Pretty Dark Sacrifice

by Heather L. Reid

  Remiel, Zephon, find Lilith. I want her essence flung back into the Underworld now. Do you understand? The rest of you, spread out. Take down as many as you can. Kaemon relayed the message through his telepathic link with the rest of the host. Be careful, the enemy has taken the Qeres fields.

  Eden was the only realm where Qeres flowers bloomed, from which came the poison that killed immortals, angels, and demons alike. Lilith knew exactly where the flowers were cultivated; she tended the garden herself before her banishment and commanded her army to rip out the purple flowers by the roots and coat their own weapons in the deadly juice of the plant. The raw poison wouldn’t do as much damage as a proper Qeres blade forged in the fire of the Arcadian sun, but they would be dangerous enough.

  Tucking his wings to his side, Kaemon started his descent, circling toward the epicenter of the destruction. What had been grass was now nothing but dust. The evil taint released from Lilith’s poisoned apple spread, a black plague across the land.

  There, in the middle of the chaos, kneeled a girl in the center of a blackened ring that spread outward for miles. Eve. Adam’s new wife. Kaemon could feel regret dripping from her like rain. So this was her doing. Disguised as a serpent, Lilith had led Eve astray. Her emotions pulsed with shame, her heart crushed under the weight of her betrayal. Long, brown hair cascaded against her bare back and past her waist in sweeping curls. In her hands, she clutched the other half of the apple.

  Smoke writhed through Eve’s fingers, evil trying to escape, but she wouldn’t let go of the tainted fruit, wouldn’t let the rest of the demon horde touch her beautiful home, not like Adam had. Adam’s disgrace drove him back inside the cave to hide from what he’d done, a coward. Kaemon sensed her determination and courage, but he feared her desire to correct her mistake was a little too late.

  Refusing to give up, she pursed her lips and grabbed the closest container she could find, a small, carved, wooden chest, and dropped the remaining apple into it. It would take more than that to hold the rest of the demon horde, but maybe it would buy the angelic host a little more time. He had to admire her courage.

  On her knees, Eve clutched the container that kept the rest of Lilith’s children from being loosed on Eden to her chest. It quaked as the trapped demons pushed the lid, trying to escape. She wept in fear and remorse, tears rushing down her cheeks to fall upon the polished wood. Kaemon watched in awe as a rainbow of phosphorescent runes etched themselves upon the box, a new prophecy writing itself to bring balance back to the realms.

  When the tears of Eve have turned to blood and her sins have turned to flesh, the key will fall. For love is bound by the power of the Trinity. Their destiny is written by chaos and betrayal, and on the first eclipse of the eighteenth year, the voice of the sacrifice will break the lock, restoring darkness unto the light. By this promise, be compelled.

  Somehow, her regret and desire to right the wrong acted as a catalyst, calling forth an inner power. This was something beyond the control of The Light. An intricate system of checks and balances was in constant play to ensure no one realm dominated over another. Kaemon had witnessed many a miracle that kept the scales from tipping one way or the other for too long. There were loopholes within loopholes, and it was the job of the Dominions to keep track of all the threads and find ways to gain the upper hand.

  In the celestial hierarchy, Kaemon belonged to the first order of angels called The Powers, and as a Power, a warrior Elite, part of Kaemon’s job was to restore order to chaos. Keep the box away from Lilith, keep her from finding a way to open it and gaining the key to unleashing the rest of her army.

  After the last rune blazed across wood, a bright light flashed, sealing the box with magic, and the prediction faded like invisible ink, but Kaemon’s memory would never let him forget what he’d read as he hovered transfixed above her shoulder.

  Thunder cracked, and a rift opened in the ground before them, startling them both from their stupor. A demon rose from the crack, eight feet in height with hollow eyes, horns like a ram, and a long, skeletal snout curving down into one sharp bone tooth. Spikes protruded from his furry back and shoulders like lances, and his armor appeared to be made of cobwebs and smoke. Another crack opened behind them. Six serpents with bodies as thick as tree trunks slithered through the rift. One reared back to strike the girl, but Kaemon was faster, chopping its head from its body. Black blood spurted from the wound, the tail still wriggling.

