by Hanna Peach
Alyx darted around Michael throwing everything she had at him, praying that one of her magics hit him. She threw DreamWalker at his chest to try and weaken him, EarthWeaver at his feet to destabilize him, MemorySong at his head to try and stun him, FireTwirler at his heart to try and burn him. She even used Alchemist to turn the air molecules around him into shards of metal to try and wound him.
But none of her attempts hit him. None of them came close. He countered each one with a flash of his palm as if they were flies, pesky and annoying but ultimately harmless.
Finally her last pulse of magic threw out from her hands. Her heart sank to see Michael merely slap it to the ground, where it clattered across the carpet like glowing marbles before dissipating into thin air. She felt her mirage begin to stutter. Even that magic was running out. Like her hope.
Michael’s gaze found her. He smiled, a slowly crawling, slithering smile. That sight alone was enough to make her hairs stand on end and her heart skip a beat and her resolve crack. What was she doing here? What made her think she could take Michael on by herself?
“Running out of magic, are we? Too bad. I was enjoying our little tete-a-tete. For someone with no intrinsic magic of her own, you’ve given me a remarkably good warmup.”
He spoke about her magic attacks as if they were tennis balls thrown to him from across the net so he could practice his return. They probably were to him, she realized. Michael was right. She had no chance of winning against him. He was too strong, warped by the thievery of magic from other Seraphim.
Like Symon.
She would die. And Symon would have died for nothing.
Michael thrust his palms out to her. For the split second before it hit her, she recognized the glaring white light as AirWhisperer magic. It slammed into her, knocking her back and against the wall. All breath was crushed out of her.
She slid to the ground with a thud. Her body ached all over but her limbs felt numb.
Alyx? She heard Israel call softly to her. Where are you?
Her breath entered sharply through her lungs. I’m coming.
Alyx, I can’t open my eyes. I can’t move my body.
You’ve been drugged.
Angel, I just want to go back to sleep.
Fight it, Israel. Fight it and wake up.
The thought of Israel was the only light in her world right now. She had to get up. She tried to force feeling back into her arms as she attempted to push herself up.
I am not defeated, Alyx thought firmly. Not while there is still life in my veins.
“Do you hear that?” Michael raised his hand dramatically to cup his ear. “That’s the sound of an entire demon army waiting hungrily beyond that Gate. I think it’s about time to let them in.”
“Michael,” Alyx implored as Michael moved towards Israel, “you don’t have to go through with this.”
Michael didn’t even look at her when he replied. “Oh, but I must. In the name of God, I must.”
“God would never allow the complete destruction of an entire race of people. God loves all his creations on Earth, including humans.”
Michael spun. “God doesn’t care about these humans. He doesn’t care about this planet. He doesn’t even care about us.”
“He does, he just−”
“He left us here!” Michael roared. “Our father left us here to rot without him. He shut up the gates to Heaven two thousand years ago and he left me here all alone, to fend for myself, to struggle without him. Don’t tell me that is a sign of love.”
“That’s it, isn’t it?” Alyx realized. Her heart softened with pity. “You’re angry at him.”
“Shut up.”
“You hate him for the neglect you think he’s shown you. That’s why you want to do all this, a boom that would be heard all around the world. Perhaps if you make it big enough, it’ll get his attention.”
“Shut up!”
“Michael, you need to understand, he didn’t leave us here because he stopped loving us. He left us here because it was what we needed to grow. He left us here because he loves us. Your father loves you. Don’t do this.”
Michael’s cold faced cracked. His eyes misted over as if he was remembering something...or someone. “My father…” Michael’s face softened and he looked so much like a boy. A lost and lonely boy. It only lasted a moment. A mere second. Alyx could see the wave of bitterness descending over him, refreezing everything in its path. “You don’t know anything!” Michael roared.
She tried again. “Our father loves us. He loves me. He loves you.”
