Scion's Redemption

by Traci Douglass

  She trusted Luther. He was her Scion. He’d protect her from any danger in Heaven or Hell. He’d keep his promise and honor his sacred vows.

  Except her nerves didn’t fade as she walked with Xander. In fact, they steadily grew worse as the sense of danger increased. She told herself it was foolish to be so scared. This was Heaven. Nothing bad could ever happen in Heaven, right?

  Thana closed her eyes and took a deep breath, ignoring the niggle of doubt in her mind.

  But somehow Lucifer had corrupted one of the Scion, he’d forced the divine warrior to go against his heavenly orders and destroy her. And if one of the Scion could be made to act against their will, what was to stop any of the other creatures who lived her from doing the same?

  She clenched her shaking hands to hide their tremor.

  Lying to herself would accomplish nothing. She had to face her fear.

  Chin up, Thana straightened and tucked her wings against her back. She walked with her head high, despite the way her heart was slamming against her ribcage and her blood rushed loud in her ears. Luther would be here soon. She just had to hold it together until then.

  Xander turned right at the end of the long aisle and she followed him down another corridor lined with columns on her right and a wall on the left.

  Bright golden light shone out of the doorways at intervals, warming her as she passed.

  She glanced inside one of the rooms and froze. A raised white marble altar stood in the middle of the room, overflowing with blood, the crimson stark against the clean white. An angel stood in front of it. No. Not an angel. An abomination of what had once been an angle, the charred white wings, shredded and infected. The creature wore a stained white leisure suit, with black muck trailing out the bottom of the pant legs to sizzle on the floor beneath his claw-like, gnarled feet. The thing lowered its hand to its side, revealing a curved silver blade, blood dripping from the tip.

  She blinked hard and looked again, but the vision faded, leaving a clean white room behind. She stared at the empty space, unable to shake the terror that gripped her.

  Danger. They were all in danger.

  Taking the immortal warrior escorting her by surprise, she stomped on his foot then kicked him hard in the shin before kneeing him in the groin. Xander doubled over and released her and she ran for the vast columned room. But she only made it a few steps before he grabbed her from behind, restraining her arms.

  “Stop fighting. Tell me what you saw?” Xander growled. “What frightened you?”

  “Enough!” A booming voice carried down the corridor and a hush fell over the heavens. An older woman with short, spiky white hair stood there, wearing what looked like a designer tweed suit in pale gray. Her skirt hit at her knees. The heels of her pumps resounded with each step on the marble floor. She walked forward, her iridescent gaze fixed on Thana

  She struggled with all her might, kicking and writhing and beating her wings. Xander tightened his grip on her arms and intense pain swept through her. She sagged forward for a moment, then rallied and threw her head back, smacking Xander’s nose. He stumbled backward, and she broke free again. Before she could beat her wings, the older woman snapped her fingers and invisible bonds pinned her wings against her back, preventing her from flying away.

  Xander recovered and grabbed her arm again, forcing her to look into the eyes of her captor. Immense power washed through her, holding her in place as much as Xander.

  “Stop your struggle, child,” the woman said. “No one will harm you here.”

  She was short, barely reaching Thana’s shoulder, but there was no doubt she was the most powerful presence in the heavens, perhaps the universe. But the lingering fear of the vision she’d seen in the white room made her doubt. “Who are you?’

  The woman smiled, its brilliance too radiant to gaze upon. “I am Divinity.”

  Her world seemed to cave in upon itself and Thana screamed.

  “Luther!”

  20

  Lightning split the sky above Chicago and Luther looked up at the raging clouds. There was so much darkness in the world and in his heart right now, fury that threatened to seize control of him and lead him into unleashing his burning desire for destruction. The feeling pounded in him like a drum, growing darker by the second as he watched the thunderstorm.

  A bright purple fork of lightning slammed down into the heart of the city, shaking the earth and sending car alarms blaring. It wasn’t enough. The darkness within him needed to be sated. He wanted to see Thana again and he’d do anything to achieve his goal. He’d disobey his orders and go to Heaven. There were ways in, methods he could use.

