My knees go out from under me and Cas catches me before I fall forward. “Can you get us out of here?” I ask, grasping at his arms.
“Son of a bitch,” Cas curses. He sets me on my feet and steps in front of me. Zakiel steps to the other side of me. Both tensed, ready to fight.
As the first demons come at us, I come to the sudden realization that I will probably never see Brion again.
I love you, Brion. I think to him in my mind. Yes, it’s stupid and premature. We’ve only known each other for a day. But I know what I feel, and it’s real. I feel it to the depths of my soul.
I love you.
I step forward, taking out my own dagger. I’m not going to let them fight alone. I’m ready to die if I must.
6
Brion
I probably haven’t been here long, but it seems like hours. Every second is one more that Gillian is in danger without me. I should have kissed her one last time.
Where is Michael? Why did he summon me? And what the hell is taking so long?
As I pace, I think back over the past twenty-four hours. How did the hell dimension find out about Gillian’s invention, when we didn’t even know upstairs? How did the demons suddenly have Galadrian daggers? And how had the demon who had walked into her ex-lover evaded our detection?
Somehow, the demons have help. And now I’m in prison. My mind is going to a place I really don’t like.
One side of the cell becomes invisible. Even though I can see through it, I know it isn’t open. And that force field hurts like a son of a bitch.
A flaming sword appears on the other side. Two seconds later, Michael appears, grasping the sword and standing at the ready.
His power flows over me and I kneel, cursing myself as I do it. I grab my dagger as I stand, knowing it probably won’t do a damn thing against that flaming blade.
“Brion.” His voice is smug. And he addresses me in Angelic, the high Angel language.
Every sense that I have is telling me that his purpose here isn’t good.
“Mikhael.” I reply cautiously, using the Angelic version of his name.
“I’ve enjoyed listening to you in here, whining about your precious little human.” His lips turn down in disgust.
“What are you talking about? You’re the one who assigned me to protect her.”
“Only until her machine was finished. Now she’s of no use to me. And neither are you.” He lifts the sword, and I know he’s dying to thrust it into me.
I know I can’t stop that from happening, but I want more answers first. “Why do you want her invention?”
He snarls. “You humans are so damn ignorant. Why do you think you’re the only planet in the universe?”
Huh? I must admit, I’m completely taken aback. “What planet are you talking about?”
“Celeron, you ignorant peasant.”
“Celeron. The one all the archangels are from?” I really don’t understand what he’s talking about.
“Yes, I took her invention to protect my own world. I’m sick of protecting Earth. Humans are ungrateful, wretched beings.” Michael gives himself a shake. “I don’t even know why I’m talking to you. It’s completely unrewarding. You are too slow to understand the universal implications of what I’ve done. Have fun figuring it out.”
And then he does it.
Even though I tried to prepare myself for the pain, it’s still impossibly bad. I burn. I scream. The blade doesn’t kill me, but it hurts so bad it paralyzes me. He slowly draws the blade out of my stomach. And then, I feel no more.
I come to, not knowing how much time has passed. But I have the feeling that Michael is long gone. I rise on shaky legs, trying to think of what to do. For all I know, he could intend to leave me here forever.
I pound on the wall, testing its strength. It’s pretty strong.
Think, Brion.
My emotions are almost choking me. My hands are shaking as I pull out all the stones, artifacts, and weapons I have on me. What can I use to get out of here?
Just then I hear a voice in my mind.
I love you.
It’s Gillian. And with the strength of emotion behind it, I can tell she’s in serious danger. Rage suffuses my entire being and I clench my hands into fists. She isn’t going to die today.
I love you, too, my little scientist.
And I’m going to be back to give her that kiss. With a roar, I shove everything back in my pockets except my daggers. I grab them and begin to fly upward, scraping the wall with their edges.
As I fly upward, the air becomes thinner. I gasp for breath but keep flapping my wings.
I’m dead. I shouldn’t have trouble breathing. I don’t understand.
Finally, I’m holding my breath, almost passing out. I thrust my daggers into the wall and keep climbing. Hand over hand, thrust over thrust.
I’m choking, coughing, and I know I’m nearing the end of my strength. But just like that, I reach the top. And it’s open. I climb over the side, seeing the Hall of Records far, far below.
I try to hang on and fly, but all at once I feel myself crumple and everything turns black.
7
Gillian
I love you, too, my little scientist.
The thought comes from somewhere deep inside, and I know it’s Brion. For a moment, I can sense him, smell him.
Hold on. I’m coming.
Then it fades.
And I’m back.
Back in a fight for my life I can’t afford to lose.
I clutch my dagger more tightly, even though I’ve yet to use it. The two massive angels in front of me have managed to maneuver me into a corner in an attempt to keep me safe. So far I’ve seen the swooping of their wings and the bare muscles of their backs, drenched in sweat. The clanking of daggers and stench of sulfur and death fills the air.
I’ve occasionally seen the faces of our attackers. Their skin hangs from their flesh, mouths open to reveal sharpened teeth. And the way they fight makes it obvious they don’t care about the bodies they use.
They can always come back in another.
