Armageddon (Angelbound)

by Christina Bauer

  “Myla and I need some time alone, Xavier.”

  Dad nods. “I’ll be in the war room when you’re ready. We’ve a lot of planning to do and not much time.” Arching his great golden wings, he leaps off the balcony’s edge and slowly circles toward the ground. Normally, I love it when he exits this way. This time, I feel nothing but sadness as I watch him slowly glide downward.

  A long silence follows.

  “We need to talk about this, Lincoln. There has to be another way.”

  “There isn’t, Myla. We must join Xavier in the war room.” He gently kisses my head. “Or perhaps I’ll join your father while you get some a rest. Things will seem more clear after you’ve had some sleep.”

  Lincoln’s words echo strangely through my mind.

  Sleep.

  Dream.

  Dreamscape.

  Nefer.

  An idea begins to form. Nefer tried to kill sneak into Hell and kill Onyx. Maybe she’d have some ideas on how to take down Armageddon, too. I have to ask.

  I nuzzle into Lincoln’s shoulder. “Actually, I will take a quick nap.” And contact Nefer while I’m at it.

  “Good. I’m sure it will help.”

  “I certainly hope so.” As the words leave my lips, I can’t avoid the uncomfortable feeling that Nefer is my last and only chance to really save my son. My smiling, innocent, happy Maxon. My throat tightens with worry and grief.

  Please, let her be able to help.

  Chapter Fourteen

  It took Anubis all of a nanosecond to agree to my dreamscape with Nefer. This time, when I conjure my virtual-Arena, the circular wall of slithering vines were already there, along with me, Anubis and Nefer. Kiya sits on Nefer’s shoulder, his long tail swaying over her upper arm. The sympathetic looks on all their faces say they already heard the news.

  I inhale a shaky breath. “I guess you know why I called you all here. My son Maxon was taken by Armageddon.”

  “Your child never crossed my gateway,” says Anubis. “I’d never have allowed your boy into Hell. Armageddon must have found a powerful magician.”

  My throat tightens as I picture the geisha in white robes dripping with blood. “He did. So strong, in fact, that she allowed my child to be pulled out from Antrum itself.”

  “Who would have imagined it?” Nefer shakes her head. “Antrum hasn’t been breached in that way since the days of Aethelwulf. I’m so sorry.”

  “I know what you seek,” snarls Anubis. “I have friends in other realms. Together, we will track down whoever this witch is. You’ll have your revenge.”

  “I don’t want revenge. I want to save my son.”

  “Oh, my poor Myla.” Nefer twists her hands anxiously at her waist. “If your child’s with Armageddon, then his mind is already gone.”

  “I’m afraid Nefer is right,” says Anubis gently. “You must prepare yourself for the inevitable. He’ll be broken beyond repair.”

  My eyes flare red with demon rage. I am not giving up on Maxon!

  “My child’s mind is protected right now, and he will stay protected for the next twenty-four hours. He’s linked with a Grand Master monopsyche.”

  “A Grand Master?” Nefer purses her lips, impressed. “Then your son does have a chance.”

  “Exactly. And I’m not going to waste that opportunity. I’m going to kidnap Maxon out of Hell and you’re both going to help me.” I point to Nefer. “First, you’ll tell me how you broke into Hell.” I gesture toward Anubis. “Second, once I get in, you’ll sort me straight into Armageddon’s throne room.”

  Anubis frowns. “I’m not sure I can—”

  “Shut it, Anubis. You owe me and you know it.”

  “Fine, Great Scala.”

  Nefer’s shakes her head. “It’s not so easy to navigate through Hell. I trained for my mission for two-hundred and fifty years. Before that, it took me a hundred years to find Kiya and earn his trust.” Kiya lets out a little squawk of agreement. “I snuck into Hell with fifty warriors. All of them died.”

  Despair presses in around my body, heavy as a cloak of stone. This is so impossible, Myla. Why do you keep pushing?

  And then, I remember Maxon’s smiling face. I return my attention to Nefer.

  “How did your warriors die?”

  Nefer’s eyes darken as she recalls the memory. “To reach the throne room, we went up a secret passageway that protected by the Veil of Fire.”

