by Elicia Hyder
I couldn’t believe I was about to screw this up twice.
The first time I died, I dove in front of a spray of bullets to save Nathan McNamara’s life. As I lay bleeding to death on the battlefield, all that replayed in my mind was, “I can’t believe I’m dying so this motherf***** can have sex with my wife.”
Now this?
As I fell to the pit of Hell, all that replayed in my mind was…I’ll bet Gene Simmons can lick his elbow.
Profound, I know.
Lucky for me, right before I splashed down to my eternal death, an invisible force lassoed my waist. I stopped falling with so much force that it almost snapped my back.
Suspended nearly upside down, I saw Anya with her hands outstretched on the floor below me, and when I looked up, Reuel’s hands were extended from the platform above.
Fury leaned over the abyss and grabbed the collar of my shirt, yanking me back to safety. I landed on the floor with a thud.
Laughing like a madman, I rolled onto my back and pulled Fury’s head to my chest. “Oh my god, I thought I was a goner.” I raised a hand in the air. “Thanks, guys!”
Anya leaned down over me. “Is this how this relationship is going to go? Me saving your ass all the time?”
I was still panting on the floor. “God, I hope not.”
When I sat up, Reuel and Torman were coming down the stairs. Torman was clapping. “Nicely done, everyone.”
The map on the floor underneath me began to crumble at the edges. I got up, pulling Fury with me toward the door.
“Hannah!” she said, reaching for the soul of the little girl. Hannah’s eyes had cleared, and she was more alert. Poor thing was shaking uncontrollably, and Fury pulled her between us.
I put my hand on her head. “Hello, Hannah.”
She looked up at me. My heart broke. She couldn’t have been more than four or five years old.
“We’ll take care of you, OK?”
She nodded and reached for my hand.
“We don’t have much time,” Torman said, looking over the map. “Nulterra is falling apart.”
I nodded as more of the floor crumbled into the pit. “Let’s get the hell out of here. Torman, lead the way.”
Our group raced down the fortress steps that we’d come in, but the entire city now appeared deserted. When we reached the city wall, I fashioned a mask for Anya out of one my shirts, then she closed her eyes and let Reuel lead her across the osmium bridge.
Mountains in the distance to our right were collapsing. “We have to hurry!” Torman shouted.
I carried Hannah on my back as we ran through the wastelands of Ket Nhila, and when we crested the hill near the glowing purple horizon, everyone stopped dead in their tracks.
The mirror maze.
“Oh no. We’ll never make it through that in time,” Torman said.
“You’re an Angel of Knowledge. You can’t beat a mirror maze?” Anya asked.
Torman looked out toward the crumbling landscape. “Not before the edge of this world reaches us.”
“Can you smash the way through?” Fury asked me.
“I’m sure as hell going to try.” I passed Hannah to Reuel, then ran toward the mirrors with my sword, ready to start swinging.
“Stop!” Fury shouted.
I did. When I turned to look back at her, her eyes were fixed on the ground. She started walking toward me without looking up. “My god, she’s done it.”
“Who’s done what?” I asked as Fury walked past me. Her pace quickened to a jog. “It’s Sloan’s summoning power. She’s leading us out! Follow me.”
My face erupted into a smile so huge it hurt my face. Then we all ran, following Fury as she twisted and turned through the maze.
We were all out of breath when we reached the gate back to Earth, even the ones of us who didn’t need oxygen to stay alive. In the distance, I could hear the land falling apart.
“Everyone, come here,” I said at the bottom of the stone steps.
Torman tried to run past me to the gate, but I stopped him with my sword. “No, no, no. We are all in this together until the end.”
He took a step back to the rest of the group.
“Reuel, take Hannah through first. Then Torman will follow. Fury and Anya will go through one at a time after that. Reuel and Torman, you’ll have to get the blood-stone cuffs off them as quickly as possible. Understand?”
