by Steve McHugh
“Even with the runes removed from the compound, none of you are in any condition to start fighting,” Layla said, motioning for the occupants of the elevator to follow her and stay low until they reached the rear of a large truck.
Layla didn’t need to worry about the runes in Nergal’s office, as they only took effect over people inside it, and considering she had no intention of going back in there, she was able to use her powers as she wished. However, that didn’t mean she wanted those she’d just saved running around when they were in no condition to help.
“Keep your heads down, I’ll be back soon,” Layla said. “If my father tries anything, shoot him.”
Layla ran off toward the melee, using her power to tear apart any guns or swords in nearby assailants’ hands.
One blood elf screamed and charged at her, but was soon stopped when a fist-sized piece of metal tore free from a truck and slammed into his head, knocking him to the floor where Zamek drove his battle-ax into the prone elf’s skull.
“Good to see you,” Zamek said with a smile. He absentmindedly threw a knife into the chest of a nearby blood elf, before catching it in the throat with his ax as it fell toward him. “Thought you weren’t going to turn up.”
“Looks like you made short work of the remaining elves,” Layla said. She walked over to the dead blood elf and removed the sheath from around its waist, taking its silver dagger as her own.
“There are a few stragglers, but it appears that elves die a lot quicker than I was expecting. Your father still alive?”
Layla nodded. “Over by the truck with Fenix and Jared.”
“I’ll go check on them. Persephone must be outside. She’ll want to say hi.”
Layla ran through the warehouse and spotted Diana, Chloe, and Kase dealing with the stragglers. She stepped outside where Irkalla was kneeling on the ground, a dark red glow all around her. Layla took a step forward, and Harry stopped her.
“Don’t step in there,” he told her.
Layla looked down at the circle that pulsated on the floor. “What’s she doing?”
“A lot of these blood elves are reanimated corpses. They’re a product of Abaddon’s power. Irkalla is going to stop it. You step in that circle and you’re probably going to wish you hadn’t. She said something about how it’ll fry the brain of anyone who isn’t a necromancer.”
Layla took a step back as the power from the circle vanished and Irkalla stood up. “It’s done,” she said and then smiled at Layla as if seeing her for the first time. “Ah, you’re here. The blood elf zombies are dealt with. We shouldn’t be finding any more of them here.”
“That’s something good,” Layla said. “My father is still alive. They killed some of the people they took. Only Jared and Fenix remain. Both of them look . . .” She paused as her emotions threatened to overwhelm her.
“We’ll get justice, Layla,” Irkalla said. “Do you need some time?”
Layla shook her head. She wasn’t about to allow Nergal and his people the chance to hurt anyone else. “Where’s Persephone?”
“She’s out there,” Chloe said as she walked over to the group and hugged Layla. “She started throwing the earth around. She literally tore the earth apart and flattened a truck full of blood elves. Diana went out to join her. I didn’t want to be in their way.”
Layla wasn’t sure how to respond to that. She’d seen impressive levels of power before, but throwing around several hundred tons of rock went beyond anything she expected to see.
Layla ran over to the gap in the wall and found the truck outside buried under several tons of rock. Persephone stood beside it, wearing dark gray leather armor. Layla looked down at her bare feet.
“Remind me not to piss you off,” Layla said.
Persephone smiled. She walked over to Layla and hugged her. “It’s good to see you in one piece. I trust you got out everyone who was able to leave?”
Layla told Persephone about what had happened since she’d given herself up to Nergal. “Nergal was about to leave. He wants to get to the battlefront. We need to let Red Rock know what’s happened.”
“We will,” Persephone said. “Remy has headed off toward Red Rock to aid in its defense, and that’s where we’re all going next.”
“What’s at Red Rock?” Layla asked. “The realm gate? Where does it go?”
Persephone nodded. “I guess you all should know. The realm gate leads to Norumbega.”
“Never heard of it,” Layla said. “What’s in Norumbega?”
