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

by Jonathan Yanez

  He knew he had to say something, but Alan wasn’t sure what he was going to tell them to inspire them until he opened his mouth. “We were all chosen for a reason,” Alan said, grabbing their attention. “It’s not a mistake we are all here right now. Look how far we have all come on our own paths. None of us are the same people we were when this all started and we are all better for it. I know you’re scared but that’s human to be scared. Courage is standing your ground despite fear, not in absence of it. Stay the course and we will win. Are you with me?”

  Nods and roars from the Horsemen and their steeds followed Alan’s words.

  “Rolf should be our main target. He’s the one summoning the dragon. We take him out, and we topple the monster with him.” Alan had to shout the words, the rumbling from the dragon was so loud. “Follow me!”

  Alan’s wings took him into the air just a few feet from the ground as he flew forward. He reached down and scooped up a spear that had been abandoned by its previous owner. Yellow, red, and green glowing wings appeared on either side of him as Tracy, Kassidy and Kyle drew abreast. Their steeds followed growling, neighing, and shrieking behind them.

  As the two forces closed the gap, Alan could see surprise on Rolf’s face. Apparently, he wasn’t anticipating the Horsemen meeting his attack head on. But the look of wonder was soon replaced with a snarl as Rolf shortened his strides, allowing the dragon to overtake him and shield Rolf under its ebony stomach.

  Rolf stood protected by the dragon’s four legs, which were thicker than any tree Alan had ever seen. Its long snake-like tail swished behind its body as it roared, and fire erupted from its mouth.

  Alan dodged the flames as he and the rest of the Horsemen collided with the dragon. Alan lost track of everyone as the dragon craned its neck in his direction, snapping its jaws that held teeth larger than Alan’s body.

  A quick midair roll took him away from the dragon’s searching maw. Heat rising from the frame of the beast was enough to make Alan blink and cause a new wave of sweat to roll down his body. Alan maneuvered around the giant, looking for an opening to get under the creature and to Rolf.

  It was impossible. The dragon’s four legs, tail, and wings were constantly moving; whenever an opening did appear to the beast’s underbelly, it was closed a second later.

  Alan’s eyes roved around the scales of the dragon but no immediate vulnerable spot made itself evident. Every few seconds, Alan would catch sight of one of the other Horsemen or steed striking the dragon to no avail. Every attack bounced off the thick scales without harm.

  Rolf is the key; we need to defeat Rolf, Alan kept reminding himself whenever the urge to strike at the dragon would present itself.

  “This isn’t working,” Kyle said, flying up beside him.

  Alan nodded along with Kyle’s words, witnessing Kassidy make a close escape from the dragon’s chomping jaws.

  “I can’t get underneath the dragon to reach Rolf,” Alan said, fighting back the frustration in his voice. “He keeps shifting and there’s not enough room under there.”

  “Then let’s get the dragon off the ground,” Kyle said.

  “Yeah, that would be great, but how do you plan on doing that?” Alan asked.

  “I don’t know. I came up with the other plan to kill those zombie soldiers, remember?”

  “Your phoenix did that,” Alan said, but before their conversation could continue, the dragon’s red eyes narrowed in on the two hovering figures and swatted at them with its tail.

  Alan and Kyle split off in opposite directions, Kyle’s words still ringing in Alan’s ears. We need to get the dragon into the air, or at least to stand on its hind legs just for a second. A second would be enough.

  An idea erupted in Alan’s mind. The hard part now was conveying his plan to the others while they flew around, harassing the dragon and avoiding its attacks. Although the dragon was massive, what it made up for in size, it lacked in sheer speed.

  Alan caught sight of Tracy’s green wings as she made a run at the space between the dragon’s front paws. She looked as though she might make it but at the last moment, the dragon swiped at her with one of its wings and sent her flying back into the air.

  Alan raced toward her, fearing she would be injured. When she finally recovered from the blow’s momentum and righted herself in the air, Alan saw she had a green sphere protecting her like a force field.

  “Are you all right?” Alan asked.

  “Yeah.” Tracy sighed. “I hate to be the one to break it to you, but this isn’t working.”

