Angeli Trilogy: Angeli Books 1-3

by Amy Vansant

  “After we save Con,” interjected Anne.

  Michael sighed. “After we save Con. And of course kill as many Sentinels as needed in order to finish your prime directive.”

  “Of course, Sentinels are expendable,” mumbled Anne. Emma giggled. Tyannah looked at them and then turned her attention back to Michael, her arms crossed against her chest. Anne patted her on the shoulder.

  “You’ll be fine. I’ll look out after you.”

  The girl flashed a nervous smile.

  As Michael opened his mouth to continue, there was a flash of blue and Boudica and Con appeared behind him.

  “Are we late?” asked Con. His hair was tussled as if he’d just woken up.

  Michael’s jaw fell. “What are you doing here?”

  “What’s that now?”

  “We thought you were kidnapped!” said Anne.

  “Kidnapped? Have you all gone mad?”

  “Jeffrey said you disappeared.”

  “I saw you disappear,” added Tyannah.

  Con and Boudica exchanged a look and snickered.

  “That was me,” said Boudica.

  Michael glared at her. “You kidnapped him?”

  Despite Michael's clear distress, Boudica couldn’t shake the grin from her face. “We had a...date. You know, before the battle, in case—”

  “You grabbed him to—”

  Con cut him short. “Hey now, there are ladies present.”

  Michael balled both fists. “Do you realize what you’ve done? The Cherubim needed you to—”

  The air in the room crackled with electricity as a burst of red light flashed in the center of the room. A crack of thunder shook the walls and dust tumbled from the ceiling. Anne and the others covered their eyes as a cacophony of roars echoed through the chamber.

  Anne grabbed Tyannah’s arm and dragged her away from the light and noise, certain a dozen lions would burst from the haze at any moment.

  Reaching the far wall, she turned and saw movement through the dust. Angeli and Sentinels scattered as an enormous, dragon-creature appeared. Anne counted seven heads writhing on snake-like necks, eyes glowing like orange embers in their reptilian skulls.

  Anne spotted a word glowing on the monstrosity’s stubby reptilian leg.

  Varymor.

  The latest Cherub was a seven-headed dragon.

  “That would make a nice partner,” said Rathe.

  Anne turned to find him beside Tyannah, shielding her from the beast with his body. He noticed her staring at him and held up his hand.

  “I mean, if I was still on that side, of course.”

  Anne nodded. “Right.”

  She returned her attention to the dragon as the largest of the heads opened its maw and blasted a stream of blood-red fire towards them.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Casso spotted his counterpart, Taksi, leaning against the wall of the Atlantis cavern, staring at him, a smirk on her lips. He walked to her as Varymor launched his attack on the Angeli.

  “A seven-headed dragon,” she said as he approached. “I didn’t see that coming.”

  “See? I told you this was far from over.”

  “My pawns knew you needed an Angelus to enter. They forgot about Seth.”

  Casso grinned. “It must have killed you not to warn them.”

  She shrugged. “We’re not all cheaters.”

  “I didn’t cheat. The rules needed to be clarified!”

  She rolled her eyes. “When this is all over, no matter who wins, we’re going to have to tighten the rules about communicating with the pawns.”

  Casso sighed. “Yes. Yes, you’re right. Things got out of hand. If you’d done to me what I did to you, I’d be livid.”

  Taksi held out a hand. “We mustn’t lose sight, Casso. It’s just a game. We can’t let it ruin our relationship.”

  “You’re right. I wish you luck on the battlefield today.” He kissed the top of her outstretched hand and she eyeballed him, eyebrow arched.

  “I don’t believe you for a second.”

  “Nor should you.”

  She chuckled. “The heads were a nice touch. Very Biblical. Six Cherubim and...?”

  “Seth. Seth is the seventh. Decided to roll him into the package. He has some Sentinel in him, thanks to Con, so I figured he could help.”

  “How many drugs did that take?”

  “Enough to kill a horse.” He watched one of the dragon’s heads lunge, snapping at Leo, who easily dodged and reappeared several feet away. He looked at Taksi.