  I turn the words over in my mind. The Veil of Fire. That doesn’t sound so tough. I look over Anubis from head to toe. He’s a badass demigod. I can’t imagine a little veil holding him back. “Can you pass through it?”

  “Sure,” says Anubis. “But why would I want to? I’ve no desire to treat with Armageddon.”

  “If you can pass through, why can’t you take other people along, too?”

  “My magic holds no sway over the Veil. This isn’t a gateway, it’s a safeguard. A lock, if you will. No one enters the throne room via the secret passageway unless they cross through the Veil.”

  “What does it do? Burn you?”

  “In a way,” replies Anubis. “It takes you to your own personal hell. It’s a trial.”

  “Not just any trial, though,” adds Nefer. “It’s a specific test that brings out the worst in your soul. And whoever passes through the veil with you, they go through your personal hell as well.”

  I force myself to look on the bright side. “That doesn’t sound so bad, having someone to keep you company.”

  “They’re more than company,” explains Anubis. “They join your test. And that means that their errors can make you fail. And when that happens, you go straight to Hell’s torture pits.”

  Okay, that sounds pretty shitty, right there.

  “Is that what happened to you, Nefer?”

  “I went in with fifty warriors,” says Nefer with a sigh. “Since fifty of us went in together, we all went through fifty trials. Fifty hells. I thought my warriors were strong enough to take it. They weren’t. Only three of us made it past the veil and into the throne room. Onyx was ready for us and sent the rest of my warriors to the torture pits. I would have gone as well, only Anu stepped in to help me.” Her face warms with a smile. “You shouldn’t have, you know.”

  Anubis grins at her in return. “I’d do it again. You know that.”

  While the two of them make goo-goo eyes at each other, I turn Nefer’s words over in my mind. There must be a way in this to save Maxon.

  Suddenly, a spark of hope lights in my chest. If what she’s saying is true, then a small raiding party could be better than an army. If I go in alone, I only have one personal hell to face.

  “Tell me. How did you get to that secret passageway in the first place? Did Anubis help you?”

  “No, Anu can only open the main gates, and those are too well watched for anyone to sneak through. That’s why I needed Kiya. As a first animal, the old walls of Eden do as he commands.” Kiya chitters and bounces on Nefer’s shoulder, showing his agreement.

  Anubis steps closer, setting his right hand on my shoulder. “You’re emotional and overwrought. I can see where your mind is going, but if Nefer couldn’t kill Onyx with fifty warriors, what hope do you have against Armageddon?”

  A little voice in side my head says ‘he’s right, you know.’ Then, I glance down at the image of Maxon on my wrist. My boy is wide-eyed and screaming in terror. Rage blasts through my nervous system. Maxon’s in pain; that’s what matters. I straighten my spine and steel my resolve.

  “I know I don’t have much of a chance, but—”

  “Much of a chance?” barks Anubis. “How about none? No one has ever been rescued from Hell. Not since the dawn of time. Don’t forget that.”

  My eyes flash red with demon rage. “Stop telling me what no one’s ever done! My child’s mind has only a day before it’s shattered. If there is anything I can do—no matter how slim the chance—then I have to try. Otherwise, I’ll never forgive myself.” Seconds pass and my eyes glow a
ngel blue. “Besides, I’m not just anyone. Don’t forget that.”

  Anubis shakes his head. “You talk madness. Armageddon already knows a rescue party is coming for Maxon. As we speak, he’s at the wall’s high tower, awaiting the arrival of Xavier’s army.”

  “Good.” I set my fists on my hips. “That means he’s not expecting a small raiding party.”

  Anubis sniffs. “One crazed warrior is not a small party.”

  “I’ll help you,” says Nefer quickly. “Anubis can send you to my prison block before you go to your personal hell. Free me, and I’ll stand by your side as you take on Armageddon.”

  Anubis leans back on his heels and lets out a great howl of rage. The bones of his face snap and reform, turning into the jackal head that has adorned so many Egyptian tombs. “No! I have not protected you for two hundred years, only to see you captured again. Onyx was a reasonable Queen.”

  “She was a tyrant,” snaps Nefer.

