Alexa forced a laugh. “What’s that? A freak?”
Willow lost her smile. “You’re going to pay for that.”
It was Alexa’s time to smile. “We’ll see.”
Willow lunged forward in blur of arms and talons. Alexa ducked, but she was not fast enough. Willow slashed her across the chest, ripping her shirt to shreds along with her skin. White light poured from the ribbons in her flesh.
“Not as fast as you thought, are you?” laughed Willow, giving her a little wave with her talons.
Alexa kept her face expressionless, but her mind screamed in fear. Willow was too strong, too fast. Alexa could never beat her without her special gift.
“Is that all you got?” goaded Willow, her eyes glinting. “The famous, soul channeling angel? Why not use those gifts on me? Wait a minute… that’s right… maybe you can’t… maybe it only works on mortal souls, am I right? By the fear on your face I’m guessing I am. And the only souls you could have used—you just let them go.”
At that moment, Milo let out a cry of pain. To Alexa’s shock, she saw his chest was ripped and oozing his angel essence as he howled wildly, driving his sword into the gut of a demon. The demon fell, only to be replaced by a dozen more, savage hunger reflecting in their black eyes.
They’d been separated by the fight. Milo had moved away from her and was now on the opposite end of the gym.
Alexa tasted real fear. They could never defeat the belphegors. Not without help.
In that instant, she knew she was about to die.
CHAPTER 13
WILLOW CAUGHT ALEXA WATCHING MILO. “Shame, really, to see such a good soldier go to waste. You could have saved him, if only you would have joined us. Very selfish of you.”
“Milo would rather die than join you,” said Alexa, blinking the wetness from her eyes. She set her jaw and her fingers clenched tightly around the handle of her blade.
Willow smiled, her eyes glinting with a sly humor. “I guess we’ll never know, now, will we?”
The demon girl howled like a wild animal and pitched forward, swinging her arms in arcs. Her sharp talons flashed in the light like deadly black knives.
Summoning strength she didn’t know she had, Alexa snatched the demon leader by her hair and spun her around, sending her stumbling. Willow swore as she swung around. As the girl demon came crashing forward, Alexa ducked and came up kicking as hard as she could. Her boot hit Willow square in the chest. It knocked her into midair. Her eyes went wide in surprise as she dropped backward.
Before Alexa could rejoice, a handful of belphegors lunged at her, their death blades slicing through the air and barely missing her neck. She leaped out of the way and felt the stinging of one death blade’s poison as it nicked her skin.
She stumbled forward as something heavy struck her on the side of the face but she merely ducked and sprinted onward. Then a hand caught her by the shoulder.
Alexa swung in fury, severing the arm that held her. She tumbled back, free.
“The brat cut my arm!” howled Willow, clutching her severed arm, eyes wide as black blood spurted out of a stump where her elbow should have been. Her arm lay at her feet, her talons twitching.
Willow looked more in shock than in pain. She picked up her arm and swung it around like a sword. “Kill her!” she bellowed.
Alexa sprung forward towards Milo, but a demon stood in her way.
Howling, the demon backhanded her before she could bring her blade up. The force of the blow sent her flying through the air and landing on her back. She heard a crack as her head hit the floor. Blinking the dark spots out of her eyes, she saw the mass of demons rushing towards her. She blinked again and there was Milo standing above her.
“Get up!” he yelled.
Alexa jumped to her feet just as Milo swung close to the spot where she’d been a moment ago and sliced through a pillar of stacked chairs.
The towering structure swayed and then hundreds of metal chairs came crashing down on the demons, pinning them like mice beneath cats’ paws.
“Let’s go!” Milo seized Alexa’s hand and dragged her with him into a run, just as the sound of metal screeching and chairs being tossed away thundered down around them.
Together, they sprinted across the gymnasium towards the exit.
“I’ll get you for this, Alexa!” screamed Willow behind them. “Do you hear me! You’re dead! Dead! Alexa—catch!”
Alexa flinched as something hit her in the back of the head. She skidded to a stop as Willow’s severed arm plopped to the ground at her feet, its talons still twitching.