  “You know, regardless of what happens here today, I still have three more planets than you.”

  His counterpart laughed and lightly slapped his bicep with the tips of her fingers.

  “Oh, Casso. You know Earth is the only one that matters.”

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Anne rolled from the flame, standing in time to see Varymor’s fire nip Emma and strike Boudica full force. The Angelus, who had already unfurled her wings for battle, used them as a shield, falling back beneath the force of the blast.

  Emma yelped as the dragon’s energy struck her. Spinning away, she screamed out, “It’s a Cherub!”

  “Sentinel!” roared Boudica as she hit the ground.

  Anne took this to mean the blast had hurt both Emma and Boudica, which meant, like Con, Varymor possessed powers both Cherub and Sentinel.

  Tyannah appeared at Anne’s side as one of the heads opened its mouth. They braced for it to rain fire upon them, but nothing happened.

  “It must need time to recharge,” said Anne.

  “Or that head doesn’t have fire,” suggested Tyannah.

  “Good thought. We should note that. Some might be more dangerous than others.”

  “Should we run to the tunnels?”

  Anne glanced at the nearest entry way and shook her head. “No. With those energy blasts we’d be sitting ducks in a tunnel. We’d be trapped in a tube of flame.”

  “What should we do? Have you ever fought something that big before?”

  Anne snorted a laugh. “Sentinels weren’t built to battle seven-headed dragons. I can’t even reach anything higher than its toe.”

  “So we just stand here?”

  “Let the Angeli break it down. You hang back until they make a dent on this thing. If I have to go, stick with Rathe, but keep an eye on him, too.”

  A flash of blue caught her eye. Michael’s wings spread and he zipped like lightning to the head responsible for the first blast. Straddling the back of its neck, he raised a wing to slice as the neighboring maw opened and lunged for him. Seconds before the teeth nearly split him in two, Rathe blasted into the creature like a red rocket, knocking away the attacking head and giving Michael the opportunity to strike. His laser-like wing stabbed into the beast and it roared with pain.

  Anne watched Michael struggle to cling to the whipping neck as it thrashed in an attempt to unseat him. Unable to sever the head, he dismounted and flew to the ground.

  “I can only wound them,” he said, appearing beside Anne.

  “Because it’s half Cherubim and half Sentinel.”

  “What? Why do you say that?”

  “Emma and Boudica were both wounded by its fire. What about Con? Couldn’t he hurt it?”

  Michael grimaced. “Con technically has the power but not the tools. I don’t think he can punch that monster to death. It’s just too big.”

  Anne gasped as another of the heads blasted a jet of flame towards Achilles, but the seasoned warrior rolled out of the way in the nick of time. Flying upward as a nebula of blue light, he manifested and slashed down with his wings, slicing flesh before tumbling away like an acrobatic bird.

  “We can’t keep doing this death by a thousand cuts. We’ll lose people.” Michael’s piercing gaze locked on her. “I have an idea. Trust me?”

  “Do I have a choice?”

  Michael took her arm and spirited her to the head he’d wounded. He pressed her again the neck, using the weigh
t of his body to hold her steady against the scaly flesh of the creature.

  “Cut!”

  She flared her swords and thrust them in the oozing gash left by Michael’s last attempt. His wing curled and joined her orange blade and, powers united, they slid through the creature’s flesh, each energized by the power syphon.

  With the ripping of muscle, the head tumbled to the ground and the neck collapsed, as another jaw snapped above their heads. Michael grabbed Anne and tossed her like a doll toward Leo, who straddled an adjacent neck. He caught her, her legs clamping around his upper torso.

  “This is so unladylike,” she grunted, sawing at flesh. Blood sprayed in her face. Unable to move out of the way, she sputtered, the hot liquid metallic on her lips.

  “Yeah, but at least you look good,” growled Leo through gritted teeth.

  She wiped her face on her shoulder to clear her vision and glared at him.

  The spine beneath them cracked as a blast of fire knocked Leo and Anne into the air. The Angelus shifted into his energy form and flew Anne to Achilles, who sat awaiting her help on a third head.

