“They’ve tried to no avail. He’s not yet sent them away, but he’s not listening,” he said.
Umiet said, “I suggested we take all their souls and sort ‘em out in Heaven—”
“—but the Source has forbidden it.” Parsiel gave her a sharp look. “The debacle Enael caused after bringing twelve of them here without their permission is something the Sanctuary is still cleaning up.”
I imagined blood-stained walls and screaming humans, but I kept my face composed. I didn’t want Parsiel to know how much his rebuke disturbed me.
“Enael did what she thought was best in a difficult combat situation. We must trust our underlings or we have no business running an army,” said Heppeliam. To me, “Will you accept this mission?”
“I suppose I have no choice.” But it didn’t bother me, not like the previous things the Council had forced upon me.
“You have a choice. You know your abilities best. If you have no confidence this will work, you may decline, and we’ll draw up another plan.”
I thought about what the Source had said—about freedom of will and not getting involved—and the long days I’d spent wallowing in self-pity about my mistake in the fortress. “No, I want to do this. I think it’s the right thing.” Adolf was living outside his Incarnation Plan. He was angry, hateful, and hurting others, and I needed to stop him.
“Good.” Umiet smoothed the paper and started marking the streets, placing X’s with a blue quill and arrows with a black one.
Parsiel folded his arms. “Just don’t let yourself get caught up in his mind, like you did… before.”
I bit my lip to keep myself from saying something I’d regret.
Heppeliam said, “Getting you into his apartment will be challenging. As you’re aware, a cloud hangs over everything in the Orb of Seeing, and most of our intelligence now comes from a dwindling number of Nephil spies and the Books of Life. It’s slow going to check Book after Book, and with all the information being from the past, it makes understanding the true situation nearly impossible.”
“Why don’t I just fade in? I’ll reach out for his life spark and find him.”
“Conditions on Earth have worsened. Many of our modes of transportation are either no longer working or too dangerous. We are unable to fade into the hearts of the most demon-infested cities because of the possibility of being attacked while vulnerable.”
“You’ll have to fly in,” said Umiet. “From the outskirts. Look here.” She pointed to where she’d made the marks. “We’ll send your squad with you. You’ll fight your way in, and they’ll stand in a sphere around the room while you delve into his dreams.”
“What about Zaponsla and Chana?” I asked.
“They’ll be informed with the rest of the squad. We wanted to talk to you first, to ensure you were prepared to do what we’re asking,” said Heppaliam.
Umiet finished, “We’ll bring in a temporary partner for Zaponsla, just for tonight, to help get you inside.”
I nodded. “All right. When do we begin?”
“Right now.” Serinh pointed to an Attendant who’d appeared at the door. “Assemble the others.”
A lopsided grin broke out across Umiet’s face. “Time to splatter some demon blood!”
But I couldn’t muster up the excitement she had for the fight. I was thinking about what I was going to say to Adolf and trying not to remember all the times I’d failed to make my Wards listen to me.
CHAPTER 20
A dark cloud hung over the city, spiritual in nature, oppressing the souls of the people below, who pulled into themselves, huddling with arms crossed whenever they went outside into the dimly lit streets. Swastikas adorned coats, jackets, shirts, doorways, and flags. Every so often the symbols let off puffs of smoke that drifted into the air to join the cloud in the sky.
I hovered with my squad on the outskirts, a single angel once again amongst cobalt-winged pairs. My squad leader flapped slowly beside me as she peered down. The others were silent as we watched and waited. Below, the Tenders carried Chana and the other three Dominions. Off to my right, Zaponsla squinted down at the city, her scar making her look angry, though perhaps she was. She’d protested her temporary assignment.
I tried not to think on how desperate the Seraphim must be to thrust me into the center of this mission when they were so obviously clueless about my purpose.
Groups of demons gathered on rooftops and on street corners. Some looked up at us, but others ignored us. They pumped their hips in our direction amid laughter and raucous banter. We were too far away to hear the words, but it scarcely mattered. The intent was clear: we weren’t welcome.
Adolf was in the heart of the city, where the cloud was darkest, the Guardians sparser, and Fearlings crawled all over buildings.
“Right, then, you heard Umiet.” My squad leader’s voice came into my mind as she communicated to me and the other thirty-two members of my squad. “We’re to escort Enael through the gauntlet. There looks to be an opening several streets over, so we’ll approach from the east.”
She lifted her fist into the air and waved us forward.
We flew in unison, long flaps that swooped us close to rooftops and trees. My squad, including Tenders and humans, was seasoned; we’d practiced flying maneuvers for days on end. As we flew around a building, a wave of Fearlings leapt toward us. My squad mates slashed with their tridents without losing pace, and the Fearlings died in puffs of smoke that drifted to join the cloud in the sky.
Umiet had instructed me not to seek out a fight. I carried my trident, though I was to use it only if attacked. I needed to focus on finding Adolf. After what had happened in Asorat’s fortress, I was determined not to be distracted from my assignment.
We were entering the more infested part of the city. Several black-winged demons flew toward us, and a couple Nephil pairs broke off to deal with them. We continued to fly toward where Adolf was settling down to sleep, and within a few moments, our squad mates returned.
