The Soul Destroyer

by Elicia Hyder

  Her fingers traced the thick black lines of ink wrapped around my torso and upper arm. I breathed a man-sized sigh of relief. “Oh. The tattoo. Geez, you scared me. I thought I’d contracted angel leprosy or something.”

  She walked all the way around me. “What is it?”

  “A dragon claw.”

  The design was massive, covering almost half my upper body. One talon came down the center of my chest, curving to a point toward my ribcage. Its top wound over my left collarbone and across my shoulder and down to my elbow. My back had three more claws stretching halfway down my spine.

  “It looks like it’s going to carry you away.”

  I smiled. “Maybe it did.”

  Rolling her eyes, she laughed and shook her head. Her eyes fell to my right hip. “Is that…?” She hooked her finger into the waistband of my pants and pulled.

  My breath hitched, and I flinched, pushing her hand away. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. What are you doing?”

  “Looking at that.” She pointed.

  I looked down. “Oh.”

  “Is that Azrael’s name?”

  I tugged down the waistband a couple of inches. “Yeah. That’s where I used to wear my weapon holster when I was human. That was my first tattoo. Got it when I was in the military.”

  “Why?”

  “When I was in Iraq, this old guy with the sight saw me and thought I was Azrael. I didn’t know who Az was at the time, but our translator told me the name meant the Angel of Death. Since I knew I could kill people, it seemed appropriate.”

  Her fingertips sent hot tingles straight through my hips as they graced the script. My abs tensed and chill bumps rippled over them. I shuddered and she noticed.

  I smiled. “That tickles.”

  Her hand lingered a second past naïve curiosity. My eyes fell to her mouth. I leaned in and…

  Alarm bells sounded on my phone on the nightstand.

  Ahab.

  Chapter Seventeen

  “That’s never happened before,” I said, looking at the screen.

  Cassiel looked over my shoulder. “What?”

  “Ahab went offline right after I got the breach warning.”

  “Moloch.”

  The phone rang before I could answer. Azrael. I tapped the answer button. “What’s going on?”

  “We have a problem.”

  “I’m aware. What happened? Why is Ahab offline?”

  “I’m not sure, but I’m here with the whole team.”

  I glanced at my watch. “At three in the morning?”

  “We were already here running night ops.”

  “Is everyone safe?”

  “I believe so. There doesn’t seem to have been contact with the building. But right after the breach, everything went dark.”

  “Who was it?”

  “I don’t know.” There was commotion on his end of the line. I walked to the bathroom and grabbed the shirt I’d discarded into the hamper. “What’s happening?” I said, stuffing my arms into it.

  Gunfire blasted over the phone. Voices were yelling in the distance. I ended the call and shoved my bare feet into my boots without socks.

  I needed to go. Now.

  I tried to breach.

  Nothing.

  Cassiel was watching from the bathroom doorway. “You must go outside. Theta’s shield around the building won’t allow us to breach in or out.”

  I walked past her. “If you’re coming, hurry. I’m not waiting.”

  She caught up with me on the stairs. “Did Moloch attack the building again?”

  “Looks like it.” I threw open the front door and ran out into the street. About twenty tourists stopped to gawk at the crazy man in sweatpants and an unbuttoned shirt.

  Cassiel skidded to a stop beside me. She was barefoot, carrying her shoes. “We can’t do this here. Too many witnesses.”

  “Screw the witnesses.”

  She grabbed my arm. “Come on, just a few feet to the alley.”

  My phone rang again. Azrael. I tapped the screen.

  “We’re OK! We’re OK!” he was yelling.

  “I’m on my way.”

  “Just wait.”

  I was still jogging toward the alley with my untied boots flopping up and down on my feet. “What was that?”

  “Moloch and his minions. Whatever he tried to do failed, and they left.”

  I slowed. “Is everyone safe?”

  “Yes, I think so. The power has come back on, but Ahab is still offline, so I can’t talk to whoever is inside—” I heard Enzo’s voice in the background. “Nate’s on the radio. Everybody’s safe. Nothing got in.”