  Blinded by blood and weakened from the attack, it took Anne a moment to realize she was being asked to sever a third neck. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  She slipped forward as Achilles’ hands slid across her blood-splattered arms. She felt him grab her by the waist of her jeans and expelled a breath of relief.

  “Sorry.” Achilles stabilized her and they began sawing, sword and wing intertwined.

  “I feel like Henry the Eight’s executioner,” said Achilles in her ear. “Who, it should be said, was actually a really nice fellow.”

  Anne curled her lip and sneaked a peek at him to see if he was kidding. He didn’t seem to be.

  “Abort!” he screamed suddenly, and, gripping her tightly around her waist, rolled her off the neck. He shifted to energy and transported her to safety. Feet firmly planted on the ground, Anne wiped her face with her shirt and looked up at the dragon. The head they’d been slicing hung limp at the end of its writhing neck.

  There were more people in the room than when she’d last been grounded. A group of Sentinel automatons had swarmed Achilles. Leo ran to help his comrade.

  She didn’t have to wonder from where the Cherubim Sentinels had appeared. The remaining sinews of the third head snapped free and, on impact, burst into more than a dozen glassy-eyed Sentinels, all of whom sprinted towards Boudica.

  Emma and Con pounced on the only girl who didn’t run with the other Sentinels. She seemed disoriented and didn’t struggle. Her faint red aura revealed her as a Cherub.

  Con and Emma finished syphoning her, and the girl burst into a shower of white light.

  Anne looked up at the beast as it rocked back and forth on its all but useless, stubby legs.

  Seven heads. Each containing a Cherub? But they were only looking for six Cherubim.

  She searched the area until she spotted Rathe, knocking down Sentinels with his red wings as Tyannah wrestled to slow their attack.

  No. Rathe hadn’t changed sides. He wasn’t the seventh. Had another Angelus fallen? One they didn’t know about?

  Con ran to help Boudica repel the Sentinel mob focused on her. Con hit one man so hard on the side of the head that Anne could hear his neck snap from twenty feet away.

  Boudica spread her wings, and her electric blue webbing wrapped to create her trusty broadsword. She motioned Con aside and swept forward, Sentinels falling in pieces at her feet.

  Anne swallowed, feeling grateful Boudica had never been infected with Perfidia. It would take an army of highly trained Sentinels to take her down.

  Or at least me, on a good day. I need to get back into the fray.

  “Watch it!”

  It felt as though a linebacker had tackled her. Anne flew into the air as the now four-headed dragon stumbled forward, one foot nearly crushing her. The beheaded necks dragged, blood pumping to the ground.

  Anne rolled onto her back to find Sundance lying on top of her, staring at her with wide eyes.

  “Whaddya doing? You were standing there in la-la land with a goofy grin on your face while that foot monster was headed for your face!” he said, scrambling up and offering a hand. They moved a safer distance from the creature.

  “I...” Anne realized she’d been distracted calculating her chances against Boudica and chose to drop it. “Where’s Michael? We need to finish removing the heads.”

  “He’s taking out another dragon head with ol’ Emma.”

  A roar echoed through the cavern and Anne looked up in time to see Michael and Emma leap from one of the dragon heads. It whipped to the side, its neck bulging. The bulge exploded splattering blood and flesh across the room.

  The head collapsed and Anne and Sundance watched as the fallen skull shattered into Sentinels, each of whom turned a milky eye upon them before dismissing them in favor of Leo, who fought nearby.

  “Gross,” said Anne, viscous red liquid and globs of brain gray matter clinging to her body. She shook her arms to be rid of it.

  “Incoming” said Sundance, pointing.

  A man stumbled towards them, drenched in blood. He fell, slipping in a pool of gore, and then shifted briefly into a nexus of swirling blue light. When he reappeared, clean, Anne couldn’t believe her eyes.

  “It’s Seth!”

  Sundance looked at her. “Should we, I mean, is he safe?”

  Seth walked toward them and she struck a defensive pose, fists poised to strike. He didn’t appear infected with Perfidia. The last time she’d seen him, he’d looked like a putrefying corpse. Now, he appeared like a mild-mannered accountant.

