Eden threw her arms around my shoulders, holding me tight. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered, grabbing the back of my neck. “I’m so… I can’t imagine. She pulled back. “But you have to promise that you won’t go in until it’s time.”
I nodded, knowing she was only hoping to spare me from as much of the process as she could.
“Ready?” Eden asked her father.
He wasn’t as confident as Petra, but he hadn’t heard Ramiel’s promise.
“We’ll need everyone,” Eden said.
Bex, Claire, and Ryan nodded.
“You’ve explained?” Eden asked Bex.
“What I could, yes,” he said. He took Allison’s hand. “Allie, it’s going to get scary in there. You’re not going to understand it until it’s over. Just trust us, okay?”
She squeezed his fingers with hers, nodding.
We filed into Mamá’s room together, and she watched us gather with wary eyes.
My body felt slow, what I imagined when humans explained the feeling of exhaustion. Every muscle, every nerve, every vein felt heavy; my stomach sick. The release of the tag, Mamá’s sacrifice and death, had to be timed exactly right, and we had to trust Ramiel that someone would be on the other side waiting to let her in before my father could get to her.
Cynthia and Agatha brought in an impressive arsenal of medical supplies, mostly concentrating on keeping my mother comfortable. Valium, morphine, oxygen, vials of nausea medication, and bags of saline, IV tubing and a canula kit. They moved in slow motion around us, and all I could do was stare at the beautiful, fearless woman who was my mother. Her gaze settled on me.
“What?” I asked.
“I’m tracing every line of your face.”
There was no time in Heaven, so we couldn’t know how long it would take for us to be reunited again.
Eden approached my mother. The infamous Petra was still sitting in her chair, her hands crossed daintily on her lap even though she was anything but delicate. My father had sent a tag strong enough to stay attached to my mother, and stealth enough to remain undetected. It wouldn’t be your run-of-the-mill soldier of Hell. Whoever the tag was, fighting it would be similar to fighting Cassia—if not more difficult—and my mother would have to find a way to do it while near death. That thought terrified me. The tag would likely be a challenge for Eden—or anyone—to extract, meaning Satan had chosen wisely. I could help neither one of them to maintain The Balance.
I took a deep breath and sighed. If anyone could survive, it would be Mamá. But that wasn’t the plan.
“Levi, I think she’d be more comfortable in the bed,” Eden said.
Mamá nodded, but I confirmed. “I’m going to lift you into my arms, okay, Mamá?”
After she agreed, I picked her up and then pivoted, carrying her the four feet it took to reach the twin-sized bed. This particular guest room wasn’t a small one, but certainly less than half the size of Eden’s. Agatha had moved a mirrored vanity and some paintings into the hall, leaving just a dresser, a chair, a loveseat, and the bed. Still, there was plenty of room for a nearly full crash cart, oxygen tank, and IV pole and the four us with space to spare.
“I’m sorry.” I gently encouraged her to lie back. A ripping noise interrupted the quiet, and I used the piece of fabric I’d torn from the sheet to tie Mamá’s wrists to the iron headboard. “We’ll need more padding here,” I said.
Agatha immediately left the room, and within minutes she was back with pillows and tape. I tied my mother’s free wrist to the other post, and helped her get as comfortable as I could, but she was coughing again. The tag was going to make this as agonizing as possible, and for that, I hated it even more.
“It’s important to try to remain calm,” Cynthia said. “Force your body to relax if you must.”
Mamá raised one brow. “You’ve done this before?”
“I have,” Cynthia replied.
Mamá sat back, unimpressed. “Well, you lived. I’ll do this my own way.” She let her shoulders fall, settling against the mattress and then looking at Eden. “I know how this works. Just let me know when it’s time.”
“You’ll know,” Eden said.
I kissed my mother’s forehead once, placing my hands on hers. “I love you, Mamá. I can’t describe to you how much.”
She kissed her index and middle finger like she used to do when I was a boy and held them to my forehead. “You don’t have to. I already know.”
I took her hand from my head and kissed it, then stood, taking steps back until my back was to the far wall directly in her line of sight.
