Celestial Storm

by Emma L. Adams

  He tilted his head. “Devi, at no point since we met have I ever thought your lifestyle is remotely suited to involve small children.”

  “Believe me, I don’t see the danger factor ending anytime soon.”

  “Good. Wouldn’t want life to get boring.” He tucked a curl behind my ear and kissed me softly, slowly. I leaned into him, wrapping my arms around his back. My phone buzzed.

  “Dammit.” I pulled it out of my pocket. “Fiona. I’ll tell her… shit, I can’t do this now. I’ll give her the story in the morning.”

  “Leave it here.” Nikolas took my phone and tossed it onto the sofa along with my coat. “Just for tonight.”

  “I’m on board with that.” My hand slipped into his as we headed upstairs into the darkness. I couldn’t shut out the world forever, but I just wanted to forget. For one night.

  Nikolas pushed the door to his room open, and was kissing me again before we reached the bed. I tugged at his clothes and he obliged, shrugging out of his T-shirt so I could run my hands over his muscled shoulders and chest. His hands slid up my shirt, undoing the clasp of my bra, and I wriggled out of my trousers. His hand dropped to my waistband, skimming the top of my underwear, the other sliding down my leg.

  “Demon mark,” I murmured.

  He obliged, taking my right hand and caressing it. Shadowy power rubbed against me, and I gasped as his other hand moved in tandem between my legs. Pleasure fractured my mind, and I fell back onto the bed. “Get over here.”

  “If you insist.” He removed the rest of his clothes, his erection hanging loose. “I hope you have enough energy left to get through the night.”

  “Oh, I’m just getting started.” I reached for the bedside table and grabbed a condom, sliding it onto him.

  He slid inside me with a single thrust, moving slowly, then faster. His lips caressed my neck as we moved against one another. My nails dug into the bed as he pushed me to the edge of pleasure and over, and I came again, seconds after he did.

  “Did I mention you’re divine?” he murmured, his lips chasing a path over my breasts.

  “Several times.” I rolled to the side to give him room to lie down next to me. “We really need a bigger bed.”

  “I take it I’ve distracted you enough?” He planted a kiss on my neck.

  “Not by a long shot.” I wrapped my arms around him, holding him close to me. Holding on as tight as I dared.

  Chasing away Lythocrax’s whisper that this might be our last night alive.

  15

  Nikolas had it right: I did feel a little better about our chances of survival in the morning. Not that there was much improvement on ‘we’re doomed’, but hey, I could dream.

  When I retrieved my phone from where Nikolas had tossed it onto the sofa, I had a dozen missed calls and a huge backlog of messages, mostly from Fiona. Apparently, Rachel had decided to give her the bad news last night, and she’d passed on the message to Faye. Now, the entirety of DivinityWatch was packed with ‘evacuation tips’.

  “Uh, Fiona,” I said, when she picked up the phone. “Did you tell anyone apart from Faye about Lythocrax? Because he’s going to be pissed if he finds out everyone knows. Besides, evacuating the city won’t stop him.”

  “You can’t keep it quiet, Devi,” said Fiona. “This is bigger than Haven City.”

  “I know that. But there are still several million people living here, and I don’t want them to die because Lythocrax threw a hissy fit about his image showing up in a thousand memes on the internet.”

  “I’m pretty sure he can’t use the internet if he’s a disembodied spirit, Devi,” said Fiona. “You know, that’s why Faye created DivinityWatch to begin with. It’s a fool-proof way to spread information and completely avoid leaving a trail for the demons to follow. And the celestials—the ones in charge, anyway.”

  “Yes, I’m aware,” I said. “But he’s a disembodied soul just like the piece of Azurial who nearly destroyed you. You don’t want to know what he did to those celestial helpers of his. He’s killing them for sport.”

  “I know he’s a dick,” she said. “I think it’s worth making an evacuation plan, though, in case whatever you do to stop him has side effects.”

  “You’re way too calm about this,” I told her. “Also, you’re assuming I have an idea of how to stop him. I don’t.”

  “You’ve got out of worse situations before,” she answered. “Faye thinks you can do it.”

