Alexa could almost feel the hot breath from the creatures licking the back of her neck. She tasted the salty mixture of the blood solution that flowed through her suit, and she could feel the searing pain of more tears in the skin along her legs and her back. Her jeans were wet with her blood, and the freezing cold made them as stiff as metal.
Spots of yellow light bobbed into view and got brighter as they approached them. The light filled her with hope, but the beasts were gaining on them.
Milo faltered, and they fell forward into the snow. She scrambled back up, and Milo pulled her into a run again. She couldn’t see and began to panic again, but Milo held her steady.
A black and white structure like a great crown of rock that had been sculpted from the mountains loomed out of the snow in front of them. As they got closer she could see that it had a Gothic look to it, like an old church with pointed arches, steep-sloping roofs, towers, parapets, and tracery windows. She could just make out a tall tower. And light. Glorious light.
They hurtled over a bridge of stone and ice, through a gatehouse, and under a giant metal portcullis that looked like the mouth of an ice beast. They rushed through a courtyard and toward a large door. Milo slowed, and his legs wavered drunkenly. But just when Alexa feared he was about to fall, Milo put on a last burst of speed, threw himself against the door, and started to smash the knocker against the wood.
“Open the doors! Open the doors!” Milo screamed, as he pounded on the door.
The howling increased. Alexa looked over her shoulder—
A hundred pairs of red eyes shone through the blizzard, and the creatures that were chasing them bounded onto the bridge. Their screams and wails were becoming unbearable.
There was a click and a loud groan as the rusted hinges on the door swung open. Light from inside cut through the darkness around her, and Alexa blinked back her blindness until she could see.
A scarecrow-thin man in a long white linen robe stood in the doorway. He was tall and bald, and Alexa could see his penetrating black eyes under his bushy eyebrows.
He looked down at them from his long hawk nose and said, “You’re late.”
CHAPTER 19
ALEXA ONLY NOTICED THE HOWLING had stopped once she was in the castle. The doors closed behind her, and she was warm. Her ears popped, and the familiar tingling and prickling of tiny hot knives let her know that her body was healing.
In the yellow light of the oil lamps, she could see that she stood amongst carved stone pillars in a vast chamber of gray rock. Like Hallow Hall, the chamber walls were decorated with sigils and symbols she’d never seen before. The limestone tiled floors were also decorated with ornate designs and symbols. Paintings of mortals and demons in famous battles hung from the stone walls, and iron chandeliers dangled between the pillars. Numerous hallways branched out from the chamber. Although the air was warming inside, it was still cold and damp, and it smelled of oil and mildew.
It was a fortress with row upon row of tall stone arches that rose overhead and disappeared into the distance like the orderly rows of trees in an orchard. It was not polished like Hallow Hall or any of the chambers in Horizon. This place was grittier and darker, with hidden secrets in every corner and shadow. She could hear the hum of voices from somewhere inside. She felt like she was standing in Dracula’s castle, and his victims were moaning in their cells.
A puddle of water grew at her feet as she thawed like an ice cube on a hot summer day. She looked up and met a dark scowl from the stranger. He was looking at her like she was an annoying bug. She was not making a good impression.
And then her soul blade slipped from her grip and hit the hard floor with an echoing clank. Alexa had barely bent down when Milo grabbed her wrist. His fingers dug into her skin, and he picked up her soul blade with his other hand. She could see tiny white scars around his eyes and mouth as his mortal body healed itself.
He leaned forward, and when his jaw brushed her cheek she felt tiny thrills ripple through her. He whispered, “Let me do all the talking.”
He flashed her a smile before giving her back her blade, and Alexa nodded as she slipped it into her waistband.
Milo removed his cowl, straightened up and approached their host. He halted just before reaching him and bowed at the waist.
“Elder.”
“Angels,” said the elder.
His voice was deep and had an accent that Alexa couldn’t place. He watched Milo the way a cat might regard a bird that it was considering eating.
He raised a brow. “You may address me as Elder Nicholas.”
Alexa stared at the elder. Although the man’s face was severe and hung in folds and wrinkles, his shoulders were square, and he stood straighter and more alertly than she had expected for a man his age.
“We were expecting you hours ago,” said Elder Nicholas.
His dark eyes rolled slowly over Alexa, inspecting her with such intensity that she imagined he could see through her clothes. It was as though he’d never seen a female angel before, and Alexa had to resist the urge to wrap her arms around her chest.
“I apologize.” Milo adjusted the leather straps around his chest. He raked his wet hair with his fingers. “We were…delayed.”
Alexa swallowed hard. She knew her trip back to Coffin Grove had prevented them from making their rendezvous time. But Milo diverted attention from her and protected her from any blame. She felt ashamed that she never thanked him.
“If you say so,” said Elder Nicholas. He sounded bored and didn’t look impressed. “Who am I to question the words of angels?”
He almost spat the word angels like it tasted bitter on his tongue.
“It was the Legion who requested this visit, not the Elders’ Guild. If you choose not to fulfill your obligations, it is your prerogative.”
His eyes narrowed. “Your hour is late, angels. Come along. The guild is waiting.”
