Then, when I don't think it can get any worse, the great jaws of hell stretch wide. A large, jagged fissure tears across the room's cement floor with a thundering boom. It widens and the walls shake. A deep black pit looms before us, and Lamia screams in euphoric glee, grabbing the book as a host of dark souls swarm into the room.
“What's going on?” Jill screams, grabbing the nightstand for balance. “Is this supposed to happen?”
“Yes! Oh yes!” Lamia cries out in elation.
The other acolytes in the audience glance around, frightened, and hang onto the seats in front of them, but the floor keeps right on shaking. Andras loses focus for a split second, long enough for me to escape his magnetic grasp, and I run back to Brecken. If I don't speak, maybe I can stay hidden from that heinous man's radar. I vow to keep my big mouth shut.
Close to Brecken's ear, I whisper, “Brecken. Open your eyes. It's me. Please Brecken, wake up.” He doesn't respond.
I gaze onto his face, the softness of his lashes lying against his pale cheeks, his lips, once so full and warm, are now parted slightly in a last sigh, and his hair, mussed and damp with sweat. Tiny holes cover his body like he's been attacked by snakes. I lay my head on his chest, hoping it will rise just once with the intake of breath.
It doesn't.
A cacophony erupts behind me, but I don't turn. I don't care anymore. I've failed my charge, my calling, and my mission.
CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR
~Saved by an Angel~
Alisa
Darkness fills the auditorium. Demons screech occupying every corner. The acolytes who remain seated, now wear terror-filled expressions. I don't care. My heart lies at my feet, smashed and broken. Any hope I held dissolves into nothing.
Brecken is dead.
I hold his hand and cradle his fingers. His soul must have risen without me ever seeing it. I can’t help but feel it is a punishment for my failure as his guardian.
I sit, the darkness overcoming me, until I hear the tinkling of chimes far away. No one else seems to notice. They continue on in their raucous, manic, or frightened behaviors.
But something has changed, like sparkling water poured into me, bubbling and fizzing out to my fingers, energizing me. I sit up straighter and notice others in the room are finally sensing something different.
The shadows begin to retreat into the tightest corners, and a brilliant white light, a sparkling brilliance, appears in the center of the auditorium. A man materializes in glistening brilliance.
And he isn't alone.
A host of bright white beings stand with him, their glorious countenances cowing the darkness that threatened me only moments before.
“Enough!” Raphael bellows. He swipes a gleaming sword through the air. Chairs pull from their bolts and fly over the acolytes who cower there. After a moment, a quiet settles in the auditorium, and the last bit of debris comes to rest on the dust-strewn floor. He stands front and center like the avenging angel he is, his dark hair flowing out behind him.
I stare, awestruck.
Raphael turns to Lamia. His eyes, like fire, narrow as he gazes at her. “What is it you think you're doing here?”
She squirms like a mouse caught in a lion's paw. “Only what is deserved.”
“I thought I made it clear eons ago that Bretariel's soul was taken off the table.” He moves toward her slowly, a predator ready to spring. I've never seen him so calculated, so deadly.
“I think,” he says, “that you thought you could actually get away with this without anyone knowing. How stupid you've grown over the last ten thousand years.”
She withers under his gaze, but plants her feet firmly, trying to appear like an undaunted soldier. “You have no authority over me,” she says, her voice shaking with fury. “And no soul is ever taken off the table.”
“Ah, but that's where you're wrong.” He reaches out, slowly his long white fingers wrap around her narrow neck. “I should destroy you right now.”
“But you won't, will you?” She smiles. “You especially won't re-nig on an oath.” She steps back, Raphael's hand slipping away.
Out of the shadows, Andras springs up behind Raphael, a roar of fury bursting from his mouth as he drives his black sword into Raphael's back. Raphael stumbles forward, falls to his knees, and then to the floor. He rolls onto his back groaning, looking as shocked as the rest of us.
Andras stands over him, his eyes wild, his lips twitching with raw hatred. “You didn't count on me being here, did you, Watcher?”
