Celestial Storm

by Emma L. Adams

  “Without him knowing,” I finished. “Yeah, no. If Nikolas disappears from under his nose, he’ll know I did it.”

  “Allow me to offer an alternative,” said Zadok. “You can use this to summon any arch-demon. Including, say, an arch-demon who’s hidden part of his essence in another source.”

  My gaze snapped to the metal sheet. “No way.”

  He smiled. “You’d be able to draw what’s left of Lythocrax directly into my father’s hands. I imagine it would result in him being swatted like an ant, if past experience serves, and if you’re correct in assuming this arch-demon is powerless the way he is now.”

  “I wouldn’t call being able to blow up Haven City on a whim ‘powerless’, Zadok. But would this work? For definite?”

  “I thought you had more confidence,” he said. “I assume you’re willing to give your life to the cause, which is likely to be the case when my father is finished with the arch-demon. But if all else fails, this Lythocrax creature won’t be reborn if he perishes in the pentagram.”

  I stared at him. “Would that really stop Lythocrax regenerating?”

  Zadok gave a sigh, as though he thought I was too dense for words. “Clearly, Lythocrax relies on his source to stay alive. If you destroy his essence when it’s imprisoned in a trap—without carrying any demonglass in your pockets for him to latch onto, I might add—then he’ll likely expire permanently. It’s up to you. Rescue my brother and leave our father to assume you were responsible—or give him a little distraction in the form of someone you’d like to expel from existence.”

  Was that possible? Lythocrax was weakened. And Zadok’s trap had worked a little too well when we’d used it last time. Hell, Nikolas and I had even summoned the former inspector into it when a Grade Four demigod had masqueraded as him. Sure, Nikolas had since destroyed the pentagram, but if anyone could rebuild it, it was Zadok.

  I can’t believe I’m doing this.

  So this was what my life had come to. Teaming up with a demigod, putting our brilliant minds together, and hoping we didn’t kill everyone in the process.

  18

  As I’d predicted, both Rachel and Fiona reacted with horror at the very idea of using a pentagram on an arch-demon.

  “You want to summon Lythocrax on purpose?” asked Fiona.

  “He’s following me anyway,” I pointed out. “Better he materialises in front of Casthus than on Earth.”

  “It’s too risky,” said Rachel. “Just summon Nikolas without Casthus seeing.”

  “I doubt he’s that stupid,” I said. “We flew miles from the castle and he still found us. If I use that pentagram, I need to make it count. And you know, we never did solve the issue of not being able to destroy the demonglass on Earth, let alone destroying what’s left of Lythocrax. There’s no other way.”

  Unless I got back to the gates of hell with the blood of a celestial on my hands, assuming the fallen angel didn’t strike me dead on the spot. Besides, even if I reached the highest class of both celestial and demon, I’d still remain human.

  “Done arguing?” asked Zadok. “It sounds like my brother doesn’t have all day.”

  “Come on,” I said to Rachel and Fiona. “Zadok, let the others help. It’ll be quicker.”

  “It certainly won’t.” He eyed Fiona. “Are you offering your friend up after all?”

  “She volunteered to help you of her own free will,” I said. “You know, that thing demons conveniently seem to forget about as far as humans are concerned. Is this all a joke to you?”

  “Certainly not,” he said. “Don’t be so touchy, Devi. I’ve wanted to work with you for a long time. Your skills are second to none.”

  “You nearly killed me the first time I tested one of my inventions on your face, if you remember.”

  He smirked. “Yes, I do remember. I feel I didn’t give you enough credit for inventiveness at the time.”

  “You tried to kill me and Rachel for it. And you know, the reason I did it in the first place is because you trapped me in your shadow magic.”

  “I suppose I did,” he said. “I was curious. I’d never met a celestial before, let alone one like you.”

  “I’m choosing to take that as a compliment.” I turned to the others. “Let’s do this.”

  Rachel caught my arm as he turned away. “You’re sure he’s not gonna sabotage you?”

  “Never a hundred percent sure with Zadok, but you know, take what you can get. Besides, I’ll know if he tries.”

