Queen of Night

by Emily Goodwin

  Right. He needs it to perform the ritual to bind my powers. Not today, asshole.

  Scarlet is back on her feet, circling Bael with her fangs bared. I need to take off her collar and give her a fighting chance. I flick my eyes to her, and Bael take the millisecond distraction to his advantage.

  He forces another wave of dark energy at me, and I hold up my hands just in time to block it. Blue light loudly crashes against the dark magic, sparks raining down on the forest floor.

  “You will never own me,” I say through gritted teeth, pushing as hard as I can against Bael’s hold.

  “Are you sure about that?” Bael suddenly lets off the blast of magic, and I stumble forward, recovering fast. Scarlet is back on her feet and races over, putting herself between myself and Bael. He shifts his eyes from me to Scarlet and to Kristy.

  “That’s right, asshole you’re outnum—fuck!”

  Bael tips his head and raises his hand. The ground trembles beneath us, and a root bursts from the ground, wrapping around Kristy’s ankle.

  “Callie!” she screams, and I jump for her, grabbing her hand. The root yanks her back, ripping her from my grasp and bringing her over the Bael. She’s forced to her feet, and roots wrap around her legs like vines.

  “Stop!” I yell, holding up my hands. No one else is getting hurt, especially my best friend. “It’s me you want. Let her go.”

  “And where’s the fun in that?” Bael’s hoarse voice reverberates through the trees.

  I exhale, breath clouding around me. “Let her go. She has nothing you want.”

  “She has you.” Bael twirls is fingers in the air, and the roots start to tighten around Kristy’s legs and stomach. She fights against it, but it’s no use. The roots get tighter, snaking up to her chest now. “And you’re willing to do anything for her, aren’t you?”

  “Of course, but you’re not getting me to agree to be your meat-suit or whatever it is you need me to be.”

  “You will if it means letting your friend live.” The roots wrap around Kristy’s arms, forcing then behind her back.

  “You’ll just kill her anyway.”

  “True.” Bael twirls his fingers through the air and the roots around Kristy’s abdomen start creeping up to her neck. “But I’ll make it quick with minimal suffering.”

  Scarlet lunges again, and Bael summons another root to erupt from the ground, wrapping around Scarlet’s paws, hog-tying her and flipping her over, rendering her helpless. If I could just get to her and take her collar off, she’d have a fighting chance.

  Tipping his head, Bael raises another hand, bringing forth a root-monster, bigger than the others that attacked us before. I don’t have any weapons to stab it with, and I don’t remember the spell I need to invoke the divine properties of my blood.

  There’s another energy shift, and Lucas runs past so fast he’s only a blur. He knocks right into Bael, shoving him down and wrestling him to the ground. Bael’s hold is broken on Kristy, and the roots start to recede into the ground. Lucas’s fangs break the surface of Bael’s flesh and thick, black blood oozes down the wounds, permeating the air with the heavy scent of brimstone and sulfur.

  The jar slips from Bael’s hands, landing with a soft thud on the ground. Kristy madly pulls the roots away from her throat, gasping for air. I hold out my hand and run to her. My fingertips brush hers when two roots pop up from the ground, wrapping around Kristy’s ankles. It pulls her back, face skidding along the dirt, and strings her up from a tree.

  “No!” I scream, rounding on Bael. I conjure an energy ball, throwing it with all my might. Bael turns, using Lucas as a shield. I scream again when the energy ball hits Lucas’s shoulder, burning through inches of his flesh and muscle. He grunts with pain, and Bael shoves him to the ground. The root-monster stomps past, roots and vines untwisting, reforming its shape to tangle around Lucas, binding him to a tree.

  “This can all end,” Bael hisses.

  “Not well,” I pant, holding my hands at my sides, feeling magic buzz around me. I’m strong enough to hurt the devil. Granted, Lucifer wasn’t trying to fight me, but I found the strength deep inside and sent a blast hard enough that it hurt an archangel, albeit a fallen one. If I can hurt him, then I can hurt Bael. “For you,” I add with a sneer, and Bael laughs.