  “Faye has been listening to vampires proclaim that I’m a Divinity in human flesh for the last few months. To be honest, Fi, I don’t have any ideas.” Much as it pained me to admit it. “Aside from stealing some magic from the shadow demon, but I’m not sure even destroying that demonglass will finish him off for good.”

  “Bound to be worth a try, though.”

  Her faith in me was heartening, but I doubted Lythocrax would let the city be evacuated before he staged his comeback.

  “I’m on my way to your place. I’ll pick up Faye on the way,” Fiona said. “Believe me, you’ll think of something. Put your inventor’s mind to the task.”

  “My inventor’s mind can create interesting and painful ways to stop demons getting their paws on me, not keep a vengeful arch-demon from smiting everyone in the city into oblivion in the name of revenge. But thanks anyway.”

  I ended the call and turned to Rachel and Nikolas, who occupied the sofa. “Please tell me one of you has a plan?”

  “No, but I have people looking out for the other four demonglass sources,” said Nikolas. “I told them that someone illegally smuggled them into this realm for the purposes of making a portal. On the off-chance that a demon does break through, they’ll find warlocks waiting to challenge them on the other side.”

  “What if Lythocrax attacks them if they get too close?” I asked. “I mean, he is in the glass.”

  “He can’t get out of the glass,” said Nikolas, as calm and confident as ever. “He’s taunting you because he’s harmless in that form. He never intended to be humiliated and stripped out of his body.”

  “He still plans to revive from death in two—no, one and a half—days,” I reminded him. “And a few warlocks won’t be able to stop him, trust me. Look what he did to his own people.”

  His casual slaughter of the celestials shocked me not because of the unnecessary cruelty of it, but because it was a genuine waste of talent he’d recruited himself. Either he was confident he’d have a proper army soon, or he didn’t intend there to be enough of Earth or Haven City left for him to rule over. And despite the secrets I’d read from the depths of his mind, he remained ten steps ahead of me.

  “Weren’t you going to Purgatory today?” asked Rachel.

  “Earth is locked out,” I said. “I’m sure what’s left of him is hiding out there, though. Someone’s telling Harvey what to do.”

  Whatever form he existed in was undoubtedly weakened. His thoughts had been unhinged, desperate, and terrified. Maybe it was the effect of splitting his consciousness, but he’d felt somewhat less substantial than before. I’d shaken him up, forced him to split his soul just to continue existing. Didn’t mean he couldn’t give me grief, of course, but I had to remind myself that he wasn’t an all-powerful mastermind but a weakened shell of his former self.

  “You can’t get to Purgatory from Earth,” she said. “But what about other realms?”

  “The demon realms?” I looked at Nikolas. “I don’t know. Purgatory is at heaven’s gates, not hell’s. But maybe it’s worth trying.”

  “Which realm?” asked Nikolas. “I think… being a between-realm, it might be possible to link to Purgatory from the netherworld. But I wouldn’t count on it.”

  “Pandemonium has more than enough sources,” I said. “Not sure Zadok would appreciate us using his palace as a portal, but he wouldn’t appreciate Lythocrax using his palace to come back from the dead, either. Maybe I can make him see how serious the situation is.”

  “I wouldn’t count on it, Devi,” sa
id Nikolas. “If you tell Zadok what’s going on, anyone might find out.”

  I raised my left hand and burned a pentagram into the wall. “I think Lythocrax wants everyone to know, to be honest.”

  Zadok appeared in the pentagram almost immediately, as though he’d been expecting me to call him. “Devi,” he said, smiling. “Am I to understand I’ve become the person you consult when you’re in need of assistance?”

  “Actually, I wanted to ask you a question,” I said. “Is it possible to access Purgatory from the demon realms?”

  “Heaven’s gates?” he asked. “I’ve never tried it, but since it’s not actually in heaven, possibly. Why?”

  “I may need to use your demonglass.”

  He cocked a brow. “Oh?”

  Nikolas stepped in behind me. “Would it create a two-way connection between your realm and there?”

  Zadok tilted his head. “I suppose it would. Any reason, brother?”