  “She was a saint compared to Armageddon. If you’re caught again, it will be the torture pits for you. I won’t be able to help you this time.”

  “I never asked for your help in the first place, and I’m not asking for it now. Kiya can lead the Great Scala to my prison.”

  Anubis raises his arms. Vines burst out of the walls, heading straight toward Kiya. “No, he won’t!” Fast as lightning, the vines wrap around Kiya’s body, holding him immobile.

  “You’re breaking your promise to me,” I add. “This is my favor. Keep your word, Anubis.”

  “Choose another favor,” he snarls. “This one’s impossible.”

  I raise my hands and summon my igni. Instantly, hundreds of tiny white lightning bolts swim up and down my arms. “No one tells the Great Scala what’s possible. I’ll use my igni to break into Hell, and Nefer’s prison block.”

  Nefer straightens her stance. “And I would welcome you with open arms.”

  A snarl curls along Anubis’s muzzle. “Use your igni, and you’ll call every demon to you. They know igni bring evil souls for them to feast on. It’s like ringing a dinner bell. You’ll bring all of Hell down on her head.”

  “No, I’ll have a chance at saving my son.”

  “What about my wishes?” cries Nefer. “I say bring Hell to my door. At least, it will give me a warrior’s death.”

  Anubis lets out another long howl, and his face returns to its typical handsome shape. He paces the ground for a long minute, and then stops. “You’re both resolved to do this thing?”

  “Yes,” say Nefer and I together.

  “Then, I will help you. At least, I can give you a little more time before you both fail and are thrown into the torture pits.”

  “Thanks for the pep talk, asshole.” I crack my neck from side to side, my mind snapping into warrior mode. I have a mission now, and I always feel better with a plan.

  “I believe in you, Great Scala.”

  “Thank you, Nefer. Now, let’s go through this one last time. There are four steps we need to go through. First, I break into Hell with Kiya. Second, Anubis sends me to Nefer’s prison cell, where I break her out. Third, I go to the secret passageway and my own personal hell. And fourth, once that trial is over, I can enter Armageddon’s throne room. Am I missing anything?”

  Anubis shakes his head. “Only that this plan is impossible.”

  “It’s mostly impossible, Anubis. That’s all I have right now, so I’m going with it.”

  Nefer rubs her forehead, her eyes lost in thought. “To get to the Walls of Hell, you need to reach the Plains of Fire. The walls are hidden in there. How will you leave your own realm?”

  “I have a ghoul buddy who can portal me there. Once I wake up from this dreamscape, I’ll grab my stuff and go straight to the Plains. I should be able to break into Hell within an hour or two.”

  “Be careful,” warns Nefer. “The Plains are home to all sorts of foul creatures.”

  My stomach twists with anxiety. Isn’t it bad enough I have to make it through Hell on my lonesome? Now, I have to pass through some evil-infested Plains of Fire, too? I force my face to stay carefully neutral.

  Don’t let them see how worried you are, Myla.

  “I’ll be fine. My ghoul buddy is a warrior.”

  “You won’t ask anyone else?” Nefer eyes me carefully. “Your husband’s warrior skills are known throughout the after-realms.”

  “He’ll never agree to this. He wants to plan for war.” My eyes sting with held-back tears. “Besides, if I don’t come back and the armies do free Maxon, at least my son will have one of us.”

  Nefer nods slowly. “I wish we had more time to plan.”

  “Me, too.”

  Kiya leaps down from Nefer’s shoulder, clambers across the ground, and quickly nestles into my arms. His little heart beats fast as hummingbird wings against my chest.

  I can’t help but smile at the creature in my arms. “You have something to say?”

  Kiya chitters another line of noises. I can’t tell what he’s saying, but the tone is sweet and encouraging. I can use all the support I can get, right now. “Thank you, Kiya.”

  The little monkey perches on my shoulder, where I guess he’ll stay for the duration. He waves enthusiastically to Nefer. I do the same. “We’ll see you soon.”

  Nefer’s eyes bead with tears. “Yes, I know I’ll see both of you.”

