A curtain of dark hair billowed in front of the witch as she was knocked over, dodging the spear successfully. The spear reeled back, returning to the hands of Raphael. Ariel turned to the archangel and glared at him.
“Ariel…” Raphael looked down on her. “I should not have set you free from your cage.”
“If you had not done so, you would not have been able to release Lucifer,” Ariel reminded him. “Am I correct, brother?”
“Indeed, you are,” Raphael admitted. “But you have served your purpose and are of no importance now.” His eyes turned to Caelum, his expression grim. “Perhaps Michael will think of another way…”
“What are you talking about?” Caelum demanded of the archangel.
Another voice answered, one that thundered above them. “Pitiful souls have no purpose.”
Beside Raphael materialized another man, another archangel. His face was strong and hairless, not even an eyebrow or eyelash adorned his face. He had his bulging arms crossed over his naked chest and his robe hung around his waist.
“Uriel…” Ariel called the angel, her voice betraying the horror she felt.
Uriel lifted his right arm, extending two fingers in the sky. A sigil shone above their heads, marking the storm cloud in the sky. Both Ariel and Daniel watched the archangel in fear, their mouths open.
“A sacrifice of the few, for the sake of the great,” he announced. The sigil shone a bright red gold, giving the scene before them a glow in the odd light.
Ariel turned to Mikaela, and she warned her. “Run, now!”
But Mikaela ignored her plea. Her eyes were on Caelum, and she reached out to him. Caelum saw his daughter running towards him, and he yelled for her to stop. Ariel grabbed Mikaela by the shoulders and pulled her against her body. Daniel, who stood near Caelum, went for him. He stretched out his wings and grabbed Caelum’s shoulders. Caelum’s eyes stared as the red gold light washed away the image of Ariel and Mikaela. Daniel pulled him away from the scene.
A crackling sound of lightning, a word from the archangel’s lips, and everything was bathed in the light.
Chapter Six: Two Sides of the Enemy
Their screams were a melody to her ears. Her laughter echoed across the land of Hell. The time was nearing for the completion of their grand scheme, and she only needed to wait for the right moment to claim her prize. But for now, she needed a little entertainment.
Demons fresh out of the labyrinth required training from their new queen, and Lilith was more than willing to perform such. She paced in front of those who were left untouched by her whims, ignoring the moans of pain of the others who writhed in pain in the other corner of the room. Her boots clicked with each step she took, and her smile widened at the fear painted on their faces.
“Why the long faces, my sweeties?” Lilith asked them in her childish tone. “Aren’t you honored to be in the presence of your queen? The first demon created by our dear Lucifer?”
Lilith walked to her new throne and took her seat, crossing her legs primly. She studied each of the demons’ faces with an index finger tapping against her chin. “I am so getting bored…” she told them. “Shall we play another game?”
Their eyes glanced at the writhing demons behind them and terror struck their hearts. Before Lilith could decide what torturous game she wanted to play, the wind picked up, blowing from the many windows of the tower. The wind circulated all around, tossing Lilith’s blonde hair in all directions as her face turned serious. Out of the small tornado stepped the shadowy silhouette of a man. Faceless and tall, the silhouette stood straight in front of the Queen of Hell, bowing his head slightly in greeting.
“I see that you are enjoying your short time as queen, Lilith,” Baron’s voice spoke from the silhouette.
Lilith bared her teeth, clearly displeased by the unwelcomed guest. “And what does Azazel’s lapdog want from me? I am in the middle of something important.”
“A message from the true leader of Hell,” Baron announced, much to Lilith’s annoyance. “A reminder of your recent failure.”
“Failure? Ha!” Lilith scoffed. “Is this some sad attempt to ruffle my feathers?”
“Perhaps,” Baron admitted. “However, it doesn’t mean what I will tell you is not the truth.”
Lilith’s face contorted in her anger. “Spill the beans, dog. What are you talking about?”
Though the silhouette did not bear his face, Lilith could imagine the demon’s smarmy smile as he spoke. “He lives. The one you delivered as a sacrifice still walks the mortal land.”
