I glanced over my shoulder at him. He smiled. I looked ahead. No way to be sure. For now, I had to just hope I could keep the demon at bay, while also trying to figure out exactly what Asmodeus was up to.
14
Celeste studied the angel standing before her. “Raziel, huh? Yeah, I know who you are.”
“And, judging from your tone, my assumption is you aren’t very pleased to meet me,” said Raziel.
“Can you blame me?” she asked. “You’re the one responsible for sending Luther to—”
“Quiet.” Raziel placed a finger to his lips, then looked around. “The room may not be secure.”
Celeste tapped her ear. “Vampire senses, remember? I’d be able to hear any recording equipment.”
“Not of the mystical variety.”
“The mystical—?” She scoffed. “Great, just what have I gotten mixed up in now?”
Just as Raziel was about to open his mouth to respond, the front door burst off its hinges, striking the piano. “Mistress!”
Raziel turned at the new arrival and clenched his fists, soulfire beginning to coalesce around his hands. “I see they sent another—”
Celeste quickly moved between Raziel and Hem, holding her arms out to the side. “Easy, halo. He’s with me.” She turned and looked at Hem. “It’s okay, big guy.”
Hem folded his arms over his broad chest, eyeing the angel with suspicion. “Is it?”
“Don’t mind him,” she said, glancing back at Raziel. “Hem’s just a little overprotective.”
“An admirable trait in a bodyguard.” Raziel relaxed his hands, the soulfire fading into the ether. He stepped around Celeste and approached Hem, holding out his hand in a gesture of goodwill. “Hem, is it? I’m Raziel. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Hem stared down at Raziel’s outstretched hand and made no move to uncross his arms. Instead, he just huffed.
“Very well,” said Raziel, retracting his hand. “I can respect your suspicions. I would have them, too, were I in your place.”
“So what the hell’s going on here?” asked Celeste. “Why was I greeted by a lycan pack when I was supposed to be meeting an old client?”
“That’s the question we have to answer,” said Raziel. “But not here. We have to go somewhere safe. Hem, if you would be so kind as to carry this gentleman.” He gestured to Zack, who was still unconscious on the floor.
“Why?” asked Hem.
“I have questions. And I believe he has the answers.”
Hem turned his gaze to Celeste. She nodded in agreement with Raziel. “Go ahead, Hem. We’ll play it his way. For now.”
The behemoth nodded and walked over to Zack. He lifted the lycan up and threw him over his shoulder. “Carrying a man over my shoulder down to the car will draw attention.”
“Which is why we aren’t taking your car,” said Raziel. “Gather close, both of you.”
Again, Hem looked at Celeste. She responded to his questioning gaze by approaching Raziel first. With some trepidation, Hem followed her lead, the two of them standing side by side right in front of the angel.
Raziel smiled. “Very good. Now, brace yourselves. This can be quite disorienting if you’ve never experienced it before.”
“What can—?”
Celeste’s question was answered as wings of pure light emerged from Raziel’s back. Their span increased, large enough to contain all three of them. The light washed over them both, and Celeste had to shield her eyes from the brightness that surrounded them. It only lasted a moment, but in that moment, Celeste felt like her insides were being turned inside-out. The light soon faded, and as it did, she nearly keeled over and threw up, but was able to maintain her composure.
Hem wasn’t so lucky. Zack slipped from his shoulder and hit the ground, just before Hem bent over and vomited. Celeste turned away from the display. The scent of the regurgitated burrito Hem had had for dinner was overpowering to her vampire nose.
“Sorry…” he said.
“A normal reaction, my friend,” said Raziel. “Think nothing of it.”
Celeste took stock of their new surroundings. They were in an empty room with bare walls and a concrete floor. Not a very large room, either. Raziel moved to the center and held out his hands. Soulfire appeared in his palms, slowly coalescing and then moving to the floor, where it took the shape of a chair.
“Hem, would you mind helping our guest to his seat?” he asked.
