Gates of Death

by Rae Foxx

  Gathering the blankets out of the bassinet, I held them to my face and let the tears fall. "She's gone," I sobbed into the blankets, inhaling her sweet scent.

  Arms gathered me up. I didn't know whose they were, but I felt the tingle that told me we were transporting.

  When my tears exhausted themselves, I pulled the now-soaked blankets away from my face and looked around. We sat on the couch in our living room. I was wrapped up in Lucifer's arms with Gabriel on his left and Michael on his right. Every hand was on me as they did the only thing they could to comfort me. They held me.

  5

  "We need to talk about this," Michael said. "This is a problem." He held up the golden object that I'd ignored in the room.

  "What is it?" I asked. Lucifer had his arms wrapped tightly around me, so I didn't move. I wasn't wasting a moment of Lucifer being comforting. He did it so rarely.

  "A hammer. If I'm right, it's unbelievably rare and can only be used once."

  Gabriel's jaw dropped. "No way."

  Michael nodded.

  "Do you two care to explain?" Lucifer asked. "It just looks like a gold paperweight to me."

  "And me," I murmured.

  I peered at the object. It looked like a simple hammer but made of gold. Michael spoke while he held it out, "It's another Relic, of sorts. Raphael was known for them. He had quite a collection in heaven, those that weren't as dangerous or rare, and we all knew he'd taken care of hiding stuff like the Scythe. And we suspected he had a cache of rarer items. But this isn't just rare. It's evil." Raphael’s love of collecting Relics was well known.

  Lucifer arched an eyebrow and took the hammer. "Why wouldn't I know about something evil?" he asked.

  "Because we hid it from you," Gabe said. "I've never even seen one of these."

  "Out with it," I snapped. "What is it?"

  "It's a means to create another realm," Gabe said. "But to get enough power for an object like this requires—"

  "Murder," Lucifer whispered. His eyes widened. "I thought these were a rumor."

  "How did you create Abaddon?" Michael asked.

  Lucifer looked perplexed. "I had enough power. The Fall, it wasn't as cut and dry as people think. We were cast from Heaven, all at once. As we burst out of Heaven's gates, I wrapped us in that power and used it to cushion our fall. As time went on, I knew for us to fulfill our charge of helping sinners, we'd have to have our own version of Heaven."

  "Abaddon," I whispered. "We all helped, but it was Lucifer's power and strength that formed it."

  "Bolstered by the power of God," Gabe said. "Makes sense. These were discovered a few hundred years ago. An angel killed another angel and imbibed an object with the power. It doesn't have to settle in the murder weapon, as in the case of Cain and Abel. Then he went on a killing spree, killing humans, angels, animals. Anyone he could get his hands on. Cain wanted enough power to challenge God."

  Lucifer's eyebrows raised, as did mine. "I didn't even want to do that," he said. "Simply disagreed with him."

  Gabriel chuckled. "Exactly. And look how God reacted to your rebellion. This time, he was beyond angry. The angel, who we are not allowed to name, was obliterated. His soul ceased to exist. And God destroyed the Object he was making."

  Lucifer whistled through his teeth. "I've never known God to destroy a soul. We have the souls of the evilest beings to ever exist in Abaddon."

  "For now," I said darkly. "How can you tell what this thing is? I don't feel any power on it."

  "I feel the evil," Michael said. "The nature of your jobs has probably desensitized you both."

  Ugh, that was a gross thought. I dealt with evil so often that I didn't feel it now.

  "That means that Raph or another angel had to have made this," Luc said, shifting the hammer in his hands. "A human, not even a witch, would have had the power with this."

  "The amount it took to create Abaddon was significant," Lucifer said. "More than the Scythe by far."

  "I thought you couldn't feel that power?" I asked, twisting in his arms.

  "I can't. Couldn't. But I've dealt with Relics like it. One murder isn't really that much power. It would make a single angel pretty formidable, but in the grand scheme of things, not all that much. Not compared to what you're talking about” Lucifer said.

  "That's the thing. The murder of dozens builds up in the Relic until it becomes a massive amount of power. As far as I know, it can only be used once and then that's it."

