Raven, Red

by Connie Suttle

  Hurry, Nico urged. We're all on the floor, and things could get interesting fast.

  What are we waiting for? Everette begged. There are dead people piled up all around us.

  For the human Adversary to show himself, Nico replied calmly.

  Thank goodness, Del acknowledged Lance and Mona's arrival. All four cringed as a human head dropped next to them, splattering warm blood everywhere. Ignore that, Del snapped. We have work to do.

  Raising shell-marked hands in unison, they fired at the bottom of a set of exit doors, filling that portion of the sanctuary with blinding light while blowing the doors down and frying two demons in the process.

  If they thought the demons were in a frenzy before, they now ramped up their attacks three-fold. People are running toward the doorway we cleared, Del gave a desperate report. But the demons have increased their attacks. Not many are getting out that way. We'll try to open the other exit.

  Claudio and Alejandro fought in tandem with Fourth Scholar and his two guards. Forming a small circle, they stepped as one through the crowd outside, fighting off encroaching demons while humans ran screaming around them.

  Somewhere in the crowd, First Scholar and his guards worked to carry children away from the carnage. Second Scholar had set up a safe space off the church grounds at the designated concrete parking lot, hoping it would prove difficult for demons to emerge through a harder surface.

  There, First Scholar and his guards delivered armloads of wailing children, and sometimes their only remaining parent with them.

  Claudio knew, without anyone telling him, that all the police sent to the venue for protection were already dead; there'd been few gunshots after the demons erupted. Their initial focus on law enforcement had given some humans enough time to escape rampaging demons, but too many others had fallen or were trampled in the maddened rush to flee from the monsters.

  Bodies lay everywhere, staining meticulously trimmed grass with their blood. Too many times, Claudio was forced to stand astride a human body or parts of one, in order to move with his fighting circle and continue the battle.

  Big John watched the carnage taking place below and felt ill. He recognized the creatures attacking the humans—all too easily.

  He could have reported the location of their lair. He could have done it anonymously, and he hadn't. He'd only thought of keeping his skin—and his freedom—intact.

  Across the way, children were being carried to the parking lot of another building. He watched as three demons began flying after a man carrying three children toward that safe place.

  Wait—that wasn't a man, was it? Going that fast?

  No. Vampires did not survive in daylight, but no human was capable of what he was seeing. Then, surprising him even more, a large dog raced from the side, leaping and crashing into a diving demon just before it reached the vampire.

  Except—it was no dog that tore into the unsuspecting creature—that was a werewolf.

  The vamps and shifters had chosen to fight this enemy, yet here he was, cowering in a safe place beneath the roof.

  Below, like a flood, humans suddenly ran out of the church as if the devil himself were after them—as could be the case, in Big John's opinion. Sure enough, a legion of flying demons left the church right behind them.

  Odds are not in your favor, Big John, he chastised himself before the eagle dropped off his perch and launched himself toward the enemy below.

  Darnell, standing near Belhar and the President, gaped at the slaughter about him. Even more shocking, the President laughed as a woman was sheared in half right in front of him by a swiftly passing demon. The top half of the body rolled toward the President, stopping about two feet from his expensive, Italian shoes.

  This—this was what Belhar had prepared in secret for him, on what should have been his day?

  "Stop this," Darnell grabbed Belhar's arm and shouted in his ear, before screaming in pain and pulling his hand back, his palm burned and smoking.

  You think you're in charge? Belhar's mouth pulled into a malevolent grin, displaying his many, pointed teeth. You haven't been in charge since I found you in the Cave of Zugarramurdi in Spain, you know that?

  Is it time? The President turned toward Darnell, a wicked light in his eyes.

  We'll let him see the big surprise before we make him one of the et Inpaenitens and the lowest of my servants, Belhar replied.

  Reverend, keep an eye on him—make sure he doesn't get away before the ritual, the President said, turning back to the show outside Belhar's shield.

  It will be my pleasure. Benny Killebrew became the serpent and wrapped himself around Senator Darnell Cheatham, who was so shocked he couldn't move to prevent it.

  Henry ran, but the demon would overtake him quickly. He understood that and dodged beneath a tent, while the demon plowed through the sturdy canvas overhead like a hot knife through butter. The shrill scream of a bird of prey sounded behind him the moment a clawed hand scraped Henry's ribs, throwing Henry off balance and rolling him across the blood-slickened grass and into a pile of broken folding chairs.

  The bird screeched again before Henry could get on his feet; he pulled himself up in time to witness an eagle harrying the angry demon. If the eagle didn't leave, the demon would have him.

  Henry leapt toward the demon, savaging his neck to force the demon away from the bird who'd saved him. While the demon flailed, hitting Henry several times with a clawed fist, the eagle returned and clamped his talons on the creature's wrist, flapping furiously to keep the hand away from the werewolf.

  A running vampire rushed by, and, reaching out with an extended claw, decapitated the demon, barely ruffling Henry's whiskers while he did it.

  Henry let go of the bottom half of the demon's neck and turned toward the eagle, who, now on the ground, turned a questioning eye in his direction. Nearby, another demon attempted to tackle Kevin. Without a word, Henry and the eagle rushed to his aid.

