The Daughter of Zion

by Elicia Hyder

  At first glance, it looked like cancer, but as Azrael came closer, I realized it was something more. It was round and black, about the size of a paintball, and lodged near his heart. Death swirled inside it, contained by some kind of membrane, like a shrapnel grenade ready to explode.

  Panic tickled the back of my neck.

  Sandalphon was right. The Morning Star had protected himself. My father was booby trapped.

  We should’ve planned this better. We had known there was a chance the Morning Star would show up, but seeing him in the flesh, I realized how unprepared we were. The gunmen didn’t help, their trigger fingers poised and ready should anyone make a move. And Orin, ready to swing his fatal sword of eternal death.

  The Morning Star said something to Azrael and Orin, then walked toward me alone. “Well, well.” His voice was smooth and melodic. “If it isn’t the great Warren Parrish, come back from the dead.” He stuck out his hand. “I’m Michael. It’s a pleasure to meet you finally.”

  So this was how it would go.

  All of us feigning stupidity. Michael knew who I was, and I sure as shit knew him.

  Nevertheless, we would both play our roles. Because as long as we kept up the charade, we’d maintain the peace. The end of the game wouldn’t be good for anyone.

  I didn’t accept his outstretched hand, a lesson learned from my angel comrades. The Morning Star was an Angel of Knowledge. To touch him would be to give him an advantage.

  With a knowing smirk, he lowered his hand. “Ah, you’re one of those.”

  I held up my hands and wiggled my fingers. “Germs. I’ve heard there’s a virus going around.”

  He had a curious smile. “Touché.” He crossed his arms. “Warren, where have you been?”

  He already knew where I’d been. His flyover of the Nulterra Gate told me that. And why else would we be on this island?

  “I’ve had some business in the area. It looks like you have too.” My eyes flashed toward the soldiers behind him.

  He glanced back. “Yes. No doubt you’ve heard that Claymore Worldwide Security has expanded its operations around the globe.”

  “Yes, I’ve heard.”

  “It was a stroke of fortunate luck for us.”

  “Fortunate indeed.” I was thinking of the power even more so than the profit. “Too bad over half the American military had to die for you to experience such a windfall.”

  “It was quite the tragedy, but I’m sure our government is thankful Claymore stepped in to fill the gaps while the rest of the world rebuilds.”

  “I’m sure they are.”

  He turned to the side. “I believe you’ve met my father, Damon Claymore.”

  “Our father, you mean.”

  “So they say.”

  My jaw clenched. Technically, Azrael wasn’t his father at all. They shared no DNA—human or angelic.

  Michael stepped back to allow my father to come forward.

  As he walked past the Morning Star, my eyes fell to the spot in Azrael’s chest again. Dread pooled in my stomach, and I looked back at Iliana. She was staring at it too.

  Azrael scanned the group. He spotted Nathan first and gave a slight nod in greeting. Then he paused by Sloan and squeezed her arm. At least it wasn’t a hateful reunion.

  When he finally reached me, the muscles tensed in his neck. “Warren.”

  He, too, extended his hand in greeting. This time, I didn’t refuse. I grabbed him and pulled him to me. My arms went around him, but he stood there awkwardly frozen in my embrace.

  “Azrael.” I fought hard to maintain my emotions.

  “Please don’t call me that,” he said over my shoulder.

  My heart wrenched. I almost apologized, but I didn’t. He was Azrael, and we all needed him to remember it. I stepped back and released him. “Do you remember me at all?”

  Azrael tensed, and his eyes fell to the ground.

  “He has long-term selective amnesia,” Michael answered for him. “It upsets him to be reminded of it.” The Morning Star was probably telling the truth, something he couldn’t be accused of often.

  I nodded and stared at the ground, trying to think of something, anything, else to say that wouldn’t upset him. “Where’s Adrianne?” was all I came up with.

  “She’s in New Hope with the children. We left in such a short time we couldn’t get a sitter,” Azrael said.

  “The children?”

  “They’re fifteen and nine.”

  “I have siblings younger than my daughter,” I said, almost to myself.

