by Amy Braun
I quickly turned my head to Sephiel. “You changed my clothes while I was sleeping?”
“I assure you a great deal of modesty was afforded you.”
A frown came over my lips. “That isn’t really comforting.” I suddenly looked up. “What about Dro? Is she awake? Is she okay?”
“She still rests,” Sephiel said.
I looked at him carefully. He stood by the window with his hands clasped behind his back. He was staring at the blackening clouds. From the reflection on the window, I could see his grave expression. So not natural clouds then.
“I gotta go see her,” I said, starting to stand up again.
Warrick quickly grabbed my hand. “She’s all right, Constance. Max is with her. You need to eat something, and we have to talk.”
“Warrick is right,” Sephiel said. His eyes lowered. “There are pressing issues we must address. Once Andromeda wakes, we will leave this place.”
I lowered myself back down, pulling my hand from Warrick’s. I sighed, then rummaged through the boxes, finding a slice of barbecued Heaven. I devoured the pizza in about four bites, then moved onto another piece. When I started on my third, I looked at Sephiel.
“Is it true?” I asked. “Is Dro Lucifer’s daughter?”
The angel closed his eyes for a long time. “Yes.”
My heart dropped to my stomach. I was still starving, but I had lost my will to eat. “Why would her mother do something like that? Be with Lucifer? Didn’t she know what he was?”
“Of course she did,” Sephiel said. “What happened to Everiel was of Lucifer’s accord. Not her own.”
Oh. Oh.
“He…” I didn’t want to say or suggest it, but I needed to be sure. “He kidnapped her?”
Sephiel nodded. “Everiel was captured by a demon and brought into Hell as a prize for Lucifer.” His fists clenched tightly at his back. “For decades, she was his. He had been trying to birth a child of both angel and demon blood. He thought she would be another failure, but his plan finally worked. Everiel became pregnant with Andromeda while she was prisoner in Hell.”
“Jesus Christ,” Warrick said under his breath.
“Why did he let her go?” I asked carefully.
“He did not. Everiel escaped. She birthed Andromeda on Earth, but the process was too intense, even for an angel. She carried Lucifer’s child. She was never meant to survive the birth.” Sephiel lowered his head. “She died before I could heal her.”
Grief deeper than anything I could imagine filled Sephiel’s voice, mixed with enough guilt to fill an ocean. The angel slowly turned toward me, sorrow making his vessel looking a thousand years older.
“I cherished Everiel for centuries. Even now, my heart still yearns for her. That is why I shall not see harm come to Andromeda. She might be born of Lucifer, but she is of Everiel’s blood as well. Everiel wanted me to protect her, and that is what I shall do.”
I looked at Sephiel carefully to see if he there was any hint that he was lying. We were sinking in deep water, and if an angel betrayed us again, we would all drown. I believed what he said about his love for Everiel. But for all his talk of caring about Dro because she was Everiel’s daughter, deep down he must have had a secret revulsion for her because she was Lucifer’s child as well. Sephiel must have hated the King of Hell, but he wanted me to believe that he was on my side.
The problem was that I needed as many supernatural allies as I could get. Max’s gifts were sporadic at the best of times and Dro’s powers were virtually out of control. My first instinct was to not trust Sephiel, but I didn’t have a choice.
The angel probably read all my thoughts as if they were plastered on my face, but he didn’t seem to be offended. After a long time, I spoke again.
“What happens now that we know what Dro really is?”
Sephiel took a step towards us, sighing heavily. “It shall not be easy. There has never been a hybrid like Andromeda before. She is still growing into her powers. It will be easier for supernaturals to sense her now that Lucifer has fully awakened her powers. I believe he shall hunt for her again, and use her to get into Heaven.”
“Couldn’t he just do that on his own?” Warrick questioned. “I thought you said the Gates were open.”
“They are,” Sephiel answered. “But the entrance to Heaven is guarded against demons, just as the entrance to Hell is guarded against angels. It will take an army to enter either.”