  I can feel my familiars racing through the yard, and I run my thumb over my fingers, conjuring strings of magic. I release it right as my familiars shadow around Bael. The strings of magic wrap around his neck, scorching his flesh.

  “Give it up,” I say. “There are more of us than there are of you.” I flick my eyes to Lucas, seeing that he’s almost pulled himself free. Kristy is hanging upside down, thrashing against the roots wrapped around her ankle. I have to get her down now, before all the blood rushes to her head.

  Bael’s eye flash yellow, and his thin lips pull up into an amused smirk.

  “You didn’t think I’d come alone, did you?”

  Demons emerge from the forest, eyes black as the night. We’re surrounded, outmanned, and outnumbered. We might have a chance if it was just the demons alone, but pair then with Bael and we don’t stand a fucking chance.

  “By sunrise, my demons will have taken over, and every little thing, every last person you love, will be ash and bone.”

  Chills run through me, and I have no idea what to fucking do. Bael has command over several legions of demons, but so does Binx. We could have an all-out war, with both legions of demonic soldiers clashing against each other.

  And even still, it would be too late.

  Bael is here, now, and he wants to watch the world burn.

  “Hold her down,” he orders two of his demons. They stride forward, black eyes haunting in the dark. The demons are possessing human bodies, and there’s a chance the human soul is still inside, being forced to watch from the inside every single thing the demon does. Humans can’t survive demonic possession for long, and if I want to save them—and the whole fucking town—then I have to act fast.

  Pandora and Freya rush forward, knocking both demons off their feet. Bael picks up the jar and unscrews the lid. He reaches inside and pulls out a knife. Thick blood runs down the blade, and his eyes fill with hunger. Two more demons take the place of those who fall, and Binx goes after them.

  Bael continues forward, blood dripping from the knife down onto his hand. Lucas fights against the roots binding him to the tree. Kristy madly reaches for the roots around her ankles, and finger-like vines spread over her body, threatening to tighten around her throat and squeeze the life right out of her.

  The jar of blood falls from Bael’s grasp, and for a second, I think Binx was able to attack him. But Bael keeps walking toward me, brown robe swishing around his feet. This whole time I was thinking it was a potion I was going to be forced to drink, but I was wrong. The dagger Julian took from Bael was poisoned, just like the knife he’s holding right now.

  It’s then I realize he’s not just trying to bind my powers, but kill that side of me. My humanity is my weakness, the part of me that he can exploit and use to his advantage. I’m vulnerable as a human, able to be possessed and controlled.

  And he couldn’t be more wrong.

  I’m half human.

  Half angel.

  Able to walk in the light and heed the call of the night.

  And the last thing Bael expects.

  Chapter 40

  I close my eyes, knowing I’m going to have to reach down deeper than I ever have before. I can fight back against everything Bael throws at me, and maybe I’ll win. But the cost is too high, and the hits will keep on coming.

  Sirens echo in the distance, and I know sending demons into Thorne Hill was no threat. They’re here, in my town, hurting the people who I love. I will not allow it. They’ll destroy the town and everyone in it, and I have to act fast. There is no time to waste, and I don’t see any other way to stop Bael. He’s dangerous enough as he is right now…if he’s able to get possession of my body and sit on the th
rone, it won’t just be the end of Thorne Hill, but it will be the end of the world.

  You’ve got hellfire in you, kid.

  They say when you can’t beat them, join them. But I can do one better: I can rule. Hell has no leader, and every demon is clamoring to get their hands on the throne, yet only a few have found loopholes like Bael did.

  But none of them will see this coming.

  I ball my fingers into fists, feeling the ground vibrate beneath me.

  Sky above me. Earth below me. Fire within me.

  “Stop,” I demand, and my eyes flash blue. The demons walking toward me come to a sudden halt, and Bael’s arm falters, but only for a second. He tips his head in Lucas’s direction, and a pointed end of a root stabs him right in the center of the chest.

  “No!” I scream, and anger rises inside me like a flash flood, sweeping everything away, leaving behind pure rage and desperation.