  “I know,” Alan said, cringing as he witnessed his dogs sinking their jaws into the dragon’s tail and legs only to be thrown off and hurled through the air. “I have an idea.”

  “Don’t keep me in suspense,” Tracy said as they both watched Kassidy’s gryphon narrowly avoid the dragon’s massive tail.

  “I need to get the dragon into the air, or at least make it rear on its hind legs. If we can do that, you three can sweep in and get to Rolf.”

  “Right,” Tracy said as she looked at Alan with a roll of her eyes, “that sounds great, but how do you plan on doing that?”

  Alan pointed to the ground below the dragon. The portion of the battlefield was made up of hard-packed dirt. “I’ll need to create something like an earthquake.”

  “You’re reaching, Price,” Tracy said with a shrug, “but it’s the best plan we have. Maybe, just maybe, you can make a crevice or a crack.”

  “We just have to destabilize the ground underneath the dragon enough for it to rear backwards,” Alan said. “Tell Kyle and Kassidy what the plan is. Be ready when I give you the signal.”

  “Right,” Tracy said, turning to go. She paused. “Wait, what’s the signal?”

  “You’ll know it when you see it,” Alan said, flapping higher into the sky and steeling himself for what he was about to do.

  Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Seven

  Watching the Shaman and Sodom battle was breathtaking. Ardat cradled Michael’s unconscious head in her lap as she watched the struggle take place in front of her.

  Over and over again, Sodom sent dark masses of power flying through the air at the Shaman. Just as many times as the attacks were sent, the Shaman defended the blows with his staff. Loud popping sounds erupted from the forces of darkness being blocked by the power of the Shaman.

  A lull followed as Sodom’s face twisted with rage. “Enough!” he screamed in anger. Both his hands shot forward, sending a single channel of black power streaking toward the Shaman. To his credit, the Shaman caught the attack in his hands. The intensity of the blow sent his feet skidding backward until he had absorbed the strike’s initial wrath.

  It was the first time Ardat saw the Shaman tremble from one of Sodom’s attacks. Sodom must have seen the same thing because he pressed his advantage, stalking forward, the black stream of energy still bearing down on the Shaman.

  “You will bow to me before you die, old man,” Sodom said, still pressing closer to the Shaman.

  The Shaman grunted under the pressure, his right knee buckling underneath him, then his left.

  “Ardat.” Michael’s voice interrupted her from the scene that had absorbed her senses.

  “Yes, yes,” she said, “I’m here.”

  “You have to help him,” Michael said, coughing blood. “You’re the only one left.”

  Ardat followed Michael’s eyes to the two still figures of Raphael and Gabriel, whose chests still rose and fell, but whose bodies did not move.

  “Here,” Michael said, with pain in his face. His hands sparked and a lightning bolt the size of a sword appeared in his hands. “Take this.”

  Ardat reached for the weapon on instinct. It sparked in her hand and warmed her palm but did not hurt her. “I’ll be right back.”

  “I know you will,” Michael said with a smile.

  “I love you,” Ardat said, standing to go.

  “I love you more.”

  Adrenaline, both from the engageme
nt to come and from Michael’s last words to her, gave her the power to do what needed to be done.

  Sodom was standing over the Shaman now, sweat pouring down his mad face. The Shaman was bent double, doing everything in his power to ward off the crush of Sodom’s attack, but it was too much.

  At once, the Shaman’s defenses fell and he was open to the pain of Sodom’s attack. The demon laughed like a maniac as his dark energy enveloped the Shaman.

  The Shaman writhed on the ground, arching his back in pain as he screamed.

  Ardat knew her time to act was now. In seconds, the Shaman would be dead if she did nothing. As fast as she could, she raced toward Sodom’s back. Her pulse was pounding in her ears as she closed the distance.

  Her right arm still carried Michael’s lightning bolt arched behind her as she zeroed in on the back of Sodom’s skull. One second from impact, Sodom turned. Whether he heard her approaching or some sense warned him of the attack, he was ready for her.