  He needed to see Thana.

  If she knew the lengths he’d go to in order to see her, she’d no longer believe him a good man. He’d kill anyone who stood in in way to find her again. He hadn’t been able to contain his lust for violence during the discussion with the others and had left when Mira had looked afraid, seeking the rooftop so he could be alone with his black thoughts.

  Lightning crashed down again, farther away this time, illuminating the skyline. The clouds blocked out the day and caused the streetlights to flicker to life. Rain poured, but he didn’t care. He relished the cold against his skin, staring out at the city, his heart burning, ablaze with the desire for vengeance.

  Xander had taken Thana from him. Heaven had taken her from him.

  He wanted her back.

  The streets were empty. The park was void of life. Sensible people remained indoors. That knowledge only weakened his grip on his power. With so many hidden in the buildings, he could unleash Hell on Earth with only minimal casualties. If anyone was foolish enough to be outside when a thunderstorm of this magnitude, they deserved what they got.

  Luther scowled, fists clenched. Thana would hate such thoughts. She’d offered him forgiveness and it hadn’t changed him. He wished it had. He wanted to be a good man for her, one she could love, but it was impossible when he was in so much pain.

  “They don’t deserve your wrath,” Sloane said from behind him and Luther looked over his shoulder. His Scion brother stood in the doorway, out of the rain. “You’re even starting to scare me a little, and I don’t spook easily.”

  The rain continued to pour. Water trickled in rivulets down Luther’s skin, plastering his wet clothes to him, making him uncomfortable.

  He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm himself. The thunder eased, and the rain gradually lightened to drizzle. Long minutes passed before the lightning ceased completely and he found some balance. They’d depart for Hell soon and he’d be able to find out more about Thana’s destiny and why Lucifer had made Kagan kill her. The memory of that moment threatened his control again, making his heart ache until he wanted to die.

  Thana.

  He wanted to see her, to make her smile and make her feel safe.

  She’d been so scared to go with Xander, but she had done so anyway, so he and his fellow Scion wouldn’t have to fight again. She’d wanted to spare him pain but he was suffering more now than he would have been if a battle had ensued.

  After centuries as their obedient soldier, as a dutiful Scion of Divinity, he was finally following his own orders. The rain let up and the clouds lightened, drifting away and breaking apart to reveal patches of blue sky.

  Luther stared down into the street below. He needed Sloane to find Neilar and ask him about Thana. And as much as he desired to go to Heaven and to Thana, he needed to uncover the truth about her destiny and his mission first in the pools of Hades. Divinity’s message had said he’d be called to Thana soon. He had to trust she was safe for now.

  “It’s time.” Kagan stepped into the doorway beside Sloane. “We should go now.”

  He followed them back into the apartment, resolve flowing through him. He was determined to find the truth and free Thana. His gaze landed on Kagan and Mira. The large warrior bent and wrapped his arms around his petite mortal mate and lifted her for a kiss. Luther looked away, staring out
the back door toward the rooftop. Seeing their happiness was torture.

  He wanted Thana in his arms again, her sweet lips against his and her body nestled close. They’d only been together a short time, but the moments they’d shared had changed his life. He couldn’t live without her anymore. The world was dull and grey without her and he couldn’t think straight. His resolve wavered, the desire to find her battling his need to go to Hell and discover more about what was happening. She’d been reborn as a being similar to an angel. There had to be a reason.

  If he went flying off to Heaven now, intent on killing everyone who stood in his way and saving Thana from a fate he knew nothing about, he could end up destroying her real destiny. The slightest change of events could lead to catastrophe. Divinity had a reason for everything, including him staying here until he was summoned. He’d find out as much information as he could then make a decision—to follow their orders or follow his own desire.

