Celestial Ashes: The Celestial Marked Series: Book Three

by Adams, Emma L.

  Dammit. I need to end this. But I never had found the one responsible for creating the portal. Emarial, and the shapeshifter children of Abyss. If the arch-demon herself wasn’t here. It was all her doing.

  But I knew who would be here, standing in the portal’s centre like the world literally revolved around him.

  Inspector Angler.

  “Mind stepping aside?” I called to him. “Or maybe you’ll stay dead this time.”

  “You can’t shut down the portal,” he said, his mouth twisting in a smile. “You can’t stop me, either. He’ll just raise me again.”

  “Why you? You’re nothing special.”

  “I’m unique.” Celestial light blazed from one of his hands, and demonic light from the other. Killing him wouldn’t help, because the arch-demon would resurrect him on the spot.

  Of course, there was one thing he didn’t have—a direct blessing from an angel. But to be honest, I’d rather have the arch-demon on my side. Another minute and the wind would take me off my feet.

  “So you’re supposed to stand there until Abyss shows up?” I called. “Is that it?”

  The world tilted and holes appeared in the sky, ripping through the worlds. Demons materialised through, slamming down on the pavement, on the palace ground, on the wasteland where Zadok’s army fought the oncoming horde—

  I failed. They already wrecked the city, and now they’re going to trample on the remains.

  A whirling demon hit me in the face. I grabbed him by his throat. “Dienes?” I said in disbelief.

  “HELP!” he wailed, clinging to my sleeve.

  “This is your doing,” I bellowed in his ear. I’d bet he’d been lurking near the palace to see how shit went down. With all the times he’d been hopping in and out of this realm, of course he’d got caught up in the portal. “Your fault. I should leave you to get kicked between realms forever.”

  He wailed again. “I didn’t want this… tried to stop them…”

  “Don’t bother with excuses.” But maybe he could give me a clue. Steadying myself against a lamp post, I asked, “What’s the deal with the fortress? Is Pandemonium expecting Abyss to show up in person? Let me guess, you’re serving her.”

  He shook his head frantically. “Nobody. I just wanted to live, Devi.”

  “Don’t we all,” I said. “Where is she? And where are those servants of hers?”

  “You’ll never find her. She’s not—Pandemonium.” He shrieked as the tempest yanked him from my hands again.

  With fierce concentration, I thought about Haven City, about solid ground beneath my feet. And I walked.

  Tarmac became wasteland became road again. Debris blew past, and I had to draw on my demonic power to summon a shield. A car bounced off it, striking a nearby building. Around me, my city fell apart, the sky burning.

  Then—it stopped. I staggered against a wall. I must have left the danger zone. But demons filled the street, ripping into anyone they encountered. Vampires tore into the rest. I didn’t need to look closely to see their auras, pulsing dark, demonic. Demanding I unleash my fury on them. An angel’s fury, enough to consume a whole world.

  I let the celestial power roll over me, guiding my hands. Pulses of white-hot energy seared every demon in my path. The tidal wave of the portal had swept up the celestial guild and the surrounding streets, which left the warlocks’ areas untouched.

  A deafening roar came from the portal. Several warlocks fell on a vaug demon, ripping into its armour with clawed hands. A vampire dangled from the hands of another, dead. I stopped, staring into the portal. Rachel. Fiona. Nikolas…

  Auras clashed in the corners of my vision, my new senses drawing me to every demon in the vicinity. If I followed that sense—it’d lead me directly to her. Abyss. But my bloodthirsty celestial mark highlighted every dark aura, demanding I burn them all.

  I closed my eyes to the sounds of battle, and concentrated on the new divine power pumping through my blood. The angel’s gift, however reluctantly given. Words trickled through my memory—every warning I’d heard, from Javos and Zadok and even Nikolas to some extent, that I didn’t understand the nature of the war, every derogatory comment that I was an ignorant celestial serving a lie—and my eyes flew open.

  It wasn’t the arch-demons directing this war. The Divinities were. Our struggles were entertainment to them.

  As cold rage chilled my blood, my demonic sense awakened. There she is.

