“It’s not real, right?” Matthias knew he was acting ridiculous; he’d fought his first Angelic when he was only sixteen and he’d survived. He’d killed his first collaborator at eighteen, his first “innocent” normal human at nineteen. This was something else, though; no matter that the face flopped and opened and closed with every bit of Erik’s movement, he still was imaging the look of torture and pain on whoever’s face it had been when this had happened.
“No, it’s real.” Erik prodded into the cut area and felt along it. “It’s just been changed. It doesn’t feel like flesh anymore, it’s stretchy and malleable but with a weird powdery dryness.”
Matthias finally moved forward to kneel by Erik’s side, but he made no move to touch the thing. Closer, he could see it was a human hollowed completely out; the gap flapped open obscenely. There was the off-white of bone. Matthias stood.
“Why?”
“The most obvious answer would be a disguise but also maybe . . . food.” Erik finally looked nauseated at his own theory.
“I want us both out of here now.” Matthias shivered as he thought of it but said it anyway. “Bring the meat suit. Maybe the Organization can figure out more about it.” He watched Erik gather the flopping thing in his hands, look around for a container, and finally shrug and tie it around his waist like some horrible sweatshirt designed by del Toro with help from Giger. Matthias looked away.
They scoured the rest of the broken room quickly, looking for anything else of value.
“I didn’t find anything. You?”
Erik shook his head.
“Good, let’s blow this place and get out of here.”
“Blow?”
“Yeah.” Matthias reached into his pocket and pulled out the bomb. It resembled a silver pen that had no cap or nib. He’d grabbed it from the car trunk as well; there were plenty of toys in there.
“Wait, we’re actually going to blow this house up? In a crowded neighborhood?”
“It’s not actually a physical explosion. I mean, it will blow out the windows but not much else. It’s an energy thing, it’ll rip the portal from their world to ours wider and wider until it’s no longer sustainable and collapses in on itself.”
“Okay.” Erik sounded uncertain but he would learn; the Angelics had technology beyond anything that Earth had seen since the Betrayal, and the tech the Organization scrounged from them allowed it to stay a few steps ahead of Earth. Grabbing both ends of the bomb, Matthias pulled until a small gap of black appeared as they slid apart. He turned the sides in opposite directions and then pumped them twice. The black in the middle flashed cerulean blue and the whole thing began to whine. “We have five minutes, so let’s get out of here quick.”
Erik turned to head for the stairs and Matthias followed him. Erik froze, one foot on the step below, and this time Matthias felt it too. Something was building in the room, something other than the bomb. Behind them the room exploded.
TAE
His bedroom was the only room in the house that was Tae’s alone. His parents tried and they were mostly great, but they weren’t perfect and sometimes the rest of the house felt like a constant reminder of how far from their expectations he’d ended up. School was better. The people there had only known him for a couple of years. There was no past for them to remember. No expectations to hold him to.
His mother was out working on a case. Even having the level of sight his mother did didn’t mean she could just look at the evidence and have the answer pop into her head. However, it did let her disregard dead ends and false leads more easily, and once she was on the right track, nothing could turn her from it. Tae’s dad was so below his mother’s level it was more a gut instinct than him seeing anything. It was really helpful in the kitchen of his restaurant, though.
Tae was far, far stronger than his mother. His problem was seeing too much.
Ophanim had eyes all over their bodies. It was less that Tae’s eyes could see better and more that when he wished it, his whole body was eyes, sometimes even when he didn’t wish it. How did one see with one’s knees? Try and interpret that for a human brain. It was hard and confusing and right now his heart hurt in his chest.
Something was wrong and he’d been lying in his bed for the last hour trying to figure out what his heart saw. He closed his eyes and pressed his hand to his chest, trying to open his senses.
His heart beat because he was in a dark room.
Two people lay on the floor at his . . . feet, no, he didn’t have feet.
Something is spreading through the room, something that can feel him.
