Physical and emotional numbness, the likes of which Alan had never experienced before, washed over him. Kyle and Bobby each took a place on either side of Seraphim and carried, more than helped, her walk from the arena.
Alan felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. It was the female demon whose name he still didn’t know. “Come now, she’ll want to be with you in her final moments.”
Alan allowed himself to be directed back to their underground prison.
Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Six
The phoenix looked agitated as it rustled its feathers and clacked its short beak. “I know,” the Shaman said, “you want to get to your Horseman. However, if he and you are to have a chance, we must awaken Tracy’s steed. You will need every advantage in the battle that is coming.”
Fiery eyes took in every word the Shaman let fall from his lips. Far from consent, the phoenix rustled its feathers again and continued to walk with the small group.
“Where are you going?” Tracy asked.
“To wake your horse,” Ardat said.
“Yes, I’ve gathered that much, but where is he or she? Is it a boy or a girl?”
“He’s male and not far now.”
Tracy let out a pent up exhale. They had been walking for hours, following the curve of the coast. The lighthouse had faded behind them earlier that day and still they continued on.
Ardat on her left and the Shaman on her right with the phoenix, Tracy used the time to gather more information. “Who did you say you are again?” she asked the Shaman.
The old man grinned. “Who I am is much less important than what I am here for.”
“Okay, what are you here for?”
“Both Ardat and I have been brought into your life to give the forces of Light a chance in the battle to come. Ardat to give you the skills you will need and me to tell you things like, ‘we’re here.’”
“What?”
“We’re here,” the Shaman said, stopping on a section of the beach with no distinguishing landmark. The beach went on behind them and in front of them as far as the eye could see, unbroken by any distinct structure.
Tracy looked to the water and frowned. “Okay, so where is this horse?”
“In the water, of course,” the Shaman said. “You didn’t think in a supernatural plane with demons and angels just any horse would lead the Horsewoman of Disease into the battle of the Apocalypse, did you?”
“Well, no,” Tracy said, confused. She looked out into the vast body of water, trying to piece together the Shaman’s cryptic manner of speaking.
“Oh, enough,” Ardat said with a disapproving glance at the Shaman. “She’s already had it hard enough, and her journey will not get any easier with your clues.”
The Shaman shrugged.
“Your steed is a horse that can travel in both water as well as over the land,” Ardat explained. “He’s sleeping in an underwater cave waiting to be woken.”
“Right,” Tracy said under her breath, “in an underwater cave. He couldn’t just be here waiting for me or grazing on grass or whatever horses do.”
“You may proceed,” the Shaman said, extending his hand to the water’s edge. “About chest deep, you’ll find the floor is a shelf that will give way. You’ll have to swim underneath and enter the cave.”
Tracy began unstrapping her shoes. A thought struck her in the middle of tying her long hair behind her. “If you two knew where the horse is sleeping, others must as well. What’s stopping anyone from coming and taking the horse?”
“The gryphon, the phoenix, the dogs, your horse,” the Shaman listed. “They all know when they will be needed for the battle. They cannot be killed or taken against their will. It would be pointless for anyone to try to take one of them unless they are willing to go. Even now, I have no power over the phoenix.”
Tracy’s eyes drifted toward the large red bird. It looked at her in turn and bobbed its head up and down as if agreeing with the Shaman’s words.
“He’s only here now,” the Shaman continued, “because he wants to be. He understands we are his best chance at rescuing his rider.”
Tracy felt goosebumps prickle her skin despite the warm nature of the day. She edged toward the water, hearing her heartbeat thunder inside her chest. Her internal voice screamed the insanity of the situation. What are you doing? What if you lose your breath or drown down there? What if this has all been a mistake and the horse kills you or something. What if …
Her thoughts were interrupted as Ardat’s voice broke the silence. “I’ll go with you.”
Tracy stopped just before her feet touched the water. She turned to give Ardat a look of surprise. “Really?”
