by Mary Ting
In the midst of battle, not only did we have to be skilled with weapons, we needed to fly with precision. One might think simply having wings would allow you to do so, but flying was a whole other ability, especially when dodging or fighting off an opponent. Up ahead, we had to pass through large rings. Having to go through them in sequence by numbers was the least of the problem. Inside the glowing rings, we had to endure and force our way through huge gusts of air, which had the ability to knock us down.
“Ready?” Zach asked sternly, talking like a true leader.
“I think the best way to pass through the rings is by letting the wind guide you,” I suggested. “Close your wings just before you enter, and make sure to fly through smack dab in the center.”
“I don’t know if I can do this.” Fear filled Jude’s eyes as he looked at the rings intently. He shifted his legs, rocking them back and forth, seemingly contemplating whether to go back instead of forward with us.
Victoria slapped his back. “Stop being a chicken. You’re not going to die today.”
Sometimes, Victoria could be harsh. Jude scowled. I intended to say something in his favor but he stepped up.
“Speak for yourself, Miss Know-it-all,” he snapped, inching closer with a challenging stance.
“Leave her alone.” Isaac pushed Jude enough for him to stumble backward.
“Stop,” Zach barked, glaring at them. “What are you fighting about? We need to get moving. I’m going first.”
Zach took off, flapping his wings like a beautiful dove. When he reached the first ring, he closed them—as I’d suggested—and flew through the middle.
“I’m going next.” I soared away before anyone could say a word. As I passed the first ring, Victoria came next, then Isaac, and at last, Jude. Up close, the rings were thick and incredibly intimidating. As I entered the ring, the thick and heavy air sucked me in, trying to keep me locked inside. At one point, it almost did, but I pushed with all my strength. I felt like a bird flying against the tornado-like wind.
When I had successfully passed through all twelve rings, I breathed in with relief. It may have looked easy to observers, but it was the most difficult obstacle, in my opinion. I couldn’t have been more pleased with myself. As I waited for the others to finish, Zach gave me a knowing smile and a pat on my shoulder.
“Good job, little sis,” he said proudly, sounding like Father. “A piece of cake, wasn’t it?”
My mouth widened. “For you, maybe. I didn’t like it at all. It was too stressful. I almost got knocked out or sucked in, whatever.”
As I said those words, Victoria’s body got stuck like tape to the last ring.
“Oh, no,” I mumbled under my breath. I felt her frustration. Victoria and I were as close to being friends as possible, and on missions together, I trusted her to watch my back.
Victoria struggled to set herself free. She tried to push to the center, but to no avail. When I took a step, Zach gripped my arm and froze me in place. Zach knew me too well. I had thought about aiding Victoria, but I had finished the course and couldn’t go back.
“No,” he hissed. “Let Isaac or Jude help her.”
Isaac dove in faster. His flight speed increased every second. He looked like a rocket that had just been launched. When he passed through the final ring, he grabbed Victoria. His body sprang back like a coiled spring, but he managed to pull both of them out. Then Jude flew through without a hitch with the ugliest expression on his face. He probably thought he would collide with them.
Our team cheered and so did the others as they waited for us at the finish line.
“I knew you could do it,” Uncle Davin said to our team. “Piece of cake, right?”
I arched my brows in confusion. “I thought you said it wasn’t a piece of cake.”
He shrugged. “Well, it wouldn’t be for some. Besides, if I had told you it was, then you wouldn’t have tried so hard.”
“I always try my best, Uncle Davin,” I threw in.
He ruffled my hair. “That you do.” Then he shifted his attention to the others. “It’s time to send the next team. Let’s see how far you can go.”
Chapter 7
Several other groups made it to the finish line, but Uncle Davin picked the groups with the fastest time. Our group was in, and the other one was from Nubilus City. Though I had seen them before, I didn’t know them well enough to call them by name. They were a determined team, if a bit reserved. They never smiled, nor did they speak unnecessarily—a sample of fine, polished demon hunters.
