Empyreal

by Helsel, Spencer

  Elder Jeduthun arrived . “What happened? How did these demonic insurgents get in?”

  Ethan sighed. “Elder, please, if we thought for one minute this would happen—.”

  “Then obviously, you thought wrong.” He raged furiously. “By what avenue did they enter?”

  “The river, sir.” Dani spoke up, feeling better with the panacea coursing through her. “There’s a portal—a ladder—leading to the Hellfire Club. We didn’t think any demons could get through.” She burned with shame. “We thought wrong.”

  The look of contempt on Jeduthun’s face was enough to make her avoid his gaze. Looking at herself in the pool, she felt more like she deserved what had happened to her. It was partly her fault. They didn’t tell anyone. Now people were dying.

  “I see.” Jeduthun scowled. “This is not the first ladder. Numen of many generations have used such things. But after this attack, I’m sure you’re aware of the gravity of not informing us.”

  But it wasn’t just anger on his face. It was his own shame. He skipped over talking about it when Nathaniel was poisoned. She noticed the frowning at the edges of his mouth. It took her a second to notice the guilt.

  He knew Judah. He knew what kind of place Judah ran. It wasn’t far-fetched to think he knew of a way to the Hellfire Club. Which meant the guilt was his. He let this happen, too.

  “We must continue to help the wounded.” He said bitterly.

  “Elder, there is more.” Ethan spoke up. “The demon that leads them, the one who attacked Nathaniel and killed Titus, is here in the Citadel. It got past our defenses.”

  Jeduthun cursed. Dani asked, “Is everyone accounted for?”

  “There are dozens missing. There is no way to tell. That doesn’t even include the centaur Hellions or Lady Alecto.”

  “The centaurs have been called.” Dani reassured him. “But I haven’t seen Lady Alecto. Is she staying in the Keep?”

  “Her quarters are nearby in the Citadel. I will dispatch someone to her. In the meantime, we must deal with this threat. There are many likely places it could attack. I’ll send soldiers to the most probable sites, but any force will be substantially small.”

  “We can help.” Ethan said. “There are a few of us unhurt. We can help.”

  “I cannot ask that of you.”

  “You are not asking.”

  Jeduthun didn’t waste time arguing. “We do not have anyone protecting the Fane.”

  “Why the Fane?” Dani asked.

  “It is the center of our reverence.” Jeduthun told her. “If the enemy wishes to strike a moral blow, it could be there. There is a side exit from the Keep. Daniella’s Guardian, Mastema, should know the way.”

  “I’ll take as many as I can.” Ethan promised.

  “Thank you. I will inform the other Elders. We need to secure this Keep.” Jeduthun left.

  “I’m coming.” Dani stood shakily.

  “No, you are still weak.” Mastema told her. “The panacea is working, but you are not ready to fight.”

  “Oh screw you!” Dani shot back. “I’m not letting my friends die while I sit around and wait. Let me help.”

  They didn’t want her to go, but like smart boys, they knew better than to argue. “Fine. But you protect yourself. No more heroics.”

  “How about heroine-ics?”

  “Don’t get snippy.”

  “Well, if she’s going, then I am.” Dink said.

  Bouden chimed in. “Me too.”

  “Me three.”

  Nathaniel appeared, newly dressed in his raiments and carrying his axe. He looked much better than when Dani last saw him, but like her, he wasn’t one hundred percent yet.

  Mastema shook his head. “We should attempt to recruit more than the sick and the wounded. I do not plan on dying this evening.” ______________________

  They took three Powers and two Gatekeepers out the side entrance with them. Dink armed up with more arrows and Mastema forced Dani to take another dose of panacea. The alchemists worried about taking too much, as there would be side effects, but considering where she was going, she didn’t. Sneezing, running nose, watery eyes; who had time to worry about that now?

  The Fane wasn’t far. They moved through the empty Gardens; no sign of demons here yet. The elementals that usually dwelled here were missing. The sounds of battle in the distance weren’t encouraging, either. They slipped inside the Fane. The many lanterns cast an eerie glow similar to the fires outside stoked by the demonic. Dani didn’t like that kind of foreboding.