  “Shit.” I glanced back at Nikolas. “There are some seriously nasty rebel angels on that world. Not to mention it’s the place with the exploding demonglass. I don’t think you want that in your palace.”

  Assuming it isn’t already there.

  He scowled. “No, I certainly do not. Is that the only reason you decided to disturb me?”

  “It’s not always about you, Zadok.” I killed the pentagram and sighed. “Anyone got a demon realm to nominate which can link with Purgatory without bringing in a swarm of rebel angels?”

  Nikolas’s mouth pulled. “Only one which wouldn’t end badly for the people who live there.”

  Oh, damn. “Babylon. Your father could smite all those angels in one go.”

  “I thought you weren’t going there,” said Rachel. “Since, you know, Casthus wants you dead.”

  “He doesn’t have to know he has visitors,” I said. “Right, Nikolas?”

  Nikolas didn’t look too pleased, but he nodded. “I can fly us away from the castle to set up the portal without being seen. I think it’s the only realm that can potentially link to Purgatory without giving Lythocrax another opening to get to Earth.”

  “Yeah, I thought so.”

  “I’m not exactly in favour of linking Babylon with Purgatory either, since it’s a bridge to Earth,” he said. “But Purgatory and Earth are already linked, regardless.”

  “Yeah. I bet he’d be thrilled if I opened the link to Pandemonium and gave him another way in,” I said. “I’d never forgive myself if I let him sneak onto Earth.”

  And I wouldn’t give him any more time. I gathered my weapons, hoping the shadow arch-demon wasn’t particularly observant today.

  “We’ll fly a long way from the castle,” said Nikolas. “Are you ready to go over there now?”

  “No time to waste,” I said. “Literally. I don’t know what I’ll find on Purgatory—hell, it’s risky going right into Harvey’s lair, but I feel like Lythocrax must be hiding out of sight. He wouldn’t want his followers to know he’s weak.”

  “And Clover’s there,” added Rachel. “What in hell is she doing, anyway?”

  “That’s what I’m planning to find out,” I said.

  “Rachel, wait in reserve for my signal.” Nikolas took my hand. “I’ve told the warlocks I’m away on nether realm business today. With luck, we won’t be long, but just in case, I’ll leave a portal open so you can get in after us.”

  “Sure,” said Rachel. “Don’t get thwacked into oblivion by a shadow demon.”

  “Wasn’t planning on it.” I squeezed Nikolas’s hand, and we crossed over into the shadow realm.

  Babylon really was beautiful, for a realm that had once been a dead end and now hosted the most powerful shadow arch-demon in all the realms. Its perpetual midnight sky glowed velvety blue, studded with stars, and the huge luminous moon hung behind the castle. I’d often wondered if whoever had built the place had positioned it to get that exact effect. Spires and towers were etched against the sky, though the separate tower that had once been Zadok’s home was noticeably absent since Casthus had torn it down.

  Nikolas didn’t stop to admire the view. Shadows flowed from his hands, reforming into wings at his back, and he lifted me into the air. My stomach dropped as the ground abruptly disappeared and the star-studded sky loomed ever-closer. I didn’t feel particularly secure dangling beneath Nikolas’s hands, but from the way he flew, he could easily be mistaken for a flying bat demon from a distance. We swooped over the landscape without pause, which appeared to be nothing more than barren Earth for miles around.

  The wind blew my hair back, and my heart leapt in my chest. I’d enjoyed flying as Lythocrax. It’d been the only pleasant part of the experience. Below, dark canyons and cliffs and crevices marked the desolate landscape, with little around except for wild demons. The war on Babylon had left scores of demons and celestials dead. The only survivors, if you could call them that, were the fallen. With them gone, the sole inhabitants of the castle were the few warlocks who’d survived Casthus’s purge—all that remained of Nikolas’s army. Not that he’d have much time to run an army now he was in charge of Haven City’s warlocks, but it was easy to forget that we were now trespassing in someone else’s territory. And if our plan went wrong, both of us might be the next to have our heads mounted on pikes along with the other warlock traitors.

  I swallowed a shout of surprise as we dropped without warning, landing inside a gulf below an overhanging cliff. Nikolas put me on my feet and blasted the surrounding area with his lightning attack. Several wild demons scuttled away.

