by JL Rothstein
Michael stabbed quickly into the Gutter Demons that dared attack him. He pulled his blade up as he pushed the demons back with the blunt end of the Goedendag, clubbing the demons backward.
Gen noticed he didn’t yell or exert himself more than needed, every movement was deliberate and amazingly accurate. Demons seemed to fall at his feet, within minutes he was nearly tangled in a heap of dead bodies.
Michael stomped on the fallen. Using the bloodied remains of the Gutter Demons he gave himself a height advantage. He walked across the dead, swinging his sword and thrusting the dagger end of the Goedendag. Nearly every strike he launched landed with brutal force. Michael swung down upon the thronging masses, clubbing, slicing, and jabbing as he went further into the battle.
Gen was mesmerized by Michael’s fighting prowess; she nearly missed the voices coming up fast behind her. She turned expecting to be attacked when she saw Harry.
“Oh, my dear girl,” Harry said with a look of grave concern. “What have they done to you?”
Tears sprung from Gen’s eyes. “Harry, I’m so happy to see you.”
Harry pulled her into a warm embrace. “I’m relieved you’re alright and I’m so proud of you.”
“What? How can you be?” Gen pulled back and shook her head as she surveyed the slaughter playing out in front of them. “This is all my fault.”
“Nonsense,” he said abruptly. “This is Hell’s doing, not yours.”
Before Gen could retort she realized Jared and Gabriel were standing alongside Harry. Gabriel’s creased brow betrayed his concern for her physical condition.
Michael yelled toward them and their attention turned back to the field. “Jared, get to Kelly, she’s alone out there.”
Jared looked quickly at Gabriel. “There’s no way I’m not helping.”
“Agreed,” Gabriel answered.
“Gabriel you should stay with Gen and Harry,” Michael ordered. “The Hell Fighters will sense their vulnerabilities and head straight for them.”
“I’m not going anywhere, they’re safe, Michael,” Gabriel answered.
Gen felt a warped sense of relief. She was glad to know Gabriel and Harry were with her but heartbroken that her siblings were still in so much danger; the battle was far from over.
Gen kept watch over the scene and saw that most of her siblings had found each other. Dan was back-to-back with Tom, while Frankie had doubled back to pair up with Deb. Off in the distance near the embankment to the highway, Xavier and Greg teamed up while Jared fought his way to Kelly.
There was something about the way Jared was fighting that caught Gen’s attention. Though Jared had only just left her, he was surprisingly close to Kelly already. Between him and Michael they had killed dozens of Gutter Demons, clearing temporary paths in the field.
How? Gen thought to herself. How did Jared get through that quickly?
Gen felt Gabriel’s hand at the small of her back, the power of the ring allowing him to intuit her inquiry. “I’ll explain later,” he whispered. “A lot has changed for us since being sent to the Pit.”
Gen wanted to ask more about it, but there was no time. She saw Schlosser leering over the field, clearly angered by the sudden shift in Heaven’s favor.
“The upper level demon refraining from the fight doesn’t look happy,” Harry said.
“No, I think he senses the tide turning,” Gabriel surmised.
“That’s Schlosser, he’s a Roamer Demon that I killed six, maybe, seven months ago,” Gen told them. “He’s back for vengeance, it’s what he’ll do now that worries me.”
“What do you mean?” Harry asked.
“He’s not going to stop,” Gen said as she looked at Gabriel knowing her answer was going to add to his already elevated level of concern. “He’s not going to give up until I’m dead. He’s already sold my soul to a trader named Torin.”
“That’s not possible,” Harry answered. “Roamer Demons don’t have the power to remove a soul, let alone a Guardian’s soul.”
“He seems to have a lot of allies on this field for a Roamer Demon,” Gabriel commented.
“He stole the powers he has now,” Gen explained.
“Even so, only a few entities have the power to steal a soul,” Harry countered.
“He’d need a soul catcher,” Gabriel said.
“A what?” Gen asked feeling the ache in her head as she tried to keep up with the conversation.