They both nodded. Torman more reluctantly than Reuel.
“Don’t forget, that cathedral on the other side is coated in osmium. Anya, keep your eyes closed and the mask on. There should be an extra gas mask in the rucksack we left there.”
Anya held up a thumb.
“Flint will follow Fury, and I will come last. I’ll put the sword through the stone as I cross through the gate. Any questions?”
“Nope.” Torman started up the steps again, and once more, I stopped him. He huffed.
“Reuel?” I stepped to the side and put my hand on his arm as he passed. “Keep her close until she can be sent into the spirit world.”
He nodded.
“And get those cuffs off Fury.”
He nodded again.
Then he disappeared through the gate. Torman bolted through after him so fast it made me roll my eyes. “Anya?” I said.
She paused in front of me. “See you on the other side.”
When she was gone, I reached for Fury. “Give her just a minute for Reuel to get the collar off her.”
She stepped close to me and put her arms around my neck. “We did it,” she breathed into my ear.
“Yeah. We sure did.” I pulled back and cupped her face in my hands, then I pressed my lips to hers in a long, slow, deep kiss. When I broke it, I rested my forehead against hers. “I love you, Allison.”
“Don’t.” She shook her head. “Don’t turn this into a goodbye.”
I forced a smile. “I’m not. I don’t even have a word for goodbye in my language anymore.”
She kissed me once more. “I love you too, Warren,” she whispered.
The ground rattled underneath us. I took a step back. “You need to go. Flint will be right behind you.”
She wiggled her fingers in a wave. “Cak vira.”
“See you soon,” I echoed with a smile.
Then she disappeared through the archway.
With a deep breath, I conjured my killing power into the sword. I offered it to Flint. “Mind holding this while you wait for Fury to get her cuffs off?”
“Of course.” He took hold of the sword and stepped to the side as I blasted the stone above the arch with fire. It turned from purple to red.
I climbed the steps to stand directly beneath it.
For this death experience, I was determined to make my last thoughts count. Iliana’s sweet little face was the first thing I thought of. Then her dancing with her butt in the air. And her scrunching her nose against my cheek.
Then I thought of Sloan and how proud I was of her. One more time, she’d saved us all. I wished I could tell her how much I’d always love her.
I even thought of Nathan, and how—aside from the sleeping with my wife part—he was, truly, my very best friend.
And then there was Fury. Unyielding and fearless. Dedicated and strong. The only woman to every truly break me. And the only one to make me whole again.
Maybe Cassiel was right about omniscience. Had the little boy lost in Chicago ever been told how much he’d be loved someday, that he’d someday fly, and would someday save the world, it’s not that he wouldn’t have acted—he would’ve never believed it to begin with.
I wished I could tell Cassiel thank you…
The stone turned from red to orange.
“All right, Flint. Your turn. When we get on the other side, I’ll take you back to Eden.”
“Son, I worked with your father for half a century. Don’t you think I can spot a bullshitter when I see one?” Flint walked up the steps beside me.
“What?”
&nbs
p; “You. You just lied to my daughter. Now you’re lying to me. I saw your face when you held that stone of Cassiel’s.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking—”
“She told you someone would have to stay behind, didn’t she?”
The stone turned from orange to yellow.
“Flint, you need to go. I’m not sure how much longer the gate will stay open!” Its light had begun to flicker.
“Now you listen to me. All I’ve wanted my whole life is for those girls to be happy. To have a family. And to be loved. You won’t take that away from my Allison. Do you hear me?”
“Flint, you really have to—”
“Warren!”
The ground rumbled under us again.
He aimed the flaming sword at the center of my chest. “You either go back, or I’ll kill you as punishment for breaking my daughter’s heart. What shall it be?”
“Flint, you can’t—”
The stone turned blue.
“Take care of her for me.” Then he kicked me in the center of the chest and sent me flying back through the gate.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
The light went out when I stumbled up the stairs. I fell on my hands and knees, then flipped around and scrambled backward in horror.
