The sigil began to glow bright blue. A brilliant light shot up into the sky, parting the clouds and vanishing just as quick. It was a few moments later when a light appeared above the sigil, growing larger until the definition of white, feathered wings could be seen within. They solidified and the wings unfurled, revealing Raziel standing on the sigil. The wings turned back to light and retreated into his back.
“I see you survived,” said Raziel with a smile. “I’m pleased.”
“You sound surprised,” I said.
“An incident occurred that gave rise to doubt. We’ll speak of it later.” Raziel’s smile faded when he saw Luxton. “Even better, you were successful.”
“Joseph Luxton, say hello to Raziel.”
Raziel approached Luxton, staring at him with glowing blue eyes. “I am known as the keeper of secrets, but I understand you have a secret of your own.”
“I-I know nothing…”
“I highly doubt that.” Raziel touched two fingers to Luxton’s forehead and Luxton’s eyes went completely blank. He moved away from Cain, slowly walking over to Raziel’s side, completely obedient. “Then I suppose our business is complete.”
“No, it’s not,” said Tessa, stepping towards Raziel. “In case you hadn’t noticed, we’re one man short.”
The angel looked at her, clearly taken aback by her confrontation. You could even say he was offended by it. From me, he expected that kind of behavior. Not so much from a human. But then, he looked around at the rest of us and seemed like he realized Tessa’s point.
“Asmodeus?”
“We were separated in Purgatory,” said Tessa. “Asmodeus went off on his own while Cain and I tried to find Luther. No one’s seen him since.”
“And thanks for the warning about Thanatos, by the way,” I said. “That was helpful.”
“Thanatos…?” asked Raziel.
“Yeah, the ruler of Purgatory,” said Tessa. “The one you didn’t say a word about.”
“Purgatory has a master?”
“You didn’t know?” I asked.
Raziel shook his head. “I have no idea of what you speak. Purgatory is lawless.”
“That part may be true, but it ain’t without a top dog,” said Cain. “Guess the Divine Choir isn’t big on sharing, are they?”
Raziel grunted. “Nevertheless, Asmodeus’ actions are his own. If he chose to go off on his own, the responsibility lies with him. We must press forward.”
“There’s also the matter of my payment,” said Cain, stepping towards Raziel. “Y’know, about letting me finally die.”
Shit. I took a few steps back, reaching for my gun. I knew this wasn’t going to end well. I watched as Raziel studied Cain from head to toe. The angel had a sorrowful look on his face, and with a sigh, he finally told Cain what I’d been dreading this whole time.
“I apologize for the deception,” said Raziel, “but you were marked and cursed to walk the earth by forces far more powerful than I.”
Cain narrowed his eyes, scowling. “What’re you tryin’ to say, halo?”
“The only way your existence can be ended is by the Divine Choir. But I will not appear before them on your behalf, not when it could jeopardize everything we’ve worked for to uncover this conspiracy,” said Raziel. “And even if I were to speak to them, I doubt they would be swayed.”
“You lied to me?”
“I am truly sorry.”
“No…you’re not the one behind this. You just played along.” Cain studied Raziel’s face, and then he turned his angry gaze on me. He raised an accusatory finger, pointing it right at me. “You. Back at my cabin, you said you just had to convince Raziel. What did the two of you really talk about that day?”
I sighed, keeping the gun low and my body turned so it was just out of sight. “He told me it couldn’t be done. But we didn’t have much of a choice at the time.”
“You sonnuva bitch!”
Cain charged at me. I raised the gun and opened fire. The bullet slammed into his chest and he staggered, but still kept coming. I pulled the trigger again, but there had only been one bullet left. Cain tackled me to the ground and we both rolled in the sand.
I tried to keep him off me, but Cain had me pinned on my back, his hands wrapping around my throat. The demon was howling in response, screaming at me to let him out so he could get rid of Cain for me. I wasn’t going to do that; I had to keep him locked away. Even if it meant dying by Cain’s hand.
