The Crystal Lake

by L. J. LaBarthe

  Ondrass and Adramelek shared a look.

  “We’ll tell them when I return,” Adramelek said. “I think we should present a united front as our guild for that conversation.”

  “They’re not going to like it,” Melcherisa said.

  “How you shock me,” Ondrass drawled. “Indeed, it may be that I will never recover from such earthshattering news.”

  “Oh, shut up,” Melcherisa growled.

  Adramelek laughed. “If you’ll excuse me, gentlemen, I should go to Hell. I’ll see you soon.” He gave them all a salute and blipped out, moving straight from Detroit to Hell and Lucifer’s library in the Castle of Black Ice.

  Lilith was waiting for him. She glared at him as he appeared. “Why didn’t you come through the front door like a civilized Fallen One?” she demanded.

  “Because I’m busy. Where is he?”

  Lilith pouted. “He’s out by the Lake of Eternal Fire. He won’t talk to me.”

  “Why don’t you read a book or something while you wait for him?” Adramelek suggested. He was not in the mood to indulge Lilith.

  She threw a priceless Ming Dynasty porcelain bowl at him. “I hate you!” she shrieked as he ducked. “Go away! And tell Lucifer that I hate him, too.”

  “I heard you myself.” Lucifer strode toward them, and his expression was furious. “Lilitu, calm yourself. I told you to protect yourself and cast wards, and you haven’t done so. Why not?”

  She swore at him in Hebrew, and Lucifer’s eyes narrowed.

  “I see. Naamah has poisoned your mind. Alas, there is only one thing I can do until this situation is resolved. Ba’al!”

  As Adramelek watched, Lucifer’s loyal seneschal appeared and bowed low. “Yes, your majesty?”

  “Take Lilith to her chambers and seal her in. As soon as the doors are locked, Lilitu,”—Lucifer fixed her with a steely gaze—“my power will ward the rooms. You will be unable to leave them. No one will be able to communicate with you or muddle your mind or soul. You are of Hell, now, and Naamah, as I’m sure you’re listening to this conversation, you have no power here.”

  Lilith shrieked at him, reaching out with her hands, clawing at the air. Adramelek watched, fascinated, as Ba’al pulled a slender black wand from the sleeve of his robe and waved it in an intricate pattern in the air. Suddenly, Lilith was enshrouded in glowing silver-gold light, frozen into immobility. Her expression was one of shock, and Adramelek saw that her face was no longer hers, but that of another woman.

  “Is that Naamah?” he asked Lucifer.

  “Yes.” Lucifer smiled a chilly smile. “Confine her, please, Ba’al.”

  “At once, your majesty.” Ba’al waved his wand again and then walked out of the library. The frozen form of Lilith floated behind him like a glowing balloon.

  “She’s getting bolder,” Adramelek said.

  “Indeed. Once I’ve warded and protected Lilitu’s quarters, Naamah will no longer be able to infect her mind. It was a good thing you arrived when you did, Adry. I needed her distracted long enough to throw her off balance so Ba’al could contain her.”

  “Fucking fuck,” Adramelek said. He sat down on a velvet armchair. “This isn’t good, Lucifer. I thought you’d warded Hell!”

  “I had.” Lucifer sat down on the carpet at Adramelek’s feet and rested his hands on Adramelek’s knees. “Remember that Lilith is Naamah’s sister. If she didn’t use her power to protect herself, then Naamah would be able to reach her.”

  “Won’t that be the case now you’ve locked her in her rooms?” Adramelek asked.

  “No. Her rooms are full of her own power. She keeps changing the furniture and setting up wards and protections. In there, with my power keeping her confined, Naamah will not be able to touch her.” Lucifer sounded rather pleased with himself.

  “Okay. I’ve had a long day, Lightbringer. I’ve got a report for you and, it’s a weird one,” Adramelek said.

  Lucifer quirked an eyebrow.

  “We got information out of the demons who went over to work for Naamah,” Adramelek began. “So now we know what she wants.”

  “Do we know where she is?” Lucifer asked.

  Adramelek nodded. “Purgatory.”

  Lucifer let out a harsh breath. “You were right.”

  “I was,” Adramelek agreed. “However, her reasons and her goals are… weird.”