“So he wants her on his side,” I said, wishing my voice hadn’t trembled.
“Yes. Aside from Michael, she is the most powerful being known to this world. Lucifer and Michael may be evenly matched, but with Andromeda on Lucifer’s side, even the Heavenly Host could be powerless against her.”
“What are they going to do in the mean time?” asked Warrick. “Why didn’t Lucifer just take Dro when he had the chance?”
“Perhaps it was because Lucifer needed to return to Hell to unleash his forces. He is more patient than you can imagine. Lucifer has been waiting for thousands of years to begin his reign.”
“How do you know that’s what he wants?”
Sephiel’s eyes darkened. “We have had traitors in the past who have since been cast out of Heaven. They told us after thorough interrogation.”
From the grave look on Sephiel’s face, I was guessing that interrogation meant torture, and he might have been part of it once.
I decided to switch the topic. “Are you going to be cast out?”
Sephiel thought for a moment. “Yes. But I would need to be reclaimed, first. I have no intention of returning to Heaven soon.”
I sighed. “So, what happens to Earth now? What about us?”
His lips formed a fine line. “Earth is now a stalking ground for all demon kind. I suspect we shall hear of their activities shortly. Lucifer thrives on chaos. He wishes to draw the archangels and the Heavenly Host out. If he kills them, there shall be no defense in Heaven. He shall command his forces to slaughter every human they can find, and increase the number of damned souls for his army.”
“How do we stop him?” I asked.
“I do not know. Lucifer is more powerful and cunning than even I can comprehend.”
“Is there any way we can plead our case to Michael? To the archangels?”
Sephiel shook his head. “They would kill Andromeda and me on the spot, and would bar you from Heaven. We are on our own.”
I dropped my head into my hands. “Shit.”
“I shall depart and gather information. When I return, we will leave this house. We are powerless against the forces of Heaven and Hell, and evasion is our best hope right now.”
Sephiel started to walk out of the living room, then stopped beside me and reached inside his jacket. He held out a new, silver hatchet to me.
“I was not able to retrieve your father’s hatchet,” he said. “This was the best substitute I could create for you. The blade is solid silver that I have blessed and washed in salted holy water. It shall be a powerful weapon against demons.”
I took the hatchet from Sephiel. The silver blade was wrapped in a black leather handle, the neck curved more to make it easier to throw. Despite it being made of solid metal, the hatchet was surprisingly light. Engraved into the hilt was the Latin saying Sephiel had used the last time he blessed my weapon.
Anima potentis, cor sororis. Soul of a warrior, heart of a sister.
It was a beautiful gift and I was deeply honored. But I was sad to have lost the hatchet that originally belonged to my father. It was the last thing I’d had of my parents, something I could look at to remember when my life hadn’t been so violent and dangerous.
You used to have Dro for that too, but that went downhill fast, didn’t it?
I looked at the hatchet. “Thank you, Sephiel,” I said quietly.
I felt him watch me for a moment, and then the feeling was suddenly gone. I looked up to see he had vanished. I turned the hatchet around in my hands, quickly getting used to the weight a
nd feel of it. Warrick watched me the whole time.
Why do people have to stare at me until I say something? Why can’t they just say what’s on their mind and get it over with?
I put the hatchet down, looking at Warrick. “So, you think the other demon slayers will throw a fit when they find out you were right?”
Warrick smirked a little. “Definitely.”
“Do you need to warn them?”
“Most of them probably know.”
“Hm.” I reached for another piece of pizza, picking off the toppings and nibbling on them. “Well, be safe.”
“What’d you say that for?”
I met his eyes. He looked genuinely confused. “You have priorities as a demon slayer. You don’t have any loyalty to us. The world needs heroes like you out there killing monsters.”
I grinned at him, but he still looked confused.
“You think I’m going to leave?”
“Yeah,” I admitted. “Why wouldn’t you?”
Warrick’s eyes did their piercing thing again, and I forced myself to look away. I played with the hatchet, wishing I could think about something other than his eyes and the way he had kissed me before giving himself up so I could save my sister.
