by R. K. Ryals
"It's time."
How he knew the duel was upon us was something I didn't care to question. I just nodded against his forehead, and I felt his lips touch mine again briefly before pulling away for good. He helped right me, and I sighed as I opened my eyes to find him staring at me. Neither of us said a word. The emotions were there, the feeling I hoped most to see was shining in his now dark blue eyes. But neither of us said the words that would define what we felt.
Because, in the end, we didn't want to make our story a tragedy. In the end, if I was forced to choose between Heaven and Marcas, I didn't want to do it after uttering words that sacred.
And Marcas would never say it. I realized that now. He'd never say it as long as I had a choice because he'd never ask me to choose him over the brilliance of Heaven. This Demon wasn't selfish. But, oh how I wanted him to be. In that moment, I really wanted him to be.
"Are you ready?" he asked.
I nodded because it was the only thing I could do. My lips still burned as we walked out of the Treasury. We didn't head back toward the group. It would have meant giving them a chance to talk us out of it. I knew they'd be watching, waiting.
Marcas stepped in front of me and wrapped his arms around my waist. It was the first time we had flown together face to face. My back had always been against his chest, and I savored the feeling of being hugged as he took off, lifting us up carefully. I wrapped my arms around him and laid my cheek against his shirt. My eyes closed. We weren't leaving Petra so I knew the flight would only be a moment, but I didn't want to see where we were going. I just wanted to feel Marcas.
"We can do this, Dayton."
I could only hope he was right.
Chapter 23
Fear can be deadly. It changes how a person reacts, making him immobile. When a split second counts, fear can make a victim move too slow. When in doubt, never close the eyes.
~Bezaliel~
The moment our feet touched the ground, I was overcome with fear. I could feel Satan behind me, and I knew having my back toward him wasn't in my best interest. Rules or no, Lucifer didn't seem like he'd be the kind to refrain from cheating. I looked up at Marcas briefly before turning in his embrace. Marcas was staring straight ahead, his eyes focused on Lucifer.
"I commend your punctuality," Satan said.
He was standing opposite us, his stance casual as he smiled at Marcas. Next to him stood Lilith.
"You didn't need a second. You've always fought alone."
Marcas' voice was cold, but I couldn't help but wonder if he was as unaffected as he sounded.
"Your mother needed to see this. I am hoping it will keep her from ever birthing another child."
Lilith was stonily silent. Her face was as unreadable as her son's. Whatever she felt was not important. Lucifer was angry, and Lilith's position in Hell was in danger. She had her own little kingdom there. That much had been obvious. But it could be revoked.
Marcas didn't respond to Lucifer's jibe, and Lucifer stepped forward slowly. His eyes skirted the area. The High Place of Sacrifice. The name in itself did not denote fuzzy warm images, but the reality of it was so much . . . more than any emotion could ever describe.
We were on top of a mountain in a rectangular courtyard with an altar built into the cliffs. There was nothing but stone surrounding us with a high view of Petra. It was night, and I didn't know enough about the ancient city to know what sites were noticeable from the summit we were on. My attention was focused squarely on Lucifer.
"You know your choices."
It was all Lucifer had to say. Marcas didn't even glance at me as he stepped forward, using his body to block mine.
"We choose the tests."
Lucifer nodded, his grin revealing how pleased he was with Marcas' decision.
"Then it begins."
He lifted a hand, and I was suddenly thrown into darkness, my night vision snatched away. I tried not to gasp, but I know I failed. I had never liked the dark, and knowing that I was in the dark with the ruler of the Underworld tripled my fear. I reached for Marcas, but he wasn't there.
"It's ok. You can do this," I whispered to myself as I fought to keep my breathing even.
My heart rate slowed. My eyes were wide as I looked around me, waiting for any adjustments in my vision. There was a half-moon tonight. It was just bright enough to reveal the hazy stone shapes surrounding me but not bright enough to make them very recognizable. It was an awful, claustrophobic feeling, but worse than the darkness was the sudden realization that I was alone. Completely and utterly alone on the top of a mountain once used for sacrifice with no idea what Satan would throw at me next.