Without another word, the elder spun on his heels and walked away faster than a man his age would be expected to move.
Alexa and Milo followed the elder from the foyer and moved through a jungle of arches that were inscribed with the same sigils of the seven archangel houses. As the three of them passed through the first arch, she realized the voices she had first thought were moaning were, in fact, singing. They were dark, dramatic, and enchanting, like the chorus from some Latin opera. Alexa was drawn to the sound, but Milo gripped her elbow and steered her away.
“Focus, fledgling.”
She didn’t have to look at Milo to feel his scowl, but the singing was just too beautiful to ignore.
Had she been a creature of music in her past life?
She felt a great sadness. She had no idea.
“Unspoken tales,” said Elder Nicholas when he noticed her interest.
He raised his chin higher than necessary. “This one is a poem called The Days of Darkness.”
“It’s beautiful.”
Alexa looked over her shoulder, but she couldn’t see where the singing was coming from. Milo didn’t lessen his grip.
“The guild has many talents,” said the elder in a matter-of-fact voice. “Singing is just one of them.”
They moved under another set of arches and through some giant ancient doors. Elder Nicholas led them into another great oval chamber with countless other corridors, rooms, halls, and strange chambers leading off it. Bookshelves with thousands of books lined the walls and followed the curves of the room. A staircase rose from below, and elegant staircases climbed to an observatory four stories above. Some books looked very old, their covers frayed, and their bindings reduced to a few strings. Some were locked away behind glass cases.
The Deus Septem.
At the sound of their entrance, lined and weathered faces that spoke of many battles turned their way. Some of the elders stood with books in their hands while others sat at small wooden desks writing on old parchment paper with feathered pens. She looked at the desks and at the long rows of silent figures working away
and muffled in their heavy robes.
They had the pale faces of men who had spent years inside with their noses in books. Although the Elders’ Guild was ancient and was peopled by grandpas and great grandpas, their eyes were alert, and like Elder Nicholas they moved swiftly and were light on their feet. At first Alexa thought they were all men, but as she walked amongst them, she realized that women stared back at her, too. They were bald, just like the men, and everyone wore the same shapeless white robes.
Elder Nicholas led them towards the end of the room where a mahogany desk dominated the space. Its legs were carved with angels whose wings gripped each corner of the tabletop. Chairs with black upholstery and silver sigil motifs surrounded it, and an inkwell, pens, papers, and a pair of bronze map dividers lay beside seven ancient-looking books—the Deus Septem.
A bespectacled man as old as dirt sat behind the desk and stared at them from under the countless folds around his eyes. Light reflected off his head, which looked like a mirrored egg, and he looked frail and bent with age. His white robe hung loosely on his thin frame.
An elderly woman rested her hand on the back of his chair protectively, like an overbearing nurse. She was tall, broad-shouldered, and strong. She still looked like an athlete even though she was old.
Elder Nicholas approached the desk and bowed from the waist.
“Elder Hugo. The angels have finally arrived.” His twisted smile made the hairs on the back of Alexa’s neck stick up. She was starting to hate this man.
Elder Hugo stared at Milo. He frowned with eyes that were like slits that had been lost in the folds of his brow. He didn’t look at Alexa at all, and he didn’t give the impression that he’d seen her or that he cared that she was there. She could see his expression change when he saw the strange snake marking on the side of Milo’s neck.
Milo gave no indication that Elder Hugo’s stare concerned him.
He bowed and said, “Elder Hugo. May I start by thanking the Elders’ Guild for letting us—”
“Silence!” shouted Elder Hugo with a voice that was harsh and sounded like the grinding of rocks. He looked furious and astounded all at once.
“You have some nerve showing your face here, tenebris angelus.”
CHAPTER 20
MILO’S JAW TIGHTENED IN ANGER, but when he spoke, his voice was calm and courteous. “I’m here on behalf of the Legion, Elder Hugo.”
“You’re here because I’ve allowed you to come,” said the old man. “Do not make the mistake in thinking otherwise. The Legion of angels has always overstepped its authority with its claim to govern the mortal world. While the Legion has some influence upon the decisions made by the Elders’ Guild regarding matters relevant to our race—final decisions are made by the Elders’ Guild, not by the Legion of angels.”
Elder Hugo leaned forward. “I’m told you were there at Hallow Hall when the innocents were attacked by angels. I want to hear what happened from your own mouth. Why did the Legion sanction these attacks?”
“The Legion isn’t to blame,” said Milo, his voice rising. “The angels who attacked the mortals had been cast out of Horizon. They acted alone. They were under Hades’ instructions.”
“The pagan god?” laughed Elder Nicholas. “How absurd. Angels would never side with a lowly deity with little power. Their egos wouldn’t allow it unless there was something in it for them. Perhaps they thought they could acquire more power by giving in to their inner demon? Did they embrace the darkness in exchange for power? The darkness still has many followers. It wouldn’t be the first time an angel had welcomed the darkness. Am I right, angel?”
Alexa looked from Milo to the elders. She felt like she’d just stepped into some private argument that had begun long ago, something that concerned Milo. She was annoyed that the elders had not even bothered to ask them their names, and that they had behaved as though angels were beneath them, like stains on their bright white robes.
