by Reid, Susan
Baal’s ethereal form began to burst free of the magical hold that kept him still. The face inside the mass of black smoke reared and roared in anger. The ball of light I threw, hit dead center into the yawning mouth that was his. It immediately began to consume him, quickly obliterated the darkness. His inhuman, high-pitched, screech of curses rode the wind, lingering as long as it could, before finally winking out.
Baal was no more.
I groaned wearily in pain as I collapsed back down onto my back. My bicep was a tattered mess of flesh. I didn’t even have to look at it to verify that.
Edanai and Jerilah we already on either side of me.
“Damnit Cam`ael!” Edanai whispered as she immediately went to treat my wound.
“No time for that…” I breathed.
I pushed her away, quickly getting to my feet, only to falter and fall back down onto my knees.
I was still feeling the effects of the poison.
“Like hell! Be still! This is going to take a while to heal.” Edanai snapped.
“You’ve been poisoned Cam`ael. You need to be healed quickly. Let me give you something for the pain.” Jerilah offered as she reached into a small pouch attached to her hip strap.
“I’m fine!” I growled bitterly. It was more to stave off the pain and the invading, evil darkness that was trying to dominate me inside.
I closed my eyes for a second. The satisfaction of seeing Baal’s death brought me back to myself, just a little. I had to fight against this spreading, internal miasma of repugnance. I couldn’t return to what I had been a long time ago.
Then, I instantly remembered Starling. My head snapped up, my eyes panning the ground, in between the tall, column-like rock formations, and all of the darkened crevices between the jagged, rocky dunes.
Black feathers floated in whirling patterns from up above. Others of our legion had been summoned. They wasted no time or hesitation in answering and joining the fight. That was loyalty. They were clearly able to handle the other fallen that had arrived not long ago without a problem.
Durien and the seraphim were the only warriors left behind that I could see. With a swing of his lightning-shaped, illuminated Bo, he was blocking the black magic that was being flung towards them. Twirling the curse, he then thrust it right back at the dark divine ones. It both shocked and rendered them immobile, which allowed the both of them to finish them off.
Where the hell was Starling? It wasn’t until they took off running towards the crevice of two abutted mounds of rock, and calling after both her and someone named Jamie, that I felt my wrath return.
Evil darkness began to pool into my core.
I turned my gaze upwards, rage began to overtake me again, but this time my energy and power was even stronger, and far more dangerous.
A lone fallen had taken one of the female divine warriors and began ascending into the sky, just as Starling screamed out her name —Jamie. In one bound, she leapt high into the air, reaching out to grab onto her foot. The fallen lost grip on the one called Jamie, and she tumbled back to the ground in low crouch.
Durien aimed his weapon and shot multiple bolts, but none made contact. The fallen had Starling, binding her securely, especially her arms, so that she wouldn’t be able to wield her weapon.
The earthbound seraphim tried to get to her, even casting his own magic, but the fallen was faster. Given the distance, his magic would be ineffective anyway.
I roared, “No!”
Like a bullet, I shot forward, suffering through the pain of my arm. I could hear Edanai and Jerilah calling after me, but I ignored them…in full pursuit of the other fallen.
XX111: Starling
Lira had been a lot easier to spot when the atmosphere, and our current surroundings of the chaotic club, suddenly froze, shifted, and changed.
Pieces of the human realm began to fall away and shatter, like slow motion breaking glass, and all of a sudden…we were here.
Wherever here was, it was obviously in the spirit realm.
How the hell did this just happen?
“I told you this was a bad idea! Lira can’t fight, you idiot! You could have gotten her killed!” Jamie shrieked. She ran up on me as if she were going to attack me again.
This time I braced myself, ready to fight back. There was nothing I could say. She had been right. I didn’t mean to put her in danger, or any of us for that matter.
“No time for this shit! Do you see all of this?” Anthony yelled pointing not far from us, where a battle of fallen was about to take place.
“They’re after you! Now do you get it? So get your ass into the damned portal now!” Jamie jabbed a finger towards the portal, a spray of spittle flying into my face.
Is this why people have been looking at me funny and suspiciously, since I had risen? Like I had any control of that fact.
Either way, Jamie was about to get punched if she didn’t back the hell away from me. I felt anger rising in me at her aggressive approach and verbal abrasiveness.
She had her two weapons wielded. They looked like mini scythes to me, with wicked sharp curving blades; both were etched with glyphic symbols along the razor sharp edges.
I felt useless and left out. This sudden assault, and now impending danger to everyone, especially Lira, was my fault.
What started out as a simple night of fun and dancing with both Durien and myself alone, had turned into a nightmarish battle that could end badly for all of us. But whose battle was it? So far, the fallen weren’t really attacking us directly, which I found —odd.
I tried to wield my blades, yet again. I had to be prepared just like everyone else. But nothing happened.
I pouted angrily in my head.
I still had my fire though. Would Sean consider it a necessity if I had to use it now? I would have no choice.
I could literally feel the heat begin warming throughout my veins.
I ignored Jamie, continuing to look on in both frozen awe and terror at the looming supernatural war, not far from where we all stood.