And then I felt them . . .
Tiny little legs moving up my pants, and I panicked. My heart rate picked back up, and I was sorely tempted to jump up and down, scratching at whatever it was climbing my person. I whimpered.
"Don't move, Dayton!"
It was Marcas' voice in my head, and I froze, my eyes wide as I stared at the barely distinguishable stone altar before me. The tiny legs kept climbing.
"What are they?"
I practically shouted the question in my head, and I wasn't blocking. I was sure everyone within a hundred mile radius with the ability to mind-speak could hear me. Marcas didn't answer, and I felt one of the tiny legs reach the bottom of my shirt.
"What the hell are they?" I shouted again.
I fought hard not to move. Marcas would not have issued a warning had he believed motion wasn't dangerous.
"They are spiders."
Marcas said it carefully, but he barely got the "s" out of his mouth before I felt myself going weak in the knees. I was immediately light-headed, nausea overwhelming me as I fought hard not to faint or move. I recognized the beginning of an anxiety attack, and I tried to steady my breathing without moving. The little legs were everywhere, climbing now on the front of my shirt and along my back. I sobbed inwardly. Oh my God, Oh my God, Oh my God! No, no, no, no, no!
"If you don't move, they won't bite."
Marcas sounded calm, and I knew he was trying to keep me from panicking. My inner sobbing increased. Did that mean these spiders were venomous? I didn't want to know so I didn't ask. In this instance, not knowing was better for my survival. Knowing would have ensured my collapse to the ground. I grabbed for my light, ready to shove it at the nasty little arachnids only to discover I couldn't access it. That was impossible! I was an Angel. Satan couldn't take away my light!
I grabbed for it again. Nothing. The first spider reached my shoulder, and I felt its little legs digging into my skin. Holding still wasn't difficult now. I was frozen, my attention focused on every little jab as the spiders moved. They were going to bite. I just knew they were, and every prick made me go numb.
It's amazing the symptoms the body will think it feels when afraid. It didn't matter if the spiders bit me or not, I was so sure they already had that my heartbeat became erratic, my fingers and toes going numb.
Where was Marcas? Why couldn't I use my power? What was Lucifer doing to Marcas?
I grasped onto these questions as a distraction, anything to take my mind off the tiny legs that now moved along my neck and into my hair. By the grace of God, the arachnids avoided my face though one came perilously close to my cheek. It was enough to make me quit breathing, if only briefly, but when I finally took in air, it was with shallow breaths. Even breathing seemed dangerous.
I could feel no more legs moving along my jeans. All of them seemed focused now on my waist, along my chest and back, on my neck, and into my hair. As they reached the crown of my head, they seemed to disappear. I suddenly had hope. Were there only so many spiders involved in this test? If I could be still until they all reached the crown of my head, would this end the torment?
They were all near my neck now, ambling up so slowly I fought not to grit my teeth. I had to remain still. Had to!
"How are we doing, Naphil?"
It was Lucifer's voice somewhere behind me, but I
didn't move. A muscle in my cheek jumped slightly, and I willed it to be still. Only a few spiders remained at the top of my neck. One paused, and I felt a harder prick than usual. Had it bitten me? Or was it just trying to keep its balance.
"Not much for conversation, are we?" Satan asked as he appeared suddenly in front of me.
His move had been meant to startle, to make me jump, but I had enough past experience with Conor and Monroe's brothers doing the same thing to me when I was young that I managed to have no reaction. Thank God for pesky little boys!
Lucifer let his gaze follow the spiders' progress, and I knew he did it to unnerve me.
"I am impressed by your stoicism, but I am also disappointed. Cheating so early into the game? Tsk, tsk. Do you think I did not hear Marcas' warning?"
Lucifer's eyes glowed as he stood before me, his beautiful face a mask of fury. His hair flew around his face, and I realized that his beauty was changing. He was becoming grotesque, his anger making him look more terrifying than awe-inspiring.
