Odin studied me for a minute, maybe two, scrutinizing me carefully. “I grow tired of this. I believe I will just move on to creating you and get it over with. You will learn to treat me with respect.”
“I doubt it. I don't treat people with respect if they haven't earned it,” I retorted quietly. “Before we move onto the whole 'make me a vampire' plan, how about you let me meet the other one? I'm kind of interested to see him.”
Hyperion stood up abruptly, his bored look replaced with startled astonishment. Odin waved his hand and Hyperion sat again, but now he was on the edge of his throne, watching me warily.
“And why would you think there was another?”
I turned back to the Tines, saw Striker watching me with a mixture of emotions clear in his expression. He was definitely in better shape than the others and he managed a faint smile. In his eyes, next to the thirst I recognized another emotion. Hope.
“I don't think there's another one. I know there is.” I turned back to Odin, looking from him to Arawn and then on to Hyperion. “Your problem is, you created him a little early, didn't you? Guess that would be called a premature transformation, wouldn't it? Didn't realize it was better to be patient, allow him to reach his full potential before he was taken over to the dark side.” I walked towards the Tines, scrutinizing them carefully, seeing if anyone would be capable of helping us when the time came. It was blatantly obvious it would be impossible, they were in such bad shape, I knew it would be all they could do to walk out of here on their own volition. “I guess it would be polite to let my friends here know all the wonderful elements of your cunning plan. See,” I said, walking slowly along the row of chairs, catching their eyes with mine, “the Three Stooges here, and the rest of their cronies, had this wonderful idea. They want to take over the world. They think they're superior to every other supernatural being on the planet. Of course, they realize they can't get rid of all the underworld creatures. But they want to do a little tidying up. Rid the world of half breeds, shape shifters, the ones who really aren't up to their high standards. Apparently, you guys don't make the cut, I imagine because you don't drink human blood.” I turned back to Odin, who was watching me with a calculating glare and then flicked my attention to my friends, standing between Lucas and Ben. I was almost certain I could see recognition in Ben's eyes as I watched him and it was obvious Lucas knew me. “That's why they need me and the other one. The funny thing about being an Angel is that I reach full maturity at the age of twenty one. My twenty first birthday is tomorrow, so the plan is, I get bitten tonight, before my birthday and wake up in three days with fangs. Then I'm supposed to jump in the sack with this other Angel, produce a passel of brats who will be half vampire, half Angel. And then Odin and his cronies get to take over the world, because they'll be able to summons demon spirits from the Otherworld and they can create an army of the undead to keep all the supernatural in line. Sounds like a hoot, doesn't it?”
I turned away from the Tines, striding back towards Odin. His guards instinctively moved closer to him. “The only problem with their plan is that it sucks. For starters, the other one they've got just isn't my type.” I stood very close to Odin, staring at him defiantly. “So you've got yourself a problem. Because I don't intend to be transformed, I don't intend to screw this vampire Angel and I certainly don't intend to annihilate half the supernatural beings in your quest for world domination.”
Hyperion spoke and his voice was a rough growl, deep and echoing through the marble room. “Let her meet Archangelo.”
Odin looked at Hyperion and they conferred with their eyes for a split second. “Yes,” Odin announced. “Let's have Archangelo show her exactly how strong his powers have become. Archangelo! Come!”
The door behind the dais was thrust open and the man from my nightmares stepped through it. It was uncanny, the resemblance between he and I, and for a minute we stared at one another, weighing each other up. He was taller than me, but had similar coloring, features which leaned towards being a mirror image of mine in a more masculine face. My first impressions made me think we'd been put on this earth as twins, but been separated all our lives. He was looking intently at me, his expression sinister. “Yes, Master Odin.”
“This is Charlotte, Archangelo. She is to be your wife.” Odin waved him forward with a little flicker of his fingers and he came to stand beside the older vampire. “It is deeply unfortunate, but we have discovered she has far too much attitude to be a good wife to you. But never fear. I intend to remove that willful nature from her, so she will be the dutiful and submissive wife you deserve. She is also under the impression that you are the weaker Angel and I think we should teach her some lessons, let her see the full strength of your abilities. I want you to summon something for her, something which will make her respect your power for the magnificence it truly is.”