  Chapter 23

  As I pivoted, a roar shook the earth. Javos stampeded past, several warlocks on his tail. Even the furred warlock who’d thrown a paintbrush at me threw himself into the fray, claws tearing into the demonic onslaught. Looked like the local warlocks had shown up after all. And the vampires. Even Alec, though he hung behind the others, tentatively hitting out at a demon whenever one got close.

  “Where’s Rachel?” Javos demanded. His hands were stained in blood, and a piece of unidentifiable demon was stuck on one of his horns.

  I shook my head. “Somewhere in there. The portal’s gone crazy, and keeps flipping between all three worlds. I need to find Abyss—”

  “Traitors.” The vampire queen stalked towards Javos and me. Her dark hair was tied back, and she wore dark warrior-like gear, such a contrast to her usual appearance that I hardly recognised her. But her fluid movements and effortless grace were unmistakable—and so was her appalling sense of timing.

  “Hey, Madame White,” I said. “In case you haven’t noticed, there’s a war on. A massive one. And half your people are turning into demons.”

  “They all need to be purged,” said the vampire queen. “You could have brought them to me, and I’d have taken care of the problem before it’d come to this.”

  I tensed. “You should know the celestial guild wasn’t acting under its own power. They had no intention of killing the vampires. They wanted an army, and now they’ve got them. So get your priorities in order. If you have an issue with me, come talk to me when the world isn’t ending.”

  “Of course the guild’s hopeless,” she said. “I’ve been here a long while. You don’t think I’ve seen a demon or two in my time?”

  “What—you knew they were compromised? And you played along… why?”

  “Survival.” Her teeth bared. “As you should know well.”

  A venos demon spat venom at us and she faced it, knives whirling in her hands. Trusting her to finish the job, I ran to join the cowering vampires. Alec and two others huddled in the entryway to a shop, its glass shattered.

  “If I were you, I’d get away from the portal,” I said. “The demon might still have you turned.” If they hadn’t turned, the demon couldn’t be in this realm. Which meant I had to walk into the portal again.

  I turned around—and someone grabbed me from behind, wrenching my arms behind my back. My celestial light came on, but my attacker was no demon.

  “You?” said Farrell. “The angels gifted you?”

  “I persuaded them.” I squirmed, snarling. “Let me go, you bastard.”

  “You’re not worthy to fight at our side, you traitorous little bitch.”

  My shoulders screamed with pain. I stepped back onto his foot, driving the heel of Rachel’s boot as hard as possible. He grunted in pain. Pulling my arms free, I spun around and kicked him solidly in the chest. He flew back, doubled over, then straightened up with pure murder in his eyes.

  Farrell stalked forwards. “You fight alongside these vermin, and you’ll die with them.”

  “So whose side are you on, the possessed vampires—or the warlocks and the non-possessed vamps? You have to pick one. You can’t kill both.”

  “Who said we can’t?” he said. “This is the Divinities’ will, to cleanse the earth of these vermin. When they’re dead, there will be nothing left.”

  “You’re deluded. You know that portal can’t be closed, right? This city is permanently attached to two demon realms. You can’t kill the entire population of two planets. They tend to call that ‘ge
nocide’.”

  “Cleansing. So the gods will. The angel told me.”

  Damn. Had someone told them… of course. He’d either spoken to the inspector or someone else the shapeshifter had impersonated. Should have figured.

  “First the inspector and now this,” I said. “Tell me—do you never use that useful aura-sensing power when you take orders from someone? Because the angel who gave me this gift had the power of illusion. He was a demon.”

  “I am a vessel for god.” Power surged from his hands, right at Alec and the other vampires. I shouted a warning, too late. They died, screaming, in celestial fire.

  “You bastard.”

  Farrell spun on the spot, his hands aglow, and zeroed in on Javos. Oh no you don’t.

  I tackled him from behind, sending both of us falling into a heap. He snarled and kicked, but I held him pinned down.

  He twisted to glare at me. “You know that warlock? You like him?”

  “We can’t stand each other.” I slammed my hand into his head, and he rolled over, shoving me off him. On his feet, he fired celestial power directly at Javos.