“I love you, son,” she said, staring at the ceiling. She took in a deep breath and exhaled until her entire body relaxed. “I love you more than my own life. I’m ready.”
Chapter Thirteen
Eden
My father, Aunt Claire, and Grandmother stood at each corner of the room, quietly chanting cycles of scripture, The Lord’s Prayer, and all forty-four lines of the Athanasian Creed.
“Shouldn’t a priest be doing that?” Allison whispered.
Bex leaned into her ear. “Think of it like security clearance. They’ve all seen and experienced more than your average priest. They can also sense, recognize, and target the tag. This is far more effective. An exorcism can take a priest months. They can do it in an afternoon.”
“What about Ryan?” she asked. “Even as a human, wouldn’t one more help?”
Bex tried not to smile. “He can’t get the words right.”
Dad grinned for half a second before refocusing on the scripture he was reciting.
Petra’s coughing worsened, and with every passing minute she became visibly weaker. After the latest coughing fit, a bit of blood soaked in the tissue Levi held to her mouth. Sweat beaded at her damp hairline, her olive skin paler, her lips somehow a dark but faded shade of violet blue.
“Is she okay?” Allison asked, staring at Petra’s mouth.
“Cyanosis,” I said, gesturing for Cynthia to increase Petra’s oxygen. “Inadequately oxygenated blood is the likely cause. We can help with that. Grandmother?”
Agatha tended to the oxygen tank, then took Petra’s levels. “Marginally improving, I’m afraid, but better nonetheless.”
Levi looked at his watch, taking his mother’s pulse. “I know it’s difficult, Mamá. But your heart is still strong.”
Petra looked away, focusing on her restraints. She seemed more irritable with each passing minute, her breathing shallower, her level of comfort plummeting. Despite her appearance after just an hour, the tag had just begun. His only line of defense in this plane was torture until someone in the room demanded mercy.
“Can’t they help her? What are we waiting for?” Allison whispered in Bex’s ear.
Petra’s head sagged, chin at chest, the dark strands of her hair falling forward. An unsettling growl with both bones rattling low and shrieking high tones came from somewhere inside her. After a gasp, Petra picked up her head, breathing fast, her eyes wide. She was fighting for control, and so far, she was winning.
“You’re doing great, Mamá,” Levi said.
Agatha handed him a fresh cold cloth. “It’s quite impressive, actually.”
Levi held the wet, white cotton against his mother’s forehead. “Mamá, deeper breaths. Slow.”
Allison whispered in Bex’s ear again. “What was that noise … the um … the—”
I rolled my eyes, motioning to Allison. “Can’t you warn her before putting her in these situations?” I asked Bex. “Do you not ask questions?” I asked Allison.
“She does. A lot of them,” Bex said, hugging her to his side. “You know there’s no way to prepare anyone for any of this.”
“And there’s no point in whispering. We can all hear you. Superhuman hearing.” I winked, pointing to my ear. “Bex should’ve told you that, too.”
She frowned at him. “I can’t imagine why he’s left that out.”
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“Ryan and Nina are happily ignorant to private conversation,” Bex said.
“Bex, you really should get her up to speed,” I said.
“Oh, uh,” Bex began. “Petra…”
“Not now,” I said, exasperated.
“No,” Petra said, her voice tired. “Go on. I do love to hear the old stories.”
Bex looked to Mother, who nodded and then continued, “Petra is a Queen of Hell—the only queen who’s also a fallen angel.”
“There are female angels?” Allison asked, surprised.
“Oh, yes,” Petra said with a satisfied grin. “Many. And more lethal than any of the males.”
Bex continued, “Levi’s father is, as you know, Satan. Levi was born in Hell. Eden lived in Heaven.
“I fought you, you know,” Petra said. “In The Great War.”
Eden touched her chest. “Me?”
Petra cocked her head, still leaning against the headboard. “You don’t remember?” She sighed. “I suppose not. It was eons ago. You nearly fileted me. A formidable adversary, for certain.” She looked to Bex. “Well? Go on.”
