by Bonnie Lamer
“Um…no. I was planning to trade Keelan for all the beings of the universe.”
“I hate you.”
“I know. But, it is too late to stop this now.” Without the help of her mother, who is too disgusted to touch me now, I shuffle closer to Alita. I reach out and gently stroke Keelan’s soft, downy cheek. I know his mother wants to snatch him out of my reach, but she doesn’t. She allows me to adjust his little blanket with sad hands. “You will always be loved,” I whisper. Forcing myself to meet Alita’s hateful gaze, I add, “No one will ever love you as much as your mother.”
Now, Alita does snatch him away. Holding him close to her heart, she growls, “I will never forgive you for this. Ever.”
I nod. “I know that, too.” Turning back to The Seven Demons, I marvel at how unconcerned they are over our presence. I admit, I’ve kind of gotten used to beings fearing me. Even the most powerful show some hint of fear under their bravado. Not the Demons. They are fully aware of the fact that taking out just one of them is a strain on my power. And even then, I can’t actually kill one of them. Just capture it or remove it from my presence. With the help of my Familiars, of course. Who are standing by ready to fight when needed. Clearing my slowly constricting throat, I force my vocal cords to work again. “Before you is the only weapon of your mass destruction. The Angels did something to him to make him so. I haven’t been able to figure out what. Given enough time, I would be able to, but I don’t even want to contemplate how much destruction you would cause between now and then, how many lives would be lost. So, I offer you this. He is yours to do with as you will if you agree to leave the rest of the beings in all universes alone.”
“All universes,” one of the Demon scoffs. “You cannot bargain for all universes. Only your own.”
Its words tell me two things. One, they are willing to bargain. I suspect the Demons know more about Keelan and the prophecy than they are willing to let on. Two, I need to bargain for all universes because I am beginning to suspect that Keelan was only infused with Demon blood in this one. As much as I hate my doppelganger, I can’t leave hers or any other universe out there to the clutches of the Demons. “Nope, all or nothing,” I say.
“We haff the child. We need not bargain wiff you,” lispy Demon says. I look closer at him. I guess it would be harder to speak with no lips and only half a tongue. I know it only has half a tongue because it is also missing most of its teeth so I have a clear view into its mouth. Gross.
An idea had been growing in my mind since first hearing the prophecy. “If you could just snatch him, you would have done so already. No, you need him to be given freely. Otherwise, his power remains intact.”
At least now we know which one roared earlier. It is difficult, but I refrain from covering my ears as the low rumbling threatens to shatter my eardrums. Okay, it’s not that difficult. Lifting my arms that far would be an impossible feat. Alita’s mother is back to holding me upright.
The roaring is cut off abruptly. My eyes cut to the Demon in the corner that is currently picking glass out of its skull. One of the other Demons smashed its cocktail glass against its head. I decide to the rattle the Demons a bit more. “That’s what the whole changing reality thing was all about. You were trying to keep me busy and were holding her husband hostage while you figured out a way to force Alita to give up her child.”
“Aren’t you a clever little mutt?” one of the Demons growls. Turning its eyes, which are missing eyelids, to Alita, it demands, “Hand over the child.”
I respond for her. “You haven’t agreed to the terms yet,” I remind it.
One of the other Demons pushes forward. Literally. It knocks one of its comrades over a steel and glass coffee table. The glass shatters. I wonder how often they need to redecorate this place. “What of you? Why have you not demanded to be cured?” Suspicion rings clear in its voice. “What trickery do you have planned?”
I give it a half-hearted shrug. I’m not capable of more at the moment. “I’m not stupid enough to believe that you would willingly return me to full power.”
“What of your Angel friends? You do not demand to know what has been done to them?”
“Well, I did say you needed to leave all beings in all universes alone. The Angels are part of the universe.” Technically. “Besides,” I hurry to add, “You are already breaking your truce with the Angels simply by holding them captive. I seriously doubt you are risking an all-out war again by harming them.” I hope. I really, really hope this is true.