  “This is miles out,” I said, my teeth chattering from the cold. “Better hope we don’t get stuck.”

  “I have every confidence in you.” Nikolas leaned close to me, his hand on my demon mark. His power hummed into me, chasing the cold away.

  “Don’t overdo it,” I said.

  “I can recharge my power here,” he said. “I doubt Purgatory will allow me to enter, much less leave.”

  “I thought not.” I stepped back, burning a pentagram into the ground. “Wish me luck.”

  “I’ll be waiting on the other side. And I believe you can do this.”

  Bolstered by his faith in me as much as the power he’d loaned me, I leaned in and hugged him. “I’ll be back before you know it.

  He brushed his lips over mine. “Don’t do anything too risky.”

  “It’s the apocalypse. Anything goes.”

  I stepped into the pentagram. “I, Devi Lawson, celestial soldier, request entry to Purgatory to speak to heaven’s angels.” Or whoever’s running the show over there.

  Half of me didn’t expect it to work, but white light bloomed from my left hand, mingling with the pentagram’s burning edges, and swallowed me up.

  The dark ground became lighter, though just as barren. A hard rock face loomed above me, not unlike Babylon, except the sky here was blood-red and streaked like flames. Not nearly as scenic. I stepped to the side, and as the light faded, it became clear that it wasn’t a cliff I faced, but a building with barred windows. A jail.

  “Devi.” Clover leaned out between the bars.

  “Divinities!” I jumped backwards, nearly tripping into the pentagram again. “What—they locked you up?”

  Part of me, small though it might be, had been clinging onto the faint hope that Clover had been devising a way to beat the rebel angels during her time here. Finding her a captive made my heart sink into the Earth. Not least because I had no idea where I was. I’d never seen any buildings on Purgatory when I’d been here before.

  “You shouldn’t be here, Devi,” said Clover. “You’re not strong enough to defeat him.”

  “Who, Harvey? I’m not here for him. I’m here to wipe out what’s left of Lythocrax.”

  Her expression went still. “Lythocrax isn’t here.”

  “He survived, and part of him is here. In the demonglass.” I looked down at the barren ground, then up at the sheer face of the prison. “Is there anyone else in there?”

&
nbsp; “In the jail? Yes, they have other prisoners here. I can’t get out. The place is made of—”

  “Demonglass.” The bars gleamed with it, set between the stone. “Oh, damn. I’m sorry.”

  I thought you had a plan. I’d honestly thought she’d come here with a strategy. Not to mention, if anyone had known Lythocrax had survived, I would have put her top of the list. But then again, he’d duped the best of us.

  “Lythocrax shouldn’t be alive,” she said. “But if he is—it explains why I’ve seen no signs of the Divine Agents.”

  “None at all?” I drew in a breath and told her what we’d found last night—and the impossible challenge now facing us.

  She watched me, her face impassive, as I talked.

  “I came here because part of him must be here, with Harvey,” I explained. “I need to destroy every piece of him, to stop him from reviving. It’d help to know how to destroy his demonglass, too.”

  Clover leaned forwards, her reflection rippling oddly in the glass bars. “I wish I knew where he might be, but Devi, if you go up against the angel as you are now, you’ll lose. If it was Lythocrax, it should have been impossible for him to revive Harvey as an angel.”

  I shook my head. “This is Lythocrax we’re talking about. He fell on purpose and brought his divine magic with him. Anyway, he’s going to be reborn right on top of Haven City tomorrow night unless I find a way to destroy five oversized demonglass sources, preferably without robbing Casthus in the process.”

  Her mouth pinched. “If you confront the shadow arch-demon, he’ll likely retaliate by attacking Earth.”

  “No shit,” I said. “Lythocrax’s strategy seems to be to force me to destroy the world. He booby-trapped my demonglass. And now he’s inside the stuff, and if I can’t destroy it, he’s going to turn the whole of Haven City into a pentagram. The celestials are planning an evacuation, but that won’t stop him. Please tell me you have a clue, because I’m all out.”

  She gave me a long look. “I’ll think about it, Devi, but—you shouldn’t be here.”