My strength waned and breathing became a chore. The sounds of Tessa screaming at Cain to get off me and Raziel pleading with him started to fade into the background. Struggling became harder, and I felt my grip on consciousness beginning to slip away…
I could suddenly get air back into my lungs. Cain hit the ground beside me. I looked up, blinking my eyes to try and get them back into focus. Tessa’s hands were aimed at Cain, electricity flowing between her fingers.
“I’m sorry, Cain,” she said. “But I can’t let you kill him.”
“He lied to me!” shouted Cain, getting back to his feet. “Used me for his own purposes!”
Tessa’s eyes returned to me, and her disappointment was impossible to miss. “I’m not excusing him,” she said. “But he’s important to this fight.”
“I must agree with Tessa,” said Raziel. “Cain, you have to understand, Luther just did what he felt was necessary.”
I still struggled to speak, coughing a bit between my words. “There was…no other way to get—to get you to go into Purgatory.”
“This ain’t over, kid,” said Cain, glaring at me. “You fucked with the wrong immortal. I’ve been around for centuries, I’ve seen tortures you couldn’t conceive of in your worst nightmares. And I’m gonna inflict every last one of ’em on you!”
“Not this day.” Raziel held out his hand and his eyes glowed. Cain cried in anger, but could do nothing as Raziel transported him away. Once he was gone from the beach, Raziel offered me a hand. I accepted it and he pulled me to my feet.
“Where’d you send him?” I asked.
“Antarctica,” said Raziel. “But he’ll find his way back. Eventually. And when he does—”
“I’ll have to deal with him then.” I sighed, then looked at Tessa. She still had that disapproving stare on her face. I stepped towards her, but she pulled away. “Tess…”
“You’ve always had the veneer of a bastard, Cross. But inside, there was still a good man. It’s why I’ve always helped when you asked,” she said. “Now, though…what you did to Cain…what happened in Purgatory… I don’t know if I can be around you anymore.”
“You don’t get it,” I said. “There wasn’t any other choice.”
“There was; you just made the wrong one.” Tessa turned her back on me and walked away from the beach.
I watched her go. Part of me wanted to catch up to her and try to explain why I’d used Cain, tell her what I’d had to do so the demon could get us away from Thanatos. But any explanation wouldn’t do much good. Maybe Tessa was right; maybe I had made the wrong choice.
“What did she mean about Purgatory?” asked Raziel. “What happened?”
“It’s not important.” I turned back to Raziel and pointed at Luxton. “What is important is finding out who this asshole’s been working for.”
“I will examine that,” said Raziel. “Once I have more information, I shall reach out to you.”
“And what about Asmodeus?” I asked. “You really think he’s done for?”
Raziel chuckled. “I highly doubt it. Asmodeus is a slippery one. If anyone can escape Purgatory, it’s him.”
“How long will it take to get the angel’s name?”
“Not long. Until I’ve completed the ritual and learned the angel’s name, perhaps you should visit Celeste.”
“Never would’ve expected those words coming out of your mouth,” I said. “Don’t suppose you have a cigarette on you?”
“Goodnight, Luther. And thank you for everything you’ve done
.” Raziel’s wings emerged from his back, and they wrapped around him and Luxton. In a flash of light, the two of them were gone, and I was alone on the beach.
“Could’ve at least given me a lift back home…” I muttered, taking out my phone to call an Uber.
Epilogue
It felt good to have a cigarette between my lips again. I leaned back into my couch, drawing on the end of the filter and then slowly letting the smoke flow past my lips. Footsteps approached, and I looked up to see Celeste walking towards me, a tumbler filled with scotch and ice in each hand. She sat on the couch beside me, pushing herself up against my body, and handed me one of the glasses.
I set the cigarette in the ashtray and accepted the drink. We clinked our glasses together and each began sipping. The Scotch was even better than the cigarette—hadn’t had one of those since before heading into Purgatory.
After arriving home, I’d called Celeste and she’d come by. She’d told me all about her adventure with Raziel against Odysseus Black, and about Black’s escape. In turn, I told her all about Purgatory, though I left out the part about the demon.
“Things are getting serious now,” said Celeste. “This may be too much even for you, baby.”
