Panic filled her mind, as she was pressed very hard from all directions. It wasn’t the same feeling of weightlessness, like floating in water, when she’d traveled to and from Horizon. The pressure persisted, like iron chains tightening around her chest, arms, legs and head. She’d never felt such excruciating pain, as though she was being flattened like a pancake. Darkness and pain. Pain in her body. And then a pounding in her head as though she was being hit by a giant hammer.
But she couldn’t scream. She couldn’t do anything. Her only consolation was that Milo was there with her, but he was probably suffering just as she was.
They weren’t going to make it. This was a mistake, a terrible mistake. She felt her soul, her core being split. She and Milo were being crushed, and it was all her fault…
Her ears popped as searing pain burned inside her eardrums and then—
Alexa’s feet slammed onto solid ground. Before her eyes had adjusted, she felt the air move next to her as Milo landed beside her. Alexa opened her streaming eyes.
As her comprehension caught up with her senses, Alexa realized they had just made the trip to another world, another dimension.
When she noticed that she was still holding on to Milo’s hand as though her life depended on it, she pulled it away. Flexing her fingers, she looked over at him and blinked.
She blinked again. Something wasn’t right. Alexa’s emotions were swirling—panic, regret, anger, more panic. As she watched Milo, she could see his skin shifting from golden beige to ashy gray while his clothes remained black. His golden hair was now a dull light gray, like the color of a river rock.
Alexa looked down at herself, at her hands, and held back a scream. Her clothes were the same black of the CDD gear, but the olive tone of her skin was grayish, like a corpse. Her eyes widened, unsettled by the image, only to be more disturbed when she tore her eyes from her hands and looked around.
They stood in what appeared to be a deserted city. Tall, dilapidated buildings looked down upon them from every side.
The cobbled road stretched farther than she could see, multiplying into a maze of twisting streets. All of them were lined with mismatched buildings piled on top of one another like sloppily stacked boxes. Some buildings were lit on fire while others were unnaturally still. Ash was piled on the rooftops and window ledges like dirty snow. Angry gray clouds raced each other in a low, sunless sky.
The world was shades of black and gray. The ground was not covered in green grasses or even stone—just a carpet of gray ash.
Alexa tried not to panic, but her nerves jolted every which way. It was a world without color, without warmth. A wind picked up, bringing with it the smell of burnt wood and rot. Worse was the range of overwhelming emotions—sadness, dread, everlasting pain, and even bursts of fury. It was a world were joy and happiness didn’t exist, only grief and misery.
Alexa wasn’t sure what she’d expected to see, but this wasn’t how she imagined purgatory to be.
Finally, she found her voice. “There’s no color,” she said. Relief poured through her at the sound of her familiar voice. “There’s no color in this place. It’s like we’ve just stepped into an old black and white horror movie.”
Milo’s face was a mixture of emotions as he stared at his hands. “I must admit I was not expecting that. But it could have been worse. Much worse.”
Alexa’s insides squeezed together at the sound of alarm in Milo’s voice. “So this is purgatory,” she said as she looked around. “I’m not sure what I expected, but I didn’t think it was a city. I was expecting dead corpses walking around in circles, rivers of blood, the endless wailing of tormented souls.”
“It’s many things,” said Milo. “A city is just part of it.” He was silent for a moment, and then, “It’s desolation. Misery and despair. Eternal torment. A place of nightmares born of deepest fears.”
Just then, Alexa caught a silhouette of a person moving from one of the windows. “There are people inside the buildings.”
“Not people. Never people.” Milo drew his spirit sabers. “This is the realm of the souls of monsters and demons, of the worst creatures ever created. Even some of the most wicked human souls are found here.”
“I had no idea,” said Alexa, surveying the buildings. “I always thought the monsters and the demons we killed went back to their home dimension, to the Netherworld.”
“When demon and other supernatural creatures’ souls can’t return to the Netherworld, they end up here. In this realm of nightmares, of blood and bone and darkness, a world filled with all things hungry and dead. This is their prison, their afterlife.”