“You can’t do this alone, Constance,” he said. “Max isn’t a fighter, Dro needs you to keep her safe, and Sephiel can only lift the weight so much. You need more help. I’m choosing to do this.”
“Why?”
He was silent for a long time, and then he said, “Because Dro isn’t safe. I was a brother once. I loved my sister the way you love Dro, and my sister died. I don’t know if I could live with myself, knowing Drake is still out there and looking for you both.”
I can’t really explain why I was disappointed. Warrick had told me the truth. Now that he knew Drake was on our tail, he was taking his chance for revenge. But a small, strange, girly part of me had hoped for something more intimate. That maybe he was staying because he cared about me.
I pushed the thought down quickly. Despite how much he’d proved himself, I couldn’t trust Warrick in the end. If we survived the demons and the angels and things went back to normal-ish, he could still turn me in for the Marshal bounty. It was a pity, because he was everything I wanted.
“Thanks for the honesty,” I said. I pushed myself up from the floor. “I’m gonna go check on Dro.” I started walking away.
“You still don’t trust me, do you?” Warrick said, making me turn around. “You can, Constance,” “I won’t be anything but honest with you.”
Let’s test that theory. I crossed my arms over my chest. “Really?”
He nodded once.
“Then tell me why you kissed me.”
I never expected to see a demon slayer blush. He lowered his head, trying to hide it just the way I’d tried to hide all of mine from him. He composed himself and lifted his head.
“Because I thought Drake was going to kill me, and I wanted to go out with at least one good memory. Kissing a beautiful woman is always a good thing to remember.”
Words escaped me. I clutched my arms tighter around my upper body, as if it would keep my heart from bouncing around my ribcage. No one but Dro had ever called me beautiful before, but Warrick seemed to have been telling the truth. His eyes glittered as the sun shone on them, sincere and open. I wondered if he was thinking the same thing I was, how glad I was to have him here, even if it wasn’t because of me.
I hated and loved what he was doing to me. The way he was making my heart race, building up the desire to kiss him again. But I couldn’t focus on that now. Getting distracted would get me killed. I couldn’t afford to die until Dro was safe, and never hunted again.
I left the room before I decided to be impulsive and stupid, feeling Warrick’s eyes on my back until I was out of his sight. I made my way up the stairs and cleared my head from thoughts of Warrick. I walked to the only room with a closed door and gently rapped on it. No one answered, so I turned the doorknob and gently pushed the door open.
The curtains were drawn, making the room just a little darker, but I could see Max lying on the sheets of a large mattress with his back to me. I could see another shape by him under the covers. I made my way over to the mattress and checked to see if either Dro or Max were awake.
My eyes found my little sister first. She was sleeping heavily, her face ghost white. But she looked at peace. I walked around the mattress and dropped into a sitting position on the floor next to my sister’s head, looking at the two sleeping teenagers.
Max was next to Dro, his forehead resting against hers. One of his hands was holding hers level with his chin. I smiled a little. Max was in love with Dro. He’d suffered so much– losing his father, being shot, struggling to manage his gifts, and nearly dying. Despite that, he still loved her. He had earned my approval.
He sighed and shifted on the bed, slowly blinking his eyes open. He jumped when he saw me.
“Holy shit, Constance, you scared the crap out of me!” he whispered harshly.
I chuckled. “Relax. I’ve only been here about a minute.”
Max frowned. “That doesn’t make it less creepy.” He propped himself up on his elbow, still holding Dro’s hand.
I jutted my chin to her. “How is she?”
Max looked down at her. His thumb stroked the top of Dro’s hand. “She hasn’t woken up yet. Been sleeping like the dead. You were sleeping too, so I decided to stay with her in case she woke up.” The fingers of his other hand combed through the top of her hair. “I didn’t want her to be alone.”
Yeah. He had definitely earned it.
“I never had a chance to thank you,” I said. “For everything. Sticking with us, staying strong. Caring about Dro. I’ll never be able to thank you enough.”
