by M. R. Forbes
Once Alichino found a way to stop the signal to the Fist, or to otherwise disable the link between Zifah and the armor, we would need a means to bring them to us so we could actually use it. Since I had sent Alyx off with her sister to keep her bright red, Great Were aura from giving my position away, it made sense that I would take her back to do the opposite.
Sure, there was a risk that Sarah would latch onto the signal and go on the offensive, but she knew that thanks to Dante I could get away any time I wanted to. She also knew that eventually, one way or another, I wouldn't want to. The idea of it created a number of subsequent thoughts and questions that swirled around my head. Mainly, I wondered how her visions had reacted to my escape from the djinn? If she had truly believed I was supposed to end there, how would her farseeing abilities spin what had really happened?
I didn't have too much time to consider it. Within a few minutes of leaving Obi, I was standing on the front porch of Onyx's house on the French countryside. It was early morning. I could hear roosters crowing in the distance. I could smell waffles and eggs and bacon cooking inside the house, and for a moment I thought I had gone to the wrong place.
Alyx was at the door a moment later, her entire face lighting up when she saw me. She opened the door and rushed to me, taking me in her arms.
"You're back," she said.
I accepted her embrace, leaning down to kiss her. She returned the affection with a chastity that surprised me.
"We were just having breakfast. Do you want to come in?"
I nodded, a little dumbstruck. Alyx was wearing a long black dress with long sleeves that covered ninety percent of her body. It was a massive shift from her formerly provocative dress.
She headed back for the door.
"Alyx, wait," I said.
She paused and turned back to me.
"Yes?"
"I didn't come for breakfast. I need you to come back with me. It isn't over yet."
"What do you mean?"
"Gervais and Zifah are still out there with the Fist. Sarah is still out there. I have a plan to remove Gervais from the equation, but I can't do it without you."
She stared at me for a long moment. I could sense a change in her, one that confused me, and sent a wave of anxiety up my gut.
"No," she said.
"What?" I replied, not sure what else to say.
"I can't help you, Mast.... Landon. I don't want to fight anymore."
"You're a Great Were."
Her eyes narrowed. "So what? I am a demon, and so I have to fight? Is that what you're saying?"
Yes. Sort of.
"Uh, no," I replied. "Alyx, I really need you."
"I don't want to fight anymore. I won't fight anymore."
"Al-"
"Do you not understand no, Landon?" she snapped. "Or do I only have the right to decide as long as it's in line with what you want?"
I closed my mouth and didn't speak. It was like she was a completely different person.
"What happened to you?" I asked a moment later.
"You ask me that like not wanting to fight is a bad thing. Like all I should be is a monstrous killing machine."
That was what I needed right now. It was clear I wasn't going to get that.
"No. It's definitely not a bad thing. It's just, you've changed so much, so quickly. I'm trying to understand you because at this moment I feel like I don't know you at all."
She softened a little. "You were the one who started me on this path. You were the one who told me that I could change. That I could be different than what my background made me or said I was. When I took Onyx home, I saw how much pain she was in. How much the death of her mate was hurting her. They didn't go out looking for a fight. They were trying to help you. Now she is devastated. After I got her settled and resting, I came outside, and do you know what I did?"
"No."
"I prayed. For hours, I prayed. To understand what she was feeling. To understand what I was feeling, and who I am supposed to be." She smiled. "And He answered me. God answered me. I would never have believed it. He told me I was whatever I wanted to be, and that a creature of Satan could be a daughter of God if only they live His word in their heart. That is what I am trying to do. That is what I want to do. Nothing you can say will change my mind on that."
"The angels fight demons," I said. "It isn't wrong for you to fight evil. God is supporting me in this." I drew Uriel's sword from my back to show it to her. "The archangel Uriel gave me this sword in Heaven, to help make things right."
She stared at the blade, and I could tell she was thinking about it. I didn't care if she wanted to fight for Heaven. I just needed her to fight.
"No," she said at last, crushing that hope again. "I can't. The idea of it makes me feel sick. It makes me feel guilty and wrong. If you love me, you won't keep asking."
I stared at her blankly, a part of me feeling betrayed. She had promised to be my ally. To protect me. Now that I was asking her to make good, she was balking. For all the right reasons, sure, but right reasons wouldn't mean anything if Sarah destroyed all of the Divine.
I had another idea.
"Alyx, I understand. There is another way you can help me."
She seemed pleased with my acquiescence. "What is it?" she asked.
"The sword can draw the energy from any Divine and transfer it to me. Normally, it destroys the target in the process, but I've discovered that I can use my power to change the outcome, and instead of killing, change them back to mortal instead." I swallowed hard, knowing that I was about to ask a lot of her, and also knowing that I wasn't even sure if the trick would work on non-djinn. "If you don't plan on fighting anymore, I could really use your power."
She looked at me as if I had just slapped her in the face.
"What?" she said, giving me an opportunity to change my stance.
I froze. I wasn't expecting things to go this way. "You don't need it anymore," I said. "Not if you're going to spend the rest of your life as a pacifist."