“Like Tartarus.”
“Tartarus is a five-star hotel compared to this place,” said Milo. “They feed on themselves, on each other’s souls.” If he was horrified or shocked, his face revealed none of it.
Alexa swallowed hard, her throat dry, and she said carefully, “And ours.”
“Exactly.”
“They devour life,” said Milo. “There are creatures here that can suck the soul right out of you to feed on you while you see yourself withering away in excruciating pain.”
Alexa swallowed, and real fear coated her tongue. “Can we kill them?”
“Perhaps,” said Milo as he twisted his blades before him skillfully. “But maybe they can’t die in this realm.”
Alexa stared at his gloomy, gray face, still very handsome and timeless like a black and white portrait. “Let’s hope they do.”
Alexa followed his example and pulled out her soul blade. For a second, the handle slipped in her hand. She turned it over and saw a thin layer of plasma against her skin, like a gel.
“What is this stuff? It’s all over my skin?” she cringed as she smelled her fingers. “Smells like vinegar.”
Milo shrugged. “I don’t know. I have it too. Must be some sort of residue, ectoplasm from entering purgatory.”
Once she thought about it, Alexa could feel the slimy substance over her entire body. She shivered involuntary and tried not to show how disgusted she felt in front of Milo who seemed unaffected by the slime.
“What time does your watch say?” said Milo.
Alexa glanced at her watch. “Twelve, midnight, or maybe it’s noon?”
“We have until that watch points to four to find the sword,” said the angel, looking around the buildings. “I’m thinking the bone sword is probably really well guarded… or completely discarded as something useless, which’ll make it that much more difficult to find.”
A tremor worked its way in Alexa’s chest. “You’re regretting coming with me, aren’t you?”
Milo froze and slowly turned to face her. His steady gaze was even softer than his voice.
“Why would you think that? I’m here, aren’t I?”
Alexa looked away from him. “I don’t know. It’s just… forget it,” she said, feeling slightly stupid for saying it. “Where do we start?” she asked, looking over her shoulder and trying to make Milo forget what she’d just said. “This place is huge, and four hours doesn’t seem like a long enough time to go through every building. Sabrielle said we’d know when we’d found the sword, but I wish she would have told us where to look—”
“Sabrielle said lots of things,” said Milo, “but I’m more worried about what she didn’t say.”
“What do you mean?”
Milo looked her over, and something low in her abdomen twisted at the gaze that was anything but that of a petty officer or a friend.
“Stay close to me,” said Milo, turning his gaze over the city. “We shine with life, and just by coming to this dimension I’m pretty sure we sounded a few alarms. They know we’re here.” He scanned the nearest building. “There are creatures lurking in this city,” he said. “Creatures who wear the bodies of men like clothing. But remember, these aren’t people.”
“I know.” Warning bells pealed in Alexa’s head.
“Let’s see where this road takes us,” said Milo. “Come on.”
Alexa followed Milo down the path, her eyes scanning every shadow and her angel senses on high alert. They stalked together in silence, the ash covered ground of the too-quiet street dulling the sounds of their boots. Alexa was hit with an intense feeling of being watched. She looked up at the window of the nearest building and again saw a shadow, a shape lingering in the window. But when she blinked, it was gone.
Alexa gazed across the flickering lights through the silent city, and a chill went down her spine. What if they didn’t find the sword in time? She’d be stuck in this city for all eternity. But worse was that, she’d dragged Milo into this.
They continued down the street and then down another. By the third street, still no ghouls or goblins came out of the shadows. Images of green valleys and blue skies kept flashing in her mind’s eye, all those glorious colors she’d taken for granted.
Alexa strolled down the cobbled street, her nerves on edge as if the world could crumble around her at any moment. At the time, she hadn’t really thought through going to purgatory. She’d just thought that if there was a chance to defeat Hades, no matter what, she had to take it.