Before Gabriel could answer he was thrust into battle as several Gutter Demons swarmed them from behind. Gen maneuvered in front of Harry, but she barely engaged one of them when Gabriel swiftly killed the other three.
“I don’t understand,” Gen heard herself say.
“I promise I’ll explain later,” Gabriel told her. “What is the game plan here?”
“It’s not working,” Gen said simply. “They should have been here by now.”
“Who?” Gabriel asked.
The sky above grew gravely dark as a malevolent wind swept through. The trees strained against the torrent of debris that was churned up and tossed about. Gen saw Schlosser turn his back to the field and swing his arms up to the sky as if he were cursing Heaven.
“I have a bad feeling,” Gen said.
“He looks like he’s calling for something,” Harry added. “How many more things can he raise from Hell?”
“He’s opening another portal,” Gabriel told them.
“Oh no!” Gen strained to keep from losing all hope. “They should have been here by now!”
“Who’s coming?” Gabriel’s voice was tinged with impatience.
“The Horsemen,” Gen told them. “Schlosser attacked Vermillion, stealing his powers he used them to return to Earth seeking revenge.”
Gen watched their faces as the words penetrated. Harry seemed shocked, but Gabriel stood stoic.
Maybe the Pit has changed him in more ways than I realize, Gen thought.
Gen gleaned the outer edges of a second portal opening behind Gabriel’s shoulder. As she circled around him for a better look, she saw a battalion of Hell Fighters come through the doorway.
Oh no, Gen agonized. We’ve run out of time. Kelly can’t beat back this many Hell Fighters.
The Hellions bucked, thrusting their heads in the air, greeting their masters with a series of sinister howls.
“Get back!” Michael yelled. “Kelly, Jared, and Gabriel get to the front with me now!”
Gabriel reluctantly stepped forward, but Gen grabbed his arm.
“No Gabe!” she said to him. “Don’t go. I can’t lose you, not again.”
“I’m immune Gen,” Gabe answered. “That’s why he called us forward. I’ll be alright, you’re never gonna lose me Gen, never.”
Gen watched in frightful terror as Gabriel moved into the battle.
“What about Michael?” she yelled.
Gabriel didn’t turn back. He spoke to her telepathically instead. His injuries, they were severe. He told her. We had no choice, we had to share our blood with Michael. He’s immune now also.
“Tom, make your way to Gen and Harry,” Michael yelled.
“I’m on it,” Tom replied as Gen saw him move toward their position.
Gen turned back to Harry and realized he had picked up a weapon; he now held a small dagger in his left hand.
“Hopefully, you won’t have to use that,” Gen said.
“Hopes and Hail Mary’s,” he said to her. “That’s all we need.”
Gen wanted to share in her Angel’s optimism, but it was difficult. The battle waged on, the arrival of the Hell Fighters seemed to tilt things back in Hell’s favor. Gen winced as she was forced to watch the others taking punches and stabs through gritted teeth while waiting for the Horsemen to show up.
Schlosser locked eyes with Gen, he spoke and somehow—though she was yards across the field from him—she heard him. “It’s over, you’re about to lose,” he said in a grimly vicious tone. “You should have let me kill you at the gate, you coul
d have spared your family, but now …”
Gen looked on in horror as Schlosser waved his arms across the field that spread between them.
“Now, you’ve doomed them all to your fate, Guardian.” Schlosser’s wide smirk was visible to her even at this great distance.
Gen was forced to watch the engagement from behind the fighting lines. Deb and her brothers kept the two groups divided. Nothing was getting past them to reach Gen and Harry. The Hell Fighters couldn’t get past Kelly, Jared, Michael, and Gabriel. This brought relief, but at great cost. Exhaustion had to be setting in.
It’s not typical for us to fight this intensely for such a long time, Gen thought.
Gen could see they were all injured. The field was covered in her loved ones’ blood. Shame made Gen’s head fall downward and as she looked at the ground, she realized her own blood had formed a puddle at her feet. Cold settled in her joints, her mouth had a salty taste that made her thirst insatiable.