  “Three of them,” Azrael said, looking at Michael.

  Nausea turned in my stomach.

  “Is this Iliana?” Azrael asked, pointing to her behind me.

  “Yes.” I turned and gestured her forward. Then I sidestepped to block Michael behind me as she approached. “Damon, this is your granddaughter.”

  Azrael winced like the words physically harmed him.

  “Hi,” Iliana said, extending her hand.

  He stared at it but didn’t accept—or probably couldn’t accept, I realized. I almost felt Michael’s breath on my neck as he watched.

  Iliana must have sensed it too because she turned her narrowed eyes toward him. “I know what you’re doing.”

  Michael seemed surprised by her candor. “Do you?”

  “Yes.” She turned back to Azrael and waved her hand in a wide arc through the air. An invisible wave rippled the space around him, and he suddenly stumbled like he was drunk. I grabbed his arm to steady him.

  Michael fell back a few steps, panicked. “What have you done?” He froze, looking at Iliana. Then his nostrils flared, and he started toward her.

  Before I could react, movement caught the corner of my eye. The Morning Star must have seen it too, because he did a double take.

  Reuel charged up the hill, his sword in hand.

  The Morning Star spun toward him instead, with Orin now at his side. Two of the soldiers raised their weapons in Reuel’s direction. In turn, Kane and Cruz aimed at the soldiers.

  I pushed Iliana out of the way and into Jett’s arms, then I ran out in front of the Morning Star. “Reuel, put the sword away.”

  Reuel looked at me, worry and anger plain on his face.

  “Put it away. We’re just talking!” I called.

  He hesitated, staring at something behind me. Probably Orin and his sword.

  I held up both hands. “It’s OK. I promise.”

  Reuel slowly lowered his sword. The guards lowered their rifles. So did Kane and Cruz.

  I let out the breath I was holding.

  The Morning Star made a skeptical whining noise behind me. “I think I’d rather test out our new toys.”

  New toys?

  “Guards!” he shouted. “Fire!”

  My sensitive ears heard the click of the safety switches on the sides of the soldiers’ rifles as they raised them quickly again. “Stop!”

  Suddenly, all the weapons lurched sideways, knocking each man off his feet and onto the ground. My face whipped toward Iliana, but her hands were at her side. She looked as surprised as me.

  “That will be enough of that shit!” Anya yelled from the driveway to our right. Her arms were extended. Her fingers were stretched. She wore a tank top and running shorts, and her face glistened with sweat. “What the hell’s going on up here?”

  On the ground, the two Claymore soldiers were stunned and confused. Cruz rubbed the side of his head. Kane massaged his knuckles.

  The Morning Star was pissed. “I should have known.”

  Anya stormed toward him. “I don’t give a damn what you should have known. We have civilians here.”

  Like he cared.

  Orin started toward her, but Michael’s arm came across his chest to stop him. Before Anya reached them, Michael’s glare turned sinister.

  Anya faltered. Her eyes and mouth widened as she grasped at her throat. A squeaking sound escaped as she fought to breathe. She fell to her knees.

 
“Enough!” I pulled my sword from its scabbard and jumped between them.

  Michael’s face relaxed, his eyes watching the sword.

  I heard Anya finally gasp for air. “Enough,” I said again, more calmly. I was breathing hard from the adrenaline flooding my veins.

  “Do you even know how to use that thing, Warren?”

  “Let’s not find out.” I was ready to swing.

  “Perhaps Orin could give you a lesson.”

  Orin stepped in front of him, his blade ready to clash with mine. Fear pulsed through me, but my hands were steady as I stared down the messenger. God, I wish I’d learned how to sword fight.

  Azrael held up his hands. “He’s right. That’s more than enough. Chapman! Bell! Don’t raise your weapons again.”

  It was nice to see Azrael still in charge, even if he didn’t have all his faculties. “We didn’t come all this way to fight,” he said to the Morning Star.

  Michael seemed surprised, but his eyes locked with Orin’s as he jerked his head to the right. Orin stepped aside and lowered his sword.

  Fury ran to Anya and pulled her back into the group.

