“Who are you?” I breathed.
“That is not important. What is important is that you defeat Ais.”
“Defeat? She’s...” I shuddered, remembering her from the rave, remembering her touch on my forehead. “She’s too strong.”
“That is why she must be stopped.”
“Stopped...?” I had a sinking feeling inside.
“A legion of Lilitu has amassed. Even now, they are preparing to cross into this world. Ais is their doorway. You must prevent her from granting them access to the Earth.”
It was then that I realized what he was. “You’re one of the Three.” I didn’t need him to confirm it to know I was right. “You’re one of the angels who hunted Lilith.”
He faced me, as if considering what to do with me. After a long moment, he answered. “We are Sansenoy.”
“Sansenoy. They’re going to flip out when they see you. Hale, Dad, everyone. They need you. Badly.”
“We are required elsewhere.”
“But... you just said a legion of Lilitu are going to come crashing through the gates!”
He faced me directly, his eyes glinting, as bright and hard as steel. “You must stop them or this world will be lost.”
“You stop them,” I said. “This is what you do, isn’t it? Fight the Lilitu? So fight them!”
He gave me a look tinged with pity. “Did you think your Earth was the only battleground in this war?”
It took me a moment to process this. “You’re not going to help us?”
“We have already helped you.” His eyes dropped to the sword in my hands. It became clear that this was the only answer I would get. As he started to turn away, I felt my panic rising.
“Wait. Can’t you take this to the Guard? They don’t exactly want me around right now.”
His face was impossible to read. “It is in your hands, Murphy’s daughter. We can do nothing more in this contest. Be strong, and you will prevail.”
“That’s great for a bumper sticker,” I said, snapping a little. “But I’m telling you, they might not even listen to me long enough to...” I stopped, frustrated. “I just wish...” But again, the thoughts crowded into my head, too many wishes vying for attention. I wished I hadn’t messed with Parker. I wished I’d told Lucas my secret. I wished I’d never been born. No. What I wanted, more than everything else, was to be human. To be a normal girl. To grow up and fall in love and get married and maybe someday have kids - and not kill the love of my life doing it. What I wanted was impossible.
“What do you wish?”
“Never mind,” I sighed, resigned. “It doesn’t matter anyway, unless you’re in the business of granting miracles.”
Sansenoy studied me for a long moment. “We are not... in the business... of granting miracles,” he finally said. The words sounded odd coming from his mouth.
“Then I guess I’ll never be a real girl.” I smiled humorlessly.
A strange compassion softened Sansenoy’s eyes. “If God’s favorite angel could be cast down for his acts of evil, perhaps a demon child might be granted humanity for her acts of good.” He placed a hand on my shoulder. It felt oddly formal. “All things are possible to those who believe.” And then he stepped into the flow of the passersby, and was lost in the crowd.
I stood in the alcove for a long moment, the sword strangely light in my hands. Moments ago I’d been exhausted, desolate. Now, for the first time since the day I’d found out what I was, I felt a swelling hope lifting my heart.
All things are possible.
Chapter 18
I knew exactly what I needed to do. I would go back to the Guard, tell them about Ais and the travelling raves where the Lilitu were hunting, and hand over the sword. But first, I’d have to get the sword back home. It was a little conspicuous, and I doubted any bus driver in the city would let me carry a weapon like this on board. I glanced down at the full skirt of my coat. It was dirty from the fight, but otherwise not too badly damaged. I tucked the sword under one arm and let the skirt of the coat hide it. Once I had satisfied myself that I could carry the sword like this, I stepped out of the alcove.
“Hey, over here.” It sounded like someone was calling to me. I turned and saw a young man leaning against the storefront, like he’d been waiting for me. There was something familiar about him.
“Do I know you?” I walked toward him before I had placed his face. Matt. Gretchen’s Matt. The Guard soldier who had driven Gretchen home and kissed her on the front lawn. He tensed, preparing to move. “Wait,” I said urgently. “I’m Braedyn.” No recognition flickered across his face. Of course. Gretchen would have been forbidden to tell anyone about me.