“Don’t gotta tell me twice,” I said. “Asmodeus is trapped in Purgatory, Black’s got a way to enslave angels, Tessa wants nothing to do with me, and Cain wants my head on a pike. The only saving grace is at least Raz can now find out who’s behind all this.”
“And when he does? What then?”
I shrugged. “Damned if I know. Guess he takes this evidence to the Divine Choir, brings them in on it, and they punish the bastard responsible.”
“You’re sure that’s all there is to it?”
I took another sip and shook my head. “Not at all. Dakota’s still hidden away somewhere, and she still has that nephilim growing inside her. And with Thanatos and Black working with the angel, that’s gonna complicate things even more. At first, I thought it was just some rogue angel. But after what you told me, seems we’re lookin’ at a full-on conspiracy.”
“Out of the frying pan…” muttered Celeste.
“Right.” I set the drink down on the coffee table and rose from the couch, which Celeste protested. “Be right back, just gotta take a whiz.”
I walked away from the couch and towards the bathroom, Celeste’s voice following me. “Do you think there’s any way to rescue Asmodeus from Purgatory?”
“I got no idea,” I shouted back as I went into the bathroom and did my business. “Even if Cain didn’t want to torture the shit out of me, Purgatory’s no doubt on red alert right now. My guess is Asmodeus is on his own.”
“I suppose so. Wish there was something we could do. He did save your life from Azrael, after all.”
“I know, but if our positions were reversed, doubt he’d charge into Purgatory to rescue my ass.” I flushed the toilet and went to the sink to wash my hands. I splashed some water on my face and took the towel from the brass loop on the wall. Once I patted my face dry, I looked into the mirror.
Flashes came to me. In the mirror, I didn’t see my reflection. Well, I did…but it wasn’t me. It was the demon inside, as he’d appeared to me in the dreamscape. He stood in the mirror and was surrounded on all sides by flames. His crimson eyes burned bright, his sharp fangs perfectly on display as he smiled broadly at me.
I cringed as I felt something twist and squirm inside me. I could hear his voice echoing in my head. I tried to push it down, keep him from coming to the surface. I punched the mirror, and the glass cracked beneath my fist. When I pulled my hand away, I looked at the cuts the broken glass had left on my hand. But the demon, he just laughed.
You opened the door, Luther.
“Babe?” Celeste knocked on the door, then opened it. She found me on my knees and looked at me with concern. “What happened? Are you okay?”
“It’s nothing,” I said as I rose to my feet. “Just a muscle spasm.”
“You sure you’re feeling okay…?”
“Haven’t been myself for a long time, but that’s over now.” I smiled as I walked up to her, leaning in close and planting a kiss on her forehead. “Trust me, sweetheart. I’ve never felt better in my life.”
Raziel stood on his private platform above Eden, looking out over his club and further, to the rest of the city of Chicago. A few days had passed since Luther and the others had returned from Purgatory with Luxton in tow. In that time, Raziel had been able to probe Luxton’s soul, and now, he awaited his confederates to bring them up to speed on what he’d learned.
“Sir?” came Garret’s voice. Raziel turned to face his personal bartender. “Your guests have arrived; they’ll be up in a moment.”
“Thank you, Garret,” said Raziel. “Please take the rest of the night off. I need to speak with them alone.”
“Yes, sir, thank you.” Garret gave a bow and excused himself. He disappeared down the stairwell. Once he was gone, Raziel walked to the bar and poured himself a glass of brandy. He’d just started sipping when he heard footsteps.
Zadkiel appeared first up the stairs, with Pyriel following close behind. Raziel set his drink on the bar and approached his brothers to greet them. “Brothers, thank you for coming.”
“Raziel. I hope this is important,” said Zadkiel. “You know how I feel about leaving Heaven.”
“Yes, I do. Drink?” asked Raziel. Both refused. Raziel gestured to the table and the angels walked over, each taking a seat at either side while Raziel sat at the head.
“I assume this is about Luxton?” asked Pyriel.