Outside the window the moon is high in the sky, halfway done with her journey.
He rose from the bed quickly and grabbed the chest binder hanging on the back of his desk chair and struggled into it. Heading to his closet, he pulled on a pair of leather pants—rudimentary armor—and then a tank top and a T-shirt over that. Before he pulled his jacket out and on, he reached between all the coats to the back of the closet. He pushed between them to the safe and quickly typed out the combination.
Inside were three guns: a Glock 17 Gen 4, an M1911A, and the most illegal of the bunch, a sawed-off Remington. His mother had insisted, and so from the age of ten on Tae had trained with guns and other projectile weapons. The gun safe had been a gift from her to appease Tae’s father, who did not like the fact that both his wife and son kept guns in the house. Tae pulled the harness from the safe and strapped it around his chest. After loading the Glock he put it in the holster and closed the safe. The weight was comforting as he pulled on a thick leather jacket to conceal the odd bulge and left the house.
His dad was not back from closing the restaurant yet, so there was nothing to worry about as he entered the garage. Sure, he didn’t have Maestra Luka’s permission to be out but he wasn’t actually part of the Organization yet, so her orders only had as much power as he allowed them.
The small light blue jeep was technically Tae’s, though it was in his father’s name and he wasn’t supposed to drive it without talking to them first. He shrugged as he started the car; he didn’t want to worry his parents, though, so he plugged his phone into the jeep’s Bluetooth.
“Call mother.”
After only a couple rings his mother picked up.
“Tae, what’s wrong?”
“I don’t know but something is. I’m taking the car out to figure it out.”
There was silence on the other end of the line and he knew she was using her own sight. There was a frustrated sigh and then she spoke.
“Are you carrying?”
“Yes.”
“Be careful. Call Elliot, Daya, or myself if you need backup.”
“I will.”
“Okay.”
A small pause.
“I love you.”
“Love you too, Mom.”
She clicked off and he pulled the car out of the garage and into the driveway. He turned left at the end of it and immediately knew he’d made a mistake. The pounding in his chest grew weaker and moved toward his back. He pulled a tight U-turn as he said, “Call Elliot.”
He drove while the phone rang and rang. Finally a tired voice answer.
“Hello.”
“Elliot, it’s Tae. Something’s happening.”
The voice was suddenly more alert. “What is it?”
“I don’t know.” He let his frustration slip into his voice. “I’m trying to track it down now. It’s somewhere in the south half of the city.”
“Okay. I’m getting ready. Stay on the phone. Guide me to where you’re going. I’ll meet you there with Daya.”
Tae did so as he steered the car into the Mission district. He arrived at the house and it was like a fire in his chest. He rattled off the address as he stumbled out of the car.
“Okay, we’re only a few minutes away. Stay outside until we get there.”
Tae disconnected the call without answering and headed up the walk. He couldn’t wait a few minutes; a few minut
es could be too late. The front door opened under his touch and he pulled his gun as he entered. There was a flash of light from the top of the stairs and Tae hurried up. Near the top he was almost blown back down by a huge gust of wind. He dropped to his belly and yelled when his chest slammed into the edge of the stair.
“Damn it.” He breathed through the pain and began to crawl up the steps.
Peeking over the top step, he saw an Angelic appearing in the center of the room. At first all he could make out were teeth, a hundred teeth, all glowing pearl white and long and sharp and serrated, reaching for them. Then he saw the blue pulsing skin between the teeth. A groan drew his gaze to the floor, where Matthias and Erik lay moaning and pushing themselves to their feet.
He didn’t know where this fell in his orders, but if there was one thing Tae trusted it was his power. He didn’t know why, but Erik was important and he would not let him die.
The Angelic swelled bigger, teeth yawning open and releasing long ropes of dripping black tongues. The tongues fell to the ground and through the curtain of black he spied the silver of metal and a flashing blue light.
“Fuck.”