  My whole body relaxed. “Thank God.”

  “Let me talk to Nate. I’ll call you back.”

  “I’ll be there in two minutes.”

  “Is Cassiel still with you?”

  She was standing right next to me. “Yes.”

  “Don’t. Not yet. Let me figure out what’s going on. I’ll call you back.”

  “I want to be—”

  “Warren! I said wait.”

  My hand clenched the phone. “All right. Call me back.”

  He ended the call.

  “Well?” Cassiel asked.

  “Azrael wants me to wait. He’ll figure out what’s going on and let me know.”

  “Oh.” She looked down at her pajamas. “At least we might have a little time to get properly dressed.” We started back toward the villa. “I assume the attack failed?”

  “I think so. The power came back on, but the security system is still offline.”

  “Why does it need to be online?”

  I held up my phone. “When the system is online, a few of us have the ability to remotely secure the building or disable Ahab if there’s an emergency. I can also see the cameras inside and outside the building if I need to.”

  “Inside? You can see Iliana and Sloan?”

  “I can, but I don’t.”

  “Too hard?”

  I didn’t answer.

  She trailed her fingers down my arm. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

  If she wasn’t here now, I could go to my family. Instead, my presence had become a liability.

  I shook my head and let Azrael’s warning replay in my mind…

  “Don’t let your guard down.”

  If I didn’t watch it, my guard would be down around my ankles soon.

  An hour later, I was dressed and sitting on the balcony to avoid being alone near a bed with Cassiel.

  A video call came through from Azrael. I hit answer, and his face filled the screen. He appeared to be inside the guardhouse at Wolf Gap. He was yawning when I said, “Hello.”

  The yawn faded and he shook his head. “Sorry. It’s late.”

  “Or very early.”

  “Yeah.”

  Cassiel must have heard me talking because she walked out of our bedroom.

  Azrael turned the camera around. “I’ve got Nathan, Enzo, and a few others here.”

  “Cassiel is here with me.”

  Azrael didn’t comment.

  “What did you find out?” I asked.

  “It seems Moloch may have fried part of the system. None of us can bring Ahab back online.”

  “I figured as much. I’ve been refreshing my app for the last hour. What happened?”

  “I’ll let you talk to Nate.”

  The camera wobbled as he passed the phone. Cassiel sat down on the love seat beside me.

  “Hey, man,” Nathan said when he steadied the phone.

  “Hey. What happened?”

  “The breach alarm went off, then ten seconds later, it was a total blackout except the emergency lights. Nothing worked. The high-Z locks bolted the doors, so it was still secure, but the entire system completely crapped out.

  “Justice finally got it rebooted, but when he did, the whole system went haywire.”

  “Haywire?” Cassiel asked.

  “Yeah. It went crazy. The cameras started moving. Icons
were being clicked. The temperature controls were going up and down.” Nathan looked behind him, and the camera moved enough for me to see Justice in the corner. “But neither one of us were touching it.”

  “It’s like the computer was possessed,” Justice added.

  Cassiel looked at me. “Possessed.”

  “Then there were a lot of sparks and smoke and the whole thing shut back down and went offline,” Nathan said.

  Enzo leaned into the screen’s view. “One of the defense mechanisms is for the system to shut completely down when it’s attacked. That’s why it went down and stayed offline.”

  “Cassiel, do you think Moloch tried to disarm Ahab?” Azrael asked in the background.

  Cassiel looked at me. “I think Moloch tried to control Ahab.”

  “Hack the system?” I asked.

  “Become the system,” she said.

  Nathan pulled the camera close to his face. “You think a demon tried to upload himself into our security system?” He looked at someone to his right. “Didn’t Johnny Depp do that in some movie?”

  Cassiel was not amused. “Moloch has the most advanced consciousness in existence next to the Morning Star. Your computer system isn’t smarter than he is.”