But now, being in purgatory with the endless feeling of sadness, hatred and dread, she wasn’t sure if was such a good idea. What if they never found the sword and wandered in this forsaken place for all eternity? What if they couldn’t get back?
Alexa froze.
“Alexa?” Milo turned to her. “What is it? Did you see something?” He cast his gaze around them.
“I just realized,” she began, a sick feeling erupting in the pit of her stomach. “We didn’t ask Sabrielle how to get back… we didn’t ask her how to get back to Horizon.”
Milo swore. “I knew we’d forgotten something! I can’t believe this! Why didn’t I think of asking her?”
“It’s not your fault. I should have asked her. I’m the one who made you come with me, remember? I practically forced you.” Alexa kicked the ground. “I’m so stupid! I was only thinking about getting the sword—I never stopped to think how we were supposed to get back. It all happened so fast. If anyone is to blame, it’s me.”
“Don’t say that. I’m your petty officer. The way back home was my responsibility, not yours.” Milo raked his fingers through his hair. “Water. We need to find water.”
“I hate to say this, but I don’t think we’ll find water in this place,” said Alexa, struggling to control her rising panic. “Water is life, and this place is death.” She kicked up some ashes with her boot. “And if by a miracle we do find water, would it even work?”
“I don’t know,” said Milo, “maybe. We’d have to try anyway, wouldn’t we?”
“There’s got to be a way out,” said Alexa, trying to convince herself at the same time. “Sabrielle wants that sword. I’m sure of it. To tell you the truth, she looked kind of desperate for us to get it. I didn’t get the feeling she was sending us on a fool’s errand. The sword’s real, and she wants us to bring it back.”
Milo shook his head. “Yes, I have to agree with you on that. We didn’t think to ask, but she didn’t think to tell us either. It’s something the archangel Ariel wouldn’t have missed or forgotten.”
“I know,” said Alexa, wishing Ariel, not Sabrielle, had given them this assignment. “But I still think Sabrielle knew what she was asking of us. Why would she tell us that we had roughly four hours to get back if there wasn’t a way back at all? No, there’s got to be a way out of this hell. There has to be. I’m sure of it.”
Milo clenched his jaw. “Let’s just concentrate on finding the sword first. Once we get it, we can figure out a way home.”
Still, Alexa’s own words didn’t convince her. Why hadn’t Sabrielle told them how to get back? She didn’t think the archangel would have forgotten such a crucial part of their mission, which meant she’d left it out on purpose. But why would she do that? What was the point of looking for the sword if they couldn’t bring it back? Or was this some plot to get rid of her and Milo?
Anger slashed through Alexa’s terror as she trudged down the path next to Milo. Alexa did the only thing she could think of. When she had been confronted with fear in the past, she had learned to control it. There was strength in control. She did that now. Focusing, she shut her fear away, blocked off the panic, and sought the calm within herself. She let her mind focus on her strength. In the quiet of her mind, she blocked off her fears and confusion, centering her thoughts on the strength of that peace. She would not let purgatory have her soul. She would find the sword.
Plus, the job seemed to be constantly working against her. She felt as though she’d never get a break. The only thing that kept her from losing faith, the only thing she held on to securely, was the idea of feeling somewhat normal again. She wanted to get back what Hades had taken from her and kill him. The thought poured some courage into her, and her steps became more assertive as she prowled next to Milo—
“Milo! Look!”
A flash of green light shone from somewhere deep in the city, as though someone had switched on a light with a green bulb.
“Can you see it? That green light? It just sort of appeared. That has to be it,” said Alexa, her chest bursting with excitement. “Sabrielle said we’d know it when we saw it. That light is the only color in this damned place.”
“Yes,” said Milo, following her gaze as he eyed the flash of color warily. “Yes, it very well could be where the weapon is… or it could be a trap.”
Alexa watched him. “It’s not like we have a choice. It’s the only clue we’ve got, and the clock’s ticking. I say we go check it out, and quickly, before that light goes out.”
“I hate to say it,” said Milo, “but I think you’re right. I don’t think we have a choice.”