Ardat was already tying her hair in a knot and taking off her own boots. “Why not? There are no rules that say otherwise, unless you think you want to go by yourself.”
“No, no”—Tracy threw up both hands and vigorously shook her head—“I’d love it if you came. Thank you, Ardat.”
Ardat ignored the words of thanks and joined Tracy at the water’s edge. “Yes, well, we can’t have you drowning before the fight even starts.”
Tracy found herself smiling at the hardened warrior. She couldn’t help but feel that Ardat was beginning to warm up to her.
It was a fleeting thought as Ardat walked into the water, not slowing against the chill of the liquid. Tracy set her jaw and followed.
The water was cold enough to make Tracy want to jump back. She steeled herself. Ardat was already waist deep and still continuing forward. One of the driving factors that made her move one foot in front of the other was not wanting to disappoint her mentor. In the short time Tracy had with Ardat, she already sensed a bond that could only be described as necessary.
The water grew deeper and deeper until the two women stood side-by-side, chest deep. Tracy was doing her best not to shiver in the frigid water. Ardat didn’t even seem to notice she was in water.
“Are you ready?” Ardat asked.
“Is ‘no’ an option?” Tracy said.
“Not anymore,” Ardat said with the hint of a smile. “The next step will bring us to the end of the shelf. Take a deep breath and follow me. You’ll be fine.”
Tracy nodded, taking in a long breath of air. She watched as Ardat took a step forward and was lost under the water. Well, it’s now or never, she thought to herself.
Tracy took a step forward; instead of her foot hitting the soft sand floor, it continued to sink into the depths of the water. Tracy felt the water lap over her head as she sank.
Blinking away the bubbles that accompanied her submersion, Tracy fought back, exhaling the precious air in her lungs. All around her, another world teemed with underwater life. Colors, so bright they almost made her eyes hurt, greeted Tracy at every turn. Coral the colors of the rainbow extended out beneath her as fish she recognized and others she didn’t examined her with curious eyes.
Ardat was already yards ahead of her, swimming deeper into the exotic world below. Tracy tore her eyes away from the wonder around her and followed. Light from the sky above cut through the liquid as clear as day. The water didn’t bother Tracy’s eyes in the least, a fact she attributed as part of the supernatural realm’s magic.
Awe soon turned to worry as Tracy let out a small portion of the precious air fighting to escape her lungs. Ardat had reached the bottom of the sandy floor and was swimming alongside a school of silverfish, toward an open cave mouth.
Tracy kicked harder while forcing her arms to take long strides in the water. Fighting panic, she followed Ardat into the massive cave entrance.
The outside of the cave was made from a dark-red coral that was home to a variety of sea life, including slimy-looking eels and large-eyed crabs.
Her lungs were beginning to burn as Tracy entered the darkness of the cave. Inky blackness surrounded her on every side. Her worst nightmares were being realized. Ardat was lost to sight in the darkness. In the next few seconds, Tracy’s lungs were demanding fresh air.
Tracy had no choice but to let the precious last few ounces of air escape her lips. The realization of her situation was tearing at her mind. Death in an underwater cave was becoming a very real possibility.
Her body and mind were locked in a power struggle. Her mind telling her to hold on and not to open her mouth to the water around her, while her lungs demanded the oxygen they needed to survive.
Just when Tracy was beginning to lose all hope, a light cut through the blackness. Tracy forced her arms and legs to work as she followed the illumination. A second later, her head broke the surface. She had never taken a breath so big. Tracy found herself treading water as she sucked down large gulps of air.
“Thought I lost you for a moment, “Ardat said from somewhere to Tracy’s right.
Tracy looked up, examining her surroundings for the first time. They were inside a gigantic cave. Green light in every shade surrounded them. The illumination came from an army of bright crystals that hung from the ceiling and sprung up from the ground in an uneven pattern.
Ardat was standing on a ledge that led deeper into the cave. She was squeezing water from her long, dark hair. Tracy swam to the edge and pulled herself onto the rough stone floor.