  “Apparently Ahab is close. It shut down to keep him out,” Nathan said.

  “But something was messing with that screen. I saw it myself,” Justice said off-camera.

  “And what if Moloch figures out a workaround and defeats the system next time?” Cassiel said.

  “So what do we do?” Nathan asked.

  “Leave the system offline?” she suggested.

  Enzo shook his head. “That’s not a good idea. That means none of us will have the ability to monitor the system or secure the building remotely if there’s an emergency.”

  “And I won’t know what’s going on there at all,” I said.

  “Me either,” Azrael added.

  We were all quiet for a moment. Nathan sat back and handed the phone back to Azrael.

  I took a deep breath. “I’m calling Fury’s hacker, Chimera.” I waited to see if my father would argue.

  After a moment, he pinched the bridge of his nose. “That might be a good idea.”

  Had I not already been dead, I would’ve been a goner. Then again, if Azrael was worried enough to consider he might be wrong, we had a serious problem on our hands.

  “Does Fury’s guy know about threats from our world?” he asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Get in touch with him as soon as possible. Let me know what he says.”

  “Will do.”

  “We’ll get the Nerd—” Nathan stopped himself. “The tech team from Claymore back out here.”

  “I already called them and woke them up,” Azrael said. “For now, Ahab will stay offline.”

  “Nathan, call me if there’s the slightest issue,” I said.

  Azrael turned the phone’s camera toward Nate again. “I will.” His head pulled back with alarm. “Oh, my phone won’t work inside without Ahab to boost the signal through the walls.”

  I swore.

  “This is going to be a problem,” I heard Azrael say.

  “We’ll find a solution. We’re safe for now, and if anything happens, I’ll send a pigeon to Italy.”

  I wished that was funny.

  Azrael angled the phone back toward himself. “Don’t worry. We’ve got this under control. You and Cassiel stay in Italy,” he said with a little more emphasis than I cared for.

  I nodded.

  “And let me know as soon as you talk to Chimera.” Then he ended the call without saying goodbye.

  I stared off into the distance for a while until Cassiel’s nails scratched lightly across the back of my neck. “With the system offline, nothing can get in, right?”

  “Not without the passphrase entered at the door,” I answered almost to myself. God, I wanted to be there. I looked at Cassiel. “Mind if I make another call?”

  “To the hacker?”

  I nodded.

  “Go ahead. I’m going back inside.”

  She got up and walked back to our bedroom door. I realized then I’d have to call Fury first for the number. My eyes widened. I might have a moment to talk to her privately. I stood and walked to the edge of the balcony to be certain the door had closed behind Cassiel. It was closed, and she was in the bathroom washing her hands.

  I quickly tapped Fury’s name in my recent-call list. She answered on the second ring. “If you’re calling with more bad news for me, my vagina hurts too much to talk to you.”

  Any other time, I’d probably have laughed. “Hey. I only have a minute. Where are you?”

  “In the damn car headed to an undisclosed safehouse. Azrael specifically told me not to tell you where.”

  I sighed. “That’s probably for the best.”

  “Do you know how painful car rides are after giving birth?”

  “No,” I said with a grimace.

  “Be glad.”

  “Fury, I need your help. I need to get in touch with Chimera.”

  “Why?”

  “Remember I told you Moloch attacked Echo-5?”

  “Yeah.”

  “He might have tried to take over Ahab.”

  “Damn.”

  “I’m hoping Chimera can help us plug the holes in the system’s security. Azrael’s team worked on it yesterday, but Moloch was still able to get into it.”

  She chuckled on the other end of the line. “You want Chimera to help out Claymore? Do you realize the irony of that?”

  “Yes, but even Azrael is feeling desperate.”

  There was a pause. “That’s never good. I’ll text you the number. It will go to a secure voicemail, and Chimera will call you back. Sometimes it takes a while.”

  “Thank you, Fury.”

  “Where are you right now?”

  “Venice.”

  “As in Italy?”

  “Yep.”