The angels have tried to push us toward the window, but the horde of demons is too strong. The demons have cut at them with their daggers, rarely successful, but those intermittent cuts must be adding up because I can feel them slowing slightly.
“Brion said to hang on. He’s coming.” I say to them as quietly as I can. I don’t want to alert the whole horde, in case we can use the element of surprise.
I watch as they thrust and parry. Zakiel gets in a good stab with his dagger and another demon turns to ash.
Please hurry, Brion.
One of the demons stabs Cas in the wing.
Red blossoms on his feathers, and my stomach turns. How much more of this can they take?
“Fuck!” Zakiel yells, doubling his efforts. He kneels and thrusts, then jumps and kicks, swinging his long blond hair over his shoulder. His fighting is a beautiful, deadly dance.
All at once, there’s a glow in the far corner of the room.
I can’t see more than that, but I pray it’s Brion.
Demons start to howl in anguish, and the fighting becomes a frenzy. I see flashes of wings through the crowd, and for the first time, I feel hope.
Help has arrived.
I can’t tell how many angels there are, but it’s a lot. They are cutting their way through the horde to us. Daggers are flying everywhere. Those who don’t have them are fighting hand-to-hand.
I hear an immortal cry of pain not too far from me and look to the right. An angel has been pierced through by three daggers at once. His pained gaze meets mine for a moment before he disappears, leaving only glittery dust falling to the floor behind him.
“Daniel!” Cas shouts.
But there’s no time to consider what the death of an angel might mean, because suddenly Brion is fighting right in front of me.
“Michael betrayed us,” he says to Cas.
“We kind of figured tha
t out on our own.” Cas replies, his voice thick with pain.
“Can we get out of here before we chat?” Zakiel grits his teeth as he thrusts his dagger into another demon. It disappears into grayish dust with a howl of pain.
Cas curses. “Agreed. For every demon we kill, two more appear.”
Brion nods. “I agree.” He raises his voice into a shout. “Retreat!” Then he shouts in Angelish, “Iaxioue! Iaxioue!”
The angels begin to fight their way toward the windows on the far wall. It’s much easier this time because there are so many of them.
Once the demons realize what they’re doing, they redouble their efforts. But the angels are just too strong.
Just as we reach the windows, Cas gets stabbed in the chest.
“Dammit,” Zakiel says through gritted teeth, catching him. “Let’s get the fuck out of here!”
Zakiel and Brion put their fists through the glass at the same time and we burst through, Brion’s arms coming around me at the last second.
8
Brion
I hover in midair for a few moments, watching the other angels fly out of the building in a mass exodus. Many take demons with them, tossing them to their deaths below. But I can’t focus on them.
I’ve got her. My little scientist is safe.
“I need to get this guy upstairs.” Zakiel tells me, holding a barely conscious Cas.
I nod. “All right. We’ll be at the cabin. Briefly.” While I finish what I started with my little scientist. Then figure out what I’m going to do to Michael.
I don’t bother flying back this time, but use the portal.
Once we appear, I carry her gently to the couch and place her on it.
She’s on me immediately, looking me over. “Are you hurt? What happened to you? Where did you go?”
“I’m fine. Michael imprisoned me. Briefly.”
“Michael! The demons mentioned him. Is he the one who did this?”
She looks up at me so innocently, and I realize I don’t want to admit to her that the leader of the army who was supposed to protect humanity has betrayed us. The being to whom I swore my eternal soul in service. But I don’t have a choice. “Yes. He stole your invention to protect his home planet, Celeron.”
“He took my invention to another planet?”
Although her voice rises, I believe she’s taking this rather well. “As I mentioned before, Earth isn’t the only planet we protect. The archangels are all from Celeron.”
She’s silent for a few moments. “As much as I hate it, I can understand why he did it. I built the machine to protect my home planet, too.”
I clench my fists in rage. “Then you have a purer heart than mine. Because I really want to kill him right now.”
“Well, I can always build another.”
My heart stops for a moment. Why did Michael take this one if she could just build another? It only takes six months. Then I get the sinking feeling in my stomach that maybe we don’t have six months. But I don’t want to disillusion her right now.
We sit in silence for a moment, and Gillian traces her fingertips over the skin of my chest. This time I start to glow immediately. She makes my heart feel warm. As if there’s more to afterlife than pain and death. Right now I’m happy just to hold her. How is it that the thirty years I’ve been an angel has passed in a flash, but two hours apart from her feels like eternity?
I’m just a soldier. One of the many Michael has forced to do his bidding. But the way she holds me, focuses her whole attention on me, makes me feel special. I can almost believe there’s something within me worth loving. Something still…almost human.
Her fingers come around to find the scars on my back.
I shiver. “I almost lost you tonight.”
She sits back and looks at me. “How did you get out of prison?”
Uh-uh. No more stories tonight. I’ve got something more interesting to do with those lips. So I give her the kiss I’ve been dreaming about since I was in prison.
I entwine my fingers with hers and pull her gently back toward me. Our lips meet, and I relearn the heavenly taste of her mouth. Our tongues thrust together in perfect harmony.