  As we entered the lab, Zadok turned to face us. His gaze lingered on Fiona a second too long, and I gave him a warning glare. Then he nodded to Rachel, his jaw tense. “I’ll allow you access to my equipment if you don’t break any of my possessions. I’m not good at sharing.”

  “No, you really aren’t, are you?” I rolled my eyes and made for the sheet of luminous metal. “We won’t break any of your toys, Zadok, don’t worry.”

  “Fine. Devi, help me with the framework. Fiona, stand behind and maybe juggle some fireballs.”

  “Zadok.”

  “Fine, help Rachel fetch those props from the corner over there.”

  If I didn’t know better, I’d say he was trying to get a rise out of me so I’d focus on building the pentagram rather than on the impending apocalypse and Nikolas’s fate. Because if playing nice with Zadok ended up being for nothing, I’d be pissed beyond measure.

  While Zadok hammered at the metal piece, I busied myself stirring ingredients for the base in a cauldron.

  Rachel moved closer to the table. “How’d you make that armour?” she asked Zadok.

  He scowled and didn’t answer, continuing to hammer at the metal sheet. Now she mentioned it, it did seem odd that every inch of him was covered in armour despite the relative heat. Guess you couldn’t be too careful on a demon realm.

  “She’s not trying to steal your ideas, she’s just making conversation,” I said.

  “I am trying to steal his ideas,” said Rachel. “I want a suit like that.”

  “None of the materials I used to make it are found on Earth,” he said.

  “Ooh,” she said mockingly. “I know what I’m doing, you know. I made Devi’s super-stealth boots.”

  “She did,” I confirmed.

  He grunted. “Get on with the job and stop bothering me.”

  “You don’t have to try so hard,” I muttered to him, planting the cauldron on the desk.

  He tilted his head. “What?”

  “To be a dick to her.” He’d always claimed to dislike Rachel personally, but from the way he watched her wander around his lab, it couldn’t be more obvious that she was the target of his jealousy, too. After all, Nikolas had chosen her as a sibling and hadn’t tried to distance himself from her the way he had with Zadok. Sure, Zadok himself hadn’t exactly helped the situation, but I’d wondered before if he’d lashed out at her not from malice, but because he envied her close relationship with his brother.

  Still, unless he was putting on an act, he wasn’t the same warlock who’d thrown me off a bridge rather than admit defeat. Didn’t mean he’d actually come along to rescue Nikolas, but between the four of us, we might just have a chance at thwarting the shadow arch-demon.

  If I had faith in anything, it was the power of invention. Even if Lythocrax had given that to me as well.

  Then I’ll use it to destroy him.

  When the framework of the pentagram was in place, Zadok and I covered the frame in pieces of demonglass. I didn’t like using the same substance that Lythocrax had used to hurt me, but Zadok seemed certain that it was the best source to summon the arch-demon. And keep him contained. The glass’s glow made the pentagram look silver-white, more like a heavenly device than a demonic one. Like a miniature cage, fitted with the same magical expansion spell that Zadok had used on the last pentagram he’d created. We’d fused his magic with mine, the power of shadows with light.

  Almost like a fusion of heaven and hell.

  “Are you sure it will
hold an arch-demon?” I asked.

  “Not quite yet.” Zadok stood back to survey his work. “The shadow arch-demon can break demonglass because it’s weaker than he is. I suspect the same must be true of Lythocrax. But if we melded it with the magic of an arch-demon, it’ll be strong enough to hold him, and certainly Lythocrax.”

  I swore. “You’re telling me this now? It’s not like I have another arch-demon on standby.”

  “I was under the impression you had the power of one of them inside your demon mark.”

  “Abyss.” If I gave up what was left of her power, I’d no longer have a shortcut to the demons’ side. Not that I’d learned a ton from transforming into Lythocrax in the end. His mind was too scattered, too slippery, and besides, I already knew his weakness. “If this works, I’m perfectly content to let Lythocrax and Casthus destroy one another.”

  “They deserve nothing less,” Zadok said.

  “Never thought I’d agree with anything you said, but they do,” said Rachel. “Let the arch-demons kill one another, then the rest of us get to live.”