  “Stagger out!” Ethan ordered, taking charge. “Dink, Bouden and the archers take position up top near the shrine. Dani, Nathaniel, I want you both nearby to protect them. And don’t question.” He pointed specifically at Dani. He was keeping her back and she knew it. “Everyone else form a semi-circle near the door. Engage as necessary. We hold here until they come or until the Keep signals the all clear.”

  Everyone moved to their assigned positions. Nathaniel smiled genially. “You look like hell.”

  “Speak for yourself. What the hell are you doing here?”

  “I’m not staying inside when everyone I care about is outside.”

  “Me neither.”

  “Glad we feel the same way.” Dani blushed and he added. “Not that you feel the same way. I know you don’t. That’s not what I meant. What I meant was that we feel the same way about other people. People other than us, I mean. Friends, really. I—” he paused, embarrassed. After all the things that had happened, it was still high-school-crush awkward. “How long before this isn’t weird anymore?”

  “Well, if we survive this, we have a really long lifespan. So, conservatively? Let’s call it a century.”

  “Awesome.”

  “Shut up, Nate.”

  He smiled.

  They stationed on the ramp to the shrine, facing towards the entrance. The Gardens were quiet and dark. Moonlight filtered down, casting the whole orchard in eerie blues, blacks and greys. Dani tensed, her shoulder aching. Behind her, the three archers readied their bows. Ethan stood alone, he and the other soldiers fanning out at the bottom.

  She smelled them first. Brimstone was easily recognizable now. Just at the edge of earshot, she heard them. Rustling bushes, low growls. She drew her sword, allowing it to glow to life with her fear and determination. Nathaniel’s adamantine buckler expanded into a full, round shield. Ethan drew his longsword. He placed the tip down onto the floor of the Fane, the grip and hilt a T in front of him.

  It landed just outside the sanctuary, cracking the stone beneath its clawed feet. Large, leathery wings flapped in the darkness. The terrifying, nightmare creature hissed, drawing a flail and stygian sword, scraping its talons menacingly.

  The two groups faced one another. Then it howled to the darkness.

  Its fellow demons stampeded from the gloom and poured into the shrine.

  They rushed in; clawing up the sides and leaping while others scurried straight at them. Dink and Bouden fired into the crowd. The demons collided with the front ranks of defenders.

  Ethan moved in one fluid motion. His foot shot forward, kicking the blade up off the ground with one slap to start his swing. His first strike was upwards, connecting with the first wraith; the strike so hard it pin-wheeled its upper body back over its own feet. He stabbed down through and killed it. He kept moving, using large, broad strokes to fend off the approaching imps, parrying their black swords as they folded around him. He turned, swiping left and right to back them away while standing back-to-back with Mastema, guarding one another.

  The first one to break through, a snaggle-toothed imp, scrambled up the ramp towards them. It swung a large mace at Dani. She ducked. Its swing came around at Nathaniel, who took the blow across his shield and hacked into the back of its shoulder. The demon howled and swung at him again.

  An arrow shaft lanced through its shoulder. Dink notched a second arrow and fired again. This time, the bolt smashed through its forehead and it fell. Dink s
mirked.

  But very quickly, superior numbers pushed the defenders back. Two Numen fell screaming under the monstrous wave. A Gatekeeper armed with a spear and shield attacked the leading beast. The winged demon swiped with the flail. Burning tongs lashed away his shield. He stabbed, nearly impaling it before it leapt into the air. Talons slashed across his back and knocked him to the ground. Deftly, the thing spun, bringing the point of its black blade around through the Gatekeeper’s back, killing him.

  It lashed out with the flail again, hurtling burning gouts of fire at the archers. Dink and Bouden howled as embers sizzled past them. Another archer took the coal to the throat, clutching his neck and falling for good.

  “Dink!”

  They moved in front of Dink as the creature leapt over the fighting. It’s whip cracked again, throwing more fire into the crowd, even wounding some of its own, but it landed before Dani and Nathaniel.

  “Round two, harpy.” Nathaniel raised his shield and axe.