  The demigod shook his head as though an annoying fly had swatted him. Then he clapped his hands, his teeth bared.

  Farrell was lifted into the air, as though pulled by invisible strings. He shouted and fought, but Javos’s power held him captive. The huge warlock rampaged over, picked up Farrell and snapped his neck.

  “That’s one taken care of,” he said.

  “So much for being blessed with the power of an angel.” I rolled my aching shoulders. “So that’s your power? Levitation?”

  “Amongst other things.” Javos dropped Farrell’s body, glaring at the vampire queen. She bared her fangs back, and continued tearing into a demon’s neck.

  If I didn’t know better, I’d think the two of them had reached some kind of unspoken mutual understanding. I’d never understand warlocks or vampires, probably as long as I lived.

  “Since when were you immune to Grade Four celestial power?” I asked Javos. “He should have obliterated you.”

  “Why else do you think I was chosen as the warlocks’ leader?” He shook blood from his hair. “It wasn’t for my diplomatic manner or good looks.”

  I blinked at him. Warlocks—and demigods. Bloody incomprehensible. “Okay… I don’t suppose you know where Abyss is? I think she’s on the portal, somehow—either as herself or in disguise.”

  He laughed. “You didn’t think they’d come in person? This is a game to them. They’re watching, through the portal—watching three worlds tear one another to pieces.”

  “It’s not just entertainment,” I countered. “Not for them. She’s here. I sense her.”

  A fresh wave of demons appeared, and Javos splayed his hands, sending them flying twenty feet into the air. Others fled before the world-breaking power he usually kept restrained. I ran alongside him, and skidded to a halt.

  Behind the demons were… celestials. I knew them all by sight. Lydia. Even Bad Haircut Sammy. All had flat black eyes and moved with eerie grace they’d never had before.

  They all must have been bitten, and the transformation by the virus had been accelerated. Celestial power surged from their hands, yet darkness shrouded their auras. Others fought without their celestial light, throwing themselves out of the line of fire. Several burst into flames of their own accord, their own power betraying them.

  The virus tested those who’d been infected, and killed the ones that weren’t worthy enough.

  Their auras swarmed my vision, light and dark, and one flaming red. Fiona stood in the middle, her eyes blazing, Azurial’s power at her hands.

  The scattered forces of the warlocks and non-turned vamps would have looked helpless—if not for Javos’s domineering presence. He ran straight at the army, the ground trembling. “Don’t kill Fiona!” I screamed after him, and light exploded from my left hand. My newly evolved celestial power, demanding to be used. Demanding to burn the army to ashes. It took all my concentration to call on my demon mark instead, to only burn those too far gone to be saved. And to concentrate on the portal behind, and the pulse of the more powerful aura coming from behind it.

  I’m so sorry, Fiona.

  To end this, I needed to kill the arch-demon.

  As the armies clashed, the ground trembled, the effects of the portal spiralling outwards. Every second threw the road into a wasteland—into the palace surrounded by spiked walls—and again, in rotation. The sharp blade of Zadok’s tower gleamed at its centre. The demonglass in each realm held the portal open—but without an equal force inside this realm, it’d be torn apart.

  Demons burst from the earth, pouring from Pandemonium’s tunnels directly into Babylon’s wasteland and Haven City’s streets. I held my divine blade, cut down any enemy who crossed my path, and kept walking. The road tilted sideways, and it felt like I was climbing a hill which got steeper by the second. The warlocks from Babylon swarmed, pushing the army of demons back. But the portal remained, a whirling untamed vortex. A winged figure flitted across my vision. Nikolas. Or Zadok? Or…

  Emarial landed in front of me, her body blazing with fire. Her aura unfurled like a pair of flaming wings.

  “So you’re Abyss’s stand-in?” I said loudly. “Or is she disguised as you?”

  No… the pulsing aura didn’t come from her, however formidable hers might be.

  She raised a hand, and fire surged along the pavement, cracking the earth. Warm air rose and smacked into me. I flipped and landed on my feet, blasting her back with celestial power. It barely fazed her. She must be the same level as Javos. No wonder I’d hardly been able to do any damage before.

