“Relax. I’m not tasking you with a mission per se. Rumor has it there’s a lone angel running around in your dimension. I’m just alerting everyone on Earth to keep an eye out for her. If you find her, contact me so I can arrange to pick her up.”
Abby was aware of the way the three men stiffened at the words, and a hint of dread crept over her. She could feel the sharp embrace of fear enveloping her, and instinctively, she realized she was at risk.
“We don’t work for you anymore, Zephael.”
Zephael chuckled, but it had a dark edge. “You’re a demon. You never leave service entirely, Brax. All I’m asking is for you to keep your eyes open. Got it?”
Abby didn’t miss the hint of warning in the voice’s tone. She shuddered slightly as Mal scowled, and Brax frowned. “Of course. We’ll report to you if we see anything suspicious, or if we find an angel wandering around.” His tone made it sound like that was unlikely.
“That’s all I ask… For now.” Without another word, the voice stopped speaking, and the crystal returned to an opaque state without any hint of light.
“This is bad,” said Dante, looking nervous.
“What does he want with the angel?” asked Mal. It was difficult to tell if he was concerned in a personal way, or if he was simply curious in a more academic fashion.
“I don’t know, but we haven’t seen her,” said Brax decisively as he put the crystal back in his shirt. “We should get back on the road.”
Abby wanted to ask more, but the other two had already returned to their motorcycles before she could figure out a way to broach the topic, and with them on the road again a few minutes later, conversation was mostly impossible.
She was surprised when they stopped in the next town, parking in front of a small diner. She realized it had been several hours since breakfast, and they were all likely hungry, but she had no appetite at all. There was a sick, sloshy feeling in her stomach that came from fear, and she could taste it like an acrid scent in her mouth.
Apparently, she wasn’t good at hiding it, because as soon as they were seated in the diner, Brax put his arm around her shoulders and squeezed in a reassuring fashion. “You don’t have to be afraid. We aren’t going to turn you over to him.”
She bit her lip for a minute as he confirmed what she’d feared. She tilted her head slightly to look at him before glancing at the other two and looking down. “So, I’m the angel he’s looking for?”
“We think so, but your sol is badly damaged.”
She looked up at Mal’s words with a frown. “What is sol?”
“It’s your essence and the source of your power.”
Abby shook her head. “I don’t know what you mean. I have no power.”
“Not right now, not while your sol is damaged. Unless it’s repaired, you’re human for all intents and purposes.”
She felt overwhelmed, and she was glad to have a reprieve to gather her thoughts while the waitress arrived with coffee and water and took their orders before moving away. When it was just the four of them again, with hardly anyone else in the restaurant, she leaned forward to ask, “If I’m not human, then I guess I’m an angel. What is that?”
“You’re just a different species from the humans and from us…kind of,” said Dante, as though it was no big deal. “Our species started out from the same origins before following different evolutionary paths.”
She frowned. “Where did I come from if I’m not human?”
“Caelum. It’s a different dimension, and Earth is a nexus point. We don’t know for sure, but we assume you traveled with a damaged sol that couldn’t protect you during the transit. Or something happened to your sol during your trip. Either way, you’re not at full capacity, but there’s enough differentness about you for anyone like us or the angels with full functioning sols to know you’re not quite human.”
“And what are demons? Are we allies?” She was certain they weren’t, but she had to ask the question anyway.
Mal and Brax traded an uncomfortable look, and Dante shifted in his seat.
It was Brax who answered. “Our people have been at war for so long no one can remember exactly when it started. We once all shared Caelum, but our differences drove us apart. Angels attacked us without warning and killed many of us before expelling the rest. This was before we had discovered Earth was a nexus point, so we ended up in a dimension that’s barely habitable. Infernum is nothing like Caelum, but we’ve adapted. That doesn’t mean most of the demons are happy to be there, and they’d like to return to Caelum. It’s caused never-ending war that we’re all sick of.”
He waved his hand to encompass the table. “At various times, we all walked away and came to Earth to live here. We met up along the way and decided to stick together. We aren’t your enemy, Abby, but there are other demons who would be.”
She frowned, struggling to absorb everything he’d shared. “I’d like to know more.”
“You can look on the Internet when we get to our campsite for the night,” said Mal.
She rubbed her forehead, feeling the beginning of a headache. “If I’m an angel and demons are my enemy, is that why Zephael wants me?”
Again, the men traded glances before Brax shrugged his shoulders. “We don’t really know. Whatever his intentions or purpose, we aren’t going to hand you over.”
If her people were really at war with his, she supposed she should doubt Brax’s word on the matter. Maybe she should suspect this was all some sort of trap, or they were taking her somewhere to turn her over to the one they called Zephael.
Yet she couldn’t bring herself to believe that. They had been so kind to her, and she was certain there was more than kindness between the four of them. Maybe she was foolish to trust them, but they seemed the only ones she could under the circumstances.