  But the longer he waited for Kagan to announce their departure, the stronger his desire to go to Heaven instead of Hell became. He needed to leave now and go down into the bowels of the underworld. Only that would stop him from surrendering to his desire to see Thana. Sloane would find Neilar, and Kagan would lead them to the pool in Hades that recorded the events of the mortal realm. They’d combine that knowledge to discover the truth about Thana’s destiny. Armed with the truth, he’d save her without endangering her life.

  Until then, he had to hold himself together.

  Hades was a dangerous place for a Scion.

  If he went with a heart in disarray, he’d be easily swayed.

  Lucifer’s temptations were strong.

  And Luther had never felt so weak.

  21

  Luther focused on the grey asphalt of the roadway beneath his feet as it cracked open to reveal infinite darkness. Kagan stood beside him, his hand outstretched and his eyes closed. Hot air blasted from the crevasse, tousling his sandy brown hair. Luther and Chago swayed while Wyck held his battle stance.

  None of them had said a word since the first crack had appeared. Now, Luther could see a tiny orange forked line. Either it was going to open wider, or it was a long way down into the Earth. He’d never been to Hades but he knew that Chago had, with Kagan, to visit these same pools. When he’d asked him about it earlier, Chago had told him to be on his guard against the voice of Lucifer.

  Kagan faced them. “Mind the walls on the way down. They tend to shift. Lucifer doesn’t like intruders and he’ll stop at nothing to corrupt the innocent.”

  Lucifer had long been a foe of the Scion. Every so many centuries, they’d fight, per Divinity’s orders, to keep him locked away in the bottomless pit. There’d been instances when Lucifer had won, roaming the mortal realm, causing pestilence and destroying human lives until the Scion defeated him. It took a strong heart and even stronger belief to resist the temptation Lucifer offered the divine beings who entered his realm.

  Kagan jumped first, down into the narrow chasm, followed by Chago and Wyck and finally Luther, as they started their descent into Hell. If Chago could hold out against Lucifer, then Luther should be able to as well. He’d be strong for Thana. For her sake, he’d endure all Lucifer could throw at him, no matter what.

  He looked down at Kagan and Chago, then across to Wyck and Lin, who rappelled beside him. Chago pointed downward and Luther saw the tiny orange fault line had grown into a glowing fiery streak. They were getting closer. The smell of brimstone tainted the air, choking him, growing denser the closer they got to Hades. The temperature rose, and hot air blasted against him, threatening to melt his skin. He forced himself to continue his decent.

  Luther looked down. The bright glowing light now revealed a wide expanse of rough stony ground near the edge of a plateau. It dropped away into a fiery pit hundreds of feet down.

  Kagan landed first. The temperature increased again as Luther passed the end of the black walls and entered a huge cavern. It stretched as far as the eye could see, covered in black shards of rock and belching pits of fire.

  His gaze roamed to the edge of the plateau. The bottomless pit. Demons lurked there, stronger than most angels. He shuddered. Chago touched down beside him, then Wyck, who covered his mouth and nose with his hand, frowning.

  “This is awful.”

  Breathing became difficult, the air burning Luther’s lungs. His eyes watered. He couldn’t begin to imagine how Kagan had endured being trapped here for so long.

  “It’s worse near the pit.” Kagan motioned for them to follow him toward an outcrop of rough black rock away from the edge of the plateau.

  Chago followed him. Luther lingered. Wyck pointed in the direction the others had gone. Luther nodded and started to head in that direction too, then stopped when dark words curled from the pit, flowing around him.

  He looked back over his shoulder at the edge of the plateau and the burning void beyond, trying not to listen to Lucifer but unable to move away. Hot fingers of steam drifted around him, stroking over his arms and chest and back. They felt as though they were burrowing into his skin, setting him on fire.

  Luther hit the dirt, jagged rocks cutting into his knees. He curled forward into a ball and clutched his head as agony ripped through. His screams echoed around the cavern, mocking him along with Lucifer’s voice. He tried to close his mind to the words drifting around him, but he couldn’t shut them out.