The plan had been set in motion: to descend to Earth when the sun went down. The flight to the warehouse had a breathtaking view. New York City glowed with colorful neon at night, but the serene ambiance faded when we landed. A layer of mist blanketed the street, sending an eerie shiver down my spine. Though the streetlights cast a dim light, I felt the presence of evil. What kind of evil, I didn’t know. Demons came in all kinds of hideous, monstrous forms. I prayed our mission would be quick and easy.
Father leaped to the roof while we entered through the front door of a massive warehouse; one could get lost in there. The large, oversized crates lined all the way to the back. Keeping our footsteps nearly silent, we headed forward.
“Lux,” I whispered, willing my bow to light up when I noted others had done so with theirs. Eleven glowing lights, counting my uncle’s, cautiously strode ahead. When he silently gestured with his hand for us to split up, my team sped to the other crates. Pressing our backs against them, we cautiously moved forward, keeping our eyes on the other team.
We heard no sounds, but I felt something wicked there. As I glanced around, I recalled the last meeting before we left. Uncle Davin had said the teams were ambushed not just by fallen angels, but giant monsters called Hell Guards from the abyss. How they had escaped was another mystery we would have to solve another time. First, we needed to make it out of there alive and with answers, if possible.
The anticipation of what we were about to face drove me to the edge. My heart beat out of control, and blood rushed to my face. I wanted it to be over, and yet I didn’t want it to begin.
We had passed about ten crates when we came to the dead center of the space, and still no sign of said demons. Until…the crates around us burst open.
I ducked low and covered my head with my arms to keep from getting hit by the large, wooden splinters. What came out of the crates frightened me motionless. I had seen pictures of demons such as these during our training, but it was nothing like seeing them in real life. Towering over me, a head in the form of a dragon snapped and focused on me. It had claws like a lion and sported a long tail with a serpent’s head at the tip.
After I assessed the monster, I shot my light from the bow and missed. From the corners of my eyes, I saw the lights fired from my team at the beasts surrounding us.
“Watch out!” Uncle Davin warned. “They’re breathing fire!” He hid behind the broken crates for shelter.
As we ran from the blistering blasts, we hid behind any shelter we found, but when I heard the screams of agony, I snuck a peek. Three of the Nubilus teammates had burned to a crisp. My heart sank and fear gripped me again, taking control of my muscles and my courage. I couldn’t breathe. I’d never witnessed the death of a teammate before. It affected me so powerfully I couldn’t move, but that was dangerous. I would be letting the other members of my team down.
As I inhaled a long breath and positioned my bow, glass from above shattered like falling rain, causing the five monsters to spread apart. Father charging in with rage added fuel to my shrinking courage.
Father never landed; he stopped in midair to face one of the monsters. He punched its head, knocking it across the room, smashing the other crates as it landed on them. Pulling out his sword, Father blocked the tail and sliced through its head. It turned to stone, then crumbled to nothing but ashes. Father whipped around and ran toward us.
“Fire!” Uncle Davin commanded when the four remaining monsters w
ere far apart from each other. They were easier to battle separately than when they all charged at once, spitting fire.
Our team jumped to safety as lights from our bows darted out to the beasts. It pushed them back, but didn’t do any damage.
Looks like we have to cut off the heads.
Expanding my wings, I flew in circles, causing the monster near me to spin around, following my every move. Sometimes its fire missed me by only inches.
Cut off the tail, I said to Zachary in my mind. I’ll work on the head.
Zach tried to do as I asked, but cutting off a snake’s head while it waved a long, slithering tongue wasn’t easy. Its tongue darted out in quick lashes. Zach managed to slice its tongue with his bow when it came at him, and then he finally hit the tail. When it twisted its head away from me, I went in for the kill, but I had to back away. It sensed my motion and flame scorched out from its mouth.
Luckily, my reflexes were fast. My wings wrapped around me, saving me from the impact. Sweat trickled down my forehead, and heat like I’d never felt before began to course through me.