I stepped back incrementally, a fraction of an inch at a time. This was what I'd been waiting for, goading them to get a big reaction. I just hadn't expected this reaction. Summons something? This guy could do that? Archangelo drew a Hjördis from his pocket and I started to unzip my jacket, worrying about how much more we didn't know. He had the Angel weapons and the ability to summons - both eventualities were things we hadn't allowed for. Tamping those thoughts down, I concentrated on the here and now. The timing had to be perfect, I couldn't dare to show my hand too soon. They were cocky, so very sure of themselves and didn't believe I was as powerful as Archangelo, which made me thankful they'd been receiving the falsified reports from Quinn Saunders. They didn't suspect the true increase in my heightened powers.
Archangelo knelt to the ground and used the Hjördis to mark a pentagram on the marble tiling, which rattled me, even though I knew what summonsing something had meant. I'd expected hand to hand combat between us, a battle of wills and power, which I'd hopefully win. Not for him to draw a pentagram and certainly not to see him drawing the sigils which Epi used to create demons.
I shunted this thought down, as I'd done with others. Not now, don't think about how he could do this at this moment in time. There would be time to think it over later, when we weren't neck deep in shit.
When Archangelo completed the fifth marking, I threw my jacket off, tossing it over towards one of the marble pillars, ensuring I had their attention. Odin's face showed more expression than it had since I arrived and now that expression was stunned, when he saw the mass of indigo blue sigils marking my arms, shoulders and chest like multitudes of bold tattoos.
The floor erupted, billowing red and black smoke through the room, an ominous haze of acrid fumes. I dropped down to one knee, sliding my fingers down the side of my boot and catching the Hjördis in my hand. I drew a rapid sigil on the marble floor by my feet, scorching indigo markings onto the rock. When the demon stepped through the portal I was already back on my feet, watching the rocks that Odin had thrown to the ground so carelessly transforming into my friends in their animal forms.
The vampires were suddenly confronted by four wolves, a coyote and one very impressive lion. As Rafe raised his massive head and roared, the guards hustled Odin back towards the dais, shielding him with their own bodies.
I focused my attention on the demon which was dragging itself out from the pentagram and cursed, a particularly volatile word escaping my lips as I stared incredulously at the size of it. It was huge, bigger than anything Epi had thrown at us. Probably close to fifteen feet tall, in a smaller room it would have needed to crouch, but here it could stand tall and scary. It's head was misshapen and I struggled to comprehend what my eyes were seeing, realizing with trepidation that this was because it had two mouths, one on top of the other, both filled with razor sharp fangs probably three inches long. The top of its head was covered completely with thick black tentacles, glossy in the overhead light as though they'd been dipped in black oil. It had six long arms, three down either side of its enormous body and every one of them terminated with long curving claws. I shut my eyes for the briefest of seconds
and when I flicked a glance in their direction, my spirits were encircling the Tines, protecting them. It meant I was more exposed, but that was what Conal and the other men were there to do. Conal was already circling the demon, his black eyes glittering, open jaw displaying a ferocious row of fangs. Ralph and Marco were running interference, keeping the vampires back whilst Rafe, Nick and Phelan launched themselves at the demon. I summonsed the spirits, calling more to my aid and threw my hand forward, watching a wave of pure energy slam into the demon, knocking it off balance momentarily.
Conal took the opportunity to attack, launching himself high into the air, slamming into the demon and tearing at its throat. One of the massive arms caught him, throwing him into the air but Phelan was right there, launching a second attack as Conal picked himself up off the floor and darted back towards the demon.
I caught movement in the corner of my eye, realizing some of the vampires were edging along the sides of the room, using the marble pillars as protection. I threw my hand up and forward, watching with satisfaction as they were hit by a ball of white energy and slammed back against the walls. The marble wall cracked behind them, some of the marble dropping away to reveal the stone wall beneath.
