The Guardian

by Elicia Hyder

  “Just taking in the view. Impressive place you’ve got here,” I said, joining them.

  “It’s no Eden, but it’s ours.” He turned toward the high arched entrance. “Welcome to Vykaria.”

  I looked at Reuel.

  Arai meant throne.

  Vykara meant the Destroyer.

  As in Abaddon, the Destroyer. If we were going to find Anya, this would be the place.

  The doorway led into a massive entrance hall. On the floor was a map, of what I assumed was Nulterra. We weren’t able to stop and linger as the demons started up another staircase to the right.

  In the center of the room, high in the ceiling, a bright orb glowed. The sanctonite stone was several feet across, shining down on a cylindrical pillar beneath it. The pillar was covered in capsules. Capsules holding human souls.

  The capsules seemed to be rotating around the cylinder, gradually moving down to where they disappeared beneath the floor.

  I didn’t have to ask what I was seeing. This was the place souls were destroyed. Near the top, a tiny figure floated inside a capsule. Children were never sent to Nulterra. That was Hannah, the little girl from the village.

  Anger raged inside me, but I knew I needed more information before taking action. Before ending this evil practice forever. Before burning Nulterra and all its demons down.

  Up ahead of me, Fury stopped walking, her bright-red eyes fixed on the cylinder. “Can you see them?” I asked when I was close enough.

  She looked like she was about to cry as she nodded her head. Her shaky finger pointed toward Hannah. “Is that…” Fury’s barely there voice sounded like it had been rubbed down with sandpaper.

  “Yeah, that’s her.”

  Fury doubled over, coughing again.

  “Reuel, help her?” I asked as I backed away.

  He scooped her up in his arms, carrying her up the steps.

  The Angel of Ministry waited on the top platform. “She doesn’t have long now, does she?”

  “We need an Angel of Life to help her,” Reuel said.

  “There are no Angels of Life here.” The old woman’s eyes narrowed. “And we wouldn’t help her anyway. In fact, she’s much more useful to us dead.”

  Reuel backhanded her with so much force she flew sideways off the landing and crashed to the bottom. Two of the guardians lunged for Reuel and Fury, but I stepped in front of them, holding my sword up to block their attack.

  They cowered back.

  Etred held up his hands. “Come now. Let’s all take a deep breath.” His eyes were fixed on my sword. “If we can avoid any further delays and violence, I’d like to show you to a room where you can tend to your friend.”

  I gave a slight nod.

  Etred took a few steps backward cautiously, before turning and continuing down a hallway filled with prison cells. Prison cells that held demons. All of them were watching through the bars on their doors.

  Another guardian watched over the hallway.

  “Irek,” Etred said, nodding toward the last cell door at the end of the hall. The guardian placed his palm on the door, and it swung open.

  Something told me, my powers or Reuel’s wouldn’t be able to do the same.

  “Wait here. Someone will come and get you shortly,” Etred said.

  I didn’t budge. “I want to see whoever’s in charge here.”

  “You will, you will.” Etred gestured toward the room. “Please, you’re our guest. May I take your sword?”

  My fist tightened around it. “You can try.”

  I’d be in trouble if he did. He was over seven feet, and easily outweighed me by a hundred pounds. Again, he backed away. “Make yourself at home. Someone will come get you shortly.” He walked away.

  The guardian didn’t even close our cell door when we walked inside. “This is weird. Something is very wrong here,” I said.

  Reuel set Fury down on a bench along the wall. “Would you rather they disarm and shackle us?”

  “It would make more sense.” I laid the blade of my sword across my hand. “That guy was carrying a helkrymite sword just like mine. Bigger, even. But mine was making him nervous. Did you see that?”

  “I did.” He helped Fury lay down on her back. “Warren, this isn’t good.”

  I put the sword in its scabbard and knelt by Fury’s head. Her cheeks were flushed, and she was sweating. I pushed her hair off her forehead. “How are you feeling?”

  She shook her head and started to cry. Then she started to cough violently until she rolled sideways, and I had to keep her from falling onto the stone floor.