  One pale hand caught her right wrist holding the lightning bolt. Sodom’s free hand wrapped around her throat with so much strength, Ardat thought he would break her neck at any moment.

  “You could have had everything,” Sodom sneered. “You could have had it all. Instead, you will die with your beloved and all who stood with you.”

  Anger burned in Ardat’s eyes at the mention of Michael’s name.

  “Oh, how moving,” Sodom said, cocking his head to the side. “You bristle at his name.”

  Ardat’s vision was beginning to haze as oxygen was cut off from her brain. Her right arm fell to her side, Michael’s lightning bolt rolling free from her grip.

  “Here,” Sodom said, releasing her wrist and now walking with her still in his right hand, his fingers tight around her throat. “I’ll let you see him one last time. Before I kill him, then kill you.”

  Sodom stepped over the Shaman’s still form, smoke rising from his body in great billows. The demon stood over Michael, putting a foot on his throat.

  Michael struggled but it was useless; he was too weak and Sodom was too strong. “Any last words?” Sodom asked, looking from Michael to Ardat.

  Ardat’s heartbeat was slow, her eyes beginning to close. It was hard to think. All she could do was stare into Michael’s eyes. Then she caught his stare. He was looking from her to his left hand. His left hand was half hidden under his leg. A tiny spark, a lightning bolt no larger than a throwing knife was in his hand.

  Ardat fought against unconsciousness with every fiber in her being. Willing herself to stay coherent, she blinked to Michael twice.

  In one quick move, Michael struck at Sodom’s left thigh. Sodom dropped Ardat as he howled in pain. The lightning bolt sank deep into his dark cloak and the pale exposed flesh underneath.

  Ardat gasped in huge breaths of air as she fought her way to her hands and knees. Sodom released his foothold on Michael’s throat as he pulled out the small lightning bolt and threw it to the side. One large fist, consumed by inky black matter, rose high over Michael’s head as Sodom prepared to crush Michael’s skull.

  “No!” Ardat screamed. She reached for the lightning bolt Sodom had thrown to the side with her will over gravity and called it back to her hand. The shaft of energy changed direction and sped to her through the middle of Sodom’s abdomen and into her waiting fingers.

  Sodom stumbled backward as if he were drunk. Both of his pasty-white hands reached toward the gaping hole in his stomach and came away stained in dark blood. “What?” Sodom looked to Michael then Ardat. “How, how could this happen? I was supposed to win. I was so much stronger than all of you combined. I—” Sodom looked to Ardat as he fell to his knees. “Why didn’t you side with me? You could have had it all.”

  Ardat rose on unsteady feet. She gripped the small bolt of energy in her hand as she stood over Sodom. “I do have it all,” Ardat said, looking to Michael. “I should have known that from the very beginning.”

  “You—” Sodom said.

  Ardat would never find out how he intended to finish the sentence. Raising the lightning dagger over her head, she sank the weapon into the top of Sodom’s skull, silencing him for eternity.

  ---

  Alan rose higher and higher into the sky until he could barely see the battle below. Even the great black dragon looked like a small figure to his eyes. Up there among the clouds everything seemed so peaceful.

  Alan felt the warm sun on his face, the gentle breeze roll past him as it stirred his blonde hair. Images of a young boy standing on a rooftop entered his mind, making Alan give a sad grin. This time’s different, Alan thought. This time there’s no Michael to save you.

  Alan took a deep breath as he pushed higher and higher into the sky. A nagging voice in the back of his head warned him a plunge from this altitude would kill him. It said there were limits to even his powers and he should abandon his plan now.

  Alan ignored the voice and pressed on so high, now the air was beginning to thin. His wings beat heavier and his lungs worked harder to suck in the sparse oxygen.

  He stopped then, knowing he had reached the maximum altitude he was able. The sun was much warmer here. The clouds below him shimmered in the heat of the bright star’s rays. From somewhere beside him, he thought he heard her voice.

  She’s dead, Alan reminded himself as thoughts of Seraphim flashed in front of his eyes. The image of her was so real, Alan had to blink. A figure looked as if it was floating toward him, a winged angel, a woman. Alan blinked again, just about to call her name, but she was gone. Anger burned inside him as he recalled her death. Her voice echoed in his ears.