A glance ensured the shield surrounding the Tines was still strong and secure. When I turned back to the demon, it was ambling towards me, its mouths opened and emitting an unearthly roar which shuddered through the air around us. It snapped those heavy jaws at me and I leaped into the air, managing to glide some twenty feet high but the demon's teeth snapped at the wrong time. I dropped back to the floor and rolled neatly onto my feet, aware of the painful stinging in my arm. The arm was still functioning though, so I ignored it and returned to the battle.
Conal was attached to the demon's throat, growling gutturally as he bit deeply into the demon's black skin. Saliva oozed from its mouths, dripping onto Conal's fur where it sizzled and burnt. Conal dropped back to the ground and Nick took his place, worrying at the demon's throat.
I threw another wave of energy towards it, knocking it from its feet, making the huge beast crash onto the floor. My peripheral vision caught movement and I turned in time to see even more vampires coming towards me, their eyes blazing and nostrils flaring as they smelled the blood oozing slowly down my arm.
One was almost close enough to touch me and I launched a high kick, catching his neck with the toe of my boot. He slammed backwards into the wall. A further energy ball threw three of the vampires back and I heard the frustrated scream of fury from Odin.
Archangelo was headed my way and he hurled a burst of energy which knocked me backwards, sliding across the floor until my head slammed against the marble wall.
Shaking my head to clear the pain, I flipped onto my feet, unwilling to wait for the fuzziness to leave my senses. Archangelo was right on top of me, his fangs run out and bloodlust clear in his eyes. He caught my shoulders in a painful grip and we stumbled backwards. I was trying to keep a tight grip on his neck, trying to keep his fangs away from my skin.
He was stronger than me, stronger than I'd expected and I suddenly recalled he was a youngling, at his most bloodthirsty. His mouth moved closer and closer to my throat and I used my left hand to throw energy, at roughly the same time Phelan was coming to my rescue. Both Phelan and Archangelo were blasted backwards across the room, with Phelan hitting the wall and sliding down it to lie in a crumpled heap, yelping softly.
I hastily ascertained the demon was still fighting. I threw another wave of energy, watching the demon collapse to its knees again. Whilst it seemed like an eternity of fighting had passed, we'd come no closer to killing the demon, if anything, we'd managed to aggravate it into a higher level of anger. I groaned when I saw Archangelo coming at me again, the expression on his face dogmatic, holding a Katchet in one hand, a Philaris in the other. He threw the Philaris, his aim strong and true. I ducked hastily but not quickly enough - it caught the side of my cheek as it brushed past, cutting into the skin below my left eye. It sailed around elegantly, spinning back towards Archangelo. Gritting my teeth, I decided he wasn't getting it back and leaped forward, catching it in my palm. It sliced through my hand but I ignored it, intent only on stopping Archangelo from using it again. I hit the ground and rolled, straightening up to throw the Philaris back at Archangelo.
The look in his eyes was pure astonishment as the Philaris slammed into his chest. He dropped to his knees, reaching a hand to his shirt to touch the blood seeping from his heart. He stared at me for a long moment, his eyes filled with surprise; then he keeled over onto the floor, motionless. I ran to where he lay, snatching the Katchet from his hand. I had to flip it into my left hand as the right palm was bleeding uncontrollably.
There was rapid movement up at the dais, where Odin, Hyperion and Arawn were being hustled from the room, the guards pushing them unceremoniously out through the open door. I had no time to do anything about it, my shield around the Tines was failing and the demon was ambling towards them. I launched at it in a flat-out sprint, clambering up its broad back as it screamed. Gripping the massive neck to support myself, I slashed the Katchet into its throat, over and over again while the men continued to bite and worry at its legs and body with their fangs.
Just when I was beginning to think we had no chance of defeating the savage demon it fell, launching me across its head as it hit the ground. I skidded across the floor, covered in a mixture of demon blood and my own sweat pouring from my skin. The demon closed in on itself, shrinking smaller and smaller until all that was left was a small scorch mark on the marble.