  “Why have you come?” I asked as I put my sword back in its scabbard. It clearly wasn’t because of Azrael’s desperation for a reunion.

  “I wanted to see you.”

  I put my hands on my hips and stared at him.

  He sighed. “My wife wanted me to come.”

  “Adrianne?” Sloan asked, speaking for the first time since Azrael landed.

  Azrael nodded. “She said I needed to see for myself if you were really alive.” His eyes studied me. “I had hoped that if I saw you, it might trigger something…”

  “But you don’t know me,” I said.

  “I only know what others have told me about you.”

  I took a step toward him. “I can help you.”

  Michael’s hand swung up so fast I dodged, thinking he was setting a curse on me. He laughed. “Jumpy, are we?” His hand aimed at Azrael. “I was going to say I think we should take this slowly. We have traveled for almost twenty-four hours. I’m sure my father would like to lie down.”

  My fists balled at my sides. “My father.” I didn’t bother with niceties a second time.

  “I agree,” Iliana said. “We all need a break.”

  Static crackled in my ear. “I can’t completely block the Morning Star’s control on Azrael,” Iliana added silently to me. “I need a minute to think. Regroup.”

  Michael’s face turned slowly toward her, and his wicked smile returned. He had heard her. “Yes. Let’s all take a break. Perhaps you can take us to wherever you’re holding our friend Torman.”

  “Torman isn’t here,” Cassiel said.

  Michael spun all the way around on the heel of his loafer. “My, my. What an interesting welcoming party you have here, Warren.” He walked slowly toward Cassiel. He looked from her to Sandalphon. “Even the great Elijah has come to welcome you back. Hello, Eli.”

  “What do you want?” Cassiel snapped.

  Michael crossed his arms. “I want Torman. Where is he?”

  “I don’t know.” Cassiel’s shoulders were rigid, and her chin high.

  “That’s not true.” Michael reached for her face, but his hand jerked to a stop, like it had hit an invisible wall in the air. His eyes snapped toward Iliana and narrowed. He dropped his hand. “Well, I can see this won’t be an informative visit.”

  “You’ve got that right,” Nathan said.

  Michael lurched to grab Nathan, but Iliana shoved him backward with a glance. Jett held her arms to keep her from charging the Morning Star. “Touch my dad, and you’ll be regrowing your hands,” she warned through clenched teeth.

  The Morning Star glared at her for a long time. Judging by the way Iliana’s expression changed from heated to worried, I could tell he was silently communicating with her.

  “Michael!” Azrael shouted. “Come here.”

  The Morning Star blinked, obviously severing his covert connection with Iliana. He straightened the front of his dress shirt, and surprisingly, obeyed and walked toward Azrael.

  I backed closer to our group. Iliana walked up behind me and grasped the back of my shirt. She stretched toward my ear. “That spot inside Azrael’s chest will kill him if anything happens to the Morning Star,” she whispered. “No matter what happens, we can’t move against him, or Azrael will die.”

  Damn it.

  Orin stood guard while Azrael and Michael were talking in hushed voices near the helicopter. I closed my eyes and listened. I could only hear Azrael’s side of the conversation. “Call this off,” was an alarming, perfectly clear phrase.

  Beyond them was a quiet roar somewhere in the distance.

  “Something’s happening,” I whispered.

  It was the sound of wheels grinding against gravel. A lot of wheels.

  “What’s that noise?” Iliana asked quietly.

  “Vehicles. There’s a convoy coming up the mountain.” No sooner had the words left my mouth did the convoy roll through the bamboo gate. One, two, three…seven vehicles in total. Four minivans and a black SUV, all of them endcapped by armored Humvees in the front and back.

  “What is this?” I called to my father and the Morning Star.

  Michael walked toward us. “It’s your ride home, of course. You didn’t think we would leave you all stranded here, did you?”

  “Who says we’re ready to leave?” I asked.

  The Morning Star approached me. “We can do this one of two ways, brother.”

  The sound of the word in his mouth made me queasy.