They were about to fight each other. It was evident that one fallen was challenging the fallen that cornered Lira and me. But why? Was it over me?
I heard Lorelei crack a portal gem. I glanced over my shoulder. An elongated, shimmering opening immediately took shape beside her. Her spiked, metal whip glinted in her hand; moving on its own as if swayed by an invisible wind.
All of their unique, magnificent, and deadly weapons enviously entranced me. Even more so, I was stunned by all that I was witnessing in the pending battle that might just get us all killed.
Rooted to the ground, I couldn’t help but be taken in by the two fallen that were now fighting in mid-air. The mix of both white and black feathers in the wingspan of one of them confused me. I thought all of the fallen had coal black feathers, like the skull-headed one that he was fighting. That particular fallen also seemed somewhat familiar to me for some reason too. How could that be?
“Starling, would you stop standing there staring! Come on! There’s way too many! Get Lira out of here now, Durien!” Lorelei shouted to all of us and then waved at Durien, who was leading Lira by the hand to the portal.
“Starling, come on!” Lira shouted out to me.
I couldn’t leave. I was a warrior. I had weapons. I had to stay and help. Besides, Lira getting to safety had been the goal. She was the first one through the portal, followed by Crystal and Scarlet.
“We’ve got company, and more fallen are heading this way!” Gabe shouted, readying his weapon, which was a, long, silver and white, broad, square-tipped sword.
I turned around and looked up into the sky to see what Gabe was talking about, and I paled. A flock of huge beings, with wide, blackened wings, were approaching us…fast. In another blink, another gang of fallen simply —appeared on the ground, as if they had been here but were invisible all along.
I was paralyzed with fascinated shock. There was no way we could go against them all. I suddenly remembered Sean
’s words, ‘If you’re losing a fight’…or in our current situation, going to lose one…’run and escape’.
I heard the clink and pop of another portal being opened.
“Starling! Go now!” Durien shouted at me.
The dark ones who had just appeared, all took flight in one winged pack, with weapons of all sorts drawn. It was apparent that they were going after the fallen that were coming.
I didn’t understand this. Was that normal?
In my periphery, those humans with the black brandings that I saw in the club, four girls and five guys, all moved in front of us. They were emanating negative and dark energy fields around them. They hadn’t wielded any weapons yet, but their hands and fingers were working in rapid, patterned movements. Faint whispers of poetic chanting were coming from their mouths.
“Son of a bitch! All of you guys, get out of here now! I’ve got this!” Spencer said. He immediately darted in front of us like a shield, with his weapon poised and ready to strike.
His was an impressive, long, glowing, lightning bolt shaft. It’s grip was in the middle, and it exuded power by sheer size alone. His celestial eyes were glowing brightly, and the fingers on his free hand also began to work frantically in practiced, movements. He began reciting something that sounded like a poetic spell or verse.
I looked on in amazement as a line of light began to form and slowly spread before us, like a wall of light.
“Starling!” Durien ordered with a nod of his head towards the second portal, which was now beginning to wink out too.
I finally snapped out of my frightening fascination of trying to comprehend all of what I was witnessing.
I turned to jog towards Durien, just as he broke another portal gem.
Whatever Spencer was doing, which appeared to be blocking their magic, was working…so far.
There was a loud boom that shook the ground. It stopped me in mid-jog, catching my sense of morbid curiosity. I turned around to see what it had been.
“Damnit Starling, don’t make me grab your ass and throw you in there myself!” Durien shouted, running past me, to cover my back. He aimed his crossbow and fired off several bolts at two fallen that were coming straight for us.
The two fallen that were fighting in mid-air not long ago, were both now on the ground.
The skull faced one, had his face and large, disturbing jaws, clamped onto the arm of the one pinned beneath him. I felt a sense of urgent panic to run over and help him, as strange and stupid as that sounded.
Again, I watched in paralyzed fascination, too shaken and filled with awe to move. I couldn’t leave them here to fight themselves, even if they wanted me too. Spencer couldn’t defend against all of the fallen, even though he was doing a badass job of it so far. We were outnumbered, and unless we were all going to go through the portal together at the same time, I wasn’t going to abandon them.
I had hallowed fire. It was needed right now. I’d simply force it with my anger and save us all…maybe.
When I heard a female voice scream out; ‘Cam`ael!’ from somewhere out there, a quick scene of two fallen fighting each other in a darkened field, briefly flashed behind my eyes. I had been watching that fight, and trying to run towards it for some strange reason. Then…I felt a painful burning, stinging sensation across my entire torso.
The scene flickered and morphed, changing images. I saw a face, a beautiful face, looking down at me with sorrow. The image winked out of my head abruptly. I found myself holding a hand over my torso again, like I did when I first awoke in this realm. It was a ghost sensation that I couldn’t figure out, and I wondered what it meant.
Certain that the second portal that Durien had opened, had already closed, I frantically fished into the inner pocket of my jacket for my small suede pouch full of portal gems.
I was about to pull it out, when I saw Jamie, wandering almost aimlessly towards a small canyon between two large rock mounds. I thought she had left a long time ago? I should have known that she wouldn’t have left without Spencer.