Bex rubbed the back of his neck. “So, Levi and Eden fell in love. They got caught. They were punished. They kept finding each other, getting caught, then separated. This last time, Eden was sent to Earth’s plane in human form as punishment. Her memory was wiped.”
“Some of it still hasn’t come back,” Eden said, grimacing.
Bex continued, “Levi was sent, too, but his punishment was a mission: to kill Eden. So, Petra demanded to come, too, to protect her son while he completed his objective. We Ryels are notorious for eliminating threats to our family. Petra is the only Queen of Hell to survive childbirth, and she did it twice, but now we know her return to Earth’s plane to protect Levi was by the Devil’s design. When she brought Levi to this world, she died, too, and upon returning to this plane she came back with a demon attached, something ancient and extraordinarily strong. When Satan or a nobleman of Hell attaches a demon to a human, we call it a tag. Normally this isn’t allowed and disturbs The Balance, but Petra is a fallen angel, so she doesn’t fall under the usual protection of Heaven. In other words, she’s damned. She came here to warn Levi about a plot against him, and now she’s in danger. To safely keep her here, we must remove the tag. That, uh … that about sums it up, I think?”
Everyone not focused on chanting agreed.
“So, we’re here to witness the tag’s detachment?” Allison asked.
“Or my death. Humans usually don’t survive,” Petra said.
“You’ve survived before,” Allison said.
Petra managed a small smile at the compliment.
“I’m embarrassed that I’m unfamiliar with the story,” Allison said, sheepish.
“Don’t be,” Bex said, “It’s not as if you’d have seen her on TMZ. America’s Most Wanted, maybe.”
“Bex!” I said again.
“He’s not wrong,” Petra said. The corners of her mouth turned up as she gazed at her son. “I’ve led quite the life. The words seem to take the remainder of her strength, and her head fell forward.
Levi tended to her. “Mamá?” He lifted her chin, but her eyes were rolled back into her head. He looked to me. “It’s time.”
I nodded. “Remember. You promised not to go in.”
“I understand. Go,” he said, holding up his mother’s head.
I closed my eyes, searching for Petra’s lifeforce and the tag who held her between the planes of Hell and Earth.
Chapter Fourteen
Levi
“Eden,” I warned. Mamá’s lips were blue.
“I know,” she said, her eyes popping open.
Mamá’s eyes focused. The tag finally allowed her to breathe again.
Eden hadn’t even broken a sweat, but Mamá could barely form a sentence; she had surpassed exhaustion and was now just focusing on taking her next breath.
Jared and Nina, Claire and Cynthia still stood in each corner of the room, continuing their chanting to distract and weaken the demon. Otherwise, Mamá would’ve been dead hours ago.
“Petra?” Eden said, leaning down to look into her eyes. “Stay with me. It’s not time yet.”
Mamá met her gaze, and a ghost of a smile touched her lips. “Stubborn.”
Eden’s expression softened. “Yes, he is. More than I realized, but we’re getting there. Rest.”
Cynthia brought my mother water, allowing her to take small sips from a straw, and then encouraged her to take a bite of a protein concoction on a pita chip. “It’s odd, but it will help to keep up your energy.” She looked to me with a reassuring nod.
“Thank you,” I said.
“We’re wasting time,” my mother said. Dark circles had formed under her sunken, bloodshot eyes.
“You can tell me,” I said. “If you want a break, if you want to stop all together, or if you change your mind about...”
She shook her head. “I want to be free.” After a few breaths, she spoke again. “And, I want to piss off your father.”
I managed a grin, but it quickly faded. She was feisty even as she faced death.
Eden squared herself, planting her feet on the ground.
“Ready?” I asked.
Mamá nodded.
Eden’s eyes rolled back in her head, and moments later, so did my mother’s. A deep growl filled the room, coming from every corner. Agatha seemed nervous, but Cynthia’s shoulders were relaxed, her eyes settling on her granddaughter with pride.
Mamá’s back arched, and a short cry was muffled by the same strangled sounds she’d been making each time Eden took hold of the beast. Her eyes bulged, indentions forming on her neck where the demon squeezed.