  “What can I do?” I asked.

  “My eyes.”

  I pulled a bottle of water out of my bag and unscrewed the cap. “Reuel, you do this. I need to back away.”

  He took my place on the floor and poured the water slowly over Fury’s eyes. “Fury, you need to blink. Let the water wash it out.”

  She screamed out when she tried. Then she started coughing again.

  “It’s no use!” someone called from outside.

  I looked out our cell door and saw an Angel of Knowledge through the cell door facing ours. He was locked behind his. “What do you know about it?” I asked.

  “It’s osmium tetroxide poisoning. She’s drowning from the fluid in her capillaries leaking into her lungs.”

  “How do we fix it?”

  “At this stage? You don’t. By this point, it’s probably starting to destroy her kidneys as well. She’s a goner.”

  “How long does she have?”

  He shrugged. “A few hours maybe. Is that a helkrymite sword?”

  “Maybe.”

  “You’re Warren, Azrael’s son. You’re the new Archangel, aren’t you?”

  “How do you know who I am?”

  “Everyone knows who you are.”

  Heavy footsteps echoed down the hallway. I looked out and saw Etred returning with more fallen guardians. I hurried back into the cell. “He’s coming back. Is she strong enough to move?”

  Reuel shook his head, but Fury reached up for me. “Help me,” she said between coughs.

  I pulled her up to sitting. Balancing her elbows on her knees for support, she coughed until I feared she might pass out. Then she spat blood on the floor between her boots.

  “Maybe you should stay here with Reuel.”

  “My sister is close. She might even be in one of the cells. I have to find her.”

  Etred entered the room. “All right, Archangel. Your audience has been granted.”

  I bent and pulled Fury up. Then Reuel took her from me, and they followed me out of the room with Etred. I looked at the demon in the other cell as we passed. He waved. “Good luck.”

  Etred and the other two guardians led us to a long open hall filled with fallen angels. It had large columns forming hallways down each side, and in the middle was an open floor, like the feasting hall of Zion.

  Except here, instead of a banquet table in the center of the room, a platform with three more pillories faced an elevated throne.

  This wasn’t a place of celebration. It was a courtroom. A sentencing hall. And on the judgment seat was a woman wearing blood stone…

  Who looked a hell of a lot like Fury.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Fury crumpled to her knees when she saw Anya on the Nulterra throne. Reuel had to hold her upright.

  Up until that moment, I’d never as much as seen a picture of Fury’s twin, but there was no denying the women were sisters. Same black hair. Same tan skin. Same dangerous curves.

  The only way to tell them apart? Anya’s eyes were both solid black. Because of her spirit, I was sure she could recognize other angels, but Anya didn’t have the power to see all that Fury could.

  Anya slowly stood. She wore a sleeveless skin-tight black bodysuit made of something that looked like rubber. She had blood-stone cuffs around her wrists, biceps, and throat. Dangling around her neck was a purple stone—the Father’s sanctonite.

  “My
sister,” she said, hatefully.

  All the demons in the room were watching us. Whispering. Waiting.

  Fury was crying and shaking in Reuel’s arms. “No,” she whimpered.

  Anya looked at me. She wore thick eyeliner and dark lipstick. “Nice to see you again, Warren. How’s the baby?”

  My jaw tightened. “What have you done, Anya?”

  She spread her arms. “What have I done?” Her smile was wicked as she let energy surge in her hands. “What have I not done?”

  Everyone besides us in the great hall cheered. Looking around, it was an odd mix of angels. The majority were guardians, not surprising since this was Abaddon’s palace. There were messengers, Angels of Ministry, and a few prophets, but the rest of the choirs were glaringly absent.

  Not surprisingly, there were no Angels of Death. But, Azrael excluded, none of my angels had ever fallen.

  What was shocking was the lack of Angels of Life and Angels of Knowledge. After all, the Morning Star—an angel with both those gifts—had created the place.

  Anya continued her rallying cry. “I have conquered the Neverworld, united the fallen, and have freed us from the Morning Star!”