  “You killed me,” he said, stopping two feet from her.

  Sundance tried to slide between them, but Anne held him back. She flashed him a look she hoped telegraphed I can handle myself.

  “Seth—”

  Before she could begin her thought, Seth thrust out a hand, a brilliant smile stretching, transforming him from plain to handsome. “Thank you. You did the right thing.”

  She considered his hand and then peered into his eyes. He seemed healthy, if not strangely happy for all he must have been through. She shook.

  He winced and put a hand against his head. “I’ve got the worst hangover of all time. I can’t even heal it properly.”

  “A hangover?” asked Sundance.

  “Long story. Hey, I remember you. You were there in Mexico City with her and Con.”

  Sundance pointed at him. “Oh! You’re the guy who stole Con? But you were all, you know...” Sundance made a face like something smelled bad.

  “I’m better now. Mostly. Want to kill this thing?” He grinned, eyebrows raised high.

  Anne nodded.

  Seth grabbed her wrist and transformed her into energy. A second later she found herself standing between the dragon’s two front legs, staring up at its white belly. On the leg beside her the word Varymor pulsed as if it had a life of its own.

  She turned to Seth, worried he’d tricked her into the path of the beast.

  He put a hand on her shoulder as if to quell her fears. “The heart is the core of Varymor. Wound it and the rest will fall apart. It’s the glue.”

  He spread his wings, pointing at a spot on the thorax of the beast.

  “There. Let’s do it together.”

  Anne manifested her sword and together they thrust forward, plunging deep into the heart of Varymor.

  The shriek that filled the room stopped both Sentinels and Angeli in their tracks. The creature seized, each of the remaining four heads slamming against the ceiling, causing rock and stone to rain down. Seth flew Anne from the epicenter, manifesting in a safe corner in time to watch the leviathan explode, showering light like a sparkler, each twinkling ember transforming into a Sentinel as it struck the ground. A handful scrambled towards Anne and Seth.

  “Find the Cherubim. There are four more,” said Seth. He patted her on the arm and disappeared seconds before the Sent
inels fell upon him. Two blank-eyed men stared at Anne before turning and running in the other direction. Apparently, she didn’t have enough Angelus in her to trigger the zombies’ attack.

  Why do I feel vaguely insulted?

  She spotted Emma running from one side of the room to the other. Will I live longer than Emma? Was the Angeli power that created her swords enough to help her live longer than a thousand years?

  Did she want to live longer?

  No time to think about that now. She had to organize her fellow Sentinels against the remaining Cherubim. She ran towards Tyannah.

  Leo, Michael, Boudica, Yuko and Achilles had formed a tight circle, each facing in a different direction. As the Sentinels fell upon them, they snatched the mindless creatures in their wings, draining quickly before moving to the next. Con stood near the circle, his massive blows sending the Sentinels spinning into the path of Boudica’s glowing sword. Emma had stationed herself between Leo and Achilles, mercilessly beating approaching foes and incapacitating them long enough for one of the Angeli to dispatch them.

  Even in her sprint, Anne marveled at the efficiency.

  It’s almost like we do this every day.

  She decided not to distract Con and Emma; the Angeli needed them to slow the onslaught of Cherubim-Sentinels.

  “Sundance!”

  The cowboy turned at the sound of her voice and she held up four fingers. “Four Cherubim are in this crowd.”

  He nodded and began to search.

  Anne reached Tyannah’s side. Rathe stood several feet away, hacking and draining Sentinels with his red wings. They had no interest in him, which made it easy for him to dispatch one and move to the next without fear of being overwhelmed.

  Upon seeing her, Tyannah gasped.

  “You look awful!”

  “Thanks.”

  “I mean, the blood; is that a chunk of bone in your hair?”

  “All the kids are doing it. Listen, there are four Cherubim.”

  Tyannah looked at her. “They’re not all zombies?”

  “No. Seth told me to keep my eye out for four Cherubim.”

  “Who’s Seth?”