“Yes.” Alexa knew the hate the archangel meant. She had felt it many times—an abhorrence, an uncontrollable urge to destroy, to kill demons. But she’d also felt an overwhelming sense to protect the living.
“It burns in you,” said the archangel, “the need to protect, to keep the mortals safe, as it does in me. So, you see, that is my predicament. The mere fact that angels are abandoning the Legion to join with a Greater demon for a life of cruelty against humanity… is odd. The downfall of the angels coincides with Hades’ uprising. He’s part of the problem, but I feel we’re missing something. Maybe it has nothing to do with Hades. Maybe it’s something else entirely and Hades is just a pawn in a bigger scheme.”
Alexa sat straighter in her chair. “What do you mean?”
Ariel looked at Alexa for a moment before she looked down at her fingers and said, “I’m not sure. It’s just… Metatron and I agree… that Hades, while he is evil, he’s a trickster, selfish, and the most egotistical of all the pagan gods. Whatever is going on, whatever he is planning… it just seems a little too elaborate for him. Out of his comfort zone. Which is why, Metatron and I both think there has to be something else we haven’t discovered.”
“You mean like Hades is acting on someone’s else’s orders?” Alexa felt a chill kiss up her back.
Ariel shook her head, sending her tight curls bouncing on her head. “I’m not sure. Perhaps.”
“What do you want us to do?” asked a voice behind them.
Alexa turned to see Milo sauntering from across the chamber towards the conference table.
He was a marvel of muscle and speed and brute strength. His golden hair gleamed in the light. A warrior.
There was no sign of any injuries he’d suffered from their previous mission. He moved with lethal grace and surety, scanning the chamber as if he were walking onto a killing field. Alexa couldn’t help but notice how all the other angels in the chamber stopped what they were doing and stared unabashedly at him. As he drew closer, some of the angels shrank back while others bolted for different cubicles or to random desks—anywhere to escape his challenging stare.
Dressed all in his normal black, he wore his spirit sabers strapped across his back and two soul blades at his sides. He was a pure, solid angel.
A flush creeped up the smooth column of her neck, and Alexa shifted uncomfortably in her chair, surprised to be feeling her chest contracting.
When their eyes met, Alexa felt a jolt ripple from her core to her limbs, as though she’d stuck her finger in an electrical outlet. She quickly averted her eyes.
“Ah, Milo, there you are,” said Ariel, smiling. “Glad to see you’ve made a full recovery.”
Milo returned her smile, but he was looking at Alexa. “I have.”
Alexa looked at her fingers and again felt the heat intensify on her face. She cursed herself inwardly.
“Alexa and I were just discussing the unfortunate rise of Hades,” said the archangel. She paused for a moment while Milo sat in the chair opposite Alexa.
Ariel looked at Milo. “What I am about to say has to stay between us.”
Alexa and Milo glanced at each other.
“I need you, for a special assignment, and just the two of you.” She looked over their heads and then lowered her voice. “I don’t know who to trust anymore… there are strange things happening in the Legion… missing documents… false accusations. The archangels Camael and Muriel have resigned from their posts and stepped down from the High Council, shortly after rumors surfaced of spies within the members. This is a further, disgusting attempt to discredit the High Council, break down our leaders, and create havoc. And this creates a clear field for whomever is trying to overthrow us.”
“What is it?” asked Alexa. “What’s going on?”
Ariel put the tips of her long fingers together and surveyed Alexa and Milo with unease. The weight of her impending bad news hung in the air for a moment. “I need you to go back and find the demon that was once the angel Willow.”
Alexa jolted in her chair and steadied herself. “Excuse me?” She shot a look at Milo who was staring at the archangel with a look of utmost confusion.
Ariel lifted her hand. “I know. I know. This comes as a shock, but it’s the only way. Metatron and I both agree that it’s imperative you find her.”
“Metatron?” said Alexa, feeling both impatient and slightly angry. “Well, that doesn’t surprise me. The guy despises me. I’m pretty sure he’d be thrilled to get rid of me. This is his idea, isn’t it?”