  “Get out the way,” I told her. “I’m going to kill the one who started that portal.”

  “You won’t find her,” she said. “Not before I bury you.”

  Fire blazed over her body, but its heat didn’t touch me. “Yeah right,” I shouted. “It’s all for show, isn’t it? I already buried your brother.”

  Celestial light blazed around my hand, while in my other, I threw everything my demon mark had at her. She raised her wings, and arms, and the attack rippled across her skin. For a second, her aura slipped, revealing a blazing red glow—not fire, but something else. Something familiar.

  “You’re not Emarial,” I said. “You’re one of Abyss’s children, aren’t you?”

  She wasn’t a fire demon at all. But I couldn’t think clearly beneath the noise of the battlefield dulled to a hum beneath the roaring sound of the portal. Abyss didn’t want to take part in the battle. I’d take it as laziness, but if she was this close and couldn’t be bothered to lift a finger—either she was drained of power, like Themedes had been…

  Or her weakness was here somewhere. Close by. Too close to risk her coming in person.

  Remembering how Zadok had reacted… even Themedes and Javos… they didn’t like admitting weakness. And bringing down an arch-demon was nigh on impossible. But it had been done. Themedes and Azurial were proof of that.

  Emarial shook herself, and the aura of fire slid away, to be replaced by a shimmering red haze.

  “You can’t imitate magic,” I said. “I knew it didn’t feel like Azurial’s.”

  “Pity you won’t get to enjoy your victory,” she snarled.

  Her attack slammed into me in a rush of energy that sent me flying off my feet. I landed in a crouch and leapt at her, celestial blade at the ready. She blocked my first strike, but I pushed back, the blade weightless in my strengthened arms. Despite the rippling energy pulsing through the blade, humming through the twin marks on my wrists, she didn’t give ground. The portal was too strong, and must be fuelling her power. She wouldn’t die unless I cut it off. Just like the giant worm. They were the same, after all. The only difference was that I couldn’t see the pentagram this time. Zadok’s tower, a beacon to the sky, reflecting the multi-coloured energy swirling around the portal. Through blurred vision, it looked like the power was held within…
<
br />   I can absorb power.

  Can demonglass do the same?

  His tower must be fuelling the portal. But he wasn’t inside it. He hadn’t been there for a while. Zadok, terrified of fire, had been swept into battle anyway. But the tower was the central point of the pentagram. The direction all the swirling power came from.

  She’s in the tower. She’s hiding on top of the portal itself. No wonder nobody had been able to detect her.

  Once again, the false Emarial’s power blasted me off my feet. I landed in a forward roll, the movement jarring the weapons in my pockets. I reached for a knife, my fingertips brushing sharp fragments. Demonglass. I’d grabbed a handful from Nikolas’s place when I’d tipped out the jar.

  Looked like I had a shortcut to the tower after all.

  Nikolas appeared behind me, wings out, and crashed into Emarial. With a sweeping gesture, she flung him aside. The scene changed to Babylon proper, giving me a close up view of the whirling portal on top of the tower.

  Dark energy pulsed from Nikolas’s hand as he stood, spitting out a curse in the demon tongue. Then he launched into the air, at Emarial, and the two collided with one another at speed. Power rippled from their auras, masking my view of the portal.

  I took my chances, pulled the demonglass from my pocket—and the wasteland turned to jagged demonglass, then became shattered brick, the ruin of the celestial guild.

  We were winning, but the world was losing. All three worlds. The castle crumbled on one side, warlocks lay bleeding alongside vampires and celestials, and if not for my aura vision, I wouldn’t know who was on which side. And in the centre of it all, the perpetrator hid from view.

  Her weakness is somewhere in this realm.

  Whatever it was, she’d believed she’d run into it. So it must be common. Or on the battlefield itself. But without seeing her, I wouldn’t know what it was.

  I raised my hand, threw down the demonglass, and leapt through, emerging from the tower’s side, on ground level. The portal wasn’t directly on top of the tower after all but beside it, a swirling vortex dragging at me. I staggered drunkenly towards the tower, even as the vortex threatened to draw me away.