  "Like the Scythe," I said. "One and done."

  Michael nodded. "Right. But the Lignum Crucis keeps its power. It can be used indefinitely. There are many other Relics that work both ways."

  The full weight of what he had described settled in on me. I jumped up. "You're telling me Raphael created another dimension or realm or whatever and took our daughter to it?" Using this hammer, which was now worthless, but once held the power of who-knew how many souls.

  Michael nodded as a tear crept down his cheek. It broke his heart to tell me. "And we can't follow, because we don't know where the realm is, nor do we have a key or enough power to break in?"

  He nodded again. Gabe stood and walked toward me, but I held up my hand. "Don't."

  Storming out of the room, I went downstairs and slammed my way into the bathroom and shut the door behind me. I wasn't mad at them. We'd been together long enough that they knew that. I just needed a moment to process.

  It didn't matter how long we'd been together. I'd never dealt with emotions of this magnitude. My child was in another realm I couldn't get to no matter what I tried. I had to give up. I had to let her go.

  A screech worked its way out of my throat as the emotions became unbearable. I slammed my fists against the door as my anger erupted. Words didn't make sense as they came out of my mouth. Mainly I screamed cuss words as my heart exploded in my chest.

  When I'd done all the damage I could muster to my hands and the door, I stumbled backward until my back hit the wall. Tears flowed freely as I watched the door open. Gabriel and Michael looked at me with matching expressions of agony.

  "You okay?" Gabe whispered.

  I snorted and wiped my eyes. "Peachy."

  "Sorry. Stupid question," he replied. "Come on."

  "Where's Luc?" I asked. Michael held out his hand, offering to pull me to my feet.

  "He got pretty upset at the sound of your cries and screams," Michael said. He pulled me to my feet and straight into his arms.

  I only let him hug me for a minute, then pulled away and went back upstairs toward the living room where we'd sat together before.

  Gabe branched off toward the kitchen, and a few minutes later, he and Lucifer joined us. "I'm sorry," I said. "Knowing I can't get to her is torture."

  "It's okay. I know how you feel." Lucifer stood and walked across the room to take my hand. "I could easily kill something right now."

  I let him squeeze my hand, then pulled away to pace. "Is there any source of magic that isn't bound by the laws we are? A way to tap into power?" I asked, desperate. I was willing to do anything under the sun to get my daughter back, no matter how evil. "Another one of these Hammers?"

  All three of my mates shook their heads as I paced. "There must be something. There are so many things in this world that not even we know about, and we're some of the most naturally powerful beings in Creation!"

  "We didn't know about the hammer," Lucifer said. "It stands to reason that there are other things." He scrubbed his hands through his hair, making it stand on end. I loved it when he did that, making it so messy.

  "Call Joel," Michael said. "He'd know."

  Gabe winced. "He's awfully close to Raphael."

  Joel was another archangel. He'd been friends with Raph since pretty much the dawn of time. "What are the chances two Archangels would go as bad as Raphael seems to have gone?" I asked. "Risk it."

  Gabe shrugged and raised his eyebrows. "Okay. But I say it's a bad idea."

  He disappeared, but within seconds was back with
Joel in tow.

  Joel looked like a textbook angel. His blond hair was so light it could only have been described as white. He even had white eyebrows. His thick, black eyelashes framed eyes so green I wanted to pluck them out of his head to make earrings out of them.

  Joel looked around the room in his white tunic and scowled. "What's going on?" He whirled on Gabe. "You said it was an emergency. Why'd you bring me to humans?"

  Gabriel held up his hands. "Look again, man. That's Lucifer and Lilith."

  Luc and I stared at him as he studied us. "I'll be damned," he said. "How? Why?"

  I threw up my hands. "We don't have time for this."

  "Joel, we'll explain later, but you gotta tell us. Did you know how off the rails Raph has become?" Gabe brought the conversation to the point.

  Joel narrowed his beautiful eyes. "I knew he'd gone missing, but that's it. What are you saying?"

  Michael pulled the small gold hammer out of his pocket. "Raphael used this to create an alternate realm," he said.