“The archangel Metatron,” said Ariel gently, “does not hate you, Alexa.”
“Yes, he does.”
“I can assure you he does not,” said Ariel, her voice low but stern. “And that’s the last I’ll speak of it. Now. No one apart from me, the archangel Metatron, and the two of you know about this.” When Ariel spoke next, she lowered her voice even further. “Do you think you could find her again?”
“Yes,” said Milo before Alexa had time to open her mouth. “She’ll be at the school. I think she’s using it as some kind of demon headquarters.”
“Good,” said Ariel, nodding. “Then we’re halfway there. Alexa. Milo. It will be your job to persuade Willow to reveal the real threat, to tell us who the real menace is, what Hades is planning but who he’s planning it for, which will undoubtedly be our most crucial piece of information.”
Alexa stared at her. “It’s not going to be easy,” she said, keeping her voice as respectful as possible. “She’s not just going to tell us. We’ll have to—”
“Make her talk,” interrupted Milo. He looked at Alexa and shrugged.
“Yes,” said Ariel. “Yes, I’m afraid you’ll have to do everything in your power to make her reveal Hades’ plans. You will have to compel her.”
“And she’ll have her friends with her,” said Alexa, adding with a small laugh. “She might even have acquired more friends.”
“Willow is an—or was—an extremely capable angel who might even be expecting this,” said Ariel. “She is a much more accomplished guardian than other angels of her rank, and I would be astonished if she has not convinced more friends, as you say, to turn. Still,” the archangel surveyed Alexa for a moment, “I wouldn’t ask it of you if it weren’t important.”
“I’m sure it’s important, and I’m not saying I don’t want to do this,” said Alexa. “It’s just, we barely made it out the last time—”
“Do you feel you’ve exerted your very best efforts in stopping Hades? That you have exercised all of your considerable ingenuity? That you have left no resources unexplored in your quest to vanquish the Greater demon? His escape was unfortunate, but it is our duty to set things right again. To bring back the balance.”
Alexa clamped her mouth shut. Although Ariel didn’t outright say that Alexa had played a major role in Hades’ escape, she could see it in her eyes. A hot, prickly feeling of shame spread from the top of Alexa’s head all the way down her body.
“We all have a part to play in this,” said the archangel. “And yours, Alexa and Milo, is to uncover what Hades is planning, but most of all, who he’s working for.”
“We will,” said Milo, glancing at Alexa. “Don’t worry. I have ways to make her talk. She’ll tell us what we need to know. Trust me.”
Alexa watched Milo and felt a chill wash through her at the coldness in his voice, as though torturing someone, a demon, was his pastime.
Ariel sighed in relief. “I’ll hold you to it, Milo. I can’t stress enough the importance of this information. Failing isn’t an option. You must get her to talk.” Ariel’s voice was both strained and a little fearful. “Can I rely on you both to keep this between us?”
Alexa sat straighter. “Of course you can. You can count on us.” The idea that the archangel Ariel valued her help this highly made Alexa feel even more deeply ashamed that she had failed in the task of retrieving the Helm of Darkness and stopping Hades before he became too powerful. She shifted guiltily in
her seat.
“Good.” Ariel pushed back her chair and stood up. “This is where your special skills and talent might come in handy. But please be careful. I would like to see you both back here in one piece.” She smiled weakly. “May the souls protect and guide you.”
And with that, the archangel Ariel picked her way through the chamber, stepped into a waiting elevator and disappeared.
There was a moment’s silence.
“Are you okay?” said Milo suddenly.
Alexa turned to look at him and did her best to ignore the warmth that singed her face. “I should be asking you that. Are you okay? All patched up and everything?”
“I’m fine, really.” He surveyed her closely. “But you seem a little… tense.”
“I’m not.”
