by Vox Day
Holli swallowed hard. She did not like stories without happy endings, and this one did not sound promising. She felt the pressure of tears threatening to spill, and wiped irritably at her eyes. She was not going to cry, not in front of all these people, but it was so hard not to feel sorry for the kindly, beautiful Lady.
“Long ago, I was given a key to the doors of this place,” Holli heard the Lady say as she reached into the bodice of her purple robe and withdrew a large key suspended from a silver chain. “And on that day it was as pure and crystal clear as the Tower itself.”
As the Lady lowered her head and slipped the chain off her neck, candlelight from the chandelier sparkled golden-red from the key’s glassy surface. But when she raised her hand and held it aloft, Holli saw that it was not a trick of the light, that the key itself was now a deep shade of red. No longer clear, it was as if the key had been carved from a giant ruby.
There were many gasps of shock and dismay as the Lady’s demonstration provoked much whispering amongst the people in the hall. Their murmured conversations were quickly stilled, though, as the Lady rose from her throne and slipped the chain back around her neck.
“This is the sign that the Lord will no longer withhold His judgement from Ahura Azhda and all its people. On that day, which comes even as I speak, the Almighty will cleanse this world with the righteous fire of His wrath. But be brave, my children, for are we not His people? And though we have been unfaithful, He is true and His promise still remains. Though we shall perish with the rest of this world, we will live forever before His eternal throne. We are fortunate, indeed, the most fortunate of mortals, for we have lived to see His victory!”
Holli blinked, and the tears that were pressing at her eyes began to slide down her cheeks, despite her best efforts to resist. She was not ready to die, and she didn’t belong to the Lady’s God. And even if she did, it didn’t sound like that would make any difference anyhow.
“Blessed be the Name of the Most High God,” she was surprised to hear a man’s voice call, and his cry was echoed by others shouting praises to the Lord. A woman’s voice lifted in song and soon the hall resounded with a simple hymn that was mournful, but to Holli’s surprise, seemed at the same time joyful, a cry for help that was also victorious.
Oh, God
Oh, God
As we pray
As we pray
The singing reminded Holli of the school that saved them from the first attack of evil. There were no guitars, no drums, no instruments at all, but she could feel the same powerful electricity in the air, binding the people together as if they were a choir, or an army. It made her feel a little better, but not that much.
The people of the Crystal Tower sang with determination, and their voices echoed from the crystal walls. They repeated the same refrain over and over again. Holli turned away, unable to look at them, and saw a familiar figure part the thick curtains at the end of the hall. He entered cautiously, a travel-stained man wearing a green cloak.
Oh, God
As we pray
The people did not react, but the Lady saw the man and raised her hand, quieting the people. Holli drew in a sharp breath as she realized that the man was no Prince Charming come to rescue her. As he walked slowly towards her and she saw the narrow features of his drawn face, she knew that he brought bad news. His eyes were bleak, promising not love and life, but suffering and death.
“Hail, Bel Mavor,” the Lady called out. “Hail, Stormcrow.”
Holli started. Bel Mavor? She’d heard that name just a second ago. Why, it was the Lady’s son? Why wasn’t she glad to see him then?
The green rider seemed to be surprised himself. He stopped dead in his tracks.
“I am not your enemy, Lady,” he insisted. “I know you must think me a traitor, mother, but I promise you, that is not the case.”
“Neither call me Lady, nor mother, for you are no longer mine. I know that you have sold yourself to another, to the one who hungers to grind this Tower into the ground.”
Holli winced at the Lady’s harsh words. Beside her, she felt Jami shift uncomfortably.
“The King of Prometheon does not desire your destruction, Lady. I have spoken with him, face to face. He assured me that he is deeply concerned for the Tower, for its own fate and the fate of its people. Lord Matraya will protect you from the coming storm you fear, if only you will submit yourself to his protection.”
“Words,” spat the Lady. Holli could tell she didn’t believe him.
