Sacrifice (Revelations Book 1)

by Mia Bishop

Nico shrugged as Jack took his hand away. "Don't touch me again."

  "Don't give me reason to."

  They stood staring each other down until both broke out laughing. "Fair enough," Nico said.

  Jack turned a corner and came to a stop mid stride. The Southern group was already engaged with the enemy. Nico came up short behind him and glanced from side to side. "They're surrounded."

  Jack pointed to the side where another group of demons were converging on the group already under siege. Both men took off in that direction to quell some of the damage. Nico pulled out a dagger from his belt, grabbing the first demon he could get his hands on and thrust the blade up under the creature’s chin as blood washed over his hand. He tried to yank the blade out but it slipped from his blood-coated hand. The demon thrashed and fell to the ground. Nico wiped his hand on his pants and stood over the creature using both hands to free his weapon.

  Jack rushed headlong into the fray. Grabbing a brimstone demon by the forehead and reciting something in Enochian, a language Nico had only heard on a handful of occasions. The demon threw his head back screaming, blood squirted from its eye sockets and its whole body convulsed for a few seconds before it dropped to the ground. Nico yelled. "What the hell was that?"

  Jack shrugged and grabbed another demon, killing it in the same manner. "You have your weapons and I have mine, old friend."

  Nico grunted as another demon hit him from behind. He'd have to marvel at Jack's smiting powers later, his attention needed to be at the demon currently trying to make ribbons out of the flesh on his back. Nico spun around and buried his dagger into the demon's temple. A loud pop and a quickly ended scream was all Nico heard before the creature fell. Jack had taken to wielding two long blades he'd picked up off the ground and was standing back to back with Nico. No matter how many demons they took down the waves kept coming.

  "Where do they keep coming from?" Nico swung his arm out and caught one of the demons in the chest but not enough to take it out.

  Jack groaned as he swung both swords and sliced off the head of an oncoming creature. "Rosa must be trying to win it all in one night."

  "Does the bitch not know what the hell patience is?"

  "I don't think patience is one of her virtues."

  Nico laughed. He had to laugh at something. Nothing beat small talk and bad jokes when facing a horde of demon raiders. Another one lunged at Nico. His footing faltered and he started to go down. Jack spun around forgetting about the demons coming for him and swung his blades to try to fend off the creatures ready to take advantage of Nico's slip. Nico cursed under his breath and silently said a prayer for a little help from above.

  The sky opened up with rain and lightning. A crack of thunder shook the ground in violent waves and one by one the demons surrounding them were thrown back, hissing and squealing in pain. "What the fuck?" Nico’s head whipped around as Jack started to help him to his feet.

  "You're welcome." Lucas replied as he pushed himself from the wall he was leaning against.

  Both men stared at the Virtue completely astonished. Nico was the first to speak. "You did that?"

  "Yep." Lucas gave them both a dull stare. "Next time, don't let them crowd you."

  Jack glared. "Thanks for the advice, we'll be sure to do that next time."

  Lucas took a step closer. "I could have let them just kill you and be done with it."

  Jack sneered back. "Ah, but your Virtue charms wouldn't have let you."

  "My Virtue charms don't rule me. I do have free will. And I can make selfish decisions. The difference is I'm not like you. I can see the big picture and I know we all need to work together."

  Jack dusted off his pant and wiped his bloody blades on a nearby corpse. "Well, aren't you just better than everyone else."

  "I'm not better than everyone else, just better than you."

  Jack lunged for Lucas but Nico pulled him back. "Whatever’s going on between you two, knock it the fuck off. Thank you, Lucas, for saving our asses back there."

  Nico rebuked Jack with a glare. He bowed to the Virtue and Jack gave a curt nod. "Yeah, thanks."

  Nico clasped Jack and Lucas on the shoulder. "You two have to learn to work together."

  Lucas groaned. "I just saved his ass. I think that shows I'm willing to overlook all the other shit."

  "Yeah, I know, kid."

  "I'm older than you, Nico."