“There’s an old prison in that realm,” Persephone said. “We think that Abaddon believes one of her comrades is being held there.”
“Are they?”
Chloe, Irkalla, Harry, and the others joined them, as Diana returned to the group from her hunt of whatever unlucky soul had been on her radar.
“Yes. It was the safest place to put him at the time.”
“Who is he?” Chloe asked.
“His name is Mammon.”
“Oh shit,” Irkalla said. “The Mammon?”
“Who is Mammon?” Harry asked.
“Mammon is one of the seven original devils,” Irkalla said. “The same group that Abaddon is a part of.”
“Asmodeus was their king,” Persephone began, “and Abaddon essentially their queen. They were to be the most powerful weapons of their day, meant to conquer all in the name of their lord. This was thousands of years before the Titans, Egyptians, or anyone else people considered mythological. They were sent to the Earth realm to defeat and rule us, but they were crushed and separated. Thousands of years later, they attacked again. Lucifer—the man you know as Grayson—betrayed them and aided us in a war we might not have won without him. Asmodeus was executed, but Abaddon retrieved his soul and used it to create her ultimate weapon: Arthur.
“Asmodeus and Arthur are essentially one and the same. Sathanus was killed by Lucifer centuries ago. That leaves three others: Mammon, Belphegor, and Beelzebub, none of who are in this realm. They’re not literal devils or anything with religious attachments. They’re just an exceptionally powerful species like myself. And Abaddon wants them in this realm, by Arthur’s side.”
“Wait,” Harry said. “Grayson is Lucifer?”
“You didn’t know?” Diana asked.
“I haven’t seen Grayson . . . sorry, Lucifer, in two years, so, no, it didn’t come up.”
“He’s helping to fight the tide of Arthur’s corruption in other realms,” Persephone said. “I’m beginning to wish he was here, though. We’re too spread thin; too many of us are in other realms trying to stop Arthur and his people from taking control of the various pantheons. And too many of us are around the globe, trying to help his enemies escape.”
“That might be why this attack was suggested,” Layla said. “They know we’re spread thin.”
“Abaddon wants her kin back,” Persephone said, “and she will do anything to achieve that goal.”
“We need to get to Red Rock then,” Layla said.
They heard the sound of a truck before it appeared through the front gate of the warehouse. Fenix leaned out of the driver’s window. “You need a lift?” he said as a second truck drove out of the entrance, with Jared behind the wheel.
After grabbing as many of the blood elves’ MP5s and Glock handguns as possible, everyone piled into the back of the two vehicles and sat on benches opposite one another. Caleb sat in the cabin next to Persephone and Fenix, who continued to drive. The arrangement ensured Caleb wouldn’t try anything, unless he wanted to learn how quickly an earth elemental could drag him underground and leave him there until he learned to behave.
Layla was glad to be done with her father for the short journey north. She sat beside Chloe, who had a smear of blood on her cheek.
“It’s not mine,” Chloe said. “And you can’t talk—you have some on you, too.”
“That’s not mine, either,” Layla told her. “So, if we weren’t all here trying to stop Nergal from taking control of a city a
nd its realm gate, what would you be doing?”
“I planned on having a date with that lovely red-headed teacher at the school.”
“There’s a school in the compound?” Layla asked.
“You’ve seen the children running around, yes? Of course there’s a school.”
Layla hadn’t spent much time considering it before. “So, you have a date with one of the teachers?”
Chloe smiled and nodded. “Her name is Piper. I’ve spoken to her a few times at one of the bars not frequented by off-duty guards. She’s really cool, so I asked her out.”
“And she said yes?” Harry asked, sounding surprised. He sat across from Chloe and Layla.
“No, Harry, she said no,” Chloe said sarcastically. “I just decided that when someone says no, I’m going to stalk them.”
“At least they won’t have to put up with your personality if you hide in bushes and watch from a distance.”