"This is a game to you?"
I asked the question in my mind knowing he could hear. Lucifer's eyes went black.
"It's more than a game, my dear. My followers, my creations, expect it. Do you think I would be as feared as I am if I did not have such elaborate punishments? You are an example, an example of what I do to those who disobey."
His calm arrogance made me angry.
"You took my power," I accused.
Lucifer smiled.
"I took nothing. Your fear keeps you from accessing it. I would rather you use your power. It makes things more challenging, more interesting even. The fact that your fear is so debilitating speaks only of your own weakness."
The spiders were all in my hair now, but I was so focused on Lucifer that I barely noticed. I was angry. He shouldn't have the right to punish me. I was not one of his people.
"You really are an interesting creature. So expressive. You hide nothing," Lucifer said as he walked around me, stopping at my right shoulder to pluck a stray spider from my clothes. "You aren't one of mine, but you could be, Dayton Blainey. Even now, you have Demon blood running through your veins. Embrace it. You would be amazed at how good being bad feels."
I refused to look his way. He was goading me, but he was also tempting. I think if my feelings for Marcas weren't so strong, Lucifer's words would have meant nothing. But my feelings were strong, and I couldn't help but wonder if turning to Satan meant I could stay with the Demon. I wanted to shake my head, but I couldn't. No, Marcas was a traitor. Lucifer wouldn't allow the two of us to remain in his realm.
"Embrace it," Lucifer said again, his voice a whisper now against the side of my face. I didn't respond, and Lucifer backed away.
"You may move now, Naphil. The spiders are gone. The first test is complete."
I didn't so much as blink an eye. Were they really gone? Or was Satan trying to deceive me? I focused on my body and felt nothing moving. The relief was so strong, I wanted to cry, but I remained motionless instead.
I reached for my light and found it easily. Was Lucifer right? Did my own fear keep me from accessing my power?
It wasn't a question I had time to ponder so I used my light instead, thrusting it outward to be sure all of the spiders were off my person. That's when I felt it. One lone arachnid sitting on the crown of my head, its fangs out as it got ready to plunge itself into my scalp. I shoved my light into it, and it flew into the air.
I looked at Lucifer. He shrugged, the gesture wicked. He was, after all, the king of deception.
"What have you done to Marcas?" I asked him, my anger obvious.
Lucifer glanced around the courtyard.
"You mean your Demon?" Lucifer's eyes flashed with his own anger mixed with something that looked almost like anticipation. "Oh, he's suffering, my dear. Never doubt that."
And with that, Lucifer vanished, and I collapsed to the ground. Standing still for so long had taken a lot out of me. My senses were on high alert. I had always been scared of spiders. Lucifer had used that. I wasn't sure what he'd do next, and it had me terrified.
"Dayton . . ."
It was Marcas' voice, but he sounded strange. I stood up and stepped carefully forward.
"Marcas?"
I whispered it, my tone uncertain. I heard a moan near the edge of the cliff, and I paused.
"Dayton . . ."
Marcas' voice was louder now, but I didn't move. It wasn't him. How I knew this was something I didn't examine. But I knew it wasn't him. Marcas never sounded weak even when he was in danger. This voice sounded . . . desperate.
"You wouldn't save him if you could?" Lucifer asked from behind me.
I didn't turn.
"It's not him."
I said it with a conviction even Lucifer couldn't deny.
"Are you so sure?" he asked.
"I'm positive."
"Hmmmm . . .," Lucifer murmured.
The simple sound had a touch of the theatrical to it, and I braced myself for the drama he had in store for me.
"You are a keen one. I had hoped to make this test more emotional. Good little Naphil leaps to save the Demon she has fallen in love with."
I didn't argue with him. It seemed pointless to deny something I knew was true. Lucifer moved closer, making sure his footsteps sounded on the stone.
"But it'll have to be a tragedy rather than a love story. It's such a shame you never learned how to fly."