“Harry,” Gen whispered. “I don’t think I’m going to …”
Harry caught her as she started to sway. “Don’t say that,” he said firmly as he wrapped an arm around her. “You’re going to make it, Genevieve. You are the glue holding this family together.”
Gen leaned into Harry, but Xavier’s deep throttled scream sent a shot of adrenaline coursing through her. She pushed off Harry and stood straight. Her eyes cascaded the field looking for Xavier. She spotted her brother holding his left side as blood covered his torso and soaked into the ground below his feet.
“This isn’t working,” Gen said out loud to them. “The Horsemen should have been here by now. The energy from this engagement should have been enough to draw them to us.”
“The Horsemen?” Michael asked from deep within the trenches.
“Yes, Schlosser stole one of their powers to free himself from Hell,” Gen answered.
“How have they not been able to find him before now?” Michael questioned.
“When Schlosser took me,” Gen halted as the frightful memories of being held prisoner at the Gate assaulted her. “Another demon showed up, a trader named Torin, he gave Schlosser an elixir. Torin said it would mask the signal, but that each vial would have a diminished effect.”
“That’s why he’s not fighting,” Kelly interjected. “He knows the more energy he expends, the weaker he’ll get, and the faster the elixir will wear off.”
“We need to draw him into the battle then,” Jared added.
“We could try that,” Michael paused before continuing, “or we could bring down his cloaking shield.”
Gen’s mind spun, something familiar tickled the back of her mind. She was so weak every solution seemed just beyond reach. She felt as though her mind were running aimlessly through a labyrinth, every muddled thought leading her astray.
Finally, she heard Kelly’s voice clarify an answer. “Antonio!” she yelled. “He can drop the cloak, just like he did that day at the restaurant.”
“Except we can’t call him.” Deb’s fragile voice sounded like heartbreak to Gen.
“Why not?” Gabriel asked.
“There’s no way to just call an Arch Angel,” Kelly sarcastically snapped.
“Of course there is,” Gabriel stated. “You just need to ask the Angel you know.”
“What?” Kelly’s emphatic yell nearly caused her to fall over the dead Hell Fighter that lay at her feet. “Harry can call Antonio?”
“Are you offended or excited?” Jared matched Kelly’s sarcasm with a bit of his own. “By the way, I don’t think you’re Antonio’s type.”
“How do you know Antonio?” Kelly asked in disbelief.
“Doesn’t everyone know Antonio?” Jared answered with a quick wink. He killed the Hell Fighter nearest him as a new throng raced through the open portal.
There’s no time left, Gen thought in anguish.
“I think we need to fall back,” Tom yelled. “Xavier’s really hurt.”
Gen felt her chest heave in pain. No! Her silent scream was a crushing emotional blow.
A bright light which had been creeping along the horizon, pushed in, swooping straight toward them. The Hellish wind died down and the Gutter Demons all but stopped their swarming seemingly confused by the change. The air warmed and comfort rode the calming breeze that now surrounded them.
Michael stabbed a Hellion bringing him down to the ground, but before he could finish the kill, a Hell Fighter pulled the beast from the field, tugging him back toward the portal.
“Something’s coming that some of them are afraid of,” Tom said.
Antonio appeared next to Harry. “What is happening?”
Harry touched the Arch Angel on the shoulder. “There’s no time my friend. You see that hulking coward of a demon across the battlefield? The one with the seeping wounds and glowing green eyes? We need you to drop his cloaking shield.”
Seeing Antonio peer across the field, Gen thought he looked dismayed at the scene playing out before them. He caught site of Kelly and Jared and spoke to them.
“You watch out for her, Jared,” Antonio said as he pointed toward Kelly. “Someday, I may steal her from you.”
“I will my friend,” Jared answered through a crooked grin.
Antonio turned to Harry. “It’s done. Call us if you need us, Harry.”
Walking toward Gen, Antonio asked, “What have they done to you?”
“Oh, you know,” Gen said through a half smirk. “The usual bloody beating as they tried to kill me.”
She felt disappointed that they had to call upon him, this was her fight. It was bad enough her siblings were involved, the last thing she wanted was for someone else to get hurt.
Antonio reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder. A warm white light enveloped her.