She watched helplessly as the final piece of Michael’s heart froze over. “My father does not love anyone.”
Michael flung AirWhisperer at her. It picked her up and slammed her against the wall again. Her world went white with pain. Alyx felt the plaster crack behind her back before she fell. She fought to hold onto consciousness as she hit the ground.
All she could think as she teetered on the brink of consciousness was that Michael was too far gone, anger having consumed him completely. He could never change. Not now. It was too late for him. This made her feel, above anything else, even above the pain throbbing inside her body, an incredible sadness.
“Ah, good,” she heard Michael say. “You’ve woken up just in time for the best bit.”
Israel was awake! Through her blurred vision, Alyx sought his face. His eyes were fluttering open, his chin was up, looking around the room until he found her. Even amid this impossible situation, his face shone with love. Alyx felt her chest fill with purpose. Love would be her shield.
She saw him look up at Michael as he approached, the dagger glinting in his hands. Israel struggled helplessly against the rope bindings.
“No, please,” Alyx croaked out. Her voice was barely audible even to her own ears and it did not make a difference. Michael lifted up his blade to Israel’s forearm. And slashed down.
Alyx catapulted into Israel’s mind. She felt the burning line of pain at his wrist where Michael had cut him. She heard Michael’s heavy breathing as he moved to Israel’s other side. She felt him struggle to pull his arm free of his bindings, his arms grazing against the rough rope. She let out a cry, a dual cry with Israel, when Michael slashed open his other wrist.
She saw through his eyes the ruby red drops of life falling from his wounds and onto the Gate below into two small pools. The pools started to spread, oozing along the engraving. Where his blood flowed, a dark red glow appeared.
Alyx struggled to push herself up to sitting. Her body hurt so much. She was sure her ribs were broken, and she could feel blood pooling underneath her skin where she had slammed against the wall.
“Are you still trying to get up?” Michael laughed at her. “It’s actually quite admirable, all of you are. Even your pathetic little army out there.”
Michael strode over to Alyx, his footfalls sounding like a giant’s steps. Israel’s voice in her head was the only thing keeping her going. Come on, angel. Get up.
Alyx rolled to try and gain distance from Michael, ignoring the cries of her bruised flesh. But she couldn’t move fast enough. Michael grabbed her from behind and curled his arm around her, forcing her neck into the crook of his elbow. She pushed at his arm and punched at him, but her feeble attempts were all but ignored by him.
“I told my army to dip your white sashes in blood when they killed one of your traitorous soldiers,” said Michael, his voice booming through the mosque. He stopped before one of the few arched windows of the mosque and pointed through it with his blade, still dripping with Israel’s blood. “Watch. Watch as your hopes turn to blood.”
Through the window a black army and a white army clashed in the night sky like warring insects. Even as more and more Seraphim arrived to join both sides, the black still outnumbered the white.
What’s going on out there? Israel asked her.
I convinced them all to fight. Jordan, Cleo, Vix…your father… Alyx bit back the guilt that retched up her throat. She cou
ld do nothing but stare in horror as one by one, the white symbols of hope turned bloody. Another Seraphim dead. Another soul wasted.
“See what you’ve caused with your…resistance?” Michael said. “You could have saved them. You could have accepted my gift of this world to them, just for them, but instead you chose to sacrifice them to try and save your precious little humans and your disgusting half-breed lover.” Michael leaned in close. His next words were a whisper and spoken as if he were a lover. “Every drop of their blood is on your hands.”
Michael’s arm loosened from her neck. She collapsed to the carpet, her body weakened further with guilt. Her fingers scratched at the lush carpet as she struggled to crawl away.
“You’ve become boring to play with.” Alyx felt thick Air magic rolling her onto her back and pressing her down so she was pinned. “Send my regards to our father for me.”
She screamed as Michael raised his sword up.
Chapter 36
“You got any enemies left for me?”
