by Amy Braun
Seconds later, the thunder around me dulled to a low rumble. My ears continued to ring, but my hair flew out loosely around my face. The blinding light faded away. The pressure left my body and I felt like I was back in one full, proper piece again. I sighed heavily and opened my eyes.
The rain was gone, and now I was in a desert. Up ahead was a wide highway road with tall white street lamps on either side. There was a small town at the bottom of the hill. Beyond it was a wall of dark brown sand, a mountain range beyond it. The golden sun was beginning to set behind the mountains, turning them into jagged, black shadows.
I looked at the sign on my right. Entering Bullhead City. Elevation 504. Founded 1964. Population 39,540. The name sounded familiar, and after a moment I knew why. Bullhead City was one of the first places Dro and I went after we ran from the Blood Thorns. I looked at Dro. Her hand was resting on Max’s back as he bent over, trying to either breathe or throw up. She read the highway sign behind me and slowly remembered where she was. Her eyes met mine, making sure she wasn’t the only one who recognized this sign. She set her jaw and turned to look after Max.
I didn’t realize I was still holding Warrick’s hand until he steadily pried it free. I glanced at him. He was still bloody, and probably felt anything but comfortable.
“Still with us?” I asked.
He grinned, and my heart sighed. “In one piece, for whatever that’s worth.” He ran his hand through his soaked, oak-colored hair. He looked around. “Where the hell are we?”
“Arizona,” I answered.
His head quickly turned to mine. “Seriously? Are you sure?”
“Yeah. Dro and I moved around here for a while. Why?”
He frowned. “The other slayers aren’t far from Phoenix.”
Damn it. “Then we just won’t go into Phoenix.”
I tried to act casual and not think about how close he was to me. I started to sloppily brush my short black hair with my hand, then gave up. It would settle in its right place eventually.
“You should get Dro or Seph to heal you,” I told him. “You’ve looked better.”
Warrick smirked. “Nice of you to say.”
I stifled a laugh. “Don’t let it go to your head, Warrick.”
Just as I was about to walk away, he moved closer and brushed some pieces of my hair behind my ear. I stayed very, very still. His touch was as light as a feather, his fingers sending delicious chills down my spine when they grazed my skin. The tenderness in his bright green eyes rooted my boots to the sand. They softened more, turning into an expression close to guilt.
“I was trying to get to you, but that damn angel came out of nowhere and held me back,” he trailed off, quickly glancing at me again. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
Moving very slowly, I took his hand away from my face. My heart was pounding, wanting him to touch me again, but my brain just wouldn’t let me trust him. I’d been betrayed too many times in the past to think that Warrick would treat me any differently, even though my heart was saying otherwise.
“Dro healed me, remember? Besides, I know how to take care of myself.”
Warrick put his hand back at his side, a gentle smile crossing his lips. His eyes glittered like emeralds, and made my stomach flutter. Damn it. I wish he would stop doing that to me. Whatever ‘that’ is.
“You’re right. You can.”
If I hadn’t seen someone walking over to us, I would have forgotten where I was. Warrick had a bad habit of making me lose focus. Sephiel stood next to us, so I pushed the sexy demon slayer out of my mind and went back to being myself.
“Where the hell were you?” I asked aggressively. “We thought you were kidnapped or killed.”
The damn angel didn’t even blink at me. “Stealth was required for my mission. I did not want to risk revealing any of you by opening up a connection to Andromeda.” He looked remorseful. “I apologize for any fear I might have caused you.”
“We’re just glad you’re okay, Sephiel,” Dro said quietly, now appearing at my side.
He smiled at her sadly. I wondered how much of Dro he was really seeing, or if he was looking for traces of her mother, Everiel. The angel Lucifer captured and used to create Dro was the love of Sephiel’s life.
“I’d like to know what the hell we’re doing in a place called Bullhead City,” Max said, seeming to have recovered from the awful teleporting experience. “It doesn’t sound like the most easygoing place ever.”
