“But if we’re able to stop this from happening, you’ll be forgiven. You won’t be dishonored any longer.”
He smiled for the first time. It made him seem so young. “You are kind…and naïve.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but he continued. “However, I appreciate your honesty. We are…more alike than I wanted to admit. Both of us have lost our families in pursuit of protecting the innocent and both of us have gotten our hands dirty in their name.”
“So you’ll help me?”
He nodded. Relief flooded through me. “Thank you.”
“Do not thank me until we have stopped the Leviathan.”
I scooted forward, rubbing my damp palms on my knees. “How much do you know about the events leading up to the 31st? It said that there will be a visit to the Garden of Eden. What happens there?”
“On the 30th, someone retrieves a piece of fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. It is later taken and given to the Leviathan to awaken it.”
“Does it say who?”
“No. Merely a Seer.”
“What about the actual event? How much do you know about it?”
“It is much like a large gathering. There are hundreds of angels there as well as two demons.”
“Wait, two demons? Does it say who?”
He shook his head. I raked the hair out of my face in a quick, frustrated motion. “Shit.”
“However, there was one thing of note. The page said that she will command control of the Leviathan. The demon is a woman.”
I froze. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
Panic rushed through my veins like ice water. “Only an archdemon could control something that powerful, right?”
“Yes.”
“Mulciber,” I whispered. “She’s the only one. Damn it.”
A curious look crept onto his features. “I have only read about her, this demon who built Pandemonium. Is she truly so wicked?”
“More than you can imagine. If she’s involved, we’re in deeper than I thought.”
“If that is true, then shouldn’t you inform the archangels of what they will be up against?”
“I…” I sighed. “I don’t know. Everything’s so complicated now. I was hoping learning the truth would make things easier, but it didn’t.”
“Vi veri universum vivus vici.”
A small smile touched my lips. “‘By the power of truth, I, while living, have conquered the universe.’ Aleister Crowley. You really are a Scribe.”
He nodded to me, a tiny but polite gesture. I stood. “My…associate will be back soon. I know it’s beyond distasteful, but could you stand to work with us until the 31st?”
His voice went subarctic. “I will have nothing to do with that creature.”
“But for you and the child, I will cooperate,” he continued, softening his tone. “You have my word as an angel.”
“Thanks. I’m so sorry for what I’ve done to you.”
He shook his head. “Again, I am owed no thanks. You did what you believed was necessary. So did I.”
“I’ll be right back.”
I walked out of the room and yelped in surprise as I found Belial leaning against the opposite wall, his blue eyes cool and calculating. I shut the door, clearing my throat and pretending he hadn’t noticed that he scared me even though I knew he did.
“How long have you been standing there?”
“Is this the part where I say ‘long enough’?” he asked. The sarcasm was so thick I could have chewed on it and blown a bubble.
“Did you hear what he said or not?”
“No. I assumed you would fill me in since we’re partners.”
My hands balled into fists. “We’re not partners.”
He smirked. “Your stubbornness is both your best and worst quality. Nevertheless, we have more pressing matters to worry about. What did he tell you?”
“That the Book said this would happen—us kidnapping him, the whole thing. But that’s the least of our worries. He said that Mulciber’s involved.”
“He’s sure?”
“Sounded pretty damn certain. Where has she been all this time?”
“In Hell,” he said, running a hand through his hair. He’d pulled it into a ponytail while torturing Edmond but now it was unrestrained, framing his slender face. “My master was none too pleased with her work these past couple years, so she has been in what I would call a boot camp. I was not under the impression she’d be able to leave any time soon.”
It occurred to me that he could be lying. Belial always had a hidden agenda, but this time, I wasn’t seeing how it would benefit him to share his plan with her. They had been partners when they tried to create a false angel back in New Jersey last year, but it sounded like they had a falling out after that. I had assumed Belial would be the one to betray me and somehow force me to raise the Leviathan, but now things were different. Now, I wasn’t sure where he stood. I needed to find out, and quickly.
“Can you verify that she’s still in Hell?”
“I can make a few calls and have one of my minions check. Normally, I can sense whenever there’s an archdemon on Earth, but she’s always been good at flying under the radar. I should have an answer within two days. In the meantime, what are we going to do with Howdy Doody?”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m so mad I even get that reference. Edmond said he’d be willing to cooperate. Though understandably, not with you.”
“What a pity. And here I was looking for a new best friend.”
“Can it. How’s Juliana?”
“Fine. Still watching television. She seems to be quite fond of that Bieber girl.”
I smothered a giggle behind my hand. “That’s a guy.”
He stared. “You’re joking.”
“Afraid not. Now let’s go untie the angel and get the hell out of dodge.”
I opened the door and went to Edmond’s chair, carefully undoing the restraints one by one. Belial stood on the other side of the bed with his arms crossed, watching with an impassive eye. Even with my energy suppressed, I sensed waves of annoyance pouring off him like steam. I had tried not to notice that he’d enjoyed torturing the rogue angel, but it was impossible. They were mortal enemies. Hell, the reason Belial agreed to help me was so he could torture and kill an angel. I could put up with him because even though he was an arrogant bastard, he was useful. Edmond certainly wouldn’t have the same sentiment, and I didn’t blame him one bit.