She was moving funny, as if she were in some sort of a trance. Was it a hallucination? Was she under a spell? Being hypnotized?
There was a girl standing at the opening of the canyon, beckoning to her. I had no idea who she was, let alone if she was even human, but after all I was seeing out here now…I’d be more prone to believe it was either an illusion, or a demon.
“Jamie!” I called after her.
She didn’t stop or turn around.
In fact, she held her weapons downward, by her sides.
Either she was under some spell, or the girl standing there wasn’t a threat.
I wasn’t going to take that chance. I took off after her at full speed. Just as I took off, the girl instantly morphed into a large female fallen. Her black wings flapped outward and she laughed tauntingly.
Jamie seemed to snap out of her trance just then, but it was too late. The fallen had done something to her that left her immobile. Her weapon became useless and bound against her body with her arms.
The fallen securely held her and began ascending into the air.
With determination, I used the side of the mound as a push off point, leaping up and diving at them, managing to grab onto Jamie’s ankle.
With all my weight I pulled down, surprising myself when I actually jerked the fallen downward, making her slow and hesitate. I then began to pull myself up.
“Two? Oh, you are the one that I was after anyway. He will be so pleased with me!” She hissed with a threatening grin.
I tugged at Jamie again. A look of helpless fear and sadness was frozen on her face. I don’t know what curse or spell this fallen put on her, but it was working, and she could very well do the same to me too.
Again, I tried to wield my weapon.
This time…one deific blade unsheathed smoothly, gliding out of my palm in all its shimmering glory, with the hilt fitting perfectly in my palm. It surprised the hell out of me, but there was no time stop and do a happy dance.
The fallen looked horrified when she glimpsed my blade. I pulled my arm back to stab into her chest, but I faltered and lost my aim. It left me dangling from Jamie’s leg by one arm. She grabbed for my wrist, and as soon as she dropped Jamie, whatever binding magic she had used on her, immediately formed black, slithering tendrils around my forearms. It didn’t take long for her to secure me into her vice-like grip.
Oh, shit.
I was screwed, but at least I managed to save Jamie though —I hoped.
***~~~~***
How did I manage to get myself caught and taken so easily, and so soon? I hadn’t even had the chance to train, or even learn to use my weapons!
Apparently, to Sean and the others, once you were captured, you were essentially dead. I could count on no one coming to my rescue. That thought saddened me. Even if I managed to get out of these bindings, the drop below would either kill me, or take me a long time to heal from the devastating injuries. We were way too high for me to even risk it.
I hadn’t realized just how foul her odor was. She was wearing a breast-plated, copper colored bra and skintight suede pants. Her hair was dry and shaggy, like old, overused, black broom bristles. Her face reminded me of a hideous, and freakishly disfigured owl, with completely blacked out eyes, and swollen, bruise colored lips.
She flew extremely fast. Below us, was a landscape of red-sanded earth, with bands of sparkling black sand, and shiny black rocks, all in peaked formations. I saw numerous shapes, dark beings, and other strange creatures moving all around down there. They looked like small ants from my aerial view. Black treetops flanked a large body of a swirling, murky water, where a giant whirlpool swirled wildly. I could only imagine the danger that I’d be in if I were down on the ground right now. I might be safer up here, for now.
The dark water below was alive with dangerous dark things in it, all ready to eat me if I fell in. I certainly didn’t want to see what waited for me in the hands of the devil himself either.
I began to get angry, and the angrier I got, the more the fire and heat began to surge frantically inside me. I felt the bindings around my body loosen as they began to burn away. In no time, the tendrils of dark matter binding me, disappeared altogether. It allowed me to shift and move freely.
The fallen suddenly whipped her head around. Her shaggy, rough hair flipping into my face, making me cringe with disgust.
I wondered what she was looking back at.
She sped up even more, and then gasped —apparently feeling the power and heat on the verge of erupting from my skin.
Flames flared out from my hand first, and I instantly took the advantage to burn the rest of the bindings from my other arm.
“What the…” She started to exclaim.
I brought my fiery hand up into a swift openhanded slap across her shocked face. She immediately began to scream and squeal in excruciating pain.
Grabbing for her face, she let go of me, and I began to plummet back down to the earth.
We were still over the water…the dirty, dark, monster infested water below. I tensed, attempting to brace myself for the coming, gruesome and horrific death. I just hoped it would be quick.
I gracefully kept myself poised, tumbling end over end with a quick prayer.
The closer the churning water got, the more my heart hammered wildly. Would my fire work underwater if I needed it? I didn’t know, but my blade would—even if I could only wield one.
I readied my weapon, just as the gargantuan, heavily fanged mouth of some blob-like creature emerged from the whirlpool. Its long, snaking tongue flickered out, ready to swallow me whole.
Ohh…this was not good.
With tortuous anticipation, I shut my eyes and held my breath.
The warmth of a sudden, random energy wrapped around me, like a warm, sleep-inducing blanket…and that was all that I remembered feeling, before blacking out cold.