  “Are you alone?”

  I glanced back toward the bedroom. Cassiel was laying on the bed. “Sort of.”

  “Why is Eden coming after Jett?”

  I looked up at the blue sky. “Because they’re afraid.”

  “Warren, desperate angels are dangerous. Be careful.”

  “I will be. Please be safe, Fury.”

  “You know I always am.”

  I smiled. “I know. I’ll be in touch when I can be. Don’t forget to text me that number, OK?”

  “Stand by,” she said and disconnected our call.

  “I hate it when she does that,” I whispered, ending the call and holding the phone over the balcony.

  “Did she hang up on you again?” Cassiel asked behind me.

  Startled, I dropped my phone. I swore and threw my power toward the concrete below to catch it. I stopped it just before it smacked the ground.

  “Jumpy?” Cassiel asked, walking up beside me.

  The phone flew back up into my hand. Several tourists gasped down below. “Uh…” I held up both hands. “Ta-da!”

  They all clapped.

  Cassiel laughed and leaned on the rail beside me. “How’s Fury?”

  “Sore.”

  “I’ll bet. Childbirth looks dreadful.” She made a sour face.

  I waited for her to press me for details about Fury and Jett. She didn’t. My phone buzzed. It was a contact card for Chimera with a long overseas phone number. I looked at the number. “I wonder what country code starts with forty-one.”

  “Easy. Ukraine.”

  My mouth fell open. “You know all the country codes too? What about area codes? And zip codes?”

  She rolled her eyes. “Don’t be a donkey hole, Warren.”

  I laughed, and it surprised me.

  “I used to live in Europe, remember?”

  “Right. What time is it right now in Ukraine?” I looked at my watch. It was after four in the morning in Asheville.

  “Look it up yourself.” She leaned on my arm. “That's
why man created Google.”

  I smiled as she walked back to the bedroom, leaving the door open behind her.

  I did a quick search on my phone. It was only an hour later in Ukraine than in Venice. I dialed the number. At the end of five rings, there was a long beep. No message. No identification. I left a brief message and my phone number before ending the call.

  I walked into the bedroom. She was lying on the bed, reading what had to be an ancient copy of People magazine. Brad Pitt was on the cover as “The Sexiest Man Alive”—his Interview with a Vampire days.

  Two other sexiest-men issues were laying beside her: David Beckham and Johnny Depp.

  I lifted an eyebrow. “Is it your turn for some alone time?”

  “I’m trying to understand American men. And Theta has all these magazines.”

  I laughed. “Well, you won’t learn much from them. And David Beckham is British.”

  “But he is beautiful.” We both laughed. She closed the magazine and laid it on her chest. “What do you want to do?”

  I didn’t want to lie down beside her. That’s what I told myself, anyway. Truthfully, I could really use a nap. Or more food. I looked at the clock on my phone. “Want to get lunch? Scope out more tourist spots?”

  “I could eat.”

  “Good. Let’s get out of here.”

  We ate lunch near the Rialto Bridge, another prime spot for people watching. Our view was so great, we decided to stay for dessert. And another carafe of wine. Fortunately, our bodies metabolized everything so quickly, we could indulge in all the excess without much consequence.

  Still, nothing. No purple haze. No disjointed human souls. And no more dead bodies.

  We finally gave up, left the restaurant, and crossed the busy bridge. When we reached the other side, she veered toward another street vendor’s cart and made a beeline for the magnets.

  With a laugh, I shook my head and looked around at the other items for sale. Intricately painted Carnival masks, decorative plates, and…“Hey, Cassiel, they have hot priest calendars over here. It’s like the sexiest priests alive. That sounds right up your alley.”

  “Ha. Ha. Ha.”

  “You want one?”

  She rolled her eyes. “Where would I put it?”

  “I think it would look great in the Onyx Tower. The whole Council could enjoy it,” I said.

  The vendor offered me a deal. “It’s only ten euros, Cassiel. Are you sure?”