Jordan struck a black warrior with DreamWalker, causing him to collapse on the ground. He turned to see Balthazar at his side. Balthazar lunged at a black warrior almost gleefully.
“About bloody time, Balthazar,” Jordan said.
“You know me. Fashionably late. I like to make an entrance.”
Balthazar had come with reinforcements. A small group of Darkened surged around them, all armed to the teeth, their second faces flashing with menace, and all of them wearing white.
Jordan scanned the battlefield. Wasn’t this a day for the history books, he thought as he stared around the battlegrounds. Seraphim and demons fighting alongside each other for one cause.
But it wouldn’t be enough. Not nearly enough to tip the odds in their favor.
“Not to sound ungrateful,” said Jordan as he sent out more DreamWalker pulses and struck out with his sword, “but they’re all you could wrangle together?”
“Most of my men are on the other side of that Gate,” Balthazar said. He shimmered in and out of sight using his mirage magic as he fought off his own warriors. “I thought it’d be more fun on this side.”
Balthazar kicked the warrior off the end of his sword with a satisfied grin. His eyes found Cleo over Jordan’s shoulder. They had been fighting back-to-back with each other. “Hello. And who is this lovely creature?”
Jordan growled as he moved to shield her with his body. “No one you need to acquaint yourself with.”
“Well, well, well, the infamous Jordan Bonaven finally settling down, hey? I approve.” As Balthazar spoke, he defended himself against an attacker with one hand, making it seem so easy. Balthazar cursed suddenly. He gave one final slice at his attacker and began to shove his way down the slope of the valley.
“Where’re you going?” Jordan called out over the clash of swords.
Using his sword Balthazar pointed to the swirling black cloud over the side of the mountain that was growing in thickness, swirling like a satanic vortex. “The Gate is opening.”
Chapter 37
As Michael raised his sword, Alyx’s scream vibrated through Israel, causing rage to flood through him. Using his magic, he picked up one of the large ceremonial vases that were dotted around the place and flung it as hard as he could at Michael. The vase smashed across his back.
Michael hissed at Israel over his shoulder. Alyx’s scream faded.
That’s it, attack me, not her. Israel picked up another ceremonial vase and threw it at Michael. Michael turned fully towards him, magic sparking from his palms. The second vase shattered midair in a smash before it got near him. Michael laughed.
Alyx began crawling towards her fallen sword, the metal winking in the candlelight like a spark of hope. Come on, angel, he urged her. Almost there.
Israel picked up two vases this time, one that Michael could see and one from behind him. Israel threw both at once. Michael smashed the vase in front of him with a flick of his magic, but the vase thrown from behind shattered over his head. Michael roared, wiping ceramic pieces from his shoulder, glaring at Israel. How many vases were left around the room?
Using magic, Michael threw his dagger at him. Israel pushed out his magic and the dagger deflected, whirling past his head. Michael missed.
Michael grinned. “Try to aim without the use of your eyes!”
Michael didn’t miss. The direct throw was a fake attack. There was a glint of metal in the corner of his eye as the dagger curved around from the back of the cross. Israel squeezed his eyes shut and screamed as a fiery pain sliced across both of his eyes. Warm wetness soaked down his cheeks like sticky tears. In a panic he tried to open his eyes but he couldn’t. Everything remained black and red with pain.
He was blind.
Alyx screamed again and her voice was filled with pain. He knew Michael was hurting her. She was suffering. His pain suddenly became irrelevant.
What was going on? He was pinned under this thick veil of darkness. He couldn’t see.
But Alyx could.
He dipped into Alyx’s head and her vision opened up in front of him. So did the pain blossoming across her body. The same dagger that had cut his eyes was now sticking out of her stomach. Michael was advancing on her again, his fingertips crackling with sparks.
He felt her grab the sticky handle of the blade with shaking hands. She braced herself then pulled it out, crying out as she did so. Her stomach tingled as her body began to try and heal itself. Alyx pointed the dagger at Michael as she shuffled back away from him. Israel’s heart swelled when he felt the defiance in her. She wasn’t going to give up. That’s my girl.