  "I know that too, but you still look like a pup and I do believe Jack's got some years on you, so you're just going to have to suck it up." Nico pointed at both of them. "Now, until this is all over can you both put your dicks away long enough to fix what is starting to look like the end of the world?"

  Both of them exchanged wary glances, neither saying anything for several seconds. Lucas finally stepped passed them. "Fine. Besides, there’s no competing for her. I'm the one she's marrying, he's the one she can't stand. I win."

  Jack's entire body went stiff as he shot his hand out, Nico pushed him back and waved his finger in his face. "Let him go. Now isn't the time. Do you want her to be yours, or do you want her to be happy and safe? Is this all about your happiness or hers?"

  It took several minutes of deep breaths before Jack could answer and finally he whispered. "The latter."

  "Good then we’ll work together. All of us. He's gone now and we need to head back."

  They were almost to the church when Jack finally spoke up. "What did he mean he's the one she's marrying? He wasn't serious, was he?"

  "You know exactly what he meant. They’re engaged. If you want more answers than that you'll have to talk to Chloe."

  Jack shook his head. "Is she happy?"

  "Yes."

  His shoulders sagged. "If she's happy, truly happy, then I will leave her alone. I'm not a home wrecker, but I am her soul mate. I know deep down she will never be completely happy."

  "Soul mate? Are you kidding me? She can't stand you."

  Jack pulled the church door open and walked inside. "It's the truth, but I will stop trying to reach out to her. You have my word I won't interfere."

  "Good. Now what’s our next move?"

  "Back to business." Jack headed to the podium to study the map and pointed to the graveyard. "I still say they’re going to raise the dead."

  Nico groaned. "In that case we are going to need an army waiting for when they do."

  "Agreed, but it will need to be kept on the down low. The one problem I have working with all these different factions is it makes it easier for them to sneak in a spy. I think we should only trust those we know are trustworthy."

  "Who does that leave us with?"

  Jack darted his eyes from side to side before leaning and lowing his voice. “Odd as this might sound, I think it leaves us with Abby, Chloe, Lobo, Meri, Arveda, and Lucas.”

  Nico rubbed his chin. "Seriously?"

  "Seriously." Jack tapped his finger on the map over the Striga house. "Neither of us like Arveda, but we both know she'd never betray her daughters." He paused in his tapping. “Let me rephrase that, I know for a fact she betrays or, more accurately, she deceives her daughters. But she would never put them in mortal danger. As twisted as it sounds, I do think she does what she does to protect them.”

  "True." Nico hated to admit it but as long as something was a threat to the Striga, Arveda would be loyal to the cause. "And the last one? That's an odd pick for you."

  "Under normal circumstances I wouldn’t admit it, but he’s a good man. He's honest, loyal and he respects you."

  "Okay, these are our Generals, so to speak."

  "I hate to put it like that, but yeah. That sums up our inner circle. Unless some Dark-Souls show up to help. I have a couple of them I'd trust with my life."

  Nico drummed his fingers against the hard wood of the podium. "I hope it doesn’t come to the point where we need the Order or their little band of psychopaths. Truth is, I don't think they’re ready to step into this fight just yet. They seem to like to wait until the shit’s already h
it the fan before stepping in."

  Jack folded up the paper and handed it to Nico. "That’s true, but sooner or later they're going to have to step in. This fight will come to their doorsteps too."

  "You think I'm going to open the Gates, don't you?"

  Jack shook his head. "I don't think you'd do it on purpose, but I think we'd be foolish to not have a backup plan. And they won't stop with Abby, if they can't get you to kill her they’ll find another way to open the Gate."

  "I thought she was the only key."

  Jack ran his hands through his hair. "There's always another way."

  Nico headed for the door. "Lovely."

  "Where are you going?"

  "I've got a key to guard.” He pointed to the other side of the church where Abby stood near the healers. “I'd rather help her for these last couple of hours than sit around thinking about what might go wrong." He motioned toward the door. “If she’s uninjured I’m heading out with her.”

  "Be safe."

  Nico crossed the room and called back. "Always."