I didn’t see the others coming up behind me. Two of them grabbed my arms. I heard the sword clang to the ground as they hustled me back to the sheltered pathway.
“Stop... the sword!” I shouted. “Someone, please... Grab the sword!” I craned my head around and saw someone pick it up.
“Damn it, Keats, hurry!”
Someone pried my jaws open and forced a cloth into my mouth, gagging me. Then we were in the pathway between buildings, out of sight of the passing crowd. Someone dropped a hood over my head. Blinded, I panicked and started to struggle. I couldn’t see the punch. It took me hard across the cheek, stunning me. I stopped struggling, but another fist drove into my stomach, expelling the air from my lungs. I doubled over in their arms and was only vaguely aware of them dragging me, running now, through the pathway. I heard an engine idling, and the unmistakable sound of a van door sliding open. They threw me into the back. I curled my hands over my head, but before I could pull the hood off, people were piling in around me and someone wrenched my hands behind my back. I felt someone else lean over me, then felt a sturdy band of plastic being slipped over my wrists and tightened.
“Go, go!” The van lurched into motion. I heard someone howl in triumph. “Got one! Not bad for the new kids in town, huh, Matt?”
“Not bad,” Matt said. He was sitting next to me. I felt him lean in close to my ear. “Bet you had a different kind of party in mind for tonight. Surprise.” The group laughed, giddy with their success. They thought they’d caught a hunting Lilitu. I felt tears of frustration forming in the corners of my eyes. I tried to speak, but the gag reduced me to unintelligible sounds.
Someone else spoke. “Talkative, that’s good. But you should save it for the colonel. He’s going to have a lot of questions for you.” That inspired another round of laughter, but this laughter was darker, knowing.
After that, I was too scared to do anything other than listen. I gleaned they’d only arrived in town a few hours ago, expecting to be on a plane tonight. Gretchen must have told Matt about me, sent him to find me. For nearly twenty minutes I was adrift in an ocean of fear. Then the van stopped. I heard the doors open.
“Wait,” someone said in a hushed voice. “Okay. Clear.”
I was dragged out of the van and across a lawn. The grass felt crisp with frost beneath my feet. Then I was pulled up a few wooden steps and dragged over a threshold. Inside was warm. Familiar. I knew exactly where I was before they ripped the hood off.
The living room of the Guard’s house was packed. Gretchen and Thane sat on the couch, Hale stood by the mantle, and a half-dozen strangers filled the other seats. Dad was deep in conversation with a sinewy old man I’d never seen before. Lucas sat on the staircase, watching the living room. He was the first to see me. He stared, frozen. I thought I saw a flicker of emotion in his eyes, but he looked away before I could be sure.
“Caught one,” Matt said. Everyone else looked up as I was shoved forward into the living room. The sinewy man turned around.
“Excellent,” he said, eyeing me impersonally. “Take it downstairs. I’ll be there shortly.”
“Braedyn!” Dad shoved the sinewy man aside and reached me in a heartbeat. He wrenched me out of Matt’s hands and shielded me in his arms, backing into the foyer. I felt his hand on my cheek, gently brushing the
tender skin. Whoever had hit me must have left a mark.
The newcomers shared a stunned look, and then leapt into action.
“Wait!” Hale shouted above the chaos. “She’s on our side!” I felt Dad’s arms tighten around me, but we were outnumbered. In another moment, I’d be pulled away from him.
“Enough!” The sinewy man’s voice cut through the din like a cannon’s crack. The voices died down, but the tension in the room was near the breaking point.
“Hold still,” Dad murmured. He used his dagger to cut through the plastic tie binding my hands, and then fumbled with my gag. As soon as it slackened, I pulled it off and threw it across the room, glaring at the newcomers.
“Murphy,” Matt said, stunned. “Defending a demon? Now I really have seen everything.”
“Stay back,” Dad growled.
I studied the sinewy man over Dad’s shoulder. He was an older man, with three faint scars travelling down one side of his neck and disappearing under his shirt. He looked hardened, battle-worn. And decidedly unfriendly. He held up a hand toward us, like he was trying to calm a snarling dog, and glared at his soldiers. They gave us some space. Not a lot of space - they still looked ready to attack at one signal from their leader.