“Your query shall be answered shortly, Max,” replied the angel, tucking the golden tube into the pocket of his trench coat. “For now, it is best if we make our way into the town. We do not look like the most subtle group.”
That we did not. A man in a long white coat, a pale girl with long white hair, a skinny teenager, an angry woman wearing a man’s coat, and a bloody demon slayer would catch the attention of even the most disinterested truck driver.
Sephiel strode toward the city. Dro and Max linked fingers and followed him. I stayed away from Warrick and watched the sun disappear. It was a beautiful mix of orange, yellow, and gold settling behind the black mountains, a new stretch of navy and dark blue overtaking the highest parts of the sky.
But as I watched the darkness smother the light, I couldn’t shake the feeling of déjà vu in my stomach. Dro and I hadn’t been safe the last time we were here, and now we were in more trouble then than ever before.
Chapter 4
“No, you aren’t going anywhere yet,” I told Sephiel. “Not until you tell us where the fuck you went, and what the fuck you used to get us to goddamn Arizona.”
It hadn’t been a fun walk to our latest motel. Sephiel was fine, but the rest of us were aching and sore. My feet were promising blisters for days. I only had my knives and my hatchet with me. Warrick had rescued his sawed-off shotgun, a pair of Beretta handguns, and two combat knives. Dro had two silver throwing blades tucked in her boots. Max had the clothes on his back. We lost all of our new supplies after having them for maybe twenty-four hours.
Sephiel was on his way out with Max to get more, but I refused to let him leave without an explanation. Being sore, angry, and exhausted was not a good combination for me to be in front of a warrior angel. Thankfully, Sephiel was extremely patient. I’d never seen him truly angry; only slightly annoyed.
“I went in search of information,” he replied, slowly reaching into his pocket and pulling out the strange golden tube, “as well as this.”
I looked at the weird tool. Up close, it was detailed with strange text that didn’t look like any other language I’d ever seen before. Not even the writing in Manny’s reference books looked like this. I swallowed the lump in my throat when I thought about my dead mentor, looking up to see his son standing on the tips of his toes to peek over Sephiel’s shoulder.
“Holy crap,” Max exclaimed, “is that a movens caeli?”
Sephiel grinned a little. “Indeed it is, Max.”
“What the fuck is a movens caeli?” I asked. I didn’t have a quarter of Sephiel’s patience.
“It means ’heaven mover’ in Latin. It’s a special tool that angels use to teleport large groups of people. Huge, like for...” he trailed off and looked at Sephiel with serious eyes. “Like for armies.”
The cheer was gone from Sephiel’s face. He silently walked to the door and began moving his hand around, testing the protection wards he had set up when we arrived.
“The Heavenly Host is readying themselves to descend upon Earth. When I discovered this, I made haste to steal the movens caeli. It shall delay the entire Host, if not the archangels.”
“But how did you get into Heaven?” Dro asked from where she was sitting on the bed. “I thought you said you would be killed if you went back there.”
“I did not go to Heaven, Andromeda.”
He turned to face us. “I came across a pair of Seraphim. They recognized me, and unfortunately we came to a disagreement.” His bright blue eyes were sad. “I regret that they gave me no op
tion but to end their lives.”
Sephiel mourned for a second, then looked up again when all traces of guilt were gone from his face. “One of them was carrying the movens caeli with them. He was looking for a suitable place for it to be used as a beacon of invasion. The Heavenly Host is preparing to move against Hell.”
“To do what, start a war?” Warrick said from the table in the corner where he was taking apart and cleaning his guns. He looked a lot better now that Sephiel had healed him.
“Precisely,” he continued. “Most of Heaven believes that humanity is bound to sin, particularly now that the Hell Gate has been opened. They have been desiring to cleanse Hell of the damned, enforcing new rules to deter new sinners here on earth.”