  “You will submit to me.” Bael holds his head high as he draws near. Muted moonlight glints off his golden crown. He’s thought of himself as the king this whole time, and he has power because he willed it to himself.

  And I can do the same.

  I thrust my hands forward, hitting Bael with a strong wall of energy.

  “My name is Callista King, daughter of Michael the archangel, and I stake my blood claim on the throne. Hell belongs to me,” I say, voice cutting the air like a knife. Power pulses through me, coming up from the ground at an almost dizzying rate. It fills my whole body, bringing every nerve alive. I inhale, breathing it all in, and zero my gaze on Bael. “I am your Queen and you must obey.”

  A crown of hellfire erupts around my head, burning bright into the dark night. Bael’s eyes widen with fear, his face bathed in red flickering light from the hellfire. Several of the demons closest to me look at each other. Their human bodies collapse onto the ground, running away back to Hell before I get the chance to scorch their dark souls from existence.

  “And my first decree,” I start, flames rising higher around my head. “Is for you die.” I shift my eyes to the knife in Bael’s grasp and force his hand up.

  “No!” he protests, fighting against me, and looks at his few remaining demons for help. “Get her!”

  “Not today, motherfucker,” I spit out and extend my arms. “I call upon the forces of light. Defend us in the battle with the darkness. Purge the wickedness.” Hellfire springs up from the ground, surrounding Bael. “Cast this demon in chains and send him down to the abyss.”

  Tall red flames rise around Bael. The other demons drop their human bodies, knowing they’re in for the same fate if they dare stick around. Bael’s screams are drowned out by the crackling of flames, and the fire takes on a purple hue, flames rising even higher, swallowing Bael whole.

  The fire subsides, and all that’s left of Bael is a pile of ash and bone. The roots holding Scarlet, Kristy, and Lucas shrivel up, freeing them. Kristy falls heavily to the ground, and Lucas speeds to my side.

  The crown of hellfire is still burning around my head. The flames are blue now, casting Lucas’s face in a somber glow.

  “Callie,” he pants, looking at me in question. “What did you do?”

  I close my eyes and exhale heavily. Lucas’s hands land on my shoulders, and when I open my eyes, the fire has gone out.

  “What I had to do.” I bring my hand to his chest, holding it over the bloody hole in his shirt. He’s already healed and will be fine. “Kristy,” I start and turn. She’s cradling her arm close to her body and blood drips down her forehead. “You’re hurt.”

  “Yeah,” she says, wincing when she moves her arm down. “You…you said you’re the queen of Hell.”

  “Yeah, but I didn’t mean it,” I rush out, nerves prickling down my back.

  “I don’t think it’s something you can take back,” Lucas says slowly, brows furrowing. The three of us look at each other in silence, none of us knowing what this means now. I did what I had to do to save my husband and my best friend, and I don’t regret it.

  Bael broke out of demon-jail with a mission to bring death and destruction to earth, and he wouldn’t have stopped with Thorne Hill.

  “I did what I had to do,” I repeat, needing to say it out loud.

  “You did.” Lucas pulls me into his arms, holding me tight for a beat, and then kisses me before putting his hand on my stomach. “You’re both okay?”

  “I think so,” I say. “I’m a little shaky but I feel fine.” Better than fine, really, though only physically. Because wearing the crown reaffirmed what I’d been fearing. It felt good to have the hellfire burning around me. It felt right to yield all of that power.

  Someone groans, and we shift our attention to the humans lying on the ground. There are at least half a dozen people in the woods, and none are dressed appropriately for the weather.

  “Is everyone alive?” I ask, and Lucas shakes his head. “No. But they’re not all dead.”

  “What are we going to do with them?” Kristy asks, and I shake my head, looking at Lucas.

  “I’ll alter their memories,” Lucas says.

  “They need medical attention,” I interject. “We have no idea how long they’ve been possessed and it’s cold tonight.”

  Lucas nods. “Very well. Do you recognize them?”

  I conjure an energy ball so Kristy and I can look at the bodies lying on the ground. “No one looks familiar,” I say and Kristy nods in agreement. Lucas checks one of the bodies, finding a wallet.