There was nothing there. Just a dark stone staircase to nowhere. Without the light from the gate, it was pitch black in the demon’s cathedral.
Light from Reuel’s wings flooded the room.
“Warren?” Fury ran to me. “Warren, where’s Flint?”
Shaking my head, I still stared at the hole.
“Warren?” she asked again, kneeling beside me.
I looked around the demon’s cathedral. Torman was sitting on the Morning Star’s throne. Reuel was behind me, bandaging Anya’s neck. And Hannah was skipping down the center aisle.
“He—” I swallowed. “He stayed behind.”
Fury drew back. “What?”
“When the stone was unstable, he pushed me through the gate.” My words sounded like they belonged to someone else.
“Why would he do that?” Anya, wearing a gas mask, was on her feet now.
“He knew I was lying. He knew one of us would have to stay behind to destroy the last stone.” My body went limp on the cool stone floor, my empty scabbard squashed between shoulder blades.
Fury slowly sank down beside me in a daze. “You meant it. You were telling me goodbye.”
I nodded, my eyes burning. “He sacrificed himself for me.”
“Our dad’s gone?” Anya asked.
When I didn’t respond, Fury slumped over, burying her face in my chest as she cried.
I threaded my fingers through her hair. “I’m sorry, Fury. I tried to—”
“Don’t.” She shook her head against my chest. “I know you didn’t choose this.”
I pulled her down and held her. Anya joined us. Then Reuel.
I wasn’t sure how long we stayed there, but at some point, we all sat up and faced the stairs. Nulterra was gone forever, and with it, one of the bravest men I’d ever met.
Anya was sitting diagonal to me around the stairwell. “Do you want some good news?” she asked, her voice muffled through her gas mask.
“I’d love some,” I said.
She touched the sanctonite stone around her neck. It was still glowing purple. “I hear you were looking for this.”
Fury’s head was on my shoulder. “It seems Abaddon lied. Torman said the stones did not lose their power.”
I looked back at Torman, who was now sitting on the front osmium pew. “True?”
His expression was smug. “Are you really questioning if Abaddon would lie?”
“Fair enough.” I turned back to Anya.
She reached behind her bandaged neck and took it off. Then she dangled it toward me.
“What? I can’t…I mean, I couldn’t possibly—”
“Seriously? It’s only fair payment for rescuing me from Hell.” She pressed it against my chest. “Take it.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m positive. Thank you for saving me.”
I held up the necklace. “Thank you for this.”
Fury looked up at me. “Maybe sometime we can borrow it for Jett.”
I realized what she was saying. “Two babies. Only one necklace.”
Reuel made a humming noise to my right. Then he leaned to the side and pulled something from his pocket. When he opened his big hand, a second stone sparkled in his palm.
My eyes doubled. “Where did you get that?”
“Etred.” He smiled and handed it to me. “Akai nan enta.”
I laughed. “No. He definitely won’t need it anymore. Thank you.”
He gestured toward me and Fury. “Te aval omnes val makil pira eptom.”
And they all lived happily ever after.
I kissed Fury’s forehead. “Shall we get out of here?”
She smiled up at me. “Please.”
Sunlight on my face never felt so amazing.
The sky was blue. Jungle frogs were singing. And the light rainforest mist sprinkled my face. I breathed in deep letting the sweet jasmine fill my lungs.
We’d made it.
And even though I was technically dead, I’d never felt more alive.
Anya ripped off her gas mask and inhaled fresh air for the first time in four years. She faced the sun, closed her eyes, and smiled.
“What will happen to her now?” Fury asked, taking my hand.
“At some point, I think Anya will be heading to Eden. With Abaddon gone, the mantle of the Archangel should be hers.”
“That’s as it should be.”
Anya lay on the ground, rolled onto her back, and let her arms flop out at her sides.
