The Complete Archangel Wars Series: A Shared Universe Series (The Archangel Wars)

by Jonathan Yanez

  Ardat rolled her eyes. “Please, if you’re going, then be gone with you, old man.”

  The Shaman bowed and without the tiniest hint of his departure, he was gone. His form vanished right in front of Ardat’s eyes.

  Ardat stood still for a moment, surprised to actually find herself missing the Shaman’s company. Oh, get over it, she told herself. This experience is making you soft. Remember who you are, remember what must be done.

  Ardat shook off the feeling and once again continued forward. Night was approaching, the sun beginning its slow descent to make way for the moon. Ardat remained content to allow Tracy free rein with her horse. Tracy would need all the practice she could get with the beast before the final fight began.

  Ardat thought of flying, speeding up their travel time exponentially. With Tracy on her steed and the phoenix’s ability to fly just as fast as she could, they would be able to reach Sodom’s camp in hours.

  The only thing that held her back was providing Tracy with as much time as possible to prepare. Even an extra day or two of combat practice could mean the difference between Tracy living through the fight that would decide so much, or not.

  Hope of giving Tracy more time to prepare, however, would not be possible. Ardat saw Tracy speeding toward her first, then the sound of running feet and shouts soon after.

  Tracy brought her green horse to Ardat’s side in a cloud of dirt and kicked-up grass. Her eyes were wide with fear. “They’re—they’re coming. I was riding ahead and they saw me. Another group of warriors, but Ardat”—Something in Tracy’s voice made Ardat look from the oncoming horde to the shaking girl—“they have a monster with them.”

  “Well, then,” Ardat said, looking to Tracy’s horse and the darkening sky overhead, “it’s a good thing we have a monster of our own. How many are there?”

  Tracy shook her head. “Hundreds, maybe a thousand.”

  “This time you’ll need to fight,” Ardat said, turning to gage the strength of the oncoming force herself. Tracy wasn’t exaggerating. There were hundreds of dark figures pouring over the landscape. One in particular was much larger than the others, the monster Tracy had seen.

  “Where’s the Shaman?” Tracy asked as she turned in her seat atop her horse to get a better look at the landscape.

  “Where indeed,” Ardat said under her breath.

  “What?”

  “Never mind, he’s gone now. I need you to focus and remember what I taught you. A certain level of fighting will come natural to you since you are a Horsewoman. Remember your wings are weapons all on their own.”

  Tracy swallowed hard but managed a nod.

  Ardat reached up and stroked the right jawline of the large horse. “Consider why you exist. Do your job. Protect your rider.”

  The horse neighed and stomped the ground with its large hooves, leaving indentions in the hard dirt.

  Ardat redirected her attention back to their enemy. Night was approaching with the enemy. Promises of a fight to come were being whispered with a gentle wind that rustled Ardat’s black robes.

  The sun was all but lost beneath the edge of the landscape as Ardat lifted herself into the air. Extending her arms, she pulled boulders and rocks from every direction until hundreds of them spun around her in a cyclone.

  The enemy could be heard yelling their war cries as they approached at a sprint. There was no doubt in Ardat’s mind they would kill with impunity. They were not here to exchange words. They were here to end Ardat and capture Tracy.

  The mass of warriors was almost in range. Ardat’s eyes traveled over the dark horde to rest on the large figure. He was a giant, a demon with the ability to transform both his size and appearance. This ability would make him a leader within Sodom’s ranks, some kind of captain or major. She would kill him first.

  Spears, arrows, energy bolts, and an assortment of other flying weapons filled the air as the battle began. Ardat stopped them all with a flick of her wrist, turning them and redirecting the volley back on its senders.

  Screams filled the night sky as hundreds of the weapons intended for her found their new mark. The enemy line wavered, all but the giant stopping to reassess their tactics.

  All manner of rocks and boulders still swarmed around Ardat. With a push of both of her hands forward, she sent the cycling mass into the ranks of her enemies, crushing them under tons of stone.