“I do not trust her,” the Demon declares. Several others concur.
I snort as loudly as my rapidly approaching demise will allow. “I’m dying. What good would it do me to try to trick you?”
“You would save those you love,” one of the Demons spits. Literally. I have Demon saliva on my cheek. The sucker’s like ten feet away. If I wasn’t disgusted I’d be impressed with its distance and accuracy.
“You’re right. That’s what I’m doing with the trade.” My next words cut a deep chasm into Alita’s heart. “I am trading one I don’t yet love for those I do love.”
“I love him,” Alita says softly.
“So do I,” her mother echoes with so much sharp steel in her voice I believe her words cut straight through my ear drums and into my brain.
I push my growing guilt down a deep as I can. “Do we have a deal?” I ask.
One Demon has been holding back just observing the scene playing out in front of it. It has actually been leaning against a fireplace mantel in what I believe is supposed to be a supermodel pose. Hard to pull off with black, wilting skin and a bevy of open, puss filled wounds. I give it credit for having the self-esteem to try, though. “We have a deal.”
The other six whirl around to face the one who is obviously the leader of The Seven. Their voices are loud and angry as they protest. But, it’s too late. The deal has been made.
“We accept, as well.” This shuts them up. “Come get the baby so we can go. I want to say good bye to my husband before I die.” My voice is growing weaker by the second. I’m surprised they can hear me way across the spacious room. They really do have great hearing.
“It is done,” the leader of The Seven declares. It strides forward on sure feet. Pretty good considering one of its feet is missing every other toe, starting with the big one. I would definitely need a cane if my foot was like that.
Stopping before Alita, the Demon holds out its hands. “Give me the child.”
While the Demons were arguing, I made sure Alita, her mother and I were all holding hands. So, it is with one arm Alita must hand over her child. The Demon reaches out to take him.
Grandma was right. What gullible fools these Demons are.
32 Chapter
As soon as the Demon touches Keelan, the feathers I shoved into his blanket flare. The Demon, realizing it has been tricked, attempts to let go. Too late. It is trapped. The others try to rush forward, but they cannot move. They have been bound.
One of the hardest things I have ever done was hurt Keelan. When I placed the feathers in his blanket several minutes ago, I had to nick him with the sharp end of one of the quills. For his blood needed to mix with the blood on the feathers to make this work. Alita had tears in her eyes when she saw what I was doing, but there was trust there, as well despite our harsh words to one another. She nodded in encouragement when my hand faltered. It was what I needed to be able to complete my task. Now, the recipe for the Demon trap is complete. The only ingredient missing to end this war once and for all is my magic.
I hope I’m strong enough for this. Gathering my remaining strength, I say the words to the spell that has been forming in my mind since I first figured out Grandma’s rambling speech was actually a set of instructions. “From the fires of hell these creatures were born, from the Flames of Truth their countenances torn. Spurned by hatred of what they can never be, battered and blinded by their own zealotry, let this traitorous blood given freely by one of their own, with our offe
rings topple them all from their fiery throne. Blood of the first, middle and last races, sullied and pure tokens of grace, within innocence all encased. Tainted not by history nor lore, no allegiance has the babe previously sworn. Draw within him the power of The Seven, a conduit to fuel the soldiers of heaven.”
“No!” The Demons finally understand what I have done. And it’s too late for them to do anything about it.
Around us, Angels begin to appear. They have waited in the shadows ready to answer my call to the fight. They are glorious. Geared up for battle, their wings in their full glory, they have come to rid the universes once and for all of the threat of the Demon scourge.
“How?” the leader of The Seven rasps.