  The wounded were laid out in the pews with healers hovering over them. The battle had been overwhelming, for their first encounter it seemed the demons were far more prepared than their rag-tag group of fighters. Abby crossed her arms as she paced the entryway. Too many deaths had occurred tonight, they'd lost nameless faces who'd sworn their life to this fight, because of her. Not because of anything she did but by her entire existence. She gave a shudder as she thought about the hordes of undead who had swarmed them.

  "Abby."

  Nico's voice pulled her back to reality. "Yes?"

  "You doing okay?"

  "Yeah, not a scratch on me." She glanced down at her bleeding leg and smiled. "Well, not a lethal scratch on me."

  He reached out and caressed her cheek. "I want the healers to take a look at you."

  She shook her head. "They said they can't heal me because I'm unnatural." He started to protest but she cut him off. "I'm going to be fine, it's already healing. I can feel it."

  "Then we’ll get you home soon and let you rest."

  She smiled. "Home sounds good."

  Nico leaned over and placed a kiss against the top of her head. "I know. Let's just finish up and head out."

  She let him tuck her under his arm as he made his way through the church to see who needed help. Chloe sat in the front row and held a lump of gauze to the bleeding chest of a female Personification. "Justice, you have to fight. I know it hurts but you'll be okay."

  The woman paled and coughed up blood. "Don't lie to me, Chloe, you know as well as I do this is bad."

  "It's not that bad. You still have your heart, you’ll heal from this."

  Another round of coughing hit the woman as she steadfastly pointed to her chest. "No, something's wrong. They did something to me. I'm—" Her coughing increased to the point Abby was certain the woman would pass out from lack of air.

  When her coughing settled Abby breathed a sigh of relief until a faint ticking noise caught her ear. "What is that noise?"

  Chloe looked up, confused. "What noise?"

  Justice thrashed on the pew, tearing at the gaping wound in her chest.

  Abby didn’t understand what was happening, but Nico dove for her and Chloe, knocking them both away from the Personification.

  The building shook from the explosion. Debris pelted against them and Abby’s nose burned from the smell of chemicals. The flash of light caused her vision to go black, she blinked trying to bring her eyes back into focus. Her stomach heaved. Bits and chunks of God only knew what rained down on them. Dust filled the air. Part of the roof collapsed letting in streams of moonlight. Even with Vampire eyes Abby could barely see through the fog, but what she did notice was lack of coughing coming from Justice. The only sound was the ringing in her ears. Abby watched others in the church scramble and stagger around the room looking for help.

  As the ringing subsided Chloe cried out for Justice as she scrambled to where the Personification's body had been. The church was in complete chaos. Abby hunkered down next to Chloe, wrapping her arms around her.

  Chloe sobbed. "Maybe Lucas can help her. Have you seen him? Where is he?"

  Abby shook her head, still reeling from the explosion and loss of life inside their sanctuary. "Not since we got back.”

  Healers were shooing them out of the pews and working quickly to help the wounded. Others started cleaning up the debris. Everyone here knew the stakes of war and all of them were on autopilot.

  Hours passed as people filtered in and out of the church, cleaning up the debris, reconstructing a makeshift patch to cover the hole in the roof. Nico held out a hand to help Abby to her feet and directed her away from the bulk of the crowd, “Lucas would want to be here to help.”

  Leaning up on her tippy toes she kept her voice low so Chloe wouldn’t worry. “I overheard Lobo say Hannah was having some sort of private meeting with a select group of Virtues to discuss strategy.”

  Nico growled. "I don’t like that one bit. We’re supposed to be working together, not holding private meetings.” His eyes roamed the room taking in the mess left behind from the explosion. “We need to stay united."

  Abby’s heart broke for the weeping Personifications behind her. They were all family, just like the Virtues, they all felt this loss. She glanced over at Nico. "You think Hannah’s trying to take control of this war?"

  "I think we’ll all be in trouble if she does."

  Abby tilted her head to the side. "Why?"

  "She's a fanatic. Fanatics are dangerous, they make reckless decisions." He pointed to where Justice had been laying. "Fanatics do things like that. They are dangerous and they're not always dressed like the bad guys we’re looking for."