  “We can do it peacefully, where we allow you to gather your belongings and board the vehicles yourselves. Or we can do it by force, stripping you of everything you have on this island and dragging you back to New Hope. Either way, this is happening. Which shall it be?”

  More soldiers exited the vehicles. One of them carried over a large armored case and opened it on the ground near the Morning Star. He held out his hand, and the soldier placed two cuffs in his open palm.

  They looked a lot like the cuffs Torman had been forced into.

  Fingers dug into my sides. Iliana stepped around me. “We’ll go peacefully, but you will take nothing from us. Not even our weapons.”

  Michael spread his arms wide. “I wouldn’t dream of taking anything from you.”

  I very seriously doubted that.

  Iliana looked at me and mouthed the words, “Trust me.”

  With a painful gulp, I nodded. “OK,” I forced myself to say.

  Michael signaled to the soldiers, and they came toward us in pairs, each stopping at the case to pick up sets of cuffs. “Cuff them. Then take them to pack up their things. Harm no one, or you’ll have to deal with me.”

  Azrael grabbed his arm, his eyes clearly pleading for Michael to stop. Michael argued with him again.

  I looked at Iliana. “Are you sure about this?”

  “Trust me,” she said again.

  “Yes,” Sandalphon said, catching my eye. “Trust her.”

  They cuffed Iliana first. Then a young man, maybe nineteen years old, grabbed my left arm. When we touched, I felt the familiar pull of death deep inside him. Like Azrael, this man was rigged. I couldn’t see it through his body armor, which I assumed was plated with high-Z.

  The cuff was made of high-Z too. I recognized its porous metal as he closed it around my wrist. A jolt of electricity shot up my arm to my spine. It traveled all the way down my back. The second cuff did the same, except its energy ran up through my brain.

  For a moment, I thought I’d gone deaf. The volume died, like someone had shoved earplugs into my ears. I turned my palms over and tried to conjure my killing power into them; nothing happened. I tried spreading my wings; it was like they didn’t exist.

  For the first time in a long time, I was reminded of what it felt like to be human. Powerless and fragile.

  I looked at my daughter. “I hope you know what you’re doin
g.”

  We were all escorted to our villas. A guard followed me and Fury, with his rifle ready to fire. She had been cuffed as well. She took my hand as we walked. “What was Iliana thinking? Half our group can fly, so most of us could have escaped.”

  “I don’t know, but we have to start trusting her to lead us. She’s the only one more powerful than the Morning Star.”

  Fury didn’t look convinced, but she didn’t argue. “The Morning Star has a solid grip on Azrael. Iliana was able to break it a couple of times, but each time, he quickly regained control.”

  “That honestly makes me feel a little better.”

  “Why?”

  “Because there’s no way Azrael can be responsible for the things Claymore did. But we have a problem. The Morning Star planted some kind of bomb inside Az. If we try anything, Azrael will die.”

  Fury swore.

  When we reached our door, I waved my hand in front of the lock, but it didn’t click open.

  “You’re powerless, aren’t you?” Fury asked as she stuck her key into the lock.

  “Completely, I’m afraid.”

  She pushed open the door. “Me too.”

  The soldier followed us inside, and we immediately began shoving the things we’d bought the day before into our new travel bags. “Is he taking us to the base on Palawan?” I asked the guard.

  “That’s classified.”

  Of course it was.

  When we finished, the guard followed us back to the top of the hill. Nathan and Sloan were walking out of the dining room. Sloan’s eyes were red from crying.

  Two other soldiers approached. I tensed, ready to fight. I was certain they were coming to take my sword. I couldn’t let that happen.

  Surprisingly, they didn’t.

  One of them grabbed me. The other grabbed Fury. They were separating us. I jerked my arm free and quickly grabbed the back of her head, pulling her in for a hard and fast kiss. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

  She nodded, but doubt filled her eyes.

  Michael got into the back of the SUV. Azrael was in the leading Humvee. Anya and Reuel (he had his sword too) were loaded into the first van. Nathan and Sloan were in the second, and the rest of our group was behind me. The guard pulled me toward the SUV.

  Great.

  Once more, I expected him to take my sword. He didn’t.