“It’ll be fine, Alexa,” said Milo. The gentle way he said her name made her skin prickle. “She can’t surprise us. We know what Willow is now—”
“A psychotic, eat-my-own-hair, ballerina demon.”
“And she can’t use the mortals against us,” continued Milo as though Alexa hadn’t spoken. “It’ll just be us. You and me. We should go now. She might not expect us to return so soon. That might work to our advantage.”
“Well, I don’t know about any advantage,” said Alexa, “but if we get there and she’s managed to pull out all of her hair—”
“Ah! There you are!”
A tall woman in a silver and forget-me-not blue gown rushed towards them. The skirt had many layers, and was lavishly trimmed with all manners of lace, ribbon, and flowers. It was so wide, it looked like she wore a giant balloon under it. The sleeves, which were tight from shoulder to elbow, ended with flared lace and ribbons. Her waist was tightly constricted by a corset, providing a plunging neckline and revealing her large breasts.
And above the layers of looped blonde hair sat the largest hat Alexa had ever seen, finished with a blue feather. Her face was as pale as bone, covered in a thick layer of white powder, but her silver eyes sparkled as though light shone behind them. She looked like she’d just stepped out of an eighteenth-century movie, playing the part of the French Queen, Marie Antoinette.
Her enormous gown swished about her as she barreled across the room towards them, leaving a mess of overturned desks, chairs, and angry angels in her wake.
“What is she doing here?” said Milo next to her. As he bent his head, his hair brushed her cheek. In another time, she would have surrendered to the simple caress, but the large woman coming at her like a bull commanded all of her attention.
It took a moment for Alexa to realize who it was.
“Archangel Sabrielle?”
Sabrielle’s thick, sausage-like, blood-red lips stretched into a forced smile. “Well, yes, of course. Why do you say my name like a question?” The archangel closed the distance between them. “So glad I’ve caught you,” she said, beaming. Her eyes flicked over to Milo’s neck, tracing his snake-like sigil.
Alexa felt a strange sense of protection, and before she knew what she was doing, she stepped in front of Milo so that she covered half of him with her body.
“Really? Why’s that?” Alexa stared at the archangel’s painted face. The makeup was cracked and peeling like icing on an old cake.
Sabrielle pretended to adjust her hat while shooting covert glances behind her. “Well, as it so happens, I have information you’ll want to hear.”
“Well, you better make it quick, we’re off on a—” Alexa caught herself. Ariel had specifically asked that no one know of their special mission. And Alexa had the feeling that request included Sabrielle.
“A mission, I know,” said Sabrielle, still smiling.
“Well, then,” said Alexa a little annoyed. She wondered why Ariel hadn’t told them about confiding in Sabrielle, “you know we need to leave now.”
“Well, that’s just it,” said Sabrielle, her eyes gleaming in excitement. “I have exactly what you need.”
“I doubt that,” said Alexa skeptically.
Sabrielle’s painted face was all charm and smiles. “I have the weapon to destroy the pagan god Hades.”
CHAPTER 15
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU HAVE THE WEAPON?” said Milo, moving away from Alexa so he was now facing the archangel. He glared at her quizzically. “What weapon?”
Sabrielle’s eyes flashed. “I mean exactly what I said—the weapon—the only weapon in existence that can kill the pagan god, once and for all.”
Alexa blinked. “What did you say?”
Sabrielle waited a second or two, apparently to try and savor her moment of glory. As the silence stretched on, she smiled and said, “I’m talking about a weapon that can defeat Hades. A weapon that will destroy him, utterly and completely, so that he will never rise again.”
“I’ve never heard of such a weapon,” said Milo, looking surprised and a little uneasy.
“Because you wouldn’t have,” said Sabrielle. “Only the archangels know of its existence, and perhaps a few selected oracles… but no guardian angels.”
When Alexa looked at Milo, she found him frowning as he surveyed the archangel. She could see the tension contorting his face the longer he stared at the archangel.
Alexa turned her attention back on Sabrielle. “What kind of weapon is it?”