She tasted something like bile in the back of her throat as she sprang into a run again behind Milo down the corridors, Willow’s laughter echoing in her ears.
They ran on, never stopping, turning right, then left, and then left again down the halls. Alexa had no idea how or even if he knew where they were going. The hallways were all identical.
Milo turned right and began to sprint in earnest. Alexa put on speed as she heard footsteps right behind them.
“Don’t let them get away!” came Willow’s voice, and Alexa could hear the strain in her voice.
Milo looked behind him. “You need to run faster,” he urged, as his own speed had him ten feet in front of Alexa.
“Excuse me for not having Nephilim legs,” Alexa shot back, fuming. “I’m running as fast as I can.”
“It’s not fast enough! Can’t you hear them? If we don’t reach the pond before they do, we’re finished.”
“Pond? What pond?” said Alexa, galloping behind Milo.
Straight ahead, light spilled from the entrance, and Alexa could make out the street and lamp posts through the open doors. They pelted through the doorway, her soul blade still clutched tightly in her hand as her boots ripped against the wet and slippery snow-covered pavement.
“Where are we going?” hissed Alexa just as Milo sheathed his swords and then hurtled over a metal fence.
“Towards the woods.” He paused and turned. His face was strained. He looked tired and sick. His gaze moved behind her and his expression tightened.
“What?” Alexa stole a look over her shoulder.
Like a sickening black wave, the belphegors came pouring out of the school’s entrance.
Cursing loudly, Alexa threw herself over the fence and jogged to catch up to him. “Oh my god! Milo, you have a death blade in your chest!”
Milo looked down at himself, and a look of mild surprise passed over his face.
“Didn’t you feel it?” said Alexa incredulously.
Milo shook his head. “No, I guess I didn’t.”
“I told you, you have the emotional range of a robot,” said Alexa quickly, and then something occurred to her. “How many more of these did you pull out?” she stared at the death blade, its poison mist curling into the night air.
Milo looked away from her. “I don’t know. I lost count—” And with that, Milo pulled the death blade from his chest and tossed it as quickly as he could. But Alexa saw the pain on his face and the blackened skin around his right palm as the smell of burnt flesh and rot rose around them.
For a moment Alexa forgot about the threat. There was just her, this forest, and Milo. Her chest tightened at the pain on his face, at the lines of tension deepening the angles of his cheekbones. She wanted to take his pain away. She knew his pain was because he had protected her again. They stood face to face, nothing between them but air.
Black blood spotted his cheeks, his nose, his forehead, and down his neck. Part of her wanted to reach out and put her hand over his wound, to keep his essence from pouring out. The other part just wanted to know what it felt like to touch him, to feel his skin beneath her palms.
Alexa felt herself leaning in closer, so close she felt the heat of his body through the many holes in his shirt.
Milo stepped back and wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his shaking hand. “Come on,” he urged, looking a little perplexed at what he saw in Alex
a’s eyes.
But as he turned and took a step forward he stumbled and fell. Alexa winced as his knees slammed into the rock. She rushed over to him, trying hard not to touch his essence that soaked the front of his shirt as she wrapped her arm over his shoulders and helped him back up. Alexa groaned as she pushed up with her thighs, feeling as though she was trying to lift a grizzly bear.
“I’m fine,” said Milo and shrugged away from her.
“That didn’t look fine,” said Alexa.
Milo wouldn’t meet her eyes. “Come on, the pond’s not too far away now.” Pink-colored liquid flowed down his back and his front, pooling in the dips between his chest muscles.
“Milo,” breathed Alexa. She almost dropped to her own knees as she saw the flicker of pain and exhaustion on his face.
“I said I was fine—”
“There they are!” came Willow’s voice behind them.
Alexa turned to see the belphegors thrashing through the trees and coming up fast. Too fast. Even in the darkness she could see the wicked smile on Willow’s face as she thrashed her severed arm like a sword.