  How was he so stupid to let down his guard for a second? One simple task, protect The Keepers until this was over. Wind whipped at his tunic as he took to the air, drawing them away from Eve as best he could. Grabbing her chance at escape, Eve darted to the right, making for the cave, but she stumbled, and the chest fell from her hands. It tumbled end over end until it landed at the edge of the rift.

  Leave it, save yourself. Kaemon used his telepathic ability to guide her, but she disregarded him and scrambled to retrieve her charge, putting her directly in the path of the large bone demon. Such a stubborn child. Now he would have to rescue her. Before Kaemon could reach her, the bone demon snatched the box with one hand and wrapped the other around Eve’s throat. Holding them both up in triumph, it let out a howl that shook the ground.

  Eve choked out a strangled scream, clawing at the exposed bone and sinew on the creature’s arm, trying to get loose. But the monster laughed and shook her so hard Kaemon thought her neck might snap.

  All the fire of the Arcadian sun raced through Kaemon, and he shot straight into the air. An arc of blue, like a bolt of lightning, cut the demon’s head from his body. Smoke poured from its severed neck as immortal poison ate away at his essence and turned him to dust before he hit the ground. The box fell from the ashes of one hand, while the girl tumbled from the grip of the other. Lilith’s entire army howled in rage and turned all their attention to him.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Quinn pressed her back against the lockers until the metal bit into her shoulder. Kerstin’s demon had grown since she’d last seen it. Six feet tall, it towered over her petite frame. Dozens of tentacles whipped and writhed from its shifting body of fog, pushing through Kerstin’s chest, wrapping around her arms, curling in her hair like a deadly vine. Smaller threads of the creature connected directly to her skin, reminding Quinn of the strings of a marionette. Quinn hugged herself as her grief intensified, her head pulsing in pain as the beast tried to break through her defenses.

  “Kerstin? You have to let me help you,” Quinn stammered. She strained to catch her breath as the demon’s essence pushed against hers, looking for a crack in her barrier. Sweat beaded on her lip, and she resisted, using all her energy to focus on keeping it out.

  The demon laughed from Kerstin’s throat. “It’s too late for that now. The girl has been the perfect host, such anger and insecurity to feed on. And look how we’ve grown?”

  “Leave her alone.” Quinn pushed forward the bubble of light surrounding her, trying to engulf Kerstin in the protective shield, but the demon was too strong.

  “You don’t have the power to banish the likes of us, Eol Ananael. I am stronger than you.” Smoke slithered around Kerstin, obscuring her from sight. “This one is mine until she dies.”

  Heat pulsed against Quinn’s calf, and she reached for her dagger, but before she could pull it from the sheath, a misty tendril pushed through her defenses. The light barrier cracked around her like an eggshell as the tendril threaded into her chest. Frozen in place, she tried to call to Azrael for help, but the creature’s power had wrapped around her gift, suppressing her ability to communicate with her Sentinel.

  “Regret,” the creature said. “So full of it, there’s room for little else inside that soul of yours. We can feel it running through you, calling to us, the grief and guilt. You are guilty, aren’t you, Quinn?”

  Quinn convulsed as a cold hand squeezed her heart between invisible fingers. Pain exploded through her chest, the beat slowing under the crushing weight of t
he demon’s influence.

  “It would have been easier for everyone if you had died in that river like we planned. I could do it now, squeeze until you have a heart attack. So easy.” A crooked smile twisted Kerstin’s lips. “As easy as watching a stupid boy die for love of you.”

  Anger filled every inch of Quinn. She could feel her face flush as heat rose in her cheeks. This creature and all his brethren had pushed her and Aaron apart, threatened her, driven her to the brink of insanity. Her biggest remorse was listening to them in the first place.

  Your regret is like a black beacon, Azrael had warned. You must let go of your guilt, let go of the boy. Azrael was wrong, it wasn’t giving up on Aaron that would help her, it was holding him close. Quinn gritted her teeth and reached for the spark of light deep within. A kiss under the stars. The melody to Aaron’s song thrummed through her, and she felt the demon’s grip weaken.

  Power, hot and white, burned within Quinn. Blue lightning crackled around her, aching to be released. A deep breath focused all her energy into her intent, and she released the blow into the demon. The demon jerked backward, pulling Kerstin with it. Together, they flew six feet down the hall, slammed into a row of lockers and crumpled to the floor, energy sparking around Kerstin’s skin like tiny fireworks.