Hem complied with the order, picking up Zack and placing him in the chair. Once he did, Raziel continued his work. Soulfire emerged from his fingertips, snaking itself around Zack’s body and taking the form of chains, binding him completely to the seat.
“Where are we?” asked Celeste.
“Has Luther ever told you about his storage units?” asked Raziel.
Celeste nodded. “Yeah, he has them all over the city. Brings people to them whenever he needs privacy to perform a spell or if he needs to conduct an interrogation.”
“Precisely, which is why we are here. Behold.” Raziel raised his hand and his eyes flashed with bright blue energy. A wash of azure flowed outward from his raised hand in a circle. Once the energy struck the walls, sigils briefly flashed red before they vanished almost as quickly.
Celeste walked over to one of the walls, inspecting the bare area where, a second ago, there had been a brightly painted sigil. “So this is one of his units?”
“No, it’s one of mine,” said Raziel. “This place is shielded from all sorts of intrusion. No magic can see past these walls. For all intents and purposes, this unit is completely invisible to anyone attempting to spy on us.”
“Then how did you teleport us in here?” asked Celeste.
“Like I said, it’s one of mine. Only I can enter this place.”
“So now can you tell us what’s going on?”
“I’m certain Luther told you of his trip,” said Raziel.
“Yeah, he said he was going to Purgatory and that you were supposed to be watching his back,” said Celeste.
“I was. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite work out that way.”
“What happened?” She could read the look hesitation on Raziel’s face as if it were a billboard. “Raziel, why aren’t you in Purgatory with Luther and the others?”
“The ferryman refused to take me along. Apparently, an angel in Purgatory is like an explosion in a darkened area. Impossible to miss.”
Celeste scoffed and shook her head. “Great. So what does all this have to do with those lycan who attacked me?”
“You know what these creatures are like,” said Raziel, approaching Zack and staring down at him. “Brutish, unintelligent, uncreative. But they make for very useful pawns.”
“Who’s sending them after me?” asked Celeste.
“I believe it was the angel who impregnated Dakota Reed.”
“But why?”
“You have a connection to Luther,” said Raziel. “With no way of sensing Luther, the angel likely thought he could rely on your connection to find him and kill him. And if that didn’t work, he could simply use you as bait to draw Luther out of hiding.”
“So the angel doesn’t know they’re in Purgatory?” asked Celeste.
“No one knows, save for a select few,” said Raziel. “If he did know, he wouldn’t need you at all. He would find a way to target Luther and the others inside Purgatory.”
Celeste walked up beside Raziel and looked down at Zack. “So this guy knows who’s behind all this.”
“Doubtful the angel would have contacted him directly. He’d be working through intermediaries. Possibly a number of them. But our friend Zack could lead us to the next link in the chain.”
“Then what are we waiting for?” Celeste’s claws extended from her fingertips as her fangs descended. “Let’s wake him up and make him talk.”
“Quite the bloodlust you have.”
“I didn’t eat because I thought I was meeting a client,” said Celeste. “I’m feeling a
bit peckish.”
“Precisely what I’d hoped for.” Raziel snapped his fingers and Zack stirred, his eyes slowly opening. He gasped when he saw the angel and vampire standing over him. When he tried to move, the chains kept him firmly in place.
“What is this?” asked Zack. “Let me outta here!”
“That’s not on the menu tonight, honey,” said Celeste, running a claw down his cheek, just enough to draw a little blood, and he cringed. She brought the finger to her lips and licked it. “But you are.”
“Look, I dunno what’s going on here,” said Zack.
“Calm yourself, lycan,” said Raziel. “Provided you cooperate with us, you won’t be harmed.”
“Yeah, like I haven’t heard that before,” said Zack. “What happened to my brothers?”
“Your pack? They’re dead,” said Celeste. “If I were you, I’d be worried about my own skin.”
“I am,” said Zack. “I’m worried about what will happen to me if I talk.”