With those words, I felt the shove. I went sprawling to the ground, my hands gripping the stone as I began to slide across the mountain toward the edge of the summit. There was no point in fighting it. I knew this from my experience in Egypt, but I fought it nonetheless. Not fighting felt like giving up.
"No!" I cried out.
I hadn't meant to scream, but it burst from my mouth anyway. And it was a chilling sound. It thrilled Lucifer. I saw it in the way his eyes widened in excitement when I looked up at him, my own eyes wild.
"Oh, yes!" Lucifer answered as he took in a deep breath. I reached the edge, my fingers holding onto the rock as tears streamed down my face.
"Take flight, little Angel."
It was the last words I heard before careening into the night.
Chapter 24
Angels who have no wings still have the ability to fly. Gravity imprisons people to Earth. It keeps mortals from plunging into space where the lack of oxygen would destroy them. An Angel does not need oxygen to survive. Gravity does not pertain to those who were created to live in the sky.
~Bezaliel~
I was spending a lot of time falling, and even more time screaming. The air grabbed at me as I sped downward. Jagged rocks reached out, and I prayed I didn't hit any of them. This was a test, a game that played on my fear of heights, and I knew it. In Egypt, Marcas had saved me. That wasn't going to happen here. Even if he wanted to save me, Satan had his own plans for the Demon, and they didn't include me.
I was spending a lot of time falling, simple as that. Even in my dreams, I fell. That made me pause, not literally but mentally. My dreams . . . "Look for the light, Day."
I was going to die soon. I was going to fail the test, but I grabbed for my light anyway. It wasn't there, and I cried out in frustration. Satan was right. My fear was keeping me from accessing it. I steadied my breathing and tried again.
And found it. It was weak, but just being able to access it calmed me enough that I was able to bring it under control. It glowed brighter.
I sighed with relief as I wrapped it around me.
"Make me fly," I begged.
Nothing happened. Even though I couldn't see the ground, I knew I was nearing it.
"Make me fly!" I yelled, but still nothing happened.
"Dammit!"
I needed to think, but there was no time to think.
So I imagined.
When I needed to see at night, I imagined light wrapped around my eyes. When I needed clothes, I imagined them. Maybe it was the same concept.
I thought of the only thing that came to me: a feather floating on a breeze. It seems silly thinking about a feather when I could imagine a bird or any other such airborne creature, but all I saw was a feather, and it worked!
I had slowed down, was almost weightless as I floated on air currents, but I hadn't stopped falling. Feathers didn't fly, they floated downward. It was better than crashing, and I concentrated on landing on my feet while still trying to figure out how to make myself fly.
I imagined birds. I imagined butterflies. I even imagined Lucas and Sophia in flight, but it only made me fall fast again, and I grasped at my feather image. Floating would have to do for now. Maybe as a half human, floating was all I'd ever be able to do. That was okay with me.
I took my feather image, and I made the feather float lazily downward. If I was going to land, I was determined to land as gently as possible. I kept slowing the feather until I was practically frozen in mid-air. And then I looked down and felt my heart stop. I was only an inch away from the ground. I didn't look up to see how many obstacles I had avoided on the way down. It was bad enough knowing I had come this close to death. One look at the ground, one fleeting moment of panic and I came unfrozen, falling to the ground only to land on my bottom.
"Well, that was graceful," I muttered as I stood up and brushed myself off.
I looked up, my eyes going to the dark sky and the glowing half-moon.
"You continue to impress me."
I took a deep breath, a shuddering sigh that had an almost defeated quality to it. Lucifer was nothing if not persistent.
"What do you want from me?"
I asked it not because I thought he'd answer me, but because I hoped he'd let something slip. I didn't want to be surprised. I was tired of surprises. Lucifer stepped up next to me and looked up at the moon. It was an almost casual gesture and would have been both familiar and comfortable if it wasn't the devil pretending to enjoy the moment with me. He didn't answer, and I grew irritated.