“Lucia!” Zach called for me in panic.
When I opened my wings, Zach climbed the monster’s back. Is he crazy? When the monster diverted its attention to Zach, I cut off its head. Zach flew to me, and we stayed together as the monster collapsed.
As it turned to ashes, another fell from the team’s doing. Then the two remaining were after Father and Uncle Davin.
“Just like old times, Michael.” Uncle Davin dodged a tail by jumping over it.
“I don’t miss it.” Father covered himself with his wings as the monster breathed fire on him. When the fire died, he leaped up with his sword held out in front of him, but he missed.
“You’re getting old, Michael,” Uncle Davin teased, cutting the tail. The monster shrieked in pain and blew fire in a wide arc. Uncle Davin hid behind a large pole just in time.
“I was warming up,” Father grunted as he drove his sword into its belly. When Father sliced the stomach in half, it filled the air with a rotten stench. The monster dropped to its end.
Thank goodness. The smell alone could have killed us.
“Oh, Michael, must you fart?” Uncle Davin came out of hiding and sliced one of the demon’s legs he dodged away from. As it fell, the tail lashed at him. With a somersault flip, he managed to chop it off at the same time Father sliced through the neck.
“Fart?” Father frowned. “I do not fart.”
Uncle Davin smacked Father’s arm. “Then you burped.” He chuckled.
I couldn’t help but laugh with him. He had an odd sense of humor and sometimes at the most inappropriate times. But I loved the goofy part of him. He was always himself.
Uncle Davin gave us his attention. “Everyone okay?”
Zach, Isaac, and Jude stood near the two remaining from Nubilus City. My heart went out to them. It didn’t matter how close they were or how they felt toward one another, they were still a team. I imagined the guilt and grief they would endure. But wait….
“Where’s Victoria?” Every muscle in my body jumped into high alert. I had seen her a minute ago.
“She was just standing next to me,” the dark-haired guy from Nubilus City stated.
Father pressed his finger to his lips. “Shhh.” Then he peered up to the ceiling, arching his brows into a pinch at the center, listening for something. With a concerned expression he said, “She’s not here. Follow me.”
We glided to the roof after him. It wasn’t over. When the evil was gone, my heartbeat always returned to normal, but it hadn’t. In fact, it hammered faster and harder.
“Look. Something is out there.” Isaac pointed down to an empty street.
We hurried to his side of the roof. A shadow of large wings spread below us, black as night, reflected by a street light. A Fallen held Victoria hostage. Thank God she’s still alive. For a second there, I’d thought she had been eaten or burned by the Hell Guards.
“Let this be a warning to you all.” The Fallen’s deep, menacing tone produced a bitter taste in my mouth. “The master is coming. Hell will finally be free. The humans’ souls will be ours to take, and so will their land.” He looked down at Victoria, holding a dagger to her heart. Tears ran down her cheeks and fear filled her eyes. “You think your little doves will be ready for us? We’ve already killed many of the ones who came before you.”
I needed to get to her. Every fiber in my body told me he would kill her. Our training taught us not to be reckless. We were told not to make a move based on a hunch, but to wait for the command from our mentor instead. In this case, we had two mentors. But I couldn’t stay put; my body urged me to move. My heart cried out to save her. I didn’t want her death on my hands; it would haunt me to no end. So while Father distracted the Fallen, I snuck away to attack.
“Let her go,” Father demanded. “Your life for hers.”
The Fallen laughed like he’d heard a good joke. “The almighty Michael. How art thou? We all know the traitor you are. We have no mercy for traitors and their followers.” With those words, his dagger set in motion, and I rammed into him.
Big mistake.
“Lucia!”
My father’s cry pulled me out of my daze. Someone had knocked me to the other side of the street and I had hit the lamppost. My vision blurred as I stood up, and countless black-winged Fallen surrounded me. It was a trap, and I had fallen for it. Battling brainless demons like the Hell Guards wasn’t a piece of cake, but I’d rather fight them than the Fallen. They were more skilled, conniving, vicious, and the epitome of evil. I’d heard how ruthless they were, and I’d just found out for myself.