  The burning intensified, until it scorched his skin, dredging up memories of how his flesh had peeled away during his battle with Kagan. Lucifer’s tone grew louder and clearer, becoming increasingly like Thana’s. He couldn’t bear it. He dug his nails into his scalp and whimpered as fingers of flame danced over his skin.

  Lucifer.

  He wasn’t strong enough. This would end him.

  He couldn’t take it.

  “Luther!” Wyck’s voice broke through the heavy haze of pain and he clung to it, holding on and using it to push away Lucifer.

  “Leave him alone.” The command in Kagan’s tone caused the rough ground to tremble. More vile, black words rolled out of the pit. “Ignore him, Luther. You’re stronger than this.”

  “Can’t.” Luther gasped as fresh pain engulfed him, tearing at his shoulders. He arched back, screaming at the ceiling of the cavern.

  “Bastard!” Kagan growled, causing the ground to shake again.

  “Luther, listen to me,” Wyck said. He tried, wanted to focus on him and ignore the voice in his mind, but couldn’t. Whenever he came close to shutting Lucifer out, he came again, stronger and even more like Thana.

  He breathed hard, battling the hurt and Lucifer’s tempting words, struggling to overcome both.

  Thana’s voice whispered in his mind and he couldn’t block it out.

  Luther sucked in sharp gulps of acrid air and swallowed them down, fighting the pain. If he could control it, he’d be able to focus on shunning Lucifer.

  He stopped breathing and stilled when the pain subsided. It wasn’t his doing.

  His focus shifted to the pit. Through blurry eyes, he sensed Lucifer watching him, but couldn’t make out his form. Arid wind curled around him again and he lost focus. Wyck called to him, his voice distant, unintelligible.

  Luther’s vision tunneled, and Hell returned. He curled on his side on the black basalt, the sharp rocks beneath him scraping his sides but he didn’t care. Thana’s voice came to him again, light and beautiful in his mind.

  Help me.

  The ground trembled and the pain faded again, as did the voice in his mind. He felt Lucifer’s grip release and opened his eyes.

  Kagan stood with his back to him at the edge of the plateau, his curved golden blades in hand. Dark words rolled off his tongue, shaking the ground, and Lucifer cursed back at him. Kagan was drawing Lucifer’s attention, giving him a chance to regain control and resist.

  Even weak from pain, Luther refused to submit. He pushed himself onto his knees. Strong hands gripped his arms and helped him to his feet. They
stumbled away from the edge of the pit, leaving Kagan alone to taunt Lucifer.

  Wyck and Chago guided him around the corner of the outcrop of rocks then set him against it. Luther leaned there, panting in the acid air. He needed to focus and steady his heart in order to find the strength to persevere.

  Eventually, his pulse levelled out and his tense muscles sagged, leaving him trembling.

  “What happened?” Kagan rushed over to stand on the other side of Chago, closer to the pit than the rest of them, his expression as threatening as the curses he had hurled at Lucifer.

  The ground trembled and he pushed away from the rocks and walked past Kagan, wearily dragging his feet. He stared at the bright fire of the pit and felt Lucifer watching him still, though he made no attempt to speak to Luther this time.

  Neilar’s voice echoed around the black cavern.

  “The heavenly realms have been compromised.”

  22

  Luther’s gaze slowly shifted to Neilar.

  He walked across the blackened field of rock toward them, his pale gray skin and suit glowing in the darkness.

  “What do you mean?” Wyck said and held Chago back when he started forward. “This is Neilar… the one who foresaw Thana’s death.”

  Chago and Kagan looked Neilar over and neither seemed impressed. Luther didn’t particular like the half-breed either, but they needed his help and if what he said was true, they had few people they could trust. Neilar had said plainly what would happen to Thana. He hadn’t lied as far as Luther could tell, regardless of his dubious heritage.

  “My sources tell me that the Nephilim have compromised another archangel,” Neilar said when all eyes were on him.

  Kagan didn’t seem shocked and neither did Wyck. After another fallen archangel, Ruman, had attacked and nearly killed Chago, all the Scion had their suspicions about security in the heavenly realms and now those doubts had been proven sound.