“He?” Lilith asked, then her eyes widened at the realization. “Caelum?” She said the name like a curse.
Baron chuckled at her reaction. “Azazel wonders how Lucifer will take the news that the sacrifice you offered him has not only dodged the bullet but also found a way to cheat his existence and is no longer eligible for the second task. Surely, he will be displeased.”
“That’s impossible!” Lilith shouted, earning the whimpers of the demons who stood as audience to their conversation.
“If you wish, you may see for yourself,” Baron challenged her. “Pay him a visit the next time you are in the mortal land. Perhaps you will get your chance to correct the mistake you have made.” With a whistle of the wind, the silhouette evaporated in the air, leaving Lilith with her mouth open.
Azazel… The name echoed in Lilith’s thoughts like a curse. He claims that it was my failure when we both had a hand in making Caelum a sacrifice! How dare he! Her thoughts were full of anger, reliving the previous days and the ones years ago when they had orchestrated everything to prepare Caelum to be offered to Lucifer. He was just a sacrifice to them. He was the sacrifice they needed.
I saw him die! Lilith argued in her mind. I saw that wretched angel try to save him and fail! She paced in front of her throne, her thoughts plagued by the images she remembered of that day. Lilith had watched Lucifer strike Caelum down, watched him die as the bridge was forged in his blood. How could it be possible that he still lived?
Then, a memory sparked in her eyes. Fire. She saw Caelum’s last actions before his death. He had smashed something on the ground and fire had billowed between his palms. Lilith hadn’t thought much of it, and considered it as his last failed attempt to attack them. But now it haunted her mind like a warning she should have paid attention to.
Lilith screamed in her frustration. Shadows materialized all around her like spikes, scaring the demons who frantically removed themselves from her path. The frightened demons clambered away and headed for the stairs. But Lilith’s head snapped at them, her eyes filled with fury.
“Did I dismiss you?” The demons cowered in fear of the queen’s rage; they pushed at each other to hide from her. Confusion reigned in all their minds. To run would fuel her anger, but to stay would risk becoming casualties to her already boiling rage. One young demon decided to take the risk and slowly slipped into the stairwell, praying that he would not be detected. But luck was not on his side.
Before he could take his second step, a patch of shadows morphed in front of him. As he stepped back from it, the shadow formed a spike that shot into his chest, skewering him completely. His dark blood dribbled on his lips, and as he coughed, more blood spilled on the shadow. The other demons gasped in horror, frozen in their places.
“I said,” Lilith reminded them, “we’re going to play a game!”
When her toys were all put away in the corner of her chambers, and all the mess and stench had been cleaned up, the Queen of Hell rested on her throne, biting her lip as she debated her next course of action. She hated to admit that Azazel was right; if Lucifer discovered that the sacrifice she had delivered to him had survived and was not where he was supposed to be, the blame would be placed on her head. She had been the one molding Caelum to become the perfect sacrifice for their cause, and it seemed that she had failed.
And to look for a replacement for him will take time we don’t have! Lilith slammed her fist on the armr
est of her throne. And what did Baron mean that he is not eligible anymore? Lilith questioned. She detested that her time of play would have to be interrupted by such frustrating things.
The Queen of Hell rose from her seat and looked out the window overlooking her kingdom. The souls from the pit continued to escape into the swirling darkness that had been created by Lucifer’s bridge. Her mind raced; how could she turn this little obstacle into an advantage? Surely, if Caelum lived, he would be with the angel who took him from the cage. But surely that bitch had nothing to do with him surviving!
The question of what had caused her supposed failure nagged at the back of her head. How could he have survived that? Lilith thought of everything she knew about Caelum, what he knew and what he had. Then, something else came to her mind: who Caelum had. Mikaela? Lilith was reminded of the witch he’d sired. Witches had been the subject of both Lilith’s interest and vexation. The human-demon hybrids were somehow more adept in cheating their way out of things, and Lilith would not be surprised if this one had a hand in her father’s survival.