“As I said, we’re here on Legion’s business,” said Milo, barely controlling his anger. “We’re here for the books.”
Pink blotches had appeared on Elder Hugo’s cheeks before he spoke. “Elder Nicholas is right. I don’t believe for a minute that angels would side with a pagan god, no matter which one. Pagan deities are nothing more than a race of greater demons. They were created by the devil himself to instill fear in mortals and to control them better. Once upon a time, the old pagan gods dominated the human world and gained strength by feeding on the blood and souls of their worshipers. But those days are gone. Even if they were to rise again, they lack power. Hades has nothing to offer the angels.”
He tapped his desk with a long skeletal finger.
“Tell me the truth. Why did the angels kill the innocents at Hallow Hall?”
Milo looked at Alexa, and she could see his frustration. She sensed that whatever had been haunting him since the first day they met was somehow about to reveal itself. But if he were about to reveal himself, the moment passed, and the look that protected him like armor returned.
Milo did not reply.
Alexa’s self-consciousness evaporated and while her hatred for this old frog burned in her throat, it also gave her confidence to speak.
“Because they’re looking for something,” answered Alexa.
She stepped around Milo and glared at Elder Hugo. She waited for the old man to look at her before she continued. It took a few seconds.
“A weapon, probably,” she continued. “There’s something in those books that Hades wants. Needs. Something he can use against the Legion. Something to make him more powerful.”
“That’s ridiculous,” said Elder Nicholas although he didn’t sound convinced. “She’s just as mindless as this one.” He gestured to Milo. “Lies from the mouths of angels are still lies.”
Milo had gone still except for the narrowing of his eyes. For a moment Alexa feared he was about to throw himself at Elder Nicholas. But Milo just stood there and said nothing.
Alexa fought the urge to strike him as well and spoke to Elder Hugo instead.
“The Legion would never harm innocent mortals, but I’m guessing you know that already. These were fallen angels, rebels, and they acted alone. Milo and I tried to stop them, but they got away.”
She looked at the books and then back at the elder. “Those angels did despicable things. Terrible things. To me, they are not angels but monsters. And I want nothing more than to kill them myself.”
She looked hard at the old man. “We need to focus on the bigger picture. Hades doesn’t know the books in his possession are copies. But when he learns that they are, he’ll come here looking for them. I guarantee it.”
“Is that a threat, angel?” said Elder Hugo.
The cold, barely controlled anger in his voice almost destroyed her confidence. The woman next to him glowered at Alexa like a mountain lion circling a doe just before it clawed out her neck.
“No, of course not,” said Alexa, taken aback.
“I’m just trying to make you understand how serious this is. Hades and his threat are real. We need to work together. To help one another.”
Alexa knew if Hades got his hands on whatever he was looking for, she’d never be able to vanquish him and her soul would be lost.
Elder Hugo’s smile never reached his eyes. It was the kind of smile a man would wear after he had played a cruel joke on someone.
“I will not hand over our most sacred books just because you ask.”
Elder Hugo pointed his bony finger at Milo. “Especially not to you, tenebris angelus. You are not welcome here.”
Alexa stared at Milo. “What the hell is going on?” she whispered.
But Milo was as taut as a wire next to her. She could feel his tension rippling through his shoulders like the sparks from a downed electrical cable. His expression hardened, and he looked at Elder Nicholas.
“What have you done?”
Elder Nicholas glared at Milo coldly, but his eyes danced with satisfaction.
“Milo?” Alexa felt as if she had walked into an ambush. “Milo, what’s going on? What’s he talking about?”
But Elder Hugo spoke next.
“You think the guild has forgiven you for what you did? For those you killed? The innocent lives you took all those year ago? The innocent women and children you murdered?”
With some effort, Elder Hugo stood up and supported himself on the desk. His body was shaking like a leaf in a breeze.
“Imperet illi Deus, supplices deprecamur,” chanted the old man, intoning a prayer.
Alexa felt a chill in her spine when all the other elders began to recite the prayer alongside him.
“Tuque, Princeps militiae caelestis, Satanam aliosque spiritus malignos, qui ad perditionem animarum pervagantur in mundo, divina virtute, in infernum detrude. Amen.”
Alexa stared at Milo.
“Milo?” she hissed, but he wouldn’t look at her.
Spit flew from Elder Hugo’s mouth as he continued, “Did you think you could come back here and not pay for what you did? Not pay for your sins? Unlike the Legion, the Elders’ Guild will not turn a blind eye to the loss of innocent lives. We cannot ignore your sins. We cannot pretend that none of it ever happened.”
His smiled widened. “Did you think we’d let you leave?”
Alexa felt as though the icy winds from outside had finally reached her. She struggled for breath. She remembered what Hades had said about Milo, that at one time humans had meant nothing to him and just the sight of them disgusted him.
Could Milo really be a murderer of women and children?
His face was so beautiful and pure, the face of an angel. Ever since she’d met him, his actions had only been pure and in the Legion’s best interest. He had only ever tried to keep mortals safe.
Could this angel be what the elders were saying? Could the angel who had protected her be a murderer? Should he be in Tartarus?
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