“Funny guy,” Chloe said. “And for your information, Piper was excited to see me. She texted me and everything.”
“That’s just because she doesn’t really know you yet,” Harry said.
“You’re grinning,” Layla pointed out to Chloe. “You like her, don’t you?”
“A little,” Chloe said. “I don’t think I’m going to make the date, though. Which sucks.”
“You can reschedule. I’m sure she’ll understand that you are in a life-and-death struggle to save those who need your help.”
“That is literally what I’m going to tell her I’m doing. I’ll leave out the zombie blood elf killing. I’m here to save lives and kick ass.”
“If you’re not careful, someone’s going to write a song about you,” Harry said.
“I’m okay with that,” Chloe told him. “I could do with having a song.”
“You okay, Harry?” Layla asked him.
“Yeah, Persephone made me stay back when they attacked. I . . . I sometimes wish I wasn’t human so I could help more, and then I saw the zombie blood elves, and was all, yeah, I’m good, thanks.”
Layla and Chloe laughed, and Layla felt happy that she got to spend a few moments with her friends while going from one dangerous situation to the next. She looked out of the truck as Nergal’s compound exploded.
“We set some charges,” Chloe said. “Down in the cells, too. No one is going to be taken back there anytime soon.”
The compound was far enough away from anything residential that there was no concern about the buildings closest to it being damaged. After a second explosion, the entire structure was in flames, and Layla smiled. If Nergal was going to try to take Canada from Hades, it was good to know they’d taken something of his in return.
When they’d left the town of Winterborn, Layla looked out of the truck’s plastic window and saw smoke rising from the city in the distance. She sighed. It was time to go to work.
18
The truck pulled to a stop as they entered the city of Thunder Bay, and the hatch separating the cabin from the rear opened. Persephone’s face came into view. “We’re going to have to get out,” she told everyone, and they quickly piled out of the back of the truck.
The battle had been completed in a matter of hours. Layla had known that Hades had been preparing to evacuate the town, but the speed at which Nergal had attacked was too quick to get everyone out.
The second truck stopped and everyone inside got out. Persephone, Fenix, and a less than happy Caleb joined them.
“What’s going on?” Kase asked.
“We have a problem,” Remy said, appearing as if out of nowhere. “I never got to Red Rock. The fighting is intense at the edge of Thunder Bay, and there are still people in the city who need help to evacuate.”
“Where are they?” Layla asked.
Remy nodded. “There’s a large office block that something has torn apart, but there are people in the apartment next to it. Families. Our people are trying to get to them, but the fighting is intense. There’s another oni there. This one is a bit bigger than the last. Until that’s gone, those people are stuck.”
Layla looked around at the ruined buildings and cracked roads. “What caused all of this destruction?”
“Nergal’s people,” Remy said. “They came, they saw, and they got pissed off that the evacuation had already started. There are bands of his thugs roaming the city, searching for the unlucky few who haven’t been evacuated yet. Most of his force went on to Red Rock. Nergal is with them.”
“That’s to be expected,” Irkalla said. “He always did like to take part in a fight he was certain to win. Thunder Bay is an easily taken gift.”
“Any chance some of those trapped are human?” Layla asked.
“It’s certainly possible,” Persephone said. “This town had a large human population.”
“Right, in that case, Remy, Harry, Chloe, and Kase, you’re with me,” Layla said. “We’re going to go help those people. Between us, we should be able to take out an oni, even a really big one. Zamek, you need to get to the realm gate and help destroy it. Diana, take my father, I know that he’ll behave himself if you’re there. Jared and Fenix need medical attention.”
“We have facilities at our compound north of Nipigon—it’s a town an hour and a half north of here,” Persephone said.
“Right, then the rest of you head there. You’re all powerful enough to fight back and not get killed if Nergal’s forces cause you any trouble.”