  Joel's jaw dropped. "No."

  "Yes," Gabriel said. "He kidnapped Lucifer and Lilith's newborn baby and took her there."

  Joel's jaw dropped as he turned to look at Luc and me again. "Human?"

  "We thought. But humans aren't supposed to be able to leave the Earth realm without their bodies being destroyed," Lucifer said.

  My jaw dropped. I hadn't even thought of that. I staggered backward, arms out. "She's not human."

  IF Ariel wasn't human, that meant I'd caused all this. My whole basis for putting her with adoptive parents was to protect her humanity. She couldn't come to Abaddon while human.

  "The realm he created could've been specially made to hold humans," Michael said quickly. "Don't do that to yourself."

  Luc put his hand in mine and pulled me close. As shocked and dismayed as I was, I couldn't help but watch Joel notice Lucifer's motion. He took in everything that was going on around him. He'd always been shrewd, though.

  "Can you help us?" I asked.

  He was shocked. "Help you what?"

  "Find our baby." I didn't give him time to sort it all out.

  "In a realm created by Raphael, using a Forbidden Relic?"

  I nodded.

  After a few blinks and one long breath sucked in and out, Joel nodded. "Yes."

  Relief spread through me. "Thank you."

  "We've tried to find the Lignum Crucis and we've already depleted the power of the Scythe," Michael explained. "We don't have a relationship with any witches, and they don't have this kind of power anyway. We need someone that can break into an unknown realm."

  Joel's expression went from shocked to incredulous. "The Scythe? The Scythe?"

  His mouth moved like a fish.

  "Yes." Lucifer stepped forward. "It allowed Lilith to have its power."

  I had to laugh at poor Joel. "I'm sorry. I know this is a lot," I said. "But we're desperate. Do you know of any source of power enough to do this?"

  He winced. "Maybe. Has anyone contacted the Voodoos?"

  Nobody's face lit up with recognition, so I figured we were all equally in the dark. "You'll have to explain," Gabe said.

  "The Voodoos are descendants of Nephilim. Their magic is real and somehow connected to the Earth. The real Nephilim are insanely powerful, but you'll never find one. They're too secretive."

  "Do you know where to find these Voodoos?" I asked. "Can you take us to one?"

  He looked from one to another of us and considered my question. "I know someone that does. I'll be discreet. In the meantime, can you please help with demon control?" he asked Lucifer pointedly. "The angels are struggling, especially with Raphael and these two not helping."

  Lucifer nodded. "Michael and Gabriel can help me with the demons. I'll send as many back to Abaddon as I can.

  "Then I'll be back as soon as I can." He disappeared, leaving us staring at each other with no idea what to do next, besides lassoing demons.

  "Well, shit," Gabe said. "Fucking Nephilim."

  "Voodoos," I corrected.

  "Semantics," Michael said. We all laughed nervously. "Let's go demon hunting," he said.

  They tried to convince me to stay, but I wasn't having any of it. I crossed my arms and stared at the three of them.

  "You know how she gets when she has that expression on her face," Michael said.

  Gabriel nodded and sighed while Lucifer threw up his arms. "You might as well save your breath," Luc said. "She can come."

  As if they could've stopped me.

  Well, actually. With me in a human body, they could have stopped me. But that was beside the point. "I suggest we split up. They'll listen to me as much as they will you," I told Luc. "I'll take Gabe, you take Michael."

  He sighed and stared at me long and hard. "Fine."

  Gabriel held out his hand, which I clasped with more hope in my heart than I'd felt since we left the apartment in New York. It had only been a few hours before if that, but it felt like a lifetime ago.

  "Where should we go?" he asked.

  "Demons love crowds," I said. "It's easy to find a human with a weak soul to tempt. Try big cities."

  Michael and Gabriel looked at each other. "We'll do Las Vegas, you do London?" Gabe asked.

  "Deal." Luc put his hand on Michael's shoulder. "Let's go."

  I blinked, and Gabe and I stood in the middle of another alley. It looked just like the one in New York at first glance.