She shook her head sadly as if she felt sorry for me. "I can't believe you would even ask me this."
"I'm only asking because I'm desperate," I said. "Please?"
"My power is part of who I am. It is the only reason I exist in the first place."
"Right now it is. But Alyx, your power makes you immortal. If you never die, you can never go to Heaven. If I make you human, fully human, you'll age. You'll die. And then you'll have a chance."
It was the one card I had to play that might sway her, and by her expression, I knew that I had played it well. She stood in front of me, her face flat, her eyes thoughtful.
Finally, she let me down again.
"No. This is who I am."
I felt my heart clench along with my teeth. My hand tightened on the hilt of Uriel's sword. She was close enough; I could stab her with it before she could defend herself, take her power and render her mortal. In the end, it would be the best thing for her. She could live a normal life as one of God's children, instead of the life of a demon.
I raised my arm slightly. She noticed the motion, and her eyes widened slightly. Still, she didn't move.
"I don't know if I'm going to succeed," I said, lowering the blade. I wouldn't take it from her against her will, like Espanto did.
"I'm sorry," she replied.
I believed her. She was trying to find herself, the same way I had always been. I couldn't fault her for that. If the world burned because of her decision, at least she would know it was because she had used her free will.
We would both know that.
"If I don't see you again, take care of yourself," I said, putting the sword back in its sheath.
"You, too, Landon," she replied.
I stepped forward and embraced her again. I held her for a few heartbeats. Then she leaned up and kissed my cheek. Her eyes were moist. So were mine.
There was no reason for me to stay. Not now.
So I didn't.
Forty-Eight
>
"Where's Alyx?" Obi asked as I made my way back into the control center.
I had been gone for a while, having made my way back to the beach where I had spent the better part of two years pining for Charis and Clara, and steeling myself for the next chapter of my journey, a chapter that I had a feeling was nearing its end. Alyx's rebuttal was the most unexpected thing I could have encountered, and it not only hurt me emotionally, but it also left me feeling less than positive about, well, about everything. I felt like a boxer who had gone ten rounds and was hanging from the ropes on the verge of being KO'ed.
"She found God," I said.
What else could I say? I had thought the Big Guy was on my side, but then He had stolen one of my best weapons right out from under me. Was I supposed to do this alone? I had heard the expression that God never gives people more than they can handle.
I was ready to call bullshit on that one.
"Found God?" Obi asked.
"She won't fight. That's the bottom line. We have to do this without her."
His face fell. "I'm sorry, man."
"That's the hand we've been dealt. We need to work around it. Is Alichino making progress?"
"Why don't you ask Alichino?" the demon said, appearing beside me. Adam was a few steps behind. "And yes, the demon has been making very good progress." He pointed back at the fallen angel, who was sporting a new arm.
I shivered at the sight of it, my memory of our first encounter still fresh. His new arm wasn't as advanced as the first had been; it was more of a metal frame with some exposed wires and circuits poking into the stump of his flesh. That didn't mean it was incapable.
"A remote device would have been better," I said.
"The design requires Divine energy to function," Adam said. "And a direct interface to the nervous system."
"No offense, but how do I know I can trust you?"
"I want to go back to Heaven, Landon," he said. "More than I want to kill you, which you should be thankful for. Making right what I did wrong is my best chance of doing so."
"Fair enough," I said. "Are we sure this thing will work?"
"Not at all," Alichino said. "There's no way to test it ahead of time."
"But it will give us control of the Fist?"
"Complete control? I doubt it. It will interfere with Zifah's signal, and compete with it. That kind of confusion should be enough for you to take demon by surprise and put him out of commission."
"How long will it keep it confused for?"
"There are a lot of factors at play. Too many to guess."
"Ballpark?"
"Five seconds."
"That's it?"
"It could be longer," Alichino said. "I wouldn't put my life on any more than that."
"Wonderful. Okay, well, we're down one Great Were. I'm open to ideas on how to attract Gervais' attention without bringing Sarah down on us at the same time."
"Already done," Obi said. "You didn't need your girlfriend to bring him in. He's making plenty of noise on his own."
He turned his monitor so I could see it. He had a few windows open to different news feeds, all of which were reporting incidents of non-minimal proportions occurring around the center of London, all of them vague on causes and ranging from terrorist attacks to general accidents. It was classic Divine intervention, in the worst sense of the term, the general chaos and destruction fitting the profile of the Fist. With so many other Divine in hiding, it was a clear signal to anyone who cared to hear it.
"How long has this been going on?" I asked.
"A couple of hours," Obi replied.
"Sarah's bound to see that, too."
"Maybe Gervais is hoping as much."
"He's not ready to fight her," I said.
"Even with the Fist?" Adam asked.
"He wanted the sword for a reason."
"To level up," Obi said. "But what if he's decided to be satisfied to try and talk her into joining him. At least in the short term."
"No. He must have decided that the Fist can take her. If it does,Gervais has another way of stealing her power." It was too disgusting to think about, but it was still possible.
"We can't stop her from getting involved," Obi said.