Israel felt tiny fingers at his side, pulling his attention back into his body. “Israel, it’s me.” Israel recognized Sparrow’s voice, stuttering with fear and determination.
“Sparrow, what are you doing here?”
“I’m going to get you out of here this time.” Sparrow was trying to untie his ropes. His fingers were shaking, making the task difficult.
“Stupid girl.” Michael’s voice boomed across to him, pulling his attention back into Alyx’s body. “You really think that pathetic piece of steel is a match for my magic?”
Israel felt Alyx being slammed down as if a great force were crushing her to the ground. Her arm holding the dagger was pressed down too, rendering her weapon useless. He could hear her gasping as the air was pushed out of her lungs, and he felt pain flare as her ribs cracked one by one under the pressure. Michael was going to crush her. He had to do something. Anything…
An idea struck him. He had only one chance to make this work. But he needed Sparrow to help. “Sparrow,” he whispered down to the boy at his side, “throw your magic out in front of me.”
Sparrow’s voice trembled violently. “No. I can’t.”
“Sparrow, please. Throw out as much as you can.”
“I can’t control it. What if I hit you?”
“You won’t. I trust you.”
Under the darkness of Israel’s useless eyes, he felt as if everything grew still. Then he heard Sparrow’s voice, “Okay.”
Israel went into Alyx’s mind. As Michael towered over her, his magic crushing her, Alyx began to bleed inside as her body broke from the pressure.
“Do it now,” Israel yelled.
Chapter 38
I trust you.
Sparrow stared up at Israel. Even as he stood tied to a cross and blinded, he trusted Sparrow.
All his life, people had tried to get him to trust them, coaxing him, bribing him, telling him words they knew he might want to hear, making him do things for them. But no one had ever had enough faith in him to trust him.
Except Israel. Israel believed in him.
Sparrow would not fail.
Sparrow held out both palms to the space in front of Israel. He let go of all the restraint around his heart, he dropped the wall that guarded all his true emotions, he released all of his attempts at holding back this magic that had been building up in him for months now.
It burst from him, a great raging, uncontrollable force swirling out of him, reaching a fervor as he squeezed his eyes shut and screamed his heart and soul into his hands.
* * *
Through Alyx’s widening eyes, Israel saw the black magic swirling out in front of his cross. She didn’t know where it had come from. But he did.
Israel pushed out his own magic, gathering Sparrow’s thick power in it like a hurricane gathering leaves from the trees, gathering it into one focused mass. Now was the tricky part. He had to aim, using Alyx’s eyes, but pushing out from his body.
I’m sorry, Israel. Alyx’s voice, so soft as if she were already a ghost, floated into his mind. I can’t stop him.
You can’t. But we can.
Israel threw all of Sparrow’s GiftKeeper magic at Michael. Through Alyx’s eyes he saw the thick mass of power slam into Michael, soaking into him like a dark wine soaks into a sponge. Michael jolted and Israel felt the force on Alyx releasing. Sparrow’s GiftKeeper magic slid down Michael’s body and into the rocky ground, taking with it all of Michael’s stolen magic. Israel felt Alyx’s body release completely from the magic holding her down and heard her intake of breath.
Michael stared at his hands. No more magic flowed out from them. It had worked. “My…my magic. What…?”
Stronger together, he heard Alyx say in his mind.
Invincible together, he replied.
With a violent burst of energy, he felt Alyx launch from her spot. She flew towards Michael, her momentum knocking them both back towards the middle of the room, her dagger burying deep into his heart.
Israel felt Alyx let go of Michael as he staggered back, staring at the dagger protruding from his chest, then up at her. She collapsed to her knees as the burst of energy drained from her. Michael tripped on the piece of torn carpet around the dome. He fell back onto the very Gate he was trying to open.