“That should help,” Antonio said in a tone that felt like warm milk. “I’m sorry this happened to you.”
“Thank you,” Gen said as she was able to stand steady on her feet once more.
“Di nulla, Genevieve,” Antonio said. “I must leave. I cannot be here when Heaven finds Jared and Gabriel. I know nothing.” He winked at her, and for a moment, she felt all was right with the world.
Antonio left the field as quickly as he appeared. To Gen, the scene seemed to burst to life once more, but something had changed. Hell Fighters were no longer coming through the portal, Hellions were exiting hastily at the heels of their masters.
“They’re leaving willingly?” Deb asked.
“They know it’s over,” Gen said through a smile that matched her optimism. “They know something else is coming.”
Gen watched Schlosser running around cursing the Hell Fighters nearest him for the betrayal of attempting to leave him.
“His tactics don’t seem to be working,” Harry snickered.
“No,” Gen said. “These things are smarter than Schlosser.”
Gen saw the outline of the portals start to shrink. Before she could inhale a sigh of relief the Hell Fighters started running for the opening. Anxiety washed over her.
I really hope this works, Gen thought. I’ve never known a Hell Fighter to run from anything.
Gen’s mind felt clearer and she watched the scene devolve into chaos wrapped in a thickening darkness. Schlosser ran to the portal pulling the Hell Fighters back, thrusting many of them back out onto the field. Schlosser trampled Gutter Demons as he yanked as many beasts as he could reach out of the portal.
Off to the side of the battle the three Horsemen Gen and Kelly had seen at the library appeared. Their majestic stature, long flowing coats, and glowing green eyes peered out over the landscape.
“About freaking time!” Kelly huffed.
The portal continued to shrink, the opposing side was writhing in disarray.
Gen’s eyes narrowed in on Leucous, but he was busy looking toward Schlosser.
“Whose fight is this?” Raven’s voice squawked like the bird named after him.
Gen watched Schlosser step forward
yelling as he waded through the crowd of demons attempting an escape.
“Get back on the field and fight demons!” Schlosser screamed.
“Answer our question,” Sonoran yelled. “Who’s bringing forth the Hell Fighters?”
“This is my fight, my right to vengeance,” Schlosser answered. “These Guardians are mine!”
“Enough!” Leucous yelled in reply.
“If you don’t leave, you’ll pay. All of you!” Schlosser threatened.
What now, Genevieve? Michael asked telepathically.
Gen took a few tentative steps forward and stopped when Harry’s hand grasped her shoulder.
“Are you sure about this, Genevieve?” Harry’s voice sounded solemn.
Gen glanced back over her shoulder and onto the field. The carnage spanned hundreds of feet across. Dead bodies, smoldering demon parts, and blood cascaded the landscape.
“Yes, I’m sure.”
“Then I’m going with you.” Harry dropped his hand from her shoulder and took steps toward the battle.
“I don’t think—” Gen was interrupted.
“It wasn’t a request,” Harry said to her. “I’m the highest-ranking Heavenly entity here. If you’re going to speak with the Horsemen, then I’m going with you.”
Gen gave Harry a half-hearted smile and turned back toward the path to the Horsemen. Gen seemed to gain strength from Harry’s mere presence, and they made their way down the small incline they had been perched on and walked forward.
Schlosser burst through the few remaining demons he had managed to keep from fleeing the field and faced Leucous.
“You want in on this fight? Fine, but she’s mine!” Schlosser screamed as he pointed toward Gen. “You try and take her, and you’ll feel my wrath.”
Leucous barely glanced at Gen before turning back to Schlosser.
“You bore me with your infantile little demon vengeance. You don’t know what wrath is,” Leucous remarked. “Sonoran, show this pathetic Roamer Demon who’s really in charge here.”
Sonoran sneered in agreement and began walking slowly through the smattering of demons standing between The Horsemen and Schlosser. She quietly raised her hand, barely touching each demon as she cat-walked her way toward Schlosser. Each demon that felt her touch burst into flames and burned to the ground. Like living firecrackers, the demons exploded one by one as she sauntered through them.