Fury stretched on her toes and gave me a long, slow kiss. “Thank you, Warren.”
I held her hand over my heart. “I’m sorry I couldn’t get Flint—”
She pressed her finger over my lips. “No more apologies. Flint made his choice. He’d make it again.”
I kissed her finger.
I put my arm around her waist. “Can you still see Sloan’s summoning power?”
Fury traced an invisible (to me) line across the ground. “Yep. As clear as if it were drawn in chalk.”
“Wonder if she’s mastered that all the way to Asheville,” I said.
“Impressive if she has.” Fury was staring across the gate as it closed. “What do you think he’s gonna do?”
My eyes followed her gaze. “Torman?” He was stripping off the top layers of his bloodstained clothes. “Who knows? Who cares?”
“Think he’ll stick with the dark side?”
I nodded. “Coming back from it isn’t that easy. Azrael’s the only one who’s managed to pull it off.”
“Torman is the reason we got out alive.”
“He got himself out alive. We only followed. Don’t forget that.”
Giggles made me turn my head. Hannah was chasing Reuel, her ethereal hair swishing as she ran.
“What is it?” Fury asked.
I pointed. “Can you see Hannah?”
She looked in Reuel’s direction. “Not anymore. I can see Reuel though. He looks like a crazy person.”
“Ha. Yeah.” I closed my eyes.
“You all right?”
“I just wish I could return her to her family.”
“You’re returning her to Eden. Ultimately, that’s even better.”
“You’re right. I guess I’d better let Eden know we’re back.”
She looked over to where Anya was sprawled on the ground. “I think I’ll roll around on the grass with my sister.”
“God, I wish I had a camera.”
“This is completely classified,” she said with a smile as she got to her feet. Then she jogged to meet Anya, joining her on the ground.
Turning my back to them, I touched my finger to my ear and called out to the Angels of Death. “Nulterra to Eden, do you copy?”
&nbs
p; “Warren, is that you?” Samael sounded like he might jump through the airwaves.
“Yes, sir. Back on the ground on the Island of Fire. I need some help. Can you send someone to escort a soul to Eden?”
No answer.
“Samael?”
Nothing.
I tapped my ear. “Samael?”
A faint whistling sound overhead drew my eyes toward the sky. Like an incoming missile, the sound grew louder and louder until a projectile bent the tops of the trees as it tore through the atmosphere.
Samael landed in front of me so hard his boots—American-made—sank deep into the soil. “Warren.” He was breathless and wide-eyed, and for the first time ever, scruff covered his jawline and sweat dotted his brow.
“Hey, man.” I looked up again. “Where’d you come from?”
Samael embraced me. Something I don’t think he’d ever done before. “You’re alive.”
It took a second for my stunned arms to close around him. “Yep. I’m alive, and I missed you too.” I patted his back. “Everything all right?”
He pulled away and gripped my shoulders. “Everyone thought you were all dead.”
Smiling, I shook my head. “So little faith in the human angel.”
“Can you blame us?” he asked, bewilderment in his eyes.
“I guess it was Hell, after all.” I held out my arms. “But we’re back safe. At least most of us are. Flint…”
“He didn’t make it out?” Samael asked.
I shook my head. “He stayed behind to save us.”
“Cassiel knew someone would have to. She feared it would be you.”
“It should’ve been me.”
“No, Warren. This world needs you here.”
The urgency in his voice was troubling.
“Why? What’s happened?”
Samael’s eyes drifted past me. I turned to see what he was looking at. Hannah was chasing Reuel up a hill on the other side of the gate.
“Her name’s Hannah,” I explained. “The demons kidnapped her. Can you take her to Eden for me? I’m afraid being here will confuse her, and that little girl has been through enough.”
“She was in Nulterra?”
“Yeah. So take extra special care of her.”
He just stared at me.
“Warren!”
I looked back and saw Reuel standing on top of the hill. He was holding Hannah now, and staring at something beyond my view.