“He’s not far now,” Ardat said, beckoning to an exhausted Tracy.
Tracy nodded and pushed herself to her feet, ignoring the fatigue that was begging her to rest. The soles of her feet made contact with the rough floor cutting into her skin. Tracy pushed the discomfort from her mind as she continued forward. The light inside the cave was warping shadows in such a way that every direction she looked seemed to be harboring mythical monsters and beasts from childhood stories.
This kind of fear was easy for Tracy to fight back, compared to the breathing that soon began. It sounded like a giant was lying somewhere deep in the cave. The noise of the deep inhales and exhales reverberated off the walls. Tracy was already shivering from the cold water. Now fear added to the experience unfolding around her.
Tracy checked behind her to make sure Ardat was following. Her mentor met her concerned eyes with a firm look. “He’s just around the corner now. No fear, Tracy. If we are to see this to the end there will be no room for weakness.”
Tracy gulped as she came around a sharp turn along the cave path and stopped in her tracks. The source of the breathing lay in front of her. An emerald-green creature was lying on its stomach. Bright green eyes open, it was looking directly at Tracy.
Air caught in her throat, not unlike her recent near-drowning experience minutes before. Tracy’s mind fought to understand the animal lying in front of her. It was massive; the body of a horse, with a long, straight horn that came from its forehead, reminding Tracy of a unicorn. Its mane was long and unkempt with seaweed strands tangled in its hair.
Tracy wasn’t sure how long she held the animal’s stare. Its eyes were just as intelligent as any human’s Tracy had ever seen.
It was like a piece of her she never knew was missing was somehow found.
The animal snorted and stood, shaking its strong muscular body. Water sprayed in every direction. Panic once again spread through Tracy’s body as the beast moved toward her.
As it moved to just a few feet from her, Tracy was struck by how colossal the horse really was. The top of her head only came to the center of the horse’s chest. A gigantic head lowered before Tracy could think to move in fear of the animal. A soft muzzle pushed against Tracy’s arm as the horse tried to maneuver its large head under her touch without stabbing her with its long horn.
Despite her fear, Tracy laughed. With a tentative hand, she stroked the horse’s wet neck.
“I wish we could afford you more time to connect with your steed,” Ardat said from behind Tracy, “however, the Shaman would be warning us of haste if he were here.”
Fear was quickly melting to wonder as Tracy continued to stroke her steed’s head and mane. “I understand.” Tracy shuddered at the thought of having to once again submerge herself in the cold black water and swim back to the surface.
She was saved by Ardat’s next words. “I’ll swim back. Your steed will take you wherever you want to go now that you have found him.”
Tracy looked up at her green horse again in disbelief. She was still in shock that a beast of this nature existed. She hadn’t even connected the dots that led to her riding the animal. “How—and how do you suggest I go about riding him?”
There was no response.
Tracy looked back to catch Ardat’s form disappearing around the cave corner. “Great,” she said to her horse. “I guess it’s just you and me figuring this one out.”
The horse tousled its mane before kneeling on all fours. It let out a loud nicker that reverberated off the cave walls. Tracy stood with large eyes. Somehow, she knew the animal wanted her to climb on its back. Hands shaking with anticipation, Tracy moved to obey. The horse’s back was so wide, even with it kneeling on all fours, Tracy still had a hard time getting her right leg over the animal. Her bare feet dangled a yard off the ground on either side.
“Wow!” Tracy shouted as the horse sprang to its feet. It rushed through the cave and straight for the water.
Tracy clung to the horse’s wild mane that slapped her in the face. Along with Tracy’s screams echoing in the cave, the horse’s heavy footfalls sounded like gunshots as he ran.
Rider and horse approached the water in a sprint. Tracy managed to find time to let out one last scream before taking a huge gulp of air. The horse seemed to be enjoying the event as it launched itself through the air and into the dark water below.