“I thought that was what Hell was for,” I said. “A place where you were punished for all the evil things you do topside.”
“It used to be,” answered the angel. “Though we have received word over the centuries that Lucifer has been slipping his rule and letting chaos reign. The Royalty of Hell is constantly at war, though no one dares to challenge their King himself.”
I tightened my arms around my chest, remembering a catastrophically beautiful creature with four bat wings, long white hair, and abysmal black eyes. I remembered the waves of power that flowed off him, making me want to scream in fear and cry with desire. I completely understood why no one would want to brawl with the King of Hell.
“And Hell wants to take over Heaven,” I said quietly.
Sephiel nodded. “There will be bloodshed on both sides, and I fear that humanity shall be caught in the crossfire.” He looked down sadly. “Most supernatural creatures care little for collateral damage.”
“Then we need to get the Gates closed,” I said. “Max hasn’t seen them and Dro can’t risk alerting the angels, but you’re back now so you can take us to the Heaven Gate.”
“I fear that is not possible.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Why not?”
Sephiel sighed. “I do not remember where it is.”
We all stared at him, waiting for him to go on. Sephiel lifted his head, his azure eyes looking heavier than usual.
“The only way we can descend to earth is if we obtain permission from Michael. He opens the Gate for us, then immediately closes it to protect our home. When we take our human vessels, our memory is cleansed of the location of the Heaven Gate. Only archangels distinctly remember where the Heaven Gate resides.”
His eyes were distant, as if he was drawing on his memories. “Sometimes when I think of Heaven, I recall a beautifully serene forest. A place where I could feel the magic surging through me. Other times I wonder if it is a dream or a fantasy.”
I kind of regretted being so snappy and demanding. When Sephiel sided with us, he gave up his chance to go home. If he ever went back, he would be killed. I’d only ever lived in one place that I’d truly called home, but I hardly thought about it anymore. I had too many problems to be homesick. I couldn’t imagine how bad it must hurt Sephiel to know he would never see his home again.
“What happens if the Heaven Gate closes?” Warrick asked quietly. He was good at reading people. He knew exactly when to help them, and when to change the subject.
“Heaven itself is not affected. The angels residing there will remain as they are. But the angels on earth shall lose their forms, and be trapped in their vessels,” he answered. “They shall settle into their host’s soul, and become human. That is why the archangels are so adamant and ferocious about keeping the Heaven Gate open. We cannot enter Heaven again once the Gate is closed.”
Damn. I thought being forever banned from your home was bad enough. If we closed the Heaven Gate, the angels would never forgive Sephiel. They wouldn’t rest until his head was on a spike and the rest of us were charred ashes on the ground.
“What about the Hell Gate?” Warrick tried. “Do you know where that is?”
Any heartache Sephiel was feeling was quickly covered up. He was a soldier of the Heavenly Host. He was good at hiding his emotions and focusing on what needed to be done.
“I do not. But my assumption is that it will be far more difficult to locate. Lucifer is clever and will have tricks to guard it. My suggestion is to focus on closing the Heaven Gate first. Every moment it remains open is another chance Lucifer will find it. If he does, he shall monopolize it and doom us all.”
“You don’t think Michael can take him?” I asked.
Sephiel looked at me with a hardened expression. “Michael is the commander of the Heavenly Host and the most powerful of all the archangels. But Lucifer’s magic is beyond comprehension. It would be an even match, but I cannot predict who the victor would be.”
The angel turned his head to my sister. “I have confirmed that you are Michael’s chosen vessel, Andromeda. Has he tried to make contact with you?”
Dro shook her head. “No, not yet.”
He was suddenly in front of her, his hands gently wrapped around her arms. I was a bit alarmed by his sudden movement, but I knew Sephiel would never hurt Dro. Despite her being Lucifer’s daughter, he still intended to keep her safe in honor of her mother.