Raziel held out his hand and a blue flame appeared in his palm. He stared hard at Zack, his eyes burning with the same fire. “Do you know what soulfire is capable of, lycan?”
“Fire don’t scare me, pal.”
“Not fire, soulfire. It won’t necessarily burn your physical body. But your soul? That it can turn to ash. Bit by bit until there is nothing left of you but a hollow shell. And whether or not you choose to believe it, even a lowly creature such as yourself possesses a soul.” Raziel placed his hand on Zack’s head. “Here, have a taste.”
The soulfire coursed from Raziel’s fingertips into Zack’s body. He howled in agony as the soulfire burned through his body. The agony he felt was clearly extreme, so much so that even Celeste found it difficult to watch. Raziel removed his hand, the soulfire still flickering on his fingertips.
Zack sat with his head hanging. Probably the only thing that kept him upright were the chains binding him to the chair. His mouth was open, tongue hanging out as he panted, eyes tightly shut. Celeste watched as Zack’s snout receded into his face, the wolf hair sinking back into his pores.
“That was just a taste,” said Raziel. “I am an angel, Zack. For one such as I, the passing of centuries is but a blink of an eye. So when I tell you I could keep this going forever, I want you to know that I am being quite literal.”
“O-Okay…” said Zack, his voice so low even Celeste had trouble hearing it. “I’ll tell you whatever you want.”
“James Martin was the one who contacted me,” said Celeste. “So why did I come to that hotel room finding your pack waiting?”
Zack swallowed. “W-We were told to find Martin…told he was your client… So we found ’im, and after we forced him to make an appointment with you…”
“You killed him,” said Celeste, narrowing her eyes.
James Martin may have had a bit of a kinky side, but he was still a good man, and one of the few Celeste could call friend. So the knowledge that he had been killed just because he knew her was something that filled her with a burning rage.
Celeste growled and pounced on Zack, knocking him and the chair over. She dug her claws into his throat and he screamed almost as much as he had when Raziel’s soulfire had burned him. For a brief moment, Celeste had felt some shred of sympathy for the lycan, but that was long past. Now, she only wanted to tear his throat out.
“Enough!” Raziel clapped, and a shockwave reverberated out, knocking Celeste off Zack and even throwing Hem into the wall. With a wave of his hand, Raziel set Zack’s chair back on its legs. “He’s no good to us dead.”
“Fine,” growled Celeste as she stood. “But I want a name, dog-breath. And I want one right now.”
“You heard the lady, Zack,” said Raziel. “I suggest you cooperate.”
Zack coughed and shook his head. “You don’t understand…if I tell you…”
“Yes, you will suffer,” said Raziel. “But can this individual truly make you suffer as I can? The worst he can do is torture you for a few hours, maybe days. And then you’d be dead. But I could bring you back over and over again. If you do not tell us who hired you, then I promise you that your suffering will last until the stars burn out.”
Zack’s eyes widened as he stared at Raziel. Celeste could tell he was finally beginning to comprehend the gravity of his situation, and the consequences if he didn’t comply. He sighed and lowered his head, muttering something under his breath.
“Louder, my boy,” said Raziel. “We can’t quite hear you.”
“Odysseus…” he muttered.
“Odysseus Black?” asked Celeste. Zack nodded.
“You know him?” asked Raziel.
“Oh, yeah, I know him,” said Celeste. “He’s a sorcerer, and a nasty one at that.”
“Then we should pay Mr. Black a visit.” Raziel placed his hand on Zack’s head. “In exchange for your cooperation, your death will be quick.”
Soulfire surged from Raziel’s hand and completely engulfed Zack’s body. Celeste watched as the flames consumed Zack completely, until he was gone in a flash of light.
“Come,” said Raziel, turning away from the spot where Zack had once been. He walked over to the wall and placed his palm on it. A moment later, a swirling portal appeared and Raziel walked through.
“Mistress…?” asked Hem, approaching Celeste. “What do we do?”
“I guess we’re off to see the wizard,” said Celeste.