Even though her passion matches mine, I can tell she’s resisting. You really want to tell stories, little scientist? I just want to hold you. And kiss you. Well, maybe a little bit more, if I’m being honest.
After a few more slow, openmouthed kisses, she whimpers and I can tell she’s finally giving in to the passion between us. Our tongues entwine, mimicking the gentle motions of our fingers. I pull her over me so she straddles my legs. I feel her heat as her legs open, and she cries out softly as she brushes against me.
I groan into the kiss. That’s right. Do that again. I pull her hips against mine again, matching her movement. She presses against me, her pebbled nipples moving against my chest.
She’s so hot that her hips are moving in little circles on their own. My fingers find the hem of her shirt, ready to pull it off.
“Uh-hmm.” A throat clears loudly behind us.
Fuck. Not now. Let this be my imagination. I kiss her again.
“Brion.”
I break away with a frustrated groan and turn her slightly so I can see over her shoulder. To my surprise it’s Zakiel and Cas. Cas appears fully healed.
“That was fast,” I comment, holding Gillian close to me for a few more seconds. She buries her head in my chest in embarrassment.
“Maybe to you,” Zakiel replies. “But we got here just in time. We need to get going. There’s a horde of demons on the way, and I don’t think they’ve come for tea.”
9
Gillian
Brion gently stands me on my feet, then springs up off the couch with his usual vigor, almost as if gravity doesn’t apply to him.
I’m envious of his clear head, because mine is still fuzzy from our kisses.
“What’s the plan?” Brion asks them.
“I was hoping you had one.” The corners of Cas’s mouth turn down in concentration.
Brion smacks the wall beside him. “Fuck it. Let’s go upstairs. Just open a portal and we’ll come, too.”
Zakiel looks pointedly at me. “What are you going to do with her?”
Good point. I’m not sure I’m ready to go upstairs, but I really don’t want to stay downstairs by myself. A horde of demons doesn’t sound fun.
Brion doesn’t even pause. “I said ‘we’. I’m taking her with us.”
Cas gasps. “You can’t do that!”
“Watch me.” Brion’s jaw tightens.
Zakiel puts a hand on his shoulder to stop him. “No human has ever been to the heavenly dimension before.”
“There’s a first time for everything.”
My heart is in my throat. I’m going…upstairs? Don’t I have to be dead for that or something?
Cas places a hand on Brion’s other shoulder. “I’m not sure why, but I also don’t feel like this is a good idea.”
The corners of Brion’s mouth turn down in concern. “She needs protection, we need information, and I don’t think I can do that from here.”
After a few moments, Cas nods hesitantly. “I don’t know of anyone who’s taken a human upstairs.”
The way they’re talking worries me a little. “Is it safe for me to go with you?”
Cas shrugs. “I don’t think anyone knows. I haven’t heard of it being done before.”
Zakiel is strangely silent now. I don’t know what to think, but I feel safer with Brion. I know he’s going to try to take care of me. And if taking me upstairs is easier for him, I’ll do it.
Cas looks me up and down. “Maybe we should combine portals to make sure she gets through.”
Brion’s eyes open wide in surprise, then his lips purse together and he places a hand over the center of his chest. “Thank you.”
The three angels move into a half circle around me. Each touches his own tattoo and an enormous, glowing portal appears in the room.
At that moment, the bedroom door flies open as if kicked from the outside. A demon flies toward me. Cas and Zakiel are already gone. Brion grabs me and jumps into the portal. I feel a hand grip my arm, long, pointed nails sinking into my flesh.
I scream.
Just as quickly, we rematerialize. A disembodied arm hangs from mine, fingers still moving. I scream again, and it turns to dust.
Brion holds me close, and Cas grabs my arm. He places one hand over the gashes and the other hand beneath it. A glowing warmth spreads up my arm, and when he removes his hand, the gashes are gone and only scars remain.
His blue-eyed gaze flies to Brion. “That was close.”
Brion nods. “Too close.”
“How are they getting through the armaments so quickly?” Zakiel looks worried.
“I have no idea.” Brion shakes his head.
For the first time, I notice where we are. My eyes take in our surroundings and I gasp in awe. It looks like an endless library, rows of shelves of books extend as far into the distance as the eye can see. At the end of each row of shelves, columns extend up into the sky. I can see clouds and sunlight above, but somehow I can also see through them to an endless sea of stars and galaxies in the distance. “Is this Heaven’s library?”
“It’s not a library,” Cas laughs. “It’s the Hall of Akashic Records.”
“What is that?”
“It’s the record of the lifetimes of every man, woman, and child that has ever lived, or will ever live, on Earth.”
“Everything that will happen? How is that possible?” I demand. “Don’t you guys believe in free will?”
All three look startled.
“Of course we do.” Cas answers.
“If you believe in free will, how is it that the future is already written?”
“Because all time exists at the same time.” Cas takes in my bemused expression. “All time is the present…” he begins, but Brion steps between us.
“Now is not the time for a debate on existential philosophy.” His forehead is creased with concern. “We have other matters to take care of.”
Angel Warrior: The Complete Series Page 6