  In one fluid motion, Alan pressed his wings behind his back and plummeted to the earth far below.

  The wind pushed past him so quickly it made his eyes tear. Anger at Seraphim’s death made Alan throw caution to the wind. Instead of being content with his rate of speed, Alan flapped his wings harder and harder behind him.

  The ground was approaching quickly; the dragon’s form was taking shape. Alan angled his course to aim at the dragon’s giant right front foot.

  He extended his arms in front of him and wrapped himself in his glowing wings just seconds before impact. Either I’ll succeed or I’ll see you soon, Alan thought.

  He didn’t even feel his body tear through the dragon’s foot. All he could see in any direction was the blue veil of his wings. Alan didn’t have time to even wonder if he had hit the right location, it all happened so quickly.

  One instant he was plummeting, the next a violent tingling raced up and down his body. His ears were ringing, but his wings held him firm in their cocoon.

  Alan took a breath then forced his wings open from their protective bubble, taking a look at his surroundings. He had imagined he would awake to a crater of some kind or a deep crevice in the battlefield floor. Instead, he was lying in a world of white. The floor was some kind of white marble, and in every direction only white existed, no walls or doors.

  Alan was so confused with his surroundings that he failed to notice the woman materializing beside him until she cleared her throat. It was Seraphim.

  “You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” she smiled, wrapping him in a hug.

  Alan’s mouth moved to speak, but no words came out. Instead, he returned her embrace, closing his eyes and hoping the moment would last forever.

  Much too soon, Seraphim extracted herself from his embrace. Alan looked at her up and down; the scar on her face was gone. Both black wings were whole and folded on her back. “We don’t have long,” she said. “This will be the last time I’m able to see you for—for awhile.”

  “Why?” Alan asked.

  “You have a lot to do,” Seraphim said. “Your journey is only beginning. No matter how much I wish you could be here with me now, know that one day you will be. I can say that He’s shown me his plan for you. The world needs you, Alan, maybe even as much as I do. But until then, don’t let anger define you. I love you, Alan Price, and I always will.”

&n
bsp; Her tone was so final Alan felt panic rise in his chest. “Wait, why can’t I stay? What is it that I have to do?”

  Alan struggled with more words as she waved to him with a smile. Then she was being pulled back from him, as was the entire white room.

  Alan sat up with a jolt. He was breathing hard, his wings opened up for him to see yet another unbelievable site. He was in a crater, more like a fissure in the earth ten feet deep and just as long. The smell of fresh-plowed earth hit him the same moment he heard shouts of battle.

  Pushing himself to his legs, Alan found that although wobbly, he was able to stand. His wings beat the air behind him and he rose from the earth to see the fallout of his action.

  His plan had worked, at least to an extent. A massive body still quivering from its cling to life lay like a large raven-black scaled structure. The dragon’s head from the top of its skull to the bottom of its jaw wore a hole the size of Alan’s body. He had missed the paw and instead ran through the beast’s head before striking the ground.

  I guess I should have thought of that instead of aiming for its paw. Alan turned to see where the shouts of fighting were still coming from.

  Free of his hold on the summoned creature, Rolf was fighting the remaining three Horsemen in a losing battle. They were too much for the demon, even without Alan’s help. He witnessed Rolf fall from a strike of Tracy’s spear. A second later, Kassidy disarmed him and Kyle had a blade to his throat.

  “Wait!” Alan screamed as he ran to the group on shaking legs.

  His three counterparts looked at him in shock. Even Rolf who had much larger problems to deal with at the moment studied Alan in awe.

  “Are you okay?” Kassidy said as she ran to Alan and wrapped an arm around him to steady his shaking frame. “You hit that dragon Mach 2. I didn’t know if you were going to survive it.”

  “I’ll be fine,” Alan said. Turning to Kyle, he shook his head. “Not like this.”

  Kyle gave him a sneer as he inched the blade closer to Rolf’s exposed neck. Alan could see the struggle taking place in Kyle’s eyes.