I undid the blood-drenched handcuffs last and helped Edmond out of the chair. He leaned all his weight on me, but since he was only about sixty pounds heavier than me, I could handle it. I led him to the bathroom and got him a First Aid kit, but he declined. He still had enough energy to heal himself, which was more than I could say, so I left him to shower on his own.
“Wait,” I said, just before closing the door. He glanced at me questioningly.
“What’s your real name? I’ve been calling you by your alias all this time.”
He watched me with surprise and then spoke softly. “Avriel.”
I offered him a faint smile. “Nice to meet you.”
A sound similar to a laugh escaped him. “And you as well.”
I shut the door, somehow feeling a little less terrible than before. Funny how angels could facilitate that feeling.
“There’s one last thing left to discuss,” Belial said, interrupting my thoughts.
“What?”
“If he’s going to work with us, what will we tell Juliana? After all, he killed her babysitter and threatened her at knifepoint. Last time I checked, four year olds aren’t great with reliving traumatic events.”
“I know. We’ll…handle it. Somehow. Poor baby’s been through enough and she’s not even a full-blown Seer yet. I’m starting to think the world would benefit from you getting a vasectomy.”
He snorted. “Funny. I’ll keep an eye on him while you’re gone.”
I couldn’t stifle my anger. “She’s your kid,
y’know. She might want some comfort from her father.”
“I’m a donor of genetic material, nothing more. Don’t project your latent Daddy issues on me, Seer.”
It took an ugly amount of will power not to punch him. I squared my shoulders and faced him, my voice quiet. “Just so you know, when this is all over…I’m going to enjoy kicking the shit out of you.”
A devious smile curled across his lips. “Promises, promises. You’re quite the tease, my pet.”
I slammed the door behind me when I left, having no other way to end the argument. Smug son of a bitch. Why did demons have to be immortal? I’d give anything to be able to shut him up once and for all. The thought practically kept me warm at night. Then again, what would my life be like without him? Who would step into his narrow Armani shoes as my flirtatious tormentor? Would I miss him? It almost made me want to laugh.
Juliana was sitting on the edge of the bed when I came in. Her eyes lit up and she pointed at the screen, telling me how cool this American show was, or something similar. She was talking way too fast for me to catch up with my crash-course in the language.
“That’s great, but we’re just going to mute this for a second, okay?”
She pouted. “Why?”
I sat next to her, choosing my words. “I wanted to talk to you about something important.”
A slight frown puckered her round cheeks so I placed a comforting hand on her head, smoothing dark curls away from her forehead. “James told me about the night he met you.”
Her face fell. “Oh. I was really scared.”
A painful spot opened up in my chest at her words. “I know. It must be hard. I know you miss your parents. I know what that’s like. I didn’t grow up with my mom and dad.”
“That must’ve made you sad.”
“Yes, it did. But it helped me learn a few things.”
“Like what?”
I paused. “Like some people can become your family even if they aren’t your blood.”
She gave me a confused look and I tried to find another way to explain it in her language. Too bad that Bieber kid didn’t have any songs about this. “Sometimes people can still be your family even if they’re not related to you. Like James.”
She glanced downward, twirling a finger in her shirt, a shy gesture. “Really? I don’t think he likes me much.”
Smart kid, I thought. “He does. He’s just not good at showing how he feels. He needs time to warm up to you. Do you understand?”
“I guess so.”
“Hey, look at me.”
She lifted her face. I smiled. “Your parents love you. You’ll see them again soon, I promise. But in the meantime, James and I will take care of you. But there’s also someone who will be with us. He might seem a little scary to you, but he’s a good guy. Whatever happens, I want you to remember that I’m always going to be here for you no matter what, okay?”
“Okay.” She lifted up on her knees and hugged me. I wrapped my arms around her and the aching hole inside my chest expanded. Part of me knew this girl was the daughter of the man who had killed my ex-lover and wanted to destroy everything I loved. I should have kept my distance. But somehow, I knew it was already too late. We were both orphans. Birds of a screwed-up feather.
God help us.
Chapter 27
Michael
THEY WERE HEADING south. I was sure of it now.
Shortly after breaking free of the blood spells, Gabriel and I had hit the road looking for any sign of them. Unfortunately, with the FBI and the U.S. Marshals on our tail, we were forced to keep our heads down and use our instincts and resources to pick up a trail. There weren’t any angels in the immediate Lexington area so I made a call to someone I knew for help—a hacker named Jocelyn. I gave her all the facts we had so far and told her to have something concrete by the time we made it to Chattanooga, Tennessee.
An emergency call tipped us off to the stolen SUV they had used to flee the scene of the crime. It had been dumped in a small man-made lake about fifteen miles outside of Lexington. No sign of Jordan, Belial, or the rogue angel, naturally. The demon would keep them mobile until they figured out their final destination, which I had to figure out just as quickly.