  I doubted things would be that simple. Sure, Lythocrax was weakened and Casthus wasn’t, but that didn’t mean the arch-demon of creation didn’t have another batch of tricks waiting in the wings. I never thought I’d find myself cheering for the shadow demon who’d stolen Nikolas’s castle from him. Then again, we had maybe thirty hours until the end of the world anyway.

  I stepped up to the table, gripped the pentagram’s edges, and tapped into my demon magic. With the edges of the pentagram trapping any magic that went near, it had one place to go—into the glass. Demonic power made my right hand tremble as I held it still, echoing with remnants of the other magic I’d taken.

  I gave it all. Abyss’s power left me, flowing into the glass, followed by the other demonic magic I’d stored in there. I needed to make the device as strong as possible to stand a chance of keeping an arch-demon captive.

  Even then, a thread of fear remained, telling me it wasn’t enough. No man-or-demon-made device could permanently contain an arch-demon. And even if I summoned Lythocrax straight to Casthus, he might just kill us all anyway.

  Nikolas’s magic was the last to leave my hand. Shadow power, mingling with light as bright as heaven, flowed into the glass. The surface glowed, then dimmed as I turned off the switch on the back. Here we go.

  Fiona and Rachel stood and watched me pick up the pentagram. It was deceptively lightweight.

  “Wow,” said Fiona. “That’s—that’s not like anything that’s ever been created before, isn’t it?”

  “Don’t write about it on DivinityWatch,” I told her. “At least not until after we win.”

  She grinned. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep quiet.”

  “I’m going to the castle alone,” I said. “Divinity knows how many traps Casthus might have set. I won’t let any of you get caught. Even you, Zadok.”

  “I’m flattered that you’d even consider me, Devi, but I have no intention of dealing with my father face to face at this particular moment in time.”

  “Figures,” I said. “All right. I’m ready.”

  “Your great destiny awaits,” he said.

  “Fuck destiny,” I said, with feeling. “The guild uses fate as a means of control. Hell does the same. I won’t let that ever happen again.”

  A smile curled his lip. “We might make a demon out of you yet, Devi.”

  I wasn’t ready. I was scared out of my wits. If our plan didn’t work—the shadow arch-demon would be able to strike directly at me, and possibly take out Earth in the process. Lythocrax would be able to come back. And Nikolas would pay the price for my mistakes.

  I’d never been inclined to make the sensible choice, but usually there was a failsafe. This time, nothing would stop the arch-demon from tearing me to shreds before I could utter a word. And then, Earth would be at his mercy.

  I didn’t operate on faith alone, but hope… as long as there was hope, I’d believe I could do this.

  I held the pentagram in my hand. “Guys, I can take you back to Earth. I’ll leave a portal open so you can get back into the palace if you need to, but there’s a chance Casthus might trace the pentagram back here and guess you helped me.”

  “That’s very trusting of you,” said Zadok. “Maybe I don’t want you walking into Babylon directly through my palace.”

  “It doesn’t matter either way,” I said. “Casthus and Lythocrax already know the way here.”

  “Then I’d advise you not to let either of them follow you.”

  “If they do, assume I’m already dead.” I raised my right hand and burned a pentagram into the nearest pillar. “Rachel, Fiona, go back to Earth if I’m not back in… say half an hour. Whatever you do, don’t follow me.”

  Fiona stepped up and hugged me, then Rachel did the same. “Kick both arch-demons into next week,” Rachel said.

  “You can do it,” Fiona said.

  “Can’t make any promises, but I’ll try.”

  I burned a second pentagram into the neighbouring pillar, and stepped through to Babylon.

  The ground fell out from underneath me. I dropped like a stone, tumbling head over heels, too stunned to think. Where’d the ground go?

  Rachel’s boots cushioned my fall onto hard stone, in the middle of a circle of five burning lights.

  Oh, shit. I wasn’t the only one with a summoning pentagram. The shadow arch-demon must have had a similar idea. But his pentagram wasn’t made out of demonglass. It was too dark to see much, but the five lights were odd and shimmering, and judging by the open space, I’d landed in the castle’s entrance hall.