  More yells came from Sodom’s forces, both those of pain and frustration. Ardat smirked. Her efforts had already pushed back all but the most steadfast warriors. A handful of soldiers clustered behind the giant, who battered the stones away with heavy hands.

  Tracy was right; he was a monster. Standing more than four stories tall, large fangs protruded from his bottom jaw and thick hair covered his body. Still yards from Ardat, the giant lunged for her with an open hand.

  Ardat flew around the monster easily enough, her concentration split between the giant and the few warriors that had followed him all the way to engage her. Before Ardat could think of a way to dispatch the group, Tracy burst on the scene.

  Her horse crushed helms and shields under his hooves as Tracy’s bright-green wings emerged from her back and sliced her enemies on each side of her.

  Good girl, Ardat thought as she witnessed her protégé in her first fight.

  A blow struck Ardat across her back, sending her flying into the ranks of the reeling army. Pain ricocheted inside of her. Ardat fought to regain her breath. How stupid could she be? In the brief moment she witnessed Tracy fighting, the giant had found her in the night sky and swatted her out of the air like a fly.

  Ardat struggled to her hands and knees. Her vision was clearing from the pain, but what met her eyes was not promising. In the light of the stars and moon she saw the giant had sent her flying into the very middle of the attacking army.

  Vengeful eyes and eager grins greeted her in every direction. Ardat managed to regain her feet as they pounced on her from all sides.

  Burning fire lit the dark sky, making Ardat blink. A roar more fit for a dragon than a bird echoed in her ears as the phoenix entered the fray, spitting fire and molten lava from its beak.

  Sodom’s forces were set ablaze as a roaring wall of fire surrounded Ardat in a protective circle. Through the flames, Ardat could see the phoenix creating an inferno among the ranks of Sodom’s forces. Every weapon—whether physical or supernatural—evaporated in the heat emitted off the phoenix before it could do any damage.

  Once again, only one enemy refused to be dissuaded. Ardat caught sight of the charging giant again. The mountain of rage and flesh was running at her at a full sprint. Ardat gritted her teeth and pushed the folds of her robes up her arm on either side. Throwing her hands out in front of her, she planted her feet and pushed gravity against the rushing monolith.

  Ardat’s hands shook under the force of the coming beast. Sweat began to form on her brow, making strands of her long hair stick to her forehead. The giant’s run was slowing. He moved forward now as if he were stuck in a bog. The two forces fought one another, both struggling with every fiber of their being to gain the upper hand.

  Ardat’s muscles screamed, her head throbbed with pain. Still, she refused to give in. Her efforts were soon rewarded as a look of utter horror crossed her adversary’s face. The giant had fought his way just outside of the wall of dying flames the phoenix had used to protect Ardat. Jumping over the dwindling fire would have proved easy enough for the monster if he could move.

  Ardat flexed her power over gravity now, not only stopping the oncoming attack but lifting the beast into the air.

  Panic washed over the giant as he rose higher and higher. Powerless to do anything but stare, he drifted into the night sky.

  Ardat’s energy was nearly depleted. Not only stopping the forward momentum of a creature that size, but now lifting him into the sky had sapped her resources. Ardat grimaced with one final herculean push that sent her enemy so far into the dark sky he was lost to the eye.

  Pantin
g with exhaustion, Ardat turned to evaluate the scene around her. While she was busy dealing with the giant, it seemed her allies had not disappointed. Between the phoenix and, to Ardat’s surprise, a very aggressive Tracy, what remained of Sodom’s army was now fleeing into the darkness.

  Fires were alive all around the battlefield littered with the dead bodies. The phoenix was chasing the very last of the soldiers into the darkness. Tracy spotted Ardat and galloped over to her, still sitting tall on her horned horse. “This was crazy, right? I mean, we did it. We won. It’s just like something out of a book.”

  Ardat nodded, heaving a large sigh. “You did well. We’ll need a performance such as this when we reach Sodom and his main army tomorrow.”

  “Tomorrow?” Tracy asked with a look of shock. “I thought we at least had a few days left.”