“Come on!” urged Milo, and together they ran towards the forest that rose behind the school. Alexa’s body pulsed with adrenaline as they hit the first row of trees. Branches slapped her face, stinging like hot needles.
“How do you know there’s a pond out here in the middle of nowhere?” asked Alexa next to Milo. His pace was slowing, and she wondered whether she should help him.
Without turning to look at her he said, “I saw it on the map back at CDD before we made the jump—” Milo grunted as his foot caught on a tree root, his face pale against the darkness. Every step was an effort.
“Milo,” pleaded Alexa, stumbling in the impenetrable darkness, “let me help you.”
But he was so pale and still bleeding out his essence. Her throat tightened at the damage.
“Don’t stop,” he croaked, as though every word was a struggle. “Don’t.”
Alexa ran. She ran through the barren trees, the brush ripping her clothes and her hair, shredding and biting against the soft skin of her mortal suit.
The trampling from the demons was so powerful they seemed to echo through the forest—like one giant monster. Alexa tripped over a root and slammed into the cold snow. She clawed at the snow and pushed herself up. Milo was only a few paces ahead. Cries echoed in the air and the ground reverberated with the pounding of feet. Unnatural.
Through a break in the trees, Alexa saw a clearing and a hard reflective surface—the pond.
They were so close now. She felt and heard, rather than saw, a belphegor demon break through the trees behind them, the whoosh of his blade as he lifted it, preparing to cleave their heads right there—
Alexa pulled Milo’s arm around her shoulders and, ignoring his protests, put on a burst of speed. She was able to bear most of his weight. She had no idea where this extra strength had come from, but all she wanted was to reach the pond.
She could see it clearly now, oval shaped and covered in a thin layer of snow. The pond. They had made it, and now she had only yards, now a few feet, now—
Milo slumped against her suddenly. His eyes were closed. Alexa cursed as she called upon the last of her strength to pull the heavy angel along with her.
She could almost feel the hot, putrid breath of a belphegor demon on the back of her neck as she flung herself into the air, heaving Milo along with her in a giant leap.
Alexa hit the surface of the pond and felt the ice break beneath her boots.
“Damn you!” came the sound of Willow’s voice.
A smile broke on Alexa’s lips at the thought of Willow’s angry face. It was only a thought as she and Milo plummeted, so fast she had no time to think of anything else before she hit the icy water and was pulled under.
CHAPTER 14
“WILLOW AND THE OTHER ANGELS HAVE ALL TURNED,” said Alexa in a hollow voice later that night in the Counter Demon Division on level five. “That’s what happened to them. They’re not captured or anything like that. They’re turned. They’re not angels anymore. They’re demons.”
“This is worse than I thought,” said the archangel Ariel. “What in the souls are we going to do?” It was the first time Alexa had ever seen Ariel look so distraught, so defeated, and it made her feel nervous.
“We’re faced with more and more fallen angels every day,” said Ariel, “and we can cope with that. But there’s a big difference between angels deserting, and those angels who would cast off their own souls to become those horrific creatures that are now stalking the mortal world. They’re a demon race, warped into tools of such mighty power that we haven’t seen for thousands of years and had nearly wiped from memory.”
Alexa just remembered something.
“What of Erik—I mean—the Sensitives?” she blurted, having completely forgotten about them. “What’s happened to them? Are they all right?”
“Yes. All accounted for. No harm done.”
“Well…” said Alexa. “I’m not sure about that, but I am glad they’re okay.” She thought of Erik and was surprised that the familiar tingling wasn’t there. She was concerned for him, even Rachel, but that’s where it ended. She doubted she’d ever see them again.
“It’s a real shame what happened at Hallow Hall,” said the archangel. “But you mustn’t think it was your fault. No matter what was said.”
“I don’t think pairing angels and mortals was such a good idea.”
“No, I agree with you on that score,” Ariel shook her head. “I feel it was a mistake. It put too much pressure on them. It was much too soon for the Sensitives to be back in service. And I’m sorry for what happened. At least we can take comfort in knowing that they’re safe. Unfortunately, there are still some archangels who believe pairing angels and mortals was a good idea. They think it was worth the risk. But, as far as I know, no arrangements have been made yet, and it will take some time before the Legion finds suitable teams.”