As we approached his townhouse, a group of demons flew out of the windows and attacked.
“Surround and protect!” shouted my squad leader, as the demons both flanked us and halted our forward progress. My squad flew in a sphere around me, protecting me on all sides.
I gripped my trident tighter, feeling useless.
The demons were uncoordinated but fierce. Their black eyes glinted in the light of the street lamps, and their swastikas oozed black blood. One darted forward, through the line, but Chana stabbed her repeatedly. Howling, the demon spun away to disappear into one of the buildings, blood sizzling to the ground below.
“Run away, then!” Chana grinned up at me. “I’ve got your back, Enael.”
Slowly we made forward progress. When we came to the townhouse, my squad leader shouted, “Forward push!” I flew straight through the wall and into an empty bedroom, and my squad quickly caught up to surround me again.
As we were settling into formation, another demon leapt out of the shadows toward me.
I lifted a trident and clashed with the sword he was wielding. As our weapons rang together, he giggled. “Ah, so we meet again, little Nephil.”
His outline glowed faintly in the dark, and his features resolved into familiarity: Osubatz, the same demon I’d encountered during our nearly-failed assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. This time, he was armed with an ornate, battle-worn sword.
Chana darted forward with trident drawn back, but Osubatz swept it away, his laughter high and squawking. He fended her off, so I twirled my trident through the air, attempting to push him into my protectors. He was too slippery, too fast—he ducked and twirled and came close once again.
“What do you want, Osubatz?” I kept an open stance and extended my trident in front.
“Just want to have a little chat. You’re so very interesting. I think I’m in love with you.” His tongue flicked out and back in.
I shuddered. Chana danced behind us, her fury thrumming through me.
“Or maybe it’s that little delicious creature over there that’s caught my eye.” He cocked his head quickly toward her, like a bird distracted by something. “She’s so…” He inhaled deeply. “Though I usually like the older ones.”
I poked my trident at him. “We have a mission. Get out of my way.”
“But we’re having so much fun!”
Zaponsla and her new partner attacked, and Osubatz twirled to clang away their tridents. As they flew backward from the force of his thrusts, he turned back around to me.
I inched in the direction of Adolf’s living quarters. He was asleep, with his Guardian looking at me anxiously and two Nephilim standing behind her. Several of my squad mates had even made it into his bedroom. My squad was protecting us on the floors above and below, with the humans and two pair on this floor.
If I could force Osubatz from my circle of protection, I would be able to rush forward and complete what I was here to do.
He extended the sword. “Ah, ah, I see what’s going on here. Stay where you are. The Führer must live.”
“I’m not here to kill him.”
“Is that so? Maybe I should.” He lunged toward Adolf’s bedroom, but my squad mates batted him back toward me again.
Frustrated, I smacked my trident against my palm. “What do you want?”
“A little chaos here, a few screams there,” Osubatz said. “I don’t really want anything. I just like seeing things fall apart.”
I was aghast. “You’re not helping Asorat?”
“Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t. Depends on my mood.” His laugh was horrifying.
“Enael, the target is in sight.” My squad leader’s voice whispered in my mind. “Move forward.”
“Trying,” I growled back.
“This seems interesting,” said Osubatz. “I want to see what you’re going to do. I have a feeling that one way or another, it’s not going to make a difference.”
I stopped the words from forming—You don’t know anything!— by slashing at his face, but he ducked and rolled. I took a step forward, but he jumped to the window ledge and leapt out. Zaponsla’s trident whistled past his head, but she missed. Black wings extended, Osubatz flew off into the night.
“You won’t be able to see anything from out there!” I shouted.
His laugh echoed back through the streets.
“Move forward,” repeated my squad leader.
I grunted but turned around to move toward Adolf.
My squad formed an impenetrable barrier around me. Demons attacked, but each one was rebuffed before they could reach me. Zaponsla threw me a wink as she created another trident and stabbed a Fearling. Another Dominion cackled, shouting obscenities. They were more vocal than angels when in battle.
As I flew from the empty room toward Adolf’s bedroom, the Nephilim moved with me. One step, another step, one more flap, and I was standing over his bed.
Adolf snorted and rolled over in his sleep.
“I hope you can help,” whispered his Guardian. Her eyes were sunken, her hair mussed. The pall over the city seemed to be strangling her connection to the Source—she had no energy to spare for her aspect, possibly not even to sustain herself for much longer.
It would be so easy to reach into Adolf’s body and snatch out his soul.
Is killing him what they really want of me? Maybe that’s what I’m here for. Maybe that’s why I’m a Cornerstone.
Everyone was watching me. Out of the corner of my eye, I could even see Zaponsla draw back from a demon she was about to attack to look at me. Chana held her breath, her feelings muddled.
I peered into Adolf’s head at the multi-colored threads of his mind. I understood them so much better now after my experiences with Jacqueline and further training as a Nephil.
Little flashes crackled along the threads where he was dreaming. His father’s abuse had gnarled the crimson strands of his core personality, leaving him with anger, arrogance, and depression. The layers of orange threads were thin like spider-silk, while the purple had thickened beyond anything I’d seen in other minds. This construction meant he would protect those he considered his own people, even at the expense of other humans—lives he considered lesser.