“Braedyn.” Hale read my panic. “This is Colonel Marx and his team.”
The sinewy man, Colonel Marx, turned to Hale. “Explain, Major.”
“She’s one of us, sir,” Hale said, pushing through the crowd urgently. “Murphy raised her. She thought she was human until three months ago. She knows what’s at stake, and she’s on our side.”
“And all of you knew this?” Marx asked, surprised. Thane and Gretchen shared a tight grimace but nodded.
Hale gestured to the stairs. “All of us except for Lucas.” Lucas was staring into the room, his face ashen. Gretchen turned to him, but had to look away from the blame in his eyes.
“So this demon is... safe?” Marx looked uncertain.
“No.” A slender, athletic woman glared at me. She had the same edge to her Gretchen had, an outward toughness that seemed to hide the pain of a great loss. Another spotter, I realized. “We followed a residual trace to her room. She’s manipulated at least one mind.” The newcomers shifted, eyeing me with distrust.
“I have the situation under control, Colonel,” Hale said. But he couldn’t look at me.
Marx frowned and turned to Matt. “Where did you find her?”
“In Old Town, by the rave, just like we were warned.”
“She’s the one who called to warn us,” Dad said, his frustration erupting.
“What was she doing there?” Marx turned to me. I felt the eyes of the room find me.
“I... I didn’t know where else to go.” I glanced at Hale. His face tightened, but I didn’t read the warning until it was too late. “After everything that happened with Lucas...”
“Lucas?” Marx glanced at Lucas on the stairs, his body tensing. “What happened with Lucas?” His voice was low, steely. I felt Dad’s hand tighten on my arm and didn’t answer. Marx took a step toward Lucas. “Tell me.”
Lucas saw Hale’s panic. His eyes darted toward me, scared. Marx followed his gaze, eyes narrowing. I realized it must look to them like I was trying to influence Lucas. By the time Lucas spoke, it was already too late. “It was just a kiss.”
That was all it took. Marx only had to nod, and his team piled onto us, pulling me out of Dad’s arms. Hale tried to intervene, but Thane, Gretchen, and Lucas stayed rooted to the spot.
“Braedyn, run!” Dad shouted, struggling against the three soldiers who wrestled him back. He was larger than all but one of them, but they outnumbered him.
I twisted against the hands that held me and broke free, but they moved to latch onto me again. I swung out, kicking someone in the side and shoving them away. For a moment, it was just a fit young soldier and me. His eyes were hard, intelligent; he was ready for this fight. I saw the door beyond him and moved, feinting. He lunged toward my feint and I sprinted for the door, feeling my wings snap around me.
“To your right!” The newcomer spotter raced forward, eyes fixed on me. The soldier I’d just dodged was faster than I’d expected. He caught me around the shoulders, spinning me off balance. I hit the floor and rolled back to my feet in one motion, but my wings canted crazily, exposing me. Three of them were ringing me now. I was only vaguely aware of Hale, shouting at Marx over the chaos of the fight.
At that moment, Dad broke free and tackled one of the soldiers. Another turned, surprised. Cloaked beneath my wings once more, I darted for him, sweeping his foot out from under him.
“Sean, left, Caleb, straight ahead!” Their spotter pointed at me, an unerring compass for her unit to follow. I felt my lips pulling back in a snarl of frustration. Her eyes, locked onto my face, narrowed with determination. “Careful!”
I spun to face the last soldier, but found two more backing him. They all had daggers gleaming in their hands.
“No!” Dad’s voice was ragged with emotion. “Braedyn, uncloak yourself.” I glanced at him. Two of the newcomers had pinned him to the floor. A third was sliding another plastic tie over his wrists to hold him, but he was only focused on me. “Do it! Do it now!”
I did as he asked, willing the wings to retract. The soldiers surrounding me spread out, keeping me in the center of a ring of blades.
“Easy,” one of the soldiers said. They advanced, and I retreated. I was dimly aware that they were herding me back into the room, but I couldn’t see a way past the daggers. I felt the wall at my back. They pushed forward until I was hemmed into the corner of the living room. By the time I realized there was no way out of this, five of the newcomers had circled me, blades in every fist. It was very quiet.