  Lucifer quirked his eyebrow again.

  “Apparently, her goal is chaos. She doesn’t want to rule over all of us. She doesn’t really seem to care about us. What she wants is the end of everything and chaos to reign supreme.”

  “Why?” Lucifer asked, looking puzzled.

  “Because none of us helped the oceans or the creatures therein,” Adramelek said.

  Lucifer’s expression was, Adramelek thought, a perfect picture of his own internal bafflement.

  “Are you telling me that Naamah’s elaborate plan to bring down chaos upon us all is because of some seawater and seaweed?” Lucifer demanded.

  “More or less, yes. Something about depletion of species and destruction of coastlines.”

  “I don’t understand,” Lucifer said.

  “That makes two of us,” Adramelek said.

  “There has to be more to it,” Lucifer insisted.

  “Perhaps there is.” Adramelek shrugged. “You know, I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s an overreaching plan, and this is just part of it.”

  Lucifer shook his head. “You know, this is so strange that it could be the whole truth. Every megalomaniac is motivated by self-interest. Naamah lived in the seas for millennia. It’s entirely likely that any kind of destruction there would have upset her to the point of, well, this.”

  “I still think it’s lame,” Adramelek said bluntly.

  Lucifer chuckled. “For now let’s assume that this is the whole truth. However, keep an open mind. She wants chaos for revenge, which we can all understand. I believe that what drove her to this is essentially irrelevant at the end of the day. Revenge is a language that we all understand.”

  “That’s true.” Adramelek brightened. “All right, I can work with that.”

  “Excellent. Keep me appraised, won’t you?”

  “Of course, Lightbringer,” Adramelek said. “I should head back upstairs now.” He pulled a face. “First, I should check on my cat.”

  Lucifer sat back. “As you wish. Take care, Adry. I do not want to lose you.”

  “You won’t,” Adramelek said. He got to his feet. “I’ll be back before you know it.”

  “I hope so.” Lucifer also got to his feet. He moved to Adramelek and embraced him fondly. “Stay safe, old friend,” he said.

  Adramelek hugged Lucifer tightly in response. “And you too.”

  Lucifer let him go and stepped back. Adramelek grinned at him and then turned and walked out of the library and down the stairs toward the entry hall and the grand double doors that led to the rest of Hell.

  Sprite, Adramelek’s cat, was glad to see him. The cat, unlike the other sentients that Adramelek had talked to, listened silently as Adramelek told it what had happened and what he’d learned. Finally, finished and having fed Sprite a large tin of tuna in spring water, Adramelek leaned against his fridge and sighed.

  “The woman plays you,” Sprite said.

  “Pardon?”

  “She tells her minions, these traitors, these things. They are ludicrous, but not so much that you do not dismiss them entirely. She is playing you all as if you are mice.”

  Adramelek frowned. “Are you sure?”

  “It is how I see things, Adry.” Sprite flicked his tail. “Thank you for the tuna.”

  “You’re welcome, fuzz butt. You warded yourself, didn’t you?”

  “Of course.” Sprite looked offended.

  Adramelek laughed. “Good. Stay safe, kitty. I have to go back up to Earth.”

  “I have no intention of going outside of our dacha, Adry,” Sprite said. “Be careful while you are away.”


  Adramelek scratched the cat behind its ears. “Always.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  LIAM SAT on the concrete, a Styrofoam cup of coffee in his hand, and watched the street. His brother, Riley, and Baxter were still asleep and the sun had only just risen. Liam had always been an early riser, and he enjoyed those quiet hours just after dawn, as the world slowly woke up and prepared for a new day.

  He sipped his coffee and thought about Baxter. He was a passionate and attentive lover, and the confession of his feelings, blurted out so suddenly the previous day, had made Liam feel things that he hadn’t felt for a long time.

  He knew Declan wouldn’t approve. Declan worried about his brother, and Liam loved him dearly, but sometimes he thought that Declan needed to realize that Liam was now an adult, not a kid or a teenager. When they’d gone for food the previous night, Liam knew that Declan had known—Declan’s heightened sense of smell as a shifter would have alerted him to what Liam and Baxter had been doing. Declan hadn’t said anything, but Liam knew that was only a matter of time.