  Anubis shoots me a frustrated glare. Obviously he thinks I’ll get killed before I even reach the Walls of Hell. I want to kick him in the head for being such a downer, but I stop myself. He’s agreed to help me, which is more than I thought he’d do.

  I better get while the getting’s good.

  As I close my eyes to end the dreamscape, I realize a sobering thought. This is, without a doubt, the craziest thing I’ve ever done.

  And that’s really saying something.

  Chapter Fifteen

  I tiptoe through a darkened passageway in Arx Hall, on my way to the palace transfer station to Purgatory. Walker has an art studio near my parent’s place. He’s usually there this time of day. With any luck, I’ll catch him and talk him into taking me to the Plains of Fire.

  Kiya sits silently on my shoulder, his tiny hands gripping my hair and ear. At last, I reach the transfer Platform, a large round disc set into the marble floor. As I step onto the circle, the floor lights up.

  My breath catches. The brightness reveals that I’m not alone in the hallway.

  Lincoln is here.

  “When were you going to tell me?” He wears jeans, a white t-shirt, and a desolated look on his face.

  “I wrote you a letter. I was going to leave it with Walker, so he could give it to you after I’d left.”

  Lincoln steps closer. His eyes are red-rimmed and full of pain. “A letter?”

  Guilt burns up my throat. Okay, when he says it like that, I feel like a total shit-bag.

  “I thought it would be best.”

  Lincoln takes another step closer, stopping when he’s just inches away from me. Based on the ice in his tone, I feel like we might as well be miles apart. “You didn’t take a rest, did you?”

  “No.”

  “You dreamscaped with Nefer, and now you’re sneaking off so you can break into Hell alone.”

  “Yes.” Damn, he knows me too well.

  “And you didn’t tell me because you thought I’d disapprove. Plus, you wanted someone here for Maxon in case you never came back.”

  “It sounded a lot cooler than that in my head, but yeah.”

  “Tell me honestly.” He grips my upper arms in his hands. “How outrageous is this plan?”

  “Rescuing Maxon out of Hell, you mean?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, no one’s ever been rescued out of Hell before. I have to get through the Plains of Fire, sneak into the underworld, break Nefer out of prison, go through my personal hell, kill Armageddon, free Maxon and then get out alive. Nefer and Anubis have agreed to help me out, but even so, it’s only the slimmest of chance
s that I can do this.” My new monkey-pal bounces on my shoulder, letting out a long string of chattering noises. “Oh, and Kiya here is helping me, too.”

  Lincoln presses his palms against his eyes. My heart cracks with sorrow. This is hard enough without having this conversation before I go. “What are you thinking, Myla?”

  I pull at the neckline of my dragon-scale fighting suit. Suddenly, it feels too tight. “Honestly? I think I can’t live with myself if I don’t try this. You need to stay here and support the war. Dad will eventually get Maxon out and then, our boy will need you.”

  “Show me your wrist.”

  I know what he wants to see. I turn my right hand over, showing the Looking Glass image of Maxon. Unlike last time, he sits calmly in his cell, his eyes all white. Hildy’s in control and protecting him. Armageddon hasn’t started to torture him yet.

  Lincoln stares at me for a long minute. His face is unreadable, all stony features and Kingly calm. He slips his hand into mine. “I’m going with you.”

  “No, you’re not. You’ll help Dad with the war and with Maxon, in case I fail.”

  “We both saw what happened to Hildy’s friend Marcus after just an hour in the torture pits. And we both know that Armageddon will make the torture pits look like a holiday. Marcus was a grown man and Maxon’s only a child. If there’s any way we can spare him this kind of pain, then we have to do it.” He starts to pull me down the hallway.

  “Where are you taking me?”

  “To the Demon Patrol prep rooms. If I’m going with you, I can’t go like this. I have body armor and supplies in there.”

  Panic shoots through my limbs, freezing me in place. I stop Lincoln from dragging me anywhere. “But what if my plan is terrible? I can’t be responsible for Maxon losing both of us.”

  Lincoln cups my face in his hands. “Your plan sounds brilliant to me, Myla. You were the only one who thought to ask questions instead of getting caught up in the thrill of war. In fact, the only flaw in your thinking is that you didn’t ask me to join you.”