Two Fallen were holding me hostage while the other stood in front of me with Victoria, who struggled to set herself free.
“Why, look here, Michael. I caught me another dove.” The Fallen grinned triumphantly. “Won’t the master be proud of me that I’ve killed two more?” His tongue glided across his lips at the same time he caressed my face. I grimaced and jerked my head away. “This one is beautiful. I think I’ll have my way with her and then rip out her heart.” He leaned into me, pressing his face to my hair, and touched my cheek with his. I wanted to throw up.
I shivered, mentally blocking out the vision of his words from my mind. Fear would not take me. I had created my situation and it was up to me to get out of it. Knowing I had backup, my courage grew. The Fallen pierced his dark, devious eyes into mine as if he could reach inside my soul. His brows were thick, nose sharp, and his lips so thin they were hardly there. His ghostly pale skin revealed a long scar running from his temple to his chin on his left cheek.
“Please, let her go. You have me,” I stammered.
“Oh, this one is so brave. What a great combination. Maybe I’ll brainwash her and train her to be on our side.” He hissed at me, showing me all of his abnormally sharp teeth. They appeared as if he’d purposely sharpened them.
My team had gotten closer, but where were Uncle Davin and Zach? Knowing we were outnumbered three to one didn’t give me much hope, but I had to remind myself we were stronger than we thought. Father and Uncle Davin were with us, the greatest demon hunters of their time.
“I’m giving you one last warning,” Father stated with authority.
The Fallen laughed again, mocking Father. “You’re giving me a warning? Let me tell you my name so everyone will remember it when they die. I’m called Mortem…meaning death.” Trailing the dagger down Victoria’s neck, he nicked it. Crimson liquid seeped from the wound, creating a red line down the front of her. “Beautiful. I love this color. I can’t wait to see more of it…on her.” Then, with a wicked grin, he plunged the sword into Victoria’s heart.
“Nooo!” I screamed, feeling my heart crush. The sound of my agony bounced against several streetlights nearby and destroyed the dim light they shone upon us. It was the first time I had ever displayed such emotion, and the first time I had shown archangel power. Granted, it had been something insignificant,
but it was a big deal to me. But my actions were quickly forgotten. I concentrated on the blood flowing from Victoria’s mouth and her wound. It spread so fast, she died instantly.
“How could you?” I demanded, tears pooling in my eyes. Feeling drained from what had happened, I wanted to drop to the ground.
Mortem shoved his face into mine and I turned away again. “Do you feel bad for her?” He gripped my arms and I still felt his eyes on me. “You’re different from the others I’ve killed. There’s something special about you.” When I wouldn’t look at him, he yelled, “Look at me!”
I slowly raised my head and gave him a sly smile. Glaring at him, I said, “I am looking at you, but you shouldn’t be looking at me, idiot. You need to look up.”
On cue, Uncle Davin and Zach dropped from the building where they had been hiding and eliminated the two holding me. At the same time, I head-butted Mortem and knocked him down. Father and the other Venators charged from the other side. Angelic lights flashed across the darkness like shooting stars. The clanking of metal upon metal echoed like loud thunder. Willing my bow, I jabbed the Fallen coming at me in the ribs and sliced his body in half.
I took flight to get away from the other Fallen, but they followed close behind me. Without hesitation, I fired at them. Falling to the ground, they turned to ashes and disappeared. From my elevated position, I shot out from my bow. A second later, Zach and Isaac joined me, and together, we were hitting our targets.
Most of the Fallen had been killed, and few escaped.
“This isn’t over yet,” Mortem sneered. “You might have won today, but the battle has just begun.” He peered up at me, calculating. “See you soon, my little dove,” His tone expressed a promise.
Mortem jutted out his dark wings, and then with a spin, he disappeared, along with the ones who hadn’t been too chicken to escape beforehand.