  Then Gabriel had appeared, carrying four amulets that they now wore. They were filled with protections and wards and sigils, and Liam had been impressed by the workmanship that had gone into them. He had also been impressed how much clearer his mind felt once he’d tied the leather thong holding the crystal around his neck. To hear that Naamah was somehow reaching out and interfering with their thoughts, planting fears and paranoias, had angered him more than anything else. Even as Riley had looked anxious and Baxter annoyed, Liam had seen his own anger mirrored on his brother’s face as Declan swore under his breath.

  His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a door closing. Liam turned and saw that his brother had emerged from his room and was walking down the corridor, counting out coins in his hand. Liam continued to watch as Declan walked to a snack machine and proceeded to buy himself a soda.

  “Hey, man,” Declan said as he turned away from the machine. He grinned at Liam, and Liam grinned back.

  “Hey.” Liam watched Declan walk over to him and shifted a little as Declan dropped down to the concrete and sat beside him. “Good sleep?”

  “Can’t complain. Riley has night terrors, though.” Declan opened his soda and took a long a drink. “I had to wake him up twice. I think I know why he’s so timid, now.” He shook his head. “Fucking wars, man.”

  “Yeah.” Liam sipped his now-lukewarm coffee. “Did he talk in his sleep?”

  “Yeah. Enough for me to figure out that he was reliving his wartime experience.” Declan toyed with his soda bottle. “So, you want to tell me what’s going on with you and Baxter?”

  “Not really.” Liam looked away from his brother.

  “Yeah, well, tough. Come on, Liam. A relationship? Now? Really?”

  “Why not now?” Liam turned back again. He looked at Declan seriously. “There’s no such thing as a good time for anything to happen, Dec. I can’t pencil emotions in on my calendar, you know. And you can’t really talk, considering you’re with Angelique.”

  Declan shook his head. “No, I’m sleeping with Angelique. I’m not in love with her. I could see it though; you and Baxter were making new love puppy eyes at each other. Are you sure this is what you want?”

  “I knew we were going to be talking about this,” Liam muttered.

  “Good to know I’m predictable. Answer the question.”

  Liam huffed. “Fine, fine. Yeah, I like him a lot. Don’t say the other L word, because I’m not ready to say it to you about anyone.”

  “Liam, it wasn’t that long ago that you got your heart broken. I hate talking about this shit; I’m no good at it. But seriously, dude, don’t you think this is too soon? Or is it a rebound thing?”

  Liam thought about that. “No, it’s not a rebound thing. I like Baxter for himself. I don’t imagine him as someone else. Hell, I don’t want him to be someone he’s not. He’s funny, and he’s smart. And he’s a good guy, Dec. He’s kind and considerate.”

  “He’s damaged,” Declan said. “Angelique told me about him. He lost a lover, and then in the Venatores he was crushing on Michael. Now Michael’s with Gabriel and no way would Gabriel take that shit lying down. I’m amazed that Baxter isn’t a smear on the ground. But she’s not convinced he’s not on the rebound, and I gotta be honest, bro, I’m not either.”

  “He wanted me to bite his neck,” Liam said.

  “He—oh fucking hell, Liam. You know that’s how shifters mate! That’s how they form their serious attachments. And he’s a wolf shifter and wolves mate for life. What were you thinking?”

  “I was thinking that I was fucking horny, since you asked,” Liam shot back. He was gratified to see Declan turn crimson. “I know what it means. If I didn’t think he was sincere, I wouldn’t have done it. I didn’t know about the crush on Michael. But that, if anything, is more of a rebound thing—crush on someone who you know, deep down, you can’t have. It’s safe. Well, as safe as crushing on an Archangel could be, I guess. But it’s not a relationship, it doesn’t carry the risk of having your heart broken. Fuck, I sound like a goddamn agony aunt, and this is your fault.”

  Declan laughed at that. “Okay, fair enough, you’ve obviously thought about things. I’ll withhold judgment until I know Baxter a little better; I’m still not sold that he’s over Michael. But what about you, man? Derryn died in front of you six months before we got the call from Gabe. Now, you probably wrote some emo poetry or something, but are you really, seriously over him? And all the shit that went with him?”