  Yawning, I looked around. "The easiest way is to call them to us," I said. "If we link, and you give me your magic, I might be able to do it."

  He hesitated, tucking a long strand of blond hair behind his ear. "Won't my magic burn you up?"

  "Let's find out," I replied with a grin.

  Gabriel chuckled and took my hands. In seconds, I felt his power pushing at my mind, tapping to be let in. Opening my consciousness like a gate, I let him invade my mind, then his power trickled down, searching and weaving for mine. Normally it would've been spread all over my body, but with the humanity blocking it, Gabe's magic had to search for mine.

  When his magic found mine, both blossomed across my body, making me feel nearly normal for the first time in a long time. With a huge smile, I sucked in a deep breath. "This feels nice. We should've done this already."

  I'd never had to call demons to me across a wide expanse in the Earth realm before. I'd only ever tried calling them individually in Abaddon.

  Throwing out my inner voice, I essentially had to think hard at them. My children. Come to me. Come to me now.

  Some of them would have the ability to teleport to me, but many, while able to teleport to the Earth realm once outside the gates of Abaddon, couldn't move about at will once here. They'd have to run.

  They began popping up seconds later. Quickly, I threw up a concealment charm, willing a bubble of protection around us.

  "Sit," I said to the hodgepodge of creatures before me. "We'll wait for your brothers and sisters to appear."

  A human, with eyes far too bright, stepped into the protective bubble. "Whoever is possessing that human, release them at once and give them a convincing story for what they did while you had control of the body."

  The human, a young man in his early twenties, glared at me. "Right now," I insisted. Putting my hands on my hips, I stared at the demon until he sighed.

  "Fine," the human said. He stepped outside the protective bubble, shook his head, and walked away.

  Another djinn appeared in the bubble. This one was colorful as well but in shades of yellow and orange only. "I just got that human," he yelled. "What gives?"

  Trickling power into my voice, I stared him down. "Sit down and wait."

  He opened his mouth to argue, but I squinted, and he thought better of his sass.

  We waited until the alley was absolutely full of demons. Three ghosts, four goblins, two djinns, a possessed deer, another hellhound, and a handful of very low-level demons. They were more blobs of darkness than actual demons and they di
dn't have specific names.

  "I think that's enough," I said. "You are to all return to Abaddon at once. Find the hole that you escaped from and if you can't fix it, do everything in your power to hide it. Stay in Abaddon and do not leave again until I or Lucifer gives you permission. Are we clear?"

  They grumbled pretty severely, but one-by-one, they all disappeared. The deer ran off, unharmed but now finding itself in the middle of the city. Demons were bitchy creatures, but they didn't have much of a choice but to do as I said.

  Gabe turned to me. "That easy?"

  I smiled. "I wish. If that many are here, think about the massive numbers the world over. There's probably that many again here that didn't heed my call."

  His face grew somber. "That is bad."

  I nodded. "Hundreds of thousands of demons are housed in Abaddon, along with Greater Demons, Spirits, and Fallen. Tortured souls, haints, poltergeists. The list goes on."

  "Well, we'd better get busy," he replied. "Where to next?"

  "Go to the next large city. What would that be? San Diego?"

  Gabe saluted me and grabbed my hand. "Your wish is my command, great Mistress of the Dark."

  As we disappeared, my giggles lingered in the warm Las Vegas morning air.

  6

  The next six cities were much the same. We did stop in at home after a few hours to grab Jellybean. I was confident in his loyalty to me, and he'd help me keep some of the gnarlier demons in line. An irritated vampire had lunged at me in Dallas as we made our way around the perimeter of the United States. Gabriel had dispatched him, sending his soul back to Abaddon immediately, but a guard dog wasn't a bad idea.

  We moved from city to city all day, only returning home when we were bone tired and hungry. Lucifer and Michael had just arrived. They had moved around in Europe as we'd done the US and had very similar stories to tell.

  We agreed to go straight to bed after we ate and get straight back to it in the morning.

  "Did anyone run into other angels?" I asked.

  None had. They puzzled over it as we ate the pizza we'd called to have delivered. "Are you sticking to big cities?" Luc asked.