15
Cain told us we should stick to the alleyways as we moved through Purgatory. Staying out of sight was of paramount importance if we were going to try and avoid conflict. It seemed like kind of a waste, though. It felt like hours had passed since we’d arrived, but time moved differently in this place, so there was no way of really knowing for certain.
Every time I peered out an alley into the street, it seemed like we’d barely made any progress. But even still, Cain continued moving on. I had to assume he knew where he was going—he certainly seemed like he did. Every now and then he would stop, look up for a moment, and then continue on. Like a bloodhound stopping to confirm the scent. But not once did he ever say we were headed in the wrong direction.
I moved away from Tessa’s side and came up behind Cain doing one of those stops. “You do know where you’re going, right?”
The immortal gave me a get outta here look. “You wanted me to come along and track this bastard for you; that’s what I’m doin’,” he said.
“Okay, can you give us a little more direction? I don’t like runnin’ around without knowing where I’m headed.”
“We’re headed in the right direction, and that’s all you need to know.” Cain turned and continued through the alley. I stayed in place as Tessa returned to my side. She looked at me and then ahead at Cain.
“Everything cool?”
“I dunno,” I said. “This place is screwing with my senses and I hate being lost.”
“Yeah, but that’s why we’ve got him.”
“True, but I don’t fully trust him.” I glanced behind us at Asmodeus, who moved as if he were on a leisurely Sunday afternoon stroll. “And him I trust even less. Never thought I’d say this, but I wish Raz were here.”
“You trust him?” asked Tessa.
I shook my head. “No, not particularly. But more than these two. Why?”
Tessa shrugged. “Just something about him. I don’t like that we still haven’t heard any news about Dakota.”
“Yeah, that’s bugging me, too,” I said. “We just gotta hope Cain can live up to his end of the bargain. If not, then we’re all in pretty deep shit.”
“Hey!” Cain called back. “Come check this out.”
“Duty calls,” I said with a groan, and quickened my pace to reach Cain.
He knelt down, staring at the place where the wall met the ground. Cain reached his hand out, running his fingers along the surface. I approached and looked at where his hand was. There was some kind of white, stringy substance there.
“What’s that?
” I asked. “Cobwebs?”
Cain stood, brushing his fingers on the wall. He pulled his coat back and reached for his revolver, loosing it from the confines of the holster. His eyes stayed up for a few moments as he raised the gun. “Yup.”
“Don’t tell me you’re an arachnophobe.”
“When it comes to the spiders down here, you’re damn right I am.”
“What’s so bad about the spiders down here?” asked Tessa as she came closer.
“Anansi.”
“The African trickster god?” she asked.
“That’s where it started, but I’m not talkin’ about him,” said Cain. “I’m talkin’ about the anansi.”
“What’s the difference?” I asked.
Cain looked past me to Asmodeus. “You didn’t tell them about the anansi?”
I turned and faced Asmodeus. “Somethin’ else you’re not telling us?”
“I don’t see how the anansi are relevant,” said Asmodeus.
“Why don’t you let me be the judge of that?” I said.
“The anansi were created by Kwaku Ananse; he was the trickster Tessa spoke of. Ages ago, they were sent to gather storytellers and bring them back to their master,” said Asmodeus. “They weren’t always very gentle about it.”
“How come I’ve never heard of these anansi?” I asked.
“Because they were wiped out by the angels when the world was still young. Kwaku Ananse was humiliated by the defeat, and so he removed all tales of them from the face of the planet,” said Asmodeus. “Like I said, irrelevant.”
We heard a scurrying from above. I looked up, reaching for my revolver, and saw a black shadow zip across the alley from one rooftop to another. “You sure about that?”
“Can’t believe you didn’t know about them…” muttered Cain.
“Know what?” asked Asmodeus.
“The anansi weren’t wiped out from existence, they were exiled,” said Cain.
“To Purgatory,” I said.
Devil's Descent (Luther Cross Book 2) Page 10