  “Your name, demon,” Quinn demanded, her confidence growing with her anger.

  “I’ll never tell you.” Black eyes wide, the demon hissed.

  “Eudmhox?” Like a flash, the demon’s name was on her lips. “Jealousy, is it?”

  “No, you can’t make me leave. This one called to me, wanted me.” The creature hugged Kerstin close. “You have no right.”

  “Do you know what this is, Eudmhox?” Quinn pulled the glowing blue dagger from its sheath and pressed the tip to the hollow of Kerstin’s throat. Kerstin’s body convulsed with its touch and Quinn grinned.

  “That old thing doesn’t have enough poison in it to kill one such as me.”

  “We’ll see.” Quinn dragged the dagger across Kerstin’s skin and the demon screamed and shrank back. Kerstin’s eyes flashed from black back to blue as his dark influence wavered. Seizing the chance, Quinn wrapped her power around Eudmhox’s essence, ripped his shadow from Kerstin, and threw him across the hall. In a blink of an eye, Eudmhox shrank into a tiny black fly and then zoomed through the roof and out of the building before Quinn could invoke the banishment.

  Well done. Azrael stepped through the row of lockers behind her, swords drawn, a grin on his face.

  He got away. Quinn returned the dagger to her boot.

  Azrael nodded. You will have another chance. His hold on the girl is strong.

  Coming back to herself, Kerstin blinked and looked at Quinn, confused. “What are you doing here?” She glanced around, forehead knitting in worry.

  “Heading to class. You?” Quinn offered a hand, but Kerstin pushed her away and pulled herself up on the edge of Aaron’s open locker.

  Be careful. Even now I feel a small piece of him squatting inside her like a virus, Azrael warned.

  “None of your business.” She stumbled, and Quinn grabbed her elbow to steady her.

  “Are you feeling okay?” Quinn asked.

  “Why?” Kerstin jerked away and glared as if Quinn were the devil himself.

  “Well, I wanted to make sure you’re all right, that’s all. You look a little green around the gills.”

  “Look, you can drop the goody-goody attitude. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer, is that your game? We’re not friends.” Kerstin smoothed a stray curl with the palm of her hand.

  “Paranoid much? There is no game; that’s what I’m trying to tell you.” Quinn tried to re-assure her.

  “As if. You say you don’t want him because you know he loves me, not you. I know you’d like nothing better than for me to disappear, me and the baby. Don’t worry, Quinn, I won’t give you the satisfaction.” She thrust a hand into Quinn’s face. A diamond the size of a pea sparkled under the fluorescent lights.

  Quinn rolled her eyes. A few months ago, the sight of Jeff’s engagement ring on Kerstin’s hand would have sent her over the edge, but not now. Truth was, it all seemed so stupid and juvenile—the fact that Kerstin slept with Jeff, his lies, the pregnancy—like something that happened to another Quinn in another life. She still cared about Jeff, but because of what they had, not because she wanted something more. And Kerstin, well, she realized that she and Kerstin were a lot more alike than she wanted to admit.

  Quinn shrugged. “Congratulations. I hope things work out between the two of you. You both deserve to be happy.”

  “Oh, we’re very happy. And don’t think that just because you’re back anything’s going to change.” She rubbed a hand over her belly.

  “We’ve both been through hell, Kerstin. Don’t you think it’s time to put it all behind us and start over? I don’t want to fight with you. Honestly, all I want is to get through the rest of the year and get out of this hell hole and forget everything that’s happened here.”

  A remnant of the demon surged through Kerstin, turning her pupils into black saucers. Azrael drew his sword, but she stayed his hand.

  She’s not going to hurt me. The spirit’s hold has weakened. I’m fine.

  Azrael ruffled his feathers. For now, but no doubt it will return. She is a gaping wound, an empty vessel waiting to be filled.

  She’s a human.

  She’s a pawn of the Underworld.

  A pawn, which is all the more reason to try to help her. She didn’t envy the confusion and pain that came with that darkness, no matter how she felt about Kerstin.

  “What would you know about my life? You don’t have any idea what I’ve been through, and don’t pretend to give a shit. I don’t care about your little sob story. I have it pretty good compared to you,” Kerstin continued on her rant. “I’m not the one who leapt off a rock in a desperate attempt for attention. I’m not the one who killed Aaron.”