  Liam snorted. “I don’t write poetry. And I am. No, I am, Dec, I promise. When he died….” Liam paused for a moment. “There was a lot of shit that came out. You can’t tell me you knew he was working with the demons we killed.”

  “No, I didn’t. I thought he was what he said he was—a demon killer. Not a demon sympathizer.” Declan lightly punched Liam’s shoulder. “We all got played.”

  “Yeah, we did. And now he’s dead. I was shocked, yeah, shocked that he played on my emotions and shocked that he’d lied so damn well.” Liam paused and drained his coffee cup. It had gone cold and tasted revolting. He wrinkled his nose and screwed the cup up and tossed it into a nearby trash can. “I guess you could say he broke my heart. But that was because of everything, not just because he played me. Hell, Dec, Baxter couldn’t be more different than Derryn was.”

  “That’s true, at least,” Declan agreed. “Baxter’s blond and blue eyed and a surfer. He’s not the sharpest tool in the shed, but yeah, he’s pretty funny. I’d be less on your case about this if you weren’t having feelings for him, you know that, right?”

  “I do,” Liam said. “Baxter’s hot, and I like him. So what if he’s not book smart, he’s Marine smart and he’s Venatores smart.”

  “True.”

  “And he’s fantastic in bed,” Liam said, looking at his brother slyly.

  Declan rolled his eyes. “I don’t want to know. The only person’s sexcapades I care about are mine.”

  “At least you’re a prude about everyone,” Liam said.

  “Fuck off, I am not a prude.” Declan took a drink of his soda. He swallowed and then he went on. “Seriously, though, this job that Gabe’s got us on, I’m worried.”

  Liam was relieved to be talking business now. Declan seemed to have satisfied himself as to Liam and Baxter’s relationship—for the moment—and Liam was pleased not to have to go into more detail. “Yeah. The ghosts are freaked and that’s weird, but then add all this other crap in, and it’s starting to look a bit more terrifying than weird.”

  “Ain’t that the truth,” Declan said. “I don’t like this situation, Liam. I don’t like it at all.”

  Liam’s cellphone rang then, and he dug it out of his jacket pocket and answered it. He wasn’t really surprised to hear Gabriel’s British accent on the other end of the line.

  “You boys need to get back to Michael’s,” Gabriel said without preamble. “Call for an angel to pick you u
p and get you to Yerevan.”

  “Sure.” Liam nodded, although he knew Gabriel couldn’t see him. “Do you want us to bring anything?”

  “Like what, scones? No, just yourselves.”

  “Okay, okay. We’ll see you in a few days, then.”

  “Be faster,” Gabriel said.

  “Okay, we’ll see you tomorrow, then,” Liam said.

  “Better. Later.” Gabriel’s voice was gone.

  Liam pocketed his cell. “And now we rouse the troops, load up, and head back to Oregon.”

  “That was Gabe, I take it?” Declan asked even as he got to his feet.

  “Yeah. We’re to get our asses back to Michael’s building as fast as we can, then yell for angel airlines to take us back to Yerevan.”

  “Okay,” Declan said. “I’m getting a bit tired of hopping around the world.”

  “So am I,” Liam admitted. “Still, it needs to be done.”

  “Yeah. Okay, you get Baxter, and I’ll get Riley and we’ll take off.” Declan started toward his room, and Liam followed him.

  “HELLO, GABRIEL!”

  Gabriel stared. Asaf was waving to him, and on his head was a loosely woven straw hat. He was sitting cross-legged on the ground by the lake, and he was mending a fishing net.

  “Hi. Why are you doing that?” Gabriel asked.

  “Ahijah asked me to help him with the nets,” Asaf said. “Some of them got caught on things in the lake and they tore.”

  “I see.” Gabriel shook his head and looked up the bank of the river to the small village not far away. “I’m afraid you’re going to have to set aside your new career as a fisherman and come to Yerevan with Vel and Camael.”

  Asaf looked worried. “Is there bad news, sir?”

  “There’s news,” Gabriel said. “Some good, some bad, some I ain’t sure about. Come on, lad, set your nets aside. Ahijah will understand.”

  “All right.” Asaf set the net aside and got to his feet.

  “Where are Camael and Vel?” Gabriel asked, as he started toward the village.