Marx approached and the soldiers parted for him. He held one of the Guard’s daggers loosely in his hand. Hale followed on Marx’s heels, but the soldiers ringing me forced him back.
“Don’t,” Hale said. “Don’t throw this opportunity away. We need her, Marx.” Hale was focused on Marx, desperate to reach the older man with his words. Marx had his eyes fixed on me. He looked completely calm. I realized with a twisting sensation in my gut that Marx meant to kill me. Hale’s voice, already urgent, sharpened. “We need her if we’re going to have any hope of stopping this war.”
“Give me one reason why.” Marx didn’t turn to face Hale. He kept his eyes riveted to my face.
“She’s one of them,” Hale said, scrambling for the right words to reach Marx. “She might be able to...”
But Marx cut him off. “Not you.” He pointed at me with the tip of his dagger. “You.” I couldn’t look away from his eyes. They were crisp, devoid of empathy.
“Ais is here,” I said. Hale glanced at me sharply. “She’s not in South America. She was at the rave.”
“Easy to say and hard to prove,” Marx said. “Do better.”
“The sword,” I said quietly.
“What sword?”
I shifted my eyes to Matt, afraid to move. “One of your soldiers has it.”
Marx looked back. Matt nodded and jogged out the door. In a moment he’d returned, carrying the sword. Gretchen and the new spotter reacted as if they’d seen a ghost. Their spotter straightened, flushed.
Marx noticed the movement. “Dina?”
His spotter, Dina, looked unsteady. Instead of answering Marx, she glanced at Gretchen. “The sword. Do you...?” Dina asked breathlessly.
“Yeah. I see it.” Gretchen’s jaw was tight, her eyes riveted to the sword.
Marx turned back to the sword. “What is it?”
“It has a dream-aspect.” Gretchen turned to Hale, dropping her voice urgently. “It has to be one of theirs. This sword belongs to one of the Three.”
The soldiers traded surprised glances. Suddenly I wasn’t the center of attention. I held my breath.
“It’s some kind of trick.” Thane crossed the distance to Matt in a few long steps. “Let me see that.”
“I know what I’m looking at,” Gretchen said, snapping.
Marx pushed through the soldiers. “Watch her,” he said, gesturing to three of the guards. They turned back to me, laser-focused. Everyone else was staring at the sword. Gretchen’s eyes found me; they were filled with questions. I looked at the sword, and saw what she had seen: the faint haze of another sword. The longer I stared at the hazy image, the sharper it became. It was as though a second sword was sharing the same physical space as the first, in another world superimposed over our own.
Thane took the sword gingerly from Matt and walked to a table lamp. He bent his slight frame to hold the hilt under the light, and then straightened silently.
Marx shifted his weight, uneasy. “Thane?”
“Gretchen’s right.” Thane was cradling the sword in his hands like a precious thing. “This was Semangelof’s. Her name is engraved in the hilt.” Thane looked at me. “How did you get this?”
Before I could answer, Marx took the sword out of Thane’s hands. “Impossible.”
“Unless someone else has figured out how to forge a sword with a dream-aspect, that weapon belonged to one of the Three,” Dina said quietly.
“Then how, exactly, did it end up in the hands of a demon?” Marx asked. The room turned back to me. I saw a range of emotions on their faces - suspicion, fear, confusion... and, on Hale’s face, hope. They were all waiting for my answer.
“Sansenoy gave it to me so we could stop Ais,” I said.
Marx smiled coldly. “You expect us to believe an angel gave this sword to you?”
“I’m telling the truth.”
“You’re telling us exactly what we want to hear to save your own skin. An angel would never hand over this sword to a demon. And a demon,” he smiled at me wryly. “A demon would never willingly give an angel’s sword to the Guard.”
“Colonel,” Matt said, stepping forward hesitantly. “She dropped the sword when we caught her.”
“Of course she did,” Marx said, as though this confirmed everything.
Thrall (Daughters Of Lilith) Page 25