  The demons cheered again.

  “Freed from the Morning Star?” I asked, confused.

  She looked at me and smiled. “Of course. The Thousand Year Prophecy wasn’t meant for us. We all weren’t sentenced to die. So when the Morning Star’s plan to destroy the spirit line failed, condemning him to his fate, we secured his place on Earth for his final days.” She turned back toward the crowd. “And we will live happily ever after right here!”

  Applause and cheers echoed around the hall again.

  I didn’t understand. “What do you mean, you secured his place?”

  “An angel can be born to any human of age with a womb. The Morning Star planned to be born to Torman’s daughter, but I presented the option of Azrael’s human instead. After all, what better place for the Morning Star to grow up than with the Daughter of Zion, the exact target he intended to kill?

  “At that time, Azrael was still in Eden, welcomed back into the arms of the Father. Little did the Morning Star know that we’d learned of Azrael’s plans to return.”

  “How?” Reuel asked, behind me. “Who told you?”

  “Oh, Guardian, the only thing that travels faster through the spirit line than spirits is information.”

  The other demons laughed.

  “Only days before Azrael’s return to Earth, the Morning Star implanted himself into Adrianne. At the very least, I assumed Azrael would imprison him. But now that his son possesses a helkrymite sword”—her eyes flashed to the sword on my hip—“I’m sure the plan is to destroy the Morning Star once and for all!”

  As the room exploded in thunderous praise again, Fury erupted into another coughing fit.

  Anya slowly descended the steps between us. “And here I have what I’ve always wanted most.” She twisted a button on the front of my shirt. “An Angel of Death. Join me, Warren.”

  I smacked her hand away. “You’re as crazy as your father.”

  Her eyes flared red. “I am my father,” she hissed.

  I took a step back. She’d said it was good to see me again. But I had never met Anya. I’d only met the Destroyer.

  “Join me, Warren,” she said. “I’ll teach you about true immortality.”

  “The blood stone.” My eyes fell to the cuff around her throat. “When Abaddon was destroyed, Anya was wearing the blood stone.”

  “He’s not as dumb as he looks,” Anya said, smiling.

  Abaddon had somehow trapped himself inside Fury’s sister.

  She? He? took a step toward me again, this time holding out the stone necklace. “I can also give you what you want most in all the worlds.”

  My eyes fell to the stone.

  “Warren!” Reuel yelled.

  I spun and saw that his shirt and arms were covered in blood. Something inside Fury’s chest had clearly ruptured. As he cradled her in his arms on the floor, I could feel death creeping over her like a shadow.

  “What justice is this?” Anya cackled like a madwoman and climbed the steps back to her throne. She sat down and watched. “My sister’s soul is about to join us!”

  I knelt beside them, putting the sword under my knees in case anyone tried to take it. I pulled Cassiel’s bag around me, opened the flap, and then slid open the zipper. A piercing screech echoed around the room, jarring the demons, and sending them cowering behind each other.

  Inside the bag was a small glass vial. I pulled it out. Etched into the cork stopper was the word Drink. I unplugged it and tilted it up to Fury’s bloody lips.

  I looked at Reuel.

  He nodded and pulled Fury’s mouth open.

  I poured the few ounces of liquid down her throat.

  All the demons were watching. Everyone was silent. Anya leaned forward on her throne.

  Then with a violent gasp, Fury bolted upright in Reuel’s arms, and a reverberation like a bullet breaking the sound barrier, sent a shockwave of energy around the room. The windows shattered as the echo shook the fortress.

  Fury was panting.

  I sniffed the bottle, then recoiled from the powerful smell. My eyes watered. “Crystal water.”

  Reuel snatched the bottle from my fingers and smelled it. I bent toward Fury and grabbed her face. “Are you OK?”

  She flexed her fingers and held up her hand like it was the first time she’d ever seen it. Upon closer inspection, it almost appeared to be glowing. “I’m better than OK. I’m great. What did you do?”

  “Cassiel. She sent crystal water, the life water of Eden. I had no idea. She sneaked it in my man purse.” I lifted the bag.