Raphael, although clearly in pain, grimaces up at Andras, signaling for his hosts to stand back. “I'll admit, I'm surprised. How... how did you get free? Only a Watcher could set you free.” He pushes back with his feet to a seated position, his hand holding his side. “And I know of none who would.”
Andras throws back his head and laughs. “Oh, the things I could teach you, great protector.” He leans in close to Raphael, his breath puffing out in a poisonous cloud. “You have a traitor in your midst.” His sword drips acid that hisses and spits on the floor. He raises it to strike Raphael again.
The angels who arrived with Raphael don't wait for the command. They swarm, their glimmering swords slicing through the ghostly demons who dare counter attack.
Raphael manages to raise his sword in time to meet Andras. Despite Raphael's injury, he rises to his feet and fights like a wild animal. I watch in dread. How can Raphael possibly prevail when wounded? He holds his side and grimaces at each clang of their swords, yet he seems to overpower the Marquis of Hell, who now has fear etched into the creases of his hawk-like face.
Raphael's angelic army fights at his back, slicing through the demon soldiers who disintegrate in a gasp, leaving nothing on the ground but dust. The fight seems so one-sided, the outcome obvious, the angels winning. Especially when the next wave of angels appears... led by Anaita. Never have I been so relieved to see her.
They swarm into the room, their pale shadows trailing behind them. But instead of raising their weapons with Raphael and his glorious army of light, they fight against them. Raphael stares in surprise for only an instant. His shoulders sag, and then he goes back to fighting, resignation marring his features.
I'm frozen with terror, not understanding any of it. The sound of clanging swords fills the auditorium and screams of pain ring in my ears. Angels with auras as bright as the sun are cut down and killed by their angel brothers, their souls sparkling like fairy dust until they disappear.
Then it all becomes clear—her hate for me, her icy demeanor. Anaita is the traitor. She released Andras. She planned this all along. But why?
It doesn't take long before her eyes find mine. She doesn't break her gaze until she stands beside me, a radiant sword hanging from her right hand. “Always the guardian,” she sneers as she circles the bed. “What a valiant effort you've put forward, but all your labors are in vain.”
“I don't know what you're talking about.” I search for Raphael who is halfway across the room. No one is close enough to help me, and I am no match for Anaita.
CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE
~Angel of Death~
Alisa
Anaita leans forward, letting her sword tip rest on the sheets beside Brecken's still form. “Poor thing. He wasn't as strong as I'd thought. I remember a time when nothing could stand in his way.” She glances up and stares deeply into my eyes, just as she did so many times in class. “He played both sides, you know. His heart was as black as that pit you see over there.” She points to the gaping crevasse in the center of the auditorium, which is still vomiting up evil spirits for the angels to cut down.
“You're lying,” I say, my voice soft, but I know she speaks the truth for it pierces me to the center of my soul.
“Oh, child, he was terrifying to behold, powerful, unstoppable. A general in hell's army!” Her expression intensifies as she stares into space, lost in her memories. Quickly she looks back to me. “But he was sneaky. A counterfeit. He turned the tables in every
battle. Do you understand what I'm saying? Do you?”
I shake my head. Every second that ticks by leaves me more frightened. She's unstable, consumed with fury, ready to destroy.
“What a stupid girl you are.” The acid in her heart drenches her words. “That's why you were assigned to Bretariel in the first place, because the great Undoer didn't need a powerful protector. He has powers of his own. Not that he remembered that. All we needed was someone to keep an eye on him. But you went and developed a little crush on one of the most powerful dark souls to ever live.” She steps back and laughs, shaking her head, glaring at my stupidity, my foolishness.
Her words sting. “Why do you call him that? The Undoer?” I ask, trying to keep her distracted so the sword will stay where it is and not become embedded in me.
“Because that's what he is! That's what he did! Every battle, every skirmish for souls, every sneak attack to undermine the enemy... Bretariel made it unravel right beneath their feet. No one saw it coming, no one suspected him of duplicity. He betrayed his brothers, his people! He deserves hellfire and damnation!” Her eyes slowly find mine again. “It ends tonight, and I will do the deed myself. There's no forgiveness for creatures like him.”