“You must not give in to his pleas when they come,” he urged. “No matter what he says or promises, do not listen. Michael’s intentions for you are not ones of compassion.”
She winced, nodding carefully.
“Is he on earth?” I asked suddenly. We didn’t even know how to beat Lucifer. Michael was another problem I wasn’t ready to think about.
“No, he remains in Heaven for now. But if he becomes desperate enough to come to Earth, he could make use of another available vessel. His powers are beyond discernment, and he will use them if necessary. Michael is not an angel you want to agitate.”
“But you did,” Dro said softly.
His gentle, sad smile returned as he took his hands from her arms. “Not all angels are as disobedient or as foolish as I am.”
My sister tried to smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “But why does he want me? I thought all the angels considered me an abomination.”
I cleared my throat and glared at her. Dro glanced my way and shook her head. She accepted what the other angels called her. I didn’t.
“We choose our vessels carefully,” Sephiel explained. “Michael selected you as his own even before the Gates were opened. Despite the turn of events, he shall not alter his choice lightly. With your powers, he would find it reasonable that your combined strength would be enough to destroy Lucifer.”
I scowled. Dro was the toy in the playground that everyone wanted, and they weren’t willing to share unless she was torn in half. Dro took a moment to process what he said, then looked at the auburn-haired angel anxiously.
“Sephiel, those angels, back on the road...” She swallowed nervously. “Did I kill them?”
We all waited patiently for the answer. Dro had never intentionally killed a person in her whole life, but she had killed. In our early years of running in the States, Dro would have nightmares given to her by demons. They would make her scream and burst into hellfire. It only ended when she woke up from the nightmare, and usually that was the point when the entire building was on fire. I trained myself to be prepared after the first time it happened, to be fully awake at the first smell of smoke, but not everyone had my reflexes. We would look on the news and see the blackened motel or car park, as well as bodies being taken away in black bags.
Dro hadn’t been able to control her powers before. I didn’t know why she was able to do it now. But I did know that when the Shredder was about to kill me, and those angels were ready to cut me to pieces, she hadn’t even hesitated. She just reacted. And now she was ready to face the consequences.
“No, you did not,” Sephiel announced, relieving us all.
“But–”
“When I arrived, I saw them rising from where they had fallen. Albeit slowly.” His lips quirked in a proud smile, but it left as quickly as it came. “Your powers have been changing since
the Gate ritual, have they not?”
Dro nodded. “In the warehouse, we were attacked by demons. Con... She was pinned and I was able to use hellfire on a Shredder, while I was awake. I could control it.” The very idea scared her.
Sephiel still looked proud. “Your abilities must have been amplified by the opening of the Gates. Your mind must be subconsciously separating your angel powers from your demon powers. You are becoming much stronger, Andromeda. I fear I can do nothing to assist you in harnessing your demonic abilities, but I can help you improve the strength of your angelic powers. I predict you shall be in need of them shortly.”
“What can you show me?” she asked curiously.
“You can already use your healing ability to its near full extent. You are learning to manipulate heavenfire, which is what you used on Gabriel’s guard. If you had used hellfire, you would have destroyed them. But you meant them no harm, and that must be what differentiated the fire. All that remains for you to learn are telepathy and mind control.”
Dro frowned. “I’m not so sure I want to concentrate on either of those.”
“They can be quite useful. You can discover what your enemies are thinking, no matter what they are.”
She bit her lip and looked at me. I didn’t trust it. “Won’t using her powers alert the angels to where she is?”
“That outcome is extremely rare,” he said, showing me the gold tube in his pocket. “The movens caeli also cloaks our location for a time. It can shield us from all Seraphim, and can delay the less powerful archangels.”
“So Michael won’t be able to talk to me?” Dro confirmed.
“Not unless you choose to seek him out. If you give me permission to help you train your mental capacities, you shall be able to quell the potency of his calls to you. There is no way to stop them, but you can learn to overlook them.”