  Another loud pop, like the sound of thick ice cracking underfoot, shook the palace.

  Anya bolted off her throne, running to a window. “What have you done?”

  I really had no idea. “Oh boy.”

  “Guards! Take them back to their cell!” she screamed.

  I snatched up my sword before the nearby guardians got their hands on me. A group of them forced the three of us back down the hallway to our cell. This time, they slammed the door.

  Even though I knew it wouldn’t work, I tried to use my power to open it. The door glowed purple but did not open.

  Fury used a bottle of water to clean her bloody face. I walked over and put my hand to her wet cheek. “The fever’s gone.” I looked at her wrists. “The burns too, it seems. How are the lungs?”

  She took a deep breath in. “I feel great.”

  Grabbing the back of her head, I rested my forehead against hers. “Thank God.”

  “Gratal Cassiel,” Reuel corrected.

  “Yes. Thank Cassiel.”

  “I feel…” Fury’s bright eyes darted back and forth as she searched for the word. “Like Wonder Woman. We need to get some more of that stuff.”

  “Not possible,” I said. “The use of crystal water is absolutely forbidden outside of Eden. Cassiel will be in a lot of trouble for this.”

  “What the hell happened out there?” Fury asked.

  “Well, you almost died. The crystal water brought you back.” I pointed out the door. “And that woman out there is not your sister, Anya.”

  “What?”

  “I’m not sure how, but it seems Abaddon has taken up residence in your sister’s body through the blood stone. She was wearing it the day Sloan killed him.”

  “I knew she’d never join the fallen. How do we get him out of her?” Fury asked, panicked.

  “I have no idea.”

  “They really did send the most inept of the inept down here, didn’t they?” the demon in the cell across from us said.

  I ran to the door. “Who are you?”

  “A prisoner. Same as you, apparently.”

  Fury joined me at the door. “What do you mean he’s inept? What does he not know?”

  “He obviously doesn’t know that he is the most powerful ang
el down here.” The demon laughed. “Why do you think no one’s been brave enough to take that sword away?”

  I raised the sword and looked at it.

  “Send your power through it, you idiot.”

  I gripped the hilt with both hands and held it out in front of me. Then I conjured all my killing power into it, and the sword burst into a white and purple flame. I’m pretty sure Reuel, Fury, and myself all said “whoa” at the same time.

  “You’re welcome,” the demon said. “Now let them try to stop you.”

  “What is it?” I asked, admiring the blazing blade.

  “The most powerful forces in all of the realms. The Father’s. And yours.”

  Reuel joined us at the door. “Nicely done.”

  “Hello, Reuel,” the demon said.

  Reuel didn’t smile. “Torman.”

  “Torman?” I asked. “We know your daughter.”

  “You know Chimera?” He gripped the bars on his door.

  “Yes. She helped us get here,” I said.

  “Where is she?”

  My eyes narrowed. This was still a demon, no matter if he was being helpful or not. A commotion outside helped me dodge his question.

  “What’s happening?” I asked.

  “It seems whatever you did in the great hall has pierced the darkness veil around us.”

  “The darkness veil?” Fury asked.

  “It’s whatever keeps this place hidden from Eden,” Reuel said. “We’ve never been able to see in or even see the gate. Not from the auranos. Not from Eden. Not from Earth.”

  “He’s right,” the demon across from us said.

  “What does that mean?” Fury asked him.

  “It means things are about to get really interesting,” Torman said.

  I hoped it meant that Eden could see that little girl’s soul on the demon’s wheel of destruction. That way, I’d have less explaining to do when I got back.

  “Why are you in prison?” Reuel asked.

  “Because I’m an Angel of Knowledge. Anyone Abaddon thought might be a threat was imprisoned when he was strong enough to reclaim the throne.”

  “Why are you a threat?” Fury asked.

  “When Moloch’s plot with the Council was exposed, Abaddon knew he’d been betrayed. He ordered the arrest of all Angels of Knowledge and Life. Even I, one of the chief members of his inner circle. Many of us have already been executed.”