“Not words,” the rider insisted. “I told him that you would doubt me, and so he agreed to offer his surety under the sanctity of his seal. Look!”
He withdrew his right hand from the long sleeves of his cloak and extended it towards the throne. He held his hand upright, exposing a symbol branded upon his palm.
Holli couldn’t quite make it out from where she was standing, but thought she saw what looked like an eye or perhaps a sun branded in the scar tissue marking the man’s hand. It was clear, though, from the Lady’s angry reaction that she knew very well what it was and what it represented.
Her nostrils flared and a steely edge of fury glinted from her eyes as she pointed a slender finger at her son. Her anger was breathtaking, and made Holli feel like cowering herself. Her voice was colder than death as she shouted at him.
“Close thy hand ere I have it stricken from thee, nameless one!”
“Lady, I only thought to save…” Bel Mavor stammered. “Lord Matraya—“
“The king of this world would do well to look to his own, for we have no need of his aid. Tell him so, for he shall no more protect Ahura Azhda from the doom that is foretold than the doe protects her yearlings from the lion.”
Her son bowed his head, cowed by his mother’s fury. Holli didn’t know why the Lady was so mad, and couldn’t help feeling sorry for him. He wasn’t particularly handsome, but the misery in his eyes was somehow appealing.
“I will tell him, Lady,” she heard him say.
“And as for you,” his mother stated with clenched teeth, “whose name I will not utter, I have only this to say. When the ocean burns away into the night, when the very stones shatter before the terror in the air, when the sky itself falls down upon you, look into your heart and face the truth at last. Perhaps it will not be too late for you, I cannot say. Now go!”
Holli thought Bel Mavor looked sick as he turned away from the Lady. His narrow face was nearly as green as his cloak, and his shoulders slumped like someone carrying a heavy weight on his back. She watched as he walked slowly towards the end of the hall, his head down to avoid meeting anyone’s eyes. But when he reached the heavy curtains at the entrance, his back straightened with a sudden jerk and he turned around.
“There are no ears so deaf as those that will not hear,” he shouted in a deep, scary voice that was different than before. “The Auroran levies are in the field. They march this way, avowing your destruction, only hours behind me. The Sons of Pride are born, Leviathan is free, and the Gates of Heaven have fallen before the Son of the Morning. Fight or fly, as you will, but you will not stop this new dawn, nor can you stop the sun from rising!”
Alarmed, Holli looked at Jami. Her sister’s face was white with shock and fear, and Holli’s heart sank. She had no idea what was going on, but it sure didn’t look like it was going to have a happy ending. Not for her, and not for anyone.
Chapter 16
Shattered Crystal, Broken Glass
The virgin of Israel is fallen; she shall no more rise: she is forsaken upon her land; there is none to raise her up.
—Amos 5:2
Jami watched the curtains close behind the green cloak of the Lady’s son with a feeling of despair. She didn’t know a lot about Ahura Azdha, but she had learned enough in three days to know that they were in trouble. The king of Prometheon, Lord Matraya, was as strong as he was evil, and the Lady’s doom-filled prophecy left her with no doubt that they were dead.
At Lady Tiphereth’s comm
and, the hall was quickly emptied as the people of the Tower hurried to prepare their defenses. Only she and her sister remained with the Lady, but the Lady did not speak to them. She was silent and her eyes were closed, and Jami thought maybe she was praying. Maybe it would even do them some good, Jami hoped. But considering her earlier words, that didn’t seem too likely.
Her heart leaped when the angels appeared. Khasar was first, wearing his handsome human form as he flickered into sudden visibility. He was followed by three others, then by a fourth, a tall and beautiful angel with muscles that rippled like molten bronze. His glowing radiance cast even the Lady Tiphereth into shadow, and Jami found it hard to take her eyes off him.
“Khasar!” Holli cried upon seeing the Archon. She rushed to greet him, and embraced him warmly.