  Kerstin reeled as Quinn’s palm slammed across her cheek. “Don’t you ever mention his name to me again. Do you hear me?” Quinn’s warning escaped in a growl.

  And you wanted to help her?

  Quinn gave Azrael a dirty look. He shrugged, sheathed his blade, and disappeared through a wall and back out onto the Westland campus.

  “What the hell?” Jeff sprinted to Kerstin and cupped her jaw in his hand.

  Great. Quinn should have known he wouldn’t be far. They were like conjoined twins, the two of them. Quinn crossed her arms over her chest and braced herself. There would be no way to defend her position. All Jeff had seen was Quinn slapping his pregnant fiancé. Never mind that Kerstin had been harboring a demon and had started the fight, or that all Quinn had wanted was to lay low. Kerstin wouldn’t let her. Quinn would get the blame and Kerstin would get the sympathy. Welcome back to Westland High, Quinn.

  “God, Quinn. Look at this!” Jeff turned Kerstin’s cheek so she could see. A red mark stung the skin but would quickly fade. She hadn’t hit her that hard, but Kerstin was out to win an Emmy for best performance with her tears, and the gloating smirk on her face when Jeff wasn’t looking made Quinn want to smack her again.

  “I want to go home, Jeff. Please, take me home.” Kerstin sobbed and pulled at his sleeve, a child begging a parent. “Tell the nurse I’m too sick to drive myself. I need to get out of here, I need you.”

  “Fine. Go wait for me in the car,” Jeff said.

  “Aren’t you coming?”

  “I have a few things I need to say to Quinn first.”

  “I’m not leaving you alone with her.” Kerstin’s eyes flashed from blue to inky black.

  Jeff gave Kerstin a hard look that Quinn had never seen before, his patience running thin. The fog rolled around Kerstin, thick and black, but she didn’t argue. Instead, she turned and stomped down the hall. Jeff waited until she had disappeared around the corner then turned to Quinn.

  “Nobody’s se
en you for weeks. Reese said you locked yourself away like Miss Havisham from that Dickens novel. The whole school’s been worried. I’ve been worried. Now you show up, and within five minutes Kerstin’s been assaulted. What were you thinking? She’s pregnant, Quinn.”

  “Yeah, no need to remind me.” Quinn rubbed the toe of her shoe on the back of her jeans and stared at the ground.

  “I don’t even know who you are anymore,” Jeff said.

  “Of course you don’t. I’m not the same Quinn you dated for four years and then cheated on, or the Quinn who foolishly fell right back into your arms because she was too afraid to trust herself. You can’t go back, Jeff, and frankly, I don’t want to anymore.”

  “I’m sorry, for what it’s worth, about Aaron, about everything.” Jeff rubbed at his temples. “I know those words are a little too late, and not nearly good enough to erase the damage that’s been done. I was running too, from the mess I made. I didn’t know how to handle it.”

  “Yeah, well, we’ve all made mistakes.” As much as she should hate him, hate Kerstin, none of it mattered anymore. Jeff was the past, and her future didn’t have room for him. “Let’s forget about it.”

  Jeff nodded. “I still care about you, I’ll always care, but I think it would be easier for everyone if you stayed away from Kerstin and me from now on.”

  Quinn nodded. “I think that’s for the best.”

  A knot twisted in her gut as Jeff disappeared down the hall. Maybe she shouldn’t have let him go without warning him. No, nothing good could have come out of him knowing. He had made his choice, and no matter what Quinn said, he wouldn’t believe her. Besides, she had other things to focus on, and none of it had to do with school.

  Aaron’s journal lay beneath his still open locker. She bent to pick it up, along with the photo of him and Marcus. Quinn fanned through the book. The pages were filled with a few other entries along with poetry, guitar chords, and sketches of gardens, angels, and her own face.

  The handwriting on one particular section drew her attention. It looked so different than the other pieces of scrawled notes and poetry. The lyrics to “Starlight Memory,” the song he’d written for her, were neatly printed in blue ink, filling the blank space as he had poured his heart onto the page for her, for them. Each lyric had been carefully put on the page, with purpose. She traced the lines of the lyrics with a finger, the haunting melody playing along with the words.