  Ari, I'm not sure this is a good idea, Mac warned as her mountain lion clawed its way beneath pews toward the pulpit and the casket before it. Mac, completely irritated, crawled along behind her.

  The Governor's widow is still here, Ari's telepathic message was a growl in Mac's mind. If she's still alive, I intend to help her. But I have to get to her, first.

  Nico? Mac sent, irritating Ari.

  Telling on me? she snapped at him.

  He needs to know, Mac shot back.

  Ari, let Erly and Everette handle this, Nico ordered.

  Erly and Everette aren't nearly there. I am, Ari insisted.

  We're on our way, Everette responded to Nico's request.

  I'm here, and, Ari stopped speaking while Mac shouted No!

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Lily Anderson, amid the chaos and death around her, had crawled to her husband's casket and knelt beside it. With one hand touching the polished surface, she understood that she, too, was going to die.

  Where were these creatures from—hell itself? She had no other explanation. As for the accusations that witches had done this, well, in her mind, witches and wiccans had existed for a very long time, and were this kind of thing possible, it surely would have happened before now.

  No, this was new. Another enemy had stepped onto the world stage, just as her sister told her—the sister who served as the Mother Superior in a local convent.

  "Hannah, I think you're right," Lily whispered her sister's given name as the coffin burst open and a hungry demon crawled out of it, forcing Lily to scream and scramble backward.

  "Ari, no," Mac shouted into the din as the demon burst from the Governor's coffin and scrambled to dislodge itself from the confined space. Its goal was clear enough; attack the Governor's widow. Ari's mountain lion leapt toward the coffin, hitting the lid with her front feet and bringing the heavy top down on the demon's head.

  Then, using that as leverage for her back legs, which landed squarely behind her front paws, she leapt again, touching down beside Lily Anderson.
Then, turning, spitting and fuming, she guarded the woman as the demon once again attempted to extricate itself from too small a space.

  Mac's raven flew swiftly toward Ari's location without thinking, while Erly and Everette shouted in his mind that they were on the way. Overhead, demons circled, like a massive kettle of vultures flying over a carcass.

  Renault, Nico shouted at the vampire as he left Nico's protective shield to help Ari and the others.

  I am sworn, Renault replied, before his wings jutted through the suit he wore. With a leap, he landed next to the coffin, decapitating the demon before the creature could reach Ari and the Governor's widow.

  Above them, demons screeched and flapped, while the sound of it echoed through the church like thousands of bats in a cave.

  Get away from the pulpit, Nico shouted, as Del, Mona, Lance and Laronda rushed toward Ari and the others.

  Henry growled as he took a step back. Kevin and the remaining werewolves did the same as demons stalked toward the only survivors remaining near the property—the children and parents rescued by the vampires. All the other humans were either dead or still running, while the sounds of sirens could be heard in the distance.

  This new round of first responders wouldn't survive any better than the last two; Henry understood that well enough. All that stood between the children and these murderers, were four werewolves and nine vampires. They'd started with seven and sixteen, respectively. Except for those around him facing this final threat, all the others were lost.

  But the eagle survived.

  Somewhere behind him, the bird perched on the roll bar of a small pickup, warily watching the demons advance as the children and a few parents huddled around the vehicle. Henry knew the eagle was a shifter and wondered briefly why it had chosen to join their fight.

  Even if he flew away, the winged demons would be on him in an instant.

  Hold steady, Claudio's voice entered his mind. Nico has asked us to wait a few more seconds before we release our light.

  Everette, Erly shouted as his jaguar attempted to pull Lily Anderson away from the pulpit. Ari growled and hissed at the demons circling above. Lily had fainted after seeing a demon crawl from her husband's coffin.

  I have her, Everette scooped up the woman and raced toward Nico, leaving Erly behind with Ari.

  Mac's raven stood upon the pulpit and squawked, although his voice was drowned out by the shrieks of hundreds of demons.

  The humming is back, Laronda said as her coyote leapt upon the dais where Ari stood. Not far behind her, Del, Lance and Mona ran, until shots rang out and Del dropped to the floor.

  Laronda's coyote ran back to Del, while more bullets peppered the floor—someone high above the floor in the back was shooting.

  Ari, no, Nico shouted again as she turned from mountain lion to human in the space of a blink, standing naked at the altar as she lifted a hand at the gunman.

  There, in the balcony where the news crews had set up, stood two men. One was still manning his camera while the other fired a semi-automatic rifle.

  Denton Franks, you die, Ari hissed at the shooter and raised her hand.

  Ari! Nico screamed as Denton fell from the balcony, already dead, victim of a light so bright and focused nothing human could withstand it.

  Get away from the pulpit, Nico shouted. Somebody get Del—he's still alive.

  Demons scattered above them, seemingly terrified as the humming became a roar so loud it resembled an avalanche.

  Ari! Mac, no longer in raven form, dragged her and Erly away, just as the floor beneath them rose up and then burst open like an erupting volcano.

  Now, Nico screamed at anyone who could hear him, as a twenty-foot-tall demon, covered in fire and scorched earth, crawled out.