* * *
Her mind had whirled with questions all afternoon, and when they finally stopped for the evening, she sped through helping set up camp as fast as she could before borrowing a tablet Dante took from his saddlebags and showed her how to use. She’d just entered in the search terms angels and demons when she saw a flash of light. She looked up in time to gasp as a glowing circle appeared from nowhere in the ground near Brax’s feet. When he stepped into it and started falling, soon disappearing from view, her mouth dropped open in shock. “What is he doing?”
“He’s gone to Infernum to see if he can learn more about why Zephael wants you.” Mal told her that without looking at her as he stirred beans in the Dutch oven. “That’s why we came to this park. It has one of the few nexus points.”
“Will he be okay?” She couldn’t stop the surge of concern for him, and it was strong enough that she could barely breathe for a moment.
“He should be,” said Dante with a hint of carelessness. “Brax is wily, and it’s not like anybody knows he’s coming, or that he’s wanted for anything. He’ll be in and out before you know it.” He seemed to be making an effort to sound reassuring.
“I…okay.” She sighed, realizing she was unlikely to get anything more from him. Maybe there was nothing much more to tell, so she bent her head and focused on research.
What she read was grim, painting an even grimmer picture of demons. It was difficult to reconcile the accounts she saw on the Internet with the actions of the men she knew, and she was more confused than ever. When she came across an especially lurid picture of a bright figure propelling a black-winged man downward toward the Earth, she trembled. “This is all so confusing.” With a sigh, she turned it off and handed it back to Dante. “I don’t think I want to know more.”
“Maybe that’s for the best. You can take some time to wrap your mind around what you’ve already learned.” He took a moment to return the table to his bag before rejoining her.
“Keep in mind both sides have manipulated humans to our advantage. We were using the nexus point long before modern hairless apes appeared and started to exert dominion over the planet. Interacting with them was inevitabl
e, and both our species are far superior, particularly when contrasted with early humans. They were easy enough to influence. They even learned our basic language—Latin—and adapted it. They couldn’t handle Enochian.” He grinned. “It’s harder than hell to master even for us.”
Her head was buzzing. “But what about the pictures, and the man shoving another out of the clouds? Why do humans believe angels are good and demons are bad?”
“I imagine it has to do with who peddled the most influence. Plus, humans liked to have answers, so they invented whatever made sense to them, no matter how crazy, and convinced others to accept it. Human lore would have you believe it’s all a matter of black-and-white—angels are good, and demons are evil. It’s far more complex than that, and when you’re ready, we’ll delve deeper into it.”
She nodded her agreement at the suggestion and leaned back in the camp chair. She stared into the flickering flames of the fire as she waited for Brax to reappear, longing for the return of her memory as well. She was certain she knew the truth about everything, if only she could remember it.
Chapter Seven
Infernum was as arid and desolate as he remembered, and Brax trembled for a moment to be back in this dimension. The air was hot and humid, with an unpleasant stench of sulfur, and he’d had the misfortune of landing close to a vent where smoke escaped from one of the underground gaseous fires that consumed the planet under the crust. The vent had opened since his last visit, but that could have been a long time ago.
He hadn’t been here in almost two hundred years, and it was easy enough to remember why he’d left. He could understand why so many demons continued to fight to regain Caelum, which was a veritable paradise in comparison, but he’d decided after losing his family in the war that never ended there had to be another option. He’d walked away without regret, and he wouldn’t be back now if it weren’t for Abby.
Maybe he could’ve contacted someone on Infernum without having to visit, but this seemed like the most discreet way to be in and out and find the right sources. He just hoped some of his former compatriots remembered him and had information. With that thought in mind, he thought of the bar where many of the soldiers used to gather, and his thoughts immediately took him there.
It was much easier to use his power on Infernum, and not just because he had to be discreet on Earth. They had to blend in when living among the humans, but here, he could openly use any of his powers without garnering unwanted attention. The air around him hummed with the collective power of his race, which made it easier to tap into his own sol to utilize it for whatever purposes he wished. In this case, he didn’t want to walk, so teleporting was certainly convenient compared to traveling by bike or other human means, though he had gotten rather attached to his Harley over the years.
He entered the bar, aware of a wave of silence sweeping through the place for a long moment as everyone turned to stare at him. At first, he didn’t see any familiar faces, and those he looked at appeared full of mistrust and suspicion. He supposed he couldn’t blame their wariness, because if they didn’t know him, they might wonder why he was there.
He made his way to the bar, ordering a drink as he looked around. He still didn’t see any familiar faces.
“What brings you in here?” asked the gruff bartender. Brax was a large man, but this guy was even larger. He was wiping out a glass with a less-than-clean cloth, but his gaze didn’t waver from Brax. “I’ve never seen you here before.”
“I used to be a regular a couple centuries ago,” said Brax with a small smile.
The bartender frowned, his red brows coming together in surprise. “That was before my time, but if you’re such a regular, where’ve you been?”
“Earth,” said Brax with an air of finality to indicate he was done discussing that. “Do you know if any of Squad Eight-One-Seven still comes in?”
The bartender’s eyes gleamed with recognition as he nodded. “They often use a private room.” He jerked his thumb in the direction of the corner. “Through there.”