Jami was really happy to see him too. The enemy was on its way to the Tower, but maybe they could get out of this mess on Khasar’s back.
“I am sorry, Lady Holli,” Jami heard Khasar apologize as he extricated himself and made a formal bow. “I failed to protect you from Bilethel.”
“Oh, Khasar, it’s all right. It was just, like, a bump on the head.”
“Might have actually done her some good,” Jami teased.
Holli shot her a dirty look, but she didn’t get the chance to respond, as the Lady raised her voice and addressed the angels.
“Servants of the Most High God, I thank you for your faithful service over these many years. But all things mortal must come finally to their end, and for this Tower and its people, that time is at hand. Our purpose here is done, and soon we shall go joyfully before the throne of the King.”
The beautiful, bronze angel stepped forward.
“Lady, shall we not fight for you?”
“Ah, Lokhael, how I shall miss you, my fearless champion, until we meet again in Heaven.” The Lady took his hand and pressed it against her cheek. “But this battle is not yours.” She gracefully indicated the two girls at her side. “Stand by them as you have stood by me, that is the last charge I lay upon you.”
Lokhael bowed his head slowly. His radiance was undimmed, but his shining face was full of grief.
“It shall be so, even as you command, Lady.”
The Lady glanced at the other angels. “Nor is this charge yours alone, my friend, it is for all of you. The Ladies are in great danger, though they know it not, and they face an evil that is beyond my power to rebuke. Khasarotjofee has no doubt told you that Lord Matraya seeks to capture them, and sends great spirits, such as the fallen Bilethel, forth to hunt them.”
Lokhael nodded solemnly, as did his companions.
“Lady, can’t you come with us?” Jami asked. It looked like they were going to escape after all. She felt really sorry for the people of the Tower, but it was a huge relief that they weren’t going to have to stay here and die with them.
“That I cannot do. My place is here, with my people.”
“But you can’t stay here! You said they’re going to kill you, all of you,” Holli cried, her eyes brimming with tears. “There’s five of them, and Khasar can carry us just by himself!”
The Lady only smiled, and Jami shook her head, amazed by her calmness in the face of her approaching death.
“Are you sure, Lady,” she had to say. “I know you said that it was kind of your fault and all, but what good will it be if you just get killed?”
“What good will it serve?” Lady Tiphereth sounded almost amused. “It will serve the highest purpose of all, Jami. There is no higher call that I could answer than this, to lay down my life for God. I do not fear my death, I welcome it. You see, in this fragile flesh I cannot approach my God face to face.”
She gently stretched out a hand to wipe away a tear from Holli’s face.
“Believe me, child, I know whereof I speak. I have seen spirits in their fiery realm and they are terrible indeed. How much greater, then, is the glory of the Almighty? No, if my heart bleeds, it is for you, who are left behind, to carry on the struggle against the shadow.”
“But we don’t know what to do, Lady,” Jami protested. “We don’t even know where to run!”
The Lady did not answer her directly, instead she turned first towards the angels.
“In my dream, the second serpent rose out of the sea before the rising sun. Take them East, towards golden Aurora. Children, do not trouble yourselves overmuch, because God will guide you. But I can give you these, the gifts that the angel of the Lord gave to me so long ago.”
The Lady gently placed her hands on Holli’s shoulders, which shook as she tried to stop crying.
“I have not known you long, lovely child, but I see that your heart is good and kind. I give you the eyes that the fiery spirit once gave me, that you should be able to see spirits and see as well into the hearts of men. This gift is a hard one, for you will not only see angels, but devils and the lies that lurk behind many smiles. And yet you must not judge; you may find that to be the hardest part of all.”
“Thank you, Lady,” Holli tearfully replied. “I will, I mean… I’ll try not to.”
Jami stared at the floor, envious and relieved at the same time. The Lady’s gift sounded pretty cool, but that whole not-judging thing? Even when you knew for sure that somebody was lying to you? She shrugged. It was probably a good thing Holli was stuck with it, not her.