Icy pinpricks touched her skin as Tracy leaned close to the horse and held on for dear life. If it was possible, it seemed the horse was traveling faster through the water than on ground. The darkness of the cave passage was behind them in seconds. Light from the sun above welcomed Tracy as she chanced a look at her horse’s tail and feet.
In the place of the legs and hooves she had seen only moments before, strong whale-like flippers protruded from its body. Instead of a long tail made of hair, a tail like a dolphin beat the water behind them.
Tracy was trying to understand what she was seeing when they broke the surface. What had taken Tracy what seemed like minutes to travel to the cave was now over in the course of seconds.
“Ahhhh, there you are,” the Shaman said with a wave. “I see all is well.”
Tracy gave the Shaman a half nod as she looked at the horse’s legs through a tangle of her wet hair. Without missing a beat, the horse swam to the water’s edge. As soon as walking on ground was an option, flippers and tail reverted back to their natural states with a shimmer.
“This is crazy,” Tracy said as the horse trotted toward the waiting Shaman and phoenix by his side.
“Just wait.” Shaman smiled. “You haven’t seen anything yet.”
---
Traveling down to the Temple dungeon beside Raphael was nerve racking. Danielle wanted no part of a conversation with Gabriel, neither did she want to witness the first conversation between the two Archangels since their conflict.
“Are you sure I need to be part of this?” Danielle asked. “I mean, it seems pretty personal and I’d hate to get in the way.”
Raphael turned to her with a shake of his head. “No, please come. Two heads are better than one. Besides, either way the decision lands, it should be decided by both an angel and a human. We are in this together now, one race as much as the other.”
Danielle gulped as they continued to travel down the long corridor. Torches lit on either side of the hall casting sinister shadows on the walls didn’t help alleviate the dread she felt in the pit of her stomach.
As Danielle was considering quietly slipping into one of the many halls they passed, they rounded a corner and stood in front of a heavy door with a pair of guards on either side. Raphael’s position didn’t even require him to give an order. Both guards gave stiff salutes and rushed to open the door for them.
Each guard removed a key from a chain
around their necks and inserted it into a thick lock. The two locks stood feet apart on either side of the closed door. With a rough grating noise that made Danielle stuff her fingers in her ears, the tumblers opened. The door swung slowly toward them, revealing a second cell within.
Raphael didn’t hesitate even the slightest bit as he entered the stone prison. Danielle took a deep breath and followed.
Much like the hall leading to Gabriel’s prison, the cell was lit by blazing torches set on either side of the wall. A dozen yards into the chamber, a steel gate separated them from their prisoner.
Bound by long chains that attached to both his ankles and wrists, Gabriel stood with a smug smile. One of the collars Gideon created to cancel out the use of supernatural powers was firmly attached to Gabriel’s neck. “Well, look who it is,” Gabriel said. “The Archangel who said he would never be again … and here he is again. Retirement not treating you well, brother?”
Raphael ignored the question. He stood with arms crossed over his chest, examining Gabriel up and down. “You’ve fallen a long way, Gabriel.”
Gabriel shrugged. “One has far to fall when he has positioned himself atop the mountain. If it weren’t for your little reentry into the conflict, I would be sitting the victor. I thought you were beyond being convinced to reenter the fight. Tell me, who was it that persuaded you otherwise? Certainly not Michael.”
“A Horseman reminded me of someone I lost and others I could still save,” Raphael said as if he were remembering a particularly painful memory from his past.
“Ahhhh … Alan Price; I have greatly underestimated that young man,” Gabriel said, pursing his lips. “Well, what is it that you want? I have walls to stare at and curses to yell at the guards outside my door.”
“I want to know if you are past saving,” Raphael said simply.
“You what?” Gabriel asked.
Raphael motioned to Danielle. “We are here to speak with you and decide if you merit another chance or if we should leave you here in your cell with all your stones to number.”
The Complete Archangel Wars Series: A Shared Universe Series (The Archangel Wars) Page 64