“Well,” Sabrielle resumed, pushing up her corset so that her chest nearly grazed her chin, “it’s called, the bone sword, and it’s the only one in existence. It was made with the bones of the first mortals and washed in the essence of the first archangels. It’s the only weapon that can kill Hades or any other pagan god. It will kill anything that is not of the mortal world.”
Alexa felt a great jolt of excitement. She could almost feel her hand wrapped around the hilt of this sword, plunging it into Hades’ chest.
“The archangel Ariel gave us a job to do,” said Milo, turning to Alexa. “We should accomplish that task first. Then if she wants us to use this sword—”
“No, no, no, that won’t do,” said Sabrielle, wiggling a finger in his face. “Ariel has already agreed about using the sword. It’s much more important.”
“Really?” said Milo, looking unconvinced. “If it’s so important, why didn’t the archangel Ariel tell us herself? She was just here. Why didn’t she tell us about this sword?”
Sabrielle smiled, making her face crack and peel even more. “Because a moment ago she hadn’t received her orders from the High Council, as I did, having just coming from there. That’s right. Official orders, straight from the High Council’s mouth.”
Milo shifted uncomfortably but said nothing. Alexa could see heads turned their way as though all the attention from the chamber was homed on them.
“And Ariel knows about this weapon?” asked Alexa, keeping her face as immobile and her voice as indifferent as she could.
“Of course she does,” said Sabrielle, her teeth flashing. “She asked me to tell you. That’s why I came as fast as I could, to catch you before you left.”
Alexa stood in stock silence, her mind racing. If this weapon did exist, she could finally defeat Hades, make things right again, and above all—get her missing soul and memories back. Alexa felt this was her chance, and she wouldn’t miss it.
“Alexa, we need to think about this,” warned Milo. “It’s all happening a little too fast. We haven’t had time to think this through. We need to speak to the archangel Ariel before we go forward with this. She is our boss. And I’d like to hear what she has to say about this weapon.” He leaned forward and added, “She entrusted us with a special assignment. Don’t you find it strange that she’d want us to just forget about it? After what she told us?”
“No,” said Alexa, excitement blazing in her chest at the prospect of getting her hands on this weapon. “I mean, I get what you’re saying, Milo. I do, but this is our chance. Don’t you see? With this weapon, we don’t need to go after Willow. We just have to find Hades and destroy him.”
Milo stared at Alexa. A strange sadness wa
shed over his face as he said gently, “Alexa, think about this—”
“I have,” she said, speaking quickly. “Besides, these new orders come straight from the High Council, right? We can’t just ignore that, can we?”
Milo shook his head. “No, but—”
“Don’t you want to stop Hades?” said Alexa, feeling more and more annoyed at Milo. “If there’s a weapon that can kill him, I want this weapon. I want him dead. After everything he’s done to me, to the Sensitives, I thought you’d understand what’s at stake here. Why I have to do this. It’s my fault Hades got out.”
“She’s right, you know,” interrupted Sabrielle, making Alexa flinch inwardly.
“You of all people should know what’s it like,” continued Alexa as though Sabrielle hadn’t spoken, “to be looked at like a freak. I want to be normal again. I want my soul back.”
Milo said nothing for a while, his jaw clenching. She thought she’d gone too far with what she’d said, but then he surprised her. “I’m with you, Alexa. Whatever you decide. We do it together.”
Warmth spread through her body as she flashed him a smile. “Good.” Alexa looked at the archangel. “Well, where is it?” she asked excitedly, looking around to see if the archangel might pull it out from her many skirts. She felt as though she was finally getting a break. “Where’s the sword?”
“Ah,” said Sabrielle, her smile fading, “that’s where there’s a teensy weensy hiccup—”
“I knew there was a catch,” mumbled Milo. He folded his arms over his chest. “There’s always a catch.”
Alexa glared at him and then turned to Sabrielle. “What do you mean, hiccup? How big of a hiccup are we talking about?”
The City of Flame and Shadow Page 11