Half of my mouth slides up into a grin. The only half currently functioning properly. “Silly Demon, Keelan was never mine to give. Only his mother could give him to you and she never actually let go of him. Did you once hear her say the words ‘take my son, he’s yours?’ or feel her grip on him lessen at all?” I will take the Demon’s roar of displeasure to mean it did not hear her utter those words or feel anything remotely like that. Of course Alita would never give up her child to these creatures. She and I both knew that from the very beginning despite the talk of destinies. What mother would? “I only needed you to touch him while his mother and grandmother were touching him. Their fierce love and protectiveness along with my magic and the blood soaked feathers were always going to be your downfall.”
“How did you know it was the blood of a traitor?” the Demon demands, wanting a complete accounting for the ultimate defeat.
I shrug. “That was a guess. I couldn’t imagine most of you guys would willingly give up your blood, and if blood from battle would do the trick, the Angels would have won a long time ago.” It seems one of the Demon masses was not as willing as the rest to let The Seven leach off it.
“Enough talk,” an Angel I am not familiar with declares. All of the Angels and Demons immediately give him their attention.
I cock an eyebrow at Grandma who has appeared beside me. She whispers out of the corner of her mouth, “Gadriel, the Angel of War.” I nod in understanding.
Not being able to keep my mouth shut, even when I’m dying, I ask Gadriel, “What are you going to do with them?”
Obsidian eyes turn my way. Quite the contrast to his white blond hair. Freaky. “This matter no longer concerns you.”
Turns out I’m not too sick to snort. Eew, was that blood I just snorted out? “You know nothing about me if that is what you believe. I got you to this point. Without me,” recognizing I was not alone in this, I add, “or Alita, her mother or Keelan and many others whom I love, you would not be standing here ready to swoop down and do your worst. So, this very much concerns me. And if you think that glare of yours is going to frighten me, remember, I just faced and trapped The Seven. Something you couldn’t do. A glare really doesn’t faze me at this point.” Did Grandma just giggle next to me? I turn to look but her face is a serene mask.
“She is correct, Gadriel,” a familiar voice says.
A door opens and another unfamiliar Angel leads Raziel and Adriel into the room. They were apparently being held in there. I scan them both for injury, but as I suspected, they are unharmed. Tired and probably hungry and thirsty, but not injured. The Seven were not about to risk all-out war by harming them. They just wanted them out of the way so Raziel would not tell us their plan. Too bad for them they didn’t know about the prophecy. Raziel didn’t need to be present to tell us all about it. It pays to be an omniscient Angel with forethought.
Raziel continues. “As impressive is your cunning and valor, it was Xandra who won this war. Her question is fair and deserving of a response.”
Eyes as frosty as the hair on his head, Gadriel once again turns to me. “They will be slaughtered.” Concise and to the point. Angel of few words, obviously.
“No.” Did that word just come out of my mouth? I almost look around to see if maybe someone else is speaking, but it slowly dawns on me that I did say it. In fact, I have more to say. “They are powerless against you or anyone else now. Make sure they stay that way, but I did not sign on for genocide. If they are no longer a threat, then leave them be.” Who knows. Maybe Demons can be rehabilitated. Seems doubtful, but shouldn’t they at least be given the chance? Maybe not The Seven, but the ones in the pit might not be as bad as these guys.
“You dare give me orders?!” Gadriel roars. His vocals are not quite as impressive as the Demon’s were, but he’s pretty close.
“Yes.” This time, there is a definite giggle coming from between Grandma’s lips. She quickly stifles it when Gadriel glowers at her.
“No.”
“I could give them their power back and let you fight them on your own,” I half-heartedly threaten.
It’s enough to whole-heartedly piss Gadriel off. “You threaten treason,” he growls taking several menacing steps toward me.
“No, I am merely suggesting you fight your own battles if you’re not going to listen to my input. After all, I did all the heavy lifting here.”
Gadriel takes another step toward me and I am suddenly flanked by most of the Angels in the room. Their wings are outstretched and I get more than one feather in my mouth and nose. I try hard not to sneeze. It would ruin the effect.
Grandma and Raziel are at my side, each taking one of my hands. Adriel, Rashnu, Urim, Tabbris, Ray and all the other Angels I know by name and many that I don’t are also ready to stand with me against this Angel of War. My heart would swell with pride if it wasn’t being constricted by Demon poison.