He crawled forward quickly and immediately began to feel nauseated. The ground swelled and moved around him, becoming the ceiling, becoming the wall. Tae swallowed the vomit that wanted to rise up and crawled forward. He reached them and began to pull on Erik’s arm.
“Come on, we need to get out of here.”
Erik lifted his head. The capillaries around his eyes and lips had burst, giving them a bruised look. His eyes whirled in his head and he was breathing too hard, as if he wasn’t getting enough air. He stared at Tae as if he did not recognize him and then shook his head to clear it before nodding slowly. They moved over to the corner where Matthias had been thrown, Erik moving slowly and delicately as if he hurt. They had to avoid several of the tongues that were spreading about the room, but none were actively seeking them so it was a fairly simple if disgusting game of hopscotch.
Matthias was already on his hands and knees but holding one leg up gingerly as if it couldn’t take his weight.
“Get on his other side.”
Tae obeyed and both he and Erik hooked their shoulders under Matthias’s arms and lifted him. As soon as they were touching him, some of the tension began to leak from his body.
“Let’s hurry.”
“Yeah, I saw the bomb,” Tae stated.
They were hobbling toward the landing, Erik wobbling dangerously but holding his own, when he gave a yell and fell to his knees. Matthias tilted and Tae staggered, trying to keep the man stable. He glanced back at Erik. One of the tongues had spiraled into a point at the end and was now stabbed through Erik’s side. He had bloody hands around the point, tearing at it, but barbs had extended and dug into his flesh around the wound.
“Motherfucker!”
Tae heaved Matthias toward the stairs. “Go.”
Then he pulled his weapon from the holster and struggled to move around the flailing Erik. The tongues were moving with more purpose now and that purpose was to get in his way. He darted around one and hopped over two that were trying to tangle his legs until he had a better line of sight.
He took careful aim. This was an Angelic like he’d never seen before and he didn’t know how susceptible to lead it would be. He had to make every shot count. He fired one.
And the tongue exploded into chunks.
Tae froze but jerked out of it as Erik stumbled into him, something large and white grasped in his hands. Another tongue came for them and it exploded in air as Tae caught it with another shot, even as he crumpled under Erik’s weight and it took them over the edge of the stairs and down.
ZEBUB
MIN
Min was worried. She liked Arel and Jagi; the other Antes terrified her, but they were more like ’dants and they had played with her and Davi all day. It was night, though, and Lil still wasn’t back. All three moons were full, up and shining. Mom and Pop were gone and she didn’t want to sleep. Even during her nap with Davi she’d felt too alone and woke up crying with Davi staring at her, never having fallen asleep at all. The dragon flying had occupied their attention for a bit after their nap. They’d headed to the roof of the Hive, where Min and Davi were distracted by the floor. The ground was a dance of light, a massive glowing shadow puppet show. Once Min heard the buzzing of the wings, her eyes snapped up and right to the pens. Two dragons flew in the air, kept chained to the roof by the leather harnesses around their thoraxes.
“They’re so pretty,” Davi had whispered.
Arel and Jagi had smiled down at them and whistled in unison, calling the two dragons down and removing their harnesses. One was a shimmering blue-green, while the other was a pretty pink. Their eyes were like faceted jewels and bigger than Min’s head.
“Stay right there.” With those words Arel and Jagi mounted the backs of the dragons and eight shimmering, see-through wings started to beat the air. Min and Davi stared as the two rose into the air so smoothly. Then all at once they had both been swooping down toward Min and Davi, and each of them was suddenly caged by the many legs of a dragon.
They had spent the rest of the day swooping about the Ruling Courts.
That had worked until it was time for bed.
She didn’t know how much Davi understood and wanted to talk to him about what had happened to their parents, but she was scared to bring it up. Also, Min didn’t want to think about it. They weren’t coming back.