Chapter 43: Recovery Operation
I slumped on the floor for a minute, gasping to get air back into my lungs, trying to relearn how to breathe. Adrenaline was coursing through my body, but not enough to keep the pain at bay. Now that the fight was over, pain receptors were operating all over my body and I drew myself up to my feet and sucked in huge amounts of oxygen while I leaned my hands on my knees, waiting for my heart rate to slow before I straightened up.
Conal transformed, eyeing the bodies lying on the floor warily as he padded towards me, gloriously naked and not in the slightest embarrassed. “I'm not sure the fearless sigil is good for you,” he announced mildly. “You get pretty crazy. Seriously, Charlotte - 'I'm an Angel, who would have thunk it?' ”
I reached for the haversack Nick had carried with him, when he'd been transported into the sigil stone, rummaging through it to find Conal's clothes. “So Epi was right? You could hear everything? Way to go, Epi.” I threw his jeans to him. “Put something on, and see if you can lock the doors.” I pulled the other clothes from the haversack, laying them in neat piles on the ground.
“That thing was enormous,” Nick announced with a broad grin as he transformed back to human. “Biggest damn thing we've fought so far.”
I averted my eyes from his body and motioned towards his clothes, before focusing my attention on the Tines. I stepped forward, intent on trying to free them from their bindings but Lucas spoke.
“Charlotte… the chains. Don't… remove the chains,” he rasped painfully. “You're bleeding… and our thirst… is too extreme.”
“He's right,” Ben agreed, his voice sounding as if he'd swallowed shards of glass.
“Good point.” I turned back to Nick, who'd slipped on a pair of faded blue denims. The sigil marks on his arms were still strong, but he had a nasty cut across the left side of his chest and purple bruising was blossoming on his face. “Have you got those supplies, Nick?”
Nick pulled another haversack towards him, the one Marco had carried inside his sigil stone. He threw it to me and I tugged it open, pulling the bags of blood we'd brought along with us from inside. I turned back to Ben. “This should help.” I held up one of the bags, cutting a corner from it with the Katchet. Nick was doing the same thing, using a small pocket knife. I held the opened bag up, allowing the blood to pour into Ben's open mouth. He swallowed thirstily, desperate, drinking it as rapidly as it fell into his open l
ips.
“Sugar, we've got a problem. I can't lock this door.” Conal was standing at the far end of the room, beside the dais which held the thrones.
I straightened up from Ben's side, throwing the drained blood bag on the floor. “Get out of the way.” Conal stepped back from the door and I lifted my hand, summoning a concentrated ball of energy which I threw across the room. It smashed into the wall about the heavy oak door and with a deafening roar, the marble and stone wall smashed, breaking down the door and blocking the entrance. The dais was caught up in the explosion, the velvet canopy falling to the ground and the two marble columns falling, breaking apart into a row of broken pieces.
“You couldn't have just found a way of locking the damn thing?” Conal asked placidly as he strode back towards us.
“Well,” I said, pulling a second bag of blood from the rucksack, “now the vamps can only get in here through the one door.” I cut the corner of the bag, holding it over Rowena's open mouth. “Check the other door.”
“What… was that… thing?” Ben croaked.
“A demon,” I responded quietly, watching as Rowena finished the last of the bag and slumped back against the chair, shutting her eyes. I glanced at Ben, alarmed to see he looked no better now that he'd fed. That wasn't a good sign.
“A demon,” Ben repeated and I could hear the disbelief in his voice.
“Yeah. Ben, I'll be happy to explain everything, but not now. Right now, I've got to get us out of here. We're not safe yet, not by a long shot.”
Nick and I worked our way down the row and when I came to Striker, he managed a weak smile, wincing as the movement stretched some of the wounds on his face. “Squirrel?” he rasped.
“No such luck, Striker. Boring old cow blood. Best I could do on short notice.” I grinned at him, relieved to see him still alive and watched as he gulped down the blood swiftly.
“What are we going to do with Marianne and Acenith?” Nick asked worriedly when he'd finished feeding Ripley. “They're both unconscious.”
Knowledge Quickening (The Nememiah Chronicles Book 2) Page 33