Gadriel stops and takes in the sight before him. The black orbs on either side of his nose narrow as he stares at each Angel in turn. I see the instant he realizes he is beaten. It’s in the subtle slumping of his shoulders, an almost indiscernible movement. “Our fallen brethren deserve better than this.” He is not talking about Fallen Angels. He is talking of those who lost their lives in battle.
“They were fighting to rid the universes of the evil perpetrated by the Demons. That has been accomplished,” Raziel reminds him. “It is not our place to pass ultimate judgement.”
This argument is already won. Everyone here knows it. So, I feel perfectly comfortable saying to those closest to me, “Can I go home now? I would really like to die with Kallen by my side.”
Grandma pulls me into a hug. “Darling, how you must be suffering.” I feel her motioning to someone behind my back. Suddenly, Alita and Keelan are next to me. They had been politely shoved behind the Angels who came to protect me a moment ago. Letting me go, Grandma instructs, “Hold the babe.”
Um, as much as I would like to hold Keelan one more time, I’m not really strong enough. “I’d drop him,” I admit.
Alita comes closer. “We will hold him together,” she says softly. I stare at her in wonder. There is no animosity in her eyes, no hatred. I used her child as a tool in a war with Demons and she somehow has forgiven me already. Seeing the awe in my eyes, she says, “It was his destiny, and I am proud that my son helped you accomplish this great feat.”
Oh, okay then. I extend my arms and wrap them around Keelan. Alita moves closer so I don’t need to support all of his weight as I pull him close. To my great surprise, he begins to glow again like he did in the tunnels when he was guiding us. Only this time, the glow extends until it is surrounding both Alita and me.
As pretty of a picture as we probably make surrounded by this blue light, the removal of poison is never a painless process. Just like when my wings cleansed me of poison in the past, Keelan’s light cleansing me is painful as hell. The poison that was removed from my system before was nothing compared to Demon poison. This poison has apparently found every single blood cell in my body and it is clinging to them with extended claws as Keelan’s magic tries to yank it off each and every one. It rips completely through more than one blood cell. I’m pretty sure I’m bleeding internally, but I can’t heal that until all the poison is gone. I just
hope I have the strength for it by the time Keelan is done. Or, technically, the Demon magic currently coursing through him. I do my best not to cry out, not wanting to the scare the child. I do shake and tremble with pain. There is sympathy in the eyes of those around me, but no one can do anything to stop it. It is either remove the poison or I die.
I thought walking through the Demon labyrinth took a long time. That was nothing compared to how long it takes to remove Demon poison. By the time Keelan is finished, I am lying prone on the ground, Alita next to me making sure I am still cradling her son so the magic doesn’t stop. From the ornate clock over the mantel, I know that an hour has passed. Whether or not a clock in the Demon labyrinth tells accurate time, I do not know.
When it is done, the blue light bathing us begins to dim. Alita is helped to her feet with Keelan still in her arms. I hear voices around me and I know the Angels have borrowed Keelan from Alita. The power of The Seven must be removed from his system before it destroys him. The last thing I hear before I lose the battle of consciousness to the internal bleeding is Alita’s quiet sobbing as she hands her son over for what may be a painful procedure of his own. I really, really hope it’s not.
33 Chapter
My eyes flutter open and my favorite voice in any reality says, “If you want us to live a long and happy life together, you really should stop shaving years off my mortality by returning to me on the brink of death so often.” The chastisement is not spoken all in jest.
I reach a hand up and cup his cheek, marveling at the fact that I have the strength to do it. And that I can do it pain-free. “As I do every time, I apologize and promise to try to make it up to you.”
A sexy grin forms on Kallen’s lips. “I already have a list in mind.”
“I’m sure you do,” I purr.
“Perhaps this is a conversation better suited for somewhere other than the living room,” Isla drawls.