She was tired, barely able to keep her eyes open, but she didn’t want to sleep without Lil. Arel and Jagi seemed to understand, and after they put Davi down to sleep she sat on Arel’s leg while Jagi told them a story. His tentacles were out and moving all around him, casting elaborate shadows on the walls that represented castles and villains and whole crowds of ’dants. It reminded her of the roof.
Min laughed and clapped as Martes, the hero of Court Murielle, earned their new name—the Court of Feedings—and conquered the spirit of the Destrei, even though it tainted the surrounding lands, turning them into the badlands south of Zebub.
A throat cleared behind them and Min stood and turned in Arel’s lap.
“Lil!” She launched herself from Arel’s lap, through the air. Lil ducked forward and caught her just before she hit the ground.
“Minnie, don’t do that.” Lil sounded tired but she lifted Min up to her face. “What if I didn’t catch you?”
Min reached up and patted Lil on the cheek and giggled.
“You wouldn’t drop me, Lil.”
Lil’s face did something weird, scrunching up in the middle, and then she blinked a whole lot and clutched Min tightly to her chest until she squirmed to get down. When Lil set her on the ground she slipped her hand into Lil’s and looked up at her sister.
“Can we go to bed now? I’m tired.”
“I’m sorry, sweetheart, but I have to go out again.”
Min’s eyes got hot and her face felt like it was melting. She tried to hold back the wail but it came anyway and tears streamed down her face. Lil picked her up and tried to soothe her.
“I’m so sorry, dear-heart, but I’ll lie with you until you fall asleep and then Arel and Jagi will watch you until I return. I promise you’ll wake with me next to you.”
Min kept crying, unable to stop the sobs right away, but she looked over Lil’s shoulder at the two Antes.
“But what if I need you?” Min gasped out the words. She knew she was acting like Davi, like a baby, but she couldn’t help it. She didn’t want to lose Lil too.
Arel came forward at her question and lay a hand on Lil’s shoulder that wasn’t currently playing pillow for Min.
“Not a problem, little one. There is a bloodline called Turms who are connected to one another at all times. We shall ask for one to station outside the door and there will certainly be some at the party, so should anything happen your sister will be told immediately.”
Min had finally stopped crying but she
felt shaky in her chest and her breath was way too quick. She turned to Lil.
“And you promise you’ll come right away if we call.”
“Yes, Min, I promise.”
“Okay. But you still have to stay until I fall asleep.”
“Of course.”
Min wriggled until Lil let her down on the ground again. She grabbed Lil’s hand and led her to the bedroom to curl up around Davi.
LIL
Lil was tired but Minnie must have been exhausted. She had not ever seen her sister break down like that. Her sister had always been the type more likely to sulk and pout than to cry. Minnie fell asleep almost as soon as she was lying down with Lil’s arm over her. Lil considered passing out, but she doubted the consequences of skipping a dinner invitation from the Ruling Courts would be pleasant. When she was sure neither of her siblings would wake, she rose from the bed and crossed back into the living area.
Arel and Jagi were waiting for her alongside a rack of clothing she’d never seen before.
“What’s this?”
“Clothing for dinner.”
Lil looked down at herself and closed her mouth on the question of why she had to change. Her white tunic was filthy, sweat-stained, and in disarray, and after a discreet sniff she could admit that she was also a bit ripe. However, the others had gone to dinner as they were and the clothing arrayed on the curved rack of bone was of a higher quality than Lil had ever seen with more elaborate fastenings than she’d ever used. Lil had never developed a taste for more expensive raiment; her loose pants and tunic uniform were more than enough for her.
Arel read the look of distaste on her face and continued.
“Even if they are not to your taste it is best to impress the Ruling Courts while you are here, especially if you are going to show up late. Everyone’s attention will be on you when you enter.”
Lil bit her lips and approached the rack of clothing. She was happy to see that only half of the things on the rack were skirts or dresses. There were robes with pants to go underneath and jumpsuits in a beautifully elaborate chained design that would still leave her legs relatively free to move.
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