A smile crept over Lilith’s mouth. Maybe this can be an opportunity for me, she thought, watching the goings on below her window. Her eyes looked to the souls gathering upward and escaping to the mortal lands. Perhaps I need to visit and take two sacrifices this time. She giggled, stepping onto the ledge of the window and jumping off the tower.
Mikaela felt as though she had been pushed out of a cave and into the warm light. The warmth prickled her skin, as if she were diving in a sea of needles. Ariel gripped her arm tightly while they were pulled out of the area of explosion and into another location they had yet to see. When the cold winter air finally embraced her face, gravity returned to bring them down and into the icy cold river that wound through the forest.
After bathing in the stinging warm light, diving into the cold river was a shock. Both Ariel and Mikaela gasped at the chilling water and quickly climbed out. Their clothes carried the weight of the water with them, and their breaths caught in the winter air. The angel and the witch stumbled onto the moist grass and rested their bodies, Mikaela mostly, who needed to rest her heart and breathe.
“So, that’s how you travel,” Mikaela said between her heaving breaths. She turned her body to the side and pushed herself off the ground. Her legs were weak, but they were strong enough to carry her. She looked up to the sky and saw the smoke between the trees. “We didn’t travel far.”
“No,” Ariel confessed. “I am still weak. More so without my wings.” She rose from her rest and looked around through the trees. Mikaela followed her gaze, and the question formed itself in her mind.
“Where are they?” Mikaela asked.
“I do not know,” Ariel said. “But I pray they also escaped. Daniel was standing near Caelum when Uriel arrived. He would have taken him away from the destruction.”
“Uriel…” Mikaela repeated the name. “And the other one. They were archangels, weren’t they?”
“Yes. Uriel and Raphael,” Ariel answered her. “They are of the archangels of Heaven.”
“We have to go back,” Mikaela suddenly said. “They could still be there.”
“Mikaela.” Ariel looked to the witch. Then, a light from the sky growing bright caught her eye. She drew her breath and screamed. “Look out!”
Mikaela looked up to see what had alarmed the angel, then leapt out of the way just as Raphael’s spear stabbed the ground she stood on. The witch wheeled around and used her power to direct the water and leaves to distract the archangel. Raphael sliced at the water and dashed towards them.
Ariel sped forward, meeting the archangel. Raphael swung his spear at her and she leapt higher than his spear. Her feet landed on the handle of the spear and her weight brought it down. Ariel jumped from the spear and landed a kick on Raphael’s head. The archangel blocked her attack with his arm and Ariel retreated. She jumped back from the spear, arching her back and pushing the ground with her hands to take her back to her feet.
“Ariel, you have become weak,” Raphael taunted her.
“I haven’t!” Mikaela moved into his line of sight, creating fire in her palms. She directed the flames towards the archangel, and the blast threw him off and into the river.
Crystals formed around Raphael’s legs as he stood in the river. He looked to the witch and found her speaking a spell to speed the freezing of the water. The ice crawled towards him like living spider webs. It was a weak obstacle for the archangel; a single strike of his spear was more than enough to shatter the ice. Raphael lifted the spear over his head, but before he could bring the blade down, the ice exploded in his face. Sharp crystals scratched his skin, and the archangel rose from the water.
Mikaela continued sending ice at his face. Raphael deflected her attacks and dove towards the witch. Raphael poised his blade to strike at the witch, but as he neared the ground, a heavy weight landed on his back. Ariel leapt from a nearby tree and grabbed onto Raphael. The two angels rolled in the air and crashed to the ground.
Raphael turned to face the sky, still gripping his weapon. He lifted himself off the ground and flew into the sky again. He procured something from his robes and Ariel’s eyes grew wide. She turned to Mikaela and warned her. “Stop him!”
The witch caught sight of the small item. She quickly pronounced a spell and had the wind pick up violently; the archangel swayed from side to side in the tumultuous wind. Raphael fought through the wind, but darkness suddenly loomed over his head. A storm cloud formed above him. Raphael shielded himself with his wings just as lightning struck him.