  Abby shifted her gaze from Nico to Chloe and then back to Nico. "Well, whatever she does you know everyone else here will listen to you and Jack." A knot twisted in her stomach as Chloe flinched. She thought it was a reaction to his name but her senses picked up a stirring in the air. Abby turned in the direction Chloe was staring and whispered, "Speak of the devil."

  Jack strode through the church offering up his condolences to some of the people as he passed by. When he made his way to them his sad eyes darted from where Justice had been then back to Abby. "I'm the devil now, huh?"

  Chloe rolled her eyes but didn't say a word. Abby on the other hand spoke up. "Somewhat."

  He shoved his hands in his pocket and sighed. "I think we all got off on the wrong foot." His gaze settled on Chloe. "Chloe, I'm sorry if I scared you or upset you. It wasn't my intention." He waved his hand toward the front of the church. "But all of this is bigger than you and me. There are more important things at stake." He paused. "I only want you to be happy and," he took a deep breath, "Nico tells me you are engaged to Lucas. I want you to know I respect that. I won't bother you anymore. You have my word."

  Chloe snapped. "Then leave."

  "I can't. This fight is more important than us. I’ll offer you and all of the Striga my support. I want you to know that, despite our past, I am stepping aside. But I'm not leaving. Not when they threaten our world, plant a bomb inside one of my friends, and hurt the innocent. This stopped having anything to do with me winning you back the moment that bomb went off. Contrary to what we all like to think, we are not the center of the universe. So you’ll have to get used to seeing my face, just know I’m not here for you anymore. The stakes have been raised and it’s time to start dealing with it accordingly. Our past doesn’t matter now."

  She stood up and glared. "We don't have a past, stop saying that."

  Abby rubbed her friends arm. "Chloe, he's going to stop. He gave his word, maybe it's best to bury the hatchet."

  "In his forehead?"

  Given the carnage around them it seemed inappropriate to laugh, but under difference circumstances she would have high-fived her friend for the snarky comment. "No, I don't think cleaving his head in half is considered a friendly act."

  Chloe si
ghed and turned back to Jack. "Fine, thank you. I will accept your help but that is all."

  Jack nodded and let the subject die. He turned and headed towards the back room. Abby smiled at Chloe. "Nicely done."

  She leaned her head on Abby's shoulder. "I just wish he'd get out of my dreams."

  "You dream of him?"

  She sighed. "I always have, I hate it. There's just something about him, it's clawing at the back of my brain."

  "Is it something bad? The dreams I mean."

  "No, that's the problem, they’re always good dreams." Chloe frowned. "I love Lucas, I don't want some other man in my head."

  Abby's eyes widened. Maybe Jack had been telling the truth. Maybe they did have a past that Chloe couldn’t remember. Regardless, they had bigger problems to face. Leaning over she kissed Chloe on the cheek. "I know you love Lucas and he loves you. You two will have a happily ever after when all this is done."

  Nico cleared his throat. "I think we should get you home, the sun will be up soon."

  Abby shivered. She didn't want to get stuck at the church for the entire day and the longer they put off leaving the more likely that scenario became. "Chloe, I'm sorry. We have to go, but as soon as the sun sets I'll be back."

  She gave Chloe a quick hug and Nico started them toward the door when the church fell silent. Nico rubbed his forehead. "Now what?"

  Hannah and a small contingent of Virtues entered the room and took to the podium. "I have an announcement."

  Nico spun around and was already walking towards the front of the room before Abby could make heads or tails out of what was happening. "You swore your allegiance to us, Hannah. Are you going back on your word?"

  She cast a hateful glance at Nico. "No, Priest. I have simply decided to end this war before we see any more casualties." There was a hum of disapproval in the crowd but Hannah ignored it. "The Virtues have decided that we hold no faith in the so-called leaders of our cause. The failed apostle and an excommunicated priest should not lead us to our glorious victory." She sneered down at both Nico and Jack. "You both are unclean, unworthy, and will only lead us to death."

  Nico’s shoulders shook violently. "Hannah, you gave your word you would follow us."