Layla grabbed one of the MP5s and checked the magazine. It was full of silver bullets. That left half a dozen MP5s, the same number of handguns, and her dagger.
Layla had at one point been scared of becoming her father. Caleb had tried to link his crimes with what Hades and his people did, but that was horse shit, and Layla knew it. The difference between what they did and what her father had done was that he had enjoyed it. He killed and hurt people for pleasure, no matter how much he liked to suggest he was making the world a better place. Layla killed and fought because she had no choice. She took no pleasure in it. She knew that the realization made Rosa smile. It had been a long time coming.
“Take some weapons,” Layla said. “I think we’re going to need them.”
“Is Thomas Carpenter at Red Rock?” Caleb asked as Chloe and Harry both picked up an MP5 and Remy took a Glock to go with his silver daggers.
“My father will be wherever the fighting is most fierce,” Kase said.
Layla saw the fear on her father’s face.
“My father scares you,” Kase said, having noticed his expression.
Caleb said nothing and climbed back into the truck, followed quickly by most of the others.
“We’ll leave this truck here,” Irkalla said. “Just in case you have casualties to ferry. We’ll try to make sure the main entrance into Red Rock is free of attackers, but there’s no guarantee.”
“We’ll get into the town,” Chloe told her. “One way or another.”
Everyone said their goodbyes, leaving Jared and Layla alone. “This isn’t how I imagined our reunion,” Layla said.
“Keep safe, Layla,” Jared said, kissing her. “I don’t want to see what life is like without you in it.”
“You too,” Layla told him, and they parted ways. She’d tried not to show the worry she felt at the group splitting up. She knew that Jared was more than capable of taking care of himself, but the concern was still there.
“I guess we leave the truck here,” Harry said. “I don’t think risking its destruction is a good idea.”
“I’ll show you where the fighting is,” Remy said. “Then Harry can always double back to get the truck if it’s safe.”
“Truck driving Harry,” Chloe said enthusiastically as the group set off after Remy, who was bounding away across the rubble of a partially destroyed neighborhood. More than one car was a simmering wreck and they occasionally came across bodies, both from Nergal’s forces and of those who had defended the people who remained in Thunder Bay.
“It’s awful
to see how much destruction has happened in less than a day,” Layla said to no one in particular.
“Nergal’s forces were prepared to tear this place apart,” Chloe said.
It took only a few minutes for the group to spot the defensive force fighting several of Nergal’s guard. Both groups threw magic around like it was confetti, tearing apart buildings and roads. Gaping holes had been ripped in the side of buildings, exposing the apartments within, and the air smelled of burned plastic and wood, an acrid scent that Layla found repugnant.
“I see why there was so much destruction,” Layla said as the sounds of fighting intensified the closer they got.
“Sorcerers, elementals, and the like—there are good reasons so many fear them,” Kase said.
Remy stopped up ahead and crouched down, waiting for the others to catch up. “Right, Harry, no offense, but this is where you go back to the truck. You need to bring it down that road there, as slowly and as quietly as possible. These magic-flinging bastards won’t care about tearing both you and the truck in half.”
“That’s the worst pep talk in the history of pep talks,” Harry said.
“Okay. Don’t get killed, you colossal asshat,” Remy said. “Sound better to you?”
Harry ignored him and ran back toward the truck as the rest of the group peered over the remains of a stone wall to watch the battle a hundred feet in front of them. Fire and lighting met ice and water with devastating results.
“I count four,” Layla said. “Those two in the uniform of Hades’ people, and those two, I assume, work for Nergal.”
“Where’s the oni?” Kase said. “Never mind, I see it.”
Everyone followed where she was pointing to the ten-foot-tall oni who was fighting off eight people all at once. They were a few hundred feet away from the fight between the sorcerers.
“Looks like werewolves,” Chloe said. “An elemental, maybe an umbra or two. They’re holding their own, but they don’t have an Irkalla, so I’m not sure how much longer that’s going to last.”