  “There’s no point in delaying. He’ll only send more forces to impede our progress and tire us out for the main fight.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “Because that’s what I would do.”

  “Oh right,” Tracy said.

  “Let’s find a place for the night and get you one last training session. You’ll need a basic understanding of weaponry.”

  “I think I did pretty well,” Tracy said, looking around her. “I’m surprised; I’ve never been the violent type, but when the fighting started, it just …”

  “It just came natural,” Ardat finished.

  “Yes, is that weird?”

  “No, it’s expected. Now come on, no more talk. We only have one night left. Tomorrow we both meet our destiny.”

  Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Eight

  Danielle and Raphael entered Gideon’s workshop to the sound of complete silence. The door was wide open. The inventor angel had his back to them as he stared at a large, bright-silver, circular item set directly in the middle of the room.

  Danielle could tell the object was important, but she was sure she had never seen anything like it before. It was tall enough for someone to walk through, with angelic symbols etched into the sides of the metal. “Ummm … Gideon?”

  Gideon didn’t move to greet them. Instead, he beckoned them forward with an almost nonexistent wave. “Come in.”

  Danielle and Raphael looked to one another for direction. Raphael shrugged and moved into the room to stand next to Gideon. “What are you looking at so intently, brother?”

  Danielle followed Raphael’s lead and took a position on Gideon’s opposite side.

  “It’s the means of our salvation, if it works.”

  Danielle pursed her lips in thought, scanning the contraption again for any clue as to what Gideon was talking about. Still, there was nothing special about it. “How exactly is this—this—archway supposed to be our salvation?”

  “Oh, that’s brilliant,” the elderly angel breathed, finally breaking his gaze on the invention and looking at Danielle for the first time.

  “Thanks,” Danielle said on reflex. “Wait, how am I brilliant again?”

  “That’s the perfect name for it,” Gideon said with a smile as he turned back to gawking. “The Archway.”

  “Gideon, what is it and what is it supposed to do?” Raphael asked. Danielle could hear a slight edge in his voice. She couldn’t blame him. They had come to Gideon for a reason and their time was running out.

  “Oh yes,” Gideon said, snapping out of his trance and looking between Danielle and Raphael. “My apologies, but it’s the first of its kind. If a power supply strong enough can be found, it will unite the human and supernatural plane once again. Errr, at least form a way to travel between the two—maybe.”

  “Ohhhh …” Danielle said much louder than she meant, “so that’s why you’re acting so weird about it. That kind of is a big deal.”

  Raphael gave her a disapproving look. “That is impressive, Gideon, and I’m sure we’ll find a power source for you when the time comes. Now, however, is not the time. We need to know if the collars you fashioned to inhibit the use of supernatural gifts can be calibrated to be turned on and off remotely.”

  “Curious,” Gideon said, stroking his white beard. “The question here isn’t if I can create a remote to turn on and off the device. I can do that easy enough. What I need to find out is, if when the collar is off and Gabriel has his powers, how to keep the collar from being destroyed if he so chooses.”

  Danielle took a step back and even Raphael started at the mention of the fallen Archangel’s name. Neither one of them had even hinted as to who they wanted the collar for. Gideon took in their expressions with a twinkle in his eyes. “I may be a mad inventor, but I’m intuitive as well. You do realize the uproar this will cause if I’m able to provide you with a solution.”

  “I am well aware,” Raphael said. “I refuse to believe Gabriel is past saving.”

  “But you still want to make sure you can turn him off if he is, is that right?”

  “If I’m wrong, I can’t risk the lives of other innocent angels and demons on my gambit.”

  “Fair enough,” Gideon said, motioning the two to follow him to his workbench alongside the far wall of his workroom. “I’ll tell you right now, I don’t think even celestial metal would survive the onslaught from Gabriel if he chose to melt it from his neck. His use of fire would destroy the collar long before you were remotely able to turn it on.”

  Danielle’s heart sank at the news. Their plan had seemed like a good compromise to both Gabriel and those who would believe he didn’t deserve another chance.