He looked up and blinked at me. “Can you repeat that so I can put it in writing?”
I narrowed my eyes. “Nice try. One offer of gratitude is all you get.”
He grinned. “I’ll just have to log that in my brain somewhere.”
I wished I could have smiled. Instead, I looked down at Dro. “Did you know what was going to happen to her?” I asked. “With Lucifer?”
Max shook his head. “No. All I saw was that shadow again. I didn’t even know whose it was until Lucifer showed up. If I’d have known, I would’ve said something.”
I believed him. It wasn’t hard, considering how much guilt was in his voice. “Can you see what’s going to happen to us?” I asked.
He had a hard time meeting my eyes. “No luck there either. I mean, I’ve tried, but every time I try to see what happens to you or to Dro, all I see is Lucifer’s shadow.” He swallowed nervously. “But the basic instincts are kicking in. It’s gonna get worse, Constance. A lot worse. I don’t know what will happen, but it won’t be anything good.”
I hadn’t expected anything less, though it would have been nice to have the worst behind us for once. To think that maybe God was on our side, even if I didn’t believe in Him. But God was on the side of the angels, and there was only one angel who didn’t want to kill us.
“Do you want some time alone with her?” Max asked.
I nodded. Max tucked Dro’s hand back under the covers, pulling them up to her shoulders. He quickly kissed her forehead, then slid off the mattress.
“It’s polite to ask a girl permission before you lie in bed with her and kiss her in her sleep,” I chided when Max was at the door.
He grinned. “She’d have said yes. I’m too charming for her to say no.”
Max winked at me and left the room. I shook my head, knowing he was probably right. I sat with Dro for a long time, remembering how I had always been able to protect her when she was scared. I never let anyone hurt her. If they did, I hurt them worse. I had killed men and monsters for Dro.
But Lucifer wasn’t just a monster. He was the monster. The King of Hell. The Devil. I wasn’t sure there was a way to kill him. I would keep Dro as safe as I could and at any cost, but I had already
failed her once. She’d been captured, tortured, and nearly killed. If I failed her again, she could die.
Or worse.
I let out a heavy sigh and pressed the back of my head against the wall. I hadn’t really cared when Dro and I had no idea what she was. It had been easier just to think she was gifted. I hadn’t even minded so much when we thought demons were hunting her just because she was a Nephilim.
But protecting her from Lucifer and his demons, as well as the archangels and the Heavenly Host? I wasn’t sure I could do that. Didn’t mean I wasn’t going to try, but I wasn’t nearly as confident as I had been a couple years ago. I was human. There was just so little I could do…
When the car ran out of gas, I didn’t know where we were. I’d driven onto the main road until the car sputtered and died. We were alone on the road, the camp far behind us. My hands were shaking as I gripped the steering wheel. Grief was a lump in my throat. Tears I hadn’t known I’d cried covered my cheeks.
Dad… Mom…
Dro held back on crying for the drive, but as soon as the car stopped, she shivered and broke down. She’d never cried this hard before. I undid my seatbelt and reached over, putting my arms around her. I couldn’t tell who was shaking more, her or me.
“What happened?” she sobbed out. “Why did I burn?”
“I don’t know, little sister.”
“What were those things? Why were they after us?” She cried harder. “Why did they kill Mommy and Daddy?”
Pain twisted in my stomach, like I had been punched in the gut. Tears blurred my eyes. “I don’t know,” I whispered.
Dro trembled. “It’s my fault. They were looking for me. They killed Mommy and Daddy because of me.”
I pulled back to look at my sister. Half of me wanted to lie. To tell her that it wasn’t anything to do with her and that it was a mistake. But that wouldn’t bring Dro any more comfort than it would bring me. We were completely alone.
“It’ll be okay, Dro. We’ll be okay.”
Fresh tears spilled down her cheeks. “No we won’t. They’re gonna look for us. I know it. They’re gonna kill you, Connie. They’re gonna kill us both.”