“Thank god,” said Alexa, and she let herself slump a little in her chair.
The archangel Ariel rubbed her eyes with her fingers. When she looked back at Alexa, her face was troubled. “Hades’ influence is far more dangerous than we first thought.”
“So, you think Hades is behind this?” Alexa felt a tinge of blame. If it weren’t for her sacrifice to save Erik, Hades might not have had the necessary strength to rise from the Netherworld. And now they’d never know.
“I believe he has a hand in this, yes,” answered the archangel. “He’s surrounding himself with powerful allies. He can be very… persuasive. Angels, demons, pagan gods, it doesn’t matter to him as long as he gets something in return. Of course, he feels no affection for any of them. He’s just using them. I don’t know what he’s promising the angels that have turned, but he’s definitely using something.”
“The promise of an unlimited supply of souls?” suggested Alexa, leaning forward in her chair and staring at Ariel.
“The angels don’t need him for that,” said the archangel. A shadow passed over her angelic face. Her usually tanned skin was dull and gray looking. “Angels have always been around mortal souls. These angels developed an unclean desire for power and turned against the very souls they swore to protect. There’ve been cases of angels turning, but never so many at once. Belphegors will ravage the Earth and destroy all living things if we don’t stop them.”
Alexa shifted in her chair. She didn’t feel as though she’d successfully accomplished her latest mission. Milo had repeatedly told her there was nothing she could have done to change the angels. Once they were turned into belphegors, there was no going back.
Still, the pagan god Hades was a constant, aching throb in her mind, a giant migraine that never went away. She knew Hades had to die. But the pagan god always seemed to slip away.
Alexa turned away. She couldn’t bear it anymore. Her culpability felt like a crushing weight. After everything they’d done, there was still
no easy way to stop him.
The Counter Demon Division chamber was still empty of its usual packed capacity. There were about twenty angels working, feverishly staring at screens, arguing, and trying to determine the locations of rifts and other supernatural activity. She didn’t recognize any of them, but everywhere she looked there were disconsolate and angry faces.
Ariel read Alexa’s gloom and said, “Looks quite different from when you were first assigned here, doesn’t it? So many empty seats and stations… it’ll get better. It always does.”
“If we stop Hades, we can keep the angels from leaving,” said Alexa numbly, hating the defeated look on the archangel’s face. “I mean, there has to be a way to vanquish him, right? The Legion did it before… we can do it again. Can’t we?”
“The circumstances are different this time around,” said the archangel. “For one thing, he grows stronger the longer he stays in the word of the living. And, with the Helm of Darkness, he’s summoning every dark pagan god and goddesses he can—the ones that want to join him, not to mention the large group of belphegors he has working with him. He’s creating a diverse collection for his army, the ambitious seeking glory and the vile gravitating toward a leader who could show them more refined forms of evil.”
Alexa leaned forward. “But we still can, right? What is it? What are you not saying? Archangel Ariel?” Alexa said very quietly, for Ariel, still staring at a spot on the table, seemed completely lost in thought. “What is it?”
Ariel surveyed Alexa for a moment. “The odd thing, Alexa,” she said softly, “is that angels and demons have been archenemies since the beginning of time. The two are polar opposites—light and darkness, good and evil, if you will. Do you see my point?”
“Not really,” answered Alexa, aware that they now had the attention of a fifty-year-old bald angel who was pretending to type on his keyboard while eavesdropping on their conversation. Alexa glared at him until he got up and moved to another desk.
“When Lucifer rebelled against the Legion,” said Ariel, “and created the first demons, he put all his malice, his hatred for angels and mankind, for all things good, into them. Demons were predisposed to hate and want to kill angels. And, angels are also programed to hunt and kill demons.” Ariel saw the frown on Alexa’s face and added, “Have you not felt the need, felt compelled to act to protect a mortal when faced with a demon?”
The City of Flame and Shadow Page 10