  Nobody was within sight. Not even the arch-demon. I ran to the edge of the pentagram, trying to see the source of the burning lights, and a scream ripped through the air.

  Nikolas.

  “No.” I threw down my own pentagram, though I doubted I could summon anything within another pentagram. Not like I had a choice, though. “I summon—”

  Shadows blasted into me, knocking me onto my back on hard stone. “Come to rescue your lover, Devi?”

  He was here.

  Darkness fell, so complete it was like night itself had gained form and strode into the hall. Casthus’s eyes burned like furnaces, his wings spread to the ceiling, his body cloaked in shadow. His aura took up twice the space—menacing, relentless, breath-stealing.

  The shadow arch-demon reached out a hand and picked up the handmade pentagram. His shadowy magic lapped at my demon mark, which urged me to draw it in.

  What the hell. I’m going to die anyway.

  Shadows punched through me, and blood spurted from deep wounds in my chest. I groaned, and felt a familiar shadowy power flow into my demon mark, healing my injuries.

  Nikolas…

  Casthus’’s burning eyes watched me. “Take it in. Take everything he has left.”

  “Damn… you,” I gasped.

  The shadows shifted aside, revealing Nikolas tied to a stone pillar by the wide staircase. His clothes were torn to rags. Two other bloodied warlocks stood beside him, holding crude weapons.

  Casthus spoke. “I had them slaughter him a few times, but demigods are notoriously resilient.”

  I swallowed hard. “Let him go. He’s your son, and the castle is his. He’s allowed to travel here whenever he likes. I’m the one who trespassed.”

  “Both of you humiliated me and stole what was mine. You will suffer for it.” He gestured to one of the warlocks, who picked up a bucket. “Wake him up.”

  I ran forwards. “Stop!”

  The warlock threw some sort of liquid at Nikolas’s face. He roared in agony, twisting away, and went limp once again.

  “Let. Him. Go.” I stepped up to the pentagram’s edge, only to collide with an invisible shield. The shadow arch-demon had stolen the device Zadok and I had made—my last hope of getting us out of here. “Don’t you have an empire to run and a bunch of worlds to conquer?”

  Nikolas struggled limply, an
d I gagged when I saw his face. His skin had melted off, revealing the bone and muscle beneath. What the hell had the warlock thrown at him?

  “His weakness,” Casthus said, from behind me. “A very rare substance, but one I made sure to have on hand. There’s little other use for demigods. Too weak to rule, too powerful to be allowed to run around unchecked. I assumed both he and my other son would perish in weeks if I left them behind, but I underestimated that pathetic human family of his.”

  “Fuck you.” I kicked helplessly at the pentagram’s edge. I’d need to knock out the source powering it to escape, and the shimmering lights were out of my reach. “There’s another arch-demon who wants to conquer the netherworld, and Nikolas and I are the only people with a slight chance of stopping the bastard. If you want to know anything about Lythocrax, the arch-demon of creation, you’re more than welcome to ask me. But I guess I’m too much of a pathetic human to know information that might save your worthless life.”

  He didn’t know Lythocrax—at least, he’d never mentioned him—but it was in Casthus’s interests to protect his empire. If I convinced him that Lythocrax would be here next, I might be able to win us some time.

  The shadow arch-demon paused before saying, “Your tenacity impresses me, if nothing else, Devi. I wonder how many times I need to kill you before you permanently leave this world?” He turned the handmade pentagram over in his hand. “Did you plan to trap me?”

  “Not you,” I said. “The arch-demon of creation, Lythocrax. He survived, and he wants to meet with you.”

  It was my last desperate hope. I didn’t believe for a minute that Casthus would give a crap about Earth, but I never did find out if he and Lythocrax had ever met before. If I could somehow draw them together, maybe Nikolas and I would be able to escape.

  “Arch-demon of creation?” he said. “There’s no such thing.”

  “There is, and he’s coming here,” I said. “He can’t die. He preserved his soul in demonglass, on Earth, and he’ll be here next.”