One thing was clear about his mind, though. Unlike Jacqueline, the red strands were woven tightly: Adolf was fully conscious of the harm he was inflicting—and would continue to inflict—upon the people he hated.
“Do what you came to do.” Umiet’s voice in my mind was unusually calm and quiet.
The Council of Seraphim had used subtle manipulation before to go against the wishes of the Source. Are they hoping I’ll kill him, despite the Source’s insistence that we don’t?
It seemed possible. Plausible. Likely even.
But this was a whole new Council with a new leader overseeing the war. The Fallen Seraphim must have influenced some of the more nefarious decisions the Council had made.
Even more than what the Council wanted was the question of what I thought my purpose was. The Source had given me no guidance as to what moment in history I was supposed to change. Was it possible, plausible, and likely that It would want me to go against Its expressed wishes?
Is this what I’m supposed to do to end the war?
CHAPTER 21
“No,” I whispered. The Source would never create me to go against Its wishes. If the Council had hoped I would kill Adolf, they would be sorely disappointed. I would complete the mission they had assigned me and hope it would be enough to bring history back on track.
I planned to enter Adolf’s dream as myself and search him out to reason with him. My resolve stiffened my spine, and I grabbed a crackling thread inside his mind.
Joining his dream was like being plunged into a Book of Life experience, one I was wholly unprepared for. Inside, I felt as though I were falling from a great height in the middle of night—disoriented, confused, flooded by blackness and furious sound.
A maelstrom whipped me around, and an air current caught me. Shuddering, I blinked, trying to see, but I couldn’t tell what was up or down. A roar filled my ear and died before howling again.
I was falling, falling, and I tried to splay my wings, but I had none. Falling—fear—blackness—
And then I focused. I did have wings. This was a dream. Adolf’s dream. I needed to create a bubble inside which I had control.
My wings hummed into my awareness. I thrust them out to catch myself, fell, and then righted. The wind buffeted me, and gradually I became aware of more of my body: my face, my torso, my hands, my legs, my feathers.
I floated on an air current, calming the wind with my thoughts. This might be Adolf’s dream, but I could assert my will. Gradually, I took control of the howls and gusts.
Below, Adolf stood in a pool of light from a street lamp. Beyond the edges of the light was blackness and chittering—clearly a nightmare. His eyes were wide with fear, and if I didn’t know the atrocities he was capable of, I might have felt sorry for him.
Nothing was worse than being trapped in one’s own mind with one’s own fears.
I expanded my awareness to feel the darkness. Indeed, something lurked out there, large and hulking. It came and went into and out of existence as the man below focused on it.
His fear was palpable, and if he’d been actually experiencing it in the real world, he would have been surrounded by Fearlings excited for a feast. In the room where he was sleeping, they may have been attempting to weave between our Nephilim protectors to gobble up his fright.
I flapped, circling the pool of light. A gigantic tentacle flew in front of my face, and I screeched to a halt. Frowning, I concentrated on it. It whipped past me once again, but slowly, it faded and disappeared. Adolf’s fear lessened, and I reached out with my mind to the rest of the dream.
Grappling with something this large—the dream, not the leviathan—was more difficult than I expected. I struggled, feeling almost as though I was wrestling a leviathan. But that was
no surprise: Adolf had the will of a Cornerstone.
The beginning was the most difficult. As I pushed away the darkness, his fright lessened and soon he began to help me shift the dream to something more pleasant. The sky started to lighten, and with it, Adolf’s fear.
The dream moved toward a boyhood remembrance of a happier time. I surrounded him with a field of long grasses, warm afternoon sunshine, and the echo of his doting mother’s voice telling him to be home for dinner. Satisfied that the setting was solidifying, I flew down and landed on light feet behind him.
“Adolf,” I said.
He turned and his eyes went wide. Before I could say anything more, he threw himself into a prone position on the ground. “How may I serve, O ancient one?”
“Rise, Adolf. We must speak.” I hadn’t expected worship, of all things. I almost thought he would snarl something at me and relay his allegiance to dark forces.
He stumbled to his feet and looked up at me, craning his neck and peering at my wings. A sheen of sweat covered his toothbrush mustache.
“You’re to be installed as chancellor tomorrow,” I said. “I come with instructions.”
Adolf nodded rapidly. “Yes. Whatever you want. I’m honored by your presence.”
Relief was welling up inside me. Focus, Enael. It can’t be this easy. “Think back, Adolf, to before you were born. Do you remember your purpose?”
His eyebrows knitted and those hard eyes narrowed. “I…”
“Think back. Back before your brother left and your father took his ire out on you. Back before you came from your mother’s womb. Remember the bright light before. The plan. The mission. You are a Cornerstone, sent to unite Germany, to help bring harmony and unity in Europe. This path you’re on now is the wrong one.”
“I’m to unite Germany, yes.”
“What you are doing won’t accomplish this. You’ve stirred hatred.”
“I’ll make Germany great again.”
“Not on this path.” He’s not listening. Why isn’t he listening?
“I’ll win this war!”
Warring Angel Page 11