“Yes, there is both good and bad news on that front,” said Raziel. “The good news is Luther Cross and his allies managed to bring Luxton back from Purgatory. The bad news is Asmodeus was lost in the process and remains trapped there.”
“Sounds like good news all around to me,” said Zadkiel with a chuckle.
“I wouldn’t be so certain, brother,” said Raziel. “It turns out the whispers are true—Purgatory has a master, one who no doubt must have been in league with the traitorous angel. I, too, recently came across a sorcerer in league with the Judas. A rather repugnant man called Odysseus Black.”
“I’ve heard of Black,” said Pyriel. “He’s a liar and a conman—even makes Cross look like a saint.”
“That may be true, but he knew things impossible for anyone else to know,” said Raziel. “And he was in possession of a grimoire penned by none other than Metatron himself. One which made me his slave. The traitor is trying to cover his tracks. But, unfortunately for him, I’ve managed to learn his identity.”
“If Black used the words of the Scribe to make you his slave, how are you sitting here before us?” asked Zadkiel.
“I had assistance.”
“What kind of assistance?”
“Celeste King.”
“Cross’ whore,” said Pyriel with a scoff. “A vampire, no less.”
Zadkiel grunted. “A cambion, an archdemon, and now a vampire? You are associating with the worst of creation, brother. Take care; you are dangerously close to a fall yourself.”
“Everything I’ve done, I’ve done in the service of our mission. I’m not the one your anger should be focused on, brother. Instead, it needs to be directed towards another.” Raziel turned his gaze to Pyriel.
The angel blinked a few times and looked between his two brothers. “What is it?” he asked. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
Raziel shook his head. “Of all our brothers, I held none in higher esteem than you, Pyriel. It’s why I brought you into this circle to begin with. I trusted you, I thought we both believed in the mission. So imagine my horror when I discovered your name branded on the soul of Joseph Luxton.”
Pyriel sighed and shook his head. “You have it backwards, Raziel. I do believe in the mission. Which is why I’m trying to purify the earth. You, on the other hand, are content with allowing the rot to grow.”
Raziel rose from his chair and exte
nded his hand. Soulfire flowed down his arm, taking the shape of a flaming sword. He raised the blade, pointing it at Pyriel’s head.
But his brother didn’t even seem fazed by the gesture. Instead, he took Raziel’s glass in hand and sipped the brandy. “Put the sword away, Raziel. You aren’t scaring anyone.”
“I won’t allow you to bring about a war that will eradicate humanity.”
“Then you’re a fool,” said Pyriel. “Humanity doesn’t deserve to survive. They’ve been given a multitude of opportunities to turn this gift into a paradise. Every time, they only destroy it. But we won’t rely on a few plagues or a flood to cleanse the earth now.”
“So, what? Extinction?”
“Worked for the dinosaurs.”
“Not on my watch,” said Raziel. “Not while I—argh!”
Raziel felt a sudden pain stab through his back and out his chest. He looked down, shocked to see a flaming soulfire blade sticking through his torso. When he turned his head over his shoulder, he could see Zadkiel standing behind him. His brother pulled the flaming sword out of Raziel’s body and the angel fell to the ground.
“My apologies, Raziel,” said Zadkiel, standing over his brother. Pyriel rose from his chair and stood beside him.
“You chose your confidants poorly, brother,” said Pyriel. “I was actually prepared to let you in on the truth, until you invited that demon. And when you proved you were more willing to side with disgusting half-breeds against your own kind in order to preserve this corruption, well…that’s when Zadkiel and I knew you weren’t worthy enough to be part of this revolution.”
“B-Both of you…” muttered Raziel, finding it difficult to speak. Not only from his wound, but also from the shock of Zadkiel’s betrayal.
“But don’t worry,” said Pyriel, kneeling down beside Raziel. “You won’t die. Not yet. I firmly believe that you aren’t beyond redemption. And we will see to it that you join us in the light, brother.”
Thank You!
Thank you for taking the time to read Devil’s Due, the first in what will hopefully be a long series of urban fantasy novels starring Luther Cross.
Devil's Descent (Luther Cross Book 2) Page 22