  “Nebraska,” he reads from the driver’s license.

  “That’s where the so-called Satan worshipers were from, wasn’t it?” I ask, way too fucking stressed right now to think straight.

  “Yes,” Lucas tells me.

  “How many are alive?” Kristy asks apprehensively.

  “Four,” Lucas says, able to hear their heartbeats.

  “Should we call an ambulance?”

  “No,” Lucas tells her. “Not here. There is no way to explain this to the police, and Callie is already under suspicion from the police.”

  “Oh, right.” Kristy swallows hard. She’s shaking, and blood is dripping from her forehead. “That makes sense.”

  “Go back to the house,” Lucas tells us. “I’ll take care of it.”

  I put my arm around Kristy, who’s clearly in pain, and let out a shaky breath. “I wish I could figure out how to heal you.”

  “Right, because killing a demon who was set on bringing about the end of the world wasn’t enough.”

  I laugh so I don’t start crying. My whole body is humming with adrenaline. So much so I almost don’t notice the shift in energy.

  “Do you feel that?” I ask, coming to an abrupt stop. We’re by the back porch of the estate, and Scarlet races from the woods, looking up at the sky, growling.

  “I feel…something,” Kristy says. “But I don’t know what it is.”

  I do, and ice-cold fear washes over me. “It’s archangels.”

  * * *

  Chapter Forty-on

  * * *

  They were able to sense me the last time I used a mega-dose of angel powers. Of course they’d be able to sense me now.

  “What do we do?” Kristy asks, and I shake my head, not able to form any words. She cups her hands around her mouth and calls for Lucas. He’s a decent way from the house but heard her just fine, and speeds to us.

  “What’s wrong?” He takes my hands in his, brows pinching together.

  “I think the other archangels found me,” I rush out. My familiars protectively shadow around me. “And I don’t know how to fight them.”

  “You can’t.” A voice comes from the back porch, and we all jump. “But never fear, Lucy is here.” Lucifer’s eyes flash in the night. He’s leaning against the side of the house and is dressed in his usual designer suit. He pushes off against the wall and strides forward, adjusting his sleeves.

  “I was right, my dear niece. Royalty suits you very well. We can have the party later as there are more
pressing issues at hand.”

  “Th—that’s Lucifer.” The whites of Kristy’s eyes show, and she stands frozen. She knows that I’ve been talking to him, and that I more or less trust him.

  “Yes, the one and only.” Lucifer grins. “I’ll sign autographs another time.”

  “Go,” Lucas urges. “Before the others find you.”

  Lucifer comes down the steps and holds out his hand. Right as I’m reaching for him, there’s another shift in the air. A gust of wind blows over us, and in a flash of blue light, Michael appears before me.

  “Hello, brother.” Lucifer snatches his hand back.

  “Lucifer,” Michael says, pausing for a second to look at him. My biblical knowledge is pretty nonexistent, but I know enough to know this is the first time either of them have looked upon each other’s faces in a very long time.

  “I will address this later,” Michael tells Lucifer and turns to me, blue eyes softly glowing. “Hello, my daughter.”

  I take a deep breath, expecting to feel relief or even joy for finally seeing my father again. But I’m pissed. His silence cuts deep, and there are so many times I could have used his help, really fucking used it. If he’d answered my calls for help with Bael, none of those women would have been murdered.

  And I wouldn’t have had to lay claim to the throne of Hell.

  “Hi, Dad.”

  He holds out his hand. “It’s not safe for you here. Let’s go.”

  I start to reach out but snatch my hand back at the last second. “No.”

  “We can’t stay,” Michael says.

  “I know,” I rush out. “The other angels sensed me too but I’m not going to let you fly me out and then disappear again. I have so many questions for you about who I am and who my mother was. Lucifer has made an effort to at the very least talk to me, which is more than I can say for you.”

  “Callie,” Michael says gently. “Your anger is valid—”

  “Of course it’s valid,” I interrupt, pushing my brows together. “I needed you. We needed you. Lucas almost died and all I could do was helplessly watch! If it wasn’t for Lucifer, I wouldn’t have known how to transfer the curse.”