Together, they set off at a brisk pace. Every step sent a jolt of excitement rippling through Alexa, fueling her limbs to move faster and faster towards the target. Every few steps, Milo would cast a glance at the neighboring buildings and behind them while Alexa never let the green light out of her sight. It was the weapon. She knew it was. It was almost too easy…
Movement caught her eye. Flashes of black and gray and shadow hurled at them from every direction. Plumes of black smoke rose all around, spiraling upward, spreading and solidifying.
“Milo!” Alexa warned.
But it was too late. They were surrounded.
They’d come out of nowhere, as though the shadows themselves had birthed them out, morphed from darkness and ashes. Hundreds of them. Some had the bodies and faces of men and women while others were oozing masses like giant worms. There were wolf-like creatures, and others were a combination of animal and human.
Milo swore and moved protectively next to Alexa, white-faced and horrified, but it wouldn’t do much good.
She’d never fought so many demons at once. What if they couldn’t be killed?
A mixture of fear and guilt gripped her at the sight of Milo’s expression. If they died now, it would be her fault. Their souls would be trapped here forever and it would be all her fault.
A creature broke off from the masses and shuffled forward, its flesh angry and bruised. Bones protruded through its cracked and seeping skin, and black dripping sores covered thin-fleshed arms. It thrashed its skull-like head to the side, its nose and eyes just caved-in holes. Its hands were raw, and black-taloned fingers brushed the floor.
It looked down at the angels with empty eye sockets. “What do we have here?” it said in a voice like the grinding of rocks. “Do my eyes deceive me or are there two angels standing before us in our city?”
There was a harmony of wet, sick laughter. Alexa’s hair rose on the back of her neck.
“Are you lost? Do you not know where you are? Have you been banished from your precious Horizon? Have the archangels cast you out? Perhaps you are outcast, and you are a gift sent to us by our lord?” said the creature. “Why else would these scrumptious angels have so willingly entered this realm?” It took a step forward—
“Stay back!” shouted Milo as he cut the air with his sabers. The creature hissed at the sight of the glowing swords, but it didn’t move any farther.
“I guess trying to make a deal would be out of the question, now. Wouldn’t it, demon?” said Milo, addressing the creature.
The demon leered. “This is our realm, and angels don’t make deals in purgatory. Besides, you can’t deal with angels because they always lie. The word of an angel is like building on quicksand. They lie to trap you, to trick you.” The demon leaned closer. “The dead can’t make deals.”
“But you haven’t heard my deal yet,” said Milo, smiling confidently.
Alexa leaned closer to Milo and whispered, “I hope you know what you’re doing.”
The demon cocked its head. “And what deal might that be, angel?”
Milo crossed his swords and positioned them in front of him like giant scissors. “Let us through, or we’ll send your wretched souls to join the ashes of this forsaken place.”
The creature threw back its head and laughed. “You are far away from Horizon, angel. This is our realm, our rules. You will find that your precious powers and gifts don’t apply here. If you didn’t want me to rip the soul out that fleshy body, you shouldn’t have come here.” It eyed them for a moment. “I haven’t met an angel yet that doesn’t suffer from delusions of grandeur. Angels are nothing but a bunch of glowing lights with soft, fleshy bodies and souls ready for the reaping. You are food, and we’re very hungry.”
Grunts came short and low, and Alexa felt fear cut through her as though she’d been stabbed by a sword. A mass of demons moved forward, shuffling sideways with their maws opening and closing like they’d already tasted the angels’ flesh—
“Wait!” blurted Alexa, surprised at the strength of her own voice although her hands were shaking. “We’re here for the bone sword!”
Something akin to surprise flashed across the creature’s face. “The bone sword?”
“Yes,” said Alexa, feeling the handle of her soul blade cut into her palm, “the bone sword. It’s a weapon of incredible power… power to …” she added, her mind racing, “the power to break out of purgatory.”
The City of Flame and Shadow Page 13
