.” More than a few had been bitten in their clashes with the vamps and hadn’t turned yet. Of course, warlocks were immune to most kinds of demon venom, too.