  Shafts of light from every direction hit the enormous demon, only to bounce away, ineffective. Standing and lifting massive arms, the giant demon punched fists through the church's roof, sending beams, roofing materials and debris skyward.

  Inside the sanctuary, flying demons surged through the new opening like a swarm of angry hornets, leaving the enormous demon alone to fight this stage of the battle. Roaring loudly enough to shake the entire building, the abomination stepped forward to attack the Adversary's enemy.

  You see, that wasn't so difficult, Belhar smiled at President Bertram Horne. They always make mistakes and reveal themselves. The light betrays them. Now, they die. Do you wish to stay and watch, or shall we leave this place?

  I could use a drink, the President replied.

  Very well. Reverend, bring our newest slave. He'll be transformed soon enough.

  Ari cursed herself as she tossed blast after blast against this giant—the Adversary must have been nursing this one since the beginning, to create a demon so large and so impervious to their weapons.

  Nico was right to hold back—he must have suspected something like this could happen. Blinking through tears of frustration, she continued to hurl blasts at the demon's head, but all she could accomplish was momentarily blinding him.

  Back up, Nico ordered. Toward the door. Val, Janie, Hunter, get Del, Esther and the Governor's widow out of the building. The rest of you, guard them. Make sure they leave safely.

  Nico, I'll stay and hold him off, Mac said. Ari, go with them.

  This is my fault, she replied. I'll stay with you. Nico, go. Save yourself and the others.

  The others will go; I still have something to do, Nico said.

  Ari's head turned swiftly toward Nico, only to watch him disappear.

  Hold on, we're coming, Lance shouted as Claudio fired light at the swarm of demons that had fled through the church roof. He and his companions had already taken the first set down, but the defenders were weary against this new threat.

  Nevertheless, Claudio lifted his shell-marked hand and fired his light, weakened as it was, at demon after demon, blinding them, then decapitating them with the claws on his other hand.

  Help couldn't come soon enough; in fact, they might not arrive in time to save any of them. Claudio wept as First Scholar, true to the last, rushed to defend Henry, who fought beside him.

  As if they knew who he was, a score of demons attacked First Scholar at once as he shoved the werewolf behind him. Focused beams of light hit the pile of clawing demons, blasting them apart.

  Lance and the others had arrived; only two demons broke away at the last, surely knowing that their mission was accomplished.

  First Scholar lay on the hard concrete, his head separated from his body. He'd sacrificed his life to save another. All around him, the battle continued with their reinforcements firing lethal blasts at the remaining demons.

  Claudio dropped to his knees beside First Scholar's body, his body shaking with grief as he wept.

  Mac's blades were in his hands as he and Ari backed away from the massive demon.

  Ari, Mac sent, I really didn't want it to come to this.

  Ari, who'd become mountain lion again, growled low in her throat. I'm sorry, Mac. I didn't know my foolishness would kill both of us.

  That's not what I'm talking about, Mac dismissed her apology. The demon stepped forward, towering above them and casting them in deep shadow as he blocked the sunlight pouring through the broken roof.

  Nico knew what he was doing, Ari. He knew you'd save the deserving. He knows something about me that nobody else has known—for a very long time. A part of me that I refused—that I didn't want. Nico knew, Ari. That secret has been blocked from every Guardian—until now. I'm the one who needs to apologize, and after today, if you no longer want anything to do with me, I'll understand.

  What the hell are you talking about? Mac, we have to survive first, and the way things are looking, that's not gonna happen.

  The demon stomped a foot, bringing more of the roof down around them. He won't even have to hit us to kill us, Ari shouted at Mac. He'll just bring the whole place down and try to crush us that way.

  "Demon," Mac yelled, lifting his blades. "Attack u
s and die."

  "No need to rush," Belhar snapped at the Secret Service agents surrounding the President. "Not all of you will be leaving with us, you know."

  "The Senators certainly won't be leaving with us," President Horne turned a nasty grin on both men, who'd remained fearful and silent during the massacre in the sanctuary. "You'll be our sheep at the slaughter—to convince all the others to align with our agenda," Horne's grin widened.

  "Wait."

  Horne, Belhar and all the others turned swiftly, to find a young man standing in the hallway before them. Belhar blinked, but he couldn't bring the face into focus.

  It didn't matter; every Secret Service agent had their weapon drawn and trained on the newcomer's chest. "Who the hell are you?" Horne demanded.

  "Nobody important," Nico replied. "But I do have a request. Anybody who doesn't want to follow the President, raise your hands. Be honest, please; your life depends on it."

  Both Senators, three agents and Darnell Cheatham, now handcuffed and held by Benny Killebrew, attempted to raise his.

  "Thanks," Nico said. "Now, Mr. President, and I use that title sarcastically, I'll trade you this," he held up a small, black object, "for all the people who raised their hands."

  "What the hell do I need that for?"

  Belhar, who'd hidden himself behind too many spells to count to remain invisible, stepped forward and whispered in Horne's ear.

  "That's the stone, you fool—I can feel the power pulsing off it. I'll trade anything to get it, including your sorry ass. Tell him we have a deal."