Heat singed his wings, but it was not enough to harm him. Raphael released his wings and his eyes bore into the witch that struck him. His teeth bared in anger and confusion that the witch was able to hold him up like she did. The archangel peered into the witch and saw the darkness in her soul. Darkness like that of a demon. What are you?
He switched hands that held the spear, still without releasing the witch from his gaze. Raphael spun the spear in his hands and concluded: I will destroy this abomination before it grows further. Raphael pivoted his body and the spear flew towards them.
Ariel quickly moved away from the spot as soon as she witnessed the spear being thrown, but not Mikaela. The witch only spread her feet apart, her shoulders hunched and her hands out as if she meant to catch the weapon like a baseball. Ariel parted her lips to warn Mikaela, but the words never left her. She caught sight of the blade nearing the witch, then a dark smoke billowed from out of nowhere.
Ariel shielded herself from the smoke and peered into it to find Mikaela. At first, she saw not even a silhouette of the witch. Then, a flash of light blinded her briefly. Something sliced upwards, causing the smoke to part in its wake. Ariel followed the movement and saw that Raphael had caught the spear rather awkwardly so that it nearly nicked his palm. The impact threw the archangel off balance, and his face was marked by utter confusion.
Mikaela appeared from the smoke and stretched her arms out. Her palms curled inward and the smoke gathered closer around her, as if following the motion of her hands. They condensed together until Mikaela bent her knees and arms, then punched the air upward. The smoke shot up like missiles aimed at the archangel who deflected each attack with his spear.
Something in the way Mikaela controlled the smoke struck Ariel as odd. She focused her sight to see the soul Mikaela had consumed. Ariel’s heart fell to see that, due to the energy of the demon soul, her mortal soul was in conflict with the other. The demonic one was winning. If this continues… Ariel feared.
Each blast of smoke slammed against the archangel. Frustration was building up in Raphael. He sliced all the attacks the witch sent him. He swung his spear to clear the smoke. Suddenly he was faced with fire roaring towards him. Raphael shielded himself instinctively with his wings. The fire spread all around him until it was all snuffed out. But as Raphael released himself, he still felt the heat lingering on his wings. She is using the holy flames we sent, Raphael realiz
ed. I must end this soon.
Raphael raised his spear over his head and called on the light. The light heated the blade’s tip, making it glow brighter than the sun. Mikaela covered her eyes with her hand. A spark appeared. The light beamed at her, and Mikaela dodged a minute too late. Her leg caught the light, her skin sizzling. The witch screamed in pain.
“Mikaela!” Ariel rushed to her, but the hair on the back of her neck stood, and she took a step back before the light crashed down on the ground between her and Mikaela. Ariel looked up to Raphael who eyed her humorlessly. He raised the spear again to gather light, and its bright shine gave Ariel an idea. She concentrated on the light and used it against the archangel.
Walking between the light, Ariel appeared just above Raphael. Though she was wingless, the light of the spear allowed her passage, and she grabbed onto the weapon as gravity began to pull her down. Raphael, caught by surprise, held on to the weapon tightly. He gritted his teeth, calling on the light so that the spear seared pain into Ariel’s palm. A whacking sound came, and Ariel felt herself free falling with the spear still in her hand. A patch of shadow whizzed past her as she went down, hitting Raphael on the chest. Ariel pivoted her body and held the spear forward. The blade stabbed into the ground, halting her fall and allowing her to land on her feet.
“How dare you…” Raphael’s often calm face contorted with fury. He sped downward, dodging Mikaela’s flames and shadows as he did, aiming straight for Ariel. Ariel held the spear only to find it heavier than she expected. The surge of power radiating from the weapon was nearly overwhelming for Ariel, yet she found herself lifting the weapon and swinging it across to meet Raphael.
Though the weapon felt heavy in her hands, Ariel was surprised as she swung the spear expertly again and again against Raphael. She wheeled around and jabbed the weapon forward to meet his torso, but the archangel dodged. Ariel felt the power of the spear spreading through her veins with each motion.
The Damned and The Pure Series: Books 1-4 (The Damned and The Pure Series Box Set) Page 48