"Do we have any idea where she is right now?" I said.
"Negative," Alichino replied. "Not in London, or we would."
"She could get there any second," Adam said.
"We can get there faster." I turned to Obi. "I understand if you want to sit this one out."
He shook his head forcefully. "No. No way, man. You know there's not a chance I'm stepping out of this action. It takes more than a few broken ribs to keep me down." He smiled. "Besides, if I get beat up again you can send that angel to come and fix me. She was like a... well, like an angel." He laughed.
"I know better than to argue," I said. I turned to Adam. "We need to get the timing right on this. Stay up and out of sight, and keep a close eye on me. Don't trigger the system until I'm close. Five seconds isn't a long time, and I expect Zifah will put up a fight of his own."
"A reasonable expectation," Adam said. "I'll monitor the situation from the air, and be ready."
"Don't double-cross me, Adam," I said. "If you try, I swear you'll regret it."
"I wouldn't expect anything less from you."
"Good. Put your hands in."
I put my hand out. Obi slapped his down on top of mine, followed by Adam and Alichino.
"On three. Keep your hand in," I said.
"Wait," Alichino said. "Landon, I'm not a fighter."
"Then you're a distraction," I said. "We need all the bodies we have."
He used his free hand to wave to the command center crew. "What about them?"
I ignored him, grabbing his hand when he tried to pull it away.
"On three," I repeated. "One."
"Two," Adam said.
"Three," Obi said.
I blinked.
Forty-Nine
The news reports would say that the damage done to London was the result of a natural gas explosion or a similar horrible accident.
I knew as soon as we arrived that it was the work of demons. Not only Gervais and Zifah but also some other recruits they must have gathered from somewhere. Fiends with control over hellfire who had used it to turn the bottom of a skyscraper to slag.
We didn't get assaulted as soon as we arrived. Maybe if Alyx had been there. Instead, we moved as a group away from the first building, where mortal emergency crews were trying to clean up the mess, crossing a few streets in search of the demons.
"I'll see if I can spot them," Adam said before launching into the sky.
"Adam, wait," I tried to say. Too late. His dark wings lifted him like a bullet. I silently cursed him as he vanished. That wasn't the way to earn back my trust.
"I think I'm going to go look over there," Alichino said, pointing back the way we had come, where a crowd of mortal onlookers proved there were no Divine nearby.
"I don't think so," I said, grabbing him. "If anything comes after you, lead them toward me, and I'll finish them off."
He looked terrified at the idea of being chased but nodded.
We covered a few more blocks. Obi pulled out his cell, checked the BBC, and then pointed us toward the river.
"Report of a malfunction with the Eye," he said.
We headed that way, getting in view of the Eye a minute later. At first, I didn't see anything wrong with the massive Ferris wheel.
Then I saw the Fist of God standing on top of it.
"That's a problem," Obi said.
A big problem. The people on the ride had nowhere to go, and so they couldn't escape the battle that was to come. A quick scan of the ground told me that they had all been abandoned to that fate.
"At least we found them," I said, reaching under my coat and bringing out Uriel's sword. I looked skyward in search of Adam, not finding him.
Had that son of a bitch abandoned us?
I didn't try to do an
ything subtle. That wasn't going to help here. Instead, I made a straight line toward the massive structure. I had seen the Eye get destroyed in movies before. I hoped not to make that a reality.
I heard the parting of air before I saw the vampires that jumped us, dropping down from the building to our right and falling into our midst. It was almost a joke for Gervais to start with the creatures. I was pretty solid against them before, and unstoppable against them now.
I danced among them, their scratching claws and biting teeth a blur as I used all of the moves I had gained from Josette's memories, letting my muscles take over as I fed my power to them. I swept in low, bringing the blade up and slicing one of the vamps nearly in half, sucking the power from it as I did. It barely registered a prick on the pain scale its overall Divine energy was so weak. I did a neat pirouette-style maneuver from that one, using the back of a second vamp for balance as I came about, stabbing another of the creatures and taking its power as well.
I broke free for a moment, my eyes landing on Obi. He was in the midst of a pair of the demons, a smile on his face. One came in at him, and he caught its arm in his glove, causing a satisfying hiss of steam and sulfur as he pulled it to him and punched it in the face, knocking it down and out. The second pounced, and Obi recovered, bringing his arm up, grabbing it by the neck, and throwing it easily aside.
"Landon," Alichino said, doing as I had asked, running from the vampire that chased him. He slipped between my legs, and the demon wound up impaled on my blade.
I felt a wash of heat, as a gout of hellfire caught me by surprise, searing my flesh on the left side. I grunted in pain, pushing myself back and away and taking the opportunity to heal. Hellfire had always been more challenging to recover from, but now I swept it aside easily as if it were no more than regular fire. I had always been afraid of having too much power, and it was easy for me to recognize why.
I felt invincible.
I came back down, throwing my power out at the fiend, grabbing him with it and pulling him toward me. He was still in the air when I cut through him with the blade, capturing his power as he fell to the ground behind me. That time there was more of a sting, but nothing I could manage.