She raises her sword over Brecken's body. His head lies turned on the pillow, his arms stretched wide. An open invitation for Anaita to plunge her sword between his ribs.
“No!” I scream, lunging, both hands aimed at her stomach. The shock of sudden contact stuns me, and blazing pain shoots through my wrists.
Anaita stumbles back and drops her sword in an effort to correct her balance. It clatters to the stage steps, glowing with pink iridescence. Her eyes narrow, a feral growl raised between her lips. “You'll pay for that.”
Not waiting for my comeuppance, I dive forward, my fingers closing around the hilt of her sword. Anaita grabs my arm and rolls over me, banging my wrist on the hard stone steps.
“Raphael!” I scream, hoping he'll come to my rescue. I shove the heel of my hand into her nose and actually hear it crack.
She whips away, holding her face for a moment. “Well, now. That hurt,” she says with deadly calm.
I can't believe I injured her, that I am holding this heavenly sword, which she certainly doesn't deserve. I feel its raw power course through my arm, granting me strength I've never had before. Great waves of energy pulse in my hand and up through my shoulder. I swing the sword back and forth testing its weight, and a small smile forms on my lips. “You made a mistake dropping this,” I whisper.
With one swipe, the sword slides through the red satin tie that holds Brecken's right hand. I leap onto the bed and slice through the other like butter.
Anaita springs for me. I jump back, my feet unsteady on the unwieldy mattress. We slam against the headboard and roll over Brecken in our fight for the sword. I kick her in the face with my foot; she pummels me with her fist. She will soon overpower me. She is a fighter. A warrior. I am nothing in comparison. I have no idea what I am doing, and at any moment, it will end with me as the loser.
The next second, she has me pinned beneath her. She straddles me with her powerful legs, my arms stuck beneath her knees. A smile stretches across her face as she slides a dagger from its sheath on her ankle. “Well now. This is a nice turn of events.”
I say nothing, but stare at the knife that matches the sword I just held. With two hands, she raises it high above her head, its razor-sharp edge glinting insidiously. “And just so you know,” she says, looking down her nose at me, “this blade is made from sacred samarium for the sole purpose of destroying eternal beings. Once it pierces your soul, you disintegrate completely. Silly little Alisa will exist no more.”
I watch her face. There isn't one part of her that will mourn my demise. Not one iota of guilt will wrack her conscience. The only thing I can think of is that I haven't said goodbye to my family. What will happen to my brother still imprisoned down the hall?
With aching resignation, I close my eyes. I will not show Anaita my fear, my utter grief at having lost. I feel a slight breeze as she lifts her arms higher and the rush of wind as she brings her arms down... but nothing happens.
Anaita jerks to the side.
I open my eyes.
Brecken holds her wrist in a vise-like grip, like she is a little bird in the clutches of a tiger.
Despite his lack of blood, he sits there, staring into her face, his jaw clenched, the muscles in his face flexing. He presses her arm to the breaking point... almost. She falls into the soft blankets, her face surrounded by red satin.
“Enough,” he whispers, looming over her. The tiny holes in his body still drip with blood. Crimson beads fall from his arms and chest onto her pink robes, the stains growing like rose blossoms as they spread. He can hardly sit up, let alone fight Anaita. “Your time has come to an end.” From the look on his face, he seems to know her.
“Oh no,” she spits. “It's just begun.” Swiveling her body, she twists out of his grasp and knocks him in the face with her elbow. He grunts and falls back, too weak to put up a fight. I scramble over the bed, not quite believing in his miraculous resurrection.
Heaving leaden breaths, Brecken comes up on one elbow, his face devoid of fear. But there is something else. Something I've never seen in his expression before. A power radiates around him, despite his weakness.
“Get away,” he whispers.