  The demon’s mottled, putrid lips curled with a hiss. Flicking its sword to clean off the dripping blood, it ascended the ramp toward them.

  Nathaniel attacked from the right, Dani from the left. It blocked and parried his axe, then Dani’s empyreal sword. The flail shot out, whipping at her face but she dropped to avoid the sharp spine-tips. She rolled and cut at the wing, but missed. The creature turned, shooting out the opposite wing and striking Nathaniel hard enough to toss him into Bouden a few feet away.

  The demon raised the whip to strike but Dani sliced out with her sword, cutting the tongs from the end. It attacked with its other weapon, the glowing and black steels colliding hard enough to shake Dani’s bones. But she held her ground.

  Bouden drew a short, single-edged straightsword and attacked. He leapt, flying towards it but the demon’s wing lashed out again and struck him mid-air. It threw him aside into the lanterns, which shattered harshly under him, eventually rolling a stop and not moving.

  Dani screamed, attacking again and again with her blade, fending off one blow and then another. They fought uphill, but the creature was faster and more skilled. She was tired. Her arm ached. She wouldn’t last.

  She spotted Nathaniel getting up. If she could survive long enough, they could gang up on it.

  Unfortunately, her momentary loss of concentration cost her. One bat wing lashed around and tripped her foot. Off balance, the demon kicked her and she fell, weapon falling out of her hand.

  “NO!” Nathaniel launched over the lanterns towards them, but stupidly he announced his attack. The demon spun and caught him by the front of his tunic, easily flinging him to the ground hard enough to knock him unconscious.

  Dani tried to get back up but a filthy, clawed foot pinned her back down. The smile on its face oozed joy and pus.

  “Go to hell.” Dani snarled.

  Its eerily feminine voice growled back, “From there.”

  The creature raised its sword, but an arrow bolted through its forearm from behind. The demon howled, turning to find Dink at the foot of Gabriel’s statue, wounded but on his feet.

  He notched another arrow and fired, missing the head and notching another. “Don’t touch her, freak!”

  Dink fired once more but the thing dodged. As it turned, its wing whipped Dani across the temple, smacking her head into the stone walkway. Her vision swam. Then it stalked towards Dink.

  He fired one arrow after another. The creature dodged or blocked every one. It made its way calmly towards him, growling happily in its throat. Dink reached for another arrow, but they were gone. He dropped his bow and drew his short sword, standing his ground.

  Dink struck, trying to decapitate it. The demon blocked and batted away his blade. In one backhanded stroke, it sliced open his chest from collarbone to ribs, then ran him through.

  Dani screamed. Vaguely she wondered why her hands weren’t burning.

  Dink sputtered. His knees gave way, the sword in his chest the only thing keeping him up. The demon pushed the blade in to the hilt and twisted cruelly. He shuddered and the beast cackled joyously, yanking it from his body.

  Dink dropped back with a splash into the pool around the statue’s feet.

  “No!” Dani tried to get up. “No! No! No!”

  The demon turned, smiling. Dani snatched up her sword with a blaze of light, limping after it. It wasn’t fear fueling her anymore. It was anger. She charged; no tact, no plan. Just screaming in rage.

  A wing struck her in the chin. It was too fast to block. Dani tumbled back down the ramp into Nathaniel’s unconscious body.

  The demon launched into the air, up over the statue. It hovered for a second, wings wide, before dropping onto the head. The shrine of Gabriel shattered, raining stone and dust and debris down around it. Dani shielded her eyes.

  Around her, screams and the sounds of battle mixed with the haze of stone-dust. Something shot past her, retreating. Dani drew her dagger, but it was gone. The beast darted from the dust, over the tops of the defenders and into the night air.

  “Nathaniel?” she shook his unconscious form. “Nathaniel?”

  Bouden pulled himself up from the lanterns, painfully crawling over to them. “Is he alive?”

  Nathaniel groaned, coming awake.

  “Yes.” She breathed, relieved, but dread washed over her. She staggered through the haze towards the rubble of the statue. “No! No! No!”

  Her feet splashed into the pool, and then into Dink’s body. Dani fell to her knees. Dink lay with his head against what remained of the feet of Gabriel.