“Thanks.” Brax started to lay an American bill on the bar before remembering where he was. He fumbled in his pocket, finally coming up with the right denomination that he laid beside his mostly untouched glass and slid off the stool. He followed the bartender’s directions, realizing the place had expanded since he’d last been there.
There hadn’t been a private room before, and there hadn’t been an even larger demon guarding it. This dude was seriously big, even larger than the bartender, and it was enough to make Brax feel slightly intimidated. Of course, he hid that as he approached the guy and nodded. “I’d like to see some of the guys from Eight-One-Seven.”
The man scowled at him. “What’s your name?”
“Abraxas.” He doubted they’d know him as Brax, which was the name he’d adopted once he went to Earth to stay.
The stool groaned in protest when the bouncer stepped down before turning to open the door behind him. He leaned in his head and called, “Marael, do you know an Abraxas?”
“Yeah, let him in,” said Marael, sounding shocked.
He recognized her voice, and he was grinning as the bouncer moved aside so he could walk through the door. It shut behind him a moment later, and he approached the table, finding an empty seat. There were some new faces in the squad, but Marael was still clearly leading.
She was the fiercest warrior he’d ever met, and though she looked much like a fourteen-year-old girl, she was battle-hardened and nearly three thousand years old. He’d been on Earth for too long though, because he winced when she tossed back a shot of alcohol, unable to help thinking about how young she looked versus her action. He was wise enough not to say anything.
She stared at him with dark eyes for a moment, frowning. “What brings you here, Abraxas?” She sounded wary.
He shrugged his shoulders. “I suppose I came to catch up… And…”
She arched her brow. “And?”
“I wanted some information, and I thought you might be a good place to start. What do you know about the angel Zephael’s searching for on Earth?”
“Not much,” said Marael. That appeared to be her full answer for a moment, but before Brax could prompt her for more information, she said, “We were notified to keep an eye out for her if we went topside, and from what I’ve heard, we don’t know a whole lot. We’ve heard from some people on the other side that the angels want her bad too. Their orders are to eliminate her on-sight, so Zephael figured with them wanting to get rid of her, she might be useful to us. He at least wants a chance to interrogate her to find out why the angels want her dead.”
It hovered on the tip of his tongue for a moment to tell Marael that Abby had no memory and probably wouldn’t unless or until they restored her sol. He held back, realizing it had been two hundred years since he’d served under her, and her loyalties had likely shifted and evolved during that time.
When he’d left Infernum, Zephael was still rising through the ranks, and he certainly hadn’t been the leader of all the demons. Marael was a tough one to read, but she seemed to have no beef with Zephael. That didn’t mean she was necessarily loyal to him or aligned with his goals, but it was a risk he wasn’t willing to take.
“Do you have time for a game?” asked one of his old comrades. He started flipping through cards as he did so.
Brax shook his head. “Thanks for the offer, but I don’t. I have to get back, but thanks for the information too.”
Marael nodded. “If you find her, just let us know.”
“Of course.”
“Maybe we’ll see you again before another two hundred years pass,” said his former commander with a note of condemnation in her tone.
He blushed slightly and shrugged, not really committing other than to say, “You know why I left. I wasn’t the first and won’t be the last.”
Marael sighed, but she didn’t seem inclined to argue with him or try to persuade him to return to fighting for the cause. Instead, she lifte
d a hand in parting and said, “Travel safely.”
“Die with honor,” he said, the response automatically springing to his lips. It had an almost ceremonial air and was often part of Marael’s rallying speeches before they went into battle. Her lips quirked slightly in a soft smile, but she didn’t speak again. He felt uncannily like he’d been dismissed, much as when he had been in service, and he turned and strode quickly from the room.
He didn’t pause, leaving the bar seconds later. He stood out in the parking lot, about to transport himself back to the portal opening on Infernum, when there was a flash of red, and six demons appeared before him. They were all menacing, wearing the armor of the king, and though he didn’t know five of them, he recognized Orias immediately. Brax wished he had Mal and Dante there for backup, particularly since he didn’t know why Orias and the others had appeared. He squared his shoulders and strove to find a friendly smile when he said, “I haven’t seen you in forever, Orias.”
“Not since you abandoned us,” said the other demon, eyes narrowed and expression angry. Apparently, he had taken Brax’s defection personally.
Brax could feel the warm steel of his sword nestled in the scabbard between his wings, and he was tempted to reach for it, but that would be an overt sign of hostility. The odds weren’t good, so he hoped he could talk his way out of this. “Do you need something?”
“We keep track of who comes and goes and imagine our surprise to see you entering Infernum after two centuries on the very day you talked to Zephael about the missing angel. We’d like to know why.”
Brax’s mind whirled as he struggled to come up with an answer they would believe that wouldn’t reveal he knew anything about Abby, and he certainly didn’t want them to realize he had her. “I came to find out more, because I was hoping there was a reward.” It sounded mercenary enough to convince them.
Sanctimalus Serial: Parts One-Three Page 6