The map beneath my fingers was wrinkled and faded, but I knew the landscape well enough not to need every city printed in bold. With the feds looking for them, it would be easiest to travel by car rather than by plane or train. The authorities couldn’t block off every single road in the nation just to catch one international serial killer and two felons. As much as I loathed the idea, I would have to think like a demon if I wanted to catch one.
He would have his minions run any errands they needed—food, supplies, transportation, the works. All I needed was to find an area they had passed by and I could lean on one for information. Demons were nearly impossible to break, being born from Hell and all, but Hell was nothing compared to me. I would invent new ways to tear them apart. Despair had ripped my world into pieces before me, but anger rebuilt it brick by brick.
“Michael.”
I didn’t turn when Gabriel called from behind me. His heavy feet made the hardwood floors creak as he walked across the dining room to where I stood, scouring the map for clues. He sat a mug of coffee by my hand on the table. I didn’t touch it.
“Any luck?”
“No,” I said. “What did Jocelyn say?”
He sipped his coffee, making a face as if it tasted bitter. “She ran the algorithm through all the available networks. Nothing yet, but I’m sure something will turn up. What are your thoughts?”
“We know someone’s going to visit the Garden in four days. It’d take them a couple of days to even get to its location. Still, that’s where things get confusing. If they want to prevent the Leviathan from waking, all they would need to do is just avoid it. The Book isn’t telling us something. Why would they visit the Garden if it would facilitate the Leviathan’s awakening?”
Gabriel rubbed his eyes. I could tell he was tired in more ways than one, hence the coffee. “Good question. Something has to happen. Perhaps someone bribes them into it or threatens a loved one.”
I shook my head. “Lauren’s covered. I’ve had angels watching over her and Lily since we left Albany. Same thing with Jordan’s father. I even had someone keep an eye on her wretched Aunt Carmen. The only people left are you and me.”
“I suppose that’s a blessing. Jordan’s small social circle means less babysitting for the other angels,” my brother mused, but I didn’t smile at the joke. He sat his coffee down and folded his arms across his chest.
“I know this isn’t the right time to pry, but…what happened back there?”
“Back where?”
“The street. I expected you to subdue Jordan, but not like that. Why did you fight her? You could have just knocked her out.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Bullshit.” I looked up and found he was glaring at me. Had I ever heard him curse before? Couldn’t recall. It sounded wrong. Gabriel was always so calm and polite.
“What?”
“You fought your own wife. Look me in the eye and tell me that’s not fifty different kinds of wrong. You’ve never been the kind for cruelty, brother. So what happened?”
I closed my eyes. I wanted to shut down like I had in the street. Just turn my feelings off and worry about the consequences of my actions later. But he deserved the truth. After all, he was damn near the only friend I had left now that Jordan was working with the enemy.
“I wanted to see how far she would go. I had been in denial about her working with Belial. I had to see it for myself.”
“See what?”
“That she really would betray me. Betray us. It was the only way I could go through with stopping her.”
He sighed. “I know what she did was unforgivable, even by our standards. But you can’t pretend like it’s all on her. This is all of our doing.”
Offense rode hig
h in my throat. “How so?”
“We agreed to the arrangement of Belial helping us. That was a contract between the four of us. If you want to blame her, fine. But don’t pretend like you’re just an innocent cuckold in this situation.”
“Careful,” I said, my voice low and practically vibrating with anger. “I am many things, but a cuckold is not one of them.”
“Even so, you’re not acting like my brother any more. I haven’t seen you like this since the Second World War. I want to catch them and stop this just as badly as you do, but not if it costs me my soul.”
I rounded on him. “What do you want from me, Gabriel? Of course I was angry. Why does that matter? We have a job to do and I’m not going to sit around with hurt feelings while the world goes to hell.”
He rose to his full height, his sky blue eyes scorching holes through my skull. “I’m not trying to pick a fight, Michael. I am merely saying that you’ve been emotionally compromised. Perhaps you should take a moment to deal with this before things get out of hand.”
I let out a scornful laugh. “Deal with what? My wife running off with a demon just like I was afraid she’d do? Being less than a week away from having to fight one of the most powerful creatures in God’s creation? Sorry, but I’d rather piss glass.”
He opened his mouth to argue, but then I heard Jocelyn’s voice calling from her office. We shared a brief glare and then went into the room.
“What is it?” I asked.
“A maid in a Motel 8 in north Georgia made a call to the local PD when she noticed the burnt remains of what appeared to be prison clothing in the trash. The demon’s been cleaning up his tracks, but it looks like the fire didn’t destroy the entire garment. The color and size of the remains matches the last thing the rogue angel was seen wearing,” she said, tapping her mouse to get a print-out of the information her computer had gathered.
“He was in a hurry,” Gabriel said. “Normally, it would be easier to wait for the garment to burn completely and then toss it somewhere, like down a sewer drain. He’s getting sloppy. Then again, it could be purposeful misdirection.”
Paranormal After Dark: 20 Paranormal Tales of Demons, Shifters, Werewolves, Vampires, Fae, Witches, Magics, Ghosts and More Page 235