Confused, I wonder if he's talking to me. Before I can ask, I'm yanked back. Anaita hauls me off the bed and away from Brecken. Her arm tightens around my neck as she drags me off the stage, down the steps, and down the hall to the cell rooms.
My last glimpse of Brecken is of him forcing himself off the bed and falling onto the floor.
Anaita and I reach the first room and she throws me inside, slamming the door shut behind us. “Let's settle this without interference.”
Dread entangles me in paralyzing fear. I was at peace when I thought Brecken was dead but he's not! He's alive! I can't let her banish my soul now! But I can't defeat her. I know that. She is too strong, too powerful, too frightening.
“You've learned nothing,” she growls, moving forward with precise steps. “You don't get any of it.” She throws her head back and laughs. “I guess that's good for me.”
She grabs me, yanking me close with one hand on my arm, the other around my neck. She presses me into the wall. I have no need to breathe, but the gritting of her teeth, the hate in her eyes, sucks my life away. Does she really despise me so much? Why? What have I ever done to her?
Knowing I need to stall for time, I blurt the first thing that pops into my head. “I know the truth.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes.” My mind scrambles for something that will make sense. And then I have it. A slow smile spreads across my lips. “You loved him. Didn't you? And he rejected you. That's it, isn't it?” I see in her eyes that I have hit a chord.
Her lips purse and she pushes me harder against the wall, her face only inches from mine. “How dare you say such a thing?”
“But I'm right aren't I?”
“No!”
“You said yourself you like bad boys. Who else is there?” I realize my guess is accurate, and even though I am only looking for something to keep the conversation going, I have hit the nail on the head.
“You are so stupid,” she hisses, spittle flying from her mouth and onto my face. “I have no idea what he sees in you, someone so weak, so pathetic.”
“Admit it,” I say, drawing it out.
She stares with hatred into my eyes, her teeth grinding.
“You're forgetting something,” I say.
She frowns and her grip on my neck tightens.
“Raphael once told me I am more powerful than I realize, that I can do things that would amaze me, that I have the power to crush evil. Even if it wounds me in the process, I will always prevail if I truly believe it.” And even though I am close to death—real death—my mind is clear. Everything is laid open before me
like a book, and I know what I have to do. I raise my hand and place it on her wrist, gently pushing her away as though she is only a small child. With my other hand, I take her wrist.
She stares in amazement. I feel her resist, struggling to regain control, but instead of being powerful, overcoming me, she grows weak. More astonishingly, I'm not afraid anymore. I'm not afraid of her, of Andras, or even for Brecken. I know everything will be okay, even though I'm not sure how.
I turn Anaita around so I am behind her, still holding her wrists, and push her back toward the auditorium. She sputters, curses, and yanks, but she can't break my grip or get away.
Raphael stands at the stage's steps, placing a pair of fiery shackles around Andras' wrists and ankles. “Ah, I see the guardian has finally arrived.” His eyes twinkle and he smiles knowingly.
I grin back. “Yeah, I am.”
“It's about time,” he says, handing me a pair of strange, glowing chains. Two brilliant angels come to my side and hold Anaita's arms as I clasp a shackle around her right hand then another on her left. “Say hi to Mr. Roland for me,” I whisper in her ear. “That is, if you're lucky enough to go there.”
Her eyes narrow. “Mr. Roland will seem like a birthday party compared to what I'm going to do to you some day.”
The power of her words hits me, but I resist those old, familiar feelings of despair and insecurity. I give her my best glare to prove her words have little effect.
The angels lead her, Andras, and Lamia away through a luminescent doorway that stands in the center of the auditorium. A legion of heavenly angels march at their side, their iridescent swords ready to strike with one false move. Raphael follows behind.
“Where are they going?” I ask the angel who is still beside me.
“They'll be taken before a council and sentenced, then locked away for a very, very long time,” the warrior says. He smiles and then walks away.
But that phrase: for a very, very long time, does not sound permanent enough to me. I hope they never get out, that Anaita will never be able to make good on her threat. She scares me more than anyone else does.
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