  “No! Please, God, no!”

  But she knew. She knew when she saw his open eyes. She knew when she touched his still-warm, unmoving cheek. She knew when she knelt down next to him.

  Dink was dead.

  Tears blurred her vision until she couldn’t see his face. She cradled his head in her arms; sobbing, shaking, screaming.

  “No!” she moaned wretchedly. “Dink! Dink please! Wake up! Wake up!”

  A voice behind her, softer than she’d ever heard, spoke. “Daniella.” Hands fell on her shoulders, around her arms. “Daniella. Come away.”

  “Get away from me!”

  “Come away.” Mastema whispered. “There is nothing more that can be done.”

  She allowed herself to let Dink go, leaving him in the tranquil pool where he fell; where he saved her. She cried even as she heard Dink’s voice in her memory.

  I just wanted you to know how sorry I am, he said after their first lesson in the Vale. If I could take it back, if I could make it up to you, if I could somehow repay you, I would. I’d do it in a heartbeat. I’d do anything to redeem myself for what I did. I want you to know that.

  She collapsed with grief. Around her, Nathaniel and Bouden were crying as well. Those who survived stood in reverent vigil.

  Mastema whispered. “We must go.”

  “I can’t…” she sobbed miserably. “I can’t leave him…”

  “Daniella, we must. The demon fled, but it took someone. We need to alert the guards before it can flee the city.”

  She tried to swallow her grief, shaking him off. “Wha—What are you talking about?”

  When she looked up into her Guardian’s eyes, she saw something much worse than grief. She saw fear. Mastema never showed fear.

  “Dani, the creature took Ethan.”

  Chapter Forty-Six The Throne Room was chaos. Healers and volunteers ran from one wounded Numen to another. The massive glass pool washed out the bloody bandages.

  The main doors were open. The battle for the bridge was over. Asaph shouted orders to bring more injured inside, even though black and red blood smeared across his armor and one arm dangled against his side. Among the ones brought in, Dani saw centaurs. Wounded and unwounded, they arrived in time to help the Numen. She spotted Nessus with Caesar perched on his shoulder and she ran to them.

  “Dani!” Caesar swooped down and nuzzled her friend. “You’re alive! Thank God! ”

  “What happened?�
�

  “The demons are defeated.” Nessus told her, his sword caked in ash

  and black blood. “Their ranks broke upon our arrival. Their lives were as meaningless as their deaths.” “It wasn’t meaningless. They attac ked the Citadel. Oh God—!” she forgot about Ethan.

  But Mastema hadn’t. Behind her, Elder Asaph shouted over the din of soldiers, “Search party! I need volunteers!” the voices began to quiet. “The filth that led the attack has fled with one of ours! I need volunteers to scour the city! Secure the gates immediately!”

  Hands went up. Groups quickly organized.

  “Who’s missing?” Caesar asked.

  “Ethan.”

  “Oh, Dani!”

  “We just need to find him. He’s alive. That thing won’t kill him. It took him for a reason.”

  Her friend exchanged glances with Nessus in a very human-like way. It didn’t take a genius to figure out they didn’t believe her.

  “He’s alive. I know it.” She insisted. “I have to go.”

  “Dani, your arm is hurt badly.”

  “I have to go. I’m glad you’re both okay.” She left as quickly as she could. She didn’t like what Caesar implied. Getting away from her was the only way she could not think about it.

  Asaph put men into groups and assigned them parts of the city when she got to him. “I wish to volunteer.”

  “You may not.”

  “Ethan is my friend. I want to help.”

  “On orders of your Guardian you are not.” He told her. “You are wounded and in need of treatment.”

  “So are you.”

  “For which I am sorely being ordered to stay as well.” He scowled. “The monster attacked our city. It does us no service if we die of blood loss while searching for the Guardian. I dispatched as many as I can. The gates are sealed. It cannot escape, even by the way it gained admission. We will find it. We will kill it. If Guardian Ethan is alive, we will find him.” He faced her sternly. “You did well today, Novice. The reinforcement by the centaurs turned the tide of the battle. But now, you must rest and heal.”