She held her breath as Lady Tiphereth turned her violet eyes towards her.
“You, my dear Jami, have a lion’s heart and a lion’s pride. Two sides of the same coin, perhaps, but one path leads to light while the other ends in darkness. Humble yourself before the Lord and all will be well with you, for the fear of the Lord is truly the beginning of all knowledge.” The Lady reached out and touched her forehead lightly. “My gift to you is this, the word of command that spirits of good and ill must needs obey. Use it wisely, and always remember that this authority comes not from me, but from the Lord.”
Jami bent down and kissed the Lady’s ring, as she had seen the guardsmen do. When she straightened up, she was glad to see that the Lady looked pleased.
“I’ll remember what you told me,” she promised solemnly.
“My blessing upon you both,” the Lady said softly. “Now go, quickly, for there is little time!”
“We can’t leave by ground,” Khasar growled as he released his grip on Jami’s arm. Jami rubbed at it gingerly, wondering if she had a bruise that would show. The Archon was in a huge hurry, and had half-dragged her up the central staircase. “Bel Mavor lied. Matraya’s army already has the Tower surrounded.”
They had reached the top of the staircase and were standing in a small hallway that led to several small rooms. Khasar led them into the easternmost room, and, once safely past the doorframe, transformed back into his lion form. The Lady’s bronze champion, Lokhael, walked past him to the far side of the room and threw open a large window. Jami stared at him, confused. It was big, but it was definitely not big enough for the Archon to pass through.
“Get on my back,” Khasar told Holli. “Jami, you ride with Jhoforael.”
Holli meekly complied, but Jami protested, even as the big angel beside her blurred and shifted form into another blue-winged lion. He looked a lot like Khasar, but his fur was white instead of golden-yellow.
“You can’t get through there! It’s too small!”
“Get on!” Khasar roared, and Jami, startled into obedience, climbed quickly onto Jhoforael’s back.
She winced and held her breath as Khasar hurled himself at the open window with her sister aboard. Holli screamed, and there was a massive crack as the Archon struck the sides of the window. Then glass exploded outwards like a crystal waterfall as the force of his leap smashed a huge hole in the side of the Tower.
Thousands of razor-sharp shards of glass rained down, and Khasar spread his wings wide. He flew in a tight circle, turning about to face them. Jami finally exhaled. Khasar was clearly unharmed and the little idiot that was her sister was grinning cheerfully at he
r.
“Come on, Jami!” she shouted. “I double-dare you!”
Jami ignored her.
“Hey, you might want to watch your wings, huh?” she murmured to Jhofor. “That hole’s big enough, no need to add on to it.”
“Keep your head down,” the Archon replied in a deep voice as he gathered himself on his haunches.
Jami ducked down as far as she could, but the jagged edges of glass came way too close to her head for her comfort. But they were safe, or at least as safe as you could be flying high up in the air without an airplane around you. She felt the wind blowing her hair, and steadfastly refused to look down as they began their flight to the east.
“Oh, no!” she heard Holli cry as the angels found their rhythm. “The Lady! The Tower!”
She craned her neck around and looked back to the west. Wow, she thought. These guys fly really fast! They were already more than a mile away from the Tower, but were close enough to see that the enemy army had crossed the river and was already attacking. The enemy warriors looked like ants as they swarmed up the glassy building in such numbers that it seemed that the whole thing would crack and crumble before their weight.
What was happening inside the Tower? The thought sickened her, and she was thankful that they were too far away to see the last bitter struggles of the Lady and her people.
Then she slammed her head into the back of Jhofor’s big, blue-maned skull as he abruptly turned his wings up and came to an unexpected stop in the sky.
“Ow!” she complained, rubbing at the side of her head. These angels sure tended to be a little rough. At least it wasn’t her nose again. “Why did you stop?”
“Shhh!” the Archon commanded as Lokhael began to sing in a deep bass.