  “But …” Gideon said, reaching his desk and clearing a spot to work. He pushed away tools, books, and half-finished projects Danielle could only guess at. One item looked like a large gem, another like some kind of wand, and a book that was open to a picture of dragons. “I may be able to set the collar to self-destruct if tampered with.”

  “Wait,” Danielle said, surprised at the shock she felt at Gideon’s words. “We don’t want to kill Gabriel.”

  Gideon was already tampering with a dark grey collar and a remote on his desk. “I don’t want to kill him either,” Gideon said, “but unless you can think of another option, there’s no way to guarantee we can control him. Once the collar is off and he has full use of his powers, he’ll be able to rip the collar apart. If there is a charge in the collar set to detonate if the collar is tampered with, he won’t be so willing to recant on his word.”

  Danielle looked from Gideon to Raphael. Her internal moral compass was spinning as she was faced with questions she never thought she had to answer.

  “I think Gideon is right,” Raphael said. “We can only do our part to give him another chance. He’ll have to choose to follow through on his word.”

  “Or else we kill him?” Danielle asked.

  “Or else he’ll kill himself,” Raphael said. “It’s a temporary solution until he can prove he’s changed or at least until this conflict is over and we can have a trial for him. Who knows, if he helps and we survive this, maybe his action in the fight will provide him with a more favorable sentence.”

  Danielle grew silent as she watched Gabriel continue to tinker with the collar and remote. The last person she wanted to defend was Gabriel, but still, having someone walking around with a collar ready to detonate seemed wrong on a variety of different levels.

  “There,” Gideon said. He lifted the collar for both Raphael and Danielle to see. A green light lit the middle of the collar. “Green means he’s harmless.” Gideon lifted a slender black box in his other hand and pressed a button. The collar transitioned from green to red. “Red means we’ve given him back his powers and he’s ready to go. In either mode, if he tries to break the collar, it will detonate with a small explosion but large enough to kill him.”

  Gideon flipped the switch back from red to green. “I’ll help you place the collar on him for the first time. I don’t want there to be any accidents.”

  ---

  Leaving Seraphim’s body behind drove the knife Alan already felt in his hea
rt even deeper. He wanted to take her with them even though he already knew she wasn’t there anymore. She was in a much better place; all that remained was an empty shell. It still felt wrong as they dragged the unconscious guard’s body inside the cell.

  “We’ll come back for her,” Kyle said.

  Alan shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. She’s not there. She’s gone.”

  Bobby was already in the hall, looking in both directions for more guards. “Hey, will you three hurry up? I don’t want to push our luck here.”

  Alan and Kyle turned to join him. Rana lingered near the unconscious body of the guard. A snap echoed through their cell. Alan turned around as he reached the door to see Rana drop the head of the downed guard. His neck was twisted in an unnatural position.

  A sick feeling crept through Alan’s stomach. Half of him wanted to kill the guard himself for the pain he still felt at Seraphim’s death. The other half knew it was wrong and to remember Seraphim’s last words. “What was that?” Alan asked.

  Rana shrugged as if she had just crushed a spider. “If he would have woken while we escaped, he’d raise the alarm. It needed to be done.”

  “No more,” Alan said. “Killing when you have no choice is one thing. Snapping the neck of a helpless man is a line we won’t cross.”

  Rana raised an eyebrow. Alan thought she was about to protest, instead she nodded and shrugged. “We can try it your way, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

  “Hey you two,” Bobby whispered from a position down the hall, “hurry up.”

  Alan obeyed with a sideways look at Rana. He had to remind himself that these weren’t the same kind of warriors he was used to fighting beside. As demons, their rules of combat were as different as day and night.

  These thoughts were running through his mind when he reached a crouched Bobby and Kyle as the two peered around a corner. “The coast looks clear,” Kyle said.

  Alan took a look for himself and agreed. A dark hall led a few yards down until another sharp corner obscured their view. “I’ll go first,” Alan said. “Stay quiet.”