“Eden,” I warned.
“Almost there,” she said.
Mamá made a choking sound as she struggled for air. Her eyes rolled back until only white was visible, and then her body began to seize. Four invisible talons sunk into Mamá’s skin, drawing blood. The crimson liquid oozed from the wounds, pooled, and then streamed down her neck, filling the hollows behind her protruding collarbones. There, the blood divided into more streams before spreading downward to her shirt.
Sweat began to bead on Eden’s forehead. Cynthia wiped her brow.
“Eden?”
Eden was too focused to answer, and I knew we were close, but the tortured expression on Mamá’s face was unbearable.
“I’m going in,” I said.
“Levi, don’t,” Cynthia commanded. But she was too late.
My skin instantly sizzled at the rolling flames in the room, the embers floating around Mamá, Eden, and me. The tag was hanging onto my mother’s side like an overgrown toddler, talons on its hands and feet. It was larger than I’d seen for something that could survive for long periods in two planes. Eden was in a mental battle, standing a few feet away, her eyes still closed.
“Levi,” she warned. “Don’t!”
Eden knew as well as I did that Mamá couldn’t approach the Pearl Gates with a tag attached to her. We had to set her free first.
I jumped on the demon, prying its hands from her throat one finger at a time.
I met the tag’s eyes, coming within inches of his deformed face. “Let her go,” I said, struggling. “You’re killing her.”
His talons sunk deeper.
Mamá was finally able to suck in a breath, and she wailed.
Her screams were heard by my father.
“Eden,” I warned. “He’s coming.”
“I know,” she said, her eyes still closed.
“He’s coming!”
“I know!” she yelled back. Whatever Eden did next hurt the demon, and he buried his face into my mother’s neck, his thin gray skin trembling over its exhausted muscles.
Mamá’s eyes met mine, and for the first time in my life, I could see her panic.
“Eden, stop!” I begged.
“No!
” Mamá croaked, shaking her head.
“She’s afraid,” I said, looking to Eden.
Eden opened her eyes and looked to Mamá, who reached out and then shook her head.
“I’m sorry,” Eden said, closing her eyes.
Mamá pulled back her hand, and she touched my cheek. She shook her head, still unable to breathe. Her eyes fluttered, rolled back, and her body relaxed, her hand falling away and to her side. I stared at her hand, hanging lifelessly off the bed.
“Not yet!” I yelled. “Eden!”
Eden pulled Gehenna from behind her, showing it to the tag. It immediately recoiled, loosening its grip on my mother.
“I’ll end you! Free her!” Eden screamed.
The moment the demon showed weakness, Eden lunged, effortlessly prying its fingers off my mother’s tiny body and then tossing it over her shoulder and onto the floor. They grappled, and then Eden gained her footing and held the thick skin of its neck with both hands, pinning it against the burning wall of Mamá’s bedroom.
“Mamá?” I said, shaking her. “You have to come back. You have to fight to open your eyes. It’s time.”
I grabbed my mother’s shoulders, shaking her as the room burned around us. “Mamá!”
Her eyes flickered, and then she gasped for air.
“Is she ready?” Eden yelled, still holding the tag. “Are you?”
Mamá tapped my arm, and I helped her to stand. She was wobbly, but she kept her balance.
Eden stepped aside, freeing the tag to barrel toward Mamá like a freight train. On all fours, it loped toward her so fast drool slid from the corners of its mouth and across its leathery skin to its ears.
I unleashed every bit of my rage, tackling the tag and ramming my fists into its head and sides. Hundreds of tiny razor-sharp teeth snapped inches from my face as it fought. That was when I felt the first of my wounds tear apart.
“Petra!” Eden called, true fear in her voice.
I was on my back, and the demon sunk its teeth into my shoulder and then shook its head, tearing my flesh from the muscle and my bone from the socket. I cried out, feeling even more human than before.
“Here!” Petra said, gaining the tag’s attention. “I am your slave no more, demon! You failed! I am free!”
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